Elder's Corner: The Way God Intended

I found the following devotional that I would like to share with you. From the NIV New Men's Devotional Bible by Zondervan.

 

--Enrique

 

“Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as enduring as the grave. Love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned” (Song 8:6-7)

 

Marriage as a concept lies deep within us. Preschoolers role-play the family unit as part of their playground fun. Preteen girls dream of the day when they’ll walk down the aisle in a flowing white gown. Matchmaking businesses and websites thrive as people look for that perfect person to spend the rest of their lives. The majority of adults here in the USA either are, have been or someday intend to be married. Such hopefulness in the face of a consistent 50% divorce rate! And yet, despite the well-publicized antics of the Hollywood, marriage remains one of the key building blocks of family life and society as a whole. And that’s just what God intended.

One scholar said, “marital love is the strongest, most unyielding and invincible force in human experience.” Despite the failure of individuals, the bar of God’s expectations for marriage is set sky-high. True, lasting marital love involves deep integrity on the part of both parties. To paraphrase: “Money can’t buy me love.”

The power of marriage lies in the power of a promise, sealed with God’s stamp of approval, that one man makes to one woman. The promise to love another person “until death do you part” is as deep a commitment as one can make in this life. As one pastor put it, “The power to make and keep a promise is one of the strongest in the world, for it brings the promise maker within a millimeter of what it means to be like God, who makes and keeps his promises to his people.”

True, enduring, lifelong commitment is God’s expectation for marriage, and it has been since the Garden of Eden. That’s not to say that God expects us to be perfect as we relate to one another; we are, after all, still living under the effects of sin. But despite our failures, the goal for the respect we are to show toward the institution remains the same, “for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave” (Song 8:6).

To Take Away

• Are you married? If you answered yes, how does your marriage stack up to God’s expectations for the institution?
• If you’ve never been married, what is your perspective on what this passage could mean for your future?
• If you’re not married now but have been in the past, how can this passage influence your opinions and actions?

The Spiritual Reality #8: Matters of the Dark Side

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12). 

“Haunted houses, ghosts, demons—our Western culture can’t seem to get enough of the spirit world. The latest Gallup poll indicates that 42% of Americans believe in demon possession, 37% believe in haunted houses, and 32% believe in ghosts (“Demons on a Leash” by Fred Dickason; available from  https://answersingenesis.org).

Though interest in the paranormal is widespread, many question the existence of demons, especially here in our modernized society. So how can we know for a fact that demons actually exist?

There are two primary ways to know for a fact that demons exist. First, all one needs to do in order to verify their existence is to simply travel throughout various second and third world countries like Haiti, much of the continents of Africa and Asia to undoubtedly confirm this reality. Second, the historical validity of the Bible likewise confirms their existence. 

Before we go any further into the matters of the dark side, let’s begin with a basic definition. What are demons? “Demons are evil angels who sinned against God and who now continually work evil in the world” (Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 412). They were created as morally good beings at the same time as the rest of the angels (Job 38:4-7). However, prior to the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, these angels along with Satan chose by their own freewill to rebel against God (John 8:44).

What activities do demons engage in? Demons are a strong, yet restricted force in the spiritual battle between God and Satan (2 Peter 2:4). Thus, they seek to hinder the work of spreading the message of forgiveness and grace through Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 2:18).

However, their primary strategy for hindering the Gospel involves the spreading of false teaching (1 Tim. 4:1). Satan and his demons do not want people to accept what the Bible teaches, even empowering individuals to work false miracles in order to lead people astray (Matt. 7:21-23; Rev. 16:14). For that reason, (and others), the Bible often associates them with idolatry (Deut. 32:17; Psa. 106:37; 1 Cor. 10:19-21). Therefore, it is vital for us to know what the Bible teaches. Yet overall, the work of Christ will be victorious (Matt. 16:18; Rev. 20:10). And in the end, demons will be thrown into the Lake of Fire along with all who are not faithful follows of Jesus (Matt. 25:41).

This brings up the question: do you know for sure that you are a follower Jesus as Scripture teaches, or are you being led astray? Therefore, I encourage you to examine what you believe, are being taught, and practice in light of God’s Word (1 John 4:1).

Demons likewise are a contributing factor to the wickedness in our world today. Based upon John 13:2, Jack Cottrell states that demons “may influence our thoughts by bringing certain ideas and images into our consciousness. They stroke the fires of our sinful desires and exploit our spiritual weaknesses. They also work indirectly upon our wills through other people” (The Faith Once for All, p. 175). Sometimes they do this by oppressing or attacking individuals’ bodies, causing diseases, sicknesses, and by influencing people to follow the demon’s leadings (Mark 5:1-20).

However, Scripture promises that greater is He that is in us as believers (the Holy Spirit) is greater than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Thus, God can give us the strength to overcome the Devil and his demons as we rely upon Him (Rev. 12:11). Therefore, there is no need to fear the matters of the dark side.  

In His service,

     Matt

The Blessed Life #14: Healing to the Hurting

^“God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matt. 5:4 NLT).

Sometimes the pain that we go through in this life seems to be beyond anything that we can bear. It could come to us in the middle of the night as we receive a call that one of our loved ones is not doing well and probably not going to make it. Or it could come to us as a couple of men show up at our door in military attire to tell us that our son or daughter has been killed in combat. Or it could come to us through the death of a child or a miscarriage. Or it could come to us as we hear those dreaded words from the doctor, “You’ve got cancer.” Or our hurting might be the result of a job loss or a divorce in the family.

The reality of the matter is that all people go through times of suffering and hurting in this life. Scripture never questions this nor downplays it. And our realization of our pain actually gives proof to God’s existence (see http://eugenechristianchurch.blogspot.com/2013/10/i-dont-have-enough-faith-to-be-atheist_5525.html). Yet knowing that doesn’t necessarily make our pain any easier. However, God can bring healing to our hurts.

God knows and understands our suffering. Not a sparrow falls without Him knowing it (Matt. 10:29). Jesus Himself was “a Man of sorrows and familiar with suffering” (Isa. 53:3). Likewise, just because God knows what happens to us does not mean that He caused it to happen. God is not the author of evil (James 1:13). Even still God promises that He will make it work out for our good as Christians in the end (Rom. 8:28).

God cares about our suffering. Jesus sympathizes with our pain (Heb. 4:15). He too experienced painful emotions at the death of His friend Lazarus. John 11:35 has to be one of the most profound verses in the Bible: “Jesus wept.” Here our all-knowing God knew that soon He would raise Lazarus from the dead, yet He still experienced the same emotions that we do when we mourn. This should teach us to not deny our pain, and that He cares about what we are going through. 

Beyond these things, God wants us as faithful followers of Jesus Christ to know that He is with us in our pain, and that one day He will right every wrong that has ever happened. One writer said it like this: “Our comfort is derived from knowing not only He is on our side, but that He is by our side, though He can only be seen or felt with eyes of faith” (Victor Yap, The God of All Comfort).

Furthermore, Billy Graham said, “One of the most comforting truths in all the Bible to me as I travel from one part of the world to another is to know that God has stationed His heavenly guards to protect, guide, and lead me through life’s dangerous way. I cannot see these beings with my physical eyes, but I sense they are present every day” (Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, & Quotes, p. 27).

Life is challenging; we all will face suffering at one point in time or another. However, if you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, I am left with one simply question for you: what hope or healing do you have in the midst of your pain? This is one of the many reasons that being a Christian truly is a blessed life.

Because of His love,

            Matt