PERSERVERING THROUGH PAIN!

 

Friday, May 31, 2024

 

PERSERVERING THROUGH PAIN!

 

2 Cor 4:16-18

16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

 

          Someone said, “pain is inevitable, but misery is optional.” I know many saints who go smiling through life and you would never know the pain they carry. I know others who whine through life and are all too eager to fully describe their pain. The difference is what Paul calls “the inward man.”

 

          Pain occupies our mind, relentlessly demanding our first and exclusive consideration. We can allow this pain to invade all areas of our life, or we can drag it along like an unwelcome guest. I think Paul offers us several suggestions for dealing with our pain.

 

1. FOCUS ON OUR RENEWABLE RESOURCE!

 

The outward man is wearing away. In fact, the meaning of the word “perish” in verse 16 is not pleasant for it means “to rot thoroughly.” On the other hand, the inward man, that spiritual part, is being freshly renewed day by day and will never die!

 

 John 11:26

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

 

2. GAIN A GODLY PERSPECTIVE!

 

Paul calls it “light” affliction and yet he was beaten with rods, stoned and left for dead, chained in the stocks hands and feet and shipwrecked. Most of us would not consider that to be light. Paul also shows us his perspective on the duration of affliction. He says it is “but for a moment.” He focused on that which was going to last.

 

2 Cor 12:7-9

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

 

Paul complained most, not about shipwreck, but about what he called a thorn in the flesh. While we are not told what it was, whether physical or mental anguish, we know that it was persistent and would not go away. Ultimately, he finished his ministry leaning weakly on the strength of Christ.

 

3. SEE THE FRUIT OF PAIN BRAVELY BORNE!

 

Paul said that pain “works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” The Greek for “worketh” means to accomplish, finish, and fashion.” So, we see that it was the pain that was the agent of change. It is the cause while glory is the result. That is why Paul was able to boldly say: “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Cor 12:9)

We are quick to give the Devil his due, but Paul knew that when pain was present God was at work.

 

Savior help those experiencing pain to lean heavily upon you. AMEN

 

TRUST GOD IN THE DARK

 

Thursday, May 30, 2024

 

TRUST GOD IN THE DARK

 

Gen 28:10-16

10 And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran.

11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord  God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.

 

Matt 14:23

23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

 

          What your faith is in the darkness, when you are alone, is all that it truly is. All the rest is just posturing and window dressing. It is those quiet and private thoughts that pass between you and your God that is the true measure of your trust. Merriam – Webster defines “trust” as: “assured reliance on the character, strength, or truth of someone or something; confident hope.”

 

          How confident is your hope? It is a horrible question! It is like the bonus question at the end of a major exam. If we get it right, we pass but if not we fail – even if we answer all the other questions correctly. Personal and not corporate trust is all the trust we truly own. There is a jab among preachers that serves as a way marker for our faith. We will say to one another: “Do you really believe that – or are you just preaching?” How strong is your faith when trouble wakes you in the night, when the outcome of many endeavors is in question? 

 

Hab 3:17-18

17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

 

Dear Invisible God, let me build a relationship with you that will survive the cold sweats of those dark and alone times of doubt. AMEN

 

INSIDIOUS!

 

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

 

INSIDIOUS!

 

Gal 5:7-9

7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.

9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

 

          While strolling through Wal-Mart, my wife noticed that the “religious” section had been removed from the books department. They used to have Bibles and religious literature available in a small section of that department, but it was no longer there. As we passed the media center it seemed that the ambient music was designed to drive customers from the store. The alcoholic beverage section had enlarged. I said to my wife that it was “insidious!” She asked what I meant, and I said that “bad becomes worse and worse becomes even worse.”

 

          The actual definition of “insidious” is: “intended to trap or beguile; stealthily treacherous or deceitful; operating in a seemingly harmless way but actually with grave effect.”

 

          Jesus likened this to yeast mixed into the bread dough. Just a spoonful of leavening will work its way through the entire batter of dough. It puffs it up and changes the flavor and texture.

 

          Our culture, and even our churches, are suffering an insidious moral decline. All the boundaries have been shifted. “Not-too-bad” has replaced good as the moral starting point. Bad is now normal. Isaiah pronounced a woe upon his time and culture for the very same thing.

 

Isa 5:20

20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

 

1 Cor 2:16b

16 But we have the mind of Christ.

 

          Adam Clarke says of First Corinthians 2:16: “He has endowed us with the same disposition, being born again by his Spirit; therefore we are capable of knowing his mind and receiving the teachings of his Spirit.”

 

Dear Lord, I am touched by the leaven of my culture. I too am puffed up and my texture and flavor have been changed. Give me a discerning heart and a determined spirit. Help me to be pure in a world of sin. AMEN

 

HIS FOOTPRINT ON MY HEART!

 

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

 

HIS FOOTPRINT ON MY HEART!

 

1 Cor 10:13

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

 

          Because a thing is wrong, does not preclude my attraction to it! I am a man of two natures like the Apostle Paul. In Romans chapter 7 he painfully describes the struggle that rages in the heart of the man with two natures. What he wants to do he does not do and what he loathes to do he seems addicted to. In Romans chapter 8 he explains that the liberating difference is Jesus.

 

Rom 7:24-8:1

24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

 

          Isaac H. Meredith, in 1900 wrote a hymn called Seal us, O Holy Spirit which conveys the thought of Christ’s image stamped on our heart. The first stanza is below.

 

Seal us, O Holy Spirit,

Grant us Thine impress, we pray;

We would be more like the Savior,

Stamped with His image today.

 

Dear Lord, walk throughout my heart and leave your footprints today. Be the difference between me and sin. AMEN

 

THE SIXTH NOTE IN TAPS

 

Monday, May 27, 2024

Memorial Day

 

THE SIXTH NOTE IN TAPS

 

John 15:12-14

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

 

During John F. Kennedy’s funeral, a U.S. Army bugler from East Grand Rapids flubbed a note during a solo rendition of taps at a funeral.

 

Had the mistake happened during anyone other than John F. Kennedy’s funeral, it might have gone unnoticed and bugler Keith Clark would have lived out his days with little notoriety.

 

Instead, the broken note — described as sounding like a 'sob,' — struck a chord with a grieving nation and assured Clark and his bugle a place in history.

 

"The sixth note is a flat note, " said Clark. "I was wrestling with it, and it got away from me,” he recalled in 1988 on the anniversary of Kennedy’s Nov. 25, 1963, funeral. “I missed a note under pressure. It's something you don't like, but it's something that can happen to a trumpet player."

 

According to the Washington Post, Clark always regretted the mistake, although later he saw the cracked note as especially symbolic.

 

          Daniel Butterfield is credited with what we now call “taps.” It was originally called “The Scot Tattoo” and it has been played on American battlefields since the civil war.

 

Day is done, gone the sun

From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky

All is well, safely rest

God is nigh

 

Fading light dims the sight

And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright

From afar, drawing near

Falls the night

 

Thanks and praise for our days

Neath the sun, neath the stars, neath the sky

As we go, this we know

God is nigh

 

Dear Lord, on this special day of remembrance, let us recall the sacrifice of our soldiers and Thy Son. AMEN

 

THE MIND OF CHRIST!

 

Sunday, May 26, 2024

 

THE MIND OF CHRIST!

 

Phil 2:2-8

2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

 

Three times in this portion Paul uses the word “mind.” It is interesting to learn that they have different meanings in the New Testament’s original language. Each time, however, Paul emphasizes the fact that our actions begin in our thought processes. Let’s take a look.

 

Like minded – One accord – of one mind—THIS IS UNITY!

 

Couples who have been married for a long time have an uncanny ability to finish each other’s thoughts and sentences in a conversation. They are so intimately familiar with one another that they seem to share a single mind! This is the atmosphere Paul is promoting within the Philippians’ church. The meaning is UNITY.

 

What would happen if you did not have to ask a question because you already knew the answer? What would happen if you did not have to persuade or negotiate because there was no opposition? What if every action had a predictable and FAVORABLE reaction? This is the atmosphere Paul wanted for them.

 

1 Cor 1:10

10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

 

 

Lowliness of mind – THIS IS HUMILITY!

 

Paul explains himself in verse 4 when he says: “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” What would happen if every member of the church weighed their ambitions in someone else’s balance? What if we consciously and intentionally thought of others more than ourselves? What if each time we prepared a cup of coffee for ourselves we prepared one for someone else – just the way they like it – two sugars and no cream? Think about the atmosphere in that church where every member functioned in this way!

 

The Mind of Christ – THIS IS SACRIFICE!

 

Without abandoning His awareness of His own equality with God, Jesus “took upon him [put on like a garment] the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” It was necessary for Christ to become man!

 

Rom 8:3-4

3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

 

It was a tough job, as we say, but someone had to do it! This is the mind of sacrifice. Jesus willingly suffered loss that we might gain. Try, Paul was saying, to blend your affections and emotions – your mind – with this attitude held by Christ. The opposite of this “mind” is what I call the “greedy grab” mindset and it genders strife.

 

James 4:1-2

4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

 

Dear Lord! Help me to develop a mind of unity with my brethren, a mind of humility with my peers and the mind of Christ in the world. AMEN

 

GENTLE PRESSURE

 

Saturday, May 25, 2024

 

GENTLE PRESSURE

 

Jer 18:4

4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

 

          The Lord told Jeremiah to go down and observe the potter and his work. He watched as the raw clay was scooped up and pounded into a moldable consistency. The lump was slapped upon the center of the wheel, and he began to spin it with his foot while his wet hands smoothed out a usable shape. The Lord then explained that making a lovely and useful vessel sometimes required some pounding and finally some gentle pressure.

 

          A few years ago, a graduate gave a single rose to my wife to indicate that she had been impacted by my wife’s gentle pressure upon her life. My wife was surprised but I was not. No, I did not know about the rose beforehand, but I was not surprised. Gentle pressure is not always appreciated but it transforms.

 

          Do you feel the Potter’s gentle pressure upon your life today? Maybe it is more like pounding! Either way, God is trying to make something beautiful and useful of you. Even “mess ups” are not a total loss in the masterful hands of the potter. He simply starts over and makes it into another vessel. Yield to His gentle pressure and wait for the transformation. It’s going to be wonderful!

 

Dear Lord, let me yield to your gentle pressure upon my life today. AMEN

 

WHY WE CAN’T SEE ANGELS!

 

Friday, May 24, 2024

 

WHY WE CAN’T SEE ANGELS!

 

Num 22:21-33

21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

23 And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

24 But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

25 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.

26 And the angel of the Lord  went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

27 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.

28 And the Lord  opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.

30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.

31 Then the Lord  opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord  standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.

32 And the angel of the Lord  said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:

33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.

 

          There is something inside all of us, I think, that would like to see an angel. We would love to have confirmation that they exist because their existence would confirm every other truth of Scripture. Perhaps that is the reason they keep themselves either invisible or disguised. God wants us to believe by faith.

 

          In our story today, Balaam was being recruited by the enemy to curse Israel. They offered him status and money. Balaam tried to find a way to accommodate them while remaining associated with the God of Israel. It was not possible. While on his way to the enemy, an angel stood in his way. Balaam didn’t see the angel but his simple animal upon which he rode did. So, what should we do if we see an angel standing in our way?

 

          The ass stopped! Stopping is always a good idea. Standing still makes it possible to either gain insight or to curtail error. We can focus on whatever the angel has to say to us.

 

          The ass changed direction! Balaam’s beast understood that a change was needed. Sometimes we are so focused on what we want to do and where we want to go that we fail to realize that we are on the wrong path. God loves us enough to turn us aside. When we change direction, it may harm or frustrate others. Balaam’s foot was smashed against the wall, but he still did not see the angel. All he saw was an unwanted change in direction and he reacted to that with violence.

 

          The ass fell down! We may ultimately need to resign our duties if we are being driven by one who does not see! It is better to do that than to keep walking in a wrong direction. Those who do not see may react to us with hostility.

 

          Finally, the ass spoke! The most amazing thing is that Balaam did not seem to find this strange. Instead, he carried on a conversation as if it were the most natural thing. Because of the testimony of his ass, Balaam also saw and heard the angel, and we learn why he could not see. Verse 32 says: “because thy way is perverse before me.”

 

          Angels are ministering spirits sent to help us along our way. Most often they are invisible while they rearrange circumstances and sometimes, they are disguised as non-heavenly beings.

 

Heb 1:14

14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

 

Heb 13:2

2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

 

Dear Lord, let me carefully observe the strangers and helpers you send to me today because I may be entertaining angels. AMEN