In today’s scripture, Jacob says something which is soul-searching for every Christian – “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” I wonder if some of us would have to say that about church yesterday? Did we go to church and leave unmoved, unchanged, and not hungering more for God? Did we come to church, go through church, and leave church having never encountered the Lord Jesus? What I am referring to as encounters with the Living Christ are two things which always occur when we meet God.
Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ
Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ
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I wanted to follow-up and encourage you on what our emphasis has been as we move into 2017. We have basically laid out our vision and it is rooted in the Apostle Paul’s prayer found in Ephesians 3:14-19. Our desire, goal, and pursuit, as individuals and a church, into the new year is to “Know Christ, His love, and experience the Biblical realities of walking in the fullness of God.”
As one reads today’s scripture and enters the scene between Jesus and His disciples, it isn’t difficult to determine why the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray.” It isn’t that they had never prayed. But look when their request occurred. It was right after they heard Jesus pray. It makes perfect sense to ask, “Lord, teach us to pray” after hearing Him pray.
The Christian life is filled with many spiritual dangers. Not a day goes by we are not confronted with spiritual foes seeking our destruction. It is an unwise and ill-prepared Christian who simply rushes into each day oblivious to this reality. And the evil tactics of our foes are many, subtle, well-crafted, and easily trip us up.
One of the most important displays of love Christians are to give toward one another is our praying for one another. It is has been said, “We are never more like the Lord Jesus than when we are praying for others.” It is a command, responsibility, and privilege. It also encourages other Christians to know we are loved enough to be prayed for.
People hurt people. Yes, we live in a society of rampant physical domestic abuse, but I am referring to emotional hurt. Family relationships are strained, people who once were so called “friends” now live in bitterness, even slanderous, with one another. And the last place such pain should occur is among Christians, but it happens. Too much.