Author Archives: Jason Paul

Pastor, Author, Host of the "Abiding in the Faith" podcast

Hurry Up and Wait

By Pastor Jason Paul

When you pray, the Lord will answer your prayer in a few different ways. The Lord will answer your prayer with a Yes, No, or Wait. We like when the Lord answers a yes, and we can accept his answer when it is a no. But when he answers with a wait-and-see, that response can sometimes be complicated for us to digest.

I am not very patient when it comes to the answer of wait. In the past, I tried to make things happen independently apart for God when what I was waiting for did not occur promptly. Every single time the result does not match up with my intentions. We live in an instant environment, and we can get instant coffee or watch a movie with one click of a button, instant music and news on our devices, and even instant delivery from Amazon.

When I was younger, I had to wait and save money to purchase a new vehicle or get the latest video game or music CD. I would offer a request to my parents, and they would tell me to save up and wait until I could obtain what I wanted. Once I had enough allowance saved, my parents would answer my request and take me to purchase what I had been waiting for. I did not grow up in a generation that got instant everything like my daughters are today. My girls think they can get instant everything, but just like my parents, we tell them they must wait.

When the Disciples once asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, Jesus did just that. It is recorded in Scripture as the Lord’s prayer. After the short prayer, Jesus continued to illustrate to them God’s response to a prayerful need.  

Luke 11:5-13 New Living Translation

Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So, if you, sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

This illustration shows a fervent forward progression with prayer. Jesus tells us to keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking, and if your prayer is aligned with God’s will for your life, then your prayers will be answered in the affirmative. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results (James 5:16).

After prayer comes waiting for an answer or until God fulfills the response he has already given you. I think of King David from Israel, and the time he waited out God’s answer. When David was a young man, a prophet named Samuel came to David’s family farm on a mission sent by God to anoint a new king of Israel. However, one problem was that Saul was still king, and David would have to wait until his time had come. David waited patiently for 15 years before he became king, and what a long time to wait.

Throughout this waiting period, David would be obedient to God and faced many challenges on the journey. Even at one point, David had the opportunity to remove Saul from his position and take over as king but decided it was the best course of action to wait on the Lord. Ultimately the wait paid off as David waited for the Lord’s timing to come through.

Maybe you are in this place of waiting for the Lord’s timing to come through. I know that I am at this place of waiting on the Lord to fulfill his mission for my life’s work to serve him in more significant measure. The hard part for me is what steps I should take, if any, as I wait.

As we wait, fervent prayer for guidance comes in. As I wait, I am learning that I need to have a more profound dependence on God and trust in his direction. I need to pray more fervently by seeking, asking, and knocking on the Lord’s door, requesting his guidance, and the patience to wait. While David was waiting patiently for the Lord, he wrote Psalm 27. Psalm 27 is where David engages the Lord in prayer where David is praying to help him balance the ups and downs of life. Listen to his words.  

Psalm 27:1-14

The LORD is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. The one thing I ask of the LORD— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the LORD with music. Hear me as I pray, O LORD. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.” Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation! Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close. Teach me how to live, O LORD. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me. Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence. Yet I am confident I will see the LORD’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.

In David’s prayer from Psalm 27, we get to learn David’s three responses to the Lord as he waits. First, we see that David knows one thing he asks and seeks in verse 4. David said, “The one thing I ask of the LORD— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.” David viewed everything else that was going on in his life secondary to seeking daily after God.  

The second thing we can see is David’s fervent prayer in verses 7-8. Hear me as I pray, O LORD. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.”  When the Lord answered David’s fervent prayer, David responded in total obedience.

Then finally, we see David’s response to God as he waits for him to work in verses 13-14. Yet I am confident I will see the LORD’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.

As we wait for the Lord to move, let us be like David and respond. Let’s face it, waiting is hard. But when we know that God has better things planned for us, we can place our trust in the one who always fulfills his word and promises. God is faithful to his word, and his timing is perfect. Let us “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.”

Re-Equipped to Re-Engage in Fellowship

Summary

Why does joining with other believers in fellowship important? The church is not just a building; it’s joining in harmony with other believers. In his second episode in the mini-series “Re-Equipped,” Pastor Jason will explain why fellowshipping with one another in the church is essential and how attending is beneficial. 

Transcription

Re-Equipped to Re-engage

Summary

Believers are equipped with the tools necessary to reach an unbelieving world with the Gospel. But are we using these tools, or are we standing on the sidelines? In the first message from the mini-series titled: Re-equipped, Pastor Jason will speak on how believers can become re-equipped to re-engage the culture with the Gospel. Tune in to find out more 

Transcription

Re-Equipped to Re-engage

By Pastor Jason Paul

Most news stations have a news crawl along the bottom of the screen with current updates on what has been happening in the world today. One of these latest news stories scrolling on the bottom was from the polling place Gallop. The news clip was on the latest Gallop poll, which reported a record-low 20% of Americans who say that the Bible is the literal word of God compared to 44% in 2017(3). If you are like me, when I saw the news report, it was almost like watching a show, and the news interrupts programming for a special announcement. Seeing that a new record-low was established should be concerning, and as I dug deeper into the Gallop poll, I found more statistics that need to be concerning to everyone who identifies as a Christian.

Over the last five years, the belief that the Bible is the literal word of God has dropped 24% among Americans who have been asked that question. The poll even recorded a new high of 29% who say that the Bible is a collection of “Fables, legends, history, and moral precepts recorded by man” (1). Not only should these numbers be concerning, but even the steeper decline in formal identification with a religion, self-reported membership in a church, church service attendance, the personal importance of religion, and a decreased belief in God.

The bottom line is that the belief in a living God and the views of the Bible as God’s literal word is declining among Americans, which brings to mind a couple of questions. First, why such a massive drop over the last five years? Second, if 20% of Americans believe that the Bible is the literal word of God and the poll also recorded that 58% of Christians believe in the literal word of God, then why such a decline? I think that the answer to these questions falls into the lap of every Christian living in America. Are we as Christians doing enough outside of the four walls of the church to tell everyone in our sphere of influence about the good news of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible?

I am sure every Christian in America has an inward desire to reach others in their sphere of influence with the life that only Christ can offer them. Some are good at sharing the news with others and those who may not be as confident. Jesus gave his followers a command in Matthew that he has “been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT, Italics added). Maybe you are a Christian pursuing the great commission and making disciples, and perhaps you are not. Over the next few posts, I desire to re-equip Christians to re-engage our culture with the Gospel’s good news. America needs all Christians standing on the sidelines to re-engage, get into the game of making disciples, and teach them the good news. But before we re-engage, we must be re-equipped to turn the trend around.  

  1. Remember that we are in a Spiritual Battle   

More than ever within our culture, the battle for the truth is under attack. Paul spoke of this battle when he said, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). As Christians, we are in a battle. Some know they are in a fight and are equipped to advance the good news, while others have forgotten that they are in a battle. We need more Christians to come out from neutral territory and fight for the Gospel. If more Christians got into action, made disciples, and taught them the good news, the belief that the Bible is the literal word of God among all Americans would begin to change for the positive. But most Christians have forgotten that they are in a battle and must be reminded about the battle and how it affects them. These believers need to be re-equipped to reenter the battlefield. God has supplied every Christian with the tools to face this battle head-on. As believers, we need to be re-equipped with the means God has provided to re-engage in the battle.

One of these supplied methods is the word of God. Read what God says about his recorded word in the Bible from Psalm 19. “The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the LORD is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them. (Psalm 19:7-11) With all of these truths of God’s word that have application for everyone, why not receive the word and believe in what it says.

2. Re-engage by receiving the word.

The second step to re-engaging is accessing how you think about God’s word.

John McArthur commented, “What a person thinks about God’s word, in reality, reflects what a person thinks about God (2).”

What do you think about God’s word? How about God? Are you allowing God’s word to transform you daily? Is God’s word defining what you think about God, or is it your political or personal beliefs? Are Christians today allowing their political affiliation and ideologies to form their beliefs instead of aligning to God’s word? These are all excellent questions that every Christian should pause and consider. The Apostle Paul tells us to not “copy the behavior and customs of this 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.” (Romans 12:2) But are we?

According to the latest Gallup Poll, the pollsters broke down by political affiliation of those less likely to believe in God. Among those polled about their belief in God, Liberals came in at 62%, Young adults at 68%, Democrats at 72%, Conservatives at 94%, and Republicans at 92%. As Christians, no matter what political affiliation you prescribe, we need to compare our beliefs and way of thinking alongside God’s word. Does the way we think or believe match the truth of God’s word, or does it match today’s political environment? Back in Jesus’ day, there were political-religious factions within Israel who aligned with their traditions instead of aligning themselves to God’s word. The Pharisees and Scribes allowed their personal beliefs and ideologies to define how they viewed God’s word and their actions rejected the truth.   

Mark 7:1-9 NKJV “Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him (Jesus), having come from Jerusalem. Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.”

You read the Bible, receive what it says, know that God authors it, and align yourself to its teaching. Run everything in life through the Bible and align yourself with what it says. Run your decisions before the Lord, who will teach you his ways through Scripture. If it’s in the Bible, then believe in it. Psalm 94:12 says, “Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law.

3. Re-engage by turning your belief into action.

Your belief system matters because you act out of what you believe in. Your beliefs need to be shaped by what is written in the word of God. What you think in Scripture needs to translate into an actionable faith. James, the half-brother of Jesus, reminds the body of Christ, “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well,”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So, you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?” (James 2:14-20 NLT)

If we want to reach more unbelievers with the good news, our faith in God and his word needs to be acted out. God has given us a platform where we can reach our community with the Gospel. Are you using your platform to reach the lost in your family? How about in your workplace? Are you using your platform to help the poor and needy? As Christians, we are the hand and feet of Christ, and we must show others that we have faith in action.  

4. Remember, Christianity is about a relationship.

As Christians, we have a relationship with God that is precious. So precious that we need to remember to share what this relationship is like with others. We get to experience what it is like to know God, the joy of worship, and the comfort that comes only from being in a relationship with God because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. God chose to be in a close and personal relationship with those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. Paul wrote it elegantly when he spoke about this special relationship in his letter to the Roman churches. Paul writes, “And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” (Romans 4:22-25; 5-2 NLT)

We have such a unique privilege to stand boldly, speak confidently, and joyfully come into the presence of God, sharing in his glory. Recently, I was driving home from a praise and worship set and began to pray. I thanked God that I could come before him and that he was approachable. I thanked him for a beautiful night of worship where Christians came together to worship God. Many things about being a Christian are joyful, and this joy is missed out on by many people who choose not to know God. I want to encourage everyone, a Christian, to become re-equipped to understand this relationship’s specialness. We have the Holy Spirit and Jesus residing in every one of us, and we can spread the good news of Jesus to those around us. If the 58% of Christians who do believe that the Bible is the literal word of God would share the word of God and what God has done for us, then America can have a spiritual revival. But it starts with you. Will you join me in becoming re-equipped to share the good news of the Gospel and re-engage? I hope so, America needs a spiritual awakening, and it begins with those within the church who have a personal revival and who choose to become re-equipped to re-engage the culture.       

References:

1) Jones, J. M. (2022, June 17). Belief in God in U.S. Dips to 81%, a New Low. In Gallup . Retrieved from https://news.gallup.com/poll/393737/belief-god-dips-new-low.aspx

2) MacArthur, J. (2016). The MacArthur Study Bible (p. xviii). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

3) Newport, F. (2022, July 6). Fewer in U.S. Now See Bible as Literal Word of God. In Gallup. Retrieved from https://news.gallup.com/poll/394262/fewer-bible-literal-word-god.aspx

Anchored to a Promise

Summary

Where do you place your hope during times of instability and uncertainty? During this podcast episode, Pastor Jason will continue his study in Hebrews 6. We will learn how Abraham anchored himself to God’s promise and how we can do the same.  

Transcription

Ministry Moment: How to be refreshed when life scorches you.

Summary

In today’s Ministry Moment, Pastor and Bible teacher Jason Paul will be unpacking Isaiah 58. Isaiah 58 contains a promise from the Lord that can refresh you. But to claim the promise, we must do our part, and God will do his. Listen to learn more.  

Transcription

A Revitalized Life

Summary

There are classic cars that need to be restored or revitalized, and so does the Christian’s walk with Jesus. In this episode, Pastor Jason will be teaching how to revitalize your life by studying Hebrews 5:11-14 and Hebrews 6:1-12 as we continue in the series titled Hebrews: The Completed Picture. 

Transcription

Stand in the Gap

By Pastor Jason Paul

God told Ezekiel to convey a message to the people of Israel. God’s message was to prepare the people for the judgment that would fall upon their land. Their leaders led them into sin and violated God’s instructions for righteous living by disregarding God. Their leaders went as far as to lie to the people to progress their agenda. Their deceitful motivation oppressed the poor, robbed the needy, and deprived the people (Ezekiel 22:29). God looked throughout the land and told Ezekiel that he “looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one.” (Ezekiel 22:30 NLT)

God was looking for a godly person who would stand in the gap and stand up for righteousness. God wanted someone who dared to challenge the lies with the truth of God’s word. He wanted someone to speak up and rebuild the walls of righteousness torn down by the sinfulness of Israel’s leaders.

If God was to look throughout our land today, would he find someone who would be courageous enough to stand in the gap? Would He find a body of believers, those who make up the church, to stand in the gap? I believe that the answer to that question is a resounding YES. Today, God is looking for godly men and women who can stand in the gap. Christians who stand in the gap as those who will stand up and be zealous for the truth of God’s word. Someone who will intervene for those who have been deceived and point them to God.

Today, Christians stand up for truth, and their motivations are godly and honorable, but what caused them to get to this place of reverence for God and his truth? These believers stand in the gap because of their reverence for God’s truth and godly convictions. You will notice that I said, “godly convictions.” In our land today, we can see many individuals who stand up for their “convictions.” Some because they know it is morally wrong, some because of their political party stance, or even because of lies. Some think they are standing for truth, but like the question that Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” As Christians, we know that Jesus came into the world to testify to the truth and that all who love the truth recognize that what Jesus said was true (John 18:37-38). But recognizing the truth is just the first step in getting prepared to stand in the gap—the knowledge of what is true needs to turn into action. Christians who stand in the gap spend time with God in his word. Time spent with God led to a more profound knowledge of God. Then their knowledge turned to reverence for what God has commanded, which turned into godly conviction, which motivated them to stand in the gap.

Throughout Scripture, we can find individuals who stood in the gap, such as Moses, Phinehas, Esther, Elijah, and Noah. When we look closely at these individuals, we can see some of the displayed characteristics that allowed them to stand up for the truth of God’s word.  

  • Standing in the Gap requires intercession.

Moses stood in the gap when the Israelites and Moses were wandering around in the wilderness. Moses had such respect for God and his law that he stood up and interceded for the people when God was ready to pronounce judgment on his people for their sins.

  • Standing in the Gap requires a zeal for God and his word.

When the Israelites angered God by joining in with idol worship, a plague broke out among them. Phinehas dared to intervene, and the plague stopped (Psalm 106:30). Phinehas as being zealous in action and obedience to God, and God noticed (Numbers 25:11)

  • Standing in the Gap requires courage

Esther also stood in the gap. Esther approached the king with courage wanting to request on behalf of the Jews. As Esther stood before the king, she exposed Haman and his deceitful plot to kill all the Jews in the kingdom, and the people were saved.

  • Standing in the Gap requires a commitment to God and his word

Elijah approached King Ahab with a message given to him from God. King Ahab did evil in the sight of the Lord and led the people into sin. Elijah prayed that rain would not fall until Ahab repented, and the drought lasted three years. Elijah showed commitment to the Lord when we declared that he served the living God of Israel.

  • Standing in the Gap requires obedience

Noah, by faith, obeyed God when warned about things that never had happened before. Second Peter records that Noah warned the world about God’s righteous judgment, yet they would not turn from their wicked ways, and then the flood came.

Maybe you can relate to these individuals who stood in the gap. Standing the gap for God will look different for all of us. What characteristics can you relate to, and how can you stand up in the gap?

Are you a Christian that intercedes for those who can’t speak up for themselves? Intercede for them. Are you a Christian who is zealous for God’s word? Then be zealous for God in your sphere of influence. Are you a Christian who stands for God’s truth with courage? Stay courageous. Are you a Christian who is committed to sharing God’s word? Stay committed to God and your commitment to him. Are you a Christian who is obedient to God’s commands? Continue to stay obedient to God, and he will open the doors where you can stand in the gap.

Mordecai appealed to Esther before she approached the king. He told her that “if you keep quiet at this time, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14) As Christians, we can stand for Christ by filling the gap. We have been placed here for such a time as this.                

A Look-alike that shows us what the Original is like

Summary

Models are more miniature replicas of the original. In today’s episode, Pastor Jason will continue the study in the Book of Hebrews chapter 5. We will unpack how the high priest, the tabernacle, and the sacrificial system were only a look-alike of what the original is like. 

Transcription

A Ministry Moment: Be Strong and of Good Courage

Summary

We all need to hear the words “Be strong and of Good Courage.” In this episode, we pause in our study in the book of Hebrews and will take a brief look at Joshua. In this Ministry Moment, we will be studying Joshua 1:1-9 and how God’s word to Joshua can be the exact words we need to hear today.  

Transcription