Acts 26:29 Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.
Paul wanted everyone who was within the scope of his ministry to become what he was without necessarily having to go through the painful circumstances that he was suffering. He could look at his faith, proven under trial and say of it, along with the author of Hebrews…
Hebrews 6:19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
Though the resting place of an anchor is invisible, the security and stability it provides for a ship in a storm in unquestionable. Paul’s hope in what God would do for him in the future, gave him confidence even when he was under duress. He wished this immovable joy for all who heard him speak. He wanted to spread this joy as it brought increased happiness to his own soul and ultimately glory to God.
Paul said, 2 Corinthians 1:24 We work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.
I am praying that you also may become what I am. That is, one who takes seriously the command with a promise.
Psalms 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
If I make God my greatest treasure and hope, I will receive all that he promises and that certain hope gives my life stability.
Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
But recognize this is no mere platitude or suggestion, for if you will not love him, treasure him, as your highest delight and eternal security, the opposite is true as well.
1 Corinthians 16:22 NLT If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed.
So for your sake and mine and the lord’s, "I pray… all who are listening… may become what I am, except…”
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Sunshine on a Cloudy Day
Having been abandoned by one that I love and relied on and perhaps only beginning to realize the depth of devastation that accompanies such a loss, what an acute thrill to be reminded and assured this morning, by one even more important to me, that He will NEVER leave nor forsake me, (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5) and that he carries me in his arms all day long. (Psalms 68:19)
Jesus, I am resting, resting
In the joy of what Thou art
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee
And Thy beauty fills my soul
For by Thy transforming power
Thou hast made me whole
Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus
I behold Thee as Thou art
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless
Satisfies my heart
Satisfies my deepest longings
Meets, supplies its every need
Compasseth me 'round with blessings
Thine is love indeed
Ever lift Thy face upon me
As I work and wait for Thee
Resting 'neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus
Earth's dark shadows flee
Brightness of my Father's glory
Sunshine of my Father's face
Keep me ever trusting, resting
Fill me with Thy grace
Jesus, I am resting, resting
In the joy of what Thou art
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee
And Thy beauty fills my soul
For by Thy transforming power
Thou hast made me whole
Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus
I behold Thee as Thou art
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless
Satisfies my heart
Satisfies my deepest longings
Meets, supplies its every need
Compasseth me 'round with blessings
Thine is love indeed
Ever lift Thy face upon me
As I work and wait for Thee
Resting 'neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus
Earth's dark shadows flee
Brightness of my Father's glory
Sunshine of my Father's face
Keep me ever trusting, resting
Fill me with Thy grace
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Your Joy is My Joy
Psalm 44: 17 All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant. 18 Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path. 19 But you crushed us…
God is sovereign over all our pain and sometimes it makes no sense.
Colossians 4:3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
But God can make sense of it as we use it as an opportunity to display His sufficiency to those who need to catch a glimpse of Him.
2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
2 Corinthians 2:12 When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me.
The Lord provides these opportunities for displaying his worth.
Mt 25:28 "‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
Our responsibility is to be faithful with God-given opportunities to glorify him.
Colossians 1:24 I am glad when I suffer for you...
Gladness can accompany suffering – even be the result of suffering - when it is endured to God’s glory, with the benefit of his people in mind.
1Th 1:6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
To experience actual joy, of which the holy Spirit is the source, which can be mingled with suffering, is to become an example to others and an encouragement in their faith. Suffering in this way produces joy all around.
1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?
My joy is attained by bringing about your joy in Christ though we will all suffer.
God is sovereign over all our pain and sometimes it makes no sense.
Colossians 4:3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
But God can make sense of it as we use it as an opportunity to display His sufficiency to those who need to catch a glimpse of Him.
2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
2 Corinthians 2:12 When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me.
The Lord provides these opportunities for displaying his worth.
Mt 25:28 "‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
Our responsibility is to be faithful with God-given opportunities to glorify him.
Colossians 1:24 I am glad when I suffer for you...
Gladness can accompany suffering – even be the result of suffering - when it is endured to God’s glory, with the benefit of his people in mind.
1Th 1:6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
To experience actual joy, of which the holy Spirit is the source, which can be mingled with suffering, is to become an example to others and an encouragement in their faith. Suffering in this way produces joy all around.
1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?
My joy is attained by bringing about your joy in Christ though we will all suffer.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Impermanence
The great thing about impermanence is that it applies to itself. Impermanence is itself impermanent. The expression, “Nothing lasts forever” will not last forever. One day even death will die and then everything will last forever.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Re 21:4 There will be no more death… for the old order of things has passed away.
That everything is fleeting, is fleeting.
One day we will live in the age of ages where enjoyable time will never run out.
In John 10:28, Jesus said, “I give them (Those who believe in Jesus) eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can snatch them out of my hand.
Believe in him. Trust in him. Follow him. The only thing you have to lose is what you are going to lose anyhow. What you gain, you will gain forever.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Re 21:4 There will be no more death… for the old order of things has passed away.
That everything is fleeting, is fleeting.
One day we will live in the age of ages where enjoyable time will never run out.
In John 10:28, Jesus said, “I give them (Those who believe in Jesus) eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can snatch them out of my hand.
Believe in him. Trust in him. Follow him. The only thing you have to lose is what you are going to lose anyhow. What you gain, you will gain forever.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Sinking Yet Saved
Psalm 31
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul… 9 Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes. My body and soul are withering away. 10 I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness… 14 But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." 15 My times are in your hands; deliver me… 16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. 17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to you… 19 How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you. 20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them… 22 …you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help. 23 Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul… 9 Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes. My body and soul are withering away. 10 I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness… 14 But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." 15 My times are in your hands; deliver me… 16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. 17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to you… 19 How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you. 20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them… 22 …you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help. 23 Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Grateful
To my church family (and others God has placed around us);
Being cared for to by all of you, over the last year and especially in this last month, has proved to be a profoundly humbling and heartwarming experience. To have one’s vulnerabilities exposed and yet to be protected and provided for, has allowed me to see God’s love in action.
You have mingled your prayers and tears with our own, exemplifying compassion. You have served us practically, spiritually and emotionally, in ways that no mere human organization could ever do. You have loved me and Si and Katy and Alex and helped us believe that indeed God loves us and will see us through.
May he reward you for your persistence in doing good. May he give you the joy of serving Jesus. May you have the assurance that you are loved in return.
God bless you.
Andy
Being cared for to by all of you, over the last year and especially in this last month, has proved to be a profoundly humbling and heartwarming experience. To have one’s vulnerabilities exposed and yet to be protected and provided for, has allowed me to see God’s love in action.
You have mingled your prayers and tears with our own, exemplifying compassion. You have served us practically, spiritually and emotionally, in ways that no mere human organization could ever do. You have loved me and Si and Katy and Alex and helped us believe that indeed God loves us and will see us through.
May he reward you for your persistence in doing good. May he give you the joy of serving Jesus. May you have the assurance that you are loved in return.
God bless you.
Andy
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Two Responses to Loss
Hebrews 10:34 You… joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.
And the pitiable, yet understandable opposite of Hebrews 10:34
You vehemently refused to accept the confiscation of your property though you were powerless to stop it. You became filled with anxiety because your means of providing for yourself and your family had been lost. Your helplessness and fear and inconsolable anger drained you of all hope for the future, causing you to spiral into a deep and devastating depression. You refused to trust God who said…
Mt 6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
You became cheerless, isolated and in need of medical help.
Now, which response to loss do you think would be preferable? Which one would you fight for? Which one would you want a spiritual leader to have? Which one would inspire you? Which one would you follow?
“Any emotion” is not “OK”. Anyone who has experienced a panic-attack would not say, "Hey! That was alright!" Emotions can quench your flame. They can take your life. Don’t let them.
Php 3:1 Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.
And the pitiable, yet understandable opposite of Hebrews 10:34
You vehemently refused to accept the confiscation of your property though you were powerless to stop it. You became filled with anxiety because your means of providing for yourself and your family had been lost. Your helplessness and fear and inconsolable anger drained you of all hope for the future, causing you to spiral into a deep and devastating depression. You refused to trust God who said…
Mt 6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
You became cheerless, isolated and in need of medical help.
Now, which response to loss do you think would be preferable? Which one would you fight for? Which one would you want a spiritual leader to have? Which one would inspire you? Which one would you follow?
“Any emotion” is not “OK”. Anyone who has experienced a panic-attack would not say, "Hey! That was alright!" Emotions can quench your flame. They can take your life. Don’t let them.
Php 3:1 Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Pure Grief
If I were to write a book on the experience of losing Theresa to ovarian cancer, after more than 25 years together, I would call it “Pure Grief”. Jesus said, “Blessed (happy) are those who mourn…” Matthew 5:4. He did not say blessed are those who are fearful or angry or lethargic or clinging to the past… the list goes on.
When destructive emotions and tendencies are pealed away from grief, what is left is nothing other than love for the person who has departed. When the heart is filled with love for another, there is a sweetness to it. The heart was made to be filled with love and fighting to keep it that way must be the most important task in grief, for as the emotions go so goes the rest of life.
It wouldn’t be fair to publish such a book until I had successfully navigated the first year of grief, but I want to confess this as my goal. I want to prove the validity of my faith and it’s content. I want this experience to provide evidence that God’s word makes the best sense of life and death. We will all have to face grief. My goal is to make your grief the most blessed experience it can be and in so doing bring glory to the God who leads his children through it.
If you are not a believer, I encourage you to steal all the ideas from the Bible that seem useful to you and in so doing you will be following this command: Psalms 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
When destructive emotions and tendencies are pealed away from grief, what is left is nothing other than love for the person who has departed. When the heart is filled with love for another, there is a sweetness to it. The heart was made to be filled with love and fighting to keep it that way must be the most important task in grief, for as the emotions go so goes the rest of life.
It wouldn’t be fair to publish such a book until I had successfully navigated the first year of grief, but I want to confess this as my goal. I want to prove the validity of my faith and it’s content. I want this experience to provide evidence that God’s word makes the best sense of life and death. We will all have to face grief. My goal is to make your grief the most blessed experience it can be and in so doing bring glory to the God who leads his children through it.
If you are not a believer, I encourage you to steal all the ideas from the Bible that seem useful to you and in so doing you will be following this command: Psalms 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Waves
Psalm 42 best describes the state I found myself in yesterday.
6 My soul is downcast within me… 7… all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
Waves of grief overwhelmed me as I assessed the loss of one who was a partner in the pursuit of holiness and parenting and meal preparation and bill filing.
Waves so deep, I could not get my breath. I took my sisters’ advice and got into my “life-boat” or the “Arc” as I call it, that I built before the rains began. I wrote out and meditated on these verses which help define a New Testament theology of suffering. The result has been a return of buoyancy produced by hope and joy that has eluded me since the funeral.
Rom 5
3 We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
2Co 4:17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
Ro 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
1Pet 1
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade— kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Ac 14:22 We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.
Suffering produces satisfying, present-tense hope. It achieves a shining eternal joy more significant than any loss. It proves our faith as genuine and is part of the process by which we receive our salvation from the eternal hell we deserve. Suffering is the only route by which one may enter that land where we will reign with God.
Ps 32:8 NLT
The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.”
6 My soul is downcast within me… 7… all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
Waves of grief overwhelmed me as I assessed the loss of one who was a partner in the pursuit of holiness and parenting and meal preparation and bill filing.
Waves so deep, I could not get my breath. I took my sisters’ advice and got into my “life-boat” or the “Arc” as I call it, that I built before the rains began. I wrote out and meditated on these verses which help define a New Testament theology of suffering. The result has been a return of buoyancy produced by hope and joy that has eluded me since the funeral.
Rom 5
3 We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
2Co 4:17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
Ro 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
1Pet 1
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade— kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Ac 14:22 We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.
Suffering produces satisfying, present-tense hope. It achieves a shining eternal joy more significant than any loss. It proves our faith as genuine and is part of the process by which we receive our salvation from the eternal hell we deserve. Suffering is the only route by which one may enter that land where we will reign with God.
Ps 32:8 NLT
The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.”
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