Feeds:
Posts
Comments

“I do not understand why the unborn are unprotected. . .”

July 27, 2012 by John Knight

Thank you to Jan Lacher for pointing me to this story.

Wouldn’t it be great if a national politician said something like this?

I do not understand why the unborn are unprotected, permitting them to be aborted, because of the fact that they have some kind of handicap or deformity.

A politician did say it!  Spanish Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón made that statement Sunday in the Spanish newspaper La Razón.

I don’t understand it either!  And he can actually do something about it.

I know only a little about Spanish regulations concerning abortion, nor do I have any idea if the current party in power will actually act on protections for unborn children with disabilities.

But it was encouraging to see that a country that liberalized its laws as recently as 2010 would have a national leader openly say change was needed to specifically protect unborn children with disabilities.

And as we approach the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision in the United States next year, it was a good reminder to me to pray for our leaders, all of them, that God would let them see that we should welcome, protect and nurture our vulnerable little ones with disabilities, not destroy them simply because we can.

Posted in commentary, News | Leave a Comment »

Help me, Lord, ‘for your name’s sake.’

July 26, 2012 by John Knight

The little phrase ‘for your name’s sake’ showed up in my Bible reading recently and I was so comforted by it that I went looking for other places where that phrase is used.  Here are three:

For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me. . . (Psalm 31:3 ESV)

“Though our iniquities testify against us, act, O LORD, for your name’s sake; for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against you.” (Jeremiah 14:7 ESV)

“And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 20:44 ESV)

Why am I comforted? Because it isn’t about my performance!  God is acting out of a commitment to his own name, and we can ask him to act based on that commitment to himself.

I need that perspective.  God is for me because of Jesus Christ.  God is for my son with multiple disabilities because:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1-3 ESV)

Paul doesn’t have to perform to have value to God – he is valuable to God because he was made by God, and God will act on his behalf for the sake of God’s name.

A long time ago Pastor John did a sermon on 1 Samuel 12:22 (For the Lord will not cast away his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. RSV) where he offered this:

What is the basis of the fearlessness of God’s people according to this verse? First of all it is the promise that he will not cast them away. In spite of their sin in wanting a king, the verse says, “The Lord will not cast away his people.”

But that is not the deepest foundation of hope and fearlessness in this verse. Why will God not cast away his people? The deepest reason given is in the phrase, “For his great name’s sake.” The rock bottom foundation of our forgiveness and our fearlessness and our joy is the commitment that God has to his own great name. First, he is committed to act for his own name’s sake. And then, for that reason, he is committed to act for his people.

God will act FOR us, for his own name’s sake, offering forgiveness, fearlessness AND joy!  I hope you can feel how great this is – God will ACT FOR YOU not because of you (you know how weak you are, really), but because of HIM!

Posted in commentary, Scripture, Sermons | 6 Comments »

“Do you bear the mark of wounds from God’s sovereign hand?”

July 25, 2012 by John Knight

Dianne and I read a lot of things.  But we can both point to one little xeroxed article shared by Pastor John a long time ago, written by a man named Michael Beates, as having much greater influence than anyone could have expected. The Holy Spirit used that article to build a little piece of foundational trust in God and the Bible.

Dr. Beates has written a book.  You should buy it.

He has lived this life longer than I have.  He has thought about the questions we think about longer than I have.  He has studied the Bible longer than I have.  He has certainly trusted God in the hard circumstances of his family life longer than I have.

And he asks and answers hard questions:

Do you bear the mark of wounds from God’s sovereign hand?

You and I can take heart because this means we are in his hand.

And he promises that no one (and Romans 8 expands on this) can take us out of his hand.

His grasp on those he loves is firm, immovable, eternal, and unshakable.

And at the end of the day, no matter how hard the day may prove to be, that is a good thing!

Dr. Michael Beates, Disability & the Gospel: How God Uses Our Brokenness to Display His Grace, p. 33.

I had hoped to do a proper book review but that just isn’t going to happen. You can read the short article Pastor John sent, and then read an excerpt at Crossway’s site to get a taste.  Then buy and read the rest of the book.

Posted in Book Commentary | 3 Comments »

“You should embrace your suffering in the path of obedience and not run from it.” John Piper

July 24, 2012 by John Knight

God gave Pastor John an especially helpful word on Sunday: He Cannot Deny Himself.  I highly recommend it.

And it also encouraged me to reflect on how books have advantages over individual sermons.  Mainly, you can pack more information into a book.

What I mean is this: it is possible to hear this sermon and put it entirely in the category of suffering based on the choice to follow Jesus.  Further, we can be tempted  to make that a superior category of suffering than suffering which isn’t chosen, such as a child with significant disabilities being born into a family.

But I think this sermon can be applied to all kinds of suffering and the five foundation stones can provide comfort in circumstances beyond suffering for the sake of the gospel, moving the emphasis away from the reason for the suffering toward our faithfully clinging to Jesus in the midst of suffering.

R.C. Sproul helped me work this out some time ago when he addressed the question: can suffering in general rather than suffering for our Christian faith be counted as sharing the sufferings of Christ?

I think it can. If the suffering is done in faith – that is, throughout the suffering we place our trust in God – then I think we are participating in the sense that we are willing to suffer and to trust God in the midst of suffering, even as Jesus trusted the Father. . .

In regard to the man born blind (John 9), the question was asked of Jesus, “Who’s sin was it, this man’s or his parents’, that he was afflicted with blindness?”  Jesus said it was neither. In other words, the question was a false dilemma. And those who asked it were trying to reduce to two options something that had more than two. There was another option. Jesus said, “It wasn’t because of his sin or his parents’ sin. This person was born blind so that the power of God and the grace of God may be made manifest.” That person was suffering not from persecution. His suffering was used by God to bring honor and glory to Christ.

I mention this instance because it is a clear biblical case in which suffering has theological value – not merit, but value – insofar that it is useful to the purposes of God. Christ himself tells us that we are going to have afflictions and suffering in this world. He certainly indicates that we are going to suffer persecution, and he gives a particular blessing to that in the Sermon on the Mount, saying that the reward will be great. He also indicates that there will be other kinds of suffering that come our way and that we are suffering in him and with him.

R.C. Sproul, Now, That’s a Good Question, pp. 473-475

I’ve gone back and forth with myself several times about posting this – even I think an argument could be made that I’m applying this particular sermon too broadly.  But I’ve decided to post it to see what you think.

In the end, I hope at least this is clear: God is entirely trustworthy and sovereign.  We can live and work and rest with confidence in him, no matter our current circumstance.

Posted in Sermons | 3 Comments »

“There has been no sacrifice greater than when you laid down your life.”

July 23, 2012 by John Knight

A few weeks ago Pastor Bud prayed with such power and articulated such a clear, God-centered vision for his people that I approached him afterwards and asked if I could have his transcript, assuming he had written it out beforehand.  He had not.  God had granted him that prayer in the moment.  And those prayers aren’t posted anywhere.

Another man I know prays like that, and when I saw that David Michael was giving the offertory prayer yesterday, I got my phone ready and recorded his prayer.  I’m glad I did.

David Michael Praying July 22, 2012

I’ve listened to it several times and found something fresh each time to help me praise God and orient my heart more accurately toward who God is.  “Prone to wonder, Lord I feel it” wrote Robert Robinson in his great hymn, Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.  Prayers like this help me get back on the path.

I don’t offer it to flatter David (he wouldn’t appreciate that) but rather as a helpful tool in learning how to pray in ways that encourage affections toward and confidence in God.

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Now therefore, O kings, be wise

July 22, 2012 by John Knight

Related to yesterday’s post, another piece of good news for those who find their hope in God in light of all the bad things happening in the world:

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,

“Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”

He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.

Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,

“As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”

I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me,

“You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.

Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

(Psalm 2 ESV)

Posted in Scripture | Leave a Comment »

For now, no action. That’s a good thing.

July 21, 2012 by John Knight

It appears the United States Senate will not be considering the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities by July 26.  If you haven’t been following that process, there’s a very succinct summary here of the two positions.

I first read the Convention when President Obama proposed its ratification in 2009. It has a great deal of ‘feel good’ language in it.  But it also has elements that are disturbing beyond what is in the summary above.

There are also some good things in it, like Article 10 – Right to Life:

States Parties reaffirm that every human being has the inherent right to life and shall take all necessary measures to ensure its effective enjoyment by persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others.

If only that could be true that every government would affirm (I’m not sure why they use the term ‘reaffirm’) an inherent right to life for people with disabilities!

But reading the list of countries that have affirmed the Convention demonstrates that this document has no teeth, regardless of whether it is a good idea or not.  The list includes countries found in routine violation of human rights, such as Cuba (ratified in 2007) and China (ratified in 2008).

And particularly galling to me, the Netherlands – which has affirmed policies that protect doctors from prosecution for killing infants with disabilities – added the following declaration to their ratification of the Convention:

Article 10
The Kingdom of the Netherlands acknowledges that unborn human life is worthy of protection. The Kingdom interprets the scope of Article 10 to the effect that such protection – and thereby the term ‘human being’ – is a matter for national legislation.

They don’t even think all BORN life is worthy of protection if certain disabilities are apparent!  And do we really want to leave something so basic as the term ‘human being’ up to the tastes and whims of legislative bodies?

So, I’m glad the US Senate is pausing rather than rushing to ratify for several reasons.  But most of all I’m remembering that God is sovereign over even this:

The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. (Proverbs 21:1 ESV)

And someday, the perfect King will return, and this sort of playing with peoples’ lives and dignity will no longer be possible:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” (Revelation 21:3 ESV)

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20 ESV)

Posted in commentary, News | 2 Comments »

“He will always keep His word.”

July 20, 2012 by John Knight

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25 ESV)

The promises of man are not sure to be fulfilled.

With the best wishes and intentions, he cannot always keep his word. Disease and death may step in like an armed man, and take away from this world him that promises. War, or pestilence, or famine, or failure of crops, or hurricanes, may strip him of his property, and make it impossible for him to fulfil his engagements.

The promises of God, on the contrary, are certain to be kept. He is Almighty: nothing can prevent His doing what He has said. He never changes: He is always “of one mind”: and with Him there is “no variableness or shadow of turning.” (Job xxiii. 13; James 1. 17.)

He will always keep His word.

J.C. Ryle, Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots, p. 246, Kindle Edition.

Posted in Quotes | Leave a Comment »

Disability and missions go together

July 19, 2012 by John Knight

Every week at Bethlehem a ‘global partner’ is recognized and prayed for.  I was delighted to see this week that it was a family who served our deaf members for several years who then were called to bring the good news of Jesus to deaf people in a country that cannot be named.

Their prayer requests ended with a simple “pray for the salvation of the deaf here.”

Yes, we must all pray!  And some must go who have the skill and the experience to communicate with people in an entirely different signed language.

Of course we have needs here.  The volunteer needs for our disability ministry is significant at one of our campuses – we don’t know where the help will come from.

But with 52 deaf people groups that are unengaged with the gospel, we must be also sending people.

Let us ask God to launch a flood of missionaries from churches that saw the gifts of people with disabilities and prepared them for their service to the church, both here and ‘over there.’

Posted in commentary, Prayer Requests | Leave a Comment »

Who we really are, and who God really is!

July 18, 2012 by John Knight

These verses from Ephesians 2:1-10 landed on me with fresh power yesterday.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved-and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

I was really that dead! And God is really that powerful and good to give life to a dead man.

And those he calls, of every ability and disability, were created for good works! No exceptions.

Posted in Scripture | Leave a Comment »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »