I have no doubt there are many in the Church who wonder why God has allowed such chaos in the world to disrupt our lives causing unbelief, doubt, sickness, and even death. It may be that some Christians in Afghanistan are wondering why they are abandoned to the will of Christ haters.
This is not a new phenomenon. Gideon faced similar situations. “And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us? But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” (Judges 6:13). No, the Lord had not forsaken Gideon or Israel. It was a time of testing to see if Gideon would remain faithful and Israel would follow his lead. In those very difficult days, Gideon did what he could in secret, beating out wheat in a winepress. We might feel the same way today as COVID and government restrictions force us to do things we do not want to do. Are we doing what we can? Have you heard what God said to Gideon? “And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”” (6:14). Just a few verses later, God tells him, “I will be with you” (6:16). Do you want to continue living in fear or trust the presence of God? Things did not suddenly change for Gideon, and they will not suddenly change for us. Nor will things change for us because we live in a sinful, evil world, but we can trust our unchanging God. Jesus promised, “I am with you always to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
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I can’t imagine Jesus being told to leave a place where He had just performed an amazing miracle. Here is the situation He found in the country of the Gadarenes.
“And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way” (Matthew 8:28). This is followed by a conversation between Jesus and the demons that possessed these two men. They recognized Jesus and knew what He could do to them. He had come into this world “to proclaim liberty to the captives” (Luke 4:18; Isaiah 61:1-2). Setting these men free required sending the demons into a herd of pigs that would drown in the sea. See what happened, “the herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything” (Mt. 8:33). There is no question that the story they told was a complaint against Jesus for taking away their source of income. Money was more important than setting two men free from demon possession. “And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region” (8:34). This is our culture today. The world would rather have the evils that hold people captive than see Jesus enter lives and set people free. How much do we value the presence of Jesus and His liberating work? The Jews hated him. He was pursued from one city to another, and if it had not been for a nephew, he might have been killed. If he had not appealed to Caesar, they might have ended his life in Jerusalem. Yet, Paul loved his people (Romans 9:1-5). When he finally arrives in Rome to appear before the emperor, those he expected to support him were nowhere to be found.
Despite all this he can tell Timothy, “May it not be charged against them!” (2 Timothy 4:16). Where did this forgiving spirit come from? Do you remember Jesus’ comment to Simon the Pharisee in Luke 7:47? “He who is forgiven little, loves little.” Paul knew he had been forgiven more than anyone (1 Timothy 1:13, 15) and was therefore ready to forgive his haters as well as disciples who disappeared when he needed them most. His confidence was also in knowing that “the Lord stood by me and strengthened me so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed” (4:17). It could be that you have been wronged or abandoned by someone and you have never forgiven them. It is time to release them through forgiveness and free yourself for the gospel message. A conversation with someone today reminded me that there are things we face in life that are too important to ignore or desires too great to leave unanswered. This person has a son who is not saved and is very sick. His is burdened to see him saved through the gospel.
There was another person who was very distraught over their circumstances. Hannah did not have a child and the other woman married to Elkanah had children but taunted Hannah day after day because she had none. Elkanah was no encouragement to Hannah. Where could she turn? Hannah “was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly” (1 Samuel 1:10). To add weight to her prayer, “she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head”” (1:11). Taking away the stigma for Hannah, a married woman not having children, was equal to giving that child to the Lord all the days of his life. God often allows very difficult circumstances in our lives to bring us to a point where we are willing to surrender our rights to the Lord so we can be freed from the burden. As difficult as this sounds, we need to do this with everything we consider important and valuable to us. In the surrender, we actually gain far more than we lost. What are you holding back from the Lord? “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).
“Therefore, all other claims on our lives are secondary” (John Piper). Though we respect the relationships of family, work, government, and other human ties, they do not and cannot have the same claim on us as the Lord has. The price Jesus paid for our redemption is far greater than any other claim. In addition to the purchase price, we have a divine person always dwelling in us. His very presence sets us apart from the world and all the claims it would try to exert over us. To “glorify God in your body” is the natural result of understanding that we are the temple of God. Buildings, organizations, societies, or religion cannot create the sacredness of this temple. It is the Spirit dwelling in us who creates this sacred place. We are made holy and sanctified by Him. This causes us to ask, what are we doing with this temple to honor the One who dwells there? Remember that God gave Israel a command to take possession of the land. This victory begins by Joshua having a personal encounter with “the commander of the Lord’s army” (Joshua 5:15). On the seventh day of marching around Jericho, “Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord”representing Christ as the Head and Leader. The seventh day was not like the other six days. “On the seventh day they [all the people with Joshua] rose early” and marched around the city seven times and on the seventh time, Joshua gave the instruction to “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city” (6:16). No war plans! “And the wall fell down flat…and they captured the city. Then they devoted all in the city to destruction.”
The most difficult and important battles against sin that we need victory over are best faced early in the early morning with the Lord. If we do not deal with sin early and before other events weaken our determination to resolve them, we will lose the battle. Israel experienced victory in worship - Joshua commanded the priests to bring the ark. Often victory comes through perseverance over a long period of time. Jericho was defeated over seven days. There is no specific time that God’s will give us victory, and every case is different. Whatever you are facing, do not give up until the Lord gives HIS VICTORY! In referring to sin, Paul says, “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). There is no question where our victory comes from. Keep your eye on Him! Those of you who follow this blog and our newsletter know that we try to keep you up to date with introductions to our materials, training trips and follow-up visits. This next trip to Ecuador is rather unusual but just as important as any other.
You may remember that Tim introduced God’s Plan for His Disciples to several Quechua churches. They have taken this launch very seriously and want to know God’s Word better. They have studied hard and are excited to go further with God’s Plan for His Church. But it does not stop there. They are now asking us to help with starting a seminary. Tim is going to Ecuador to speak with them September 16th to the 21st about this important issue. We ask urgently for your prayers for two reasons. As you may know, Tim has faced some health issues and we need the Lord to protect him on this trip, give him strength and safe return. Second, we are not strong advocates of ‘seminary’ training. While we appreciate their desire to be well taught in Scripture, there is a danger in allowing academic knowledge to replace the work and power of the Holy Spirit. We ask you to especially pray for wisdom to flow through Tim from the Lord regarding this visit. Our greatest desire is that these Quechua Christians become more attached to Jesus and powerful in their witness. When he returns, we will give you an update. Having read Paul’s thirteen letters many times, both in order of their writing and randomly, I have come to appreciate his different styles to churches and individuals. I feel his passion for churches, especially as he prays for them. I hear the beating of his heart as he writes to individuals.
In his last letter written from a Roman prison, Paul addresses stirring subjects that Timothy needed to use as benchmarks of his life and ministry. Here are a few comparisons Timothy would not forget taken from 2 Timothy 2:1-13.
These points that inspired Timothy are meant to inspire us. Life and ministry in any age require boldness and full commitment. I challenge you to be a “Timothy” where you are, no matter what the circumstances or challenges. God is looking for men who allow the Spirit to empower them, fill them and use them for God’s work - until the end. Are you one of them? Many I speak with, even Christians, are looking for peace. As the world becomes more chaotic and we are disappointed over and over with leaders and their decisions, even the possibility of temporary peace evaporates like the morning mist. There are two key references that should refocus our hearts on where we find peace.
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world”” (16:33). It is futile to seek peace anywhere except in the person of Jesus Christ. Paul says that Christ “Himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14), first by reconciling us with God through His death (2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Ephesians 2:16) and then with those who were our enemies. It is our responsibility to be “ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore [others] on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20). Are you willing to take the message of peace to someone today? It is not uncommon for us to resort to a panic mode when disaster strikes. I remember very clearly the circumstances that surrounded September 11, 2001. For most living in the New York City area, many had relatives or knew of friends who worked in the twin towers. For days and weeks, there was an intense search for persons missing hoping they would be located.
Jesus reacted much differently to John the Baptist being arrested and beheaded. “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel”” (Mark 1:14–15). We see a similar response to “those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish”” (Luke 13:4–5). Jesus did not minimize the loss, but He puts these events in perspective. Without a personal relationship with Him through repentance, there was nothing to look forward to except eternal loss. That becomes a motivation for us to tell others of the saving power of His sacrifice for us. Do we have that message ready in our hearts to be given anytime and under any circumstances? |
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