Tag: Christians

Book of 70 Prayers (A Book Review)

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Sometimes books drop into your life at precisely the right time. And so it is with Book of 70 Prayers. Book of 70 Prayers is a Deja Vu experience of God’s favor gracing my life at just the right time. The author sent me a copy of his work, and the book is such a blessing.

The content is simple, easy to read, and practical. What I particularly loved about this book is that if you have a basic understanding of the Bible, then you’ll immediately notice that the prayers are scriptural.

There is nothing more powerful than praying the scriptures, and this is one of those books that brings the Word of God into your prayer life seamlessly. Another aspect of this book that I admired was the author’s wisdom in isolating the prayers of the Apostle Paul. When viewed in such a context, the prayers serve as a stark reminder of what we should be praying for the church today.

There are two primary things that this book can do for you:

1. This book will change your heart. Prayer has a way of cleansing the heart, soul, and spirit. I’m reminded of a promise found in Exodus 36:26 which reads: A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. This is something that we should all long for – a new heart.

2. This book will inspire you to become more reflective. I’m drawn to books that foster quiet introspection. I found myself reflecting as I read through Royle’s work.

Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work.” If you are interested in deepening your prayer life, you can purchase the Book of 70 Prayers here.

To find out more about the author (Jason Royle) check out his website here.

Biblical Meditation: Romans 12:11

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Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 

Romans 12:11 is as simplistic as it sounds. Christians aren’t to be slothful or lazy in their zealousness. They are to be fervent in their spirit as they serve God. Sounds simple enough on the surface, but let’s dig deeper into the Greek!

In the Greek, the word used for zeal is the word spoude, which means earnestness and diligence. This word is used in reference to promoting an earnestness in promoting or striving after anything. In other words, Christians are not to be lazy in promoting and striving after God. Christians are to be active participants in a world that is growing darker by the day.

The second half of the sentence admonishes Christians to be fervent in spirit and serve the Lord. In the Greek, the word for fervent is Zeo, which translates as boiling with heat or to be hot. This phrase in Romans 12:11 is reminiscent of what we see in the book of Revelation when God tells the church of Laodicea that they are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. The church in Laodicea lacked the fervency in spirit spoken of in Romans 12:11.

Clarke’s Commentary and Barnes’ Notes eloquently state what is meant by Romans 12:11. Clark states that fervency in spirit is only doing at all times what is to the glory of God, and doing everything as unto Him with a fully engaged heart. He also writes that Christians should aim to please Him, living their lives with simplicity and purity.

Barnes says something slightly different. Barnes believes that this scripture reveals a few things: Barnes first explains that the scripture teaches the value of time. Romans 12:11 begins with the command to not be lazy. Indolence hasn’t just taken over the Western world but has also crept into the church. Many Christians are just as lazy as people who don’t know God – lazy in both their secular and spiritual affairs. Of course, God commands the opposite – telling us to work hard in every area of our lives. Barnes also explains that the scripture is a reminder of the numerous and important things that are to be done.

Our lives on the earth are filled with purpose. We are to live with a zeal for God and the things of God! And we are to be fervent in spirit. So, let’s increase our zeal and fervency. Consider the points below as you fulfill the mandate of Romans 12:11:

1. Pray, worship, fast, and read scripture. Those who lack zeal and fervency or those who feel far from God. Redevelop a deep relationship with the Creator through prayer, worship, fasting and the reading of Scripture.

2. Use your natural and spiritual talents. God has given every Christian both natural and spiritual gifts. No one is without a talent. Use the talents that God has given you to bless others.

3. Be consistent. Water doesn’t boil immediately, and zeal doesn’t always occur overnight, but awakens in the believer and grows as they draw near to Christ. Increase your spiritual temperature over time by staying consistent in using your gifts and talents and deepening your relationship with God.

4 Beliefs You Need to Ditch if You Want to Be Happy

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Happiness experts all agree that it’s not what you have that makes you happy, but rather what you do and who you know. Despite evidence that things don’t make us happy, people still reach for stuff as if it might bring some joy to their lives. But the idea that stuff makes us happy isn’t the only belief that holds people back from happiness. There are a few other beliefs that keep people in a place of discontentment. Below are four beliefs that you need to ditch if you want to be happy.

The belief that you aren’t good enough. Low self-esteem and feelings of unworthiness bring unhappiness. In scripture, Satan is referred to as the “Accuser of the brethren.” He is a finger-pointer who attempts to bring shame and condemnation into the life of God’s children. If you want to be happy, you can’t live under condemnation. Instead, you must live in freedom, believing that the grace of God is sufficient for your weakness.

The belief that you aren’t loved. God loves you. You are loved. You are cherished by Him. You are not forgotten. We were created to be social creatures, and we are designed for relationships and love – so it is perfectly natural to yearn for love, approval, and acceptance. Thankfully, God loves, approves and accepts us.

The belief that your life needs to be perfect for you to be happy. Life will never be perfect. There will always be messes, bumps in the road, psychological fires to put out, and missteps. No one has a perfect life. If you wait for your life to be perfect before you choose happiness, then you’ll be waiting all your life. Choose to be happy even when life is a mess because perfection is unrealistic.

The belief that a bad past holds sway over your future. When people have a bad past, they are often fearful that their future has already been written, and that it won’t work out for their good. But scripture says the opposite: Romans 8:28 states that all things work together for the good to them that love God, and are called according to His purpose. Do you love God? Are you called to His purpose? Then things will work out for you, and your past has no sway over your future.

Is There a Simple Way to Live a Holy Life?

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The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us. – C.S. Lewis

Is there a simple way to live a holy life? Is holiness something that simply comes to us when we accept the gift of salvation or is holiness something that we must pursue? Hebrews 12:14 makes it clear that holiness isn’t something that simply drops out of the sky. It isn’t something that comes to us because we confess that Yeshua is the Messiah.

Holiness comes when we pursue it. Holiness comes with work. Hebrews 12:14 tells us to pursue two things: peace and holiness. If it were something that was inherently within us, then there would be no need to pursue it.

As we pursue holiness, it’s important to understand what holiness is. The technical definition of holiness is total devotion to God. And in scripture, we learn that God Himself isn’t just Holy… but Holy, Holy, Holy. God is so holy, that His Holiness is repetitive. And so, logically, we become holy when we become like God.

If you want to be holy, live as Yeshua lived. Walk, speak, give, think, and love like Yeshua.

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do- 1 Peter 1:15

Pray for the Persecuted Church

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Years ago I read a book that changed my life. It was a book (written by Richard Wurmbrand) called Tortured for Christ. The book opened a world for me that I didn’t know existed – the world of Christian persecution. In the book, Wurmbrand talked about his persecution in Romania under the oppressive rule of communism.

Richard eventually went on to found an organization called Voice of the Martyrs, which is a Christian ministry that helps families affected by Christian persecution.

Since reading Richard’s book, I’ve had a heart for those who are persecuted. Every day I pray for those who are in chains. (Hebrews 13:3) God tells us to identify with our brothers and sisters who suffer persecution. I think this is one of the ways that we fulfill the commandment of Yeshua who gave us a new commandment in John 13:34,35: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Loving each other means loving the persecuted church and those in North Korea, Iran, Iraq, India, Egypt, Syria, Columbia and all the other countries where Christians are persecuted. Let’s not forget to pray for our brothers and sisters on a daily basis that God would be their source of strength in times of trial.