September 24, 2009

• may we not offer strange fire (a prayer for unity in the Gospel)

  
  “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,
  
  ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9 Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.  10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.  12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
   
  13 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
  

  –Revelation 3:7-13

  I'm continuing to write some prayers based Judges 19:22-20:48. In this passage of Scripture we read how Israel went to war against Benjamin because some Benjamites had sexually abused a Levite's concubine who later died as a result of their abuse.

  I would like us to continue to consider and reflect upon the perseverance of the Israelites in battle and what we can learn from their example, and then turn those things into prayers for perseverance for ourselves, so we might keep God's command to us to persevere. There are three things I would like to draw your attention to in the Judges passage, and Lord willing, I hope to continue to post prayers based on this passage of Scripture.

  I. A prayer for holiness. First, the children of Israel were clear about what sin was. So too ought to be praying for a clear vision of God's holiness and an increasing desire to be holy and to live holy lives. (I've already posted about that here and here, as well as in previous prayers on this blog. Holiness must be the constant prayer of the people of God.)

  II. A prayer for unity. Second, the children of Israel were united in their efforts. So too we ought to be praying for God to protect the unity we have in Him and that we would endeavor to uphold the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (My last post/prayer related to unity as will today's post.)

  III. A prayer for continuing obedience. Third, despite defeat, the children of Israel continued to seek and prepare themselves to do God's will and followed through in obedience. So too we ought to be praying God would keep us seeking His face, that we might be diligent and vigilant and follow through in obedience to His revealed will for us.

  In today's prayer I would like to focus us on our need for unity in the Gospel.

  Father, Son and Spirit, one God in three persons,

  In Judges 20 we see the Israelites uniting together and working together:

  v. 1 Then all the people of Israel came out ... and the congregation assembled as one man to the LORD...
  
  v. 8 So all the people arose as one man...
  
  v. 10 now this is the thing which we will...
  
  v. 11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united together as one man.

  How can we have such unity and harmony if we are not of one mind about the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

  In Leviticus 10 (NKJV) you warned us through your servant Moses:

  1 Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. 2 So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. 3 And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying:
  
        ‘By those who come near Me
        I must be regarded as holy;
        And before all the people
        I must be glorified.

  Forgive us, Holy Father, spotless Lamb and Holy Spirit, we have offered You the profane fire of false gospels.
  Protect us, Holy Father, spotless Lamb and Holy Spirit from offering You the profane fire of false gospels.

  You are holy, holy, holy. As we come near You we must regard You as holy and before all people You must be glorified. All we offer to You must be holy.

  Many who proclaim Your Gospel have twisted it; instead of allowing Your glory to shine through the sufficiency of Christ, they allow profane fire to shine in the world. Such profane fire is not the true light and has no real power to save. O, Lord have mercy on us. Send us pastors and teachers who have been led by Your Holy Spirit into the truth of the Gospel to lead us and teach us.

  Whenever the Gospel is not proclaimed rightly, You are not glorified. You alone are the source of our life in Christ Jesus, You made Him alone to be our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that no one can boast but in You. All things were created by You, through You and to You so that all praise, honor and glory goes to You alone.

  When we add anything to the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, we no longer regard You as holy.
  When we add anything to the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, we diminish and obscure Your glory.
  Instead of putting Christ on the lampstand for all to see, we are putting profane fire there.

  We confess we have offered profane fire to You.
  Cleanse us, O God, show us where we are offering profane fire to You.

  Show us where we keep living in bondage to the law and religious traditions of men rather than knowing the freedom You have provided for us so we might no longer be entangled with a yoke of bondage.

  Protect us from adding any of our own works onto the pure, beautiful and wholly sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
  Protect us from adding our own filthy rags to the perfect righteousness that has been imputed by faith to us in His sacrifice and imparted to us through the gift of your indwelling Holy Spirit.

  When we take anything away the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, we no longer regard You as holy.
  When we take anything from the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, we diminish and obscure Your glory.
  Instead of putting Christ on the lampstand for all to see, we are putting profane fire there.

  We confess we have offered profane fire to You.
  Cleanse us, O God, show us where we are offering profane fire to You.

  Show us where we keep living in bondage to our sin and cultural norms rather than knowing and living in the freedom You have provided for us so sin might no longer have dominion over us.

  Protect us from taking away Your call to sanctification and for holy living for the believer.
  Protect us from taking away the necessity of the new birth, the need for us to be born again.

  By Your Holy Spirit's work, protect us, strengthen us and guide us into all truth so we might strive together for the faith the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the only true Gospel, the only Gospel that has power to save, and persevere in the battle set before us.

  Amen.

  Please add Your prayers for unity in the Gospel as His Holy Spirit leads you.

  • 12:52 PM
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