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Suppose that a loving father in some high room, throws down a bag of gold to his child, and it falls on the child's head causing injury. While the child is feeling the pain, he is impatient and troubled; while he looks only at the leather bag he is not thankful; but when he looks into the bag, and sees what a great deal of gold his father has given him, then he speaks well of his father, notwithstanding the injury to his head. Affliction is a bag of gold given to the people of God; though it seems from outside like a bad leather bag, yet there is gold within it. As long as we simply stare at the bag, or focus only on the suffering, we are not thankful, we do not praise the Lord, but are much discouraged; but if we would look into the bag, and count our gold, then we would have comfort, and not be discouraged. I tell you from the Lord, there is gold within; look in this bag, the bag of affliction; count over all the gold which the Lord has given you in this affliction, and then you ...

Sometimes a builder has to  pull down a house and take it apart in pieces. His job is not to pull down houses, but to build them up. But he does that which is not his job  that he may do his main job. He cannot build on a rotten foundation. In the same way, God will not  build on a rotten foundation. He will not build upon carnal confidence, carnal trust, pride and covetousness. He must first  demolish our rotten foundation with afflictions and sufferings. He uses  these things to take away any happiness we have in our trust of sin. God uses suffering and pain     to force us away from our sins. He demolishes the rotten foundation, to build up a more excellent building that shall endure to eternity….He does that work which is not his main job, to do his main     blessed good work. He afflicts us to drive us out of ourselves, so that we can trust in him, in whom is all our true happiness and good. RICHARD SIBBES  (Paraphrased from ‘T...

God exercises wisdom in permitting afflictions  and in removing afflictions. He is wise to suit his medicine to the condition of our disease. He cannot mistake the nature of our disease, or the  virtue of his remedy. Like a skilful Doctor, God sometimes prescribes bitter potions , and sometimes cheering cordials, according to the strength of the malady,  and necessity of the patient, to bring him to health. Everything that comes  from God  is for our good. He does not do anything in a rash and reckless way. His wisdom is as infinite as his goodness, and as exact in managing as his goodness is plentiful in streaming out to us. God understands our griefs, weighs our necessities, and no remedies are beyond the reach of his skilful planning. When our feeble intelligences are bewildered in a maze, and at the end of their line for a rescue, the remedies unknown to us are not unknown to God. When we do not know how to prevent a danger, the wise God has a thou...

The wisdom of God is evident in the various ends which God [works though] afflictions. The attainment of various ends by one and the same means, is the fruit of the agent's prudence. By the same affliction the wise God corrects sometimes for some base affection, excites some sleepy grace, drives out some lurking corruption, refines the soul, and ruins the lust; discovers the greatness of a crime, the vanity of the creature, and the sufficiency in himself. The Jews bind Paul, and by the judge he is sent to Rome; while his mouth is stopped in Judea, it is opened in one of the greatest cities of the world, and his enemies unwittingly contribute to the increase of the knowledge of Christ by those chains in that city that triumphed over the earth (Acts 28:31).  And his afflictive bonds added courage and resolution to others (Philippians 1:14), which could not in their own nature produce such an effect, but by the order and contrivance of divine wisdom. In their own nature they would rat...

There are some books which we need to read and have in our library even though we are not able to immediately appreciate their full value. I think Mark Vroegop’s book Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy is one of those books. Even though the book does a good job to explain why we need to learn how to lament now, it is quite obvious that there is another layer to this book that can only be felt when we ourselves are walking in a very deeply painful situation. There are not many memorable lines in the book. What the book does is that it keeps reminding us to empty out our pain before God in a way that honours him. I found the early chapters particularly helpful in this regard. The middle section on lamentations was also outstanding. The final third was less so. I think if I have a complaint, it is that he tries to cover too many aspects of lament. I don’t think combining the personal, corporate and pastoral elements of lament did the job. A shorter book focused on only one of those areas would...

I came across this short piece by Joni Eareckson Tada which puts captures in an evocative way the way God uses pain to invite us into a deeper relationship with Him:  When a broken neck ambushed my life and left me a quadriplegic, I felt as though God had smashed me underfoot like a cigarette. At night, I would thrash my head on the pillow, hoping to break my neck at a higher level and thereby end my misery. After I left the hospital, I refused to get out of bed; I told my sister, “Just close the drapes, turn out the light, and shut the door.” My paralysis was permanent, and inside, I died.  You don’t have to be in a wheelchair to identify. You already know that sad situations sometimes don’t get better. Problems don’t always get solved. Conflicts don’t get fixed. Children die, couples divorce, and untimely deaths rock our world and shake our faith.  We try to manage, like jugglers spinning plates on long sticks. When we feel utterly overwhelmed, we try soaking in the tub...

I have been preaching through the gospel account of Mark. As part of my reading, I thought I would read a book that is just focused on the experience of our Lord in Gethsemane. To my surprise I could only find one book on the subject, J H Pickord's Gethsemane.  I believe the book is no longer in print. The copy I have was published in 1937.  It is a series of meditations that look at Jesus' experience in Gethsemane through the lens of suffering, service and love. In general it a very helpful book, well worth hvaing  in the library. However, it was not immediately useful for my purposes which was focused on meditating on in an expository. I found the author wander off too often. Memorable Quote: There can be found nothing like a holy contemplation of the sufferings of Christ, to arm us against the tide of our sufferings - to sit not only in the enclosed grounds of Gethsemane, nor in the shadow of the Cross, but to ponder the whole life of Christ in all its peculiar shades ...

Hast thou no scar? No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand? I hear thee sung as mighty in the land; I hear them hail thy bright, ascendant star. Hast thou no scar?   Hast thou no wound? Yet I was wounded by the archers; spent, Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned. Hast thou no wound?   No wound? No scar? Yet, as the Master shall the servant be, And piercèd are the feet that follow Me. But thine are whole; can he have followed far Who hast no wound or scar? Amy Carmichael ( 1867-1952) Amy Carmichael was a missionary to India where she rescued hundreds of orphans in the midst of terrible suffering. This poem fits well as a commentary on Carmichael’s life. She lived a life that abounded in compassion and was ready for self-sacrifice. The poem is also a challenge to all who profess faith in Jesus. A true follower of Jesus is called to pick up the cross and follow Jesus. To be crucified with Jesus by dying to self. That is t...

One the great blessings of having a daughter is that I get to read lots of books with her, which I simply never read growing up in rural Zambia. As a lover of books, I am genuinely fascinated by children’s stories and what they are trying to communicate.  Take the story of Rapunzel. In the version of the story that we have at home, the young girl Rapunzel is locked up in a tall tower by some very evil woman. The only person Rapunzel sees is this evil woman, who regularly climbs up the tower using Rapunzel’s beautiful long golden hair as a ladder.   One day, a prince is passing by and sees the evil woman going through the routine of calling Rapunzel to let her hair down and climbing up. After she leaves, the handsome prince gives it a try and Rapunzel lets him into the castle. As we expect, the couple fall in love at first sight. At some point, the evil woman finds out the prince has been visiting. Incandescent with rage, she cuts Rapunzel’s hair and sends her away so...

I enjoyed listening to John Piper’s recent short book,  Christ and Coronavirus . I prefer to read rather than listen to something.  I have read some John Piper books which proved relatively dry. But given it is narrated by John Piper, it felt like hearing him teach, which is always engaging. I am glad I gave this a go because it is an excellent and time book with lots of wonderful things in it. Like this anacedote:  On January 9, 1985, Pastor Hristo Kulichev, a Congregational pastor in Bulgaria, was arrested and put in prison. His crime was that he preached in his church even though the state had appointed another man as pastor whom the congregation did not elect. His trial was a mockery of justice. And he was sentenced to eight months in prison. During his time in prison, he made Christ known in every way he could. When he got out, he wrote, “Both prisoners and jailers asked many questions, and it turned out that we had a more fruitful ministry there than we could h...

I have enjoyed reading  Side by Side by Edward T Welch. The book identifies the skills we need to help one another. It is intended for everyone - friends, parents and even neighbours. It is fair to say that I did not really come across anything that I thought was new. However, there are some much needed reminders. Here are some things I want to keep remembering: 1. Those who help best are the one who both need help and give help. A healthy community is dependent on all of us being both, as Welch wonderfully puts it:  "Your neediness qualifies you to help others. Your neediness, offered well to someone else, can eben be the one of the great gifts you give to your church. You will inspire others to ask for help...We spend too much time concealing our needeines. We need to stop hiding. Being needy is our basic condition. There is no shame in it - its just the way it is. Understanding this, accepting it, and practising it will make you a better helper".  2. Our emotions poin...

Whether it is the wound of abuse or the disappointment of believing for but not yet receiving a physical healing, suffering puts humanity on a level playing field and points us to the one pain that is common to us all—our need for God to break into our lives and make the wrong things right. At its most basic level, every pain we experience reveals a longing within us to encounter God’s beauty, or the essence of who He is. SHELLEY HUNDLEY

I have always enjoyed watching movies portraying life in African American ghettos. This is despite the fact that though the movies are always engaging (and often humorous) they tend to be poorly directed. George Tillman’s Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete is an excellent break with the mold. It tells the story of 13 year old Mister (Skylan Brooks) raised by a single mom Gloria (Jennifer Hudson) who is struggling to keep her family together as she battles prostitution and drugs. The tough home environment has left Mister struggling in school with his hope now firmly anchored on becoming an actor, thanks to the heavy dose of DVDs and video games that have become a form of escape from the horrors of real life. The situation is acerbated when Gloria is apprehended by the police, leaving Mister and 9 year old Pete (Ethan Dizon), the son of Gloria’s friend,  fighting for survival as they forage for food while dodging child protective services and ghetto bullies.

I was recently preaching at a sister church close to our home, where I have done so over the last two years. There is a young man who attends the church with a learning disability called David (not his real name). He is looked after in a nearby care home.  Every Sunday morning someone brings David to the fellowship gathering. Many of the carers who bring him are not followers of Jesus. On Sunday he was brought in by John (not his real name).  John was the most attentive to the word preached throughout the sermon. I had an opportunity to chat with John afterwards. He found the preached Word a great help to him. Sadly, as I am only a visitor I couldn't follow up. Then it dawned on me. David with a serious learning disability, that includes is inability to speak, is bringing people who do not follow Jesus to hear the good news of a Saviour who died for sinners. He is doing more than able bodied people. God is using his disability in an extraordinary...

At the beginning of each year I try and select a couple of hot books from the year before as selected at the end of the year by Amazon Editors. I do this to keep in touch with what others are reading. It also exposes me to issues that I would not naturally read about. There is nothing better than picking up a book and discovering it is a gem!     I have just finished reading  one of the top Amazon Singles from 2014. I never knew what an Amazon Single was until I picked up the book Perseverance by Kristin Peck .  It is a very short memoir / personal essay by Kristin Peck which chronicles her emotionally charged struggles with infertility and persevered through to a happier ending.  Two quotes from the book struck me, and perhaps highlights the double edge of the book. The first quote expresses a common human struggle : We did our best to try to focus on anything other than our fertility problems as we took the twelve- hour flight to Maui. But yo...

In 1871, Horatio Spafford lived in the Lake View suburb of Chicago. He was a young lawyer with a wife, Anna, and fourlittle girls. In October of that year, the whole center of the city was devastated by fire. No one is certain how the fire started, but it killed hundreds of people and destroyed whole sections of the city. All across town, people were wandering homeless and hungry. The Spaffords were deeply involved in doing what they could to help families in distress. But it was no short- term ministry. Two years later, exhausted from their work, they planned a trip to Europe for rest. But at the last minute, business kept Horatio in town. Anna and the four girls boarded a ship and left the harbor. Late one night during the voyage, another ship rammed the steamer, which sank within twenty minutes. One of only forty- seven who were rescued, Anna was pulled from the water, unconscious and floating on a piece of debris. But the four Spafford girls perished. Anna sent a telegram...

Troubles are part and parcel of our existence. It doesn't matter whether you are rich or poor, weak or powerful, young or old! The troubles come in many ways. Some people are on life support, some are facing financial ruin. Some people are bereaved, others are facing abuse at work. The list goes on! In moments of trouble our minds are filled with many questions. Why am I suffering? Where is God? When will these troubles end? Why am I the only one going through this? When our backs are against the wall, life seems very confusing! There are many voices whispering in our ears with many promises. How do we make sense of suffering?

Last Sunday I had the privilege of sharing from Psalm 3, as we begun a four part series looking at some of our most beloved psalms. The question we were asking is : where do you go when you have problems? Where do you turn when your life is out of control? King David shows us in Psalm 3 how we are to respond in difficult times. When his son Absalom came after his home and work, King David responded to the situation by declaring in Psalm 3v8 - “From the Lord comes deliverance”. Throughout the Psalm he teaches us an important principle : When life is out of control we must look to the God who controls everything!

A man once told me that you step out of your door in the morning, and you are already in trouble. The only question is are you on top of that trouble or not? EASY RAWLINS (Devil in A Blue Dress) Job agrees with Rawlin's first part : Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. (Job 14:1) And he offers a better response to the challenge: I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:25-27) Art is always great at diagnosing the problem but always comes short of solutions. The Bible expertly gives us both! Copyright © Chola Mukanga 2013

We may think we have true Christian love until someone offends us or treats us unjustly. Then we begin to see anger and resentment well up within us. We may conclude we have learned about genuine Christian joy until our lives are shattered by an unexpected calamity or grievous disappointment. Adversities spoil our peace and sorely try our patience. God uses those difficulties to reveal to us our need to grow, so that we will reach out to Him to change us more and more into the likeness of His Son. From Jerry Bridges's Trusting God : Even When Life Hurts .   It is a very helpful reminder that we only know ourselves partially. It is only when we are truly under adversity that our true character comes out. Adversity is therefore an essential part of revealing the imperfect aspects of our lives that need to be brought and under the submission of Christ. Trouble is even though we know that truth it is very tempting to not to see the bigger picture - namely that God is working ...