In the Midst of Suffering (Part 1)

1 Thessalonians 1:4-8

4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.  You know how we lived among you for your sake.  6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING with joy given by the Holy Spirit.  7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.  8 The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia - your faith in God has become known everywhere.  Therefore we do not need to say anything about it.

I believe all of are in one of three places in this life: 1. We are either COMING OUT of suffering; 2. We are IN THE MIDDLE of suffering;  or 3. We are HEADING TOWARD suffering.  The dictionary says to "suffer" means "to undergo or to be subjected to or to endure pain, distress, possible injury, loss, or anything unpleasant."  The Holman Bible Dictionary says three categories of suffering exist: 1. Suffering caused by physical limitations; 2. Suffering caused by natural disasters; and 3. Suffering caused by human actions.  Suffering is a reality in this life.

The Bible says much to us about suffering.  One question that is asked time and time again about suffering is this: WHY DO WE SUFFER?  In Genesis 1, we read that God created the heavens and the earth.  When God created the earth and everything in it, it was good.  The man and the woman were enjoying a perfect world and a perfect relationship with God.  In Genesis 3, the man and the woman chose to sin against God.  In that moment, sin came into this world, and the world has been broken ever since.  Suffering came into this world as a result of sin.  However, God loves us.  God stepped into our brokenness and our sin, and He made a way to be right with Him.  In Genesis 3:14-19, God made two promises that we need to know.  God promised a Savior, One who would rescue us and redeem us from our sin.  God also promised suffering because of sin.  Pain and toil and trouble would plague the earth and mankind.  If we are not careful, we focus so much on the promise of suffering and the reality of suffering that we miss the promise and the reality of salvation!

Paul David Tripp says in his book, Suffering, "Suffering is real, tangible, personal, and specific.  Scripture presents to the one suffering a loving God who understands, who cares, and who invites us to come to Him for help, and who promises us one day to end all suffering of every kind."  Why do we suffer?  We suffer as a result of sin.  However, God can and will use the suffering to bring us blessings!  When you look at the church mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 1, we see the people IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING.  Yet, this church - these people - were marked by faith, hope, and love (v. 3).  This church - these people - had a dynamic faith!  Their local communities knew about their faith.   The world knew about their faith.  Paul said that he didn't need to say anything about their faith because their lives said enough!  How did they respond IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING?  They chose to focus on the message of the gospel IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING.  The Holy Spirit blessed them with joy IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING.  God blessed them IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING.  We need to remember that God has a long-term plan in mind for us as believers; His plan is not temporal but rather eternal.  Through repentance and belief in Jesus Christ, God saves us from our sin, and He sanctifies in this life.  God uses the suffering in this life for our good and for His glory.  Paul David Tripp also says in his book, "Suffering has the power to expose what or who you have been trusting all along."  When we suffer, we can learn so much more about God and so much more about ourselves.  Many times I have learned through suffering that I trust in myself way too much; I trust in my family, my education, my job, and my resources on earth way too much.  I have learned through suffering that I don't really trust God as much as I say I do, or worst yet, at all when things begin to all apart.  IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING, I have to choose what or who I believe.  I have to choose to believe that God is with me and God is for me.  I have to choose to believe that God is in control even when I don't feel it or see it.  What or who I believe makes all the difference IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING.

I don't know where you are right now...coming out of suffering, in the middle of suffering, or heading toward suffering.  I don't know what or who you are trusting IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING.  I do know what God's Word says, and I believe God's Word.  Jesus says in John 16:33, "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."  James says in James 1:2-4, "Consider it pure joy, my brother and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  I know and believe that God loves you.  I know and believe that God has promised to save you from your sins through Jesus Christ.  I know and believe that God has promised suffering in this life as a result of sin.  I know and believe that God can and God will use the suffering to bring blessings to you and through you.  What do you believe IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING?  Who do you believe IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING?  What you believe and who you believe will make all the difference in your life...temporally and eternally.

The Outward Focused Life

Mark 10:42-45

42 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  43 Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

In this world, we are tempted over and over again with status, position, and authority.  We are tempted with greatness.  We like to be on top in this world.  The world has its own ideas about what greatness is and how to obtain it.  The Bible has something to say about greatness, as well, and it is totally opposite of the world.  Jesus said in Mark 10:43, "Whoever wants to become GREAT among you must be your SERVANT." Jesus went on to say in verse 45, "For even the Son of Man did not come TO BE SERVED, but TO SERVE, and TO GIVE his life as a ransom for many."  When it comes to greatness, there is no one greater than Jesus.  His model of greatness came in the form of servanthood.  In other words, He lived the outward focused life.  He was a giver, not a taker.  He ultimately gave His life...for us!

What we see in Mark 10:42-45 is that there is a challenge in being a servant.  In our sinful nature, we look down upon servanthood.  In our sinful nature, we want to be served.  In our sinful nature, we suffer from the "Burger King Syndrome," which is "have it your way right away!"  Being a servant is challenging because we have to throw off our sinful nature and embrace Jesus' way of living...the outward focused life.  There is a cost in being a servant.  In a previous verse, Mark 10:38, Jesus said to James and John, "You don't know what you are asking.  Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"  The cup that Jesus referenced was the cup of death.  The baptism that Jesus referenced was the baptism of suffering.  Living the outward focused life of servanthood will cost.  However, we see in the Scriptures that we are saved to serve.  In Luke 19:10, Jesus said, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."  When you couple that statement of Jesus with what He said in Mark 10:45, we can clearly see that we are saved to serve.  When we repent of our sin and embrace Jesus as Lord and Savior, we do so in humility and in obedience.  We die to sin and to self, and we live in Jesus.  We are saved and called to live as SERVANTS in a SERVE-ME world!  My prayer today is that God will help me and enable me to live the outward focused life.  My prayer today is that God will help you and enable you to live the outward focused life.  May we embrace these truths in Scripture, and may we live these truths out loud for the world to see...for God's glory!  Amen!

Graduation Day!

Matthew 6:19-21

19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Today is May 14, 2019.  It will be a day that I know my wife and I will always remember.  Our son Jacob will graduate tonight from Ouachita Christian School.  He has attended OCS since he was two years old.  Yep, he started early!  We have been blessed by God in so many ways.  One of God's blessings for us has been that Jacob has been impacted by so many godly men and women while attending OCS.  He has been challenged academically, athletically, and most importantly, spiritually over these past 16 years.  There have been ups and downs, as with any student and any school.  However, God has brought us to this point and to this time when we can celebrate high school graduation with our son.  

Jacob, we love you and are so very proud of the young man you have grown to be.  Our prayer as parents is that you would be who God created you to be and do what God created you to do.  Give God your whole heart.  As Solomon says in Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else, GUARD YOUR HEART, for everything you do flows from it."  As Jesus says in Matthew 6:21, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  You are God's "SPECIAL POSSESSION" and you have been created to "DECLARE THE PRAISES of Him who called you out of darkness" (2 Peter 2:9).  If you will remember these truths, believe these truths, and live these truths out loud, then there is nothing you won't be able to do for God's glory!  Go out and live your life to the full and share God's love with everyone!

We love you so much!

Mom and Dad

Praise the Lord at All Times!

Psalm 34:1-3

1 I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.  2 I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.  3 Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 34.  I love the first three verses that fall from David's lips from his heart.  I am reminded by these words that as a child of God His praise should be on my lips...AT ALL TIMES!  Whether I am on the mountain tops of life or the deep valleys of life or anywhere in between, I am able and should praise the Lord at all times!  I am also reminded by David's words that as a child of God I am invited and encouraged to praise God with my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I love those words, "Let us exalt his name TOGETHER."  This reminds of those times playing and coaching basketball.  There were days when all the kids I coached were out of the gym, and I would stay and shoot a little.  I loved shooting the ball from half court, and every now and then I would make one.  I would be excited about making the shot, but no one was there to see it.  No one was there to celebrate with me or high-five with me.  I loved practices, but I loved the games even more.  When a kid I coached did something to help the team win, we would high-five each.  Teammates would get excited.  As brothers and sisters in Christ, we have the privilege of worshiping our great God TOGETHER.  We have many opportunities of celebrating and getting excited about God's goodness TOGETHER.  Let's be found as children who praise the Lord at all times...when we are alone and when we are together.  Let's be found as children who praise the Lord at all times...no matter what we feel like and no matter what the circumstances may be.  LET US PRAISE THE LORD AT ALL TIMES!!!

God's Unfailing Love

Psalm 107:8-9

8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, 9 for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

This past weekend we celebrated Easter.  Jesus lived a perfect life.  Jesus died a sacrificial death.  Jesus rose from the grave victoriously.  I love that old hymn, "Because He Lives."  The words ring loud in my heart and in my ears: "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.  Because He lives, all fear is gone.  Because I know He holds the future, my life is worth the living just because He lives."  In Psalm 107, God reminded me this morning that His great love for us is UNFAILING!  What Jesus has done and what Jesus is still doing changes us forever and ever!  He loves us.  He went to the cross for us.  He rose from the grave for us.  Jesus is God's demonstration of His UNFAILING love for us.  Today, this Monday after Easter, let us give thanks to the Lord for His UNFAILING love.  As the Psalmist said in Psalm 107, the Lord "satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things."  God's UNFAILING love is not something that we deserve or that we earn; it is His good, good gift to us.  We simply receive it.  I am thankful today for the opportunity to repent of my sins.  I am thankful today for the opportunity to receive God's UNFAILING love through Jesus.  God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good!  God's UNFAILING love is available to me and to you.  Praise God for His UNFAILING love!!!