Why does it hurt, Lord? part 1

Tags

"The Problem of Pain", “Love Letter”, Christianity, church, goodness, hurt, LONELINESS, Love of God, pain, reality, sickness, trials, tribultions

Why does it hurt, Lord?

“We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to.
God whispers to us in our pleasures,
speaks in our conscience,
but shouts in our pains:
it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

I had an interview a couple weeks ago, and the interviewer told me he was a Christian. We talked a bit, and he said his 6 yr old grandson had just been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. He was struggling with this. He said the child asked him why God was mad at him. He was actually asking my opinion.

So, I carefully asked a few foundational questions concerning the Nature of GOD:

1. Is GOD sovereign?
2. Does GOD love each of us equally?

If GOD is Sovereign …

The concept of GOD’s sovereignty rests on His nature as Creator. If He designed and created all things, then He ought to have “sovereign” control in the design and functionality of all He created. Isn’t that the “fair” thing? Whatever we create, we expect to “control,” yes?

5 Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 6 “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. ~ Jeremiah 18: 5-6

If GOD is sovereign, He can rightfully do with each of us as He pleases. It is really that simple. So then, the companion question revolves around the perfect Love of GOD.

Does GOD love each of us equally?

Romans 5: 6-8
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 4: 9-10
9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

There are many more parts of the Bible that talk about, define, and express the boundless unconditional Love of God freely given to you and me. In fact, honestly the entire Bible is one giant “Love Letter” explaining how deep, how wide, how high, and how limitless GOD’S LOVE is for us. He created us for His pleasure, to have an open friendship with Him. To apprehend that the Creator of the Universe desires an intimate friendship with us, with each of us, as David says, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.” (Ps 139:6)

“The problem of reconciling human suffering with the existence of a God who loves, is only insoluble so long as we attach a trivial meaning to the word “love”, and look on things as if man were the centre of them. Man is not the centre. God does not exist for the sake of man. Man does not exist for his own sake. “Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” We were made not primarily that we may love God (though we were made for that too) but that God may love us, that we may become objects in which the divine love may rest “well pleased”.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

The Problem of Pain, by C. S. Lewis, takes a deeper look at the difficulty so many Believers, and the Church at large, have with the reality of PAIN. Sometime in the last century, the Western Church adopted a wrong mentality in the belief that becoming a Christian meant suddenly that all pain and difficulty would be removed from our lives. To accept that belief is to deny reality AND the ability of GOD to walk us through pain.

In fact,Jesus promises us pain … tribulation, affliction, difficulty – whatever word fits your situation or mine.

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.
In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16: 33

Why would Jesus bother to say this if He planned to remove all our pain?

Pain is a part of the human condition, and it is here to stay. Going back to the statement the interviewer’s grandson made, the fact that this child has diabetes is not an indication of GOD’s wrath or disapproval. Nor is it a curse, a punishment, or just for fun.

I don’t pretend to understand why beautiful, loving people are stricken with cancer or helpless children become victims of abuse. This much I do know: GOD loves endlessly, so I have to trust that GOD, in His sovereignty, has a GOOD purpose even in those events or situations that seem irredeemable because GOD is good and He cannot move against his nature.

“As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation- either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

James 1 starts with this admonition:

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James tells us that our “trials” have divine purpose, and that purpose involves growing something in us of Christ, that we “lack nothing!” So we’re encouraged to “count is all JOY!” Elsewhere, we’re told to “In everything, give thanks!”

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 136: 1-2

It’s all a matter of perspective.

We can choose to sit around and bemoan the imperfections of our life, the apparent areas of lack, the unanswered prayers, or

We can do as the Psalmist does in this Psalm, and rehearse the GOODNESS of GOD, and give thanks for GOD’s faithfulness to us, especially in the dark places.

Seeking perfection in this life will only bring us disappointment and despair, while rehearsing GOD’s GOODNESS will enable us to savor richness of this life.

The facts remain. GOD will never leave you no matter what happens. His love for you and I doesn’t hinge on our behavior, our attitude, or our faith! GOD chooses to love us … each of us. He gave us hundreds of promises and He is not able to lie because He IS Truth. He is not able to break His promises because His name is “Faithful and True!”

“There is no security is what God is doing. There is only security is who God is!” ~ Graham Cooke”
Graham Cooke

Related: 12 Things To Thank God For In The Midst Of Affliction

Confirmed: U.S. Chief Facilitator of Christian Persecution

Tags

Africa, American Church, call to prayer, Christian Persecution, Christianity, church, conviction, devotion, islam, Jihad, martyrs, middle-east, suffering, Syria, torture

Will YOU pray?

Confirmed:
U.S. Chief Facilitator of Christian Persecution
Special Bulletin

By Raymond Ibrahim

Prominent indicators confirm that the U.S. is the chief facilitator of the persecution of Christians around the world today.

According to the recently released 2014 World Watch List, which ranks the 50 nations where Christians are most persecuted, Syria is the third worst nation in the world in which to be Christian, Iraq is fourth, Afghanistan fifth, and Libya 13th. All four countries receive the strongest designation, “extreme persecution” (other designations are “severe,” “moderate,” and “sparse” persecution).

Aside from being so closely and harshly ranked, these four nations have something else in common: heavy U.S. involvement. Three-Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya-were “liberated” thanks to U.S. forces, while in the fourth, Syria, the U.S. is actively sponsoring “freedom fighters” against the regime, many of whom would be better labeled “terrorists.”

The Syrian situation alone indicts U.S. foreign policy. According to Reuters:

“Open Doors, a non-denominational group supporting persecuted Christians worldwide, said on Wednesday it had documented 2,123 “martyr” killings, compared with 1,201 in 2012. There were 1,213 such deaths in Syria alone last year, it said. “This is a very minimal count based on what has been reported in the media and we can confirm,” said Frans Veerman, head of research for Open Doors. Estimates by other Christian groups put the annual figure as high as 8,000.”

Read More

Will you pray?

Do you Love Me?

Tags

acceptance, Body of Christ, challenge, Christianity, church, drugs, gangs, God's people, hypocricy, love, obedience, pre-marital sex, rejection

Rejection

Written by David Benrexi

Have you ever been rejected? Have you ever wanted to talk to someone and had them say, “Leave me alone!”? Has anyone ever told you, “I hate you!”? Do you ever call and leave a message, and your call is not returned? Do you ever want affection and your spouse has a headache?

Rejection, it’s part of living. Does anyone like it? I sure don’t. Why does one person reject another? I think it’s because we’re selfish. We don’t want to be bothered. We want to be left alone. We don’t want to deal with situations we’re not comfortable with. We don’t see the other person as a human being precious to God, Who loves that person totally and commands us to love him as well. We only see that it is not advantageous to us to love that person, so we don’t.

Has anyone besides me noticed that there’s a shortage of real love among God’s people? I think everyone is looking for love, and it’s not easy to find. If we, the children of God, would begin to truly love one another, love wouldn’t be so hard to find. The kids wouldn’t be turning to drugs and pre-marital sex. The bars would be empty. I am amazed at how preoccupied most Christians are with their own little soap operas while the people around them are dying and starving for love.

Command, not request!

This thing called rejection, How sad it is! If you like this brother’s teaching, another brother regards you as an enemy. If you play this style of music, you can’t play at that church. If you dress this way, speak in tongues, or don’t speak in tongues, you believe in divine healing or in modern medicine, it’s all a big deal to most Christians. “What church do you attend?” they ask. You answer, and they get a funny look on their face.

The question I have for everyone I meet in the Body of Christ is, “Do you love me?” Most believers feel like it’s up to me to be “loveable.” If I believe the same way they do and conform to their code of conduct, they might love me just a little after a while. If I don’t conform, they’ll avoid me. Of course, at a church meeting, they’ll shake my hand or even hug me and say, “How’s it going?” They want to “appear” to be righteous for their audience, but the dirty truth is, they find me objectionable. They don’t love me. Now, there is no possibility whatsoever that a person who rejects me will call me at my home later and say, “Brother David, I perceive there is strife between us, and it grieves me. Can we get together and talk?” That will never happen because the other person feels justified in not loving me. It’s my fault. I didn’t satisfy his requirements. Something about me isn’t right. If only I would change.

Continue reading HERE

From a Distance …

Tags

alarm, America, Bride of Christ, call to arms, choice, church, decision, poetry, shofar, trumpet, WARNING

From a distance, I can hear the rumbles,
As the earth-ball quakes under the strain,
As the nature of man betrays its sorrowful ambition:
To be sovereign and powerful, to be God.

From a distance, I can hear the cries,
For ease, for comfort, for wealth;
No wisdom, No discerning the needs of Neighbors;
Only rest, relaxation, and recreation.

From a distance, I can hear Earth groan,
As her Leaders twist and turn the Truth
To secure and increase their own wealth and power,
Yet they call themselves “Public Servants!”

From a distance, I can hear the unrest,
As Nature recalls her wondrous Creator,
Yet bows in submission to the abused and the abuser,
Man: he could be so much more.

From a distance, I can hear a trumpet call;
A warning, a reminder, an alarm;
Search the scrolls, the history of man
And see his path of self-destruction, and turn.

From a distance, I can hear a mighty roar,
The roar of the eternal King,
Waiting, watching, working to restore
All that has been stolen & destroyed.

Let’s Go Fishing!

Tags

aquarium building, broken, change, church, Fishers of men, Fishing, hope, Jesus, real change

Have you noticed that civilization, as we know it in the USA, is rapidly declining? While there may be many superficial reasons for this, there is one fundamental reason: God has been systematically exiled.

All negative statistics are up: teenage pregnancies, teenage abortions, murders, suicides … just about every indicator of negative behavior trends shows we are in trouble. But, God is shunned as “Old Fahioned.”

The issues that confront America in 2013 and onward, are not political issues, but moral issues. Many Americans remember such things as prayer in schools (non-specific & non-threatening), teachers using rulers to “regulate” classroom behavior, two-parent (male & female) households, an orderly society with rules that usually worked, but even when they didn’t, it was the exception, not the rule.

I am part of the generation that helped to tear down those rules and that framework, the Baby Boomers. It’s not so bad that we tore things down, but we FAILED to put anything in place to maintain or adjust the social framework. Without BOUNDARIES, society falls into chaos. This is where we are today. Anything goes … except God’s ways.

I like to play with electronics and even put furniture together. Most items seem to be pretty self-explanatory … except for the leftover screws! My pattern is, when all else fails, read the directions.

America’s people are broken. Our communities are broken. Our schools are broken. Our government is badly broken. In fact, many of our churches are broken. Rather than celebrating the greatest love ever shown to mankind and eagerly sharing it with everyone we meet, we mistakenly tend ourselves & our buildings while lost people suffer. Many churches are so busy building and tending their “aquarium,” they have forgotten about “fishing for Men.” Instead of casting our nets into the deep river teaming with fish, we have become like the Dead Sea, keeping what we find for ourselves. Maybe it’s time to find the “directions” and READ THEM … again! Two thirds of GOD is GO!

America’s Declaration of Independence

America’s Constitution

and

the ULTIMATE INSTRUCTION BOOK

Jesus says, “Give me an hour and I’ll change your life!”
“What will we do?” Peter asks.
“Change the world!”

Are you ready?

If You Were Accused …

Tags

Christian Church, church, freedom, hippie Christians, JESUS MOVEMENT, Keith Green, Larry Norman, Love Song, William Tyndale

“I repent of ever having recorded one single song and ever having performed one concert if my music, and more importantly — my life — has not provoked you into godly jealousy, or to sell out more completely to Jesus!”
Keith Green

If you were accused … of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you in a court of Law? In the 1970’s, this was a question made popular within the “Jesus Movement!” Yes, there was actually, a movement among young people in high schools and colleges that swept across the country proclaiming JESUS CHRIST is LORD. Some were even labeled “Jesus Freaks!” They looked and dressed very similar to the Hippies of the time, but there was a marked difference in their behavior. They read their Bibles often, in public, out loud. They laughed and talked about how to LOVE one another the way Jesus loves us. They created a new genre of music that incorporated Christian values and even Bible verses into the lyrics. They weren’t perfect, of course, but they tried to live what they read in the Bible.

The JESUS MOVEMENT spawned a new genre of music that was a hybrid of rock & roll sound, but with Gospel friendly lyrics.

“In order to proclaim the message of the gospel, hippie Christianssimply adopted existing forms of communication. Mirroring the development of underground newspapers such as the Berkeley Barb, in 1969 evangelist Duane Pederson began publishing the Hollywood Free Paper as an evangelistic tool. Jesus papers with names like Right On!, The Fish, Street Level, and Cornerstone became a fundamental component of each street Christian community.

“Another development was Jesus Music, the controversial combination of rock music and the gospel as one of the most effective (and subsequently lasting) institutions of the revival. Artists and groups such as Ron Moore, Love Song, John Fischer, Larry Norman, Randy Matthews, Agape, and the All Saved Freak Band are just a few of the performers that felt the need to communicate spiritual truths through a popular medium. Christian coffeehouses and Jesus rock festivals emerged as the music gained momentum as a popular alternative to the mainstream industry. Contemporary Christian radio shows sprang up as did magazines devoted solely to monitoring the fledgling Jesus Music scene. While many conservative church-goers lamented that Jesus Music was a spiritual compromise, these pioneers maintained that they were combating the negative influence of mainstream rock music. In an attempt to develop an apologetic for their evangelistic efforts they echoed the sentiments of reformer Martin Luther when he asked “why should the devil have all the best tunes.”

Larry Norman – Waves of Grace – [with Lyrics] from Greg Murray on Vimeo.

Perhaps the most radical idea of the JESUS MOVEMENT was that following Jesus was more than just going to church on Sundays. In fact, another thing Keith Green (and others) said often was that “going to church on Sundays doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald’s makes you a hamburger!” He’s right! In fact, Jesus said, ““If you love me, you will obey my commands.” (John 14:15) How do we know what Jesus/God commands? We must become well acquainted with the WORD of GOD – the Bible. This is true whether we are Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, or 7th Day Adventist. If we WANT to serve God, if we want to be found pleasing in HIS sight, we must acquaint ourselves with who HE is. Right? Even if it’s … uncomfortable? Even if it’s not politically correct?

The JESUS MOVEMENT was also about FREEDOM. For too long, the organized Church had kept God locked up inside the building, the local brick and mortar assembly. While hippies and militant radicals protested society’s ills and the Vietnam war, the JESUS MOVEMENT broke down the walls of the established Christian church and took it to the streets. What William Tyndale did for the Bible, the JESUS MOVEMENT did for the people, for the CHURCH of Christ. It took Jesus from the closed doors of the religious, organized Church to the everyday lives of everyday people. It helped strip away the false piety and religious pretense so common among church-going people. We were given permission to be REAL, to be imperfect followers of Jesus.

“But now you know the true God. Really, it is God who knows you. So why do you turn back to those weak and useless rules you followed before? Do you want to be slaves to those things again?”
Galatians 4:9

This brings us back to the title question: If you were accused … of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you in a court of Law?

I don’t know the originator of the title question, but I first heard it from a man named Keith Green, who became a popular singer during the 1970’s until his death in a plane crash. He was 28. His life message can be seen in the title of one of his albums, “No Compromise!” – released in 1978.

“In a world where following Christ is decreed to be a subversive and illegal activity you have been accused of being a believer, arrested, and dragged before a court.

“You have been under clandestine surveillance for some time now, and so the prosecution has been able to build up quite a case against you. They begin the trial by offering the judge dozens of photographs that show you attending church meetings, speaking at religious events, and participating in various prayer and worship services. After this, they present a selection of items that have been confiscated from your home: religious books that you own, worship CDs, and other Christian artifacts. Then they step up the pace by displaying your many poems, pieces of prose, and journal entries that you had lovingly written concerning your faith. Finally, in closing, the prosecution offers your Bible to the judge. This is a well-worn book with scribbles, notes, drawings, and underlings throughout, evidence, if it were needed, that you had read and re-read this sacred text many times.

“Throughout the case you have been sitting silently in fear and trembling. You know deep in your heart that with the large body of evidence that has been amassed by the prosecution you face the possibility of long imprisonment or even execution. At various times throughout the proceedings you have lost all confidence and been on the verge of standing up and denying Christ. But while this thought has plagued your mind throughout the trial, you resist the temptation and remain focused.” READ MORE

So the question becomes what evidence ought be present to condemn me as a Christian? What is God after? How do we LIVE to please God? To answer these questions, I will simply post some verses from the Bible. YOU DECIDE!

• “If you love me, you will obey my commands.” John 14:15
• “I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other as I have loved you. 35 All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.” John 13: 34-35
• “The Lord God has told us what is right and what he demands: “See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God.” Micah 6:8
• This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.
  So do you think you can build a house for me? Do I need a place to rest? My hand made all things. All things are here because I made them,” says the Lord. “These are the people I am pleased with: those who are not proud or stubborn and who fear my word. Isaiah 66: 1-2
• “All that the Law says can be summed up in the command to love others as much as you love yourself.” Galatians 5:14
• A third time he said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” Peter said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!”
  He said to him, “Feed my sheep. John 21: 15-17
• “Don’t judge others, or you will be judged. 2 You will be judged in the same way that you judge others, and the amount you give to others will be given to you. Matthew 7: 1-2

The bottom line is, to “reflect” the One we love, Jesus, we need cultivate a relationship with Him. We must spend TIME with Him. Familiarize ourselves not only with His WORD, but with His character as revealed throughout His WORD, Old and New Covenants!

The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 Our faces, then, are not covered. We all show the Lord’s glory, and we are being changed to be like him. This change in us brings ever greater glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 CORINTHIANS 3:17-18

“If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be sufficient evidence to convict you?”

Similarly, if you were accused of being an AMERICAN, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Do you know our Founding documents: the Declaration of Independence? The Bill of Rights or the Constitution? Can you name a handful of the Signers?
Do you know America’s form of government? Democracy, you say? NO! We are a CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC!!! Do we understand the VALUES behind the CONSTITUTION? Well … is there enough evidence to convict you? American? Christian? Person of independent faith?

What story does your life tell?

What about the Church?

Tags

abortion, acceptance, AIDS, Catholic Church, Christ, Christianity, church, God's hands and feet, government or individual, homosexuaity, Jesus said GO (not government), judgement, life issues, poverty, promiscuity, WWJD

The Church at prayer

For years, there was a saying – “Don’t be so heavenly minded that you’re no earthly good!” In the 70’s, I wondered if that was possible, but I was young. There is much to be said about maturity!

Not long ago, I was browsing favorite reading sites online, and tucked between articles about the Trayvon murder, the disastrous US economy, and the horrors of Islam both here and abroad, was an obscure article with a headline that caught my eye, but for the wrong reason. It’s been sticking in my claw since then. I wish I could describe the response of my heart … The headline was “Should the Church only Use the King James version of the Bible?” It could just as easily read any of the dozens of incidental issues that bog down believers from the real issues:

• Is baptism for today? Should one be dipped or sprinkled?
• What about “tongues,” and the “gifts of the Holy Spirit” – for today? for what purpose?
• The “Rapture” – pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib?
• Which denomination is more Biblical?

*NOTE: For the purpose of this article, my use of the word Church, includes all denominations, all those who have called on the name of Jesus for salvation. The use of the word church, will be replaced with local assembly or local congregation.

Back to my response at seeing that headline: I was incensed! I was angry not at the writer of the article, but at the religious spirit that so overshadows the American Church…that religious spirit that makes people too heavenly minded to be any earthly good! I used to live there.

The truth of the matter is that many local congregations of both Christian (incl. Catholic) and Jewish designation have lost themselves somewhere between the issues of this life and those of the next. While many congregations have established some sort of help for those less fortunate, a soup kitchen or clothing closet, the majority of congregants either do not participate or do so legalistically – it’s the thing to do! For such a huge “organization,” it remains virtually ineffective in re-directing society. Have you noticed?

A recent Poll finds 77 percent of Americans believe Christ rose from the dead! If 77% of our nation’s population actually LIVED as close to the way Jesus lived as humanly possible, and worked at self-improvement to grow more into His likeness everyday, perhaps those who call themselves atheists or agnostics would see the reality of Jesus. If the Church actually poured out the love of God stringlessly into the hurting, confused, and lonely people around us one by one, perhaps we’d see a reduction in the violence, a reduction in unwanted pregnancies, a reduction in the number of children and families going to bed hungry or cold, a reduction in the number of homeless huddled together under bridges and behind strip malls. We’re NOT doing our JOB, CHURCH!

As our religious freedoms come under political attack, it is clear that decades of “reprogramming” has been successfully accomplished right under our heaven-pointed noses. We’ve been silent in the face of violence. We’ve been silent in the face of compromise. We’ve been silent in the face of the slaughter of millions of unborn babies. We’ve been silent too long, my friends. Why? Because we were told our religion was meant to stay within the walls of our local assemblies – within the building. Now, the salt as lost is savor. There is little difference between those of us who call ourselves believers and those who do not.

I believe whole-heartedly, if we come out from behind those walls, we’d find out the positive influence we can have in society, if we aspire to live and love like Christ. We’d find out where we stand on the vital issues of today:

• Should Christians be Pro-Choice or Pro-Life?
• Whose responsibility is it to tend the poor? Government or the Church?
• Is it possible for our young people to remain chaste in a culture that preaches sex from every media orifice?
• How can we hope for improvement in social mores if we don’t aspire to civility and virtue ourselves?
• What about the “War on Women”?
• Should the Church allow openly gay and lesbian believers into their congregations?

The Catholic Church has taken a stand on many of these issues, but what about the rest of us? Count the cost, and take a stand! As believers, our lives should be defined, not by our words, but by the love – God’s love – flowing freely and unchecked from our lives. We talk the talk, but we must do better at walking the walk! We are Jesus’ hands and feet – but we are also His Heart to this generation! Look OUTWARD, and let grace and mercy lead us!

Can You Match His Conviction??? Iranian Pastor threatened simply for his beliefs!

Tags

beliefs, Christianity, church, conviction, courage, faith, religion

Regardless of your personal beliefs, can you match this man’s “conviction?”

Church and State in Cooperation!

Tags

1st Amendment, character, church, cooperation, faith, government, maturity, religious freedom

Church and State.

I believe the US Constitution guarantees freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion!

Church and State in Cooperation!

Tags

1st Amendment, character, church, cooperation, faith, government, maturity, religious freedom

Church and State.

I believe the US Constitution guarantees freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion!