Why Is There Suffering In The World? Part 2

“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves as a father the son he delights in.” –Proverbs 3:11-12

Some suffering that occurs in the life of the believer in Christ is for the purpose of correction. For instance, if a believer falls into sin with his unbelieving neighbor and gets drunk tonight, both men will suffer a hangover tomorrow morning. For the unbeliever this is just what one suffers for a night of "fun." But for the believer in Christ the hangover is also corrective discipline by which God shows His child that this choice of action is not God's will for his life. Believer and unbeliever alike will suffer a hangover as a result of excessive drinking but the suffering has purpose in the life of the believer. Apart from Christ the headache, nausea and general misery associated with the morning after a night of binge drinking has no purpose at all. (By the way, I am not advocating drinking but the illustration was too good to pass up.)

Sometimes our suffering is the method God uses to direct us to a better way of living; His way of living! God loves us and wants the very best for our life. God's discipline, even when it comes through some type of suffering, directs us to His very best for our life.

Part 3 tomorrow,

James

Why is There Suffering in The World? Part 1

"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." -- John 16:33

Why is there suffering in the world? Regardless of our race, age or position in life we all ask this question. And it is very important for Christians to give an answer! If we have no answer for why an all powerful God allows bad things to take place we leave the world questioning the love and goodness of an infinitely loving and good God. We must be clear and honest so people might know the true character and nature of the God we serve!

We have to understand the ultimate reason for all suffering is sin. God never intended for any of us to suffer. He created a world with no trouble, hardships or suffering of any kind. But, when mankind chose to rebel against Him by sinning (any thought, word or deed contrary to God's will) the perfection of God's created order was changed forever. No longer was the world free from the consequences of sin. Man was thrust into a world of his own doing; a world of sin, sickness, corruption and death.

After man's rebellion against God, we were all left to live in a broken world. And our future in the next world looked bleak as well! We were all destined for an eternity separated from God in hell. But God initiated a plan in order to redeem (buy back) our future. God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ to live and die on the Cross in order to pay for our sins. Now, if one believes Jesus died on the Cross for his sins and gives his life to Him, he or she can be saved from their rebellion against God and a future separated from Him in hell. Through Jesus Christ, God assured us of a future restored to His original intention for us; a life free from suffering of any kind.

But what about now? We still live in a sinful, imperfect world and there will be hard times on occasion. In fact, Jesus says there will be tribulation and suffering! Of course we know God can deliver us from suffering and certainly He does that on occasion. We will never know this side of Heaven just how much God has spared us while we live here on earth. However, because we are in a world tainted by the affects of mankind's rebellion against God, none of us can completely escape all suffering.

Now here is the real meat of our story today: If you are a believer in Christ something positive can come from anything you suffer in this life! God allows suffering into the life of His children because we are a part of the human race and live in a world marred by sin. However, when believers in Christ endure such, they do so knowing God will take the painful hurt of the moment and produce something good.

There are three kinds of suffering in the life of a believer in Christ. We are going to look at these and what God accomplishes for us through each of them over the next three days...see you then!

James

Christ Says No To The Oprah Winfrey Gospel

The following article READ HERE is the transcript of a speech President Obama recently gave at the White House in honor of the Muslim holiday Ramadan. Many Americans are falling for the key ideas in Mr Obama's speech; the idea that faiths are equally good and all people are children of God. This is an unbiblical idea! The children of God are those who place faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and give their life to Him. Do not be fooled into believing the "Oprah Winfrey" false gospel; a gospel that teaches there are many ways to God and you may simply choose which is best for you. Jesus clearly taught His disciples, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me." We cannot passively sit by and let our leaders attempt to influence the public with such heretical lies. We must lovingly, gently, proclaim what is true...God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son Jesus so that whosoever would place faith in Him doesn't have to perish but will instead be saved!

James

Praying For Barack Hussein Obama

"'I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone...for kings, and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." -- 1 Timothy 2:1-2

It doesn't matter one iota who you wish had won the election of 2008. It doesn't matter if you are a Republican or a Democrat. It doesn't matter who you hope will win the election of 2012! God wants us to pray for our leaders and right now our leader is Barack Obama.

I do not pray for all of President Obama's policies to succeed. In fact I often pray just the opposite of what Mr Obama hopes to succeed. I pray according to what I believe God wants for our country on moral and social issues so at times this puts me at odds with the president. I pray for an end to abortion. I pray for the defense of Biblical marriage. I pray for a revival of Christianity to the point our nation is once again thought to be a Christian nation. I do not believe Mr Obama hopes or prays for these same things. In fact, it appears he may hope and pray for just the opposite on some or all of these. But, I do pray for President Obama. I pray for the salvation of his soul, that God would guide him and give him wisdom. I pray that Mr Obama would follow God's ways of doing things and make good decisions for our country. I pray these things because I desire to live a quiet life in all godliness and holiness. I pray for President Obama because God has told me to do so and I will obey Jesus my Lord!

How are you praying for our president, congressmen and judges today?

James

Ultrasound Changes Minds and Saves Lives

Great article which begs the question, "Why would 80% of women who see an ultrasound of their baby change their mind about getting an abortion?" The answer: "There's a baby in there!" God's grace is extended to those who have had an abortion! Let's pray for an end to this horrible practice!

Read Article Here

James

The Remedy For Worldwide Unrest

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" -- Romans 3:23

This week has been a very tumultuous one in Great Britain. Riots have overwhelmed the police in London as looters and hooligans have taken to the streets. But the riots and unrest don't stop with the UK. Syria, Spain, Greece, Portugal and even Philadelphia have experienced riots in the last few days. Whatever the reason, and most of it is economic, there are a lot of unhappy people who have decided the best way to vent their anger is to destroy or take the property of others.

What makes a person believe it ok to steal or destroy what belongs to another? How does hurting someone else solve one's own dilemmas in life? I wondered this almost 20 years ago when I watched Los Angeles blow up after the Rodney King verdict. We even had a rather bizarre congresswoman remark at the time, "No justice, no peace" in response to questions from those like myself; those looking for answers to the insanity.

Peaceful protest and civil disobedience have their place in the life of a democracy. When there is an injustice of some kind people should do what they can to call attention to it and demand change. But rioting is at best the worst response of fallen mankind to perceived injustice. Rioting and looting are often not even a response to perceived injustice at all but rather the greed of those who believe they can make a quick getaway with another's property during a crisis or satisfy their hatred toward neighbors.

It should never really surprise us to see what mankind is like once the niceties of civilization breakdown and mob rule takes over. Scripture teaches us in Romans 3 that everyone is a sinner and fallen; apart from Christ men and women are totally and completely depraved. When we see this depravity rear its ugly head during riots we are really just seeing the visible manifestation of what had been kept secret and hidden from the public view.

Christ is the only hope for fallen mankind. Jesus is the only remedy for our depravity and only hope for salvation. Those who place faith in Jesus for their forgiveness and life are changed into a person who would rather please God that steal a television set.

James

Should We Only Vote For Christians in 2012?

"Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."

-- John Jay (First Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court)

Some ask whether the faith of a political candidate matters and my answer is a resounding yes! Why would believers ever consider a candidate who does not obviously have a relationship with the Living God? Why would we ever consider someone for office who is not led by the Holy Spirit and does not have Jesus for their Lord?

Popular culture and the media have done all they can to remove faith from the public discourse. Candidates are considered fringe or just shy of raving lunatics if they speak of their faith in anything more than hushed, almost embarrassed tones. This has not always been the case! As Jay's quote demonstrates, we once were a nation driven by faith and ideology rather than charm, looks and salesmanship. It is high time the church demand principled, christian leadership from our government. We have a responsibility, as christians living in a democracy, to demand no less!

Pray for our nation and be ready for 2012!

James

Hope We Can Really Believe In!

"And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." -- Romans 5:2b

Hope and change you can believe in! These words were key to the political campaign of our current president in 2008 and the slogan helped sweep him into office. People all around us are looking for hope in a myriad of areas in their life. This of course begs the question, "What exactly is hope and where can one actually find it?"

Hope is simply the expectation of good. Each of us would prefer to look to our future with optimistic expectations. How can we do so? There is only one place any of us can possibly find guaranteed hope for our future...Jesus Christ. Apart from Christ there is no security, no guarantees or no solid expectations. People look to politicians, friends, family, money, and any number of other places for hope because everyone desperately wants to believe good things are in their future. But, there will never be a place to find real, lasting, certain hope outside of Jesus Christ and His promise of new life through Him. The president's election team was brilliant to tap into this universal desire when packaging their man for the presidential contest of 2008. Unfortunately for President Obama, no human being can ever guarantee real, lasting hope for the future; only Jesus Christ can do that!

Where are you looking for hope? Are you looking for your hope in Christ or in circumstances, people and things?

James

Change We Need And How To Get It

"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." -- Acts 4:13

I make no bones about my politics. I am pro-life, pro-second amendment, conservative by most counts and believe in lower taxes. However, I do not believe for one minute we will ever change the world through the ballot box. Politics and government are important but they are not the means by which God changes a nation. A nation is changed when individuals begin to experience "life change" through Jesus Christ. There is a process by which this "national transformation" happens: As individuals change families changes and as families change churches change and as churches change communities change and as communities change states change and as states change nations change and as nations change the world changes. But all of this change happens through Jesus Christ. No man is ever truly changed apart from Jesus Christ.

Two of Jesus' disciples, Peter and John, were once arrested and brought before the religious leaders of Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin. The two disciples were unlearned men, brought up as fishermen, neither were scholars. They had no "bona fides" save one, they had been with Jesus. Their mere association with Jesus had radically changed them and made them mighty, powerful and troublemakers in the eyes of the officials. The Sanhedrin knew Jerusalem was changing; the city was being turned upside down by the disciples of Jesus. The upheaval had begun in the lives of individuals like Peter and John. Once enough individuals began to experience "life change" through Christ a major change in the city was begun!

Do you want to see your city, nation and world change? Then pray and ask God to change you first! Start spending more time with Jesus and watch what He does as He changes you and the world in which you live everyday. It really is true...a fire starts with only a spark. YOU may be the very spark God uses to start a mighty revival fire for this nation! Believe!

James

A Love Without End

"Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." -- Romans 8:39

I am now the father of a six week old child! What an incredible gift from God! I feel like Abraham sometimes...In my old age God has given me a son! Now, I feel that way, old, when I am up at 3 in the morning with my CRYING son! But, even in the midst of the little sacrifices we make for him, I never cease to completely and unconditionally love my little boy.

God loves you and I the same way: completely and unconditionally (multiplied by infinity). In fact, Scripture says there is absolutely nothing in all of creation which can separate a follower of Christ from the love of God. There is nothing we can do which would ever cause God to cease loving us. This morning as you go to worship meditate upon this wonderful, incredible, awesome fact of life...God completely, unconditionally, forever loves those who have faith in Him!

James

Can You Be a Lukewarm Christian???

Take a few minutes and listen to this brief interview. It will encourage some and convict others! Jesus invites us to die to all we are so we might live in Him!

James

Let Freedom (and faith) Ring!

"Jesus could not do many miracles there, except lay His hands on a few sick people and heal them. And He was amazed at their lack of faith." -- Mark 6:5-6a

When I was single I once had lunch with a man who asked, "Do you believe it is God's will for you to be married someday?" I certainly felt it was God's will and answered in the affirmative. His reply, "In that case begin praying in faith, believing that God is even now bringing you to your wife and your wife to you." Eureka, what a wonderful change in my life was born on that day!

We are so often tempted to think in frightened, indecisive and negative ways. Such thinking can easily make it into our prayer life and rob us of faith! Why not believe and have faith for what God has allowed to (currently) be the desire of our heart? At worst, so to speak, God will make these desires a reality and at best He will change our desires to better fit His plans for us. What we currently believe to be God's will should be our firm foundation of faith! That said, we should certainly be continually submitted to Christ and willing for Him to change the desires of our heart! After all, Christ is the Lord of our life! We belong to Him! We should pray for Christ to change our heart at any point where we are not aligned with His perfect will for our life.

What do you currently believe to be God's will for your family, job, ministry or relationships? Trust God, have faith and believe God is either in the process of making your desires a reality or is in the process of changing your desires altogether! Such faith in Christ can bring incredible freedom as we let go of the temptation to continually doubt, question and deny the desires God has allowed to be written on our heart submitted to Him.

James

The United States Is In Trouble

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." -- 2 Chronicles 7:14

Our country is in trouble. This simple sentence sums up a most profound circumstance in which all of us have a stake. The United States presently finds herself in one of the most incredible crises of her 235 year history. Unless something happens soon to change our chartered course, we will find ourselves in the land of other failed nations and empires.

Most would consider our current economic malaise as reason for a bleak outlook ahead, but the reality of our situation is much more than simple economics. Our country has lost its collective soul, and unless we soon find God, we will soon find His wrath. One thing we know with certainty is that God does not show favor to those nations which deny Him. America has denied God's authority for a number of years but only recently has she been so bold as to completely deny Him. No longer is God revered in the public square, entreated in public discourse or honored as the source of our blessing. We have become a proud people who believe ourselves responsible for our own success and capable of our own rescue. We are led by those who deny God's existence in their own day and attempt to deny the confession of our founding fathers in their day as well.

Reverence begins with the house of God. Our churches need only blame themselves for the lack of respect and honor paid to her God in the public square. In times past even the godless dared not ridicule, belittle or deny the Christian God for fear of the ire of His church. Today, such respect is no longer afforded to those who profess faith. Presidential candidates who publicly speak of their love for Christ are ridiculed and thought unfit to lead. The public instead extols the greatness of those who would live in a pluralistic society under the banner of relativism. We bought into the lie of Satan and adopted the idea that faith was a private matter, unfit for polite conversation, and thereby lost our voice in the public square.

Today we are told the White House is preparing for the downgrading of our national credit rating. Our kids will find it far more difficult to enjoy the same level of economic prosperity we have enjoyed in our lifetime. Iran is soon to have atomic weapons, China literally owns huge sums of America as she funds large amounts of our debt. We are facing a future filled with uncertainty and instability on all sides.

The popular culture today celebrates immorality as normalcy. No longer are people embarrassed by their sin for it is championed as righteousness. We are literally living a Romans 1 existence; right is wrong, wrong is right, up is down and down is up. Our children are assaulted on every front as the most perverse of sins are now being taught in our schools as normal human behavior. Those who champion decency and righteousness are in turn ridiculed and called bigots.

I suppose we shouldn't be surprised by the assault on our beliefs by those who do not follow Christ. Jesus said we would face hardship and tribulation in this life. But, He also said He has overcome the world. We do not have to lay down and watch the destruction of this nation. We do not have to acquiesce and watch her torn apart by those who would sacrifice her to the powers of darkness. Greater is He who is in us than he that is in the world. Satan has lost the war for our souls and he can lose the battle for the future of the United States of America as well.

It is time that we, the church, humble ourselves, pray, seek God's face, turn from our wicked ways and ask God to heal our land...

James