Quite a good read from John Piper's desiringgod.org
The article says:
10. You will waste your cancer if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and glory of Christ.Christians are never anywhere by divine accident. There are reasons for why we wind up where we do. Consider what Jesus said about painful, unplanned circumstances: “They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness” (Luke 21:12 -13). So it is with cancer. This will be an opportunity to bear witness. Christ is infinitely worthy. Here is a golden opportunity to show that he is worth more than life. Don’t waste it.
Most of the time when we are sick, probably we would think how suay (hokkien slang for "unlucky")or indulge in self-pity. However, when Pastor John Piper was struck down with prostrate cancer, he said he is happy that now he can trust more in God than in himself.
Many "Christians" nowadays even deny that God allows believers to become sick. A prosperity preacher, had uncurable cancer. Even before she died, she proclaimed that she is not sick at all. Needless to say, she died shortly after that.
Christians are not exempted from the bad things in life. Too much positive things are being preached at the new emergent "churches", to the extend that people now only want to hear what they want to hear. They do not want to hear that men are sinful. They only want to hear that Christ has healed all their "sicknesses", including the "disease" of poverty. They said being rich is a sign from God to make others believers. Christians should not be sick. If you are still sick, you are to be blamed for your own lack of faith.
This is the kind of gospel which people "itches" to hear nowadays.
In contrast, Reformed Christians believe that sickness is part of God's plan for us. Even when we are sick, we should take the opportunity to witness to others how God has ministered to us in our sickness.
Which gospel do you believe in? Can we give thanks to God in times of sickness as we did in times of health?
Your comments please?
No comments:
Post a Comment