wordofgod: September 2023

Friday, September 29, 2023

6 Things You Need to Know about Unanswered Prayer

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

If you’re like most people, you have wondered why God seems silent at times when you have prayed to him about something. Here are six things every person needs to know about unanswered prayer.

1. When a wicked person prays, sometimes God turns a deaf ear.

People who have turned their backs on God and scoffed at him should not expect God to hear their prayers, let alone answer them.

[Re: David’s enemies:] They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them. (Ps. 18:41)

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him. (Prov. 15:8)

The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. (Prov. 15:29)

If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. (Prov. 28:9)

There are instances when God does hear the cries of unbelievers, such as was the case with the king and citizens of Nineveh in the book of Jonah. The Ninevites had no reason to think God would answer their prayers. Yet, God heard their prayer of repentance and appeal toward him, and he showed mercy on them:

“By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. (Jon. 3:7-10)

2. There is no such thing as unanswered prayer for Christians.

God hears the prayers of believers, and he will answer all of them.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Pet. 5:6–7)

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matt. 7:7–11)

3. Sometimes God answers “no” to a believer’s specific prayer.

Sometimes God’s children pray for things that would not be good for them or are against God’s will (Matt. 6:10; John 15:7; 1 John 5:14-15). In his love, God keeps us from dire consequences by not granting those petitions. We see a clear example of this in Jonah’s prayer that God take his life because he felt humiliated that God relented and nothing came to pass from his warnings to the people of Nineveh (Jon. 4:1-3). Yet, God patiently reasoned with Jonah:

And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” (Jon. 4:11)

Sometimes God has something much better for us, as was the case for Elijah, who asked God to take his life while fleeing from the wrath of Jezebel in 1 Kings 19:4. Yet, God protected Elijah and later took him up to heaven without Elijah ever seeing death:

And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more. (2 Kings 2:11-12)

While we don’t know exactly what Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was, he tell us that God had a purpose in not removing it, even though Paul pleaded with the Lord three times to do so (2 Cor. 12:8). God used this affliction to help Paul remember that his strength came from the Lord:

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. (2 Cor. 12:7)

4. Sometimes God answers “not yet” to a believer’s specific prayer.

Zechariah likely prayed for many years along with his wife, Elizabeth, for a child. Yet, God had a marvelous role for their child, John the Baptist, to play in redemptive history, of which Zechariah and Elizabeth were completely unaware. God waited until they were old in years to grant their petitions:

Now while he [Zechariah] was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” (Luke 1:8–13)

5. While one prayer is enough sometimes, it is also the case that God wants us to be persistent in our appeals and wait on him.

Believers pray in faith, knowing their God hears them. Elijah just had to pray once for God to send down fire from heaven (1 Kings 18:36-37). Yet, Jesus also reminds us that we should not lose heart when our prayers aren’t answered right away:

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he 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.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.” (Luke 18:1-8)

Persistent prayer reminds us that our hope comes from God alone in the anxieties and trials of this world:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7)

6. We are to be thankful to God that he always hears his children’s prayers, even when he doesn’t answer in the way or timing we would like.

While God does sometimes answer our prayers right away without delay, we should always be thankful regardless of the way or timing in which God responds to each of our petitions—whether big or small. Believers approach God’s throne with confidence because they pray to God in the name of Jesus:

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb. 4:16)

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Rom. 8:31-32)

We pray with thankfulness for all the petitions he has granted:

I thank you that you have answered me

and have become my salvation. (Ps. 118:21)

We know our adoption and inheritance are secure:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Pet. 1:3-5)

We know that God will never leave us or forsake us:

In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:37-39)

May believers around the world pray more with thankful hearts, knowing our heavenly Father will answer our prayers.

Oaths in God's Name — Deuteronomy 6:13

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In Scripture God very specifically addresses the matter of using his name in a reverent manner:

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” (Exod. 20:7)

“It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.” (Deut. 6:13)

In the Third Commandment God forbids using his name vainly, but does that include taking an oath in God’s name as is often done in courts of law, entering government service, and in marriage vows?

We should never take oaths lightly.

Essentially, an oath is calling out to God who knows our heart and the truth of what we affirm. The Heidelberg Catechism, first published in 1563, is a highly regarded summary of the Christian faith and has the following to say about the Third Commandment:

“Q. But may we swear an oath in God’s name if we do it reverently?

A. Yes, when the government demands it, or when necessity requires it, in order to maintain and promote truth and trustworthiness for God’s glory and our neighbor’s good. Such oath-taking is grounded in God’s Word and was rightly used by the saints in the Old and New Testaments.” (Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 101)

By swearing an oath in God’s name we are 1) following the command of Scripture (for example, Deut. 6:13); 2) trusting God to either confirm the truth of our oath or punish falsehood; and 3) demonstrating to others that it is God himself who we ultimately look to for the sureness of what we affirm in our oath. Because of this, we should never take oaths lightly.

God calls on us to be honest and truthful in our oaths made in his name.

Before taking an oath we should carefully consider what we are saying and ensure that we are sincere in what we are committing ourselves to perform. God knows our heart, and he will surely strengthen and encourage us for the commitments we truthfully make in his name.

Though we are never to use the Lord’s name in vain, God calls on us to be honest and truthful in our oaths made in his name. We can rejoice that he leads us in all truth while calling on us to perform to the Lord that which we have sworn.

The Greek word for “submit” in Ephesians 5:21–24 is hypotassó, which refers to a wife’s “recognition of an ordered structure” in which her husband is the person to whom she should show appropriate respect “as to the Lord” (BDAG, 1042; Eph. 5:22; see also 1 Pet. 3:1–6). Similarly, the Greek word for “respect” in Ephesians 5:33 is phobētai, which means to have a profound measure of reverence/respect for someone (BDAG, 1061).

While some Christians have wrongly used these Bible verses as an excuse for husbands to mistreat their wives, the verses actually communicate the vast responsibility a husband has to care for his wife and the wife’s duty to honor her husband (in a corresponding article, we focus on a Christian wife’s responsibilities to her husband). Here are six things (in no particular order) every Christian husband should give his wife:

1. Love

A Christian husband should love his wife as he does himself and always protect her from all harm (Eph. 5:25–29). He should do his best to “nurture and cherish” his wife in the love of Christ as he would his own flesh and tend to her spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical needs (Eph. 5:29; Col. 3:19).

2. Respect

A Christian husband should always respect his wife. When Paul tells wives to submit to their husbands in Ephesians 5:24, he does not mean that wives must endure abuse, neglect, or mistreatment of any kind by their husbands. Rather, Paul is reminding the church that a wife is under the leadership of her husband (Eph. 5:23). A Christian husband must always show his wife honor, both publicly and privately, and protect her dignity and reputation from any and all slander (1 Pet. 3:7).

3. Spiritual Leadership

A Christian husband should provide his wife with spiritual leadership. Even though his wife may be well equipped in biblical doctrine and application and spend a considerable amount of time instructing their children in the faith, a husband must be diligent to oversee and guide the spiritual training of his family (Eph. 6:4).

4. Attention

A Christian husband should be attentive to his wife. He should always do his best to set aside a substantial amount of time to be with his wife, enjoy her company, and seek to understand her better. In doing so, a Christian husband and his wife can grow closer to each other and build a stronger marriage that honors God in all (Prov. 5:18–19; Eph. 5:31).

5. Devotion

A Christian husband should always be faithful to his wife. Even when times are difficult due to financial, emotional, or physical challenges, a husband’s personal happiness must always be subordinated to sacrificially loving his wife “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25; see also 1 Cor. 7:1–5). In doing so, he honors not only his wife but also his Lord.

6. Enjoyment

A Christian husband should enjoy his wife. She is a precious gift from God given to comfort, support, encourage, and love him (Prov. 18:22; 31:10–12; 1 Pet. 3:1). The more a husband values, cherishes, and nurtures his wife, the more she will reflect God's love as his radiant bride.

This article was originally published under the title "6 Things a Christian Husband Should Give His Wife" at corechristianity.com. It has been updated from its original publishing date of November 8, 2017.

Thursday, September 28, 2023

5 Warning Signs That a Pastor Has Not Been Truly Called by God

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All Christians need to see the warning signs of a man who has not been truly called by God to the office of pastor. Here are five to consider:

1. No Formal Theological Training

Some churchgoers avoid asking or even caring whether or not their pastors have been properly trained for pastoral ministry. It sometimes happens in churches that anyone who says that he feels called to do ministry does it. We wouldn’t, of course, do this in any other calling. I would be negligent at best if I sent my sick loved one to a self-proclaimed medical doctor who said that he felt called but who also skipped the MCAT and an accredited medical school. But in some churches this hasn’t stopped us. As long as a person feels led, has a big heart, and can motivate the people, he may be given the title of pastor. Here are a series of questions you should ask your pastor:

From which reputable seminary did you receive your Master of Divinity degree?
Which faithful church body confirmed your internal calling?
When were you ordained to the office and hands laid upon you?
Have you learned the word of God in the original languages?

If the pastor took some classes from some Bible college or other religious university and skirted the hard work of obtaining a Divinitatis Magistrvm (Master of Divinity), why would you expect him to labor faithfully every week in the Word to rightly divide the truth to the glory of God and the profit of your soul?

2. No Creed

What your pastor believes is crucial to the well-being of your soul. I Timothy 4:16 commands a pastor to take heed to himself and to the doctrine, for in doing this he will save both himself and those who hear him. So what is your pastor’s doctrine? Since no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation, to which historical and collective expression of what Scripture teaches has he promised to honor?

This is why Protestants produced creeds and confessions. The Holy Spirit has worked powerfully in Christians who have gone before us. If a pastor has no desire to formally commit himself to some expression of the historic Christian faith, he is making a strong statement that the truth is irrelevant to what he is doing. In that case, run.

3. No Preaching

Is your pastor committed to preach the Word as it is in truth, the word of God? How central is the Word to what he is doing? Does he confront sin? Is there a proper balance of the law and the gospel in his preaching? Or are you getting sermon series like the following: “Living on Empty?” “Going Off-Roading with God,” “Church Is a Verb,” “Life Is a Marathon,” etc.? If the Word is being used like a giant fortune cookie from which the pastor pulls a few verses to support his topic, that is exactly the kind of ear-tickling the apostle Paul warned against (see 2 Tim. 4:1-5).

The assumption is being made today that the most Spirit-filled churches are led by pastors who can best determine for the people what they need. In this way the pastor thinks he is being relevant to a post-modern culture, when in reality he is only pandering to the wants of assumed seekers. If your pastor is refusing to preach through the word of God, he is a false shepherd. God gave us books and stories for a reason—it is God’s word that is to be faithfully proclaimed.

4. No Holiness

Pastors are called to set an example of godliness in all aspects of their lives. How does your pastor look and act? Does his life demonstrate that he is concerned about your soul? Does he strive to push you heavenward as a pilgrim here on earth? Or is he virtually indistinguishable from the world?

I am wearied of seeing forty- to fifty-year-old pastors dress and act like teenagers. This strange (what I call) “incarnational hipsterism” has overrun the church with worldliness. Age denial is one thing, but it’s quite another to live out that denial in an artificial and insincere manner as a pretext of doing ministry in a relevant way. Our love as pastors should be without hypocrisy, that is without masks.

5. No Ecclesiology

How important are the three marks of a faithful church to your pastor?

The pure preaching of the gospel
The right administration of the sacraments
Church discipline

The greatest evidence of whether your pastor is called by God will be witnessed in his convictions about the doctrine of the church. Does he care enough to discipline wayward members? Is he more concerned about what the church looks like than its holiness and catholicity (the church universal)? Is he more concerned about being relational rather than theological, subjective rather than objective?

Does your pastor avoid all polemics and defense of the truth? Does the fruit of his work show that he has been successful is creating a niche event for a particular age group? What do the demographics of his ministry really demonstrate? And finally, does he care more about making the worship service a program, a show, rather than feeding the sheep with the Word and nurturing them in their struggles against sin?

Being assured that your pastor is called by God is crucial to the well-being of your soul. Hopefully, some of the above signs and questions will help you determine if indeed you are sitting under a faithful minister of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Chris Gordon is the radio teacher for Abounding Grace Radio and the preaching pastor at Escondido United Reformed Church in California.

This article is adapted from “Of Mohawks And Ministers: What is a Pastor Anymore?” at agradio.org.

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6 Things You Need to Know about Unanswered Prayer

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

If you’re like most people, you have wondered why God seems silent at times when you have prayed to him about something. Here are six things every person needs to know about unanswered prayer.

1. When a wicked person prays, sometimes God turns a deaf ear.

People who have turned their backs on God and scoffed at him should not expect God to hear their prayers, let alone answer them.

[Re: David’s enemies:] They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them. (Ps. 18:41)

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him. (Prov. 15:8)

The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. (Prov. 15:29)

If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. (Prov. 28:9)

“By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. (Jon. 3:7-10)

2. There is no such thing as unanswered prayer for Christians.

God hears the prayers of believers, and he will answer all of them.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Pet. 5:6–7)

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matt. 7:7–11)

3. Sometimes God answers “no” to a believer’s specific prayer.

And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” (Jon. 4:11)

And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more. (2 Kings 2:11-12)

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. (2 Cor. 12:7)

4. Sometimes God answers “not yet” to a believer’s specific prayer.

Now while he [Zechariah] was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” (Luke 1:8–13)

5. While one prayer is enough sometimes, it can also be the case that God wants us to be persistent in our appeals and wait on him.

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he 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.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.” (Luke 18:1-8)

Persistent prayer reminds us that our hope comes from God alone in the anxieties and trials of this world:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7)

6. We are to be thankful to God that he always hears his children’s prayers, even when he doesn’t answer in the way or timing we would like.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb. 4:16)

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Rom. 8:31-32)

We pray with thankfulness for all the petitions he has granted:

I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation. (Ps. 118:21)

We know our adoption and inheritance are secure:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Pet. 1:3-5)

We know that God will never leave us or forsake us:

In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:37-39)

May believers around the world pray more with thankful hearts, knowing our heavenly Father will answer our prayers.

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

You Must Be Ready for Jesus' Return!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

That day in October ’93 began like every day. I was twenty-three, at theological college. I was going out with Amanda-Sue Forder, and we knew were going to be married. It was October 19, a Monday. I worked and studied, and at night I attended a theological lecture—just like every other Monday. Soon after, as I returned as usual to my share-house in Subiaco, my brother called me.

“Cam, Grandad died. He died an hour ago.”

I had not yet lost a close relative. Grandad was a kind and generous man who had played an enormously positive role in my life. There had been no indication that he was unwell. But that evening, after dinner, his aorta ruptured: suddenly, catastrophically, and utterly unexpectedly.

My world, and that of my family, was quite different at the end of what had begun as a normal Monday.

Jesus will return on an ordinary day.

In Matthew 24:37-44, Jesus teaches us that he will return on a similarly ordinary day. Do you think about that? Does it change your outlook on your life? Does it affect your behavior? Do you look forward to it?

As we will see, it ought to affect everything. Radically.

For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. (Matt. 24:37-41)

This appears in the heart of the so-called Matthew 24-25 “Olivet Discourse,” Jesus’ sustained teaching about his coming visible return. He urges us to contemplate the world of Noah, to see there a vital preview of what is to come. Noah was the village idiot—a laughingstock—because he was building a great boat where there was no sea.

When he wasn’t building, he was preaching (2 Pet. 2:5), warning people about the coming flood, urging them to repent and seek the grace of God. No doubt people mocked his preaching as much as they mocked his boat. I think I would have.

When we know things are going to happen, then we plan our future around them. We “factor them in.” If a baby is coming, you don’t plan a three-month mission trip to Yemen around the due date. If you have exams in June, then you won’t take off to Disneyland for the month of May.

Just as people today don’t believe Jesus’ warnings about God’s coming judgment, people didn’t believe Noah’s warnings.

But everyone ignored Noah and got right on with their lives. They ate and drank. They got married. They arranged marriages for their children (an excellent custom that should be revived posthaste). They ignored the flood and planned to enjoy the days and years ahead of them. Mad Noah’s preaching was neurotic nonsense.

And Jesus tells us that the same would happen in relation to his return. “For just as the days of Noah, in this way will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

“Coming” translates parousia (παρουσια), a most important New Testament word. Ancient writers often used it in a religious sense, to describe “the coming of a hidden divinity, who makes his presence felt by a revelation of his power” (BDAG). They also used it in a civil sense, to describe the visit of a high-ranking official, king, or emperor. This made the word Parousia an ideal technical term in the New Testament for the return of Jesus (see Matt. 24:3, 27, 37, 39; 1 Cor. 1:8; 15:23; 1 Thess. 2:19, 3:13, 4:15, 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:1, 8; Jas. 5:7; 2 Pet. 1:16, 3:4, 12). I will use the word Parousia for the rest of this article to refer to Jesus’ second coming.

We must note also how Jesus, by referring to “the coming of the Son of Man,” grounds his Parousia in the Daniel 7:13-14 account of God’s coronation of Messiah over all nations forever:

“I saw in the night visions,

and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.”

How, though, does Jesus link his Parousia with Noah? In the same way that Noah’s generation did not factor the coming flood into their present and future, the world would do exactly the same with Christ’s return. Noah’s generation refused to believe his warnings, and refused to change their lives, “until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away.” Outside of the ark they were all swept away. No exceptions, no special cases.

Noah’s generation knew about God and their need for repentance because Noah preached to them.

While Noah’s generation was ignorant about the coming flood, they knew about God: God’s will for their lives, God’s holiness and justice, the need for repentance, God’s grace and the possibility of finding mercy, the certainty of coming judgment, and the urgent necessity to find safety in the ark, the one and only shelter that God had provided. God, through Noah, “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Pet. 2:5) had told people about these things. Their ignorance was willful and culpable. They did not want to know.

Jesus drives the lesson home by repeating that powerful phrase: “the Parousia of the Son of Man will be the same.” Stop and contemplate the unspeakable tragedy and grace of Genesis 6-9. It is a preview of the Parousia.

I diverge to note that Jesus’ words destroy any inkling that the Genesis 6-9 flood account is mythical or “a-historical” or something less than the truthful reporting of an actual event. But if there was no historical Noah, who built a great ark-refuge and warned about a coming flood; and if there wasn’t an actual flood that killed everyone on earth save Noah’s family, then the analogy that Jesus draws between Noah and his own Parousia is gutted. The analogy only grips and bites and works because people in the time and history of Genesis 6-9 failed to factor into their daily lives a coming catastrophe, and were then actually swept away to their deaths. And the same thing will happen when Jesus returns.

There will be differences between the flood and Jesus’ second coming.

There will be differences though, as an overview of Matthew 24-25 elucidates. The flood brought a great disruption to creation, but the Parousia will bring about the complete wrapping up (and then renovation) of creation (24:29). The flood constituted an intermediate judgment of evil humanity, but the Parousia will usher in final judgment (25:31-46). Following the flood there was an opportunity for the human race—re-established from Noah’s family—to repent and find God’s mercy. There will be no second chance after the Parousia: a person’s place under God’s fierce judgment or within his tender mercy will be fixed for all eternity (25:11-12, 46).

Whereas God’s punishment upon evil by the flood seems very fierce, this will seem as nothing compared to the “great distress, unequalled” of the Parousia (24:21). Instead of drowning, there will be eternal “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (24:51; 25:30), and blackness forever (25:30). God’s punishment for sin is neither arbitrary nor cruel, but it is implacably fierce and terrifying nonetheless.

Moreover, the Parousia will bring not a cataclysmic deluge, but a person. And every human being will either be the object of this person’s justice and appalling punishment for sin or will find mercy and grace with and alongside and in this person. The saved will not be found huddled in an ark, but in the safe arms of Christ. Those therefore who have repented of sin and fled to him for mercy and grace (as Noah’s family fled to the ark), and those who have sheltered from God’s just wrath under the blood of Jesus’ sacrifice for sin (as Noah’s family sheltered from God’s just wrath under the roof of the ark) “will be caught up together…in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17).

We must be filled with constant expectation of Jesus’ return.

That’s why, at the Parousia, two men in the same field, or two women at the same mill, will be shockingly and instantaneously separated: one to be judged, one to be saved (Matt. 24:40-41).

Jesus wraps up this section with a pointed application:

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matt. 24:42-44)

The day of the flood began like any other, and no one expected it to end any differently. No one imagined that they would not at the end of that day return to their homes and dinner and bed. The coming of Christ will be just the same. Wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes, are constant reminders of the inevitable fact of the Parousia (Matt. 24:6-8), but none of these things give any indication as to the time of the Parousia. No competent thief gives notice to his victims. And there will be no 12-month, 12-day, or 12-hour notice for the Parousia.

The day of Christ’s return will begin like every other day and will end like no other day. It will bring joy to many and devastation to the rest. Noah’s flood was a preview and pledge. The past promised and disbelieved cataclysm actually arrived on one fateful day. So will the Parousia.

Within Jesus’ description lies a prescription. The fact that he will come on an ordinary day must shape our ordinary days. They must be filled with constant expectation of Christ’s return. Our default posture must be “on the edge of our seats.”

We must work and play, love and worship, in keen expectation of Christ’s imminent return. What tremendous dignity this adds to our daily tasks. Nothing we do is “filling in time until the Lord returns.” Everything is done in preparation for the Master’s return, and “It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes” (Luke 12:37 NIV).

Campbell Markham has been a pastor in the Australian Presbyterian Church for over twenty-two years and lives in Perth, Western Australia. He blogs at Campbell Markham: Thoughts and Letters.

Monday, September 25, 2023

Oaths in God's Name — Deuteronomy 6:13

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In Scripture God very specifically addresses the matter of using his name in a reverent manner:

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” (Exod. 20:7)

“It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.” (Deut. 6:13)

In the Third Commandment God forbids using his name vainly, but does that include taking an oath in God’s name as is often done in courts of law, entering government service, and in marriage vows?

We should never take oaths lightly.

“Q. But may we swear an oath in God’s name if we do it reverently?

A. Yes, when the government demands it, or when necessity requires it, in order to maintain and promote truth and trustworthiness for God’s glory and our neighbor’s good. Such oath-taking is grounded in God’s Word and was rightly used by the saints in the Old and New Testaments.” (Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 101)

God calls on us to be honest and truthful in our oaths made in his name.

Daniel Rowlands is content editor for Beautiful Christian Life.

Sunday, September 24, 2023

6 Ways a Christian Husband Cherishes His Wife

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. (Eph. 5:24)

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Eph. 5:33)

1. Love

2. Respect

3. Spiritual Leadership

4. Attention

5. Devotion

6. Enjoyment

Le Ann Trees is managing editor of Beautiful Christian Life. This article has been updated from its original publishing date of November 8, 2017.

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Encouraging Men in the Church

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

God has called men to fulfill various vocations in life, including ones of leadership in the family and church. This doesn’t mean, though, that a man will never have doubts about his ability to be a good leader. What are some ways we can encourage Christian men as they strive to fulfill their God-given callings in life?

Instead of devaluing masculine traits, Christians should focus on encouraging men to love God and their neighbor well in their unique callings.

A godly man knows his sin and weaknesses all too well. Husbands and fathers need the encouragement of knowing his wife and children respect and believe in him, even in spite of his failures and shortcomings. Men also need the encouragement of other men to become good leaders.

Perhaps you are a man who has benefitted from a godly male role model; if so, take the time to befriend and pass on the mentoring you received to another man who is struggling in some way. If you find yourself feeling frustrated at times by your pastor, elders, or deacons, look for practical ways to support them as they strive to be faithful servants who love God's people with the love of Christ. Take a moment and share an encouraging word with them or praise them for something they have done well.

In God’s good design he made man in his image, male and female, and both are of equal value in his sight.

We live in a world that is increasingly focused on tearing down men and devaluing masculine traits. Tragically, there are men who are scoundrels, men who abuse their leadership in the most horrendous ways. Yet, there are countless millions of men around the world who earnestly seek to be, and are by the grace of God, godly leaders.

Rejoice that In God’s good design he made man in his image, male and female, and both are of equal value in his sight. May we respect and rejoice in the similarities and the differences between men and women, always seeking to encourage each other in all our callings.

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. (1 Cor. 16:13-14)

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Wednesday, September 20, 2023

8 Good Things to Remember After Experiencing Rejection

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Someone once said, “Don’t let the opinion of one or two people decide what you think about yourself.” Here are eight good things to remember after experiencing rejection:

1. People say and do unkind things because of their selfish desires.

We are all prone to think our motives are purer than they actually are. The people from whom we have experienced rejection likely feel they are justified in their actions for a variety of reasons. Of course, these are not necessarily good reasons, but the likelihood of such people recognizing their selfish motivations is slim to none most of the time:

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart. (Prov. 21:2)

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jer. 17:9)

As much as we wish other people would acknowledge the pain they have caused in our lives and ask for our forgiveness, this doesn’t often occur. Even when it does, it can be years before they understand and are sorry for their actions. It’s best not to expect an apology and instead forgive the person as Christ has forgiven us.

2. There is good in reflecting on possible factors leading to the rejection.

If we reflect on the rejection we have experienced, we may find some patterns. Perhaps we have a tendency to make friends with people who already have a well-established social network, and they don’t have the time or feel the need to commit to a relationship with another person. Or it may be that we have unreasonable expectations for the relationship and the person feels excessively burdened by them. We may have sinned against the person in some way either knowingly or unknowingly that made them unwilling to continue the relationship.

While we may have thought that our job performance was stellar at an organization from which we were fired, others may have seen our work differently for a variety of reasons. Taking time to assess our patterns of behavior and responsibility in the rejection can help us make changes in future interactions with others. We may even need to ask someone’s forgiveness, but we shouldn’t expect a full restoration of the relationship. Earning someone’s trust again or being able to trust someone who has hurt you takes time and doesn’t always occur.

3. People don’t always want our help.

Perhaps we reached out to a friend or someone at work or church, or in our family, in an attempt to be a good influence in their lives in some way. Yet, the person saw our “counsel” as criticism. While it can be frustrating to say or do nothing when we want to help a person, it is good to remember the words of George Washington from his Rules of Civility:

Give not Advice with[out] being Ask'd & when desired [d]o it briefly. (Rule 68)

Knowing when to give counsel and when to be silent requires the wisdom that comes from much prayer, Bible reading, and life experience. The process of acquiring such wisdom cannot be rushed. Sometimes a relationship can go on for years before enough trust is established for advice to be solicited—and received.

4. There are positive steps we can take to produce a different outcome in the future.

Take some time to think about people you know at church and work and in your community who are kind, yet somewhat shy. Perhaps they have experienced rejection as well and are hesitant to try to build new relationships. In many cases, they would love to have a friend who would enjoy their company. Be sure to pay attention to appropriate boundaries if you or the other person are married or in a dating relationship with someone else.

Maybe you can plan a walk or hike together, go to a matinee, or meet for coffee. If you are both single and the person is of the opposite sex, the relationship could even lead to marriage in the future! It may be that a long-term friendship isn’t in the cards for one reason or another, but hopefully you will at least have some beneficial real-life interaction with someone for a time in an increasingly digital world.

If your rejection was work related, you may want to consider taking steps to acquire more knowledge and expertise to build upon your current skills and education. Pursuing a degree, taking classes, and attending conferences are all excellent ways to meet new and interesting people who may become significant influences in your life for the good in the months and years to come.

5. We can use rejection as an opportunity to re-evaluate the direction in which we are headed.

Perhaps your submission was rejected by an agent or publisher. Maybe you thought you had landed your dream job, only to discover the company has pivoted and your services are no longer needed. It could be the case that the person you thought would be your companion for life isn’t ready for marriage or has found someone else. Dreams you had for the future are now laid waste, and you’re not sure what to do.

These kinds of rejections are not at all uncommon to the human experience, and God uses them to guide us where he wants us to go:

The heart of man plans his way,
but the Lord establishes his steps. (Prov. 16:9)

The rejection that is now causing you pain may be the impetus for making a change in your career path, the content you create, the place where you live, the church you attend, the person you marry, or the activities you choose to pursue going forward. While it is impossible to see now, months or years down the road you may be thankful for the circumstances that caused you to see God-honoring possibilities and to make them a reality.

6. God will never reject us and will always love us.

Regardless of how people treat us, our status in Christ is always secure, and our inheritance is waiting for us. The Holy Spirit dwells in us, and he will never leave us:

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Rom. 8:16-17)

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say,

   “The Lord is my helper;
       I will not fear;
   what can man do to me?” (Heb. 13:5-6)

Remember, even in times of exceedingly painful rejection, that God sees us clothed with the righteousness of Christ, and we are beautiful in his sight and adored.

7. Rejection is to be expected in the Christian life.

Christians can expect to be persecuted for their faith in Christ, so they will face additional rejection in this world as our Lord told us:

“And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matt. 10:22)

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

The apostle Peter also writes about the aspect of suffering in the Christian life:

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 Pet. 4:12-14)

The next time you are rejected, take time to consider the impossible-to-fathom painful rejection our Lord experienced by those he came to save. If you are rejected because of your faith in Christ, count it joy that you have been granted the privilege of suffering for his name’s sake.

8. Focus your heart and mind on pleasing God instead of people.

Ultimately, it only matters what God thinks of you. Take your consequent duties seriously as a child of God and seek to honor the Lord in all you do:

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Gal. 1:10)

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. (Col. 3:23)

But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. (1 Thess. 2:4)

As believers, we can trust that God is at work in these disappointments for his glory and our growth in holiness. He may be testing our faith to see if we are willing to trust him even when circumstances make no sense or are terribly unjust and evil, and this kind of faith is a great testimony to the world of what is most important—our relationship with God that will last for all eternity.

Instead of being the end, rejection can be the beginning of hope.

The pain we face as sinful human beings in the rejections of life cannot compare with all the rejection that Christ, who was without sin, willingly suffered because of his great love for us. The rejections we experience should also should make us even more determined to treat others with love and respect.

God has our good in mind, even in the rejections we encounter. As his children may we face such suffering with humility, fortitude, forgiveness, hope, and trust in our heavenly Father’s loving oversight in our lives.

Le Ann Trees is managing editor of Beautiful Christian Life.

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Friday, September 29, 2023

1. When a wicked person prays, sometimes God turns a deaf ear.

2. There is no such thing as unanswered prayer for Christians.

3. Sometimes God answers “no” to a believer’s specific prayer.

4. Sometimes God answers “not yet” to a believer’s specific prayer.

5. While one prayer is enough sometimes, it is also the case that God wants us to be persistent in our appeals and wait on him.

6. We are to be thankful to God that he always hears his children’s prayers, even when he doesn’t answer in the way or timing we would like.

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We should never take oaths lightly.

God calls on us to be honest and truthful in our oaths made in his name.

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1. Love

2. Respect

3. Spiritual Leadership

4. Attention

5. Devotion

6. Enjoyment

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Thursday, September 28, 2023

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

1. No Formal Theological Training

2. No Creed

3. No Preaching

4. No Holiness

5. No Ecclesiology

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Recommended Book:

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

1. When a wicked person prays, sometimes God turns a deaf ear.

2. There is no such thing as unanswered prayer for Christians.

3. Sometimes God answers “no” to a believer’s specific prayer.

4. Sometimes God answers “not yet” to a believer’s specific prayer.

5. While one prayer is enough sometimes, it can also be the case that God wants us to be persistent in our appeals and wait on him.

6. We are to be thankful to God that he always hears his children’s prayers, even when he doesn’t answer in the way or timing we would like.

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Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

Jesus will return on an ordinary day.

Just as people today don’t believe Jesus’ warnings about God’s coming judgment, people didn’t believe Noah’s warnings.

Noah’s generation knew about God and their need for repentance because Noah preached to them.

There will be differences between the flood and Jesus’ second coming.

We must be filled with constant expectation of Jesus’ return.

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Monday, September 25, 2023

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

We should never take oaths lightly.

God calls on us to be honest and truthful in our oaths made in his name.

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Sunday, September 24, 2023

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

1. Love

2. Respect

3. Spiritual Leadership

4. Attention

5. Devotion

6. Enjoyment

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Thursday, September 21, 2023

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

Instead of devaluing masculine traits, Christians should focus on encouraging men to love God and their neighbor well in their unique callings.

In God’s good design he made man in his image, male and female, and both are of equal value in his sight.

Related Articles:

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

1. People say and do unkind things because of their selfish desires.

2. There is good in reflecting on possible factors leading to the rejection.

3. People don’t always want our help.

4. There are positive steps we can take to produce a different outcome in the future.

5. We can use rejection as an opportunity to re-evaluate the direction in which we are headed.

6. God will never reject us and will always love us.

7. Rejection is to be expected in the Christian life.

8. Focus your heart and mind on pleasing God instead of people.

Instead of being the end, rejection can be the beginning of hope.