Category: The Disciple and Suffering

Does God Ever Feel Shame?

Shame is a powerful motivator. Adam and Eve felt it for the first time after disobeying God and hid themselves. That is one of the things shame does to us. Fear and shame work together. We are afraid of our shame being exposed; so, we hide.

The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees. 9 Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” Genesis 3:6–10 (NLT) —

When our consciences work properly, we feel shame when we sin and betray our Creator or some other person.

Those who feel no shame regarding their sin likely have what the Bible calls “seared” consciences, or as the New Living Translation puts it, “dead” consciences.

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. 2 These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. 1 Timothy 4:1–2 (NLT) —

The Holy Spirit convicts us when we sin, which causes a proper apprehension of shame, leading us to turn to Christ for forgiveness and a removal of all guilt and shame, which is called justification.

There are other potential sources of shame besides our sin, which are connected to things over which we have no control or responsibility, but concerning which others may try to shame us.

Each of us comes into this world having received from our parents and God the core of our personality and physical makeup. We get our “looks,” our physical and mental strength or weakness, our intelligence, our “race” and gender, where we are born, and the family from which we derive without having any say in the matter. The world esteems the “good looking” and generally ignores or puts down the ugly. It rewards strength and scorns weakness. Depending on our culture, race and gender may open doors of opportunity and privilege or tend to close them. Generally, the world honors smart people and despises those with less intellectual ability. Those who are bold and have outgoing, affable personalities may gather a following; whereas, the shy and introverted may suffer the humiliation of being overlooked or worse. Winners are lauded, and losers are made to feel less than worthy. Fans of winning teams make shaming their opponents and their fans an art form. We may be born into riches, poverty, or the “middle class.” Our family of origin may give us an advantage or put us “behind the eight ball.” We may have loving parents or experience abandonment or abuse from those who brought us into the world. The shame and hurt that is connected to things outside of our control can penetrate deeply into our hearts and influence us to believe lies about ourselves and God. Getting free from these lies and pain  may require a deep work of the Holy Spirit in what is called the transformation process, about which I have written elsewhere.  God has used me and others in a ministry I call “wonderful counseling” to help people experience freedom from deeply ingrained lies and unhealed pain. What makes it wonderful is that Jesus is in charge. He is the Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6)

Lies lose their power over us when we know and embrace the truth of God’s Word.

Sadly, we hate to be shamed but are often willing to shame others. We want to feel good about ourselves, even if it involves making others suffer. This is the human condition without Christ and the world in which we live, but what about God? Is there any reason he might feel the sting of shame? He does not sin; so, that cannot be a source. He is perfect in every way; so, he cannot feel shame when compared to others. Is it even possible for him to feel shame?

The Bible says that we are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26).

Our emotions, however damaged or misguided they may be at times, were given to us by God and reflect his own personality.

The Bible makes it clear that God feels emotion. He becomes angry and feels compassion. He experiences joy and can be grieved. Jesus was and is the perfect representation of God’s nature and character (Hebrews 1:3). The emotions we see in Jesus reflect those of his Father, and Jesus experienced shame during his relatively short stay on planet earth.

Father God orchestrated things so that his Son would be conceived through the activity of the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin. From the beginning, Jesus carried the shameful stigma of illegitimacy in the eyes of family, friends, and enemies. Who would have believed Mary’s story except for Joseph who was told by an angel that it was so? The Pharisees knew the story and were unafraid to bring it up when Jesus told them that they were not God’s children.

Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. 41 No, you are imitating your real father.” They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.” 42 Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. 43 Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! 44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:40–44 (NLT) —

Jesus came to originate an entirely new generation of humanity descended directly from God through the new birth, free from the taint of the shame connected to Adam’s sin.

Our Lord experienced life as a “normal” person in terms of wealth and privilege. I believe this was because so many of us experience life this way.

God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. 1 Corinthians 1:28–29 (NLT) —

When it came time for Jesus to enter his public ministry, he had no credentials which would have given him status with the “powers that be.” He did not receive a formal theological education from an approved institution. He was not a member of the prestigious Pharisees, Sadducees, Sanhedrin, or Levitical priesthood. He was not politically connected. In terms of what the world esteems, he had little. What he had was all he needed, however – his divine origin, impeccable character, calling, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Those of worldly rank and privilege viewed these assets as a threat. Little did they realize that he was not only the long awaited Messiah. He was and is also their Creator and the Sustainer of all living things! (Colossians 1:17) Jesus experienced the shame of being ridiculed and resisted by those who should have loved, joined, and worshiped him.

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. John 1:10–11 (NASB95) —

Rejection and abandonment are two big potential sources of shame.

Those who have experienced this, whether it was intended or not, often carry deep scars. Our Lord did not succumb to self-pity or begin to believe any lies about God or himself as a result of his rejection, as many of us do. He knew that his heavenly Father loved him deeply and fully approved of him (Matthew 3:17). This knowledge allowed Jesus to persevere unflinchingly in the face of the sting of human rejection all the way to the cross.

Another source of shame is betrayal by those we thought were loyal to us.

“Et tu, Brutae?” is one of Shakespeare’s most famous lines, which was uttered by Caesar when he realized that his supposed friend Brutus was a co-conspirator in his murder. Father God was betrayed in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve chose the serpent over him. Jesus was also in a garden when he uttered these well known words.

...“Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” Luke 22:48 (NASB95) —

In marriage a man and woman vow before God to remain faithful to each other for life. If one spouse violates that covenant by adultery or abandonment, it is a betrayal of the deepest sort that shames the other partner. The greater the commitment we make to someone, the greater is the potential for shame if we are betrayed. Those we love have the ability to hurt us the most. Imagine how God felt when Adam and Eve, who were lovingly created in his image and given everything they needed, very soon decided that he was unworthy of their love and trust and undesirable compared to what the slithery lying serpent promised them!

Satan has a very low opinion of humans. He knows how duplicitous and easily deceived we can be. God, on the other hand, takes fatherly pride in us when we show unflinching loyalty to him, as is revealed in the Book of Job.

Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause.” 4 Satan replied to the LORD, “Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life. 5 But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!” Job 2:3–5 (NLT) —

Satan wants to destroy us and embarrass God by turning our hearts against our Creator.

Another potential source of shame is when we are disregarded by those who deem us to be unimportant.

Sin is so deeply ingrained in us that we often do this to people without even realizing it. Sin so corrupted humanity that it is common for people to refuse to acknowledge God’s very existence, much less honor him.

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, Romans 1:28 (NASB95) —

When we consider that God or another person is not worth knowing or spending time with, it puts that one to shame and grieves his or her heart.

Does a young woman forget her jewelry, or a bride her wedding dress? Yet for years on end my people have forgotten me. Jeremiah 2:32 (NLT) —

Even we who call ourselves Christians quite often put other things before God. Our gathering on Sunday and spending twenty minutes in praise and worship is good but does not offset a week of neglect. What does our neglect of spending time with God say about his value to us? Conversely, when we prioritize our relationship with God, it honors him and tremendously benefits us – a win-win for sure.

Another source of shame is being defeated by our enemies.

King David prayed repeatedly that the Lord would not let this happen to him. Here is an example.

O my God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me. Psalm 25:2 (NASB95) —

When we go to battle, whether it be in mortal combat, a debate, a sports contest, or some other contest, we risk defeat. Goliath put God’s people to shame be challenging them to combat, exposing their cowardice, which results when we are afraid to risk being put to shame. David feared being put to shame through defeat at the hands of his enemies, but he chose to fight because he could not tolerate God’s and Israel’s being put to shame because of the taunts of the enemy. His courage rose to the occasion because of his faith in God.

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. 46 “This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’S and He will give you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:45–47 (NASB95) —

We can boldly enter the fray if we trust in God’s keeping power more than we fear being put to shame.

But though his creatures put him to shame by rejecting him in favor of his archenemy, God did not reject us utterly or hide himself from us. On the contrary, he embraced the shame of our guilt and sin as the means to bring us back to him! Father God sent his own Son, the eternal Logos who became a human, to identify completely with us in our sin and shame. Jesus endured the shame of being called illegitimate, falsely accused, betrayed, mocked, spit upon, beaten, and finally hung naked upon the cross where he endured a ghastly, shameful death as a criminal for our sake.

Jesus died as the Lamb of God who took our sin and shame upon himself in order to restore us in a shameless condition to Abba Father.

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB95) —

Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. Colossians 1:22 (NLT) —

Jesus, God’s one and only Son, through whom Abba created everything, was willing to be put to an open shame for our sake in order to remove the sting and stain of our shame.

Isaiah the prophet wrote about him.

I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. 7 For the Lord GOD helps Me, Therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed. Isaiah 50:6–7 (NASB95) —

Jesus was able to endure the shame and pain of the cross because he kept his eyes on the prize – our redemption and restoration to Abba.

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 (NASB95) —

He despised the shame of being forsaken. Jesus endured being temporarily abandoned by his loving Abba Father as he hung upon the cross and was identified with our sin. His mournful words immortalized in scripture reveal the depths of his pain.

At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Matthew 27:46 (NLT) —

Jesus had to go through the experience of being put to shame to redeem us from the power of shame.

He was willing to be exposed to public humiliation and ridicule to set us free. He refused to hide from the shame men thrust upon him out of loyalty to his Father and to us.

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13 (NLT) —

When we hear the gospel, it is an opportunity to place our faith in him and pledge eternal loyalty and allegiance to the one who is unflinchingly loyal to us.

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. Romans 10:9–10 (NLT) —

It is vitally important for us to confess our allegiance to him aloud and to publicly demonstrate it in water baptism. He wants us to show unashamed loyalty to him, just as he did for us.

One of my sons once told me that when he was in high school he made up his mind to never do anything to bring shame upon the family. I remember how amazed I was at this declaration of loyalty and faithfulness. This is the very attitude that God wants every child of God to have.

Our Lord wants us to be loyal to him, to one another, and to the gospel.

This means that we make it a point to avoid doing or saying anything that might make someone feel ashamed. (There are exceptions to this rule, but that is a subject for another article – 2 Thessalonians 3:14.) In addition, we are to avoid doing anything that might bring shame upon God and his gospel. Those who have experienced God’s goodness and then reject him do just that. If we…

...turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame. Hebrews 6:6 (NLT) —

There is little so hurtful as when friends or loved ones refuse to stand up for us.

We who are faithful in general to our Lord may bring shame to him if we fail to acknowledge him before others.

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26 (NASB95) —

Thankfully, God does not abandon us when we are less than faithful to him.

If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is. 2 Timothy 2:13 (NLT) —

How can we not publicly and unashamedly proclaim our love and loyalty to such a Savior!

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Stop Being “Too Big for Your Britches”

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the last days preceding Christ’s return, The Book of Revelation tells us that God will judge the world with war, famine, pestilence, and wild animals.

I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals. Revelation 6:8 (NLT)

I recognize that the pestilence called the coronavirus may or may not be the fulfillment of the above verse. Even if its virulence is being grossly exaggerated, it has proved deadly for many, and lots of people believe it is a form of judgment that God has allowed to give us a “wake up” call.

In our arrogance, we imagine that we do not need God.

We have created all kinds of systems – government, financial, military, medical, social, etc. – in an attempt to organize and control things on our own, but God has demonstrated that he can quickly drive us to our knees.

We need God far more than we realize.

In the Old Testament, King David started getting “too big for his britches,” to use an old southern idiom. He ordered his servants to take a census of all the subjects in his kingdom; even though doing so was expressly forbidden by God. God never wanted his people to rely on their own strength, which is exactly what David was doing. When the census was complete, God sent a prophet to explain to David his options.

But after he had taken the census, David’s conscience began to bother him. And he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt, LORD, for doing this foolish thing.” 11  The next morning the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, who was David’s seer. This was the message: 12  “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the LORD says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’” 13  So Gad came to David and asked him, “Will you choose three years of famine throughout your land, three months of fleeing from your enemies, or three days of severe plague throughout your land? Think this over and decide what answer I should give the LORD who sent me.” 14  “I’m in a desperate situation!” David replied to Gad. “But let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands.” 15  So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel that morning, and it lasted for three days. A total of 70,000 people died throughout the nation, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south. 2 Samuel 24:10-15 (NLT)

Defiance of God always brings judgment.

God mercifully allowed David a choice. He was allowed to pick his poison, so to speak. In his mind, pestilence was the most merciful of the three forms of judgment God threatened. I can see his point. Even though disease is terrible, it is better than the horrors of war or a slow torturous death from famine.

If this virus is a judgment, maybe we should be thankful that we have pestilence in the land rather than famine or war.

The pestilence in David’s day was stopped when the king offered a sacrifice. This is where the gospel comes to the forefront.

All of us deserve God’s judgment because all of us are sinners. (Romans 3:23)

Jesus came to die in our place so that all who put their trust and allegiance in him can be forgiven for their arrogant attempt to live without God (Romans 3:25), no matter what it has looked like for each of us as individuals. Maybe you murdered someone while going your own way. Others of us may have lived “respectably” and are admired by the entire community, but if we have not surrendered everything to the God who created, who sustains, and who redeemed us, we are still living in sinful rebellious independence. We can dress up a pig, but it is still a pig.

We all need forgiveness, and it is offered in the gospel.

Sooner or later the coronavirus will become yesterday’s news. If we do not properly respond to God during this crisis by putting our faith and allegiance in Christ, we will have missed a golden opportunity.

We should not waste this crisis. Let God do in us everything he desires.

Pray with Me

Jesus, you have my attention. I realize now that I have been trying to run my own life instead of relying on you. Today I choose to bow my knee to Jesus and acknowledge that he is the Over Ruler of my life. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for my sins. I rejoice in being forgiven, being added to God’s family, having eternal life, and in the indwelling Holy Spirit. Help me to live as your disciple from this day forward. Amen.

[Jesus] humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9  Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:8-11 (NLT)
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How to Deal with Injustice

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the most challenging things any of us will face in life is being treated unjustly. Something deep in our souls cries out for justice. Unfortunately this godly desire is easily corrupted into bitterness and a desire for revenge, both of which are anti-God. Left unchecked bitterness will destroy us and those around us, and revenge, according to the Bible, is God’s domain alone. When we go there, we are likely to bring his judgment upon ourselves.

Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them. Deuteronomy 32:35 (NASB)

When we we are on the receiving end of injustice, it is important for us to resist the urge to respond sinfully. Jesus taught us not to return evil for evil.

“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36  You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Luke 6:35-36 (NLT)

The only way a person can follow Christ’s teaching on this matter is if he or she believes that God is just and has everything under control. As the Apostle Peter encouraged us:

Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it. 1 Peter 3:9 (NLT) 

Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. 1 Peter 4:19 (NASB)

The only way to do this is if we believe that God will eventually bring all of us to give an account for what we say, think, and do. A firm belief in God’s justice and judgment is part of the gospel message, as Paul so clearly showed when he delivered the following statement to the people in Athens.

"Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31  because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." Acts 17:30-31 (NASB)

Without this conviction, we may think and act as if we must personally take action to insure that justice is done.

Faith in God’s justice and sovereign rule over his creation is the foundation for releasing justice issues into his hands.

Is there a place for self-defense? Of course. Is there a time to go to war against those who are trying to annihilate you? Yes. But is there also a time for taking injustice “on the chin,” without retaliating? Yes, especially when that injustice is linked to being persecuted for our faith and allegiance to Christ. It may be quite proper to kill another human being in defense of family or country, but I cannot think of a situation where Jesus taught his followers to kill as part of demonstrating their allegiance to him.

And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. Revelation 12:11 (NASB)

How do we decide what to do in any given situation?

  • First of all, reaffirm our faith in God’s sovereignty and justice.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. Psalm 89:14 (ESV)
  • Secondly, lay aside any desire for revenge.
Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. Romans 12:19 (NASB)
  • Thirdly, ask the Holy Spirit what is the loving way to respond.
For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13 (NASB)
  • Lastly, act in such a way that blends faith with love and demonstrates our enduring hope in the gospel. This will necessarily include praying for those who mistreat us.
But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6:27-28 (NASB)

When Jesus was put to death, he asked his heavenly Father to forgive his torturers. (Luke 23:34)  He knew and trusted that his Abba was in control, regardless of how it looked or felt. He released himself into God’s hands and trusted him for a perfect outcome, which, in his case, included the resurrection.

Jesus was able to show mercy to his persecutors because he knew that his heavenly Father would impose perfect justice in his way and his time.

Jesus’ firm trust in his Father’s sovereignty and justice allowed him to lay down his life as the Lamb of God and three days later rise from the dead as Lord of Lords and Ruler over the nations.

Humble faith in God’s justice will elevate us to a place of honor in God’s kingdom.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4:10 (ESV)

Jesus will one day return as the Judge over all the affairs of mankind. God extends mercy to every sinner who directly or indirectly participated in the terrible injustice of killing his Son, which includes all of us, but if we do not repent and accept the forgiveness offered in the gospel, we will eventually encounter the flaming fire and destruction of God’s justice.

For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE." 31  It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:30-31 (NASB)

It is important for us to consider that the children of those leaders who put the Messiah to death were annihilated along with the entire city of Jerusalem by the Roman army some forty years later.

God is never mocked. There will always be hell to pay for injustice for those who refuse to repent.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. Galatians 6:7 (NASB)

It is one thing to understand these principles, but another thing altogether to live them out when we personally encounter injustice. If we are still on the wrong side of God’s justice, today is the day for us to accept God’s amazing offer of forgiveness and reconciliation. The gospel offers us the opportunity to lay down our rebellion against God, receive forgiveness, and be reconciled to Abba Father. Once we have done that, may these words encourage us to trust in God’s justice rather than try to impose our own.

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How to Have Peace in Scary Situations

 

 

 

 

 

 

Warfare results when two wills clash in an effort to gain supremacy. The only lasting solution is the unconditional surrender of one of the parties. Until that happens, there may be temporary cessations of hostilities, but conflict always reemerges. Our life on planet earth is a series of conflicts and difficulties that eventually will terminate in physical death. Because of the entrance of sin, the beginning of hostilities against God’s will, all of life is a battle against hostile forces that seek to destroy us – evil or misguided people, germs, demons, natural disasters, the aging process, etc. Jesus told us that the devil, who is our archenemy and the archetype of resistance of God, seeks to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10) Peter wrote that Satan “prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) Warfare, stress, and difficulties, thanks to Adam’s sin, are a fact of life. We can either be terrified by it, surrender to the devil as a means to gain a temporary reprieve, or surrender to God and become part of his army as he brings final victory to his people. Ultimately, the battle is the Lord’s. It is he who took the initiative to regain what Adam lost. It is he who sent his Son to wrest dominion back from Satan.

The pivotal question is to whom will we surrender? Who will be our lord – God, Satan, or ourselves?

The essence of what it means to become a Christian is to surrender our wills to Jesus. This is what it means when we call him Lord. Surrender to Jesus means we repent from living self-directed lives and come under his authority. This takes place initially when we understand the gospel message and confess with mouths that he is our Lord. (Romans 10:9-10) Over our lifetimes, we will need to continually re-surrender every time we find ourselves resisting or doubting his sovereignty, wisdom, goodness, and love for us. It can be a scary thing to surrender ourselves to the will of an invisible God, whose ways are often confusing to us, and to trust that he is in control and always has our best interests in mind, even when everything around us seems to indicate the opposite. In all of life, and particularly when we are in the middle of a difficult or scary situation, if our wills are battling against God’s, lasting peace can only come through our unconditional surrender to God.

Oddly enough, even though we are surrounded by external dangers, sometimes we are our own worst enemy. Our sin and the fear and mistrust in our hearts toward God can sabotage our efforts to be true to Him. God has a plan for our lives, but if we stubbornly and fearfully refuse to go along with that plan, we can end up in an unprotected place outside of God’s best for our lives, in need of His correction and deliverance. Surrender to God and His will requires that we lay down our own agendas and our desire to control our lives and protect ourselves at all costs. It means that we must be open to the possibility that God will require us to go through something we dread.

Unless we unconditionally surrender to God, we cannot have unconditional peace.

By surrendering to God I do not suggest that we become passive. When we find ourselves under attack or in the middle of something scary to us, our first responsibility is to turn to God and acknowledge that he is sovereign over all things, including our current situation.

Unless God allows something to enter our lives, it will not take place. Satan is not in control.

God is not the author of evil, sin, suffering, or sickness. However, God’s sovereignty transcends all these things in a magnificent and mysterious way that is beyond explaining. Wisdom tells us that, no matter what God allows to come into our lives, we are first to acknowledge His sovereignty, seek Him and His will, and then respond as directed and appropriate.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB)

When the Philistines attacked David, his first response was to seek the Lord, who gave him specific instructions regarding how to proceed. (2 Samuel 5)

God created us to depend on him in all situations.

Adam’s first sin was to reject this divine order in an attempt to make his own decisions without reliance on God. A little knowledge can be dangerous. When Christians learn principles of authority and Christ’s victory, we sometimes think we no longer need to receive our directions from the Spirit any more. We think we can go it alone. This is wrong and dangerous. Too often we Christians, when we find ourselves in a scary situation, start rebuking the devil and claiming the promises, rather than seeking the Lord.

It may never occur to us that God has actually designed our situation in order to do a deep work in us. After all, God’s goal is to transform us into Christ’s image, not keep us comfortable.

When Jesus stood before Pilate, our Lord declared that the Roman ruler could only do to Him what God allowed. (John 19:10-11) The passion and crucifixion of our Lord was a time that God temporarily allowed darkness to rule. 

Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns.” Luke 22:53 (NLT)

Just prior to this, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus first did business with His heavenly Father – the real Ruler in every situation. His prayer was a model for us:

“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Luke 22:42 (NLT)

When we are about to enter a trial or are in the middle of one, we should first go to God and be sure our hearts and wills are submitted to him and what He wants to accomplish in our lives through the difficulty.

It is only against a backdrop of trust and submission that we can know more perfectly what other actions we must take.

This takes faith and humility.

If instead we simply begin to engage in what we might want to call “spiritual warfare,” we may find ourselves unhappily resisting God Himself. Imagine if Jesus had rebuked Satan instead of surrendering to death as God’s Lamb! This is what Peter earlier advised Jesus to do, but Jesus rebuked his misguided friend by telling him that he did not have the things of God in mind. (Matthew 16:21-23) Imagine how foolish it would be for us to fight against a situation orchestrated by God that is the avenue of our knowing Christ as Provider, Healer, or in whatever other way we need to know Him! Check in with God first. Find out what He wants to do; then, join His program. This is what it means to have Christ as Lord.

But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." 7  Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:6-7 (NASB)

A severe trial or difficulty will often cause whatever rebelliousness and fear we still may have deeply buried in our hearts to bubble to the surface. God knew it was there all along, but we may be surprised to discover what is hidden inside of us.

The fire of affliction tests and reveals our hidden motives and the nature and strength of our faith.

If we believe that God is completely in charge of our lives and every situation and loves us enough to expose these things in order to deliver and transform us, we will better be able to cooperate with the process. Unless we go through the fire, we will never know for sure what is inside us. Until we face our fears, the strength of our faith is somewhat of a mystery. Soldiers who have never been in combat wonder what they will do under fire. No one can know for sure ahead of time. Once we go through our first battle, however, we know.

That which we fear can become for us a gateway into great growth and victory after we have faced it in faith and found that God’s grace enables us to overcome.

Job had to endure what he feared so that his subtle self-righteousness and proud indignation against God’s apparent lack of justice would bubble to the surface. God was far more interested in revealing Himself in a greater way to Job than in keeping him pain free.

When we realize that character transformation is a higher priority than our comfort and ease, we will begin to better understand God’s ways.

If we embrace God’s ways, we will be pliable in His hands for Him to mold us however He wishes.

As long as our peace hinges on a certain set of conditions or a certain answer to prayer, we will always be subject to our circumstances and miss out on experiencing real and lasting peace.

Being enslaved to our circumstances is a terrible way to live because we can never be completely at rest. What we dread could be just around the corner…and then what? It is no use trying to insulate ourselves from what we fear by “having enough faith.”

Faith was never designed to protect us from trials: rather, it keeps us while we are in trials.

Ponder Christ’s words:

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage — I have conquered the world.John 16:33 NET

If we believe that trusting in Christ is our ticket to a trouble free life, we are in for a shock. Nothing could be further from the truth. God actually appoints us to tribulations.

We sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith, 3 so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.1 Thessalonians 3:2-3 NET

Trials, afflictions, suffering and tribulations work for us. They teach us perseverance and build character. Here is what Paul wrote to the church in Rome.

Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance, character, and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:3-5 NET

It is only when we reconcile ourselves to the fact that life will contain many difficulties, and only when we choose to surrender to God in the midst of them, trusting in His love and power to accomplish in us His desire through them, that we are able to have peace that passes understanding. I call this “unconditional peace” because it does not depend on any outward circumstance or condition. Whether we live or die, we have peace. Whether we get the answer we want or not, we have peace.

Peace resides in a Person, and His name is Jesus. As we fully surrender to him, we receive all  he has and is. One of His titles is the Prince of Peace. His peace becomes our peace, a peace that can never be shaken.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage. John 14:27 NET

Moses wrote about this place of surrender and peace. It is a secret place hidden from life’s storms and the threats of the enemy. It is a place where God’s peace and presence reign undisturbed. We have access to that secret place by surrendering unconditionally to God’s will for our lives.

As for you, the one who lives in the shelter of the sovereign One, and resides in the protective shadow of the mighty king — 2 I say this about the LORD, my shelter and my stronghold, my God in whom I trust. Psalm 91:1-2 NET

Surrendering to God’s will and plan for our lives will not make us passive door mats. In fact, we will find that, as we unconditionally surrender to God, great faith will rise up in our hearts – faith to overcome.

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5  Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 (NLT)

 

If you want to read more about having peace in every situation, you can purchase my book, Seeing God’s Smile When Life Is Difficult, from Amazon.

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Dealing with Disappointment in Friendship

I suppose all of us who have lived for very long have experienced disappointment in friendship – anything from failure to keep a promise or a confidence to outright betrayal, from unkind words to slander and lies.

There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 (NLT)

Every follower of Christ will be faced with relational disappointment because we are fallen people living in a sin-scarred world.

The world and the church are full of people who are “broken” or at least still “under construction,” who will disappoint us at times or maybe quite often. Rather than becoming embittered or disillusioned when this happens, Jesus wants to teach us how to handle these disappointments in friendship properly. Our own spiritual life and growth is at stake. Our Lord was thoroughly and completely betrayed by one of his own disciples, and even Peter, who was one of his closest three followers, publicly denied knowing Jesus at the time of his most severe testing. How did our Lord handle these “disappointments” and what can we learn from him?

Understanding Our New Covenant Relationship with Father God

Before looking in more detail at the idea of friendship, let us consider what a covenant relationship is. Today, when we talk about covenants, we usually mean some sort of business contract. In the Bible, covenants were much more relationally pervasive and meaningful.

A Bible covenant is a solemn promise made before God between two or more persons that is often sealed in blood, usually has some sort of sign or token attached to it, and stipulates a punishment for those who violate it.

In Genesis 15, when Abraham asked for “proof” that the promises God made to him would come to pass, the Lord had Abraham kill and divide several animals and lay them out on the ground. In the evening, God appeared in the form of a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch and passed (walked) between those pieces. The slain animals represented what would happen to whomever violated the covenant. Since God alone walked through the pieces of the slain animals, it meant he took upon himself sole responsibility for keeping the covenant. This made it a unilateral or one-sided covenant. Normally, in bilateral (between two parties) covenants, both parties would walk together, illustrating their commitment to keep the terms of the covenant or face the fate of the slain animals for violating it.

It is powerfully encouraging that God represented himself by two symbols. The New Covenant is a covenant between the Father and the Son (Jesus). Jesus took full responsibility for keeping the covenant with his Father upon himself (carrying us on his shoulders, so to speak), and even paid in advance the penalty of our violation of the Old Covenant by dying in our place on the cross. Did I hear you say, “Hallelujah?”

Both the Abrahamic Covenant and New Covenant are unilateral, unconditional covenants of grace.

God, the covenant maker, by walking between the slain animals, said to Abraham (and us) in symbolic form, “May it be done to me as has been done to these animals, if I fail to keep the terms of this covenant.” The author of the Letter to the Hebrews mentions this:

God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. 18  So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. Hebrews 6:17-18 (NLT)

Covenants can be between equals, between a sovereign and his vassals, between a husband and wife, or between God and his people.

The New Covenant was inaugurated when Jesus shed his blood on the cross for us. We enter into a relationship with Father God as his child through the New Covenant with Jesus having paid in advance for all of our sinful breaches of covenant faithfulness to God. We are completely secure in God’s love because we no longer relate to him on a performance basis. We have nothing more to prove. We have been given Christ’s very own righteous standing before our heavenly Father! Ours is now to live out what Christ has provided for us. We have been given a new nature. We are inhabited by God’s own Spirit. We now have the ability to live as covenant sons and daughters through the power of the indwelling resurrected Christ.

Our heavenly Father is not waiting for us to “mess up” so he can terminate the relationship. (Hebrews 8:7-12)

Rather, he knew ahead of time that we all would fail on our end; so, he sent his Son to pay the penalty for our failure in advance; so that we can enjoy the privileges and pleasure of being God’s children forever. This is the basis of our eternal friendship with God, which was provided for us at a tremendous price by Someone who was and is absolutely committed to us.

Covenant Commitments and Friendship

Friendships may come and go, but covenant bonds remain. Let that sink in. This is why marriage is traditionally launched by a covenant ceremony in which each partner pledges exclusive fidelity to the other until death.

Friendships are broken by some people for relatively trivial reasons, but covenant bonds, like marriage, should never be treated so lightly.

Friendships may crash upon the rocks of unmet expectations, but covenant relationships are built upon a vow of faithfulness, regardless of how things may turn out – for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health.

In covenant relationships, personal happiness or fulfillment is never the highest good. Faithfulness to the other person is. This runs counter to our pop culture, but lines up perfectly with God’s ways.

People today are often unfaithful to the promises they make. Instead many live in a foolish pursuit their own interests and desires, regardless of how that may affect others. Divorce has become widely acceptable for the flimsiest of reasons. Many choose to avoid the drama and cost associated with divorce by refusing to make a covenant commitment in the first place. They opt to live together as long as it suits them, keeping open the option of abandoning the other, claiming that this encourages a healthy relationship.

This lack of commitment pervades society and has profoundly affected the church, too. It is not surprising that the USA leads the world now in the percentage of children living in single parent homes. People come and go in their relationship to local churches, feeling no sense of “belonging” or “commitment.” For those who have drunk deeply of our culture’s abandonment of covenant commitment, church is just one more consumer offering. Whichever church best suits my needs for the moment has my temporary allegiance and, perhaps, financial support. Some people, who have been previously hurt or disappointed by church, in order to avoid being hurt again, refuse to commit at all and just hang out on the periphery. This creates a huge loss for the individual and the kingdom of God.

Not much good happens in life without commitment.

Handling Unmet Expectations

One of the greatest friendship destroyers is when one friend fails to meet the expectations of the other. Despite having been saved by grace, we may still measure other people in a “tit for tat” manner. This is how the world operates, but is a far cry from what Jesus taught his followers. Take a look at the following verses from the sermon on the mount.

Do to others as you would like them to do to you. 32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. 35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Luke 6:31-36 (NLT)

Jesus challenges us to love on a higher level than comes naturally to us. Instead of passively accepting violations of friendship or retaliating in kind, Jesus teaches us to counter punch with love.

What would happen if we handled our disappointments in friendship this way?

All of us are “broken” by sin in some way. Unhealed brokenness promotes a dysfunctionality in which we try to fill up the “hole” in our souls with another human being. We consciously or unconsciously hope they will be for us what only God can be.

Such dysfunctionality can lead us to place unreasonable expectations on our friends and spouses. Few things are so devastating to a relationship.

No human being is capable of measuring up to such demands. Healthy people run away from these kinds of dysfunctional expectations, but unhealthy individuals allow themselves to become entangled in destructive relationships. Until Jesus heals us, we cannot discern what is wrong, since we are part of the problem. Jesus wants us to love dysfunctional people without being sucked into their dysfunction, if they will allow us.

Betrayal

But what about when a relationship is shaken by betrayal? Betrayals are woven into the fabric of life because people are inherently sinful. Everyone has been or will be betrayed eventually, and, even worse, we may betray someone who deserves far better from us.

Does betrayal require the termination of a relationship? It certainly can be legitimate grounds, as our Lord demonstrated when he taught that the marriage covenant can be terminated if one party commits adultery against the other. (Matthew 5:32)

Betrayal is first and foremost a breach of trust.

Once trust is broken, it is difficult, perhaps impossible, to restore. Someone once said that trust is like a rose. A betrayal is similar to taking that rose and crushing its petals. A heartfelt apology and repentance go a long way to mending the damage done by a betrayal, but it cannot restore the rose to its former beauty. Thankfully, with God, all things are possible. I have seen couples rocked by adultery rebound over time with an even stronger relationship and marriage than they had before the betrayal. But trust takes time to mend. Never abandon hope.

A great example of God’s power to restore is Peter’s denial or betrayal of the Lord. Peter imagined that he was the most loyal of all Jesus’ band. He openly affirmed that even though everyone else might abandon Jesus, he never would. Peter imagined that his close relationship with the Lord was built upon his own faithfulness. Jesus, however, is never fooled by appearances. He understood Peter’s weaknesses, even to the point of publicly prophesying that Peter would deny him three times.

Can you imagine the scene? Peter had just boasted that he would always be faithful, even unto death, when Jesus looked him in the eyes and told him that he would betray him that night. What must Peter and the other disciples have thought?

Jesus knows exactly what is in each of us and loves us anyway. Our relationship with Jesus is grounded in his faithfulness, not ours. That is the essence of the New Covenant.

My folksy definition of a true friend is someone who knows what we are really like and loves us anyway. Jesus certainly is such a true friend. He was Peter’s friend, even in the aftermath of betrayal. Peter’s denial did not surprise or offend Jesus. He knew it was coming and realized it was part of Peter’s development as a disciple. Peter had to learn that he could not trust in himself, but only in the Lord. Many leaders would write off a person like Peter, who failed miserably under pressure. How could one possibly trust such a person again? Jesus, however, not only continued to love Peter, but he kept him in his leadership role, giving him pastoral responsibilities toward the rest of the disciples. Amazing!

History tells us that Peter never again abandoned his faithfulness to Jesus and eventually died as a martyr, being crucified upside down.

One of the most powerful life changers in the world is encountering unconditional love, especially after we fail in some significant way.

God’s love “never fails” according to First Corinthians Chapter Thirteen, but unfortunately church people often do.

Covenant Christians are called to demonstrate unfailing love toward one another and toward a lost and hurting world. The basis of our salvation is that God loved us despite our treachery toward him. He asks us to pass on the blessing to others.

Conclusion

When we enter into a friendship with another person, it is always “risky,” but, since true friendship is worth it, we take the risk in the hope that things will end well. Friendships can grow, remain steady, or can wither away. Sometimes they end abruptly because of some offense or disappointment. One reason our friendships are so up and down is because they are riding upon our expectations rather than our commitment to love the other person. A wise person enters every relationship cautiously, realizing that it is necessary to periodically evaluate the true nature of a relationship. This helps us to guard against placing unrealistic expectations upon the other person.

Unlike us, Jesus knows in advance all our weaknesses and failures. When he chooses to befriend us, it is without any misplaced hopes or expectations. Because of this, he is never surprised and remains constant regardless of our ups and downs. He never wavers in his love and commitment to us.

I suggest that we enter into friendships and covenant relationships with the understanding that we certainly will be disappointed at some point along the way. Go ahead and get that behind you from the start. Then start building a redemptive friendship that remains true in the face of adversity. Be one of those friends who “sticks closer than a brother.” Let’s show the world what real love looks like.

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The Dark Side of Following Christ

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once when Jesus forewarned his disciples that he would suffer, die, and rise again, the apostle Peter objected and gave Jesus what he felt was some much needed counsel.

And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” Matthew 16:22 (ESV)

Jesus’ response to his words must have shocked everyone present.

But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 16:23-25 (ESV)

Why did Jesus react so angrily to Peter’s words? Our Lord actually addressed Satan, which we might find strange, unless we realize that Satan was using Peter as a mouthpiece at that moment to tempt Jesus to turn away from his God-given mission to die as the Lamb of God. How could Satan so influence Peter without his being aware of it? I believe it was because in this matter Peter’s human desire for his and his Lord’s self-preservation meshed perfectly with Satan’s desire to manipulate Jesus away from the suffering and glory awaiting him. Our Lord came to give his life away, not to protect himself from harm. Peter could not fathom how it possibly could be advantageous for the leader of the movement to die, but going to the cross was the key to everything God had in mind. Our Lord knew that the cross was absolutely necessary and the only route to victory over sin, Satan, and death. Without the cross there could be no resurrection, and, without the resurrection, there would be no salvation for us or the restoration of the creation to God. Peter unwittingly asked Jesus to forsake his mission and disobey the Father’s will, all the while thinking that he was being considerate of Jesus’ best interests. It was a powerful temptation, which accounts for why Jesus reacted so strongly. No one wants to die an agonizing death, not even the Lamb of God.

Temptations to avoid God’s appointed suffering must be firmly rejected.

God’s Puzzling Ways

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)

God’s ways are very unlike ours. One of his ways that is hard for us to wrap our minds around is that God often makes his most dedicated followers pass through what some have called the “death of a vision.”

Between the mountain top experience of receiving a promise from God and the exhilaration of seeing its fulfillment there may be a period of contradiction and waiting, which is very difficult to endure.

We can call it “the cross” or the “valley of the shadow of death,” or, as it is described in Genesis, “a horror of great darkness.”

God tells us what he will do, and then requires us to wait. Only God knows for how long. As we wait for God to fulfill his promises, the Lord may allow something to come against us that seemingly threatens to destroy the promise, something we cannot run from or otherwise avoid. In such cases, God requires us to face down such adversity and contradiction by faith, go through the darkness of delay and disappointment, and come out the other side into victory and the fulfillment of the promise. We can only do this if we completely release the outcome to the Lord and fully trust in his faithfulness and love.

God asks us to place everything in his loving hands in order to gain the promise.

Some Biblical Examples

Abraham

After God promised that he would make him, a childless man, into a great nation and inherit the land of Canaan, he told our forefather of faith to divide some animals for a covenant cutting ceremony. As Abraham waited, the Bible says that a “horror (or terror) of great darkness” fell upon him (Genesis 15:12). Abraham fought off the birds of prey which attempted to steal the sacrificial animals, and God appeared in the darkness to seal the unilateral covenant and validate the promise. Abraham is a great example of fighting through every form of resistance in order to “press into God.”

We too must be prepared to be “horrified” by God in order to receive his wonderful promises.

Later God required him to endure the horror of surrendering his only begotten son to God as a human sacrifice. By faith he was willing to give back to God the one whom he had waited so long. It is one thing to wait patiently for a promise to be fulfilled, but quite another to surrender the promise back to God. Abraham, the father of our faith, did both.

Jacob

Jacob is one of my favorite people in the Bible. If God could use this deceptive rascal, there is hope for us all. God promised him all that he had pledged to his fathers, Abraham and Isaac. After Jacob fled from Canaan out of fear for his life and after having lived with relatives for years, God told him to return to the land of his inheritance. One major obstacle stood in his way – his estranged brother Esau, who had previously promised to murder him for stealing his birthright and inheritance. When Jacob and his family and all his possessions arrived at Canaan, Esau came with a party of 400 armed men to “greet” him. Jacob was terrified as he expected the worst. He wrestled with God all night (Sounds like prayer to me.), as he prepared to confront his worst fear. God blessed him at the end of that struggle. The next morning he faced Esau and found that God had given him favor with his brother and safe passage into Canaan. We learn from Jacob’s story that we can only run from our fears for so long.

For Jacob, receiving the promises required him to endure the horror of facing his fears with faith and courage.

Joseph

This great man of faith received the promise that he would have authority over his brothers and parents, but he had to endure the horrors of false accusation, betrayal, abandonment, and imprisonment for years before the promise was fulfilled. He never seemed to lose heart during the ordeal. The psalmist wrote: “Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the LORD tested Joseph’s character.” [Psalm 105:19 (NLT)]

The “horror of darkness” and testing reveals our character and our faithfulness toward God, which illustrate whether we truly believe that He is faithful and loving.

Our faithlessness is an indictment against God’s character, as much as it is against our own. Unbelief is an insult to God and a disgrace to us. God is glorified when people hang on to their promises in the face of great contradiction.

David

King David received the amazing promise that God had ordained him to be the next king, but he spent the next several years of his life in a living “horror.” King Saul made it his goal to ferret him out of hiding and kill him. In addition, God did not permit David to take matters into his own hands. Instead he had to patiently wait for the Lord to act on his behalf.

The time of testing, the terrible interim between the promise and the fulfillment, forged David and his followers into mighty men of faith.

David is a great example of patiently waiting for God to work, in the face of external pressure to take matters into our own hands.

The Principle of the Resurrection

Each example above illustrates that before resurrection life can emerge, death first must take place, which is the principle of the resurrection. Jesus taught this to his disciples.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:24-25 (ESV)

God sometimes tests our faith because allegiance to him in the midst of suffering glorifies and pleases him and opens the door to amazing blessings.

If we choose to run away from the terror of the cross, we may miss out on experiencing the fulfillment of his promises that waits on the other side. This can interfere with our being able to share in God’s glory as we could have.

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:16-17 (ESV)

Since Jesus’ main goal in life was to please his Father in heaven, it is no wonder that he was so upset with Peter in our opening passage. Peter was voicing Satan’s attempt to derail Jesus and keep him from obeying God’s will and experiencing the resurrection with all the glory that would follow.

Application

Practically speaking, what does this mean for us? Has God promised to be your provider? Then you may go through a dark time of having no apparent provision. Has God promised to be your healer? Then you may be required to endure sickness through which you will experience healing.

Everyone likes the idea of resurrection, but few are volunteering to die. No death… no resurrection. No test… no testimony.

If God has given you some wonderful promises, and you find yourself in a situation that seems to contradict everything God has said, rejoice! You are in the midst of the cross. Hang on to God, be patient, and watch how he comes through for you. If you have the promise, but have not yet encountered the test, be patient. It is surely coming, and in Christ God has already given to you the necessary faith and courage to endure.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:3-7 (ESV)

If you have received the promise, endured the test, and experienced the resurrection side of things, encourage your brothers and sisters who are in the middle of their “horror of darkness.” We and God are in this together.

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Suffering, the Gateway to Glory

The first coming of Jesus set off a firestorm of suffering. God himself arrived on earth in the form of a baby to initiate a direct frontal assault against the kingdom of darkness. Although very few people understood the scope and significance of Jesus’ birth, Satan did, and that malevolent being responded as always with a vengeance. God used subterfuge to place his son undetected in the middle of a war zone. The evil powers arrayed against God’s kingdom were not about to give safe passage to the promised Messiah, who was a direct threat to their rule. According to prophecy, God used an apparently insignificant young virgin to bring his Son, the eternal Logos or Word who became a human, into the world. He used a Roman census to bring Mary and Joseph to the prophesied birthplace of Bethlehem. Everything was done in keeping with God’s previous promises and plan. Jesus was born without notice or fanfare in a humble stable. Only Mary and Joseph, the angels, and some shepherds knew what happened, and even they only had a glimmer of understanding. Whereas the Jewish leaders were oblivious to his arrival, foreign dignitaries called magi knew about him, came to worship him, and honored him by giving their treasures to him as an expression of their faith and devotion. God always has those to whom he reveals his activities.

As soon as the evil powers discovered what happened, vicious retaliation erupted. After Herod ascertained the approximate time of the Messiah’s birth from the magi, he dispatched soldiers to put to death every male child two years old and younger who lived in the vicinity of Bethlehem, thinking he would rid himself of this threat to his power. Innocent children died because Jesus was born.

Everyone who was touched personally by the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus suffered as a consequence.

Warfare always brings suffering. Why should we expect anything different in the epic struggle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness that still rages?

Mary, the mother God selected for his Son, suffered through being misunderstood and misjudged. She was considered to be an immoral woman by her future husband and her neighbors. Joseph probably heard jokes or insults regarding the “bastard” son conceived by the woman who apparently stepped out on him. Jesus knew what it meant to be considered “illegitimate.” The mothers of the children slain by Herod felt the agony and grief of bereavement because Jesus came to planet earth. Mary was told that a sword would pierce her heart on account of her son. She must have recounted that prophecy as she watched Jesus die on the cross. The disciples all suffered on account of their association with Jesus and their fearless preaching of the Gospel. Paul in particular was informed from the start of the things that he must suffer for the sake of the God’s kingdom. Do you suppose Jesus ever felt pangs of guilt because so many had to suffer on account of him?

Jesus was unapologetic to his followers that following him put his disciples on a collision course with suffering.

Jesus warned his followers that they would have tribulation, but to fear not. Paul told the disciples that through much tribulation they would enter God’s kingdom.

Where the kingdom is advancing, there is always warfare.

Today it is good to be reminded that serving our Lord always comes at a cost. Let us take stock of our own journey with the Lord. Have we paid any price at all? Is there any sign that we are involved in the warfare that is always associated with the advance of God’s kingdom? If not, let us wonder why, and consider the words of Paul.

Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12 (NLT)

Jesus knows that those who choose to follow him will suffer, but he is not embarrassed by this nor does he feel guilty.

Suffering is the threshold through which we enter God’s glory.

Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24:25-27 (NLT)

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. John 16:33 (NLT)

Modern day Western believers have been insulated from suffering to a large degree. Today we must prepare for the persecution that looms on the horizon. In America, “consumer” Christians have been taught that Jesus wants to give us everything we want, but what will happen if the Lord suddenly requires us to give him everything we have, up to and including our very lives? Paul’s words to the church in Thessalonica are true for us today.

...But you know that we are destined for such troubles. 4  Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come—and they did, as you well know. 1 Thessalonians 3:3-4 (NLT)

When persecution and suffering engulf the Western church, it will mean that Satan is being threatened by the advance of God’s kingdom.

He will respond the only way he knows, by killing, stealing, and destroying. We will trust God to give us the strength to endure, knowing that Jesus suffered, too, and that suffering is the gateway to glory. As Paul wrote so long ago…

And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Romans 8:17 (NLT)
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The Real Story about Suffering

The pain mothers endure during labor and childbirth should give us a big clue that life and pain are connected. Although we do not remember our birth, it is never an easy passage from the either the mother’s or the newborn’s point of view. Why then do we sometimes imagine that life should be pain free? Something in us hearkens back to Eden and the pre-Fall state of humanity. Deep down we long for the restoration of Eden, which was promised by our God.

I heard a loud shout from the throne,  saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and  they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4  He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there  will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone  forever.” Revelation 21:3-4 (NLT)

Just as our natural conception eventually requires us to go through the narrow gate of the birth canal to emerge into a difficult world of suffering, so too our new birth was accomplished through Christ’s travail and thrusts us into a road of suffering designed by God to prepare us for a glorious eternal destiny and reward with God.

Jesus often warned his disciples that following him would entail suffering.

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate  is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who  enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that  leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV)

Paul, who was no stranger to suffering, wrote the following to prepare his disciples for what would surely come.

The Spirit himself bears witness with  our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then  heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with  him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:16-17 (ESV)

Big Idea: The pathway to glory must include suffering, or it is a false way that will take you away from the Lord and his plan for your life.

Beware of ingratiating teachings or glowing prophecies and promises that only assure you of a good outcome but conceal or minimize the painful process that God will use to get you there. Rarely does God immediately fulfill his promises. Why would faith be needed in that case? How would we be transformed into persevering, fearlessly trusting people? How would we bring glory to God by choosing him in the face of contradiction and adversity?

Our journey is often long and difficult. God tells us ahead of time what will be the eventual outcome in order to prevent our giving up. He wants us to hang on to his promises through whatever may come our way. The conclusion of the matter will be our participation in the life and glorious reign of God.

Few are those who begin with the new birth, and fewer still are those who choose to walk the difficult path of suffering to arrive at the glorious end.

 For many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14 (ESV)

When the angel Gabriel visited Mary to inform her that she was favored by God, the young virgin was troubled, and rightly so. Why would an angel give her such a greeting? She was waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak. Gabriel was like a proverbial door to door salesman who sets you up by telling you something that seems too good to be true. You just know that there must be a catch, and so there was for Mary.

God’s magnificently generosity is always working toward his intended end – our sharing his glory. This can only happen if we surrender to him and his will as an act of worship.

I appeal to you  therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a  living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual  worship. 2   Do not be  conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,  that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good  and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)

When God comes to us as the angel did to Mary, it is absolutely wonderful. In his presence is fullness of joy. I have no doubt that Mary experienced something profoundly glorious during that angelic visitation so long ago. Nevertheless, being a perceptive and wise young woman, she realized that something was up. Next she was told not to be afraid because she had found favor (Greek: charis, grace) with God. God graced her for something extremely unique and special, but the associated price tag was incalculably high. She was to conceive the Messiah!

God brought Mary to the gate of promise that opened into a pathway of suffering that would eventually end in the fulfillment of her destiny. What would she do?

The first thing she did was to ask how God intended to do this remarkable thing, since she was an unmarried virgin? This was a very reasonable and proper question that received what must have seemed to be a very surprising and mysterious answer. Did she expect the angel to tell her that after she married Joseph they would conceive this amazing child of destiny? The answer she got must have been extremely disconcerting, even in the presence of an angel. God himself would impregnate Mary by the operation of the Holy Spirit! I wonder if Mary’s mind was somewhat befuddled, as mine probably would have been, or if she immediately grasped the fallout that would come her way should God do this thing. It sounds quite glorious to be chosen by God to be the mother of the Messiah, but at what price? God asked her to embrace a path of suffering and misunderstanding. Most people would not believe her story, as they do not even today.

Many unbelievers wink at Christians who claim to believe in the virgin birth and say, “You don’t really believe that Mary conceived Jesus without having sex do you?” Any sensible person would think that Mary was not only immoral but also either a liar or delusional, including her own family. (Mark 3:21)

How soon did Mary realize that agreeing to God’s plan might cost her relationship with Joseph? If Joseph stayed with her, Mary’s obedience would pull him into the path of suffering, too.

It’s hard enough when choosing to say “yes” to God costs us personally, but it is even more difficult when it brings suffering to those we love.

Joseph was brought to the same narrow gate that believers face today. Can we believe Mary’s story, that Jesus was indeed conceived by God?

The virgin birth is not some optional or insignificant doctrine: it is at the heart of the gospel. If Jesus was not born miraculously by God, he was not able to offer the perfect sacrifice, and we are still in our sins.

Even today adhering to Mary’s story costs us in the eyes of many.

What enabled Mary and Joseph to go through the gate of faith in God’s promises and start their journey down the narrow path of suffering and pain? What enables all believers over time to take the same journey? Mary had to embrace God’s promise and plan for her life. She had to be willing to take the narrow path of suffering. Her answer to the angel must be the answer we all give to God.

“Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38 (NASB)

Her reply was a response of faith. She believed the angel and accepted God’s invitation to be obedient. She understood that her job was to be utterly submissive to God’s will, no matter how confusing or costly, which opened the door for God to fulfill his promises to and through her.

Surrender to the Lordship of Christ at the time of the new birth is the narrow gate that leads to life.

The reason why so few enter by this gate is twofold. First, it depends on God’s choice. God chose Mary, not the other way around. God did not post a job opening for mother of the Messiah for which Mary interviewed. God was sovereign in his choice. The Father also chose us to be Christ followers before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4) Jesus told his disciples that they had not chosen him, but that he chose them. (John 15:16) Becoming a follower of Christ has a divine component to it.

The gospel is not something we can comprehend merely intellectually and afterward “make a decision for Christ.” Unless the Holy Spirit reveals Christ to a person, he or she will not really understand who the Lord is or be able to believe and follow him.

Secondly, becoming a follower of Christ does not mean we merely receive the benefits of faith, such as eternal life, forgiveness, and reconciliation to God. It is also requisite that we grasp the significance of his identity as Lord of Lords. Seeing who Jesus is by revelation necessitates a surrender to his will. When Paul was knocked to the ground, his first question was “Who are you, Lord?”

When God reveals himself to us, if surrender is not our natural response, it is doubtful we had a true encounter with God.

True revelation produces true surrender. Both Mary and Joseph bowed the knee to God’s Lordship from the outset, and so must we.

Once we go through the gate of faith and allegiance to Christ, however, we discover that the continuing path is narrow and difficult, because it requires us repeatedly to choose to surrender to the will of God over a lifetime, no matter what the personal cost to us. The narrow path is a path to glory – not our own, but God’s.

Whoever chooses to walk the narrow path of obedience to God must make God’s glory the highest aim in life.

This is what Jesus did, what Mary did, and what we must do. What makes this journey so potentially excruciating is that we usually do not know where the finish line is. Will we have to suffer a short while or for a long time? Only God knows. Abraham waited 25 years for his promise and then was required to offer his son as a sacrifice. Joseph waited some 17 years, much of that time in prison, for God to fulfill the promise he made to him. David spent years hiding in the wilderness and fleeing for his life while he waited for God to make him king as he had promised.

Every God-given destiny begins with a promise that takes us through a narrow gate of faith and puts us on a narrow path of suffering until we reach our destination.

Few are those who enter and fewer still who persevere to the end in order to receive a full reward. Christ’s conception and birth are about the beginning of his journey. It concerns the coming of the Promised One who would bring salvation and blessing to so many. Only God knew what the price tag would be. Thank God for Mary who surrendered herself to God and his plan for her so it could all take place!

Will people one day thank God that you paid the price to be the bearer of good news to them? They surely will if you choose to enter the narrow gate and walk the difficult path, and keep going to the end. God’s grace will see you through. The reward of God’s glory is definitely worth it.

Want to read more about how to find God when life is difficult? Read Pastor Pete's book - Seeing God's Smile When Life Is Difficult.



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Don’t Waste Your Storm
																		
					

						
											
						
													
										
																													
						

										
					

						



Life comes with storms.




"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on  them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.  25  "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds  blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had  been founded on the rock. 26  "Everyone who hears these words of  Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on  the sand. 27  "The rain fell, and the floods  came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great  was its fall." Matthew 7:24-27 (NASB)  




A storm is any potentially or actually calamitous situation that God allows to come our way. When we enter one of life’s “storms” we may feel pressure and/or fear for our safety. Most of the time our first inclination is to escape from the danger as quickly as possible, but if we learn that it is in the storm that we can discover who Jesus really is, we may change our strategy.




Storms reveal how solid is our foundation of faith. Are we relying on God’s promises or our feelings? Do we truly believe that God is sovereign over our affairs or just an onlooker? Do we think that God is bigger than our suffering or not? Are we controlled by faith or fear? All these things come to the surface very quickly when we enter a storm.




The disciples, who were in discovery mode regarding Jesus’ identity, entered just such a situation as they rowed across the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had fallen asleep before the storm arose and continued to slumber, despite the increasing intensity of the wind and waves. The disciples, all experienced fishermen, feared for their lives. It must have been a severe tempest. When their fear outweighed their competence as sailors, not knowing what else to do, they awakened their Master and informed him of the situation.




The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. The storm stopped and all was calm! 25  Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?” The  disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each  other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!” Luke 8:24-25 (NLT)  




Here are some principles we can derive from the above passage that can help us survive and thrive in the storms that God allows in our own lives.




    
	
  1. Calm your soul in God’s presence. If Jesus is not upset, why should we be? Take your cue from the Lord. Listen to the voice of God’s Spirit when you are in the storm. He will tell you what to do.
    2. 
	
  2. Think about who you are and God’s purpose for your life. If the disciples had given some thought to their situation, they would have realized that the Messiah was not going to drown. God also will guard our lives and keep us safe as long as we are supposed to be here on planet earth.
    3. 
	
  3. Remind yourself of God’s power and sovereignty in your life. God is in control of every situation. Faith in his sovereign power is essential, if we are to remain at peace during the storm. Remember Romans 8:28: God is working all things for good in our lives.
    4. 
	
  4. Pray for God to be glorified in your situation. This is the fatal dagger we can thrust into fear. When God’s glory becomes our goal, fear has to go.
    5. 
	
  5. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal more of Christ to you. If we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and an understanding heart, the Holy Spirit will open our eyes to see who Jesus really is. He is more than a man: He is the Sovereign Lord. A storm is an ideal place for us to have our understanding enlarged.
    6. 





Are you going through a storm right now? Don’t panic. Turn to Jesus and ask him to handle it for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and enlarge your faith. Don’t miss the opportunity. Don’t waste your storm.




 


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