Each time a pastoral suicide hits the news cycle, the Christian and secular publishing worlds forge an awkward alliance in an attempt to sort through the obvious question that is pressing in on everyone’s mind: how can—or how does—a pastor get to the point where he would make the decision to end his own life?

It’s a good question, and it’s a question that needs to be explored humbly and prayerfully for the sake of current and future shepherds and the overall health of Christ’s church.

When we search through the pages of Scripture we quickly find that God is good no matter what we’re going through, and that His purposes and methods are beyond what we can comprehend. That doesn’t change the reality of our pain at certain times, but as real as the suffering is, the rewards and blessings for those who remain faithful are monumentally greater – and priceless.

I’ll never forget meeting Mark Anderson. Our common ground went beyond our faith in Christ: we both had ice running through our veins. Hockey ice, that is. Being that I’m a Canadian-bred, hockey-loving pastor in Southern California, it’s not every day that I meet Michigan-bred, hockey-loving people like Mark.

Jesus is getting a lot of really confusing press when it comes to physical healing these days. This post will answer one of the biggest questions that arises from all of the confusion. As of right now, miraculous healing is one of the most popular subjects inside and outside the church. Preachers are preaching it, televangelists are guaranteeing, desperate people need it – it’s a healing-hungry world out there.