Every Man’s Question

...and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. – 1 John 1:7

Sin is humankind’s primary problem. Not ignorance, not failed systems or warped cultures. Not even the Devil. It’s sin. More than mere wrongdoing, sin is a nature; a heinous virus ensconced and hardwired into our DNA. Getting people to understand this vital fact is the evangelist’s core work.

And knowing that we have a sin problem will lead to a most natural question:

”What then can wash away my sins?”

In 1876, Robert Lowry, an American professor, minister and composer, asked and answered this question in the classic hymn “Nothing but the Blood”.

The hymn begins with a question: “What can wash away my sin?” and in the succeeding lines he answers the question – consistently and repeatedly, over a dozen times – it’s “Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

The Scriptures is the only religious volume that guarantees total and absolute cleansing from sin; and that comes through the Blood of Christ, shed on the Cross at Calvary for us. Right from the Old Testament, the inspired writers prophesied of a time of cleansing and absolute guiltlessness for God’s people:

Eze 36:25;29 “I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols…I will save you from all your uncleanness;”

Jer 33:8 “I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities.”

Zec 13:1 “In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity.”

Eze 37:23 I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God.”

Those days the prophets spoke about, is Today. Run to the Cross now, and be cleansed and made whole.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

Remember the Blood?

In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. – Col 1:14

It’s becoming old-fashioned, it seems, in this modern age of ‘progressive’ philosophy and ‘enlightened’ thinking, to talk about things like substitution, atonement or the Blood!

We just don’t do that anymore.

Heaven forbid that in our Sunday sermon we inadvertently offend or seem to alienate a ‘seeker’ or visitor in the audience with such macabre references and lose them eternally because of our tactlessness, right?

Sermons are now more about introspections, “self-discovery”, “empowerment” and all other forms of psychobabble. It’s becoming politically incorrect to refer to “sins” now. Instead we talk about “dysfunctions”, “inner wounds”, “weaknesses”, etc.

Is it any wonder, then, why the Blood is no longer a relevant topic? But Jesus didn’t come to heal our “wounds”, He came to die for our sins! When John the Baptist saw Him, he introduced Him as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

When we shield our so-called ‘seekers’ from the Blood, we’re shielding them from the only thing that can save them. Because the problem of man goes beyond the head (ignorance), or the heart (emotional dysfunction); the problem of man is SIN. And, as Heb 9:22 points out, “without the shedding of blood there is neither release from sin and its guilt nor the remission of the due and merited punishment for sins.” (AMP).

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

Don’t Pray For Money, Maybe

Jesus stopped and said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” – Mat 20:32 (ERV)

There’re three reasons why you shouldn’t pray for money: Jesus never prayed for it, John never prayed for it, and Judas never needed to pray for it. 

Speaking seriously though, the prayer requests of many Believers betray a wrong perception both of God and of prayer. Petitions for money is a good example.

People generally do not need money, what they actually need is what the money buys. Yet people ask God for money the same way they would from a neighbour or from a colleague: keeping the request as generic as possible without going into specific (and probably embarrassing) details.

God already knows everything about you and there’s nothing too awkward to talk to Him about. Indeed, you’re expected to share your cares and fears with Him (1Pe 5:7).

Not praying for money itself also forces you to be specific and deliberate. Your prayer’s no longer canned and generic but detailed. Praying that way may also automatically weed false and baseless requests.

A third reason why it may not be good to pray for money is because it places a restriction on God’s operations. That a house you desire is valued at one million doesn’t mean you should begin to pray for one million. Market prices will not wait for you while you’re praying and most importantly, you don’t need one million, you need a house; pray for that instead! There’s an infinite number of ways God could give it to you apart from money if He so wishes, just pray and put your trust in Him.

This principle goes beyond money to other areas as well. As a single, don’t pray for that rich, handsome baritone in the choir, instead tell God you need the man that’s perfect for you (and yes, while you’re at that you can tell Him about the richness, the baritonness and the handsomeness. It’s no use pretending before God, tell Him everything on your mind. Believers who are honest with God are less likely to end up in error than those who pray artificial let-Thy-will-be-done’s while still harbouring idols in their hearts).

So should we still pray for money? Maybe; but avoid generic, canned, and effete prayers. Be deliberate and engaged with it. And your life – not just your prayers – will be better off.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

Missing The Whole (Prayer) Point

Give us help from trouble. – Ps 60:11

Prayer is the lifeblood of every Believer’s spiritual life. Yet as vital as it is, many Believers still don’t engage in it.

There’re several reasons why Believers don’t pray or don’t pray as effectively as they should. One of it is having false concepts about prayer and about God.

For example, do you want to have a rich, fulfilling prayer life? Here’s radical thought: tell God about that desire. If praying abut prayer feels weird to you it’s because you’ve missed the point of prayer.

Another example of a needed ‘weird’ prayer is “God, I wish I had more time for prayers, I really do. Please help me”. Many wouldn’t want to make such prayer because they’re scared that God would take away their jobs from them (or strike their TV with lightning!). This exposes their wrong perception of the nature God. (This wrong perception of God as a no-fun, killjoy is also the reason many singles aren’t too warm to the idea of asking God for their life partner).

And then there’s the issue of sin. We traditionally claim that sin will affect a Believer’s prayers. But what if the ‘prayer’ is about that said sin. Many Christians see sin as something they have to deal with before they come to God’s presence (it’s easy to see how well that’s working out for them). But Heb 4:16 says we should “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” So sin shouldn’t be a hindrance to prayer, sin should be the reason for prayer.

Many get all caught up with ‘prayer points’ while missing the whole point of prayer. When we pray, we’re bringing our problems, fears and weaknesses to a caring God who loves us and wants the best for us. So make sure there aren’t any ‘needless pains’ still lingering in your life.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

Needless Pain

Pray without ceasing. – 1Th 5:17

“Man that is born of a woman” the suffering Job once declared, “is of few days, and full of trouble.” (Job 14:1). Though this may have come from a tormented and traumatised man, it’s difficult to disagree with him.  

Nevertheless, though pain and hardship is the reality of life because of the Fall, and even our Lord told us that “In the world you shall have tribulation,” He also said, “but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world,” (John 16:33). In several other places He drops reminders that the child of God need not go through the harshness of life alone.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” He says, “neither let it be afraid.”

I will not leave you comfortless:” and,

“lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

(Jn 14:18,27; Mt 28:20).

But how much of these do we take advantage of? While we may mentally assent to relying on the Lord to help us with life, the reality is only ascertained from our prayer life.

What have you been praying about, and how have you been praying about it? Joseph M. Scriven, in his 1855 hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” seemed to wail about the amount of burdens and care supposed children of God still go about carrying on themselves:

“O what peace we often forfeit, O what NEEDLESS pain we bear…

And his rationale for this statement is telling, even though unsurprising:

All because we do not carry EVERYTHING to God in prayer.

That’s the keyword there: “everything.” You don’t have to take it alone, you don’t even have to feel you should share the burden with God. Take it ALL to Him today, because He’s your very present help in times of trouble (Ps 46:1).

“Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.” 1Pe 5:7

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN