"The only love that won’t disappoint you is one that can’t change, that can’t be lost, that is not based on the ups and downs of life or of how well you live. It is something that not even death can take away from you. God’s love is the only thing like that."

-- quote from Tim Keller's book "Walking with God through pain and suffering", http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/20-quotes-from-walking-with-god-through-pain-and-suffering

Here's a letter from Saeed Abedini, from an Iranian prison, this past week, after 2 years of imprisonment (having done nothing wrong).  He writes to his 8-year old daughter.  His words are worth reading for all of us.

“I know that you question why you have prayed so many times for my return and yet I am not home yet. Now there is a big why in your mind you are asking: why Jesus isn’t answering your prayers and the prayers of all of the people around the world praying for my release and for me to be home with you and our family?”

”The answer to the why is who. Who is control? Lord Jesus Christ is in control. I desire for you to learn important lessons during these trying times. Lessons that you carry now and for the rest of your life.”

“I  pray God will bring me back home soon. But if not, we will still sing together…’Hallelujah,’ either separated by prison walls or together at home. So, let Daddy hear you sing a loud ‘Hallelujah’ that I can hear all the way here in the prison!”

1 Samuel 19 -

"¹¹ Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. ....

¹⁸ Now David fled and escaped and came to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth."

Samuel was the one who had anointed David originally, with the message that he would be king of Israel some day (1 Samuel 16).   David believed God, and Samuel his prophet, and this probably helped him in his bold exploits like fighting Goliath, etc... it must have been pretty nifty to have a prophecy spoken over you that you would some day be king... if the prophecy came from a trustworthy spokesperson of God (since God knows the future), one could be certain that one would not die before becoming king, and that would tend to give one great boldness in battle and life in general.

However, David's success as a soldier and general caused the existing king, Saul, to become envious of him and try to kill him, multiple times and over the course of many years  (1 Samuel 18ff).  David could have simply fought against Saul and captured the kingship.  But interestingly, he did not, though he repeatedly had "perfect opportunities" to do so, including twice sneaking up behind Saul when he had no protectors.  Instead, David kept running and hiding and fleeing, rather than fight against King Saul (who was also his father-in-law!).

1 Samuel 24 relates one of these times, when David was close enough behind King Saul to secretly cut off a piece of his robe, without Saul even noticing.  David's men urged David to kill Saul.  But he refused, saying "I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed."  In other words, David resolved to wait until he could have the kingship "in the right way", rather than seizing it for himself "the wrong way" out of impatience.

He believed (enough) in God's promise, such that he was content to wait, and wait, and wait.

From whence came this faith/trust?

Probably from many factors... but perhaps one of these factors was this brief meeting with Samuel in 1 Samuel 19:18.   David was telling Samuel.... "Remember, you anointed me the future king!?!? But then why is all this happening to me?  The king is trying to take my life!?  Where is God?  I try to follow God and do the right thing, and what do I get for it?  I'm on the run for my life.  My own king, the one I have served sincerely and faithfully, is trying to take me out.  Why?  What's the point of continuing this approach of 'waiting' and 'doing things the right way'??"

What did Samuel tell David?  ...that old prophet, who had counseled and provided justice for thousands of Israelites over the years, who had originally anointed Saul and had seen Saul's heartbreaking perfidy and turning-away from God... then had anointed David but had not yet seen the fulfillment of his prophecy.

His words are not recorded.  But he apparently listened to David, went with him on a trip to a town where he could be temporary safer, and gave him some powerful advice, which kept David on the path of walking with God for the next few months or years.  Many times in our lives too, the advice of an older godly person at the right moment can be extremely beneficial.   Maybe Samuel shared with David what he had seen in his own life, that God's answers to prayer are often very slow, but worth waiting for... and that God always keeps his promises.

“I have full contentment and faith that God is totally sovereign, and no matter how I write my own plan, He’s going to do what’s best for me to make me more like Christ.... No matter how I do in my sport, I know it’s perfect because of the promises and hope He has given me.”

- Great quote from USA gold medalist diver David Boudia  http://www.beyondtheultimate.org/athletes/David-Boudia.aspx

Some cool quotes from Phil Humber (Chicago White Sox pitcher) -

"I didn’t have that peace because I wasn’t looking in the right place for it. I wasn’t resting in the fact that God has my best interest in heart because I’m a child of his."

"For so long, I was trying to make it about me. I was going to make it happen because of how hard I was working. ... But because of the road I took, I couldn’t deny the fact that it was God doing it, that God had a plan."

"[Phil says that] every time he walks off the mound, he prays that God would be glorified: 'As Christians, that’s really our mission. Wherever we’re at, whatever we’re doing, that God will be glorified in what we’re doing. And he can be glorified in our low moments or in our best moments.' "

Taken from this article http://www.worldmag.com/webextra/19433
Tim Tebow, Jeremy Lin, Phil Humber, wow, lots of public giving-credit-to Jesus Christ from the sports world this year!  May it increase yet more... and from all spheres of society...

My dearest wife;

God, by His holy will, has prolonged my prison sentence to five years and four month. I very much long for the day that I will be reunited with you my dear wife, our children and God's people in the church.

My dear, listen to me; not only as a wife, but also as a Christian woman who has come to understand who God is and how deep and mysterious His ways are. Yes! I love you, I love the children and I would love to be free in order to serve God. But, in here, God has made me not only a sufferer for His Name's sake in a prison of this world over which Christ has won victory, but also a prisoner of His indescribable love and grace.

I am testing and experiencing the love and care of our Lord every day. When they first brought me to this prison, I had thoughts which were contrary to what the Bible says. I thought the devil had prevailed over the church and over me. I thought the work of the gospel in [country] was over. But it did not take one day for the Lord to show me that He is a sovereign God and that He is in control of all things - even here in prison.

The moment I entered my cell, one of the prisoners called me and said, ‘Pastor, come over here. Everyone in this cell is unsaved. You are very much needed here.’ So, on the same day I was put in prison, I carried on my spiritual work.

My dear, the longer I stay in here, the more I love my Savior and tell the people here about His goodness. His grace is enabling me to overcome the coldness and the longing that I feel for you and for our children. Sometimes I ask myself, ‘Am I out of my mind? Am I a fool?’ Well, isn't that what the apostle had said, ‘Whether I am of sound mind or out of my mind, it is for the sake of Christ.’ (2 Cor. 5:13)

My most respected wife, I love you more than I can say. Please help the children understand that I am here as a prisoner of Christ for the greater cause of the gospel.

(originally posted in 2010)

-- a recent letter from a Christian in prison in an African country...

see http://members.opendoorsusa.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=45641.0&dlv_id=0 and http://www.opendoorsusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=86&Itemid=17

"There is so much temptation to hold on to my career even more now... To try to micromanage and dictate every little aspect. But that's not how I want to do things anymore. I'm thinking about how can I trust God more? How can I surrender more?"

-- Jeremy Lin

A couple weeks ago I watched "Kung Fu Panda 2".   Fun movie, worth watching in my opinion.

In that movie, Po could not defeat certain opponents because he was too troubled by his past....  he was told that his problem was that he needed to find "inner peace".   Eventually, after involuntarily arriving at a monastery, meditating for a long time, and finally understanding his origins and the fact that his parents really did love him, he acquired "inner peace".  This allowed him to focus and hone his kung-fu skills and eventually defeat his opponents.

My question is:  To what extent does this apply to our lives?   Do we need "inner peace?"   If so, how do we get it?

I think inner peace is indeed important.   I see so many of my friends trying to find inner peace in various ways... through romantic relationship... through trying to acquire lots of money... through trying to become powerful or prestigious...  through workaholism...  through philosophy and yoga and eastern meditation... through classical music or jazz music or art... through social events...  and it seems for many that the "peace" they find is only temporary.

This shows the difference the difference between "circumstantial peace" and real, true, inner peace.   "Circumstantial peace" means that you are peaceful when external circumstances are going well... but when trouble and stress comes, peace flits away.

In "Death of a Guru", Rabindranath Maharaj shared how he sought inner peace through yoga and meditation.  He would go deep into a trance, and finally feel relaxed and peaceful.  But after finishing his session, he would immediately lose the peace and be filled again with stress and worry and anger.

Fortunately however, Rabindranath Maharaj eventually found Jesus Christ, and began to experience true, permanent, inner peace.  As Jesus said to his disciples in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you."

Not circumstantial peace that only lasts while the music plays or while the compliments are flowing or while the bank account is high.  Permanent, rock-solid, eternal, true, inner peace...  it comes only from Jesus Christ.

Why?  Why can no other religion or hobby on earth provide lasting peace?  It is because only the true God described in the Bible deals with the sin problem that we all have.  Hobbies are mere temporary/escapism, and all the other world religions and philosophies are essentially "self-help" systems.   They all say that if only you can be a good enough person, you will acquire peace (and achieve heaven, or nirvana, or godhood, or similar state).  The other religions all essentially say, "If only you can relax and realize that you are basically good at heart, you will have inner peace; if only you can think positive thoughts and 'wage peace with your breath', all will be well."

Only the Bible tells us the truth: that we are desperately evil at heart, (and are only prevented from expressing it out by societal constraints and parental-type training).  Only the God of the Bible tells us honestly how serious our sin problem is: we cannot fix it ourselves or compensate for it by doing good works... 'the soul that sins will die' - either I must die, or else someone must volunteer to die in my place.  Jesus Christ died in my place... the legal guilt of my sin was completely transferred to Him... now I am legally free... innocent... pure... righteous!  And my outer life will some day (when I temporarily physically die) match up with my new perfectly-good inner spirit.

Only when I see the depth of my sin and when I see how Jesus Christ has taken it all away, can I (and other people) be truly at peace.  Any other approach is merely a bandaid, temporarily covering over a cancerous wound which continues to fester, because the basic problem is not removed.

Hooray!  Inner peace is possible!  And from personal experience, it is wonderful!   I wish that all my friends would eventually believe in Jesus Christ and come to experience the true peace and eternal life too!

The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace. Psalm 29:11
 

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose."  -- Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs is now in eternity.  But you and I are still here.  How will we use the time that's left to us?

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."  -- Jim Elliot

"I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die." -- Jesus Christ

Three articles today, the first article the most important:

1. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/09/28/iranian-pastor-faces-execution-for-refusing-to-recant-christian-faith/   - Youcef Nadarkhani was today sentenced to death because he converted to Christianity from Islam.  This "apostasy" death penalty will be the first in Iran since 1990.   Excerpt below from the article:

When asked to repent, Nadarkhani stated: "Repent means to return. What should I return to? To the blasphemy that I had before my faith in Christ?"
 
"To the religion of your ancestors, Islam," the judge replied ....
 
"I cannot," Nadarkhani said.

Hooray to you, Youcef Nadarkhani!!!   Thank you for the awesome example of holding to the truth about Jesus Christ, no matter what the cost!  As Jesus Christ Himself promised in Revelation 2:10 - "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."  May God bless you and your family.

2. http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2011/09/by-dan-phillips-from-2009-brian.html - Great article discussing the balance in "sanctification" (the process of becoming more holy, after having first been "justified" (legally reckoned righteous in God's sight) through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ) in the Christian life exemplified in this verse from Philippians 2:12-13 - "¹²So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; ¹³for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."

Some Christian groups tend to err more on the one side (focusing on the "work", forgetting that it is God living within us who is the only one powerful enough to change us) and some on the other side (saying "let go and let God", forgetting that there is still work involved on our part in the process of sanctification).  Dan Phillips shows the error of those who go too far in the latter direction.  

John Piper similarly summarizes it well, in his biography lecture on William Tyndale ( http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/biographies/always-singing-one-note-a-vernacular-bible ) - "How did William Tyndale accomplish this historic achievement? We can answer this in Tyndale’s case by remembering two ways that a pastor must die in the ministry. We must die to the notion that we do not have to think hard or work hard to achieve spiritual goals. And we must die to the notion that our thinking and our working is decisive in achieving spiritual goals."

3. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904563904576588583893732362.html?mod=WSJ_hps_sections_careerjournal - interview of Harvard's Nitin Nohria by Melissa Korn entitled "Dose of Humility With a Harvard MBA".  Notice especially this excerpt:

"But there seems to be a big difference between people's understanding of their responsibilities as business leaders and their capacity to live up to those when faced with pressure or temptation."

That is to say, business executives usually KNOW the right thing to do, but for some reason, strangely enough, when major temptation comes along, they sometimes choose NOT to do it.   Why ever could that be?

This is a perfect example of the limitations of secular ethics.   Ethics courses can teach you various "systems of ethics", e.g. consequentialism, virtues ethics, deontological ethics, etc.  But when "pressure or temptation" arises, people must decide whether it is "worth it" to them...  Why should one choose to follow the particular system of ethics?   At some level of pressure or temptation secular morality doesn't work any more - the rewards (in this earthly life) for doing the right thing are not as attractive as the relief or pleasure or gain offered from doing the unethical (/wrong) thing.   But if God is watching, and if our actions have eternal consequences, we can have solid ground for rejecting the wrong thing, knowing that we will be fully repaid in the age to come.

Like Youcef Nadarkhani.