When Cooperation Means Compromise

By Jeff Curtis

According to Ezra 4:1-4, the people of the land offered to help the Jews rebuild the temple; “Let us build with you, for we, like you, seek your God; and we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria.” The leaders of the Jews replied, “You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God.” In other words, they said, “No thanks!”

Why would the Jewish leaders so summarily dismiss what appeared to be a neighborly gesture from fellow believers? Several answers are possible, but the main reason undoubtedly was that they believed cooperation with their “enemies” (4:1) would result in compromising their faith.

Associating with these polytheists could lead them into idolatry, into worshiping their gods. Therefore, “no” was the only proper answer.

Sometimes today, as well, Christians must make choices that seem to be unfriendly. If people who share some of their beliefs, but who also teach false doctrines, seek to cooperate with them, sometimes they must say, “No.” The problem is that cooperation can lead to compromise. For God’s people, it is more important to stand for the truth and stand against error than to accept others and their beliefs uncritically.

The Lord is Near to the Brokenhearted

by Jesse A. Flowers

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Ps. 34:18, ESV).

Have you ever been brokenhearted and crushed in your spirit? Perhaps you are presently. It is likely that most who are reading this have experienced such at least once if not multiple times in their life. If you have lost your spouse, a child, another close family member, a dear friend, then you know what it is like to have a broken heart and a crushed spirit. If you have experienced betrayal in someone that you placed your total trust and confidence in, then you felt the deep pain of a broken heart and a crushed spirit. Perhaps it happened to you when you, a loved one, or friend received the dreaded news of a terminal illness. Or maybe it occurred when you went through quarrels, strife, and division in a local church. For too many spouses it happens when their marriages fail and end in divorce. For too many parents it happens when their children rebel against the Lord and His will.

And there are certainly many other hardships and tribulations in this life that will lead one to be brokenhearted and crushed in spirit. But regardless of the cause, we must always remember that the Lord is near to us in such emotional and trying times. He loves us so much. He cares for us deeply. He is the God of all comfort. He implores us in His Word to come boldly to His throne of grace “that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). He promises to never leave us nor forsake us. If we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. So, when you find yourself in circumstances that leave you brokenhearted and crushed in spirit, remember the Lord is there, He is close by, and He will never leave your side or abandon you. He is our rock, our refuge, our fortress, our deliver, our strength, and our salvation. May we say with David, “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings, I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by” (Ps. 57:1).

Tempted and Tried

By Jeff Curtis

As we travel this life we are confronted constantly by trials. Some are trials of the spirit, some are financial, some are mental, some affect us not because of a personal connection, but because they are what we see in society and how far we see it moving away from God.

James tells us in James 1: 2-4; “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

There is a preacher that is suffering from ALS, Lou Gerhig’s Disease. There isn’t a cure for this disease. He knows that he is going to die from this disease. This is a recent post on his view of his situation. His name is Matthew Bassford.

“Breathing

     Yesterday was not a good breathing day for me. As I was taking my evening pills, some of the water went down the wrong pipe and caused a bronchospasm. It wasn't a bad one as such things go; I could still breathe somewhat and never felt like I was going to die. However, the experience still was not one to celebrate.

     The night brought its own challenges. I can no longer turn over in bed, so I sleep only on my back. I used to be able to turn my head from side to side, but now when my head is turned, it constricts my airway so much that I struggle to breathe.

     Consequently, my night followed a dreary pattern. I would drift off to sleep facing the ceiling. After I fell asleep, my head would slump to the side. I would wake up fighting for breath, but after I held my head upright for a while, my breathing would settle down. I would relax, go back to sleep, and begin the cycle again. I endured this for as long as I could, but about 5:30, I woke up Lauren and had her exchange my pillow for a neck pillow that kept my head stable.

     I know that these problems will only get worse. Indeed, I most likely will die because I can't breathe anymore. I'm cheering for CO2 narcosis, which is a fairly kind way to go gentle into that good night. However, I may simply suffocate.

     I've been thinking a lot recently about Pascal's Wager. In essence, Pascal argued that it is better to be a believer than an unbeliever because of the consequences of each choice. If you are a believer and are wrong, you die the same death as the unbeliever, who will never even know that he was right. On the other hand, if you reject God and are wrong, your mistake will cause you to suffer eternally in hell.

     Here, as I so often do these days, I have come to experientially grasp something that I always have believed was true. Jesus warns us not to fear those who can destroy the body. Instead, we must fear Him who can destroy both body and soul in hell.

     I'm willing to face death. It's not like I have a choice anyway, and I think that by the time I die, dying will seem better than living to me. I'm reassured that the capacity of the human body to endure suffering is finite. I will only have to put up with late-stage ALS for so long.

     Hell, though? The thought sets my teeth on edge. I really, really, really don't want to go to hell.

     The Bible offers us several different ways to understand the experience of hell. Hell is darkness. Hell is fire. Hell is worms.

I have a new yardstick now. How about hell as not being able to breathe? For me, hell is a bronchospasm, a bad one, that goes on and on because you don't get to die. At that thought, I feel the fear of God in my very bones.

     All of us have one shot to avoid that unthinkable fate. We cannot save ourselves by being good people, by heaping up good works that show that we don't deserve to go to hell. Instead, our only hope lies in faithfulness to Christ.

     These days, I don't have much interest in bargaining with Jesus. I don't want to figure out how little faithfulness I can get away with. Games like that belong to people who don't really understand suffering, don’t really think they're going to die, and don't really get what is at stake. Such illusions are a luxury I can no longer afford.

     Instead, I serve Him with the tenacity of the desperate. Whatever He asks, fine. Whatever He wants, fine. I am not going to ask impertinent questions like why I must suffer so, or how a loving God can condemn sinners to hell. I will cling to Him with hands, arms, legs, teeth, toenails, everything I've got. Hell is that terrifying, and the salvation from hell that He offers is that great.”