“ At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you”–Philemon 1:22.

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Have you ever been tempted to give up on prayer?

If your answer is ‘yes,’ then fear not, for you are in very good company! I have a strong suspicion that every believer in Christ down through the ages has traveled this road when it comes to prayer.

There are a host of reasons that prayer is so difficult, and that we quickly fall into despair over it, cease engaging in it, and even wonder about the point of it. This seems to be a particularly significant struggle among those who affirm the sovereignty of God over all things. We wonder, ‘Why should I pray when God has already decreed all that shall come to pass?’

The Mystery of Prayer

The words quoted above from the Apostle Paul were directed to his good friend Philemon, who was a member of the Church at Colossae. You will remember that Philemon owned a slave named Onesimus who had run away and had visited with Paul who was imprisoned at Rome. Paul penned this little one-page Epistle as a passionate appeal to Philemon to welcome Onesimus back home, yet not as a slave anymore, but as a beloved brother in Christ (1:16).

As the incarcerated Apostle brings his short letter to a conclusion, he says something most interesting about the exercise of prayer. Look once more at these most intriguing words:

“ I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.”

It is certainly true that no one believed more strongly in God’s sovereignty than the Apostle Paul did! After all, he wrote the Book on it, literally! But it is equally obvious that no one believed more in prayer than did Paul. This is why he spoke so frequently about it, repeatedly commanded it, and fervently requested it on his behalf.

For example, note these two passages:

Romans 15:30–

“ strive together with me in your prayersto God on my behalf. . . .”

Philippians 1:9–

“ for I know that through your prayersand the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance. . . .”

What we see going on with Paul is that he had no problem with the ‘mystery of prayer.’ That is, he saw no conflict, or contradiction, between God’s sovereignty on the one hand, and the necessity of prayer on the other. And he never tries to explain how this works!

Here in Philemon Paul is most confident (the essence of Biblical hope) that he will be released from prison and will be able to visit personally with Philemon. But his ” deliverance” from captivity and the “ help of the Spirit of Jesus” will come through prayer!

It is apparent that Paul believed that God had ordained to use the faithful prayers of His people to accomplish His sovereign will. So he prayed! He depended upon prayer! He asked for prayer! He commanded that we pray!

So, here is where our encouragement is to be found as we come to the midpoint of this new week.

Our Father has determined from eternity past to make use of our prayers in the present and in the future. Yes, this is mind-blowing and impossible to understand. But is it true, nonetheless! Our prayers–even those supplications feebly lofted to heaven with fear, doubt, stained with sin, and accompanied by many questions–are taken up by our loving Father and made effective for the accomplishment of His Holy will!

Our Father has determined (from all eternity!) that by means of our prayers we can help others in distress, we may open doors that are closed, we shall penetrate barriers that cannot be breached by mere men, we are able to richly supply those who are in need, we move blessings from their storehouse in heaven down to earth, we bring down evil and dark principalities and advance the Kingdom of Light, and we find our own deficiencies supplied by our Father’s immeasurable abundance!

No, I don’t understand how all of this works. But understanding is not a prerequisite for prayer, nor an excuse for not praying! We must all faithfully engage in this marvelous and mysterious privilege; that of becoming an instrument for the achievement of our Father’s wise and eternal plans for the whole world!

Let us be encouraged to pray! Let us believe that our prayers do make a huge and eternal difference! Let us pray without ceasing!

I love you all so very much!

Mike

Sermon Preview:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As you read this note today, Carol and I are on the road taking a quick trip up to Kentucky to visit Joe, Jen, and our new grandson James.

Preaching for us this Sunday will be Matthew Elliott. Rev. Jim Daughtry will be leading worship and Communion.

Matthew’s sermon will come from 1 Samuel 3, and is entitled “ When Yahweh Speaks.” I hope you will pray for Matthew, Jim, and our worship team as they lead us this Lord’s Day. And thank you for your kind prayers for us while we are away.

Also, because of our trip, our Monday Encouragement note for next week will be sent out on Wednesday.

Finally, as we look ahead, remember that Daylight Savings Time begins on Sunday March 14, and Easter Sunday is April 4.

I love you all so much, and you are always on my heart and in my prayers!

Mike

Announcements:

COVID-19 Message:

For those of you who are attending worship in person on Sunday morning, please practice social distancing as much as you are able and observe the pew markers so that we may keep a safe, 6-ft between families. During this time, we will not have nursery or fellowship time with food and drink. If any family member has been sick, or you have a pre-existing condition, please consider staying home and joining us by watching the recorded service when it is sent out. Masks are not required if you are maintaining social distance, but are welcome. We hope and pray that if you have any needs, you will let a staff member or deacon know so that we can serve you well during this trying time.

Youth Group:

Youth Group meets March 14 at 4:30 PM at the church house.

Children’s Ministry:

We are working towards our first Parents Night Out in ages! I am super excited to start this ministry back up.

Our date is Friday, 3/26 from 5:30 to 8 pm at the church. We will take all Covid precautions to ensure safety of children and volunteers.

If you are able, please sign up to help by clicking HERE and adding your name to the table.

I have included several of you with YOUTH, so if your teen is available that evening, please add them to the list. We will need help w/ crowd control 🙂

I’ll be sending out the RSVP next week but wanted to firm up my volunteers.

Please also be praying for our night and for all those children who attend!

Women’s Ministry:

Women’s Bible Studies have resumed for the new semester. Times and subjects below:

Mothers Morning Bible Study
Date: Tuesdays through May
Time: 9:30 am
Location: Christ Pres Church

Women’s Morning Bible Study
Date: Wednesdays through May
Time: 10-11:30 am
Location: Christ Pres Church
Topic: Book of Acts Ch, 1-12 by R. Albert Mohler Jr.
Acts 1-12 For You (a companion commentary ) by R. Albert Mohler Jr.

Women’s Evening Bible Study
Date: Wednesdays through May
Time: 6-7:30 pm
Location: Christ Pres Church
Topic: Book of Acts Ch, 1-12 by R. Albert Mohler Jr.
Acts 1-12 For You (a companion commentary ) by R. Albert Mohler Jr.

Career/Singles:

The weekly bible study and fellowship for career/singles has resumed at 5:30 PM Sunday evenings at the home of Jim and Sharon Daughtry.

Senior Fellows:

The Senior Fellows have an ongoing weekly Bible study on Tuesdays from 9:00 to 10:00 AM. We will use the Zoom virtual meeting application to study The Last Days According to Jesus by R.C. Sproul. The topics for the 12 week series are listed below. Church members are welcome to join us. For further information, email us at seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org.

Mar. 9 – Literal or Figurative?
Mar. 16 – This Generation
Mar. 23 – The End of the Age
Mar. 30 – The Destruction of Jerusalem
Apr. 6 – The Book of Revelation
Apr. 13 – The Antichrist
Apr. 20 – The Beast
Apr. 27 – The Rapture
May 4 – The Millennium

Prayer Requests:

Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Dave Angotti, Dustin and Katie Jackson, Zig and Virdia Jastrebski, Ramona Edwards, Bill Dent, Jacky Haynes, Steve Terry, Bill Cowley, Larrabee Kirkland, and Elizabeth Holton.
Bereavement: Please pray for Mark Hearn, whose brother Mike died last week.
Expecting: Please pray for the Deans, expecting in July.
Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Noah and Karleigh Stephens (Thailand); Vinnie and Molly Athey (RUF at UAH); Amos and Jessica Williams (RUF at Alabama A&M); Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky and Alaina Garcia (church plant in Canada); Dieter Paulson (church plant in Scottsboro, AL); Gannon Miles (seminary student); The Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center.

Online Donations:

If you would like to give to Christ Presbyterian, you can do so at the following link:

Emails:

general inquiries: admin@christpreshamptoncove.org
benevolence needs: benevolence@christpreshamptoncove.org
counsel and ministry needs: matthew@christpreshamptoncove.org
men’s ministry: men@christpreshamptoncove.org
women’s ministry: women@christpreshamptoncove.org
children’s ministry: children@christpreshamptoncove.org
youth ministry: youth@christpreshamptoncove.org
senior fellows: seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org

Address:

288 Old Highway 431
Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763

“ I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus. . . .” (Revelation 1:9).

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ our Lord,

As you know, one of the New Testament’s most frequently employed ways of describing Christians is to speak of us as those who are “ in Christ,” or “ in Christ Jesus.” One particular place in the New Testament comes to mind immediately:

“ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

And then, I also remember these words from Paul:

“ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3).

Being “ in Christ” means belonging to those whom God the Father has saved by the righteousness and blood of resurrected His Son. And, as Paul makes clear in Ephesians 1, it also means possessing all of the blessings of our Lord’s own eternal inheritance!

But we need to take a look at how the Apostle John identified himself to those Christian believers in the seven churches of Asia-Minor (eastern Turkey) who were the first to receive and read his final book, Revelation. In this short line from Revelation 1, he speaks of himself as their “ brother” and fellow-sharer of three common things (blessings!) that are “ in Jesus.” And as we examine them, they seem to be at odds with each other, at least upon initial glance.

First is “ the tribulation.” Both John and his readers are experiencing a time of tribulation and suffering (about the year 95 AD). John is exiled on Patmos. His fellow Christians, though not sequestered on a rocky island-prison, are also being persecuted for their faith in Christ, and some have even been martyred (2:13).

Secondly, they share in “ the kingdom.” And this is certainly a reference to the indestructible Kingdom of God, which was inaugurated with the first coming of Christ, and will be spectacularly consummated with His Second Advent.

And then, he speaks of the “ patient endurance” that they also share, or partner in. John, and his beloved brothers and sisters “ in Jesus,” are displaying one of the most powerful of the Christian graces; steadfastness of faith and hope in times of extreme difficulty.

What is so very significant and encouraging about this is that these three, “ kingdom,” “ tribulation,” and “ patient endurance” are simultaneous blessings that all those who are “ in Jesus” share together! But, as I mentioned earlier, they seem incongruent.

For example, at this very instant we are all sharing in, and benefiting from, the experience of the eternal “ kingdom” and reign of our Savior! He is Lord of all things now! We are not waiting on Him to take over, for He is already the undisputed King of all! And yet, at the very same time, we are also sharing in “ tribulation.”

For a (short) season, our Father has exposed His Covenant people to the pains, sorrows and difficulties that have always characterized this fallen world. We are all, to one degree or another, paying a price for our faithful allegiance to Jesus and to the Gospel. And yet, our “ tribulation” is occurring under the reign of our Sovereign Lord! As crazy as it may seem, our suffering is a ‘kingdom-suffering’! It is victorious! It is an experience of suffering that will give way to the final, explicit conquest of all of the Lord’s enemies, and all of those world-forces that are opposed to Him and His redeemed Bride! Suffer we do. But we do so as those who are citizens of another, eternal Empire! We are in no way ‘victims.’ We are “ more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37)!

And then, at the same time, we also share in “ the patient endurance” that has always characterized those who are “ in Jesus.” What makes this “ endurance” unique, however, is that it is the very perseverance of Christ Himself! It is not our patience or steadfastness of faith under duress that is in view here, but that which was at work in the life of our Savior Himself. It is a spirit of “ patient endurance” that has its origin in the Holy Spirit, who indwells and empowers all who belong to Christ, all those “ in Jesus”! The truth is that we are always “ strengthened with power through his Spirit in [our] inner being” (Ephesians 3:16), and “ strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Ephesians 6:10), and “ being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy” (Colossians 1:11).

As we begin this new week together, there are three things that we who are “ in Jesus” may fully count on:

We shall share in “ the tribulation” as we endeavor to be loyal to our King.

We shall know fellowship in His full victory as members of “ the kingdom.”

And we shall display, and participate together in, “ the patient endurance” that His Spirit always supplies!

And this will remain true until that Great Day when we hear the last trumpet sound, and our King comes again in glory!

I love you all so very much!

Mike