Category: contentment

In Every Thing Give Thanks

Thursday, November 28, 2013

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

Dear saints, take a moment this Thanksgiving to learn a valuable lesson from the Holy Scriptures!

God wants “all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3,4). To be “saved” here means you have been rescued from the penalty of sin (hell and the lake of fire), and that you have a home in heaven, because you have trusted the death, shed blood, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as sufficient payment for your sins. To “come unto the knowledge of the truth” is when a person who has trusted Christ, begins to understand why God saved him or her, and how God will use him or her for His glory. Although soul salvation is instantaneous, spiritual maturity is a life-long process (that is especially true regarding handling difficulties, the grace way!).

It is human nature to avoid difficulties and stress, to flee them, rather than confront them. This self-preservation is advantageous, particularly in “life or death” situations. However, running from troubling circumstances is not the way God has designed our life in Christ to function. Today’s Scripture says, “In every thing give thanks,” not “For every thing give thanks.” We do not thank God for our troubles; we thank God while we are enduring those troubles. This is tough, I know, but it takes time for us to learn it. Even the Apostle Paul had to learn this.

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:11-13).

Be thankful in every thing. God’s grace is sufficient for you, dear saint, in all of life’s circumstances. When you learn this, you are “[coming] unto the knowledge of the truth.”

*Excerpted from our Thanksgiving 2012 Bible study with the same name. That study can be read here or watched here.

A Refuge in the Storms of Life

Sunday, November 17, 2013

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13 KJV).

Here is an encouraging study for our dear Christian grace brethren in the Philippines….

We greatly rejoice in our Lord Jesus Christ, having recently received electronic reports that you, our Filipino grace brethren in Christ, are still accessing our online studies. You have survived the recent mega-typhoon, and you are now privileged with this opportunity of sharing the Word of God’s Grace with your kinsmen in the flesh, who need its hope and joy now more than ever. May you bring our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, the Person whose grace now sustains you and whose peace now comforts you, to them, that they too can be equipped in Him to endure all of life’s trials, troubles, and tragedies.

Brethren, we cannot imagine what struggles you are facing, but rest assured, you are on our hearts, and you are in our thoughts and prayers. On behalf of the Christian grace believers here in the United States, I can assure you that we are sending donations to assist you in recovery.

Most importantly, we greatly encourage you to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1). The Apostle Paul—himself in a prison in Rome—wrote in today’s Scripture that he learned to be content, no matter what his circumstances:

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:11-13).

Whether we have everything in the material world or we have nothing in the material world, we are still “complete in [Christ]” (Colossians 2:10). Our souls are still secure forever, and Christ has equipped us to handle all of life’s issues until we leave this world. Quoting a dear Christian brother, “You can endure because you will endure!” 🙂

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”

As We Tarry Here and Long for There #1

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

“For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you” (Philippians 1:23,24 KJV).

Before we go on to the next world, we must tarry in this one….

Not too long ago, I visited the grave of a recently departed saint and a family friend of many years. Another Christian and I stood by her grave with her widowed husband, and there we discussed our memories of her. In that time of great emotion, we rejoiced that she is free from frailty and suffering, and yet, we mourned that we will never see her again in this life.

It is never easy to lose a loved one, even if that person had a testimony of having trusted Jesus Christ alone as personal Saviour. We still miss their phone calls, visits, voices, and friendship. Even as Christians, we are not shielded from physical death: short of the Lord’s coming for us, we and all other Christians we know will die. Such is a part of living in a sin-cursed world.

The Bible’s shortest verse, John 11:35, simply says, “Jesus wept.” Upon seeing the tomb of his friend Lazarus, Jesus is deeply moved inside, knowing that death has Lazarus captive and his family members and friends are heartbroken. Amidst Jesus’s tears, He shouts, “Lazarus, come forth!” Lazarus, all bound in burial clothes, hops out, as alive as ever! The crowd is not only amazed at the love Jesus had for Lazarus, but also at Jesus’ power demonstrated at such a morose occasion.

We are tempted to wish the Lord Jesus Christ would appear at the graves of our departed Christian loved ones and do what He did at Lazarus’s tomb. How we long to be with them, to be out of this world of pain and suffering. How we “look for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ,” to see those saints once more.

Yet, as we tarry here and long for there, let us remember why we are here….

Peace of Mind in a World in Pieces

Thursday, August 15, 2013

“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4 KJV).

Despite all of the weeping, sleepless nights, and despondency, there is hope in Jesus Christ!

With the recent passing of a Christian couple’s newborn baby, the sudden demise of a Christian brother and ministry fellow-laborer, and the death of my great aunt yesterday, I can assure you that the member of the Church the Body of Christ, although guaranteed a blissful eternity in the heavenly places, is not spared from pain and grief in this fallen creation. My, what horrific, constant suffering all around the world! In fact, this very reality is often used as an “argument” against God’s existence (but is likened unto the folly of, “I do not believe in the existence of law enforcement officers because of the widespread criminal behavior!”).

Dear saints, sin produces division, disruption, disease, despair, decay, and death. What we see today are merely the remnants of the original perfect creation, what is left of that paradise before God cursed it so Satan could not use it in all its glory for his own purposes (Genesis 3:14-19). As each day passes, this ruined creation comes closer and closer to the day when that “bondage of corruption” will be lifted, when paradise will be restored on earth and in heaven (Romans 8:18-25). Much needs to happen before that glorious day arrives, so we Christians must patiently remain here on earth until our program finishes.

As our Apostle Paul wrote in that awful Roman prison cell, “Rejoice in the Lord alway [in every instant]: and again I say, Rejoice” (today’s Scripture). We cannot rejoice because of our dire conditions, but we can rejoice in these difficulties. Right where we are, whether good or bad circumstances, we should rejoice in our identity in Jesus Christ, in who He is and who we are in Him, what He has done for us (saved us spiritually), and what He will do for us in the future (deliver us physically).

Remember, God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9,10) and we “can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth [us]” (Philippians 4:13). 🙂

The End of Job, Israel, and the LORD #3

Friday, April 26, 2013

“So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses” (Job 42:12 KJV).

During the Tribulation period, the nation Israel will gain valuable insight from today’s Scripture….

Job, a type of believing Israel, suffering intense calamity due to Satan, a type of the Tribulation, and Job’s restoration, a type of Christ’s earthly kingdom, is an historical narrative that will provide great comfort to God’s people who are yet future from our day. Satan targeted Job because he was a man of faith in the God of the Bible (Job 1:1,5,8,20-22; Job 2:3,10). Likewise, Satan will persecute Israel’s believing remnant for Jesus Christ’s sake during the Tribulation (Matthew 10:22; Mark 13:13; 1 Peter 4:12-19; 1 Peter 5:8,9).

As the Apostle James comforts them in James 5:10,11, these believing Jews should be patient: JEHOVAH, albeit seemingly quiet and unresponsive to their situation (as He was with Job), is aware of their sufferings (as He was of Job’s), and He will restore them in manifold ways in due time (as He did with Job; today’s Scripture). They need not grow weary or discouraged, for though they have lost their possessions for being Christians (and some will lose their very lives), when Jesus Christ returns at His Second Coming, they will be ushered into that glorious kingdom and receive “an hundredfold” what they lost during the Tribulation (Matthew 19:29,30)!

Although these Scriptures are not to or about us (members of the Church the Body of Christ in the Dispensation of Grace), we too suffer for the name of Jesus Christ. Like believing Israel, let us allow the Holy Spirit to teach us to look at the broader picture, the overall view, and not be sidetracked by the current state of affairs. We may lose our material possessions, our family and “friends,” and our lives, but like believing Israel, we have gained things that are of far greater importance and value, possessions that we have right now in Jesus Christ that will never pass away….

Anonymous

Thursday, November 29, 2012

“And I entreat thee also, true yoke-fellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow-labourers, whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:3 KJV).

Although the name of the Christian is unknown, the name of Jesus Christ, which the unknown Christian preached, is well known.

I recently met a dear brother in Christ who has a television ministry. He explained how viewers do not always know his name when they write him letters, but they do remember what he taught from the Bible. His mentality was, “As long as they took notice of what God’s Word says, my name is unimportant.” We should share that attitude, dear brethren in Christ.

We read about “a brother” whom Paul sent with Titus to Corinth, but he is never named (2 Corinthians 8:18,22; 2 Corinthians 12:18). In today’s Scripture, the Apostle Paul exhorts an unknown Christian (signified by the second-person singular pronoun, “thee,” as opposed to the plural “you”). We read about one, Clement, but that “true yoke-fellow” charged to help the women who worked with Paul in the ministry, is nameless. What mattered is that that person’s name was “in the book of life” (God’s record of the Christians’ names).

To the world, we Christians are “nobodies.” As 2 Corinthians 6:9 expresses, “[We are] unknown, and yet well known…” They know about the message we preach, but they know little to nothing about us individuals. What matters most in life is not that we Christians become the most famous people in the world. In light of eternity, what matters is to know God through Jesus Christ, and thus, become “known of God” (Galatians 4:9).

If no one remembers our names, despite our ministry work in the Lord, let us rejoice that at least the name of the Lord Jesus Christ went forth. After all, only His name “is above every name,” and furthermore, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

Let us Christians in the ministry be content to remain “anonymous.” 🙂

Content With “Herbs”

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith” (Proverbs 15:17 KJV).

Suppose that you have been invited to two dinners: a “vegetarian buffet” and a “carnivore’s delight.” Today’s Scripture suggests you attend the one with the less backbiting!

Imagine a scanty meal—“a dinner of herbs”—eaten by people who love one another. Although the food is less than appealing, the diners love each other, making the atmosphere hospitable. Now, visualize an extravagant feast—“a stalled [fattened] ox”—attended by people who hate one another. They fuss and fight, verbally slaughtering each other. These carnivores sound as though they not only want to eat the ox, but each other as well!

Though the meal of herbs is less than superb, at least those eating it love one another, thus sharing what little they have with one another. The greedy meat-eaters hate one another, so despite the abundance of food, they refuse to share, and persist in animosity. Eat not with the meat eaters, for they may (figuratively) eat you!

Read the verse preceding today’s Scripture: “Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith” (Proverbs 15:16). A millionaire can afford an abundance of fine foods (the “stalled ox”), but if his or her life is plagued by hatred, what good is that material wealth? How can he or she be happy? One who can only afford herbs for dinner may not have much, but the love he enjoys outlasts any material wealth, and he rejoices in that fact.

Most Christians are not (and most have never been) millionaires and billionaires: the “Hollywood Christian” leaders are something else entirely. Their houses are meager and modest, not luxurious castles and condominiums. Most do not drive exotic vehicles or enjoy international vacations. Their meals do not consist of fine, imported foods. Most do not wear expensive designer clothing. While they lack many of the possessions that the world deems “necessary,” they have the Lord, and He has them! 🙂

Better is few possessions with the Lord, than much wealth without Him, and we are content with “herbs.”