Suffering Christians

This Blog Has Moved

2009-12-07T16:20:00.001-06:00

Please go to:
http://www.scripturezealot.com/sufferingchristians/
and take a look.

Prayer - Grace in Trials

2009-11-23T16:08:00.002-06:00

This is a Puritan prayer from the book Valley of Vision. This was the prayer for November 23, 2009 at Banner of Truth at the Daily Devotion link. You can find others at the Scripture Zealot blog.

Grace in Trials

Life-Giving God,

Quicken me to call upon thy name,

for my mind is ignorant,

my thoughts vagrant,

my affections earthly,

my heart unbelieving,

and only thy Spirit can help my infirmities.

I approach thee as Father and Friend,

my portion for ever,

my exceeding joy,

my strength of heart.

I believe in thee as the God of nature,

the ordainer of providence,

the sender of Jesus my Saviour.

My guilty fears discourage an approach to thee,

but I praise thee for the blessed news

that Jesus reconciles thee to me.

May the truth that is in him

illuminate in me all that is dark,

establish in me all that is wavering,

comfort in me all that is wretched,

accomplish in me all that is of thy goodness,

and glorify in me the name of Jesus.

I pass through a vale of tears

but bless thee for the opening gate of glory

at its end.

Enable me to realize as mine the better,

heavenly country.

Prepare me for every part of my pilgrimage.

Uphold my steps by thy Word.

Let no iniquity dominate me.

Teach me that Christ cannot be the way

if I am the end,

that he cannot be Redeemer

if I am my own saviour,

that there can be no true union with him

while the creature has my heart,

that faith accepts him as Redeemer and Lord

or not at all.

A Young Man’s Testimony to Suffering and the Sovereignty of God

2009-11-07T15:46:00.000-06:00

You can find this article at The Works of God blog.

Christianity Today Interviews Steven Curtis Chapman

2009-11-03T11:10:00.001-06:00

Rising from the Valley of Death
Steven Curtis Chapman opens up about losing his daughter, their family's arduous journey, and a new album of songs chronicling the path of pain and hope.

2009-10-28T15:12:00.001-05:00

For the Christian, death is not the end of adventure but a doorway to a world where dreams and adventures forever expand. No matter how bad the present, an eternity with Christ in Heaven will be incomparably better. So if God thinks the whole thing is worth it—and we know it will be worth it to us once we reach Heaven—then why not affirm by faith, even in the midst of suffering, that it’s worth it now?

--Randy Alcorn via Facebook

The key to this for me is "by faith". In the middle of the worst of it, I just want out. Hope for heaven isn't really any comfort. But I just have to believe that it really will have been worth it even though I can't fathom it right now.

Romans 8:18

The Suffering God

2009-10-26T19:06:00.001-05:00

The fact that the second member of the triune God suffered unimaginable torture on the cross should explode any notion that God lacks feelings. In the suffering of Jesus, God himself suffered. No one who grasps this truth can say, “God doesn’t unders...tand my suffering.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in a Nazi prison camp, “Only the suffering God can help.”

--Randy Alcorn via Facebook

Randy Alcorn Quote on Suffering and Eternity

2009-10-22T15:03:00.002-05:00

Shouldn’t we suppose that many of our most painful ordeals will look quite different a million years from now, as we recall them on the New Earth? What if one day we discover that God has wasted nothing in our life on Earth? What if we see that every agony was part of giving birth to an eternal joy?

--Randy Alcorn via Facebook

Romans 8:18

Book Review: Deserted by God?

2009-10-06T14:34:00.001-05:00

Book Review: Deserted by God? by Sinclair Ferguson

Whether you struggle with guilt over sins in your past, feelings of abandonment and betrayal, physical illness or affliction, bereavement, unfulfilled dreams, or any other similar problem, you will probably find a chapter that speaks directly to you.

Anti-Depressants Can Be Gift From God

2009-10-04T11:04:00.003-05:00

With all the talk of how much anti-depressants are over-prescribed, I would imagine that a lot of Christians who are taking them may feel some guilt. Read what John Piper has to say:
What's Your Take on Christians Using Antidepressants?

God's Purposes In Our Troubles

2009-09-24T18:27:00.001-05:00

J.I. Packer on God’s Purposes in Our Troubles

Bibliography of books on suffering and evil

2009-09-22T12:51:00.003-05:00

I mentioned the book If God is Good in a previous post.

Here is a Partial Annotated Bibliography from the book. The comments on each book are very helpful.

How an illness can be a blessing

2009-09-10T11:03:00.001-05:00

Why I’m Blessed with Gout

Long List of Scripture For Dealing With Stress

2009-08-16T11:00:00.001-05:00

Bible Verses for Faith in Times of Stress

Trust in the Sovereignty of God

2009-08-12T12:53:00.001-05:00

Affirming Divine Sovereignty by R.C. Sproul

Randy Alcorn on Suffering and Evil

2009-08-06T12:29:00.001-05:00

Interview with Randy Alcorn on Suffering and Evil

Does God Love You If You Stray Because Of Suffering?

2009-08-04T16:13:00.000-05:00

Does God Still Love the Wayward Christian?

New Book: Counsel from the Cross

2009-07-20T11:55:00.001-05:00

Counsel from the Cross

How others benefit from your suffering

2009-07-06T16:37:00.000-05:00

Your Suffering Does Not Just Belong to You - Challies.com

Discount Personal Feelings

2009-06-28T00:34:00.001-05:00

Tim Challies offers us a quote from Jim Andrew’s Polishing God’s Monuments.

New Book

2009-06-17T11:42:00.000-05:00

Does Grace Grow Best in Winter? by Ligon Duncan

Suffering and What's Important

2009-06-06T19:56:00.002-05:00

Suffering has a way of reminding us which things in life really matter, forcing us to depend radically on God, and thus purifying our obedience to God's will.

--Craig Keener, The NIV Application Commentary: Revelation

Blog for chronic pain sufferers

2009-05-17T00:58:00.001-05:00

Shauna's Life In Pain And Other Fun Things

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trials

2009-05-15T12:06:00.000-05:00

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trials

God is good

2009-05-10T11:37:00.000-05:00

Arguing about why bad things happen to good people.

Secrets of Contentment

2009-05-01T02:53:00.000-05:00

Secrets of Contentment by John MacArthur

William Cowper Bio

2009-04-28T12:01:00.000-05:00

Here is a short video of a bio of William Cowper:
William Cowper Bio

Sermon Audio

2009-04-26T11:54:00.001-05:00

Restless, Moaning, Pained and Horrified by Russ Sukhia

How Should We Pray When We Suffer?

2009-04-19T03:27:00.000-05:00

How Should We Pray When We Suffer? at Resurgence

Suffering, Grace and Joy

2009-04-08T02:21:00.002-05:00

A post on my other blog. (Don't tell anyone it's me.)

I haven't written anything personal for quite a while. I hope it blesses somebody out there.

Book: A Shelter in the Time of Storm

2009-04-02T16:00:00.001-05:00

A Shelter in the Time of Storm: Meditations on God and Trouble

See the video and sample pages.

Passion in the pulpit, prayer and conversation

2009-03-30T11:02:00.001-05:00

Let the River Run Deep

Habakkuk's God

2009-03-12T12:07:00.001-05:00

Faith-based Religion: The Example of Habakkuk

The last part of this post is most related to this blog but please read the whole thing if you have time.

How to Pray for Joni Eareckson Tada

2009-03-02T14:04:00.001-06:00

How to Pray for Joni Eareckson Tada

Suffering for the Sake of the Body

2009-02-08T17:42:00.000-06:00

Suffering for the Sake of the Body, Part 1

Worshipping a God who “lets you drop,” who lets you get hurt

2009-01-01T19:46:00.000-06:00

Interview with Tim Stoner 2: Longing for the Untamable God

Trevin Wax: You write about worshipping a God who “lets you drop,” who lets you get hurt. How does this view of God counter the popular belief that “God is always there for me”?

Timothy Stoner: God is not safe; nor can He be manipulated. He is perfect in His wisdom and love and knows much better than we what we really need. And He is not averse to allowing/causing pain, struggle and disappointments that He knows are essential for our maturation, growth, refinement and strengthening.

He tells us that He is like a gardener who will not let sympathy for his plants dissuade Him from trimming or cutting off (sometimes ruthlessly) branches that are unproductive or that are preventing maximum fruit bearing.

Because of our inveterate selfishness and idolatry it is not unusual for God to orchestrate deep suffering that we might learn to draw our comfort from Him alone and to shape us into vessels filled with comfort for others.

God is always there for me only in the sense that He is working all things: pain, sorrow, loss, sickness, defeat, sins and successes, together for my maximum good and His ultimate glory.

When we suffer...

2008-12-26T11:05:00.001-06:00

Will There Also Be Faith?

See others here.

The Mystery of Iniquity

2008-12-17T12:48:00.001-06:00

Right Now Counts Forever by R.C. Sproul

One thing we know for sure is that evil does exist. It exists, if nowhere else, in us and in our behavior. We know that the force of evil is extraordinary and brings great pain and suffering into the world. We also know that God is sovereign over it and in His sovereignty will not allow evil to have the last word. Evil always and ever serves the ultimate best interest of God Himself.

Institute for Nouthetic Studies Blog

2008-12-16T14:34:00.003-06:00

Institute for Nouthetic Studies Blog - Jay Adams

Jay Adams Biography

What is Nouthetic Counseling?

I like this one:
Elijah’s “Depression”

Enduring Trials

2008-12-15T08:25:00.000-06:00

Enduring Trials - Part 1
Enduring Trials - Part 2
Enduring Trials - Part 3

When healing does not come...

2008-12-08T22:16:00.000-06:00

When healing does not come...

2008-12-06T12:07:00.002-06:00

New Book: Suffering and the Goodness of God

2008-11-19T11:47:00.002-06:00

Suffering and the Goodness of God (Theology in Community)

Suffering and the Goodness of God presents biblical truths concerning suffering and challenges believers to promote justice and to emulate God’s grace as they minister to others.

Famine. Sickness. Terrorist Attacks. Natural disasters.

Each day horrific scenes of suffering are streamed before us through television, the Internet, and newspapers. Believers are taught that God is good, and they believe this truth. Yet when they are faced with suffering and hardships, the one question believers most often asked is, Why?

Suffering and the Goodness of God brings insight to many contemporary concerns of suffering by outlining Old and New Testament truths and tackling difficult questions concerning God’s sovereignty, human freedom, and the nature of evil.

Suffering and the Goodness of God offers believers biblical truths concerning suffering and then challenges them to promote justice in the harsh, unsure world around them and to emulate God’s grace as they minister to those who are suffering.

Power and Priority of the Word

2008-11-12T11:14:00.001-06:00

We all know that life is filled with painful, heart wrenching experiences. Sometimes these experiences are spread out and sometimes they occur concurrently. The question is never ‘if’ but ‘when’ we think of pain and suffering. After all, we live in a cursed world.

...

Maturity does not happen overnight. It takes time. However, when folks are built up in, sustained by, and clinging to the Word of God they are mountains in the church of God. They stand with confident assurance in the steadfast love of the Lord God.

--Irish Calvinist Blog

Quote by Richard Baxter

2008-11-06T14:11:00.000-06:00

He never brings them (the saints) into so low a condition that he does not leave them more cause of joy than sorrow.

-- Richard Baxter

"Have A Nice Day"

2008-10-18T14:29:00.005-05:00

'Have a nice day' is like a threat to an Irish person. I'll have whatever kind of day I want. You mind your own business.

--Tommy Tiernan, Comedian, on how often he hears this phrase in the U.S.

Book: Being Well When We’re Ill

2008-10-16T12:46:00.000-05:00

Being Well When We’re Ill: Wholeness and Hope in Spite of Infirmity - The Book Blog

Our Deepest Need

2008-10-14T12:47:00.001-05:00

God Must Have Died

EVIL EXISTS, AND GOD IS NOT TAKEN BY SURPRISE

2008-10-03T15:07:00.001-05:00

Ligonier West Coast Conference - John MacArthur - I

Preparing for Sudden Suffering

2008-09-23T11:36:00.001-05:00

Preparing for Sudden Suffering By John Piper

My Redeemer Is Faithful And True

2008-09-16T09:31:00.000-05:00

by Steven Curtis Chapman

As I look back on the road I've travelled,
I see so many times He carried me through;
And if there's one thing that I've learned in my life,
My Redeemer is faithful and true.
My Redeemer is faithful and true.

CHORUS
My Redeemer is faithful and true.
Everything He has said He will do,
And every morning His mercies are new.
My Redeemer is faithful and true.

My heart rejoices when I read the promise
'There is a place I am preparing for you.'
I know someday I'll see my Lord face to face,
'Cause my Redeemer is faithful and true.
My Redeemer is faithful and true.

And in every situation He has proved His love to me;
When I lack the understanding, He gives more grace to me.

Hosea 2:14-23

2008-09-11T09:11:00.000-05:00

"But then I will win her back once again.
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her there.
15 I will return her vineyards to her
and transform the Valley of Trouble* into a gateway of hope.
She will give herself to me there,
as she did long ago when she was young,
when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt.
16 When that day comes," says the LORD,
"you will call me 'my husband'
instead of 'my master.'*
17 O Israel, I will wipe the many names of Baal from your lips,
and you will never mention them again.
18 On that day I will make a covenant
with all the wild animals and the birds of the sky
and the animals that scurry along the ground
so they will not harm you.
I will remove all weapons of war from the land,
all swords and bows,
so you can live unafraid
in peace and safety.
19 I will make you my wife forever,
showing you righteousness and justice,
unfailing love and compassion.
20 I will be faithful to you and make you mine,
and you will finally know me as the LORD.

21 "In that day, I will answer,"
says the LORD.
"I will answer the sky as it pleads for clouds.
And the sky will answer the earth with rain.
22 Then the earth will answer the thirsty cries
of the grain, the grapevines, and the olive trees.
And they in turn will answer,
'Jezreel'—'God plants!'
23 At that time I will plant a crop of Israelites
and raise them for myself.
I will show love
to those I called 'Not loved.'*
And to those I called 'Not my people,'*
I will say, 'Now you are my people.'
And they will reply, 'You are our God!'"

When God Won't Heal

2008-08-25T12:14:00.001-05:00

When God Won't Heal by Melissa Morgan, byFaith magazine

God's Gracious Discipline

2008-08-18T11:51:00.000-05:00

Is God Punishing Me? - by Jon Bloom

A Prayer by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

2008-08-05T23:17:00.001-05:00

O God, early in the morning I cry to you.
Help me to pray
And to concentrate my thoughts on you:
I cannot do this alone.

In me there is darkness,
But with you there is light;
I am lonely, but you do not leave me;
I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help;
I am restless, but with you there is peace.
In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience;
I do not understand your ways,
But you know the way for me…

Restore me to liberty,
And enable me so to live now
That I may answer before you and before me.
Lord, whatever this day may bring,
Your name be praised.

Comforting the Grieving

2008-07-21T07:59:00.000-05:00

What I'd Like For You To Know: The Mother Of a Stillborn Child

God and Pain

2008-07-15T10:10:00.000-05:00

Why God Doesn't Fully Explain Pain - by John Piper

a welcome burden

2008-07-08T10:00:00.001-05:00

a welcome burden

'For the first time since his illness, I began to fathom that our prayers for his healthy return might not be answered. Of course, that was not all we prayed for. We prayed for God’s will. And there were probably things we had not the imagination to pray for, that were silently underway. I prayed again today with dad’s swollen hand pressed between my gloved ones, “Thy will be done.” And I was for the first time in this ordeal content to accept it.'

Little Is Much

2008-06-26T17:10:00.001-05:00

Little Is Much

What is the measure of a life well lived
If all I can offer seems too small to give
This is a song for the weaker, the poorer
And so-called failures

Little is much when God's in it
And no one can fathom the plans He holds
Little is much when God's in it
He changes the world with the seeds we sow
Little is much, little is much

Who feels tired and under-qualified
Who feels deserted, and hung out to dry
This is a song for the broken, the beat-up
And so-called losers

Consider a Kingdom in the smallest seed
Consider that giants fall to stones and slings
Consider a child in a manger
Consider the story isn't over
What can be done with what you still have

--Downhere, Wide Eyed and Mystified

Download the album for free.

Psalm 10:17

2008-06-09T12:12:00.000-05:00

Psalm 10:17 ESV
O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

Don't Waste Your Cancer

2008-06-02T12:07:00.001-05:00

This article can be applied to any type of affliction or suffering. It's included in the book Suffering and the Sovereignty of God. It was my favorite chapter. I found that it's online. I hope it's helpful.
Don't Waste Your Cancer

Pain: God's Megaphone

2008-05-26T11:20:00.000-05:00

Pain: God's Megaphone by Alistair Begg

Spurgeon on Suffering

2008-05-19T18:28:00.000-05:00

Please see the section related to Spurgeon:
Transparency: ...and more good... (part 2 of 3)
and follow the links if you have time. They are well worth reading.

Here is a quote from Spurgeon:

Is not this the reason why God’s servants are made to pass through so many trials, that they may really learn many truths not otherwise to be apprehended? Do we learn much in sunny weather? Do we not profit most in stormy times? Have you not found it so — that your sick-bed — your bereavement — your depression of spirit, has instructed you in many matters which tranquillity and delight have never whispered to you? I suppose we ought: to learn as much by joy as by sorrow, and I hope that many of my Lord’s better servants do so; but, alas! others of us do not; affliction has to be called in to whip the lesson into us.

How firm a foundation

2008-05-14T11:23:00.001-05:00

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
to you that for refuge to Jesus have fled?

"Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed!
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

"When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
for I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

"When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell shall endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake."

--Anonymous or attributed variously to John Keene, Kirkham, and John Keith

Piper and the Purpose of Suffering

2008-05-05T20:44:00.000-05:00

Piper and the Purpose of Suffering

Dialog On Suffering

2008-04-28T14:39:00.000-05:00

Ehrman and Wright Discuss Suffering

Psalm 119:92

2008-04-22T16:54:00.000-05:00

If your revelation hadn't delighted me so,
I would have given up when the hard times came.
Psalm 119:92 (The Message)

CD Recommendations

2008-04-14T19:16:00.001-05:00

From Sovereign Grace Music:
Come Weary Saints
Valley of Vision

Why?

2008-04-07T11:28:00.006-05:00

"Just as God has used David's prayer of confession and repentance of his adultery in Pslam 51 to minister to His people down through the centuries, so God has used Job's struggles with doubt about the goodness of God to minister to His people.

...

Though we don't want to be critical of Job, we do want to learn from him about the sinfulness of asking a demanding 'why?' of God.

But though we should never ask a demanding 'why?' we may and should ask God to enable us to understand what He may be teaching us through a particular experience. But even here we must be careful that we are not seeking to satisfy our souls by finding some spiritual 'good' in the adversity. Rather we must trust God that He is working in the experience for our good, even when we see no beneficial results. We must learn to trust God when He doesn't tell us why, when we don't understand what He is doing."

--Jerry Bridges, Trusting God

Isaiah 55:8-9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

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

The Vow

2008-03-31T13:03:00.000-05:00

The Vow
When Dave Kendall promised to love Diana 'in sickness and in health,' he meant it

Suffering and the Sovereignty of God

2008-03-25T22:43:00.000-05:00

The sovereignty of God is the one impregnable rock to which the suffering human heart must cling. The circumstances surrounding our lives are no accident: they may be the work of evil, but that evil is held firmly within the mighty hand of our sovereign God....All evil is subject to Him, and evil cannot touch His children unless He permits it. God is the Lord of human history and of the personal history of every member of His redeemed family.

--Margaret Clarkson, Grace Grows Best in Winter (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1984), pages 40-41

When God Doesn’t Heal You

2008-03-17T00:52:00.000-05:00

When God Doesn’t Heal You: A Life Lived with Suffering and for God’s Glory

Seeing Him through suffering

2008-03-10T12:29:00.000-05:00

This post at Pyromaniacs (don't let the name scare you) may be a little brusk but it offers some good commentary on Job.
I'm Down

Psalm 119:50, Colossians 1:11b-12

2008-03-03T14:51:00.002-06:00

This is my comfort in my distress, that your promise gives me life. Psalm 119:50 NRSV

may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
Colossians 1:11b-12 NRSV

Tim Keller on Suffering and Evil

2008-02-25T19:30:00.000-06:00

Tim Keller on Suffering and Evil Posted on The Shepherd’s Scrapbook

A PRAYER FOR CLEANSING THE HEART AND OBTAINING HEAVENLY WISDOM

2008-02-18T17:04:00.000-06:00

Strengthen me by the grace of Your holy spirit, O God. Give me the power to be strengthened inwardly and to empty my heart of all vain care and anxiety, so that I may not be drawn away by many desires, whether for precious things or mean ones. Let me look upon everything as passing, and upon myself as soon to pass away with them, because there is nothing lasting under the sun, where all is vanity and affliction of spirit. How wise is he who thinks thus!

Give me, Lord, heavenly wisdom to learn above all else to seek and find You, to enjoy and love You more than anything, and to consider other things as they are, as Your wisdom has ordered them. Grant me prudence to avoid the flatterer and to bear patiently with him who disagrees with me. For it is great wisdom not to be moved by the sound of words, nor to give ear to the wicked, flattering siren. Then, I shall walk safely in the way I have begun.
--Thomas à Kempis - The Imitation of Christ

The Power of the Cross of Christ

2008-02-11T20:19:00.000-06:00

"Remember, he [the thief on the cross] was crucified. It was a crucified man trusting in a crucified Christ. Oh, when our frame is racked with torture, when the tenderest nerves are pained, when our body is hung up to die by we know not what great length of torment, then to forget the present and live in the future is a grand achievement of faith! While dying, to turn your eye to another dying at your side and trust your soul with Him is very marvelous faith."
- Charles Spurgeon, The Power of the Cross of Christ

Blogging about faith and depression

2008-02-04T17:46:00.000-06:00

Blogging about faith and depression from Think Christian

The Blessing of Unanswered Prayers

2008-01-28T13:05:00.000-06:00

I asked for strength that I might achieve;
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy;
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I had asked for,
but everything that I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered;
I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

— Unknown Confederate soldier

Testimony of James Boice

2008-01-21T11:44:00.000-06:00

As mentioned in the book Praying Backwards by Brian Chapell:
"The last time noted pastor and author James Montgomery Boice addressed his congregation before succumbing to cancer, he spoke of the trust that healing prayer includes."

If I were to reflect on what goes on theologically here, there are two things I would stress. One is the sovereignty of God. That’s not novel. We have talked about the sovereignty of God here forever. God is in charge. When things like this come into our lives, they are not accidental. It’s not as if God somehow forgot what was going on, and something bad slipped by. It’s not the answer that Harold Kushner gave in his book, Why Bad Things Happen to Good People. God does everything according to his will. We’ve always said that.

But what I’ve been impressed with mostly is something in addition to that. It’s possible, isn’t it, to conceive of God as sovereign and yet indifferent? God’s in charge, but he doesn’t care. But it’s not that. God is not only the one who is in charge; God is also good. Everything he does is good. And what Romans 12, verses1 and 2, says is that we have the opportunity by the renewal of our minds—that is, how we think about these things—actually to prove what God’s will is. And then it says, "His good, pleasing, and perfect will." Is that good, pleasing, and perfect to God? Yes, of course, but the point of it is that it’s good, pleasing, and perfect to us. If God does something in your life, would you change it? If you’d change it, you’d make it worse. It wouldn’t be as good. So that’s the way we want to accept it and move forward, and who knows what God will do?

Read the whole article (PDF file):
http://www.tenth.org/fileadmin/files_for_download/Pdf_articles/000507_JMB.pdf

HOPE – FOR THOSE WHO FEEL NO HOPE

2008-01-14T12:16:00.000-06:00

"This poem and the piece at the beginning are intended as an encouragement for those for whom the feeling of hope is a real struggle."

HOPE – FOR THOSE WHO FEEL NO HOPE - Wings of Madness message board

Living the Cross Centered Life

2008-01-03T14:34:00.000-06:00

"It's a fallen world, and there fore we will all suffer. So we must prepare, because the ideal time to be educated about suffering is never in the midst of it. We need to be trained prior to suffering so that we may be fully sustained in suffering.
C.J. Mahaney, Living the Cross Centered Life

CHRISTMAS CAROLS FOR THE MENTALLY ILL

2007-12-25T18:05:00.000-06:00

Schizophrenia -- Do You Hear What I Hear?

Multiple Personality Disorder -- We Three Kings Disoriented Are

Dementia -- Was I Going To Be Home for Christmas?

Narcissistic -- Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me

Manic -- Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and...

Paranoid -- Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Get Me

Borderline Personality Disorder -- Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire

Personality Disorder -- You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout, Maybe I'll Tell You Why

Attention Deficit Disorder -- Silent Night, Holy Oooh look at the Nativity, Can I have a chocolate, Why is Santa's suit red?

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder -- Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle, Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle
Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle...

2 Corinthians on Suffering

2007-12-20T11:43:00.000-06:00

Suffering 1
Suffering 2
Suffering 3
Suffering 4

A Good Soldier

2007-12-15T18:45:00.000-06:00

2 Timothy 2:3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. (ESV)

'You have been called to endure hardship, and every Christian who has gone before you has had his share. And although you haven’t yet shed blood for your faith (Hebrews 12:4), you will experience hardship as a Christian for your faithfulness–count on it. Jesus said, "If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20). But be encouraged for He also said, "In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Jesus is the perfect Commander who leads by example and will bring you to certain victory in the end.'

Read the whole article:
http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/12/03/a-good-soldier/

Hebrews 4:15-16

2007-12-10T12:17:00.001-06:00

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Be Still, My Soul

2007-12-06T12:00:00.000-06:00

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.

Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

Katharina A. von Schlegel, in Neue Sammlung Geistlicher Lieder, 1752 (Stille, meine Wille, dein Jesus hilft siegen); translated from German to English by Jane L. Borthwick in Hymns from the Land of Luther, 1855.

Birthdays

2007-12-03T17:32:00.000-06:00

For most of my adult life I've hated it when my birthday comes up. This year I was starting to feel the dread because I always get more depressed as it gets closer.

There are a few reasons I don't like my birthdays, the main one being that I wish I wasn't born. Life is too (increasingly) difficult and this world is fraught with evil and suffering.

I've been going through 2 Corinthians and I'm familiar with this verse in NIV:

2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

But going through it in other versions really struck me:

2 Corinthians 4:17 NASB For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,

2 Corinthians 4:17 NRSV For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure,

If I were to say that the glory in heaven will be 900 trillion tons and our suffering here, as bad as it can be, is like one tenth of a gram, that wouldn't show enough of a difference because that isn't "beyond all measure."

This year God is teaching me to hope for heaven and have faith that when that time comes around, it will have been more than worth it and I will be very glad that I was born so that I could be with God forever.

It doesn't make this life much easier but I need to ask God to give me the grace to have faith that it will be as He says it will be and experience the hope for heaven in this life.

When You're Too Tired To Pray

2007-11-27T12:30:00.000-06:00

When a big stressor comes along or when you're wiped out for any other reason it can be difficult to even have the strength to pray when that's what you need to do most. God knows our weakness as mentioned in Psalm 73:26: "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (NRSV)

Here are some steps I believe God led me through during one of these times.

Just "be" in God's presence. No words are necessary. You may not feel God's presence--just acknowledge that He's everywhere and knows you and your situation. Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God."

Pray a written out prayer that you know is God's will. I have these:
http://www.eternallifeministries.org/prayers.htm
and other prayers formatted and printed in a binder for these occasions or when I just want a change. Also see the Prayer category here.

Talk to God about how you feel as opposed to your regular devotional/prayer routine. Sometimes you can just talk to yourself without even praying directly to God. Psalm 62:8 says in part to "pour out your heart before Him". (NRSV)

Spend a short amount of time reading (as opposed to studying) the Bible like one Psalm.

My thinking is not necessarily to do all of these things at once, but as you have the energy.

2 Corinthians 1:5

2007-11-23T00:17:00.000-06:00

For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. (NRSV)

2007-11-20T18:24:00.000-06:00

"But what kept me going more than anything else was my confidence in the character of God."
--Ravi Zacharias quoting Charles Cooper

We absolutely must read and study the Bible in order to know God's character and take refuge in Him.

Psalm 103:13-14

2007-11-18T11:32:00.001-06:00

As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
For he knows how we were made;
he remembers that we are dust.

Psalm 10:1,17

2007-11-14T11:19:00.000-06:00

Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

Lamentations 3:25

2007-11-12T12:29:00.000-06:00

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him; (NIV)

Psalm 34:18

2007-11-07T12:40:00.000-06:00

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,
and saves the crushed in spirit. (NRSV)

Praying the Psalms

2007-11-02T09:41:00.000-05:00

I started praying the Psalms as mentioned previously.

Not all Psalms are prayers. However I learned that there are still things to pray about in each Psalm.

Do I participate in what "sinners" participate in? Do I mock others? Gently convict me and help me to repent.

Help me to delight in Your Word and to meditate on it more often.

Thank you that I am blessed and that You watch over me.

Psalm 1 (TNIV)
1 Blessed are those
who do not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,

2 but who delight in the law of the LORD
and meditate on his law day and night.

3 They are like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will be destroyed.

Isaiah 42:3

2007-10-31T19:33:00.001-05:00

a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. (ESV)

What Did I Do To Deserve...?

2007-10-27T17:32:00.001-05:00

What did I do to deserve this awful condition I'm in?

How come I explain myself over and over and nobody understands?

What happened to me that my dreams torment me every night?

What did I do to receive God's mercy?

What did I do so that He chose me?

What did I do so that my spiritual zeal increases as my condition worsens?

The answer is nothing.

Which would I rather have--normal mental and physical health with much less spiritual growth or the spiritual growth I've been experiencing without the chronic suffering? I can't answer that yet but as time goes on I'm more and more thankful for the spiritual growth and the opportunity to know Him so much better because of what He's doing.

I hate my life. I love God. He will be glorified. Someday, sometime it will have been worth it.

Am I Praying In God's Will -- Or Against It?

2007-10-22T12:41:00.000-05:00

When to Be Bold and Persistent with Requests
http://nehemiah.gospelcom.net/praywill4.htm

Psalm 55:22

2007-10-21T08:30:00.001-05:00

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous be shaken. (TNIV)

Secrets of Contentment

2007-10-19T11:06:00.000-05:00

Secrets of Contentment By John MacArthur

This is a continuing series.