A Bridal Bouquet of Encouragement

Jesus warned His followers (us) that we aren't promised a rose-garden-kind-of-life. In fact, He said:

"In this world you will experience sorrows, troubles of many kinds, and great difficulty, BUT you will also be comforted, discover peace, and find courage - - because I have overcome the world (Peg's paraphrase of John 16:33)."

I love the way Eugene Peterson paraphrased this verse:

“I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world.” (John 16:33, MSG).

So, I guess I wonder why I'm surprised when trouble crosses my threshold?

Even more, why am I confused thinking I deserve something different?

Tough-times are simply the way of life. 

But, this week, I've been mentally cataloguing some of the hardships, trials and struggles I've experienced.

You know what has made these times bearable?

Of course, the Sunday school answer is "Jesus." 

After all, John 16:33 makes it clear that because He has won the war over all of life's distractions, the possibilities of our attaining peace amidst the pieces of life are assured.  

After all, He is the Good Shepherd (see last week's post).

Yet, there's something else.

I've found a common denominator in all the painful trials of life: 

People

That's right, people...the very thing that can be the number one thief of joy in our lives is also one of the very things the Lord uses to bring endurability. 

As I remember the past "stuff," what comes to mind are the people who walked with me through it. 

I'll use the first memory the Lord brought to mind.

Bay graduated from college, with a hopeful career in the NBA ahead of him. 

We began making plans for, not just a new career, but a home, a community, and a family, because now all that looked "affordable." 

BUT GOD...

(I do love those two words!)

The Lord soon revealed to us a different plan. His plan. One that never crossed our minds...

With a phone call from an assistant coach, and a soon to follow visit to Southern California, we were challenged to consider stepping out of the NBA for a "season" and helping to make a name for the Athletes in Action branch of Campus Crusade for Christ, along with learning more about sharing our faith: basketball being the venue.

I don't have space, or words, to share the entire way the Lord clearly showed us this was, indeed, His will, but instead of taking the offer given by the Seattle Supersonics, when Bay was drafted the 19th player in that year's draft, off we went to Southern Cal.

First stop...Campus Crusade headquarters in Arrowhead Springs. 

Once there, nothing really went as planned.

Just prior to our move, I'd discovered we were expecting our first child. 

Unfortunately, just fresh into this pregnancy I began battling pneumonia. 

Unable to take real cough medicine, I substituted whatever the doctors suggested to prevent coughing up a lung (which it sounded like I might do with every hack). 

In the meantime, we were attending amazing orientation classes, learning from some incredibly godly men (like Bill Bright, founder of Cru) and women, and walking up and down hills going from meeting to meeting.

So it was, in the midst of worshiping, growing spiritually, and understanding more about evangelism, I began to bleed.

We called a doctor, who recommended bed-rest, but within hours in the midst of yet another class, I excused myself due to severe cramping, and soon realized, I had miscarried our first baby.

In the meantime, as we rushed to the closest hospital in San Bernardino, I lost a significant amount of blood, needing a transfusion. So, there I stayed, hospitalized for a couple of days. 

BUT...the out-pouring of love, the comfort from our new teammates, the support from the Cru staff (including a gift of the bouquet from Bill & Vonette Bright's daughter's wedding that same afternoon), helped do exactly what John 16:33 promised: bring comfort, peace, and courage for the journey. 

The Lord definitely ministered to me through His Word bringing huge doses of Hope.

However, the folks He brought into my life strengthened my soul deeply. So much so, I still sense the spirit of peace that washed over me and helped me KNOW WITHOUT QUESTION, God would truly use this bad for good. 

Why this story?

Because. Because of 2 Corinthians 1:3-5. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

Just as the Good Shepherd comforts us in all our afflictions, He wants to use our story of comfort to comfort others.

The Lord will turn the tables on trials, so that we can be Jesus' arms and feet, hands and mouths, bridal bouquets and words of encouragement to those in need. 

What a blessed opportunity to see redemption in the midst of our messy HARD. 

The Lord allows us to share in suffering with Him, that we might receive His soul-soothing comfort, and, then, turn around and generously give it away.

Who in your world right now, needs the comfort with which you've been comforted?

Maybe you've been put...

to be the PRESENCE OF GOD!

The Gospel in action.

Bummer, Lamb!

There's a story...

It must be true.

I read it on the internet, so... 😳 

Yet, true or not, it drives home a point; so here goes:

XXXXX

Every once in a while, a mama sheep (ewe) will give birth to a lamb and reject it. 

There are a lot of possibilities as to why; but, suffice it to say, that if her baby is returned to mama, she will simply kick it away, again.

Once she's made up her mind about the lamb, Mama Ewe never changes it. 

Shepherds tell us that this little lamb will hang its head so low that it almost looks as if the neck is broken.

The lamb's spirit (obviously) has been!

Shepherds call these rejected lambs, "bummer lambs," and, unless there is a "good shepherd" watching their flock, that little cast away babe will die.

Awwww-but, a good shepherd gathers up that baby and carries him home, where he will hand feed, keep warm by the fire, wrap with blankets, and hold that wee one so close to his chest, that the little bummer-lamb will feel his heart-beat. 

He will speak softly into the little lamb's ear and care for him until the babe is capable of living in the field with the rest of the sheep.

BUT...

The sheep never forgets the Shepherd, because his experience with the Shepherd tells him, the Shepherd can be trusted!

He is, after all, a "GOOD" Shepherd. 

So, when the Shepherd comes to the field and calls for the flock, who is the first to come to him?

Of course! The bummer lamb. 

He knows that voice intimately. 

He knows he is loved.

He has experienced that love fully.

He KNOWS and trusts the shepherd.

In the midst of everything, he is content. 

XXXXX

Sometimes, we feel just like the bummer lamb. 

Those who were supposed to love us, reject us...and, if it's not a loved one, life, itself, has a way of kicking out at us, bringing immense pain and turmoil.

Sometimes, we pick ourselves up and go back to try again, only to be pushed away another time.

So, we hang our heads, spirits broken, and wander off into a corner with all the emotions of a bummer lamb. 

We don't understand the why, but we can get to know the WHO...

Near to us all, with an outstretched arm, stands a Good Shepherd, who wants to bring us into His home, to warm us by His fire, to comfort us close to His heart, and whisper words that will heal our broken souls...

...IF WE WILL LET HIM.

It's a big ask for someone beat down and abandoned. 

It's not easy for a lamb that's walked a hard road.

Trials, hardships, difficulty, suffering, all make us want to crawl into a corner and isolate.

Trust doesn't come easily. 

That's why throughout Scripture, those who've experienced the same kind of HARD, write about the Good Shepherd who can be trusted. 

They've risked reaching for His outstretched hand, taken a chance on getting to know Him, and proven Him to be all that He says He is. 

Those who've KNOWN Him, written about Him, and proved Him faithful want us to know we can experience the same. 

They key is in the word "KNOW," as in INTIMATELY!

The Apostle Paul, in all his letters, but especially in Philippians wants us to understand that "knowing Jesus" is key to having a strong theology of suffering and surviving all life throws our way.

It's an invitation, really...not just from the Apostle Paul, but from the Good Shepherd, Himself.

He wants us to know Him...

For as we know Him, so goes our ability to trust Him.

As we trust Him, so is our love for Him.

As we love Him, so is our ability to run to Him, when we hear His voice.

And, when we hear His voice, our souls settle into whatever life may throw our way...

We can make friends with our circumstances, because we know, trust, love, and lean into a Shepherd who is always, at all times, forever (!) for us...

We have a Good Shepherd who can turn everything into good.

Just like He is.

Haven't Gotten Past the Word "Put"

"Put for the gospel..."

Paul's words for life.

Words I shared in last week's post.

However, I simply can't move past that word: 

PUT

In my quest for settling a solid theology for suffering, I'm leaning into some of the most comforting thoughts!

1) The Lord makes use of all our heartaches and hardships, persecution and problems, trials and tribulations to develop our character and deepen our walks of intimacy...

Warren Wiersbe once said:

"The same God who used Moses' rod, Gideon's pitchers, and David's sling, used Paul's chains."  

 2) He uses EVERYTHING for our good and His glory... We can't see the "there and then" in the "here and now" (and, may never see it until heaven), but ALL THINGS are useful to the Master.

 

   3) No matter the circumstances, the Lord's presence is always with us, and He promises He will NEVER leave us! 

4) All our difficulties are for a season - there's always an end - and, in light of eternity what we endure is "momentary."

Last week, I discovered yet another comforting thought...

What if?

What if the Lord wants to use whatever present hardship I will ever face to promote the gospel through me, as His ambassador for the Kingdom?

What if my current struggles are my brand of chains? 

Let me share how I saw this played out in Rome at the recent conference I attended. 

On the last morning, before my final speaking session, the ladies are asked to share a particular story of how the Lord met them personally.

One very moving story stuck with me all the way through our debrief, and all the way home. It illustrates how God "puts" us...for the gospel...for His sake...and for other's sake. This is "Jane's" story...and, it's "Mary's" story, as well (names changed for protection).

A few year's back, Jane's life changed drastically following a car accident that left her with brain trauma. It frequently leaves her with vertigo, nausea, debilitating headaches; and, loss of balance is common. In the fall, Jane had signed up for the retreat in Prague, but was unable to attend due to severe, recurring bouts of vertigo. When the Rome retreat opened up, she, again, registered to come, and the Lord made a way. Jane was excited to meet with one of the massage therapists, the Chiropractor, and the Physical Therapist that were signed up to come on this particular retreat (BTW, first time I've been on a retreat where we've had a PT and Chiropractor) to see how they might advise her going forward.

The first night of the retreat, the craziness of travel, the noise of our chattering attendees, the bright lights in the conference room began to cause increasing dizziness in Jane, and she felt a desperate need to leave, but couldn't move due to her symptoms. Her small group leader, seemed to notice, and lightly touched her arm, saying, "You need to leave, don't you?" Mary, then guided Jane out of the room, and helped her get settled. 

How did Mary know? I'd spent an afternoon with Mary earlier in the week as she shared her story with me. Last summer, Mary was in a boating accident that left her with stroke like symptoms on the right side of her body, and, yep, a traumatic brain injury. It has taken Mary months of rehab to get to the place where she can walk without help and go back to work......as a massage therapist! She, too, had been signed up to go to the Prague retreat, but had to cancel...

Not only was Jane in Mary's small group, but Mary was her massage therapist, as well. Mary's accident "put" her in a position where she could minister to Jane in ways that NO ONE else could on our team. Because of her trials and struggles in recovery, she had an "in" to encourage Jane to keep on persevering, to have hope...and, to continue trusting Jesus for each step into every tomorrow.

But, there's more to the story. Jane did get to meet with the physical therapist (receiving exercises to continue at home), and several times with the chiropractor on our team. She had an hour long prayer session with one of our volunteers, a fresh new hair cut, and a pedicure. As Jane stood to share how the Lord met her in such a unique way, she said, "Not only have my symptoms subsided substantially over the week, and my balance improved greatly, but in every way God has met me and brought encouragement to my walk with him, to have peace about my health, and to carry on with the ministry where He has 'PUT' (yep, there's that word) me!"

"There is nothing...no circumstance, no trouble, no testing, that can ever touch me, until first of all, it has come past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment. But, as I refuse to become panicky; as I lift up my eyes to Him and accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing to my own heart; no sorrow will ever disturb me, no trial will ever disarm me, no circumstance will cause me to fret. For I shall rest in the joy of who my Lord is..."

-author unknown-

Consider yourself "put."

PUT for the Gospel (even in the most wicked of places)

As I type this, I’m still in Rome. It’s Thursday here… I come home on Sunday.

What a joy to walk streets and to stand in front of places where no doubt the Apostles Paul and Peter stood…to be where so many were martyred and spilled their blood for the faith. Their convictions ran deep and they BELIEVED the gospel enough to defend it with their lives. 

On Saturday, I will have the privilege of stepping inside the Coliseum: the place of gladiator games, exotic wild animal exhibitions, and execution of criminals (many of whom were Jesus-followers who refused to worship Roman Gods). The Coliseum at one time held between 50,000-80,000 attenders, averaging 65,000 who were hungry to watch blood shed for the purpose of entertainment. 

Hard to fathom, right? 

Even more, so sobering.

These “games,” unbelievably, lasted almost four centuries. 

I recall reading in Foxes Book of Martyrs about the day the games “ended”…just before the Coliseum was turned into a quarry. 

One man made the difference.

Did you catch that? ONE! MAN!

His name was Telemachus. 

His heart beat with a burden to speak out against the shedding of blood, the cruelty of the games, and the malevolent, barbaric, horrors of “creative” killing. 

The Lord had spoken to him.

The gospel was his mission.

To speak against the games as he defended the gospel became his entire purpose. 

So, he traveled to Rome from somewhere in Asia.

He happened to arrive on a day of celebration that followed some big military victory for the Roman army.

Telemachus approached the Coliseum and jumped over the wall, as two gladiators were in combat.

Stepping between them, he looked up at the crowds and began shouting his message, as they momentarily quieted at hearing his voice.

“In the name of Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings, I command these games be stopped. Do not requite God’s mercy by shedding innocent blood.”

 Disgruntled the onlookers began to throw down rotten fruit, daggers, stones, anything that could act as a “missile,” and the crowd screamed out with a cacophony of sound that accompanied those projectiles. 

Hoping to gain the crowd’s applause and favor, one of the two gladiators raised his battle axe and sunk it deep into the skull of Telemachus.

As his body fell lifeless to the ground, a shift took place among the crowd and silence profoundly fell over the arena. 

In that moment, as if the message born on the breeze tendered each individual heart, the crowd appeared to recognize a new truth:

BRAVERY AND COURAGE ARE MUCH GREATER IN POWER AND STRENGTH THAN ANY GLADIATOR.

Slowly, person by person, the crowd left the Coliseum and never returned. 

The games found their demise.

The appetites of the people began to change.

Bloodlust ceased.  

An interesting story, isn’t it?

Where's our Coliseum? 

What message would the Lord ask us to share? 

I can, but think of one thing.

It’s the same message, the same mission of Telemachus…it’s the gospel.

We, Jesus-Followers, are being asked to carry the gospel within our cities, our states, our countries, and throughout all the world.

Not embarrassed by it.

Not silent to it.

Not turning our heads.

Not loudly. Lovingly.

There is a gospel-illiteracy; yes, even in America, and we are all partly to blame.

There is an understanding among many with a canyon as wide as the Grand one in Arizona where the message is concerned.

It’s time to find our voices…

The Apostle Paul had found his years before this, but his challenge is forever true and for us today. 

…For I am put here for the defense of the gospel (Phil 1:16) - Paul, in prison.

Wherever you are…you have been “put” (ordained and appointed) for the gospel!

Go!

Joy in Suffering: Slavery

This past weekend, Bay and I had the privilege of stepping back into time. 

Well, it felt very much like we had done so. 

Months ago, we agreed to speak at a youth retreat for students from a variety of churches here in our hometown (and many who are totally "unchurched"). These are students who gather together for worship, study, and, of course, lots of fun.

For years, "youth-were-us" when it came to ministry. 

How we loved the students who walked through our doors! 

Our lives intersected at almost every juncture with how we could best present, and even re-present, Jesus to the best of our abilities.

As I've said before, we didn't do it perfectly, but we were wholeheartedly "for them" and for their spiritual well-being.

So, the opportunity this past weekend to come alongside some incredible teens, some pretty awesome leaders, and do what we used to do, felt fairly time-travel-ish. 

The only difference: names and faces had changed. Everything else remained the same. 

(Well, there IS one other difference. We are MUCH OLDER.)

We centered our talks around the theme of "Finding Joy."

 

Since I'd just begun studying Philippians (a book of joy), the whole theme fit my current trend of focus.

You can't get far into Philippians before you realize that for Paul, his joy equaled Jesus.

Knowing Jesus.

Reflecting on Jesus.

Living for Jesus.

Following Jesus. 

Dying for Jesus.

In fact, in Paul's greeting (1:1) lies one of his secrets to finding joy (synonymous with the word "contentment" in Philippians 4), even among the current trials of his life (imprisonment).

"Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus."

Paul considered himself a servant of Jesus (not just a simple servant); he saw himself a slave!

His key 🗝🗝 to joy is all wrapped up in the Greek the word "douloi (plural)." 

Here's the definition in Strongs Lexicon:  

A slave, a bondman, man of servile condition (metaphorically, one who gives himself up to another's will). Used of those whose service is devoted to Christ for the purpose of extending and advancing His cause among men. An individual devoted to another at the disregard of one's own interests.

Gordon Fee, well known theologian, who wrote the New International Commentary on Philippians says this:

While “servant,” found in most English translations, is an acceptable rendering, it also causes the English reader to lose something of its force. 

For the (basically Gentile) readers of this letter, this word would have only meant “slave.” 

Indeed, douloi were so common in Greco-Roman society that no one would have thought it to refer other than to those owned by, and subservient to, the master of a household. 

To be sure, the institution of slavery in antiquity was a far cry from racial slavery, as we know it... Even so, the slave in the Roman Empire was not a free person, but “belonged to” another. 

Thus, whatever else, the word carries connotations of humility and servitude.

A bond-slave chose servitude out of love, trust, relationship, identification with, and security. 

Paul knew this...fully assumed it, as he spoke that word into his letter.

He wanted those who read it to always remember where joy begins: 

...with a surrender to the ONE perfectly loving, kind, grace-filled, compassionate, long-suffering Lord, who proved the depths of His love at the cross. 

Jesus can be trusted, and, we can follow such a master, knowing His heart is absolutely, completely, at all times for us.

It takes all the weight of wondering "why" in our hardships and heartaches when we have a Lord who loves us like this!!!

Because He would allow nothing to touch our lives that wasn't first for our good and His glory in some very significant way!

That said, on Saturday night, Bay shared this message, and the Spirit of the Lord began to move.

As he brought the night to a close, students began to bend their knees in agreement - THIS JESUS IS WORTH SURRENDERING MY LIFE TO COMPLETELY...and as they did, we saw them enter into the JOY of their salvation. 

The only way to start a journey of joy amidst the struggles that life can bring? 

There is no question: 

...it begins with a mind-set on serving Jesus with everything in us, because we know what kind of Lord to whom we are offering our lives.