Inventory.

As we share our vision  to "teach people to develop a servant's heart in radical obedience to Christ", we operationalize the vision by creating awareness, being advocates for those in need, and by acting in accordance with the word of God.

Today, let's consider how we are helping to make our vision a reality.

• Of what issue has God made you aware? What has He helped you to notice?
• For whom do you advocate? Who supports you in the effort to, as Pastor Sam said in Sunday's sermon, "Be a voice for the voiceless"?
• What actions have you taken in the process of making Bronx Bethany's vision (or the vision of your home church) come to pass?

Action/Ability

"Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.'" (Exodus 14:15-16)

During this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam reminded us of the predicament of Moses and the directive of God. In response to the prayer of Moses, the LORD said, "Why are you crying out to Me?... Raise your staff and stretch out your hand..." On the surface, the resources seem scant and useless-- a walking stick and an outstretched hand. But God used Moses's seemingly insignificant action to initiate a miracle. The Red Sea parted, and the people of God walked through it on dry ground.

Our pastor shared a thought that I would like us to remember today: "When you act in faith, you don't need to have everything." We who are servants of God have a desire to serve Him through our actions. We can serve, and we can act, even if our resources are limited.

In yesterday's post we considered the feeding of the five thousand men, noting the concerns of the disciples (which can be boiled down to "Lord, we don't have anything of substance for these people.") The disciples felt that there was no action they could take to resolve the need of the crowd. But Jesus showed them that, if they gave Him the little they had acquired, He would bear the task of multiplication and miraculous supply.

Are you serving the Lord? Do you sense He has asked you to do something beyond your ability to resource? Do what He has asked. Act with whatever limited ability you have. Trust in your Lord's ability to accomplish His will in the earth. And watch Him do the miraculous.

I Have An Advocate. I Am An Advocate.

In referencing Rick Warren's book The Purpose-Driven Church, Pastor Sam said (and I paraphrase), Not all Christians recognize the need to be convicted; but, according to Titus 2:11, God moves us to do what He desires.

A couple of days ago, I posted commentary on the issue of awareness. Today, let's continue with the second aspect of service: advocacy.

If I may borrow from Pastor Rick and Pastor Sam, Not all Christians recognize the need to be advocates for the people of God. As we read the accounts of the feeding of the five thousand men (not counting women and children), let us eavesdrop on how the disciples responded to the plight of the people.

1. "Philip answered Him, 'It would take more than half a year's wages to buy enough bread for each one to have just a bite!' Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up. 'Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?'" (John 6:7-9)
2. "By this time it was late in the day, so His disciples came to Him. 'This is a remote place,' they said, 'and it's already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.'" (Mark 6:35-36; also see Matthew 14:15)
3. "Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to Him and said, 'Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.'" (Luke 9:12)

Is this our response to the crowds of the twenty-first century? Are we content to see the people attend our church services, yet malcontent when Jesus points out needs that require us to step over the bounds of church service and move into community service? What is our attitude toward advocacy?

Jesus, no. You know we don't have the money available. This would wipe out our budget, and the people will be hungry again in the morning.

Jesus, no. You know this is a remote area and not the safest at night. Just say the benediction and get these people out of here.

Jesus, yes. I can sleep on the couch this week so that one of the visiting missionaries can sleep comfortably in my room. He shouldn't have to sleep on a church pew.

God, in His goodness, moves us to do His will. We may look with eyes of doubt, but He invites us to see what He sees. He invites us to consider what we might be able to do in order to extend His grace and love to the world. Sometimes, the extension of His grace means that we must bear the "inconvenience" of a longer service, or the implementation of a program we have not planned for, or the provision of food and lodging to house the people to whom we are ministering (or, who are ministering to us).

Advocacy says yes to the question of meeting need. It is a "yes" that trusts God to make things happen. Our advocacy begins not with financing nor square footage; it begins with a heart open to God, a heart that trusts the Lord to do great and mighty things on behalf of His people.

Listen today to the voice of the Lord. Who is He asking you to help?

Spirit of the Lord, make us to be like You. Make us advocates.

Crowd's Source.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, because He already had in mind what He was going to do. (John 6:5-6)


From time to time, Jesus asks questions. Why does the Lord of all creation need to ask any questions? Well, He doesn't need to ask. But He asks for our benefit, inviting us to reflect on the concerns of His heart.

Awareness. Pastor Sam shared with us that Jesus, in asking about the crowd, gave Philip an opportunity to understand the need at hand. Yes, Philip, we can preach to people. But they need more than just a serving of spiritual food. They need physical food. And, Philip, we are going to give them physical food. Start brainstorming: what are your ideas regarding how to feed them?

• Sometimes we get so absorbed in "doing our own thing" that we fail to see the need for doing other things. If we are truly interested in living lives modeled after the life of Christ, then our ministries must move beyond the venues of tradition. We are called to more than the music ministry or the trustee board. We are called to see the people we serve.
• Sometimes the needs of people are masked by external veneers that appear to indicate no need. There happened to be a large number of people who had come to follow Jesus's ministry of healing the sick, and those people decided to go to hear Jesus preach. On the surface, their presence presented nothing unusual. But when Jesus saw them approaching, He saw that there was a deeper concern, a sort of by-product of their zeal in making the journey to hear Jesus: they were experiencing lack. They had made the journey without carrying provisions.
• Sometimes Jesus, though He is the Answer, asks us to answer. Just as Jesus tested Philip then, He tests us now. We have made the choice to follow Jesus. This does not mean that we simply walk around saying nice things about Him and occasionally tossing in a Scripture or two in order to sound credible. It means that we engage in the hard work of reflection and forward-thinking so that we might address the relevant, current, "in-your-face" needs presented by our modern-day crowds. 

Look. See.
Look closely. See clearly.

The Fed.

In yesterday's sermon Pastor Sam shared more details on the final section of our church's vision statement: Teaching people to develop a servant's heart in radical obedience to Christ.

Today, let's focus on the Scripture narrative used in yesterday's sermon.

The account of the feeding of five thousand men (plus an unknown number of women and children) can be found in all four gospels. As we continue in obedience to our Lord's appeal to draw near to Him by accessing His word, let's take time today to read each of the gospel accounts of this miracle of multiplication. Each passage can be accessed by clicking on the links below. Tomorrow, we will begin our review of the ways in which we express Christian servanthood in our community: awareness, advocacy, and action.

• Matthew 14:13-21
• Mark 6:30-44
• Luke 9:10-17
• John 6:1-15

Lord God, thank You for this profound example of "teaching people to develop a servant's heart in radical obedience to Christ." Give us Your grace so that we might follow the example of Jesus, who taught His disciples to address the needs of people. Help us to go beyond the mere sharing of spiritual insights. Teach us to effectively address the needs of the whole man, that there might be true and complete deliverance experienced in the communities we serve. We thank You for helping us to do the works to which You have called us. We thank You for Your leading and provision. We love You.

James's Bond.

During last Sunday's sermon Pastor Sam referred to James chapter 5. I pray that as we read through these verses today, we will benefit from James's instruction and encouragement. God bless you.

James 5:7-20

"Be patient then, brothers, until the Lord's coming.

"See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop! See how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains!

"In the same way, you, my brothers, be patient. Stand firm. Why? Because the Lord's coming is near.

"Don't grumble against each other, or you will be judged. The Judge stands at the door.

"Do you want an example of patience in the face of suffering? Look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count as blessed those who have persevered. You know about Job's perseverance. You know what the Lord finally did for him. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

"Above all of this, don't swear. Not by heaven, not by earth, not by anything. Just let your word stand on its own. "Yes" means yes. "No" means no. Adding to that invites condemnation.

"If you're in trouble, pray. If you're happy, sing. If someone is sick, call for the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned he will be forgiven.

"So, confess your sins to each other. Pray for each other so that you can be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and is effective.

"Elijah was a regular person, just like you and me. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain. It didn't rain on that land for three and a half years. After that he prayed again, and the rain came down, and the earth produced crops.

"My brothers, if someone wanders away from the truth and someone else brings him back, keep this in mind: Whoever turns sinners away from the error of sinning will save them from death, and will cover over a multitude of sins."

Remember the farmer. Be patient.
Remember Job. Persevere.
Remember Elijah. Pray.

T=Teaching People

For my blog readers who regularly attend Bronx Bethany (or who obtained a CD of the most recent sermon), you will note that I am now venturing into territory that Pastor Sam did not discuss in detail on Sunday. You may have also noticed that in yesterday's post I left out some incredibly valuable moments that we experienced when Pastor Sam discussed the fourth point. However, I felt that it was important for us to re-acquaint ourselves with every section of our vision statement, and therefore have chosen to move on to the final section.

Today, then, is the day we consider the final point in the vision statement: Teaching people to develop a servant's heart in radical obedience to Christ. 

The tandem relationship is vital. Why? Because there is always the danger of service without obedience. And there is always the danger of radical obedience offered without a corresponding heart-desire to serve others. 

In our small groups (care groups), we are taught to develop a servant's heart in radical obedience to Christ. The teaching occurs in a number of ways:

Formal instruction. There is a book, chosen by our pastoral staff, that each care group reads and reflects on over a period of several weeks.

Informal instruction. In times of fellowship and socializing, care group members learn the value of service and obedience from the other members of their group.

Prayer. As the members of each care group petition God, the Spirit of God changes their hearts. Service is given in the name of Jesus not because we have to do it, but because 1) we recognize the privilege of being chosen to do something for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom and 2) He has developed in us a longing to do His will.

What sort of lesson does our service to God teach to the people of God? If our service in the court of the King is marked by our yawning disinterest, or by our "going through the motions" with no heart involvement, or by faithful service conducted with an undercurrent of disobedience, then perhaps we ought step down for a season of refreshing and renewal. I pray that we all will take time today to reflect on where we stand concerning this part of our church's vision.

A=Attracting Men, Women, And Youth

"This is not a social club. This is warfare." (Pastor Sam)

As we continue our review of Bronx Bethany's vision statement, we now turn to the fourth point: Attracting men, women, and youth to a nurturing and healing fellowship.

A few days ago I posted, without commentary, Isaiah chapter 58. Pastor Sam mentioned this chapter during his sermon, asking us to read it on our own. In the chapter, the Lord lists various things that are preventing the people of God from experiencing healing in their community:

• Rebellion and sin (verse 1);
• Forsaking God's commandments (verse 2);
• Self-serving behavior and exploitation of others (verse 3);
• Quarreling, strife, and fighting (verse 4);
• Reducing fasting to mere external exercise, absent of internal commitment to God (verse 5).

God also details His criteria of things that must exist in the community in order for healing to occur:

• The freeing of people who are oppressed, and the addressing of injustice (verse 6);
• Compassionate provision for the poor, the hungry, and the naked (verse 7);
• The avoidance and rejection of gossip and malicious talk (verse 9);
• Joyful honoring of the Lord's command to engage Sabbath rest (verse 13).

Our pastor appealed to us, "Do not be content with religious ritual when you can experience the reality of being the people of God." May we all be earnest in our desire to experience that reality.

Lord, turn our hearts away from routine... give us the wisdom to shift from fighting one another to fighting our true enemy, the devil... move us into the place where Your healing can break forth.

E=Experiencing Forgiveness And Fullness

The third part of Bronx Bethany's vision statement reads: "Experiencing forgiveness of sin and the fullness of the Spirit."

Recently a friend of mine recommended the excellent book How People Change, written by Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp. Below is a quote from the book that I would like us to reflect on today, as it helps to underline this portion of our church's vision.

It is so easy to coast! We have been accepted into God's family, and someday will be with him in eternity. But what goes on in between? From the time we come to Christ until the time we go home to be with him, God calls us to change. We have been changed by his grace, are being changed by his grace, and will be changed by his grace. What is the goal of this change? It is more than a better marriage, well-adjusted children, professional success, or freedom from a few nagging sins. God's goal is that we would actually become like him. He doesn't just want you to escape the fires of hell-- though we praise God that through Christ you can! His goal is to free us from our slavery to sin, our bondage to self, and our functional idolatry, so that we actually take on his character! (Lane and Tripp, 2008, p. 15, emphasis mine)

• The first step is "acceptance into God's family": have you asked God to forgive you of your sins? Are you sorry for having grieved His Spirit? Do you desire to change?
• The ensuing steps involve answering God's call to change: are you aware of the grace He has extended you? Are you willing to reject habitual sin and embrace the character of God, daily pursuing holiness?

As Pastor Sam noted during his sermon, we as Nazarenes are custodians of the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. It is a tradition in which we seek forgiveness of our sins, we place ourselves in small groups for accountability, we seek to increase in our love towards God and man, and we seek the power of the Holy Spirit so that we might develop an aversion toward continual sin.

Look back one year... five years... ten years... and more. Can you see a difference between your Christian walk then and now? Can anyone else around you testify to that difference? Has your change been a change for the better?

Lord, You have made the way for us to be changed! Give us Your grace in abundance: we will be changed, and we will be agents of change, for the sake of Your glorious Name.

R=Reaching Our Communities

As we continue reflecting on the vision of Bronx Bethany, we move on to the second phrase: Reaching our communities at the point of their need.

Pastor Sam shared with us that we have several types of communities. There is the geographical community in which Bronx Bethany stands (the Northeast Bronx). There is the demographic community within and without the church, which is multicultural and multilingual. There is the sociological community, represented by varying levels of income and education. These communities have particular concerns, and part of our role is to be present to address their concerns through a Christ-centered lens.

Our church leadership has a three-part test, called the F.S.T. test, that each of us can use to assess where we stand concerning our community service.

1. Are we a fort, or a force? Do we come together to lock ourselves in the church and shield ourselves from the world, or do we boldly step out from behind the church walls in order to touch the communities we have been called to serve?
2. Are we engaged in satisfying ourselves, or are we engaged in serving? Does our programming revolve around the things we like, or does it revolve around the things the communities need?
3. Are we concerned about ourselves, or are we concerned about them? Pastor Sam reminded us of Rev.Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s comment concerning the parable of the Good Samaritan: The priest and the Levite avoided the wounded man because their concern was, "What will happen to me if I touch him?" The Good Samaritan's concern was, "What will happen to him if I don't touch him?"

So, on this Today that we will never see again, God has given His people opportunities to serve. Be a force for good. Be engaged in serving. Be concerned about the "them"s of the world.

You are called to carry the love of Jesus to a hurting and dying world. Who will you reach today?

G=Glorifying God

"Greatness in the kingdom of God is defined by the King in the kingdom of God." (Pastor Sam)

Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:42b-45)


The vision of Bronx Bethany helps us to see what we will look like when the components of our mission statement are accomplished.

The first phrase in our vision is Glorifying God by excellence in everything we do. Our pastors and leaders have, by the leading of God's Spirit, offered the following litmus test. Let us reflect on these points today as we consider our standing with God.

• Is everything we do for God first-class? Has God been given our first and our best, or the leftovers? (Genesis 4:3-7)
• Is everything we present to God flawless? What sort of an offering do we offer to Him? Is is pure, or is it lame? (Malachi 1:10-14)
• Are we ensuring that our service to God is not fraudulent? Are we pretending to give our best, while holding back something for ourselves? (Acts 5:1-10)
• Are we confident that the things we give to God were not acquired for free? Are we offering a sacrifice that cost us nothing? (Second Samuel 24:22-24)

Lord, we are Your servants. Our hearts' desire is to give our best to You. Deliver us from taking the easy road of offering You anything less than our best efforts, our best offerings, and our complete devotion.

In A Scent.

Towards the end of Pastor Althea's sermon, she asked us: are we contributing to the funk, or the fragrance?

Sin, in its myriad manifestations, is common to life. But as we learned on Sunday, the Christian response to life's issues is supposed to be markedly different than the response of the world. As pursuers of holiness and promoters of healing, our desire is to daily be reflections of Christ's purity and power.

Today let us reflect on the following questions, taking time to confess and repent in those areas where we have neglected to show our love for God, our maturing faith, and our commitment to serving the world.

• Are there things that I am thinking and doing in my personal life that I know are damaging the corporate witness of the body of Christ? Have I become comfortable in acts that are a stench in the nostrils of God? (Psalm 50:16-23)
• Do I believe that God still answers prayer? If so, am I "praying without ceasing" (First Thessalonians 5:17)?
• Pastor Althea mentioned that Bronx Bethany's membership is about 900. Am I a member of a local church body? (Hebrews 10:25; First Corinthians 12:12-27)
• Our pastor also said, "I dream of a church where I don't have to pretend that I'm perfect." Am I living my life transparently before God and man, or am I wearing a mask?
• Is my response to known sin confession and repentance, with a heart cry to God for His Spirit to move me to change? Or do I respond to sin by further accommodating it, with a conscious intent to continue repeating the acts that displease God?
• When Jeremiah spoke the word of God, he was met with opposition and arrogance by the very people who claimed to be followers of God. How do I respond when the word of God is spoken to me? (Jeremiah 20:1-12)
• In light of the above questions, my prayer for today is... [complete the sentence]

When God sniffs at your heart, what does He smell?

Salt And Light And Dreams In The Night: A Reid's-Eye View.

"What do you dream of? Do you even dream?" -Pastor Althea

As we endeavor to be salt and light in the Bronx and in the world, are dreams even practical? Do dreams matter?

I would say yes. I believe that God plants dreams in our hearts, then gives us skills and opportunities to live out those dreams in reality. Let me use my little household as a case study.

My husband is an accomplished musician. Throughout his life God has blessed him to have excellent teachers. His most influential teacher, though, was a man who taught by example and not by precept. Dr. Paul Liljestrand, simply by loving God through musical and spiritual gifts, planted a dream in the heart of my husband when he was a young boy. My husband grew up, completed his musical training, and the dream became real. If you were to ask him today what his role is in the kingdom of God, he would tell you that he teaches the Bible through music. In his ministry he trains children and adults to not just play instruments and sing, but to do effective, relevant ministry appropriate to their skill levels and cultural/denominational contexts. He lives his dream by using music to turn people's hearts towards God.

I, on the other hand, did not begin dreaming until I was an adult. While growing up, I had no real sense of what "salt and light" looked like in my life. Then about five years ago, a conversation between myself and four people (Rev. Ronald Benjamin, Dr. Marilyn Maye, Ms. LillyJune Webb, and Dr. Sam Vassel) birthed a dream to have, in essence, an "e-mail forum" where discussion of the Sunday sermon could continue through the week. My dream morphed into what is now Glossa Water. Earlier this year God sent a fifth person, Rev. Joseph Henry Cortese, who encouraged me to post links to this blog through Facebook and Twitter. Pastor Joe's suggestion increased reader traffic from less than 300 to over 1000 views per month, with new readers viewing from as far away as Australia and the Far East. I now live my dream by using writing to turn people's hearts towards God.

Pastor Althea shared a very important point during her sermon last Sunday: "The church is not the building. It is the people of God." And we, the people of God, are privileged to take the church to the world. Most of us are not world-famous. I don't have millions of followers on social media. My husband doesn't have millions of students. But God can still use our ministries, no matter how small, to touch the world. He can use yours too!

I pray that we will surrender our gifts and our deep desires to the Lord. He may send us a dream that sets us on a path to touch millions, or thousands, or hundreds, or just one... but when the Spirit of God is at the core of our work, empowering us as we work, we can be sure that the work will bring glory to our great God. Dream! Pray! Be the salt! Shine the Light!

Be encouraged to dream God's will. Be empowered to do God's work.

Present And Accounted For.

"We're spending more time every place else except the presence of the living God." -Pastor Althea

We sometimes have a tendency to laud certain Scripture verses taken out of context. Jeremiah 33 is one of the chapters that often falls victim to this action. It is easy to quote Jeremiah 33:3, and in many churches it's easy to isolate the verse and preach a jump-and-shout message of hope: "God will answer you when you call to Him! He will show you unsearchable things! Hallelujah!" Run, roll, have a good time.

This past Sunday, we experienced Jeremiah 33:3 in its proper context: the first eleven verses of the chapter. Here is the complete message of hope: "Because you have chosen complacency and sin, the LORD has chastised you severely. However, if you repent of your rebellion, the LORD will forgive you."

Pastor Althea shared some things that I'd like us to reflect on today:

• God promises health, healing, peace, and security to those who love Him.
• Sin in the camp, continued in spite of God's grace and patience, will result in the wrath of God.
• The enemy seeks not just to disable us, but to destroy us. 

These three points read as if each stands alone, but they are interrelated. God longs to bless His people, but He is not a rewarder of unrighteousness and waywardness. Our love of sin will block us from inheriting what God has promised to us. Further, our adversary the devil holds an interest in preventing the people of God from seeking God's presence. I am reminded of a sermon by John Ortberg on shadow mission: in the sermon, he noted that a key strategy of the devil is to keep God's people just ten or fifteen degrees off course. Our being ten degrees off course may not be easily detected by the world, but it is immediately apparent to God, to the prophetic community, and to the person who is off course. A person who has become comfortable in this compromised position has "lost their first love" and is destined for destruction (see Revelation 2:1-5). (Click here to view John Ortberg's sermon.)

As Pastor Althea shared in Sunday's sermon, none of us is perfect. This is why we need to remain in the presence of God, the only One who can equip us with the power to live in accordance with His will. If we remain in Him, we will live our lives through Him and He will be glorified in us.

I encourage us all to take time to read Galatians 5:16-26 as a reminder and warning. God loves us and is calling us to love Him. I pray that today, and every day, we will take the time and make the effort to enter into His presence with prayers, love, and obedience to His word.

Oh, may we be found in Him.

Mapping Borders With Care; Crossing Oceans With Prayer.

Some years ago Bronx Bethany had a guest speaker who was involved in deliverance ministry. When he began praying for people, one person ran out of our main building and into the street, narrowly missing being hit by a car while attempting to run to the other side of Paulding Avenue against the traffic. Fortunately the person was returned to our church, and was blessed to experience deliverance from demonic influences. Back then I wondered, "Why run across the street instead of just running down the block, or why not just leave the sanctuary and sit downstairs instead of leaving the building? Why did the person try to bolt across the street?"

On Sunday, as I listened to Pastor Althea's sermon, God answered my puzzled question from over five years ago: It's a border issue.

On the morning of our Street Fair last Saturday, a few incidents requiring police intervention occurred just across the border from our church. Why do I say "across the border" instead of "across the street"? I say it because spiritual warfare is, among other things, a territorial activity.

During Sunday's sermon, Pastor Althea referred to the incidents (homicide, fighting, and domestic violence) using a particular phrase: the audacity of the devil to wreak havoc at the perimeter. That perimeter (the line that divides the east and west sides of Paulding Avenue between 227th and 228th Street) is one of several spiritual border lines in our community.

Scripture reveals that spiritual borders are indicated by space, place, and time. The dividing lines between peaceful and chaotic lands are determined by the strength or weakness of the ruling spirits in their assigned areas. Earthly events, in turn, are affected by heavenly activities. The book of Daniel gives a clear example of this. Daniel's fasting and prayer were received in heaven immediately, but spiritual war delayed the response by three weeks. The angel assigned to communicate to Daniel was confronted by a territorial spirit stronger than itself, and the archangel Michael had to be called in to join the fight. (You can read the scripture by clicking here.)

The New Testament reinforces this concept of spiritual war as territorial activity. When Jesus confronted the demonic spirits in the region of Gerasenes, what was their plea? "Do not send us out of the region." To leave the territory would mean a loss of power and influence, so they begged Jesus to cast them from the demoniac into the bodies of pigs who lived in the same territory-- not realizing that pigs are smart enough to choose death rather than living a life of demonic bondage. (You can read the scripture by clicking here.)

A related point here: Scripture also reveals that the human body is a coveted spiritual territory. What does Jesus say? "When an unclean spirit leaves a person, it goes out into desert places looking for rest but it does not find rest." Jesus goes on to say that if a person is empty (that is, if a person is not filled with the Holy Spirit), then the unclean spirit will return with reinforcements, making the state of the person far worse. (see Matthew 12:43-45)

Case Study: The success of Jamaica Day of prayer - a model of concerted effort to participate in winning territories for God

For the past several years, in early August, a few hundred Christians have gathered in various parts of the world to engage in concerted prayer for the nation of Jamaica. I believe that the swift answers to prayer for that nation have occurred because we have made the commitment to pray together, at the same time, in agreement, with fasting, with contrition, with repentance, and with a desire to be led by the Spirit of God. And here is where we find an example of an interesting paradox. Although spiritual territories are bounded by space and place and time, our prayers are not bound. Our prayers are the means by which we forcefully impact and transform regions to the honor and glory of God. Whether the object of our prayer is across the street, or across 588 miles, or on the other side of the globe, we can be effective participants in the redemptive process.

Each week at Bronx Bethany we affirm our commitment to being "a redemptive influence in the Bronx and in the world, to the glory of God." It is what we say. It is what we do. It is who we are. And our redemptive influence is firmly anchored in prayer.

Pray prayers. Transform territories.

The Rebellious Silence Of Man; The Terrifying Silence Of God.

At one point in yesterday's sermon, Pastor Althea made a couple of important observations that we can reflect on today. Let's consider these observations using the life of King David as a case study.

1. Before there can be healing, there must be an admission of sickness.

One crisis of individuals is that we fail to acknowledge our tendency towards sin as a sickness that must be confessed to God. Without confession, there cannot be forgiveness nor healing (First John 1:9). Further, without confession, one sin leads to another. David's covetousness towards Bathsheba led to the establishment of an adulterous relationship, which then led David to enlist other persons as unwitting participants in his murder of Bathsheba's husband Uriah, a man who had done nothing to deserve death.

A second crisis is that we, in some cases, prefer sickness to wellness. Pastor Althea mentioned several cases in which we, by our silence, indicate to God that our love for sin exceeds our love for Him. King David, in writing Psalm 51, is an example of a man whose love for God eventually moved him to prefer wellness over sickness.

A third crisis is the absence of contrition. King David spent several months opting to go on with his life as if it were "business as usual", seemingly untouched by his sins of covetousness, adultery and contract murder. At the point of confrontation by the prophet Nathan, David had a change of heart and was truly sorry for having sinned against God. 

2. Extended grace does not preclude severe chastisement.

The silence of God is an extension of grace. God has amazing patience. We see His patience even in the building of His church. The Scripture says that in eternity a Bride (the church) will be presented to Christ, without spot, blemish, or wrinkle. In the present, He loves us in spite of our flaws and urges us to continue to draw near to Him, so that we might become more like Him each day.

The silence of God is never a condoning of habitual sin. Psalm 50 is clear in revealing what the Lord says concerning His silence: You have done all these wicked things, I have kept silent, and in your audacity you think that I am altogether like you. You are wrong. I will strike you down, and there will be no remedy. Serve me and love me now, while you have a chance, and run far from sin.

The silence of God is the warning that judgement is at our doorstep. Let us continue with the example of King David. God did not send a prophetic word to David for almost a year. During this period, David was going about his life as if everything were normal. But at the point of confrontation by Nathan, after David's confession, the Lord sent a word: Yes, David, you have confessed and I have forgiven you, but judgement is not suspended: the sword will never leave your house. The latter years of David's life were horrendous, and he suffered indignity and embarrassment as his favorite son (Absalom) made a public display of wickedness and betrayal for all of Israel to see.

Fast-forward to 2013. There are questions we must ask and contemplation we must engage in light of this word:

• Are there areas of habitual sin in my life that I know break the heart of God? If so, why am I choosing to continually grieve God?
• Having read the Scriptures, am I genuinely interested in doing what pleases God and actively avoiding whatever displeases God? Or am I choosing to no longer read the Bible? Why or why not?
• Am I silent about my sins, or am I daily engaged in confession and repentance?
• Do I believe that God is powerful enough to keep me from always falling into the same sin day after day? Have I asked Him to send His Holy Spirit to help me live for Him every day?
• Do I understand that when no further prophetic word of warning is given to me, it means that judgement is on my doorstep?

Sadly, there are many of us who continue to feed pet sins without recognizing (or without caring) that we are breaking the heart of God and damaging His witness in the earth. But our pastor gave a clear word. We would do well to heed the word of the Lord.

Lord, give us grace to hear You speaking, and to obey before Your judgement falls.