Why is there Suffering?

In 1 John 3:8 we read that: "the reason the son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work".

This is not metaphorical - it is reality. 

We may hear people ask the question: "how can there be a God when there is so much suffering in the world?" God's answer is this: He sent his son into the world to overcome the works of the devil. The real question to be asked is as follows: "How many people are willing to join with Jesus in this purpose? Are you?

Jesus called the devil a liar and murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). As servants of the living God, we are called into this mission of destroying the works of the devil. Lies and murder are the outcome of warped attitudes such as:

These are the core of the evil works we are called to join with Jesus in combating... first in our own lives, and then in servant-hood to those around us. God will cause these needs to  come across our path as we live out our lives as effective Christians (2 Cor 10:6).

Opposite to these ways of the devil are the ways that Jesus modelled, ie:

Is a spiritual stocktaking in order? 

Do we need to check that we are in fact moving away from the devil's attitudes? That we are moving forwards under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit?

As we respond to God in this way we are moving away from disorder... and moving on as a part of God's answer to the question of suffering.

Overcoming Evil

From the very beginning the reason Jesus came to earth was to "destroy the devil’s work" (1 John 3:8). Yet Jesus came in the most defenceless form... that of a baby. God entrusted the saviour of the world to a family in a total dependant way. Amazing!

How is it that the devil was not able to "rub out" his mortal enemy when Jesus was of himself, totally defenceless?  

Well the devil tried -

Firstly through Herod, when he had all the boys in Bethlehem who were under two murdered - in an attempt to kill Jesus (Matt 2:16).

Secondly he tried to destroy Jesus morally and spiritually in the wilderness. He attacked Jesus in the very areas where Adam and Eve failed: in pride and ambition, in abuse of authority, in abuse of the Scriptures for personal gain, in trying to displace God as the centre of our worship.

Thirdly a crowd tried to throw Jesus over a cliff, but they couldn’t harm him (Lu 4:28).

The devil couldn’t lay a hand on Jesus - until it was in the timing and purposes of God... when Jesus laid down his life in our place to secure our salvation.

So how was Jesus life protected in these critical times?

By obedience -

In John 17:10 Jesus included the following in his prayer:

"All I have is yours and all you have is mine" (John 17:10)

In a nutshell, this thought encapsulates the basis of Jesus relationship to Father God. Yet the Scriptures also tell us that:

"it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus," (Eph 2:5)

In other words, we who are in Christ, have also been brought right into the position of John 17:10! Can you imagine that? We need to ask the Holy Spirit to confirm this truth to us. And for what purpose? You can find an expression of the answer to this question in 1 Peter 1:1-2. Please look up this Scripture and meditate on its application in your life.

So we are called into Jesus service as a part of the glorious Church - tasked to continue destroying the works of the Devil. Wherever we go, we are to turn on the light of Christ and cast out darkness.

And as with Jesus, we enjoy the protection of God because we are his own dear children. This doesn’t mean there won’t be suffering. There will be suffering. But by faith and obedience we can walk with Jesus in triumph in all the circumstances of this world. For further reading: 1 Peter 1:3-9 and 2 Kings 6:11-18.

Spiritual Warriors

In Zechariah 1:8-10 we read:

"During the night I had a vision - and there before me was a man riding a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses. I asked, "What are these, my lord?" The angel who was talking with me answered, "I will show you what they are." Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, "They are the ones the LORD has sent to go throughout the earth."

In this vision the horse may be metaphorically understood as representing faith. If we can imagine ourselves riding a powerful responsive horse... we can see the advantage this would provide for a warrior. So in Kingdom work, God would have us mount up on faith and take up the weapons of warfare he has already provided (Eph 6 and 2 Cor 10:4). This leads us to an effective position of advantage in prayer, faith and intercession.

Love Emerges through Crisis
Slaying at Wedgwood Baptist Church

Our pastor had prayed that God would do whatever it took to expand the ministry of Wedgwood Baptist Church. Our church is one that is used as a model of how NOT to pick a location, because no one in the world can find it. Now almost everyone in the world knows exactly where it is.

Evidence of God's Control During The Shooting

	To enter the church, the gunman walked past our children's playground, which should have been full of kids, but for some reason every single children's and preschool class was running late. No one had made it to the playground yet.
	He fired over 100 bullets into a crowd of over 400, but only 14 people were hit.
	He did not shoot the over 60 bullets he still had with him.
	The bottom fell off of the pipe bomb he threw, and the bomb land without ever exploding.
	One of the youth that was wounded (she was shielding a disabled friend with her body) has scoliosis. The curve in her spine directed the bullet away from major organs, saving her from serious injury.
	Because the first 911 call came in on a police radio, emergency vehicles were dispatched immediately, without spending precious time to verify that call was real.
	One of the people in the church at the time was a paramedic, and he was able to stop bleeding and stabilize injured people before the emergency crews arrived.
	Leaders were able to get the children out of the building without the kids having to see any victims or any of the mess.
	Each children's worker stayed with his/her class even though they all had children elsewhere in the building, and some had teens in the sanctuary.
	Not one worker left his or her post.
	None of the adults who died have children.
	All 7 victims were not just Christians, but bold Christians who were passionate about their faith. "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is not being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20)

 

What God has done since the shooting

	Many denominations have pulled together to offer help and support.
	United Methodist Church who sent 15 people the following Sunday to cover our childcare. They didn't want any church members to have to miss the service because they were taking care of the children.
	A church in Tulsa, Oklahoma drove over 5 hours just so they could march around our church and pray during our Sunday morning services.
	The Fort Worth Police Dept. planted flowers in the flower beds before we re-entered the sanctuary to worship.
	We have received over 10,000 emails, 5000 cards, and $60,000 from all over the world.
	Al Meredith, our pastor has had the microphone in his face continually and has over and over given an outstanding answer to the reason for our hope.
	He presented the gospel beautifully on Larry King Live when prompted by a question asked by Vice President Al Gore.
	Because of the live news coverage and interviews, over 200 million people have heard the gospel because of this tragedy.
	Fifteen thousand turned out for a community wide service at TCU football stadium. Pastor Meredith gave a very serious challenging message calling for a day of fasting and heart searching (Monday the 20th). The service was broadcast live in its entirety on WBAP 820 which is a news station that covers most of north Texas. This same news station has replayed our pastor's first press conference due to people calling in and requesting to hear his comforting words again.
	CNN also broadcast the memorial service live. Amazingly, because one of the victim's families lives and works in Saudi Arabia, that country allowed the service to be broadcast there as well. In Saudi Arabia it is illegal to say the name of Jesus on the street.
	Because of that same CNN broadcast, 35 people in Japan gave their lives to Christ.
	When President Clinton finally got through to him, Pastor Meredith ended their conversation by praying, after gaining permission, for the Clinton family.
	At several schools, students met around their flagpoles the next day.
	At one school 25 students accepted Christ, and 110 at another.
	A teacher led 22 students to Christ in her classroom.
	Christian teachers all over North Texas have been able to share with their classes because the students are asking questions about their teachers' faith.
	In Burleson, prayers and Scripture are being said over the intercom.
	On the east coast, where "See You at the Pole" was delayed because of the hurricane, record numbers of kids showed up to pray.
	Governor Bush and the Fort Worth mayor quietly came to our pastor's home while the staff were meeting and praying and joined in the prayer meeting.
	This was not political! Only those who are close to staff members heard about this; the media never knew. Governor Bush has visited with our pastor several times, and Pastor Meredith has had an impact on him.
	A caller to an area Christian radio station said that he didn't know what those people had but he wanted it. The DJ proceeded to lead him to Christ.
	Many notes left in front of the church contain the same sentiment.
	The church has received so many emails asking us how we are able to have hope and continue on. There are teams of church member volunteers responding to these emails.
	My friend Jodi has been praying for her husband for years. She and their 4-yr-old daughter were at the church that night. 3 days ago Scott gave his life to Christ.
	We have had over 70,000 hits on our web page which displays the plan of salvation in multiple languages.
	Many members at Wedgwood Baptist are healing broken relationships within the body and experiencing spiritual renewal.
	These are just a few of the miracles that are happening. God's grace is almost overwhelming…

The faith of those who died has been multiplied many times over - "I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world." (Romans 1:8).

Conclusion

Dear friends, we live in a fallen world where chaos will occur (see Romans 8:18-28). The question is not: "will those folk over there be lost" but rather, are we hearing the call of God: 

'who will work with me to take the knowledge of my love expressed in Christ throughout the world' 

(see Matt 28:18-20)?

Life on the Line

Student affirmed her belief in God, and then was Slain
By Eileen McNamara, Boston Globe Staff, 24th Apr 1999.

Littleton, Colorado - She walked into Columbine High School on Tuesday morning, 20th April 1999 as a promising student. She was carried out more than 24 hours later a victim of a senseless shooting.

"Do you believe in God," one of the heavily armed gunmen asked the shy blond girl reading her Bible in the library while her school was under siege.

"Yes, I believe in God," she replied in a voice strong enough to be heard by classmates cowering under nearby tables and desks.

The gunman in the long black trench coat laughed. "Why?" he asked mockingly. Then he raised his gun and shot and killed 17-year-old Cassie Bernall.

Accounts of the final moments of Cassie's life echo with the history of early Christendom, when a profession of faith could be a fatal act. Her story is being told and retold in the church basements, rec rooms, and parish halls where so many of the young survivors of the Columbine massacre have spent the last few days clinging to one another and to their deep religious faith. In her death, Cassie has become both symbol and prophet, her martyrdom seemingly foretold in a poem written after church services last Sunday. It was discovered on her desk by her younger brother, Chris, Tuesday night when it became clear that she would not be coming home.

"Now I have given up on everything else - I have found it to be the only way to really know Christ and to experience the mighty power that brought him back to life again, and to find out what it means to suffer and to die with him. So, whatever it takes I will be one who lives in the fresh newness of life of those who are alive from the dead".

More than any other image from this scene of carnage - more than the flowers deep as the snow in Clement Park, more than the blue and silver ribbons on every lapel… The most affecting is the sight of trapping young men and gracious young women on their knees in prayer everywhere one looks in this prairie suburb at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

"We loved Cassie and we will miss her, but we know she is in a better place," said Ryan Long, who belongs to the youth group at West Bolles Community Church, where Cassie Bernall was an active member.

"She died for her faith."

Crystal Woodman, is a youth group member who with Cassie, did outreach work among Denver's homeless population. She was hiding with Cassie in the library during the rampage that claimed the lives of 12 students, one teacher, and the two presumed killers, Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, both Columbine students. When she heard the exchange between the gunman and Cassie, Crystal was certain of what she was witnessing: Her friend was laying down her life for Jesus.

Of the 200 members of the youth group at West Bolles Community Church, 40 attended Columbine. Among them is a shared certainty that God is using the victims as a vehicle to spread a message of faith. To that end, the teenagers are eager to speak about the circumstances of Cassie's death in hopes of bombarding the secular - some might say godless - media with a religious interpretation of this week's tragic events. Some have even appeared on MTV, which McPherson puts among the corrosive cultural influences that contribute to the hardening of the hearts of so many young people. The spiritual life of so many of Columbine High's teenagers is evident in the crosses they wear around their necks and the bracelets asking WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) that they wear on their wrists. Theirs is the largest school-based Bible club in the school district. But it is not only the children who are finding solace in religion.

Cassie's parents, Misty and Brad Bernall, issued a statement last night celebrating their daughter's spiritual courage.

"Cassie's response does not surprise us. Cassie's life was rightly centred on Jesus Christ."

The Bernalls appealed to parents to become more involved in the lives of their children. They urged teenagers to find their way to church. "Don't let my daughter's death be for nothing. Make your stand. If you are not in a local church group, try it."

There is nothing sanctimonious about the faith of these teenagers. They were actively engaged in the world around them. Cassie had told friends recently that she intended to cut her long blond hair so that her silky locks could be made into wigs for children undergoing chemotherapy. At Cassie's funeral on Monday, several pews will be filled with members of Victory Outreach, an inner city store front church in one of Denver's roughest neighbourhoods.

Cassie and her friends shared dinner every few weeks with the prostitutes and drug addicts who make up that congregation. John and Stephen Cohen, brothers who also are members of the youth group, will sing a song for Cassie and the other fallen students at her funeral. The boys said they had completed the guitar music some time ago but had been waiting for inspiration for the lyrics. They found it this week. The song is called: "Columbine, Friend of Mine."

The last assignment Cassie completed on this earth was a reading that was to have been discussed at a youth group meeting the night she died. The book is called "Seeking Peace." In a chapter entitled "No Life Without Death," the author quotes the Gospel of John:

"Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But when it dies, it produces many seeds."

This story ran on page A1 of the Boston Globe on 24th April 99.
Copyright 1999 Globe Newspaper Company.

Feedback from the Chaplain to the Denver Broncos

This has been a week for the ages. We live about 2 miles from Columbine High School, and I can't even begin to tell you all that has happened here for us personally in the past week. Alot.

None of our friends in the school, and we had several, died. But, they are all hurting beyond belief emotionally. Everyone of them has stories that are moving. Three of our baby-sitters were Juniors there, one of them was a son of one of my dear friends who taught me in the counseling program nine years ago. What I can say for sure, and this is Our Amazing Father, is that this has been the closest thing to a revival that I have ever witnessed in my 39 years of life.

It's still pretty fresh, but oh my, the services have almost all given clear testimony of the gospel, four of the kids who died knew Jesus, and spoke well of Him, and almost everyone of the kids in the hospitals is speaking about faith, Jesus, glorifying God. Our little community is hugging, praying, going to church like never before. You have to remember, Rick, this is Colorado. We don't go to church here, at least to be fashionable. And as I said, it's way too early to tell, I really believe for at least the kids at the school, they will never be the same.

At Cassie Bernall's memorial, the kid who testified of her faith in Christ before she was executed, 150 kids came forward to receive Christ, and several parents and a few teachers. At Rachel Scott's funeral, something of the same proportions. I have had the humbling opportunity to visit nearly everyone of the kids in the hospitals. Oh my, what courageous young people I have met. I am changed from having gone, and I've been down there for the past 5 days. 4 of the kids are facing near certain life time paralysis, which has made them sad to be sure, but not without a fervor to live. All of these kids had friends that died, because obviously, they were in the line of fire, and I had two incredible chats today with Sean and Patrick about what it's like to think you are going to die, and what it's Like to lose a buddy. I'm telling you, different kind of stuff.

Most of The time I've been down, I've had players go with me. Kind of my secret way of getting to go minister to the families. They wouldn't let me in without my entourage, you see, but now that the relationships are kind of in place, I can go without my cover anytime I want now. Sneaky guy, right! Anyhow, one kid, Lance's parents learned today that he had buckshot in his heart, something they didn't know till now; Pray it flows in the small veins, not the main artery, as this will determine whether Lance has permanent brain damage or not. I don't fully understand it, but I had a doc explain it to me a while ago, that it literally will go one of two directions, and where it goes will be everything to this kids recovery. I could go on.

Growing through Suffering
The Gift you already have!

As we read the papers this festive season we will be inundated with commercial interests trying to convince us that purchasing their product will bring happiness.

	that which is of God as a part of his disciplining and growing of our character;
	that which is a sad part of life, like the loss of a loved one; and
	that which is a product of this crazy fallen world in which we live.

	the suffering to do with God is redemptive; while
	the suffering of the world or the devil is negative or destructive.

When there Aren’t any Answers Left

Through Hard Times
Who are the Real Heroes?

Most of us would like to do something noble or great. Perhaps have our names in lights...

We are captivated by outstanding speakers, renown scientists, business tycoons, and athletes who seem to do the impossible. And we sigh because our lives appear to be so routine, pedestrian and unsung.

As I observe the men with whom I am involved, however, I often see nobility and true character being forged in them as they quietly work through extremely trying circumstances. These silent heroes of the faith are, for the most part unnoticed. Little appreciated. Rarely applauded.

One man has a son who is severely ill with a disease that will probability take his life within the next few years. The boy’s unimaginable suffering permeates the family. But there is a calm grace about the way they are handling it. No whining or grousing with God as they walk through their Gethsemane.

A second man is an executive in a company where the top management steps on anyone who excels or shows any evidence of genius. He refuses however to play the corporate political games that are necessary to garner the coveted positions. Brilliant in his field, he purposely remains understated as he unobtrusively facilitates his subordinates in order to insure their success.

A third friend is enmeshed in an insolvable marriage. Yet I never hear one word of complaint, as he chooses to exhibit compassion and graciousness toward his spouse.

These men probably will never have their names in lights. But in my book they are the real heroes! Heroes who are becoming Christ-like. My guess is that you too have your Gethsemane. You too have your cross. And your cross is not the gold-plated, smooth or shiny model. Rather, it is rugged and bruising, and with you all the time.

How you decide to respond to that cross will spell the difference between a life of crippling bitterness that diminishes your inner spiritual life, or a life of praise that enables you to surmount, and ascend.

"...Each (man) shall bear his own private burden...Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you...because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain"... Each (man) shall bear his own private burden...Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you...because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain."

(Gal. 6:5 - Wuest Translation; 1 Corinthians 15:58)

Dwight Hill