God's Appointments

"But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. ¹¹ Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing."

1 Thessalonians 5:8-11

There are many kinds of appointments we have daily, and some of these are arranged and kept by us and others by God.  Yesterday I accompanied my parents to a doctor's appointment, the kind of appointment one would rather not have.  It would be wonderful if we never were sick and doctor's appointments were unnecessary, but having an appointment with a skilled physician is a blessing when you have cancer and want to be rid of it.

I was encouraged by this passage in 1 Thessalonians 5 that tells us that God has not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation through our LORD Jesus Christ.  We may forget we have an appointment and miss it, but God never forgets.  As children of God saved through the Gospel, we are not appointed to wrath.  The suffering and pains of this life are not retribution for our sins, for Jesus has provided atonement on the cross, forgiven us and imputed the righteousness of God to us.  In this world, however, we will suffer many trials and tribulations.  We can be sure every one of them is devoid of God's wrath that consumes and destroys, for He utilises trials to refine His beloved children to make us more like Him.

As certain as children of God are not appointed to wrath, He has appointed us to obtain salvation and to live together with Him.  He will not fail to keep these appointments!  Jesus died for us so we can always live with Him in fellowship as companions.  Whether we live in these bodies or after our mortal frame is laid to rest, Jesus has appointed us to life with Him.  Paul exhorted believers to comfort and edify one another with these words, for God has appointed comfort for those who mourn.  The one who mourns over their sin and repents is the one who will be forgiven and comforted, and this knowledge of God's divine appointments and plans for us strengthens us today.

By faith in Jesus we put on the breastplate of faith and love, and we don the helmet of the hope of salvation.  These, my brothers and sisters, will never disappoint.  When we are disappointed with situations in our lives, our hearts and minds are well-protected by faith and the love of God and hope of salvation.  No weapon fashioned against us shall prosper, for God has appointed us to live with Him now and forever.  Jesus is our life, and blessed is the one who is comforted and edified in Him.

Holding To God's Word

It is the revelation of God in His word that teaches us of His ways and thoughts that are higher than ours.  Great error is inevitable when we depart from the scripture and rely upon personal experience to determine what is doctrinally true.  Drifting into the fallacy of personal experience can be subtle, and even people who hold to the Bible being the word of God are not exempt from the resulting bias.  Better than limiting the way God can or will do something by our experience, we are wise to hold to God's word as truth and guidance for life.

Recently I read a book by an author I respect who holds the Bible in high esteem.  While there were times he referenced scripture to explain doctrines, his positions were greatly weakened by straw man arguments and the fallacy of personal experience.  Because he had not seen someone who could heal "on command," he dismissed the possibility anyone could be given gifts of healing today.  I am not convinced anyone gifted by God to heal did so "on command" of anyone other than God, for that would reduce this divine act to a party trick.  Just because we are given spiritual gifts according to the will of the Holy Spirit, there is an appropriate time and occasion to use them as led by Him.  Initially when Jesus was approached by a woman who begged Him to cast a demon out of her daughter, Jesus did not do so.  In response to her persistence and faith He ultimately did as she asked, and her daughter was made whole that very hour.

The author went on to say if the gifts of healing were truly in operation today, the hospitals would be empty because those who could heal would empty them.  Again, there is no scriptural precedent in the Gospels or the book of Acts (or anywhere else in the Bible) to support such a claim.  In John 5 Jesus went to the pool of Bethsaida where there were many sick and infirm people, and we read of Him choosing to heal one man.  He may have healed more than one person on the day, but the scripture remains silent on this.  What I love about that passage is Jesus went the man and knew He had suffered his condition for a long time.  The man hoped his healing would occur by his entering the pool first after it had been stirred, and Jesus chose to heal the man by grace--for he did not even ask.

The author went into detail about the trickery and fakery in some evangelical circles where charlatans deceive people to believe divine healing has taken place.  Does the existence of liars and deceivers prevent God from continuing to divinely heal people according to His will?  Those phonies are not gifted by God to heal, but it does not follow that no one today has been given gifts to heal by God's grace.  What is much more likely is that people doubt God's will to heal, do not really believe God can or will heal them.  The words of Jesus when He described how prophets were not accepted in their own country can serve as a rebuke to people in the church who doubt God heals people today in Luke 4:27:  "And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."  Naaman came from Syria to be healed by Elisha the prophet of God and went home whole, yet there were many lepers in Israel when the prophet Elisha was given power from God to heal.

Can this also be true concerning people in the church today?  The man on the street may be more receptive to divine healing than the genuine Christian in church who believes gifts of healing are no more!  In both the Old and New Testament we see the power of God on display to heal, save, make whole and bring peace to the hearts and lives of people, and we need Him as much today as ever.  Since God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), let us believe He will continue to do His miraculous wonders in the time and way He sees fit.

Appreciating the Church

It is easy to take things for granted because we become quickly accustomed to life as things are.  For this reason we likely do not appreciate all God has provided for us by His grace.  Take the church, for instance.  We can appreciate and value the church as a gathering of God's people to worship Him, study His word and serve one another.  But we may not realise God has joined us together as one in His own Body of which He is our Head.  We might focus on what we can contribute to the fellowship of the saints, but we are also blessed by how all contribute to our good as well.

This dynamic played out in the early church when Timothy was sent to establish and comfort the church in Thessalonica as the people were going through tribulation and affliction.  Paul was concerned the people might have fallen prey to lies of Satan and abandon their faith because of their troubling circumstances.  Paul shared in 1 Thessalonians 3:6-8:  "But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see you--⁷ therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith. ⁸ For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord."  When Paul and the brethren received a good report of the people's faith, love and fond memory of them, they were comforted.  The ones seeking to instruct were informed; those who sought to encourage fellow believers were themselves encouraged and comforted.

It is amazing how God connects and unites individual believers in one body, the church.  Isn't it true that when we prepare to teach we are the ones taught?  And even after the message in discussion with other Christians there is much spiritual truth to glean and gladly receive we had not laboured for.  The one who seeks to help others are greatly helped according to God's grace.  Paul and his fellow Christians who were in affliction and distress were comforted by the faith of those in Thessalonica--ironically people they desired to establish and comfort in faith.  Sometimes the very thing we wish to supply to others is also what we need ourselves, though we do not always recognise it.  The minister may not realise how much he needs ministry--not as an outlet to use God's gifts to edify others--but to be edified and encouraged by the gifts of others.  We are blessed with capacity to grow in our appreciation of God for His grace and goodness towards us by simply being in Christ in faith and following Him obediently.

Seeing the Unseen

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, ¹⁸ while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

A worldview founded by faith in God and His word provides a lens that enables us to see beneath and beyond the surface of what is seen.  Everything we see, read and experience can become opportunities for God to teach us more of Himself, how we ought to live and illustrate the truth of His word.  The one focused on their own present pain and suffering can often think of little else, yet the child of God who suffers can know he does so according to the will of God who is good and causes all things to work together for good.  Thus praise, gratitude and thanksgiving illuminate our hearts and fill our mouths rather than self-pity or frustration.

Paul realised in light of all God has provided for us--forgiveness, atonement, salvation, fellowship, righteousness, purpose and on--even the most severe afflictions are light by comparison.  Not only that, but he understood they fulfilled a practical function in working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.  It is only by eyes of faith fixed upon Jesus Christ we can see spiritual and enduring realities our physical eyes cannot see that make present pains of small consequence.  Knowing what Jesus accomplished when He suffered for our redemption means our suffering God allows is never in vain.  Everything we can see is temporary, for this world is passing away.  The things which are not seen with our physical eyes (yet with eyes of faith are seen, comprehended and received) are eternal.

The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 2:13, "For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe."  Paul was thankful the Thessalonians received the word of God from him and other believers as the word of God:  the authoritative, accurate, divine revelation of God His people ought to heed and obey.  The word of God effectively works in those who believe in Jesus Christ, and one of these ways is how God gives awareness and insight to apply God's wisdom to ordinary activities.  In his book The Bible and the Newspaper, C.H. Spurgeon demonstrated how we can find emblems, parallels, parables and analogies all around us that illustrate the truth of scripture.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, God's word works in a child of God to provide ability to see the unseen, the eternal realities God has made known to us by his grace.

Spurgeon quoted John Newton as saying, "I read the newspaper that I may see how my heavenly Father governs the world."  This insight into God and His ways could only be obtained by John Newton after first being born again by faith in Jesus and being well-versed in God's word.  The things we see are not our primary focus because they are passing away, for we look to our LORD Jesus and consider Him who suffered for our sakes.  We can rejoice with exceeding joy because the light affliction we suffer is working for us and His word is effectively working in us presently for eternal good and His glory.