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THE PURPOSE IN PAIN

7/21/2011

"I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured; yet you did not return to me" - Amos 4:9

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world" - C.S. Lewis

In Psalm 22, we see a shout of deep anguish:

"I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my bosom.
...I can count all my bones -
they stare and gloat after me" - Psalm 22:14 & 17

Before we see these descriptions as only prophetic insights into the suffering of Jesus the Messiah on the cross (as many people do), maybe we should look a little closer home. For many of us, this describes the way that we feel deep inside as we maneuver through our difficulties........isn't it? The pain is sometimes so severe that we often have a hard time even putting it into words. Have you ever been so broken that you didn't even know how to pray about it? I have been there. Thank God for the intercession of the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom. 8:26-27) on our behalf when we don't know how to pray. In the midst of what we are going through, we must be conscious of the fact that there is a PURPOSE in our PAIN. Let's look at a few of these:

If it is self-inflicted (i.e. our choices/actions are the cause), pain is given as a means to retrace our steps and to make things right - in other words, it's a means to REPENTANCE. This is what God sought to make clear in the above verse in Amos 4:9: He brought suffering to prompt Israel to open their eyes and turn back to Him. Sometimes the pain won’t stop until things are made right. God intends it this way to keep us from really hurting ourselves.

If it is inflicted by someone else unintentionally, pain is given as a reminder that we are sinful, imperfect people living in a sinful, imperfect world - in other words, it's a means of REVELATION. When the apostle Paul declares in Romans 3:10-11, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that understands; there is none that seeks after God",he is affirming the only truth that can lead men to having a personal relationship with God. Every day we are taught about our need for God through our own imperfections and the imperfections of others. God intends it this way to teach us humility.

If it is inflicted by someone else maliciously, pain is given as a test of our faith and dependence upon God - in other words, it's a means of SANCTIFICATION. The apostle Peter said it: "Beloved, don't be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice, insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you might also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed" - 1 Peter 4:12-13. God intends it this way to keep us ever looking to Him and not trusting in our own strength and resources.

Whatever your challenge is today, ask God: "What are you saying to me through this?"

Pastor Andrew Smith

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STOP AND SMELL THE VIOLETS

7/9/2011

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"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:11-13

"Contentment is natural wealth; luxury is artificial poverty" - Socrates (Greek philosopher)

"We may pass violets looking for roses..." - Anonymous

       When you have limited resources, you quickly learn the difference between a want and a need. My wife and I took a step of faith four (4) years ago to pursue our Masters studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago, IL.; we had it all planned out - from the academics to the finances - how we were going to pull it off. Some of you have heard the idiom, "Man makes plan, God wipes out plan"; as a couple we experienced this first hand. Although we were guaranteed jobs, we found that neither of us could work (on or off-campus). Also, as expected, we had more expenses than we bargained for. Quickly, we began to learn that personal food preferences don't matter when you NEED to eat - that it’s nice to wear "name brand" clothing, but really all you NEED for clothing doesn't have to cost and arm or a leg - that it’s nice to live in a big, beautiful house, but really all you NEED is a roof over your head to protect you from the elements. It was in the midst of these important lessons that we learned the blessing of contentment - the ability to be satisfied and happy with what you have.

       In our selfish, consumer-driven society, it’s easy to forget where we are coming from. Many of us, growing up, not only survived but found our greatest happiness in the midst of limited resources - crackers and water WITH LOVE was worth so much more than lobster and shrimp WITHOUT LOVE....wasn't it? We have bought into the philosophy that MORE IS ALWAYS BETTER - and yet we find that the more we attain, the less we find satisfaction. We say, "Let's have more fun!"....and the more we have, the less we enjoy. We say, "Let's get more money"....and the more we get, the more problems we have. We say, "Let's have more friends".....and the more we have, the more lonely we feel. We say, "Let's gain more knowledge".....and like Solomon we say, "The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief; to increase knowledge only increases sorrow" (Ecclesiastes 1:18 - NLT). When all is said and done, MORE means nothing if we cannot appreciate and be satisfied with the blessing of LESS.

      When was the last time you said, "Thank you LORD for your blessings on me right now"? For your imperfect spouse, for your miserable parents, for your limited finances, for your 'adequate' house, for your "not so new" clothes.....for ALL your blessings? Life may not be what you want it to be right now, but the truth is everywhere you look God's blessings and mercies can be found. Instead of looking for the roses....stop and smell the violets :)

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. “ (1Th 5:18 KJV)

Great is your mercy towards me,
Your loving kindness towards me;
Your tender mercies I see,
Day After day.

Forever faithful towards me,
Always providing for me;
Great is your mercy towards me,
Great is your grace

- Donnie McClurkin [GREAT IS YOUR MERCY]

Pastor Andrew Smith

[email protected]

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THE HEART OF ME

7/2/2011

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"One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up and said to him, "Tell us by what authority you do these things or who is it that gave you this authority". He answered them, "I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?" And they discussed it with one another saying, "If we say, 'from heaven', he will say, 'Why did you not believe him?'....but if we say, 'From man', all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet. So they answered that they did not know where it came from. And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things" - Luke 20:1-8

"Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?...For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men" - 1 Cor. 1:20 & 25

"...Man, in stabbing at the heart of God, had in reality, bled himself" - Ravi Zacharias (A Shattered Visage)

Once upon a time, there was an old man who lived in the tiny village and was well known for his wisdom. It seemed that he could answer any question that was posed at him. There was a boy who always sought to trick him; his intent was to prove that the old man could be wrong. One day, he had an idea. He would get a little bird in his hand and hide it behind his back. He would then ask the wise man whether the bird in his hand was dead or alive. If the wise man said that the little bird was alive, the boy would squeeze hard and kill the bird to prove that he was wrong. On the other hand, if the wise man said that it was dead, the boy would let the bird fly off, proving the wise man was wrong. The boy thought it was a full-proof plan - it was his time to shine!

As he approached the wise man, he said, “Old man, there is a bird in my hand. Is it alive or dead?” The old man was silent. The boy asked again, “Old man in my hand is a bird. Is it alive or dead?” Still the old man said nothing. The boy for the third time asked again, “Old man in my hand is a bird. Is it alive or dead?”

The old man finally gave his answer in a low but firm voice: “The answer to that question lies in YOUR hands, young boy”. The young boy was silent and stunned by the answer.

MORAL OF THE STORY: It takes true wisdom to see beneath the surface to the heart of things.

The thought is absurd - attempting to trick God. In Luke 20:1-8, we see the chief priests, scribes, and elders conspiring together to trap Jesus, the Son of God. Their whole intent was to get him to say something blasphemous which they could use to condemn him and his message. In the portion, it is amazing to watch Jesus confound their thinking with a simple question - NO ONE CAN OUTSMART GOD! We may not admit it, but we are prone to attempt the same thing in our day and age. We ask questions not with the intent to understand and obey God, but to find leeway so that we may ultimately do what we want to do. The intellect that God has given us....we use to belittle God, His standards, and His will for our lives. Examples of this are all around us: in politics, in entertainment (TV shows, movies, music, etc...), in education, in the way we speak, in the way we dress - and the list goes on and on.

Now is as good a time as ever to consider that GOD SEES TO THE HEART OF YOU. He knows the truth - you can't outsmart him with platitudes, gifts, church attendance, ministry involvement, or any other means of cover-up....even reading your Bible and praying. With that said, ask yourself the question....who is the TRUE YOU and is the TRUE YOU ACCEPTABLE TO THE HOLY GOD WHO SEES? In the end, the only person I hurt with my deceit.....is ME.

Pastor Andrew Smith

[email protected]

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THE PURPOSE IN PAIN

STOP AND SMELL THE VIOLETS

THE HEART OF ME

Pastor Andrew Smith

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