Personal Grief

Normally, I don't put a post together unless I have time to research the Scriptures and organize my thoughts. This is why I post only once every three months typically, because a one page post takes like three hours to do. What can I say, I blog like I preach... hours of work for a quick delivery.

Anyway, my wife and I have begun a trying time in our lives and I wanted to offer some hope and understanding to others based on the beliefs and values we hold in our understanding of God's word. You see, we were expecting our fourth child, until last Wednesday when my wife suffered a miscarriage. There are so many things that people try to bombard you with when you are grieving, but it has been our faith and our love for each other that has been our comfort in this time. In regards to our faith:

1. We believe that we will see our baby again some day. It was David that mourned over the child he had with Bathsheba until the child died. After the child died, David expressed that he could do no more for the child in this world, and he could only hope to see him in the next. We believe that life begins at conception. This is why we don't agree with abortion and why we grieve the loss of our baby (not our fetus). We also believe that those who are not able to understand the message of the Scriptures are not held accountable to their truths (this is known as the Age of Accountability). These precious little ones were ones that Jesus died for, and we believe in his merciful love. Paul in Romans supports this belief by expressing that God condemns those who have the ability to perceive God's existence but deny it. What baby is capable of such a thought?

2. We have three other blessings of God. This recent loss and the bonding that our family has felt (yes our children had their time of grief too) has shown us the power of God's love to carry us through difficult times. Children are a blessing, and we were overjoyed at the prospect of adding another one, now we are comforted at knowing that He has our little one, and we still have the rest of ours.

3. This happened because we live in a fallen/sinful world. We did not commit a major sin or blasphemy to bring this about, although we still struggle with sins in our lives. Also, God did not "take our baby" to teach us a lesson, nor was this in any way a direct result of His will and activity in our lives. God's plans are intended to prosper us (As he tells Jeremiah) and children are a blessing from Him. He views each person as a special creative act (Psalm 139, Jeremiah) and does not intend suffering and pain for His beloved children. There is no need to understand why it happened (unless it becomes a recurring medical issue) because God will work in us and through us for our greatest good from this unfortunate circumstance. God was in control of the whole situation and gave us peace and comfort. He did not, however, micromanage the affair.

4. And finally, God's love is not compromised because this "bad thing" happened to us. God allowed such a thing to happen because He loves everybody. He does not protect his children from bad things unless that bad thing is bad for them. Otherwise, He lets the rain fall where it will on good or bad, and He makes Himself available to comfort and bless His children who must go through the trying times. Trials in life will make us stronger in our faith, if we let the comforting presences of our Lord draw near to us. For my wife and me, this has been a time of His amazing presence. I personally, have felt a peace in my life that truly surpasses human understanding. In all truth, God's love is more clear and real to me now than it has been at any other time.

The loss of our baby has been a deep tragedy. We have mourned and we woke up this morning and we worshiped God. Life moves always forward to that day when Christ will return for His followers. In that day, we will be fulfilled in the hope that we have of our lost little one. Until that day, we press on... because we can through Him (Phil 3:14, 4:13).

Thanks for listening,

Pastor Ryan

In this corner.... controversy

I now pronounce you man and man? Really?! I know that I haven't written on this blog in a while, I am a once every 3 months blogger... but I am sick of seeing Christians debate gay marriage like it's only a social issue, and not a spiritual issue. So, now I'd like to weigh in with both philosophical and spiritual considerations.

First, let me say that the Bible is more important to us than any other source of truth. We cannot trust our feelings and need to stop making judgements based on what seems to be right. That shows our ignorance to Satan's devices. After all, Satan utilized the Scriptures to try and tempt Jesus to do his will rather than to do God's will. In many ways, Christians are letting social media decide for them. So what does the Bible say?

Start in Genesis chapter 2. Adam says, "This in now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." Translation (for those of you who don't quite see the relevance): Woman was created especially for man and the institution of marriage was based on the order and purpose God made for it. It was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. It is hard to determine that this order of man and wife, can be equally applied to man and husband or woman and wife.

Move on to Genesis 19:4-5. If God was OK with homosexual relations, why would his angels have objected to the men of Sodom's request to have relations with them. More importantly, why did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if not in part because of their rampant homosexuality?

Let's now go to Romans 1:26-27. Homosexuality is termed "degrading passions" and "abandoned the natural function" and "committing indecent acts." They received in their own persons the due penalty of their error (sin). Point blank Christians, Homosexuality is a sin. It is a willful choice of lifestyle and it disobeys the order of God's creation, His law (Leviticus 18:22), and the teachings for His church. In that process alone, gay marriage is wrong.

Even with that, look at the error in the world's philosophy regarding gay marriage. They have adopted an amoral approach (it's right for those who believe in it). It is this same amoral approach that has determined that evolution is the explanation for all life on the planet. Now... according to the main tenets of evolution, survival is of the fittest. Ok, so if humans engage in sexual acts that cannot in any biological manner produce a child, doesn't that mean that they are not fit to survive? But instead, society says that we should give them children to raise even though their very lifestyle is set to determine a non-propogating system. I mean, really, society has so lost its senses that it is considered biased and close-minded to be opposed to gay marriage. So, I'm biased and close-minded. But, the Bible tells us the biggest truth about this... "We ought to obey God, rather than men."

If you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to drop a comment at any time. Take care everyone, and keep your eyes on Jesus.

Blessings,

Ryan