GIVING THANKS IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING
By Mike Andrews
One of the most important things we must do when we suffer is to give thanks. I don't say this lightly knowing that many believers have endured unimaginable pain and tragedy thoughout their lives. It's in our sufferings that the Scriptures reveal that giving thanks in the midst of agony and affliction is certainly not easy to do. Yet Ephesians 5:20 tells us we should give thanks "always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul echoes this in 1 Thess 5:18 where he says to "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Giving thanks helps us to focus on God in our affliction, steers us away from complaining, strengthens our faith and brings glory to Jesus. Thomas Brooks wrote, "A gracious soul may look through the darkest cloud and see God smiling on him." Again, is this easy? No, but there are many things we can give thanks for when we go through seasons of suffering; because ultimately they are for His glory and our good.. Here are twelve reminders that I try to ponder on as I go through seasons of suffering and affliction.
1) That God is sovereign and in complete control of the intensity and the duration of your affliction. "I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose" Is 46:9-10
2) That God's love and mercies never cease. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lam 3:22-23
3) That Jesus will never leave nor forsake you. "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Heb 13:5
4) That God is with you in your affliction "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you." Isaiah 43:2
5) That God hears your every prayer. "The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry." Ps 34:15
"When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles." Ps 34:17
6) That God is using this affliction to make you like Christ. "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." Romans 8:28-29
7) That this affliction is momentary and light compared to the eternal reward it is producing. "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison..." 2 Cor 4:17
8) That Jesus is your sympathetic High Priest who intercedes for you constantly. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." Heb 4:15
"Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." Heb 7:25
9) That God is near you in your pain. "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18
10) That Jesus is your refuge, strength, and strong tower you can run to. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1,"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe." Prov 18:10
11) That God has saved you, washed away your sins, and adopted you as his own child. "Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." Romans 4:7
12) That someday Jesus will wipe away every tear from your eyes and you will see his glorious face. "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." Rev 21:4
UNWAVERING CERTAINTY
By Burk Parsons
Of the many popular sayings that emerged in 2020, there is one saying that I disliked more than the rest: “We are living in uncertain times.” Advertisers seemed to like this phrase the most, especially if they could get us to try to find comfort in their products. We can certainly appreciate the sentiment of such a phrase, but as Christians we know that we are never living in uncertain times. That is because we know that all times, good times and hard times alike, are in God’s hands (see Ps. 31:15). Even as we live amid all the uncertainties of life, we know that God ordains all things, and He does so for our ultimate good and His ultimate glory. Thus, we cling to this precious promise: “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).
Believing the truth about God’s sovereignty and providence, His omnipotence and righteousness, doesn’t mean that we will always understand precisely what God is showing us or how He is working to conform us to the image of His Son. But we can be certain of this: the Lord is always teaching us to trust Him more completely, to love Him more fervently, and to depend on Him more fully. When He does this, He deepens our confidence in Him and fortifies our convictions about Him, which leads us to possess greater certainty in a world filled with uncertainties, fears, and anxieties.
Therefore, we Christians are a bold and confident people with unchanging convictions and certainty about who we are, who God is, and what we believe. The unbelieving world, however, revels in uncertainty. The more uncertain someone is about God and His truth, the more sophisticated and cultured he is considered. This is one more reason for the world to hate us. The world hates the truth and hates all those who are certain of the truth. Thus, many unbelievers see our unwavering certainty and conclude that we are filled with pride and arrogance. Yet our certainty ought to lead us to be the most gracious and humble people in all the world, for it returns our gaze to the One who is sovereign over all. As we proclaim the gospel to the world, by God’s grace, may many come to share our certainty and our trust in the unchanging God on whom we can always depend.
Our ultimate desire at Calvary Baptist Church is first and foremost to bring glory and praise to the Sovereign LORD [Father, Son, & Holy Spirit] and to raise up mature believers so that we can fulfill the Great Commission. We will seek to achieve this by following the guidelines that God has put in place for prayer, worship, communion, Christian fellowship, Bible Study, and most of all the expository teaching of God's Word. We desire to provide the proper teaching of God's Word so that fellow believers can grow together and edify one another with love and compassion.
Please come, and join us, as we look into how God has composed a unique storyfor each of our lives.CBC is a place to call home as we ......Magnify the Lord, Mature the Believers, Make prayer a priority, Meet the lost with Christ
Our Church Service Time @ 9:30am.
Bible Study, Wednesday Nights @ 6:30pm
We now broadcast on 97.5FM in your car or home, for those who are unable to come in person. We do encourgage you to attend if possible first!
We are located @
148 Queen Street,
Killaloe Ontario
613-757-1618
