by John Mason | Jul 25, 2018 | Uncategorized
In her Wall Street Journal article (May 31, 2018), Peggy Noonan wrote: ‘I have been thinking about trust. All the polls show and have for some time what you already know: America’s trust in its leaders and institutions has been falling for four decades…’
She went on to observe, ‘It’s time to see our mighty institutions with their noble facades—the grand marble court houses, the soaring cathedral—for what they are: secretly frail and in constant need of saving.’
Is there a solution? If so, where do we begin? Pray.
How then should we petition God for our leaders, for his people, for the nations and for people in need? Daniel’s prayer in chapter 9 sets out principles for us.
The Honor of God’s Name. Following his confession of Israel’s sin (see last week), Daniel petitions God on the basis of God’s mercy. In 9:15 we read: And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have a name for yourself,…
Daniel reminded God that his Name was revered because he had brought about the release of his people from slavery in Egypt. People knew that you didn’t mess with this God. He did what he said he would do!
And while Daniel was honest about the sin of God’s people (Lord, we have sinned, we have done wickedly), he was bold to pray: Lord, in view of all your righteous acts, let your anger and wrath, we pray, turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain;… (Daniel 9:16).
Daniel didn’t ask God to put aside his righteousness and overlook the faults and failings of Israel. Rather, he asks God to act because of his righteousness.
We don’t live under same covenant as God’s ancient people. With the coming of Jesus the Messiah we live under a new covenant grounded in the unchanging character of God.
In Matthew 16:18 we read that Jesus plans to build his church and in Matthew 28:18-20 we see that this involves drawing people from all nations to himself as Lord. What is more, you and I are caught up in his commission to bring others to know and love him, to honor and serve him.
This brings us back to the principles of prayer that we find in Daniel 9.
Consider how he develops his appeal to God in 9:17-19: Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his supplication, and for your own sake, Lord, let your face shine upon your desolated sanctuary. Incline your ear, O my God, and hear. Open your eyes and look at our desolation and the city that bears your name. We do not present our supplication before you on the ground of our righteousness, but on the ground of your great mercies. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, listen and act and do not delay! For your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people bear your name!”
At the heart of Daniel’s intercession is the glory of God’s name. Daniel did not hesitate to remind God of what he’d already revealed in his Word and urged him to roll up his sleeves and act.
Daniel wasn’t being presumptuous. He was humble, honest and contrite about his own and Israel’s sin. But this did not prevent him from praying on the basis of God’s character and God’s promises.
The glorious thing about God which the Bible reveals to us, is that he is gracious and always willing to receive people back on the basis of repentance and a commitment to start afresh. No matter how great our sin, God is willing to forgive us when we turn to him in heartfelt repentance.
Furthermore, Daniel’s prayer challenges us to come to God, not just about the little things that concern us as individuals, but about the big things, namely governments, our loved ones and the salvation of people we know.
In the prayer Jesus taught his disciples, he told them – and us – to pray for the honor of God’s name and for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. These are promises we can take to God in our prayers for our country, our leaders and all our concerns – great and small.
Prayer is a precious privilege. It brings us into the very presence of the God whose nature is honor-bound always to have mercy. Yet so often our prayer life is dead. Why don’t we pray? God is the perfect father who loves to give.
Phillips Brooks once commented: ‘Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, but taking hold of God’s willingness’.
Optional – you may want to read Daniel 9:16-19; Luke 11:1-4; Ephesians 3:14-21.
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© John G. Mason – www.anglicanconnection.com
by John Mason | Jul 18, 2018 | Uncategorized
He was relaxing on the palace roof when he saw her. Now in his early 50s, King David was tantalized by the beauty of a young woman bathing on a nearby rooftop.
But things went too far. Bathsheba, the wife of one of his officers, became pregnant. A scandal was inevitable. He tried to cover it up by calling Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, back to the city. For three days he entertained him, urging him to have a night at home with his wife. But Uriah refused: his troops were still fighting.
David adopted an unscrupulous plan. He had Uriah put at the center of a major battle as his troops were drawn back. Left to fight alone Uriah was killed. David married Bathsheba. Like the eye-surgeon in Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors, David had apparently committed the perfect crime. But he had made a mistake. He had forgotten God.
Today we live in a self-absorbed society where everyone is intent on pursuing their own interests and pleasures, ignoring the reality of God.
Not that this is new.
Writing in his Letter to the Romans (1:28-32), Paul the Apostle says: Since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done. They were filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness, they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, rebellious toward parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. They know God’s decree, that those who practice such things deserve to die—yet they not only do them but even applaud others who practice them.’
As Paul points out earlier in Romans 1, we have evidence all around us that there is a creator God. We also have the evidence of history – the life of a unique man, Jesus of Nazareth who, after he was put to death, was raised again to life.
Furthermore, we have the awareness of our own conscience that we are guilty before a holy God. To agree with the implied conclusions of Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors suggests that there is no ultimate justice – that there is no God to whom we are all accountable. We may as well live as we like.
But it is foolish to ignore the reality of God. Psalm 49:13-14 (it’s worth reading the whole psalm) says: Such is the fate of the foolhardy, the end of those who are pleased with their lot. Like sheep they are appointed for death; … But God will ransom my soul from the power of death, for he will receive me.
Repentance. Three millennia ago, the prophet Nathan rebuked King David (2 Samuel 12). David was reminded that the guilt within him was neither socially conditioned nor a psychological hang-up. He knew he had offended God: You are justified, God, in your judgment, for against you alone, have I sinned… (Psalm 51:4).
Some disagree with David’s words: Against you alone, God, have I sinned… ‘What about Uriah?’ they ask. Bathsheba may have consented, but what about Uriah? David expresses what we all have to come to terms with: ultimately all sin is against God. Committing adultery and murder is breaking the second commandment: ‘Love your neighbor’. But sin against our neighbor is first and foremost sin against God. We cannot come to terms with our guilt until we personally deal with God.
And so, when David turned to God in an honest confession from his heart (Ps.51:7), he could say: Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
We need to be cleansed, not merely from our isolated sinful acts, but from sin’s powerful grip on our lives. So David prays: God, create in me a pure heart… (Ps.51:10). Our problem is that we too often shy from this. We don’t want to change.
As speakers at GAFCON last week observed, when we fail to call one another to repentance we preach a false gospel. How important it is that when we turn to Christ we do so in true repentance and in faith. How important it is when we gather as God’s people we also confess our sins against God before one another, for our own benefit and also for the benefit of outsiders who are present.
When by God’s grace we do truly turn to him with heartfelt repentance, we have this assurance: God in Christ not only pardons our sin when we turn to him and confess it, but also delivers us from its consequences.
The English 1662 Book of Common Prayer puts it well: ‘God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desires not the death of a sinner, but rather that he/she may turn from his/her wickedness, and live; and has given power, and commandment, to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the Absolution and Remission of their sins: He pardons and absolves all who truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel. Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance, and his Holy Spirit, that what we do now may please him, and that the rest of our life may be pure and holy, so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
© John G. Mason – www.anglicanconnection.com
by John Mason | Jun 30, 2018 | Uncategorized
He was relaxing on the palace roof when he saw her. Now in his early 50s, King David was tantalized by the beauty of a young woman bathing on a nearby rooftop.
But things went too far. Bathsheba, the wife of one of his officers, became pregnant. A scandal was inevitable. He tried to cover it up by calling Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, back to the city. For three days he entertained him, urging him to have a night at home with his wife. But Uriah refused: his troops were still fighting.
David adopted an unscrupulous plan. He had Uriah put at the center of a major battle as his troops were drawn back. Left to fight alone Uriah was killed. David married Bathsheba. Like the eye-surgeon in Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors, David had apparently committed the perfect crime. But he had made a mistake. He had forgotten God.
Today we live in a self-absorbed society where everyone is intent on pursuing their own interests and pleasures, ignoring the reality of God.
Not that this is new.
Writing in his Letter to the Romans (1:28-32), Paul the Apostle says: Since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done. They were filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness, they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, rebellious toward parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. They know God’s decree, that those who practice such things deserve to die—yet they not only do them but even applaud others who practice them.’
As Paul points out earlier in Romans 1, we have evidence all around us that there is a creator God. We also have the evidence of history – the life of a unique man, Jesus of Nazareth who, after he was put to death, was raised again to life.
Furthermore, we have the awareness of our own conscience that we are guilty before a holy God. To agree with the implied conclusions of Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors suggests that there is no ultimate justice – that there is no God to whom we are all accountable. We may as well live as we like.
But it is foolish to ignore the reality of God. Psalm 49:13-14 (it’s worth reading the whole psalm) says: Such is the fate of the foolhardy, the end of those who are pleased with their lot. Like sheep they are appointed for death; … But God will ransom my soul from the power of death, for he will receive me.
Repentance. Three millennia ago, the prophet Nathan rebuked King David (2 Samuel 12). David was reminded that the guilt within him was neither socially conditioned nor a psychological hang-up. He knew he had offended God: You are justified, God, in your judgment, for against you alone, have I sinned… (Psalm 51:4).
Some disagree with David’s words: Against you alone, God, have I sinned… ‘What about Uriah?’ they ask. Bathsheba may have consented, but what about Uriah? David expresses what we all have to come to terms with: ultimately all sin is against God. Committing adultery and murder is breaking the second commandment: ‘Love your neighbor’. But sin against our neighbor is first and foremost sin against God. We cannot come to terms with our guilt until we personally deal with God.
And so, when David turned to God in an honest confession from his heart (Ps.51:7), he could say: Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
We need to be cleansed, not merely from our isolated sinful acts, but from sin’s powerful grip on our lives. So David prays: God, create in me a pure heart… (Ps.51:10). Our problem is that we too often shy from this. We don’t want to change.
As speakers at GAFCON last week observed, when we fail to call one another to repentance we preach a false gospel. How important it is that when we turn to Christ we do so in true repentance and in faith. How important it is when we gather as God’s people we also confess our sins against God before one another, for our own benefit and also for the benefit of outsiders who are present.
When by God’s grace we do truly turn to him with heartfelt repentance, we have this assurance: God in Christ not only pardons our sin when we turn to him and confess it, but also delivers us from its consequences.
The English 1662 Book of Common Prayer puts it well: ‘God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desires not the death of a sinner, but rather that he/she may turn from his/her wickedness, and live; and has given power, and commandment, to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the Absolution and Remission of their sins: He pardons and absolves all who truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel. Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance, and his Holy Spirit, that what we do now may please him, and that the rest of our life may be pure and holy, so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
© John G. Mason – www.anglicanconnection.com
by John Mason | Jun 13, 2018 | Word on Wednesday
It’s never fun to stand against current opinion. People laughed when Galileo insisted that gravity attracts all bodies with the same acceleration, regardless of weight. People derided Isaac Newton when he presented science that explained the laws of motion. People laughed at Moses when he said that God would bring the Hebrew people out from under the rule of Egypt.
Some three millennia ago, God’s people were on the edge of ancient Canaan. Twelve of their number reported on the prosperity of the land, but they were divided with respect to taking the land. Ten advised, ‘No!’ But two, Caleb and Joshua said, ‘yes’. ‘God is with us’.
The minority report was dismissed. Numbers 14:1-4 tells the sorry tale of Israel’s failure to trust God. We read: Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron; the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt!…
God had promised through Moses several times that they would inherit the land of Canaan. They had already experienced his miraculous interventions – in their release from Egyptian slavery and in his provision of food as they traveled. But now their hearts failed.
Absorbed with self-interest and self-pity, they spurned God’s love and compassion. Despite all he had done for them, they refused to listen and to trust him. They even wanted to stone their leaders – Moses and Aaron. We could understand if Moses had walked out. Instead, he prayed.
The Bible and Christian history is filled with scenes where a lack of true faith amongst professing believers can lead to vindictive acts. Acts 7 tells us that Stephen was stoned to death when he denounced the Jewish leadership for rejecting their Messiah.
Through the ages, faithful believers have encountered a similar vindictiveness from people who call themselves Christians but who lack a true faith in God. Lack of faith is more interested in what it thinks than in the truth. Human reason becomes the arbiter and determiner of truth.
God’s response in Moses’ day is chilling. He told Moses he would disinherit the people and start afresh – with Moses (Numbers 14:11-12). Moses might have found the offer attractive. Instead, he prayed a prayer that remains instructive for us today.
He reminded God that it was through his (God’s) initiative and power that the people had been freed from slavery (14:13). He spoke to God about his commitment to his promises (14:14). Furthermore, he pointed out that the Egyptians and the other nations would think that he (God) was incapable of fulfilling his promise. ‘ Lord, aren’t you a God of your word?’ he asked (Numb. 14:13-16).
At the heart of the prayer is Moses’ appeal to God’s unswerving love for his people. In 14:17 we read: “And now, therefore, let the power of the Lord be great in the way that you promised when you spoke, saying, ‘The Lord is slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but by no means clearing the guilty,..
And in 14:19 we read: “Forgive the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have pardoned this people, from Egypt even until now.”
Humbly but boldly Moses speaks directly to God. He reminds him of what he has promised, of his nature to forgive, and of his steadfast love. Moses understood that he could beg for God’s mercy because he knew God keeps his promises. Above all, he understood the mercy of God.
When we consider this prayer and God’s compassionate response, we can understand why Blaise Pascal, the 17th C French philosopher wrote: “God instituted prayer in order to lend to His creatures the dignity of causality.”
We live under another, very different covenant from the one at the time of Moses. God doesn’t promise to give us land or material wealth, but he does hold out forgiveness and a future to the nations. We live in the age of God’s mercy. So, how should we pray?
Jesus now calls you and me to join him in his plan to reach people everywhere. At the heart of this is our prayer. If we don’t pray there is no reason for God to act in mercy – in our own lives or in the lives of people around us. If we don’t pray we can assume that God will simply leave people to their own devices and desires!
The prayers of each one of us can make a difference. Moses’ prayer made all the difference for his people. Jesus prayed, ‘Father forgive them,’ even as he gave his life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. And, because Jesus is who he is, he continues to intercede for us.
So, do you trust that God will listen to your prayers? Do you believe your prayers can make a difference? How will you act on this?
© John G. Mason – www.anglicanconnection.com
by John Mason | Jun 6, 2018 | Word on Wednesday
Over recent Wednesdays, we have been considering Paul’s exhortations concerning the new lifestyle that God wants his people to adopt. We’ve touched on the themes of new life, forgiveness, peace, wives and husbands, parenting, children, work, and prayer.
Throughout these reflections, we have noted the importance of letting God’s Word and his Spirit teach us and shape our lives for his glory. We are no longer to live for ourselves but in the service of our Lord – looking to encourage and help the isolated and lonely and those who are hurting. Furthermore, we are to look for ways to introduce family and friends to the Lord Jesus.
It is important that we note Jesus’ words in his Sermon on the Mount: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven“ (Matthew 5:16).
And in 1 Peter 2:11-12 we read: Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Though Peter speaks of his readers, both slaves and free, as ‘resident aliens’ in this world, their lifestyle can draw others to God’s truth. Abstain from the sinful desires which wage war against your soul, he says. He has in mind our heart’s desires that are out of step with the Ten Commandments and Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount – lies, false-witness, anger, greed, theft, the lustful look, the adulterous relationship – anything that stands against the mind of God.
The way we live – the integrity of our lives, and the quality of our relationships – can open up gospel opportunities.
Paul writes in the same vein in Colossians 4:5: Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Jesus expects us to act wisely and graciously towards people we live and work with in our households and in the wider community.
Furthermore, Paul says: Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt… (Colossians 4:6a). He expects us to cultivate conversations that are kind and gracious but seasoned with salt – a metaphor for sparkling and interesting conversations that are not full of syrup but trigger questions about life. It’s worth working on ways to use news items, opinion columns, and books and films to spark such conversations.
Paul is exhorting us to cultivate the skill of having conversations that are kind and gracious, but that are also seasoned with salt; that is, conversations that are not just insipid and wimpish, but conversations that have a cutting edge. His reference to salt implies a sparkling, interesting, challenging brand of conversation that can lead to conversations about life and, in turn, to the gospel of Christ. Paul suggests that all of us will have opportunities to talk to others about God – his reality and relevance, his amazing love and incredible goodness. Our problem is that we don’t look for them, and if we do, we are afraid to venture into the territory of matters of faith and belief. We fear that we won’t know what to say, that others will ridicule us, that our words won’t work and that all we’ll do is kill associations and friendships.
It’s so important we think about ways we can introduce the subject of faith without being aggressive or offensive – for example, through a brief, casual, passing reference to your faith in everyday conversation. And when someone has raised a personal concern, ask them, ‘Would you like me to pray for you?’
Paul adds a sting in the tail when he writes: Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone (Colossians 4:6). Praying for and looking for opportunities to respond to genuine questions people ask about the nature of faith is something we overlook. It’s important we identify and learn how we might begin to respond to the five or so questions people ask about faith – suffering, science, New Testament authenticity, the resurrection, only one way, and good enough for God. Talk with your minister about this. It’s so important churches develop supportive and effective ways to reach people who do not know what to believe.
Over the (northern) summer you may want to pray and talk with friends at church about ways to introduce ‘God-talk’ naturally and easily into your conversations. Having a genuine interest in others and asking questions is a good way forward. Well-framed questions asked in the context of a normal, natural conversation can prevent the adversarial tone that often develops when spiritual matters are raised.
© John G. Mason – www.anglicanconnection.com
