Hebrews 11:35-40 The Others

 

Hebrews 11:35-40 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Does the death of Jesus promise that our life on earth will not be hellish? What do the other believers listed in the Hall of faith tell us about suffering? Resources: Martyrdom: livinggodministries.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/audio_files/hebrews_51_ch12_1_martyrdom.mp3 https://share.google/TDuGhTo0ZaL3MlggM

Philippians 4:13 The Strength To Do All Things

 

Philippians 4:10-13 10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. What does Paul mean by living in plenty and living in want? How did Paul learn to be content? In what way does Jesus give us strength? Resources: Your Identity in Christ https://www.livinggodministries.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/identity.htm

The Promises of God

"...But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

The Bible is full of the promises of God to provide for and take care of His people. Some estimates have put the number of promises in the neighborhood of 3,000 or more. Regardless, God's promises are what bring Christians hope and stability in times of trouble. As one Christian author puts it, "From Genesis to Revelation we read of normal people that received the promises of God. These promises are sealed by the highest authority, God's word. In Hebrews 6:13 it says, "For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself."
When God makes a promise to his people, it will come to pass. What is a promise? A promise is a covenant or declaration that one will do exactly what they say or something will happen just as pledged." A promise is only as good as the one who makes it. Unfortunately, when we as humans make promises to each other there is always a risk associated with that promise because we are flawed human beings. There is not a person alive who hasn't had a promise broken or who hasn't broken a promise they have made to someone. How many times have you even made a promise knowing you were going to break it? You only made the promise to put off the consequences of telling somebody "No" when they asked you for something. These personal experiences have conditioned us to superimpose our experiences onto God and His promises. After all, what are some of the promises of God that we are most familiar with from the Bible? There is Jeremiah 29:11 which says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Then there is Malachi 3:10 that reads, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it."" Lastly, we have 2 Chronicles 7:14 where God promises that "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Now, we could go into whether or not these promises were made to Christians or if we can meet the conditions these promises hinged on in order for God to fulfill them. Regardless, they are promises God has made and many Christians claim to find hope and comfort in them. However, if we are honest, many of these same people do not experience the realization of these promises in their life. Despite holding on to these promises, their lives don't seem to resemble what God has promised. They are suffering and struggling through life and are not sure what to believe.

If this is your experience, there is hope for you. God has promised many things in the Bible. However, there are some promises that we often skip over or ignore completely because they are not the kind of promises that we want to cling to or trust God for in our lives. Promises like 1 Peter 4:12-13 that says, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."  Then there is this reminder from Paul in Philippians 1:29. "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him." Lastly, there are the words of Jesus Christ who said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble (John 16:33)." The broken promises we experience often lead to our suffering. If they do not, suffering will find us soon enough from the world we live in. However, rather than look at our sufferings as evidence that God's promises are somehow not for us, let us look at them as proof that they are for us. God promised we would suffer whether because of our faith as a Christian or simply from living in a fallen, sinful world. What did Jesus say about these times? He said for us to have peace in the midst of them because He has overcome the world. "Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 5:5)." It is because of your faith in Jesus Christ that you have overcome the world because He has overcome the world through His death and resurrection. Therefore, when you experience suffering do not get down on yourself as if it is a sign of your failure in the eyes of God and that His promises are not for you. Look at it as an opportunity to discover more about your God and who you are in Him because His promises have come true in your life. As was said earlier, a promise is only as good as the one making it. When we rest in the promises of God never lose sight of the God who made those promises. He is the ultimate promise we have had fulfilled through our faith. While it is great to experience the positive promises of God instead of the ones pertaining to suffering, the one constant is our God. He is the one that promised, "If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13)." It doesn't matter what promises of God you are experiencing, what matters is that the God who made those promises has given Himself to you through your faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Coming to our Senses

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!" Luke 15:17

It is Christmas morning and your kids open their gifts. The living room is filled with remote control cars, computer games, doll houses, and various electronic gifts. Then those dreaded words appear to the parent; "Some assembly required." But, as is so often the case, what do we see? The directions are ignored or discarded altogether and an attempt is made to assemble the gift without using the instructions. Then there is the family on a road trip. Most people today have navigation systems either on their smartphones or installed in their vehicles. Again, what do we see? The navigation system is not used because the driver is confident in their ability to arrive at the destination without any assistance. What has often been the result in both these scenarios? In the case of assembling the gift, hours go by and the gift is not put together. Or it is "assembled," but there are numerous unused parts lying all over the floor. The family on the road trip find themselves lost and the driver, in their pride, will not admit they are lost and refuses to ask for help. Ultimately, both the person assembling the gift and the driver is forced to admit they do not know what they are doing or where they are going. The instruction manual, that has been sitting nearby all day, is finally thumbed through in an effort to salvage the assembly process so the child can finally enjoy their gift. The driver either plugs the coordinates into the navigation system to try and find their location and make the adjustments to get back on track or, to speed things up, they ask someone familiar with the area for directions. How much time, effort and suffering could have been avoided if each person would have just followed the directions? Even as Christians, and I am just as guilty as the next person, we wait until we have exhausted all of our knowledge and resources trying to address a problem or circumstance before we seek God's guidance. Sometimes, especially if we figure out a solution to our problem, we never seek God's guidance at all. Granted, we don't necessarily need God's assistance in figuring out things like what to eat for breakfast. God has given us a mind to use and the freedom to make our own choices. But, there is nothing wrong with asking Him either. Imagine your surprise if God said, "Let's have pancakes today." There is a tendency to believe that God, despite our believing that we have a "personal relationship" with Him through faith in Jesus Christ, is only concerned with the big things in life; none of which seem to include us. We think that He is off concerning Himself with some global, universal or eternal event. And you know what? He probably is. But, remember, the same God that spoke the universe into existence is the same God that came to His creation as a baby boy. The little things matter.

We can easily think that God only speaks to the "important" people in life and does so in spectacular ways. After all, we see God speak to Moses through a burning bush, blind Paul in an incredible display of His glory on the road to Damascus and come to Peter in a vision to reveal His plan for the Gentiles. Therefore, when it comes to our own lives we can feel as if He is not concerned with us or that He is only going to come to our aid as a last resort. So, we make the majority of our decisions without including Him. Are we actually taking the time to have a direct conversation with Him through either scripture study, prayer, just calling out to Him or all of the above before we exhaust our own personal resources and have to come to Him in desperation? There are many applications for the story of the prodigal son. It is a story of redemption. It is a story illustrating a lost person coming to faith in Jesus Christ. It is a story showing God uniting the Jew and Gentile into one. I am sure there are other applications as well. However, in the middle of the story, we see one thing that can apply to this particular conversation about our life in Christ. At the beginning of Luke 15:17 we read, "When he came to his senses ..." The prodigal son took his inheritance, wasted it, suffered for it and when he came to his senses, returned home to his father. We have been given an inheritance as a result of our faith in Jesus Christ. We have God living in us through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Because of this, we have also been given the mind of Christ. In every personal relationship a person has, when a decision has to be made, they go their significant other and, together, make a plan of action. Why would it be any different with the King of the Universe? Christians have something nobody else has, although it is available to everybody; God!!! He should always be the one we go to initially to seek guidance from on any and every decision we make; whether it be breakfast or something life-changing. He is more than the instruction manual. He is the Author of it! He is more than our navigation system. He created the roads we drive on! Jesus told us that we would have trouble in this world. He told us that the rain falls on the just and the unjust. Suffering is a part of this world and often times it is unavoidable regardless of what we do. However, we may be able to avoid some of it or mitigate the damage it does to our lives and live above those circumstances if we would just consult the Lord first in our decision-making process instead of having to come to our senses after we have made a mess of things. Thankfully, regardless of the decisions we make, our God is there waiting for us with compassion like the father of the prodigal son.

Our Present Sufferings

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18

Why was I abused? Why was I almost killed? Why did my father beat my mother? Why am I tormented every day? Why did I get a divorce? Why did my spouse leave me? Why don't my children love me? Why can't I find a job? Why am I sick? Why don't I have enough money? Why am I alone? Why isn't my life going as planned? Does this sound like something you have said? Perhaps you know people who have asked this question or similar ones. Nearly everybody on the planet has uttered these questions and often times directed them towards God. It is heartbreaking to see people suffer regardless of the circumstances. Even worse is that people often suffer through no fault of their own. They are the victim of the choices that others have made that have directly impacted their lives. Too often, when people ask these questions there is a premise they have accepted that prevents them from understanding the suffering they experience. That premise is that they believe they are supposed to have a life free from suffering. It is why so many people live life in an attempt to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. When the pain in their lives is greater than the pleasure, God gets the blame! They will ask, "If I am so special, why am I suffering like this?" The simple answer as to why we suffer is because of sin. "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned ... (Romans 5:12)" We suffer because of the sinful and fallen world we live in. Even the world and all of creation suffer because of sin; "For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now (Romans 8:22)." But, when it comes directly to the individual suffering we experience, especially from others, it is because, "The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5)." The bottom line is that mankind is ultimately responsible for the suffering of this world. God said as much by declaring that every intention of our heart is continually evil. And what is the result of an evil heart? Abuse, killings, torment, divorce, abandonment, hatred and so on. All the things we suffer are not because God is causing them, but because we chose not to believe Him and sin entered the world.

As Christians, we should expect to suffer; not just from the trials of living in a fallen world, but also from sharing the message of the Gospel. However, there is a point to all of the suffering. Jesus Christ said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33).” Paul said, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)." Peter said, "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast (1 Peter 5:10)." And James wrote, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:2-4)." Do you see the common thread? God allows us to suffer because of what the suffering produces in us. It confirms the truth of what Jesus Christ said would happen to us. As God brings us through our suffering it gives us the ability to help others who are suffering and to testify about what our God did for us in the midst of our suffering. It teaches us to be strong, firm and steadfast in the faith. And it teaches us to stay the course despite difficulties or delays in achieving our goal. Nobody enjoys suffering. My prayer is that you can avoid as much of it as is humanly possible. However, the lack of suffering can easily lead to a person not developing the traits previously mentioned. It is said that diamonds are formed in the earth after being subjected to pressure as strong as 725,000 pounds per square inch.  Trees need wind to blow against them because it causes their root systems to grow deeper, which supports the tree as it grows taller. If something as precious as a diamond and as beautiful as a tree is formed after "suffering" through the extremes of nature, what can God create in you from the suffering you endure in this world?

Walking by Sight, not by Faith

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7

In 2015, a woman named Darlene lost her 14 year-old daughter to an asthma attack. Understandably, still grieving, Darlene shared her feelings during a conversation about, "Your Dreams and God's Plan." She said, "I don't like the story. I don't like the story He (God) wrote for me. I hate it. And I'm mad about it! And it sure doesn't feel like His plans won't harm me or my daughter for that matter." It is devastating to hear of Darlene's loss and her struggle with trying to make sense of it all. She is in my prayers. However, the reasons she gives as to why she is angry at God, reflects some error in her thinking that many Christians share about the scriptures. It sounds like she is referring to Jeremiah 29:11 when she talks about God's plans "won't harm" her or her daughter. That verse reads, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." If this is the verse she is referring to, what Darlene, and others, need to understand is that this verse of scripture was not written to her or individual Christians. This verse was written "to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon (Jeremiah 29:1)." It was a promise to the nation of Israel, not to individual Christians. This doesn't mean God, in Christ, won't bless us or protect us from harm, but to take a promise He didn't make to you and then get angry at Him for seemingly not fulfilling that promise says more about us then it does Him. Furthermore, I am unaware where it says that God wrote the "story" of her life or any of our lives, where He specifically says she would lose her daughter from an asthma attack at age 14. That is not the God I know and have placed faith in. What the Lord has written is that we would experience tribulation, but that He has overcome the world (John 16:33). He goes on to tell us that He sends rain on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). We are not immune to the sufferings of this world. However, when they do strike us, we can go to Him and see what it is we can learn about Him and us in the midst of tragedy. Then as He leads us and guides us, we will learn to find comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3) in what He reveals to us and then, in time, we can share that with those who we come in contact with and comfort them (2 Corinthians 1:4). I am reminded that God, in Christ, lost His child. In fact, He willingly gave Him up. Therefore, He is not unfamiliar with the pain Darlene, and those like her, have experienced. 

Too often the circumstances of life, combined with a misunderstanding of scripture, leads us to taking our focus off of Jesus and put it on to ourselves. Therefore, we can live our lives as if we have gotten the scriptures backwards. We tend to live by sight, instead of living by faith. Living by sight means we end up judging God's love for us based off of the ups and downs of our lives. So, when tragedy strikes we look at God as if He has "forsaken" us, is not "faithful," does not "love" us, and like we have been "snatched" from His hands. However, living by faith is understanding His truths and then responding to the circumstances of life accordingly. There is the example of a couple named Reed and Marian taken from the book, "Grace Stories." Reed and Marian had a 6 year-old daughter named Wendy. Wendy was a passenger in a car which was traveling on slick roads caused by a rain storm. The driver of the car Wendy was in lost control, crashed across the median and into oncoming traffic. Wendy was thrown from the car and killed instantly.  A few weeks later Reed was asked, "How are you holding up? How have you learned to deal with the loss of Wendy?" Reed replied, "Let me tell you about that ... Marian and I look at it this way. What if God had come to us six years ago and made us an offer: 'Reed and Marian, I have a little girl, a daughter of Mine, named Wendy. She's only going to be on earth for six years. But I need someone who will love her, look after her, and teach her about Me for those six years. Then I'm going to take her home to Me. So, I wonder: Would you like Me to give her to you, realizing that those are the conditions, or should I offer her to someone else?' Marian and I both would have said, 'Oh, yes, Lord. Give her to us!' And that's just what we feel that God has done." Now, this doesn't mean that Darlene should feel the same way. Everybody grieves differently. However, the reaction of Reed and Marian to the loss of their daughter shows one of an understanding who God is, who they are through faith in Jesus, and how He works in the midst of the pain and suffering we go through. It is a response of faith, not one of sight. My prayer for Darlene, and those like her, is that in her anger at God she will experience His comfort and find out the truth about what He has promised, namely that He will never leave her or forsake her, and that will carry her forward. The pain of losing her child will probably never completely go away, but I pray that she will realize that while time doesn't heal all wounds, Jesus does. "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3)."

Rock Bottom

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27

Never give up! Never quit! If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. If you fall off that horse, get back on. Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. If you stumble, get back up! When you are going through Hell, keep going! When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on! These and many other "motivational" sayings are all based around the idea that failing or quitting is the enemy. However, when it comes to spiritual matters I would like to share a quote that flies in the face of all of this, yet may be one of the best things you ever hear. "If you have reached the end of your rope, grease that sucker and let go!" This is unconventional thinking. Everyone and everything around us tells us that if we give up we are somehow a failure or less of a person. We even see drugs advertised on television for depression as if being in a constant state of bliss and happiness is the norm. When life gets you down, when you fail at something, when circumstances don't go your way, or whatever it may be, there is nothing wrong with giving up and you certainly don't necessarily need a drug to mask your feelings of hurt and pain from the negative events that have taken place. A testimony is described as a, "public profession of a religious experience." To a Christian it simply means, "This is the story of how I came to faith in Jesus Christ." How often have you heard a Christian give their testimony and it was filled with nothing,but good times and great experiences? Me neither. My testimony certainly wasn't that way. Yet, all we get from the world, and sometimes from the pulpit, is a message of keep going, keep striving and so on. Have you ever known someone who is struggling with something, perhaps like an addiction, and all you wondered to yourself is, "When will they hit rock bottom?" Your hope is that a person will get so sick of their circumstances that they will finally start to turn their life around. That is why many Christian testimonies are so powerful. They are full of people testifying of how they hit rock bottom and found Jesus waiting for them.

Loss of loved ones. Narrowly escaping death. Addictions. Overdoses. Financial Ruin. Criminal Behavior. Broken hearts. Violent encounters. Tragic events. Lies. Cheating. Deception. Secrets. Secret lives. The list is endless. These are the types things you hear in your average testimony. In many cases, in the attempt to try and heed the advice given by all these motivational sayings, it leads people into all manner of destruction in their private and public lives. In Matthew 7, Jesus talks about a "wise builder" as one who builds his house on a rock. Why? Because when the rain came, the stream rose and the wind blew and beat against the house, it did not fall because it was built on the rock. What can falling rain, rising water and destructive winds be compared to if not the sufferings of life. Jesus also talked about the "foolish builder" as the one who built his home on the sand. When the rain, rising water and blowing wind came, his house was destroyed because the sand could not withstand the pounding of the elements. The sand is putting your hope, faith and trust in anything, but Jesus, and constantly relying on your own self-effort to get you through those storms in life. However, when those storms blow your house down the blessing is not in trying to rebuild your home on the sand, but to turn to God and let him build your house on the rock. Sometimes giving up and letting go is the only way you can hit rock bottom. Then you will be like me and thousands of other Christians who have learned the greatest truth in life; When your life hits rock bottom, you discover that the rock is Jesus! Then maybe you will be like David when he said, "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;  my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent people you save me (2 Samuel 22:2-3)." Hitting rock bottom may be the best thing that ever happens to you.

God Winks

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:17-18

Recently, I was listening to people give praise to God for events that had occurred in their lives. There were a few stories surrounding the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and how people were spared being involved. A man missed going into work that morning because his son started kindergarten. Another person was charged with bringing donuts to work and was running late. An alarm clock didn't go off on time. Another person missed their bus. A lady spilled food on her clothes and had to change. A car that didn't start. Someone else had to go back to answer the telephone. A man who was wearing new shoes and developed a blister on his foot, stopped to buy a bandage. Then there were other stories. A son who survived cancer. Another child who fell 40 feet from a tree and survived. A woman narrowly escaping death after being hit by a taxi cab. All these stories and similar ones were said to be "God Winks;" God protecting you and keeping you from being harmed or killed during a time when you are caught up in the hustle and bustle of life. These are great anecdotal stories which for those involved remind them of what they believe was God's protection in their lives. That may be the case and praise God for it. Yet we all know that over 3,000 people died during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. We also know that people die from cancer, being hit by cars, from falls and many sorts of other things every day that have their own strange stories attached to them. Did God not "wink" at them? In Hebrews 11, there is a list of people given who one may say experienced a "God Wink." They were those "who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again (Hebrews 11:33-35a)." But, the author of Hebrews goes one step further. "There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—  the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground (Hebrews 11:35b-38)." Did God forget to "wink" at them so they would have avoided all this suffering? No, they were commended for their faith along with those who did not suffer. That brings me to my point.

In Daniel 3, we have Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to serve the gods of Nebuchadnezzar or worship the image of gold that he set up. Nebuchadnezzar gave them one last chance to worship his golden image or be thrown into the fiery furnace. The three didn't deny the charges against them and even went so far as to not defend themselves. Why? Because they knew their God was able to deliver them from the furnace. However, they say one thing that I believe often goes unnoticed in much of Christianity today. They say, "But even if he does not deliver us." They knew God could deliver them, but that He had not promised He would nor was He obligated to do so. We often here it taught that because of our faith in Jesus Christ we are somehow promised not to suffer at all, much less be thrown into a fiery furnace. Sometimes there is a condition tied to it such as having "faith to move Mountains". But, as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego knew all too well, it isn't about having faith to move mountains, but knowing that the object of their faith was the God who created the Mountains! When it comes to the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, God illustrates His brilliance. Did He prevent them from being thrown in the fire? No, they were thrown into the furnace. But, what happened next? "Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods (Daniel 3:24-25).” The fire did not harm them and, even better, God was visibly seen with them in the fire! That is the promise of God; that He goes through the fire with us. Sometimes we survive unscathed, but even if we do not He is still with us. So, while we can glorify God when He protects us from harm, He is still with us when we do experience harm. Perhaps, as was the case with Nebuchadnezzar, our suffering or avoidance of it can be used by God so others will glorify Him. After Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, "for no other god can save in this way (Daniel 3:29)." No truer words have ever been spoken. Who knows? Maybe Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego went through all of that so Nebuchadnezzar could experience a "God Wink."

The Journey Begins: Reconciling the God of the Old Testament with the God of the New Testament

The following is a letter my pastor received followed by his response.

"I don't usually write pastors  of other churches for advise, but after 
hearing some of your radio broadcasts, I feel like you may be able to 
help.  My husband and I have been married for over 25 years.  God has 
blessed us with a great marriage and 3 wonderful kids.  My husband has 
always believed he is a Christian but even a few weeks before we married 
he shared his doubts about God.  Over the past 25 years he has become 
more clear in some areas and less clear in others.  He cannot seem to 
reconcile the God of the OT with the God of the NT.  In the OT he sees a 
God that is willing to kill entire countries at will and even commands 
it to be so.  He sees the God of the new testament as loving but I don't 
think he has ever been able to get beyond a head knowledge of His love 
for him personally and truly believe he is loved by God.  He hears 
people at church speak of "feeling" God's presence and has never had 
that experience.  It continues to be all head knowledge and that really 
bothers him  He doesn't understand the idea of "relationship" with God 
when it all head knowledge and he can't feel or hear him in any way. He 
has gotten to the point that he even doubts that he is Christian.  We 
have begged and pleaded with God to help him be certain, but to no 
avail.  He is constantly in the word and praying.  He has sought 
counsel, but really not found any answers.  It doesn't help that we go 
to a church that believes God did not not choose everyone, but only 
some.  We love our church, but that adds to the idea that God is mean 
and vengeful.  I don't believe in predestination the way my church 
believes and they don't preach that from the pulpit, but it is the lens 
through which my pastor reads the bible.

Since you have a such a great knowledge of the old testament, is there 
anyway you would be able to help him see that God is love!  My husband 
is hungry for God to show up, but He has been quiet for a long time.  I 
see God at work and he has done a wonderful work in our kids, but my 
husband's struggles are getting deeper and even causing some 
depression.  He seems weighed down by the world.

I would love any insight that you might have.  I am sure you get a lot 
of letters and your time is valuable, but as a sister in Christ, I would 
be so grateful.

//  Reply ***************************************

Thank you for writing.  I really do appreciate it.  I understand your 
hesitation in writing about this, but please believe me when I tell you 
that what you have said is not unusual at all.  I do get a lot of 
letters, and most of them sound just like the one you wrote. I am 
presently broadcasting out of Denver, Colorado Springs, Los Angeles, San 
Diego and now Dallas/Ft. Worth.  Hundreds of thousands of people are 
listening to the programs I have been able to produce through Living God 
Ministries, and I have a reasonable estimate from past data that 
approximately 156,000 people this year will experience significant life 
change as a result of the programs that have already been produced.  
Those changes are directly related to what you described.

I just started broadcasting in your area, but I know how to read the 
internet traffic patterns to be able to say with confidence that you are 
not alone.  There are so many people who live in secrecy in your part of 
the country, struggling with the issues you described and don't know 
what to do.  They are listening to me, and beginning to grow in their 
faith, but they don't want to tell anyone yet.  The implications of what 
I have been broadcasting are substantial.

The first thing I am going to ask you to do is give me a chance. What I 
mean by that is to seriously spend time in the radio archive I have 
produced.  This is going to take some time to work through, but I have 
had so many people who have been through this that I can say with 
confidence that what you would like to see happen will.

To be a little more direct, the people who are using the words, 
"feeling" and "relationship" might be using those words to hide the fact 
that they don't have any, "feelings" or "relationship" either. They can 
be very intimidating, and make you feel really inadequate, but they 
might very well be trying to elevate themselves by making you feel 
small.  This is not always the case of course, but it happens enough 
that I thought it would be appropriate to mention it.

To reconcile some of the concerns between the God of the OT with the God 
of the NT is going to take some time.  I of course do not distinguish 
between the God of the OT or the NT, but I do distinguish between the 
two different covenants, the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.  The 
answer to his concern is going to come from a better perspective of the 
big picture.  There are two areas to start in.  The first area is the 
subject of the Gospel.  He needs to improve his understanding of the 
problem between God and Humanity, and the solution God provided.  The 
second area is to understand the purposes and reasons for each 
covenants.  Once he gets a a solid understanding of these two areas, 
something like the programs I did on suffering would be like a 
defibrillator that will jump start him.  So, the following from the 
second section of the radio archive would be a suggested list to start with:

Everlasting Covenant
Everlasting Passover
The Gospel
How Will the Grace of God Guide Us
The Image of God
The Lamp of God
Suffering

If he makes it through these programs, the next step would be to take a 
break and go through some of the programs in the first section of the 
archive.  Just pick some topics that seem unusual. Stay away from the 
verse by verse studies in the third section of the archive for now.  
After a break spending some time in the first section, he is going to 
need to go through the series of programs on Forgiveness at the 
beginning of the second section.  Then get back with me.

A direct link to the archive page is the following:
http://www.newcovenantinstitute.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/index.htm"