Monthly Archives: February 2022

Will Amputees Still be Missing Limbs in Heaven?

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

“If the Lord’s resurrection body still had pierced hands (John 20:25-27), does that mean amputees will still be missing limbs in heaven?”

I’m sure you’re asking this because you know that our resurrection bodies will be like the Lord’s resurrection body (Phil. 3:20,21). With that in mind, it is interesting to read that He was able to change the “form” of His resurrection body (Mark 16:12). He changed it so dramatically, He was able to render it unrecognizable to those Emmaus Road disciples (cf. Luke 24:13-32). This would suggest that amputees can likewise change their form in heaven and once again enjoy the use of limbs they lost in life. This would also suggest that believers who die in old age needn’t go unrecognized in heaven to those who only knew them as children here on earth.

This ability to change forms additionally implies that those who die as infants needn’t remain infants in heaven. God knows what all who die before the age of accountability would look like had they lived to adulthood (cf. Psa. 139:16), so you would think infants would be able to change into that form in heaven. And since the Bible teaches that a miscarriage is the loss of a “life” (Ex. 21:22,23), Christian parents who have suffered this heartbreak can find comfort in the blessed hope of someday getting to know the children they lost.

What a wonderful hope is ours as believers!

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Time to Cross the Jordan River – Joshua 3:1-8

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

 

Summary:

“Shittim” (v.1) is where the Jews married pagan women one year earlier (Num.25:1). God had warned them that if they did that, they’d start worshipping pagan gods and He would curse them (Deut.7:1-4). So why’d they do it in Shittim? It was because the king of Moab hired a false prophet named Balaam to curse Israel, but he said he couldn’t (Num.23:1-20). But he really wanted his money, so he taught them to curse themselves by marrying those Moabites. They fell for it (Deut.25:1-3). “Baal” was the false god that pagan nations like Moab worshipped, and Baal was another name for the devil (cf.Mt.12:24). And when those daughters of Moab got the Jews to worship Baal, God cursed them (Deut.25:3,5,9).

It was all Balaam’s doing (Num.31:15), a type of the Tribulation (Rev.2:14). There will be more false prophets in that day leading Jews to worship the devil and his christ, right before Israel enters the kingdom. We see that pictured in Numbers 25 when the Jews did it before entering Canaan.

The number three (Josh. 3:2) is the number of resurrection, since Christ rose on the third day, and there’s going to be a resurrection of Old Testament saints right before the kingdom, something we see typified when the Jews entered the Promised Land after three days.

In that day, the Lord will lead Israel across the Jordan again, into the kingdom (Isa.11:15). So the Jews will be led into the Promised Land here in Joshua by something that represents the Lord, the ark (Josh.3:3). The ark was a box with the law inside (Deut.10:1,2). It had cherubim on top with their wings stretched toward one another, and a mercy seat between (Ex.25:21,22). God sat on it (Ps.99:1), so it was the presence of God, making it a type of Christ, the presence of God in the New Testament. The wood was a type of His humanity (Ex.25:10), the gold of His deity. It had the law inside, as Christ had the law in Him (Ps.40:7,8cf.Heb.10:7).

The Jews were told to follow the ark across the river, but not get too close, so they could know where they were going (Josh.3:4). To lead 2 million people, you have to be ahead of them. That’s a picture of how the 12 had a hard time following the Lord because they were too close to Him (John 14:7-9). It’s hard to believe a man is God if you see Him get tired, hungry, etc. That kept them from knowing the way to the Father (John 14:4-6), just as being too close to the ark would have kept the Jews from knowing the way into the Promised Land. The only other time the Bible mentions “two thousand cubits” (Josh.3:3) is when the Jews were told to stay that far from these ark-bearing Levites (Num.35:1-5).

“Sanctify” here (Josh.3:5) means the same as it did when the Jews came out of Egypt. Then, it meant they had to wash their clothes (Ex.19:10) before entering Canaan. He told them to wash them when they came out of Egypt because He’d just told them they were to be a kingdom of priests (v.6). In the kingdom, Jews will be God’s priests to the world, so they had to wash their bodies (Ex.29:1,4) and their clothes (Num.8:5-7). And the Jews should have gone straight into Canaan after they left Egypt (Deut.1:2) but sinned, so they had to wander 40 years. But now that they are about to enter Canaan, they must wash their clothes again.

“Magnify” (Josh.3:7) means to make larger, as with a magnifying glass. Joshua was Moses’ assistant, but God magnified him by parting the Jordan for him. That’s a type of how the Lord was His father Joseph’s carpenter’s assistant, but God magnified Him at the Jordan (Mark 1:9-11).

The priests were told to “stand still” in the Jordan (Josh.3:8) as the Jews were told to “stand still” before crossing the Red Sea (Ex.14:13,16,21). Moses was also a type of Christ, because that’s how God saves us through Him. That is, Moses did all the work of saving the Jews at the Red Sea; they were just to stand still and watch. Just like Christ did all the work in saving us—we just stand still and believe it!

Son-in-Law to Father-in-Law

Posted on by Pastor John Fredericksen

From the first day I met my wife’s father, he talked to me at length, asking many biblical questions. Once Terri and I were married, those spiritual conversations continued. One Christmas, Lee and his wife Jane gave me a complete set of all of Pastor Stam’s writings. For two years I spent very little time reading them. But, with patience, love, and wisdom, Lee (Dad Bekemeyer) didn’t give up on me.

While we were visiting over a Christmas break, Dad Bekemeyer engaged me in a number of casual spiritual conversations. He would ask what I thought about a passage in the Gospels and listen to my explanation. Then he would skillfully guide the conversation by asking what I thought about a contrasting passage in the letters of the Apostle Paul. After I’d given my best explanation, he would concisely say, “There is a difference between the Jewish program in the Gospels and Acts and the Gentile program in Paul’s epistles. They were under the Law, looking for a Millennial Kingdom, while we today are under Grace, awaiting the Rapture into the heavens.”

That week we spent three or four nights, and many hours, looking at contrasting principles in the Scriptures. He would always ask what I thought, respectfully listen, show me Paul’s instruction, and remind me of the difference between Law and Grace, and between Israel and the Body of Christ. His approach was not pushy or condescending. Instead, his was such an example in graciously sharing the principles of rightly dividing the Word of Truth, that it made me hungry to learn more. That week was the beginning of my journey into a clearer and more consistent understanding of God’s Word.

I thank God for Dad Bekemeyer. Much of anything positive that has been accomplished in my ministry over the past thirty-five years, from a human perspective, is because of the impact of his ministry to me. He has been a friend and a father figure, but most importantly, he has been a spiritual influence in my life. It is my prayer that there will be many others who will take someone under their wing and graciously share with them the principles of rightly dividing the Word of truth. Thank you, Dad, I love you.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

The Token of a Promise – Joshua 2:12-24

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

 

Summary:

The word “token” here (v.13) means a sign you’ll keep your promise, as it does in Genesis 9:11-13. God gave the world a token that He’d spare the world the judgment of any future universal floods, and Rahab wanted a token of the spies’ promise to spare her and her family from the judgment of death when the Jews conquered Jericho. She would have to utter the “business” of the agreement they made with her (v.14) with her family, of course, but she couldn’t tell anyone else, or they’d all claim to be related to her!

The “pursuers” (v.16) were the king’s storm troopers, the ones who came to Rahab’s house looking for the spies, the ones she misdirected to save the spies. If the spies headed toward the river to join the people of Israel, they’d run into the pursuers who were hunting them in that area, so she told the spies to head for the mountain that was five miles away (v.16). These two spies were a type of the Lord’s disciples (Mark 6:7; Luke 10:1), who were to head for the mountains when they saw the beast stand in the temple (Mt.24:15-17), for that was a sign he was about to start pursuing Tribulation Jews. They were just on Rahab’s “housetop” (v.6 cf. Mt.24: 17). The dispensation of grace interrupted all of that.

This token was “scarlet” (Josh.2:18), the same color as the “token” in Exodus 12:3-13. The passover blood token there was a type of Christ (ICor.5:7), the passover lamb of God that took away our sins (John 1:29). He saves us from God’s wrath in hell, as the lamb saved the Jews from God’s wrath in Egypt, and the scarlet token in Joshua 2 saved Rahab from God’s wrath when His people conquered Jericho.

Salvation for Rahab’s family was found in her, making her a type of how salvation will be found in the remnant in the Tribulation (Joel 2:32). But her family members had to remain in her house (Josh.2:19,20), a type of how Tribulation Jews will have to abide in Christ (John 15:4). True Jewish believers will abide in Him (IJo.2:19). If they don’t, they’ll show they never “believed to the saving of the soul” (Heb.10:39). If her family didn’t abide in her house they’d get “burned” when the Jews burned the city, a type of getting burned in hell for not abiding in Christ (John 15:6).

“Scarlet” (Josh.2:21) is specifically associated with the blood of animal sacrifices (Heb.9:19,20), and those calves and goats were types of the sacrifice of Christ (Mt.26:26-28).

The “three days” the spies had to stay in the mountain (Josh.2:22) were a type of the three years that Tribulation Jews will have to remain in their “place” in the mountains in the wilderness (Rev.12:13,14).

The spies say that God “hath” already delivered Jericho into their hands (v.23,24), because once they saw how terrified the people of Jericho were of Israel, they knew the battle was as good as won (cf. Judges 7:13-15). If you’re afraid of Satan and his host, you should know he is afraid of you, because he knows that the battle for your soul is already won. Colossians 2:13-15 says that there was an unseen battle going on at Calvary between the Lord Jesus and Satan and his host, a battle the Lord won when He died for your sins and “spoiled” Satan of the souls that he used to possess. That spoiling that takes effect for individuals when they believe the gospel.

Satan is not afraid of you personally, of course. He’s afraid of what you might say. When you tell someone that the battle for their soul is as good as won, that’s called giving them the gospel. And Paul says the gospel “is the power of God unto salvation” (Rom.1:16). So when you give someone the gospel and they believe it, even Satan himself can’t keep that soul from being saved. So Satan and his host “do faint” (cf. Josh.2:24) because of you when you share Christ with a lost sinner. So why not give Satan a bad day by sharing the gospel with someone today!

Is Suffering the Result of God Punishing Sin?

Posted on by Pastor Kevin Sadler

“And as Jesus passed by, He saw a man which was blind from his birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:1-3).

Somewhere in Jerusalem, the Lord and His disciples encountered a man born without sight. The man had been blind his whole life. He couldn’t see Christ; he’d never seen anything, ever. But the Lord saw the man. The disciples saw him also, but they did not see him as one needing mercy, but rather as a subject of a theological question to pose to the Lord.

They asked, “Was the blindness a result of the man’s sin or his parents’ sin?” The disciples saw the man’s affliction as God’s punishment of someone’s sin, either his own or that of his parents.

Their question is one that is still asked today. I recently heard a story of a young woman asking a pastor why her father was sick with a terminal illness. The pastor told her that it was the result of God punishing some sin in her life or her family’s life and that she and her family needed to repent and seek the Lord.

In a sin-cursed world, suffering is part of living (Rom. 8:18-23), and all physical problems are the result of the fall when sin entered the world through Adam (Rom. 5:12). In that sense, sin does cause suffering and death. Also, sometimes sinful behavior directly brings about unwanted consequences and suffering. God often allows our actions and decisions to produce the naturally occurring negative consequences, and we reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7).

However, the disciples’ question was whether any personal sin by this man or his parents had caused his blindness by way of God’s punishment on him. This is the line of thinking that Job’s friends had. Job hadn’t done anything wrong, but he suffered greatly. And Job’s friends kept telling him that his suffering was because of some sin in his life and that he needed to ’fess up and admit it (Job 4:7-11; 11:4-6,14; 22:5).

The answer Christ gave His disciples was “Neither this man sinned, nor his parents.” The Lord’s response was that no sin committed by the man or his parents was the cause of his blindness. With one simple statement, He completely obliterated the whole idea that suffering is a direct result of God punishing people because of sin in their lives.

Christ gave no judgment as to anyone’s sin causing the man to be born blind; He simply said that the man’s blindness provided an opportunity to manifest the works of God. And Christ had come to reveal the glory and power of those works. Christ said the man was blind so that they could come to this moment and the works of God could be put on display and God could be glorified through him. The disciples asked why. The Lord was interested in what: what could be done to help the man in his great need? And then the Lord proceeded to heal the man’s blindness (John 9:6-7).

We learn from this passage that we shouldn’t suppose that anyone’s suffering is linked to God’s punishment for doing something wrong. Rather than looking for the reason for one’s suffering, we should just trust the Lord, knowing that

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:9).

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Joshua Begins to Follow God’s Orders – Joshua 1:10-18

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

 

Summary:

Moses appointed those “officers” (v.10 cf. Deut.1:3,15) but they recognized Joshua was their new commander. “Victuals” (v.11) are food (cf.Mt.14:15,16). They couldn’t pre-pare manna for a trip (Ex.16:19,20), but the manna ceased when they reached the border of Canaan (Ex.16:35), a land inhabited because there was food that would keep for a trip.

Just as God later parted the Jordan so the Jews could enter Canaan, He’ll part it again so saved Jews can enter the kingdom in Israel (Isa.11:15,16). They crossed the Jordan to “possess” the land (Josh.1:11) that was already possessed by giants. That’s a type of how Israel will dispossess giants in the future Tribulation to enter the kingdom in the land.

Joshua will lead Israel into battle against those giants, just as Christ will lead the “saints” in future Israel against the future giants (Ps.149:2,5-7,9)—including angelic saints (Jude 1:14, 15cf. Deut.33:2) and Old Testament saints raised from the “beds” (Ps.149:5) of their graves (cf.Ezek.32:25). This will happen “after two days” (Hosea 6:2) of a thousand years each (cf.IIPet.3:8). We see that pictured here when the officers told the people they’d cross Jordan to enter Canaan “within three days” (Josh.1:11). And since it happens before they engage the Canaanites, that suggests Israel’s resurrection will take place before she engages Antichrist’s giants.

In exhorting Israel to prepare for the trip, Joshua singled out 2 ½ of her tribes (v.12) because they would have been tempted to not prepare to cross Jordan. They were cattlemen, and the land on that side of Jordan was conducive to raising cattle, so they’d asked Moses if they didn’t have to cross Jordan (Num.32:1,2,4,5). Moses told them that Israel needed them to defeat the giants (Num.32:6,7), so they agreed to lead the charge, then return home (32:16,17). Moses agreed (32:33), and now that it’s time to defeat them, Joshua reminds those 2 ½ tribes of their promise (Josh.1:13-15).

The “rest” that the 2½ tribes already had (v.13), and the others had to get (v.15cf.Deut.3:16-20), was rest from their enemies (Deut.12:10) when they conquered them (Josh.14: 15). But the Bible also speaks of the rest of death (Job.3:11, 13,17), rest you get in grave “beds” (Is.57:1,2). In that sense, all 12 tribes already have their rest, even though they haven’t yet risen from the dead to get their rest in the kingdom.

But they’ve got some brethren who’ll be alive in the Tribulation, and all 12 tribes will rise someday to help them conquer the Beast and his giants so their brethren can get their rest in the kingdom—just as we’ll see in Joshua when all 12 tribes cross the Jordan on the third day to help their brethren get their rest in Canaan. They couldn’t “enjoy” their rest (Josh.1:15) till the 9 ½ tribes got theirs, and Old Testament saints can’t enjoy their rest till Tribulation Jews get theirs.

The 2 ½ tribes typify the Old Testament saints who will lead the charge against Antichrist. Who better than men who’ve died and can’t die again? And when the 2 ½ tribe minority in Israel helped the 9 ½ tribe majority get their rest, that typifies how the Old Testament saints will be the minority (cf.Isa.1:9) compared to the vast numbers saved in the Tribulation under the kingdom program (Rev.7:9,14).

The 2 ½ tribes kept their promise (Josh.1:16,17). That’s a type of how New Testament Jews should have said to the Lord, “We followed Moses, now we’ll follow You.” But they stuck with Moses instead (John 9:28). The 2½ tribes quoted Moses’ warning of what would happen if they didn’t follow Joshua (Josh.1:18), a type of what happened to those Jews who didn’t follow the Lord (Deut.18:18,19).

What are you doing with the rest God has given you in Christ? God gave David rest (IISam.7:1), but he refused to enjoy it till God had a temple in which to rest (Ps.132:1-5), a house that would glorify Him. He wants you to build Him a life that will glorify Him—your life. Don’t rest till you do.

How to Show Your Valentine True Love

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

In Paul’s epistle to Titus, he gives some advice about love that is good for believers of all ages:

“…be…sound…in charity…” (Titus 2:2).

The word “sound” means strong, healthy, and wholesome (cf. Isa. 1:5,6), and all of God’s people should aspire to be sound in “charity,” the Bible word for love in action. But that can be difficult when the ones we love test our charity. That’s why it interests me that another definition of “sound” is to strike something to see if it is whole, based on the sound it makes when you strike it.

When I worked in my father’s tool and die shop many years ago, I worked with a surface grinding machine that had a grinding wheel that was two feet in diameter and spun at several thousand revolutions per minute. If the wheel was cracked and unsound, it could fly apart at that speed and take out your eye, or even end your life. But you can’t tell if a grinding wheel is unsound just by looking at it. So my dad taught me how to test the wheel before mounting it on the machine by putting my fingers in the hole in the middle of the wheel, balancing it in my hand, and striking it with a brass hammer. If it made a clunk sound, that meant it was cracked and dangerous. If it made a ping sound, then it was healthy and whole.

Similarly, if you want to know if you are sound “in charity,” just wait to see how you react when people you love strike out at you when you offer them charity. When I was a painting contractor, a lady hired me to paint her parents’ home—while they were away on vacation. She wanted to surprise them by doing something nice for them. But I remember she was very apprehensive about how her charity might be received. She knew that the old saying, “No good deed goes unpunished,” is often true.

But that’s how you can know if you are sound in charity. If someone lashes out at you for giving it, and you continue steadfast in charity, that’s how you know you’ve achieved the brass ping, so to speak.

As you can see, true love isn’t easy, but it’s the kind of love God gives us as His children. His love for us remains steadfast, even when we lash out at Him. It’s the definition of true love, and it’s the kind of love God wants us to show all the ones we claim we love. Do you?

Prayer Warriors

Posted on by Pastor Kevin Sadler

One author wrote the following: “Some of you pray like a Concorde jet—smooth, sleek, high, and mighty. Your words reverberate in the clouds and send sonic booms throughout the heavens. If you pray like a Concorde, I salute you.

“If you don’t, I understand. Maybe you are like me, more a crop duster than a Concorde. You aren’t flashy, you fly low, you seem to cover the same ground a lot, and some mornings it’s tough to get the old engine cranked up. Most of us are like that. Most of our prayer lives could use a tune-up.”1

Prayer is vital to the growth, strength, and vigor of the Church. By faith and faithfulness to the Word, we can allow the Holy Spirit to tune up our prayer lives. And we need to do so because the Church needs prayer warriors.

We Pray Always for You

“Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thes. 1:11-12).

Up to this point in Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonian church, the apostle had expressed thanksgiving to God for their growing faith and abounding love (1:3). He commended them for their perseverance and faith in the midst of their persecutions (1:4). He then reassured them of God’s righteous retribution and vengeance toward those who persecuted believers (1:5-9). In the last two verses of this chapter, the Apostle Paul reported his intercession in prayer for this faithful church. Prayer was Paul’s practical response to the suffering and tribulations that the Thessalonians were enduring.

The Thessalonians were “always” on Paul’s heart and mind. Thus he was “always” lifting them up in prayer. And not only Paul, as he wrote, “WE pray always for you.” The “we,” according to verse 1, was “Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus.” All three of these men were prayer warriors.

As they faithfully prayed for this church, they made a threefold petition on their behalf. Paul’s first request, stated in verse 11, reflects back to verse 5 of this chapter: “that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer.” Paul’s prayer was that they would grow and remain faithful through their suffering and live up to their high calling as subjects of Christ’s heavenly kingdom. Like the Thessalonians of old, every believer today is given the privilege “not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Phil. 1:29).

Paul’s second supplication was for God to “fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness” through them. This prayer was that the Church would be willing and available vessels through whom God could always work and display His goodness. “Good pleasure” reminds us of Philippians 2:13: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” And the work that Paul prayed God would do through them was that of faith, empowered by the Spirit, so that their service would be “the work of faith with power.”

Finally, Paul told the Thessalonians that he prayed all of this and wanted all of this for them was so that the Lord Jesus Christ would be honored, exalted, and lifted up. In the end, our lives and service are all about His glory, in order “That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in Him.”

What do we learn from this prayer warrior example of Paul, Silas, and Timothy? First, we see from 2 Thessalonians 1:11 that prayer warriors “pray always.” Likewise, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 teaches us to “Pray without ceasing,” and Ephesians 6:18 exhorts us to be “Praying always with all prayer and supplication….”

Setting aside time to spend with God in prayer is important. But to “pray always” means that our prayer life is to be a way of living, a habit of life, something that we don’t stop doing. It’s a deep level of communication that continues in your heart and thoughts; it is an unceasing communion with the living God. Prayer is to be a total way of life, an open and constant communication with God. It is about relating the experiences of life to Him and centering our minds on our personal relationship with Him. In one sense, prayer is the simplest thing in the world; it’s just a conversation with God. Yet it is also one the deepest and most profound experiences of our lives. Prayer puts us in the closest possible connection with the true and living God.

Satan loves it when people think of prayer as a pointless exercise, and he hates it when God’s people discover that prayer is direct, unobstructed access to the One Who formed the earth, hurled the stars through space, and spoke all things into being. As the Lord told Israel in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

Second, we learn from 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 that prayer warriors pray specifically. Paul’s prayers were pointed and direct. They were not vague, generic, or general. They were detailed and definite.

The heart of a prayer warrior is selfless and close to that of God. Thus, Paul’s prayers were selflessly focused on the spiritual needs of others, and he prayed for use prayer as a means of bringing His will about in this world. It is not that God can’t work without our prayers, but that He has established prayer as part of His plan for accomplishing His will in this world. And prayer is about aligning ourselves with and participating in the purposes of God. Prayer is an essential link to God’s active involvement in the world today. Thus, Paul prayed for God to “fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness, and the work of faith with power” in and through the Church.

Pray for Us

“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you” (2 Thes. 3:1).

The story is told about a certain man of prayer who had a dream about “an army coming from a great center of light, bringing light with it wherever it moved. It was arrayed against dense darkness, but as the army advanced the darkness gave way before it. Insignificant in size compared with the force against which it turned, it conquered wherever it moved. ‘Invincible’ seemed written all over this little host. As the captivated man looked again, he saw that this army was advancing on its knees.”2

If the church is to be a strong witness and bright light in this world and advance the cause of Christ, we must find our power through God on our knees in prayer. Evangelist D. L. Moody (1837-1899) once said, “Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure.”3

Paul prayed for the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, and then in chapter 3, verse 1, he asked this small army of saints to “pray for us.” The “us” is Paul, Silas, and Timothy. And again, Paul had a very specific prayer request. Prayer not only strengthens our relationship with God, but praying for and with other believers also strengthens the bonds that exist between us.

Praying for one another is an expression of love. Prayer draws you closer to the ones for whom you are praying. And prayer is a responsibility between family in Christ. Paul asked his “brethren” in Christ to “pray for us.” United together as family in Christ, and as a family has mutual concern and care for one another, Paul asked this local church to pray for his team of three.

Paul needed the prayers of God’s people. Paul had many strengths and was gifted in many areas, but he also had weaknesses, struggles, and needs. But prayer warriors are people who choose to fight personal and spiritual battles through prayer instead of in their own strength.

Paul depended on the prayers of God’s people and was deeply conscious of his need of the power of God which was gained through the prayers of his friends. Paul told the Corinthians that they would be “helping together by prayer for us” (2 Cor. 1:11). When we pray for each other, we help each other. And Paul knew that God would work in response to the requests and prayers of His people. This is why he asked them to “pray for us.”

Paul humbly asked for this local church to pray for him. And as we follow Paul as he followed Christ (1 Cor. 11:1), this teaches us that it is good and right for us to ask fellow believers to pray for us when we have a need. All of us are dependent on prayer.

Paul’s request for prayer in 2 Thessalonians 3:1 had two specific points. First, “that the Word of the Lord may have free course.” In joining his heart with God’s, Paul asked the Thessalonians to pray that God’s Word would be made known and would touch many hearts and lives.

“May have free course” is translated from the Greek word that means run. Paul asked for prayer that, as they made the Word of the Lord known, it would run freely from place to place, sweeping powerfully through people’s hearts, going as far and wide as it could go (Psa. 147:15). And if ever there was a time in the history of the world when the Word of God could spread rapidly, it’s right now. Through television, the internet, email, and social media, and using DVDs, podcasts, and MP3s, we as prayer warriors can and should pray this prayer for the Word rightly divided.

This leads to the second point of Paul’s prayer request in 2 Thessalonians 3:1, “that the Word of the Lord may…be glorified, even as it is with you.” Paul prayed that the Word would be honored by those who heard it. The way the Word of the Lord is glorified and honored is for it to be received, accepted, and believed. Thus Paul prayed that, as the Word was made known, it would run swiftly, and as it ran, it would be glorified as it was believed.

Paul wanted the Word to run and win, to win souls for Christ. He asked for prayer for it to run and triumph over hearts and lead to changed lives through Christ. And in grace and kindness, he told the Thessalonians that, everywhere the Word went, he wanted the response to be “even as it is with you,” because they had honored the Word by receiving it, believing it, and allowing it to transform their lives.

A Prayer Warrior Example

“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Col. 4:12).

Among all the coworkers of Paul, Epaphras holds the unique distinction of being the only one whom Paul explicitly recognized for his prayer ministry. He was a prayer warrior.

Epaphras “is one of you,” Paul wrote, that he was a Colossian believer in Christ. From Colossians 1:5-7, we learn that it was by Epaphras that they had heard the gospel, had believed, and were saved. Paul wrote Colossians from prison in Rome, and Epaphras was in Rome with him. In Paul’s letter to Philemon, who was a Colossian believer, we further learn that Epaphras was in prison with Paul in Rome: “There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus” (Phile. 1:23). Thus, Paul bore witness to the Colossians that Epaphras was “always laboring fervently for you in prayers.”

A few verses earlier in Colossians 4, Paul instructed the Colossians to “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” (4:2). Epaphras was a living example of that instruction. He devoted himself to prayer and faithfully prayed for the Colossian church.

It’s been said that “Epaphras prayed well because he cared well.”4 After leading them to Christ and founding their church, Epaphras had a deep care for the spiritual well-being of the Colossians (4:13). This led him to pray “always” for them.

The words “laboring fervently” show the heart and earnestness he put into his prayers. The words “laboring fervently” picture the intensity, effort, and strength put in by a wrestler as he tries to pin his opponent. “Laboring fervently” is translated from the Greek word agonizomai. This same word is translated as “Fight” in 1 Timothy 6:12 where Paul told Timothy, “Fight the good fight of faith.” Here this same Greek word describes a soldier fighting strenuously.

All of this gives us a picture of how Epaphras prayed. He strained, struggled, strove, and fought, praying with spiritual intensity. This reminds us that prayer is a battle, a battle against unseen forces. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

“A. W. Tozer [1897-1963] portrayed a praying believer as a constant threat to the stability of Satan’s government, writing that ‘The Christian is a holy rebel loose in the world with access to the throne of God.’ Since prayer is detrimental to the evil one’s purposes, Satan and his minions do their utmost to interfere when we pray, especially opposing us when we try to take time for prayer, because the enemy knows better than most Christians the power of persistent prayer!”5

Prayer warriors are needed in the spiritual battle. In that battle, God would have us “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Eph. 6:18).

Epaphras was aware of the dangers that threatened the Colossians at all times in the spiritual battle, and he prayed accordingly. Their welfare was his predominant concern, and he prayed for them as a whole and individually.

“A story is told about an old pastor who every Saturday afternoon could be seen leaving his study and entering the church building by the back door, and about sundown he would be seen going home. Someone’s curiosity was aroused enough to follow one day and watch through a window. It was in the days when the family pew was an institution of the church. The old pastor was seen to kneel at each pew and pray for every member of the family that was to occupy it [on Sunday]. He called each member by name as he poured out his heart to God for his flock. His was a ministry of power and his people reflected the grace of God….”6

The need is great in the church today for people like this, for prayer warriors like Epaphras, whose passionate and compassionate prayers are focused on the physical and spiritual needs of believers.

And like Epaphras we should labor fervently in prayer for God’s people to “stand perfect [mature] and complete in all the will of God.” Understanding and believing the message of grace committed to Paul for this current dispensation of grace is what establishes us in the faith and enables us to stand and mature in all the will of God (cf. Col. 1:9; 2:7). And it’s a labor of love to pray for others to see the truth of God’s Word rightly divided.

Oswald Chambers once said, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.”7 May each of us get involved in this greater work as prayer warriors.

1. Max Lucado, He Still Moves Stones (Nashville, Tennesee:Word Publishing, 1993), p. 97.

2. “Colossians 4:12 Commentary,” Precept Austin, updated February 3, 2020 https://www.preceptaustin.org/colossians_412-18; excerpted from D. Edmond Heibert, “Epaphras, Man of Prayer,” Bibliotheca Sacra, Vol. 126, January 1979, p. 53.

3. Goodreads, accessed January 7, 2022, https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/288517-every-greatmovement-of-god-can-be-traced-to-a.

4. David Guzik, “Colossians 4-Prayer Life, Personal Life, Personal Witness, and Final Greetings,” subhead 3.b., Enduring Word Bible Commentary, 2018, accessed January 8, 2022, enduringword.com/bible-commentary/colossians-4/.

5. “1 Thessalonians 5:17 Commentary,” Precept Austin, updated October 29, 2021,https://www.preceptaustin.org/1_thessalonians_517_commentary.

6. Precept Austin/D. Edmond Hiebert, op cit.

7. Goodreads, accessed January 8, 2022, https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/17304-prayer-does-notfit-us-for-the-greater-work-prayer.

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Berean Searchlight – February 2022

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