My “Glory to God in the Highest” Moments

http://anchor.tfionline.com/post/my-glory-god-highest-moments/
By John Randall

Coming from a family with a strong foundation in classical music, my wife and mother-in-law attend many of the local musical events throughout the year which our city is fortunate to host. I will occasionally attend a concert or two with them, not being a connoisseur of the same standing as they are.

On this particular night, I was a substitute attendee, using a ticket which would have otherwise gone unused. We were attending a Christmas choir program at one of the older traditional Protestant churches, of which there are several in our city.

The program lasted for about one and a half hours and consisted of a mixture of unfamiliar Latin Christmas hymns, old European hymns, and more traditional Christmas carols, with biblical reading selections interspersed throughout, all together telling the Christmas story. During the rendering of the traditional Christmas carols the audience was invited to participate, which we did with not a bit of accompanying élan.

The overall choir, totaling roughly 60 people, consisted of two groups of smaller choirs, which in effect merged into one in the course of the program. The head of the local university music department conducted the group. The setting, the attire, and the program structure were all very traditional.

I found myself watching a sea of faces, faces of participants ranging in age from late teens up into their late 70s. There were vibrant faces, shiny faces, serious and rather dour faces, faces with glimmers of expectancy and faces showing strains from life’s weights, but all had joined together in performance.

I watched fascinated while a series of related thoughts passed through my mind. I wondered what the life was like behind a face as I randomly focused on it. I wondered what might have caused the strain in a face that showed strain. I wondered what kind of a personal relationship with Jesus the person behind a face enjoyed. The sea of faces seemed to invite wonder, after all. Though I didn’t realize it until later, here was a gathering of rather odd and curious, yet no less glorious, assortment of worshippers as those that witnessed and responded to that first Christmas long ago. I wondered at the collage of life in unison before me.

The program proved both beautiful and moving, and as I continued watching, I was struck with the realization of how fortunate everyone participating was. Here was Christianity’s essence and legacy displayed before me; just to be a part of this display at whatever level of belief or commitment appeared miracle and wonder enough.

I realized that no matter what the individual makeup of the group, no matter what the life behind the face, here was Christ shining through His people. Here was Christmas being born before me. Here was the light of Christianity on display, shining through. A peace came over my heart and mind.

I felt lifted with the realization that the light of Christ will never be quenched. It’s an eternal flame. It’s truly life eternal. No matter how vibrant or subtle, the Spirit and light of Christ is with and upon His people and will never go out, and can never be put out. That light which is the light of the world that continues to shine forth its radiance in the dark corners of our world, especially in times of crisis and times of difficulty, drawing ever more people to Him.

Glory to God in the highest!

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An Ebola Doctor’s Return From the Edge of Death

By Denise Grady, NY Times, Dec. 7, 2014

PHOENIX—The medical record, from an Ebola case, made for grim reading, but Dr. Ian Crozier could not put it down. Within days of the first symptom, a headache, the patient was fighting for his life. He became delirious, his heartbeat grew ragged, his blood teemed with the virus, and his lungs, liver and kidneys began to fail.

“It’s a horrible-looking chart,” Dr. Crozier said.

It was his own. Dr. Crozier, 44, contracted the disease in Sierra Leone while treating Ebola patients in the government hospital in Kenema. He was evacuated to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta on Sept. 9, the third American with Ebola to be airlifted there from West Africa. He had a long, agonizing illness, with 40 days in the hospital and dark stretches when his doctors and his family feared he might sustain brain damage or die. His identity was kept secret at his request, to protect his family’s privacy.

Now, for the first time, he is speaking out. His reason, he said, is to thank Emory for the extraordinary care he received, and to draw attention to the continuing epidemic. He and his family granted their first interviews to The New York Times, and gave permission to interview his physicians.

His account offers glimpses of the hardships and dangers that have confronted doctors and nurses who volunteered to fight an epidemic that has claimed the lives of more than 330 health care workers—most of them African—and of the desperate need that has drawn them to the front lines. Dr. Crozier told of three brothers, just 4, 5 and 11, who fought for their lives on his ward in Kenema. Not long after, he lay near death in an isolation room at Emory, with his mother reading him poetry through an intercom.

Dr. Crozier, soft-spoken and genial, is now on the mend in Phoenix, where his parents and sister live. But the disease has taken its toll. Six-foot-5 and 220 pounds before he got Ebola, he has lost 30 pounds, much of it muscle. He tires easily, but has begun a grueling physical therapy program to rebuild wasted muscles.

“Ian was by far the sickest patient with Ebola virus that we’ve cared for at Emory,” said Dr. Jay B. Varkey, an infectious-disease specialist.

Doctors say his recovery has taught them that aggressive treatments, even life-support measures like ventilators and dialysis, can save some Ebola patients. Dr. Bruce S. Ribner, who leads the Emory team, said that until recently the general practice was not to bother intubating Ebola patients or put them on dialysis, because if they got that sick they were going to die.

“One of the things Ian taught us was, guess what, you can get sick enough to need those interventions and you can still walk out of the hospital,” Dr. Ribner said. “I think it has sent a message to our colleagues around the world.”

Dr. Crozier was born in Bulawayo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), but his family moved to the United States when he was 10, and he became an American citizen. He went to medical school at Vanderbilt University on a scholarship, specializing in infectious diseases.

He was always drawn back to Africa. He was living in Uganda, treating patients with H.I.V. and training doctors at the Infectious Diseases Institute in Kampala, when Ebola broke out in West Africa. He wanted to help.

“Anyone who was on the ground in Africa and not in West Africa, you would think, maybe we’re missing the bus, missing something remarkable,” he said. “And my skills meet the need.”

Dr. Crozier signed on with the World Health Organization—expenses only, no pay—and by August he was in Kenema. He planned to stay three or four weeks.

It was even more wrenching than he had imagined—the sights, the sounds, the smells, the steady stream of deaths. There were often 60 to 80 patients, sometimes more, suspected and confirmed cases, from all over the country. They arrived day and night.

Blood, stool and vomit were ever-present though cleaners mopped with chlorine several times a day. Choruses of delirious patients with bloodshot, eerily vacant eyes would shout “Doctor! Doctor!” over and over. Some were too sick to clean or feed themselves, and there were never enough staff members to tend to them. A patient might lie in one bed and a corpse in the next, waiting to be disinfected, bagged and taken away.

“Those isolation wards are horrible places,” Dr. Crozier said.

But there were moments of grace. Mothers whose babies had died would feed children who were orphaned or alone.

“Childless parents took care of parentless children,” he said.

The protective gear required to enter the ward—hood, masks, rubber boots, goggles, double gloves, Tyvek suit—was stifling. No one could wear it for more than an hour without becoming dangerously overheated. Dr. Crozier would go into the ward two or three times a day for as long he could stand it. When he came out to cool off, he would pour the sweat out of his boots.

One night, the three young brothers were brought in. All were infected. Their mother had died, and their father was absent.

“I didn’t think they’d survive,” Dr. Crozier said.

The oldest, Victor, 11, was also the sickest. Dr. Crozier, the oldest of four children in his family, saw a bit of himself in Victor. The boy had taken on the role of father, and even when he was lying on a mattress on the floor, soiled by vomit and diarrhea, the younger ones, Shaku and Ibrahim, would not leave him.

“They were this little band of brothers,” Dr. Crozier said. Sometimes he wished he could rip off his protective gear and hold them.

The last thing he would do at night was make sure they and the other children were fed.

Returning to the ward each morning, he kept expecting to find that one or more of the brothers had died. But they kept surprising him.

“They just sort of pushed each other through it,” he said.

They recovered enough to race around the ward with other children—including two boys named Success and Courage—playing, laughing and making a nuisance of themselves, Dr. Crozier said.

“In such a dark place, they were little cracks of joy,” he said. The brothers survived, but others like them did not.

Many local nurses had contracted Ebola and died in Kenema. Aid workers from other countries also became infected, and Dr. Crozier arranged medical evacuation flights for several of them. He never dreamed he would become a passenger on that plane.

On the morning of Saturday, Sept. 6, during rounds on the ward, he developed a fever and a headache. He isolated himself in his hotel, hoping he had malaria. A colleague brought equipment so that Dr. Crozier could draw his own blood for an Ebola test.

She called him the next morning, crying: His Ebola test was positive.

He had no idea how he had become infected.

The plane picked him up on Monday. The World Health Organization paid for the flight, and his medical care.

He has no memory of the three weeks after he arrived at Emory. The isolation unit there was built 12 years ago at the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is less than a mile away.

Dr. Varkey, the infectious-disease specialist, said there were warning signs early on that Dr. Crozier might become severely ill. The viral load in his blood was extremely high, more than 100 times that of the other patients Emory had treated. And he was becoming delirious, a sign of encephalitis. Doctors do not know why some patients become so much sicker than others. Dr. Crozier’s age may have worked against him: People over 40 tend to have worse outcomes than younger ones.

His family and girlfriend filled with dread as they watched him decline. They could not enter his room, but could see him through a window and talk to him over an intercom. His temperature was 104 degrees. His hands shook violently. He spent more and more time sleeping, and sank into delirium, his mind still in Kenema.

The family had been warned that Ebola often causes such intense diarrhea that patients can lose eight or 10 quarts of fluid a day, and Dr. Crozier was heading toward that stage. He would be pumped full of fluids and salts to prevent dehydration, which kills many Ebola patients. The family thought that once he got through that phase, he would start to improve.

Instead he got worse. By Friday he was struggling to breathe, his chest heaving. The sight tore at his relatives. On Sunday morning, he was placed on a ventilator.

“It seemed to signify final stages,” said his sister, Anne.

A nurse who had also been infected in Kenema, Will Pooley—whose evacuation Dr. Crozier had supervised—flew to Emory from England and donated several units of plasma. Survivors have antibodies that may help fight off the virus, and a number of patients have been given such transfusions. Dr. Crozier’s virus levels began dropping, but his kidneys failed, and he was connected to a dialysis machine. He had swelled up with 20 pounds of excess fluid, and all that his relatives could see through the window were tubes, machines and a bloated face they barely recognized. He had begun having abnormal heart rhythms. Doctors warned that he might not survive.

He was on the ventilator for 12 days, and on dialysis for 24. Members of his family read him emails from friends, played his favorite music and told him over and over that he would be all right. They gave his nurses dozens of family photos to tape to his walls.

His mother, Pat, spent most nights at the hospital. She spoke to her son, hummed hymns and every day read him a poem that her brother in Zimbabwe, the poet and novelist John Eppel, had written for him.

Mrs. Crozier had been a nurse-midwife, and her training made her painfully aware of signs that her son was deteriorating.

“The really tough part was the thought that he was going to die and that I was not going to be able to touch him before he left the earth,” she said. “So he was either going to go in a body bag to the C.D.C. for research, or he was going to be incinerated rapidly.”

He began to recover physically. But there were ominous signs that he might have suffered brain damage: His eyes wandered in different directions, and he took a long time to wake up when his sedation was withdrawn.

“I thought we’d be discharging him to a nursing home as a cognitively impaired person,” said Dr. Colleen Kraft, one of his doctors. She said his difficult course had left her in a “dark psychological place” that for a while had made her feel hesitant about treating more Ebola patients, for fear that they might be as sick as Dr. Crozier.

When he finally did open his eyes at the end of September, a few days after his 44th birthday, he looked around the room in a way that reminded his sister, Anne, of a newborn baby. She spoke softly through the intercom, as if he were a child. Her voice, reassuring him that he was all right, is the first thing he remembers.

At first, he had trouble making conversation. But he grilled doctors about his lab results, so the family knew his mind was intact.

There are scarlike lesions on his retinas, and it is not clear whether they are getting better or worse. Though people around him do not notice it, he says his mind is not working as fast as it should, and he sometimes has trouble thinking of the word he wants to say.

“It’s a fear,” he said. “Am I going to be myself again, completely?”

Dr. Crozier hopes to return to West Africa by February or March to help treat more Ebola patients. Survivors are thought to be immune to the strain that infected them, so he figures he has built-in protection.

“There’s still a great deal left to be done,” he said.A

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Kevin Skinner - Off To Heaven

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Compartilhando o Amor do Natal

http://anchor.tfionline.com/pt/post/compartilhando-o-amor-do-natal/
Uma compilação

Estamos mais uma vez naquela época maravilhosa em que celebramos o amor do Senhor ao vir à Terra para nos redimir! Nesta época as pessoas ficam mais receptivas à testificação, e é um período ótimo para testemunhar e levar ao máximo de pessoas possível o amor e a verdade do nosso Salvador. Não vou dizer que este poderia ser o nosso último Natal, mas vai ser o último Natal de muita gente. Para muitos no mundo esta será a sua última chance de receber Jesus aqui na terra.

A maioria de nós já desfrutou de muitos natais, mas não sabemos quantos mais ainda teremos. Vamos aproveitar este Natal e todos os outros que ainda venhamos a ter, para pregar o Evangelho ao mundo todo como testemunho, para que o Fim possa vir.[1]

Mas mesmo quando não é Natal, deveríamos nos sentir na obrigação de compartilhar com quem o Senhor coloca no nosso caminho a fé, o amor, a alegria e esperança que temos em abundância. Como Paulo disse, “me é imposta a necessidade de pregar as boas novas.”[2]

Deus é muito bom conosco. Ele nos dá tanto! E o que Ele mais deseja? Ele quer que o máximo de pessoas, Seus filhos, venham a conhecê-lO, amá-lO, e não só serem redimidos da morte, mas também do medo e do vazio do mundo, para que, por meio de um contato pessoal com Ele, possam ter uma vida celestial.

Vale a pena fazer tudo ao nosso alcance para isso acontecer. Conhecemos bem o conceito de fazer sacrifícios e renunciar a tudo para seguir a Jesus. E tentamos cada dia morrer para nós mesmos de modo a vivermos para Ele e os outros.[3] A época de Natal é ótima para pedirmos ao Senhor que renove a nossa paixão por Ele e pela testificação.

Espero que cada um de nós tome a decisão de compartilhar a mensagem de vida com aqueles que Deus colocar em nosso caminho. Essa atitude nos providenciará o melhor Natal, e daremos ao Senhor os melhores presentes que Ele deseja — mais filhos passando a ter um relacionamento com Ele por toda a eternidade.—Maria Fontaine

*

Porque a graça de Deus se manifestou salvadora a todos os homens. ... viver de maneira sensata, justa e piedosa nesta era presente, enquanto aguardamos a bendita esperança: a gloriosa manifestação de nosso grande Deus e Salvador, Jesus Cristo. Ele se entregou por nós a fim de nos remir de toda a maldade e purificar para si mesmo um povo particularmente seu, dedicado à prática de boas obras.—Tito 2:11–14[4]



Eu falo com você dos lugares dos recônditos da eternidade. Antes de o mundo ser formado, Eu sou! Você Me ouve no seu íntimo onde Eu fiz morada. Eu sou Cristo em você, a esperança da glória. Eu, o seu Senhor e Salvador, estou vivo em você. Aprenda a sintonizar-se com a Minha presença viva, buscando-Me na quietude.

Ao comemorar a maravilha do Meu nascimento em Belém, comemora também o renascimento para a vida eterna. Essa dádiva eternal lhe foi dada com o propósito expresso de lhe dar entrada no Meu mundo imaculado. Aceite esta dádiva com assombro e humildade. Tome tempo para explorar as vastas dimensões do Meu amor por você. Que a gratidão flua abundantemente do seu coração em resposta a este dom glorioso que lhe concede. Que a Minha paz reine no seu coração, e esteja agradecido.—Jesus falando em profecia[5]

*

Todos nós gostamos de ganhar presentes de amigos e amados. Ficamos ansiosos à espera dos presentes de aniversário, Natal e em datas comemorativas e outras ocasiões especiais. Mas os mais apreciados são as “lembrancinhas” dadas em dias comuns, simplesmente para mostrar que pensamos na pessoa. Presentes espontâneos são sinal de amor, a pessoa demonstra o seu amor dando alguém a alguém.

Um coração cheio do amor de Cristo deseja demonstrar esse amor de diferentes maneiras. Quanto mais vivenciamos o amor de Cristo, mais nossos corações se enchem e queremos compartilhar com outros assim que percebemos a necessidade da pessoa.

É um amor sem limites, como o que Cristo demonstrou à humanidade ao morrer na cruz. O amor dEle, que agora vive em nós, deveria transbordar do nosso coração para consolar e restaurar esse mundo sofrido.—Autor anônimo[6]

*

Até mesmo a árvore de Natal pode ser um testemunho para os outros, simbolizando a beleza da vida e de viver. No inverno a árvore perene é um símbolo de vida eterna. Apesar do rigor do inverno, as coníferas sobrevivem e permanecem verdes, vivas e lindas durante todo o inverno — exatamente como o Senhor!

Nestes últimos anos fiquei um pouco mais liberal na questão da comemoração do Natal. Antes eu dizia que era horrível! “As pessoas gastam milhões de dólares todo Natal. E olhe aquela decoração dispendiosa, aquele tanto de árvores e enfeites e o Feliz Natal” — tudo sem Jesus! Mas agora fico satisfeito de ver as pessoas festejando o Natal. Se não pensarem em Jesus em nenhum outro momento do ano, pelo menos no Natal pensam.

Eu não acredito que Jesus tenha nascido exatamente no dia 25 de dezembro, mas não faz diferença! Contanto que o mundo comemore Jesus para mim está bom. Principalmente se lembrarem que o Natal está relacionado a Jesus. E que diferença faz o dia que comemoram, contanto que comemorem Jesus. —E a época oferece um incentivo para pensarem nEle pelo menos uma vez por ano, se presentearem, darem presentes para as crianças e fazê-las felizes no Natal e ficarem ansiosas por essa data!

Um aspecto positivo dos países católicos é que nunca deixam você se esquecer da razão do Natal. Montam presépios, imagens de Maria, José e do Menino Jesus nas vitrines, debaixo de árvores, e cantam canções de Natal. Não dá para se esquecer que o Natal está relacionado a Jesus!

A árvore de Natal pode ser um lembrete para as pessoas pensarem em Jesus — a árvore perene do Espírito, Jesus, Filho do Deus eterno. — E as Suas dádivas que recebemos constantemente, e a vida eterna que temos. Deus nos ajude a jamais esquecermos o verdadeiro sentido do Natal, ou o verdadeiro sentido da árvore. Que jamais deixemos o genuíno Espírito de Cristo do Natal se perder em toda a confusão deste mundo e do materialismo. Vamos glorificar ao Senhor no Natal! David Brandt Berg

Publicado no Âncora em dezembro 2013. Tradução Hebe Rondon Flandoli.


[1] Mateus 24:14.

[2] 1 Coríntios 9:16.

[3] Lucas 14:33; 1 Coríntios 15:31.

[4] NTLH.

[5] Sarah Young, Jesus Calling (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010).

[6] Every Day with Jesus (Worthy Publishing, 2011).

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Heaven’s Sparklers

By Maria Fontaine

Audio length: 6:51
Download Audio (6.2MB)

The Christmas season is a great opportunity for planting seeds in the gardens of hearts. Many people are experiencing intense struggles due to recession, war, serious illnesses, and many other difficulties. These things that are so difficult and negative can have a positive side. As people go through them, their desperation for answers can prepare the soil of their heart, which allows an opportunity for the Lord’s seeds of truth, love, and faith to sink deeper and take even stronger root.

As those seeds grow, they begin to bring change, even if at times it may barely be perceptible. Something someone says or does, or something they read or watch or listen to, can also be a catalyst for change. Your part in their process of change is to be there for them when the Lord presents you with the opportunity and to be sensitive to what Jesus shows you they need.

When people see you demonstrating compassion and caring and mercy, it gets their attention. When they see you sacrificing and doing it with sincere joy in your heart and on your face, and they know you are a Christian, the example you set has an impact on them. They know instinctively that they are seeing an example of how Jesus is.

But what if your situation doesn’t allow you much time to do things that might touch the thoughts and hearts of others? You might feel, “What’s the use of my trying to make some little contribution to changing this world this Christmas? My little bit isn’t going to make a big difference.”

I believe the Lord’s plan for reaching the lost includes everyone who sincerely wants to reflect Him and be a help to others in need. I’m certain that the sum total of all the “little” things that we may each be able to do this Christmas is going to have an important effect on this world. We may not see earthshaking changes around us, but I believe that if we’re each faithful to do what we can where He has placed us, He will cause the overall effect to be powerful.

A thousand smaller lights, each placed close to those who need to find their way, can be more valuable and effective in guiding people than a couple of large spotlights trying to flood the landscape.

No matter what our physical situation, we are never really alone or isolated. Every action we take, every person we talk to, every email we write, every gift we give, every person we help is part of a much greater effort that is in unison of purpose and spirit with all those of Christian faith. Together, what we can accomplish is monumental. Our individual parts, combined with our unity in His Spirit, make all the difference.

The most spectacular fireworks are the sum total of thousands of explosive particles, each burning in their special time and way, exhibiting the color and glow that they were created to give.

When it comes to sharing God’s love, it’s not quantity but quality that counts in God’s eyes. Whether you’re doing something that you consider big or small, it’s how you pour your heart into it that matters. This year you may have opportunities unlike any you’ve had before because you may be in a position to touch lives in ways that weren’t possible until now.

All the works that Jesus did on earth had to be extremely important for the Son of God to come down here in order to do them. But when you start examining those extremely important things that He did, you see that not all of them were what most people would call “spectacular” things in the physical. Many of the things He did—the spiritual transformations—had very little, if any, fanfare. Many of them, like His witness to Nicodemus, or forgiving the harlot’s sins, or forgiving the sins of the man with the palsy even before healing his body, or the woman at the well, weren’t outstanding in physical ways.

The more visible opportunities where He taught and healed large crowds had their time and place, such as when He fed the five thousand. But He also invested His time and attention on those singularly focused moments when He connected heart to heart and spirit to spirit with one person or a small group of people.

The Bible records several life-changing miracles that Jesus performed in people’s spirits that didn’t require a huge investment of time or finances or effort. He was just where He needed to be when the opportunity arose, and He was faithful to give the truth and love and mercy and forgiveness that lifted a broken heart or a confused mind or a lost spirit. His gift was His unconditional love that could lift them from their despair and give them hope and light and truth.

If we can follow His example by giving to those who need His care and support in whatever way He shows us, this Christmas season can be everything He wants it to be. The more we follow His example, the more our own lives will be spiritually enriched. As we do what we can to demonstrate His love to others, He will help us to better understand His plan in our own lives.

Letting Him use your life as an example of His love and care is the gift He wants the most for His birthday. It’s a gift that you can give no matter what else you’re doing. It’s the one thing that only you can give Him because it is the gift of your own willing heart, ready to do whatever you can to let others see Him in you.

Give a gift of laughter,
Give a gift of song,
Give a gift of sympathy
To last a whole life long.
Give a cheerful message,
Give a helping hand,
Tell your weary neighbor,
“Jesus understands!”
Give a newsy letter
To a far-off friend;
Give a garden flower
With the book you lend.
Wash the supper dishes,
Help to dust the room;
Give a prayer to leaven
Someone’s hour of gloom!
Give a gift of sharing,
Give a gift of hope;
Light faith’s gleaming candle
For the ones who grope
Slowly through the shadow.
Sweeten dreary days
For the lost and lonely.
Give yourself, ALWAYS.
—Margaret E. Sangster

Originally published December 2012. Republished on Anchor December 2014.
Read by Carol Andrews.

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The Golden Age

By Alan Feuer, NY Times, Dec. 6, 2014

You would have thought by now—43 years after President Richard M. Nixon scrapped the gold standard—that gold’s role as an economic instrument was over. After all, the mighty metal that once held sway over the global monetary system was supposed to have, by this point, finally been reduced to just another asset peddled on the Internet.

But in fact in recent weeks, gold has experienced a renaissance of sorts, quietly re-emerging as the centerpiece of a handful of initiatives in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. On Dec. 1, voters in Switzerland considered—and eventually rejected—a populist plan to force its central bank to buy gold in a controversial bid to stabilize its currency. Russia and China both made headlines by snapping up enormous stores of gold. In late November, Marine Le Pen of France, a nationalist politician, called on her government to start amassing gold, and the Netherlands followed suit, revealing that same week that it had repatriated $5 billion of its own gold from a vault in New York City owned by the Federal Reserve.

Even the Islamic State, it appears, has become intrigued by gold. Declaring last month that it wanted to avoid “the tyrant’s financial system,” the group released a statement announcing that it was planning to produce a line of custom-made gold coins.

What’s going on here? Like almost everything concerning gold, the experts don’t agree. Some have interpreted the metal’s mini-comeback as an indication that financial Armageddon, in the guise of runaway inflation, is approaching. Others have read the recent moves as a symbolic way for central banks and governments to make a show of strength in nervously uncertain economic times.

“Holding gold, for people and for governments, reflects our anxieties about the future,” said Michael Bordo, a professor of economics at Rutgers University who specializes in monetary history and policy. “Even though it might seem somewhat retrograde, to many investors, having it on hand is something safe.”

At a time when central banks around the globe have tried to foster growth by aggressively printing money—which can in theory devalue sovereign currencies—moves by countries to recall their stores of gold can help create a “culture of stability,” Professor Bordo said. But then again, to simply stockpile gold doesn’t guarantee the health of an economy, and some analysts have said that such notions of stability are often more psychological than actual.

The Swiss proposal, for example, called for the central bank to hold at least 20 percent of its national reserves in gold. While the referendum was designed in part to reassure Swiss citizens concerned about the solvency of their money, some historians have argued that, even had it passed, it would have had no palpable effect on the value of the franc.

There remains the question of why gold has traditionally served as the economy’s equivalent of comfort food. According to Professor Bordo, it is, for one thing, a highly liquid asset that is easily exchanged for other currencies.

Furthermore, he added, when it was used as part of the gold standard, its controlled supply served to limit central banks from printing money and put a lid on profligate government spending.

Needless to say, in an era when the balance sheets of many central banks have expanded to unprecedented scope, there has been plenty of discussion of those last two trends, causing a pessimistic sect of economic experts to augur pending doom in the repatriation schemes and the shopping sprees by Moscow and Beijing.

“By purchasing gold, China and Russia have indicated that they understand how fragile things are and that they’re getting ready for the demise of the dollar,” said James G. Rickards, author of “The Death of Money: The Coming Collapse of the International Monetary System.” “At the same time, other countries have been watching what they’re doing and are saying to themselves, ‘If things are really that bad, then we better get our gold back,’ possession being nine-tenths of the law.”

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Why Red Wine Helps Prevent Cancer

Jordi Lippe, Yahoo Health, December 5, 2014

How many times has your grandmother said the secret to her ripe old age was never missing happy hour? While the key factors to longevity have been debated fiercely, grandma might be on to something.

New research is emerging proving red wine can in fact help to prevent cancer.

The debate over whether alcohol is good or bad for you is a never-ending saga with scientific studies coming out to support both.

While the argument may never be resolved, the University of Colorado Cancer Center completed a recent experiment, which shows that the chemical resveratrol found in grape skins and in red wine may prevent cancer.

“We focused on head and neck cancer and saw that alcohol bombards your genes. And if you consume high quantities of alcohol, eventually some damage isn’t fixed.” says Robert Sclafani, PhD, investigator at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics at the CU School of Medicine. “But, the alcohol that had the lowest effect on the body was red wine. So, the idea was that there must be something in the red wine that is counteracting the effect of the alcohol. And we’ve proven that it’s resveratrol.”

Resveratrol, found in grape skin, suppresses carcinogens in the body.

In fact, the mice used in their experiment were given cancer, but when the researchers introduced the chemo-preventative compounds found in red wine into the mice’s systems the tumors shrank—and it prevented others from growing. The study proved that grape seed extract could block cancer in laboratory animals as well.

When you drink red wine you’re ingesting both of those substances—an anti-cancer double whammy.

Robert and his colleagues are hoping that giving concentrated doses of these substances to patients with a high likelihood of getting cancer will be a non-toxic alternative to traditional treatments such as chemotherapy. “Being able to counteract the pre-cancerous cells with a mild medicine would be a great alternative in treating these high-risk patients,” he told Yahoo Health. “Those who are dealing with head and neck cancer in particular often face major surgery that alters their physical appearance. Using this method would hopefully help reduce the tumors that would need to be removed.”

What does this all mean for you and me? It all boils down to one thing: moderation.

“There’s not enough alcohol in a glass or two of red wine a day to really harm you, but there are benefits as we’ve proved,” adds Robert. “Moderation is key.”

The advantages are purely from the consumption of red wine. Scotch, vodka and even white wine do not have these positive effects as they do not contain resveratrol.

And while you may think taking a massive daily supplement of resveratrol would do the trick in preventing you from getting cancer, Robert says there’s been no proof that it helps.

Instead, he explains you can get your resveratrol from dietary sources besides red wine. “Eat a lot of Thai food,” he says. “Peanuts are actually very high in resveratrol and have similar benefits to red wine. But, again they need to be eaten in moderation.”

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The Spiritual Disciplines: Confession

http://directors.tfionline.com/post/spiritual-disciplines-confession/
By P Amsterdam

A familiar Scottish proverb tells us that “Confession is good for the soul,” and so it is. When we are looking to deepen our connection with the Lord, to live a God-centered life, confessing our sins plays an important role.

The Spiritual Discipline of confession involves sin that is committed after salvation. When we accept Jesus as our Savior we are forgiven for our sins, and therefore are seen as judicially righteous before God, with assurance of salvation.[1] In His great love for humanity, God made a way for us to be reconciled with Him, and that way was through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, who gave His life so that we could be born again as members of God’s family. Salvation changed our relationship with Him—He is now our Father.[2] We are eternally part of His family.

Being born again, however, doesn’t mean that we no longer sin, or that when we do, our sins have no consequences. Sin has negative effects in our lives and the lives of others, and most prominently in the damage it does to our personal relationship with God. Sin causes a breach in our relationship with our Father, and confession repairs the breach. It takes effort on our part to make things right, similar to how it takes effort to restore a relationship with another person whom we have hurt or offended.

The discipline of confession is the means of counteracting the effect our sins have on our relationship with God. If we don’t regularly repair the damage through confessing our sins, we run the risk of becoming hardened in heart and spirit and relationally growing more distant from Him. As John MacArthur wrote:

I’ve seen Christians—judicially forgiven and eternally secure—who are hardened, impenitent, and insensitive to sin. Consequently, they are also without joy because they don’t have a loving, intimate fellowship with God. They have blocked out joy and fellowship with the barricade of their unconfessed sin.[3]

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus directed us to ask the Father to forgive us our sins.[4] He wasn’t instructing us to pray repeatedly for justification, as we received that upon salvation.[5] Instead, He was showing us the means of restoring our personal fellowship with God when that fellowship has been broken or damaged due to our sins. When King David had grievously sinned, his fellowship with God was broken and his sin had distanced him. His prayer was:

Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.[6] He asked God for restoration: Restore to me the joy of Yoursalvation.[7]

Confessing our sins and asking God to forgive us is the path to that restoration. When we come before Him and admit that we have sinned, when we ask forgiveness and have heartfelt repentance, the breach is repaired and the damaged relationship is restored. We are cleansed from our unrighteousness and can once again be in fellowship with righteousness, God Himself.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.[8]

Confession shouldn’t be looked upon as something negative or distasteful, because the positive result of confessing our transgressions is forgiveness. God desires to forgive us, and confession is the avenue through which we receive His mercy and compassion. His forgiveness brings freshness to our spirit as our relationship, love, and friendship with Him is renewed.
What Confession Means

The Greek word for sin is hamartia (pronounced ha mar TEE ah), which means to miss the mark, to wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong. As Christians, we don’t want to wander from the path of uprightness or miss the mark. Our goal is to journey through life walking close to Jesus, to avoid straying from His side. When we sin, we wander from Him, but confessing draws us back. Confession is an expression of our love and desire to have a close relationship with Jesus and stay connected to Him.

The word used in the New Testament in reference to confessing our sins is homologeo (pronounced ha ma la GAY oh),which comes from the combination of the words homos, meaning “the same,” and lego, meaning “to speak.” It means to speak the same thing, to agree. When we confess our sins, we are saying the same thing about sin as God does. We are agreeing with His condemnation of sin and acknowledging that in sinning we have acted against God personally, against His Word and His nature. We are admitting that sin is wrong and that we have acted in a way that is offensive to Him. It’s acknowledging that we call these actions the same thing God calls them: envy, jealousy, lust, hatred, deceit, greed, anger, gluttony, adultery, etc.[9]

It is recognizing that these actions are repugnant to God and that by doing them, we are hurting our relationship with Him. It is agreeing that because of the sins of humanity, including our specific sins, Jesus suffered torture and death on the cross. Confession is the acknowledgment that these things are wrong, that we have personally done them, we have offended God, we are sorry, and we need His forgiveness. It is also an expression of our understanding that when we confess our sins, God, in His love and mercy, forgives us.

Charles Spurgeon pointed out that as God’s children, we don’t come before Him to confess as a culprit or criminal comes before a judge. Instead, as His children, we come to our loving Father who desires to forgive.

There is a wide distinction between confessing sin as a culprit, and confessing sin as a child. The Father’s bosom is the place for penitent confessions. We have been cleansed once for all, but our feet still need to be washed from the defilement of our daily walk as children of God.[10]

When we confess our sins, we are recognizing and admitting our guilt. We are stating that no matter who we have wronged, we have sinned against God, whom we are accountable to, we deeply regret doing so, and we seek His forgiveness.

Confession consists of acknowledging our specific sins and claiming them as our own. The following story expresses this point well:

A counselor was trying to help a man who had come forward during an evangelistic meeting. “I’m a Christian,” the man said, “but there’s sin in my life, and I need help.” The counselor showed him 1 John 1:9 and suggested that the man confess his sins to God. “O Father,” the man began, “if we have done anything wrong—” “Just a minute!” the counselor interrupted. “Don’t drag me into your sin! My brother, it’s not ‘if’ or ‘we’—you’d better get down to business with God!”[11]

Because our goal is to regain our close relationship with God, it is helpful to confess specific wrongdoing along with our general sins and weaknesses.

Of course, part of confession is repentance, meaning the changing of the mind, a change of view and of purpose. It’s understanding that sin isn’t just a weakness or an area of your life that you need to work on; it is you acting contrary to God and His nature, resulting in His displeasure and causing a distance in your relationship with Him, as well as negatively affecting you as a person. Repentance means turning from sin and toward God, similar to the prodigal son who returned from a far country to his father’s house. It’s being sorry for sinning and committing to change.

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.[12]

Every one of us sins frequently. We don’t want to, we usually don't mean to, but we do. And while some sins are more serious than others, all sin is spiritually damaging. Confession as a discipline is part of the process of counteracting the damage.
How Often to Confess?

There is no set rule for how often to confess your sins to the Lord, though it seems wise to do so on a regular basis. Before coming before the Lord to confess your sins, it’s good to take some time in self-examination, thinking and praying about the ways you have sinned and any specific sins you can remember. The goal isn’t to root out every detail or every possible sin, rather it’s taking time in prayer to invite the Lord to move in your heart to show you areas in which you need His forgiveness.[13]

If you invite the Holy Spirit to help you search your heart, you will likely become aware of specific sins you would want to confess. Not just sins of commission, but also of omission—times when you should have done something but didn’t. You may become more aware of sins of the heart (such as greed, pride, anger, etc.), which are less obvious than the more outward sins of the flesh. The purpose of confession is greater closeness to God, and taking some time to pray, meditate, and open ourselves to God in self-examination is part of the discipline.
Whom to Confess to

Scripture tells us to confess our sins to God. I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.[14] Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.[15] We confess to the Lord because ultimately He is the one we have sinned against. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t apologize to those you’ve wronged—you should, and also make restitution if it’s called for.

Besides confessing our sins to God, Scripture also speaks of confessing our sins to others.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.[16] If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.[17]

Some Christians—Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and some Anglicans—act upon the instructions to confess sins to another within the sacrament of confession (also called the sacrament of penance or the sacrament of reconciliation), as they confess their sins to a priest. Generally, Protestant belief is that confession is made only to God in the privacy of personal prayer. In some Protestant services, the pastor will call for a period of silence in order to allow time for members to privately confess their sins to the Lord.

While confessing one’s sins is generally a private matter between the individual and God, as we’ve seen by the verses above, there are occasions when we are instructed to confess our sins to one another. Martin Luther said that “secret confession” to another Christian, although not required by Scripture, was “useful and even necessary.” John Calvin also commended private confession for any believer who is “troubled and afflicted with a sense of sins, so that without outside help he is unable to free himself from them.”[18]

There are times when individuals confess their sins to the Lord, but don’t feel it is enough; they don’t have peace that their confession has restored their fellowship with God. In times like these, it can be beneficial to confess the sin to a trusted brother or sister in the Lord. In such instances God has given us our brothers and sisters to stand in Christ’s stead and make God’s presence and forgiveness real to us.[19]Making a verbal confession of sin to a trusted fellow Christian, along with the effective prayers prayed by that Christian, is sometimes needed to bring the realization of forgiveness, resulting in peace of heart, mind, and spirit.

Of course, such a confession wouldn’t be made to just any Christian, as not all of our brothers and sisters have the necessary empathy or understanding to receive a confession, neither can every Christian be counted on to keep the information in absolute confidence. Richard Foster gives some further qualifications for a person who will be receiving a confession:

Others are disqualified because they would be horrified at the revealing of certain sins. Still others, not understanding the nature and value of confession, would shrug it off with a “That’s not so bad.” Fortunately, many people do understand and would be delighted to minister in this way. These people are found by asking God to reveal them to us. They are also found by observing people to see who evidences a lively faith in God’s power to forgive and exhibits the joy of the Lord in his or her heart. The key qualifications are spiritual maturity, wisdom, compassion, good common sense, the ability to keep a confidence, and a wholesome sense of humor. Many pastors—though by no means all—can serve in this way. Often ordinary folk who hold no office or title whatever are among the best at receiving a confession.[20]
Receiving a Confession

Receiving a confession from another Christian is a sacred matter. Your brother or sister is coming to you in obedience to Scripture, trusting that you will listen with love and compassion. In order to properly receive a confession, you need to begin from a place of deep humility. All sin is abhorrent to God, and since we all sin, no one is in a position to be judgmental or to look down upon the one making confession.

The individual making their confession may be in pain and sorrowful about their sins, or they may be confessing in obedience to Scripture, or because they want to please the Lord. They deserve the utmost respect and love from you. If you can’t give them that, if you don’t feel you can keep the information confidential, if you are concerned that you may betray their trust, then you shouldn’t agree to receive it.

Foster gives the following wise counsel for those who are receiving a confession:[21]

When one is opening their griefs to you, discipline yourself to be quiet. Don’t try to relieve the tension by making an offhanded comment, as it’s distracting and even destructive to the sacredness of the moment.

Don’t try to pry out more details than necessary. If you feel they are holding something back due to fear or embarrassment, it’s best to wait silently and prayerfully.

Pray for them inwardly and imperceptibly, send prayers of love and forgiveness toward them. Pray that they will share the “key” that will reveal any area needing the healing touch of Christ.

Once they have confessed, pray for them out loud, and in the prayer, state that the forgiveness that is in Jesus is now real and effective for them. You can say this in a tone of genuine authority because If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.[22]

Ask God to heal their heart and mind from any wounds the sin has caused.

One of our goals as Christians is to have a deep and abiding relationship with God, through Jesus. Because sin separates us from God, we want to avoid sinning; yet as human beings, it is impossible for us to be completely free of sin. Because of this, confessing our sins and seeking the Lord’s forgiveness is key to our having the relationship with Him that we desire. Confession is God’s way for us to eliminate the effects of sin in our relationship with Him. God desires to forgive us, and He wants us to be willing to seek His forgiveness.

When we come to the Lord to confess our sins, we may come in sadness, sorrow, and contrition, but we leave with great joy.—Joy that we are forgiven, that our relationship is restored, and that we can be in His presence unhindered by the burden of our sins. Confession leads to celebration. Our sins are forgiven, our lives are changed. Simply put, “confession is good for the soul.”

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Footnotes:
[1] For more on the concept of Justification, see: The Heart of It All: Salvation, Results—Justification, Adoption, and Regeneration.
[2] When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God (Galatians 4:4–7).
[3] John MacArthur Jr., Alone with God (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1995), 104–106.
[4] Luke 11:4.
[5] Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
[6] Psalm 51:11.
[7] Psalm 51:12.
[8] 1 John 1:9.
[9] David Walls and Max Anders, Holman New Testament Commentary: I & II Peter, I, II & III John, Jude (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 166.
[10] C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Readings (Complete and unabridged; New modern edition), (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2006).
[11] W. W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 481–485.
[12] Isaiah 55:7.
[13] Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline (New York: HarperOne, 1998), 151.
[14] Psalm 32:5.
[15] Proverbs 28:13.
[16] James 5:16 NAS.
[17] John 20:23.
[18] W. A. Elwell and B. J. Beitzel in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988).
[19] Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 147.
[20] Ibid., 153.
[21] Ibid., 155–56.
[22] John 20:23.

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Jesus É o nosso Consolo na Tristeza

http://anchor.tfionline.com/pt/post/jesus-e-o-nosso-consolo-na-tristeza/
J. R. Miller

Muitas pessoas, mesmo acreditando na doutrina da ressurreição sofrem com a morte de um ente querido e se privam do consolo que essa perspectiva do futuro pode nos dar. Jesus assegurou a Marta que o seu irmão se levantaria dos mortos. “Eu sei. Ele vai ressuscitar no último dia”, disse ela sem esperança de que fosse acontecer naquele momento. O seu sentimento de perda superava qualquer outro. Marta ansiava estar na companhia do irmão que havia perdido. Todos que já perderam um amigo querido tiveram esse mesmo sentimento de não conseguir extrair consolo nessa esperança, mesmo acreditando firmemente na ressurreição dos mortos.

A resposta do Mestre ao coração faminto de Marta oferece um grande consolo. Ele disse: “Eu sou a ressurreição”. É uma afirmação maravilhosa que alimenta a fé do cristão. Para Marta, pensar na ressurreição era um consolo distante e anuviado. “Eu sou a ressurreição”, Jesus disse. A ressurreição era para aquele momento, não algo distante. Suas palavras abrangiam a bem-aventurada verdade da imortalidade: “Aquele que vive e crê em Mim nunca morrerá.” Para quem está em Cristo não existe morte. O corpo morre, mas a pessoa em si continua viva. A ressurreição se dará no futuro, mas não existe um intervalo na vida do crente. Jesus não está aqui, não O vemos nem ouvimos Sua voz, não podemos tocar Suas mãos, mas Ele continua vivendo, pensando, sentindo, lembrando e amando. A morte não extinguiu absolutamente nenhum poder que Ele possui, não esmaeceu a Sua beleza nem destruiu Sua capacidade.

Esse foi o consolo que Jesus deu em parte aos Seus amigos na hora do sofrimento. Ele lhes garantiu que, para o crente, não existe morte. Os que ficam sofrem a dor da separação e sentem falta de quem partiu, mas não precisamos ter receio algum quanto àquele que parte.

Como é que Jesus consola os amigos que ficam? A história da dor e sofrimento neste lar em Betânia nos revela a resposta. As pessoas dizem: “Ele ressuscitou aquele morto, portanto consolou a família porque desfez a obra da morte e da tristeza. Se Ele fizesse o mesmo agora, em todos os casos para aqueles que a Ele clamam, então o consolo seria real”. Mas devemos lembrar que a volta de Lázaro ao lar foi uma restauração temporária. Ele voltou à vida mortal, à tentação, doenças, dores e morte. — E apenas por um tempo. Não foi uma ressurreição para a vida imortal, apenas uma restauração da vida mortal. Ele teve que passar novamente pelo mistério da morte, e da segunda vez suas irmãs experimentaram a agonia da separação e sentiram falta dele. Na realidade, o que aconteceu é que a separação final só foi adiada.

Mas Jesus deu às irmãs o consolo verdadeiro, que vai além disso. A Sua presença era um consolo, pois sabiam que as amava. Muitas vezes antes de Lázaro morrer, Jesus entrara naquele lar e ali deixara a Sua bênção. Os três irmãos sentiam paz e segurança junto com Ele. E na ocasião, até mesmo a dor que sentiam ficou menos aguda quando se encontraram com Jesus. Com certeza o amor verdadeiro, forte e terno do ser humano pode nos consolar, e a companhia de um amigo de confiança nos ajuda a superar uma perda. Mas o crente pode suportar qualquer pesar se estiver na companhia de Jesus.

O problema é que muitas vezes nós não percebemos a presença do Mestre, mesmo Ele estando ao nosso lado, então deixamos de receber o consolo do Seu amor. Maria estava ao lado do túmulo vazio com o coração dilacerado, clamando ao Senhor, que a essa altura já estava atrás dela, mas despercebido. “Ela pensou que fosse o jardineiro.” Mas um momento ela ouviu o seu nome proferido em um tom de voz familiar. Jesus Se revelou a ela, e imediatamente a sua dor deu lugar à alegria. Assim nós, muitas vezes nos vemos nas profundezas da dor, ansiando por consolo e amor, sendo que Cristo está ao nosso lado, mais perto do que um amigo de carne e osso poderia estar. Devemos secar as lágrimas e contemplar a Sua face com fé, então o Seu maravilhoso amor inundará a nossa alma, e a dor será tragada por alegria plena. Não existe a mínima dúvida quanto à presença de Cristo nos nossos momentos difíceis. A única razão porque não somos consolados é porque não percebemos a Sua presença.

Outro elemento no consolo recebido por essas irmãs de luto foi a solidariedade de Jesus. Ele tratou a primeira, e depois a segunda, com muita gentileza. Maria sofria mais do que Marta, e quando Jesus a viu chorando, Ele gemeu no espírito e ficou perturbado. Vemos então o versículo mais curto da Bíblia, que nos revela o íntimo, o coração do Mestre, e a Sua impressionante empatia.

“Jesus chorou.” Nos momentos de sofrimento é um grande consolo ter alguém ao nosso lado, saber que alguém se importa, e divide a nossa dor. Teria sido um grande consolo se João, Pedro, ou Tiago, tivessem chorado com elas diante do túmulo do irmão. Mas as lágrimas do Mestre transmitiram uma mensagem inigualável. Foi uma demonstração do maior sentimento de empatia que o mundo já viu, o próprio filho de Deus chorando junto com duas irmãs, compartilhando de um momento de profunda dor humana.

Este versículo mais curto na Bíblia não foi apenas um complemento na narrativa, mas uma revelação dos sentimentos de Jesus que transcende as eras. Sempre que um crente sofre, Alguém está ao lado, sem ser visto, dividindo a sua dor. Não é possível dimensionar o consolo que se sente ao saber que o Filho de Deus partilha do nosso sofrimento, divide conosco nossas aflições, e tomou sobre Si as nossas enfermidades. Saber disso nos ajuda a suportar com mais tranquilidade os nossos problemas.

Existe outra maneira sugestiva de Cristo consolar Seus amigos. A empatia humana é um sentimento. Nossos amigos choram conosco, dizem que sentem muito, no entanto não podem fazer muito para efetivamente nos consolar. Mas a empatia de Jesus em Betânia teve caráter prático. Ele não só demonstrou o Seu carinho pelos amigos ao vir lá de Perea para lhes fazer companhia naquele momento; Ele não demonstrou o Seu amor apenas por meio de palavras divinas de consolo que marcaram o mundo positivamente, e não só chorou com elas naquele momento de dor, mas também realizou o maior de todos os Seus milagres para lhes devolver a alegria.

Sem dúvida, milhares de outros amigos de Jesus que estavam sofrendo desejaram receber o mesmo consolo na forma de ter a pessoa amada de volta ao convívio. Muitas vezes o Senhor faz isso em resposta à oração cheia de fé. Ele poupa a vida dos que nos são queridos e que aparentemente vão partir desta vida. Ao orarmos pela cura de um amigo doente, devemos pedir com aceitação, e sempre terminar dizendo, “não seja feita a minha vontade, mas a Tua”. Conseguimos conter até mesmo o nosso grande desejo e carinho pela pessoa, no sossego e na confiança da fé. Se não for o melhor para o nosso amado, se não seria uma verdadeira bênção, se não é como Deus quer agir, então, “seja feita a Tua vontade”. Se assim orarmos, devemos acreditar que, qualquer que seja a questão ou situação, o resultado será o que Deus achar melhor. Se nossos amigos forem levados desta vida, encontraremos um consolo inexprimível na certeza de que foi a vontade de Deus. Se eles se recuperarem, então Cristo vai devolvê-los a nós, como devolveu Lázaro a Marta e Maria.

É importante entendermos claramente a questão da dor e do pesar, para que, na hora do sofrimento, possamos receber a bênção e não ficarmos sofrendo com a experiência. Deus faz com que todo pesar na nossa vida resulte em algo positivo. Jesus Cristo possui uma fonte inesgotável de consolo, basta abrirmos o coração para receber. Dessa forma passaremos pela situação difícil apoiados pelo auxílio e amor divinos, e ao final da experiência estaremos com o caráter mais forte e a vida mais abençoada. Nossos pesares determinam lições para nós, e deveríamos procurar diligentemente assimilar o que o Mestre deseja nos ensinar. Toda dor inclui também a semente da bênção, e deveríamos nos certificar de dar a essa semente a oportunidade de crescer para podermos colher resultados. Toda lágrima esconde um arco-íris, mas só quando o sol brilha sobre a gota cristalina é que o esplendor se torna visível.

Trechos adaptados de The Ministry of Comfort (Hodder & Stoughton, 1901). Publicado no Âncora, em outubro 2013. Tradução Hebe Rondon Flandoli.

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Jesus Is Our Comfort in Times of Grief

http://anchor.tfionline.com/post/jesus-our-comfort-times-grief/
By J. R. Miller
Audio length: 10:44
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Many in bereavement, though believing the doctrine of the future resurrection, fail to get present comfort from it. Jesus assured Martha that her brother should rise again. “Yes, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day,” she said. The hope was too distant to give her much comfort. Her sense of present loss outweighed every other thought and feeling. She craved back again the companionship she had lost. Who that has stood by the grave of a precious friend has not experienced the same feeling of inadequateness in the consolation that comes from even the strongest belief in a far-off rising again of those who are in their graves?

The Master’s reply to Martha’s hungry heart cry is very rich in its comfort. “I am the resurrection.” This is one of the wonderful present tenses of Christian hope. To Martha’s thought the comfort of resurrection was a dim faraway consolation. “I am the resurrection,” said Jesus. The resurrection was something present, not remote. His words embraced the whole blessed truth of immortal life. “Whosoever liveth and believeth on Me shall never die.” There is no death for those who are in Christ. The body dies, but the person lives on. The resurrection may be in the future, but there is no break whatever in the life of the believer in Christ. He is not here, our eyes see Him not, our ears hear not His voice, we cannot touch Him with our hands; but He still lives, thinks, feels, remembers and loves. No power in His being has been quenched by dying, no beauty dimmed, no faculty destroyed.

This is a part of the comfort which Jesus gave to His friends in their bereavement. He assured them that for the believer, there is no death. There remains for those who stay behind the pain of separation and of loneliness, but for those who have passed over, we need have no fear.

How does Jesus comfort the friends who are left? As we read over the story of the sorrow of this Bethany home, we find the answer to our question. You say, “He brought back their dead, thus comforting them by the literal undoing of the work of death and grief. If only He would do this now, in every case where love cries to Him that would be comfort indeed.” But we must remember that the return of Lazarus to his home was only a temporary restoration. He came back to his old life of mortality, temptation, sickness, pain and death. He came back, too, only for a season. It was not a resurrection to immortal life; it was only a restoration to mortal life. He must pass again through the mystery of dying, and the second time his sisters must experience the agony of separation and loneliness. It was merely a postponement for a little while of the final separation.

But Jesus gave the sisters true comfort besides this. His own presence with them brought them comfort. They knew that He loved them. Many times before, when He had entered their home, He had brought benedictions. They had a feeling of security and peace in His presence. Even their great grief lost something of its poignancy when the light of His face fell upon them. Every strong, tender and true human love has comforting power. We can pass more easily through a sore trial if a trusted friend is beside us. The believer can endure any sorrow if Jesus is with him.

The trouble with us too often is that we do not realize the presence of our Master though He is close beside us, and miss altogether the comfort of His love. Mary stood with breaking heart by the empty grave, crying out for her Lord, who even then was close behind her, but unrecognized, “she supposing Him to be the gardener.” A moment later, however, the speaking of her name in the old familiar tone of voice revealed Him to her, and instantly her sorrow was turned into joy. So we stand oftentimes in the deep shadows of grief, longing for comfort, yearning for love, while Christ is close beside us, closer than any human friend can be. If only we will dry our tears and look up into His face, believing, our soul shall be flooded with His wonderful love and our sorrow shall be swallowed up in fullness of joy. There is never the least doubt about the presence of Christ in our times of trouble; it is only because we remain unaware of that presence that we are not comforted.

Another element of comfort for these sorrowing sisters was in the sympathy of Jesus. There was a wonderful gentleness in His manner as He received first one and then the other. Mary’s grief was deeper than Martha’s, and when Jesus saw her weeping He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. Then, in the shortest verse in the Bible, we have a window into the very heart of the Master, and we find there the most wonderful sympathy.

“Jesus wept.” It is a great comfort in time of sorrow to have even human sympathy, to know that somebody cares, that someone feels with us. It would have added something—very much indeed—of comfort for the sisters, if John, or Peter, or James, had wept with them beside their brother’s grave. But the tears of the Master meant incalculably more. They told of the holiest sympathy this world ever saw—the Son of God weeping with two sisters in a great human sorrow.

This shortest verse in the Bible was not written merely as a fragment of the narrative—it contains a revealing of the heart of Jesus for all time. Wherever a believer in Christ is sorrowing, One stands by, unseen, who shares the grief. There is immeasurable comfort in the revealing that the Son of God suffers with us in our suffering, is afflicted in all our affliction, and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. We can endure our trouble more quietly when we know this.

There is yet another feature in the manner of Christ’s comforting His friends which is suggestive. Human sympathy is a sentiment. Our friends weep with us; they tell us they are sorry for us, yet they can do very little to help us. But the sympathy of Jesus at Bethany was very practical. Not only did He reveal His affection for His friends in coming all the way from Peraea, to be with them in their trouble; not only did He show His love by speaking to them words of divine comfort, which have made a shining track through the world ever since; not only did He weep with them in their grief, but He also wrought the greatest of all His miracles to restore to them their heart’s joy.

No doubt thousands of other friends of Jesus in bereavement have wished that He would comfort them in like manner, by giving back their beloved. Often He does what is in effect the same—in answer to the prayer of faith He spares the lives of those who are dear and who seem about to be taken away. When we pray for the recovery of our friends who are sick, our prayer, if we pray acceptably, always ends with, “Not my will, but Thine, be done.” Even the most passionate longing of our affection we subdue in the quiet confidence of faith. If it is not best for our loved one, if it would not be a real blessing, if it is not God’s way, then, “Thy will be done.” If we pray thus, we must believe that the issue, whatever it may be, is God’s best for us. If our friends are taken away, there is unspeakable comfort in the confidence that this was God’s will for them. If they recover, it is Christ who has given them back to us, as He gave back Lazarus to Martha and Mary.

It is important that we have a clear understanding of the subject of sorrow, in order that when it falls to our lot to suffer, we may receive blessing, and not hurt, from our experience. Every sorrow that comes into our life brings us something good from God. There is in Jesus Christ an infinite resource of consolation, and we have only to open our heart to receive it. Then we shall pass through sorrow sustained by divine help and love, and shall come from it enriched in character and blessed in all our life. Our griefs set lessons for us to learn, and we should diligently seek to get into our life whatever it is that our Master would teach us. In every pain is folded the seed of blessing—we should make sure that the seed shall have an opportunity to grow, and that we may gather its fruit. In every tear a rainbow hides, but only when the sunshine falls upon the crystal drop is the splendor revealed.



Excerpted and adapted from The Ministry of Comfort (Hodder & Stoughton, 1901). Published on Anchor October 2013. Read by Gabriel Garcia Valdivieso.

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