Aug/Sept 2013 Genuine Motivation: Young Christian Man

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S atisfied S ingleness rESILIENCE OF jOY Q uieting the I nner C ritic

LATE BLOOMER? A publication of On My Own Now Ministries, Inc.

GENUINE MOTIVATION Young Christian Man Aug /Sept 2013, Vol. 4 On My Own Now Ministries, Inc., Publisher

in this issue...

Foremost

The Resilience of Joy

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David Young

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Rob Beames, Editor Chandler Hunter Page Design

Press On

Creating a Culture of Marriage Will Dole

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Contributors Rob Beames, Steve Braun Will Dole, Sam Harris, Chris Miller, Thom Mollohan, David Young

Real Relationships

Except where noted, content is copyright 2013 On My Own Now Ministries.

Articles may be reprinted with credit to author, Genuine Motivation and www.OnMyOwnNow.com.

Can You Relate

On My Own Now Ministries, Inc. is a nonprofit organization with a 501 (c) (3) determination. Your donations aid in our mission to encourage faith, wise life choices and Christ-likeness in young adults during their transition to living on their own.

We welcome submissions of original or repurposed articles that are contributed without expectation of compensation. May God repay you.

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Satisfied Singleness by

Sam Harris

Faith for Healing by

Thom Mollohan

Cornered

by

Grace

Seasons of Shame Cover: Quieting the Inner Critic by

Deceptive Shadows Chris Miller

Spiritual Brawn

Late Bloomer?

You’re in Good Company by

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Rob Beames

Desert Journals by

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Steve Braun

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Body Building 1 Cor 12:12-14; 4-11; 15-26; Eph 4:11-13; I Cor 12:27 (how I would say it) A human body has a lot of different parts, but all of them form one body. It’s just the same with God’s children in Christ. Whether we’re Jewish or American or Mexican or Mongolian, we have all been washed clean by the same Holy Spirit, and that same Holy Spirit has nourished us all and formed us into one corporation—a body.

But we’re not a huge, single cell amoeba. This body, like our own, has a vast number of individual components. We all have unique functions to play in the body of Christ, and every single function was assigned by the Holy Spirit. We may do different kinds of work, but we all work for the same company and have the same CEO. We have each been assigned a function that contributes to the overall good of this company.

For example, the Spirit may have assigned you to counsel others, or maybe the Spirit assigned you the function of teaching others, or maybe the Spirit assigned you the ability to readily believe in things that seem impossible, or maybe the Spirit assigned you to play a role in supernatural healing.

Others got the abilities to do supernatural works, still others to be God’s mouthpieces to the present generation by applying his Word to our lives today.

Maybe the Spirit assigned you the ability to figure out when people are being sincere, and when they aren’t. Maybe the Spirit assigned you to be a linguist of natural or supernatural languages.

Regardless, it is the Spirit who assigns every ability to each person as He determines to be correct.

Think about your own body for a second and imagine if your foot copped an attitude and said, “I’m on strike because I wanted to be a hand, not a foot.” Or what if your ear piped up and said, “I think I should have been the one with vision, and if I can’t have it, I’m out of here!” They may have a valid point, but could they possibly opt out of being part of your body because they’re not pleased with their assignments?

If your body parts were to choose their own jobs, they might all choose to have vision, and then you’d be mute and deaf. Or if the whole body wanted the

ability to hear, you’d starve to death. But our body parts can’t choose their jobs, and so it is with the spiritual body we’re a part of. God has assigned us our function exactly how He wants it. And we’re not a huge eye or ear, we’re a huge multi-faceted body.

So you who have the ability of vision, you can’t disown your hands who put your vision into action.

And you who are the brains behind it all, you can’t say you don’t need feet. You’d go nowhere! The fact is that the parts of the body that we don’t often acknowledge are indispensable. If we think a part of the body is ordinary, we ought to treat it as extraordinary. And if there are parts of the body that we’re embarrassed to show just anyone, we need to give those particularly special care, while those we are generally comfortable showing to the outside world—they really don’t need any special treatment. And keep in mind that if a body part needs special treatment, that’s exactly how God designed it—so that the parts that we tend to neglect are assured their significance—so that all of the parts of this body will be concerned for each other. We will all suffer when the pinky gets a paper cut, and when we get an awesome hair cut, the whole body feels good about it.

Now we’re not talking about a human body, so this is where the analogy ends. Rather, each of us is a part of Christ’s body. And Christ himself orders some parts to communicate with other parts, and some parts to communicate with the outside world.

Some he has given the assignment to care for the body, and some he assigns to train the body, to get it ready to act effectively, so that the body can grow stronger and mature in our knowledge of the Son of God until we reach the point where we work harmoniously and believe harmoniously and become exactly what we are meant to be as the body of Christ.

YOU are the body of Christ, and EACH ONE OF YOU is a part of it.

Read More Scripture (how I would say it)

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Foremost oremost F

The Resilience of Joy

By David Young

SUNBREAKS magine a summertime thunderstorm, rain coming in sheets so thick you cannot see out the window. The storm seems to rage with no end in sight.

Suddenly a golden shaft of sunlight parts the darkness. The clouds begin to break up, revealing a glistening summer’s day.

Life can be filled with sadness that darkens your every thought. In those days you are sure the bitterness will last forever.

Then you wake up one morning with the sun shining through, and you cannot keep hold of your diminishing grief. It doesn’t matter how hot the tears or how fierce the tantrum, when the clouds clear, God’s sun is still shining.

One of the most amazing characteristics of joy is its capacity to return after the most devastating blows. Once as a teenager I was with a group who were playing with basketballs in a swimming pool. We started trying to pull the balls to the bottom of the deep end before releasing them. We quickly discovered that the deeper we pulled the ball into the water the higher it shot up into the air. So

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too, the deeper the child of God is pulled down into earthly sorrow the higher he will eventually spring up in heavenly joy.

While this is often true even for unbelievers who have little interest in God, it is especially true of godly joy. Our world was cursed because of sin, and pain is a companion on life’s journey. One of Job’s friends says, “Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7). The joy that comes from God returns again and again no matter what trouble we encounter in our lives.

Several times in the Gospels Jesus commanded us not to let our hearts be troubled. One of my favorite of these commands is found in John 14:27 where Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Peace is not always easy to maintain, but it is possible, or Jesus wouldn’t expect us to do it. Such enduring peace can only come from God’s promises. His promises have not all been fulfilled, but they will be. We

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can trust Him to be true to His word.

His word is an anchor of peace amid the storms of life.

We can trust God when we cannot understand why troubles come.

Philippians 4:7 speaks of “peace that transcends all understanding.” Even when I don’t understand, I can rest in the assurance of His presence. He has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

(Heb.13:5) His very presence gives us peace.

I grew up on a farm, and I always had chores to do. I remember once going out to feed calves after some school or church function had kept our family out late. My brothers had told me stories about tramps coming along the river and sleeping in our barn. All the way out to the barnyard I imagined dangers in the dark. By the time I climbed over the rail into the back of the barn I was terrified. There are always noises in a barn, and to me every rustle seemed to be an intruder lurking in the shadows. I bravely forced myself to go on, knowing it was all in my head.

Suddenly I heard the unmistakably human-made sound of a metal lid scraping on a barrel. I let out a small shriek as I froze in terror. This was real!

Then I heard a familiar voice, call my name, “David.” One word of my father’s voice was enough to calm all fears. He had followed without my knowledge, and entered the barn by a different way. Just knowing he was there drove away my fears. They instantly vanished into the dark that had previously sustained them.

AN UNDERLYING PERSPECTIVE The joy of a believer is linked to our perspective of eternity. This heavenly view that produces joy that is present even in pain. This perspective should

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undergird everything we think and say and do. I have heard people describe joy as being like a river running beneath the surface of our lives. You may not always express or even feel it, but it is still there.

When you cannot be happy you can still have joy.

People everywhere seem to be aware of looming crises, whether from natural disasters, human evil or impending judgment. Such trials, if they indeed come about, will not be easy to deal with. But believers in Jesus Christ can face them from the perspective of eternity.

We get some inkling of this in the fifth chapter of Matthew’s gospel where, at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus used the word, “Blessed.” Yet a quick reading of the text hardly gives an image of blessedness. Several of the beatitudes bless those whose lives are downright painful.

“Blessed are those who mourn.”

“Blessed are those who are persecuted.”

“Blessed are you when men insult you.”

How can we reconcile the word blessed with mourning, persecution and insults?

The Greek word translated “blessed” refers to the good life, full of purpose, satisfaction and meaning. It represents something deeper than the shallow waters of pleasure, comfort or immediate contentment.

These verses promise that in the long run God will comfort you in such a way that whatever happens now will be worth the pain. We can continue to rejoice when we suffer in the here and now, because we don’t live for the here and now.

The shell of a nut is hard and inedible.

If you manage to sink your teeth into it, you will find it bitter. But we don’t think 5 GM

Foremost oremost F nuts are bad because the shell is hard and bitter. We accept the hardness of the shell because we know what is inside. In the same way we can also know that God promises blessing out of the bitterness in our lives.

The concept of seeing from the perspective of eternity underpins this whole sermon

by Jesus. Take for instance His call to turn the other cheek. I have heard this presented as a means of making peace with people. But that is not how Jesus frames this command. He says to do it, not because people will respond, but because God will reward you. The response of other people will often disappoint us. But God will be faithful to His word. Jesus told us to love our enemies and to bless those who abuse us. Jesus told us to offer more to someone who is already demanding of us.

We are not to do these things to impress people in the here and now, but because we trust God, who is eternal.

In Colossians 3:2 Paul brings this truth forward, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

The loss of earthly possessions even earthly comfort is not tragic to someone who is going to heaven.

Our heavenly Father has already sealed, by the blood of Jesus, His contract of eternal blessing with us. It does not matter what happens in our brief lives. We are going to be with Him forever.

GOD WORKS IN OUR LIVES It is important to note that for disciples joy is more than a natural process created into the human psyche. God actively works in our lives in the midst of sorrow. God reminds us of His promises when we need comfort. He whispers His assurance into our hearts. God strengthens us in difficulty developing our character. He is Immanuel.

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“God with us.” He is with us in the greatest hurts in our lives. In John chapters 14 and 16, Jesus promised the coming of the Holy Spirit, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.

But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17).

God also works in our lives through other people. I think of Frank Easley, the janitor in the church I grew up in, who used to come up to me and ask if I was having a daily quite time with God. I remember a Sunday school teacher who regularly told stories about leading people to Christ, making me wish I could do that. I remember my youth pastor who challenged his young people to memorize scripture.

I remember my pastor who told me he prayed for me every day. I think back to a student minister who met with me every Monday morning to talk with me about the church I had begun to pastor while I was still in college. I remember countless people who loved me and taught me and challenged me to be faithful to Christ.

Hebrews 11 lists many courageous examples who stood faithfully in the face of great opposition in Old Testament times. Testimonies of faith and faithfulness, even sacrifice and martyrdom, resuscitate our joy, whatever may be happening in our lives. Have you read books like George Mueller of Bristol, Through Gates of Splendor, Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret? Such books capture the witness of those who have gone before us. God will use them to sustain and restore your joy when you face the same enemy they faced.

Hebrews chapter 12 reminds us of a great cloud of witnesses—we find ourselves in the arena of difficulty and suffering, and

Feature the grandstands are filled with those who have gone before us, cheering us on by their own faithfulness. We compete in this great spiritual contest with our eyes fixed on Jesus, the greatest model of all, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross scorning its shame. As we imitate Jesus, we can know that we will share in the joy that has been set before us as it was set before Him.

PURPOSE Even in grief I may hold on to the reason for joy in what I know of God’s purpose.

Purpose is one of the primary foundations of our joy. The Bible says Jesus found joy in His terrible sacrifice on the cross because He was fulfilling the purpose of God in eternity. We too cling to meaning in our lives when we see our purpose or when we trust that God has a purpose even when we cannot see it.

This, of course, relates only to God’s joy.

Those who would espouse philosophies that deny or ignore God do not often follow them to their logical conclusions, because the emptiness there is too great.

It is this simple. If there is a purpose to anything, it is determined by its designer.

If there is a purpose to the universe, if there is a purpose to humanity, if there is a purpose to your life, it must be derived from your Creator. The insistence of existentialists that we must invest meaning into our meaninglessness leads to tragic futility.

God will even show us some of His purpose in our pain when we look for it prayerfully and in the truth of scripture.

Paul’s statement in Romans 5 never ceases to stir my heart.

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope

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does not disappoint us because God has poured out his love into our hearts, by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Romans 5:3-5).

A SUSTAINING RELATIONSHIP Our joy is maintained by our continuing relationship with Christ Jesus. Have you ever heard a child cry “Mama” when he was hurt? Did that child want his mother to fix the situation? That is of course possible. But it is more likely that the child simply wanted the solace of his mother’s embrace. In The Secrets of The Vine Bruce Wilkinson tells about his two year old son needing a shot. Though the toddler cried to his daddy, he still had to have the shot.

Bruce knew his son could not understand why his daddy would not stop the doctor from giving him the shot. But as he held his son in his arms for the doctor to administer the dreaded needle, the boy clung tightly to his father’s neck.

There have been times when I prayed for God to deliver me from a crisis, and God did not do what I wanted. But in agonized prayer, I sensed the presence of God. And while I sometimes did not understand why God did not answer, I did find great strength in the assurance of His presence.

It was as if my joy was sustained not by God’s work but by His embrace.

This selection was excerpted with permission from Joy. For over 40 years David Young has regularly written articles, plays, Bible studies and poetry for publications in North America and beyond. He has taught in churches as well as at the college and seminary levels on four continents. You can see videos on his books or contact him at his website, http://daveswatch. com/. David and his wife Marsha live in the Pacific Northwest. They have three grown children.

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Press On

by

Will Dole

Creating a Culture of Marriage I

n the last issue, we discussed how Christians need to hold up the biblical picture of marriage as the beautiful display of the Gospel that it was intended to be. What role do we have in creating a culture of marriage in our own lives and our churches?

We have to start with transforming our own lives and attitudes, because we are totally saturated with what our culture has to say on this topic. Marriage is usually considered either as some quaint old ideal which is no longer useful, or as an adaptable concept we can conveniently contort to our personal whims. To believe that marriage is an absolute and timeless bond is considered unrealistic by most in today’s society, which is why I want to firmly establish the actual definition of marriage for our current discussion.

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In the second chapter of Genesis, we find that God clearly created marriage.

Unlike the rest of creation, God created the first man in His image and no suitable helper was found for him among the animal kingdom. God provided a remedy to this situation by creating a woman.

She is not inferior to man, but his equal.

Yet, while she is equal in value (Genesis 1:27), she has both a different form and role (Ephesians 5:22-33, Colossians 3:1819, 1 Peter 3:1-7). Although Eve was created primarily to complete the man, Adam was also created with Eve in mind to complete the woman, just as much as she completes the man. They were both created in the image of God to be the perfect and equal compliment to each other (Genesis 1:26, 27). If God had created a carbon copy of Adam, there

would have remained a gaping hole in Adam. Another Adam could not have been a suitable helper because another man would have possessed the same emptiness as did Adam.

The way God created us has several ramifications. This means that God has the right to set and enforce all the rules governing His creation. So, since He created one man and one woman as a couple, we too are to see marriage as the union of one man and one woman. It also means that, since marriage was part of God’s pre-fall creation and declared very good (Genesis 1:31), marriage is good. It is something to be desired. As Proverbs 18:22, “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.” So, although our culture doesn’t always seem to agree with this, a wife is actually a good thing. In addition, the marriage relationship is an allegory for the covenant love Christ has for His bride. Ephesians 5:22-33 explains that God created marriage as a picture of Christ and His church. This elevates the importance of marriage beyond the realm of simple human happiness or enjoyment.

It becomes a calling for God’s people to display transcendent truth in the way they conduct their lives.

Normally these things are applied only to those who are married. So what does a single man do with this information?

He can look forward by pursuing the sort of life that would make him a suitable husband. He should begin to make strides toward taking every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), especially his thoughts in regard to women and relationships— applicable to any man regardless of his marital status. Marriage should be considered a responsibility and a blessing from God. We should break out of our societal standards which encourage men to avoid responsibility at all costs. As a man pursues God with his life, he will

eventually pursue a woman to marry, if this is God’s plan for him.

Although there are some who have been called to remain single, at least for a time, how should churches foster the mindset and lifestyle which prepares men for marriage? I believe it is important for churches to emphasize the doctrinal part of the marriage. We should tell others about how marriage represents the gospel. This should be intermingled with consistent preaching about the moral imperatives concerning marriage and sexuality. It is the story of Christ and His bride that gives meaning to how we are to live as Christians. We also need to constantly stress the value of pursuing marriage, enjoying marriage and working through the hard times in marriage. This is the work of the gospel.

It is also important for there to be accountability among the men of our churches. Older men need to come alongside younger men to exhort and encourage them toward godliness (Titus 2:6-8), while also being open for correction and sharpening themselves (Proverbs 27:17). We need to encourage young men to make choices in their lives which will benefit them in the long run regarding matters of church, work, education or relationships. Rather than having an attitude of standing back and hoping things turn out well, we can get involved in the lives of others by helping to carry their burdens. We can encourage young men to pursue a career rather than a dead-end job. We can lovingly expose the error of perpetually dating for the sake of dating with no thought to marriage. We should help teens learn how to read and understand the Bible, so they might grow into effective leaders in the community. These are just some of the examples of important tasks which are imperative to the growth of the Kingdom of God and the work of the gospel.

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Real Relationsihps

Satisfied Singleness by

Sam Harris

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ou’ll find the right girl one day!”

“God will bring the perfect woman to you!”

“There’s someone out there who God created just for you!”

Sound familiar? If you’re a single male and you’ve been in church for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard statements like these before. If so, you may have responded in one of two ways.

I’m very familiar with the first which goes something like this, “Yes, I’m sure God will make it happen in His timing,” but you’re thinking that God better make it happen soon. Then it doesn’t, you get impatient with His timing and look for her yourself. You check out church or school or wherever it is that you usually meet girls. Then you find her and she seems like the perfect, beautiful, amazing, godly girl who God created specifically for you. She’s everything you’ve ever wanted. You quickly become convinced that God brought her into your life so you could live happily ever after married to her. So, you secretly pine after her hoping she’ll notice you, or perhaps you gather the courage to ask her out in order to win her affections and persuade her how important it is that you spend the rest of your lives together. If you do manage to ensnare the girl in your scheme, you might be happy together for a while, but sooner or later, it falls apart. The relationship was never meant to be, so you feel depressed and empty for a while. This

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lasts until the next perfect girl comes along, and again, you just know she’s the one you’re destined to be with forever.

After time, things crumble again and the cycle repeats itself. Ever been there before?

Today, if someone asked me if I thought God has the perfect girl for me out there somewhere, I’m more likely to shrug my shoulders and say, “Maybe... maybe not.” I don’t try nearly as hard anymore to chase after a girl to feel fulfilled in some way. How did I move from being a desperate, hopeless romantic into a state of contentment? It was a gradual change for me and I’m sure there’s no simple formula which works for everyone, but I have learned a few things.

For years, I placed my hope in the wrong things. I believed that a relationship with a girl would make me happy. Although I still acknowledged God and asked Him to direct my relationships, I really wasn’t very focused on God. After many disappointing attempts at trying to make relationships work, I became disillusioned with girls entirely, along with the whole concept of romantic relationships. But, disillusionment isn’t always a negative thing. Sometimes, our illusions, the idols we chase after so tirelessly, need to be crushed before we can really find contentment in God. Over time, I realized that God is not obligated to bring me a wife. When people say things about how God will one day bring me that perfect woman He

predestined for me, I wonder how they can be certain. I’m not aware of a verse which says that God has predestined one, and only one, perfect mate for everyone, or a verse in which God promises that everyone will be happily married one day.

In fact, Jesus promises the opposite: “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). This resonates more closely to my track record with relationships.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe that God is fully capable of bringing people together into happy relationships. He does so frequently, but I see no guarantee that He will do so for everyone, nor in the timeframe we often expect.

Our cultural overemphasis on romantic and sexual relationships, tends to cause us to forget some are called to singleness and that it can be a good thing (I Corinthians 7:25-40). Our longing for unattainable or sustained romantic relationships can make us bitter and cynical, but it should not.

One day, I realized I don’t necessarily need a wife. That’s right. I don’t. The Bible says that God has given us “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3), and that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (I Timothy 6:6). Of course, these truths are often easier read than accepted. Even when we acknowledge the need to break away from idols and our find peace in God, it’s hard to practice daily.

When I finally realized that my previous approach to relationships lead nowhere, I was able to accept the fact that getting married is not a biblical certainty for everyone and that I was already complete in Christ alone. I began to put my confidence more in God and stopped relying on other people to define me or make me happy. I never want to go back to those times I was desperate for a girlfriend. I really like who I am now much better.

Believe it, or not, right now I don’t even desire a wife. That doesn’t mean that I’ll absolutely never be married. It simply means a romantic relationship is not particularly high on my list of priorities right now. I’m enjoying using my singleness to better myself in a lot of other important ways, such as focusing more on school, writing, friendships and my relationship with God. I don’t want to give that up anytime soon. Although this is difficult for many of us to fathom—it would have been hard for me to accept just a few years ago—I am not only content with singleness, I enjoy it.

So, if you were hoping to read one of those success stories about a guy pursuing the wrong girls for a time, but then finding the right one and ending up happily married, I’m sorry to disappoint.

This is a success story of a different kind.

I did pursue the wrong girls for a long time. Although I am 23 years old with virtually no romantic prospects, it’s still a happy ending. I am happy and I have found contentment. It took me a while, but once I lost faith in the illusions and idols I had chased after for so long, I was able to gain greater faith and satisfaction in the only One Who truly completes us.

If you let go of your idols and give God control of your life, He will grant you the contentment you seek whether you’re in a romantic relationship, or not.

Sam Harris continuously strives to follow Jesus Christ more closely and to love others more fully. He has recently completed his B.A. in English Education at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, and is planning to start on his M.A. in English in the fall. He enjoys writing nonfiction accounts of his life experiences, as well as science-fiction and fantasy stories and the occasional poem. He would like to be an English teacher, a writer or a superhero when he grows up. You can find his blog at www.sirrahleumas.wordpress. com, or like “Samuel N. Harris” on Facebook.

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Can You Relate

Faith for Healing

by

Thom Mollohan

O

nce I lead a mission team on an international trip to an area of the world much hotter than our own, when I came down with a severe cold which moved into my chest and developed into severe bronchitis. I may have actually contracted pneumonia but there were no doctors around to know for sure.

Whatever it was proved to be debilitating for a few days and I was unable to accompany my team on their excursions for two days. At the end of the second day, a Christian working on another project, named Zacharias, dropped by to chat with me. He noted the difficulty I had breathing and asked me if I would like him to pray for me.

As my breathing became increasingly painful and difficult, my belief in God’s ability to bring healing to those who are sick or are otherwise afflicted came to mind, so of course, I quickly gave him my consent.

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Immediately, Zacharias stood up, walked over to me, placed his hand on my shoulder and began to pray. He began his prayer in English and then switched to Arabic, since he was originally from Egypt. As he prayed, I was fully confident in the ability of God to heal me if He chose to do so. For a few minutes, Zacharias called on God to end my affliction and I tried to place myself as fully in God’s hands as I could.

When Zacharias had finished praying he looked at me intently and asked, “Do you feel better?”

I paused before answering as I carefully weighed my response. Did I feel better? My lungs still felt as though they were being crushed and I still struggled to draw breath. I answered honestly, “No, I don’t.”

I was content in believing that God would bring healing in His own way and His own time.

However, Zacharias was not. He scowled slightly and said crisply, “You do not have enough faith.”

I considered his statement for a few seconds before responding, wheezing and gasping all the while, “Now wait a minute, Zacharias. What actually requires more faith: demanding that God do what I want, or trusting Him when He doesn’t do what I want when I want it?” He looked at me as if he did not know how to answer. I continued, “I know God can heal me and I’m not afraid to ask Him. He can heal me and I believe He will... in His time and in His way. I deeply appreciate your prayers for me and as God answers them, however He chooses to answer them, I will praise Him.” For the record, my wife and I have experienced God’s healing in our lives in very tangible ways.

It was only a couple of years before this encounter that a doctor at a local hospital informed us that our second oldest son probably had leukemia, setting in motion a couple of years of much intensive medical work. The end result of many

any less manifested. On the contrary, sometimes loss and suffering are the very means by which we most clearly discover that our consolation is in God, Himself, rather than in those kind actions He may do for us. Sometimes, it is not His pleasure and is not advantageous to us for Him to quickly and distinctly answer our requests, although we often can’t understand why.

Faith does not power a magic wand forcing God to do our bidding. We are faithful when we simply trust God’s love, power and holiness to work in us and through us to do mighty things. When Jesus tells the blind beggar in Luke chapter 18 that his faith made him well, the Lord meant that his trust in Jesus positioned him to experience the best God had in store for him. The same is true for you and me.

Beloved, don’t hesitate to look to God for help and healing. Ask Christian brothers to pray for you and allow them to anoint you with oil in the name of Jesus, if desired. We may be healed by His

Sometimes loss and suffering are the very means by which we most clearly discover that our consolation is in God, Himself, rather than in those kind actions He may do for us. faithful prayers to God was the disappearance of my son’s symptoms of leukemia. Then, as his doctors tried to understand why the vestiges of certain symptoms still stubbornly lingered, they began to suspect lupus. As more time passed, prayers continued to be offered up and we continued to trust God. Finally, our son was declared free from all disease and was released from the hospital but it took years for this to completely unfold.

Throughout this time, we sought to immerse ourselves in the comfort and guidance of God’s Word and we learned to understand that experience, as well as others like it, as a venue through which our faith is often tried and purified.

If our heavenly Father had not healed our son, our God would have been no less good than He already is, we would have been no less loved than we already are, and His glory would have not been

incomparable strength. In His matchless wisdom and amazing love for us, He may chose not to do so. As we trust God and manifest that trust through obedience, God will work out His will for us in His way and in His time as He prepares us to spend an eternity with Him.

Thom Mollohan is a Christian inspirational speaker and writer, instructor of college readiness courses, and pastor of a great bunch of Believers.

His favorite roles are that of husband and father.

He is especially passionate for the igniting of passionate worship of a passionate God! Thom is also the author of The Fairy Tale Parables: Classis Fairy Tales Pointing to God’s Love and Truth and Crimson Harvest. He may be reached for comments or questions by email at pastorthom@ pathwaygallipolis.com.

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Cornered

by

Grace

Seasons of Shame by

Rob Beames

S

easons come and go. Those of us who suffer through the extreme heat of summer only to long for the warmth a few months later know this all too well. If we don’t like the weather today, it isn’t long before the more temperate climate returns. Unfortunately, this is true for bad weather, as well. It returns much quicker than we would like. But there was a time when the seasons did not change. Before mankind’s fall into sin, there was only spring – no hot summer and no frigid winter. The seasons we now experience, necessary for the death and rebirth of nature, were not in place in the original paradise. There, it was always 72 degrees and sunny.

In fact, the original couple needed no clothes to protect their bodies from harsh elements or from the shame of nakedness. The first couple was as perfect as their climate. There was no regret, fear, nor guilt. Nothing wrong had ever happened to cause one to blame the other.

This beautiful state of existence began to fragment when a certain snake showed the first woman a piece of forbidden fruit. The man joined in her rebellion and a legacy of accusation, self-reproach and shame was born. Not only has this wretched heritage since continued to thrive, it’s been picking up momentum, enslaving each succeeding generation with increasing feelings of inferiority, self-pity, isolation and withdrawal. But there is an answer to this cynical cycle of shame.

There was a king in our spiritual bloodline who continued in this succession of sin, but was also able to fracture the destructive bond of guilt, thanks to God’s overwhelming grace. After

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stealing another man’s wife, King David was unable to conceal his infidelity, so he turned to more desperate means. He had the husband of Bathsheba killed so he could marry her before she gave birth to an illegitimate son, bringing shame on David’s God, kingdom, reign and his personal reputation – in that order. Although David’s scheme worked to hide his indiscretion from the nation, God would not allow the repressed transgression to develop into a toxin of self-loathing bitterness in His treasured son.

In inexpressible love, God sent a prophet named Nathan to expose David’s selfish deed, for the sake of justice, but even more, for the sake of David.

Most likely, David found it difficult to feel God’s affection while being called out on the carpet by the prophet. It’s doubtful he contemplated God’s mercy much during the agonizing nights he spent pleading for the life of his son, which was the price his crime, but in the end, David confessed his sin in humility. He could have responded with a prideful defense of his actions, but he did not. He admitted his guilt, took his lumps and continued as the favored king of God’s chosen nation. Confirming that both David and Bathsheba were forgiven, soon God blessed them with Solomon who became one of the greatest kings ever known.

In his book, “Search for Significance”, Robert S. McGee explains, “Certainly God could have brought Solomon into the world another way, but perhaps as a message to us, He chose Bathsheba.

What a message! Confess your sins, worship God, and get on with your life. You can experience

the mercy of God no matter what you’ve been through.” Most of us haven’t tried to get away with murder, yet we carry our sin and shame around with us as if we did. Get over it—God has. Because of Jesus.

In his letter to Titus, Paul wrote, “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7). This explains a result of Christ’s death commonly called regeneration.

Our trust in Christ alone, makes us new creations washing away all of our defects, which thoroughly enslaved us, such as pride, lust and hate. The Holy Spirit is given to us generously, as much as needed, in order to make us completely whole. We lack absolutely nothing!

Along with this, we are given everything achieved

by Christ: God’s favor, mastery over death, freedom from condemnation, perfection and even the very kingdom of God. We personally possess everything Jesus has! All of these things will become more real to us in the future when Christ comes again, but they are ours now by faith and are secured by the Holy Spirit. Paul confirms this saying, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-15).

But, it doesn’t have to be this way. As Paul explains, “Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 5:2-5).

The dirty, filthy clothes we used to wear have been removed by Christ’s death, but that does not leave us naked. Instead, we are covered by a heavenly tent, so that which is momentary—as are our mistakes, sins and failures—may be consumed by the purpose God has for us: life with Christ forever, This means, we don’t need to hide from others while we punish ourselves on the inside.

Even at our worst, we are never naked. We are clothed with immortality, and that means sinless perfection attained for us by Christ. It’s not fair that we wear such a brilliant covering, but we wear it by faith alone.

Feelings of condemnation will come and go like the four seasons, but it doesn’t change the fact that we are new creations in Christ, once and forever.

We believe. We are sealed. It is done! Now we wait to possess an amazing inheritance. Who has time to maintain regrets, to foster blame, or to feel ashamed? It is finished! Go, and love well!

(I believe He wanted me to remind you of this.)

No one likes to be unclothed and laid bare exposing all our imperfections to the world— and worse, those who know us well. We find it extremely difficult to risk rejection and judgment for our substandard performances, or to risk being blamed for our mistakes, which have caused others pain.

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Desert Journals

Deceptive Shadows by

Chris Miller

F

or we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. (1 Chronicles 29:15 ESV) As I approached the end of another month in my deployment I find myself contemplating life, yet again and continuously. I often think about living life in the shadow. By this I mean the transitory nature of life, the shortness of it, how the world pulls us into a distorted view of reality. There is so much more to life than we can ever see with our eyes of flesh.

These things can now only be seen as copies or shadows.

Do you think much about your death? The Psalmist did, “LORD, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am” (Psalms 39:4 NAU). Life is transitory and I have thought a lot about it stationed here in this foreign and barren country. Several men—much younger than I—came face to face with this reality, and it has forced me to wrestle with it too.

Have you ever considered that our days are like grass? Scripture likens the span of our lives to grass: “As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more” (Psalm 103:15-16 ESV). How many days does grass get—rising in the spring, withering by the fall? It decays through the winter in order to nourish the ground for the next season’s crop.

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So that’s our life—grass? Do we have a purpose? If I have a purpose and I am not achieving it, what is keeping me from it? Am I living consistent with the truth that my life is a passing vapor? Thankfully, God has our hours numbered and also holds secure the purposes He has for us.

Yet, we can easily be distracted and quickly deceived. Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Gen 3:13 ESV). What easily deceives us? We should each be asking ourselves this question regularly. The things that draw me away from the truth may have no lure to another. Paul warns, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up”(Gal 6:7-9 ESV). That’s my prayer—to not grow wearing of doing good; yet how many times have I given up in my efforts to do good and given in to impatience or frustration?

We can deceive ourselves, too. Paul explains the end result of continuing in a pattern of destructive self-deceit, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to

them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Rom 1:18-21 ESV). We cannot shift the blame to anyone or anything else. We bear the responsibility.

all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ”(Col 2:13-17 ESV).

God’s majesty is not completely hidden from us even in spite of all life’s turmoil. We are forced to see His glory in His amazing creation all around us. Its splendor cannot be denied. There is beauty and glory all around us; trees and flowers, mountains and plains, rivers and oceans, the animal kingdom and mankind. All this should cause us wonder and inspire us to praise the Creator. All these reflect God’s glory, as the Temple in Jerusalem reflected the heavenly reality yet to be revealed to us. These are meant to draw us to the Father.

The substance of what the shadows represent, the reality, belongs to Christ and so do we. He calls us away from being deceived to death in the shadows, to new life in His pure light. Our time on earth may be short, but our time with Him now and in the future, is forever. Let us encourage one another to continue our good efforts and let us not grow weary of it for the ultimate reality is that we are called to be His bride.

“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready” (Rev 19:7 ESV).

The writer to the Hebrews explains that these serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things that point to real things, “For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf” (Heb 9:24 ESV).

We won’t live in this shadow forever.

Soon enough we’ll experience the reality of eternity with Him. Christ entered into heaven and stands before the Father on our behalf calling us from the shadow of death into new life. Not only this, but He makes it all possible for us, since no amount of our own efforts could secure this new life.

Chris Miller is a retired marine who used journaling to help strengthen his faith during overseas active duty military service. By God’s grace, he hopes these thoughts and references will help others get through the desert times in their lives. He is a devoted husband, loving father of eight and is currently preparing for a full-time role in ministry.

Paul tells the Colossian church, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us

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Spiritual Brawn

Late Bloomer?

You’re in Good Company

by

Steve Braun

A

t what point do we settle down and really engage life to the fullest? The wanderlust of personal identity and fulfillment has yielded some messed up people in history. Our televisions are riddled with boasts from every channel of America’s favorite reality show and or a new program that can tell us something we didn’t know. In school we strive to obtain degrees and certifications so we can reach a higher stage of knowledge and prove we have the skills to garner the success and happiness we desire. Yet after each diploma, many only find dissatisfaction and disillusionment. For now, we can blame a lagging economy for such states of mind, but for those of us who have experienced several downturns over the span of several decades, the economy isn’t clearly to blame. Can it be that the problem is more perceptual than we think?

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A little self-examination coupled with an ear to the ground is in order from time to time. How do we know if what they say about us is true? When we actually take a hard look at ourselves with absolute and unbridled honesty, we may see a big mess.

And why shouldn’t we be? We live in a relentless, messed up world. It’s not just the environment we’re in that’s fostering disillusionment. Sometimes we betrayed ourselves. Sometimes we act as if we want to make a mess of our lives—even when things are going well. We usually end up hurting others in the process, too.

The Apostle Paul admitted that he does the very things that he does not wish to do (Romans 7:15). It’s tough to get nailed to the wall with such direct truth, and when we do, we naturally think, “I have to do better!”

His glory would be declared. We may be wandering about making a mess of things too, but God is in the business of finding us and cleansing us with His pure redeeming grace.

In Romans 8, Paul asks five questions which highlight the security of our identity in Christ: “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?...

Who is to condemn?...Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:31-38).

In conclusion, we are convinced that nothing we ever experience, visible or invisible, “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).

We may be a mess at times. Honestly, we are most of the time, but our loving Father is Actually, nothing could be farther from the bigger than all of our issues. He comes to us truth. Christ died to restore our messed up in the midst of our worst messes. He reveals lives and transform them into lives worth our true identity and purpose in the middle living. God provides us with a direct path of chaotic lives. We are raised with Christ to know who we are and to be completely into the heavenly places never to be snatched fulfilled in this life. The only available path to us is the Cross of Christ. Through it Christ out of His hand by the evil one. Thanks be to becomes our substitute as we engage the God God through our Lord Jesus Christ because what He says about us is always true! of the Bible as He restores all things to their beautiful and glorious identity.

Steve Braun resides in St. Charles, MO and is a husband, father, property repairman If it is true what they say about us, that we and pastoral candidate who seeks to are wandering and haven’t landed yet, that we’re late bloomers, or that we have to work encourage believers to grow in the grace harder to get there, we are in good company. and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

The patriarch Jacob was where many of us are now. At one point, he was estranged from his family while his twin brother wanted to kill him. He was alone and wandering, not sure where he was going. Then God came to him. While Jacob was up to his neck in doubts and failures, God drew near to him and displayed His great mercy. Jacob was truly a mess when God met him there in the desert (Genesis 38). Nobody thought Jacob would amount to anything but God chose him to build a great nation though which

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