Suffering

Posted on by korgrocker

“Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!”
1 Peter 3:17 NLT

Does anyone not experience some form of suffering in their lives? There is the pain of an injury or illness. There is the grief associated with the loss of a loved one. The emotional pain when a relationship breaks down. Of course, there are many degrees of suffering, but we have all experienced it at one time or another. Peter, in today’s verse, added the thought that we can even end up suffering for doing a good deed. In today’s media there is the sad story of a man who was attacked and killed by two dogs because he was protecting his elderly mother. A good deed ending in a person’s death. We must also remember that doing a bad deed will often result in some form of suffering, as the civil authorities take action and prosecute a person for breaking a law. Note that Peter did not say that suffering was inevitable, but he contrasted the suffering resulting from a good deed with that gained by doing a bad deed. If the suffering was the result of a good deed in line with something that God wanted, then that was the better place.

On a more global scale, modern media brings to our attention disasters, wars and other events that bring much suffering, and all in real time. So almost at the same time as it happens we hear about the devastating earthquakes in Morocco or the floods in Libya. Events that have brought other people’s suffering right into our thoughts through our smartphones or TV. “Why does God allow such suffering to happen” is the clarion call that goes out in response. Jesus Himself warned about such world events. In Matthew 24:7-8 we read, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come“. The Book of Revelation details the plagues that will occur on Planet Earth as the End Time events take their course. Why? Because we live in a sad and dark world blighted by sin. Are the floods, famines and other natural events the result of mankind trashing the planet through the exploitation of natural resources? Perhaps, but one day God will explain all to those who ask. At such times we pilgrims turn to Scriptures, such as Psalm 46:1-3, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge“.

At a more personal level, suffering can result from our life choices. But in it all, we start to see some answers when we turn to God. The Book of Job is dedicated to suffering and is well worth a read. But neither Job or his friends could see a reason for his suffering. In the end he was silent before God, still in the dark about the purposes, but realising that through it all he had to trust in God. When we go through times of suffering, the natural response is to turn our backs on God, blaming Him for the situation we are in, but in times such as these our only response is to turn to Him, because he will stand with us in our troubles and support us through them all, step by step. 

Dear Father God. We trust You through all our trials and tribulations. For that we are deeply grateful. Amen.

The Good-doers

Posted on by korgrocker

“Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.”
1 Peter 3:13-14 NLT

It’s all about perception. Some people will view our good deeds as an intrusion or even downright harmful. For example, administering a dose of foul-tasting medicine to a young child might be perceived, by them, as doing them harm, and the accompanying “it will do you good” isn’t really believed. In the adult realm, refusing to serve one more drink to a drunk at the bar will not be considered, by them, as being good. Doing something to or for another person that goes against their wishes might be considered good by everyone but them. On a national scale, the current drive towards “net zero” is considered a “good” policy but there will be much pain and cost associated with it and many will rebel against something that is “good”. 

We do good deeds for other people out of the kindness of our hearts. We see a need in others and, often to personal cost to ourselves, we do our best to meet their need. In my own community, the old lady across the road is totally flummoxed by anything technical. So when her tv misbehaves and confuses her channel selection, or after a software update changes the interface, it is me she calls on to help her out. And I’m sure she does the same for others in her own way with the gifts she has. Her next door neighbour is a wonderful pastry cook and often supplies her with delicacies. These are all acts of kindness and common actions in our society. If these things happen in secular society, how much more they should happen in God’s family. We read in Galatians 6:9-10, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith”. Jesus taught about doing good for others – we read what He said in Matthew 6:1 and the following verses, “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven”. Note that His association with good deeds was preceded by an expectation of “when” rather than an “if”.

For pilgrims such as ourselves, doing good to others is expected to go beyond what society would normally expect, and this is what will ultimately cause us trouble. We believers can campaign for “good” causes and incur the wrath of both the authorities and our fellow members of society. For example, in the State of Victoria in Australia there is a law that makes praying for, or counselling, someone going through some form of gender dysphoria a crime. A good deed involving genuine caring criminalised. In the same way, a lady in the UK was recently taken to court, charged with an “offence” involving her silently praying on her own outside an abortion clinic. A good deed or a crime? But God knows the right from wrong in the abortion issue and she will be rewarded by Him, I’m sure. Some years ago a man once asked me for money to buy a cup of tea. I gave him some loose change from my pocket but was immediately afterwards challenged by another man, irate because he was convinced the first man would just use it to buy alcohol. A good deed for one was considered a bad deed by the other.

We don’t know what was in Peter’s mind when he wrote the verses that we are considering today, but we believers are counter-cultural and receive our guidance about what is “good” from our Father in Heaven. Inevitably there will be a clash with society’s values perhaps followed by contemptuous  accusations of just being “do-gooders”. Society will choose the “what’s in it for me” road while Christians will look to the good of others.

Paul encouraged his readers to do good to everyone, and particularly to those we know who are in the family of believers. Let us look around us today and seek out opportunities to do good. It may involve our time and money, or skills we possess, but we know we are doing God’s work, following His desires. Any good deed, no matter how small or seemingly trivial, will be rewarded by Him one day.

Dear Father. You are our good God, our lovingly Heavenly Father. We praise and worship You today. Amen.

Belonging

Posted on by korgrocker

“Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.”
Romans 13:13-14 NLT

We mustn’t forget that Paul was writing to the Roman Christians, early trail-blazers of the movement that has changed the world. The followers of Christ found themselves in a place that was totally incomprehensible to the pagans around them, and they would have been under constant pressure to join the customs prevalent around them. Paul lists a few of the darker attributes of this society, and he mentions “wild parties” and “drunkenness”, “sexual promiscuity and immoral living”. And the early Christians would have been invited to join in with the practices of their neighbours and previous friends. Only a strong person filled with the Holy Spirit would have been able to stand firm and give a resounding “NO!”. 

For those in our Western societies, Paul’s admonition is just as valid. I know from my own experiences in the workplace of the pressure to join the after-work drinking sessions, or the invitations to join in with the special functions to places of dubious morality. There was always the office banter that had its roots in the darker sides of life, and that merged with reality when guards were down. Inevitably I found myself on the outside of the social life promoted in the office environment, but that was ok for me. Unfortunately, I have known Christian friends who were less resilient.

Paul’s admonition to those early Christians, and to us, was and is clear. Because we are Jesus people we live in the light of His presence. Not for us the cohabiting with deeds of darkness. We belong to Jesus, a daytime experience that is there for all to see. Jesus Himself preached about living in the light. In Matthew 5:14-16 He said, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father”.

In our societies, our workplaces, our schools and colleges, and anywhere else where we find ourselves, what message are we portraying? Are we a Jesus-beacon, bringing His light into an otherwise dark place? Or is our presence not very illuminating? That is the challenge to Christians everywhere. To whom or to what do we belong? Paul’s message was clear – because we belong to the light we have to act in that way. So we don’t get involved in activities more suited to the dark places of life. We keep away from places of temptation. We shun promiscuous opportunities. If we have a predisposition to the love of alcohol, then become teetotal. If internet pornography is an attraction, then we block the websites, or even turn off the router. Paul wrote, “Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ”. And as we look into His face we will see Him clearly, and as a result “the things of earth will grow strangely dim”. We pilgrims belong to the light. With God’s help we can stay that way.

Father God. We thank You for Your help in righteous living. Please help us to stay away from temptation. In Jesus’ name. Amen

The Wedding Feast

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder: “Praise the Lord! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honour to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.””
Revelation‬ ‭19:6-9‬ ‭NLT

At last! The long promised “wedding feast of the Lamb” is about to happen. The excitement gripping all those living in heaven, “a vast crowd”, is palpable, and they shout out with a roar that sounded like “mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder”. They proclaim the reign of God’s Kingdom, with rejoicing and honour to “the Lord our God”. There is a special wedding coming up, and the bride, God’s holy people, the Church, will be wearing the “finest of pure white linen” which, we are told, “represents the good deeds of God’s holy people”. 

There’s a bit to unpack here. Most of the references in the Bible to the “wedding feast of the Lamb” occur in the Book of Revelation. But Jesus, of course, taught about this momentous event, and His words were recorded in Matthew 22:1-14. This feast is to be a celebration of the marriage of the King’s Son to all those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Saviour, His Church. In the parable, Jesus sent out His servants to tell those who had been invited that the banquet, the wedding feast, was ready. But His invitation was refused by many, who, as we have been seeing in the Revelation story, came to a sticky end. But those who did respond to the invitation were welcomed. Well, all except one, who tried to get into Heaven by some other way, other than The Way, and he was not wearing the righteousness that comes from repentance and faith in Jesus. He came to a sticky end as well. Paul, the Apostle, said this to the Ephesian church, “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.” (‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:25-27). Paul, in his illustration of the marriage between a man and a woman, referred to the true husband, Jesus, and the lengths He went to, to ensure the Church, His future Bride, was “holy and clean”.

We have to be careful in understanding the “good deeds” relating to the white linen garments. It does not imply that we can be part of the Bride of Christ purely by doing good deeds to others, which some claim. Paul wrote, again to the Ephesian church, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (Ephesians‬ ‭2:8-9‬ ‭NLT). We won’t gain entry to Heaven by being good, as the man in Jesus’ parable discovered. But the good deeds we pilgrims do through the grace of God, led by His Spirit, will define the garments we will wear when we take our seats at the banquet that surpasses all other banquets. Eating with God Himself in Heaven. 

The angel told John to write these words down, “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb“. And we know that he did, because we read it in Revelation 19:9. Are we pilgrims feeling blessed today? Have we received our invitations? Just imagine how excited we would feel to have a personal invitation from God Himself sitting on our mantelpiece, taking pride of place in our living rooms. Well, the Good News is that we have already received it. Ephesians 1:4-5, written by Paul, says, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” Worth a wow and amen? If not, I don’t know what is!

Father God. We look forward to that wonderful day, when we enjoy the banquet high above all banquets. Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.