Handle with Care

Proverbs 4:23-27 “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.”

Have you ever received a package in the mail labeled FRAGILE HANDLE WITH CARE that looked like it had seen its better days?  It makes you wonder how it would have looked if it had not been labeled fragile.  The person mailing the package labeled it in the hope that it would be cared for with more care than if it were not labeled. 

While the words are different, the sentiment of Proverbs 4:23-27 is the same.  It is our warning to handle our hearts and lives with care.  God knows that the thoughts and intentions of men are always evil.  Genesis 6:5 “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.”

Left to our own devises we would all walk in selfish pride and seek pleasure and instant gratification at any cost.  This reality is played out throughout the Bible.  Over and over again we see mankind turning toward evil. 

Proverbs 4:23-27 is not the only warning passage found in the Word. http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/evil,-warnings-against lists 39 verses warning against sin and evil.  This is still a small representation.   As time will not permit a thorough search of the topic, I have chosen to use Proverbs 4:23-27 as a model on how to HANDLE OUR LIVES AND HEARTS WITH CARE. 

      

We are told in Proverbs 4 that our hearts determine the course of our life. 

We must maintain a holy jealousy of ourselves, and set a strict guard, accordingly, upon all the avenues of the soul; keep our hearts from doing hurt and getting hurt, from being defiled by sin and disturbed by trouble; keep them as our jewel, as our vineyard; keep a conscience void of offence; keep out bad thoughts; keep up good thoughts; keep the affections upon right objects and in due bounds.

Or, in general, all the actions of the life flow from the heart, and therefore keeping that is making the tree good and healing the springs. Our lives will be regular or irregular, comfortable or uncomfortable, according as our hearts are kept or neglected.  (Matthew Henry's Commentary)

Matthew Henry sums it up well.  The course and outcome of our lives will be determined on how well we keep our heart.  So how do we keep our hearts? 

Step 1: Stay away from perverse talk and corrupt speech.  Our mouths will speak what is found in our hearts.  

Luke 6:45 “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.”  

Matthew 12:34 “You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.”

All manner of tongue sins, we must, by constant watchfulness and stedfast resolution, put from us, put far from us, abstaining from all words that have an appearance of evil and fearing to learn any such words. (Matthew Henry's Commentary)

Step 2: Guard our eyes.  Look straight ahead of us.  We need to keep spiritual blinders on our eyes. 

   

Blinders are small squares of firm leather that attach to the bridle at the side of the horse’s head. Some say that blinders were invented when a preacher had a wager with one of his friends. The preacher bet that his horse could walk up the stairs in his home, which the horse did with no problem at all. But, when he tried to coax the horse down again, it wouldn’t budge! So, the preacher covered the horses head and lead him down. He realized that covering all or part of the horse’s vision could encourage the horse to take chances it would not normally take.

Horses sometimes need to be made to focus and blinders keep the horse’s eye focused on what is ahead, rather than what is at the side or behind. That is why race horses are often given blinders – for the purpose of keeping them focused when racing round a racecourse. (Taken from http://parklaneequestrian.com/why-do-horses-wear-blinders/)

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith .Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

As followers of Christ we are in a race.  We need to keep our focus on the Lord as we run.  If we allow our eyes to roam to the right or the left, we will be distracted and possible lose our way.  The enemy of our souls has many distractions that he places in our path.  His desire is to draw our attention away from our goal; finishing the race with holiness and integrity. 

Step 3: Mark out a straight path for our feet; stay on the safe path.

Matthew 7:13-14 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”

Following Christ is not easy.  The journey is fraught with trials, temptations, and testings.  We often feel like Chippie in the following story!

Chippie the parakeet never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage. The next he was sucked in, washed up, and blown over.

The problems began when Chippie’s owner decided to clean Chippie’s cage with a vacuum cleaner. She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage. The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up. She had barely said hello when shhhooopp! Chippie got sucked in. The bird owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag. There was Chippie; still alive, but stunned. Since the bird was covered with dust and soot, she grabbed him and raced to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and held Chippie under the running water. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering. She did what any compassionate bird owner would do; she reached for the hair dryer and blasted the pet with hot air. Poor Chippie never knew what hit him.

A few days after the trauma, the reporter – who had initially written about the event –contacted Chippie’s owner to see how the bird was recovering. “Well,” she replied, “Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore he just sits and stares.” It is hard not to see why. Sucked in, washed up, and blown over. That is enough to steal the song from the stoutest heart (Max Lucado)!

Whether we are sucked in, washed up, or blown over, if we are walking hand-in-hand with Christ, staying on the narrow path, he will be with us, and unlike Chippie, Jesus will keep the song in our heart.    Hebrews 13:5b For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”  1 Peter 5:7”Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

Step 4: Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. We must not participate in anything that will sidetrack us from the path.   

1 Thessalonians 5:22”Stay away from every kind of evil.”

Proverbs 4:14-15 “Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers. Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way. Turn away and keep moving.”

We must remember that we are not doing this alone.  We must partner with Jesus in handling our hearts.  Christ is always with us.  If we are focused on him he will keep us in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”), he will give us the power to resist the devil (James 4:7 “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.), and he will guide our steps (Psalm 119:133 “Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil.).

This heart belongs to a child of the King of Kings: FRAGILE HANDLE WITH CARE!

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.

What's in Your Pocket?

1 Samuel 17:38-40 “Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. ‘I can’t go in these,’ he protested to Saul. ‘I’m not used to them.’ So David took them off again. He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.

1 Samuel 17 paints the bleak picture of the Israelite army facing the Philistines.  The major problem they were facing had a name…Goliath of Gath, the giant.  Like the Israelites we face giants in our lives.  Today there are many giants facing believers and unbelievers alike.  While this list is not exhaustive it might include: financial issues (job loss, debt, bankruptcy, foreclosure, etc.), emotional issues (anger, fear, apathy, insecurity, poor self/body image, abandonment, anxiety, etc.), physical issues (illness, physical or sexual abuse, disease, long-term issues like diabetes or M.S, etc.),  and spiritual issues (wavering faith, pride, selfish desires, etc.).

David chose five smooth stones to use as he faced Goliath.  There are five smooth “stones” I believe we must carry in our spiritual pocket to help us fight the giants we face. 

Stone 1: Prayer –Prayer is vital to the spiritual health of a believer.  It is also a key to vanquishing our giants.  The Word tells us to bring all our cares to God because he cares for us.  Philippians 4:6-7 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians tells us that in order to have God’s peace, we must take all our worries to him.  When we are facing a giant we can run to our Father and pour out our heart to him in prayer and know that he not only hears us, but he will answer our prayers!!!  We don’t fight in our power but in his!!!

Stone 2: Word – I can’t stress this enough, WE MUST BE PEOPLE OF THE WORD!! Just as our bodies require food to stay physically strong and healthy (periods of fasting excluded), so our spirits require feasting on the Word to stay strong and healthy.  If we are not in the Word daily, we are robbing ourselves of the opportunity to hear from God. 

Let’s use the analogy of a soldier polishing his sword.  A soldier polishes his sword to keep it from rusting and becoming ineffective.  When we fail to read the Word, we are allowing rust and decay into our spirits.

The Word (which is called the Sword of the Spirit) keeps our spirits alive and keeps our minds renewed. Ephesians 4:21-23 “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.”   Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Stone 3: Fasting – Fasting purifies our faith.  It involves crucifying the flesh so our spirit can accurately hear from God.  When we hear from the Lord, our faith is refined and developed. This increases our faith! 

Daniel 10 tells us that Daniel fasted and prayed for 21 days.  He was driven to fast by a giant in his life (a vision he had received but did not understand).  At the end of the 21 days, an angel arrived to reassure him that God had heard and dispatched the answer on the first day Daniel prayed. However, the spirit prince of that region had fought the messenger of the Lord and prevented him from getting the message/answer to Daniel sooner.  Daniel’s fasting not only opened him up to hearing the message, but worked to strengthen the heavenly forces fighting on his behalf. 

When we face a giant we do not know how to fight or even feel we have the strength to fight we might want to consider fasting.  Fasting in essence is going without food for a period of time in order to give ourselves more fully to prayer.  It is amazing how much time I have to pray when I am not worrying about eating.  It is also amazing how often thoughts of food or the topic of food comes up in a day!! J  There are many types of fast, but the common theme is crucifying our flesh through refraining from food (or different types of food) and focusing on prayer.  (More on fasting in a later blog.)

Stone 4: Preaching - God speaks through anointed men and women. Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”  It is vital that we are hearing the Word preached on a regular basis.  Just like with reading the Word, our spirits need to hear anointed preaching. Throughout time, God has spoken to men and women giving them words to speak to his people.  Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” If he is the same then his mode for delivering his message is the same.  Find a minister(s) you trust and listen to everything you can get a hold of!  Note: Always weigh what you hear by the Word you read for yourself!

Stone 5: Fellowship – We need each other!!!  Acts 2:46 “They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity.” Hebrews 10:25 “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” 

There is safety in numbers.  We need our fellow believers to “watch our back!”  We need to pray for and with each other, to study and discuss the Word together, and to hold each other accountable.  I encourage you; if you don’t already have a group you belong to, find one!  It will be a priceless investment of your time and energy!!!

One final note:  Goliath had brothers.  The bad news is, there will always be a giant to face (some bigger than others).  The GOOD NEWS! John 16:33 “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.

Change of Plans

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

How do we respond when what we thought our life would look like doesn’t even resemble what it has turned out to be?  What do we do when we believe we’ve heard from God then nothing happens or the opposite appears to be happening?  Why do changes in our plans even happen?

Case Study 1: Joseph and Mary 

The Big Change: Matthew 1:18-25 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Wow!  Imagine planning your wedding and then finding out that your fiancé has not only been unfaithful but is now pregnant by someone else.  This was grounds for stoning.  Poor Joseph, he has chosen to love a young girl and has been working hard to prepare a home for her, and then he hears she is with child.  How hard that must have been!  His dreams were dashed to bits in one moment.  All his plans and desires flew out the window so to speak.

I am sure that Joseph never planned to get divorced before he even consummated his marriage. You see in the Jewish culture in those days a marriage covenant was already legally binding once the engagement was made. 

Until late in the Middle Ages, marriage consisted of two ceremonies which were marked by celebrations at two separate times, with an interval between. First came the betrothal [erusin]; and later, the wedding [nissuin]. At the betrothal the woman was legally married, although she still remained in her father's house. She could not belong to another man unless she was divorced from her betrothed. The wedding meant only that the betrothed woman, accompanied by a colorful procession, was brought from her father's house to the house of her groom, and the legal tie with him was consummated. Taken from: http://www.myjewishlearning.com/life/Relationships/Spouses_and_Partners/About_Marriage/Ancient_Jewish_Marriage.shtml?p=2

The Reason: In the case study above we see that God changed Joseph’s plans.  God did not consult Joseph about the changes ahead of time, instead he sent a messenger to announce the changes in a dream.  God chose Joseph to be the earthly father and protector of His son, the Messiah.  God knew that his plan for redeeming the world was more important than the plans Joseph had been making.  He also knew that he could trust Joseph to not only obey, but to willingly care for Mary and Jesus. 

The Response:  Joseph, like many of us, could have rebelled, whined, and complained about how his life was no longer going to look like he planned. He could have become angry with God because he was going to have to suffer humiliation and social disgrace. Instead Joseph was humble and submissive.  He believed the word of the angel. He took Mary as his wife and did not sleep with her until after Jesus was born.  He faced the future knowing he was obeying the will of the Father and walked ahead come what may. 

Case Study 2: King Saul

The Big Change: 1 Samuel 15:10-11,24-29   ¹⁰Then the Lord said to Samuel,¹¹“I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the Lord all night.   ²⁴Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded. ²⁵But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the Lord.” ²⁶But Samuel replied, “I will not go back with you! Since you have rejected the Lord’s command, he has rejected you as king of Israel.” ²⁷As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold him back and tore the hem of his robe. ²⁸And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else—one who is better than you. ²⁹And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!”

1 Samuel 16:1,13 ¹Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.” ¹³So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.

Here we see that Saul is anointed King of Israel by the prophet Samuel.  Saul then chose not to honor and obey God so God rejected him as king and had Samuel anoint David to be king, thus tearing the kingdom away from Saul’s family. 

The Reason: In this case study we see that Saul, by his disobedience, made choices that caused the change in his plans.  When he was anointed king I am sure he planned for his family to stay on the throne for many generations to come.  He probably pictured his son Jonathan taking the throne when he was too old to continue. 

The Response: 1 Samuel 20:30-33 Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. “You stupid son of a whore!” he swore at him. “Do you think I don’t know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother? As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!” “But why should he be put to death?” Jonathan asked his father. “What has he done?” Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David. 

It is obvious the Saul was not going down without a fight.  1 Samuel records numerous times when Saul tried to kill David.  In fact, he chased David all across the country trying to kill him.  Saul’s heart was hardened and he was not consulting God’s will anymore.  He was out to stop God’s plan from being fulfilled so he could keep hold of his own. 

In both case studies we see major changes in the plans of those involved.  In one case the plans were made by man and changed by God.  In the other, the plans were made by God and changed by man’s poor choices.  We also see that the attitudes men determined their outcome.  Joseph could have rebelled.  If he had God’s plan for redemption would have still prevailed, but we might not even know Joseph’s name.   In Saul’s case, if he had honored God, his family might have kept the throne for many generations. 

Whether our lives look like we planned or our plans were changed by God or by our own choices, we must determine to have the attitude of Joseph.  We must decide today to submit our ways unto the Lord and let him lead from this day forward.  Trying to hold onto our plans will only lead to hurt and possibly separation from God, as in Saul’s case.  We are not our own. We were bought with a price.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”  

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.  

No Turning Back!

Galatians 5:1 “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” The word law here refers to the law of sin in our lives. Our bondage of slavery to sin and our sin nature. 

The Israelites had suffered the hardships of slavery for 400 years.  During that time, Pharaoh and the Egyptians had tried to weaken them and to decrease their numbers.  God was faithful through all of that time.  The Israelites continued to thrive and multiply in spite of the cruelty of the Egyptians. 

After 400 years, God sent Moses to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.   God preformed many signs to prove to both the Israelites and Pharaoh that he was the only God.  That he had the power to do as he wished.  After the death angel passed through Egypt killing the first born male in each Egyptian household, the Egyptians drove the children of Israel out of Egypt. 

Within a matter of a couple of days, the Israelites were not only freed from slavery, but at the Red Sea they witnessed the death of the very ones who had enslaved them all those long, long years.  You would think that after all of this they would never look back or long for their former life, however, we see in Exodus 16 and 17 that they did look back and even complain about what they “missed” from Egypt.  Really? They missed some about slavery? 

Exodus 16:2-3 “There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron. ‘If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,’ they moaned. ‘There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.’”

Exodus 17: 2-3 “So once more the people complained against Moses. ‘Give us water to drink!’ they demanded. ‘Quiet!’ Moses replied. ‘Why are you complaining against me? And why are you testing the Lord?’  But tormented by thirst, they continued to argue with Moses. ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?’”

Then we turn to Numbers 20 and see that even after God has provided manna and meat for them,  had kept their clothes and shoes from wearing out, had helped them defeat armies stronger, larger, and better trained than theirs, and had kept them from illness or harm that they once again complain.

Numbers 20: 2-5 “There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron. The people blamed Moses and said, ‘If only we had died in the Lord’s presence with our brothers! Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!’”

Made them leave slavery???  

Oh, how much like these whining, grumbling, complaining Israelites we often are.   

Let’s read Galatians 5:1 again, “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”  When we come to know Christ as Savior, he begins the process of sanctification.  He begins bringing changes in our lives, in our thinking, values, priorities, attitudes, emotions, etc.  If we allow him to, he also brings about deliverance in areas where the enemy has had control. 

Our struggle is staying free.  God does the work of deliverance; then it is our job to stay free.  We do this through Christ who is our strength but it is our responsibility to stay tapped into the source and to say NO to our old ways of thinking, old values, old attitudes, old sins, old priorities, etc. 

Over my years of ministry, I have watched many people I've loved and ministered to fall back into their old ways and many have walked completely away from God.  They lost their first love (Revelation 2: 4-5 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.”) In my experience, it is not an instant falling back, but a gradual loss of ground. 

The process of falling back begins when:

1.  We give thought to how things used to be.  Exodus 16:3 “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted.”  The more the children of Israel thought about the things they had in Egypt, the more malcontent they became.  As humans, we often glamorize our past in order to avoid the feelings of hurt and pain it brought.  When things get tough we are often tempted to go back to the “easier” path (this is usually the self-seeking/sinful path). For instance, when times are hard and stressful, someone who had a drug addiction might think back to how peaceful they felt while high.  They dwell on the good “feelings” but forget or ignore the pain of withdrawal and the separation from family, friends, etc. 

In Luke 9 we read the words of Jesus as he is talking to a man about the cost of being a follower of Christ.  He tells him that once we begin the journey we need to continue and not look back.  Luke 9:62, But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”  Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” We are not on this path alone.  Christ will walk with us, guide us, encourage us, and strengthen us on the journey, if only we will stay tapped into the source – Christ!!

      2. The enemy plants thoughts in our minds and we take a second look rather than kicking them out instantly.   2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV) “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 

To illustrate, when someone is delivered from a spirit of anger, the enemy will try to get the old anger to rise up.  He might plant the idea that someone at work was talking about us behind our back.  Our old man will instantly rise up with thoughts like: “Who do they think they are?” or “Oh, what I could say about them.”  We can’t keep the thoughts from coming, but we can take them captive the instant they cross our minds. If we take a second look or dwell on those thoughts for only a brief moment, we are hooked.  The enemy will follow up those thoughts with the old feelings of anger, bitterness, or resentment.  If we are not careful we will build an entire scenario in our minds that is more than likely not even happening and will never happen.  We will find ourselves so bound with anger that it will impact everything else in our life. 

We must stay in the Word, in prayer, in church, and in fellowship with other believers.  We need to be part of a community that will hold us accountable and hold us up in prayer as we walk this path.  We need to surround ourselves with others who will not tell us what we want to hear, but who will stand on the Word and tells us what we need to hear; those who will love us and invest in our lives. 

When the enemy attacks we need to remember that we are not the only ones going through battles; even Jesus faced his share. Hebrews 4:14-15 “So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.”  We need to focus our attention on Christ and resist the enemy.  James 4:7 “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Ephesians 4:27 “…and do not give the devil a foothold.”

We must hold fast to our freedom!  It is for freedom Christ set us free!!!! No Turning Back!

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.

Trials…Why?

James 1:2-4 “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

I believe there are a few reasons believers face trails:                                                                              

A. To increase our understanding of who God is. 

1.       Yahweh Jireh (Yireh): “The Lord will provide.” Stresses God’s provision for His people (Gen. 22:14).

2.       Yahweh Nissi:“The Lord is my Banner.” Stresses that God is our rallying point and our means of victory; the one who fights for His people (Ex. 17:15).

3.       Yahweh Shalom:“The Lord is Peace.” Points to the Lord as the means of our peace and rest (Jud. 6:24).

4.       Yahweh Ro’i: “The Lord my Shepherd.” Portrays the Lord as the Shepherd who cares for His people as a shepherd cares for the sheep of his pasture (Ps. 23:1).

5.       Yahweh Shammah: “The Lord is there.” Portrays the Lord’s personal presence in the millennial kingdom (Ezek. 48:35).

6.       Comforter: The same Greek word is translated “Advocate” in 1 John 2:1 as applicable to Christ. It means properly “one who is summoned to the side of another” to help him in a court of justice by defending him, “one who is summoned to plead a cause.”

7.       Jehovah-Rapha: “The Lord that Healeth”—Exodus 15:26.

There are many more names of God given in Scripture; however, these are some commonly used names.  In each one we see a different facet of God’s nature/character.  I believe often when we face trails it is to teach us another aspect of that nature.  For instance, if we never faced financial struggles, we wouldn't have to depend on God to provide (Yahweh Jireh ).  If we never struggled with anxiety or fear we would not know God as Yahweh Shalom (our Peace). If we never wondered which direction to take we wouldn't know God as Yahweh Ro’I (our Shepherd). Without illness we would miss knowing God as Jehovah-Rapha (our healer).  

As a Christian, we have head knowledge about God.  We hear sermons, read the Word, listen to Christian music, hear testimonies, etc., however, there is a distinct difference between “knowing” and “KNOWING!”  KNOWING is when our knowledge gets deep into our spirits and penetrates our hearts to the point of life change.  It is this KNOWING God that is his focus for our lives.  It is not until we really KNOW him in his fullness that we can walk in total surrender. 

      B. For God’s power to be shown.  John 9:1-3 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.”

      At times God allows us to face trials so that his power might be demonstrated before the watching world.  Signs and Wonders are for the unbeliever.  In the Bible think about the crowds that followed Jesus because of the miracles he did.  These miracles got the attention of the lost so they would be more open (in a place to hear) to the message of salvation. 

      C. To test our faith:  1 Peter 1:7 “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” Pastor Stephen Funderburk writes, “God uses crisis in our lives as testing times for our faith. As you win small battles it gives you the confidence to face bigger ones. Sometimes things come along that we must defeat to graduate to a new level.”

D. For correction: Jonah 1:15-17; 2:10 “Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him. Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.  Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach."

When we stray from the path, sometimes God allows things to come into our lives to get our attention and turn our hearts back to him.  Jonah is a prime example of this.  He chose to disobey God’s direction to go preach to the Ninevites and he suffered three long days and nights in the belly of a whale.  I’m not sure about you, but I think obedience the first time God speaks is preferable. 

Jonah

By Melissa Larabee

Jonah was a prophet; he thought he knew it all.  Be careful when you get too proud, often that’s when you fall.

He heard the voice of the Lord; he did not like the word.  To preach to Ninevites he thought, “Now that is just absurd!”

They might repent, turn from their sins, and come to know the Lord.  The thought of this boggled his mind; in fact he was just floored.

How could the God he’d faithfully served save undeserving men? How could he ask Jonah to go and take that word to them?

How could God choose to save a race who never cared before? Who shook their fists in God’s face; you see, they’d closed the door.

But God in love looked down and saw a lost and dying land.  He felt compassion in his heart; he wanted to save man.

God knew that Jonah would come around but it would take a drastic move. As Jonah boarded a ship to sail; God’s plan began to brew.

First he sent an awful storm the waves were oh, so high.  The storm it was a horrible gale, the sailors feared they would die.

They all drew lots to see who was the one who caused trouble.  Jonah’s lot it was the shortest one, he confessed there on the double.

He told how he’d disobeyed the Lord. How he’d run so far away.  He told them to throw him overboard then there’d be peace again that day.

The sailors were hesitant of course to throw him in the sea.  But they wanted to be spared and so God gained the victory.

They threw him in and watched him sink toward the bottom like a rock.  There was nowhere for him to swim; they’d long ago left the dock.

As he sank I’m sure he thought, “Wow, this must be the end.”  But God had other plans prepared to save his grumpy friend.

He sent a whale to scoop him up; to hold him for a while.  As God looked down and saw that fish I wonder if he smiled.

For three long days a miracle happened in that beast.  Jonah repented of his sins; it was time for his release.

The whale came up close to the land and lifted up its head.  He puked old Jonah onto the sand, he probably looked half dead.

Smelling like a giant fish he headed on his way.  He preached to the Ninevites who repented on that day.

They turned their backs on their sins and repented of all their wrong.  As Jonah watched he realized this was what God wanted all along.

He doesn’t want anyone to perish, but wants all to receive; forgiveness and the life that comes when in Christ we believe.

My friend, don’t be like old Jonah; obey the first time God speaks. For only through obedience can we live lives full of peace.

      E. As a witness to the world.  We don’t often think about the fact that the world is watching our lives every day.  They are looking to see how we live our lives.  Do we live differently than nonbelievers or do we react in like manner?  They watch to see how we handle hard times and struggles.  If we face each trail as an opportunity for joy in the midst of our sorrow, they will see and wonder where our strength comes from.  Often believers have had opportunity to minister to those around them because of the life they live. 

  

James 1 tells us that no matter what the reason, we need to consider each trail as an opportunity for great joy.  It is an opportunity for our endurance to grow.  Let us learn to view trials through the eyes of the Spirit.  

What’s Bigger?

Psalm 8:3-4 “When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place— what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?”

Dale C. Allison Jr. says, “Throughout the Scriptures God is held up as one who can count the humanly uncountable: clouds, sand, streams, the length of heaven, stars, etc. Faith does not make clear all mysteries, but it is consoling to believe that a loving God knows the answers.”

All of us face challenges and struggles in our life.  Often when we are in the middle of a struggle we cannot see a way out or even a way through.  We might not even know how to pray.  When we look at our struggles in comparison to those of others, ours might pale in comparison, however, when we are the one struggling, our struggles seem huge no matter what they are.  In those times it is easy to listen to the voice of the enemy who usually says something like:

~You are all alone in this.

~No one will understand.       

~People are too busy to bother with your problems.

~There is no way out/no hope.

~People will judge you if you talk about this.

Today I want to look at some of the struggles common to mankind and compare those struggles to the BIGGNESS of God.

A. Cancer or other serious illness. When the doctor says the word “cancer” it often feels like you've been punched in the gut or that the floor has dropped out from under you.  The first human reaction to the word “cancer” is usually fear.  In Matthew 9:35 we read that Jesus healed every kind of disease and illness.  “Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness.”  Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”  Here we read that Jesus hasn't changed. If he was BIG enough to heal when he was    walking on the earth, he is BIG enough to heal now.  GOD IS BIGGER!!!!

B. Demonic/spiritual attack.  There are many who would try to convince us that demons are fictional characters.  This is indeed not true!  Anyone who is trying to follow earnestly after Christ can testify that they have encountered demonic/spiritual attack.  These attacks may be in our mind.  Some such attacks might be fear, anxiety, worry, anger, self-loathing/hate, jealousy, etc.  These attacks are very real and must be faced in the power of Christ.

Zechariah 4:6 “Then he said to me, ‘This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.’”  

1 Samuel 17:47 “And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV) “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Ephesians 6:10-18 “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

In the verses above we see three things:

1.       The battle will not be won by force or strength, but by the Spirit.

2.       The battle is not really ours, it belongs to the Lord.

3.       We don’t use the same type of weapons used by the world.  Our weapons “have divine power to demolish strongholds.” Some of our weapons are:

a.       Belt of Truth: We must fight using the truth that comes only from God.  We cannot fight with our opinions or personal preferences.  We use the truth to vanquish the lies of the enemy.

b.      Breastplate of Righteousness: Our righteousness comes from Christ.  We stand not under condemnation but under the blood of Christ that makes us righteous before the Father.  2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

c.       Shoes of Peace: We can walk in peace even in the midst of the storms of life by keeping our eyes and minds on Christ.  Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”

d.      Shield of Faith: We walk in faith and it protects us from the darts of the enemy.  He will try to bring doubt, but we can stand on the Word we have heard to ward off his attacks.  Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”

e.      Helmet of Salvation: When we come to the saving knowledge of Christ, he gives us a new mind.  The helmet of salvation protects our mind.  1 Corinthians 2:16 “For, ‘Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?’ But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.”

f.        Sword of the Spirit (Word of God): We use the Word against the enemy.  When Jesus was tempted he quoted the Old Testament to silence the voice of the enemy in his life. We must do the same.  We need to be people of the Word so we have full access to this powerful sword!!!  Read, meditate on, and memorize the Word!!!

g.       Prayer: We must pray for ourselves and each other.  We must wage war in the spiritual realm.  James 5:16 “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”  Ephesians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The battles are not ours and when God fights, he always wins!!!!  GOD IS BIGGER than the enemy!!!

                                                                                                                                                                  C. Financial struggles. At times we all face financial crisis or struggles.  These may come from losing our job, a medical emergency, poor money management, etc.  We need to learn that our source is not our job, ourselves, or our spouse.  Our source is God. 

Philippians 4:19 (NIV) “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” 

1 Corinthians 8:6 (Weymouth New Testament) “yet we have but one God, the Father, who is the source of all things and for whose service we exist, and but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom we and all things exist.” 1 Corinthians 8:6 (MSG) “there is only one God the Father, that everything comes from him, and that he wants us to live for him. Also, they say that there is only one Master—Jesus the Messiah—and that everything is for his sake, including us. Yes. It’s true.”

Psalm 84:11 “For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.”

Psalm 24:1-2 “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths.”

We see in the verses above that he will provide for all of our needs.  He is the source of everything and everything already belongs to him.  GOD IS BIGGER than financial struggles!!

Time will not allow me to dig deeper, however, since we know GOD IS BIGGER than illness, demonic attack, and financial struggles, it stands to reason that he is BIGGER than anything else we face in this life!  

All Scriptures are NLT unless otherwise stated. 

Never Alone

Deuteronomy 31:6, 8 "So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” "Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Hebrews 13:5b-8 “For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.’ So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?’ Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

In every circumstance of our lives we can find God.  God is with us in the good times as well as in the bad times.  While he doesn't cause the bad things that happen to us, he is always there in those bad times. His Word promises that he will NEVER fail us or abandon us.

Never Alone

By Melissa Larabee

When friends forsake and heartaches come, we’re really not alone.  We have a Father who loves us so, he calls us each his own.

He hears our cry, he sees each tear, and he dries them with his hand.  He’ll never leave nor turn away, we know he understands.

When Christ walked upon this earth he faced both loss and pain.  He endured it all because he knew our strength and peace he’d gain.

He paid the price so we could have life, hope, and comfort too.  You see dear friend, before the world was formed he had a plan for you.

Plans to prosper, not to harm, his plans for you are good.  Even in those dark, lonely hours … if we only understood.

He’s always there, close at hand; just call upon his name.  He longs to comfort and strengthen our heart and take away the pain.

He promises to be with us morning, noon, and night; to hide us in the cleft of the rock or stand with us and fight.

No matter dear friend, what comes our way, the trials we might face; we can always rest assured that our Savior will provide the grace.

His strength is made perfect in weakness, our fear is defeated by love; when we feel tired and all alone, we can call to God above.

He’ll come at once and bring his peace, his arms are open wide. Under the shadow of his wing forever we can hide.

So run to him, please don’t delay; cling to his hand outstretched.  There you’ll find peace, grace and love - NEVER ALONE – there you’ll be blessed!

When the enemy comes in and tells you that you are alone in the battle, stand on the Word and remind that liar that your God will never leave you nor forsake you!  The battle is the Lord’s!!!!

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.