Feeds:
Posts
Comments

God is solid though everything around us is shaking

May 15, 2011 by John Knight

The prayer requests from just our church family brought together through disability continue to come – hospitalizations, surgeries, changes in medications, changes in diet, changes in diagnoses.

I’m grateful that my readings from the Bible are so full of terms about God that are associated with strength and power and stability.

From Psalm 62:

1 For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
2 He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

8 Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah

From Psalm 63:

1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.

From Isaiah 12:

2 “Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God [7] is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”

From James 5:

10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

This is my second time through the One Year Tract Bible Reading Plan.  God has frequently used these readings to provide comfort for my soul or a word for my family.  Even though it is the middle of the year, if you have never read through the Bible in the year, why not start now?

Posted in Scripture | 1 Comment »

Children Desiring God Conference Seminar Audio Now Available

May 14, 2011 by John Knight

Audio for all the seminars at the Children Desiring God 2011 National Conference is now available.  Video is available for the plenary sessions, including the one delivered by our own Kempton Turner.

Many of you prayed for Brenda Fischer and for me as we prepared for our sessions that more specifically dealt with disability or suffering.  Thank you for doing so!  We both felt helped.

Here are links to our sessions and handouts:

Brenda Fischer:

Disability, Autism and the Tender Mercy of God – Brenda Fischer at the 2011 CDG National Conference

Disability, Autism and the Tender Mercy of God – CDG conference 2011 Fischer handout

John Knight:

Helping Families Deal with the Unexpected – John Knight at the 2011 CDG National Conference

CDG conference 2011 Knight handout

Posted in Special Events | Leave a Comment »

What is communion for?

May 13, 2011 by John Knight

Over conversation with a friend, he told me that his brother had been taken in by a health and prosperity preacher who taught him that communion is ‘the meal that heals.’  It was easy enough to find what was meant by that, along with the book this preacher would gladly sell to you (emphases in bold are mine):

The Meal That Heals explains the power of the Communion experience to bring physical and spiritual healing to the life of a believer. . .  It shows the power of receiving daily Communion, which allows the life of Christ to work in your body, driving out every sickness, disease, and weakness that hinders your life.

If you watch the video this preacher prepared, you’ll notice that HE’S WEARING GLASSES!

So much for driving out every weakness.

I hate the health, wealth and prosperity gospel.  But there is one thing about the above I will agree with – we should come to the communion table expecting to get something.

But the something we should be longing to get – more than perfect health in ourselves or healing for our kids, more than extraordinary wealth or any sort of prosperity in this life – is more of God.

Pastor John summarized it really well during his sermon this past week, No One Will Take Your Joy From You:

The aim of corporate worship is to awaken and express together our joyful admiration of all the wonders and works of God.

“I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God” (Psa 43:4).

I do not criticize you for coming to “get.” I think God is greatly honored when people come to corporate worship starving for God. And deeply desiring that they will meet him, and hear from him.

John Piper, No One Will Take Your Joy From You, May 8, 2011

And I think Pastor John would agree that God is greatly honored when we come to the communion table starving for God as well.

Posted in Book Commentary, Unhelpful things | 1 Comment »

Introducing Paul Tautges, pastor and father of children with disabilities

May 12, 2011 by John Knight

I met Paul Tautges, Pastor of Immanuel Bible Church and father of several children with disabilities, last month at The Gospel Coalition – what a joy that was!  I’m very grateful to God for that unexpected, divinely-appointed time of conversation and prayer!

Paul is also a writer, and yesterday posted From Womb to Tomb: The Constant Reality of Suffering at a new blog sponsored by The Biblical Counseling Coalition.  David Powlison (who has spoken several times at DG conferences) is one of their board directors, and Paul Tripp, a frequent contributor to DG’s blog, conferences and DG live, is also a board member.

I recommend his blog post to you, which is full of Bible.  Here is a sample:

Christians can rejoice in the midst of trials because even though we do not see God we believe in Him. This maturing faith produces joy that exceeds speech and is full of glory—even in the face of pain. “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Rom. 5:3–4).

Posted in commentary, Scripture | Leave a Comment »

We are made for joy!

May 11, 2011 by John Knight

God chose fit to lay me flat on my back on Tuesday, along with my youngest son.  And Paul needed to come home early after having one of his spells.  Pray for my wife as she tends to three sick members!

So, I pulled out a little book by A.W. Tozer, Whatever Happened to Worship, and discovered this gem on page 67:

I was created to worship and praise God. I was redeemed that I should worship Him and enjoy Him forever.

That is the primary issue, my brother or sister. That is why we earnestly invite men and women to become converted, taking Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.

God is not asking you to come to Christ just to attain peace of mind or to make you a better businessman or woman. You were created to worship. God wants you to know His redemption so you will desire to worship and praise Him.

Sick or well, ‘normal’ or living with disabilities, we were created to worship Him and enjoy Him forever.

Pastor John paused this past Sunday to go over that foundation of joy.  I was encouraged by this ‘classic sermon‘ and especially recommend it to you if Christian hedonism is a new concept for you.

Posted in Quotes, Sermons | Leave a Comment »

Jesus can do it still – Charles Spurgeon

May 10, 2011 by John Knight

The accounting of the man who was paralyzed going before Jesus by being lowered through the roof his companions vandalized is one of the best-known healings in the entire Bible.  It is told in three different Gospels, including Luke 5:17-26.

There is so much packed into those 10 verses!  It is easy to focus on the gifts that are provided – forgiveness of sin and healing of paralysis.

I deeply appreciate how Charles Spurgeon guides our attention away from these extraordinary acts of forgiving sins and healing paralysis to the actor who made both of those things possible:

After our blessed Lord had taken away the root of the evil, you observe he then took away the paralysis itself. It was gone in a single moment. Every limb in the man’s body was restored to a healthy state; he could stand, could walk, could lift his bed, both nerve and muscle were restored to vigor.

One moment will suffice, if Jesus speaks, to make the despairing happy, and the unbelieving full of confidence. What we cannot do with our reasonings, persuadings, and entreaties, nor even with the letter of God’s promise, Christ can do in a single instant by his Holy Spirit, and it has been our joy to see it done.

This is the standing miracle of the church, performed by Christ to-day even as aforetime. Paralysed souls who could neither do nor will, have been able to do valiantly, and to will with solemn resolution. The Lord has poured power into the faint, and to them that had no might he hath increased strength.

He can do it still.

Charles H. Spurgeon, Carried by Four: A Sermon, delivered on March 19, 1871.

I’m grateful for this reminder to hope in Jesus above all things, even very good gifts like healing.

Posted in Quotes, Scripture | Leave a Comment »

“They are gifts no matter how or when they come.”

May 9, 2011 by John Knight

Pastor Kenny Stokes – again! – recognized the God-granted value of children with disabilities during the dedication of children on Saturday evening.  This section of his remarks is about a minute long.

Pastor Kenny – ‘they are gifts!’

I am deeply grateful for pastors who intentionally and carefully recognize that not all children will be the same, nor will the paths of parenting be the same.

Pastor Bud Burk closed the dedication with a wonderful, encouraging prayer.  I’m glad we caught that as well.

Pastor Bud praying May 2011

Posted in Quotes, Special Events | 1 Comment »

Her children rise up and call her blessed! Just not yet.

May 8, 2011 by John Knight

There are scores of women who have children of all ages who cannot speak an intelligible word because of their cognitive disabilities.  Or their children, like my son, have some language, but those children can never make a spontaneous call of deep affections for their mother.

There will be no handwritten cards, telephone calls or gifts from those children to their mothers today.

Yet, most of those children have mothers who pour their lives into them, sometimes for decades beyond what they anticipated when that little life first starting growing in their bodies.

For all of you moms in that circumstance, know that this proverb is still for you, just not yet!

Her children rise up and call her blessed.  Proverbs 31:28

Why do I believe this?

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 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. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.  Revelation 21:1-7

Those mothers who cling to Jesus for daily strength and as their future hope have a glorious eternity waiting for them.

Someday, I believe my son will tell me things almost too wonderful for me to comprehend about what he experienced in this present age.  And I expect one of the things he will talk about is his tender, eternal regard for the woman who cared for him without a thought about what she would receive from him in return.  On that day, he will rise and call his mother blessed!

Posted in Scripture | 9 Comments »

“What good does it do?”

May 7, 2011 by John Knight

If you still haven’t downloaded Paul Miller’s book, A Praying Life (still free as of Friday for the Kindle and the Kindle app which can work on most computers and mobile devices), I hope this will encourage you to do so:

I was walking down from our campsite to our Dodge Caravan when I noticed our fourteen-year-old daughter, Ashley, standing in front of the van, tense and upset. When I asked her what was wrong, she said, “I lost my contact lens. It’s gone.” I looked down with her at the forest floor, covered with leaves and twigs. There were a million little crevices for the lens to fall into and disappear.

I said, “Ashley, don’t move. Let’s pray.” But before I could pray, she burst into tears. “What good does it do? I’ve prayed for Kim to speak and she isn’t speaking.”

Kim struggles with autism and developmental delay. Because of her weak fine motor skills and problems with motor planning, she is also mute. . .

Prayer was no mere formality for Ashley. She had taken God at his word and asked that he would let Kim speak. But nothing happened. Kim’s muteness was testimony to a silent God. Prayer, it seemed, doesn’t work.

If you’ve ever thought that, I encourage you to read his book.

Posted in Book Commentary, Quotes | 1 Comment »

Is this kind of suffering sharing in the sufferings of Christ?

May 6, 2011 by John Knight

R.C. Sproul answers this 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

Posted in Quotes | Leave a Comment »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »