MAX ON LIFE

83. Some people in our church feel that we shouldn't associate with members of other denominations. This doesn't seem right to us, but we are new believers, and we want to respect the opinions of those who have been in the church longer than we have.

Some preach a different message than Christianity. Sometimes subtle. Sometimes obvious. Those groups need to be approached with caution since they use twisted theology and convoluted reasoning to confuse the converts.

Within Christianity there are subcategories or denominations that have different ways of expressing biblical truth. One group wears suits, another wears collars, and another wears golf shirts. They may differ in their views of communion: once a week, once a month, or every once in a while. Wine, grape juice, fruit punch. When it comes to baptism, one may immerse, the other sprinkle.

Whatever churches' methods and whatever their practices, God has one flock. The flock has one shepherd. And though we may think there are many, we are wrong. There is only one.

Never in the Bible are we told to create unity. We are told simply to maintain the unity that exists. Paul exhorts us to preserve "the unity which the Spirit gives" (Eph 4:3). Our task is not to invent unity but to acknowledge it.

I grew up with two sisters and a brother. We came from the same family. We had the same father and mother. I'm sure there were times when they didn't want to call me their brother, but they didn't have that choice.

Nor do we in the church. When I hear someone calling God "Father" and Jesus "Savior", I meet a brother or a sister - regardless of the name of their church or denomination.

By the way, the church names we banter about? They do not exist in heaven. The Book of Life does not list your denomination next to your name. Why? Because the denomination does not save you. And I wonder, if there are no denominations in heaven, why do we have them on earth?

What would happen.... (I know this is a crazy thought.) But what would happen if all the churches agreed, on a given day, to change their names simply so "church"? What if any reference to any denomination were removed and we were all just Christians? And then when people chose which church to attend, they wouldn't do so by the sign outside. They'd do so by the hearts of the people inside. And then when people were asked what church they attended, their answer would be just a location, not a label.

And then we Christians wouldn't be known for what divides us; instead, we'd be known for what unites us - our common Father.

By: Max Lucado

MAX ON LIFE

82. My wife and I don't have any friends at church, and we're not involved in any of the activities. We're thinking about just staying at home on Sundays. Would this be wrong?

I know what you mean. I think about staying home some Sundays too... and I'm one of the ministers!

I wonder what would happen if, as I went to work, my stomach decided to stay home, take a little break. Or if my spleen just needed some time to get its act together. Or if my left foot walked out on me.

I would be a mess. Practically dead. Completely incapacitated.

Ever wonder why Paul refers to the church as the body of Christ?

"We are parts of [Christ's] body." (Eph 5:30)

"[Christ] is the head of the body, which is the church." (Col 1:18)

I am not his body; you are not his body. We - together - are his body.

But bodies are so fragile, prone to sickness and rupture. Church bodies are fragile too, prone to envy and insignificance.

"If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body', is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body', is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased." (1 Cor 12:15-18)

Every part of the body is necessary because each serves a function. No part is the whole, but every part is part of the whole. Our world desperately needs people who stick together and love one another. This group is the church.

Is there ever a time to leave a church? Yes. In the event of immoral or dishonest leadership. If the pastors are using or abusing the flock, get out. Otherwise,

brains need to find reasonable answers

eyes need to see the problems,

stomachs need to digest the situation,

spleens need to get rid of bacteria,

hands need to soothe,

feet need to get to work.

Don't eject yourself from the body... or it will die.

By: Max Lucado

MAX ON LIFE

81. Some members of our Bible study group are very critical. They bad-mouth anyone who disagrees with them. This bothers me.

It bothers God too. He says, "Do not argue about opinions" (Rom 14:1). It's one thing to have an opinion; it's something else entirely to have a fight. When you sense the volume increasing and the heat rising, close you mouth. It's better to be quiet and keep a brother than be loud and lose one. Besides, "They are God's servants, not yours. They are responsible to him, not to you. Let him tell them whether they are right or wrong. And God is able to make them do as they should" (Rom 14:4).

"Stop judging each other" (Rom 14:13). We judge others when we stop addressing the controversy and start attacking the character. Example? "Of course she wants women to preach; she's power hungry." Or, "I'm not surprised he likes loud worship; he's one of those rowdy sorts anyway." One more: "You'd expect such an opinion out of a person who never studies the Bible."

These are judgmental phrases. These are off-limits phrases. If we disagree, let's disagree agreeably. Unity demands that we discuss the issue, not the person. And "let us try to do what makes peace and helps one another" (Rom 14:19).

"Above all things have fervent love among yourselves; for love shall cover the multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). If love covers a multitude of sins, can it not cover a multitude of opinions?

By: Max Lucado

MAX ON LIFE

80. Our church is having trouble getting along. Sides are being drawn, and tempers are flaring. What can we do?

The church resembles a family on summer vacation. You know the experience. They pile in the car and hit the road. Initially, the enthusiasm soars and moods are good. But three hundred miles of interstate takes a toll. Johnny uses too much of the seat. Heather won't share her pillow. Dad refuses to ask for directions, and Mom has to stop at the restroom again. Candied apples fall on the carpet. Feet smell, and tension swells. There is a time in every trip when each family member has this thought: I'm getting out of the car. I'll hitchhike. I'll walk. I'll do anything. Just get me out of this car.

But do we? No, we stay in the car. Why? One, we can't reach the destination alone, and, two, we are family.

Can't the same be said about Christians in a congregation? We don't spill the candy, but we spill the beans. Our feet may not stink, but our attitudes do. We grow weary of one another. Some start to smell. But do we get out of the car?

No. Apart from the Father, we can't reach the destination. And, besides, we are family.

Not always easy, is it? I once saw a person on a religious broadcast with poofy hair and pink clothes and bright shoes, and you should have seen how his wife was dressed. How can we be in the same family? I wondered. The answer came as they began to speak. They spoke genuinely of Christ on the cross. They spoke of grace for all sin. I'm not too keen on the way they look, but I love the One to whom they look. And since we look to the same One, are we not family?

Then there is the fellow with whom I disagree about everything. Politics. Ethics. What he sees as important doctrine, I see as tradition. What I see as necessary change, he sees as rocking the boat. I've never known a man with such poor judgment. But each Sunday we sit in the same church. Each Sunday we partake of the same bread and drink of the same cup. And each Sunday I'm reminded: the Lord determines who sits at the table, not me. And if the Lord invites him and me to the same table, are we not family?

We dress differently. We think differently. We are different. But if we're in the same car, being driven by the same Father, headed toward the same place, can we not accept one another?

By: Max Lucado

P.S. On the same lines as Pastor John's sermon this past Sunday talking about the different church denominations.....

MAX ON LIFE

79. My parents aren't Christians, so it's difficult for me to trust the advice they try to give me about my career choices. How can I find godly wisdom to make good choices?

The fifth commandment does not say, "Honor your God-fearing mother and father who have a Christian worldview". It says, "Honor your father and your mother" (Ex 20:12). Period. There's no specification about their beliefs. So honor them by at least hearing what they have to say.

Surely you would listen to cooking suggestions from a five-star chef and remodeling tips from an expert handyman even though they weren't Christians. Wisdom is wisdom, and it comes in all shapes and sizes from all kinds of people.

But when the words of the world fall short, go to the Lord.

"I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." (Ps 32:8)

"Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." (Prov 3:6)

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27)

Then go to the Bible.

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edge sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Heb 4:12)

God's Word is a living and active counselor in your time of need.

Feeling betrayed? "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you" (Heb 13:5).

Feeling anxious? "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Phil 4:6).

Feeling underappreciated? "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Col 3:23).

So listen to your parents; then go to the Lord and his living Word. You can't go wrong with that combination.

By: Max Lucado

MAX ON LIFE

78. Does God lead us through feelings? When people say, "I sense God's guidance". What are they describing?

Some years ago Denalyn and I were a signature away from moving from one house to another. The structure was nice, and the price was fair. It seemed a wise move. But I didn't feel peaceful about it. The project stirred unease and restlessness. I finally drove to the builder's office and removed my name from his list. To this day I can't pinpoint the source of the discomfort. I just didn't feel peaceful about it.

A few months ago I was asked to speak at a racial unity conference. I intended to decline but couldn't bring myself to do so. The event kept surfacing in my mind like a cork in a lake. Finally I agreed. Returning from the event, I still couldn't explain the impression to be there. But I felt peaceful about the decision, and that was enough.

Sometimes a choice just "feels" right. When Luke justified the writing of his gospel to Theophilus, he said, "Since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account fro you, most excellent Theophilus" (1:3).

Did you note the phrase "it seemed good also to me"? These words reflect a person standing at a crossroads. Luke pondered his options and selected the path that "seemed good".

Jude did likewise. He intended to dedicate his epistle to the topic of salvation, but he felt uneasy with the choice. Look at the third verse of his letter.

Dear friends, I wanted very much to write you about the salvation we all share. But I felt the need to write you about something else: I want to encourage you to fight hard for the faith that was given the holy people of God once and for all time.

Again the language. "I wanted... But I felt..." From whence came Jude's feelings? Did they not come from God? The same God who "is working in you to help you want to do... what pleases him" (Phil 2:13). God creates the "want to" within us.

Be careful with this. People have been known to justify stupidity based on a feeling. "I felt God leading me to cheat on my wife... disregard my bills... lie to my boss... flirt with my married neighbor." Mark it down: God will not lead you to violate his Word. He will not contradict his teaching. Be careful with the phrase "God led me..." Don't banter it about. Don't disguise your sin as a leading of God. He will not lead you to lie, cheat, or hurt.

But he will faithfully lead you through the words of his Scripture and the advice of his faithful.

By: Max Lucado

MAX ON LIFE

77. My mom believes that angels are everywhere. I tell her that angels are in heaven. Who is right?

You both are. Multitudes of angels populate the world. Hebrews 12:22 speaks of "thousands of angels in joyful assembly". Jude declared, "The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of holy angels to judge everyone" (vv. 14-15). An inspired King David wrote, "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place" (Ps 68:17). David also spoke of the time ten thousand angels descended on the mountain as God gave the Law to Moses: "God came down from Sinai.... coming with ten thousand holy angels" (Deut 33:2).

Thousands of angels awaited the call of Christ on the day of the cross. "Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matt 26:53).

Angels minister to God's people. "(God) has put his angels in charge of you to watch over you wherever you go" (Ps 91:11). As a believer, you can expect angels to go with you everywhere.

But what if you are not a believer? Do angels offer equal surveillance to God's enemies. No, they don't. The promise of angelic protection is limited to those who trust God. "All the angels are spirits who serve God and are sent to help those who will receive salvation" (Heb 1:14, emphasis mine). David spoke of this restricted coverage: "For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him" (Ps 34:7, emphasis mine).

Refuse God at the risk of an unguarded back. But receive his lordship, and be assured that many mighty angels will guard you in all your ways.

By: Max Lucado

MAX ON LIFE

76. I believe that God's Holy Spirit is here on earth to help believers. But exactly how does it function in the life of a believer?

The Holy Spirit is not an it. He is a person. He has knowledge (1 Cor 2:11). He has a will (1 Cor 12:11). He has a mind (Rom 8:27). He has affections (Rom 15:30). You can lie to him (Acts 5:3-4). You can insult him (Heb 10:29). You can grieve him (Eph 4:30).

The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force. He is not Popeye's spinach or the surfer's wave. He is God within you to help you. In fact, John calls him the Helper.

Here's a word picture to use. Envision a father helping his son learn to ride a bicycle. The father stays at the son's side. He pushes the bike and steadies it if the boy starts to tumble. The Spirit does the same for us; he stays our step and strengthens our stride. Unlike the earthly father who eventually releases his grip on the bike and allows his son to journey down the road on his own, the Holy Spirit never leaves. He is with us to the end of the age.

What does he look like? "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Since the Holy Spirit is spirit, he is invisible, unseen by the human eye. But that doesn't mean his work is unseen or unfelt.

He comforts the saved. "When I go away, I will send the Helper to you" (John 16:7).

He convicts the lost. "When the Helper comes, he will prove to the people of the world the truth about sin, about being right with God, and about judgment" (John 16:8).

He conveys the truth. "I have many more things to say to you, but they are too much for you now. But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth" (John 16:12-13).

So think about it. Have you ever been comforted? Has God ever brought you peace when the world brought you pain?

Have you ever been convicted? Have you ever sensed a stab of sorrow for your actions?

Have you ever understood a new truth? Or seen an old principle in a new way? The light comes on. Your eyes pop open. "Aha, now I understand". Ever happen to you? If so, then the Holy Spirit has been working inside you.

Finally, the Holy Spirit is the heartbeat of the believer. He is the resurrection power that raised Jesus. "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you" (Rom 8:11).

The Holy Spirit not only resurrects your old life into a new life but keeps all believers on a steady track until they reach heaven.

By: Max Lucado

MAX ON LIFE

75. I've read in the Bible about being filled with God's Spirit, but I'm not sure what this means. Can Christians have different amounts of the Spirit in their lives at different times? What do I need to do to have more of the Spirit in my life?

In a car, gas powers a combustible engine. The more I drive, the more gas gets used. When I'm running near empty, I race to the gas station and fill up with more.

Paul, in Ephesians 5:18, is the spiritual Chevron man and gives us this piece of advice for our spiritual engines: "Fill'er up with the Holy Spirit".

I addressed this question in my book Come Thirsty:

Not only does Paul give a command; he gives a continuous, collective command. Continuous in the sense that the filling is a daily privilege. Collective because the invitation is offered to all people. "You all be filled with the Spirit". Young, old, servants, businessmen, seasoned saints, and new converts. The Spirit will fill all. No SAT (Spiritual Aptitude Test) required. You don't need to persuade him to enter; he already has. Better set another plate for dinner. You've got company. "Your body is the temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you" (1 Cor 6:19). As a Christian, you have all the power you need for all the problems you face.

You don't have to race to church or a local conference to get filled - though the Holy Spirit has pumps there. He also has stations in your home, at your school, at work - wherever you are - because that's where he is.

You may run out of patience or reach the limits of your strength, but you haven't run out of access to the Holy Spirit. Since he lives in all believers, we all carry the entire gas station with us everywhere we go. God's Holy Spirit can flow into your life like oil through the Alaskan pipeline - crude, raw, unfiltered power, gushing down from the thrones of heaven and pouring into your heart.

However, merely being at the gas station doesn't fill our tank. It takes some effort. You have to flip the switch. You have to want more Spirit.

The Holy Spirit also isn't a tangible commodity that can be measured from the full to empty on life's dashboard. It doesn't run out in that sense. Our sense of fullness is better compared to a relationship than a tank. The more focus and time I put into a relationship, the more full, the more connected, I feel.

Through prayer, Bible study, meditation, serving and journaling, you connect with God and fill your tank, each time saying you want more of God's Spirit. As a result, you feel filled, maybe even to overflowing!

He'll power as much as you give him - your schedule, your time, your dreams, your today, your tomorrow, your thoughts, your prayers.

So start the pumps. Let the Holy Spirit flow into your entire life. All who are ready.... fill'er up.

"Everyone who asks will receive.... You know how to give good things to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:10, 13)

By: Max Lucado

MAX ON LIFE

74. Can we be sure that the text of the Bible we read is exactly what God wanted to write? With so many years between Bible times and our day, isn't it possible that his words and thoughts could have been changed by the writers?

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim 3:16-17)

The Bible makes a statement about itself. A bold statement.

"I am God-breathed."

This self-declaration says the words found in its pages have come from God's heart and were pushed out of his mouth and into the world. Where did those words go? To the ears and hearts of scribes, kings, and prophets, who took notes, then passed them on to us

But were they accurate notes?

Some books were transcribed a thousand years after they happened (Genesis), while some were published twenty to thirty years after the events (the Gospels). Some were recorded by people who weren't there (some believe Samuel wrote Judges); others saw it all firsthand (Luke traveled with Paul and wrote Acts).

As for the content, did words change over time? Were there mistakes in the copies of the copies of the copies?

Maybe. Probably. Some minor word-order variations. A misspelling crept in now and then. These things happen when humans breathe on anything - literary hiccups, burps and coughs.

God knew that when he breathed the Bible into people, they could potentially make huge mistakes, so he employed the Holy Spirit to guide those words to us today - inspiring, reminding, awakening, clarifying.

The God who had the power to make those incidents happen long ago has the power to get his holy words through wars, memory loss, and persecutions.

We must believe that the Bible in our hands is the Bible that God wanted us to have.

By: Max Lucado

MAX ON LIFE

73. Jesus washed his disciples' feet. Should we? Paul commanded the women in Corinth to wear veils on their heads. Why don't we do so today? He commanded the Christians in Rome to greet one another with a holy kiss. Are we disobeying if we don't pucker up? I guess I'm wondering, how do we know what is a command and what is cultural?

The Bible is God's Word given in humanity's language.

It was written in another time.

It was written in another culture.

It was written in another language.

Scripture marries eternal truth with historical particularity. How do we separate the two?

We ask the basic question of Bible interpretation: "What is its purpose?"

Some believe the Bible provides the student with a secret code of prophecy that, once deciphered, will reveal the day on which our Lord will return. Others believe the Bible is a secret success manual for wealth and health. Still others use the Bible to substantiate already-held beliefs. Some Christians feel the purpose of the Bible is to provide a pattern for the organization of the New Testament church.

Though the Bible comments on each of these subjects, none of them identifies the purpose of Scripture. What is the purpose of the Bible? Let the Bible itself answer that question.

"Since you were a child you have know the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." (2 Tim 3:15)

"These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:31)

I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is God's powerful method of bringing all who believe it to heaven. This message was preached first to the Jews alone, but now everyone is invited to come to God in this same way. The Good News tells us that God makes us ready for heaven - makes us right in God's sight - when we put our faith and trust in Christ to save us. (Rom 1:16-17)

The purpose of the Bible is simply to proclaim God's plan to save his children. It asserts that people are lost and need to be saved. And it communicates the message that Jesus is God in the flesh, sent to save his children.

The purpose of the Bible is not to transplant an ancient culture into our generation but to reveal the gospel to it.

Still, the first-century practices of footwashing, a holy kiss, and veil-wearing are helpful. Let's learn from the principle behind each one. Footwashing teaches humility. The holy kiss models hospitality. Veil-wearing exemplifies respect for culture. We imitate the principle, not the particular practice.

Remember: the big message of the Bible is God's plan to populate his new kingdom. Everything else is secondary.

By: Max Lucado

MAX ON LIFE

72. Can we believe the Bible? How can we know it is anything more than a collection of sayings and stories? Can we truly believe that the Bible is the Word of God?

There are many reasons I believe in the Bible. Here are a few:

Composition. It was composed over sixteen centuries by forty authors with one central theme. Written by soldiers, shepherds, scholars, and fishermen. Begun by Moses in lonely Arabia, finished by John on lonely Patmos. Penned by kings in palaces, shepherds in tents, and inmates in prisons.

Forty writers, most unknown to each other, writing in different countries and three different languages, separated by three times the number of centuries since Columbus discovered America - was it possible for these authors to produce a book of singular theme unless behind them there was one mind, one designer? The Bible is remarkable in composition.

Durability. It is the single most published book in history. The top seller for three hundred years. Translated into twelve hundred languages by an army of translators. Bibles have been burned by dictators and banished from courtrooms, but God's Word continues. The death knell has tolled a hundred times, but each time the grave is opened, and God's Word continues. The Bible is remarkable in durability.

Prophecy. The pages of your Bible contain more than three hundred fulfilled prophecies about the life of Christ. A substantial biography was written about Jesus five hundred years before he was born. Can you imagine if the same occurred today? Can you imagine if we found a book written in 1900 that prophesied two world wars, a depression, an atomic bomb, and the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King? What would we think of the book? Wouldn't we trust it?

Applicability. Paul says the Bible "is useful for teaching, for showing people what is wrong in their lives, for correcting faults, and for teaching how to live right (2 Tim 3:16).

Apply the principles of stewardship to your budget, and see if you don't get out our debt.

Apply the principles of fidelity to you marriage, and see if you don't have a happier home.

Apply the principles of forgiveness to your relationships, and see if you aren't more peaceful.

Apply the principles of honesty at school, and see if you don't succeed.

Apply the Bible, and see if you don't agree - the Bible works.

By: Max Lucado

MAX ON LIFE

71. It's not hard for me to trust God to answer everyday prayers and requests, but when a really impossible situation comes into my life, my faith in God's power seems to go out the window. How can I increase my faith that my prayers will be answered?

Check his resume.

You want to know his power? Take a look at his creation. Curious about his strength? Pay a visit to his home address: 1 Billion Starry Sky Avenue. Want to know his size? Step out into the night, and stare at starlight emitted one million years ago, and then read 2 Chronicles 2:6: "No one can really build a house for our God. Not even the highest of heavens can hold him".

He is untainted by the atmosphere of sin, unbridled by the time line of history, unhindered by the weariness of the body.

What controls you doesn't control him. What troubles you doesn't trouble him. What fatigues you doesn't fatigue him. Is an eagle disturbed by traffic? No, he rises above it. Is the whale perturbed by a hurricane? Of course not. He plunges beneath it. Is the lion flustered by the mouse standing directly in his way? No, he steps over it.

How much more is God able to soar above, plunge beneath, and step over the troubles of the earth! "With God all things are possible" (Matt 19:26). Our questions betray our lack of understanding.

How can God be everywhere at one time? (Who says God is bound by a body?)

How can God hear all the prayers that come to him? (Perhaps his ears are different from ours.)

How can God be the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? (Could it be that heaven has a different set of physics than earth?)

If people down here won't forgive me, how much more guilty am I before a holy God? (Oh, just the opposite. God is always able to give grace when we humans can't - he invented it.)

How vital that we pray, armed with the knowledge that God is in heaven. Pray with any lesser conviction, and your prayers are timid, shallow, and hollow. But spend some time walking in the workshop of the heavens, seeing what God has done, and watch how your prayers are energized.

By: Max Lucado

MAX ON LIFE

70. It is embarrassing for me to admit this, but it's a struggle for me to pray. I want to pray more, but it seems as though I can't pray for more than a few minutes without getting distracted. Why does this happen to me? Does it mean I'm a weak Christian?

When we pray, Satan plays games with us.

His favorite is spin the mind. Keep the thoughts circling round and round in an unfocused maelstrom of activity so the person praying believes he is too busy to finish.

Then Satan pulls out pin the blame on the donkey. That's when prayer time turns into the blame game. Instead of praying for people, we start accusing them. "If only they would do this..." or "God, tell them to do that..." Instead of confessing our sin, we load our burdens on the pack mules of our lives.

Usually, Satan finishes with a game of lost-and-seek, where we get lost in our thoughts, wandering down empty trails and chasing shadows, then try to find our way back, only to discover the game is over.

Praying isn't a game. In fact, it's serious business - so serious that Satan plays games with our minds to keep us from praying.

Why? Because God tells us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess 5:17). He sees church as "a house of prayer" (Matt 21:13). No other activity guarantees such results: "When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action" (Matt 18:19). When people pray, things happen. "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16).

If Satan can stop prayer, he can make Christians ineffective.

The best way to stay focused is to remember the purpose of praying. Give each of these parts of your prayer outline ample time - five to ten minutes. They spell the acronym ACTS.

Adoration - Give God praise.

Confession - Confess your sins (no other people's sins).

Thanksgiving - Show appreciation for all God has given you.

Supplication - Present prayer requests for yourself and others.

No wonder Satan wants to convince us that we are weak, because once a believer finds strength in prayer, the game is over for Satan.

By: Max Lucado

MAX ON LIFE

69. Our son (sixteen years old) was diagnosed with a mental illness three years ago. We have prayed without ceasing for God's healing. But healing has not come, and the atmosphere in our home is becoming increasingly tense. Should we keep praying for his healing or just accept that he will never be healed?

It's always right to pray. Scripture tells us of many parents who pleaded with God for their children. Your son is just as important to God as those children of long ago.

If you will bear with me for a moment, let's come at this from a different perspective. I find it fascinating that the thread count of bedsheets can be anywhere between eighty and fifteen hundred threads per square inch of fabric. The higher the count, the better quality the sheet. Hundreds of threads woven in and out, over and under, to create one fabric.

I think about the nearly seven billion threads of life woven in and out of each other that create this tapestry on earth. All of them placed here by the Creator, holding each other together.

Your son is one of those threads. His life wraps around the lives of others, holding them together as they hold him together, woven there by God himself. We may think it's a weak thread that needs to be fixed, but God may see it as the strongest thread around.

Maybe your son's illness is the thread that keeps you focused on God. Maybe your son's illness is the key to a neighbor coming to accept Christ. Maybe your son's illness becomes a testimony that blesses people for years to come. We have no idea how our lives weave in and out of the work God is doing in others.

So can your son be healed? Yes. Jesus healed mental illness in Bible times (Luke 9:37-42), and since God never changes, he can heal your son today.

Will your son be healed? We cannot say. It's not your decision or mine or even your son's. It's the decision of the Weaver. We see only one thread, but God sees them all.

The real healing that needs to occur, and a major issue that you seem to be facing, is the tension in the house. Relationships are pulling apart. Your family's faith is hanging by a thread.

God can bring that healing to your family now if they will come to him with their tired, worn-out lives and ask for a new wardrobe. Pray for healing, but pray for more than just physical healing.

By: Max Lucado

MAX ON LIFE

68. If God doesn't tempt us, why does he tell us to pray, "lead us not into temptation"?

Because of the translation, many think this statement is saying, "Don't tempt me, Lord" or "Don't lead me into a sin". That's not the intent. God is not tempting us or leading us into temptation. The phrase translates better as a cry for help: "Keep me from falling into a temptation trap".

We are asking God to steer us away from the bar, to divert our attention when the pretty girl walks by, to give us wisdom when we find that wallet, to walk away when we find ourselves alone with someone else's spouse.

The Father loves to hold the hands of his children. "The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand" (Ps 37:23-24).

Temptation comes from only one place - hell. Satan has tempted everyone. starting with Adam and including even Jesus. The first with fruit. The second with bread. God does not tempt. He does not set us up to fail.

God does test us. Job was not tempted by God. His faith was tested. Satan (and Job's wife and friends) tempted Job to curse God (Job 1:8-12; 2:9; 42:7). Peter's faith was tested by walking on water (Matt 14:25-31). Peter was tempted when he told Jesus not to have such morbid thoughts about death. Jesus blasted back, "Get out of here, Satan" (see Matt 16:21-23).

So our prayers ask God, as the ultimate path guide, to watch the road ahead and warn us of places where we might stumble.

By: Max Lucado

MAX ON LIFE

67. In my med-school class we discussed the place of prayer in the hospital. As you can imagine, we heard strong opinions on both sides. What are your thoughts? What is the purpose of healing prayer?

We tend toward one of two extremes on this subject: fanaticism or cynicism. Fanatics see the healing of the body as the aim of God and the measure of faith. Cynics consider any connection between prayer and healing as coincidental at best and misleading at worst. A fanatic might seek prayer at the exclusion of medicine; a cynic might seek medicine at the exclusion of prayer.

A healthy balance can be found. The physician is the friend of God. Prayer is the friend of the physician.

The example of Jesus is important.

Great crowds came to Jesus, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, those who could not speak, and many others. They put them at Jesus' feet, and he healed them. The crowd was amazed when they saw that people who cold not speak before were now able to speak. The crippled were made strong. The lame could walk, and the blind could see. And they praised the God of Israel for this. (Matt 15:30-31).

What did the people do with the sick? They put them at Jesus' feet. This is the purpose of praying for the ill. We place the sick at the feet of the Physician and request his touch. This passage also gives us the result of healing prayer. "They praised the God of Israel for this". The ultimate aim of healing is not just a healthy body but a greater kingdom. If God's aim is to grant perfect health to all his children, he has failed, because no one enjoys perfect health, and everyone dies. But if God's aim is to expand the boundaries of his kingdom, then he has succeeded. For every time he heals, a thousand sermons are preached.

Speaking of sermons, did you notice what is missing from this text? Preaching. Jesus stayed with these four thousand people for three days and, as far as we know, never preached a sermon. Not one time did he say, "May I have your attention?" But thousands of times he asked, "May I help you?" What compassion he had for them. Can you imagine the line of people? On crutches, wearing blindfolds, carried by friends, cradled by parents. For seventy-two hours Jesus stared into face after hurting face, and then he said, "I feel sorry for these people" (v. 32). The inexhaustible compassion of Jesus. Mark it down. Pain on earth causes pain in heaven. And he will stand and receive the ill as long as the ill come in faith to him.

And he will do what is right every time. "God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him night and day, and he will not be slow to answer them" (Luke 18:7).

Healing prayer begs God to do what is right. My friend Dennis, a chaplain, offers this prayer over patients: "God, would you put on the surgical gloves first?"

I like that.

By: Max Lucado