Faith Starts Walking

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible. 

Sometimes the way that we show our faith in Jesus is that we hit the road! Check out this important lesson in faith from a loving father.

Check out this episode of The Podcast.

This story of the faith-filled father is found in John 4:46-53, and the prayer that I shared from King David is in Psalm 5:3.

I wrote more about this prayer of David in Prayer Preparation and Prayer Expectation. And I wrote about another man’s faith-filled walking in When Your Walking is Your Praying.

Here are a bunch of ways to get in touch with me and follow along with other projects on which I am involved.

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Praying For The “So Thats”

“God, do not remain quiet; do not be silent and, God, do not be still. For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, and those who hate You have exalted themselves. They make shrewd plans against Your people, and conspire together against Your treasured ones. They have said, “Come, and let’s wipe them out as a nation, so that the name of Israel will no longer be remembered.” … Fill their faces with dishonor, so that they will seek Your name, Lord. May they be ashamed and dismayed forever, and may they be humiliated and perish, so that they will know that You alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.” (Psalm 83:1-4, 16-18 NASB2020)

Even God’s punishment on the enemies of His people has a redemptive purpose: “So that they will seek Your name … So that they will know that You alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.” 

This is why we are to leave judgment in His capable hands. We humans are prone to desire the complete and immediate elimination of all our enemies, but our loving God knows how to dispense punishment in perfect proportion so that evildoers may recognize their sin and repent. 

Yes, we should pray as this psalmist’s Holy Spirit-inspired words direct us. Pray for protection for God’s people, pray for punishment for God’s enemies, but also pray that all of this brings about the “so thats” that will lead these enemies of God to accept His forgiveness that Jesus paid for on the Cross.

Links & Quotes

Shepherd leaders do know the voice of their sheep, and the sheep know the voice of their shepherd. Leaders, this is the value of regularly being around all the people on your team. Check out this full conversation Greg and I had on our leadership podcast. This idea is central to my book Shepherd Leadership.

I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

Alice Reynolds Flower (1890-1991), the wife of [Assembly of God] pioneer J. Roswell Flower, is a shining example of motherhood. Affectionately known as ‘Mother Flower,’ she preached, taught Sunday School, led prayer meetings, wrote articles, penned poetry, authored books, and lived a godly example in front of her six children and everyone she came in contact with. As Mother’s Day approaches, it is good to consider an article that Mother Flower wrote for the Pentecostal Evangel in May 1952.” Check out Alice Flowers’ article here.

Kenneth Blanchard discusses when it is and isn’t a good time for a leader to be a micromanager. He concludes this insightful post by saying, “The best leaders know how to continually adjust their leadership style to fit each situation, helping to develop individuals who will ultimately achieve each goal and perform well on each task with little direction or support.”

“The pre-Flood world had some truly massive dinosaurs, and the largest of them were in the group Sauropodomorpha. Within this group were titanosaurs, which include the gigantic Argentinosaurus that is estimated to have weighed over 100 tons.” Read more about titanosaurs here.

What is it about morality that points humans higher and higher to find the Source? J. Warner Wallace, in this video based on his book God’s Crime Scene, makes the case that objective, transcendent morality is good proof for God. This reminds me of C.S. Lewis’ similar argument: “My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? If the whole show was bad and senseless from A to Z, so to speak, why did I, who was supposed to be part of the show, find myself in such a violent reaction against it?”

Pastors, listen to this call to revival from the pen of Jonathan Edwards. Let us seek in prayer for a revival in our day! “The Scripture gives us great reason to think, that when once there comes to appear much of a spirit of prayer in the church of God for this mercy, then it will soon be accomplished…Spiritual waters and rivers are explained by the apostle John, to be the Holy Spirit…It is now a time of scarcity of these spiritual waters; there are, as it were, none. If God’s people, in this time of great drought, were but made sensitive of this calamity, and their own emptiness and necessity, and brought earnestly to thirst and cry for needed supplies, God would, doubtless, soon fulfill this blessed promise.”

“It Is Thou”

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible.

My cousin shared this quote from Francois Fenelon with me a couple of weeks ago, and it has continued to work on my heart—

I do not want to please men except so far as it is necessary in order to please Thee.

If Thou wishest to use me for Thy work for them, I give myself to it, and, without thinking about myself I shall simply spread to them all the gifts which Thou hast poured upon me. I shall not go forward groping, always falling back upon myself.

However dangerous and disintegrating the duty may be, I shall behave simply before Thee with a right intention, knowing the goodness of the Father before Whom I walk. He wants no subtlety in His own.

If, on the contrary, Thou dost not wish to use me for others, I shall by no means offer myself. I shall not anticipate anything.

I shall perform in peace the other things to which Thou dost limit me. Because, according to the grace of yielding which Thou dost give me, I neither desire nor refuse anything. I am ready for anything, and consent to be useless in everything.

Sought, refused, known, ignored, praised, contradicted, what does it matter? It is Thou, and not me. It is Thou, and not Thy gifts separate from Thee and Thy love, which I seek for. All good conditions are immaterial to me. (Francois Fenelon)

May we all make this our prayer: It is Thou.

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Thwarting Infighting

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible. 

Something from J.R.R. Tolkien and something from the Bible collided on the exact same day.

Check out this episode of The Podcast.

Here are some helpful resources from this episode:

The Scriptures I referenced are 1 Samuel 30:1-19 and John 10:10.

David learned how to find his encouragement in God from his friend Jonathan. Check out The Jonathan Experience.

I have a lengthy series of posts on the attributes of godly leaders which you can find here.

My new book When Sheep Bite is available for pre-order!

Here are a bunch of ways to get in touch with me and follow along with other projects on which I am involved

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Same Situation, New Response

Then David came to Baal-perazim and defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore he named that place Baal-perazim. And the Philistines abandoned their idols there, so David and his men carried them away. Now the Philistines came up once again and overran the Valley of Rephaim. So David inquired of the Lord (2 Samuel 5:20-23).

David was facing the same enemy on the same battlefield. Yet David did presume that God wanted him to attack the Philistines in the same way as before, or even that he was supposed to attack them at all.

“So David inquired again of God.” 

The Philistines carried out yet another raid in the valley. David inquired again of God, and God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the baka-shrubs.” … David did just as God had commanded him, and they defeated the army of the Philistines from Gibeon even as far as Gezer (1 Chronicles 14:13-14, 16).

It was the same situation and same enemy, but David asked God how to proceed. God gave David a new strategy for this second situation, “David did just as God had commanded him” and won another victory.

This is an important principle for us—

Never let presumption preempt prayer! 

Our Safe Healing Place

I cry out with my voice to the Lord; with my voice I implore the Lord for compassion. I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him. (Psalm 142:2)

David knew the release and healing that would come after he poured out his complaint in God’s presence. The injuries others have done to us afflict our thoughts and emotions, and we need a safe place to get that poison out of our mind and heart.

God’s presence is that safe place, that healing place. 

God already knew what was in David’s heart, but David still verbalized it before God—not before his attackers or even his friends. We need to follow this example when we, too, are injured.

Links & Quotes

The devil wants us to remember what we’ve done or what we still need to do, but Jesus wants us to remember what He has already done. There is a huge difference! Check out this whole message here. I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“The most likely man to go to hell is the man who has nothing to do on earth. Idle people tempt the devil to tempt them.” —Charles Spurgeon

“What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we have in life? To know God. What is the eternal life that Jesus gives? To know God. What is the best thing in life? To know God. What in humans gives God most pleasure? Knowledge of Himself.” —J.I. Packer

The Bible Archeology Report shares the Top 10 archeological discoveries related to the resurrection of Jesus.

We can learn childlike faith by simply watching and listening to how young children interact with their loving parents. This video is a clip from one of the message in our series called Kingdom Praying.

Technological advancements abound all around us. How are Christians supposed to interact with technology: embrace it? ignore it? This is a thoughtful message to give us a biblical paradigm for our daily use of technology. 

“We must quit bending the Word to suit our situation. It is we who must be bent to that Word, our necks that must bow under the yoke.” —Elizabeth Elliot

“The things you pray about are the things you trust God to handle. The things you neglect to pray about are the things you trust you can handle on your own.” —H.B. Charles 

“Learning to pray doesn’t offer us a less busy life; it offers us a less busy heart.” —Paul Miller

Who Looks Good?

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible. 

The Gospel of John introduces John the baptizer to us like this, “He himself was not the Light; he came only as a witness to the Light” (John 1:8). 

  • John had a similar birth announcement as Jesus had (Luke 1:11-14, 28-33) 
  • John’s birth prompted a Holy Spirit-inspired song from his father that resonates with Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55, 68-70) 
  • The early years of John are described in much the same terms as how Luke describes the early years of Jesus (Luke 1:80, 2:52) 
  • John quoted Scripture and taught with very similar authority as Jesus did (Matthew 3:1-12; Luke 3:1-19) 

Yet for all their similarities, John knew that he was only a herald of Jesus (John 1:19-27). 

John was not the Light—he was only a witness to the Light.

I am not the Light—I am only a witness to the Light. 

You may think that this statement is pretty obvious, and I did too. But as I read these words from John 1:8 again, it caused me to reevaluate just how much I really believe this. 

Do I remember this when no one compliments my sermon? Do I remember this when what I thought was an insightful comment on a verse of Scripture gets hardly any “likes” on my social media channels? Do I remember this when I am complemented and my posts are appreciated? 

Who exactly am I trying to make look good: me or Jesus?

I want John’s desire to become my desire and my prayer: “Jesus must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). 

(Please check out all of the Scriptures I referenced in this post by clicking here.)

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Just Knowing Or Really Knowing?

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible. 

I wonder how well you know the word “know”? Let’s find out.

Check out this episode of The Podcast.

Here are some helpful resources from this episode:

The Scriptures I referenced are 1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22; Genesis 2:25; John 1:4-5; Psalm 119:18; Ephesians 1:17.

I mentioned a blog post and video in this podcast about the work Jesus did on our behalf on the Cross. That was called Right Remembering.

My new book When Sheep Bite is available for pre-order!

Here are a bunch of ways to get in touch with me and follow along with other projects on which I am involved

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎