Month: March 2014

Is Anything Happening When We Pray?

Published by Jeff Kennon on March 21, 2014

Do you ever wonder if anything is happening when you pray? You pray for rain, but it doesn’t rain. You pray for healing, but healing doesn’t come. You pray for the salvation of a family member or friend, but they continue to be unresponsive. So what’s happening? What should you do?

Persevere

We live in an impatient society. We have fast-food restaurants, high-speed internet, and on-demand movies. We are not conditioned to wait for much of anything and unfortunately, this affects our prayer life.

Jesus, in Luke 18:1-8, tells a parable to the effect that they [Jesus’ disciples] ought always to pray and not lose heart. The parable concerns a widow and an unjust judge. Though the widow continually pleaded for justice against her adversary, the judge would not grant it. But though he refused, he afterward said to himself: Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming. Jesus then asks his disciples: Here what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night?

When we pray and nothing appears to happen, what do we usually do? Do we continue in prayer? Consider the words of George Mueller found in his diary:

I am now in 1864, waiting upon God for certain blessings, for which I have daily besought Him for 19 years and 6 months, without one days intermission.

Can you imagine praying for over 19 years for certain requests?

Remember

When we pray and the heavens do not part and the heavenly hosts fail to descend slaying evil and bringing revival to the land, do not think that your praying is ineffective. We must remember that God is at work though we cannot always see when, where, or how.

Though it might seem as though our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, the truth is that cataclysmic activity is taking place (see Rev. 8:1-5). James writes that the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working (James 5:16). When we pray, the things that can transpire are beyond estimation.

John Piper writes:

Don’t neglect the amazing influence you have in the world for good through prayer. By prayer God calls us to join him in shaping history. By prayer we are to influence the wills of professors and writers and entertainers and editors and pastors and elders and missionaries. By prayer, we are to influence the wills of presidents and kings and senators and governors and mayors (1 Tim. 2:1). By prayer we are to influence the wills of our friends and enemies. We are to influence the wills of our children by prayer and our husbands and wives and mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and neighbors and colleagues and fellow students. The amount of transforming good you can do by prayer is incalculable.

Trust

Once again, we must not think that nothing happens when we pray. Did not Jesus tell us to ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7)? The trouble for us is our preconceived ideas regarding the method and the timing of God’s answering. Therefore, we must trust God.

Remember Job? Everything had been taken away from him, including his health. Job, as most of us would, wanted to know why. What was God’s response? He asked Job to trust Him. God’s purposes were bigger than Job could understand at the moment (Job 38:1-42:6). So Job, after seeing the grandeur of God, eventually trusts and submits to His sovereignty. (Job 42:1-6).

Not Alone

If you ever wonder whether anything is happening when you pray, you are not alone. There have been many throughout history who have questioned whether God was listening to them. Yet throughout those times, God was present. So therefore, the days you have doubts about whether prayer really does anything, remember the greatness of God, persevere in prayer, and trust that He is working.

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Around The Web

Published by Jeff Kennon on March 20, 2014

Here’s some interesting and helpful stuff around the web this week…

All The “One Another” Passages in Scripture – “Love one another.” “Bear one another’s burdens.” “Forgive one another.” The New Testament gives Christians a lot of “one another” instructions: things we should do on behalf of our family in Christ.

Nine Practical Pointers for Plodders – Jon Bloom writes: Purpose to be a plodder. A plodder keeps moving. A plodder perseveres. A plodder presses on. A plodder knows the disappointment of unrealized ideals, feels the fear of failure and exposed deficiencies, and the ambiguity of too many demands, options, and tasks. But a plodder isn’t immobilized by them. He or she presses on in the faith that God will supply the needed strength (1 Peter 4:11), wisdom (James 1:5), and direction (Proverbs 3:6).

8 Ways to Get More Done This Week – Some helpful thoughts by Tim Challies on productivity.

The Most Dangerous Idol of The Next Generation – Tyler McKenzie writes: The most dangerous idol of my generation is freedom. That’s why we stake claims to our own version of truth, because we want freedom. We don’t want anyone telling us how to live. That’s captivity! Accepting your version of truth means sacrificing my personal freedom. So in the name of freedom, subjectivity rules.

American Bible Reading Statistics – The number of people in America who do not identify with any religion may be at an all-time high, but the Bible still holds an important place in the lives of many Americans, a new report suggests.

God’s Not Dead – Is God dead? Not in academia. As someone who teaches philosophy at Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford, Vince Vitale is well placed to know what the top scholarship says about God. Vince shows how in the fields of philosophy and sociology, God is very much alive. If you think intellectual objections undermine belief in God, Vince suggests that you may be unaware of the arguments at the highest level.

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Delighting In The Word of God

Published by Jeff Kennon on March 19, 2014

When I read through Psalm 119, I am amazed at how much the psalmist mentions his enjoyment of the word of God. He delights in it! He loves it! And he does so because for him, God’s word was a gift. It was a part of his relationship with God. It was instruction in how to live a life that reflected the greatness and goodness of Yahweh.

We must remind ourselves that God has spoken! And in these days He has spoken most definitively through His Son (see Hebrews 1: 1-4). The coming of Christ and His work on the cross is the fulfillment of all the promises found in the Old Testament. Therefore, the death, burial and resurrection of Christ is the crux of Scripture and is “of first importance” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5).

Furthermore, it is this message, the gospel of the person and work of Christ, which is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). It is a message that is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Should we not, therefore, be as the Psalmist and be delighted that God has spoken? Should we not praise Him for His final word found in the coming of His Son? If the message of Christ, compared with the message of the law (see Hebrews 4:1-4; 10:1-18), is greater, how much greater should be our delighting in it?

Psalm 119

Consider the Psalmist and his words of worship to God as he writes of his delight, yearning, and love of God’s word. May his words spur us to reflect upon God’s word as live-giving, sustaining, and enduring. And may we say with the Psalmist, Oh how I delight in your word!

In the way of your testimonies I delight  as much as in all riches (14)

I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. (16)

My soul is consumed with longing  for your rules at all times. (20)

Your testimonies are my delight;  they are my counselors. (24)

Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. (35)

I find my delight in your commandments,  which I love. (47)

I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,  and I will meditate on your statutes. (48)

Their heart is unfeeling like fat,  but I delight in your law. (70)

The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. (72)

Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;  for your law is my delight. (77)

If your law had not been my delight,  I would have perished in my affliction. (92)

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. (97)

How sweet are your words to my taste,  sweeter than honey to my mouth! (103)

Your testimonies are my heritage forever,  for they are the joy of my heart. (111)

I hate the double-minded,  but I love your law. (113)

All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross,  therefore I love your testimonies. (119)

Therefore I love your commandments  above gold, above fine gold. (127)

Your testimonies are wonderful;  therefore my soul keeps them. (129)

Trouble and anguish have found me out,  but your commandments are my delight. (143)

Consider how I love your precepts!  Give me life according to your steadfast love. (159)

Princes persecute me without cause,  but my heart stands in awe of your words. (161)

I rejoice at your word  like one who finds great spoil. (162)

I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your law. (163)

Seven times a day I praise you  for your righteous rules. (164)

Great peace have those who love your law;  nothing can make them stumble. (165)

My soul keeps your testimonies;  I love them exceedingly. (167)

I long for your salvation, O Lord,  and your law is my delight. (174)

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Theology Is For The Living Room

Published by Jeff Kennon on March 18, 2014

I think there is a danger when Christians believe theology is something only designed for “the “professionals.” When we as believers conclude that theology is only for those in the academy whose job description requires the writing of books and the teaching of theology classes, we miss out on the true function of theology. Therefore, we need to adjust our thinking about what the task and purpose of theology really is.

We must understand that theology is for the church by the church. It is designed to be a community discipline. Theology is the responsibility of all who claim to follow Christ. It is not just the duty of an elite group. Though the task of theology can appear intimidating to some, the community of God must be aware of its necessity. As my theology professor wrote: Because [theology’s] primary objective is to make the Christian faith pertinent to each new generation, the task of reappropriating, restating, even refocusing the past so that it speaks ever again with a contemporary voice is absolutely necessary (p. 356).

Theology, therefore, needs to be as fresh as Sunday’s sermon. In order for this to happen, I think we need to be clear as to exactly what our theological task should be. Let me offer a few thoughts on this matter.

We must realize that theology is nothing more than thinking and talking about God. So, let’s don’t overcomplicate it too much. True, theological thinking can be difficult and tedious at times, but nonetheless, it is still none other than reflecting upon who God is and what He has done.
Theology is grounded in the word of God. The reflection we do concerning who God is and what He has done is based upon His revelation found in Scripture. We never move beyond God’s Word.
Theology is not an isolated task. As has been stated above, it is for the community of God by the community of God. For one to do theology well, he or she must be in dialogue with others (I guess this means your Bible study group is actually doing theology). And the dialogue must include our contemporaries along with those who have gone before us. There must not be an aversion to the reading of old books.
Theology is never to be divorced from real life. This means that theology pertains to how we live life in the here and now. It should result in greater worship and greater humility. It should cause us to love our neighbors more and to be a bit more patient with our husbands and wives.
If you are a Christian, you are a theologian. Martin Luther wrote in his sermon on Psalm 5:17 that we are all called theologians, just as we are all called Christians.

Theology is not just about the mind, but also about the heart. Theology is not just about study, but also about obedience. Theology is not just for the classroom, but also for the living room. It is about loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31).

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Do More Than Wear Green on St. Patrick’s Day

Published by Jeff Kennon on March 17, 2014

I think there’s quite a bit of confusion on exactly who St. Patrick was? And why does he get his own day? When I was growing up, St. Patrick’s day meant “wear something green or get pinched.” I owned only one green piece of clothing in my whole closet and never remembered to wear it. Oh how I loved March 17 in elementary school.

I’m not going to post a long biography here of Patrick, but instead, want to refer you to Kevin DeYoung’s recent article on Who Was St. Patrick? It’s a short piece that will give you a bit of background on St. Patrick and his embrace of God’s missionary mandate.

DeYoung writes: In his Confessio Patrick writes movingly about his burden to evangelize the Irish. He explicitly links his vocation to the commands of Scripture. Biblical allusions like “the nations will come to you from the ends of the earth” and “I have put you as a light among the nations” and “I shall make you fishers of men” flow from his pen. Seeing his life’s work through the lens of Matthew 28 and Acts 1, Patrick prayed that God would “never allow me to be separated from His people whom He has won in the end of the earth.” For Patrick, the ends of the earth was Ireland.

So maybe this St. Patrick’s day, in light of who St. Patrick was, we should do more than wear green. Maybe we should embrace the mission of God and develop a few conversations about the gospel. Maybe we should, as Patrick was, become “soaked in the Bible” and grasp the glorious power of the gospel and become one who is not ashamed of it (Romans 1:16).

Jesus told us that all authority and power had been given to him. He then continued to tell us to “go and make disciple of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-19). I pray that much like St. Patrick, these truths grab our hearts and minds today and as a result, push us to develop a burden for those without Christ.

So go and celebrate St. Patrick’s day today by yearning to have his heart for the world. And then “go and make disciples!”

Sidenote: If you have elementary children, please put some green on them! Just say’in!

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7 Suggestions For Encouraging Good Preaching

Published by Jeff Kennon on March 16, 2014

At the back of Christopher Ash’s small book Listen Up!: A Practical Guide to Listening to Sermons, he lists 7 suggestions for encouraging good preaching. Here they are…

1. Pray for the preachers.

2. From time to time, tell the preachers that you are praying for them and looking forward with expectancy to the sermon.

3. Be there. You may be surprised what an encouragement it is just to have you there.

4. Thank them afterwards for things you learned. Don’t flatter or just give vague comments about how good it was (if it was). Try to be specific and focus on the biblical content of the sermon.

5. Be prepared to be constructively and supportively critical. Ask the preachers to help you see where they got a particular point from the passage. Be humble and respectful as you do this. It is much harder to preach that it is to criticize preaching.

6. Relate to your preachers as one human being to another human being. Remember that the best sermon by a remote preaching hero, heard on an MP3 recording, is no substitute for the word of God preached by a human being face to face with other human beings in the context of trust and love.

7. Be on the lookout for gifts of preaching and teaching in the church, and be ready to tap someone on the shoulder and suggest they develop these gifts and get further training.

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One Reason You Should Develop Leadership Skills

Published by Jeff Kennon on March 14, 2014

Have you ever thought about the relationship between you developing as a leader and it’s impact upon society?

Consider this: As you grow as a leader, it impacts you personally. This growth in your personal life then affects your work life. And as your work life is impacted and becomes more productive, then the organization you work in is influenced and becomes more effective. And finally, when your organization or business becomes more effective, then society is impacted.

Do you see the domino effect that can occur by developing good leadership skills?

Personal Skills

↓

Your work

↓

Your Organization

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Our Society

Matt Perman, in his new book What’s Best Next, writes about this relationship between our effectiveness as leaders and the impact it has on society. He writes that by us being more effective, we aren’t simply serving our bosses and coworkers better, as important as that is. We are serving our entire organizations and enabling them to become better as well, and thus serving everyone they influence (p. 304).

Leo Tolstoy wrote: Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. Could this be because we don’t see the relationship between our personal growth and its impact upon those around us?

What if you began to understand and implement the dynamics of servant leadership? How would becoming more aware of the needs of those around you, specifically those you work with, make an impact? Would it increase worker morale? What about your boss? Could your servant mentality have an impact upon him/her?

There might be some reading this who don’t consider themselves leaders. You might hold a job that doesn’t have an official leadership title. Or you are a stay-at-home parent or a retired member of a community. Regardless of where you are in life or what you do, developing as a leader is bigger than holding a title or position. Leadership is about influence.

You may not have a title at work, but your work, though you may think its insignificant, effects those around you. Your parenting has influence not only among your children but among other parents. If you are retired, there is an abundance of opportunity to make those around you better (My grandfather is a great example. Read about him).

Do you see why I think leadership development is important for everyone? As you grow, you impact those around you who in turn impact those around them and so on and so on.

Where do you start?

One place to start (or continue) your leadership development would be to do some reading. Below are a few books that I would recommend. Pick one and get to reading.

The Leadership Challenge: How To Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations by Kouzes and Posner. This book proposes that anyone can develop leadership skills. For more info about the book, read the review by Trevin Wax.

Leaders Who Last by Dave Kraft. He writes: As a leader, everything I am and everything I do needs to be anchored in my identity with Christ. Leadership begins and ends with a clear understanding of the gospel and being rooted in the grace of Jesus Christ as a free gift.

You Don’t Need To Have A Title To Be A Leader by Mark Sanborn. This is a fairly short book. I think the title says it all.

What’s Bext Next: How The Gospel Transforms The Way You Get Things Done by Matt Perman. This is a new book and is excellent in helping one to understand productivity. This book has been tremendously helpful for me. For more info, read my review of the book.

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Around The Web

Published by Jeff Kennon on March 13, 2014

Here are some articles, etc… I have found around the web this week that have been helpful…

I Have All The Time I Need – Tim Challies writes: There is a cost to busyness, but there is a more subtle cost to being perceived as busy. When people believe that I’m busy, they also believe that I am unapproachable.

When Things Get Complicated, Remember the Basics – Trevin Wax writes a great reminder to us that though our society becomes more complex in regards to technology and ethics, some things remain the same. Jesus saves. So love God. Love people. The basics never change.

Making Space for Hard Questions – This article here by Fuller Youth Institute has some helpful advice in providing space for teenagers to ask and struggle with the hard questions of the faith. A lot of kids are wrestling with tough questions alone and in silence. This does not have to be.

Avoiding Short Lived Ministry – A huge part of ministry is constantly training up others, releasing others, and empowering others, so that they can replicate what you do or replace you when you’re done. -Kevin DeYoung

Gone Fishin’ – A Forgotten Model of Ministry – What is a minister of the Gospel? The most common answers include models like Shepherd, Servant, Preacher, Theologian, Teacher, Counselor, Leader, and so on. But one model that’s rarely thought about or spoken about today is the first model that Jesus used – Fisherman (Matt. 4:19). -David Murray

Something More. This video portrays how one man changed the course of history. Even without the mention of his name, you know who it is.

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