"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Tim. 2:1-2 NIV)

People behaving badly

It has been discouraging to watch the televised riots these days and observe the vitriol coming from unhappy people of political opinion behaving badly. A follower of Christ, however, should not be a party to this kind of behavior, and stirring up conflict, but should instead pray for the leadership, no matter who they are. “A perverse person stirs up conflict.” (Prov. 16:28 NIV)

How should followers of Christ behave?

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chron. 7:14 NIV)

Show respect to everyone even if you disagree with them

“Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2:17 NIV)

Seek peace by praying to the Lord for it

“Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7 NIV)

God can change hearts

“In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.” (Prov. 21:1 NIV)

“He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason; he makes them wander in a trackless waste. They grope in darkness with no light; he makes them stagger like drunkards.” (Job 12:24-25 NIV)

“To get nations back on their feet, we must first get down on our knees." - Billy Graham

 “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” (Psalm 143:8 NIV)

 What is love?

• God is love - “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” (1 John 4:16 NIV)

• Attributes of love - “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” (1 Cor. 13:4-5 NIV)

The greatest love

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13 NIV)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 KJV)

 “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 John 3:1 NIV)

Therefore….

•  Bear with one another in love - “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Eph. 4:2 NIV)
•  Love others because He loves you - “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 NIV)
•  Be established in love - “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love.” (Eph. 3:16-17 NIV)
•  Be devoted in love -  “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (Rom. 12:10 NIV)

 What they said about God’s love

“Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not” – C.S. Lewis

“The nature of God’s love is unchangeable. Ours alternates all to readily. If it is our habit to love God with our own affection we shall turn cold towards Him whenever we are unhappy.” – Watchman Nee

“When the time comes for you to die, you need not be afraid, because death cannot separate you from God’s love.” – Charles Spurgeon

 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14 NIV)

The above verse about praying according to God’s will. How do you do that? You look into God’s Word to find out what it says about the will of God. There are many passages of scripture on that topic. Here are just a few.

God’s will is for you to be thankful

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thess. 5:18 ESV)

God’s will is for you to be pure

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality.” (1 Thess. 4:3 ESV)

God's will is for you to be doing good

“For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.” (1 Peter 2:15 ESV)

God's will is for you to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 ESV)

God’s will is for you to walk wisely and to make the best use of the time

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” (Eph. 5:15-19 ESV)

God’s will is that all people will be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth

“This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim. 2:3-4 ESV)

 “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matt. 5:44 NIV)

No exceptions

“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Tim. 3:12 ESV)

Jesus was hated first

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” (John 25:18 ESV)

Rejoice that you share Christ's sufferings

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” (1 Peter 4:12-14 ESV)

“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day." - Abraham Lincoln

 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24 NIV)

“Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.'” (John 6:35 ESV)

How to please God

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Heb. 11:6 ESV)

There’s joy and peace in believing

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Rom. 25:13 ESV)

 "And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matt. 21:22 ESV)

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matt. 7:11 NIV)

Pray humbly

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chron. 7:14 NIV)

Check your motives

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:3 NIV)

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” (Jer. 29:12 NIV)

Pray at all times for all things

“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.” (James 5:13 NIV)

“Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden." - Corrie Ten Boom

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:26 NIV)

It is wonderful that we can talk to God who chooses to hear us!

We are made righteous because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. (Rom. 5:9). And, because of it, we can approach God boldly through the thing called prayer. (Heb. 4:16)

Prayer is having a conversation with God

“The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” (Prob. 15:29 NIV)

“The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.” (Prob. 15:8 NIV)

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16 NIV)

 "Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference." - Max Lucado

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32 NIV)

What’s real and what’s fake?

As I write this, the main stream media is filled with much discussion and opinion on the topic of so called, “fake news.” And, every side of every issue is accusing the other side of being guilty of it. And, quite frankly, it's hard to tell the difference between what is real news and what is fake news because each side spins the “facts” to support their own opinions.

How can they do this with actual “facts” you may ask?

Wall Street Journal columnist, James Taranto, opined on Twitter: “Fact checking” is opinion journalism pretending to be some sort of heightened objectivity.” Simply put, “fact checkers” cherry-pick the statements to “fact-check” and then decide which data to back it up with. In short, statistics can be manipulated to come up with any conclusion wanted to promote.

This is nothing new

the enemies of Jesus took statements He had said and twisted them to use against Him. “Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.’” (Mark 24:57-58)

What is truth?

According to the dictionary, truth is the quality or state of being true; truthfulness, honesty, accuracy, correctness, validity, factuality, and authenticity. The exact opposite of truth (antonyms) is falsehood, dishonesty, fiction, and lies.

Truth comes from God

• Jesus is the truth – “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6 NIV)
•  Jesus’s Word is truth - “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17 NIV)
• Jesus is full of grace and truth - “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 NIV)

The truth test

 “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.”  (1 John 1:6 NIV)

 “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.” (James 1:18 NIV)

 “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” (Psalm 25:5 NIV)

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:4 NIV)

 "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." (John 8:12 NIV)

 God is light with no darkness

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5 NIV)

 The Word of God gives light and direction

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my pathway.” (Psalm 119:105 NIV)

“The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” (Psalm 119:130 NIV)

We must walk in the light

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:5-9 NIV)