Short Video - Prayer At Inspiration Point

This place was way high up

The Bible says “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16 NIV)

WWJD (What would Jesus do?) Here’s one thing we know He did, often.

I took this video on one of my recent Prayer Retreats. I visited a place called Inspiration Point.

Do you ever withdraw to lonely places to pray?

For more help with having a Vision Retreat or Prayer Retreat, see my articles on:

• 7 Steps to a Productive Vision Retreat

• So You Think You Can’t Take a Prayer Retreat?

• Who Needs a Vision Retreat?

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Also, don’t miss my podcast on “Christianity Questions and Answers.” In it you can listen to answers to some of the intellectual questions about the faith such as:

• Where did God come from?

• Where do dinosaurs fit in the Bible?

• Is it OK to be angry with God?

• And much more

To listen in iTunes click HERE.

To learn more about my podcast and how to submit your own questions click HERE.

5 Smart Ways To Resist Revenge And Enjoy Peace Today

Stewart Fox was 91 years old and had been sick with pneumonia for weeks and could no longer swallow. A feeding tube was inserted and he was transferred to a skilled nursing facility to recuperate.

This is one of my favorite photos of Carolyn’s parents Stew & Kay Fox

Although he felt miserable he made up his mind to show kindness to the nurses, therapists, aides, doctors and other patients. He took control of his thoughts and resisted the temptation to allow his illness to put him in a bad mood.

He determined to fulfill his calling to live in a Christ-like way, no matter his situation.

He quickly gained a reputation for kindness, patience and courtesy. Stewart’s gentle demeanor stood out in contrast to other loud and demanding patients.

Illness is a tempting time to be cranky but, even then, Stewart was touching lives and was a wonderful role model.

Stewart is my wife Carolyn’s father. I am privileged to have known this wonderful man.

In 2 Samuel 16 we find Shimei confronting King David with insults and stone throwing.

The next time they met, after David regained his throne, Shimei had a different response “and said to him, ‘May my lord not hold me guilty. Do not remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind. For I your servant know that I have sinned, but today I have come here as the first from the tribes of Joseph to come down and meet my lord the king.’” (2 Samuel 19:19-20 NIV)

David’s nephew Abishai wanted to get revenge and kill Shimei. That would be a normal reaction for David. However, David vowed not to retaliate.

Here are 5 ways to resist revenge and enjoy peace today:

1. Determine to Rise Above Revenge

When people are being small, we can determine to “Be the big man or big woman.”

Rise above revenge, don’t stoop to it.

The Bible says: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1 NIV)

Keep your answers gentle and you can actually change a person’s demeanor.

2. Stay Positive in the Situation

Pray:

• Lord help me to see this in Your light

• Please help me to love as you love

• Show me how I can help, not hurt

As much as possible, choose laughter instead of anger and revenge.

3. Kill them with Kindness

The Bible tells us not to take revenge. We are to leave vengeance for God and overcome evil with good.

The Lord says, “‘I am the one who punishes; I will pay people back.’ But you should do this: ‘If you have enemies who are hungry, give them something to eat. If you have enemies who are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this you will make them feel ashamed.’ Don’t let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.” (Romans 12:19b-21 ERV)

4. Forgive as You are Forgiven

Maybe David remembered his own sins. He had stolen Uriah the Hittite’s wife Bathsheba, gotten her pregnant and arranged for his death to cover up. It was a despicable betrayal.

Perhaps remembering his own sins helped him forgive Shimei and not take revenge.

What about you? The Bible says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23 NIV)

And “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(Romans 6:23 NIV)

There is no one on earth without sin. But God does forgive when we ask Him.

5. Fulfill your Calling

God has made our calling very clear: “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:21-23 NIV)

Our calling is to live as Christ did and not retaliate or threaten.

We can choose:

• Bitterness

• Anger

• Sadness

Or

• Peace

• Love

• Joy

What is your choice?

Jesus Wasn’t Always Seeker Sensitive

Neither Were Other Leaders of the Bible

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Carolyn and I just got back from a wonderful vacation to the Caribbean. On Sunday we had the joy of attending St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Kirk in Nassau, Bahamas. Rev. Bryn MacPhail gave a message from Galatians 3 starting with verse 1 which reads, “You stupid people of Galatia! Who put you under an evil spell? Wasn’t Christ Jesus’ crucifixion clearly described to you?” (Galatians 3:1 GW)

“Kirk” is a Scottish word meaning “church.” This church’s history goes back to 1798!

Wow, he actually called them stupid!

The Phillips paraphrase reads even more strongly, “O you dear idiots of Galatia…”

It’s almost funny how bluntly he spoke to them. Not many pastors would speak to their congregations that way today—or else they probably wouldn’t be pastors for long.

But there are many other instances of blunt rebuke in the Bible by other spiritual leaders:

• John the Baptist: “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?’” (Matthew 3:7 NKJV)

• When speaking to the Chief Priest Ananias we read, “Then Paul said to him, ‘God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?’” (Acts 23:3 NKJV)

• Paul encouraged Titus saying, “This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.” (Titus 1:13 ESV)

By far the most common “straight talker” was the Lord Jesus Christ Himself:

• When one of Jesus most faithful followers opposed His plan to die on the cross we read, “But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.’” (Matthew 16:23 NKJV)

• “Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, ‘It is written, “My house is a house of prayer,” but you have made it a “den of thieves.”’” (Luke 19:45-46 NKJV)

• “Then Jesus answered and said, ‘O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.’” (Luke 9:41 NKJV)

• “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?” Matthew 23:33 (ESV)

So what’s my point? Here it is: There is a time for straight talk.

Reading Facebook and talking with believers, it seems that being Seeker Sensitive has so eclipsed “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15) that the only people some Christian criticize is other Christians who have the courage to call sin, sin. What a shame.

When I recently wrote about What to do When the White House Celebrates Sin, I was strongly criticized by one believer for writing something that could offend unbelievers. As if the last thing we would ever want unbelievers to know is that the Bible actually calls some practices “sin.”

The biggest potential problem with a “let’s never call sin, sin” approach is that no one ever has anything to repent from. 

In addition, when we don’t call sin, sin, then Christians get confused. Some think homosexual practice and “gay marriage” is acceptable.

At this point you might think that I am opposed to a Seeker Sensitive approach. In fact, I am not.

I am only opposed to that approach when it never proclaims the truth of God’s Word.

I am for BALANCE. 

Again, “speaking the truth in love’ is the appropriate approach and what I believe is the example biblical leaders set.

Some Christian leaders today argue, “you don’t have to tell people they are sinners, they already know it.” That might be true some of the time, but not always. In fact, I think it is rarely true, because most people are not seeking a solution for their sin. They are practicing whatever sins they can get away with, and still not go to jail or perhaps end their marriage.

It seems very few people realize the full weight of their sins—that their sins separate them from a holy God for eternity.

When I wrote an article about our sin nature titled “Why I Burned My Sister at the Stake” one Facebook friend from high school replied strongly that he was no sinner. (See also my article “Who Needs Jesus, I’m a Good Person.”) I think he spoke for many. He was offended that I would suggest he is a sinner who needs forgiveness. 

So rather than being more Seeker Sensitive in terms of calling sin, sin, we need to be more straightforward.

You might ask: But what did the Apostle Paul mean when he wrote “I have become all things to all men so that by all means I might reach some.” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

I believe he meant not allowing a barrier such as circumcision to keep a person from Christ. (See Acts 16:3)

I am all for eliminating barriers:

• Using contemporary music that people can relate to.

• Using a Bible version that is easily understandable.

• Not using theological terms (sanctification, propitiation, etc.) in church services without explanation, so that unsaved people cannot understand what is being said.

But when it comes to making sure people know they are sinners in need of a Savior, let’s speak the truth forthrightly so people know that God has established standards and people must be saved from their sins.

As Pastor MacPhail in Nassau pointed out, this is certainly the biblical approach.