Archive for the ‘Trial and Temptation’ Category

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Questions Asked In Confirmation

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

We have been blessed with a staggering number (34!) of students signed up for confirmation this year (between first and second year students.)  I thought I’d periodically share some questions/ponderings they ask/share as we move through our over-view of the bible.

Here are some from our first night together:

  • Why did people in early bible times live so long and people today don’t live as long?
  • (Looking at the *big picture* of God before the creation, planning not only Creation but Salvation) “So, did God know all the tragedies that would happen before he made the world?”
  • (considering how God knows the future) “Does God cause the bad things that happen, or just know they will happen?”
  • If God loves everyone, why, in Noah’s day, did he wipe out the world with a flood?
  • God created everything.    So God made Satan.   But then did evil come from God?

My question back to them after several of these was the following:

So.  God knew in advance all the pain that would be experienced.  All the grief and sadness he himself would experience.  God knew in advance that he, himself, would have to suffer and die to make things right again.  God didn’t need us.  He is completely full and sufficient in himself.  Why, then, would he go through with his plan to make this world, knowing in advance all the pain and suffering that would come, that he himself would have to endure?

One girl answered: “Because he loves us.”

Posted in Bible Study and Meditation, Church Events, Confirmation, Jesus, Suffering, The Problem of Evil | No Comments »

Have You Forgotten….?

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

I really appreciated a scene from the book I just finished.

A King threw a party for his nobles and friends.  He wanted to celebrate the birth of a child to friends of his.  All the nobles and officials came to the party but were  rude and suspicious as to the reason for the party. (Was the king using the opportunity to announce a raise in taxes?)   Because of all this, they could not truly enjoy themselves.

The king’s friend and bard stood up and addressed those gathered in the hall:

“Have you become so numb to goodness , so cold to joy that you no longer recognize it when you see it?  Have your eyes become so blind and your ears so stopped to the gladness around you?….Have you forgotten the births of your own sons and daughters so that you cannot remember the way your hearts beat for happiness?  Have you never gathered kinsmen and friends to your hearth to raise your voices in song for the pleasure of singing?  Do each of you now live in such misery that you must deny the sound of laughter?  Are you grown so hard that the touch of a friend’s hand upon your shoulder is nothing more that n the touch of wind upon stone?”  Taliesin, pg. 430

It can be so easy to be swallowed up in grief and pain that we lose sight of all the joys we have experienced.  All the blessings we have received.  The bard here teaches us to reflect on those times of happiness and joy in life so that we do not forget how to celebrate, how to enjoy life-even in hard times.  The Psalmists often have the same approach.

See Psalm 77:10-20 for one example.  We look back and remember the ways that God has blessed us and intervened in the past, so that we might not become discouraged in the present.

Posted in Joy, Suffering, What I'm Reading | No Comments »

But Oh the Joy!

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

But, in the midst of so much pain, there is still oh-so-much JOY!  I will post more on this tomorrow.  In the mean time, when confronted with pain and suffering, whether yours or that of another, never (NEVER!) lose sight of the multiplicity of joy in our lives.  Of the countless blessings that are showered on us day by day, moment by moment.  As Paul says–”Rejoice in the Lord–ALWAYS!”  (See Phil 4)

Posted in Suffering | No Comments »

The Weight of Grief and Pain

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

The past several days have brought me face to face with all sorts of pain and grief in the lives of people.  There are always hurting people, and as a pastor I’m often confronted with pain.  But sometimes it seems to come in more intense waves.  It could be people facing disease or illnesses;  Sudden death of a loved one.  It could be facing the sometimes stupid, sometimes petty, sometimes flat-out evil things that people do and say.

Sometimes the weight of all this pain and hurt looks like it will crush those in the midst of it.  Sometimes it feels as though it will crush me–even though I am merely walking along side people who are at the center of the “storm” of life.  At times like this, I often wonder at the capacity of God to endure so much suffering.  I’m only exposed to a tiny portion–God knows all and sees all moment by moment, day by day.  I cannot comprehend having that level of intimate knowledge of people’s  sorrows and pain.  How does a God who is full of compassion and love endure it?

This is even more marvelous to consider, when we think of the cross.  There.  On the cross.  Jesus entered into the heart of human suffering, as he carried the full weight of our sins and then bore the full outpouring of God’s righteous anger against that sin.  He endured the ultimate agony for us that we might eventually know perfect peace:  A day when death, mourning, crying and pain are no more. (see Revelation 21).  People have brought so much pain to their creator’s heart!  Apparently, he considers us worth the price of love.

Posted in Jesus, Suffering | No Comments »

The Blessing of the Body of Christ

Saturday, April 17th, 2010

I experienced today, once again, the sweet blessing of being a part of the Body of Christ.  I’m nearing the end of a four year leadership training process in which I’ve been matched with six other pastors to learn and grow and share in the process.  We’ve gotten close.  Today, one our our brothers learned that he has cancer.  He was miles from home and family as he got the news.    But he was with us, and we were able to surround him with love and cover him and his wife in prayer.  It’s a painful and uncertain time, but the love of Christ was tangible in the midst of it as we cared for one another.

Posted in Personal, Prayer, Suffering, The Body of Christ | No Comments »

Turning the Tables On Ourselves

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

“The Hole In the Gospel” related a simple little exchange I’ve seen elsewhere.  It’s powerful.  Two people (or in one case, I think it was “turtles” in a cartoon) are talking.  One says to the other, “Where is God in the face of all the suffering in this world when He has it in his power to act?”   The other responds,  “I’m afraid God will ask me the same thing.”

Skeptics are fond of criticizing the idea of a good and loving God in the face of a world filled with pain and suffering.  But could it be that God has supplied everything necessary (through his people and the resources entrusted to them) to assist many in the midst of their suffering?

Would it not then be true, that the apathy of followers of Jesus in the face of suffering and need enhances the blasphemy and doubt expressed by many skeptics?  What would happen if the Church of Jesus stepped up its level of response to the greatest needs of the world?  Would such a response not then result in praises to God?

Sure it would.  Jesus himself says so.

Matthew 5: 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Posted in Atheism, Serving, Sharing The Faith, Stewardship of God's Resources, Suffering, skepticism | No Comments »

Stand Firm

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

I’m reading through Isaiah and this verse struck me this morning:

If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. Isaiah 7:9

The prophet was speaking words of both warning and encouragement to the nation of Judah in the face of the threat of national disaster.  He urged them to be calm, to not give into fear when the LORD, their God was with them.

There are at least two ways to apply this verse.  The first looks at our emotional, spiritual and mental state when we do not “stand firm in faith.”  The reality is that we have two options at every moment in the face of every hardship, threat or disaster.  We can give way to fear, or we can trust in the goodness, love and power of God in the face of the threat.  It may be easy to give into fear.  The physical, visible experience may be quite overpowering and difficult.  It may be especially hard to “see through” the experience to the Invisible, yet very real God, who continues to work things out for the good of those who love Him.  But we must.  If we give way to fear–we will be a mess.  Gone will be the peace, the confidence, the security that can help us to function when we most need our “wits about us.”  It is our trust in God in the midst of the “storms of life” that keeps us anchored to the only thing that is not tossing and turning in this troubled world.  When we let go of that trust–we will be swept away in the waves as well.

The second application of this is far more serious than our mental or emotional state at any given moment.  It deals with our very life and salvation.  It is “through faith” that we are saved from the ultimate disaster of an eternity apart from God.  It is “through faith” that we receive the blessings of forgiveness, righteousness and life that God gives to us on account of the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus.  If we abandon faith, we abandon the means by which we receive and apprehend the promises of God and we are lost.  We will not stand firm forever, but will be lost.

If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.

But these applications still look at this from the perspective of ME and what I get out of this faith thing.  They still fail to look at the object of our trust.  The reality is that we should trust God not because it will keep us the most calm or give us the most sense of peace.  We should not even trust God simply to avoid eternal destruction.  We should trust God, because God is worthy of our trust.

God IS good, loving and powerful.  He IS able to save us and provide eternal security, joy and peace.  He has proved His goodness in the giving of His Son on the cross.  He has given us His Spirit as a pledge of the inheritance that is ours through faith in Him.  God IS faithful and He will do what He has promised.

Posted in Trial and Temptation, Trust | No Comments »

The Word of God

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

In the message Sunday, we reflected on the work of God in the midst of suffering.  We saw that in the account of the Temptation of Jesus, the Devil and God had two different agendas.  The devil sought to “tempt” Jesus to bring him to ruin.  God wanted to “test” Jesus to prove him to be faithful.  In our own lives, God may use periods of trial and testing to drive us back to Himself.

There are so many additional things to be learned from this Temptation Account.  (Read Luke 4).  One of the chief things is the way in which Jesus fends off the Devil’s temptations.  Three times the Devil tempts Jesus, and three times Jesus simply replies with God’s Word.  God’s Word foils the devils schemes.

His Word is truth, and the Devil is the Father of Lies.

His Word brings life, and the Devil was a murderer from the beginning.

His Word is brings forgiveness, and the Devil is the slanderer and the accuser–for that is his name.

God’s Word, in short is everything and does everything the devil is not.  God’s Word is the “sword of the Spirit” by which we may resist the Devil and watch him flee.

Jesus had this Word on His mind and in his heart.  Is the Word of God ready on your lips?  Do you spend time pondering and meditating on the Word of the Lord?

Psalm 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

Posted in Bible Study and Meditation, Expanding On the Sermon, Trial and Temptation | No Comments »

On the Anniversary of Her Son’s Death

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

A friend wrote a beautiful blog post on the anniversary of her son’s death.  (He would be nine today.)  It’s filled with faith and bible references that have helped them along.   We got to know them through our adoption process; they were one of the families in our group.  Check it out here.

Posted in Adoption, Personal, Suffering | No Comments »

An Open Note to Cancer

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Dear Cancer,

You are evil.  Yes.  You are a wretched result of humanity’s rebellion against its Creator, but you are still evil.  I hate the suffering you cause, the fear you try to stir up, and the division of families you hope to accomplish.  But your reign of terror will end.  You will NOT have the last word.

For at the return of their Lord Christ, they will rise.  These bodies that you torment and ravage will rise again, gloriously restored to an even better condition than when you first assaulted them.  Your days are numbered.  You WILL be destroyed.

Posted in Resurrection, The End Times, The Third Article, Trial and Temptation | No Comments »

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