Poetry by Kay Cude. Used with permission. Right click on image to open larger in new tab. Or read the text below. Artist’s statement:
I keep returning to our (me!!) needing to “remember” God’s promises and provision. GOD THE I AM is the only fortress in Whom we find a righteous protector, defender and provider. He is the only place of eternal refuge from the world’s continuing tragedies and chaos. He is the stronghold Who is and Who will provide peace, wisdom, understanding, instruction and endurance.
FACING FEAR: IN THE MIDST OF GOD’S PROVIDENCE As waves of fear rolled nearer still, as deep its swell approached us nigh; our hearts near failed as we cried out, “O Lord, Your servants rescue now!” And crashed the waves of terror strong, our lives at risk — we knew death’s tide; yet stilled our hearts Your Glorious Word and on we clung and Truth prevailed.
As deep and dark, as depth of brine, we battled ‘gainst the foe’s onslaught; its torrents fierce as bounding main, — with cruelest rage this foe can slay. Yet in Your Will, O Saviour ours, Salvation’s Light’s our mighty Ark; afloat we stay midst evil’s gale, for You prevail within its rage.
Afloat we ride with knowledge sure, we look ahead with strength not ours; Endurance meets us Face-to-face, ’tis You our Strength our sure Bulwark, The fears we face — our spirit’s gain, makes strong we resolute of heart, to live God’s Will through providence — and triumph through His Will’s Intent. ~kay cude, October 1, 2017
OUR FORTRESS PREVAILS Refer to Psalm 46. FEAR NOT, GOD IS OUR ETERNAL REFUGE AND STRENGTH. “We will not fear, for God hath willed His Truth to triumph through us; The body they may kill. God’s Truth abideth still, His Kingdom is FOREVER.” ~Martin Luther
IT IS the grace of God through His unfathomable mercy through the power of His predetermined love that urges us to remain and stand in His will concerning providence! WHAT THEN
IS IT that assails our thoughts with such unrelenting vengeance that can tempt us into overbearing fear when trials overtake us?
IT IS not remembering His Word — that He is Sovereign over all circumstances and issues we will encounter during our lives, during our service to, for and through Him…
I often take stock. Taking stock is something we do ‘to review or make an overall assessment of a particular situation, typically as a prelude to making a decision‘ as it’s defined.
Sometimes the process is called “personal inventory,” when we go through some self-examination to reflect on one’s thoughts, actions, motivations, and other aspects of yourself. In other words, How’m I doing in life?
People go through a spiritual accounting as well. I used to do that before I was saved, and of course, after I was saved too. But though the process is the same, the outcome is totally different.
The main difference is the pronoun. Before salvation if one takes stock, every item in the spiritual inventory will begin with “I”, as in I did this or I did that. Afterwards, it focuses on “You” as in Jesus, the Redeemer. Let’s take a look at some examples from scripture.
The Rich Young Ruler. First of all, notice his emphasis even in the beginning, his question focused on himself:
“Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18). Jesus answered, referencing the Commandments, and the Rich Young Ruler replied, And he said, “All these things I have kept since my youth.” (Luke 18:21).
EPrata photo
His was a spiritual accounting that was of no account.
Of course, we are all familiar with the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees. Let’s review the Pharisee at the Temple.
The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ (Luke 18:11-12)
Did you notice the verse in the NASB says the Pharisee prayed in regard to himself? The focus (and the pronoun) is I-I-I.
Saul before he was Paul, prior to salvation, thought he was earning his way to heaven with all his spiritual deeds,
If anyone else thinks he is confident in the flesh, I have more reason: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. (Philippians 3:4-6).
Before salvation it was all about him, wasn’t it? But Paul found out different, didn’t he? His spiritual accounting was based on wind.
For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; (Isaiah 64:6).
Boasting in one’s self displeases God, but relying on God does please Him.
Job’s spiritual accounting changed from the beginning of the book to the end, where Job, though spoken of as a righteous man by God, finally acknowledged his inadequacy.
Therefore I retract, And I repent, sitting on dust and ashes. (Job 42:6).
Humility. Focus is on God. Not self.
The Tax Collector near the Pharisee who was boasting in himself, had a total focus on God and a right view of himself. He knew he was a sinner, he knew he was unworthy.
But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!‘ (Luke 18:13).
In all of Paul’s post-conversion pleadings, his repentance and please were bundled into one word, CHRIST.
In our repentance, in our prayers, when we take stock or do a spiritual accounting, let us (me) be focused on our Good Savior, the only good, the only worthy, the only One who can receive our prayer AND do something about it- Jesus, The Trinitarian Godhead persons who delight in humility and penitence.
Paul was generous in his greetings and benedictions. He closed his letters warmly, with reminders to remember or to greet certain named (and unnamed people). Romans 16 is full of these names, and as Warren Wiersbe said,
How we wish we had the details of the stories behind each of these names!”
Too right. I am positively panting to know these people, but then I console myself with the knowledge that once I’m in heaven, I will have an eternity to hear their praises and deeds for the cause of Christ. In the list in Romans 16, except for Priscilla and Aquila who are mentioned elsewhere, we only have the one mention of these fine brethren. But we can glean some information, a tiny bit.
First, we learn that “Chapter 16 closes typically with greetings and commendations from various individuals. Greetings are offered to twenty-seven people, including a significant number of women,” says Holman concise Bible commentary. Of the long list of those who were mentioned, I’ll focus on the women, our sisters in Christ:
Phoebe, helper of many, servant of the church which is at Cenchrea.
Prisca, to whom Paul gives thanks but who were his fellow workers in Christ Jesus, and who risked their own necks for Paul’s life
Mary has worked hard for you.
Junia, (“Junias,” a contracted form of “Junianus”; in this case, it is a man’s name. But if, as is more probable, the word be, as in our version, “Junia,” the person meant was no doubt either the wife or the sister of Andronicus – source Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary) was outstanding in the view of the apostles.
Tryphaena and Tryphosa, Their names mean ‘delicate one’ and they were likely twins. Paul said they were workers in the Lord and should be greeted as such.
Persis, is the beloved one and Paul notes that she has worked hard in the Lord. Herbert F. Stevenson points out “a delicacy indicative of profound Christian courtesy” in that use of the word ‘beloved’. Wow. Wiersbe said “Four persons are called “beloved” by Paul: Epenetus (Rom. 16:5), Amplias (Rom. 16:8), Stachys (Rom. 16:9), and Persis (Rom. 16:12).
Julia, Lockyer says, “By birth a member of one of the great old homes in Rome, Julia was doubtless a member of the imperial court and therefore among the saints to be found in Caesar’s household. Perhaps she was the wife or sister of Philologus with whose name she is coupled.”
If that is true it would be the third pairing or husband-wife team, which included Priscilla and Aquila, and perhaps Andronicus and Junia if Junia was a woman, were also a married couple.
“It is significant that nine of these co-laborers are women (ten, if Junia[s], v. 7, is a woman, as many believe), making one-third of the total list a tribute to women in ministry and mission of one kind or another. This invites the careful interpreter to compare other Pauline passages in which women are enjoined to silence or to primarily domestic roles that are subordinate.” Gruenler, R. G. (1995). Romans. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible.
Far from Christianity subjugating women, women were and are valued for our many contributions and labors. Fie to those unsettled and unstable women who cry out for the necessity of lady preachers and teachers! Wiersbe says,
This [Romans 16] list shows the parts that people played in Paul’s ministry and the ministry of the churches. Phebe was a “succourer” of many. Priscilla and Aquila were “helpers” and “laid down their own necks” for Paul. The conversion of Epenetus led to the salvation of others in Asia. Mary “bestowed much labor.” Andronicus and Junias went to prison with Paul. One can only give thanks for these devoted saints who fulfilled their ministries to the glory of God. May we follow in their train!
Source- Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 566). Victor Books.
May we labor for the praise from our Lord, for His pleasure is our joy.
Believers, if you have been faithful and your persevering walk is evidence of that faith, you will be given a pass into eternal glory upon which the Lord of Hosts, the Ancient of Days, the Holy-Holy-Holy Lord has written upon it Himself, personally for just YOU!
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.” (Revelation 2:17)
“But there’s an interesting little historical note, when a victor won in the games, whatever great games were being held, it was not uncommon for the victor to be given as part of his prize a white stone. And the white stone was his admission pass into the festival that was held following the games for all the victors. Could it be that the overcomer will receive the ticket to the eternal victory in heaven?”
Commentary on that verse from John MacArthur:
“And then He says, “And a new name written on the stone,” and I read where they would do that. They would give the victor, like a trophy, a stone with his name and he alone could use it as his pass. “A new name written on the stone which no one knows, but he who receives it.” I can’t tell you how many people have asked me…what is that name?”
“A lady will come to me any time I preach on the book of Revelation and say, “What is the name that no man knows?” Folks, I don’t know what the name is. If I knew what the name was then this verse couldn’t say what it says, it would have to say, “And no one knows except John MacArthur.”
“The only one who knows what it says is the person who receives it, that’s how personal it is. What it is to me is some kind of personal message from Christ to the one He loves which is given as an admission pass into eternal glory. I’ll know mine and you’ll know yours and we’ll know the Lord wrote them for each of us and for none of the others of us.” (source)
It is huge to think of the precious Savior not only saving me, not only guiding and protecting me, not only providing for me, but when He brings me to glory (amazing!) He gives me a personal message just for me, out of the millions thronging there!
Friend, if you have ever been picked last, if you have ever had unwanted divorce thrust upon you, if you have ever been fired from a job, marginalized at home, or left in any feeling invisible and unwanted, THIS should pick you up. A secret message/name is waiting for you, just for you, with the Savior’s love and care personally imprinting it and gracefully extending it to you in heaven. What a day that will be!!!!!!!
On the Mount of Olives, Jesus sat with his disciples and answered their questions about the end of the age and the signs of His second coming. He answered in specific detail in Matthew 24 and 25, also Mark 13 and Luke 21. It is the longest answer He gave to any question the disciples asked.
The verses in Mt 24:3-6 read: “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.“
These signs are warnings to allow the Spirit to give birth to the faith within. A parallel reference to Matthew 24:6 is given as Romans 10:17: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”
He speaks through His word (the Bible) and He shows himself through the creation.
I am reminded of Paul’s warning in Romans 1:18, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,”
They suppress the truth. What is that truth? That truth is that God exists, He created everything, thus, He is Authority over the earth and its inhabitants, and as the Authority and Creator, He will judge our lives. The other truth is, that we are ALL sinners due wrath from God. They suppress that!
When I saw the devastation in TN, North Carolina, and southern Georgia, it shocked me. Whole towns wiped away. Cities like Asheville and Augusta, extremely damaged. You’ve seen the pictures and video. Shocking and heartbreaking.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (Matthew 3:7)
There is wrath to come.
Jesus said in His Olivet Discourse as to the end of the end of days, it will be the worst time on earth there ever was or ever will be. Famine, earthquakes. Never mind towns, whole islands will flee away. Hawaii- gone. Malta, gone, Elba, gone England, gone. Floods, tsunamis, volcanoes. It will be like the North Carolina floods happening but also everywhere else all the disasters are happening too! At once, and/or in rapid succession. Just as one devastation happens, another occurs.
The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:36)
In fact, the purpose not only is to demonstrate God’s wrath for sin and to punish Israel, but to UNcreate the earth before God restores it to its near-pre-Eden condition and then remake it totally. The recent hurricane was monstrous in size and its path of devastation was horrendous. The Tribulation will be worse.
Please listen to what Jesus is telling us in His word. He loves the world. He wants your sins to be forgiven so He may embrace you as friend on Judgment Day (1 Timothy 2:4), and not cast you alive into the Lake of Fire as an enemy. The difference between friend of God and enemy of God is a personal recognition of our own sins, and repenting and asking Jesus to forgive them. He is already the Lord of your life- this life AND the next one. Repenting makes Him your Savior. Saving from what? The wrath.
You do NOT want to be here during the coming Tribulation. Repent while it is still day. Before you are hardened in your sin, before you draw your last breath. Jesus forgives and He saves!
The biggest topic I used to receive pushback on was naming a false teacher. People got angry when their favorite pet teacher was outed as false, thus, out flowed their invective. But lately the most pushback I receive is when I say that God is not speaking to us audibly or personally in these days. People are REALLY defending that one!
It’s sad how embedded the notion of God still speaking directly and audibly to people has become in such a short time. It’s particularly crushing to see that Celebrity women with large platforms are promoting this, and have been for years. Almost an entire generation now.
Is He whispering? Sending signs or omens? Should we seek intuitions, feelings, nudgings, whispers, small voices, and promptings that we might sense inside of our brain? Or even hear audibly?
Does God give new revelation today? Did He tell Beth Moore to go to a zoo and watch a napping baby koala together or build a snowman with Him? Did He respond to Sarah Young’s yearning “for more” than scripture by giving her so many personal devotions? Did He awaken IF:Gathering’s founder Jennie Allen one night and tell her to gather and equip this generation? Did He walk with HGTV’s Fixer Upper Joanna Gaines in her garden and tell her that He has a calling for her and that one day she will have a platform taking Magnolia further than she ever dreamed? Did Priscilla Shirer write an entire Bible study to teach us how we can prepare to “hear God’s voice and receive wisdom from Him”? These women have all claimed to have heard from God, AND put His alleged words in quotes.
A short history of “God told me”
I mention these particular women because they are (or were) not fringe, not in a cult, and not outside the bounds of orthodoxy when they first began claiming direct revelation. Oh, for years false prophets had been claiming God spoke to them, but they were never taken seriously. From around 90 AD when the canon was completed in the Book of Revelation to the 20th century, it was a given that the mainline church believed God’s new revelations were concluded. His final word was THE Word.
So why is it so rampant now?
top row l-r: Jennie Allen, Priscilla Shirer. Bottom row, Beth Moore, Sarah Young of Jesus Calling
Justin Peters addressed this issue at the Truth Matters conference in 2019 (one of many tmes he has addressed the problem). The title of his talk was “Hearing from Heaven: How to Know the Voice of God” He said-
I would submit to you that the resource, the book that is singularly most responsible for introducing charismatic theology into at least theoretically non-charismatic churches is Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby that came out in 1991. If you go back before 1991, at least in non-charismatic churches, almost everyone would have understood that God speaks to us through the Bible, we speak to Him in prayer. Today hardly anybody understands that; and I believe experiencing God is singularly most responsible for introducing these notions into non-charismatic churches.
I agree with this perspective. I remember when the book came to my former church. There was a huge buzz about it and immediately groups were formed to go through the study. We were told that it was going to change our life, make a huge difference in our walk, and so on.
Southern Baptist Convention member Beth Moore soon latched onto this notion that God speaks to us directly and from her earliest days promoted the idea through constant sharing of anecdotes of what He was supposedly telling her. Her very first “Bible study” called A Woman’s Heart: God’s Dwelling Place was published in 1995. Every page of the 200 page workbook (!) Moore asked the student to write on the blanks the answer to the following 2 questions: [underline mine]-
“At the conclusion of each lesson you will find two questions: 1) How did God speak directly to you today? 2) What is your response to Him?”
“By the conclusion of each lesson you should be able to identify something in particular that you believe He was saying directly to you.”
Due to Moore’s large platform and general respect (back then) for the Southern Baptist Convention’s orthodoxy, her idea grew tentacles among women’s ministries and went everywhere from there.
In 2004 Sarah Young’s book Jesus Calling was published, where young outright said she heard from God. This book also made a huge impact and picking up the baton from Moore, the notion began forging new trails into the heart and mind of conservative women. It was no longer a fringe notion, since Blackaby and Moore were in conservative churches, not Charismatic nor Pentecostal…nor were either of them being chastised for their presumption that Jesus chooses special people to whom he gives special revelation directly and apart from the Bible. Sarah Young’s book became a brand and a cottage industry.
in 2014 Jennie Allen held her first IF:Gathering, in which she related to her audience that God woke her up one night to tell her, or whisper, or both, she couldn’t decide exactly, to gather and equip this generation, something not even Paul was charged with.
And now it’s 2024 and everyone and their sister seems to say, “God told me”. Luke Smallbone of the Christian musical group For King and Country said this month,
From Smallbone’s Instagram reel
It was actually a sweet moment. He was saying he had felt far from God, hadn’t dived into the Word in a while, and was repenting of that. Great. But he continued, “I felt God say to me, ‘Luke’, and I listened, and I felt him say, “I’ve missed you”.
While the sentiment is true, God does love us and wants us close to Him, it is unhelpful for Luke to claim that he heard God personally deliver the comfort. It is just plain wrong to put it in quotes. Even though Luke said ‘I felt God was saying’ it is still wrong. Luke didn’t say “I went to the scripture and the Holy Spirit, through the word, comforted me”. No he alleges he had a conversation. Tellingly, he did not turn to scripture for comfort nor did he advise his followers to do so. He just said “When life gets a little hectic, listen to what God is saying.”
A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. (Galatians 5:9).
And “God told me” IS leaven.
In the next part, what direct revelation is (leaven) and isn’t (happening now), and how to respond to people who claim to have heard from Jesus.
FurtherResources
G3 is hosting the Cessationist Conference Oct 3-5, 2024. “Join us in October of 2024 as we carefully consider key biblical arguments for the cessation of the miraculous gifts of the Spirit.”
A very famous married elderly Reformed preacher was forced to confess he had been having a five-year-long affair with a woman almost 50 years younger than he. He was fired from his preaching position, ejected from the ministry he founded, and rejected in his many other ministry positions of authority and prestige.
The shock went around the world. Literally. The ensuing shock is still reverberating. Some insiders have said, “No one saw this coming.” Not that they disbelieved that anyone can sin into adultery, but no one saw it coming from this man in particular.
Al Mohler spoke about this situation, answering a question he’d been asked as to whether pastors falling due to adultery are happening more frequently these days. It seemed so to the questioner.
Moher said that he “doesn’t sense an increase in number but an increase in public damage to the church of Jesus Christ. The effect of the issue upon the church and the ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is so grievous“
Mohler also quoted advice given him by an elder honorable Christian man,
You will never have sex with a woman not your wife, if you are never alone with a woman not your wife.”
In the aftermath of this news, people have been discussing the background of Mohler’s quip, the Billy Graham Rule. (BGR)
The BGR is a rule that 20th century evangelist Bill Graham instituted for himself never to be alone with a woman not his wife. As a traveling evangelist, he was subject to gossip and speculation, particularly in the wake of traveling religious men before him who had been charlatans.
“Graham tells the story of when he was walking along a quiet street with his 18-year-old daughter: the next day, the local paper printed the story that Graham was “again” seen with a beautiful, young woman, insinuating that Graham’s sexual exploits were beginning to be a problem,” explains Kurt Edwards in his dissertation “Billy Graham, Elmer Gantry, and the Performance Of A New American Revivalism“
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In this June 27, 1954 file photo, Evangelist Billy Graham speaks to over 100,000 people at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany (AP)
Graham himself had said of the issue, “There is always the chance of misunderstanding. I remember walking down the street in New York with my beautiful blond daughter, Bunny. I was holding her hand. I heard somebody behind us say, ‘There goes Billy Graham with one of those blond girls.'” (Source).
These rumors bothered Graham, who wanted to maintain a pure reputation. He had recently read the devastating book Elmer Gantry, about the perseverance, rise, and ultimate success of a corrupt preacher who was in fact a false convert. This book spooked Graham. He was concerned enough with his reputation in light of the Gantry book and subsequent movie, that in 1948 “while in Modesto, California, he [Graham] gathered close advisers, including Grady and T.W. Wilson, Cliff Barrows, and Bev Shea” wrote Edwards, to discuss how to handle this kind of attention.
The issues they were concerned about were money, sexual immorality, discord with local churches, and telling journalists the true numbers of attendees (not inflating the truth when speaking of publicity) – these “rules” were to help squash any issues with these 4 problems and became known as “The Modesto Manifesto”.
The rule Graham had about maintaining sexual purity was that he would never travel alone, nor would he meet with or eat alone with any woman other than his wife. But there is an interesting twist to that Rule many people do not know. More on that below.
It was a purposeful strategy to ignore the Elmer Gantry-ish excesses of the famous American evangelists who’d come before him. And it worked like magic. When scandals destroyed some of his imitators in the 1980s, like Jim and Tammy Bakker, Graham’s operation looked even more like a model of rectitude in comparison. (Rolling Stone, The Soul Crushing Legacy of Billy Graham).
BGR or BGR-ish Can Be Good
I have an issue with the Billy Graham Rule, and it is not what you think. I believe the wisdom behind the Rule is good. It is NOT wise for a man, clergy, pastor, counselor to meet alone with a woman. Not professionally and certainly not personally. Not even in public, as in a restaurant, mall, or park. I also believe it is not a good idea to frequently text or email or phone call a woman who is not his wife, an added caveat since new technology has been invented since Billy Graham was around.
It was not holiness that prompted Graham and his cohorts to formulate this rule. It was not to establish guardrails for the purpose of maintaining discipline so God gets the glory.
It was performance. It was to create an external appearance in order to glorify self.
Some may take issue with what I’m saying here. But I’ve done a lot of thinking about Billy Graham and even more study on his life and ministry. Much. I don’t say these things lightly or without reason or substantiation. I know some won’t like it because some idolize him. That’s fine. Their opinion. I have mine.
As a side note, I’ve read Stephen King’s The Mist, Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Lovecraft…and Elmer Gantry. Let me say that Elmer Gantry out-horrored them all and was the most chilling, horrific book I ever read. It definitely leaves an impression.
Throughout Billy Graham’s career, the evangelist sought performative manners to ensure that he would not be perceived as another “Elmer Gantry”, or huckster preacher out to win money, fame, and favor. Graham’s intent was to grow a ministry that would form a new performance paradigm for American revivalism. Graham prepared as an actor to use his gifts, train his voice and body, to write a different style of script, to capitalize on celebrity, and to embrace new media forms that would bring his message around the world thus creating a “New” revivalism while at the same time distancing himself from being seen as the character in Sinclair Lewis’ novel Elmer Gantry…” ~Dr. Ronald E. Shields, Bowling Green State University.
Why I am suspicious about the BGR
Graham decided not to sup alone, be seen with, or in any way be tainted by the notion that he was alone with a woman not his wife in public, and this included his daughters.
This is my issue and it’s why I deem it performance, a whitewashed tomb rather than a God-glorifying pursuit of purity.
He sacrificed his girls on the altar of personal reputation. It wasn’t for the glory of God. It was so people would think he was a highly moral person. We see this conceptually in the Modesto discussions, and we see in reality at the abandonment of his daughters for the sake of being well thought of.
“From that point on, Graham would not to travel, meet, or dine alone with any woman other than his wife Ruth — even his very own daughters when they came of age.” ~Edwards
Evangelists were often separated from their families during long periods of time and could be tempted with immorality (at least to do things that were disparate with what they were preaching for or against). The team pledged to avoid even the appearance of compromise. From that day forward, Graham never traveled alone, nor did he meet or eat alone with any woman other than his wife (including his teenage daughters). ~paraphrasing William Martin’s book, “A Prophet with Honor: The Billy Graham Story.
So: the entire point about me cautioning with regard to the Billy Graham Rule is —
MOTIVE
You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures. (James 4:3)
All the ways of a person are clean in his own sight, But the LORD examines the motives. (Proverbs 16:2)
The Pharisees were ALL ABOUT performance. Jesus called them out on it. He said they stand on corners (busy location) so they would be seen They didn’t wash, so they would be seen. They pulled long faces at fasting, so they would be seen. When they tithed they sounded trumpets. They sought the chief seats at banquets. All so they would be praised and glorified.
Then the Lord said, “Because this people approaches Me with their words And honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me, (Isaiah 29:13).
Practicing righteousness to heap glory onto one’s self is a worthless endeavor.
Take care not to practice your righteousness in the sight of people, to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 6:1)
CAUTION
As you think about the BGR, ponder your motives. And sin being what it is, even if you’ve instituted such a rule for yourself at the start based on wanting to give glory to God through a holy lifestyle, over time it can become hardened and rigid, and become one of many rules that are void of worship and instead by now are just a performance. A rule for the sake of a rule.
For am I now seeking the favor of people, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10).
That question should always be utmost in our minds. WHY do we do the things we do? Is what I am doing out of love and submission to the Savior? Am I pursuing holiness for the sake of God getting glory, or for myself so as to be well thought of? Has it become rote, and devoid of meaning and worship?
but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not intending to please people, but to please God, who examines our hearts. (1 Thessalonians 2:4)
I’m taking an online course on discipling and mentoring with Harry Walls out of The Master’s Seminary. It’s full of rich truths. Allow me to share what I am learning from Him.
prayer and Bible reading AKA devotions. The elixir of life
Devotions: Why?
Why should we do devotions? Loving God with all our heart, mind, strength, soul can’t be accomplished without taking TIME, and quality time at that, to get to know Him. Daily time for God alone. Commit to God!
Jesus’ summary of the greatest commandment in the New Testament was to love God with all your soul, strength, mind, and heart. And secondly, to love our neighbor as ourselves. We love God by engaging with Him.
Love is relational. God created man so He would engage in a love relationship with us. Not that He needed to, He was perfectly satisfied with the intra-Trinitarian love among the three Persons of the Godhead. But he wanted to extend that love to humankind.
In return, we take time for God in our devotions, which is our relational time for God alone. Every relationship requires undivided and undistracted time alone with the person we love. In marriage, some spouses prioritize ‘date night’ so they can reconnect and nurture each other. Children always want to have some alone time with their parents, where the parent is focused and connected with them. It’s impossible to develop a loving, relational, thriving relationship without taking time for it.
And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ (Matthew 22:37).
The word all in the verse means as we would recognize, whole, complete, entire. Loving God supremely, with our very life.
Devotions: When?
In so doing, we choose our BEST time, the supreme time to be alone with God. For many of us, that means the morning. We are fresher. The mundane, worldly distractions haven’t divided our attention yet. We can be more focused. If we are to love God with all we’ve got, we love Him with the BEST we’ve got. If the time you take isn’t in the morning, then choose the BEST time relationally for you to meet with God alone.
Prioritize that time, protect it. Whether early, late, or midday, your devotional time should be at the same time each day. Carving out a protected time displays intention and value, which in turn shows an intentionality of prioritizing the relationship you’re nurturing.
So set the best time, the same time, and an amount of time. A little is better than nothing. But do it. Missing too many alone times with family or friends, they will let you know they feel undervalued or not prioritized. The relationship will wither.
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But don’t just take my word for it. Let’s turn to the scriptures to see our models regarding devotional time spent with God:
Choose a private, quiet, secluded place. As Jesus did,
Yet, “And in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and prayed there for a time. (Mark 1:35).
Luke 4:42, Now when day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place;
Luke 5:16, But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray
Slipping away to the wilderness (or other translations, ‘lonely places’) didn’t mean Jesus hopped into his car and comfortably drove to the trails at the park. He walked, hiked, took time before he got to the place where He was going to take time. He went to lengths to ensure that his prayer-devotional life would be undistracted.
Grace, by Eric Enstrom. Photograph, 1918
Being busy was not an excuse. Jesus was the busiest man alive during His ministry on earth. David was busy. During his life he was either a King or a fugitive. But he prayed (hear my voice) and then ‘watched’ (watching out to see what God would say). Sometimes that time would be early:
Psalm 5:3, In the morning, Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will present my prayer to You and be on the watch.
Sometimes it would be late: When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, Psalm 63:6.
Sometimes it was all day long! Psalm 119:97, How I love Your Law! It is my meditation all the day.
Jesus is our model for humans ought to live. His time for meeting with God was usually before the day started. Job rose early and offered sacrifices. (Job 1:5). Luke 21:38 says the people who wanted to hear Jesus at the temple “would get up very early in the morning to come to Him in the temple to listen to Him.”
It’s not just learning, it’s relating. You need Bible, pen, paper, or journal, place. It is an opportunity to be with the best Person ever. Pursue this with a positive expectation. An encounter with perfection yields satisfaction. Feast on the perfections of our Creator and Savior!
Devotions: What?
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What do we do during devotions?
1.Devotional reading. Let God talk about Himself. Relationship is communication. Devotional Bible reading, What does what I read teach me about my God, my Savior, my Friend. He will reveal what he wants to reveal about Himself. Read the scripture for self-revelation. Ask Him to reveal God to you.
1.Daily devotional reading is listening to God talk to you about Himself. Not audibly! Do not expect that. As you read devotionally, keep asking, “God what are you revealing to me about Yourself?” For example, in the scene in Genesis 14:17-24, Melchizedek, Abram, Cherdorlaomer (Kerd-or-lay-omer), you see the term “Most High several times. And Abram said he would not take booty from Cherdorlaomer, not a whisker of it. And he gave a tenth to Melchizedek. So in a devotional reading of this passage you could pray, ‘O Lord, you are most high and most deserving. High and lifted up you are, and worth all my devotion, attention, and love. Let not one iota of pollution enter into my mind, let nothing unworthy be mixed in with worship…’ and so on
2.Respond-Talk to God about what He has revealed to you. This is devotional praying. Pray back in praise and worship.
3.Let God talk to you for you and about you. Not audibly! Do not expect that. It’s reading for inspiration, direction, for transformation. ‘God, please feed my soul with fresh bread, more necessary that my food’. Look for personal encouragement from God’s word. As you read the Bible, look for affirming and encouraging words for your soul. ‘Soul food’ nourishment.
4.Look for life guidance from God too. Not just inspiration, not just encouragement and affirmation, but direction in life. Proverbs 8 speaks about wisdom, acquiring it and using it. Wisdom from God will guide us in life. His wisdom is in His book- the Bible. Wisdom for life guidance from other people is fine, but it’s filtered through a finite mind. Wisdom from God is gained from His word and the Spirit’s application and illumination of it to us. God will guide us- from His word.
Meet with Him daily.
I’m not super spiritual. I fail at this myself. I’m home on school break, I have no family nearby, no children, no work tasks, no appointments, and no intrusions. I still fail sometimes to meet with God in the ways described above! I read the Bible, but sometimes distractedly. I pray, but sometimes not for long. I meditate on God, but not praying God’s promises or scriptures. This just goes to show me that our flesh is indeed strong. We still mutiny against meeting with God in prayer, His word, and private meditations.
Even though God is the best person anywhere, even though it’s always profitable to meet with Him, even though it reaps glorious benefits, even though it’s our chief end in life to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever, we still don’t love Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.
Let’s make a pact, sister, for you and me to do our best to apply the devotional principles outlined above, summarized from the good teacher Harry Walls from The Master’s Seminary, and do our utmost to love Jesus as He deserves – AND as He has commanded.
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Further Resources
Devotionals the produce aren’t the same as doing devotional Bible reading. But here are some great devotionals for feasting on during your day:
The Valley of Vision. A selection of petitions and meditations in the Puritan tradition.
Love Came Down at Christmas: Daily Readings for Advent by Sinclair Ferguson
The Dawn of Redeeming Grace: A Daily Advent Devotional by Sinclair Ferguson
A Basket of Summer Fruit: Sweet vignettes and Bible expositions bearing the author’s love for Christ, by Susannah Spurgeon
Drawing Near: Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith by John MacArthur
The Private Key to Heaven, by Thomas Brooks. Book presents twenty arguments for private prayer. Drawing from examples in Scripture and history, Brooks exhorts God’s people to more faithfulness in this spiritual discipline and means of grace. His application is filled with poignant rebuke, specific directions, and refutation of objections to private prayer. FREE at Chapel Library as ebook, snail mail freely sent to you, or download.
Today and the next 5 weekdays I’ll publish something about discernment. So, Wolf Week! Lack of discernment is the cause of much trouble in the church and much confusion.
This inaugural entry to the week of discernment essays is called “We DO know the heart!”
When I publish a discernment essay, I am often treated to an old chestnut of a comment that is becoming practically standard for those without discernment to use as a reply:
He alone is sovereign and fully knows all hearts!
God is sovereign. God knows the heart. But we do too.
If a teacher’s doctrine has been proven false by comparing it with the Bible, then we DO know their heart! The Bible tells us this. Only God knows the hearts of the people, but if their teaching is not of the Lord, then the God who sees hearts has exposed those hearts to us by the verses of His word!
Of false teachers, the Bible says-
Their hearts are full of deceit. Colossians 2:8 Their hearts are filled with their own appetites. Romans 16:17-18 Their hearts are disguised with light. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 Their hearts are full of greed. 2 Peter 2:3 Their hearts are ravenous. Matthew 7:15. Their hearts are inwardly full of sensuality. Jude 1:4 Their hearts are full of secrets, such as destructive heresies. 2 Peter 2:1 Their hearts are full of intent to exploit. 2 Peter 2:3 Their hearts are full of fleshly passions. 2 Timothy 4:3 Their hearts are puffed up with conceit. 1 Timothy 6:4 His heart understands nothing. 1 Timothy 6:4 Their hearts are cunning and crafty. Ephesians 4:14 Their hearts serve the creature. Romans 1:25 Their hearts are slaves of corruption. 2 Peter 2:19. Their hearts deny the Master who bought them. 2 Peter 2:1 Their hearts prophesy lies. Jeremiah 23:26
So whenever I expose a testimony as false or a teaching as false, or a teacher as false, using biblical proof, STOP saying that this is a bad activity because “only God knows the heart”. He does, that’s true, but He has shown us the heart of the false teacher in His word. He taught us this in His word for the purpose of being mature, discerning, and so we can learn for ourselves and also teach the younger to be edified and strong.
Sermons hit different people differently. Some say it was the best they’d ever heard, others say meh. It’s why I don’t usually post sermons claiming such things, the Holy Spirit emphasizes different things to different people. What I think is blockbuster the next person can take or leave, and vice versa.
Individually, like for myself, I can’t tell what the Spirit is doing. I can’t tell if I’d advanced in sanctification a lot or a little that day, month, year. There aren’t bells or alarms that indicate such things.
But, we KNOW that the Holy Spirit leads us. We KNOW that He advances us in Christlikeness day by day. But can we detect it?
Not usually. But sometimes.
Allow me to share my experience. In November of this past year, I tuned in to a sermon from The Master’s Seminary because I was curious about the title: “The Secret to Endurance”. It was delivered by Dr. Abner Chou. I’ve listened to him before. I went through his Seminary course in Job, twice. And Exodus. I’ve heard his sermons and Chapel talks. He talks fast and is high-level. Many times I can’t keep up. But I keep at it.
Anyway, I was curious about ‘the secret.’ I tuned in. His text was Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, (2 Timothy 2:8). The sermon was aimed at pastors and soon-to-be pastors but it is highly applicable to anyone in ministry, AND any lay person who just wants to endure.
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, (2 Timothy 2:8)
I enjoyed the sermon. It’s good. As happens many times with the Holy Spirit, one particular thing ‘jumped out at me.’ The word “remember”.
Abner Chou can wring out more truth from one word than I think any man alive. He spent some time setting up the premise for Paul telling Timothy to remember, then explained the word remember’s meaning.
Remember Jesus Christ…
I took that part of the sermon to heart. It imprinted in me. Since early November to early December, every time I heard the word remember, I thought of that sermon. In December it drove me batty enough so I tuned back in and re-listened to that part, except longer before and after the part I was wrestling with.
And again throughout December, every time I heard the word remember. I brought it back up and read the transcript.
This morning someone posted on Twitter a JC Ryle link to a short essay called Remember Lot’s Wife. I’m curious about that scene in the Bible as well so I downloaded the link and read the essay. It’s a really good essay. (free download here).
The word remember, remember, remember kept coming up in my mind, so I looked up the sermon AGAIN today. This time I re-listened to the entire thing. Though I enjoyed it the first time in November, this time, something was happening. I cried tears after tears listening to all the explanations about the power of Jesus, the Person of Jesus, the preeminence of Jesus. Paul’s use of the term Jesus Christ, Paul’s entire goal in life to honor Jesus, verses and more verses.
Even though I’d heard the sermon before in its entirety and in parts 2X after that, this time I sat stock still, eyes glued to the screen. I did not multitask. I did not move. All I did was get tissue after tissue and listen, amazed at the beauty and grace of Christ presented through the eyes of Paul to Timothy. The Spirit was obviously doing something. What, I do not know. Knitting truth to my soul…transforming my mind…
It HAS to be the Spirit. I wasn’t moved over a romantic comedy. I wasn’t moved reading a story over a lost cat. I didn’t have tears over a sad news story. It was scripture. And if it’s scripture, it has to be the Spirit, who uses scripture to point to Jesus.
We cannot grow if we do not absorb the scriptures (hearing it or reading it for ourselves). We need to meet with Jesus to learn about Him and be pliable to have the Spirit form Christlikeness in us. If you hear something or read something and your mind keeps turning back to it, follow it up. I’m not talking about mystical signs or omens. But if you keep meditating on a scripture, or part of scripture, then, what are you waiting for? Keep digging. It may be an example of the Spirit leading you. Even if it isn’t, it’s a good thing to return to a verse and keep praying over it for deeper meaning. And if it is, you will have glorified Jesus whom the Spirit is leading you to meet with.
I humbly bow to the power of the Spirit-filled word. I am grateful to the Savior for fashioning for me a life where I can listen to sermons like this, to have time to do so and space to ruminate on the powerful preaching. He is a good, good God. I will remember.
the-end-time.org 