"..and it's been a while..."

Indeed it has -- four months by my count.  Whereas I was at one time blogging every couple of weeks (and at least once a month), it's been four months.  Two recent life events have led to this reality: First, I've begun seminary work towards a Masters in Theological Studies.  While I only am taking nine hours this Winter quarter, I took twelve in the Fall, which involved reading thousands of pages, and writing many.  It has been grueling thus far (as all Masters work is), but well worth it.  I have outstanding professors and have made friends with countless godly men and women (well, not countless -- it's a small seminary).  Secondly, the last couple of months I've undergone a difficult ministry transition.  I've left one church and moved on to another in the same city, which has involved the severing of some relationships and the magnifying of some others.  This is the kind of stuff Bible college (or seminary for that matter) can't train one for.  It can only be experienced with fear and trembling, prayerfully aiming to take every thought captive for obedience to Christ. 

Trials Promised

Certainly the Scripture teaches that all of those in Christ Jesus will experience trials.  One could argue that the Bible's two favorite topics are the holiness of God and the trials of those walking in His light by His Word.  "Many are the afflictions of the righteous" (Psalm 34:19); "through many trials we must enter the Kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22); "(we are) heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him" (Romans 8:17). 

Often the greatest struggle of our trials is our inability to organize/file the circumstances and our emotions rightly.  For example, "how this situation went down, was that person wrong or was I...or both?", or "is my anger justified, or is it self-pity?"  It's hard to know whether we're thinking rightly, dealing rightly, etc.  Anyone who has been through difficult trials of any kind knows this struggle well.  This is an important step in trials because often, even if we've been wronged, we ourselves do need to change.  This is truly what separates the men from the boys when it comes to Christian faith (or the girls from the women) -- the willingness to face our need for repentance.  This is why afflictions are many for the righteous, and trials for those entering the Kingdom as fellow heirs with Christ.

And yet, while the Psalm 34 passage above promises many afflictions to the righteous, the rest of the verse reads, "..but the Lord delivers them out of them all".  There is no room, during Christian trials, for fear that "this" will never end.  It will, because the same verse that promises what you're experiencing now (the trial), also promises deliverance.  Our God is faithful, strong, powerful, wise, and with us.  Jesus' blood was not shed in vain or without a purpose.  It was shed so that death would be defeated, and that the sinful tendencies in us that, in the midst of trial, would easily hamstring us away from Christ, would be made impotent.  The sin is always there, the flesh making war on the Spirit.  But for those who walk by the Spirit (which begins with receiving Christ crucified with faith -- Galatians 3:1-3) the battle is already won, because the grave is empty and Jesus is alive!  So all things work for good for us who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).  Of course this sounds foolish to the world, but it is the wisdom of God which makes foolish the so-called wisdom of men (1 Corinthians 1:18-24). 

Blessing From Trials Promised

That being said, recent trials have brought me into a sweeter fellowship with my Lord.  I'm under no illusion that you reading find the discipline of prayer and meditation any easier than I do.  I'm not talking about praying throughout the day as you're going from here to there (which every Christian does).  I'm talking about getting into your prayer closet, closing the door, and spending time fixing your eyes on your Father, as our Lord commanded (Matthew 6:6-8).  The promise in the passage is a great reward from God, as it has always been promised in the Scripture to those who humble themselves and approach their Father with reverence and awe (2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 1, 18:27; Isaiah 66:2).  I've always struggled with prayer and meditation, and I'm sure you have as well.  But recent months has driven me to the Word and prayer, and the Lord has met me.  It isn't that I've recently received a greater power than before or that I'm happier.  It's that Christ has been seen clearer and this has brought greater joy.  When you see clearer Him who made an end of all your sin and death, you rejoice to even suffer the loss of all things for His sake, if only fellowship with Him and His Father is attainable. 

Prayer has a way of doing this.  I'm convinced that my prayers don't change Gods mind any more than a mothers mind changes when her son asks her to make a certain dish for dinner, and she says "yes", already having planned to, sensitive to his wants and needs.  God hears my prayers when they're according to His will (1 John 5:14), and if His will is primarily my holiness and thankfulness (1 Thessalonians 4:3, 5:18), then something must happen for me to have these as my primary requests.  Since the carnal mind naturally isn't thankful (Romans 1:20-23) or desirous of holiness (Romans 8:7-8), how can I be?  God must give repentance to my heart, and what other way does He, but through the humbling of my heart in circumstantial trials, which drives me to prayer and Bible study, focusing my attention on what He wants and desires?  My prayers don't change Gods mind, but when prayer focuses me on His mind, it changes me. 

 Gods Greater Story

The last several months have me preaching through Genesis.  Genesis is really an incredible book, because every core doctrine in the Bible finds its beginning there, and practical application for every Biblical command is witnessed in the lives of Adam, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.  Whether the command to trust God's Word, follow His call, or keep His ordinances, Genesis has it.  Whether the point of the story is Gods transcendent holiness, Gods love for His chosen people, or His sovereign power to turn peoples' hearts wherever He wants to, it's there. 

But you will only appreciate Genesis if you want your story to be a part of Gods greater, more important story. 

The natural mind takes his or her self too seriously, because "you only live once".  Since YOLO we are responsible to make every moment, every decision, every conversation, every action, count.  So nothing could be important than making right choices, experiencing all we can, and leaving a legacy.  But what kind of pressure does this create?  Too much.  And you will go one of two ways -- either you'll self-righteously think you've succeeded, and your heart will harden into pridefully thinking you're god (which makes you insensitive and unloving), or you'll feel your failure and lapse into the deep darkness of Camus' search for meaning in the midst of meaninglessness (which also makes you insensitive and unloving, and depressingly so). 

But if you receive the invitation into a greater story -- God's -- where He promises to love you, accept you, keep you, sustain you, and make all things new one day, you will get meaning, purpose, and the love and sensitivity you wish everyone else had anyway.  And most importantly you'll get God and eternal life in a redeemed and glorious city (Revelation 21:1-4, 22:1-5). 

So the command is to receive Jesus' Kingdom by faith, with the promise that one day His Kingdom will receive you by grace.  For the joy set before Him (a full Kingdom) He endured the cross (suffered).  Our call in the mean is to fix our eyes on Christ until we believe, are filled with His Spirit, and find ourselves full of a joy that can't be expressed (1 Peter 1:8).  And often it takes trials to bring us to the poverty of spirit necessary to receive it by faith.  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs (Jesus' Kingdom is their Kingdom) is (presently) the Kingdom of heaven".  Nothing else can give this to you.  So lets together stop our foolish pursuits thinking they will.