God, Medicine and Miracles

This is a good book by Daniel Fountain that I read this week.  Two weeks ago I met Fountain at a conference up in Wisconsin.  Fountain was a missionary surgeon in Zaire/Congo for 35 years.  He believes in healing for the total person ... body, soul, mind, spirit.  He is past 80 years of age now, but what an interesting man.  I was impressed.  He's smart, thoughtful and robust.

Fountain gives his view of medicine in the book, which includes lots of stories from being a surgeon in the Congo.  What I like about him best is that he is hopeful on the one hand and yet utterly realistic on the other.

Resist the devil, friends, resist!

"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail." Luke 22:31

-----

* The you in Jesus' word to Simon Peter is plural, indicating Satan wanted all the disciples, not just Simon Peter.

* Jesus specifically prayed, "I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one."

* Don't be naive. Satan tries to enter a person's heart.  Here are Peter's word to some early disciples in Acts:  But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?" Acts 5:3

* How to pray about this.  Jesus already told us:  "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

* Therefore, one of the key verses in Lent could not be clearer:  "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." James 4:7

 

Sobering verses during Lent

^{Luke 22}

³ Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. ⁴ And Judas went to the chief priests and the 

officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. 

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have 

prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
 

Job 1

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

I Peter 5

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

-----

 The Word of the Lord...

Engage, work, finish the task

People say, "I'm not sure what God has called me to do."  They wonder about the will of God for their lives.  Jesus, too, sought His Father's will.  He said he only did what he saw the Father doing.  And after 3 years of life and ministry he was able to say these incredible words:

John 17:4

⁴ I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.

The prayer before your feet hit the floor in the morning...

Great British theologian John Stott, turning 90 April 21, and the theologian who shaped my life more than any other, prays this prayer before getting out of bed every morning.  I discovered it more than 20 years ago and found it coming from my lips at 4:30 this morning.

Try it ...

"Good morning, Heavenly Father.  Good morning, Lord Jesus.  Good morning Holy Spirit.  Heavenly Father, I worship you as creator and sustainer of the universe.  Lord Jesus, I worship you as Savior and Lord of the world.  Holy Spirit, I worship as the transformer of the people of God.  Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever, world without end.

"Father, I pray today that I will live in your presence and please you more and more.  Lord Jesus, I pray today that I will take up my cross and follow you.  And Holy Spirit, I pray today that you will fill me with yourself and cause the fruit of your Spirit to ripen in my life -- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

"Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity, three persons in one God, have mercy on me a sinner."

Unbind us today, Lord

^{John 11:44 (English Standard Version)
44}The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

 Lord, unbind us today, freeing us from the fear of the unknown future, the fear of failure, the fear of poverty, the fear of bereavement, the fear of loneliness, the fear of sickness and pain, the fear of age and the fear of death.  Help us, Father, by your grace, to love and fear you only.  Fill our hearts with cheerful courage and loving trust in you.

Deal with sin and move on...

There always will be occasion to take offense ... Always.  It never goes away.  People always will offend us and be offended by us.  It just is ... in this world.  Our forgiveness muscles get tested all the time.  That's the crux of the Jesus message -- forgiveness.

But once we forgive and hold people accountable, as best we can, we move on.  So confront, if need be. Forgive, you must.  Then move on.  Let it go.  If you don't, well, read what Paul said to the Corinthian Church who were facing a similar circumstance(especially verse 10-11)...  

Don't let yourself get outwitted!

2 Corinthians 2 (New International Version, ©2010)

Forgiveness for the Offender

 ⁵ If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. ⁶ The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. ⁷ Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. ⁸ I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. ⁹ Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. ¹⁰ Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, ¹¹ in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.