October 2020
October 1, 2020
Midweek Thoughts from Don:
A Surprising Lesson
Often there are times when we are concentrating on one idea and we gain an understanding
about another idea or concept. Today we get an opportunity to make such a discovery. In Matthew
6, Jesus is speaking about prayer. Jesus’s words are often sought after in regard to the mechanics of
prayer. Many books have been written about what we ought to pray and this passage figures
prominently in that regard. Today I hope to ponder a different thought; I endeavor to travel a different
path with the words of Jesus in Matthew 6. As Jesus instructs regarding prayer, he points to whom
we must address our prayer. Jesus says that prayer begins with the words, “Our Father who is in
heaven.” Obviously when we speak with God, we must know to whom we are speaking. When we
address God we must understand that we are engaging the one who dwells in the heavens. God is
the majestic creator of this universe. He is the one to whom we speak when we participate in prayer.
While we could unpack this idea and learn many things from these words, I wish to examine
what Jesus says next. As Jesus points to God as the one we must speak with, he says, “Hallowed be
your name.” The word “hallowed” is a unique word, and one we do not use often in our everyday
language. To “hallow” something is to treat it as sacred, holy, and ultimate. While the Greek word for
“hallowed” is a rather common word, there are few English words that do justice to the idea. As
Jesus speaks of prayer and God, he uses this word to show that God must be the ultimate person,
thing, idea, or value in our lives. To “hallow” something is to make it one’s ultimate concern and one’s
greatest priority.
It might be tempting to think that we comprehend this idea quite easily, but I’m not so sure that
we really understand the words of Jesus. When most people pray, they ramble on about whatever
thoughts come to mind. They approach God (in prayer or in life) as if he were a vender offering
services at the local carnival. Jesus is suggesting that when we speak with God, we must do so with
an attitude of reverence. If we are to be brutally honest, there is very little we show reverence to in
today’s world. The prevailing philosophy today is that “we” are the center of the universe. Life is all
about “me, myself, and I.” When we have placed ourselves on the throne of the universe, where will
God sit?
As Jesus speaks here in Matthew 6, he is alluding to much more than prayer. Jesus is
building a system of understanding that points to the fact that God must be the supreme ruler of our
lives. Jesus is building a foundation that will affect all that we think and all that we do. If we live and
believe that God is hallowed, then our interaction with him will be profoundly affected. Consider this:
if God is the center of my life, the reason I live and breathe, then there is nothing that will be off limits
to him. There will be nothing I will hold back from God. There will be nothing too great to sacrifice for
his glory.
With these considerations in mind, doesn’t it make sense that Jesus begins his instruction
about prayer with the thought that we must adore God, that he must be hallowed. Continue with me
over the next few weeks as we ponder what it means to adore God and “hallow him.” Keep looking
up!
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October 8, 2020
Midweek Thoughts from Don:
Praise is Necessary
When Jesus speaks about prayer, he is offering insights relating to our interacting with God. Most
people simplistically think that prayer is simply the uttering of words to God. Prayer is far deeper and more
complex than that. Imagine we walk into a coffee shop and sit down at a random table. We turn to the
individual at the table and begin to initiate a conversation. What are the odds that such an activity will bring
about a satisfying experience? It is my conviction that prayer quite often is a similar exercise. How often is
prayer a spouting of words by people to a God they do not know. It is a reaching out to someone they do not
really want to have interaction with, someone they never think about unless it is a dire emergency. For many in
our world, prayer is a superstitious rant. Words are uttered in the hope that good luck will find us. God desires
communication with us that goes far deeper. God designed humanity so that we might have deep and intimate
fellowship with him. The sad reality is that Satan has blinded most people to this reality.
As this blog pointed out last week, Jesus began his instructions regarding prayer by saying we must
adore and hallow God. While this might seem like a simple fact, it is one that is often missed or forgotten. Let
me ask the following questions: Do you feel joy and adoration toward God? Do you feel the love of God
pouring out in your life? While it might seem that these questions are unrelated, they are deeply tied together.
Ponder the following illustration. Imagine that you take your daughter to the finest children’s store in
the world. This store is filled with the most beautiful toys ever made. As you lead your daughter down each
isle of incredible gifts, her eyes grow more and more amazed. Her smile beams brightly. When you finish
surveying what the store offers, you kneel next to your child and say—“You will have none of this. I am going
to spend all of my life doing all I can to make you miserable.” This would be a horrible thing to
happen. Imagine how distorted her view of the world would be. How warped would her view of herself be? If
my daughter cannot trust me (her Father) how can or will she trust anything? This story of broken dreams and
destroyed trust mirrors the fall of mankind in the beginning. In Genesis 3 we have the story of God placing the
first man and woman in a beautiful garden. God told Adam and Eve that everything there was for them, except
for one thing. God said that he would place everything at their disposal except for one item. The tree of the
knowledge of good and evil was placed off limits. Despite this one condition, Genesis 3 is a story of great
opportunity and loving provision. After God issues this command, Satan enters the garden. In Satan’s lying
dialogue with Adam and Eve he, in effect, tells them that since God would not let them have everything, God
did not want them to have anything. Satan wanted to break the relationship that God had with mankind. In
response to Satan’s lie, Adam and Eve sinned. Creation was cursed. Perfection was gone.
This lie has been repeated again and again through the ages. Despite the curse that has blemished this
world, mankind still lives in an amazing world. Humanity has been given blessing upon blessing, yet people
live in darkness regarding the love and mercy of God. The Bible tells us that each day is a gift from God. Yet,
how often do we live and act as if God does not love us with an eternal, immeasurable love?
To sum up, it does matter how we pray and think about God. We must resist the lies of Satan and
remember that we have a great and amazing Heavenly Father. Let us resolve to praise God and open our eyes
to his life changing love. Keep looking up!
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October 15, 2020
Midweek Thoughts from Don:
The Greatest Failure of All
The Book of Genesis tells us about the “beginnings.” It tells us how this creation was made
and who made it. Genesis tells us that this world was made with an overabundance of life and
beauty. It tells us that mankind was made in the “image of God” so that we might have fellowship and
interaction with our Creator. However, in the midst of such greatness and majesty, a darkness
creeps into the story. Satan speaks with Adam and Eve, and in that fateful meeting a seed of doubt
and mistrust is planted. Satan questions God’s initial commands. Remember that God had given
Adam and Eve every tree in the garden except one. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was
a “testing” tree. God said, “I will allow you to have everything, except this one thing.” God gave the
first couple a choice to make; this choice was to obey or disobey.
To influence this choice, Satan steps in and carefully crafts a lie. The deceiver tells Adam and
Eve that since God would not give them everything, he did not want them to have anything. This lie
has haunted mankind ever since. We struggle to believe that God really loves us. Because we live in
a world that is filled with selfish and sinful people, bad things happen. Evil is all around us. As the
darkness surrounds us, we often doubt God’s good intentions. While we have many, many blessings
from the hand of God, the lies of Satan cause us to doubt God’s goodness.
It is here that Jesus steps into the picture. Jesus speaks to us and tells us how to pray. In
teaching us about prayer, Jesus helps us step into the presence of God. The first thing that must be
done as we relate to God is to adore him. If we cannot praise God, we will find it difficult to trust
him. Developing the ability to praise and trust anyone or anything begins with praising and trusting
God. We will never relate well with people if we cannot relate properly with God. Adoration is a
medicine that heals our heart. After our hearts have been poisoned by the lies of Satan, the only
thing that restores our heart and thinking is adoration of God. We could make an endless list of
reasons why we should adore and love God, but the question of the day is: Will we adore and hallow
God?
Adoration of God is not only the best response we can have toward our Heavenly Father, it is
also the best way to understand how much we are loved by God. Adoration opens our eyes to
understand and see how much God loves us. As we adore God we are reminded of the great mercy
he has shown us. Adoration allows us to celebrate the good news of Jesus. As we are reminded that
Jesus came and gave his life to save sinners (you, me, all of us) we can rejoice in God’s amazing
grace. Truth be told, every day is a gift from God. Do we stop to embrace that gift? Do we relish
each opportunity? It all flows from adoration of God.
To sum up, what is the greatest failure we have in life? It is the failure to adore God. When I
sin, when I choose to live in a way that is contrary to God’s will, I fail to adore God. When I choose to
do what I want to do, in opposition to God’s will, I fail to adore God. We can find clarity in life and
clarity in purpose when we choose to open our hearts and adore God. Keep looking up!
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October 22, 2020
Midweek Thoughts from Don:
The Price of Praise
A while back I had a conversation with an individual we will fictitiously call Bill. In this dialogue
Bill said, “I have a relationship with God, but I do not accept Jesus.” Not knowing what Bill meant, I
asked, “What do you mean that you do not accept Jesus?” Bill explained that the thought of Jesus
dying for the sins of mankind was barbaric and cruel. The thought that God would hold anyone
accountable for their sins was petty and judgmental. How could God send anyone to hell and still
claim to be a loving God? This thought deeply bothered Bill’s sensitivities. As the conversation
continued, I asked, “What does it cost the God you serve to forgive you?” As Bill pondered this
thought, he said, “Well, nothing, I guess.” I replied, “Well spoken. If you do not believe in hell, you
can have no idea of a God who would take hell upon himself. Without hell, without divine perfection,
without God’s infinite love, how can you understand that God the Father sent his Son, Jesus, to taste
death and absorb our rightful punishment?”
In our “anything goes” culture it is increasingly difficult for people to accurately understand
God. People today struggle with God’s perfection. It surprises people that God cannot abide evil,
that he cannot tolerate cruelty, and that he is absolutely holy. When people minimize sin and its
consequences, little do they realize that they minimize God’s love, mercy, and grace. The more holy
we see God as being, the more loving we then can see him to be when we reflect on the redemptive
work of Jesus. It can be compared to a pendulum that swings from side to side. If the pendulum is
only moved a bit to one side, it will only swing a bit to the other side. When we dare to accurately
take God at his word and see the horrific consequences of sin, when we comprehend the terrible
reality of hell, then we are swept off our feet when the good news of Jesus is presented to us. God
dares to challenge our thinking with what he tells us in the Bible. He does not minimize or apologize
about his righteous nature. He also does not down play his love and compassion.
I often wonder why so many people in this world are indifferent toward God. My guess is that
they are unaware of their dire situation. Little do they realize that their souls are being eaten by the
cancerous effects of sin. They do not know about the devastating future that awaits them. The lies of
Satan have numbed their hearts. It is in this darkness that the Good News of Jesus appears so
vague, and the sweet symphony of salvation falls on deafened ears. The last few weeks I have
written about the importance of adoring and praising God. Every day should be looked at as an
opportunity to praise God and bask in the glory of his love. Keep looking up!
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October 29, 2020
Midweek Thoughts from Don:
Strange Thinking
What was Jesus thinking? As he was out preaching and teaching, Jesus was approached by a
man with leprosy. Today, even though we have high-tech medications that give hope to those with
leprosy, it still causes people to shrink back. In Jesus’s day, leprosy was considered a death
sentence. The worst part about the leprous death sentence was that it was a lingering death. It often
took years for a leper to die. Nearly all lepers died of complications and infections brought on by
leprosy, and while the physical sufferings were huge, the emotional and social suffering was just as
devastating. A leper had to leave his or her home and survive in the wilderness, in seclusion. Gone
were relationships: no parents, no children, no wife, no husband. The loneliness left one longing for
death.
In the Gospel of Mark, there is an interesting story of Jesus healing a man with leprosy. As the
leper sought Jesus out, Jesus did not shrink back from him. The Bible, in Mark 1:41, says that Jesus
had compassion on the leper. Jesus reached out and touched the man. Do not miss the obvious
point here. Jesus reached out to help a hurting individual. Jesus reached out to heal a broken heart,
but to reach that broken heart, Jesus had to touch diseased flesh. Let me simply explain the chain of
events. Jesus saw the man. Jesus understood the man’s dilemma. Jesus touched the man with his
hand. After touching the man, Jesus said, “I am willing to heal you.” While Jesus was touching
rotting flesh he said, “Be healed.” Then the man was healed.
What was Jesus thinking? It is evident that Jesus was not concerned about getting the disease
himself. It is obvious that he did not care whether others saw him touching a man which everybody
avoided like the plague. It is encouraging that Jesus looked past the man’s filth and saw the man’s
aching heart.
What are you thinking? Are you willing to reach out to the smelly, the dirty, the hurting, and the
offensive and see them as God sees them? Most of us would have healed the leprous man first, then
we would have touched him. Speaking of strange thinking, after the man was told to keep this
miracle to himself and tell no one, he went about telling everyone what Jesus had done for him. What
have we told people about Jesus? What have we done to take the message of Jesus to the world
around us? We ought to be like the healed leper. We need to remember that we have a message
that must be shared. When we imitate the leper, when we speak freely, when we share the message,
our world will be changed and Jesus will be known. Keep looking up!