In the hands of Fate?

Someone whose life has been filled with so much pain and disappointment told me, “I’m losing faith.” I get it. If we believe that real faith in God gets us a pass on the suffering in this world, most likely we will discard our belief in God like we once outgrew our belief in the tooth fairy. 

Genuine faith engages us in a conversation with God that ask to know Him and to live as He desires.  There is a recurring question in my prayer: "What are You doing, Lord?"  Certainly God does not give an account of Himself to me. My question is less about getting an explanation than it is about trying to understand how I can keep myself aligned with His plans. Even as I pray to grasp the ‘why’ of our times, I also often pray this line from Jesus’ prayer – “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven.”

Christians view ‘God’s will’ in two ways that many believe are mutually exclusive. Some focus on the fact that God is the Creator and Source, concluding that whatever happens is His will, the extreme view of this making us puppets without choice.  One does not have to think very long about that without running into some serious moral issues.  Does God will murder or rape?  On the other side of the question there are those who believe that we are responsible for whatever happens to us. This group believes that God has limited His direct involvement in the world, leaving us to work out the difficulties on our own. In the most radical application of the idea of free will, God becomes little more than a remote Advisor, One on Whom we cannot rely.

The Bible teaches us two things that appear to be in conflict:

One is that God is 'sovereign,' meaning that He does as He pleases above all.

The other is that you and I are a 'free agents’ who enjoy the privilege of choice and the power to change the world.

Yes, both statement are true. God is 'in charge,' and I am free to choose to participate in His purposes or to reject His will! What see as an 'either/or' situation, the Bible teaches as a 'both/and' situation.
Jeremiah, seeing the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, struggles to understand.  As he prays God tells him, “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. And if I announce that I will build up and plant a certain nation or kingdom, making it strong and great, but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless that nation as I had said I would." (Jeremiah 18:6-10, NLT) What does Jeremiah learn from the Spirit of God?   He learns that God’s will and human choice are interwoven, that we participate the purposes of the Lord.  

Our choices are important. We are not puppets on a string, helplessly dancing as a God of inscrutable purposes pulls and twists from His throne.  It is important that we respond to Him with the daily choice to align ourselves with His revealed plan, and in that Spirit-empowered choice, we are able to live contentedly, even in the worst of situations.  There is a supernatural serenity (a ‘peace that passes understanding’) found in faithful devotion. If we choose to act as self-willed rebels or angry fools shaking a puny fists in His face because of unpleasant circumstances, we cut ourselves off the One who life.

Isaiah urges us not to think too highly of ourselves and to submit to the Lord. Using the same imagery as Jeremiah, he writes - "Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?” You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pot say of the potter, “He knows nothing”?" (Isaiah 29:15-16, NIV)
The practical implications of the twin truths of God's rule and our freedom of choice is that we can live peacefully in this world. When difficult situations arise in our lives or in the world around us, we run to the One who is unchanging, 'the same yesterday, today, and forever.' We take solace from His promise that He will never leave us, never forsake us. But we do not stop working with Him to bring His rule to this world. We pray for change. We present ourselves to Him, and discipline ourselves so that His purposes are not hindered by our self-will. The Believer's focus is always on seeking God, even as the Spirit works to strengthen our faith.
Christian, the question that we should ask when confronted with conflict, sickness, and suffering is not best framed as 'why is this happening?' but rather as, 'what are You asking of me, Lord?'
If He wills that we go through the fire to refine our character, we can walk through it with peace.
If He wants to lead us to repentance, it is imperative that we respond quickly!
If His desire is to make us a living example of His grace, then our momentary sufferings become a thing of glory, the pain we experience inconsequential compared to the privilege of being used in His plans.

In all of this, we have repeated invitations from the Spirit to pray about everything, to make our requests known to God, to come boldly to His Throne: with the trust and humility of a child-like faith!

Here is a word from the Word. May the truth encourage us to love Him more. "Let me hear of your unfailing love to me in the morning, for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk, for I have come to you in prayer.

Save me from my enemies, Lord; I run to you to hide me.
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.
May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing." (Psalm 143:8-10, NLT) Amen

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I Surrender All

All to Jesus I surrender

All to Him I freely give

I will ever love and trust Him

In His presence daily live

I surrender all

I surrender all

All to Thee my blessed Savior

I surrender all

All to Jesus I surrender

Make me Savior wholly Thine

Let me feel the Holy Spirit

Truly know that Thou art mine

All to Jesus I surrender

Lord I give myself to Thee

Fill me with Thy love and power

Let Thy blessing fall on me

Judson Wheeler Van DeVenter | Winfield Scott Weeden

© Words: Public Domain

The End of Time?

Floods, fires, viral pandemics, earthquakes  … shake us up, don’t they? Some are pointing to these things as evidence that the Second Coming must be near at hand. Conspiracy theorists, especially among some Christian groups, insist that a godless one-world government and the Anti-christ of the Apocalypse are waiting to step onto the world’s stage.  

Somehow vaccines, 5G cell service, and Bill Gates, join Dr. Fauci in a strange concoction of fantastic ideas about a great conspiracy emerging. The closure of churches and restrictions placed on individuals must be, these people insist, the prelude to an organized attempt to silence Christians in America.  Could we please just STOP with the speculative, often silly, theories?  

We are more easily duped because so few of us trust our news sources, our government, or any institutions these days. “Fake news” is a phrase that has entered our lexicon for good reason. Our media has become so politicized and polar that we all know that much of what we hear is heavily biased or just out-right propaganda. In that environment, the most outlandish and baseless ‘facts’ find ways to take root in the minds of many.

Christian, we must be wise, which is not to be confused with ‘smart.’ We must anchor our minds in the eternal Truth and develop our thoughts with careful, prayerful reflection that is guided by the discernment that the Holy Spirit promises to give to us.  It is possible to be fervent in faith without losing our minds in the process!  The world is a rapidly changing place. From where I stand, I see growing hostility toward God and His Word.  Large numbers of people have decided that they have no need of God, Jesus, or personal Deity. They have declared themselves, de facto, their own god (small g intended); throwing off moral restraint, worshipping at the altar of self-fulfillment and technology. 

So, does this indicate that we are now in the “End Times”?  Many will not like my conclusion. The answer?  Yes and no.  When Christ ascended to heaven, He promised His return. The Church era is the ‘final chapter’ for this world. So, in one sense the end times started 2000 years ago. We know from the Scripture that we are to expect the imminent return of the Lord so yes, that too, indicates that we are in the end times.  And, more personally, we are mortal, our lifetime here finite, a sobering thought about our own pending appointment with God.  Jesus could return today, Glorious Day! But, the ‘day and the hour’ are not known to us, which makes Christians who engage in date-setting for ‘the End’ dangerously wrong-headed.

Instead of letting ourselves get worked up in fear, wrapped up in conspiracy theories, and duped by those who want to sell us an over-priced book, we need to take the word of Jesus to heart.  Luke recounts a parable He told about a nobleman traveling to a far country who entrusted his wealth to three of his managers. His parting words were - ‘Operate with this until I return.’ (Luke 19:13, The Message) They were to expect him to return while working to produce a return on his investment.  Jesus expects this of us. We are not to sit around wringing our hands with worry or waiting from a rescue from the sky. We have much Kingdom work to do, even as we hope for the coming of our Lord.

All the while, we have the promises of our Lord Jesus Christ who reminds us that a world in turmoil is reason to remember that time is finite and God will bring about His plan. “And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” (Luke 21:25-28, NLT) When we start to think that life will go on forever, the truth smacks us in the face and we realize, anew, that we are mortal. When we grow arrogant, the fires, floods, earthquakes, wars, and pandemics remind us that we are not as much in control as we might wish to think we are.  

He is God, I am not.  My times are in His hands.  Is your life held in His love, secured by His salvation? The declaration of judgment for all is not a terror to me. It gives me even more reason to serve Him, not from fear, but because I know my efforts for His Kingdom will be vindicated in that Day. Perhaps all the current shaking and rattling in the world will settle and a decade from now, peace and prosperity will have found us again. Or it may be that God is writing the epilogue of human history, soon to be published. That is not for us to say.

I leave Jesus’ words as the words from the Word. Own the promise, by faith, even if understanding is incomplete. In the promise there is peace. "The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." (Revelation 22:17, NIV) “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city." (Revelation 22:12-14, NIV)  

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Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending

Lo He comes with clouds descending

Once for favored sinners slain

Thousand thousand saints attending

Swell the triumph of His train

Alleluia alleluia alleluia

God appears on earth to reign

Every eye shall now behold Him

Robed in glorious majesty

Those who set at naught and sold Him

Pierced and nailed Him to the tree

Deeply wailing

Deeply wailing

Deeply wailing

Shall their true Messiah see

Those dear tokens of His passion

Still His dazzling body bears

Cause of endless exultation

To His ransomed worshippers

With what rapture

With what rapture

With what rapture

Gaze we on those glorious scars

Yea Amen let all adore Thee

High on Thine eternal throne

Savior take the power and glory

Claim the kingdom for Thine own

Come Lord Jesus

Come Lord Jesus

Come Lord Jesus

Everlasting God come down

Charles Wesley
Public Domain

Less? A blessing?

The last 8 weeks have brought ‘less.’  Roads are not so crowded. Days are not as filled with activities. Weekends leave us with time weighing on our hands. Looking ahead, many are coming to grips that they may have to adjust to living with less as the ripple effect of the virus brings job loss, wage cuts, and reduced staffing. That is, at first thought, not generally something to call a blessing, is it? How can less be blessed?

We like big, don’t we?  We like options. We like shelves full of 28 brands of products that do the same thing! It makes us feel rich. Amazon™ brings more options than the “Mall of America” right into our living room and MasterCard™ rejoices when we browse those digital pages to buy ‘stuff.’  Do we realize that there is stress that goes with having so many options from which to choose? We like the feeling of importance that comes from a crammed calendar. All those things we do helps us to convince ourselves that we are valuable. But, do we understand that when we cannot sleep because our mind continues to race when we lie down we are getting a message that life is too full?

We are trained to be consumers, to be discontent.  We are told that we ‘need’ a new phone, another pair of shoes, more clothing because our economy requires spending. Most products have obsolescence built into them so that we will feel the need to replace them in a couple of years. We think little of creating more debt to get a new house, another car, or to go on a vacation will finally be 'it.'  But, now a challenging narrative is emerging- one of contentment, one that lets us live with less. Can we accept it? Will we? 

Could it be that God is inviting us to a restored sanity?
Might He be asking to ‘consider our ways and be wise?’ 

One of the choices that Christians make, for God’s sake, is simplicity. What is that? The opposite is complex. God invites us to become people who are transparent, whose motives are clear, whose minds are focused singly on serving Christ Jesus, with a hope that is formed around eternal life.  Simplicity flourishes in us when make God more than the “Bread King” who is supposed to feed our desires, instead allowing Him to help us to learn to be contented with who we are, what we have, and where we are. 

As we think about the blessing of less, there are some practical things we can do, God helping us.

We stop comparing! Envy is the great enemy of simplicity.

We refuse to create an ‘image’ that we must then work hard to maintain. 

We are generous, breaking the hold of ‘stuff’ by sharing, not just out of our excess, but sacrificially.

We learn to thanks for life, as it is, rather than begging God to make it what we think it should be. 

We live today, choosing to let Him judge the past, to prepare us for the future. 

We learn that saying 'no' is an acceptable response; a no to our own hearts demands as well as a no to cultural pressure to conform.  

We live within our means, refusing to pile up debt in a vain attempt to create happiness.

Here's what Jesus said.  "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:22-24, NLT)   What's your vision for life?  If it is a clear vision, fixed on truth, and focused around the goodness of God, you will live freely, soberly, and with contentment. If it is corrupted by materialism, sensuality, celebrity, greed, or other common American 'values,' you will descend ever deeper into the confusion of trying to fill the longing for meaning with things that can never satisfy your soul.

Learning new ways to think and live is never easy. I believe that God is inviting us to a new satisfaction, growing out of deep and intimate worship. Right now that isn’t even happening in church buildings but we can worship when we revel in the beauty of a bird's song, the giggle of a child, the beauty of a sunset – finding the grace He promises 'for today.'   The choice to become simple will break the chains that keep us enslaved to Self and Satan; serving lesser gods of reputation, things we own, and the things that fill up our days.

Shall we discover the blessing of less?

Spend some time with this word from the Word. These are powerful words that can transform our values.

"Yet true religion with contentment is great wealth.
After all, we didn’t bring anything with us when we came into the world,
and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die.

So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.
But people who long to be rich fall into temptation
and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires
that plunge them into ruin and destruction.

For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil.
And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith
and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

But you, Timothy, belong to God; so run from all these evil things,
and follow what is right and good.
Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness."
(1 Timothy 6:6-11, NLT)

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10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)

Bless the Lord O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up it's a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes

You're rich in love and You're slow to anger

Your name is great and Your heart is kind

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

And on that day when my strength is failing

The end draws near and my time has come

Still my soul will sing Your praise unending

Ten thousand years and then forevermore

Worship Your holy name

Lord I'll worship Your holy name

Jonas Myrin | Matt Redman

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