Chris Buscher's Blog, page 2
November 28, 2017
The Unannounced Christmas Visitor
Chapter One
ANYWHERE USA – PRESENT DAY – 3 WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
“WHO’S THAT MAN?” LYDIA Jensen whispered softly to her husband.
“What man?” John Jensen replied, half-heartedly. His face was glued to his phone screen, thumbs ramming keys, firing
off text messages to whomever. He was too focused, as always, skimming through dozens of unread messages from earlier
in the week to pry his squinty eyes away from his mobile device for even a second.
“That man over there,” Lydia said, pointing in the man’s direction off to her right.
The Jensens were seated in the seventh row of a nearly full church, close to the middle of the assembly. They were the
very same seats they’d occupied the past 17 years since they first started dating.
“And how many times must I remind you that church is never the place to reply back to text messages!” Lydia’s voice
was no louder than a whisper, yet it carried the force of a shout.
John rolled his eyes and continued scrolling. You’re not my mother!
“John?!” Even with his mobile device turned away from her, Lydia could see his phone screen reflecting off of his
eyeglasses.
“Okay, okay, you win,” he barked under his breath. It was loud enough for Lydia’s closest friend at church, Ann Chen,
to hear. The woman of Asian descent pretended not to be listening. Her husband, Jack Chen, would join them after he and
the other deacons collected the offering.
John angrily turned off his phone and stuffed it inside his pants pocket. Glancing up, he noticed the unsightly specimen
his wife was referring to. He was an elderly gentleman, perhaps 80 or 90, hidden beneath an over-sized, worn out, charcoal
gray trench coat that reached all the way down to his ankles. A thick maroon and gray scarf circled his neck. Both ends
draped down the front of his coat. Underneath the wool coat was a light gray hoodie. The hair on his head was long and
wiry just like his beard. Both were silver-gray in color. Both were unkempt.
Walking at a snail’s pace, the old man was being escorted from where he was briefly seated in the front row to the back
of the assembly by two church ushers. One of them, Guillermo Vargas, was a longtime friend of the Jensens.
Dressed in a neatly pressed, olive-colored suit and bright red tie, Vargas towered over the old man. He shook his head
in disgust to everyone with whom he made eye contact, as if he’d just caught a thief and was about to hand him over to the
authorities.
“I don’t know,” John said. “Looks like a vagrant to me. Perhaps he’s here to beg money for booze or drugs.”
“I’ve never seen him before.”
“Probably never see him again after today,” John opined, dismissively.
Though his answers were short and to the point—judgmental even—Lydia was just glad to be communicating with her
husband without arguing for a change. She was even more thankful he was here at all. Lately, Lydia attended church service
alone each Sunday, while their two children, Matthew, age 10, and Grace, age 7, went to Sunday school.
But it wasn’t just church that John seemed totally disinterested in these days. At 42 years of age, life in general had
become mundane, boring even, to the extent that nothing motivated him, including the job he once loved so much.
Overwhelming fatigue and depression had taken his soul hostage.
This downward spiral started roughly seven months ago, mercilessly changing John Jensen from a loving, churchgoing,
devoted husband and father of two, into someone who was increasingly standoffish and argumentative. It was miraculous
when a sourpuss expression didn’t follow him around everywhere he went.
Pushing these troublesome thoughts from her mind, Lydia craned her neck back and focused her attention on the
mysterious-looking elderly man being escorted to the rear of the church, to see what would happen next.
She wasn’t the only one. It seemed half the congregation was doing the same thing; eyes narrowed, heads slanted,
irritated glances displayed on so many faces.
Stopping at one of the back doors, the three men huddled together for a brief exchange of words. After that, the
shriveled up old man took a seat in the last row, causing a family of four to angrily rise from their seats in search of a new
place to sit.
Lydia observed as Guillermo mouthed the words, “Sorry” to them as they passed. The empathetic expression on his
face was no match for the unbridled agitation on the faces glaring back at him.
The two ushers exited through one of the back doors, finally allowing the old man to do what he came here for—
worship his Creator. He dropped his head and prayed, “Yahweh, Jehovah God, change the overall heart of this gathering
place of believers to resemble the heart of Yeshua rather than the unconverted world.”
Lydia’s eyes remained glued on him. She couldn’t help but wonder if his overall appearance was the reason for his
being humiliated the way he was in front of so many. What else could it possibly be? Did he reek of body odor?
From what she could see, he hadn’t been the slightest bit disrespectful to anyone. Aside from his ragged, worn-out
clothing and unkempt appearance, he seemed completely harmless. Yes, it must be because of his appearance.
The back door opened and Guillermo emerged with Betty Rainer. Her left arm was practically woven into the
handsome Latino man’s right arm. Lydia observed as they slowly proceeded down the empty aisle leading to the front of the
assembly.
Betty’s husband, Tom Rainer, followed closely behind smiling brightly, waving enthusiastically for all to see,
determined to shake as many hands and hug as many friends as possible, before reaching his seat in the front row.
As always, Tom and Betty Rainer were impeccably dressed. Both in their 70’s, the still-vibrant successful business
owners were regarded as solid pillars not only in the church, but in the community as a whole. It was no big secret that they
were the top financial contributors to the church. What should have been kept between them and God was no secret at all.
“Welcome back, John,” Tom Rainer said, taking John Jensen’s hand into his own.
“Thanks, Tom,” John replied sheepishly, unable to maintain steady eye contact with him. “Nice to be back. Been busy
lately.”
“Understood,” The look on Tom’s face betrayed his one-word reply. But now wasn’t the time to press the issue. He still
had friends to greet.
The energetic senior gave Lydia Jensen a quick hug and picked up his pace to catch up to Guillermo and his wife.
Upon reaching the front row, the 28-year-old usher with broad muscular shoulders and slicked back, jet-black hair,
gently kissed Betty’s right cheek. The gesture caused pink to surface on her makeup-covered cheeks. Guillermo then
squeezed Tom’s right hand, cupping it with his left hand, before fading to the back of the house of worship.
The moment the Rainers were seated the service promptly began.
“Good morning, church family,” the music leader declared robustly, nodding in the Rainers direction. “Would you
please rise and join us in worshiping our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, through song and praise!”
Everyone rose as one as the twelve-member band quickly roared to life performing the song, Your Grace is Enough.
Hundreds of voices scattered throughout the sanctuary joined together in song, including Pastor Flores and his wife,
Maria, who were seated next to the Rainers.
This being Lydia’s favorite part of the service, the confused wife and mother of two put aside her hurt feelings for the
moment and sang with a voice that was glad.
John Jensen stood alongside his wife, but refrained from singing. Eyes surveying the sanctuary, he felt entirely out of
place being surrounded by what he had gradually come to believe were a bunch of weak-minded people who were too afraid
to govern their lives that they prayed to a God they couldn’t even see, a God John was increasingly unsure even existed.
How could he wholeheartedly accept that God really existed when the messages preached at this place were
diametrically opposed to what he was taught in college two decades ago, from professors whose minds were so much more
advanced than his own? According to them, humanism, or better put, mankind without God, was the only hope humanity
had of realizing their full potential.
Raised in a lukewarm Christian household, it didn’t take long before the four years John spent seeking higher education
started chiseling away at the already shaky spiritual foundation upon which he was raised. The more his intelligence
increased, the more his already weak faith in God decreased. Yet if anyone asked, he unhesitatingly declared that he was a
Christ follower.
“If You do exist,” John whispered, almost sarcastically, “why do I feel completely and utterly empty inside?”
After two more songs were sung one of the associate pastors, a man of Indian descent named Amrit Rushi, read a few
church announcements. After that he said, “Now, let’s all stand and find someone near you. Help make them feel welcome
in the house of the Lord.”
As if on cue, the two-level assembly—capable of holding up to 3,000 people per service—sprang to life like an oversized
honeycomb being invaded by thousands of bees. Only instead of stinging one another, they shook hands and
exchanged hugs.
Normally one to extend greetings for as long as the time would allow, including to those not seated in her row, Lydia
Jensen was more subdued now. Eyes darting left and right, she was more interested in the old man seated in the back of the
church to give anyone else her undivided attention.
Finally, she spotted him standing not too far from his seat, eagerly anticipating being greeted by someone, anyone.
Some smiled and nodded at him, but no one dared shake the man’s hand, let alone embrace him. If anything, they distanced
themselves from him.
The faint smile on his face was one of the saddest Lydia had ever seen before. Though she did not know him, her heart
ached for him.
“Now it’s time to receive the offering,” Amrit Rushi declared, slowly regaining control. “I’ll ask our ushers to get into
place…”
Everyone found their seats. Pastor Rushi prayed, thanking God for the offering they were about to receive. Then the
band started playing, Worthy is the Lamb. Dozens of ushers got busy patrolling their designated areas, handing offering
plates to fellow congregants and collecting them a few moments later.
Lydia placed a check into the plate, passed it on to Ann Chen seated to her left, and resumed her spying on the back of
the church.
From what she could see, the old man appeared to be counting loose change in his right hand. When the offering plate
found its way to him, with a grateful expression on his face, he dumped all of it onto the plate.
Lydia was astounded. He looked honored just to have the privilege of giving back to God. Talk about a cheerful giver!
she thought to herself, unable to mask her growing curiosity.
“How many times must I remind you to mind your own business at church,” John Jensen whispered to his wife, scowl
on his face, striking back for her earlier comment about his checking text messages.
Lydia turned around and stiffened up. She wanted to counter, but thought better of it. Now wasn’t the time and here
certainly wasn’t the place. Besides, she had grown weary of the daily fights with her husband of 13 years, drained really.
Throughout the remainder of the service, Lydia fought strong urges to glance back one more time, but managed to
control herself. Her mind was too crammed with thoughts of her sagging marriage to give the old man her full attention.
Something had to give soon, before the dam burst wide open.
Once that happened, who knew what lay ahead…
Lydia dropped her head and prayed the same prayer she’d prayed for seven straight months. “Please, God, help me! I’m
desperate for my marriage to be fixed. Intervene before it’s too late. I’m open to anything at this point! This I ask in Jesus’
name, Amen!”
With the Christmas season—the season of miracles—fast-approaching, that’s exactly what Lydia Jensen needed; a
miracle from God Almighty Himself.
If her Maker didn’t intervene soon, Lydia feared her marriage would continue to free fall, which, in and of itself, was a
frightening thought to conjure up.
How could it possibly get any worse?
Did you enjoy the first chapter of author Patrick Higgins book “The Unannounced Christmas Visitor”?
Don’t stop now. Get it today on Amazon! CLICK HERE!
The post The Unannounced Christmas Visitor appeared first on Lay Me Down Ministries.
November 9, 2017
Christmas Adult Coloring Book
With quotes and Bible verses to reflect upon
By: Zanthia Berkelmann
40 Christmas coloring pages, printed on the right side only. Inspirational quotes and verses to reflect upon and warm your heart. Plus a Gratitude page where you can write down what you are grateful for, and Prayer page to write your Christmas prayer.
Once a year the whole world come to a complete Stand still, to celebrate Christmas. Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a time where family and friends come together to celebrate this event, around love and friendship. A time to Share and give. Some travel far distances to spend this special occasion with precious Loved ones. We eat, laugh, cry, sing songs, share gifts and play games in a warm and loving atmosphere.
This Christmas, let us reflect back over the year with a Thankful heart for all God has done for us. Thanking and Praising
Him for His Love, Mercy, Grace, Provision, and Faithfulness.
Did you enjoy this article about author Zanthia Berkelmann‘s Christmas Adult Coloring Book?
Get it today on Amazon! Click Here!!
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November 1, 2017
His Manner upon Us is Love
Today, our text is taken from the book of 1John 3:1. God’s love for man is immeasurable and unending. He has shown this love through various ways and is still doing the same hitherto. We are his sons through Christ Jesus and we have the hope of being with him for eternity. As his sons, who are united in one body through Christ, we are expected to live our lives according to his will and in obedience to his words. When we do these things, others will see his glory in us and call us “the sons of God”.
By the end of this work, you shall know how much God Loves you and that he knows everything that concerns you even more than you think you know. You shall also learn to know that his presence is always with you even when it seems that all hope has been lost. We shall consider this topic under the following subheadings: his manner over us is love, we are the sons of God (we are the chosen Generation), and our expected response and benefit.
His Manner over Us is Love
The bible in the book of John, tells us that God loves the world so much that he gave the world his only son to die for the world and that whoever believes in him shall have everlasting life. He did not spare his only son, instead he sent him to die for us.
We were like lost sheep without hope, but Christ came, redirected our steps to God, and gave us the hope of everlasting life. This is the best gift any man can give to you; it is life changing, it endures forever, and it is real. It is real because all the promises he made to man while on earth are been fulfilled gradually, and are promptly. He promised us the comforter, which came immediately he ascended into heaven. He promised to answer us whenever we call upon him and till date he has never failed.
Hitherto, God still shows his love and faithfulness which are renewed every day. We experience his mercies in our daily life, he warns us of dangers ahead of time through dreams and revelations. His business is all about us and he never gets tired of us, little wonder why he is ever ready to answer us when we call upon him, irrespective of the time. These are signs of true love; it is immeasurable, true and real.
We are the Sons of God
We are the sons of God; we are united in him through Christ Jesus. It implies that we are obliged to live the life of Christ, we should represent Christ in everything we do just as Christ led a life that gloried God when he was on earth. The earlier apostles were called Christians for the first time in Antioch because their life styles were like that of Christ when he was in earth.
The bible in 1 Peter states that we are the chosen generation, a royal priesthood and a holy nation, and a peculiar people: that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; so we are obliged to live our lives in accordance to God’s will and glory. The bible also tells us that we should let our light shine so that men would see it and glorify our heavenly father who is in heaven.
Just as a cub cannot behave like a kid, so are we expected to behave like our heavenly father and not like the earthly man. We should lead a life that is different from the worldly life, which is why our study text states “therefore the world knows us not, because it knew him not”. The worldly life is different from the life of Christ.
Our Expected Response and Benefit
We have ascertained the extent of his love for us and that he can do anything to win our heart. We have to reciprocate this love, by believing in him and his son Jesus Christ. We should also show same love to our fellow man in everything we do. Our life should be pleasing to him, so that whenever we call on him for help, we would answer us because we are he his sons. The bible buttressed this point when it states “I know my sheep and my sheep know me”.
Therefore, we should reflect the life of our father in heaven and when we call on him, he will surely answer us.
Are you in a situation that has made you to doubt God’s love for you? Have you been asked, “Where is your God?” do not be dismayed for our God never fails, and he is ever ready to hear and answer us when we call on him. The bible rightly puts it, his ears are not shut to hear our prayers but it is only sin that separates us from God. Therefore, I urge you to shun sin and live a life that pleases God because you are his son, and he will sure bless you beyond your expectations.
The post His Manner upon Us is Love appeared first on Lay Me Down Ministries.
Search The Scripture
Today, our study text is taken from the book of 2Timothy 3:16, and it talks about the word of God. According to the text, the bible is written by the spirit of God and by implication it covers every aspect of our life. There is virtually no aspect of human life that is not covered in the bible. There is practically nothing new with the bible in view.
Therefore, we should not at any point in life be confused as to what to do in life because the bible thorough the spirit of God has made a provision for everything that concerns man. All we have to do is search the scriptures and pray for the spirit of God for direction and we will surely find a solution to that problem.
Have you been faced with any situation and do not know what to do or how to tackle the situation?
Has your mentor or anybody whom you look up to for direction failed you and you are confused as to what to do?
If you seek the perfect instruction, reproof and correction, search the scriptures and have the spirit of God, guide you and provide the solution you seek.
We shall be discussing this topic under the following subheadings: the scripture, the profitability of the scripture, and our expected response and benefit.
The Scripture
God created man in his own image and loves man more than everything he created. He showed his love for man by giving man dominion over everything he created. God is always in the dire need to be with man, he enjoys man’s company until the devil deceived man to disobey God.
This disobedience created a lot of gap between man and God. Man was sent out of his presence, yet, it did not stop God for desiring man’s company. The devil has taken dominion over the earth and tries day and night to separate man from God. God appreciated this mission by the devil, and thus has given man the scripture so as to guide man through life and avail man the opportunity to reunite with God.
The scripture bares God’s mind to us; it tells us what to do in order to enjoy the blessings of God, it reveals to us to some extent what God has prepared for us, it reveals the true nature of God. It gives us the commandments of God; it tells us the punishment that follows the disobedience of God’s word. It covers every aspect of human life.
The profitability of the scripture
There is always a blessing that comes with obedience to God’s word. There is always a blessing that follows work that is done according to the word of God. Many people have been misled simply because of their poor knowledge of the scripture; while others who have searched the scripture have failed to apply the doctrines stated in it for their daily life and as a result, have led many astray. The bible simply puts it “my people perish for lack of Knowledge”
The knowledge and application of the doctrines in the scriptures come with benefits. Even the devil understood the importance of the scripture which is why he quoted the scriptures to Jesus when he tempted Jesus. With the scripture, we will overcome every temptation that comes on our way.
The scripture gives us pure and true doctrines, it corrects our mistakes, it reproofs us when we do something wrong. It helps us to shun the wrath of God, it reveals to us what to do in order to please God and receive his blessing. It exposes the devil and his plan. It directs us on how to live and serve God in this perilous time. It teaches us how to co-exist with our fellow man.
Our Expected Response and Benefit
The scripture was made for us. We should search the scripture always, so as to know the mind of God for us. Whenever we are faced with any challenges, the scripture is there to put us through. We should endeavour to live our lives according to the will of God and we can only do this through our knowledge of the scripture.
If you find yourself in any difficult situation, read the scripture so as to know the mind of God concerning that situation and what he wants you to do in order to receive help from him.
Whenever you feel that you are been misled or have fallen short of the glory of God, read the scripture in order to put yourself back on track.
Whenever you are confused about life, study the scriptures so as to know the true doctrines about life as stated in the bible. Search the scripture always and God will reveal himself to you for the bible says, “In the beginning was the word, the word was with God and the word was God”.
Therefore, knowing the word of God means knowing God and when you know God, everything about you shall go according to the mind of God which brings everlasting blessing and adds no sorrow.
Therefore brethren, I urge you to always search the scripture and let God reveal himself to you and bless you beyond your imagination
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October 22, 2017
I WILL ABIDE WITH THEE
Our theme of study today is taken from the book of Joshua 1: 5. It is the word of the God to Joshua assuring him of his presence with and declaring his supremacy over man. He told Joshua that no man shall be able to stand him, which signifies he has control over man. He reminded him of how he was with Moses, which is an assurance and confirmation of his unfailing promises because he made the same promise to Moses, which he kept with Moses and he will do same with Joshua.
Today, the same God, who never changes is making the same promise to you: do you believe his promises to you? Are you faced with difficulties that you are about to give in?
Is temptation everywhere around you that you are about to give up on God? Are you at the point of questioning God’s promises in your life? Does your mission in life seem too difficult, that you feel that God is not with you? No matter what it is, God in Joshua 1:5 is a reminder of God’s unfailing promise to us.
We shall discuss this under the following subheadings: Instances of God’s Promises, and Our Expected response and benefits
Instances of God’s Promises
God promised Abraham and Sarah a son even when every circumstances around them does not support that promise yet he never failed. Sarah gave birth to Isaac at an unfavourable age. All they did was to believe it and it was done.
God promised Moses that he would be with him even as he went to meet Pharaoh face to face. His presence never departed from. Even when the children of Israel were been pursued by the Egyptians, God was with them as a pillar of cloud by the day and a pillar of fire in the night. His presence was there to divide the red sea for the Israelites to pass.
God was with Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego when they were thrown into the burning furnace and not even a hair on their body was burnt.
God was with Daniel when he was thrown into the lions then and the lions became friends with Daniel.
God did not fail Prophet Elijah when he faced the prophets of Baal, and answered him with consuming fire.
God kept his promise to Joshua when the children of Israel were faced with the wall of Jericho, his presence was brought down through songs and praises and the wall of Jericho fell down flat.
When Jesus raised Lazarus for the dead, he thanked God and called upon and God answered him.
When Paul and Silas were thrown into the prison, they prayed and sang praises to God and the angel of the Lord came down and delivered them. All these and many more are the instances where God showed his supremacy and proved that he is an ever faithful God, who never fails.
Our Expected Response and Benefits
God is ever faithful and from generations to generations, he remains the same. The same God has made the same promise to you and I, and he said that instead of an iota of his word not to come to pass, heaven and earth will pass away.
When you look at the instance we discussed, you will discover that there some things that are common in all of them which the people discussed above all did. We discovered they all believed in God’s promises. Some of them even go as far as sacrificing onto God while others like Paul and Silas sang praises to him. And Jesus thanked him for the things he had done.
So, with faith (believe), thanksgiving, praises and sacrifices, we are certain of bringing down God’s presence in to every situation that concerns us.
Therefore brethren, I urge you to always be thankful to God for the things he has done for you and he will do more. Offer sacrifices unto him and sing praises onto, for he alone deserves all our praises and he alone can help us in difficult situations. His presence is needed to turn things around for God in our lives. As we do these things, his blessing shall be our portion to his glory and he will abide with us through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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October 18, 2017
The Power of Resurrection of Christ
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made comfortable unto his death”
Today, our theme of study is taken from the book of Philippians 3:10. It is a test to your believe in our Lord Jesus Christ as the saviour of the world. It is also a declaration of your unalloyed faith in God and his son Jesus Christ. We shall be discussing this under the following subheadings:
The Power of resurrection of Christ
The Significance of His Resurrection from death
Our Expected response and Benefit
The Power of His Resurrection
According to the bible and by our faith in God, Jesus Christ came to die for our sins and save us from eternal condemnation, as the book of John rightly puts it “for God so love the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life”.
Have you asked yourself what would have become of you or even your faith, if Jesus Christ did not resurrect for the dead? If you can provide an answer to this question or even imagine how miserable man would have been but for his death and resurrection, then you would appreciate significance of the power of resurrection and the hope if brought to man.
The bible states in the book of Matthew that when he died, “the graves were open and many bodies of saints which slept arose”. In order words, he went to the land of the dead, conquered death, raised the body of saints and on the third day he resurrected. It simply expresses the mighty power of God which is also available to everyone who believes in him.
The bible also recounts the circumstances surrounding his resurrection, when his grave was guarded so as to prevent him from resurrecting. The bible states that even the centurion who witnessed the earthquakes and everything that happened those nights affirmed the mighty power of God.
The Significance of His resurrection From Death
His death brought justification for our believe faith in him. It proves to us that we have the hope of everlasting life. It reassures us that we are serving a true and living God who has power over death and reaffirms his promise of everlasting life.
His death brings hope of everlasting life to us. If he whom we follow is capable of overcoming death, then we have the hope of the everlasting life in him, like the bible states, he raised the body of saints who were dead.
It also assures of the fulfilment of the promises he made to us. Before his death, he said that he would resurrect in three days and he did exactly as he said. Now he promised us the comforter, which is the holy spirit of God and which we enjoy today as true believers. Now, he promised eternal life with him in heaven and the second coming, to take the saint home. He will surely come and take the saints home.
When you remember all these things, you will realise that his death has made us comfortable. When you remember all that he did in order to reconnect us to God, you will realize that if not for his death, man would have been destroyed by the devil. But his death has brought life, hope, happiness, freedom, liberty, deliverance and dominion to us.
Our Expected response and Benefit
Having proven to us that he is the almighty God, the creator of the Universe and he who wields the powers in Heaven, on Earth and beneath the Earth, we have no other choice than to believe in him.
We have to believe in Jesus Christ as our saviour so as to benefit from all that his power of resurrection avails us. We should also show our believe in him by keeping his commandments. Love him and we love ourselves and show the same love to others. Contribute in the spread of his gospel as well as contributing to the execution of his project.
He never fails and because he never fails, our efforts shall be greatly rewarded. Therefore brethren, what is that situation that you are passing though that has almost ruined your believe in the almighty God? Have been bed ridden because of illness that you are considering to give up on God? Remember that it took many generations to pass before Christ and raised the body of saints from the dead; therefore, do not give up on him for he will sure see to your needs.
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Understanding Suffering
Understanding Suffering
If we live long enough, all of us will suffer. Whether it is emotional or physical (or both) we will all experience suffering to some degree. Some of us will taste the bitterness of pain and suffering more than others. Some people suffer more than others, and often we are left with inadequate answers as to why. For many, one of the great injustices of this world is the suffering of apparently innocent people (and conversely, the prosperity of obviously wicked people). But the statistics are in, and it turns out that ten out of ten people die. No one escapes that. The wicked and the righteous will all meet the same end. Suffering and death are a reality, and each of us will be forced to confront these painful realities in our lives at some point. We would do well to arm ourselves with truths and promises that will help us to weather the storm when those difficult times come.
The Bible itself is replete with stories of suffering, right from the start. It begins with Adam and Eve. They fall into sin and are cast out of the Garden of Eden under a curse. Shortly thereafter, Cain violently murders his brother Abel in a fit of jealous rage. Mankind descends into committing unspeakable evil against one another. A devastating flood wipes out humanity, leaving only Noah and his family as survivors with the hope of a fresh start. Abraham and Sarah endure a painfully long wait before God blesses them with a son. The Israelites suffer as slaves under the hand of the Egyptians, and then are forced to wander through the wilderness for forty years before entering the Promised Land. It is not long before Israel is divided politically and they are eventually forced into exile, having been conquered and plundered by the Babylonians and Assyrians. The Psalmists frequently lament their trials. There is even book called Lamentations, itself is devoted to expressing grief over the fall of Israel. We read of Job’s personal tragedy and his battle in coming to terms with it all. The story of suffering continues into the New Testament. The Jews are oppressed under Roman rule while awaiting their promised Messiah. The early disciples are scattered and the apostles face persecution, arrest, beatings and and death. And, of course, Jesus himself suffered crucifixion on the cross.
Our world today continues to be full of suffering. News headlines make for depressing reading, and often our personal circumstances are not much better. As I write this in late 2017, the headlines that 52 people have been killed in a mass-shooting in Las Vegas are still fresh. News that Puerto Rico was ravaged by a devastating hurricane just days ago is fading into distant memory as other stories of disaster fight for airtime. The ethnic violence that has forced nearly half a million people to flee from Burma to Pakistan has been replaced with Hollywood sex scandals. It’s all a little overwhelming if you allow yourself think about it for too long. So we busy our hands and minds with other things to distract ourselves from the pain around us. Unfortunately it’s not as easy to ignore the pain in our own lives. No doubt, as you read this, there will be similar headlines of suffering from around the world. You are also likely to be facing your own personal challenges. We all face death, betrayal, and loss. Humanity groans under the great burden of natural disasters, disease, persecution, dictators, war, genocide, famine, murders, abuse… the list goes on.
The Bible is quite clear that we should expect to suffer. The language of Scripture itself is not “if you suffer”, but “when you suffer”. James writes, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2). Four times in the Gospels Jesus is recorded as saying, “you will be hated for my name’s sake” (Matthew 10:22; Matthew 24:9; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17). Yet the Bible also speaks of a gracious, kind and loving God, who is all-powerful and in control of all things (including the suffering of mankind). If that claim is true, then why is still there pain and suffering in this world? This is a question that people throughout history have had to grapple with, and you have likely asked it yourself.
Epicurus (341–270 BC), a Greek philosopher, famously articulated this question as follows:
“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”
To paraphrase Epicurus, if suffering exists because God is unable to stop it, he might be good, but he is not all-powerful. If, however, God has capacity to stop suffering, but chooses not stop it, then he might be all-powerful, but he is not good. Either way, the good, all-powerful God of the Bible could not exist. The problem is this: Suffering is real, which either means that God does not care enough to stop it, or he is not powerful enough to stop it.
In response to that objection, this is the thesis that I will lay out in the following chapters: God is both loving and all-powerful. He has full control over all suffering and pain and sickness. Yet, according to his unquestionable wisdom, God allows and even ordains suffering. Underlying his actions is a steadfast purpose for good and glory, which we may find difficult to understand in the midst of the pain. The appropriate response of a Christian burdened under the weight of suffering is to turn to God for strength to endure the season of pain, hoping in God’s promises, and submitting to his good and perfect will.
I know from personal experience that this theology is easy to profess from the pulpit, but a lot more difficult to embrace and experience as real truth in our hearts when we find ourselves in the midst of the deepest and darkest seasons of suffering. But I also know that although it is hard, it is possible. It is possible because God is the one who sustains his children. He grants us hope when all seems hopeless (Romans 15:13). He comforts us with his promises and his presence (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). He promises to guard our hearts and minds, and to bring the kind of peace into our hearts that would ordinarily seem irrational when confronted with the size of the problems that we face (Philippians 4:7). He gives us the perspective that we need to find total security in having him, though we might suffer great losses (Philippians 3:7-8). He gives us unshakable promises that the best is yet to come, as we endure momentary afflictions in the hope and firm assurance of eternal glory (Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Rather than turn away from him in our distress, let us run to God and his Word for comfort and assurance.
If you are going to read further, promise me that you will read through to the end? A single chapter on its own is like one piece of a puzzle. If you only lay one or two pieces of the puzzle down, you will be left with an incomplete and possibly confusing picture, and you will likely leave feeling discouraged. Rather take the time to put all of the pieces into place and let the full picture emerge. My hope is that as you read this book, and step back to consider the full picture that it paints, you will be equipped with an anchor of truth that will steady your soul in times of trouble.
See Matthew 5:45, where Jesus notes that God “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
The origin of this quote (and variations thereof) is disputed, but generally Epicurus is cited as its author.
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October 15, 2017
The New Life In Christ
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creature has come: the old one has gone, the new one is here. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Our Theme of study today is taken from the book of 2 Corinthians 5:17. Christ came to die for man for man to be reconnected to God. The significance of his death is that man can have everlasting life in him, according to the book of John. We shall be studying under the following subheadings: the significance of Christ’s Life and his Death, living a life in Christ and the benefit of living a life in Christ.
the significance of Christ’s Life and his Death
While on earth, he redirected man’s step and bared the mind of God to us. He corrected the things which we do wrong hoping that they were right. He showed us the path of light and everlasting life. According to the book of John, God did not send his son to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through him.
He said “I am the way, the truth and the life; nobody comes to the father but by me”. Through him, we found happiness, liberation, and the hope of eternal life. His life style was magnificent, his was submissive to God, he was fond of doing the work of the father, he strived to pleased God, he was meek, peaceful, he forgave, he showed love and on and on.
The death of Christ has liberated us form bondage and eternal condemnation. He conquered death and gave us the power and right to everlasting life. And while he ascends into heaven, he promised us the comforter, the holy spirit of God which will live in us to guide us and comfort us through life. His death brought grace us.
The above are the significance of the life and death of Christ. We shall be discussing to be in Christ and the attendant implications.
Living a Life in Christ
A life in Christ means, living your life in accordance with the life of Christ. And for you to do this, you have to be born again, not physically but spiritually. We relate to the story of Nicodemus. Being born again means abandoning your old life styles which are not in accordance with the life of Christ, for instance, you have to stop telling lies, fighting, hating, killing, committing adultery, fornicating, stealing, hating your neighbour, and many more. These are among the old ways of life and the reasons Christ came to tell us that they do not please God.
Do you claim to be born again, yet you still fight, tell lies, fornicate, commit adultery, steal, hate, beat your wife or as a woman, you fight your husband. Maybe, as a political officer, you loot public fund, or a uniform man, using your uniform to extort money from others?
Do you still do those things which you were known for before you knew Christ, then you are not living in Christ yet and Christ is not in you because the presence of Christ in your life should make you stop doing those evil things which you were doing before you accept Christ as your Lord and [personal saviour?
Like our theme of study simply puts it, if you be in Christ, old things are gone and new things are come. Therefore, brethren, I implore you check your life before you knew Christ and now to ascertain if there are positive changes yet, if yes, then you are in line with the mind of God but if no, then you have to restate your allegiance to Christ and promise him to live a life that please him.
Christ is the light of the world, and he commanded us that we should let our light so shine that people will see it and glory the father who is in heaven. In other words, living a Christ like life brings glory to God, whom alone deserves all glory. So if your life does not glorify God, then, you are still the old person you were and need to change your life to reflect the life of Christ.
The Benefit of Living a Life in Christ
Living a life in Christ comes with a lot of benefits. Christ has promised us that he has gone to prepare a place for us, and will come again to take his people to be with him. It only relates to people who believed in him and lived their lives in him.
The book of John summarises it by saying that “whoever believes in him, should not perish but have everlasting life”. Living a life in Christ should be the hope of every Christian, because, our sole hope as Christians is to make heaven.
Therefore brethren, what shall it profit us if we miss out on heaven? God Forbid! I enjoin us to live our life in Christ who is the author and finisher of our faith and as we do so, the glory of God shall be upon us, he will bless us and we will in the end be with him in heaven.
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October 12, 2017
God’s love is the Perfect Love
Greater Love has No One than This, That He Lay down His Life for His Friend. John 15:13
Today, we shall be discussing the love of God. Our theme of study is taken from the book of John 15:13.
Have you ever given up something precious to you just so that another person would feel happy?
Have you ever been deprived of your privileges just so that another person would feel happy?
Have you ever lost something valuable in a bid to help another person?
All these and many more questions could be asked in order to appreciate the kind of love God has shown man.
We shall explore the love of God under the following subheadings: the nature of God’s love for man, its significance in a man’s life, practical application of God’s love in our daily life and the expected benefits.
God’s Love for Man
The book of Genesis reveals to us the extent of God’s love for man when it states that God created man in his image. God’s shows more affection to man than any other thing he created. This is the reason he gave man dominion over everything he has created.
The bible states that God was in the habit of interacting with man, that is to tell us the extent of his affection to for man.
This is the reason why the devil chose to plant a discord between God and man by luring Eve and Adam to eat the forbidden fruit. The devil knew that God is a jealous God and would not behold any iniquity and he succeeded in separating man from God.
This separation continued from generations to generations until it appears to God that he is at the brink of losing man completely, thus, the need to send a saviour.
The Bible recounted in the book of John, that God out of his love for man sent his only begotten son (Jesus Christ) to die for man, that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.
“God did not send his son to condemn the world; but the world through his son might be saved.”
The above quote implies that God out of his love for man and to reconnect to man, he sent his only son to come down and redirect man to him.
This move is enough to show your level of his love for man. Jesus had to abandon the glory to his name and all his entitlement and came down in human form just to ensure that man is retraced back to his father.
To buttress this point, the Bible states that there is always a great joy in heaven whenever a sinner repents and returns to God. We can relate it to the story of the lost Sheep, the lost coin and the prodigal son.
It is now clear to us the extent to which God can go, just to show his love for man.
That is the reason I have asked the questions above and I will go on to ask the following questions:
What has your love for God cost you?
What sin prevents you from showing God how much you love him?
What prevents you from showing God how much you love him: is it money, is it fornication, is it your business, is it your spouse, is it your friend, name it?
How much love have you shown to God and to your fellow-man?
The Significance of God’s Love in a Man’s Life
Jesus died for our sins in order to save us from condemnation. His death brought hope of everlasting life to us.
His death has reconnected man to God.
His love has opened the door of everlasting opportunities to man.
His love has set a standard of what love is and should be.
His love has set man free and given man dominion over the devil.
His love has taught man how to coexist with our fellow-man. We can relate this to the story of Cain and Abel and the story of the boy who sacrificed his loaves of bread and fish for thousands of people to be fed.
Practical Application of God’s Love in Our Daily Life
We must endeavour to show God’s love in our daily lives. Give help to one another when needed.
First, it is God’s commandment that we love our neighbours as ourselves. We can relate the story of the “Good Samaritan”.
The bible also states that we should treat others as we would have them treat us. We can relate it to the story of the wicked servant, whom was forgiven by his master but failed to forgive his fellow servant who was indebted to him.
Give alms to the needy, pay your tithe and contribute to the work of God.
Stay away from sin and spread the good news of the bible.
The Expected Benefits
According to the bible, “Love conquers all things”. Therefore brethren, let us wear the love of God like an amour and we shall surely go through this life without much stress.
Let the love of God be seen in your daily life so that God will be glorified through you and God will in return shower his blessings upon you.
In the book of Romans, the Bible states that love is the fulfilling of the law, in other words, love cuts across all the commandments of God.
Therefore, let us continue to show the love of God to one another and God will dwell in us and his love will be perfected in us.
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October 11, 2017
Living with Jezebel
“Jezebel!”
If you’ve ever heard a woman called this, she was likely thought to be a whore. “Slut” is a more familiar but less powerful word used almost in jest nowadays. Whore is the Biblical term and still carries a punch. Every now and then, the name refers to someone who is mean or has some other unfavorable characteristic.
“Narcissist.”
If you’ve heard this term, especially recently, some politicians or overly self-absorbed people may come to mind. This word is used often to describe people who think they’re greater than they are. “Egotistical” is a milder word often used to describe someone who is stuck on himself. Usually, we associate it with people who are obsessed with their physical appearance.
Would you be surprised to find out that narcissist is the secular word for Jezebel or a person with a Jezebel spirit? It took me a while to connect the two. I knew the story of Narcissus and the account of Jezebel, but having a sterile and almost primary understanding of how narcissism is defined, I didn’t connect the dots for a long time, which is why I didn’t think much of it even when I saw strong traits in people. Although my degree is in psychology, we spent very little time discussing narcissism. Basically, I walked away with the idea that narcissists overexaggerate things and believe themselves to be much bigger than they are – much like a fun house mirror. They are extremely self-absorbed, and they long to have others agree with them on how important they are.
I wish we’d had more detailed information about it.
The problem was that, although it had a clinical name and was one of the personality disorders we learned, I was under the impression that it was mild. I thought delusions of grandeur were just confined to their thoughts and dismissed by people who would hear the narcissist speak. It came across as easy to detect and almost benign. We were more worried about the “aggressive” disorders or the ones that made it almost impossible for people to function normally in society. When I worked with individuals with behavioral challenges, narcissism was never a concern. I might work with someone suffering from schizophrenia, oppositional defiant disorder, or bipolar disorder, but I was never concerned that someone might “think too highly of himself.” In fact, we were trying to rebuild self-confidence and self-esteem. It was a welcome relief to see people toot their own horns after completing a hard school assignment or after scoring a point. I never had any reason to suspect that narcissistic behavior would be anything more than mildly annoying.
If I had known then what I know now, my whole life might have been changed.
We have a lot of information and stories coming forward now about what narcissism is. We also have people that are teaching on the evil spirit of Jezebel and how it looks in our lives today. What I haven’t seen yet is someone explaining the details of Jezebel’s life and how her actions compare to the narcissists we often encounter. I will attempt to walk through the account to show what behaviors we can expect from narcissists, examples of tactics they might use, the impact they can have on others, damage done to generations, and what the Bible says we should do regarding them. To reduce confusion on what level of narcissism I mean, I will discuss them as if they are full-blown, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, cancerous to the core, “malignant narcissists.”
Let’s first review the account of Narcissus
Depending on which account you take, Narcissus was the extraordinarily beautiful child of a god and a nymph. As a young man, he broke the heart of someone who fell in love with him and was punished by the gods. He looked upon his reflection in the water and fell so in love with himself he eventually died of a broken heart for not being able to be with himself. Eventually, he was changed into a beautiful flower or a beautiful flower took his place – the narcissus flower.
As you can see, it’s easy to walk away from this myth believing the worst that a narcissist could be is vain (ex. Vanity Smurf). They love only themselves and are practically oblivious to the rest of the world. If only vanity was the only problem.
Now, let’s review the Biblical account of Jezebel
We first hear of Jezebel in I Kings 16. She is a Zidonian princess, daughter of King Ethbaal, and is married to King Ahab, ruler of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Ahab and Jezebel are the most notorious ruling couple of all the kings and queens of Israel – both kingdoms considered (the kingdom split after Solomon’s rule ended). Ahab set up high places to worship the idols Jezebel wanted and allowed her pagan priests to serve in those temples. She began killing off the prophets of the Lord in Israel to wipe out worship to the Lord.
Sometime during their reign, the prophet Elijah declares there will be a drought until he gives word again, which would be three and a half years later. When Elijah returns, he challenges Ahab to a standoff of Divine proportions. The nation gathered for a showdown at Mt. Carmel, which resulted in the Lord raining down fire from Heaven and the death of Jezebel’s prophets. Jezebel vowed revenge, Elijah went into hiding, and God told Elijah his plan and gave him the names of the men who would carry it out.
Ahab saw a vineyard he desired near his property and tried to buy it from the owner, Naboth. When Naboth refused, Ahab went home and sulked. Jezebel took matters into her own hands, had Naboth and his sons killed, and told Ahab the vineyard was his. Elijah prophesied to Ahab that since he had allowed Jezebel to commit murder to steal, he, his sons, and Jezebel would be killed. Moreover, his lineage would end.
All of this takes place over approximately a 20-year period. Ahab dies from battle wounds and his son reigns in his place. When we last see Jezebel, we see a captain of the Israelite army, Jehu, furiously riding toward her. He kills the son and heads to kill Jezebel. She paints her face and yells out the window to him. He asks those inside with her which of them is on his side, and three eunuchs hurl Jezebel out of the window to her death.
This seems to be a totally different personality from someone who is just fascinated with his own image. In fact, a summary of Jezebel’s life makes you wonder why people associate whoring with her. She just seems like a mean opportunist.
The differences between the superficial description of the narcissist and the outline we get from Jezebel’s story are vast. It’s no wonder we have difficulty seeing they’re the same person. As Christians, we are to look at the whole Bible to learn. We can miss important lessons by not doing a character study. Lessons from the account are important, but understanding the motivation, behavior, or heart (where Scripture gives us insight) of the people doing the actions can help us see what is displayed by others or even ourselves. It allows us the opportunity to check our own actions to see what fruit we’re producing, also.
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