What Is the Difference Between Lamenting and Complaining to God?

What's the difference between lamenting and complaining to God. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez. Happy Friday. This is a radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.

We would love to hear from you and our phone lines are open for the next 25 minutes or so, here's the number to call it 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts and you can email us at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Mark in Minneapolis, Minnesota Mark, welcome to the program what your question.

Thank you. I appreciate what you guys do I have a question about praying in the name of Jesus be more: Scripture, that praying in the name of Jesus. God will hear that prayer. I'm curious about the person who prays but does not pray in the name of Jesus and for example, a Jewish person or a Muslim if they were to pray that prayer be heard.

Thank you, thank you for your? Of course, God is omniscient. He knows all things. He sees all things he hears all things that were talking about something different here with regard to how an individual approaches God and we can only approach God in prayer with confidence through his son Jesus. Paul says in first Timothy chapter 2 verse five. There is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Jesus is our mediator.

We go to the father to his throne of grace, through Christ, and that that really is what it means to pray in the name of Jesus we are coming to the father through the mediation of the son because of what Jesus has done for us as our great high priest and so this is why we can approach God boldly and confidently as as Christians as those who have received the Holy Spirit by faith in Christ, we can come to him because of what Jesus is done for us now that that doesn't mean that if somebody doesn't end there prayer by saying in Jesus name that that that prayer just gets completely lost that kind of the things is how it is that we are meant to approach God and so that's that's what I would say God hears our prayers receives our prayers, answers our prayers through Jesus, his son. Now what about all the all the prayers of people who aren't praying in Jesus's name you mentioned, you know, Jews, Muslims, that kind of thing will guide God hears those prayers but I don't believe that he answers those personally not like he answers the prayers of of a Christian someone who comes to the father through through Christ, what, when, when an individual comes to God, and they don't know Christ. They don't believe in just her calling out to me that God still does hear those prayers and I think that's an important point to make in the book of acts you have the case of Cornelius, who were told feared God didn't really understand the gospel and is offering up almost to God. He sees offering up these prayers and sincerity, but is really know the true God. And so what does God do. He sends people to preach the gospel to Cornelius and and as a result, he is baptized and he is filled with the Holy Spirit and so we have that hope and that confidence of the Lord hears everything but as Christians, as believers, we come to the father through the son.

Thanks Mark for your question great?

And thanks for digging into God's word.

We really do appreciate that this is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez jump on your phone right now if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Here's the number it's 833 the core. You can also leave us a voicemail that same number 24 hours a day.

Let's go to Eliasson Hempstead, New York Alliance, welcome to the program. My junk pile born again Christian also become a Jew or spiritual Jew in Woodberry called a Christian as you are simply a Christian lady all on. Choose God's chosen people all all all only the elect of God.

God shows you. And lastly I want to submit to to worsen as many are called but God's as many are called but few are chosen and it showed you the Bible says is not one of circumcision of the flesh, but circumcision of the heart. Amen, amen. Thank you beloved. Amen.

Amen. Hey really last, thank you for giving us a call again to questions and I think two chapters in the book of Romans that I think provide answers to each of those questions. The first one is how you refer to a Christian as a Christian spiritual Jew that kind of the thing under the old covenant in the Hebrew people were God's chosen people had referred to Christians Gentile born-again believers today and you alluded to this passage in Romans chapter 2 Paul says in verse 25. The context here in the book of Romans's policies highlighting the universal sinfulness of mankind he says are circumcision and use of value. Verse 25.

If you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes your un-circumcision.

So if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law will not is on circumcision be regarded circumcision.

Then he was physically uncircumcised, but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law for no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor circumcision outward and physical, but a Jew is one inwardly and circumcision as a matter of the heart by the Spirit, not by the letter's praise is not from man but from God.

And so right there. Paul is highlighting the importance of true spirituality.

What it means to be a child of God that submit we experience by faith in Jesus Christ. There are no quote unquote chosen people.

If you will, apart from Jesus, yeah. And that really gets your your second question, and in the answer that question.

I think this is something that Paul impacts a little bit later in the same book.

The book of Romans. In Romans chapter 11 one of the things he highlights there is that these Gentiles, that you know non-Jewish people have been grafted into the people of God grafted into the vine if you will, by faith in Jesus Christ and other people were broken off of the vine and there he speaking of ethnic Jews in particular who did not believe in verse 17 of chapter 11, he says, but if some of the branches were broken off, and you all the wild olive shoot were grafted in, among others, and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree. Do not be arrogant toward the branches.

If you are. Remember it is not you who support the route but the route that supports you and so what what Paul is doing. There is, is highlighting the fact that look for those who don't believe those who don't have faith or not a part of the covenant people of God's I think it's unhelpful to to refer to people whether it's you know that the ethnic Jews today as God's chosen people as God's elect, if you will, in the sense of their the recipients of God's salvation or just to be safe simply by virtue.

The fact that there Jewish that they have Jewish blood running through their veins know what saves us is not our ethnicity. What saves us is the forgiveness of sins that comes through Jesus Christ and by means of faith and so those two techs. I think really answer your questions. Romans chapter 2 and Romans chapter 11 thanks for the call back so much. Alas, we appreciate you calling. Let us know if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. You can call us right now for the next 15 minutes or so. Our phone lines will be open at 833. The core that is 1-833-843-2673. You can also leave us a voicemail at that same number.

Here's a voicemail we received earlier this week, Pastor Sanchez, I was told by biblical counseling enemies on anyone who is in disagreement with us could be Huston brothers parents and we would need to reconcile with them at the moment disagreement. They are enemies.

And yet, the Bible clearly states in Ephesians 2, two and three that are enemies are Satan, the world and I flash. Could you help me understand what this biblical counselor just might be trying to explain to me thinking. I mean them to be honest I'm not entirely sure what what this particular biblical counselor was trying to say if this individual is defining enemies as anyone who disagrees with you. I think that would be an unhelpful way to define who are our enemies. I think you know just about everybody will disagree with you on one thing or another and so we have to be.

We have to be really careful here.

When Jesus said we ought to love our enemies that I don't think he was primarily referring to those who simply disagree with us on on certain things.

Although I think that could be a part of it.

Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5 verse 23.

You've heard it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I said you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. As of right there.

That is, people coming against you, in particular, for your faith in Jesus Christ persecute you. That's how Jesus is defining enemies there so that you may be sons of your father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust and out the other thing that you you mentioned there with regard to this particular counselor is that he says you know you whoever whoever disagrees with you is your enemy and you just need to reconcile with them when we talk about the distinction between forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration from time to time on this broadcast. I think it's really helpful to to bring it up again because it's it is really practical and I know a lot of believers benefit from parsing those those out as Christians, we are always called to forgive. There will be people that sin against you that do things that they should not have done in and you know Jesus. He calls us.

Matthew chapter 6 are different, to forgive, to forgive those who have sinned against us regardless of what what they do. Whether or not they repent were called to forgive because Jesus Christ has forgiven us because we've sinned against a holy God.

And yet he showered us with his mercy, and so we ought to extend forgiveness to others. Reconciliation is different than forgiveness were always called to to forgive regard for what an individual does. But reconciliation requires that that person who sinned against us recognizes what they did and repent of it requires two parties.

Whereas I would say forgiveness is a you know you you can just forgive another person, but to reconcile with them they have to own their sin.

They have to be willing to confess their sin and and say look weak.

We need to reconcile here and so no situations you, you could reconcile it doesn't always work out. Sadly, in the church and we are called to pursue reconciliation, but that doesn't always. It doesn't always work out and restoration is even a step beyond that, it's restoring the relationship to what what it was maybe initially and then that could be a wonderful thing.

A beautiful thing that the spirit of God brings about, but it's not always the right thing, or even the wisest thing is that we have to use wisdom as we think about these categories and that's what a good counselor can Canon and might help you to do, but it sounds to me like there's a little bit of confusion there and so were called to love our enemies were called to pray for our enemies and and Jesus makes that clear. And in Matthew chapter 5 but were not always called to to reconcile with them because we can't. If they don't repent. So thank you for your question. Good explanation there. Thank you pastor Andrew, this is core Christianity and if you have a question you can email us that question anytime. Here's the email address its questions at core, Christianity.com is a railroad to us and said where is the line between biblical lament such as crying out to God in severe suffering and un-biblical complaint like the Israel's Israelites in the wilderness, the line between someone to keep asking and prayer statements made by Jesus and accepting the unanswered like Paul's thorn in second Corinthians, when there was only silence from God. What do we do some really good distinctions here and categories for us to to think about, lament that there's this whole genre in the in the book of Psalms called the Psalms of lament. It's it's a particular kind of Psalm where the psalmist often times is bringing a complaint to the Lord and symptoms. We can read those sums of lament and think boy is it okay to pray that way it too often. I think in the Christian life. We sort of assume that that it's supposed to be really bubbly and happy and and a lot of times you go to church and that's the kind of music that you hear in the sort of attitude it's is really like, high-energy, exciting, bubbly, kind of a worship service, and yet when you look at the that that hymnbook of the Israelites, if you will, the book of Psalms. The majority of the Psalms in the Psalter or Psalms of lament there Psalms where the psalmist is saying God.

Why is this stuff happening in my life. It's happening my life right now God where are you in the midst of my suffering got I don't really feel you right now and I think we really need to recover this in worship today because the fact of the matter is, many of us we shop the church on a Sunday morning. That's how we feel after a tough week we we wonder, God, where are you what's what's going on right now and so the Psalms of lament give us words for those feelings that we often have inside of the shows. It is a real experience of the people of God in their actually I think really an act of faith where an individual believer, where we come before God. We salute God in the midst of every I have these "why" questions but I still trust you and I'm here asking and crying out to have an answer but I'm in a look to you so that they are. Even though there they are heavy and often times kind of raw. They are at this demonstration of faith.

Now that's different from what you see and in the Old Testament places like number chapter 14 where you have grumbling the kind of complaint that God forbids and condemns numbers chapter 14 beginning in verse one. Listen to what it says there is the scene where the Israelites are grumbling after the spies were sent into Canaan all the congregation raised a loud cry and the people wept that night and all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation said to them, would that we had died in the land of Egypt, or would that we had died in this wilderness. Why is the Lord bring us into this land to fall by the sword, our wives and our little ones will become pray. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt to hear hear what you have is not in an active trusting in God coming to him sincerely and send for what's going on help its grumbling its rebellion it's whispering against the Lord. It's and you know it would've been better never even to follow you because of how you're treating me. I'm sure there's there's a sort of attitude of testing God there whispering against the Lord. If you're a parent you have children and maybe there are times right where you tell your children to do something they don't want to do, and this never happened us so I but but how you tell it to do something that they don't want to do and they they whisper they mutter something under their breath, and you know it's not the right thing to say, there are a nice thing to say. You know that there grumbling against you there. It's disrespectful. Well that's what you have here in numbers chapter 14 of that's very different from many of your parent your children come to you and something is really difficult for them. They say mom dad, what's going on help. I don't understand I don't understand why is it the look those of the ways in which I would distinguish this you lamenting before God is is a good thing and it's an act of faith grumbling against God is a bad thing.

It's it's rebellion it's not trusting the Lord and saying you know what that arriving folly. I don't want to follow you because of what you've done is we have to be really careful with how were approaching the Lord in prayer and there there is a line there between those two. We can cry out to the Lord, honestly and lament, but we mustn't ever grumble and complain and that rebellious way thank you for that email. You know, Israel, your kids are young, so they might whisper when they don't agree when they get to be teenagers that are grown in this out loud right yeah yeah okay but what I'm in a look to you when those on those days, and this is a please don't give me a retirement home. This is Gore Christianity with Prof. Israel said to them, we love to hear from you. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. If you're new to this program or if you're one of our regular listeners. We want to let you know that we are a listener supported radio show. That means we count on people just like you to keep this show on the air. We really do appreciate you. Yeah, Bill, and every time we answer callers question every article we run our website every resource we produce or trying to do is help you gain a deeper understanding of the Christian faith. We want you to know Jesus want you to know God's word because we know that it's through an understanding of who Jesus is, of what he's done for you with the word of God teaches that you grow more and more into the likeness of Christ that our own relationships. Personal relationships with the Lord are enriched and so we have all these resources and and one of the resources we made that we want to put out there for you right now is a brand-new Bible study on the book of Revelation.

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That's 833. The core let's go to sharia in Hartley Iowa sharia. What's your question for pastor. Israel hi Sherry how are you good. Thanks for giving us a call. What's your question about blank your opinion about like demonic. I mean, I don't believe that like a true born-again Christian can't be like completely buying them. I believe that light they could still be like in their flesh. That need to be dealt with. Yes, thank you for that question. I don't believe that Christians can be demon possessed. I do think that we are in the midst of the battle. We can experience spiritual attack, demonic oppression, but the question is, you know, can a evil spirit reside in the same place where the Holy Spirit lives and Scripture is absolutely clear when we believe in Jesus Christ. We are filled with the Holy Spirit and our bodies become the temple of the Holy Spirit. God is jealous about his temple. He doesn't let other evil spirits reside there with him. And so when when someone is cleansed of their sins when their sins are washed away when they're forgiven, filled with the Holy Spirit.

There is no place for the evil one. A text descriptor that I oftentimes go to another's will go to as well as in first John chapter 5 in verse 18. John said this we know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. So this is distinction that were capped by Jesus as the people of God and the evil one can't touch us.

He can snatch us out of the father's hand out again.

That doesn't mean that we don't experience spiritual attack. Demonic oppression at times and symptoms. We don't even invite that stuff into our lives through the things that we do through the sins that we participate in. But if you belong to Jesus.

He doesn't let go of you and he doesn't leave you or forsake you is what Scripture makes absolutely clear and so I think having having that distinction is is important can be oppressed, but I don't think that you can be possessed because the Spirit of God lives in you.

Thank you for your question, amen. This is core Christianity with pastor Gabriel Sanchez. Let's go to slide in Edmond, Oklahoma slide what your question for pastor.

Israel hello hi enjoy and joy of the interaction between you two guys. Thanks, like what's your question about having question from Luke chapter 22 verses 36 to 38 before the cross Jesus.

A disciple if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one disciple said the Lord your two swords, Jesus replied, that is enough.

Yes, and you Peter pulled his sword in Jesus and put it away and I understand. How do we make these 2 Scriptures Dr. in our world today. How does this apply Stetson. This is a great question then is it a contradiction. You know that's that's the big question.

Luke 22 you have Jesus told the disciples a you know, get a sword and then in places like Matthew 26 verse 52 when Peter you know strikes this, the servant of the high priest, Jesus says to him, put your sword back into its place for all who take the sword will perish by the sword and then when you read the book of acts. It's absolutely clear that the disciples aren't taking their swords around trying to get people to convert to believing in Jesus.

In fact, even when they're persecuted, even when they're beaten, they're not taking up arms and so it seems to me as though what Jesus was referring to. It really was. I think symbolic in Luke 22. What he's talking about the importance of being ready for battle. If you will.

Being prepared for the fight and the fight that were in as followers of Jesus Christ and for the disciples. They're the initial disciples us are going out to preach the gospel is a spiritual battle, the weapons of our warfare are not you know flesh and blood kind of weapons. This is not is not carnal weapons. Their spiritual weapons. It's through prayer. It's through the preaching of the holy gospel. This is how the kingdom of God is advancing in the world today and I think again that that's confirmed by the ministry of the early church. In particular, as the apostles are going out planting churches, preaching the gospel that kind of thing you just don't see them taking up arms sedately, they were persecuted very often, many of them losing their lives and yet they weren't fighting back, they would yield to their persecutors and so I think in Luke 22 that the language there primarily what would he's getting at is, look what you're being sent into this is to be a real fight this to be a real battle, you need to be prepared.

You need to be ready, but it's clear to me based on the fact that he tells Peter to sheet the sword that that he's not saying my disciples are going to be people who go around, you know, chopping heads often that kind of a thing of the fight that were in is a spiritual fight and work were wrestling, not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities and so the way the gospel advances not by the sword through the gospel preached. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers and the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together