Thoughts On A Sunday Afternoon

     I have a couple of things to say this afternoon.  Just a few thoughts.  I find these Sunday afternoons a good chance to get things off of my mind.
     I heard a sermon this morning that expressed a common view that continues to upset me.  It concerns the interpretation of the Scripture passage in Romans that speaks about God working out all things for our good.  The minister told the story of how terrible sickness and tragedy happened to someone.  Apparently, God had put all this on to the woman to make her more like Jesus as she went through all of this suffering.
     This kind of preaching upsets me greatly.  First of all, read the passage in Romans 8 in context.  Second, Jesus was compassionate and told us that we serve a loving Heavenly Father.
     The passage in Romans 8 is about the ultimate glorification that awaits the believer in Heaven.  As verse 29 states, God foreknew us, and predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son.  Verse 30 goes on to say that those whom God foreknew He predestined, called, justified and glorified.  This is an expression of the fact that all who are in Jesus will ultimately be with Him and receive a glorified body like unto His glorified body.  We will ultimately be like Jesus. 
     We live in a fallen world that is filled with sin.  Horrible things happen to people.  This does not mean that God caused sickness and tragedy to befall people.  God may bring good out of it, but I do not believe that He causes it. 
     My mother suffered with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and the effects of a stroke for six years.  In the end, she didn't even know who she was.  If someone says that God brought this on my mother to work some kind of good in her life, well, then they believe in a very cruel God and not the God revealed in Jesus. 
     Now, my mother has had all things ultimately work together for her good because she was in Jesus.  She is in the presence of Jesus right now, and she is not suffering in any way shape or form.  I wish people would stop using this verse in Romans to put the blame on God, so to speak, for the horrible things that happen in life.  Most of the time there is no purpose in tragedy and sickness.  It just happens, because that is the way the world is right now.  Some day, when Jesus returns, it won't be that way anymore.  While we face the sufferings and heartaches of life, Jesus is with us and helps us to make it through to the ultimate victory that awaits those who follow in His footsteps.
     OK.  I got that sorted.  Now, this must have been the Sunday for my pet peeves in sermons, because I heard another one.  This one was about giving unto Caesar what is Caesar's and giving to God what is God's.  I do not understand where in this statement that ministers come up with the interpretation that Jesus is saying that we have a duty to God and government.  Some call this the two kingdoms doctrine.  I think that this statement is easily interpreted.
     The coin Jesus was given had an image of Caesar on it.  Jesus said to give back to Caesar what had his image on it.  We should give to God what has His image on it.  Since we are made in the image of God, that means that we owe everything that we have to God, and we should give ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him.  There is no place in the Bible that Jesus says that we have an allegiance to the state.  Our ultimate allegiance is to Jesus alone.  We can be good citizens, but only in so far as it does not conflict with our allegiance to Jesus Christ our Lord.  Jesus is Lord.  Caesar, the President, nor any other earthly ruler is Lord.  Period.  It is not God and country.  It is God. Period.
     I've got that off my mind.  Tomorrow is the new job.  I miss my old job that the union took away from me.  I guess the past is past, and I have to move on.  My goal is a larger ministry, and I want to use this new job as a means to that end.  However, I still want to sell the house and most of my stuff.  If I can get enough to pay off everything and have enough to start a church or ministry, that is what I will do.
     I've been working to get the house in shape.  It's coming along slowly, but progress is being made.      Please pray that the Lord Jesus will help me to get things sold, and that the new job will go well tomorrow.  The weather is still supposed to be bad.  Pray it won't be. 
     As I close today, I just want to thank all of you who have read the blog over these last four years.  I have had tremendous fun doing this.  I love getting to spread the message of Jesus every week.  Lord willing, I hope to keep going for the weeks and months and years to come.

P.S.  Tuesday will mark the 30th anniversary of when I brought Toby home to live with me.  I can't believe it's been that long ago.  It just seems like yesterday.  I want to say thank you to Jesus for bringing the two of us together.  I have always said, and I will continue to say, that Toby was the friend Jesus gave me.  Thank you Jesus.