The Call to Prayer

THE CALL TO PRAYER

1 Timothy 2:1-8 ( ESV )

---

¹First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 

---

²for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 

---

³This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 

---

⁴who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

---

⁵For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man^£ Christ Jesus, 

---

⁶who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 

---

⁷For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

---

⁸I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 

OBSERVATIONS OF THE PASSAGE

1-First of all-This is in light of the context esp. 1:18 Paul wanted Timothy, “to wage a good warfare.” The first thing we must realize about prayer is that when we enter into prayer we are entering into a warzone.

·         Daniel in Daniel 10 after seeing a vision Daniel is trembling when a hand touches him. He stands up still trembling when he is told in verse 12. 1. Fear not. 2. God heard his prayer the first day because he was willing to set his heart to understand and was humble before God. 3. There was spiritual conflict in heaven between this one for 21 days with the Prince of Persia and then Michael came to His aid. Verses 13-14.

·         Ephesians 6:18 I believe that along with the Word of God prayer is part of our spiritual armor.

·         Of all the wars that men have fought our spiritual warfare is more important than any other, for we fight for the honor of His name and for the kingdom.

·         Note the kinds of prayers that he brings up that we can offer.

1.    Supplications: The idea of the Greek root word here according to Macarthur is, “to lack or to be deprived.” As men we are to come to God with our needs. (This is esp. hard for men who are taught that they are to be self-sufficient from day one.)

2.    Prayer-This is the most common usage for prayer and has the idea according to Wiersbe that we are to see the sacredness of who we are talking to. We are talking to the king of the universe. The one who created us and knows us better than we know ourselves.

3.    Intercessions: We are to be a people who will stand in the gap for others. When we look at the context of these verses it is esp. for us to stand in the gap and plead for the souls of men to come to the Savior. We may intercede in many other ways for physical needs of others and so forth but in this context it especially for those who need Christ.

4.    Thanksgiving-We should spend time with the Lord expressing our gratitude for who He is and also for what He has done for us. So often we see answers to prayer and we act like the 9 lepers who were healed rather than the one who came back to thank him for the miracle that took place.

2-In this passage who are we to pray for? We are to pray for those who rule over us.  What are we to pray for?  We are to pray that God will allow us to lead a peaceful and quiet life under their rule. That we might act godly and dignified in every way. Lord no matter who rules over us help me to live godly and be earnest in my walk before you and mankind. Verse 3 then tells us that this type of lifestyle is pleasing in the sight of our Lord

3-7-Why is this type of praying and lifestyle important? Because our Gods greatest desire is to see men come to know Him and to come to the knowledge of the truth. This ransom for man can only be done through the one mediator between God and Man and that is Christ Jesus.

8-So don’t miss it in verse 8 when Paul uses the word desire again. We know that God desires or longs for men to come to know him in the above verses. Yet now he tells us that He desires to see something else as well. God longs to hear MEN pray. Men are to be the spiritual leaders of their family. We are to be the ones who lead our families and our churches into the warfare but we must do it through the power of prayer. (As men we would think it ghastly to allow our women and children to go in our place in the front lines of a war. Yet, we think nothing of allowing them to take the lead in prayer in the midst of the greatest war that has ever taken place. O Men of God where are you?) We need women to pray, we need their prayers to go with us. We have numerous examples of women who cried out to God and God hears them but the vast amount of time in scripture when people prayed it was the men who led the charge and this is what we will see in our study on prayer.

How should we pray in this verse? Lifting holy hands without anger or without quarreling. Not a specific posture necessarily though we have examples of this being done constantly throughout the scripture. Note the emphasis though of the attitude of the hands. They are to be marked by holiness. We should be men who are living an unpolluted life. We are to live a life that is marked by Christ-likeness.

In our society we push the macho image on so many levels. As men we are taught to stand and to fight. Paul though reminds us that as believers we are to remember who our true foes are.” For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”  Ephesians 6:12 We should not be men who are known for our anger and disputing or quarreling with other believers and especially with our mates for He will not hear us.  (I Peter 3:7 ) We are called to holiness. 

LABELING OUR BROTHERS

     I would love to have been at Wittenberg, on October the 31, 1517. You see, on that day, everything changed. This would be the day that a monk, by the name of Martin Luther, would nail his 95 Thesis to that church door. It was a bold declaration of faith on the need for the just to live by faith.

     I would have also loved to have heard John Wesley declare to our nation, how that we must be born again. Then, to turn around and hear his contemporary George Whitefield’s booming voice about the God of Grace.

     These are some of the Heroes of the Faith. Yet, like all of us, they were flawed. They did not always get it right. As godly as these men were, just like the Heroes of the Bible, they sinned and their theology was not always right. Yet, they were champions of the faith.

     Whitefield and Wesley were miles apart in their theological thinking. They also wrote scathing letters to one another about their Calvinistic and non-Calvinistic differences. Yet, their respect, love and admiration for one another were like that of brothers and well known to all.

     Over the course of the last few years, I have heard the word heretic used quite often about certain pastors and ministers. I have seen men become vehement over just the name of a certain pastor or teacher and their views. I have grown concerned over who is being called a heretic.

     What I read of the scriptures makes it very clear that, as we get closer to His glorious appearing, false teachers will abound. These men will have a devastating effect on the church and lead many astray. The Bible makes it clear that we are to beware of these men. We are to take our stand and point them out to all.

     Any person who denies that Jesus is God in flesh is not a brother in the Lord. When a person denies the Inspiration of the Word of God, they are apostates. When a person tells us that Salvation is through anything else than the Blood of Christ, he has trampled under his foot the blood of Jesus, and declares himself to be a more worthy savior, who can earn his way to heaven. This man is foolish indeed. The Word makes it clear that our salvation will never be through faith and our works. These are bedrocks to the faith that we cannot deny.

     The Bible also makes it clear, that we are to contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. We are not to sit and hold hands around a campfire with a group of liberal men and sing, “They will know we are Christians by our love.” Instead, we are to look at them with compassion and love and say, “You are not a part of the family of God.” We need to try to introduce them to the Jesus of the Scriptures.

     I  believe though, that we are to be careful when we use the words false teacher. We are not to take it lightly. I am more Calvinistic in my theology, but I am far from a five point Calvinist. I do believe that God’s Sovereign Will trumps all, but that as an individual, He has given me choice. I believe that when a person puts his faith in Christ, he is sealed for all of eternity because of the finished work of Christ.

     I also believe, that when a person receives Christ, he receives Him as Lord of his life. For a person to come to Christ, he must acknowledge to Him that he is a sinner and he humble himself, at this point, to the only One who can save him. As a new believer, his life will change by the work of the Holy Spirit within him. Yet, we must be careful with whom we claim as saved or not saved, based on their outward lifestyle. We see this in the Gospels, when we are told that some will produce 100 fold, 60 fold and some thirty. In the parable of the wheat and the tares, not even the angels know who the true believers are and who are not. I believe that if we do not know, then as a believer, we should warn them. God must do His work.

     Now why do I bring up Calvinism and Lordship? Hopefully, to prove what we often do with brothers. When we hear certain words, we assume certain positions about a person, right off the bat. We do not ask questions of the individual, and through our mental grid, we often label them with the extremes of that position. We must be careful at this point, or we call a brother a false teacher and lump them into the same category as those who are lost and without hope.

     I am not a Reformer in my theology. I have heard some say that if a person is a five point Calvinist, then he is a Reformed theologian. This is not fully true. A person can still hold to all five points and be dispensational in his thinking. He can still see Israel as not being the same as the Church in the Scriptures. Once again, we must be careful with how we pigeon hole brothers in this area.

     I must also state, that some of the people I love the most to read are Reformed in their theology. There are many of these brothers, that though I may disagree with them on certain issues, they continue to encourage my heart to grow closer to Christ. The impact of R.C. Sproul’s book, “The Holiness of God” still resounds in my heart today.

     Recently, I was given a small book called, “How to pray, The best of John Wesley on Prayer.”  I would not fully agree with Wesley, but this man knew how to go into the arms of his Jesus, and wrestle with Him in prayer.

     My first study Bible was a Scofield, then I switched to a Ryrie and now I use the Macarthur E.S.V. Study Bible. I still learn from all three of these great men of the faith. They have given me an understanding of the Word that I will forever be grateful for. Yes, my thinking leans more with one of these, but I admire and appreciate all of these brothers for their diligence in studying the Word of God.

     Please, do not misunderstand me as I share these words with you. We all feel more comfortable being around with those who think more like us. Men whom we believe are godly, in their words, doctrines and in their deeds. There are different groups that we will find a greater joy of fellowshipping with. With this in mind, there are certain brothers that I would not feel comfortable speaking with or allowing behind a pulpit that I am called to oversee. Yet, I know within my heart, that some of them have an even closer walk than I do, personally, with the Lord.

     My desire though, is that  when it comes to our brothers in the Lord, no matter what, we will still treat them as part of our family.  We will speak of our differences with respect and love for them, as one should with his own family member and esteem them better then we esteem ourselves.

      We must fight against the forces of darkness. We must draw a line in the sand and say, “No.” We will at times, even have to do this with brothers and sisters. Yet, let us not forget, they are our brothers and sisters.

The Mentors in our life

     Over the course of the last 2 months, I have been able to make contact with so many of our friends and loved ones from our different ministries. One of my greatest joys has been seeing how so many of our former teens and people from our various ministries are still walking with the Lord. I am now starting to get to that age in my life, in which I understand John’s words even better. 3 John 4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

     As I was thinking about the above things, the Lord reminded me of all the men and women who have been mentors to me. For me though, it’s not just a sentimental journey, but a joy and a challenge to me.  I am reminded of Hebrews 11 and the great men and women of faith and how they are to be examples for us.

     What a wonderful God I have, who has allowed me to have great mentors in my life.  Like the O.T. Heroes of the faith, they have feet of clay but how their lives have been examples. The mentors I have had have shown me so many areas where I can improve in my Christian walk. Here are just some of the ones who have SO influenced my life and walk.

·         My Mother and Father who taught me the lesson of reaching out to all people and trying to treat all men equal, whether poor or rich. They would confront when people were wrong but they would never push any one away.  They had a compassion and love for people who even did them wrong.

·         A High School English Teacher by the name of Sharon Reese and a college roommate Jerry Franz who gave me a love for books.

·         Asa Hutchison, who was my youth leader, who lived a godly life before me as a young man.  He gave of himself to me when I was an obnoxious young man.

·         Rich and Patti Tolliver, who challenged me to live and be godly.

·         My Brother, for showing me how a brother should love you.

·         My three favorite Bible Teachers from Citadel. Mr. Glasser, who not only talked about the Spirit Filled life but lived it before our eyes.  Dr. Brownback, who impressed upon me that what the Bible says, is all that matters. Mr. Smith, a passion and a love for the Ministry.

·         The various pastors who I have had the honor to work alongside of, Pastor Pick, George Taylor, Pastor Curt and Glenn Ducharme. They taught me different things about what makes a great pastor.

·         My Father-in-law and Mother-in-law who have taught me the issue of showing kindness.

·         Tim and Donna Bartlow, the word faithfulness will always come to mind.

·         Scott and Veronica Ingvaldsen, what true warriors for God look like.

·         An old missionary by the name of Darrell Champlin and the Persson Family, the issue of sacrifice and commitment.

·         Writers and preachers like Tozer, MacArthur, Morgan, Ryrie, and so many others who have influenced my heart to join in the noblest pursuit of all. The pursuit of God.

·         My friend Rick Robinson.

·         Pastor Carl Godwin who has served in the same church for now over 40 years of his life.

·         Then there are the ones who as a pastor, missionary or a youth pastor who I have ministered to who I have not only had the joy of being their teacher but they have taught me. This is truly one of my greatest joys to learn from them.

·         Lastly my own family who every day has shown me what True Love and Christianity is all about.

     It’s at this moment that you may be wondering why I spent time bringing this all up. First, I think that it is important for all of  us to not forget the rock from which we were hewn and the pit from which we were dug. Secondly, it does us good to reflect upon those who have given of their lives for us and to thank them for the ministry that they have had in our lives. Lastly, as mentors in our lives let us not forget what we have been taught by them and apply it to our lives. 

Heritage Part 2

Luke 3:30-38 ( ESV )

---

³⁰the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

---

³¹the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

---

³²the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon,

---

³³the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

---

³⁴the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

---

³⁵the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,

---

³⁶the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

---

³⁷the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,

---

³⁸the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

·         Eliakim-Raised up by God. Ps. 40:2 He brought me up also out of a horrible pit out of the miry clay and set my feet upon the rock and established my goings.

·         Melea-Dear friend

·         Nathan-One of the 4 sons of David by Bathsheba born in Jerusalem. Could he had been named this because of the prophet Nathan’s influence upon their lives?

·         David-The king of Israel and according to scripture a man after God’s own heart.

·         Jesse-Wealthy, maybe more in a spiritual sense rather than a physical one.

·         Obed-The serving one.  Son of Ruth and Boaz. Christ would come into the world to be a servant to all.

·         Aminadab-One of the princes. A prince of the tribe of Judah during the numbering of the tribes of Israel in Exodus.

·         Perez-A breach. One of the two twins from Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar in Gen. 38.

·         Judah-The fourth son of Jacob who was spoken of whom the Messiah would come from. Gen. 49:8-10

·         Jacob-The heel catcher. The second son of Issac.

·         Issac-Laughter. The son of Abraham and Sarah.

·         Abraham-Father of nations. The patriarch of Israel who was promised a nation and through him the whole world would be blessed. Gen. 12

·         Peleg-Means division. II Chronicles 1:19

·         Shem-The oldest son of Noah who helped cover his father’s shame.

·         Noah-Rest. Matthew 11:28 Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. At 500 he is told of the flood to come and we see his faithfulness to God in the midst of a wicked world. Gen. 6-9

·         Methuselah-When he dies it shall come. Bishop Usher said the year that he died the worldwide flood came.

·         Enoch-Dedicated. His life was marked by this to the Lord. Gen. 5:23-24 He and only Elijah were translated to the Lord’s side before death.

·         Enosh-Mortal or frail man. It was during his time that men began to call upon the name of the Lord. Gen. 4:26

·         Seth-Compensation. Adam and Eve’s son after Abel’s death.

·         Adam-The Red earth.

·         God-Leading us all back to our Creator who alone deserves our praise. 

Heritage Part One

     Why do we need to read or understand the genealogy of Christ? It’s important as the Messiah needed to be able to prove that He came from the line of Judah as prophesied in the scriptures. We can also learn a lot about the Messiah by what we read about with His family. We will also see some of His different characteristics of who He is through these various names.

Luke 3:23-29 ( ESV )

---

²³Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,

---

²⁴the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

---

²⁵the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,

---

²⁶the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

---

²⁷the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,^£ the son of Neri,

---

²⁸the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

---

²⁹the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

·         Jesus-Jehovah is salvation. Right off the bat we are told the purpose of Messiah’s coming to earth. He came here to save our souls.   Began His ministry..about 30 years of age-Thirty was a customary age to enter into the office of a prophet Ez. 1:1, Priest Numbers 4:3, 35 and 39, lastly a king as well with David in II Sam. 5:4.

·         Supposed-Not truly his Father.

·         Joseph-Let him add. Little is said about him in the N.T. but note his obedience and character. Matt. 1:19 and Matt. 1:25

·         Mattathias-One of the most common names used in the listing meaning, “The Gift of God.” A true proclamation of the Messiah to come that He would be the Gift of God and His salvation would be the greatest gift from God. Eph. 2:8-10.

·         Melki-My king and my Counsel. The messiah to come would be one that would not only rule over Israel but the whole world. Rev. 19:16 A name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

·         Jannai-Flourishing

·         Amos-Burden.

·         Nahum-His name means Consolation yet, he had a son named burden.  In Luke 2:25 Simon was waiting for the consolation of Israel. He was looking forward to the one who would bring comfort and peace. The Messiah would do just that. Jesus said the following in John14:27 “Peace I leave you with, my peace I give unto you.”

·         Esli- Reserved of God. To be that of His completely is the Christian’s greatest goal. Rom. 12:1-2

·         Naggai-Illuminating. Jesus would be and is the LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

·         Maath-Small. In light of the Messiah’s coming we are to be that of a people who will truly humble themselves before Him.

·         Semmein-Same name for Simon meaning the one who hearkens my report. When the Messiah comes we will listen to what He has to say and do what He commands.

·         Joda-He shall be praised. The Messiah is truly worthy of our praise. Phil. 2:5-11 Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is worthy of our praise and shouts of joy will be heard for the name above all names.

·         Joann-Sustained of Jehovah.

·         Rhesa-The head. Eph. 5:23 tells us that Christ is the head of the church.

·         Zerubbabel-Born at Babel. He was the head of the tribe of Judah at the time of the return of Christ during the Babylonian captivity in the first year of the reign of Cyrus.

·         Sheltiel-I have asked of God

·         Neri-Jehovah is my lamp. John 8:12 I am the light of the world.

·         Er-Watchful. He was watchful of the Messiah’s coming. I Peter 4:7 “But the end of all things is at hand; Be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer.

·         Joriam-Similar to Joann.

·         Eliezer-God is my help. Ps. 40:17 “Thou art my help and my deliverer.”

·         Jorim-Jehovah is exalted.

Just some names, I don’t think so. Are we willing to allow these names to be part of our Christian character? In our next blog we will look at the rest of the list and hopefully we will consider these names and allow them to be part of our Christian Heritage.

CAN I WALK YOU HOME?

He was just sixteen when he first saw her face,

A lump in his throat when she turned and looked his way,

The smile on her face took all his doubts away,

She was made for him; he knew it the very first day.

Can I walk you home?

Will you hold my hand?

Will you trust in me when you don’t understand?

How my heart cries out,

Just to have you near,

Can I walk you home?

Just turned twenty-one when he looked into her eyes,

The veil on her face hid the tears that freely streamed down,

He took a deep breath as he kissed his bride,

The promise was made he would always be by her side.

Can I walk you home?

Will you hold my hand?

How my heart cries out,

Just to have you near,

Can I walk you home?

The morning light broke as he held his little man,

He had to look across the room and gaze into her eyes,

He thought to himself he truly served a merciful God,

For only one like Him could give him such a life.

Lord, will you walk with me home?

Will you hold my hand?

I can trust in you when I don’t understand,

How my heart cries out,

Just to have you near,

Lord, will you walk with me home?

His breathing was hard as she lay by his side,

His hands were so cold; she knew that it was almost time,

She lifted her eyes as her sons drew close,

Then she said this prayer, “Lord would you walk with him home?”

Jesus, will you walk with him home?

Would you please hold his hand?

I’m trusting in you though I don’t understand,

How his heart cries out,

Just to be near your throne,

Jesus, will you walk with him home?

Prayer letter link

     I am sorry about the wait for a new blog for the last week but we will be putting out a new blog within the next week or two. We have been focusing our attention on the ministry that the Lord seems to now be leading us to which is with Rock Haven Ministries out of the Arkansas area.

     We are excited to see how the Lord has been leading us and moving us forward. We have just finished our first prayer letter and have sent out our first batch on e-mail. We will soon be sending out our prayer letter by snail mail as well. 

     If you have not but would like to read our prayer letter please feel free to go to the following link. We are looking for brothers and sisters who will be a part of our ministry in prayer. Please copy and paste the following address in your browser window and it will take you to our prayer letter.

     May God richly bless you as you serve Him. The Moores

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=9tx9x9dab&v=001UQ183hrEIiHldvS7ilct47X91rG4YCUQrp9LEgduhswqzjzUcqABJfstL7kX1mcUY6i7qBj56S0Txivn0CSHMLF6eQTK7vxj1xk04fJ6ZHtElE7dA47PynMRW2JSy3jzbBUKrFifL3wnVNIf3nPPmVBH47X5cxR4haq1gwLPHVXD7YHFtGNEhsQGvZq2w60Mhhi3h0mEeMZyDxPXuXljxnDOoDN00r8VNkxfxDi0qOcJ6eAMS4UnMuoxdS1fuQo4Wc_5td6XseoQXxL7k1xCe5xJn6TQmqMFGhVqZBHi-gCV8Py-TsxNqtcBKDvdK2b-7syjNiv1j3e2IqS9bGSw6A4oo7brRtx1fj-EtfbHd_JgpYPyHPp1S2Am3u-g_9HL31Y-yZ0x7lsWCUYCRZ9d6CmO3EknwqSqlFlALiaMQ0mtBs-LCxYJg4PPOmV2Qfez&id=preview