Reflection on the Disasters in Myanmar and China

An earthquake killed 12,000 people in Chengdu, China, yesterday.  There are another 62,000 dead or missing in Myanmar, according to their government, from a cyclone May 3.  The UN predicts that there could be more than 100,000 dead.  The UN has has also reported that possibly up to 40% of those killed in Myanmar were children.

I have friends who are students at the University of Nebraska, who are from Chengdu and whose families still live and work there.  As far as I know, their families are okay.  How sobering it was to hear my friend tell me yesterday, “I called all my relatives.  No one answered.  I was so scared.”  It turned out that his family members were okay.  Just think, though, if that were to happen to your hometown.  It’s a bone-chilling thought, isn’t it?

Through it all, I can’t help but wonder how many people are asking, “Where is God?”  The question is not “Where is God?”  I believe that God is in their midst, mourning with them the loss of loved ones.  He is in their midst, wooing certain persons to himself.  The question we should ask is, “What is God doing in a disaster like this?”  (I wrote on this subject a while ago –  you might find it helpful.)  But if we think about those questions, we cannot ask the first one.  If our foundation is the Bible, then God never leaves room for the question, “Where is God?”  The Bible makes it clear: He alone is Sovereign and he ordained these events to happen.  He did it for his glory, according to his secret will. 

Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it?  Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?  Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins? (Lam. 3:37-39)

Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid?  Does disaster come to a city unless the Lord has done it? (Amos 3:6)

I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things (Is. 45:7).

And from the mouth of our Lord Jesus himself:

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:1-5).

It’s clear that God has not simply “allowed” these disasters.  He, in his infinite, mysterious will, has caused them to happen.  And he didn’t do it because the people were “worse sinners.”  God did it to show his power; to display his mighty glory; to show how imperfect the world is; to show his great mercy on those who survived — or on us who are unaffected; and to draw our attention to himself, that we might embrace the only thing that will never die, flood, break, rust, or rot, namely Jesus. 

When disaster strikes, turn to Jesus and be astonished that though you are a great sinner, calamity has not fallen upon your head yet.  Be amazed at the mercy of God that you are still hanging by the thread of sovereign grace that God provides.  When disaster strikes, fall on your face, worship and repent before the great God who ordains everything in the universe to come to pass. 

Come to me all who labor and are heavey laden.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

On Joy and Sanctification

Joy in God and sanctification go hand-in-hand.  When we enjoy God, we become more sanctified (more Christ-like).  Why?  The more we enjoy God, the more we become like him because God is the greatest enjoyer of God in the universe.  God is completely God-centered.  For him to be something-else-centered would make that thing God.  If God were enjoying something greater than himself, then we should strive to enjoy that thing. 

Weekly Spurgeon

This is a day early, but due to the situation that we are dealing with here in Lincoln, I thought I’d post this today.  This is Spurgeon’s meditation on May 3 from Morning and Evening.  How appropriate is this mediation in light of what happened yesterday.  God is still good.  “Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling (Ps. 46:2-3).”

“In the world ye shall have tribulation.”
- John 16:33

Art thou asking the reason of this, believer? Look upward to thy heavenly Father, and behold Him pure and holy. Dost thou know that thou art one day to be like Him? Wilt thou easily be conformed to His image? Wilt thou not require much refining in the furnace of affliction to purify thee? Will it be an easy thing to get rid of thy corruptions, and make thee perfect even as thy Father which is in heaven is perfect? Next, Christian, turn thine eye downward. Dost thou know what foes thou hast beneath thy feet? Thou wast once a servant of Satan, and no king will willingly lose his subjects. Dost thou think that Satan will let thee alone? No, he will be always at thee, for he “goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Expect trouble, therefore, Christian, when thou lookest beneath thee. Then look around thee. Where art thou? Thou art in an enemy’s country, a stranger and a sojourner. The world is not thy friend. If it be, then thou art not God’s friend, for he who is the friend of the world is the enemy of God. Be assured that thou shalt find foe-men everywhere. When thou sleepest, think that thou art resting on the battlefield; when thou walkest, suspect an ambush in every hedge. As mosquitoes are said to bite strangers more than natives, so will the trials of earth be sharpest to you. Lastly, look within thee, into thine own heart and observe what is there. Sin and self are still within. Ah! if thou hadst no devil to tempt thee, no enemies to fight thee, and no world to ensnare thee, thou wouldst still find in thyself evil enough to be a sore trouble to thee, for “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Expect trouble then, but despond not on account of it, for God is with thee to help and to strengthen thee. He hath said, “I will be with thee in trouble; I will deliver thee and honour thee.” 

Weekly Spurgeon

From Morning and Evening

“God, even our own God.” 
- Psalm 67:6

It is strange how little use we make of the spiritual blessings which God gives us, but it is stranger still how little use we make of God Himself. Though He is “our own God,” we apply ourselves but little to Him, and ask but little of Him. How seldom do we ask counsel at the hands of the Lord! How often do we go about our business, without seeking His guidance! In our troubles how constantly do we strive to bear our burdens ourselves, instead of casting them upon the Lord, that He may sustain us! This is not because we may not, for the Lord seems to say, “I am thine, soul, come and make use of me as thou wilt; thou mayst freely come to my store, and the oftener the more welcome.” It is our own fault if we make not free with the riches of our God. Then, since thou hast such a friend, and He invites thee, draw from Him daily. Never want whilst thou hast a God to go to; never fear or faint whilst thou hast God to help thee; go to thy treasure and take whatever thou needest — there is all that thou canst want. Learn the divine skill of making God all things to thee. He can supply thee with all, or, better still, He can be to thee instead of all. Let me urge thee, then, to make use of thy God. Make use of Him in prayer. Go to Him often, because He is thy God. O, wilt thou fail to use so great a privilege? Fly to Him, tell Him all thy wants. Use Him constantly by faith at all times. If some dark providence has beclouded thee, use thy God as a “sun;” if some strong enemy has beset thee, find in Jehovah a “shield,” for He is a sun and shield to His people. If thou hast lost thy way in the mazes of life, use Him as a “guide,” for He will direct thee. Whatever thou art, and wherever thou art, remember God is just what thou wantest, and just where thou wantest, and that He can do all thou wantest.

Meditation on 1 Peter 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

- 1 Peter 1:3

Peter begins the body of his first letter with a shout of praise to God: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  The Greek word for “blessed” is eulogetos which is where we get our word “eulogy” from, and one of its definitions is ”praise.”  Peter is giving God a eulogy (a good one, to the living God).  Peter sandwiches this in between great theological truths.  High praise is due to God because he has foreknown us, elected us, sanctified us, and sprinkled us with Jesus’ blood (vv. 1-2).  And high praise is due to God because he has caused us to be born again to a living hope that gives so joy and fulfillment (vv. 4-9).

“According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope.”  Again we see the doctrine of election.  How were we born again?  According to God’s great mercy (cf. Eph. 2:4; Tit. 3:5).  God has caused us to be born again.  R.C. Sproul writes, “This emphasizes that salvation is based entirely on God’s loving initiative.”  God has done the work; he makes people Christians; glory alone goes to him.  A human baby contributes nothing to make himself alive and it is the same way with the Christian.  The word used for “caused us to be born again” is anagennao and it is more active than simply gennao (which would be like an earthly father’s passive action in the birth of a physical child).  God, on the other hand, has actively pursued us, wooed us, called us, and caused us to have faith so that we would be born again (Matt. 11:27; Jn. 6:44; Acts 13:48; Eph. 2:8-9; 1 Thes. 1:4; Heb. 3:1). 

Christianity is about the loving, sovereign, holy, infinite God of the universe giving his people grace and faith to love and trust him.  Our response is faith to what God has initiated in us.  We have the ability to respond because he has caused us to be born again.  Could anything be more clear?  Religion, on the other hand, is man’s attempt to cause himself to be born again (or saved, etc).  There is nothing in our souls that desire God (see Romans 3).  In fact, by nature we are runaways and rebels. 

Lest we simply know the theology of the Bible with our minds (and 1 Peter 3:1) and have no heart connection, let us look at the practical application that Peter gives us.  What have we been born again to?  We are born again to a living hope.  It is not a dead hope.  It is not a corrupted or wicked hope.  It is life and peace and joy and fulfillment.  This is explained more in the verse 4, however we can be sure with our verse that this hope far outweighs anything this life can offer us.  This hope is a perfect hope that will never disappoint (cf. Rom. 5:5).  We have been given this hope “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”  The word “through” is dia in Greek and it is the same word used in verse 23, “Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through (dia) the living and abiding word of God.” The living and abiding word of God is the whole redemptive plan of God: that he sent his Son to save sinners.  Dia modifies the phrase “born again” in verse 3.  Because of (through) Christ’s resurrection we now have a living hope that will one day bring us new bodies that are sown imperishable, that we may experience the inexpressible joy that comes with the salvation of our souls (vv. 8-9).

It’s clear that Jesus died to bring us great joy and satisfaction in him for his glory so that we might live with and worship him for eternity.  Christianity is not about rules, regulations, trying to get saved, and attempting to find God.  That is religion.  Christianity is about God coming to us by his mercy and causing us to be born again so that we might have the greatest happiness in our lives –  a happiness that is imperishable. 

Weekly Spurgeon

From his autobiography, compiled by Hy. Pickering:

I sometimes think I might have been in darkness and despair now, had it not been for the goodness of God in sending a snowstorm one Sunday morning, when I was going to a place of worship. When I could go no further, I turned down a court and came to a little Primitive Methodist Chapel. In that chapel there might be a dozen or fifteen people. The minister did not come that morning: snowed up, I suppose. A poor man, a shoemaker, a tailor, or something of that sort, went up into the pulpit to preach. He was obliged to stick to his text, for the simple reason that he had nothing else to say. The text was, ‘Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.’ He did not even pronounce the words rightly, but that did not matter.

There was, I thought, a glimpse of hope for me in the text. He began thus: ‘My dear friends, this is a very simple text indeed. It says, “Look.” Now that does not take a deal of effort. It ain’t lifting your foot or your finger; it is just “look.” Well, a man need not go to college to learn to look. You may be the biggest fool, and yet you can look. A man need not be worth a thousand a year to look. Anyone can look; a child can look. But this is what the text says. Then it says, “Look unto Me.” ‘Ay,’ said he, in broad Essex, ‘many of ye are looking to yourselves. No use looking there. You’ll never find comfort in yourselves.’ Then the good man followed up his text in this way: ‘Look unto Me: I am sweating great drops of blood. Look unto Me; I am hanging on the Cross. Look: I am dead and buried. Look unto Me; I rise again. Look unto Me; I ascend; I am sitting at the Father’s right hand. O, look to Me! Look to Me!’ When he had got about that length, and managed to spin out ten minutes, he was at the length of his tether.

Then he looked at me under the gallery, and I daresay, with so few present, he knew me to be a stranger. He then said, ‘Young man, you look very miserable.’ Well, I did; but I had not been accustomed to have remarks made on my personal appearance from the pulpit before. However, it was a good blow struck. He continued: ‘And you will always be miserable — miserable in life and miserable in death — if you do not obey my text. But if you obey now, this moment, you will be saved.’

Then he shouted, as only a Primitive Methodist can, ‘Young man, look to Jesus Christ.’ There and then the cloud was gone, the darkness had rolled away, and that moment I saw the sun; and I could have risen that moment and sung with the most enthusiastic of them of the Precious Blood of Christ.

 

Meditation on Matthew 11:25-30

Yesterday morning, I spent a short time in Matthew 11:25-30.  As I reflected on Jesus words, I marveled at two very clear, yet profound, truths.  The first truth is divine election and calling.  Jesus said, “All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (v. 27).  God has revealed truth to those whom he has chosen and has actually hidden things from the (worldly) “wise and understanding” (v. 25).  This is a splendid truth!  It is a  truth that is a major theme in Scripture and shows the beauty of a loving Father who owes nothing to anyone except justice. 

The second truth is man’s responsibility to come to Jesus–whether saved or unsaved.  He says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (vv. 28-30).  If you are unsaved, you are held responsible if you do not come to Jesus.  If you are saved, find your rest in him; make him your treasure.  Only because of the first truth though, are we able to respond by coming to Jesus.  Notice the order in which Jesus spoke to the people.  He said that the Son chooses to reveal the Father to some, and then he told the people to come to him for rest.  Without the first truth, the second would be impossible.

These two truths are not at odds.  Two truths cannot be contradictory.  As C.H. Spurgeon said, “Both are true; no two truths can be inconsistent with each other; and what you have to do is to believe them both.”  So may we take heart that there is a God who is revealing himself to us and if you respond to him in faith, you are most certain a chosen child of the King.  And if and when we do respond, Revelation 21:6 should be our beautiful experience: “To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.”

Coming to Jesus with you,
james

Weekly Spurgeon

From Morning and Evening

“My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.”
- Psalm 22:14

Our blessed Lord experienced a terrible sinking and melting of soul. “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, but a wounded spirit who can bear?” Deep depression of spirit is the most grievous of all trials; all besides is as nothing. Well might the suffering Saviour cry to His God, “Be not far from me,” for above all other seasons a man needs his God when his heart is melted within him because of heaviness. Believer, come near the cross this morning, and humbly adore the King of glory as having once been brought far lower, in mental distress and inward anguish, than any one among us; and mark His fitness to become a faithful High Priest, who can be touched with a feeling of our infirmities. Especially let those of us whose sadness springs directly from the withdrawal of a present sense of our Father’s love, enter into near and intimate communion with Jesus. Let us not give way to despair, since through this dark room the Master has passed before us. Our souls may sometimes long and faint, and thirst even to anguish, to behold the light of the Lord’s countenance: at such times let us stay ourselves with the sweet fact of the sympathy of our great High Priest. Our drops of sorrow may well be forgotten in the ocean of His griefs; but how high ought our love to rise! Come in, O strong and deep love of Jesus, like the sea at the flood in spring tides, cover all my powers, drown all my sins, wash out all my cares, lift up my earth-bound soul, and float it right up to my Lord’s feet, and there let me lie, a poor broken shell, washed up by His love, having no virtue or value; and only venturing to whisper to Him that if He will put His ear to me, He will hear within my heart faint echoes of the vast waves of His own love which have brought me where it is my delight to lie, even at His feet for ever.

Weekly Spurgeon

From Morning and Evening: 

He had been all night in agony, He had spent the early morning at the hall of Caiaphas, He had been hurried from Caiaphas to Pilate, from Pilate to Herod, and from Herod back again to Pilate; He had, therefore, but little strength left, and yet neither refreshment nor rest were permitted Him. They were eager for His blood, and therefore led Him out to die, loaded with the cross. O dolorous procession! Well may Salem’s daughters weep. My soul, do thou weep also.

What learn we here as we see our blessed Lord led forth? Do we not perceive that truth which was set forth in shadow by the scapegoat? Did not the high-priest bring the scapegoat, and put both his hands upon its head, confessing the sins of the people, that thus those sins might be laid upon the goat, and cease from the people? Then the goat was led away by a fit man into the wilderness, and it carried away the sins of the people, so that if they were sought for they could not be found. Now we see Jesus brought before the priests and rulers, who pronounce Him guilty; God Himself imputes our sins to Him, “the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all;” “He was made sin for us;” and, as the substitute for our guilt, bearing our sin upon His shoulders, represented by the cross; we see the great Scapegoat led away by the appointed officers of justice. Beloved, can you feel assured that He carried your sin? As you look at the cross upon His shoulders, does it represent your sin? There is one way by which you can tell whether He carried your sin or not. Have you laid your hand upon His head, confessed your sin, and trusted in Him? Then your sin lies not on you; it has all been transferred by blessed imputation to Christ, and He bears it on His shoulder as a load heavier than the cross.

Let not the picture vanish till you have rejoiced in your own deliverance, and adored the loving Redeemer upon whom your iniquities were laid.

Weekly Spurgeon

Sorry for its absence in the past two weeks.  This week, the quote is quite short, but it is long on conviction.

If any of you should ask me for an epitome of the Christian religion, I should say that it is in one word–prayer. Live and die without prayer, and you will pray long enough when you get to hell.