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Is Christianity too Narrow?

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

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Christians and or Christianity has sometimes been called, “narrow-minded” or that it is “not open to other ideas” and these charges are true. In all fairness, the charges (of those sorts) are true I have to give them that. It is not open to a lot of ideas, changes, or even modifications. While there are some things to keep in mind about changes (we’ll touch on that in a moment) we should first address why Christianity is so “narrow.”

To begin with it is narrow because that’s what Jesus said it is. In Matthew 7:13 Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it.” That one is pretty self-explanatory but just in case…. Jesus is saying there is an easy way and a hard way in life. The hard way is to accept Him, His teachings, and most importantly, trust in His atoning death and subsequent resurrection. The easy way is to do nothing. It is hard to trust and follow Jesus sometimes. There are times when you want to go your own way and do you own thing but to trust in the Messiah is hard at times. It requires you to fall back and remember what you once knew or what you cannot see.

Another example of why it is hard is because there is no room for additions to the Gospel. Paul said in Galatians 1:8 “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than what we have preached to you, a curse be on him!” Again this one is pretty harsh and straight shooting. The Galatians were dealing with some legalist coming in and trying to tell them that they first needed to become Jews then they could be saved. That is like saying you cannot go to church until you clean up your act which we all know is malarky. Paul was so mad about this he wrote a whole letter (or book) to fight against this idea. There is nothing you can do to add to your salvation and nothing you can do to improve it either. It is what it is and it is finished! Jesus did all the work you just trust in Him (see above).

Christianity is hard because there can be only one way to God and that is the way He tells you to go. Jesus is not a way but the way (pay attention to the articles “a” and ”the”).

So what the other idea of changing with the times? There are some things that need to be looked at here. Remember that the Bible and the books that make it up were written thousands of years ago so the times have changed. Right? Well yes and no. Times have changed and situations have changed, but the issues remain. Sin is still bad, love and obedience to God are still good. When you read the Bible look for the principle in the original situation and then apply that to your situation. If you cannot understand the original situation then find resources. There are thousands of them. Email me if you need to I am happy to help you find out what was going on and put things in context (mike@freedomintruth.me). The point remains, Jesus is the way to the Father because He came from the Father to speak the Father’s words. That does not change.

Remember the Bible is 66 separate books that make up a larger book.

One last word. Taking one book, story, or verse and making it the focus is like taking a section from Lord of the Rings and saying the series is about a guy named Sauron who rules middle earth. Or taking Harry Potter and making it about a mean teacher who didn’t like Harry. No, you read the whole book and put it in context. Context of when it was written, who it was originally written to, and how these people wrote. You cannot judge history by any other standard than the standard that was used at the time. That includes events and the recording of events. We should not read into the Bible our thoughts and ideas but read the Bible and get thoughts and ideas. Did you know canon (as in Biblical Canon) means reed, measuring stick, or criterion by which something is judged? As Christians we are to let the Bible judge us.

Don’t exclude what or who Jesus Included!

Ok, one more last word. Because Christianity is a narrow way does not mean you get to be a um well how about we go with meany. Jesus is the one who made it narrow (I am the way the truth and the light), but is also the one who invited everyone including a thief dying on a cross, a prostitute, a tax collector, a host of other sinners, and me to come to Him. If I could sum up the message of the Gospel in a sentence or two. You cannot earn or make your way to God. He came in the flesh died on a cross, rose again three days later, and makes you clean so you can come. You just have to accept that God loves you that much and that is a hard thing to do.

Just a thought,

Mike

Not on Probation

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

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Matthew or Levi is one of my favorite disciples. To me, there is something so powerful in the call of Matthew. I get that all the callings are powerful but I think different ones can resonate with different people in different ways. Matthew’s calling is recorded in-between two episodes of Jesus. The first is Jesus forgiving and healing the paralytic man, and then Jesus dining with sinners and saying that He has come for the sick and not the righteous. I think these three episodes together show that when Jesus calls you into service He does not call and place you on probation, but you get full rights. I used to think of myself as accepted but being watched closely, however, that is not what Jesus does. He spoke about healing and forgiving and showed what it means when you are healed and forgiven. Matthew was given full rights as a disciple, so am I, and so are you!

We can think of ourselves as probationary Christians but that is just not how Jesus views us. When we accept Christ we are sealed with the Holy Spirit and our lives are now hidden with Christ in God. The old is gone and the new has come. That does not mean that past actions can no longer catch up to us or that we start acting better right away. Somethings take time. The point is we are now granted full rights as children of God. We are in that very moment of accepting Christ new and accepted. The bigger question is whether we walk in that acceptance. I love looking at Matthews life, partly, because he knew what he was.

Tax collectors were no one’s hero. They were not good Jews, they worked for the enemy, and they were cheats. No little boy dreamt about being a tax collector because no one liked them. There really was not much to like. Jesus, on the other hand, did not care. He knew He was there to call and save the sick and the lost so He did. Matthew knew who he was and Jesus knew who Matthew was. There was no question about it but Jesus still called Him. He still said follow me. Matthew followed. The people around him still called him a sinner and a tax collector. They still remember everything he did and stood for before Christ but he did not let that stop him from following Christ.

Your past might be great or it might be horrid. Either way, it is the past. Come to terms with it. Accept it. Find a way to make sense of it. Then give it to God and follow Christ. Surrender your life to Him and let Him lead while you follow. You won’t be put on probation, and you won’t be rejected.

Just a thought,

Mike

The Sticky Situation

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

Today we have a guest writer, and she happens to be my daughter.

The wind howled through the window. The girl sat huddling her knees waiting for the storm to be over. “Knock Knock” “Come in dad” Emma said. “ How’d you know it was me” “Just a wild guess” “You seem scared sweetie is everything alright” Emma knew she’d have to tell her dad at some point “I’M SORRY!!!!!!” “For what” “Well, Last Tuesday I was at school in fashion design class when I over heard Ella and Maddy talking about Mrs. Koala asking them to design a KIosk for the Fashion Studio award winner grand finale.” “Um…. Who are Ella and Maddy?” “Ella and Maddy are the schools biggest fashion lovers.” Oh…. ok continue.” “ The next day as I walking home from school I saw a flyer stapled to are pink blossom tree in the front yard.

It was for the Fashion Studio Award Winner Grand Finale I was just like Oh great. Then I had an Idea I decided I would steal their KIosk and pretend it was mine” “ Well did you?” “Sadly the jealousy got to me and well yes I did! And I’m really sorry I know I shouldn’t have and I promise I won’t do it ever again” “Did you return it” “Yes, I returned because I felt guilty about it” “It’s ok is there anything else you need to get off your chest?” “ Dad, do you think God will ever forgive me?? I’m scared he won’t” “ Emma, does God love you very much” “Yes” “Then he will forgive you. But it’s your choice to accept it do you?” “I do and I’m sorry dad” It ok honey” “I love you” “And I love you Emma”

The End
This story is all about forgivenessand the love betwen God a father and daughter!!

Come Unto Me

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

The lone figure stands hovering overhead some twenty-five or thirty feet. He is easily recognizable as you know who He should be. Of the nine panes only four appear to have meaning. The first and largest is Jesus while the second contains three words that rests in a separate pane under Him and read “Come Unto Me.” On either side of Him sits a panel with figures, but it is not easy to determine the scene. The three panes that sit below these appear to be simple squares that serve only to elongate the large window while two others on top fill in the shape. The window itself is impressive in size filling just over half of the area above the three large double doors that lead into the sanctuary.

Inside the window takes on new life. Christ stands barefoot on a rock gently raising His arms. He has the typical European features you come to expect in a painting or stained glass window. His light brown hair is parted neatly in the middle falling just below His shoulders. His beard is well-groomed, matching in color, and style to His hair. A white tunic rests underneath a vibrant red robe. Gold colored trim breaks up enough of the robe as to not allow it to dominate the eyes. He stands upon a rock with small flowers behind on His right, and a plant of sorts behind Him to the left. Blue skies with white clouds hover behind Him in the distance. Sand and a hill further back in the image stop the sky scene from overtaking the background.

Below Him sits the three words visible from the outside. Inside they are clearer although backwards as they are designed to be read from out there and not in here. The lettering is simple, and the font bold. They are not meant to draw any more attention than required to read them. A white background serves as a highlighter pointing to the importance of the words. The border that showcases the words goes from brown on the outermost part to a multicolored mash-up, and then finally mostly blue. The purpose is to draw your eyes to the center of the box. Come Unto Me they read.

To His right three figures are seen. A man with a purple tunic and blue robe lowers his head in worship; he bows slightly with a bent knee in reverence for the king. A female figure next to him rests on both knees cupping her hands under her chin. She looks upon the Christ with love and wonder. The white dress she wears would have her blend into the part of rock she kneels on if it were not for her brown hair, and a brown head covering that rest on her shoulders. Another woman stands just behind her with a hand at the side of her own face looking down. The bright orange head covering that wraps her head and shoulders make her stand out. It would seem that this is Lazarus, Mary, and Martha.

To the left of Christ, four more figures are seen three of which appear to be men. The first man stands in a yellow outfit holding a staff in one hand while raising the other. His posture seems to be one of calling on Christ to say more. Perhaps he desires more than a simple command to come. Behind him dressed all in purple is a man standing in submission. His hands are folded over together, his are eyes closed, and his head is bowed in an act of worship. He is young and accepting of the Teachers words. The thought of John the disciple comes to mind when he is seen because of this.

In the middle stands another man. With a position higher than the others, and eyes fixed on Christ he stands apart from everyone else in the window. His large white beard with matching white robe, and forward leaning posture show him to be older, and possibly wiser than the others. By the way he holds his staff and his body he is no doubt an old shepherd who knows when to pay close attention. Could this be Moses?

In the background another figure is seen – the only woman on this panel. She wears a light green almost white outfit with a red robe similar to that of Jesus minus the gold inlay. Holding a hand on her heart, and the other slightly raised towards Jesus. If this is to be Mary, the mother of Christ then this would make sense because she treasured these moments pondering them in her heart. Does she adorn the red robe to show a connection with her Son?

The three panes below these are all the same minus some slight color variations that seem to be random. White stained boxes fill the majority of space. In the middle a blue box with red diamond shape gives the eye something to focus on. The green border around this continues to feed the idea of design not function. The top of the window also shows two separate triangular windows on either side that serve to only complete the style of the larger picture. It all sits nicely in a traditional arch.

Traditional arches, dark wood accents, and an appearance of lath and plaster gives the  impression that the building as well as the large window and the ones that line the walls of the sanctuary are at least a hundred years old. The truth, however, is that the building and windows are just over eleven years old. The original Baptist church that sat here burned down in late 2002, and what sits on the site now is all new. While it is new in material, the idea seems to be a remembrance of a simpler time. The bright colored windows, classic details, and simple styling seem to call two purposes to mind.

The first is to call back to what once was. To look back to a time when the old church is where the lost went for refuge, and the saved went to rejoice. Whatever your search, the large window and simple words let you know the journey had come to an end. If you were looking for hope the three words would tell you it could be found here. If you were looking to rejoice, the words reminded that this was the place to celebrate.

Crowds would gather on a Sunday morning after the service to stand under Christ with His open arms. They would mingle with each other talking about nothing and everything. Exchanging pleasantries in a relaxed manner. Overall the mood would be one of enjoyment and peace. No doubt some could not help but wonder as they stood under Christ. Wonder about how God could become a man. Wonder about why this man would give His life for them. Wonder if they had indeed come to Him, or if they just went to the church because that was what you did.

Others, who dared not enter these hallowed grounds on a Sunday would wait until no one else was near. They would wait until the Pastor was alone so they could seek counsel, knowing that the words that adorned the window were a call to them. They were a call to the drunkard who knew he had gone too far yet again. Words that called to the wayward seeker who needed grace. Simple words that seem to need almost no context to be understood as they speak to the soul, and not the mind. Even though they stood alone, they seem to flow from Jesus Himself.

Which points out the second purpose of the window, and that is of its placement. Not the placement of the window that is obvious enough. The window sits in the front of the new, yet old church facing the street. Facing all those who enter its doors. The question of placement is for the viewer, and their placement in the scene it shows. Where do they fit into the picture? With seven figures to choose from everyone can find their place, or more likely a few places where they fit.

While it may be that the people pictured are to represent Mary, Martha, Lazarus, John, Mary the mother of Christ, or any other biblical character they represent something more too. They represent us. Each of us is up on that window being called to Christ, and each of has a place there.

Maybe we are Martha who has spent time with Him and seen His marvelous works. Heard His teachings, and yet have been too busy to sit and worship. Could we be her sister Mary who sits in awe of the Teacher? Clinging to every word, just happy to be present? Perhaps we are Lazarus and have been brought back from the dead. We were once dead, and now we live, so we have nothing else to do, but bow before the one who gave us life. Could it be we are a combination of Mary and Martha where we once sat in awe, and now find ourselves so busy with His work we forget to just be with Him? With three people on this single pane there are a few options to choose from.

To go to the other pane, there are even more options and combinations. You could find yourself as the figure all in white who has been waiting for others to see the Christ. Years have been spent waiting for others to see Him, and know Him the same way you do. You have done all you can failing at times, but all the while wanting others to see Him as grace and truth. The man in yellow-what is he saying? Does he call on Christ to tell him more? Is he at a place where he is not ready to come to Christ, but at the same time knows he should not leave? Does he stand wanting to come, but he feels it is just too simple? Then, there is the man dressed in purple. His hands are woven gently together, and his eyes are closed because what he seeks cannot be seen. He has nothing to say, and nowhere else to go. He is in a place of surrender and enjoys receiving the words of his Master.

When we combine the people on the left and those on the right we are given even more options and combinations to choose from, and that is the point. Whoever you are, and wherever you find yourself, Jesus calls and says “Come Unto Me.” The people represent more than characters from the Bible-they are you and me. In some way you can find yourself in the window, but first you must look. Jesus stands on the rock calling out to all who might look to Him. His call is for all who would hear with no requirement or prerequisite. You must simply come.

Behind….

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

I have been so busy writing papers this semester I have not been able to write almost anything else. So the best I can do is share my school papers right now. I have a 12-page exegesis coming soon…

 

Trust the Promise

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

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Of the many promises made in the Bible, the best in my opinion has to be Jesus in John 14:18 where He says “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to.” To settle that Jesus promised we will not be alone should change the way we view things. This promise is really also an echo of Deut 31:6 where it says “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

We are not alone, we are not orphans, and we have not been abandoned. Jesus left the earth but at the same time He never really left. He sent the Comforter to be in us, to guide us, and to show us. We as Christians have that this is not a question. The question is will we use it?

Just a thought,

Mike

 

 

Further Than We Expect

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

Below is an essay I wrote for class, and I thought I would share.

I would be lying if I were to say the building was “unassuming”, but everyone knows the purpose of this building, and most people know, or at least have an idea of what goes on inside. We have all seen movies or read books that tell us in great detail what happens inside those walls. The layout might differ, but the assumptions of its inner workings are the same. There is no hope here, no glimpses of light to be seen. This is a place of strength, and it has no room for weakness. Anyone who goes in must be prepared for rejection, proving, and have skin so hard that bullets bounce off you like a pellet gun attacking an armored car.

The fence was about 15 feet high, but it might as well have been a mile. I had never seen or felt metal this way. It was cold in a way that temperature could never be. The fence seemed to go on forever, bending perfectly around every corner-showing the outside, but mocking the idea of access to it. I have seen fences before but this was different. The fence served not only as a separation to the outside, but as intimidation to those on the inside. It seemed to work like a diaphragm with the space between links being big enough to let the wind flow in, and hope flow out. I needed to focus on something else, anything else, because this was too much to take in.

My gaze finally broke from the eternal fence. I looked up, and if giving the fence too much attention was my first mistake then looking up was my second. From the distance you could see the razor wire, but it is something else entirely to stand that close to it. The mile-high fence suddenly shrank in front of my face and I could see the sun reflecting off each tip of the wire that seemed to taunt those inside. Each one sharper than the next as they fought for prominence like a pride of young lions vying for command to see which one would devour the slowest gazelle in this wilderness.

Finally, I moved towards the main door. Not that I had a choice, once in you cannot just turn around. I had to be here. The choice was not mine, after all this is where I belonged. The entrance was overshadowed by the large glass bay window that looked out to the courtyard, and parking lot. The first room had decorations if you could call them that. Certifications, pictures of honored guards, and an American flag hung on the walls, but it was nearly as frigid in here as the fence that surrounded the complex. I gave them my name, nearly every personal possession save some cough drops, and my Bible, and was told to have a seat and wait for the guard. I sat on that hard gray bench for hours with the clock never moving. What was I doing here, how did this happen? I am not ready for this. Could I ever be ready? It didn’t really matter. I was here, and that was that. I sat counting floor tiles, ceiling tiles, and the time in-between the flickering of fluorescent bulbs. Why do places like this always have those bulbs? Why can’t they just work right? Maybe that is how they are supposed to work. Maybe the purpose of the bulbs is to flicker like a horror film, so maybe that’s why horror films use them? A new voice interrupted my thoughts “Ready”. This was it: time to move.

He seemed to be annoyed either at me or at life itself. I couldn’t tell, and I was not about to ask. The fact that he had at least 80lbs on me, a wand, and a look that made me feel like I was 5 years old being scolded by father made it clear I was not to ask questions, but follow orders. I walked looking forward as best as I could. The hallway was just as uninviting as the control room if not worse. Here there were no pictures just offices and doors with fake wooden name plaques. Not that I was trying hard but one sign stood out it simply said “Warden.” The door was closed, and I was thankful for that. My annoyed escort continued to lead me through wandering halls, and then into another courtyard. It was “open” if that is a word that can be used in a place like this. No flowers, brown grass, and the first taste of something worse than the razor wire I had seen before. The cement was painted brown, maybe in attempt to make it not so institutional, but if that was the goal they failed miserably. The walls seemed to hold in the tears of those I imagine cried into it. Tears of loss, remembrance, and regret were the mortar that held these walls together.

Eventually we entered a small hallway that led to the first block. “Open 1” my disillusioned guard said with clarity and authority, and as if the gate was controlled by his voice it let out a loud buzz, and allowed us to enter. The sound that comes off an iron gate slamming back into its home is not a clash, or bang, or even a thud. These are all sounds you hear, but this is a sound that is felt. A sound that sends a signal straight through your nervous system, and in an instant you are aware of everything. In less time than it takes to blink I notice two guards on my right behind what I could only assume was bullet proof glass, and straight ahead of me another gate leading to yet another block. To the left a wide hallway with a door on the right leading outside, just beyond that a small area not more than six by six between two more gates. The cement walls all painted the gray version of the brown color (if it could be called that) outside.  The grumpy guard turned to talk to the guards behind the glass, and tells me to wait over on the right side of the wall. Why the right side? Was this just an arbitrary order? Before I could finish my thought the gate nearest the glass opened and they entered.

Inmates started to walk in, and line up on the opposite side of the wall. They lined up knowing exactly where to stand, after all this was not their first time. I was aware that this would not be their last line up, at least for a while. The clothing varied slightly long sleeve, or short sleeve, black shoes, or white shoes. Some as young as me or younger others in their late 60s, some white, some black, some tall, some short, some had visible tattoos some did not. Even with slight modifications in appearances they all looked the same except a small handful. A slightly plump older man with white horseshoe hair and an iron on name tag that read David smiled at me. Not that “Oh my, I am in this place and someone is smiling at me” kind of smile. No this was a smile that you would see from a nice old man at the mall. It was just a genuine “Hi, nice to see you” smile. For the most part he was the only one who actually looked at me, and it was reassuring only I could not figure out why.

“OK let’s go” my annoyed escort said, and the first gate of the small resting area opened. We stepped inside, and like magic the gate closed after us leaving the men behind. The loud electric buzz sounded again letting us through the second gate. We took only a few steps and he said “just up here.” We made our way up the stairs, turned a corner, and opened the door to a room. “They’ll be in shortly.”

My mouth was so dry, and my hands so wet with sweat that I thought for a moment that my hands had been stealing the moisture from my mouth. I only had 3 cough drops, and I weighed the option of using one now. Before I could finish my thought Joy, who had been there with me all along, asked if I wanted some water. I took some water from the table, and she said we needed to get the room set up. She pointed me to a stack of Bibles, and stack of hymn books. “We don’t have enough for everyone so just space them out” she said as she hurried around setting up her things. For an older lady she was quick. She had long solid gray hair, not more than 110 pounds, and a zeal not seen in someone half her age. As she zipped around the room praying, and singing it was apparent this is where Joy belonged.

Before I could even finish laying out the Bibles the men started to arrive. First one then another, three more and finally a steady stream of grown men filled the room. They went straight to their seats like it was sixth grade homeroom all over again. No one wanted to be caught standing when the bell rang. Yet I noticed a strange sight. Most of them had a smile on their face. The biggest smile came from my hallway friend David.

Joy stood in front of this group of men, and said “Guys, guys, this is preacher Mike and he’s got a message for you today!” Joy was always so happy, and full of life. She was the epitome of her name. I however nearly threw up at that moment. This was by far the most fear I had ever felt in my life. It was not the place I was in, and it was not the people that surrounded me, it was not even the content of my message. It was James 3:1 running through my head, and the question of had I prepared enough sprinting through my mind. I had one chance to share the love of God with these men. I had one shot at telling them that God loves them. Some of them knew, that was apparent, but even when we know that there is always more of His love we can encounter, and that was my goal. Stretch the ideal of what love is if possible in this place. I was so scared I would miss the opportunity to share His love that I almost missed what happened.

Before worship the men led a prayer time where they prayed for their families, each other, the guards, and me. I was amazed by their love towards the people who ran this place and the honesty in their prayers. The difference in temperature from the cold unrelenting iron bars, and razor wire fence outside compared to the warmth that permeated this room was noticeable. A man sat at the piano that even though out of tune made a beautiful sound. It was a simple melody 3 maybe 4 chords, but the sound was quite lovely. The sound of the poorly tuned piano was quickly drowned out by the voices of men that turned into voices of angels. The room was filled with off key, and over singing men that somehow when combined with the words produced something marvelous. For a moment in time God gave me His ears, and let me hear what it sounds like when His children sing praises to Him. The imperfections remained, but the sound was different. It was not about the way it sounded but what it was; no longer did I hear altos or baritones, but thankful redeemed sinners rejoicing in the God who loves them.

At this moment my anxiety cleared up like a rain soaked road after a storm when the sun hits it. I was free not only to share how God had done the same thing in my life that He had done in theirs, but how He desires to take us further than we expect. Sometimes the place we are going is not where we would ever expect to go. We might not ever choose to go there, but we open our eyes to find ourselves standing in a situation bigger than us. If we are willing to go to places that intimidate, scare, or even terrify us we can catch a glimpse a heaven.

Unnecessary Spiritualization

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

We are discussing some mistreatments of Scripture in class and the topic of spiritualization came up. It got me thinking that if we spiritualize Scripture (unnecessarily) do we remove the possibility and/or need for application? For example if we turn tent pegs into Jesus have we removed any other point that can be applied to a life for the sake of a story that provides no actual instruction or usefulness. It might make a good story, and sound wonderful but what is the value, what is the point? It becomes some abstract thing that I can do nothing with. At best it can only go that far (the story) and now application for an individual believer’s life is removed because application is easy to get from meaning but application is hard to get from spiritualization because it now means something I cannot actually grasp.

Now I cannot think of how to apply the tent pegs of the tabernacle into a message but that is besides the point.

Just a thought,

Mike

We don’t even know what we don’t know

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

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Jeremiah 33:3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

I sometimes fancy myself pretty smart. I can tell you the overarching story from Genesis to Revelation making sure I hit all the high points along the way. I know the individual stories from Moses, Samson, David, Peter, Paul, and of course Jesus. I know about about how the Law is a representation of God’s love to a people. I can give a bunch of facts and so on that will make me think I am pretty smart. But when I sit down to pray and read the Bible I am left in total awe in the truest sense of the word.

I read the Bible and find myself thinking I am nothing but dust. I am just a speck of dust on a larger piece of dust floating around other dust particles. I am like the a person in the town from Horton Hears a Who. Who am I God that you are mindful of me? I cannot shake this idea that I am wholly unworthy to approach this Holy God. That the God of all the universe hears my prayers and that is the first thing to take notice of in this verse. God wants us to talk to Him. Although we are but dust God wants us to talk to and seek Him. He desires very much for you to pray. This should go without saying but that usually means it must be said. You would think that after reading the Bible we would understand that God desires a relationship with us. Verses like John 3:16, Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:10 spell it out in great detail that He wants us and has done everything He can to make a relationship. Yet somehow we still forget that. Somewhere between salvation and now we forget He desires relationship with us and that a relationship requires conversation.

He says in the next part of this verse “and I will answer you.” He not only hears but is attentive to our prayers, and there is a big difference between the two. I work from home and my daughter is homeschooled so I hear her a lot but I am not attentive to what she is saying it is just background noise. When it comes to God you are not background noise. They are not bothersome to Him and when you pray He does not need to stop what He is doing and give you His attention. His attention is already on you waiting for you to pray to Him.

That should make a big impact on us when we pray. When we pray we should have great confidence that God will answer but we don’t always have that confidence. I believe one of the reasons we lose heart is that we have incorrectly linked answering us with giving us what we want but these are two different things. We should not assume that every answer is a yes or even a no for that matter. Sometime the answer is later, sometimes the answer is ask again, and sometimes the answer is ask again but let me tell you something.

God says that He has great and mighty (or inaccessible) things to show us. He says that He knows things we don’t and more importantly that He knows things we don’t even know we don’t know. We have to remember that His ways are far beyond our ways. That’s tricky so let’s break that down a little.

There was a little girl who went to her dad one day and said “dad I realized I am a genius. Yeah he says how’s that? Well I can’t think of anything I don’t know.” Is that not you and I? Do we not falsely assume that because we can’t think of things we don’t know we must know it all? We even have that attitude when we admit that there are things we don’t know about. We assume some vast knowledge because we at least know we don’t know, but God is saying I know things you don’t even know you don’t know. He is saying there is so much you don’t even have access to not know about. That blows me away. I love to study so when I find out there are things I don’t know to know I want to know.

This goes right back into God telling us to ask again but He adds in some new information. All the sudden we don’t even want to ask for the thing we were asking for. In the light of this new information our old prayer seems childish and silly. Even at that we are still looking at a portion of the big picture maybe even a shadow of a portion.

It’s just like when we read the Bible. We read once and get one thing, then we re-read and all the sudden there is more, then more and so on. That is because the Word of God is living and alive. It is active and God hides things so you can grasp something else. It is not Gnosticism where there are hidden truths oohhh aaaahhh smoke and mirrors. No it is a loving and gentle Father who does not want to overwhelm His children. I don’t tell kids everything it would break them. I am working on a project for church that is going to donate needed items to BeLoved Atlanta which is a house for women who have left prostitution and sex trafficking. My daughter asked me what they did and why they needed stuff (she’s 11) so I told her these women were homeless and need things we take for granted. It’s the truth but there is more she is not ready to receive. So as a good dad I only give her what she can handle. Shouldn’t we assume God is a better dad than I and He protects us from so much more?  

Sometimes I find myself reading something in the Scriptures or praying and can’t believe I missed it all these years. Had I known this years ago I would have not been ready to walk in that truth. I would have had a hard time faithfully doing it. I was too immature to receive so God in His goodness and mercy let me gloss over it. Not that I was sinning but He wasn’t pressing it because there were more important things He was dealing with me on at the time.

So let us wrap this up nice and neat. God wants us to read His word and pray to Him, He wants to answer, and He has things to teach us. As we mature in our faith we should not take silence from God as punishment or even as a no. We should not be looking for yeses and no’s. Instead we should be looking to communicate and fellowship with Him. Prayer should not always be a gimmie list. Nothing wrong with asking but should we ask all the time? Should all our prayers be about asking for material things? Should we also pray that we can better know Him, understand His Word, understand ourselves better, help others, give more of ourselves to Him, and more? When we come to pray should we take some time to listen and not just talk? If we truly want to hear from Him maybe we need to speak less and listen?

Just a thought,

Mike

The Value of Adversity

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

The Value of Adversity IT IS good for us to have trials and troubles at times, for they often remind us that we are on probation and ought not to hope in any worldly thing. It is good for us sometimes to suffer contradiction, to be misjudged by men even though we do well and mean well. These things help us to be humble and shield us from vainglory. When to all outward appearances men give us no credit, when they do not think well of us, then we are more inclined to seek God Who sees our hearts. Therefore, a man ought to root himself so firmly in God that he will not need the consolations of men. When a man of good will is afflicted, tempted, and tormented by evil thoughts, he realizes clearly that his greatest need is God, without Whom he can do no good. Saddened by his miseries and sufferings, he laments and prays. He wearies of living longer and wishes for death that he might be dissolved and be with Christ. Then he understands fully that perfect security and complete peace cannot be found on earth.

– Thomas Aquinas. The Imitation of Christ