Category Archives: Spiritual Formation

Remember Passover

Posted by joshuajmasters on
Jewish servicemen and women celebrate Passover circa 1945

Jewish servicemen and women celebrate Passover circa 1945

Our God is the Holy One of Israel! (Isaiah 49:7) American Psalms wishes to say Chag Sameach to our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrating Passover. May the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bless your households richly. The Lord will protect His people and preserve His nation.  Blessings and Shabbat Shalom to each of you.

May the Lord especially bless those who serve away from their families  this Passover week  in our Military. We are grateful for your sacrifice.

As Christians, we must remember that Passover is at the very root of our salvation. We know we can trust the promises of our Father, because He has proven to be faithful to Israel. He is a God who keeps his promises. As  we pray for America, it is important to remember Israel and the Jewish people in our prayers. In Genesis 12:3 God promises to bless nations who support Israel and curse those who do not. The commandment is clear and God’s commitment to the Jewish people is irrevocable. For the sake of blessings on America, remember to pray for Israel.

For those using our weekly devotional, American Psalms: Prayers for the Christian Patriot, there’s a prayer for Israel on page  93 along with an explanation why it is so important to pray for Israel as you pray for America. There’s also a prayer specifically for the Jewish people on page 95. (Also available on Kindle).

.

________
Please see the Condition of Use for this blog.
© Joshua J. Masters and American Psalms, 2013.

Image by The Center for Jewish History, Flickr Commons.

The Full Sacrifice of Christ

Posted by joshuajmasters on

As we pray for our nation through this Resurrection Weekend (see  An Easter Prayer for America), it’s important to consider the full sacrifice of Jesus. Was His sacrifice really just a physical one? His death on the cross certainly fulfilled the requirements of the Law for redemption, but Christ’s sacrifice went even deeper than what He endured on the cross.

crown of Thorns

The Crown of Thorns

Did you see Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ? If you haven’t seen it yet, let me warn you, I wouldn’t rate it among the top ten date movies in history. You’d be better off  going with The Vow or even Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter  [Editor's Note: Since this site leans heavily on the genre of history, it should be pointed out that Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter may contain historical inaccuracies].  Back to The Passion; Gibson’s goal in The Passion was to offend your senses. The film was so violent and so graphic that it’s difficult to imagine anyone going through that much suffering for anyone else. I literally thought I’d  throw-up during the flogging scene and found myself surprisingly glad when Jesus finally died so His suffering would stop. It was horrific. Gibson undoubtedly accomplished his goal, but by concentrating on those few terrible moments the movie completely missed the real sacrifice of Christ.  After all, others had been crucified and still more suffered other terrible deaths to bring God’s glory to the people. Bartholomew was skinned alive. Christ, of course, was the only one worthy to act as a physical sacrifice for us, but His real sacrifice—the one Gibson’s movie missed—was His emotional sacrifice.

BEFORE THE BEGINNING:

Christ’s sacrifice didn’t begin with His emotional prayer at Gethsemane or with His arrest in the garden. His sacrifice started before the beginning of time when He and the Father made a single remarkable choice. Jesus’ story doesn’t begin in a manger. Scripture tells us all of creation is created for and by the Son. It was Christ at the burning bush;  it was Christ who loved us in the moments man was being created. Continue reading →

Abraham Lincoln on Prayer

Posted by joshuajmasters on
Abraham Lincoln 1863

Abraham Lincoln, 1863

“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for that day.”
-Abraham Lincoln

How often, as Christian patriots, do we feel this strongly about our time in prayer? How often are we reminded that our own wisdom is insufficient?

In times of trouble, the Enemy seductively whispers into our ears that prayer doesn’t help, but that’s because he fears it. He knows prayer is our greatest weapon during personal trials or in times of national crisis. Perhaps you feel your prayers don’t matter; you may feel your prayers can’t possibly make a difference on a national level. But that’s a lie–it’s a lie the Enemy tells you because he doesn’t want you praying for the leaders of America. God welcomes our prayers and asks us to pray for the leaders of our nation (1 Timothy 2:1-4). We have access to the same power that raised Jesus from the grave, so we must never let the Enemy convince us our prayers don’t matter. As Abraham Lincoln indicated, we cannot rely on our own wisdom but we do have access to the wisdom of the world’s Creator.

What Bible passages do you find helpful in encouraging your prayer time?

.

________
Please see the Condition of Use for this blog.
© Joshua J. Masters and American Psalms, 2012.
Quote Source: America’s God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations by William J. Federer, Photo Credit: Mathew B. Brady, George Eastman House Collection

The Sacrifice for Freedom

Posted by joshuajmasters on

Today is Good Friday, the day when Christians remember that great moment of victory on the cross and the suffering Christ endured to bring us freedom. As we pray forAmericaover Easter weekend, let us remember that true freedom comes only through Christ. May we be reminded that our freedom, in bothAmericaand eternity, came at a price someone else paid.

Ask any Sunday School kid, “What sacrifice did Jesus make?” and they’ll quickly reply, “He died on the cross for our sins.” Come to think of it, that’s what most people would say. While that’s true, that answer doesn’t really cover the depth of His sacrifice does it? Was His sacrifice really just a physical one? His death on the cross certainly fulfilled the requirements of the Law for redemption, but Christ’s sacrifice went even deeper than what He endured on the cross.

Christ’s physical death is a fulfillment of the Law and His resurrection the guarantee of eternal life. It marked the moment when death was defeated and the eventual destruction of evil revealed. I do not mean to downplay the importance of Christ’s physical sacrifice or suggest that His pain was not more than I can imagine. It was, but Christ suffered an even greater sacrifice on that cross—a pain greater than what any man was capable of inflicting on Him. There are hundreds of songs and scriptures describing how Christ took our place—how He took the punishment for our sin. We think of that sacrifice as the pain he endured on the cross. We think of that sacrifice as the nails in His hands, but there was an even bigger price to be paid. As Christ, the creator of the world, hung from that cross bleeding and beaten to fulfill His Word, He took our sins and placed them on His own shoulders. In that moment, he took on the real sacrifice for our sin: the Son, who had lived His existence to please the Father from the beginning of time, now found Himself completely alone. For the first time in an eternal history, Christ found He could not call Him “Father.” In pain, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God! Why have you abandoned me?!” (Matthew 27:46, NLT). The Father could not look at the sin that had been placed on Jesus; He turned away from His son. Jesus was completely separated from God. He was alone.

My dad is one of my heroes and even with all my imperfections, I can not imagine the pain of seeing him turn away from me in disgust—I can not imagine the inconsolable pain and darkness I would feel. I can’t imagine him saying we were no longer family.

Jesus took our place, but it wasn’t the cross He saved us from. The cost of sin is not a physical death but an eternal one. The cost of unrighteousness is being forever separated from God with the knowledge of His glory. The price is being completely alone and without hope for ever. That’s what Christ was willing to take on for us—that’s the price that needed to be paid.

We’re called to tell the Good News by the way we live our lives. Do we live our lives like we’ve been delivered from this darkness or do we get mired down by the annoyances of every day obstacles? Do we see the emptiness we’ve been spared? I am so thankful, and to be honest, ashamed of the way I sometimes present myself. Do non-believers see a freedom in our lives—even in times of trouble? Do they see us, as Christian Patriots, as grateful stewards of our freedom? They should, because we have been freed from more than the cross, more than slavery and oppression: we’ve been freed from hopelessness and fear.

 

________
Please see the Condition of Use for this blog.
© Joshua J. Masters and American Psalms, 2012.

A Short Prayer of Sincerity

Posted by joshuajmasters on

Have you ever been in a small group or meeting where you had to pray in front of other people? It can be stressful. Sometimes we think a ”good prayer” has to be complicated and flowery. In fact, sometimes I feel that way when it’s just me and God. The truth is, God doesn’t need complicated prayers; he’d much rather have prayers of sincerity. You don’t need to have a history degree, been to Shakespeare workshops or have attended seminary to pray for our nation. God cares more about your heart than what’s in your head. It’s better to say several short prayers throughout the day rather than be intimidated by the “perfect prayer” and never interceding for the nation at all. Join me in this simple prayer for America: 

Father God,
Your Word calls us to pray for those in authority over us (1Tim 2:1-4), so I lift up our president; may he seek your wisdom above his own and may his family be blessed. Give the gifts of discernment and leadership to those who negotiate with other nations on our behalf. Send the Holy Spirit to comfort military families who miss their loved ones while extending your hand of protection to those who are deployed. Above all, may your name be glorified in America.
Amen.

________
Please see the Condition of Use for this blog.
© Joshua J. Masters and American Psalms, 2012.

Cleaning the Temple

Posted by joshuajmasters on

Today’s Guest Post on Physical Stewardship comes from my wife, Gina Masters. She has been the driving force behind our quest to honor God with our bodies.

Update April 23, 2012: Gina has now started her own blog on this subject. After reading this post, check out free to be, food and me.
_____________

Cleaning the Temple
by Gina Masters 

“A person without self control is like a city with broken down walls.” -Proverbs 25:28

Have you ever felt God calling you to change an area of your life, but you just didn’t want to? Maybe you prayed about it from time to time, but never took any action? This is how physical stewardship was for me. My husband and I had spent the last three years clawing our way out of debt with Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace program and during that time, in our darkest hours, I used food to comfort me. Plus, bad food is really cheap and on our limited budget the $5.55 Hot n’ Ready pizza from Little Caesars was the best bang for our buck some weeks.

Josh & Gina Masters June 2011 (Before) and February 2012 (After).

I actually prayed about changing this area of my life for two years before doing anything concrete about it. Then, in January of 2011, it finally clicked. If God wanted us to be good stewards of our money, and I was willing to manage every dollar we spent with a monthly budget, close the purse-strings when the money ran out for the week, and remain accountable to my husband in order to protect us from going back into the dark places of debt and despair, why wouldn’t I be willing to do the same thing with my physical health? I had seen God’s incredible hand of provision when we followed His Word about money, so when I stepped back and looked at my physical life, I saw someone who was as irresponsible with physical stewardship as the “old” me was with money.

When it came to food, I lacked self-control in a big way. I was the person that couldn’t be trusted to stand near the buffet table. I constantly ate past satisfaction—often times until I had indigestion. When something good happened, I ate! When something bad happened, I ate! I saw no consequences for my overly-indulgent appetite, though the ever increasing size of my waistline told a different story. I had fooled myself into thinking I was still the same skinny adolescent that I had previously been. That is, until I began to experience the physical pains of my poor eating habits.

I had gained 30 pounds and had everything in my closet from a size 8 to a size 16. I was in terrible pain for almost a year with hip and low back aches, which I now know was bursitis. In the back of my mind, I knew this was my consequence for taking such poor care of myself. I knew that I had to resolve to lose the weight and break free once and for all! It was around that time that 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 spoke to me in a whole new way:

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.”

My body is the home of God! When I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior, His Holy Spirit made its home in ME! Can you imagine God in the flesh coming over for dinner and having a messy home?! Not a Christian I know wouldn’t clean from top to bottom if they knew this was the case! I could no longer deny it. If I wanted God to continue to bless my life and give me His very best, I had to honor His temple.

We often refer to giving our bodies to God as a holy and living sacrifice (Roman 12:1-2), and I love this verse. But I actually find incredible encouragement in the words that follow:

“…This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of the world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

I could not change my behavior with food until I allowed God to transform the way I thought about it. Sometimes we think worship is just the singing we do on Sunday morning. But serving others is also worship, giving is worship, and so is taking care of our bodies. God’s will is not for us to blindly stuff ourselves with things of this world. We are to use food to fuel our bodies for the work He has called us to do and let His Holy Spirit fill us with everything else we need for this life.

It took me over a year with a proper diet, regular exercise and prayer for conviction of change, but I lost all of the excess weight. The physical pains went away and I have an incredible “why” for continuing on this path that far exceeds the lure of vanity. It’s important to remember that as Christians in America, the world is watching us all the time. At our workplaces, in our neighborhoods, and throughout our communities we are representing God and the freedom that comes from following Him. I pray that you will seek God to experience the same freedom in your personal health that the great patriots of our country have fought to give you in America.

________
Please see the Condition of Use for this blog.
© Joshua J. Masters and American Psalms, 2012.

Worship Through Service

Posted by joshuajmasters on

“I can only show my gratitude for these mercies from God, by a readiness to help his other children and my brethren.”  -Benjamin Franklin

As Christian patriots, we are called to be a part of our community. Christianity is not about our own spiritual development for the sake of knowledge, but for the sake of becoming an ambassador of God’s compassion and mercy to the world.

Billy Graham said, “The most eloquent prayer is the prayer through hands that heal and bless. The highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service. The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and helpless.” That is the very heart of Christianity. It is impossible to truly grasp God’s grace in our lives without developing a desire to show grace toward others.

The needs of our community is the responsibility of the church. If we are the body of Christ, then we should be reaching out to those who are in need. It’s all well and good to pray for change in America, but how often do we pray for guidance to be that change? Remember, you have to live the good news before you can share the good news.

________
Please see the Condition of Use for this blog.
© Joshua J. Masters and American Psalms, 2012.

The First Prayer

Posted by joshuajmasters on

The first step in praying for the nation is committing to do so. I’ve often pondered the importance of praying for America, but I wasn’t actually doing it. I had a ton of ideas on how others should be praying, but planning a prayer life for someone else is as effective as calling football plays from your couch. Decide you’re going to get off the spiritual bench and do something yourself.

The most important element in developing a spiritual discipline is making a commitment to the process of letting God change you. Once you’ve made that commitment, you want to be sure you remain accountable. Make a covenant with God to pray for the nation, then ask other Christians or your small group to keep you accountable. Here’s a few things to keep in mind when praying for America:

1. Worship God for what he’s already done and recognize his sovereignty.
2. Pray the Word of God. The greatest weapon against a partisan mind is scripture. When we pray the Word of God, we can be sure we’re praying in his will.
3. Commit to listening. Prayer is never about changing God, it’s about allowing God to change us.
4. Check your motives. When praying for leaders we don’t agree with, it’s tempting to pray they become more like us. Be sure you’re praying for God’s will–not your own political agenda.

When you’re ready, make a declaration of prayer; let God know you’re willing to be engaged. Read the prayer below, then make your own Christian Patriot declaration in the comments!

A DECLARATION OF PRAYER:
Father God, you are the King of kings and the Lord of lords.1 Your Kingdom is sovereign above all others; yours is the Kingdom of Glory, which will reign in righteousness for eternity. I pray our nation would be a light to the world, that it might see your Kingdom in us.

You have commanded us to pray for those who are in authority,2 because there is no government that has not been appointed by you.3 I am grateful I’ve been given the opportunity to share in the liberty and freedom you have bestowed upon the United States.

I confess that our nation can be prideful; our pride should be in your abilities, not our own. We can not succeed without your grace and blessing. For you have said:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14, NIV84)

I will call upon your name; I will humble myself before you for the sake of my walk with Christ, and for the sake of my country.

I will call upon your name for the sake of our leaders, for the sake of our citizens and for the sake of our future. I ask that you would hear my prayers and restore our nation. Send the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin4 and call other believers to join in prayer for America. I pray you will hear our cries from heaven and fulfill your promise to heal our land.

Because you have commanded me to pray and because I have a heart for this nation, I commit myself to this course of action; I will lift up the United States and her leaders to you in prayer. I will remember that it is you alone who grants liberty and freedom. I will put aside my own bias and political views so that I may pray for our leaders to become more like you, instead of judging them for not being more like me.

I thank you for this great country you have allowed me to be a part of. May your light be seen from the shores of America throughout the world.
AMEN.

____________________________________________________
1  I Timothy 6:15
2  I Timothy 2:1-3
3 Romans 13:1
4 John 16:8-11

________
Please see the Condition of Use for this blog.
© Joshua J. Masters and American Psalms, 2012.

The Kingdom and the Nation

Posted by joshuajmasters on

The Kingdom of God and the United States of America share a unique quality; their citizenship is not based on ethnicity or race. Being a legal citizen of the United States or God’s Kingdom is not a matter of birth, but of the heart. For just as America adopts those who come to her shores looking for liberty, the Lord also adopts those who come into a relationship with him looking for freedom. Both bring hope to the hopeless and the promise of a better tomorrow. The words engraved on the Statue of Liberty from the 1883 Emma Lazarus poem, “The New Colossus”, welcoming those coming to America reads:

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Can this not also be said of our Father in Heaven? Those who are tired and poor, those who have never tasted liberty, those who have been tossed aside by society; they all come to America for what freedom can be offered by Earth, and to the Father for eternal freedom and grace. Just as Lady Liberty lifts her lamp so the lost can find their way, so did the Father lift up the Light of the World upon a cross so the lost might be found.

However, an earthy institution that offers freedom can only be successful when the hand of the Almighty, the one who brings true freedom and liberty, is upon it. How can we expect to offer the things of God unless he is in it? Perhaps Benjamin Franklin said it best when he stood before the members of the Constitutional Convention and said,

“…God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured in the sacred writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel” -Benjamin Franklin

We, as Christian patriots, have a responsibility to lift our nation and our leaders up in prayer. This requires us to put aside our prejudice and political bias. Whether we call ourselves Republican or Democrat, progressive or moderate, conservative or liberal, we must remember that God has appointed those who are in power. Paul wrote, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” (Romans 13:1). Whether or not we agree with them, we’re not only called to submit ourselves to those in authority, but are commanded to pray for them. Paul also wrote,

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

The Book of Psalms is filled with the national prayers of Israel. In some, the Israelites praise the Father and in others they cry out in their suffering. But whatever the prayer, the psalms are filled with prayers of sincere emotion. We, as Christians in America, must stop keeping God at arm’s length when we pray. We must kneel before him with sincerity and a heart for our nation.

Biblical history shows us that Israel prospered when it called out to God, but failed when it withdrew from a relationship with him. Can we expect more favor from God than Israel if we turn our attention away from him? Certainly not. God has made a clear promise to those who prosper him:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

The purpose of this book is that we, with one Christian voice, might call out to our God, that he may watch over the land of the free with protection and grace. For he has promised to lift up that which is holy and heal that which is not.

We must again become a people who pray.
We must again become a nation who serves the Kingdom.

________
Please see the Condition of Use for this blog.
© Joshua J. Masters and American Psalms, 2012.