Okay, this is for the kiddoes but it may be a big help to other readers.

How do I deal with a past hurt? Let's take for example the fella who says, "My parents hurt me when I was a kid, and I still carry the root of bitterness in my heart."

The typical solution is for a well-meaning friend to say that God will work it out for good. He will eventually take the ashes and turn them into beauty, and will eventually turn our mourning into dancing.

Yeah, right. I was born in the morning but it wasn't yesterday morning. All your advice did there was say that God couldn't prevent the hurt from happening to me. So I end up with a secret and hidden, but very real bitterness toward God (who could have prevented it, but didn't), and toward my parents/teacher/friend who actually hurt me. You just made the matter worse.

I talked to an atheist lady once about Jesus. She said that she didn't believe in God. So I asked the question:

"How did He hurt you?"

And she began to cry.

"How could he take my mom away from me? Why would he take a mom from a little girl?"

It's not that she didn't believe in God, she just didn't believe in a God who would hurt her like that. She didn't want to believe in a God who was cruel.

Now listen, I believe that many Christians have a lack luster walk with God because they know that they SHOULD walk with God, but they really don't WANT to because of hidden pains, and unforgiveness toward him. They are not whole-hearted; they "oppose themselves.' (2 Tim 2) They run as fast as they dare after God, but they are afraid to ever really catch him.

"Be not deceived, evil communications corrupt good manners." That is, wrong teaching on this subject has brought about a lot of poor walks with God.

Okay, so what is the biblical way to deal with this situation? It's simple: Thankfulness. That's it.

"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; " (Eph 5)

It's not enough to claim Romans 8:28 and say that 'God will eventually work this for good' and therefore I will be thankful for the result. No, we have to be thankful FOR the thing that hurt us.

I remember taking Evan to the doctor to have a boil on his leg lanced. Ouch. Because of his limited knowledge and understanding, all I could offer him was "TRUST me, honey. This is a good thing." But it hurt. And I hurt for him.

But it was good and necessary. And he trusted me, and I held him down. And I allowed him to be hurt. No, I brought him to the doctor and caused him to be hurt. I did it on purpose.

Now listen, our God is sovereign. He controls all things. He doesn't just ALLOW things to happen to us, he brings them on us. And sometimes they hurt us.

"HOW CRUEL!" you say.

But that is the response of someone who doesn't know that God is good and that I can trust him with everything, for everything, and in everything. He is ALWAYS good, and can always be trusted.

So, next time you are tempted to say, "Why did God allow that happen?" stop yourself and say, "God caused this to happen." But then, with faith in your heart, say, "Thank you. I trust that this is GOOD because it comes from the hand of my loving Father. I don't understand it. I HATE it. I am angry. But, Father, since it is YOU who has done this, then it is good. Thank you."

Sure it will be hard. It will take a lot of faith. It won't feel right to lay such a huge hurt at the feet of God, but it's okay. He can handle it. And he won't get angry with you for doing it.

He always loves you. He always has. He always will.

We usually fail in this faith response. This right here is where we mess up. We doubt that God is good, and rather than trusting him in FAITH, we respond with doubt like the lady who became an atheist. We turn away because we don't trust him anymore.

But God loves you. He always has. He always will.

Trust him.

Thank him.

That's it.

The Haven of Rest is a church-supported ministry to people who are homeless. It is a wonderful ministry. I had been asked to preach there one evening, and so I was sitting on the platform waiting for the song service to finish.

Actually, waiting is too calm of a word. I was fidgeting ... very calmly. Ever heard the one about the duck who is peaceful on the top but paddling like mad underneath? That was me. I was on the platform about to preach to a hundred strangers, and I had no idea what I was going to say!

As the song service came to a close, I walked 'confidently' to the podium. Sometimes you just have to do these things by faith. I opened my Bible to Isaiah 53, and began to speak at verse 1.

Soon I was preaching the Cross of Jesus in the flowing river of the Spirit of God. God took over. I don't even remember what I said.

When I finished, I gave an invitation. Probably 8 or 9 people came forward, several for salvation. I was told later that the women who came from the back rows were very hardened to the gospel, but even some of them came forward to get saved!

Among those at the altar was a man in his mid-thirties. I prayed for him, and then he started to walk away.

"Wait a minute," I said, "come here for a second."

When he did, I put my arms around him and hugged him like he was a prodigal son coming home. He began to cry. And cry.

He told me, "I've been asking God for a hug all day, and he just gave it to me."

Turns out the fella was a Bible school graduate who was going through some pretty awful marital problems. He didn't know where to turn, and had ended up at the Haven of Rest. He really needed to know that God had not abandoned him.

And apparently he hadn't! He sent me there to show him the love of God!

"The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms:" Deut 33:27

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I used to work with Child Evangelism Fellowship all over the city. I led clubs myself, but I was also a helper. Mainly, I was the puppet guy.

I had a little African-American puppet named Tyrone who was on loan for the summer. I had so much fun with him! He liked to do an imitation of Michael Jackson complete with sequined glove and black hat. Once, he did a Karate Kid imitation wearing a white karate outfit. Mostly, he just sang songs (badly), and joked with the kids.

One day, I went to my mailbox at the church. Technically, it was the mailbox for the youth ministry...but that was me most of the time, so it was my mailbox :) Anyway, there was a flyer for a Puppet Ministry School in the mailbox. How cool.

And, they were going to give away a professional puppet!

I prayed a very quick prayer, "Lord, we could really use that puppet in the ministry, but make sure that it goes to the folks who need it the most. And Lord, I'm only asking this once, so if it's for me, I'd like to have it. Thank you."

Weeks passed, and eventually the day of the Puppet School arrived.

There must have been 300 people there! I was sitting in the front row (because I'm a geek, and always sit in the front row; a good habit that I developed in school). We were all holding on to our tickets until the the give away at the end of the night. When the time came, they brought out a pretty girl puppet. They drew a ticket from a hat, and ...

It wasn't mine.

Yep. That stunk.

But I had asked the Lord that they give the puppet to the ministry that needed it most.

"There are so many of you here today, that we have decided to give away a second puppet."

Really!?!

And the puppet fella walked over to ME, and stuck the hat right in front of me.

"Draw a ticket."

I did.

"Please read it loud enough for everyone to hear."

I read the numbers out loud, and smiled.

"It's my number," I said.

He didn't believe me. I showed him my ticket alongside of the other one. It was mine.

I was so excited! My first real answer to prayer. A professional puppet with break-away legs, and they even threw in a pair of puppeteering bracelets and sticks so that I could move his hands.

I named him Isaac because he came to me through faith.

Isn't the Lord awesome?

Every Christian is centered on something, and not necessarily on Christ.

There are 3 usual centers for the Christian. These are: the Lord Jesus Christ himself as a living, resurrected Saviour, the local Church, or the Scriptures.

1) How can you tell if a Christian is focused on the Scriptures?

They look and act like the Pharisees. The keeping of the commandments is more important than people. They walk by the rule of "Thou shalt not" instead of the Law of Love. They have an invisible rule book that is always with them, and they refer to it often. They will let you know when YOU have transgressed, but they often transgress themselves in other more important ways (which they refuse to talk about). These sorts are always smiling on the outside, but always frustrated on the inside. They see God as having a giant spanking spoon that hovers continually over them, ready to administer the proper punishment.

Now, we ought to be lovers of the Book, and studiers of the Book. I am not saying that we shouldn't be. What I am saying, is there are some who have substituted the Bible for the Lord. They worship the word, not the Word.

Jesus addresses this crowd in John 5:39, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

Eternal life is not in the Book, it is in the Son (1 John 5). The Bible was given to bring us to the Saviour. The Law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (Galatians).



2) Then there are those who are focused on the Church.

This type is closely linked to the first type. Their church is the center of their existence. They won't miss a single church service, but they will miss their children's birthday parties. They won't miss Saturday morning visitation, but they will miss making pancakes with their family every Saturday. They believe that revival is 'more people coming to church,' and they count heads on special days, and keep records that they hope to beat the following year.

Sure, they'll tell you that their interest in the church is because they're interested in people, but those people closest to them are farthest from them. They yell at their children every Sunday morning: "Get dressed!" "Hurry up!" "C'mon!" Their voices are angry as they yell at the ones whom God has given them to love and cherish, while on their way to their beloved church.

The truth is, they are impatient with people who get in the way of their trying to please God.

This is very backwards to the plan of God! The family came before the church (Genesis comes before the Gospels).


3) Those who are Jesus centered.

These folks are gracious to others because they know that the Lord is in control. They have liberty to live in the wonderful acceptance of God, and they do. They have friends outside of the church. They can talk about things outside of the Scriptures. They have peace.

They are in no hurry to check off the items of a religious checklist.

Didn't Jesus take care of that list anyway?

If they have to take their child to a Sunday morning doctor's appointment (like when Evan broke his elbow), they don't worry about it. God doesn't need them to carry on with the church service. And there is no condemnation for missing church, because they are walking according to the law of love.

These people talk about fellowshipping with Jesus in a very real way that makes the religious person uncomfortable. They talk about answers to prayers, and the presence of the God, and the gifts of the Spirit, much to the consternation of those who are seeking God with all their strength, but who have never learned to rest in the strength of God.

They are the prodigals who know they are prodigals, but who have come home to fatted calves and music and dancing. And their religious older brothers are angry at their joy (aren't they more worthy?).

Jesus centered people are all about grace and liberty, and love and joy. And whole-hearted worship. They raise their hands, they dance, they rejoice and make fools of themselves in loving their Saviour.

The religious man doesn't get it. The local church folks don't get it.

And that is Okay!! LOL

The Lord called me to go to Bible College.

But I didn't have the money.

Now, this particular college was a smaller college, and they didn't charge any fees except for books and insurance. I needed $500 each semester.

I can remember my Uncle pulling me aside and saying that he wanted to give me part of his Christmas bonus; that paid for one semester.

I can remember a friend pulling me aside and giving me a check. "This is for you." Another check for $500.

On and on it went. Two semesters my first year. Two semesters my second year. One semester my third year. And then I was on my last semester.

The money was due in a week, and I didn't have any of it. But I wasn't worried at all. I was just watching. How was my Father going to pay this time?

He never spoke to TWO people during the same semester. I mean, it wasn't like a semester would come and I'd get three $500 checks, and then another semester would come and I wouldn't get any.

No, it was one semester = one check.

So, three days before the last payment was due, the phone rang. It was a friend of my mother. She wanted to meet with me and my brother (who was also going to the same school, and who was also broke). I said, "This is it."

She asked if she could meet us for lunch at a restaurant.

"Sure thing."

And after lunch? She gave us each checks for $500.

God is the God of Provision.

No doubt about it.

Every once in awhile I start writing down answers to prayers, but then I usually have so many of them that I forget to write anything down. Here is a list that I have in the back of my Bible for 2005 and 2006.

- April 2005 New lawn mower. I needed to mow the lawn but I didn't have a mower. I prayed and asked the Lord for one. Then I called my brother to borrow his in the meantime. He told me that he had just purchased a fancy new one, and that I could have his old one. It just needed a new part. He gave me the part too. I used it up until I gave it away in August of this year (2009).

- Unk date. Becky and I were down in southern Ohio at a church meeting. At the time, we were missionaries raising support to go to Sri Lanka. The meeting lasted all week. On the next to last day, we realized that we had figured our bank account wrong; we had no money to get home. We prayed to our Daddy to take care of his children. The next morning at breakfast I was sitting across from another missionary. We started swapping stories about God's provision. He mentioned going to a church with no money left to get home. I laughed and told him that my wife were currently in that exact position. He looked at me, and then reached into his wallet. He gave me a $100 bill. Then he said, "I was in that exact same position about a year ago. The Lord took care of me then, and I told him that I wanted to do the same for somebody this year. I have been carrying that $100 bill around since Sunday asking God who he wanted me to give it to, and he just showed me."

- June 17, 05 We had $0 money in the bank, and the gas tank was on E. We prayed and a relative came over and gave us $20 (without us asking).

- June 26, 05 Still without any money, the summer was getting hotter. We needed an air conditioned really badly. $200 came in the mail from a church that we knew. Praise God!

- July 8, 05 I forget why, but I needed to go to Bowling Green on Sunday (probably missionary stuff). I asked the Lord for $20 on July 7th, and $25 came in the mail the next day.

- July 05 Our church gave me a job watching the new church construction site. I was basically the night watchman. They paid me $10/hr. What a blessing during this time. (Becca was very, very sick with our 2nd pregnancy, and I wasn't able to work because I was taking care of her.)

- Nov 10, 05 Evan Charlie was born 4 weeks early and weighed 8 lbs 11 oz!!

- Our church fixed our car 3 times!

- March 3, 05 Still struggling financially. Rent was due. Grandpa called out of the blue and told us that we didn't have to pay that month! We had been praying so hard, and this was a huge miracle for us.

- Evan's belly button hernia is healing up great.

- LOL I got a speeding ticket for going thru a school zone. I still don't know where this school is at! The ticket came in the mail. It was for $35. Funny thing is my sister just gave me $40. (Don't think of it as a blessing robbed; think of it as a need provided for!)

- March 18, 06 Went to visit Grandma. She gave us $270, so we were able to pay insurance on the last day!

- April 28, 06 We didn't have any money for diapers for Aidan. A friend bought some and brought them over to us.

- May 11, 06 I had been praying to win a soul to the Lord. A friend of mine and I were at Giant Eagle, when a kid came up to us asking for a ride into the next town. He needed to catch a Greyhound bus. It was 1/2 hr drive, but we said sure. I started talking to him about the Lord, and when we got to the bus station, he prayed and asked the Lord to save him. (Note: I asked him, would you like to ask Jesus to be your Saviour? He was very excited about the idea and said something like, YEAH! Can I do it now?) Awesome.

- May 14, 06 Went to Camp Meeting. I asked God for 2 things: for a bottom floor room, and for our extra night to be paid for. He did both.

- May 20, 06 Needed Pedialyte for Aidan and Gatorade for Becca. No money. God provided.

- May 25, 06 Needed diapers again for Aidan. Grandma provided the money.

- May 25, 06 We had thrown out our couch a week or so before because mice had gotten into the house, and were living in the couch. Gross!! We asked God for a new couch. Out of nowhere, my Uncle bought a new couch for Grandma...and she gave us hers. We still have it today.

- July 12, 06 Becca's teeth were really bad after the pregnancy. She had x-rays done showing she needed root canals all around her mouth. A couple of weeks ago, I anointed her with oil. Today, the x-rays showed no cavities on the left side of her mouth. They'd all been healed! (The right side was a different story, but Becca asked the Lord NOT to heal the ones on the right side so that she would have a reminded to take better care of her teeth.)

- July 19, 06 One of my favorites. We did not have a refrigerator that worked. We had gone all winter using the porch as a frig LOL We had a 'frig but it didn't work well. We went to Home Depot to put one on a credit card. The card was denied. Rather than be upset, I looked at Becca and said, "God is doing something. He wants to do something different." That night at church, the pastor said that they were closing down the child daycare wing of the building. There were some things there that people could take if they wanted. The first thing he said was a refrigerator! I ran right up and asked for it. And we had it until we moved and gave it away in August 09.

- July 23, 06 Becca told me that "we're almost out of baby food." Within 5 minutes, my mother showed up and asked if the kids needed anything. Wow.

- August 5, 06 This meant a lot to me. Aidan was just a little guy, and he was constipated. He hated suppositories, and I had promised him that I would never give one to him again. But here he was in the same situation again. I prayed for him, and asked Jesus to take care of it. The next day, he pooped 4x. That was so huge for me at the time.

- October 06 Another of my favorites. I was driving down the road talking to Jesus. He was in the passenger seat, and I was talking away. He was so real, so close,... I decided to take advantage, and said, "Lord, would you put new tires on our car?" They were really bare. POP!!
The left front tire exploded as soon as I had asked. I laughed! God has a sense of humor. I put on the spare and drove home. "Becca," I asked, "Do you believe in coincidences?" "No," she said, not knowing where I was going with it. I told her what had happened. Then I said, "God is going to give us new tires!" I was so excited! Well, within 8 days, word had spread of the blow-out and my sister paid to put new tires on the car! Thanks to her and to Jesus!

- Well, I have to get to bed, but I have time for one more. It was autumn, and the leaves were piled up all over our yard. The City had signs up saying that they were collecting leaves the next morning. I didn't have a rake, or the energy to do our huge yard. I prayed, "Lord, I need about $50 to buy a leaf blower, and a check won't do; I need cash!" I went over to the mailbox, and a letter was inside with $500 in cash inside. WHAT!? Praise the Lord! We went shopping, bought a coat for Aidan, and a leaf blower for me.

There are many, many, many specific answers to prayer that I could record. Maybe I'll put some more in the blog later. But here is a verse for you, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you." Answered prayer is conditional upon walking in the Spirit, and hiding God's word in your heart.

I just emailed this to a gentleman who believes that Matthew 24 does not apply to today's believer.

I had stated that I believed the Rapture was AFTER the Tribulation (which is a reference to Matt. 24:29, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days ...") Read it. It's AWESOME!!


Anyway, he said that what Jesus said in Matthew 24 was NOT for me today. It was for Israel.

Well, I Tim 6:3 says, "If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ,..." You can't just dismiss the words of Jesus that quickly.

This is an excellent example of what I talked about in 'Dispensational Dishonesty.' Not that he was being dishonest, but he has picked it up from somebody else, who picked it up from somebody else, ...ad nauseum...and nobody has bothered to read the Scriptures on it.

Here is what I responded. May it be a help to you:

You are correct. If you don't get Israel right, you don't get Scripture right.

Check out Mark Webb's "Parable of Two Trains."

http://www.imperishableinheritance.com/2006/the-parable-of-the-two-trains/

This is what I believe, more or less. There is a smooth transition between the Old to the New Covenants. The trains are different, but the passengers are the same. The passengers have merely switched trains.

Abraham was saved by faith (Rom 4). David was also. But how can that be? As Spurgeon says, "Jesus is the Saviour of the body (Eph 5:23), and besides which I know not that he is the Saviour of any other." Spurgeon believed that the OT saints were members of the same body as the NT saints!

If Jesus is the Saviour of only the Body, and Abraham was saved, then Abraham is part of the Body.

What I believe is plainly laid in Scripture:

Example #1: Jesus said in John 10:16 "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold [a fold existing before the Cross!]: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." He had the Jewish fold. He had other sheep of the Gentile fold. The Gentile fold he would bring and add to his Jewish fold, and there would be one fold. This was spoken BEFORE the Cross! The Gentiles would be added to the flock that existed before the Cross.

Example #2: Paul said in Romans 11 that the Gentiles are a wild olive tree. This new tree does NOT replace the old olive tree, but is grafted into old olive tree; it is PART OF IT, not a replacement for it! "And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;" Now the Tree itself is Christ ("I am the vine"). The believing OT branches were NOT broken off, only the non-believing branches. To these were added new branches - the Gentiles of the NT. SO we are members of the SAME TREE, we have the SAME ROOT.

Example #3: Paul says that we Gentiles are built upon a building that includes the apostles and prophets. Christ was their foundation, and he is ours as well.

Same foundation. Same root. Same building. Same flock.

Haven't you ever wondered why the New Jerusalem has foundations named after the 12 apostles (New Testament) but gates names after the 12 tribes (Old Testament)? John Bunyan (author of Pilgrim's Progress) stated that this was clear evidence that the OT saints and NT saints were of one body, one bride. I agree with him.


Because you have separated Israel from YOURSELF, you miss the point that Matthew 24 applies to you.

But Matthew 24 discusses the fate of the 'elect' of God. Who are the 'elect'? Old Testament believers? Yes. But also, New Testament believers:

1. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?
2. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,
3.Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes,
etc.

Paul tells us again: "But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter" (Rom 2) and again "For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: " (Rom 9)

This is not Replacement Theology. We don't take the place of Israel; we are joined to them.

With this in mind, you can see why the OT saints had to wait in Abraham's Bosom until the Cross. They were not suited for heaven until after the Cross. Or as Paul says in Hebrews "That they without us should not be made perfect." But if they were made 'perfect' after the Cross, just like us, then what separates them from us?

I urge you to re-think and re-study your position.

I hope I haven't offended you in anyway. That was not my purpose. I just love to teach people the word of God, and at times I'm like a fire hose...hope I didn't put too much in here! LOL

Amen.