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Tag: suffering

  • Do not lose heart over tribulations & sufferings – 1

    Faint Not

    Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. – Ephesians 3:13 KJV

    The Apostle Paul encourages a church of central importance with a letter written to followers looking toward an uncertain future. His comforting call from one saint to another urges them to not lose heart over his tribulations.

    Ephesians

    Paul writes to believers of perhaps the most important church of the first century, the church at Ephesus. Hearers of Paul’s letter know it is from a leader viewed as defeated, banished and vilified by former power-brokers of the faith. Yet we hold up examples of Paul and the Apostles with little consideration of their tribulations at the time. Paul was once a jew among jews. Saul of Tarsus confesses his conversion by the grace of the Messiah Jesus.

    Who do you follow? What do you hope to hear from your leaders? Do they have concern for your issues? Are you overconcerned for the tribulations of a leader in whom you place your faith?

    When our mortal leaders in faith or politics suffer setbacks or defeats, how quickly we abandon our faith for what we once so zealously affirmed. Such was the plight of Paul, so frequently persecuted, so intentionally discredited, suffering pain, disgraced in the synagogues and the courts of public opinion. The Apostle held dearly to fellowships of the church, those who risked all to stand before an unbelieving world proclaiming Jesus Christ is Lord.

    He lived in nearly three years in Ephesus, capital of its Roman state, home to a half-million people at about AD 53-57 and probably wrote his Letter to the Ephesians from prison, having it delivered to Ephesus as encouragement for believers. Would you listen to a letter from a leader in prison?

    So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. – Ephesians 3:13 ESV

    Ephesus – place of the addressees of Paul’s letter

    Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians would bless you with a wonderful overview of the Christian faith by reading it in its entirety, a brief, letter-length book of just six short chapters. (I might also mention here one of my favorite ways to hear the Bible is to listen to a good reading, this one of Ephesians by Max McLean.)

    ephesus-map-where-is-ephesusThe people of Ephesus live far from Syria, Galilee, Samaria, Judea and Idumea, more than 1000 miles [1600 km] by road and ferry. Ephesus  [pictured above], Roman capital of Asia, overlooks the Aegean Sea and eastern trade routes beyond Asia Minor in modern day Turkey.

    Introduction to Paul’s letter

    Paul begins:

    To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:

    Paul does not send a political proclamation to everyone in this important Roman capital city. He does not ask them to send money for his well-known missionary journeys. Paul does not address those in the city with pagan beliefs where most of them worshiped idols. In fact, Christianity was a small, minority religion, as it is in Turkey even today.

    Paul thanks God for his spiritual blessing in Jesus Christ. He tells these Ephesians,

    “Eph. 1:15.. I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers..

    Do we do that? Do we have faith in Jesus as our Lord, showing His love toward all the saints of the church? Surely we are a church of troubled souls and differing tribulations.

    The church in Ephesus and all churches consist of men, women and children of a multitude of backgrounds and everyday trials. Paul opens his loving letter to those members of the church in Ephesus with praise and confirmation of prayer on their behalf.

    Paul continues to remind us:

    Eph 2: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world,

    … following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— …

    But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—

    – by grace you have been saved— Ephesians 2:5b

    God did not have to save everyone.

    God did not have to save foreigners (like Greeks and Romans or like me and you). Paul includes himself with you and me in reminding us that we all sin. If God wants to save us He will, even though we do not deserve it. If God does not choose to save us, no work or sacrifice can redeem us from a single sin or our continual unfaithfulness.

    Paul reveals the mystery that God has chosen him to preach the good news (gospel) to the gentiles (non-jews).

    Eph. 3:10 … so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

    Paul then states the reason for his letter:

    13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

    He then assures the church members at Ephesus that he prays for those he has led to Christ. His reason:

    “..so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints.. and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

    Unity in the church, love & relationships

    The Apostle outlines God’s plan of love for the church, including our family and social relationships. Paul begins in

    Ephesians 3: I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

    • Humility
    • Gentleness
    • Patience
    • Bearing with one another in love
    • Eager to maintain the unity of the Holy Spirit in the bond of peace.

    Without elaboration on the identifiable characteristics of the saints (Christians), this short list suffices for a start to ‘equip the saints for the work of ministry’ [v.12].

    The Apostle instructs us in the love of Christ as it relates to believers and unbelievers, husband and wife, parent and child, masters and servants. Most importantly Paul tells us how our redeemed lives ought to look:

    Ephesians 4: 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

    Some questions for the saints

    Have you sweetened the bitterness of your sufferings? Has the wrath of self-righteousness and pressed-down anger of your tribulations been quenched in the love of our Lord?

    I was never kind nor did my heart show tenderness toward those who trampled my fragile esteem. Paul reminds the saints of God that the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, descended to us.

    Who does not have tribulation and suffering? For even Christ suffered for our sakes, that we might be redeemed by the blood of His sacrifice.

    Ephesians 5:

    “Awake, O sleeper,
        and arise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.”

    15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

    Paul closes suggesting the whole armor of God for the saints of the church.

    Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

    Heed the imagery of righteousness before the Lord. For few events of life turn one so quickly against God as our own tribulations and sufferings.

    To be continued

     

     

  • Follow After Me 7 – Despondency

    Follow After Me 7 – Despondency

    When we last looked at a view of a Christian following after Jesus we had met one of many pliable Christians. Perhaps you saw a few of these unfamiliar faces in church Easter Sunday. (Perhaps you are one of them.)

    We get inspired to join the crowds following Jesus with a commitment not unlike those who laid palms before the Lord then shout ‘crucify him,’ a few days later.

    Our faith and spirit are lifted in a brief moment, then disappointment deserts our hope and brings us down into our despondency of futility. The same Prophet Isaiah who predicted Christ speaks the word of the Lord:

    My servants will sing for joy, but you will cry in sorrow and despair. – Isaiah 65:14

    Have you not sung of the great joy of the resurrection? Yet as soon as you turn from the path near to our Lord you falter in despair and cry out loud in sorrow that the Lord has not brought you through the slough of despond.

    Are we not often, my fellow brief believer, caught in the bog of our own view of the world the Lord has made when apart from the company of other believers for twenty-three other hours of Sunday and six other days?

    From the Easter service we venture back into the thick darkness of this fallen world and quickly stumble into the bog of hopelessness from which our hearts had been lifted for a time.

    What now, we ask? What now, even though I am trying to follow after Christ?

    Bunyan explains the doubtings of the new believer. … it is called the Slough of Despond; for still, as the sinner is awakened about his lost condition, there arise in his soul many fears and doubts, and discouraging apprehensions, which all of them get together, and settle in this place: and this is the reason of the badness of this ground. 

    Compared to the glory of the resurrection, compared to the joy of Christ’s victory over sin and death our daily walk in the old mire of our sin cause our hearts to bear a sluggish weight of sin we have never before considered.

    Yet by the mercy of the Lord we have a great hope the moment we look forward rather than quickly back toward our sinful inclinations left behind.

    From the garden of despair

    And the slough of despond

    We cry out to the Living God.

    He hears the hopelessness of our plea.

    He answers the longing of our prayer.

    His mighty Hand

    His gentle touch

    Will embrace the heart

    Of the broken.

    His love reaches even

    To the depths of the darkness.

    Psalm 40:

    I waited patiently for the Lord;
        he inclined to me and heard my cry.
    2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
        out of the miry bog,
    and set my feet upon a rock,
        making my steps secure.
    3 He put a new song in my mouth,
        a song of praise to our God.

    …

    11 As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain
        your mercy from me;
    your steadfast love and your faithfulness will
        ever preserve me!
    12 For evils have encompassed me
        beyond number;
    my iniquities have overtaken me,
        and I cannot see;
    they are more than the hairs of my head;
        my heart fails me.

    13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!
        O Lord, make haste to help me!

    …

    17 As for me, I am poor and needy,
        but the Lord takes thought for me.
    You are my help and my deliverer;
        do not delay, O my God!

    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

    According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

    In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials..

    1 Peter 3:3,6

     

  • Who IS this man?

    Isaiah 42:1-3

    Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
    I have put my Spirit upon him;
    he will bring forth justice to the nations.

    He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
    or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
    he will faithfully bring forth justice.

    He will not grow faint or be discouraged
    till he has established justice in the earth;
    and the coastlands wait for his law.

     Hebrews 1:3-4

    He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

    After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

    John 12:

    28 Father, glorify your name.”

    Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

    29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”

    30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

    34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up?

    Who is this Son of Man?”

    All the questions had been asked before. “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?” [Mark 6:2]

    Luke 9:

    18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

    19 And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.”

    20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

    And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

    21 And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

    23 And he said to all,

    “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

    24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

    Who IS this Jesus?

    We ask even now, who is Jesus? What man of flesh and blood has ever been raised from the dead? Who has more than five hundred witnesses of His resurrection that men might die rather than deny that Jesus IS… Jesus was not just a son of man like other men, Jesus IS the very Image of the One God!

    He IS the Existing One, the I AM, Jehovah, LORD!

    No man has ever demonstrated the very power of God on earth as did Jesus. Yet for us, the evidence of Jesus’ power and Jesus’ miracles are the fullness of the Lord’s compassion and love for those who are still sinners.

    No man can stand before a Holy God. No good work can replace the sins of our measured mortal days.

    It took God Himself to come to us as a Perfect Sacrifice for our sins.

    Christ Jesus IS the Living God sacrificed for our sins, for this is the love offers for us.

    Jesus suffered as a man, despised and rejected by those He came to save. He became the Lamb of God, the Perfect Sacrifice given for our sins. Christ died. Jesus was buried… just like you and I will be buried. His lifeless flesh was put in a tomb and laid to rest…

    He was sinless,

    Unlike you and me.

    He suffered yet more.

    He died as a man does die.

    He became sin on a cross.

    The Perfect Priest became a Sacrifice.

    He IS the Lamb of God.

    What love has the LORD for us, that God our Heavenly Father would send His only Son to the Cross for the sins of the world.

    Yet Jesus IS now, risen from the grave after three days separated from God the Father by death. A Perfect Son of Man sacrificed and redeemed. He IS and will return in victory, not only over death but over all sin and unrighteousness.

    Are you prepared to meet Christ Jesus?

    Jesus will judge every soul, separating those for eternal reward from souls receiving punishment for evil.

    Are you ready for the resurrection of the last day?

    Praise to our Lord Jesus Christ for bearing our sin on the Cross.

    Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit!

    As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.

    Amen.

    Jesus Christ IS LORD!