Bad News

My last post dealt with healing. And while I mostly intended to address spiritual healing, physical healing does take place. But not all the time. That's what I'm writing about today—the times when God doesn't answer in the ways we would like or provide the outcome we hoped for. Times when your career falls apart and there's no way to fix it. Or when a relationship ends and all chances of reconciliation goes out the window. Or when a prognosis isn't what you hoped for.

God is sovereign. He can do whatever He wants, to whomever He wants, whenever He wants. His plan is always perfect, even if we don't understand it. Sometimes He will crush all hope in one area of our lives in order to divert our attention to His plan.

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”  - 2 Kings: 20:1

God didn't sugar coat His news for King Hezekiah. He told him flat-out "you will not recover". Sometimes we work towards a lost cause, pouring so much effort into something that just isn't meant to be. It can be heartbreaking, but God has a purpose.

Personally, I've suffered through trials like that. I've never experienced impending death as Hezekiah did, but dreams of mine have died. I was involved in a long-term relationship. Despite years of effort trying to save things, it continued to crumble. I thought the relationship could be salvaged, but eventually came to realize that it "will not recover". I could continue to agonize over it, torture myself by clinging to a false hope that somehow it will work out. But that doesn't always happen. Sometimes it's best to move on and trust that God's plan, although unseen, is better than our own.

The modern cliche "you can do anything if you put your mind to it" attitude can cause us to force our lives in a direction contrary to God's plan for us. We might be trying to become something He never created us to be. Imagine if King Hezekiah thought there was a chance he could recover. He may have spent all of the kingdom's money on searching for doctors from all over Israel and the surrounding territories. He could have exhausted all their resources on a lost cause. But God, in His mercy, gave insight into the future.

"You will not recover".

God sees beyond what we can see. He knows that death is not the end.

Hezekiah was a good guy. If you read through the two books of Kings, there were a lot of terrible rulers in Israel and Judah. A lot. But Hezekiah wasn't one of them. He sought God and served Him faithfully during His life. Yet still, he would not recover. Being a disciple of Christ doesn't give you a free pass on pain. It doesn't grant all your wishes or put you in the express lane to success. What it does give you, though, is the assurance that there is hope for peace and joy in the midst of all that. Because of Christ's resurrection, we know that nothing, not even death, can conquer God or stop Him from doing His will. And His will is to do good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28). In His time, in His way, He will do good.

My Healer

The healing power of God cannot be overemphasized. Not just His ability to heal physical diseases or injury, but His unique capability to reach our souls and mend the things that medicine can't dream of touching.

Reading through the Old Testament prophets can be difficult sometimes. It's a awful feeling to read over and over again of Israel's failures, rebellion, and vicious acts of sin. It's even worse to see yourself reflected in those words. But God never convicts without giving hope; He never tears down without a chance to build up; He doesn't inflict injury without offering to heal.

 "I was enraged by their sinful greed; I punished them, and hid my face in anger, yet they kept on in their willful ways. I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to them." - Isaiah 57:17-18

This passage of healing is specifically speaking to those who are contrite (see Isaiah 57:15). "Contrite" people are those who weep over their wrongdoings and are filled with genuine sorrow for their sins. Throughout Jesus' ministry, He preached repentance over and over. This is because it is only those who are contrite that are capable of true repentance. And these are the people God will heal. Sometimes I find myself feeling spiritually lazy and slipping into a lifestyle that is not pleasing to God. During those times I need to pray for eyes to see my sin for what it is; I need to pray that God would allowed me to be mournful over my actions. When I can come to God broken and genuinely repentant, there is healing.

Running The Race: Water Stations

So yesterday was the big race. Without a doubt, the biggest relief at any point during this race was the water stations. It was a fairly hot day yesterday and as people staggered in to the water stations, exhausted and starting to feel dizzy with dehydration, they grabbed cups of water from the volunteers like it was a magical life potion.

To continue with the apostle Paul's analogy that the Christian life is comparable to running a race, we have a water station for times when we feel exhausted, dizzy and dehydrated.

"Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.' " -John 7:37

One great (and life-saving) quality of the water stations in a race is that it's open to everybody. It's not only the elite racers or the best looking racers who get a cup of water. Out of the thousands of people running the the race yesterday, every single one who came to the water station received a cup of water. Likewise, the incredible thing about Jesus' invitation is that it's open to anyone; "if anyone is thirsty". You don't have to be born into the right family, you don't have to do all the right things, you don't have to be anybody special in order to come to Jesus.  If someone will humble themselves to come to Jesus, even if they have to crawl, He will accept them and give them His life-giving water.

A potentially concerning thing about road races is when spectators offer "un-official" drinks to racers passing by. We're told not to accept drinks from anyone other than water station volunteers. This is for obvious safety reasons. The spectators are strangers and could have contaminated the water. Luckily, this has never happened in the Tely 10, but other road races have had instances where a group of spectators decided to pull a very dangerous prank by handing out salt water to runners. Salt water leaves you more dehydrated than if you hadn't drank any water at all.

In our walk with God, we do have other options; there are other sources of water that we could choose to drink. They are not wise choices or good sources of water, but they do exist. Money, friendship, sex, drugs, and self-indulgence all promise to satisfy our souls. But just like salt-water, they leave you even more depraved than you were at the beginning. The woman at the well in John 4 came to realize this concept. She had been drinking "worldly water" in the form of romantic relationships, hoping to find satisfaction. After five failed marriages, each one leaving her more and more thirsty, she ran into Jesus who changed her life.

"but whoever drinks the water I [Jesus] give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." - John 4:14

Unlike the contaminated water sources the world offers, Jesus gives us water that causes us to "never thirst". Once you taste the water of God, you never need to look anywhere else.

One final thought on this. There is an action required of us in all of this. In that verse above, Jesus said "whoever drinks the water". This is an action that He cannot force on us. He can invite us to go to Him, He can offer us the water, but it's up to us to drink it. Just like a volunteer working at the water stations can hold out the cup of water for you to take but they can't force you to drink it.  If your spiritual life feels dry, tired, disoriented, or maybe completely passed out... maybe it's time for a drink. Go to Jesus again today and ask for that living water.


"As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God."
 - Psalm 42: 1-2

Running The Race: Tough Parts

My previous post talked about how exciting and simple the beginning of a race seems. Unfortunately, after the race has started and you have a few miles under your belt, the ease seems to evaporate. When sweat is pouring from your forehead and you're faced with a daunting hill, you might start to question why you ever decided to run the race at all.

As the apostle Paul pointed out several times in his epistles, the life of a disciple of Christ is quite similar to a running race. This, unfortunately, means that a Christian's life will have tough parts. We'll experience fatigue, pain, and perhaps question our decision to ever run this race.

"In this world, you will have trouble." - John 16:33

This is one of the most difficult to swallow promises that Jesus makes. We love promises about God's faithfulness and mercy, but this promise is just as true as the rest of them. As sure as a runner will break a sweat, a true disciple of Christ will experience trouble.

We can learn from running how to deal with these times of trouble. When we approach a trial with a godly point of view, it is a blessing rather than a hindrance. Running, just like any other form of exercise, it makes you stronger. The same principle applies to our Christian lives. James tells us to "consider it pure joy... whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." (James 2:2-3) We develop spiritual endurance and perseverance by enduring those "hills". Again, Psalm 119:71 tells us a similar story:

"It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees."

Our suffering, though painful, provides us a chance to grow and learn more about God. Without affliction, we can't experience God's healing. Without being broken by sin, we can't fully understand His grace. Taking this mindset can provide a major advantage in getting through our trials.

When tackling a steep hill while running, the runner's attitude can make the difference between making it to the top of the hill or collapsing halfway up. In terms of racing, I've been trained to think about reaching the top and coasting down the other side as opposed to thinking about the pain of going up. Similarly, when life puts a hill in your way, you have a choice to focus on the problem or focus on God pulling you through.

The story of David and Goliath has been beaten to death so much that it's a cliche for overcoming trials. But the method used by David to overcome his giant is the same one you and I can use. He focused on God and not on the giant. When all of Israel's army was looking at Goliath and his size, they were terrified and unable to defeat him. But David steps in, and he doesn't talk about Goliath. He talks about God.

"I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel... This is the day the Lord will hand you over to me... the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel... the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give all of you into our hands" - 1 Samuel 17:45-47

In the passage above, I've bolded each time David mentions God. Seven times in once speech. How many times do the other soldiers mention God? Zero. They're too busy worrying about how big Goliath is. When you forget God and focus on the problem, you often get paralyzed with fear and can't defeat the giant. But when you focus on God, your Goliath doesn't stand a chance. God is massive! If you're staring at Him, any hill in your way will look tiny in comparison.

Another strategy that many runners use when tackling hills is to change their stride. They slow down a little and take shorter strides. This helps them maintain their energy to make it through. When life gives you a hill, slow down. Rest!

Without rest, we have no peace.

"I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.” - Job 3:26

"Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest."- Psalm 55:5-6

God has designed us to rest, in fact He commands us to take a day of rest. Daily, we are invited to rest in Him. This is even more important during times of struggle.

"My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." - Exodus 33:14

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." - Matthew 11:28-29

When you reach the tough parts of this Christian "run", make sure you slow down, focus on God, and experience His rest. Earlier, I mentioned Jesus' promise from John 16:33, that we would experience trouble in this world. The beautiful part comes at the end of that verse: "But take heart! I have overcome the world". God won't flatten your hills for you, but he'll help push you to the top.

Running The Race: Start Line

This coming Sunday is the 83rd annual Tely 10 Road Race here in St. John's. It's the biggest road race in Atlantic Canada and one of the oldest in North America. I'll be running that race again this year, so it got me thinking about how many times the Bible compares our lives in Christ with a race. The next few days I'll share some thoughts on different aspects of the race and how that compares to a physical running race.

Hebrews 12:1 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

Let's start at the start. The start line, I mean. The most anxious moments of a race might be standing at the start line waiting for the gun to go off. But it's also an exciting time. Whether you're the guy at the front of the line hoping to win the race or an inexperienced runner who's just out for some fun, the start line is fun. It's exciting. Everyone's chatty and friendly. You haven't broken a sweat yet. The race hasn't gotten difficult yet.

Our Christian lives start in a very similar way. When you first come to know Christ and receive Him as your savior, it's a very exciting time. You feel your sin lifted away. You experience the presence of your Creator perhaps for the first time. Everyone around you is also excited, chatty and friendly towards you, celebrating your new life with you. You'll be itching to get going in this new life with Christ, hungry to pray and devour as much scripture as possible. When you're at the start, it's easy to feel that fire for God. This is a great time—enjoy it and savour it. Because just like a running race, you haven't broken a sweat yet. The race hasn't gotten difficult yet.

If you're in a "start line" season of life, rejoice in it! God is blessing you with a very special time, and you should take full advantage of that. Seek God as passionately as you can and allow Him to move in every aspect of your life. Jesus promises that it will get more difficult, but for the time being, enjoy where you are.

Psalm 118:24- "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Painful Obedience

I'm still trying to work out some kinks in this new blog... so I haven't written anything new. But here's an old post from 2005 in another blog I had:

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Who of us have always been a perfect Christian? Have you been perfectly obedient? No matter how good of a Christian we this we are , we are still disobedient from time to time. I'm guilty of it. But obedience is something that is greatly appreciated by God, and He'll reward you for it. He's been showing me that lately.

About a week ago, I was with some brothers and a sister, and something amazing happened during prayer. God showed me a verse, Acts 5.38-39, a verse that, since that day, has become very very familiar to me. Although I have read through Acts last summer, I had forgotten what happens in each chapter, so I really didn't know what to expect. A few of the believers that were with me at the time were really struggling with some stuff we were trying to do for God. We knew He wanted us to do something, but didn't know if it would be as good as we were hoping.This is what Acts 5.38-39 said: "therefore in the present case I advise you: leave these men alone! Let them go! If their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men. You will only find yourself fighting against God."

What more can you say when you've just been praying for God to make your work for Him go smoothly, than for God tosay to you through His word, "don't worry about it, nobody can stop you". Wow.

Anyways, I thought that since God was speaking to me through Acts, I figured this would be a good time to go back and study that book. Reading through the various stories and trials the early believers faced, I realized that they went through a similar pattern each time.

First- The believers faced a trial
Acts 5.17Thenthe high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18Theyarrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.

Second- They were obedient to God
Acts 5.19Butduring the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors... 20"Go, stand in the temple courts," he said...21At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told..."

Third - God rescued them from the trial
Acts 5.40 They called the apostles ... and let them go.

The apostles learned from this that obeying God would definitely pay off from them, and the result of this experience led to bear more fruit for God. (Acts 5.42Dayafter day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.)

In Acts 7, there is the story of how Steven, a very faithful man, was put to death, because of his faith. Some may see this as a defeat, but Steven was being led by the Holy Spirit. He was filled with it! He knew how real and powerful God was, and knew that obedience would pay off. He was obedient right to death. We can only imagine what kinds of rewards he must be enjoying now in Heaven!

I'm still studying Acts and reading the remarkable stories about these first disciples and how they risked their lives daily to serve God,knowing that God's rewards were worth it to suffer the pain they recieved.

A Little Overwhelmed

This morning I'm a little overwhelmed by God's grace.

He loves when I have nothing lovely to offer. He forgives when I'm rebellious and stubborn. He cleanses when I've fallen in dirt. He's patient with me, far more patient than I've ever been with anybody. Time and time again I've screwed up, but He holds me up and says "let's try this again, I'm with you."

I'm blown away by the truth of Psalm 94:18 - "When I said, 'My foot is slipping,' your unfailing love, Lord, supported me."

Unfailing love. I'm so in need of Him because I fail often... but He is unfailing.

All Are Welcome

When I read this passage a while ago, it really jumped out at me. It's a story about several different categories of people. Each of us fall into one of those categories, and each of us has a role to play in God's kingdom.

Matthew 20:1-8 (TNIV)“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.“About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’

So they went.“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing.

About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

“ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his supervisor, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

The landowner in this passage, obviously, is God. Before I go on, I just want to point out something remarkable at the beginning of this passage. God, the landowner, went "to hire workers for his vineyard." I want to say that I think it's amazing that God would choose to use people for His work. He's an all powerful, all knowing, and all sufficient God. He has no need for us, but He chooses to use us. He gave us life and a purpose.In this passage, the landowner returns to hire workers several times throughout the day. Whenever the Bible repeats things like this, I always like to see why it's being repeated. What is different about each repeat?The first time the landowner goes out to hire workers, it is "early in the morning". These workers are, for lack of a better word, the "keeners" of the world. These are the people who seem to always be on the ball, always seem to do things right. These people rise early and work hard all day long. I'm sure you know people from you church who you might classify in this category. They come from a strong Christian family, perhaps they're involved in the choir or leading small groups. These people are very important to God's work and it's obvious why God has hired them to work in the vineyard.But not everyone is like this. The landowner returns a second time. This time it was nine in the morning. The landowner found some more people standing around "doing nothing". These are the "late comers". Why were they doing nothing? Why weren't they there early in the morning when the first group was hired? Perhaps they slept in. Perhaps they were the wild crowd who, to be blunt, might be a little hung over from the night before. For whatever reason, they weren't there the whole time. Something made them late, but they did eventually show up. In today's world, these might represent people who didn't know God for their whole life. These people might not have come from a Christian background and it might have taken a while before anybody introduced the gospel to them. They're "late", but they showed up. They're repentant and ready to work. They're not perfect, as nobody is, but God invites them in all the same, "You also go and work in my vineyard".The final group hits me the hardest. This is group I most identify with. The landowner returns late in the day and finds a few more people standing around. These people were not late. They did not necessarily do anything wrong. After all, we're told that they have "been standing here all day long". They were there when the first group was hired. They were there when the second group was hired. But when asked why they're still standing around, they shyly confess "no one hired us"."Nobody wants us", "We're not good enough", "We are of no value", "We have nothing to offer".This sad statement resonates with millions of people in our hurting world. Every time a person turns to drinking or suicide, they are looking for acceptance. Every person who gets fired from a job is looking to have value. Every one who is the last to be picked for a sports team wants to be wanted. When a marriage breaks up, people wonder if they have anything to offer.They did everything to the best of their ability, they stood there all day long, but they couldn't measure up to the best of the best.But the landowner gives hope.

He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

In God's kingdom, you have value. In God's plan, you are essential. In God's heart, you are wanted. In God's vineyard, there is work that you have been specifically hired to do. God is saying to you, no matter how worthless the world may say you are, "you also go and work in my vineyard". You're wanted, you're welcomed, you're valued.This part of the passage concludes with the end of the work day. This, in my interpretation, represents the end of our earthly lives when we go meet our "landowner" face to face. Each worker is given the same payment. Whether they were the "best of the best" who showed up bright and early in the morning, or the last group hired late in the afternoon. All who enter in to God's kingdom are given the same reward: Eternal life!God is a fair and just God. He's a God who welcomes all, rewards all, and loves all. He's a God worth serving. Whether you've grown up in the church or have been beaten around by life, there's a place for you in God's kingdom. He came to you, He wants to hire you. He sent His son to make it all possible.That is one awesome landowner.

Defining Humility

Humility is one of those interesting virtues that everyone values, but few possess. Or, at least they don't possess as much of it as they want. Even the most prideful person around will likely say how much they admire humility and boast of how humble they are.

Scripture warns of pride many times.

Proverbs 16:5 - "The Lord detests all the proud of heart"
Proverbs 11:2 - "When pride comes, then comes disgrace,but with humility comes wisdom.

Romans 12:16 - "Do not be proud ... "

Pride, however, thrives in our culture. It's a substantial temptation for anyone preparing for a job interview, filling out a school application, or even trying to make new friends. But in addition to the temptation of pride, I also think a huge concern is that humility is very poorly understood by the church, at least among the younger members. The most common definition (or at least application) or humility I've noticed is to refuse compliments and put yourself down.

Does this sound familiar?

Person A: "You're really smart!"
Person B: "Not really, I'm quite dumb actually."

Person A: "I wish I could play the piano as good as you."
Person B: "No, I suck at the piano."

This isn't the biblical definition of humility. In fact, person B might be "fishing for compliments" which is a deceptive form of pride. Pride and deception... a double-whammy sin. We've all been person B.

Here's a short excerpt on this subject from a older blog I used to write, discussing Luke 1:1-25.

In verse 25, Elizabeth acknowledges that her blessing is from God. She trusts in Himand doesn't credit this gift to luck or her own works. Not only does shegive God credit for doing that great thing for her, but she also saysthat He has shown her favor, meaning that she acknowledges God as aloving God who does good things. She says that He has taken away herdisgrace. She confesses that the disgrace is hers, yet God is the onewho removes it. This again shows God's love and favor and ability toheal and forgive. Not only was the disgrace taken away to benefitElizabeth, but also to glorify God, because the child she would bearwould bring people to God (see Luke 1:16).

In our own lives, we should thank God forwhat He has done. Daily reminding ourselves that what we haveis not from ourselves, but from God. We should remember His favor and thankHim for it. Also, We should remember that God has taken away our disgraceand healed us of sin. He has done this for my benefit, and alsofor His glory.

The point is not that we must refuse compliments, but re-direct them to where they belong. You are good at certain things because God has created you to be good at them! Acknowledge the blessings and gifts we've received, but also acknowledge the giver of those gifts. You shouldn't call yourself dumb if you're actually smart, because God has created your intelligence. You shouldn't put down your musical abilities if you are skilled in that area, because God has given you that ability. Disowning or degrading the gifts God has given you is insulting His creation. So welcome your gifts, just make sure the credit is given to the One is belongs.