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Psalm 44 Where is God in my Trials?

7/4/2015

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Psalm 44

I know there are times when you feel detached from The Lord, even when you have not sinned, even when you are doing everything a good Christian does. You’re going to church, you’re spending time with Him, and you’re reading the Bible. But somehow you are still being persecuted, you are still suffering. What do you do in times like that?

What do we do when it feels like our prayers are hitting the ceiling instead of being breathed in by Holy God? We trust God. We remember all the miracles, the guidance, and the good He has done for us. We trust that He hears us and knows what is best for us. We remember the truth, God will never leave us nor forsake us. Verses 1-3 read,

“O God, we have heard with our ears,
    our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
    in the days of old:
2 you with your own hand drove out the nations,
    but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
    but them you set free;
3 for not by their own sword did they win the land,
    nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
    and the light of your face,
    for you delighted in them.”


It was not Israel that won the Promised Land for themselves. It was God Almighty who gave it to them. He defeated their enemies. It was not their strength but His. What is it in our lives that we’ve taken credit for that we should be thanking God for? What gifts and talents do we have that we have not acknowledged are from God and used them for His Kingdom? God loves us so much. He enjoys giving us blessings, fighting for us, and bringing us to the city He has promised us in eternity, New Jerusalem. When we remember all God has done for us so far and all He did for those in the past, we are reminded that we can trust Him to carry us through all our present trials and all our future hardships. Verses 4-8 read,

“You are my King, O God;
    ordain salvation for Jacob!
5 Through you we push down our foes;
    through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.
6 For not in my bow do I trust,
    nor can my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our foes
    and have put to shame those who hate us.
8 In God we have boasted continually,
    and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah”


Didn’t He save us before? Didn’t He vindicate us? We can trust in His strength not ours. We can have faith in His plan instead of our own. We can believe that salvation is ours and that eternal life began the moment we submitted to Him as Lord and King. Even when we are in the midst of persecution, tribulation, and suffering we can thank God and praise Him. He used our past suffering for our good and He is using our present pain for our good, and He will use our future experience for our good.

That means that sometimes we do go through persecution, hardships, and pain. That means that sometimes God will test our faith. He doesn’t do it to punish us. He doesn’t condemn us. He strengthens us and He shows us who we have become in Him. He holds up a mirror and lets us see His reflection looking back at us with immense and stalwart love. Our Father hasn’t forgotten us, instead He let go of the bicycle. He is so proud of who we are becoming and what we are doing. If He had never let go of the bike, if He had not proven our faith we would never know we could ride that bike wherever we needed to go. Falling is not fun and the injuries it causes are painful but we get back up, we get back on, and we trust God when He tells us He will always be there with us.

The author of this psalm felt the heaviness of the ordeal he endured. He could see that God was allowing the enemies of Israel to oppress them. Verses 9-16 read,

“But you have rejected us and disgraced us
    and have not gone out with our armies.
10 You have made us turn back from the foe,
    and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter
    and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You have sold your people for a trifle,
    demanding no high price for them.
13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,
    the derision and scorn of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations,
    a laughingstock among the peoples.
15 All day long my disgrace is before me,
    and shame has covered my face
16 at the sound of the taunter and reviler,
    at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.”


But he prayed anyway, he trusted in who God was and he remembered all God had done and promised. He didn’t stop praying because times were hard. He didn’t stop believing that God is awesome because of his pain. And he didn’t stop praying for deliverance or believing that God would save him. Verses 17-22 read,

“All this has come upon us,
    though we have not forgotten you,
    and we have not been false to your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
    nor have our steps departed from your way;
19 yet you have broken us in the place of jackals
    and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21 would not God discover this?
    For he knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”


These verses reflect the agony of suffering and the hope of maintaining and exercising faith. Look again at verse 19.

“yet you have broken us in the place of jackals
    and covered us with the shadow of death.”


What does the shadow of death bring to mind? Psalm 23:4 says,

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.”


God didn’t promise we wouldn’t walk through darkness or experience the effects of the evil of the world, but He did promise to be with us, and to use it for our good. (Hebrews 13:5, Romans 8:28-29). He did promise that our response would be a testimony to the lost. (1 Peter 2:21). In Romans chapter 8 Paul quotes verse 22 of this psalm. Let’s read a portion of that profound chapter now, Romans 8:31-39 encourages us through the worst of troubles.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be[i] against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”


37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Do you see how much God loves us? He is making us better and stronger because the world will war with Him and therefore us. But we are overcomers and victors in Christ. We are united with Him and cannot be separated from Him.

God can handle our honesty. He knows whether our words and thoughts reflect our heart. Because we are indelibly intricately inseparably united with God we can be sincere about our feelings. Often times when we bare those thoughts that are born from our flesh, God reveals our hearts to us and makes it possible to repent and further solidify our faith and trust in His greatness. Don’t be afraid to ask God for help. Don’t be afraid to say, “Yo, God did you forget me?” He will remind you He has not. The psalmist wasn’t afraid to authentically ask God to rescue Him, even when his attitude seemed irreverent. Verses 23-26 read,

“Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
    Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!
24 Why do you hide your face?
    Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
    our belly clings to the ground.
26 Rise up; come to our help!
    Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!”


Just remember this, The Lord loves you. He loves you deeply, consistently, and without condition. You cannot earn His love. You cannot merit His favor. How do you know this? Because Jesus died for you long before you were born. He died for your salvation before you took your first breath. He loves you so much. Remember that and trust Him through all your hardships. Celebrate Jesus no matter what you suffer.

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Psalm 34 Taste and See The Lord is Good

6/24/2015

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Psalm 34

David was described as a man after God’s own heart in1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22. It is the person after God’s own heart that the Lord anoints (separates for a holy responsibility or chooses for distinction). Like David, you and I are people after God’s own heart, or at least we ought to be. It means we want to know God personally, it means we take after Him in His nature, and that we want what He wants.

Have you ever been in a dire situation and had no idea how you would be delivered from it? David was in that kind of trouble more than once. The Lord always rescued Him. Because David was a man after God’s own heart, when he was in one of those harrowing predicaments he was able to listen to The Lord and trust Him. Such was the case in 1 Samuel chapter 21 when David was brought to Achish the king of Gath. The king’s servants exclaimed what a great warrior David was. The Lord impressed on David the danger of the circumstances as the king would likely kill him in his vulnerable state and gave him a plan. David began acting as if he had lost his mind. The king saw that David was no threat and let him go. This psalm was written in celebration of The Lord’s deliverance of David. Verses 1-7 read,

“I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together!


4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.”


David praised the Lord, not only sometimes, not only when things were good but in every circumstance. He intended his words to always bless The Lord. That means that David never wanted his speech to bring displeasure or disagreement to God but to please Him and show others how great God was.

Notice that when David was in trouble he didn’t lean on his own strength or wit, but he sought God. God delivered him every time. Even if The Lord chose to let Him continue in his dilemma, he still gave David peace and took his fears away. God does that for us too. He may choose to allow us to go through trials, tribulations, and tests, but we do not have to fear because He is with us, surrounding us, protecting us, and delivering us from sin and death. Even in the worst of times we can smile, we can shine as we faithfully radiate the peace and love of The Lord.

It is that radiance which testifies to God’s greatness. The world can’t fathom how or why we don’t freak out. They can’t grasp how we can have such calm through the calamities we face. Philippians 4:4-7 describes it like this,

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Our lives are testimonies to God. Our lives call out to people. “Hey you oughta give this a try!” People not only wonder at our peace and joy, but at our contentment and provision. Verses 8-10 read,

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”


Your life is a testimony to God and it should make people curious to know Him. You have the opportunity and the obligation to share Jesus with them. Verses 11-14 put it this way,

“Come, O children, listen to me;
    I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is there who desires life
    and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good;
    seek peace and pursue it.”


To seek a relationship with God, to call Jesus Lord, and to repent from sin is all anyone needs to do to be saved. Yes, God delivers us from many bad situations. But the worst situation He rescues us from is that of slavery to sin and eternal death in Hell. Once that is done, there is nothing to fear in this world. God’s got us in His strong hands. He keeps in His loving heart. He leads us with His awesome Spirit. Verses 15-18 read,

“The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
    and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit.”


He wants to do this for us, but we have to call out. We have to realize we need Him. We have to recognize our desperate situation and let it break our hearts. We can call out to friends, the government, and the bank, but the help we might get from them is temporary and still leaves us bereft and in slavery to sin. But calling out to Jesus means He will set us free, He will save us.

We will suffer, but we will go through those tribulations with the assurance and peace of The Lord God Almighty. We go through it with the hope of eternal life. We go through it knowing we will see Jesus face to face one day. The lost on the other hand will suffer eternal death and while we celebrate in New Jerusalem we will not even remember them, it will be as if they never existed. We know The Spirit, God Himself is not only with us surrounding us but inside us as we are in Him. Jesus died on the cross to give us that gift. He rose from the dead to claim victory and freedom for us. He ascended to Heaven to give us the guarantee of salvation through The Holy Spirit. Verses 19-22 say,

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
    not one of them is broken.
21 Affliction will slay the wicked,
    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
    none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.”


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Psalm 30 Joy comes in the morning, with the coming of the Son.

6/20/2015

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Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:4-5
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You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever! Psalm 30:11-12
Psalm 30

I know you have suffered. I know you have struggled. I know that there have been times when you felt as if The Lord was not with you. Let this Psalm be a solace to you. Let the Word be a consolation to you. Remember what He has done for you. Remember who He is and who you are in Him. Verses 1-3 read,

“I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
    and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
    and you have healed me.
3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
    you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.”


David wrote this during a time of struggle and He cried out to God during that time. But he also remembered the works God had done on his behalf. During David’s prayer, The Lord strengthened his faith and gave him reassurance by bringing to mind that He always brought him through. He reminded David that his troubles are temporary. Verses 4-6 say,

“Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment,
    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.


6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
    “I shall never be moved.”


Greif, sadness, loneliness, mourning, and anger are temporary. But joy, peace, and gladness are eternal. We suffer calamities on earth. We go through trials and tribulations while we live. The enemy attacks us throughout our lifetime. But this life is only a small part of eternity. God’s discipline is only for now. One day this earth and this heaven will be destroyed. God will make a new heaven and a new earth and we will be transformed in an instant to the perfect image of God with heavenly bodies. On that day we will be exactly who we were meant to be, whole and complete. One day we will not need to be disciplined, strengthened, or comforted. But for now, we do. Verses 7-10 read,

“By your favor, O Lord,
    you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
    I was dismayed.


8 To you, O Lord, I cry,
    and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
9 “What profit is there in my death,
    if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
    O Lord, be my helper!”


 

God makes us able. He builds our strength and our faith. There are times when we feel so capable and so strong that we depend on our own plans and our own strength instead of God. When He sees us leaning on our own abilities rather than depending on Him, He hides His face from us. He lets us try it ourselves. He uses this discipline to remind us it is not our capabilities that carry us through but Him. Sure we get the bills paid when we try it ourselves. We get by, barely. We manage. When we use our own strength we are exhausted at some point. But when we let God get us through, He does so much more than just ensure our basics and our survival. His strength is never exhausted. His love never runs out. He is eternal. His faithfulness is forever. Isaiah 40:27-31 says it this way,

“Why do you say, O Jacob,
    and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
    and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.”


Believer, when you find yourself weary from the struggle ask yourself if you are really waiting for God or if you are toiling on your own power. Repent and invite the Lord to once again be your Helper. When you let God be God to you, He is. And you get to experience those eternal joys even through the suffering.

Your suffering is temporary but joy is eternal. Eternity doesn’t start the day you die. Eternity begins the moment you die to your old self and let Jesus be your Savior. The Kingdom of Heaven is not a place of clouds and castles you will go to one day after you die. It is here and now where you live and walk with God and with your brothers and sisters in Christ. It is here even in the midst of the valley of the shadow of death. Rejoice! Celebrate, even while you endure the troubles of this world. Verses 11-12 read,

“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
    you have loosed my sackcloth
    and clothed me with gladness,
12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
    O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!”


Believer, Jesus saved you. You do not have to go through this world a mourner any longer. You have reason to rejoice. Yes, you still suffer. But when you do, look around, your brothers and sisters mourn with you. When you suffer, remember God will carry you through it. Your Redeemer will deliver you. Your Comforter will give you peace the world can’t even fathom. And He will use the suffering to make you more like Him. And so you can sing your praise, testify to the greatness of the Lord, and thank Him. You may cry for now, but you will sing His praise forever.

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Philippians 1:12-30 Responding to Suffering.

4/12/2015

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Philippians Chapter 1 Verses 12-30

Paul was in prison. Prison during Paul’s day was not a cake walk. It was deplorable. Prison was not a sentence anyone received as punishment. It was where the accused awaited trial or sentencing. And since there was no promise of a speedy trial that meant that sometimes the defendant waited for months or even years to be heard. There were no beds, no lights, and no promise of three meals a day. There were shackles and stone walls and floors. The prison Paul was believed to be kept in was dug out of solid rock and was underground. There was a manhole type opening which was used to lower prisoners, guards, and supplies. Lights were provided by lantern and fires. The Roman historian Sallust, described it this way, "[The dungeon] is sunk about twelve feet under ground. Walls secure it on every side, and over it is a vaulted roof connected with stone arches; but its appearance is disgusting and horrible, by reason of the filth, darkness and stench." Prison was no picnic for Paul and it was dangerous for those who visited him and showed him kindness. Visitors opened themselves up to interrogation by the Romans in order to gather evidence against the prisoner awaiting trial. Roman interrogation was often accompanied by beatings. Visitors were forever associated with the accused in the eyes of Rome and the public. (Fraser, n.d.).

But through his incarceration, Paul rejoiced. He was willing to suffer, not in order to be a martyr or victim, but because he knew the good that was coming out of it. Verses 11-14 read,

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”

He could have reacted selfishly, ‘poor me, pity me.’ He could have responded by telling everyone who would listen how unfair his situation was, but instead he wrote letters to the churches, he taught, he proclaimed Christ. The entire imperial guard knew Paul was there because of Jesus, some even became followers of Christ. And Christians everywhere were emboldened by Paul’s situation to spread the Gospel fearlessly. And people like Timothy and Mark, and the others who visited Paul and helped him through this time, they also had a part in encouraging the believers. They risked beatings and their reputations by ministering to Paul.

It clearly was not an easy thing to endure. Socrates and many other Roman prisoners chose to end their lives with hemlock. Archeological digs found the evidence of many suicides of prisoners. But Paul knew he couldn’t and wouldn’t take the easy way out. He bore the hardship of prison, keeping in mind the Gospel and the promise of eternity with Jesus. Verses 19-20 read,

“for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.”

This should be our attitude as well. Most of us will never have to suffer as deeply as did the Apostles and the other first century Christians. But some do. People across the globe are tortured, imprisoned, and killed for their faith in Jesus. The time is coming when even in America and Europe we will suffer like that for Him. Regardless of the degree, we are promised to suffer. We can respond by putting the focus of ourselves or on Jesus. We can rejoice because we know the endgame or we can moan because we want sympathy and pats on the back. Read those verses again, hold onto them, keep them in your heart and let them encourage you to respond with godliness, nobility, and faith.

What is the worst thing that will happen if we suffer so horrendously? We might die. And for the believer death is not awful, death is rewarding. Believers will be with Jesus in paradise! Living is rewarding as well. We get to keep spreading the truth, glorifying Christ, and doing His work. This was Paul’s dilemma. His agony had gotten so bad that he knew he could die. If he simply gave up in his spirit, he would pass away. Verses 21-26 put words to his predicament.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.”

Paul knew it was not up to him to decide to be finished and die. He knew that as long as he had work to do, living for Christ was more important than dying for Christ. God would decide when Paul died, and until that time he would live a life worthy of Jesus. Paul was not alone, not only did he have the Holy Spirit with him, but he knew he had his fellow believers. His life and his reaction to his torment affected others. He knew too that his suffering was not unique. Many of the believers would suffer just as he had, and many would come to a point of questioning if life was still worth living. So he encouraged them. Verses 27-30 read,

“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.”

We have a responsibility to one another and to the many lost to respond to situations in a manner that honors the Lord. We are united, standing together. Are we holding each other up? Are we remaining faithful and steadfast? Are we glorifying the Lord? And when we get to the point where we would rather die than go on for one more minute, can we look to our obligation to one another and the lost and choose to live for Jesus?

Does your response to trials and tribulations impact the Kingdom of God for the good, or does your response focus on you and even dishonor your Lord?

References:

Fraser, B. (n.d.). Prisons in Paul's world. Retrieved from Meyers Park United Methodist Church: http://www.mpumc.org/uploads/file/Prisons%20in%20Paul.pdf

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1 Peter 4 Following Christ in His Suffering

4/3/2015

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1 Peter Chapter 4

Christ suffered on the cross and we as His followers also suffer. Christ’s suffering gave us salvation. Our suffering reveals Salvation in us. Verses 1-2 read,

“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.”

We are not better than Jesus. We must expect to suffer. And when we do suffer for Christ’s sake, we can rejoice. We are emulating our Lord. We are being transformed to His image. We are glorifying God so that others will know His redemption.

Verses 12-17 read,

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.”

Suffering has more than one purpose. While we suffer, people see us. They watch and take note of how and why we go through our situation. How is that we can rejoice and even praise God through trials? They expect us to react in a worldly way and when we don’t, they see a glimpse of God. They see the grace of Jesus lived out.

Suffering conforms us to the image of Jesus Christ. Trials and tribulations teach us to exercise the fruit of the Spirit, the gifts He gave us, and purify us. . God sees us as righteous when He looks at us, but that doesn’t mean, He doesn’t care about our behavior. We are saved by grace but that doesn’t mean we should use our liberty as a reason to look and act like the rest of the world. We are supposed to emanate the Spirit of God, not the spirits of the world. We follow the King of kings, not the prince of this world. If the saved, God’s own children can’t behave in a manner worthy of God, how can we expect the lost to ever find Jesus? Verses 17-19 read,

“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
    what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”


19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”

We entrust our souls to the Lord. We give Him custody and authority over it. While we suffer, through good times, through joy, through sadness, and everything else we know God has charge over our souls and He will keep it for us until the Day we come into it at our completion. It will be worth more than it could have been if He hadn’t held it for us. It will be perfect.

Until that day, we are charged with doing good, with being Children of God in a world that doesn’t know Him. We are charged with doing good in a world that celebrates selfishness and debauchery. Even the fact that we don’t want to join them in decadence shocks them and gives them a reason to hate us or know us because of Jesus.

Verses 3-4 say it like this,

“For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;”

We have to remember that they are lost. The reason they badmouth us is because they follow Satan and don’t even know it. They will be judged one day. They need the chance to hear the Gospel. They need a chance to call Jesus their Lord. Our behavior in good times and bad gives them a chance to hear the Truth. Verses 5-6 say it this way,

“but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.”

Their self-indulgence may give them temporary pleasure, but Jesus gives eternal life. Keep in mind. Choose your conduct with love. Do you love them enough to abstain from sin, suffer with grace, and rejoice in the Lord? Do you love them enough to give them a chance to know Jesus?

Verses 7-11 encourage us,

“The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Believer, you are special. You are not like the world. You are a child of the Living God, saved by Jesus and consecrated by the Holy Spirit. You are separate from the world, in it but not of it. Your life should be a witness to the truth, a living sacrifice to the Lord, and a light to salvation.

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Ezekiel 21 If You Hate The Father's Discipline, You are Hating the Father

3/7/2015

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Picture
Ezekiel Chapter 21

This chapter prophesies the King of Babylon and the Ammonites making wars on Jerusalem. This was something Israel didn’t think would happen because they had made deals with Babylon and were already captives. They thought Babylon would stick by their word and leave Jerusalem alone and even protect the city. But the Lord would allow Babylon’s false divinations to lead them to destroy Jerusalem and He would remind the King of Jerusalem’s sins against him. (Verses 18-32).

Israel and Jerusalem were so stubborn they refused to give up their false religions, idols, and acceptance of worldly philosophies. The Lord steadfastly told them He wouldn’t put up with it, and unfalteringly disciplined them for this grievous sin. Yet they just as persistently ignored the chastisement. Verse 5 reads,

 “And all flesh shall know that I am the Lord. I have drawn my sword from its sheath; it shall not be sheathed again.”

Israel had reached the point, even though they were living in the midst of prophecies coming about they were treating God’s word like a fairy tale. They were barely reacting. The Lord wanted a response. Israel acted like hostile smug teenagers and kept up what they were doing. The Lord would keep doing what He was doing until they responded. And He knew that meant His stubborn children would be brought to their breaking point and beyond. He knows that for many of us, our pride makes it so we must break before we will acknowledge Him. Verse 7 reads,

“And when they say to you, ‘Why do you groan?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that it is coming. Every heart will melt, and all hands will be feeble; every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming, and it will be fulfilled,’” declares the Lord God.”

The Lord described the sword He would unsheathe and He told them why He was doing it. Verses 9-13 read,

 “Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord, say:

“A sword, a sword is sharpened
    and also polished,
10 sharpened for slaughter,
    polished to flash like lightning!


(Or shall we rejoice? You have despised the rod, my son, with everything of wood.) 11 So the sword is given to be polished, that it may be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened and polished to be given into the hand of the slayer. 12 Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against my people. It is against all the princes of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with my people. Strike therefore upon your thigh. 13 For it will not be a testing—what could it do if you despise the rod?” declares the Lord God.”

Israel despised the rod. They discounted God’s discipline. They refused to allow His corrective measures to correct them, instead they cried and whined and turned to wooden statues for help, when the Lord was right there waiting for them to respond to Him. Even though they hated the punishment they chose it over God.

Don’t we do the same thing? God allows circumstances to teach us, guide us, shape us, or otherwise discipline us and we hate them. We cry, but we don’t cry out to the Lord. We whine. We turn everywhere but to Jesus for answers. We look for money to solve the problem instead of depending on God. We read a hundred self-help books instead of the Word of God. We lean on crutches of worldly philosophy instead of God.

God loves us. He allows difficulties, pain, sorrow, and trials for reasons. Rather than hate the pain, loathe the suffering, and spurn the trials we can cling to Jesus and take joy in His deep and perfect love for us. We can be glad that He cares enough to want to transform us. We can allow the Comforter to comfort us as He uses the sword to deftly conform us to the image of Christ. That means not ignoring the trial but experiencing it. Romans 5:3-5 reads,

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Are you in the midst of terrible conditions? Are you suffering? How are you coping? Are you leaning on the Lord? Are you being upheld by the Brethren? Are you rejoicing, praying, thanking and praising? Or are you wallowing in self-pity? Are you looking for answers from self-help books and other idols? Are you seeking help from money? Are you trying to deaden the experience with alcohol, drugs, TV, or work?

I encourage you to rejoice in your suffering, embrace the pain. Cling to Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit have His way with you. Pay attention to and extract all the benefits of the sword you can. Be transformed.

Jesus doesn’t make your life idealistic. He doesn’t take away the pain and brutality of life. In fact, following Jesus can add pain to one’s life. But He does bring us through the suffering to a better end in which we, not our lives are made more ideal, like our Perfect Savior.




Matthew 10:34-39 reads,

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

We can turn to the world to solve our problems. We can love the world more than the Word. If we choose the world over Jesus, we will not be transformed, we will die to the sword along with the world. But if we truly belong to God, we will choose Him. We will choose the sword over the wooden statues and the sword will give us life.

Examine your life and your heart. Have you despised the rod with wood? Have you hated the sword and loved the world? Respond to the Father’s discipline.


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Ezekiel Chapter 1 God is God Above All, Even the Storms

2/7/2015

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Ezekiel Chapter 1

The prophetic book begins with an introduction, Ezekiel was a priest living among the Babylonian exiles in the Canal of Chebar. God gave him a vision of Heaven. He saw Heaven above and Earth below but together, close and simultaneously.  

The first thing that Ezekiel saw was an immense storm cloud. Verse 4 describes it,

“As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal.”

This isn’t any ordinary cloud with lightning. Ezekiel would have described lightning as what it was. This cloud was greater than an ordinary cloud, more than that and it signified coming terrible tribulation. But from the midst of the cloud Ezekiel saw four living creatures. Angels and his description of them is fierce. He describes them for ten verses. They each had human form, four faces each, two sets of wings, one set spread out and touching the wings of the creature next to him and one covering his body, straight legs and shiny feet shaped like a calf’s. They moved wherever the spirit led without ever turning.  Verse 10 describes their faces,

“As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle.”

Their movement on the earth is signified with a gleaming wheel within a wheel surrounded by eyes for each of them. The wheels were on earth and the creatures were in Heaven, but the spirit or life of the creatures, was in the wheels. Wherever the spirit led, the angels went unified and without turning. Verses 17-20 describe it.

“When they went, they went in any of their four direction] without turning as they went. 18 And their rims were tall and awesome, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. 19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. 20 Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.”

The angels carried out God’s will without turning, questioning, or division. They did whatever work He commissioned them. They came out of the fiery storm cloud to do it. God’s work whether it seems good or bad to us, such as sending an army to destroy or allowing turmoil, brings about His will.

Ezekiel’s vision saw above the angels to the throne of God. He saw Jesus, our Lord, God’s glory. He described in verses 26-28,

“And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. 27 And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. 28 Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.

Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.”

The suffering we may rail against, brings about His will. Knowing God’s sovereignty even in the worst of situations makes faith easier. If Jesus is above the angels ordering their movement, if the Spirit of God is leading them, then we know that the love of the Father is with us. The suffering and tribulation we face is ordained and if it is ordained, God is with us. However bad the situations we face, God will be with us through it all. He loves us and He has purpose. He is disciplining, testing, purifying and shaping us. He is bringing people to the place they need to be in order to recognize Him and their need of Him.

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James 1:1-8 Celebrate and Be Glad When You Face Trials

1/27/2015

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James Chapter 1 Verses 1-8

Today we begin reading the letter written by James to the church dispersed by persecution. His greeting is very short and rather than give qualifiers for himself such as “Apostle” or “Elder” he called himself simply, “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Verse 1). It is this role that he encouraged us to take, active humble enduring doers of the word.

Verses 2-4 read,

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

James immediately got to the meat in his letter. He started with a deep and difficult statement. “Count it all joy…when you meet trials.” He didn’t say suffer through it. He didn’t say lament, groan, and complain. He said to count it all joy. He wasn’t talking to people who had barely faced a hard time in their lives. He was talking to people who had left their homes and moved to other countries because of the persecution they had faced. They had seen brothers and sisters jailed, beaten, and killed. They had very likely lost loved ones, careers, and reputations for Jesus. Even after all that they would continue to face trials of various kinds. It is par for the course of Christianity, not if you face trials, but when you do.

How is it that we can count it all joy? How can we embrace the pain or be joyful even through the tears? Because we know that this bad stuff has good results. Because when we exercise our faith it produces steadfastness which is persistence, stability, dedication, loyalty and faith. And when that persistence has its full effect and we are fully devoted and faithful we will lack nothing. James said, “that you may be perfect and complete.”

I know many people in today’s culture consider our spiritual walk to be one of never-ending search, but James said that our trials faced in a godly manner result in completion, that we will lack nothing. We will lack nothing because we will have the faith to ask God to give us whatever we ask for. If we need wisdom, we ask God and He gives it. If we lack joy, mercy, or whichever of Christ’s characteristics it might be, we ask and God will give it to us. He will conform us to the image of Christ. Verses 5-8 read,

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

God gives generously. James says though the child of God doing the asking needs to ask with faith. He didn’t refer here to healings and such. He referred to asking God for our spiritual needs. We have to ask with faith because the way God gives us wisdom, patience, and joy is usually through trials. When we go through those trials with faith, knowing there is a good purpose for us, knowing there is a lesson to learn, and maturity to be gained, we can go through it looking to learn the lesson, develop the trait, and become more Christ-like. But if we go through it without faith, we won’t see the lessons, we won’t receive any of the blessings, gifts, or growth the Father has for us. That is an unstable man, not a steadfast one. He hasn’t yet gained the faith in order to develop the endurance. He doesn’t have the wisdom or discernment to see the goodness that can come out of suffering.

Remember this God allows you to suffer for a reason. He is sovereign. He loves you. He works it all together for good for those who love Him. And that good is your completion, your maturation to be like Jesus. Romans 8:28-29 say it like this,

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

The trials we suffer bring about the traits of Christ in us. James said we are to count it all joy. Paul also said we are to rejoice in our suffering and in the hope of the glory of God. Not only does our suffering produce wholeness in us, but it glorifies God! Romans 5:1-5 says,

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

So Brothers and Sisters, not if you suffer, but when you do, rejoice! Celebrate and be glad because good things are happening. You are being conformed to Christ’s image, you are being made faithful, perseverant, patient, and wise. The joyful manner you live your life and endure your troubles brings glory to God. Pay attention be wise, have faith, and grow through your hardships, and always always praise God and thank Him for being there with you.

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    Donna Campbell

    As I read the Bible every day, I take what God teaches me, what He says, and write it out. I then share that with you. It gives me a deeper understanding of the Word and I hope that it will encourage you as it does me, to put your love and faith into action.

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