Recovery From Personal Failure and Humbly Rejoicing in the Success of Others

In 2 Timothy 4:11 Paul is writing to Timothy about some people and things he wants Timothy to bring to him. In particular he tells Timothy to “Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.” This could not always be said about Mark. During Paul's missionary journey Mark, who had gone with them, had deserted them and this had left Paul with little respect for Mark and his value in ministry to the degree that Paul refused to take Mark the next time they went out and splitting with Barnabas took Timothy instead.

Now Paul is close to the end of his life, he is cold and in need of companions to help him and continue his work. Timothy has been of great value to Paul and is even called by Paul “my true son.” So, one has been left in disgrace and the other has come to great prominence...until now. Now Paul tells Timothy, Mark is useful to me. The former who had fallen is now restored. The later who has never failed is now asked to bring the former back.

Two thoughts occurred to me as I looked at this scenario. I wonder how Mark felt about his return to favor with Paul. How his ministry with Barnabas must have changed him, given him greater confidence to share his faith, and travel through dangerous lands to proclaim Christ to a hostile people! Through the patience of Barnabas and the grace of God Mark found redemption. He found courage. He regained his status as useful to the work of the gospel.

It is a profound reminder to me that, because of the grace of God, my failures can never keep me from doing the good works that God prepared in advance for me. In fact, my personal failures must necessarily be providential events in my life designed to prepare me for just such works. May God be praised. This also teaches me to never discount a brother or sister as lost who has fallen or failed, for their God is the one and same God who loves me and keeps me.

The second thought that occurs to me is, how did Timothy feel about seeing Mark restored to Paul's favor. Was he glad for Mark's redemption seeing it as an evidence of God's grace and mercy, or was he troubled with feelings of jealousy or incredulity by the fact that this one who so greatly failed Paul could find favor again, when he himself had faithfully served Paul. Was his attitude that of the older brother to the prodigal son or that of the father who rejoiced in the the son's redemption?

Too often we find ourselves struggling to be happy with another person's spiritual success or prominence in the faith, when we should rejoice in God's blessings as given to all his children. The pettiness of child-like jealousy and the critical hearts that come from it are a blight on the church. We must pray to value God's work of grace in the life of another as much as we do in our own. We must pray that God's graciousness to us will never give us reason for pride and boasting in ourselves, but that we will see it as evidence of our own need and be humble.

I have a feeling Timothy rejoiced in Mark's personal redemption. May God help us rejoice likewise in the redemption of a fallen brother or sister and in the prominence of others in the faith. Amen

What Happens When Infants Die?

Recently I was asked how I would respond to someone who had lost an infant. What would I say to her when she asked, "Is my baby in heaven?" I have to admit I was caught off guard by the questions, and I realized quickly as we discussed the situation that there is sometimes a conflict between raw theology and the everyday needs of the heart.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying theology takes second place to comfort and everyday needs. Nor am I saying that the two don't agree and that theology is somehow only a head thing and doesn't apply to reality. What I am saying is that the black and white categories into which we sometimes paint theology don't always answer for the task of soul care. I've learned that God's grace plays an important role in how we apply our theology biblically to our souls.

So what should I say to this dear woman or her husband when they ask that heart wrenching question? My initial response was to comfort them with an assurance that God is sovereign and good, and therefore, we must take our refuge in him. We don't know the answer to this question, and I can't give you an assurance that your child is in heaven.

My response stems from my theology. We are all born with a corrupt heart and therefore subject to the wrath of God. Only the elect are saved. Logically (here is our problem sometimes) not all infants that die are elect so not all infants that die go to heaven. By the way, I think this logic is good. Sharing it with a grieving mother and father might not be so appropriate.

But someone might protest, "What about David and his infant son, can we not claim his confidence too?" Here is where it gets tough for me. I know about this passage of scripture in 2 Samuel 12:15-23. While his son was sick, David refused to eat or drink and lay on the ground weeping night and day. When his son died he arose, cleaned himself, worshipped God and ate a meal. Those around him questioned his behavior. They had expected even worse mourning than they had seen while the boy was ill. They asked David for an explanation and his response was, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’ But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

This last statement, “I will go to him” gives many a confidence that infants who die may go to heaven. The logic is this; David was a believer in God and therefore would go to heaven. So, if he had confidence that he would see his son in the afterlife, then his infant son was in heaven too.

Now most will admit that this is a weak basis on which to build their doctrine on this issue, but then again, it really is one of a few places that we get an indication of what happens to infants when they die. There is Jesus’ statement in Matthew 19:14 that gives some hope, but again this is not a strong proof.

The question is, “Did David believe that his infant son was in heaven?” It is doubtful that David had as developed of a concept of the afterlife as New Testament Christians have. Throughout the Old Testament, the afterlife is called Sheol and is described as a single place for the dead to spend eternity. Jacob, when he thought that Joseph had been killed by wild beast stated, “Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son. (Gen 37:35)” He thought he would die from his sorrow and the place of his eternity was Sheol. Job believed that when he died he would go to Sheol (Job 7:8-10), and he believed that everyone, including miscarried infants, the wicked, the rich, the weary, princes and kings, they all go to Sheol (Job 3:13-19). It was not until much later that the understanding of two separate divisions in Sheol and then later a heaven and a hell began to be prominent in the view of eternity for God’s people.

Because of this, and because of the integrity with which I seek to bring to theology and it’s application to life, I can’t rest on David’s statement as any hope at all that infants who die go to heaven. So where does this leave me? Really, I am back where I started. The answer that I thought was weak is now what I believe to be the most comforting answer for the believer.

God is sovereign. God is just. God is merciful, God is good. God keeps his own council on to whom he shows mercy and to whom he leaves to the just rewards of their sinful nature. I must rest in him as the source of my strength in times of trouble. Christ is my high priest and has suffered and been tempted like me and now intercedes for me at the throne of the Father and I must trust him to do that which will bring him the greatest glory and the me the greatest good, even if I do not understand how what he brought about in my life could possibly be good for me.

In the end I must say to you who have experienced the gut wrenching loss of an infant; I do not know the mind of God, nor do I pretend to see into his will for the eternal disposition of any single soul, but this I do know, that my God will not disappoint. Your faith in him must increase and so, I pray that he would grant you the faith necessary to rest in his perfect holiness never doubting that all the ways of God, though they be mysterious to us, are good and just and right, for his glory and our good.

Christ's Humiliation - Our Example

As I think about Christ's example to us in his humiliation and I look at Phil 2:3-8, I find interesting the motive that Paul gives us for considering other people as more important than ourselves.

There are a lot of reasons to have this attitude, most of which are inherently selfish. It makes us feel good, gives us a good image in the world, makes people like us and on and on we could go. But wait, are we putting others ahead of ourselves then? I don't think so.

The only real motive for considering others as more important than ourselves lies in something completely different. The motive that Paul gives is this: You regard others as more important than yourselves because Christ regarded you as more important than holding on to his own Divine glory.

We truly regard others as more important than ourselves when we are doing so because of the example that Christ set for us and are truly following his example to us. That means, regarding others as more important than ourselves will likely cause us to suffer pain and humiliation.

Like Christ we should not concern ourselves with our own discomfort, sorrow, pain, or humiliation, if it is the result of working to save someone from the bondage of sin and death, which is the ultimate expression of our love for them. May God grant me the grace to follow Christ's example.

Nearly 40 Protesters Arrested at Notre Dame - Presidential Politics | Political News - FOXNews.com

What a sad day.

It may seem radical to some and the tactics of some of the protesters were crude, but Christians need to stand up and defend against abortion rights even if it means being labeled radical or being sent to jail.

A tough choice.

Frankly, I am proud of the fact that Victor Saenz respects the authority of the Church enough to not only follow its lead but proclaim it to others.

Nearly 40 Protesters Arrested at Notre Dame - Presidential Politics Political News - FOXNews.com

Posted using ShareThis

Choosing Leaders in the Church

Churches use many different criteria for choosing elders and deacons for ministry. Some are biblical and some are not. Most will look to 1 Tim 3 and Titus 1 for guidance, which is great. Some look to the activity of the person being considered and simply ask, "Is he serving" and assume that if he is serving then he must be growing or at least fairly mature in his faith. Sadly, some go on the principle of "He's a great guy, I really like him, He has such a genuine heart." Others allow themselves to be coerced or bullied into giving a person the authority of an elder or deacon.

My question is how many pastors/elders or church leaders consider 1 Tim 5:22? Paul tells Timothy to not "lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others...." Now let me say I think he is referring to making a person an elder or deacon by the laying on of hands, which is ordination. If that is the case it seems that he is saying that the ordaining body holds some responsibility before God for the conduct of the one they ordain. In other words, if a pastor/elder ordains an individual and that individual sins there is some culpability owned by the pastor/elder simply by his association with that man's ordination.

I'm not sure how far it goes, but it is a sobering thought. Churches need to be gracious when dealing with the weaknesses of others. But when it comes to ordaining elders and deacons churches should be gracious and discerning. More is at stake than just bad leadership. The very purity of our souls is impacted by our rash decisions.

Why We Still Preach

The Church today is under assualt from many regions, but one area that concerns me greatly is the assualt on the role of preaching and teaching in the Church. There are many who look at the preaching ministry with some embarrasement. They think that it is somehow an outdated mode of ministry and that it should somehow be replaced with more modern modes of communication; modes more suited to our attention deficit, entertainment addicted culture. What these individuals fail to grasp is that the preaching/teaching ministry in the church is not a form of minsitry it is a function of ministry.

We see in Eph 4:11-16 that God has a specific goal for the Church. I will sum it up this way. God wants and has determined that the church will be unified in its faith in Christ and in its intimate knowledge of Christ. He has determined that, when all is said and done, the Church will have a perfect unity rooted in the truth of who Christ is and what our relationship with him consists of.

With this goal in mind, God gave the Church offices of ministry. The apostles and prophets were given to bring God's special revelation to the Church. That done we are left with Evangelists and Pastor/Teachers. Both have the responsibility to proclaim or preach the good news. Evangelists preach to the lost and Pastor/Teachers preach to the Church. In practical terms the roles can overlap but the end result is that they preach or speak the truth in love so that the Church will grow into maturity and Christ-likeness.

The preaching ministry is God's means to accomplish his will for the Church. Until the Church is made perfect we will always need the proclamation of the gospel. Without it, how can the lost be saved and the Saints be equipped?

They can't.

Children In China

Dr. Albert Mohler's recent blog on abortion in China sparked a memory for me. Here is the link to the article. When Abortion Collides with Totalitarianism You should read this.

When I was in China for work the topic of children came up in casual conversation with just about everybody I had a meal with. They would ask me about my family and kids, and I would proudly talk about my children, a five year old boy and a new born daughter. As I talked I could usually see the face of my acquaintance become downcast. When I returned the questions the answer was always the same. "We have one son." Not much more was said, but not much more was required. I could tell my new friends were sad about not having more children and it was disheartening to me.

I was taken by the kindness and hospitality of the Chinese people. They are a very deferential people, and I was embarrassed by their attentions to me. My experience with them made me grateful for my freedom and made me sad for their lack thereof.

I want to encourage you to pray for the people of China. They are God's children and have the same capacity for love, joy, sorrow and regret that I have. My heart has more to say about them, but my mind can't articulate it right now.

Read Dr. Mohler's article, understand that there are individual people just like you and me being deeply impacted by these cultural and governmental pressures, and pray for them.