Instead of watching what we have become accustomed to–the series Heartland and, I am embarrassed to say, The Andy Griffin Show, we watched Bethel worship videos on YouTube last night.  Much more edifying I must say.  And we worshipped with them.  

The first such song we viewed was Our Father, a hugely inspiring partial rendering of what we call The Lord’s Prayer.  We are all familiar with it, believer and unbeliever alike; in the prayer we pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  Truly, there couldn’t be a better thing to ask of God right now. But do we understand what it is we are praying?

Among all the kingdoms of the world–or, in our day we would call them nations–there are those in charge, be they presidents or party heads or dictators, and, in some countries, still there are kings.  And there are laws, just or unjust, enforced or not enforced.  These, those who rule and the laws by which they rule, constitute the governance of a particular nation.  

And these, we all know, have their pluses and minuses.  We here in America (though some are becoming quite deceived into thinking otherwise) enjoy mostly pluses.  In other countries however it is not so.  Witness Syria.  Or Iran.  Or communist China or North Korea.  Yet in all nations everywhere, whether good or bad, what is the norm is always subject to change.  It could be a revolution, a change of party, or a law negatively affecting the masses.  

Or, it could be a pandemic.  

Which is why we ought pray for God’s kingdom to come.  Why?  I will tell you why.  

First, because the God of the Bible is a benevolent God.  Reading from front to back the predominant characteristic of this God is that He is good.  We learn that He is compassionate, forgiving, patient, and full of love and kindness.  The New Testament reveals Him as Love (“God is love”).  Both Testaments tell us that He is a Father.  Hence, the opening address of our prayer, “Our Father.”  

Scripture informs us that He does not change.  He is not fickle, double-minded, indecisive.  There is no darkness in Him, no ulterior motives; He doesn’t lie, cheat, or steal.  He is, in summary, completely and unequivocally good.  What better ruler would one want?  

This God has a kingdom.  We learn in the Bible that there are really but two kingdoms among all those on the world scene.  These two are invisible, and all people or nations fall into one or the other.  There is God’s kingdom, and there is the kingdom of Satan.   That said, there is even more or a reason to want the former.  

God’s kingdom, like all other kingdoms, has laws.  Really, it has but one; it is called the Royal Law.  This Royal Law has two components:  Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.  The whole of the Bible, if boiled down, would be summarized by these two.  

There are other aspects of God’s kingdom that make it more desirable than all others.  When we pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done,” do we know what we are saying?  We are asking God that whatever characterizes heaven come here, come now.  

Let me tell you just a few things that belong to heaven that anyone would want on this earthly plane.  

Freedom.  

The Bible says that whoever sins is a slave to sin.  Well, there is no sin in heaven.  So it is, when God’s kingdom comes into a person’s life, sin dissipates.  In fact, this is why Jesus Christ was sent by God, not only to inaugurate His kingdom, but to take care of the sin issue.  So it is that the person who prays for, and receives the kingdom of God, is absolved of his sin.  He is free.  

Health.  

This is a critical component for we all, not only because we face an unexpected disease for which there are no cures just yet, but because most of us will face health issues at some point in our lifetime.  Well, there is no sickness in heaven.  None.  

To get a glimpse of God’s will in this regard we need not look further than Jesus Christ.  Of Him it is written that He took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.  “By His scourging we are healed.”  Luke tells us in the book of Acts that Jesus “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.”  When asked by a leper if Jesus were willing to heal him, Jesus replied, “I am willing.”  

God’s kingdom is one of healing and health.  O let it come, God!  Let it come!

Prosperity.  

Many will argue against Christians preaching prosperity, and I get that.  But any open-minded seeker of truth will see that the Bible over and over promises our financial well-being.  Truth is, there is no want in heaven.  Heaven is the most luxurious place in all time and eternity.  Heaven is not lacking in one thing.  

I am here to tell you that poverty is not a quality of God’s kingdom.  It is not the will of God that you be poor.  Yes, there are Christians who are; there are believers who struggle financially.  But that doesn’t mean it is the will of God.  In fact, we learn from the apostle Paul that Jesus became poor that we might become rich (cf., 1 Corinthians 8:9).  He goes on to say in chapter 9 that “you will be made rich in every way.”  Yes, some will say this means spiritual riches, and that is certainly true.  But the entire context of these two chapters is monetary.  Test me on it.  

Reconciliation.

The whole purpose of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to reconcile lost humanity to God.  The kingdom of God is characterized by a healthy relationship with God.  Out from this are healthy human relationships.  Who doesn’t want this?  To be loved, appreciated, respected, deemed important?  Everyone!  When we pray God’s kingdom come and His will be done, this is what we are praying for. I say, bring it on O God!

Restoration.  

I will close with this.  If you do not believe the world is tarnished then you are blind to what is all around you.  Not only are there diseases such as the one we are facing presently, but the world is full of violence, death, destruction, perversion, broken lives–the list goes on and on.  God’s kingdom and God’s will is all about restoring people and things to what He intended them to be from the start. “He restores my soul” (Psalm 23).  Ultimately, the Bible teaches that at some point in the future, sooner now than when it was written, God is going to restore the whole thing.  He is going to make all things new.  What began in perfection will one day be restored to perfection.  When we pray for God’s kingdom to come, we are asking God for this process to begin.  

Peace.

Oh, there is one more!  I would be remiss if I did not include this element of the kingdom of God–especially at a time when most Americans need it most. 

It is written that “of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9).  Too, of Jesus it is said that He is the “Prince of peace.”  Peace, then, is both characteristic of the King and His kingdom.  It is not of the sort the world gives (John 14:27); the world’s peace more or less means an absence of conflict, or an inner peace of mind and heart that comes illegitimately, like as through alcohol or drugs or illegal spiritual practices abominable to God.  

The peace that best describes kingdom peace is first of all peace with God.  Subsequently, it is that state in which you can be in the middle of the worst storm and fall fast asleep.  It is akin to being in the eye of a hurricane; all else is whirling around you with destructive force, but you are cool, calm, and collected.  

Kingdom peace is that kind from above; it is supernatural and there is nothing like it apart from Jesus Christ.  

There is so much more!  Who in their right mind though doesn’t want such things?  Which is why we need to pray this prayer.  

I know, I know; many–millions, billions–do not want anyone ruling over them, and especially God.  And even more so the God of the Bible, Jesus Christ.  All the more reason to pray!  As long as there are rebels who do not wish Jesus to rule over them, there will continue to be disease, war, tyranny, and death.  So it is we pray: “Your kingdom come quickly, God! Your will be done!”

“For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

I believe it was the first book I ever read that was distinctly Christian, Andrew Murray’s The New Life.  It was in this little book that I first read these words from the apostle Paul.  The lesson?  God’s word works in you if you will but believe it.

I do not know how I knew it, but somehow I knew that in becoming a Christian it meant that you took the Bible as the word of God.  The whole thing, including the things you don’t understand, as well as those parts you don’t necessarily agree with.  From cover to cover, it is God’s word to mankind.  

What is encouraging is the truth that, while in no wise could I ever keep it all myself, the word is at work in me producing the very thing it says.  There are two other passages the tell us the same thing; one is from the prophet Isaiah, the other from St. Paul again.  

Here is what the Lord said through the prophet:

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

And do not return there without watering the earth

And making it bear and sprout,

And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;

It will not return to Me empty,

Without accomplishing what I desire,

And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

The word, you see, has power in and of itself to produce what it says.  Like the seed sown in fertile soil, it produces its fruit thirty, sixty, and an hundredfold (see Parable of the Sower).  The soil is a receptive heart, one ready not only to receive the word of God, but to believe it.  

And then Paul says this,

“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13).  

How is it that God does this?  By His word and His Spirit.  

To state another truth:  words have power, all words have power.  In words are the powers of life and death.  So it is that God’s words have the power of life–if we will but believe them.  

If a man wants to change, if he wants to become more like Christ, here is the key:  take in the word of God, believe it and hold it dear to your heart.  Do not doubt what God says; instead, know that what you hear, read, and believe will make you like that.  It will do its thing in you if you let it; it cannot help but produce what it says if it has your consent.  Which is why my friend and elder Duane Feldpausch always says, “All we have is our ‘Yes.’”  So we say to the Lord and His word, “Yes, Lord, I believe.”  

“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6).

How is that?  How are we to “so walk in Him,” as Paul instructs us here?  By faith.  

I will often tell people who come to us for prayer, that the four most important words in the English vocabulary are, “I believe, I receive.”  I ask them, “How is it you received Christ?”  While they are normally hesitating, I ask, “When you asked Him into your heart, you believe He came in, right?”  And then I say, “It is the same with healing (or, whatever it is they are wanting prayer for).  You believe that you have received, that you have it.”

It is written that the “just shall live by faith.”  That is to say, by believing.  We believe Jesus Christ is in us, don’t we? We do not feel Him, we cannot touch Him, and we do not hear His audible voice; and yet we believe He is inside us.  Why?  How?  By faith.  So it is with every other promise God makes to us.  So it is having to do with every aspect of this life.  We live our lives by faith, much in the same way as when we received the Lord to begin with.  

Paul writes, “Those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17).  

So you see it all has to do with receiving.  We cannot see, feel, or touch grace, can we? Nor righteousness, can we?  No; but we receive these by faith and believe they are ours by faith.  It is the same, then, with respect to every need a Christian may have.  If God has said it, if He has made a promise regarding it, or a statement of fact concerning you, you accept that as being truth and go on to conduct yourself accordingly.  

I realize this is not easy; it is simple, but not easy.  God promised Abraham and Sarah a son, and even though they were both past the age for procreation, they believed God.   And after a while, behold a son.  In the meantime they had to hang on to the promise and likely endure much ridicule.  

As for eternal life, we have not yet entered into it, but we believe that we have it.  

Regarding provision for our needs, God promises to meet them, so we trust in God regardless of how things look.  

And with respect to healing, though our bodies may say one thing, God’s word says another.  And if God says He will meet our need, albeit it financial or physical or any other thing, then, upon asking God, we believe we receive and get on with it.  

As we received Jesus–we prayed and believe He came into our hearts, so we are to walk with Him, praying and believing.  

Paul goes on to say, “having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude” (Colossians 2:7).  It is this last instruction that ties in with the first:  “overflowing with gratitude.”  We thank God that Jesus Christ came into us, that right now He, by His Spirit, is in us; our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit.  Well, as we walk with Him by faith, believing and receiving, we are grateful that we have what we have asked for.    We thank God for His abundant grace and for the gift of righteousness.  We thank God for the forgiveness of our sins.  We thank God for loving and accepting us.  We thank God for feeding and clothing us.  We thank God for all His manifold blessings.  As we have received Christ Jesus the Lord, we walk in Him, overflowing with gratitude.  

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20).

The first step in discipling any nation is to recognize its authority, and I do no mean it’s president or prime minister.  The One over all the nations is the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is the One who is to be recognized as the one true Sovereign, the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords.  Acknowledge Him and so much of all else falls into its rightful place.  

Next comes what the late Jim Russell referred to as the greatest transfer of authority in all time and eternity: the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself now heading into heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand, deputizes eleven imperfect men and, by extension, all those who would follow them in the months, days, and years to come.  

There are those to whom God delegates His authority.  There are civil authorities,  charged with the responsibility of government and keeping the peace; we read about this in the thirteenth chapter of Romans.  Greater still though are those whose responsibility it is to bring the nations under the Rule of Christ   This is what I write about.  

The first word is to go; that is to say, do not stay; we are to go into all the world, not hole up in our little homes and churches and safe places, but to go into every nook and cranny of the culture.  It is to the nations, yes; but it is also to your friend, your neighbor, your co-worker; it is to your business, your school’s PTA, your congressman’s town-hall meeting.  For anyone or any place to be lit up, the light must be lit up there; for anything to be salted the salt must get out of the shaker.  So it is that Christians must go, and go where soever the Lord would send them, be it far or near.  

Of course there is the Gospel message, apart from which no one is saved and comes to know the truth; it has to be preached, it has to be communicated; it is the only means by which a person or nation comes under the blessing and authority of Christ.  Baptism is the signal by which a person tells his friends and his family–the world and the heavens above, that he has made this choice.  

At this point in the effort a man, a nation, has been enrolled as a student under the tutelage of the Lord Jesus and His delegates. This is the meaning of “making disciples”: to “enroll as students”.  What then remains?  “Teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.”  This is the essence of disciple-making: teaching obedience to the commands of Christ.  This is both the micro and the macro work to be done, one-on-one, and the delegates to the nations.   

I feel as though it is presumptuous for me to speaking this way; it is as if I am stating the obvious.  Indeed, inasmuch as I know these things, I feel as though I have done precious little.  But that is not the point; the point is how do you disciple a nation?  How do you disciple this nation–the United States of America.  

We make contributions and send willing souls to distant places to learn the language and culture, all with a view to be evangelizing the lost.  And we must.  It was, after all, pretty much the reason our forefathers came to America to begin with; not only to flee persecution, but to carry the good news of the kingdom of God to this continent.  

Let me get to the point:  to disciple a nation, any nation, you must permeate it with the word of God–ie., the commands of Jesus Christ.  We, the church, are deemed by the Lord the salt of the earth and the light of the world–neither of which have any effect unless they are employed to penetrate the culture and shed light upon its people.  

Look at what impact the early church had on the world around them; it wasn’t but a couple hundred years before the known world at the time was Christianized.   

And the United States–for nearly three hundred years it could well be said that it was a Christian nation, a discipled nation.  

Now, however, so much of that is history–recent history; it is this that we want back; we want the U.S. to be a discipled nation once again.  

I think the devil has copied our strategy, and done a very good job at it.  I say it was our strategy; it was, but we left off of it.  What the church leaves off of, be it a person or a nation, the evil one gladly picks up.  If you look at how he has done it, it tells how it is we were supposed to do it. 

First of all, there is the voice.  Whose voice is the loudest?  Which is being heard by the masses?  In our day it is not that of the church.  Instead, it is that of a very small percentage of persons, bent on evil and promoting godlessness, and we have stood by silent.  Whereas the church is to be the pillar and support of the truth, you wouldn’t know it.  In so many ways the voice of truth and reason is drowned out by that of evil.  For our nation to be discipled, any nation, the truth of God and His word must be the predominant voice.  If the voice of the opposition is like a fast-growing cancer, the voice of truth is not only its antidote, but the means of healing and wholeness.  

And then there is what Elton Trueblood refers to as “the strategy of penetration.”  This is inferred by Jesus calling us the salt of the earth.  This is where Satan has been hugely successful (not to give this horrid creature any credit, but only to point out what it is that he has robbed from us that would make us successfull, and has in the past).  That is, Christians, instead of disengaging the culture, must engage it at every level.  For the church to have it preserving effect, and believers to disciple the masses, we have to be present in every culture-shaping venue, in the arts and sciences, in the media, in education and business, in the government.   And here, in these, we are to be as it were, the voice of God.  

And here–and this is the next point, we have to let our light shine.  That is to say, live such exemplary lives that they illuminate the darkness in others and bring to light all the lies, the distortions, the half-truths, and the downright evil that is so prevalent in our society.  The presence of God has its effect on the presence of evil–and we carry the presence of God.  

So it is, to disciple a nation we must, under the authority of the Christ, be His voice, penetrate the world around us and those in it, and live holy lives.  This, I think, is the simple, effective, and successful means of fulfilling The Great Commission.  

P.S.:  I can’t help but think of Jim Russell, whose work through The Amy Foundation was aimed specifically at the first part of this strategy.  It was to promote biblical truth in the secular media.   It was to get the word of God to the masses and, by so doing, disciple them–teach them to obey.  

And then I think of Bob Briner, who through his book, “Roaring Lambs,” called upon Christians to re-engage the culture, which they had largely pulled out of.  

I do not know where we are at with these; there seems to be a growing body of persons in the movie-making business who are putting out faith-based films.  Beyond this I am not aware of efforts to permeate all the 7 Mountains of Influence.  And as far as truth goes, I am not sure to what degree it is being promulgated in mainstream America, nor how it could be.   

What remains however are the holy lives of Christians.  I thank God we have at least two devoted believers in the federal government:  Vice President Mike Pence, and HUD’ s secretary Dr. Ben Carson.   But what is needed are the obvious godly lives of people in every neighborhood, town, and city. People whose lives and work tell of the goodness of God and the rightness of His cause.  

Let us employ all three however we can.  Grant us O God, to be You voice, to be the salt and light You have said we are, and to live the kind of lives that not only will people notice, but they will inquire of us as to the hope that is in us.  Let this be so, O God, let it be so.

Barbara and I have been watching a series on Rick Joyner’s Prophetic Perspectives entitled “The Founders Series.”  Here, historian David Barton and Pastor Brad Cummings are rehearsing the Christian foundations of our Republic, the United States of America.  Dating from well before the first colonies, the two cite the conditions in Great Britain and Europe that motivated persecuted Christians to emigrate here to begin with.  It is remarkable to learn of the character of these people, and of those who are responsible for forming the freest nation on earth, virtually every aspect of which was derived from The Holy Bible. 

Barbara and I have watched in both awe and in sadness as the presenters have chartered the course of America’s founding, during which time they are also explaining what has happened to us since.  Our illustrious history has been largely erased by those who are anti-God and anti-Bible.  And here we are now, a nation with yet a form of religion, but having denied its power; a mainly secular people, a country where the One who gave us our freedom has been, for the most part, banished from the public square.  

While there have been forces at work to this end since the beginning, still the United States was, until the last 50-60 years, a Christian nation.  As we sat at dinner last night, we both recalled what was a more or less innocent time when the two of us were growing up.  Christianity, or at the least a remnant of it, still pervaded our land.  But all that is gone now, and, as Barton and Cummings have pointed out, so much of the responsibility rests at the foot of the church.  

I cannot tell of the details, but Barton cited several major incidents where the church backed away from challenges it should have fought and won.  The result was–and I have been aware of this for some time–a church much divorced from public life, more or less confined to its four walls and leaving such culture-shaping things like science, art, and government to the secularists who happily took control.  There is no such thing as a spiritual vacuum.  What we as Christians vacate, Satan and his cohorts will readily occupy.  

We now live in what some have called a “Post-Christian Era.”  While I am not so sure this is absolutely so, it is mostly so.  Still, I think the church is alive and well in the U.S., but there is no doubt as to who is in control–speaking in the natural.  There is no question as to whose voice is the loudest, and it is not the church.  

I say that the church is the hope of the world; specifically, the church is the hope of the United States. It seems to me that in what has been rightly deemed “The Cycle of Nations,” the U.S. is on the verge, perhaps irreversibly so, of falling back into bondage again.  And, as it is written, “to whom much is given much is required,” what is to come, unless abated, will be far worse than what our forefathers came here to escape.  

For sure, Christ Jesus is our hope–but who carries that message?  The church.  

It has been said that you can’t legislate morality; but I believe you can.  But it has to be by moral legislators that morality is embedded in a nation’s laws.  This was very much characteristic for most of our country’s history.  And how do legislators become themselves moral?  As men and women who first of all are disciples of Christ, who then become our leaders.  This, of course, is true for the justices in our land as well as those who occupy the office of Chief Executive.  

I feel funny writing such things as I am at the bottom of the scale as to knowing our nation’s Christian history–though I am likely far more educated on it than a vast majority of my fellow brothers and sisters.  I admit that I have more or less shunned any involvement in what we would call politics–perhaps government would be a better word.  I vote, yes; but even then, aside from national elections I have not paid much attention to what goes on on a state or local level.  So it is that I am a guilty party; it is I, along with my brothers and sisters, who have allowed things to deteriorate to the degree they have.  It is I who have been largely silent while a tiny percentage of Americans, perhaps 3%, have shaped culture in the negative.  

I am not advocating anything in particular; meaning, that I should run for public office or that the church should some how abandon her primary mission of proclaiming the gospel.  To the contrary, what I am saying is that the church should rise up and be who and what God has called her to be.  And that, my friend, is “the pillar and support of the truth.”  She, like her Lord, has “come into the world to bear witness to the truth.”  Her voice–mine, that is–should be the loudest, the more predominant, the most pervasive.  We are called to “expose” or “reprove” the evil works of darkness, not allow them to run roughshod over people whom Christ died for.  

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God; it is this that changes the hearts and minds of men.  Yet changed, these are the ones–you and me–who are to go on to teach in our schools, own businesses, sit as judges, legislate in the halls of Congress, establish orphanages and hospitals and universities.  It was this way once, and an entire nation was “discipled”–it was.  And it needs to be again.  

Our first job is to share this gospel, to participate in the salvation of others.  But there is more.  We must teach these to obey Jesus Christ.  But there is more.  When evil rears its ugly head, we must be the first to reprove it, to call it what it is, and call those out who are advocating it, as well as those who are captivated by it.  But there is more.  We are to speak the truth in love……all the time.  We are to be truth-tellers, bold ones.  While the truth can be, and often is, very uncomfortable, it must be told.  If a thing be wrong, someone–meaning us, Christians–must say something.  

I understand that not all will be saved, but they can be swayed.  

There is the struggle of the ages going on as I write; not only here, but in all parts of the world.  In the end, we win.  In the meantime, we must keep the upper hand.  There is no doubt that the other side has the upper hand at this present period in history, at least in the United States.  And we may have to go through some stuff to get back on track.  Recognizing the fight we are in should encourage us to be who and what God intends and what I have been writing about:  The Triumphant Church in Our Time. It is she–or, we rather–that are the hope of the world.  

The apostle Paul writes, “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).

While I do not doubt for a moment these words, I want to know what are these unfathomable riches.  A quick search reveals that there are at least three.  

The first, which is really three, is found in Romans 2:4,

“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”

We have here the riches of God’s kindness, His tolerance, and His patience. Thank God for His kindness, tolerance, and patience–without which there would be no repentance, and without repentance, no forgiveness of sins or salvation.  

Regarding His kindness–how much can be said!  It would take far more time than I have now just to cover this one feature of Christ’s unfathomable riches!  Here is what Paul wrote to Timothy,

“But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).

God’s kindness appeared to us in the Person of Jesus Christ, and it was out from His kindness that He saved us.  

I have written much before on the kindness of God, so I will not further here.  But I will quote Webster’s 1828 Dictionary once again so we have a clear idea of just what kindness means.  

“That temper or disposition which delights in contributing to the happiness of others, which is exercised cheerfully in gratifying their wishes, supplying their wants or alleviating their distresses.”  

Such is the kindness of God toward us who believe.  This is God’s heart. 

Second here among the first of Christ’s unfathomable riches is God’s tolerance.  Think upon that for a moment.  God, while we were steeped in sin and defiant, instead of dealing justly with us as we deserved, stood by and tolerated our rebellion, allowing His kindness to go to work.  Though sin and He are not at all compatible, He tolerated it in us in the hope of our coming to our senses, repenting, and turning to Him for forgiveness.  

Patience is the close third.  God is extremely patient.  I think of how long He waited for me to come around!  I think of how long He has waited for mankind to come around–and He is still waiting, not wanting anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance and the knowledge of the truth.  

So it is that these three constitute the first treasure chest of Christ’s unfathomable riches.  And regarding these, though I have touched on them briefly, they are just that: unfathomable.  Meaning, you cannot get your mind around just these three.  But oh, there are two more!

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).  

Here we have the unfathomable riches of God’s grace.  Just how unfathomable is it?  We get a clue from a verse in the second chapter of Ephesians.  Concerning grace Paul writes, 

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-7).

God’s grace is so unfathomable that it will take “the ages to come” to experience its “surpassing riches.”  And how is it that we will experience it?  We are now back to what I pointed out at the first:  His “kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”  God’s grace is expressed to us by means of His kindness toward us.  

We understand, because others have told us–and rightly so, that God’s grace is His undeserved favor.  So it is that because He loves us so, even when we were dead in our trespasses and sins, He “made us alive together with Christ.”  It is because of His grace, and by means of His grace, that we are saved.  And not that we are simply forgiven our sin and freed from  its consequences, but made whole, restored to what God intended at first.  But not only that, but elevated with and in Christ to such a sublime height that to go further would breach the godhead.  Oh, but more!  We are made citizens of the heavenly kingdom!  We are made heirs with Christ of the world itself.  Such things cannot be measured!  We are even given full and free access to the Father, “whom no man has seen or can see” –  a privilege not conferred upon any human being ever in the course of history!

And then there are the unfathomable riches of His glory.

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:14-19).

I honestly do no now how to approach God’s glory; I do not fully understand it.  I do understand that everything I see about me, the creation that is, is an expression of it.  The creation, I believe, is as infinitely small as it is great.  And it is but a glimpse of the invisible God, the One who is outside it all, who made it all.  

I understand that God’s glory is His manifest presence.  You see this all throughout the Old Testament.  Ultimately, the Son of God is the glory of God.  John writes, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). It was in the Person and work of Christ that the presence of God was manifested to us.  

There is no end to this Person; there is not any way any man can fully explain Him.  The Gospel writers try, Paul tried, Peter tried, James and Jude tried….yet not one was able to really describe Him.  

There is also the “riches of His glory” in heaven, that endless and indescribably beautiful and wonderful place to which all we who believe are called and will ultimately end up.  Jesus referred to it as “paradise,” as did Paul.  If we think this created order is something to behold, and stand in awe at the heavens at night, and the sunrise and sunset by day, I tell you these do not compare with that glorious place where God Himself, and His Son Jesus, dwells.  Paul reasoned, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).  Too, “momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

This place is such that Paul in one place has trouble deciding on whether to stay or to go, finally making the decision to stay so that more of us might enter into such a place.  It is worth waiting for; not one thing we may suffer here on earth is enough to sway us from what is on the other side.  

Ultimately there is a new heaven and new earth wherein righteousness dwells.  There, God’s glory will be all the light we need.  Then, God’s glory will fill the earth.  

Let me say just one more thing as it pertains to God’s glory:  it is His people.  Paul prays in Ephesians 1:18, “that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”  Where are the riches of His glory?  In His saints, in you and me, in all who name the name of Jesus.  

What wonder! What a marvelous thing!  The unfathomable riches of Jesus as seen in His kindness, His tolerance, His patience!  We understand it in His abundant grace shown to us!  And we behold it in the glory of God, in which He, God, manifests it perfectly in Christ.  

Of course, I could never do this justice in one short journal entry.  Really, no book or world of books could contain the things that could begin to explain the unfathomable riches of Jesus.  It is why Paul uses that word, unfathomable; no man can get his mind or heart around it, no amount of books could describe it.  It is to be received and believed simply by faith.  Yet, I do believe that God in His goodness will allow us to be getting sneak-peak previews of it not only in Scripture, but in actual experience.  

“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6:10).

I was writing yesterday about the inward and outward nature of Christ’s church, as to how He would have it; here, in Paul’s words, we have a snapshot of what that looks like.  We are to do good to all people, that is those outside the church; as well as, and especially, to those who are on the inside.  

I note that it is “as we have opportunity.”  That is to say, ‘when we have a chance, as a situation avails itself for us.’  We need not be making things happen; no, instead, and like Paul, we are praying and looking for open doors for effective ministry (see 1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 4:3).  

I recall what Graham Cooke said about opportunity:  “When the opportunity of a lifetime comes you must make sure you respond within the lifetime of the opportunity.”  Opportunity is just that; it is a door that opens for just a time, after which it may never be opened again.  

We as the people of God ought be on the lookout for such things; it is God who opens doors that no man can shut, and who shuts doors that no man can open.  In other words, be looking for opportunities, as there are likely far more than what you have been aware of to date.  

Just before making this statement, Paul writes, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” (verse 9).  I think the ESV puts it better:  “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”  That is the temptation, or maybe better said, the inclination, to grow weary.  I know the feeling.  What is being said here is, basically, to keep on keeping on.  Keep doing good; as you have opportunity, take it, both to those inside and outside the church.  

The word is, “Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”  And, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”  There is a big “if” here; the reaping comes “if” you do not grow weary.  So what of us who are weary?  

I think a man can become weary if he takes on things that God has not had him take on.  For sure, even the best of saints get tired–the Lord Himself got tired of His journeys.  But weariness, I think, is different.  I see it, or rather feel it, as being worn out.  Like an old car that has seen its better days, or shoes that no longer hold together.  

There is a remedy, however; it is coming to Jesus (Matthew 11) and waiting on the Lord (Isaiah 40).  Too, it is taking the opportunities God puts before you–not those He hasn’t.  

We were created by God to do good works; let us always be mindful of that. Once saved, we are to go about the business of both discovering our purpose and then putting our hands to the plow, not looking back.  I think that if a man is walking in the good works that God prepared for him from before the foundation of the world, he may get tired from time to time, but he will not grow weary and lose heart.  

I think God gives opportunity in complete accord with what He has called and gifted a man for.  

It’s like the requests for donations I get in the mail and online; once the word gets out that you have given to some charity or ministry, you are flooded with appeals.  Yet I believe God puts it into your heart what He wants you to give to–first, of course, is the tithe and offering to your church; after that, it is what He directs you to do.  Otherwise, you would go broke giving to all who ask.  

Each Christian is created for some special assortment of works unique to him.  Let him stay within the confines of those works.  The doors open and the opportunities avail themselves uniquely to him.  It is the man who is sensitive to the Holy Spirit and who has learned to follow His lead that bears the most fruit.  I know there are a lot of things I can do, but what does God want me to do?  I have done a lot of things I can do, even wanted to do; whether God wanted me to or not is questionable.  

Everyone is worthy of our good deeds; my family, my co-workers, my neighbors–but especially my brothers and sisters in Christ.  But, again, it is while God gives me an opportunity.  Not all doors are those that I am to walk through; just the one God has said, “Walk through this one.”  Which, as an aside, is for me by the word of the Lord the door of rest.  

There is some reaping to be had; I must not neglect that.  Of course, if you care only for yourself you will reap accordingly; what you will get is corruption.  But if you care for others, as the word says here, what you get is eternal life.  

You reap what you sow.  So many refer to this in a financial sense, and this is true.  But it is more inclusive that that; in fact, it is all inclusive.  We are all sowing all the time, and we are all reaping all the time.  If you want to be reaping something different than you are, then you have to be sowing something different.  This pertains to all of life, the big things and the little things.  The point is to be doing good, to get outside yourself and to be doing good as God would have you.  If you do good you will reap good.  The best way to the good life is to be doing good so others can have a good life.  

But, again, it is while we have opportunity.  

“But I am a man of prayer” (Psalm 109:4).

If there is one thing that characterizes a Christian, it ought to be prayer. Of course, I know the words of Jesus, that all men will know we’re disciples by reason of our love for one another, but whence does that love stem? Even the Lord Himself, everything He said and did, didn’t it derive from His intercourse with the Father?

I don’t think prayer can be emphasized enough. Paul writes, “Be devoted to prayer;” and, “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” And yet again, “Be unceasing in prayer.”

I believe that more is accomplished on the personal and public level by prayer than by anything else. Since this is true, how much more should we be given to it! Everything good and of God is birthed, nourished, and grows by means of prayer.

The last two evenings I was around men of prayer. Thursday, Barb and I were at the monthly Gatekeeper prayer meeting, and while all those there gathered are prayer warriors, one stands out to me more than anyone else, and that person is Larry Ford. Maybe it is because I know him better than I do the others (we are on the church board together), but you needn’t be around him long to understand his occupation; he is a man committed to the work of prayer. And my, when he gets started—watch out! At the onset, he is like a gentle lamb; when he gets going, a roaring lion! What else stands out about him is that he almost always ends up crying when he prays. He is the ‘weeping intercessor’ — not for the burden of things he is praying for, but for the presence of God which, when he begins to experience it, causes him to explode into expressions of gratitude. His is a wonderful example of a person devoted to prayer.

Last night I was at the hospital visiting my son in law, Jason, who went in Wednesday and underwent surgery to remove his appendix. My longtime friend Mike Kessler was there also; Mike had been assisting Jason earlier this week in dealing with what at that time was abdominal pain, the source of which was unknown. It was Mike who ultimately urged Jason to get to the hospital.

Mike is a man of prayer. As long as I have known him this has been his trademark. In fact—I am embarrassed to say this—he is so given to prayer that it is often bothersome to me, as I can be talking with him and right in the middle of the conversation he’ll redirect his words to the Father. It’s as if he just assumes you as spiritual as he and you will join right in! Is this a bad thing? Of course not! It is just annoying sometimes! I thank God, however, that he is the way he is. I wonder how many people have been benefitted by his prayers? My guess would be countless.

I just have to mention Barb here too. She is always stopping me in the middle of carrying on about this or that in order to pray about it. She prays about the most minuscule things, things I would never think nor care to pray about. And God answers her prayers! Of course He does! I think she is given to prayer far more than I know. She too is a great example of what I need to be and do.

I am challenged by Larry, Mike, and Barb; and I should be. Can I say this humbly—that I have long prided myself in the fact that I spend time with God every morning, in His word, in journaling, and in prayer? For some reason this doesn’t sound right! Yet when measured by the word of God, I’ve a long way to go before I would meet the New Testament standard. The key to growing in this direction isn’t that you have a habit of thus and such (as I do), it’s that the condition of your heart is such that prayer is the only proper approach to anything and everything. You just have to talk to God about it! You understand that you are completely dependent upon the goodness, kindness, and generosity of God.

I believe it was John Wesley who said, “God will do nothing but in answer to prayer.” If this is the case, and we want God to be moving in and through our lives, then we’d better be about the business of prayer!

History is changed by prayer. E.M. Bound is quoted as saying, “God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mighter the forces against evil. The prayers of God’s saints are the capital stock of heaven by which God carries on His great work upon earth. God conditions the very life and prosperity of his cause on prayer.”

Paul, the man who understood this truth perhaps more than any other wrote, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority. . .”

I could go on. Reading God’s word is good—I don’t believe we can get enough of it. Journaling is good too—I love to write, and it is my way of delving more deeply into the word of God (as I am today). But neither should be at the expense of prayer. Reading and writing should point us to prayer. Admittedly, in my case prayer often gets squeezed out; not neglected, but shortened.

But prayer is not confined to my study early morning every day; as indicated above by the lives of my two friends, Mike and Larry, it is a manner of life. It’s to be an ongoing conversation, a constant resort to each situation, the first station you visit before every undertaking. It is not a religious exercise, but simply a relational quality between a man and his God.

Anyone who will ever read my journals or who knows me closely knows I have always been concerned about fulfilling my call in God—doing what I was created to do, accomplishing the work God assigned me to do (see John 17:3). S.D. Gordon said, “The greatest thing anyone can do for God and for man is to pray. You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you can not do more than pray until you have prayed.” Jesus, our Supreme Example, taught “we ought always pray and not lose heart.” Paul Bilheimer wrote, “Prayer is where the action is.”

I have said enough. “I am a man of prayer” — but I’ve much room to grow. The good thing is I’ve the Holy Spirit, the word of God, and lots of others to spur me on in what is the most important and never ending work of the believer. It is time to pray.