Comfort from God

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  - Matthew 5:4

 

As I read the prayer of Paul for the church in Ephesus in Ephesians 1:15-23, I sit astonished at how far I am from experiencing the fulfillment of Paul's prayer.  I mourn over the fact that the church has not only fallen short of God's glory, but how far we are from the will of God in this area.  Paul laments in Romans, "Oh wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Rom. 7:24)  The church is the Body of Christ, and Jesus is the Head.  This Body which is intended to be marked by life is little more than a comatose man with spasms.  How far we are from fulfilling God's will in His Body with the life He has graciously provided!

We must be brought to mourning for our condition before comfort will be provided.  We must repent before we are forgiven.  We must confess our blindness before our eyes will be opened.  Jesus had just given sight to to a blind man by spitting on the ground, putting the clay upon his eyes, and commanding Him to wash in the Pool of Siloam.  The man went, washed, and came back seeing.  The man worshiped Jesus, believing in Him.  The Pharisees, however, did not believe in Jesus.  They looked to their own righteousness for their salvation.  They searched the scriptures daily, believing that in them they could find eternal life.  Yet the Eternal Word stood before them, God who became flesh, and they denied His deity despite the signs and wonders He performed.  They asked Jesus, "Are we blind also?"  Jesus replied in John 9:41:  "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains."  The one who was once blind came away seeing physically and spiritually, but the Pharisees remained blind.

How my heart aches for the condition of the Body!  We are like the church of Laodicea, of whom Christ said, "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-- [18] I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see" (Rev. 3:17-18).  We are like Judah of whom the prophet lamented in Isaiah 1:4-6: "Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters!  They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked to anger the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backward. [5] Why should you be stricken again?  You will revolt more and more.  The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. [6] From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment."  Are not the words of Christ relevant which He spoke in Matthew 15:7-8:  "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: [8] 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me."

When we consider the power of Christ displayed upon earth and the lack of power evident in the church today, should we not mourn?  Who is there who will weep over the sins of God's people as Daniel, who stood in the gap interceding?  Should we not cry out to Jesus as Peter, "Depart from us, for we are sinful men, O Lord!"  As Jesus was led to Calvary He said to those who wept that they should not weep for Him, but for themselves and their children.  Luke 23:31 says, "For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?"  Jesus had just been betrayed, forsaken, and denied by those who gave their allegiance to Him.  The wood is certainly dry, and we are no better than our fathers!  God help us!  It is no wonder that Jesus is a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.  What brings more grief to a father than a child who only brings dishonor and shame?

Those who have ears to hear, let them hear!  The stately, majestic, wonderful Head who is Christ rests upon a body stricken with untreated wounds.  We are dehydrated, our muscles are atrophied, we lie senseless in our own waste and vomit!  Is this not our condition compared to that of Christ?  How long, o Lord?  How long will you allow your holy and righteous name to be blasphemed through the disobedience of your faithless people?  God has truly done all things well, but there are none who do good, no not one.  We are a people of unclean lips that dwell among a people of unclean lips!  We are no different from Samson, a man filled with the Holy Spirit and consecrated for His service who chose to be lulled to sleep upon the knees of Delilah!

We are too quick to offer comfort in this present hour.  God does offer comfort, but to those who will mourn.  The valley of the shadow of death precedes dwelling in the house of the LORD forever.  The cross goes before eternal glory.  We must confess our blindness before God will open our eyes.  God will give to those who first ask.  We must mourn before God will comfort.  He has provided the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who will help, guide, and teach us all things.  Cleansing from sin precedes this holy baptism.  It would be better that we refuse to be comforted than to accept a cheap emotional substitute for the work of the Spirit.  Jeremiah 31:15 says, "Thus says the Lord:  "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more."  Jesus wept over the lost sheep of Israel:  should we not weep for our sins?

I woke up this morning moved once again by Jeremiah 9:1:  "Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!"  How this verse perfectly explains the longings of my heart, only to be betrayed by my dry eyes!  I thank God for His exceedingly great and precious promises.  Those who come to Him in humble faith He will not cast out (John 6:37).  How blessed are those who mourn, for it is they who will receive true comfort.  Praise God for Philip. 4:6-7 which states, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; [7] and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

One week countdown!

Today marks one week to my departure date, and time seems to be against me!  There is much to do and time is short.  I've heard it said that "Time flies when you're having fun" but time also flies when you're working feverishly.  I'm of the opinion that "Time flies."  Like money, it certainly sprouts wings and flies away.

I bought webcams for both my laptop and Laura's desktop, which should be a blessing to aid us in communication.  There are so many little things to do that I've actually made a running list, something that I don't often have to do.  I thank God for your prayers and all the support offered by friends and family.  We appreciate it and we are happy to confess that we a regular people who know the feeling of stress and the unknown.  But God is using this time to draw us closer to Him in faith.  Without God, none of this would be possible.

I have been in communication with the fellowship in Brisbane and it is always a blessing to hear from them.  Please pray for the work there!  Lift up Phil, Linda, Louis, Sonja, and their two families for wisdom, guidance, and provision.  I would love for everyone to meet them!  What a blessing they have been to me and an encouragement as we seek to pursue God's call together.

Once I arrive in AUS, I plan to be more active on the blog and open a Facebook account to better connect.  Right now my time is stretched and I want to finish strong at Calvary Chapel El Cajon.  God has been so faithful to me:  no doubt He will continue, for His mercy endures to all generations.  When I am weak, He is strong. 

Our Heavenly Father

"Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him: [33] "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; [34] and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again." [35] Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask." [36] And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?" [37] They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."   Mark 10:32-37

I praise God that we have a heavenly Father who knows our frame, that we are dust.  Our minds are fixed upon the temporal and we remain blind to our true needs.  Jesus told His disciples all that would befall Him in Jerusalem:  He would be betrayed, condemned, delivered to die, mocked, scourged, spit upon, and killed.  Jesus also predicted His resurrection from the dead on the third day.  Then James and John walk up to Him and say, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  Though Jesus would be crucified for the sins of the world, these men's request reveals all they were thinking about was their place in the world.

If we would be honest, we have to say that we are no different then James and John.  We want Jesus to do for us whatever we ask.  If we make a series of bad choices and are facing the consequences, we want God to make them disappear.  How much of our prayers are filled with requests for God's stamp of approval!  These prayers have nothing to do with the glory of God, but pleasure, ease, or comfort for ourselves.  Granted, God desires that we petition Him with our needs.  But often our wants become our focus.  Many people come to Jesus Christ because they have been told that He will give us peace, joy, happiness, and fulfillment.  The part about taking up the cross and willingly becoming a slave of Christ was conveniently ignored.

How many times have we asked for things that would have ruined us if God had done what we asked?  The path to Calvary passed through Gethsemane.  Jesus Himself laid down His will in the garden before He picked up the cross.  He asked that if His Father was willing to please remove this cup of suffering from Him.  But Christ concludes:  "Yet not my will, but yours be done."  That is what distinguishes Jesus from every man on earth.  He humbled Himself according to the Father's will, though being equal with God, took the form of a servant, and walked the path of the cross.  He was not praying for elevation of position or His own salvation.  He died so we might live.  Had the Father granted His request, all mankind would have perished.

One thing I love about the men of the Bible is that they are men.  Their flaws and weaknesses are not hidden from our sight.  The great men of faith like Abraham, Moses, Jacob, and David all made mistakes along the way.  During our family post-dinner Bible reading tonight, a passage caught my attention in 1 Kings 1:5-6:  "Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king"; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. [6] (And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, "Why have you done so?" He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalom.)"  David was a great warrior, a tremendous leader, but not the greatest dad.  He was not the stern disciplinarian one would expect.  Instead, he allowed his son Adonijah to do whatever he wanted.  Not one time did he ever question what his son did.  The fruit of this negligence of discipline in Adonijah's life was a premature death.

Now that David was old, Adonijah continued to to as he pleased.  He "exalted himself" and claimed the throne.  He had not been anointed or appointed king, but he tried to take the throne by force.  Most of us are Adonijahs at heart, wanting the throne for ourselves.  We are worthy in our own eyes and say, "I will be king."  We are like James and John approaching Jesus to say, "We want you to do for us whatever we ask."  I praise God that His Word and wisdom stops us and asks, "Why have you done so?"  God has placed the Holy Spirit in our hearts to convict of us of sin, righteousness, and judgment.  There's a country song that says, "I sometimes thank God for unanswered prayers."  What the artist means is he is thankful God did not always give him what he asked for.  God loves us too much to keep us from discipline and correction.  That's something we need but often don't ask for or appreciate. 

Proverbs 3:11-12 says, "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; [12] for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights."  Do you know who wrote this passage?  Solomon, son of David!  That means there is hope for us hopeless parents after all!  One of the rules of Susannah Wesley was, "Give the child nothing he cries for and only what is good for him if he ask for it politely."  (To see the full list, follow this link and scroll down to the bottom.)  The only thing worse than a spoiled child is a spoiled Christian!  We often think that we know what is good for us.  God know was is best for us because He alone is good.  Praise God that He is good, and His mercy endures to all generations!

The Cure for Disillusionment

There is always potential for disillusionment when following Jesus Christ.  When God places in the heart of a man the desire to serve others, it might become others that motivate him.  This is a prolific breeding ground for disillusionment.  One of my favorite sermons to listen to, "Ten Shekels and a Shirt" by Paris Reidhead, contains a personal example of how his mission field experience did not measure up to his expectations.

To summarize from the sermon, the preacher Paris Reidhead took a mission trip to Africa.  He had seen gruesome pictures of lepers and starving children, and heard how great the need for the Gospel was.  His heart was moved on an emotional level to go over to Africa to ease the suffering of the people.  When he arrived, however, he felt betrayed by the fact that the people knew the Gospel but loved their sin and wanted to stay in it!  Paris spoke of a time of private prayer when he practically accused God of misleading him to even go to Africa at all!  But the words of God spoke to His heart:  "I did not send you here for them.  I sent you here for Me!  Do I not deserve the reward of My suffering?"  He learned a valuable lesson the message struck home to my heart years ago:  we exist to serve and glorify God first and only.  When we begin to live a life to please men, the end will always be disillusionment.

There is a story in The Gospel of Mark where Jesus healed all the sick and delivered all the demon possessed in the town that were brought to Him.  The next morning before the sun rose, He spent time in private prayer.  The disciples found Him and Peter said, "All the people are looking for you."  The response of Jesus is amazing.  Mark 1:38 says, "But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  Peter wanted to accommodate people, but Jesus wanted to seek and save souls that didn't even know to look for Him!  Many would have been content to be the celebrity of the town, but not Jesus.  He would not have His role reduced to that of a street performer who lived to astonish people or profit from them:  He came to save them.

If your service to Christ has made you disillusioned, hear a gentle word of exhortation:  you have likely started to focus on serving people rather than serving God!  You are trying to give out more than you have received.  A man can serve God by serving others, for man was created unto good works so people will glorify our God in heaven.  But if our focus becomes people, then we will be annoyed when they do not show adequate appreciation.  We will feel taken advantage of.  We will feel like they are not worthy of our time.  But if we serve God first and keep our eyes upon Him, we will joyfully serve others because we are doing it unto the LORD.  Isn't He worthy?  No one deserves the smallest benefit from the hand of God, not even the crumbs that fall from His table.  Thank the LORD that He is our Sustainer and the lifter of our head!

I love the fact that I am going to Australia for Jesus Christ.  I am not going because any person other than Him has asked me to go.  I am not going because I believe I possess something that believers there do not.  I am going simply because Jesus told me to.  Jesus is worthy to be praised in a time of plenty and a time of lack.  He is unchangeable and infinitely good.  Whether my health is poor or strong, regardless of the weather, financial security, or acceptance by man, God deserves the glory.  Jesus will always deserve the reward of His suffering:  redeemed souls of men made in the image of God.  Even if I lower my net for a catch and toil years without a soul, God is worthy.  If the catch is so great I must call others for assistance, God is worthy!  No one can be disillusioned by Jesus, for He is no illusion:  He is the divine Illumination, the Light of the World.  It's only through Him that I can see.