1 Peter 4:12- Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.
Bad theology is everywhere. It can be found in books, speakers and songs. It can be found each and every day in posts on Twitter and Facebook. And it can be found most every Sunday morning in churches all across USAmerica.
One of the worst manifestations of bad theology (pardon my judgement) says that once you have accepted Jesus as your LORD and Savior, life will be a piece of cake. Once God has control of your life every day will be a festival of fun. Wealth, fame, power and glory will be yours. No more rain. No more misery. No more temptation. With Jesus by our side we will experience heaven here on earth. Now don't get me wrong, life with Jesus in it is far superior to facing life on our own. But all of that stuff about life being easy? That's a load of crap...
You see, the Garden of Eden was perfect, until Adam & Eve ate the apple. When Jesus comes back to claim his throne, life will be perfect again. We are in the in-between, and life is hard. Jesus himself said, "In this world you will face many trials." It is a scripture we can all understand. We also learn from the life of Paul, who faced more than one or two of those trials, that they help build our faith and make us stronger. In fact, if you look at most of the great men and women of scripture you will notice that many of them spent some time in the "wilderness"- AFTER God got a hold of their lives!
The great Dwight L. Moody was quoted as saying that Moses spent 40 years in Pharaoh's court thinking he was somebody, 40 years in the desert learning he was nobody and 40 years showing what God can do with a somebody who thought he was a nobody! I can totally relate. I spent 28 years in ministry thinking I was important. I have spent the last few years in the wilderness, wondering if God was done with me. Like Peter, I denied my Jesus. Also like Peter, my sin did not mean I loved Him any less. But it did leave me wandering in the wilderness. I am only now beginning to understand just how wild the wilderness can be, as well as just how amazing grace is. God is opening doors for me to do greater things than I had ever imagined.
Being in the wilderness is something we will all experience at some point on our spiritual journeys. This doesn't mean we have done something terrible, that we are not "real Christians" (if I see that phrase one more time on Twitter I may ask God to send frogs again!) or that God is mad at us. It mostly likely means for us, as it did for Moses, Peter, Paul and so many others, that God has something to teach us. Life gets hard in the wilderness. But don't be afraid of it- embrace it! Remember Paul's instruction to "Count it all joy." Know that while you are in the wilderness, God is getting ready to show you just what He can do with a somebody who thinks they are a nobody. "Humble thyself in the sight of the LORD, and He will lift you up, higher and higher!"
Because of Jesus,
In the Spring of 1989 a group of us including myself, Marilyn, Jeff Byrd and Doyle Craven got tickets to see Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith in concert in Chapel Hill, NC. Amy was featuring songs from her Lead Me On album, while MWS was touring in support of his i 2 (Eye) project. We were all so excited to go. Plus, Doyle had a brand new Ford Probe he was dying to show off...
Our excitement turned to sorrow very quickly when we received word on the day of the show that our dear friend Penny Thomas had passed away. Penny had worked at Quaker Lake and had been very active in the youth programs of NC Yearly Meeting of Friends. She had also worked with chronically ill children on the pediatrics ward at Duke Hospital. She had been very sick for a long time, and only a few days earlier we had been to Duke to see her. Her passing was not unexpected, but it still hit us all very hard. Doyle and Jeff had both been especially close to her. We debated whether or not we should attend the concert, eventually deciding that there was nothing we could do at that point, and that Penny would want us to go.
Even in our melancholy state of mind, the concert was excellent. We all knew their music so well, and we all shared one unspoken thought as the night went along. One of the songs on Michael's most recent CD was called I Hear Leesha. The song was about a young girl who had passed away, and it mourned her loss. It also spoke of the hope Christians share that there is more to life that what we have on this earth. The chorus says, "I hear Leesha singing in heaven tonight. And in-between the sadness, I hear Leesha, telling me that she's alright." I think secretly we all were praying that he would not sing it. He did. As we looked at each other with tears flowing, I knew it was one of those moments in which Jesus was working in each of us. I knew it was a feeling I would never forget.
A few days later I attended Penny's funeral. Jeff Byrd sang at the service, and I have always thought it was one of the bravest things I have ever seen anyone do. He was hurting, he was saddened, and he didn't really want to be doing it. But he knew he had to. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he sang beautifully and with passion, sharing both his love for Penny and his faith.
Being a follower of Christ is not all flowers and rainbows. There are struggles, tragedies and moments of doubt and fear. Every time I listen to I Hear Leesha I am reminded that in the midst of the darkest parts of life, Jesus is there to give us light and life. I hope you will remember that as well.
Because of Jesus,
Thanks, Brook. You rock!
We've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we've been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn't left our side; we've been thrown down, but we haven't broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, He does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus' sake, which makes Jesus' life all the more evident in us. While we're going through the worst, you're getting in on the best! -2 Corinthians 4, The Message
Today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Christians all over the world are being persecuted and martyred for their faith, in places as far away as China and as close by as Mexico. As I mentioned in Friday's posting, this day (and this subject) is often ignored by the USAmerican church. There are a number of reasons for this. The subject of persecution is often sidelined because it is not "seeker-friendly." The trouble with that strategy is "...everyone who wants to lead a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted..." (2 Timothy 3:12). This scripture should give real pause to those of us who have no idea what it feels like to be persecuted for our beliefs. Our brothers and sisters in Christ will meet in secret this Sabbath with the real possibly of being arrested or worse. Many of us will complain if we have to walk too far from the parking lot. We just don't get it. Here is an example of what life is like for many Christians around the world, taken from the Voice of the Martyrs website:
The Voice of the Martyrs has received reports of several attacks against Christians in India. On Oct. 25, four men entered the Assembly of God Church building in Old Hubli, Karnataka, during a worship service and started taking notes and photographing the worshipers. When the pastor's wife, Radha David, asked the men to sit quietly and listen to the sermon, they immediately left. A few minutes later, a group of about 50 Hindu extremists stormed into the church. They threatened the believers and dragged Pastor K. M. David Raj outside. The extremists burned Bibles, Christian literature and banners in front of the church building. Police arrested the pastor and three other believers. On the same day, more than 10 Hindus assaulted Pastor Pavithra Kumar, hitting him with fists, wooden rods and field hockey sticks. Though he was badly injured, Pastor Kumar escaped his assailants and ran into his church building. Pray these believers will keep their eyes on Jesus, will persevere in the faith, and will not grow weary or lose heart (Hebrews 12:3). Pray that those who seek to hinder the work of the Church in India will see the love and grace of Jesus in the lives of Indian Christians. We understand so little.
And yet is is in those very places where the Church of Jesus Christ is booming, where stories of faith dominate the lives of the people. We in USAmerica have so few spiritual heroes (although they do exist- Jesus Freaks are everywhere!) because we must overcome so little. Many of our churches will choose to honor our military veterans in their services today. I have great respect for those who serve our country, even though I have great doubts about the institutions they serve. Many of them are indeed heroic. But what do they, or my country in general, have to do with worshipping Jesus Christ? The Son of God always trumps flag and country. (In a related thought- if I hear I'm Proud To Be An American one more time in a worship service, I may just forget I'm a pacifist...) This morning I will visit a house of worship, and I want to worship Jesus. I want to hear about those who are faithfully following and suffering for Him; I want to hear the stories of real Christian heroes from around the world. Hopefully I will, and you will too. This day is set aside for that very purpose, yet we we pass it by. Tell me about some real, present day heroes of the faith.
