Learn to Praise God in Adversity


Someone has said, “If life is a classroom, adversity is its teacher.”

Every adverse incident in life has teaching power. The most powerful lessons are learned in the crucible of adversity.

We can also learn from others who have undergone hardship and who desire to pass along their lessons. And do you know what? We need to learn from others. One of the great sources for learning from adversity is the Bible.

For example, the lesson regarding Paul and Silas in prison is instructive. This lesson is found in the Biblical book of Acts, Chapter 16. Unlawfully arrested and placed in jail, these men were found singing praises to God. Their praising was not because the accommodations were luxurious; on the contrary, the accommodations were horrible. Their faith-filled perspective and joyous singing was noticed by the other prisoners and the jail keeper.

We love to sing praises, don’t we? But the context of our doing this is usually comfortable accommodations and lack of persecution. Do we love to give God praise in the worst of circumstances? When someone criticizes you or treats you offensively, do you praise God or do you complain? What lessons might others be learning from you?

After a while of singing praise choruses, Paul and Silas experienced divine intervention. The Lord caused an earthquake to occur, setting Paul and Silas free. Could it have been that God intervened precisely because Paul and Silas chose to praise Him rather than complain to Him? Which response do you think invites God to intervene in a positive way? How do you respond to adversity?

Following the earthquake, Paul and Silas saw others come to faith in God. Their worship and praise had left a mark. Others had seen their positive faith response in the midst of adversity. Paul and Silas had taught the others that there is a God. Furthermore, that God is in charge of even a bad situation. He can use it for good. Having absorbed these lessons, the listeners wanted what Paul and Silas had. They wanted a personal relationship with this personal God.

If life is a classroom and adversity is its teacher, then we are to praise and worship in every conceivable situation. If life is a classroom and adversity is its teacher, then God wants to use us in every situation to convey lessons about His goodness and sovereignty. If life is a classroom and adversity is its teacher, then when we pray, God is invited to intervene in our circumstances.

Learn to praise God in adversity.

Nothing Less Will Do


Sir Wilfred Grenfell.

Probably not a name you have heard. People in Labrador, Canada have heard the name, however. While a medical student at London University in the late 1800’s, Grenfell was impressed by the sermons of Dwight Moody. He surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and, in the same year, joined the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen. During the next five years he served as surgeon on the first hospital ship dispatched to the North Sea fisheries. In 1892 Grenfell initiated missionary service to the fishermen of Labrador. He soon became absorbed in improving the living conditions of the inhabitants of the Labrador coast, and he undertook to raise funds from numerous speaking tours. In these tours he would invite people to join him with the words, “I can not guarantee you will make money, but I can guarantee that you will have the time of your life.” Later he established the Grenfell Association, with branches in England, the United States, Newfoundland and other parts of Canada. Upon his retirement in 1932, as a direct result of his labors, there existed six hospitals, four hospital ships, seven nursing stations, two orphanages, two large schools, fourteen industrial centers and a cooperative lumber mill. All done in the name and in the spirit of Christ.

I read about Grenfell just recently. Honestly, before a week ago I had never heard of him. His rhetoric, “I can not guarantee you will make money, but I can guarantee that you will have the time of your life”, made me think of the words of Jesus, “whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” – Luke 14:27. Both were phrases calling for total commitment.

Jesus made a call for total commitment. In thinking about this call and in studying the history of the disciples, we can surmise why. Only Jesus knows the future. Only obedience to this call will sustain us in the troubles that lay ahead. Only Jesus offers His Presence in the here and now, and eternal life in the age to come.

Andrew and Peter died by crucifixion – their courage sustained by total commitment to Christ and His offer of life. . Bartholomew died by being flayed to death – sustained by total commitment to Christ. Shall we continue through the list? Only John died a natural death of old age – and that was after being returned from exile on the small island of Patmos.
James, son of Zebedee, was beheaded
James, son of Alphaeus, was beaten to death
Thomas was run through with a lance
Matthias was stoned and then beheaded
Matthew was slain by the sword
Thaddeus was shot to death with arrows
Philip was hanged
All found the courage to withstand their trials by having made a total commitment to Christ.

Christianity is not just a feel good, experience success in your sex life, Sunday morning religion. It is a hungering and thirsting after God. A hungering and thirsting that brings a person to Christ, Who alone knows the future of this person and has the supernatural ability to sustain in all trials.

For courage to face difficulties, for inner strength to endure difficulties, fully commit to Christ.

Nothing less will do.

Thoughts on Issue 3


I see where Ohioans get to vote on whether or not to permit casino gambling - again. This vote will take place on Tuesday, November 3. It will be the latest in several attempts to place casinos in Ohio by using the ballot. So far, this measure has been defeated each time it has appeared. It seems that proponents are determined to wear the populace down until the measure passes. It takes a lot of money to keep putting this on the ballot – who is providing this financing?

There are good reasons why State Issue 3 should not pass – and this is not being written for political purposes. I write this as a pastor, concerned about public morality, further disintegration of the family, and the destructive, addictive effect of gambling.

Advertisements want people to believe that tens of thousands of jobs will be created. A Hiram College Public Policy Research Group study has decided differently. Money will simply change hands and replace existing jobs. This study goes on to inform us that the objective of casinos is to provide multiple forms of entertainment under one roof. This insures that customers stay in the casino; consequently, established businesses in the vicinity of the proposed casino will lose customers and sales. “It’s really an exchange of money, it’s not economic growth,” said Thomas Pascarella, professor emeritus of economics and management at Hiram College. The Canton Repository reported on September 30 (page A-12) that Professor Pascarella said that “Ohio’s casinos will largely attract local visitors and won’t bring in a large amount of money that wouldn’t normally be spent in the community.”

Now to answer the question, “who is providing this financing?” This expensive issue is on the Ohio ballot again thanks to gambling interests, including an organization called Penn National Gaming. This company would gain a casino monopoly in central Ohio. To curry favor with business leaders in Columbus, Penn National Gaming has promised to make annual financial contributions to an agency called Experience Columbus. This agency exists to boost the prosperity of Columbus by marketing it as an appealing, exciting place to visit and do business. The Columbus Dispatch wrote in its September 27 paper, “Most of the business and civic leaders Experience Columbus represents oppose Issue 3 for good reason: The temporary construction jobs and low-wage service positions it would bring aren’t worth the increased crime, gambling addiction and corruption that typically accompany big-time casinos.”

Casinos do not stimulate economic development. They depress it. “The House” rarely loses – it can not afford to lose. “The House” loses just infrequently enough to keep people coming. The unspoken slogan of the casino is, “A sucker is born every minute.” The individuals “gaming” in the casino are the losers. The money they lose could have been spent on authentic economic development, by patronizing establishments that enhance a community – restaurants, concerts, theaters, automobile dealerships, appliance stores and home remodeling firms. Some might take the money that they would otherwise lose to “The House” and build a roomier house for the family, thus adding to the value of the community. Further donations could be made to churches and synagogues or other charities that assist people.

Rest assured – and do not allow media advertisements to confuse you - if Issue 3 passes, there will be more poverty, homelessness, hunger and addictions as a result. The United States International Gambling Report Series is a 3,000 page compilation of decades of research on gambling. It concludes that casinos cost communities $3 in lost economic development, increased crime and social problems for every $1 they generate in benefits. Is this what you want for Ohio?

Make sure you are registered to vote in November. Vote for the public good by voting “no” on Issue 3, casinos in Ohio.

Make the Way Smoother

Once upon a time, long ago a king had a highway built for his subjects. After it was completed, but the day before it was opened to the public, the king decided to have a contest. He invited as many as desired to participate. Their challenge was to see who could travel the highway best on the day before its official opening.

On the announced day, several people showed up. Some were in chariots, harnessed to great horses; others were on horseback. Some came in light clothing, prepared to run. Others had on thick sandals, planning to walk the new highway. People traveled the highway all day.

During the day, the king had positioned himself at the end of the section of road used for the contest. Each subject remarked to the king what a superb highway it was and how much the people in the kingdom would use it. However, they all had one and the same complaint: there was a large pile of debris and rocks left in the middle of the highway at one spot. This was an obstacle that caused them to leave the highway for a short distance and hindered their travel.

At the end of the day an older man – the last contestant – approached the king. He looked weary and explained to the king, “I stopped along the way to clear a pile of debris and rocks off the new highway. I knew this would make travel easier for the public tomorrow. That is why I am last to finish the contest. But while clearing the debris I found a bag of gold. The bag of gold was under all the debris. Please return it to the rightful owner.” The King became excited and declared, “You are now the rightful owner of the gold. You have earned it – for the one who makes the highway smoother for those who follow is the one who travels the highway best.”

Galatians 6:7 states, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Making the road smoother for those who follow is one of the great purposes of life. When we help others, God is pleased. When we bless others, it displays a selfless, Christlike attitude. This attitude is what we are told to cultivate: “Let this mind (attitude) be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:5).

As you travel the highway of life, make sure you make the way smoother for those who follow.

It Is Later Than You Think

“It is later than you think” reads an inscription on a sundial.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America may have discovered just how true that saying is at its recent convention. While debating whether practicing homosexuals could be ordained (the convention voted they could, the Bible teaches they should not), a tornado hit and damaged the center where the convocation was being held.

What was particularly odd about the occurrence is its rarity. No tornado had been experienced in Minneapolis, the site of the convention, for ninety years. No severe weather warnings had been announced. Just “ka-boom!”, a tornado out of the blue.

Or was it really out of the blue? Jesus warned against seeing what we call “disasters” as tokens of God’s judgment (Luke 13:4-5). Even acknowledging the words of Jesus, it still seems more than coincidence to me: a rare tornado appearing at this specific time and place and while this particular issue was under discussion. Can it be that God is beginning to close this age of grace and return to a more stern control of mankind?

Maybe the guy holding the placard in the cartoon is right – “Repent now, because it is later than you think.”

I found the news report interesting that while the tornado appeared in Minneapolis and was striking the convention center, Lutheran Bishop Mark Hanson was reading Psalm 121 to the “nervous assembly”. I would think “frightened assembly” might be a tad more accurate. It is ironic that this Psalm, speaking of God’s power and concern for His child, would be regarded in the crisis of the tornado, and other scripture that address appropriate lifestyle and moral choices would be later flagrantly ignored in a vote – after the tornado had passed. But then, isn’t that really the spirit of our time? Make the Bible and morals a cafeteria: pick what you want and leave what you don’t want.

God can use nature to bring people to repentance. He used a thunderstorm and a lightning strike to convict Martin Luther (for whom the Lutheran Church is named) of sin. The Minneapolis tornado provided a thought-provoking point: the winds and the seas are at God’s beck and call and they can be used to call people back to Himself. If we really believe that God is all He claims to be, then we would conclude that this tornado was no coincidence. It was what Bible students called “providence.” God let it happen, willed it if you please, for a reason.

One conclusion is that this tornado was a divine warning that we repent from personal sin and that our churches quit condoning destructive behaviors.

God wills certain providences in our lives also. These providences are not always as dramatic as a tornado. Nevertheless, they are all intended to remind us of our dependency upon God, our mortality and our need to repent from personal sin and destructive behaviors.

This time as I write it, I may be closer to the truth than anyone thinks, or even than the sundial or guy holding the placard would have us believe. Repent now, because …

It is later than you think.

A Compliment Guy


“The Compliment Guys” is what they are called. It came from a story in American Profile magazine (www.americanprofile.com). The story concerns two young men who are students at Purdue University. They have begun taking Wednesday afternoons, positioning themselves at a conspicuous spot on campus, and passing out cheery compliments. “I just wanted to go out and do something nice for people,” explains Brett Westcott, who came up with the idea. He has been joined by Cameron Brown, who says, “I’d noticed a lot of people were down and sad around campus with the economy so down. A lot of my friends were graduating without jobs, so I wanted to go out there and give them something to smile about.”.

I genuinely commend these two and wish their tribe to increase.

Mark Twain said, “I can live on a good compliment for six months.”

About three years ago our Adults Pastor began a ministry called “Kindness Evangelism.” Part of the kindness was to share words of encouragement. That is the essence of a compliment: words of encouragement that refresh the spirit.

Did you know that you can become a compliment giver? Listen to these words from Cameron Brown, “Giving a compliment is pretty easy, really. We say things like, ‘Great coat. Cool headphones. I dig your goatee. Very nice bicycle.’ If someone is eating an apple, we’ll compliment them for having a nutritious snack. If they’re drinking from a water bottle, we give them a thumbs-up for staying hydrated. Everybody has something to compliment. Everybody has something good in them. It just takes a second to find it.”

Joseph was one of the two first missionaries sent out by the church. He is forever known as “son of encouragement” (or Barnabas, Acts 4:36). It was not an accident that the Holy Spirit instructed the church to set aside Barnabas and Saul to become the first missionaries (Acts 13:1-4). Saul, who would later become known as the apostle Paul, would become a writer of New Testament epistles and the object of hateful rejection. He would need lots of encouragement – compliments if you will, and Barnabas would be just the guy to supply it! Someone you know and love could use a compliment today. Go ahead and give it!

Did you ever pause to meditate on the teachings from James 3:9? In speaking of the use of our tongue, this epistle makes the point that we can use it to praise or curse. Wouldn’t you rather use your tongue to praise? Words of encouragement can breathe new life into a person, and words of criticism can deflate a person’s sense of well-being. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” states Proverbs 18:21. Compliments don’t cost you anything to give. But the rewards you receive are great. I suggest you make a practice of finding one good thing about everyone you meet today – and then tell them.

Now answer this question: would you rather be around a person who encourages or a person who criticizes? What makes you think anyone else is different? Be an encourager – pass out a compliment. You will discover that strangers will become friends and friends will be loyal.

Become a compliment guy!

Washington’s Prayer

I found it interesting to read in the paper that a group called “The Freedom from Religion Foundation” in Madison, Wisconsin took exception with a local school district’s core values. The district had a statement that included “belief in God” as a core value. The Freedom from Religion Foundation web site referred to this as “suspect wording” that is in violation of the First Amendment. An attorney by the name of Rebecca Kratz sent a protesting letter on behalf of the foundation.
The First Amendment to the Constitution, ratified by Congress on December 15, 1791 states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Of course, Congress had nothing to do with establishing the school’s core values, including “belief in God.” And since when does “belief in God” establish a religion? And if so, which religion does it establish?
This is just an egregious action by the Freedom from Religion Foundation to impose its (atheistic) belief system, which is a religion, on others through intimidation.
As the Revolutionary War drew to a close, George Washington wrote a letter to the thirteen governors of the states. Entitled “Circular Letter Addressed to the Governors of all the States on the Disbanding of the Army”, Washington made a plea that the leaders of the newly born nation conduct themselves in a way that honored God. The letter states,
I now make it my earnest prayer that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in His holy protection; that He would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow-citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for brethren who have served in the field; and finally that He would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation.”
Washington’s advice was generally followed and a great nation was born. You will observe, I hope, that his vision for The United States was established upon the foundation of belief in God - “that God would have you, and the State over which you preside…”
We would do well to learn from George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and others who, in seeking wisdom and strength of character have chosen “belief in God” as one of their core values. You know, like the local school district has chosen to do.
Our country was established by people who had “belief in God”. If you ever question it, remember
Washington’s prayer.