What About Sickness, Death, & Suffering?

What About Sickness, Death, & Suffering?

Sin, sickness, death and suffering were never a part of God’s desire for His human creation. In the beginning, He created a beautiful garden that was completely free from all of those horrific evils. Indeed, it was very good (Gen. 1). It was so good, so perfect, and so pristine in fact, that the pure and sinless, eternal God and Creator of the entire universe walked freely therein, along with His beloved creation (Gen. 3:8).

suffering garden

In the beginning, it wasn’t so… man chose.

But although God so loved and provided them with every possible blessing they would ever need in order for them to remain eternally joyful, fulfilled, and sin, sickness, death and sorrow free, true love is always a choice. Thus God, in His great and infinite wisdom, knew He must allow His beloved and much-blessed creation to make their own choice, as to whether or not they wanted to truly love Him in return. Did they truly love Him enough to trust Him, and hence trust Him enough to obey and remain loyal to Him, or not? That was the test, the choice, the decision and the question, which He knew He must allow them to fully and freely make and answer for themselves. So; God stood back, allowed the devil to make his play, and Adam and Eve to make their choice (Gen. 3). As we know, it was an epic fail. They chose to love, trust, listen to and obey Satan, instead of their Lord God and Creator. Hence, sin, sickness, death and suffering entered the world as a result, driving a deep wedge of division between their pure and sinless Creator, and His now unholy and sin-stained creation (Gen. 3:22-24; Isa. 59:1-2).

But even then – despite their lack of love for, trust in, and obedience to their almighty and all-loving God and Creator – He did not stop loving them… not for one moment. Despite the fact that due to their own chosen disobedience they would now have to live in a world far less wonderful and much more painful than He had ever planned, purposed, or wanted for them in the first place, He promised His now-fallen and sin-stained creation that He had a plan in place to give them yet another chance to be with Him forever (Gen. 3:15), if they would but simply choose to love, listen to, and trust and obey Him this time.

Each and every day, we are given the same exact choice as Adam and Eve were. God still loves and provides for us more than we can ever imagine (Jn. 3:16; Ro. 8:28-32). And so, the question is not does God love us, but do we love God – according to His definition? Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will obey My commandments” (Jn. 14:15; see verses 21-24). Do you love Him, enough to listen to and obey, only Him (Matt. 4:10)? Have you obeyed the gospel – God’s commandment to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins (2 Thess. 1:7-9; Acts 2:38)? Are you daily listening to, learning of, and walking in, obedience to and with the Lord your God? Or, are you choosing to love, trust, listen to and live for someone else, resulting in eternally more death and suffering?

 

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LOS PREDICADORES TAMBIEN SE DESANIMAN 

LOS PREDICADORES TAMBIEN SE DESANIMAN 

            A nadie le gusta estar triste. Realmente hay muchas razones por las que uno se puede desanimar y sentirse solo sin ganas de continuar. Para los cristianos es mucho más difícil. Uno no puede solamente renunciar y darle la espalda a todo lo que ha creído y todo con lo que ha soñado. Cuando en la puerta del ministerio el desánimo toca incansablemente, ¿que debe uno de hacer? Muchas veces uno cierra la puerta y no permite que entre, pero de repente la puerta es tumbada y es ahí cuando nos encontramos en serios problemas. El desanimo N.1 viene por las decepciones amorosas, pero también si usted es predicador el desanimo numero uno viene a causa de decir, servir y vivir en  la verdad.

precadores triste

A nadie le gusta estar triste.

 Es interesante observar que en 1Rey.18 Elías acababa de experimentar una tremenda victoria para Jehová y su causa pero tan solo un tiempo después de haber matado tantos profetas falsos, él va y se mete en cueva. El hermano Robert Spurlin en su Libro “Nunca te rindas” pg.22 y 23 nos da 4 ingredientes para nunca darnos por vencidos, él recomienda: 

1.     Un amigo con quien puedas hablar diariamente.

2.     Alguien a quien le importes y que vaya a proveer cariño y animo.

3.     Hable con una persona que vaya a ser honesta y verdadera al dar consejo.

4.     Busca consejo de alguien que haya pasado por terribles problemas y haya salido victorioso permaneciendo.

5.     Lea y estudie Romanos 8:31-39. 

La vida del hermano Bod fue realmente difícil, él sabia de lo que estaba hablando sin lugar a duda. Permítame sugerir que el desanimo tiende a bloquear nuestra mirada del futuro. Puedo comprender a los predicadores que con lagrimas en las manos deben de ponerse de pie para deliberar el mensaje de Dios el Domingo por la mañana. He visto el dolor intenso cuando por ejemplo has enseñado a alguien intensamente la verdad o incluso a la Iglesia completa y luego de un tiempo cuando ya pueden sustentarse a si mismos y funcionar por si solos piden tu cabeza en bandeja de plata. Realmente uno puede desanimarse al punto de no querer predicar más, pero ¿como renunciar cuando tu exhortas a otros todo el tiempo a seguir adelante?. Trabajar con personas siempre va a causar dolor y desanimo a las personas, pero trabajar con Almas que quieren ir al cielo es mucho más complejo. 

Jeremías fue un profeta de Dios que fue un hombre amoroso pero fuerte a la exhortación del Pueblo. El predicó por poco más de 40 años. Nadie puede hablar mejor que Jeremías en el A.T en cuanto al desanimo de un predicador de verdad. Es de difícil aceptación el hecho de que una nación toda le de la espalda a Dios (Jr.6:16). Después de tantos y tantos años  en los que el Señor había sido fiel a su pueblo ellos simplemente decidieron no amar al Señor. 

Predicar es difícil y Cristo en el N.T dijo que estábamos en buena compañía cuando nos vituperaran, levantaran falso testimonio o hablaran todo tipo de mal contra nosotros mintiendo.

Como miembro en la Iglesia del Señor recuerda que tu predicador también se deprime y que necesita de tu amor y cuidado. Como predicador en la Iglesia del Señor recuerda que servimos al Señor y que todo lo que aquí pase valdrá la pena cuando estemos en gloria (Fil.3:20) 

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Major Issues

Major Issues

The Christian family in America, (and I suspect abroad), has major issues! I do not say this in a judgmental way, but rather to point out something that I have observed.

When I started preaching, I knew there were families out there who had been touched by things like divorce, death, chronic illness, lost children, etc. But I assumed those families were relatively rare and that most people in the audience were “normal.”

issues problems

Lives are not as simple as a picture.

The more I’ve traveled and have gotten to know people, the more I realize there is no such thing as “normal.” The Norman Rockwell family featured in pictures does not exist. After almost twenty years of preaching I’ve discovered basically every single family has issues.

Maybe it is a spouse who is not a Christian.

Maybe it is a spouse who is verbally abusive.

Maybe it is a spouse who is a workaholic.

Maybe it is a spouse who no longer loves you.

Maybe it is a spouse who is addicted to pornography.

Maybe it is a child who is rebellious.

Maybe it is a child who got pregnant out of wed-lock.

Maybe it is a child who is chronically sick.

Maybe it is a child who suffers a mental illness.

Maybe it is an older child who has never obeyed the Gospel.

Maybe it is a sibling that is unable to take care of himself/herself.

Maybe it is a sibling who is causing your parents mental anguish.

Maybe it is a sibling who is addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Maybe it is a sibling who died at a relatively young age.

Maybe it is a parent who has been diagnosed with cancer.

Maybe it is a parent who committed adultery.

Maybe it is a parent who suffers from dementia.

Maybe it is a parent who is unable to pay their bills.

And the list could go on and on and on. These are not theoretical “issues” that a few people have. These are very real scenarios that individuals sitting in the pews around you are suffering. And many of these issues affect the physical and emotional well-being of those around us.

Here’s the problem as I see it: Satan has convinced us that we must have perfect families—families without blemishes. Social media like Facebook and Instagram have fed this lie, encouraging Christians to only display pictures of a beautiful happy family. As a result, we never share what is really going on at home and in many cases, we are left to suffer all alone through our issues.

I don’t believe this is what God wants and I don’t believe this is how the church in Acts 2 behaved. I believe in times past church families were closer. People spent more time with one another in their homes. I suspect being in one another’s homes and having all things in common allowed these individuals to have real conversations about what was really going on at home. This was a church family that saw one another more than just an hour or two per week. I believe there was great comfort in knowing you were not the only one struggling. Did they have issues back then? Absolutely. But their stress and emotional health were much better because they had Christian family to talk to and lean on.

Today, pride causes us to hide behind the façade that everything is “fine.” We are too busy to have brothers and sisters over for a meal. We settle for fast-food Christianity and believe that 1-2 hours on a Sunday is enough. And Christians all around us suffer silently, thinking they are the only ones who have issues.

How refreshing would it be if we were closer to one another and could be real with each other? How liberating would it be to know you do not have to have the perfect family? How thankful would you be to know that others are going through similar trials? How amazing would it be to have an entire church family that truly rejoices and weeps together?!

I believe it could happen. I think it needs to happen. Deep down I think people want it to happen. But there is one final “issue” that would need to be exposed before this problem can be fixed—and that “issue” is for Christians to have the courage to admit they have issues and are not perfect. We have to feel comfortable getting our hands dirty with our church family, as we all share in the reality that we have issues. We have to have the strength to admit we are not perfect, and therefore we need Jesus Christ!

Can you picture it? Can you imagine walking in to an auditorium full of people with issues who openly acknowledge they have problems and need Jesus? What a beautiful sight that would be…

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Broken Hearts Like Jeremiah

Broken Hearts Like Jeremiah

In the five lamentations of Jeremiah one is struck with how personally the prophet takes the punishment of Judah and Jerusalem. They have been removed due to their sin, sin which Jeremiah pleaded with them to repent of and turn to God. But they refused. Jeremiah’s heart is broken over the desolation of the once great city of David and the derision that is spewed forth toward its remains. But in the midst of his wailing he reminds himself and the people of God of the wonderful mercies of the Lord and His impending judgment upon His enemies.

Jeremiah Grief

What causes your heart to Grieve?

When the church falls into sin do we mourn over her destruction? Do we weep over the ridicule hurled at her by her enemies? Do we seek the mercy of the Lord, His judgment upon His enemies, and a restoration of the old paths? Do we weep over the sins of our day? Do we care for the lost and dying?

If every Christian grieved like Jeremiah consider just how strong and glorious the kingdom on earth would be. How Christ would be exalted. How God would be glorified. It starts with me! Be faithful.

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Difference between a Disciple and an Apostle?

Difference between a Disciple and an Apostle?

Disciple comes from the Greek word mathetes, which means “learner, pupil, disciple.”  Apostle comes from the Greek word apostolos, which means “a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders.”

Apostle Disciple

What is the difference?

The term apostle is used in two different ways in the New Testament.  Normally it’s used to describe a church leadership office in the early church in which the 12 apostles and Paul had inspired authority and the ability to perform miracles (Matt. 16:19; 18:18; 2:42; 6:1ff; Rom. 11:13; 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11; 2 Cor. 12:12).  In order to be chosen for this office, one had to have been an eyewitness of all Jesus did from his baptism to his ascension (Acts 1:21-26).  However, it’s also used in a broader sense to refer to Christian missionaries sent forth on mission trips by churches (Acts 14:14; Rom. 16:7; 2 Cor. 8:23; Phil. 2:25).

All apostles were disciples, but not all disciples were apostles, either in the sense that they were in the church office nor in the sense that not all were sent out by churches to do missionary work.

Interestingly, Jesus was also called an apostle in that he was a messenger, one sent by God (Heb. 3:1).

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