PRAYER FOR HEALING IN TROUBLED TIMES by Patricia Raybon February 5, 2009

The Word of God is crystal clear on what to do in a national crisis. Throughout the Bible, He spells out the four things a nation and its people must do to experience healing: humble ourselves, pray, “seek His face,” and turn from our sinful ways. That’s what God specifically told Solomon, the king of Israel, in 2 Chronicles 7:13-14.

In a lesser-known biblical scenario found in the book of Jonah, the very same prescription for national healing was given by God and resulted in dramatic restoration. When the powerful Assyrian city of Nineveh (now located near modern-day Mosul, Iraq) faced destruction, Nineveh’s king followed very single one of these four healing remedies.

When he heard the Lord’s warning from the prophet Jonah, he completely humbled himself in the way ancient people did: he tore off his royal robes and covered himself with sackcloth, even publically sitting in an ash heap (Jonah 3:6).Next, he issued a royal decree calling all his people to repent of their “evil ways,” fast from food to seek God, and “urgently” pray for mercy. The king also issued a national decree for everyone to “call urgently on God” (3:8).

“Who knows?” he said. “God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish” (3:9 NIV). Indeed, in that story, when God saw their humility and how they genuinely turned from their evil ways, He had compassion on them and did not bring the destruction upon them He had warned them of (3:10).

These steps, borrowed from Nineveh’s story, can guide and inspire us to effectively pray for our nation in the coming months ahead.

1) Be still before God.

Choose to quit spinning in circles about the “Wall Street meltdown,” the “impending economic catastrophe,” how the political race will turn out—or even about your own family’s financial future. Instead, as Psalm 46 exhorts us to do, we should be still before the Lord (v.11) and acknowledge His sovereignty, even in times of trouble (v.1). Each day, take time out to get quiet and turn your attention solely on God, focusing on His amazing presence and breathing in His rest, peace, and wisdom. Consider this promise: “They who dwell in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). The result? Refreshment, renewed vision, and more powerful prayer.

2) Seek God wholeheartedly.
Commit your worries and concerns to God and instead, put your energy into seeking His face (1 Chronicles 16:11; Psalm 105:4). Doing so changes our focus from the news, the crisis, and ourselves, and turns it back to the Lord. As we humbly seek Him, we’ll begin to recognize that He is already taking care of us, providing His answers to our problems. Matthew 6:33 is key to a healthy perspective: when you “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” before anything else, He will meet your other needs.

3) Commit to forgiveness with humility.
Jesus said: “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25). When you humbly turn from the sin of unforgiveness against others, you not only glorify God; you free yourself to receive His answers to your prayers. Ask the Holy Spirit to remove vengeful, bitter, or antagonistic feelings about others from your heart, and look to Jesus’ ultimate forgiveness on the Cross—and the healing He offers.

4) Completely turn away from sin.
If you have a hidden fault – one you know is offensive to God – now is the time to turn from it for good. Focus today not on what sins Wall Street executives committed; instead, examine your own life and reconcile with the Lord. Consider His words to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:13: “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

5) Get up and get busy serving others.
Put some “feet” to your prayers. First, ask God to give you His compassion for others. Consider His attitude toward the city for which Jonah had nothing but disdain: “Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” Use this time of national crisis to help your neighbor. Ask God to show you someone else’s needs that you can meet. After all, praying is not just about asking; it’s about how we live.

THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKES US M.A.D. (Make A Difference) June 16, 2008

It should not make us mad when people say we are fools for Christ. But when we hear derogatory remarks like, “Why is he like that? Isn’t he a born-again Christian?” then it may be that we have a part in giving Christianity a bad name. 

In advertising, the “before and after” technique is used to show the effects of a product as its selling point. But if a dirty shirt, after being washed by what is promoted as a “powerful” detergent, does not look any different, would consumers buy it? In the same way, when people look at our lives, do they see the difference that Jesus makes? Will they be attracted to the Savior we speak of? Is there a difference that people can clearly see?

We need to allow the Holy Spirit to examine our lives and ask, “Lord, is there something that is getting in the way of my being a witness for You?” It is the Holy Spirit that makes us M.A.D. — that stands for “MAKE A DIFFERENCE”. We are in this world to make a difference for the glory of God, and it is the Holy Spirit who will empower us to do it. We can make a difference because:

1. We are APPOINTED to MAKE A DIFFERENCE.  “This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples…You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last” (John 15:8, 16). Jesus said we are appointed to make a difference. He called us to be the salt of the earth and as such we are to give people a taste of who Jesus is and what He is like through our lives, through our witness, and through our testimony. He said that we are the light of the world, and as such we are to radiate the character of Jesus in our lives (Matthew 5:13-16). Hence, the distinction that sets us apart as God’s appointees is a transformed life that makes a positive influence on others.

Christianity is more than just avoiding sins or going through life quietly. It is about creating an impact by our wise ways and kind, gracious speech, through which Christ is properly represented, thus giving justice to our assignment as His ambassadors. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20). When people see how we make decisions, how we behave wherever we are, at work or at home, do we make a difference? Are we able to make an impact even in seemingly small things? 

2. We are EMPOWERED to MAKE A DIFFERENCE. The wonderful thing about the Christian life is that not only does the Lord say, “Go out and make a difference, make disciples and share the gospel”, He gives us the power to do so. He does not leave us on our own because He knows, like sheep, we are helpless without Him. Our sinful flesh is in constant conflict with the Spirit in us. We lust for things that are not in harmony with what the Holy Spirit wants (Galatians 5:16-17). Hence, we need to live by the Spirit, to be led by the Spirit moment-by-moment, to keep us from gratifying the desires of our sinful nature.  By constantly seeking God’s direction and wisdom, by praying without ceasing on every occasion, and making confession and repentance as part of our daily conversations with God, we are placing ourselves under the power of the Holy Spirit who empowers us to make a difference in this world. 

3. We are PRIVILEGED to MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Having the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – is one reason why we are privileged as Christians. When we experience times of pain and difficulty and yet by the power of the Holy Spirit, we manifest the fruit of the Spirit in response, then clearly we make a difference for the glory of God. Christian living does not mean the absence or the removal of problems from life. It means the experience of the fruit of the Spirit in spite of difficult circumstances that may come our way. How we successfully cope sends a powerful message about Christianity, making others want what we have. The Gospel is, therefore, advanced, and Christ is made known.

“If being a Christian was a crime, would there be enough evidence in your life for a conviction?” We are in the world to MAKE A DIFFERENCE for the glory of God, and it is the Holy Spirit who will make it happen. How can we, in our own lives, counter the negative impressions about Christians and create a positive impact for Christ? Paul exhorts, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:5-6).

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT WANT June 10, 2008

The sheep is the most defenseless of all animals. Left untended, it cannot fend for itself. It lacks the ability to outsource food and water. Easily attracted by surrounding sights, it is prone to wander off and fall into crannies.  In many respects, we are so much like sheep.   Psalm 23 is a striking, poignant metaphor of what a shepherd does for his sheep. In our helpless state, the Lord has come to be our Good Shepherd. He takes care of us as our Good Shepherd when we have a personal relationship with Him. The Lord provides. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (v. 1). It is the shepherd’s job to look for food and water for the sheep. The Lord is Jehovah Jireh who makes sure we are provided with all our needs. For anyone who has the Lord to shepherd him, no good thing shall he lack, for the Lord provides. If earthly fathers know how to give good things to their children, how much more our Father in heaven who owns everything and cares so much for us to withhold what we need. “He makes me lie down in green pastures” (v. 2a). The shepherd looks for ideal pasture land that the sheep may graze on it. After a satisfying meal, the sheep lies down to rest on a bed of fresh, green grass. We are where we are because God put us there. But we need to have the readiness to leave and go elsewhere as the Lord deems fit. If we think we’re comfortable and contented where we are now, the Lord may have greener pastures for us. So where He leads, we must follow, otherwise we will be missing out on God’s best. God knows what’s best for us and will take care of every detail of our lives. The Lord guides. “He leads me beside quiet waters” (v. 2b).  The shepherd guides the sheep to a calm pool of water for a refreshing drink. Taking time out of our busy schedule to be alone with God will give us the refreshment we need.  He brings us to a place of stillness so we may see His face and drink from His life-giving Word. “He restores my soul.  He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (v. 3). Because of the stupid, stubborn nature of the sheep, shepherds sometimes resort to breaking the legs of the sheep to keep it from repeatedly going astray. Yet the shepherd also binds up the broken leg and nurses the sheep until it is completely healed.   Our Shepherd does not only take care of our physical needs; He is also after our spiritual welfare. The Lord accepts us “as is, where is.” However, He will not allow us to remain the way we are. God is in the business of restoration. When we fall, He picks us up. When we get dirty, He washes us clean. His forgiveness is available to those who humble themselves. The Lord’s holy name shall be honored. He will deal with our stubbornness through His discipline as a father who does not spare the rod so as not to spoil the child. “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines” (Hebrews 12:5-6). God will bring about that situation where we are in a position of moral uprightness and right living. We have God’s Word from which to derive the wisdom we lack to straighten our path. In guiding us, He sometimes takes away all earthly support so we may learn to depend on Him and consequently prove His sufficiency.  The Lord protects. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me” (v.4). God may sometimes allow us to go through valleys where there is darkness and dryness, so that we may learn to appreciate the better things He has for us in the uplands, where there’s fresher, greener grass.  The valleys lead us to mountaintop experiences – the better to taste Him more intimately, and for us to realize that He alone can revive and satisfy. “Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows” (v. 5). As a shepherd applies oil on the sheep as pest repellant, our protective Shepherd also shields us from all danger and evil. With God on our side, our foes are put to shame. We have nothing to fear, for God is our security. “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (v.6). The Lord relentlessly pursues us, not as a policeman would to issue a ticket for a violation, but because He bears gifts for us. He promised to be with us to bless us and preserve us all the days of our life.  Who, then, do we go to for our needs? When in trouble, who do we run to? Have we entrusted our lives to the care of the Good Shepherd? We’ll never go wrong when we turn to our Good Shepherd who will never fail us. The sheep hears the shepherd’s voice and follows. Are we listening to the Shepherd’s voice and following where He leads? Take the following self-check to determine whether you are a sheep following the Good Shepherd: 1) The ear test: Do you listen to the Shepherd’s voice? And 2) the foot test: Do you follow the Shepherd’s voice?

GROW UP May 29, 2008

After salvation, what’s next? Spiritual birth is not the end-all of Christianity. One has to go through its progressive stages. No one can ever claim that he has arrived. Life, in general, is a continuing education. So is Christianity. The moment we stop learning, we stop growing. The moment we stop growing, we will not just stagnate, but we will fall and return to our former state, perhaps far worse than when we first began. It is, therefore, God’s desire for us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:18).   Do not be afraid of growing slowly, instead be afraid of not growing at all. Most of us have ceased to mature in the faith because of the wrong belief that Christianity is all about head knowledge. Let us be reminded that head knowledge does not take the place of growth because growth has something to do with our character and love for Jesus. We look at the life of Peter as an example of how we should grow in the Lord. In 2 Peter 1:1, Peter identified himself as a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. He no longer emphasized his apostleship, instead he acknowledged himself as a slave of Jesus. He came to a point in life where he voluntarily submitted himself to become the slave of Jesus. We must come to a point in life where we realize ultimately that Jesus is our Master. And as slaves, we have one primary purpose: to please our Master. As we grow in faith, we must embrace the fact that it is not by our own doing but it is by God’s grace. As we learn more about Jesus and what He has done for us, our experience grace will grow. God has done His part. Unworthy as we are, His undeserved favor has flowed out to us. Hence, GRACE, aptly put, is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Because of grace, we have the certainty of our salvation. No longer are we under the yoke of the law, but under grace. Failing to understand grace makes one legalistic, never free from struggles. We, like the apostle Peter, have received the same apostolic faith from God that grants us everything pertaining to life and godliness. He has given us His DNA, the divine nature that gives us the desire and power to do His will, to live out Christianity and grow into maturity (2 Peter 1:1-4). There is no shortcut to Christian growth. God has provided everything but we have got to do our part. We are to be trained in the spiritual disciplines of Scripture reading (God’s Word), Supplication (prayer), Small group (fellowship and accountability), and Solitude (quiet time with God). “ Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, in your moral excellence, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love” (2 Peter 1:5-7). As the preceding verse prescribes, we need to grow in the following areas: Faith. Our faith in action is shown through acts of obedience to God. Moral Excellence. This is synonymous to integrity. It is meaning what you say and doing what you say. Meeting deadlines at work or at school, arriving early at the office or for appointments, fulfilling commitments and promises are just some of the ways to exhibit moral excellence. Knowledge is power. Aside from the Bible, reading Christian books is tapping into the source of knowledge. Self-control. This requires a lot of discipline. Physical exercise, diet, anger management, TV and film watching – these are a few things where self-control needs to be exercised. Perseverance. When discouragement says “Quit!” perseverance says “Never give up!”  Moving forward past the obstacles of life is to grow in perseverance. Godliness. As Christians, we mature in godliness through reverence for God and duty towards Him and men. It measures spiritual growth in terms of Christ-likeness and not head knowledge. Brotherly kindness. Genuine concern wants what is good for another person. It is not afraid to point out the other person’s fault or weakness, but does it with gentleness without subjecting the person to humiliation. Love. People will forget what we say, but acts of love will be treasured in the memory chest.   The story of long-haired, barefoot, jeans-and-t-shirt-clad Bill is one example of love in action. He entered church to attend Sunday service where the people donned their Sunday best. Finding no vacant seat in the jam-packed place, he walked over to the middle aisle right in front of the pulpit where the pastor was preaching. There was an uncomfortable silence as everyone watched Bill squat on the floor. An elderly deacon with a cane approached him, and with a lot of effort, sat right beside Bill. At this sight, the churchgoers were moved to tears. The pastor remarked, “You will forget my message, but you will never forget what you’ve just seen.” There are growing-up pains in the Christian life, but the gains far outweigh them. Fruitfulness ripe for service (2 Peter 1:8), confidence that keeps us from falling (2 Peter 1:10), a grand entrance into God’s Kingdom (2 Peter 1:11; Matthew 25:23) – these are but a few of the blessings. Where are we at this stage in our Christian life?  Are we growing towards spiritual maturity as we should?  Or are we stagnating, or worse, backsliding?  May it never be the latter!

CHANGING LANES WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT May 16, 2008

Have you driven around Metro Manila needing directions, hoping to see road signs to guide you but they served to confuse you instead? We also need directions to navigate the road of life. Missing the right turns can make it difficult to go back and start all over. Are you finding it difficult to know God’s will for a situation in your life right now? Do you know God’s will for your situation, but find it difficult to follow? Are you pursuing a direction for your life that may not be God’s will for you? 

A wisely-lived life makes the most of every opportunity to be in accord with the Lord’s will. We see this in the example of Paul, whose turning point in life changed him from Saul, the persecutor of Christians, to Paul, the avid Christ-follower. The main point is changing lanes in life to be what God wants us to be and do what God wants us to do.  For this, we need to rely on the Holy Spirit: 

1. To lead us in the right direction. Saul, before his conversion, was passionately pursuing a mission he believed was right. By executing Christians, he thought he was doing God a favor. He was stopped in his tracks, however. Saul was knocked down to the ground with a bright light that left him blind for three days. When God finally got Saul’s attention, He gave him a new vision so his energy could be redirected toward doing God’s will. 

Are we stubbornly heading in a direction that may require the Holy Spirit to knock us down before we move in the right direction? God could be saying, “Change your pursuit, your priority, your attitude. Stop doing that, start doing this.” He gives us that chance now, for when our life is over, there are no second chances. And when we do seek God’s will, let us not just consider it as an option or resist the Holy Spirit. As the voice of God through the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert” (Hebrews 3:7-8). 

2. To convict us of sin. “’Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’ ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’” He replied (Acts 9:4-5). The very God whom Saul believed he was serving turned out to be the God he was persecuting. He had a “blind spot,” and he did not know it. But God opened his eyes, after which he confessed his sin without any excuse and extolled the grace of God (1 Timothy 1:13, 15). 

Jesus may be saying through His Holy Spirit, “I am Jesus whom you grieve and dishonor when you disrespect your spouse, when you take your spouse for granted, when you disobey your parents, when you provoke your children to anger, when you lie, when you complain instead of giving thanks, when you refuse to forgive, when you boast about yourself and do not acknowledge Me, when you insist on your way even when it’s wrong, when you put your desires before Mine.” The Holy Spirit exposes our sin and convicts us so that we may come to terms with our own guilt, be granted forgiveness and move on in victory.

Since we have a heart problem, only the Holy Spirit can override the deceitfulness of our hearts. Our prayer should, therefore, be: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). 

3. To transform us and use us. God could have struck Saul dead on his way to Damascus. But God had other plans for his future. “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:14-18). The Lord first had to mold Saul so he can be of use to Him. Saul, transformed into Paul, became the greatest missionary in history. 

In the same way, God wants us to change lanes towards a changed life and changed priorities. The appointment Saul received is the same one given to us. God goads us to the way we should go. But when we willingly go where He leads, the benefits far outweigh the price we may have to pay.

A certain man was shocked to find his name mistakenly placed in the newspaper’s obituary section, although the write-up referred to him. He made a huge fortune selling weapons of war, and was thus labeled the “dynamite king.” Like a man looking at a mirror, he asked himself, “Is this who I am? Is this how I want people to remember me when I do actually die?”  From that moment on, he changed lanes and decided to promote the cause of peace instead. His name is Alfred Nobel, of the Nobel Peace Prize fame. Are we on the wrong lane in need of changing lanes like Alfred Nobel? Are we truly seeking God’s will, and are we listening? Let us rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us in the right direction, to convict us of sin, and to transform us and use us.