But I'm sure it won't shock Him.
I often spend time at my porch looking afar, sipping coffee, wondering about the Lord's sudden trumpet call, specifically in Luke 18.8. He asked a curious question, probably wondering about the state of faith so-called "believers" would have at the time, though I'm quite sure he knew exactly what it will be. It was more a question to make us re-think what we have now and call "faith."
"However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Photo by Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash.
He'll find lots of church denominations and doctrines, for sure. Lots of mega ministries, impressive religious buildings and church accomplishments. But will he find faith--the very faith that he himself introduced? The Gospel of the Kingdom? The way and truth he embodied in his person as the sole Way and the sole Truth? The quality of relationship with him that is so vital in the faith he's looking for?
Luke 18 is about the faith and prayer of a widow, mercy and humility, kids and the Kingdom, material riches, losing one's life for Jesus, and the healed blind man. Before this, Jesus had talked about the Rapture and how to be part of it, hinting that "whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it."
The Rapture, by the way, is when Jesus suddenly comes back to "snatch" true believers from this world and spare them from the coming terrible global disasters and extreme hardships the world hasn't seen or ever heard of. It's God's provision for an "escape." The term "rapture" is not in the bible but the idea is there:
"Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” [Luke 21.36]
To me, Luke 18's context is everything mentioned above, even after chapter 18 where Jesus entered Jericho to dine at Zacchaeus' house. In fact, in a broader sense, the whole book of Luke and the 4 Gospel versions (the entire New testament even) should be included in the scope, and in a much broader sense, the whole bible. But for simplification, I take the immediate context (the widow's story) and see what faith Jesus is looking for--which is persistent faith.
Persistent about what?
Persistent about getting what you're asking for--a definite, specific answer straight from God. What was the widow's plea? "Grant me justice against my adversary." And she expected getting nothing less than justice. She didn't settle for something close to justice, or anything that looked or sounded like it. She didn't settle for a no answer either, or a maybe answer, or thought that if she didn't get what she asked for, maybe it wasn't the judge's will, and fall back to her Plan B or C.
Do you get what you ask for, or do you often change topic with your prayers and settle for lesser options because your first option remains unheeded?
Jesus wants faith to be persistent about getting only what we specifically ask from God, not making religious excuses if we don't get them. "Probably it's not God's will" or "perhaps it's not yet time" or "God will give it in his time." The widow believed she had to get it then and insisted on it, getting no less than what she asked for, and at that very time--not next month or next year.
Persistent about Jesus' Faith
When Jesus prayed, he got exactly what he asked for and got it right there and then. That's the faith he introduced and demonstrated in the Gospel, it's the faith he expects to find when he returns. He didn't settle for anything else. When he needed a few loaves of bread and fish to feed 5,000 men, he asked exactly that and got exactly the same, right there and then.
There's no record in the bible of Jesus asking the Father for multiplied bread and fish, but it's safe to assume that Jesus did a mental prayer like he did when he resurrected Lazarus. But this is for another blog post. Watch for it.
When Jesus needed to resurrect the dead or heal the sick, it was exactly what the Father gave him. He never deviated from his prayer goal. No backup Plan B or C. There was no such thing as God's second best. Whatever Jesus asked for was automatically God's best for him.
Today, we pray a lot--we even use grand terminology and choice of words--but often get nothing. Then we invent excuses to save face. "It's not God's will" or "It's not yet the right time." You never heard Jesus say that. Remember, HE is the only Way. Everything ought to be done HIS way. His results should also be our results, because we are connected to him. We are attached directly to him. He is the Vine, we are the branches. This faith is what he wants to find when he comes back.
The kind of faith that backs up our prayer is crucial in the Kingdom. God looks for it more than anything else. And it should be Jesus' faith or nothing. It's not a creed embellished in a garland of human theology and religious titles and degrees. It's faith that really works supernaturally and backed up all the way by Kingdom power. Sadly, faith today is just scholarly and intellectual but utterly powerless. That's the "faith" Jesus will be finding in the last days.
"...always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth." [2 Timothy 3.7]
God Won't Keep Putting You Off
For a while, the unjust judge kept putting her off. It wasn't because justice wasn't the judge's will. IT WAS, of course. And she got it. Persistence is proof of our surefire and unwavering faith and Jesus used this parable to show it. Don't change course with your prayer. That's NOT faith. The Holy Spirit puts in your heart the desire and you have to pursue it in prayer. Don't change course--unless, if you don't really know how the Spirit works, leads and reveals and you're just led by the flesh (and your human theology).
Abraham gave up expecting to have a biological son because of his age and Sarah's almost dead womb. He changed course and got an Ishmael. They were led by the flesh. Thank God he later pursued the original vision God gave him and got an Isaac. Make sure to see what God has put in your heart and pursue that in prayer no matter what. Don't change course.
The widow could have just settled for another option if her first option didn't seem to push through--like forgetting about her adversary and going far away instead to start a new peaceful life. After all, the bible does say to pursue after peace, right? Nope. She insisted on getting justice. She stuck with that. That's the faith Jesus looks for. Faith that gets a sure leading from the Holy Spirit and sticks confidently with it. Anyway, the bible says justice is also God's will, not just peace. This takes supernatural guidance from the Holy Spirit to decide.
Sometimes, too, God would "put us off" for a while, not because our prayer isn't his will, but to make us see the quality of our faith--our persistence. Persistence is belief that God can and will do what he said he'll do--the desire he has put in our hearts. Backing down and settling for another option is another form of doubt. It's rejecting what God wants for you. It's like Satan telling Jesus a seemingly smarter option--turning stones into bread--instead of starving pointlessly (pointless, that is, to Satan). But Jesus persisted even if it seemed pointless. He knew the Father's will.
God Will Put You Off but Also Answer You Quickly
Jesus said: "Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. God will delay you somewhat but also give what you ask for QUICKLY. It's another Kingdom reversal or paradox. We won't fully understand this, but we have to take it by faith--the same faith that Jesus had. Even with seeming delays, God has heard our prayers and "will see that they get justice." In short, GOD will make sure we get exactly what we're asking for, no more or less.
If we ask the Father for instant cancer healing--on the spot--and ask persistently without wavering even one bit (I mean, without a shadow of a doubt, not taking no for an answer, or any alternative), God will "see to it that we get" what we ask for, in Jesus' Name. And quickly! Sadly, what the modern church and man's theology have been enforcing is DOUBT about these things, not genuine faith. And then formulating logical explanations and philosophies to make excuses. No wonder Jesus asked, will he find faith on the earth?
Not My Will But Your Will
Jesus asked the Father that, if possible, the cross be bypassed. But he quickly added, "Not my will but your will." Why? Did he waver in faith? Truth is, he knew the Father intimately and the Father's will. He knew there was no way bypassing could be possible. But why pray thus anyway? Well, he showed how human nature is (even godly human nature) and how it should submit to God nonetheless. Being perfect God and perfect man at the same time, Jesus was inclined to take the easy way out--as man normally would (nothing wrong with this)--but had the godly discipline, as the Son, to obey the Father's will and ignore his own will.
In the parable, the widow knew the will of the judge, though he was "unjust." His will was to provide justice. She was certain about that. So she insisted and persisted. She asked for justice and was sure she would get it. Jesus, too knew the Father's will, which was to provide salvation through His Son's sacrificial death on the cross. He hinted on skipping the cross to show the natural tendency of the human nature, but he knew he had to die to provide salvation--though he struggled and felt sorrow submitting to the will and opting for the cross. He demonstrated how a godly human nature submits to God. He is the Way.
In the same way, true believers know what God's will is because they know God intimately. God reveals to them through Christ. Thus, no sense in praying without being sure whether God would approve it or not. The thing is, if you really know God and believe in him (you treasure His Word because you realize God's Word is Jesus), God will put in your heart what you feel you should ask for, so that whatever you ask for in Jesus' Name is God's will, and Jesus will do it.
"You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."
John 14.14
This is the faith Jesus wants and will look for when he comes back--a persistent and confident faith based purely on what he taught in his Gospel of the Kingdom. No more, no less.
If It's God's Will or If It's His Time?
I've heard a lot of believers say, God will answer our prayers if it's his will and his perfect time. It's found in 1 John 5.14. But instead of giving them "confidence" about this, smart church Alecks twist this around to make us doubt whether what we ask for is God's will or not. So they keep saying, "If it's God's will."
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
The passage aims to give us confidence, not make us unsure if things are God's will or not. Get it? In fact, verse 15 of the passage tells us how we must believe that we've already received what we asked for. See that faith confidence? That's Jesus' faith. He didn't wonder if his prayer was according to God's will or not--because his prayers were always God's will. If you live in the center of God's will, everything you ask for is according to God's will. Automatically. As simple as that. You don't keep on wondering if it's God's will or not.
If you live in the center of God's will, everything you ask for is according to God's will. Automatically. As simple as that.
If you are steeped in God's spoken Word, meditating the bible day and night, and you are supernaturally led by the Holy Spirit, everything you ask for is God's will. Why? Because it's God who puts everything there in your heart and mind. He gives you the desires of your heart [Psalm 37.4]. You don't have a mind or will of your own anymore. You have died with Christ. It's no longer you who live but HIM. See?
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. [John 15.7]
Ask whatever you wish! Do you know what "wish" is? Your fancy, nonessential desires. Spiritual smart Alecks will tell you you shouldn't make a "wish," or prayer is not making a wish. But Jesus said even your "wishes" will come true. Even nonessentials that you ask for. Is Jesus a fairy? Nope. Only God can bless people, not fairies. No demon can give you anything because the devil owns nothing. They can only have permission from GOD to use HIS creation to reward folks they have deceived.
Still bothered about how your prayer will get a yes or if it's God's will or if it's his time? Don't bother asking this anymore if you're genuinely in Christ. Because it's HE who moves and reigns in you through His Holy Spirit.
And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. [Ezekiel 36.27]
...by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. [2 Thessalonians 1.11]
...equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ. [Hebrews 13.21]
Surrendering to Jesus
Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord. Then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do (not your good deeds or religion or church), but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. In Jesus alone is salvation.
Jesus is:
“‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” [Acts 4]
Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.
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