The Hand of God - the Face of God

Long ago I heard someone say that we should fix our eyes on God’s face, not God hand. I’ve never forgotten that statement. Let me explain what that means. When life is chaos and pain and waiting to see if a fire might consume everything we own, we don’t look at our circumstances and say, “God must not love me to treat me like this.” That’s looking at God’s hand.

Instead, faith looks at the face of God – His unchanging character. James said He is “the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” He is always who He is, and He is always for us because He sees us in His Son. Every day in every circumstance God is smiling on His children. He is working all things together for good in their lives, conforming them into the image of His Son, whether it’s through miracles and deliverance, or through pain and suffering. His countenance never changes toward His own. This is God’s face toward His children—

The Lord your God is in your midst,

A mighty One who will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness;
He will quiet you by his love;
He will exult over you with loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

We will never understand God’s hand in our lives. The outworking of His providence is way beyond us. But keep looking at His face. And “when darkness veils His lovely face,” then “rest on His unchanging grace.” And keep singing, “Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.”

Babette’s Feast and the Grace of God

I don’t watch too many movies. I’m just too antsy to sit that long. And my kids have always teased me that when I do, the movie always ends up as an illustration in my next sermon. That happened a few years ago when I watched a Danish film called Babette’s Feast. It was one of the most touching portraits of God’s grace that I’ve ever seen. I want to give you a summary. And even though you will know how it ends, you should still see it—

It’s a story about a small group of Christians who lived in a small, bleak village on an island off the coast of Denmark in the late 1800’s. They had been founded by a very strict, Puritanical pastor who had since died, but they kept his memory alive in their traditions.

Their idea of godliness was to live simple, meager lives with limited pleasure. One day, a French woman named Babette showed up at the door of the pastor’s two spinster daughters. She had lost all of her family in the Napoleonic wars in Europe and she wanted to know if she could work for these ladies as their maid and cook. They said they were sorry but they had no money with which to pay a servant. Babette said she would gladly work for them in return for room and board. So Babette stayed with these ladies for 14 years, served them faithfully, and cooked the few plain dishes that they would eat, including smoked cod and beer soup.

During this time, the little group continued to shrink as members died, and it became more and more ingrown and legalistic. Babette watched them bicker and backstab--but they still kept their traditions. One day she got a message from France. A relative of hers had bought her a lottery ticket and she had won 10,000 francs--she was rich! The two sisters she had lived with were very happy for her, but they were sad because they assumed she would be going back to France.

Babette said that she had never asked the sisters for anything, but now she had a request. The 100^th anniversary of their pastor’s birthday was coming up, and would they allow her to make a French feast for their celebration dinner? The sisters asked the group, and they agreed.

Babette sent a list to Paris of all the supplies she would need, and a few weeks later, a boat arrived with crates of dishes, glasses, linens, and strange exotic foods, fruits, vegetables, wines, champagne, and even live quail!.

When the sisters saw what she was doing, they were horrified! They called the group together and said that it looked like a banquet for Satan himself was in the making. They agreed that the loving thing to do was to allow Babette to prepare the feast, but they would not say a word about any of the food or drink. They would eat it, but they would make sure not to enjoy it.

The evening finally came, and a special guest arrived, a decorated general who years earlier had sought the hand of one of the two sisters--but was turned down. They all sat down—all 20 of them—to a table set with the finest china, crystal, and linens, and Babette began to bring out course after course after course of the most exquisite food you could imagine. The people ate it without any expression or emotion, while the general was exclaiming as each dish was brought out. What was wrong with these people?

Finally, they began to sample the champagne—they thought it was lemonade—and they began to loosen up and enjoy the meal. The general finally stood up and said, “My friends, I don’t think you appreciate what has been set before us! I have only eaten one other meal like this in all my life, and it was at the Grand Hotel in Paris. Surely the meal that we have just eaten must have been prepared by the same Master Chef of the Grand Hotel! What a gift you have been given!”

And of course, it had been prepared by the former Master Chef of the Grand Hotel in Paris—Babette.

Her identity didn’t seem to sink in, but that one meal transformed the group. It was the first time they had allowed themselves to experience any joy in years. They began to reconcile with each other, they went out into the street and began to sing their old hymns at the top of the voices.

The next day, the two sisters went to tell Babette how very much they had enjoyed the feast, and they wanted her to know how sad they were that she would be returning to Paris. She said, “Oh, but I’m not returning to Paris.” They said, “But why not?” She said, “I have no money!” They said, “But how could that be, you won 10,000 francs!” She said, “A meal for twenty guests at the Grand Hotel in Paris, like the one I prepared for you, would cost 10,000 francs!” She had spent it all on her friends.

God has given us His all that we might share in His Feast. So enjoy!

 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son,

that whoever believes in Him should not perish

but have eternal life.”

MBC Picnic! Saturday, June 10th

MBC Family Picnic

Come and join us for a relaxing and fun evening under the pavilion! It’s a luau theme, so wear your Hawaiian duds (think Don Ho, or Don Owens!)

When: June 10^th, Saturday

What time:  5pm to 7 pm

What to bring:  Church will provide hamburger patties and hot dogs.  Sign-up at church for a side dish, buns or hamburger toppings.

Middletown Christian School Boosters will be selling desserts for a fund raiser at the picnic.

Program:  We will have games and face painting for all as well as some music.

We have men to cook, but we could use two ice chests with ice, a set-up and clean-up crew and a canopy or 2 for shade.

Call Janice, Jennifer or Donna with questions or to sign-up!

"And you - but God"

This day, fight to remember the gospel.

The devil will be ruthless to bring every sin to mind, but preach the gospel to your own heart: "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." If doubts arise and dark feelings seem ready to engulf you, claim the words of Paul: "God made [you] alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses." You are not the same person you once were. You are a new creation. You are in Christ.

I was blinded by my sin,

had no ears to hear Your voice;

did not know Your love within,

had no taste for heaven’s joys.

Then Your Spirit gave me life,

opened up Your Word to me;

through the gospel of Your Son,

gave me endless hope and peace.

The tomb was empty.

 

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them,

 

“Why do you seek the living among the dead?

He is not here, but has risen.”

 

Luke 24:1–6

On Good Friday: Jesus, My Substitute

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered,

Was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression,
But Thine, the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
‘Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor,
Vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

* * *

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,

In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood—
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;

Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;

“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

* * *

No condemnation now I dread;

Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown,
Through Christ my own—
Amazing love!
How can it be?
That Thou, my God, Shouldst die for me?

On the death of little Molly

Dear flock,

 

The picture above is of little Molly, a precious little one year old, the day before she drowned in a pool. Her mother Charissa was part of the youth group at Grace Bible Church years ago when my own kids were teens. They all hung out together, went to student conferences together, and had youth parties at our home. At the time, none of them ever dreamed that such unspeakable tragedy could ever enter their lives. Charissa and her husband Jordan are solid Christ-followers, as well as their families. Grandma Cathy wrote the piece below. Read it and weep with those who weep, and pray.

--Pastor Doug

 

The Crucible of Pain and Suffering

Before the loss of Molly, I had been undergoing a mini trial (because everything seems mini after this), and a couple times I'd prayed, "Lord, change me!" I was almost afraid to pray that way because of what it might yield.

And then Molly happened. And the grief and anguish of soul served to undo us. But God has been here. Jesus has cried with us. And we are all changing. In small ways He has opened our eyes to problem areas in our lives. My precious Gene, who prefers to live a quiet and private existence, wrote a letter to all the staff where he teaches. He talked about Molly, but he shared our hope in Jesus. He would have preferred to remain under the radar, but he felt compelled to be public with his heartbreak, and invite the staff to the service. One teacher wrote that they would be there. Others, who don't know Jesus, wrote that Gene's faith would help him. A door of witness has opened because Molly's death has allowed opportunities to share Jesus. Her little life is a beacon of hope and light. How we miss her! But we are praying many will be brought to Jesus because of what has happened.

Our church has been changed. Trials have that effect. Our local church body is growing stronger in prayer and encouragement.

We have heard of some who've not yet been drawn to Jesus make reference to the faith we have in God. Our faith is a gift from our glorious God, outside of ourselves. We can't muster it up on our own.

We've been privileged to share Jesus with those who were by our side on the day of Molly's home going. Several in our family (and close friends) baked lots of sweet treats, and, yesterday, took them to the staff at the hospital where Molly was treated, and to the police dept who responded. The treats were accompanied by thank you notes with the message of the Gospel, and an invite to the service.

We keep going back to the well where unlimited grace and mercy can be had. And we are finding help--so much more than we knew possible--is there. And we are forever changed. It's not the script I would have written, but I'm not in charge. A life of mediocrity will not do. Part of me is afraid of what might happen next, but I continue to be bolstered by Jordan and Charissa. And I think of verses that pop in my head about what Jesus did for us, and how our suffering is but a microcosm of what He endured.

Lastly, we have the hope that He'll lead us safely home. And that makes this present life more doable.

What follows is an excerpt from my darling husband's letter to the staff. I hope you find encouragement from what he's written.

 

"Our family has been devastated by this loss, and yet without despair. We’ve been comforted by the overwhelming love of extended family, church community, and others, many in far-flung places, who have surrounded us with their presence, tangible kindnesses, and prayers. We rest on the promises of God, and the words that will be etched on Molly’s grave marker, 'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die (John 11:25-26).' We long to see her again."

The day PD rebuked R.C.

For those of you who were in our Sunday School class last Lord's Day, you might have been a bit startled when I, your gentle Pastor, blurted out right in the middle of a video by R.C. Sproul--

"WRONG!"

I'll admit, I startled myself.

R.C. Sproul is one of my spiritual mentors. I owe him a debt of gratitude I could never repay. He was speaking about sinning against God and was using tithing as an example. He said that Christians who don't tithe are robbing God. This is when I (loudly) voiced my adamant disapproval. I couldn't risk some poor souls suffering a wounded conscience until the video was over. He was wrong. New Covenant believers are not commanded to tithe. And our flock needs to know this.

Of course this brings up the larger context and question of whether Christians are under any of the Law of Moses. Again, the answer is NO!, as is clearly taught in the New Testament. Rather than go into detail in this blog I would urge you to read an excellent article by Thomas Schreiner, a professor at Southern Seminary on "7 Reasons Christians Are Not Commanded to Tithe." He also addresses (briefly) the issue of the New Covenant believer's relationship to the Law of Moses. You can read it below--

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/7-reasons-christians-not-required-to-tithe

Pastor Doug

Shack Attack

I really don’t like laying down ‘do’s and don’ts’ about the movies Christians should or shouldn’t see. Better to teach biblical principles and allow believers to make their own decisions out of faith and conscience. But as a shepherd, I need to warn the flock about a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It’s “The Shack,” an uber-best-selling book that is now out at the movies.

Many Christians have written about the heretical views behind the book, but still, some baby believers or bored Christians looking for entertainment sans sex and gore, might still head to the theatres to see The Shack.

The most obvious problem that many Christians have already pointed out is that the movie portrays within the Trinity, a woman as the Father, and a black woman as the Holy Spirit. Ah, diversity! Yes, this is a problem – not because the Holy Spirit is black or a woman – He is a Spirit and has no color, let alone gender! But it’s a problem because as I have often said, the Second Commandment properly understood prohibits the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit from being represented in any physical form – including by an actor or actress. Yes, I just torpedoes all Jesus movies, and even pictures of Jesus in children’s books. We need to remember that God gave us a word-Book, not a picture-Book.

And yes, it is a problem that God is deliberately portrayed as a woman when the Scriptures consistently call Him, “Father.” But the theology in the background of this movie is not just weak, it is deliberately anti-Christian. Of course the author of the book, Paul Young, could always wiggle out of such criticisms by saying that this is just a story, it uses metaphors. It’s narrative, after all, not doctrine.

That was until his new book was released which shows in bold color what Young’s theology really is, and it is utter heresy. At this point let me point you to the great article by Tim Challies that explains what is in this book. But don’t click the link until you finish reading my article—

 http://www.challies.com/book-reviews/what-does-the-shack-really-teach-read-lies-we-believe-about-god

As Challies points out, the centerpiece of Young’s heretical views is universalism. Young believes, contrary to everything the Bible teaches, that at some point every person will be saved, if not before they die, God will use the fires of hell to purge away (not punish, mind you) any unbelief. Even Satan and his fallen angels will be restored to a right relationship with God. Young believes that after death there is a second chance, and more than that, a complete inevitability, that all people will eventually repent and come to full relationship with God.

Here is the point: this doctrine of demons lies at the very heart of the book and movie. Young believes that man is basically good, God is not sovereign, Jesus did not die to remove sins, and everyone is already in Christ and just needs to believe that it’s so. These lies permeate the movie. They aren’t in the background but in the forefront.

But can’t a Christian just see the movie for some innocent entertainment? Well in addition to helping to finance this heretical hot-mess, we need to wise up: none of us are beyond being subtly influenced by the theology it presents. Wrong worldviews can seep into our thinking while we are merrily munching our popcorn. It’s not without reason that Paul warned the Christians in Rome:

“. . . I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.” (Romans 16:19)

So don’t waste your time or your money on this turkey.

Besides, Rotten Tomatoes only gave it one star.

-Pastor Doug

A message from Pastor Doug

Dear flock, 

For those who missed our Annual Meeting last Sunday evening, we were so encouraged to hear the reports of how God has blessed our church and used our church in this last year. So much ministry goes on here, and so much ministry goes out from here, all around the world. Last year, you gave almost $40,000 to support our missionaries and other ministries, locally and globally. We heard how we were able to help our own church family through our benevolent fund, about the ministry of our precious ladies in ‘The Widow’s Might,’ and our privilege of helping Hope City rebuild homes lost in the Valley and Clayton fires. We just committed $80K to Hope City out of our fire fund. What an amazing blessing. 

And we also heard that last year’s giving was $40K short of what we budgeted. This is due to many factors. Some folks moved away after the fire, and others have retired and re-located. Others have had situations that impact their ability to give. These things happen in the life of a church, and we’re not discouraged or despairing. But this is a time of re-building for our church family, and we are trusting God to bring us new growth and meet our needs.  

The Elders made the decision to cut $20 from last year’s budget. And now we are asking all of you in our church family to prayerfully consider your own stewardship in this ministry God has given us here at MBC. We are asking you to consider increasing your monthly giving by 10-15%. If we are all able to do this, or more, we should be able to meet this year’s budget.  

And I would encourage you to think about using the online giving on our phone app. I’m using it myself and it’s pretty cool. It’s easy to set up and you don’t have to worry about forgetting your offering. And then when we take up the Sunday offering – you can just chill! The info on how to set up online giving is on our website and on the phone app. 

Please, let’s all pray and see what God does. We are in an exciting time because we know that our heavenly Father is “able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” So we say with Paul: “To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-2).  

Pastor Doug

The church is not a hospital.

I wanted to pass along this really insightful quote from Dale Partridge:

 

Yesterday, I heard a Christian say, “The church is a hospital for sick people.” I couldn’t disagree more. The church isn’t a hospital, the church is a medical school. It’s where we learn how to heal the world. Many of today’s Christians are walking in curable diseases. They are so busy needing help, they can’t help others. The Bible says, “Lay aside the sin that so easily entangles you” and “you are more than conquerors.” Christian, you are not a victim to sin, but a victor over it. Christian I know it’s easy to walk in each Sunday, grab a stretcher and wait for your pastor’s message to heal you, but that’s not God’s purpose for His meeting. God’s purpose is train up men and women to do the work of the ministry. The world is our hospital. It’s waiting for you to bring the Gospel. It’s waiting for you to disciple lost sheep. It’s waiting for you to be healthy, the question is, are you walking strong, or wallowing in your sickness?” Dale Partridge

Redemption through Incarnation

An excerpt from this morning's sermon: "Redemption Through the Son" (Ephesians 1:7-10)

 

There is no redemption without Incarnation because only a blood-relative could be our kinsman-redeemer and pay the price to get us out of hock and out of jail. That’s why Jesus was born as a little human baby in Bethlehem.

It was 25 years ago that 16 year old Anissa Ayala found lumps on her ankles and began having severe stomach pains. Her parents took her to the hospital and she was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. If she couldn’t get a bone marrow transplant she would die. Her older brother wasn’t a match, her parents weren’t a match. Others were tested, but no match.

So her parents made a huge decision: they decided to try and conceive a child who might be a match for Anissa. Mary Ayala was already 42 years old – so her odds of a successful pregnancy were only 40%. Abe Ayala had to have his vasectomy reversed, and even if they could conceive, there was only a 23% chance that the baby would be a match. And they got all sorts of criticism and hate mail for what they were doing. But for the sake of their daughter, they did it. Little Marissa was born in 1990, and she was a match. 14 months later, they fed her marrow into sister Anissa’s veins, and her cancer was completely cured. Today, Anissa and Marissa are best friends.

Marissa said about her sister, Anissa. “Without her and her sickness, I wouldn’t be here. And if I hadn’t been born, she wouldn’t be here.”

She was born because of her sister’s terminal disease, so that her sister might live.

We are all born with a terminal disease – literally. It’s in our blood from our father Adam, and it’s sin. It’s killing us from the inside out from the day we are born. We needed a cure for our disease – blood atonement – but there was no match. We needed a blood-relative. So God decided to bring His own Son into the world to be our kinsman-redeemer. What a sacrifice for the Son, yes, but what a sacrifice for His Father. So Jesus came, and He was a perfect match for us because He’s a real human being, just like us. He could pay the price to redeem us because He is God and had no sin. Jesus was born as a little baby so that He might give His blood, so that we might live forever. We have redemption because of Incarnation.  Isn’t that Christmas?

Abba Father

And because you are sons,

God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,

crying, “Abba! Father!”

Galatians 4:6

 

I’ve been a Christian now for almost 45 years, and I’ve read this passage hundreds of times., I’ve taught it in seminary and preached it from the pulpit. But God spoke it to my own heart it at a dark, low, sad time in my life. I cried out, “Abba, Father!” And I talked to my Father as His child.

I had always read this as describing the joyful, exuberant cry of a Christian who grasps his sonship, is overwhelmed with excitement that God is his Father, and so he comes into the Father’s presence with his head held high, shouting out, “Abba! Father!” But maybe Paul was describing just what I was going through: a child of God feeling weak, spiritually depleted and helpless—but at that moment, still knowing that I could cry out “Abba, Father!” and my Father would be there for me, and hear me, and love me.

That’s when Jesus cried out to His Abba Father.

It was at the darkest lowest moment of His life. He was on His knees, face on the ground, sweating drops of blood as He looked ahead to the physical torture, and emotional abandonment of the cross. But He knew that His Abba Father was there. He could go to Him, He could pour out His broken heart, He could even ask Him if the cup could pass Him by. At that moment the Holy Spirit was flooding Jesus with assurance that He was the beloved Son of God, and He could cry out to His Father.

So that’s the way I read this passage now, not so much as the joyful cry of a Christian on a sun-shiny day, but as the whimpering cry of a child of God on a dark, terrible night who knows that His Father is there for him.

Our 4 kids are grown now, but during the years that we were raising our 4 kids, we always left our bedroom door open a crack because we never knew when we might hear, in the middle of the night, “Mom! Dad!” When Rachel was in high school she came down with a severe bone infection that put her in the hospital for two weeks. She was so sick. And when she came home from the hospital I remember in the middle of the night, hearing that faint cry. I would fly into her room—my feet hardly touched the floor.

How much more our heavenly Father hears our cries. His door is always open, and if you are His child, He is waiting to hear your faintest whimper, in the darkest night: “Abba, Father!” Do you cry out to Him? You can. It’s part of your birthright as a child of God. You can say with the Psalmist in Ps. 116:1,2: “I love the Lord, because He hears My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live!”

John Newton on the contradiction of an angry Calvinist.

"They who avow the doctrines distinguished by the name of Calvinistic, ought, if consistent with their own principles, to be most gentle and forbearing of all men, in meekness instructing them that oppose. With us, it is a fundamental maxim, that a man can receive nothing but what is given him from heaven (John 3:27). If, therefore, it has pleased God to give us the knowledge of some truths, which are hidden from others, who have the same outward means of information; it is a just reason for thankfulness to Him, but will not justify our being angry with them; for we are no better or wiser than they in ourselves, and might have opposed the truths which we now prize, with the same eagerness and obstinacy, if His grace had not made us to differ. If the man, mentioned in John 9, who was born blind, on whom our Lord graciously bestowed the blessing of sight, had taken a cudgel and beat all the blind men he met, because they would not see, his conduct would have greatly resembled that of an angry Calvinist."

Empathy and the Election of Donald Trump

Good writers know the difference between “sympathy” and “empathy.” I sympathize for another person when I have compassion for their fear or their sorrow. But I empathize with that person when I allow myself to feel what they feel. I choose to enter into their suffering as though their nerve endings were connected to my own brain. And this is a choice. Sympathy only goes as far as what I myself feel. Empathy actively enters into another’s suffering until I feel it myself.

I’ve been surprised and baffled to hear that blacks, women, Jews, Muslims and others are reacting to Donald Trump’s election with tears and fears. Because of my personal demographic – male, white, middle-class, living in a rural, very non-diverse area – I don’t feel threatened. Personally, I would have been more afraid if Hillary Clinton had won. It’s really hard for me to grasp statements like these from a respected, Reformed, black pastor—

“Congratulations white evangelicalism on your candidate’s win. I don’t understand you and I think you just sealed some awful fate . . . evangelicals expressed solidarity (again) with some of the worst aspects of American history and culture while abandoning brothers and sisters of like precious faith.”

Huh? But I have precious brothers and sisters in Christ representing very different demographics than mine, who share this pastor’s grief and fear. I might think they are over-reacting and exaggerating. But this is where empathy is required. I have to admit that I’m not living in their skin or in their cities. They might be right or wrong, but their feelings are still real and painful. Brotherly love compels me to empathize with their fears even if I can’t understand their logic.

Anthony Bushnell, writing on John Piper’s Desiring God site said this—

“One of the central teachings of Christianity is to love your neighbor as yourself. The Bible exhorts us to ‘weep with those who weep;’ it doesn’t tell us to ‘judge whether they should be weeping’. . . The same is true for those in fear. We don’t have to agree with the intensity of their fear in order to empathize with them. Compassion doesn’t require us to be convinced another person is entirely correct. It requires us to care about how he is feeling. Even if you think the danger won’t come to pass, the fear is certainly real.”

I’ve said before that I am no Donald Trump fan, but my “side” won in this election: the stats show that a majority of white, male, older (don’t laugh), evangelical Christians voted for Trump. I don’t require any empathy. But my friends who love Jesus as much as me but look nothing like my demographic, deserve my empathy even if we don’t see this election the same way. I need to listen to them until I feel, in some measure, what they feel. I owe it to them to do my best to get in their skin. It’s what I would want from them if the situation was different.

And it’s what God did for His children in the Incarnation. God is spirit, and cannot suffer, and did not need to suffer. He was immune to suffering, but in the Incarnation, He laid aside His immunity to pain to feel ours. God the Son literally got inside our skin, not just to suffer for us, but to suffer with us. He didn’t need to, but He chose to. His empathy for us took on flesh and blood. So we know He cares for us. And I think that’s all our brothers and sisters, frightened by this election, want to know from us.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. . .” Hebrews 4:15

 

Four things God says about your problem

1.) “I am in sovereign control over your situation.”

 Psalm 115:3 “Our God is in the heavens and He does whatever He pleases” 

Do you believe this?—do you really? If you are a child of God nothing in your life is random or accidental. Jesus taught His Disciples in Matthew 6 that God is our heavenly Father who God cares for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, He even knows when one falls to the ground. How much more is He intimately, powerfully, lovingly controlling every detail of your life?

This doesn’t remove the pain or resolve the perplexity, but what comfort it brings to know that our heavenly Father is in complete, loving, caring, control. Don’t be afraid of this truth: This problem is from God. It might be hard, and it might hurt, and the fire might be hot—it was hot for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego—but God was right there with them in that fire, wasn’t He? This trial is from God, and He is in control. But He says something else—

 2.) “My glory and your good is the purpose behind your problem.”

Romans 11:36 “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” 

 His glory: He has allowed this problem into your life—to show off the splendor of His glory. Wow! What a privilege we have when God afflicts us: our problems are painful opportunities to put our God on display, to show off His wisdom, power, and mercy. 

We can be myopic, we are up too close – and we are wringing our hands asking “What’s happening to me? Why is this happening to me? What’s going to become of me?” But it’s not just about you, it’s not even mostly about you, it’s about the grand plan of the universe which is to bring all glory and honor to God. And you can be absolutely certain that this is the ultimate purpose behind your problem. 

And your good! He is sovereignly causing all things to work together for your good: 

Romans 8:28-29 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. [And what is the good?]  For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son . . . 

Let this percolate into your mind and down into your heart until it brings peace and comfort. God has entrusted to you the stewardship of your situation for the purpose of displaying His glory, and in the process, transforming you into the image of His Son. His glory, and your good. Wow! Do you believe this? Do you accept it? Does it bring you joy? Don’t move on, don’t offer anymore counsel until it does. 

“But is it about God’s glory and my good even if my own sin got me into it?” Does Romans 8:28 have an exception clause for sin? Absolutely not. If you are a child of God, and even if your sin got you into this mess, He is sovereignly causing all things to work together for good.

Then turn to this wonderful passage that puts it all together: 

James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If this is of God, and for His glory, and my good, then I choose to be joyful. God is not to be blamed, He is to be thanked and praised. And then He says—

3.) “I hold you responsible to trust and obey Me in this situation.”

Now this goes against the grain of our world. Oprah says it’s not your fault, you’re a victim of abuse or you were spanked as a child or whatever. God says, “If I have put this situation in your lap, then you are responsible to trust Me and obey Me, and I will give every spiritual resource to do so.” You don’t need to make excuses, or shift the blame to anyone or anything else—look at the log in your own eye, and deal with it—

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man;  [No, you’re not the first one to struggle with this] and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.

Now let me tell you how most Christians misunderstand this passage: It’s not saying that God will always provide a way out of your trial, a way of escape. It’s saying the opposite: The “way of escape” is through it. God doesn’t promise to take away your trial but to be with you through it so that you can endure it! That’s what it means to “escape,” you can escape sinning in your trial by trusting and obeying. And like the hymn says: “They who trust Him wholly, find Him wholly true.”

And one more thing God says—

4.) “I bless those who trust and obey Me with peace and joy.”

Do you believe that the blessing of God is better than anything sin can offer? You can run away from this trial and escape the pain—you can give into that temptation, and experience the pleasure. But do you want the blessing of God, or not? I urge you to wrestle with this question until the answer is yes. The blessing of God comes to those who trust and obey.

Paul had much pain in his life, and once it was so great that he said this:

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 “Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

What did Paul want? For the pain to stop. And God had all the power in the universe at His disposal to stop the pain, but He didn’t. He had no lack of love for Paul as His precious child, but He didn’t take the pain away. Why? Because He wanted Paul to find something infinitely greater through the pain—Christ and His all-sufficiency. Circumstances?—unchanged. Problem?—solved.

The real question is: “Do you want what God wants, and are you willing to do whatever He says?”

When you settle this you can stop asking “Why, Lord? Why are You doing this to me?” You already know why: for His glory and for your Christlikeness, that’s why. So stop “why-ning,” and just ask “what?” “Lord, what would You have me do in this situation?”

When you finally say, “Lord, not my will, but Your will be done,” and “Lord, whatever You tell me to do in Your Word, I will do,” your circumstances haven’t changed, but your problem is really solved, isn’t it? 

“Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”