Chiangmai Christian Fellowship

Big Idea - Human beings are funny creatures. On the one hand, we don't like being told what to do. We don't like rules and regulations. On the other hand, we can't stop making rules. Our organizations and institutions are full of laws, regulations, and policies which are all made by people. Religion does not escape this problem. All religions are full of rules and laws. In the Old Testament, there are reported to be 613 laws and regulations that the Jewish people were to follow. But, if 613 laws were not enough, the Rabbis made countless more rules intended to help the Jewish people keep the rules! New Testament writers have a very different take on the law. In fact, the Apostle Paul teaches that "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes" (Romans 10:4), and that "We are now released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. (Romans 7:6). Jesus coming to earth, bringing the Kingdom of God, and death on the cross all dramatically changed the way things work. But what exactly does it all mean? The Sabbath is a good test case for understanding our relationship to the law and the commandments. It seems that we no longer keep the Sabbath. Only Seventh-Day Adventists still set apart Saturday as a day of rest. Other Churches have kept most of the rules about the Sabbath, they have just moved it all to a different day. Then there are those who have completely abandoned any notion of a day of rest or Sabbath keeping. How are we to think rightly about the Sabbath? How are we to think rightly about all the laws and commands of God? What does Jesus teach about these things? The Pharisees, who followed the law in the most strict and rigid way, accused Jesus' disciples of breaking the Sabbath because they were harvesting grain on the Sabbath. In this passage, it seems like Jesus is saying it is okay to break the law if it is for the right cause. It is the idea that the end justifies the means. It was ok to break the law in order to meet a human need. It gives the idea that rules are necessary but flawed. So, it is ok to ignore the rules and break them if they get in the way of helping people. But this is not what Jesus teaches here. Jesus' explanation for the Disciple's behavior unfolds in three steps that follow a clear logical progression. First, Jesus says that keeping the law is not an end in itself. The law is not the goal, rather the law is given for a higher purpose. The law has a purpose, but when the law cannot accomplish that purpose, the higher purpose takes precedence over the law. So, must ask the question, what is the goal or purpose of the law? Jesus' second point is to argue that the law was given as a means to care for people. The goal of the law is to care for and protect those under the law. So, the law is good and serves a fundamental purpose. In this case, the Sabbath is a gift from God intended to provide rest for people. The law was not about holding back from us something good, rather it was given as a means of helping us walk in what was good and best for our wellbeing and health! This goal must be set before us when we interpret the law. If the goal of the law is to provide for the well-being of people, then picking a few heads of grain to snack on is not breaking the law, it is actually keeping the law in its true purpose. Jesus defends the disciples' actions, not because they were breaking the law, but because they were keeping it in line with its true purpose. The real problem is not the law but a flawed way of understanding and interpreting the law. When keeping the law becomes the end goal, and we put too many fences around the law for its own sake, it no longer functions according to its purpose. That is the problem and weakness with laws and rules. They must be applied and used by people who twist and distort the law according to their own sinful purpose and thinking. Laws and policies become a way to control people, or justify our behavior, or make us feel that we are better than we are. Rulers can and do abuse their power, so we put laws in place to keep them in check. We want the law to be king, but the law is heartless and impersonal. Instead of fulfilling its purpose to care for people, it crushes people. But a ruler who is not under the law can be even worse. They crush even more! So, what is the answer? Well, Jesus' final point is that He is the answer. He is the King who has come, a good and loving king who is lord and master over the Sabbath. That is, He alone has the authority to interpret and apply the law according to its good and perfect purpose. He is not teaching that it is ok to break the law for convenience's sake nor to keep the law for its own sake. What He is saying is that we need the right person to help us keep the true purpose of the law for our protection and care, and He is that person. He has the right and authority to apply the law for our good. But even more than that, Jesus is saying that He is a King who accomplishes the true purpose of the law. He is the one who cares for us and protects us and therefore makes the law obsolete - not because the law is bad, but because He is so much better. The Sabbath, rightly applied, can give us rest, but not perfect rest. Jesus, on the other hand, gives complete and perfect rest. He can care for us and restore us to a level of well-being, health, and peace that the law can never do. How do we apply this? First, this does not mean that in the OT, people had to obey, but in the NT, obedience is no longer important or necessary. Living a life of obedience is every bit as important now as it was then. What has changed is what we are obedient to. The law was a guardian caring for people until something better came along. Jesus has come, and now we obey Him, not the written code. Second, that we no longer keep the Sabbath laws of the OT does not mean we no longer need rest! The purpose and goal of the law is no less true or necessary. Jesus has replaced the law only because He is better at fulfilling its true purpose. Jesus commands us not to control us or to limit our freedom but to care for our best health and well-being. His commands are personal and fit our situation, they are not fixed and rigid like the impersonal written code. All those who really trust in His loving care and goodness with obey Him completely! Thirdly, we should follow the pattern of Christ in the way we set up our families, organizations, ministries, and Christian institutions. They should primarily be led by Christ not by rigid regulations that are cold and impersonal. Maybe we need policies, but we should always keep before us the true purpose of rules - to care for people and protect them. When our policies hurt people and put an excessive burden on them, we need to care for people and set aside the policy! Most of all, we need to admit that we do need someone to rule over us. But, what we need is not the law but a Lord. We need a ruler, not to wreck our lives and take away our freedom, but to take care of His and keep us out of danger and trouble! Let Jesus be our rest. May we find every need met in Him. May we find the care, well-being, peace, and joy we all so desperately need to be met in Christ alone!

Big Idea - One way to get an idea of what life is like for someone in a profession, or life situation is to follow them around for a day - A day in the life of . . . It gives us a picture of what their life is like, but it also tells us a great deal about what is important to them, what their priorities are, and what motivates them. What would the typical day in your life tell us about you? In Mark chapter 1, we get an amazing glimpse into the typical day in the life of Jesus, and what it reveals about Jesus gives us a clear picture of the extraordinary life that He lived. More importantly, it reveals the heart and mission of Jesus. So, what can we learn about His purpose and mission by this look at a day in the life of Jesus? First, and most significantly, we learn what Jesus meant when He proclaimed, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15). The arrival of the Kingdom of God in Christ meant that the kingdom of darkness was being defeated and brought under the dominion of Jesus the King. We see this in-breaking of the kingdom in two ways. First, in the casting out of demons. The demons must do as Jesus commands. Until now, they had free reign and could wreak havoc in the lives of many people, but Jesus is now driving them back, and they can no longer oppress and destroy people's lives. Secondly, Jesus heals every kind of sickness and disease. The kingdom of darkness brings brokenness into every realm of life, but the kingdom of God is a kingdom where life is restored to health and wholeness as God intended in the original creation before sin entered and wrecked everything. Casting out demons and healing the sick form a major part of Jesus' ministry, so much so that a day in the life of Jesus was a day spent healing many. This may raise the question in our mind: if the kingdom arrived with Jesus and the kingdom of darkness has been pushed back, why is there still so much sickness and evil in the world? Was the kingdom only temporary? Do we need to wait for His return to experience the deliverance from sickness, disease, and brokenness that people experienced for the brief time Jesus walked on earth? Jesus did not take the kingdom with Him when he returned to heaven. He offers it freely to all who will enter by faith. But, the kingdom begun is not the kingdom completed. Jesus did not heal everyone, and everyone He healed eventually died. He drove demons out of people, He did not drive Satan and his army out of the world. When Jesus said the time is fulfilled for the Kingdom to come, He was declaring the inauguration of His kingdom, not its final and complete victory where all of creation would be made new and every evil banished to the lake of fire for eternity. What does this mean for us as we seek deliverance from our own brokenness? Will God heal us? Will God deliver us from demons and spiritual enemies? The good news is that those who enter the kingdom have access to the power to overcome sin and all its consequences. But, in this life, we only experience the beginning of healing and deliverance. For Full and final deliverance, we must wait for the second coming of Christ when He brings the full and final kingdom. We are already in the kingdom and are already being restored and made new, but it is a work in progress, and the work God has begun in us will not be completed until Jesus returns. A day in the life of Jesus reveals a second fact about Jesus that is of vital importance, and that is the source of Jesus' power to live His life with such power to heal and overcome all the spiritual forces of darkness. Jesus rose long before daybreak and went into the wilderness to pray. He got away from the crowds and the distractions to meet with His Father, and in that place, God taught Him what to teach and showed Him what He was to do that day. It was there Jesus, the man who had set aside His glory and eternal power, received power from God to heal. Later, when Jesus sent out the twelve to heal and cast out demons, they ran into a demon who would not leave. They asked Jesus what was the cause of their failure, and He told them, "This kind comes out only by prayer." Jesus understood that the power to overcome the kingdom of darkness begins by seeking God in times of earnest prayer. The kind of prayer Jesus is talking about is wilderness prayer. That is the prayer that 1) puts away every distraction, 2) puts oneself under the leading and direction of the Holy Spirit, 3) determines to depend on God and not our own strength, and 3) does battle with Satan to overcome every temptation. Finally, we see in the day in the life of Jesus that He was driven by the mission of God, not the mission of men. He knew God's call on His life, and He would not be distracted by the aims and ambitions of men. His primary purpose was to preach the kingdom. The arrival of the kingdom, on the one hand, meant healing the brokenness caused by sin, but it also meant proclaiming the new life that God was calling people to in Christ. In other words, Jesus didn't come just to do miracles; He ultimately came to proclaim a message, and that message is that the King has come, and we can have life in Him, and not just temporary healing but eternal life! What are some things we can take away from a day in the life of Jesus? First, the message Jesus proclaimed is far more important than the miracles He performed. The crowd was in awe of what Jesus did, but what they really needed was to pay attention to what He was saying! We all want healing, but what we need more desperately is the saving that comes through the Gospel message! Second, the power to live life well and to overcome sin, evil, and our brokenness requires going into the wilderness to pray and meet God! God has not promised to heal every sickness, but it may well be we are not experiencing the deliverance from our brokenness that God intends because of our failure to meet God in the wilderness! Thirdly, we should always pray for healing, along with seeking medical help. Both are a gift from God, and we should take advantage of both!

Absolute Authority 1. Authority to compel 2. Authority to teach 3. Authority over demons 4. Jesus is LORD!

Big Idea - Jesus appears on the scene in the Gospel of Mark at the Jordan River and is baptized by John, then He is immediately driven into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. When we compare Mark's account with Matthew and Luke, it is extremely brief - 16 verses in Matthew compared with 5 in Mark. The main reason for this is that Mark keeps a laser-sharp focus on Jesus and only reveals details that tell us specific things about Jesus - who He is and by what power He is able to do so many extraordinary things. Mark introduces Jesus in this way in order to give us a key to understanding Jesus' life and ministry in the rest of the book. So, what does Mark want us to know and understand about Jesus before we dive into the rest of the book? First, Mark wants us to understand that Jesus is God's dearly loved Son upon whom God has poured out the Holy Spirit in order to come down and do the mighty work of salvation that He promised long ago. Jesus' ministry is greater than John's. He will do mighty works of healing and will teach with great power by the power of the Holy Spirit. He will baptize His followers with the Holy Spirit because He himself has been baptized with the Holy Spirit. Secondly, Jesus will be effective and powerful in ministry, not only because the Spirit is in Him, but also because He is fully submitted to the leading and control of the Spirit in is life. The Spirit is of no benefit if He is not in control and Jesus is fully obedient to the Spirit in every way. The Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness to be tested by Satan. Why does Jesus need to be tested by Satan in the wilderness? Aren't there just as many temptations in the city or at home? The wilderness is a special place for testing because Jesus loses all control over His life in the wilderness. He is with the wild animals - wild because they are untamed, beyond human control. Jesus has nothing and is in control of nothing when He is in the wilderness. He has only God to care for Him and protect Him - so He waits on God and trusts in Him alone for 40 days. And God proves faithful in caring for His dearly loved Son, sending angels to minister to Him. Adam and Eve had everything in the garden and were given dominion over all the earth, but they fell into temptation over the one thing that was off-limits. By giving into that temptation, they gave Satan control over their lives and control over all humanity from that day onward. Now Jesus faces the same test over who will have control over His life, God or Satan. He faces the test without anything and with control over nothing. He proves to be much different than Adam and Eve and submits fully to God alone. After this time of testing, Jesus came to Galilee and began to announce that the time was fulfilled and God's kingdom had drawn near. This is indeed good news, the Gospel of God. But what did He mean by the kingdom, and how close is it? Has it truly arrived, or is it just close and coming soon? In terms of the movie theater - is it "coming soon" or is it "now showing?" It is best to understand Jesus announcing that the Kingdom is now showing - it has indeed arrived. But what exactly does that mean? What is the kingdom of God? It is the rule of God over the hearts of people. When Adam and Eve gave in to temptation, they gave Satan and sin control over their lives, and God no longer ruled over their hearts. All humanity has inherited the same rebellious heart, and even the best of the OT characters failed to follow God wholeheartedly. The history of Israel is proof that people will not submit to God's rule. Jesus is announcing that the time is fulfilled when God will rule over the hearts of people because they will submit fully to His rule and authority. Jesus has just demonstrated that the rule of God, the kingdom, has arrived in Him because the rule of God is perfect and complete over His own life - even to the point of driving Him off into a barren and hostile wilderness! This is possible, as Jesus demonstrates by the power of the Holy Spirit, but also because Jesus does not have the same rebellious heart as Adam. Jesus has a very different nature and a very different heart. But it that all it means - that the Kingdom has arrived in Jesus, but it ends there - a very small kingdom of one? No, the truth is that the kingdom is now showing. It is here, and the option to live fully under God's rule will be available to any who seek it. This is possible because the ministry of Jesus, who will baptize His followers with the Holy Spirit, a result made possible by His death and resurrection, will give us a new heart and a new nature, fulfilling the promise of Ezekiel 36:26-27. Now, we can live under the rule of God in a way that has not been possible since the fall in the Garden of Eden! Like a movie theater, all you need to enter in to see what is now showing. The kingdom is now showing for all those who will enter in by repenting and believing!

Big Idea - We live in a city that knows how to prepare for a royal visitor. If you have lived here long, you know when preparations are being made for a royal visit - flags appear along the highway, roads are repaired, ribbons and banners are carefully hung, and police dressed in their best uniforms are stationed all along the route. The Gospel of Mark begins not with an account of Jesus' birth but with making preparations for His arrival when He will break onto the scene to begin His ministry. John the Baptist is the one given the charge to prepare the way. How does John prepare the way for Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God? Even more importantly, what are we doing to prepare for Jesus to break into our life and our world? Long before John, God prepared for the coming of Jesus the Messiah through the prophets, like Isaiah, who told of a forerunner who would announce the Messiah. He would be a voice crying in the wilderness. These scriptures build the expectation of a great work of God on the scale of the exodus from Egypt, bringing both salvation and judgment on the Great Day of the Lord. John appeared to fulfill this prophecy by appearing in the wilderness and preparing for the arrival of the Messiah first by preaching a Baptism of repentance. The people were to prepare the way by a change of heart, turning away from their sin and seeking God with all their heart. Baptism pictured washing and making one clean. It was also a rite of passage for a Gentile proselyte. Likewise, this was a step to becoming the new people of God, which the Messiah would bring about through a new saving work, a great second exodus. Thus, the baptism of John did not bring about the forgiveness of sins as much as it anticipated the cross, which would bring true and complete forgiveness and cleansing from all sin. The second way that John prepares the way is by proclaiming the greatness of the one who was coming after him. He would be mightier than John, meaning He would come with even greater spiritual authority than John. He would be much greater than John in honor and glory, John wasn't even worthy to be the slave of His slave! Finally, His ministry would be far more powerful and effective because it would not be with water but with the Holy Spirit. Jesus would accomplish what John's baptism could only picture symbolically. He would bring complete cleansing and would give those who believe the right to be called children of God! We can take away three ways we can prepare for the coming of Jesus in our own lives. First, we need to take a journey into the wilderness - that is, away from the noise and false hopes of the world to a place where we must depend totally on God alone to save us and to help us. Second, we prepare our hearts for the Gospel and its work in our lives through confession. Jesus made it clear that those who think themselves healthy will never seek the help of the Doctor. Likewise, it is only those who know they are sinful and under the wrath of God who will seek the washing and forgiveness that Jesus made possible by His blood. Finally, we need to trust in Jesus, who wants to baptize us with the Holy Spirit to bring about a new saving work of God, a new birth, and a greater exodus by His death and resurrection. By this work, we are washed clean and have the right to be God's children!

(1) Mary was poor, and young (2) Mary’s submission (3) A virgin conceives (4) Mary’s disgrace (5) Mary’s journey (6) Gifts and words that prophecy

Big Idea - If we grew up celebrating Christmas at home and at Church, we probably have a very clear image in our mind of what the birth of Jesus, captured in the nativity, is supposed to look like - baby Jesus in the manger, Mary and Joseph attending to Jesus, with the animals of the stable looking on. The shepherds are there with a few sheep, and the Magi are bringing their gifts, with their camels standing in the background. Overhead is the star, sometimes as an angel shedding light on the entire nighttime scene. Even if we accept that the Magi and the shepherds did not arrive at the same time, this scene seems to capture the story of Jesus's birth. But something is missing from this scene. It only captures part of the story. There are several other important parts of the story that our traditional nativity scene overlooks! A more accurate nativity might be one with Mary and Joseph fleeing the scene with baby Jesus in their arms! This is also an important part of the story but one we easily overlook. What does Jesus' journey to Egypt mean and how does it add to our understanding of who Jesus is and why He came? How does Jesus fulfill the prophet's words, "Out of Egypt I called my son?" Joseph and Mary's sojourn in Egypt with Jesus reminds us that from the very beginning of His life, not everyone wanted to worship Jesus. He had enemies from the very start of His life, which will be a theme throughout the Gospel until His enemies finally succeed in killing Him. Jesus is the newborn King, but in the end, He is a King who gave His life to save us. But, in this account, we see God's hand of protection over Jesus until His hour has come. We also see, once again, the faithful obedience of Joseph who does what he is told without question and without delay. But, the main point of this story is that it is one more example of how Jesus' life fulfills prophecy, both the predictions about Him in the Old Testament and the many "types" or pictures that point to Him and give us a clear vision of His purpose and mission. How is Jesus "my son called out of Egypt?" First, He is the true son and the greater Israel who glorifies God in the world. Indeed, all the earth will be blessed through Him! Secondly, He is the truer and greater Moses who is rescued from those who want to kill Him so that He can lead His people out of exile, not from Egypt but from the bondage of sin and death!

Big Idea - We begin this advent season with a focus on the Prophetic Inauguration of Christ. The prophets all looked for the coming of a Messiah, and they all found their fulfillment in Jesus. Daniel is no exception. He also points to the coming of the Messiah and we see this most clearly in Daniel chapter 7 where Daniel speaks of the Son of Man. This was Jesus' favorite title for Himself. He was the Son of God, but this title He uses for Himself only a couple of times, and only indirectly. But, He calls Himself Son of Man dozens of times. Why did Jesus pick this name for Himself, and what was its significance? It was not an obvious title, like Son of God, and it left people confused by what it meant - John 12:34 (ESV) — 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” The title, Son of Man, can only make sense as we see what it means in Daniel 7. Who is the Son of Man, and what was Jesus claiming by using this title? This is the second vision in the book of Daniel and it is very similar to the first vision in chapter 2 - the vision of Nebuchadnezzar's giant statue. It has many similarities to his final vision in chapters 10-12. These visions all look to a future where four successive kingdoms will dominate the world. In each vision, special focus is given to the final kingdom which will be especially devil and oppressive for God's people. In the vision of chapter 7, what can be said of these kingdoms is that they are beastly. They are monsters. It pictures men, kings, who have turned into beasts devouring flesh, dreadful, terrifying, breaking in pieces, and stamping into the ground what is left. In Genesis 1-2 God created man and gave him dominion over creation to care for it and to shepherd God's creation. But, instead of being shepherds who care for God's gift, we have become wolves that devour and destroy. This is true of all humanity, but the higher one climbs in rank and power the more that power can be used for harm and evil. Daniel paints a bleak picture that the kingdoms, governments, and rulers of the world will not get better, and we will not usher in a time of world peace. Instead, it will reach a climax with a ruler who is the most beastly of all. But, then the scene changes to a courtroom and the judge who will bring an end to all the beasts. In their place will rule the Son of Man, and His kingdom will never end. This kingdom will be the eternal possession of the Saints of God, who were targets of the beasts. Jesus adopts this title as a cryptic way of saying that He is the promised one who is coming to set up a kingdom that will never end for all those who belong to Him. At first glance, this vision looks like a bunch of power-hungry beasts being overthrown by one who is even more powerful. Those who use power to dominate are conquered by one with even greater power. But how is this any better? Is God, and the Son of Man, just like them? Why is His kingdom any better, just because no one can overthrow Him? The Son of Man is not only the one who will set up a never-ending Kingdom, but we see in this passage that He is worthy to receive such dominion and power to rule and reign. First, we see that God is not a monster but a righteous judge who overthrows the beast on the basis of wisdom, and righteousness. Second, the Son of Man is coronated as King, and He is worthy because He is also God, one in nature and being with the Ancient of Days. He is God who rides on the clouds and will be worshiped by every people, nation, and language. But, He is not the Ancient of Day, pointing to the trinity. Third, He does not grab power to crush people underfoot but rather gives His people a kingdom for their joy and benefit. This Kingdom is not only His kingdom, but it is their Kingdom, and it is their dominion. Fourth, He is called the Son of Man because He is God but also fully human, an obvious OT reference to the incarnation. But why is that important? How does being a man make Him worthy to receive the Kingdom? First, because this dominion was given to man in creation. Therefore, it is the rightful possession of humanity, and He is the ultimate human being who fulfilled God's intended design and purpose in creation. Secondly, HE took on human flesh and blood to redeem fallen and broken humanity. We are the saints, the sanctified ones of the Most High, but His blood. Therefore, He alone is worthy to reign!

Big Idea - There is something in our nature that wants to know what will happen in the future. I think it is more than just simple curiosity. When the future is unknown it makes us feel helpless and out of control. Maybe we think that if we know what is coming, we can somehow control it, or at least not feel helpless about tomorrow. But, this would only work if we could know what will happen and then have the power to change it, to alter what will happen. This is a popular theme in many movies. We hope to have this power over the future, but only if we know what it is. Is this realistic? Is it possible to know the future, and if so, can we do anything about it? In the book of Daniel, we get some amazing glimpses into the future; at least, Daniel gets a view of the future from his time. Much of what was future to Daniel is now ancient history to us. But, from this vantage point, looking back, we can check to see the accuracy of Daniel's prophecies. One of the most powerful lessons of the book of Daniel is that God can certainly tell us what will happen in the future with incredible and absolute accuracy. This is the first lesson of Daniel 11 - God knows the future with amazing clarity. But, it is also clear that God does not give Daniel a peak into the future so that people can change the future. In fact, the only reason God can give such a detailed explanation of what will happen next is because it is fixed, and not only that but the events of history are set and established by God Himself. God knows what will happen from the beginning to the end of history because He wrote the Script, and He alone has the power to determine its outcome. We cannot change history just by knowing what will happen. Does this mean we are powerless victims of destiny? Is free will and human choice just an illusion? Are we nothing more than puppets who have no choice but to follow the Script? God is Sovereign over the events and flow of history, but not because He controls us like puppets. It is a mystery and beyond our understanding, but God Sovereignly controls the course of history and its outcome without directly controlling us! We see that the course of history involves kings and rulers who did not follow God and were free agents who were evil and wicked people. In the end, they are accountable for their actions and choices. Not only that but behind powerful earthly rulers are even more powerful spiritual forces who exert influence over human affairs. Here again, we see that God does not move the spiritual forces like chess pieces, but He enrolls angelic beings to combat the forces of evil. What is most amazing is that these spiritual forces are activated and moved through the prayers of the godly! So, the script is written and history is set, but we are a very active part of how it unfolds for good and for evil. We are all active players in the story, and what we do matters! Our great desire to know and change the course of history, in the end, is motivated by our fear that the future is bad and that serious trouble may lie ahead. What we want more than anything else is to avoid trouble. But, Daniel's vision warns us that there will be periods of incredible trouble and evil in the world. This is seen in two characters who are highlighted in the prophecy. The first time of trouble was under Antiochus Epiphanes. He is seen as a prototype of the ultimate time of trouble, known as the great tribulation when the second and most evil ruler of all time will appear on the scene. These times of trouble cannot be avoided - God appoints it as part of His judgment of the wicked and a time of purifying for the godly. We cannot prevent or avoid it, but we do have the choice about how we respond when these troubled times come. We can hold on to our faith in God and keep worshiping Him, no matter what, or we can turn away from God with the hope that we will escape suffering. But, the hope of escape is a lie. The evil one is a destroyer, and nothing good comes from him in the end. But, there is hope for those who persevere. The evil one will be destroyed, and his reign will be short. We may not be able to change the history of the world, but the one thing we do hold in our own power is our own eternal future. At the end, all will be raised from the dead and all will stand before God in judgment. Those who worshiped God and sought to bring others to righteousness will be raised to life eternal with God. Those who sought the path of escape by following the evil one will be raised to shame and everlasting contempt. Thus, the future that matters most, the eternal future is in your hands. Is your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life? Do you live to worship God and to bring others to righteousness? Then your eternal future will be bright, and you will shine like the morning star for all eternity!

Big Idea - God created the world, and it was good. He created the Garden of Eden and put Adam and Eve in it as a place that was very good, the best! A place where they could experience all the goodness and joy of God walking daily in His presence. But, they rejected all of that and chose to go their own way. They chose the path of sin and rebellion against God. Now, all humanity is under the curse and bondage of sin. In chapter 9, Daniel prays a prayer of deep confession for the sins of Israel. They were God's chosen people who had entered into a covenant relationship with God, but they were still walking in the same path of sin and rebellion as Adam and Eve. Daniel prays for God's mercy, to turn from His wrath, and to make His face shine on the Sanctuary that was in ruins - that is, to restore worship and His glorious presence in Jerusalem. God immediately sends Gabriel to give Daniel the answer, but the answer turns out to be much more involved and over a much longer period of time than Daniel could imagine. In order to give the proper treatment to the patient, you have to have the proper diagnosis. Daniel had some idea of the root problem, but he had no idea that God had a plan to deal with the disease of sin that went far beyond rebuilding Jerusalem and restoring the Temple! What was God's final plan for Israel to deal with the sin that constantly plagued them? When will it all truly end? Gabriel is dispatched to give the answer to Daniel's prayer because Daniel is dearly loved and treasured by God! The answer comes as an expanded and upgraded explanation of Jeremiah's 70 years. God would return the exiles to Jerusalem after 70 years, but that does not answer Daniel's prayer, because the Temple and the offerings and sacrifices presented there could not really deal with the problem of sin. Something much greater was needed. This plan would unfold, not in 70 years, but in seventy weeks of years! The end result would finally deal with sin - the real problem of the Jews and of all humanity! God's plan would result in six incredible results that completely reverse and bring to an end the consequences of the choice of Adam. Sin would be brought to an end, its guilt removed by making atonement, never-ending righteousness would be restored, all the prophecies would be fulfilled, and a true and eternal temple would be dedicated. How would this amazing promise all come to pass? First, the exiles will return to Jerusalem and the Temple and city will be rebuilt, but in troubled times. This will take seven weeks or 49 years. Then 62 weeks will pass until the Anointed one comes who will be "cut off" that is he will be killed. These amazing prophecies point to the first advent, or coming of Christ, which would occur 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem was given. This prophecy was fulfilled exactly as given when Artaxerxes I told Ezra to return to Jerusalem in 458 B.C. to rebuild the Temple. Exactly 438 years later, Jesus was baptized and began His public ministry as the Messiah, in 26 AD. A few short years later He was crucified, and by His death, He made atonement for sin, once and for all! Sin was put to an end by His death! For those who put their faith in Him, the Kingdom has come, along with His everlasting righteousness. But, this prophecy is primarily about Israel, and unfortunately, the Jews, for the most part, rejected their King and did not receive the gift of atonement He offered. So, after the 69 weeks of years, but before the 70th week, the Messiah is cut off, and the Temple is once again destroyed. Forty years after Jesus' death, Rome destroyed the Temple, and Jerusalem was once again leveled and left desolate. The Jews were scattered across the Empire and any hope of a restored nation or Temple has been lost for the past 2,000 years. But that is not the end for Israel. There is still one more week - seven years that will unfold and bring about the final consummation of God's plan to put an end to sin and bring in everlasting righteousness. The final week will begin when another prince, one who is the exact opposite of the true Prince, will come. He will appear to be the promised Messiah by attempting to fulfill the role but he is a counterfeit. He will enter into a covenant relationship with the Jews, who by this time will once again be a nation. For the first 3 1/2 years, things will go well, and it appears that there will once again be a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, and Jews will once again be offering sacrifices in the Temple. But, that all will change during the second 3 1/2 years as he will bring an end to worship, and his true nature as the Anti-Christ will be made clear. His rule is described as one coming on the wing of abominations who makes everything desolate - he is not a good creator but an evil destroyer. But, after 3 1/2 years of destruction, his decreed end will come, and the destroyer will be destroyed! With Jesus first coming, sin was fully and finally dealt with, but the Evil one and his power to deceive were not fully dealt with, so sin still reigns in the hearts of those who do not know Christ. But at His second coming, Satan will be finally conquered and sin and evil will be finally done away with. What does it mean to live in the gap, between Jesus' first and second coming? It means, that our sin has been fully atoned, we are forgiven, its power is broken and we no longer need to lie under its power or be plagued by its guilt. But it also means that Satan is still alive and well and is doing all he can to pull us back under his dominion. But, through the cross, we have the power to overcome! Lastly, living in between means that God's plan for Israel still waits for the final chapter which is unfolding right before us. The end is growing closer every day; as we will see, it is not a happy time. We must prepare by our resolve to stand firm and hold on to Jesus no matter how bad it gets!

Big Idea - How can we be more effective in prayer? There are many examples in Scripture of how to pray. The prayer of Daniel is only one. But, it is a good model for prayer, and there is much we can imitate from Daniel. In the end, Gabriel told Daniel that he was "greatly loved" and precious to God. This was certainly God's response to Daniel's attitude and heart in prayer. What did Daniel pray that caused God to respond with such affection? Daniel's prayer contains five elements that we can follow, five things that gave Him favor with God. First, Daniel enters into prayer with a great spirit of humility. Second, he begins his prayer by praising God for His greatness. Third, Daniel confesses the sins of Israel, which stands in stark contrast to God's righteousness. This makes Daniel's plea for help one that is based fully on God's grace and not on any right or demand we can make on God. Fourth, Daniel frames his request on the basis of what God already said He was going to do. Finally, Daniel's greatest concern is not for his own sake or benefit. Instead, his great concern is for the glory of God in the world. But God's honor is not separate from what happens to God's people. He has allowed the honor of His name to be attached to those who bear His name.

Big Idea - What is going to happen next? The world is in great turmoil, and we want to know how it is going to end. Will things get better, or will they get worse? For Daniel and the Israelites living in exile in Babylon, that was just as pressing a question. God had made covenant promises to Abraham that his descendants would be like the sand of the sea, they would possess the Promised Land, and they would become a great nation, the kingdom of priests. God fulfilled all those promises, but the Babylonian captivity had brought an end to all of that. Was God finished with His covenant people? Or did God still care for them and have a plan for them? In the first half of the book of Daniel, we see God's faithfulness in caring for Daniel and his friends. Their faith is severely tested, but when they trust in God, He was more than faithful to rescue and save them. The second half of the book is a series of visions that Daniel received. These focus on how God will continue to be faithful to His covenant people. He is not done with them. He has a plan, and He will not abandon His chosen ones. But, the visions also reveal that Israel will continue to rebel against God and be unfaithful to Him. This results in periods of great judgment and tribulation. In the vision of Chapter 8, God shows Daniel a vision of the people of Israel restored to their homeland and the temple rebuilt. But, there will come a time of rebellion when people turn away from God, and there is great suffering as God allows them to suffer a period of great judgment. But, the period of tribulation is limited to seven years. The vision gives accurate and detailed accounts of how history will unfold. First, the ram. This is the kingdom of the Medes and Persians would burst on the scene, and they will become the great world power. Then, the goat. Greece will rise to power by the hand of a swift and powerful conqueror who will defeat every enemy he encounters. His kingdom will be divided into four. This pictures with amazing accuracy the rise of Greece under Alexander the Great, and the subsequent division of his kingdom under four generals. Finally, the little horn. From one of the four kingdoms will rise a ruler who will bring great persecution to the Jews and Jerusalem. He will be a tricky and powerful ruler who will come against the holy ones and cause many to suffer and die. Then he will come against God Himself, the temple, and the Jewish religion. His oppression of the Jews will last 7 years, but then his rule will quickly end. That is, God will bring it to an end. This predicts with amazing accuracy the reign of Antiochus Epiphany. Looking back, we can see how perfectly this vision was fulfilled in every detail. But, it is part of a bigger vision of history that Daniel's other visions encompass. Antiochus is a type or a pattern that will repeated again in history. Many like him have come and gone, but at the very end, there will be one more, and the one will be the worst. He is the little horn of chapter 7, who is the Anti-Christ. We can take away a couple of important lessons from this vision. First, God knows the future, not because He has a crystal ball by which He can look to what is coming next. Rather, He is sovereign over history. He is in control of what is going to happen because He is the one who raises up kings and kingdoms, and He is the one who brings them to an end. Evil rulers have come to power in Jewish history, but also now - in the Middle East, Russia, Myanmar, Nigeria, etc. And they come against God's people, often with violent persecution and hatred. In part, these rulers are instruments of God's judgment on the wicked, but God's holy ones get caught in the cross-fire. Like Daniel, it is a time of testing for those who follow God. Will we remain faithful to God even in times of great tribulation? During those times, we need to double our resolve to follow God and trust Him as Daniel did! Because it won't last forever. From Antiochus Epiphany to the final Anti-Christ, all are stopped short of their evil assaults by the rescuing hand of our mighty God. When we suffer, we need to keep in mind it won't last forever, God will bring it to an end! In the meantime - be faithful! Christ has overcome the Evil One, death, the grave, and sin. He has risen and reigns on high. Evil still exists in this world, but there is coming a day when it will be fully and finally defeated, so trust in Jesus and keep your eyes on Him!

The drunken feast Writing on the wall Daniel arrives at the feast Lessons for our current world

Chiangmai Christian Fellowship

Big Idea - Peter warns us, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. (1 Peter 4:12). NO doubt, the image comes from Daniel 3! Life can be hard and we can find ourselves in the intense heat and pressure of the furnace of life. It is our nature to avoid the fiery trials, but in Daniel 3 we see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego choosing the fiery furnace rather than conforming to the demands of the King. What motivated them to make such a choice? Where did their extraordinary faith come from? How can we have that kind of faith? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego made the commitment and choice to serve their God and worship Him alone because they believed with all their heart that their God was the Most High God who was more than able to deliver them from anything. This understanding of God came from their history as a nation who had lots of experience with God delivering them, but also from their own personal experience in Babylon. Unlike the empty and powerless gods of Babylon, their God was real and powerful. But, they did not make their choice based on any certainty that God would rescue them from the furnace. God was more than able, but they did not assume this was God's purpose. They accepted the reality that God, in His wisdom, had a good plan and purpose for them, and they could trust His plan no matter what. They had great faith, but just as important, they were also yielded to God's plan, not their own. This combination of faith and submission created in them an unwavering devotion to God that stood in stark contrast to the forced devotion of the Babylonians to their king and his gods. Their faith and devotion were not in vain, but God did not actually deliver them from the fire. They must walk through the trial and face the flames, but God walks with them in the trial, and he does deliver them through the fire. In the end, Nebuchadnezzar truly worships the God Most High, who is able to deliver as a result of their life and witness!

Big Idea - Since the beginning of time, people have believed that there is a god or gods in the heavens who have power over the earth. Religion is our attempt to understand who these gods are, what they are like, and, most importantly, how we can communicate with them in order to get their help. In modern times, people have come to a more scientific understanding of the universe, and there is now the sense that we know how it all works and we can control the world based on scientific knowledge, so we no longer need the gods, and there is no proof of their existence. But even science has to admit that the universe had a beginning and, therefore, has to have a source. The order and intelligent design of the universe point to a designer - a god who created it. It brings us back to the same question - is there a god beyond us? If so, what do we need to know about this god? Of course, there are many religions and many theories about this god, or gods. In the end, the real question is not the question of the existence of god but how we can know. How can we be certain we have the right information about god and the right understanding of what he wants from us? When we come to Daniel chapter 2 this is exactly the question King Nebuchadnezzar is struggling with. He has had a dream, and he is convinced it is a message from the gods. He is surrounded by wisemen and experts who claim to know how to communicate with the gods, but the King is not confident that they really know. He wants proof. He wants to be certain that they are really hearing from the gods and not just making things up. So, he puts them to a test. The test is simple: if you really can communicate with the gods, then they can tell you my dream as well as give you its interpretation. If you cannot tell me the dream, you are just making things up! Nebuchadnezzar's question is significant and one we all need to answer. How do we know we have the right god? How can we be certain our understanding of God is correct, and we aren't just making things up? How can we know? When it becomes a matter of life and death, and their very life is hanging in the balance, the wise men of Babylon have to admit that they really do not know how to communicate with the gods. The problem, they point out, is that the dwelling of the gods is not with flesh - they don't live on earth! They live far beyond us, and therefore, it is impossible to communicate with them. Since that is the case, the King decides they are worthless and declares off with their heads! But Daniel has a very different view of the gods. He believes in the God of the Heavens, which is a code name for the one true God, the God of his forefathers, the God of Israel. What makes this god unique and radically different from all the other gods is that this God has made himself known. He is a God who is a god of revelation. He has taken the initiative to reveal Himself to us, and we can, therefore, know Him. He communicates with us, and we can talk with Him and seek His help and mercy simply by asking in prayer! But how can we know Daniel was right? The same way Nebuchadnezzar came to be convinced - because He reveals mysteries and secrets that no human being could know! Not only in revealing the King's dream, but Scripture is full of revelation about God and about the unfolding events of history that are supernatural and beyond what any human being could know. We can trust the Bible as a source of revelation from and about God because it can be put the test of truth. Did the prophecies of the Bible come to pass? The answer is an overwhelming yes! In fact, the king's dream was such an accurate picture of world history many skeptics are convinced the book of Daniel had to be written after the events took place and not before. But, there is growing proof that Daniel knew too much about Babylon to be written 500 years later. Most significantly, the great skeptic Nebuchadnezzar was absolutely convinced, so much so that he bowed down before Daniel and worshiped his God! He also rewards Daniel and places him in one of the highest positions of leadership in his government! In the end, we see that the wise men of Babylon, along with every other man-made religion, falls short because they fail to recognize the revelation of God that He has given to us. Most importantly they were wrong about the fact that God does not dwell with flesh. The greatest revelation of God and proof that He is real and we can know is found in Jesus, who is the word that became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God, who did come to earth and showed us in real life who God is. He has ascended to heaven, but He sent the Holy Spirit so that the triune God can make His home, His dwelling, with us personally. Like the king, this personal, direct revelation from God should cause us to bow before Him in awe and wonder and the deepest worship!

Big Idea - Does God ever lose? We love the story of Elijah's showdown on Mt Carmel with the Prophets of Baal. We see the mighty power of God as fire falls from heaven and consumes Elijah's sacrifice on the altar and even the altar itself! God wins! But Daniel is not Elijah. Daniel is taken captive as a prisoner of war, along with items of worship from the Temple. Jehoiakim, King of Israel, is defeated by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. In ancient times, conquering a nation also meant you conquered their gods. When Nebuchadnezzar put the captured Temple vessels in the house of his own god, Marduk, it was proof to everyone that Yahweh, the God of Israel, had been defeated by Marduk, the god of Babylon. How could God allow Himself to be defeated? More importantly, what did it mean for Daniel and the people of Israel to be now following a God who lost? This is a very relevant question as we seek to live out our faith in God in a place where the God of the Bible is easily dismissed as nothing. It seems that in Thailand, Jesus cannot begin to rival the thousands of Temples and countless idols that seem to have so much more power than the God of the Bible. What does it look like to live out our faith in a place where it feels like God is losing? In spite of all appearances, the truth is that God is in control and is at work even when it looks like He has lost. The entire book is really the story of how God works and how God wins even when it seems like He has lost. First, we see that even in the worst of circumstances, God is still in control. He is in the circumstances, no matter how bad it may look. Second, God is the one who helps us solve our problems when we resolve to live for His purpose. Daniel was resolved to be different in order to be faithful to God and a witness to Him. God is the one who made the way for Daniel and his friends to live a life that would honor God and glorify His name before the Babylonians. Finally, God is the one who gives us success. God gave Daniel and his friends the skills and abilities they needed to succeed to stand out above and beyond everyone else. God does win, but His victory is often not evident in the circumstances. Rather, it is in the lives of His servants who shine with the light of God's glory. Daniel is a witness to the glory of God in the midst of terrible circumstances. In the end, Daniel sees the fall of Babylon and the rise of a new kingdom. But, more than that, he sees the future day when God will conquer every kingdom and authority in heaven and on earth. What matters, then, is not how things appear to be right now but our resolve to faith and to faithfulness as those who seek to be a witness to the glory of God in the midst of whatever circumstances we find ourselves. If we live for the glory of God, God will meet us and give us success every step of the way!

Big Idea - S - The book of 1 Peter ends where it began with a call to stand firm in our faith in the midst of suffering. In 1:7 Peter begins by saying that faith is more precious than gold. Faith is the greatest resource we can ever possess. We think riches and wealth will protect us and give us what we want and need, but Peter reminds us that these things fail and perish. The only thing that can really protect us and give us what we need is faith, that is our faith in the eternal God who alone can protect us and give us what we need. In his final words, Peter comes back to the same themes of suffering and faith. In order for our faith to be strong and to be adequate, it must be put to the test. It is put to the test through times of suffering. But, anything that can be tested can also fail. Peter gives us some final words of wisdom to make sure our faith stands strong in the midst of the testing. So, how can we make sure our faith passes the test in times of suffering and hardship? Humility is the attitude of the heart that makes faith possible. Pride wants to make us God, or at the very least convinces us that no one knows what we need or can take care of 'me' better than 'me.' Humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God is admitting we don't know what is best and that we do not have the power or ability to take care of ourselves. Only the humble person will ask for help, and we desperately need God's help Faith has no power in itself. The power of faith lies in the object or content of our faith. We put our faith in God because He is more than able to take care of us. But faith has no power in itself. Humble faith understands that we are helpless to do anything, but faith is a strong confidence in what God can do. The power of faith lies in the object or content of our faith. God is the object of our faith and Peter gives us three essential truths about God that form the basis or content of our faith. First, we must know that God is mighty. That is, He is more than able to rescue us, care for us, and keep us safe. Second, we must also believe that He actually wants to help us. That He actually cares for us and has a heart to help us. Thirdly, we must believe that, even though we don't deserve such help, and no matter how much we may feel unworthy of His kindness, He is a God of all grace! Grace is at the very core of who God is. He shows us kindness, not based on anything we have done to deserve it, but on who He is - a God of infinite and unfailing love. We stand up to the Devil firm in our faith by holding on to these three vital truths that form the core of our faith. While grace is a free gift, Peter reminds us that there are two important things we must do to tap into God's grace. The first is to humble ourselves, the second is to have faith in God's power and goodness. So, the beginning of faith is humility, and the condition of grace is humility. Faith is an unshakeable confidence in what God can do and will do for us according to His grace. Suffering is putting faith to the test - when things go bad, do we turn to self to keep us safe and give us what we need? Or, do we trust in God and hold firmly to His power and His grace? Turning to self is actually being devoured by the Devil. Turning to God is overcoming every enemy. And in the end, we will share in His glory!

Big Idea - We relate to and interact with things based on their nature and purpose. For example, our relationship with a school differs greatly from a movie theater. For one, attendance at school is mandatory, but going to a movie is not. In this passage, Peter talks about the basic nature of the Church and how we relate to it. We live in a consumer-driven society where our primary interaction with the world is as a customer. This has certainly crept into the Church, where the Church is viewed as a business where we go to get a service or an experience, much like going to a restaurant. We choose the place based on what they have on the menu and how well it suits our tastes and cravings at that moment. If they don't have what we are looking for on the menu, we go somewhere else. Churches, on the other hand, feel that they must meet the customer's needs. They must offer what people are looking for and make the customer happy. This is measured by how many customers they can attract and if they return regularly. But Peter pictures our interaction with the Church not as consumers but as sheep and Church leaders as shepherds who are not providing a product to sell but providing care for the flock. So, the Church is much more like a family and nothing at all like a business. This should challenge us to think very differently about why we go to Church, what we look for in a Church, and how we connect with it. What does the image of the Church as sheep and shepherds teach us about how we do Church? First of all, Peter tells us that the Church is organized primarily around a group of leaders who function not as CEOs or executives but as shepherds. The main role and purpose of the Church is, therefore, to provide spiritual care for the members. The Church is not a bunch of customers but a flock of sheep. This is not a very flattering picture, as sheep are characterized primarily as animals needing lots of help! They are weak, vulnerable to attack, and prone to wander off and get lost. They need protection, feeding, and clear direction. In light of this reality, the most essential qualifications of its leaders are not their organizational skills, admin ability, or visionary leadership, although these are helpful. But of critical importance is their heart and capacity to provide care for the sheep. This care involves many things but can be summarized as feeding, leading, and protecting. The spirit and heart of a shepherd will be evident in their priorities as a leader, in their motivation as a leader, in their leadership style, and finally in their incentive for leading. For the part of the sheep, what distinguishes their interaction with the Church is the spirit of submission. We see in this context that the biblical picture of submission is primarily one of entrusting ourselves to the care of another. Shepherds should be trustworthy and people who know how to care for the sheep. But the sheep need to entrust themselves into the care of those called to shepherd. This means we need to admit we are sheep - that is, we are in urgent need of help and care! Finally, the shepherds and sheep need to relate to one another in a spirit of true humility. The shepherds need the humility of knowing that they are also sheep. They lead because they are more mature, not because they are without sin or fault! They are not better or above the sheep because they are also sheep. It is their heart of compassion and burden to care for others that sets them apart, not their superiority. The sheep must put on humility in the attitude of accepting the truth that they need help and care. It is the humility of laying aside our stubborn spirit of independence. Instead, we need the humility to entrust our spiritual care into the hands of another. Ultimately, Jesus is the Great Shepherd

Big Idea - We live in a world where it seems everyone has become a victim. There is real suffering in the world, and many suffer very real pain and abuse. But never in the history of the world has an entire society embraced trauma like the modern Western world. In an insightful New Yorker article, “The Case Against the Trauma Plot,” Parul Sehgal writes, “In a world infatuated with victimhood, has trauma emerged as a passport to status—our red badge of courage?” In such a climate, almost any life event can be experienced as trauma. Kevin DeYoung writes about this and asks, "Why is everyone in such a hurry to be hurt? Many people suffer at the hands of others. The world can be unfair, at times mercilessly so. Millions of people in the world are genuine victims right now. All of us will be at some point, whether it’s for small matters or large, for a long duration or short. But we aren’t all victims, not all the time anyway, not for everything. Offendedness is just about the last shared moral currency in our country. And I’m sorry, but it’s really annoying." He argues that in many cases people choose to be offended and take the role of a victim as a way to manipulate others. "For starters, being hurt is easier than being right. To prove you’re offended, you just have to rustle up moral indignation and tell the world about it. Or, we demand apologies. Sometimes, no doubt, because a genuine sin has been committed. But often, we demand apologies just because we can. It’s a way to shame those with whom we disagree." In a world where all of society has embraced the idea of suffering and trauma as a way to gain status and identity, that is, we have come to shape our very sense of who we are as victims of everything, how are we to read and understand passages like 1 Peter 4 that call us to a life of suffering. Is Peter saying that being a Christian is all about becoming a victim? We will suffer, and there is nothing we can do about it - we are just victims, and we are called to a life of unhealed trauma? As we study this passage, we will see that Peter has a very different idea about suffering, and the last thing he is calling us to is to take on the role of a victim! Suffering is part of life, not only for Christians but for everyone. Peter shows us how we can suffer well and, at the same time, rise above it as more than just victims. Instead of post-traumatic stress, we can experience post-traumatic growth. Peter begins by connecting suffering in the world as a part of God's judgment. Peter likely lived to see the total destruction of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. This would have been seen as an apocalyptic event marking the end times, as prophesied in the Old Testament. In this light, the world's destruction and suffering are identified with God's judgment on the nations. But, the house of God, the Church, is not exempt from suffering under times of God's wrath. Peter’s point is that everyone suffers, but what matters is not who suffers, but how it ends. For God's people, suffering ends in salvation. But, for the ungodly suffering does not end at all! When we suffer, it is important to remember that if we are in Christ, our suffering only lasts for a moment, and then we will experience the salvation of God. Peter then tells us how we can face suffering, not as a helpless victim traumatized by it, but as those who can face suffering head-on with courage. First, we must ensure we are suffering for the right cause. We need to live for God's purpose and suffer for His glory and for doing good, not because we sin and make bad choices. We can face hard things with courage when we know it is for the right reason or purpose. Second, when things get tough, we need to place our whole life in God's loving care with the faith and confidence that He is a good and loving God who is willing and able to take care of us and save us in the end. He is a faithful Creator who is more than worthy of our trust. We do not suffer alone, but God is with us, and we need to learn to experience His faithful presence in the midst of all our life, but especially in suffering and trials. Finally, we need to focus on the mission and not the suffering. The mission is to love God, love people, and seek His Kingdom. When we set our minds on serving God and loving others no matter what the circumstances or difficulties, the sense of mission and purpose keeps us moving forward rather than getting stuck in our problems and pain. In the end, taking on the role of a victim is very self-focused, and we can easily begin wallowing in self-pity, feeling sorry for ourselves, and expecting others to do the same. But, when we focus on loving others and are committed to the cause of Christ, it lifts us above our problems and gives us something to fight for instead of getting stuck. These four attitudes as we face suffering will give us the courage to face suffering head-on and grow through trauma rather than being overwhelmed by it. But waiting until the crisis is upon us won't work. We must practice these habits daily when things are going well so that it will be our natural reflex, our trained response when calamity or hardship strikes.