Category: Suffering

Shared Trials

Posted on by scott

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” – Romans 12:15 

The Fall

Sticking with the puzzle theme (tis the season). If there is anything in the puzzle realm more frustrating than missing pieces (see the last post), it is seeing a 3000 piece puzzle on the floor. Scattered. Think of 52 pickup on steroids.

Tired of working on a puzzle on my living room floor (think aging knees and back), I decided to carry our massive puzzle, perhaps one third finished, into the kitchen to work on the table. Since we were building the puzzle on a quarter inch piece of plywood, moving it is fairly easy. Usually.

So, I picked up the plywood by the outside edges and slowly made my way around the couch and then into the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, I simply had to lift the board over the captain’s chair at the head of the table and set it down on its new workstation. Unfortunately, as I was raising the board to clear the chair, the middle sagged and clipped the back of the chair. Yes, I saw the puzzle pieces flying through the air in slow motion before they came cascading down.

What did I have to show for hours of puzzle “work”? I believe the above picture says it pretty well. Not only was the puzzle far from resembling the picture on the box cover, it didn’t even look like the puzzle of five minutes prior!!

With a puzzle omelet on the kitchen floor, we found ourselves at a crossroad of sorts. Or perhaps better yet, a moment of truth. Now what? Seeing her investment of time scattered across the kitchen floor, my wife decided it was time to put the puzzle back in the box and move on to a different (read less complicated) puzzle. Being the person responsible for the puzzle scattered across the kitchen floor, I wasn’t ready to acquiesce. Fortunately, I am six days her elder, and hence could play the senior card. Which means we compromised!!

The puzzle is now being resumed in my man cave in the basement. And would you believe, one of the border pieces is now missing?!

Shattered Portrait

Seeing those puzzle pieces strewn across the floor reminded me of a prayer “my” pastor prayed years ago in a deacon’s meeting. As a deacon board, we had been discussing the sad situation of a young family in our church that was devastated by the marital infidelity of one of the parents. There was no insulating ourselves from the tragedy. When one member of the body hurts, we all hurt (1 Cor. 12:26).

Responding to the pain of others isn’t always (if ever) easy. Words can seem so shallow, or even condescending, if we haven’t had the same experience. Let’s be honest, sometimes there just aren’t any words (at the moment)!! Besides, what if our desire to reach out isn’t reciprocated with a desire to be reached? At least not now! Perhaps we will be misunderstood. How do we let those hurting know we care without overwhelming them? They need our love, but they also want their privacy.

(Off of the soap box and back to the deacon’s meeting) Sorry.

When we are faced with a moment of truth, it is always wise to pray, so we did. In the midst of our confusion and heightened emotion levels, our pastor summed up the situation so well in his prayer. He prayed for healing for this family whose family portrait was now fractured. Like the puzzle on the floor, it no longer looked like it did previously. The beautiful picture of this family was now seen through shattered glass. Unfortunately, broken glass does more than mar the image; it scars. Often for life.

Fallen Pieces

Moments of truth. We have all had them. Times in our life when the pieces are scattered. Picking them up may seem inundating if not impossible. Some of them may never be accounted for. At least not in this lifetime.

Testing times. Times in our lives when the glass is shattered. They may vary in severity. They may vary in duration. But their coming is a certainty.

Inventory time. I am not sure if life’s trials so much test what we have as expose what we lack. While you ponder that, let me ask you one question: How is your autonomy?

While we may have little or no control over the tests that come our way, we are told how we should respond as a body. Even though I dropped the puzzle, my wife and son who were building it with me, were on their hands and knees picking it up with me.

Isn’t that a beautiful picture of the Christian life?

Living Love

When God created Adam and Eve, He made them His image bearers. When they fell, sin marred that image. If I may use the expression, God’s family portrait was shattered. Since humanity is incapable of restoring the picture, God sent His Son in the form of a man to do so.

As a teacher Christ told us that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul and mind. And the second greatest is to love our neighbors as ourselves. And then shortly before His death on the cross He gave His disciples a new commandment, to love one another as He had loved them.

When He performed His first miracle, Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding. Certainly, He rejoiced with those who rejoiced. But at the grave of Lazarus, we have a more poignant picture of our Suffering Servant. Jesus wept. God in flesh and blood shedding tears. The Head of the body, sharing our pain.

Last month, we attended the funeral of a stillborn infant, and celebrated our son’s birthday in a matter of hours. That day could serve as a microcosm of our lives. Certainly, there is no lack of opportunity for rejoicing and weeping with others. The real issue, is how do we respond when the opportunities arise?

Martyn Lloyd Jones once said, “There is no more thorough test of our profession of the Christian faith than just this ability to feel with other Christians.”

More importantly, Jesus said:

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:35

May we heed the words of our Savior who will forever wear the scars from restoring the family.

Unplanned

Posted on by scott


Unseen

From time to time we see images that we just can’t shake.  Some sights just haunt us for days, weeks, and sometimes even years.  But what do you do with a sight that haunts you even though you have not seen it?

Such is the case with Unplanned, a movie I have not yet seen, but one that has shaken me nevertheless.

Unplanned is based on the experiences of Abby Johnson, one of the youngest Planned Parenthood clinic directors in the United States.  In her position, Abby was involved in upwards of 22,000 abortions, primarily in a counseling capacity.  A role that she felt fulfilment in.

But Abby’s world would be turned upside down.  After years of defending a woman’s right to “choose” and dismissing the carnage as nothing more than a mass of unfeeling tissue, Abby would eventually see something she could never “unsee”.

Moving Pictures

For Abby, the day came when she was taken away from her desk and placed in the abortion room.  When God took Abby from her desk, He moved her from the realm of fine sounding words and propaganda and placed her in front of stark reality.  As she witnessed an abortion carried out on the ultrasound, Abby found her arguments reduced to mere rubble.

As difficult as it was to watch, there was no denying what was unfolding before her eyes.  What she had so long dismissed as a “blob of unfeeling tissues” was anything but.  Abby could see discernible arms and legs.  She could see tiny little hands and tiny little feet.  And then she witnessed these limbs being separated one by one by a vacuum placed into the uterus by the abortionist.

Graphic?  Absolutely.  But sometimes, like Abby, we need to be shaken to our core.  The cost of ignorance and apathy are just too high to hide behind our “desks” and meaningless rhetoric.  Like so many others, Abby was fed a lie and feasted on it until she believed it.  It took the sight of an unborn baby trying to “swim” away from an abortion vacuum to open her eyes.

How long can we live in our lies?

Reality Check

Let’s be honest.  We have all heard the statistics of abortions so often that perhaps we have become numb or calloused to them.

But God hasn’t.

There is no second chance for the 22,000 babies whose deaths Abby was associated with.

Ponder that for a moment.

Forty four thousand eyes will never witness a sunrise or a sunset.  Nor will they ever see a rainbow.

Forty four thousand hands will never hold a teddy bear or a doll.  Nor will they ever push a stroller or pull a wagon.

Forty four thousand feet will never leave footprints in the sand, nor will we ever hear their pitter patter coming down the stairs on Christmas morning.

Forty four thousand ears will never hear a bird sing or enjoy the sounds of music.

Twenty two thousand voices, silenced before any ear could ever hear them, will never whisper, “I love you.”

And these are just the deaths that Abby Johnson was personally associated with.  And there are countless Abby Johnsons out there.

Pro Life

Abby Johnson not only counseled many women to have abortions, but she also “chose” to end a couple of her own pregnancies with death.  When God opened Abby’s eyes to the reality of abortion Abby could do only one thing.  Ask for God’s forgiveness.  And she did.

But armed with the truth, Abby desired more than forgiveness, as precious as that was.  She wanted to be used of God to open the eyes of others.  Today, Abby is a top notch Pro Life speaker and activist.  Often sharing her story with others who are contemplating an abortion or who are suffering the consequences associated with having had one.

That life inside of a womb is not just a mass of tissue.  As Abby witnessed that day on the ultrasound, it is a baby Human Being with defined arms, legs, hands, and feet.

But even these don’t define the baby.

That baby in the womb is God’s creation.  Wonderfully knitted together by Him for a purpose (Psalm 139:13).

There is nothing unplanned about that life in the womb.

Redemption

As important as the abortion issue is, Unplanned is about more than that single issue.  It is about forgiveness.  It is about redemption.  Even while Abby Johnson was living in the spiritual darkness associated with her Planned Parenthood profession there were Believers praying for her spiritual eyes to be opened to the light of Truth.

And they were.

I am not trying to heap guilt on anyone who has had an abortion.  We are all sinners in need of salvation.  While there are many things we can learn from the experiences of Abby Johnson, perhaps the most important is that God can and will forgive anyone.  We just need to humble ourselves in repentance and ask for it.

But we must realize, God’s forgiveness is only found in the Person of Jesus Christ.

When we are living in darkness, He is the Light of the Word.  When we are enslaved to lies, He is the Truth that sets us free.

If you are still living in your sins, I pray that God would shake you to your core and open your eyes to the Truth, just as He did for Abby Johnson.

Blood

No one loves the unborn more than Jesus.  He went to the cross and died for them.  He shed His blood so that they might have eternal life.  But Jesus not only died for the unborn.

He died for Abby Johnson.

He died for abortion doctors.

He died for you and me.

It doesn’t matter how much “blood” is on our hands, the blood of Christ was shed to wash us white as snow (Isaiah 1:18).  As cruel and “shocking” as the cross and the crucifixion may have been, they were part of God’s infinite plan to “shake” us to our core.

The End

As time allows, I intend to see the movie Unplanned.  I will go knowing that I will experience the full gamut of emotions.

I will weep for the aborted children.  I will be angry at those who so callously take innocent lives.  Certainly I will rejoice with those who have their spiritual eyes opened to the Truth.  But most importantly I will be grateful to God for His grace.

I know when I leave the theater I will be unable to “unsee” the graphic sights intended to shake away my indifference.  But that’s okay, because I know there is a bigger, infinite picture.

I believe that those tiny souls that were denied the joys of earth, are in the presence of their Creator and Savior.  In the comfort and safety of Heaven they are basking in the love they were denied on earth.

To Jesus they are not a statistic.  They are His children.  Forever each one of them will look Jesus in the eye and say, “I love you.”

I can’t wait to see it.

Revealed Glory

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18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. – Romans 8:18

“Jesus Wept”

That is what is recorded in the eleventh chapter of John’s Gospel.  It is the shortest verse in the Bible but it says so much about our Savior.  Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days and his sisters Mary and Martha were devastated.  It appeared Jesus was too late to help them.  As Martha was soon to point out.

Upon hearing that Jesus was coming, Martha ran out to meet Him on the way.  When she met Jesus, she wasted no time in rebuking Him.  Martha had enough faith in Jesus to believe that had He been present four days earlier, her brother Lazarus would still be alive.  According to her faith, Jesus could have prevented Lazarus’ death.  Reality is, Jesus is capable of so much more.

Jesus’ response to Martha was short but profound, “Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23).  Martha was soon to witness that she was indeed standing in the presence of the one who is the resurrection and the life (v. 25).  But more tears would precede the resurrection.

Before Jesus could reach the tomb of Lazarus, He surveyed the sorrow of Mary, Martha and their Jewish friends.  Moved with compassion, Jesus wept with them.

Tears all Around

In the last few weeks, we have experienced not only the death of my mother, but our lives have also been impacted by the occurrence of two suicides.  Just when we attempt to come up for breath, we are hit by more waves.

In the past week, our church family has been blindsided by the news of a severe auto accident and the arson of the home of one of our missionaries.  With so much suffering, there has been no shortage of tears.

Like Martha, we are tempted to say, if Jesus had been present these things would not have happened.  Like Martha, our faith needs to be increased.

Light Afflictions?

Too often our lives seem to be dominated by tragedies and suffering.  These things not only vie for our time they also drain us emotionally and physically.  Often times they completely beat us up.  And yet Paul refers to such things as “light momentary afflictions” (2 Cor. 4:17).  How can he say this?

How do you tell a family grieving over the body of a deceased loved one that what they are experiencing is a light affliction?  What balm can alleviate the pain of a young woman whose wedding plans were replaced by funeral arrangements for her late fiance?  Instead of the bliss of matrimonial union, she is experiencing the pain of separation.

What do you say to little children who will never again be embraced by their mother because she has been laid to rest way too young?  How about the missionary family sifting through the ashes of what used to be their home and earthly possessions?

These things seem anything but light and momentary.  In fact, they are earth-shattering experiences that leave us traumatized and scarred.  But although we only seem to feel the “damage” of these present sufferings, God is using them to transform us.  As F.F. Bruce said, “As the hardships wore down the outer man, they were at the same time used by God for the renewal of the inner man and the augmenting of his heritage of glory.”

Paul’s Perspective

What could make Paul write that our afflictions are light and momentary?  How could he consider that our present sufferings are relatively “nothing”?  As humans, God has made us emotional beings.  As alluded to above, we are capable of very strong emotions.  Think about the depth of the sorrow you have experienced during your greatest suffering and ask yourself, how special must the “glory to be revealed” be if Paul says our sufferings are not even worth the comparison?

Paul’s perspective on suffering was not congenital.  It is not something he inherited from his parents or learned in the Synagogues.  Paul was only able to write such radical words about suffering because of his radical conversion.

Paul had the unique privilege, (although it probably didn’t feel like it at the time), of being in the presence of the glory of Christ.  On his way to Damascus, Paul received a special revelation from Jesus and the brightness of the encounter left him temporarily blind.  When his eyesight was restored three days later, Paul saw things more clearly than ever.  Including suffering.

Paul was given a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble, but his thorn in the flesh was nothing in comparison to the new hope in his heart.

Concealed Glory

When Jesus took on flesh and blood, his glory was temporarily “concealed”.  When Peter, James, and John accompanied Jesus during His transfiguration, they were given a glimpse of the majesty that is Christ’s. His appearance overwhelmed them just as it would overwhelm Paul on the road to Damascus.

What will Jesus look like in all of His glory?  Although Scriptures give us a glimpse of our Savior, and through Him, our Heavenly Father, sin limits our ability to see them clearly.  As Paul writes to the church at Corinth, now we see through a dark glass (1 Cor. 13:12).

What will it be like when the dark glass is removed?

When John had a vision of Jesus on the island of Patmos, he fell to the ground as if dead before the feet of his glorified Savior.  When John would write about Heaven in the Book of Revelation he gave us but a glimpse.  Our earthly minds can’t comprehend future glory.

Even with the illumination of the Holy Spirit, we have to admit that Christ’s glory is still concealed from us.  However, we see enough to make us long for more.  Like Paul would write just before his execution, we should love His appearing (2 Tim. 4:8).

Hidden in Christ

When Paul wrote to the Believers at Colossae, he told them that they had died with Christ and now their lives were hidden in Christ (Col. 3:3).  This is a beautiful truth that assures us of our safety in Christ and at the same time implies that although we are radically changed by Salvation, for the most part, who we are in Christ is hidden from the eyes of the world.

Although we are a new Creation, we continue to live in our old tent.  As long as we are in the flesh we will continue to suffer.

From all outward appearances, our new identity is hidden.  But the seed has been planted.  Appearances aren’t always what they seem.  In time reality will be revealed!!

Glory Revealed

As long as we walk this earth, we will suffer.  I am not trying to be depressing, I am only being honest.  But as long as suffering is our fate and the waves keep rolling, I am going to throw out hope to cling to just as Paul did.

Jesus is not unaware of our suffering.  As we saw from His tears, He is sympathetic to our sorrows.  But more important than the tears he shed was the blood He bled on our behalf.  While it is comforting to know that Jesus is compassionate, it is more important to know that He is the resurrection and the life.

Jesus suffered so we could have hope.

As Paul would go on to encourage the church at Colossae, Christ will appear, and we will appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:4).  Knowing in part will give way to full knowledge (1 Cor. 13:12).

Someday, we will not only see Christ face to face, but the Scriptures tell us we will be like Him (1 John 3:2).  In other words, we will not only see His glory, we will share it with Him (Rom. 8:17).

Unworthy

What do we do when suffering comes our way?  We grieve.  With hope.  Like Jesus, we are not afraid to show our emotions.  It is important to mourn with those who mourn.  But our tears will only last a short time.

As I said before, our suffering and grief are only a backdrop against which glory will be contrasted.  The depth of our sorrows will be nothing compared to the joy that awaits us.  A joy that will not be constrained by our earthly bodies or finite minds.  We will experience the joy of Christ’s perfection.

When we contemplate the effect that the glory of Christ had on Paul, Peter, James, and John we begin to understand their attitude towards suffering.  The instruments God uses to conform us to the image of Christ will seem trivial when we behold Him in all of His glory.

As Paul will go on to tell us in Romans chapter eight, the revealing of the sons of God in glory is the consummation for which the universe waits with longing expectancy (Romans 8:18-25).

Jesus is indeed the resurrection and the life, and in His humility, He has “redeemed” suffering and will share His glory.  We may not understand our present suffering, but it will all be worth it when glory is revealed to us.

2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. – 1 John 3:2

Present Sufferings

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18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  – Romans 8:18

Crazy Eights

I last wrote about the passing of my mother.  As we passed the hours at her bedside we often talked about my mother’s penchant for the number eight.  Ironically, my mother would pass away on 08-08-2018.  The time of her passing was roughly 8:18 p.m.  And of course she passed with all 8 of her children at her bedside.

It seemed that every time we turned around, the number eight or eighteen confronted us.  Of course, sometimes you would have to be a little creative in looking for it.  For instance, when you add up the digits for my mother’s birthdate, the total is eighteen.  Ok, so I started to have a little fun with numbers, but we are just getting started.

After the funeral, a couple of my siblings delivered some flowers to the nursing home and picked up some clothing articles that belonged to my mother.  On the way home, they stopped for lunch and at the restaurant, they found a penny dated 1943, the year of my mother’s birth.  I have to admit that is a little strange.  Now if you add the four digits you get a total of 17, and of course, if you add those two digits you get a total of 8.  Should I even mention that the blog about my mother’s passing was blog number 170?  Of course, those digits also add up to 8.  Amazing what you can do with numbers!!

All silliness aside, on my mother’s porch were some painted rocks placed there for encouragement when she was diagnosed with cancer.  On one of these rocks was painted, “Romans 8:18”.  I thought that since today is 08-18-2018, it might be a good time to look at this verse.  There is nothing crazy about these eights.

Romans Eight

Much like we had fun with the number eight during the difficult time of my mother’s passing, we found solace in the words Paul recorded in Romans 8:18.  Seeing our mother suffer during the last two years of her life and especially during the final days was often overwhelming.  Suffering is never pleasant but seeing our loved ones suffering is even more difficult.  As bad as experiencing suffering is, spectating it is no walk in the park either.  No one likes to feel so vulnerable or helpless.

As we go through such experiences it is easy to ask the question, “Why?”.  It just doesn’t seem to make any logical sense.  In such a position, especially when we are sleep deprived, you can begin to understand to a degree why people like Jack Kevorkian have an audience and even a “clientele”.  If we lived in a “closed system” and this world is all there is, get me out of here with as little suffering as possible!!

But as Paul reminds us in today’s passage, we don’t live in a closed system.  This world is not all there is.  Suffering may be part and parcel of this “present” time, but compared to the future glory it is nothing.  Not even worth the comparison.

Sorry, Dr. Death, your logic is no match for Jesus, who is the Way, The Truth and The Life.  When we look to Him, He helps us keep everything in perspective.  Even suffering.

Present Suffering

In the context, it would appear that the sufferings Paul has in mind are specifically those that result from our association with Christ.  In other words, it might seem as if he is primarily interested in persecution, especially if we look at verse 17.  But while it might be tempting to say this is predominantly what Paul is referring to, I don’t believe it is exclusively what he is referring to.

As I have mentioned in a prior writing, suffering is a consequence of sin.  As Paul goes on to say in this chapter, even creation is groaning as it waits to be set free from the consequences of sin.  Which leads me to believe, Paul is talking about suffering in general, whether it is illness, bereavement, financial difficulties, hunger, or death itself.  Sin has forged a strong chain with this present time, and the consequences are not pleasant.

As we walk this earth, we are not immune from suffering.  Paul delineated his sufferings as he mentioned such things as being whipped and stoned and left for dead.  Peter and the other Apostles also suffered during their lifetimes.  And even Christ Himself suffered as He bore the consequences of our sins.  It is difficult to expect immunity from suffering if even our Savior was not.  In fact, Isaiah would refer to Him as a Suffering Servant.  But the beauty is, for the Christian, suffering will never have the last word.

Seeing Suffering

Much is made about being at the side of our loved ones as they take their final earthly breaths, however, at the present, I am feeling that perhaps it is overrated.  I will spare you the details, but as I have often said, it is difficult to unsee things that we have seen.  Certain images will forever be forged in our minds and perhaps reappear when we would rather they don’t, such as when we want to sleep.

While we can’t unsee things that we have seen, the beauty of Biblical Truths such as we are looking at today, is that they help us to properly see things that we have seen.  Which in this case is better than unseeing that which we have seen.

As difficult as it was to see my mother pass, it does serve as a canvas or backdrop on which God can paint eternal Truths.  How much more beautiful are the pastels of eternity when we contrast them with the blackness of this present world?  How much more majestic will the Heavenly voices sound in contrast to the groanings of this world?

In other words, as unpleasant as the present sufferings are, they will help us to more clearly see and appreciate the glory that awaits us.

The Other Side

Christians have historically referred to death as a river to be crossed.  We can accompany our loved ones to the river’s edge but no further.  We must release them at the bank and entrust them to Christ.  The transfer from one side of the river to the other is a mystery.

The last two days of her earthly life my mother was for the most part non-responsive.  At least she wasn’t verbally communicative.  At one point during this final stretch, a smile came on her face.  She then began to stretch out her neck and turn her head from side to side.  Although her eyes were closed, she appeared to be looking around and basking in the scenery.

What she was experiencing and seeing, if anything, is a mystery.  We would like to think that she was experiencing a foretaste of Heaven itself.  If so, I am sure she would tell us that as difficult as the suffering was, it was nothing compared to what she was seeing.  Fortunately, the glory that awaits us is not something we will spectate, but more importantly something we will experience.  Paul is right, that which is earthly and temporal never can compare with that which is heavenly and eternal.

Suffering may be prevalent, but Glory will have the final word!!

17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, – 2 Corinthians 4:17

Behold Your Mother

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26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. – John 19:26-27

Giggles & Goosebumps

I remember playing hide and seek as a young boy.  Stealthily sneaking into a closet.  Silently sliding the clothes on the bar.  Softly positioning my small frame in the corner and sliding the clothes back into position.  Holding my breath to listen for, “ready or not, here I come.”

And then I would giggle.  I recognize that laughter spells “doom” when you are hiding but I couldn’t help it.  I had a good hiding spot and I knew it.  Certainly I wouldn’t be found for hours.  Maybe even days!!  And then I would be smitten by the giggle bug.  I might as well have tried hiding with an elephant and a foghorn!

For a young child to stop such giggles is a little like trying to stop the hiccups.  Not wanting to prematurely sacrifice my hiding spot I knew I had to put an end to my giggling.  Pronto.  I figured the best way to do so was to try to think of something sad.  I knew I had to trick my mind with sober thoughts.  But what?

What was the saddest thing I could think of?  Death.  I wasn’t trying to be morbid but as my mind ran through the gamut of sad thoughts, the worst I could think of was the death of my mother.  As the thought crossed my mind my giggles gave way to goosebumps.

Worst Fears & Reality

Sadly, my worst childhood fear has now become realty.  Last night my mother succumbed to cancer.  Death has made another un-welcomed visit, leaving his cruel calling cards; numbed minds, heavy hearts and lots of questions about the future.  How do we pick up the pieces?  And once we pick them up, where do we place them?

As much as we would like to, we can’t turn back the clock.  We can never recover or relive yesterday.  There will be no more hugs or “I love yous” with mom.  Crawling in a closet and covering myself with clothing isn’t going to hide reality.  Mom is gone.

For the time being I can’t trick my mind.  I can’t turn these goosebumps into giggles.  At a time like this there is only one thing to do: turn to Truth..  I can’t bring back my mother, but I can turn to my Heavenly Father.  I can open my Bible and see what I can learn from Jesus.

Cross Eyes

As Jesus hung on the cross, He was badly beaten.  Isaiah tells us, “his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind” (Isaiah 52:14).  His back was torn open from the scourging.  His brow was bloody as He bore the crown of thorns.  His face was black and blue from being slapped and mistreated.  His heart was heavy as He bore the weight of our sins on his shoulders.  But the cup would become more bitter.

Despite His present physical condition, Jesus knew the worst was yet to come.  The sun would be darkened and the Father would have to look away.  God’s eyes are too pure to look at sin.  Jesus had never experienced a separation from His Father’s gaze.

As Jesus braced Himself for the turning away of the Father’s gaze, His eyes would turn to His mother.  Before He showed us the ultimate sacrifice as our Savior, He showed us the tender love of a son for His mother.

Behold Your Mother!

Despite the fact that His body was beaten and “broken” and the stench of death, His death, was in the air, Jesus’ heart was still swollen with love.  With all eyes on Jesus, He made sure His mother was taken care of after His death.

Although most of His disciples abandoned Him, John did not.  As Jesus looked at His mother He entrusted her future care to the “disciple whom He loved.” “Behold, your mother!”

Jesus would have grown up hearing the rumors.  His young mother was pregnant before she was married.  But Jesus and Mary knew the truth.  Jesus’ birth was no ordinary birth.  Jesus was no ordinary son.  Jesus’ love is unlike any other.  And Mary had the privilege of seeing it lived out on a daily basis.  But no more.  Death would sever the bond.  For a time.

Jesus and Mary

The love between a mother and her child is a special thing.  A mother’s sensitivity and ability to nurture is a very special gift from God.  Children intuitively know this, making separation difficult.  At any age.

I don’t know what an average day in the home of Joseph and Mary would have looked like.  If Jesus grew up in our house He would have had a nickname.  At least one.  Perhaps Joseph and Mary didn’t take the liberty considering the fact that Jesus’ name was Heaven ordained!

Nickname or not, I am confident that the bond between Jesus and Mary was a very special one, where love was spoken not just in words but in actions.  When Jesus would fall, Mary would pick Him up.  When Jesus was sad, Mary would comfort Him.  When Jesus was hungry, Mary would feed Him.  But these are just the obvious things.

In addition to the obvious, I believe a key part of what makes the love of a mother so unique is the intuitive aspect.  What we refer to as maternal instinct.  Mothers know when their children are struggling even though there are no evident signs to others.  A mother has a unique connection with her children.  They can read things in their children that no one else can.  But more importantly, they can meet the needs of their children that nobody else can.

It is no wonder Mary’s heart was pierced as her Son’s broken body was hanging on a cruel Roman cross.  If any human could “feel” Jesus’ pain, it was Mary.  Which makes Jesus’ care for her from the cross so special.  If only we could grasp the significance of the words John recorded about Jesus and His disciples, “when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1).  The love of Jesus is not restricted by time, nor can it be quantified.

Desiring Love

As my mother was battling cancer, she had her share of highs and lows.  After the initial shock of the diagnosis, there were a few glimmers of hope as she had some positive responses to treatments.  As you might expect, this drawn out battle left her physically and emotionally drained.

As my mother was going through one of her difficult times, my sister was asking her some probing questions.  They discussed such things as my mother’s greatest fears and greatest needs.  In a moment of brokenness and vulnerability my mother simply stated, “I just want to be loved”.

Whether we are broken by cancer or not, isn’t that the heart cry of every human?

Love & Life

As the earthly life of Jesus was coming to an end, He looked out through His swollen eyes and beholding his heartbroken mother made sure that she would be taken care of.  With His lifeblood ebbing out of Him He made sure Mary would be loved and comforted in His absence.

As the earthly life of my mother was coming to an end, she became more afraid of darkness and being left alone.  Her mother’s heart did not want to be separated from her loved ones.

When my mother passed, all eight of her children were at her bedside.  As we cried and grieved, we assured her we loved her.  But despite our presence and our love, we were no match for death.  But Jesus is.

The love that motivated Jesus to provide for Mary’s temporal needs, sent Him to the cross for our spiritual needs.  Because Jesus died for our sins we no longer have to fear death (Heb. 2:14) as unwelcome as it my be.  Because of the love of Jesus, we can have eternal life.

If our loved ones die in the faith, our separation is only temporary.  It doesn’t remove the grief, it just covers it with hope (1 Thes. 4:13).

It has been less than 24 hours since my mother’s death.  The emotions are still raw.  Forgive me if this seems incoherent, but I just want to express my thankfulness for my Savior, who is light in darkness, who will never leave us or forsake us, who loves us with a perfect love and has conquered death so that our goodbyes don’t need to be forever.

Someday, I hope to “behold” my mother again.

Jesus Help Us

As we stood around the bed of my deceased mother last night, there were a lot of tears and very few words.  My fourteen year old son Caleb with Down Syndrome did not appear to grasp the magnitude of the moment.  As I scanned the room his were the only eyes without tears.  But then I realized that perhaps he had the best “comprehension” of the moment and the greatest faith.

In the midst of the grief Caleb said just three words, “Jesus help us”.

So He has.  So He will.

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:4

A Man From Bethlehem

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 1 In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. – Ruth 1:1-2

Trying Times

How is verse one for an introduction to a book?  “In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land.”  We know that when the judges ruled everyone did that which was right in their own eyes.  Which is another way of saying they did wrong.  Joshua may have led the children of Israel into the Promised Land, but after his death there was a great void.  We know from the book of Judges that the time period between Joshua’s death and the crowning of King Saul (1200-1020 BC) was marked by great social and religious chaos.  There are battles and invasions, religious apostasy, inner fighting between the tribes, etc.  Judges chapter 19 begins with the statement, “In those days Israel had no king”, and proceeds to give the account of of a Levite who cuts up his concubine into twelve parts (presumably one for each tribe) and sends them into all the areas of Israel.  His concubine had been violently raped and killed by men belonging to the tribe of Benjamin.  A civil war ensues and the tribe of Benjamin is nearly wiped out.  This shocking ending to the Book of Judges reminds us of Dostoevsky’s famous quote, “If there is no God, everything is permitted.” 

But there is a God.

As if these days weren’t chaotic enough, we are further told that there was a famine in the land.  We are not told the cause of the famine but we do know that it added further problems for the Children of Israel.  And difficult time require difficult decisions.  In this period of uncertainty we are introduced to a man from Bethlehem.  A man by the name of Elimelech.  A name which ironically means “God is King”.

Fleeing Bethlehem

Other than the fact that Elimelech was from Bethlehem,  the only other fact we are told about him is that he has a wife and two sons, and they were Eprathites.  Ephrath was the wife of Caleb whose descendants settled in Bethlehem.  Accordingly, Elimelech’s family would have been distinguished.  But being of a “noble” lineage isn’t of much value when there is no food to be had.  In fact, it might only make the impending decisions more difficult and the potential tragedies more humiliating.  Right or wrong, with starvation staring him in the face, Elimelech decides to pack up his belongings and leave Bethlehem.  Bethlehem, “the house of bread”, famous for its abundance of wheat, barley, olive, almonds, and grapes wasn’t able to satisfy the needs of Elimelech and his family, so to Moab they headed to live as resident aliens.

While the Ephrathites had a “noble” heritage, the Moabites did not.  In fact, the Moabites were descended from Lot’s son by his incest relationship with his eldest daughter (Genesis 19:37).  The Moabites were often bitter enemies of the Israelites.  Accordingly, to seek refuge in Moab would have been both dangerous and shameful.  Especially for a man from Bethlehem and his Ephrathite family.  Apparently the fertile plateaus of Moab were enough to make Elimelech swallow his pride.  As the author tells us, “they went into the country and remained there.”  The last part of that sentence is an understatement.  The body of Elimelech remained there forever.

Death

Verse three succinctly tells us that Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died.  No details.  No emotions.  As matter as fact as can be, Elimelech is simply gone.  A mam from Bethlehem who went to Moab looking for a means of survival ends up dead.  Now Naomi is left with her two sons in a foreign and potentially hostile land.  In three brief verses a desperate situation becomes even more desperate.  But little could Naomi know how much more desperate things would get.

Elimelech left Bethlehem for Moab in search for food.  He uprooted his family from the promised land looking for something better.  Unfortunately, they were met with a worse fate.  When things go from bad to worse, where do we turn?  Naomi’s life was full of the chaos of the times, now the times were even more confusing.  She was away from her native land and now her partner was taken from her.  What hope did she have?

Bethlehem’s Ruler

Naomi could no longer hold onto her husband, but she could cling to his name.  Eli (my God), melech (king).  A good reminder for all of us.

During the time of the judges, when chaos ruled the day, there was a famine in the land.  In the midst of this setting we are introduced to a small Jewish family of noble origin.  As we watch the events of their lives, and deaths, unfold, we will see the hand of God at work.  Behind the scenes, God is working through the daily activities of our lives to carry out His sovereign plan, just as He did through the man from Bethlehem and his family.

We will be taking a look at some of the other characters of the Book of Ruth.  For now it is good to keep in mind that during the time of Ruth, there was a great moral and political “vacuum”.  The Israelites were familiar with the Covenants God had made with the Patriarchs and the promises He had made to the Children of Israel, but it appeared to them they were forgotten.  We can rest assured that will never happen.  Even in the bleakest of times keep your eyes open and cling to the promises.

After all, Elimelech isn’t the only man from Bethlehem.

2  But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
    from ancient days. – Micah 5:2

Little Children & Heavy Millstones

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5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” – Matthew 18:5-6

Stylish Neckwear

In case you haven’t noticed, neckties are not so much in vogue any more.  Most men now seem to prefer wearing their dress shirts with an open collar.  I am sure this is welcome news for a professor I had at Michigan State in the late 1980’s.  He despised neckties.  His theory was that the first man to wear one was in the process of being lynched when the rope broke.  I haven’t checked with Wikipedia to see if his theory is accurate but it is humorous.

Deadly Neckwear

Jesus’ idea for neckwear in today’s passage is not quite so humorous.  With a child in his lap He warns his audience of the dangers of being used by Satan to tempt one of His children to sin.  After using the children as an object lesson to teach about the importance of humility, Jesus shows some of the spark that He revealed when He overturned the tables of the money lenders in the Temple.  The passion that He would show for the House of Prayer is now revealed for His children.  You would be better off wearing a millstone “necktie” and drowned in the depth of the sea than to experience My wrath if you cause one of My children to sin.

 Dangerous Pride

The disciples had questioned Jesus about greatness in the kingdom, Jesus then turned the conversation to temptations on earth.  With sin running rampant temptation is inevitable (v. 7).  We won’t stop it.  Just make sure you are not an agent or you might find yourself on the bottom of the sea.  Why does Jesus give this warning in this context?  Pride is ever prevalent and always dangerous.

It is in our fallen nature to be too self focused.  The quest to become “great” often involves hurting others.  Jesus was warning his disciples of the dangers that might be lurking behind the pride that motivated them to ask their question about who would be greatest in the kingdom.  Jesus’ very serious response exposes those dangers.  In no uncertain terms Jesus tells us we need to forget about ourselves and look out for the well being of others.  If we humble ourselves to do so we are less likely to be used by Satan to tempt others to sin.

Helpless Victims

Jesus often opposed the proud and self-righteous.  With a child in His lap He reminds us of the special place in His heart for the “simple” and “humble”.  Those the world is often too quick to step on to reach their “greatness”.  Those the world is often too quick to cast aside to satisfy their own selfish desires.  Those that Jesus wants us to protect, not tempt.

Much has been made recently of the atrocious actions of Dr. Nassar.  For years he abused numerous young woman in direct and gross violation of his position of trust as a medical doctor.  Young woman who were brought to him for physical healing will forever bear emotional scars.  For many of them their “innocence” and childhoods were “robbed”.  Accordingly, the public outcry for justice has been loud.  And rightly so.  Dr. Nassar is a solemn reminder for us of what can happen when sin is left “unchecked”.

“Godly” Outcry

As I think about today’s passage and the sins of Dr. Nassar I can’t help but think of some of the hypocrisy of our society.  While we demand justice in regards to Dr. Nassar, we allow the unborn to be aborted everyday.  Where is the outcry?  Aren’t the sins of an abortion Dr. just as perverted as those of Dr. Nassar.  Is lust more evil than greed?  Isn’t selfishness behind both sins?  With a child in His lap do you think Jesus would make a distinction, or would He passionately defend the protection of the unborn just as greatly as He would the young gymnasts?  We are not only talking about actions that violate the rights of young people and the unborn, we are ultimately talking about sin!  Direct defiance against the commands and character of God.

While we are on the subject of the “simple” and “humble” how about the “weak”?  How many of our handicapped and elderly are being victimized and taken advantage of today?  Again, where is the outcry?  I am greatly troubled by our societies infatuation with euthanasia and selective abortions.  Does our society really gain anything by playing God and eliminating the elderly or ill who are deemed no longer “productive”?  It is this same utilitarian mindset that propagates the elimination in the womb of those “feared” to be handicapped.  Do you see the dangers that Jesus warned about lurking behind pride?

Humble Action

My objective is not to heap unnecessary guilt on anyone.  Obviously I am not condoning the actions of Dr. Nassar.  My hope is to instill a repulsion for millstones.  At least as neck ware.  Check the pride in your own life.  Ponder the words of Jesus.  Take a child in your lap and think of the beauty of God’s perfect work in knitting that child in the womb.  Go to a nursing home and befriend some lonely person and ask them about their past and glean from their wisdom and experience.  Volunteer to help at an event for the handicapped and meet them at their level and see if God won’t use them to soften your heart.  As people full of pride there is so much we can learn from the “simple”, “humble”, and weak.  Jesus is still using them as object lessons to teach us.  Life is always sacred because it originates from God.  Sin is always dangerous because it opposes the will of God.

Don’t give in to the Tempter.  Don’t cause God’s children to sin.  Instead may you have the love and passion of Christ and look to be a protector of the “little ones”.  When we embrace them, we embrace our Savior.  Beats a millstone around the neck any day.

5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.” – Matthew 18:5

Kept In Heaven

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3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. – 1 Peter 1:3-5

Dose of Reality

Every so often we need a good dose of reality.  Life on earth, which too often feels more like existence, is so full of problems and anxieties.  Death and decay are a part of our daily existence.  We are often so overwhelmed with the worries of the world that we cannot see clearly.  When we are young we worry about our future.  As we age we wish we could bury the mistakes of our past.  When we are young we are filled with lofty notions of changing the world.  As we age we are saddened by the “worlds changes”.  The aches and pains that come with age are nothing more than a not so friendly reminder that this world is not our home.  Life and age have a way of reminding us we are dust and to dust we will return.  But dust isn’t our end.  It is not the final word.

When Peter wrote to the church they were under considerable persecution.  Their sufferings and their worries were real.  Peter did not try to deny them.  He did, however, want to give them a good dose of reality.  The dark clouds may block our view of the sun, but the sun is still in the sky.  It is good to be reminded of the Truth of God’s Word so that we can have our hope rekindled even in the darkest of days and the greatest tempest.  When we are “down”, what can me more uplifting than to be reminded that our inheritance is kept in heaven?

Encouragement

Look closely how Peter chose to encourage his troubled brothers.  Although they were dispersed, he begins his letter by reminding them in the first two verses that they are God’s elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.  He also reminds them that they have been sanctified by the Spirit and sprinkled (cleansed) by the blood of Christ for obedience to Jesus their Savior.  Did the blessings of the Trinity make them immune from suffering?  Obviously not.  But in the midst of their dispersion and their trials Peter prays that Grace and Peace would be multiplied to them.  And then he proceeds to praise God for their living hope.

Need a dose of reality today?  Look how Peter describes your regeneration.  Our hope isn’t in a a world marked by death and decay, it is a living hope anchored in the reality of the resurrection of Christ.  Death couldn’t hold Him and decay would never touch his body.  Because sin could not contaminate our Savior, it cannot touch our inheritance.  Notice how Peter describes it.  It is imperishable, undefiled, unfading, and kept in heaven.  For YOU!!

Imperishable

Our inheritance is imperishable.  It will not rot or decay.  Paul tells us in First Corinthians chapter nine that athletes vigorously train and discipline their bodies in hopes of obtaining a wreath that is perishable, but as Christians, our reward will be a wreath that is imperishable.  In chapter fifteen of the same letter, the great resurrection chapter, Paul goes on to tell us that what is perishable cannot inherit what is imperishable.  Therefore, we as Christians, will be changed.  In the twinkling of an eye our perishable bodies will become imperishable and our mortality will become immortality.  Then we will say, “O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?”  Our inheritance is imperishable!!

Undefiled

Our inheritance is undefiled.  It is not compromised.  It is pure, morally and religiously.  It must be to be in heaven.  In Hebrews chapter seven, when writing of Christ our great high Priest, the author tells us that He is holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens.  When James, the brother of Christ, wrote about religion that is pleasing to God, he said it is pure and undefiled (James 1:27).  When John wrote about Heaven, he said this; “But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27).  Our inheritance is undefiled!!

Unfading

Our inheritance is unfading.  It will not age or wither.  Later in chapter one Peter reminds us that our regeneration is from the imperishable Word of God which he contrasts to our flesh.  He compares our temporal flesh with grass and the flower of grass which wither and fall (1 Peter 1:23-24).  Later Peter encourages us that when Christ, the chief Shepherd comes, He will reward us with a crown of glory that is unfading (1 Peter 5:4).  Our bodies may age and our health may wither, but not our inheritance.  Our inheritance is unfading!!

Our inheritance is kept in heaven.  Think about that!! Our inheritance is in heaven where sin and it’s consequences can not touch it.  Our inheritance will know no death.  It will know no pain.  It will know no tears.  It will not be acquainted with persecution, stress or anxiety.  It is eternally out of reach of everything and anything that might contaminate it or compromise it.  Our inheritance is secure.  Christ Himself tells us that we need not fear the destruction of moths or rust or the threat of thieves.  They are confined to the realm of dust, they have no place in heaven where our treasure is kept.

The best thing about our inheritance kept in heaven is that it is waiting for us.  Like the dispersed Jews Peter addressed his letter to, we are not home.  But we will arrive there.  The Trinity will see to it.  As Peter has reminded us, the Father has elected us, the Spirit has sanctified us, and the Son has sprinkled us.  We have a living hope because of our living faith, given to us by the mercy of God.  Peter tells us not only that our inheritance is kept in heaven for us, but also that we “by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time”.

How is that for a dose of reality?  We have a living hope because we have a living Savior.  While our inheritance is being kept in heaven, we are being guarded here on earth by God until we arrive safely home!

A Living Hope

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3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. – 1 Peter 1:3

2017

2017 has been a difficult year.  To say the least.  For our church family, the year began with a funeral of a young man in his twenties.  Despite multiple autopsies, the cause of death remains a mystery.  He went to work one morning a healthy man with his “whole” life ahead of him.  But he never came home.  He leaves behind a young bride; widowed in the prime of her life.  All who knew him were shocked.  How could this happen?

This unexplainable death was just the first in a string of trials as we turned our calendars to 2017.  Our church has buried other saints since.  People we have had precious fellowship with.  Friends we have worshiped with for years, even decades.  Brothers and sisters in the faith who have exhorted us, and rebuked us when necessary.  Real friends.  Those who are willing to share your sorrows and your joys.  We miss their smiles.  We miss their faithfulness.  We miss their prayers.  How will the church stand when such pillars are removed?

Night

For our immediate family, the year has been dominated by my mothers declining health.  Diagnosed with stage four cancer early in the year, her health issues have kept us busy and under stress.  While we would like to lead our “normal” lives, it is awful hard to ignore the elephant in the room.  It casts a shadow over everything else in our lives.  Welcome to “night”.

My intention is not to depress you.  I share this not because I think these issues are monopolized by me, my family or my church, but because I know everyone experiences such things at some time in their life.  When they occur, I know how easy it is to become discouraged.  I know how quickly we can lose our focus.  And so did Peter.  He wrote his epistles to encourage us in our trials and help us maintain a proper perspective.

8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life. – Psalm 42:8

Misery & Hope

It is said that misery loves company.  But what is the benefit of shared misery?  As Christians, let’s make ourselves miserable company to a pity party.  Why?  We are not defined by our misery, but our hope.  While “night” experiences are common to all, let’s show the world how to sing in the night.  Ours is the privilege of pointing others to the One who gives us a song.  A song we can sing in the greatest darkness because our hearts are filled with the Light of the World.  Our hope is in One who rose from the dead.  Our hope is alive!  Pity?  As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians chapter fifteen, that would be our lot if our hope were only in this life.  But Peter reminds us of the truth that Paul so eloquently defends.  The resurrection is a historical fact.  Jesus is alive.  And because He is, so is our hope.  No need to pity Christians.

26 But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken.” – Mark 12:26-27

Resurrection

The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection.  In their ignorance, they questioned Jesus about the subject with a riddle packaged as a hypothetical question.  You can almost sense the smugness in the question.  If seven men had the same wife on earth, which of the seven would claim her as his wife in heaven?  Their affluence and education was no match for God.  In order for a syllogism to be valid, your assertions have to be true.

Unfortunately for the Sadducees, their’s were not.  After addressing their misunderstanding about the marriage institution, Jesus used Exodus chapter three (Sadducees only recognized the Pentateuch as authoritative) to challenge their error regarding the resurrection.  God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.  Poor Sadducees.  Denying the resurrection would have limited their understanding of God’s mercy.

Firstfruits

As we know, the resurrection is not exclusive to Jesus.  Rather, He has been raised as the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  Our God is no tombstone.  He is no graveyard sentinel.  No!!  He is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.  Men who are not dead; but alive because of the resurrection of Christ.  Jesus has blazed the trail.  A trail not just for the Patriarchs but rather for all of Abraham’s spiritual children (Galatians 3:7).  The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is your God.  If you have placed your faith in Christ, you have a living hope.  A hope we receive because of the mercy of God.  A hope we have experienced.  A hope we see lived out.

When we go to church, we are reminded of our losses by the empty seats.  We are reminded of the reality of separation when we see the widows and widowers and others left behind.   But these reminders are put into perspective when we witness and experience living hope.  As we gather for corporate worship, what a blessing it is to see the spouses, parents, siblings, and children of the deceased lifting their voices in song.  They can lift their eyes towards heaven and raise their hands in praise because their loved ones are still alive.  Just like their hope.  As Peter reminds us; such is our experience when we are born again.

Living Hope

Take a moment to dwell on this.  Biblical truths are not just facts written on parchment with ink.  They are not just bits of information we accumulate to make us more intelligent.  The Bible is not just another book.  God’s Word is alive and active.  The Holy Spirit not only lives within us but He enables us to appropriate Truth; to live out the inspired Word.  In other words, we don’t and can’t manufacture hope.  Rather, it is a part of our Christian DNA.  It flows through our veins.  It is the air that fills our lungs.  It is a hope no trial can take from us.

The Sadducees can have their tombstones; their lives with no ultimate hope.  Their theology had no room for the resurrection.  It had no room for angels.  It had no room for a Messiah.  Accordingly, they had no living hope.  We will leave the pity parties for them and their spiritual descendants.  We will continue to look to our God who gives us songs in the night (Job 35:10).

This has been a difficult year, but our trials will not have the last word.  Death is difficult, but I have seen its sting succumb to worship.  I have seen its pain transformed to praise.  Rather than defeating, death has been swallowed up in victory.  When we turn our calendars over to a new year, we never know what difficulties await.  There may be an empty chair at your table this year.  There may be the unexpected diagnosis.  There may be a job loss.  But keep your eyes focused on heaven.  There is always Hope.  And He is alive.  Forever.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  Our living hope.

No Greater Joy

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4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. – 3 John v. 4

Lies, Lies, Lies

I don’t know when I was last as angry with the lies of the enemy as I was last night as I attended the memorial service of a young lady.  When I saw her picture on the cover of the order of service the first thought that came to my mind was simply, Satan won.  The thought felt blasphemous coursing through my mind but I don’t know how else to explain what I was feeling.

The face looking back at me belonged to a pretty girl of thirty-one years of age.  She had a warm smile and looked so happy.  She was intelligent, apparently an avid reader of Shakespeare.  She was talented.  She liked to dance and perform in plays from what I understand.  To an outsider, it would certainly appear that this young lady had so much to offer.  Unfortunately, this young lady who had the ability to touch so many lives decided to take her own.  Why?  Lies.

Suicide

When we think of suicide candidates, we often think of social outcasts or misfits.  For instance, the media likes to exploit the consequence of bullying.  Experience teaches us that peers prey on the weak and vulnerable; those that don’t fit in because of their looks, intelligence level, social status, social skills, you name it.  When one of these so-called misfits commits suicide we try to raise awareness condemning bullying and promoting tolerance and acceptance.  But we have a greater problem and a more dangerous enemy.

Satan

As I was reminded last night, the father of lies doesn’t limit his attacks to the weak and vulnerable.  He preys on everyone.  He is the ultimate bully.  His lies are so dangerous because they are so subtle; often they are letters delivered in envelopes of truth.  I am not sure which lies he used against this young lady, but ultimately I know it boiled down to this, “You are a failure, there is no hope, life isn’t worth it.”  Consequently, she ended her life and to most of the world became just another statistic.

Spiritual Battle

But she was certainly, more than a statistic.  That is another lie of the enemy.  We have to expose the dangers of the ultimate bully.  We have to counter him with the Truth.  The media is not going to do it.  As believers, it is our responsibility to understand the spiritual battle going on and to be actively engaged in it.

Truths, Truths, Truths

The truth is, this young lady was not a failure, rather she was fearfully and wonderfully made, knitted together in her mother’s womb by God Himself.  He created her in His image.

The truth is as long as we have breath, we have hope.  Hope that is tethered to the death and resurrection of Christ.  I am not sure what demons this young lady was battling, but I know that none of them was greater than Christ.

The truth is her life was worth living.  Her heavenly Father created her with the capacity to enjoy fellowship with Him.  What could possibly give life more meaning and purpose than walking with God?  Like Gaius, she had the ability to walk in the truth.

Anger & Action

As I saw her grieving parents I was forced to do some reflecting.  Sure I was angry at the enemy of our souls, but anger doesn’t do any good if it doesn’t result in action and change.  The money tables need to be overturned, and the cord needs to be wielded.  Time for a little soul searching.

How often do I succumb to the enemy’s lies in regard to my own children?  What are my highest priorities for them?  Do I just want them to be happy?  Do I just want them to be safe and comfortable?  Do I worry about their popularity?  Perhaps my main concern is financial stability?  For some, it is a college education.  Maybe it’s a good marriage.  Find a doctor or rocket scientist for my daughters to marry and everything will be okay.  In time they will give us grandchildren to play with and enjoy and send home when we are tired.  Lies, Lies, Lies.

God created them for so much more.

Walking in THE Truth

When the disciple whom Jesus loved wrote to Gaius, his heart was blessed because it was reported to him by the brothers that Gaius was walking in the truth.  As Gaius’ spiritual father, John could not have been prouder.  In fact, he said, nothing brings him greater joy than to hear that his children are walking in the truth.  Quite a statement.

John was intimate with Jesus.  He penned some of the most beautiful words ever written.  As we resolve to battle the lies of the enemy, it might be wise to saturate our minds with the Gospel that bears his name.  Paul tells us that Christ is the image of the invisible God. Perhaps no one gives us a clearer picture of Christ than John.  In his Gospel, Jesus is presented as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  God’s answer to Lies, Lies, Lies.

Greatest Joy

We need to remember that we are in a spiritual battle.  Ultimately our enemy is not drugs, alcohol, bullies, divorces, unemployment, etc.  Our enemy is Satan and his lies.  But he is no match for God, and that is the truth.

As a fellow believer, I ask you today to commit with me to consistently saturate your mind with Truth.  Might we resolve to read and meditate on the Word of God on a regular basis.  If you are a parent, I challenge you to diligently train your children in the Word of God as well.  Might we have a desire for our children and grandchildren to have a healthy fear of God and hunger for His Word.  As parents, may we strive for and experience the “greatest joy”!

The father of lies will not have the final word.  The truth is, even a sad memorial service can result in His glory.

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31b-32