"Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy."
~ John 16:20 (NKJV)
This world is filled with sorrow—sorrow that runs long and deep and wide. Although the Word of God and faith testify that "all things work together for good to those who love God" (Romans 8:28), deepest sorrows bring us to the place where "good" seems inconceivable and joy seems irretrievable. In such a place, we may think the best we can do is hang on and wait for Heaven.
Jesus speaks of a different hope.
"A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world."
~ John 16:21 (NKJV)
After carrying five children, I feel qualified on the subject of labor and childbirth. All five deliveries were thoroughly different experiences, with three common factors.
First, the misery of pregnancy went on for an excruciatingly long time. I stand 5'1" tall (154 cm.) and have a short waist. With little other space to fill, my babies pushed into my chest and against my ribs, making breathing difficult. Three trimesters of nausea didn't help. As I neared the end of nine months, each day became agony.
Then there's the extreme pain of delivery. The first time around, a failed epidural added to pain rather than relieved it, so I opted out of medication the remaining four times. I've heard passing kidney stones is worse than childbirth, but all my kids were bigger than my husband's biggest kidney stone, and he never reached the point of crying and exhaustion and screaming that I did.
The third common factor? Extreme exhilaration utterly obliterated all the preceding anguish. I've done some crazy thrilling stuff like skydiving, rappelling, high-speed driving on a track. But seeing a new human emerge from my own body and draw breath—bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh with a life of its own—? Nothing else comes anywhere close to the elation of giving birth.
In retrospect, all the agony was trivial. Each life is worth exceedingly more than the pain to birth it.
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.
~ Psalms 30:5 (NKJV)
When I consider that the Holocaust re-birthed the nation of Israel in 1947, I wonder if anything less could have produced this miracle—a people surviving 1,877 years of exile and returning to their homeland as a sovereign nation. Hostile neighbors have threatened their existence for every one of the sixty-six years since, and the "Day of Jacob's Trouble" lies in the not-too-distant future. Israeli suffering persists. Yet the Jews persevere, their life and land worth the cost after centuries of persecution.
This world is filled with sorrow—sorrow that runs long and deep and wide. Longer than pregnancy, more painful than childbirth.
But just as pregnancy and childbirth are necessary to the resulting joy of a new life, the sorrows of this life are used by God to birth in us the life of His Son. While God is saving the greatest joys for Heaven, He may be relied upon to bring us joy each day on Earth. The people of God can ground our hope on the greatest joys following the greatest sorrows.
This is not a "hope," of the wishing variety. This is the hope, assured by Word of God.
"Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you."
~ John 16:22 (NKJV)
Wherever else it may appear, joy is found in seeing Jesus near us, with us, in us.
God Almighty, Giver of life, You are good and faithful. Through dark nights, please let us feel Your life stirring within us. In the longest last hour, please enable us to persevere unto the first strains of dawn. When we are utterly spent, please carry us through to fullness of joy.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Showing posts with label Suffering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Suffering. Show all posts
Monday, June 3, 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Answers for Religious Persecution
From the last post, "Religious Persecution," (which looked particularly at "in-house" persecution):
Persecution for displaying faith in Christ can be public or private. It may be physical, verbal or emotional abuse. It may be as serious as being killed, as simple as demeaning looks and snide remarks, as intimidating as threats to those we love. It comes from stranger and loved ones alike—and even from misguided Christians with whom we share faith.
Though it's the longest post I've ever offered, what I present here as a five-part answer to persecution only begins to address the suffering a person might endure for choosing to follow Christ. I nonetheless submit it with a prayer that God will use these words to strengthen—to "build up"—every one of His precious people being persecuted; to encourage anyone facing suffering of any kind.
~ ~ ~
1. Choose Jesus
"But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
~ Luke 10:42 (NKJV)
To choose Jesus is always to choose the good part. Whatever temptation there may be to "smooth things over" and simply quench faith, the better blessing will be found in Jesus every time. To choose Jesus is to follow both His example and His Spirit's guidance in each situation. Following Christ sometimes means holding our ground, and sometimes means yielding a right.
If persecution arrives as spousal abuse (physical, verbal, or emotional), it's especially painful to be mistreated by the person we love most, from whom love is most expected, with whom God unites us body and soul. It can be particularly difficult to discern when to stand up and when to stand down. If we cling first to Him, we can walk with God through even this.
However and whenever we are confronted face to face with immediate affliction, true faith remains fixed on the unseen (Hebrews 11:1) and the eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18) through the moment at hand.
2. Seek Relief from God
Give us help from trouble,
For the help of man is useless.
~ Psalms 60:11 (NKJV)
Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
~ Psalms 146:3 (NKJV)
If physical violence is present or threatened, or if persecution violates civil rights, relief is sometimes sought through the courts, police, or other government agencies. Temporal relief is occasionally found, but government too often stands on the side of persecution.
Ideally, the church would never contribute to religious persecution, and would provide a measure of relief through all of life's trials by coming alongside its suffering members in support. But our churches are as imperfect as the humans who fill them, every Christian a work in progress. Whether or not church community lives up to the exhortation, "Bear one another's burdens" (Galatians 6:2), reality is that "each one shall bear his own load" (Galatians 6:5).
In cases of maltreatment from a spouse, our local church might provide immediate encouragement and advice (including biblical information on separation and divorce), perhaps some short-term counseling, and maybe even appropriate confrontation. Maybe. More often, spousal abuse may be seen as marital conflict that's too private (or too messy) for involvement of the church, particularly without the cooperation of the spouse, or in the absence of adultery or civil law violation.
Especially in the USA, we seem to expect quick relief from trouble, via everything from pharmaceuticals to FEMA. Persecution defies remedy through assistance from others. True relief is available from only one Source. The Lord is sovereign over all the suffering He allows in our lives until it has accomplished His intent for it. God alone is able to deliver, whether He sends human assistance, calls His people to come alongside us as support, or works a heart change in a persecutor.
3. Ask for God's Sustenance
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior."
~ Isaiah 43:2-3 (NKJV)
Though God may not grant our request for relief from persecution, we can rely upon Him to sustain us through persecution. While we can count on God's strength to sustain us through any and all suffering, we can especially expect it when we suffer on His account.
Withdrawal is a common reaction to intense pain. We can become weary in prayer when the Lord does not grant, in our timing, requested relief from persecution. But may we never withdraw from prayer! We absolutely need divine strength to stand in the face of persecution. Whether or not He provides relief, He is ever faithful to provide strength in the needed hour if we will but ask.
We are never alone in persecution. The Lord promises to be with us. This is not merely a standing-next-to "with." Through His Holy Spirit, God lives inside of us. And being on the inside, He feels and experiences and goes through everything we go through, as fully as we do. When God says, "I will be with you," He and His sustenance are with us more completely than our finite minds comprehend.
4. Allow the Master to Own the Debt
For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave.
~ 1 Corinthians 7:22 (NKJV)
Persecution hurts. And the more we have invested in the life of persecutor, the more persecution for faith hurts. The pain of persecution can be accompanied by the pain of anger, or the pain of anger grown stale—bitterness. Full forgiveness is difficult, especially when we continue to face persecutor on a regular or even daily basis.
God owns persecutor and persecuted alike. When we willingly give ourselves to the Lord, we are blessed to know Him as a good and loving Master.
No slave owns himself or anything he holds. All belongs to the master. In the case of a debt, anything owed to the slave is actually owed to the slave's master.
In the case of offense or injury from persecution, our Master owns the debt. We can freely forgive persecutor without being burdened by the debt owed for his sin.
(For more on this thought, see "Forgiveness.")
5. Remember: Witnesses, Jesus, Joy
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every weight, and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Look unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross—despising its shame—and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, lest you become weary and lose heart.
~ Hebrews 12:1-3
• Whether or not actively persecuted for faith, every Christian is on trial, to prove the genuineness of faith in Jesus, every day. Our lives are lived out before human and heavenly witnesses alike (both the good and the evil), our words and actions testimony to the power of God. (For more on trial / temptation / testing, see "Deliver Us From Evil.")
• Endurance can be passive. But persecution begs active perseverance, like running a race—or violently fighting a war (Matthew 11:12). And perseverance requires focus. A runner sets his sights on the finish line. Our focus is on Jesus, seated at the right hand of God's throne, who holds His arms out to us, spurring us onward.
• With our fixed eyes on Jesus, we can push through this life's afflictions. We can be renewed in the past joy of the salvation He's given (Psalm 51:12); we can express joy that we are counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus in the present (Acts 5:41); we can have joy in complete assurance of the future reward awaiting us.
" 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' "
~ Matthew 25:23 (NKJV)
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Persecution for displaying faith in Christ can be public or private. It may be physical, verbal or emotional abuse. It may be as serious as being killed, as simple as demeaning looks and snide remarks, as intimidating as threats to those we love. It comes from stranger and loved ones alike—and even from misguided Christians with whom we share faith.
Though it's the longest post I've ever offered, what I present here as a five-part answer to persecution only begins to address the suffering a person might endure for choosing to follow Christ. I nonetheless submit it with a prayer that God will use these words to strengthen—to "build up"—every one of His precious people being persecuted; to encourage anyone facing suffering of any kind.
~ ~ ~
1. Choose Jesus
"But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
~ Luke 10:42 (NKJV)
To choose Jesus is always to choose the good part. Whatever temptation there may be to "smooth things over" and simply quench faith, the better blessing will be found in Jesus every time. To choose Jesus is to follow both His example and His Spirit's guidance in each situation. Following Christ sometimes means holding our ground, and sometimes means yielding a right.
If persecution arrives as spousal abuse (physical, verbal, or emotional), it's especially painful to be mistreated by the person we love most, from whom love is most expected, with whom God unites us body and soul. It can be particularly difficult to discern when to stand up and when to stand down. If we cling first to Him, we can walk with God through even this.
However and whenever we are confronted face to face with immediate affliction, true faith remains fixed on the unseen (Hebrews 11:1) and the eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18) through the moment at hand.
2. Seek Relief from God
Give us help from trouble,
For the help of man is useless.
~ Psalms 60:11 (NKJV)
Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
~ Psalms 146:3 (NKJV)
If physical violence is present or threatened, or if persecution violates civil rights, relief is sometimes sought through the courts, police, or other government agencies. Temporal relief is occasionally found, but government too often stands on the side of persecution.
Ideally, the church would never contribute to religious persecution, and would provide a measure of relief through all of life's trials by coming alongside its suffering members in support. But our churches are as imperfect as the humans who fill them, every Christian a work in progress. Whether or not church community lives up to the exhortation, "Bear one another's burdens" (Galatians 6:2), reality is that "each one shall bear his own load" (Galatians 6:5).
In cases of maltreatment from a spouse, our local church might provide immediate encouragement and advice (including biblical information on separation and divorce), perhaps some short-term counseling, and maybe even appropriate confrontation. Maybe. More often, spousal abuse may be seen as marital conflict that's too private (or too messy) for involvement of the church, particularly without the cooperation of the spouse, or in the absence of adultery or civil law violation.
Especially in the USA, we seem to expect quick relief from trouble, via everything from pharmaceuticals to FEMA. Persecution defies remedy through assistance from others. True relief is available from only one Source. The Lord is sovereign over all the suffering He allows in our lives until it has accomplished His intent for it. God alone is able to deliver, whether He sends human assistance, calls His people to come alongside us as support, or works a heart change in a persecutor.
3. Ask for God's Sustenance
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior."
~ Isaiah 43:2-3 (NKJV)
Though God may not grant our request for relief from persecution, we can rely upon Him to sustain us through persecution. While we can count on God's strength to sustain us through any and all suffering, we can especially expect it when we suffer on His account.
Withdrawal is a common reaction to intense pain. We can become weary in prayer when the Lord does not grant, in our timing, requested relief from persecution. But may we never withdraw from prayer! We absolutely need divine strength to stand in the face of persecution. Whether or not He provides relief, He is ever faithful to provide strength in the needed hour if we will but ask.
We are never alone in persecution. The Lord promises to be with us. This is not merely a standing-next-to "with." Through His Holy Spirit, God lives inside of us. And being on the inside, He feels and experiences and goes through everything we go through, as fully as we do. When God says, "I will be with you," He and His sustenance are with us more completely than our finite minds comprehend.
4. Allow the Master to Own the Debt
For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave.
~ 1 Corinthians 7:22 (NKJV)
Persecution hurts. And the more we have invested in the life of persecutor, the more persecution for faith hurts. The pain of persecution can be accompanied by the pain of anger, or the pain of anger grown stale—bitterness. Full forgiveness is difficult, especially when we continue to face persecutor on a regular or even daily basis.
God owns persecutor and persecuted alike. When we willingly give ourselves to the Lord, we are blessed to know Him as a good and loving Master.
No slave owns himself or anything he holds. All belongs to the master. In the case of a debt, anything owed to the slave is actually owed to the slave's master.
In the case of offense or injury from persecution, our Master owns the debt. We can freely forgive persecutor without being burdened by the debt owed for his sin.
(For more on this thought, see "Forgiveness.")
5. Remember: Witnesses, Jesus, Joy
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every weight, and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Look unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross—despising its shame—and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, lest you become weary and lose heart.
~ Hebrews 12:1-3
• Whether or not actively persecuted for faith, every Christian is on trial, to prove the genuineness of faith in Jesus, every day. Our lives are lived out before human and heavenly witnesses alike (both the good and the evil), our words and actions testimony to the power of God. (For more on trial / temptation / testing, see "Deliver Us From Evil.")
• Endurance can be passive. But persecution begs active perseverance, like running a race—or violently fighting a war (Matthew 11:12). And perseverance requires focus. A runner sets his sights on the finish line. Our focus is on Jesus, seated at the right hand of God's throne, who holds His arms out to us, spurring us onward.
• With our fixed eyes on Jesus, we can push through this life's afflictions. We can be renewed in the past joy of the salvation He's given (Psalm 51:12); we can express joy that we are counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus in the present (Acts 5:41); we can have joy in complete assurance of the future reward awaiting us.
" 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' "
~ Matthew 25:23 (NKJV)
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Chronic Pain and the Weak Optimist
Acute pain often accompanies injury. Given enough time, acute becomes chronic. Sometimes, despite doctors and their treatments, defying nutrition and prayer, chronic pain persists.
… a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me … I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." … Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses …
~ 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NKJV)
A familiar passage—yes? "My grace is sufficient" is oft quoted, a talisman to convey strength amid suffering. It's right up there with "God works all things for good to those who love Him" (Romans 8:28) and "the joy of the LORD is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).
… I take pleasure in infirmities …
But how often do you hear a Christian quoting that phrase?
[C'mon, Paul—are you for real? (And people say Jesus has some hard sayings …)]
~ ~ ~
My default setting is optimist. When inconvenience strikes (like the dead car battery this morning), I try to remind myself that my time belongs to God (and then give Him thanks for car #2 while trusting Him for how to push a full sized van out of the garage to jump start it later). When something is damaged (like water ruining the basement carpet), I remind myself that it all belongs to God (and then rejoice at His gift of new indoor/outdoor carpet at a ridiculously low price). I consistently maintain a "can do" spirit when plans go awry (usually because I forgot to put something on the calendar and either I or our household's vehicles are double booked).
As a parent, I regularly look for the affirmative way to state directions rather than give a negative prohibition. "HEY! Finish your school work and then you can go outside" instead of "don't run in the house." "PLEASE speak kindly!" rather than "don't talk to your sibling that way." "Take a break from your chore so you can get some time by yourself for a little bit" seems more constructive than "your attitude stinks."
But Paul, through God's Word, pushes me toward a place the optimist has absolutely no desire to visit—a place where optimism wanes.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)
Looking at this passage, I find comfort seeing "in" rather than "for" preceding "everything." There's sufficient struggle in thanking God for whatever good persists in the "everything" rather than for the everything that includes suffering. I readily confess that I'm not quite at the place where I "take pleasure" in a visit from Infirmities et al.
When speaking of that satanic messenger, the translators of 2 Corinthians 12:7 (above) take a little liberty in translating the Greek kolaphízō as "buffet." Surely they're simply trying to convey the buffeting implied by a strong wind. Perhaps the more literal meaning of "a blow, to strike with the fist" seems a little too physical when speaking of warfare that's spiritual.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
~ Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)
(If you picture a wrestling match, it's about as physical as physical gets.)
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood …
(True enemies are not human, no matter what any human may be responsible for.)
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood …
(But we do wrestle while occupying flesh and blood that experiences chronic pain.)
~ ~ ~
This optimist occupies a human body that just three years ago felt like 25 (see "How Old?"), which has since then taken a … (ahem) "buffeting" [trying not to roll my eyes here]. The optimist makes jokes and laughs about the warranty running out when you turn 50.
Then I stop laughing and look for something deeper. I look for the strength found not in a 25-year old body, nor in a body that feels like 25—strength found only in weakness.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
~ 2 Corinthians 12:10 (NKJV)
I ask God to renew the joy of my salvation (Psalm 51:12). And I reach for the joy of YHWH that transcends chronic pain and makes me stronger than I've ever been before.
"Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
~ Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV)
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
… a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me … I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." … Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses …
~ 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NKJV)
A familiar passage—yes? "My grace is sufficient" is oft quoted, a talisman to convey strength amid suffering. It's right up there with "God works all things for good to those who love Him" (Romans 8:28) and "the joy of the LORD is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).
… I take pleasure in infirmities …
But how often do you hear a Christian quoting that phrase?
[C'mon, Paul—are you for real? (And people say Jesus has some hard sayings …)]
~ ~ ~
My default setting is optimist. When inconvenience strikes (like the dead car battery this morning), I try to remind myself that my time belongs to God (and then give Him thanks for car #2 while trusting Him for how to push a full sized van out of the garage to jump start it later). When something is damaged (like water ruining the basement carpet), I remind myself that it all belongs to God (and then rejoice at His gift of new indoor/outdoor carpet at a ridiculously low price). I consistently maintain a "can do" spirit when plans go awry (usually because I forgot to put something on the calendar and either I or our household's vehicles are double booked).
As a parent, I regularly look for the affirmative way to state directions rather than give a negative prohibition. "HEY! Finish your school work and then you can go outside" instead of "don't run in the house." "PLEASE speak kindly!" rather than "don't talk to your sibling that way." "Take a break from your chore so you can get some time by yourself for a little bit" seems more constructive than "your attitude stinks."
But Paul, through God's Word, pushes me toward a place the optimist has absolutely no desire to visit—a place where optimism wanes.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)
Looking at this passage, I find comfort seeing "in" rather than "for" preceding "everything." There's sufficient struggle in thanking God for whatever good persists in the "everything" rather than for the everything that includes suffering. I readily confess that I'm not quite at the place where I "take pleasure" in a visit from Infirmities et al.
When speaking of that satanic messenger, the translators of 2 Corinthians 12:7 (above) take a little liberty in translating the Greek kolaphízō as "buffet." Surely they're simply trying to convey the buffeting implied by a strong wind. Perhaps the more literal meaning of "a blow, to strike with the fist" seems a little too physical when speaking of warfare that's spiritual.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
~ Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)
(If you picture a wrestling match, it's about as physical as physical gets.)
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood …
(True enemies are not human, no matter what any human may be responsible for.)
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood …
(But we do wrestle while occupying flesh and blood that experiences chronic pain.)
~ ~ ~
This optimist occupies a human body that just three years ago felt like 25 (see "How Old?"), which has since then taken a … (ahem) "buffeting" [trying not to roll my eyes here]. The optimist makes jokes and laughs about the warranty running out when you turn 50.
Then I stop laughing and look for something deeper. I look for the strength found not in a 25-year old body, nor in a body that feels like 25—strength found only in weakness.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
~ 2 Corinthians 12:10 (NKJV)
I ask God to renew the joy of my salvation (Psalm 51:12). And I reach for the joy of YHWH that transcends chronic pain and makes me stronger than I've ever been before.
"Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
~ Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV)
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Second Thanksgiving Payback: Protection
Most humans think that our greatest source of suffering and our number one enemy is named Death. We fear its process if not its outcome. We avoid discussion of it, as if to disallow it in conversation is to relegate it into nonexistence. We fight it at any cost.
But I assert that Death is merely a portal, and our number one enemy is named Sin. Whether or not Suffering travels with Death, Suffering never leaves the company of Sin. Suffering and Sin both, like cancer, grow wherever they find a foothold. Sin assaults soul, hurts neighbor, weakens every community in which we have a part, and affronts God. The Suffering which enters with Sin can be neither measured or called back.
You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask bad, that you may expend it on your desires.
~ James 4:2-3
… lust … covet … desire … Here is where sin originates.
"Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."
~ Luke 12:15 (NKJV)
Here too is the difference between the hungry third-world child, happy to play in the dirt with his companions, sticks, and rocks, and the round first-world child who cannot content himself in a house filled with luxuries.
"And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
~ Matthew 19:24 (NKJV)
And here is the difference between two men of equal means—one who looks upon what he has, and one upon what he has not, whether material wealth, health, or relationship.
"Wealth consists not in the abundance of our possessions, but in the fewness of our wants."
~ Unknown
In the practice of thankfulness, gratefully focused upon all we have, we become increasingly oblivious to the desires which invite sin and lead to suffering.
For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.… O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
~ Romans 7:19, 24-25 (NKJV)
If Sin is greatest enemy, giving thanks to God is perhaps the most effective protection we can employ against the tyrant.
Next time: Third Thanksgiving Payback – Purpose
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
But I assert that Death is merely a portal, and our number one enemy is named Sin. Whether or not Suffering travels with Death, Suffering never leaves the company of Sin. Suffering and Sin both, like cancer, grow wherever they find a foothold. Sin assaults soul, hurts neighbor, weakens every community in which we have a part, and affronts God. The Suffering which enters with Sin can be neither measured or called back.
You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask bad, that you may expend it on your desires.
~ James 4:2-3
… lust … covet … desire … Here is where sin originates.
"Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."
~ Luke 12:15 (NKJV)
Here too is the difference between the hungry third-world child, happy to play in the dirt with his companions, sticks, and rocks, and the round first-world child who cannot content himself in a house filled with luxuries.
"And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
~ Matthew 19:24 (NKJV)
And here is the difference between two men of equal means—one who looks upon what he has, and one upon what he has not, whether material wealth, health, or relationship.
"Wealth consists not in the abundance of our possessions, but in the fewness of our wants."
~ Unknown
In the practice of thankfulness, gratefully focused upon all we have, we become increasingly oblivious to the desires which invite sin and lead to suffering.
For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.… O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
~ Romans 7:19, 24-25 (NKJV)
If Sin is greatest enemy, giving thanks to God is perhaps the most effective protection we can employ against the tyrant.
Next time: Third Thanksgiving Payback – Purpose
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Biblical Purgatory
"If you're going through hell, keep going."
~ Winston Churchill
If the Bible repeatedly speaks of Hell as an actual locale of the afterlife, it just as assuredly tells of another hell involuntarily frequented by mortals in this life. If afterlife Hell is defined by horrific and unending torment and flame (Luke 16:19-31), the hell of this life is defined by such intense human agony as to beg the question: why does a good God allow suffering?
Theology follows a progression from free will to sin to suffering, rationalizing the equation for affliction. But it proffers no pact to regulate pain. An athlete amiably shrugs, "No pain, no gain" and halts at the finish line. But the victim of dire straits becomes a quarry which gave no consent to the contest and may perceive an abyss of no return.
Meet biblical Purgatory, the place of purging.
Purgatory: The souls of those who have died in the state of grace suffer for a time of purging that prepares them to enter heaven and appear in the presence of the beatific vision [visible God].… It is an intermediate state in which the departed souls can atone for unforgiven sins before receiving their final reward.
~ From The Catholic Encyclopedia
This view of Purgatory has no foundation in Scripture. Its only connection to biblical truth is that the Holy Spirit indeed works continual purging of sin from our lives—a work that begins with the atonement of sins rather than completes atonement. The Bible contrasts the above definition with clear affirmations that Jesus completed, with His death, the work of atonement for all of our sins (Hebrews 10:10-14; John 19:30; Romans 5:8-11; 1 John 1:7). Chapters 9 and 10 of the book of Hebrews are particularly emphatic on this point.
Note that 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 refers not to Purgatory but to the testing by fire of our faith and works. A sure and strong faith is attested by works which are purified by fire and receive rewards in both this lifetime and the next. Faith that is just barely sufficient for salvation receives that salvation, but is accompanied by vain works that are shown worthless by fire, with the soul alone escaping the flames.
Fire testing, or fire baptism, is the purging—the biblical Purgatory—that we rightly call "going through hell."
"Why did I not die at birth? …
Then I would have been at rest …"
~ Job 3:11-13 (NKJV)
"Have I sinned? What have I done to You? …
Why have You set me as Your target … ?"
~ Job 7:20 (NKJV)
"Oh, that the Almighty would answer me!"
~ Job 31:35 (NKJV)
The "patience of Job" had its limits. Like so many people going through hell, Job also begged to question why a good God would allow suffering, with an edge of demand in his voice which the traveler through biblical Purgatory understands.
The Lord often answers our queries with His own, and Job received four chapters of them. The Lord concluded His lengthy interrogatories with none-too-casual observation about children of pride. And Job, purged of his pride, repented of his query with his face on the ground.
Job received not an answer but a purging. No mere pawn in a contest between God and devil, Job held a status as beloved of God. What the devil meant for evil, God used for good, adding multiplied blessings to Job's intense but brief suffering.
So it shall be for us, as the Holy Spirit continues His work of preparing a pure and glorious bride for her Bridegroom.
"If you're going through hell, keep going."
~ Winston Churchill
Faithful Father, whatever the fire, please carry us through it, beyond it, to the place of blessing.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ Winston Churchill
If the Bible repeatedly speaks of Hell as an actual locale of the afterlife, it just as assuredly tells of another hell involuntarily frequented by mortals in this life. If afterlife Hell is defined by horrific and unending torment and flame (Luke 16:19-31), the hell of this life is defined by such intense human agony as to beg the question: why does a good God allow suffering?
Theology follows a progression from free will to sin to suffering, rationalizing the equation for affliction. But it proffers no pact to regulate pain. An athlete amiably shrugs, "No pain, no gain" and halts at the finish line. But the victim of dire straits becomes a quarry which gave no consent to the contest and may perceive an abyss of no return.
Meet biblical Purgatory, the place of purging.
Purgatory: The souls of those who have died in the state of grace suffer for a time of purging that prepares them to enter heaven and appear in the presence of the beatific vision [visible God].… It is an intermediate state in which the departed souls can atone for unforgiven sins before receiving their final reward.
~ From The Catholic Encyclopedia
This view of Purgatory has no foundation in Scripture. Its only connection to biblical truth is that the Holy Spirit indeed works continual purging of sin from our lives—a work that begins with the atonement of sins rather than completes atonement. The Bible contrasts the above definition with clear affirmations that Jesus completed, with His death, the work of atonement for all of our sins (Hebrews 10:10-14; John 19:30; Romans 5:8-11; 1 John 1:7). Chapters 9 and 10 of the book of Hebrews are particularly emphatic on this point.
Note that 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 refers not to Purgatory but to the testing by fire of our faith and works. A sure and strong faith is attested by works which are purified by fire and receive rewards in both this lifetime and the next. Faith that is just barely sufficient for salvation receives that salvation, but is accompanied by vain works that are shown worthless by fire, with the soul alone escaping the flames.
Fire testing, or fire baptism, is the purging—the biblical Purgatory—that we rightly call "going through hell."
"Why did I not die at birth? …
Then I would have been at rest …"
~ Job 3:11-13 (NKJV)
"Have I sinned? What have I done to You? …
Why have You set me as Your target … ?"
~ Job 7:20 (NKJV)
"Oh, that the Almighty would answer me!"
~ Job 31:35 (NKJV)
The "patience of Job" had its limits. Like so many people going through hell, Job also begged to question why a good God would allow suffering, with an edge of demand in his voice which the traveler through biblical Purgatory understands.
The Lord often answers our queries with His own, and Job received four chapters of them. The Lord concluded His lengthy interrogatories with none-too-casual observation about children of pride. And Job, purged of his pride, repented of his query with his face on the ground.
Job received not an answer but a purging. No mere pawn in a contest between God and devil, Job held a status as beloved of God. What the devil meant for evil, God used for good, adding multiplied blessings to Job's intense but brief suffering.
So it shall be for us, as the Holy Spirit continues His work of preparing a pure and glorious bride for her Bridegroom.
"If you're going through hell, keep going."
~ Winston Churchill
Faithful Father, whatever the fire, please carry us through it, beyond it, to the place of blessing.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Getting Past the Past
For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us as silver is refined.…
You laid affliction on our backs.
You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
~ Psalms 66:10-12 (NKJV)
My prayer list is long enough to divide into days, to keep it more manageable. (Monday for Missionaries, THursday for auTHorities, Friday for Family, etc.) Additionally, a priority list is reserved for people in my life who are presently going through such intense trial that I wish to pray for them every day.
That priority list defies attempts to keep it short enough to give it due attention. More Christians seem to be going through increasingly intense trials. And numerous post-trial people experience significant struggle with getting past the past.
When does trial become post-trial? When crisis has passed, shouldn't we be able to draw from grace, buck up via the Spirit's strength, and get on with life? Just how does one emulate the psalmist, and transition from "affliction on our backs" into "rich fulfillment"?
Or does it even matter when the present is re-labeled as the past?
"We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."
~ Acts 14:22 (NKJV)
As I counsel others and am counseled, I am assured that certain perspectives and expectations make all the difference, regardless of whether we are entering, enduring, or exiting trial.
1. Sovereign God is in control. Trial may or may not occur as a direct result of my own decisions and actions (free will), but it is always allowed and used by the Almighty to make me more like Jesus and draw me closer into relationship with Himself.
2. Because trial enters my life via the Lord's permission, the agent of the trial (whether person or situation) is therefore agent of the Lord's hand and subject to Him. If I harbor anger (or bitterness—anger grown putrid) toward the agent of trial, I may be resisting the Lord's hand.**
3. If I profess Jesus is Lord, I acknowledge God as Master. Wherever He sends, whatever He asks, I can trust my most benevolent Master to use it for my enrichment. Also, any recompense for a wrong done to the servant is owed to the Master, and should little concern His servant.
"So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.' "
~ Luke 17:10 (NKJV)
**
"Blessed is any weight, however overwhelming,
that God has been so good as to fasten
with His own hand upon our shoulders."
~ Frederick W. Faber
Lord, You are good. You are only good. You are powerful enough to use even what is intended for evil as good. Please empower Your servants as we work on getting past the past, getting through the present, and getting ready for the future. Please let us feel You drawing us close—at ALL times.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
You have refined us as silver is refined.…
You laid affliction on our backs.
You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
~ Psalms 66:10-12 (NKJV)
My prayer list is long enough to divide into days, to keep it more manageable. (Monday for Missionaries, THursday for auTHorities, Friday for Family, etc.) Additionally, a priority list is reserved for people in my life who are presently going through such intense trial that I wish to pray for them every day.
That priority list defies attempts to keep it short enough to give it due attention. More Christians seem to be going through increasingly intense trials. And numerous post-trial people experience significant struggle with getting past the past.
When does trial become post-trial? When crisis has passed, shouldn't we be able to draw from grace, buck up via the Spirit's strength, and get on with life? Just how does one emulate the psalmist, and transition from "affliction on our backs" into "rich fulfillment"?
Or does it even matter when the present is re-labeled as the past?
"We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."
~ Acts 14:22 (NKJV)
As I counsel others and am counseled, I am assured that certain perspectives and expectations make all the difference, regardless of whether we are entering, enduring, or exiting trial.
1. Sovereign God is in control. Trial may or may not occur as a direct result of my own decisions and actions (free will), but it is always allowed and used by the Almighty to make me more like Jesus and draw me closer into relationship with Himself.
2. Because trial enters my life via the Lord's permission, the agent of the trial (whether person or situation) is therefore agent of the Lord's hand and subject to Him. If I harbor anger (or bitterness—anger grown putrid) toward the agent of trial, I may be resisting the Lord's hand.**
3. If I profess Jesus is Lord, I acknowledge God as Master. Wherever He sends, whatever He asks, I can trust my most benevolent Master to use it for my enrichment. Also, any recompense for a wrong done to the servant is owed to the Master, and should little concern His servant.
"So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.' "
~ Luke 17:10 (NKJV)
**
"Blessed is any weight, however overwhelming,
that God has been so good as to fasten
with His own hand upon our shoulders."
~ Frederick W. Faber
Lord, You are good. You are only good. You are powerful enough to use even what is intended for evil as good. Please empower Your servants as we work on getting past the past, getting through the present, and getting ready for the future. Please let us feel You drawing us close—at ALL times.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Change, Part III: No Such Thing as Normal
As I conclude three posts to explain some changes in my life, I beg your indulgence for today's extra words.
normal : adj 1 conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected
There is no such thing as a normal life. We and our lives are unique, extraordinary, and filled with the unexpected.
When events in life turn our routines upside down, we adjust to what we call "the new normal"—as if life will now become "usual, typical, expected."
For most of my Christian walk, I expected change and even sought it, because I understood that becoming more like Jesus meant continual change away from my B.C. life. Aside from some "still learning the ropes" resistance during early years, I came to roll with the punches, accepting that whatever life threw at me was allowed by God, and His plans are always good.
Then life started throwing some serious punches. Slander. Persecution. Oppression. Personal attack from people who matter. Relationship losses. Injuries to myself and my loved ones.
I knew the right response was a balance between asking for accountability and extending grace and forgiveness. I expected things to turn out okay if I did these things. But my expectations weren't met, while the punches came harder and faster.
By spring of 2010, depression dogged me. My health suffered. I overcame the darkest depression in December 2010-January 2011 through purposeful Bible-reading and prayer (though depression still licks at my heels).
I thought I'd adjusted to stresses of "the new normal."
Then life threw its hardest punches yet. I can't say I've suffered more than anyone else. Cancer (and its debilitating pain) snuffed out the life of my bright sister-in-law and left behind her three young children. Christians are badly tortured for their faith in greater numbers than ever before. Atrocities prevail across the globe and in my neighborhood. Who am I to complain?
My precious sister reminded me that it never works to compare our circumstances to the good or bad of others. No matter how much someone else suffers, it doesn't mitigate our own suffering.
We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
~ 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (NKJV)
The punches, for now, have mostly relented. My physical health has yet to bounce back. My cardiologist is working on ways to ease discomfort, but my characteristic stamina and drive remain at a fraction of what they were three years ago. (Good thing they started out so high, LOL!) My new reality is that I can accomplish less in a day than to what I'm accustomed.
Something had to go. The time is fitting for God to close the door to all entailed with a publishing deal for my biblical fiction. A book contract seemed within reach—my skill is polished, my writing clean, my story well-crafted, my publishing agent highly regarded. But I write real-life-messy and carve out the Bible's not-so-neat solutions. An editor dangling a book contract requested I change my style. Readers want escape and entertainment, after all. I apologetically offered, "I'm not [well-known author]." Editor replied, "Why wouldn't you want to be?"
The blow of the question didn't hurt nearly as hard as everything else I've been through. In hindsight, I see that the sting necessarily stiffened my spine.
I've written plenty about the need to die to Self for the name of Jesus Christ, and (please, Lord!) may I never refuse that invitation. But I must also be true to the person God calls me to be.
So after four-plus years with a publishing agent, I am exiting publishing circles—at least for now. Temptation suggests that my battle-weary soul go one step further and withdraw from all public activity to simply rest.
But online ministry is a door the Lord holds firmly open. I once posted and tweeted daily, and now struggle to post to my blog once or twice a week, to dialogue with the readers I dearly love, to make it over to Twitter at all.
It is sufficient.
By God's grace and strength, I will continue extolling Him and edifying His body, whether online or wherever I step, however not-normal life gets, for as long as I draw breath.
: : :
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I
may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
~ St. Francis of Assisi
normal : adj 1 conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected
There is no such thing as a normal life. We and our lives are unique, extraordinary, and filled with the unexpected.
When events in life turn our routines upside down, we adjust to what we call "the new normal"—as if life will now become "usual, typical, expected."
For most of my Christian walk, I expected change and even sought it, because I understood that becoming more like Jesus meant continual change away from my B.C. life. Aside from some "still learning the ropes" resistance during early years, I came to roll with the punches, accepting that whatever life threw at me was allowed by God, and His plans are always good.
Then life started throwing some serious punches. Slander. Persecution. Oppression. Personal attack from people who matter. Relationship losses. Injuries to myself and my loved ones.
I knew the right response was a balance between asking for accountability and extending grace and forgiveness. I expected things to turn out okay if I did these things. But my expectations weren't met, while the punches came harder and faster.
By spring of 2010, depression dogged me. My health suffered. I overcame the darkest depression in December 2010-January 2011 through purposeful Bible-reading and prayer (though depression still licks at my heels).
I thought I'd adjusted to stresses of "the new normal."
Then life threw its hardest punches yet. I can't say I've suffered more than anyone else. Cancer (and its debilitating pain) snuffed out the life of my bright sister-in-law and left behind her three young children. Christians are badly tortured for their faith in greater numbers than ever before. Atrocities prevail across the globe and in my neighborhood. Who am I to complain?
My precious sister reminded me that it never works to compare our circumstances to the good or bad of others. No matter how much someone else suffers, it doesn't mitigate our own suffering.
We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
~ 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (NKJV)
The punches, for now, have mostly relented. My physical health has yet to bounce back. My cardiologist is working on ways to ease discomfort, but my characteristic stamina and drive remain at a fraction of what they were three years ago. (Good thing they started out so high, LOL!) My new reality is that I can accomplish less in a day than to what I'm accustomed.
Something had to go. The time is fitting for God to close the door to all entailed with a publishing deal for my biblical fiction. A book contract seemed within reach—my skill is polished, my writing clean, my story well-crafted, my publishing agent highly regarded. But I write real-life-messy and carve out the Bible's not-so-neat solutions. An editor dangling a book contract requested I change my style. Readers want escape and entertainment, after all. I apologetically offered, "I'm not [well-known author]." Editor replied, "Why wouldn't you want to be?"
The blow of the question didn't hurt nearly as hard as everything else I've been through. In hindsight, I see that the sting necessarily stiffened my spine.
I've written plenty about the need to die to Self for the name of Jesus Christ, and (please, Lord!) may I never refuse that invitation. But I must also be true to the person God calls me to be.
So after four-plus years with a publishing agent, I am exiting publishing circles—at least for now. Temptation suggests that my battle-weary soul go one step further and withdraw from all public activity to simply rest.
But online ministry is a door the Lord holds firmly open. I once posted and tweeted daily, and now struggle to post to my blog once or twice a week, to dialogue with the readers I dearly love, to make it over to Twitter at all.
It is sufficient.
By God's grace and strength, I will continue extolling Him and edifying His body, whether online or wherever I step, however not-normal life gets, for as long as I draw breath.
: : :
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I
may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
~ St. Francis of Assisi
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Change, Part II: Purpose and Place
Numerous changes are going on in my life. Three days of posts (yesterday, today, tomorrow) will share them with you.
"The purpose of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
~ Westminster Catechism
Though this creed is not quoted from a Bible verse, it is entirely consistent with the whole of Scripture. I'd go so far as to say the purpose of God might be to glorify Himself and bring mankind to enjoy Him forever.
The goal above all goals, stated yesterday, is to become more like Jesus. The nature of Christ is to glorify the Father and enjoy Him, and thus the goal achieves the purpose.
Can we hope to obtain greater satisfaction than in achieving a goal which brings us to fulfill our purpose?
Toward these ends, the Lord entrusts us with gifts and talents. If such blessings are either squandered or buried, we may expect from our Master the due punishment for wasting what is precious. If we wisely utilize our gifts and talents, we are assured of a reward commensurate with our efforts. (Matthew 25:14-30)
To invest our blessings for temporal reward is to waste them. The only sure investment is to place our blessings where they reap spiritual returns.
My personal ministry is to edify the saints—to "build up the body of Christ." I aspire to do so with the gifts God has given me by speaking truth with love in a spirit of Christian unity, and by extending comfort and counsel where I encounter trouble and trial. I've been told I have a gift for such things—that these are my strengths.
But now, after many changes, I find I am weak.
For God made my heart weak,
And the Almighty terrifies me.
~ Job 23:16 (NKJV)
The more a person learns about a particular discipline, the easier one expects the discipline to become.
Not so for walking with God.
When I started walking with Jesus and began to comprehend the depth of my sin, my ambition became to grow out of it. I think I've been subconsciously waiting for a plateau which allows a rest from spiritual climbing. But the climb has become steeper and more arduous, filled with pitfalls, finally taxing the remnant of my strength.
I have wanted to lie down and rest, believing I have no more strength from which to minister. In confusing ministry and goals and purpose, I've even questioned if my gifts are exhausted.
I find instead that I have a deeper well of comfort from which to counsel. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) Having been broken by trial, I feel more acutely the anguish of the broken-hearted. The quality of my mercy is richer for those who are oppressed. I speak more fluently to despair now that I have been plunged beneath its murky waters.
Did I truly expect that I a spiritual walk would bring me to a place of strength, where I need God less? I have instead arrived at the place of weakness, where I know I need Him all the more.
I do not like being in the place where I am weak.
But God says such a place fulfills my purpose.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."
~ 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)
Amen, Lord. So be it.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
"The purpose of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
~ Westminster Catechism
Though this creed is not quoted from a Bible verse, it is entirely consistent with the whole of Scripture. I'd go so far as to say the purpose of God might be to glorify Himself and bring mankind to enjoy Him forever.
The goal above all goals, stated yesterday, is to become more like Jesus. The nature of Christ is to glorify the Father and enjoy Him, and thus the goal achieves the purpose.
Can we hope to obtain greater satisfaction than in achieving a goal which brings us to fulfill our purpose?
Toward these ends, the Lord entrusts us with gifts and talents. If such blessings are either squandered or buried, we may expect from our Master the due punishment for wasting what is precious. If we wisely utilize our gifts and talents, we are assured of a reward commensurate with our efforts. (Matthew 25:14-30)
To invest our blessings for temporal reward is to waste them. The only sure investment is to place our blessings where they reap spiritual returns.
My personal ministry is to edify the saints—to "build up the body of Christ." I aspire to do so with the gifts God has given me by speaking truth with love in a spirit of Christian unity, and by extending comfort and counsel where I encounter trouble and trial. I've been told I have a gift for such things—that these are my strengths.
But now, after many changes, I find I am weak.
For God made my heart weak,
And the Almighty terrifies me.
~ Job 23:16 (NKJV)
The more a person learns about a particular discipline, the easier one expects the discipline to become.
Not so for walking with God.
When I started walking with Jesus and began to comprehend the depth of my sin, my ambition became to grow out of it. I think I've been subconsciously waiting for a plateau which allows a rest from spiritual climbing. But the climb has become steeper and more arduous, filled with pitfalls, finally taxing the remnant of my strength.
I have wanted to lie down and rest, believing I have no more strength from which to minister. In confusing ministry and goals and purpose, I've even questioned if my gifts are exhausted.
I find instead that I have a deeper well of comfort from which to counsel. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) Having been broken by trial, I feel more acutely the anguish of the broken-hearted. The quality of my mercy is richer for those who are oppressed. I speak more fluently to despair now that I have been plunged beneath its murky waters.
Did I truly expect that I a spiritual walk would bring me to a place of strength, where I need God less? I have instead arrived at the place of weakness, where I know I need Him all the more.
I do not like being in the place where I am weak.
But God says such a place fulfills my purpose.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."
~ 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)
Amen, Lord. So be it.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Defining Moments, Quiet Moments
When life imposes burdens that we have no choice but to bear, the choice we retain is the manner in which they are borne.
It is good for a man to bear
The yoke in his youth.
Let him sit alone and keep silent,
Because God has laid it on him …
~ Lamentations 3:27-28 (NKJV)
The world asks how a good God could allow so much suffering. The short answer is that God allows free will, free will leads to bad decisions which invite sin and death, and it is sin and death which bring suffering.
Faith in Jesus Christ and the salvation purchased with His blood sets us free from sin's eternal penalty. The Holy Spirit teaches us to walk in liberty from the power of sin. But we obtain no free pass from the suffering which exists in a sinful world.
God could allow His own to endure a lesser degree of suffering, might lay upon His children lighter burdens. God's most faithful servants receive no such exemption.
Paul and Elijah visited the place where they despaired of life. Job and Jeremiah came to curse the days of their births.
Jeremiah had called his people to repent, lest God pour out His wrath upon them. When they refused, Jeremiah shared in their punishment and suffered along with them.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the LORD.
~ Lamentations 3:26
Perhaps—perhaps—God allowed Jeremiah to suffer so that he would set an example of faith in God's goodness, of belief in God's purposes. Jeremiah's ability to praise the Lord and curse his own life in the same breath (Jeremiah 20:13-14) is proof that it can be done.
We may be proven in our defining moments,
but we are made in our quiet ones.
~ Billy Coffey
All praise to Your good and holy name, Lord God Almighty. In the place of abundance, in the place of drought, may we ever believe in Your purposes and plan.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
It is good for a man to bear
The yoke in his youth.
Let him sit alone and keep silent,
Because God has laid it on him …
~ Lamentations 3:27-28 (NKJV)
The world asks how a good God could allow so much suffering. The short answer is that God allows free will, free will leads to bad decisions which invite sin and death, and it is sin and death which bring suffering.
Faith in Jesus Christ and the salvation purchased with His blood sets us free from sin's eternal penalty. The Holy Spirit teaches us to walk in liberty from the power of sin. But we obtain no free pass from the suffering which exists in a sinful world.
God could allow His own to endure a lesser degree of suffering, might lay upon His children lighter burdens. God's most faithful servants receive no such exemption.
Paul and Elijah visited the place where they despaired of life. Job and Jeremiah came to curse the days of their births.
Jeremiah had called his people to repent, lest God pour out His wrath upon them. When they refused, Jeremiah shared in their punishment and suffered along with them.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the LORD.
~ Lamentations 3:26
Perhaps—perhaps—God allowed Jeremiah to suffer so that he would set an example of faith in God's goodness, of belief in God's purposes. Jeremiah's ability to praise the Lord and curse his own life in the same breath (Jeremiah 20:13-14) is proof that it can be done.
We may be proven in our defining moments,
but we are made in our quiet ones.
~ Billy Coffey
All praise to Your good and holy name, Lord God Almighty. In the place of abundance, in the place of drought, may we ever believe in Your purposes and plan.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Enough!
This is the first in a series of posts planned on the theme "Enough!"
Throughout my five arduous decades, I've consistently been more of a fighter than a quitter. But sometimes a situation just wears a person out, provoking a declaration of "Enough!"
There's no doubt that the Lord can sustain a person through the most discouraging or exasperating situation. But of course, one must actually go to the Lord to obtain that sustenance.
"And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' "
~ Jesus, from the Parable of the Ten Virgins, Matthew 25:1-13
Many heroes and heroines of the faith before us have reached the place of feeling they've run out of light. Their examples teach us not only that there is only one place to obtain spiritual oil (John 6:68), but also that our anointing has a supply of sufficient grace (2 Corinthians 12:9).
The Lord said we would be tested. Trials make known those who are truly His, and those who only appropriate His name and His gifts. The Bible warns of the peril for those who merely "taste" of God's spiritual gifts—those content to partake in the Holy Spirit and Word of God to the extent that pleases themselves—whose "end is to be burned" (Hebrews 6:4-8).
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."
~ Jesus, from the Parable of Two Builders, Matthew 7:21-27
Some churches preach that a person needs only speak a sinner's prayer to obtain eternal salvation, and then "once saved, always saved."
Some churches preach a person can sin and lose one's salvation, but can always repent to regain it—"revolving door salvation."
Jesus assures that no one snatches His sheep out of His hand. He also identifies His sheep as those who know His voice and follow Him. (John 10:1-15)
To know Jesus is to identify with not only His name but His entire character. To declare Jesus "Lord" is to accept His spiritual life in displacement of a life lived for Self.
If I accept Jesus, I refuse to deny Jesus when He allows suffering to show up at my door and prove whether or not I'm really His.
"Blessed is any weight, however overwhelming,
that God has been so good as to fasten
with His own hand upon our shoulders."
~ Frederick W. Faber
Good and loving Shepherd, we are but weak sheep. For Your name's sake, help us not grow weary in doing good.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Throughout my five arduous decades, I've consistently been more of a fighter than a quitter. But sometimes a situation just wears a person out, provoking a declaration of "Enough!"
There's no doubt that the Lord can sustain a person through the most discouraging or exasperating situation. But of course, one must actually go to the Lord to obtain that sustenance.
"And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' "
~ Jesus, from the Parable of the Ten Virgins, Matthew 25:1-13
Many heroes and heroines of the faith before us have reached the place of feeling they've run out of light. Their examples teach us not only that there is only one place to obtain spiritual oil (John 6:68), but also that our anointing has a supply of sufficient grace (2 Corinthians 12:9).
The Lord said we would be tested. Trials make known those who are truly His, and those who only appropriate His name and His gifts. The Bible warns of the peril for those who merely "taste" of God's spiritual gifts—those content to partake in the Holy Spirit and Word of God to the extent that pleases themselves—whose "end is to be burned" (Hebrews 6:4-8).
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."
~ Jesus, from the Parable of Two Builders, Matthew 7:21-27
Some churches preach that a person needs only speak a sinner's prayer to obtain eternal salvation, and then "once saved, always saved."
Some churches preach a person can sin and lose one's salvation, but can always repent to regain it—"revolving door salvation."
Jesus assures that no one snatches His sheep out of His hand. He also identifies His sheep as those who know His voice and follow Him. (John 10:1-15)
To know Jesus is to identify with not only His name but His entire character. To declare Jesus "Lord" is to accept His spiritual life in displacement of a life lived for Self.
If I accept Jesus, I refuse to deny Jesus when He allows suffering to show up at my door and prove whether or not I'm really His.
"Blessed is any weight, however overwhelming,
that God has been so good as to fasten
with His own hand upon our shoulders."
~ Frederick W. Faber
Good and loving Shepherd, we are but weak sheep. For Your name's sake, help us not grow weary in doing good.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, March 23, 2012
But
"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now..."
~ John 16:12 (NKJV)
Though we often forget it, the Lord knows well that we are frail children of dust. He is so sensitive to how much we can bear that He reserves some truth for us until the hour we need it, lest it prove to be too much for us in the meantime.
It might therefore seem logical to conclude that God never allows His children to suffer more than they can bear.
As Billy Coffey astutely observed in his novel, "Snow Day," the axiom that says God doesn't give us more than we can bear isn't exactly true. What the Bible does say is that we won't be tempted, or tested, beyond our ability to bear it ...
... but.
Of all the critical uses of "but," this occurrence ranks right up there with the most important ones:
No temptation [test, trial] has overtaken you except such as is common to man ... God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted [tried, tested] beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV, amplification and emphasis mine)
We will face situations that are beyond our ability to bear without an escape. And we are asked to believe that a good God allows suffering not only to test the love and compassion of those who observe suffering, not only to refine us from sin, but also so that we will seek out escape.
"... However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth."
~ John 16:13 (NKJV)
The same Spirit Who reveals truth at the needed hour is also our escape in the needed hour—and He rarely provides immediate escape via separation from suffering. Escape is obtained by being yoked with Jesus, and trusting Him to bear us all the way through temptation and testing, lest we fall into it.
Lord, please help us to stay closely connected with you, through every moment of the day, so that we will be able to stand in the hour of testing, that we may bear the hour of suffering.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ John 16:12 (NKJV)
Though we often forget it, the Lord knows well that we are frail children of dust. He is so sensitive to how much we can bear that He reserves some truth for us until the hour we need it, lest it prove to be too much for us in the meantime.
It might therefore seem logical to conclude that God never allows His children to suffer more than they can bear.
As Billy Coffey astutely observed in his novel, "Snow Day," the axiom that says God doesn't give us more than we can bear isn't exactly true. What the Bible does say is that we won't be tempted, or tested, beyond our ability to bear it ...
... but.
Of all the critical uses of "but," this occurrence ranks right up there with the most important ones:
No temptation [test, trial] has overtaken you except such as is common to man ... God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted [tried, tested] beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV, amplification and emphasis mine)
We will face situations that are beyond our ability to bear without an escape. And we are asked to believe that a good God allows suffering not only to test the love and compassion of those who observe suffering, not only to refine us from sin, but also so that we will seek out escape.
"... However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth."
~ John 16:13 (NKJV)
The same Spirit Who reveals truth at the needed hour is also our escape in the needed hour—and He rarely provides immediate escape via separation from suffering. Escape is obtained by being yoked with Jesus, and trusting Him to bear us all the way through temptation and testing, lest we fall into it.
Lord, please help us to stay closely connected with you, through every moment of the day, so that we will be able to stand in the hour of testing, that we may bear the hour of suffering.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Man of Sorrows, Conclusion
Intimate With Anguish
He is scorned and given no heed by men;
A Man of sorrows and intimate with anguish.
And as one from whom we avert our faces,
He was despised—and we regarded Him as nothing.
~ Isaiah 53:3 (author)
Some Bibles render Isaiah's description of Jesus as "a Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief."
"Grief" doesn't fully capture the essence of the Hebrew chŏlîy, which literally means "sickness." It can mean a disease, an infirmity or weakness of health, or sickness of heart because of anguish.
The translation "acquainted" doesn't work for me at all. The original Hebrew word, yâda', occurs nearly a thousand times in the Old Testament. While it can include the meanings of "to learn, to perceive, to discern, to experience," yâda' is most often translated "know," and never requires the translation "acquaint." Yâda' is the word used to describe the most intimate knowledge possible among humans, of sexual intimacy between a man and woman.
To say that Jesus was "acquainted" with grief or anguish implies a passing encounter. The Bible is filled with references to Jesus' intimate experiences with suffering, in both body and soul. He weeps more often than the noted instance at the grave of Lazarus. His anguish in Gethsemane is more intense than the Bible describes anywhere else. And a strong case can be made for Jesus' death resulting not from crucifixion, but from a broken heart. (See the post "Broken"; also see Wikipedia's article on "Takotsubo cardiomyopathy" ['broken heart syndrome'])
And when He had sent the multitudes away, [Jesus] went up on the mountain by Himself to pray... Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.
~ Matthew 14:23-25 (NKJV)
At the end of that very long day, after Jesus fed the 5,000, He finally obtained solitude. He surely had much anguish to discuss with His Father that night, between the news of His cousin John's beheading and the widespread conflict and rejection He would face the next day. As long day of people became long night of prayer, I imagine a weary and grief-stricken grief Jesus making the pre-dawn walk of nearly four miles across the sea to His disciples.
If my heart is broken, may it be to hear the good God—Who is both love personified and Man of Sorrows—depicted as indifferent to human misery; may my heart bleed to think of how my Savior suffered at Calvary and is grieved even this day for my sin; may the greatest ache in my soul be for the scorn and rejection our precious Lord has suffered throughout all of human history, by even His own.
May I never draw back from fellowship with Jesus in suffering.
Comments are welcome and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
A Man of sorrows and intimate with anguish.
And as one from whom we avert our faces,
He was despised—and we regarded Him as nothing.
~ Isaiah 53:3 (author)
Some Bibles render Isaiah's description of Jesus as "a Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief."
"Grief" doesn't fully capture the essence of the Hebrew chŏlîy, which literally means "sickness." It can mean a disease, an infirmity or weakness of health, or sickness of heart because of anguish.
The translation "acquainted" doesn't work for me at all. The original Hebrew word, yâda', occurs nearly a thousand times in the Old Testament. While it can include the meanings of "to learn, to perceive, to discern, to experience," yâda' is most often translated "know," and never requires the translation "acquaint." Yâda' is the word used to describe the most intimate knowledge possible among humans, of sexual intimacy between a man and woman.
To say that Jesus was "acquainted" with grief or anguish implies a passing encounter. The Bible is filled with references to Jesus' intimate experiences with suffering, in both body and soul. He weeps more often than the noted instance at the grave of Lazarus. His anguish in Gethsemane is more intense than the Bible describes anywhere else. And a strong case can be made for Jesus' death resulting not from crucifixion, but from a broken heart. (See the post "Broken"; also see Wikipedia's article on "Takotsubo cardiomyopathy" ['broken heart syndrome'])
And when He had sent the multitudes away, [Jesus] went up on the mountain by Himself to pray... Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.
~ Matthew 14:23-25 (NKJV)
At the end of that very long day, after Jesus fed the 5,000, He finally obtained solitude. He surely had much anguish to discuss with His Father that night, between the news of His cousin John's beheading and the widespread conflict and rejection He would face the next day. As long day of people became long night of prayer, I imagine a weary and grief-stricken grief Jesus making the pre-dawn walk of nearly four miles across the sea to His disciples.
If my heart is broken, may it be to hear the good God—Who is both love personified and Man of Sorrows—depicted as indifferent to human misery; may my heart bleed to think of how my Savior suffered at Calvary and is grieved even this day for my sin; may the greatest ache in my soul be for the scorn and rejection our precious Lord has suffered throughout all of human history, by even His own.
May I never draw back from fellowship with Jesus in suffering.
Comments are welcome and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Splendor of Sorrow
"It is said of God that
no one can behold His face and live.
I always thought this meant that
no one could see His spendor and live.
A friend said perhaps it means that
no one could see His sorrow and live.
Or perhaps His sorrow is His splendor."
~ Nicholas Wolterstorff
no one can behold His face and live.
I always thought this meant that
no one could see His spendor and live.
A friend said perhaps it means that
no one could see His sorrow and live.
Or perhaps His sorrow is His splendor."
~ Nicholas Wolterstorff
• • •
... but rejoice to the extent
that you partake of Christ's sufferings,
that when His glory is revealed,
you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
~ 1 Peter 4:13 (NKJV)
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
The Gift of Hunger
If you are a visitor from the Blog Carnival, I ask your forgiveness and indulgence for submitting this second post. I realized that I failed to share the more important truth I've learned about Treasure in recent days: We treasure what we desire more than what we have, and the two don't need to be mutually exclusive. (late edit:) Hunger makes the heart value more highly and yearn for more earnestly that which we treasure.
When I first met the Word of God in the Bible, I fell head-over-heels in love with the beauty of pure Truth. I hungrily read it at every opportunity in search for more Truth.
For four years I struggled to understand what my new Christian life should look like. When a cross country move and new church removed me from the little teaching I'd been getting, I became hungry for a teacher. No one was there for me. I'd open my Bible and beg God to help me understand it. I didn't recognize the Person of the Holy Spirit when He became my Teacher. I knew only that I hungered after His illumination like I might hunger for air after 60 seconds of holding my breath. I breathed Him in deeply and eagerly.
Seven years elapsed. I'd realized long before that time that I was hungry for discipleship—for mature Christians teaching and modeling Christianity to me. God brought me to a church strong in biblical principles where my eyes were opened to elemental lessons I'd missed by Bible-reading alone. I attended every service and meeting with a soul longing to be fed.
After five years I saw what was missing. Critical and judgmental spirits among legalists cursed and crushed the spirit of praise wherever it appeared without conformity to their standards. For another five years I praised God with exuberance only when away from them. My soul ached for the freedom to exalt Him. He honored my desire and brought our family to our present church, where worship ministry flourishes.
For three and a half years I've feasted on the fellowship of loving saints against a backdrop of solid biblical teaching. Our choir, orchestra, drama team, kids choir, and occasional dancers uplift my God and bring me to tears often.
My hunger has always been the opportunity to share God. The online community of blogging, Twitter, Facebook has satisfied it as never before.
Enough to quell the hunger pangs.
I understand now yet another reason God allowed the intense suffering of the last couple of years. It kept me in fellowship with Him so I might experience hunger for relief and be driven back to Him with new fervor.
And now, as life becomes calm, I once again need the gift of hunger.
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
~ Jesus, Matthew 6:21 (NKJV)
Comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments, or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Image source: crossroadsinitiative.com
When I first met the Word of God in the Bible, I fell head-over-heels in love with the beauty of pure Truth. I hungrily read it at every opportunity in search for more Truth.
For four years I struggled to understand what my new Christian life should look like. When a cross country move and new church removed me from the little teaching I'd been getting, I became hungry for a teacher. No one was there for me. I'd open my Bible and beg God to help me understand it. I didn't recognize the Person of the Holy Spirit when He became my Teacher. I knew only that I hungered after His illumination like I might hunger for air after 60 seconds of holding my breath. I breathed Him in deeply and eagerly.
Seven years elapsed. I'd realized long before that time that I was hungry for discipleship—for mature Christians teaching and modeling Christianity to me. God brought me to a church strong in biblical principles where my eyes were opened to elemental lessons I'd missed by Bible-reading alone. I attended every service and meeting with a soul longing to be fed.
After five years I saw what was missing. Critical and judgmental spirits among legalists cursed and crushed the spirit of praise wherever it appeared without conformity to their standards. For another five years I praised God with exuberance only when away from them. My soul ached for the freedom to exalt Him. He honored my desire and brought our family to our present church, where worship ministry flourishes.
For three and a half years I've feasted on the fellowship of loving saints against a backdrop of solid biblical teaching. Our choir, orchestra, drama team, kids choir, and occasional dancers uplift my God and bring me to tears often.
My hunger has always been the opportunity to share God. The online community of blogging, Twitter, Facebook has satisfied it as never before.
Enough to quell the hunger pangs.
I understand now yet another reason God allowed the intense suffering of the last couple of years. It kept me in fellowship with Him so I might experience hunger for relief and be driven back to Him with new fervor.
And now, as life becomes calm, I once again need the gift of hunger.
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
~ Jesus, Matthew 6:21 (NKJV)
Comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments, or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Pity or Compassion?
To the best of my memory, I've never asked anyone for permission to repost a blog article. But this stands out as one of the best posts I've read. Ever. Today I share a worthy repeat from Connecting to Impact.
: : :
PITY OR COMPASSION?
by Jason Stasyszen
There’s a show on History (you know, used to be the History Channel) called American Pickers. Now, I honestly don’t watch it all the time, but it is very entertaining.
I mean, just listen to the premise: two guys drive around in a van combing through barns, garages, and warehouses looking for treasures in a sea of hoarded items.
Okay, it doesn’t sound that amazing, but what makes it so great are the two guys who are so passionate and excited about what they’re looking for. They never know what they’ll find or even what they’re looking for entirely, but they love the thrill of finding that special treasure and bargaining with the owner to part with it.
Jason received some great responses over at his blog. My favorite comment was this, from Sandra Heska King:
"Pity is wallowing in the shallows with someone. Compassion is pulling them with you into the deep."
To see more comments, and to share your thoughts with Jason, click here
© 2010 by Connecting to Impact all rights reserved. Used by permission of Jason Stasyszen, pictured here with wife Andrea. Thanks again, Jason!
: : :
PITY OR COMPASSION?
by Jason Stasyszen
There’s a show on History (you know, used to be the History Channel) called American Pickers. Now, I honestly don’t watch it all the time, but it is very entertaining.
I mean, just listen to the premise: two guys drive around in a van combing through barns, garages, and warehouses looking for treasures in a sea of hoarded items.
Okay, it doesn’t sound that amazing, but what makes it so great are the two guys who are so passionate and excited about what they’re looking for. They never know what they’ll find or even what they’re looking for entirely, but they love the thrill of finding that special treasure and bargaining with the owner to part with it.
I’ve decided I want to be more like this–but about people. I think there’s too much pity in the world and not enough compassion. We pity people for their hard childhood, their presently hard circumstances, their poor decisions… That’s not even mentioning that we often pity ourselves for much the same reasons.
These guys are passionate about seeing things not as they are currently or even what they were used for 50-100 years ago. It’s all about how these items can be cleaned up, repurposed, and made useful again. Their risks don’t always pay off, but it never dampens their enthusiasm.
Pity can’t do that. Pity won’t do that–because pity won’t even try.
God didn’t send us Jesus because He pitied us, but because He was passionate about us. Jesus didn’t heal, forgive, restore, and deliver out of pity, but because He had compassion and it always moved Him to change their lives. The more they hung around Him, the more their lives changed.
Likewise, Jesus isn’t building a Church that will pity the poor, blinded, broken, and desperate. We need to be passionate about how God sees them and us, never settling for a lesser vision.
→ Pity says “Don’t expect too much. We know it’s been really hard.”
→ Compassion says, “Get up! Take up your mat and walk.”
→ Pity says “I’ll just try to make you comfortable down there.”
→ Compassion says “There’s no reason you can’t come up here!”
Don’t get me wrong, I can’t change anyone and I won’t try. God has to do that, but He has a way of using those with hearts after Him. We get to be conduits of grace.
I’m tired of pitying a broken world full of hurting people. I want God’s compassion alive inside me to go out and find the treasures on the street corners, the grocery stores, the office buildings–and I want to allow God to touch my eyes so that I can see them the way God does.
I hope somebody’s with me today! What do you think? Care to add others to the list of pity says/compassion says?
Jason received some great responses over at his blog. My favorite comment was this, from Sandra Heska King:
"Pity is wallowing in the shallows with someone. Compassion is pulling them with you into the deep."
To see more comments, and to share your thoughts with Jason, click here
© 2010 by Connecting to Impact all rights reserved. Used by permission of Jason Stasyszen, pictured here with wife Andrea. Thanks again, Jason!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Question of the Week:
What About Job?
I wonder about the whole showdown with Job ...~ Wendy Paine Miller
Set in the post-flood era, the book of Job evokes a picture of chess game between God and the devil, in which humans are pawns with wills of their own.
This book offers fascinating depictions of our God's personality, the devil, heavenly sparring, human suffering, philosophy, creationism, and far more—fodder for an entire book series. We'll peek at just three points.
RESPONSE TO SUFFERING
Job represents epitome of suffering in every area of life, regardless of doing what's right.
Job holds the honor of Billy Graham and the riches of Bill Gates. Then he loses all—family, wealth, health, reputation. What he has left brings him only grief—an embittered wife's nagging, three accusatory "friends," and a despised life.
Job sowed goodness and reaps adversity.
Though he will be rebuked for calling God to account and complaining "not fair," Job's response to suffering itself has inspired humanity throughout the ages:
...[Job] fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the LORD."
In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
~ Job 1:20-22 (NKJV)
RESPONSE TO THE DEVIL
Job's wife provokes her husband using the exact words spoken in Heaven by God and the devil. (Compare Job 2:3 and 2:5 with Job 2:9.) We may deduce that her share in Job's losses has brought bitterness, making her vulnerable to accepting the devil's suggestions, which in turn enables the devil to use her as his mouthpiece.
God desires to be praised. The devil desires to see God cursed.
Job will curse his life. He will question God. He will complain at length, which is dangerously close to cursing God. Yet Job sets an example of rebuking the devil's words:
[Job] said to [his wife], "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
~ Job 2:10 (NKJV)
RESPONSE TO GOD
Job curses his birth, cries "not fair," and seeks and audience with God to question Him. God gives Job an audience, but turns the questions on him with a reference to "children of pride."
Job is treated to a raw display of the Lord's power in lightning storm, tornado, and the possibly present behemoth and leviathan (likely a dinosaur and dragon).
Job already feared God. Now he is terrified. Realizing Whom he attempted to call into account, Job recants, calls himself vile, and repents. He thought he wanted God to justify His actions. But now Job justifies having trust in Almighty God's purposes, though we cannot comprehend them:
"I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You...
I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful [incomprehensible] for me, which I did not know."
~ Job 42:1-3 (NKJV)
: : :
This post originally appeared at Bullets & Butterflies. To see comments posted there click here.
What questions do you have about Christianity or the Bible? You're invited to leave them in the comments below (anonymous questions welcome), or email buildingHisbody [plus] @ gmail.com.
© 2010 Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Image source: armchairtravelogue.blogspot.com
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
I Will Keep You
I Will Keep You
"I know your deeds... I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name... I have loved you. Since you have kept my [word] to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth."
~ Revelation 3:8-10 (NIV)
Jesus speaks to the church of Philadelphia—"city of brotherly love." Philadelphia appears to have undergone not the persecution in which Smyrna proved faithful, but the trials of difficulty.
The purpose of a trial is to prove something: innocent or guilty; satisfactory or unacceptable; faithful or false. Jesus spoke in parables saying that those who claimed to be His would fall away in time of trial unless they were deeply rooted in Him, firmly established upon the rock of His Word, abiding in Him.
Have you endured a trial you thought would never end? Are you going through one now?
ἐτήρσαϛ τὸν λόγον τηϛ ὑπομονηϛ μού
"... you have kept the word of My patient endurance ..."
The Greek word used here for patience (see Monday's post) means to have hope and cheer through trying circumstances. Jesus asks us to stay under the trial, to keep faith in Him through it, to patiently endure it—and He asks us to have a good attitude which testifies of His goodness, not denying His name
He asks nothing for which He does not return much more. We endure weighty trials to prove our faith true. To us who keep His word to endure patiently, Jesus says, "I will keep you. I will keep you from the hour of severe trial."
Whatever difficulty you face right now, however fierce the fire, He is with you in the flames.
"Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? ... Look! ... I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."
~ Daniel 3:24-25 (NKJV)
Son of God, You patiently, silently endured the fiercest trial of God's wrath on our behalf. In our hours of trial, please let us know Your presence by speaking in our ears, "I will keep you."
I appreciate hearing from you. Questions are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments or e-mail me—my address is
buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com.
Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Image source: fatherchecksblog.blogspot.com
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Lie of Hell #3:
Faith Eliminates Problems
A recent "Question of the Week" at Bullets & Butterflies listed five of the devil’s lies which sound close enough to the truth to make them believable. This week addresses them in more detail:
• Monday – "You'll never be worthy of God's grace or love."
• Tuesday – "If you have faith, it doesn't matter if you sin."
• Wednesday – "Following Jesus solves your problems."
• Thursday – "Problems indicate God's condemnation."
• Friday – "If you love others then you're loving God."
: : : : :
"When it is dark enough, men see the stars."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Lie of Hell #3: Faith Eliminates Problems
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
~ John 16:33 (NKJV)
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed ... that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 (NKJV)
The devil wants you to believe that once you make Jesus Lord of your life, your problems are over.
The devil even manages to put that message in the mouth of many misled Christians. Then when difficulties or sickness or hardship occur, a Christian will be told that they just need to pray harder or have more faith or claim one of God’s promises.
The truth preached by Jesus is that Christians will have tribulation.
If being a Christian meant the end of our problems, what kind of opportunity does God have to manifest His power? If He makes life easy for us, how valuable is our love and praise?
Praise comes easily when all is well on the outside. But we praise because all is well in our souls, even if body, mind and heart are in agony. Our praise is more valuable when it defies hardship. Like the moon, we reflect Sonshine with the most radiance in darkness. God is glorified in our lives when we face adversity of the worst sort and He proves His grace greater yet.
For now, Christians experience the kingdom of Heaven spiritually. Jesus reigns in our hearts, not on a throne made by human hands. The time to experience the full and physical presence of Christ's Kingdom is coming.
Lord, Your grace is sufficient for our weakness, for our greatest hurt, for our darkest despair. Make us willing to pay the cost of making You manifest on the earth with all we are, have, do.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com Comments or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
• Monday – "You'll never be worthy of God's grace or love."
• Tuesday – "If you have faith, it doesn't matter if you sin."
• Wednesday – "Following Jesus solves your problems."
• Thursday – "Problems indicate God's condemnation."
• Friday – "If you love others then you're loving God."
: : : : :
"When it is dark enough, men see the stars."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Lie of Hell #3: Faith Eliminates Problems
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
~ John 16:33 (NKJV)
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed ... that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 (NKJV)
The devil wants you to believe that once you make Jesus Lord of your life, your problems are over.
The devil even manages to put that message in the mouth of many misled Christians. Then when difficulties or sickness or hardship occur, a Christian will be told that they just need to pray harder or have more faith or claim one of God’s promises.
The truth preached by Jesus is that Christians will have tribulation.
If being a Christian meant the end of our problems, what kind of opportunity does God have to manifest His power? If He makes life easy for us, how valuable is our love and praise?
Praise comes easily when all is well on the outside. But we praise because all is well in our souls, even if body, mind and heart are in agony. Our praise is more valuable when it defies hardship. Like the moon, we reflect Sonshine with the most radiance in darkness. God is glorified in our lives when we face adversity of the worst sort and He proves His grace greater yet.
For now, Christians experience the kingdom of Heaven spiritually. Jesus reigns in our hearts, not on a throne made by human hands. The time to experience the full and physical presence of Christ's Kingdom is coming.
Lord, Your grace is sufficient for our weakness, for our greatest hurt, for our darkest despair. Make us willing to pay the cost of making You manifest on the earth with all we are, have, do.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com Comments or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
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