He Is Not Dead

This Sunday the Christian church will be celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. I have some thoughts below on which I have been meditating this Easter season.

Seven Victories on Easter Sunday

"Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen" (Luke 24:5-6)

The believers who saw the risen Christ with their own eyes and touched him with their hands spent the rest of their lives talking about the resurrection.

For sure, they preached crucifixion and propitiation - the central hinge of the gospel message - but the message of the cross was not the most controversial thing they had to say in their day.

The claims the apostles made about Jesus' death were wildly controversial, but they were persecuted and martyred not because of what they said about his death, but because of what they said happened next. The sermons in Acts are filled with the resurrection, showing over and over what it means for those who follow Christ. Almost no one debated that Jesus died, but the Jews violently refused to believe that he rose just three days later.

The Jews were not as offended by the two blocks of wood as they were by the empty tomb. The largest stumbling block was in fact a boulder, rolled away and preaching the resurrection of the Christ.

Jesus is not dead. And when he rose from the grave, against all of Satan's lies and schemes, he guaranteed for you the greatest realities in the world. Two thousand years later, the resurrection still preaches God's relentless commitment to win every victory for you, including these seven victories for Easter Sunday.

1. God has defeated death for you.

Satan conspired with Judas, Pilate, and the Jewish leaders to kill the Author of Life, but God raised him from the dead (Acts 3:15), "loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it" (Acts 2:24). And if you believe in him, death cannot hold you either: "Jesus said, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live'." (John 11:5).

Jesus rose to prove that he had defeated death. Until he rose, death seemed to swallow up every ounce of life and hope from generation after generation. "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), and "none is righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10). So, how could sinners have any hope of escaping death?

God had promised everlasting life centuries before, but the resurrection revealed it was certain for his chosen, redeemed, and adopted sons and daughters. Though many had lived and believed and died before him, Jesus was the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18). And if there is a first, God means for more to follow him.

2. God has purchased all his promises for you.

Jesus rose to prove the Old Testament promises and warnings were truly from God. God's promises have always been the only lifeline of hope for those of us living under the supreme death penalty. But the resurrection brought those promises into fuller and higher definition.

"They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God  as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead . . . To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." (Acts 10:39-43).

The promises simply seem too good to be true - until we see God raise Jesus from the dead. Suddenly, what seemed so impossible to man was wonderfully possible and guaranteed with God.

3. God will judge every sin committed by you or against you.

While the apostle Paul was waiting in Atens, he preached, "[God] now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead". (Acts 17:30-31).

Jesus rose to prove that he would one day judge all sins. Every sin we have committed, and every sin committed against us, brings God into question. Will justice prevail? Will we all be wiped away and thrown into hell? When God raised Jesus from the dead, he made clear that every sin would be punished - on the cross for all who repent, and in judgment for all who refuse.

If you are alive with Christ, there is now no condemnation for you (Romans 8:1), and no sin against you will be overlooked or excused by God.

4. God will restore everything wrong or broken in front of you.

The apostle Peter calls his fellow Jews to Jesus, saying, "Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago" (Acts 3:19-21).

Jesus rose to prove that he would eventually return and make all things right, This last year provides another twelve months of evidence that this world is broken and bleeding. This Easter, due to the corona virus pandemic, we are again reminded that this world is broken and breaking.

And this Easter is another statement that our hope is as alive as Jesus. The world will be rid of sin, including all its causes and consequences. In God's wise and loving plan, that day is not today. But today is a great day to stop beside the empty tomb, and remember what will be one day.

5. Your bondage to sin is great, but God really can set you free.

Peter healed a man lame from birth, inviting him to finally walk after all these years, in the healing name of Jesus. The priests came to arrest Peter and John, "greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. (Acts 4:2). In custody and under trial, Peter boldly says, "Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you cruciified, whom God raised from the dead - by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which you must be saved." (Acts 4:10-12).

Jesus rose to prove that you really can be saved from your sin. You do not deserve salvation, and you could never achieve it in your own strength and resolve. If Christ did not rise from the dead, hope would have lain next to him in the grave. But he is not dead, and therefore we have hope.

Sin condemns us to everlasting punishment and never-ending torture (Matthew 13:41-42; Revelation 14:11). And sin mercilessly enslaves us to death (Romans 6:16-20; Ephesians 2:1).

Christ rose to cancel our debt, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14), and to set us free from sin. Paul preaches about the resurrection, "For David . . . fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses." (Acts 13:36-39).

For our forgiveness and freedom, Christ has died, risen, and set us free (Galatians 5:1).

6. God will not only rescue you, but people from all over the world.

Jesus was the promised Messiah of Israel, but he did not die and rise only for ethnic Israel. Again, Paul preaches, "I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles." (Acts 26:22-23).

Jesus rose to prove God had chosen people from everywhere in the world - not only Israel, but from Asia, Africa, and Australia, too. His blood was sufficient to purchase people from every tribe and language and people and nation (Revelations 5:9).

His death not only reconciles us to God, but reconciles us to one another across every conceivable barrier and boundary. And his resurrection is powerful enough to hold out hope to people everywhere on earth.

7. No evil can disrupt God's good plans for you.

The death  of Jesus looked like the single greatest defeat God's people had ever experienced. Instead of ascending to a throne and conquering his enemies, the promised king had been humiliated and crucified. But at the precise moment when it looked like evil had won, God was defeating every ounce of wickedness to accomplish his greatest victory. As Peter preaches to the Jewish officials, "Jesus of Nazareth . . . delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it." (Acts 2:22-24).

Jesus rose to prove that God is sovereign even over the worst evil in the world (Acts 2:23). In the ultimate act of rebellion and injustice, God was pivoting all of history, with love, to save and satisfy his people. And by raising his son from the dead on Easter, he promised to work all things, including the hardest and most painful things in your life, for the good of all his sons and daughters.

So, in conclusion: Give praise to God the Father for his forgiveness and grace in your life. Give thanks to the Holy Spirit for sealing your salvation for all eternity.

As this message will be included on my blog page and then placed on Facebook, it may be that some who are reading this Easter Sunday message have not made a commitment of their life to Jesus.

You can invite Jesus to become the Lord of your life right now. If you don't know what to say to Jesus, here is a prayer you can pray:

Dear Lord,

I know that I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin, and I ask you to forgive me. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I repent of my sins, and I ask you to come into my life and take control. I make a commitment to follow you, and I trust you as my Lord and Saviour.

In your name, Amen.

Remember, it's not the words that save you. It's the commitment of your heart that makes you a genuine follower of Jesus. If you prayed that pray and you mean these words with all your heart, then you have been born again. You'll experience the abundant life in the here and now.

And you'll have eternal life in the world to come.

Thoughts For Palm Sunday

This coming week is a very significant week in the Christian church. Tomorrow, Palm Sunday is a special day in the life of the church, followed by Maundy Thursday, celebrating the institution of the Lord’s Supper.

I want to focus on a timely thought in the Scriptures:

Romans 5:8:

 “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time for us sinners.”

Tomorrow, Palm Sunday, we celebrate the image of Christ coming for us, riding into Jerusalem to save us in a most unexpected way. Palm Sunday is the beginning of our Saviour’s journey to the Cross

We hear the story of this timely arrival told in slightly different ways in all four gospels, in Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-40, and John 12:12-19.

In short, Jesus rides a donkey into the city as a prophetic act, and the Jews who have packed the city for the Passover cheer him like a king as he enters. “Hosanna!” they cry in a cheer of praise.

They didn’t really understand what they were seeing. They were in the right place at the right time, but they cheered for shortsighted reasons. Most of them assumed Jesus had the potential to overthrow the political system and establish himself as an independent Jewish king, restoring the Jewish people to their former glory.

In less than a week, many of these same people would take up the cry, “Crucify him!” They would see Jesus as a failure, another rebellious wanna-be king crushed by the people in power. As big as their dreams had been, they could not see the incredibly big picture of what Jesus, truly the Christ, their promised Messiah, was doing.

When we read the story of the “Triumphal Entry,” it looks like a joyous scene, but it is actually a sad scene to contemplate. Of all the people who had ever lived and will ever live, the people gathered in Jerusalem were the privileged few allowed to be present at the pivot point of history. Remember the promise made to Abraham thousands of years earlier—these Jews were to result in a blessing that would impact every family on the earth.

Jesus was on his way to make that blessing possible. All of us who have walked through Holy Week with Jesus in past years know what is coming. Jesus offers some of his most intense and disturbing teachings to his followers, to the point where most abandon him.

His conflict with the Jewish leaders grows and grows until they determine they must get rid of him. And, working with the Roman Empire, they do—but not for long.

The “not for long” is celebrated next Sunday, Resurrection Sunday.

In the text, Paul is telling us that Jesus’ life and ministry, in particular the moment Jesus died on the cross to make it all effective, happened “at just the right time.” As time has passed, Paul’s meaning has become more and more self-evident.

Think about the time and place Jesus was crucified. What’s miraculous is that we ever heard about it at all. From a human perspective, if you wanted to plan a martyrdom to change the world, the last place you would start would be through the crucifixion of a backwater rabble-rouser who had lost most of his following, to the point that only a tiny remnant showed up at his execution.

From God’s perspective, though, this was the golden moment for the divine sacrifice to atone for all sin. Over nearly two millennia, it has proven to be golden. What an astonishing thing to consider; by our time in history, we can see how word of this obscure crucifixion and what follows has spread globally, touching nearly every culture on the planet!

Yes, God controls the big picture in ways we cannot see. And here’s some more good news: We’re part of that picture. And as tiny a part of it as we are, God’s perfect timing also is at work in our lives.

God’s grace—that is, the unmerited, unearned kindness he pours out on us—doesn’t always make itself evident when we think it should, but it certainly is poured out when it can be most effective.

At just the right time, we feel that gentle tug inviting us to turn toward him.

At just the right time, we are given the opportunity to understand salvation is being offered to us through the simple act of belief. And guess what: If we don’t respond right away, at just the right time we will get another opportunity, and another. God wants us to come back to him.

At just the right time, the kindness we need to grow as his followers will flow to us. We will find ourselves open, vulnerable, and God will not miss that opportunity to pull us further from sin and closer to him.

At just the right time, when we think we cannot bear pain or grief anymore, God will be there, and we through His presence during our suffering will develop a deeper understanding of just how much God cares.

Our endurance will grow, our character will grow, and we will be filled with a new hope.

At just the right time, we will see God with restored eyes, praise him with perfect voices, hear the angels singing with incredible clarity, and know that everything has been made righteous and holy.

Certainly, we will see this in some way at our deaths. Perhaps some of us will see this in a resurrection that precedes our dying.

Either way, we are all subject to God’s timing, and we know we can trust him.

A Very Merry Christmas

Dear Friends

Once again another year is coming to an end.  It doesn’t seem very long ago that we penned our greetings to you for the year 2018 !

Our lives seem to coast along smoothly, interspersed with regular medical visits, both locally and down to Brisbane.   Ron’s health currently is up and down. The infection of lungs, liver, sinus etc is being kept under reasonable control by large doses of penicillin daily and a penicillin injection every month when he has his human immunoglobulin infusion. However, he does have regular flareups of lung and chest infections and this requires special attention. He has morphine drugs twice daily, along with drugs for nerve pain and headaches.

The immunologist told Ron a couple of weeks ago that he will be on human immunoglobulin infusions for the rest of his life. Ron is his only patient that does not respond to antibiotics and we sorted out a plan in the event he has a major flareup of infections and he should need IV antibiotics. This would be administered through Hospital In The Home. He is at risk of further infections if he is treated in a hospital.

Our visits to Brisbane for review are now six-monthly, not the 3-4 months reviews that we have had over the past nine years. The immunologist reminded us last time that Ron has been under his care for 12 years.  He continues to have his four-weekly infusion over in the Maryborough Hospital and while that is a bit of a pain travelling over there, we accept that it is essential for his well-being.

Ron has had oral lichen planus for many years and he was going to Brisbane to see and be reviewed by a maxillofacial specialist. As this is caused by his immune deficiency there is no relief from this problem, so visits to this specialist have ceased. Beryl’s diabetes continues to be under control and with several joint x-rays recently, nothing untoward showed up – must accept our aging status.

Ron continues with the JP work, with regular duty in the local shopping centre and assisting at other public JP signing places as necessary. He is still on the ministry roster at the Chapel as well as a regular worship leader. He is happy that he is able to continue this very important part of his life and giftings. 

Beryl still enjoys playing indoor and outdoor bowls and plays outdoors on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; and indoors Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons.

We have had a few sad times this year, with extended family and good friends in the Village passing away. 

Beryl celebrated her 79th birthday in May, 2019, and Ron celebrated his 77th in June. Next year Beryl will be celebrating her 80th birthday, and we plan to be in New Zealand for that event and celebrate with family and friends in Palmerston North. 

We trust that all is well with yourselves and your family.

God bless you all

Love from 

Ron and Beryl

"IT IS FINISHED"

St John Gospel, chapter 19, verses 28-30:

Jesus knew that he had now finished his work. And in order to make the Scriptures come true, he said, "I am thirsty!" A jar of cheap wine was there. Someone then soaked a sponge with the wine and held it up to Jesus' mouth on the stem of a hyssop plant. After Jesus drank the wine, he said, "Everything is done!" He bowed his head and died.

It was three o’clock. Jesus called for water. He could hardly speak. A soldier fixed a sponge on a spear and held it up to his lips. It was terribly bitter but it was enough. He strained to raise his head and look up to heaven. "It is finished," he cried and then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

At the time, the moment was filled with too much emotion for those words to sink in and to ponder what they meant. But later as the early Christians read John’s Gospel and heard again those words, it dawned on them just how powerful these dying words of Jesus were. John wrote his Gospel in Greek, and those last words of Jesus are just one word in Greek – tetelestai (pronounced te-tel-es-sty).

The expression "It is finished" or tetelestai was well known to them. It was a part of everyday language.

When a servant had completed a difficult job that his master had given him to do, he would say to the master – tetelestai - "I have overcome all the difficulties; I have done the job to the best of my ability. It is finished".

When the Jewish people went to the temple with their sacrifice, the High Priest would examine what was brought. Most likely, he didn’t speak Greek but he would use the Hebrew equivalent of tetelestai – meaning, "Your offering is accepted; it is perfect".

When the merchant at the market place made a sale and the money was handed over, he would say, "tetelestai – the deal is finished, complete. The price has been paid in full. I am satisfied".

When an artist had finished a painting or a sculpture he would stand back and say, tetelestai – it is finished; there is nothing more that can be done to make this piece of art any better. This painting is complete.

When a boy recited to his father a difficult passage he had learnt from the Scriptures or a girl showed her mother the bread she had baked for the family, they would say tetelestai and the parents responded with, "Well done, my child, I am very proud of you."

When Jesus spoke those final words he wasn’t just saying, "This is the end of me" as if there was nothing else to do but to give in to his enemies and die. His last words weren’t a final surrender to the power of Satan as if to say, "You have won. I’m done for". These words don’t tell us that Jesus was dead now and that’s all there is to it. He is finished and so is everything that he stood for and promised during his earthly life.

Literally translated the word tetelestai means, “It is finished.” The word occurs in John 19:28 and 19:30 and these are the only two places in the New Testament where it occurs. In 19:28 it is translated, “After this, when Jesus knew that all things were now completed, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, he said, ‘I thirst.’”

Two verses later, he utters the word himself: “Then when he received the sour wine Jesus said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

The word tetelestai was also written on business documents or receipts in New Testament times to show indicating that a bill had been paid in full. The Greek-English lexicon by Moulton and Milligan says this:

“Receipts are often introduced by the phrase [sic] tetelestai, usually written in an abbreviated manner...” (p. 630). The connection between receipts and what Christ accomplished would have been quite clear to John’s Greek-speaking readership; it would be unmistakable that Jesus Christ had died to pay for their sins. All those who heard the word tetelestai – the servants, those who offered sacrifices at the temple, the buyers and sellers at the market place, the artists and parents and children understood that Jesus is saying that his job of saving the world has been completed.

He has finished the task and nothing can be added to what has been done.

Jesus has paid the price in full – he has cancelled all debt.

His sacrifice has been a perfect one, acceptable to the heavenly Father who, looking down on his Son hanging lifelessly from the cross, said, "Well done, this is my dear Son with whom I am well pleased".

Tetelestai – it is finished. Everything is complete!

What is it that is finished when Jesus says, "It is finished"?

Reconciliation is finished. The word ‘reconciliation’ has been used a lot in connection with the relationship between the aboriginal people of our country and the rest of the community. The terrible things that happened in the past have caused a rift between black and white people. Efforts have been made to heal the differences, to close the gap caused by past actions, to restore friendship, to be reconciled.

A terrible gap has come between God and all humanity caused by sin and evil. Our offences, our disobedience, the hurt we have caused God and others have destroyed our relationship with God.

Recall a time when you have done something that has hurt someone else and because of that your friendship with that person has been damaged, a gap has come between you, and you felt uneasy when you met that person, in fact you may have avoided that person. All of that doesn’t change until you put aside your differences and friendship is restored.

In the movie Grand Canyon, a tow truck driver is threatened by five troublemakers as he attempts to rescue a terrified motorist. He says, "Man, the world ain’t supposed to work like this. Maybe you don’t know that, but this ain’t the way it’s supposed to be. I’m supposed to be able to do my job without askin’ if I can. And that dude is supposed to able to wait with his car without you rippin’ him off. Everything’s supposed to be different than what it is here."

And he’s right. Everything’s supposed to be different. God created a perfect beautiful world and he made people to live in harmony and peace with one another. But look what’s happened. We all know what an effect our poorly chosen words and lack of consideration have on our relationship with family members and friends. 

Greed and selfishness destroy friendship and separate people and nations. That tow truck driver hit the nail on the head when he said - "Man, the world ain’t supposed to work like this".

Sin has a devastating effect on our relationship with God. Sin separates us from God and if we want to have any hope of going to heaven to be with God, then someone had to deal with sin and restore our relationship with God. So God sent his Son into the world for this very purpose.

Jesus died on the cross to get rid of the power of sin to condemn us. His death bridged the deep gulf between God and us. "Salvation is finished", Jesus cried. The restoration of the friendship between God and humanity has been finished. The task for which God's Son came to earth has been completed.

He has won forgiveness for all people.

Nothing else needs to be done.

Salvation is complete. "It is finished".

The cross is proof of the powerful love that God has for each of us. No one, not even God, would do something like that unless he truly loved us. Here we see a love that was prepared to endure the ultimate in order to rescue us.

We have known love to do some very powerful and strange things. A teenager Arthur Hinkley lifted a farm tractor with his bare hands. He wasn’t a weight lifter, but his best friend, eighteen-year-old Lloyd, was pinned under a tractor. Arthur heard Lloyd screaming for help and Arthur somehow lifted the tractor enough for Lloyd to wriggle out. His love for his best friend somehow enabled him to do what would normally be impossible.

There is the story of a priest who offered his life in place of a teenage boy in Nazi Germany. His offer was accepted and the priest died to save the boy’s life.

And then there was the young soldier who had been condemned to death by Oliver Cromwell. He was to be shot at the ringing of the curfew bell. His fiancée climbed the bell tower and tied herself to the clapper of the giant bell so that it would not ring. When the bell did not ring, soldiers went to investigate and found the girl battered and bleeding from being bashed against the sides of the bell. Cromwell was so impressed by her love for the young man that he was pardoned.

Because of love, people do extraordinary things for others. They give us a glimpse, a small glimpse, at the kind of love that God has for us. God the Father sent his dearly loved Son into dangerous territory. He allowed his Son to be treated cruelly.

He stood by and watched his innocent Son be nailed to a cross and to hang there in agony. He could have rescued him and cursed those who were treating him so brutally and maliciously. He allowed his Son to carry the sin of all humanity and so become repulsive even to his own Father.

I don’t think we can fully appreciate what it meant for the Father to abandon the Son and let him died at the hands of evil people. When Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" we sense something of the terror of bearing the weight of the sin of all humanity.

God did all this for us. He did all this because of his love for us.

St Paul writes, "God has shown us how much he loves us—it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us! … We were God's enemies, but he made us his friends through the death of his Son." (Romans 5:8,10).

That’s how much God loves us – Jesus died for us even though we don’t deserve it. His death has made us God's friends.

Jesus' announcement, "It is finished" is clear and simple. Jesus has completed his task. The reason why he came as a human has been fulfilled. He came so that you and I can have forgiveness and salvation. He came to give us the victory. He came to ensure that we would enter his kingdom and live forever.

I want you to do is close your eyes. For a short while, I want you to think about what Jesus has done for you through his death on the cross.

Visualise in your mind the suffering Saviour. Think about the love that God has for you, and thank him. Ask God to wrap you tightly in his love – forgiving you, watching over you, guiding you. If you feel that Jesus and his love for you are not real for a large part of your life, ask for his help.

We pray:

Loving God,

what you have done for us in Jesus’ death on the cross is far more than we deserve. His death has made us friends with you again. His death has given us forgiveness and the hope of life forever. Everything is complete. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Amen.

Where Is God When You Need Him?

Psalm 42:1-3 (Contemporary English Version):

Longing for God

As a deer gets thirsty

            for streams of water,

I truly am thirsty

            for you, my God.

 In my heart, I am thirsty

for you, the living God.
            When will I see your face?

 Day and night my tears

            are my only food,
as everyone keeps asking,
            “Where is your God?”

I am writing this article, which will eventually get placed on my blog site, to put into words reflections that lie heavy upon my mind. As some of you who will be reading this are aware, I suffer with an immunodeficiency. I am unable to make sufficient serum immunoglobulins, and those I do make are rubbish. This is why I receive human immunological replacement every 28 days. I have a portacath on my right side with a line going into my superior vena cava. The human immunological replacement is infused through my portacath and is done in a clinic at the Maryborough Public Hospital in the supportive therapies unit. The infusion takes about three and a-half hours to complete and should give me benefit for a number of days. However, in honesty it seems that the effect of this infusion only lasts for three or four days, one week at the most. I also have an intramuscular penicillin injection during the infusion.

I have a brilliant immunologist who has been reviewing my case every three months for the past eight years. He shares my lack of expectation to have relief from these problems, basically because over the years much damage has been done to my lungs, liver and gut.

I take a cocktail of drugs twice daily, which includes opioids, a total of 1000mg of penicillin, nerve pain relief, panadol and occasional extra drugs as prescribed by my health professionals, depending if an opportunistic infection had sprung up. All this will continue for the rest of my life. I also have severe ulcers on my tongue and have had this problem for 18 years at least. This is caused by my immunodeficiency and is also irreversible and incurable.

What has motivated me to write this article is because people have said to me that surely God would intervene and heal me, or intervene and guide my health professionals to give me a drug or some medication that will bring relief from the constant pain in my mouth, gut and liver. Some people find it difficult to understand that genetic disorders are mostly incurable and whatever drugs or over-the-counter remedies one uses they are mostly ineffective.

Over the years I have been given much advice and suggestions on things that could possibly help me and give me relief. Herbal medication has been suggested, colloidal silver and many other ideas. Unfortunately these suggestions will not replace non-existent immunoglobulins, particularly as there is a fair amount of evidence that the immunodeficiency is genetic. The technical name for my immunodeficiency is “granulomatous variant of common variable immune deficiency.”

I must say that I do not believe that God has abandoned me, or let me down. In fact I am absolutely convinced that he has not! I have lived a life that has had a lot of struggles and over the years I have found that God is, to me, an ever-present help in times of trouble.

When I pray to God about my health it is basically for strength from God to get me through each day as it comes. I guess that I can testify to God’s grace, mercy and love. I am not boasting, because this is not happening because of my own initiatives or endeavours but because God is being who he is, a Sovereign God. I have accepted that God is Sovereign Lord of my life and I must let him work in my life entirely as he wishes to do.

My faith journey began when I was about 12 years of age, when I felt God was reaching out to me and calling me to himself. I accepted by faith the salvation offered to me through Jesus Christ. The sinless Christ, who had become incarnate and at 30-odd years of age was crucified for the sins of humankind, and three days later rose from the dead showing his victory over sin and death, was interested in me and manifests his love and grace to me daily. I definitely did not deserve God’s grace, but the Scriptures state that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

 I was a foster child, and my foster mother took me as a newborn. Life for me as a child and an early teenager had its ups and downs, and there were many painful experiences during this time. I left my foster home when I was around 16 years of age, and for some time I was really a homeless person, although I was fortunate in always having somewhere warm to lay my head. During the time of my fosterhood I felt a strong sense of abandonment, particularly as I was told that I did not really belong in the family. This message was reinforced many times by my foster parents.

During my childhood and until I was in my late thirties I suffered from severe migraine headaches. I actually experienced a migraine about every two weeks, and the drugs I was given caused me to sleep for at least 24 hours. It was a debilitating experience.

The Psalm that I quoted at the beginning of this article was written by Psalmist David, at a time when he was at a very low point in his life. As I look at people like David, and other people in the Christian Scriptures I try to learn from their example of how they dealt with the problems of their life and also their dependence upon God.

Psalm 42 is a cry of a man far removed from the outward ordinances and worship of God, sighing for the long loved house of his God, but at the same time it is the voice of a spiritual believer, under depression, longing for the renewal of the divine presence, struggling with doubts and fears, but yet holding his ground by faith in the living God.

King David’s son, Absalom had led a revoIt against his father, King David, and this resulted in King David having to flee for his life from Absalom at this time in his life.

So imagine what is happening here: The great King, the mighty warrior, the successful patriot, exiled from his kingdom and nowhere to turn. He desires to feel the presence of God with him, but to David it seems that God is nowhere around. Those around him began to ask David, “Where is your God?” insinuating that God had left him, had abandoned him, and no longer heard is prayers.

This question caused King David to reflect on the days that had gone by. He is effectively saying: “I sigh as I think of happier days when you, God, was near me and every heart seemed to be tuned to praise you. No-one was more blessed than I was”.

King David remembers the days when he went with the multitude to the temple. He recalls vividly the voices of praise and joy that was heard. But now these people are saying to King David, “Where is your God now? Where is your God when you need Him?”

 Perhaps we should consider a few more examples from the Scriptures.

 If we were to read the Book of Job, in the Old Testament, we would notice that Job felt isolated from God. In reading about Job we learn that he was a man of integrity whose trust was in God. His ways were perfect. His life was above reproach. There was no incriminating evidence found in his life. Yet in the space of a few hours he was reduced from a wealthy man to a poor miserable person who had lost everything he had. The Book of Job tells us that he was reduced to sitting in sackcloth and ashes covered from the top of his head to the soles of his feet with boils. Where is God when you need Him?

Then there is the story of Joseph who was the son of Jacob. Joseph was regarded highly by his father, and Scripture records that he was so highly regarded that a coat of many colours was made for him. This caused his brothers to be jealous of him, and he was sold by them as a slave and he ended up in Egypt, falsely accused and thrown into prison. Where is God when you need Him?

Then there is the story of Moses whom God sent to Egypt. Moses was given the task by God to lead the Israelite slaves out of bondage in Egypt, and into the promised land. As we read the story of Moses we see that God worked marvellous things through Moses, and eventually the Israelite slaves were set free. We do not know how many Israelites left Egypt but it was a great number. At that time the Israelites did not have the Torah (the five books of Moses) because they were not written, and the Ten Commandments had not been given by God to Moses. The Scriptures however, records that the escaping Israelites came to the Red Sea. They were cornered like an animal in a cage, and Pharaoh’s army was behind them, mountains on both sides and the Red Sea in front. Where is God when you need Him?

In the New Testament, in the Gospel of St John, chapter 11, we have the story about the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Mary and Martha’s brother was deathly sick. They sent word to Jesus that he may come heal him. Jesus didn’t come when they expected him. Lazarus died and was buried. Jesus was their friend, but he did not come when he was needed. Where is God when you need him?

In another instance in the Gospels we read that the disciples were having fellowship with Jesus. He constrained his disciples to get into the fishing boat and sail to the other side of the Lake of Galilee. Suddenly a massive storm sprang up, but Jesus was asleep in the boat. The reaction of the disciples was one of despair and fear. Doesn’t Jesus care that we are going to perish in this storm? The storm is raging, the wind is blowing, the waves are coming over the ship. Where is God when you need him?

I would suggest that for most of us when we have trials, suffering, sorrows and the problems of life, we ask ourselves the question Where is God when you need him?

There are times when things have been good, when you have been blessed, when your needs have been met, delivered from harm’s way, and a host of other things. These good times have not been the result of your own efforts, but are evidence of a power outside of yourself, taking care of you and guiding your life.

But the time comes when you are in a mess, you are now in this trial of life. You are having financial problems, you have lost a loved one, you are facing troubles like you have never experienced before. Where is God when you need him?

Let us return to where we started this blog. Let us look again at Psalm 42. In verse 11 David says:

Why am I discouraged?

Why am I restless?

           I trust you!

And I will praise you again

because you help me,

            And you are my God.

 King David exhorts his readers: Put your trust in God. Place your confidence in God.

Psalm 42, verse 8:

Every day, you are kind,

            and at night

you give me a song

as my prayer to you,

            the living LORD God.

Here are a few more Scripture verses that I find very encouraging and helpful:

Joshua 1:5: Joshua, I will always be with you and help you as I helped Moses, and no one will ever be able to defeat you.

Hebrews 13:5: The Lord has promised that he will not leave us or desert us.

Psalm 37:25:

As long as I can remember,

good people have never

been left helpless,

and their children have never

gone begging for food.

Earlier we mentioned Job. He lost everything he had. He couldn’t find God. God seemed to be a million miles away. However, we read in  Job 13:15:

God may kill me, but still

I will trust him

and offer my defence. 

These words did not come from Job when everything was going well, but he said them when everything looked hopeless and gloomy.

When thoughts come to your mind when you are in the midst of trial and you ask the question Where is God when you need him? you can respond, “He’s where He’s always been, and where He always will be, right by my side. I trust Him to guide and direct me through this dark trial and I will come forth as gold.”

While Joseph was sitting in the dark prison, God didn’t forget him. God didn’t forsake him. God knew where he was. And in God’s own perfect time he came on the scene.

Remember Moses? Stranded by the Red Sea with many Israelite slaves, with nowhere to run.  Where was God? He was getting ready to implement his plans! You know the story, the waters departed and the people of Israel walked over to the other side on dry ground!

Remember Mary and Martha? They called for Jesus to come, but he just ignored their request. However, just when they thought all hope was gone, Jesus came on the scene. For you see, even death cannot stop Jesus. He is the resurrection and the life!

Where was Jesus? He was aware that death had taken Lazarus.

He was aware the storm was about to destroy the disciple’s boat.

 He was aware that Joseph was in that Egyptian jail.

He was aware that Job lost all he had and was sitting in agony scraping the boils on his body.

And He is aware what you and I are facing today!

He is aware what you and I are going through.

Quoting again from the Book of Job, chapter 23 verse 10:

But he knows what I am doing,

and when he tests me,

I will be pure as gold.

I willingly admit that there are times when it seems that God is a million galaxies away. There are times when I feel that he is not around anywhere. But he is!

I may not feel him right now, but he is as near as the breath I breathe. I can put my confidence and trust in a loving and merciful God. He will never leave me or forsake me.

I know he has a plan for my life regardless of how dark it may be. He still has plans to mold me into a vessel he can use for his glory.

I know He is much aware of all my pain and anxieties. He is aware of my times of loneliness. He is aware of the trials I face each and every day. He knows how you feel inside, really he does!

And he is right here with me. All I have to do is reach out to him. Draw near to God and he will draw near unto you.

Finally: It makes me wonder sometimes how arrogant we can be. We tend to live our life the way we want, without any regard to God and his claims on our life. Then we expect him to come to our aid when we are in need of comfort and support in our life. Then when things don’t seem to work out the way we want, we then blame God for not being there when we need him, or in some cases we doubt his very existence.

But at the end of the day, God hasn’t moved. He is still loving, patient, merciful and gracious.

He wants us to put our faith and trust in him.