Does God Work All Things Together for Our Good?

Article by Sarah Walton

It’s so comforting to know that God is working all things for our good, isn’t it? That is, until we realize that his idea of good is often very different than our own.

We’ve all experienced this at some point. Perhaps we have prayed for something, only to receive the very opposite of what we’ve longed for. At other times, a path we’ve pursued with great energy suddenly redirects, or an expectation we’ve had unravels before our eyes.

These experiences form crossroads that all Christians will eventually face. When our untested faith in God’s goodness is suddenly challenged, we’re left with the question–

How can I believe God works for my good when what he’s allowing seems far from it?

Lately, as I’ve freshly wrestled with this question, I’ve meditated on a verse we often run to–and often misunderstand:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

As we read this verse, we first have to understand what Paul means when he says, “for those who love God all things work together for good.” What is our good and what is his purpose? To answer that, we have to look at the verses that follow:

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:29-30)

In other words, the “good” God has promised his children is to conform them to the image of Christ, for the purpose of bringing himself glory.

So here’s the encouragement for us if we’re facing circumstances that seem far from good: God is using our afflictions to produce the good we would desire had sin not blinded our hearts and minds. Here are three ways God uses affliction for our good and his purposes.

He exposes what we love.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. (1 John 2:15-16)

God is a jealous God. He loves us too much to allow us to settle our heart’s affections on the world. Therefore, he uses our trials to test our faith and challenge what and who we really love most. For those who love God, affliction serves as a chiseling tool in the hand of our Divine Sculptor, chipping away at all that competes for our affections. Gradually, in his severe mercy, he chips away “good things” from our life to loosen our grip on our earthly home, to fill our empty hands with more of himself, and to draw us heavenward.

He does not remove anything from us that he will not abundantly replace with something far greater than we ever could have imagined. God truly is working all things together for the good, the eternal good, of those who love him.

He humbles us.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you. (1 Peter 5:6)

Suffering wakes us up to our frailty and sinfulness. While we may have been able to live under the smoke screen of our outward goodness and perceived control for a time, suffering opens our eyes to reality. When affliction presses in on us, it brings us low and reveals what’s truly in our hearts. As discouraging as this can be, God uses it for our good to reveal how desperately sick we are apart from his grace. Through it God shows how miraculous and magnificent salvation in Christ truly is.

Over time, as the Spirit humbles us under God’s mighty hand, our plea for changed circumstances begins to lessen and our plea for changed hearts begins to increase. That is truly a mark of God’s faithfulness to his promise to work all things together for the good of those who love him.

He loves us far too much to settle for giving us temporary comforts and pain-free lives that blind us to our need for him. God knows that the short-term trials of this life are not worth comparing to the treasures that await us for all eternity in his presence.

He points us to the cross.

But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands. (Isaiah 53:10)

Joni Eareckson Tada said, “God permits what he hates to accomplish what he loves.” There is no greater evidence of this than the cross of Jesus Christ. God permitted what he hates–the sacrifice of his Son–to accomplish what he loves–salvation for all who will put their trust in him.

As Christians, we need to look at the words of Romans 8:28 through the lens of the cross. If we assume that it means God is working through all things to bring about a comfortable, prosperous, pain-free life on earth, we will quickly question his love, faithfulness, and goodness. And we certainly won’t follow him for long. But if we grasp that the “good” he promised us is rooted in the same good brought about through the cross, we will humbly submit ourselves to what he allows, trusting that our suffering, though painful in the moment, is working for our eternal good. Namely, to reflect the image of Christ.

This is the greatest good that God can bring about in our lives. Not only to transform us into the image of Christ, but to change our heart’s desires to align with his.

The deepest joy I’ve experienced in my life has come through God removing many “good” things from my life and opening my eyes to how much I seek joy and satisfaction in things apart from him. It has brought about greater awareness of how undeserving I am of his forgiveness and how sinful I am apart from his grace.

Look to the Cross

Brother or sister, what are you facing that feels far from good? Look to the cross and remember that things aren’t always as they seem. As Randy Alcorn said:  

Good Friday isn’t called bad Friday because we see it in retrospect: We know that out of the appalling bad came inexpressible good. And that good trumps the bad. Although the bad was temporary, the good was eternal. If someone had delivered Jesus from his suffering, Jesus could not have delivered us from ours.

Let’s look to Christ in whatever circumstances we are facing. We can trust that he will be faithful to his promise. He’ll work all things together for the good of those called according to his purpose. And this will be for our joy and for his glory.

Posted at: https://unlockingthebible.org/2018/10/god-work-all-things-together-our-good/

Burn Your Boats: A Warning About FOMO

Article by Aimee Joseph

Columba was a sixth-century abbot who left his native Ireland with 12 men to bring the good news to the Picts, a pagan people in Scotland. The missionaries founded an abbey on Iona, which would become a vibrant center of literacy and faith for centuries to come.

But shortly after reaching Scotland in an animal-hide-wrapped wicker boat, Columba did something drastic. He knew he and his companions might be tempted to leave when life became uncomfortable or dangerous. And so, the story goes, Columba burned the boat.

After reading about this single-minded commitment, I’ve began noticing how, by contrast, I like to keep my options open, just in case.

One of the hallmarks of my generation is an aversion to commitment. We suffer perpetual FOMO (fear of missing out) and, more seriously, struggle to commit to a marriage or a career. In a world full of potential paths, we have a hard time picking one and remaining on it.

Let Me First Bury My Dad

But while the fear of commitment is trendy, it’s nothing new. Jesus himself engaged would-be disciples with similar struggles:

He said, “Follow me.” But [the man] said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” . . . Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” (Luke 9:59, 61).

While these requests may sound understandable, it’s helpful to know that the first man’s father may not have been dead—or even close to dead. In the culture of the day, “Let me bury my father” was often used in an idiomatic way to express, “Let me get my family and personal life in order.” Put in 21st-century terms, it might sound something like, “I’m interested in following Jesus more seriously, but first I want to find a spouse and get some traction in my career.”

One of the most common phrases I hear from would-be disciples on college campuses carries a hint of that first-century hesitation: “When I have children of my own, I’ll make Christianity a bigger part of my life.”

When called to Christ, we sometimes want to hedge our bets, to buy ourselves a little more time. But such responses—even when expressed warmly and kindly—reveal a heart not captured by the wonder that the God of the universe is personally inviting us to himself.

Don’t Look Back

Both men in Luke 9 have a desire to follow but a reluctance to commit. Jesus’s respective responses bear particular poignancy in our FOMO culture:

Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:60)

No one who puts his hands to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:62)

Jesus didn’t mince words, nor did he lessen the cost of discipleship. He didn’t lower the bar or paint a rosy picture of a life spent following and proclaiming him. He didn’t alter the truth to expand his audience or make a hard pill more palatable to swallow.

Jesus was in the business of full disclosure. But he also knew the sweetness and rewards of a life centered on him would far exceed the inconvenience and discomfort.

In essence, when we decide to follow Jesus, we must burn—and keep burning!—the boat. Tensions and temptations will meet us on this path. We’ll be tempted to look back, and turn back, to an easier way of life. But from the outset, Jesus summons us to commit to him.

Burn the Boats

Columba and his crew had to burn the vessels that might have tempted them to escape back to the familiarity of kin and country. Likewise, each new disciple of Christ has a boat (or fleet of boats) that might lead back to a life more lucrative, more culturally celebrated, or simply more comfortable.

For some, a former relationship that trumped Christ is the boat that beckons backward. For others, the approval of unbelieving family continually whispers, Don’t be a religious fanatic. Loosen your grip on Christ, just a bit. Often in our money-minded culture, the boats that demand burning would drift us back to a more padded retirement fund or some financial frivolity.

Whatever their shape or style, any boats that lead us away from following Christ must be burned as often as they’re built. While this sounds overwhelming and almost impossible, remember that the One who asks for a commitment to himself, his Word, and his ways has also fully committed himself to us.

Committed to Us

Before we were born, before time was wound, the Son of God was committed. He knew he would leave it all so we could have it all in him. Even now, he gives us his Spirit to work within us, coaching, convicting, and comforting.

When we have Christ, we have not missed out on anything. We have gained everything.

By his grace and his power, may we burn the boats that might take us back to a comfortable and cross-less life. May we fix our eyes on him who has gone before us (Heb. 12:1–2). And may we find courage in his constant commitment to us: “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).

Related:

• Why Christmas Is the Antidote to FOMO (Sam Allberry)

Aimee Joseph works alongside her husband, G’Joe, who directs Campus Outreach San Diego. They love watching college students brought from lost to leaders through Christ in the church for the world. Parenting three little boys keeps her busy; writing on her blogand studying the Word keep her sane. She has a passion to see women trained to love God and his Word.

Posted at: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/burn-boats-warning-fomo/

Help for Parenting a LGBTQ+ Child

Article by Rick Thomas

We are totally depraved but uniquely fallen. Sometimes our unique fallenness can tempt individuals to give into the LGBTQ+ lifestyle. If you know someone struggling this way, this resource will help you to respond well to them.

The “reality of our unique fallenness” is why there is so much hope in the gospel. The Lord knew our struggles, so He gave us the solution (John 3:16). But connecting Christ to our need of transformation is not a simple process.

Think of sin like a dirty drop that you put in a clear bottle of water; it discolors the entire contents of the container. This illustration is a picture of how sin makes us “totally depraved.”

Sin comes into our system, so to speak, at conception and “totally defiles every ounce of us—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We are completely corrupt. There is no part of us that has not been affected by sin.

Each person gets a “drop.” And to complicate matters, each person is “uniquely fallen.” This consequence of fallenness is one of the mysteries of sin.

After you mix in the shaping influences of sinful parents and an anti-God culture, you will not know entirely what you will have until after the child matures into adulthood. Of course, there are many more shaping influences, all of which can send a person reeling for years.

Sexual Twistedness

For some of us, the perversion of sin’s tendencies has to do with sexuality. Whether it is inherent from Adam or through other shaping influences, some people struggle with gender-related issues. Their issues do not make them weird. They are ordinary—in the sense that we all struggle with fallenness.

The reason I do not look down on LGBTQ+ people is because I have my “version of twistedness.” It would be intellectually dishonest and biblically out-of-bounds to think my sin is a better or more acceptable strain of the devil’s poison. Which is worse:

• A man lusting after a woman?

• A man lusting after a man?

• A man lusting to be a woman?

• A woman desiring any of these things?

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. – Luke 18:11

Would any of us dare come to Jesus to compare our sin with someone else’s? We all have consumed the deadly poison from the devil’s vessel and have been uniquely affected by its twistedness. We are all in the collective stew, which will cook any goose if the miraculous saving power of Jesus does not intervene and persuade otherwise.

Loving Your LGBTQ+ Child

Perhaps you have a child who has embraced some aspect of the LGBT+ lifestyle. For many parents, this is their worst fear. Apart from death, there are probably not many situations that can wreak more havoc on a parent’s soul. If this is your situation, I’m writing to you.

I am going to give you six key things to think about if you are struggling with an LGBTQ+ child. These six things can apply to any wayward person. Perhaps your child is not struggling sexually. Still yet, you can benefit from these ideas.

Though they are not in any order of importance, as you read, ask the Lord to point out to you what is essential and what you need to take to heart. I also recommend you do not hide your hurt under a bushel. Find a friend—a trusted person you can spend time talking to and praying with about these matters.

Don’t Agree—We live in a world where everything must be accepted and tolerated. To speak against anything, other than Christianity, is not politically correct. You do not want to fall into this trap.

Jesus did not embrace our culture’s relativistic attitude and neither should you. Imagine with me, just for a moment, if Jesus did not want to offend or step on anyone’s toes. You are right: you cannot imagine it.

There are moral wrongs in our world, and it is imperative that you talk about what the Bible condemns. There are times when you must identify sinful behaviors. If not, how would anyone know the difference between right and wrong? Do not submit to the pressure of, “If I say something, I will offend him and he will never speak to me again.”

More than likely he will surround himself with people who will not critique his behavior. This posture will give life to his sin. When I sin, I have to move to the shadows because sinners love darkness more than light (John 3:19). You do not want to become part of his wickedness, but somewhere in his world, he needs to see the light. You be the radiance of Christ that he sees.

Always Love—Though you do not agree with his lifestyle, you must never speak the truth of God without the love of God (Ephesians 4:15). Season your words with grace. Never stop loving your child. While you do not want to fall into the trap of sloppy morality, you also do not want to fall into the ditch of meanness.

Stand for truth and love. Your child needs to know two things—the same two things our wonderful Counselor has told you:

• I love you so much that I will die for you (John 3:16).

• I hate your sin (Romans 3:10-12).

More than likely your child will reject you if you speak against his lifestyle. Do not let the potential of manipulation from him lure you from sharing your heart with him. When the Savior encountered the rich young man, He had to make a similar decision—

How can I love him and tell him the truth? I will love him by telling him the truth.

Discern Clearly—No matter how much he wants to convince you that’s he okay with his sin, somewhere down in his soul is a conscience that knows right from wrong (Romans 2:14-15). He has a “hidden morality,” and he’s in a trap (Galatians 6:1-2). Sin has captured your son, and he cannot extricate himself from it. The harder he tries, the more entangled he will become.

Perhaps he has hardened his heart by now (Hebrews 3:7; 1 Timothy 4:2), but don’t give up on loving him back to Christ. And remember that his problem should give you hope: his lifestyle will not fix him.

No matter where he goes or what he does, he will never be happy until he turns to God (Ecclesiastes 1:8, 12:12-14). You may be the only person in his life who holds the key to his problem.

People have tried since Adam and Eve to find happiness outside of God’s will. Ambitious leaders, dating addicts, money grabbers, and toy-centered children follow their temptations (James 1:14-15), just like the LGBTQ+ person, as they look for contentment outside of the Lord’s favor.

No matter how firm he makes his case or how sophisticated his arguments, you know the truth. You must keep your eye on what is real. Like a laser locked on its target, do not be persuaded by his worldview. It is not the truth at all. He is a hurting soul in search of wholeness through means that cannot deliver (Jeremiah 2:13).

Stop Blaming—Let’s go ahead and get this one out of the way—you were a “bad” parent. So am I. None of us are perfect parents. What parent can stand up and say, “I did it perfectly, and I know how to parent children well.” That is idiotic, and you know it.

If you are tempted to rehearse what you did wrong as a parent, I call you to repentance. We all have messed up. Could it be any other way? The person who over-focuses on where they messed up and wallows in regret has a small view of God.

Individuals who tend to wallow in regret are legalistic thinkers. What they are saying is that if they were different, their child would have been different. Can you perceive how foolish that is? A parent’s behavior does not determine the morality of the child. The grace of God does. The gospel declares,

You cannot do it. That is why I came. You are a failure. This news should not cause discouragement, but a recalibration of your sight-lines to look to the cross. Only in me do you have hope.

If you keep looking at yourself, you will be discouraged because you will never be able to do what I can do. If you need to do better, do better, but never believe that your good works will change a person. Will you trust me now?”

Keep Praying—The most powerful thing you can do for your child is to pray for him. (1) Adam has tripped him up. (2) You have tripped him up. (3) Your son has undoubtedly made mistakes. (4) And the culture has sold him a lie. It is the perfect recipe for the power of God.

Your position is never to stop praying for him. In Christ alone is your only hope. Yes, I know you know this, but I also realize that when things like this come to roost in our homes, we forget our gospel-moorings and our souls begin to drift.

It is hard to think clearly in a hurricane. There is a storm in your soul. So, let me be clear: pray for your son. You may also want to print this article and read it as often as you need to reorient your mind back to the hope that you have in the Lord Jehovah God.

Remember Heaven—Your goal and value are not in this world (Hebrews 11:9-10). You have set your affections on things that are above (Colossians 3:1-4). This blessed assurance is also the goal for your child. It is possible that you and your child will not enjoy the life you hoped for him.

Perhaps his journey will be hard. Maybe you will not get the relationship you wanted from him. Sin can do that to you. I know intimately well what it is like to have your dreams shattered when someone (or something) takes your children from you. Relationships broken and sacrificed on sin’s altars is a constant, reverberating pain in the soul.

Though sin will not allow all things to be beautiful on earth, this reality should not control your hopes or your strategies. Make sure your confidence is soundly in Christ, and you plan to help your child get to heaven.

Think with me for a moment. Suppose your child became a Christian (or is a Christian). He will eventually die and go to heaven. Though it is hard for us to think this way, there will come a time when none of this will matter. Carefully read these words:

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. – Revelation 21:4

This future reality is what you want for your son–even more than “heaven on earth.” This hope was the thing that gave our great Lord persevering grace as He endured unimaginable hardships in His life. Let’s sing His psalm, as written by the writer of Hebrews:

Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:1-2

Different Sin – Similar Problem

You may believe an LGBTQ+ person is different from you. If you do, it will throw you for a loop when you think about them. Yes, it’s a different sin, but if you substituted their sin with any other captivating problem, you will see how they are similar as every person and how your thoughts of them should be similar to how you think of any other trapped person.

LGBTQ+ is not as confusing of a sin once you give up being repulsed by it and see how it is just as insane as the so-called workaholic or relationship junky or the person who obsesses about how she looks.

I realize that working through this problem is more challenging than many of our other problems, but it can happen. You do want to provide unique care for his unique fallenness, but there is grace for any person who wants to change their life.

In one sense, the woman who wants the prettier face is similar to the man who wants to be in a woman’s body. It is like the man who hates being poor and is jealous of those who are not poor, so he lives a life of anger and jealous discontentment.

The obsessing woman, transgender thinker, and the poor man do not like who they are or what they have, so they crave to be something different. They are dissatisfied with how God has made them or where they are in life, so they are using different means to fill the awkward void in their souls.

Any person like this will be depressed until they have a transformative experience with the thirst-quenching Jesus. Pray your son has this experience. Stand like a loving, truth-telling light.

Find him the unique care that he needs if he’s willing to receive it. Guard against “accelerating your care” of him according to your timetable. He is not you. Pray for the opportunities to help him redemptively. May the Lord God use you to give him this kind of encounter with Christ.

Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. – John 4:13-14

Posted at: https://rickthomas.net/my-child-is-gay-lesbian-transsexual-transgendered-help-me/

What is your authority for living?

Article by Kevin Carson

The issue of what stands as your personal authority in terms of every day living is an important one. As you make countless decisions throughout your day, something will rule you. Something or someone will determine what choice you make. That person or thing is your functional authority. It could be literally anything from another person to your own feelings or opinions. For the every Christian, the final authority for our belief and behavior is the Word of God.

The following is a very helpful article from gotquestions.org that addresses the issue of the Bible as our final authority.

Question: “What does it mean that the Bible should be our sole authority for faith and practice?”

Answer: The statement “the Bible is our only rule for faith and practice” appears in many doctrinal statements. Sometimes, it takes a similar form, stating that the Bible is “the final authority,” “the only infallible rule,” or “the only certain rule.” This sentiment, whatever the wording, is a way for Bible-believing Christians to declare their commitment to the written Word of God and their independence from other would-be authorities.

The statement that the Bible is the “only rule for faith and practice” is rooted in the sufficiency of Scripture, as revealed in 2 Timothy 3:16–17: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Because God is sovereign, His Word is the absolute authority in our lives, and by it God equips us for His service. As A. A. Hodge wrote, “Whatever God teaches or commands is of sovereign authority. . . . The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the only organs through which, during the present dispensation, God conveys to us a knowledge of his will about what we are to believe concerning himself, and what duties he requires of us” (Outlines of Theology, chapter 5).

When we say, “The Bible is our only rule for faith and practice,” we mean that we hold the Bible, God’s Holy Word, to be our ultimate guide for what we believe (“faith”) and what we do (“practice”). We mean that the Bible trumps man’s authority, church tradition, and our own opinions. We mean we will allow nothing that opposes God’s Word to dictate our actions or control our thinking. We mean that we agree with the Reformers’ cry of sola scriptura.

When the Bible clearly reveals a truth, we believe it with all our hearts. When the Bible clearly commands us to do something, we make sure we are doing it. For example, the Bible says that Jesus is coming back again (John 14:3; Revelation 19:11–16). Since the Bible is our “only rule for faith,” we have no choice but to believe that Jesus is returning some day. Also, the Bible says that we are to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18). Since the Bible is our “final authority for practice,” we are bound to abstain from immorality (as defined by the Bible).

We believe following the Bible as our only rule of faith and practice is the safest position, theologically. Fidelity to Scripture keeps us from being “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching” (Ephesians 4:14). As the noble Bereans taught us (Acts 17:11), all doctrines are to be examined in light of the Bible, and only what conforms to biblical truth should be accepted.

Following the Bible is also the most sensible position, because the Word of God “is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89) and “the law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7).

KevinCarson.com | Walking together through life as friends in Christ sharing wisdom along the journey

© 2018 KEVINCARSON.COM

Are You Sure You Want To Pray This?

Article by Paul Tripp

I don’t think you could pray more dangerous words than these three: “Thy Kingdom Come.”

If we truly understood what we were saying, we would probably pause before inviting such upheaval through our door. This often overused and underestimated petition can only be answered by turning our lives upside down and inside out.

Let’s be honest. We don’t always greet God’s kingdom with delight. We want certain things in life, and we not only want them, but we know how, when, and where we want them.

I want my wife to be a joyful and committed supporter of my dreams. My children are now grown, but I still want them (and their spouses and their children) to appreciate the fact that they have been blessed with me!

I want my schedule to be unobstructed and predictable. I want my peers and neighbors to hold me in high esteem. I want the ministry initiatives I direct to be well received and successful.

I want the pleasures and entertainment I prefer to be available on-demand.

I don’t want to suffer. I don’t want to live without.

Have you ever stopped and listened to yourself? Does the soundtrack to your life sometimes sound like this? “I want, I want, I want...”

It’s humbling and embarrassing to admit, but a lot of the time, we just want our kingdom to come and our will to be done.

When there’s no larger kingdom to capture my allegiance, my life sadly becomes about what I want and how I can use other people as a vehicle to get what I want.

The simple prayer that Christ teaches us with “Thy Kingdom Come” is the antidote to a selfish and self-destructive life. Since sin starts with the heart, I’ll only live within the moral boundaries God has set when my heart desires God’s will more than it desires my own.

“Thy Kingdom Come” - these three simple words are words of surrender, words of protection, and words of freedom.

1. Pray Willingly. “Lord, I surrender to doing everything I do, saying everything I say, and choosing everything I choose for the sake of your kingdom and not mine.”

2. Pray Humbly. “Father, I am still tempted to think that I know better than you, so once again please protect me from my own foolishness.”

3. Pray Eagerly. “God, help me to love you above all else and my neighbor as myself, so I can experience the freedom that results when you break my bondage from me.”

And pray thankfully.

Only God’s transforming grace can produce this kind of prayer in your heart, and because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that grace is freely and generously available!

That’s what it means to pray “Thy Kingdom Come.”

God bless

Paul David Tripp

Reflection Questions

1. In what ways have you pursued your own kingdom this week? What have the results been?

2. In what ways have you pursued God's kingdom this week? What have the results been?

3. What is God calling you to surrender to his kingdom this week?

4. Why should you pray for humility this week? What do you need to be protected from?

5. Why should you seek God's kingdom eagerly this week? What blessings have you experienced when you choose God's will over your own?

Living with Reverent Fear

Article by Kevin Carson

How do respond when you pass a police officer on the highway?
Does your personal awareness of your driving change when a police car pulls in behind you while driving?

If you are like me, I quickly check everything – after I take my foot off the gas pedal. If the police car is following me, I tend to turn blinkers on sooner, make sure I have a safe distance to the car in front of me, carefully stay between the lines, not get distracted by stuff going on inside the car, and watch my speed. The funny part is – all of this even when I know I am absolutely doing nothing wrong.

Why do I respond like this? Because I am aware of the presence of the police officer.

If this has ever happened to you, then you understand living with reverent fear. That is good because we are instructed to do so with God.

God deserves our greatest respect.

Think through my paraphrase of Peter’s words:

17 Since you call on Him as your heavenly Father, the impartial Judge who judges according to each one’s works (or conduct), live each day with reverent fear, that is, holy awe and reverence, throughout your time on earth. (1 Peter 1:17)

Here Peter instructs us to live every day with deep respect for God. As you go about your day, you should have a reverential awe for God. In the Bible this is known as the fear of God.

How can you maintain the fear of God?

This is where the illustration of the police officer comes in handy. Just as when you become aware of the police officer it changes your self-awareness, in a similar way, as you stay aware of God’s presence, it will change your spiritual self-awareness. Seek to keep God’s presence on your mind throughout the day. As you do, you will maintain better respect for God and enjoy His presence more.

 Posted at: https://kevincarson.com/2018/11/05/living-with-reverent-fear-1-minute-mondays/

In All Circumstances?

Article by Nicholas Batzig

Often, the most basic of God’s commands are the hardest for us to obey. We may ask ourselves whether or not we would have the faith to offer up a child to God–as Abraham did when he was called to offer up Isaac–while never really stopping to ask ourselves whether or not we have the faith to obey the most basic New Covenant commands. Take, for instance, Paul’s statement in 1 Thess. 5:18: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you all.” When we consider such a command, we must ask ourselves the following questions: Am I thankful in all circumstances? What about when times are difficult? What about when I have experienced some particular trial. The Lord commands us to “count it all joy when we fall into various trials?” How can I be thankful and joyful in the midst of a painful trial? The answer, of course, is found in all that the Scriptures teach us about trials.

1. We can be thankful in trying circumstances because we deserve eternal judgment and whatever we are experiencing short of that is a mercy.

2. We can be thankful in trying circumstances precisely because we have already been redeemed by Christ, blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ and sealed with the Spirit until the possession of the eternal inheritance.

3. We can be thankful in trying circumstances because we know that our God doesn’t make mistakes. There is nothing that falls outside of His sovereign eternal decree. As the hymn writer put it, “What e’re my God ordains is right.”

4. We can be thankful in trying circumstances because all that God is doing in our lives is for His glory and our conformity to the image of His Son.

5. We can be thankful in trying circumstances because we can be confident that God will not waste any of the lessons that He is seeking to teach us in the difficult as well as enjoyable circumstances in which He places us in life.

6. We can be thankful in trying circumstances because know that we will be able to extend to others who experience similar difficult circumstances the same comfort that we receive from the God of all comfort.

7. We can be thankful in trying circumstances because we know that God’s purpose is to make us whole and complete lacking nothing.

8. We can be thankful in trying circumstances because it is better for us to be in a place of weakness that shows us our need for God than to be in a place of plenty and prosperity and forget about Him.

9. We can be thankful in trying circumstances because we are being pruned to bear more fruit. The Lord is removing the dross and refining the gold.

10. We can be thankful in trying circumstances because they serve as a stage on which the deliverance and provision of God’s grace in Christ may be displayed in our lives.The Lord brought Shadrach, Meshach and Adeb-nego into the fiery furnace in order to teach them that he would stand with them in the furnace and bring them out unharmed. Jesus brought the disciples into the storm to teach them about his power to still the wind and the waves with a word.

So, this Thanksgiving, if you find yourself in a place where you are having a hard time being thankful, meditate on these ten biblical truths that will strengthen you in faith to give God glory and to give thanks in all circumstances–no matter how difficult they may be.

Posted at: http://feedingonchrist.com/in-all-circumstances/

THANKING GOD FOR EVERYTHING

Article by Lore Ferguson Wilbert

Nestled among a long list of exhortations and blessings in 1 Thessalonians is a line we’ll see in plenty this month. Distressed on barn wood at your local craft store, printed on banners hung in the dining room, embossed on the ceramic plate the turkey is served on, and rife in sermons everywhere, “Give thanks in everything,” is the rally cry of November. But, like Aunt Jane’s consistently overcooked turkey, the truncated statement can also leave a dry taste in our mouths.

Gratitude will be on the rise for the next two months, followed by a sharp decline on January first when we resolve to change all the things our mere gratitude couldn’t change: love-handles, schedules, relationships, the project we’ve been putting off. There’s nothing like a full serving of gratitude to show us just how many things exist for which we’re still not thankful. We will give thanks for everything except all the things for which we’re still bent on changing.

“For what is God’s will for me? This.“

I have a stack on my desk of books to read and review, menu-plans to make, a driver’s license to renew, and a book contract to fulfill within the first month of 2019. As grateful as I am for a job I love, the freedom to eat and cook whole, healthy food, and a license to drive, I’m decidedly unthankful for the work they all will require of me. I can trick myself into being grateful, topping my cake of grumbling with the frosting of thanksgiving, but it’s still a dismal cake beneath. I need the words with which Paul follows up his exhortation: “For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

For what is God’s will for me? This.

This everything. This messy desk, these deadlines, this schedule I can’t wrangle into submission, this monotonous line in which I’ll stand to get an unflattering photo of me laminated onto a card I’ll carry for the next eight years. All of this is God’s will for me. And not only this, that which I can see directly in front of me, but all that I can’t see either. The unfulfilled longings for children we’ve been unable to have, the suburbs in which we feel landlocked and stifled, the community of friends in which there are struggles to connect and experiences of conflict, the unrealized hopes and smothered dreams—these too are the will of God for me in Christ Jesus.

If we are only ever grateful for that which we enjoy or love or can see the eternal good in, we aren’t really thankful. We’re merely counting our blessings. True gratefulness means seeing and trusting and believing entirely that what comes our way is God’s good and best will for us. It means trusting—really trusting—that if we don’t have a thing we desire, we aren’t intended to have it today. It doesn’t mean we can’t still long for it, hope for it, and ask our Father for it (and we should), but it does mean the troubles we face today are sufficient for today. And the manna we’ve been given today is enough for the day.

This holiday season, I want to make a practice of thanking God for everything—even the really, really difficult things. Not because I’m a super-Christian, but because in Christ Jesus, and by the grace of God, everything right now is the will of God for me.

ABOUT LORE FERGUSON WILBERT

Lore Ferguson Wilbert is a writer, thinker, and learner. She blogs at Sayable.net, tweets and instagrams at @lorewilbert. She is a member at The Village Church in Texas and the wife of a man named Nate.

Posted at: https://lifewayvoices.com/culture-current-events/thanking-god-for-everything/

Self-Pity: the Subtle Sin

Article by Jay Younts, Shepherd’s Press

Your six-year-old has become so obsessed with wanting his brother’s new toy that he has convinced himself that he is being treated with extreme cruelty because he can’t have it. By allowing self-pity to grow this child’s parents are raising someone who will become a slave to lust. This is the reason the Holy Spirit warns against grumbling and complaining.

This  scenario does not seem as shocking as the story of a teenager obsessed with pornography. However, the attitudes that fuel the teenager’s lust and obsession are the same ones that control your six-year old. This point must not be missed. You must connect the dots of self-pity in your young children with the self-pity of teenagers enslaved by sins like pornography and substance abuse.

Don’t dismiss self-pity as a passing stage. Whining in young children is an early warning sign of a life centered around selfish desires. Left unchecked whining can grow into an ugly, deadly obsession. Our culture is fixated on sensuality. Basically, a sensual person is obsessed about what gives him or her pleasure. So the craving for the toy is replaced with a craving for self-pleasure or a cure for discontent.

Self-pity is the enemy of sensitivity. Self-pity will shift your child’s focus to sensuality. Sensuality means that I care about what is best for me regardless of what is best for you. Sensuality is never satisfied and continually cries out for more and more. (Ephesians 4:17-19)

Sensitivity, however, can be satisfied because you can obediently care for other people. Sensitivity, based on Christ’s commitment, is the first essential building block in having good relationships, both with God and others. On the other hand, self-pity will lead your teenager into bouts of discouragement and a craving for self-pleasure. Pornography is just one of the ugly fruits of self-pity.

When you see your six-year-old whining about something, add ten years to his behavior and ask yourself, “what will he be whining about, craving for when he is sixteen.” Lord willing, that will send a shocking dose of reality through you mind. Take the time to enter into his world and teach him life is not about feeding his desires. Life is about having his desires met in Christ.

Live a life of sensitivity with your children. Show them the selfless love of Christ.

Posted at: https://www.shepherdpress.com/self-pity-the-subtle-sin/?fbclid=IwAR3qEZ_rCyT93n_3we6Mg5_i5Sveb1QQS-q7xfhuDn5WFGFnhYr4vxmYYxI

Sin is Crouching at Your Door—Don’t Let it in

James Williams

He tried to let it go but he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Cain’s anger burned within him. Why had his brother, Abel, received God’s favor and he hadn’t? It wasn’t fair.

When Cain’s mind lingered on thoughts of harming his brother, he didn’t try to stop it.

Then the Lord confronted him:

“Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” —Genesis 4:6-7

Sin was crouching at Cain’s door. He could let it in and be devoured or he could keep the door bolted. The same is true for us. Whether we open the door depends on what we believe about sin.

THE DEVASTATION OF SIN

The Lord warns Cain of the devastating effects of sin, which he refers to as a ravaging animal waiting for its opportunity to pounce. Sin’s desire is like the longing of a predator for its prey. If Cain does not repent of his evil thoughts, the crouching animal will devour him.

“Nothing about sin is its own; all its power, persistence, and plausibility are stolen goods. Sin is not really an entity but a spoiler of entities, not an organism but a leech on organisms,” says Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. Like a rip in our jeans, sin is merely the tearing of something good. Or as C.S. Lewis writes, “Badness is only spoiled goodness. And there must be something good before it can be spoiled.”

God created everything and declared it good. When sin entered the world, it was not a new creation but a perversion of God’s good design. God gives us food but we turn into gluttons. He gives us sex but we turn to adultery and lust. Relationships become abusive, codependent, or manipulative; material blessings devolve into greed; passion turns to uncontrolled anger.

Sin perverts God’s good gifts. While promising to fulfill us, our sin instead leaves a wake of devastation.

THE SUBTLETY OF SIN

“To do its worst, evil needs to look its best,” Plantinga, Jr. says. Satan doesn’t come to us with horns and a pitchfork lest we recognize him for who he is. Rather, he “disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14).

Our sin disguises itself as good and only asks for small compromises. Just one more glance, one more “harmless” flirt, one white lie, or one more high. Inch by inch, our sin leads us down a path of destruction.

It doesn’t require big steps. The small steps are much easier to justify. However, a thousand small steps will lead you into the same dark pit as a few big steps. Don’t let the subtlety of sin deceive you into believing your sin is “no big deal.”

Sin is crouching at your door. And it won’t settle until you are devoured—or until you decide to rule over it.

REPENT BEFORE SIN DEVOURS YOU

Slowly but surely, Cain’s jealousy led him down the dark road to murder. The Lord graciously confronted him and warned him of sin, the wild animal ready to devour him. It wasn’t too late for Cain; there was still time to repent.

But he didn’t. He gave opened the door to sin and the predator devoured him. Icy sin coursed through his veins, freezing his heart until he murdered his brother Abel in cold blood.

“Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden” (Gen. 4:16). Instead of fulfilling him, sin separated Cain from the Lord’s fulfilling presence. Instead of bringing Cain joy and satisfaction, sin isolated him from the Giver of joy, severing his connection to what is good and beautiful.

Like Cain, we must beware the danger lurking within us. Our sinful hearts cannot be trusted (Jer. 17:9). The distance between our thoughts and our actions is closer than we think. Sinful thoughts nudge us into sinful actions before we realize what’s happening. The familiar quote, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay,” comes to mind.

But the good news is that God’s grace is greater than sin’s power. Take God’s advice to Cain: repent of your sin before it destroys you. Take every thought captive lest it lead you down a dark path (2 Cor. 10:5-6). If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off (Matt. 5:30; Mark 9:43).

GRACE IS GREATER STILL

After David was confronted with his sin, he cried out to the Lord, “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow . . . hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities” (Ps. 51:7,9). David’s sin was great but the Lord’s grace was greater still. This triumphant grace is lavished upon the broken and repentant, or as David says, “A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Ps. 51:17).

God sent his Son to bear his wrath and free his children from the bondage of sin, and to set us on the path of life. Because God’s justice against our sin was satisfied on the cross, we are given this wonderful promise: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

God delivers those who cry out in genuine repentance and faith. Yes, the crouching at your door is ferocious and wants to devour you. But as devoted as sin is to your destruction, God is even more devoted to the good of those who trust him.

DON’T LET SIN HAVE THE LAST WORD

Don’t go the way of Cain. Instead, follow the path of Abel: “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks” (Heb. 11:4).

What gift did Abel offer God? The firstborn of his flock of sheep, yes. But what he truly gave the Lord was his faith. And because of his faith, he still speaks today.

Sin may be crouched outside your door like a roaring lion (1 Pet. 5:8) but there is a greater lion still—the risen Lord Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. And this Lion rules over all (Rev. 5:5).

Don’t let sin have the last word. Rule over it through faith in the Greater Lion.

James Williams has served as an Associate Pastor at FBC Atlanta, TX since 2013. He is married to Jenny and they have three children and are actively involved in foster care. He is in the dissertation stage of a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology. You can follow James Twitter or his blog where he writes regularly.

Article posted at: http://gcdiscipleship.com/2018/10/23/sin-is-crouching-at-your-door-dont-let-it-in/