Always Good Forever

I received word this week my Grandpa Martin Henry passed into eternity.  Though I heard he had been sick and in hospital, the moment when I heard the news it was like the world momentarily stopped because part of me was no more.  My grandfather had been gathered to his fathers, for God took him home.  Though the grief is real, the comfort provided by knowing the almighty God is the God of the living is greater consolation.  One thing you could guarantee is when you greeted Grandpa and asked how he was doing he would say in a booming voice, "Always good!"  Though I will not hear him say that again during my remaining days on earth, it was never more true for him than now in the presence of the LORD.

It's hard for me to fathom going to Grandma's house and not include Grandpa because he was always there.  He would be wearing blue jeans and a white, tucked in t-shirt.  It is difficult to imagine today he cannot be found on the lounge in the den, riding his John Deere mower, winding a clock, or laying carpet.  He would shrug and say, "They pay me to crawl around all day.  Easy money."  I remember when Grandpa laid the carpet in my first house and my neighbour pulled me aside that afternoon over 20 years ago.  "I saw an older fellow pull up to your house with big rolls of carpet and linoleum.  I decided to put my shoes on to lend a hand and by the time I made it over there he already had them in the house!"  "Yep, sounds like Grandpa," I told him.  I once asked him why he didn't have an apprentice or helper.  "I'd have to fix all their mistakes," he replied.

Moving to Australia has meant I have not been able to spend much time with Grandpa, and I certainly missed our friendly game of poker every New Year's Eve.  He was an honest man, and an honest poker player too.  If he was raising you, you knew you better have a decent hand.  One of the stories I loved to hear happened during his time in the Navy with a memorable showdown.  His opponent had four queens; he never imagined Grandpa had four kings!  When I think of Grandpa, my mind is filled with fond memories of times we spent together, like staying up on Christmas Eve watching whatever was on TV so we could say "Merry Christmas!" to each other before going to bed.  His stories went like this:  "My old uncle August was a Lutheran minister (only lived to be 96), preached moderation:  one bottle at a time!"  His hearty handshake and chuckle was like no other, and I will miss him.

Sometimes loss can be a path to greater appreciation of the blessings God has already provided.  My grandparents, parents, siblings, wife, children, in-laws, extended family and family of believers have been a rich blessing in my life.  The truth is, this earth is not our forever home.  When we suffer loss of those we love it is a reminder we will never be without God who was, is and is to come.  My grief is tempered by my LORD Jesus Christ who is the Good Shepherd who will never leave or forsake me--nor any who trust in Him when He calls them home.  Psalm 23:6 says of those who trust in the LORD, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."  What assurance God gives those who love and trust Him because God is always good, now and forever.

If God's Your Father

Recent news in New South Wales has highlighted political debate around a proposed religious discrimination bill which was intended to protect people of faith.  Others have shared their concerns that by protecting believers it could legalise discrimination towards other people groups, even those who have physical disabilities.  Tennis champ and Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott revealed at the age of 16 he was singled out by a "preacher" and called "the spawn of Satan" as he sat in a queue in his wheelchair whilst on a date.  An article expressed his concern "...that some 'more traditional' religions believe people with disabilities are a spawn of Satan and view their disability as a punishment because they or their parents have done something wrong."  It is evident those hurtful, horrendous words wounded Dylan.  I have no idea of the religious beliefs of that preacher, but from a Christian vantage point it was a wicked and sinful thing to say.

Beliefs can be a tricky minefield to navigate:  one person can make a false, hurtful accusation, and the one injured then believes a whole group of people are again them.  It is possible we can make caricatures of those we do not understand or agree with.  In Dylan's case, I do not doubt for a second someone would make such an evil, callous remark because Jesus dealt with such self-righteous judgments of His disciples, and people have not changed.  John 9:1-3 tells us, "Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. ² And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" ³ Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him."  Seeing a man who suffered blindness from birth, men who followed Jesus looked for someone to blame.  Someone must have sowed seeds of sin to reap the fruit of blindness.  Jesus showed this view was all wrong and missed God's redemptive plans.

Jesus, being God with all wisdom, knowledge and authority, rejected full stop this man's condition was a result of a particular sin.  All have sinned, yet God's grace was clearly apparent by giving judgmental men sight who were blind to God's redemptive purposes and power.  There is a flawed assumption held by many that God rewards the deserving with good health and prosperity, and that sickness, disability or suffering is always a result of sin--despite the examples of the Book of Job or the blind man.  And what of God's statement in Exodus 4:11:  "So the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?"  A person who has suffered from a disability, judged disabled or called God-forbid "the spawn of Satan" by fellow human beings can have their eyes opened to realise God has His purposes in creating a person who is mute, deaf, seeing or blind.  This knowledge should not prevent us from loving, showing compassion and standing up for those who are vilified for differences.

Some accuse God of cruelty or unfairness for causing a man to be born blind or to have a tumour wrapped around the spinal cord at birth.  On the authority of Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world we can know God has purposes beyond our imagination.  By faith and obedience to Jesus the man born blind was miraculously made to see.  Though rendered paralysed by an operation, Dylan Alcott went on to compete in tennis and has inspired our nation and the world, even boldly saying he loves his disability--not because it made his childhood easy or makes life more convenient--but because of the countless positives obtained through it.  He has a platform to speak as an advocate of those who have endured disabilities and have been marginalised, having been shaped in part by all he has persevered through.  From a Christian perspective, God is the central part of everyone's story as our Maker.  Since He redeemed the crucifixion of His only begotten Son by providing salvation, forgiveness and eternal life through faith in Jesus, He can also redeem our light afflictions which seem to drag on permanently.

Jesus identified those self-righteous hypocrites as children of Satan who claimed to honour and worship God but rejected Him as the Son of God.  John 8:42-45 reads, "Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. ⁴³ Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. ⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. ⁴⁵ But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me."  There are many religions and preachers out there, and anyone who says a disabled person is the "spawn of Satan" had better shut their mouths and take a look in the mirror.  Those who do not listen to Jesus Christ or speak with a loving desire to see people receive salvation through Jesus, braying such vicious accusations reveals your own soul to be in grave danger.

It is most lamentable Dylan, the man born blind and Jesus Himself faced persecution and hatred for basically existing.  I cannot speak to those outside the church but I exhort followers of Jesus, those members of the body of Christ, to do and say according to the example provided us by Jesus Himself:  to love the LORD our God, love people, and make disciples of Jesus by grace through faith in Him.  It is only by being born again we can be enabled to walk in wisdom and exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit exemplified in love.  It is beyond our power to right past wrongs or to take back sinful and ignorant words even we have said, but we can humble ourselves before God and love one another as He loves us.  If the LORD can be glorified through a person being born blind, He can be glorified when we apologise for our foolish pride and humble ourselves to genuinely love others.  Since God is our Father, we ought to hear His word and humbly walk in His ways.

Persuaded by Love

"So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."

Acts 21:14

Luke and the believers who spoke with Paul in Caesarea demonstrated wisdom and grace believers today ought to embrace.  A prophet named Agabus had come from Judea and Acts 21:11-12 tells us, "When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"  Understandably this revelation by the prophet was of great concern to Luke and fellow believers who loved and cared for Paul.  Why stubbornly persist in going to Jerusalem for the feast if bonds awaited you?

While it makes sense to avoid being arrested and sent to prison, remember how Jesus also set His face like a flint to go up to Jerusalem knowing what awaited Him there.  Paul was willing not only to be bound but to die for Jesus, so the threat of arrest and imprisonment was of small consequence.  Based on the protests of his fellow believers and friends Paul could have changed his mind, but he didn't.  And when they saw Paul's mind was made up, they stopped speaking to him on the subject and committed him and his future into the LORD's sovereign hands.

Whether you find yourself in the position of Luke (one trying to convince someone to change their mind) or a Paul (the one with a mind already made up) or an Agabus (one who has insight from the LORD), it is good for us to consider our motives in having robust discussions with others who are not in agreement.  When embittered Naomi decided to head back to Bethlehem, she told Ruth to return to her people.  Ruth 1:18 says, "When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her."  Luke had the freedom and well-being of Paul in mind, yet it is possible Naomi was in such a negative state she couldn't care less.  Regardless, Naomi picked up on Ruth's determination to accompany her and ended the discussion.

The ability to communicate remotely using phones, texts and emails have hindered our ability to pick up on social cues.  With the best intentions, we can be forceful in expressing our opinions to the point others do not feel the freedom to express disagreement--which may or may not be true.  This lack of honest dialogue can embolden one to keep pushing to make their points when both minds have already been made up.  Key takeaways for me from this passage is Holy Spirit-filled believers will not always agree with each other, and there is a time when it is appropriate to cease discussion over controversial subjects as we commit each other to the LORD's care.  Luke, Paul and the brethren remained brethren and friends, even though Paul went up to Jerusalem.

We would love to be conquerors of error and be proved correct when debates and discussions arise, but our victory does not come from convincing others to see things our way:  we are more than conquerors through Jesus who loves us.  Paul wrote in Romans 8:38-39, "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Disagreements about travel plans or other things cannot separate us from the love of God, and thus we ought to walk in it ourselves and offer it to others always.

Our Hope and Help

The word of God never ceases to amaze as He opens our eyes to His wonders.  It is almost like putting on glasses with a new prescription that allow our faulty eyes to see clearer than they have in a long while.  We often don't realise how blurry our vision is until God breaks through with revealing insights.

As long as I can remember, one of the primary complaints and criticisms I have heard of Christians by unbelievers or people out of church fellowship is hypocrisy among believers.  Many times this accusation is based upon an offended person's view of what a Christian ought to say or do and them not measuring up to this immaculate standard.  Sometimes these observations can be well founded, where a person makes a claim and then violates it without shame.  There is a degree of hypocrisy found in everyone, and a maxim that rings true about hypocrisy is it takes one to know one.  We notice hypocrisy and it bothers us because we too, at some level, do the same thing (Romans 2:1).

Elihu in the book of Job presented a depiction of a hypocrite which has nothing to do with common ways people claim Christians (or others) demonstrate hypocrisy:  it is to know the LORD God is sovereign and not go to Him for help in time of need.  In Job 36, Elihu laid out ways God disciplines, teaches and helps God-fearing people like Job by binding them in cords of affliction.  He then said in Job 36:11-13:  "If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. ¹² But if they do not obey, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge. ¹³ But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath; they do not cry for help when He binds them."  To say you trust God to save your soul yet do not cry for help when He binds, that is a mark of hypocrisy we do well to repent of.

It is one thing to speak or act hypocritically, yet to be a hypocrite in heart is a devastating condition only God can deliver and save us from.  If we find in trials and troubles we depart from the LORD, feeling He is pushing us away, our hearts are not righteous before Him.  God allows painful circumstances to draw us near to Himself, to open our eyes to our need for help only He can supply.  When situations are out of our control and help is needed, Christians ought to turn to the almighty God Who has saved us by grace and use our lips to praise Jesus Christ who is our hope.

May our lives proclaim the goodness of God in all seasons of life as it is written in Psalm 31:21-24:  "Blessed be the LORD, for He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city! ²² For I said in my haste, "I am cut off from before Your eyes"; nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried out to You. ²³ Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person. ²⁴ Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD."  The God who is our hope is also our help.