Musings from My Sun Porch

  How should we respond to persecution?           “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” (I Peter 2:9 NIV84).           It is human nature to seek revenge or to at least defend oneself from physical or verbal attacks, but revenge is contrary to God’s will.   Jesus told us to turn the other cheek (Matt. 5:39), something easier said than done.   Remember, God does not desire that anyone perish, so if we are to pursue His desires, we must learn to bless those who persecute us.   It won’t be easy, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, it can be done. How should we pray for the lost?           “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for wh...

                 “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it” (John 1:5 NIV84). This past week has been a difficult one for people across the nation.   Food pantries are dealing with bare shelves, as thousands of people seek necessities to provide food for their families.   Thousands more are going to work every day, not knowing when or if they will be paid.   Unfortunately, their bills keep coming.   There was a terrorist plot that was thwarted by the FBI that could have resulted in mass casualties, and finally, a plane crashed right here in my hometown, killing several on the plane and on the ground.             We can point fingers at a lot of people and actions that caused each of those tragedies, but the bottom line is that Satan loves to force darkness on us wherever he can.   He knows that he’s already lost the war, but tha...

  How should we respond to persecution?           “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34 NIV84).           As Christ died on the cross for our sins, He forgave those who unlawfully tortured and ultimately killed Him.   This past Sunday, we recognized the Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, an acknowledgment of the 1000’s of Christians who are persecuted daily because of their faith.   However, this week, I want to focus on those who are doing the persecuting.   Like those who crucified Christ, they do not understand and maybe have never heard the Truth of the Gospel message.   Pray that our persecuted brothers and sisters will be bold witnesses to those who seek to harm, torture, and even kill them. How should we pray for the lost?           “I am not ashamed of the ...

  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9 NIV84).           “ Grace. Grace, marvelous grace!”   You may have heard or sung that song, which serves as a reminder of the grace that God has lavished upon us.   You may have even heard the usual definition of grace—unmerited favor.   The Scripture makes it clear that everyone has sinned.   We have all fallen short of the righteousness that God requires (Romans 3:23).   So, it is only because God loved us so much that He gave His only Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins (I John 4:10).   Our sins nailed Jesus to the cross, but it was God’s grace that kept Him there.   Without God’s grace, we would be lost.           If God’s grace only saved us, that would be more than enough—more th...

  How should we respond to persecution?           “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (Romans 12:14 NIV84).           Over the years, I have had the opportunity to hear many persecuted Christians share their stories.   Still, I am amazed when they talk about praying for their captors, those who are beating and torturing them.   Rather than seeking revenge, they speak the Truth during danger.   As a result, there is no way of knowing how many of those captors have come to know Christ, but we know that many have.   Some have also ended up as prisoners for their faith.   We must learn to pray, not just for the persecuted Christians, but also for those who would cause them harm.   God desires that they come to salvation, too! How should we pray for the lost?           “Be joyful in hope, patient ...

                 You have probably heard the phrase, “You are preaching to the choir,” which means you are speaking to those who already agree with you.   There’s another phrase, “I’m preaching to myself,” which happens more often than I would like to admit.   That was true of last Friday’s blog, which focused on those prayers where God answers, “No.”   We’ve all experienced those moments, but I didn’t realize that I would experience them again so soon. This past week, I was supposed to attend a conference that I had been looking forward to for months.   I had been praying about the conference and how it might help me to fulfill the purpose that I believe God has given me in my retirement years.   However, due to an unexpected problem, I could not attend, which seemed to be contrary to God’s purpose for me.   After my initial disappointment, I began to take my own advice and sought to understand God’s ...