Trusting God in the Midst of Suffering Part II

Job 1:1-2:10

A very popular theology today is the Health Wealth and Prosperity teaching. It says that if you have enough faith, your business will prosper. You won’t get sick. Tragedy will not strike. You won’t be late on your bills. God wants you to live in “total victory” as one popular teacher has said. This is the exact opposite of what Christ promised us.
Acts 14:22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them m to continue in n the faith, and saying that o through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
Matt 10:26, 25 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
John 15:20 - Remember the word that I said to you: g ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

II. God Owes Us Nothing vs 1
God owes none of us an easy life of health, material wealth, free of sorrow. One of the points of this book is that Job was the “best” man, yet God allowed unimaginable pain and sorrow to come into his life. We must not understand pain and sorrow as purely God’s retributive justice for our actions. In other words, it is not always the case that righteous people prosper and wicked people suffer. There are many instances where the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer.

1. Remember when Katrina happened, and some televangelists said it was because of homosexuality or gambling? The truth is that if we got what we deserved Katrina would come and land in our backyard.
2. Vs 14-17 God does not owe it to us to prevent people from sinning against us. Even though it was sinful for the Chaldeans to attack Job, God in allowing them to do so was not acting in an unjust manner. Think about what this means. Anytime anyone sins against you, God could have stopped them but didn’t and He is not blameworthy.
3. Vs 6-12 God does not owe it to us to prevent Satan from attacking us.
4. The reason God does not owe us a good life is because we have sinned against Him. Even the best of us have nothing we can hold over God’s head. We cannot blame Him as being unjust. We see Job’s repentance in Job 42:6.
5. A popular question that many people ask is “Why do bad things happen to good people?” There is even a book by that title written by Rabbi Harold Kushner.

a. The logic is that some people are “good” and others are “bad” and in our minds it is unjust for bad things to happen to good people. This is a logical question to ask of this passage, but it is not a legitimate question to ask, ever. It is a loaded question like “Have you stopped beating your wife?” If someone asked me that it would be loaded. A loaded question presumes some truth and then answering the question legitimizes the asker’s inferred point. The load is that I am currently beating my wife, if I answer the question I either beat her in the past or am still currently beating her. The question about why bad things happen to good people presupposes that there is such a thing as “good people” which the Bible is explicit in saying there are none (Rom 3:9-10).
b. A better question to ask would be “Why in the world doesn’t God immediately destroy any and all who sin? Where is the outrage at God’s failure to execute justice? If there is any outrage to be had it ought to be because God forgives sin. He is the just judge of the universe and I have committed the most heinous atrocities against His great Name, and yet He forgives. What a scandal! What a brazen disregard for justice! How could He possibly overlook sin? Nobody talks that way, but that is much more legitimate than asking “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Why does anything good happen to treasonous sinners like us?

III. God intends even the worst experiences for our good. We see this later in 33:17 that God intends suffering for our good. We learn from Romans 8:28 that God causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. This is one of the greatest promises of the Bible, and we should constantly be banking on this.

IV. Conclusion- How should we respond to tragedy?

1. All of what we have said (God is sovereign, God owes us nothing, God intends evil for our good) does not mean that we don’t have real pain and real sorrow. It does not mean that we won’t be devastated by calamities, but it does mean that when we fall, we fall on Christ, Job had incredible, unbearable pain. As we heard in Romans chapter 8 a few weeks ago “in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Not “instead of these things…” Part of the Christian walk is sorrow and pain, and it is real. Experiencing pain is no sign of unbelief, but it is important to note that we do not mourn as those without hope (I Thess. 4:13). In a sense our suffering should be worship. When we mourn we recognize God's gifts as valuable. We don’t need pasted on smiles and a fake chipper attitude, be broken, yet always rejoicing. II Cor 6:10.
2. What about anger? We never have a legitimate reason to be mad at God. That doesn’t mean that we won’t be mad at God, and if we are, we should admit it.
3. We should respond to God in faith and worship (Job 1:20-21), not because we necessarily like or even understand our circumstances, but because we trust God that He means this for our good and realize we have no grounds to be angry at Him.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan his work in vain
God is His own interpreter
And He will make it plain

4. We should respond in repentance (Job 42:6), realizing that our time is coming to, and we need to be prepared. Luke 13:4-5
5. The answer to the question about why God doesn’t destroy us immediately is found in our evangelism verse Romans 3:24-25. “In God’s divine forbearance He had passed over former sins” Why did God pass over former sins? Answer: the cross. Why is God patient toward us? Answer the cross. Why does God plead with us, and give us opportunity after opportunity to repent? Answer the cross. Job’s situation pushes us to the cross where we can find our peace with God. That is where He made peace with us, so that is where we should go to find it. We believe that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ, and so any pain and suffering that we experience is not punishment for sin, but is a painful but necessary surgery to rid us of our imperfections.

And now come, broken, to the cross,
Where Christ embraced all human loss,
And let us bow before the throne
Of God, who gives and takes his own,
And promises – whatever toll
He takes – to satisfy our soul.
Come, learn the lesson of the rod:
The treasure that we have in God.
He is not poor nor much enticed
Who loses everything but Christ.

First Question: Warning! Deep Theological Reflection Ahead!

Dear Jonathan,

Greetings. I have a question regarding the sermon notes that you posted today. If I understand you correctly--I might not have--this past Sunday, you preached that the idea that God lacks exhaustive knowledge of the future is un-biblical. (I take it that you have in mind the "Open" view of God?) While I do not wish to drag you into a debate on this point, I would find it helpful if you could provide me with concrete reasons why you hold to this strong claim. In particular, I am wondering if you think that there are exegetical, theological, or perhaps even philosophical reasons to think that the open view is contrary to the Scriptures. Many thanks.

Sincerely,
XXXX


Then I responded with this answer:

Thank you very much for the question.
I certainly had the "Open" view of God's knowledge in mind when writing the sermon.
There are many exegetical reasons to believe the Open View to be error including:
Isaiah 41:21-29- Part of God's "Godness" is dependent upon Him knowing what the future holds and being able to declare exactly what will happen. (See also Isaiah 45:18-25 and 46:9). There is also the issue of Psalm 139 etc. where God is said to have very specific foreknowledge (David's words before they are spoken, his days before they are lived etc) that the "Open" view could not explain. There are many New Testament texts where Jesus makes specific predictions about what will happen in the future- John 13:19. Jesus predicts Peter will deny Him 3 times (not 2, not 4, not 15, but 3)- John 13:38 and 18:19-27. Jesus predicts the kind of death Peter will die John 21:18-19.

The theological reasons would simply be the understanding of these and other texts to teach that God has exhaustive divine foreknowledge and that that type of knowledge is inconsistent with the belief that God doesn't know the actual decisions of His free creatures (even though in the Open view He may know all future possibilities). I would understand the "repentance" texts and the God "changing His mind" texts as anthropomorphic (this word means "attributing human characteristics to God in order to communicate some other truth about God"- for example when the Bible talks about God's arm, or hand) because some of them taken literally would imply a lack of knowledge of present realities (Genesis 22:1-19- In this text God is said to only know Abraham's heart at the point where he raises the knife), and they seem to be much less clear than the exhaustive knowledge texts.

Philosophical reasons would be the Open view's problem with the doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture, that is, how could God ensure that the writings of the Bible were exactly what He wanted under this view? Also, how could God ensure that Christ's death would occur exactly as it did?

I know this is oversimplified and short, but I figure that's enough to get the dialogue going.

I appreciate you asking the question.

For reading I would recommend (if you are unaware of the relevant books) God's Lesser Glory by Bruce Ware (where I got most of my Scripture refs). No Other God by John Frame, Beyond the Bounds eds. Piper, and Taylor. I have read (some of) Most Moved Mover by Pinnock, God of the Possible by Boyd, and Is God to Blame? by Boyd on the Open side.

In Christ,

Jonathan

Here was the reply

Dear Jonathan,

Thanks so much for taking time to respond to my question. I have been reading and thinking about these issues for many years, although I have not had the opportunity to do a really in-depth study of the issues. I have worries on both sides. For one thing, I am not convinced that proponents of Open Theism really understand the classical doctrines of impassibility and immutability that they claim to be rejecting. I believe that the classical doctrines allow for responsiveness on God's part even while maintaining that God eternally has exhaustive (fore)knowledge. On the other side, I get worried when classical theists throw around the idea of divine sovereignty as if just mentioning this fact conclusively ends the debate. There seems to be a tendency for classical theists to miss the fact that God could have sovereignly chosen not to micromanage human behavior. Also, unless you are going to go whole hog supralapsarian, the problem of evil seems to be a particularly potent liability for the classical theist position--at least as far as I can tell.

Thanks again for your helpful response.

Sincerely,
XXXX


To which I responded

Thanks for your response.
I agree that some Open proponents may not understand impassibility or immutability, but I think one of the main problems with this view is that they have not thought it all the way through to the end. There are just too many doctrines that are called into question when holding an Open view of God's knowledge and interaction with creatures. They truly believe in libertarian freewill, while compatibilistic freedom is a much more biblical position (Gen 50:20, Acts 2:23, 4:2-28, Phil 2:12-13 etc.). I would much rather err on the side God's freedom than man's freedom.
The debate is certainly more difficult than most people know, and as I've studied the Open view, I have seen that their position is stronger than I thought, but I still am not persuaded. Another problem is the direction that some of the proponents are naturally drifting. John Sanders for instance says that Christ's intention to die on the cross was not set until the garden of Gethsemane. Here is the relevant citation.
As far as God responding to His people, and having real emotional responses (in accord with His nature as a lover of good, hater of evil, comforter of the downtrodden etc.), I don't see God's divine sovereignty, exhaustive knowledge, impassibility and immutability as necessarily contradictory to these activities of God.
Thanks again,
In Christ,
Jonathan

Disclaimer: I realize that this dialogue assumes a basic knowledge of these issues. For more information on the "Open" view of God also known as "Open Theism" please read this article on Wikipedia.

If anyone has any questions please let me know.

Jonathan

Snake Bit

I have heard people respond about the two tragedies that have hit our church in many ways. One such instance that I heard of is someone referring to our church as being “snake bit”. The phrase “snake bit” refers to being cursed or unlucky. Not to be judgmental but this phrase demonstrates a small view of God. My two staff members mean the world to me. They are my brothers in arms. Donny is one of the greatest fathers I have ever known and I have had to watch him bear the loss of his daughter. Scott loved his wife more than anyone I know and I cannot bear to think about the pain he is experiencing and will experience in the coming days. I have been forever changed by these events. It is an odd thing to be both in the middle of the grief and also in another sense watching it from the outside. It is hard to explain the wounds that have been inflicted to my soul through watching my brothers suffer. God draws for us a much more crooked path than I ever imagined. This is not the carefree Christian life that I expected but it is the one that God has graciously given me. If I could not stand on the rock hard foundation of the sovereignty of God I think I would go insane. Is Wyatt snake bit, cursed, or unlucky? I guess that all depends on how big your God is. I guess in one sense we have all been snake bit. The serpent in the garden struck us hard and the suffering is still being experienced through death, sin, and all matter of pain. But, we serve a God that brought his heel down firmly on the snake’s head and redeemed us from the bite. On the cross Christ redeemed both our sin and our pain. Me, Donny, Scott, and Wyatt believe in a God who is working out his plan according to his good and perfect will. Our loss is substantial and our pain is very real, but our God is big. Is there any other type of God worth worshiping? Though he slays Wyatt, yet we hope in Him (Job 13:15). Do you?

Outline of My Sermon on Job 1:1-2:10

This is a sermon I preached at Wyatt Baptist Church last Sunday night. I'll post the second part next week sometime.

Trusting God in the Midst of Suffering Part 1

I. God’s sovereignty over all things:

There are some who say that God does not know what will happen to us, and that He is just as surprised and upset by what befalls us as we are. The intentions of this teaching are good. They seek to get God off the hook for allowing evil to come into our lives. Unfortunately it is simply not what the Bible teaches.

This is not helpful. If it were biblical, that would be one thing, but this idea is neither biblical, nor is it true.


1.God is sovereign over Satan as we see in verses 6-12. God has a leash. God is so much sovereign over Satan that Satan’s work is attributed to God.
a. We must not say that God does evil because the Bible says God is not the author of evil (I John 1:5, Genesis 18:25). He does not sin. (relevant texts: I Sam 2:6)
b. We must however affirm that God is completely sovereign over Satan. Satan does not move an inch without God’s permissive providence. God could end Satan by simply willing it to happen, but God has His good and sovereign purposes for allowing Him to remain for a time.
2. God is sovereign over sin, verses 14-17- Chaldeans in an unjust and unprovoked manner decimated Job’s property.
a. Again, God does not make people sin (James 1:13), but the Bible teaches that God uses the evil intentions of men for His great purposes (Gen 50:20, Acts 2:23, 4:27-28).
b. God’s sovereignty over sin does not negate our responsibility to God to not sin.
c. Though He does not sin, He accomplishes His purposes by restraining and permitting sin. (Romans 1:21-27). Picture it like a flood gate, God does not have to restrain sin, and Romans 1 even says that God can judge people by turning them over to their own desires. In other words, right now, God is restraining you and me from becoming the worst possible sinners that we could be. If He were to let us go, there would be no limit to the depths that we would sink. If God ceased to restrain us, we would dive into a spiral of depravity.
i. Example of Sabeans and Chaldeans- they were a mean group of people sitting around this day deciding whether to go kick some kitties or go decimate Job’s property. God restrained them from kicking the kitties and they went and decimated Job’s property. So these men had any number of options about what to do that day, and God ruled out the other possibilities that they could have done and left attacking Job’s property as the only one possible.
ii. Example of Christ- God restrained some courses of action that could have been taken not resulting in the death of Christ, and permitted the ones that would end up with Christ crucified.
3.God is sovereign over the natural order as in verses 18-19.
a.God is sovereign over the physical world- Psalm 135:6-7, Proverbs 16:33, Matt 6:25-30
b. God is sovereign over animals- II Kings 2:23-24,
c. God is sovereign over weather and catastrophes. Mark 4:35-41


Since God is sovereign over all of these things we should take heart. Believing that God is sovereign and that we can trust Him is massively helpful in living your daily lives.

We will learn more about how we ought to respond to this truth next week.

New Milestone- 5000 Hits (Officially)

I recently put a hit counter on the site just to know how many people have visited the site. Since the 17th we have had almost 5000 hits with 1100 unique visitors. I'm sure we have more like 25000 hits, but I only recently began the count. Who will be the 5000th hit? It should happen any minute now.

An Excellent Sermon by Jordan Thomas

Here is a sermon preached by Jordan Thomas on November 9th, one week after Jill's accident. The text is Romans 8:1-11. There is something wrong with the video right now, but when he "reads" the text he is actually quoting it. If you were going to memorize one chapter of Scripture I would recommend that it be Romans 8, it is probably the most "complete" (it shares the gospel clearly and outlines the whole story of redemption from beginning to end) chapter in the Bible.

Email Questions

I would prefer that you email me privately with questions and I will either respond directly to you or on the blog. My email address is jonathandbaird(at)gmail.com. I didn't want to put a hot link on here because there are bots that can capture my email address and I would get a ton of spam.

International Outreach at Home

Our church is involved in a great program that pairs host families with international students from SAU. Mark and Vicki Harmon are hosting an international student in their home from Africa, and through that relationship our church has been able to participate in this program at SAU. During the holidays, many of the international students are unable to go home and so they are left on campus by themselves. Host families volunteer to take them in and allow them to be a part of their holiday traditions. We have about 15 international students who are being hosted by families in our church. I am so glad that we have a church family who is concerned with showing Christ's love to the nations through going, sending, praying, and (in this case) welcoming.

What are you or your church doing to reach out to people across the world? Think of opportunities like this that may be in your back yard.

A quick update on Scott:

I have been able to spend some time with Scott over the past few days and he is still doing as well as could be expected. Sunday night I was honored to be able to preach in his presence at Wyatt. Last night he came to our church wide Thanksgiving feast where we introduced the international students and host families.

I know he still covets your prayer, and specifically you can pray for his parents as they continue to prepare to move down to El Dorado. They will need to sell their house soon, and also Scott's dad is searching for a job in the El Dorado area. If anyone knows someone looking for a house in the Greenbrier area or knows of a job in El Dorado (or surrounding areas) please contact me and I'll pass the information along. Bro. Charles is a very talented man (the apple didn't fall far from the tree) and has experience in accounting, fund raising and was the President of Central Baptist College in Conway for many years. They didn't ask me to put a commercial up for this, but I thought it was incredibly appropriate.

I also wanted to thank you all for continuing to read this blog and I wanted to welcome any suggestions for how it might be done better. Many of you have asked for specific information and please know that I take all suggestions/ questions into consideration.

I know many of you are still struggling and I would like to open up the dialogue to any theological questions that you may have. I know in times of tragedy there are questions about God's goodness and sovereignty and I've tried to address those issues, but I know that there may be more. Your feedback is very important. Chances are, if you have a question, there are many others who have the same one.

Do Hard Things

This is kind of piggy-backing off of what Adam said below.

In addition to committing yourself to a rock solid resolve and consistency, you should also take this opportunity to do some of the things that you have been putting off. Have that difficult conversation with your spouse that you have been dreading for months (or years). If you are an unbeliever, consider the claims of Christ and call out to Him in repentance and faith. If you have been "dating" the church and have not joined a group of believers who will keep you accountable and help you to grow, find a good church and join them. Confess your sins to a trusted friend who will help you be more accountable and will help you work through your failures.

Some of the most convicting reading I have ever done is Jonathan Edwards resolutions found here.

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

I have a book in my library entitled “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction” by Eugene Peterson. I have to admit that I have never gotten around to reading it but I have always loved the title. The blurb on the back of the book says:

“In an age of thirty-second commercials, thirty-page abridgements and instant banking, it is not difficult to get a person interested in the gospel. It is terrifically difficult to sustain and interest. What we need is not another prescription for quick success, but encouragement to persevere as disciples and pilgrims. Above all, we need to learn to pursue a long obedience in the same direction.”

Jill’s death has challenged many of us in our walk with God. As the wound was fresh many commitments were made concerning bible study, prayer, marriages, discipleship, etc. My question is, how are we doing now that routine life has begun to dull the sting of our great loss? Have our commitments begun to waiver yet? Have you begun to take your focus off of Christ and put it back on other things? I know in my life the fight for a Christ focused life has gotten more difficult each day.

One thing I noticed while reading Jill’s journal is that her amazing relationship with Christ was not made through earth shattering spiritual experiences. It was made through a simple consistent walk with Christ. Jill understood that her walk with Christ was not made by huge sweeping New Years resolution like commitments but rather a long obedience in one direction. She set her sights on Christ anew everyday. As time goes by and God continues to heal his people we need to transfer the reliance of our walks with Christ from the pain of Jill’s death to just a simple obedience rooted in the simple fact that God is God and he deserves our lives. Let’s continue to look freshly upon Christ each new day.

Mark Driscoll on Serving Your Spouse

I'm in Dallas at the Song of Solomon Conference. Last night, Mark Driscoll talked about how he prays that he will outlive his wife. This sounded really weird at first, but then he began to explain. He said that he wants to grow old with his wife, serve her until she dies and then preach her funeral so that he will have the privilege to say wonderful things about his wife in front of their church. He quoted Ecclesiastes when it says that "the end of a thing is better than it's beginning" and asked us what our funeral would be like because that is what we are preparing for.

I had the privilege to be a part of Jill's funeral, and it was not sad, because Jill had been such a servant. We didn't have to search very hard at all to find good things to say about Jill. Seeing Scott's joy in talking about how wonderful his wife was, is one of the most encouraging things I have the privilege to hear.

I have a question for you. Do you serve your spouse in such a way that your funeral will not be sad, but will reflect the great joy that you gave your spouse and those around you?

Update on Scott

I just talked to him on the phone and he is doing well. He went to a Hogs basketball game last night and had a good time. He will be going to Lufkin this afternoon and spend some time with Jill's family. He will be coming back to El Dorado on Sunday and will be there all next week.

It was good to hear from him. I think it does me much more good than him to talk with him.

The Role of Scripture in the Grieving Process

At Wyatt Baptist Church a couple weeks ago Clif Johnson talked about how we can use Scripture in times like these.
Here is what he said:

"In the book Pilgrim's Progress, Christian is on his way to the celestial city and he encounters an evil monster named Apollyon. They begin to fight a ferocious battle. During the fight Apollyon lays a blow so forceful on Christian that it knocks Christian's sword (the word of God) out of his hand and out of reach, and puts Christian on his back. Apollyon walks over to Christian, stands over him and mutters, "I am sure of thee now," meaning, without your sword the victory is easily mine. Without scripture to fight with, we will be defeated in our thoughts, and then our actions. There will not be a time where we walk away from a sermon and say, "That did it for me. I won't have any more doubts, any more questions, any more battles." We will fight every day of our lives to plant the right thoughts and take captive the evil ones. And what we must remind ourselves is that scripture is ultimate reality and truth. Our emotions are not ultimate truth, and they do not need to inform our idea of truth. We must let scripture, ultimate truth, inform our emotions."

This is excellent counsel from a very wise man. The role of the Word in the fight of faith is crucial. Without a strong grounding in that reality, you will be tossed about by emotions, the culture, your sinful desires, your confused-ness about reality, and will be easily led astray by human wisdom and philosophies. I am not telling you not to listen to the world, just get a grip on ultimate reality before you go looking for answers in the world. We all must trust in something before we make any decisions about what is true and what is not. The Bible is trustworthy and will not lead you astray.

God, Don’t give me peace…

This has been a weird week as I have settled back into my job and home life. It is difficult to carry on the routines of normal life when it feels like a big part of my life has been stripped away and my thoughts are constantly with Scott and Bryce. However, this is the way it has to be. Diapers must be changed, meals must be cooked, and paychecks must be earned. However, as I operate my life with a knife stuck in my heart in many ways I am thankful for the blade. My wound keeps sending me to Christ. I don’t want things to get back to the way they were. I want to love my wife and kids more than ever. I want to watch TV less and seek God more. I want to serve my wonderful church more faithfully. Most of all I want more of Christ. I do not want time to heal this wound. Nor do I want to dull the ache with the TV or Internet. I don’t even want to find refuge by just busying myself with family time. I want my refuge to be in Christ and Christ alone. If he does not give me peace, then I don’t want peace.

Don't Just Do Something Stand There...

This was the title to Dr. Albert Mohler's first sermon in chapel at Southern Seminary (the seminary I attended in Louisville, Kentucky)Sometimes we need people to just stand, and not just do.

I wanted to point out that a number of people have just "stood there" with Scott. There have been many people who have just been around Scott during this time, and I appreciate them, I know he does as well.

I didn't realize that Scott was going to publish something at the same time I posted so be sure and go down a couple posts and read his note.

Fight FOCA!

For those who don't know the Freedom of Choice Act is a piece of legislation that will undo years of "pro-life" legislation.

Copied from Between Two Worlds Blog:
FOCA will eradicate state and federal laws that the majority of Americans support, such as:

* Bans on Partial Birth Abortion
* Requirements that women be given information about the risks of getting an abortion
* Only licensed physicians can perform abortions
* Parents must be informed and give consent to their minor daughter's abortion

FOCA would erase these laws and prevent states from enacting similar protective measures in the future.

To sign the petition go here.

Thank You by Scott

I want to thank everyone for the love that has been shown to my family over the past two weeks. God has poured out his grace on us through our friends. I especially want to thank Wyatt Baptist Church for being the hands and feet of God throughout this process. They have reached out to us through prayers, phone calls, visits, food, housework, and so many other ways.

I also want to thank Jonathan for setting up and maintaining this blog. So many people from other states (and nations) have told me that they have been able to keep up with everything because of his hard work. Thank you Jonathan!

I can't say enough about how wonderful Jill was. She was the greatest minister I have ever known. I always loved to watch her pour into other young ladies. She had a passion for helping others grow in Christ because she had a passion for growing in Christ herself. Her greatest joy was truly in her Savior and Lord.

Beyond ministering to others, she constantly ministered to me. She was always there to keep me organized, help me with church projects, plan mission trips, communicate with people on my behalf, tend to my diabetes, organize information, and give me feedback on my ministry.

And at the end of the day, she loved me in spite of myself. I was truly blessed with the most wonderful, beautiful, gracious wife! She was a godly woman in every way.

One of my favorite memories of Jill is watching her take care of Bryce. She found great fulfillment in being a mom. After so many years of praying for a baby, God blessed us with an sweet little boy.

I loved watching her talk to him, recite scripture to him, read books to him, snuggle with him, take a million pictures of him, and make plans for him. Every night before we would put him to bed, Jill would swaddle him and lay him down between us. We would all snuggle together and talk about how we were a "snuggling family." Those were some of the best "family moments" I have ever had.

There are a million other things I could say about Jill. It has been encouraging over the past two weeks to learn of all the people she ministered to that I never knew about. I think it is safe to say that she did 100 years of ministry in her 34 years on earth! I love her and miss her greatly.

To everyone who has sent emails and posted on this blog -thank you for sharing your memories and feelings for Jill. It means so much to me.

New Features on the Blog

I wish this would have been on here before, but I just put a counter on the blog and an analytics code so that I can see where people are accessing the blog from. I also added an RSS feed activator on the right to make it easier for those of you savvy enough to get our blog that way.

By the way, I have my personal journal within the same blogger account so if I ever post one of my personal journals on here I cannot be held ultimately responsible for the content, because I have no filter when writing in it. It is a very unrestricted and free form, kind of like how you can't be held responsible for the content of your dreams. Whatever flows into my head gets written down.

You'll know immediately if I accidentally post one on here though.

Don't Waste Your Life...

Jill did not waste hers. I really need to go back and count up all the women who have emailed or commented about how Jill discipled or otherwise poured her life into them. There have been dozens. Oh to leave a legacy like she has in her short life! She may have had only one biological son, but she has a quiver full of spiritual daughters.

I want to speak to older women reading this: what will your legacy be? For some of you, it may seem too late to leave a legacy like Jill, and you may be right. But it is never too late to begin to leave a legacy. Perhaps you yourself need to be discipled, seek out another lady to disciple you so that you can disciple others.

Young ladies: What will your legacy be? You have youth on your side, but as we have seen, youth is no guarantee of longevity. You may think you have time to build a legacy later, but you may not. If you need discipling find an older lady who can pour her life into you, and then seek to disciple others.

Jill lived like eternity was just around the corner, may we all live like that and not waste our lives.

The book at the top of the screen is a book about not wasting your life by John Piper.
You can buy it here.

Job... Again

I will be preaching Job 1:1-2:10 on Sunday night at Wyatt.

For a good sermon on this text go here.

Church Leadership

I love the way our church has "stepped up" in the temporary absence of our pastor. Scott has taught tirelessly that one of his main purposes is to prepare the church body to minister, and not just to minister to us (though he has done that very well). I went to SAU today and ate lunch to be greeted by about a dozen from our church who went to an International Student Activity.

I have heard other stories of our deacons selflessly ministering to others (this is no surprise of course.) We have a basketball ministry on Monday nights and I heard last night's meeting was great. I look forward to publishing a report from what happened in the near future.

I am so proud to be a part of Wyatt Baptist Church. We have a very unique and very biblical church structure. Instead of having a "pastor-as-CEO" model, we have a group of men who lead the church as pastors. We are going to be able to fill the pulpit with men who are at the church, and won't be dependent on pulpit supply.

Our situation shows how important having a biblical model for church leadership really is. Many times when one man decides the vision, teaching and overall direction, the church becomes unhealthily dependent on one man. If he leaves, the whole structure falls apart, and then the church will be at the mercy of the next pastor's vision, teaching and direction. If you have a group of godly men who have "one mind" on the vision, teaching and direction that the church ought to see, believe and go, then the displacement of a pastor does not affect the direction of the church because there are others to pick up where the displaced pastor left off.

I wish more churches would adopt this biblical model for church leadership. This along with other biblical mandates for the church are found in the book displayed at the top of this page- Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever. It's amazing that in addition to it being biblical it is also very practical...go figure.

Scott Attebery

Below, Tyra made this comment:
"Scott has to be the most special, dear man to have won the heart of Jill Jarvis!"
Truer words were never spoken. Scott is an invaluable gift to me, my family, and our church. He is probably the most gifted person that I know personally, and I know some really awesome people. I can't tell you how much he has ministered to me these past 3 years since we have been at Wyatt.
We have spent probably 130 Sunday afternoons at their home after church. When we began to go to Wyatt, Scott and Jill invited us to stay at their house since the drive back to Magnolia was so long (and gas was so high!).
Scott and Jill are such a great example of a wonderful marriage. They were crazy about each other, and that was evident. We spent a lot of time around them, and if they were just putting on, I think we would have been able to detect it. We didn't detect anything except that they had a wonderfully uncommon union.
Scott is an indefatigable defender of truth. His love for God has been an inspiration to me to love God more. I've never known someone who was so much the same in the pulpit and out. If you know him, you know what I'm talking about. He doesn't put on a "preacher persona" and transform into a pulpiteer when he steps into that space, he's just Scott. That kind of consistency has been a breath of fresh air to me.
Another reason that I love Scott so much is because he won't like that I even took the time to write this. He probably thinks my time is better spent trying to minister to others. Well, that is what I'm doing. The more people know you, Jill and our God, the better served they will be. I love it that there is no difference between telling people about you and Jill, and ministering to them. Telling them about you ministers, because that's what you are about. Kind of like (this is a very imperfect analogy) there is no inconsistency between glorifying God and enjoying Him.
I give thanks to God for Scott, and am very hopeful for what God has in store for him and all of us who have been so affected by his and Jill's life.

529 Instructions for Those Who Contribute

For those who have or will contribute to Bryce's 529 account, please send a note to Wyatt Baptist Church telling who you are and how much you contributed. The Gift Plan does not automatically notify anyone about who gives what as far as I know. Thanks, Jonathan

Post From Christina On Bryce

I was so privileged to get to keep Bryce this past week and he was doing wonderful! And to all the concerned moms---Scott is doing WONDERFUL with him!!! They are hanging tight together and it's wonderful to see them smile at each other! As a mother of three with a little parenting experience---I think Scott is going to make one awesome dad!!! (although I must admit I had some doubts the day Bryce was born---Scott had sworn off all poop) Needless to say, he's changing some serious "stuff" with these formula diapers!!! :) Bryce "talked" and laughed with us as he played on the pallet. He's carrying on with his little life and adapting much better than most adults as children often do!!! May we continue to pray for him and his daddy!

Baby Bryce

Some have asked about Bryce so I wanted to give an update on him.

He has made the transition to formula very well, and has gained a double chin. Scott and his parents are keeping him in Greenbrier right now.

Going forward, Scott's parents will be moving down here to El Dorado and his mom will be keeping Bryce.

I think this is the best possible solution to the situation that they are in. I am amazed at the sacrificial love of Mr. and Mrs. Attebery for Scott and Bryce.

Lesson Learned...

I just wanted to take a detour for a second and tell you about a lesson I learned yesterday.

I recently purchased a laptop computer (refurbished) from Buy.com. I had to send my computer back because the audio was messed up. If you don't know me, I am thrifty a.k.a. cheap. I took the laptop to a nameless shipping store and asked them to package it up for me. I was thinking it would be about $10, $15 at the most. I got the bill just for packaging it up and it was $25! Keep in mind, this did not include the shipping cost.

The Box- $8.50
The packaging materials (peanuts, bubble wrap etc.)- $8.50
The service for packing- $5.50
Taxes- $2.50
Total- $25

Bottom line: Package your stuff yourself before you send it off, to quote my illustrious grandfather, "it's a poor way to serve the Lord" to pay someone else to do it. I paid your tuition so you don't have to.

Expelled Last Night

A few of us got together over at Scott's house and watched Expelled.

It was a good time of fellowship and Scott is still doing well. One of the most helpful things was hearing from Scott how he has been sustaining his soul during the past week.

Scott ministered to Clif, Adam and me. I love having brothers with whom to walk through afflictions.

Scott is going back to Greenbrier today with his parents.

Jill's Memorial Slide Show

Here is the slide show. I finally got it uploaded to Youtube.

Grief is a Funny Thing...

Well, maybe not funny, but it certainly makes you do weird things. The rollercoaster of emotion is really draining and the fickleness and feebleness of my demeanor has been exposed. I thought I was pretty stable, but I'm really not. I can see a little better how people feel who have chronic depression. It reminds me of the greatness of our God and the words of the the hymn "On Christ the Solid Rock" I dare not trust the sweetest frame [of mind] but wholly lean on Jesus name... and when all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay. These words mean much more to me now.

It's funny how biblical concepts that you had a theoretical knowledge of become real when you experience them.

"Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" II Cor 6:10
"Bear one another's burdens" Gal 6:2

I had an idea of what they might look like, but I had never (really) experienced these concepts as I have in the last two weeks. It's good to have these categories in your mind so that when you experience them, you can say "Ah, now I understand what that means!" But don't expect to truly understand them until you experience them, and even then, in experiencing these things we "see as in a mirror dimly" and I look forward to when we will see "face to face" I Corinthian 13:12.

Hannah Medical Center Banquet

The banquet went really well last night. I put together a slide show for the banquet with comments from you blog commentors, and pictures set to the tune of "God Moves in a Mysterious Way" performed by Jeremy Riddle. It is an old hymn that was written by a miserable guy who had a big God. I hope to post the slideshow to youtube, and then I will link to it here. It is not "Scott Attebery" quality, so I may get him to remake it sometime and put his Midas touch on it.

I talked to Scott just a minute ago and he is on his way to El Dorado.

Hannah Medical Center

Tonight, the Hannah Medical Center will be having a banquet in Magnolia. They will be having a tribute to Jill and her service to Hannah.

For more information about Hannah Medical Center please visit the link above or visit their Facebook page here. There are also ways for you to contribute. It is a 501(c)3 organization and all contributions are tax deductible. For more information on contributions please click here.

If you're wondering, the Hannah Medical Center is a crisis pregnancy center that Communicates Christ’s love by providing life-affirming services to women facing pregnancy decisions and by upholding biblical standards for sexual integrity.

Band of Brothers

I just got off the phone with Scott, and he is still doing well. I was very encouraged by all he had to say. I still can't get over the fact that even though he has been devastated like he has, that he still ministers to others in the midst of his pain.

In an email from Adam to Clif and me Adam said "I could not feel closer to you guys if I had just spent the last year in a fox hole with you." Going through something like this really brings people closer together. I understand more now the camaraderie that is created during times of war. It was such a privilege to have some dear brothers at my side in these days. Adam, Clif and Scott are a gift from God to me.

I have had other brothers who have been in the trenches with me during other crises. My blood brother Brian, Chuck Flurry and Bob Heinze. These guys have always been there for me. It is important to have those folks that you can always count on to be there for you. I'm thankful that I have these and many other people like this in my life.

A Grief Sanctified

This is a book by J.I. Packer. Anything with his name on it is golden. I will be adding it to my library. It includes a journal of Richard Baxter on the loss of his wife.

Talked With Scott This Evening

I talked with Scott on the phone for a little while earlier. He is doing well.

I have been inspired by Jill's journal to start one of my own. Mine is a little different than Jill's however. I started a blog and made it where only I can read it. It's pretty easy to set up though. Just start a blog at www.blogger.com and then set the permissions to where only the authors can see the posts. Then you have your own personal journal that you can write in where ever you are as long as you have internet.

Also, another easy way to keep up with this blog is become a "follower." If you have a blogger account you can go to your dashboard and click on the "blogs I'm following" tab. Then you can click "add" then type in the address of this blog www.theblessedbairdbunch.blogspot.com which will add this to your blogroll.

Jon

A New Baby at Wyatt!

Adam and Kelly Bishop welcomed John David Bishop into the world today. He was 6 lbs 10 oz and mom and baby are doing well.
Congratulations guys!

Jonathan

Tonight's Service

We had an excellent service tonight. We heard from Clif, Adam, and me how Christ has been sufficient this week. We talked about ways we can spiritually and practically minister to Scott, and then we heard from Donny how Christ has been sufficient for the past 2 and 1/2 years. It was an incredible time of worship and beholding God do a mighty work. I'm sure it will be posted on the Wyatt website soon and I will connect to it.

In the mean time you can hear a panel discussion that we had just a few weeks ago by clicking here.

The Service is Up on the Website

Click here to watch it.

Scott Is On His Way To Greenbrier

We just finished lunch with Scott and his parents, the Thomases, the Hymers, the Hardys, and Jordan Thomas. Our worship service was excellent both in the song service and the preaching. Jordan preached on Romans 8:1-11 and gave a great message of hope in the gospel. Scott is still doing well, and will hopefully have a good week of rest.

I had the honor of staying up and talking to one of our deacons last night and it was such an encouragement. I can't tell you how amazing the men of our church are, they are a further manifestation of the glory of God in the life of Wyatt Baptist Church.

Jill's service should be up on the website tonight (Lord willing!). Sorry we didn't get it up last night.

Clarification:
Scott is going to Greenbrier to spend time with his parents for the week. He will be back to El Dorado soon.

The Medicinal Effect of Seeing God To Be As Big As He Truly Is.

One of the most helpful things that we can do before and during times of suffering is to gaze upon our good and sovereign God. If it were not true that God was sovereign and good it would not be good to think of Him as such, but since it is true, it is very helpful to see Him in all of His glory.

This resource helps to do that very thing.

Suffering and the Sovereignty of God

In the last few years, 9/11, a tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and many other tragedies have shown us that the vision of God in today’s churches in relation to evil and suffering is often frivolous. Against the overwhelming weight and seriousness of the Bible, many Christians are choosing to become more shallow, more entertainment-oriented, and therefore irrelevant in the face of massive suffering.

In Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, contributors John Piper, Joni Eareckson Tada, Steve Saint, Carl Ellis, David Powlison, Dustin Shramek, and Mark Talbot explore the many categories of God’s sovereignty as evidenced in his Word. They urge readers to look to Christ, even in suffering, to find the greatest confidence, deepest comfort, and sweetest fellowship they have ever known.

You can buy this book here.

Psalm 46 and Romans 3:23-26

I'm sitting in Scott's living room talking with him right now, and these are some verses that have been going through Scott's mind. I would encourage you to dwell on these verses. Psalm 46 is not surprising, but Romans 3:23-26 may be. The gospel is our hope. Any comfort that we have not attached to the gospel, is really no comfort at all. Scott is dealing with this head on, with the armor described in Ephesians 6:10-20.

He is displaying an incredible faith in an incredible God.

Resources on Suffering

My good friend Clif asked if I knew of any good resources for grief. I thought it would be a good idea to post some resources that are helpful in times like this.

The first one is a short one from the CCEF.



When Bad Things Happen: Thoughtful Answers to Hard Questions

William P. Smith

Is a personal God really involved in our suffering? And if he is, what in the world is he up to? Why would a good God allow suffering in his world?

William P. Smith addresses these and other hard questions by reflecting on what the Bible teaches about suffering. Instead of pat answers, he shares the different ways God uses suffering to bring us into a deeper, more intimate relationship with him. You can learn to see the good that God brings out of suffering and be thankful—not for the suffering itself—but for God and his involvement in your life.

It can be bought here.

Easy Ways to Check for Updates

I can have the posts emailed to up to 10 email addresses. If you would like for me to set that up I can. Just email me at jonathandbaird(at)gmail.com and I will set that up for you.

Also you can set up a Google Reader account and add our, and other blogs or sites that have RSS feed capability. It is very easy. If you follow multiple blogs or sites that update content regularly, you will be glad to have this tool. For directions click here.

Thanks,

Jonathan

Stay Tuned For This Afternoon

The service will be posted later today, I think (one way or another).

Update on Scott

Scott is still doing well. He had a doctor appointment yesterday to ensure that there were no injuries of which he was unaware (I did not end the sentence with a proposition- that is something "up with which I will not put" to quote Churchill). The doctor cleared him, and he spent the day with family yesterday.

Some of us will be meeting together to talk about church services tomorrow. Please be in prayer for us.

I would encourage any and all who would like to come to come visit Wyatt tomorrow.
The address is 4621 Hillsboro, El Dorado, AR 71730.

Jordan Thomas will be preaching in the morning and tomorrow night we will be having a discussion on how we can minister to Scott right now.

We told our girls the night before last and I had told Scott that we were going to do so. He actually sent me a text later that night to ask how it went. That's the kind of guy he is. When he is going through unimaginable pain, he is seeking to minister to others.

The Misery of Job and the Mercy 0f God

This is an intro to a book by John Piper that is a retelling of the story of Job. You can listen to or read the whole thing here.

In Christ Alone

These are the lyrics from a song at the funeral. What hope this song gives. What an amazing time of worship this song was. We sang it with 500 (in our room) other people at the top of our lungs. I can't wait to watch the service on the Wyatt website.

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

Not For The Faint of Heart

I realize that this video is disturbing, but I believe it is a message we all need to hear. Jill loved the gospel, and it was not the prosperity gospel. This is what is getting Scott, his parents, and her family through this.

Meaning

An important part of the process of grieving for Scott and all the rest of us will be to see the purpose of God in this. It doesn't mean that we will know the exact reasons why, but there are biblical promises that we know God works all things together for good, and that even the worst tragedies, evils and calamities are purposed and intended for our good.

Another stanza of God Moves In a Mysterious Way says:

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain
God is his own interpreter
And He will make it plain

Oh Lord, make this plain to us. Unfold your purposes before us Lord, through your word, that we may be comforted in knowing that you have grand designs and meaning in our most terrible suffering.

One of the amazing things about the sovereignty of God is that He has an almost infinite number of layers of intentionality working together the fabric of history to accomplish His purposes in creating a beautiful tapestry of His glory. The point here is that Jill's death will be used by God to affect each of us in a different and biblical way.

I would invite you to share stories of good things that have happened, such as evangelistic opportunities, personal convictions, and other "sweet flowers" that have unfolded before your eyes during this tragic time.

I'll start.
Personally I have been convicted of my own sin and have been driven to repent. Luke 13:4-5 has been circulating in my mind. I am reminded that God does not afflict us in the order of our desert. I have mentioned before that I have thought about how much more I deserved to be the one in the hospital. It has caused me to have a more sober look at my life and reevaluate my shortcomings.

I have heard many people talk about the spiritual renewal that this has caused, and I pray that this would be lasting in my own life. I am most afraid that as we learn to accept the reality that we have been given that I might be the same person I was before this happened- I don't want that.

In Scott's Own Words

The following was an article written by Bro. Scott a little over two years ago after the death of our music minister's daughter. May his words comfort us and cause us to hang all of our hope in God during this difficult time. The reformers of the 16th century birthed the phrase, "Soli Deo Gloria," which means "for the glory of God alone!" Since that time, this monumental statement has been the cry of all God-centered theology. It is for this very reason that the writers of the Westminster Confes-sion of Faith wrote that the chief end of man is "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." As Paul says in I Corinthians 10:31, "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." I Peter 4:11 says, "Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever." Because our church places such a great emphasis on the glory of God in all things, I couldn't help but ask myself two questions in light of Lauren Hymer's death: 1) How will this glorify God? 2) If God does all things for His glory, how will this fact comfort the Hymers? The answer to the first question is both plentiful and difficult. There are numerous ways that we have already witnessed God's glory in this time of loss. When members of Wyatt poured out their love on Donny, Lori, and Wesley, through visits, cards, memorials, yard work, food, house cleaning, funeral preparations, hugs, and words of encouragement, God's glory was revealed. When we reflect on the sanctifying work of Christ in Lauren's life, we praise God. When we see the strength displayed in the Hymers, we marvel at God's grace. Of course, we will never know all of the ways God uses Lauren's death for His own purposes. Further, it is both impossible and foolish to speculate all of the specific reasons for such an event to occur. The difficulty in answering this first question lies in the fact that every ounce of glory God receives is echoed by the pain experienced by the Hymers. In other words, it seems peculiar to focus on God's glory in an event when the same event produces grief and sorrow. This leads us to the more difficult question, "If God does all things for His glory, how will this fact comfort the Hymers?" At first glance, it seems cold that in their time of grief God would have the audacity to think about His glory. However, it is in this fact alone that we may find the greatest comfort. Because God is glorified in Lauren's death, we can be confident that she did not pass away in vain (Psalm 116:15). Here we see the love of God: that in glorifying Himself, he points all who mourn to their only source of hope: Himself. Although we don't pretend to understand God's mysterious purposes, we are comforted in the fact that there is a purpose. Without a sovereign God who is concerned with His glory, all things are meaningless -and that would be a tragedy. Instead, even through the pain and sorrow, we have every reason to proclaim, "Soli Deo Gloria." To Donny, Lori, and Wesley: We love you dearly. -Pastor Scott

Our Church

I couldn't be more proud of our church family during this time. They have responded in an amazing way.

Our deacons are incredible and rare. They have served with all of their might during a very dark hour.

I love to see the love and concern on people's faces. It is also a protecting love. Our people love Scott with an unusual love. I hope Scott feels protected right now, because he literally has an army surrounding him.

Scott has been preparing us for this (not this specifically, but something like this) ever since he got to Wyatt. He has taught us that we are all ministers and has sought to blur the line between the pulpit and the pew. This happened much sooner than we would like, but we as a church must step up now and tote Scott's water for him for a little while. Women of the church, you have been left the biggest challenge of all, to fill Jill's shoes, and they are big ones to fill. I know Jill had great hopes for some of the younger women in our church, and I hope you will see this as an opportunity for growth (however hard and painful it may be).

We must be careful not to seek just to be like Jill. To use an analogy from C.S. Lewis, Jill was a beam of light that shines on the earth like a beam of light coming into a dark room. Let us not look at the light on the floor and glory in it, but let us follow the beam back to the brilliant and blinding light of the sun. Jill's life pointed to something much bigger than her life, she would be disappointed if we got so focused on her that we forgot about the "...savior who is everything and anything good in [her]"

If You Told Me That Secretly Jill Had Found a Cure for Cancer I Wouldn't Be Surprised

This was in a comment below...


My name is Sparky Hamilton. I am from Lufkin, Texas. I knew Jill and Scott very well. When I heard the news, I was very, very hurt. Jill and my sister, LaTonya Hamilton, played on the same softball team when I was little. I must admit that if it wasn't for Jill, I wouldn't be here today. I was playing by the pool one night when nobody was loooking and accidently fell in and I couldn't swim. I drank so much pool water it wasn't even funny. Jill got there at the last minute right when I saw my life flash before my eyes and jumped in grabbed me. My parents and my sister couldn't stop thanking her that night. Since then, I couldn't forget her. The last time I saw here was in Arkansas at fan day when I was playing in 2003. She still had that pretty smile like always. If you would please pass this email on to her husband Scott and tell him to call me or email @ Larry.Hamilton@erac .com or 832-443-2334. Thankyou so much for doing this.

God's Provision

It was amazing to see two guys who were obviously devastated by this to be able to get up in front of a crowd of 700+ people and give such amazing messages. They were truly carried along in those times. If you were there you know what I'm talking about. God gave a special provision of his grace to them to get them through the most difficult day in either of their lives so far. I always thought very highly of Clif Johnson and considered him a great friend, but he has truly become one of my heroes this week. I have loved Adam Thomas like a brother (still do), but I've seen a side of him that I haven't seen before, and I'm anticipating God doing great things through this tragic event.

I've never been to a funeral where the person actually preached their own funeral. If you were there, that is what you witnessed (more on this later).

I just wanted to say thank you to all of Scott and Jill's friends that came. The friends they have are any indication of the type of person Jill was, and she was certainly honored by a great group of people.

The Funeral

The funeral service was phenomenal. There were two of the best sermons I have ever heard. The service will be up on the Wyatt website in the next few days. Scott did very well throughout the services, and on the way back to his house he said that the visitation, the funeral and the graveside were very helpful for him. I am amazed and thankful for God's provision of grace during this time for Scott. He's got a long way to go, but there will be a ton of people around him to support him.

Jill's Memorial Service At Keltys First Baptist

Click here.

The Visitation

A quick note before I begin working on the service for tomorrow.
The visitation went very well. There were 400+ people (my guess) at the funeral home tonight. There was so much love and comfort poured out on Scott, his family and the Jarvis family. I know they were very appreciative. I got to meet many of the people who came, and it was such (another) testimony to the far reaching effects of Jill's life.

I had so many people thank me for the blog and I want to say again how much of an honor (and therapy) it has been for me to be able to serve during this difficult time. I think I have been more helped than anyone else. I found that when I wasn't able to talk, I was able to type, so that's what I did.

Jill's Family Is Here

They are here now and Scott is greeting them. They will go from here to the funeral home.

Today So Far

Scott got a good night's sleep last night. They had the family viewing today at 1:30. Emily and I were privileged to be able to go with him and his parents. Scott and his parents went in first and we stood outside and prayed for comfort and peace for Scott in that moment. Scott was very strong, stronger than I was. She was beautiful and peaceful.

Afterwards, Scott, Clif and I went for a walk around the block and were able to talk about how we might minister to him in the coming days, the fellowship was sweet.

Earlier we found out that Jordan Thomas will be preaching at our church this Sunday, what an incredible act of love for a hurting brother.

The Jarvis family is on the way in and will be here around 5. They will have time to go to the funeral home and see Jill.

Scott is holding up amazingly well right now, and I pray that God would continue to sustain him. I've heard of God giving an extra measure of grace to people in difficult times, now I can say that I've seen it and perhaps even experienced it some.

A Video of Scott

I asked Scott if I could take a video or two of him for those of you who cannot be here with him.
Enjoy.

A Post By Jill's Brother On the Memorial at Lufkin

I am Andy, Jill's brother. The memorial service for Jill at her home church, Keltys First Baptist, in Lufkin, Tx was wonderful. The sanctuary was filled with probably 400 plus people, all of whom were heartbroken as we [mourned] over the loss of such a special person. Pastor Mark Livingston preached about the things that Jill loved - Jesus, God's Word, discipleship, missions, her church, her family, her husband Scott, and her son Bryce. It was an opportunity for those in attendance to hear the word of God preached boldly as I'm sure she would have wanted. We then had a time for several people to publicly share some memories they had of her followed by a time of prayer with as many as wanted all gathered around our family at the alter. We dismissed with 2 verses of Amazing Grace, sung accapella by everyone and what a joyful noise it was! For nearly another hour, folks waited to speak to all of us, greive with us, and encourage us. So many have offered so much to see that our needs are met and for this we are very thankful. I described Jill's life in an email earlier today as 34 years of high impact on the people she was around and the crowd tonight was just a small sample of the numerous ones she touched in some way or another.

Thank you Andy for your report, and please know we love your family and have been blessed beyond measure by your sister.

A Day of Mercies

I was talking with Scott a little while ago and he said that today was good. I felt like he had some much needed emotional rest from the turbulent past couple days. I know there are some really tough days ahead, and I'm thankful that he had a day of rest before tomorrow and Wednesday.

Scott is going to get through this. It will not be easy, it will require many of us rallying around him, and ministering to him selflessly as he and Jill have ministered to us so selflessly in the past. He will be changed, and he will have a deep wound that will never heal, but I believe God will grant him the grace to bear it.

I have had one verse William Cooper's song God Moves In a Mysterious Way going through my mind all day.

His purposes will ripen fast
Unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste (this bud certainly has an immeasurably bitter taste)
But sweet will be the flower

Some of us were praying before Scott got home today and I prayed that verse. After the prayer Clif and Adam both told me that they had been thinking of that song today. It is very appropriate, and it would do you much good to meditate on it.

I saw first hand what it looks like to bear one another's burdens today. I am so proud to be a part of a church that takes that task seriously. I can't brag too much on our deacons, they can deac with the best of them. I was so encouraged by the way people have gathered around Scott and began working on the church, and worked together to make sure Scott doesn't have to worry about anything. Our church is showing an incredible amount of love for their pastor. Keep it up.

Housing- Attention Wyatt Members, and Out of Town People Coming In For the Funeral

There will be a ton of out of town people coming in, and if you have room to house people please contact Kelly Bishop by email and let her know how much room you have. You may also think about preparing food for the guests as well. I prefer that you email her so that she doesn't have to constantly stop to write things down. Please include your address if possible so we can get directions.
She can be contacted at this email address- waddill@hotmail.com
Her phone number is 870-904-5799. You can call or text.

If you are from out of town call or email her and she will match you up with a family.

Service Planning

I have had the privilege of meeting with Clif and Adam on the service preparation and we sat down with Scott to talk about it. He pulled out Jill's quiet time books and notes. There were three seminary guys back there and her effort and study put us all to shame. Jill's devotional life was exceptional. Her faith was serious, not just an afterthought of her day like it is with me more times than I would care to admit.

We talked about the service and his desires. He wants God to be glorified through the service, because that's what Jill would want. We hope that our efforts at planning will be fruitful and many people will hear about the God whom Jill was so in love with. I can't tell you what a privilege it is to be around such an amazing group of people. It is a testimony to Jill that she would have such incredible people surrounding her.
Sorrrowful, yet always rejoicing...
Jonathan

Humorous Stories

Jenni's comment made me think that it would be a good idea to write humorous stories about Jill and post them here.

Fellowship

We are all here at Scott's house hanging out with him. He is in good spirits and is holding his son. They have made all the arrangements for the funeral and burial. Jill will be buried close to Lauren Hymer at Rest Haven.

The Grace of God Manifest in Donny

For those who may not be aware, our music minister lost his daughter in a car accident a few years ago. I have been amazed at how God has sustained him to be able to give support to Scott during this difficult time. I appreciate Donny so much and am honored to be with him at Wyatt.

The Refuge of Humor

I want to encourage you all to find some moments of sanity in humor. That's what Jill would want us to be doing.

More Information on Jill's Services

The visitation for Jill will be at Young’s Chapel Tuesday, November 4th from 6-8PM. The funeral service will be at Wyatt Baptist Church on Wednesday, November 5th at 2PM.
There will be childcare provided with Immanuel Baptist Church for the visitation. They will provide it at Immanuel.

Westside will be providing Childcare at Wyatt for the funeral Wednesday.

Please email Leigh Ann Bolin at leigh.bolin@sbcglobal.net if you will be needing childcare. Also, if you have any questions, email Leigh Ann or call the church office at (870) 862-2619.

On memorials, please send them to Wyatt Baptist Church and put Jill Attebery in the memo line.

Please Put Your Whole Name at the End of Comments

There are so many comments and names I'm afraid Scott may not know which Susie wrote what. I should have said this much earlier, but please do that from now on.
Thanks,
Jonathan

Jill's Bible

Clif Johnson is going through Jill's Bible right now and it is really amazing. It took him a long time to find a page without any writing on it. This will be a great resource for Scott in the coming days and years. As Clif said it will be an opportunity for Jill to preach to Scott.

Clif and I are at Scott's house waiting for him to come back from the funeral home.

Letters To Bryce: From Lindsey Watson

We know that Bryce will grow up with very loving families that will make sure he knows who is mother was and what kind of foot print she left on this earth. However, we wanted Jill's friends to also be able to share their memories of Jill with Bryce, so he can get a good idea of what she meant to everyone - family, friends, co-workers, etc....

We have set up an e-mail address for people to send letters to. After the deadline we will compile these letters into a book for Bryce to have. So, here are the instructions:

Please write a letter TO BRYCE telling about what Jill meant to you and how she influenced your life. Yes, Scott will probably read these to him when he is little, but we want him to have this book forever. Please be detailed and share any fun memories of her that are SPECIFIC to your relationship with her. E-mail them to letterstobryce@gmail.com. If you would like to include any pictures you might have of Jill, please do that as well. You can also include any newspaper articles or other scrapbook type items. If you need to mail anything, you can mail it to Lindsey Watson, 2404 Broadview Ave, Conway, AR 72034. Please note "letters to bryce" on the outside of the envelope. PLEASE DO THIS BY JANUARY 1ST, 2009. Cari Calhoun and I will compile all of these letters and pictures into a book.

Please note - Scripture and poetry are great and we want that, but please include a letter of at least one thing about Jill and/or your relationship to her. Thank you so very much!
Lindsey Watson

--
Lindsey
www.lfphotog.blogspot.com

At the Funeral Home

Scott, and his parents and Donny are at the funeral home making plans for the service right now.
Please be in prayer for him specifically during this difficult step.

529 Plan For Bryce

If you would like to contribute to Bryce's 529 plan here is the information on sending a check to The Gift Plan where his account is set up.

For those in Arkansas you can receive an Arkansas State Income Tax Deduction for contributions up to $5000 per individual ($10000 per married couple) per year. There were other questions as well about 529 plans. The money will be under the control of Scott always. He will have withdrawal rights. Money pulled out and not used for college would be taxable. If Bryce doesn't want to go to college the beneficiary can be changed to someone else in the family.

I have done extensive research on these accounts and they are the best one that I know of especially for Arkansas residents.

Just print this portion below and fill in the amount and send it to the address indicated.

If you have any questions please let me know.

Thanks,

Instructions:

Make a Contribution: Check
GIFT College Investing Plan
Account Number: 527888840-01 Beneficiary: Bryce B Attebery

To make a contribution to your account with a check, follow the steps below.

1. Print this form using the Print button below.
2. Fill in the amount of your check [________] (The minimum contribution amount is $10.)
3. Write your account number on the check. If you don't, the processing of your deposit may be delayed.
Your account number is : 527888840-01
4. Make checks payable to "GIFT College Investing Plan"
5. Mail this form and your check to:

By U.S. Mail: By Registered, Certified or Overnight Mail:
GIFT College Investing Plan
PO Box 55387
Boston, MA 02205-5387

GIFT College Investing Plan Processing Center
95 Wells Avenue, Suite 155
Newton, MA 02459

Scott is Home

Just wanted to give everyone an update. Scott just made it back home and is eating lunch right now. He is doing ok and told us about some great things that have happened in the last few hours. A couple we know who are in a foreign country talked about Jill to her class today. Many Sunday School classes were dedicated to speaking about Jill yesterday morning. They will be meeting at the funeral home in a little while.

Miscellaneous Information

There will be a memorial at Keltys First Baptist Church in Lufkin tonight at 7 PM. Friends and family are encouraged to attend and bring photos, write memories etc.

There will also be a 529 account set up for Bryce specifically. I will have that information soon. This will be for Bryce's college expenses.

There will also be a Jill Attebery Scholarship Fund set up at Keltys for contributions. For contributions please mail them to
Keltys First Baptist Church
Jill Attebery Scholarship Fund
PO Box 3043
Lufkin, TX 75903

There is also a Mission Trip Fund set up at Wyatt Baptist Church. For contributions to this fund send checks to:
Wyatt Baptist Church
Jill Attebery Memorial Mission Trip Fund
4621 Hilsboro
El Dorado, AR 71730

I will post the time of the visitation as soon as it is established.

Please be in prayer now for Scott, he will be here at his home any minute.

Thank you all for praying and commenting.

Jonathan

Jill's service: Wednesday at 2 at Wyatt Baptist Church

pray for Scott

he will be going back to his house for the first time shortly.

Paige brumley will be compiling the blog posts and comments

thanks Paige

One Way For Someone to Serve

If someone could go through this blog and compile the posts and comments into an editable document so that we can make it into a book for Scott I would appreciate it. I know there are some who cannot be here, and this is one way you can serve.

There will be many more ways to serve in the coming days, and I will post them here.

If you are good at this sort of thing please email me at jonathandbaird@gmail.com and let me know how you plan to do it. I think a word document would suffice. It needs to be editable because people are adding to the comments all the time.

Thanks,

Jonathan

Poem of Comfort

By Martha Snell Nicolson
I stood a mendicant of God before His royal throne
And begged him for one priceless gift, which I could call my own.
I took the gift from out His hand, but as I would depart
I cried, "But Lord this is a thorn and it has pierced my heart.
This is a strange, a hurtful gift, which Thou hast given me."
He said, "My child, I give good gifts and gave My best to thee."
I took it home and though at first the cruel thorn hurt sore,
As long years passed I learned at last to love it more and more.
I learned He never gives a thorn without this added grace,
He takes the thorn to pin aside the veil which hides His face.

Hymns of Comfort

These hymns written hundreds of years ago have always been helpful to me in times of sorrow.

God Moves in a Mysterious Way

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

A mighty fortress is our God

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

Abide with me

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word;
But as Thou dwell’st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.

Come not in terrors, as the King of kings,
But kind and good, with healing in Thy wings,
Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea—
Come, Friend of sinners, and thus bide with me.

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile;
And, though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee,
On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Our God, our help in ages past

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.

Thy Word commands our flesh to dust,
“Return, ye sons of men:”
All nations rose from earth at first,
And turn to earth again.

A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood,
And lost in following years.

Time, like an ever rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.

Like flowery fields the nations stand
Pleased with the morning light;
The flowers beneath the mower’s hand
Lie withering ere ‘tis night.

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.

Be still, my soul

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.
Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.
Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

May these hymns comfort your soul, as they have mine in times past and now.

Heroes

I thought it would be helpful to describe some of the things that I witnessed this weekend with the support of some of Scott and Jill's friends and family. I will try to write about a few of the people who were so supportive during such a difficult time.

Brother Charles Attebery and Mrs. Janice
Scott's dad displayed genuine Christ-like compassion for his son this weekend. I can't imagine someone being a better support than he was. Just watching him truly ministered to me. He never left his son. May I be such a father.
His mother was so kind and tender toward her hurting son. Her love for Scott shined through in every move, every hug, every look on her face.

Jill's Parents
Jill's parents were very supportive of their son-in-law. Their compassion for Scott along with their obvious love for their daughter was a testimony of their faith.

Clif Johnson
Clif was truly a faithful friend this weekend. He was there the entire time, and never left Scott. He was the "rock" that many of us needed. His presence was calming and his love for Scott and Jill was obvious.

Andy Jarvis
Jill's brother was an encouragement to me. Scott frequently asked for prayer throughout the entire time. Andy prayed, and it was a huge encouragement to me. He displayed an unwavering trust in the sovereignty of God in this situation.

David Attebery
He was another "rock" that gave support in a very trying time. He displayed deep love and compassion for Scott.

Brandon Lupkey
Brandon was also a constant friend and immediately began thinking of ways that we could show Scott our love and support for him in the coming weeks and months.

Adam Thomas and Donny Hymer
They served Scott in such an amazing way this morning by going back to El Dorado to conduct our church services. Their love of Scott was evident as they interacted with him last night at the hospital. I can't imagine any two other people that I would want to be on our staff with Scott.

There were so many more, but these are the ones that I noticed.

Jill's Great Hope

It is amazing how your focus can change so quickly. 30 hours ago I was wrapped up in the coming political election, now, frankly, I couldn't care less (that is a little hyperbole). Tragedies like this cause your focus to shift from secondary matters to the most important matters.
I know Jill, and she would want me to share her Great Hope with all of you who are reading. If you truly understood the holiness of God, you would see yourself as undone before Him. No self-righteousness, no pride, no "I'm basically a good person" arguments will stand in the fiery brightness of God's holiness. All of your sin and mine are completely clear to God, and He is offended. God desires and deserves all glory. To the extent that we fail to give it to Him, we stand condemned. We have all completely and utterly failed at giving God the glory due His name, we magnify everything but God, and He will judge us for it. We are completely unable to reform ourselves, we are helpless, blind, dumb, deaf and lifeless. But God, at the expense of His own Son, bore our penalty. Canceling the debt we owe God for our sins, and living the life that we should have lived. He has done all of this, and if this thrills your heart that God has provided a Way, venture on this Christ. Flee to Him, trust in Him, cast yourself on Him. I am not asking you to recite a prayer, I am not telling you to "ask Jesus into your heart" I am telling you to turn from your sins and turn to Christ. Hide from God, in God. Be transformed by His work on your behalf as Jill was transformed by His work on her behalf.

If you want to talk with me about Jill's Great Hope I will be glad to talk with you. I realize that there may be many unanswered questions, and I will be happy to interact with anyone who has questions.

Sorrow

I've never felt this kind of sorrow before. I've never had someone so young and so close to my family die before. I have noticed over the past few hours that different people mourn differently. For me, pain and weeping come in waves- when I think about the 10,000 things that are going to be so difficult for Scott in the coming weeks, months, years. I can't bear to think about it for long. Needless to say I haven't been much of a "rock" for others.
This has caused me to ask the question: "What does it mean to trust in the sovereign goodness of God during a tragedy like this?"
It doesn't mean that you will approach it with some kind of stoic emotionlessness. It doesn't mean that you won't be devastated and fall. It doesn't mean that you won't wonder "why?"
It does mean that even though your heart is breaking, and your emotions are haywire, you do have a resting place. It does mean that even though you are devastated, and even though you are crying your eyes out, and even though you fall, you fall on the Great Hope you have in Christ. He is our solace, so that's where we go WHEN we are devastated. It does mean that we may wonder "why?" but that we also trust when things don't seem to make sense. If nothing else it means we take God at His word when He says "All things work together for good, to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose." Notice, it does not say that all things are good, but that God works all things for good.
I may have already shared this, but it deserves a repeat. Our church has been hit with tragedy after tragedy for the last 3 years. If nothing was happening spiritually at our church we probably wouldn't be going through this, or it may be proper to say if we hadn't been hit by tragedies we wouldn't be making progress like we are in so many areas. True growth rarely happens in the rosy times. Don't get me wrong, I prefer rosy, but obviously God has other plans right now, and we should trust Him.
Resting in Christ,
Jonathan

Pics from earlier posts

Here are a couple pics of Jill with Bryce.

Here