CHRISTIAN PARENTS of ESTRANGED ADULT CHILDREN Community Group
Estrangement makes it difficult to talk about with family, friends, neighbors and church members. Christians are NOT immune to broken families. Talk about your experiences with those who know how you feel and get positive support through your Christian faith...."In these last days difficult times will come, for men will be lovers of self...disobedient to parents,...
That's the title in Ch. 12 of It's Not About Me by Max Lucado. This ch. applies to anyone who struggles. Martin and Gracia Burnham - Missionaries in the Phillipines for 17 yrs. spent their 18th wedding anniv. at a beachside resort and on May 27, 2001 were captured by a terrorist group linked to Osama bin Laden. They were chained to guards for over 400 days. Martin knew he wasn't going to make it and wrote a farewell letter to his children. June 7, 2002 Philippine Rangers attacked the terrorist camp and Martin was caught in the cross-fire. During their captivity they spoke of Jesus. They didn't complain. Chained to his guards, Martin always wished his captors a good night and told them about Jesus.Because of Martin's death there was world-wide coverage hearing how Martin lived his life for Christ. His wife and father said God would get them through this.
Lucado talks about when we go through struggles we feel God has messed up: Cancer crept in while God wasn't looking etc. Sometimes things happen because of sin like Egyptians following Hebrews into Red Sea and drowning, Peter weeping when rooster crowed etc. Read Ps. 103:8-11
Sometimes we have to suffer for Christ's sake. Like the man born blind, so Jesus could heal him. Lazarus died and Mary and Martha grieved until Lazarus was raised. Read Philip. 1:29. A friend of Lucado had cancer and everyone was telling him God would heal him if he had faith. Lucado told him, "Your hospital room is a showcase for your Maker. Your faith in the face of suffering cranks up the volume of God's song." Lucado then says, "You could see the relief on his face. To know that he hadn't failed God and God hadn't failed him. He accepted his cancer as an assignment from heaven: a missionary to the cancer ward." God will use whatever He wants to display His glory (including people with problems)
Lucado talks about when we go through struggles we feel God has messed up: Cancer crept in while God wasn't looking etc. Sometimes things happen because of sin like Egyptians following Hebrews into Red Sea and drowning, Peter weeping when rooster crowed etc. Read Ps. 103:8-11
Sometimes we have to suffer for Christ's sake. Like the man born blind, so Jesus could heal him. Lazarus died and Mary and Martha grieved until Lazarus was raised. Read Philip. 1:29. A friend of Lucado had cancer and everyone was telling him God would heal him if he had faith. Lucado told him, "Your hospital room is a showcase for your Maker. Your faith in the face of suffering cranks up the volume of God's song." Lucado then says, "You could see the relief on his face. To know that he hadn't failed God and God hadn't failed him. He accepted his cancer as an assignment from heaven: a missionary to the cancer ward." God will use whatever He wants to display His glory (including people with problems)
"I beg your pardon,
I never promised you a rose garden.
Along with the sunshine,
There's gotta be a little rain sometimes."
I sometimes wonder how I would fare when faced with being fed to the lions as the early Christians were or like these (and many, many others) missionaries were. Often we look only to our own little world and fail to see the sufferings that are all around us - people dying brutal deaths to spread the gospel while we get frustrated over a parking space. My own perspective on life has changed so much as a result of this estrangement and I know I still have a long way to go to get rid of self and not be such a whiner over the thorns in my "Rose Garden."
- - Charles Stanley
America is in apostasy and false teachings are rampant in America. They deny suffering for Jesus Christ and teach prosperity instead and blessings. I fear they love their tickling ears sermons. I agree GuelsMom with what you posted. No one wants to deal with the sufferings of Christ Jesus.