My wife, Angie, and I have been riding an emotional roller coaster lately when it comes to the particular issue of having more children. Her and I have both spoken and written about this before. Infertility (for us, it’s secondary infertility – we have one) produces this up and down. Every month is another roller coaster ride, a waiting game.
I once filled in for a Pastor who had a beard. His church was a bit upset with him about something and over lunch, two little ladies wanted me to point them to that passage that declares Pastors should not have facial hair… stop searching, it isn’t in there. Neither does the Bible address the issue of sleeves, but it does encourage us to be in touch with people by having a shepherd’s heart.
This week has been great. No complaints, so don’t think my talking about emotional up’s and down’s has much to do at all with outward circumstances. Rather, Easter weekend brings it’s emotional roller coaster in the form of our identifying with Jesus.
We travel with Him through the shadows of persecution, the intimacy of the upper room and His final days in the home of His friends at Bethany, and then into the Garden of Gethsemane where Satan and his minions began to chuckle at the sheer intensity of His suffering. We see Him sweating drops of blood over the thought of His coming assumption of our sin and His separation from the Father on the cross, a separation He had not experience for all of eternity. We see Him stripped and spat upon, beaten and bloodied, nailed to a cross and mocked until His last breath.
Isn’t summer supposed to be our vacation from the busyness of life? This summer, for the Cox family, is flying right by in a whirlwind of activity. We’ve traveled to see family in three different states (Missouri and Georgia for Angie, Kentucky for me). We’re getting ready to spend a week at church camp. And then, it will be time for Angie to return to work, for me to get busy with a new church year, and for Ella to begin Kindergarten.
In the midst of being busy in these bigger ways, I’ve also found ministry to families and needs to be rather pressing lately. My phones are ringing off the hook and I’ve done more “people work” in the last few weeks than ever before. I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I’m very thankful to be needed, to be used in God’s hands, and to watch God at work in people’s lives. On the other hand, I hate what Satan is doing to the people around me that I love so dearly. It has certainly caused me to have an appreciative perspective on my own life. God has been so gracious and merciful to me, especially when I’ve least deserved it!
I will also say that the pressing nature of many of the issues I deal with drive me to my knees. I feel the continual need to remain constant in prayer so that my own spirit is not dragged down by the multitude of problems in the world. Depravity, and its results, can be draining on our frail emotions and if we aren’t careful, we’ll be tempted to despair. But then there is that verse in Romans 8:37, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” More than conquerors, winners, valiant victors in the war called life. And why? Because Jesus died and rose again!
Yesterday was a very special day at Bethel. Though we had a lot of folks out on vacation for the holiday weekend, we who remained celebrated God’s greatness in raising up heroes throughout the centuries. From Hebrews 11, we recounted the lives and deaths of some of God’s greatest servants. Many in the chapter remain unnamed, but their works and martyrdom are mentioned. My favorite line in the passage says, “Of whom the world was not worthy!” Those words reflect my feelings about every man and woman who has served in the face of such great risk in every war America has ever fought.
A couple of weeks ago, I was getting my haircut down at the Corner Barber shop. In came a man who must have been in his late 70’s. He sat down and I noticed his cap. He was a World War II veteran and the cap named his fleet from the South Pacific and told the number of survivors from his unit. I sat there, imagining what this man must have seen in his time in combat. What we see dramatized on the big screen and embellished for effect, this man had witnessed with his very eyes. His mind had recorded thoughts I could never imagine. Yet here I was, serving as Pastor of a church where I have the privilege every week of carrying a Bible to the pulpit and freely preaching the gospel without fear of arrest or penalty – because of men like this.
When I rose to leave, I paid for my haircut, and his too. He chuckled and commented about how that wasn’t necessary, so I said, “Well I saw your cap and wanted you to know that I appreciate what you went through for me.” His face changed, he shook my hand firmly, and his emotions suddenly impacted me deeply. I still don’t know the man and may never see him again, but his life has influenced mine. I feel that same sense of gratitude toward every soldier that has ever fought.
Today, on Memorial Day 2007, we’re making barbeque, playing some games, and enjoying the company of friends. But we also ought to pause to thank God for those whom He has raised up to stand for our freedom and our faith. Let this be a memorial day, not only to those who have died in battle, but to those who have died as martyrs for the Christian faith, and to all those who have been living sacrifices for His dear cause!
At our wedding, Angie and I chose to have Louie Armstrong’s song played… What a Wonderful World. In light of yesterday’s shootings, and so many other monumental tragedies in recent years, is it really a wonderful world? We were driving to Fort Smith yesterday for the annual meeting of the BMA of America and were reflecting on some of the tragedies that have taken place at this same time of the year such as the Oklahoma City bombing (April, 1995), the Waco compound burning (April, 1993), and Columbine (April, 1999). Each of these tragedies evoked emotions of fear and trepidation about living in this present world.
Our daughter begins kindergarten this fall. She’s nearly five years old and we’re already speculating about the nature of the world in which she will grow up and go through school. The news media tackles subjects like campus security and the psychological reasons behind such an awful rampage. But the secular media can never fully comprehend the nature of human depravity. Evil men will do evil things, no matter our level of security. If not on a campus, then in a restaurant, an airport, or a World Trade Center. Is this really a wonderful world?
There are natural and supernatural factors that can only be seen through a God-centered world view. The depravity of man runs deep in the heart. Evil abounds in humankind and murder, war, and bloodshed will continue as long as lost mankind has some dominion over this present realm. Further, Satan is labeled in Scripture as the “prince of the power of the air… the god of this world.” We who live on earth, live in a time and place where darkness has dominion. Is it really a wonderful world?
My answer, surprisingly, is yes. Why? Because it is in this present realm that God is actively working to extend His saving and healing grace to a lost and depraved people. It is here that God moves. It was into this humanity that Jesus, the light, came into the world. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. God’s glory was put on display through the life of Jesus Christ, through His atoning death, and through His miraculous resurrection. Do we live in a wonderful world? Only insomuch as Jesus makes the difference.
Last night, we were ministered to by a wonderful gospel singer who performed the old song Beulah Land. I love the lines… “Beulah land, I’m longing for thee, and someday on thee I’ll stand…” Our world, inundated with pain and loss and suffering, is merely a waiting room, a practice run, an incubation chamber for eternity. For those who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, heaven is our real home. Hell awaits those who reject His free offer of grace.
Amazingly, we cannot forget that it is this world which will someday be renovated by fire. This world will be redeemed. It currently groans with birth pains, waiting to be delivered from its depraved lostness. It’s a wonderful world, plagued by the inherent sinfulness of humankind. It’s wracked with pain and evil. Yet everything on God’s time line is moving toward a great and triumphant finality. Jesus will rule and reign.
Our hearts are gripped, in times like this, with uncertainty and fear. Then Scripture speaks on behalf of its divine author… “For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) “Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) “Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
Is this world your home, or do you seek a city to come, a home not made with human hands preserved in the eternities for you? Jesus Christ came to be the light and hope of a lost and dark world. He came to offer you peace, pardon, and eternal life if you’ll only trust fully in Him, even in the world’s darkest moments. More is to come. Scripture foretells that times will wax worse and worse. Yet Jesus’ hand is always extended toward you. Embrace Him who is ready to embrace you, and enjoy the unspeakable peace and confidence of God.
“God is spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”—John 4:24
Our day is the day of “worship wars” when churches are fighting over whether worship should be “contemporary,” “traditional,” or a blend of both. I think both sides are wrong! We’ve totally missed the point of what worship is all about. The woman at the well wished to argue with the Master about the location of real worship. Our arguments are almost as shallow. Jesus points not to the where of worship, but to the who and to the how of worship. John Piper explains Jesus’ balanced teaching on worship quite well…
“Truth without emotion produces dead orthodoxy and a church full (or half-full) of artificial admirers (like people who write generic anniversary cards for a living). On the other hand, emotion without truth produces empty frenzy and cultivates shallow people who refuse the discipline of rigorous thought. But true worship comes from people who are deeply emotional and who love deep and sound doctrine. Strong affections for God rooted in truth are the bone and marrow of biblical worship.”
Worship happens as God becomes our all-consuming passion in life. When we desire Him above all else, and express that desire in praise, adoration, allegiance, and obedience, He gets the glory!
“For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”-Romans 10:10 (NKJV)
I do not believe that the Christian should ever possess an empty-headed faith. God gave us brains! Our faith is reasonable and will stand the test of the skeptic’s attacks. At the same time, Christian truth can never be reduced to mere intellectual conjecture. If we treat the Bible simply as a source of information, we’ve missed its true intent, that of transformation. The Bible is a book written to the heart!
Jesus and the witness of Scripture are clear that what is in the heart will eventually come out of the mouth, whether profanity or blessing. Also true is that a confession of Christ with the mouth is worthless without a belief in Christ in the heart. I have in my library the study Bible of a dear seminary professor. Next to the above verse, he wrote “the heart, not the head.” This coming from a doctorate who was well-versed in his theology. You can study Christian truth for ages, but when salvation comes as God’s precious gift, there is no doubt but that there is an uneasy spirit in the heart over sin and a great rejoicing in forgiveness. There is truly a change of heart.
“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” -Psalm 66:18
Perhaps this verse, among others, is the source of the idea that “God doesn’t hear sinners” (which He does) except for the “sinner’s prayer.” This odd and old-fashioned idea ignores God’s omniscience through which He hears and knows everything. There are two important words in this verse that need to be rightly interpreted. First, the word “regard” comes from the Hebrew word har which means to approve or to respect. Second, the word “hear” is the word shama which means to hear intelligently, to pay attention, or to respond with obedience.
God hears all prayers, but He is under no obligation to answer a prayer offered from a heart in which sin is approved and revered. I believe the basic idea is that our prayer life is greatly hindered when there is sin that we are either shamefully covering up, or shamelessly rationalizing. When we make excuses for our sinful behavior, we lose the attention of God to our requests.
If you don’t feel that you can get through to God today, check your life. It may not be a sin problem. Sometimes a feeling of distance from God is allowed in our lives so that we might learn to keep crying out in spite of our emotions. But it’s also very possible that there is an unconfessed offense. In such a case, the Holy Spirit can be trusted to bring it to light. Once exposed, we can confess it to the God who is our consuming fire, that He may purge it from our lives.
”Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.” –Psalm 42:5
Did you know that almost one out of every ten Americans will enter into a mild form of depression this holiday season? It has in part to do with the decrease in the amount of sunlight, which in turn restricts the body’s production of seratonin (the happy hormone). It also has to do with the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays which serve as reminders of those we love who are no longer with us. And truth be told, we also feel more pressure to obtain material possessions this time of year than at others.
Whatever the reason, many of us suffer this malady. I believe that there are biblical examples of men and women who also suffered at least mild depressions, though their worlds were perhaps not quite as conducive to them as ours is today. David here expresses that his soul seems to be down unexplainably. He can’t figure it out but he just can’t seem to get on top of things.
What do you do when you have these unexplainable downtimes? You hope in God. Yes, it sounds overly simplistic but the reality is that our emotions are simply not the most reliable source of information about where we are. Think about it, when was the last time your feelings about yourself really lined up with reality?
Feelings fail but God is constant. Our moods may swing but God never changes. His Word is always enough. His face is always present. He is ultimately good to us because His very nature is good, and He is always true to His nature. So when you are unexplainably down, look up to God. He’s there to cheer our heart with His Word and His presence.
Brandon is first and foremost a follower of Jesus Christ. He's a husband to Angie and a Dad to Ella Grace and Samuel David. He's a Pastor to Bethel Baptist Church, Editor of Fuel Your Blogging and also a logo and web designer.
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