It is good for me that I was afflicted...(Psalm 119:71)

As you can see, it's been a loooonnngg time since I last posted. If you know me, you know how busy life is with my family, school, and work (and some ministry) right now. The last months have been very trying. While we have not had any major trials (e.g., death in the family), it has been a wearying few months with such things as balancing normal life demands of a family of 7, a 15 credit hour load, dealing with financial struggles, working 2 jobs (equalling full-time hours), sickness going through the house (my wife was down for almost a week), walking with my oldest child (daughter, 18) through her senior year and some heavy challenges she has had, and dealing (with all those things and more) with my own personal flaws and failures. I have to say, I'm tired y'all (and I haven't even entered into pastoral ministry yet).

But, it is always amazing see and be reminded how God works in our lives to conform us into the image of Christ and prepare us for future service. The difficulties these last few months have tested my commitment to prayer, have shown me how much love I lack and my self-centeredness, have humbled my pride to show me I'm not who (I claimed I didn't think) I thought I was (nor should I be), have forced me to continue to develop discipline needed to focus on what is most important to God, have made me refocus my energies as a faithful servant and shepherd in my home, have reminded me to "boast in weakness" (2 Cor 12), and (through the help of a professor, some good friends, and a very good sermon by John Piper on Hebrews 12) the difficulties have ultimately reminded and taught me to embrace the hardship, difficulty, and trials as the major part of God's merciful, gracious, and loving process of sanctification. God is teaching me to say with the Psalmist and with Christ: It is good for me that I was afflicted that I might learn your statutes. (119:71)

One of the passages of Scripture that I think alludes many is Hebrews 5:8-9, particularly where it says, Although he (Jesus) was a Son, he learned obedience from the things that he suffered. It's difficult for us to understand how the eternal Son of God, the fulness of deity in bodily form, could learn obedience. Part of the problem is, when we consider this passage, we are looking at the person of Christ solely from the perspective of His deity and not looking at His humanity and why He had to become a man and what He had to do in His humanity to be a perfect high priest (mediator) on our behalf before God. (There's much more that could be said about this passage but if you look at it in the context and nature of the high priestly ministry, it becomes clearer.)

As our great high priest, Christ not only was our perfect sacrifice on our behalf, but He also took on the fulness of our humanity (yet without sin) so that He might be able to empathize with us and also be our perfect example. In Christ's empathy and example as our perfect hight priest, Christ learned obedience from the things that he suffered. The focus for us need not be the "How?", but the "Why?" and "What difference should it make in my life?"

The "Why?" is in verse 9, and having been made perfect, he became to all who obey him the source of eternal salvation. Christ had to suffer in order to be the perfect high priest and sacrifice bearing our sorrows, griefs, and sins. (Is 53) Now because He empathizes with our weaknesses and has borne our griefs, sorrows, and sins, we can come to Him and through Him to the throne of grace and receive God's mercy in our need.

The "What difference should it make in my life?" is that you need to know: suffering is the pathway to obedience to God. Christ now only suffered in our place as our sacrifice, but also as our example. In Hebrews 5:8, it is as if we can hear the words of the Psalmist in 119:71 - It was good for me that I was afflicted that I may learn your statutes. And the difference this makes in our lives is that we must recognize that our path to learning obedience is through suffering as well. As Jesus Himself said, A pupil is not above his teacher, but everyone, after he has been fully trained (or perfected) shall be like his teacher. (Luke 6:40) We must embrace all of our afflictions as a gift of God's grace to cause us to run to Him and be refined by Him - so that we might share in His holiness. (Heb 12:10, see especially verses 5-11)

This morning as I right this, I can gladly say that it is good that God has afflicted me that I might see myself more for who I truly am, see Him more for who He truly is and truly desire through the Spirit's gracious application of the work of cross upon my soul to learn and live His statutes. No slave is above His master, if Christ learned obedience through suffering, then we must as well.


Only In His Grace,

Quincy

Growing in Prayer Part 1 – Nothing Without Prayer…

I don't think there is one Christian who will say that they do not need to grow in prayer. Since I have been studying prayer recently, growing in prayer has now become a major
commitment and focus in my daily Christian life. The funny thing is, even in all my studying, preaching, and talking about prayer as of late, I still feel like I have barely scratched the surface of understanding prayer.

Prayer is an often assumed doctrine among most Christians in Evangelical circles; it's a privilege that is very much taken for granted. I do believe that the major tactic of our enemy in spiritual warfare is to create an abyss of godlessness in our lives through the absence of God's Word dwelling richly in our hearts and the absence of prayer causing us to dwell richly with God. Walking in the Word and prayer are the keys to abundant and godly Christian living.

One major conviction that I have come to is that I am nothing and can truly do nothing without prayer that is of any importance and significance in the Kingdom of God. I have no spiritual power, I will drift from God, I will give in to much temptation, I make myself completely vulnerable to the forces of darkness and I will not increase in godliness in my life if I do not pray. Prayer is an absolute necessity for the believer's life. Without it we are grossly disobedient at best and utterly godless at worst.

Some people may read that last paragraph and it seem to fly in the face of God's Sovereign grace. That is, in saying "I am nothing and can do nothing without prayer," am I not saying that God's work is dependent upon man and not God? On the contrary, what that statement says exalts and magnifies Sovereign grace all the more; to say anything different would not only diminish Sovereign grace, but would undermine it completely! One who reads my statement and asks that question has totally misunderstood prayer and grace.

When prayer is understood in its essence as drawing near to God in absolute dependence upon Him, then when I say "I am nothing and can do nothing without prayer" it should be understood I am saying that, "I am nothing and can do nothing without God!" If I say anything other than "I am nothing and can do nothing without prayer," I am saying I am completely self sufficient and have no need of God and His grace! And if God, by His grace has made me alive by His Spirit and has given me the Spirit of Adoption by which I call "Abba! Father!" (Rom 8:15) – should it not be natural for me to need to pray?! JC Ryle says this about Romans 8:15, "It is as much a part of (the Christian's) new nature to pray, as it is of a child to cry. They see their need of mercy and grace. They feel their emptiness and weakness. They cannot do otherwise than they do. They must pray." If Jesus' words be true, "apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5) then it should not be of no surprise that I would say, "I am nothing and can do nothing without prayer."

The first step of my recent growing in prayer has been God reminding me of its privilege and utter necessity. So, if you want to grow in prayer, first pray that the Lord would help you recognize and understand the absolute importance and necessity of prayer in your Christian life…that without prayer you are and can do nothing.

The Necessity of Prayer - Luke 18:1-10 (NEW SERMON)

This past Friday I was privileged to preach God's Word at Sovereign Joy Community Church on "The (Utter) Necessity of Prayer" from Luke 18:1-8

This message is a culmination of my study of prayer in the last few weeks. It doesn't comprise all that I preached in the last few weeks - but it does communicate the renewed conviction and resolve in my own heart regarding prayer. Also, I believe Luke 18:1-8 provides for us the culmination of what prayer is and does.

I do pray if you have time to listen to it (it was a longer sermon than usual), that you will be edified and encouraged to be steadfast in prayer and be prepared by prayer for the return of our Lord.

Jude 2,

Q