Prayer - Burma

For those of you who have not yet heard, a storm that struck Burma has led to over 22,000 deaths with over 41,000 still missing and an estimated 1 million homeless. The Burmese government (I refuse to use the phony title that the current oppressors identify themselves with) has recently done much to suppress Christianity and to rule with an iron fist over its citizens.

I offer up this prayer:

Heavenly Father,

We come before you today with heavy hearts as we hear of the destruction and devastation that has resulted from the storm in Burma. We know that you have complete and absolute control over the winds, the rains, and the seas, and that nothing happens in this universe outside of your providence.

We come before you, pleading before your Holy throne, requesting your comfort in the midst of death, your provision in the midst of want, your healing in the midst of injury, and your compassion in the midst of hurt. We pray that the people of Burma would receive the aid that the rest of the world wishes to provide, and that the government of Burma would allow this aid to flow unhindered.

Awaken compassion in your people worldwide to reach out with their riches to meet needs in this sea of need. We pray that you will also awaken your people, in Burma and elsewhere, to reach out to those who are hurting with the love of Christ. We ask that you will soften the hearts of ruthless leaders, and that you would grant them wisdom so as to rule with justice and mercy.

We pray that you will be magnified and glorified in the midst of this tragedy, and that hearts would be turned toward you as your Son, Jesus Christ, is lifted up in both deed and word. We pray that not only will the people of Burma see their physical needs met, but that you would also bring many of them to salvation through Jesus Christ.

We pray all of this with the assurance that you hear us, knowing that our prayer comes to you through the agency of your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Samaritan's Purse Burma Relief

Baptist Burma Disaster Assessment

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Home Page

Come and Welcome - Motives

When the jailor said, "Sirs, What must I do to be saved?" Paul did not so much as once ask him, What is your motive in this question? Do you design the glory of God, in the salvation of your soul? He had more sense; he knew that such questions as these would have been but foolish talk about, instead of a sufficient relief to so weighty a question as this. Wherefore, since this poor wretch lacked salvation by Jesus Christ, the salvation from hell and death, which he knew, now, was due to him for the sins that he had committed, Paul tells him, as the poor condemned sinner that he was, to proceed still in this his way of self-seeking, saying, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:30-32). (pg. 37)

Please note that even though the deliverance of our souls from damnation may be our motive to turn to Christ, we soon learn in his school the purpose of our salvation:

I know that afterwards you will desire to glorify Christ by walking in the way of his precepts; but at present you want life; the avenger of blood is behind you, and the devil like a roaring lion is behind you; well, come now, and obtain life from these; and when you have obtained some comfortable persuasion that you are made partaker of life by Christ, then, and not till then, you will say, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies" (Psa 103:1-4). (ibid)

In other words, don't let the thought that you might have "impure motives" keep you from embracing the salvation that is found in Christ Jesus.

What do you trust?

Our post-modern society distains any type of standards, prefering instead to follow an "if it works for you who am I to judge?" philosophy, often with disastrous results. A recent news article demonstrates that standards are necessary and essential. In this article we learn that two men were killed due to the fact that there was no objective standard.

Pilots fly "by the numbers" especially if they have 3,400 hours logged. However, what are "the numbers" if your airspeed indicator isn't calibrated properly? For those of you who are not pilots, airspeed is the most critical element for safe flying. You never want to run out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas all at the same time. I have no doubt that the pilot sincerely believed what his airspeed indicator was telling him. He was doing everything correctly, yet still died, along with his passenger. Since the standard was wrong, this tragedy resulted. No pilot would ever fly an airplane without a working airspeed indicator, but this was an even worse situation, since it was not even known that the standard could not be trusted.

While not always picked up by the news media, many others "crash and burn" in their spiritual lives due to the fact that they have no objective standard. They may (or may not) be very sincere. They may (or may not) be very meticulous. Yet, if they are relying upon a faulty standard (or no standard at all) they are doomed for failure.

There is only one standard that we can trust for our spiritual well-being, that that is the Bible, God's Word.

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra-- which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3, ESV)

but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31, ESV)

Having the right standard, and following it, is very, very important.

John Bunyan, 1628-1688

This month we are reading Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ by John Bunyan. Bunyan is better known for his Pilgrims' Progress, but "Come and Welcome", as I have seen from the 20 or so pages that I have read so far, should be read by every Christian. Even without a formal education, Bunyan demonstrates a firm grip on the truth of Scripture. John Owen, when asked by King Charles why he, a great scholar, went to hear an uneducated tinker like Bunyan preach said, "I would willingly exchange my learning for the tinker's power of touching men's hearts."

But the most remarkable thing about Bunyan, at least to me, is the fact that he was a man of principal. At least twice he was imprisoned due to following his conscience and preaching the Gospel according to his understanding of God's Word. The longest term of his confinement was twelve years. He could have avoided this by going "underground", as did some of his contemporaries, or by abandoning his ministry altogether. He refused to be ashamed of the Gospel and of his Lord, knowing full well that faithfulness to Christ would lead to prison, and possibly even to death (in 1685, 300 people died during the "Bloody Assizes" for crimes no worse than those of Bunyan). Bunyan was more concerned that Jesus be magnified than he was for his own safety, security, and comfort.

Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy— wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.... Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 11:36-38; 12:1-2, ESV)

Maybe this will generate less controversy...

I'm a Ford Mustang!

You're an American classic -- fast, strong, and bold. You're not snobby or pretentious, but you have what it takes to give anyone a run for their money.

"Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

(I am a Ford man, but more of the F-150/Escape variety.)