Even a quick glance at the news on our phones or on TV, or a few minutes of scrolling on our favorite social media site can rattle our nerves. There is so much to be worried about, so much uncertainly. We worry about our nation, our community, and those in our family. The stress can keep us up at night and anxious all day. But there is a place of peace for us in this world.
Anxiety is acknowledged in the Bible, it’s a natural human emotion. But God doesn’t want us to be over-anxious. He wants us to have peace in our lives. The Bible tells us that “Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.”
In the Bible God has some good advice for us to reduce anxiety and worry. He puts it this way:
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
Wow, this really puts in perspective! Not only does God care for me, he doesn’t want me to worry. In fact, God says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” I don’t know about you but I don’t hear that very often.
As we get to know God, we can feel His peace and presence. Our God is one who loves us and wants the best for us. As we read the Bible, and get to know God as we read, His peace is ours to receive, feely given. You don’t have to go to church to experience this peace, but it sure helps. Your local church is a place of refuge, of healing, of belonging, a place where you can hear about God and grow in your faith. A place where you are accepted. Get connected and find your place of peace in our crazy world.
Why do good things happen to bad people?
Ah, the age-old question, along with its reverse question, why do bad things happen to good people. As a pastor I get these questions a lot.
The short answer is, we don’t fully know why. The prophet Jeremiah asked, “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts.”
Job struggled similarly: “Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?” I always ask, why is it the bad driver on Route 9 who cuts me off is driving a MUCH nicer car than I am?
Well, the Bible does have some answers for us. It’s not a simple answer, and because we cannot fully understand the ways of God, we cannot fully answer that question. But we can get some insights if we look into the Bible, which is God’s way of speaking to us.
God is a good God, who loves all of us. That may be hard to believe when we see all the suffering in the world, but it’s true. The human desire is that the bad people get their comeuppance, and pay the price for their bad ways. But God sees us differently. We are all His children, and he wants the best for us. He is just as upset when a child goes bad as we are when our own children misbehave.
I have found it helpful to remind myself, why do I envy the wicked? They may have nicer cars, bigger houses, more money than I do, but then I think that all those things will be left behind when I die. The same goes for the wicked people – they can’t take it with them. Keeping our focus on Jesus helps with what we see as injustices in the world.
Sometimes we have to take a heavenly perspective, as God does. There’s a song that goes, “my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” This refers to the fact that through Jesus’s death on the cross, as he paid the price for my sins because he loves me that much, I have an inheritance waiting for me in heaven. While the wicked may proper for a short time her eon earth, God offers me an eternity of riches in heaven. God has made a way for me to live with him in heaven – he forgives me if I believe that Jesus paid the price for my crimes, rather than me having to pay that price.
So in the end, it is God who may allow the wicked to prosper, for his purposes that we cannot understand. After all God is God and He can do what He wants. One thing I do know, is that God loves me and has a fortune beyond measure waiting for me, if I just believe.
What the Bible teaches about the role of women in the church
There is much controversy over how things should be interpreted in the Bible, and the writings on this subject are no exception.
This is not an issue of man vs. woman; it is more a matter of interpretation. In both the Old and New Testaments there are women in positions of authority, women who were important parts of God’s plans. There are men and women who believe the Bible teaches that women should not have authority over men, and men and women who interpret the opposite.
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul writes about restricting women in certain roles in the church. Many believe he was addressing certain very specific cultural and relational issues in those churches at that time. But Paul also writes extensively about women in the church filling the role of deacon. Phoebe is mentioned several times as a deacon (leader) in the church. These instances of women filling leadership roles in the Bible should be taken as a divinely approved pattern, not as exceptions to divine decrees. Even a limited number of women with scripturally commended leadership roles affirm that God does indeed call women to spiritual leadership.
Paul gave some specific restrictions to women in the church in Corinth, but it can be taken that he was addressing very specific issues of the day in that church. This is born out by his many other references to women in ministry.
Other scriptures refer to man being above women, or women coming from men and therefore under them. It is true that God has a natural order to the world, and has gifted both individually and according to gender. This should not be construed to restrict women for positions of leadership in our church.
We are aware that the ministry and leadership of women are not accepted by some individuals, both within and outside the Christian community. Our fellowship (the Assemblies Of God) condemns all prejudice and self-promotion, by men or women. The existence of bigotry against women in our world, and all too often in the church, cannot be denied. But there is no place for such an attitude in the body of Christ.
Monmouth Worship Center is a very diverse church. There are women in positions of pastoral leadership, women on the board of deacons, and women leading worship and teaching classes. Our eyes are on the individual gifts of our people and God’s call on their lives rather than ethnicity or gender.