Suffering

Suffering. Not a popular subject. Especially in this "feel good" and "have what I want" culture of ours.

I often talk with Christians who become angry and discouraged in suffering. Financial issues. Health issues. Family issues. Employment issues. The ways we can struggle are endless, it would seem.

I believe that when we see this life as temporary and have our eye on eternity with God, it changes how we do suffering. Paul's focus was certainly on eternity:

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18

The writer of Hebrews apparently expected that we would suffer as Christians, as evidenced by those who have gone before us:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3

James believed that suffering produced good fruit in us here on earth:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

Paul had his priorities right. He considered loss and suffering to be nothing at all compared to the greatness of knowing Christ. (We've talked a lot about this passage over the past several months.) He saw suffering as something that God uses in our lives to make us more like Him:

"What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:8-11

Probably because of his "eternity mindedness," Paul found himself content in all circumstances. He knew it was just temporary:

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13

I encourage each of you to read the entire book of Philippians. It is a short read, but worthwhile. As you read it, ask yourself if you would have written that kind of a letter if you had been in prison.

What are your thoughts about suffering? Talk to me!

When You're Down

Today we talked about one of the most beloved passages in the New Testament. It is one that is often used to comfort people who are grieving a loss, but today we talked about it in the context of feeling desperate, worried, and hopeless. That pretty much sums up the way the disciples were feeling when Jesus spoke these words to them after telling them he was going to be betrayed:

"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going." John 14:1-4

Then Thomas asked Him how they would know the way to where He was going when they didn't even know WHERE He was going. Jesus answered:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:6

Jesus apparently knew that the disciples were feeling afraid of losing Him. They didn't want Him to go away, but wanted to stay with Him forever.

He encouraged them that He was still going to be with them, even when their senses couldn't see Him, hear Him, or touch Him. They had to "know Him" by faith, and they had to "be with Him" by faith. They had to trust Him to keep His promises even when they could no longer see Him.

What can we learn from this? Well, we have to learn to rely on our spiritual eyes and ears. If we only accept what we can see, hear, and touch with our physical senses, then it is no longer faith.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

So the next time you are feeling desperate or hopeless or ready to panic, don't rely on your physical senses. Rely more on your "spiritual senses", and remember that He is with you (Joshua 1:5), He keeps his promises (II Corinthians 1:20), and remember Who He is (John 14:6).

Instead of believing what your eyes see (the problem), believe in Him instead. Instead of believing what you hear (discouraging words), believe in Him instead. He is "I AM" and He is bigger than any problem you or I will ever face.

So what are your thoughts?

It's Not What You See, It's HOW You See It!

This morning, we talked about the Israelite spies who chose to believe what they saw with their eyes instead of believing God. This was an awesome God who had displayed His power on their behalf over and over. There were 40 years of wandering in the desert after that as a consequence for choosing not to believe God. Apparently God took their unbelief very seriously.

But today what I want to talk about is how our natural senses cause us to see things in a way that is different from God sees.

You see, what we see as bad, God often sees as good. What we see as something to be avoided, God sees as something to be embraced. What we see as something to escape from, God sees as an opportunity to grow.

I am reminded of the Sermon on the Mount, commonly known as The Beatitudes. Here are the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:3-12:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

"Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me."

"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

God asks us to embrace our emptiness and to do the opposite of what we are led to believe we ought to do. God wants us to understand that it is only as we come to Him as broken people that we can receive all He offers us. He wants us to know that it is only as we value what He values that we will see through His eyes. And when we see through His eyes, we are far less likely to do what the Israelites did, because we will not see the problem as a problem, but will see it as an opportunity for God to do something!

Thoughts? Talk to me!

Nothing Worthwhile is Really Free

No pain, no gain!

You get what you pay for!

There are no free lunches!

Those are some of the expressions we commonly hear that underscore the idea that anything worthwhile will come at a price. The price may be money, hard work, blood, sweat, tears, or whatever, but there is a cost.

When we talk about the wonderful freedom that we have in Christ, we must remember that it came at a great price. A price paid by our Lord and Savior.

Have you ever considered that? Have you ever really thought about not only what He did for you, but what it means in your life? He bought you freedom, yes, but He also bought you peace, abundant life, hope, and a host of other benefits. All for you, a sinner who had no way of extricating yourself from the grip that sin had on your life.

We owed a huge debt, and the tab just ran up and up with every day of our lives. We were born sinners. Ka-ching! (We were in trouble at that point, because the debt was already bigger than we could pay.) Then we threw a temper tantrum when we didn't get our way. Ka-ching! We lied to our mom! Ka-ching! We cheated on a test! Ka-ching! Before long, the tab was enormous.

God intervened, because we were helpless. We had no ability to pay the debt.

Now here's the cool part: If we had died for our sins, it would have been a just payment. But God decided to go beyond that. He decided to have Jesus die for our sins, but not just to pay the debt, but also to set us free and buy us life eternal.

It would be kind of like a guy committing heinous crimes, someone else stepping in to do the time in prison, and then at the same time giving the criminal a special gift. Where in the universe would that happen, folks? But that is exactly what Jesus did for us!

One of my biggest concerns is that we seriously don't get it. We, many of us, see ourselves as people that aren't "all that bad" and we just needed Jesus to "spruce us up a little." Not true. Not true on any level. We were broken and dirty, and Jesus found us in a garbage heap and took us in to His family and His home. He gave us a cloak of righteousness to wear, and put our past behind us.

It is a good thing that God "forgets" our sins and He remembers them no more, but it is also a good thing if we don't. I don't want to see us walking around depressed and feeling guilty for our past, but I do think it is good to never forget what He saved us from. That reminds me of a chorus:

Roll back the curtain of memory now and then.
Show me where you brought me from
And where I could have been.
Just remember I'm a human and humans forget,
So remind me, remind me dear Lord.

If we know where we came from, the natural outcome of that is to walk in gratefulness to a Lord and Savior who we serve faithfully and obediently for the rest of our lives.

Raising a G-Rated Family in an R-Rated World

This is really a continuation of our series on Living Like We Belong to God. It is just a different twist!

If we want to raise children who live like they belong to God, then we need to have a home environment where God is honored and where pleasing Him and knowing Him is central to all we do.

That starts (no surprise here) with us. We must live our lives in ways that not only model for our children what Godly living is, but also encourages them to want to follow after our God. We must set an example. We must discipline with love. We must teach them. We must walk our talk. We must point them to Jesus.

Yesterday, I gave you some questions to go home and talk about with your family. I hope you did that. Here are the questions, and some brief remarks.

1) Are my spouse and kids closer to God or more distant from Him because of me? Examine your life, how you conduct yourself, what you talk about, how you interact with your family. Does that inspire your family to want to follow God as well? Do they see Jesus in you? Do you display the character of God and the fruit of the Spirit in your life? Are you one person at home and another one outside of the home? Remember, your spouse and kids are watching!

Paul wrote:

"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." I Corinthians 11:1

Ask yourself if you feel comfortable saying that to your family. If not, then you have some changes to make!

2) Can my family see that doing God's will is the most important priority in my life? When we live in ways that it is obvious that the word of God is central to our lives, it will demonstrate our priorities. Not only knowing His word, of course, but also obeying Him. What your family sees you DOING tells them what is important to you. Actions speak louder than words, as the old saying goes.

Paul wrote to Timothy,

"I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also." I Timothy 1:5

It is apparent that Timothy learned by watching his mother and grandmother.

3) Does our family take a few minutes each day to read and discuss God's word? This doesn't mean that you have to have what we used to call "family devotions" each day. While family devotions can be a good thing, it can also become something that we "check off our to-do list" each day. The essential thing is to be discussing God's word in terms of what it is saying, meaning, and how it applies to our lives. By doing so, we are following the principle of old:

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9

4) Do all the family members pray together at least once a day? Remember, we're not talking about just prayer over meals. Family prayer can be a great way to help your children become comfortable with prayer. I know so many adults that are not comfortable with praying out loud or even praying silently. If children are raised from early in life experiencing prayer, they will not only come to be comfortable with it, but they will also see it as a normal part of life. That's a good thing!

5) Is our family ministering to others who are needy, lonely, and struggling, or are we self-sufficient and isolated from those whom Christ came to serve? We are called to live in community and be the body of Christ to one another. Encouraging. Admonishing. Praying. Helping. Sharing. Children who grow up in a family that is highly connected to the body of Christ as a part of their daily lives (not just Sunday, folks) will be much more likely to follow the biblical model of that.

"All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need." Acts 4:32-35

"But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Hebrews 3:13

6) Does our family talk to one another in loving tones as though we appreciate and value each other? If I were a fly on the wall in your home, or a mouse in your pocket, would I hear respect and honor, or would I hear you relating to one another in ways that don't honor God? Do you behave towards your family differently at home than you do in public? Ask your spouse that question.

"Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who love his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church, for we are members of his body. 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh' This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." Ephesians 5:22-33

Spend some time this week asking yourselves, but more importantly asking God, about these questions. Ask Him to show you where you need to make some changes.

And, as always, talk to me! What are your thoughts? Post a comment, please!

Living Like We Belong to God - Part II

Isn't it interesting living in New Testament grace, that God hasn't changed? We often say, "oh well, we are under grace so we don't have to live anymore under the law anymore." While that may be true in one sense, it doesn't change the fact that God's requirements haven't changed at all.

Consider this:

God in talking to his chosen people (Israel) told them, "Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy." Leviticus 19:2

God expected them to obey His commands and be a holy people.

Now consider this: Peter, in his first letter, wrote to the church "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written, 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" I Peter 1:15-16

Old Testament or New Testament, God's command is the same. Be holy. God expects obedience, even though our sins are covered by the blood of Christ and forgiven.

We are a people who belong to God, and our obedience to Him demonstrates that. So does our love for Him, our neighbors, and each other. God wants us to be a people that is so different from the world that it is obvious that we are Christians.

If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? It is an interesting question, isn't it?

So how do the people around you know that you are a Christian, or do they? Talk to me!

Living Like We Belong to God - Part I

I Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light."

Separation is a theme that starts way back in the very first chapter of Genesis:

Genesis 1:3-4 "And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness."

He separated light from darkness, because he saw that the light was good.

Light is a theme that is found in the book of I John. John uses the contrast of light and darkness to talk about how we should be different from the world. (See I John 1:5-7 and 2:7-11) If you read the entire book of I John, you will discover that one of the themes in it is that we are to be different from the world.

• We are to walk in light and not darkness.
• We are to love and not hate our brothers/sisters.
• We are to cling to the truth and not be led astray by lies.
• We are not to sin, but instead we are to obey God.

It is pretty clear that what seems "normal" to us, is something we should ask God about. We are clearly to be different. We are clearly to live so that people around us know that we are His.

Just as the priests of the Old Testament were held to a high standard, we are now the priests of the New Testament era. We have that high standard. It is true that our sins are paid for by Christ's death on the cross, but that doesn't change who God is or what He expects. His standard of holiness has not changed.

God takes disobedience very seriously, and as members of the "fraternity" of all believers, as New Testament era priests, we need to remember what God's standard is. We need to be diligent in our desire and effort to obey God.

Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will."

What does that passage tell us to do?

• Offer your body as a living sacrifice.
  
• Do not conform to the pattern of this world.
• Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
  

So what I am encouraging you to do this week is examine this passage. Is your body a living sacrifice? To me that means your body, but also everything that is "packaged" in your body--your mind, will, emotions, choices, etc. Do you lay it all on the altar?

How does your life conform to the pattern of the world? Are there ways in which you conform that aren't sinful in terms of breaking the ten commandments, but they aren't God's best for you? I probably see this mostly in the area of priorities. Soccer game is a higher priority than church. Baseball practice is more important than spending time in God's word. Hobbies are more important than regular participation in a small group. You get the idea.

Are you being transformed? Is your mind being renewed? Transformation is often slow, but when you (or others) compare yourself to how you were a year ago or five years ago, is there obvious change? There should be! You should think different, look different (and I'm not talking about taking off a few pounds or having more gray hair!), act different, and have different priorities in your life.

Talk to me. What are your thoughts about this idea of being different and "Living Like You Belong to God?" Post a comment!