ICE BUCKET CHALLENGES

Facebook has been a buzz with all of the Ice Bucket Challenges for ALS research. It's great to see so many involved in this challenge to raise awareness, and hopefully money for a cure. I applaud the people who are brave enough to dump icy cold water on themselves, for the benefit of others.

I am just wondering how many people really know what they are doing and why? How many people actually know what ALS is, how many Americans are diagnosed with it, and how research is being conducted in the name of finding a cure. According to some US statistics, about 5,600 Americans every year are diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Approximately 30,000 Americans suffer from this neurodegenerative disease, which weakens the body's muscles. Progression of the disease results in the inability to move one's limbs, paralysis, and death.

This disease is awful! My heart and prayers goes out to the people who suffer from it. I'm sure none of us can relate to the pain, agony, loss of independence, and the mental anguish that people with ALS and their families go through.

However, I feel it is important to bring some very important facts to light here. Research that is being done in the search for a cure for ALS involves stem cell research. Now, let's be clear on some things, before we go any further. ALS is NOT the only disease for which stem cell research is being conducted. There are a slew of other diseases for which this research is being conducted. Stem cell research has been around for a while and is HIGHLY controversial!

There are two types of stem cell research being conducted. One involves taking cells from adults, while the other takes cells from human embryos. Stem cells can be easily extracted from adults (particularly from bone marrow, or skin cells), which is relatively painless and easy. However, for embryonic stem cell research, embryos are made in a lab. Stem cells are used from these embryos, which destroys the embryo. Unused embryos are frozen and later discarded. Either way, embryos are being destroyed.

The debate is over whether or not an embryo is considered a "human," that has "life." Scientists in favor of using human embryos in research say no, it's not a human, and no it is not living. Their argument is based on the fact that the embryos are made in a lab through in vitro fertilization. Many people in the scientific community argue that since these embryos are not taken from a woman's womb, it does not matter.

There are many people who disagree with embryonic stem cell research, because of religious reasons. Whether it was made in a lab or not, is not the point! The point amongst many in this community is that once there is fertilization of the egg, resulting in human conception and the multiplication of cells, there is life; human life! To destroy that life, whether by conducting experiments that destroys the human embryo, or by discarding the unused human embryo, does not matter. Life is life, and it should be protected and preserved!

The fact that stem cells can be garnered from adults, without killing them, is the main argument against embryonic stem cell research. Presidents have debated over this and drawn lines in the sand. President Bush was NOT in favor of using embryos for stem cell research. He was so much opposed to it, that he signed executive orders against it. These were overturned by our current president, who is very much in favor of embryonic stem cell research.

There is also another method of gaining stem cells for research. The umbilical cords of newborn babies are full of highly viable stem cells. These umbilical cords can be frozen and used at later times for research. No death comes to the newborn baby, who no longer needs the umbilical cord. Since the umbilical cord is from a newborn baby, the stem cells are young, vibrant cells that can be used in research to potentially cure many diseases. So, there is another way that is win-win for both sides. Youthful, vibrant cells can be used, without there being death or destruction involved.

Unfortunately, embryonic stem cells are being used now, more than ever. This is because Obama overturned Bush's executive order against it. Many scientists say it's cheaper to use embryos for their stem cells than adults. While, I am sure we all want to see diseases cured, are we counting the cost to do so?

I post a challenge to all of the Ice Bucket Challengers. Do you KNOW the true affects of your challenge? Are you counting the entire cost? Most researchers, for cures for any disease, insist on using human embryos, despite the fact that no results or cures have been found, after conducting over 25 years of human embryonic stem cell research. The question you should ask yourself is this: Am I in full agreement with taking human life to do research, that may or may not save human life (as there is no guarantee the research will lead to a cure). I am not saying this to condemn anyone, but to educate everyone! If you choose to donate to research for a cure for ALS, or any other disease, PLEASE make sure human embryos are not killed in the process. There are two other options for researchers to use, that hurts no one, and preserves ALL life! I encourage you to support that kind of research.

I would caution everyone from just following the crowd or jumping on a band wagon, because something looks cool or is popular. Look deeper into it. KNOW all the facts, before you follow the crowd. We are living in days where it is so easy to join the crowd and do what everyone else is doing, but again I urge you to count the FULL cost of a thing, before you join in. This is true now with the ALS challenge and many more things to come in the very near future. We must educate ourselves and make wise choices, because in the end, they will matter and we will all have to explain ourselves.

Making Sense of Trials and Testing

Have you ever had a test or a trial that seems to just go on and on and on? Have you ever felt like your back was against the wall and you were all alone, trying to fight your way out? Have you ever been pushed to the corner by life's circumstances and wondered. "where is God?" If you have, let me reassure you that YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

The tendency we all have here is to automatically think. "what did I do wrong?" You may also be tempted to think that God has forgotten you. We must be careful to not draw the wrong conclusions to something that we have limited perspective on. This type of thinking can lead you down a long trail on "pity party lane" to a table set for just 1. This is not where you want to be. This is the enemy's trap. Avoid it at all costs!

The best story in the Bible we have for this is found in the book of Job. Let's look at Job 1:6-12 to understand where trials and tests come from.

⁶ One day as the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan, the Accuser, came with them.
⁷ “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan. And Satan replied, “From earth, where I’ve been watching everything that’s going on.”
⁸ Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth—a good man who fears God and will have nothing to do with evil.”
⁹ “Why shouldn’t he when you pay him so well?” Satan scoffed. 
 ¹⁰ “You have always protected him and his home and his property from all harm. You have prospered everything he does—look how rich he is! No wonder he ‘worships’ you! 
¹¹ But just take away his wealth, and you’ll see him curse you to your face!”
^12-13 And the Lord replied to Satan, “You may do anything you like with his wealth, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan went away; and sure enough, not long afterwards when Job’s sons and daughters were dining at the oldest brother’s house, tragedy struck. 

We see here that the Accuser, who is Satan, comes to bring accusations to God concerning one of His most faithful and obedient servants, Job. Understand something here; this is ALWAYS how the Accuser works! He never stops! He never changes! This is his M.O. (Mode of Operation) Read John 10:10 and you will see that God is for you; willing to bring you a LIFE, saturated in ABUNDANCE, even to the point of OVERFLOW. On the flip side of that scripture, you will see that the enemy is against you; coming only to STEAL, KILL, and DESTROY!

We see the Lord answers Satan here with permission to attack Job. Now, STOP right there! I KNOW exactly what you are thinking..."What kind of God allows the enemy to attack us?" We think this way, because we want to avoid the pain, the hurt, the trial, and the test. We are no seeing the BIG picture from God's perspective. See, God wants to know that you are sold out to Him. He wants to know that no matter what comes your way, He still has your heart and your obedience. He wants to know that you love Him, whether He gives or takes away. He wants to know that you won't abandon Him when hardships and rough times come!

 

We forget that God desires a RELATIONSHIP with us! He has feelings. He has a heart that can be broken! He has a spirit that can be grieved! Just like you want to know that the one you love will never leave you, so does God. He wants to know that it's you and Him against the world. God wants all of you, all of the time.

 

Aside from that, God really wants to stick it in Satan's face that you love God and you CHOOSE HIM over everything else in life; especially all of the trials, tricks, temptations, and tests the enemy wants to send your way. It's like when you want to show off your love for someone to others, because you want them to know that you are happy. It's that, "in your face" action that you take to show off your love; especially to your enemies and to the naysayers.

 

God is absolutely, unequivocally, passionately, unashamedly, undeniably, madly, in LOVE with YOU! He is jealous for all of you and all of your attention, because He is CRAZY about you! I'm not talking psycho stalker crazy. I mean, romantically crazy; like you're the 1st person He thinks about in the morning, as He has waited all night just to talk to you again. Yours is the voice He longs to hear before you go to bed, at night. He can't wait to see you again, talk to you again, love on you again!

 

Let's go back to Job for just a moment. If you read the rest of the story, you see that he was really tried, tested, and put through the ringer. Yet, He never abandoned God. He questioned why God let this happen to him, which is a very natural, gut reaction to losing all of your children, possessions, and wealth. You'd be screaming too! The thing to understand here is that God loves you so much, you can do this. He's a BIG God and He can handle it. He knows sometimes He just needs to hold you and let you cry. He knows sometimes He just needs to sit quietly and listen to you, as you vent and let it all out. He knows that and He's prepared for that, Dear One! You won't offend Him or scare Him off.

 

Job didn't understand it. He took a quick evaluation of his life and he knew he had done nothing wrong. So, he struggled with the "why" question. He cried out, as he was mourning his losses. While he never cursed God, he did question God. He wanted to know why. His perspective was so obstructed that he could not see God for who He truly is. He lost his focus and began to step into very dangerous territory. He got really depressed and really low, as many of us would in the same situation. He got into a really dark place, where he began to regret his own life and wished he'd never been born. Have you been there; that low? Can you relate to Job?

 

The hard part is he had a wife that kept taunting and tempting him to "curse God and die." That's a horrible thing; no support system to help! His friends were no better. They kept poking, prodding, and digging for some hidden sin or something that Job must have done to bring this manner of destruction on. They were no help at all. Poor Job!

 

Then, God speaks and He seems a bit harsh in how He speaks to Job, but there is a higher reason for this. God is waking Job up to the reality of who He is and what He is able to do. He's shaking him from his depression and darkness to give him a different perspective. God knew Job was entering into a place that he needed to get away from quickly. It's the danger zone where hurt and pain can quickly shift to bitterness. Yes, Job loved God and No, he had not cursed God. However, he was looking for answers he could not find. His rational was dragging him deeper and deeper into a place of self pity and despair. He was in the realm of hopelessness when God stepped in to shatter the darkness.

 

This battery of questioning that God relentlessly put Job through was to rebuild Job's faith in who God is. It was to get rid of Job's stinking thinking. It was to bring Job up higher, out of the mire to see from a different vantage point. It was to give Job the perspective that he had lost. Notice, something clicks for Job in chapter 40, verses 3-5. Job awakens from his stupor and begins to breathe the fresh, clean air again.

 

It's like the scene from The Hobbit; The Desolation of Smaug. Bilbo realizes that he and his travel companions are in trouble. Their perspective is clogged by the stale air of the cursed forest they are in. He realizes he needs to climb up to gain direction and perspective. When he does, the fog in his head lifts and he sees clearly, thinks clearly, and is instantaneously re-focused and refreshed.

 

It's in Job 42:1-6 where Job fully comes back to his senses. He's snapped out of his pity party and has regained perspective. Check out what he says here:

 

Job Speaks: I Admit That I Was Wrong

42 Then Job answered the Lord,

² “I know that you can do everything
    and that your plans are unstoppable.

³ “You said, ‘Who is this that belittles my advice
    without having any knowledge about it?’
        Yes, I have stated things I didn’t understand,
            things too mysterious for me to know.

⁴ “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak.
    I will ask you, and you will teach me.’
⁵         I had heard about you with my own ears,
            but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
⁶ That is why I take back what I said,
    and I sit in dust and ashes to show that I am sorry.”

 

Then what happens next is NOTHING short of AMAZING! Job's life is restored! He is given back double all that he lost. He has more children. He regains his possessions, livestock, and wealth. His latter days are greater than his former days! Plus, he lives a long time to enjoy these blessings and restoration! That's how GOOD God is! He is faithful! He is for us; not against us! Even when we doubt Him and question Him, He is still faithful and true to complete the good work He began in us.

God is no respecter of persons, so what He did for Job, He WILL do for YOU! Put your trust, faith, and hope in Him. Remember, He is your ally. He is not your enemy.

One last thought, as I have been encouraging myself in my own Job-like circumstances...I was watching Hillsong this morning and was greatly encouraged. I will attach the links to the 2 videos for you here. I want to leave you with a scripture that Pastor Brian Houston pointed out in his teaching. It's found in Hebrews 10:9 NKJV. Sometimes God takes away things that are old or no longer good for you, so that He can bring in the "new," to establish you. 

⁹ then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second.