The Accursed

“…there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accurse! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!  For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. ” Galatians 1:7-10

Paul had no patience with, and placed no trust in those who promoted a new and improved gospel. Within his life-time Paul had seen the believers in the Galatian church influenced by those who were leading them away from the truth of the gospel, by telling them that following Jesus was not enough. They were buying the lie that keeping The Law was the new standard by which they must be reconciled with God.

Note to self: Avoid any influence in your life and ministry that tries to dilute the power of The Blood of Jesus, and attempts to infuse new power to save you by adding ANYTHING to The Savior’s finished work on The Cross. The Gospel is Good News because Salvation comes from God, through The Lord, Jesus Christ + nothing. Make no substitutes for, and accept no additives to Jesus.

The strength of the church is based upon the purity of The Gospel. The Gospel has life-giving power because it flows from the heart of God, through the blood of Jesus. His death on The Cross was a substitution for man’s sin, and a sacrifice required by the character of God.

God won’t fellowship with sin. His holiness requires that the separation that sin brings between His holiness and man’s sinful condition, be dealt with once and for all.  Jesus did this at the cross. Those who personally identify with His death, and humbly accept His sacrifice for their sin are saved from the consequences of sin, and reconciled with the holiness of God.

There is no better news than The Good News.  Preachers offering any new and improved gospel, slowly poison the people in the pews. If they drink the Kool-Aid, they will eventually discover that any new and improved gospel is not better, only bitter.

The curse of the contemporary church is the constant pressure to be on “the right side of history.” The ever-shifting sands of cultural norms, conventional wisdom, and political correctness erode the substance of The Gospel and weaken the spines of preachers.

When a preacher becomes more interested in being hip, than being right, he loses his backbone. Preaching for the approval of man, and losing the favor of God leads the church bus down a dead end street, and kicks The Gospel to the curb. This only happens, EVERY TIME.

Paul would have none of it. People are not reconciled with Holy God, by seeking the favor of man, keeping more rules, going to church, or cleaning up their act. They are made right with God, by recognizing they deserved to die for their sin, and identifying with the death of Jesus on The Cross, as the only way their sins can be forgiven.

Adding anything else to the finished work of Christ turns a preacher into a freelance reporter, not a bond-servant of Christ. Paul saved his harshest language, and most withering rebuke for these false preachers. Twice he said they were accursed.

Transliterated directly from Greek to English, the word is “anathema.” Translated it refers to a person, animal or thing doomed for destruction, or held up before the congregation to be the recipient of the direst of consequences. It paints a powerful word picture of God’s disdain for those who dilute the blood poured out at His Sons’ sacrifice.

The death of Jesus on The Cross for man’s sin was never a suggested alternative to being right with God.  It has always been the only option, and the main headline. Preachers are not called by God to be rogue reporters who reinvent the news. They are called as His evangelists to present The Good News of His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ.

Preachers who attempt to improve the message, to seek the favor of man, only weaken the message, and find they lose their right standing with God.  Reading God’s Word, and praying for His direction, protection and correction prepare a preacher to be an evangelist, and keep him from becoming an apologist. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Apostle

“Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me, …” Galatians 1:1

The Apostle Paul was chosen by The Lord, Jesus Christ to be the replacement of Judas Iscariot when He encountered Saul on the Road to Damascus. After Saul was blinded by The Lord’s Presence, he was led by his traveling companions to the home of a fearful follower of Christ. There he received hospitality and the trembling hand of Christian fellowship. Over time Paul emerged as God’s voice to the Gentiles, and His chosen evangelist to preach the mystery of The Gospel.

Today the contemporary church confuses being The Apostle, with being apostolic. Some have chosen to lay claim to the title, but lack the street creds to hold onto it. There is danger in assuming the mantle of Apostle, without biblical credentials.

There is a difference between having power and being in charge. The passion to lead must reveal a hunger to be under authority, not a craven desire to be in authority. The former is revealed when a leader becomes a servant kneeling at The Cross. The latter is revealed by a leader claiming a title and seeking to sit on the top of the mountain.

This was Peter’s mistake prior to Pentecost. Gathered in the Upper Room with fearful followers of Jesus, Peter turned a prayer meeting into a business meeting. His purpose was to lead The Eleven to choose The Twelfth Man. He was compelled to replace Judas Iscariot who had betrayed Jesus and committed suicide. In Peter’s mind there was a vacancy that needed to be filled. He was a man on a mission, but it was his mission.

Peter suffered from a chronic problem that affects natural leaders. He mistook his good idea for God’s idea. There is a big difference between The Natural and The Super-natural.

The Commission given to His followers by The Risen Lord was a vision for global evangelism, and discipleship. They were to pray until The Father delivered The Promise to them. In the middle of the prayer meeting, Peter became convinced that the completion of the mission was only possible, if they rounded out the remaining eleven apostles with a replacement.

Peter’s logic appeared to be based on his correct assessment of the impossibility of completing the mission.  He incorrectly assumed it could be accomplished by selecting just one more man. He had researched the problem, added up the facts, arrived at a solution, and missed the right answer. He had offered up a good idea, and postponed God’s idea. He told them to PRAY!

Remember, Jesus had commanded His followers to tarry, or wait in Jerusalem until The Promise of The Father was delivered to them. The Promise was The Spirit of The Risen Christ, dwelling in them. God’s idea was for The Spirit, not man, to empower every believer to carry out The Mission. Peter’s idea was to find the man of the hour. God’s idea was for the church to receive The Spirit of power.

To summarize, without intending to criticize, Peter’s idea was to select one man. God’s idea was for each person to receive The Spirit. There is a stark contrast between the record of the selected “apostle” and the works of The Holy Spirit. Don’t take my word for it. Read the book of Acts, and see whose name appears more often. The Spirit of God wins this contest, hands down. When the timing was right, Paul was selected by God’s hand, The Lord’s Presence, and empowered by The Spirit’s fullness to be The Apostle.

Note to self: Never underestimate your capacity to come up with a good idea. Never substitute physical action for biblical accuracy.  Don’t let your good idea lead you to miss the mark of God’s idea.

Some believe the office of The Apostle has been re-instated, and then want others to believe their own name happens to be at the top of the list. Surprise! Unless they have seen The Risen Christ face to face, and been commissioned by Him, they don’t meet the biblical credentials.

The Promise of The Father is The Spirit of The Risen Christ. Don’t settle for any substitute. Never assume a good idea is God’s idea. Read The Word. Be filled with The Spirit. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Amen

“Grace to you, and peace from God, our Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever, Amen.” Galatians 1:3-6

Popular music has the capacity to hit a nerve and release clear evidence of a spiritual nature within the heart that cries out for God. Unfortunately, a spiritual experience does not necessarily lead to an encounter with The Author of Salvation, Jesus Christ.

This is the counterfeit nature of music that often passes for worship, but leaves the seeker in a state of spiritual bankruptcy. Still, powerful lyrics and the driving rhythm of a song often reveal a heart with a God-made, and a God-shaped vacuum that only Jesus can fill.

One of my all-time favorite words in the world is “Amen.” As a child, it always served as the trigger that was pulled at the end of a service that would set me free, and launch me out the door of the church with a new surge of FREEEEEDOM.

In my teenage years, this simple word was put to music in a Gospel song that became a national phenomenon. The featured soloist, simply repeated “Amen” over and over again, as a choral group responded with a series of refrains. It ended with a crescendo that caught the attention of millions of radio listeners, believers and non-believers alike.

If interested, Google, “The Amen Song” and you will discover, "Amen" was a song popularized by The Impressions. The song was written by Jester Hairston, for the Sidney Poitier film Lilies of the Field (1963). Curtis Mayfield said ‘I'd gone to see 'Lilies of The Field,' and the song in it, 'Amen,' was very inspiring for me as was the movie.’

The song went to number one on Cashbox Magazine's R&B chart for three weeks and reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1964.[ A new version was released by The Impressions in 1969 under the title "Amen (1970)", reaching #44 on the Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles chart in January 1970.”

“Amen” shows up often in Scripture to bring closure to a powerful prayer, or to precede a prophetic statement. For instance, John’s Gospel employs it no less than 25 times in this manner. When repeated back to back, “Amen. Amen.” It meant, most assuredly. When Amen closed a prayer, often those hearing it would repeat it as a personal and corporate, “So be it.”

“The word "amen" is a most remarkable word. It was transliterated directly from the Hebrew into the Greek of the New Testament, then into Latin and into English and many other languages, so that it is practically a universal word. It has been called the best known word in human speech. The word is directly related — in fact, almost identical — to the Hebrew word for "believe" (amam), or faithful. Thus, it came to mean "sure" or "truly", an expression of absolute trust and confidence.”  The Blue Letter Bible Commentary

In Paul’s prayerful and graceful greeting, “Amen” is a reminder that what has preceded it requires a response to it. Paul’s letter was not a source of interesting information for the early church, nor was it for their temporary inspiration.  He was sending them a manual of instruction.

Paul’s letter to the Galatians challenged them, from the outset, to put their listening ears on, and to take what he was writing into their hearts, and to own it.  It still challenges us today.

Believers are receivers of The Word of God. They are not just listeners to and students of The Word. They are not nit-picking bibliophile constantly learning but never coming to the knowledge of The Truth. They are not navel gazing lint-pickers sitting, and soaking, enjoying or critiquing the efforts of a hired wordsmith.

To be rescued, snatched out of “this present evil age,” is not a change of location, but a change of heart. It is a turnaround, and a transformation of a culture, one heart at a time. This gathering of transformed people becomes a church that gives off a striking aroma in a world of corruption like a gardenia in a garbage can. This kind of creation does not blend in with the culture of “this present evil age.” It lives to serve a Risen Savior, and extends His hand into the culture, to pull people out of it, not to slap them down for being corrupted by it.

Paul’s uses the word, “Amen” not so much to bring closure, but to bring exposure. His words expose the motive of every believer, individually, and the church corporately. Each must respond to the condition of “this present evil age” and own their part of the mission of The Lord, Jesus Christ, reaching out to those caught in its undertow.

The church must be filled with First Responders, who race to the cry of the lost. Too often it becomes a gathering of people who have secured their place on the lifeboat, and then spend the rest of their lives turning it into a cruise ship. Big difference.

Pray for the insight to see the difference, and for the courage to make a difference, before it too late for a drowning man to be saved and a dying church to be revived. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Coin

“Grace to you, and peace from God, our Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever, Amen.” Galatians 1:3-6

“You must receive your spouse as God’s perfect gift to you.” Jack Taylor

I remember hearing these words spoken in a seminary class 40 years ago at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, by a guest lecturer. I thought they were the most ridiculous words every spoken. At the time I was a single young man, and completely convinced there was no way this was possible. After all, no one is perfect. Remember. I was single for a reason. Sorry, Jack. You were right. I was wrong.

I missed the point. I had heard the word perfect, and the concept of receive passed over my head. In time, I fell in love with my beautiful wife, Dana. She was perfect! After the wedding, I became more and more familiar with my wife, and began the process of perfecting her, in my image, not receiving her as a finished work from God. One day she said, “You criticize every thing I do.” I am ashamed to say, I know she had said it before, but after several years, I finally heard it. It’s a man thing, but still terribly wrong.

What took place that day was a turn around, not in her life, but in mine. Receiving her as a gift from God became by focus, not changing her to fit my expectations. Praying for her, and hearing God speak to me about my attitude became a life-time journey of receiving her. Praying with her increased her value to me, and gave God elbow-room to make the changes He needed to make in both of our lives.

It has been a Great Adventure, and I am more in love with her today than I could ever have imagined. The value is in the receiving, not in the perfecting.

The love is found in accepting the whole person, or both sides of the coin, the side we see, and the side we discover. Trying to receive one side, and scrape off the other devalues a precious gift from God. Cherishing both, by seeking direction, protection and correction from God in prayer increases the value of placed on one another when both people are received as a perfect gift from God. Thanks, Jack.

In every relationship there are two sides to every issue, and there are two sides to each person. When we fall in love with one person, there are at least two people that we encounter. There is the person we think we know, and then there is the person we must choose to love. They are the same person.

Every coin has two sides. When a person receives the one they love, they get the total person, not just the one side they initially value most.  Wise marriages are built by those who receive the person they think they know, and then grow to love the person they come to know.

Paul’s gracious prayer greeting presents the inseparable images of Almighty God and our Father, as a two sided coin that has value only if neither image is marred. The same can be said of The Lord and Jesus Christ. Those who receive Jesus as Savior, also receive Him as Lord, at the same time. There is no point in the relationship at which a believer makes Jesus Lord. He is Lord. Believers don’t make Him into anything. He was there when the world was created. He doesn’t need fixing.

Believers never promote Jesus to Lordship. They recognize their rebellion and yield to His Lordship. Too often seekers hope to become believers by turning to The Father, but without any intention of ever yielding to the Sovereignty of God.  Seekers remain on an endless search if they confuse genuine belief with an acceptance of Jesus, The Savior without receiving Him, as Jesus, The Lord. The two are one and the same thing.

Healthy churches are formed by Spirit-filled believers overflowing with the love of God, The Father and living under the jurisdiction of The Lord, Jesus Christ. Neither side of either image can be dispensed with or scraped off without devaluing the worth of the relationship, and spiritually bankrupting the church.

Prayer is the finest way to invest in a relationship. When we seek God in prayer, and receive Him as Our Sovereign and Our Father, we do not add value to Him, but we grow in our love for Him. When we pray in the name of Jesus, The Lord we follow His lead, and receive, fresh and anew an appreciation for His sacrifice, and His on-going intercession in our lives.

Praying with our spouse, and with our children, rather than constantly trying to perfect them into our image, increases our appreciation for the gift God has given us. Prayerless spouses, and prayerless parents are resented for what they say, not for what they pray.

Note to self: Your wife knows what you have to say on almost every subject under the sun. It is time to pray with her in the name of The Son. Praying WITH her will add value to both of you.

The way you come on is the way you go on, in a relationship with God the Father, and The Lord, Jesus Christ. Praying to receive God’s love, through His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, is the initiation of one’s prayer life, not the conclusion of it. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Will

“…according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.”  Galatians 1:4-5

The Will of God is found in the Word of God. Those who seek His will, but ignore His Word are led astray by all kinds of detour signs, and deceptive voices.  Perhaps the greatest danger to the individual believer and The Body of Christ is the heart attack. This self-inflicted constriction of the heart robs the believer and The Body from a healthy focus on The Word of God. Those who follow their heart, but ignore His Scripture are flirting with death, and pulling the plug on what is left of life in the heart of the believer and the church.

“…According to the will of our God and Father,” offers a picture of the Sovereign Lordship God that He exercises over His creation and His family relationship that exists with His children. God, as Sovereign provides direction. God, as Father provides correction. Where God leads, He also guides. The Word of God is not offered to His children in a vacuum. The Hand of God is provided to lead to understanding it and obeying it.

Note to self: When God’s hand on you starts to feel like His thumb on you, check your obedient quotient. God is not likely to let you up, until you are willing to get on the right track.

Praying leads to obeying. When prayer fails to inspire obedience to the Sovereign will of God, prayer does not reflect glory on God. It only invites the correction of The Father. When the discipline of prayer is hijacked by righteous rebels, intent on disobeying or ignoring God’s Word, it becomes a subtle form of deception, not a genuine sign of devotion.

Jesus prayed to conform His will to the will of The Father. His power for public ministry was rooted in His private intimacy with His Father.  God entrusted all of Himself to His Son, because Jesus prayed and obeyed. His praying led Him to a willingness to be “under authority” not a greediness to be “in authority.” Big difference.

“yet not My will, but Yours be done." Jesus - Luke 22:42

Praying reflects consistent companionship with God, and brings joy to the person who will listen to God’s Word intensely, and obey His Word immediately. A frantic search for truth may not start with The Word of God, but it needs to lead there.  If a person is serious about knowing The Will of God, their search will lead them to intimacy with God, in His Word and in prayer. The two go hand in hand. Prayer and The Word of God are the double-edges of The Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.

“Knowing God’s will in specifics comes out of consistent companionship with God.” Lloyd John-Ogilvie, Former Chaplain to the U.S. Senate

“16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray continually. 18 In all things, give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)

There is little hope of knowing God’s will without reading and obeying His Word. Without cultivating the discipline of prayer, as intimate conversation and consistent companionship with The Father, there is no hope that our heart’s desire will be His desire. Don’t trust your heart. Exchange it for His. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

“Prayer is the intimate communication between the Heavenly Father and His child.” Don Miller

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4

The Rescue

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.” Gal. 1:3-5

SPOILER ALERT: In the movie, “All is Lost”, the sole actor portrays an old sailor being tossed about by turbulent seas. His vessel is damaged beyond repair, and he is forced to abandon his sinking ship for an inflatable raft. The storms continue, and hope passes him by like the cargo ships that fail to hear his frantic calls for help and cannot see his faint flares. Exhausted by exposure to the elements, dying of hunger and thirst, he risks everything to light a fire in his raft that might attract the attention of a ship passing him in the night. The raft catches fire. He jumps into the sea, and is soon overcome by fatigue. He slips under the water, and disappears from view, but his eyes remain fixed on the flame of his raft, as he sinks deeper in the water. “All is Lost”, indeed. Then it happens. The sinking sailor sees a spotlight of a search boat, and he is infused with fresh hope. He swims towards the light, and with his last breath, he reaches out and takes hold of an outstretched arm that is plunged and extended towards him, beneath the shark-filled water. The End.

“The Rescue” is a work of God’s grace, and the only way to be at peace with God. The Father’s love is offered to those lost in sin, through His Son, Jesus Christ, “who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us…” (Galatians 1:4)

“The Rescue” was motivated by the will of The Father, and provided by the willing sacrifice of The Son. God is love. Love began as His idea, not man’s ideal. Jesus prayed early, often, and intensely, to prepare Himself to yield His will to the will of The Father. Prayer prepared Jesus to love people who didn’t deserve The Father’s love. Prayerless people are loveless people.

Prayer prepared Jesus not just to do the will of The Father, but it also prepared Him to go willingly to The Cross. Prayer, for Jesus, was all about shaping His will to His Father’s will. His final words in The Garden of Gethsemane sum it up. “Not My will, but Thy will be done.” This may be the purest expression of answered prayer in the Bible.

Note to self: Looking for a pattern of prayer for your life? Follow Jesus.  Prayer transforms your life, when prayer conforms your will to the will of The Father.  Don’t stop praying until you can love unlovely people.

Jesus gave His life, not to inspire people to try harder to find their way to God, but to rescue people willing to admit they have lost their way to God. The Rescue requires a degree of humility that brings people to the end of themselves. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness” reveals a key component in being rescued. It is their insatiable desire for the outstretched hand of God, to pluck them out of their sin.

The Father reached down to lost people with His Son, Jesus. Those who respond to their lost condition, by admitting they need a Savior, and cannot save themselves, reach out and receive His hand. Those who continue to seek their own way to God, flailing about with their limited resources always fail to be rescued. Pride seeks a solution. Humility seeks a Savior. Big difference.

“Rescue” means to deliver, to pluck out, to draw out, to select one out from many. Jesus gave Himself to pluck out those sinking in sin, and would choose to receive Him as their Savior. At The Cross, He would deal on their behalf with the consequences of their sin.

Those who are chosen for rescue often become frozen in a fear of ever letting anyone else in on the joy of salvation. The rescued must never think they were chosen, or plucked out because of their righteousness, but because of their lostness. They would be wise to sing the old hymn, “Rescue the perishing. Care for the dying.”  The Rescued are those who once were dying to be saved, and humble enough to receive a Savior. The frozen chosen reflect little glory on God’s love.

Churches once had an “Anxious Bench” where those who were suffocating in their sin, could come to pray for the gift of salvation. Contemporary churches have replaced the bench with cup-holders and streamlined services that start at 11:00 sharp and end at 12:00 dull. (Homage to Vance Havner)

Churches may baptize many, and yet fail to rescue any, unless they are brought to a conviction of their sin, and to a Savior who rescues them out of this “present evil age.” Inviting people to receive Jesus, but leaving them exactly the way they were is not a rescue. It is arranging deck chairs on The Titanic. Message: Get off the boat or you are going down with the ship.

Rescuing people who are flailing about in desperation may not be a pretty sight, but the flailing leads to failing, and failing can be life-giving, if people will receive the rescuing hand of Jesus to lift them out of the water. Jesus gave His life for “The Rescue.” His church should follow His lead.  

If there is anything more suffocating than the pride that keeps a lost man from being rescued, it is the pride of a rescued man that keeps him from sharing with a lost person how they can be saved. Prayerlessness is a form of pride that will lead a rescued person to believe they deserved God’s grace, but others do not. Jesus prayed until His will was in line with the will of God.  He said, “Follow Me!” TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Meeting

“Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him fro the dead), and all the brethren who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and the Father, to who be the glory forevermore. Amen.” Galatians 5:1-5

Recently I had an unusual preaching experience. My pastor, Clay Reed, asked me to coordinate a joint message with my father, Don Miller. The focus of the message was on, “The Legacy of Prayer.” Dad is 92 years old and has been preaching and praying since he was saved, 72 years ago.  Our wives, Libby and Dana, joined us for the presentation on the platform. My two children, Ashley and Allyson, took part in a question and answer time with the pastor at the end of the message.

In preparation, Dad and I spent several mornings sitting at his kitchen table talking about the things that he has learned about prayer after decades of pastoring, and raising a family. Dad has never been one to be scripted, but I made some talking points that I thought might trigger some of his memories and initiate responses that would be helpful for people to hear. Dad approved and ignored all of them. He always does.

When Pastor Clay asked him a question, Dad nodded and moved immediately into a form of prayer that has become more and more a pattern, during this past year. Since August we have accompanied Dad to the Emergency Room numerous times, and spent over a month in various Intensive Care Units, due to either his Congestive Heart Failure or falls he has taken. His last early morning visit took place the Tuesday night. He took a blow to the back of his head, from a fall in his kitchen and had to have four stitches on the back of his head. Since we were to speak the following Sunday, I was concerned about his wellbeing and capacity to clearly share what was on his heart.

As it turned out, God used Mom and Dad to clearly exhibit a picture of what seven decades of marriage looks like when two people spend their lives praying TWOgether.  It should come as no surprise that their Life Verse is “O magnify the Lord with me, come let us exalt His name together.” Psalms 34:3

Dad’s response to most questions is a reflex reaction that points him toward God. He moves in and out of prayer with God, throughout the day, and when someone introduces a question or a comment to him, he quickly turns the focus of the question or conversation towards The Father. Sometimes it is difficult to tell when his prayer ends and his comments begin. He maintains a seamless stream of conversation with God, and when questions come his way, he invites The Father to take part in the conversation. It’s hard to explain, but amazing, and a little nerve-wracking for me to experience, but not for Dad.

Note to self: It would probably improve most of your conversations with people if you invited The Father to take part, before you said anything. Try it. Soon.

Paul seems to be able to do something very similar. As he introduces himself, his apostolic credentials, and his ministry team in Rome, Paul transitions seamlessly from a salutation into a word of intercession. Everything that ends with Amen is not a prayer, but Paul’s statement has all the markings of something more substantive, than a mere meet and greet salutation.  The greeting becomes a glorification of The Meeting that takes place when God’s grace meets man’s need.

“Grace to you and peace from our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and the Father, to who be the glory forevermore. Amen.”

God’s grace is the dispensation of His unmerited favor upon rebellious people who do not deserve to be forgiven. Yet He offers an end to the hostilities between Himself and rebels who comes to Him in absolute surrender through His Son, Jesus.

Rescued rebels who seek refuge in God’s arms, from “this present evil age” become the pillars of the church, through the grace of God. As Paul began to speak of grace, he must have remembered how much of The Father’s forgiveness was required to transform him from a murderer of Christian converts to a mentor of the early church.

Paul never got over God’s grace.  It never stopped amazing him how much he had been forgiven by God, and how he had been commissioned by Jesus to share the mystery of The Gospel. Neither should anyone else. It is “Amazing Grace”, indeed.

“Rescue us from this present evil age” is a far cry from the desire of most contemporary Christians. They seem to be intent on blending in with it, selling out to it, or hiding from it. None of these describe repentance, a turnaround that takes places when sinners admit they are moving in the wrong direction, and in need of a Savior to rescue them from evil.

Paul could not meet and greet people without pointing them to the grace of God, The Father, and giving Him glory for rescuing him and others through His Son, Jesus Christ. Paul had looked into the face of his “evil age”, and by God’s grace had seen the face of His Savior. 

When faced with evil, turn to the face of God through prayer, and call out to Jesus. He still rescues repentant rebels. Nothing is more important than The Meeting of God's grace at the point of your need. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Armor

“Put on the full armor of God that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11

The Armor: All of the pieces of the armor are defensive in nature, except The Sword of the Spirit. This should serve as a clear warning to all prayer warriors that an attack from the enemy is eminent.

“Stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” v. 12

The Enemy: Though the weapons of the warrior can be used against flesh and blood of family, friends and fellow-believers, these weapons are for use against spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

“…Having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore…” v. 13

The Stand: The prayer warrior stands against the devil and all of his spiritual forces, by putting on the Armor of God, and lining up in formation next to The Champion. Prayer warriors obey the orders of The Champion. The key to victory is not their armor, but their obedience.

“…So that you will be able to resist in the evil day.” v. 13b

The Resistance: Resisting the devil begins by recognizing him as a liar, a deceiver, counterfeiter, and an accuser whose sole purpose for existing is to throw any lie against believers and to put every crisis in their path to see if it will stick or cause them to stumble.

“GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH…” v. 14a

The Truth: Believers surrounded by the powerful propaganda of the devil, protect themselves by listening to Jesus, ‘The Way, The Truth, and The Life.”

“HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,” v. 14b

The Righteousness: Prayer warriors protect their hearts. The heart of the matter is sin. Being right with God requires seeing one’s own sin through the eyes of God, agreeing with Him and calling it by its right name. Being made right with God begins by admitting sin to God. Staying right with God requires protecting ones’ heart from the enemy’s temptation to sin.

“…and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARTION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE.” v. 15

The Gospel: Prayer warriors long for peace with God, but take their stand at the foot of The Cross. They refuse peace offered at any price lower than the cost for sin, the death on The Cross of God’s Son, The Lord, Jesus Christ.

“…in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one…” v. 16

The Faith: Trusting in God for direction, and believing God for protection are the two sides of the same shield. Prayer warriors take the attack to the enemy by faith. They don’t hunker in the bunker, but face the enemy with confidence in The Champion to direct them towards the enemy and to protect them from the enemy.

“And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION…” v. 17a

The Salvation: Prayer warriors know they are children of God, and have been rescued from the enemy camp, by faith in Jesus. The Helmet of Salvation protects the mind of Christ in the believer. Jesus came to save and to serve. Believers were not saved to sit and soak, but to carry out the mission of The Savior.

“…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” V. 17b

The Word: Prayer warriors receive marching orders for the mission from the Word of God. The Spirit of God illuminates, but never contradicts or violates the Word of God. The sword of The Spirit cuts both ways. It protects the prayer warriors, by taking the battle to the enemy, and it corrects the prayer warriors by revealing and removing their own sin.

“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petitions for all the saints, and pray on my behalf…” v. 18-19a

The Grip: Praying at all times in the Spirit reveals the warrior’s humility, and releases God’s power for the battle. Self-assured converts will never be Spirit-filled believers. They may enter the battle, but they soon lose their grip on the sword of The Spirit. Prayerless and weaponless warriors strike no fear in the enemy camp.

“Do not be afraid of sudden fear nor the onslaught (lit. storm) of the wicked when it comes; for the LORD will be your confidence (lit. at your side) and will keep your foot from being caught.” Proverbs 3:26

The Champion: The enemy fears The Champion, not prayer warriors. Fear is a powerful force, and when it can be injected into the enemy camp, the enemy flees the scene. When the devil hears prayer warriors calling out to God, in the name of The Lord, Jesus Christ, he expects Jesus to take the field.

Prayer warriors face the storm of war, in confidence that The Lord is at their side. Wise prayer warriors take their stand on bended knees, and invite The Champion to make His stand on their behalf. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Chains

“Pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.” Ephesians 6:19-20

Paul’s prayer request was his humble admission of the limits of his personal strength and courage for the crisis he continued to face. He was imprisoned in Rome, and chained to a Roman soldier, awaiting his trial under Roman law. What could possibly go wrong?

Notice Paul’s prayer request. It was personal. Paul was not above asking for help. Rebellious children shout, “I do it myself.” Perceptive prayer warriors recognize their limitations and cry out, “Pray for me.”

One of the most revealing things about a person is their response to the question, “Is there anything I can pray about for you?” Often the question catches a person a bit flatfooted and tongue-tied, until they mutter, “No, everything is going OK right now.” Translation, “I only pray in panic. Catch me later.”

Paul asked for the church to intercede “that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth.” (v. 19a)

Paul’s prayer was answered. Paul’s voice, though muted by imprisonment, burst past the walls, and restricted movement of his body, onto the pages of letters. Thank God his Prison Epistles still survive today. They offer great insight into the love of God, the life of the early church, the courage of the first believers. They provide encouragement for those of us who follow in their steps. Thanks Paul.

Along with the letters Paul wrote to a much wider audience, his request revealed a concern for his much smaller audience. He remained chained to his Roman guard and he chose to receive this relationship as an opportunity for importunity.

Importunity is the prayer warrior’s capacity to press on in the face of a prevailing wind, and to keep their eye on their port of call. Praying with importunity receives opposition, and turns it into an asset not a liability. Prayer warriors learn to sail into the wind, and transform adversity into the power to arrive safely at their destination.

Paul’s imprisonment continued to have a powerful impact upon those closest to him. His Roman guards were rotated in and out, and provided him opportunity for many personal conversations. Paul’s boldness with those chained to him reaped a tremendous harvest among the Roman guards. How did this happen?

Paul refused to rattle his chains in resentment, and chose to receive his chains as an assignment. Big difference.

The fact of Paul’s imprisonment did not change, but his faith did. His growing faith, in the face of continuing imprisonment, impacted those who observed Paul in the middle of a prolonged crisis. The result?

“"Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear." Philippians 1:12-14

Praying through his crisis of imprisonment, and pleading for intercession in the middle of it, raised Paul’s perspective from that of a victim to a victor. Rather than pull against his chains, Paul wore them as a badge of honor.

“I am an ambassador in chains.” (v. 20)

Paul’s prayer life claimed victory over crisis, and kept him from being a victim of it. He lived a life of victory between the words, “Pray on my behalf” and “I am an ambassador in chains.” Thank God he did.

Note to self: God wraps up some of His greatest gifts in the most frightening packaging. Lose your shock face. Embrace what God brings into your life with an attitude of gratitude. What often appears to you, as a devilish interruption, is actually a Divine appointment. Pray early and often to discern the difference. There is nothing more obnoxious than an ungrateful child. Don’t be one. Complaining about God’s gift-wrapping is a sign you need more intercession in your life. Ask for more, and do more of it for others.  TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

“Discernment is given for intercession, never fault-finding.” Oswald Chambers

The Grip

“And take the HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, “ Ephesians 6:17-19

The Purpose of Prayer can never be seen as a private devotional exercise, completely isolated from a personal passion for the salvation of the lost. The HELMET OF SALVATION protects and fills the preacher with the mind of Christ. Don’t take my word for it.

 “I came to seek and to save that which was lost.” Jesus

Preachers of The Gospel are alert to any loss of the mind of Christ. Prayerless preachers entering into pulpits without a passion for the salvation of the lost are a danger to the church. They may share few thoughts about the Bible, but they have lost their minds. Preaching ends the first time a preacher says, “I think.” It begins when the preacher says, “The Bible says.”

The consequences of preaching without THE HELMET, closely resemble results of playing football without a helmet. Never put a microphone in front of a player who has just had his “bell rung.” Thoughts flowing from a person who has experienced a concussion are often disturbing, and embarrassing. The same can be said of passionless, prayerless preaching.

Preaching requires the preacher to “Pray at all times in the Spirit.”  There is nothing too small for God’s attention, or too great for His ability. Preachers pray over things great and small, with every breath they take. This is more than a Quiet Time. This is an understanding of prayer as a Life Time. Without prayer there is no life. Prayer is the breath of man drawing on the air of Heaven. It is out of this world.

“The sword of the Spirit” is the only offensive weapon listed in the Armor of God. All the rest are defensive. This should be a reminder to the prayer warrior that enemy attacks are inevitable, but until “the sword of The Spirit” is unleashed, the enemy ‘s attack will be relentless. The enemy won’t back off without a fight with the right weapon.

Note to self: Preaching is not connecting, communicating, entertaining, educating, or endorsing candidates. It is about cutting. That’s what swords do. Cut the ties to sin in your own life, and to those of the people within the sound of your voice. Never cut the sinner. Cut out the sin. Remember the difference. It’s huge!

“Draw the sword, and throw away the scabbard.” “Stonewall” Jackson, Civil War General and devout Christian

The Roman soldier’s sword was short, double-edged, and sharpened to a fine, penetrating point. Simply put, it was short and to the point, just like the gospel. When there is a mist in the pew it is the result of a fog in the pulpit. Preachers must never forget the point of the message. The Father’s love is revealed by, and received from The Son, and His love is sustained, by The Spirit.

The Roman soldier was most effective when his sword was wielded in an organized unit. When it was thrust from behind a personal shield, within “The Turtle,” a battle formation of tightened shields, it was an awesome offensive and defensive weapon.

If a Roman soldier lost his grip on the sword, he pulled his arm back behind his shield, and tightened up in the battle formation. Experience is a brutal teacher. Soldiers knew a lost grip could lead to a lost arm if pride deluded them into a belief in their own invincibility.

The enemy had no fear of the arm of the Roman soldier, but it had a healthy respect for the Roman sword. The devil understands the difference between posers and preachers. He has no fear of the former, but he fears the weapon of the latter.

Every preacher should have the same respect for “the sword of The Spirit.” Preaching without “the sword of The Spirit” may release some good advice, but it won’t unleash the power of God. This is done when “the sword of The Spirit” is held tightly by praying in The Spirit.

In spiritual warfare, the grip on “the sword of The Spirit” is tightened, by praying in The Spirit. This is the power of prayer. It is the synergistic, and simultaneous wielding of “The Sword of The Spirit,” with a grip strengthened by praying in The Spirit. Both are essential for the prayer warrior.

Praying in The Spirit involves perseverance, and petition, and rapid response to requests received from those who are in the battle formation. Perseverance in prayer reveals the prayer warrior’s will to resist the inevitable war weariness, and battle fatigue that comes with spiritual warfare. Petitions reflect a confident connection to The Source of supply. Prayer warriors pray because they know, God answers knee mail.

Prayer warriors are not “Lone Rangers” focused on their own personal agenda. They are part of global network of believers, and they promptly intercede for specific requests received from those in need of prayer support. Paul was one of them.

 “Pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, “

Prayer warriors intercede for those in need of courage to share the best kept secret in the world. “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!