Live your life as a thank offering to God! Count your blessings and cherish your loved ones and your church!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Thanksgiving -- More Than Turkey Day -- It Should Be Everyday -- Thank the Lord Above!
Live your life as a thank offering to God! Count your blessings and cherish your loved ones and your church!
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Why Should We Pray for Others?
Should we pray for others? I heard a story recently of a lady who did not think it right to pray for others, but who said she'd think about a man who needed prayer, and hope that all goes well.
Well, having good thoughts about someone is a good thing, but the Bible is clear that it is also a good thing to pray for others. Jesus gave us the example, as He prayed for others.
In John 16:6-24, Christ prays for his disciples—that God would protect them from the evil one as they went out into the world to spread the Word— and for those who would hear their message and come to believe that God had sent his son to save the world. In John 17 we have his High Priestly prayer for us. Christ prayed for others and so should we.
We are also commanded to pray for others:
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven" — Matthew 5:43-45a.
Paul asked his friends to pray for him and his ministry:
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should" — Colossians 4:2-4.
"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. This is good, and pleases God our Savior who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. … I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing" — 1 Timothy 2:1-4, 8.
We are also given some concrete Biblical examples of praying for others:
"Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends his greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured" — Colossians 4:12.
"I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe" — Ephesians 1:16-19a.
"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through out all generations, for ever and ever! Amen" —Ephesians 3:14-21.
“And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him. If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life…” 1 John 5:15-16
“15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:15-16
Praying for others, or intercession, is one of the opportunities we have to express God’s love to people. When we make the effort and time to pray for others, we can expect amazing results, assuming we are praying with the right heart attitude (in humility & reverence).
The above verses point out some of the possible results of intercession:
• God will hear us
• God will give life to the person we are praying for
• God will make the sick person well and raise him up
• God will forgive the person’s sins as we pray with him or her for forgiveness
A minister friend of mine also pointed out that prayer is a marvelous gift that blesses you and those for whom you pray. Whenever you pray for others, your connection with God will shift your consciousness and bless you. Of course, those for whom you pray are also blessed by the positive effect of your prayers—and the love of God—in their hearts, minds, and lives. After all, the experience of God is the real need of all people. The gift of your prayers is the love of God shared through you. Doesn’t it feel good to be loved and loving?
But prayer with others and for others is not only helpful to us, it is also associated with all the great spiritual awakenings. For example, the Evangelical Revival in England in the late 18th century began in a little "Holy Club" at Oxford. So impressed were John and Charles Wesley with the prayer principle that every Methodist society was organized into small prayer meetings for others. Similarly the great revival in America in 1857-1858 was empowered and nurtured in such prayer meetings.
All in all, the great evidence of the Bible and the witness of Christian History show that Praying for Each Other is a good and right thing to do. Good thoughts are a wonderful thing, but they should be partnered with prayer.
Well, having good thoughts about someone is a good thing, but the Bible is clear that it is also a good thing to pray for others. Jesus gave us the example, as He prayed for others.
In John 16:6-24, Christ prays for his disciples—that God would protect them from the evil one as they went out into the world to spread the Word— and for those who would hear their message and come to believe that God had sent his son to save the world. In John 17 we have his High Priestly prayer for us. Christ prayed for others and so should we.
We are also commanded to pray for others:
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven" — Matthew 5:43-45a.
Paul asked his friends to pray for him and his ministry:
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should" — Colossians 4:2-4.
"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. This is good, and pleases God our Savior who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. … I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing" — 1 Timothy 2:1-4, 8.
We are also given some concrete Biblical examples of praying for others:
"Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends his greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured" — Colossians 4:12.
"I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe" — Ephesians 1:16-19a.
"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through out all generations, for ever and ever! Amen" —Ephesians 3:14-21.
“And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him. If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life…” 1 John 5:15-16
“15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:15-16
Praying for others, or intercession, is one of the opportunities we have to express God’s love to people. When we make the effort and time to pray for others, we can expect amazing results, assuming we are praying with the right heart attitude (in humility & reverence).
The above verses point out some of the possible results of intercession:
• God will hear us
• God will give life to the person we are praying for
• God will make the sick person well and raise him up
• God will forgive the person’s sins as we pray with him or her for forgiveness
A minister friend of mine also pointed out that prayer is a marvelous gift that blesses you and those for whom you pray. Whenever you pray for others, your connection with God will shift your consciousness and bless you. Of course, those for whom you pray are also blessed by the positive effect of your prayers—and the love of God—in their hearts, minds, and lives. After all, the experience of God is the real need of all people. The gift of your prayers is the love of God shared through you. Doesn’t it feel good to be loved and loving?
But prayer with others and for others is not only helpful to us, it is also associated with all the great spiritual awakenings. For example, the Evangelical Revival in England in the late 18th century began in a little "Holy Club" at Oxford. So impressed were John and Charles Wesley with the prayer principle that every Methodist society was organized into small prayer meetings for others. Similarly the great revival in America in 1857-1858 was empowered and nurtured in such prayer meetings.
All in all, the great evidence of the Bible and the witness of Christian History show that Praying for Each Other is a good and right thing to do. Good thoughts are a wonderful thing, but they should be partnered with prayer.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Well Done My Good and Faithful Servant
Heaven will be wonderful place, far beyond our earthly ability to conceive it. We will be in the presence of the Lord God Almighty. The Bible clearly talks of some rewards, but it also talks of an equality in how God sees us and responds to us. God is no respecter of persons. (Acts 10:34). We are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal. 3:28) Jesus purchased people for every tribe and people and language and nation with his blood. (Rev.5:9).
It also is clear that what we do in this world is dependent on Christ and the Holy Spirit. It is Christ’s righteousness that takes us to heaven, not ours. We receive His righteousness when we become Christians. The Bible teaches us that when we believe, our sins are forgiven on the basis of Jesus’s death. He died for our sins. It also teaches us that we receive in the place of our sins credit for his righteous life. (See, Paul’s explanation in Romans 3 and 4.) We are credited with his righteousness. So, his record of works becomes our record of works. Our focus must be on serving Jesus and loving others, not on what rewards we might earn. Christianity is not capitalism, and it is not a meritocracy. The only one who truly has merit is Jesus Christ.
Our emphasis is supposed to be on God and Him alone, not on ourselves. I am to glorify Him – “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31)
Some believe there are compartments, or divisions, of heaven wherein one is "more blessed" than someone in a different compartment. I have a hard time aligning this belief system with what I see from God in the whole Bible.
I do not see a separate room or place for the church with the more certain doctrine, etc. And if you think you are a better Christian than someone else because our sovereign God gave you a certain spiritual gift, then you are in the ditch, and a prideful ditch at that. Gifts are for helping the Body, not dividing it.
May we all be found faithful. There are those that give their life in living, as well as give your life in dying, faithfully following Christ to the best of their ability, a sacrifice of self that Paul called a “living sacrifice" It would seem that we may have different duties in heaven, all up to God's choosing, and we may have tangible rewards, but they may also be of a spiritual nature. But not great divisions on a merit system of post-salvation works righteousness. There is a strongly held point of view in moderate and evangelical Christian circles, with ample scriptural backing, that Jesus was way too inclusive, his message too overwhelming in love, for there to be divisions in Heaven.
Certainly, the Bible does speak of certain rewards and crowns. The Bible speaks of crowns given out. But they, in turn, will be tossed at the feet of Jesus in an offering of praise and thanksgiving. And yet we will also have a great similarity of reward, for even the last person saved will be in a place far more awesome than we can imagine.
In seminary I learned that .theologically speaking, in the Hebrew Bible crowns are often found to be symbols of righteousness, which is a gift of God's grace. In 2 Timothy 4:8, James 1:12, 1 Peter 5:4, Rev. 2:10; 3:11; and 4:10 we find references to Christians being given crowns in glory ... crows of glory, righteousness, or gold. My professor understood all references as being to the same thing -- a symbol of the perfection of our Lord Jesus Christ, which we receive by grace and which we then cast down before the throne of God. In other words, the crowns we receive we receive for the purpose of returning them to God as an act of praise.
One thing is sure, pride and envy will not exist in heaven. All love will be perfected in heaven and thus it will be as the Apostle wrote: "If one member is honored, all members rejoice with it" (I Corinthians 12:26). Men will bless God for the radiance of His glory shining through other men, and envy and pride and other sins will have no part in His kingdom.
Everything we do is made possible with God. We have done nothing worthy of any merit without God’s help. We have done nothing worthy of the glorious reward that God has in store for us, even in just being allowed into heaven! We have done what was our duty to do. We have done what God 'Himself' has moved us to do.
This is the humility so present in the Apostles which so many Christians of our day seem to lack. Humility and the certain 'God Given' nobility to receive what the scriptures say about the true condition and nature of man. We are sinners saved by His grace. When we take this humble attitude, then are we in fellowship with God, and are assured that we are on the right track. Spiritual pride is the sin that God Lucifer thrown out of heaven.
The Lord God alone should have all the credit, praise, and Glory in heaven for the increase. It would seem to me that everlasting Life is as great a reward as one can ever receive. Certainly, we will see things more clearly there (1 Cor. 13).
Still, some great theologians have seen differences in rewards or assignments:
Augustine, the Early Church theologian said, ‘we believe that there is one life to all the saints, but the rewards are diverse according to labours’.
Ambrose, the great preacher of the Early Church, reflecting on Luke 6:21 said, ‘As the increase of virtues, so also is the increase of reward’.
John Calvin the 16th Century Reformer said, ‘We should regard as above all controversy the teaching of Scripture that, just as God, variously distributing his gifts to the saints in this world, beams upon them unequally, so there will not be an equal measure of glory in heaven, where God shall crown his own gifts’.
Calvin also said, ‘for anyone who closely studies the scriptures, they promise not only eternal life but a special reward for each’. Calvin seemed sure that although everyone who puts their trust in the saving work of Christ will be in heaven, nevertheless our life here on earth does contribute to our experience of glory in heaven. We will all be in God's great place, but with different duties, etc. Certainly, this is a subject that needs further study.
But let us pray that we will stand before our Lord and be rewarded on the basis of Christ's faithful works, that we may also hear our Lord say, "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." (Matthew 25:23) In this hope we can praise the Lord and be thankful!
It also is clear that what we do in this world is dependent on Christ and the Holy Spirit. It is Christ’s righteousness that takes us to heaven, not ours. We receive His righteousness when we become Christians. The Bible teaches us that when we believe, our sins are forgiven on the basis of Jesus’s death. He died for our sins. It also teaches us that we receive in the place of our sins credit for his righteous life. (See, Paul’s explanation in Romans 3 and 4.) We are credited with his righteousness. So, his record of works becomes our record of works. Our focus must be on serving Jesus and loving others, not on what rewards we might earn. Christianity is not capitalism, and it is not a meritocracy. The only one who truly has merit is Jesus Christ.
Our emphasis is supposed to be on God and Him alone, not on ourselves. I am to glorify Him – “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31)
Some believe there are compartments, or divisions, of heaven wherein one is "more blessed" than someone in a different compartment. I have a hard time aligning this belief system with what I see from God in the whole Bible.
I do not see a separate room or place for the church with the more certain doctrine, etc. And if you think you are a better Christian than someone else because our sovereign God gave you a certain spiritual gift, then you are in the ditch, and a prideful ditch at that. Gifts are for helping the Body, not dividing it.
May we all be found faithful. There are those that give their life in living, as well as give your life in dying, faithfully following Christ to the best of their ability, a sacrifice of self that Paul called a “living sacrifice" It would seem that we may have different duties in heaven, all up to God's choosing, and we may have tangible rewards, but they may also be of a spiritual nature. But not great divisions on a merit system of post-salvation works righteousness. There is a strongly held point of view in moderate and evangelical Christian circles, with ample scriptural backing, that Jesus was way too inclusive, his message too overwhelming in love, for there to be divisions in Heaven.
Certainly, the Bible does speak of certain rewards and crowns. The Bible speaks of crowns given out. But they, in turn, will be tossed at the feet of Jesus in an offering of praise and thanksgiving. And yet we will also have a great similarity of reward, for even the last person saved will be in a place far more awesome than we can imagine.
In seminary I learned that .theologically speaking, in the Hebrew Bible crowns are often found to be symbols of righteousness, which is a gift of God's grace. In 2 Timothy 4:8, James 1:12, 1 Peter 5:4, Rev. 2:10; 3:11; and 4:10 we find references to Christians being given crowns in glory ... crows of glory, righteousness, or gold. My professor understood all references as being to the same thing -- a symbol of the perfection of our Lord Jesus Christ, which we receive by grace and which we then cast down before the throne of God. In other words, the crowns we receive we receive for the purpose of returning them to God as an act of praise.
One thing is sure, pride and envy will not exist in heaven. All love will be perfected in heaven and thus it will be as the Apostle wrote: "If one member is honored, all members rejoice with it" (I Corinthians 12:26). Men will bless God for the radiance of His glory shining through other men, and envy and pride and other sins will have no part in His kingdom.
Everything we do is made possible with God. We have done nothing worthy of any merit without God’s help. We have done nothing worthy of the glorious reward that God has in store for us, even in just being allowed into heaven! We have done what was our duty to do. We have done what God 'Himself' has moved us to do.
This is the humility so present in the Apostles which so many Christians of our day seem to lack. Humility and the certain 'God Given' nobility to receive what the scriptures say about the true condition and nature of man. We are sinners saved by His grace. When we take this humble attitude, then are we in fellowship with God, and are assured that we are on the right track. Spiritual pride is the sin that God Lucifer thrown out of heaven.
The Lord God alone should have all the credit, praise, and Glory in heaven for the increase. It would seem to me that everlasting Life is as great a reward as one can ever receive. Certainly, we will see things more clearly there (1 Cor. 13).
Still, some great theologians have seen differences in rewards or assignments:
Augustine, the Early Church theologian said, ‘we believe that there is one life to all the saints, but the rewards are diverse according to labours’.
Ambrose, the great preacher of the Early Church, reflecting on Luke 6:21 said, ‘As the increase of virtues, so also is the increase of reward’.
John Calvin the 16th Century Reformer said, ‘We should regard as above all controversy the teaching of Scripture that, just as God, variously distributing his gifts to the saints in this world, beams upon them unequally, so there will not be an equal measure of glory in heaven, where God shall crown his own gifts’.
Calvin also said, ‘for anyone who closely studies the scriptures, they promise not only eternal life but a special reward for each’. Calvin seemed sure that although everyone who puts their trust in the saving work of Christ will be in heaven, nevertheless our life here on earth does contribute to our experience of glory in heaven. We will all be in God's great place, but with different duties, etc. Certainly, this is a subject that needs further study.
But let us pray that we will stand before our Lord and be rewarded on the basis of Christ's faithful works, that we may also hear our Lord say, "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." (Matthew 25:23) In this hope we can praise the Lord and be thankful!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
When Bad Things Happen to Good People
WHY? This is a fundamental question that all of us ask. It is the question "why?" And when it comes to suffering, it is an emphatic question indeed. Why is there pain in the world? Why do tragedies happen? Why is there war, racism, social injustice, and suffering? Why do "innocent", good people suffer?
One of our youth coordinators, a wonderful, saintly woman and the mother of four great children, is now battling cancer. It is quite a blow to all of us, especially her dear husband, as good a man as you will ever meet, who is a member of the session (administrative board) of our church. When they called me to come out to their house at 9:30 at night last Thursday, I knew something must be out of kilter. But I was shocked to the core by the news. Why was this fine Christian woman going through such a terrible trial?
The lament of "why?" becomes very real when they are applied to us and our friends and parishioners. Why her? Why us? Why me? What did I do to deserve this? The truth is that bad things do happen to us even when we do not think we deserve them. This brings us to the question "Why do bad things happen to good people?"
Before we seek to answer that question, consider the presuppositions that lie behind it. The author Warren Wiersbe claims that there are several assumptions that lie behind our even being able to ask that question. These assumptions reveal our view about the universe. Aldous Huxley wrote, "It is strictly impossible to be a human being and not have views of some kind about the universe at large."
Weirsbe gives us thoughts to ponder when we ask the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people," we are basically assuming five things. The first is that there are values in life. In other words, there are some "good" things and some "bad" things. How we define what is good and bad is another question altogether. But however we define good and bad, we would rather have the good things happen to us than the bad. The second assumption is that the universe is logical and orderly. We believe in a universe that "makes sense." When some sort of tragedy occurs, we look for some explanation. We believe that there is a cause for things happening in the universe.
The third assumption is that people are important. We are fairly unconcerned when bad things happen to ears of corn, or fish, or cows. People are different, in our estimation, from plants and animals, and are more important. The fourth assumption is that we believe life is worth living. If we judged life not to be worth living then why should we bother to ask questions at all? We believe life is worth living otherwise we would just end it all. And finally, the fifth assumption is that we believe we can find answers that will help us in understanding life. These are the assumptions behind the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?"
I read of an epitaph on a tombstone in an old cemetery, which read, "Pause, my friend, as you go by. As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you will be. Prepare, my friend, to follow me!" Quite a challenge, isn’t it? I also read that someone added this footnote to that epitaph: "To follow you is not my intent, until I know which way you went!" Choices. We are all faced with them. They impact our lives forever. God has given us this freedom.
But sometimes God may have a purpose beyond our hurt and unhappiness. In the Bible we find a story of Joseph. What happened to Joseph could be construed as "bad." He was hated by his brothers. They threw him into a pit and sold him to an Egyptian caravan as a slave. He was torn away from his aged father. While he was in Egypt he was wrongfully accused and thrown into prison where he spent several years. Finally he was elevated to the position of Prime Minister of Egypt.
All of this was for the purpose of eventually providing for the needs of his family and the household of Israel. In fact, Joseph said to his brothers, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is know being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20). God is working out a purpose in all things. It says in Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
Sometimes we think we have to understand the why of everything. Rather, what we really need to do is to trust. We must trust that God is good. We must trust that He is working out His purpose in our lives, even through the darkest difficulties. Sometimes that is a difficult task indeed. When we are in the midst of suffering, it is tempting to rise up in rebellion against God. It is easy to blame Him for our suffering. And sometimes it is hard to believe that He is good. But it is at this point where we must choose. You see, our own reaction to suffering, rather than the suffering itself, may determine whether we experience grace or despair. It has been said that the same sun which melts the butter hardens the clay. Our reaction to suffering may determine the result of suffering. God asks us to trust Him.
The greatest evidence we have that God is good is found in the Cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the Cross for us. There, on the Cross, is the greatest evidence of the pure love of God. While we might not see the details of all God is working out, through the Cross we understand that God will do what is right. In the Cross we come to understand that "In everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. If we can catch a vision of the goodness of God in the Cross, we will be able to trust the Lord in spite of the most difficult times.
The prophet Habakkuk was one who had come to an understanding of the goodness of God. He wrestled with the question of good and evil. His book ends with a tremendous testimony of faith. Listen to the words in Habakkuk 3:17-18,
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
What a testimony to the grace of God! You can only come to this kind of attitude about life through knowing Jesus, who will walk with you through the darkest times. I must confess, I do not know how someone without a firm faith in Jesus Christ can endure the trials of this world. Pain and suffering apart from Christ is enough to lead anyone to despair. Without Christ there is no purpose to life. Without the reality of eternity and a home in heaven when you die, life is a futile and vain endeavor. The courageus youth director and her husband have a strong faith, and that faith in the Lord is seeing them through this perilous time.
They know that in Christ, and through Christ, life has meaning. And in Christ even the deepest pit of despair can have meaning. He may not give you all the answers here and now, but He Himself is the answer to life. Jesus is acquainted with grief and sorrow. He endured it. He can give you the grace to endure it and come out on the other side with a life worth living. Praise the Lord!
One of our youth coordinators, a wonderful, saintly woman and the mother of four great children, is now battling cancer. It is quite a blow to all of us, especially her dear husband, as good a man as you will ever meet, who is a member of the session (administrative board) of our church. When they called me to come out to their house at 9:30 at night last Thursday, I knew something must be out of kilter. But I was shocked to the core by the news. Why was this fine Christian woman going through such a terrible trial?
The lament of "why?" becomes very real when they are applied to us and our friends and parishioners. Why her? Why us? Why me? What did I do to deserve this? The truth is that bad things do happen to us even when we do not think we deserve them. This brings us to the question "Why do bad things happen to good people?"
Before we seek to answer that question, consider the presuppositions that lie behind it. The author Warren Wiersbe claims that there are several assumptions that lie behind our even being able to ask that question. These assumptions reveal our view about the universe. Aldous Huxley wrote, "It is strictly impossible to be a human being and not have views of some kind about the universe at large."
Weirsbe gives us thoughts to ponder when we ask the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people," we are basically assuming five things. The first is that there are values in life. In other words, there are some "good" things and some "bad" things. How we define what is good and bad is another question altogether. But however we define good and bad, we would rather have the good things happen to us than the bad. The second assumption is that the universe is logical and orderly. We believe in a universe that "makes sense." When some sort of tragedy occurs, we look for some explanation. We believe that there is a cause for things happening in the universe.
The third assumption is that people are important. We are fairly unconcerned when bad things happen to ears of corn, or fish, or cows. People are different, in our estimation, from plants and animals, and are more important. The fourth assumption is that we believe life is worth living. If we judged life not to be worth living then why should we bother to ask questions at all? We believe life is worth living otherwise we would just end it all. And finally, the fifth assumption is that we believe we can find answers that will help us in understanding life. These are the assumptions behind the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?"
I read of an epitaph on a tombstone in an old cemetery, which read, "Pause, my friend, as you go by. As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you will be. Prepare, my friend, to follow me!" Quite a challenge, isn’t it? I also read that someone added this footnote to that epitaph: "To follow you is not my intent, until I know which way you went!" Choices. We are all faced with them. They impact our lives forever. God has given us this freedom.
But sometimes God may have a purpose beyond our hurt and unhappiness. In the Bible we find a story of Joseph. What happened to Joseph could be construed as "bad." He was hated by his brothers. They threw him into a pit and sold him to an Egyptian caravan as a slave. He was torn away from his aged father. While he was in Egypt he was wrongfully accused and thrown into prison where he spent several years. Finally he was elevated to the position of Prime Minister of Egypt.
All of this was for the purpose of eventually providing for the needs of his family and the household of Israel. In fact, Joseph said to his brothers, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is know being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20). God is working out a purpose in all things. It says in Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
Sometimes we think we have to understand the why of everything. Rather, what we really need to do is to trust. We must trust that God is good. We must trust that He is working out His purpose in our lives, even through the darkest difficulties. Sometimes that is a difficult task indeed. When we are in the midst of suffering, it is tempting to rise up in rebellion against God. It is easy to blame Him for our suffering. And sometimes it is hard to believe that He is good. But it is at this point where we must choose. You see, our own reaction to suffering, rather than the suffering itself, may determine whether we experience grace or despair. It has been said that the same sun which melts the butter hardens the clay. Our reaction to suffering may determine the result of suffering. God asks us to trust Him.
The greatest evidence we have that God is good is found in the Cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the Cross for us. There, on the Cross, is the greatest evidence of the pure love of God. While we might not see the details of all God is working out, through the Cross we understand that God will do what is right. In the Cross we come to understand that "In everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. If we can catch a vision of the goodness of God in the Cross, we will be able to trust the Lord in spite of the most difficult times.
The prophet Habakkuk was one who had come to an understanding of the goodness of God. He wrestled with the question of good and evil. His book ends with a tremendous testimony of faith. Listen to the words in Habakkuk 3:17-18,
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
What a testimony to the grace of God! You can only come to this kind of attitude about life through knowing Jesus, who will walk with you through the darkest times. I must confess, I do not know how someone without a firm faith in Jesus Christ can endure the trials of this world. Pain and suffering apart from Christ is enough to lead anyone to despair. Without Christ there is no purpose to life. Without the reality of eternity and a home in heaven when you die, life is a futile and vain endeavor. The courageus youth director and her husband have a strong faith, and that faith in the Lord is seeing them through this perilous time.
They know that in Christ, and through Christ, life has meaning. And in Christ even the deepest pit of despair can have meaning. He may not give you all the answers here and now, but He Himself is the answer to life. Jesus is acquainted with grief and sorrow. He endured it. He can give you the grace to endure it and come out on the other side with a life worth living. Praise the Lord!
Friday, November 09, 2007
Refreshment in Our Valleys
The Bible shows us that God walks with us in our valleys, whether they be the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23) or a valley of another variety. By studying and meditating on the Bible, we can learn how to positively handle the disappointments of life, and to discern the comforting truth found in God’s Word. We can be encouraged and learn to deal with the waves of trials, depression, and discouragement that threaten to flood our souls. Hidden in the Psalms are portraits of what faith looks like in times of trial.
Keys for our victory are to:
remember what God has done (Psalm 77)
hide in His presence (Psalm 46)
cling to Him (Psalm 63)
praise Him for all we cannot see (Psalm 84)
The glorious promise from Psalm 84 is that as we walk through the "valley of weeping," it can be turned into a place of blessing.
Psalm 84
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,(valley of weeping)
they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty;
listen to me, O God of Jacob.
9 Look upon our shield, [c] O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.
10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
12 O LORD Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you.
The Psalm says "passing through the valley of Baca, they make it a well." This valley of Baca appears to have been a very perilous pass, through which pilgrims journeyed toward Jerusalem—and on account of the difficulties, dangers, and sufferings that they met with, it was named "the valley of Baca," or 'the valley of weeping,' 'the valley of tears.'
And is not this very emblematical and figurative of the valley of tears through which God's people journey in their course heavenward? There are many circumstances which draw tears from their weeping eyes. Depend upon it, if, in the course of your life, you have never known anything of this valley of Baca, you will someday. Parts of life can indeed be a valley of tears for the Lord's family, a "valley of Baca," which they have to pass through in the journey to the heavenly city.
But the Psalmist says, "Blessed is the man in whose heart are the ways of them, who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well." And David, thinking of water wells dug for the pilgrims, applies them spiritually to the refreshment of God's living water available for God's people.
Keys for our victory are to:
remember what God has done (Psalm 77)
hide in His presence (Psalm 46)
cling to Him (Psalm 63)
praise Him for all we cannot see (Psalm 84)
The glorious promise from Psalm 84 is that as we walk through the "valley of weeping," it can be turned into a place of blessing.
Psalm 84
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,(valley of weeping)
they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty;
listen to me, O God of Jacob.
9 Look upon our shield, [c] O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.
10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
12 O LORD Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you.
The Psalm says "passing through the valley of Baca, they make it a well." This valley of Baca appears to have been a very perilous pass, through which pilgrims journeyed toward Jerusalem—and on account of the difficulties, dangers, and sufferings that they met with, it was named "the valley of Baca," or 'the valley of weeping,' 'the valley of tears.'
And is not this very emblematical and figurative of the valley of tears through which God's people journey in their course heavenward? There are many circumstances which draw tears from their weeping eyes. Depend upon it, if, in the course of your life, you have never known anything of this valley of Baca, you will someday. Parts of life can indeed be a valley of tears for the Lord's family, a "valley of Baca," which they have to pass through in the journey to the heavenly city.
But the Psalmist says, "Blessed is the man in whose heart are the ways of them, who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well." And David, thinking of water wells dug for the pilgrims, applies them spiritually to the refreshment of God's living water available for God's people.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Do Not Fear -- Jesus is Your Lord!
I was praying today and John 3:16 came to my mind and the words “you have nothing to fear!" Then again, the voice in my spirit said – “Christians have nothing to fear and everything to look forward to – this life, as sweet as it sometimes can be, is just the beginning of God’s goodness for those that love Him.”
As a Christian, you never have to fear anything, because God loves you and you love God, and Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior. Such a no fear mindset can aid our healing and recovery in this life. May you have such a mindset
Everlasting Life Conquers Death
Death has always been humanity's enemy. It brings loneliness, sadness, disorientation. But it need not be a mystery nor be entirely devastating. Even though it is inevitable, death is not the end. Though at times death seems unfair and arbitrary, it does not thwart God's plan for eternal life. Through a resurrection God will reunite us with believing family and friends and extend His promises to everyone who has ever lived who claims Jesus as savior.
Eventually there will come a time when death itself will be banished. Writing about the resurrection that will take place when Jesus returns, Paul paraphrased from the book of Hosea: "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades [grave] where is your victory?'" (1 Corinthians 15:53-55). Death will be swallowed up and defeated in the victory of eternal life. We do not need to fear death or disease or pain – Jesus has defeated all of it forever.
Taking this view of the future can give us hope and optimism at a time of great loss. "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep [died], lest you sorrow as others who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:30).
What is our eternal reward?
Some are put off by the thought of eternal life. Some feel this life is painful and difficult enough, so why would anyone want to live forever? Others may think that eternity sounds vague and uninteresting, that if it means they have to give up pleasure in this lifetime it just isn't worth the effort. They would rather experience all the good times they can for now and worry about eternity some other time. But the Bible paints a wonderful picture of Heaven.
The Scriptures show that God wants to give us an everlasting, eternal, immortal life. We are assured that it is more valuable than any physical treasure (Colossians 1:26-27; 2:2-3).
Still, there is much we do not know and there is much we can only imagine. Let's remember the limitations of our human experience and observation. God is so far above us that it is difficult for us to understand His way of living (Isaiah 55:9). What God is preparing to give us is beyond our wildest imaginations and fantasies. "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever" (Ephesians 3:20-21).
God is preparing our future
God is Creator. He plans, builds, implements. He designed the universe and devised His plan and our reward before He even started creating it (Matthew 25:34). He is planning and preparing an infinitely more exciting and rewarding life for us in His family (John 14:1-3). We can only try to begin to imagine the incredible, fulfilling and eternally enjoyable life He wants to give us-an eternal life free from human limitations and disappointments, weaknesses and suffering.
Pain, disappointment and death will be no more. John wrote of the "new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation 21:1): "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" (verse 4). I, for one, am looking forward to no more pain, no more tears.
From Revelation 21 and 22 we learn that those who receive eternal life will be a family, the children of God, with community like relationships in the New Jerusalem. Relationship principles that God is now teaching us will be as applicable then as they are today. That is why God wants us to learn and apply His ways in our lives now. What we can take with us for all eternity is our love and concern for one another. Heaven will be a place beyond our greatest thoughts.
The full hope and meaning of an eternal existence with God and Jesus Christ are truly beyond what we can grasp or express. "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2).
John states that God hasn't revealed everything that He has in mind for us. We have seen prophecies that take us into the future about 1,000 years beyond Christ's promised return. As Paul wrote, we see spiritual concepts and promises in a kind of vague outline as if we were looking through steamed glass (1 Corinthians 13:12). But someday, as Paul also says in this verse, we will see clearly. What a day of rejoicing that will be!
We are assured that God's promise of eternal life is more than worth the effort, struggles and disappointments of life and death: "Therefore do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:16-18).
Everlasting life is a matter of faith (John 3:16). Faith is not just a warm, vague feeling that Jesus has done everything for us. Faith is a frame of mind that is expressed by the kind of person you choose to be, the actions that express what you believe (James 2:20-24). When all is said and done, we must have faith that eternal life is a gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:18; Philippians 3:12-14). Through Christ, because of what He did on the cross, with faith in Him we have nothing to fear! Praise the Lord!
As a Christian, you never have to fear anything, because God loves you and you love God, and Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior. Such a no fear mindset can aid our healing and recovery in this life. May you have such a mindset
Everlasting Life Conquers Death
Death has always been humanity's enemy. It brings loneliness, sadness, disorientation. But it need not be a mystery nor be entirely devastating. Even though it is inevitable, death is not the end. Though at times death seems unfair and arbitrary, it does not thwart God's plan for eternal life. Through a resurrection God will reunite us with believing family and friends and extend His promises to everyone who has ever lived who claims Jesus as savior.
Eventually there will come a time when death itself will be banished. Writing about the resurrection that will take place when Jesus returns, Paul paraphrased from the book of Hosea: "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades [grave] where is your victory?'" (1 Corinthians 15:53-55). Death will be swallowed up and defeated in the victory of eternal life. We do not need to fear death or disease or pain – Jesus has defeated all of it forever.
Taking this view of the future can give us hope and optimism at a time of great loss. "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep [died], lest you sorrow as others who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:30).
What is our eternal reward?
Some are put off by the thought of eternal life. Some feel this life is painful and difficult enough, so why would anyone want to live forever? Others may think that eternity sounds vague and uninteresting, that if it means they have to give up pleasure in this lifetime it just isn't worth the effort. They would rather experience all the good times they can for now and worry about eternity some other time. But the Bible paints a wonderful picture of Heaven.
The Scriptures show that God wants to give us an everlasting, eternal, immortal life. We are assured that it is more valuable than any physical treasure (Colossians 1:26-27; 2:2-3).
Still, there is much we do not know and there is much we can only imagine. Let's remember the limitations of our human experience and observation. God is so far above us that it is difficult for us to understand His way of living (Isaiah 55:9). What God is preparing to give us is beyond our wildest imaginations and fantasies. "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever" (Ephesians 3:20-21).
God is preparing our future
God is Creator. He plans, builds, implements. He designed the universe and devised His plan and our reward before He even started creating it (Matthew 25:34). He is planning and preparing an infinitely more exciting and rewarding life for us in His family (John 14:1-3). We can only try to begin to imagine the incredible, fulfilling and eternally enjoyable life He wants to give us-an eternal life free from human limitations and disappointments, weaknesses and suffering.
Pain, disappointment and death will be no more. John wrote of the "new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation 21:1): "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" (verse 4). I, for one, am looking forward to no more pain, no more tears.
From Revelation 21 and 22 we learn that those who receive eternal life will be a family, the children of God, with community like relationships in the New Jerusalem. Relationship principles that God is now teaching us will be as applicable then as they are today. That is why God wants us to learn and apply His ways in our lives now. What we can take with us for all eternity is our love and concern for one another. Heaven will be a place beyond our greatest thoughts.
The full hope and meaning of an eternal existence with God and Jesus Christ are truly beyond what we can grasp or express. "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2).
John states that God hasn't revealed everything that He has in mind for us. We have seen prophecies that take us into the future about 1,000 years beyond Christ's promised return. As Paul wrote, we see spiritual concepts and promises in a kind of vague outline as if we were looking through steamed glass (1 Corinthians 13:12). But someday, as Paul also says in this verse, we will see clearly. What a day of rejoicing that will be!
We are assured that God's promise of eternal life is more than worth the effort, struggles and disappointments of life and death: "Therefore do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:16-18).
Everlasting life is a matter of faith (John 3:16). Faith is not just a warm, vague feeling that Jesus has done everything for us. Faith is a frame of mind that is expressed by the kind of person you choose to be, the actions that express what you believe (James 2:20-24). When all is said and done, we must have faith that eternal life is a gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:18; Philippians 3:12-14). Through Christ, because of what He did on the cross, with faith in Him we have nothing to fear! Praise the Lord!
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