Daily Devotions

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Current Study: 1 Peter

Today’s Topic:  God Loves Me

Scripture Reading:  1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

This will be short. I hope it’s sweet. It certainly is to me.

God loves me!

God cares about me!

God takes care of me!

God’s love compels me!

Thanks to a dear friend for pointing this out. It’s so easy to get bogged down in the duty of being a Christian that we lose sight of the motivation for the duty. We so quickly fall into performance mode and accomplishment mode. We grow weary and tired far before we should because we have lost connection with the love of God and only focus on the work we have to do for Him. We have lost our first love. We are not consistently motivated by the love of God.

Excuse me for a moment while I sing a song that I know will make me cry.

Jesus loves me, this I know

For the Bible tells me so

Little ones to Him belong

They are weak but He is strong.

Yes! Jesus loves me.

Yes! Jesus loves me.

Yes! Jesus loves me.

The Bible tells me so.

I am weak. I am worn out. I know why. I’m living to get things done, when I could be living in the love of Jesus. He is Strong. He cares for me. His love must compel all my work, or my energy will be drained. His love is endless. His strength is everlasting. His faithfulness endures forever. His mercies are new every morning.

Thanks, Aaron, for reminding me.

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Monday, October 26, 2009

Current Study: 1 Peter

Today’s Topic:  Humility

Scripture Reading:  1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV)  Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

George Vasilievich Govorov was born in 1815 in Russia in the village of Chernavsk. His father was a Russian Orthodox Priest. After years of education and seminary training, he was ordained into the priesthood at the age of 26. At that time he chose to go by the name Theophan. Later, because of the focus of his spiritual walk, he became known as Theophan the Recluse.

He became a prolific writer, focusing primarily on the inner life of holiness to which every believer is called. He believed that the admonition of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing” was to be taken seriously. He believed and wrote that all spiritual life begins with the humbling of the heart and the death of the flesh. Then, as a sacred vessel before the Lord, we can commune with Him constantly.

Theophan wrote some marvelous things, and regardless of what we think we know about his theology based on his church affiliation, truth is truth regardless of the context in which it is spoken. On the subject of humility, he had much to say. One of his quotes which particularly interested me was this:

The Lord sometimes leaves in us some defects of character in order that we should learn humility. For without them we would immediately soar above the clouds in our own estimation and would place our throne there. And herein lies perdition.

Much of our lives are spent, or should I say wasted, in the pursuit of self-exaltation. The passion of the human spirit is to better oneself. It is what is conceived into each of us as a result of Adam’s sin nature. It is what contradicts the Holy Spirit’s call to humility so that God can exalt us in His time.

On three specific and distinct occasions the Apostle Paul prayed for the removal of the “thorn” in his flesh, and each time the Lord Jesus demanded humility instead of delivering healing. Why? Because Paul knew that there was a high probability that he would have taken pride the incredible level of spiritual revelation that God had given him. Paul’s estimation and evaluation of his own position would have interfered with what God wanted to do in his life.

We must humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand. Notice, we do not humble ourselves under someone who is weak or powerless to control the outcomes of our lives. We do not humble ourselves under someone who cannot fulfill His promises. We do not humble ourselves under someone who does not understand our situation. No, we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. We can cast all of our anxiety upon Him. There’s no need to worry – His hand is mighty. There’s no need to fear – His hand is mighty. Or, like the dyslexic super hero said, “There’s no need to fear, UnderGod is here.”

Theophan later wrote this: Whatever you thirst for – so long as it is not contrary to the spirit of the Lord – you will find relief in Him. If you thirst for knowledge, run to the Lord, for He is the one and only light, enlightening every man. If you thirst for cleansing from sin and quenching of the flames of your conscience, run to the Lord, for He tore asunder the handwriting of our sins upon the Cross. If you thirst for peace in your heart, run to the Lord, for He is the treasury of all good, Whose abundance will teach you to forget all deprivations and despise all earthly good, so as to be filled with Him alone. If you need strength, He is almighty. If you need glory, His glory surpasses the world. If you desire freedom, He gives true freedom. He will resolve all of our doubts, loose the bonds of our passions, dispel all our troubles and difficulties, will enable us to overcome all obstacles, temptations and intrigues of the enemy, and will make smooth the path of our spiritual life. Let us all run to the Lord!

What a transforming truth – God cares for you. Humble yourself before Him, and He will fulfill His purpose for you, and someday you will stand exalted in His presence.

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Current Study: 1 Peter

Today’s Topic:  Humility

Scripture Reading:  1 Peter 5:5 (NIV)  Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

One night General Ulysses S. Grant was on his way to a reception in his honor. He got caught in a rainstorm. Walking near him was a man who had no umbrella. General Grant moved closer to him and offered to share his. The stranger did not recognize General Grant.

“I have never seen Grant,” he said, “but I have always thought that he was a very much overrated man.”

“That’s my view, also,” said Grant.

The word humble in the New Testament is interesting. It means, “not rising far from the ground.” It is used in Romans 12:16 when Paul writes, Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Paul uses it again to describe Jesus in Philippians 2 when he says, And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Just prior to using Jesus as our model of humility, Paul had challenged each one of us with these words – Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Not many of us could or would say with the spontaneity of General Grant that we are overrated. I fear that most of us feel we are under-recognized and under-rewarded. What we don’t understand is that the pride that motivates such feelings is really holding us back from reaching our full potential.

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon said that some in his time might have become excellent scholars had they not been so persuaded of their scholarship already. Grant, most precious God, that I may never hold so high an opinion of my own spiritual health as to prevent my being in my deeds full of your grace and fear!

In his book Authentic Christianity John Stott writes, “We need to repent of the haughty way in which we sometimes stand in judgment upon Scripture and must learn to sit humbly under its judgment instead. If we come to Scripture with our minds made up, expecting to hear from it only an echo of our own thoughts and never the thunderclap of God’s, then indeed he will not speak to us and we shall only be confirmed in our own prejudices. We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behaviour.”

If we are going to learn to live in the fullness and joy of Jesus, then we must stop trying to rise so far off the ground. We are not capable of rising into the presence of God. But Jesus is, and it is only His life in us that exalts us. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Renounce your own strength, and be reinvigorated by His!

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Current Study: 1 Peter

Today’s Topic:  Shepherds Need Sheep

Scripture Reading:  1 Peter 5:1-3 (NIV)  To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. As a pastor of a wonderful church, I’m blessed to be appreciated all year long. But it’s especially nice to hear from people in unique ways during this month. Yesterday when I came into my office I discovered a huge box of paper towels, napkins, and toilet paper. I thought the storage closet was full and my office had become overflow. I discovered that it was all a gift to me from someone who works at a paper company. What a blessing!

In response to Pastor Appreciation Month, I want to start an appreciation month of my own. It will be called Sheep Appreciation Month. I think the flock needs to be admired more often. I want my flock of sheep to know how much I love them and what joy they bring to my heart as I serve them.

As Peter writes today to challenge the shepherds (pastors and elders) of the church, he also alludes to several things that are true of a good flock of sheep. I have been blessed to be assigned as the shepherd of God’s flock. I am honored to have them under my care, because they are willing to be cared for. They are not stubborn sheep. They like to be led and fed. It’s easy to get up every day and watch the Lord use me to move the sheep to places where they can experience a deeper relationship with their True Shepherd. The sheep God has given me are humble and willing to listen to me as a shepherd.

As an overseer, it’s fulfilling to actually be able to lead. But I have learned through the years that it’s not always easy to lead. Sometimes the sheep do get stubborn. Sometimes they don’t follow. Often they burst through the fences and wander in the world as if they were lost. But God has given me His heart to seek the lost. I am so thankful to be surrounded by other shepherds and sheep who also want to seek the lost ones. We do not do it because we must, but because we are willing. The love of Christ compels us, and it’s an awesome blessing to be surrounded by sheep that are also compelled by Christ’s love.

I also praise God for the attitude of the sheep to both serve and be served. Just yesterday I had one of the sheep come to my office with a humble heart and repent of a sin and ask for forgiveness. In the process of our conversation I discovered a financial need, and as the shepherd I was able to serve her by meeting that need. She humbly accepted that help. I know that someday when she is able, she will serve others in the same way. She will follow the example of the shepherd. I only pray that I will continue to be the right example. I never want to force others to do what I would not model myself.

There’s one more thought on my heart. Some shepherds aren’t so fortunate. Some flocks are pretty messed up. Some sheep are pretty stubborn. I’ve been the shepherd of a flock like that in the past. I’ve seen how sheep can devour their shepherds. I’ve seen how sheep can take their shepherds for granted. I’ve seen the hearts of good shepherds crushed by mean-spirited sheep. My words to those shepherds are the words of the Apostle Paul – The sheep that reject your instruction are not rejecting you but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. (1 Thess. 4:8) You are the appointed one of God. You are the humble, willing servant of the Good Shepherd. Be the example of love and grace. And no matter how you suffer, keep serving, not because you must, but because God’s call is upon your life and His love compels you. If you persevere, the Chief Shepherd will come and expose the wolves who have been masquerading as sheep, and He will purify His church.

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Current Study: 1 Peter

Today’s Topic:  Where’s the Love?

Scripture Reading:  1 Peter 4:19 (NIV)  So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

Get ready to catch me. I’m about to get on a soapbox and when I do I sometimes fall. I need you to be ready to catch me. Today’s soapbox may not make me fall, but it may make you mad at me, which will feel to me like falling. But I must take the risk.

Throughout my study of Peter’s writings on suffering for the cause of Christ I have been challenged with how to make practical and personal application. How far are we to go in applying these words of Peter to our everyday lives? Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.  He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.

Today it became clearer to me as the Holy Spirit directed my mind to the things other writers in the Bible said about suffering and how to treat the people who cause it, including the words of Jesus. For example, the Apostle Paul said, Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Or the words of Jesus who said, You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven…If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

So why am I on this today? Well, Peter said that no matter what the circumstances or hardships, we are to continue to do good. Today I was reminded that we don’t apply that to our lives very well, and I am as guilty as the next guy. When someone has hurt us, or done something we think is wrong, we have this terrible tendency to love hate. Deep in the center of our flesh is a desire to put others down in an attempt to build ourselves up. It is a tragedy of the human heart that the biggest portion of our memory seems to be set aside for the storage of other people’s faults.

Want proof? Let me mention one name as an example – Brett Farve. Whether you’re a Packer fan or not, everyone seems to have formed an opinion of this guy. My question is – Why do our opinions of people dictate our actions towards them and our words about them? I thought as the messengers of God’s love we are to repay any and all hurt with help. I thought the Holy Spirit was clear when He said through Paul in Romans 12 that we are to consider others better than ourselves. Or later in Romans 15 when he says, We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. I am disappointed in myself and other Christians that we have so quickly fallen into the worldly habit of tearing others down rather than building them up.

Well, I think you see my point. We have not done a very good job of continuing to do good, especially when someone else’s bad affects us so deeply. We quickly fall into the trap of the flesh to build ourselves up at the expense of others. We allow our opinions of others to dictate our speech and actions. We let some perceived suffering justify the defense of our own position, and that defense usually involves some form of attack. We have moved from humility to hurt; from helping to harboring hate; from building up to butting heads; from honor and respect of others to honoring self above anyone else.

Where is the love of Christ in all of this? Why hasn’t the heart of Jesus overwhelmed us and filled us with true and consistent love? I think the reason is that we have gone from standing on a soapbox to sitting on a high horse. And that could cause a much bigger fall.

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Monday, October 19, 2009

Current Study: 1 Peter

Today’s Topic:  Keep Fishing

Scripture Reading:  1 Peter 4:19 (NIV)  So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

One of my favorite Bible stories is found in the Gospel of John. It happens after the resurrection of Jesus, but prior to the time the disciples become convinced that they made a good decision to follow Jesus three years earlier. The story is found in John 21.

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 

I’m reasonably sure I’m not alone in my connection with Peter. He models the tendency most of us have to fall back into our comfort zones when things don’t go right. We are outcome based people, and when a certain path doesn’t produce what we think is the right outcome, we go back to the way we used to do it so we can take control of the outcomes again. After having left his nets years earlier, Peter now decides that he needs to think and reflect on his decisions, so he goes back to his comfort zone of fishing. At least there he’s his own boss and can manage his own outcomes.

Or can he? I love what Jesus does. Being all-knowing as He is, and in absolute control of all things because He’s God, He doesn’t allow Peter to catch any fish. Then, to prove to Peter that he’s not really in control of anything, Jesus tells him to let down the nets in the same spot where he has been fishing, just on the other side of the boat. Lo and behold, there’s fish. Lots of fish!

There are so many lessons in this story, but here are the two on my mind today.

1. We can’t do anything unless Jesus is in it. We may think that by returning to our comfort zones and pet areas of expertise that we can control what will happen, but we can’t. If we have any success in those areas it’s because God granted it, not because we earned it. Everything is by His grace and His grace controls ALL outcomes.
2. Jesus wants us to apply the same discipline and diligence we use in our comfort zones to serving Him. Peter was a professional fisherman. No way was he going to get skunked in an all-night fishing tournament. No matter how many times he and his friends brought in an empty net, they kept casting it out again. They knew the only way to catch fish was to actually fish for fish. They were bound and determined to catch, so they kept fishing. But it wasn’t until they did it the Lord’s way that they caught anything. When Jesus got involved, fish got caught.

Last Saturday night, a former youth pastor and worship leader at our church, James Alan Hall, posted the following comment to his Facebook page – We are guilty of spending far too much time counting fish and not enough time catching them. That got me to thinking. Our churches today are filled with fish that have been caught, and we spend most of our time in the comfort zone of counting them and controlling them. We rest on our past successes. We maintain and manage an aquarium for them without realizing that those left in the lake are going to end up in a lake of fire. We clean our aquariums and feed the fish, but we fail to bring those fish to the point of fishing for themselves. That’s right, in God’s aquarium, fish fish. Unfortunately, in most local aquariums (churches), fish just feed and fight.

We need to be building bigger aquariums. The same principles of discipline and diligence that we use to be successful at our jobs need to be applied to catching fish. We have been called to be fishers of men. We have been equipped with the Holy Spirit to be witnesses for Jesus. It’s time we put as much energy into serving our Savior as we do into the success of self. We must keep casting the nets. This may be the day that Jesus fills them with fish.

 Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Current Study: 1 Peter

Today’s Topic:  Get Serious About Getting Connected

Scripture Reading:  1 Peter 4:17  For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God;

On Sunday – this coming Sunday – there is a very important meeting of the people who attend Calvary. It is going to be a significant moment in the history of our church. It will be a time when we decide as individuals whether or not we are going to be wholeheartedly committed to the mission of Jesus Christ to connect people to God.

Following that meeting, which we call our worship service, there will be another meeting to ask God to provide the resources we need to fulfill His mission according to the vision He has been formulating in our midst for over eight years. Two meetings. One completely dependent upon the other. Your view of which one is dependent on the other is a good indicator of your connection to Christ’s commission.

Some people believe that the measuring stick of success for a church is attendance. Others believe it is finances. Still others believe it’s facility. All are wrong, because all are based on man’s perspective. If we are to determine the right answer we must look at the church from Christ’s perspective. After all, He is the Head of it.

But I would not dare to attempt to state confidently that there is only one criterion for church health. My answers would be tainted by my own personal filters and giftedness. If it were up to me, a successful church would be measured by the preaching of truth. But that would not be accurate because it eliminates so many other aspects of body life. Not everyone is an eye. Not everyone is a nose, although far too many are nosey.

However, after considering all of the characteristics of a healthy church like faithfulness, humility, servant-hearted people with sacrificial spirits, great teaching, cheerful generosity, effective programs, inspiring worship, Godly leadership, and countless others, I must confess that there are two that stick out above all the rest. The reason is that they were the commands of Jesus for every individual in His church. I’m talking about His Great Commandment and His Great Commission.

One day Jesus was in a conversation with some teachers of the law. In an attempt to trap Him, one them asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Jesus responded by saying this – “The most important one is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Let me repeat – there is no commandment greater than these.

Then, as Jesus prepared to leave this earth and go back to the right hand of His Father from where He now reigns supreme, He gave His followers another command. This command does not supplant the last one – it is actually the living expression of the first. He said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

My dear friends – especially those of you who attend Calvary – the meeting we are having on Sunday after the worship service to review the status of our building program and set goals for the future of our church as a body will be of absolutely NO SIGNIFICANCE if we have not as individuals completely surrendered our lives to fulfilling the Great Commandment and Great Commission. There has never been nor will there ever be any other measuring stick for the health of a church.

It is my prayer that for the rest of this week, as a prelude to the rest of your life, that you will fall on your knees before Jesus Christ, the Lord of your life, and renew your commitment to His commands and commission. If we cannot come together on Sunday in the first meeting and agree that we are first and foremost a people who live to connect others to God by loving them, serving them, and growing them, then the second meeting is irrelevant.

Pastor John

Daily Devotions
Monday, October 12, 2009
Current Study: Suffering

Today’s Topic: God Sees

Scripture Reading: Genesis 16:13 (NIV) She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

For several days now we have been looking at the issue of suffering. I want to share something with you today that is still in that context, but not from First Peter where we have been studying. This comes from much earlier in the history of the world, yet the lesson is still a powerful one. Those of you who were in church yesterday have already been taking this to heart.

The story of Abraham in the book of Genesis teaches us some great lessons about faith. It also teaches us about the consequences of making decisions based on our own insights and rationale rather than by faith. Abraham’s life is filled with great faith and terrible failures based on human reason.

One such failure occurs in Genesis 16, when Abraham is convinced by his wife Sarah that they must get involved in fulfilling the promise of God to have a son. Sarah’s handmaiden Hagar is given to Abraham as a wife, and because she was a slave, her children would be legally the children of Sarah. After becoming pregnant, Hagar’s mistreatment of Sarah results in Sarah mistreating her and forcing her to leave the family.

Tension, discord, and even verbal abuse were the products of faithlessness. People were being hurt. A family was broken apart. A husband lost respect and gave up his authority to lead the family. It was all because Abraham failed to wait for God to accomplish His purpose in His time and took matters into his own hands.

As pregnant Hagar was running away, Jesus Christ – the Angel of the LORD – found her. After a short encounter, Hagar gives God a name that was significant. She calls God El Roi, which means The God who sees. I have been extremely blessed by this story, because it shows me that during the worst of times, God still sees me, and the knowledge of that provides me the strength to carry on.

For those of you that missed yesterday, or who don’t attend our church, here were the points that God laid on my heart that will bring me to the concluding point in a moment. Go to Genesis 16 and read the story, then come back and notice the following things:

1. God seeks us – He went looking for Hagar, and He is constantly looking for you no matter where or from what you are running.
2. God embraces us – He engaged Hagar in conversation at the point of her need. He gave her direction. He will do the same for you.
3. God encourages us – He told her about the future of her son’s life, but not until He had told her what to name him – Ishmael – which means God hears. Even thought the future wasn’t great for her son, she focused on God’s promise that He hears no matter what the circumstances of life.
4. God sends us – He gave her the strength to go back and continue to be faithful.

Do you see it? God Seeks, God Embraces, God Encourages, and God Sends. God SEES! As a result, you need to know and believe three things:
1. God sees your past and he accepts you.
2. God sees your predicament and He affirms you.
3. God sees your prospects and He assures you.

Don’t just skim over those three things. Go back and really take them to heart. When you do you will discover the incredible truth that God sees you and because He does, you can get through whatever He brings into your life. Just look at Hagar – she was told by God to go back to Sarah and submit to her. There is no promise that Sarah will change. There is no assurance that things will be different. There is only the peace that comes from knowing that God sees, and that He hears, and that He is in control. There is only faith! And she obeyed.

This can be a touchy subject, because I completely understand the abusive predicaments some people are in, and agree that safety is a huge consideration. However, many of our choices to escape difficult and troublesome situations are not made because God told us to move on, but we convinced ourselves to bring about an outcome that pleases us. In other words, we really didn’t believe that God sees our situation and that He really cares to do anything about it.

Sadly, many of us do not really live by faith. That needs to change. God sees you where you are. He accepts you. He affirms you. He assures you that He is in control of the outcome. Let go! Trust God. He sees.

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Current Study: First Peter

Today’s Topic:  God’s Purpose in Allowing Suffering

Scripture Reading:  1 Peter 4:15-16 (NIV)  If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.  

The subject of suffering or hardship is rarely spoken of outside of the context of asking “Why?” We want everything explained so that it makes sense to us. There must be a rational reason for everything that happens, right?

The Bible tells us clearly that there are reasons why God permits suffering. In fact, I find five of them. Here’s a brief summary of each one, with a prayer that you will discover the peace of God that passes all understanding that comes through trust in His love and grace.

First, God brings suffering as a punishment for sin. Galatians 6:17 says, Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Suffering is about consequences. It happened in the Garden of Eden first. God said there would be consequences to sin, and they were immediately enforced when it happened. The first consequence was…I bet most of you thought I was going to say death. Not so. The first punishment for sin was shame. This is so very significant. When man and woman sinned, they ceased being focused on others and began being self-centered. They no longer found their identity in God alone but began seeking to establish their own identity. They were no longer free to accept one another as is, because they couldn’t accept themselves as they were. My friends, the greatest tragedy of sin is that the death of our identity as image bearers of God occurs at conception, long before the death of our physical body. The suffering we experience because of that death is God’s judgment on sin, and it is designed to bring us to our knees before Him.

Second, God allows suffering in the life of a believer for discipline. The difference between the punishment of sinners and the discipline of saints is that punishment is only about the consequence, while discipline is all about construction. God is building us. He is shaping us. He is growing us. The purpose of all discipline is growth and change. Hebrews 12:7 says Endure hardship as discipline… The love of the Father is being displayed in our lives through discipline. Peter refers to this in the next few verses of his letter when he says, For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God. Embrace your hardship. God is working through it to change you because He loves you.

Third, suffering comes to test our faith. Earlier in this letter of First Peter we read, In this (faith) you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Through suffering, God is testing our ability to stay true to what we say we believe. How’s that going for you? Are the impurities of your life being burned away so the fullness of the glory of God can be seen in you?

Fourth, God uses suffering to build our character. Look at these important verses. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4). AND we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5:3-4). The word character in Romans means “a permanent stamp of approval.” How awesome to think that when I pass the test of my faith and my character grows to be more like Christ’s, God stamps me with His permanent approval. Hallelujah! Let the hardships do their work so that we can be more like Christ.

Fifth, God uses suffering in our lives to provide us with ministry opportunities to help others in need. As our character becomes more Christ-like, we become more compassionate. Through our own suffering we have experienced the comfort of God, and now we are qualified to be the ministers of comfort to others. Look at what the Apostle Paul says in Second Corinthians 1:3-5. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 

That is so very cool! The more we suffer like Christ, the more we experience the same comfort Christ got from the Father when He suffered. In fact, it so overflows in us that it spills out onto others who are suffering around us. We become the ministers of God’s comfort and grace.

This just scratches the surface of God’s purpose for suffering, but it gives us a good foundation. Next time you’re feeling pitiful because of your problems, put them in the proper perspective. Just remember this promise… And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Current Study: First Peter

Today’s Topic:  The Right Reason to Suffer

Scripture Reading:  1 Peter 4:15-16 (NIV)  If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.  

Let it be known that I am not in any way advocating criminal behavior. But if you have ever considered crime, I hope you would never be as dumb as these guys. These are true stories.

A man walked into a convenience store, put a $20 bill on the counter and asked for change. When the clerk opened the drawer, the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving his $20 bill on the counter. So how much did he get from the drawer? Fifteen bucks. Go figure.

In West Virginia, a knife-wielding mugger accepted a $300 check from his victim. The thief was arrested the next day trying to cash the check.

In Tennessee, a burglar realized he’d left his Nikes at the home he’d just robbed. So he returned and asked the lady of the house if she’d seen his shoes. She called the cops, and the guy was arrested.

The police had no trouble finding this thief. When he used a stolen credit card to buy some cigars, he signed his own name on the receipt. Later he tried to buy some merchandise at a store, but the card came up as stolen. When asked for some identification, he presented his own driver’s license.

While these are funny stories, it’s not funny at all that so many people who call themselves Christians are involved in criminal behavior. And because they are suffering the consequences of their crimes, they somehow believe they are suffering for Christ. But let’s get this straight right away – nowhere in the Bible is suffering for doing wrong ever commended as Christ-like. We are only suffering like Christ and for Christ if we are suffering for doing right.

I wonder how much time and money could be saved by people if they would just accept responsibility for their actions. How many hours of counseling could be avoided if people would simply deal with the fundamental question of personal choice? How much emotional distress is really an attempt at self-justification because we don’t want to admit that what we are suffering is the direct result of what we did wrong?

As Peter emphasizes this point in today’s Scripture, he clearly states that the suffering we experience because of wrong-doing is not to be a part of the Christian’s life. I think we could all agree with him when he tells us to steer clear of murder and stealing or any other kind of criminal behavior. But then he adds we should also never suffer because we have meddled. Some of you will think I’m meddling just to address the issue of meddling. If so, you’re the ones to whom this most applies.

The Greek word for meddling is full of meaning. Thayer’s Greek Dictionary defines it as one who takes the supervision of affairs pertaining to others and in no wise to himself. My mom always reminded me of this truth when she would simply say “MYOB.” I had been taught what that means – Mind your own business. She was reminding me that I am not in control, and I have no right to assume control of other people’s lives. It is not my spiritual gift – in fact there is no spiritual gift or fruit of the Spirit – to meddle in other people’s lives.

That’s tough as a pastor – a shepherd – who has been called by God to proclaim the truth and lead people to spiritual growth. But here’s how that problem is resolved – meddlers meddle for personal benefit while shepherds lead for the benefit of the sheep. Jesus never meddled – He led.

Unfortunately, far too many Christians meddle because it provides them with a sense of accomplishment, value, worth, or purpose. There are way too many control freaks in the church. God alone is responsible for outcomes.

But how do meddlers suffer? Well, primarily they suffer from a lack of personal intimacy with others. They cannot find true peace in their hearts, because their identity is wrapped up in what they can do to change others. And people don’t change easily, so it seems like their work is never done. Besides that, nobody likes a meddler who seeks to control them. Meddlers are lonely. And to top it all off, they blame their loneliness on others: it’s other people’s fault for not being more loving, more compassionate, more concerned, or more friendly.  If only they would take responsibility for their own suffering.

Yesterday we quoted from a book entitled The Imitation of Christ. In another part of that book, Thomas a Kempis writes, We might have much peace if we would not meddle with other people’s sayings and doings.

If you are suffering because of wrong, then endure it and learn from it. If you are suffering because you are doing what you think is right, then you’d better check two things – whether or not God’s Word says it’s right, and whether or not your motives for doing it are sincere. Pure and sincere motives are ALWAYS based on doing what’s best for others, not for self. If you’re suffering for doing that, then rejoice that you are in the company of Christ.

Pastor John