“Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep the law contend with them.” Proverbs 28:4 No truer word describes our society today. Who would praise the wicked? The Word of God says it is those who have forsaken the law themselves. And why have they forsaken the law? It is because they have sinful desires they are determined to practice, so of course they will hate anyone or anything who interferes with that. For whom is the law? It is not for those who have been born again, for those who have received the Spirit of God within are changed and are motivated by the Spirit of God within. The law is for the ungodly, to convict them, that they might repent. “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers...” 1st Timothy 1:9 “Evil men do not understand justice…” Proverbs 28:5 Of course they don’t. They are a law of freedom unto themselves, and because they need there to be no restraint holding them back, they have forsaken true justice and they are given over to a reprobate mind, (Romans 1:28). An evil person knows in his heart that he cannot come to the Lord as long as he clings to the evil within him. So he hates God and he joins those who want to abolish God from the land. He wants evil laws passed so that his freedom to sin is not hampered. But in the end, his fate will be terrible. He will fall into his own pit. “Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, he himself will fall into his own pit;” Proverbs 28:10 Because he loved deeds done in darkness, he will end up in darkness. A reprobate. In hell. “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, BECAUSE their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” John 3:19-20 I appeal to anyone who lives in evil and rejects righteousness. Is it worth it? Is momentary pleasure worth the price of eternal darkness? Perhaps your heart is so darkened that you can see no way out. Perhaps you feel that you can’t come to the Lord because he will only refuse you. But there is mercy in God. And there is hope for you. He will bring you out of the darkness if you turn to him and surrender your life to him. “…the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out.” John 6:37 Perhaps you don’t come to him because you know you can’t stop sinning. You’re stuck in your sin. This is why believers call Jesus “Savior.” God knows full well our inability to save ourselves out of the muck and mire we’ve gotten ourselves into. He came to SAVE us. Not only from hell, but from OURSELVES. “Be of sin the DOUBLE cure, save from wrath and make me pure.” -Rock of Ages If you will but humble yourself before him, pour your heart out to him, and confess your sinfulness, you will find him full of mercy no matter how deep into darkness you have gone. Do not refuse his offer to save you. Do not give yourself up to hell. There is mercy to be found in Jesus Christ. He is the Redeemer of sinful men. “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” Matthew 4:16 Come now. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2nd Corinthians 6:2 You won’t have to change yourself, HE will change you, you need only to be willing. You need only to surrender yourself and your life to him. Bring your broken vessel and give it over to him. He will fix you, he will heal you, he will make all things new. You need only surrender. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2nd Corinthians 5:17 And forever you will sing along with all the redeemed: “He brought me out of the miry clay, He set my feet on the Rock to stay; He puts a song in my soul today, A song of praise, halleluyah!” -He Brought Me Out
“Then he said to his disciples,
‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few,
therefore pray the Lord of the harvest
to send out laborers into his harvest.’”
Matthew 9:37-38
There are many passages in the Scriptures that we read and pass over, not taking them to heart. One is on the subject of prayer. Who remembers to “pray the Lord of the harvest” to send more laborers out? Yet Jesus specifically mandated that we do this. It appears that the number of laborers sent out depends on the faithful believers who will do as the Lord said and pray for it. Here is another one:
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,
may they prosper who love you.”
Psalm 122:6
The Scriptures tell us to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” This directive even specifies that those who do so will prosper. Yet most never think to pray this. And how about this:
“Watch therefore, and pray always
that you may be counted worthy
to ESCAPE all these things that will come to pass,
and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:36
How many obey this charge spoken by Jesus? This directive is in context of the terrible things that he said will come upon the earth in “the last days,” and Jesus specifically says to pray to be kept from those things. He emphasized it by saying to “pray always” this prayer. “Pray always” conveys an importance that most don’t realize.
The point of this is to bring to the attention of believers that there are things Jesus said to do which we don’t pay as close attention to as other “favorite” Scriptures. The Lord stressed the importance of prayer, in fact he himself went off to pray daily throughout his ministry. If the Lord had to pray, how much more do WE need to?
Things like this which, if obeyed, could change history. These commands given by Jesus Christ are just as important as other things he said which are highlighted by the institutional churches, while they omit the others.
Pray for more laborers to be sent into the harvest, because the salvation of souls might depend on it. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, because in effect you’re praying for the coming of the Lord, because he IS the peace of Jerusalem. Pray to be accounted worthy to escape the horrors of the Tribulation, because Jesus specifically told us to pray this. Some say that those who believe in the pre-trib Rapture are “escapists.” Well yes. In this case, Jesus TOLD us to pray to ESCAPE those things. Yes, we ARE escapists, for so has the Lord told us to be.
"Watch therefore, and pray always
that you may be counted worthy
to escape all these things that will come to pass,
and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:36
With all the things that are preached in the churches, prayer is one of the least preached on. When did you last hear a sermon encouraging us to pray? Yet it can be the most important thing one does in life.
Prayer can change things, turning the “victories” of Satan into the blessings of God, changing the lostness of the lost into salvation and new life.
Many do not pray because they’ve been discouraged by not seeing results immediately, so they lose confidence in prayer. Yes, it requires patience, and sometimes great patience, but the believer must not be discouraged by that. Brothers and sisters, prayer changes things. Do not neglect this most important charge given to us by the Lord himself.
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, IF WE FAINT NOT."
Galatians 6:9
“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man AVAILS MUCH.”
James 5:16
“…to seek one’s own glory is not glory.” Proverbs 25:27 When a person seeks recognition for himself, that very act removes the worth of it. It's extremely difficult to resist doing. I listen to many interviews with people who have risen to prominence, and to a man they cannot cease to say, “as I said in my book…” over and over again until we’re weary of hearing it. They may have gained fame and fortune because of their book, or video, or ministry, or whatever work they’ve accomplished, but this kind of “glory” is worthless in the eyes of God. The very act of trying to bring glory to oneself makes the glory worthless. “But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’” Matthew 23:5-7 In other words, they dress richly, have their hair done just so, and they seek a name, they seek to be admired and honored before men and to be called “doctor so-and-so.” vs:12 “…whoever exalts himself will be HUMBLED, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” God hates pride. It was what brought Lucifer down, the greatest of all the angels, now known as Satan. Of all the souls of men in hell, most of them were brought there by pride. Pride is the great destroyer. It gives men a false impression of themselves. It drives men to sin. Who can resist pride? Only those who know the Word of God and heed its many warnings against it. “God RESISTS the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 1st Peter 5:5 Every true follower of Jesus Christ is going to find that the Lord will not allow pride in their lives. Look at the great apostle Paul. He says he was given “a messenger of Satan” to afflict him, something he called “a thorn in the flesh.” And he said he was given it to keep him from pride. He was the author of a large part of the New Testament, and he was the founder of many churches throughout the Middle East and Europe. Oh HOW that could have made him proud. But God protected him by sending an affliction which he said was grievous, meaning he really suffered from it. It was meant to keep him from pride. "And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure." 2nd Corinthians 12:7 This so changed Paul, he so understood it, that he actually came to boast of his weaknesses. vs 9: “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Do you have an affliction? Do you have troubles? Sometimes afflictions are given to believers to keep them from pride. Men strive against these afflictions to no avail, not realizing that they are God’s protection from the destroyer called pride. Once God confirms to a person that, like Paul, the affliction is God’s protection against pride, then the believer must stop striving against it and actually be thankful for the loving protection of God who keeps them from destruction. Don’t fight it, believer. Accept it and go on. There is great power in surrender. Surrender brings peace to one’s soul and makes him usable to God in a way nothing else can. “The man whom God delights to bless, he never curses with success.” -Charles Wesley