Question #1:
Pressured here at work, and I know it is because of my faith in Christ Jesus, I come into work my cross is laid face down on my desk, or my hand held bible is turned upside down, however always praying and reading my bible. I feel like the air around me is shrinking. Personal tribulation.
Response #1:
I'm sorry to hear that. I'll remember that when I pray for you (daily).
Things have been "interesting" here too. Just told today that my colleague of 20
years, a great Christian woman, is essentially being fired (no tenure) because
of the budget ax and a lack of appreciation in our administration here for the
value of Greek and Latin. Also losing our Greek and Latin and Classics minors.
Also taking a big salary hit myself but I still have a job, so I am very
grateful to the Lord for that!
Nothing down here on planet earth is easy. But we are waiting "for the
foundation of that city (i.e., the New Jerusalem) whose architect and builder is
God" (Heb.11:10).
I pray for you to always be able to find the joy in your salvation and the peace
which Christ promises us. It's always there to be had . . . but we do have to
look through the storm with the eyes of faith to see it sometimes.
Your friend in Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #2:
Well said Robert, and I just thank you for your prayers as you are in
mine. I am thankful for having a job as well however, I look towards the
hastening of the day of our Lords return. It does my soul well as I read
But we are waiting "for the foundation of that city (i.e., the New
Jerusalem) whose architect and builder is God" (Heb.11:10). A resounding
yes.
Standing on the promises of Jesus holding on with all my might to his
word. Because God said it I believe it and by faith I receive it!
All I can say to this is our Fathers goodness is gracious, and thank
you for the update. I am studying the Paradigms for the Tribulations and
I do believe that in my life I have Exodus moments of tribulations and
miraculous intervention of God that strengthen my spiritual muscles of
faith, belief, and hope. Praying always for us and thanking God always
for you, Robert.
Yours in Christ
Response #2:
Thanks!
Question #3:
Hi Bob,
Still here, hanging on albeit not very victoriously. This April is a
year since my daughter died. I guess one never gets over something like
this.
Have you done a series on the Will of God? eg the different categories?
Hope you are well Bob,
Regards,
Response #3:
It's good to hear from you, my friend. I have been remembering you and
your family in my prayers daily. I have never lost a child. That has to
be the hardest of things. But I do know that when my mother passed this
December it was an amazing comfort to know that she was in the presence
of the Lord and out of this nasty world.
I've never done a series on the Will of God per se (but see the links
below) and I'm not one to break it down into categories. That is because
our Lord is a Person and our relationship with Him is living and vibrant
and real and multifaceted just as our relationships are with others we
love (only much deeper). Learning what He wants from us is a life-long
process. Getting around to doing it consistently is a challenge that
will never end. Here are some related things I do have on the topic:
Imprecatory Prayer and Blessing by Association
How are your grandchildren getting on? Your mother?
Yours in our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #4:
Hi Bob,
I'm sorry to hear about your mom but yes, she is in a far better place.
I have a hard time reconciling my happiness that my daughter is with the
Lord with my sadness that she is not with us. I would not have wished
her an extra second of the pain she suffered but I guess it's human
nature to want our loved ones , especially a daughter, to be still with
us. My Mom died many years ago and I have had other family members pass
away but nothing prepared me for this. As I said, I don't feel very
victorious, in fact, not at all but despite my feelings I am utterly
convinced that God has planned all of this, for His ultimate glory.
It would help if I understood but I don't. Thanks for you prompt reply,
I am always amazed that you find the time to respond so quickly to, what
I imagine, are many emails from people with questions and concerns.
God bless,
Response #4:
I do pray daily for your comfort. I can't imagine how difficult this
must be. The fact that we know and believe the things we know and
believe does not mean that we are not in pain from the losses we suffer.
I lost a very dear friend in graduate school right out of the blue
perfectly healthy one day and died the next (from a reaction to
antibiotics). It had a profound affect on me as she was really the only
good, close and close-by Christian friend I had at the time. God
provided for my recovery but I did have some very rough patches. I can't
imagine what you have gone through, however, even so.
I do know that we will all meet again, sooner than anyone imagines, and
that at that time the Lord will wipe away all of tears.
Your friend in Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #5:
I would like to as you for prayer in what is a difficult time. [details omitted]
Response #5:
Sorry for the delay in response on this one. For whatever reason, my
Ichthys server did not forward this message to my main account (it
happens from time to time, inexplicably). Also, it's been a VERY busy
week.
I urge you not to get down on yourself and not to feel terrible. To be
frank, it doesn't matter how you feel anyway. It also doesn't matter
what you did yesterday, good or bad. It only matters what you are doing
right now. So do the right thing (whatever that is) right now, and don't
let past failures large or small become a drag. That only compounds the
problem. You are doing wonderfully good work for the Lord! Don't get a
swelled head about it (that is not your chronic tendency), and don't get
overly down on yourself when you have a day or a stretch of days when
you have not performed up to your own very high standards (that is your
chronic tendency). While we don't want to excuse less than stellar
performance, we can't let being human paralyze us regarding present
action.
Keep running your wonderfully good race, my friend, and don't let the
small stones trip you up.
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #6:
Of course no problem about the delay, which was very short anyway.
And from the bottom of my heart thank you for timely words of wisdom. On
the one hand these are things which I have learned from the scripture,
on the other - to hear them from a teacher and friend in Christ in a
time like this is a great help.
Firstly, it is correct - feelings don't matter. It is just hard to fight
them particularly when we know we failed.
It is also true that what I did yesterday doesn't matter.
I know that there is only one way that I must follow and I know I need
to stand up and carry on. So now, having stood up again I'm writing to
you with words of gratitude for your friendship.
In the grace of our Lord,
Response #6:
I'm confident that you will continue to plug away, regardless of all
such impediments. It also strikes me that part of the issue is that you
are by nature a humble person, and, as such, more sensitive to any and
all aberrations from perfection. That is a decidedly good thing . . .
except when it inhibits action which needs to be taken. That is what
happened to Moses, after all, when out of humility he was reluctant to
accept the Lord's mission to Egypt and not only as an initial reaction.
Even virtue carried to an extreme can be problematic because we are
none of us capable of being perfect in this world and in these bodies.
That is why I often compare the Christian walk to combat as did Paul
very often. In any battle, there are going to be casualties and nothing
will ever go entirely according to plan. In any battle, good leaders are
working with imperfect information as regarding everything, and are only
doing their best to react to unforeseen situations, pushing through the
losses, set-backs, and shocks that inevitably occur. That is the same
with us in many ways. We do have the truth. But we cannot even see the
invisible conflict swirling around us. We only see things physically
from the perspective of our own little place on the battlefield. So we
have to fight this fight the best we can according to what we do know of
the truth by faith and in complete faith that our General knows
precisely what He is doing. If we fall behind or fall down or fall back
as we inevitably will at times the only thing for it is to get up,
turn around and catch up . . . the best we can.
And you are fighting a good fight! Keep it up.
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #7:
Hello Dr.,
Sounds like a kick in the stomach! I'm sorry to hear about Your friend
Carmen, please let her know I am praying for her situation. As for you,
I have been praying for you and your ministry for some time, and will
continue to do so, and specifically for this current test which you are
going through. Coincidentally I was just informed by my boss this
morning that our department will be subject to a staff reduction due to
budget cuts.
I know what it is like to take a financial hit. In 2007 the bottom
dropped out of my wife's business. I had to take a second job which
resulted in me working seven days a week for seven years without a
single day off. It was a contract job and there was no time off unless I
hired the help myself, which I could not afford to do. I found myself
getting out of bed anywhere between 11:30pm and 2:00 am every day of the
week, in all kinds of weather, sick, injured, etc., during that time. I
can't say I always pulled off a stellar performance, but I can say that
it helped me grow closer to The Lord in the process. He was faithful and
He brought me through it, just as I know He will bring through this.
If I can be of any assistance to you do not hesitate to ask. I consider
you my teacher, brother in Christ and friend. Even though I may never
see you in this life I will certainly see you in the next!
Looking forward to living under the righteous rule of our Lord Jesus
Christ!
Response #7:
Wow! Quite a testimony! It makes me all the more grateful for the good
work you are doing for this ministry. A lot of people faced with the
kind of pressure you received would give up, or blame God, or get
sullen, or, or or but not too many would do what you did and
persevere, trusting to the Lord to get them through. I have no doubt
that the experience, coupled with your focus on, belief in the truth and
application of the truth has been the making of you spiritually, just as
you testify.
I hope and pray that this round of cuts passes you by, and will add a
request on the Ichthys list (as well as praying for you myself).
Your friend in Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #8:
Dr., Thank you for the kind words and prayer support. There are some
anxious folks here, but I'm not one of them. I've gotten the axe before,
for no fault of my own (except maybe listening to some bad advice when
accepting the job) can't say I liked it, but I survived it. Nothing
about the experience was easy or pleasant, but again it brought me
closer to the Lord. The way I see it if it were God's will for me to be
living in a cardboard box under a bridge, it would be better to be there
than anywhere else (not that I'm seeking that for myself or anyone), I
think you know what I mean. What you teach at Ichthys is true, we grow
through the hard times knowing the Lord is right here with us ready to
deliver us the way He sees as best for us. I will continue to pray for
you, your friend Carmen and your ministry. Keep up the good work and
fight the good fight!
Psalm 123
Response #8:
I love your attitude!
That's the proper Christian attitude and a tonic for me to hear.
It's also a fact that the "I was fired unfairly once (or twice)" is the
largest secret society in this country, perhaps in the world. This
happens to pretty much everyone sooner or later especially Christians.
I'll be praying for you too.
In Jesus our Lord,
Bob L.
Question #9:
Hello Dr.
Yes, praise God, Now and forever! His word is true (Matthew 6:33), you
have demonstrated this through your ministry and God has demonstrated
His faithfulness in this matter. I have given thanks to the Lord myself
for your situation, and will continue to thank Him no matter what may
come until He takes me out of here.
We should have a good idea how the dust is going settle here next week.
Right now closed door meetings are taking place. My boss has quietly
told me as far as he's concerned my position is safe. God has given me a
considerable measure of grace with this man, though a few years ago we
not on good terms. I thank God for all He has done and continues to do
in my life. After experiencing salvation, what more can I ask for? Just
that His will be done.
Thank you Dr. for your prayers. God bless you, Carmen and all the
friends of Ichthys.
Rev.22:20
Response #9:
Thanks!
I'm happy to hear that you have reason to have some confidence in spite
of a threatening situation.
We trust the Lord no matter what. If all of the "buzz" is good, that
doesn't mean disaster can't strike. If it's all bad, that doesn't mean
anything will touch us.
We walk by faith, not by sight.
Keeping you in my prayers, my friend. Thanks so much for all you've done
and are doing for this ministry.
In our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #10:
I hope you are having a pleasant and productive weekend. I know you are
thankful to the Lord for dodging a bullet this past week, I am thankful
for you as well. Seems to me that we are bulletproof, as long as we
remain in His will, until He is through with what He has for us to do
down here. And for the bullets that He does allow to strike us, He is
more than capable of healing our wounds.
Once again I enjoyed church this morning, a little feeling of dιjΰ vu
there. I especially liked the comment by the brother who stated that my
situation is the same or maybe even worse, but I dont care, knowing our
Lord is enough for me to carry on in this life. That kind of attitude
rings true in my own spirit and brings a smile to my face, my prayers
are with him and all the friends of Ichthys.
Thanks again for your prayers and teaching. As always if there are any
problems, or if anything else I can do to help, please let me know.
Response #10:
Yes, we all "learn" here in this world as we pursue the truth at least we
certainly should! I've found myself "learning" in this regard as well, even into
my present "later youth".
Appreciate all you do, brother!
In Jesus our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #11:
Greetings Dr. Luginbill,
I wanted to wish you and your family a wonderful Resurrection Day. What
a blessing it is to call to mind the awesome Truth that King Jesus
lives, that He has conquered death and the grave, and that because He
lives we too shall live again! As the Scripture says, "we who have
believed do enter that rest...." We who a fled to Him for refuge have
His promise that if we remain faithful to Him then we have shall also
live with Him in that place where righteousness dwells and the saints
shall walk in the sight of GOD. It is my sincere prayer and expectation
that you and I shall meet together on that Day when the Lord Jesus
Christ descends out of the heavens in radiant glory to subdue His
enemies, establish His everlasting Kingdom, and be marveled at by all
those who have loved His appearing. Therefore let us rejoice that on
this Day we can celebrate the beautiful fact that our KING is the King
of all of kings and our LORD is the Lord of all lords! Unto Him, and His
blessed Father, and the Holy Spirit of promise be glory, and honor,
dominion and power, forever and ever world, without end!
May you and your family have a blessed day together, and may God's grace
be with you all, in JESUS' Mighty Name !!!
Response #11:
Thank you, my friend!
Hope you and your family had a very happy Easter.
In Jesus Christ who died for us . . . and rose so that we are confident in our
coming resurrection as well.
Bob L.
Question #12:
Hi Dr. The outcome didn't go as wished. It will be okay. He will see us
through this like everything else.
I want to thank you for all your prayers and continued prayer for my
family as we transition to this potentially rough period.
I will write your email down and correspond while I am away. Who knows,
there might be some opportunity to minister based on your excellent work
and hopefully help others while I am away.
In Christ Jesus our Lord
Response #12:
I am distraught to hear your sad news, my friend! Not to mention a
little surprised. I was praying for you aggressively (and that will not
stop), and I know that others were as well. Not only is this the
opposite of what I was hoping but worse than I had expected in a worst
case analysis. When something like that happens, to a wonderful
Christian man like yourself, I can only conclude that God has a plan
about which we know very little here as yet. It's far easier for me to
say this than for you to hear it, and I feel bad about that as well.
Joseph did not deserve to be thrown into the pit, and while he was down
there, listening to his brothers arguing about killing him, I'm sure he
prayed to the Lord. And when they were in the process of selling him
into slavery, I'm sure he prayed to the Lord. And when he was being
taken to Egypt against his will, I'm sure he prayed to the Lord. And
while he was a servant of Potiphar, I'm sure he prayed to the Lord. And
when he was falsely accused by Potiphar's wife, I'm sure he prayed to
the Lord. And when he was thrown into the dungeon, I'm sure he prayed to
the Lord. And when the wine-steward forgot about him, I'm sure he prayed
to the Lord. But then he was brought into Pharaoh's presence out of
the blue. And then he was promoted to second in the kingdom out of the
blue. And then his good stewardship was blessed with success in every
way, and his brothers and fathers were restored to him, while meanwhile
he was given a wife and children of his own, along with all the wealth,
status, fame, success and power of the second most powerful man in the
world at that time not "out of the blue" but out of heaven from the
Lord Himself. Because the Lord had been behind everything that had
happened. So when, after Jacob's death, his brothers besought him for
mercy, calculating that he might do to them what they had certainly done
to him, he responded "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for
good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives"
(Gen.50:20 NIV).
How many Christians would bear such abuse from their siblings,
enslavement, deportation, false accusation, imprisonment for year after
year with their prayers going unanswered without becoming bitter or
losing hope or losing faith or blaming God or seeking revenge? Not many
of us. But Joseph did. And you would have too, I think. Because what
amazes me more than this unexpected result and what has amazed me
throughout is your wonderful attitude of trust in the Lord despite
everything else. True faith consists of trusting the Lord even when
things "go horribly wrong" to human eyes, trusting Him that although we
can't see anyway that "this" could ever be for good in any way, that God
is in fact working it all out for the good in every way (Rom.8:28).
I don't know how this will work out. It took years for the Lord to
answer Joseph's prayers although we see with hindsight that He was in
the process of answering them all along and beyond anything Joseph could
have anticipated. Is this result good? No way. Is God using it for the
good? We know by faith that He is and that He surely will continue to do
so. Do we see now how that is even possible? Hard for me to do so. But
you are already seeing into the plan of God with the eyes of Joseph,
with the eyes of faith. And that is inspiration to me to the depths of
my heart.
You are an example to me, my friend, and I promise not to break faith
with you in this trial of trials. I won't give up in prayer support. Our
God is the God of "never" and also of "always", and He turns the one
into the other at will. So what can "never happen" is easily possible
for Him for Him who can do all things, and what "always happens" can be
turned on its head in an instant by Him who controls all things.
We can talk about the details later. For now I just want you to know how
impressed I am with your personal integrity and monumental faith.
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior for whom nothing is
impossible.
Bob L.
Question #13:
Thank you for your continued prayers. Really a prayer for my wife and
kids are more needful than for me. It will be an adjustment for them.
Glory, i.e., the Triune God, is right around the corner. I won't miss
Him just because of a perceived setback. It will be tough talking to my
kids and seeing my wife having to take care of everything without me but
I know the Lord will take care of them. I am so use to being the
breadwinner that sometimes guilt does creep up and what I have done to
them, even though it is a decade old.
We will definitely keep in touch and I will be developing some sort of
study plan to keep pace.
Thanks for everything and once again your prayers did help, just we
don't know how yet.
In Christ our Lord
Response #13:
You are more than welcome, my friend, and I will definitely be keeping
you family in my prayers as well.
Please keep me in the loop.
This is the truth: "your prayers did help, just we don't know how yet".
Learning a lot from your example.
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #14:
Thank you Robert.
A quick question, do you think this is still part and parcel divine
discipline? David's discipline took 14 yrs and maybe the Lord gave me a
hiatus but now is continuing the discipline part.
I was just curious.
What is really needful know is prayer for my wife and kids and for the
Lord to find them a suitable place to live.
It is hard to see Rom 8:28 out of this whole situation but i know the
application is true. Remember, in my initial email when I heard the news
several years ago I told you that the hardest thing for anyone is to let
go of things. This is exactly the situation that tests many people's
faith. What happens if God takes everything away from you? How will you
respond?
We are in that crucible our family and by His grace and Spirit, I hope
we respond similar like others in Heb chapter 11.
Thank you for all you do. I will still need my teacher in this journey.
In Christ Jesus our Lord
Response #14:
I think it's difficult for anyone to apply Romans 8:28 whenever things are going "terribly wrong" from our point of view. That is where faith must come in, and yours is deep and amazing and I draw great inspiration from it. To me, it seems as if you are entering the Tribulation earlier than the rest of us.
In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1st Thessalonians 5:18 NIV
"Do not be afraid; only believe."
Mark 5:36 NKJV
We may not "like" what the will of God is for us in many cases, but we can be certain that He knows what He is doing even when we are at a loss as to what to do or how to take the things that come. And we know that nothing is impossible for Him, so any disaster can be reversed. He can keep us from things that seem inevitable and He can deliver us through things that seem unbearable as long as we keep trusting Him like Daniel did. It's hard to see how God's will could be for us to be thrown to the lions when all we did was pray as we are required to do regardless of laws against it, but of course the Lord did deliver Daniel and as a result his story is enshrined in scripture and is an inspiration to us all.
So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.
Daniel 6:23b NKJV
I don't minimize what you are going through in any way. But I do know that God
is greater than all of our fears and cognizant of all of our tears. I wonder if
Daniel ever did anything wrong in his youth. We are all sinners, after all, even
if there is nothing recorded in scripture about this. I have often wondered why
Daniel wasn't on the plain with his three friends when they were thrown into the
fiery oven. Did he use his position to avoid having to be there and face that
confrontation? I can't tell from what the scripture gives us. But even if he did
nothing wrong at all, I wonder if he felt a certain amount of guilt about not
being present at that time and then I wonder if he had to fight off that guilt
when he was being cast into the lion's den. Because when bad things happen, it
is an inevitable temptation to reflect on the past and attribute our present
suffering to past misdemeanors. Even Job did this (Job 13:26), and even David
was concerned about it (Ps.25:7).
But Job was actually being complimented by the Lord in suffering what he
suffered, and even though David did suffer through years of divine discipline
for his egregious sins, he was blessed all through that suffering and granted
victory in every trial and David behaved not as a man who was downcast and
being pummeled but as a great believer who trusted in the Lord. David, in all
his discipline, had "moved on", completely confident in the Lord's forgiveness
and in no doubt about the Lord's deliverance in whatever trials awaited
regardless of their origin. So what is the difference between Daniel, David and
Job, practically speaking? And what is the difference, if we have confessed and
recovered, between suffering as a result of something we did or not? For
regardless of why we are suffering what we are suffering, whether there is a
connection to past malfeasance or not, having confessed our sins long ago we are
walking in the light with Jesus Christ either way, and we not only have the
right to be bold and courageous in faith in Him either way, demonstrating
confidence in His deliverance either way, but we also have that responsibility.
That is what David did. That is what we should do too, "forgetting the past" and
instead "straining towards the course ahead . . . to win the prize"
(Phil.3:12-16).
Does our Lord Jesus love us any less because we were not perfect in the past? We
know He loves us with a perfect love, and we know He approves of all the good
and godly things we are doing now, that He wants us to grow and progress and
help others do the same, and that if any trouble does come, He is with us to
bring us through the valley of the death shadow, regardless of what may have
happened in the past. That is the "sweet spot": total confidence in the Lord
regardless of what we see or hear or feel (and regardless of why we may assume
it is happening). Only those who are mature and walking with the Lord can act
and behave that way. You are doing it! And I rejoice in your wonderful witness.
I pledge to keep faith with you and your family throughout this trial.
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #15:
I apologize for delayed response and thanks for your prayers and
response. Curious, it surprised me when you state the Tribulation for me
seems to start early. I wonder why you came to that conclusion. I
understand it is only an educated guess but that statement really stood
out.
In Christ Jesus our Lord. Let me know if there are any prayers needed in
your end.
Response #15:
I'm happy to hear from you whenever, my friend. I continue to be
impressed by your solid and stand-up faith in the midst of this
pressure. I doubt if I would handle this as well as you. But for all of
us who are observing your good witness in this trouble, it is both an
inspiration and a lesson regarding what we may have to deal with and
endure with equal faith once the dark times begin for the entire world.
Just having survived that serious threat to my job and to that of my
co-worker [later terminated], things are in recovery mode here. I'm
doing well in health and work with no particular complaints. God is
good. Like Job we do need to keep in mind when things go wrong, however,
the truth of his pithy reply to his wife: "Shall we accept good from
God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:10). And what people call "good" can
sometimes be or lead to things that are very bad; and what people call
"bad (trouble; Heb. ra')", will always be "for the good" if we
are walking in the light with the Lord, no matter how terrible the
trouble gets, even to the point of martyrdom. It's not what most people,
most Christians even, want to hear. It's not what I want to hear. But I
can affirm and attest that in all my troubles in this life, the ones
that were my own stupid fault, the ones that were clearly suffering for
blessing and testing, and the ones in the middle (hard to determine
which was which in some cases), the Lord has always been with me, He has
always disciplined me much less than my sins deserved, He has always
turned all trouble into blessing and deliverance, and He has always used
these events to sharpen me and to fine tune my azimuth on the way to
Zion. People who think we are here "to have a good life" are not reading
or caring to read the Bible. I do have a "good life", but it has not
been without testing, and "all who wish to live godly in Christ Jesus"
will persecuted by the evil one (2Tim.3:12). We Christians who are truly
fighting the fight and running the race are indeed blessed by the Lord,
but the biggest and greatest blessings are the spiritual ones with the
victories we are given in this contest in which we are engaged and
they presage the eternal blessings that our present opposition and
courageous response to it deserves. I know this the key to understanding
what is happening to you, my friend. Nevertheless, I intend to keep
praying for your deliverance every day.
Your friend in Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #16:
Hi Dr.,
I hope all is well. Just wanted to give you an update and I know your
prayers are with us. I was laid off my job this Tuesday because of this
situation so I have no income to give my family.
I saw God's hand in this because it was unexpected and I prayed to him
to find a way to tell my employer since they have been so good to me. I
envisioned all sort of scenarios but God turn this anxiety into a
positive.
They were supportive of me and kept the information of my situation
private and my boss wrote a nice email to the rest of senior management
about my contribution to the company. I received all sorts of well
wishes. So God turned what could have been an awkward and difficult
situation to good. Also, the possibility of selling my home for a small
profit is nil due to a lien the government put on my house.
It seems everything I wanted to do, the Lord put out of my reach to make
it impossible for me to maneuver. I wanted to save money through my job,
but He said no. I wanted to sell my house so my family will have some
money, but He said no. Every place we look for my wife to rent is out of
her price range in this area so she is getting discouraged at times.
We are at His mercy. I feel helpless and of no use and I can't get out
of my mind the guilty feeling because I bought this on my family.
I know the Lord is faithful but it seems He turned my life 180 degrees
around. I went from making a good living to all this trouble
I am emailing not to get you down but first and foremost to pray my wife
finds a suitable place to live before I leave.
It will be interesting to see what the Lord is doing but stressful
nonetheless when you and your family are going through it.
I appreciate all you do. Also, if you have some thoughts on bible study
strategies that I can employ that would be helpful. I know I will have
your email studies but if you can think of anything else, please let me
know.
I believe you are correct that the Lord is preparing us for The
Tribulation. At first I thought your analysis was off the mark but
didn't want to tell you. But none of this makes sense. This is a 180
degrees reversal of fortune for something that happened 10 yrs ago and
was forgiven then by Christ.
I believe The Tribulation will cause most to apostatize because when you
lose everything like we are, what will you hold onto?
This test is actually more difficult than any other test whether it be
sickness, lack of employment for a period and death. The reason and I am
finding this out is that faith is the only thing that matters. What
really tests your faith than losing everything and suddenly.
Phi 3:8 "Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ." ESV
In Christ Jesus our Lord and thanks for listening
Response #16:
I'm very sorry to hear all of this, my friend. Clearly, all of this is
just the opposite of what we have been praying for but God has a plan.
I am learning a great deal from you and your experience. I am sorry that
you and your family are the ones who are doing the suffering that so
that I (and others) can learn from it, but I do want you to know what a
magnificent witness to the truth and to the power of faith you are for
me (and will be to others as well). As with Job's sufferings, when so
much comes down so hard for no apparent near-term reason, we can at
least have confidence that we are suffering for blessing and being
tested in a special way for some special purpose, so that there is no
need to feel guilty at all in fact that would be the wrong reaction.
Small setbacks can be grating and we probably should examine ourselves
and our lives when such things occur because, after all, the Lord does
discipline us to correct our behavior. But massive, life-changing
reverses that fall upon us out of the blue are clearly meant for other
purposes. Of course we do not seek them out, and of course they are very
difficult to bear (for all the reasons you have described), but they are
also clearly God-sent or at least God-permitted as in Job's case. And
as in Job's case, we would be wrong to look only at the beginning or the
middle of the story without looking also at the end which is the key
point. And this is not the end for you.
We are walking through this world with Jesus Christ towards a definite
goal, the goal of the "other side" when we will be with Him in glory and
where we will be rewarded for the things we have done in keeping with
His will for our lives. We are not here in the world to sit down by the
side of the road and take it easy. We are not here to enjoy ourselves
with the things of the world to the point of idolizing them or loving
them more than the Lord. Whatever we have, we have from Him. Whatever we
have, we can lose in an instant whatever worldly things, that is. But
no one can take away our faith, no one can force us to give up our
faithfulness, our hope is not negotiable nor can it be wrested from us,
and our love for Jesus Christ, His truth, His Church, and what He has
done for us is not going anywhere just as long as we are resolved not
to let the events of this life and the things of this world intrude
themselves into what really matters.
When the Tribulation begins, I am sure that most of us are going to be
going through things similar in heaviness of load to what you are
experiencing now. How we cope with that load will say much about the
depth of our faith and our willingness to put the Lord before everything
else. I rejoice in your courageous response to this trial, my friend,
because it reassures me that indeed it is possible to handle whatever
may come . . . with sufficient faith.
Of course I am with you in spirit and in prayer, my friend, right to the
end. And I will of course be praying for you and your family, this
particular pressing need included. As to how to approach / cope with the
situation ahead. I will give that some thought. I suspect that however
much a person anticipates something like this, the actual texture of
what you will be experiencing will be different in a lot of ways from
what is imagined ahead of time. So we will take this one step at a time,
one day at a time. That is all any of us can do under any circumstance,
if we are looking at things the way the Lord wants us to see them, that
is.
(15) Do not be a lover of this world, nor of what is in this world. If anyone is a lover of this world, a [genuine] love for the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. (17) The world and its lust are passing away, but whoever does God's will is [going] to stay [alive with God] forever.
1st John 2:15-17
Your friend in Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior, and our Deliverer.
Bob L.
Question #17:
Thank you for your words of encouragement Dr.
In Christ Jesus our Lord
Response #17:
You are more than welcome, my friend.
I'm wondering whether or not this terrible development might not also
represent a sort of opportunity to give yourself a full seminary /
Ph.D. education with whatever time you'll have. I can certainly make
recommendations and send you things as well.
You are clearly special to the Lord. I'm thinking He has something
correspondingly special in mind for you in terms of ministry, and
preparation is always important for any substantial one.
Keeping you and your family in my prayers for deliverance daily.
Your friend in Jesus Christ our Savior and Redeemer.
Bob L.
Question #18:
What are your thoughts on this?
https://nickcady.org/tag/self-taught-pastors/
Also, I would need help in curriculum planning for studying. I don't
know where to start. Your help will be greatly appreciated.
I am excited. I was wondering how I can go during this time. I plan on
bringing my study bible and daily psalms reading book upon entry.
In Christ Jesus our Lord
Response #18:
I don't have much to say about your link since it seems to straddle the
issue. As I have often written, I benefitted greatly from my own
seminary experience, but mostly because of the discussions I had with a
cadre of close friends whom I met there, all of whom were connected to
Col. Thieme's ministry. I couldn't have planned that but God had it
planned. Today, I would be reluctant to endorse any seminary (even my
Alma Mater, Talbot).
What is important in preparation for ministry? It starts and ends with
the Bible. Anyone who wants to minister must first grow spiritually, and
must then be tested and refined so as to be able to endure the trials
any substantial ministry brings. You are well on your way with both of
these steps. To minister the Word of God is all about the Bible, because
such ministries are all about helping others to understand and learn the
Bible's truths and live by them and apply them. Which means that you
yourself must know all you can about the Bible and what it actually
means . . . as well as having gained as many tools as possible to be
able to expand that knowledge yourself through your own studying. I will
give you some links below to discussions I've had with others on all
this in the past, but first here is roughly how I would rank the
priorities keeping in mind that it's not a Smorgasbord (they're all
important and nothing can really be left out):
1) Greek
2) Hebrew
3) English Bible
4) Theology
5) Ancient History
6) Church History
7) Aramaic (biblical)
8) related areas and issues (textual criticism, hermeneutics, etc.)
Clearly, these areas all overlap, and there are many ways to tackle each
of them. Greek is the most important because of the New Testament and
because of the difficulty and time-consuming nature of learning Greek
well enough for it to be truly useful in solving problems of
interpretation by consulting the original directly. Hebrew is a close
second. It is perhaps more difficult at first but somewhat more
accessible in that the Old Testament is not written in the same
concentrated "theological" way as the New, but Hebrew does also take
"time in grade" to get good at, so it's not something to be put off.
Reading one's English Bible, not just casually but with the purpose of
mastering it as best as one can, is also of huge importance. I certainly
wish I had realized this earlier than I did in my own life. Number 4, 5,
6 and many things falling under category #8 can be done entirely in
English and therefore at (comparative) leisure. It may not be relaxing
to some people to be reading something like Schaff's multi-volume
History of the Christian Church, but it is easier than toiling away at
Greek and Hebrew. Aramaic is important but since biblical Aramaic is
very close to Hebrew and since it occurs in a very small portion of the
OT, it is a "nice to have" but not a first priority. I am happy to
recommend titles in all these areas, but the most important things to
start with would be something in Greek and Hebrew that is advancing your
knowledge here (apologies I know you've talked about these before but
I'm not sure where you are "at" at the moment), a good study Bible to
spend as much time as possible reading in English, then any number of
books on biblical subjects related to the above which can be undertaken
in almost any order. Here are a few theology titles I usually recommend:
L.S. Chafer Systematic Theology
Henry C. Thiessen Lectures in Systematic Theology
Charles Hodge Systematic Theology (multiple volumes)
L.S. Chafer and J.F. Walvoord Major Bible Themes
August H. Strong Systematic Theology (as a supplement)
But please keep in mind that most of what you'd be doing in reading and going
over these books is the drudgery of learning first-hand how deficient
traditional theology is but at least it's far superior to most things being
pumped out today (personally, I prefer Ichthys' Basic Series).
A good one volume "Bible Dictionary" would be nice to have as well. Davidson's,
Hastings, and Unger's are all pretty good, if memory serves.
Here are a couple of links which go into more detail (which lead to more) and
of course I'm happy to talk much more about all this with you in the weeks
ahead, my friend:
Should I go to seminary or not?
Ministry and Preparation for Ministry I
Ministry and Preparation for Ministry II
Ministry and Preparation for Ministry III
Ministry and Preparation for Ministry IV
Keeping you and your wife and family in my prayers daily.
In Jesus our dear Savior and Lord.
Bob L.
Question #19:
Thanks Dr. for the link. How can one obtain a PhD in seminary without
formal education? And also, I am going to put together a curriculum for
you to review. One of the issues I have is how can I test myself. If
this is self-taught seminary, how can I know if I am proficient in a
specific area? I know if I can read the bible and interpret passages in
Greek and Hebrew, that means I am proficient but what about the other
areas you highlight.
These are I some things I might need your help in formulating. Who
knows, this might be an avenue in creating a class of some sort within
the institutions with other spirit minded individuals.
Thank you for all your help In Christ Jesus our Lord
Response #19:
I mean a "Ph.D. equivalent". Though they are often out of reach
for most for many reasons, credentials do have their place. In my own
case, I wanted to make sure that in this ministry I would be able to
back up what I wrote with sufficient credentials to make it clear that I
probably had some idea what I was talking about. But whether or not I do
has nothing directly to do with my Ph.D. or any of my other degrees.
They do represent a lot of time and effort toiling away at related
issues, however. One credential I do not have is an ordination from any
group or denomination. That hasn't stopped me from doing this ministry.
I don't suppose that, should you not earn any degrees in this time, the
lack of them will be a hindrance in fact. As to proficiency in the
ancillary areas, in college or seminary one reads books and then one is
tested on the reading one has done. There is no "magic" in being in a
seminary classroom discussing books you can read well enough on your
own. Some people benefit from the interaction with others, but since
that is not an option, it is of course more time efficient just to read
another book on your own. I am quite sure that you are sufficiently
motivated to do a good job reading those books. One thing, however:
please don't let the lack of a perfect system or perfect situation stop
you from doing what you can. In truth, very few of us every have a
perfect system or situation, and those who do often squander it or at
least don't take the advantage they should. Do what you can, and I am
sure that the Lord will honor your effort.
I will definitely be keeping your whole family in my prayers, my friend.
Yours in Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #20:
Thank you and I will take definitely take your advice to heart. My goal
is tackle Greek and biblical Hebrew and be proficient as possible in
reading and translating. I want to get to a point where I can read the
Word in its origin language.
My secondary purpose is exegesis. Taken books at a time and provide
commentary. This might change as the Spirit leads but that is the
direction initially.
I want my eternal rewards. I daydream sometimes what it will be and that
by itself motivates me.
In Christ Jesus our Lord
Response #20:
Sounds good, my friend!
And that's exactly what we're supposed to do:
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaohs daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
Hebrews 11:24-26 NIV
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #21:
Hi Dr.,
Thanks for the email follow-up. Everything is going well considering. My
wife I can see is worried about how she can take of the expenses when I
am gone. The anxiety is shown in her emotions but she has faith that the
Lord will supply but we are human and we feel the stress and weight at
times.
This in-turn brings me down seeing her expression and makes me want to
question why God is doing this but then i repent. We are in a question
but repent mode. Otherwise, everyone's spirit is up.
I guess we won't know what He has in store but we are moving on day by
day in faith, at least we try as best as we can. That is all we can do
at this point. Thanks for your prayers and concern.
One of the things my wife and I realize when we talk the other day, our
kids show no anxiety. They unequivocally trust us to take care of them.
Their spirits are better than ours at time. My wife and I realized at
that moment their childish faith is what the Lord wants from me and her.
I guess we are learning this aspect of faith by viewing our kids
behavior during this transition. It is interesting that the Lord can
teach you valuable lessons in the midst of severe trials if your spirit
is willing and open to hearing and listening.
Talk soon. In Christ Jesus our Lord
Response #21:
It's far from easy, I am sure, but your faith and faithfulness in the midst of
this trial is motivational and instructional. Your comment about your children
is also very enlightening. Children are usually able to put up with a great deal
precisely because they rely on us and because they are not the ones with the
responsibility but also because the things of this world are not yet as
important to them as they often become to their parents (if for no other reason
than just because of the responsibility to provide for them). Just as children
are able to transfer all that fear and angst to us, so we ought to do the same
to the Lord, as He as told us to do (Matt.6:25ff.; cf. Ps.55:22).
Hanging in there with you in my prayers, my friend.
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #22:
Hi Bob,
Was our friend delivered today? (I was praying too.)
Do you save our old e-mails, or do I have to recap family situations
when writing?
Thanking and appreciating you every day for all you do and all I have
learned.
In Jesus,
Response #22:
Good to hear from you I do remember you and I do pray for you daily.
I do my best to hang onto emails. I do remember yours (with a little
help).
On our friend, I'm sad to report that things went very bad for him
indeed. Many of us were praying for him, so it has to be God's will. But
I can report that he is taking the set-back with evident faith in the
Lord. I am hoping that something (the Lord) will intervene in the
meantime, but otherwise he is in for a terrible ordeal. He reminds me of
Joseph.
Sorry to have to give you that bad news. But I know that the Lord honors
your prayers and that He is working it all out for good. That is easier
for me to say since it is not me in that particular crunch, but I have
seen it in my own life many times, and his courage of faith demonstrates
that he believes the truth of that as well. His wife and children will
really need our prayers now more than ever as will he. I'm planning to
put something up on the website on Saturday, but not sure exactly how to
phrase it.
Your friend in Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #23:
The news made me cry. But, I believe like you that the Lord will work it
into something good. Maybe like Joseph, he will come out of it a pillar
of faith during the tribulation and save many!!
I dont know how it can be arranged, but if his family needs financial
help during this time of testing, I could give something every month.
Thank you for your prayers. I pray for you and Ichthys also. You are a
free pearl to those seeking the kingdom!
Response #23:
I am distraught about our friend as well. When I last wrote to him I too
made the parallel with Joseph God has things in mind about which we
can't even guess ahead of time (Gen.50:20).
As to what to do to help, I also don't know how something like that
might be done. I'll have to think about it. It certainly says good
things about you and your heart that have made this offer, however, and
I know God honors that sort of compassion.
Thanks so much for your prayers and encouraging words they are much
appreciated.
Yours in Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #24:
Dear Bob,
Now it is my turn to thank you for the kind words!
However, I really felt led to offer the financial assistance and was
hoping that others would feel the same thing. Has anything like that
happened? I purposely waited some time before replying to you so your
followers could read about the disposition of his case.
Still in prayer for you, our friend, and his family!!
Response #24:
You're very welcome of course, my friend.
As to our friend, no, no one else has come forward unsolicited offering
to help financially. It needs to be said that I deliberately didn't put
things that way in any of the prayer requests (he hasn't asked for that
either), and also that I have withheld a great deal about his exact
situation (out of what I considered prudent restraint he has
authorized me to put everything "up", however).
I have been very blessed so far in not to have to have anything to do
with money in this ministry, and as long as it is possible to maintain
that posture, I would dearly love to do so. One time when I did try to
get involved in a somewhat similar situation of need the Lord intervened
to prevent it (my perception of events, at least).
So I'm not sure what to say. I had thought, if you wrote back about
this, that I might discuss the possibility of you considering taking the
lead in some sort of fund for the welfare of his family. I'm sure they
will be able to use that help. However, I definitely would not want to
put any pressure on you to think that this is somehow necessary just
because you had a kind thought. Something like that is a big
responsibility, not easy to get going in the first place and difficult
to maintain down the road for many reasons (not the least of which is
the natural cooling of any initial ardor on the part of any others who
did initially come forward). I know that the Lord will work things out.
However, I also that He uses Christians to work things out.
How many folks out there would be willing to be as generous as yourself,
if you did undertake something like this? It's hard to say. The nature
of this ministry is such that the vast majority of readers never ever
contact me in the first place. And when it comes to money . . . well . .
. people are VERY funny about money. Just look at how Paul had to brace
the Corinthian church over their promises to give which were not being
fulfilled (2Cor.9:1-15). That is why I am so grateful that I have been
allowed to keep that issue entirely out of this ministry so far (and
intend to keep things that way, God helping me).
You are to be commended for your good heart in any case, my friend. I'm
not sure something like this is really even practicable. If the effort
turned out to be a mere token one not out of lack of effort on, say,
your part, but because of a lack of response from the "Ichthys church"
it might do more harm than good, especially if he gets to counting on
it. But I do know that there is nothing keeping us from praying for our
friend.
Please don't let this frank response be a burden to you. If you hadn't
asked again, I never would have brought it up. But none of that means
that this would be "the right thing to do". Something I have learned the
hard way in my own Christian experience is that just because something
is difficult, onerous, and very much against what we really want to have
to do, does not necessarily make it a good thing to do though that is
what guilt often tells us.
Feel free to write me back any time.
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
P.S. on this: I have also been steering any and all desires to
contribute to Ichthys toward my friend Curt Omo's "Bible
Academy" and while I think this has had some positive effect for
him, I'm pretty sure it's not been a "fountain of milk and honey". So I
would definitely not want to be unreasonably optimistic about what might
be accomplished (even as I understand and believe that the Lord will
accomplish all His good pleasure with us or without us).
Question #25:
Bob,
Thank you so much for getting back to me. I am going to let the money
issue drop but continue in prayer.
Who I am and where and how I live, is mostly like Moses in the desert
before God called him into service.
Learning and growing (with your help)...limited social interaction...not
really into the world around me. This is a voluntary isolation and
thank God my husband feels the same way. We know that the Lord is the
one really in control!
Regardless of the reasons for all this, our friend's heart/Spirit came
through in his writings. He is a child of God and that is all anyone
needs to know.
I want you to know that before finding you and Ichthys, my mentors were
all from earlier centuries 17th, 18th, 19th,...and are all dead. So I
REALLY appreciate YOU!!
In prayer and in Him,
Response #25:
This strikes me as a wise decision. As I said, just because something is
challenging and potentially difficult does not make it the right thing
to do, contrary to what many works-religions assume (cf. 2Ki.5:13).
Prudent spiritual common sense weighs things out.
Yes we can certainly pray for him. Nothing is impossible for the Lord,
after all. The Shunammite persevered in seeking out Elisha even after
her son was dead and all was pointless from that point forward in the
eyes of the world (2Ki.4:23) but God raised her son back to life
through that prophet, thus honoring her faith.
Thanks for all your good words I certainly hope to remain
"exceptional" in the particular respect you mention . . . for a few
years longer anyway!
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #26:
Hi Dr. Luginbill,
I hope you and your family are doing well! I am forcing myself to send
this email so I can open up this can of worms before I get self
conscious and rethink my decision to ask for you guidance.
God has given me a really difficult ministry - at least difficult for
me. I am really, really struggling to walk in the works He has given me,
to be successful in them. I am struggling with a lack of faith in God
which is manifesting in a lack of faith in my ability to achieve for
Him. These last few months have been very difficult.
Long story short: In the past few years God asked me to give up my
former plans and He has guided me to do other things for Him and I know
they are important aspects to my ministry of evangelism. Besides
seriously studying His Word every day He guided me to study Biblical
Hebrew and also French, the emphasis now on French. He has also guided
me to get into really, really good shape physically. This has been the
most difficult part.
I have general idea of where He is leading me, but I don't know all of
the details. I am pretty sure He wants my body in shape because He may
eventually lead me into military service - something very serious. I get
these "hints" from the Holy Spirit and I pray for more guidance and
assurance. It just takes time before I realize or feel certain that God
really is guiding me to do these things. I kick against the goads so
much, sometimes He has to send me some pretty blatant signs to get me to
do something.
This is preparing me to get used to talking to people about Christ, I am
certain. I know part of my ministry is to guide young girls and
teenagers to Christ, but also artists and creative types. I have been
discriminated against a few times, but I think God is using these
situations to toughen me up for what will eventually be coming during
the Tribulation.
Before finding Ichthys and growing close to Christ I put all of my love
and devotion into my art. When God asked me to give up my art and
writing career I was (and still am) on fire for Christ.
I am writing to you, I think just to get this all out. God has a goal in
mind for me.
With my work, physical exercise and study regimes, I have to be very
very self disciplined and if I give into temptation or do one thing
wrong that day it throws me off and delays/hinders my progress for Him.
Its like a tightrope walk. I am light headed, shaky, emotionally raw, on
edge and exhausted most of the time. I pray during the day asking God to
get me through my job, before my workouts asking Him to protect me so I
don't hurt myself, and when I am driving because I feel so weak.
I am stretched in terms of time, energy and resources, but I am pretty
sure God is asking me for more. I don't think He is pleased with me
right now because I am behind on my goal. He is really testing my faith
with this, and I am failing the test. I can see why people fasted in the
Bible. It weakens you so you have to rely on God. I think it is similar
to dealing with chronic pain or constant extreme discomfort.
I have no support from friends and family because they are lukewarm and
don't understand my desire to serve God or understand that He would ask
a Christian to give anything up for Him. Most days they do more to tempt
me and oppose me (not consciously, though).
I am barely keeping my head above water juggling everything in my life.
I want to say I am doing everything I can, but that is not true. God
knows I can do more. For the past two years, He has been proving this to
me over and over again, that I can do more for Him.
God has blessed me in so many incredible ways and there are Christians
out in the world who are REALLY suffering compared to my little issues.
I know that God is testing me with all of this to make me stronger and
more self disciplined. He has guided me to count the cost and I know my
life is going to get harder, much much harder. What I am going through
right now is nothing. And, what is worse, what I am going through right
now is just difficult, but it is BLESSING. The end result of all this
hard work is going to be an incredible blessing, I know. I know God uses
everything we do for Him to bring about the greatest good. I am blessed
and privileged to have been asked to get into shape for Christ.
I have been reading your encouragement to other Christians on Ichthys
for a long time. Thank you so much for putting me and my ministry on the
Ichthys prayer list last year. I know that any progress I have
experienced in my ministry has been helped by these prayers! And thank
you for posting all of the emails and your encouraging responses to
other Christians going through testing. They always help me when I have
days like this. And let me know if anyone else needs extra prayers,
please!
In Christ's Love,
Response #26:
It's always good to hear from you, my friend though I'm sorry to hear
that things are challenging for you at the moment.
First off, let me congratulate you on you accomplishments! What you have
been able to do by trusting in the Lord through the motivation of the
Spirit is amazingly wonderful, and you should feel nothing but satisfied
and happy about it. I'm sure that it is a witness to everyone who knows
you. Every since I hit 60+, I've had an issue keeping off the weight, so
believe me when I say that I some small idea of the magnitude of what
you've done. Good for you!
Second, I have been impressed since I first heard from you with your
attentiveness to the Spirit's guidance. I think I am not out of line to
say that it is special and specially precise in your case. That is also
a wonderful gift and a thing to be prized. As your experience shows too,
it is also a special challenge and responsibility. From where I sit, you
are responding in a marvelous and exceptional way.
And that brings me to the third point. I think it is pretty clear that
the Lord is preparing you for something special. He doesn't demand from
most what He is asking from you and He only asks so much from those
who are willing to respond. I don't want you to get a swelled head about
this, but it does seem to me that some very important responsibility is
about to be given to you and that the Lord is preparing you for it in
this special way that few of us could ever handle. Not many believers
today could go through the trials of preparation we see some of the
great believers of scripture enduring but that is what on some level
we all wish for. As your experience shows, we should be "careful what we
wish for" but we should also be very grateful for anything the Lord is
willing to entrust us with, because it is only through such service
(once we have been prepared) that we help our brothers and sisters and
win the rewards that glorify our Lord forever.
So what I really want to get across to you this morning is that you are
doing breathtakingly well from my perspective. Of course it is to the
Lord that we must answer, not to other Christians. He is the only One
who knows all the facts and the only One we need to please. But it is
the case that none of us is perfect. Even Elijah wasn't perfect or
David or Paul or whomever. So we have to factor into our self-analysis
the truth that we are imperfect (having sin natures), and so we are
going to be "guilty" of imperfection in our Christian race from time to
time. Even in the case of exceptional believers such as yourself, there
will be stumbling and the occasional fall, there will be fatigue and
trouble accessing the joy of our salvation, there will be times when we
don't run as far or as fast or as well as we could. Part of the peace of
resting in Christ through faith is to realize this, to remember that
this is a fight to the finish, and so to give ourselves a break when it
comes to occasionally not living up to the high standards we've set for
ourselves, especially looking backwards. We need to have short memories
in this spiritual combat in which we are engaged. If we are compromising
the joy in Christ which ought to be ours right now because of some small
(or even medium) lapse yesterday (or even earlier today), we are working
against ourselves and compromising however subtly the effectiveness of
everything we do; because being joyful in our salvation, in our position
in Jesus Christ, in the things He has given us to do here and now, is
precisely the witness that refutes and confutes the world, and an
irrefutable demonstration of the power of things unseen.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Philippians 4:4 NIV
As I have written previously: The Lord has called us to joy (Jn.17:13;
Rom.14:17; Gal.5:22; Phil.1:25; 1Pet.1:8) and to peace (Is.26:3; 57:2; Jn.14:27;
Rom.5:1; Eph.2:14; Phil.4:7; Col.3:15; 2Thes.3:16; 1Pet.1:2). That is true even
if we are being tested and tried and are truly sharing the sufferings of Christ
(1Pet.4:13; Jas.1:2; cf. Rom.5:3-5; 1Pet.1:6).
This is not a brief for giving up or for letting down or for compromising in any
way. But our ability to access the joy and the power of the truth through the
Spirit is in many ways our "secret weapon" when it comes to combating the
assaults that come against us and sustaining ourselves in the long and difficult
campaigns we are waging.
There are limits to what we can do. What you have proven is that these limits
are often beyond what we would ever imagine. Nevertheless, there are limits. I
am concerned about you and about your health, based upon what you have written.
I don't want you to back off from anything the Lord wants you to do; I also
don't want you to injure yourself, physically or spiritually. If you can
persevere in this with joy, that is one thing. If not, then perhaps it might not
be a bad idea to spend a day or so taking stock.
Paul and Silas sang hymns out of joy in the stocks having just been whipped.
Peter and John rejoiced after having been beaten. David wrote wonderful Psalms
of joy in the Lord during his time of running for his life in the wilderness.
And I know that the Lord gives times of refreshment for us all when we are in
need of them. One thing I have noticed in the case of extremely earnest
believers such as yourself Christians whom I am blessed to know through this
ministry and whose selfless accomplishments for the Lord are motivation for me
to do better is that there can be a tendency to what I call "perfectionism",
namely, setting a very high bar in all things, striving earnestly to clear the
bar at all times for the glory of Jesus Christ, but getting very down on
ourselves if we ever even rattle the bar, or especially if we ever knock it
down, fail to clear it, or on some days are too tired to jump at all. In this
life, if a person wants to be a successful athlete, for example, it is necessary
to be relentlessly tough on oneself in order to achieve success (1Cor.9:25), and
I grant you self-denigration for any sort of failure is probably an effective
tactic for pushing oneself forward when it seems impossible to continue. But
they do that for a perishable crown, while we are striving for an imperishable
one, one that glorifies the Lord we love so much and we need always to embrace
our joy for Him in all we do.
It always comes back to the love of Jesus Christ. We love Him. That is why we do
what we do. And we love Him because He loved us first (1Jn.4:19), loved us so
much He sacrificed more than we will probably ever know to save us from death
through His own sacrifice unto death on our account. He loves you. Please don't
ever doubt that. That is where our joy comes from, the love of Jesus Christ, a
love so wide and broad and deep the universe cannot contain it. He loves you and
He is pleased with all you are doing. It is important, therefore, to learn to
distinguish between His love for us and our own emotional ups and downs based
upon our own expectations and evaluations of our own behavior. He knows what we
are and what we are up against. And He will help us through everything we have
to face in this life.
The time is short, and you are to be commended for your good efforts. I am
certainly impressed. But of course it is the Lord we are serving. He has a plan,
for each of us. Our friend is about to be separated from his family . . .
probably (in my dim estimation) for the purpose of giving him time and space to
prepare for ministry. There are hard times ahead, and we need to do all we can
to prepare. Part of that preparation, in my humble opinion, involves learning
how to deal and cope with our own imperfections, missteps and failures. True
champions always get back up after getting knocked down. And successful athletes
learn not to become their own worst enemies. If they can do it without the
Spirit, we certainly can as well in the Spirit. We can exercise self-discipline,
and we can regain it when we inevitably fail without hammering ourselves for our
imperfection to point of inaction from despair. Discipline for correction is the
Lord's job, not ours, and even when we experience His, we ought to understand
that it is a measure of His love for us, even though it stings. That is to say,
we need to learn to smile and rejoice through our tears. That is the only way to
win this fight.
As David said just after confessing a terrible series of sins and being under
the most intense divine discipline:
Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lords unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Psalm 32:10-11 NIV
I'm keeping you in my prayers every day, my friend. Keep running your good race
for Jesus Christ our Lord we will all rejoice in your crowning on that great
day to come. Please know that you are an inspiration for me (and I'm very sure
to many others as well).
In the Lord Jesus Christ whom we love more than this life.
Bob L.
Question #27:
Hello Bob,
To give you an update on our situation we are still in without a home
but our friends invited us to occupy theirs while they went back to
Alaska for 2 months. Having Christmas in a home was a huge relief and a
wonderful break. Unfortunately it didn't pan out as someone else was
given it instead.
I don't understand why every time we have an opportunity to get out of
this situation something happens that we can't and it always seems to be
a reason that benefits others.
Response #27:
Sorry to hear that your Christmas plans have been disappointed. I have been praying for you guys to have a roof over your heads for the winter. I'm not sure why this is all happening, but I do know that the Lord never makes mistakes and that He is always faithful. When I look back over my own life there have been numerous "impossible situations" but He has always brought me through. And I know He always will. One thing hardships teach us is that He is faithful. Another thing they remind us of is that there really is no "finish line" this side of eternity. There is no Eden to be achieved here on earth, no fantasy retirement, no end of trials and tribulations in this life not, at least, for those who attempting to "walk godly in Christ Jesus" (2Tim.3:12). This is one place where the church-visible is noticeably falling down. One reason for that is that so few Christians today really are attempting to "walk godly in Christ Jesus", growing in the Word, engaging the world with the truth, and helping others do likewise through the gifts they have been given. And if a Christian is not, in fact, walking with Christ, well, the devil has already achieved his purpose in regard to that person, so better to devote his resources elsewhere. So while it's (literally) cold comfort, perhaps, you have every right to be encouraged in that this opposition is irrefutable evidence that you are fighting the fight the right way otherwise the trouble would go away. That is always a sobering thought for any serious Christian. But it is important never to let go of the spiritual/mental "high ground" of remembering what this life is all about. It's very easy to get confused and distracted by the weeds which spring up, well, just as fast as weeds, and lose sight of the objective: a "well done!" from the Lord we love more than life, and an eternal reward that even its least part will put the best of this world into the shade. It is all worth it, but it can be hard to keep that in mind when the shot and shell are falling fast and furious all around us. I do have confidence that the Lord will bring you through this particular test He always does, because He is completely faithful and cannot be otherwise. Therefore the only question in this life for every believer is are we going to respond to that perfect faithfulness with a mustard seed's worth of faith or not? It takes faith to please the Lord, after all, but if we do continue to trust Him when times get tough, that is the basis of our eternal rewards (Heb.11:6). So keep fighting this good fight of faith, my friend! I can tell you that your positive attitude in the midst of adversity is a real tonic to me personally, and I am sure also to others who are watching your witness of life, men and angels both. Keep running the race! One day we shall cross that finish line and it will all have been worth it and abundantly so.
(12) [It is] not that I have already gotten [what I am striving for], nor that I have already completed [my course]. Rather, I am continuing to pursue [the prize] in hopes of fully acquiring it [this prize for whose acquisition] I was myself acquired by Christ Jesus. (13) Brethren, I do not consider that I have already acquired it. This one thing only [do I keep in mind]. Forgetting what lies behind me [on the course] and straining towards the [course] ahead, (14) I continue to drive straight for the tape, towards the prize to which God has called us from the beginning [of our race] in Christ Jesus. (15) So as many as are [spiritually] mature, let us have this attitude (i.e., of focusing on our spiritual advance and reward and not getting hung up on what lies behind: vv.13-14), and if in any matter your attitude is off-center, God will reveal that to you (i.e., assuming you are mature and are advancing as you should). (16) But with respect to the progress you have made, keep on advancing in the same way!
Philippians 3:12-16
(24) Don't you know that all the runners in the stadium run the race, but that only one receives the prize? Run in such a way so as to achieve what you are after. (25) And again, everyone involved in competition exercises self-control in all respects. Those athletes go through such things so that they may receive a perishable crown of victory, but we do it to receive an imperishable one. (26) So as I run this race of ours, I'm heading straight for the finish line; and as I box this bout of ours, I'm making every punch count. (27) I'm "pummeling my body", one might say, bringing myself under strict control so that, after having preached [the gospel] to others, I might not myself be disqualified [from receiving the prize we all seek].
1st Corinthians 9:25-27
Yours in our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #28:
Hi Bob,
Thank you for thinking of us and also for your many prayers since we
have been acquainted. Your a blessing in our lives.
We are not sure either why we haven't received help but we do have faith
in our Lord. I'm very blessed to have a husband that never gives up
taking care of his family. Not only that but he always has a smile on
his face regardless of the hardships. He is very good at rhyming and is
always cracking jokes in our daily trials. We are doing our best that we
can to keep our spirits up.
Its suppose to get really cold here in the next few days. Last year it
didn't get very cold here so we didn't have to prepare for it. We woke
up the other morning with ice next to our heads although it looks and
sounds worse then it is. I have attached a few pics.
Thanks for your inspirational emails and your prayers my friend.
Response #28:
Sorry for the delay. I was out town spending some time with my family in
Michigan. I got a chance to break bread with my nephew and his new
fiancι (wedding next summer). On the "tough" side was seeing my mother
in the state she is now in. She was able to get in the car with me last
May and do a number of things. Now she is on hospice, skin and bones,
and doesn't really even recognize anyone. I think she did seem to know
who I was for a couple of brief moments over three days, but mostly she
slept or stared off into space. She's also in a lot of pain, but they
are giving her serious meds which seems to mostly mitigate that. I guess
I'm grateful that she is "out of it" since it would break her heart to
fully realize what a sad state she's in she was always a very 'can do'
independent New Englander.
I sure hope that the Lord sees fit to lead you all out of the frozen
wilderness before too much longer! There are people praying for you. And
I also know that whether He brings us directly "out" or sees fit to
"deliver us through" He is always absolutely faithful and always has a
perfect reason for everything He does. His timing is always perfect,
even though we always want our answer "now!". Patience was never my own
personal strong suit, but I have come to know that just because I don't
get what I think I really need when I think I really need it, it
certainly doesn't mean that I'm not getting exactly what I need exactly
when I need it He is always faithful. And after all, even Isaac had to
dig three wells, going through much waiting and trouble, before the Lord
gave him the right well in the right place and much blessing besides
(Gen.26:15-22).
Wishing you and yours a really blessed Christmas in spite of all!
Yours in our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Bob L.