What to do with Suffering

 I have permission to share this story, read below:

I recently experienced some of the worst suffering I had ever experienced before in my life.  It was so bad, at one time I was crying so hard someone had to help me to set down so I would not fall.  I do not believe I could even put into words the thoughts and feelings I experienced so I will not even try.  Through this suffering a very interesting thing happened.  Many prayers I have prayed (some for years and some only for months) were answered.  Some of these included a restored relationship and a person growing closer to Christ.  This experience was the most painful and amazing experience.

This person saw before their eyes the story of the cross coming to life.  They saw deep suffering, death and destruction and then resurrection and a new life.  Someone may ask, "So God allowed this person to go through so much suffering to answer their prayers?".  Some may say, "Why would God allow such things?".

The truth is the same truth as with the story of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection.  The death and destruction was caused by sin by humans and the resurrection and new life was from God's miraculous power of grace, healing and salvation.  Pay attention to your life.  Give God your sufferings and God will show you and allow you to experience the grace, healing and wonder of a new life.   

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  Romans 8:1, NIV

Give God Your Story

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to give God your story.

To give God your past, present and future.

To do this many times we have to look at things we want to ignore and trust God with all the hurts.....

with all the questions...

with what we want for ourselves...

and make peace with knowing God's path may be different.

For a Christ follower that may be having a difficult time with this I would remind them that it is not about you...it is all about Christ.  We truly find ourselves when we give ourselves completely to Christ. 

We find the greatest joy and longest lasting peace.

For a person still trying to decide whether to be a Christ follower or not I would say give your story to Christ.  I promise you will not regret the decision. 

God always does amazing things with what we give to Him.  Turns mourning into joy, heartache into peace, boredom into excitement, hopelessness into a life time of purpose.


Editor's Note:  The Community Care ministry provides emotional and spiritual support. There is a pastor or community care leader available to speak with you today.  If you have questions regarding the Community Care ministries please contact communitycare@mecklenburg.org or 704.598.9800 x 121.  You may also learn more at the Community Care website and our upcoming events page.

Preparing for Easter: Jesus' Death

For the next few weeks until Easter we are dedicating each week to a topic that will help prepare us emotionally and spiritually for Easter. This past week on Twitter we explored Jesus' Death. In case you missed the tweets here they are:

•  Jesus knew he was born to die.  Here are three places he predicted his own death:

• From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.- Matt. 16:21 (NIV)

• When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. - Matt. 17:22 (NIV)

• Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them,“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” Matt. 20:17 - 19 (NIV)

•  The chief priests & Sanhedrin looked for evidence to put Jesus to death but could not find any:

• The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any.- Mark 14:55 (NIV)

• Those that were closest to Jesus were the ones that denied and betrayed him:

•  When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”  Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”  Jesus answered, “You have said so.” - Matt. 26: 20 - 25 (NIV)

• “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”  But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. - Matt. 25: 34 - 35 (NIV)

• Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.  But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.  Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”  He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!” After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”  Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. - Matt. 26: 69 - 75 (NIV)

• Jesus was stripped, hit on the head repeatedly, pierced, spit on, mocked...

• Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.- Matt. 27: 27 - 31 (NIV)

• When He breathed his last, the sun stopped shining and the Centurion knew...

•  It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.  The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away.  But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.- Luke 23: 44 - 49 (NIV)

• They made the tomb as secure as they knew how to make sure Jesus' body was not stolen...

•  The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”  “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. Matt. 27: 62 - 66 (NIV)

 Application

When reflecting on these reminders of Jesus' death we are taught the following:

• Jesus willingly gave His life for each of us.
• Even Jesus' enemies could not find anything wrong that He did.
• Jesus was betrayed by the ones that knew Him best, who He spent the most time with and He still forgave them.
• The suffering Jesus went through was real, painful and humiliating.
• When Jesus died the Earth knew, His enemies and His believers knew.  When Jesus comes back all will also know.
• Every precaution was taken to ensure Jesus' body would stay in the tomb.  

 Next week will explore Jesus' Resurrection.

You can follow these topics throughout the week through Twitter @kelly_saylor also!

We hope that throughout this Easter season you gain a better understanding of the meaning and are truly able to be a part of this wonderful celebration!


Editor's Note: The Community Care ministry provides emotional and spiritual support. There is a pastor or community care leader available to speak with you today. If you have questions regarding the Community Care ministries please contact communitycare@mecklenburg.org or 704.598.9800 x 121. You may also learn more at the Community Care website and our upcoming events page.

10 ways to PROTECT your Marriage!

I love marriage. I love the Biblical outline of marriage, I love the relational principles of a life-long commitment, and I also love the challenge.

The challenge is the closer we get to someone the more of our own sin that is shown.  Our spouses see us for who we are, seeing us in our very best and very worst moments in life. The beautiful thing is that this is a mirror to us to be able to see sin in ourselves and our relationships.   We may not have even known the sin existed previously. Therefore, marriage can be a wonderful sanctification process. 

Since there are so many beautiful things that can come from marriage, marriage is an area that is a MAJOR target for our ENEMY. This enemy wants to steal the blessings that come from a marital relationship and destroy the family that has been formed.

I not only love marriage, I love working with marital couples. Throughout the past years of doing this I have seen patterns where our enemy found a "hole" in a relationship and entered and started his work of destruction.

Here are TEN common holes the Enemy comes through and ways to plug them fast!  

1. Being upfront with each other.  If you have had a possible improper interaction with a person of the opposite sex (i.e. could be interpreted as flirting, etc.) or there is an issue in the relationship let your spouse know (always with the spirit of reconciliation and not to "get your way"). 
2. Weekly Date Nights.  This looks different for each couple but be sure to have quality time engaging each other weekly (daily is better). 
3. Spiritual protection.  Pray for the relationship and each other.  Pray to be delivered from our Enemy, for protection for your relationship and ask your spouse how you can be praying for them. 
4. Self-esteem.  Do not let a day go by without reconfirming for the other one that they are loved and you are thankful they are your spouse.  One simple way to do this is to make a commitment to give your spouse at least one genuine compliment each day.  It is a small thing that goes a LONG way. 
5. Mums the word!  Be careful what you tell to others about your relationship (i.e. family members, co-workers, etc.).  It is common to have a disagreement with a spouse, tell a family member, you and your spouse make up and the family member is still upset.  This can cause significant problems.  
6. Speak highly of your spouse!  Remember to be your spouse's biggest fan.  Be mindful about what you say to others (i.e. to family members, co-workers, friends, etc.).  
7. Be mindful of distractions.  Be mindful of anything that takes time away from the relationship (i.e. computer, games, phone, children, work, etc.).  Be sure to not let EVERYTHING else crowd out the time and energy you need to reserve for your spouse.  
8. Say NO to flirting!  If an outsider breaks a boundary (i.e. opposite sex flirts) the spouse receiving this needs to be upfront with stopping this ASAP.  Remember, when this happens it is not of God but from the Enemy!  
9. What are you fighting for?  When you are about to have a disagreement, in the middle of one, or even after ask yourself, “What am I fighting for”. Is this Godly or Un-Godly?  Is this for reconciliation, to get my way, etc.  
10. Pray for God to teach you how to LOVE your spouse.  Let God guide you and study your spouse.  Pray not only for the wisdom to know the actions to take but also pray for the heart to complete those actions.   

Do you know of another "hole" our enemy uses and a way to "plug" this?  

Share your thoughts!

Mentors: Marriage (Part 2 of 4)

Last week we explored what Spiritual Mentors were and how to be involved within being a mentor or mentee.  This week the focus is on Marriage Mentors! 

Within Community Care at Mecklenburg Community Church, trained marriage mentors are available to help you at every stage of your relationship.  This includes three major areas:


1)  Preparing:  Mentoring Engaged and Newlywed Couples
2)  Maximizing:  Mentoring Couples from Good to Great
3)  Repairing:  Mentoring Couples in Distress

The training that our marriage mentor's go through includes topics such as:

*Building Rapport
*Working as a team
*Asking Meaningful Questions
*Telling Your Stories
*Praying Together
*Common Subjects to Explore with Your Marriage Mentorees
*And much more!..

If you are interested in receiving information on how to obtain a marriage mentor, how to become a marriage mentor or simply want additional information about the program please contact communitycare@mecklenburg.org today!

Resources

The Complete Guide to Marriage Mentoring - Drs. Les & Leslie Parrot

Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts - Drs. Les & Leslie Parrot

Divorce and Separation!

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

Fixing our eyes on Jesus...no matter the situation, the circumstance, what was done right or wrong, we are to fix our eyes on Jesus.  What for?  For healing, forgiveness, and guidance.  Whatever we fix our eyes on we WILL be guided by this.

What about with situations of divorce or separation?  Does fixing our eyes on Jesus apply to this?  YES.
Watch this video where this man speaks about how DivorceCare (a group that is offered at Mecklenburg Community Church and many other churches nationwide) helped him fix his eyes on the one that heals:

DivorceCare is a group that covers a variety of topics pertaining to the process of separation and divorce (i.e. facing anger, loneliness, new relationships, forgiveness, depression, etc.).  We know each participant's experience may not end such as this man's did.  We also know for each participant that goes through this course and fixes their eyes on Jesus healing, forgiveness, and guidance will be experienced!

If you are interested in learning more about this group contact community care today!

Resources

Community Care's Website:  To read more about DivorceCare and to speak to someone that has received healing while going through this program.  DivorceCare for kids is also available (ages 5 - 12). 

DivorceCare's Website:  To learn more about the program, receive resources (including free daily emails of encouragement pertaining to divorce and separation), and to find a group near you.