Yesterday I heard a very heart-wrenching story in the news on my commute to work. It was that the remains of a baby were found in a local city’s sewer. A baby, age determined to be 10-25 weeks of gestation, was found by workers at a Ft. Wayne water treatment facility. I have quoted part of an article describing the situation:

Workers at a Fort Wayne water treatment facility made a gruesome discovery Monday afternoon — the body of an unborn baby who Three Rivers Ambulance Authority paramedics believe was approximately 10 to 25 weeks old.

Local media reports indicate the Allen County Coroner determined the unborn baby was 14-15 weeks gestation and the race and gender of the child was unable to be determined at the time of the examination. Although there is no indication how the baby’s body wound up at the facility, Indiana Right to Life president Mike Fichter tells LifeNews he believes the baby may have been chemically aborted and discarded in sewer.

He said Indiana Right to Life will ask the Indiana State Department of Health to revisit guidelines for disposing of the remains of aborted children in the wake of yesterday’s discovery.

“We don’t know whether this baby was aborted and then flushed into the sewer system by Fort Wayne’s local abortion clinic, or aborted at home using the RU-486 chemical abortion method, but both are strong possibilities,” Fichter noted.

According to responses to inquiries made to the Indiana State Department of Health, fetal remains prior to 20-weeks are classified as medical waste to be handled according to federal guidelines. Those guidelines, according to the national Environmental Compliance Assistance Platform medical waste management web site supported by the federal EPA, list various methods for disposing of medical waste including “Discharge in a sanitary sewer or septic system that is properly installed and operating in accordance with state and local laws.”

“The horrifying fact is that abortion clinics in Indiana can use garbage disposals and toilets to discard body parts into local sewer systems,” states Fichter. “The degradation of the disposal process is second only to the degradation of destroying these lives in the first place.”

Rest of story here

Obviously the whole story has not been revealed yet. And I think we need to keep that in consideration. But I have some thoughts about this and similar situations:

What do we know about this story?

• A baby, unable to survive on its own, was discarded in a horrifying way
• A mother, for whatever reason, experienced the loss of her child
• A father is in the picture, in some way
• Workers, not expecting this kind of gruesome discovery, were shocked by their find
• Our community is responding to this situation

What do I think about this story?

• Baby
  • There was a baby created through the wonderful means of procreation that God had ordained
  • This child, even before conception, had all its days written in a book, stored in God’s library.
  • This baby, created in the image of God, fulfilled the purpose that God designed for it’s young life – even if we haven’t discovered that purpose yet
  • This baby was loved by God more than any earthly family could ever love a child
• Mom
  • There was a mom who conceived a child in some situation – unknown presently
  • There is a mom who carried a child for 10-25 weeks; who carried a real, live human being for 10-25 weeks
  • There is a mom who has lost her child. We do not, at the time of this writing, know the circumstances of the abortion
    • Yes, a miscarriage is an abortion (a natural expulsion of a fetus) – did this mom suffer incredibly in the loss of her child?
    • Was this mom faced with such hard life choices that she only saw hope in aborting her child?
    • Did this mom feel alone in her pregnancy and up against an immovable wall of circumstances?
    • Would this mom have considered giving her child up for adoption?
  • There is a mom who has lost a child and she will carry that for the rest of her life – how would you/your Church minister to her?
• Dad
  • There was a father who, through the means ordained by God, became a partner in the life of this child
  • Did this dad, upon finding out that this mom was pregnant, wonder how he was going to afford a child?
  • Does this dad even know what has happened to his child?
  • Is this dad being supportive of the mother of this child?
  • What circumstances of life were so great for this dad that the only logical and viable choice in regard to this child was abortion?
  • What is this dad feeling if the mother of this child lost her child and he disposed of it, frightened because he didn’t know what to do?
  • There is a dad who is forever linked to the life of this child – even if we never know his name
• Workers
  • There are workers who made a gruesome discovery and will carry that for the rest of their lives
  • There are workers who have their own families that will undoubtedly be affected in the way they view their wife and children
  • There are workers who need loving support to work through this situation
• Community
  • What can we do?
  • There is a community which will use this situation for good or for evil
  • There is a community which will be divided along the lines of pro-life/pro-choice
  • There is a community that will continue to battle for either a culture of life or a culture of death
  • There is a community that must be called to provide answers and options for moms and families who struggle with tough choices
  • There is a community that must be embraced in the grace of Jesus Christ and confronted with His truth as well
  • There is a community that must be educated in the truth of life, of creation and of its Creator
  • There is a community in which the Church must be foremost in its ministry to struggling families
  • There is a community that must see the Church as a haven of grace, acceptance and love

How will you promote a culture of life in your community? Becoming involved is the first step. Here are some resources for you:

Kosciusko County Right to Life

Allen County Right to Life

I don’t know of any pastors who got into the ministry because they thought they would “get rich quick”. I do know a few who got into ministry because they thought they could use their position in a way to control and manipulate people, or just have a career where they don’t exert much effort at all. I’m not speaking to these folks.

Generally, a pastor is someone with a heart for God and a heart for people. It is a person who is dedicated to using their gifts, part-time, bi-vocationally, or full-time, in helping people grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Often these people are burning candles at both ends, and have a pretty good flame going on in the center as well!

Take a break!

I got to thinking about this because of a short conversation I had with my wife. I was telling her about some struggle I was having in ministry and she just quietly said, “Looks like we’re close to vacation time”. What she meant is that she was noticing that I was just needing to take a break. Even a few days off would be a good place to start. Family time has been dwindling and Pastor Dad is not around as much as he should be. There is a lot packed into her simply true statement!

God speaks to pastors in regard to their family time

We are pretty familiar with the verses that speak to the pastor-shepherd’s family life:

He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? (1Ti 3:4-5 ESV)

What does that mean practically? What exactly might “managing” a household mean? Does it mean taking a day off? What about a regularly scheduled vacation?

Family Life

It’s no secret that pastors and their families suffer tremendously due to the ministry. Sometimes it is the hassles of ministry that cause pastors to suffer, and sometimes they are suffering at their own hand. A quick web search of “statistics pastors and family” revealed some of these startling stats:

• Of the one thousand fifty (1,050 or 100%) pastors we surveyed, every one of them had a close associate or seminary buddy who had left the ministry because of burnout, conflict in their church, or from a moral failure.
• Nine hundred forty-eight (948 or 90%) of pastors stated they are frequently fatigued, and worn out on a weekly and even daily basis (did not say burned out).
• Eight hundred eight (808 or 77%) of the pastors we surveyed felt they did not have a good marriage!
• Eight hundred two (802 or 71%) of pastors stated they were burned out, and they battle depression beyond fatigue on a weekly and even a daily basis.
• Three hundred ninety-nine (399 or 38%) of pastors said they were divorced or currently in a divorce process.
• Three hundred fifteen (315 or 30%) said they had either been in an ongoing affair or a one-time sexual encounter with a parishioner.

or consider these stats: According to the New York Times (August 1, 2010)

• 25% don’t know where to turn when they have a family or personal conflict or issue.
• 25% of pastors’ wives see their husband’s work schedule as a source of conflict.
• 33% say that being in ministry is an outright hazard to their family.

And the stats go on and on. How should a pastor see his ministry in relation to his marriage and family life? Pastors everywhere suffer from the realization that their marriage may not be what it should be or, his failure as a parent just becomes a back breaking load to bear. What does a pastor do to regain this proper perspective in ministry and family life?

1. Recognize that he is a husband first, a father second, and a pastor third.
2. Pastors, and congregations, need to understand that a good home life is foundational to a good ministry.

Family life management is key

See the above text for an indication of how important the Apostle Paul thought family life was for pastors. If you can’t manage your home, you won’t be able to manage your church either. Why is this true?

• The principles & abilities of management are identical wherever they are applied
• If a pastor has failed with a smaller group of people, how will he be successful in the work of a larger group of people?
• If he cannot manage his home & family life, he will be burdened excessively, keeping him from being profitable in his ministry.
• If he is a failure at home, how can he be an example to his congregation? How will he model the way to manage a home?
• If he insists on putting ministry first, he has reversed the order that God has ordained, and unfit for ministry

Time away

Every pastor needs to have a regularly scheduled day away from ministry to the congregation, so that he can focus on ministry to his family. Emergencies arise on occasion and a well rested pastor will eagerly and competently be able to respond in a proper pastoral way. Not only is a day away important, but also a regular time of vacation and rest is vital. This should be a time where he is all but “unreachable” by others in the congregation. He should allow one, or a few key leaders know how to contact him if a true emergency arises, but otherwise remain on vacation at all costs. A good congregation will understand that a rested pastor is an energized and focused pastor.

Rubber to the road

Pastors, here are some questions to work through in regard to your family life and time away:

• Are you a good husband? Why or why not? What must be corrected to come in line with Scripture?
• Are you managing your life and schedule right now so that you are spending adequate and quality time with your wife and family? What habits do you have that have allowed this? What habits need to change?
• Ask your wife and children if they feel as if you are serving them well. Don’t excuse, blameshift or explain away their responses. Review their responses, are they true? What do they indicate?
• Write down your concerns. Refer to the list often. Pray over the list, asking God to give you the wisdom and ability to manage both your family life and your congregation. Revise the list as necessary. Mark off the concerns as you correct them, as your biblical goals become reality.

More resources from Practical Shepherding:

1. Why Should Pastors Regularly Take Time Off?
2. How Much Vacation Time Should a Pastor Take?
3. Should a Pastor Have a Day Off Every Week?
4. How Do You Communicate Love to Your Wife in the Midst of a Demanding Schedule?
5. How Does a Pastor Recover from Mental and Emotional Exhaustion?

There are three great passions in my life: Jesus Christ, my wife & family, and coffee. My coffee consumption: some people call it an “addiction”, I call it fuel for life! I was recently introduced to Leiva’s Coffee from Guatemala and the way I view how I purchase coffee changed tremendously. Leiva’s coffee is a company that is dedicated to transform people’s lives in practical ways in Guatemala while introducing them to Jesus Christ at the same time. I was introduced to the coffee by some friends who traveled to Guatemala recently and purchased the coffee after visiting the farm where it was grown. Since then I have been able to speak with Geovanni Leiva and gain some insight into both their vision and mission to the farmers and families in Guatemala. Here is their story as told on their website:

The Green Book:

When Pedro Leiva was a boy, he had a vision: Two women dressed in white would give him a gift that would change his life. A green bible that would show him the way to God.

22 years later, during a time of personal tragedy, Pedro made his way to the local village to discover two women dressed in white standing on a wagon, speaking to small crowd. Pedro approached the two women and asked in a quiet voice, “Do you have a green book for me?” The women exchanged glances. What a curious thing to ask! But just has it had in Pedro’s vision, one of the women reached into a cardboard box and removed from it a Bible bound in a green cover. “Is this what you are looking for?”

In that moment, these truths were confirmed. God existed, He had a plan, and Pedro Leiva would devote his life to it.

Coffee and Purpose:

Pedro Leiva lived a quiet life of virtue. It was from him that his nephew, Ezequiel Leiva, learned the values of a humble Christian life. But it was with his own hands that Ezequiel learned the skill of cultivating coffee.

For years, Ezequiel labored on Guatemalan coffee farms, hoping to provide a better life for his family, just as his own father, Pedro, the generation before. He was a good a pious man, traits he had gained from his father. Ezequiel knew that his purpose would be shown to him if he only stayed the path.

In the meantime, he saved his money. Life as a coffee laborer was difficult, but the Leiva’s understood that reward was rarely revealed before personal cost. They were a happy family. The Leiva’s had patience.

One day, Ezequiel’s purpose arrived in the form of a man seeking to buy a transistor radio.

The Radio:

In Guatemala in 1969, land was plentiful. One day, a man with an abundance of land put his coffee farm up for collateral in order to purchase a transistor radio. The deal went bad, an Ezequiel graciously helped the man pay his debts. Soon, Ezequiel was the owner of 10 acres of land located in the Eastern Mountains of Guatemala, 3300 feet above sea level. It was purchased for the price of a transistor radio.

The fate of the radio is lost to history. But the land became both a family legacy and an instrument of God’s grace.

A New Way to Work:

For decades, the Leiva’s land was cultivated into a producer of some of world’s finest coffee. It featured four crystal clear streams to aid in a “wet process” that Ezequiel preferred.

The land bore more than coffee – oranges, oak trees, bananas and papayas flourished in the fertile soil, and today you can taste the flavorful influences in every cup of Leiva grown coffee.

For decades, the Leiva’s sold their coffee to middlemen called “coyotes,” who then sold the coffee to distributors and vendors – just like most coffee growers worldwide. This process leaves farmers performing the bulk of the work while others receive a lion’s share of profits.

The coffee farmers remained poor despite producing the world’s second-most traded commodity. Seeing the need for a new way to do business, The Leiva’s made a bold decision.

The Mission:

In 2008, Armando Leiva and his two sons, Geovanni and Mynor, broadened the vision of their modest coffee farm and founded Leiva’s Coffee.

Instead of selling coffee to middlemen, Leiva’s Coffee now sells its single-source coffees direct to the public. The proceeds are then invested back into the tiny Guatemalan communities whose hard working laborers fuel the world’s coffee consumption.

Leiva’s Coffee has become fresh water wells for villages, churches for the faithful and schools for youngsters. Every bit of profit earned by Leiva’s Coffee helps Guatemalan families afford medicine for the elders and education for their young.

Your purchase of Leiva’s Coffee enriches lives in need of a graceful guiding hand. Enjoy the coffee because it is good. Buy it because it does good. And feel good know that you had a part in helping others.

What I’m Looking Forward To:

I am excited about some opportunities to partner with Leiva’s Coffee in the near future. These opportunities will be presented to Calvary Baptist’s youth group and congregation, and prayerfully, will become a reality where we not only drink the coffee but invest heavily in others’ lives with the goal of the gospel of Jesus Christ – allowing His love to transform their heart, as we seek to transform their life here on earth.

To order Leiva’s Coffee, click here to be taken to their website store. I encourage you to pray about how you might be used of God to reach others, locally and globally.

Drink Leiva’s Coffee, transform a village. Coffee with a purpose!

Lastly, to the righteous this doctrine is a source of abundant consolation. In every place they meet a friend, a protector, and a father. Does the voice of thunder, or the raging of the ocean, of the fury of the tempest, announce his presence? They have nothing to fear, for love to them presides over the commotions of the elements. Do they perceive him in the more tranquil scenes of nature, in the silent progress of vegetation, in the smiles of the heavens, and in the regular beneficence which supplies their returning wants, and diffuses so much happiness among all classes of animated beings? Oh! how delightful the thought that he, in whom they repose confidence, is so near that they may always assure themselves of ready and effectual aid! This thought is fitted to enliven every scene, and to sweeten every condition. It will make the springs of joy burst out in the parched and thirsty wilderness, and clothe the naked and cheerless waste with verdure. It will give a relish to a dry morsel, and a cup of cold water. It will lighten the pressure of poverty, and soothe the pangs of affliction. It will dissipate the horrors of a dungeon, and console the exile form his country and his friends. How transporting the thought, that we cannot go where God is not! A good man may be bereaved of his reputation, his liberty, his earthly all; but the deadly hatred of his enemies can never so far succeed as to draw from him the mournful c0mplaint, “Ye have taken away my God, and what have I more?” With whatever afflictions his faith and patience may be tried, and whatever change of circumstances a wise providence may appoint him to undergo, although there should be no human heart to sympathise with him, and no kind hand to perform the offices of friendship, he can express his faith and joys in the words of an ancient saint, “Nevertheless I am continually with thee; thou holdest me by my right hand. Thou wilt guide me by thy counsel, and afterward receive me to thy glory” (Ps.lxxiii. 23,24) – Dick’s Theology, p.102

King Nebuchadnezzar gets this brilliant idea to make a huge golden image of himself, with the express purpose of having people within his kingdom worship him. Sounds like he’d fit in today’s culture, eh? So the King gets everyone together and wants to dedicate his golden self-image and kind of christen it with all the kingdom leaders worshiping it. The idea was that when the music started everyone was going to bow down and pay homage to the King. As a little motivation, the King issued this decree:

Whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.

So, what happened? Well, when the music starts, people from everywhere fell to the ground and worshiped the golden image that he set up.

Except three guys. Yes, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. This is where the story gets interesting!

Three guys get reported to the King as having failed to fall and worship his image. The King angrily summons them and gives them a second chance. They don’t even hesitate to answer. They don’t need any more time to reconsider. This is what they said:

O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if he does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.

Well, you can imagine the response. The King was really ticked and so he has them thrown into the fire. Long story short: they not only survive, they survive with no harm done and they get to meet Jesus in the flames. Read the entire story – it’s an amazing tale.

But what I want to focus on is their conversation, pre-blaze, that they had with King Nebuchadnezzar.

They were facing an impossible situation. They had reason to doubt and even fear. But their answer to the King was: God can, God will and even if God doesn’t…

That got me to thinking about a tough situation I’m in, and I know others are in: dealing with Chronic Pain. Does my theology drive my reaction to impossible situations. Yesterday I blogged my frustrations. Today I’m trying to temper it with my beliefs.

God can

God can remove my pain, there is no doubt in my mind. Just reading in our text for our Sunday services (the Gospel of Mark), and I see over and again that Jesus Christ is bigger than any physical impediment. A little back pain and nerve pain isn’t even going to slow him down. He can change my circumstances right now if he desired.

God will

This is one I struggle with. I don’t like to pray for healing for myself. I think it’s selfish. I know – it’s weird. I would counsel others to pray for healing for themselves, but somewhere along the line I started thinking wrongly about how I, personally, pray for healing for myself. Do I really believe that God will heal me? (You don’t expect me to answer that on the internet do you?) This is the greatest challenge of my thoughts on these words. Am I going to let my faith go there?

Even if God doesn’t

I’m a little more comfortable here than God will. I absolutely believe God can change the suffering in my life and the lives of others. And I am perfectly willing to accept the situation even if God doesn’t. In his plan and purpose for my life, God will do what is necessary for him to receive glory. If it means I hobble and cringe and break down from time to time, so be it. If it means that this condition gets worse, so be it. If the meds never cover the stabbing, burning, gripping pain – so be it. Bring on God’s glory, because that’s what I want.

Meeting Jesus in the fire

I don’t want to spiritualize the passage. I do think, however, that we grow closer to Jesus the hotter the furnace. What I mean is, what do you embrace when faced with an impossible situation? You can’t hold onto your physical strength – that will surely fail. You can’t embrace your cunning and crafty personality – that will let you down. You can’t  expect others to bail you out of something no-one but God has control over – it just won’t happen.

So hang on to the one who created the fire.

Jesus is greater than anything you have faced, or will ever face. He’s bigger than my Chronic Pain. He’s bigger than your destroyed relationships. He’s bigger than the turmoil and grief of your child running from God. He’s bigger than your crimes and distress. He’s bigger than that job loss, death, conflict, grief, or whatever you’re facing.

God can, God will, & even if God doesn’t…

Worship him. Hold onto him. Allow the furnace of affliction to drive you closer to Jesus and as a result bring him greater glory.

This Friday evening and Saturday will find me attending a conference in Winona Lake, Indiana. Sexual Confusion and the Gospel conference has the stated purpose:

To joyfully celebrate and uphold the beauty, goodness, and wisdom of God’s standards for human sexuality against the folly of our age.

The two speakers at this conference will be: Tim Challies & Frank Turk

Both of these men are well-known evangelical bloggers. Tim is also a pastor in Toronto, Canada. You can find some of Frank’s writing here.

Here’s the blurb from Every Thought Captive.com:

The issue of human sexuality is becoming a point of dispute and contention in both our culture and in our Churches today, far more quickly than most of us realize, and there is mounting pressure upon the Church to either remain silent or even to approve of this descent into sexual confusion. Paul wrote in Romans 1:32 that the eventual end of all of this willful distortion is death, and yet sometimes we can feel overwhelmed by the temptation to conform to the pattern of this world — a world where sin is often portrayed as normal, and righteousness an aberration.

Our aim in hosting this conference is to help edify the local Church as she seeks to remain faithful to God’s Word at all costs, to bring Biblical clarity to an issue that is becoming more and more muddled, and to joyfully celebrate and uphold the beauty, goodness, and wisdom of God’s standards for human sexuality against the deadly folly of our age.

This really is an affordable conference. Check it out as I am sure there is still room for one more person! If you are coming from outside the Warsaw/Winona Lake area, send me a message on twitter: PastorMarkKelly if you have need of anything. I’m local and can probably assist you in anything from ATM’s top Applebees. Looking forward to it!

Some days the pain just claws at me, clinging to my back and leg with tingly talons of searing venomous pain. I have a back brace that I am to wear until my next appointment in late February. When I wear it, the nerve pain is worse.

The conversation with my doctor basically concluded with me on a new medication for nerve pain and some good/bad news. The good/bad news is that the pain is an indicator of either: 1) the nerve healing and the muscles getting used to being used again, or, 2) the nerve is so damaged that it its beyond total recovery and the muscles are just sore to being used.

It’s a frustrating place to be. Either I’m healing…or I’m not. Or, both. So, the only thing for me to do is to keep moving. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and pray that it’s getting better.

Here’s the deal (sorry for the rambling): If I knew either way, it would make it easier for me to accept. Either I have a goal of recovery, or I “Irish-up” and just slog through the pain for the rest of my life. I’m good with both, really. I just am frustrated not knowing.

Now, how do you communicate that on a Sunday morning when someone asks you “How’re doing?”, “Getting better?”

It’s not been 3 months yet – this is a 12 month recovery from this major surgery. Accept that I won’t be able to do it all like I used to – maybe ever. Please don’t look at me like I should be “over it” by now. I’m not – and won’t be, evidently, for a while.

That paragraph sounds so harsh. It’s not meant to be – it’s where I’m at in reality.

Just a pastor in a failing body that desires to do what he can and keeps getting yanked back – somewhere between Chronic Pain and Healing.

In an astonishing rate, the Biblical Counseling Coalition (BCC) has accumulated over 6 months of book reviews on some of today’s most popular and wide read Christian literature. The BCC’s website has only been “live” for just over six months and has over 30 reviews listed alphabetically so that you can make an informed purchase for your next book. I encourage you to click through and take advantage of this valuable resource.

There will also be author interviews and book video trailers available as well. I pray that this will continue to be a help to biblical counselors, pastors and lay leaders and congregations around the world.

Often QB Tebow is seen sporting the familiar eye black tape with “John 3:16″ emblazoned on them. Now, this familiar Bible reference isn’t new to the NFL. It’s usually seen plastered on a posterboard held high in the endzone by a rainbow-wigged individual. At least, that’s how I remember Monday Night Football back in the day.

An interesting poll by the Barna Group shows that Tebow is bringing back the awareness of the popular Bible verse. However, according to Barna, those of Tebow’s generation are struggling with an understanding of what his eye black means. Americans who are 18 to 27-year-olds had a lower basic understanding of the verse reference (61%) than the national average.

Overall, nearly seven out of 10 Americans (68%) were able to identify without any prompting from the interviewers that the “three” in John 3:16 refers to the chapter where the biblical reference is found. More than three out of ten adults either gave an incorrect answer (15%) or ventured no guess (17%).

I appreciate Tim Tebow’s humility, love for Christ and his unashamed stand as a Christian. I like that he is bringing awareness of Scripture back to our nation by just wearing his eye black tape during games.

Here is what I pray for our nation: come to know the Christ of John 3:16, not just the reference. Here’s the text of this popular verse:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (Joh 3:16 ESV)

This verse is not only perhaps the most popular verse in all the Bible, but it ranks high with the most precious. God loved you enough to actively move on your behalf so that you could spend an eternity with him. You, condemned in your sin, were separated from God, deserving eternal damnation. Jesus Christ became your substitute, becoming your sin, satisfying the wrath of God on your behalf, so that you might become righteous in God’s sight. Trusting in that finished work of Jesus Christ on a cross is the only way to be in the presence of the Father forever. What glorious truth is packed in these two dozen words!

Thank you, Tim, for bringing focus back to Jesus Christ!

Care to Comment? What is your opinion on athletes referencing their faith in interviews?

Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian by John Piper. You can download the entire book for free as a pdf. It is also available, for a price, as an audiobook or hard copy. It is worth the read.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr. I make this available as a free download (pdf). It is a lengthy letter but one that is worth reading to gain the perspective of this important individual in our nation’s history.

Monday is Martin Luther King Day. It is a time of celebrating progress in racial harmony and civil rights. It is a time of remembering those who bravely went before us to ensure that equality would be something to be grasped here in our country. It is a time of sober reflection of the depravity of man and the silence of the Church for so long.

And it is a time to yearn for the future.

Martin Luther King wasn’t perfect, nobody is. That does not mean that his words, his dreams and his actions should remain unnoticed either. In the providence of God he, and others, were used to shake the hateful bigotry from the accepted state of our hearts. They forced us to think the hard thoughts and enabled us to dream big dreams.

And they point us to a time when racial harmony will be at it’s finest.

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. (Rev 5:9 NAS)

The hope that we embrace is not what a passionate preacher can bring about. It is the hope that because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ we will, together with every people and nation, fall at the feet of our Savior and worship our God. The Gospel not only cleanses us from all sin but it frees us from all enslavement.

This is where I will be on Monday, January 16, 2012 – and where you are invited also:

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Living the Dream” Program – Monday, 11:30 -1:00p, at the Rodeheaver Auditorium, Winona Lake, IN

Let’s define my terms: (all definitions located in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary)

• “pro-choice” – favoring the legalization of abortion
• “abortion” – the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus; spontaneous expulsion of a human fetus during the first 12 weeks of gestation [we term this miscarriage]; induced expulsion of a human fetus
• “sexy” – sexually suggestive or stimulating; erotic

Planned Parenthood – My Response:

Let’s take a quick look at this tweet:

RT if you think being #prochoice is #sexy!

I am somewhat disturbed that Planned Parenthood (PPact) is putting forward the suggestion that favoring the death of a fetus is somehow erotic. Even for people who assume that abortion is just a medical procedure – is that really stimulating to the point that you would say it was “sexy”? What I see in the tweet is that PPact has no problem promoting this culture of death, even suggesting that it is “sexy” to be in favor of the “…induced expulsion of a human fetus…” I know that “pro-life” supporters have gone over the edge at times with disturbing pictures of aborted fetuses, (a practice that I also find horrific), but I’ve never heard them associate their stance with the erotic. I think PPact has once again pushed the envelope.

I don’t know how PPact has their social networking department set up – so we can give them the benefit of the doubt if they come out and tweet an apology for the awkward stance that someone with access to their Twitter account assumed. I’ve tweeted a few things I wish I hadn’t – I understand how it can happen. Even if I choose to delete it, you just know it’s sitting in Big Brother’s Tweet-saver computer. (ha) The point is, words mean things and we need to examine what we tweet.

Lastly, as far as this tweet is concerned, it really doesn’t matter what “I” or “you” think. This is getting to the core of what is behind the tweet. The assumption of PPact is that we all have ownership over our own bodies. The struggle that PPact has is not an ownership issue, it is a worship issue. As much as we would want to think that we have ownership over our bodies, the fact remains that it just isn’t so. And, yes, this is going to lead me to the Bible. Truth is, that we were not created to simply indulge our selfish desires. We were created for a much higher purpose! The desired purpose for each and every one of us from our Creator is that we bring God glory. It is a simple truth, but a glorious one. There is God who has created you, even if you refuse to acknowledge that, and desires a relationship with you. This relationship is made possible through his Son, Jesus Christ. We’ve made plenty of choices that result in sinful behavior – another truth of Scripture. These choices push us far away from a holy God. The good news is that God moved toward us in love, through this Son who paid our eternal debt and made peace with him. He offers eternal life to those who would accept it. When we accept this free gift, we enter into an abundant life in which we find our greatest joy in bringing God glory. It truly something to think about.

Planned Parenthood – My Desire:

It is my desire that the individuals who compose PPact  would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is going to be the catalyst that will effect change in their lives. I appreciate their desire to ensure safe healthcare for pregnant women. I would wish that the Church would also be as passionate about our neighbors, co-workers and family members who may be walking through an intense time of life. I would desire that we compassionately embrace these families that may not understand their purpose in life. I would desire that PPact not continue to embrace and promote a culture of death, but rather seek to come to value life as God, our Creator, has intended.

Here’s a Tweet I Could RT:

RT if you think #GlorifyingGod is #satisfying!

Webpage for Right to Life national organization

Kosciusko County Right to Life

If there is anything that is certain in life, it is that broken people have conflict with one another. We are all broken people. Sin has affected every area of life and we all experience conflict from time to time. The Church, made up of broken people, is not exempt from conflict. An observation and a question results from the realization that we will experience conflict.

Observation: Conflict has been a part of the Church from the beginning

Acts 15:35-41: Summary of the account – Paul and Barnabas, committed Christians, separate in an ugly disagreement over John Mark’s involvement in their missionary endeavors. What can we observe?

• Conflict happens to committed Christians too
  • Paul and Barnabas were mature believers. They cared for people and desired to see Gospel change occur in the lives of others. Both were active in teaching the Scriptures (.v35) Both had been used by the Church to advance the Gospel and impact communities through their missionary travels.
• Conflict is driven by our selfish desires
  • Sometimes selfish desires are difficult to discern from godly desires. Paul desired to embark on another missionary journey to revisit fellow believers in the cities he and Barnabas traveled in the past. This is a noble desire; perhaps a right desire.
  • Desires, held too tightly, result in conflict. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them as they traveled on this missionary journey. The response by Paul gives us some insight into what he was thinking. Paul was insistent that Mark not join the team (v.38). The conflict that resulted was based in selfish desires. The reason for Paul’s insistence was that Mark had deserted Paul and Barnabas in the past and not continued with them to work with them in their missionary endeavors. What might have been some of the idols of Paul’s heart?
    • Idol of efficient ministry – sometimes it’s just easier to do it yourself than rely on others to try and fail
    • Idol of embarrassment – when partners in ministry fail, it’s embarrassing. Avoid the person, avoid the embarrassment
    • Idol of expectations – It’s a difficult thing to invest heavily in someone and then see them walk away from the task given to them. It just becomes easier to not invest at all to avoid any disappointment
    • What others do you think might have been clouding Paul’s Christian vision?
• Conflict, handled improperly, leads to death in relationships
  • Paul was so insistent, as was Barnabas evidently, that this dynamic duo separated without resolution (v.39). When either party is not dealing with conflict correctly, separation is always the result. It may not be physical separation always, but separation in relationship occurs. Avoidance happens. Avoiding the topic of conflict, living together but separate, sitting on the other side of the church, and being part of a team but dis-unified are all results of conflict handled poorly.
• Conflict does not diminish God’s plan and purpose
  • God is greater the total sum of his children. Thank God for his working in our lives despite our character! Barnabas would end up taking Mark and heading toward Cyprus. Paul partners with Silas and traveled through Syria and Cilicia.
• Conflict can be handled correctly and relationships restored
  • The resolution of the conflict between Paul & Mark is seen most evidently resolved at the end of Paul’s life. 2 Timothy 4 records that Paul desires to be with Mark once again, giving this evaluation of Mark: “…he is useful to me for service…” God continues to work in the heart of his children who remain submitted to the Spirit and the Word.

How should conflict be viewed within the Church?

• Conflict is a redemptive opportunity
  • In the letter that James wrote, he exhorted his readers to view various trials as opportunities of Christ-like growth.
  • Ask, “Why am I in this conflict with this person at this time?” God brings opportunities to his children in various ways. Part of the method of our sanctification is seeing how tightly we hold to our selfish desires. Then we are given the opportunity to respond in humility and grow in Christ-likeness
  • Tim Lane, in his booklet on Conflict, reveals three typical types of behavior that can be employed to satisfy one’s selfish desires:
    • Win – This strategy is typically chose by people who like power, success, or comfort. This person hates failure, discomfort, and being out of control.
    • Please – This strategy is typically favored by people who need approval. They tend to be quick to agree and have a hard time saying no because they fear rejection. They are often over-committed
    • Avoid – This strategy is typically used by people who want approval or comfort. Living alone has benefits for this person: no possibility of rejection and no discomfort!
  • What strategy do you think Paul employed? Barnabas? You?
• Conflict must be examined biblically
  • Later in his letter, James would plainly ask for the source of all our quarrelsand conflicts.
    • We need to examine what desires are popping to the surface in our conflict.
  • We also need to examine how we are interacting with the other party in our conflict. Are we acting in humility and with an “others-centered” mindset? What is our speech like? Is it wholesome and building up or is it tearing relationships apart?
• Conflict must be resolved biblically
  • The hope of all Scripture is that conflict can be resolved. The greatest example is God himself in his conflict with us. 2 Corinthians 5 demonstrates a God is all about reconciliation. He not only reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, but gives us a ministry of reconciliation with the equipping of the word of reconciliation.
  • You can be a peacemaker because God made peace with you and modeled how you are to make peace with others. Perhaps the key ingredient in peacemaking with others is the idea of “moving toward” other individuals in love. When we understand how God’s grace and forgiveness and love has impacted us, we then can extend grace and forgiveness in love toward others.

Chance to Interact: What resources of conflict resolution have you used successfully?

Christ Alone

O God,
Thy main plan, and the end of thy will
is to make Christ glorious and beloved in heaven
where he is now ascended,
where one day all the elect will behold his glory
and love and glorify him forever.

Though here I love him but little,
may this by my portion at last.
In this world thou hast given me a beginning,
one day it will be perfected in the realm above.
Thou hast helped me to see and know Christ, though obscurely,
to take him, receive him,
to possess him, love him,
to bless him in my heart, mouth, life.

Let me study and stand for discipline,
and all the ways of worship,
out of love for Christ;
and to show my thankfulness:
to seek and know his will from love,
to hold it in love,
and daily to care for and keep this state of heart.

Thou hast led me to place all my nature and happiness
in oneness with Christ,
in having heart and mind centred only on him,
in being like him in communicating good to others;

This is my heaven on earth,
but I need the force, energy, impulses of thy Spirit
to carry me on the way to my Jerusalem.

Here, it is my duty
to be as Christ in this world,
to do what he would do,
to live as he would live,
to walk in love and meekness;
then would he be known,
then would I have peace in death.

In this series where we’ve covered most of the ground of the booklet from CCEF entitled, “Chronic Pain: Living by Faith When Your Body Hurts“, we’ve come to understand pain personally, see God’s perspective of pain, and come to expect to groan in this life. So if we know pain very well may be inevitable, how can we, to the glory of God, handle it?

Goals Chronic Pain Sufferers Have:

Ask any “spoonie” or “spiney” or fibromyalgia sufferer about their chronic pain and what their goals are and you very well may get a laugh first. Sometimes the only goal a Chronic Pain sufferer has is to get out of bed in the morning, or take their children to school that day, or even just shower. Then, depending on pain levels, they may just return to bed, re-enter their medicated routine, or stagger from one task to the next. But after an initial probing, more intimate goals are revealed.

• Relief from pain (probably the number one goal of Chronic Pain sufferers)
• Removal of pain from my body
• Strength to handle tasks
• Properly working body
• Understand what God is thinking to allow you to hurt like you do
• many others

This booklet provides compassionate, gentle guidance in a very sensitive area. The world of pain is so much different from those who are pain-free. To challenge a perception of pain is deep water for the sufferer to wade through. To then suggest that pain can be a redemptive force in one’s life and a transforming power in one’s life, might be considered calloused and uncaring. But it is true. Pain is given to us, by God, for a very valid reason.

Note: Just because you acknowledge the plan of God in your life, in your suffering, does not mean you should abandon medical treatment at all! Please know that I am not saying this, nor have I practiced that in my own Chronic Pain! Continue to see your doctor to explore every and all possibilities of treatment and possible relief. Therapy, medication, electronic stimulus, etc can all be used to bring pain under control.

But what if the pain never goes away?

This is the very question I am wrestling with. Currently, just two months out from spinal fusion surgery, I am still suffering from significant nerve pain which is not being addressed through pain medications. While it may be due to inflammation in my back, which means time should allow a reduction of pain and irritation, it might not be caused by inflammation. The nerve very well may be severely damaged and this could have life-time effects on my body. It is important for me to know that Scripture speaks to the benefit of suffering as well as the benefit of relief.

These benefits are found in Jesus Christ. If I can come to my pain with an understanding that God can you me, in my pain, and my pain itself to bring him glory, I come away able to reflect his character in me and his comfort through me to others.

Your pain and suffering will not stop the good work that God began in you and is bringing to completion.

Practical Strategies: (taken from CCEF booklet)

• Develop a Christ-centered gaze on your pain
  • Your suffering, which at first glance might appear to be a completely isolated subjective experience, is actually a participation in the sufferings of Christ. (2 Corinthians 1:5; Philippians 3:10; 1 Peter 4:12-13)
  • Your connection with Christ means that your identity is bigger than that of a Chronic Pain sufferer. (Romans 8:17)
• Use the Bible to give voice to your suffering
  • “In the middle of your Chronic Pain you are not called to live as a stoic before God or others.“
  • Go to the Psalms and add your voice to those who have cried out to God as they were suffering in distressing and confusing circumstances. (Read Psalms 13; 77; and 88)
  • Imitate the psalmists who struggled like you, but as they struggled, they continue to anchor their hope in the character, work and promises of God.
  • Realize that because Christ was forsaken, you won’t be forsaken in your distress. (Psalm 22)
• School yourself in the hope of the Resurrection
  • Ask God to make the hope of the Resurrection tangible, real and meaningful to you.
  • Jesus himself suffered, died, was buried, and experienced bodily resurrection, you can be sure that, one day, you will be resurrected with a new body. (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)
  • Meditate on the hope of the Resurrection expressed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 and Philippians 3:10-11.
• Look for ways to love others
  • Pain is selfish. It just is. It makes us turn inward, withdrawal and put our needs above the needs of others. Realize this and combat it with eternal truth: “Love your neighbor as yourself”
  • Ask God to give you a vision for loving those around you in specific ways, even if the acts of love seem like small steps. Here are some suggestions:
    • keep a prayer journal of needs of family, friends, members of the church & pray for them
    • write a brief note of encouragement to a struggling person
    • seek to be fully attentive to your child as they recount their day of school
    • fold the laundry
    • prepare or buy a meal for a shut-in
• Learn how to respond to those who don’t understand
  • Chronic Pain is the “invisible” illness. I look so normal, hurt so much, and you can’t tell. Often this creates a “disconnect” between our experience and their experience of us and of our struggle.
  • Some incorrect responses to those who don’t understand
    • Withdrawing in hopelessness (“they’ll never understand”)
    • Going on an angry offensive
    • Living as a stoic, compartmentalizing your experience of Chronic Pain from other aspects of corporate church life.
  • Chronic Pain is not your identity but it is part of the way that God is shaping you as a person; so it must shape in some way your interaction with others.
  • Some positive ways to respond to those who don’t understand:
    • Answer questions in a non-defensive way
    • Speak with the leaders of your church regarding your specific challenges
    • Assess how much of your pain experience dominates your conversations (Eph.4:29)
    • Inquire genuinely about the struggles of others
    • Give a talk about the experience of Chronic Pain to educate others in your congregation
    • If you’re not a sufferer, enter into the pain of your neighbor (Romans 12:15) and take the time to ask good questions, listen to the answers and pray for them regularly. Do this often!
• Consider options for Medical (Physical) treatment of Chronic Pain
  • If you have suffered from Chronic Pain for any length of time, you could probably write this section better than I. Here are some suggestions on possible treatments that may be available to you:
    • Anti-inflammatory medications (ibuprofen / naproxen)
    • Narcotic medications such as codeine, morphine, or synthetically created opioids
    • Anti-epileptic medications (helpful for nerve pain)
    • Anti-depressants (helps modulate pain pathways, helpful for neuropathic pain)
    • Physical therapy
    • Occupational therapy
    • Epidural or spinal injections
    • Spinal cord stimulation or peripheral nerve field stimulation
    • Muscle relaxants
    • TENS units
    • Acupuncture
    • Botanical medicine (herbs, etc)
  • It goes without saying that you should work in conjunction with your physician before starting, stopping or trying any of these suggestions.

Know that God intends, despite your bodily pain, to renew you inwardly day by day (2 Corinthians 4;16). And although it may not feel like it, that is glory in the making (2 Corinthians 4:10,17)

Expect to Groan in This Life

As a believer suffering from Chronic Pain, a reading from the Gospels provides me hope in the knowledge that my Suffering Savior can identify with my physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental distress.

Jesus experienced physical pain and spiritual alienation in order to overcome physical pain and death and the eternal consequences of sin.

While we are confident that Jesus is powerful over every aspect of life, we await Christ second coming in which we will fully realize the blessings of his redemption. We are confident that one day we will possess a glorified body that will no longer suffer, feel pain, sorrow, or experience death. It is a dream worth dreaming. And it is a reality that the child of God will experience fully.

This helpful booklet on pain points the reader to Romans 8, a vivid reality of the Chronic Pain sufferer. Our fleshly bodies are failing and we continue to groan in the unrelenting pain of this life. We have eternal life, right now, through Jesus Christ but we still are experiencing the reality of decay and the effects of sin on creation. The hope that we have as believers is that the reality of our “downpayment”, or guarantee of what is to come, the Holy Spirit, will give us strength to persevere until our redemption.

So, as you gain a proper understanding of pain personally and gain God’s perspective on pain, expect that in this life we may groan and desire strongly the redemption awaiting us as God’s children.

Suffering is Purposeful

This is an important concept to realize and accept as a Chronic Pain sufferer. If you believe that God can stop your pain at any time, then understand that if you are currently in pain, there is a plan and purpose for it. I do not say that lightly. It is not theological platitudes. I will say that as recently as last night, I lay awake in my bed, on my back, stabbing and burning pain pulsating in my left leg, unable to sleep. My thoughts were on the truths of this booklet and the Truth of scripture. Did I hurt? Yes. Did I want it to stop? Most definitely. Did I just want to sleep and gain some rest? Absolutely. My thoughts were centered on the purpose for that moment in time – how should I respond? As I lay there I thought of several people in our church that needed prayer – so I prayed for them. My thoughts went to missionaries in Guatemala – so I thought through plans of Gospel application we had discussed, developing those plans as I could in bed. Finally, when I “ran out of things to mentally do”, I grabbed my Kindle and read for a while. Eventually my body yielded to it’s tiredness and I slept for a few hours. Purpose? I’m not entirely sure why God chose last night to have me lie awake, but I tried to respond to the opportunity as I could.

In the past month at our church we have had families affected by four deaths. Three of those coming since Christmas. Two of those affecting the same family. Purpose in the suffering? I preached in a memorial service yesterday on John 11. There is purpose in the suffering! Somehow God destines the paths we walk in our lives to bring glory to him. Even in prolonged illness, suffering, pain and death. We may never realize it fully in this life. Or ever. But trust the pages of Scripture, trust the Word more than your experiences. Let a “theology of suffering” shape the way you respond to Chronic Pain.

The reality of the Christian life is that God is “…up to something remarkable in allowing you to suffer.” We know we are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, we know that we are being placed in the furnace of affliction so that God alone may receive glory and we know that God will cause us to persevere.

Part One of this series

Part Two of this series

Top Three Posts – First Week of 2012 at Grace Dependent:

• A Bible Reading Plan That Will Change Your Mind – an aid to help your spiritual disciplines this year
• Chronic Pain: Living by Faith When Your Body Hurts (pt.1, pt.2) – a series in progress, blogging through CCEF‘s booklet by the same name
• What Can I do in Fifty Days? – A personal post about taking what is negative in my recovery from spinal fusion and making it count for Christ

Bonus link: A Conference Worth Considering:

Sexual Confusion and the Gospel – (January 20-21, 2012 – Winona Lake, Indiana) – it seems the Church is struggling with the sexual issue again. How does the Gospel impact intimacy?

Chance to Interact:

What posts have you read at Grace Dependent that have encouraged you in the past 7 days?

Chronic Pain: Living Your Faith When Your Body Hurts, pt.1

Now that we are gaining an understanding for ourselves of what pain is and what factors influence our understanding of pain, we need to move forward. We must realize that we are more than just physical beings, that we are spiritual beings as well. (Genesis 2:7; Ecclesiastes 12:7) We experience this life in both physical and spiritual ways. How does this relate to the issue of pain? We continue in our summary of this valuable resource from CCEF by asking, what is God’s perspective of pain?

God’s Perspective of Pain:

Pain entered the world as a result of sin. Sin had expressed, definite consequences, including pain and death. We are able to quickly grasp the physical problems that sin cause, but we need to also understand that pain is a spiritual problem as well.

• Physical pain entered the world because of sin, so the experience of physical pain is a direct effect of the disobedience of Adam and Eve.
  • If you are suffering from Chronic Pain, or are counseling someone with Chronic Pain, realize that the pain you are in is not necessarily a direct result of your personal sin.
  • Pain still needs to be understood in the context of the larger picture of sin and redemption that Jesus brings.
  • So how does this help you in your pain?
    • This frees you to pursue options for pain reduction and relief. You aren’t forced to “carry” the weight of Chronic Pain due to some sort of punishment
    • This gives you hope because of the realization that Jesus is powerful over sin, pain, death and the grave. Someday you will be free from pain as a child of God.
    • Lastly, you have a suffering Savior who understands intense physical agony and who endured it well for the ultimate joy set before him: the victory of his resurrection.
• Pain is a spiritual issue because the physical pain you are experiencing forces you to respond either rightly or sinfully.
  • This is one of the hardest aspects of being a sufferer of Chronic Pain. You must choose how to respond to the pain on a day to day basis, sometimes a moment by moment basis. Our response comes directly from our perspective.
    • Human / Self-oriented Perspective responses:
      • “I must get rid of this pain at all costs”
      • “God must be punishing me”
      • “God owes me an easier life”
      • “I can’t do what God has called me to do because of this unrelenting pain”
      • These responses, and others like them, will lead us quickly to feelings of fear, anxiety, anger, bitterness, self-pity, and despair that can actually make our pain experience worse.
    • God-oriented Perspective responses:
      • “God provides the resources I need each day to persevere”
      • “God understands the depth of my pain”
      • “I don’t understand why God won’t take the pain away, but I lean on His faithfulness and love to me through Jesus Christ”
      • These responses, and others like them, will lead us quickly to feelings of joy, hope, perseverance, and others-centeredness in the midst of our pain.

Our belief or unbelief in the character and promises of God will alter our pain experience for better or for worse.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned in suffering with Chronic Pain is learning to apply the Gospel message to my experience. The future becomes more precious. I long for the day when I am not distracted by physical pain in my worship of my Savior. Recognizing that he has a plan and purpose for me, in the pain, helps me to live moment by moment. Knowing that he is powerful enough to stop the pain at any time of his choosing, helps me realize that if I am in pain, he is giving me grace to persevere through the pain. Spiritual truths don’t make you stop hurting, but they do give you strength to suffer well for Christ.