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A mentor of mine likes to say that “the worst of times are often the best of times – they just don’t feel like it at the time.” As counterintuitive as this seems, anyone who’s been through tough times while drinking deeply of the grace of Christ knows that it’s true.

Several years ago, I had an extensive conversation with a Christian brother who had recently endured horrific physical trials, multiple surgeries, and life-threatening infections. He endured great pain, loss of income, and a massive disruption of life as he knew it. Yet, he testified to me, “I would not trade all those months and years for anything because we experienced such amazing provision from God in every area of my life. God gave me extraordinary time and freedom to learn and apply His word.”

Some people close to me have recently experienced difficult weeks in a relationship. The burden has been so heavy that they have lost sleep, they’ve lost appetite, and they’ve lost certainty. Yet, their love for God’s word and time spent with Him in prayer has accelerated so dramatically that grace has flooded their lives with indescribable strength.

And certainly, I have my own stories of hard days (and seasons!) coupled with incredible mercies, and I’d bet—if I were a betting man—that each of you do also.

But all of this begs the question: why is this enigmatic principle such a common experience for Christ-followers? The Bible gives us some pragmatic insight into why bad times can often turn out so good for us. Here are a few of these truths:

We Embrace a Deeper Obedience

Easy times can make us spiritually flabby, while trials can awaken us to the value of God’s word. King David wrote in Psalm 119:67, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word.” A few verses later, he affirmed, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes” (119:71), and he told the Lord, “In faithfulness, You have afflicted me” (119:75).

We Cultivate an Eternal Perspective

When we are coasting through this life on Easy Street, our hearts become excessively charmed by this world’s fleeting pleasures and possessions. God uses troubles to loosen our grip on this life’s attractions and reawaken us to the values and rewards of eternity. The words of 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 from the Apostle Paul affirm this: “Therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

We Develop Godly Character

In the long run, character counts more than comfort or convenience. James 1:2-3 tells us, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” Romans 5:3-4 affirms, “We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Luxury and ease spoil character. Challenges and heartaches develop character when we receive Christ’s abundant grace amid tough times.

We Assure an Eternal Reward

Godly endurance is always rewarded as we are empowered to learn and grow through difficult tests. James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” In a similar fashion, in 1 Peter 1:6-7, the Apostle Peter reassures us, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honour, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Most of us have completed all the schooling we’ll ever do, but did you know we will all face one ‘final exam?’ When we stand before Christ in eternity, He will not ask us how we enjoyed financial security or about our satisfaction with the creature comforts of life. Rather, we will be evaluated by the degree to which we grew to become like Him. Most of this growth comes through the trials of life. Truly, the worst of times are the best of times.

Friends, our tough times are not easy nor permanent—“this too shall pass,” as the old saying goes. But they are valuable beyond measure, both in this life and in the one to come.

May it be so among us!

This past Sunday morning our journey continued through 1 Corinthians in the Adult Sunday Morning Growth Group. We came to a profound verse in chapter 6, verse 11.

Verse 11 is connected to two previous verses, 9 and 10, which mention those who will not inherit the Kingdom of God. The unrighteous, the sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, the greedy and the list goes on. If we stopped there, the future of the entire human race would be bleak and hopeless.

But the Apostle Paul writes a message of hope for all of us in verse 11:

“And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Paul is discussing the kinds of people who are in that church, the congregation of Corinth. And they are the kinds of people who are in every church including Central Baptist. We are people who have been converted from all kinds of sinful behaviors and backgrounds.

The mission of conversion is the reason the church is in the world. This is why we exist in the world. As believers, we are possessors of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Each of us has knowledge of the Gospel. We alone have the truth that can save dying people from an eternity in hell. Verse 11 is proof of that saving message.

Washed, sanctified and justified are all verbs, and in the context of verse 11, the action of all three note a divine event, a divine transformation that took place in a divine moment.

A short commercial break.

If you would like to know more about the meaning of washed, sanctified, justified, and much more, please join Jeff and the rest of our growing group in Parlour 2 every Sunday morning at 9:15am.

The Sunday morning class ended with a short excerpt from a video made in 1998. A few days before her execution date, a woman by the name of Karla Faye Tucker was being interviewed on death row in Texas. (Karla Faye Tucker: Forevermore Interview #1 – YouTube)

At age 23, Karla Faye had been convicted and sentenced to death for the brutal murder of a man and a woman with a pick axe in 1983. Karla came from a broken, dysfunctional home and by the age of 12 she was a drug addict and a prostitute.

She became a member of an outlaw biker gang in her early twenties which led her into crime and eventually the prison sentence.

During her first year of incarceration, Karla, through a prison ministry, had her heart opened to the Gospel message and she put her trust, faith and belief in The Lord Jesus Christ. She had been washed, sanctified and justified in a moment of time just like verse 11 says.

I remember watching the full interview on TV in 1998. I was struck by Karla Faye’s radiant countenance, her quiet but joyful spirit and her love for the Lord. By the accounts of the prison warden and guards, she was a model prisoner in every way, who spent the next fourteen years witnessing and counseling other inmates. There were many worldwide appeals for clemency made on Karla’s behalf but on the 3rd of February 1998, she was executed by lethal injection.

“And such were some of you.” There is no one, regardless of their sinful behaviour or background who is outside the forgiveness, love and grace of God.

“…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

When and where do you think of when you hear the phrase, “desolate place”?

In our “Prayer” Growth Group, that meets every Wednesday at lunch (YES, you are invited! Bring your lunch!), we are studying “prayer” in the New Testament in chronological order. Our study has begun by tracking the prayer practices of Jesus. Did I mention you were invited (12-1 pm)? Okay, enough with the invitation. Yesterday, we looked at three events in Jesus’ life when he sought a desolate place to pray:

After a busy ministry day

Luke 4:42: ^“And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them…”-ESV.

Mark 1:35  ^“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”- ESV

During a rise in popularity and need

Luke 5:15-16 ^“But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. ¹⁶ But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” – ESV

After a Spiritual High

Mark 6:30-31 ^“The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. ³¹ And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.”- ESV

What did you recognize in each passage? Right, going to a “desolate place” for the purpose of prayer. Notice, Jesus does not say the purpose of going to a desolate place is to read, study, or catch up on the “latest” on-line. Also, there is not reference to how long. As I was studying these passages and the term “desolate”, I came across this definition,

“For Jesus the ‘place without inhabitants’ is one where nothing separates Him from God and which He therefore seeks when He wants to escape the crowds”– Gerhard Kittel, “Ἔρημος, Ἐρημία, Ἐρημόω, Ἐρήμωσις,” ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 658.

The part that caught my attention was the phrase, “where nothing separates Him from God…”. When and where is that place/time for you? The idea behind a “desolate place” is a place where nothing separates you from God and your conversation with Him. This can be hard to come by! I get that. This is one of the reasons we seek to provide at least 2 minutes of this in our services on Sunday during our Pastoral Prayer. What does it look like in your life? Maybe you are reading this, and you are saying, “Pastor Jeremy, I don’t feel very close to God right now; I don’t think I can do that.” Can I encourage you to draw near to God in whatever season you are in? I believe this starts when our minds are renewed by the Word of God. The fact that you are reading this is a great example of drawing near to God. Another way you can do this is by coming to hear the Word of God taught this weekend at the ABC (Anniversary Bible Conference). I encourage you to set time aside to come and grow with us as a church family. Here are the times:

Saturday: 9am-12pm

• 9am-10am opening session with George King preaching on “The Holy Spirit: Our Helper”
• 10am-10:50am Breakout sessions (choose one of the three options)
• 11am-11:50am Breakout sessions (choose one of the three options)

Sunday: 10:30am-12pm, 4pm-7pm

• 10:30am-12pm Regular morning service with George King preaching about “The Holy Spirit: Our Helper”
• 4pm-6pm Pig roast
• 6pm-7pm Sing, share, prayer (come prepared to share what God has been doing in your life and pray for the ministry of Central)

The first time I saw Paul (not the apostle) was when he was marched into the newsroom by the publisher and introduced as our new boss. The editor-in-chief’s office had sat vacant for a while, and frankly, we had seemed to pop along just fine… (ignore that last bit.)

Anyway, Paul smiled and offered a few prepared remarks. The reporters and editors smiled back and asked a few questions. Eventually, Paul went to his office.

The staff quietly returned to their posts amid sardonic murmurs and whispers. My favourite was the old Soviet expression, “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”

But Paul defied expectations. He was an excellent boss. Smart, supportive, not quick to judge. Rather than your usual aggressive type-A personality, he was shy and self-effacing.

He had a tendency to stay in his office. And most of the staff were happy to let him be.

But I wanted to get to know him.

I knocked on his door one day, walked in and introduced myself as his world news editor. I then pressed him a little on more personal things, had he found a place to live yet, thoughts about the paper going forward.

And I kept on greeting him as he arrived for work, remarking on one thing or another. Offering unsolicited commentary on this story or that. Slowly, I got to know him, and he, me.

He was a patron of the arts, I learned. In his heart he wanted to be a painter who pushed the boundaries.

A story came across my desk about the Canadian government paying $6 million for a painting that, to me, looked like someone had used a paint roller to make two stripes on a large canvas. I couldn’t wait for Paul to arrive. I was going to make fun of the painting, and I knew he would defend it. He knew my history at the paper and we discussed (debated really) the reality of God and Christianity.

For many of my colleagues, he was an enigma. Certainly they executed his vision for the paper, did what they were asked to do, and did it well. But they didn’t know him. They knew who he was, they knew his authority, they supported his ideas, but their relationship never got beyond a nodding acquaintance.

In Matthew there is a harrowing passage at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. It concerns the day of judgment. Matt 7:[22] “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ [23] And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (ESV)

Let me state up front, if you have turned to Jesus Christ, repented of your sin and received Him as Lord and Saviour, you are not in danger of this passage. He knows you.

But how well do you know Him?

I fell to talking with a Christian friend the other day about his spiritual life. We discussed the books he was reading and his approach to Scripture. All wonderful and worthy things. Better than mine. I then asked about prayer, and he paused for a minute and admitted it was an area he perhaps needed to work on.

That has certainly been the case for me over my life.

I then, haltingly, described my own approach to prayer as perhaps a starting point for him. I reminded him that this was certainly not the only way to pray, just that it was my way.

I have come to realize that even though you’ve been introduced to the Lord, agree with His commands, and you are trying to be a good servant, it might be a good idea to go knock on His office door and strike up a conversation, begin to nurture a friendship.

So this is what I told my friend about prayer. If it is helpful for you, great. If not, do try something else.

First, I said I determined I needed to be resolute in practice, that I must do this every day, whether I feel like it or not.

I begin by reading a short passage of Scripture for meditation. This seems to engage the heart and mind in preparation for prayer.

Then I pray the Lord’s prayer (Matt. 6 – the traditional version which ends with ‘For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever. Amen.’), which I have discovered has the remarkable capacity of quickly focusing your thoughts and bringing to mind those things which require an accounting before God, often with repentance.

Then, I try to have an honest discussion with the Lord. I often ask the Holy Spirit’s assistance here to help me be completely truthful and open and to resist the temptation to make excuses or fudge things. I also ask for solutions and guidance and often help.

After this sometimes-fearful attempt to bare the soul, I move on to my petitions. When I tell someone, “I will pray for you,” this is when I do it, along with my prayers for the concerns, salvation, health, etc. of others.

I conclude by trying to enter into a period of silent communion and worship, again with the Holy Spirit’s help. “Please, Lord, open the eyes and ears of my soul that I may see and hear you.”

There is a passage in Jeremiah that carries a staggering promise: Jer 33: [2] “Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it— the LORD is his name: [3] Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. (ESV)

Just imagine!

In Philippians, Paul outlines the desire of his heart regarding Jesus. Phil 3: [10] “…that I may know him and the power of his resurrection…” (ESV)

Yes, exactly, that’s the point. “That we may know Him.”

“How are you?” is perhaps the most common greeting in our culture. And two of the most common responses are – “I’m good” or “Super busy!”

We often say the “good” response even in the middle of a terrible day because we don’t really want to get into the nitty-gritty details of our circumstances at that moment. And the “busy” response has become a cultural expectation. Modern society values “busy” as if it were something straight out of the Bible. But how are you really? “How is your heart?” as Pastor Jeremy often asks.

Recently, I was challenged about how often I use these responses. By no means are they “bad,” and in some instances, they may accurately describe how we are at that moment. However, I was encouraged to consider a Biblical teaching that helps us think a little more deeply about the condition of our hearts. In Psalm 92:12, the righteous are said to “flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” Would anyone in my close circle of family and friends describe me as flourishing?

The word “flourish” in that verse is the Hebrew (pa.rach), which means “to bud, sprout, shoot, bloom.” (www.stepbible.org) The righteous are compared to a plant, specifically a tree. A tree that is budding, sprouting, blooming, or growing new shoots is a plant that is thriving in its environment. This verse pictures a thriving tree! If I am honest, I was barely surviving for a good part of my life. In the world of plants, I would have had limp, weak, lifeless limbs; nothing was blooming in my life. I had allowed the soil of my life to get dry and hardened. I had pretended that everything was “good” for far too long and had created such a “busy” schedule that I hardly had a moment to realize how dried out, exhausted and depleted I had become.

How would a believer get from that state of merely surviving to flourishing? Is it even possible? What is the key to reviving a plant that looks like it is on its way to becoming compost? In these situations, the righteous person and the struggling plant need a new environment, a place with richer, nutrient-dense soil and adequate amounts of light and water. (Remember how Jesus called Himself the Light of the World [Jn. 8:12] and the Living Water [Jn. 4:10, 13-14]). The Psalmist continues with, “The righteous are planted in the house of the Lord, they flourish (pa.rach) in the courts of our God” (Ps. 92:13). This might sound a little like the beginning of a new cultish compound where we all seclude ourselves from modern society. No – that is not what Jesus modelled for us in His life on earth. This is a planting of our minds, our hope in the only One who never changes (Heb. 13:5). This describes a believer who is choosing to set their “mind on the things above” (Col. 3:2). This is what is described in Isaiah 26:3 which says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Those who are planted know who they are and what they have been given in Christ. They know their identity, first and foremost, is – Child of the Living God!

While this sounds quite lovely in theory, you may wonder, as I did, how do we make this work at street level? Like tomorrow, when the children are arguing endlessly, the cranky boss is more demanding than ever, or someone we love receives a terminal diagnosis. God is good. He never asks us to do anything without providing a way! The first two verses of that Psalm have some practical instructions on how to get and keep our hearts and minds planted in the rich soil of the goodness of God.

They read, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night” (Ps. 92:1,2). Here are some practical steps that lead to spiritual flourishing taken directly from Scripture –

1. Give thanks to the Lord – Rehearse the character of God. Read a passage of Scripture asking, “What does this teach me about God?” Focus on one attribute of God and say it aloud over and over! You could also jot down the things you are thankful for each day.
2. Sing praises to His name – God wants to hear you sing regardless of your singing ability! Sing along with a YouTube video! Nearly every hymn and worship song you can think of is on there! You may be surprised how singing a song of praise will shift your perspective and attitude.
3. In the morning, declare His steadfast love – Be intentional to remind yourself out loud of God’s steadfast, never-ending, unconditional love. Perhaps you could say John 3:16 or 1 John 3:1 out loud!
4. Declare His faithfulness at night – take a moment to reflect on how God was faithful to you that day. Some of the things we take for granted (i.e., the sunrise, the sunset, our beating heart) bear witness to the faithfulness of God in sustaining the world and us.

We will flourish when our roots are growing deeper in the goodness and faithfulness of God; we flourish when we intentionally make time to be in His Word and pray daily. When these things become a living reality rather than a good idea that we read in Scripture, our spiritual limbs will gain strength, we will bloom, and others around us will be drawn to our God. The blossoms will be others who will come to know Jesus because of our flourishing. God calls us to fresh, fertile soil (His Word) rather than a dried-up life of busyness (our cultural standard). Jesus said He came that we “may have life and have it abundantly” (Jn. 10:10).