A.S.K.

Perhaps one of my most favourite and helpful scriptures is taken from Matthew 7:7 where Jesus says:

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

What an amazing promise to those who trust in God!

This scripture is about prayer. Sometimes I can be overwhelmed by prayer — by the needs of so many— not to mention my own, the church, the community, the world… sometimes I don’t know where to start. And there have also been times, when I don’t even know how to pray about certain things.  Have you ever felt that way too?

Well this amazing verse in Matthew 7:7 has not only given me incredible guidance on how to pray, it gives me assurance of what will happen when I do.

Here’s what I have gleaned from this text regarding prayer and our faithful God:

First it says to ASK.  Don’t be afraid to go to God, don’t hold anything back from God. When we go to God we are actually exercising our faith because we are believing that God has the answer for what we are asking for. So ASK and it will be given to you.

It then says to SEEK.  The greek word for seek is zētéō which means to crave or demand something from someone. So Jesus is literally telling us to seek Him for an answer because when you do you will find it because the answer is found in Him.

And lastly we are to KNOCK and the door will be opened to you.  And I believe that Jesus is using this illustration to underline the point that we are to go to God in prayer expecting that God will answer. And God will because God says as much:

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)

God’s word never returns void!

God will answer you according to God’s faithful love and mercy.

So today don’t overthink prayer. Do as the scripture tells us, ASK, SEEK and KNOCK. Trust and believe that God will answer you.

Building the church

Have you ever played Jenga?  Players take turns removing one block at a time from a tower constructed of 54 blocks. Each block removed is then placed on top of the tower, creating a progressively more unstable structure. The game ends when any portion of the tower collapses, caused by either the removal of a block or its new placement. The last player to complete a turn before the collapse is the winner.

This game is another illustration of why the foundation of a building is so important!

Last Sunday I began a four week series entitled:  “We are Living Stones”, based on the scripture 1Peter 2: 4-9.  Peter tells us we are to build our lives upon a firm foundation, and Peter tell us who that is. We are to build our lives on Jesus, the Living Stone — the precious and chosen cornerstone.

Peter also reminds us that we, like living stones are a “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God”.  And like living stones, God wants to fit us together living stone by living stone to build God’s church.

That’s who we are in the sight of God. That’s who we are, fundamentally, as believers. We are living stones! What a wonderful reminder as we celebrate Amberlea’s 40th year together.

If you were at Amberlea last Sunday you would have received a stone, (if you weren’t be sure to pick up one this week!).  I pray as you hold that stone in your hand you are reminded of God’s complete and unconditional love for you.  I pray that you are reminded that God has a purpose and plan for your life and a purpose and plan for the life and work of Amberlea Presbyterian Church.  I continue to be excited to see how God will fit us together to build the Church.

God is as God was

This past week we have been talking a lot about giving thanks, not surprisingly because in Canada we just celebrated Thanksgiving.

David writes in Psalm 9 verse one,

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

What’s interesting is that David writes later in verse 13 of this same Psalm how he is facing affliction and yet what is he doing?  He is worshiping God.

Many of us know that when a season is difficult, worshipping God may be the last thing we want to do.  I have certainly experienced that in my own life.

And yet, history has taught me that if I worship God in the midst, things in my heart begin to shift. Rather than solely focusing on me (“oh woe is me”), when my attention is shifted to God, my heart overflows with praise.

Our God is all that we need and worship points to that fact and fuels our faith.

And like David said it must be whole hearted.  He says, I will give you thanks, with my whole heart. Not part, not the part that is focused on relationships idols and the world, no. God isn’t satisfied with part of our heart.  God wants all of it.

I will give you thanks, Lord, with my whole heart.

So the question is,  are we worshipping God with our whole heart?

You, like me, can probably pinpoint a thousand moments when God has provided for you but think about one.  Think about the most prolific one and remember this:  God is now, as God was then.  God’s faithfulness never changes.  God never changes.

In the midst of a difficult time or whatever the season looks like, God always has been and God always will be.

So trust God today…worship God with all your heart and let that overflow because our God is worthy to be praised.