Demon of Self-Pity, Part 3

                Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  (Heb 12:1-3)

Today's post will complete our study of Hebrews 12:1-3. 

sitting at the right hand of the throne of God:   I know I don’t consider the impact of this enough.  The “throne of God” is easy to say, but incredibly difficult to picture.  Three men who saw the throne of God grasped for the words and images that could give us a mental glimpse of that throne and the One who sits there.

·        Ezekiel:

Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.  I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him.  Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.  (Ez 1:26-28a)

·        Daniel

His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.  A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him.  Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.... In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.  He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.  He was given authority, glory, and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.  (Dan 7: 9b-10, 13-14)

·        John the Apostle

At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.  And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian.  A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne....  From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.  Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing.  These are the seven spirits of God.  Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.  (Rev 4:2-3, 5-6)

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me.  And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone ‘like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.  His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.  His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.  In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword.  His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.  When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.  Then he placed his right hand on me and said:  “Do not be afraid.  I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One;  I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!  And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”  (Rev 1:12-18)

All I can say in response to these passages is: 

                        Be still and know that He is God Almighty! (Ps 46:10)

            As we fix our eyes on Jesus we should be motivated to persevere.  “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you do not grow weary and lose heart.”  When we give in to self-pity -- to the poor me syndrome--  we listen to more lies from the depths of Hell.  “Nobody understands how hard it is for me” -- “nobody understands my situation” -- “its easy for someone healthy to live the Christian life, but I have too many health problems and it is too hard” --  “nobody understands the burdens of my past” ....

 To stop listening to the lies of Hell you must fix your eyes on Jesus!

Jesus does understand you -- even better than you understand yourself!!  Jesus does care about your struggles!  At the cross, Jesus faced pain beyond anything you or I have ever faced –

• physical pain (his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness -- Isa 52:14);
• emotional pain (He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.  Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised and we esteemed him not.  -- Isa 53:3);
• and spiritual pain, as my sin and your sin separated Jesus from his Father for the first time in all eternity (At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” -- which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” -- Mk 15:33-34) 

We do not have to listen to the self-pitying lies of Satan’s demons!!  Jesus died, and then raised again so we could live victorious lives!   Let’s read Rev 19:11-16

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.  With justice he judges and makes war.  His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns.  He has a name writen on him that no one knows but he himself.  He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.  The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen…. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.  On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Our King, (Ladies --our Handsome Prince) is dressed for battle and is ready to fight for His Beloved – YOU!  No demon will withstand the fury of God Almighty.  Jesus the King of kings and Lord of lords has already proved His love for you in His sacrificial death – as the Risen King of Heaven and Earth He has already won the victory over Satan and his demons! 

Focus on Jesus and the demons of self-pity will flee!

Thje Demon of Self-Pity, Part 2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  (Heb 12:1-3)

               

Here we continue with the analysis of this passage. The last post was very joyful. 

This one is heart wrenching, and even stomach wrenching.

·      endured the cross:  Jesus knew exactly the brutality and death that he was about to face, and still went through with it so that he could have the wedding described in the previous post.  The price he paid was infinitely more expensive than a diamond ring!! He went through that because He loves YOU!

      In our pristine society, I find it hard to really grasp the torture Jesus endured.  I encourage you to follow the link and read the medical description of the crucifixion written by C. Truman Davis, M.D., M.S., originally printed in Arizona Medicine, 1965.   The Passion of Christ from a Medical Point of View

      After reading the Biblical accounts and the medical account, we must conclude that there is no trial in our own lives that can come close to the physical, emotional, or spiritual suffering Jesus endured on the cross.  He went through that torture for you and me! Some of the trials we face are the result of our own sin or stupidity.  This was not the case for Jesus -- he endured the cross because of our sin, not his own!

·  scorning it's shame:      ”The cross was an instrument of ‘shame’ in both Roman (the standard proclamation of execution) and Jewish (cf. Deut 21:23; Josh 10:26-27) thought.”[1]  Crucifixion was reserved for the worst criminals.  No matter what their crime, Roman citizens could not be executed by crucifixion.  Jesus died the shameful death of the worst of sinners -- a death that our sin heaped upon him.  He scorned that shame and declared the victory of God Almighty over sin and death! We need to stop looking at our own problems and focus on Jesus!

    
“Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2Co 4:16-18)

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[1] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, 1993, Inter Varsity Press, p. 678.

The Demon of Self-Pity, part 1

The following is an excerpt from a book I was working on a few years ago called Depression, Demons and Discipleship.  Over the next few posts I will provide the entire chapter entitled the Demon of Self-Pity.

         Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  (Heb 12:1-3)

               

The demons of self-pity hate this Scripture.  The overall key to overcoming self-pity is to take your eyes (emotional, spiritual, and perhaps even physical) off self.  We must “fix our eyes on Jesus” in order to maintain a healthy spiritual perspective.  What should we see when we focus on Jesus?

·        author and perfector of our faith: 

      “ The term archëgos, translated “author” (NASB, NIV) or “captain” (KJV), means “pioneer” (NRSV), “leader” (cf. TEV) or “champion.”  The term was used for both human and divine heroes, founders of schools or those who cut a path forward for their followers and whose exploits for humanity were rewarded by exaltation.”[1] 

Without Jesus we would have no faith.  Jesus is the source of our hope, our redemption, and our righteousness.  By living in relationship with Him and submitting to his leadership we will grow in our faith. Trials draw us closer to Him, so that we may experience intimacy with Him at deeper and deeper levels, perfecting our faith. In the deep places of pain that no human can share with us, Jesus comes to us with comfort, love, and ultimately even peace.  The greater the pain we face, the greater the comfort we can receive from our loving God.

·        for the joy set before him:

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and will be their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’  He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’…

One of the seven angels… came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’  And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.  It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal. (Rev 21:2-5a, 9-11)

WOW!  This is the joy that was set before Jesus -- his wedding day!  This wedding will, of course, be a wedding unlike any in the history of mankind. We can only begin to imagine the splendor, brilliance and grandeur encompassing the wedding of the resurrected and glorious Jesus Christ to his bride, the church of the redeemed!  God has given us marriages and weddings so that we can have the minutest glimpse of the joy and celebration and magnificence that will permeate Jesus’ wedding day, and time eternal afterwards. Weddings bring many changes to the lives of the bride and groom.  Jesus’ wedding day will also mark a new beginning.  The dwelling of Jesus and his bride will be the New Jerusalem -- a time and place in which God will live together with man-- where sin and pain and tears and death no longer have a place!

                        We have the same joy set before us!!  If we belong to Jesus’ church, we are the bride!  The anticipation of your wedding day is overwhelming!  The joy, the excitement, the planning, the preparation, the showing off the engagement ring!  Are we looking to the joy set before us, or to the problems of today?  During my engagement, sometimes the planning and decision making became tedious and difficult, but I persevered through it for the joy set before me that one day very soon I would walk down that aisle to be united with the man of my dreams for life!  I would have the joy of being with him when I wake up in the morning and when I go to bed at night.  I would be able to share my joys and my sorrows with him.  We would be able to live out our dreams together.   Well, we are going through our engagement to Jesus.  Are we focused on all the difficult details of living life as a Christian, or are we anticipating that glorious day when we will be united with Christ in a new and even more intimate way?   Are we focused on the self denial (think about how many brides go on a diet in order to look her best on that special day), or are we focused on the groom?

If your own marriage has turned out to be less than anticipated (mine has ended), remember that our marriage to Christ will be perfect – no pain, no death.  He will wipe every tear from our eyes – and tears will never come again.  If thinking of your own marriage is part of the depression, think of being with Jesus – your King, your Saviour,  your Redeemer, your very best friend, and the Lover of your soul – forever in a place where pain and sin have no place.  It will completely eclipse the pain we face now.

                 

[1] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, 1993, Inter Varsity Press, p. 654.

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Weariness

Anyone who follows this blog on a regular basis has probably noticed that I just haven’t been posting things as often as I once did.  I must confess I have become weary.  I deal with chronic fatigue and it can be a real struggle to manage the responsibilities in life – especially when I take on extra things.  I have had a couple of busy weeks.  I made decisions to take on things that I probably shouldn’t have done.  I certainly didn’t ask God for His opinion before I volunteered for some things at Christopher’s school. 

Well, the fatigue has been very evident.  My afternoon naps were not enough, or they were replaced with responsibilities that had been misplaced due to extra things in my schedule. At some point I started sleeping in.  I sacrificed my time in God’s Word for more shut-eye. 

Friday, in particular had been a very long and very active day as I went as a volunteer accompanying Christopher’s school band on a field trip. Saturday I spent most of the day in bed, trying to catch up on the much-needed rest.  At some point I realized I didn’t want to get out of bed, even though I had replenished myself physically.  I realized I was weary of soul.  I didn’t want to do anything.  I was one step away from depression. 

Sunday I even toyed with the idea of missing church.  Fortunately I knew that church was the best way to start dealing with the weariness.  The worship and fellowship helped, but more was needed.  I needed to revitalize my walk with God.

I got up Monday morning and had some good time with God.  I fasted breakfast and lunch.  I asked God to restore the joy of my salvation and to restore the passion in my relationship with Him.  I went to bed Monday night praying that I would not sleep in, but would get with God in the morning before the responsibilities started.  It worked.  Tuesday I was up at 5am spending time with God.  I took the dog on a prayer walk that was far more focused than so many other prayer walks of late. 

I had a productive day and used the significant time in the car to get back to memorizing Scripture, something I haven’t actively done in several years. I felt great in my relationship with God, but went to bed physically exhausted.  This morning I messed up again. I got up to feed the cats, then went back to bed.  I didn’t have a specific schedule, although I have a ton of things that need to get done.  5 hours later when I finally dragged myself out of bed, I felt no more rested. Once again, very close to depression, I sent out a prayer request.

 I decided to get into God’s Word and write a post relevant to where I am at.

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

The Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

And his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

And increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,

And young men stumble and fall;

But those who hope in the Lord

Will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

They will run and not grow weary,

They will walk and not be faint.

(Is 40:28-31)

God NEVER gets weary, and He provides the strength for people like me who do get weary!  All I have to do is hope in the Lord, and I will not grow weary nor faint!  Some translations use “wait” instead of “hope.”  Although Isaiah chapter 40 is a powerful and poetic description of God’s power and love, I don’t want to leave it there.  I try to make the Word practical. 

So what is the solution to my weariness?  God.  The Creator who never tires is the One who energizes me!  The God who calls out the stars by name, He is the One who gives me the ability to soar on wings like eagles. The New Testament provides more instruction on dealing with weariness.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Heb 12: 2-3).

I need to look to Jesus and His example as He went to the cross for me.  He didn’t even have the strength to carry His own cross, but He kept going!  Jesus could have called ten legions of angels to rescue Him and kill His enemies, but He didn’t because of His love for me and you!  He did not let weariness deter Him from His task. Jesus spent hours in the Garden praying for strength.  I need to look to Jesus’ example, and get on my knees before my Father, so that I do not grow weary and lose heart.  Jesus could have slept in the garden trying to get the physical energy for the task before Him. Instead, He chose to pray, knowing His strength comes not from sleep, but from His Father in heaven.

Sleep is not the solution to my weariness,

but rather time with God Almighty – the Giver of Life!

I hope you find this post helpful.  Sometimes we look at those whom God is using as “having it all together.”  I am not there.  Instead I want to share what God is teaching me as I face the many struggles of living for Him in spite of all my weaknesses and imperfections.

I Know My Sheep and My Sheep Know Me

I want to take a closer look at one of  the promises I quoted in my last post.

I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep. (Jn 10:14-15)

The inspiration behind this blog comes from a very challenging verse in Matthew chapter 7.

Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who isin heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?”  Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me you eveildoers.” (Mt 7:21-23)

I see a connection between these two verses.  Both verses talk about being known by Jesus. In John 10, Jesus tells us that He knows His sheep, and His sheep know Him.  In Matthew, Jesus says He doesn’t know these religious people who have done great things in His name.  Doing religious works in the name of Jesus is not the same as knowing Him and being known by Him.

We can perform many great and seemingly meaningful works in the name of Jesus and be refused entrance into the kingdom of heaven!  The standard Jesus uses for someone entering the kingdom of heaven has nothing to do works.  We get into heaven because we know Jesus and He knows us. So, what exactly does it mean then to know Jesus?

Let’s go back to the above passage in John.  Jesus tells us that as the Good Shepherd, He knows His sheep and His sheep know Him. He goes on to say this relationship is similar to how Jesus knows the Father, and the Father knows Jesus!  OK, so when our relationship with Jesus is as intimate as the relationship Jesus has with His Father, then Jesus will agree that He knows us.  Simple to say, but is it even possible to know Jesus with that kind of intimacy?

By our own efforts, it is impossible to know God intimately.  But the beautiful thing is that He wants to be known by us!

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.  I will be found by you,” declares the Lord. (Jer 29:13-14a)

Seeking with all our heart, sounds like what Jesus described as the first and greatest commandment: “Love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Mt 22:37-38)  God wants us to know Him, but it requires great effort on our parts.  It takes ALL our heart, ALL our soul, and ALL our mind. Please note it does not say with ALL perfection.

The Apostle John, who recorded Jesus’ words about being the Good Shepherd, also tells us how we can be certain that we know Jesus.

We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands.  The man who says. “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar and the truth is not in him.  But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him.  This is how we know we are in him:  Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1Jn 2:3-6)

I love the continuity of the Scriptures!  John tells us that obedience to God is the key to knowing that we know Him.  Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 7, quoted earlier in this post!  We know Jesus when we obey Him and when our life looks like His.

Do you even know what commands Jesus wants you to obey? Are you just following the traditions of your church or the words of your pastor without ever reading God’s Word for yourself?  Seeking God with all your heart requires effort.  Get to KNOW Jesus through His Word.  Then let Him get to know YOU as you talk to Him in prayer about what you have read.

The promise is that Jesus lays down His life for His sheep –

sheep that He knows intimately, and sheep that know Him personally.

Commitment

Commitment

That word meets with great distaste and discomfort these days. It is a word that can make me very cynical of our current culture in North America.  In politics, candidates pledge a commitment to do something when they are elected to a place of power, and then after the election they present any number of excuses to not follow through on that commitment. 

Less than half of North American marriages last, with most breaking up within the first 5 years.  I've heard of weddings performed today with the vow “as long as love should last.”  No commitment there! These statistics don’t include the great number of people that choose to live together without getting married.  Many women, longing for commitment, decide to live with their boyfriend in an arrangement they hope will eventually lead to a marriage commitment. Others don’t want to be bound by a commitment, enjoying the “freedom” to leave the relationship whenever they no longer feel that it is working.

In many cases parents are not committed to their children.  The tales of child abuse abound.  Parents physically or sexually assaulting their own flesh and blood!  There are also so many parents that simply abandon the family.  Many children grow up not knowing their father or mother because the parent left and never came back.

Children are no longer committed to their parents.  This culture espouses entitlement and rebellion rather than respect and obedience.  The tales of senior abuse by family members is almost as prevalent as child abuse -- sons or daughters stealing from their elderly parents as they “manage” the finances.

Employers are certainly not committed to their employees, thus employees are always looking elsewhere to find a better place to work.  Big corporations spend millions on advertising to make it look like they are committed to the customer, but in reality they are far more committed to increasing their already enormous wealth.

So, you can see how I can become cynical.  Do you have anyone you can fully trust to be committed to YOU? Is there anyone that really cares about you through your ups and downs?  Is there anyone who will walk through the valley of divorce, of cancer, of death of a loved one, of aging?

I have some GOOD NEWS for YOU!

There IS someone committed to YOU, and His name is Jesus!

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything in all creation can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8:38-39)

Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified…because the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deut 31:6)

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields – and with them persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. (Mk 10:29-30)

I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep. (Jn 10:14-15)

Soak in these promises and know that if you belong to Jesus, these promises of never-ending commitment are yours!  If you don’t belong to Jesus, read the gospel of Mark (in the New Testament of the Bible) and get to know Him. He wants to offer you this same commitment.