How do we best use the Internet to share our faith and make disciples for Jesus? With the increasing use of online communities, more and more churches are desiring to reach out to those they meet online.
“Christians shouldn’t just have Web pages. They should inhabit and redeem the Internet.” – Paul Watson
Dear Roger,
If the devil cannot read our minds, why wouldn’t we want to pray silently and not verbally? When he hears what we’re praying, would our answer be thwarted or diverted?
Thank you,
Jennifer
Dear Jennifer,
Can the Devil read minds? “Of course he can!” I say, and so say others as well!
Can the Devil read minds? “Of course not!” say some (like Neil Anderson of “Bondage Breaker” fame).
Can the Devil read minds? “Maybe,” some respond.
Can the Devil read minds? “I don’t have the slightest idea!” say most Christians.
As you can see, disagreement abounds concerning whether or not Satan can read minds. As a result, I don’t want to come down too hard on opinions other than mine—nor push my position too firmly.
However, while the Bible seems not absolutely clear on this issue (otherwise, most would come to agreement), I think that the Bible gives enough examples to posit that Satan can read minds.
In my opinion every satanic attack and temptation concerns who will be in charge of our minds: we ourselves or Satan. Notice that God will never take control of a Christian’s mind. He wants us mentally free to make our own choices. Following Christ yields abundant life. Succumbing to Satan produces bondage and misery. By the way, according to the Bible, since Satan is neither omniscient nor omnipresent, most of his work is carried out by demonic forces under his personal direction (Ephesians 6:1-12).
Now, let’s consider several relevant passages.
Paul advised Timothy what to do with ornery church members in 2 Timothy 2:25-26. Note that some of these Christians were taken captive by Satan.
Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”
Satan certainly has not rounded up these trouble making Christians like cattle and put them in a corral. He has entrapped their mind.
Psychologically, the interaction among our minds, wills and emotions makes up our “selves,” or our personhoods, or the essence of who we are. We think with our minds; we choose with our wills; we feel with our emotions. Personhood, or self, is defined by having a mind, will and emotions. These three make up, to a large degree, just who we are.
Study the satanic attack in Genesis three against Adam and Eve. Eve succumbed in all three areas. Adam failed in only two. Eve was deceived. Adam knew exactly what he was doing.
The only way for Satan to “take our minds captive” is to “capture” our minds, wills and/or emotions—in other words, our thoughts.
Certainly, our old nature tempts us to sin. Just as certainly, Satan inserts tempting thoughts in order to induce us to sin.
Paul demonstrated that an interaction between our sin natures and Satan’s temptations. The context is Paul’s advice in 1 Corinthians 7:5-6 to married couples who needed to separate for a short time.
Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
The “lack of self control” that Satan tempts obviously refers to getting emotionally or sexually involved with another person not their spouse. Think about it. The temptation to adultery occurs mostly in our thought life.
Jesus outlined His plan to go to Jerusalem and die on a cross for the redemption of mankind (Mark 8:31). Satan devoted much of His work on derailing God’s plan. He infiltrated Peter’s thoughts and even used Peter’s own mouth in an attempt to get Jesus to reevaluate His plan: “… Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him” (Mark 8:32).
Jesus was not fooled. He knew that Peter’s words were implanted into his mind by Satan himself: “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (Mark 8:33).
Some members in the newly established Jerusalem Church were selling their possessions and bringing the proceeds for distribution to the poor. One member, Ananias, sold some land and lied about the selling price—a portion of which he held secretly back for himself. Obviously tempted by Satan in a mental struggle, Ananias announced to Peter that He was bringing it all to Jesus! Peter wasn’t fooled. He knew that this was Satan’s work. Luke recorded the encounter in Acts 5:3: “Then Peter said, ‘Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?’” Ananias dropped dead on the spot.
Notice Peter’s observation that the source of the lying was Satan depositing the words of deceit directly into Ananias’ “heart.” In Scripture the term, “heart,” refers often to the mind. Yielding our thought lives to Satan risks diabolical destruction.
Allow me to share a few implications if, as I believe, Satan can read our minds.
I believe that Satan can read our thoughts and impute his words and ideas directly into our minds.
We do not need to pray out loud for Satan to hear us rebuking and resisting him.
When Satan hears what we’re praying he will attempt to confuse, frustrate, stymie and distract our prayers and thus marginalize God’s intentions for us and for our circumstances.
I believe that spiritual warfare attacks are always concerned with “taking our minds captive to do Satan’s will.” Satan wants to control our minds, wills and emotions so that he can entrap us. The Lord Jesus Christ will never subjugate our minds to His control. He grants us free will to make our own decisions. This is why Jesus wants us in control of our thinking, unhindered by Satan, so that we are free to follow His leadership, Word and guidance.
We must seek freedom at all costs. Remember, every area of our lives not fully submitted to the Holy Spirit is open to attack and control by a demonic spirit.
We must guard our minds rigorously and remain vigilant against satanically inspired lies and deceit. Job, for example, was totally deceived. He never did figure out that it was actually Satan destroying and destructing him.
Always keep in mind Paul’s warning in 1 Peter 5:8-9.
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith …
I was playing golf several years ago with an angry man who swore mercilessly. We met on the first tee and were paired with two others to make a foursome. His foul mouth made the first three holes so miserable that I was contemplating returning to the first tee to find another group.
Then, I wondered if he were under a demonic attack. Why not? As we approached the fourth green I began to rebuke and cancel the assignments of any demonic spirits controlling and/or attacking his speech. My battle with the forces of evil occurred silently in my mind. I spoke nothing out loud. Then, just for fun—since he obviously wasn’t having any—I prayed for him to make a birdie on the next hole.
He promptly birdied the next hole and then another. “I’ve never made two birdies in a row in my life!” He was so excited. He never said another curse word for the rest of the round.
So, Jennifer, while opinions abound regarding Satan’s ability to read our minds, I hope that my interpretation is useful to you and to others. It has certainly served me well for the last forty years!
May God bless you and thanks again for asking.
Love,
Roger
One of the questions almost every church leader I know is asking is “How do we reach Millennials?”—that demographic of young adults now in their mid-twenties to age 40.
It’s a great question.
They’re hardly kids anymore. They’re today’s adults. And many churches have missed them altogether.
One of the primary missions of every generation of church leaders is to hand the faith and the church over to the next generation. Practically speaking, churches that fail to reach young adults will struggle far more a decade from now than churches that don’t.
Often the conversation goes quickly to what you need to do in the church to reach the next generation.
But is that actually the right question to ask?
The penny dropped for me recently in (yet another) conversation I had with young adults about the church and the future.
Maybe Millennials are asking a very different question.
And the question they’re asking is good news for almost every church leader, because it’s not only about what you do, how many resources you have, or even your model of ministry. It’s bigger than that.
In fact, Millennials might be looking for something bigger than all of that. The good news? It’s something almost every church leader can offer regardless of church size, budget or staffing.
A primary mission of every church leader is to hand the church over to the next generation.
I had a free ranging dinner conversation a while back with 8 young adult church leaders (ranging in age from the mid-twenties to early thirties) and I simply asked them, “If you could design a church for your generation, what would it look like?”
The conversation actually turned out quite similar to a number of conversations I’ve had with young church leaders. No one actually agreed with each other.
One young leader thought messages should be 20 minutes long. Others thought messages should be ‘deep’ and biblical and length wasn’t that important.
When I drilled down, no one could really agree on what deep or biblical meant.
Some thought worship should be longer while others thought this could be an impediment to inviting their friends.
When it came to community groups or outreach, there were mixed opinions on what to do.
After 45 minutes, no real consensus emerged.
This is quite typical among the many conversations I’ve had with churched and unchurched Millennials.
I’d preached at their church earlier that day and so I asked them for some honest no-holds-barred feedback. They told me the message really resonated, so I pushed deeper (come on, you can tell me the truth) and asked them why. My message was more like 40 minutes, after all (not 20) and I’m old enough to be the dad of some of the people around the table. I was really anxious for their feedback.
“Well”, someone ventured, “you were authentic. You told stories. There was nothing fake about what you said.”
“And I did reference Greek once,” I replied. We all laughed because clearly this meant my teaching was ‘deep.’
Then they started talking about what they valued. Things like integrity, transparency, honesty, grace and truth.
And this is when (finally), they all agreed.
That’s also when things really came together in my mind, and resonated with what we’re learning from Millennials where I serve at Connexus, and what I’ve seen elsewhere: when it comes to reaching Millennials, maybe the question we need to ask isn’t ‘what do we need to do?’ as much as ‘who do we need to be?’
Bottom line? Millennials are asking church leaders who they are… far more than they’re asking what they’ll do.
Millennials are asking church leaders who they are more than they’re asking them what they do.
So what are the implications for all of us who lead churches?
Character will determine effectiveness in reaching Millennials far more than competency does.
This is both great news and frightening news.
Character will determine effectiveness in reaching Millennials far more than competency does.
The good news? An authentic experience in a church with B+ worship experience beats a hollow experience in a church with A+ programming.
That’s good news to every church that doesn’t have the expertise, budget or staff to pull off the experience larger churches offer.
But the frightening part is there’s a high-powered magnifying glass aimed at the character of every church leader, and especially the senior leaders.
So how well is your church doing? Here’s a post that can help determine the kind of people Millennials often want to hang around (and a bit of a diagnostic test for your church).
An authentic B+ worship experience beats a hollow church experience with A+ programming.
The really good news is that things like integrity, authenticity and a deep sense of mission cost nothing financially. So they are accessible to everyone.
Sure, they will cost you deeply in terms of your personal walk. They will cause you to be brutally honest, to repent, to change, to grow and to trust God at whole new levels, but the cost of discipleship is always worth paying.
But if you live in a space where you think “we can’t reach the next generation because we have no money,” think again.
In fact, here’s a list of other church growth strategies that are absolutely free.
Integrity and authenticity cost you nothing financially, but cost deeply in your personal walk.
What do young adults want?
Your time. Your heart. And your attention. And a chance to actually connect with people.
Churches that elevate community will do better with Millennials than churches that don’t.
So prioritize chances to serve, connect and grow together. A great small group strategy and serving strategy can help so much with this.
What do young adults want? Your time. Your heart. Your attention.
Community doesn’t mean that everyone has to know everyone (a myth by which many small churches live and die). But it does mean everyone needs to know someone.
The importance of community is something both Orange and Kara Powell believe is critical to reaching the next generation. I agree. Kara’s new book, Growing Young, which comes out this fall (which I’ve had the privilege of pre-reading) highlights this even more.
Relationship is something every church can be great at.
Everyone at your church doesn’t need to know everyone. But everyone needs to know someone.
Every church has a model of ministry. And as we’ve discussed many times on this blog, churches that love their model more than their mission will die.
But does that mean you can only have ONE model (approach) to church that works? Well, no, it doesn’t. Because if Millennials truly appreciate the values of leaders and their faith community more than other things, character can be present in a wide variety of approaches to ministry.
Geoff Surratt is doing some fascinating research on the kinds of churches Millennials love to attend, and he’s discovering that many of the churches doing a great job reaching young adults are very diverse in nature. You can listen to my conversation with Geoff about that onEpisode 40 of my Leadership Podcast.
I also shared some of the surprises I found in churches that are absolutely crushing it with young adults in this post.
Findings like this give hope to us all.
All that said, this is in no way an excuse to be bad at what you do.
It’s not a licence for irrelevance, laziness or a justification for the status quo.
This is, after all, a generation that has been marketed to more than any generation in human history. They can smell cheese and incompetence a mile away.
But they can also smell fake a mile away. Being real matters more than doing. But doing still matters.
So continue to do the best you can with what you have. Make the changes you feel called to make, regardless of your church size, budget, setting or denomination.
Continue to make your ministry better, but still, work harder on your character than you do on your competency.
Work harder on your character than you do on your competency.
www.careynieuwhof.com. Used by permission.
What should you pray for your children?
Pray a virtue a day:
1. Salvation—”Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” (Isa. 45:8; 2 Tim. 2:10)
2. Growth in Grace—”I pray that my children may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet. 3:18)
3. Love—”Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in them.” (Gal. 5:25; Eph. 5:2)
4. Honesty and Integrity—”May integrity and honesty be their virtue
and their protection.” (Ps. 25:21)
5. Self-Control—”Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be alert and self-controlled in all they do.”
(1 Thess. 5:6)
6. Love for God’s Word—”May my children grow to find Your Word more precious than much pure gold and sweeter than honey from the comb.” (Ps. 19:10)
7. Justice—”God, help my children to love justice as You do and act justly in all they do.” (Ps. 11:7);
Mic. 6:8)
8. Mercy—”May my children always be merciful, just as their Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)
9. Respect (for self, others, and authority)—”Father, grant that my children may show proper respect to everyone, as Your Word commands.” (1 Pet. 2:17)
10. Biblical Self-Esteem—”Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:10)
11. Faithfulness—”Let love and faithfulness never leave my children, but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts.” (Prov. 3:3)
12. Courage—”May my children always be strong and courageous in their character and in their actions.” (Deut. 31:6)
13. Purity—”Create in them a pure heart, O God, and let that purity of heart be shown in their actions.” (Ps. 51:10)
14. Kindness—”Lord, may my children always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” (1 Thes. 5:15)
15. Generosity—”Grant that my children may be generous and willing to share, and so lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age.” (1 Tim. 6:18-19)
16. Peace-Loving—”Father, let my children make every effort to do what leads to peace.” (Rom. 14:19)
17. Joy—”May my children be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Thes. 1:6)
18. Perseverance—”Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to run with perseverance the race marked out for them.” (Heb. 12:1)
19. Humility—”God, please cultivate in my children the ability to show true humility toward all.” (Titus 3:2)
20. Compassion—”Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion.” (Col. 3:12)
21. Responsibility—”Grant that my children may learn responsibility, for each one should carry his own load.” (Gal. 6:5)
22. Contentment—”Father, teach my children the secret of being content in any and every situation, through Him who gives them strength.” (Phil. 4:12-13)
23. Faith—”I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children’s hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them.” (Luke 17:5-6; Heb. 11:1-40)
24. A Servant’s Heart—”God, please help my children develop servant’s hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, as if they were serving the Lord, not men.” (Eph. 6:7)
25. Hope—”May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 15:13)
26. Willingness and Ability to Work—”Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work at it with all their heart, as working for the Lord and not for men.” (Col. 3:23)
27. Passion for God—”Lord, please instill in my children a soul that ‘followeth hard after thee,’ one that clings passionately to You.” (Ps. 63:8)
28. Self-Discipline—”Father, I pray that my children may acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair.” (Prov. 1:3)
29. Prayerfulness—”Grant, Lord, that my children’s lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers.” (1 Thess. 5:17)
30. Gratitude—”Help my children to live lives that are always overflowing with thankfulness and always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 5:20; Col. 2:7)
31. A Heart for Missions—”Lord, please help my children to develop a desire to see Your glory declared among the nations, Your marvelous deeds among the peoples.” (Ps. 96:3)
© Bob Hostetler. Used with permission. www.ReviveOurHearts.com
The tragic death of any celebrity offers every parent the opportunity to talk to your kids about drugs. Her death is on every television, magazine, and Web site in the country. When something is this widespread, it creates a nice big opportunity for you to address the issue of drugs.
You might hear from your kid, as many parents do these days, this idea that smoking weed is no big deal. More and more cities and states are “decriminalizing” marijuana and so-called “medical marijuana” joints (pun intended) are popping up in communities around the country. So much so that the government has started to send letters to those that are too close to high schools.
When you talk to your kids about drugs, I would suggest a terse comment that includes the words “Whitney Houston.” Houston’s life ended at age 48. That’s deeply tragic, but also avoidable. The lesson here is that other people–not just the user–are affected by drug abuse. In Whitney’s case, her friends, her daughter, her family, and her fans are now hurting from her decisions. Whether you are a superstar or a regular one, you’re self-destructive decisions in life take a toll on those you love, and those that love you!
What researchers have known for years is that if you expose a developing brain to drugs or alcohol, you run the risk of making that person more susceptible to addiction. It’s as though you are training the brain as it is growing–conditioning it for addictive behavior down the road. Researchers also tell us that kids are smoking pot and drinking alcohol earlier than ever. Putting those two together, we could have a generation of addicts in the making (not just drugs, but addiction of all flavors).
Another well known fact is that the part of the brain that is slowest to mature is the part that deals with judgment. Don’t believe me? Call your insurance agency today and insure your 16-year-old to drive your car. You’ll quickly find that their extremely high insurance rates that are tied to facts that young people don’t always use the best judgment. Of course, you may have already experienced your own son or daughter’s lack of common sense.
Some of these guys think they are economists. They are talking about all the money that could be gained by taxing the now illegal drug market. Well, we tax alcohol and cigarettes very heavily in our country today. And quite frankly, the revenues received through taxation don’t come near the damage that cigarettes and alcohol take on the lives of our citizens.
So here are a few tips for those of us that want our kids to make good decisions in life. Remember, you are your child’s best teacher:
1. Make sure your kids have plenty of practice making decisions in your home. This is their safe place to learn good judgment, vs. bad.
2. Ask your what your kids’ opinion is on everyday family issues!
3. Make sure you have POSITIVE expectations for your kids (Raise a child UP in the way they should go)
4. Find ways, like discussing Whitney Houston’s death this week, to negatively imprint drug usage in your kids minds at a young age.
5. Get to know your child’s friends and their families!
6. Your house should be the centerpiece of your kids social life! Yes, it might mean you have to spring for pizza. But I would rather have my kids hanging out at my home then someone else’s. Your kids might be surprised that their friends like you!
7. Beware of your child’s money supply. Kids should get allowances, but if your kid starts having money and you are unaware of its source, that is a red flag.
8. When a child’s grades fall right off the table, that is a pretty good indication that your son or daughter has discovered the world of drugs. Smoking weed diminishes motivation.
9. Don’t tell yourself “My kid would never do such a thing!” Because obviously kids that get hooked on drugs come from a variety of home situations.
If your child is already using drugs, you have to directly confront the issue. Get him or her to a group that deals with drug usage effectively. Personally, I think Teen Challenge does a great job. Do not become the enabler! Do not make excuses for your kids! And pray. Pray every day.
Now go talk with your kids. Not at your kids. Use public events, cautionary tales, as a springboard to talk about the difficult issues surrounding drug use.
The unbeliever is looking for something deeper and meaningful. He wants to know he matters. Jesus revealed that to reach the seeker we must not crowd people out with dogma and doctrine. We must not be the guardians of morality (the Holy Spirit does that). We must be inclusive and help people with questions to find answers, comfort, love and hope.
Preached at Casas Church. Used by permission.
Perhaps you’ve heard a story like this before. Jason is 19-years old. He wants to take a year-long break from school before going to college so that he can backpack Europe and go find himself. He asks for money from his parents and away he goes, seeing sites, meeting women, perhaps bedding a few, maybe a little experimentation with drugs, and the odd job here or there, maybe even a minor skirmish with the law. He comes home a year later. Other than perhaps discovering his sin, did he find himself?
Have you found yourself?
Recently, I sat under a teaching about identity that attempted to provide a little insight into who we are as individuals. Perhaps you’ve sat under such a lesson yourself? It uses catch phrases like, “You’re not a human doing, you’re a human being.” The teacher, well-intentioned, tells you that you are not what you do. Your identity is not wrapped up in your job, or ministry, or volunteer work. Your identity is so much more than that. But the teacher is only half-correct. Yes, our identity is much more than what we do. But let’s not kid ourselves, what we do—our vocation—is a significantly large part of our identity. When we deny that we deny a fundamental truth of scripture that is designed to help us realize our identity and become a person who is a fruitful and meaningful contributor to God’s kingdom. So, let me put this bluntly, then explain what I mean.
You are what you do.
Now, let me show you from the Bible why this is true.
There are five areas of life from which we get our identity. These are true whether you are a Christian or not. We get our identity from the five alleys of life.
Developmentally: Our growth from childhood to adulthood. This includes the non-tangibles like personal character traits and emotional development, as well as our physical attributes (Deuteronomy 4:9; 5:29; 6:1-2; Luke 2:52; Ephesians 6:1-4)
Relationally: All interpersonal relationships from family to friends to associates (Exodus 20:12; Leviticus 19:18; II Chronicles 13:7; Proverbs 17:17, 18:24, 22:11, 27:10; I Corinthians 15:33; Ephesians 5:24-26)
Educationally: Not just our schooling, but from all knowledge that we acquire through life (Proverbs 2:1-12, 18:15; Colossians 2:3; II Peter 1:5)
Socially: Our interaction with society around us. This includes our culture, nationality, religious affiliation, community associations, and worldview (Jeremiah 29:7; Romans 12:18; I Thessalonians 4:11-12; I Timothy 3:7)
Vocationally: Our function in society. This includes employment, volunteer work, retirement, and the exercise of fundamental responsibilities (Genesis 1:28, 2:15; Exodus 35:31; I Corinthians 12:1-11; Colossians 3:23; II Thessalonians 3:11-12)
Purposely left out of this list is spiritually. This is because I do not see our spiritual lives as separate from the other areas of life.
Our spiritual life should encompass and drive every other area. If we are Christians with a proper view of God and humanity then we know that the spiritual dimension should guide every area of life instead of being cordoned off in a box, on Sundays only, or in a sixth separate category.
It is from these five alleys that we discover who we are. When asked who we are we may provide answers like, “I’m a stay-at-home mom.” Such an answer draws from the areas of relationship and vocation. Another answer might be, “I’m a doctor.” Such answer draws from our vocation and education.
Now, try this. Ask someone familiar with the Bible questions like, “Who was Abraham?” or “Who was Moses?” and so on. Women tend to answer these questions relationally with answers like, “Abraham was the father of Isaac.” A man will tend to answer these questions by vocation, “Moses led Israel out of Egypt,” or “David was king,” or “Jesus is our Lord and Savior.” Vocation is an important part of our identity. In fact, I believe God designed us to get a significant part of our identity from our vocation.
Consider that before there was sin in the world, God gave man a vocation. Even before his wife was created, before marriage, God gave Adam vocation. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). It was after this assignment that God created Eve to help him (Genesis 2:18-22). This does not mean that work is more important than our relationship with a spouse. It is simply to note that vocation, work, is a fundamental part of our identity.
Can you imagine David apart from being a shepherd, a warrior, and a King? David’s identity, to us, is wrapped up in what he did in God’s kingdom. Can you imagine Moses as being something other than a prince of Egypt, or savior of his people? We identify Moses by what he did. How about Jesus? We know that Jesus is God in human form, but we relate to him by what he did for us as Savior, and as Lord. Before being known as Savior Jesus was known as a carpenter—by his vocation (Matthew 13:55) along with his relations.
Vocation is fundamental to our identity. We can say who were our in terms of the other alleys of life, but we cannot leave out our vocation as if it is not who we are, or a part of who we are. If you ask me who I am and I say, “I’m just Tom,” what does that mean? It doesn’t mean anything.
Someone might protest and say that my job doesn’t define me. But, on the contrary, our jobs, our roles in life, do define us, very much so. Look back at the beginning of creation. How did God define for us who Cain and Abel were? Cain was a “tiller of the ground,” in other words, a farmer. Abel was a shepherd (Genesis 4:2). In order for us to understand something about their lives the first thing God does to identity them to us is to tell us what their vocations were, and then how their spiritual lives were expressed through their vocations. Even when we think of God, what do we call him? We say he is Creator. The very first words in the Bible that define for us who God is are vocational language, “In the beginning God created…” (Genesis 1:1). The last words in the Bible about Jesus are positional and vocational language, “Amen, come LORD Jesus” (Revelation 22:21).
Part of what it means to be created in God’s image is to imitate him in what he does. Being in God’s image means that we are designed to think what God thinks, feel what God feels, and do what God does. What we do in life is, in part, an expression of how we feel and think. It is the outward expression of the inner life. What does it mean to be in God’s image? Look at Genesis 1:28, which tells us. “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
This is what it means to be in God’s image. It means to do what God does (vocation). When was God fruitful? When he created all things. When did he multiply? When he created Adam and Eve in his image. When did he fill the earth? When he created all forms life in the sea and on the land. When did he subdue? When he brought the unformed mass of the earth under his control to prepare it for habitation. When did he exercise and rule? When he established order in his creation and gave commands to Adam and Eve.
Doing (vocation) is fundamental to our existence. Without it we can’t say that we are becoming like our Savior. So, the next time you hear someone say that you’re a human being and not a human doing, you will know that both are true, because they are the same thing.
If, like Jason, you want to “find yourself,” then take a long walk down the five alleys of life. There it is that you will find everything you need to know to become what God intends for you to be.
—–
Tom can be reached through his website at www.thomasterry.com.
Online giving certainly isn’t new in North American churches, especially congregations that are larger, growing, and/or drawing healthy percentages of young adults. But congregations such as First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Maryland are continuing to innovate in the digital giving space, finding new ways to encourage what will most likely be the greatest generation of online givers.
“Our congregation has continued to grow primarily with young families,” says William Gentry Jr., Chief Financial Officer of First Baptist Glenarden. “They are the tech generation. We’re strong proponents of technology, because that’s the way our society is moving.”
Similar to many churches around the country, First Baptist Glenarden launched online giving several years ago with a bit of skepticism. They simply added a small button at the bottom of the church’s website. The level of participation surprised everyone, so they made the button bigger and more visible.
First Baptist Glenarden offers its members several ways to give including the option to make debit transactions and tracking their giving.
nterest in online giving continued to grow to the point that the church now logs roughly 7,000 individual gifts online monthly, with about 9,000 people registered to give digitally. Typical worship attendance is 11,000 in-person plus 8,000-9,000 Internet campus. Translation: About 40% of the church’s financial giving happens online.
“Online giving allows a lot of our people to give without actually being here, and people use it periodically when they go out of town,” William says. “And many young people don’t carry a checkbook anymore!”
Mobile Giving and More
Not everyone gives the same way, however, and churches are accounting for that trend with wide-ranging options. Similar to most churches that utilize online giving, Glenarden’s giving options include automatic bank withdrawal and credit card payments. “Some people say, ‘We preach no debt,’ and we still emphasize that,” William says. “Just because you’re using a credit card, doesn’t mean you’re going into debt.”
When Glenarden’s pastors do their weekly offering appeal, they regularly mention online giving. The church introduced a kiosk in its foyer that includes giving options. Starting this year, attenders can text their gifts.
PushPay is an example of one of the leaders in this new field. It provides a simple digital platform, billing itself as a “10 second mobile giving solution” through its mobile app. It also offers giving online or through giving kiosks.
According to Steven Rose, Marketing Director for Vanco Services, mobile giving is the fastest-growing category of electronic giving. Mobile giving can consist of a full-size, fully-functional online donation page accessed with a smart phone or other mobile devices. More often, mobile apps offer a scaled-down version of a church’s full-size donation page. Mobile giving could also consist of church personnel swiping a member’s payment card on a smartphone or tablet equipped with a mobile app.
Like many churches, First Baptist Glenarden has made it more convenient for their congregation to stay engaged by offering Mobile Apps for a variety of technology.
Electronic giving is becoming simpler through text-to-give technologies which allow church attenders to text their donations. For example, a member might text “CC 100” to the number 23927. That person’s church would then receive the $50 donation, minus processing fees. This is very convenient. Rather than the amount being added to the member’s cell phone bill, the donation is drawn from their credit card. Churches can also set up different codes for different donation projects.
“Everything is moving mobile,” says Stu Baker of SecureGive, a company that sells giving software for churches and non-profits. “People use their smart phones for everything. It is crucial to make giving from a mobile device easy and accessible.”
A National Trend
Glenarden and other congregations are experiencing what is becoming a national trend in charitable giving. A report from nonprofit software provider Blackbaud shows that overall charitable giving is growing strongly – especially online. In a different study Vanco analyzed the financial impact of adding credit and debit card giving at churches where electronic funds transfer from checking or savings (ACH) was previously the only way to initiate electronic giving. The company found that in the first full year in which church members could contribute by either ACH or payment card, combined revenue from both methods was 42% greater than the last full year with ACH alone. By comparison, over the same period, churches that continued providing ACH as their sole electronic payment option experienced only a 12% increase in electronic revenue.
Vanco also evaluated the financial impact of adding online giving at churches where paper authorization forms were previously the only way to initiate electronic giving. During the first full year in which church members could initiate electronic contributions either by paper authorization form or through an online donation page, combined revenue from both methods was 48% greater than the last full year in which a paper authorization form was the only option.
Givers Getting Younger
The Blackbaud report concludes that the most successful nonprofits are betting that digital giving is the way of the future, and the millennial generation will lead the way.
The Millennial Impact, a report that looks at the way the 18-to-32 age generation gives, found that nearly half of all millennials follow between one and five nonprofit organizations on social media. More than 65% of survey respondents receive emails from one to five different nonprofits. Most Millennials say they would give via mobile phone, and 8% have given via social media.
John Lippincott, president of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, noted for the Blackbaud report that smart non-profits acquire information about Millennials’ interests to sharpen their appeal. He adds that research suggests Millennials are as willing to give as prior generations were at a young age but are “much more focused on wanting to support the things that matter to them.”
The City: 34% Online Giving
The City, a group-centered social network that provides churches with innovative management tools, has integrated an online network where churchgoers stay connected with a church’s giving platform—and it’s working. On average, churches using The City for their online giving receive 34% of their gifts this way, with 32% being recurring gifts. The City’s most successful churches receive closer to 60% of their total giving online.
“If you want to make it possible for a younger generation to financially contribute to the church,” says The City business manager Eric Tuininga, “you need to give them tools in order to do so.”
Offsetting Electronic Payment Fees
The trend toward younger online givers matches data compiled by SecureGive. The company reports that online giving reaches younger givers, increases a church’s total financial receipts, reaches long-term members who have moved away or are physically unable to attend worship services, and taps into new donors who wouldn’t otherwise give. “On average, 25% of online givers are first-time givers,” the company’s Stu Baker says.
The benefits of online giving seem to far outweigh the downsides, which include fees associated with processing electronic payments. “Churches offset this concern through gaining consistency and overall giving growth,” Stu says. “Online giving also automates many manual steps in the process as reports and deposits are generated automatically.”
Part of a Wider Strategy
For First Baptist Glenarden, the benefits of online giving are very tangible, and have been part of a wider strategy to create generosity among its people.
Because of its giving culture, the church “tithes” 10% back to the community, supports missionaries around the world and helps other non-profit organizations. The church has adopted nine schools that it supports financially every year, and it gives financial aid to post-high school students to help them attend college or trade school.
“We set the example of tithing as a church,” William says. “We keep the congregation informed about how we’re giving to others as a church.”
Glenarden’s senior pastor, Dr. John Jenkins, conducts an annual sermon series on biblical financial management, and the church offers numerous classes in its Bible institute and multiple workshops throughout the year on financial management and honoring God with financial stewardship.
One of Dr. John Jenkins’ series of sermons focuses on proper money management including debt management, tithing, and dealing with challenging times.
“Teaching is key; education is key,” William says. “The Bible says ‘My people perish for lack of knowledge.’ It’s one thing to talk about tithing, but another to learn how to manage your finances in order to tithe. It brings the whole package together.”
Focus on Relationships
George Eusterman, co-founder of eGiving.com would agree that it’s much more than constant upgrades in technology that make online giving tick. Even in electronic giving, well-managed relationships are the lynchpin, he says. “It is the strategy of relationships, not the software that is the key issue,” Eusterman adds. “Relationships outweigh software.”
That would certainly be the case for people such as a young man at Glenarden who travels extensively and was struggling to pay his tithe in a timely, regular manner. When he learned about online giving, he set up his contribution as a monthly back account withdrawal—and experienced a fresh touch from God in the process.
“He saw God blessing his finances,” William says. “He felt good about himself. For the first time in his life, he started saving money, and he credited it to God and to his new discipline in regular giving.”
Stories like this one keep Glenarden and other churches focused on giving innovations. “We’re developing more ways for people to give, and be regular about it,” William says. “We teach tithing, and online giving is an easy way to do it. Online giving allows you to honor God on a regular basis.”
leadnet.org/new-innovations-in-online-giving/
Used by permission of the author, Warren Bird, and www.leadnet.org.
One day we will know just how much God has blessed us. God has made us to be His hands and feet-to touch the hurting and feed the poor. We assume that to have a “real church” we must have a building, a sermon, a band, etc. But the Biblical characteristics of the church must go much deeper. Sharing the gospel honestly and openly means some will receive and some will reject the truth. It’s one thing to preach exegetically, but to live exegetically is something entirely different.
Part of Gospel Conference, Part Five. Preached at Cornerstone Church, Simi Valley.
In many local elementary schools, every few weeks the “Lost and Found” box is emptied out and the contents are scattered down the length of the main hall. Coats, mittens, shoes, sweatshirts, gym clothes, are all laid down and spread out in the hopes that their owners will spot them and take them home. But the scene of all those empty clothes creates an eerie sensation, as if it is not the clothes that had been left behind, but that the children themselves have somehow been “lost” — zapped out of their clothes and transported to somewhere far away. For any parent walking down those empty halls, those empty clothes give an empty feeling, a feeling that is disturbing and desolate.
Losing track of a child is every parent’s worst nightmare. It only takes a moment to go from peaceful to panic when you suddenly realize that somehow, someone has gone astray. And, sorry to tell you this, it is a worry that never stops. Just when you think you have gotten through the scary “I can walk but not really talk” phase, children go off to pre-school and kindergarten — out of our sight for hours on end. Then they get older and want to do things like ride their bikes to a friend’s house, or go to the mall by themselves, or “hang-out” without you quite knowing where they are or what they are doing. For some reason teenagers always insist on getting driver’s licenses and then they graduate from high school and go off to college, or join the military, or get their own place. It doesn’t matter how old they get — parents still want to know where their “kids” are and how they are doing. “Out of sight” definitely does not mean, for a father or mother, “out of mind.”
But good parents also know there is a time and place when letting go is necessary. To grow and develop their own sense of responsibility, to take their own actions seriously, and to learn to live with the consequences of those actions, children have to let go of the “family lifeboat” and dare to test the untamed waters of the world.
Yet for Jesus’ first-century audience, such a message was unfamiliar. There were strict cultural and judicial laws mandating the behavior of children. Even “adult” children (an age that might be anywhere from 13 to 33) had to abide by the traditions of both a Torah-devoted and an agrarian-based life. In that patriarchal world the father was “large and in charge” — until his death. Sons stayed to work the land with their own families, daughters became part of their husband’s family world.
In his book The Prodigal God (2011), Timothy Keller portrays the two brothers as symbolizing the two basic ways people try to make life work. The younger son pursues “self?discovery” — he’s on a quest to find and fulfill himself, even if a few people have to get hurt along the way. The older brother is trying to fit in to the respectable path of social and moral conformity. He’s trying to be well-liked by pleasing his father, his family, his faith. Keller says he’s on a program of self-salvation.
The “prodigal son’s” petition for an “early inheritance” wasn’t like a kid begging for a car before going off to college. That youngest son’s request was an offensive, slap-in-the-face, “I-wish-you-were-dead” disregard of all that was accepted, expected, and respected. He was supposed to stay on the family property, raise his own family, and help bring in the crops and “run the family business.” He was supposed to honor his father through his life and work. The youngest son’s demand for an “early retirement” from any family commitment or obligation, was the equivalent of him robbing the family safe-deposit box and taking off over the horizon. That his father ok’d such a self-centered act is the first remarkably gracious action taken by this parent. The father gives his child the gift of freedom, even if it is freedom from the father. It is now the child’s responsibility to live a righteous life within that freedom.
The youngest son in today’s text goes down fast and hard. Like a college kid with a Platinum card on Palm Beach during Spring Break, his life becomes a disaster. He makes all the wrong choices at every turn. When he gets in trouble he chooses the worst possible options as a “way out” — he becomes a servant to swine, and he cannot even snack on their disgusting food.
One of the reasons we like the parable of the prodigal son so much is that we like the contriteness of the contrary youngster. He “came to himself.” He realized the miserable life he was living was worse than anything that the servants and day-laborers who worked for his father were experiencing. But from the “been there/done that” vantage point of the twenty-first century, it is hard for us to see just how grievous this young man’s actions had been, how much grief and shame he had caused his family. He had not just sown some “wild oats.” He planted a prairie where he broke every familial and social contract of his culture. He fractured the civil constructs that upheld the unity of a “faith community.”
And still his father forgave him. That’s the scandal of this story: the scandal of a father’s love; the scandal of a father’s forgiveness.
Scandal is nothing new. Scandal is as old as Eve and familiar as the next-door-neighbor’s indiscretions, or the hottest new 2013 show “Scandal” featuring the scandalously beautiful Kerry Washington. Try doing good and ending up on “Hard Copy” or “Entertainment Tonight.” Shame and Scandal rule the airwaves.
Well, Salvation and Scandal rule the church. Or should. The message of Lent is that we have a Scandalous God. The scandal of love, the scandal of forgiveness, is beyond our tolerance and bring out our resentment. But God continues to scandalize us at every turn.
Can anyone ever forget the 2006 fatal shooting of 10 Amish children aged 6-13 outside of Lancaster County? A milk truck driver with three children and a wife drove his truck up to the one-room schoolhouse, exited the boys, barricaded the doors so none of the girls could escape, and proceeded to shoot the female children before shooting himself.
As if the scandal of the violence wasn’t enough, the most talked about scandal, however, was the reaction of the Old Order Amish community to the shooter’s wife and three children. Within hours, the Amish community publicly forgave the killer and expressed loving concern for his widow and three children. After burying their own children, they attended the burial of the 32 year old non-Amish killer. There were 75 in attendance. Half were Amish. The killer’s wife and her three children were greeted with hugs . . . and with an Amish-started fund for the killer’s family. “Your love for our family has helped to provide the healing we so desperately need,” the killer’s widow, Marie Roberts, wrote the Amish later.“Your compassion has reached beyond our family, beyond our community, and is changing our world.” (Quoted in Stan Guthrie, “The Scandal of Forgiveness,” Christianity Today, January 2007).
This is what scandalized people the most. “Hatred is not always wrong, and forgiveness is not always deserved,” wrote Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby. How dare these Amish forgive the killer of their children, and reach out to his family.
Even today we older brothers and older sisters have trouble with this concept of forgiveness, a new addition to the bloodstream of human history that came from the scandal of the cross and its occupant, the scandalous Jesus. “The discoverer of the role of forgiveness in the realm of human affairs,” declared Hannah Arendt, “was Jesus of Nazareth.” (The Human Condition [1958], 236-43).
Forgiveness doesn’t mean you’re pollyannaish about the world, or plaster over the cracks in people and history. Forgiveness looks square in the face of wrong, and chooses healing and reconciliation rather than hatred and revenge. It may be the hardest thing in the world to do offer true forgiveness. Scandalously hard.
There were three great holocausts of the 20th century: Russia, China, and Germany. Two were done by atheists — Stalin in Russia, Mao in China. One by someone who created a deviant religious cult in Germany. Adolph Hitler was his name.
Just this past week we have learned from scholars at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum that Hitler’s Holocaust from 1933 to 1945 was much worse than we ever imagined, with thousands more concentration camps up and running in areas of Europe under Hitler’s control than we ever thought even possible. The suspicion now is that the numbers of Jews killed may be far more than the 6 million we thought. (See Eric Lichtblau, “The Holocaust Just Got More Shocking,” New York Times Sunday Review, 01 March 2013: www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/02/holocaust.
But yet, from inside the barbed wire of the death camps there were some scandalous acts of forgiveness and love. Here is a prayer found at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp beside a dead boy on the day of liberation:
O Lord
remember not only the men and women of good will,
but all those of ill will.
But do not remember all the suffering they have inflicted on us.
Remember the fruits we have bought thanks to this suffering:
our comradeship,
our loyalty
our humility,
our courage,
our generosity,
the greatness of heart that has grown out of all this.
And when they come to judgment,
let all the fruits we have borne
be their forgiveness.
(As quoted by Duncan B. Forrester, Apocalypse Now? [2006], 115.)
That’s scandalous. True scandal. From a scandalous God. Have you been caught up in the scandal?
from www.sermons.com. Used by permission of the author.
When is the last time you felt alive? I mean, really alive. Free to be the person you have always envisioned and hoped you could be? Free to be the person that you know deep down in your heart you are.
If you are feeling less than alive (or if you are wondering, “Do I even have a pulse?!”) then it’s time for a spiritual check-up.
Let me explain why.
The essence of who you are, who you were created to be, and the seeds of your divine purpose and destiny reside in your spirit. Yes, you have a spirit!
Merriam-Webster defines the word SPIRIT as that “vital principle” that “animates” and “brings life” to a being. Your spirit is eternal and what enlivens you – it is that which gives you life with a capitol “L”.
Regardless of your beliefs, you have a spiritual pulse.
God created you with a body, soul and spirit and His divine order sets up our human spirit as the head of our being with our soul, (which I define as the compilation of your mind, your will, and your emotions) and our bodies, as secondary to the spirit. Your spirit brings life to your body and soul. This is because our spirits are eternal. When the body and soul cease to exist, your spirit lives on.
Eating disorders, addictions and mood problems all take a toll on our ability to be truly free and to feel fully alive. Therefore, they take a toll on the human spirit. When an individual is in the throes of an eating disorder or addiction, this causes the divine order to be “out of whack.” The drives of these disorders seek to usurp the power of the spirit, the functions of the body and an individual’s thoughts, emotions and ability to make choices.
Additionally, if you have grown up in an environment that has not nurtured your spirit, or in an environment that overvalued or over-nurtured some other aspect of your being (for example your mind) to the neglect of the other aspects of your being; or, if you have been exposed to an environment that was toxic to any aspect of your being – your sense of freedom and capacity to feel and live fully alive can become seriously compromised.
Taking your Spiritual Pulse
There are three primary ways our spirits respond when spiritual health is compromised:
1. ADDICTION: A “captive spirit”
When a disorder like an addiction or an eating disorder thrives and threatens to upset the divine order, it can actually begin to “rule” over your soul and spirit. That’s why I call this a captive spirit. As this occurs, you live less and less out of the essence of who you are and begin to look more and more like the disease that holds you captive.
An individual struggling with substance abuse, for example, may long to feel alive and the abuse or addictions have become superficial substitutes. Often times, this individual has unknowingly functioned with a “slumbering spirit” or an “orphan spirit” for years. In their attempts to “enliven” themselves, they look to drugs, alcohol, or compulsive behaviors, etc.
2. NEGLECT: A “slumbering spirit”
If you have grown up in an environment that has not nurtured your spirit, or in an environment that overvalued or over-nurtured some aspect of your being to the neglect of your spirit; you may experience what is called a slumbering spirit. It’s like your spirit went into hibernation due to lack of nurture, strengthening, or under-development.
Alternatively, trauma such as physical, emotional or sexual abuse, neglect or abandonment, can also contribute to a slumbering spirit. This is especially the case when the individual has repressed emotions or disassociates from the negative effects of the trauma or toxic environment.
3. ABANDONMENT: An “orphan spirit”
Finally, someone with these issues has wounds that come from deep feelings of emotional abandonment.
Individuals with an abandonment struggle to trust or receive from relationships. They have essentially closed their hearts off to others, even those they are seemingly close to. They do this out of fear of being hurt. They struggle to believe that their emotional and relational needs could ever be truly met in relationships.
As a result they tend to be overly self-reliant and hide from God. This type of wounded spirit also struggles the most to feel connected with God. They may be angry with God or feel God is angry with them or just not believe they are worthy of His full attention or love. While someone with an orphan spirit may appear fiercely independent, in actuality this independence covers hurt and pain.
But there is Hope!
FREEDOM: You were created to be a free spirit.
The first step to having a healthy spirit is paying attention to your spirit and identifying and nurturing the needs of your spirit. Many of the groups at Timberline Knolls like the “Awakenings”group, are designed to do just that.
Once you have taken your spiritual pulse, here are some practical ways to begin the journey towards hope.
LIBERATE AND EMPOWER:
Individuals with ADDICTION (a captive spirit) struggle to connect with life.
The only connection they have is with their addiction or disorder. If you are struggling with a captive spirit, it is important to understand how the addiction or eating disorder has taken your spirit captive.
Admitting this is a powerful step and making decisions that will strengthen your recovery, instead of choices that only strengthen the power of the addiction, is key. The journey involves giving your spirit a voice to restore proper alignment of your spirit being in control of your mind and body instead of the addiction being in control.
Just like in the movie “Shawshank Redemption”, individuals coming out from under the captivity of their disorder struggle at first with re-engaging in life (the good and the bad) and what it means to be truly free and feel empowered without the addiction or disorder.
“True freedom is always spiritual.
It has something to do with your innermost being,
which cannot be chained, handcuffed, or put into a jail.”
OSHO, Freedom: The Courage to Be Yourself
“Caged birds accept each other but flight is what they long for.”
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS, Camino Real
Awaken and Nurture:
Individuals with NEGLECT (a slumbering spirit) struggle the most to connect with themselves.
They have lost sight of what they really think, feel and want out of their lives. If you are struggling with a this, then you have an under-developed, “malnourished” spirit. Do all that you can to engage your spirit and have a healthy relationship with yourself by learning to identify and respond to your thoughts, feelings, and needs in a healthy way. Once again, connecting with your spirit and with God through prayer, scripture reading, music, art, and the outdoors is important. Do things that you used to do as a child – play, dream, explore!
“The free man is he who does not fear to go to the end of his thought.”
LEON BLUM
Restore and Strengthen:
Individuals with ABANDONMENT (an orphan spirit) struggle to connect with others.
This person needs to identify and heal their emotional wounds and exchange the lies they have come to believe about themselves and relationships that have contributed to the lack of trust in relationships and pessimistic outlook towards life and disconnect with God. Prayer, scripture reading, music, arts and nature are important here as well and orphans are encouraged to learn how to connect with their spirits while learning to connect with and build a healthy and nurturing community around them.
“Freedom is the basic condition for you to touch life, to touch the blue sky, the trees, the birds, the tea, and the other person.”
NHAT HANH, Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames
“The truth shall make you free.”
JESUS, John 8:31
Born to be FREE!
Your spirit is most activated and at its strongest during those times in which you feel most alive and free. This will give you insight into what is unique to you in helping to liberate and empower, awaken and nurture, and restore and strengthen your spirit.
Learn about and respond to the truth about your true identity and destiny as a child of God because …You were born to be free in Christ!
———
Dr. Margaret Nagib is spirituality clinical coordinator at Timberline Knolls. She works with our clinical staff to develop programming that promotes spiritual healing and growth for women of all faith traditions and belief systems. Dr. Nagib is a clinical psychologist who specializes in Christian counseling and treatment.
The visible glory of God descended, then manifested on the top of Mt. Sinai. As many as six million Israelites heard the audible voice of God speaking to them from the majestic fire. The entire nation quaked and trembled in holy fear. In response, Israel’s leaders begged Moses that no further words be spoken to them by God. Moses agreed, then turned and ascended the mountaintop and entered this frightening holy blaze where He remained for forty days. (See Exodus 19:17-20:19; 24:18.)
Incredibly, when Moses delayed his return, the Israelites began to rebel, making for themselves an idol, a golden calf, similar to the idols of Egypt. They did this in full view of the glory of God, defying His glory with their outrageous idolatry. (See Exodus 31:1-8.)
Nothing angers the living God more than man’s idolatry, and this brazen act was enough to have destroyed all Israel, both the sinners and also those who saw their sin and did nothing to stop it. In response, the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them, and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation” (Exod. 32:9-10).
This is an amazing verse. It reveals something of the inner workings of the divine mind. I am thinking in particular of the Lord’s statement: “Let Me alone.” The implication is that if the Lord is “alone”—that is, without an intercessor to appeal to His mercy—divine wrath can be fully expressed. Conversely, the opposite is also true: wrath can be restrained if we, as intercessors, do not withdraw our entreaty. As long as Moses does not withdraw from prayer, there is a mercy opportunity that is being made possible.
The goal of an intercessor is to remain in prayer; i.e., to “not let God alone.” This is not to imply that we are more merciful or forgiving than God. That would be quite untrue. What is true, though, is that some measure of divine grace and forgiveness – an unreasonable measure – is reserved in God’s heart and only escorted to earth by human intercession. God’s holiness demands that sin be punished; His mercy, however, triumphs over judgment and can be enlisted by prayer.
Our quest is to unite in oneness with the mercy of God. Conversely, the devil’s goal is to create the opposite relationship between us and God where we accuse people for their sins and failures. Satan seeks to embitter us against our loved ones and associates, neighbors and nation so that our desires are not redemptive but accusatory and judgmental.
Peter tells husbands to not be embittered against their wives so that their “prayers will not be hindered” (1 Pet. 3:7). Underline this truth: bitterness hinders intercession. The Lord desires we climb into His very thought-processes in extending mercy to earth. In this, the mercy-oriented intercessor attracts the full attention of God.
“Let Me alone,” the Lord said. Yet Moses refused. Instead, he reminds the Lord of His promises for Israel as well as His relationship with Israel’s forefathers: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Ex. 32:11-13). Too many intercessors misinterpret the Lord’s initial pushback and report, erroneously, that God has exhausted His mercy. He has not. In fact, His mercies are new every morning. Moses’ response to the pushback was to prevail upon God’s love. He reminds the Lord of His purpose, repeats the Lord’s promise, and he does not stop praying for Israel.
Moses became a mature intercessor. He stayed close to God, prevailing in prayer. Even though the Lord said He would make of Moses a great nation, Moses ignored the prospect. He knew all people would have times of sin and failure. Moses had come too far to start over. This journey was about a covenant that was made with Israel’s forefathers.
Remember, the assignment is to bring an imperfect people with a promise from God into fulfillment. The intercessor’s role is to pray from the beginning of that journey, through the valleys of sin and setbacks, and continue praying until the promise from God is obtained.
You may be a pastor of a church or an intercessor or a parent. Regardless, whoever you are praying for, you must have this attitude: “Lord, I am not letting You alone concerning my loved one.”
When I pray, I never pray for divine wrath to fall; I always pray for mercy and grace. I agree with God that wrath is justified because of man’s sin, yet I plead with God for mercy and correction.
The Result
The result of Moses’ intercession is utterly amazing: “So the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people” (Exod. 32:14).
May this be a revelation to us all! Moses’ prayer changed God’s mind!
Much of how God relates to the future of a nation is based upon how the people in that society pray. The Spirit has made one truth plain to me: The future of a society does not belong to sinners; it belongs to those who pray. Thus, Jesus tells His disciples that whatever two of them agree on “about anything that they may ask” (Matt. 18:19), it will be granted by the heavenly Father. Two or three servants of God who refuse to abandon their faithfulness in prayer can release the mercy of God into their world.
For Moses and the Israelites, the outcome was profound: “the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people” (Exod. 32:14).
Think of it: prayer changed the mind of God.
Lord, thank You for always remaining open to our cries. Help me to persevere, to give You no rest, until You fulfill Your highest purposes with my family, church and nation. Thank You that one voice is not too feeble that You cannot hear it. Master, I stand in the gap for those I love. Reveal Your mercy to them.
—adapted from a chapter in Francis’ book,
The Power of One Christlike Life
