“Sometimes, even we who decry the health-and-wealth gospel forget that the Christian life was never meant to be a cakewalk, that discipleship requires suffering, and that spiritual victory presupposes struggle.”
- Stan Guthrie
From an excellent article called “Stumbling After Jesus,” at Christianity Today’s website. If you enjoy the article, Stan has a terrific blog.
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Tag Archive > suffering
Quote of the Moment
are you sure you want to be a christian?
Sorry that I’ve been a little bit off the radar for almost two weeks, but I am back to regular postings now.
This article caught my attention today. Extremist Muslims in northern Iraq say that they must “implement God’s judgment” by killing any youths who convert from Islam to Christianity. Following Christ is no [...]
are we mutually funding genocide?
“We – even we here – hold the power and bear the responsibility.”
~ Abraham Lincoln
Every Christian who invests in the stock market using mutual funds has to take the good with the bad. In any given mutual fund there is a long list of companies, some of which support or fund causes that may [...]
virginia tech
It doesn’t take much looking to find evidence that evil and suffering are a reality. The tragedy at Virgina Tech this week was no exception. Especially significant was the death of Professor Liviu Librescu, a survivor of the Holocaust. April 16, the day of the shooting, was also Holocaust Remembrance Day, or [...]
weakly prayer – memory and pain
From Prayers Plainly Spoken, by Stanley Hauerwas:
“Crucified Lord, your creation is full of pain. Our lives are filled with pain. We must appear happy, to be OK, to others and ourselves. After all, we know no one likes to be around people in pain. So we cannot even be around ourselves. [...]
the inbetweenness of life
This article from the New York Times tells how many people from the battered region of Darfur, in Sudan have found a haven in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Fawzia Suliman, a mother and wife from Darfur, talks about how Fort Wayne has been a welcome place for her and a growing community of Darfuri people.
“I [...]
life in the kingdom
I occasionally take time to review The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard. I read this book a few years ago, and was profoundly impacted by it. Today as I flipped through, I was looking for wisdom about what life looks like when we place ourselves in the care of God’s rule. [...]
weakly prayer – for the sick
Healer God,
Is there more room in the house where the man was dropped down through the ceiling?
Are the crowds so thick that more cannot touch the hem of your garment?
Grant us the wisdom to place limits on the enjoyment of our resources, so that we can place limits on the sicknesses that come to those [...]
darfur
Thanks to Black Coffee Reflections for reminding me about the special that 60 Minutes did on the situation in Darfur. I meant to post something about that last week, but it’s been hard lately to sit down and post anything. The 12 minute piece can be viewed at the 60 Minutes web site. [...]
few words fit
My wife, Krista, and I both attended the funeral last week of the wife and daughter of a co-worker. They were both killed in a car accident. It has been difficult for any of us to accept, and our hearts are broken for him. His name is Brad Unland, if you think [...]
Jason Barmer
