"When Sorrows Like Sea Billows Roll..."

From Charles Spurgeon:

There is not a place which a believer walks in--which is free from snares. Behind every tree--is the tempter with his barbed arrow! Behind every bush--is the roaring lion, the Devil, your great enemy, prowling around, looking for some victim to devour! Under every piece of grass--hides the deadly adder!

This present world is the battlefield; Heaven is a place of complete victory and glorious triumph.

This present world is the land of the sword and the spear; Heaven is the land of the wreath and the crown.

This present world is the land of the garment rolled in blood and the dust of the fight; Heaven is the land of the trumpet's joyful sound--the place of the white robe and of the shout of conquest.

Oh, what a thrill of joy shall shoot through the hearts of all the redeemed, when their conquests shall be complete; when death itself, the last of foes, shall be slain; when Satan shall be dragged captive at the chariot wheels of Christ; when He shall have overthrown sin and trampled corruption as the mire of the streets; when the great shout of universal victory shall rise from the hearts of all the redeemed!

"He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever!"
Revelation 21:4

From Theodore Cuyler:

"As your days--so shall your strength be."
Deuteronomy 33:25

Sufficient to each day are the duties
to be done--and the trials to be endured.

God never built a Christian strong enough to
carry today's duties and tomorrow's anxieties
piled on the top of them.

"So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow
will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is
enough for today."
Matthew 6:34

Ah, how this world can weigh down the most joyous of hearts! With a mere twist of the imagination here and a temptation of wickedness there, we find ourselves on the brink of despair. Yet hope remains. With a heavy heart, a burdensome load, we look heavenward to a beautiful inheritance above! Our toil and striving, our trials and pains, seem so near when the glory of our eternity seems so far. "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?"

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" cried our Lord. With the entire load of sin and despair weighing down the most heavenly of hearts, the edge of despair loomed nearer to him than the reward he would soon receive. Yet the reality of God's plan of redemption was by no means dependent on anyone's current mood or circumstance, even Jesus'. This too, even for Jesus, was only a temporary and light affliction (albeit infinitely more burdensome and painful than anything any other man would ever or will ever endure) compared to the vast riches that would await him next to his Father in heaven.

Hebrews 12:1-2
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Romans 5:1-5
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

All is well until something changes. And sometimes the converse is true: when something changes, all becomes well. Sounds simple, and it is. But sometimes the change isn't so simple. For me, living overseas in an Islamic country was a massive change. And it was a complicated change: geographically, emotionally, spiritually, and culturally, among others. Coming back to the U.S. was also a drastic change after being overseas for two years. Getting married was a change. And parenthood, thus far, has proven to be the most complex, difficult change in my life. Not only was my wife's pregnancy and delivery extremely difficult, but learning how to be a good father and husband at the same time is a great challenge. It cannot be overstated how significant it is for a man to be a real father and a woman to be a real mother. The book of Proverbs has an abundance of advice on this matter, indicating that without solid parents, children will lead lives of strife and heartache, if not total destruction. And, far too often it seems, bad parents beget bad parents.

Lately especially, I have been praising God for being such a great Father to me. Even though my dad and I have a great relationship these days, it wasn't always that way. When he ruined his marriage with my mom, he sealed his fate as one of those absentee fathers whose boys would likely end up having severe commitment issues, usually involving a lot of anger and resentment. Apart from the sovereign grace of God, both my earthly father and I would have become mere insignificant statistics in a world in which broken families are more common than healthy ones. But the reality is, God has saved us both from that, and has been showing me and teaching me many things lately about being a good father, and a good husband to my wonderful, irreplaceable wife.

It's been really hard lately, but I'm thankful that God has replaced my heart of stone with a malleable heart of flesh that can be teachable and willing to obey his counsel. May the Fruit of the Spirit grow bountifully in my life, replacing the deeds of my flesh that once ruled me as a slave:

Galatians 5:16-25
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

So for those of us who are called to endure, let us take heart and do so, by the grace of God. Not all are called to such an honor. Some are simply breathing to death, awaiting their burial in some vacant plot of land with a forgotten headstone. But others have been secured as a prize possession to suffer as their Savior did so that they may also reign as he does. Blessed be the name of the Lord, and blessed are the saints in the land, who by his sovereign hand have been called out of darkness into light so that they may shine brightly in the darkness and in the midst of great suffering and pain; they are the excellent ones in whom is all God's delight. May we continue to persevere in the grace of God, to the praise of his magnificent name!

Leia Mais…

"A Big Heart," a Short Narrative Biography of a Man I Never Really Knew

In the previous post, I mentioned that my Uncle Danny died. I find it unfortunate to me that I was never afforded the opportunity to get to know the man well. All I remember are the childhood memories of hunting for arrowheads in the Texas Hill Country or playing baseball in the yard or always going to my cousins' house that never really seemed to be quite finished with missing doors and drywall. I remember a gruff carpenter with a lip full of snuff, often exiled in his workshop. Yes, a carpenter, and a good one at that. But I never actually knew the man. I can only regret that I was just a kid at the time. I haven't seen my uncle in over fifteen years and my only hope is that I will see him again someday in a place that has eased his pain and given him great peaceful rejoicing in its stead.

Through the eyes of an onlooker whose desire it was to know the man even just a little, the service yesterday was moving and inspirational, a true memorial and celebration of the life of a man with a "big heart," as friends closest to him would repeatedly describe. Even though I am unable to speak of the man from personal experience, it was good to hear others. His youngest son, my cousin Joe, described to the crowd of mishmashed souls on varied journeys in life, that his father was a man that deeply cared for people, his family in particular. My mother then rose to the podium to describe a few things that only Danny would do in his own unique way before reading a letter from another uncle of mine who wasn't able to be there. My Uncle Kevin described Danny's friendship as an everlasting bond that would always beckon his visit when traveling south to Texas. Then ensued a flood of tears from friends who will miss this man who had such a big heart despite his own personal demons about which he would tell others "you can't understand." "He always had a smile and a hug for me," a friend would say. Another chimed in, "We would just sit and talk for hours and he would tell me how proud of his kids he was, while asking me about mine." The pastor himself, who had known Danny for more than a decade, told a story about one rainy morning in which a van full of free lunches were to be handed out down the street. Danny ran up to grab a lunch for himself and a blanket not for himself but for another lady who was getting likewise soaked in the downpour. This was typical with Danny, always sharing of himself and his time so that others would feel loved. The stories continued for a while longer, from more friends for whom Danny was one of the few friends they could really talk to, to family members who had unique memories of Danny from previous years, to more recent memories from family members, to other friends who only had tears to offer in the place of words. The man will be well missed. From these stories, I am thankful that I can miss him well also.

In addition to the vastness of his heart and his willingness to show love to so many people, I found, in the stories told, that a very real sense of humility was a big part of this man's life. The life that he lived, the demons that he fought and the lifestyle that he lived, were very real humbling experiences that seemed to transform Danny into someone who truly appreciated the beautiful things that he did have, for their own sake. "A gift," he once said, "are the hands that God gave me to make beautiful things." In the likeness of the greatest man who ever walked the earth, Danny carved masterpieces from wood and stone. Arrowheads, moldings in Louisiana plantation mansions, simple boxes for baseball card collections, houses that would soon become homes, and any number of other carvings became the expression of an inward beauty that few who really knew him could ignore. When asked how he was doing, Danny would often reflect, "Progress but not perfection," while clinging to a mustard seed-sized faith in God that he had hoped would ease his heart along the journey. He seemed to always have this sort of tension in his life: a battle not against flesh and blood...

The debate between belief and unbelief is by no means a debate between himself who believes and another who disbelieves. It is also in large part a debate within himself, who both believes and disbelieves, and who must ever continue to pray humbly, 'Lord, I believe; help me in my unbelief.'"
-John Baillie

To put it differently in the context of the grace of God that enables a humble faith like this, consider the following four line poem by Pastor John Piper:

"Not grace to bar what is not bliss,
Nor flight from all distress, but this:
The grace that orders our trouble and pain,
And then, in the darkness, is there to sustain."

This may very well be the essence of a life like Danny's. Although there was no shortage of distress and trouble, yet through the evidence of his open and loving heart, it is perhaps God's enduring grace that sustained him throughout, even until the end.

Through the hearing of all of these stories from friends and family, a piecewise biography of this man has served him well, for although his existence could have disappeared into an obscure dark place in this harsh world, it certainly did not. It cannot. Instead, the heartfelt outpourings of fondness and affection for this man enlivened and celebrated his existence for all who cared about him to see. It is all the more clear to me how the psalmist felt when he wrote, "Those who sow in tears will reap a harvest of joy."

For Daniel Jandle:
May you rest in true peace, our friend, absent from all anguish and pain and sorrow. A life celebrated is a life well lived. May your progress now bear the fruit of perfection.

Leia Mais…

There is a Love that Never Forsakes

A couple of days ago, my uncle died. He had been around a while, but I haven't seen him since I can remember. He and my aunt have been divorced for about fifteen years I guess, but she's always loved him. Through all of the alcoholism and drugs, abandonment and prison time, she never gave up on him. Never. Quite often, my aunt would invite him over and many times let him sleep under the roof of her home because he didn't have anywhere else to go. Despite the divorce long ago, she's very distraught with his departure because, as she told my mom, "You know, we've always been connected." To me, that's something truly peculiar, perfectly divine. I can appreciate something like that: a thing that can endure any number of hardships and difficulties, yet remain intact and transcendent throughout.

A while back, I posted my thoughts of love being like a chisel. I wonder, especially in this context, if love might also be like a furnace. In the same way that gold is melted down by the fire in order to be purified, perhaps lasting love can do the same. It's for the same purpose that a chisel shapes the heart, yet the fire doesn't just chip off the rough edges, it removes everything that is impure. That "connection" isn't just some cosmic fate intervening in the lives of two people. That is the expression of our hearts that God has designed, the manifestation of love.

In so many weddings, I think 1 Corinthians 13 is often overused and sometimes trivialized. If you're unfamiliar, it's the quintessential passage in the Bible that depicts the type of love that God desires for us to both give and receive. Along with a list of attributes, the passage describes the importance of love, that it is the greatest thing that people can express to each other. At one point, Paul says that "love never ends." I'm sure my aunt can attest to that.

During the very last moments of Jesus' life on the cross, he uttered some words that may seem impossible to believe: "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (see Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34). How could the Father forsake the Son? Aren't they essentially one in the same, both God? It would seem an impossibility, a mystery of mysteries. Yet, if we realize that Jesus is actually referring to Psalm 22, our mystery may become less of one, and we may learn a little about this "connection" that bound my aunt and uncle together, despite so many things that insisted on breaking them apart.

Psalm 22
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.

3 Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried and were rescued;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
10 On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother's womb you have been my God.
11 Be not far from me,
for trouble is near,
and there is none to help.

12 Many bulls encompass me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13 they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.

16 For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
17 I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.

19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dog!
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
but has heard, when he cried to him.

25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
May your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
28 For kingship belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.

29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
30 Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.

What an interesting passage! David, an ancestor of Jesus, experienced a similar, albeit much less, type of hopelessness as Jesus experienced on the cross. This is the very reason Jesus quotes it with his last few breaths. As we read this section of Scripture, it alternates from complete desperation to God's transcendent love that rescued his people, back to utter hopelessness and self-loathing, and then back again to God's patience in deliverance. We see this several times, finally ending in an abode of faith and hope. Yet as Paul described in 1 Corinthians 13, the greatest of these is love. Verse 24 in Psalm 22 says, "For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him." Although strained at moments, they were connected.

I thank God for my aunt and uncle. I am sad to see that they are torn and that he is gone after such a difficult journey of life, but I praise God for their picture of a love that doesn't forsake.

"So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Leia Mais…

Needless Anxiety

Anxiety is the fear, dread, or anticipation that something undesirable, bad, or awful will or can happen to us. It is the feeling that we are vulnerable and that we are not safe. When we are anxious, we expect and anticipate that something bad is about to happen or could happen even if we are not aware of what it is that we anticipate. Sometimes our anxiety has a specific focus. We fear something specific, such as being trapped in an elevator or falling from a height. At other times we are not able to identify the precipitant or immediate cause of our anxiety. We have a general feeling of being at risk or vulnerable or we might have a sense of fear but not be fully aware of what it is that we fear. The nature of the potential harm we dread is often not physical in nature such as an injury or death that might occur from falling from a height. Instead we might fear emotional harm or loss of sense of self, rejection, or disapproval. The expectation of harm of any kind can provoke anxiety.
(from The Essence and Nature of Anxiety)

It seems that our culture is inundated with excessive, albeit media-inflamed, propaganda that instills fear in our hearts, so that anxiety becomes a part of everyday life for so many people. With the exception of a chemical or neurological imbalance, the greatest tragedy is that this type of lifestyle can be avoided. People become so easily worried about the cares of life: finances or possessions, health or schooling, careers or occupations. Of course, these things are worth considering when life happens, but I wonder if an overemphasis on these things not only lessens our quality of life, but the length as well. There is an increasing trend of excess in American culture. We buy things we don't need with money we don't have. We clutter our lives with needless activities in order to entertain ourselves because silence and solitude have become increasingly awkward or uncomfortable. We create background noise so that we don't have to really think about the most essential things of our lives. With all these things in place as the norm in our society, it is no wonder that we are anxious. Consequently, in the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry, there are not only over the counter anxiety medications, but at least a couple dozen prescription medications that aim to reduce anxiety or lessen the effects of chronic depression. There exist entire organizations and websites, like this one completely dedicated to this end. Through such organizations, a person can access information about anxiety drugs like Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac, Valium, Xanax, and Zoloft, among many others, in order to ease their pain. But what is the cost of all this? Are there other drugs that a person should take in order to offset the side effects of these? How far are we willing to go to ease our anxiety? Is it really supposed to be like this?

As a result of our increased anxiety and propensity to worry about so many things, we have become defenseless in our ability to live courageous, confident lives as God intended.

[Because of your faith] I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God...for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
2 Timothy 1:6-7 (paraphrase)

So does this mean that those who have faith never worry or never become anxious? Obviously not. Personally, I have wrestled with my own tendency to worry this summer. With a baby on the way and an income of less than half of last year's, my mind often wanders into the abyss of worry. How will I pay for health insurance for my wife and daughter? How will they be able to get to the medical appointments when I have our only car at work with me? How will we continue to pay off our debts? These questions easily creep into my consciousness as I think about the future. All of these questions create anxiety within me which is the manifestation of fear, the paranoia of my life becoming a "worst case scenario".

But then I'm reminded, as Paul encourages Timothy (see above), that God is a good Father to us, desirous to give us His best gifts (Matthew 7:11).

So here's a gift. A truck like this one is a perfect example of a gift that God gives to those for whom faith is their anchor. Through God's prompting and enablement, a coworker of mine at my new job has decided to sign the title of a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac truck over to me, free of charge. Wow. Now, an expectation of a material gift like this is beside the point. The point is this: that God is in control of all things. He sustains all things in the depth of their being and has the ability to provide any necessity to any thing that needs something. For me, it is a truck. For someone else, it may be relief from a headache or healing from cancer or a parking spot closer to the store because of a cast on a leg. For plants, it's sunlight and water. You get the idea. Regardless of our perceived magnitude of the need, God has the ability and desire to meet that need.

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
Matthew 6:25-34

I cannot imagine what my life would be like without faith that God Himself would provide for my every need. It may not always look like the provision I expect, but it is always the provision I need. I can only venture to say that without faith, my life would be filled with anxiety medication, for we are not meant to live this life alone, dependent on our own ability to satisfy our every need. In every case, somehow we'll be found lacking.

I've never really liked the cliche, "Let go and let God." Personally, I just think it's corny. I think the let go part is okay (see cartoon above), but to let God is a very arrogant thing for us to say, as if God needs our permission to sovereignly and lovingly rule our lives. I prefer:

"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it."
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

and

"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word."
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

and

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen."
1 Peter 5:6-11

So my prayer for myself, my family, and all those for whom God alone is their hope is this: May our complete willingness to relinquish the needs of our lives prove to deepen our trust in God, the Provider of all our needs, lest needless anxiety be our demise. Amen.

Leia Mais…

So Many Considerations...

As Father's Day has just passed, the reality of parenthood draws near. In about six weeks, there will be another Normand in our family with the arrival of our daughter Phoebe. For the past eight months, Kattie and I have been searching out knowledge about good, biblical parenting, for that is where our responsibility lies. We have sought counsel in the Scriptures, joined a group of like-minded, believing parents at church whose desires are like ours, purchased several books ranging from childbirth and development to education to spiritual formation, talked to other wise friends who are likewise involved parents, all the while asking God to intervene in our lives throughout so that we can, by his grace alone, be effective parents who "raise our children in the way they should go." But we've also realized that we can never know enough. We will never arrive to a place that deems us perfect parents.

As I personally find myself inherently weak and fragile as a fallen man, the requirement for forgiveness and reconciliation to God is a daily necessity. It reaches far beyond a mere reading of a small piece of Scripture every morning in hopes that it will sustain me throughout a day potentially filled with fierce attempts to destroy my soul. The battles are mighty ones, worthy of a valiant fight. In the midst of all that goes on in the workplace, all the relationships that require my energy in the homeplace, and all the desires that God has for me out in the rest of the world, I find that it often clouds the simplicity of the Gospel. These are eternal things to which God has entrusted us, so I realize that I must continually be diligent to

"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for."
2 Corinthians 13:5-9

The more I live, the more I realize that this restoration that requires much prayer is something that I need each day. In order for me to be the man that God desires me to be, there must be a purging of the world that is in me, while the restoring reconciliation of the Gospel powerfully transforms me from day to day. Far too often, men become statistics because

"...the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful."
Matthew 13:22b

And I am certainly not so naive to think that I am not susceptible to the same kind of worldly distraction that could potentially destroy everything of value in my life. Yet at the same time, my hope is anchored in the Gospel that defines hope. If Jesus can raise a man from the dead, make a blind man to see, release a woman from the bonds of prostitution, turn water into (really good) wine, and walk on water, then he can no doubt keep me as his own brother, a son of the One True God, forever.

Yet my responsibility remains. It remains because it depends - on the unwavering commitment that He has made with me, and those who came before me. Abraham was the "father of many nations." Why? Simply put, God made a covenant with him. And so, as the covenant was made with him, and I am an adopted descendant of his, it follows that I also am under that very covenant. This is why I must "work out my own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12), in my marriage, my parenthood, my workplace, my relationships, and my life in general.

"...for it is God who works in me, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).

I welcome any sound advice and counsel for my wife and I, especially as we venture into the honorable journey of godly parenting.

Leia Mais…

Focus. Or Pressing on Through the Storms.

I like thunderstorms in Texas during the summer. Sometimes, they can be intense in their ability to provoke much anxiety, yet they always pass. Recently, we've had two major ones back-to-back, that threatened tornadic activity. So we kept the news on as long as possible while all four of us, my wife, my mom, my unborn daughter, and myself, huddled up in tiny closet awaiting the passing of the storm. All ended well and without any collateral damage.

In obvious manner, as much as storms are used metaphorically to symbolize various trials in life, I have learned valuable lessons through them. One of my most favorite quotes of all time is from Pastor John Piper, "One of God's gifts to us in suffering is that we are granted to see and experience depths of His Word that a life of ease and comfort would never yield." Most would never consider suffering to be a gift, yet two things are consistently self-evident reminders in life: storms produce a measure of guaranteed suffering (especially to those whose trust is in God) and storms always pass sooner or later.

When I've had to drive through those summer storms in Texas, which is a rare occurrence since I'd rather watch them out on the porch, I always have to take it slow, realize that time will pass and the distance will shorten, and pull over if I must. But I would never quit or give up trying to make my way through the storm. My destination was always on the other side of the storm, whether in the safety of my home or the safety of clear skies. Regardless of my position in the midst of the storm, I always kept one thing in mind: I must keep driving, for my limited vision prevented me from knowing if the storm was 20 square miles large or 20 square yards small. I knew I would break on through to the other side eventually.

I believe God's purpose in storms is to refine the hearts of those who must endure them. When Job lost everything he held precious in his life, he began to understand the destruction that some storms could take away. Yet God never left him to face it alone. Job thought and meditated. He questioned and wondered. He sought counsel from his friends. Throughout the storm, rather than passively absorbing the wrath of the storm while idly wallowing in justifiable self-pity, he pressed on waging war with the storm. He would not go down quietly.

And he learned what God desired to teach him: that the Lord gives and he takes away, but all that is left to do is praise him for being faithful in the midst of the most violent of storms. Throughout the storm, God absolutely never left Job and Job undoubtedly never stopped believing in God. They conversed and debated, but when Job relented to the submission of God's Lordship, it was accomplished. The storm produced within Job a greater dependence on God and faithfulness toward God that would enable him to conquer the storm and be entrusted with more of God's richness.

These same lessons are continually being learned throughout the generations from Noah and Moses, to Job and the Prophets, to the disciples and apostles, all the way down the the "ordinary Joe" who trusts in God today. I have learned this lesson multiple times in the past 8 or so years, but it seems that the storms look a little different each time.

This time, for me, it was my job. It was a very trying situation for me, as I was continually frustrated with my job. The storm began early and lasted for many months, increasing in intensity as time passed. As the temptation to relinquish my desire to communicate with God would also intensify, I found myself muttering small phrases like, "Be here with me, Lord." or "Here I am. Save me!" And hearing replies like, "I am here." and "My grace is sufficient." or "I will never leave you alone." And the most glorious feeling is when, after much time struggling and pressing forward through a storm, you finally gaze upon the clear skies painted with a brilliant rainbow in the distance. God's faithfulness reigns! He gives and he takes away, but all that is left is to praise him for his goodness, even in the midst of the violent storm.

And as it was for Job, when He learned the valuable lesson and surrendered everything to God, the Lord restored his fortunes: Job 42:10 "And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold. 12 And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15 And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an old man, and full of days."

The clouds have broken into clear skies, for the time being. Yet, I expect only what fortunes God has in store -- he may grant that I have abundance or teach me greater lessons through more storms. Regardless, I will trust in him and rejoice for he is always good!

Thank you, Lord, for you patience with me and for never leaving me alone.

Leia Mais…

"Accepted" or "Received"?

A few days ago, while I was working out at the fitness center, I met a young man who pleasantly distracted me. Unfortunately, I was only able to complete about half of my regular workout, but it was worth the conversation that would ensue. There was a fit, attractive young woman also exercising at the fitness center while we were there, so the young man stroke up a conversation with me after completing a set of bench press, "Would you f*** that girl?" I replied, "Nah, man, I'm married." Thus began a 45-minute conversation on love. He talked about how he'd recently gotten his heart broken by a woman whom he had been dating for four years and he was worried that his "game" wasn't good enough to find anyone else. So we began to discuss the difference between infatuation and real love, playing the emotional dating game versus the lifelong commitment of marriage, how good it is to commit to one person, while exploring the depths of what love is. He spoke in relative terms (as is the custom of our culture) and I spoke in absolutes. I told him that Love is a Chisel and a committed act of the will, but he kept insisting that it is merely an emotion, that a person can potentially fall in and out of love at a whim. Somehow the idea of love in our culture has become so romanticized that it has evolved into a fairy tale Chick Flick involving a baby angel in a diaper shooting arrows at unbeknownst strangers, so that they may magically "fall in love." But there's also a chance that this flying meddler might shoot someone else to love you, thereby creating an absolute insecurity of any semblance of commitment. Sure, it's a risk. Sure, it's uncertain. But a person can also be sure that it's worth all the risk and uncertainty. It's a shame that the pop-culture definition of love these days has been so distorted and twisted that we "love" anything, from lamps to tacos to puppies to people. I'm sure God is quite annoyed with what has become of something he intends to be the most valuable intangible that our hearts can ever experience, yet he knew our wickedness would pervert such a precious thing, for it is our nature to commit such travesties.

1 Corinthians 2:6-16
"Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ."

Jesus once said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he would lay his life down for his friends." It is a sad condition in which we find ourselves when love becomes selfish. We worry far too much about our "game," our image, our appearance, and how far it can get us. Masks, facades, fakeness. It's what we do. For some of us, it becomes who we are, forbidding anyone to truly know us. But, as it is, many will never know what love is. A person might think he knows what it is, a la Forrest Gump, yet never taste the deepest beauties that lie within.

The most miraculous event that can ever occur in a person's life is the transformation that occurs in the depths of the soul, for the sake of knowing God. Why does this happen? It all goes back to the character of God: He not only knows love and gives love, but God is love. But what is the process by which this transformation happens? So many people will say that they "accepted" the gift of the grace of God and it changed them forever. A few might say that they "received" the gift. Almost everyone will interject that there's no difference in either case, that it's all semantics. I disagree. I think it's more than just words.

Here's my point... There is something out there that everyone wants: happiness. There is only one way to get it. God has the gift that produces happiness in his hand and there are two perceived ways to obtain the gift. Obviously, God knows exactly what creates true lasting happiness within a person, and he is certainly willing to give that gift.

Some would say that it is a gift in a wrapped box that must first be "accepted" and then opened. The acceptance of the gift includes many elements, chief of which is a willingness by the recipient to take the gift. In order to accept a gift, the recipient first takes into account the character of the giver -- is he selfless or is there a hidden selfish agenda for him, does he actually offer a gift that can bring a smile to my face, does he even know what can make me smile, etc. Based on this information, the recipient can choose to reject or trash the gift before it is opened. If the recipient perceives that the giver has pure motives and is concerned about the best interest of someone other than himself, then he might accept the gift willingly and proceed to open it. There is a conscious decision being made both by the giver and the recipient, a synergistic act in which the recipient can actually take partial credit for the benefit of the impact of the gift, since he decided to accept it.

The other side of the coin is when a person "receives" the gift already unwrapped and it clothes him with gladness and transformation, without even a hint of refusal, for it is far more beautiful than any other gift that he has ever been offered. There's no concealment or even a potential for selfish motive on behalf of the giver. Everything is pure, everything is open, everything is good without distortion. The acceptance of the character and the motives of the giver comes first so that the receiving of the gift need not come with a choice. It is a ultimately a passive act for the recipient, while the giver lavishes the goodness of the gift upon him with great joy. Because the giver knows exactly who he himself is and knows exactly who the recipient is and what he needs, this idea is that a monergistic act on the part of the giver creates within the recipient the deepest satisfaction, gladness, and fulfillment imaginable, which is the perfect completion of the recipient's desire to be happy. All credit belongs to the giver while the recipient simply receives the benefit.

To put it all in perspective, the reason God showers his people with grace to believe in him through Jesus is that love is pure as He is pure. He gives the greatest gifts. And we reap the benefits. There's no striving to please God. We don't have to put on our best "game" or use crafty lines to perk God's interest in us. He loves us because He can, because He is love. And He loves us even when we rebel against him, choosing to follow any other kind of fakeness that will never grant us lasting happiness. Like Hosea repeatedly returned to his unfaithful wife Gomer (read the book of Hosea), so God is with us.

Let us enjoy His favor as we receive more and more of His goodness while He accepts us as his own, for He is good! What a precious gift!!

Leia Mais…

A Speech for the Ages

The inauguration speech of the 44th President of the United States of America:

‘My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Leia Mais…

Does the New Covenant Innately Entitle Ease in Life to Those Under It ?

The new covenant: what a glorious plan that God has implemented for us! Everything points to it and everything flows from it. Without the realization of Jesus and his story, there is absolutely no hope for anyone, ever. It is the fulfillment of everything leading up to it, the illumination of the ancient shadows of God's promises from generations past. Yet it is also the point to which every future generation points, the only event in history that can actually bring hope to a hopelessly broken soul. It is the inescapable beauty of God's wisdom fulfilled through His own Son, for the sake of His own name and renown, that His own people may have ultimate joy in Him. This is reality. But so is life here on earth.

Lately, it seems like the media has escalated the propaganda of suffering. I have Facebook friends continually posting videos depicting the carnage that is currently taking place in the Gaza region. One day, I viewed a video in which a conservative Jew defends Israel rightly, in the sense that Israel is a people, not a place, and that the warring Israelis are as radical a misrepresentation to Judaism as fundamental Islamic terrorists are to Islam. The next day, I skimmed over a video depicting graphic war images of the typical carnage that happens during any war: dead women and children, charred by the damage of weapons of mass destruction. But who has the hope? Is there any? Who is virtuously defending their cause? Is there even a cause worth defending? And what about the places, say in Africa, where genocide has been being propagated for generations, yet no one seems to care? Where is their hope?

Cease fire? Doubt it. At least, not for long. Unfortunately, there is a war imbedded deep within human nature that, when misguided, cannot be satisfied by anything other than the exertion of power over something else, a prideful demonstration of a man's rebellion due to sin. There is no one without it. Everyone has it. There is a war in everyone, either physical or spiritual, or both. There is likely not a person who doesn't, at one time or another, beg the question, "Why all this suffering if there is a loving God hovering over us all?" Others, who have faith in Jesus, may ask, "If then we are under the new covenant of healing grace, then why do we let ourselves suffer? It doesn't have to be that way!"

It's interesting to think about the different types of spiritual awareness of suffering...

The man who leaves his carnal passions unchecked picks up a gun and starts shooting. His life becomes the embodiment of suffering, the very definition of a miserable existence. He suffers relentlessly.

The man who finds religion restrains his carnal passions so that he doesn't screw up his life and goes on doing all the rights while avoiding all the wrongs. Yet he hates many things about his life for no particular reason, unable to find his worth in anything except his religiosity. He suffers every day except Sunday and Wednesday, when he's able to renew his devotion to religion.

The man who finds spirituality attempts to transcend his carnal passions by taking control of his life and everything in it. Suffering ought not affect him because he has found a higher place, far away from it. Yet he is ungrounded, dismayed when he is inevitably faced with suffering. He suffers when things are uncertain and suffering looms heavily upon him. He suffers even more when the suffering actually comes.

The man who is found by Jesus relinquishes all control of his carnal passions, knowing that he will fail from time to time, yet trusting that he is accepted regardless of his imperfections. He realizes that there is suffering in store for him, yet he hopes in the sovereign providence of his God to persevere him through it. He doesn't try to escape it, but instead digs his heels deep in faith, knowing that God will never leave him to face it on his own. He asks confidently for deliverance by his God, according to God's perfect and infinitely wise will. He suffers frequently, yet overcomes it and conquers it.

For those who are found by Jesus, suffering is never absent. In fact, Jesus promises it to those who earnestly follow him. Until he returns to reconcile all things to himself, to make all things new, there will be sin and the resulting effects of it. So how much more, then, is suffering prevalent to all people!

When Adam and Eve rebelled against the one command of God in the Garden of Eden, certain things followed:

"To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”

And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”"
Genesis 3:16-19

To separate suffering from humanity is to separate sin from a man. Obviously, the time has not yet come for this to happen. Therefore, there will be suffering. The woman who has devoted her entire life to helping others in need will still die from cancer. The young child, afflicted with leukemia, will still suffer much before it all ends in death. Millions will continue to die in third world countries due to disease and famine. Wars will continue to ravage the countrysides of nations worldwide, as it has for decades. In both small and large measures, through circumstances that bring a person to the brink of self-destruction, suffering has endured the ages. These things ought to be expected, for they have remained almost since the beginning of time. Sin causes death, and pain, and suffering. These are all inevitable. However cynical and pessimistic this may seem, it is reality. It is the cost of rebellion against God.

So why do I say all this? Well, I have some well-meaning great friends and brothers in the faith who sometimes entertain the idea that these things can somehow be different. In an attempt to encourage, one of these brothers might say, "It doesn't have to be that difficult; we are under a new covenant!" In other words, we don't have to settle for sickness and hardship, for God must deliver us from those things since we are under grace and not the law only. "The prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much" (James 5:16b) and "many are the afflictions of the righteous but God delivers him from them all" (Psalm 34:19), but where is the line drawn between faith fueled by ignorant zeal and faith informed in deep biblical teachings?

I believe that the only thing to which we are entitled under the new covenant is death and hell, for it is what we deserve. Yet the grace and kindness of God affords us faith in a gracious Lord and Savior, Jesus. And that is enough. We need not order God to simply take suffering away from us. Jesus is enough to persevere us in the midst of suffering and pain. He'll be there and in the darkness of our weakness he'll be our strength. Those who trust him will consequently endure.

"More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
-Romans 5:3-5

Leia Mais…

2009: A New Year of Our Lord's Neverending, Precious Grace

A few examples of New Year Prayers, from a spiritual ancestor...

1830
Be pleased, dear Lord, to grant me during the present year--more of Your gracious presence, more tenderness of conscience and fear of offending You; more humility, stronger faith, and more entire devotedness to Your cause. Enable me to leave my temporal concerns entirely with You, to walk by faith, to have my treasure in heaven, and to manifest by my conduct--that I am Your disciple. Let me not grow cold or lukewarm--but may "I lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset me, and may I run with patience the race set before me, looking unto Jesus. Amen."

1832
"Here I raise my Ebenezer." Thus far the Lord has brought me. Though the past has been a year of multiplied transgressions and backslidings, I trust, through His abundant mercy, my face is still Zionward, and that my prevailing desire is to be devoted entirely to His service. Take me, dearest Lord, and form me for Your own glory. I feel much bodily weakness. Oh, that through the crevices of this frail tabernacle, I may see some of the glories of the eternal world!

1840
Most dear and precious Christ, I had not thought to see another new-year's day--but hoped before now--to have beheld You face to face! Like him of old, who was possessed of a legion of demons, I besought that I might be with You. But for a season, You have seen good to withhold the full answer to my request. "May Your will be done!" Glorify Yourself in me, and be much, very much with me, until You shall say, "Arise, my love, and come away," to be with Me forever! I desire most humbly and unreservedly, in Your own strength, to yield to Your Divine disposal--all I have and am, and to continually lose my wish and will, in Yours. I would lay at Your feet all creatures and created good, with every seeming evil--and embrace Yourself, my Jesus, as my joy, portion, happiness, wisdom, strength, peace--yes, my all in all--for the coming year, or so much of it as I tarry upon earth; and then, as my joyful, blissful portion through eternity! Oh, lead me, Holy Comforter, more into Christ--and out of SELF! I have had much of blessing--but I long and pray for more; in Jesus' name. Enlarge my expectations more, I beg You--and more I shall receive. "Lord, increase my faith."

1842
Precious Christ, I come with a large request for 1842: it is that You would be the "Alpha and Omega" of it. Do You not say, "Ask what I shall give you?" Yourself, Lord! You have most blessedly given Yourself to me. But I find sweet liberty to entreat more unfolding, revealing, and opening of Your glorious person, amazing work, and matchless love, than I have yet had; and more losing and treading down of SELF, too--that I may be lost in Your fullness, and forgotten and forsaken in Your soul-absorbing glories. Oh! raise me higher, draw me nearer, that I may daily die, and You live in me more manifestly. I just give myself to You, to live on You, to live in You, to live for You, more and more than heretofore, and that by the power of the Spirit resting on me. I humbly ask that mine may be a large and still-increasing portion; that, under fresh anointings, You, most lovely Jesus, may be more fully known, more loved, more served; for it is to You the Holy Spirit leads, of You He testifies.

Oh, do make this a large, rich, full year! You being increasingly honored in me, and I increasingly lost in You, and made an increasing blessing to Your dear people. An Ebenezer for past mercies befits me; large and magnificent have been Your bestowments; bountiful and constant Your favors to me--a poor worthless nothing! "Bless the Lord, O my soul--and all that is within me, bless His holy name!"

As 2009 ensues, may we reach a spiritual depth into the presence of God Himself that will radically transform who we are. May we not be spiritual or intellectual weaklings that are tossed around by every empty philosophy or wind of doctrine or latest fad or media frenzy. Rather, would it be that we would dive headlong into the Scriptures so that we may fully worship God with our minds, refuting every false thought or teaching, discerning that which is good and true in the midst of a multitude of lies. How sadly is it that we so easily submit to the strong arm of deception because we know not the Scriptures well enough!

May the Lord alone be preeminent in our lives, above all things. Jesus is the first and the last, the Head of all things, for all things were created through Him and for Him. What would happen if we truly lived every moment of 2009 completely submitted to His wonderfully perfect Lordship? Then, perhaps then, would we become true disciples. May it be so, Lord. Amen.

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