ex-Pirate speaks out (on 1 Peter 4:7)

The great preacher and teacher of preachers Haddon Robinson once said:

"Don't Just Do Something, Sit There!" ... spending time with God
is more important than getting many things done or doing all
things well.

In 1 Peter 4:7, Pete begins by refocusing the Church on the nearness of Christ and His coming judgment. "The end of all things is near, therefore be self controlled and sober minded for the sake of your prayers."

Like a fountain that overflows, it all is from, to, for, in and through Christ for God's glory. Peter admonishes the church, not so she will pray, or begin to pray, or set times of prayer, but so that her prayers (which are to be already ongoing and evident in God's redeemed people) will be effective and pleasing to God. The redeemed are no longer Pirates in the shipwreck of the world but are now new mates rescued into a new ship and freely given the treasures of God in Christ. His chest, the Church, is to full of sparkling jewels and a jewel must be clean for it to reflect light and shine brightest. If the jewel of prayer is not brightly displayed by God in His people, then we must ask ourselves this question: "Is Christ and His light present among us?" Now, we may deny and we may justify, but if the honest answer is the negative, then God has already begun to turn the rudder of His ship to the only place we can and should turn, that is, to Christ in repentance for seeking our own personal agendas, rather than His and His alone. (We need to synchronize our PDA’s to His rather than His to ours.)

Notice below that God’s desire for us to be “in-sync” with Him is not a new one.

"if my people,
who are called by my name,
will 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 Chronicles 7:14)

Notice God's promise if verse 14 really happens by His Spirit.

"Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers
offered in this place." (2 Chronicles 7:15)

Only through Christ can we be in a reconciled relation ship with God. Only through Christ will God hear our prayer, and only through His life being manifested in His Church can His jewel of prayer for others be displayed for God's glory. If we have gone astray, we're working on the wrong house. Jesus said: "My house will be a house of prayer." If prayer is done in our own strength, then it is done in the flesh apart from God, and therefore God's own household falls in denial of His supreme grace. But, the promise is that we can do all things for God's glory through Christ, and apart from Him we can do nothing that glorifies God.

Let us together then, seek the Lord Jesus in confession and repentance for pursuing our agendas that we might come together in earnest reconciled love of God. With that same attitude we can follow the Savior whose agenda took Him all the way from heaven to His neighbors on planet earth for God's glory. (...all we have to do is go across the street.)

Will we die to ourselves that Christ might live in and through us? That's the decision and choice we must make every moment of every day. As for me and my house, today, I will serve the Lord by being available to Christ for His plan, His purposes, and all this alone according to the map of His word alone.

(Note: If we follow His map, we'll get there... that's God's promise. - Num 23:19)

Amen?

rc

PRAY - (P)ray (R)elentlessly for (A)ll (Y)our neighbors.

"I urge, then first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone... This is good, and pleases God our Savior who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:1,3,4