Posted by David on October 4, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
Suffering is suffering; pain is pain. Neither are desirable. Yet, commitment to God means the person will escape neither. The enormous war in which Satan attacks God will continuously rage throughout your earthly lifetime. Each time temptation assaults you, you are the battlefield. Committing to God’s values guarantees you Satan will cause you suffering and pain at every opportunity.
He or she who dares to give life to God lives in “the tension.” “The tension” pulls us between the attractions, the pleasures, or the promises of physical well-being and the investment of physical existence in God’s values. Understanding “the tension” is relatively simple. Do we invest in physical existence, or do we invest in eternal existence?
Through suffering and pain God created our Savior. Through suffering and pain God saves us. It should not be surprising that the things which cause God’s rejoicing cause Satan’s rage. The person daring to live for God’s values dares to enrage Satan.
We should be comforted by understanding this always has been true among God’s people. The first Christians knew “the tension.” Peter told them three things. (1) Rejoice when you suffer for God’s values. (2) Never have reason to suffer for Satan’s values. (3) Never be ashamed to suffer for God’s values.
The issue is never, “Will I suffer?” Our choice is not this: to suffer or not to suffer. As a Christian, our choice is this: “With what attitude will I suffer?”
The most common statement I hear from Christian sufferers is, “It is just not fair!” Belonging to God has never been about “what is fair.” It always has been about grace. Grace saves us, and we are saved to reflect grace.
Hebrews 11:13-16, All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. ?But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.
Posted by David on September 27, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
These are difficult days throughout our society and world. Faith in God is separated from everything. “Informed” people often regard believing, placing implicit trust in God, as an expression of superstition used by “weak” people. For the first time in any of our memories, it is becoming increasingly unpopular to place primary trust in God.
When faith is under so much stress in our society, it is easy for us to want to build defenses to protect ourselves. Rather than seeing opportunity in an increasingly hostile environment, we are tempted to huddle up with only us, see those who wish to be a part of us as potential threats, and cautiously welcome those who are totally in agreement.
Without realizing it, we are tempted to migrate toward a position of control instead of being a people of faith. We let “our light shine,” but too often the only time we turn the light of faith on is when we are inside our closed community.
What is the harm of exercising control rather than living in faith?
(1) People who are controlled are not people of faith. Thus when stress occurs, controlled people have little understanding of how to rely on God.
(2) God’s values in Jesus always have attacked faithlessness with love and compassion. Christians attract attention to God through their good works. (See Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5:16.)
(3) Faith in Jesus advances through sacrificial service. Jesus became our Savior by dying. Christians of the first century often found life in him through suffering. (See Jesus’ statement in Matthew l0:38, and remember that the only use of a cross then was as a means of execution.)
Jesus died to be Savior. At his death, not even his disciples (who became his apostles) could see God at work. At the cross, to them, it looked as if Satan won and God lost. When Jesus physically rose from the dead, the apostles were elated-but they still did not see how God would use Jesus’ resurrection to accomplish His purposes. Yet, today we understand that God’s most significant achievement to date is seen in Jesus’ death and resurrection. What looked like defeat at the cost of enormous suffering was actually God’s greatest victory. May God always work through our suffering to produce His victories! May we dare to be a people of faith who live by God’s values even in times of stress!
Posted by David on September 20, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
Brad predated me. For a long time, West-Ark had only two ministers, one personal evangelist, and two secretaries: Brad Pistole, David Chadwell, Roy Dunavin, Debbie Belote, and Myra Flippo. We approached this work as a team. While we had our areas, in emergencies everyone did anything necessary. Areas did not matter. Brad worked long hours, and went home to continue working. (He and Yvonne lived next door.) So many stopped by his house, they regarded his home as their home.
I remember “a kid” (Brad) running across the parking lot on my first visit to West-Ark, urging me to come to West-Ark (just before he left with a group of young people). I remember knowing soon after arrival that I worked with a person who would always help me, always be concerned about my best interest, and do my work if necessary. I remember working with a person who was “everyone’s son.” If anyone had a need, the first thing they said was, “Get Brad.” I did not doubt that he-though young-was West-Ark’s most loved, appreciated person.
I remember a man so devoted to our teens and their families that he never stopped working-he just did not know how to say “no.” When young adults came back to visit, they always came to see Brad. Before we had a college program, he ministered to everyone. Because one of “his kids” graduated did not mean he stopped caring about them. There were the endless phone calls and the unpublished trips to encourage those struggling with a problem or their faith.
When Brad survived his unique kind of brain cancer, he helped others nationally who were terrified when they learned they had such cancer.
To him, the connection between healthy families and the spiritual health of children was so obvious he qualified (through a program at Oklahoma Christian) to work in family guidance. Throughout those demands, he did his work.
I watched him as his load became too heavy to carry. I watched him as he was forced to restrict his activities of helpfulness. I listened as the elders urged him to learn to say “no.”
It became obvious to him he could only devote himself to the spiritual growth of the kids. His decision left him open to misunderstanding. For the kids’ sake, he willingly did what he could do to encourage and focus them.
I do not love Brad because he is perfect. No human is. However, the person I know is ethical, moral, devoted to godliness, and loves this congregation deeply. His love for Christ should be evident in his resignation. When he thought it was best for us (West-Ark), he left. Brad, thank you! Yvonne, only you know how much he gave!
Posted by David on September 13, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
How Abraham’s faith grew! God said, “Go to Canaan.” Abraham left the area of Ur and went with his extended family to settle in Haran (Genesis 11:31). When Terah died, God said, “Leave your family, go to a place I will show you, and I will take care of you and make you a great nation” (Genesis 12:1-3). The childless Abraham took his wife and his nephew, Lot, and became a nomad in Canaan. Though God said He would make Abraham a nation, Abraham begged his wife to say she was his sister because he feared the local people would kill him to obtain her (12:10-12). When strife arose between Lot’s herdsmen and Abraham’s herdsmen, Abraham told Lot to choose where he preferred to live (Genesis 13:8, 9). When Abraham continued to have no child, he doubted he ever would. He proposed a solution God rejected, and he trusted God’s promise (Genesis 15:1-6). Abraham’s faith grew to the point that he refused to withhold his promised son from God. When God asked him to sacrifice Isaac, he quickly made preparation to comply with God’s instructions (Genesis 22:1-19).
To this day he is known as our example of faith. Though he did many great deeds in obeying God, he is forever the example of trusting God. Though he likely was an idolater when God first called him (Joshua 24:2, 3), to us he is always the man of faith. Yet, how that faith grew from Ur to Isaac’s sacrifice! How small his faith was at Ur when compared to his faith at Moriah!
We are called to duplicate Abraham’s faith. We are nomads in this life headed to an eternal Canaan of permanent peace. To reach there, we need to trust God against what seems to us to be overwhelming odds, just as did Abraham. If we develop that growing, maturing trust in God, we through our faith become descendants of the man of faith.
We must learn a key lesson from Abraham. Abraham trusted the giver rather than the gift. So must we!
“All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:13-16).
Where is your country? To what country do you belong?
Posted by David on September 6, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
Paul made the above statement. He referred to the time when he was sure he had things figured out. To Paul, Jesus was a fraud, not the Christ; Jesus represented one of the great threats to God’s purposes. Paul was so certain he was right about Jesus that he aggressively assisted in killing fellow Jews who believed that Jesus was the Christ. These devout, literal descendants from Abraham through Isaac likely believed most of the things Paul believed EXCEPT for Jesus’ identity and Jesus’ role in God’s purposes.
Immediately following the above statement, Paul gave an account of his conversion to Christianity. He was on his way to Damascus to arrest Jewish Christians. Ironically, the resurrected Jesus informed Paul of two facts: (1) God’s purposes were at work in Jesus, and (2) God was sending this infinitely Jewish person (Paul) to the gentiles (Acts 26:17, 18). This man who could not tolerate Jews who believed Jesus was the Christ would now teach gentiles Jesus is the Christ! Talking about a turn-around, this one would pass 180 degrees (if there is such a thing)!
As a result of this incredible turn-around, Paul suffered enormously as a result of the opposition of Jews and gentiles (2 Corinthians 11:23-33). Thus, the man who was so certain in his view of scripture that he had everything figured out (Galatians 1:13, 14), discovered he had nothing figured out. The man, who was so certain he knew God’s purposes, discovered the hard way that he was not even close to God’s purposes.
What would you do if God redirected your focus? To Paul’s credit, he was an honest man. He did not dig in and defend his past convictions though they represented enormous investments. He listened to the obvious rather than stubbornly argue with Jesus. He sincerely (though destructively) held his pre-conversion convictions with all his heart. He sincerely (though non-destructively-1 Thessalonians 2:9-12) held his conversion convictions with all his heart. If possible, he was even more committed to the fact that Jesus the Christ could save gentiles as well as Jews. What to him had been unthinkable became the understood.
Are you convinced that you have everything all figured out? You can open your life to great blessing by understanding one fact: You do not! You have no idea of the curves before you. You have no idea of the flexibility that will be demanded of you.
The issue is not do you have everything figured out. The issue is will you let God’s purposes be with you even on the most dramatic curves? If you let God be with you, it will be okay even when you face the unexpected.
Posted by David on August 30, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
Recently I read a work of fiction. One line really captured my attention. A wife talked to her father (a preacher) about her husband. Fearful and concerned, she expressed her anxiety. Her father replied by saying, “Just because God saved him does not mean God is not still performing surgery on him.”
There is a tendency among too many to look at baptism as the completion of our covenant with God rather than the beginning of our covenant with God. We forget Paul wrote to Christians in Ephesians (Ephesians 1:1). So for Christians, Paul prayed that they would be “filled up to all the fullness of God.” Or, in Peter’s words, “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord” (1 Peter 2:1-3).
At creation, people were sinless. They lived in purity and innocence with voice-to-voice contact with God (Genesis 3:8). As long as they were sinless, they were not terrified of direct contact with God. Only when the power of choice was used to rebel against God’s wishes and instructions were they terrified of God.
There again will come a situation in which people will live in God’s presence without terror–in Heaven. In a real way, existence in Heaven will only restore a relationship between God and people that existed when God created people.
However, the current reality: we all exist in a world of good and evil, living lives that are a strange mixture of good and evil. Only by God’s grace and mercy expressed in His forgiveness can we escape the consequences of our evil. Thus, from the time God was the “All in All” until the situation when He again is the “All in All,” God has much to do (with our cooperation).
In a real way, the immersion of a penitent believer is signing the consent form that knowingly, willingly permits God to do surgery as He cuts away the evil rebellion from our lives. God wants us to be all we can be spiritually. What we “look like” at baptism and what we “look like” after years of development in Christ scarcely resemble each other. God’s surgery makes us better. Only to a sinful world are we hideous.
As we exist in a world of good and evil, nothing Satan does destroys us. Causes us suffering? Yes! Destroys us? No! “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Posted by David on August 23, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
The above statement was made by Solomon when he dedicated the temple. It is one of the clearest statements that declared this understanding: God acts in order that godless people will not have the wrong concept of Him. In Ezekiel 20:44 God said, Then you will know that I am the Lord when I have dealt with you for My name’s sake, not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord God. Israel misrepresented Him, and He was not pleased. Again, God said in Ezekiel 36:22, Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.” Again in verses 31, 32, Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. “I am not doing this for your sake,” declares the Lord God, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!”
The Old Testament repeatedly makes it evident that God blesses and holds accountable, not because of us, but to verify His identity. In one of the best known scriptures of the Old Testament (Psalms 23), why will the Shepherd God destroy want, give green pastures, and quiet waters as He restores the soul and guides in paths of righteousness? “For His name’s sake.” The pleas of the Psalms are for God to pardon (25:11), lead and guide (31:3), deliver and forgive (79:9), save (106:8), deal kindly with (109:21), and revive (143:11) for His name’s sake, not people’s deservedness.
In the New Testament, this same understanding is transferred to Christ. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s promise (1 Corinthians 15:24-28) and the way to God (John 14:6). Thus, even when we suffer ill treatment, loss of life, or loss of material things “for my sake,” we will be generously blessed (Matthew l0:18, 39; 19:29).
We always need to remember that IT IS ABOUT GOD AND NOT ABOUT US. To give people the right impression of God, regardless of how that is achieved, is an honor for us.
Matthew 5:13-16, You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Posted by David on August 16, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:14-21)
Almost a decade ago, Joyce and I visited the Grand Canyon for the first time. I have been to numerous places and seen numerous sights, but I have never seen anything that overpowered me as did the Grand Canyon. I have never seen a picture that did the Grand Canyon justice. It is simply too big and too vast for my mind to comprehend. I would love to see it again just to convince myself it is there. I know it is, but my mind kept asking, “Is that really there? Can anything that huge be real?” My reaction to the Grand Canyon is a mere introduction to Paul’s reaction to God’s accomplishments in Jesus.
Paul wrote long after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Prior to his conversion, Paul was quite knowledgeable in God’s past works (Galatians 1:14). Yet, with all he knew, nothing (not even God’s creative acts!) prepared Paul’s understanding for what God did (and does) in Jesus Christ! Nothing documents God’s greatness as do His accomplishments in Jesus Christ! Nothing documents the enormity of God’s love as does Jesus Christ! One cannot fathom God’s greatness until the person begins to see what God did in Jesus.
At times, I hear people speak of God and His ways as being simple. Sometimes I hear people who think they have God all figured out. When that happens, I shake my head internally. Is any ignorance greater than not knowing one is ignorant? The more I seek to understand God and His ways, the more I realize I have far more to understand than I have comprehended. Never will any of us totally comprehend Him in this life.
Always be open to God. Always listen to Him to understand, even if it means changing yourself. Let God mold you rather than you attempting to force God to fit your mold. The object of everyone in Christ is to become more like God. We are catastrophe! He is victory! We are sinful! He is righteous! His ways are not our ways. Our hope is found in being like Him. Never stop seeing Him “again” — He is there!
Posted by David on August 9, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
Those criteria make acceptance of God’s person impossible since (a) He exceeds human comprehension, and (b) does many things humans would never do. For example, God’s patience referred to in last week’s article is definitely not human because humans simply do not do that. We get rid of the problem instead of enduring personal revulsion to reconcile the problem-makers.
Many of those who profess Christian faith, skillfully find a way around that dilemma by making God a superhuman. They say of anything passing human comprehension, “God would not do that.”
However, there are problem areas that do not disappear by forcing God to be human or by saying, “God would not do that.” Consider forgiveness. Human limits of forgiveness do not match God’s limits. Humans tend to give forgiveness to those they regard as “deserving” of their consideration.
For example, Christians tend to think of Paul as a pretty good guy. After all, he was a Christian, an apostle to the gentiles, a preacher, a missionary, and a New Testament writer. However, just before his conversion to Jesus Christ, his convictions were just plain mean. When the Christian Stephen was killed, Paul was there. He “amened” the act. He was actively involved. And who was Stephen? A Christian, a deacon in the Jerusalem congregation, one who cared about the needy, an evangelist! “Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison” (Acts 8:1-3).
On the day Paul was converted, he was on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians! Even as a Christian, he did not deny his past. “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor” (1 Timothy 1:12, 13). Can you believe God forgave and used a killer of Christians?
Paul declared that God forgave him to demonstrate that the patient God of mercy could forgive anyone (1 Timothy 1:16). John said God would forgive the Christian of “all” unrighteousness if he/she were honest enough to confess sins when he/she were aware of them (1 John 1:5-10). Baptism merely began an ongoing forgiveness from sin.
We can live with that kind of forgiveness! It is not human-like, but it surely is needed!
Posted by David on August 2, 2007 under Bulletin Articles
In scripture, people often see what they look for. For example, when today we talk of the creation in Genesis 1 or the flood which begins in Genesis 6, our conversation may immediately turn to evolution. Our following discussion likely focuses on some conflict or perceived conflict between science and religion.
While that focus is relevant to faith in God now and His work today, is evolution the writer’s point in Genesis? Since science and religion as we know it today did not exist when the writer wrote Genesis, is it possible that we miss his point if we focus only on evolution considerations? Since evolution was an unknown to the writer of Genesis 1 and 6, is it possible the writer’s point had nothing to do with evolution? If so, what was his point? Would it benefit today’s Christian to know his point?
Consider this perspective. Once there was only good, good defined by God (Genesis 1:31). Humanity knew only good, and had a unique relationship with God. Once there was only evil (Genesis 6:5, 6). Humanity knew only evil and had no relationship with God. When humanity knew only good, there was blessing and joy. When humanity knew only evil, there was destruction and death.
Though the patient God was grieved, experiencing the full agony of that grief, He did not give up on reconciliation with humanity. God persisted. He found and revealed Himself to Abraham. He formed a nation through Abraham and gave them opportunity to be His people (Exodus 19:3-6). Through that nation He sent His son, Jesus, to be our guide to Him (John 14:6). In His son’s sacrificial death and resurrection, He gave us a Lord and the Christ (Acts 2:36). In him we can be righteous before God (Romans 3:21-26). Jesus Christ can teach humanity the worthwhile life to live [again] (Ephesians 4:1-5:14). Through Jesus Christ we have a hope of more than just the physical (1 Corinthians 15:12-19); we live for eternal values.
God does not give up on people! He never was an angry God who impatiently sought to punish people. He sought human redemption when nothing in human behavior indicated people were worthy of His concern! Impatience is a human trait, not a divine trait.
Could it be that the author of Genesis wanted people to see that there is joy and blessing in God’s goodness while there are consequences and death in evil? Could it be that the writer affirmed that God’s ways are filled with life and blessing, and godless life is selfish and destructive?
In scripture, do you see what you are looking for, or what God wants you to see?
