Newsletter 7/5/2025

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. -  2 Corinthians 4:8–10

No one wants affliction. I’ve never asked to be confused and perplexed. Persecution is not on the bucket list of things I’d like to experience before I die. Neither do I care for it to be the reason for my death. Anyone up for getting thrown down? I didn’t think so. 

But these realities happen anyway. And while the the writer of this well-worn verse suffered his fair share of pain and wounding as a result of his Christian beliefs, we do know that Christians are not the only ones on the planet who undergo moments of stress and difficulty that threaten feelings of safety and disrupt equilibrium. 

This is a concerning state of affairs. If only God would prevent at least the most faithful among us from being slammed by such turmoil. But nope, it is a like a right of passage. Disconcerting situations, seemingly coming out of nowhere, are simply our lot. All of us. There are no exemptions or excusals unfortunately. 

I think that if we were spared afflictions, dilemmas we feel cannot handle, insults and attacks, and collisions with hardship, we would be weaker, not stronger. We would be less inclined to lean into an experience with God, not more inclined. We would have a less impressive view of the cross, not a greater one. Why? Because our challenges, no matter how intense, prove the power of God. 

If you were never forced to face the aforementioned undesirable realities, God would not have the opportunity to reveal Himself as the One who keeps you from being crushed and full of despair. If you were never harassed by demons or people, you would not find God to be the One who will, “never leave us or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Especially when you feel alone and forsaken by all others.  You may fall, but through God you are not destroyed. You faith is amplified when you struggle with doubts and trials. 

But also, we align with the Lord Jesus when we endure such things. We are the living dead. He died, but He is indestructible. He prayed and cried in sorrow, but He never gave up. He was hunted like an animal, but God was with Him. He was cast down, but He still lives. We are joined with Him. 

The whole human race mourns its condition. Each one passes through unnumbered adversities. But it is the Christian that cannot be shaken and moved. It is the one who hides in Christ and relies upon His triumph in the face of evil that discovers hope. 

Over the last few weeks I have been hit hard. A fire that threatened to burn down everything we have. Difficulties arising from my job as we seek to bring healing to struggling churches. I bore professional and personal offenses. But yet, I have given myself and every situation to God. I have chosen to surrender it all to the Lord. I said to myself yesterday, “you cannot hurt a dead man”. I will to walk the path no matter how hard. Each situation exposes some area of my life that needs refinement anyway. So I’ve learned to rejoice in the process. I want the power of the cross and the power of the living Christ to be revealed in me. So it is through the difficulties, not the absence of them, that I see the Lord and learn His glory of His ways. I am upheld and held together. And nothing can harm me. 

Pastor Dean