You know my way!

And you know the way I should go.

This is the way, walk ye in it,

        The Psalms speak to so many of our struggles and our dramatic moments. God knows what to do and He tells us. So we must take time to listen!

When my spirit faints within me, you know my way! Psalm 142:3 ESV

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. Psalm 142:3 KJV

        “The bravest spirit is sometimes sorely put to it. A heavy fog settles down upon the mind, and the man seems drowned and smothered in it; covered with a cloud, crushed with a load, confused with difficulties, conquered by impossibilities. David was a hero, and yet his spirit sank: he could smite a giant down, but he could not keep himself up. He did not know his own path, nor feel able to bear his own burden. Observe his comfort: he looked away from his own condition to the ever-observant, all-knowing God; and solaced himself with the fact that all was known to his heavenly Friend. Truly it is well for us to know that God knows what we do not know. We lose our heads, but God never closes his eyes: our judgments lose their balance, but the eternal mind is always clear.”   --Charles Spurgeon, 1834-1892, Treasury of David, III, 324

      And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21 KJV

        “He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:19-21 ESV

     The Psalmist feels painfully alone: “there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul.” Psalm 142:4 ESV

He feels all alone. He feels painfully alone—but he's not! “ I cry to you, O Lord; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” 142:5 ESV

      And in the next Psalm it becomes even clearer:

“I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah 143:5-6

      And again he asks for God's guidance: “Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. . . . O Lord! I have fled to you for refuge! Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble! . . . for I am your servant.” 143:8-12

Rejection--how to deal with it

How to Deal with Rejection

           When I was a pastor of a little Baptist church and my wife was suffering with pancreatic cancer, I told our congregation that one of Satan's principal weapons against us was discouragement. As a roaring lion he seeks to devour us with discouragement so that we will throw in the towel and say, “Oh, what's the use?” He works on our motivation. I didn't realize it but C.S.Lewis said the same thing many years ago, “If Satan's arsenal of weapons were restricted to a single one, it would be discouragement.”

          And Steven Lawson described it this way: “A discouraged person loses all sense of perspective, choosing to believe the worst rather than the best. At the center of a discouraged heart is always an ungrateful spirit—one that has lost sight of God's blessings and focuses instead on the burdens.” “A thankful spirit is never overcome with despair.”

          And then he showed how to deal with rejection, which is one of the principal causes of discouragement.   “How does a person overcome being rejected? We are all subject to discouragement and despondency. How do we rise above such a low spirit?

“1. Rest in God's greatness. No matter how great our trial or suffering may be, God remains greater still. As Jesus came walking on the waves to the disciples, so He comes to us as sovereign over our storms. Even in the midst of life's greatest strugglews, God remains infinitely greater as Lord over all. Nothing is beyond His control. 

“2. Rest in God's goodness. Faith must remain confident in God, who is always working for the good of His people. Never will God deviate from His eternal purpose. Even when times are tough and difficulties are many, we must remain unwavering in the assurance that God is working all things after the counsel of His own will. Eph. 1:11 No matter how threatening the circumstancesor how painful our losses, God remains enthroned in the heavens and is committed to working through our trials. . . .

“3. Rest in God's grace. In the midst of life's threatening storms, know and believe that God gives a greater grace. In our weakness His strength is made perfect. It is when discouragement threatens to overwhelm us that God's grace is multiplied in lives that are yielded to Him. No matter how great our disappointments, God's grace is greater still.

         “Prayer. God, our Father, we praise you for your sovereign, providential watchcare over every detail of our lives. Thank you for your infinite love that carries us through the refining fires of affliction as you purify us and present us faultless to stand in your presence. In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen.”

                           --Steven Lawson, Commentary on Job, pp. 64-65

"Therefore . . . we do not lose heart"

“Therefore . . . we do not lose heart”

           We have a large extended family and many friends from all over the world. So I talk to a lot of people and exchange e-mails with many more. It burdens me that so many of them seem discouraged much of the time and dissatisfied with so many things in their lives. And of course we all have to contend with “the world, the flesh, and the devil.” But you should be able to do that without losing heart and getting discouraged, shouldn't you? After all, “we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” and “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:37, 28 We have the Holy Spirit who indwells us and Jesus has promised, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” And the anticipation of the glories and joys of heaven that await us should fill us with awe and give us a desire to know more about that which is yet to come.

           So why do we get discouraged? “Why art thou cast down, O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me?” Psalm 42 And more importantly, what can you do about it? As with so many other everyday practical things, scripture has a lot to say about the problem. One category of verses are those which say, “Therefore . . . we do not lose heart.” Let's look at about 4 of those today. 1- Jesus' words in Luke 18:1 esv are so simple and so practical:

“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” When we are tempted to be discouraged, we should automatically go into the prayer mode, talking to the Lord as we go our way in a sort of unbroken conversation with the Lord, even while we do our daily work. You're focusing on Him and His glory and what He can do about your problems rather than stewing about the problems themselves.

2- 2 Corinthians 4:15-16 (ESV) For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. God is at work extending His grace and working in and through us and for that we should be thankful to be servants of the Most High God, using us for His glory.

And then he goes on to tell us in verse 17 what our problems and afflictions are bringing about, what they are accomplishing: ^'For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. . . .” They are doing something, they are accomplishing what God set out to accomplish.

3- Hebrews 12:3 (ESV) “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” Keep your focus on Jesus and think about Him and what He did and how He acted and reacted so that you do not lose heart.

4- Isaiah 40:31 (ESV) “but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Wait on the Lord. Look expectantly to Him. Expect Him to renew your strength because though our body is getting older, the Holy Spirit renews our inner person day by day.

So hold onto those 4 principles to deal with discouragement:

1. Pray always. Always pray.
2. Realize God is accomplishing something of value through your afflictions.
3. Focus on Jesus and set your mind on things above
4. Wait expectantly on the Lord, expecting Him to give you renewed strength.
5. And add a 5^th principle: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
6. And a 6^th: “Rejoice in the Lord always!”

Psalm for Discouragement--42

Psalm for Discouragement

This is a wonderful Psalm for these difficult days in which we live–especially for those going through a hard trial of affliction. We don’t know who wrote this Psalm so we can think of it as a universal Psalm for all who know the Lord in the very difficult and low times of life. These things of trouble, trial, affliction are in everyone’s experiences. If you really understand what scripture says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?” And you see all the terrible things that human beings do to each other, the wonder is that in spite of all that there is so much good and beauty in the world. And we know why–because God restrains and prevents a lot of the evil that men would do to each other. In His Providence He preserves us–until His time for us–“the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” Psalm 139:16 NIV--but allows us to suffer. That’s what this Psalm is about: how do we go through suffering and hardship victoriously and joyfully? “As sorrowful and yet always rejoicing?” The answer is here.

Psalm 42

“As the deer pants after streams of water, so pants my soul after thee, O God.

Picture the terrible thirst of the wild deer in a dry and thirsty land where no water is!

The Hebrew word translated “pants” here is the “distressing cry of the doe making a mournful sound and eagerly seeking the cooling water. It seeks the streams of water with intense desire and plunges into the cooling streams probably seeking to escape from a lion seeking to kill it.

“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? Or “when shall I see the face of God”?! 43:4 The Psalmist wants to go into the very Presence of God Himself, “unto God my exceeding joy.”

Fellowship with God was far more important to him that anything in this life–all earthly enjoyments, riches, pleasures, honors. Do you have that intense desire for fellowship with God? Jesus said, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.” Mt. 5:6 If you hunger and thirst after righteousness, you are thirsting after Christ for He alone is our righteousness.

Be glad with exceeding joy if you have intense desire for God–for that’s why God created us in the first place. Nothing in this world will satisfy the deep longings of your heart. Nothing. “Our souls are restless until they rest in Thee, O God,” St. Augustine wrote so many years ago. And C.S. Lewis put it this way, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”

And so we were. 2 Cor. 5:5 “God created us for this very purpose”–and you read the context the purpose was to share the glories of heaven and eternal life with us–in fellowship with Himself.

The Psalmist had this same intense desire for God–probably especially since he was being persecuted with the taunts of the wicked, in the midst of trouble, “Where is your God?!” surely said with a sneering tone. Satan’s goals have always been the same from the garden of Eden onward: first he wants you to doubt God’s sovereignty or God’s wisdom and then he wants you to doubt God’s goodness. He did so with Eve and he does so with all of us. He is a liar and the father of lies. But we have the demonstration of God’s power and goodness throughout history and throughout our lives in His daily providence, “God daily loadeth us with benefits” we’re told in another Psalm.

But he is discouraged in the midst of his troubles. And he doesn’t feel joyful or even thankful (and that may be a hint of his problems because those are the two things we need–spiritual joy given by God and a thankful heart so that we can say with Job, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Or with the writer to the Hebrews,

“be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Heb. 13:5-6

But in Psalm 42 the Psalmist is discouraged and THREE times he asks himself the same question, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?” WHY indeed?! There’s no reason to be! The future is still as bright as the promises of God.

“Why are you cast down” literally means “Why do you bow down” to temptation and taunts?! In the Hebrew it’s in the active voice–it’s something you do; it doesn’t just happen passively. (That’s why Jesus said, LET NOT your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid.”)

But the Psalmist wisely starts talking to himself, “Hey, man! Cut it out!” God didn’t “cast you down” you did it to yourself increasing your own troubles unnecessarily. Quit feeling sorry for yourself. God is still on His throne. He’s still the same sovereign Lord who said not a sparrow could fall without the Father–and “be of good cheer, Little Flock, you are of more value than many sparrows.”

An important truth is not clear in the KJV which says “hope thou in God.” The Hebrew word yachal means to wait; by implication, to be patient, to hope. And hope is a perfectly good word, of course, but in scripture it always means to hope or wait or look forward expectantly–look to God for He is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Actually there are three different Hebrew words for wait that mean about the same thing but they all have expectation as part of the meaning. Two NT words mean “to expect” or “to expect fully.”

Ponder these other verses in the Old Testament about waiting on the Lord:

Psalm 37:7. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.”

Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”

Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Jesus gives you the power to control those dismal feelings when he said, “LET not your heart be troubled, neither LET it be afraid.” He said that twice in John chapter 14:1. "Let not your heart be troubled;” and again in verse 27: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

The Psalmist realizes that God is “my exceeding joy” and He knows from experience God’s goodness and kindness to him. So he complains once again in verses 6-7 NKJ “O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar. Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. “

He’s talking about the marvelous waterfalls falling from snow-covered Mount Hermon, water roaring down the mountainside until it reaches the source of the Jordan River and eventually winds its way to Lake Galilee that marvelous source of fresh water for all of Israel even today.

He feels like the waterfall is crashing down on his head and pulling him under the rapids. But Isaiah 43:1-2 “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. . . .”

And the Psalmist knows that because the very next verse 8: “Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. [There you have it! Praise God in spite of your troubles.]

I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” [He knows God has NOT forgotten Him, but it does seem like it sometimes, so he will quit “mourning because of the oppression of the enemy.”

“I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

Three times: v. 5, 11 & 43:5– God is the health of my countenance–He can put joy back into my face. The expression on our face–our countenance often reveals the thoughts and emotions of our heart. And He is “my God.” Well, if God is your God, then that means He has taken responsibility for you! So don’t worry about it. He is the Living God, the faithful God who does all things after the counsel of His own will. Trust God’s timing and God’s way.

“God my exceeding joy.” 43:4

Joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit. (Gal. 5:22) Jesus said that He wants His disciples to have “His joy”–“fulness of joy.” Joy is a gift from God and rejoicing is something we can do! It’s an ATTITUDE of thanksgiving and trust in God.

You rejoice in the midst of trials. “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, [you’re being tested] being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:” 1 Peter 1.6-8

There it is! That’s what we want: joy unspeakable and full of glory.

What blocks our joy that God gives? Sometimes it’s the sin of unbelief. Or the sin of bitterness! Or complaining! How can you complain against our God of grace? “Do everything without complaining or arguing.” Phil. 2:14 NIV.

Bitterness or an unforgiving spirit destroys joy and your whole relationships not only with God but with others. Heb. 12:15 “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God [fail to accept and use the grace and strength God is giving you; reach out and take it–with your empty hands of faith just as you did when you received Jesus as Savior–] lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby MANY be defiled. . . .”

It’s is a serious sin to become resentful towards God or His providence in your life. Confess that sin to God. Don’t have an unaccepting attitude towards God’s Providence in your life. Be willing to accept whatever comes to you from the good hand of your God! For He has promised never to leave you nor forsake you and promised also that NO TESTING would come your way but that which He gives strength to endure. 1 Cor. 10:13

You say you don’t know WHY God allows certain things to happen to you? Well, Job had a LOT more trouble than you or I have ever had and he asked God the “why” and God answered him! Read Job chs. 38-42 and you’ll see God’s answer. “Then God answered Job out of the whirlwind. . . .”

And what did God say? (Paraphrase) Job, where were you when I created the world? Tell me about the depths of the sea and the heights of the stars and the way the planets stay in orbit. If you can’t explain the most basic of questions, how are you going to understand all my good and gracious purposes.

Actually God has given a precise reason for what He allows in our lives. It’s in Romans 8:29 He tells us we have been “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” so He is in the process of making us more like Jesus and 2 Cor. 3:18 “we are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory”–by the Holy Spirit who is gradually changing us to be more and more like Christ.

And the Psalmist Asaph put it in a beautifully poetic way in Psalm 77:19 “Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.”

You cannot see God’s footprints but you can see the results of His actions in your life. Like a tapestry when you only look at the back side and see a helter-skelter of loose threads, but on the right side, on God’s side, His work in your life is beautiful, just like a magnificent tapestry.

And in that same Psalm 77 he changes the figure of speech and shows you the point of verse 19 by verse 20. “ Thou leddest thy people like a flock. . . .” “God leads His dear children along. Some through the waters, some through the flood, some through the fire, but all through the blood; Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song, In the night season and all the day long.”

Come back to our passage: why did the Psalmist appear to have lost his joy?! The answer is clear: because he became discouraged. How do you avoid that? Very simple: do exactly what Jesus said, Let not your heart be troubled or afraid. “Be anxious for nothing but in everything let your requests be made known unto God–and then you’ll have not only joy–but the peace of Christ which passes understanding shall keep your hearts and minds on Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6-7

Where is your ‘MIND’? Is every thought brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ? Col. 3 tells us where our minds should be: “Set your affections and set your minds on things above, not on things of the earth.” For you died with Christ and you live in the heavenlies with Him right now. Eph.

Don’t forget how Psalm 43 fits with Psalm 42. 43:2 “Thou art the God of my strength”–it’s to His strength we must look and not our own. Remember in 2 Cor.1 Paul said these troubles happened” “that we might not trust in ourselves but in God.”

Where do you find joy? In the Presence of God Himself. And where do you find God? In His Word (and He indwells your heart also if you know Him)–but look in His word and find joy. “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart” Jer. 15:16 “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” Psalm 119:103

Remember: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.” Psalm 34:19

“Be of good cheer,” Jesus said, “it is I. Be not afraid.” Mt. 14:27

                                                                          --Pastor Burnside

Discouraged or Thankful?

Are you discouraged or thankful??

“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” 2 Cor. 2:11

If we’re not “ignorant of his devices,” then we should not let him “get an advantage of us,” should we? After all, “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

What are some of those “devices” that Satan likes to use? Well, there’s covetousness, lust, pride, self-seeking, laziness, ignorance, deception (for “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light [and] his ministers also [are] transformed as the ministers of righteousness,” 2 Cor. 11:14-15 and several other devices.

But one of the most common that I see is his successful attempts to discourage believers when things are “going wrong,” and not according to the way we think they should, or we have sickness, sorrow, pain, or death among our loved ones. So he immediately tries to discourage some of God’s sheep or little lambs and they forget for awhile who they are and whose they are. It’s the Good Shepherd Himself who laid down His life for His sheep and who promises to lead them and guide them and feed them and lead them in paths of righteousness all through their journey home.

It’s no wonder that discouragement is such an important tool because when you take away courage, then a person loses heart in following the Lord and living their lives with the joy of the Lord. [cor = “heart”] That’s why we are to “encourage one another daily . . . so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Heb. 3:13 NIV

So you need “heart” or courage and where does that come from? Same place everything else of value that we have comes: from God. “What do you have that you did not receive?” 1 Cor. 4:7 So we get our courage from God–and He promises more when that runs out. Listen. “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” Psalm 27:14

What do you do to combat discouragement, then? Jesus gave the very simple and powerful answer, “Let not [don’t allow!] your heart be troubled. . . . Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:1, 27

Are you discouraged or thankful today? (Those are your two choices!) Be thankful for Jesus and His resources and His provisions, His promises, and His purposes. He is building your character and making you more like Christ, useful in our Lord’s kingdom work. John 14:1 Has God provided food for you today? And shelter, a place to sleep? “Having food and raiment [clothing] let us be therewith content.” 1 Tim. 6:8 “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thess.5:16-17

“We are not ignorant of Satan’s devices” so why did you “fall for it” again? Don’t you know what he’s trying to do? Trying to get you to focus on your problems instead of the Lord, but we are to fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross. . . . Heb. 12:2 And yes, it is faith that you need because “faith is the victory that overcomes the world” and what is faith? Simply taking God at his word, believing that what God has promised he is able also to perform. Rom. 4:21 Jesus meant what He said, “Don’t allow yourself to get discouraged.” There’s no reason to. God said it. That settles it. Quit worrying. Trust him, not yourself.

Went for a walk this afternoon along the Dungeness River, just one block from our home. The melting snow in the Olympics is rushing towards the sea–and it’s beautiful and reminds me of God’s care for His creation. So do the wild flowers and the stately pines and cedars and fir trees that provide such a restful and peaceful setting for us to live. I’m sure if you look around, you would also see the handiwork of God near you, too, in the flowers and rivers and trees and birds and butterflies, the rain and the sunshine. Rejoice in the work of His hands. God takes pleasure in His works and we should, too. Seeing God faithfully at work–in our lives and the lives of others, as well as in preserving what He has created--builds our spirit. “Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work. . . . O Lord, how great are thy works!” Psalm 92:4-5

Trust the Lord for today and He will take care of you, just as He does the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. “And the cares of tomorrow can wait ‘til the dawn.” And then you can “cast all your cares upon Him for He careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

Worry doesn’t solve your problems. It just takes away your joy.

–Pastor Burnside

"Be of Good Cheer!"

“Be of Good Cheer”
One of the ways God blesses and encourages my heart is through those many, many friends and family He has given Minnie and me through the many years of our life together. So when I returned from those refreshing two weeks with Jon & family in Petaluma, a beautiful town in California, and Jeannine & Chris in their lovely “Evergreen” village in the mountains of Colorado, I was pleased to find so many Christmas cards and Christmas letters and e-mails awaiting me. And I think there will be more still coming. Some of you I hear from only once a year at Christmas time and that’s fine. It’s a good way to stay in contact with many whom we have loved through the years. And I have several that I will be responding to before long.

They were cheerful letters and e-mails and they told a bit of the story of their lives in this past year. (By the way, I have started on my Christmas Letter and expect to finish it and send it before January 13.) So many of you have expressed love and comfort for me in this first Christmas since 1955 without Minnie. And you told me of so many of life’s problems–cancer and other health problems; jobs lost; homes vacated; financial problems; separations from loved ones; children not walking with the Lord; depression and discouragement; uncertainty of the future; some have even faced divorce. And others have had the stability and support of family and friends to help them.

And yet your attitude was one of good cheer and encouragement as you face an uncertain future. (Uncertain in the immediate future, but not uncertain in the longer perspective of eternity.) It seems to me this reflects what Jesus told His disciples just before His death, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” And He gave them His legacy of peace so that they might face the difficulties of life: “ These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.” “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. . . . Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 16:33; 14:27 We can be of good cheer because He has already won the victory on the cross and His Presence abides with us now and forever. Our future is assured and secure. Take the long perspective.

The Apostle Peter said the same thing: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy.” 1 Peter 4:12-13

Accept the difficulties of this life as part of the cross we must take up daily to follow Christ and realize that God is accomplishing eternal values in what He, in His providence, brings your way or allows into your life. “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are [temporary], but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Cor. 4:16-18 ESV

Let me offer you a suggestion for the New Year which begins tomorrow: get a copy of Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening and read it every day along with your regular Bible reading. In the morning, as you know, Minnie and I read the Psalms together for 54 years and during her last three years we read and re-read the New Testament aloud together and Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening and other good books. It was such a blessing to both of us and Minnie, even when she was nauseated or suffering, she was always of good cheer. In fact during her last week when she saw the sorrow in our eyes, she tried to cheer us up–and she did!

And one of the ways she cheered those around her bedside was with her thankful spirit. She was thankful for the simple things of life and for whatever came to her from the good hand of our God. Shouldn’t we be thankful that we are not starving or suffering great pain? We are not in a slave labor camp. And you’re not enslaved by drug addiction or alcoholism (at least I hope you’re not!) You have friends and family and adequate resources and a relatively peaceful life to live. Think of the persecuted church in so many places in the world and be thankful for the peace and freedoms we have.

Minnie often said that one day she would see our Lord “face to face.” And now she has! Think of how much better off she is Christmas 2010 compared to what she was experiencing just a year ago Christmas 2009. She would not want to return from the glory she is presently experiencing in the presence of the Lord where all is peace and joy and love. She has complete satisfaction and happiness because scripture says, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” Psalm 17:15

It also says “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!" Rev. 14:13 “Blessed” means “favored of God,” but it also means perfect “happiness.”

My oldest great-granddaughter asked me today when we were walking from Walmart to our car what Mimi was doing and did she have a body. And I told her that she would have a glorified body after the Resurrection but now if she is just “spirit,” that it is quite all right because she is with the Lord (“absent from the body, present with the Lord”) and Jesus Himself has told us that He has gone to prepare a place for us. John 14:1 And that place is prepared especially for Mimi and she is very happy where she is living now. (It is so encouraging to me that our 11-year old would ask questions like that. We often speak casually about Minnie and how much better off she is now than when she had pancreatic cancer.)

Anticipate what lies ahead. The future is glorious. We often speak of the return of Christ as “the blessed hope” but we have “another blessed hope,” our anticipation of living eternally in heaven and sharing life with the Lord Jesus and His people. “Hope” in scripture means “expectation” or “anticipation” of what must surely take place. “We shall meet Him ourselves face to face, To the Praise of His glorious grace!”
–Pastor Burnside
http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/morningandevening/550586/

9. 2nd Corinthians Bible Study chapter 7–“God comforts the downcast”

9. 2nd Corinthians Bible Study chapter 7–“God comforts the downcast”
Spiritual struggles accompanied the establishment and growth of the church at Corinth. There were issues of doctrine and issues of truth and personal issues with some of the false teachers who wanted to get rid of the Apostle Paul. “When we came into Macedonia,” Paul wrote, “our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn–fighting without and fear within.” 7:5 We’ve all been faced with that kind of situation sometime in our lives. So it’s a welcome sight to see the next verse: “But God, who comforts the downcast. . . .” What great reassurance for those who are “downcast” to know they will be comforted by God.

He had already told us so in 2 Cor. 1:4 “who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” So who then are the “downcast” who receive this comfort from God?
The word in Greek that is translated “downcast” is tapeinos “depressed, i.e. (figuratively) humiliated (in circumstances or disposition).” Literally it means "that which is low, and does not rise far from the ground." It is “to be brought low in the sense of being humbled, to have one’s arrogance knocked out of him.” To “depedestalise”
An extended meaning is to bow in the sense of walking in a dejected manner as in a period of mourning.

In many different ways we are humbled by our struggles with affliction and often discouraged by them. And it is for us who experience those problems to know that God Himself personally and individually “comforts the downcast.” That is a promise to remember and hold in your mind. The very fact that it is in the Bible should comfort and encourage you. Of course that reminds you of Psalm 42 “why are you cast down, O my soul, and why disquieted within me? Hope in God [look to God and expect Him to help] for I shall yet praise Him who is the health of my countenance and my God.”

The verse continues: “But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus. . . .” So God used other people to bring comfort and encouragement to them. That happens very often. “And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.” 7:13 God has enabled us to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ and bring refreshment of spirit to them. “He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:3 And God does that for us daily: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.” 4:16 Encouraging others should be a major part of our ministry as Hebrews 3:14 NIV explicitly tells us: “Encourage one another daily. . . .”

And when we do, it brings joy to us as well as to those we encourage. Jesus’ desire is “that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” John 15:11 We are now in the Christmas season. How joyful we should be in the Lord. We joy in the Incarnation, in the Cross and Resurrection and that means we share His joy on His terms, meaning we share in His sufferings as He calls us to. Jesus was a “Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” and He experienced pain and suffering. But He endured the cross “for the joy set before Him.” Lift your eyes up beyond your immediate problems to the joy that God has in store for you in the glory that is yet to come.

We have “the sentence of death in ourselves” so that we might learn to “rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” 1:9 “In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help” and He heard me and “brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.” Psalm 18:6,19 So much depends on your attitude towards God when you acknowledge what He is accomplishing in your life, making you more like Christ and preparing you for the future and enabling you to help and encourage one another. Take your eyes off your suffering and direct them to the Lord and what He is doing and what He wants you to do. “Rejoice in our sufferings because suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope (or anticipation) and hope does not disappoint us Romans 5:1-5 because God is really there and His grace is really here with us–“He strengthens us, holds us, and causes us to stand upheld by His gracious omnipotent hand.”

He doesn’t remove the problems or the sorrow or the suffering, but it’s OK. It’s OK, Lord–because you are Lord and we are not. His grace really is sufficient for us. Believe it because it’s true!
–Pastor Burnside

Keeping Perspective in Hard Times

Keeping Perspective in Hard Times

"Therefore we do not lose heart. . . ." 2 Cor.3:18-4:6

How do you deal with massive disappointments and disasters in life?

(Therefore>>because) Because our gaze is fixed on the Glory of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ–we are looking intently at Jesus! That’s what sustains us because as we do that, the Holy Spirit is transforming us into the likeness of Christ. 2 Cor. 3:18 "But we all, with open face (unveiled face) beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being changed (or transformed) into the same image from glory to glory,(from one degree of glory to another) even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.)"

This leads into 2 Cor. 4:6 "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

So we are looking intently at Jesus. And what are the characteristics of that intent gaze upon Jesus? What is our vision of Christ?

1. It is a clarifying look.: 3:18 veil is removed in Christ. Moses had a veiled revelation of God–but that is removed in Christ. We have full access to God’s glory revealed in Jesus."The mirror of Scripture reveals the face or reality of Jesus Christ."

James 1.22-25 pictures the word of God as a mirror:"like a man observing his natural face in a mirror" –he sees what he is really like in the mirror of God’s Word

Heb. 11 says that God provided something better for us–i.e., the clarity of the vision of God that comes to us from Christ, the mystery unfolded and revealed.

Everytime you listen to a sermon, ask, "where is Jesus in all this?" I want to know my God and He is revealed in Christ.

Suffering weakens our dependence on self so that the power of God can be demonstrated in our lives–as we learn to depend on Him and not on ourselves.

2. It is a transforming look. 3:18 We are NOW being transformed: God is acting on us as we are preoccupied with Christ and gaze upon Him.

3. It is a grateful look. 2 Cor. 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not" –overwhelmed with gratitude for God’s mercy–both your salvation and your ministry. God has given you both. You’re there by mercy when you realize the wretched soul you were before God brought you to Himself in Christ. "By the grace of God I am what I am." "I was shown mercy.

4. It is a purifying look. 2 Cor. 4:2 "But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness. . . . "

i. When you see Christ, you will be pure.

ii. There "won’t be two of you"--double-minded –things hidden because of sin and dishonesty

iii. We renounce any hidden secret–my conscience is clear because we so conduct ourselves that we don’t have an accusing conscience.

The more you see who God is, the more you will desire His beauty and holiness to be reflected in your own life–as the moon reflects the glory and light of the sun.

5. It is a truthful look. 2 Cor. 4:2 " nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." We do not distort the Word of God by ignoring the context or the whole counsel of scripture–instead we compare scripture with scripture; we do not "read into it" something that is not there.

Committed to the pure truth–the Gospel of Grace and nothing else–no deception and no cunning.Ephes. 1:6 "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved."

6. It is a privileged look. 2 Cor. 4:3-4 Delivered out of blindness, darkness, and unbelief into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Not everyone has the privilege of looking into the face of Jesus as Savior. Many are lost. Jesus Himself said "the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life and there are few who find it." Mt. 7:14 God Himself awakened us as from the dead and regenerated us and made us alive in Christ and accepted in the Beloved.

"My cleverness, technique, or evangelistic strategy cannot break the bonds of sin." It is simply NOT true that "they" will respond to the gospel "if it is presented in a clever enough way." They are in wilful rebellion against God and most will remain that way no matter how much we pray and give them the Word. God is working, drawing them to Himself–by affliction and trouble, knocking out all visible means of support.

But most still harden their hearts. For our part we keep faithfully bringing them the gospel, praying the glorious light will shine through, break their hearts into a broken and contrite spirit, and that the goodness of God will lead them to repentance.

1 Cor. 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Cor. 1:18 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."

It is a privileged look when we can see and discern and know Jesus personally.

7. It is a humbling look. 2 Cor. 4:5 "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." (That’s church leadership, by the way; that’s the way we all minister if we are going to be useful in the hands of the Lord, "Jesus is Lord" and He alone is Lord.

i. Cannot preach ourselves or our own authority or our message–ONLY CHRIST and Him crucified.

ii. Any true look will humble us the more we realize who He is and who we are in contrast.

iii. We cannot promote ourselves or our own glory–but only the glory of Jesus who alone is worthy of all honor, glory, and praise.

iv. We are "slaves called to a duty"–to preach Jesus and ourselves as His servants for Jesus’ sake. What an honor and privilege to be a servant of the Living God!

8. A sovereignly-granted look. 2 Cor. 4:6

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

i. The Sovereign Lord–the Triune God–alone in eternity past with the perfection and blessedness of the relationship among the three persons of the Godhead–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It was He and He alone who spoke the worlds into existence, who created the universe by the Word of His Power, it was He who said, "Let there be light." "And there was Light!."

ii. This verse points out that the same God who created physical light of course ALSO creates spiritual light the light of the knowledge of the glory of God and where do we see that? in the face of Jesus Christ." Spiritual darkness envelopes the lost. So we pray for them that God will do for them what He did for us when He "delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:" Col. 1:13

iii. Don’t you hear the invitation of Jesus, Rev. 22:17 "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

Jesus has given you His own personal invitation–but you must respond in repentance and faith and bow your knee before Him as your own Lord and Savior.

The Christian life centers around Jesus, of course, so we fix our eyes on Him, the Author and Perfecter of our faith." Heb. 12:2

Looking to Him begins the Christian life: justification: look and live, my brother live, look to Jesus now and live.

Looking to Him is the basis and the way for living His life in reality in your own life: sanctification–being gradually transformed more and more like Him

Looking to Him will be our joy and delight throughout all eternity future: glorification.
--Pastor Burnside


　

　


　


　

　


　

　


　

　

　

　

　


　

　

　

　

　

　


　

　

Attitude of a weaned child

"Hey, I'm not only 'OK' with the new arrangement, I'm actually better off because now I have solid food and not just wonderful milk."
"Just as a weaned child is content simply having his mother's presence, so the faithful worshiper is content with God's presence, even when there are many things he would like God to explain (such as how one's own little story relates to the big story." (ESV Study Bible, p. 1109)

Psalm 131
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up [with pride];
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me. [Meaning "matters beyond human powers to comprehend"]
[2] But I have calmed and quieted my soul, [You can calm and quiet yourself just as the Psalmist did. "Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid" Jesus told His disciples. Jn. 14:27]
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
[3] O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.

[See also yesterday's blog, "Like a weaned child."]
"To the weaned child his mother is his comfort though she has denied him comfort. It is a blessed mark of growth out of spiritual infancy when we can forego the joys which once appeared to be essential, and can find our solace in Him who denies them to us . . . and every childish complaint is hushed. If the Lord removes our dearest delight we bow to His will without a murmuring thought. . . . This grows out of humility and lowliness, and it is the stem upon which peace blooms as a fair flower. . . . Blessed are those afflictions which subdue our affections, which wean us from self-sufficiency . . . which teach us to love God not merely when He comforts us, but even when He tries us." (Spurgeon, Treasury of David, III, 131)

"Like a weaned child"

"We do not lose heart"

The other day we were talking about how debilitating discouragement is and how the devil (the Old Lion walking about seeking whom he may devour) wants to de-rail all of us and our ministry for the Lord by whispering in our ear "you should be discouraged! It's doing no good. Just quit and be a "defeated person. Then you can wallow in your own self-pity and be useless to yourself, to God, and to everyone else."

I get a lot of e-mails from around the world from all those dear friends in those several places Minnie and I lived and ministered and God gave us so many permanent friends. And the note of discouragement often comes through in spite of trying to "put the best face on things."

So 2 Corinthians chapters 3-4 are so helpful as I've already pointed out in earlier blogs. But I have a habit as most of you know of reading the Psalms every morning after breakfast. (Continuing what Minnie and I did together for 54 years). And presently I am reading the "Songs of Ascents," those 15 Psalms (120-134) that were sung going to and during the three annual feasts of ancient Israel in Jerusalem at the Temple. (Passover (and unleavened bread ) and Pentecost (or Feast of Weeks) in the Spring and Feast of Tabernacles (or Ingathering or Harvest Festival or Feast of Booths) in the fall of the year. Such a joyful time of celebrating the Lord's bounty, goodness, and salvation.

Browse through those Psalms with me and gain some insights in how to deal with the ongoing struggle of discouragement as we journey through this fallen world with our own impediments of being fallen creatures ourselves, realizing that often we are our own biggest problem--when we don't have the right attitude or Biblical perspective. "Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!" 130:1-2 ESV The Psalmist is in desperate shape and he tells us why "Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth" and reminds himself, "yet they have not prevailed against me." 129:2

So how does he find encouragement in the midst of his discouragement?

1) He reminds himself of the greatness of God and what He has done for us: "When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad." Psalm 126:1-3
2) He reminds himself of our dependence on the Lord: "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep." Psalm 127:1-3

3) He reminds himself of the blessings of the Lord: Psalm 128:1-4 ESV

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways!
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the Lord.

4) He reminds himself that his troubles are temporary and the Lord will bring him through them:
Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him. 126:5-6 ESV

5) He reminds himself that we are in an endurance race and "have need of patience that we might receive the promise" Heb. 10:36 and 130:5-6
"I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning."

6) He quiets and calms himself like a weaned child:

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore. Psalm 131 ESV

And what means the picture of our behaving "as a weaned child"?? Think of a nursing child and how warm and content he/she is on their mother's breasts. It's a beautiful picture of contentment and sharing between mother and baby, another of God's wise provisions in His providence. But there comes a day when the baby needs to become "a weaned child" and no longer a baby and often there is a struggle and protest on the part of the little child who doesn't understand what is happening. He doesn't really want to "grow up" and go to the next stage of life. But he needs to. The hour has come and it's time for him to grow up and mature.

"To the weaned child his mother is his comfort though she has denied him comfort. It is a blessed mark of growth out of spiritual infancy when we can forego the joys which once appeared to be essential, and can find our solace in Him who denies them to us . . . and every childish complaint is hushed. If the Lord removes our dearest delight we bow to His will without a murmuring thought. . . . This grows out of humility and lowliness, and it is the stem upon which peace blooms as a fair flower. . . . Blessed are those afflictions which subdue our affections, which wean us from self-sufficiency . . . which teach us to love God not merely when He comforts us, but even when He tries us." (Spurgeon, Treasury of David, III, 131)

We behave "like a weaned child" when we learn that "In returning and rest shall you be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:" Isaiah 30:15 "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." Psalm 27:14 Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, "In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33 --Pastor Burnside