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Lack peace of mind? Pray!

March 16, 2011 by John Knight

D.A. Carson, on God and prayer in the midst of suffering:

The degree of our peace of mind is tied to our prayer life (Phil. 4:6-7). This is not because prayer is psychologically soothing, but because we address a prayer-answering God, a personal God, a responding God, a sovereign God whom we can trust with the outcomes of life’s confusions. And we learn, with time, that if God in this or that instance does not choose to take away the suffering, or utterly remove the evil, he does send grace and power. The result is praise; and that, of course, is itself enjoyable, in exactly the same way that lovers enjoy giving each other compliments.

I cannot tell you how many times I have visited some senior saint who is going through serious suffering, perhaps terminal illness, only to come away feeling that it was I who benefited from exposure to a believer who was already living in the felt presence of God.

D.A. Carson, How Long, Oh Lord? p. 217-218.

Posted in Quotes | 1 Comment »

“We rage against the reptile” – Russell Moore

March 15, 2011 by John Knight

In his very helpful address at the Children Desiring God conference, Russell Moore drew clear attention to our enemy:

We rage against the reptile, not against his prey.

The reptile, of course, is Satan.

It can feel like he’s winning this war.  In this article from Saturday’s New York Times (login may be required; not appropriate for young children), the depths of our culture’s disregard for adults with severe disabilities living in group homes was apparent:

And, despite a state law requiring that incidents in which a crime may have been committed be reported to law enforcement, such referrals are rare: State records show that of some 13,000 allegations of abuse in 2009 within state-operated and licensed homes, fewer than 5 percent were referred to law enforcement. The hundreds of files examined by The Times contained shocking examples of abuse of residents with conditions like Down syndrome, autism and cerebral palsy.

Stories like these make me fully appreciate when parents say things like, “my prayer is to live one day longer than my child.”  The evil of this present age is horrifying, especially in light of how vulnerable my son is because of his multiple disabilities.

Pastor John helpfully reminds us that God is not just full of mercy:

God is more than merciful. He is also just. Verse 19 (of Romans 12) makes this crystal clear: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No wrong will go without punishment. The wrath of God will repay every wrong either in the suffering and death of Christ for those who repent and believe on him, or in hell for those who don’t. So when we return good for evil, it’s not only because God is merciful, but also because God is just. We display his mercy and we defer to his justice.  John Piper, When Is It Right to Repay Evil with Pain?, March 13, 2005

That doesn’t mean we are passive about evil.  We can pursue justice, but we do so through proper institutions and with a proper heart:

And God calls us to uphold justice as part of the God-ordained institutions we belong to—and all this to show people what God is like in his justice, and how he frees us to do justice without a malicious spirit.  Piper, same sermon

To my family members and friends in law enforcement: John, Andrew, Chris and Greg, I am very grateful God has called you to face the evil of this age as representatives of the civil authorities God has appointed.  And I am grateful that your experiences with your cousin, sister, and children with disabilities have shaped your understanding about people with disabilities as part of God’s creation worth protecting, nurturing and esteeming.

And I’m grateful that, someday, your services will no longer be needed.  Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Posted in commentary, News | 1 Comment »

A sovereign protector we have

March 14, 2011 by John Knight

D.A. Carson included this poem by Augustus Toplady (writer of Rock of Ages) in his book, How Long, O Lord?

A sovereign protector I have,
Unseen, yet for ever at hand,
Unchangeably faithful to save,
Almighty to rule and command.
He smiles and my comforts abound;
His grace as the dew shall descend,
And walls of salvation surround
The soul he delights to defend.
Kind Author and ground of my hope,
Thee, Thee, for my God I avow;
My glad Ebenezer set up
And own Thou hast helped me till now.
I muse on the years that are past
Wherein my defence Thou hast proved;
Nor wilt Thou relinquish at last
A sinner so signally loved.
Inspirer and Hearer of prayer,
Thou Shepherd and Guardian of Thine,
My all to Thy covenant care
I sleeping and waking resign.
If Thou are my Shield and my Sun,
The night is no darkness to me;
And, fast as my moments roll on,
They bring me but nearer to Thee.

D.A. Carson, p. 218


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Please pray for our churches and their leadership

March 13, 2011 by John Knight

The Children Desiring God Conference was a wonderful experience, and I look forward to posting links to several sessions when they are available.  David Michel ended the final session by reciting Ephesians from memory.  What an encouragement to hear all of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians at once!

I also had the opportunity to meet many brothers and sisters from around the world who are dealing with disability in their families or in their churches.  I was reminded, frequently, of how good God has been to us at Bethlehem.

Would you pray for our churches and leadership around the world?

  • Some churches have great, supportive leadership for disability ministry, like we have experienced at Bethlehem.  Praise God for such encouraging examples!
  • Some churches have leadership who don’t really understand why this is important.  Please pray for them that God would open eyes, and that God would also help the families experiencing disability be patient toward and respectful of the leaders God has appointed.
  • Everyone feels inadequate.  That’s not a bad thing – it increases our dependency on him as we ask for his help (Philippians 4:5-7).
  • Nobody has enough volunteers. Pray for more people to join us, and experience joy with us!

 

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God’s goodness in persevering pastors and ministers

March 12, 2011 by John Knight

This morning (Saturday), I have been given the pleasure of introducing Pastor David Michael to the 900 or so attendees of the Children Desiring God Conference.  I am so grateful to God for this man; it has been a pleasure to even think about doing so!

David has been a champion at Bethlehem for the children who are different because of disability.  So has his wife, Sally, who co-labors with him in the Family Discipleship Department and as the creator of curriculum for Children Desiring God.

I would strongly encourage you to read the following two attachments, in response to questions Krista Horning had as a young girl back in 1999.  You now know Krista as the author of Just the Way I Am: God’s Good Design in Disability.  But then, she was a girl with hard questions.  And God provided through David and Sally Michael:

Letter from David Michael

Notes from Sally Michael

Thank you, Lord, for people who know you will help them to love us to the very end!  Thank you for David and Sally Michael!

Letters used with permission of the Horning family.

Posted in Helpful things, Scripture | 1 Comment »

The goodness of God in protecting us against the culture – through disability!

March 11, 2011 by John Knight

Disability causes many to question the goodness of God. I know I once did.

But there is also a way to think of disability in terms of how it protects us from passively accepting everything the culture wants us to believe – like ‘good people’ (which we are told we are even in light of all the evidence to the contrary) only deserve ‘good’ things in our lives.

We know that life includes hard things – we simply can’t avoid it if disability has entered our family.  So we read the Scriptures with that in mind, and understand the sovereignty of God as being over all things, including hard things.

Of course, not everyone has that advantage like we have.  And when I see pastors warning their people to fight against being sucked into unbiblical ways to view the world, I realize how much grace God has given to me through my son’s disabilities and my wife’s cancer.

For example, D.A. Carson, in How Long, Oh Lord, warns against Christians assuming ‘we ought to be immune from such evil and suffering.’  And he also offers a good solution!

We remember the wonderful triumphs of Joseph, Gideon, and David; we meditate continuously on the miraculous healing of the man born blind, or on the resurrection of Lazarus. We are less inclined to think through the sufferings of Jeremiah, the constant ailments of Timothy, the illness of Trophimus, or the thorn in Paul’s flesh. A righteous man like Naboth perishes under trumped up charges (1 Kings 21). The “good guys” do not always win. .  . we may be infected by a pious version of the raw triumphalism that prevails in much of the surrounding culture because we have not taken care to follow the balance of Scripture.  Carson, p. 25.

Yes, the whole Bible is good for us to know!  It protects us from thinking, and behaving, in ways that are not God-honoring or helpful to other people!

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

I learned that lesson because God brought disability and disease into my home.

Posted in Quotes, Scripture | 3 Comments »

“When the Lord utters a promise, He never runs back from it” – Spurgeon

March 10, 2011 by John Knight

I was reading through Spurgeon’s sermon, ‘The Anchor‘ that he delivered in 1876 and thought of the theme for the Children Desiring God conference: Holding Fast to the Word of Truth:

What is our anchor? It has two great blades or flukes to it, each of which acts as a holdfast. It is made of two Divine things. The one is God’s promise, a sure and stable thing, indeed! We are very ready to take a good man’s promise, but perhaps the good man may forget to fulfill it, or be unable to do so—neither of these things can occur with the Lord—He cannot forget and He cannot fail to do as He has said! Jehovah’s promise, what a certain thing it must be! If you had nothing but the Lord’s bare Word to trust to, surely your faith should never stagger. To this sure word is added another Divine thing, namely, God’s oath.

Beloved, I scarcely dare speak upon this sacred topic! God’s oath, His solemn assertion, His swearing by Himself! Conceive the majesty, the awe, the certainty of this! Here, then, are two Divine assurances, which, like the flukes of the anchor, hold us fast. Who dares doubt the promise of God? Who can have the audacity to distrust His oath? We have for our anchor two things, which, in addition to their being Divine, are expressly said to be Immutable—that is, two things which cannot change! When the Lord utters a promise, He never runs back from it—“the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” Has He said and shall He not do it? Has He promised and shall it not stand fast? He never changes and His promise abides from generation to generation!

Good men DO forget their promises, or find they cannot fulfill those promises.  But God ALWAYS fulfills his promises. What a great truth to teach to the next generation!  And what a great comfort for us living in the uncertainty of disability, disease, and suffering.

Personal note: I have a Kindle and access to the internet about anywhere I go.  But I discovered a small collection of Spurgeon’s sermons in the church library one Sunday between services. What a find! There is definitely still a place for church libraries.

Posted in Sermons, Special Events | Leave a Comment »

“His grace is capable of stupendous feats of love” – John Piper

March 9, 2011 by John Knight

One of the arguments raised in support of abortion is that we can prevent the suffering that comes with disability.  In essence, it is better to destroy a child with disabilities than to let him live a life that may include suffering, for himself and for his family.

There are too many people who believe that lie.

Pastor John goes right at that question in Brothers, We Are Not Professionals (emphasis in bold is mine):

5.  By judging difficult and even tragic human life as a worse evil than taking life, abortionists contradict the wide-spread Biblical teaching that God loves to show His gracious power through suffering and not just by helping people avoid suffering.

This does not mean we should seek suffering for ourselves or for others. But it does mean that suffering is generally portrayed in the Bible as the necessary and God-ordained, though not God-pleasing plight of this fallen world (Rom. 8:20-25; Ezek. 18:32). It is seen as the necessary portion of all who would enter the kingdom (Acts 14:22; 1 Thess. 3:3-4) and live lives of godliness (2 Tim. 3:12). This suffering is never viewed merely as a tragedy.  It is also viewed as a means of growing deep with God and becoming strong in this life (Rom. 5:3-5; James 1:3-4; Heb. 12:3-11; 2 Cor. 1:9; 4:7-12; 12:7-10) and becoming something glorious in the life to come (2 Cor. 4:17; Rom. 8:18).

When abortionists argue that taking life is less evil than the difficulties that will accompany life, they are making themselves wiser than God who teaches us that His grace is capable of stupendous feats of love through the suffering of those who live.

John Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, p. 223.

Personal note: until Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God came out, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals was my favorite Piper book.

Posted in commentary, Scripture | Leave a Comment »

Please pray for the CDG Conference this week

March 8, 2011 by John Knight

On Thursday more than 800 people will be gathering for the 2011 Children Desiring God Conference in Bloomington.  I think nearly 100 are coming from outside the United States!

Please be in prayer for this conference.  We know the enemy of our faith hates the theme of this conference, Holding Fast to the Word of Truth, hates the leaders who are coming, and hates the idea of the next generation learning about the sovereignty of God in all things through the Word.

Yet, it is precisely because it is based on the Word that I have hope it will have lasting impact!  And when leaders (and families) soak in these truths, they are better equipped to deal positively and proactively with families dealing with disability.  So, this isn’t a small thing for us!

The CDG team sent this list of prayer requests for the conference.  Will you join me in praying?

  • Our Plenary Speakers (John Piper, Russell Moore, Kempton Turner, and David Michael) and 26 Seminar Leaders—that their messages will overflow from God’s work in their hearts, bringing honor to Him through His word of truth. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.—Psalm 19:14

  • CDG Team (David, Sally, Jill, Brian, Rachel, Jim, Beth, Sarah, and Karen)—for the Lord’s wisdom and guidance as we prepare, trusting that God can do anything and will provide for all of our needs. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.—2 Corinthians 12:9
  • Our Team of 150+ Volunteers—that the Lord will provide all that they need to serve well in the strength that that He provides. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.— 2 Corinthians 9:8
  • Staff at the Conference hotel and transportation providers—that we can work well together, giving honor to the Lord in all of our interactions before, during, and after the event so that they will be drawn to Him. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.—Matthew 5:16

  • Our Attendees—for those coming from around the U.S. and from other countries. And pray that all of our attendees will be encouraged and equipped to return to their churches and homes to bear kingdom fruit in the hearts of the next generations. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.–2 Corinthians 4:15

Posted in Prayer Requests, Special Events | Leave a Comment »

“He will save you even now!” C.H. Spurgeon

March 7, 2011 by John Knight

A reminder that we should never despair, no matter the circumstance!

From Charles H. Spurgeon in his sermon, Hope in Hopeless Cases, preached in 1868:

The kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, while on earth, was so extensive as to touch the confines both of Heaven and Hell. We see Him at one moment discoursing with Moses and Elijah in His Glory, as though at Heaven’s gates, and lo, in a few hours we see Him confronting a foul spirit, as though defying the infernal pit. There is a long journey from Patriarchs to demons, from Prophets to dumb devils, yet mercy prompts Him and power supports Him so that He is equally glorious in either place!

. . . Our Lord’s transfiguration did not disqualify Him for casting out devils, nor did it make Him feel too sublime and spiritual to grapple with human ills. And so, at this hour, the glories of Heaven do not take Him off from the miseries of earth, nor do they make Him forget the cries and tears of the feeble ones who are seeking Him in this valley of tears. . .

I say again, it is infernal impertinence that has dared to suggest the idea of despair to a sinner! Christ unable to save? It can never be! Christ outdone by Satan and by sin? Impossible! A sinner with too many diseases for the Great Physician to heal? I tell you that if all the diseases of men were met in you, and if all the sins of men were heaped on you, and if blasphemy and murder and fornication and adultery—and every sin that is possible or imaginable had all been committed by you—the precious blood of Jesus Christ, God’s dear Son, could cleanse you from all that! If you will but trust my Master—and He is worthy to be trusted and deserves your confidence—if you will but trust Him, He will save you even now!

Posted in Quotes | 2 Comments »

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