Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God

   I'll be attending the Desiring God 2010 National Conference this week. Looking forward to a great time of understanding the relationship between the head and the heart.  The keynote speakers are among the prominent Christian teachers, pastors, and writers of this generation : John Piper, Rick Warren, Francis Chan, RC Sproul, Al Mohler, Kevin De Young, Randy Alcorn, and Thabiti Anyawible. 

Husbands : Bless Your Wives By Sharing This....

    According to the Credenda Agenda, wives have a God-ordained practical authority. Do you agree?

The Wife as Ruler

The Lord's Prayer Part 13: The Most Difficult Prayer Request?

“…and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

- Matthew 6:12 (ESV)

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”  

    - Matthew 6:14 (ESV)

    This is the 5th petition in the Lord’s Prayer. It is a plea that God will wipe away the debt that we have incurred by our sinfulness. We know that God forgives (Psalm 130:4) and that Jesus Christ paid for our debt with his own blood (Isaiah 53:4-6).  We need to pray for forgiveness daily because we continue to be flawed people. As we grow spiritually mature over time, we sin less. What makes this petition difficult is the declaration, “…as we also have forgiven our debtors,” that is attached after the plea. We are asking for forgiveness from the Holy God in proportion to the forgiveness that we give to those who have offended us. Astounding!

    This is a dangerous prayer because many of us struggle with forgiving others. Cheap forgiveness abounds. We dwell on offenses by reliving them in our minds.  We withold forgiveness and make the offender suffer for a while by avoiding them, greeting them with an icy reception, or by ignoring them. We bring the offense back up again to the offender or we bring it up to others. Be warned. Unforgiveness is a serious issue to Jesus Christ. He even provides further commentary in v.14. He points out that by forgiving others, our Father will also forgive us.

    Forgiving others is like cancelling or paying a debt in full that is incurred by the one who offended us. We let go of the demand for the offender to pay it back. We forgive because Jesus forgave us (Ephesians 4:32). The standard by which we forgive others is clear: forgive as the Lord forgave you (Colossians 3:13). If one cannot forgive, then Jesus is not ruler in that person’s heart. The problem with the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:21-35) was that he did not reciprocate the mercy that was shown to him. Are we not like that all the time? An unforgiving heart cannot pray the Lord’s Prayer with authenticity.  The Lord does not withold forgiveness, rather he gives it freely.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."   -1 John 1:9 (ESV)

    So how do we so live so that we will truly reflect God’s forgiveness to us? Ken Sande, in his book The Peacemaker, says that when you say to someone, “I forgive you”, what you are really saying is that you will keep these 4 promises:   

1. I will not dwell on this incident.


2. I will not bring up this incident again and use it against you.


3. I will not talk to others about this incident.


4. I will not let this incident stand between us or hinder our personal relationship.

    How would our lives be like if God gave a cheap kind of forgiveness? There would be no hope for us. Praise God for his goodness and mercy. Forgiveness is central to the gospel. Christians are the most forgiven people in the world. Lord we pray, that we would become a people of grace, freely bestowing forgiveness to others.

Peacemaker Conference 2010 : Bishop Ef Tendero's Keynote Session

    All keynote sessions from the 2010 Peacemaker Conference are now available online. It was held in Washington DC last week and the theme was on forgiveness. Keynote speakers were Joshua Harris, Chris Brauns, Ken Sande, and Thabiti Anyabwile, and Bishop Ef Tendero.

    Bishop Ef is the head of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC). He talks about the power of forgiveness. Before his current role at PCEC, Bishop Ef was the pastor at my home church in the Philippines. Last May, Bishop Ef, his wife Sierry, and daughter Ellah visited us for a couple of days. He spoke at our church on seeing conflict as an opportunity to glorify God. It was a wonderful time of fellowship. I also enjoyed driving him around the bay area. 

 Bishop Ef's keynote session audio link: Tendero_Keynote.mp3

The Lord's Prayer Part 12 : How to Pray for Your Needs

 

Photo by Suat Eman

"Give us this day our daily bread..."  - Matthew 6:11 (ESV)

    The priority of the Lord's Prayer is the Father's glory. We pray that his name will be treated as holy. We pray that his kingdom, which is Christ's rule in the hearts of men, would be made manifest. We pray that his will be followed here on earth as it is in heaven. Is God's interest really our number #1 priority? It's clear in the Lord's Prayer that the Christian life should be primarily about delighting in God and living a life that reflects his true glory.

    It is only in the 4th petition that we begin praying for ourselves. We are asking God to give, which implies that he owns something that we do not have. It's similar to a beggar asking for charity. Bread symbolizes everything that is necessary for our survival. It is said that man's basic need is food, shelter, and protection. Yes, God is the source of all these things (Psalm 104). Even more amazing is that God knows our need even before we ask him (Matthew 6:8). God provides for the needs of his children (Matthew 7:9-11) and he gives good gifts (James 1:17).

    The motivation behind praying for our needs is very important. Do we pray for our self-interests? Do we ask out of a desire to be richly blessed materially? This cannot be the motivation behind this prayer request because it would be inconsistent with the first three petitions. How can one pray for God’s kingdom when there is a strong desire in us to expand the kingdom of self? Jesus said,

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. -Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

    When Jesus Christ is the Lord of your life, he will meet your needs. That is the promise. It is true that many who do not follow Jesus Christ can meet their own needs and can be materially rich. This is the Creator’s common grace to his creation. However, the true Christian knows that attaining comfort in this world is not the ultimate goal. There is a much better life beyond this world and Jesus is the way through this life. For any profit gained in this world does not count for eternity.

“If we look like our lives are devoted to getting and maintaining things, we will look like the world, and that will not make Christ look great. He will look like a religious side-interest that may be useful for escaping hell in the end, but doesn't make much difference in what we live and love here. He will not look like an all-satisfying treasure. And that will not make others glad in God.”

- John Piper (Don’t Waste Your Life)

    We pray for our needs so that we can live for His glory. God is faithful and willing to provide everything we need so that we will have the physical, mental, and emotional strength to live our lives according to his purpose and plans.

I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. -Psalm37:25 (ESV)

    Another thing to note is the immediate extent of the needs that we are to ask for. “Give us this day” really means this coming day. In other words, at night we pray for our needs for the coming day. During the day, we pray for our needs for the coming evening. This is patterned after the Old Testament account of manna (Exodus 16:13-30). Manna was the food that God provided for the people of Israel while they were in the desert. This food came from heaven, was to be collected in the morning, and was to be eaten on that same day. When it was stored, it would spoil (except during Sabbath). The Israelites were literally depending on God day-to-day for their food. Those with refrigerators and pantries stocked with food that could last for weeks may not be able to identify with this kind of living. Yet, this petition reminds all of us to be thankful to God everyday because he ultimately is the source of all provision.

    Do we live to eat or do we eat to live? Food is for fuel; not to be full.

Forgiveness - one man's story

    When we forgive those who have hurt us, their immediate response might not be the outcome that we desire.  We expect an apology or repentance.  By forgiving, we do risk getting rejected instead. But watch the testimony of this brother on his struggles in forgiving his father and the victory in his life as he obeyed the command to forgive as Christ forgave him (Colossians 3:13, Ephesians 4:32). 

    From my own life experience, I've learned that forgiving others is good for my soul. For if I do not forgive, my relationship with Christ suffers. We don't often see it this way. Instead, we focus on the unfairness and the injustice of it all when we free the offender from the debt and penalty of his offense. Remember this: when we obey, God is faithful and willing to bring peace and reconciliation in our lives and in our relationship with others. (More on this in a future blog post on the Lord's Prayer).


Because I've Been Forgiven: Craig - Part 1 from Peacemaker Ministries on Vimeo.


Because I've Been Forgiven: Craig Pt. 2 from Peacemaker Ministries on Vimeo.

Review Roundup of Stephen Hawking's Grand Design

A skeptical reviewer says that Hawking overreached with his conclusions.

From the Economist (Full Review) :

The main novelty in “The Grand Design” is the authors’ application of a way of interpreting quantum mechanics, derived from the ideas of the late Richard Feynman, to the universe as a whole. According to this way of thinking, “the universe does not have just a single existence or history, but rather every possible version of the universe exists simultaneously.” The authors also assert that the world’s past did not unfold of its own accord, but that “we create history by our observation, rather than history creating us.” They say that these surprising ideas have passed every experimental test to which they have been put, but that is misleading in a way that is unfortunately typical of the authors. It is the bare bones of quantum mechanics that have proved to be consistent with what is presently known of the subatomic world. The authors’ interpretations and extrapolations of it have not been subjected to any decisive tests, and it is not clear that they ever could be.

It takes a lot of faith to embrace M-theory as the ultimate explanation on how this universe came into existence.

From the Observer (Full Review) :

"Our universe and its laws appear to have a design that both is tailor-made to support us and, if we are to exist, leaves little room for alternation," they state. "That is not easily explained, and raises the natural question of why it is that way." The answer, the authors say, lies with M-theory. (The M apparently stands for "master, miracle, or mystery". The authors are unsure which.) The vital point is that M-theory allows for the existence of 11 dimensions of spacetime that contains not just vibrating strings of matter but also "point particles, two-dimensional membranes, three-dimensional blobs and other objects that are more difficult to picture." Simple, really.



    Crucially the laws of M-theory allow for an unimaginably large number of different universes. Thus we exist because the laws of our particular universe just happen to be tuned to the exact parameters that permit the existence of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon and other key atoms and which also generate laws that allow these entities to interact in ways that build up complex chemical combinations. Other universes are not so lucky.

    M-theory is the unified theory of physics that Einstein was hoping to find, state the authors, and if it is confirmed by observation, it will be the successful conclusion to a search that was begun by the ancient Greeks when they started to puzzle about the nature of reality. "We will have found the grand design."

Read more »

The Lord's Prayer Part 11 : A battle of the wills?

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

-Matthew 6:10 (ESV)

“I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." (King David)

- Psalm 40:8 (NIV)

"My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (Jesus Christ)

-John 4:34 (NIV)

    Let your will be done is the third petition in the Lord’s Prayer. It is closely related to the first two and what connects them is the ending phrase “on earth as it is in heaven”. The Lord’s name is treated as holy in heaven but not on earth. Jesus Christ reigns in heaven but his rule on earth is not consummated until his return. In the same way, God’s will is followed in heaven but is frequently violated here on earth.

    This begs the question then that if God is sovereign so that his will is always accomplished then why is it that his will is not fully followed by man? The answer lies in the way God’s will is revealed in Scripture.

1. God’s efficacious will is the eternal, unchanging purpose concerning all things that he has made. This is absolute and is always fulfilled. When God said let there be light, it was created. Jesus commanded Lazarus to rise from the dead and Lazarus lived again immediately.

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.

-Isaiah 46:10 (NIV)

2. God’s preceptive will relates to his laws and commandments that he issues to regulate the behavior of his creation. This can be violated or disobeyed. For example, God’s will is that the ten commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) are followed but everyone has violated these commandments.

3. Lastly, God’s will is sometimes revealed as his basic inclination or disposition. He desires all men to be saved (2 Peter 3:9) for example, but this will not come to pass. There will be men who will go to hell.
    Going back to Matthew 6:10, it makes sense then that the prayer must be asking for the Lord’s preceptive will to be followed here on earth. It is a prayer that expresses the surrendering of our will and the commitment to walk in obedience to God’s commands. It is a desire to see others follow Jesus Christ.

    God’s will is good, pleasing, and perfect (Romans 12:2). Furthermore, God’s commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). Lord, not my will but yours instead. This is not a fatalistic attitude but a strong desire to follow God's will all the time. Fatalism is resigned to the inevitable and is not of faith Real faith hopes in God in times of trouble. We are assured that the Lord works everything according to the counsel of his will (Ephesians 1:11) and that everything works together for our good (Romans 8:28).

Let Him Deny Himself - a warning and a promise

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

- Mark 8:34-37 (NIV)

    These are hard words from Jesus Christ. The Christian life is a life of denying my desires within me that lead me away from Christ. I say no to a pattern of living that seeks the most comfortable life possible that I can live here on earth. This is warning. People quit following Jesus Christ for 2 reasons: when following Christ leads to trouble and difficulty or they do not want to give up worldliness (Matthew 13:1-23).

   There is a promise, however, that whoever will lose his life in this world will save it. There is  immense profit to be gained! Following Jesus Christ, no matter how hard it can become, is really the path that leads us to the life that we long for. God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in him. 

    Further reflections on this passage from the Desiring God blog : 

First, the Christian life is hard; sometimes agonizing. We shouldn't be surprised (1 Peter 4:12). It's hard because denying our fallen selves is hard. Any death is hard, some much more than others. But it's designed to be that way. Our lives are our most precious earthly possession. Nothing displays the worth of Jesus more than our willingness to give away our lives (in small and large ways) for his sake.

    Second, the only things that Jesus asks us to deny ourselves of are what will rob us of eternal joy. Like Moses in Hebrews 11:25-26, we are called to deny ourselves the passing pleasures of sin and consider the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the world's treasures. How? By looking to the reward! I'll sum it up in some lyrics I wrote in a song for my oldest daughter years ago:

There's joy beyond your wildest dreams if you will just believe.

This aching thirst for joy you feel God only can relieve.

And that eternal life is what's in store.

For all who will believe that only he's worth living for.

Of Faith and Football

   
    Football is here once again! Oh yes! Tonight, I just got finished watching the Super Bowl champs New Orleans Saints beat the Minnesota Vikings 14-9 in the NFL season opener. At this time of the year, optimism reigns for each long-suffering fan. I myself am hoping that this is the year that my Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl. The Eagles boast a potent offense with fast wide receivers who can make explosive plays at any time. However, they are young and are starting a talented but inexperienced quarterbak in Kevin Kolb.

    I came to love this sport when I was a child. Growing up, I lived near Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. When the Tennessee Vols had a game, I was able to watch thousands of orange-clad fans walking to the stadium. Sometimes we were able to get tickets and watch the game live. The experience of being with over 90,000 screaming and cheering people is something I will always remember. I also loved the marching band. The form a giant T and the crowd roars as the football players run trough the T and into the sidelines.



    I also watched all the NFL games on TV. Super Bowl XV was the first championship game I watched on TV. It was also the first time that I experienced heart break because my beloved Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Oakland Raiders by a score of 27-10. Since then, I've always followed football closely. Now, I have discovered that the game is a rich source of stories that pertain to the Christian life. So starting this season, I'd like to also blog about faith and football.

    This year's NFL #1 draft pick is Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford, a former quarterback from the University of Oklahoma. He will start at quarterback for the St. Luis Rams. He faces a big challenge. The Rams are in the process of rebuilding and many are expecting them to have a losing year. They simply need to infuse and develop more talent in order to become perennial contenders. Bradford is also going against history. Many first round draft pick quarterbacks have turned out to be busts in the NFL. I'm hoping that the rookie succeeds and goes on to have a fine career. His faith and dependence on God have been the key to his success in the college game. God bless you Sam and hope that your debut goes well this Sunday.




Next time, I'll write on Tim Tebow....

  

THE LORD’S PRAYER PART 10: WHOSE KINGDOM?

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

– Matthew 6:10 (ESV)

    The second petition in the Lord’s Prayer is asking that Christ’s rule or reign will come here on earth. Whose kingdom? Christ’s kingdom, not my kingdom. Oftentimes, our attitude in prayer is that we tell God what we want and expect him to bless us by granting our desires. That is prioritizing our own interests above God’s interests.

    So what is this petition really asking for? More clarity can be gained when there is understanding in how the word “kingdom” is used in the Bible. In one example, it is used to describe God’s sovereign rule over all his creation. This is declared many times in the book of Psalms.

The LORD has established his throne in the heavens and his kingdom rules over all.

–Psalm 93:1-2 (ESV)

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

-Psalm 145:13 (ESV)

    If the Lord’s kingdom is an everlasting kingdom then why is it that we are to pray for Christ’s kingdom to come? The answer lies in the other use of the word “kingdom” in the Bible. Shortly after David became king over Israel, he wanted to build a temple for the Lord (2 Samuel 7). David sought the counsel of the prophet Nathan. The prophet thought that this was a good idea but that same night, the Lord told Nathan that David was not to build the temple but one of his offspring would be granted that honor. Then the Lord made a covenant with David that his throne will be established forever.

When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you, but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.

-1 Chronicles 17:11-14 (ESV)

    God made an unconditional covenant with David by promising that the Messiah would come from David’s lineage and would establish a kingdom that would endure forever. God indeed kept his promise through Jesus Christ. Indeed, Jesus spoke of this kingdom during his public ministry.

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

 -Matthew 4:17 (ESV)

    However, this announcement was misunderstood by many including Christ’s disciples. Many thought that Jesus was giving to Israel the fulfillment of the promise made by God with David. They thought that Jesus Christ was going to establish an earthly kingdom on whose throne sits a descendant of David and this king would bring about the liberation of Israel from Roman rule. What Jesus said completely confused them because they were expecting that the Messiah would be a political leader.

 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

-Luke 17:20-21 (ESV)

    Instead, the kingdom that Jesus announced is the kingdom of grace established by his death on the cross and his resurrection. It is Jesus Christ’s rule in the hearts of those who have repented from their sins and believed in his name. This kingdom is not yet completely revealed. It will be made fully manifest when Jesus Christ returns and rules visibly on earth (see Psalm 2, Revelation 11:15-18, Revelation 19:11-18). This is the time when the King of Kings shall take his throne and reign over what was given to him as an inheritance by the Father. I heard a pastor once say that history is HIS STORY. We are now at the point of history were we await the coming of Jesus. The question is are you ready?

    In Matthew 13, Jesus uses parables to describe the nature of this kingdom as it exists here on earth. These parables are summarized beautifully in a sermon by John Piper. This is worthy of reflection and careful investigation because we will then understand why Jesus asks us to pray for this kingdom.

The Parable of the Sower


First, the parable of the sower: verses 18-19, "Hear the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom . . . " four different things can happen:


1. Satan can snatch it;
2. the heat of trouble can scorch it;
3. the thorns of care can choke it;
4. or it can bear fruit in good soil.


The mystery here is that the Word of the kingdom—the gospel of the kingdom, "Our God reigns!" (Isaiah 52:7)—is not sweeping the whole world before it. It's here with power to save some—but three-forths of the kingdom preaching seems to be aborting. That was not expected to happen when the Messiah arrived to say, "The kingdom is at hand. Our God reigns!" This is the mystery of the kingdom.


The Parable of the Wheat and Tares


Then look at the parable of the wheat and tares in verses 24ff. "Another parable he put before them, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.'" An enemy sows bad seed and wheat and tares grow up together. And Jesus says that's a picture of the kingdom. Sons of the kingdom (v. 38) and sons of the evil one side by side till the harvest—the day of judgment.


The interpretation is given in verses 37ff. Notice verse 41. At the end of the age it says, "The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire." This is the mystery of the kingdom—a kingdom existing for some time in this world with righteous (v. 43) and evil in it side by side until the consummation. This was not expected. The kingdom was to come with total power to destroy the wicked immediately and vindicate the righteous. But Jesus says it has arrived. There is fulfillment. But the consummation, the final separation waits for the second coming of the Son of Man (v. 41).


The Parable of the Mustard Seed


Look at the parable of the mustard seed in vv. 31-32, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."


The mystery of the kingdom is that the kingdom came in Jesus like a mustard seed and not a military coup. It will some day be a huge and mighty tree. But the mystery is that the kingdom has come into the world without the cataclysmic transformation most expected.


The Parable of the Fishing Net


Skip down to the last parable of the chapter, verses 47-50, the parable of the fishing net.


Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; when it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad. So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous, and throw them into the furnace of fire.


The mystery of the kingdom, again, is that as the net—the power of the kingdom—draws men into its sway, it draws good and bad. Only when the net is up on shore at the close of the age will the good and the bad fish be separated.


Notice carefully: the separation described here is not between the fish which didn't get caught in the net of the kingdom and those which did. That's not the point of this parable. The separation here is between two kinds of people who are swept into the net of the kingdom. One kind is kept. The other is cast into the fire.


So the mystery of the kingdom is not only that the kingdom is at first limited in its scope and its effect in the world (it's a mustard seed), but also the mystery of the kingdom is that the people who come under the power of God's kingdom are, as we say, a mixed bag. Some are true disciples. And some are hypocrites.

    The 2nd petition in the Lord's Prayer prays for the success of this kingdom here on earth. When we become part of this kingdom, its advance becomes our priority. The passion for this kingdom comes from a heart that is fully surrendered to the lordship of Jesus Christ. We pray that the benefits and blessings of this kingdom will be enjoyed by others and by nations. We pray that the message of the Gospel will be preached to the whole world. We long for the hastening of Jesus Christ’s return.

    Lord let your kingdom come, not mine. Rule over my heart today and forevermore.

   Amen!

Making the Right Choice on the "Gray" Areas of Morality

    In Galatians 5, we know that Christ has set us free. There is a warning though in verse 13 :

"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature..."

-Galatians 5:13 (NIV)

   Some acts of sin are easily identifiable :

"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." 

-Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV)

   In some cases though, it may not be straightforward. Here are some examples :
 

Can I drink alcoholic beverages?

Should I watch an R-rated movie or this TV show?

Can I listen to secular music?

Can I go into a casino to gamble?

Should I leave and divorce my cheating spouse?

Should Christians smoke?

 

  I've heard both sides of the arguments. Some think that all these acts lead to sin and should not be present in any Christian life. Some say it is permissible.  These are the gray areas of morality and ethics that we often deal with in daily life. How can we decide? I've found this blog post to be a very helpful guide. It demonstrates that indeed the Bible is powerful, effective, and able to train us into righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).


Link to blog post : 

Eight Questions to Ask in Making a Moral Decision in the Category of Liberty

THE LORD’S PRAYER PART 9: THE #1 PRAYER REQUEST

Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

 –Matthew 6:9 (ESV)

    The very first thing that Jesus teaches us to pray for is not our needs nor the needs of others. Instead, Jesus teaches that we should first pray that God’s name will be treated as holy. Very few of us (including myself) would ever put this as the top priority in our prayer list.

    Now, God’s name is already holy (Isaiah 57:15). Even the angels in heaven cry out in praise saying, “Holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.” However, God’s name is not treated in the same way here on earth. Today, “Oh My God!” or OMG is a common expression of surprise when a person is wowed by someone or something. Sometimes God's name is used as an expletive. The name of Jesus Christ is spoken as profanity. Its use in this manner is prevalent in our culture today. It certainly is not said in worship and adoration. It is not even a cry of prayer. It is desecration of the name of God.

    God’s name is tied to his reputation. He reveals his nature through his name. He is Elohim, the only God, the God over all gods, and the source and creator of all things. He is Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the God who took Israel out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land. He is the God who loved the world that he sent his only Son to die for our sins. It is a name that speaks of God’s power and glory. Jesus promised this when we pray and call out his name:

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

-John 14:13 (ESV)

    So the first petition then pleads for His name to be set apart in people’s hearts and minds and lives (including ourselves) as the infinitely great and beautiful and valuable reality that it truly is. Let's not use his name lightly in our conversations. Let's demonstrate the proper respect of God's name. Let's make God look good in our speech.