Are you in trouble? The most important thing to know is that God has a plan. Our trials are not random events outside of his control. Where the enemy has attacked us and caused us harm and pain, we need to know how to work with God in it. What is he teaching us?

The book of Psalms opens with a daring statement: “Blessed is the one who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.” The reason it is daring is because the following words declare who will be blessed and who will not. It is a declaration of God’s right to determine right and wrong, and to judge on that basis.

Not even the disciples understood what Jesus was saying when he talked about dying and rising on the third day. That’s why Calvary was such a bitter end to all their hopes.

Lately it seems that almost every day I’m getting asked the same question and giving the same answer.

Here’s the question: How do we bring what we experience today as church into line with what God has laid out in the Bible?

The unexpressed assumption behind the question is that something important is missing.

Please tell me I’m not the only person this has happened to!

I was due to take a zoom call and the guy I was talking to had even reminded me a couple hours before. Then distraction hit. I was trying to finish my income tax return, got lost in the detail and missed the call. Thankfully he’s a merciful man and we’ll be able make up the call later.