Prayer Ain't Enough

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. ―2 Corinthians 7:14

It will readily be seen here that God requires four things, not just one. And He will not settle for a fourth of what He requires. If we are going to use this verse let us use all of it. Sometimes we make it sound as though a prayer meeting alone were sufficient to produce a revival. God has said more here than “pray.”
We are to humble ourselves – not pray for humility, but humble ourselves, “as a little child” (Mt. 18:4), “in the sight of the Lord” (James 4:10), “under the mighty hand of God” (1 Pet. 5:6). We are to seek God’s face, His favor, the smile of His approval. “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face, my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek” (Ps. 27:8). Is that what your heart says?And we are to turn from our wicked ways. That fourth note is rather subdued these days. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Prov. 28:13).
Praying is not enough if God requires more. And in this text He certainly does!

Our Unseen Companion

Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. ―Zechariah 4:6

If there are hosts against us, there are also hosts on our side, but we cannot see them. The King of Syria sent a host against Elisha, but “behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots round about Elisha.” No wonder Elisha assured his servant, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.”If we are beset by an unseen foe, we are also befriended by an Unseen Friend. Great is our adversary but greater is our Ally. “The battle is the Lord’s” If there are evil angels there are also good angels. “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”

I once read about a repair shop owned by a man named “Angel.” The sign outside his shop said: “Angel Service.” I thought to myself, “I’ve had angel service for years.” “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”

Praise God for our unseen companions!

Lessons From the Titanic

On the early morning hours of April 15, 1912 the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

There are still lessons to be learned today, 97 years later:

Don’t test the Lord by calling yourself “unsinkable.”

Do not live in self-indulgence in the last days (James 5:5).

Do not say, “Today or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain.” (James 4:18).

What king goes to war without first making sure he has sufficient soldiers--Be prepared: Have enough lifeboats on hand (Luke 14:31).

Do not polish doorknobs on a sinking ship.

"How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously... she saith in her heart, I sit a queen... and shall see no sorrow... and the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her!" (Rev. 18).

Is There Not A Cause?

And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? ―1 Samuel 17:29

Someone once said, “Until a person has something he is willing to die for, then that person has not yet began to live.” David had a cause and this cause was greater than himself; a cause he was willing to die for. The thing young David cherished even more than his own life was the honor of the name of the Lord his God. When reproach was made against his God’s name David considered it his duty and responsibility to defend it even to the grave. It mattered not that David was a mere lad compared to this great warrior of the Philistines and a giant of a man who was mocking the God of Israel. His cause was much bigger than himself.

The army of Israel had no such cause. Instead, they placed their personal lives and well-being in higher regard than the name of the Lord God. Therefore, they shook in fear not willing to risk their lives even though the adversary was daily railing against their God. They lived for nothing larger than themselves and as a result could not see beyond their own selfish desires. This is not living, but only existing.

How small and shallow is life if it is no greater than ourselves? David lived with a cause and thus he lived. Let us do the same. There is simply no greater cause than to live our lives honoring the name of Jesus, our God and Creator and the Blessed Redeemer. Our Lord’s cause, the redemption of mankind, was bigger than himself and not even the cross and the grave could deter Him. He died for you and me, therefore, when we hear His name being mocked, see His morals being trampled upon, and His honor being ridiculed, should we not like David say, “Is there not a cause?” Stand up for Christ and begin to taste the blessing of living.

Faith

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

It’s faith that enables us to live the Christian life. In order to know what faith is, let me tell you what faith is not. Faith is not a hunch. Nor is it positive thinking. Faith is not responding to emotions, feelings, and icicles up and down your spine or miracles, signs and wonders. Faith is not believing that God can do something. Faith is knowing that God will. Faith is taking God at His word. Real faith dies to doubt. It is dumb to discouragement. It is blind to impossibilities. Now this is the kind of faith we need.

What kind of faith do you have?

A Good Recipe

“O taste and see that the LORD is good...” ―Ps. 34:8
My wife Barb was telling me about a good recipe she found for Pasta E Fagioli. She made this Italian soup for a ladies fellowship at church. It was a big hit! She passed the recipe on to another lady who loved it. She in turn sent the recipe to a friend of hers in California.
That is common when someone comes across a good recipe, they pass it on! It makes the rounds quickly. They same can be said about finding a good restaurant, a good mechanic, a good dentist, or a good book. When we find a good thing, we are quick to recommend it to others.
The greatest recipe a person could have is the recipe of the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4). If there were ever a recipe that needed to be circulated, the Gospel recipe would be it! Sadly, a cookie recipe is often more readily passed around than the Gospel.
The Bible says, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.” ―Isaiah 55:1-2

For All Have Sinned

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

Suppose you are driving down the road and a police officer stops you for running a red light. You say to the officer, “I ran a red light, but you have no right to give me a ticket because I have stopped at all the other streets, and I have obeyed the speed limit.” He responds, “Don’t tell me about all the things that you’ve done good. You’ve broken the law.” If you think that you’re going to be saved by keeping the law, then you must keep all of it because God demands perfection. No amount of obedience can make up for one act of disobedience.

“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” ―James 2:10.