Behind again. In these strange days it is easy to lose track of time. Both of the last two midweek meetings have again been on zoom and have gone okay. For one we looked at James 1:4-6 in a head on confrontation of the situation - Count it pure joy in this trail knowing it feeds perseverance. The second was a more oblique approach looking at Acts 11:24 and Barnabas. That was inspired but not based on a sermon I read recently by Andrew Fuller. The prayer times were okay though a little slow to get going the second time.
Extract 1
Facing
this trial then - it is part of the warp and weft of much of our life
in Christ.
In the Geneva Catechism Calvin wrote this
The greatest need which a man ever
has of the spiritual doctrine of our Lord is when his hand visits him
with afflictions, whether of disease or other evils, and especially
at the hour of death, for then he feels more strongly than ever in
his life before pressed in conscience, both by the judgment of God,
to which he sees himself born to be called, and the assaults of the
devil, who then uses all his efforts to beat down the poor person,
and overwhelm him in confusion.
And therefore the duty of a minister is to
visit the sick, and console them by the word of the Lord, showing
them that all which they suffer and endure comes from the hand of
God, and from his good providence, who sends nothing to believers
except for their good and salvation. He will quote passages of
Scripture suitable to this view.
... if he sees them overwhelmed, with the fear
of death, he will show them that it is no cause of dismay to
believers, who having Jesus Christ for their guide and protector,
will, by their affliction, be conducted to the life on which he has
entered. By similar considerations he will remove the fear and terror
which they may have of the judgment of God.
If he does not see them sufficiently oppressed
and agonised by a conviction of their sins, he will declare to them
the justice of God, before which they cannot stand, save through his
mercy embracing Jesus Christ for their salvation.
On the contrary, seeing them afflicted in their
consciences, and troubled for their offences, he will exhibit Jesus
Christ to the life, and show how in him all poor sinners who,
distrusting themselves, repose in his goodness, find solace and
refuge. ...
That is what I am trying to do with this
passage tonight.
Extract 2
There
was a soldier in the American Revolutionary War called John Eager
Howard. In 1781 he was wounded in a bayonet charge in South Carolina.
He went on to be a politician serving in the national
senate. The Southern Army commander Major
General Nathanael Greene famously wrote of
Howard that he was "as good an officer as the world affords. He
has great ability and the best disposition to promote the service
.... He deserves a statue of gold no less than Roman or Grecian
heroes." You could say the same of Barnabas. He was good and he
deserves to be remembered more than Caesar or Alexander the Great.
To be good we need to see at least four things in our lives.
1. We need to follow God
2. We ought to have a good effect
on others
3. We ought to be incorruptible
4. We ought to be generous,
positive, kind or whatever else is good
