Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary!

"And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her." Luke 1:38  

     This verse comes at the end of Mary's conversation with the angel Gabriel. Gabriel had just announced to Mary that she was going to conceive a son by the Holy Spirit. This son was to be named Jesus and would be great. He would be the Son of the Most High and would reign on the throne of David over the house of Jacob forever and ever. God had chosen Mary to have an unique and important part to play in His plan of salvation. After years of waiting, finally the Messiah was coming. And of all people, Mary was going to carry this Child who would be the Savior of all God's people and would be the long awaited king. This was an immense privilege given to her by God. But, with this privilege, there was also going to be trial and suffering. 

     The majority of people would think that Mary had gotten pregnant before her marriage to Joseph. How would she be able to explain how she had gotten pregnant, when no one before or since, has ever conceived in this manner? For the rest of her life she would have the stigma and reproach of being an unfaithful and immoral women. Few would ever understand in her lifetime. Who knows what shame and shunning she faced? And what about Joseph? He would think she was unfaithful to him. It was only through a dream from God that Joseph would be convinced that Mary wasn't unfaithful. (Matthew 1:19-21) In fact Mary could face death, for the law decreed death by stoning for those who committed adultery. (Deut 22:13-21) So while she would have an immense privilege in carrying the Savior, there was also a great trial for her to go through. But consider how she responds.

      Mary calls herself the bondslave of the Lord. In her eyes, she is God's slave, which is very contrary to how the Roman Catholic church views her. In their view, Mary is worthy of veneration and a mediator between God and man. But Mary understands that the Lord is her master and she is his slave. Whatever the Master says she will do. She submitted to God's purposes and will for her without murmuring or questioning. She trusted that her Master knew what was best and was willing to go where He called her, even if it would bring her pain and sorrow. Here is a worthy example for us.

     The Christian has the honor and privilege of being adopted into the family of God. He is an heir of the glory to come. His sins are completely forgiven. God is His friend and Lord. These honors and privileges are mostly unknown by those around him and many of these privileges will only be had in the life to come. This life is for the Christian the time for suffering. "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." 2 Tim 3:12. This life is a life of war for the Christian as he must wage constant war against sin. Obedience is hard work. This Christian is the special object of Satan's temptations. The cross must come before the crown. 

And what should be our reaction when we are called to suffer and labor for God? It should be the same as Mary's reaction to the angel's announcement. We are God's slaves and will  do as He wills. 

"Let us be willing to go anywhere, and do anything, and be anything, whatever be the present and immediate inconvenience, so long as God's will is clear and the path of duty is plain." 
J.C. Ryle from his expository thoughts on Luke.(page 30)

Brad

On The Hill of Difficulty Part Two

This is Part Two of lessons learned during the trial that I went through over the last few months.

5) We need the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12. We were never meant to be lone rangers. God made us to need others. The help we received was magnificent. I often stood amazed at the care, kindness and sacrifice of  people. Without the help of many people we would have crashed and burned. Some people changed their schedules or denied themselves so they could help us.We are a very individualistic society. But that is not God's design. Lone rangers are dead rangers. We need God's people. This trial gave us a very vivid example of this truth.

6) I learned to be more compassionate and understanding to others in trials. I also saw how often I failed in the past to show compassion to others in trials. Through the variety of experiences over the last few months I can better sympathize with others. I can understand better the trials of my wife at home or of single dads and moms. I can better understand the sorrows and challenges of widows and those who lose a child. This trial made me more aware of the trials of others. I hope then that what I have learned can help me to be better at comforting and caring for others in their trials. "...God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 2 Corinthians 1:3b-4

7) I learned to drive in the city. I hate cities and I hate driving in them. But I learned to drive better in traffic. I can't say I like cities or driving there, but it isn't so scary as it was.

8) Giving words of encouragement is a skill that takes effort and time to learn. "A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word." Proverbs 15:23   "Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances." Proverbs 25:11   Especially early in this trial, I often thought about what we ought to say to someone going through a tough time. Often I would get very worldly encouragement. One time a person's 'encouragement' seemed more like a discouragement to me in how and what was said. People can ask how you are doing but they seem to expect a short answer and don't really wait for you to explain. It is hard to know what to say to someone going through a hard trial. One needs great wisdom to say the right word at the right time. A couple things I have learned is this: If you ask someone how they are doing, say it tenderly and listen for an answer. Sympathizing with someone is important. If you don't know what to say, the best thing you can say is 'How can I help you" or 'I will pray for you' or better yet pray with the person. Often people don't need a theology lecture when they are suffering but giving a hug would be just fine. It would be good if we took time to think about what we should say to a suffering Christian or unbeliever before the time comes around.

9) Just because God promises to strengthen us in our trials doesn't mean we won't be almost crushed under the load. There were times in my trial that I felt strong in the Lord's strength. And there were times I felt crushed under the pressure of the trial. I believe God does this for two reasons. One, to show us that we need Him because we are so weak without His help. Second, to develop our spiritual muscles. By going through difficult trials we will find that we are able to handle more and more in God's strength and even that lesser trials do not crush as they used to.

10) I am more thankful for technology like cell phones, even through I find such things frustrating. I bought a cell phone soon after Fenna went into the hospital so I could keep in touch. It was a blessing to us to be able to text, phone or video chat. It made the distance between us smaller.

11) I appreciate my wife more. I have learned how important she is to our family. I knew that before this all began but now we know it in a whole other way.

12) In the beginning of this trial, many people came up to me to ask how my wife was or how things were going in the trial. I appreciated that. But I got tired of talking about our difficulties and just wanted to talk about normal things. Our trial was the subject of every conversation on Sundays. Often I didn't want to talk about how things were. And even if I wanted to, it would take too long to tell someone how things really were. I liked the attention and hated it. Maybe what I learned from this is that trials are complicated and it can be hard to help someone in need.

13) I learned more about my kids. I enjoyed getting to know my kids more, especially the youngest. It wasn't easy taking care of them, but there were some really good moments with them.

14)  I learned again that as hard as our trials are, we always deserve worse. We are guilty sinners who deserve nothing good and only horrors. But God is a God of grace. He can turn our sufferings for our good because of Jesus Christ. I am thankful for His grace. I am thankful for what I have learned and continue to learn. I can't complain at all for all that God has brought me through. He was there with me in the storm. Even when I sinned during the trial, He was gracious to me and forgave me when I repented. All glory be to God.

15) Lastly, I learned that I still have to learn much about suffering and trials. This trial was hard but there are much greater trials. I still have a lot to learn and there is still much room to grow.

 Brad

On The Hill of Difficulty

       In the book 'Pilgrim's Progress', Christian has to go up the hill of difficulty which he finds to be hard work indeed. This is the experience of every Christian. Each Christians must go through times of hardship. For the last 4 months, we have as a family walked the steep slopes of the hill of difficulty. This trial rates in the top three of all the trials that I have experienced in my life. For a month and a half my wife was on a semi bed rest due to complications in her pregnancy. Then she had to be admitted into the hospital for the remainder of her pregnancy while I took care of the kids and the farm. After 12 weeks in the hospital, we had a baby boy born by c-section. The trial isn't completely over, but hopefully the most difficult part is.

   God has a good purpose for the Christian in all trials and difficulty. There are many lessons to be learned in the storm. The fire of the trial burns off much of the dross of sin. I have learned many things on the hill of difficulty. These lessons I don't want to forget. So I hope to write down what I have learned while on the hill of difficulty. I do this mainly for myself but also in the hope that others would benefit from what I have learned.

1) Having a Biblical perspective on trials is so important.  "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God." Rom 8:28  "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." James 1:2-3 These were texts that I clung to and often repeated to help in my trials. It fortifies the believer when he can look on trials as the bitter medicines of a wise and good God who wants to heal our souls from sin and sanctify us.With this perspective, you really can rejoice in trials and worship God in the storms you go through. Without this Biblical perspective, you will be much weaker and more susceptible to doubts and depression. A lack of clarity of trials will make you fight against God rather than work with him during your trial. This makes the trial hurt more and even can make it last longer. Perhaps some of the problem for us is that we love comfort and ease more than we delight in holiness. If we have a greater desire for godliness than for personal comfort, we will find trials to be less difficult.

2) No one can fully understand the difficulty of your trial. "The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy." Proverbs 14:10 Some may be able to understand what you are going through better than others. But no one can completely feel the weight of your trial. This is because each trial is unique and each person is unique. And this is good. Because while people will not completely understand your trial, God does. In fact He knows you better than you know yourself. So we should turn to God first of all to pour out our hearts to the One who knows us completely. Thus trials will cause us to draw closer with God.

3) In this trial I have learned again that faith without works is dead. Or to put it another way talk is cheap. "If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so, faith, if it has no works, is dead being by itself." James 2:15-17 It is easier for people to say they care than for them to show that they care with real acts of service. Now, not everyone is able to help someone going through a trial in a practical way. Maybe the best they can do is pray for you. An old lady that we know who is plagued by arthritis, phoned me every couple of weeks to see how I was. That is faith at work. But people often will say that they are praying for you and then do nothing to practically help you even though they could. Perhaps they should consider that maybe God could answer their prayers if they would get off their knees and serve the one they are praying for. It is an easy thing to say you are praying for someone, but it is a much harder thing to sacrifice and serve someone. it means so much more when practical help is given not just words. Then you really know someone cares. "Little children, let us not love with words or tongue, but in deed and truth." 1 John 3:18

4) People will disappoint us. This is a given. Sometimes people disappointed me greatly, sometimes it was a lesser disappointment. Either way we should learn not to expect too much from people. Even the best of us is but dust and ashes and quickly prone to sin. Knowing this should cause us to more fully seek our help and comfort in the unchanging Lord of heaven and earth.

5) God will never disappoint us. God is faithful to His promises. I can say by experience that even though I was sad and disappointed in people, never once could I say that God failed me. He provided what was needed time and time again. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change." Psalm 46:1-2 
 "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you, so that we confidently say, The LORD is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" Hebrews 13:5-6

To be continued......

Brad

Laying Still Under God's Scalpel

     I suppose with all that has gone on in our lives in the last few weeks, the topic of trials and difficulties has been on my mind. It is easy to teach on trials, when life is pretty good. But it is in the fire of trials when the soundness of our faith is tested. Some of what I learned I want to share with you so that one day it may help you as well. I have not learned this lesson perfectly, but I am growing bit by bit.

     'No pain no gain' is a common expression which is often true. This is true in the world of healing and medicine. When we are sick or have some problem in our body, the path to a cure is lined with pain. Doctors prescribe medicines that are bitter to fight disease. They take their scalpels and forceps to cut us open so that they may fix our health problems. They can cause serious pain and discomfort in order to obtain a cure. Yet why do people continue to go to doctors and hospitals? Why do they take treatment or medicine that is bitter and painful? People want to be healthy. They want to enjoy this life. And so, they are willing to bear with the pain of treatment in order that they may defeat the disease and return to health and the life they want to live.

     What is true of the diseases of the body and how they are cured, is also true of the diseases of the soul and how they are treated. Sin is the black plague of the soul. It destroys, rots, corrupts, and ruins people. No disease of the body can compare with the deadly nature of sin in the soul of man. However Jesus is the great Divine Physician. "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick: I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17  It is He who gives new life to the dead sinner through changing his heart of stone into a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26) But the Christian still has sin in his life. The flesh is still there. God is working like a doctor in our lives to  cure us of this sin disease that still runs in our veins. He mixes together the bitter medicines of the trials of our lives with His word to treat our sin. He knows the right time for the trial in each person's life. He knows which is the right trial for the right person to cure their particular sin. He understands how to mix trials together to produce a healing effect. This God does every day in our lives. Through little trials, like a flat tire or big trials like the death of a friend or painful cancer, God is slowly but surely attacking our sin disease and causing us to grow healthy and strong in holiness.

    Our recovery to healthy godliness, depends in some degree on how we react to trials. If you try to fight the doctor as he tries to give you a shot, it will take longer to get a cure and you may have to be held down so the medicine can be administered. If you don't lay still as God takes His scalpel to remove your sin, it will hurt more. Grumbling, complaining, and disobeying God during  a trial will lead to a slower recovery. However if we lie still under God's scalpel by trusting His wisdom, goodness and love, the healing will be quicker and more complete. When every nerve of our body wants to lash out or run, our faith should cling even more tightly to God's promises and truth.  We should rejoice and be thankful even in the greatest pain and suffering, not because pain and suffering is good, but because God has promised to use these painful medicines to do us good and to glorify Himself. We should rejoice to see God curing us of our poisonous sin and causing us to produce greater fruit. We should worship even in the tears, even if it is through our groans. God is good and always does good. We can depend on that.

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4

 Lord, help our weak faith so that it can lay hold of who you are and what you have promised.

Brad

Reverse The Curse In Your Marriage

There are thousands of books on marriage. There are many radio programs and ministries that are dedicated to fixing your marriage. I spent a lot of time when I was growing up on tractors listening to Christian radio. I heard many programs explaining how to make your marriage better. Now all this information is helpful. But it was on my honeymoon when I heard something that really clarified why we have marriage problems and what the solution is to our marriage problems.

   We were driving into Oregon listening to John Macarthur's teaching on the fulfilled family, a sermon series on Ephesians 5:22-6:4. He said something that I won't forget. Here are two quotes from that sermon series.


   "People will ask me what’s the key to your marriage or what’s the key to your family, how is it that your family is so close or you are close to your wife and you have such a wonderful relationship and I can just go back to this.  There is no magic, there is no formula, there is no gimmicks.  It’s not a  question of how many times did we do this or how many times did we do that or who was in charge of this or what kind of processes or methods did we use.  It’s simply a question and it has to start in my heart, am I committed to obedience to the Spirit of God, am I committed to the controlling influences of the Word of God, am I going to live out a Christian life?"  

"Because of fallenness there will be conflict.  You have to go back to the spiritual dimension to end it and that’s what’s so wonderful about this passage that we are looking at and you can go back to Ephesians now, that the solution to the conflict in marriage is spiritual and it starts with allowing the Holy Spirit to control your life, letting the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, obeying the Spirit of God as he reveals his will through the will of God.  Only the power of the Holy Spirit can reverse the curse in a home.  Where you have a Spirit filled person in the home, you have hope.  You ever try to pick a fight with a Spirit controlled person? Ever try to pick a fight with a totally joyful person that just has rising joy in their heart? Ever try to pick a fight with somebody who is thankful for everything, even the conflict?  Ever try to pick a fight with somebody who is totally submissive.  Very difficult.  Where that exists there is hope.  It’s a spiritual issue.  Conflict goes where the Holy Spirit dominates."  

     I thought these quotes were so good, that I should leave it at that. But perhaps a word or two is in order. Why does your marriage suck? Why do you have problems in your marriages? The answer is that you have two sinners who got married to each other that have some sanctification issues. "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask" James 4:1-2 

    How do you fix your marriage conflicts? In almost every case, the solution is more heart and life holiness. If we pursue holiness and fellowship with God, then there will be some improvement in our marriages. Now you might be married to an unbeliever, even though they may profess to be a Christian, which in that case may mean that the more godly you are, the more they will despise you. Unregenerate people hate the light. John 3:19-20. But even unbelievers may willingly live with a godly Christian. 

   With all the marriage advice books out there, you would think that the Bible is full of marriage tips and helps. But there is very little said on marriage. This is because if you follow the commands in Scripture to walk in holy living, then your marriage will not suffer. But don't try to live a godly life for the sole purpose of improving your marriage. Live to please and know the Lord, and when you do so, the other areas of your life, including marriage, will be affected for the better.
     
   So if your marriage is in trouble, go to God in repentance and ask Him to help you to love your spouse. Use the means of grace that God has given; prayer, Bible reading, preaching...etc. Don't worry about trying to change your spouse. You can't change them anyways. You have the responsibility before God to love your spouse, even if you think they are your enemy. God even calls you to love your enemies. Does love rule your home life?


"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3 
   

Brad

    

The Perfect Wisdom of Our God

God is wise. This can be defined in this way; 'His choice of the highest end and the best means to that end.' Simple, right? Easy to understand--God is wise. He does what is best to achieve the highest end, which is His glory and the good of His people. But, how does this apply in every day life? How can we live this out? How can we turn our knowledge of God's wisdom into wisdom on our end--that is applying our knowledge?

We were studying the wisdom of God in one of our last Bible Studies. God is wise so we can be comforted when trials come, knowing it is for the highest end. All the trials that occur are for the good of those that love Him and for His glory. He is constantly at work in our lives for our spiritual good and for His glory.

As we were learning this, I was dealing with a baby who refused to sleep. When I finally got him to sleep, a short time later another child started crying and then woke the baby up. Usually our baby is asleep almost immediately--we never hear him in the evenings. But he was up all evening. I was tired. When the Bible study members left I felt like I was ready to cry--what was I going to do with this crying baby? Why was he crying? I was already so tired, how could I handle a late night? Frustration oozed out of every pore.

My husband graciously took the baby, told me to go to sleep and I headed to bed. But, I could not sleep. I could still hear him crying whenever my husband stopped walking. So I started to pray, 'Lord, please let him sleep, let us sleep...' and then I stopped as a thought came to mind. God is wise. He knows why the baby is crying. He knows that it is what is best right now, even though I don't understand it. He is in control of this situation.

Now, instead of praying that the baby would stop crying, and that we could get sleep, I hopped out of bed, ready to take over for my husband. I was now armed with the knowledge and the joy that God is wise--that in His wisdom, this was the best means for the highest end. I realized that this crying baby was the means that God had chosen to fulfill His purposes. I didn't (and still don't fully) understand what those purposes were, but I found such joy in knowing this and in resting in this truth.

Knowing that God is wise we can find joy in each situation we find ourselves in. We ought to put aside all grumbling and complaining, as no situation is out of His control. He has wisely brought about each and every trial for His glory and our good. All praise and glory to Him!

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

~Fenna

Don't Play The Goat

    As some of you know, we have a few goats on our farm. Some month ago we bought a sheep. We hoped that the sheep and the goats would get along together. But the sheep was not accepted by the goats. The sheep has been here for a number of months, and she is still isolated from the goats. A couple of weeks ago we bought a male goat for breeding purposes. Right away, the goat was accepted into the small goat herd. Meanwhile the sheep is still ostracized. There is a good lesson here about spiritual things.

  Jesus told His disciples "If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out it, the world hates you." John 15:18-19.  Jesus  compared believers to sheep and unbelievers to goats. Matthew 25:31-33. So hopefully you can see where this is going.

  Goats and sheep don't mix. Neither do Christians and the world. We are different by nature. The Christian is born of God with the Spirit living within him. They are a new creation in Christ and so they love different things. Christians have different goals, ambitions, and purposes. We belong to a different family, kingdom and country.

   The world loves darkness and sin. They belong to the kingdom of darkness. Since they love darkness, they hate the light. They have no love for the true God. Men and women of all religions and beliefs can find some common ground. They all belong to the same family and kingdom. But there can't be fellowship between the sons of darkness and the children of light.

     A Christian must expect to be excluded from the world, like my sheep was excluded by the goats. We may be friendly with them and even enjoy their friendliness. But there is a world of difference between us.We don't mix well like oil and water or sheep and goats. If you can have deep friendships with unbelievers, if you can have no problems being partners together in some enterprise, if you are comfortable at the parties of the world, if you don't feel out of place in worldly discussions, then you have a problem.

    Christians that can feel at home among the people of this world have a problem. They may be weak spiritually and have an unhealthy appetite for the things of this world. These sheep act too much like goats to be an offence. But they are in great danger. For in this case the Christian is like a sheep among wolves who will tear them to pieces. These kind of sheep may not even be sheep. They may be goats that only pretend to be sheep at times.

   A Christian who lives a godly life, will be despised by the world. A healthy sheep is one who evangelizes the lost, who stands fast on truth in life and doctrine, and who lives for a heavenly purpose and kingdom. If you do this, you will shine in the darkness, and the darkness will run from you or try to snuff you out. When this happens, it is a good sign. Rejoice and be glad for great is your reward. So don't act like a goat, be a good sheep.

And by the way, we sold our sheep recently. Since it would not eat with the goats and it had to dig through the snow to find grass, we felt that it was time for it to go. Thankfully we found a good home for the sheep, with some other sheep friends. But I don't think there is any spiritual lesson to this part of the story.

Brad