Month: October 2025

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The Serious Problem of Sin

President Calvin Coolidge was known as “silent Cal,” a man of few words. He came home from church one Sunday. His wife had been unable to attend, so she asked what the pastor had spoken about in the service. Coolidge responded, “sin.” “Well, what did he say about it?” “I think he was against it.”

Sin is not a popular subject these days. Some people seem to think that it is not a minister’s job is to make them feel uncomfortable. The pastor is supposed to dispense good feeling all around. “Keep it positive, preacher, there is enough bad news in the world. I don’t come to church to hear bad news!”

Certainly, the Christian gospel is good news. But we cannot understand the good news of God’s salvation without an understanding of the bad news of sin and its eternal consequences. This is why Jesus came into the world and died for sinners: to save us.

But what about the persistence of indwelling sin in the life of the believer? From the time we trust in Christ for salvation, we are engaged in a battle against sin. In the words of D. M. Lloyd-Jones, sin is “a terrible power. It has a fiendish quality, a malignity which is truly terrifying. . . . It is not something light and comparatively trivial.. . . It is so deep-seated and so much a part of us that the entire (person) is affected — the intellect, the desires, and therefore the will. Indeed, it constitutes such a terrible problem that God alone in Christ can deal with it.”

The  apostle John has some of the strongest statements about this to be found in the New Testament. In his first letter he says that sin in a Christian is evidence that he or she is not “abiding,” or living in close fellowship with Christ. He says that sin is such a serious matter that there are some sins which may result in premature death. “There is a sin that leads to death,” John says in 1 John 3:16.

If 1 John 3:16 sounds strange to our ears it may be because we do not take God’s word seriously enough. John’s original readers were probably familiar with the stories of church members Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). The man about whom Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 5:5 suffered “the destruction of the flesh” because of his very  serious sin. Some Christians in the church at Corinth were said to have “fallen asleep” (a euphemism for death) because they had desecrated the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:30).

The church of Jesus Christ has a responsibility to help members who have fallen into sin. If brothers or sisters in Christ are struggling with addictions, idols of materialism or greed, uncontrolled anger and violence, spiritual indifference, unconcern for spiritual growth, dishonesty, adultery, or neglect of corporate worship, more mature believers have a responsibility to come alongside and try to restore them to fellowship with Christ (Galatians 6:1-2).

There is something else the church can do. That is to pray. “If anyone sees a brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray, and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death” ( 1 John 3:16). It does no good to pray for those whose sin has led to physical death. They are already dead. John adds in that regard, “I am not saying that he should pray about that.”

Praying for brothers and sisters who have stumbled and fallen may help lead them to a new lease on life. In the first chapter of his letter, John promises forgiveness, cleansing and spiritual restoration (1 John 1:8-10).  “All wrongdoing is sin,” John says, “and there is sin that does not lead to death” (1 John 5:17). The prayerful concern of fellow believers may have a life-giving effect in a Christian who has stumbled into sin.

A pastor preached on Micah 7:19, “You will hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” His ten-year-old son said to him afterward, “Daddy, when you were talking about the Lord casting our sins into the sea, you ought to have said that sins were heavy like stones, and would drop out of sight, or the people might think that they would float like corks on the top.” The boy had a point.

Thanks be to God for the promise, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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Praying for Our Nation

I participate in a church intercessory prayer ministry. Volunteers come to a prayer room for an hour each week to pray for our nation and its leaders, among other things. This is important as our national life right now is characterized by bitterness, anger, and division. The church, by contrast, should be characterized by harmonious prayer.

1Timothy 2:1-8 says this. Imagine a teacher explaining these verses to a Sunday school class. He says, “When you come together to pray,” then he pauses. Yes, you think, what comes next? The teacher then continues,  “Let there be no anger, no disputing, no arguing!”

Why does 1 Timothy 2:8 say this? Because Jesus taught that quarrels and conflicts are hindrances to prayer (Matthew 5:23-24). Rancor and heated arguments may be the stuff of the rough-and-tumble world of politics. But unlike the world, God’s church must seek peaceful relationships and unity in prayer.

! Timothy 2 teaches us that prayer is the pulse of the church. It says that we should pray for our nation and its leaders.

This kind of praying is an urgent priority. “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone — for kings and all those in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). All kinds of payers are mentioned, for all kinds of people, especially governmental leaders.

Why this reminder? Had Timothy’s church been neglecting prayer for those outside the fellowship? Had they grown insulated and unconcerned for their neighbors who need Christ? Had they failed to pray for their nation and for the well-being of their city? Were their national leaders ever mentioned by name in their public and private prayers?

This kind of praying is comprehensive and specific. “For everyone” means all kinds of people. Then Paul gets even more specific: “for kings and all those in authority.” In New Testament times, there were despotic rulers such as Nero, Caligula, Herod, and Pilate. Christians may have been tempted to rebel against their oppression, or even hate them.

In America, we do not have a king or emperor, but we do have a president, and congressional leaders, and this means we should pray for them whether we like them or not, “without anger or disputing.”

In my prayers for our president, I ask the Lord to open his heart to the gospel. I pray for God to protect him and his family. I pray that he will not act on his worst instincts, but pay attention to wise counsel of godly advisors. I pray that he will “be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). For a long time I have been praying that he will “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8).

This kind of praying yields results that are pleasing to God. Internally, the outcome for the church might be peace and protection from persecution (v. 2). Externally, the result might be that the moral influence of God’s people would help steer the culture in a righteous direction. “Godliness and holiness” (v.2) are as much for Monday morning as they are for Sunday morning.

Another result is that the church’s witness would be effective. God wants people “to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (v.4). The truth is that there is but one God, not many gods (v.5). There is but “one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (v. 5). 

There is but one gospel message. Jesus “gave himself as a ransom for all men” (v.6). As we pray, it is with a growing concern that the people in the world around us might come to the knowledge that Christ died to pay the ransom for sinful people. If we are faithful to this gospel, we will share it, not with the power of political coercion, but with humble persuasion empowered by the Holy Spirit.

In today’s political climate these verses are incredibly relevant. Anger, hatred, and cruel words have been the currency of too much of the political conversation. ! Timothy 2:8 tells us to put aside bitterness, argumentation and anger, and come together in prayer. Our unity is not in a political party or loyalty to a politician. The church’s unity is in Christ. As one writer put it, “Our rallying cry is not ‘Hail to the Chief’ but ‘Jesus is Lord.'”

On that basis, we pray for wisdom and guidance for our political leaders. We pray for the church’s influence on the culture. We pray for the effective communication of the gospel at home, and around the world. We pray for healing for a divided nation.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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“Standing Down” to Pray

Several years ago the secretary of the navy ordered what he called a two-day stand down for the entire United States Navy. There had been too many accidents at naval installations and ships in a short period of time. He instructed that all officers and enlisted personnel spend two days reviewing all procedures and safety policies. An entire military service stopped what it was doing to look inward and evaluate itself.

It might be a good idea if the churches of America would slow down and do the same thing. Many congregations are busy with activities, most of which are well-intentioned. But what if we stopped what we are doing long enough to think deeply, to repent of worldliness, and to pray for the spiritual wellbeing of God’s church?

The church of which I am a member has been doing this. Our pastors have initiated a weekly time for folks to come together for no other purpose than to pray for the health of the church and its witness in our community.

I have been attending church prayer meetings all of my life. It seems that many, if not most of the prayers that are offered have to do with people’s physical ailments. Prayers for health and healing are appropriate. But when I read the prayers of Paul in the New Testament, I notice that they put the emphasis on spiritual, not physical health.

An example is found in Ephesians chapter 3. There is nothing in Paul’s prayer about material prosperity, nothing about physical healing, nothing about earthly success, or deliverance from difficult circumstances. It is a prayer for the church to experience God’s love, power and fulness. When was the last time you were in a prayer meeting when somebody asked God for these things?

Here is an example of how we could be praying for ourselves, and for fellow believers in our churches.

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and upon earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being. So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power through his Spirit in your inner being, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled  to the measure of all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:14-19).

Strength

Here is a prayer that the church may receive and experience God’s power. This is the strength that comes from the Holy Spirit who lives in the hearts of believers. The prayer that Christ may “dwell” in our hearts is a prayer that he may make himself at home. He is not to be treated as a visitor or a guest, but is to be the master of the house! This is where our spiritual strength comes from.

Stability

Pauls’ prayer mixes agricultural and architectural metaphors. “Rooted” means deeply planted into Christ. “Established” means built solidly on the foundation of Christ. The New English Bible translates this “deep roots and firm foundations.” What a prayer for us to pray for one another!

Knowledge

Once we have been planted and built, the result the Lord desires for us is that we may comprehend, or understand by deep experience a knowledge of Christ’s love. His love is wide enough to encompass people of all nations, long enough to last for eternity, deep enough to save the most hardened sinner, and high enough to bring us to God in heaven.

Fulness

This is a prayer that the church may experience  the fulness of God in Christ by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Surely after the rapture, when we no longer battle besetting sins and human limitations, we shall see Him face to face and live in the fulness of his presence. But this is a prayer for our lives now. This is a prayer for the church’s sanctification and growth toward maturity.

What a bold, audacious prayer! It is worth “standing down” to pray this way. It is an example to us of how we may pray for spiritual health in our churches and for revival in our nation, not to mention the experience of Christ’s love for ourselves and others in all its dimensions.

Pastor Randy Faulkner.

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Winning Souls By Prayer

William Carey was a humble shoemaker in England in the eighteenth century. After he became a Christian believer he was burdened to pray for the conversion of people in other lands who had not been reached with the message of Jesus Christ. He sought to influence others to pray, to give money, and to go to reach the unreached with the gospel.

When he became a pastor he preached and wrote on these themes. He helped form the first  missionary society in England for the purpose of sending missionaries.

In 1793 he and a colleague, John Thomas, sailed for India as missionaries themselves. Carey mastered the language and set to work translating the Bible into Bengali. For forty-one years he devoted himself to evangelism, medical relief, church planting, education, Bible translation and publication. He influenced the establishment of missions to other parts of Asia. He has become known as “the father of the modern missionary movement.”

It all began with prayer.

The apostle Paul said this is a priority for Christians. “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you” (2 Thessalonians 3:1). Paul was asking the church to pray for an effective witness to people who do not yet know Jesus Christ. This reminds us to pray for our friends who need Christ. This is a reminder to pray, as Jesus said, for “the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Luke 10:2).

Paul’s appeal is more than a mild suggestion. It has a tone of urgency: “Pray, brothers, pray!” It is in the Greek present tense which means this kind of prayer is to be continuous and habitual.

In asking that the message of the Lord might spread rapidly, Paul was referring to the gospel. This is a prayer that the gospel will run swiftly like a runner carrying the Olympic torch. Psalm 147:15 says, “His word runs swiftly.” What is this but a prayer that the gospel will spread to many people around the world and that the unconverted will be saved?

When he requested prayer that the word might be honored, Paul expressed the desire that the gospel would gain influence. Luke tells us about the conversion of Gentiles in Antioch of Pisidia. He says “they honored the word of the Lord and all who were appointed for eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).

In the last part of 2 Thessalonians 3:1, Paul reminds the believers of what God had done among them. The gospel had spread rapidly and had been honored. Paul wanted to see the same thing happen in other places as had happened in Thessalonica: “just as it was with you.”

If God has given us new life in Christ, does not this mean that we should pray that others also may be given the same gift of salvation? That is the way William Carey prayed, and look what God did in answer to his prayers!

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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Why Can’t I Get Through to God?

I pulled up at an intersection hoping to turn onto a thoroughfare only to discover that the street looked like a parking lot. Traffic had been diverted through our normally quiet neighborhood from a freeway several miles away. A truck accident was blocking the roadway and rush hour traffic was backed up for miles. My route was blocked.

Did you ever have the feeling that your prayer life was choked by spiritual grid lock? That no matter what you tried, you didn’t feel that you were getting through to God?

Isaiah the prophet put his finger on this condition when he wrote, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). In the New Testament  James understood this problem: “When you ask you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives” (James 4:3).

There are hindrances to prayer that must be cleared away if we want to get through to God. I will mention three of them.

Unbelief

There is an old story of a midwestern town that was suffering from an extended drought. The townspeople decided it was time to gather to pray for rain. When they came together only one small girl had faith enough to bring an umbrella! That’s how it is too often for some Christians. They pray without expecting that God will answer their prayers.

James 1:7 says that unbelief is a major obstacle to prayer. What can we do about our doubts? First, we should keep on praying. We should not let our anxious misgivings keep us from coming to God out of sheer obedience. When our faith is wavering let us pray the prayer of the helpless father in Mark 9:17-24: “Lord I believe; help my unbelief!”

Second, we should remind ourselves of God’s promises. It is said that George Muller kept a careful record of his prayer requests — and of God’s answers. His prayer journal was a reminder to him of God’s faithfulness to his word.

Once I was praying with a Christian man who was unemployed. He was distressed and desperately needed to see God supply the needs of his family. I heard him pour out his heart to his heavenly Father, reciting one after another of God’s promises. My own faith was strengthened as he prayed.

Weariness

It is easy to identify with the disciples of our Lord. The hour was late. They had just eaten a big meal. They were exhausted.

The gospels record how they fell asleep at the very time Jesus needed their companionship in prayer (Matthew 26:36-41). Three times the Lord found them sleeping. His words, “The spirit is willing but the body is weak” show how patient he was with their physical limitations — and with ours.

Prayer is not easy. It is not always enjoyable. It requires dedication and persistence So, we should set aside some good time for prayer when our minds are alert and our bodies are rested. King David made it a point to meet with God in the morning. “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you” (Psalm 5:3).

The prophet Elijah was physically and emotionally drained. He was so depressed that the only prayer he could manage was for death to take him (1 Kings 19:4-7). Before God began to use him again, he sent an angel to minister to his physical needs. After Elijah had slept for a while and had taken nourishment, God sent him back to an effective ministry. Sometimes the best aid to a spiritual life is a good night’s sleep.

Marital conflict

Some folks make the mistake of trying to develop a relationship with God while ignoring their relationship with their spouses. The apostle Peter says they are connected. Christian wives are to adapt themselves to their husbands’ leadership and husbands are to treat their wives with consideration and respect (1 Peter 3:1-7). This, he says, is so that nothing will hinder their prayers!

The Bible says that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:23). How can we husbands love our wives as Christ loves the church? Christ laid down his life for the church. Most husbands would react instinctively if their wives were in danger, sacrificing themselves if necessary. But in addition to the heroic moments that may come once in a lifetime, there is the daily sacrifice of one’s self-interest in little ways for the benefit of the wife.

How does Christ love the church? Christ intercedes for us (John 17; Hebrews 7:25). A husband who loves his wife will pray for her. Christ is building his church (Matthew 16:19). Christian husbands are to build up their wives instead of cutting them down with criticism (Colossians 3:19).

How does Christ love the church? He listens when we pray to him. A Christlike husband will pay attention when his wife talks to him. If we husbands want the Lord to hear us when we pray, perhaps we had better learn to listen to our wives.

Christ promised never to leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).  A husband or wife who wants an unrestricted prayer life must promise the same thing.

Here, then, are three of the ways our prayers may be hindered. If we deal with them according to scripture,  our confidence in prayer may be restored and spiritual power renewed.

Pastor Randy Faulkner