Being Sensitive to Suffering

I have clearly seen throughout my adult life how God usually prepares us to go through the things we go through. I feel like God gives us little warnings before the unexpected happens. Maybe it is more of a benefit of a life of discipline. When we are disciplined enough to be faithful to the study of God's word, we can find ourselves prepared.

I have been going through a 2 Thessalonian precept study. I did not really want to do 2 Thessalonian this spring, but I feel that when the opportunity presents itself, and there are no other ministries that take priority over a Bible study, you should do it. This week's study was over the first chapter. One of the insights I had while studying the first chapter, reading verses on suffering and affliction, and looking up the Greek definitions of the words is that suffering is much deeper than just suffering ridicule for the sake of the gospel. It comes from Christians and non-Christians alike when you are being obedient to God's word. You will take actions that no one understands when you are being obedient. Part of obedience is getting involved in people's lives to the point that when they suffer, you suffer with them. We limit suffering for the sake of the gospel when I think it is a little broader when we are loving our neighbor and getting involved in their lives.

For example, Jesus befriended Mary, Martha and Lazarus. He was involved in their lives. Lazarus got sick and died, and Jesus suffered. He was grieved by the pain of His friends Mary and Martha even though He knew that God would be glorified in Lazarus' resurrection in the end. He was sensitive to their suffering even though He knew the outcome. He ministered to them in their grief. He went through this grief for the sake of the gospel. Ultimately God was glorified.

Yesterday, I received news that my little guy in New Orleans lost almost everything in a fire that completely destroyed their apartment. By completely, I mean that no possession other than a few shoes in the back of the closet seem recognizable. Even though I knew that God would provide for them and that things will probably be better for them in the end, there is still a sensitivity to their suffering that must be shown. It breaks my heart to think of some of the things that they have lost. Some of it can sort of be replaced such as pictures because I have most of the pictures anyway and clothes and toys and books, but there are also those things that cannot be replaced. When you get caught up in someone's life, you have to be willing to suffer with them. You have to be ready to sacrifice something of yourself. You have to be ready to grieve. Even though no one ridiculed my faith or held a gun to my head, I believe that it was a day of suffering for the gospel. If I did not love my little guy and his mother, I would have just thought it was a sad situation, but not allowed it to disrupt my life. Instead, so that God may be glorified, I allowed myself to suffer with them. I could show them love through actions, not just words of comfort. Even better, not too long after I received news of the fire, I received an e-mail from a friend I have not heard from in months on the subject of suffering. God is so good to us!

Excuses, Excuses

Whenever someone finds out that the part of my job that I enjoy the most is representing children in CPS cases, I am usually met with excuse after excuse after excuse. I think I am going to do a global response to the excuses, although I usually am much more politically correct when I actually respond to the person. Here is what I really wish I could say.

(1) Excuse #1: I could never do that, it would just be too hard.

I usually say, yes, it is hard. I still feel like I should do it anyway. What I really want to say is, if you think it is hard for you, think about the child that has no one to speak for them. Think about the child that has lived it. Might it be nice for that child to know that someone felt what happened to them was wrong? Might it be nice for the child to know that it is not their fault, and might you be able to tell them that? Might it be nice for the child to see that you cared enough to get involved when their parent does not even care enough to go to a few parenting classes and drug rehab? The child is going through things that adults want to close their eyes and ears to and that the child is not able to comprehend.

The right perspective to have is that it is a hard job that we are called to do. The Bible makes it very clear that Christians are to be the voice for the fatherless, the orphan, the oppressed. There are not outs. It is what God requires. It is not my command, but God's. This does not mean that the only way to help the fatherless, orphans, oppressed is by getting involved in some capacity in CPS cases. What this does mean is that if you look at your life and cannot see a way that you are helping the orphan and fatherless, you might be sinning. Although I have great respect for Compassion (and support some children myself), I think that this means more than just sending a check to an agency to do the work for you. I think it means getting involved and speaking out on behalf of the oppressed. For me, it means being an attorney for the children (and parents). For you, it might look like getting involved in CASA, volunteering to be checked into for a respite possibility for a person who is housing a child, or looking into fostering. It might even look like stepping in to help a family BEFORE the state comes in and befriending that family. Take some time to teach someone how to parent. Is it tough? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes, if for no other reason than knowing that you are in God's will because His scripture commands it.

(2) Excuse #2: I would just worry about the children all the time and be unable to sleep at night

I have had very few sleepless nights as a result of my CPS work. Part of the reason is that by the time that the case gets to me, the children are out of danger. Yes, I have feared for the children when the judge put them back with a parent. I also have called a caseworker to move the kids because I feared for their safety. When you are in the case, if you really fear for the child, you are able to do something about it. I guarantee you that I would lose more sleep from the realization that I am not in God's will than I lose knowing I am at least trying to fulfill His will. My response is usually that I sleep just fine, you learn to shut your brain off. What I wish I could say is how are you able to sleep when you are doing nothing and this is going on all around you? You should be the one losing sleep!

(3) Excuse #3: I do not have the time

I am usually pretty blunt with this one and suggest that the person find a way to make time, whether it be by volunteering one hour a month at a local pregnancy center, a little more to be a CASA volunteer, or donating some time to a local group home. I always emphasize the giving of time more than money in that situation. See I usually know that the person who says it religiously watches American Idol or Biggest Loser or some other TV show that takes at least an hour of their time each and every week. I do not usually get this excuse from the young mother who really does not have spare time and is raising her children in the way that God lays out in Scripture and truly may be in a season where sending the Compassion money and donation checks is how she is able to contribute.

(4) Excuse #4: If I helped out other kids, it would take something away from my own

My usual response is a faked, obviously lying, "I understand." I compound sin by sinning myself. Really, I do not understand. This is the excuse that gets under my skin the most. The reason it does is because those who say it are usually the people that are idolizing their children. They do not see themselves as idolizing their children. However, they are the ones that are posting tons of pictures of their own children in the best of clothes with the best of stuff taking the best vacations and bragging about the accomplishments of the children. The children become the center of the parents' universe. The children become even more important than God, often made clear by the parent choosing the child's activities over religious upbringing. I am not saying that if a parent has a hard time feeding their own child, that they should take a foster child in. I am saying that when a parent spends all of their time and energy and money on their child instead of teaching the child to do without in service to others, there is a problem. The children often grow up selfish and conceited and do not have a concept of sacrificing for the benefit of others.

I propose that families should evaluate whether fostering and adopting might be a way to put the gospel on display for natural born children. Instead of saying that it might take something away from the natural born children, families should look at how children might learn about the gospel through the family's actions. Christians are God's children by adoption. Think about how great it might be to show children about how God adopts us through an earthly adoption. If adoption is not the route that can be pursued for various valid reasons, consider at least teaching your children about the needs of the fatherless and orphans and oppressed and let them see what you are doing to help. It does not help your children for you to shelter them or even try to, especially when you send that child to public school. Guess what. There is a pretty good chance that your child is going to school with another child who is being abused, neglected, talking about drugs, using curse words all before the child is a teenager. Your children are exposed to it day in and day out. Teach them to be part of the solution.

If your sixteen year old son is on drugs, yes, you probably need to focus on that child. If your children are babies and toddlers, you probably are right that it may not be best to foster/adopt at that time.

(5) Excuse #5: There might be something wrong with the child and I do not know if I can handle it

I usually say, you are right but there are ways provided for you to handle it. If you are a CASA volunteer who finds yourself in over your head, there are others who are more experienced that can step in. If you are a foster parent who finds yourself in over your head, there are opportunities to change the child's level of care so that they can get the help they need. If you are a prospective adoptive parent, you will have the child in your home for six months (at a minimum) before the adoption will go through. I also hate to burst your bubble, but your natural born child can reject the morals and values he/she was raised under, and break your heart too. It is part of the sacrifice you make when you start to actually love by thinking of the other person's well being before your own. You may have to make some tough decisions that may include the child being outside of your home, but in some situations you can continue a relationship with the child even when you are unable to provide the forever home.

(6) Excuse #6: That is easy for you to say, you do not have children

I usually get this one when I have accidentally lost control of my tongue and said any of the what I really want to say in #1-5. I usually respond to this one with all honesty by saying, "You are right. I realize that if God blesses me with children, I am going to have the temptations to make any of these excuses about why I should not get involved. I can only thank God now that He has made it clear to me that it is a command, not an option, and it is His will. I also have to pray that if I do have children, God will guard me from the temptation to use any of the excuses for not getting involved. I also pray that if I ever stray from God's will in this matter, someone will have the courage to point out to me my sin. I may not take it well, I may be offended, but I still hope someone will point it out to me."

(7) Excuse #7: I am not called to do that kind of work

Yes, you are ... by God ... in the Bible. You are called to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. You are called to help the widow, orphan, fatherless, poor and oppressed. There are no exceptions given that I have found. You want to know God's will for your life? It says it in the scriptures by the type of things we are commanded to do. Stop waiting for a direct call, and start following commandments. It is as simple as that ... and often the direct call comes from the obedience.

I fully recognize that there are other places in scripture that I am not fully following the commands that God has laid out. However, I hope that I will not use the excuse, "That is not my calling." There are exceptions in Scripture for titles, but not lifestyles of obedience. I know there are areas I need to work on. I pray that I can stop making excuses in those areas. I also pray that I can continue to follow God's will in the areas I do recognize are part of His commandments, not suggestions.

Driving Sin

I am a sinful driver. One of the side effects of being self-employed is that I now spend more time in a car. I like driving. I like the time to myself that it gives me as I think on life, pray, sing, listen to books on tape, or practice what I am going to say. God has used this time to point out some sins that I need to work on. One sin caught me off guard.

Integrity is firm adherence to a moral code or a state of being undivided. I have heard it explained that integrity is acting the same way in a group of people that you would in a room by yourself. There are not many people in this world who have this value. For me, as you can see from yesterday's post, I have been thinking quite a bit on what it looks like to love enemies (and friends). I have also been thinking about the quality of humility. One day as I was thinking on these things, I noticed that my driving was sinful because it was not exhibiting love or humility. I am a selfish driver.

I noticed this when someone else was a selfish driver. It is often so easy to point out the sins in others, but we often can recognize our own sin by seeing the sins of others. Someone cut me off. I was delayed probably less than two seconds as I had to slow down then pass the driver that decided that he should pull out in front of me. I was annoyed. The thought that popped into my head is "What makes him think that his time is more important than mine?" The wheels in my head started turning. I often do just that. I pull out in front of someone because I am valuing my time more than their time. I am showing a lack of respect for the person I am pulling out in front of or cutting off or running through a yellow/red light. If I want to be a person of integrity that values loving people and humility, I am going to have to start in my driving. There is no recognition for being a respectful driver. The other driver is not going to know that I am making a conscience decision to be respectful of his/her time. The other driver is not going to realize that I am valuing their time more than mine. I have decided that this is a good test of integrity for me. Plus, I fail at this test of integrity each and every time I am on the road. Old habits are hard to break. I am constantly having to pray that God will make me more respectful of other drivers by bringing this to mind. There is nothing more humbling than realizing that you are not a person of integrity because you fail to put the morals and values you claim to practice when no one is looking.

I pledge to make a conscience effort to be a more loving driver on the road. I pledge to try not to value my time above the time of the other drivers. I know I will fail at this almost daily causing me to realize my need for a Savior. I confess that for years I did not realize how sinful my driving was. It scares me to think that there are other areas of my life as simple as driving where I am unconscious of the sin. Because of this I am more thankful of God's grace and conviction as the little sins come to light to be dealt with.

The Ugliness of Sin

I have a confession to make. As I watched the Ohio man whose wife ran off with another man give an interview this morning, I wanted him to say what church he attended. Why? So I could immediately begin justifying what occurred and reasoning that the same could not happen in my church. It started with the piece leading up to the interview saying that the mother felt that she could not get a divorce, but instead would have to run off and start a new life because of her deeply held spiritual beliefs. Immediately I thought, she must be Church of Christ because of the stand that they take on divorce. I jumped to that conclusion because surely it had to be a church that put so much emphasis on the outer and works. My next thought was, maybe it is not a Christian church, but Mormon or some other type of religion. Mormons have the reputation of being oppressive to women. Cults are often oppressive to women. Soon the husband was talking, and I was only looking for hints as to what type of church it might be. Who cares if they are supportive, what do they believe? Who cares if they are stepping up and showing you love as the body of Christ (if it is a Christian church) should, what are they doing about her? Are they giving you permission to divorce since it is probably justified in Matthew? These are the things I wanted to know. Sure, I said one of those token prayers that you say for someone when you know it is the right thing to do so you do it, but your heart is not fully behind it. You know the type - the ones we pray in church to justify the spreading of gossip in the guise of prayer requests. There was no mention of the name of Jesus or even of God by the man, so maybe he is Scientologist or Episcopalian (don't they have an atheist preacher?) or Unitarian. All of these thoughts were going through my head.

These thoughts are sinful. I wanted to find some way that my religion and religious systems were better than this family. I wanted to distinguish myself from this family because the word church was used. I wanted to be able to say, well, what do you expect from a religious system that does not believe the true gospel, or is oppressive to women, or is legalistic. In reality, this situation could happen in any church that teaches the true gospel. Divorce is sinful. So is adultery. Churches should take both very seriously. If the church does take it seriously, it may result in decisions like this woman made. Instead of judging or distinguishing, I should have been driven to sadness over the sin at the heart of the scandal. Humans are sinners. There is a family hurting because of many sins, some of which are now very public, and some of which are probably very private. A church is hurting, and I sincerely hope it is a church that preaches the true gospel because the church has an opportunity to be the picture of the gospel to this family. I should also be humbled because my own sinfulness is apparent as I judge complete strangers and try to make myself feel better than them. I will also try to allow the Holy Spirit change the mindset that allowed me to think the sinful thoughts first into thinking about the ugliness of sin in my own life when I see others caught in a public way.

Countdown to 30: Day 30

I am going to start with the post that if I was prioritizing the list building up to what has shaped me most would fall on Day 1. I feel like it is a good place to start because it forms the foundation for all of the other posts. In some ways it also allows me to build up the suspense for the rests of the posts because the one that most people would guess is the most life-changing is first, so what else am I going to write about?!

I became a Christian at a very young age. I think I was five, but I may have been as young as four. I remember the event vaguely, and I think it is a good thing that the memory is kind of fuzzy. I do not have security in my salvation based upon an emotional experience that I had as a five year old, although I am confident that my salvation dates back to that time. Instead, my security comes from being able to see how God has worked in my life from that time to the present.

The gospel has shaped my life from that time forward. I am fortunate to have learned at a very young age the important principles of the gospel. I knew that God was a holy God because I heard God preached about and taught about and I sung Holy, Holy, Holy. I knew that God did not like it when I disobeyed Him. I learned the different ways that I disobeyed God from Sunday school teachers, preachers, and my parents. I knew that I was a sinner and I hated my sin. I knew that Jesus loved me and came to die in my place on the cross even though He had not sinned. I knew that Jesus had risen from the dead. I knew that I had to be sorry about my sins, love God, and turn away from my sins and towards God. I knew all of that at five. I did not fully understand what I was doing, and I do not fully understand to this day my salvation. I do know that God changed my life that day, and that I am who I am today because of the change in my life. This change of heart at a young age has shaped who I am today. Twenty-five years later, I can see how God has blessed my life because of my obedience as a five year old.

Glamour Shots

I have a confession to make. During my teenage years, I secretly wanted to have a glamour shot photo shoot. If you are over the age of 25, you probably know what I am talking about. Big hair, professional make-up, all blinged out, fancy clothes, and model poses. Many of my friends had those shoots and I thought that their pictures looked so cool. However, I do not think that I ever got up the nerve to ask my parents, and they probably would have said no anyway because the shoots were a whole lot more expensive than my yearly yearbook pictures that chronicled that awkward phase nicely enough.

Now, I really wish that I had endured one of the glamor shot photo shoots. Have you seen the pictures now that the fad is over? Laughable is an understatement! I am sure that a glamour shot would now provide me with hours of amusement as I laughed at my own picture. I also think that it would show how false that reality would be. I was a plain teenager, dorky really, because I was not allowed to get contacts until I was a junior in high school. It would be a reminder that although I could get all dressed up and dolled up, I was just the same, normal, plain, non-glamourous teenager despite what the picture portrayed. It would be a humbling reminder that a glamorized exterior does not tell the story of who a person is on the inside.

I have noticed on the Fox News website the past few days that they have been showing off pictures of celebrities without their make-up. It is a reminder that what we see portrayed on TV is just glamor shots, but that these people are really just plain, average looking people. Sure, when you completely coat the exterior in professional make-up, professional hair, provide the right lighting, etc., these stars are gorgeous. But the reality is that all of those things are really just covering up normal, plain, non-glamorous people.

Don't get me wrong - I am thankful for make-up and the ability to hide some of the imperfections. I am just pondering how our outward appearance is comparable to our inward lives as well. We present as a pretty a front as we can to the public, but whatever we are able to act like on the outside does not change who we really are on the inside. The only way that any of us can be truly glamourous is through Jesus Christ. I am thankful that God will see Jesus covering all of my imperfections and ugliness on the day of judgment and that I will then inside and glamourous outside will match!

*You can find the pictures shown above and more at the Sexy People website - I almost posted the before/after pics of the Glamour Shot models, but you can find them for yourself on the Sexy People website here and here.

What Hell is Really Like

Sometimes I hear preachers say things that get me all stirred up inside (in a negative way), and I do not feel better until I have said something about it. Fortunately my blog can be a place for me to express my views in a way that isn't criticizing a person, but a thought. Our church is in revival this week, and the preacher is passionate about the word of God and preaching expository sermons – two things I believe are completely essential for a pastor to be faithful to be faithful to Scripture (there is a place for thematic sermons, but that is another blog post). What this preacher said though that has me bothered came in a prayer he said at the end of his sermon last night. In the prayer he said something to the effect that he did not want anyone present to go to hell and experience eternal separation from God. In fact, that is what many Christians say. They mean well, but they are wrong. There are at least two reasons that it needs to be pointed out that they are wrong. Those in the church need to be careful how things are phrased.

First, hell is not eternal separation from God. Instead, it is being in the eternal presence of God's judgment and wrath. Those in hell no longer are in the presence of God's love, grace and mercy. In this world, the Bible makes it clear that all are in the presence of God's love, grace and mercy. In Matthew, Jesus says that God causes the sun to rise on the just and the unjust. Rain comes for the believer and non-believer. Believers and non-believers may receive food, clothing, and shelter. Believers and non-believers all have the ability to make moral choices. Believers and non-believers have the capacity for thinking and growing in knowledge. There is a restraint that God has placed on all humans that keeps us from being as bad as our sinful hearts desire to be. These are all examples of the love, grace, and mercy of our God. The other side of the loving, gracious, and merciful God is the wrath and judgment that He pours out for sin. In the present world, God restrains from pouring out the full cup of His wrath on the world and from allowing His full judgment to come on the world. We still see examples of His judgment and wrath. Just look all throughout the Old Testament, and we have commentary about periods of God's judgment and wrath during human events such as the flood, the defeat of Egypt, the conquering of the nations in Canaan, the exiles of the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel, etc. We even see the judgment and wrath today, although those are not popular subjects to talk about. In this world, it is clear that all humans see both sides of God's nature even if (as Romans says) they suppress the knowledge of God and fail to recognize the works of God.

Once this world ends, and once a person dies, eternity is spent either in heaven or in hell. We know from God's nature that He is love, grace and mercy, but also, because of our sin, He is rightfully full of wrath and judgment on sin. If those in heaven experience the eternal love, grace, and mercy of God, it also follows that those in hell experience the eternal wrath and judgment of God. He is still present, but the justified wrath and judgment are the attributes of God that those in hell will see for eternity. They will not be outside the presence of God. They will just be outside of the blessings of God. Quite frankly, that is a much scarier picture of hell than what is often preached. Those in hell will not believe that what is happening to them is unfair. Instead, they will be consciously aware that they have eternally offended the God of creation who is a holy and righteous God, and they will agree that they should be subjected to eternal punishment. Again, that is a much scarier picture of hell than what is often preached.

The second reason that we should not preach hell as an eternal separation from God should be motivated by our love for sinners. Many (maybe even most) sinners would love nothing more than to be separated from God. It is not a concept that scares them one bit. They have already built up a mental separation from God, and they cannot see how separation from God would be a bad thing. They do not have love for God, so why would it hurt them to be separated from God? They want to be separated from God and His holiness in this life, and the idea of eternal separation from Him in the next makes them feel that they will finally get what they want. They will not be motivated to accept Jesus' sacrifice for their sins because they think that they want nothing to do with God in the first place. The book of Romans makes this clear. Therefore, our love for sinners should motivate us to have the right concept of hell. All men know that there is a God, but they suppress the truth and trade it for a lie. All men know that they are sinners and that their sin is an insult to God. Therefore, it is necessary to explain the truth to them. Hell will not be eternal separation from God. Instead it will be the eternal wrath and judgment of God poured out on sinners. Man cannot get away from God. God's love or God's wrath will follow all men into eternity. If we truly love men, we will not preach hell as they want to hear about it (eternal separation from God), but we will preach hell as it really will be – the eternal pouring out of God's wrath and judgment on sinners.

Now my love for sinners requires me to give a short account of the gospel in case there is someone reading this blog who has not heard the gospel before, and does not want to experience the eternal wrath and judgment of God. God is a holy and righteous God. He requires man to live a completely perfect life and live up to His holiness. Those who cannot live a perfectly holy life are condemned to die an eternal death for their sins. Man was created holy and righteous by God, but man sinned against God. All men sin against God. It is not possible for any man to live a life without sin. Therefore, all men are condemned to experience the eternal wrath and judgment of God. All men are without hope in their own attempts to live up to God's standard. BUT GOD … some of the sweetest words that sinners will hear. But God knew that man would not live up to His standard, and sent Jesus Christ to live up to His righteous standard for us. Jesus was God and was man. As God, He was able to live up to the standard of God. As man, He was able to take our place and die our death as the punishment and judgment for our sins. Believers are able to experience God's eternal love, grace and mercy through eternal life because the judgment fell on Jesus. Sinful man must realize that he is worthy of eternal death, that he has sinned against a holy God, that his sins are filthy compared to the holiness of God, and that his only hope is to put his faith and trust in the life that Christ lived and the death that Christ died. Sinful man must realize that he needs the presence of God in his life in order to enable him to act in the manner that God desires. Sinful man must realize that he needs to surrender his life and actions to the authority of the Most High God. It is more than praying a prayer (although that is where new life often starts), it is living a life alive in Christ, able to do works of righteousness.

I have to admit that I, at one time, would describe hell as eternal separation from God. I really do not know when I came to the realization that hell is much worse than I was representing. I cannot remember a specific sermon or book or passage in the Bible that led me to the proper understanding. I think that my studies of the book of Romans probably played a large part in my clearer understanding. I know that the clearer (although probably not perfect since I am human) understanding of hell has been put in my mind and heart by being faithful to the study of God's word, which the Holy Spirit writes on our minds and hearts. I wish that hell was not as harsh as what I understand it to be, and the scariest thing is that hell is much worse than I can ever imagine. Therefore, I think that we should present it in the strongest language possible while remaining true to God's word. Our love for sinners requires it.

Response to Complaints about Evacuees

I received this in my e-mail today, and I thought that I would provide a response but more from the Christian perspective than a secular prospective. Again, as I stated yesterday, I am not going to join the debate about whether FEMA payments are valid or any social issue like that. Instead, I am choosing to make a public response to her letter (since the letter was in the newspaper in Shreveport apparently). I would not do this except that the end of her letter appears to imply that she is a Christian.

First, here is the letter:

Dear Editor,

I am a nurse who has just completed volunteer working approximately 120 hours as the clinic director in a Hurricane Gustav evacuation shelter in Shreveport, Louisiana over the last 7 days. I would love to see someone look at the evacuee situation from a new perspective. Local and national news channels have covered the evacuation and "horrible" conditions the evacuees had to endure during Hurricane Gustav. True - some things were not optimal for the evacuation and the shelters need some modification.

At any point, does anyone address the responsibility (or irresponsibility) of the evacuees?
Does it seem wrong that one would remember their cell phone, charger, cigarettes and lighter but forget their child's insulin?
Is something amiss when an evacuee gets off the bus, walks immediately to the medical area, and requests immediate free refills on all medicines for which they cannot provide a prescription or current bottle (most of which are narcotics)?
Isn't the system flawed when an evacuee says they cannot afford a $3 copay for a refill that will be delivered to them in the shelter yet they can take a city-provided bus to Wal-mart, buy 5 bottles of Vodka, and return to consume them secretly in the shelter?
Is it fair to stop performing luggage checks on incoming evacuees so as not to delay the registration process but endanger the volunteer staff and other persons with the very realistic truth of drugs, alcohol and weapons being brought into the shelter?
Am I less than compassionate when it frustrates me to scrub emesis from the floor near a nauseated child while his mother lies nearby, watching me work 26 hours straight, not even raising her head from the pillow to comfort her own son?
Why does it insense [sic] me to hear a man say "I ain't goin' home 'til I get my FEMA check" when I would love to just go home and see my daughters who I have only seen 3 times this week?
Is the system flawed when the privately insured patient must find a way to get to the pharmacy, fill his prescription and pay his copay while the FEMA declaration allows the uninsured person to acquire free medications under the disaster rules?
Does it seem odd that the nurse volunteering at the shelter is paying for childcare while the evacuee sits on a cot during the day as the shelter provides a "daycare"?
Have government entitlements created this mentality and am I facilitating it with my work?
Will I be a bad person, merciless nurse or poor Christian if I hesitate to work at the next shelter because I have worked for 7 days being called every curse word imaginable, feeling threatened and fearing for my personal safety in the shelter?

Exhausted and battered,

Sherri Hagerhjelm, RN

My response:

Dear Sherri,

In your letter, you seem to indicate that you are a Christian and therefore, I am writing this response. There are many people that have voiced some of your same opinions. Therefore, since you published your "new perspective" in a newspaper, I am choosing to respond on my blog. Specifically, I am responding to the last sentence of your letter wherein you asked if it would make you a poor Christian if you hesitate to work in the next shelter. I do not know what you mean by "poor Christian," but I am of the opinion that if God has gifted you with medical capabilities, and there is a medical need, you would at least be a disobedient Christian if you fail to provide your services the next time that it is necessary. There are several reasons for me stating this.

Number 1: You spend a lot of time in your letter focusing on the individuals instead of viewing the individuals in a biblical way. Jesus indicates that we are to treat those that we minister to as if we are ministering to Him (Matthew 25, and more specifically verses 31-46). If Jesus asked for medication, we would give it to Him no questions asked, including the question about whether or not He can afford it. I do think there is a level of discernment you have to exercise though because you do not want to provide medication to an addict, but that is not the point of that statement. If Jesus asked for shelter, we would open our arms wide instead of questioning His motives. Stop looking at these people as people with an entitlement mentality and start looking at them through gospel eyes. Yes, they may have an entitlement mentality or be lazy or be unappreciative, but that is why our servant attitude and heart will be a witness to them. Be a suffering servant doing all of this for the glory of God instead of for the people that you are helping.

Number 2: You talk about being exhausted and drained. Again, I speak for most everyone that worked in shelters (including myself) when I say that you are not alone. However, there is a verse in the Bible that speaks directly to this issue. You will find it in Galatians 6:9-10, written by perhaps one of the most abused, exhausted, battered, and person in danger that ever set out to live and preach the gospel. "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." Galatians 6:9-10. Preach to yourself in those times that you are feeling incensed, less compassionate, exhausted, discouraged by reminding yourself of those verses. The verses do not say to do good to only those who are of the household of faith or only those who deserve it or only those that are grateful, but to everyone. I know that I had to during the midst of serving in the shelters during Gustav and Ike. It is when you stop preaching to yourself that you fall victim to looking at these people individually, full of faults, instead of looking at them through gospel eyes, as referenced in number 1 above. I had to constantly remind myself not to grow weary in doing good. I had to constantly remind myself to view the people I was serving as Jesus or at least as someone who needs to hear the gospel through my actions and attitude. I had to constantly remind myself to smile so that the evacuees could see the joy that only God gives. I had to constantly remind myself that these people are people who are at the shelter because they do not know if they are going to have a home when they leave the shelter. Yes, they may have chosen the shelter route because of the free food, free medication, free trip out of town, but the evacuees still may be returning home to nothing. That kind of stress causes some people to be unable to provide care to their children. I have seen it with my own eyes with someone I now consider a close friend. I had to help care for her child because at that time in that type of stress she was unable to. I had to realize I had no right to complain because God had placed me in that position to be able to minister in that way. Was it frustrating at times? I would be a liar if I told you know. That is why it was necessary to preach to myself. This is a habit that all Christians should incorporate into their lives. I often fail in my attitude towards the evacuees, but by God's grace, there are moments that I am able to be an example of the gospel as well.

Number 3: Your concern for safety seems to hinder your willingness to share the gospel. One of the problems in the church today is that people are too concerned for safety. I should probably limit that to the American church since there are other churches around the world who are answering the call to sacrifice safety for the spread of the gospel every day, and are gladly giving their lives for Christ. Many in the church, myself included, are too afraid to put our safety on the line for the spread of the gospel. Start trusting God and His will for your safety instead of fearing what may happen. Should you die in this type of situation, your death may result in great things for God's Kingdom. Be willing to have Paul's attitude that to live is Christ and to die is gain. Realize that God may have called you to a situation where your safety was in jeopardy to get you out of your comfort zone and to show His provision in such times. Safety is not a valid concern when turning down opportunities to serve.

Number 4: Your "new perspective" lacks all everything that a Christian should be showing the world. The glory of God is proclaimed when the world sees that we Christians are willing to serve and sacrifice even when God calls us to serve and sacrifice to those in society that may not deserve it. Isn't that what the gospel is all about? Showing grace to the world because God showed grace to us when we did not deserve it? There is a church in my town that had their facilities damaged by the evacuees from Gustav, had situations go on during Gustav that would have justified their decision to no longer be a shelter, yet they opened their doors to evacuees in Ike. There is another church in my town that made the decision not to be a shelter, despite significant financial and people resources, not to mention adequate facilities to house evacuees. Which church is portraying the glory of God to the community and to the world? Isn't it the church that makes decisions that do not make sense? Be the example that the church who opened its doors even when it would have been justified in closing them instead of the example of making a decision that makes sense to the world. You may be justified in not volunteering in the future, but choose to be the type of person who is asked why you are willing to serve again so that you can explain the gospel to someone who needs to hear it.

This response is not meant to address what is wrong with FEMA or whether FEMA needs to change. Right now, FEMA and its regulations are as good as law (if they are not law already), so complaining about FEMA is not the way to change things. Instead, it is better for the time being to follow the law, and do it with a smile and attitude that comes only from Christ. Personally, I am glad that persons who were on medication for bi-polar depression in the shelter at our church could receive their prescription for free due to the FEMA rules because I am sure that we would have had our hands full if the prescriptions were not readily available. I am grateful for the presence of the guard even if I may think that it is sad that the guard is necessary. I am also grateful that God allowed me to participate in a ministry that is hard for me and requires me to rely so much on Him and His provision. I also pray that anything that I did in my service may be used by God to change hearts and lives, realizing that He is the only one who can provide that change.

I am sure that this response may seem harsh to you at this time. However, I pray that God will allow it to be a teaching situation in spite of the sin it may contain.

Exhausted, but praising God for the privilege of service,

Cyndia Hammond

The Type of Witness We are Supposed to Be

I have been amazed at the interviews of the Chapman family that took place late last week. I am even more amazed by this video clip of Larry King. This is a reminder of how we are to be an example to all in the midst of all we go through.

The whole Larry King episode can be seen through the videos posted here.

"Let My People Go!"

I recently read the story of Pharaoh and Moses, and several thoughts came to mind. I read the first plague, the second plague, the third plague, and by then you want Pharaoh to get it. I read the forth plague, and by then the magicians are starting to tell Pharaoh "Acknowledge that this is from God." Pharaoh continues in his stubborness. The thought crossed my mind, "Why can't Pharaoh get it? He is seeing God work in a mighty way, yet he continues lying to God." Then you get to the point where Pharaoh is trying to negotiate -- trying to bargain with God. Pharaoh refuses to see God's sovereignty and wants to retain control. Again, the thought crossed my mind, "Seriously. No one is that stubborn." (I will save the God hardening Pharaoh's heart for a later post!)
When those thoughts started going through my mind, the Holy Spirit started reminding me of Scripture after Scripture of "pharaohs" who followed the lead of the ancient leader of stubbornness rooted in pride. God was putting His power, might, sovereignty, control over nature on display for the nations of Israel and Egypt to see. There is no denying that God was at work. Even the Egyptians who do not worship God started recognizing that God was at work.

Isn't it the same way today? Can't we see God at work in nature? Look at nature. We cannot recreate the colors that God creates in nature. The Grand Canyon, mountains, lakes, forests, etc. We can see the force of nature that testifies to a powerful God behind the nature. Look at hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, etc. God's Word makes it clear that He has revealed Himself to all mankind through nature, most directly in Romans Chapter 1. How many people today see God at work in nature, and try to explain nature as something other than created by God? How many people today see God revealed in nature but take it for granted? Maybe they are afraid like the Egyptians, but they do not submit themselves to the Lord over nature.

Even the Israelites who worshipped God and saw God work in this mighty way seemed to forget God's power and might. The Israelites who watched God control nature in an act of judgment against the Egyptians did not trust God to allow nature to provide for them in the desert journey. Even though the prophets reminded the children of Israel about God's ability to judge for failure to repent and submit to His sovereignty such as God had shown in Egypt, the children of Israel became the hard hearted nation that was judged.

Even though we have the benefit of the Old Testament and New Testament, we still ignore God's ability to judge. We think that a loving God would not judge His people or any people (except maybe our greatest enemies -- always someone else). Even if we claim not to think that way, it is often how we live our lives. As I read the story of the plagues, I was convicted of the fact that I seem to ignore God's power, either to bring about good for His people or judgment on the unrepentant. The power of God is an awesome thing! Snakes, blood, frogs, bugs (two kinds), plagues on livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and last and greatest of all, death of the firstborn sons. God controls every aspect of nature for His glory and purpose so that He makes His name known. He still uses nature to accomplish His purpose. Nature is to remind us that this earth is fallen and under the consequences of man's sin. Nature groans for the day of redemption. All of nature is controlled by God and the negative aspects of nature are a result of the sin of man and a judgment on mankind. What a powerful God that we serve!

It is time for us as a church to start realizing that God is powerful, God still judges, and we need to examine our lives, repent, and lead others to repentance by our example. God still uses nature to judge mankind. It is time to bow our knees in recognition of God's power and judgment. God is still a God who judges those who commit sin, and the sins of the church (especially the church in America) will not continue to go unjudged forever. We do not want to be like the Israelites, but we are headed down that road.

Not only did Pharaoh fail to see the sovereignty of God, he lied to God. Part of what I like about this story is that Pharaoh seems to think that he is getting away with lying to God, even though God told Moses at the beginning of the story that Pharaoh would not change his mind. You can imagine Pharaoh thinking each time that he begs Moses to intercede on behalf of Egypt to end each plague, "I will fool God. I will tell Moses' God what He wants to hear so that I can manipulate God to get what I want." How many people in the world do just that? The health, wealth, and prosperity gospel seems to teach this -- if you just tell God what He wants to hear, He can be manipulated into blessing you with more earthly riches than you can imagine. Too many people make promises to God during times of hardship, only to go back on their word when things are going well again. Once the plague ends, back to business as usual leaving God out. Even regenerate Christians do this. Yet we see that God knew what was going to happen and brought it about for His purpose. God does the same today. He is not fooled by our lies to Him. He is not manipulated by our misrepresentations. The plagues and judgment became worse and worse on Egypt until the plague came that would not be released -- the death of the firstborn. We should take this as a reminder that God will only allow it to look like He is being manipulated for a season, then His longsuffering runs out and He judges. What a humbling thought! It should also be a source of encouragement for the church because God will judge the evil in this world. He is the God who sees and will have the ultimate say. We can endure suffering knowing that it will not go unpunished. Just as God told Moses the end, we know the ending as well -- God wins and the devil is bound and cast into the pit prepared for him, his angels, and the unregenerate.

Pharaoh decided he was going to bargain with God. God gave Pharaoh one command - let my people go three day's journey into the wilderness to the mountain of God to offer sacrifice to God. Pharaoh started out not willing to let the people go. Then he decided he would let the people go, but once the plague released, he went back on his word. Then the men could leave, but the women and children had to stay.Then he decided the people could sacrifice in the land of Egypt instead of going outside of Egypt to the mountain where Moses saw the burning bush. Pharaoh kept coming up with his solution instead of submitting to God's will. How often do we do this? We fail to realize that we do not have any bargaining power when it comes to God and keeping His commandments, but we try to negotiate. "I will follow this commandment, but not these that were written when times were different." "I will do this, God, but only if you give me this." "I will follow this commandment in this situation and that situation, but not all the time." "I promise that I will change once God shows me He exists by performing this sign, wonder, miracle, etc." "I promise that if you heal me, I will do whatever You require." God's Word makes His expectations clear. When He commands it, we have no bargaining power before God. There is no grey area with God. We are either following His commands or we are in sin. It is because of this that our sins are so numerous - we often do what is good, but we don't do what is most to God's glory or what He requires of us. One sin that is infinite for us is our failure to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, all our strength. Every second of our lives that we are not loving God in this way is sin because we are breaking the greatest commandment. What a humbling thought! Thinking of sin this way should keep us from sinning further by trying to bargain with God.

The Gospel is such great news! Looking at Pharaoh, we should learn lessons about human nature and ourselves that should make us more greatful for the Gospel. We sin more than we can ever know. Every act of our own before regeneration is a sin. There is no way that we can keep the commands of God. Without the Gospel, we would be hopeless. Yet, God has revealed the Gospel to us through His Son. God revealed His Son in the story of the plagues and Passover. A future post will address this issue.

Sorry that this post seems to jump from one topic to another without any real flow! My brain does that sometimes and I don't feel like editing it right now.

Sanctification

Sanctification is becoming what we already are in Christ.

We are already alive in Christ, but we must be alive spiritually.

Our sinful flesh is dead in Christ, so we must constantly put the flesh to death.

We are free from sin in Christ, so we must continually work to keep ourselves free from sin.

We are righteous in Christ, so we must become righteous in the things that we do.

We are in the Spirit in Christ, so we must walk in the Spirit each day.

Sanctification is not a work that we do to obtain salvation (because we are redeemed in Christ already), but is a work that shows we are the recipient of salvation.

The Importance of Preparation

I know that at times when I am teaching, I fight the temptation to not prepare as much as I should because I know and trust that God is going to be the one granting me the grace to speak and teach anyway. However, I know when I give in to that temptation that I am sinning (although, God in His grace often grants me the grace to get through the teaching experience). I know that there are times when I am not going to have enough time to prepare before teaching (i.e., emergency situations). I also know that it is only by God's grace that I am able to teach when I have the opportunity. However, I feel that I should teach as if I am teaching under my own strength, then surrender myself to God. This often means that I spend more hours in preparation than I need to or that it takes me longer to teach certain short books of the Bible than maybe it should (some of you have experienced that first hand!). Teaching should be a time of worship for the teacher, and true worship results only when we sacrifice.

I love this quote from C.H. Spurgeon (aka, the Prince of Preachers):

Make it plain to your own self. I believe that, when I preach, I ought to prepare and study my sermon as if its success altogether depended upon me, but that, when I am thus thoroughly furnished, I am to trust in God as much as if I had done nothing at all. The same view should be taken of your life and of your service for God. Work as if you were to be saved by your works, and then trust Christ only, since it is only by faith in him that you are capable of a single good work. Work for God with all your might, as if you did it all, but then always remember that "it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

He sums it up in better words than I ever could!

Living the Bible?

I came across this article today as I was taking one of my reading breaks at work.  There are so many different levels to address this article on.  In short, this man set out to live all the commands in the Bible for a year (just a year), and the Anderson Cooper show is doing a segment on how successful the guy was, how hard it was to follow the laws, etc.

This man found 700 decrees that he believed that he must be conscious of and keep every single day in order to live the Bible.  How depressing would that be to be constantly focused on the law and trying to keep the law?  I wonder if that included the sacrificial system (and I wonder how PETA felt about that one!).  Of course, I guess it couldn't include the sacrificial system because I personally don't know of any Levites that are available to offer the sacrifice at the temple (or where there is a temple that qualifies) in order for him to properly offer sacrifice according to the Old Testament Scripture.  This guy tried to keep the laws for a year, and only a year, yet those were decrees set out for man to obey every single day of his life.

Wow, I am thankful that we are no longer under the law!  Trying to keep 700 decrees would be depressing.  We are condemned by the law because no one is capable of keeping it.  It is interesting to see that the world thinks that obeying a set of rules and regulations qualifies us as "living the Bible."  It goes to show that the world can learn facts about the Bible and know portions of Scripture, but when it comes to understanding, we need the Holy Spirit.

It seems to me that this man, and many who watch the program tonight, will miss the point of the law.  The law was given for one reason, and that was to point us to Christ.  Man is condemned by the law because no man can keep its 700 thou shalts and thou shalt nots.  Man has to face the reality that there is nothing that he can do that will save him because he is condemned by his failure to follow God's law.  The article mentions that it was easy to keep some, like "Thou shalt not murder," but I would go so far as to say that this man did not even keep that commandment.  Jesus took that commandment and stated that even a man who is angry in his heart towards a brother commits murder.  When you get to the very heart of the commandments, everyone is condemned.  The law makes man's condition look hopeless.  Therefore, man realizes that he must turn to God for grace.  

Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the law.  He was able to keep all of the decrees.  He was able to be righteous in His thought life and His heart.  He was able to present Himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sins, fulfilling the sacrificial system and bringing it to an end.  The law testifies to His place as Messiah and is to point us to Christ as our representative who was able to keep the law.  Because we are unable to keep the law, we must depend upon His grace who kept the law.  Since He who was sinless and a fulfillment of the law took on our sin on the cross, we can put on His righteousness.  By entering into that relationship with Christ, we are called to "live the Bible" by living like Christ.  Living the Bible isn't about keeping commands, but by accepting the gift of grace and living in that grace to become more and more like Christ.

We need more people in the world living the Bible by living in grace instead of trying to keep the 700 decrees.  We can't expect the world to understand without the Holy Spirit, so we need to pray that the Holy Spirit will change minds and hearts.  We also need to proclaim the gospel to the world, including living the Bible as a redeemed, holy people.  We need to take opportunities to share the gospel by pointing out condemnation under the law, but also by pointing out God's grace through Jesus' sacrifice.

New Precept

It has been a while since I wrote anything.  It is strange how I go through periods of not being able to write enough, then periods of not having much to say.  I think that part of that comes with how busy I am at work, at home, how much time I have to read, etc.

I have started a new Precept course.  This time we are doing 2 Timothy.  I am so thankful that God has gifted me with the desire to study His word in such an indepth way.  Too often I am tempted to be lazy and just see what others have to say about the Bible, or too busy to really take a portion of Scripture and contemplate its place in God's word as a whole.  Another temptation is to skip the putting Scripture into context, and just jump to the application.  However, you can't have correct application without studying the context, which I believe is best accomplished by studying inductively (meaning observation, interpretation, then application).  What is so convicting so far about 2 Timothy is that we are to learn Scripture not just for personal edification, but so that we can teach.  I think that we tend to skip this step in our churches.  What I mean by that is that we talk too much about application without really teaching someone how to teach by our style of teaching.  I know that I am tempted to do that (and do it quite often unfortunately).  When someone can tell that we have observed a passage so that we know the basic who, what, where, when, and why, and can tell that we have interpretted the passage by using Scripture to interpret Scripture, then they can trust our application.  Also, they can learn by our example how to study the Bible for themselves and how to teach.  The goal of Bible study should not just be about personal edification or relationships (although both are important), but it should be to glorify God by equipping the Saints to be prepared to give a defense in season and out of season.  This means that the gospel should be central to all that we teach because we need to equip the Saints to share the gospel and there may be someone there that needs to hear the gospel.  

I think I kind of changed subjects there near the end.  Here are my personal goals for 2 Timothy:

(1)  Learn the book so well that it is etched on my mind and heart.  This tends to happen with the book Precept studies.  There are certain words and phrases that should become a part of my Christian vocabulary as a result of this study (i.e., The righteous man shall live by faith from Romans, Contend for the faith from Jude, Be prepared to meet your God from Amos).

(2) Be prepared to teach the book.  I like to teach.  I always have the desire to teach.  However, I have to prepare before I teach, and part of that preparation should be studying a book indepth before I teach it.  I think that this is the step that too many teachers in our churches skip, in part because too often we do not give them enough time to prepare to teach.  You can't ask someone to teach a month before the study starts and expect them to be prepared to teach properly.  You also can't just give them a packet of literature and expect them to teach properly (in part because too much of our literature is focused on application instead of observation and interpretation, but that is the subject of a future blog when I have fully thought through how to approach that subject -- stay tuned!).  I am not saying that God isn't able to use teachers who are dependent on literature or anything like that.  What I am saying is that we could be more effective at equipping the Saints for good works if we taught in the way that Paul tells us to teach in 2 Timothy (and his other books such as Ephesians).  That having been said, I hope that I will be ready to teach 2 Timothy at the end of this study if I am called upon to teach it at some point in the future.

I have to confess that this blog may be a little unorganized and seem to ramble at points, but I really don't feel like going back and editing it or making it flow better.

Amen!

Everyone (by now) probably knows that I want a jazz funeral when I die, and I have even given other instructions.  Given the uncertainty of this life, it is never too early to start contemplating whether you are ready for death.  I came across this quote spoken by D. James Kennedy,  who died earlier this week.  I love what he said anticipating his own death (although I don't know when he said this), and it is the way that we should feel because of our hope in Christ:

"Now, I know that someday I am going to come to what some people will say is the end of this life.  They will probably put me in a box and roll me right down here in front of the church, and some people will gather around, and a few people will cry.  But I have told them not to do that because I don't want them to cry.  I want them to begin the service with the Doxology and end with the Hallelujah chorus, because I am not going to be there, and I am not going to be dead.  I will be more alive than I have ever been in my life, and I will be looking down upon you poor people who are still in the land of dying and have not yet joined me in the land of the living.  And I will be alive forevermore, in greater health and vitality and joy than ever, ever, I or anyone has known before."

Note on Mother Teresa

Here is a link to an article that says what, in some ways I was trying to say in my previous blog on the subject, better than I said it. I agree with this quote: "I possess no ability to read Mother Teresa's heart, but I do sincerely hope that her faith was in Christ, and not in her own faithfulness" and I would add to that that I hope her faith was not in her works for Christ.

And I just came across this comment that hit home for me, especially since I too thought of Martin Luther:


"I appreciate Dr. Mohler for reminding us that Christ, and what He has accomplished in His life, death, and resurrection, is the source of our hope.

As I read about some of Mother Teresa's struggles, I cannot help but think of the Catholic Monk, Martin Luther, who was himself plagued with doubt and fear for much of his early religious life. For, having a keen legal mind, he knew all too well how he had not met the perfect demands of the law of God.

Yet, as I read Dr. Mohler's article, I am also reminded of the beautiful, life-transforming truth that Luther discovered in the pages of Scripture: that God saves sinners by grace alone, through faith alone, on the basis of Christ's life, death, and resurection alone.

I hope and pray that the recent revelations of the struggles and doubts of a women who was so loving and kind, and had done so many wonderful things, remind us of what Dr. Mohler has echoed in his post: out of gratitude and love to God for His marvelous grace, let us serve others; but let us trust in Christ alone to save us sinners who cannont save ourselves. Thanks be to God, Christ came to save sinners!" (Josiah Jones)

Better to not have lived

I was listening to the Albert Mohler Program a few days ago as I washed my dishes (yes, mom, I finally washed my dishes!), and there was an interesting program on a modern philosopher who has determined that it is better not to live and that humans should phase themselves out to extinction. It sounds like a radical argument, but when you see yourself as just another animal, you can see how one would begin to think this way. Also, this guy says that if you take a life, bad things outweigh good things, and therefore it is not worth it.

Really, if you think about it, any non-Christian should feel this way. The only way to find meaning in this life is through a relationship with God through Christ. It is only in a relationship with God that bad times can even be seen as good because of the change of character and blessings from God that one receives through trials. It is only through a relationship with God that we can look past the bad of this world and long for the good in the world to come. It is only through a relationship with God that we find our true worth. Our response to ones making this argument that life is not worth living because the bad outweighs the good should be to share the gospel.

The whole theory that humanity should phase itself out to extinction is crazy! The guy didn't suggest that we start killing people off, but that we start aborting more (I think, but I really can't remember) and stop having babies. Can you imagine what that would look like in the last generation? Paints such a bleak future! However, we must remember that we have been commanded to be fruitful and multiply and populate the earth. Christians should understand that is a command from God and should realize it is how we are a witness of God's manifold witness, on earth and in the heavenlies, since God's grace can often be seen through generation after generation in many families.

God's Judgment

As I am reading through Joel in preparation for Sunday School on Sunday and beginning my Precept study of Jude, I am confronted with the reality of God's judgment. In previous studies of Amos and Romans, the reality of God's judgment is apparent. I think that only now am I realizing what some of the people that we think are crazy are saying when they label every tragedy that happens as God's judgment.

What I mean is that the Bible is very clear that all death and all natural disasters are God's judgment on sin. Please hear me out as I explain this more fully. The reason that natural disasters exist in the world is because man sinned. Before man sinned, this world was perfect. However, as a result of man's sin, even the ground was cursed. Later on we see how God judges the world by bringing a flood to destroy everyone but Noah. The minor prophets state how earthquakes, floods, plagues of locusts, drought, etc. are used by God to try to bring people and nations to repentence. This is still true today. The natural disasters are God's punishment on sin. Romans tells us that creation groans. This groaning is as a result of man's sin. When we see natural disasters occur, we should and need to preach the gospel of repentance to those suffering. Not only are these natural disasters an act of judgment, but they are also an act of God's mercy. God is warning us of His ultimate judgment for man's sin and giving mankind an opportunity to experience His grace. This is where I think that those "radicals" that you see on TV get it wrong (or at least the way that the media portrays them by failing to give the full message). We need to explain correctly the judgment of God and let people know that it is also an example of His grace because He is giving us every opportunity to repent and turn to Him. He is patient with man.

If we are honest, we realize that all death is judgment on sin. That is why Christ's resurrection and the hope of our resurrection is such a radical idea because the final punishment for sin, meaning death, is actually a victory for the believer! The whole reason that death exists is because of man's sin. Our bodies are dying from the moment we are born because of sin. For the believer, death is the final victory over sin because it is with our death that we are united with Christ completely in glorification. We no longer have the ability to sin. This is where the hope of the believer lies. We will finally be able to glorify God in all that we do without the problem of sin!

For those events that are not acts of nature, but acts of men, we need to realize that they are also God's punishment on sin. That does not mean that God authors sin or causes man to sin. What that means is that God is a sovereign God and gives men over in their depravity to act out their natural desires, but it all falls within God's plan. I can't fully understand it, so I know that my definition is an imperfect way of defining how the sovereignty of God fits in evil situations. I do know that Joseph had an understanding of this concept when he told his brothers, "What you meant for evil, God meant for good." In the midst of tragedy, many hearts turn towards God and His amazing grace.

So what do I want people to get out of all of this? If you are going to preach God's judgment, don't forget God's grace. On the other side, if you are going to preach God's grace, you need to teach about God's judgment. I don't understand my need for grace unless I understand that I deserve God's judgment. You can't say that Jesus died to save you unless you have first established what you need to be saved from. I feel that this is also why it is important to study the minor prophets because, although they painted a picture of God's judgment, they also painted a picture of His grace by giving the people an opportunity to repent. This is a hard message to give to the world, but it is part of the gospel. The world doesn't like to hear of a God of judgment, but has to if they are going to accept His grace.