Finding Meaning In Suffering...

PERTINENT VERSES FOR REFERENCE:  
"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" (Psalm 147:3, NIV).  
"In their affliction they will seek Me early" (cf. Hosea 5:15). 
"Come unto me all ye who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28, KJV). 
 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18,  NKJV). 
 "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him" (Phil. 1:29, NIV).  
"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word" (Psalm 119:67, NIV).  
 "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold" (Job 23:10, NIV). 
"But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer.  For he gets their attention through adversity" (Job 36:15, NLT.
"He makes these things happen either to punish people or to show his unfailing love" (Job 37:13, NLT).  

"It is through much tribulation that we enter the kingdom of God," (cf. Acts 14:22).

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all," (cf. Psalm 34:19). 

"For it is through much affliction that we enter the kingdom of God." Acts 14:22

As Christians, we believe God has a purpose for everything, even our suffering (cf. Prov. 16:4).  It can be used to get our attention (cf. Job 36:15 above) or to even discipline us when we won't learn any other way and are wayward and don't heed the Word.  C. S. Lewis said that God shouts at us in our pains, it's God's megaphone to rouse a deaf world.  Sometimes we turn a deaf ear to God and become hard-of-hearing spiritually and need this little special attention-getting device.

But we know that "many are the afflictions of the righteous," but God always delivers us (cf. Psalm 34:19).  And that God is a "very present help in trouble" (cf. Psalm 46:1).  It's an honor to suffer for the sake of the Name, to be worthy, for which we will be rewarded, remembering that experience is not what happens to us, but in us, according to psychiatrist Dr. Viktor Frankl, himself a victim of Nazi atrocities. We're fulfilling the sufferings of Christ (cf. Col. 1:24).

Paul was joyful to suffer and he probably suffered more than any believer of his day that it was part of the fellowship of suffering (cf. Phil. 3:10) or a red badge of courage, or even a Medal of Honor, or Purple Heart to wear with dignity (cf. Phil. 3:10).  But all in all, only in Christ do we find meaning and purpose in our sufferings and trials and can grow by them. No religion has a complete explanation for suffering but we believe in the Suffering Servant who learned obedience by what He suffered on our behalf.  Christ didn't exempt Himself from any adversity and was honest enough to warn us to count the cost of following Him and to bear our cross--no cross, no crown.  Remember:  Jesus feels our pains and we couldn't believe in a God who couldn't. 

Christ doesn't ask us to do anything that He didn't do or expect of Himself and it all comes with the territory we signed up for a part of Reality 101, THE DIVINE CURRICULUM, as a believer, matriculated in Christ's school.  As believers, we enroll in a ministry of Suffering 101; rejoice in it as Paul did in prison:  "Rejoice in the Lord always."  "... [B]ut we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience" (Romans 5:3, KJV).  Why?  Because they give the opportunity for good and to show the testimony of Jesus and our grit. God doesn't willingly afflict the children of men (cf. Lam. 3:33). 

Job was the example par excellence of suffering in the Bible where God gave him a crucible that tested his faith to the utmost, and he passed and didn't give up even his own integrity.  This story shows that not all suffering is due to sin or because we deserve it, but also that we shouldn't judge another who is experiencing a trial. For it's in adversity that our character grows, not in our good times; show me someone who's never had any troubles, and I'll show you a person without character. 

We don't pray for an easy life but a strong character.  God frowns on those "at ease in Zion," living the easy life or as idle rich.   But God knows our breaking point and we can trust Him to lead us through what He leads us to, just as we pass through the waters, He'll be with us (cf. Isa. 43:2).

In Eastern thought, suffering is due to bad karma and we shouldn't interfere with one's karma when they suffer.  There is no place for charity, relief organizations, and lending aid to those in need and less fortunate, "untouchables," or those "down on their luck." We must always realize that God gives us trials to strengthen us so that we may strengthen others in their trials: "Been there and done that!"  We comfort others with our comfort.

We are capable of enduring any trial as long as we have hope, and there is hope in Christ, but without hope, there's nothing but despair that overwhelms us.  Thus, the more purpose-driven we become in our suffering, the more we can endure and we can see God at work in our lives through it all, for we are assured He is with us all the way to the end for "... he will be our guide even unto death" (cf. Psalm 48:14, KJV).

In sum, we must accept these trials with the blessings of God and realize that no cross means no crown!  "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but He delivereth him out of the all" (Psalm 34:19).   It is written in Acts 14:22 that "through many trials, we enter the kingdom of heaven."     Soli Deo Gloria!

Going Forward, Faith To Faith ...

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield.  The LORD gives grace and glory..." (Psalm 84:11, HCSB).   "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17, KJV).  

It is commonly said, that people will go anywhere as long as it's forward!  They want a promotion!  Unfortunately, many believers are heavy laden with a backsliding heart and aren't progressing or growing in faith; however, something that is alive grows!  There's a difference between the profession of faith and the reality of faith.  We progress from unbelieving and doubting faith to little faith, saving faith, and then to serving faith.  Maturity is not a given nor a foregone conclusion.  We are to ever increase in our faith as Romans 1:17 says (from faith to faith) and to show it in our lives as fruit (from faithfulness to faithfulness).  We must not divorce these two realities.   These two words are identical in Hebrew (cf. Habakkuk 2:4).  They shall know us by our fruit!

The faith we have is the faith we show and without the evidence of faith to be validated by works, it's spurious, suspect, and even dead.  That kind of faith cannot save us for we are not saved by faith per se, but faith in Christ--it's the object that matters; we don't put faith in faith.  But 2 Cor. 3:18 portrays our faith as having "ever-increasing glory."  Yes, God shares His glory with us and we will be in glory someday (Psalm 84:11).  There must come an awakening in our faith from our spiritual slumber and the day must dawn and the morning star rises in our hearts (cf. 2 Pet. 1:19).

I've heard Christians say that they are "Jesus" to someone and that is not our sanctification, even though God uses us for His glory and we are mere vessels of honor doing His will and work.  NB: We cannot reach somewhat of a "sinless perfection" (cf. Prov. 20:9) or "entire sanctification" (cf. Psalm 119:96) whereby we become Jesus in any sense of the word--we are not commanded to be Jesus, but to obey Him. We cannot save anyone and no one should expect us to save them!  There's only one Savior who alone gets the glory (Soli Deo Gloria!), for "salvation is of the LORD" (cf. Jonah 2:9).

We can be the helping hand of Jesus or His voice, or even the heart of Jesus extending mercy and comfort, but we must be humbled by the fact that we are not worthy of worship and we are not Jesus to anyone despite our do-goodery.  When we preach the gospel, it must be preaching the Word and Christ Jesus as Lord (cf. 2 Cor. 4:5), not preaching ourselves as the center of focus.   Humility is not thinking less of ourselves, but of ourselves less.   We think of Jesus, not being so preoccupied with ourselves (cf. Heb. 3:1; 12:1).

Paul was received as if he were Christ Himself, but he wasn't Christ to them  (cf. Gal. 4:14).  He was so humbled that God revealed His Son in him (cf. Gal. 1:16) and, realizing this, he couldn't wait till Christ be formed in them (cf. Gal. 4:19).  When we see Jesus by faith (cf. Heb. 2:9), the eyes of our hearts are opened (cf. Eph. 1:18) and we do see Jesus alive in our brethren and realize that He is using us for His glory and work.  But the temptation is to think that our righteousness or goodness is our gift to God and we are doing it of ourselves.  However, all our righteousness is of God as the source (cf. Isaiah 45:24).  Paul was quite humble:  "For I will not venture to speak of anything except for what Christ has accomplished through me..." (Romans 15:18, ESV; cf. Amos 6:13).  Hosea 14:8 says that our fruit or righteousness comes from Him and comes from the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal. 5:22-23).

The logical, applied goal of our faith is a desire to live it out and to complete the mission God gave us in the Lord (cf. Acts 20:24).  "All that counts is faith expressing itself through love" (cf. Gal. 5:6, NIV).  Sanctification is the process of growing in the faith and becoming more Christlike in our demeanor and conduct to show forth the witness of Christ in our lives as a living testimony.  We're all here for a purpose and God has a plan for all of us and will fulfill His will without or with our cooperation (cf. Psalm 57:2; 138:8; Job 23:14).  God even has a purpose for the evildoer! (cf. Proverbs 16:4).  Finding our spiritual gifting is part of the package and we will be as wandering stars without any purpose in life till we recognize how God uses us in the kingdom.

We are to put our faith into practice (cf. 2 Cor. 1:24), translating creeds into deeds to show others the reality of our faith, not just the profession of it. Remembering we are not saved by faith, but by Christ.   Only where our faith is difficult is it worth it; we must realize that it will be done unto us according to our faith (cf. Matt. 9:29).

CAVEATS:  THE LIE OF SATAN IS THAT WE SHALL BE AS GODS; WE ARE TO BECOME GODLY, NOT GODS! A COROLLARY IS THE NEW AGE DECEPTION:  "I'M JESUS; YOU'RE JESUS!" OR WE NEED TO FIND THE GOD WITHIN!      Soli Deo Gloria! 

Walking Worthy Of Our Lord

"The eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him" (2 Chron. 16:9, NIV).   

Just because we're saved doesn't guarantee we'll act it.  In some cases Christians fall short of the ideals and morals of the infidel, who is solely motivated by selfish pride and impressing others--as people-pleasers.   The Spirit-led, controlled, directed, filled believer has put on the new self-created in Christ's image, called the new man. He has found the Enabler, the Holy Spirit as the dynamic for living.  It's not a matter of how much of the Spirit one has, but how much of you He has.  The new life in Christ is all about surrender and it's not just a once-for-all, completed event.   He doesn't have an ulterior motive for good but wants to serve God from gratitude.

We're all works in progress and should humbly ask others to be patient with us as God isn't finished with us yet.  But we can rejoice that God doesn't deal with us as our sins deserve and He corrects us when we err.  It is said that the closer we get to God, the more we see our imperfections.   As we progress in our sensitivity to the Spirit, we strive to seek the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and not attention to us.  Just like the Spirit seeks not to bring attention to Himself, but to Christ, so also, as believers we seek God's glory and rejoice when God uses us for it.

It is said quite wisely that the mature believer is not divisive, contentious, argumentative, nor judgmental, but leaves room for God's judgment or gives the benefit of the doubt.   As it says in Scripture, the man of God must not strive or quarrel!  But we're all human too and this temptation will come as our pride gets in the way and we succumb to Satan's Anfectung or attack.  But we should beware of the devil's schemes and not get fooled--he's always playing mind games with psychological warfare (e.g., 'divide and conquer').  He just loves to strike at our pride because that seems to be his specialty and his evil.

Only when we walk in the Spirit, always in fellowship and in constant prayer and confession are we worthy of our Lord, but this involves applying the Word, being a witness to others, and growing in faith and its application as we do walk in the presence of God.  There are no short-cuts, easy paths, or formulae to follow; the only way is the O.J.T. of the trench warfare of real-life--the school of hard knocks of putting God's Word into practice.  We must all realize that hardship and Reality 101 are part of the divine curriculum when we matriculated in the school of Christ, and that God sends us adversity for our growth opportunities--to test our faith for our sake.  We will all have a different pilgrimage and spiritual journey to complete.  God has selected each man's work and purpose--finding it is the secret because many never do. 

Those who serve God wholeheartedly can be said to be walking worthily.  God frowns upon the lackadaisical disciple who doesn't commit or follow through.  David pleased God in that he served Him with all his heart.  Joshua and Caleb likewise "wholly followed the Lord."  In other words, they were gung-ho and had gusto and spunk!  The world may count the spiritual man as out of his mind, a fool, or demented, but this is for God's glory.  We must own Him as Lord and this always includes confessing Him as Lord.

The worthy believer has not divorced faith and faithfulness. They are two sides of the same coin!  He realizes the importance of endurance and perseverance as God preserves us.   Faithfulness implies that we apply our faith with good works to prove its worth or value.  We progress from faith to faith and grow by our faithfulness.  The righteous man shall live by his faithfulness according to Romans 1:17 which also means by his faith, for the two words are the same in Hebrew (cf. Hab. 2:4). 

In sum, the believer who has a healthy relationship and/or fellowship with his Lord is without duplicity or hypocrisy to others--he makes no parade of his spirituality or false impressions but is in earnest with all integrity, even if a sin is obvious, he can be pleasing to God, though the sin displeased Him.    But his testimony is not jeopardized by acting contrary to what pleases the Lord.  One must acknowledge his sins, no matter how great and confess them with all sincerity and this doesn't mean he won't ever sin or offend others--he's both sinner and saint--a justified saint!  In other words:  What you see is what you get (no pretense)!      Soli Deo Gloria!

Who Am I?

"But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me--and not without results ["I am what I am by the grace of God]" (1 Cor. 15:10, NLT).  
"But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!"  (Rom. 5:8, HCSB).
"The law came along to multiply the trespass.  But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more"  (Rom. 5:20, HCSB).  
"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.'  Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me" (2 Cor. 12:9, HCSB).  
"Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!..."  (Isaiah 45:9, KJV).
"I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see."  --Amazing Grace, public domain

When I was in college it was popular to search for yourself, find yourself, and to know yourself.  I had gotten religiously confused and was going through an identity crisis or moratorium to find myself--but which one, for I came to feel I was a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!  I went all through high school thinking I was a somebody because of my scholastic achievements--they said I bloomed too early--then when I went to college found out I was a nobody in comparison, actually being with students who offered intellectual challenge.

Then my pride in myself or my self-respect or ego had suffered a blow.  I endured several years wandering from job to job and finally entering the military thinking I was a nobody going to amount to nothing or what you might call a ne'er-do-well, or even a loser!  But in the service I found new life as I really got connected with a fellowship known as the Navigators (a parachurch ministry), with whom I hooked up with and who discipled me to grow up in Christ and realize the spiritual potential I always had but never realized--we all have unrealized potential if we look for it and use it!

I was a fast learner and soaked up the Bible, memorizing hundreds of verses and realizing a new talent I had doing this.  I was finding out in real time that even being a nobody, God could do something with me to His glory and use me as a vessel of honor, if I submitted to His lordship and ownership of my life.  I learned to lead people to Christ, and even my mom credits me for doing this while I was on leave.  I can remember my first witness to her as saying, "Mom, you're going to love the new me!'  and her reply was that she loved "the old me!"   I felt for the first time that I could lead a fulfilling life doing God's will without achieving the so-called American dream or of being a success according to the standards of the world.

Moses went through similar steps in his life:  forty years thinking he was a somebody; then forty years thinking he was a nobody; then finally forty years finding out what God can do with a nobody!  It was during his sojourn in the land of Midian that he was called of God and wondered there about his being unqualified to serve a gracious and merciful God (this is a contradiction in terms).  He had three excuses:  Who am I?  I am slow of speech; and they won't believe me!

I have wondered the same thing as that about myself.  Of course Jesus was right that your own family is the last who people actually give you any praise or credit. But we are to witness to them first!  I never thought I was a great writer but I just felt called to write and to vent or hone my skills via blogging and voila, there were hundreds and hundreds of posts fit to be published (and to this date they comprise ten volumes personally published).  But the point is that I believed the verse promise:  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"  (cf. Phil. 4:13).

God will always be with us to give us strength to do His will (cf. Col. 1:19)--even the means and support.  The Bible also says God promises to meet our need  (cf. Phil. 4:9) and to equip us to do His will (cf. Heb. 13:21).  Now I'm perfectly poised to do nothing but God's will even as if I were a monk in a monastery with no outside or mundane worries or concerns--just like Christ said that a soldier doesn't get involved in civilian affairs to be a good soldier.  I can virtually devote myself into full-time service of the Lord.

I not only have had the time and opportunity to do God's will, but the encouragement, the inspiration from a Bible-preaching church with inspired expository preachers, but also a little extra financial support for the extras that my mom as a special benefactor to me.  She is responsible for making the transition a little easier and also been my closest spiritual confidant and support or even rock to depend on when I needed advice or sympathy--it is good to have a wise and godly mom to learn from and I realized in time that she was wise, while my younger brothers seem to not yet have come to this realization. 

We all must realize that we have potential with God and must aim high to realize it.  As William Carey preached:  "Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God!"  If we aim at nothing--we'll get there!  Jesus is the prize and goal!  (Cf. Heb. 12:2)  Success, which has many definitions besides monetary, doesn't come by accident! Now, I feel fulfilled in life because I know I'm doing God's will and that's ultimately the safest place to be where the devil cannot touch me and there is a hedge of protection around me.  When Christians say that they have found it (in reality He found us per Isaiah 65:1), I can connect with that.  There is meaning and purpose in life beyond the mundane and what the world offers (cf. 1 John 2:1)--for the more room for what the devil offers with his delicacies and temptations, the less room for God's riches and blessings--that's simple math and I was always good at mathematical equations, which can come in handy!

But we will never find out who we are in Christ unless our hearts are fully committed and we know Christ as our Lord.  To find your spiritual gift you have to be willing to serve and find out what God uses you for--it may take experimentation and a willingness to debut for your dreams--but don't stop dreaming.  Some people only know Him as the Savior: for instance, they may say, "I am a great sinner, and Jesus is a great Savior; it's a great relationship!" These believers are merely carnal and cannot expect to get anything from the Lord.  We don't want to sin presumptuously (cf. Gal. 2:21), tempt or test God and take His grace for granted or to resist it either.  We must learn to walk with God to ever grow into adulthood, for the length of being saved doesn't always mean maturity.  Some believers never grow up! 

Moses (cf. Numbers 12:3) was one of the few men in the Bible who actually walked with God and the only one besides Christ who was called meek or humble! But Christ calls all His children to walk with Him in fellowship and the Holy Spirit makes this possible.   We are called to walk by faith and not by sight! No matter how far we progress spiritually or in the eyes of the world, we must never forget who we are and what our roots are--where we came from.  Many of us have humble beginnings like Gideon (the least in his family) or Amos (the shepherd and took care of sycamore-fig trees), and few of us are of noble roots like Moses (the crown prince).  Even David was but a humble shepherd before being called and anointed of God.

Few of us are as educated as a Dr. Luke or Paul as a Pharisee, but we don't have an excuse to remain ignorant for God frowns upon that and places a premium on knowledge, wisdom and understanding.  Isaiah says to look to the rock from which we were hewn! That means remaining faithful to our calling in God and never losing touch or caring about family if possible.   But Christ did say that He could be a cause of division and even a sword within families, so we must put our faith first. 

Now there was one man in the Bible who was righteous in God's eyes, but also knew it; namely, Job.  He would not let go of his integrity for the world and would never consider himself a sinner or worthy of punishment, but he kept his faith in God and didn't charge Him with error.  At the end of his ordeal, he was humbled by a vision of God and realized he was indeed a nobody--and then he finally repented. We must all realize that we amount to nothing apart from God but it doesn't matter who we are in the long term, but who God is:  it all boils down to how big our God is.

In closing, let me add one final thought:  In light of the fact that we are in a no-lose proposition or that we are in a win-win one from the spiritual perspective, we cannot fail at God's will done in faith for God is on our side and we cannot lose (cf. Psalm 118:6), He is with us eternally and we are never alone (cf. Isa. 41;10), and He believes in us more than we do and our situation is never hopeless (cf. Isa. 49:6; Jer. 29:11).   Soli Deo Gloria!

How To Live The Good Life

"If I want to know how to live in reality, I must know what God is really like." --Plato

Most people have dreams and fantasies, maybe even a bucket list of things to do in life in order to feel fulfilled or complete.  How about a bucket list of doing God's will?  Achieving the American dream isn't the answer to life; you can have everything to live on and nothing to live for!  The problem has never been dreams or wishes but in how to achieve them; most people end their lives in frustration have never "found themselves" or what God's will was for them.  We must be purpose-driven to have an impact and focused on our goals with a chord that will vibrate for eternity.

Not just to be remembered, but to be a game-changer.  According to the Bible, God has an intricate purpose and individual tailor-made plan for each of us, and if we are in God's will, walking by faith, we will find it to be the safest and most blessed place to be found.  We are hard-wired to work in our calling and to worship God.  He is interested in our whole being (heart, mind, body, soul, spirit) and its holistic health, not an unbalanced life that isn't worthy of our walk and has no testimony. 

Even Christians can have a secular worldview and not think biblically.  The goal in life is not just to be a goody-goody or to seek pleasure (you only go around once, grab all the gusto you can!), because God isn't primarily concerned with our "happiness," (which depends on happenings), but with us glorifying and enjoying Him.  There are intrinsic rewards and incentives in finding wisdom, which is more precious than rubies (cf. Prov. 8:11).   The result of the moral life is one of confidence and a good reputation, which is more valuable than riches too.

We all ought to seek a life beyond reproach so that the infidel has nothing evil to say about us (cf. Eph. 4:1).  One blockage to good thinking is not to have a Christian worldview; we all need to get our thinking straightened out and learn to think clearly, which will result in sound discourse and dialogue.  When we do find fulfillment and joy in life we become contagious and it shows.  Many people claim inner joy but haven't told their faces!

Plato thought of three inputs to our will, which control our ways:  desire, emotion, and knowledge.  We must make sure that we seek truth and feed on knowledge, wisdom, and understanding and even have a thirst for the Word, and we must have worthy ambitions and desires in life, and also the fulfilled person has his emotions in check.  But most people just are about as lazy as they dare to be and take the path of least resistance--the easy way out!

We must not ever pray for an easy life, but for God to increase our faith and strength. Remember, all a man's ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart (cf. Prov. 16:2).   The study of ethics is about living the good life and we find it by practicing our ethics (putting our creed into action) and believing in miracles from God.   What we do is expect great things from God, but we must attempt them too, as William Carey would say.  Aim high, then!

God is the moral center of the universe and we all must have a moral compass and show moral fiber, for character counts!   But there is a danger to reducing Christianity to a system of ethics, a rule book, a catalog of rules, or a list of dos and don'ts.   We must never lose focus but keep looking onto Jesus and cultivate that personal relationship with Him.  Our ethic shows our character and the faith we have is the faith we show: we demonstrate, validate, and authenticate our faith by turning it into deeds, otherwise it's suspect and spurious, even bogus and hypocritical. Turning our knowledge into action is faith, demonstrated in obedience.   But avoiding sin and immorality is not all there is to Christian ethics; its summation is to follow Christ in full renewing, ongoing surrender.  We must not only cease to do evil, but do good!

Upon following Christ, now we don't go by feelings, but when doing the will of God, we'll have a peace that passes all understanding.  The person who really knows Christ knows how to live and live in reality.  Knowing truth is a matter of repentance and of being oriented to reality--only God can set us free form delusion (cf 2 Tim. 2:25).   Life in Christ isn't always a religious high or on cloud nine, but varies with the task, for God always fills us and anoints us for His work.   We must know and learn the real formula for feeling good:  know right, think right, do right, and finally, to feel right.  Doing the right thing should make one feel right.

God is good, but being good without God is evil and a parody of the real thing.  Now, I must conclude with the standard Jesus set (the Golden Rule):  the highest ethic of all and the highest incentive to do it.  We will never be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect--that's the standard, but the direction we go is the test!  Remember, God has great expectations for us and wants us to attempt to move mountains with our mustard-seed faith!   We all have unrealized potential and should actualize the innate worth we possess, not to let it be dormant and thus waste our lives.   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Peace Beyond Comprehension

"'There is no peace,' says my God, 'for the wicked'" (Isaiah 57:21, NIV).
"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you" (Isaiah 26:3, NIV).  

To say that knowing Jesus is knowing peace, and with no Jesus, you get no peace.  But the devil always has his counterfeit peace with just enough truth to lure them into his lies and deception, inoculating them from the real thing, for example, secularists are intellectually fulfilled by adhering to evolution to explain reality.  He offers the world faux peace through idolatry, crutches, the supernatural, drugs, and in many forms.  Putting anything where God should be in one's priorities is idolatry--a time-consuming habit, hobby, or pastime.  

Christians can only know peace when they give Christ first place in their lives.  He is called the Prince of Peace for a reason!  He paid the price to set us free from our guilt and confusion brought on by sin. And only by His truth can we be set free from the lies of the enemy.   He is still in the resurrection business and can transform our lives into something beautiful to His glory.  Ephesians 2:14 says He is our peace!

One of the Jehovah texts is Judges 6:24, which calls Jesus  "the LORD is our peace," or Yahweh Shalom in Hebrew.  God's peace is manifold and multi-dimensional in the spiritual realms transcending our comprehension.  We are given peace with God, with ourselves, and with each other, and the ability to bring peace to the land by humbling ourselves in repentance to Him, and even being set free from our bondage and slavery to sin.  

We are also given the ability to share, communicate, and bring peace to others as Christ's "peacemakers," and we are lights to the world of what real peace is.  We experience this peace in the Lord and want to pass it on!  But it must start with a decision to call upon the Lord as our peace!  We must look to God, not ourselves and we will be saved, keeping our eyes focused on Him and not the obstacles.  Without Jesus, in our lives, we head towards chaos not knowing where we are going, and cannot find God or any real lasting peace.

Everyone has a God or god and if not the real thing--Jesus--there is some idol in the life filling the void.   So-called faux Gods are only the substitute that the devil offers to lure us away from the real thing!  People mistakenly believe that if something works, it's true.  The test of an idea is not whether it's true, but whether it works just considering the consequences (this is pragmatism):  because it works is no guarantee it's true (e.g., TM, hypnotism, astrology, meditation, channeling, and yoga).

That's why it's so important to seek the truth and to seek the Lord, not peace per se.  Many are really looking for the benefits, not the Benefactor, and are content with the things the devil offers the world, which will diminish one's appetite for the spiritual things of God.    Soli Deo Gloria!

What Spirit Do You Have?

"We know that we are the children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one" (1 John 5:19, NIV).  
"... And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ" (Rom. 8:9, NIV).  
"So the preaching about God flourished, the number of disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith" (Acts 6:7, HCSB).

The world is possessed with the spirit that works in the sons of disobedience (cf. Eph. 2:2) and the spirit of error.  They don't know the truth to set them free (cf. John 8:32), which God perchance may grant them (cf. 2 Tim. 2:25).  There is the spirit of the world that we possessed before salvation and followed according to the course of Satan and his minions and authorities. We are set free from his power and he cannot touch us (1 John 5:18), for we are more than conquerors.  Satan is a liar and the father of liars (cf. John 8:44), and all men are born liars (cf Psa. 116:11) and follow suit.  There is only one true God who cannot lie (cf. Titus 1:2).

Christians possess two natures:  the old man and the new man after Christ's image.  The one we feed the most assumes the most authority over our lives; there are no carnal believers by nature, but believers can become temporarily carnal and struggle in the flesh. The two spirits are not like the yin/yang of Eastern philosophy, but evil is only a perversion and deprivation of the good.  There is no such thing as pure evil because it is a parasite on the good and the deception is that it may contain an element of truth, just enough to inoculate one from the real thing and make him immune to the truth. We must always be vigilant to exercise the authority, being watchful in the same, that we have in Christ's name to tread on the enemy and claim our victory in Christ.  We need not live in defeat or even become defeatists.  "The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God..." (Rom. 8:7, NIV).

It is paramount that we periodically test the spirit within us to see whether Christ is present or not, especially during the Lord's Supper. "Everyone should examine themselves..." (cf. 1 Cor. 11:28, NIV).  We must always be on the watch for false teachers, a false gospel, a false Christ, and a false spirit (cf. 2 Cor. 11:4) because Satan seeks whom he may devour (cf. 1 Pet. 5:7) and we must test the spirits and contend for the faith (cf. Jude v. 3), lest heresy creeps in and corrupt the fellowship. The caveat we ought to heed is that Satan uses our vocabulary, but his own dictionary!  He preaches another Jesus, another gospel, another spirit. But those who know their God shall be strong and resist him (cf. Dan. 11:32).

Even Christians can become taken in by or buy into the wrong worldview and the philosophies of the devil:  winner take all; God helps those who help themselves; look out for number one; each man for himself; survival of the fittest; the law of the jungle; tit for tat; do unto them as they do unto you; being good without God, and even being moral and religious without religion or God as the moral center of the universe.  There are many crutches the world resorts to atheism as an excuse for sin; cynicism such as getting even, not mad; escapism, such as tripping out on drugs, escaping reality, and getting high; supernaturalism, such as dabbling in the occult; and humanism, or believing in self-help, that man can solve his own problems, and pop psychology; or believing in man-made rules and theories that contradict God and dethrone Him while exalting man, and making a name for himself.

We must always put these pseudo-philosophies into perspective and realize that the Bible is the only crutch that is truly reliable and will not fail us. NB: The point should be made that everyone has a crutch, whether they admit it or not just like everyone worships something or someone because that is what we are hard-wired for (worship) and it's only natural.

True spirituality is the only answer to our problems and we must know the Answerer via the Scriptures and spiritual sanctification. We must start with God to solve our problems, not start with man and try to escape God or deny Him.  The Bible is the only true and final authority that we can rely on and believe in without contradicting God's nature and being true to human nature.  And the way to become cognizant of the forces of evil is to "gird up the loins of [our] mind", know the Word (Ignorance isn't bliss!), have a foundation in sound doctrine ("Knowledge is power!" according to Sir Francis Bacon cf. Prov. 25:4), and beware lest we fall into temptation, for Satan "seeks whom he may devour" (cf. 1 Pet. 5:7) like a roaring lion--no one is immune!

We can overcome the forces of darkness and transform the culture, turning the world upside down like the first believers did to Rome with the right Spirit indwelling us; however, we must become renewed in the spirit of our minds not conforming to the course of this world. For thinking right and doing right can be distinguished, but not separated--they must go hand in hand! Some people just need to get their thinking straightened out.  We must long to do the right thing, not the expedient thing or pragmatic alternative.  We are happy serving others!

Finally, there's a way to confirm our calling and election and that we possess Jesus ("He who has the Son has life," 1 John 5:12):  by the Word of God coupled with the testimony of the Spirit ("The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God," cf. Rom. 8:16).        Soli Deo Gloria!

But None Of These Things Move Me

"... God left him to himself [withdrew Himself], in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart" (2 Chron. 32:31, ESV).  ["God left him to test him" in NIV].

"We must through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God," (cf. Acts 14:22).

"God left him, to try him, to know all that is in his heart," (cf. 2 Chron. 31:22). 

"He speaks to them in their affliction," (cf Job 36:15, NIV).  

"God whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains.  They are God's megaphone to rouse a deaf world."  --C. S. Lewis
"If you look at the world, you'll be distressed.  If you look within, you'll be depressed.  But if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest!" --Corrie ten Boom
"Jesus is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is He the best of several ways, He is the only way."  --A. W. Tozer

As the Apostle Paul said in Acts 20:24, "None of these things move me," so we must learn to bear the cross Christ has given us for the sake of the Name.  Our cross is not the problems everyone commonly has, but what happens because we name the name of Christ and how that affects us; e.g., persecution.  But we can know the peace of God despite this cross.  God never promised us a bed of roses and Reality 101 is that we will be involved in the angelic conflict.  We are not meant to become stoics who think that the aim in life is to grin and bear it, but we are to show our attitude that we see purpose in all circumstance due to Providence and are assured of Christ's presence through the affliction--and many are the afflictions of the righteous (cf. Psa. 34:19). 

We rejoice in our sufferings (cf. Rom. 5:3) without getting a martyr's complex or thinking that the more we suffer, the holier we are.  It is through much tribulation that we enter the kingdom of God (cf. Acts 14:22).  All believers will experience tribulation, adversity, and affliction to produce character and Christlikeness:  "We know that these troubles produce patience.  And patience produces character" (Rom. 5:3, NCV).

Having read the novel by Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage, I realize that the seasoned believer, the one who has matured through adversity and has had his faith tested and passed with flying colors, doesn't wear the faith as a badge of honor, for it's a gift--not something we conjure up of our own effort or doing (we don't achieve it, we receive it!).  We don't need self-esteem or self-confidence but we must cultivate God-esteem and God-confidence!  We go through these trials for our own good to strengthen and confirm our faith.  No believer is exempt, and Christ was honest enough to warn us.   He didn't exempt Himself and our crosses pale in comparison!  |

Job is the example of suffering par excellence in Scripture, whereby we cannot comprehend its full meaning since we are finite beings.  God doesn't owe us an explanation!  He never explains Himself to Job, but just reveals Himself.  Someone has said, "God is too wise to make a mistake, too kind to be cruel, and too deep to explain Himself!"  In the meantime, there is an angelic conflict going on behind the scenes.  We may ask, "Why?" but God says, "Who?"  We must learn to keep focused on Christ and not get tripped up by Satan.  It was John Milton who wrote, "Who best can suffer, best can do."  Our faith is more precious than silver or gold and we must know if it's genuine and can stand the test of time and affliction or adversity.  It's for our sake, not God's sake, that we must be tested--we must have confidence that we have faith! 

We must realize that the same sun melts the butter, hardens the clay!  We either become bitter or better by tribulation!   We all have a crucible to carry and must realize that without a cross there's no crown!   We tend to wonder why bad things seem to happen to good people (as Harold Kushner's book ponders), but then again, there are no good people in God's estimation!  We should be asking why do good things happen to bad people?  Scripture says that we are privileged to suffer for Christ and this comes with the territory!  Job faithfully proclaimed:  "... When he has tried me, I will come out as gold" (Job 23:10, ESV).   A word of encouragement is that even Christ learned obedience by what He suffered (cf. Heb. 5:8).

Finally, when you've been through a trial with the Lord, you have a certain fellowship of suffering (of having been there and done that with the body of Christ per Phil. 3:10) and you can use it to help others in their time of testing and trial. The God of all comfort comforts us so that we can comfort others in their time of need--but we don't want to be like Job's comforters who judged him!  The best we can do is to be there for them and offer consolation and sympathy.  "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15, ESV).          Soli Deo Gloria!

The Wonderful Spirit-energized Life

"Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:17-18, ESV).
"[F]or we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7, ESV). 
"If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit" (Gal. 5:25, ESV).
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7, ESV).

"TRUE HOLINESS CONSISTS OF DOING THE WILL OF GOD WITH A SMILE."  --MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA, CANONIZED AND NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER 

All Christians have the power to walk in the Spirit with the Lord all the days of their lives, not just in church or among their friends and fellow believers--but even with the sinner!  "Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God"  (cf. Gen. 6:9). That would look good on any resume!   Likewise, "Enoch walked with God, and was not, for God took him"--he was translated into heaven like being raptured!   To enjoy a continuing, ongoing, progressive fellowship with God the Father and God the Son through the resident Spirit is a blessing and privilege all believers share.  It is good that Jesus left us the legacy of the Spirit so we would learn to lean on Him and realize we are actually better off that way than if He were still residing on earth. He promised not to leave us "orphans" but to send another Comforter, the Holy Spirit!   Few believers avail themselves of the fullness of the Spirit and find their otherwise unrealized potential.

We all have an innate ability to walk with God and are commanded to continually be filled with the Spirit from Day One of our salvation. To do this we must keep short accounts with God and readily confess all known sin as we get convicted, not letting them get stacked up and having a backlog or spiritual "docket."  Martin Luther mentioned progressive repentance in his Ninety-Five Theses as his first objection!  In God's economy, emptying comes before filling and repentance before faith; they go hand in hand:  if one doesn't believe, repentance is to blame; if one can't repent, belief is the issue!  All in all, it's not always how big our faith but how thorough our repentance.  "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear" (cf. Psa. 66:18).  We must come clean and fully surrender!  We don't have permission to live in the flesh, but a new power and energy to live in the Spirit!

The genuine Spirit-filled believer isn't one who goes by feeling or walks about on Cloud Nine or on some perpetual, religious high, but must learn to lean on his faith in times of testing and trial, for his faith must be tested, being more precious than silver or gold.  Lewis Sperry Chafer, the founder of Dallas Theological Seminary, wrote a book entitled He That is Spiritual in 1918 that was a bombshell in the doctrinal schools because he introduced the terminology of carnal believers as a separate class of believer (i.e., not spiritual).

There is no dichotomy in the body, for all believers are spiritual and all are subject to becoming carnal or getting out of fellowship or falling into temporary sin unless confessed.  A believer who thinks it's all right to live in a carnal lifestyle needs to repent and surrender to the lordship of Christ, not just call himself carnal.

But one thing is certain, Jesus left us the legacy of peace in turmoil and faith to move mountains as it were.  We are more than conquerors in the power of the Spirit as a fringe benefit of salvation.  The primary perk of salvation is inner peace with God and oneself.  It is a proven fact that one can face any trial if one has peace about it!

In other words, the fruit of the Spirit is the primary manifestation of the Spirit-filled Christian.  We are to become fruit inspectors of our fruit and we also are to know others by their fruits!  These two are different meanings of fruit since we judge others by their actions since we cannot see their thinking and heart's condition.  False teachers will be exposed by their fruit or deeds!

It is a known fact that those who know their God are able to do great exploits in His name and have great energy for God (cf. Dan. 11:32).  Having great thoughts of praise for God is another sign of filling (cf. Dan. 4:35).  Spirit-filled believers display boldness for God and are content in their relationship, as we stand up for the truth and fly our Christian colors and realize that God meets all our needs in Christ so that He will give us everything we need to do His will (cf. Phil. 4:19).

Athanasius is known as taking such a stand against Arianism that he said he'd be "Athanasius contra mundum" if the whole world embraced the heresy.  It is oh so very important to be vigilant of heresy creeping into the church!    Likewise, Ignatius and Polycarp, two disciples of John the Elder, gave up their lives as martyrs rather than do homage to the emperor Trajan.

When you hate your life without Christ and only live for the glory of God you are being filled.  With Christ at the helm, life is worth the risk and the venture.  Just like Paul said, "For to me to live is Christ..." (cf. Phil. 1:21).  That's the essence of spirituality:  to not think or dwell on ourselves, but to be overcome with thoughts of Christ and to be obsessed with divine thoughts from the Spirit, not selfishness--we don't think less of ourselves, but of ourselves less!  We live for the glory of God to be displayed in us as His vessels of honor!

In the power of the Spirit, we find that energy to do His will that cannot be done in the energy of the flesh!  We have the power of God at work within us both to do and to will of His good pleasure (cf. Phil. 2:13).  In fact, everything done solely in the flesh is in vain and cannot be rewarded!  Paul would boast of nothing but of what Christ accomplished through him (cf. Rom. 15:18).  The world may ask us, "Where do we get our strength?"  Our answer must be that we have a secret:  We can do all things through Him who strengthens us!  (Cf. Phil. 4:13).  The Christian life is not hard, it's been said, but impossible!  We must learn to seek His face and find God's strength to do His bidding.  That power resides inside us because we all possess the same Spirit, and it's not how much of the Spirit you have, but how much of you He has!  John 15:5 says that apart from Christ we can do nothing!

That's why the Spirit is called the Comforter and the Paraclete, or the One called alongside.  We must learn by experience how God speaks to us and to realize that the primary M.O. is the Word of God and our relationship to the Word is an indicator of how in tune we are to His will.  We are all anointed by the Spirit (cf. 1 John 2:20-21) and need no one to teach us these things if we only get into the Word God will illuminate it for us.  One telltale sign of the apostles was that when they were filled with the Spirit they spoke the Word of God with boldness.  The Spirit-filled believer has his antennae sensitized to the Word and realizes when God is speaking to him through it by conviction and enlightenment. He will open our eyes to wonderful things in the Word!

Only the power of the Spirit transforming their lives can explain the way the apostles turned the Roman world topsy-turvy!  That was the biggest miracle to witness--their conversions from cowards to bold witnesses for the resurrection.   Today we don't so much as witness the resurrection but we do see the miracles of transformed lives and what God can do.  We must realize that what He's done for others He can do for us! 

Our prayer ought to be:  Just a closer walk with Jesus!  Richard of Chichester prayed to help people "to know Jesus Christ more clearly, to love him more dearly, and to follow him more nearly."  Job was admonished:  "Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee"  (cf. Job 22:21, KJV).  Brother Lawrence, a monk in a French Carmelite monastery in the seventeenth century, practiced the presence of God throughout the day no matter what he did, even washing dishes according to his book, The Practice of the Presence of God.  

We must realize the divine order of events:  fact, faith, feeling!  We must first get our thinking straightened out and know right to think right, then we are equipped to do the right thing, and finally, we will reap the benefits of feeling right!   A good litmus test is having peace as Christ's legacy (cf. John 14:27).  We must rejoice in the Lord always as Habakkuk said, "[Y]et I will rejoice in the LORD..."  (Hab. 3:18, ESV).   And Nehemiah said, "... [F]or the joy of the LORD is your strength"  (Neh. 8:10, ESV). 

NB:  THE ONLY HINDRANCE TO ENJOYING THE WONDERFUL SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE IS THE AMOUNT OF YOUR SURRENDER, AND IN HOW CLOSELY YOU PAY ATTENTION TO THE PROMPTINGS OF THE SPIRIT TO DO GOD'S WILL.  TEST THE SPIRIT:  IS THERE A SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING AND OF PRAISE TO GOD?  WHEN WE GET OUR EYES OFF OURSELVES AND DWELL ON THE GLORY OF GOD IT HUMBLES US!   

CAVEAT: DON'T ASSOCIATE THE FILLING WITH FEELINGS PER SE, THEY MAY ACCOMPANY IT AND MAY NOT FOR GOD REQUIRES US TO WALK BY FAITH AND STEP OUT IN FAITH TRUSTING THAT HE'S WITH US TO EMPOWER US.  ("BY FAITH ABRAHAM OBEYED!")     Soli Deo Gloria! 

He That Is Spiritual

It has been said that a Christian has a mind through which Christ thinks, a heart through which He loves, a voice through which He speaks, and hands through which He helps--this is the epitome of spirituality--to know Christ and make Him known.
"O that they were wise, that they would understand this, that they would consider their latter end!" (Deut. 32:29, KJV).

That was the title of the 1918 book by Lewis Sperry Chafer, the founder of Dallas Theological Seminary, that made him a renowned and celebrated theologian.  Who is?  This is a vital and bona fide question:  Like G. K. Chesterton has said, "We have found all the questions, now let's find the answers!"  When we are spiritual we are exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit in a manifold manner.  There is no certain manifestation, such as talking about Jesus or the Bible.  Sometimes just touching base with someone in love and charity and meeting their needs is genuine fellowship and expression of being spiritual. There are telltale signs of spirituality:  A famous saying goes thus:  Where there is love there is joy; where there is joy there is hope; where there is hope there is peace; where there is peace there is Jesus!  I have learned this and have observed it:  God meets us where we are and knows where we are!  We don't always need someone to preach at us, but sometimes we need a listening and sympathetic ear.

Just think of all the possibilities of expressing the nine winsome graces given by the filling of the Holy Spirit.  Wherever two or three are gathered together in Jesus' name, there He is.  The one who is spiritual simply walks in the Spirit and has continual fellowship with the Lord (keeping short accounts of his sins and confessing them per 1 John 1:9:  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  The spiritual one simply is in touch with God and meets people's needs and is not self-centered, but Christ-centered.  He lives for Christ and not for himself.  This does not necessarily refer to a level of maturity or of being mature per se, because sometimes a baby believer can be more spiritual than the seasoned.

No one can claim to be always spiritual or that they have "arrived" at such a point of perfection, of not being conscious of sin or shortcomings.  Sometimes the wisest remarks can proceed out of the mouths of infants (cf. Matt. 21:16), as Jesus noticed:  Psalm 8:2 says, "Through the praise of children and infants..."  I believe children can even be used by God: a child's voice convicted St. Augustine said:  "Take and read, take and read."  Proverbs 20:9, HCSB, says, "'Who can say ,"I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed form my sin?'"

He that is spiritual simply walks with the Lord as Enoch and Noah ("Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God," Gen. 6:9)--and we have this privilege too!  It is a "faith-walk" because "we walk by faith, and not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7).  There is no veneer to see through or guise of spirituality, such as hypocrisy (he has nothing to hide and is straightforward in speech), but a genuineness and authenticity in action. He is the real thing, an original!  He's not out to outshine someone or be a rival.  "The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments'  (1 Cor. 2:15).  There is a certain natural ability to discern the Spirit, in other words.  Whatever he does, he does to the glory of God (cf. 1 Cor. 10:31)!

There is no inherent dichotomy or division of believers into classes of spiritual and non-spiritual, first-class and second-class, or what Chafer mistakenly believed to be carnal and spiritual Christians. Just like it is wrong to have a "holier than thou" attitude (cf. Isa. 65:5), it is wrong to deceive yourself into thinking you are more spiritual than your brethren--you either are spiritual or you're not--there are no degrees to graduate to.   Any believer can be carnal or spiritual at any given period of time, it is not a given (each day one must start all over in their walk:  "As thy days, so shall thy strength be" (Deut. 33:25).  "This is the day that the LORD has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it," says Psalm 118:24), and he must "abide in Christ" or stay in fellowship with God in order to walk in step with Him.  The most spiritually mature can indeed fall into sin like David did but he will ultimately recover and his carnality will not be a permanent or continuous state. The continuity of our status in Christ never changes; only our state of fellowship and relationship and/or sanctification.

This doctrine need not be problematic or an issue at all:  "So I say, walk by the Spirit and you shall not gratify the desires of the flesh"  (Gal. 5:16). We are indeed free in Christ:  not free to live according to the flesh and our old nature, but power to live in the new nature or spirit.  The old nature knows no law, the new nature needs no law!  In other words:  Freedom to do what we ought, not what we want! We've never had the right to do what is right in our own eyes or to do what is scripturally wrong.  In sum,  "So we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step [pace] with the Spirit" (Gal. 5:25).   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Error Of Sabbatarianism

I was almost caught up in the Seventh-day Adventist movement as a teen; however, I was able to study the Scriptures and disprove their legalism. Ever since I have been grace-oriented when it comes to observing the Sabbath. Warren W. Wiersbe mentions that nowhere in the New Testament are believers told to observe the Sabbath--it is the only one of the Ten Commandments not repeated in the New Testament. To me, every day is holy unto the Lord and I don't see a need to just have one day set aside. There is a reason that they called the Christian Sabbath the Lord's Day. (John said, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day.")

The Bible says that to some every day is alike--and to others, they feel compelled to set aside one day a week (cf. Romans 14:4-5; Col. 2:16). Actually, the Sabbath was given to Israel as a sign of His covenant forever (cf. Ex. 31:13; Ezek. 20:12,20). Once you realize that you are not under the law, but under grace, you will be free to dedicate every day to the Lord.

The principle of rest is still in effect, but there is no sin in working on Sunday, for example. It was because of unbelief and disobedience that the people of Israel failed to enter into His rest. "He leads me beside the still waters/ He restores my soul." [So if you don't get your needed rest, God may give it to you anyway.] "Man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man" (Mark 2:27).

Clearly, there is no "hard-and-fast rule for the Sabbath, if you do decide to practice it as a principle of the Word. "My presence will go with you and I will give you REST." The Christian is fulfilling the spirit of the Sabbath by worshiping one day a week and not forsaking the assembling together of the brethren, as is the manner of some (Heb. 10:25). The Christian enters into a permanent Sabbath that the Jews were unable to attain, because of disobedience.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Works In Progress

"[U]ntil we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13, NIV).
"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt. 5:48, NIV).
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Phil. 3:12, NIV).

Not that we ever attain maturity this side of glory, but we are always "works in progress" or the masterpiece of God that He isn't finished with yet.  But "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6, NIV).  We are never perfect, but that is the standard we aim for and our goal looking at Christ as the Exemplar, but the test is the direction we are headed in our walk with Christ--forward or backward!

There is often some sin that easily overcomes or besets us so that we stumble and don't reach the goal of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus (cf. Phil. 3:14).  Hebrews 12:1 talks of setting aside our easily distracting sin so that we can press on to maturity and don't get tripped up on the way to the Celestial City.  Note that it's usually the case that there's some unconfessed sin or somewhere that needs overcoming that hinders maturity--the devil gets the best of us and held us captive to a certain degree.

The writer of Hebrews mentions one sure sign of the immature or infant believer and that is that he is incapable of solid food or the meat of the Word, but feeds on the milk (cf. Heb. 5:13) or the basics such as the necessity of salvation, faith, repentance, baptism, and judgment. The immature believer balks at learning the deep things of God, having lost his taste for sound doctrine.  We all must learn the basic lesson that we cannot get away with sin and God disciplines those He loves.  Sad to say there are some ABC churches that never progress into the deeper truths of the Word thinking wrongly that doctrine is too arcane for the average believer.

The infant believer is totally dependent on others for his spiritual nourishment and hasn't learned to feed himself or even to see the need for it as he may go to church simply to get a lift or encouragement, and not to worship God and contribute of his spiritual gift to the body.  He is basically tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine (cf. Eph. 4:14) because of this naivete and not having a firm foundation of Bible doctrine to discern good and evil and false teaching from sound, biblical teaching.

Once he learns how God speaks to him and communication is achieved he has progressed in his walk and able to go on to maturity, but this vital step trips up too many believers who become spiritually dependent on one preacher as their favorite and lose discernment as if only drinking from one fountain.  The mature believer discerns good and evil and can smell false doctrine when it approaches the church.  The pastor should inoculate the body from heresy by preparing them for what is out there and warning that Satan seeks whom he may devour (cf. 1 Pet. 5:8).

There may be several types of attendees in the church:  seekers, unbelievers, doubters, fence-sitters, contra Christians, adolescent believers, even pagans, atheists, or agnostics, besides the flock he is assigned.  Just as Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep and to feed His lambs, the preacher must be sensitive to all members of the body--knowing where people are is a key to resonating or connecting with them.  The prophetic message is known as comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable.  There are some who are at ease in Zion and have become complacent and feel they have no need of preaching because they are "mature."  No one ever outgrows preaching and the preacher is even preaching to himself as well as the body!

Everyone in the body should feel they have been fed adequately to feel a part of the body and to identify with the preacher with something they can take to the bank.  Just like Elijah went 40 days on one meal, sometimes a spiritual meal can have multitudinous applications and can have the ability to nourish the believer for an extended time--sometimes it's not how much one digests in the meal but how good the nourishment was and the preacher may really hit home on something that can get the ball rolling spiritually.   That's why everyone in the church may feel the preacher was speaking to them personally as an individual and it related to him--a personal message from the Lord!

We must realize that we are not perfect just because we're saved and our lives speak volumes.  The church is not a hotel for saints but a hospital for sinners--the requirement for membership is to admit one's a sinner and has fallen short of God's glory.  No perfect people need to apply it's said!  The phrase "please be patient; God isn't finished with me yet!" is the reality for everyone, not just infant or newborn believers.  This ought to be every believer's slogan.  We never reach perfection but that doesn't mean we don't aim for it.

People may even think we are cantankerous for being Christians, but just think how much more cantankerous we'd be without Christ in us and the Holy Spirit restraining us.  When we see great sinners in our eyes we ought to utter what George Whitefield said when seeing a man going to the gallows:  "There but for the grace of God, go I." We all can utter what William Jay of Bath said:  "I am a great sinner, but I have a great Savior!"  Only when we realize our sinfulness are we candidates for grace and this is the job of the preacher--to show the body its sins because we all tend to justify ourselves and put ourselves in the best possible light.

We all need to go to church regularly not only because it's commanded and the right thing to do, but we all need regular spiritual checkups or take spiritual inventory once a week or we may get off on a tangent and go our own way even into heresy or backsliding.  We cannot stand still and go nowhere in the spiritual life with Christ, but we are either walking forward or backsliding--no treading water with Christ permitted! One doesn't just reject the church or turn one's back on Christ or the faith, but one slips away one small step at a time in a gradual timing that one may not notice until he may not even believe himself how far out of it he is and needs repentance.

For instance, one doesn't turn one's back on the church but misses or skips a service or two then it becomes a habit to find other things to occupy Sunday morning with than to attend church and then one believes he doesn't need church--one may even be deceived into thinking that the electronic church is a good substitute for being active in the church and fellowship just because one is getting favorable teaching from someone who doesn't offend them.  Note that if the preacher never steps on any one's toes or is afraid to bring conviction on the body for its shortcomings and sins, there must be something amiss--he should realize you cannot please everyone!

There are certain plumb lines or measuring sticks to gauge maturity.  The mature believer knows who he is in Christ as to his spiritual gift or how God uses him to fulfill the Great Commission in both ministries to the body and mission to the lost.  You only find out your gifts by experimenting with service and the growing believer has a servants heart!   This entails being discipled or mentored in the basics and has had experience in sharing his testimony and in actively witnessing for Christ, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  From my experience the newborn believer has a newfound love and hunger for the Word and reads it voraciously and regularly--no one has to tell him this either because it's all-natural for a baby to feed.

It's such a joy to know and to fellowship with an infant believer--it's the adolescent ones who know enough to be dangerous and must be edified or set right before they go astray.   It's a pity when the believer loses his initial love for the Lord and has fallen for the world and what it offers--there is no place for both a love of Christ and love of the world in the heart at the same time.   In God's economy, the way to be filled is to be emptied, and this implies we must say "No" to self before we can say "Yes" to Christ.  Sometimes we just have too much of the world in us to have any appetite for the things of God.

God has nothing against newborn believers, just that some believers tend to stay immature and don't want to grow up.  Christ wants zealous believers who are all sold out for Him and serve Him with gusto and wholeheartedness.  It is a joy to be with a believer who has been in the presence of God and has experienced the Lord's goodness.  Once you've experienced it, you want to pass it on!  That's where the mature believer gets the can't-help-its or the desire to spread the Word (cf. Acts 4:20)!  What God desires is those who worship in spirit and in truth (cf. John 4:24)--not lip service or hypocrisy! This is natural for newborns and mature believers but those who are stunted in their growth have trouble passing muster.  It's par for the course that this attitude of complacency can affect a church body and its worship become perfunctory or routine--performed as if a duty, not a pleasure!

And so our walk with Christ is by faith, not by sight according to Hab. 2:4 (the verse that awakened and roused Luther from his dogmatic slumber).  We must learn not to rely on feelings though we will have them and this is a major step since fact and feeling are often confused. The divine order: fact, faith, and then feeling.   We must get our thinking straightened out according to the mind of Christ and have the mind of Christ.  The more aligned with sound doctrine we are the more divine our thoughts and we are to have this as a Christian worldview affecting all academic disciplines and all of life and reality.

Noah was a just man who walked with God just like Enoch and Moses are said to do--quite a resume for anyone--and we have no excuse not to do likewise because we have the indwelling Spirit.  The mature believer knows how to keep short accounts with Jesus of his confessions and to stay in close fellowship with Him.  He readily engages in the angelic conflict with Satan and his minions and knows the Word adequately as his offensive weapon of choice enough to fight off an attack with his shield of faith.  This is why Hebrews tells us that the mature believer who is ready for the solid food knows to discern good and evil (cf. Heb. 5:14).

Finally, it would all be in vain if the believer had no love in his heart to share even if he had every gift of the Spirit.  God shares His love with us and sheds it abroad in our hearts so that it overflows to others and they can see the love of Christ in action through us.  Some believers never progress to this stage of maturity in learning to love and be loved--Dr. Karl Menninger, MD said that sin is the refusal of the love of others [and by application of God].  We all can become stunted if we don't find love in life and live for ourselves--selfishness is the prime sin or thinking it's all about us!  Even an infant is starved for affection at times and must be hugged, knowing love by instinct.  We all need to learn to reach out to others in need and realize we are here as servants on a mission to glorify God.  Never lose focus of the fact that "Christianity IS Christ and all else is peripheral [or circumference]" according to John Stott (emphasis mine).


CAVEAT AND WORDS TO THE WISE:  THERE ARE SOME WHO HAVE A ZEAL FOR GOD BUT NOT ACCORDING TO KNOWLEDGE (CF. ROM. 10:2; PROV. 19:2).  ALSO, SOME ARE CONVERTED TO THE PROGRAM, NOT TO CHRIST AND EQUATE GOOD WORKS WITH SPIRITUALITY--THEY MUST BE DISTINGUISHED BUT NOT SEPARATED, I.E., GOOD WORKS MUST SPRING FROM HEALTHY FAITH AND SAVING FAITH MUST PRODUCE GOOD WORKS OR FRUIT!  DON'T FORGET OUR MARCHING ORDERS TO KNOW GOD (IS TO LOVE GOD) AND MAKE HIM KNOWN THROUGH LOVE IN ACTION, TRANSLATING OUR CREEDS INTO DEEDS OR PUTTING OUR BELIEFS INTO ACTION--THAT'S WHERE IT'S AT AND ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST! 

Let me add:  Eph. 4:15, ESV, says, "Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ."       Soli Deo Gloria!

Building A Firm Foundation For Life

We are not meant to be spiritual Lone Rangers or hermits but to edify one another with the ministry of our spiritual gifts.  No one is a rock or an island!  The only foundation for living is the one established in Christ as our Rock (cf. Psalm 18:31).  In fact, "the only system of thought that Christ will fit into is the one where He is the starting point,' according to Athanasius.  We all tend to have false hopes for our security and meaning in life, including money, fame, power, political involvement, or social activism, but God's Word says not to trust in princes or in our own strength.  "Not by strength, nor by might, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts..." (cf. Zech. 4:6).  Martin Luther's hymn goes:  "Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing."  All that we do is by God's strength and through the Lord--we can do nothing apart from Christ! (cf. John 15:5). 

There is a relative hymn that goes:  "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness."  We all are inclined to erect false empires and kingdoms of our own achievements, but God doesn't want those, He wants our obedience.  He wants us to trust His accomplishment in Christ. It is a common error today to put one's faith in the government and to hope that some politician will save us from all our ills in society.  The government is not the problem, and certainly not the solution either. God is the one who can work all things together for our good and well-being. The safest place to be is in the will of God, not in having a nest egg.

Once we build our secure foundation of faith we are in a position to be blessed by God--but we must seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness!  Some people are too busy with their own kingdoms and pursuing wealth that they neglect the task of the kingdom of God as the first priority.  There's nothing wrong with wealth per se, but only when it is our priority and interferes with our spiritual growth and the kingdom of God.  If we have a false foundation or one built on false hope, it is liable to falling down and collapsing on us.  Jesus made it clear that the only firm foundation is obedience to Him as our cornerstone!  We need to worry about nothing, trust God for everything, pray about anything and thank about everything to have peace with God, as suggested by Phil. 4:6-7.

When we live in light of eternity our problems and trials seem to be seen in perspective and we are more able to trust in the Lord. Focus on eternity, not the here and now!  Jesus said that where our heart is, there will be our treasure also (cf. Matt. 6:20) and we are citizens of heaven  (cf. Phil. 3:20) and our conversation should be heavenly.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Love Not The World

"He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin [for a season]" (Heb. 11:25, NIV). 
"We have met the enemy, and he is us!" (Pogo, Walt Kelly's cartoon character)
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor. 10:4, NIV).
"These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings" (Col. 2:22, NIV).    

The title above is from a book by Watchman Nee, Love Not the World, who was a missionary in China during vehement Christian persecution which happened when the Mao regime was in power.  Loving the world is a trap and sideline from Satan that lures the unsuspecting believer away from God's way and his walk with Him, to get him off track. We can let the world squeeze us into its mold or worldview unawares.  John says not to love the world, nor the things of the world (cf. 1 John 2:15). Jesus said similarly, that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also!  Satan controls the world system--the entertainment industry, religion, the government, academia, the media, and he will give it over to whomever he desires--Christ refused it at His temptation in the wilderness.

When kids (and I'll focus on them) go off to college they are immersed in the devil's worldview, usually unprepared and unbeknownst to them, and many change their way of thinking pretty quick and become conformed to the image of the world, even losing their faith.  Satan is very subtle and uses mind games, engages in power trips and controls, psychological warfare, and authority figures to mold young impressionable minds in their formative years.  They become too busy for God in college and their priorities are turned topsy-turvy.  They eventually may become uninformed as to world affairs and tune it out in apathy and become ignorant--what's worse, they are unconcerned, disinterested, and nonchalant. They don't know and they don't care, nor care that they don't know!

With so many competing interests, God may seem boring in comparison--but this only happens to the immature, unseasoned, and uncommitted believers.  Much more, hormones are all the more active and they are growing up and discovering sex and show all the more interest in the opposite sexual persuasion.  Any unnatural desire though is lust and sinful--there is natural attractiveness.  Parties become frequent and easily accessed, challenging their morals and scruples. 

The odd thing is that they may still engage in refraining from certain taboos like not playing cards, dancing, going to movies, having long hair, drinking, doing drugs, gambling, smoking, listening to Rock music--an especially big no-no! (When I was young you had to watch the hemlines, the hairlines, and the movie lines) etc., but they must find out that refraining from activities is no guarantee or measure of spirituality.

The issue is that they lack a consistent walk with the Lord and don't even seek spiritual guidance, instead they fall through the cracks and get lost in the shuffle of growing up. They drift away, not so much as to rebel or fall away.  Kids don't learn the true value of success and what is really important to God.  God does promise to prosper us in what we do and kids have a worldly concept of success, thinking bigger is better and more is better, and forget that God is looking for our obedience and faithfulness, not our achievements or our success, which is His business. The Christian life isn't a performance, but the fruit of the Spirit and resultant faithfulness in one's gifting; NB: fruits are grown, but gifts are given.

When the kids get too entangled in the ways of the world, it chokes out the Word, and they become carnal and must be treated as infants in Christ, not knowing good and evil.  Christianity is about being free in Christ in order to bring Him glory.  "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36, NIV).  ("Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin,..." Acts 13:39, NIV).  If these kids knew the Christian worldview they wouldn't be sitting ducks and succumb to Satan's Anfectung or assault of evil in academia.

In conclusion, worldliness is not refraining from some religious taboo but whether we let it influence our outlook on life, or way of thinking, or even a belief system.  Remember: There's no compromising with the devil--show discernment!  "Don't provide an opportunity for the devil" (Eph. 4:27, CEB).  "Have nothing to do with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them" (Eph. 5:11, NIV).  You can watch TV, but don't be overly influenced by their take on world events or the world-system, if opposed to Christ, i.e., have a Christian worldview. 

Let God open your eyes to see good and evil (cf. Heb. 5:15) everywhere because the "devil seeks whom he may devour"(cf. 1 Pet. 5:8) because we are in an enemy-occupied territory and must remember that "the battle is the Lord's" (cf. 2 Chron. 20:15).    James 1:27 describes the believer with "pure religion" or devotion as one who is "unspotted" or uncontaminated from the world (system).    Soli Deo Gloria!

It's Not About You!

To self-centered, selfish people it hasn't dawned on them that the world doesn't revolve around them.  This is part of growing up--Reality 101.  People don't exist to meet our needs!  You cannot love others when you're wrapped up in yourself.  We feel a disconnect and are not communicating when we focus on self.  Let's empty ourselves like Christ!  All of our thinking is distorted when self-centered, and we tend to think of "my way or the highway."  In other words, we become less tolerant. Sometime we must learn to stop running from our problems and difficult relationships, and reconcile---work things out!  God doesn't call us to be peace-keepers, but peacemakers; seeking to build bridges, not walls.

There are several ways we can discriminate or alienate, if we're looking, and the solution is to get our priorities right:  We are Christians first; human beings second; members of a family third; Americans fourth; citizens of a state fifth (as opposed to those who would say: "American by birth, Texan by the grace of God," or "Texan first, American second, and so forth), and finally members of a party, if any. Tribalism is the gut feeling that we have when we belong to a group, faction, or party that gives us pride and is wrong, as is party spirit.  This rating is not a cut-and-dried formula but a rough outline.

  When we meet people we disagree with, we are to treat them as fellow human beings, sometimes even as brothers in Christ, and learn that God puts them in our orbit to practice the first of the fruits of the Spirit, which is love. This priority is contrary to the America First doctrine or that we put America first in everything; this is much like the Deutschland uber Alles (Germany above all) campaign of Germany during two world wars. This leads to jingoism and chauvinism, or extreme patriotism at the expense of our values.  We must ask ourselves:  Where is our ultimate loyalty?

God has a plan for us if we submit and abide, but we must deny ourselves, put Him first and die to self, as "living sacrifices"--living for Him. The essence of humility is not thinking less of yourself, but of yourself less!  In order to say "Yes!" to Jesus, we must first say "No!" to self! We want God-confidence, not self-confidence!   Even our goals, ambitions, and priorities must be aligned with His.  Do you have great ambitions for yourself?  "Should you then seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them..." (Jer. 45:5, NIV). 

Selfish ambition is a fruit of the flesh, even though it's what makes the world go round, known as greed and envy.  Greed is not good, despite the movie Wall Street, and is a sin to be avoided--only godly ambition is acceptable to God--the desire to bring Him glory in all we do as Job One. Only in finding our true identity in Christ, setting our agenda in accordance with His will, and making an impact for Christ, will we see our true, rewarding importance in the mission He has given us--as we complete our marching orders--to make a difference for Christ in the world.

Nothing destroys churches like church politics or even party spirit--dividing into disputes about leadership or nonessential doctrine. We have more in common than divides us!  Identity politics, so prevalent today, is evil!  However, remember: The devil's strategy is to divide and conquer!   Even Christians tend to take their politics more seriously than their faith and will cut off fellowship on this basis.  Unfortunately, many believers focus on tribalism or identity with a party and owe their ultimate allegiance to it, like swearing an oath to a fraternity or club, and they will die for their political opinions, repeating the mantra:  "My party, right or wrong!"  "If you disagree with me, you're my enemy!   Don't they realize that God works through the body in toto and we need every part?  In the end, it's all about Jesus and how much glory we can bring to Him.

To ever find the truth we must admit we could be wrong, and that includes our politics. Everyone should ask themselves:  What if I am wrong?  We all accept something we cannot prove--a presupposition.  You cannot get to first base with some believers politically because their news sources are different and they have bought into a foreign or alien worldview, buying it hook, line, and sinker, and have sold out lock, stock, and barrel to some ideology, to the point of being fanatics about a party or politician; this is nothing but deifying a party or person and worshiping at the idol of politics--get over it, God is not a member of your or my party and He isn't even American!  The truth is in Jesus and when we get our eyes off Him we lose focus and go astray.

We must realize it's not about us and our happiness and fulfillment, but about God and our serving Him to His glory.  Some believers think life is about what God can do for them and it's about turning in their spiritual lottery ticket and having their best life now; au contraire, it's all about being vessels of honor, being used by God.  We were made to bring honor to Him, and any other goal is shortsighted and selfish--even selfish ambition--for the "chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever" (The Westminster Shorter Catechism).

We must yield control of our lives to His sovereignty and walk with Christ in His will, just as Christ's motto of life was:  "Thy will be done!" The ultimate prayer of relinquishment.   According to Nobel Prize winner Albert Schweitzer, "The only truly happy people are those who have learned how to serve."  Christ is so wonderful to behold that we are lifted in spirit as we get our eyes off ourselves. In sum, we find our purpose and fulfillment in Christ alone!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Down And Out In Church

Just being a churchgoer doesn't guarantee a happy-go-lucky life; there's no such thing as Pollyanna Christianity, where we have no problems and trials or even tribulations--Acts 14:22 says we must enter the kingdom of God through many tribulations. We are not given a bed of roses, but we are not to get a martyr's complex either, thinking that the more we suffer, the holier we are.

It is a good thing to feel bad sometimes:  how would you like it if you never felt shame, guilt, embarrassment, sadness, sorrow, or grief?  It is good that we feel so bad because it's the warning sign or wakeup call to arouse us from our spiritual slumber.  If we never felt guilt, we would never know right and wrong or good and evil--bad feelings are a telltale sign to address and can be therapeutic.

We are human and the good news is that Jesus was human too and was "touched with a feeling of our infirmities."  He was "tempted in all manner like we are, yet without sin!"  He feels our pain and relates to us in our dilemma.  The comfort is of the ministry of the Holy Spirit and its unction or anointing.  The comfort God gives us we can share with others in their grief (cf. 2 Cor. 1:7).  We may feel downcast or in the pits as believers, for even the psalmist did in Psalm 42-43, and in Psalm 147 he says his depression deepens.

We must experience the whole gamut of emotion to relate to others one-on-one in a personal manner.  We may be feeling down, but we are never out of it as far as being out of the state of grace, but we can be out of fellowship and need restoration by virtue of confession.  There will be times when we feel out of it, but this is only so we appreciate the ministry of the Spirit all the more, and learn how to help others in their dilemmas.  Job wondered where God was when it hurt (cf. Job 23:3).  That's what fellowship may be seen as two fellows in the same ship.

One can play church or be into Churchianity and not even be saved, just going through the motions and memorizing the dance of the pious.  God forbid that we become callous and blase to the Spirit and not listen to the voice of God speaking to us and our hearts, in that we become hard-of-hearing spiritually speaking.   It is important to note that no believer is an island that doesn't need the body to have fellowship with and to grow with--no one's a rock except Christ!

In our infirmity we must learn to not depend on feelings and learn to walk by faith:  the divine order is fact; faith; feeling--in that order!   We must grow up and stop going by feeling thinking that we must always feel like it to do it, like feel like praying to pray or to witness or read Scripture; our feelings will vary like a weather vane in a whirlwind!   Remember, that God withdrew from King Hezekiah to see what was on his heart and we are also subject to a test of our inner, true motives.  God is not impassable or without feeling, and is a person with emotion too.

We are in the image of God and are persons too like God (we act, we feel, we will).  We must never think that God has given up on us or that our salvation is by our own power or willpower even, but we are "kept by the power of God" (cf. 1 Pet. 1:5) unto salvation.  God holds us in His divine hands and won't let go no matter how we feel or what we think.  Our faith was a gift in the first place and it won't fail, for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance (cf. Rom. 11:29).

We must all endure trials, tests, temptations, and troubles, noting that our faith must be tested--and that Christ didn't even exempt Himself from trouble, and our so-called crosses pale in comparison to His burden on our behalf.  Our burdens are eclipsed by His who paid the penalty we deserved. Note that we are not punished for our sins--rather, it's been said, but we are punished by our sins!

We cannot escape the reality that "adversity, discipline, sufferings, and trials will inevitably come" to us all one way or another--no one's exempt; Christ didn't even exempt Himself!  Remember when God seems far away that He will never leave us nor forsake us and will be with us to the very end.  If God got you to it; He'll get you through it!  When we pass through the waters, He will be with us (cf. Isa. 43:2).  We will never be overwhelmed by trouble or burden with God on our side.

We are never alone, for the Spirit abides in us and comforts us in our affliction, and we cannot lose for God is on our side--if God is for us, who can be against us?  Note that we are to solace and comfort one another and to share burdens with one another.

And in conclusion, when we are out of it, we can bounce back into fellowship and get back into the race set before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus!  No matter what we've done, God won't give up on us, for we are His children whom He loves unconditionally.  We are never to lose heart, break faith, nor grow slack in the work of the Lord, but to be ever zealous.     Soli Deo Gloria!