Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Musing - How to get prayers answered?

Hebraic Musing - How to get prayers answered?

Who doesn’t want his/her prayers answered? Silly question! Does God the Father want to talk to His children? Naturally! And when a child wants something, they know to go to Daddy, or Mommy.

Jesus made some amazing red letter promises in Scripture:

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:13-14 NIV

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Jesus did add a qualifier we sometimes overlook -- “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 11:24-25

Too often these references are interpreted to be just like a blank check that Jesus has signed. The Father is the one who is to answer our prayers. Hmm… I don’t think a child should ask his father to buy him a new bike after the child just deliberately broke a neighbor’s window!?! Proverbs 28:9 addressed that issue. “If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.” And the word “Law” is “Torah” in the Hebrew, which could be called Father God’s guide to a joyful life. How generous will a father be if the child is not willing to follow the house rules? Or, if the child will not even try to understand the rules?

Jesus taught us to pray “Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” How many prayers have you heard requesting selfish, personal desires, but not necessarily kingdom of heaven desires? Let’s not abuse God’s generosity. After all, good parents try not to spoil their children.

This is not a complete study on the topic of prayer; just some things to think about, to ponder.

Points to ponder

Before praying, should we ask whether the request aligns with God’s will?

How important is it that we read, study and know the Torah,
God’s guideline for His family’s good life?

Does Jesus sometimes want to say “Just talk to me”?

Shalom

Yosef a.k.a. Joe Brusherd August 30, 2016

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage” “Musings - A Victorious Life” “Musings - The Torah and New Testament”
Weekly “Hebraic Musings” www.InsightsByYosef.com

Note - Inspired by Ron Cantor’s “The Secret to Seeing your Prayers Answered” Aug. 9,2016

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Musing – Is there a way to have everything your heart desires?

Hebraic Musing – Is there a way to have everything your heart desires?

Sounds impossible! But maybe there is a way?

We are by nature a covetous people. The tenth commandment can be viewed as the last but most important because covetousness (desiring something belonging to somebody else) is the start of all sin. That just happens to be my view based on personal experience.

The Simple Definition of covet according to Merriam-Webster dictionary is “to want (something that you do not have) very much”. And the synonym is “Desire”. I was surprised to find that “Desires” appears 49X in the NIV; and “Desire” appears 56X.

Let us set aside the sinful side of covetousness, wanting something that belongs to another, and focus on the positive side – wanting something good and God-honoring. A classic example we frequently hear would be “I want to serve God.” That is an admirable desire.

So now we have established that we all want/desire things or attributes; and we are driven by those desires. How can we possibly have everything our heart desires?

God has given us the answer – how to have everything your heart desires – in Ps 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Do you suppose that if you fully and truly “Love(d) the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deut. 6:5 that you would have the heart of God? Does it follow that if you have the “Heart of God” that you will desire and thus receive all that your heart desires?

What would life be like if our hearts were perfectly aligned with the heart of God?

Maybe my desire to have all that my heart desires is why this familiar song is one of my favorites?

♫ “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and renew a right Spirit within me.” ♫ Ps.51:10-12 KJV

Points to ponder

What would happen if we emulated David, a man after God’s own heart?
And David said “I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart." Ps. 40:8 NIV

On the other hand is God disappointed when our desires do not align with His?

“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” Ps. 20:4 NIV

Yosef a.k.a. Joe Brusherd August 23, 2016

P.S. David’s plea: “Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.” Ps 119:36-37 NIV

Acts 4:32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. NIV

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Musing – Are we basically good people?

Hebraic Musing – Are we basically good people?

“I'm OK – You're OK” is a 1969 self-help book by Thomas Anthony Harris that became very popular as a guide for solving life’s problems. Like almost all the religions of the world the premise of the book holds that man is basically good. That is an appealing assertion; but is it true? People would all like to believe they are basically good and admit they do bad things occasionally.

But, are people really basically good? Consider:

· Shortly after God created man – “The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” Gen. 6:5-6 NIV And after Noah came out of the ark, the Lord said “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.” Gen 8:21

· Was David in error when he penned Psalm 51:5? “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”

· Why would the prophet Jeremiah say “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Jer. 17:9

· And Paul felt the need to quote the OT “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." Romans 3:10-12 Paul is referencing Ps 14:1b & Ps. 53:1b and other similar passages in the OT which say “…there is no one who does good.”

· And in Mark 7:20-23, Jesus Himself tells it like it is (in red letters). “What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'"

All other religions claim something like “We are good. See the good things we do.” And we even find “Christian” preaching that emphasizes our goodness by featuring our good works – food pantries, etc. Is that deceptive teaching? How does it undermine the Gospel, the Good News?

Points to ponder

Is “I’m OK, you’re OK” a Godly assertion?

If “I’m OK, you’re OK”, then why did Jesus have to die on the cross?

Shalom

Yosef a.k.a. Joe Brusherd August 16, 2016

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Musing – Why might the Church Be the Greatest Force On Earth?

Hebraic Musing – Why might the Church Be the Greatest Force On Earth?

I confess that from time to time I have been critical of the structure of our modern day churches and longing for the “Good old days” of the first century Church structure, or lack thereof. So when I’m teased with points complimentary of the Church as we know it, I feel obliged to listen and process.

Maybe these will awaken us to support, respect and work within the current church structure since the current Church is “The only boat that floats.” After all, the Church has already survived abuse, massive persecution, widespread neglect and the sinfulness of its members. The Church is still God’s chosen instrument for blessing and nurturing His children for 2,000 years. And the lost-ness and problems of the world can only be effectively addressed through the Church.

1. The Church has massive, world-wide participation. Approximately 1/3 of the world claims to be followers of Jesus Christ. And the Church is the largest force working for the good of the world.

2. The Church has a record of responding to humanitarian crises faster than governments can. The will and commitment of individuals is extremely responsive, not having to wait for committees and congresses to convene. Individuals can react fast to needs.

3. The Church has been around for almost 2,000 years, longer than any nation, company, kingdom or fad. It is unshakable; it was built by Jesus – “…and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Matt 16:18 NKJV

4. The Church has the greatest capacity for growth. We in the United States fret over the shrinking of churches here and in Europe, but Churches in China, India, Africa, Central and South America are growing. Missionary efforts and Church plantings are growing the Church in those areas. Result – Overall growth of the Church of Jesus Christ.

5. The Church provides positive motivation for its members to contribute to something bigger and more important than themselves. Our love for God propels us to love and serve our neighbors sacrificially.

6. The Church is divinely authorized to take on the biggest of tasks. God uses ordinary people to do extra-ordinary things empowered by the Holy Spirit. Remember “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil 4:13 NKJV

7. The Church has a simple, responsive administrative structure. The largest organization in the world, Roman Catholic Church, has an organization chart used as an example by management teachers because it has only four layers of management (Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests) serving the congregants. The Church is not hindered by the bureaucracy and budgets in governments and charities.

The Church is God’s instrument for ministry here on Earth and will last for eternity. It is truly the greatest force on Earth and it is tackling the world’s biggest problems – Spiritual lost-ness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease, and ignorance. These can only be addressed through the Church.

Points to ponder

What could happen if all the individual churches worked toward unity?

Love your neighbor as yourself

Yosef a.k.a. Joe Brusherd August 9, 2016

Inspired by Pastor Rick Warren’s Toolbox -- June 29, 2016