The problem of suffering…

The answer to this question has puzzled men since the beginning of time. Job asked this question; and really, got no answer. His “comforters” tried to answer it, and got into big time trouble with God: “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” (Job 42:7-8, NKJV).

In light of that I will offer no pat answers, for while there have been plenty, they have always been wrong or at least offered in the wrong spirit.

My daughter, Rachel, writes of her persistent illness (a chemical imbalance, diagnosed as Bipolar II) that causes her debilitating depression. (www.notesfromthewell.blogspot.com). Her mother and I watch as she suffers, praying for her and encouraging her. I suspect that her condition is hereditary as there has and is in my family a long history of depression.

I also struggled / continue to struggle, with depression. As a Christian and especially as a Pastor, I often suffered in shame, wrongly thinking that Christians and Pastors are to “have it all together;” however, I have since come to the realization that my understanding was somewhat naive and shallow.

In his book, Lectures to My Students, Charles Spurgeon writes of “The Ministers Fainting Fits.” His insight is based upon his own experience with depression. (Imagine my shock to discover that the “Prince of Preachers,” the great Charles Spurgeon, suffered from depression!). Spurgeon writes: “Knowing by most painful experience what deep depression of spirit means, being visited therewith at seasons by no means few or far between, I thought it might be consolatory to some of my brethren if I gave my thoughts thereon, that younger men might not fancy that some strange thing had happened to them when they became for a season possessed by melancholy; and that sadder men might know that one upon who the sun has shone right joyously did not always walk in the light.” Depression is not a mark of a lack of spirituality or immaturity; no one could hardly accuse Spurgeon of that; rather, it is a very real condition that is brought about either spiritually or physically (chemical imbalance of the brain) resulting it periods of thoughts of hopelessness and despair.

Spurgeon goes on: “Good men are promised tribulation in this world, and ministers may expect a larger share than others, that they may learn sympathy with the Lord’s suffering people, and so, may be fitting shepherds of an ailing flock.” But is this always the case with minister’s and churches? My daughter Rachel writes: “I think first, we need to seek to make ourselves and our churches welcoming for those that are mentally ill, or otherwise suffering. Church should be a place where people can share their struggles in these areas without fear of prejudice or judgment, but so often it isn’t. We are all so busy pretending to have it all together out of fear of what others will think that we never realize that everyone is struggling with something! We can only minister to the ill and struggling if we know of their condition!”

If good men are promised tribulation in this world and ministers may expect a larger share that others, then why do we not hear of this more from the pulpit? I believe that the answers are right in front of us:

• Pride; we don’t want to admit that we struggle with anything. In the church today at large there is the tendency to portray an image that has never existed in orthodox Christianity. Paul struggled with depression, II Corinthians 1:8-11 (NKJV): “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.” David struggled with depression, Psalms 42:5 (NKJV): “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?” Even Jesus our saviour struggled with sorrow and grief, as the prophet described Him as, “…A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” (Isaiah 53:3, NKJV). Are pastor’s better that Paul? Or David? Or Jesus? I think not.

• Fear; we are afraid that if we are honest, people will think less of us (and that is symptomatic of pride as well). The sad truth is that there are some (I’d like to think that it is not most, but I am not sure, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt) who would indeed think less of us if we were to be honest with them; so, we put on a false face (hypocrisy) and move on as if nothing is wrong, all the time dying inside for someone we can talk to.

Spurgeon goes on: “…the wonder in many cases is…how some ministers keep at their work at all, and still wear a smile upon their countenances.” It’s easy; we’ve got good at fooling one another. Our greetings betray us: “How are you?” “Fine. How are you?” “Good.” Good, great, never a struggle, never a sorrow, always on top…yea, right.

Rachel writes: “I know that sometimes, making it through the day seems like an impossible feat. I know what it's like:

· to look around your house, see it in complete disarray, but just not have the energy or real inclination to do anything about it.

· to no longer care about the things you used to care about.

· to want something too desperately but somehow not be able to take the steps you must to make it happen.

· to just want to turn off. to lay down and sleep forever.

· to feel like there's a monster inside of you that could come out at anytime.

· to be afraid that you will get angry and say things you don't mean.

· to be frustrated to the point of tears over something you know logically is stupid.

· to be afraid you will embarrass yourself with your illness and the behavior that comes with it.

But, I also know there has to be healing for us. Through meds or through miracles. God's just shown Himself too faithful to me to believe otherwise.”

Rachel is right: God is faithful; for whatever reason, whatever purpose, He has allowed it; He has a purpose and He is working behind the scenes, which is often why we cannot see Him working on our behalf.

What are His purposes? Again Spurgeon writes: “This depression comes over me whenever the Lord is preparing a larger blessing for my ministry; the cloud is black before it breaks, and overshadows before it yields its deluge of mercy.” For Spurgeon, depression was followed by times of great blessing and elation. This is how Rachel’s doctor described her depression: “Bipolar II is characterized by extreme lows (depression) and milder highs (mania). She also explained that mania can manifest in ways that do not feel good: anxiety, inability to focus on tasks, irritability, agitation, distraction and more. She said that people with bipolar II can be very accomplished and high functioning when level or manic, but are paralyzed when depressed.”

Once, while Charles Spurgeon was speaking, a lunatic jumped up and yelled, “fire;” in the resulting panic to exit the building, 4 people were killed. Spurgeon laid in bed for a week, overcome by severe depression. Only when his deacons came and laid hands on him, was he able to rise and resume his duties.

And yet in all this there is hope, for there in the midst of our suffering is our Saviour. Spurgeon writes: “The Lord is revealed in the backside of the desert, while His servant keepeth the sheep and waits in solitary awe. The low valley leads to the towering mountain, defeat prepares for victory. The raven is sent forth before the dove. The darkest hour of the night precedes the day-dawn. The mariners go down to the depths, but the next wave makes them mount to the heaven; their soul is melted because of trouble before He bringeth them to their desired haven.”

Rachel writes: “One verse consistently sticks out to me during this time: From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. (John 6:66-68). Peter’s words have never felt so real to me as in this season – only You have the words of life! (Sure, the verse doesn’t say “only”, but I think it’s pretty clearly implied.) When I am completely without hope, when all seems lost: Jesus remains. Even when I am not sure He will ever change my circumstance, where else am I going to go? Will the world save me from my sickness? Will gratifying my flesh give me hope? There is nothing else that can touch the pain I’m in. Nothing else that can make me stand. This conviction is not from me. I have no willpower or persistence. Only the Holy Spirit in me has given me the strength to desperately cling to the One with the words of life.”

Spurgeon writes: “When David returned to Ziklag and found the city burned, goods stolen, wives carried off, and his troops ready to stone him, we read, ‘he encouraged himself in his God’; and well was it for him that he could do so, for he would then have fainted if he had not believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

There is hope when all appears hopeless; God is there even when it appears that He is not; God is faithful even when it appears that He is not; God cares even when it appears that He does not. “For we walk by faith , not by sight.” (II Corinthians 5:7, NKJV).

If we are to properly deal with difficult times they we must learn to see the invisible: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (II Corinthians 4:16-18, NKJV).

Rachel writes: “In all honesty, mental illness sucks. I hate it. I trust the Lord through it, but sometimes it's because I have no other option. If I don't trust the Lord in this, I am really screwed. I struggle, y'all. I’m not very good at dealing with this. I don't do the "right" thing all the time. I don't have a whole lot of joy in this most of the time. How much of that is illness and how much of it is my sinful nature? I can't say. But I don't care really. I’m waiting on the Lord and giving Him everything I've got, even when it's not much at all. At least it's honest.”

Spurgeon concludes by saying: “Continue with double earnestness to serve your Lord when no visible result is before you. Any simpleton can follow the narrow path in the light; faith’s rare wisdom enables us to march on in the dark with infallible accuracy, since she places her hand in that of her Great Guide…in nothing let us turn aside from the path which the divine call has urged us to pursue. Come fare or come foul, the pulpit is our watch-tower, and the ministry our warfare; be it ours, when we cannot see the face of our God, to trust under THE SHADOW OF HIS WINGS.”

My hope is that this opens up a dialog between those who suffer and those who are supposed to minister to them. I don’t pretend to understand my daughter’s struggle, but I love her. You don’t throw people away just because they are broken. You love them by being there for them and you pray for them. Isn’t that what Jesus did?

John 15:13: "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.”

I would like you to join with me in thanking our service man and women. Every time I see them in public, I go up to them and identify myself as a Pastor, and tell them that we appreciate their service for our nation that we are praying for them and their safety. “Everywhere you go, and in every circumstance, know that we are praying for you.” Their reaction is almost universal: they are surprised and happy; some have even been moved to tears.

These men and women have literally placed their lives on the line in defense of our nation. Our thanks is the least that we can do. And our prayers for their safety is the one of the most important thing we can do for them.

The Family Research Council reported, March 10, 2008, the following story about Planned Parenthood.

“California Scheming: Planned Parenthood Accused of $180 Million Fraud

The latest victim of Planned Parenthood's thieving appears to be none other than the California government. A former Vice President of Finance for the L.A. affiliate, P. Victor Gonzales, has filed a whistleblower suit in federal court, claiming that Planned Parenthood committed years of fraudulent overbilling against government-funded programs.

Gonzales submitted documents spanning the late 1990s to 2004, including a series of audits, which suggest that the nation's biggest abortion merchant may have swindled upward of $180 million from California taxpayers.

Gonzales says he was fired in 2004 after repeated attempts to address the "illegal accounting, billing, and donation practices of Planned Parenthood" with his supervisors. According to Gonzales's attorney, Planned Parenthood manipulated its status as a charitable organization in order to buy contraceptives at a discounted rate, then billed the state's Medi-Cal program for 12 times as much as it paid.

The Los Angeles Times obtained copies of the 2004 audit, which substantiates over $5.2 million in overbillings at the San Diego branch during fiscal year 2003 alone. In total, the overcharging is said to exceed $10,000,000 a year.

In addition to the birth control scam, Gonzales also claims that the Los Angeles branch violated the IRS code that prohibits political advocacy from charitable organizations by forwarding about $12,000 a month to the Sacramento branch for "lobbying" expenses. At least one PPLA executive used a corporate credit card to make Victoria's Secret and private video purchases on the government's dime. And the list of alleged abuses goes on.

Although the suit was filed in 2005, it was made public on Friday--much to the dismay of the PP spokesmen, who were already facing a public relations nightmare after tape recordings revealed that employees agreed to accept racially-motivated donations. We can only hope that California responds swiftly to investigate this charge of gross exploitation of taxpayer dollars. Regardless of the outcome, we urge the state to move quickly, as Virginia has done, to de-fund Planned Parenthood and end its relentless cycle of exploitation against women, children, and taxpayers!”

Now why isn’t this man being thanked by the State of California? Why isn’t this fraud being reported on by the major networks? Why isn’t ever American outraged by this?

Simple; everybody cheats. It’s only when it’s Christians and Christian ministers and ministries that it makes the national news.

If your outraged, I’d like to hear about it…

I wrote this on another blog recently, but I thought we would discuss it here as well. I look forward to your comments...

There is a tendency in Christendom to “choose sides.” It has been that way from the beginning, I Corinthians 3:3-4, “for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not carnal?

Divisions like this are not a sign of spirituality, but as noted by Paul, a sign of carnality. In our day it might read like, “I am of Chuck Smith ,” or “I am of Martin Luther.” We all have pastors and teachers that we respect and admire – there is nothing wrong with that. But to divide because you don’t like my favorite pastor or teacher is carnal – plain and simple.

“Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.” (Romans 14:4). As long as there is no false doctrine (unorthodox) or cultish abuse going on, I for one am not going to fall into the trap of judging God’s servants…

I don't know who the author of this is, but I liked it...

A certain atheist professor of philosophy begins his school year with a lecture to the students, "Let me explain the problem science has with religion." He pauses before his class and then asks one of his students to stand.

"You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"

"Yes sir," the student says.

"So you believe in God?"

"Absolutely."

"Is God good?"

"Sure! God's good."

"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"

"Yes."

"Are you good or evil?"

"The Bible says I'm evil."

The professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!" He considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?"

"Yes sir, I would."

"So you're good...!"

"I wouldn't say that."

"But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't."

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. "He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"

The student remains silent.

"No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

"Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"

"Er...yes," the student says.

"Is Satan good?"

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. "No."

"Then where does Satan come from?"

The student falters. "From God"

"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"

"Yes, sir."

"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?"

"Yes."

"So who created evil?" The professor continued, "If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil."

Again, the student has no answer. "Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?"

The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."

"So who created them?"

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. "Who created them?" There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me," he continues onto another student. "Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor, I do."

The old man stops pacing. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"

"No sir. I've never seen Him."

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"

"No, sir, I have not."

"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

"Yet you still believe in him?"

"Yes."

"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?"

"Nothing," the student replies. "I only have my faith."

"Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith."

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. "Professor, is there such thing as heat?"

"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."

"And is there such a thing as cold?"

"Yes, son, there's cold too."

"No sir, there isn't."

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees."

"Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.

"What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?"

"Yes," the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't darkness?"

"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word."

"In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?"

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?"

"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed."

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. "Flawed? Can you explain how?"

"You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains. "You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought."

"It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it."

"Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"

"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."

"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

"Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?"

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided.

"To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean."

The student looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into laughter.

"Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir."

"So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?"

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. "I guess you'll have to take them on faith."

"Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life," the student continues. "Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?"

Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor, having no reply, sat down.