http://biologos.org/blog/series/death-and-pain-in-the-created-order
Here is a good four part article that surveys the various views of God and natural evil. In the end, conclusions are drawn that you may or may not agree with. Regardless of where you end up, it is still a great read.
http://biologos.org/blog/series/death-and-pain-in-the-created-order
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1 Corinthians 1:18, 22-24, 30-31; 2:1-5
18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God...22 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God....... 30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."... 1 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. The God of glory, with all of His Omnipotent wonder, creates the universe out of nothing, causes the mountains to tremble and the oceans to stir. He upholds all things by the power of His word. He has the authority to cast people in the lake of fire, and no purpose of His can ever be withheld. There is nothing that He has decreed that will not come to pass. No scheme of man or of devils will ever prevail over the purpose of the Immutable, Unchangeable God. Clouds in thick darkness surround Him, and righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. He has parted the Red Sea, and causes desolations on the earth. He is an awe-inspiring God; a dreadful God. One so full of burning Holiness and righteous indignation, that it is indeed a fearful thing to fall into His hands. Yet though these wonders are all majestic displays of His power, the culmination of His Omnipotence is found in the preaching of Christ crucified. The use of the word "power" here in 1 Corinthians denotes that of "ability". God's ability displayed in the cross is distinct in the fact that it is through the cross and only through the cross that the salvation and wisdom of God is found. However, we must understand that God is speaking here of more that just an event. It is not in the event of the cross that the power of God is manifested, but it is in the person who accomplished the event- Jesus. Through the incarnation, the God-become-flesh poured out His holy life to obedience to the Father. He then offered that life as a propitiation for sin, and afterward, rose again from the dead, setting the people of God back into a right relationship with the Father. Here is where the power of God is expressed in the event of the cross: That God first placed us in His Son, who Paul says has become for us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. The cross is the power of God because what Jesus accomplished there was the totality of Christianity. The substitutionary death of Jesus not only means that He took the wrath of God upon Himself so that we could go free, but that through the cross, He accomplished our redemption from start to finish. Through His substitutionary death, He has also become our wisdom. We no longer have to operate in accordance to carnality and worldly wisdom, for now the very wisdom of God has become ours through Jesus. This means that no longer must I bend and yield to the common sense of the world, but I must accept the fact that I have died with Christ, so that the Wisdom of God Himself- Jesus, can express the divine discernment through me. The substitutionary death of Jesus also provided for the people of God righteousness. Through our identification with the death of Jesus, God has done away with our carnal virtue, and wants to replace them with the virtues of the Son of God. As Christians, we can still have carnal virtues. Carnal virtues are those things in which we establish our own selves as being loving, kind, patient, nice, etc. The reason they are carnal is because the have their root in the sinful nature and not in the life of the Son of God. Carnal virtues are a weak substitute. The reason being is that they will always carry with them some bias or some breaking point. The carnal virtue of love will always have something or someone that will not be treated with truth. Carnal patience will always have an event that will bring it to its end. Carnal kindness will not be extended to all, especially to those who are one's enemies. However, the virtues of the Son of God know no limitation, because they are perfect and eternal in their duration. When Jesus is expressing His love through me, I will see people as equal. His patience will bear up under any circumstance and situation, and His kindness will be extended to all, even the undeserving. This is what God has provided for us through the atonement. Next, His substitutionary death has provided for us sanctification- being made into the holy image of the Lord. Sanctification is not a process where we receive the Spirit of God so that He can rehabilitate us. He does not give the Spirit as a crutch that we can use to help us walk. God never honors trying, He honors surrender. God does not want to rehabilitate us, He wants to do away with us so that the life of Jesus can be made manifest through us. As long as we are in the way, we are trying to carry out sanctification on our own means and along our own terms, and we will forever remain impotent in the realm of spiritual progress. Christian sanctification is the process in which the foundation is "not I but Christ". God united us in the death of Christ so that He could get rid of our sinful disposition and nature- our selfish self-centeredness- and manifest the life of His Son through us. The reason God gave us His Spirit is not to rehabilitate us, but to put to death the deeds of the body, so that He and He alone can glorify Jesus through us. The process of sanctification is both started, carried out, and completed by Christ. He is the one who has become our holiness for us. We need to surrender and let Christ live through us, and stop trying to use the Spirit to rehabilitate us. Finally, the cornerstone of apostolic preaching is now made manifest to us. It is the preaching of the cross in the Spirit and power of God. Wherever there is any sort of preaching, whether it is gospel preaching, righteousness preaching, or sanctification preaching, if it has any other foundation and premise than the substitutionary death of Jesus, it will not be accompanied by the Spirit and power of God. The reason being is that Paul has stated in the previous verses that the preaching of the cross is where the power of God is manifested. Therefore, if we want the Spirit and power of God operating in our lives and in our preaching, it must all be centered on the cross. Sanctification, righteousness, and wisdom preached on any other way will not have the anointing of God, and the practice of it in the lives of those who hear will not be blessed with the power and Spirit of God to bring about true sanctification, righteousness, and wisdom. All other preaching is carnal and worldly in its wisdom. If you ever hear someone tell you that sanctification and righteous living can be obtained any other way than through the death of Jesus and Him living His life through you, avoid such teaching. In obeying such worldly wisdom, you will forfeit the working of the Spirit, who only operates in and through the cross of Christ (Rm. 8:1-2). This past Sunday, Ken preached the Christmas story from Luke 2:1-7. In his sermon, he spoke of how Jesus was born during the Feast of Tabernacles, and the great significance of this occurrence. As a follow up to that great sermon, and for those who are curious, I want to develop in more detail how Jesus fulfills the Feast of Tabernacles. About the Feast The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth) takes place in the fall, and is a week-long harvest festival. This is why it also goes by the name of the Feast of Ingathering. There are also two days following the feast, which are separate holidays. They are Shemini Atzeret and Simkhat Torah, and have been traditionally included as part of the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles was the last and most important holiday of the Jewish year. The feast begins five days after Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) on 15 Tishri (September/October). It is quite a drastic change to go from the most solemn feast of the year (Yom Kippur) to the most joyous (Tabernacles) in five days. The Hebrew word Sukkoth means “booth,” and refers to the flimsy, temporary dwellings that the Jews are commanded to live in during this holiday. It is meant to commemorate how the Jews lived during their wilderness journey under Moses. The feast lasts for seven days and ends on the twenty-first day of Tishri, which is the seventh month. Leviticus 23:43 states that “your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” In essence, God wants the people to remember their beginning. He wants them to remember where they came from and where God brought them. God also wants them to remember his mercy. He wants them to remember that when they dwelt in tabernacles, so did God. God took care of them and dwelt with them. The Jews were to keep this holiday in thankfulness to God for how he provided for them, increased them, and forgave them of their sin. As mentioned, the feast was a joyous occasion. During this feast, four huge candelabras were built, lighted, and taken care of by young men who ascended ladders occasionally with pitchers of oil to keep them burning. The light from these lamps illuminated the entire city of Jerusalem. People would dance around these lights with torches in their hands while singing hymns of praise. The dancing and music would continue until daybreak. Water also played an important role in the feast. Before the festival began, the Rabbis taught on every passage of scripture that dealt with water. In the Old Testament, gold pitchers of water were brought from the pool of Siloam to the temple. The priest would then pour out the water over the alter to signify Israel’s gratitude for the rains that had produced the harvest that year, and then they would pray for rain for the upcoming year. The priest would then recite Isaiah 12:1-3, “And in that day you shall say, O LORD, I will praise you: though you were angry with me, your anger is turned away, and you have comforted me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid…Therefore with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation.” This special libation offering was performed only during the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles. This was done to remind God of the need for abundant rains during the season, and to remind the people of the coming Messiah, who had promised to pour out his Holy Spirit on the people. The ceremonies would last seven days, and the last day was called Hosha’na Rabba, or the Day of the Great Hosanna. As the celebration went on, the priest blew trumpets and waived a bundle of branches, while the people sang the Great Hallel (Ps. 113-118). Fulfillment in Christ Jesus' Birth: The Bible never specifically says when Jesus was born, but we know it was not during the winter months because the sheep were still in the pasture (Luke 2:8). What can help shed light on the subject is the study of the birth of John the Baptist. A study of the birth of John shows that he was probably conceived around 30 Sivan, the seventh week. Thus, when Zechariah was ministering in the temple and received the announcement from the angel, it was during the time of 12-18 Sivan. This is the period of time in which the eighth course of Abia served in the temple. When we add forty weeks for a normal pregnancy, we see that John was born on or around Passover (14 Nisan). This is significant because during Passover, a cup was set out in anticipation for Elijah. Jesus says that John was this Elijah. We know that six months after John’s conception, Mary conceived Jesus in the month of Kislev. Hannukah was celebrated on 25 Kislev, so it is possible that the “light of the world” was conceived on the festival of lights. So, if Jesus was conceived in late Kislev (Nov/Dec) and born 40 weeks later during Sukkoth, we arrive at the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles. If the day of his birth were the first day of Sukkoth, the day of his circumcision would be the 8th day. This day is a day of sacred assembly. On this day the Jews complete their annual cycle of Torah readings and start again from Genesis. This day is also considered to be a fulfillment of the Torah. The circumcision of Jesus at this time indicates how he had come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. John 1:14 literally says that Jesus “tabernacle” among us. The Greek word for “dwelt” is used in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the OT) to refer to the feast of tabernacles. As it relates to Luke’s narrative, it was a common thing for the kings to use the feast to perform a census, thus, this is why Herod did so. Furthermore, the angel who appeared to the shepherds said “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Since Sukkoth was known as a festival of joy, and as the “festival of nations,” the angel was actually giving them a greeting for the festival of Sukkoth. In fact, on the first day of the feast, this prayer was recited by all the people: “Glory to God in the Heavens and on Earth and goodwill towards the earths (lands).” This is also the only festival where the nations are positively encouraged to participate (Zech. 14:16-19). One ceremony associated with the Feast of Tabernacles involved lights. Each afternoon of the seven days, priests and pilgrims gathered at the Temple. As we mentioned earlier, these four large oil lamps illuminated the Court of the Women. The illumination from these lamps symbolized two things: First, it was symbolic of the Shekinah (visible presence) of God which filled the Temple (1 Ki. 8:10–11). Secondly, it symbolized the Ha’or Gadol (the Great Light) who would come and bring light to those who were spiritually dead and dwelling in darkness (Is. 9:2). We see this fulfilled with the birth of Jesus in John’s gospel. He begins his gospel with a description of Christ coming into the world, and his description contains multiple references to light (1:4-5, 7-9). This seems to be another indication that Christ came into the world at the Feast of Tabernacles. Another thing worth mentioning is that in the Sukkoth that the families constructed, the ceremony of "Ushpizin" takes place, in which they welcome God’s Shekinah glory (cf. Lk. 2:9) and the seven "faithful shepherds" (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and David). This is probably why the angel appeared to a group of shepherds (Lk. 2:8)? Moreover, in the Ushpizin, the "faithful shepherds" are there to observe how their descendants are fulfilling God's commandments. This also finds correlation to the shepherds' purpose, "to see this thing that has happened" (Lk. 2:15). And where did they go to see Jesus but a little shelter which we have traditionally called a "stable" but which was probably a Sukkah? Indeed, the Greek word for "manger" (Lk. 2:7, 12, 16) was probably the closest translation Luke could find for "Sukkah". In fact, the Hebrew word “stable” is called a Sukkoth (Gen. 33:17). Finally, Jesus himself gives hints that his incarnation is connected to the Feast of Tabernacles. He compared the manna of the feast with himself as the "real bread that comes down from Heaven" (Jn. 6:31-58), and He said all of this "as the Feast of Tabernacles was close at hand" (Jn. 7:2). The last day of the Feast was when Jesus chose to speak of Himself as "living water"; this was appropriate because the Feast celebrates the harvest and the end of the summer drought. This brings us to our next section. The Ministry of Jesus: Jesus’ ministry was also a fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles. The Jews expected the Messiah to appear at the Feast of Tabernacles. This is why Jesus’ skeptical brothers taunted him to go to it (Jn. 7:2-3). What was the basis of this expectation? As we continue to read this section of John’s gospel, we find that Jesus does go to the feast and teaches in the temple during this time. Therefore, the teachings of Jesus during this time were an official, formal announcement that he was the Messiah. So, what is it that Jesus taught? On the last day of the feast, he stood and proclaimed himself the very fountain of living water (John 7:37-38). WE have seen the importance of water in the Feast of Tabernacles and the anticipation of the Messiah to pour out the Spirit of God. Here, Jesus is claiming that his ministry is a fulfillment of this, and that through him, the living water of the Spirit will be poured out. We have also seen that during this feast, lamps illuminated the entire city. Jesus shows himself to be the fulfillment of this custom when he declares himself the “light of the world” (John 8:12). Jesus is the tabernacle of God. In Christ, the fullness of God dwells (Col. 2:9) and God dwells with us through Christ. The Return of Jesus: The Feast of Tabernacles reminds us of God’s provision, forgiveness, and protection. It reminds us that God is sustaining us, and will bring us home to glory. It reminds us that there is great joy and rejoicing, because salvation has been open to all nations. Finally, it reminds us that our dwelling here is temporary, and that we have a permanent home in the heavens. When Christ returns, our joy will be full. When he returns, the dwelling place of God will be fully with man, and thus we will tabernacle with God, and he with us (Rev. 21:3). All the nations will celebrate this feast perpetually, as we live in the new heavens and the new earth. So, this Christmas, when you see the manger, think of a Sukkoth. Think of Christ, the true tabernacle, coming down to dwell with us to give us the presence of God, show us the true light, and give us the living water of his Spirit. Merry Christmas! This past Friday caused all of us, once again, to come face to face with sin and evil. Sometimes, evil is less noticeable and discernible; other times, it shows itself full force, in all its ugliness, pain, and destruction. The shooting at Sandy Hook elementary gives rise to the age old questions of why is there evil and suffering, and if God has the power to stop it, why doesn't he. If you are like me, every time you see the face of those precious kids whose lives were ended, you have a mixture of emotions: heartbreak over the loss; anger over the evil; and hope because God is in control. Over the past few days, I have been searching the internet and reading how Christian leaders have responded to this tragedy. Some of it is good, and some of it is, well, just plain wrong. In this blog, I want to address these questions of God and evil, along with how Christians should respond. This blog will be a bit lengthy, but considering the complexity of the issue and the gravity of the situation, we need to dive deep. The problem of evil is something that theologians and theistic philosophers have wrestled with for ages. We struggle with it, and will probably continue to struggle with it. In exploring the questions of why evil, and if God has the power to stop it, why doesn't he, we are going to start off with addressing the most obvious answers and move to the most mysterious. 1. The Depravity of Humanity- Why is there evil and suffering? Why do people walk into a school and shoot kindergartners One word: sin. It all started in the Garden. God’s moral intent for Adam and Eve was to take them under his arm, and mature them into the knowledge of good and evil under his care and guidance. Instead, they rebelled and sought this knowledge outside of God. From that point on, man’s relationship with God, each other, and society was marred, and marred deeply. Paul gives the picture in Romans 1 that from that time on, humanities heart sank deeper and deeper into sin. Sin pollutes the mind, darkens the heart, enslaves the will to do its bidding, and ravages the emotions. Sin affects the totality of human beings. This is why we call the doctrine of man’s depravity total depravity. Everything he is has been marred by sin. So, why is there evil and suffering? One of the reasons is because man is sinful and he does very wicked things at times. History is proof of this. 2. The Human Will- The human will is what gives us the ability to choose certain courses of actions. It is what makes us responsible for the things we choose to do. The problem is that our will is not really “free.” As we have just seen, outside of Christ, the human will is held sway by the darkness of the depraved mind and heart. Are all humans as wicked as they could be? No, but all humans are capable to the most wicked acts imaginable. This past Friday proved that. The fact that humanities’ will is in bondage to sin does not mean that his choices are not real. In fact, we see the opposite. We see that our choices have consequences, whether good or bad. This is the moral fiber of the universe; the way God has set things up. If you make choice A, it will lead to result B. This means that our sinful, wicked choices can cause outcomes that ravage the lives of others. Why did the shooting happen? Because a person acted on their sinful desires and this action had grave consequences. 3. The Moral Fiber of the Universe- If God has the power to stop evil, why doesn't he? The fact of the matter is that God indeed stops some evil, but not all. Why? Why would God intervene in other events, but not in the Holocaust, not in Columbine, and not in Newtown? The answer lies in explaining the law of cause and effect, along with what is understood as providence. God has created a “system” which, under the watch of his providential control, he allows to take its course. God has put in place an orderly system and he sustains every aspect of it in its existence, but allows things to operate according to the order that he established. This is also true with his moral agents. God is not continuously at work effecting every human decision, but permitting his moral agents to make decisions. It must be noted that this permission is deliberate, and it must be seen in light of God’s control and ordaining of all that has gone before. This could be referred to as God’s general providence. The other aspect of God’s providence is his special providence. This refers to those circumstances in which God brings about something that would not have occurred without his intervention. How does all of this relate to the earlier question of why God does not stop the evil? First, if God providentially intervened in every situation, the law of cause and effect would lose all meaning. This begins to infringe upon what moral responsibility is all about. Secondly, even if God prevented the most horrific evils, this still would not solve the problem. This is because what is a horrific evil to one person, may not be to another; therefore, whose standard of morality should be used in determining which evil should be prevented? Even if there is consensus, and that the evil act is prevented (Newtown) then there will still be another evil that would substitute as the most horrific evil; and then if that one is dealt with, still another would arise, leading to a chain of infinite regression back to the Garden. Another thought to consider is that this would mean that God would have to providentially intervene in every sinful choice made, thus making the concept of moral responsibility arbitrary and useless. These arguments, at the very least, give support as to possible reasons why God does not eradicate the evil now. Yet the bible does promise that in the end, there will be a day when God does do away with all evil (Rev. 19-22) 4. God and the Necessity of Evil- But why did God allow evil in the first place? When God decided to make humanity as morally responsible agents, there was then the logical necessity of evil. In creating humanity, God could not create a universe that contained moral good without one that also contained moral evil. In his infinite wisdom, God surveyed all the possible worlds that he could bring in existence and saw that no matter what world he actualized that contained human beings, there would be good and evil. Therefore, it is a logical impossibility for God to create a world with morally responsible agents that contains no evil. God chose to actualize this world, because it was the best of all possible worlds in which to fulfill his purpose and plan. So, evil exists, but does it serve any purpose. Yes. Many times in scripture, we see that God uses evil acts to accomplish his purpose. The crucifixion of Christ is the ultimate example. We also see other stories such as Joseph and Job. The thing we always have to remember is that evil is under the control and sovereignty of God. Nothing shocks God. Everything exists as he wills them to be. God is omnipotent, and nothing exists outside of his control. God is perfect, infinitely and eternally happy. If this is true, then things are as they should be in the sight of God, including the entrance and existence of evil; for if anything is contrary to what God desires, he would cease to be happy. Therefore, it must make God happy that evil exists, even though it is contrary to his commands. This does not mean that God takes pleasure in the act of evil, but it does mean that God desires it to exist. But how can such a vile things as evil bring any sort of happiness to a Holy God? Or even better, how is it possible that a Holy God can take pleasure in its existence? How is he able to be happy when something so antithetical to his holy nature abounds in his created order? The holiness of God is the excellency and beauty of his nature in which his heart is both disposed and delighted in all that is morally good (Jonathan Edwards). God’s holiness is also infinite and eternal, and is known by what he hates. Because God is infinitely holy and opposed to sin, this makes it absolutely impossible for him to love any sort of evil. But if God is under a natural necessity not to do evil, and if he hates all manner of evil, how can God be the cause, either positively or negatively, of the existence of evil? There is a difference between God being the Orderer of the existence of sin by not preventing it, and being the one who does an evil action. God has ordained that sin be permitted and not hindered; God let’s sinful man act on the desires of his sinful heart. So, just because God decreed the existence of evil does not mean that God is motivated by evil impulses. Sin and evil are the absence of divine agency in the human soul, which results in humanity being left to their own depravity. Jonathan Edwards gives the example of darkness and cold; just as darkness and cold are a result of the absence of the light and warmth of the sun. Therefore, man being left by himself, sins. In speaking of the decrees of God, it could be argued that his decrees were not necessarily ordered for his happiness. However, God’s perfect happiness does imply that all his decrees are perfectly in agreement with his will, especially his decree to permit evil. Evil was decreed for an ultimate good in which God is glorified. Better stated, the decree for God to exercise his wrath and grace, would have not been possible if evil had not been decreed first. The attributes of God’s wrath and grace would have remained hidden in the Godhead, but because of the existence of evil, they are revealed to humanity for the chief end of brining glory to God. As paradoxal as it may seem, evil may (but not always) be an occasion for good. In the day to day experience of life, human beings experience “good”. The reason one is able to label something as “good” is because there exists a dialectical opposite- evil. “Good” would be unknowable to the human experience and incapable of appreciation without the existence of evil. This existence of evil is mainly for the sake of God’s people, for without sin destroying the people of God, Jesus Christ would have never come into the world to redeem them. Without the corruption and tragedy of sin, the elect would have never known the grace of God. Furthermore, no man can even start to love God who has not first felt the pain of separation from Him. Let me be clear, again: though decreed evil is necessary, and though all the actions of people, both good and evil, are foreordained by God, it does not excuse the act of committing sin, just as it does not make God the direct author of sin. Ultimately, we must still acknowledge that there is a great mystery involved in the subject of God and evil. However, if the chief end of God in the creation of all his works is to reveal his moral excellence, it must be so with evil. Evil is a work of God, though not directly, which results in the manifestation of the wisdom, holiness, grace, and wrath of God. Wisdom; since only God truly knows the full mystery behind evil’s existence. Holiness: for the true holiness of God to be manifested, there must be something so antithetical to His nature in existence, so that it may reflect how awesome His holiness is. Without evil, God would have no holy law to set forth, for there would be no reason to give commands to show the difference between what is good and evil in the sight of God. Grace; were it not for evil and the terrors of sin, death, and hell, the elect of God would have no appreciation for the unmerited favor of God which draws one to Christ, unites him with the Beloved, and secures for him an eternal place where there will be no more sorrow, pain or death. The great goodness of heaven will be even more appreciated by the saint because of the great evil which he endured while on the earth. Wrath; without sin, there could be no justice. If there were no breaking of God’s law; no moral sin and accountability for wrong actions, words, or thoughts, then the wrath of God against all ungodliness would not be revealed from heaven. However, because of the entrance of evil, the wrath of God will indeed fill its measure on the wicked to the uttermost. This subject is vast, and deep, and we have only scratched the surface when it comes to the sovereignty of God, human responsibility, and evil. At this point, I want to get practical, and talk about how we as Christians should respond to evil.
We are all critical thinkers. Our mind is engaged in critical thinking every time we read an article, listen to a presidential debate, or listen as our kids seek our advice about issues. So, our problem is not so much critical thinking, but it is thinking well. “What,” you might ask, “does this have to do with raising kids? I mean, this is Familylink. How in the world is philosophy going to help me be a better parent?” So glad you asked. Tell me if you have been in this situation with your kids yet: “Dad (or Mom), ___________ says that the existence of evil proves there is no God.” And then your child regurgitates the argument as presented by his friend or teacher. Or, there is this one: “Science has done away with our need for God.” Oh yeah, and this one too: “There are textual and historical errors in the Bible, therefore it cannot be trusted nor can it be proved to be God’s word.” And I could go on. If you haven’t been there yet as a parent, you soon will be. Our children are looking for real answers, and we need to give it to them. The world is bombarding them with intellectual arguments that sound persuasive and convincing. How will you combat them? If we want our children to think well, we as parents have to think well. In this blog post, I want to give you some advice on how to evaluate an argument, so that when the time comes, you can teach your children how to do the same. How important is this? It could save your child the shipwreck of their faith one day. 1. Identify the Claim- What is the person trying to argue and convince you is true? In other words, what is the conclusion of their argument? This is important, because many times, people misunderstand arguments and statements because they don’t read them carefully enough. They only read what they want to read or hear what they want to hear. 2. Identify the Premises- These are the reasons that the person offers in support of their claim. In other words, it is why the person thinks their conclusion is true. 3. Define Key Terms- Make sure you understand what the person means when they use certain key words. This is important because the two of you may disagree as to what a certain term may mean and how it can be used. It is also important because you may think the person means one thing, and they actually mean something vastly different. 4. Evaluate the Argument- Check to see if the argument is valid. By valid I mean that the conclusion logically follows from the premises. This is not to say that the person may not have false premises, but that IF the premise is true, THEN the conclusion is true. This should then lead you to check if the argument is sound; is it logically valid and are the premises true. To do this, we need to follow a certain line of thinking: a. Does the conclusion follow from the premises- Can you think of a case where the premises are true and the conclusion false? If so, the argument is not deductively valid. b. If the argument is not deductively valid, try to identify the gap c. If the argument is not valid, then it doesn’t matter whether the premises are true or not. 5. Check the Premises- Are they true? Here is how you can tell: a. Test its truth- What reasons are there to think that they are true? False? Do you need to ask more questions to find out whether it is true or false? b. Check the “universal generalizations”- These are statements like “all people are mortal,” or “those who believe in spiritual things believe in God.” We then have to ask, “is this always true?” It may or may not be. If you can find a case where it is not true, then the universal generalization is false. 6. Check for Logical Fallacies- A logical fallacy is an error in logic in which an argument is made off of wrong premises, or incorrectly connects premises to a certain conclusion. Some of the most common logical fallacies are as follows: a. Begging the question- This is when premises are passed on as being valid without any supporting evidence. b, False dilemma- This is an oversimplification that reduces several alternatives to only two polar choices. “You either have to believe________ or __________.” c. Hasty generalization- This is drawing conclusions from too little evidence and often relies on stereotypes. “All Scotsmen wear kilts.” d. Non sequitur- This is a Latin phrase that means “it does not follow.” It is a conclusion that does not follow from the premises upon which it is founded. “If these were true Scotsmen, they would be wearing kilts.” e. Bandwagon- This is supporting a claim because “everyone” else does. f. Red herring- (This one is my personal favorite) This is when a person tries to avoid the main argument by trying to divert the debate to another issued through tangents. “Yes, judge, I did steal that car, but I love my wife and tuck my kids in at night.” g. Slippery slope- This is when a proposed step in the argument will set off an uncontrollable chain of events that will lead the argument into a tailspin. “If you don’t stop watching horror movies, you are going to kill people.” h. Straw man- This is when a person distorts, misrepresents, or exaggerates another person’s position in order to more easily refute it. If you attack the misrepresented position, then you can show how superior your view is. “Calvinism can’t be true because it makes everyone robots.” These are just a few of the logical fallacies. In closing, if the argument is deductively valid and the premises are true, then it is a good, sound argument and you are rationally required to accept it. If it is not, then you are rationally required to reject it! “Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.”- Joab, 1 Chron. 19:13
“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”- Paul, 1 Cor. 16:13 I’ll never forget how excited I was when I first came to Crosslink. I was stoked because during my first month here, we were preaching to men about being Courageous. Based off the movie, we talked about what it meant for men to be men; pursue God intensely, to lead their family, love their wives, and put themselves last. We even had a banquet in which we called the men to account and had them sign a resolution. Knowing that I was coming on board as the Family Pastor, I was ecstatic to see that we were kicking things off with a bang by focusing on men and their families. It was awesome. Now, almost a year later, where are we? Men, let me ask you, are you still being courageous? Are you still pursuing God like a mad man? Are you making strides in leading your family and loving your wife? In essence, are you any different? Have things changed? In the first verse I listed above, Joab is leading the Israelites out to battle against Ammon and Aram. He is giving them a pregame speech, much like William Wallace did in the movie Braveheart. He then tells his warriors that they need to be courageous. Why? Because the livelihood of the people depends upon them. Furthermore, Paul closes his letter to the Corinthians by telling them to “act like men.” How does a man act? He is brave, courageous, strong, and unbending. He is spiritually alert and sober; sacrificial and immovable. Act like men. Men, are you acting like men, or piddling like boys? If we are not waking up every morning and living as if God is first and we are last, then we are piddling. The Holy Spirit is constantly in my face about this. “Everyday” is the word He speaks to my heart. “Everyday; there is no day off. The livelihood of your family and your church depend on that.” In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells them, “For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you” (2 Cor. 4:11-12). If the life of Jesus is not being manifested in us it is because we are not dying. Is death working in you? If not, you will never be able to give life to others. As long as men live self absorbed lives, families will suffer. As long as men continue to act like little sissies, righteousness will wane. As long as men whine and complain and moan about how hard things are, no one will give respect. As long as men continue to react to life like children rather than warriors, there will never be change. There will never be change in the family, never be change in the church, and never be change in society. So, are you still Courageous? It is time to sober up spiritually and stop being intoxicated on the world and self. It is time for us men to take the initiative; curl our brows, grab our swords, and get angry. Angry? Yes, angry. I am not talking about vengeful, unbridled, selfishly fueled anger. I am talking about a righteous anger, That kind of anger that tosses temple tables and cleanses out what doesn't need to be there; the kind of anger that drives a man to confront 450 prophets of Baal. Martin Luther once said that he” never did anything well until his wrath was excited, and then he could do anything well.” We need men who have a sanctified ticked-offness that drives them to rid their lives and their families of anything that diminishes the glory of God. We need men who have a sanctified ticked-offness that leads them to stand up, be brave, and suck it up. We need men who aren't going to cry when things get hard, pout when they don’t get their way, and sulk when called to account. Christianity needs men. So, my brothers, are you still Courageous? Have you fallen down? Lost your focus? All is not lost. We are here to pick each other up and dust each other off and stand shoulder to shoulder in the trenches and go toe-to-toe together against the enemy. That is what men do. So, men, where are you? Let me hear you bang your swords against your shields! Let me hear you scream in the face of your enemy! Let me see you hit your knees with your Savior. Maybe you are a man reading this and you just don’t know how to get started. Please, come see your pastors here at Crosslink. We would love nothing more to equip you and disciple you. That is what we are here for. Men, we love you in Christ and want to see you flourish in Christ! Take courage, for the Spirit of God dwells in you and will empower you to be courageous! Below are a few poems that I have written. I hope they inspire you: Warrior I am a warrior; that means I have heard the battle cry; it means that I have one concentration and one aim; Victory! I am a warrior; That means that I know how to fight; I know the thrill of victory and the pains of defeat; Perseverance! I am a warrior; That means that I thrive in suffering; It means that I am my best in the worst; Ironic? I am a warrior; That means that I endure pain; Internal and external, blows to the head and heart; Toughness! I am a warrior; That means I am a protector; I lay my life down for those entrusted to me; Sacrifice! I am a warrior; That means that I never give up; You will never defeat me or stop me; Indomitable! Yeah, that’s right, a warrior; One hundred percent grit and guts; I have made my home on the battlefield, but long for a land of peace. Who am I? I am a disciple of Christ- through and through. One hundred percent born and bred from above. Filled and overflowing with his resurrection power; Smashed and conformed to the image of his death. Yeah, that’s right, I am a warrior. A warrior of the noblest breed. A man after the heart of God. My weapons are the word and prayer, And my armor is from the Lord. Do I fight? You better believe it! The battles I face are immense. Do I know pain? Intimately. Do I love sacrifice? Only for the glory of God. Will I win? You better believe it. I am a warrior; That means I wait for the trumpet sound; That means I have once concentration and one aim; Jesus! -Jared Hill Out of the Ashes Down in the valley, with tears and dirt covering my face; Arms tired, feet dragging. I am worn; a hurting man. All my strength has left me, and my desire to press on fades like the morning dew. I am numb. No emotion, no expression. Like a machine, I simply go until I break. There is no end in sight. My eyes look and see endless miles of darkness and desert. There is no light here. No springs, no oasis, no life. When I sleep, terror captures me. When I awake, hopelessness attacks me. When I walk, doubt antagonizes me; when I run, fear chases me. No rest, no end. When I sit down, discouragement haunts me; when I eat, dejection crowds me. When I talk, no one listens, and when I cry, no one hears. Demonic vultures circle me, prophesying my end; waiting for me to rot. Desert jackals track me, waiting for me to fall so they can devour me. Around every rock is a snake; behind every mountain a satanic ogre to ravage me. The traps of my enemy are everywhere. I am overwhelmed by his onslaught. As I walk, I see the bodies of fallen men who gave up, who no longer had the will to live. Others roam around like mindless zombies; driven insane by this insipid environment. At the sight of their peril, a new determination seizes me. At the sight of their plight, a new grit vehemently shakes me. I will not end up like them. I will not die and I will not give up. Over the darkness I will prevail! Out of the ashes I rise! This is not my predestined end. God has not ordained defeat for me! I am His chosen; His elect. His plan for me will be accomplished. His promise will not fail! So I push myself up off me knees; wipe the tears and blood from my face. Confidence floods my soul again as I laugh at my enemies and my surroundings. I pick up my weapons of war again and let out a battle cry. I taunt my foes with my indomitable spirit and unconquerable resolve. I grab doubt by the throat and squeeze the life out of him. He falls defeated. I take my battle ax and dismember fear. Never will he chase me again. I take my sword and run hopelessness through. Never will he attack me again in this place. I beat discouragement and dejection down with my fist until they stop twitching. After I am done, I take a deep breath and survey the defeat of my enemies. A sense of shock runs through me as I wonder where such strength and ability came from. At that moment, I heard a loud cry. At that moment, I felt a great wind. The earth shook, and an immense light pierced the darkness. As I turned and looked, I saw a Great Warrior riding a white horse. Out of His mouth came a sharp sword and He was wearing a white robe dipped in blood. On His robe and on His thigh were written “King of Kings and Lord of Lords”. His eyes are like flames of fire, and on His head are many crowns. He is the Word of God. Now I know where my strength came from. Now I know who slew my foes. Indeed, now I know that I will make it. Now I know I will prevail. I now stand restored, yes, revived. For my Redeemer commands my destiny! He has the last laugh; the final word; the closing statement. This Great Warrior now takes me by the hand and beckons me to follow. A door appears in our midst and He takes a key and opens it. Before me I see a plentiful land, full of life, color, amazement, and beauty. The Great Warrior says, “Here is your destiny. The place of blessing I promised you.” Tears now fill my eyes, and I fall to my knees in utter thankfulness. The Great Warrior now becomes my closest friend. He kneels down and embraces me. He helps me to my feet and walks with me into my new adventure. He sends me out as one who has been tested and approved by God. Thus, once again, He has proven Himself faithful. Thus, once again, He has shown His love. To Him be the glory forever. -Jared Hill The main ministry of a wife is her husband. She is called to honor him and to do him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. Ladies, one of the greatest ways to do this is to pray for your husband on a daily basis. As in the previous post, I would like to give five areas in which a wife can start to pray for her husband. 1. His Walk with God- Since your husband is the spiritual leader of the household and sets the spiritual tone for the family; he needs much prayer in this area. Pray that your husband would abide in Christ (John 15). Pray that he would walk with God like Enoch, Noah, and Abraham. Pray that his focus would be solely on Christ (Heb. 12:1-2) and that he would gaze upon Christ and thus be transformed (2 Cor. 3:18). Pray that he would be a man of prayer and of the Word, and that he would be godly (Psalm 119; Eph. 6:18). Pray that he would resists temptation and the devil, and submit fully to God (James 4:7). Pray that he would set his mind on things above, and not upon this earth (Col. 3:1-4). Finally, pray that he would be a man of great faith and boldness (Mark. 11:22-23). 2. His Integrity- Since most men fall and fail because of a lack of integrity, this area deserves much prayer. Pray that he would be truthful and honest in all his dealings (Eph. 4:25). Pray he would be righteous and upright, rejecting evil and pursuing good (Psalm 1; 1 Tim. 6:11-12). 3. His Marital Life- Pray that your husband would love you as Christ loved the church. Pray that he would lead spiritually and sanctify you (Eph. 5:25-30). Pray that he would delight sexually in you and find his pleasure only in you (Song of Solomon). Pray that he would flee sexual temptation in mind and actions (1 Cor. 6:18). Pray that he would succeed in his role as leader of the home. Pray for wisdom, knowledge, and discernment in the will of God so that he can lead you and your family (Col. 1:9-11). 4. His Fatherhood- Pray that he would raise your children in the discipline and admonition of the Lord, and not exasperate them (Eph. 6:4). Pray that he would be a godly example, showing your children what a man of God is really like. Pray that his children will honor him and respect him (Eph. 6:1-3). Pray that he would delight in his children and make time for them. Pray that his children will feel secure in his love. 5. His Work- Specifically, his job. Since a man’s job occupies much of his time, it is important to pray that he takes great delight in it (Ecc. 5:18). Pray that he would make the most of every opportunity to share the gospel, and that he would do his work as unto the Lord (Col. 3:23-24; Eph. 5:15-16). Pray that he would not bring the stress of work into the home, and that he would make adequate time for the family. The five areas laid out in these past two blogs are just scratching the surface. As you pray, the Holy Spirit will continue to show you more areas to intercede for your spouse. Stormie Omartian has two great books to help you grow deeper in the area of praying for your spouse: Power of a Praying Wife and Power of a Praying Husband. The longer I disciple men, the more evident one thing becomes: It is not a lack of desire or passion that hinders most men from leading their families, but a lack of knowledge. True Christian men love their wives. They love their families, but often times, they just don’t know how to lead them. The same goes in praying for their wives. Most Christian men want to do this, but most Christian men don’t know how. Therefore, in this post, I am going to teach men how to pray both for and with their wives. In praying for you wife, there are five main areas that you want to cover in prayer: her spiritual life; her emotional life; her marital life; her motherhood; and her work. 1. Her Spiritual Life- This is first and foremost, because everything else flows out of our relationship with God. Since Jesus says that “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,” you need to pray that your wife is spending time with the Lord and guarding that time with jealousy. You also need to pray that she would “grow in the grace and knowledge of God” (1 Peter 3:18). Pray for her spiritual enlightenment and that she would grow in her knowledge of the will of God (Eph. 1:17-18; Col. 1:9). Since pride and hard-heartedness are poison to our relationship to God and others, pray that she would be “poor in spirit” and mourn over her sin (Matt. 5:3-4). Also, since she is Christ’s disciple, pray that she would take up her cross daily, love Jesus supremely, and forsake all in following him. Finally, pray that she would consider herself dead to sin and alive to God, and that she would present herself to God as a living sacrifice (Romans 6:11; 12:1-2). Surely, there is more you can pray about, but what I have suggested is a good starting point. 2. Her Emotional Life- Here, you can pray that she would have peace, and that she would not be moved or controlled by fear, but that she would be strong and courageous (Josh. 1:6-9). Pray against despair, or any negative emotions that you see her struggling with. Pray that she would feel secure in your love and in the marriage relationship. Pray that she would not be ruled by her emotions, but that she would be filled and ruled by the Spirit (Eph. 5:18-19; Gal. 5:22-23). 3. Her Martial Life- Pray that God would empower her to be the helper that he has called her to be (Gen. 2:20-25). Pray for a gentle, quiet, submissive, supportive spirit, and against an arrogant, controlling, and rebellious one (1 Peter 3:3-6; Eph. 5:22-24). Pray that the two of you would be of one mind and that you would walk in unity (Gen. 2:20-25: this is part of being “one flesh”). Pray that she would delight in sex and find her sexual fulfillment and desire in you, and that she would not be allured into any type of adultery. (Pretty much all of Song of Solomon!). Pray that she would do you good and not evil (Proverbs 31:12). 4. Her Motherhood- Pray that she would succeed in nurturing the home and that she would be diligent in meeting the needs of her children. Pray that she would have the strength to be the godly mother and example that she is called to be. Pray that she would have the wisdom she needs to impart knowledge and instruction to her children, and that they would rise up and call her blessed (Proverbs 31). Pray that her children will respect her and honor her (Exodus 20:12). 5. Her Work- Whether your wife works outside the home or is a stay at home mom, she still works. I heard someone say one time that if a stay at home mom or dad was compensated for the amount of work they did, they would make well over 100K a year! Pray that your wife would take delight in her work (Ecc. 5:18). Pray that she would work as unto the Lord and do it for his glory (Col. 3:23-24). Finally, pray that she would make the most of every opportunity to share the gospel, and that she would be salt and light (Eph 5:15-16; Matt. 5:13-14). Now, I would like to touch briefly on praying with your wife. As a husband and priest of your home, praying with your wife and teaching her the word is one of the most holy endeavors that you can pursue. Ephesians 5:25-27 says “Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she would be holy and blameless.” The idea here is that just as Christ is the sanctifying agent of the church, the husband is to be the sanctifying agent of the wife. One of the main ways that we as men love our wives as Christ loves the church is by giving ourselves whole heartedly to washing her with the water of the word by praying for her and teaching her. Men, begin to create a secure and caring atmosphere in your home by asking your wives what they need prayer for, listening, and then praying with them in that moment. Also, everything that I suggested in the first part of this blog should not only be prayed in silence for your wives, but prayed vocally with them. When you do these things, you are fulfilling your role as the prophet and priest of your home by nurturing your wife in her relationship with Christ. For the next post, I will give some guidance for how wives can pray for their husbands. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Matthew 5:4 Again, Jesus cuts through the superficial, humanistic mindset of happiness by exalting a virtue that gains no mainstay in the world. Yet in heaven, it rises to the throne of God as a flagship, leading the way to spiritual blessing. The word translated "mourn" conveys the idea of grief of the deepest kind. It is a sorrow that begins in the heart, takes possession the the entire person, and is then outwardly manifested. It is of significance to note that the idea of bereavement is not primarily in view, though it is by no means excluded. The type of mourning portrayed here is a deep sense of contrition that comes over sin and lukewarmness, over the slowness of our spiritual growth, of our distance from Him; it is grief over our spiritual bankruptcy. This attitude is manifested in the life of Christ disciples in three main ways: repentance, prayer, and intercession. Repentance- It is those disciples who have wandered from the flame of the Holy Spirit who have the great need of the Omnipotent God to show them mercy, and pour out a spirit of mourning upon them. They have forsaken their first love and have become cold, calloused, and uncaring. They have become fascinated by the world, and are in danger of receiving the loving rod of discipline from the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. They have little passion for the glory of Christ, and live out a nominal existence with a phenomenal God. These saints know little of the presence and blessing of God. They are like a child who has never gotten over his fascination of breaking waves on the seashore. Content with what he finds after the tide has gone out, he has no desire to explore the true depths of the sea. What unknown wonders he could discover if only he would actually venture out into the ocean itself. These Christians are only paddling on the edge of the possibilities of grace. Only when they come with brokenness and repentance over their sin and lukewarmness, will they ever be able to experience the depths of God. Prayer- It is possible for a Christian to mourn over the slowness of his or her growth and the feebleness of his or her spiritual attainment apart from any actual sin in their life. This is indeed a healthy attitude to have. It keeps the disciple in the place of humility, realizing that the only way he or she will continue to be transformed into the image of Christ is through hiddeness in Christ. The place of prayer becomes the pinnacle of existence, because it is in that place that union and abiding with Christ takes on its fullest expression. In the place of prayer, the word of God becomes etched within our soul. As we gaze upon the reality of the Son of God, we lose consciousness of our self; decreasing and becoming invisible, so that Jesus may have his rightful dominion over us. Intercession- Besides evangelism, this is by far the most neglected ministry of the modern church. We know little of intercession and its power because we know little of what it means to mourn. Yes we pray for those who are sick or in dire circumstances, but we know little of the power of prayer when it comes to the spiritual transformation of human lives. The apostle John states in 1 John 5:16 that if anyone sees his brother sinning a sin that does not lead to death, that he should pray for him and God will give him life. Are we so blind that we do not recognize the enormity of such a promise? Is our faith in God so feeble that when we hear a promise such as that, we immediately become suspicious? When was the last time that your eyes flowed with tears because of the rampant unconfessed sin and lukewarmness that runs amok in the lives of Christians today? When was the last time you mourned over the soul of a lost friend or neighbor? One who has been gripped by the holiness of God will hate what He hates, and experience His grief over sin in the lives of His people. If we have been blessed with a spirit of mourning, we will dive head long into the ministry of intercession, knowing that we can pray the power of the atonement into the lives of God's children. In response to our intercession, God has promised to give the sinning disciple life. This life is nothing other than the life of Jesus himself. Through the power of the atonement, God will come and replace the bondage of sin with the very virtue of Christ Himself. When a disciple is caught up in the Great Way of God, he becomes so intertwined with the will of God, that his intercession is the expression of the prayer life of the Son of God, who always is heard by the Father and obtains what He ask for. The disciples intercession becomes the avenue for God to express His will and fulfill His purpose upon the earth. If you do not have this spirit of mourning, don't waste another minute of your life. Hit your knees and cry out to God to give you this blessed attitude. One of the greatest things we as parents can give our children is our relationship with God. Part of this process includes teaching our children how to pray. Below is a sample lesson (including the Parent's Note) out of the bible study I wrote called "Turning Your Children Into Disciples." You can find the complete version available for download on the Family Forum page under the month of October. Learning How to Pray Week 9 One of the most important things for you to learn as Jesus’ disciple is how to pray. Sometimes, we may not know how to pray or what to pray for, which is why Jesus gives us a model of how to pray in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus gives his disciples a model prayer. This prayer has come to be known as the Lord’s Prayer. Sometimes, people treat this prayer as something to be repeated. This was not Jesus intention. Jesus did not say “pray this prayer,” rather, he said “pray like this’ or “in this way.” This means that the prayer is given to us as a guide to learn how to pray. This week, we will be looking at the Lord’s Prayer and how it serves as a guide for us when we are learning how to pray. The prayer can be divided into six requests: To the Father- his name, kingdom, and will. Human- needs, forgiveness, and victory over Satan. 1. His Name. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” (6:9). I know what you are thinking, “What does hallowed mean?” Though it is a funny sounding word, it is very important. To hallow God’s name means to hold it in respect and reverence. In other words, it means to hold him in reverence. It means to honor, glorify, praise, and exalt God. Therefore, when we pray, the first thing we need to do is come into God’s presence with praise and thanksgiving. We praise him and thank him for who he is and what he has done. 2. His Kingdom. “Your kingdom come” (6:10a). The “kingdom’ here refers to the rule of God in a person’s heart. Only through the gospel does God change people’s heart, and only through the gospel will people live out the value and truth of God’s kingdom. Therefore, this portion of the Lord’s Prayer encourages us to pray that God’s rule would be established in the heart of people. It is a time to pray for the spread of the gospel and that people would be brought into God’s kingdom. 3. His Will. “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (6:10b). The will of God that is being talked about here is what is called his “revealed” will, or those things which are commanded in scripture. It is this will which is done perfectly in heaven, but has a long way to go here on earth. Therefore, we should pray that just as God is being obeyed perfectly in heaven, so may it be on earth. We should pray this for ourselves, and for others, that what God has shown us, we would practice it more and more every day. 4. Your Needs.. “Give us this day our daily bread,” (6:11). Here, Jesus teaches us to ask God to provide for our daily needs. God loves us and is going to take care of our day to day needs. We must remember something very important here: we are taught to ask for our needs, not our wants. God promises to take care of and meet our needs, not our wants. So, this means that God is not obligated to give you an ipod, Xbox, or anything else that you don’t need. This is not to say that he won’t bless you with one, but that is exactly what it will be- an extra blessing. The focus of this prayer is to trust that God will provide all that we need on a day to day basis. 5. Forgiveness. “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (6:12). At this point in the prayer, Jesus teaches that we need to ask for forgiveness of our sins, along with forgiving others who have sinned against us. The word “debt” gives the idea of something that we owe and that we must be punished for unless a payment is made. What this means is that we need God to meet the payment for our sin. Thankfully, he has done that in Jesus! Therefore, when we ask for forgiveness of our sins, we are asking God to cleanse us from the pollution that it brings and the discord is causes in our relationship to God and others. 6. Victory. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (6:13). Temptation is all around us, and given that we are weak and prone to sin, we are taught to pray here that God would help keep us from running headlong into temptation. The Bible is clear that God does not tempt anyone to sin; that is what Satan does. He pokes and probes at us to try and lure us away from Christ. Therefore, we should pray that God would help us and guard us. Discipleship Principle: As a disciple, I must learn how to pray. Parent's Notes: Week 9: Prayer Teaching Your Kids to Pray: The Lord’s Prayer is the perfect place to start to teach your children to pray. One of the things I have done to help my kids work through this and teach them is to divide the principles of the Lord’s Prayer up into six questions: 1) What do you like about God? 2) What are you thankful for? 3) In what way do you need God to help you to do His will? 4) What need do you have today that you need God to take care of? 5) Do you need to ask God to forgive you of something? 6) Who do you need to pray for? These are some great questions to ask your children to get them praying. |
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