Tag: Providence Reformed Church

Offending God with Prayer

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There are lots of people who pray. In our world, when a tragedy strikes or when a person simply wants to say that they are a friend to another person, suggesting that, “I’ll pray for you.,” or something similar is common.

At the same time, there are many people who will tell you that they find prayer to be an important part of their lives. People who do not worship the Lord with the people of God in a church, people who do not know or love the word of God, people who value the things of the world around them are still people who will say that they pray. And I am sure they do.

But what does God think of it when a person who does not know him, who does not follow him, who will not obey him, decides to pray?

Proverbs 28:9

If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,
even his prayer is an abomination.

Those words from the Scripture are strong and significant. God has told us through a book about wisdom that a person who turns away from hearing the word of God, a person who will not follow the Scripture, might indeed pray. But that person’s prayers will be—get this and don’t miss it—an abomination.

God is not a fan of empty religion. God is not a fan of empty religious expression. God is even clear that he is not the least bit open-minded about this. God has a way that he will be approached. And God has every right to say that, if a person approaches him in a way that actually opposes him, he will not accept it.

Let us not assume that all religious expression is good. Nor let us think that all prayers please the Lord. If a person is against the word of God, their prayers offend God.

The solution here is not to be offended by the fact that God will not do things our way. Instead, the solution is to submit to the Lord by submitting to his word. The God who made us is the Lord. he is our Master, Creator, and Judge. He is a merciful Father to all who will come to him in faith and repentance through Jesus Christ. But he is clear that he is not at all required to accept us through any other path. His word tells us to come to Jesus in faith for salvation. Prayers of those who reject the Lord, reject his Son, and reject his word are not things that please him.

How the Mighty Have Fallen: A Call for Character as We Respond to the Paige Patterson Situation

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What do you do when those who oppose you are hurt or defeated? How do you react when those who would make themselves your enemies are put in their place? Do you rejoice? Do you sing?

David sang when King Saul met his end. But when David sang at the death of Saul, it was not a song of celebration. Even though Saul had chased him and attempted to murder him, David sang in genuine sorrow over the death of the king.

2 Samuel 1:17-19 – 17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar. He said:
19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places!
How the mighty have fallen!

It is interesting that, in our world, the snippet of this Scripture passage that is well known is the phrase, “How the mighty have fallen!” You hear that line in the mouths of movie characters quite often. Unfortunately the line is often delivered with a sneer. Good guys or bad guys in the movies like to rejoice when people on the other side get their comeuppance.

But if we were to handle this rightly and learn from David’s example, we would learn that, even when those who were our enemies face their ends, we should experience grief. Even when the evil schemes of mean-spirited people are exposed, we should not rejoice in their pain. Of course we can and should rejoice when justice is done and when righteousness prevails. But, when people hurt, when people fall, when people die, our hearts should also have in them a sorrow for the fact that people had to come to judgment rather than repentance.

To risk a politically charged example, I think to myself of how some are likely responding to the recent removal of Paige Patterson as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Patterson’s pattern of incautious comments and the offense they caused as they were seen together made it impossible for the trustees of the seminary to keep Patterson as the school’s head. I’ll not speak to other accusations of cover-ups and the rest, as I know nothing and have no right to suspect things.

The reason I bring up Patterson, however, is the fact that there will be many on the Internet who will celebrate. Patterson has certainly not always been kind or fair in his criticisms of others. He has often spoken of the reformed or of Calvinists with a smug dismissal. I have heard him say things regarding the exegesis of biblical passages that I believe he has to know are untenable. And the harsh edge of those sorts of comments has certainly widened the divide between Patterson and those with whom he disagrees. Thus, there may be many who would, with a sneer, say, “How the mighty have fallen.”

But, Christians, let us remember that there is nothing godly about rejoicing in the fall of a brother in Christ. While we may think that the seminary trustees of SWBTS have done the right thing, there is nothing godly about somebody doing a little Internet victory dance. There is nothing godly about rejoicing in something that has brought so much hurt to many Southern Baptists who are deeply upset by Patterson’s removal.

Let’s learn from David. When a person who has opposed us falls, let us mourn. It would be so much nicer to see those who oppose us turn from that opposition and graciously change their views. It would be beautiful to have people live with character, above reproach, and with biblical fidelity in all things. But neither we nor those who think we are nuts actually live in perfect faithfulness. I’m sure that I will find, before my life comes to an end, that there are doctrinal issues I’ve missed. I would far rather have the Lord bring me to change gently than for him to have to bring my life and ministry crashing down. And If I would want the Lord to change me gently, how could I ever rejoice when a brother in Christ, flawed like me, is hit hard with the consequences of his own actions? May we give the grace that we wish to receive. May we always take the high road. May we lament at the fall of anyone, especially those who are genuine believers, regardless of whether or not they have been nice to us or our positions.

In this, I am not at all defending anyone. I believe that, in the case of Paige Patterson, his removal from the seminary presidency was overdue. But I can also mourn for the hurt all this has caused and pray that God use this time of sorrow at SWBTS and the SBC for good as he works out his plans for his glory. And I can pray that God have mercy on us all, as it is only the grace of God that keeps any of us from sinful self-destruction.

A Lesson from Shouting Good Morning

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Some proverbs are funny. They make sense, and you can just picture their truth in action. Here is one.

Proverbs 27:14 – Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing.

The proverb makes total sense. If you tell your neighbor good morning, with a really loud voice, early in the morning, it will not be something he receives well. As the proverb tells us, it will be taken as a curse.

So is all we are to learn from this verse the fact that yelling at somebody when the sun is barely up is not a good idea? No, I do not think so. I think, behind this text, is a more important life principle. If you wish to show someone kindness, it is wise to learn what they can receive from you as kindness.

Husbands, what does your wife love? If your wife is into flowers and pretty things, and you give her a gift of a new power saw, it is likely that your gift will not be well-received. At the same time, it may be that your wife would far rather you mop the floor and load the dishwasher than buy her a plant. The point is to learn to show love and kindness in what she will appreciate. And it does not take much imagination to turn the tables and ask wives to think about what their husbands actually receive well.

The big principle here is one of love and others-centeredness. When you wish to love another person well, do them good. When you wish to bless them, do so in a way that they are actually likely to take as a blessing. To give to another person, but to only do so in ways that you like and they do not, is not often loving. Of course, love requires that we correct each other and confront each other, and none of us enjoys that. But, when you are trying for kindness and graciousness, think about the other person’s desires first.

Shouting at me at 4:00 in the morning is not something I will enjoy, even if you are saying something nice. Neither will I be overly grateful if you tell me that I’ve just won a nice basket of mushrooms—I don’t like them. Let us learn from such things to love one another well by learning to care for one another with what is best received.

To Respond or not to Respond, That is the Question

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What do you do when you see someone write something or say something foolish? Do you respond? Do you feed the trolls? Or do you let it go? What is the wise choice?

Thankfully, God gave us the book of Proverbs to know what is the wise thing to do. Take a peek at these verses, and you’ll see.

Proverbs 26:4-5

4 Answer not a fool according to his folly,

lest you be like him yourself.

5 Answer a fool according to his folly,

lest he be wise in his own eyes.

OK, perhaps that may not feel as helpful as you think. But it shows us something very true about living in our fallen world. Those two verses give us seemingly opposite counsel. And that is the point.

If you answer a fool according to his folly, if you sink to his level, you will end up like him. That is the idea of not feeding the trolls on the Internet. But if you refuse to answer a fool, he may decide that he is so smart, so wise, that he does not learn. And now you just do not know what to do.

The point, I think, is that there is no clean way to deal with a fool. If you answer, you can get in trouble. If you do not answer, you can get in trouble. Fools make life impossible to live without trouble; that is the point.

So, when thinking about answering someone, think and pray well. Ask God to help you with wisdom. Think and think again, and then choose how to respond.

An even better lesson is this: Don’t be that guy. Do not be a fool. Do not be the kind of person it is impossible to answer.

But It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

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What is God more interested in: your actions or your motives? This is a trick question. So many of us assume that, if we had good motives, our actions are not a big deal. But the Lord is clear in his word that both our actions and our motives matter a great deal.

Consider Saul, the king. He knew he needed to go into a battle. He knew that he had not sought the Lord’s favor by offering a sacrifice. But Saul was not authorized by God to make that sacrifice. Surely, if he broke the rule on who is allowed to make the offering, God would not mind. Surely God would not be so strict on those restrictions.

1 Samuel 13:8-14 – 8 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. 11 Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, 12 I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” 13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

OK, it turns out that God was just as concerned about Saul’s obedience as he was about the offering. This move on the part of the king did not please the Lord. and this move on Saul’s part, along with a mess he makes in chapter 15, results in his family’s loss of the throne of Israel.

Consider how applicable this all is to our lives as Christians. What things are Christians compromising right now? What are we willing to think God will be OK with so long as our motives are pure and the results of our actions successful? Where do we decide that a pragmatic victory is worth more than obedience?

I see this in the way that many compromise worship for the sake of supposedly reaching out to the lost. Some churches shape what they do on Sundays entirely around those who are not part of the family of God. But the Lord is clear that worship is about him, not about those who are turned against him.

Or what about the way that many churches and individuals compromise on hot-button social issues for the sake of being received by the world? Should we not be more interested in pleasing the Lord than in gaining a reputation in our community through compromise?

I bet, if you think about it, you can think of several ways that you are personally tempted to cut corners on the things of God for the sake of what you think is a good end. We do not want to be naturally offensive people. We do not want to seem weird to the world. We do not want to look like our standards or our thoughts are several centuries out-of-date.

But the truth is, dear Christian friends, our thoughts and standards are not going to be with the times. They cannot be so and still please the Lord. Our actions have to be based on obedience to the word of God, and not on any sort of pragmatic focus on supposed life or ministry success. God wants us to submit to him, to love him, and to keep his word. Let us remember that doing so is very important, even if we think that we have good motivation to turn to our own ideas.

An Example of Wisdom in an Abuse Case

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If you’re active on the Internet, especially in Baptist or reformed circles, you have been exposed to the discussion of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson’s comments regarding a woman suffering spousal abuse. This conversation, of course, has triggered a great deal of anger, multiple discussions, and many condemnations. Patterson has since issued an apology for making unwise statements.

Without getting into the political Internet rancor regarding Patterson, the SBC, SWBTS, and all the rest, I want to simply point out an example from biblical narrative of a wise response to abuse from one in a position of authority. This is not all there is to say, but it came from my daily Bible reading, and it is a good start.

David was in the service of King Saul. Saul was insanely jealous of the people’s response to David, and from time-to-time, Saul had been overcome by rage against the young man who had slain a giant. But Saul’s son, Jonathan, loved David.

AT one point, David feared for his life because of Saul. And So David came to Jonathan to ask for help.

1 Samuel 20:1-4- 1 Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?” 2 And he said to him, “Far from it! You shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. And why should my father hide this from me? It is not so.” 3 But David vowed again, saying, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he thinks, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.” 4 Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”

David expressed his fear, a genuine fear for his physical safety. Jonathan expressed surprise, but when he saw that David was serious, Jonathan pledged to help. From this point, David and Jonathan did the best they could to expose Saul’s intentions regarding David, and this all eventually led to Jonathan helping David to escape from Saul’s murderous intent.

Note that, in this situation, Jonathan did not say to David, “Saul is your authority, so you have to submit to his abuse.” And no biblically thinking Christian gives such counsel. There are certainly times in Scripture where Christians are called on to suffer bravely for Christ, but these commands are in the context of Christians who are in inescapable situations—slaves under harsh masters as an example.

What then should a Christian spouse facing abuse do? First, the one abused or fearing abuse needs to get to a place of safety. You must be aware, however, that often abusers become even more dangerous as you seek to leave the home. Thus, getting away may require careful planning or the involvement of the police. Second, if physical abuse has occurred or genuine threats of harm have been issued, this is a violation of the law. The threatened or abused spouse should contact the police for help. Third, the abused spouse should reach out to the elders of the church to which they belong as a member. The elders can offer prayer, counsel, and support as the abused spouse attempts to deal with the situation. If the couple are both church members, the elders can begin the process of biblical church discipline, calling the abusive spouse to repent of sin.

As a pastor, I would not encourage any person suffering abuse or genuinely fearing physical abuse of any kind to return to an unsafe environment. Instead, I would counsel much of what we see David do with Saul. David got himself to a place of safety and used a go-between to help him in his dealings with the crazed king. When the threat was not repented of and change had not been made, David remained apart from the abuser. David did not attempt to hurt Saul. David simply remained apart from Saul so long as Saul intended him harm.

Obviously, there is more at stake in a modern marriage. The presence of the church and of the legal authorities is a significant part of our situation. But I think that we can see, even in this narrative, a wise principle. If you are endangered by an authority over you, get away and get help. In marriage, this does not assume an immediate move to divorce. But it most certainly assumes an immediate move to safety and a call for repentance.

If you are abused or threatened with abuse:

  • Get to safety (this may require planning and careful timing).
  • Contact the police (the police can help you get to safety).
  • Contact your church elders.
  • Seek reconciliation through repentance on the part of the abuser.
  • Communicate from a place of safety or through a go-between if necessary.
  • Remain in a safe place until credible repentance occurs.

A lesson on Insults

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Many conflicts in our lives are caused by our supposed need to address every insult we perceive that we have received. But the Bible lets us know that it can be to a man’s glory to overlook an offense. Sometimes we need to make a conscious choice not to react to nasty things said about us if those nasty things are clearly untrue.

Perhaps this proverb will help.

Proverbs 26:2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight.

The picture here is simple. Birds fly over your head. If they do not land on you, they really do not impact you. Well, a curse spoken against you, a nasty thing said about you, one that is not true, is like a bird that does not land on you. If the nasty thing is untrue, it should not provoke you to a reaction any more than does a bird flying past. Undeserved curses do not come to rest.

Now, obviously it requires wisdom to know when to respond to an insult and when to let it go. Some untruths have to be countered for the glory of God and for the defense of our Christian message. But the point we also need to grasp is that not all insults require us to stand and fight. Some are so foolish, so small, so obviously wrong that we can ignore them in the same way we ignore a pigeon.

So, Christian, pray that God will give you wisdom. Yes, when it matters, go to bat. But when it does not matter, let it fly by.

Also, Christian, ask the Lord, when you are offended by an insult, if it should land. Perhaps you are offended because what is said about you has a grain of truth in it. Let that lead you to repentance.

God and the Heart

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When Saul was anointed king, he did not particularly want the job. When Samuel told him what was to come, we have nothing that makes us think that this appealed to Saul. In truth, we see nothing of Saul’s response to Samuel’s prophecy. But, when Saul turned to leave Samuel, God did something that we need to see.

1 Samuel 10:9 – When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all these signs came to pass that day.

God gave Saul a new heart. God, by the supernatural power of God, for the all-important glory of God, based on the perfect plans of God, took action on the heart of Saul. God reached into Saul and changed him. God gave Saul a desire. God did not go against Saul’s will. God seems to have changed Saul’s will so that it would align with the plans and purposes and glory of God.

Does this offend you? Does the concept of God moving your heart so that your desires match his own bother you? I hope not, as this is something that God does with his people. The Lord gives new hearts, new desires, new obedience to whom he chooses.

Here is the truth that Christians need to grasp: God works on the heart, from the inside, in ways that we cannot imagine. God changes human hearts. If the Lord did not do this, all humans, every last one of us, would oppose him because of the stain of sin passed down to us from Adam We would oppose God because of our own self-destructive rebellion. WE would oppose God because of the deceptive work of the devil. But if we do not oppose God, this is because God has given spiritual life to a spiritually dead soul, giving a new heart to a person the Father has given to the Son.

God Works Out Circumstances From Both Sides

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When you and I have problems in our lives that we desire the Lord to help us through, often we fail to have faith in what God can do. We only see the problem from our own point of view, and our understanding is terribly limited. We fail, especially when we do not remember what the Lord might be doing on the other side of our situation, the side we cannot see.

This thought hit me when thinking about the anointing of Saul as king over Israel. If you know the story, you know that Israel sinned against the Lord in their desire for a king. But God told Samuel the prophet that he would give them what they asked for. In truth, God will give Israel exactly the kind of king they wanted, handsome, tall, and strong. Of course, Israel did not ask for a godly king, and they would not get one in Saul.

The way that God brings Saul and Samuel together is what fascinates me. Saul’s father lost some donkeys. Saul and a friend when out looking for the animals. But they did not know that God was using those circumstances to bring them to the prophet, Samuel.

1 Samuel 9:15-17 – 15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.”

Samuel, for his part, was told by God to expect to meet Saul on a particular day in a particular town. ?And the Lord made it happen.

Here is where we might find encouragement. God was working on both sides of the issue to bring Samuel and Saul together at just the right place and in just the right time. God told Samuel that Saul would come to him. All Saul was doing was looking for donkeys, but God was moving in Samuel’s life to prepare to anoint Saul as king.

Consider when you pray for something like the salvation of a lost friend or a need that you deeply desire to have met. Do you remember that God is working on the side of the problem you cannot see? Do you remember that, while you are hunting down your lost donkeys, God might be moving someone into place to meet you and change your world? Do you remember that, when you want to witness to someone, the Lord might be doing things in their heart that you cannot see and may never learn about until eternity?

Friends, we should remember that our God is sovereign. God moves in ways we cannot imagine. He can move people’s circumstances to put them right where he wants them, even when we have no idea what he is doing. Let us trust the Lord. Let us pray in faith. Let us remember that God works out problems from more than one side.

Images, Mice, Tumors, and Getting It Wrong

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What happens to religion when mankind is left to fend for himself? We always mess things up. We will come up with the strangest notions of what must be pleasing to God. We will compromise what God commands us not to do. We are simply not good at all when it comes to figuring out God on our own.

In one of my daily readings, the plan I’m working through (the Book-at-a-Time plan from Discipleship Journal) took me through 1 Samuel 4-6. And on this day, I saw two examples of people who, when either ignoring or ignorant of the word of God, made up religious suggestions for dealing with bad situations. Both were wrong. One seemed to work while the other did not. And both show us that mankind, when left to ourselves, will really mess things up.

The first mistake is made by the people of Israel.

1 Samuel 4:3-4 – 3 And when the troops came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.”

In this instance, the people failed to realize that the reason that they were being defeated in battle had to do with the nation’s rebellion against the Lord and his commands. Instead, they developed for themselves a superstitious and almost pagan view that the presence of the ark of the covenant would make them victorious in battle.

If you know the story, you know that God allows the ark of the covenant to be captured by the Philistines, and it remains with them for 7 months. In that time, God afflicts the Philistines with mice and tumors so long as the ark is in their cities. So the Philistines decide to return the ark to Israel.

The enemy Philistines make the second mistake when they try to figure out the best offering to make to God as they send the ark back to its homeland.

1 Samuel 6:3-5 – 3 They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand does not turn away from you.” 4 And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. 5 So you must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you and your gods and your land.”

In both instances, Israelite and Philistine, the people make a very common human mistake when dealing with the things of God. The people assume a connection between physical elements and spiritual grace which is not biblical, nor has it ever been. And the people assume that they, by their own creativity, can come up with ways to assuage the wrath of God or prompt God to do for them what they want.

When the Israelites assume that the presence of the ark of the covenant will bring them victory in battle, they are assuming that the physical presence of the golden chest is what was the difference in their defeat. They assume, for some reason, that the presence of a physical object would somehow impact their experience of the presence of God. But the Lord is clear throughout his word that he is not confined in any earthly space. Nor is the Lord’s favor to be earned by any sort of special grace infused into or gained from objects. God has never called Christians to use statues, boxes, pictures, or any other physical element as a talisman to somehow gain access to more of his grace or more of his presence. Such thinking comes from other world religions, and steps away from the true gospel.

Yes, Christians have ceremonies that include physical things: WE baptize and we receive Lord’s Supper. But in neither of these ceremonies do biblical Christians assume that the water of the baptistery or the elements of the supper impart grace to us. The elements are symbols. The act of worshipping the Lord through obedience helps us to honor him and to grow in our faith. But the ceremonies do not somehow spiritually grow us through contact with physical items.

The Philistines also erred when they assumed that their offerings to God of golden tumors and mice would please him. Yes, God was intending to send the ark back to Israel. But God hates idols. God does not command that we worship him by focusing our worship through images. In fact, the second commandment particularly forbids the kind of things that the Philistines did.

The problem for those guys was the fact that they assumed they could figure God out or figure out how to please God from their own wisdom and experience. They assumed that, if an idea seemed good to them, then the idea must be good for God. This is perhaps the most common of all human failings, and it is truly deadly.

Friends, there is one and only one way to really know what pleases the Lord. You must rightly handle and apply what the Lord has given us in the Scripture. The Bible is how to know God and know what God wants. Anything we bring to our definition of God that comes from outside the pages of Scripture must be submitted to Scripture as the final authority. That is not to say that we do not draw wise conclusions from Scripture. All systematic and even biblical theology includes conclusions we come to from Scripture. We use terms not in the Bible. But all our life, all our doctrines, all our practices must be clearly justifiable from faithful exegesis and application of the word of God. That will prevent us from thinking that physical elements impart special blessings. That will keep us from trying to please God by making statues of tumors and mice. And that will keep us from deciding that we can come up with our own ways to please God that God never suggested.