S.D.G.

Overcoming Depression (Part Ten): Suicidal Thoughts

2011-07-19T13:10:00.003-05:00

If you are reading this article you fall into at least one of three categories. The first includes those who know those who have—successfully or not—attempted to take their life. The second category includes those who will eventually know someone like that. The third category includes those who are contemplating suicide.

Rather than address those in the first two categories I will speak directly with you if you find yourself in the third. Be assured that there a plenty of people in the first two categories who will read this because they care enough to help people like you through this seemingly impossible situation.

Have you had thoughts of suicide? Why are you considering it? Do you face shame because you (or someone close to you) has done things that have created a mess that you are unwilling to face? Maybe you are enduring the pain of a broken body or a broken relationship and do not wish to see what is next in an apparent endless downward spiral. Or perhaps you are very angry at a person or persons who have hurt you and know that this will sting them in ways other forms of revenge never could. You may even have your own reasons and think that your circumstances put you in a category no other person can understand.

If you have had these thoughts, you have likely gone from despair to hope and back again more times than you can count. People stereotype those who take their lives as frenzied and impulsive, but you may know that after numerous crises many people have soberly weighed their options. They have reasoned that suicide is as much a rational choice as buying a red car instead of a blue one.

Because this is a Christian author writing about matters from a biblical perspective you might think an article about suicide would seek to find biblical texts that address the issue directly. But that is not where this article is headed. Certainly there are a few examples of suicide in the Bible and I do agree that taking your own life is no less a sin than taking that of someone else. But I want you to see a bigger picture from the Bible. I beg you to stop and reconsider. The story of history is not about your present circumstances but about redemption.

I’ll explain what I mean by redemption. When you look at the whole story of human history from a biblical standpoint you see three big themes. The first is that creation was a marvelous, hopeful work of God with man as the most privileged creature in the picture. The second is the misery that resulted from man rebelling against his creator. The third is the work of redemption that the creator is bringing. Our trouble is that living in the pain, misery and hopelessness of the second theme can blind us to seeing the third theme at work.

Let me illustrate simply. A child with a painful ear infection does not naturally want a physician poking instruments in his ear or prescribing yucky medicine. But the doctor sees the big picture. What would you tell the child who is so intent on getting away from the treatment and the doctor that he misses the “redemptive” benefit of both? The doctor knows how the ear is designed to look and work as well as what needs to happen to bring it back to full function. The child naturally just wants the pain to go away.

Maybe that’s what you are looking for. I want you to know that there are things much more wonderful in this story than what you feel in this very brief moment of eternity. Christian author C.S. Lewis describes our longings this way:

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. (Mere Christianity)

The pain and dissatisfaction you feel is a reminder that there is something better, but the release does not come when you leave. It comes when you believe. The Bible says that “creation was subjected to futility” (Romans 8:20) but it also says that the creation will be “set free from its slavery to corruption” (Romans 8:21). You may think that what you are considering will set you free. I ask you to consider that you may be very wrong and there will be no way to reverse your decision.

We make the mistake of complicating the Bible because we often have personal agendas that we take into it. We assume that if we cannot find a direct prohibition, for instance, for the use of methamphetamines, God must be okay with it. But the Bible projects a larger and more authoritative view of the past and the future that those of us trapped in time would do well to heed. You may be asking how a loving God could allow so much evil in the world—particularly in your world. You ask why is this happening if God is loving or sovereign. That is a legitimate question. Have you given Him time to answer it? Are you sure?

Imagine the terror of people experiencing a full eclipse of the sun without knowing that eclipses are natural astronomical events. Some would despair of life. You could give them hope. “Just wait,” you’d counsel. This won’t last.

Most people who come close to taking their lives and do not succeed testify that what they needed was just a little time to clear their minds to dissuade them from the act. In other words, because they had a barrier to their momentum toward the act they reevaluated the decision. Let the thoughts I have shared be that barrier for you.

Start here. Are guilt and shame and pain and hopelessness recurring themes in your life? Please stop and consider that the Bible points to Jesus Christ as the remedy for these things. He absorbed in His body—as a substitute—the just death penalty so those who trust Him could be free. If that is hard for you to believe, it gets harder. For centuries men and women have staked their lives and their eternal destinies on the truth that Jesus also came physically out of the grave after He died. What does that mean for you? Among other things it may mean that you could be preparing to surrender to shame and death when God’s Son won the victory over both. I wonder if you have really cried out to Him and begged Him for forgiveness and new life in this world.

There is hope.

Ten articles in this series:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Overcoming Depression (Part Nine): Indecision

2011-07-11T12:25:00.002-05:00

Jim liked his reputation as a leader. At work and in church people respected his opinions and sought his counsel. But in the privacy of his home things looked very different. His dark moods had caused him to put off decisions on everything from home repairs to disciplining his children. He feared his wife’s disapproval as well as the consequences of making wrong decisions. Most of all he felt he had no energy to invest in thinking things through and choosing a direction. He spent a lot of energy trying to avoid spending energy on decisions.

If you resemble Jim you should know that indecision does not mean you are “depressed.” It is simply one symptom that commonly accompanies people labeled that way. This can be a chicken-and-egg question. Were you feeling down and consequently had trouble making decisions or did you make decisions you are second-guessing, which causes you to feel down?

Some people in their weakness become paralyzed when faced with even minor decisions. They either hide from them or rely heavily on friends, family or even impulses to avoid the responsibility to make careful, analytical choices.

Whether your indecision is a chicken or an egg scenario, it is sometimes nice to have someone take your hand and walk you through the darkness. Let me do that briefly.

If you are a follower Christ I have simple hope to offer you. There is no reason to fear making decisions. God’s will is not a treasure found only by those who know the right tricks. It is not a shell game. The will of God is not something you look for. It is something you do (see another blog article on this subject).

Are you having trouble focusing and making decisions?

1. You still have to make them. Not making a decision is still a decision (Joshua 24:14-15; 1 Kings 18:21; Luke 9:23). Here is an exercise (adapted from Paul Tripp’s book Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, p. 250): Take a sheet of paper and make two columns with these headings: “Concerns” and “Responsibilities.” Make a very complete list. Decide to obey God in the matters that are your responsibility. You have a “to do” list for your decisions now. Under “concerns” you have a prayer list because those are the things you cannot control.

2. You should avoid being controlled by fear, worry or anxiety over what others will think of your decisions (Matthew 6:34). Fear of man blinds your ability to make good choices and it proves to be a snare. What is most important in your decisions is not the way others will react but whether or not your actions please God. It is possible that the most popular decision you could make would be one that does not honor God. Make it your primary goal to please Him (2 Corinthians 5:9).

3. You should be confident in God’s ability to give you what is good (James 1:6-8; 4:8). Your decisions are a reflection of your theology. The God of the Bible is both sovereign and good. His plans may be hard to endure, but they are for your good and His glory. If your goal is avoiding hardness you will need to find a parallel universe somewhere. If your aim is honoring God it is better to let Him determine the boundaries in which you will find maximum happiness. He is good, so what He does is good.

Ten articles in this series:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10

Haiti Bible Institute 2011.09: I'm Here on Business for My King

2011-04-07T13:43:00.000-05:00

I am a stranger here, within a foreign land;

My home is far away, upon a golden strand;
Ambassador to be of realms beyond the sea,
I’m here on business for my King.

Refrain

This is the message that I bring,
A message angels fain would sing:
“Oh, be ye reconciled,”
Thus saith my Lord and King,
“Oh, be ye reconciled to God.”

This is the King’s command: that all men, everywhere,
Repent and turn away from sin’s seductive snare;
That all who will obey, with Him shall reign for aye,
And that’s my business for my King.

Refrain

My home is brighter far than Sharon’s rosy plain,
Eternal life and joy throughout its vast domain;
My Sovereign bids me tell how mortals there may dwell,
And that’s my business for my King.

Refrain

Haiti Bible Institute 2011.08: Mick Jagger Didn't Know Where to Look for It

2011-04-06T15:04:00.000-05:00

This about the 27^th morning of my life I have awaked on Haitian soil and this is the first time I could honestly use the adjective “cool” describe the temperature at sunrise. It must have been down in the mid 60’s and it felt great.

I have given up on predicting when there will be power. I am thankful no one is dependent on my blog for their well-being. I am also thankful for the joy God gives me when I get to teach and interact with these men.

Today while we were working on a case study we were talking about what makes good counseling homework. They are great at finding lots of Bible verses, but I am teaching them how to help people put the Bible into practice. The James 1:22 word for “doers” in their Bible is “practique.” One example is not simply asking a person to memorize a text. One good idea is to write down several times they were tempted to continue a sinful habit but chose instead to consider that Jesus died to deliver His people from such things. A good text to consider is:

The LORD sustains all who fall
         And raises up all who are bowed down.
    The eyes of all look to You,
         And You give them their food in due time.
    You open Your hand
         And satisfy the desire of every living thing. Psalm 145:14-16

From pornography addiction to anger, we point people to the lies they believe about where to find satisfaction and then to the only place the redeemed can get it. Remember that this is not “lie-down-on-the-couch-and-tell-me-why-you-hate-your-mother” counseling. It is Christian disciple-making in real time.

Haiti Bible Institute 2011.07: Mañana

2011-04-04T19:04:00.000-05:00

We have gone without electricity a lot in the past 24 hours. We expect the city power to be unreliable, but I am learning that people who can buy gasoline for generators and fix things like power inverters do so on Haitian time. I’ve heard the mindset described this way: “mañana, but not with the same sense of urgency.” We finally have power and I am anxiously awaiting our shared Internet connection so I can post.

Today the announcement was made that Michel Martelly appears to have won the Haiti presidential election. We were unable to travel on a main road during our afternoon break and Pastor Predestin told me that the greater-than-normal congestion was because of preparations for a big party downtown. The people were making their way to celebrate the victory of this candidate many see as hope for the nation. The students are not agreed on what candidate would have been best for the country, but said that if Martelly won no one would get hurt. Hmm. Many seem to think that neither option on the ballot was very good. Imagine that happening.

We are now half done and have started courses three and four. Jim began teaching General Introduction to the Bible and I started Biblical Counseling 301. I reviewed the material from the first two counseling tracks, but now intend to spend the rest of our time doing case studies together. I want them to see in shoe leather the way you use God’s word to identify problems, point people to the hope for change and walk with them as the change begins.

Haiti Bible Institute 2011.06: Responding to Mercy

2011-04-03T13:25:00.001-05:00

This morning we had a worship service. I love hearing the guys sing even though I only pick up on a few of the words. I got to be the speaker again this year and took advantage of it as an extra class session. Since I have been focusing on the gospels I preached on the sinful woman who wept at Jesus’ feet in the home of Simon the Pharisee from Luke 7:36-50. Simon could not see why he needed mercy and the unnamed woman overflowed in her response to mercy.

No matter how impoverished or wealthy you are, proud independence moves you to forget how you received what you have. We are each like a turtle on a fence post. You know he did not get there by himself. That is why ungratefulness is such an evil. It makes you forget that all the comforts you enjoy were not earned and that you are even breathing borrowed air. Moses warned Israel not to forget to respond to God’s great mercy and grace [my bold highlights]:

Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today… Otherwise, you may say in your heart, “My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.” But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you the power to make wealth… Deuteronomy 8:11, 17-18

The man in our text was very satisfied with himself. The woman in our text was very satisfied with Jesus. She responded. Below are some final observations I made comparing the two “students” of Jesus in that room. Which one do you most resemble?

Simon The Sinful Woman

1. He gave when there was personal benefit. 1. She gave as a response to mercy.

2. He thought highly of himself. 2. She thought lowly of herself.

3. He thought accusingly of Jesus. 3. She thought lovingly of Jesus.

4. He kept Jesus at a safe distance. 4. She drew awkwardly near to Jesus.

5. He gave sparingly to Jesus. 5. She gave freely to Jesus.

6. He was unforgiven. 6. She was forgiven.

I am thankful that even in a third world Caribbean nation you can connect with home these days. I didn’t get my way in either game last night, but watching parts of the NCAA Final Four is another taste of home. Also, several of the men got to “meet” Sarah and some of the kids via video chat after class last night.

Haiti Bible Institute 2011.05: Eat Like a Haitian

2011-04-02T08:25:00.000-05:00

I was encouraged to prepare for the microscopic critter variation in Haiti by starting a regimen of probiotics a couple months before traveling here. I can say that so far I feel great even with a little adventurous eating. The last two years were not so pleasant digestively.

The food has been memorable. Before the students arrived we had a meal that included two whole fish on a platter. I know you pay big bucks for that in the US, but I don’t usually go to those establishments. It was honestly tasty, but my thought bubble had the fish being caught in the polluted bay next to the city. Spaghetti cooked with garlic and topped with onions, hot dogs and ketchup is breakfast food here (tasty, but I skipped the ketchup). I am starting to enjoy the five-alarm cole slaw, made with shredded carrots, cabbage and habanero peppers. Bananas can be fried, boiled or eaten fresh. We have been served all three. Cooked unripe bananas taste like boiled potatoes. Last night we were served corn grits with anise flavoring.

I have finished presenting the material that will be on the Synoptics exam so I can focus more on delivering messages from the life of Jesus. Dr. Bearss has told me that while this program requires a heavy load of academics, our job is also to model the practical delivery of what you know. The men will get no homiletics (preparing sermons) class during their four-year training. So for the rest of my sessions I am going to deliver in sermon form some of the highlights of the synoptics. If you know me you know that I am looking forward to those sessions.

Haiti Bible Institute 2011.04: Certain Uncertainty

2011-04-01T15:07:00.001-05:00

I enjoy home and all the craziness that goes with it, but I have definitely noticed how much more time I have here to just sit and think. Example: We were without power all night long and into this afternoon, so I was conserving my laptop battery. I got to brewing on the common US philosophy about what to do with resources. We say, “Spend it when you get it because you can always get more.” At home I don’t have to think about shutting the laptop lid before I leave the room.

I know that not everyone fits these descriptions, but the third world mentality seems different. They say, “Make the most of what you have, for life is uncertain.” You never know when the power will go off, when your job will end or when the building will collapse on you. This is not so much a lesson about conservation as it is a lesson about gratefulness and management of blessings.

On the other hand, sometimes the quiet gets shattered. In the middle of the night I was awakened by sirens and the sound of a speeding emergency vehicle. Then I fell back into a blissfully ignorant sleep. This morning I learned that there was gunfire in the neighborhood (Jim Bearss speculates a nine millimeter) not long before the sirens. I guess I was sleeping too soundly for that. This surprised me because I thought we were very much removed from the rough part of town. I’ll just assume that someone couldn’t sleep and decided to get up and do some target practice in his yard. Just the same, the lesson learned is one about the uncertainty of life in a sin-cursed world:

Haiti Bible Institute 2011.03: First Day of Classes

2011-03-31T15:47:00.000-05:00

As I write this portion of my blog I am thankful for a healthy battery on the MacBook. Power went off in the middle of the night (as usual) and we have been conserving gasoline in the generator until someone more mechanical than me figures out how to hook up a battery bank.

Our meeting place this year is the third one the institute has rented in my three trips. It is in a relatively quiet neighborhood (with the nightly exception of roosters, barking dogs and some anonymous creature that screams like a crime victim). We are surrounded by palm, tropical pine, mango and other unidentified trees, which spare the house from hot afternoon sunshine. The concrete house is showing its age, but must have been designed many years ago to make an impression on visitors. We are surrounded by walls, but there is no razor wire this time.

Seventeen of the 18 registered students are here for this set of modules (four classes in eight days). We are having a great reunion so far. I have noticed a marked improvement in their English. They have probably not noticed much improvement in my French.

Today I started out introducing the human authors of the synoptic gospels (first three books of the New Testament) and pointing out how vital it is to understand the Hebrew Scriptures when we interpret the New Testament. The synoptics were penned by a former crook, a ministry deserter who took a long time to become useful and a medical doctor who loved to sail. This foundation is important because it shows that God used ordinary, fallible humans to carry an extraordinary, infallible message. This encourages Christ-followers to simply deliver the goods rather than try to dress up the message to attract more buyers.

Facebook Photo Album

2011-03-30T17:56:00.002-05:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=372963&id=803468083&l=51c1a2de35

Haiti Bible Institute 2011.02: Meeting Needs and Learning Lessons

2011-03-30T17:32:00.001-05:00

My alarm went off this morning while it was still dark—nothing new—but I decided I should sleep longer to catch up. Much later when it was light I looked at my watch. Only 5:30? Then I remembered it had been set for 2:45 a.m. I’m glad I decided to sleep in.

After a very colorful breakfast I spent the rest of the morning into the afternoon on an adventure through the highly-populated center of Petionville. The traffic was so backed up that our driver finally honked the horn and did a U-turn into oncoming traffic, got into more trouble, continued to turn and finally settled on an alternate route that took us through mountain trails posing as streets (I was not driving, though I would have loved it just for the adrenaline rush). Even when we were going over curbs and sidewalks no one blinked. I got to ride in the passenger seat while Pastor Predestin, the director of MFH Haiti, uttered quick directions in Creole to our driver. We visited three orphan homes associated with My Father’s House as well as the building where many of the 200 kids attend school.

It was a little awkward watching the distribution of clothing, friendship bracelets and homemade beaded jewelry (thank you, RLBC ladies, Natalya and crew). The children were mostly patient waiting for these gifts (apparently a rare event), but as usual there were not quite enough trinkets and beautiful clothes to go around (I hope there will be some adjustments by the house moms to fix that). It underscored for me something important. Whether you are rich and spoiled or poor and deprived it is dangerous to think you will find lasting joy in possessions. Don’t misunderstand. This was the right thing to do. I wish I could have brought another 50-pound bag of clothing and gifts.

I am talking big-picture. Lots of money from somewhere has been spent here on new stuff in the last year. The “lucky” ones found money to get the stuff and the “unlucky” ones have stood back and watched. They are like an orphan girl without a new dress seeing another with a new dress and a beautiful necklace. I honestly hope Haiti becomes the economic giant it could become with good leadership. But I also know what has happened to our country. The more we get the more we want and the next step up never satisfies. Never. We are wrong to think that the biggest opportunities we can give these children are economic.

For the record, I also unloaded a very large and very necessary wad of cash to MFH that I carried into the country from a little church in Wisconsin.

Tomorrow we will start classes. I am scheduled to teach the first three of 14 hours on the Synoptic Gospels and Jim will start the biblical doctrine of Anthropology. I am looking forward to fellowshipping with my friends again.

Haiti Bible Institute 2011.01: First Day Ramblings

2011-03-29T20:21:00.001-05:00

After a couple hours of sleep, I caught a shuttle bus from our motel to the airport. I arrived at MSP around 3:30 a.m., courtesy of the son of an native Indian who escaped from Uganda to the US. It’s interesting what you learn on a short ride when you are the only passenger.

From my reading while waiting for my flight from MSP:

When Christ is supplanted, whatever replaces him will usually allow us to remain in control, independent of him. When this occurs, churches become unwelcoming toward struggling people. They become places where like-minded, well-adjusted people pat themselves on the back for how well they are doing. The church loses its ability to help people grow in the joys of daily repentance and faith while rejoicing in Christ. –How People Change, Timothy S. Lane & Paul David Tripp, p. 215

We arrived in Miami around 9:20 a.m. (CDT) and I got some “breakfast” at Wendy’s and wandered around making necessary phone calls and texts before heading to no-phone-land.

Our flight to Port-au-Prince was about 1½ hours. I got to have a seat right by the exit and the first class passengers…leg room! We landed about 2:45 p.m. (same as home) and all of us "important" (pronounce that blessed) people at the front of the plane got through immigration quite quickly by Haitian standards. We had a predictable power outage that made everything dark and stopped the conveyor belts, but I found my stuff about ten minutes after passing through immigration.

After saying, “Non!” to all sorts of nice fellows who wanted to carry my bags and give me taxi rides, I met Dr. Jim Bearss and a driver.

Then we drove through the take-your-life-in-hands streets seeing the encouragement of a lot of new construction, including a brand new Haiti version of a Home Depot! On the down side, there are banners all over town bearing the nickname of the newly-returned-former-priest-turned-leftist-dictator Jean-Bertrand Aristide as if he were running for president. Oddly, results of the real election are to be released this Thursday--the first day of classes for Haiti Bible Institute.

I’ll talk more about the guest house and the school later. It’s dark and I’m a bit weary.

What God does is good because He is good (Psalm 119:67-68).

Overcoming Depression (Part Eight): Worthless Feelings

2011-02-07T13:56:00.002-06:00

“I have lived my entire life without making a significant impact on the world or on even one person. I don’t always feel this way, but thoughts of my own worthlessness keep coming back. I really want to make a difference, but more often I’d rather just give up.”

Do you ever feel like that? This is a common symptom in the general population, but it is epidemic among those who carry the “depressed” label. If you often feel this way you may think you have come to an end of solutions—that there is no hope for change. Even if there is hope you really do not feel like looking for solutions even if there is one out there. Before you throw in the towel there are some questions I would like you to answer:

Question one: Is your worth measured by you or by your creator? As part of the only race of humans ever made (Adam’s race), you were designed in the image of God. That is why murdering or even calling people idiots is an attack on God’s image (Genesis 9:6; Matthew 5:21-22). You would probably bristle at the suggestion that ethnic minorities, nursing home residents or handicapped children are worthless. Do your own “worthless” feelings make you the exception? If you feel guilty for failing to meet your own expectations you are either creating standards of performance that God never created or you need to repent of sin. A proper understanding of grace assures you that God sets the standard for human performance and lifts up those who humbly acknowledge their inability to keep that standard.

Question two: Are you allowing your life to be defined by how you feel at any given moment? You may be controlled by your emotions. If so, you have a vicious and capricious master. You never know which despot is going to rule as you wake up each day. You don’t have to take orders from your emotions. A better alternative is to take the warning God gave Cain about giving in to negative emotions (Genesis 4:6-7). You must master the monster crouching at your door. Your feelings should never be the thermostat that controls your life, but a thermometer that reflects what is going on inside you. Learn to read the thermometer.

Question three: Are you fishing for human approval? You know that whenever you say, “My life is a waste and I’m such a loser,” you can find someone who will come up with some nice things to say about you. The trouble with craving that kind of attention is that even if people are sincere it makes you a slave to the opinions of others. Let me put this straight: you really are a wretch (Romans 7:24-8:1). But don’t stop there. That’s only the bad news. If you go no further than talking about how bad you are and how bad you feel, your wallowing makes you miss the voice of the Rescuer. You are trading the glories of redemption for the few scraps of human attention you can get when people feel sorry for you. The good news is that only wretched sinners have hope for change because Jesus died only for wretched sinners. Are you one of those?

Question four: Is it possible that feeling worthless is a gateway to finding real change? When you feel worthless or that your life is meaningless you are actually communicating something very positive. You are saying that there is such a thing as worth and meaning. Maybe the real issue here is not that you are worthless but that you have yet to discover what actually is worthy and meaningful in this world. You may be like a man who curses the darkness because he knows the sun must be somewhere close by. Don’t give up so easily. Glory where another wretched man gloried:

But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:14

Let me say it another way. Your despair does not mean that hope does not exist for you. It underscores the truth that you have been chasing after the wrong prize. The Lord of Life pronounced blessedness on those who mourn (Matthew 5:4). Only such mourners will find comfort.

Ten articles in this series:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10

Overcoming Depression (Part Seven): Lethargy

2011-01-26T13:21:00.003-06:00

Another symptom that often accompanies depression is the feeling of extreme lethargy ("exhaustion" and "listlessness" are other descriptive words). When this happens you feel like doing nothing. Coupled with the feelings of sadness you long for a warm, dark place to curl up and sleep for a few days.

Do you often feel drained like that? One could argue that depression causes the lethargy, but the same argument works the other way. The feelings of depression may simply mean you have not been sleeping as you ought. One solution may be as simple as finding that missing shut-eye (see another part of this series on insomnia). But that is not simple for many people.

It is good to ask yourself if it is possible to remain joyful and glorify God even when you are tired. For a believer that is a great step toward living out God’s purpose for suffering Christians:

These [trials] have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:7

Because I am not qualified to make medical diagnoses, I often say, “I think you need to see a doctor about that.” But as long as you can’t get in to see a physician for at least a few minutes, let’s bring in some more questions.

Are you avoiding anything or anyone? Think hard. Unpleasant tasks put off can soon become large, haunting tasks. When you think something will be unpleasant, it is easy to convince yourself that you should avoid that activity at any cost. This may be something as complex as the need to confront a spouse or child for a horrible sin or it may be something as simple as cleaning the bathroom, paying the bills or writing an overdue paper (or blog article). In either case your heart seeks a way to duck responsibility and drowsiness is a readily-available escape. Proverbs outlines the symptoms of sloth, the sin few dare admit:

A lazy man does not roast his prey, but the precious possession of a man is diligence. Proverbs 12:27

Laziness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle man will suffer hunger. Proverbs 19:15

The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!” Proverbs 22:13

I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. Proverbs 24:30-34

It is humbling to consider that your depression may just be the result of laziness, but there is hope in that confession. It classes you with those for whom Christ died: sinners. We have a proven cure for sinners.

Another question is related to the first: Could there be some other sin in your life that you are refusing to acknowledge? Listen to David’s testimony about a time in his life when he refused to turn from secret sin:

When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Psalm 32:3-4

You may already know of a sin you are harboring, but even if nothing comes readily to mind you are not excused. The sons of Adam like to forget what makes the conscience sting. Humbly ask a close friend or your spouse to list some areas of your life that might fit this category. Promise not to get angry and mean it.

Look at this difficult moment in your life as an opportunity to live out a very good plan. Whether your fatigue is the result of a physical condition, personal sin or a combination of the two, you have a responsibility to respond in a way that glorifies God. Don’t waste this hard time.

Ten articles in this series:

1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10

Overcoming Depression (Part Six): Nervousness

2010-11-16T16:42:00.003-06:00

“I worry a lot, but that’s not a sin, right?”

How would you answer that question? It was put to me by a Christian lady who had so many other struggles that her depression and worry seemed almost innocent. But is nervousness a victimless crime? Isn’t it kind of like having a stuffy nose?

As I have pointed out in other articles in this series, the feelings of depression are never sinful. They may come from something bodily like caffeine, fatigue or even serious illness (a prospect that can also dominate your thoughts if you are not careful). But we are not addressing the feelings themselves. We are addressing your response to those feelings. This woman’s worry was having a substantial impact on the others in her home. Her family was missing out on the loving care she could have given had she not spent so much time spreading her anxiety around the house.

Set aside for now the serious physical effects (digestive ailments and spikes in blood pressure to name two) that result from chronic anxiety. The bigger question—at least for a Christian—is: What impact does this have on my relationships and responsibilities?

The feeling of nervousness and distraction can look different in different people. For instance, in some people it almost seems like an attack from outside themselves. They feel agitated and cannot explain it. Still others have a specific object to their anxiety. Relationships, finances, coming events or re-playing past events dominate the thoughts.

Either way the nervous feelings sometimes associated with depression—even if they come from identifiable physical causes like caffeine or fatigue—usually keep you from the kind of neighbor loving that pleases God.

It is not difficult to find a biblical description of a symptom associated with depression that we all recognize in ourselves and others. Jesus described it this way in His clearest message about worry or anxiety:

For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear for clothing?” For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-34, NASB

So ask yourself some questions:

· What do my anxious thoughts say about the way I think God cares for me?

· Am I thinking true thoughts or are the voices of my nerves shouting louder than God’s word?

· What is God trying to do in the midst of this?

· What other people are being kept from service I could give them because of my anxiety?

Are you are nervous and distracted?

1. Maybe you need to retrain your thinking (Colossians 3:2). It could be that you have actually created the problem that controls your thoughts. Write down some of the Scripture texts found in this study and review them every day. The next time these feelings begin to creep into your thoughts you will have true thoughts to call to mind.

2. Maybe you need to find an other-focused mission to occupy your thoughts (Mark 10:45; Philippians 2:1-11). The remedy for anxiety is found in obeying the two greatest commands. Write down ten tangible ways you can exert yourself to serve others in your life (e.g., writing encouraging notes, doing extra chores to lighten the load of another, asking questions and listening to others without complaining about your life). Start at home. Get to work on it.

Ten articles in this series:

1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10

Overcoming Depression (Part Five): Insomnia

2010-10-14T16:53:00.004-05:00

“I am so tired all the time that I feel like doing nothing but sleep. Then when I go to bed I can’t sleep because my thoughts are going ninety miles an hour. I think I’m going crazy. Will I ever find rest?”

One of the common symptoms of depression is the inability to sleep. Racing thoughts or inordinate worries keep you awake and only compound the dark feeling of “normal” waking hours. You know that God is the one who "slumbers not nor sleeps" and you'd rather not be like Him in this area.

Nearly every year it seems we hear in the news of horrible crimes committed by young mothers who struggle with what has been labeled “post-partum depression.” Apart from the very complex things that happen biologically in women after childbirth (not to mention every month), you have to consider the tremendous stress of being repeatedly torn from sleep by a newborn for months on end.

Aside from offering biblical solutions, I will once again encourage you to see your doctor to rule out physical causes for your insomnia. However, sleep is not an insignificant issue for believers. It is of great value in your life, a gift from God (Psalm 127:2). David meditated on such good things during his waking hours that his heart spoke to him while he slept (Psalm 16:7).

Church reformer Martin Luther struggled with insomnia and fought what he considered Satanic attacks in the night:

When I go to bed, the Devil is always waiting for me. When he begins to plague me, I give him this answer: “Devil, I must sleep. That’s God’s command, ‘Work by day. Sleep by night.’ So go away.” If that doesn’t work and he brings out a catalog of sins, I say, “Yes, old fellow, I know all about it. And I know some more you have overlooked. Here are a few extra. Put them down.” If he still won’t quit and presses me hard and accuses me as a sinner, I scorn him and say, “St. Satan, pray for me. Of course you have never done anything wrong in your life. You alone are holy. Go to God and get grace for yourself. If you want to get me all straightened out, I say, ‘Physician, heal thyself.’”

Insomnia is not sin. It is hard and it is worth fighting (like Luther did), but there are bigger issues to face if you have ruled out clear physical issues. Here are some questions to answer that can help uncover some factors you may not have considered:

· Do you think there is something you must have that has become an obsession? Even things that are good (relationships, possessions, jobs) become idols when you think you cannot have peace without them. Some depressed feelings (and sleeplessness) are just a byproduct of wrong goals and believing things that are not true.

· Are you worried about something? Maybe you can’t sleep because you are worried about getting to sleep. Even if you are not a “nervous person,” the comforting words of Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34 and of Paul in Philippians 4:1-8 bring peace.

· Are you angry at someone or about something? Sometimes we try to hold back a flood with a broom when we should be shutting off some faucets. There is no rest when you think so highly of yourself that you see other people (or even God) as the obstacle to what you think you must have.

· Are you viewing the hours you cannot sleep as a stewardship? If every moment is from God, then there are good ways to use those moments for God’s glory. God put Paul into sleeplessness (2 Corinthians 11:27) with a good design (2 Corinthians 12:10). He used insomnia to get important information across to Ahasuerus (Esther 6:1) and Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:1).

· Have you thanked God for keeping you awake? Maybe the trouble is not so much the lack of sleep as it is your attitude toward your lack of sleep. Rest is certainly a gift from God, but has God wronged you if He gave it to someone else and not you? Maybe your attitude should be like Job’s (Job 1:21).

If your soul finds rest in God alone, that rest is yours even if sleep is not. You can live a life that pleases Him and find joy even if you do not find sleep. If you have turned to Christ for His forgiveness, your identity is wrapped up in knowing your name is written in heaven rather than in having victory over insomnia and feelings of depression.

Ten articles in this series:

1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10

Overcoming Depression (Part Four): Unexplained Weight Loss or Gain

2010-09-14T12:13:00.002-05:00

One set of symptoms with an immense number of possible causes is unexplained weight gain or loss. Have you gained or lost weight without trying? Unexplained changes in weight may signal a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention.

On the other hand, these physical symptoms can result from wrong thinking and behavior. Some people seek comfort from food or crave the control they gain by refusing to eat. In either direction, this pattern can become a habit that is hard to break and potentially dangerous to your health. If you rule out something physically wrong, you may need to ask yourself if you have a wrong view of your circumstances or food itself. Eating is a good thing to do for survival (Genesis 1:29; Acts 27:33-36; 1 Timothy 6:8), but eating is also a gift from God to be enjoyed (1 Timothy 4:3-4). You exist exclusively for His glory and He can be glorified by your eating habits (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Some people develop a discontent with the body they have been given. Do you have great shame over your physical appearance (too fat, too skinny, etc.)? It is not sinful to weigh “too much” or to weigh “too little.” It is commendable to plan seasons of fasting for the purpose of prayer, but is not sinful to enjoy daily meals. Certainly stewardship of the body is worth much effort, but your body should be your slave, not your master. Your biggest concern if you have lost or gained a bunch of weight without trying should be your health rather than your looks.

David’s soul found rest in God alone (Psalm 62:1) and that is where you should find yours. Our sin-sick souls naturally tend toward looking elsewhere for rest (food, chemicals, sex…). This is one reason why people who are not dealing biblically with life stress may experience weight change for no apparent reason.

Often elderly people stop eating regularly when they have lost sight of good reasons to live and enjoy life’s pleasures like eating. Younger people who have this symptom, in my experience, are more conscious in their choice not to eat. Not eating, like unforgiveness, can be a means of showing anger in ways that end up punishing their own bodies rather than the people at whom they are angry.

When the prophet Elijah failed to do what God had already commissioned him to do (remember the “still, small voice” just told him to get back to work), God supplied him with a meal (1 Kings 19:5-8). He was overcome with self-pity and it affected his diet. God’s solution was threefold: physical stewardship, a vision of His majesty and a good dose of reality.

Ten articles in this series:

1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10

Overcoming Depression (Part Three): Numbness

2010-08-30T14:59:00.002-05:00

Many people describe themselves as living in an emotional vacuum. This is hard to define, but some say they simply go through the motions of life, failing to enjoy various forms of entertainment, family gatherings or even worship. They say they are numb to normal pleasures. This is in many ways the opposite of the previous symptom (prolonged sadness), but moving from one to the other provides no relief.

Is there anything in the Bible to address this? While you cannot find a specific command, “Thou shalt start feeling things,” Scripture gives us a bigger picture of redemption that transcends emotions or their absence.

For instance, this numbness could be the result of failing to see your “chief end” or primary purpose in life. While not all of us get caught in the numbness trap, all of us are prone to live life with a self-focus. If you are a follower of Christ, you were not saved so you could get your best life now. The higher call is what Paul told the Corinthians:

He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. 2 Corinthians 5:15, NASB

Many people go to school or work every day because they know they will pay the consequences if they do not, but the work they do is done without a vision of any higher purpose than completing a day’s assignments. Redeemed sinners were redeemed in order that God would be glorified. The Lord prophesies the completion of His work and says through Isaiah,

Then all your people will be righteous; they will possess the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified. Isaiah 60:21, NASB

In other words, there is more at stake each day than keeping yourself out of trouble or getting good performance reviews.

Since you know why you were created, a second consideration is this: is it possible you are waiting to do what pleases God until you feel like it? Second Corinthians 5:9 speaks of your responsibility to please God while you are in your body. What does pleasing God look like for you right now? Feelings often become our Master when another was meant to rule. For instance, some married people split up because they no longer have loving feelings for each other. In this case they forget that love is something you do before it is something you feel. The answer is not to divorce but to start doing the loving thing (remember the way God told the prophet Hosea to treat his prodigal wife). Feelings follow thinking and acting.

Act in faith even when your faith is small. It is not the quality of your faith but the object of your faith that matters. A father who was terribly burdened by the hopelessness of his son’s demon possession confessed to Jesus, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24). The Lord Jesus does not respond to those with great faith but properly placed faith.

One more possibility to ponder: Have you created an idol of the way you think you ought to feel or of the way someone else feels? Were you created to be the life of the party? Maybe you are not so much lacking in emotion as you are lacking in the kind of emotion you see in others and wish you had. Manufacturing plastic emotions is much worse than missing out on emotions that someone else appears to have.

Ten articles in this series:

1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Overcoming Depression (Part Two): Prolonged Sadness

2010-08-25T11:16:00.003-05:00

Two people looking at the same summer day may either delight in the sunshine or complain that we need rain. Your view of “sun” (or the world in general) comes from the way your thinking has been conditioned. Likewise someone who sees man as primarily organic may see symptoms in an individual and interpret them very differently than a person with a biblical worldview. Proposed root causes and solutions will therefore greatly differ. The introductory article on this topic detailed the nine outward symptoms that can lead to a clinical depression diagnosis. Does the Bible say anything about these symptoms? The following entries will briefly consider all nine, seeking to use biblical language.

The first symptom of depression listed in the DSM IV is prolonged Sadness. Many people without explanation feel great sorrow for extended periods of time. Biblically you should know that it is not sinful to feel sad any more than it is sinful to feel giddy (although I confess I’ve never had someone seek counseling because they felt giddy).

Sorrow and joy should be put into their proper places. For instance, Jesus pronounced a blessedness on mourners[1]. Mourners are in a unique position to find God’s comfort. Solomon said it is better to go to a house of mourning than a house of feasting[2]. This is a world under the curse of sin, which leaves us plenty to grieve over. When you feel the weight of your own sin, sorrow is particularly healthy[3]. Even though we are commanded in Philippians 4:4 to rejoice in Lord, we are not commanded to feel happy (the context contrasts rejoicing in the flesh with rejoicing in the Lord). It is consistent with the commands of the Bible to feel grief over things explained or unexplained and still maintain the joy of the Lord.

Your conscience and your emotions are good because, like your nervous system, they alert you when something is not right[4]. Is it possible you are troubled because you are hiding from something you know you need to do? Someone who cries all the time does not have damaged emotions, but emotions that are doing what they were designed to do. It is a compassionate friend who asks you to carefully examine your life to make sure the sorrow is not simply the result of avoiding an unpleasant responsibility.

As in the opening illustration of two people interpreting the same day differently, new ways of thinking may change the way you feel[5]. One question to ask yourself is this: “Can I still live a productive life for Jesus and others if this bad feeling never goes away?” When you realize and embrace your chief end as bringing God glory and enjoying Him, hard times take on a new face. Knowing that the hardness you are enduring is not random but purposeful[6] will not make the feeling go away but it will point you to sufficient grace[7].

Ten articles in this series:

1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

[1] Matthew 5:4

[2] Ecclesiastes 7:2-4

[3] 2 Corinthians 7:8-11

[4] Genesis 3:6-10; Romans 2:14-16

[5] Philippians 4:8

[6] Romans 8:29

[7] 2 Corinthians 7:8-11

Overcoming Depression: Hope for Those Stuck in the Slough of Despond (Part One)

2010-07-23T14:35:00.003-05:00

“I feel absolutely nothing. I am numb. I don’t care about anything or anyone. I hate food, I hate my life and I hate myself.”

“There is no explanation for this. I cry all the time."

I have everything a person could ever want but I frequently feel as though someone I love has just died.”

“When I am in bed I lie awake worrying that I will not be able to sleep. When I am up I am listless and become paralyzed when I have to make decisions.”

These are composite statements from people who battle one of the most devastating emotional conditions known to man: depression. The name “depression” may not be the most descriptive term available, but “affective disorder,” “despondency,” “melancholia” and “the blues” do not do any better. This is the first in a short series of articles on this topic that will start with common symptoms and offer solutions from a biblical worldview.

Let me first say that you are not alone if you struggle this way. Second, you should know that while some people are able to overcome the feelings that accompany depression, the real hope available to you is bigger than making a feeling go away.

Depression in its various forms has plagued our race since sin entered the world. It is not a respecter of persons, affecting believers and unbelievers, men and women, old and young, rich and poor. Well-known people of the past and present who have battled depression include Martin Luther, William Cowper, Frederic Chopin, John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Charles Spurgeon, Emily Dickinson, Winston Churchill, Judy Garland, Karen Carpenter, Betty Ford, John Denver, Kurt Cobain, Princess Diana, Rodney Dangerfield, Jim Carrey, Ellen DeGeneres and Terry Bradshaw.

Depression affects families, workplaces and even nations. The economic impact of depression in the United States is very large because of the number of people who take prescribed psychotropic drugs and who require hospitalization. Other economic factors include lost wages and lost job productivity. Those numbers are apparently increasing.

Treatments professionals offer for this diagnosis include antidepressant medication, alternative medicine (acupuncture, yoga, nutritional supplements), exercise and psychotherapy. Many people who have been taken down this road volunteer that these solutions offer temporary relief at best.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV), a diagnosis of “clinical depression” may be obtained based on prolonged manifestation of at least five of the following symptoms (Qualification: the symptoms must upset your normal routine and do not follow a major life upset, use of drugs or an illness.):

1. You feel sad most of the time.

2. You are numb to normal pleasures.

3. You have gained or lost weight without trying.

4. You cannot sleep.

5. You are nervous and distracted.

6. You have no energy.

7. You feel worthless.

8. You cannot focus or make decisions.

9. You have had thoughts of suicide.

After seeing this list you may ask, “Is there anyone who isn’t depressed?” Maybe that thought even got a rare smile out of you. This is my point. The trial (while admittedly on a wide range of severity) is common to man.

Several biblical characters who experienced some of the same symptoms of depression include Cain (Genesis 4:13-14), Job (Job 6:2-3, 14, 7:11), Hannah (1 Samuel 1:7, 16), Moses (Numbers 11:10-15), David (Psalm 32:3-4), Other psalmists (Psalm 42:1-3, 9; 88), Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-18), Ahab (1 Kings 21:1-4), Jonah (Jonah 4) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20:14-18; Lamentations 3:1-6).

Some might wonder what possible benefit there is in discussing a psychological analysis from those who leave little room for the God of the Bible. I do see the benefit and here is an illustration of it: Atheistic scientists probe creation from the subatomic level to deep space. Their work usually records accurate data even though their opinion of origins may differ from mine. For instance, anyone with clear vision can describe an amazing sunset. Those with the eyes of faith use that description to glorify the one who created color, created human eyes to see it and created hearts to delight in it.

So if you feel horrible pain when you touch a hot pan you know you nerves are working. If you are crying all the time at least you know your emotions are working. But what to do? The next articles will seek to provide biblical names for these symptoms and suggest responses that honor God.

Ten articles in this series:

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Not one of them is missing.

2010-05-12T16:10:00.000-05:00

Teaching is done! All I have left of my responsibility in Haiti is to give and correct the final exam starting at 5 p.m.

I neglected to report that not only do we have all sixteen men from last year’s class but we also added two. Simeon Frantz was able to come and one of the translators, Wallenson Nobert, decided he would like to be a student. This is significant because, after January 12 as the death totals continued to rise, simple math told me that some of these students did not survive the quake. God is good whether we live or die, but He was particularly merciful to these men.

I am thankful for the people in the States who sent along extra money to help both the orphanages and needy pastors. Several of these men are excited to get back to families waiting for them in tents. One of them has eight children. Another tent-dweller has three little ones and a baby coming any time. The funds have been put in faithful hands for distribution.

Adventure report: I love new and exciting food, but I want a Big Mac and fries.

We are scheduled to head out for the airport tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. I assume Wisconsin will be nice and warm. It is May, right?

Romans and Rhubarb

2010-05-11T20:00:00.001-05:00

A heavy rain is falling as I write this. We'd call it "good sleeping weather" at home if the temperature were about 25-30 degrees cooler. I’m ready for bed but I have one more hour to teach. I can tell I’ve been “on” longer than I an used to being “on.”

Today we covered Romans 9, “the most neglected chapter in the Bible.” Rather than re-hash the study, I’ll direct you to a blog entry I wrote several months ago.

Adventure report: The men are getting tired too. They have worked very hard and I think several will ace the Romans final, which is simple: Report that you have read Romans at least four times and be able to identify the main theme of each of the sixteen chapters. Cake.

Rata de Pastor

2010-05-10T19:25:00.000-05:00

I have a new nickname. The men (at least the playful ones in the bunch) were wondering what name could top “Pastor Jacques,” last year’s moniker (I taught the Epistle of James). Paul hammers pretty hard (grossly understated, I know) on the basic wickedness of all mankind in Romans, so I have been regularly inserting my standard “filthy stinking rat sinner” metaphors. So now I’m “Pastor RRRat” (spoken with a grin and a growl). No hurt feelings in this rodent.

So today I have taught Romans 6 and 7 and plan to quickly unpack chapters 8 in my two remaining sessions. My last class will be at 8 p.m. (same as CDT, only dark much earlier).

It burdens me that those who claim to follow Christ still struggle with sin. It seems so inconsistent with the biblical teaching about victory over the grave. But I know that I am one of the strugglers. You are too. Does that trouble you? It should.

Certainly people whose lives are characterized by a disregard for holiness (without which no one will see the Lord) should not be given the benefit of the doubt that they have been freed from sin, but what about those who are fighting a discouraging fight?

Romans six offers hope to those who are united with Christ (water baptism pictures this). We are free from the power of sin because of His death and resurrection. Trouble is, sin is still a reality in our lives. Paul says that not only are believers dead, they need to consider themselves dead. They need to turn over their weapon (instrument) to the God who will wield it for holy purposes. I illustrated this text this way:

A monarch caterpillar might look with wonder at the speed and freedom of a monarch butterfly. He dreams of being able to choose large stands of milkweed and to move quickly from plant to plant. But such questions show ignorance of the metamorphosis that takes place inside the chrysalis. The caterpillar dies and the transformed monarch butterfly says, “I could have all the milkweed I want, but why would I want milkweed when I can have nectar?” People whose unchanged hearts long to sin are attracted to grace as a reason to sin. People who are changed see grace as that which rescued them from slavery and set them free. You lose the taste for milkweed when you sample nectar.

Adventure report: I am drinking about six or seven 20 ounce bottles of water per day. I am glad that Jim worked out that detail for the students and the two instructors. The Haitian men are drinking little bags of water but Jim and I were counseled to stay away from them because of their questionable origin. I am learning that you have to get used new little microscopic critters everywhere you go in the world.

Pleasant Experience = Preaching in Flip-flops

2010-05-09T13:45:00.001-05:00

Happy Mother’s Day! I was able to speak with my mother and my wife today thanks to the thoughtfulness of one of our church members who supplied me with a cell phone that works in Haiti.

The men finished the first exams last night. Most of them did very well, although I need to do a little tutoring to help one fellow who seems paralyzed by written exams.

Today I started teaching through Romans—make that flying through Romans. I was charged with preaching in our worship service to start the day. Guess what text I used? Far be it from me to miss getting an extra session in Romans. The material is far too important. So I skipped through chapter one expositionally and offered an application outline at the end (It took eight weeks to get through chapter one at RLBC).

The big message of chapter one is that les Gentils sont coupables (The Gentiles are guilty). This whole letter has as its theme that God’s righteousness is unattainable by unrighteous men except through faith. His wrath is revealed against all unrighteousness.

To illustrate the unrighteousness of men and the righteousness of God I used a story told by the missionary who wrote Stranger on the Road to Emmaus. When his family lived in a tropical climate in a house on stilts a large rat crawled under the house and died—right under the master bedroom. It was a tight space and not easy to reach. The stench got so bad that he and his wife started sleeping in another part of the house. Finally the man’s son crawled under the house with a plastic bag over his hand and pulled the rotting carcass out by the tail. He ran toward the forest and flung the corpse into the trees as far as he could.

Hard as it is to take, all through Scripture that is the way God looks at sin and those who sin. That’s Adam and that’s me and my wages. Read the Old Testament and see how death was treated in the ceremonies of Israel. No wonder Jesus said that one day sinners will hear, “Depart from Me!” (Matthew 25:41).

Somehow we dead rats need righteousness and nothing we have to offer is something God wants. Our only hope is the performance of another, one Who personally experienced the terror of God’s abandonment (See 2 Corinthians 5:21 for a short synopsis). Rats needs mercy, not performance. Imagine a rat telling God, “I’ll let you into my heart.”

Adventure report: I got a new roommate yesterday. Then I killed him. The corner of my vision caught movement and I saw a healthy-sized roach. Flip-flops are versatile. They can be used to hold your place in your Bible when you are preaching outdoors and as weapons when you decide you do not wish to share your room with large beetles.

The Runaway Bride and Redemption

2010-05-08T10:53:00.001-05:00

Yesterday the students and I had a very animated discussion of God’s design for marriage as we walked through parts of Hosea. I will apply the part of the prophet’s story (read the Old Testament prophet Hosea if you haven’t, and blush modestly) when God sends Hosea to love and retrieve his prostitute/wife and he purchases her for pennies:

God commanded Hosea to love her, but please understand that God was not commanding a feeling. He was commanding Hosea to do the loving thing. You can imagine how difficult this must have been for Hosea.

Therefore, behold, I will allure her, bring her into the wilderness and speak kindly to her. Hosea 2:14

So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half of barley. Hosea 3:2

He paid fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half of barley for her. To give that context, the owner of a male or female slave in Israel had to be paid thirty pieces of silver by a man whose ox gored the slave to death (Exodus 21:32). Gomer must have been seen as damaged merchandise.

Away with the man-centered theology that tells us Jesus’ death shows us how much we are worth. Our stomachs should rightly churn when we hear Christians tell us that if we had been the only people on earth Jesus would have died just for us. Please. Jesus didn’t die because we are special but because we are sinful. In truth He died for the Father, to satisfy wrath.

Look at this woman as she is. She is a low, selfish, sneaky prostitute who is reaping the consequences of her own actions. She stands there naked on the auction block and her bid is lower than the damages required for a dead slave. Her worth is not inherent. Her identity is nothing apart from the man who bought her back. This is not the story of human worth but the story of God’s love and faithfulness.

This is all about redemption. You have seen the creation as God intended it. You have seen the horrid, destructive effects of the fall. Now you see the bloody price of redemption. God loves His people. That means he is committed to His people.

After all she (Israel) did to Him, He chased her down, bought her back and took her home. Praise Him. Guess what happens when you love someone like that? You start to love them. Notice the emotion-filled declaration of love the Lord gives to His own rescued bride. Ponder what kind of love is this:

How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? Hosea 11:8

You and I are the unfaithful bride. We are more evil than we could ever imagine. Yet we are more loved than we could ever hope. We have been loved. We have been rescued. Ours is to respond. Ours is to sing the songs of the redeemed.

You respond both vertically and horizontally. Your relationships will look different when you order them in light of the price that was paid for you. Your delight in the Lord cannot help but bring you to delight in the people in your life He has given you to serve.

Adventure report: I forgot my flashlight at home but I do have my cell phone. Last night I needed it because our generator ran out of gas and our battery bank eventually discharged. It was quite warm and dark. No rain.

The night was largely sleepless because of a combination of factors. In my waking hours I could hear a large group of people in the distance talking, singing and eventually screaming. I will withhold judgment until a Haitian explains it to me, but it didn’t sound good.

Give your wife a stroke

2010-05-07T15:38:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we arrived at several sessions in my counseling track on what a family is and what a family should look like. We spent an hour on what God’s kind of woman/wife/mother looks like and a much more in-your-face hour on what God’s kind of man/husband/father looks like.

We contrasted the evil woman from Proverbs with the virtuous woman from Proverbs and elsewhere. Defining biblical manhood, we talked about how God designed Adam to enjoy and glorify Him and His gifts (which included his wife and his work and all the beauty around him). We observed the home as the place God ordained to be a microcosm of dominion, economy, creativity and industry.

Today we are tackling “Hosea, Redemption and Marriage.”

Adventure report: We have a refreshing rain almost every night, which slightly cools the temperatures but makes the air smell and feel like the tropical building at the zoo.

I was reminded yesterday why I brush my teeth with bottled water and keep my mouth closed in the shower. The “city water” is in an underground cistern, which is periodically pumped to a roof cistern. The lid to the lower cistern is on the garage floor. It reminds me of the sewer pit in my dad’s garage where he washes all the dirt.

The “Mourning to Morning” guesthouse we are renting is owned by an American who owns a car dealership here in Petionville. After the quake he decided to return to Boston. The house is beautifully designed and located near the end of a cul de sac. Razor wire tops the surrounding concrete walls like most upper class homes. The poorer people stick broken glass into the mortar on top of their walls.

Responding to Tragedy and Overcoming Fear

2010-05-06T15:17:00.000-05:00

Today the first two counseling lectures I gave dealt with responding to tragedy and overcoming fear. Those subjects are certainly timely with these men. We had a lot of interaction about the great things that have come as a result of the quake as well as a frank discussion about how many of them would prefer not to be meeting in a concrete building.

We looked at Bible characters who were controlled by fear (ten Israelite spies, King Saul). I told them that having a plan for escaping the building if the earth starts shaking again is not sinful. I even have that route figured out. Fear becomes sinful when you love safety so much that you are hindered from doing what pleases God and what benefits His people. The trouble with the bad kind of fear is that it puts self-preservation on the throne.

Without reproducing two hours of content, I’ll throw in a brief synopsis of our talk on fear:

When I live in fear I rob God of His glory. Here are some examples:

· When I am afraid of bad weather I miss the chance to delight in the power of God displays in nature.

· When I am afraid of what others think of me I ignore what God’s opinion is and what changes He wants to make in me.

· When I am afraid of sickness I not only risk making myself sicker from worry, I also ignore the fact that God might want to show His power in my weakness.

· When fear of losing my investments or other economic security consumes me, I reveal a heart that finds its security in a substitute savior.

Suggested homework:

· Make a list of the good (God-pleasing) activities you are avoiding because you are afraid. Be thorough. The size of the list may surprise you.

· See your fear for what it is and confess it as an attempt at preserving self instead of glorifying God. It is a serving-two-masters matter. Repentance is in order.

· Memorize Psalm 29:9-11 (or others: Psalm 23:5; 27:1; 34:9-10, 19; Proverbs 21:1; Matthew 10:28; 2 Corinthians 1:8-10; Hebrews 13:6; 2 Peter 2:9) and call the text to mind when you feel fear taking control.

Adventure report: The meals here are very good, but certainly a cultural experience. The Haitians typically eat (those who do eat) a larger noon meal. Our lunches have included things like chicken, lots of white rice, a very explosive cole slaw (habaneros), lettuce, tomatoes and fried bananas. Today with our chicken we had some sort of little beads like tapioca, but served like rice with beans in it. For breakfast we have had spaghetti and sandwiches and lots of mangoes (love those). Supper last night was a very tasty cream of wheat/farina/grits containing stalks of anise. The breakfast/supper thing is a little turned around, but I’m the guy who sometimes orders burgers or fries at Norske Nook on Wednesday mornings.

Hard is not bad...

2010-05-05T15:31:00.001-05:00

Classes started today. I am teaching two courses to pastors, the first being a second track of Biblical Counseling (I did the introductory class last year). Today we started with the life of Joseph as a historical example that puts the sovereignty of God into shoe leather. It should come as no surprise that these men are serving people tempted to view life as a bunch of random events occasionally changed by human ingenuity. That worldview pales next to the one with God in absolute control over every molecule in the universe and man as a responsible moral agent being used as one means to accomplish His will. In French, they learned what I have been taught: “Hard is not bad. Hard is just hard.”

Adventure report: So I said yesterday that I got to go to three of the four My Father’s House orphanages. This is a ministry worthy of your support. Here is a link to Wordsower International. I was swarmed with little girls as soon as I got in the gate of the girls’ home (just like my place but in larger numbers). At the boys homes I got swarmed too, but young bucks hold off the approach until they think it’s safe. It took all of five minutes for them to figure I was a safe hug.

I am in a less dangerous neighborhood this year by human standards, so I got to walk down the street, greet students as they arrived and even help push a stalled dump truck. Mom, the motorcycle in the busy street that had to slam on its brakes as I walked away from the dump truck wasn’t really that close. Really.

More Important Than Living

2010-05-04T19:37:00.001-05:00

I’ll start my first entry with some words from Thomas Watson, my favorite Puritan, commenting on question one of the Westminster Shorter Catechism: The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Watson said, “Everything works to some end in things natural and artificial; now, man being a rational creature, must propose some end to himself, and that should be, that he may lift up God in the world. He had better lose his life than the end of his living.”

I liked that last sentence. Living out God’s purpose is more important than living.

Adventure report: My connecting flight to Miami was to leave Chicago at 7:15 last night, but mechanical failure put us off until around midnight. We arrived in Miami at 3 a.m. Central Time, not enough time to get a motel (I cancelled the reservations I had). I need to get off the plantation more. I rarely get to see angry selfishness on the surface like I did in watching and listening to some of the other passengers in Chicago. I usually keep my selfishness and anger stuffed way there down where it can rot my soul rather than spew it on airline employees.

I arrived in Port-au-Prince around 8 a.m. (same time as Central Daylight), having mustered a quick 45 minutes of sleep on the floor at MIA before my connecting flight boarded. They don’t make airplane seats for big guys, so sleep was nearly impossible on any of the flights. I was met by Dr. Jim Bearss, Predestin and a couple of guys who helped with luggage. I'm not whining. I'm preparing for a good night's sleep in my room (which does have a ceiling fan).

I was whisked to the beautiful guest house where we are staying and then visited three of the four orphan homes we support. More on that later. Haiti Bible Institute classes start tomorrow. Stay tuned. Pics will be posted on Facebook.

Fire Protection Trumps Fire Insurance

2010-03-17T11:05:00.001-05:00

Once as I was outside grilling meat for supper my then four-year-old daughter approached me with a question. She asked, “Is there a special way to get to heaven?” I do not suggest that I have unlocked the mysteries of the four-year-old female mind, but I do think I know what she was asking. I think she was wondering if there is a shortcut to heaven—like the quick route we take to get from our Cameron home to St. Paul. She saw heaven as real place like I do and she reasoned that real places have real roads that lead to them. It is also an indication to me that the seeds of the gospel have been planted in this little one.

I decided I would rather have her learn something out of the question rather than giving her a trite, fit-for-Sunday-School answer. So I asked her, “What is heaven?” This took the conversation deeper than she had intended, but it is a good question for all of us. The answer is that heaven is the place God lives. The question it prompts is: “How can any of us go there?

If your answer is, “Ask Jesus into your heart,” you have not sufficiently understood the question. This is not about you finding some secret code or reciting the right mantra to spring you into a pleasant afterlife. You are as unfit for that holy place as you are for the heart of an active volcano. What is more, you have the here and now to worry about. What keeps you from facing judgment as these words reach you right now?

If you lack something pertaining to getting to heaven it is not spiritual formulas or prayers to recite. Those are available in abundance. Just read the last page of gospel tracts and you will find sample prayers. The problem is that God is so glorious and we are so sinful. I explained to Lydia that the trouble with finding the way to heaven is that we can’t go there as we are now. We are not fit.

But that is not the end of the lesson. I do not know if she followed all of the conversation after that and, honestly, I do not mind. By God’s grace, when the new birth comes, we make sense of all the information we have collected and not comprehended in the past. What I want those under my charge to understand is that, like a firefighter cannot walk into a burning building wearing street clothes, we cannot walk into the presence of the thrice holy God wearing fig leaves. We need a covering.

Like you learn from the story of Adam and Eve, the only sufficient covering for sinners that permits survival before the gaze of God requires the death of a substitute.

Have We Lost a Sense of Shame?

2010-02-23T17:15:00.001-06:00

I notice a marked lack of shame at public sin in young people. Some teens and college-age young people--even those in church--seemingly have no idea of what it is to become embarrassed at things from what they post on Facebook to the clothes (or lack thereof) they wear. Part of the reason I notice it more is because I am a parent of adults and teens. Part of it is that I am a pastor and see lots of shameful behavior.

In some ways I would guess it is a reflection of an anything-goes culture. However, it happens in the strictest of Christian homes as well.

The whole conscience thing is difficult to understand. I understand that it is sinful to violate the conscience (Romans 14) even when the conscience is not biblically trained. That is why I so often tell parents not to sweat the small stuff. When we have a large number of "house rules" that we cannot possibly enforce, kids can learn that rules are not that big of a deal. Kids tend to get in bigger trouble for violating Dad's kingdom standards than God's. So they learn to violate their conscience in bigger and bigger ways.

The cults, for instance, have long been very good at communicating their system of performance-based righteousness to their children. Consequently you see people two or three generations removed from the devout ones who still hold some of the accepted convictions even though they are no longer identified with the cult. That is why you have non-Mormons avoiding coffee and Coke, non-JW's arguing against the Trinity and non-fundyBaptists voting Republican. Then you have some who have turned to the extremes of sin but are still afraid to listen to a doctrine other than the false one they grew up with.

I am increasingly seeing that the common error in all these cults (notice I included fundyBaptists) is their trashing or at best ignoring the cross. They clearly communicate a system of rules that can never change a sinner into something better. When the only way to get or keep a right relationship with God is to perform, you either play the hypocritical game or you turn away in despair. The only difference among those with unregenerate hearts is that some can convincingly play the game for a lifetime and some cannot.

So when I work with a man who is more afraid of smoking a cigarette than he is afraid of God's judgment on his anger or addiction to pornography I do not start by telling him about Spurgeon's smoking habits. I call him to see the attributes of God, to hate his own depravity, to love the cross, to hate performance-based righteousness and to love the diverse kingdom of people redeemed by blood.

I really like John Calvin’s statement about substitution: “When we behold the disfigurement of the Son of God, when we find ourselves appalled by his marred appearance, we need to reckon afresh that it is upon ourselves we gaze, for he stood in our place.”

"Faith is not unreasonable, but it will take you beyond your ability to reason." -Paul Tripp

2010-02-12T07:53:00.000-06:00

We are getting ready to head north today. There is only so much one can absorb in five days and most of our group testify to having full "knowers."

Last night's plenary session was an excellent message from Paul Tripp about faith. He argued persuasively from Scripture that, while the Christian faith is reasonable, it sometimes takes us beyond our ability to reason. In other words, faith trusts in God's revealed character even when His works take us beyond our ability to understand.

Some in our day have re-defined faith as some mystical energy we work up within ourselves by which we create reality with our powerful words. Others argue that faith is an unreasoned leap into the darkness. No.

The Bible uncovers the character, the commands and the promises of God. This is the basis of faith. But circumstances are often hard to reconcile with what we know about God. Faith is trusting what we know for sure even when circumstances scream that God cannot be trusted. Faith clings tightly to God's character in the face of the worst pressures anyone can face. Because God asked them to do it...

Abraham could build an altar to sacrifice the son whom God said would be his heir.
Daniel and his friends could obey God and stand against majority opinion and the possibility of execution.
The promised Messiah could go to the cross.

As a shepherd/counselor my task is not only to set up encounters with the living God so people will trust Him even when life makes no sense, my task is to embrace those redemptive purposes myself.

Today before a closing session track four is studying Crisis Management for the Believer (Kevin Carson) and Building Godly Friendships (Amy Baker). The first session should provide fodder for my preparation to return to my friends in Haiti.

I anticipate pushing the limits of the traffic enforcement to get home to my bride and little people.

Quit you like men

2010-02-11T14:08:00.000-06:00

This morning we had men-only "breakout" sessions with Steve Viars, Stuart Scott and Lou Priolo (track four ladies had their own with Martha Peace and Elyse Fitzpatrick). Very much on my mind during these sessions were men's ministry at our church and what it could look like.

The repeated message was that, while women are so valuable in God's eyes and often serve as the primary energy in the local church, men have largely abdicated their role to lead in the home and church. Much of our culture has sought to gender neutralize us so that young people grow up confused about roles and God's perfect design. Many young people think they are left to themselves to figure out what their identity will be. And that mindset carries into the church.

What to do? What is a "normal" man?

The answer is that Jesus is the normal man. Not only looking at His character but looking at the commands of God's word for the sons of Adam provides the pattern for sexual identity--particularly for men's ministry.

For example, you can boil down the biblical responsibilities of a husband to "leader, lover, provider, protector." There is really no end to the list of possibilities for training men and boys to be God's kind of men when you start teaching and mentoring in these areas.

What happens in churches and homes where men lead like God designed them to lead? A few women would bristle at the idea of their husband becoming a servant-leader. Most would breathe a great sigh of relief.

Track One Blogging

2010-02-10T12:25:00.000-06:00

My daughter Rachel is attending track one and blogging. We are still trying to learn the mobile phone posting thing, but you can get most of her posts HERE.

"God is never late but He is very seldom early."

2010-02-10T10:21:00.000-06:00

Today our track includes sessions on:

Understanding the Drug Culture (Heather Starkweather)
Pitfalls to Avoid & Practices to Advance in Parenting (Stuart Scott)
Biblical Counseling and the Person of Christ (Steve Viars)
Counsel from the Cross (Elyse Fitzpatrick)
Lost in the Middle (Paul Tripp)

Last night we had a plenary session with a masterful handling of Acts 12 by James MacDonald. He used the narrative to illustrate what other texts of Scripture teach propositionally about the sovereignty of God. This is the story of the martyrdom of James the apostle, Herod Agrippa's arrest of Peter, the prayer meeting at the home of the mother of James (and John), the angelic springing of Peter from prison, the humorous greeting of Rhoda, and the gruesome death of Herod.

He pointed out the tense moments of the text when it appeared that God was not giving His people what they needed. Sharing personal stories of his own cancer, rebellious daughter and recent ministry heartaches, MacDonald shared how the sovereignty of God has become more than a theoretical concept to him in recent years. He called us to cling, even in our grief, to the absolute control and good purposes of God. Pastor MacDonald said, "God is never late but He is very seldom early."

L-I-S-T-E-N

2010-02-09T09:48:00.000-06:00

Lafayette is gearing up for about 8-9 inches of snow. I'm in a warm gymnasium savoring the finish of the coffee I just drank, gearing up for a session on a biblical view of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

This morning was an excellent example of why people who attend this conference are counselees as well as counselors. Pastor Brad Bigney (always a treat) finished a workshop he started yesterday about managing conflict in a way that pleases God. He gave an acrostic (L-I-S-T-E-N) he had found in a book somewhere that is designed for husbands. I will include it here with a confession that I have repeatedly violated God's command to be understanding toward my wife in the area of listening. Here it is:

Look at her.
Inquire by asking, "Tell me more."
Stop interrupting with your solutions.
Tell her what you think you heard and say it back.
Express sympathy; something like, "That must have been hard."
Never look at your watch.

When my buddy shares with me the trouble he's having with his car he's not wanting a hug. He's wanting a solution. When my wife shares how she feels about a hard day homeschooling she's not wanting a solution. She's wanting a hug.

I don't get it. But I think I need to be a learner anyway.

“God, I marvel that You want anything to do with us, we are so stupid and sucky.”

2010-02-08T11:20:00.000-06:00

I picked the title for this post from the session-opening prayer by Jocelyn Wallace, director of Vision of Hope Residential Treatment Center here in Lafayette, because it reflects a refreshing attitude in contrast to our self-esteem culture.

Mrs. Wallace works with young women from age 14-28 who struggle with a wide range of problems. She taught a workshop called "Counseling Those Struggling with Their Sexual Identity." I chose this topic for today's post because those of us who belong to the generation doing the parenting and counseling of young people are largely ignorant that those very young people are immersed in a sexually explicit and sexually confused culture.

The challenge is to both teach a biblical view of sexuality as well as model it. If we do not respond we are pushing the problem off on the next generation of Christian parents and teachers. We tend to fear a number of things:

Falling into the immorality we are fighting in the culture
Becoming exposed because we have become absorbed in our own forms of immorality
Having to provide an example in our own homes of how a marriage ought to run
Having to overcome our laziness and inattentiveness in failing to teach our children how to biblically define family, sexuality and marriage

Jocelyn pointed out that we should resist calling people "gay" or "lesbian" because that is a subtle indication that we accept those terms as the identity of those people. In truth, these are people who have been caught up in sexual sin, but their identity is not wrapped up in their behavior. For example, you do not become "country" or "goth" just by dressing that way. The confusion over gender roles may be reflected in the unisex dress of our world, but the real issue is the attitude of the heart. Many (most) young people have grown up thinking we get to decide what we are and do not know what it means to be masculine or feminine.

Rather than cave in to the culture, the Church needs to communicate that the greatest pleasure in this world is to to find our identity in the way God made us and to delight in the boundaries He has established for our good and His glory.

Finding Hope (or Ruin) in Becoming What We Worship

2010-02-07T18:24:00.000-06:00

Brent Aucoin spent his teaching time during the first session looking at the crowd to whom Isaiah prophesied. Idolatry makes us blind to the identity of the living God, deaf to His words, mute to praise Him. When Isaiah was brought low he saw the Holy One (Isaiah 6).

The lesson here identifies the fundamental problem involved when we have trouble in our homes, with our volatile emotions or in our relational struggles. Our trouble is that we seek delight in getting what we want. This is functional idolatry. We think we will find satisfaction in getting what we want when in truth what we want blinds us to what we need the most.

Isaiah spent a lot of time pointing out that there is only one place to turn in your idolatry (Isaiah 6:1-11; 1:27-31; 2:12, 17-18; 5:13; 43:8, 10; 42:18-20).

Profound, huh?

"We resemble what we revere, either for ruin or restoration." -G.K. Beale

Orientation

2010-02-07T17:52:00.000-06:00

I am in a gym with 800 of the 1600 attendees of this conference. Right now we are in the orientation-where-to-hang-your-coat-blah-blah-blah. I'm looking forward to the first session: "Finding Hope (or Ruin) in Becoming What We Worship."

Blogging from BCTC

2010-02-03T11:31:00.000-06:00

Several people from our church will be attending the Biblical Counseling Training Conference in Lafayette, Indiana February 7-12. You can attend the conference vicariously by following the synopses of daily sessions here.

Responding to Tragedy

2010-01-26T15:40:00.002-06:00

See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.” This expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:25-29, NASB

When you look at today's world news, you realize that, while the people of Haiti are seeing about the worst that life in a sin-cursed world has to offer, they are not alone in their grief. Historically, the Haiti earthquake of 2010 will end up ranking very high on the list of the worst disasters in human history, but that list of disasters is very large. Right now there are people suffering in Haiti, but people are dying in other nations too. Violent crime, disease and tragic natural phenomena have not ceased on the planet since January 12, 2010.

Without wanting to take anything away from the compassion we ought to feel right now for the victims of this catastrophe, I remind you that we have not seen the end of shocking adversity in this world—not yet. We should be pouring out our hearts toward heaven and our pocketbooks toward Haiti, but there are serious lessons for us to learn here while the concrete dust is still settling on Port-au-Prince.

Any quick mental review of the Bible invokes examples of tragedy:

· Job lost nearly everything.

Israel

lost thousands of male babies in the Nile at the command of Pharaoh.

· Daniel and many other bright young Jews were deported and their nation and families pillaged.

Israel

lost many male babies near Bethlehem at the murderous command of Herod.

Now it is in our time and in our back yard. You feel pretty detached when people are suffering and it seems there is nothing you can do about it. What should you do when tragedies like this strike others?

· Pray for them. Beg for God’s mercy to put an end to the general suffering, but ask Him to give His people the grace to represent Him well. Even ask Him to help the dying die like Christians.

· Weep with them (Romans 12:15). Ask God to help you love Him and His purposes more and to love your neighbors more. When you care more you will be moved to pray more.

· Give. Scripture calls the people of God to do more than offer kind wishes of warmth and food (James 2:15-17). We demonstrate that we would lay down our lives for our friends when we are willing to lay down some cash for them. Action and truth are more convincing than word and tongue (1 John 3:18).

· Refrain from pointing fingers. If you want to know who is to blame for this tragedy, do not go digging to see who sacrificed a pig to the devil. Look in the mirror. You sinned when Adam sinned, which means you are as responsible as anyone for the calamities that fall on a sin-cursed planet.

· Say to yourself: "I deserve far worse." When people told Jesus of a brutal killing by Pilate in Luke 13:1-5, Jesus responded with an example of another tragedy in which a tower fell on 18 people. Instead of deflecting blame He reminded them twice: “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” The real question people should be asking is not, “How could a loving God do something like this?” We should be asking, "How could a just God spare me from something far worse than this?"

After looking around the globe, you need in times like these to consider the smaller-scale crises that are going to touch you. They will come. If you have not experienced great loss in your life, the primary reason is that you have not lived long enough. What should you do when tragedy like this strikes your life?

1. Ask “Why?” The psalmists did so in the context of worship (Psalm 10, 22, 42, 43, 44, 74, 80, 88). This is not the same as assigning blame to God. That is blasphemy. Asking why, like Jesus did on the cross, can be a confession of weakness and submission to the Father’s decrees.

2. Mourn. This is not a waste of time. Jesus said this is a blessed activity (Matthew 5:4). Only mourners can know the sweetness of the God of all comfort.

3. Rehearse the attributes of God. You should do this before the next tragedy strikes.

· Rest in the knowledge that He rules.

· Delight in the knowledge that He is good.

Give thanks in the knowledge that He is merciful.

4. Get back to work. God’s mission is all about Him, not about you. Elijah had to learn after a personal crisis that the “still, small voice” was not telling him anything new (1 Kings 19:13-16). It told him to finish the course.

The photo above was taken by James Kiffmeyer and used by permission.

Here is an expanded audio version of this article.

My Father's House

2010-01-18T11:57:00.001-06:00

Do you want to give to a ministry that turns no children away and is working on the ground in Petionville, Haiti right now?

http://wordsower.org/contact_info

Don't Be Afraid of Romans Nine

2009-11-16T17:04:00.001-06:00

The ninth chapter of Romans has been the subject of much debate through the centuries because a person’s view of divine sovereignty, human responsibility and the place of

Israel

in God’s plan may hinge on its interpretation. The exercise of interpreting Romans nine is so disturbing to some that they have opted to ignore teaching it. It is a lot easier to attack the interpretive work of another teacher if you haven’t done the exercise yourself.

This blog regularly deals with biblical counseling issues. Embracing what this chapter teaches will bring you to have a God-centered approach to any struggle you could ever bring into the counseling room

Does God really have the right to do whatever He wants with people, including choosing to save them or leave them in their sins? Later I am going to answer, “Yes,” but let me illustrate.

I grow rhubarb. I have a thriving stand of it in my garden. It belongs to me. I created a space for it with my tiller. I planted it. My family tends it. We pick some of it and use it for our purposes.

We can use it for whatever we want. My wife makes killer rhubarb pie, rhubarb torte, rhubarb crisp and rhubarb crunch. I have even sampled some delicious rhubarb punch. I occasionally eat it like a stalk of celery, as disgusting as that might sound to you. Its large leaves, when picked, work well as a mulch to keep down weeds or as a hat to prevent sunburn.

Rhubarb is valuable to me as long as it accomplishes my purposes. But it tends to shade some of my other garden plants and make them pale. It sometimes encroaches on the territory of other plants. When this happens I have to take action.

What if rhubarb had a personality? Can you picture those red and green stalks meeting under cover of darkness to plot my overthrow and replace me with the garden rake or the largest tomato plant?

What if I use my self-propelled Toro lawnmower to take out a section of the rebels? Would those stalks I left complain that the others never had the chance? Would they accuse me of violating the free will of those stalks that really wanted to be in a pie of only they had been given a chance?

Get this: Even you rhubarb lovers would not take their side against me because the issue is not the free will of the rebels but the free will of the master. It is not what my rhubarb wants but what I want that makes the difference.

This is where my illustration breaks down. Rhubarb does not have personality. It was not created with a mind, emotions and a will. It has not used its will to replace me. That is why the story of God’s redemption is so much more vivid.

The story of the Bible is not about great people who achieved great things for God. The story is of a great God, period. We are allowed in His story because He decided to let us in. We belong to Him. He created a space for us. He put us here. He takes care of us and makes us thrive here. He uses us for His purposes.

Are you ready for this? He has the right to do whatever He wants with us because He is God. Bad thing for us, we have darkened minds, self-focused emotions and depraved wills. Our fallen wills have chosen to replace the living God with anything from statues made of stone to sports to sensuality. Good thing for us, this God does what He wants in complete harmony with His character. And that changeless character is merciful as well as holy.

The content of the chapter is summarized in verse 18, “So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.” Does this mean that God actively chooses the people who get to be saved while passing others by, or is there another way of looking at it? Two primary views emerge: Either (1) God saves individuals on the basis of His character and sovereign plan or (2) God saves nations on the basis of His character and sovereign plan. The second view leaves open the possibility for God to rescue or condemn nations independent of His dealings with individual people.

It is true that God judges nations while saving His people inside those nations, but that is not the message of Romans 9. While there are national aspects to the election of God (Deuteronomy 7:7-8), this text will demonstrate that viewing God as the Savior of individuals is the interpretation that best fits the purpose of Paul’s letter. The story of God’s redemptive plan for the nation of

Israel

is an illustration that directs us to His redemptive plan for individuals, not the other way around. Romans nine contends that God is the sovereign ruler over nations and individuals within those nations for His own good purpose and His own glory.

We humans, like so much rebellious rhubarb, are not running to submit to God’s rule. People who are troubled with talk of election and predestination have an incorrect view of the nature of man and the nature of God. Men are not crawling over one another to get into the kingdom of heaven and God is not standing outside with a stick, beating those poor willing souls away from the gates.

God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden because He is God and because we are rebels. As the book of Romans has clearly illustrated, the shocking reality is not that God would dare allow rebels to suffer eternal punishment but that He would dare save any of us.

Does this make sense to you? Does it make sense that this is God’s world and that He can do whatever He wants? Beware if it does. When you take this point of view you need to be ready to answer some questions. If God is indeed sovereign, every event in His world is subject to the scrutiny of the people in His world.

How, for instance, do you answer the skeptic who asks you how you can believe in a God who would raise up wicked men like Herod the Great, Adolph Hitler and Osama bin Laden to kill so many innocent people? What kind of God would allow earthquakes and tsunamis and hurricanes to kill children? “If that is God, I choose not to believe in Him,” your unbelieving friends might say.

You could take the current theological way of escape from hard questions and say that God has limited His knowledge of some future events. Redefining God’s attributes by giving Him this “openness” might make you think you are protecting His reputation from blame for events you cannot explain. But you can never satisfy a sinner whose heart is hard by cutting God down to the sinner’s level of understanding.

There are some questions we can never answer. Can you be satisfied with that and still run to your Savior even when He has left you hurting and weak?

The Gospel of Luke (13:1) records an instance where some men questioned Jesus about a horrible crime Pilate reportedly committed against some Galileans in the Temple. Jesus replied reminding them of yet another tragedy in which a tower fell and killed eighteen people. We cannot know why they asked Him about this but we can know what our response to such events needs to be. Jesus said that such events call us to repentance. Catastrophes are a reminder that our lives are short and unpredictable and that we are accountable to God. While men are shaking their fists at the Creator they should be kneeling in shame, pleading for forgiveness.

So this begs the question: Do you want a God without a plan and without control over His creation? If He is not in charge, the alternative rulers deserve more fist-shaking than God is currently getting. Do you want a God Who chooses not to control nature or Who is surprised by the wicked plans of wicked men? When your unbelieving friends look at a sin-cursed world and seek to accuse God of wrongdoing, turn the tables like Jesus did. The burden is on them. Unless they repent they will perish in similar fashion.

This is Paul’s argument in Romans nine. Man says, “That’s not fair.” God says, “Don’t ask for what’s fair.” Man says, “What about my free will?” God says, “What about my free will?”

Consider some thoughts that may help you as you approach what has been called “the most neglected chapter in the Bible”:

There are some things you can know for sure when you approach this difficult chapter:

1. It does not contradict what the Bible says elsewhere. The Bible has proven itself immune to the charges of its critics. This does not mean that there are no difficult passages, only that those passages are part of a unified body of revelation from God.

2. It presents God as He is, whether you like it or not. Romans nine does not seek to accommodate those who seek to create a lesser god.

3. God is never confused or in error. Whenever there are charges of wrongdoing, God is never the defendant.

4. It is possible to correctly understand the hard texts. Your confusion over circumstances or biblical texts does not change God’s character or His word. The emotions stirred by a difficult text should never determine your interpretation of that text. Your theology or system of belief must bend to the plain reading of any Scripture text, not vice versa.

5. The safest action for hurting or confused people is to run into the presence of God, never away from Him.

This One Isn't Mine

2009-10-29T16:24:00.000-05:00

I recently came across a church covenant from a vibrant inner-city ministry that is worthy of a close look:

I, _______________ commit to:

Living a life of faith in Jesus Christ, and obedience to the Great Commission. This means that I will live a lifestyle of discipleship and outreach.
Pursuing (engaging in) biblical literacy and practice. This means I will study, learn, and apply the Bible to my life.
Setting myself apart by giving a "holy apathy" to any cultural trends which are not conducive to reflecting God's righteousness, holiness, magnificence and value to this world.
Learning history in order to understand and overcome the world and societal issues which marginalize my existence, sear my conscience and destroy my character.
Giving regular and creative thought as to ways in which to establish and perpetrate a justice-oriented, biblical, collective conscience, among the men, women and children of my generation.
Responding biblically to any trials or adversity which encroach upon my life.

These statements are carefully supported with Scripture. As God gives the gift of regeneration to His elect on the east side of St. Paul, this lifestyle cannot help but bring hope to the inner city.

Laziness is Lovelessness

2009-09-28T12:18:00.002-05:00

I have observed, as one who has had to periodically review resumes and job applications, that people like to list this as one of their weaknesses: “I tend to be a workaholic.” I have yet to see someone list as a weakness: “I tend to be lazy.” Confessing that you sometimes work too much appears to be less objectionable to a prospective employer than the appearance that you sometimes work too little.

Why is that?

You may have seen the picture this summer of Democratic Connecticut legislators playing solitaire and surfing the Web while a Republican colleague argued against their budget proposal. Or you may have heard about some investigators in a suspected drug dealer’s house in central Florida who were secretly recorded playing Wii bowling on the suspect’s big screen TV during the raid.

I think stuff like this makes the news because coming down hard on people who are doing something other than their work takes attention away from the times when you and I do the same thing. Be careful if you think you cannot be likewise accused. When we think of sloth we tend to picture some overweight, poorly-kept fellow lying on a couch eating chips while his wife works and then comes home to wait on him and their children. Instead we should confess that sloth is doing what you want to do instead of what you should be doing. It is doing something good at the expense of something better. It is looking for excuses to get out of responsibility.

Consider a relevant story from Scripture:

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42

We need people who work like Martha, but we should never have the attitude of Martha. She thought Mary was being lazy. But Jesus told Martha that she was the one who had chosen the wrong activity. Proverbs paints for us humorous pictures of a man turning on his bed like a door on its hinges, of someone too lazy to lift food to his mouth and of someone who makes up excuses to escape work like, “There is a lion in the streets.”

But the real issue of the heart is not only inactivity but also busyness that lets us escape more important business. If my treasure and identity is found in achieving in my workplace I will work very hard there—even doing more than I have to do because it pleases me. But some of the very best workers in the public eye look at home and in church like the fellow whose handful of food is to heavy to hoist to his mouth.

The Christian work ethic does make people refuse to join the crowd doing things for personal benefit while they are “on the clock,” but it also challenges them to go home and be a servant at the end of the day. It moves men to listen to their wives and spend time with their children. It motivates church members to invest their time and talent in others. It calls believers to get up a little earlier or eat one less bowl of cereal so they have time to sit at Jesus’ feet.

A Response to the News

2009-08-24T14:14:00.001-05:00

The news.

The response.

Reaching People Who Have Made the Trade

2009-08-19T16:05:00.002-05:00

Evangelism has never changed since sinners first needed forgiveness. Even before the cross the message was always about a saving God bringing that which does exist into existence and bringing the dead to life. Abraham believed that and it was credited to him as righteousness.

Certainly we have more of the story unfolded in our day, so we call sinners to run for mercy to a risen Savior who bore our sins in His body on the cross. But is there any difference in the way you reach Sunday School kids and the way you reach people who have never darkened the door of a church? The gospel does not change, but the very concepts of God, Jesus, sin and forgiveness are either foreign or redefined to the average unchurched person. You cannot believe a message you cannot understand.

I have seen this firsthand because I have been working with men in our community who have been in trouble with their families, in trouble their girlfriends or wives, in trouble at work, in trouble with the law…drugs, etc. There are many church members who have a hard time finding Habakkuk in their Bibles. That’s a shame, but I'm talking about high school graduates who don't know what the Garden of Eden is.

Where do you start? “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life”? But who is God?

I usually start in Genesis instead of John or Romans. I want these men who are in trouble with people to understand what kind of God made man and what God’s kind of man looks like. Once they see that, we have defined our terms and I can explain why they are also in trouble with God. The message of redemption only makes sense once you understand you are in trouble.

Working with troubled men over the last year has brought me to make some general observations:

Most of these men grew up without an active father.
Most of these men have not been able to hold a steady job.
Most of these men are very angry.

Based what I know about the Bible's estimation of men, I think my last two observations are related to the first. But simply protecting the girl from his wrath or getting the guy to work are not the primary objectives. Regeneration, not behavior change, is the solution to these big problems.

So one of the first homework assignments I give to an unbelieving man is to read Genesis 1 and 2. I often ask them to lead in that reading with his wife or girlfriend. That starts some interesting discussions. After reading those chapters I ask him to answer some questions:

List all the conclusions you can make about this God when you read these chapters (for example, “He must be very ______________ because He _______________.”).
What were the things God gave Adam to enjoy? List them.
According to Genesis 1:26, what was Adam's job?
What were some other jobs God gave Adam to do (see Genesis 1:28; 2:15; 2:19-20)?

If you do his homework assignment yourself you may or may not be surprised to see that work came before sin. God commanded Adam to rule over the earth. He told Adam and his wife to have babies. He told Adam to cultivate and keep the garden. Men are wired to love one woman and work hard for the glory of God. Go figure.

Something else worthy of note here is that before they took the forbidden fruit their exclusive delight was found in God and God's gifts. In other words, they had unlimited pleasure inside the boundary. I often illustrate that as a fence labeled “boundaries of legitimate pleasure.”

Then we work together to see all that Adam and Eve had inside those boundaries. Inside they had fellowship with God and all that he is. They had companionship, work, food, the beauty of the garden and even marital sexual pleasure.

Then we talk about the consequences Adam and Eve experienced outside “the fence.” Outside they found guilt, pain and death. When you see what they traded for a piece of fruit I usually say, “That must have been some piece of fruit.”

Talk of that exchange readily takes us to their own lives and the consequences they are reaping. It is easy to see how God defines idolatry and it is easy to see the “exchange” of Romans 1 in living color when you work with men who live there. It is also humbling to wake up to the fact that I have made the same trade.

Overcoming Fear

2009-07-30T11:47:00.006-05:00

“It was a beautiful day on the beach, but you couldn’t be there because of embarrassing toe fungus.”

What do the advertisers of that product know about us that would motivate them to put a commercial together that way? We are afraid. We fear the opinions of others. We fear weakness. We fear vulnerability. We fear pain. We fear death.

I took a thoughtful look at today’s news headlines and advertisements and assessed how many of them play on our fear of economic loss, fear of sickness and death or fear of man. Just a scan of the big news outlets this morning produced these potential fears:

“This is the food that heart attacks are made of.”
“Doctor on Swine Flu: Be Alert, Get Vaccinated”
Fashion errors can get women passed over for job promotions.
“Durable goods orders tumbled in June”
We have had no hurricanes yet this season, but the worst-ever hurricane season started this way.

David may have been sitting on his porch watching a storm blow in from the Mediterranean when he penned Psalm 29:

¹Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
²Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name;
Worship the LORD in holy array.
³The voice of the LORD is upon the waters;
The God of glory thunders,
The LORD is over many waters.
⁴The voice of the LORD is powerful,
The voice of the LORD is majestic.
⁵The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
And Sirion like a young wild ox.
⁷The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire.
⁸The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
The LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
⁹The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everything says, "Glory!"
¹⁰The LORD sat as King at the flood;
Yes, the LORD sits as King forever.
¹¹The LORD will give strength to His people;
The LORD will bless His people with peace.

This is personal because I am working with a child in my own home who has developed an inordinate fear of lightning (and, hence, the outdoors). My wife wisely told me not to jump all over the issue with a little person. I realize that I may be demonstrating more fear (What will people think if the pastor’s kid has panic attacks?) of what might happen if my child persists in fear than my child is showing toward lightning. Specks and planks.

I will be gentle with the child, but fear is a serious sin. It becomes life-dominating. When I live in fear I rob God of His glory. Here are some examples:

When I am afraid of bad weather I miss the chance to delight in the power God displays in nature.
When I am afraid of what others think of me I ignore what God’s opinion is and what changes He wants to make in me.
When I am afraid of sickness I not only risk making myself sicker from worry, I also ignore the fact that God might want to show His power in my weakness.
When fear of losing my investments or other economic security consumes me, I reveal a heart that finds its security in a substitute savior.

Look at the text of Psalm 29. After the description of a loud storm that tears down trees, starts fires, throws pregnant forest mothers into labor and brings floods, the heavenly (I take it as heaven’s temple) audience shouts “Glory!” What a contrast. The crowd in the presence of the King gets to see every event on earth from God’s perspective (see Revelation 19:1-4). Talk about a big-screen, multi-media adventure! How can you have two individuals looking at the same event with one paralyzed in fear and the other energized in worship? Perspective.

Our problem is that we look at the things we fear as threats to our peace when we should be looking at them as displays of the glory of God. That is why the Christmas shepherds who feared an angelic appearance and twelve panicked disciples in a storm-tossed boat could go from terror to worship. They saw the King.

When you get to the end of the psalm you see where you need to be if you are prone to fear. You need to see that “the LORD sits as King forever.” His subjects go to Him for strength and peace.

Practically speaking, there is some homework you should do if you are prone to fear’s paralysis:

Make a list of the good (God-pleasing) activities you are avoiding because you are afraid. Be thorough. The size of the list may surprise you.
See your fear for what it is and confess it as an attempt at preserving self instead of glorifying God. It is a serving-two-masters matter. Repentance is in order.
Memorize Psalm 29:9-11 (or others: Psalm 23:5; 27:1; 34:9-10, 19; Proverbs 21:1; Matthew 10:28; 2 Corinthians 1:8-10; Hebrews 13:6; 2 Peter 2:9) and call the text to mind when you feel fear taking control.
Do what someone who trusts God would do in the fearful circumstance. This is not being fake. It is practicing trust. It is the fruit of repentance. For example:

When you least feel like being around other people (work, church, small group fellowship), step into that situation and find a way to serve them. Stop living a life that is controlled by feelings. You will find the “glory” in the storm.
When you are troubled by that person whose presence is intimidating or whose strong personality changes the way you talk or act or dress, remind yourself whom you should be seeking to glorify.
When the doctor says you have a deadly disease or the meteorologist says there is a devastating storm headed your way, remember the inhabitants of heaven are shouting, “Glory!” and echo heaven’s song.

For Whom Did Christ Die?

2009-06-24T16:37:00.002-05:00

A common question asked at ordination councils (at least in some church associations) is this: “For whom did Christ die?” I got that one from a pastor who sat on the council during my doctrinal examination. This is not a bad question. In fact it ranks right up there with the question Why did Christ die? It has, though, often been asked to identify whether the candidate believes Jesus died for everyone equally. Some would say that the answer to that question determines whether or not an individual is evangelistic.

Sorry for emoting, but that’s crazy. Was Jonathan Edwards evangelistic? How about Matthew Henry? Were George Whitefield, William Carey and Charles Haddon Spurgeon passionate about reaching people with the gospel? These guys all believed that Jesus died particularly for the elect. Put it into our day. Can we doubt the evangelistic zeal in our day of R.C. Sproul, C.J. Mahaney, John Piper, John MacArthur and Mark Driscoll, teachers who still believe the theology of the apostles and the Puritans?

There are number of ways to answer that question:

· Christ died for sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Isn’t everyone a sinner? Surely, but Jesus pointed out that some people are not convinced. He said He did not come to call the righteous but sinners. The righteous need not apply.

· Christ died for us all (Isaiah 53:6; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Timothy 4:10). All people equally? Look at the way Isaiah uses his pronouns. He starts the chapter asking a question similar to the one we are discussing: “Who has believed our message?” (53:1). The sin-bearer of Isaiah 53 died for all who would eventually believe. Paul told Timothy that Jesus is the “Savior of all men, especially of believers.”

· Christ died for many (Isaiah 53:11-12; Mark 10:45). That is a large, unspecified number. Many people were bought with the blood of Christ so we can expect to find them all over the place.

· Christ died for people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation (Revelation 5:9). He purchased people from all around the world with His blood. The evangelist can preach with confidence that the powerful gospel will call many from the grave of their sins.

· Christ died for the weak brother (Romans 14:15; 1 Corinthians 8:11). Because he is a brother, Paul says you can know he is one for whom Christ died.

· Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6). Like “sinners,” the “ungodly” encompasses the population of planet, but a limited number will ever count themselves in that number.

· Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). But who is “us”? Look at the particular message of Romans. It was written “to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints” (1:7).

· Christ died for His sheep (John 10). Jesus laid down His life for His sheep (verse 11), but made it clear that not everyone is numbered with His sheep (verse 26).

· Christ died for the Church (Ephesians 5:22-33). The very design of marriage makes a groom say “yes” to His bride and “no” to every other. Jesus died to make His bride—not the neighbor lady—holy.

· Christ died for the Father (Romans 3:25). What? Absolutely. This is the meaning of the word propitiation. The death of Christ was not all about the worth of people. It was about satisfying the Father’s righteous demands.

If you are reading this article as someone unsettled about the condition of your soul before God, follow this closely: The death of Jesus Christ does not tell you how valuable you are. It stands as a solemn witness to the condition of the messed-up race to which you belong. It testifies to the immense demands of God the Father and the measureless sacrifice of God the Son, who bore His Father’s wrath in his body. Because He conquered death by rising again, you will stand before Him one day and give an account of yourself. Yours is not to see your value but to flee the coming wrath. Where else will you go? When you see yourself as God sees you, turn from your sins and believe this good news, you can join the ranks of the rescued and say, “I cannot identify which people Jesus died to rescue, but I know He died for me.”

...Out of Every Tribe

2009-05-14T05:40:00.005-05:00

It's 5:41 a.m. I've been up since four. As we say in the Industry, I'm paid up, prayed up, packed and ready to go. The plane to Miami (...Chicago...MSP) is scheduled to leave at about noon CST.

We passed out certificates of completion to the men last night before supper. I was impressed. I brought my commentary on James to Haiti in a three-ring binder with the intent of finding someone here who could use it. I decided to give it to someone who aced the final exam for James and come up with a tie-breaker using other criteria. No one aced the exam, but I found a way to isolate a man for the prize. A part of the grade was to read the epistle of James four times in four days. Most of the students made it, but Lestin Savin read it nine times. He went home with a new book.

If you have any prejudices about Caribbean people (particularly men) being lazy, don't tack it on Haiti. The fifty percent unemployment is unrelated to the work ethic here. Many of the paintings and carvings you see show people at work. Our students were no exception. Academic work of this kind was new to most of them, but they were up to the challenge. I heard group studying noises (not rowdy dorm noices) well into each night and before the sun every morning.

I am anxious to get home, but I have had my eyes opened both to how good I have it and how worthless are the things I think will bring me comfort and happiness. God does not need American wealth to build His kingdom. Jesus died to redeem His people out of every tribe, tongue and nation. I found some of those people here and they are trophies of God's grace.

"Just Do It"

2009-05-13T09:35:00.006-05:00

Adventure report: We had a nice downpour last night that thankfully settled the abundance of dust being kicked up at the intersection of Delmas 10 and Mackendal. Since the day had been so hot I went swimming with some of the “boys” during the deluge. We laughed, made big waves and raced the length of the very small pool. I even got to teach a swimming lesson. Funny how those casual relational times make the instructional times more relational.

I went through all of James chapter four with the guys yesterday. They have conferred on me the honorary title “Pastor Jacques” (which they pronounce with a laughing, growling, nasal tone: “Zhak”). We really do have fun learning together.

One of our discussions was about the will of God. So many of us were taught that it is our task to find God’s will, but then we bump up against the biblical use of that term. It is really only used two ways in Scripture: God’s decreed will and God’s moral will. James refers to both. The Eternal One has rarely let His people in on His decreed will. About the decreed will of God we do not pray, but submit:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. James 4:13-16

God’s moral will is not hidden. It is plainly laid out for us. About that we do not pray. No sense asking if it is God’s will for you to steal or murder someone. You know what He wants, so you act:

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. James 4:17

So the point is that we waste a lot of energy worrying about God’s will when we ought to be doing God’s will. Pray for Him to make you like His Son, but don't expect mystical signs to help you make decisions. Don’t look for God’s will. Just do it.

Li Se Senyè

2009-05-12T12:10:00.004-05:00

This morning Jim asked us to study Psalm 15 for our morning Bible time. The assignment was to find eleven character qualities that please God. Can you find them? The brief text says:

A Psalm of David.

¹O LORD, who may abide in Your tent?

Who may dwell on Your holy hill?

²He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness,

And speaks truth in his heart.

³ He does not slander with his tongue,

Nor does evil to his neighbor,

Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

⁴In whose eyes a reprobate is despised,

But who honors those who fear the LORD;

He swears to his own hurt and does not change;

⁵ He does not put out his money at interest,

Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things will never be shaken.

It is common for readers to misunderstand this as a list of qualities one must have in order to get to heaven (insert obnoxious buzzer sound here). There is a more likely (not to mention biblical) understanding of this psalm. Before the face of God David was recruiting the kind of people he wanted to serve in Jerusalem. That’s the “holy hill” where God’s tent was. A godly leader surrounds himself with godly advisors. He knows that his “business” will be carried on in full view of the Lord.

This is significant on at least two levels. First, leaders are only as good as their advisors. The heaven-directed foresight which allowed David to rule successfully for so long was lacking in some other kings. When Saul started his reign, “the valiant men whose hearts God had touched went with him” (1 Samuel 10:26). But after his heart began craving other places of refuge we are told, “when Saul saw any mighty man or any valiant man, he attached him to his staff” (1 Samuel 14:52). Saul thought he could do better than God’s kind of counsel. That is why Saul ended his life with a medium as an advisor.

King Reheboam the son of Solomon lost more than half the kingdom when he listened to his childhood friends instead of the wisdom of his father’s advisors (2 Chronicles 10:8). Ahab lost his life because—within the sovereign plan of God—he surrounded himself with “yes men” (2 Chronicles 18:9-13).

But this is not just about leaders creating a team of other leaders. The second significant application of this text is that the rest of us are only as good as the people to whom we listen. David not only listed the qualities of good servants of the king, he listed the qualities of good role models for us. You become like those to whom you listen the most. That applies to close friendships, instructors, business dealings and churches. Be careful whom you admire.

Adventure report: One of the men who regularly seeks me out after class to ask questions decided to try teaching me a song in Creole. After my 8 p.m. class, while I was lowering my body temperature, in the pool, Johnny worked with me in rote memorization. This morning I surprised the men at the start of my first class by asking them to sing “Li Se Senyè” (“He Is Lord”) and then joining them (Johnny wrote down the words for me).

...That I Know Could Never Be

2009-05-11T09:07:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I preached during our worship time (watch the singing video if you haven’t). The text I used was James 1:17-18. I thought it might help us get a head start on a text I planned to cover later in the day (I am teaching the book of Jacques now). This text teaches us, like John 1, that those of us who are "born again" were brought to birth because of the powerful word of God and His free will, not our free will (like every other text about regeneration). Then we went on with our day and in the evening I arrived again at verses 17-18.

After only four and a half days of theological instruction, I asked these Baptist guys a question last night when we arrived at those verses: “Which comes first, faith or the new birth?” I expected the answer I normally get in the US when I ask that question.

I was prepared during that class session to undo some of the error I used to embrace about the source of faith. James is introducing the God Who is the giver of all good gifts. I used to think that being born again was kind of a trade-off. We give God our faith and He gives us the new birth. Then things are all square. But I was confronted a few years ago with all the texts of Scripture that show man as spiritually dead and God as the sole agent in salvation. I pitied these Haitians who have had so little training and assumed that Arminianism (ask me what that is) is to be expected before we grow to understand grace. How wrong I was.

I was armed with Scripture to defend the power of the gospel that brings us to faith and repentance. But almost in unison they answered my question: “Naissance!” I looked at the translator and realized that these men were saying, “Birth!” Upon a study of Scripture these fellows had concluded that dead men have no faith to muster. Go figure. I had extra time to spend on the rest of James 1.

Does it really matter? Isn’t this just something for pastors and theologians to debate? It does matter and here is why: The God of the Bible is all about His own glory. Any rescue in which sinners can participate not only robs God of His glory, it hints at a deity other than the Father of lights and the Author of salvation. God-centered theology produces God-centered, cross-focused living. People who are humble enough to take no credit for their salvation can be humble enough to live a lifestyle of repentance. There is hope for Haiti.

Adventure report: I am learning to brush my teeth with bottled water. Having seen where the water comes from (a cistern on the roof) I now know why I was warned about opening my mouth in the shower and drinking the tap water. By the way, there is no hot water here, but I must say I haven’t minded.

Lord, 'tis not that I did choose Thee;

That, I know, could never be;

For this heart would still refuse Thee

Had Thy grace not chosen me.

Thou hast from the sin that stained me

Washed and cleansed and set me free

And unto this end ordained me,

That I ever live to Thee.

'Nuff Said

2009-05-10T15:51:00.006-05:00

There Is Only One Race in the World

2009-05-09T17:30:00.003-05:00

I finished my fourteen hours of instruction in Introduction to Biblical Counseling. The fifteenth hour will be used for the final exam tonight. Because the material is more about grasping concepts rather than memorizing facts I will allow them to use their notes and Bibles during the exam. We’ll see about the results. I am an incredibly easy teacher (imho).

I budgeted my class time to allow for a lot of Q & A today. Most of the questions surrounded marriage counseling. Cultures are very different in the Caribbean but the sons of Adam still have the same hearts. We spent a lot of time talking about “exception clauses” for divorce in Scripture (not just Matthew 19), but the bigger picture was my burden. I tried to explain that we should focus our pastoral counseling and teaching more on what God intended marriages to be before we look for legitimate reasons to end them.

Simply put, God intended the man to pursue, protect and provide (do the loving thing) for his bride and He intended for the bride to respond. That’s Christ and the Church. That’s an evangelistic message that goes back to Genesis. Adam certainly didn’t go looking for God after he sinned. In a world that often fails to care for those who are vulnerable, divorce in Scripture became an option to protect a woman when her husband chased other women (stopped pursuing), abused her (stopped protecting) or abandoned her (stopped providing).

Adventure report: My rooster friend decided that the sun should come up at 3:11 a.m. today. The sun didn’t obey, but he did not quit crowing until after 5:00 a.m. We had a large traditional Haitian lunch today (rice with chicken legs, sweet onions, peppers and peas in a sauce). I imagined that my two chicken legs were from a familiar rooster. But I heard him again at 3:11 p.m. Maybe tomorrow.

Taking It to the Streets

2009-05-08T14:34:00.001-05:00

Today in my first hour (I try to keep it to 60 minutes so they get breaks between classes) I taught the importance of a church being a counseling ministry instead of starting one. I explained the biblical examples and commands about how a church must operate as a team. Biblical counseling is just intensive discipleship. I shared how, when I realized several years ago that the Bible is sufficient to address the deepest problems people face, my counseling load increased dramatically. But when others began doing the same thing the number of people being helped increased but my load decreased. The idea is the one you find in Scripture:

Et ce que tu as entendu de moi en présence de beaucoup de témoins, confie-le à des hommes fidèles, qui soient capables de l'enseigner aussi à d'autres.

Sorry. Couldn’t resist.

The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these tofaithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:2

A note about these students: Part of the criteria for admission to the Institute was that they already needed to have a group of men lined up to re-teach the material they learn here. Some of them are already serving a church, but most are training to be pastors and church planters. This insures that we have much more than 16 students. Dr. Bearss is very faithful to the principles of 2 Timothy 2:2 (the mission of On Target Ministry) when he sets up ministries like this.

Today in my first hour (I try to keep it to 60 minutes so they get breaks between classes) I taught the importance of a church being a counseling ministry instead of starting one. I explained the biblical examples and commands about a church operating as a team. Biblical counseling is just intensive discipleship. I shared how, when I realized several years ago that the Bible is sufficient to address the deepest problems people face, my counseling load increased dramatically. But when others began doing the same thing the

Adventure report: Teaching is a challenge here. We are in a walled compound at a busy intersection (I am told nearly every home has a wall around it). The walls do not block the sound of the streets (ringing bells of shoe-shiners, car horns warning traffic at intersections, people selling things, diesel engines, squeaking truck brakes, rattling car parts on the rough streets). Just now I heard a helicopter (probably UN). During one of my classes I heard a lot of people yelling and screaming just on the other side of the wall. I pictured one of many pedestrians being hit by a car or a fight in the street. It turned out to be a soccer game (gotta learn français). One of the most pleasant sounds has been children singing. There must be a school close by.

Facebook photo album

2009-05-08T07:47:00.001-05:00

Here is a link for you non-Facebook users:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=108818&id=803468083&l=9a9631084b

Life Inside the Walls

2009-05-07T20:02:00.002-05:00

Adventure report: I learned a secret to sleeping in hot climates from a pastor friend who recently went to Mali. Before bed you take a shower or soak in the pool wearing light clothes (I used a t-shirt and swimming suit). Then you go to bed wet. You wake up dry and your body temperature stays low all night. Since we had electricity most of the night I also had a fan blowing on me. I plan to repeat my experiment tonight.

Some of you can see from the pictures I have posted on Facebook that this walled compound is a very nice oasis in this city. The food is great. The students are very motivated and hungry to learn. The owner, manager, employees and other guests are very gracious. The facility is very old, but very clean. It’s very much like living in a walled garden with palm trees, and a wide variety of tropical plants. Then I go out to one of the roofs or porches that overlook the neighborhood. The streets are full of garbage. Stray dogs roam freely. You see UN trucks full of armed soldiers passing by at regular intervals.

But the outside looks so interesting. I find myself wanting to get outside these walls, but my guardians say no. I am not sure why I am so attracted to the streets. I actually have my running shoes along and have wondered if I would get lost or hit by a car if I went running. I guess it’s just curiosity. From very early in the morning until late at night the streets are crawling with interesting people and a wide assortment of vehicles. Vendors have tables set up directly outside our walls, but Jim and my Haitian friends won’t let me go. Don’t worry, Mom and Sarah. I’m not going to make a run for it.

This takes my mind to what I was teaching the men. It’s just like the sons of Adam to have everything they need inside God’s boundaries and then to think there is something better on the outside. It goes all the way back to the lie of the serpent in Eden (another garden of delight). Any time we try to run outside the boundaries we have made a foolish trade. The lie is that we can find satisfaction outside God’s boundaries. Instead we become slaves of our desire for more satisfaction (I think the Rolling Stones admitted that in a song). Inside you find joy, peace and contentment. Outside you find guilt, consequences and an unquenchable desire for more satisfaction.

You may read my blog as someone still a little skeptical about Christianity. I admit I believe the creation “myth” and the story of Adam and Eve to be an accurate record of history. Jesus believed this and that’s good enough for me. So I ask you who have spent so much time “outside the walls”: Did you find your satisfaction yet? I know the way back inside. Read more of this blog or ask me if you know you’re in trouble outside the walls.

Teaching Men to Fight with Swords

2009-05-06T17:05:00.001-05:00

The Haiti Bible Institute has officially launched. Sixteen students are eating, sleeping and studying here at Wall’s Guest House for eight days. During this time they will get four classes (Elements of Bible study, Introduction to Biblical Counseling, Bibliology and James). Fifteen men have been scholarshipped for four years (commitments of $3200 per pastor) and number sixteen showed up because of a communication problem. Jim didn’t have the heart to turn him away. Any takers on another scholarship? Jim is hoping for a total of twenty men by the time he comes back for the September modules.

During the first four days Jim is teaching Elements of Bible Study and I am teaching Introduction to Biblical Counseling. My material is aimed at helping these men see that God’s word is our sufficient source of Truth to address the deepest non-physical problems people face. When someone has an organic problem the counselor’s task is not to make it go away but to help the sufferer manage the pain “Christianly.” The blessing about the other three classes the men are getting in this term is that they are getting instruction on how to carefully handle that powerful weapon.

It is exciting to see students animated and considering how they can use our material in their own ministries. I was already getting questions about demon possession, adultery, forgiveness, divorce and addictions after my first hour.

Adventure report: It rained all night last night. I am told the weather here is very predictable (hot and sunny during the day and rain at night with an occasional hurricane).

Local roosters began crowing at 3:55 a.m. today. I’m thinking that kind of early morning behavior is part of the reason chicken is frequently on the menu here.

Anecdote: While I was teaching this afternoon some very loud electronic American Santa Claus music was playing outside the walls of the guest house. We were all distracted and I asked my translator what that was. He said, “water truck.” Evidently the local trucks carrying that valuable commodity are equipped with an American horn so the people come running and buy their jugs of water. I told him we do that with ice cream. He laughed.

Poor Men Can Make Many Rich

2009-05-05T17:01:00.004-05:00

Here is a devotional thought for today even though I am not teaching yet. The streets of Port au Prince are crawling with beggars and filth…but a surprising number of cheerful souls. I read today in Valley of Vision (collection of Puritan prayers, one of my faves):

If thy mercy make me poor and vile, blessed be thou!

Here I am entering a land of poverty as a man—comparatively—of great wealth. Our hearts should go out to these people who live in such poverty, but the poverty of our nation is so much more dangerous.

‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Revelation 3:17-18

The poor are “blessed” according to the Master because they possess none our western God substitutes to insulate them from seeing a world needing redemption. Here I am entering a land of poverty as a man—comparatively—of great wealth. If God wills I will start tomorrow morning teaching shepherds with very little theological instruction. But already I am realizing that I will be most useful for kingdom purposes if I am a student here.

Adventure report: So call me conscientious. Sarah got up with me at 2:30 a.m. at our motel to see me off (and make me two sandwiches). I arrived via shuttle at Twin Cities International at 3:15 a.m. because the American Airlines website said to arrive three hours before my international flight. The only people there were construction workers and those paid to watch for terrorists. No AA employees visible until 4:15 a.m. I used the time to read my Mere Christianity chapter for the week and work on the weekly study companion for Facebook (the last chapter of the book, Phrisbee Phellowship kids!).

Extra space on another plane allowed me to get an alternative flight from MSP bound for Miami and skip Chicago (no complaints here). During the longer layover in Miami I had time to eat and wish my friend Dane happy birthday on the phone. During that call I looked up to see a friend in ministry who happened to be headed for Port au Prince on the same flight as me. Since Pierre Cadet grew up in Haiti and serves there now he turned out to be a very helpful teacher regarding what I should expect during my stay. He babysat me through the airport (“Say no to people who ask to help with your luggage”).

I arrived in Port-au-Prince around 3:00 p.m. (CDT here as well) and was met by Dr. Jim Bearss and two pastors in a pickup (God’s men are better than the armed bodyguard I expected). The weather is hot like my wife (just seeing if you’re reading the blog, Sarah). Seriously, teaching may be tough with no AC, but I grew up in southwest Iowa. I’ll gladly take 95 degrees over 32 degrees. I do have a fan in my room.

Haiti Bible Institute Blogging

2009-04-27T08:15:00.003-05:00

I will be teaching Introduction to Biblical Counseling and James in modular format at the Haiti Bible Institute in Port-au-Prince starting May 6. I hope to keep a log of happenings during that time, which will divert this blog from its regular content.

I'll try to share some lesson snacks from each day.

Dump the Whole Load

2009-04-20T17:02:00.004-05:00

Sometimes people come to me for counsel and ask a “trial balloon” question. I do not always know that it is a trial balloon question until later because I’m really gullible. Here is how it works: The person who is battling a specific sin asks me what he or she should do about an acquaintance who is struggling in that area. Or they might ask for personal help, but in a “safe” matter so as not to arouse my suspicion. It’s all about trust. Because the issue is very personal, the way I handle the trial question determines whether or not I get the real one.

One fellow many years ago who was battling same-sex attraction told me about an acquaintance who had some sinful habits along those lines. He wanted to see if I would give what he considered the standard fundamentalist response before he confessed that he was in the same kind of bondage. Thankfully I did not.

This may be the reason you and I have such a hard time with personal confession before God. There is a risk that, knowing God, He will not stop at forgiving you your trespasses. He may bring the bulldozer. He may make you change when all you want is temporary relief. As I said, it’s all about trust.

It is much easier to say, “Father, please forgive me for being crabby today” than it is to say, “Father, I have been putting so many things before You in my heart that I spend hours every week sinfully angry. I am unloving and selfish in my relationships and lazy in my service to You. Because Jesus died for sins such as these, please forgive me and help me change.” And He will.

C.S. Lewis compares the work of God when we confess sin to the work of dentists when we go to them with a toothache. He says in Mere Christianity (Book 4, Chapter 9: "Counting the Cost"), “I knew those dentists; I knew they started fiddling about with all sorts of other teeth which had not yet begun to ache.”

You should never question the love God has for you. He is even gracious to His enemies, never demanding rent when they walk His earth and breathe His air. So, if you are His purchased possession, do not hesitate to “dump the whole load” when you confess your sins. He already knows how bad it is anyway. The demolition work will only make you look more like His Son.

Can you trust Him?

The Road to Happiness Goes through the Graveyard

2009-04-14T12:08:00.008-05:00

Have you ever known someone who was terribly messed up, but likeable? You blush at their language and their past, but feel strangely relaxed around them because you have nothing to prove. You set the bad person next to some church people who seem to have the gift of criticism and you might wish for a few more evil people in your church.

There is a reason for this. We are proud of our religious accomplishments. We look so good before the dark backdrop of the tattooed and the uncatechized.

It is very hard to be good, but you are deceived if you think that good just means you have to be better than those around you. In Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis says that you—the compliant child who wishes you could be bad—are, “a far greater pest to anyone who has to live with you than you would have been if you had remained frankly selfish.”

That is why there is little difference between the vile criminal who feeds on sinful pleasures and the church guy who feeds on religious pleasures. The reason the outwardly vile man seems happier is that he is living completely for what he wants. The religious guy is in a battle to prove he can achieve what his heart really does not want to do. He is like the compliant child who takes her nasty medicine because she likes to look better than her rebellious brother. She hates it too, but she loves the applause slightly more than she hates the medicine.

Maybe the reason we don’t like hypocrites is that we have all learned to play the game. Sometimes in our honest moments we wonder how much fun it would be to just hang it up. But of course the answer is not for all of us to start living consistent lives of fleshly indulgence. The answer is that we need to die. The words of Jesus in Luke 9:23-24 bring us to see that He is not out to improve us but to remake us in His image.

The Cross and My Trouble

2009-04-08T07:16:00.002-05:00

What do you do when life doesn’t go your way? What do you think when an ordinary day or week or life turns into a nightmare? Let’s imagine, for the sake of illustration, that you’re living in circumstances that look like the part of a great American novel where the hero gets in trouble and the trouble is getting worse.

· You uncover a shameful truth about your spouse or one of your children.

· You face unexpected and overwhelming expenses at a time when your income it at its lowest.

· You get bad news from the doctor about yourself or a family member.

How will you think and behave at a time like this? What will determine how you will think and behave? Can you prepare yourself to respond biblically to such circumstances or must you wait and see what comes out?

Then there are the questions about God’s perspective. What kind of reaction does He expect of his children when they are suffering? Does He say, “It’s okay to be mad at me” or does He say, “Suck it up. It could be worse”?

Our trouble is that we tend to gravitate toward one of those extremes. Either we crumble under the pressure and enter a mindless, faithless despair or we become bitter and cold, steeling ourselves against further hurt by refusing to feel emotion.

Many in the Church have attempted to answer the problem of pain. Some say our pain is as much a surprise to God as it is to us. Others say you suffer because you do not have enough faith. Still others blame territorial or ancestral spirits.

The world has its own answers. We are told there are predictable stages of grief—that anyone outside the pattern is likely in denial. We are taught to pamper ourselves when we hurt, to take a break from responsibility until the hurt goes away. To suggest that there might be a wrong way to respond to suffering is to be labeled judgmental. Among people “in the know” there is no consensus of what “normal” is, so almost anything goes, which raises an interesting question: Is there a “normal” way to respond to suffering? Is there for a follower of Jesus Christ a pattern which, if lived out, makes you God’s kind of sufferer?

Without hesitation we must say, “Yes. Normal is Jesus.”

Mark 10:45 (ESV) records these words of Jesus: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” What is your task as a follower of Christ who is suffering? It is to serve and to give. That is what Jesus did.

Take special care in noting all the people Jesus ministered to as he hung on the cross:

· To his tormentors

· To the repentant thief

· To the unrepentant thief

· To John

· To Mary

· To the people he died to save

Developing an “other-focus” in prosperous times will prepare you for lean times.

To his tormentors (“Father, forgive them…”), He served a healthy portion of grace. He could have had them destroyed by the angels under his command, but He prayed for them. Following His own counsel to “pray for your enemies,” Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34, ESV).

In our nation of religious freedom it may be hard for you to imagine someone having a murderous hatred for you because you are an outspoken Christian. It isn’t hard to imagine the rolling eyes and verbal jabs that come toward Christ’s evangelists.

To the repentant thief, He granted a pardon (Luke 23:43, ESV), saying, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

When you are hurting it is often because of the sins of others. To refuse forgiveness to them when they honestly repent is to say that what Jesus did on the cross was an insufficient price. The words “I forgive you” are a ministry to a repentant sinner.

If you are hurting because of your own sin, you need to view yourself as guilty as the thief hanging next to Jesus.

To the unrepentant thief, He offered common grace. This ministry was not in what Jesus said or did but in His silence. That is, Jesus allowed the man to live even in the midst of his blasphemy. He was witness to the same things as the repentant thief, yet he persisted in unbelief. Luke 23:39 (ESV) records it this way: “One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!’”

Common grace is what God gives every man—even the worst among men—by allowing him life, sustenance and pleasure. You may have lived long enough to have had someone wrong you terribly. You cannot grant them full forgiveness without their repentance, but you can give up the right to become bitter. You can grace them by refusing to take revenge—even if they sorely deserve it.

To Mary, He ministered material provision. As the eldest son of Mary, Jesus took the responsibility to secure her a place to live. As Mary and John stood at the foot of the cross, He said (John 19:26, ESV), “Woman, behold, your son!”

As with everything else Jesus said and did at the cross, His focus here was on others. Facing unimaginable pain, He considered what His widowed mother would need to sustain her into old age.

To John (giving ministry is a ministry), He entrusted the care of His mother. John 19:7 (ESV) “‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.”

Suffering people might be tempted to give a job to everyone available to help themselves. Jesus commissioned John to carry out a task he would be unable to carry out.

To the people he died to save, He gave a completed work. He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). He absorbed God’s wrath toward their sins. He purchased them from slavery to sin with His blood. He secured eternal life for them. He became sin so that they could be declared righteous in God’s sight. He washed their sins away.

This you cannot do. If you are one who has realized personally the washing away of sins, you can use the suffering of your master as a pattern for your own suffering, but you can add nothing to a work that perfectly satisfied the Father’s righteous demands. With these words of Jesus, yours is but to joyfully bask in the light of a completed work you had no part in.

If you are a stranger to this pleasure, yours is to see the unspeakable disparity between the holy Lamb of God and your helpless, guilty soul—to see yourself as an object of wrath. This is no exaggeration of the facts. Run to Him now for mercy.