Killing two birds with one post.

First "bird" - I just always find it interesting when part of what we discuss in class lines up with Buddy/Richard's sermon for the week. Mostly, it's because I can't decide if it is serendipitous or divinely supervised :) This was the message on Sunday, and was also touched on by James in chapter 3 and in chapter 2. The "deeds" that some think Christians can't be saved without need to come from a willingness and love in our hearts, not from obligation. James' words were, "in the humility that comes from wisdom." I found a verse that speaks to this in 1 Thessalonians. Paul writes this:

2 "We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 1:2, italics emphasis added by Nick) whole chapter here.

Second "bird" - This week we will be reading James 4:1-12. There is a lot in this passage but one section that always used to give me trouble was verse 9. The "grieve mourn and wail" passage didn't make sense but makes more sense now than it used to. This week I want to challenge you to read this passage daily, but also to dive deeper with verse 9 (and the verses on either side of it, really). What does being commanded to "grieve, mourn and wail" mean to us as Christians today? Does this contradict other scripture about being joyful? Think and pray on the passage this week and ask God to reveal Himself to you through it.

Double-0-Jesus: License to Heal

Here is the link to all of today's scripture references. Right click and open in a new tab to keep them all in one place!

This Sunday we talked about hearing the voice of God and deciphering God's Will. How do we ever know when something is the voice of God, with all the crazy ideas that flow through our heads over the course of any day given day? In Acts 10, which we looked at Sunday, we see that this revelation comes in three steps:

1. Setup
2. Repetition
3. Confirmation

God's will is still revealed in many of the same ways. Often times we'll feel led in a direction and see some paths "open up" for us or small oppoortunities fall in our laps. Other times God will just spend some time chipping away at our mindsets and preconceptions little by little. His revelation will most often come through reading His word, but often times when he has a plan for you, you will be convicted by His word multiple times. For example, You might not know what job he wants you in, but you may be repeatedly and vehemently convicted that God wants you to serve more, leading you to a better understanding of His will. Confirmation often comes after a leap of faith is made in the direction of obedience or as you begin to understand and look deeper. Many times these are the experiences that tell you that you are heading the right way. 

In the end of Acts chapter 9, we see an illustration of the power of God's name when used to perform His will. We can all say that things are done in the name of God. Words are cheap. God is after the intent of our hearts. Peter was very well-attuned to the will of God. At this point, he'd spent approximately seven years learning Jesus' teachings. He healed Aeneas by saying four simple words, "Jesus Christ heals you" (9:34). When God's will is at hand, His name carries unmatched power.

This is followed by Peter's raising of Dorcas/Tabitha in the following verses. We know that this is God's will because Peter was present all three times that Jesus raised people from the dead (Luke 7:11-14; Mark 5:22-43; John 11:1-44) and here will mimic Jesus' ways in this miracle (See Mark's account). He asked others to leave the room (see Mark 5) and then got down to pray. He said almost the same thing, only calling the woman by name, and took her by the hand, as did Jesus with the daughter of the Synagogue official. If we are called to live as Jesus lived then Peter was most definitely displaying a faith in God's will here.

Here's the big point, though: God's name means nothing when not preceded by the spirit. God's will is to do His will. In our prayers we may ask for things in Jesus' name and even want them in our heart. What God wants is a willing heart to do His work! By reading the word God reveals Himself to us, by being faithful to what he is showing us, our hearts will change. As they change we will see that our prayers change, too. What we used to pray for and not "see results of" we begin to see are sometimes on our agenda rather than God's. Through listening to His voice we will start to see a shift to praying more for His will and recognizing things that are our will and praying for them less. When we can surrender to doing His will in all circumstances rather than praying for the right scenario in which to do His will, He blesses that by granting power, peace and joy to His faithful and willing servants.

When you find yourself in a "prayer rut" in which you feel as if prayers are not being answered, I challenge you to examine the heart and motive behind your requests. Are you truly asking God for His will to be done and offering yourself as a vessel through which to carry it out? Are you seeking to hear His voice? His spirit always precedes His power, especially the power to heal our broken hearts and souls.