K4. MAIN-God Gets Our Attention

K4. GOD GETS OUR ATTENTION

METHODOLOGY

• God speaks through all different venues to catch our attention to look at the Bible and see what it says

• He can use nature, what a child says, dreams and visions, etc

• God will also draw our attention to historical events to show us signposts of where we've come from and where we're going <M1501>

USE OF NATURE

God often uses signs in nature to get man’s attention and underline major events, such as:

• When God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, Mount Sinai was covered in 'thunderings and lightnings and a thick cloud' (Exod 19:16-18)

• When Christ was crucified, three hours of darkness blotted out the daylight, and Jerusalem experienced a great earthquake (Matt 27:45,51)

• At other times, God uses the signs of nature, such as extreme weather, as remedial judgments to call wicked nations to repentance such as when Moses warned the Israelites that if they became exceedingly wicked, God’s weather-related curses would 'pursue and overtake you until you are destroyed because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God' (Deut 28: 18-30,45-46)

• When the prophet Elijah called King Ahab and Israel to repent, Ahab flat-out refused; so God sent a drought that withered the crops for three-plus long years (1 Kings 17-18)

• When Israel had become lethargic in their relationship with their Heavenly Father, God cursed the land with a great locust swarm that quickly consumed all of Israel’s crops. As God had desired, the Israelites repented (Joel 1-3)

• When the Jews returned from captivity in Babylon in order to rebuild the Temple, they stopped working after laying the foundation; God waited patiently for 14 long years before He decimated their crops with root rot and mildew and sent furious hailstorms to cut the remaining plants down (Hag 1-2)

The Bible contains at least 47 different verses that declare that God is in control of the weather, such as:

• What kind of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey Him (Matt 8:26-27)

• Fire and hail, snow and clouds, stormy wind, fulfilling His word (Psa 148:8)

• He did not leave Himself without witness, that He did good and gave you rains from heaven, and fruitful seasons (Acts 14:17)

• I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or in any tree (Rev 7:1)

• God is sovereign, and nothing happens that He does not allow, either in His perfect will or His permissive will <J102>

RELATED COMMENTS

Note: each ** comment in this APPLICATION doc comes from CHAPTER doc(s), where the comments are in numerical order according to verse(s) from the chapter

** All you need to do is proclaim the gospel to others, then stand back and watch God work! <L120>

• The gospel message can impact anyone, regardless of background

• It reaches the wealthy and poor, the educated and uneducated

• It cuts through cultural barriers, racial barriers, economic barriers, and age barriers

• Everyone can grasp the gospel because God blesses it and plants it into the heart of the listener

• The gospel message shows us how we can have what our soul has been yearning for -- even if we don’t exactly know what we were yearning for

• Skeptics might argue that the message is hopelessly outdated, a relic from a different time and different culture

• But these aren’t two-thousand-year-old words; they’re timeless words

• Their truths are eternal

• When sharing the gospel, you don’t need to add anything to the gospel, take anything away from it, apologize for it, or offer any disclaimers about it

Hebrews 4:12 NIV

[12] For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Romans 1:16 NIV

[16] For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

** When the Lord is said to appear in a dream or vision, it is to ILLUMINATE what is already known in Scripture and not reveal new authoritative REVELATION <B23>

• Indeed, God can involve Himself in someone's life through a dream or vision, as the Holy Spirit can work by any other avenue such as video, book, relationship, billboard, etc

• If the person receiving the vision is a non-Christian, perhaps God is showing Himself to them so they become saved as the Holy Spirit draws a person to God?

• Or perhaps God is providing an answer to prayer or prompting a believer to proceed in a certain direction?

Genesis 46:2-4 NIV

[2] And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!” “Here I am,” he replied. [3] “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. [4] I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes. ”

Acts 9:10-12 NIV

[10] In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. [11] The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. [12] In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

Habakkuk 2:2-3 NIV

[2] Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. [3] For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.

• As we near the end of the Church Age and embark on the end times, people sense an increase of 'spiritual warfare' and accept the presence of the supernatural -- even if they can't put their finger on what's going on at first

• For instance, even the government is now openly talking about UFOs when it was a 'hushed topic' only a few years back (Jul 2025)

• In this supercharged environment, believers in Christ must discern and discount anyone claiming to have a revelation apart from what is already revealed in Scripture <G70>

• We must focus on Christ alone who defines truth!

Matthew 24:4-5 NIV

[4] Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. [5] For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many.

John 14:6 NIV

[6] Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

** Do we realize that as New Testament saints, we will take part in the most spectacular event the world will ever see? <B26>

• Some in the prophecy world combine events of the Rapture and Second Coming

• This viewpoint negates the possibility of the believer's thrilling return with Jesus, and doesn’t allow for sin and death in the Millennium

• Nor does it fit with the restoration of a kingdom for Israel since the Jewish people would meet Jesus in the air along with all the other members of the New Testament Church

• Those who believe in a 'combined event' and deny the Lord’s millennial rule, must make the Church Age the time when God puts all things in subjection to Himself and forever destroys death (1 Cor 15:24-28)

• Do we see Jesus bringing 'all things in subjection under Him' in our world during the current age?

• No, the world is rapidly trending in precisely the opposite direction

• Separating the Rapture and Second Coming confirms the believer's participation in the most spectacular event that the world will ever see (Rev 19:11-16)

• Nothing in the history or future of our planet is even remotely comparable to the astonishing sight of Jesus’ future return to the world in great glory and power -- and we, as the armies of heaven, will be by His side!

Revelation 19:11-16 NIV

[11] I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. [12] His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. [13] He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. [14] The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. [15] Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. [16] On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.

1 Corinthians 15:24-28 NIV

[24] Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. [25] For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. [26] The last enemy to be destroyed is death. [27] For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. [28] When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

** Mary’s response to Gabriel's announcement reveals her knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures and prophetic words of Isaiah <B26>

• Gabriel incorporated Isaiah’s prophecy into the announcement of Jesus’ birth to remind Mary that the Messiah would come into the world as a baby

• Mary expressed her understanding of the great favor bestowed upon her to be the mother of the promised Messiah

Luke 1:38 NIV

[38] “I am the Lord's servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV

[6] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [7] Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

** Jesus' life and miracles testified to His identity as the Son of God; still, many of those who witnessed His miracles and heard His words did not believe Him <G76>

• Jesus embodied truth (John 14:6)

• He gave sight to the blind (John 9:6-7)

• He opened the ears of the deaf (Mark 7:35)

• He cured the lepers (Luke 17:14)

• He even brought the dead back to life (John 11:43-44)

• His miracles testified to His identity as the Son of God (John 5:36)

John 5:36 NIV

[36] “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish---the very works that I am doing---testify that the Father has sent me.

John 8:45-47 NIV

[45] Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! [46] Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? [47] Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

** There will be those who practice evil in the last days who know 'something is up' but not understand what it is; 42% of the US believe Jesus will come back in their lifetime even though only 24% are born again <D500> <H87> (Apr 2024)

Daniel 12:10b NIV

[10] None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

** God certainly does not want war or any engagement in evil, but allows it as a consequence of sin

• Many have rejected God so 'this is the bed man made, now lie in it'

• War is one of the consequences of nations choosing to go their own sinful way

• The good news is that God provides a 'way out' for individuals and nations if they so choose

• Even though Christ endured our sin-filled evil to the point of dying on a cross, He provides an escape from this evil via a trusting relationship with Him

• We may suffer the consequences of evil now but this will not last forever if we align ourselves with Christ

Romans 6:23 NIV

[23] For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:17-18 NIV

[17] Now if we are children, then we are heirs---heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. [18] I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

** God allows confusion among the masses to ultimately accomplish His will, for His glory, and for their good

• God is the author of peace; He is not the author but the 'sender' of confusion

• Confusion leads to strong delusion and Satanic deception

• Sometimes confusion helps God's people in difficult situations

• On the other hand, it can be God's punishment for unbelief and sinful acts <F60>

• Governments, who are often influenced by Satan, will attempt to confuse the masses with disinformation when they realize many 'are onto them'

• Disinformation = deliberately misleading or promoting biased information; manipulated narrative or facts; propaganda <D491>

• Satan's desire to deceive will increase as the world approaches the end times

• The desired result is a chaotic existence and a resultant adherence to their nefarious agendas

• Jesus warned believers not to be deceived by Satan's lies (Matt 24:23-26)

• Rather: believe in the God of the Bible, His plan and His coming!

2 Thessalonians 2:10b-12 NIV

[10] They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. [11] For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie [12] and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Genesis 11:5-7 NIV

[5] But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. [6] The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. [7] Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

Exodus 14:23-24 NIV

[23] The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. [24] During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.

Exodus 23:27 NIV

[27] “I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run.

Deuteronomy 28:20 NIV

[20] The Lord will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him.

Joshua 10:10a NIV

[10] The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon.

Judges 7:22a NIV

[22] When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords.

1 Samuel 14:20 NIV

[20] Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords.

2 Chronicles 20:22-23 NIV

[22] As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. [23] The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

** What is so chilling about the Biblical accounts of the days of Lot and Noah, is that people were living their 'normal lives' on the eve of being completely destroyed by God's judgment <F60>

• Satan has sold everyone on the lie that life will continue as it always has, routinely and predictably

• Normalcy bias suggests that the way life is today is how it should be

• There is no heaven, no hell, so you must seize life by the horns and extract all possible enjoyment from today

• Many people fall for this, pursuing worldly lusts only to find these vapid and unfulfilling, leading to disappointment and restlessness

• Satan keeps man constantly chasing after the ghost of a good thing, in hopes they will finally reach their 'pot of gold' at the end of the rainbow

• But it rarely comes -- and even if it did, the 'pot of gold' is a letdown <G70>

• We find the same normalcy bias in today's Christian and non-Christian worlds alike

• Too many people are completely oblivious to what is about to come on this world, just living their lives like tomorrow will be the same as today and yesterday

• Despite the overt signs of evil that can be seen today, people refuse to connect the dots that would make them aware of God's impending judgment and motivate them to correct the path they are on

Matthew 24:37-38 NIV

[37] As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. [38] For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark

Luke 17:26-30 NIV

[26] “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. [27] People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. [28] “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. [29] But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. [30] “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

** There will be many in Egypt who survive God's wrath in the end times, reject the Antichrist, and turn to the Lord <H87>

• God's persecution on an unbelieving world motivates people to turn to the Lord <K115>

• People start to wake up in war, so there is hope for the Muslim world!

Isaiah 19:1,16,18-19 NIV

[1] A prophecy against Egypt: See, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear. [16] In that day the Egyptians will become weaklings. They will shudder with fear at the uplifted hand that the Lord Almighty raises against them. [18] In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord Almighty. One of them will be called the City of the Sun. [19] In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord at its border.

** People who attend western churches are typically not told that suffering can lead to personal growth and righteousness <D40>

• Instead, pastors teach all ways to AVOID suffering -- don't rock the boat, don't be controversial, stay in your lane, don't take any controversial stance, don't confront evil, avoid pain at all costs, etc

• Most people protect their modern idol of COMFORT at the expense of knowing God's Word and following the Holy Spirit's lead <E58>

• Western congregants are typically robbed of the Christian's call to suffer

• With the correct perspective, suffering should move attention off ourselves and onto God

• God then has opportunity to show He can/will provide for us; we learn to listen and trust Him in the process

• Let's face it, our view of God is too small so He wants to show us that we serve an immense and amazing God!

Romans 5:3-5 NIV

[3] Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; [4] perseverance, character; and character, hope. [5] And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

** The pagans in Nineveh worshiped a fish god named Deon represented as a man wearing a fish and sometimes as a merman; what a better divinely sent Messenger than Jonah being thrown up out of the mouth of a great fish in the presence of witnesses <G70>

Jonah 1:17 NIV

[17] Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

** When many look at the world around us, they see chaos. I see something different. I see God warning the people of this world that His judgment is coming soon. The Bible shows us that this is the way He operates – warning, then judgment.

• God sent Noah to warn the world that His judgment was coming

• He sent angels to warn Sodom and Gomorrah that judgment was coming

• He sent prophets to Israel to warn them judgment was coming

• And He told the church to look for signs in the last days that judgment is coming <T203>

There will come a day when the signs of the end times become reality; then it will be too late for many. God will surely judge the wickedness of our world. It’s a matter of WHEN, not IF. It’s far better to heed God’s warnings now, before judgment becomes reality. <B26>

Understand that God did not tell people to watch for the warning signs to scare them. God told people to watch for the warnings so we will know that He exists, that time is short, and that we need to make our salvation sure — and encourage others to know and do likewise. <D41>

Malachi 2:1 NIV

[1] “And now, you priests, this warning is for you.

Daniel 2:27-30 NIV

[27] Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, [28] but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these: [29] “As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. [30] As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.

** It's understandable why the disciples would be concerned. The ship was sinking. They didn’t have enough experience to know that they could trust Jesus to get them through the storm, and this was a step in building their faith. All they could see was the danger, and not the hope found in Jesus. Where was Jesus?

Although they had spent some time with Jesus and were learning from Him, they categorized their faith. There were some things that faith in Jesus would help, but other things, like a major storm that they felt was up to them to deal with. Their faith was new and they had to learn to truly trust Him, even in storms. <G73>

Do we have faith in Jesus to see us through whatever storm we are experiencing at the moment?

Mark 4:38 NIV

Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

Job 38:1a NIV

[1] Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm.

Mark 4:39 NIV

[39] He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

** Christians are not to rejoice because of the trials and sufferings, but rejoice because they know what God will do in and through them <F60>

• God not only comforts the afflicted, but afflicts the comforted to move everyone in the direction He wants them to go -- namely into His arms

• Remember that trials are intended to prepare each of His followers to be a pure and holy bride, ready to meet their Righteous God!

1 Peter 1:6-7 NIV

[6] In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. [7] These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith---of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire---may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Revelation 3:8 NIV

[8] I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

James 5:7-8 NIV

[7] Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. [8] You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.

** God has good future plans for His children when they uphold His character <D40>

• Jeremiah offered a word of hope from God while the Jews were being carried off into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar

• God's blessing is conditional; don't expect His blessings when you go against Him

• The Israelites realized God would remove Himself in response to their disobedience to God's law by sacrificing their young to Molech

Daniel 1:1 NIV

[1] In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

[11] For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

** True to His character of mercy and justice, God continually warns His people about upcoming danger <G70>

We read in Scripture when God warned:

• Adam about what would happen if he ate from the tree (Gen 2:17)

• Noah about building an ark because of an upcoming flood (Gen 6:13-14)

• Abraham regarding Sodom and Gomorrah about to be destroyed (Genesis 18:16-17,20-21)

• Lot about destruction of Sodom before dragging Lot and family out (Gen 19:12-13)

• Rahab about Jericho falling into Israelite hands; as it turned out, only those in her house were spared (Josh 2:8-9,12-13)

• Israelites before the Passover so the Angel of Death would pass over their dwelling place (Exod 12:1,7,10,12-13)

• Nineveh to repent otherwise they would experience destruction in 40 days (Jonah 3:1-5)

• Israelites via His prophets (Amos 3:7)

• Christ followers about what will happen to Jesus on the cross and then outlined His return in the end times (Matt 24:33-35)

God continues to warn His followers today:

• The book of Revelation is one book, along with other passages throughout the Old Testament, that outlines what will happen at the end of days (Rev 4+)

Genesis 2:17 NIV

[17] but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Genesis 6:13-14 NIV

[13] So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. [14] So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.

Genesis 18:16-17,20-21 NIV

[16] When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. [17] Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? [20] Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous [21] that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”

Genesis 19:12-13 NIV

[12] The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here---sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, [13] because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.”

Joshua 2:8-9,12-13 NIV

[8] Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof [9] and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. [12] “Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign [13] that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them---and that you will save us from death.”

Exodus 12:1,7,10,12-13 NIV

[1] The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, [7] Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. [10] Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. [12] “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. [13] The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

Jonah 3:1-5 NIV

[1] Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: [2] “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” [3] Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. [4] Jonah began by going a day's journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” [5] The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

Amos 3:7 NIV

[7] Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

Matthew 24:33-35 NIV [Jesus speaking]

[33] Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. [34] Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. [35] Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

** "The world is growing gloriously dark" <R174> for we know know that Christ's light will shine bright against the backdrop of an evil world; many people will come to the Lord in the end times as a result <R173>

Luke 17:26 NIV

[26] “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.

** The Father, through the Holy Spirit, initiates the process of drawing people to Jesus

• The Holy Spirit's work is not a forceful coercion, but rather a gentle drawing that awakens a desire within a person to seek and believe in Jesus

John 6:44 NIV

[44] “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.

• Believers are called to be living examples of what it means to know and follow God via His Word

• Let the testimony of God's work in the life of a believer speak louder than any words used in an intellectual debate

• A commitment to Christ will rarely endure when the decision is made from empirical data, without an accompanying 'heart change' allowing eyes to be opened revealing God and finding spiritual fulfillment

• Our job as believers is to introduce others to Christ and pray the Holy Spirit will open their eyes <M1501>

• In other words, we should not depend solely on apologetics to convince others to believe, but depend on the Holy Spirit to convict

Ezekiel 36:26-27 NIV

[26] I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. [27] And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

1 Peter 3:15 NIV

[15] But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

** God will interrupt every one of man's prideful attempts to reject and replace Him; there is another attempt today to gain god-like status using technology

• Man's first attempt to gain god-like status was in the beginning in the garden

• God 'put a stop' to this attempt by banishing man and woman from the garden and increasing their labor

• Scripture records a societal attempt to attain god-like status when everyone gathered to build the Tower of Babel

• Scripture outlines a future attempt toward a one-world government in the end days

• Notice the similarity between people joining together with a ‘common spoken language’ in the early generation and the ‘common language model’ that is foundational to AGI today <F61>

• Succumbing to AI is what happens when you don't believe in God but are willing to bow down to the creation of your own technological god; most people want something or someone in charge telling them what to do <S1999>

• Prophecy identifies man's created attempt to usurp God in the last days as 'Babylon'

• God will, once again, block man's attempt to usurp Him by destroying Babylon at His second coming

Genesis 3:22-24 NIV

[22] And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” [23] So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. [24] After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 11:1 NIV

[1] Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.

Genesis 11:5-8 NIV

Psalm 2:1-3 NIV

[1] Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? [2] The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, [3] “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”

Revelation 18:1-4 NIV

[1] After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. [2] With a mighty voice he shouted:

“ 'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!' She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. [3] For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.” [4] Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “ 'Come out of her, my people,' so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues

** We can’t put sin in [what we would consider a secret] compartment and think that’s the end of it. Sin stinks. Its stench will permeate everything and mess up every aspect of our lives. That is why it needs to be dealt with. <L120>

Proverbs 28:13 NIV

[13] Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

Psalm 32:3-4 NIV

[3] When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. [4] For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

** Previous generations were stumped by passages like “the entire world watching the two witnesses” and “no one being able to buy or sell” because they were limited to the tech of their time; today’s advanced Internet and surveillance technology was not known until the 21st century

Not being able to comprehend the future most likely fueled the allegorization of eschatological passages in Scripture to accommodate their questions, but today there is no excuse for allegorization because we know technology exists to fulfill each prophecy <G70>

Daniel 12:4 NIV

[4] But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”

Revelation 11:3,7-9 NIV

[3] And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” [7] Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. [8] Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city---which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt---where also their Lord was crucified. [9] For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.

Revelation 13:16-17 NIV

[16] It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, [17] so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

** Peter referred to the prophet Joel at Pentecost who said that in the last days God would pour out His spirit so people will prophesy, see visions and dream dreams <G71>

• When Peter quoted Joel, he expected his listeners to understand

• Joel said God would pour out His Spirit on all peoples, which He did

• Joel also said that God would show signs in the heaven just before the coming of Judgment Day, so the pouring of God’s Spirit was a warning that judgment would surely follow

• The time to accept Christ and call on His name is the time between His outpouring of the Spirit and before the Day of Judgment

• God is lengthening the time of opportunity to accept Him from Joel’s day to today <R1795>

Acts 2:17-21 NIV

[17] “ 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. [18] Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. [19] I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. [20] The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. [21] And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

Joel 2:28-32 NIV

[28] “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. [29] Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. [30] I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. [31] The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. [32] And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.

John 15:26 NIV

[26] “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father---the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father---he will testify about me.

John 16:13-15 NIV

[13] But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. [14] He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. [15] All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

** The prophet Joel recorded an Increase of phenomena during the end times leading to the second coming of Christ, as also mentioned by Jesus and recorded in detail in the book of Revelation <H85>

Joel 2:30-31 NIV

[30] I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. [31] The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

Luke 21:25 NIV

[25] “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.

Revelation 6:12 NIV

[12] I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,

** Sin is the CAUSE of God's anger; earthquakes the EFFECT of His anger!

• Of all the judgments which the righteous God inflicts on sinners here in this world, the most dreadful and destructive is an earthquake

• Earthquakes are the works of the Lord, and He alone brings this destruction upon the earth

• That God is Himself the Author of earthquakes and sin the moral cause of earthquakes cannot be denied by any who believe the Scriptures

• Therefore, reason and Scripture sufficiently assure us that earthquakes are God's works of judgment, the proper effect and punishment of sin <W2195>

Psalm 46:8 NIV

[8] Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth.

Job 9:5-6 NIV

[5] He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. [6] He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble.

Psalm 104:32 NIV

[32] he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

Psalm 18:7 NIV

[7] The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.

Nahum 1:5-6 NIV

[5] The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. [6] Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him.

Isaiah 13:11,13 NIV

[11] I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. [13] Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the Lord Almighty, in the day of his burning anger.

Isaiah 24:1,19 NIV

[1] See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants--- [19] The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is violently shaken.

** Angels exist first to serve God, and more specifically to:

• Worship and praise God (Isa 6:1-3, Rev 4:8)

• Carry out God’s judgment (Gen 19:1-13, Rev 15:1-7)

• Serve as God’s messengers (Luke 11:1-20, Acts 8:26, Heb 1:14)

• Protect and guide his people. (Psalm 91:11-12, Dan 6:22, Acts 12:7-10) <C400>

Isaiah 6:1-3 NIV

[1] In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. [2] Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. [3] And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy , holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Genesis 19:15 NIV

[15] With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished. ”

Acts 8:26 NIV

[26] Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road---the desert road---that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”

Daniel 6:22 NIV

[22] My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

• Evil activities are countered for the people of God by his ministering spirits, the holy ones of the angelic order

• Christians should never fail to sense the operation of angelic glory, for it forever eclipses the world of demonic powers, as the sun does a candle’s light

• If you are a believer, expect powerful angels to accompany you in your life experiences and let those events dramatically illustrate the friendly presence of ‘the holy ones’…

• Certainly, the eye of faith sees many evidences of the supernatural display of God’s power and glory. God is still in business! <G7991>

** Every single person will hear the Gospel of Christ by the end of the Tribulation so no one has the excuse of ‘not knowing’ or not having opportunity to accept Christ <J102>

God will provide messengers during the Tribulation:

• 2 witnesses in Jerusalem who will proclaim the Gospel for 2.5 years

• 144,000 Jewish evangelists

• Gospel Angel will circle the earth proclaiming the Gospel

Revelation 11:3 NIV

[3] And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

Revelation 14:1 NIV

[1] Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.

Revelation 14:6 NIV

[6] Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth---to every nation, tribe, language and people.

** Those who are a slave to sin and not at peace with God constantly look for happiness but do not find it

Romans 7:23 NIV

[23] but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.

** How do we fit into a world that does not follow logic anymore but chooses to feed off self-promotion, self-interest and selfish emotion?

• Continue to pray for those around you while maintaining a relationship anchored in God

• Do not hold back from voicing God’s truth — the full counsel of God as outlined in Scripture

• Point the way to Christ so others can transform their life when following His plan of salvation and commands

Acts 20:27 NIV

[27] For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.

Matthew 6:31-33 NIV

[31] So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' [32] For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. [33] But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Aim to be a ‘buoy for Christ’ in today’s stormy waters, giving others hope when directing them away from false teaching and narcissism but showing them where they can access the love of God

• Buoy = an anchored float serving as a navigational mark to show and warn of hazards ahead

• As we remain anchored to Christ, pray that what others can see from us reveals God’s truth as a comfort to them in the storms of life

• Remind everyone tossed by the waves (believer and non-believer alike) that they too can be anchored in Christ

Ephesians 4:11-15 NIV

[14] Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. [15] Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Romans 8:35 NIV

[35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

** The Bible references the Son of God who came into our world to SERVE us, not rule over us; this must prove the Bible is inspired by God, for what human could comprehend such an occurrence <W213>

Mark 10:45 NIV

[45] For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Acts 3:13a NIV

[13] The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus.

** God commissioned Noah to build a boat that was estimated 7 stories high x 1.5 football fields long, even though people did not know what rain was at the time; it was an all-consuming task that required Noah picking up a hammer everyday for 120 years with a countless number of people mocking him along the way

No doubt, Noah’s faith and obedience to God cost him:

• Relationships

• Bouts of doubt

• Discouragement

• His own business in that day

• Physical pain

• An easy life

• Thousands of days of his life

“Surely he lay in bed some nights during the 120 years wide awake with throbbing back pain, gashed leg or swollen and bruised knuckles wondering, ‘God, is all of this really worth it? Is this flood really going to happen or did I imagine it? Is my boat going to float or will it sink and drown like the rest? Did you really speak to me all those years ago or am I wasting my time and my life? Are the skeptics and the cynics right in what they say about me? Will I be proved the fool? Is this the only way you can save us? Isn’t there any easier way for you to accomplish your will?’” <K113>

Genesis 6:13-14 NIV

** There is a time for everything, that can even be said for sin — there is a season where sin seems advantageous and gives a sense of euphoria, but then comes a time of repercussion and consequence for that sin <L120>

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV

[1] There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens

Ecclesiastes 3:17 NIV

[17] I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.”

** In His mercy, God often allows discomfort with the intent that said discomfort causes the sufferer to turn to Him for aid like the pig pen did for the prodigal son. Momentary discomfort brought the wayward son to his senses and his end was far better than he expected. I believe God wants all who are separated from Him to know that He is longingly watching for them to return to Him, to the place where they belong. <A11>

Luke 15:14-17 NIV

[14] After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. [15] So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. [16] He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. [17] “When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!

** As long as society attempts to fix our messes by forging ahead without God, we will fail; we need to see God’s perspective in all areas of life and live by His design only <E58>

2 Samuel 22:22-23 NIV

[22] For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I am not guilty of turning from my God. [23] All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.

Job 37:5 NIV

[5] God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.

** The section of Bible prophecy which speaks to the events of the last days, Eschatology, is not some fringe hobby that people dabble in with the same seriousness as those who follow UFOs or Big Foot. Eschatology is a major doctrinal study that consumes around 30% of your Bible.

John F. Walvoord, the late President of the Dallas Theological Seminary, dubbed it the ‘capstone of Christian doctrine’, because your eschatological view determines how you hold to every other major doctrine, such as Soteriology, Ecclesiology, etc.

If you think about it for a second, your entire Bible, either centers around Christ’s first coming or His second. It only makes sense that a book in which God is revealing Himself to mankind progressively (not all at once) is a book that hinges around His own Incarnation and His return for His people. <G70>

1 Peter 1:13 NIV

[13] Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

Revelation 15:4 NIV

[4] Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

** It’s not OK for Christians to sit back in apathy about Christ’s return because He commands us to be on guard <S1992>

• Since Israel became a nation in 1948, the signs have increased to an incredible rate

• We are left without excuse because the signs are all around us, much like the signs were there when Jesus interacted with the Pharisees in the first century

• Jesus came to earth the first time precisely as foretold by prophets of the Old Testament; we are not to make the same mistake

Matthew 24:42 NIV

[42] “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

** From the tower of Babel, to the crucifixion of Christ, to the battle of Armageddon, the Bible records humanity’s foolish and futile rebellions against the will of the Creator <W215>

Genesis 11:6-7 NIV

[6] The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. [7] Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

Luke 23:20-23 NIV

[20] Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. [21] But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” [22] For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.” [23] But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.

Revelation 16:10-11 NIV

[10] The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony [11] and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

** It is OK to persistently ask God for something that appears to us to be a ‘just outcome’ and isn’t immoral

• Luke introduces this lesson as a parable meant to show the disciples ‘that they should always pray and never give up’

• The lesson: if an uncaring, unfit, ungodly judge answers with justice in the end, how much more will a loving and holy Father give what is right to His children? <G72>

• Delay may be within the will and purpose of God; justice may not come until Jesus returns <R1795>

• God knows the ‘bigger picture’ beyond the immediate moment and understands whether our request is ultimately best for us

• Faith comes when the outcome is not what we asked or desire

• Don’t forget, the building of our faith is a wonderful outcome! <D40>

Luke 18:5-7 NIV

[5] yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually come and attack me!' ” [6] And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. [7] And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?

Luke 11:7-9 NIV

[7] And suppose the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' [8] I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. [9] “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

** Pharisees could not heal people with certain ailments so they knew the Messiah was in their midst when He could – yet the Pharisees still rejected Jesus and discredited anyone who thought otherwise

Messianic miracles Jesus performed:

1. Healing from blindness

2. Healing leprosy, and

3. Calling out deaf and mute demons <H86>

Matthew 8:2-3 NIV

[2] A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” [3] Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.

Matthew 8:16-17 NIV

[16] When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. [17] This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

Matthew 10:5-8 NIV

[5] These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. [6] Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. [7] As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

John 9:1,5-7 NIV

[1] As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. [5] While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” [6] After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. [7] “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

Luke 11:14 NIV

[14] Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed.

** "A bleeding Savior I have viewed, and now I hate my sins!" <N150>

“Christ did not die for sin, that we might live in sin.” <M1494>

Matthew 27:46 NIV

[46] About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

** Imagine the very person you saw dying on a cross appear standing before you in a locked room; how awesome to have a loved one you are grieving join you once again!

John 20:19 NIV

[19] On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

John 20:26 NIV

[26] A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

** The purpose in God sending locusts was to bring His people back to Him; when they did return, God took pity on them and restored their land <J102>

Joel 1:4 NIV

[4] What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten.

Joel 2:17-18,25 NIV

[17] Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God? ' ” [18] Then the Lord was jealous for his land and took pity on his people. [25] “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten---the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm---my great army that I sent among you.

** How can we tell the difference between a natural disaster and judgment of God? <J102>

a) Timing of event - which is typically immediately after an action that displeases God; example Hurricane Katrina that hit after the US tried to break up the land of Israel

b) Magnitude of event - a disaster that comes out of nowhere and has devastating results; people often ask how a storm can form that fast!

c) Prophetic voices declaring event ahead of time, similar to Haggai who chastised the people for repairing their own homes before God’s temple

Haggai 1:3-7 NIV

[3] Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: [4] “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin? ” [5] Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. [6] You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” [7] This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.

** We don’t always know how God will lead but He promises to be with us in time of need!

Isaiah 42:16 NIV

[16] I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

** The word ‘sober’ implies not only that we are awake with all cognitive senses flowing, but that we are ‘watching’ for signs and understanding <G71>

1 Thessalonians 5:6-8 NIV

[6] So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. [7] For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. [8] But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

Luke 12:54-56 NIV

[54] He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. [55] And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. [56] Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?

** The contrast of Christ’s first coming in humility to His second coming as a warrior shouldn’t be overlooked <S190>

• We don't often picture our Lord riding a white horse with fiery eyes seeing through the hearts of men and wearing many crowns, as opposed to a crown of thorns He wore when coming to earth the first time

• Jesus will be called 'Faithful and True' when coming to make war; faithful to God, His people, and to make things right

• Jesus will be fully identified, contrary to when many missed His coming as an infant

• He is identified as the ‘Word of God’ that has power and force behind it; similar to God creating the universe into existence through words

• Heavenly armies will be following Him in the second coming as opposed to His first coming when He was alone as an infant; Jesus doesn't need the army but they will witness the victory of kings falling dead

• Jesus laid aside His power in the first coming while now He has absolute power

• When Jesus first came He took on the wrath of man, while His second coming crushes His enemies like a wine press

• Jesus restrained Himself on the cross even though He could have come down to show His power; now He comes down as the king of the highest power

• If Christ isn't Lord then we need to think about who IS sitting on the throne

Revelation 19:17-18 NIV

[17] And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, [18] so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”

** Notice Jesus doesn't focus on global wickedness, although that certainly marked the days of Noah. Notice also He doesn't hone in on the gross immorality of Sodom and Gomorrah of Lot's day, although they were destroyed for being exceedingly wicked cities. Jesus focuses on the seeming normalcy of those times and how before the wrath, life was one way, and it seemed to be the way it would always be...until that final moment when the door is closed, and Lot (and family) are taken out of the way. Then, sudden and calamitous judgment fell upon them. <G70>

When God catastrophically intervenes into earth’s evil, all will be going along as it was in Sodom at the time Lot and his family were removed. There would be no destruction from wars or otherwise preceding that removal. People would be, as we are at present, conducting the business of life as usual–buying, selling, planting, etc. <J100>

Luke 17:26-27 NIV

Luke 18:8 NIV

[8] I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

** Suffering is part of our walk with Christ and everyone can relate to it because of sin in our lives

WHY LORD?

• The Bible gives us perspective

• Suffering starts in Gen 3 where God administers it to Adam and Eve because of one sin

• We all would have done the same as Adam

• Sin brought suffering, separation from God and eventual death

• We voluntarily left God through sin and we see the result of this today in our world

• Because of sin we deliver ourselves into the hands of the enemy

• Sin creates sin; suffering increases

• Our sin affects others; we cannot prevent collateral damage

Romans 6:23 NIV

[23] For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

PERSPECTIVE

• We believe we suffer, but Christ suffered the most even though He did not need to because He was perfect

• Our sin caused Christ's need to die

• Look at what we reap from God's suffering: love, mercy, peace, hope, reunited with God, Holy Spirit within, eternal life with Him

• Knowing Christ's suffering and the love He demonstrated, helps us through personal suffering

• God is working in a plan to remove all suffering for all time!

• In the meantime we recognize it is temporary and we must endure, even in the toughest times like Nazi prison camp

Romans 5:6-9 NIV

[6] You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. [7] Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. [8] But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

HELP LORD!

• There is a natural tendency to seek answers, which lends itself as a perfect opportunity to share the Gospel

• We need to come to terms with our mortality

• Like the time after 911, people came to church seeking answers

• We learn that God is ALWAYS there

What we should do:

1. Feed yourself with Scripture; God often speaks to us through Scripture

2. Hold fast to God's character; He leads, guides, protects, is consistent,

3. Prayer must be the cornerstone; pray as though your life depends on it; God wants to hear from you!

4. Stay in community with other Christian believers but realize they can only comfort you, not fix the problem

5. Ask yourself whether we are softening or becoming harder during suffering?

YES, LORD

• Embrace the fact that God has a plan and purpose for your suffering

• He brings us good and God gets the glory; only God can bring something good out of worst of circumstances

• Like Joseph's reaction to his brothers, knowing what they intended for harm God used for good

• His ultimate purpose is to transform us more like Christ

• We need to ask "What should I learn through my suffering?"

Romans 8:28 NIV

[28] And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Reasons of suffering:

1. Job grew to understand God in a better way, what God wanted to teach him in the process

2. God uses suffering to reveal the glory of God

3. Suffering allows us opportunity to trust God and hang on to our Rock and Salvation

4. Having a Biblical view of suffering (knowing and understanding Scripture) helps us bear life's difficulties

5. Suffering has a purpose that we should seek

6. Suffering is a place to find intimacy with God, where you would not otherwise

7. God gets our attention through suffering

8. We can find refuge and hope in the shadow of His wings

9. Embracing suffering moves you to a Christ-centered life, like Paul whose testimony magnified because he embraced suffering and learned more about Christ through it <C31>

** Calamity, tragedy, catastrophe, wars, famine, and disease are sometimes how God troubles the waters to push our boats safely to shore. In these situations, there can be an opportunity for reconciliation with him. And, “[n]o matter how deep the suffering, the cost is nothing compared to the joy that will be experienced if” we “come to know Jesus through” the “ordeal.” <C400>

Psalm 16:8 NIV

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

** The first trumpet was God calling the Israelites for the first time as a nation at Mount Sinai; the last trumpet will be the gathering of all believers in the air as Jesus comes for His bride in the end of days! <G70>

• Last trumpet = church

• First trumpet = Israel

• Trumpet of God = church

• Trumpet of angels = Israel <F60>

Exodus 19:16-20 NIV

[16] On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. [17] Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. [18] Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. [19] As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. [20] The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NIV

[16] For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

** Jesus entered His own temple and drove out those who were desecrating it; He didn’t call out the pagans in their temple but those who claimed to be following God

Mark 11:15-17 NIV

[15] On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, [16] and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. [17] And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations' ? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.' ”

** God holds all men responsible for their response to His creation

• Some may refuse to acknowledge what He has shown of Himself in His creation

• Even those who have never had an opportunity to verbally hear the gospel, receive witness of the existence and character of God

• If a person positively responds to His revelation, even if it is a solely ‘natural revelation’, God will provide some means for that person to hear the gospel <M130>

Romans 1:20 NIV

[20] For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities---his eternal power and divine nature---have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Acts 17:27 NIV

[27] God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.

Acts 8:26-29 NIV

[26] Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road---the desert road---that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” [27] So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, [28] and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. [29] The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

** Going back to the Torah and to the prophets, Jesus opened [the eyes of those who were dejected that Christ died] to what was really going on

• They were bogged down in the circumstances and Jesus showed them the big picture

• The Lord suffered, but it was all part of a glorious plan that the Father had laid out before the beginning of time

• Likewise, we may suffer blows on this earth, but Jesus is alive and is coming soon – this is our awaited hope and source of joy amid a world that continues to grow darker <T203>

Luke 24:25-31 NIV

[25] He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! [26] Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” [27] And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. [28] As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. [29] But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. [30] When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. [31] Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.

** The concept and influence of ‘money’ is mentioned by Jesus in the gospels the most, only after the mention of ‘hell’ and ‘salvation’ <D40>

Matthew 21:12 NIV

[12] Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.

** Jehoiachin was not sent away from the king's palace with a 'supply' to last him for months, but his provision was given him as a daily pension. Herein he well pictures the happy position of all the Lord's people. A daily portion is all that a man really needs. We do not need tomorrow's portion; for that day has not yet dawned, and its needs are as yet unborn. The thirst which we may suffer in the month of Jun, does not need to be quenched in February for we do not feel it yet. If we have enough for each day as the days arrive, we shall never know want. Sufficient for the day, is all that we can enjoy.

We cannot eat or wear more than the day's supply of food and clothing. Any surplus gives us the care of storing it, and the anxiety of watching against a thief. One staff aids a traveler, but a bundle of staffs is a heavy burden. Enough is not only as good as a feast, but is all that the greatest glutton can truly enjoy. Enough is all that we should expect; a craving for more than this, is ungrateful. When our Father does not give us more, we should be content with His daily allowance.

In the Word, by meditation, in prayer, and waiting upon God--you shall receive renewed grace and strength. In Jesus, all needful things are laid up for you. Enjoy your continual allowance! <S185>

2 Kings 25:29 NIV

[29] So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king's table.

Luke 11:3 NIV

[3] Give us each day our daily bread.

Deuteronomy 33:25 NIV

[25] The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days.

** The world views 'the top' differently than Christians who find out once their dreams are achieved, there is nothing there; followers of Christ realize their reward is in Heaven

1 Peter 1:4-5 NIV

[4] and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, [5] who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

** Solomon sums it up this way: we need to keep in mind that nothing is certain in this life during times of prosperity and times of adversity; tomorrow is not guaranteed <F60>

James 4:13-15 NIV

[13] Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” [14] Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. [15] Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.”

Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV

[14] When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

** God may still answer our need even though we drop the ball and do not give Him glory in return; we often seek God's blessing but not God Himself <C31>

Luke 17:17-19 NIV

[17] Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? [18] Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” [19] Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

** God's dealings are very mysterious. His way is in the sea, and His path in the mighty waters, and His footsteps are not known.

• We looked for light, but behold darkness

• We expected success, but we meet with failure

• We anticipated prosperity, but we are plunged into adversity

• Our purposes are broken off

• Our plans are frustrated

• Our skies are clothed with clouds

Beloved, such is the case with us sometimes! Our circumstances are so painful, so different from what we anticipated, that in bewilderment we exclaim, "Truly, You are a God who hides Yourself!" How difficult to say sometimes, "Though He slays me, yet will I trust in Him!" How difficult to believe that this rough road is the right road, which leads to the Celestial City.

Our Father wisely appoints the circumstances and lot of every one of His children. He has mapped out the path in which they are to travel. He has appointed their bounds, which they cannot pass. Then with Job we say, "He is of one mind, and who can oppose Him? He does whatever He pleases. He will certainly accomplish what He has decreed for me."

We must not murmur, we must not complain, but patiently follow wherever the Lord leads, and quietly bear whatever He lays upon us. Patience must calm the spirit, quiet the heart, and close the mouth. Then shall we say with the Psalmist, "I was silent, I opened not my mouth because You are the One who has done this!"

• Had it been man, it might have been wrong

• Had it been chance, it might have been injurious

But it was You — and therefore it must be wise, holy, and kind.

We are required quietly to persevere, though the way is rugged, though the thorns pierce our feet, though we cannot see one step before us! We must walk by faith, not by sight, believing…

• that we are safe, in the midst of danger

• that we are right, though everything is perplexing

and that all will end well <S183>

Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV

[8] “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. [9] “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Romans 8:28 NIV

[28] And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

** Every saint must pass through the fire and our only concern should be to pass through honorably and usefully.

The fires are afflictions. These are intended…

• To try us

• To purify us, and

• To endear the Lord Jesus to us.

Beloved, are you in the fire?

• Is the fire in your business?

• Is the fire in your family?

• Is the fire in your body?

• Is the fire in your soul?

Wherever it is, let it be your one desire to glorify God in it. You may do so…

• By patiently enduring

• By trusting the Lord's Word

• By speaking of His character and love

• By expecting His support and supplies

• By holding fast your integrity

Beware that you do not lose the benefit of the affliction, but cry mightily to God that it may be sanctified. <S183>

Malachi 3:3 NIV

[3] He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,

Isaiah 24:15a KJV

[15] Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires

** Proof of God's power and grace was displayed when He gave supernatural strength to His children experiencing pain

• Jesus was not concerned with the cause of suffering but more the way to relieve it

• Jesus showed God's glory by giving sight to a man who had never seen the light

John 9:3 NIV

[3] “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

• Scripture teaches that sin brings personal suffering

• The Old Testament also teaches that not all suffering is the result of sin but part of God's exalted purposes; look at the book of Job

** God's plan is to bring judgment on those who promote and follow evil; we need to keep perspective on this tribulation period when Satan appears to be winning <S190>

• God's plan is to use evil and their civil war to accomplish His plan; the best example is Christ on the cross, using evil men to accomplish His purpose

• Despite the difficulty and persecution: remember that they can kill the body, but they cannot kill the soul

• Our life is but a speck and we have heaven waiting

• Perspective on life is important: pessimistic or optimistic?

• Much like remembering there is a sun behind months of clouds

• Remember the eternal perspective that God is winning as His plan is unfolding

Revelation 17:16-17 NIV

[16] The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. [17] For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled.

Revelation 17:8 NIV

[8] The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.

** It may appear we are facing difficulty alone at times, but the One who created the winds and waves knows what we are going through and will help see us through!

Matthew 8:23-27 NIV

[23] Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. [24] Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. [25] The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We're going to drown!” [26] He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. [27] The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Psalm 116:3-6 NIV

[3] The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. [4] Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Lord, save me! ” [5] The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. [6] The Lord protects the unwary; when I was brought low, he saved me.

** God sent His Son at exactly the right moment in history when paved roads and common language under Roman rule allowed messengers to spread the word of His coming to the world beyond Judah <D40>

• In the first centuries AD, the Roman Empire constructed a vast network of roads stretching over 50,000 miles

• These highways were engineering marvels of the ancient world -- built in straight lines, layered with stone and packed sand, and marked with milestones for distance.

• The Romans’ primary aim was to unite and control their empire: roads enabled efficient commerce, rapid communication, and swift movement of legions to far-flung frontiers marching up to 20 miles a day

• In short, Rome built the roads to solidify its power and prosperity

• But the apostles and early missionaries found that the Roman roads allowed them to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ further and faster than would have been possible in earlier eras

• Later, however, Roman roads were used to hunt, arrest, and execute Christians

• But those same roads also carried Paul’s letters, transported evangelists, and enabled the church to grow across the known world

• The diaspora of persecuted Christians carried the message of Christ to places it had never been, effectively turning Roman roads into highways of hope <H9993>

Galatians 4:4 NIV

[4] But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law

Acts 8:4 NIV

[4] Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

** The Christ child was to be named Jesus, which means 'Savior' and 'Immanuel'; Christ arrived at a time when there were no living prophets

Matthew 1:21 NIV

[21] She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:23 NIV

[23] “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

** Solomon sums it up this way: we need to keep in mind that nothing is certain in this life during times of prosperity and times of adversity; tomorrow is not guaranteed <F60>

Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV

[14] When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

James 4:13-15 NIV

** Those who live ‘effortless’ Christian lives are missing out on the joy they could receive watching God use them to impact other people <D40>

Acts 13:46,50-52 NIV

[46] Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. [50] But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. [51] So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. [52] And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 NIV

[6] You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 10:34 NIV

[34] You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.

** Times of blessing and adversity are both from God; when He gets our attention via adversity, ask Him what we are to learn from it and then rely on God alone to help

Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV

[14] When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

** Adversity and prosperity are divinely balanced against each other with unerring divine skill. In each, respectively, the due proportions are precisely weighed, so lovingly and wisely, that none should say, "It might have been better done!" Christian, I appeal to you: Could it have been better done? Are God's ways unjust? Have they been so to you?

God's ways are always just, His purposes are always wise and loving. How beautiful is His providence! How exquisite is His skill! Grace is poised against temptation; joys are balanced against sorrows. The lights and shadows of experience thus perfected, and perfecting each other.

• Were all prosperity: we would be lifted up in pride.

• Were all adversity: we would faint under the heavy load.

God's ways are just and equal--look back and see. Had times been pleasant with you, and experience been sweet? How surely they were followed by deadness in the soul! Your joy was gone, you knew not why. Ah! But God knew it. It was the adjusting of the scales, that nothing might be out of balance. Has life gone prosperously? Sooner or later, crosses came--some disappointment, something to bring you down, something or other, counter to your will. It was the adjusting of the scales. And just so with health, and other comforts--God keeps the scales perfectly balanced. <M138>

Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV

[14] When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

** God offers varied blessings and protection when we follow His decrees; times may get tough but we can be blessed through them

Psalm 16:5-6 NIV

Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. [6] The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.

Psalm 16:11 NIV

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

** What should hinder him who sees God as his Heavenly Father, and believes that all events proceed from His hand, and are managed by His wisdom, and are prompted by His love.

We have perfect confidence in God's wisdom and in His love. We only do Him the justice which we would expect from our own children, when we believe that He does not afflict us willingly, nor unnecessarily grieve His redeemed children, nor ever chastens us but in love.

His was a noble saying who, when his crops were rotting in flooded fields, and poverty stared at him from the scowling heavens, and other men cursed the weather; on being asked his reason for saying that it pleased him, replied, "It pleases God to send it, and whatever pleases Him pleases me." We are ready to envy a man whose faith could triumph over such great misfortunes.

Yet why should we not lie as calmly in the arms of God's providence, as we lay in infancy on our mother's bosom? Having an ever-living, an ever-lasting, an ever-loving father in God — how may we welcome all of His providences! <G75>

Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV

[14] When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 NIV

[17] Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, [18] yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Job 1:21 NIV

[21] and said: “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

Job 2:10 NIV

[10] He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

1 Samuel 3:18 NIV

[18] So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

Matthew 26:39 NIV

[39] Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

** In the day of adversity, consider from whose hand it has been sent to you! Through whatever secondary agency it may have been conveyed, adversity comes from God's hand! <B25>

Intermediate agencies may have been employed in inflicting it, for a:

• Cherished family member may have been the messenger of disease

• Treacherous friend may have been the cause of bankruptcy

• Avowed enemy may have been the author of reproach and shame

• Satan himself may have been allowed to smite you!

Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV

[14] When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

Isaiah 45:7 NIV

[7] I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.

Lamentations 3:38 NIV

[38] Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?

Job 2:10 NIV

[10] He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Job 5:17-18 NIV

[17] “Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. [18] For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal.

Deuteronomy 32:39 NIV

[39] “See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.

Amos 3:6 NIV

[6] When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the Lord caused it?

** The ‘missed calling’ of young Samuel could be attributed to the lack of knowing Scripture and its application

1 Samuel 3:1 NIV

[1] The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

Amos 8:11-12 NIV

[11] “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land---not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. [12] People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.

• This lack of God’s Word leads to lawless rebellion

• In contrast, we learn of the joy and glory possible from a lawful society <M130>

Exodus 32:25 NIV

[25] Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies.

Proverbs 28:14 NIV

[14] Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.

** Nimrod was the first warrior/leader who set up a kingdom and led the construction of the Tower of Babel; the concept of man trying to attain superiority over or equity with God appears throughout Scripture, which will end with the Antichrist

Genesis 10:8-10 NIV

[8] Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. [9] He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” [10] The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh, in Shinar.

God was not pleased with their intent to create a single nation via the building of the tower, so He confused their language; God did not destroy their plan but merely postponed it, for man will continue to try to do the same into the end times with the resurgence of Babylon <L123>

Genesis 11:6-7 NIV

** Though this promise to “do good” was given by the Lord to Jacob, it was not confined to him but was intended for all his spiritual seed. This is what God speaks to US this morning. How gracious!

We do not know what this day may bring forth but we do know that our God, who superintends every event, will do us good. We may mistake as to what will be for our good, but He is infinite in wisdom and goodness and therefore cannot mistake.

We may look at afflictions, losses, and crosses, and cry out, "All these things are against me!" But read the history of David. What a train of troubles attended him! Hear his acknowledgment:

Psalm 119:71 NIV

[71] It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.

Your God will do you good — therefore He will try you, sift you, humble you, and prove you. He will give you needed bitter medicine, as well as food. He will consider nothing too expensive, or too painful if necessary for your soul's welfare.

• Look at your trials and say, "This also shall turn to my good!"

• Look on the past and acknowledge, "Surely goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life."

• Look to the future and rejoice, "The Lord will surely give me that which is good."

• Look in every direction, and say, "Surely the Lord will do me good; I will trust, and not be afraid." <S183>

Genesis 32:12 NIV

[12] But you have said, 'I will surely make you prosper [or do you good in KJV] and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted. '

** The woman finds out that it was too late to answer the door after hesitating; there was no urgency in the matter and, likewise, there is often no urgency in fulfilling the plans of the Lord

Song of Songs 5:6 NIV

[6] I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had left; he was gone. My heart sank at his departure. I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer.

Isaiah 55:6 NIV

[6] Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

** There are numerous ways to observe the wrath of God: <M130>

a) Eternal wrath — where God destines people to Hell forever

b) Eschatological wrath — God releasing wrath on the world during the end times (Rev 6-19)

c) Sowing & Reaping wrath — consequential wrath built into behavioral choice; you reap what you sow

d) Cataclysmic wrath — wrath expressed through natural disaster with devastating physical results

e) Wrath of abandonment — people willingly abandoning truth or reality for a lie; they suppress God’s law to live comfortably in unrighteousness, so God gives them over to their lies

Romans 1:24-26,28 NIV [abandonment of truth]

[24] Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. [25] They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator---who is forever praised. Amen. [26] Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. [28] Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

** The prophet Zechariah relays Christ’s first coming as a sin-offering (chapter 9), then His second coming as conqueror against the nations who rise up against Israel (chapters 10-14)

Zechariah 10:4 NIV

[4] From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler.

Zechariah 10:6-12 NIV

[6] “I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them. [7] The Ephraimites will become like warriors, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the Lord. [8] I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before. [9] Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return. [10] I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be room enough for them. [11] They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. Assyria's pride will be brought down and Egypt's scepter will pass away. [12] I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will live securely, ” declares the Lord.

[Further talk of Armageddon]

Zechariah 12:1-4 NIV

[1] A prophecy: The word of the Lord concerning Israel. The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person, declares: [2] “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. [3] On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. [4] On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the Lord. “I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations.

Zechariah 14:1-9 NIV

[1] A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls. [2] I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. [3] Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. [4] On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. [5] You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. [6] On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. [7] It will be a unique day---a day known only to the Lord---with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light. [8] On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter. [9] The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.

Isaiah 9:6 NIV

[6] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

** God singles out certain people to accomplish His will

Haggai 2:23 NIV

[23] “ 'On that day,' declares the Lord Almighty, 'I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the Lord, 'and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the Lord Almighty.”

** Haggai goes directly to the selfishness and worldliness of the people as a great hindrance; God sent Haggai to rouse the slackened earnestness of the people to encourage them in the rebuilding of the temple with God’s help and blessings <C38>

Haggai 2:3-4 NIV

[3] 'Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? [4] But now be strong, Zerubbabel,' declares the Lord. 'Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the Lord, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the Lord Almighty.

Haggai 2:18-19 NIV

[18] 'From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid. Give careful thought: [19] Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. “ 'From this day on I will bless you.' ”

** God’s response to our prayer requests depend on whether our motive is to truly glorify God through the situation and obey His direction

Zechariah 7:13 NIV

[13] “ 'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,' says the Lord Almighty.

** God continues to allow blessing (or plenty) as well as adversity (or want) so we know that nothing is guaranteed; in both situations our dependency needs to remain on the Lord alone so He can direct our ways <F60>

Haggai 1:9-11 NIV

[9] “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. [10] Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. [11] I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”

An example of God blessing His people and holding back the Devourer can be found in the book of Malachi; God challenges them to test Him in this

Malachi 3:10-12 NIV

[10] Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. [11] I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe, ” says the Lord Almighty. [12] “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.

** Before there was a Milky Way — there was God! Before there were galaxies, solar systems, constellations, and nebulae — there was God! Before Mercury, Venus, and Mars were plugged into their sockets — there was God! Before Polaris was fastened above the North Pole — there was God! Before Orion the hunter had a belt, and Saturn had its rings — there was God; all alone, perfect and content, glorious in His solitary existence as the eternal I AM!

Before there was a sun, a moon, or an earth;

before there was grass to clothe the field, and flowers to adorn it; before the mountains were brought forth, and the sea filled the depths; before the eagle soared through the sky, and the fish swam through the sea; before angels, devils, and men had their being — there was God alone!

If we would understand things aright, we must not begin with man, but with God, for He is the beginning of all things. To begin with man is folly, for man is but a creature, a production of the Creator. We must back up and begin where the Bible begins — with God!

God's people know, and have always known what continues to baffle the minds of the scholars and scientists of our day, that "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Through faith, God's people understand the mystery of creation.

I ask you, "Why are we here? What is our purpose? What is God's purpose?" Can we even know the answer to these questions? Indeed we can.

The twenty four elders seated around God's throne in Heaven give us the answer in Revelation 4:10-11, "The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and for Your pleasure they exist and were created!"

You, me, angels, animals, plants, rocks, and all other things, exist and were created for one reason — the pleasure of the Creator. We were created according to His will and purpose, for His pleasure and glory.

God did not create Heaven and the earth arbitrarily. He created them to be the stage upon which He would perform His eternal purpose of grace, and reveal all the wonders of His goodness and mercy toward His elect. It is upon the stage of time, that God displays His eternal purpose and shows forth His glory in the salvation of chosen sinners. He created this world for the salvation of His people, that they would be recovered from their sin by His almighty grace. <H81>

Genesis 1:1 NIV

[1] In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Isaiah 46:9-10 NIV

[9] Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. [10] I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'

Revelation 4:11 NIV

[11] “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

** God is in complete control of the seasons and temperatures; there is no man-made climate change or global warming — this is a narrative from an arrogant population that denies God and believes they are in control

Genesis 8:22 NIV

[22] “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

** God placed the stars in place to serve as His signs to us

• Satan has co-opted these signs into a system call astrology to get man to follow his ways instead

• We are to worship the Creator and marvel at His works — looking for God’s story in the heavens — not worship the creation

Genesis 1:14 NIV

[14] And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years,

Job 9:7-9 NIV

[7] He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. [8] He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. [9] He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.

** The afflictions of the wicked are punishments from God, as an angry Judge. But the afflictions of the godly are chastisements from God, as a gracious Father!

The afflictions of the wicked, moreover, are preludes to their future misery. But the corrections of the godly are preparations for their future glory! <S181>

Psalm 119:67,71 NIV

[67] Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. [71] It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.

** A prudent child of God welcomes discipline for it strengthens and corrects his path

Psalm 141:5 NIV

[5] Let a righteous man strike me---that is a kindness; let him rebuke me---that is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it, for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

** Romans 11:25 says that when the “fullness of the Gentiles” (a term for the Rapture) has come in, then Israel’s blindness will be removed. What is the number of this fullness? No human knows, but the number is huge. Consider that the world’s population is currently at approximately 7.8 billion people. It is estimated that there are 2.5 billion Christians in the world. That is 32-33% of the population. I personally believe this percentage is greatly exaggerated as many of these so-called “Christians” are Christians in name only.

Let’s be a little more realistic in our estimation and drop the percentage by 13% (number for rebellion and apostasy). That would place the percentage at 19-20% of the world population or approximately 1,530,000,000. If you break it down, it looks like this: 153 x 10 to the 7th power (seven 0’s- zeros). Peter just thought he made a great catch of 3000! It is minuscule when you look at Jesus’ (and the Holy Spirit) catch. If you believe this number of Christians to be raptured is still too high, you need to remember that all the young babies/children and those who don’t have the mental capacity to make a qualified decision for Christ will also be included in the Rapture.

This great number of souls only accounts for the living believers being taken up but doesn’t take into consideration the dead souls/spirits in Christ (coming down from heaven). They will be resurrected with a new heavenly body and will meet the living believers (who are translated also) in the air where Jesus will be. The dead in Christ consists of all those believers who have died since Sivan 7/May 22, AD 33 (proleptic Gregorian calendar) on the day of Pentecost, and up to the moment of the Rapture.

The living and dead in Christ, who will meet the Lord in the air at the Rapture, will be an astronomical multitude of souls. They will come from every nation, race, color, age, Christian denomination, and ethnicity. This multitude will include males and females, rich and poor, young and old, free and slaves from every age (1st century to 21st century) and background you can imagine. The one thing every one of them has in common is: “they obeyed the Lord their God and believed in the One He sent.” All of the redeemed will have new spiritual bodies made for eternity. Jesus Christ will then take his betrothed bride, the Church, to their new home in heaven, the New Jerusalem, and we will be with the Lord forever. <N154>

Romans 11:25 NIV

[25] I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,

** God's divine appointment means something will happen in His timing and in His way; sometimes we don't see that God’s ways are better for us so we need to trust Him

• Notice how many times God gets Jonah's attention: storm, fish, plant, worm, scorching wind

• God is not limited and can do what He wants

• He loves us too much to let us continue in our destructive behavior

• God does not always act in ways we want <C31>

Jonah 4:6-8a NIV

[6] Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. [7] But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. [8] When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint.

** Israel’s enemy Damascus, in particular, will be devastated with the judgment prophesied by Zechariah in a way that all eyes will see that God is all-powerful; this prophesy is similar to what was prophesied by other prophets, like Isaiah

Zechariah 9:1 NIV

[1] A prophecy: The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak and will come to rest on Damascus---for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel are on the Lord---

Isaiah 17:1,3,7 NIV

[1] A prophecy against Damascus: “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. [3] The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites,” declares the Lord Almighty. [7] In that day people will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.

** It's evident that Jonah was miserable and uncomfortable in the booth he created for himself; the tent (or sukkah) was similar to the ones used by the Israelites who wandered the desert for 40 years <C31>

God understood Jonah’s predicament and miraculously solved his problem in His unique way by providing a shade plant

Jonah 4:5-6 NIV

[5] Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. [6] Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant.

** Jonah's ‘evangelical message’ was brief and clear and spread quickly— his listeners were about to be judged!

• Jonah was a reluctant prophet who did not have a lot of empathy for those listening, yet God used his reluctant words to reach out to Nineveh predicting spiritual transformation <C31>

Jonah 3:4-5 NIV

[4] Jonah began by going a day's journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” [5] The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

Romans 1:19-20 NIV

[19] since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. [20] For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities---his eternal power and divine nature---have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

** The prophets usually expressed their own grief for public grievances, partly to show how calamitous God’s wrath would be and to stir a holy fear in the people

Micah 1:8-10 NIV

[8] Because of this I will weep and wail; I will go about barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl. [9] For Samaria's plague is incurable; it has spread to Judah. It has reached the very gate of my people, even to Jerusalem itself. [10] Tell it not in Gath ; weep not at all. In Beth Ophrah roll in the dust.

** Jonah thought God was ending his life when a fish swallowed him, but later realized the fish was sent to rescue him!

After realizing he had been saved by God, Jonah promised to worship Him from the heart, for he had a future again

Question: had Jonah come to faith at that point and had gone through religious motions beforehand?

• Jonah realized he needed to be right with God in order to live his life for God

• Our lesson is to focus on maintaining a right relationship with Christ so we can be used by Him and good results can flow to others

• This should motivate us to maintain a good relationship with God and live a life of doing good works that is holy and pleasing to Him <C31>

Jonah 2:9-10 NIV

[9] But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’ ” [10] And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

** God demonstrated great POWER, not only generating a storm but dramatically arranging for a fish to swallow Jonah to accomplish His will; Gods circumvented natural laws to enable this to happen <C31>

Many references to "great" were included in this text and in every instance this greatness points our attention to God

• The storm (1:4)

• Fear (1:10, 16)

• City (1:2, 3:3)

• God’s solution of a fish (1:17)

Jonah 1:17 NIV

[17] Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 1:4 NIV

[4] Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.

Jonah 1:10,16 NIV

[10] This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.) [16] At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.

Jonah 1:2 KJV

[2] Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

Jonah 3:3 KJV

[3] So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.

Jonah 1:17 KJV

[17] Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

** The great storm encountered by Jonah was not punishment but more of an intervention, intended to turn him around; God's timing is crucial, for the Ninevites were ready to hear the gospel

God had plans for Jonah to complete His will and wanted him to LISTEN and OBEY when He spoke; if His first plan wasn't followed then He moved to subsequent plans:

• Plan A was to send Jonah to Nineveh, but He had to go to plan B

• Plan B was to send a storm to warn Jonah, but He had to go to plan C

• Plan C was God sending a non-believing captain who told Jonah to 'arise' and pray; we don't know that Jonah prayed until he was in the fish

• God had to go to plan D which was waking Jonah up in the belly of the fish

God’s overall aim is NOT to let His people do whatever they want just to "keep them happy"; that is not His aim, nor should it be our aim with our kids! <C31>

Jonah 1:11-12 NIV

[11] The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” [12] “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”

** God provides signs to direct us in different ways, as He was at work to reach Jonah; He is always at work directing His children and we can be so thankful He pursues us to save us from destruction!

In the Jonah account, God was at work getting Jonah’s attention and reaching the sailors:

• God found a way to get Jonah’s attention to do His will

• God patiently pursued Jonah

• He set Jonah straight when Jonah chose a divergent path

• His intervention will probably be difficult and come at a cost but it is worth it!

• God used the situation to connect with the sailors

• The storm was not normal but came after them!

• The sailors sought divine help but just not the right help

• The sailors were seeking to meet the spiritual need within them; as people all around the world seek spiritual answers, so the sailors were seeking for answers <C31>

Jonah 1:7,10-11 NIV

[7] Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. [10] This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.) [11] The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”

Ephesians 2:1 NIV

[1] As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

John 6:44 NIV

[44] “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.

Ephesians 2:4-9 NIV

[4] But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, [5] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions---it is by grace you have been saved. [6] And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, [7] in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. [8] For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith---and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--- [9] not by works, so that no one can boast.

** The tribulation is designed for two things, and two things only. The 1st is the removal of sin and all rebellion of those who live on the face of the earth, by fire, by famine, and by divine wrath poured out on the people of this earth. The 2nd reason is the refining of Israel into a nation ready to accept their Messiah. He will make Himself known to them and they will weep bitterly. <T201>

Zechariah 12:9-10 NIV

[9] On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. [10] “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son

** As Christians in these end days, we are called to ‘occupy’ until Jesus returns. Sure, our ultimate hope is in the return of Christ but we are still to live and operate in our world.

Being part of the Restraining Force against evil involves pushing back (even politically) against what Satan is trying to push on us, as well as leading others to Christ and making sure non-believers understand the tenants of salvation along with the reason for our actions.

To those who say Christians should not get involved and simply obey the government at all times in order to ‘be a good witness’, we need to be encouraged by the multitude of God’s people in His Word who bucked the system and paid a price:

• Daniel (thrown into the lion’s den)

• Moses (standing before Pharaoh)

• Paul (imprisoned)

• Ruth (risking life)

• prophets (ridiculed)

• Christ (who stood before Pilate)

• disciples (many killed), etc

Therefore, being a good disciple in these days involves BOTH pushing back and helping lead others to Christ; one typically involves or spurs the other!

Acts 5:41-42 NIV

[41] The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. [42] Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Romans 5:1-5 NIV

[1] Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, [2] through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. [3] Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; [4] perseverance, character; and character, hope. [5] And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 8:17-18 NIV

Philippians 1:29 NIV

[29] For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him

Psalm 116:15 NIV

[15] Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.

2 Timothy 1:8 NIV

[8] So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.

1 Peter 2:20-21 NIV

[20] But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. [21] To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

** God didn’t care if Amos was an ordinary shepherd who wondered whether he could do what God was commanding Him; God wanted Amos to do what He commanded anyway — which he did

Amos 7:14-15 NIV

[14] Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. [15] But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'

** God is in control of every aspect of our existence, including the weather!

Amos 4:7,13 NIV

[7] “I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still three months away. I sent rain on one town, but withheld it from another. One field had rain; another had none and dried up. [13] He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth---the Lord God Almighty is his name.

Matthew 8:24-26 NIV

[24] Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. [25] The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We're going to drown!” [26] He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

** So what remains before the return of Christ?

• We don’t have to wait for Israel to become a nation again (Ezekiel 37)

• We don’t have to wait for the Jews to recapture Jerusalem (Luke 21:24)

• We don’t have to wait for there to be a movement within Judaism that has the material, money, and ability to rebuild the third temple

• We don’t have to wait for Israel’s enemies to align themselves as Scripture say they will in the last days (Ezekiel 38)

• We don’t have to wait for there to be a worldwide call for a unified political system (Global government & leader)

• We don’t have to wait for there to be the technology to implement a global economic system (Global economy & currency)

• We don’t have to wait for the skeptics and the scoffers to come along and mock those who believe that Christ will return for His Church?

• We don’t have to wait for widespread apostasy to cause the church to become lukewarm and ineffective

• We don’t have to wait for efforts to ‘unify the church’ with all religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Islamic faith, Hinduism, Taoism, etc (Global religion)

The world has conditioned the masses to think that life will just continue on as it always has. They base this idea on their corrupted theories that life slowly came about by evolution over millions of years even though their theories are illogical and scientifically impossible. Furthermore, they largely reject the Bible’s account of man's true history on this planet.

We don’t know how much longer the Holy Spirit will hold back His restraint. However, if the past is any key to understanding the future when our time (the Church Age) has reached its fullness, it will come to its inevitable end (just as the rest of the dispensations have-save the Law). At nearly 6,000 years since Creation, and nearly 2,000 since Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, the end of our age is about to end suddenly and without warning. <G70> (Apr 2022)

1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 NIV

[1] Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, [2] for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. [3] While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

** God promised to gather the Jewish people in Israel in the end times and they would never be forced to leave again; most likely Jewish non-believers will be prompted to move to Israel due to worldwide anti-Semitism and instabilities

Amos 9:14-15 NIV

[14] and I will bring my people Israel back from exile. “They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. [15] I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.

** We can’t make anyone give their lives to Christ that is the work of the Holy Spirit to draw them. However, we must be dutiful in the telling, serious in the warning, and patient in the pleading. And although we may not see the results of our efforts today, the seeds we plant might well bear much fruit in the near future. For many, it will take the fulfillment of the Rapture, and the subsequent chaos that results in, for them to finally have the veil lifted from their hearts. <G70>

** Why did God permit David to fall so fearfully, and sin so grievously?

One reason may be that we might have set before our eyes the more clearly, the solemn fact that "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." (Jeremiah 17:9). Unmistakably plain as the meaning of those words is, uttered by Him who cannot lie — yet how very slow we all are to really receive them at their face value, and acknowledge that they accurately describe the natural state of every human heart! But God has done more than make this bare statement: He has placed on record in His Word — illustrations, exemplifications, demonstrations of its verity--notably so in allowing us to see the unspeakable wickedness that still remained in the heart of David!

Also, the fearful fall of David made way for a display of the amazing grace of God, in recovering His fallen people. If we are slow to receive what Scripture teaches concerning the depravity of the human heart and the exceeding sinfulness of sin — we are equally slow to really believe what it reveals about the covenant-faithfulness of God, the efficacy of Christ's blood to cleanse the foulest stain from those for whom it was shed, and the super-abounding grace of Him who is "the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort." Had David never sinned so grievously and sunken so low — he would have never known those infinite depths of mercy which are in the heart of God!

Also, had his terrible sin, his subsequent broken-hearted confession, and his pardon by God, never been placed in the Divine record — many of God's people throughout the centuries would have sunk in abject despair.

Also, by means of David's fall, they have been preserved from falling! Thousands, from age to age by this solemn example of David's terrible sin, have been rendered more:

• Suspicious of themselves

• Watchful

• Afraid of temptation

• Dependent on the Lord

• Fervent in prayer <P161>

Psalm 51:1-2 NIV

[1] Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. [2] Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

Psalm 119:117 NIV

[117] Uphold me, and I will be delivered; I will always have regard for your decrees.

** It is of first importance that we learn to draw a sharp distinction between Divine punishment and Divine chastisement. The distinction is very simple, yet is it often lost sight of.

God's people can never by any possibility be punished for their sins, for God has already punished them at the Cross. The Lord Jesus, our Blessed Substitute, suffered the full penalty of all our guilt; hence it is written "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin." Neither the justice nor the love of God, will permit Him to again exact payment of what Christ discharged to the full.

Romans 8:3 NIV

[3] For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh

While the believer's sins cannot be punished, yet he may be chastised. The Christian occupies an entirely different position from the non-Christian; he is a member of the Family of God. The relationship which now exists between him and God is that of parent and child; and as a son he must be disciplined for wrongdoing. Folly is bound in the hearts of all God's children, and the rod is necessary to rebuke, to subdue, to humble.

When the believer is smarting under the rod let him not say, "God is now punishing me for my sins!" That can never be! That is most dishonoring to the blood of Christ. God is correcting you in love — not smiting in wrath!

Some of the saintliest of God's people, some of the most obedient of His children have been, and are the greatest sufferers.

Oftentimes, God's chastening is CORRECTIVE. They are sent to empty us of self-sufficiency and self-righteousness. They are given to discover to us hidden transgressions, and to teach us the plague of our own hearts.

Or again, chastisements are sent to STRENGTHEN our faith, to raise us to higher levels of experience, to bring us into a condition of usefulness.

Still again, Divine chastisement is sent as a PREVENTATIVE, to keep under pride, to save us from being unduly elated over success in God's service.

Remember, your afflictions are among the "all things" which work together for good. Learn, then, to look upon trials as proofs of God's love — purging, pruning, and purifying you. <P161>

Hebrews 12:6 NIV

[6] because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

Hebrews 12:10 NIV

[10] They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.

** Joel’s prophetic events would come to pass exactly as told, so generations would talk about it in the future; it was also the responsibility of elders to tell the younger generations how God interacted with His creation

Joel 1:3 NIV

[3] Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.

** Some of the days of my life will be days of discipline--of the pruning knife and the cleansing fire. But when He is with me, the discipline is a blessing, and not a curse.

Many of the days, too, will be days of monotony. They must be spent in little things--household labors, common concerns, unnoticed toil. I may long for a more striking and interesting experience. But when He is with me, I know that He makes my life like His own--the blessed life He lived among carpenters' tools, and village streets, and peasant people. The drudgery is a love-message--it is Jesus Christ in disguise!

Every day will be a day of temptation. In the home, in the business, in company, in loneliness--I shall encounter the devil's subtle snares. But let my Lord be with me, and temptation will but reveal the closeness and blessedness of the tie. It will be an instrument which He uses to impart more maturity to my graces--more courage, more patience, more trust.

Perhaps one of the days will be the day of death. But if He does not leave or forsake me, then death will be an ingredient in the training that fits me for the glorious inheritance! As John Bunyan pictures it--I must cross the 'River of Death' to reach the 'Celestial City'. Jesus did it Himself, and the disciple is not above the Master. His Everlasting Arms will sustain me in the flood; and, on the other side, I shall enter the 'Beautiful Gate' and see His face!

ALL the days He is with me--to the end, and through the end, and beyond the end forever and ever! Whether I live, therefore, or whether I die--I am His and He is mine! <S182>

Psalm 139:16b NIV

[16] ...All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Matthew 28:20b NIV

[20] ...And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

** God is omnipresent; even if we traveled at the speed of light, God is already where we would run to so He can't be ‘outrun’ <C31> (Nov 2016)

• Understanding God's perfect knowledge, David wanted to escape His scrutiny knowing his imperfections

• God is spirit and exists everywhere which can be scary yet incredibly comforting because we know He loves us

Psalm 139:7-12 NIV

[7] Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? [8] If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. [9] If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, [10] even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. [11] If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” [12] even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

• There is no need to be afraid for God loves us and wants us to experience what is good

• God is ready to join us in all we do for our good and for His glory

• Nothing can separate us from Him, not even the 'skeletons in our closet'

• Remember that God loves us the way we are but loves us too much to leave us the way we are!

• Ask God to change us as needed because He loves us

Psalm 139:10 NIV

[10] even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

** The omnipresence of God! How baffling to any finite comprehension! To think that above us, and around us, and within us — there is Deity — the invisible footprints of an Omniscient, Omnipresent One!

"His Eyes are in every place!" On rolling planets and tiny atoms; on the bright seraph and the lowly worm; roaming in searching scrutiny through the tracks of immensity and reading the dark and hidden page of my heart! "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do!"

Jesus! Your perpetual and all-pervading presence turns darkness into day! I am not left un-befriended to weather the storms of life — Your hand is from hour to hour piloting my frail vessel. The omnipresence of God, a gracious antidote to every earthly sorrow! <M129>

Psalm 139:7 NIV

[7] Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

Psalm 119:170 NIV

[170] May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise.

Psalm 4:8 NIV

[8] In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

** God prompts us to do what is best and right when He hems us in, confronting us with His wisdom as we face the inevitable; like a city under siege, hemmed inside and protected, even though we are being attacked from all sides, we need His help in order to do what is best and right

Psalm 139:1-5 NIV

[1] You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. [2] You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. [3] You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. [4] Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. [5] You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.

** We are called to praise Jehovah for His own essential attributes <C34>

• Exert the attributes in His works

• God is above all gods

• He is not only good but displays His power through the creation of the heavens and earth!

Psalm 136:2,5-9 NIV

[2] Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. [5] who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. [6] who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. [7] who made the great lights---His love endures forever. [8] the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. [9] the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.

** God involves Himself in His creation

Psalm 136:11,16-17,23-24 NIV

[11] and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever. [16] to him who led his people through the wilderness; His love endures forever. [17] to him who struck down great kings, His love endures forever. [23] He remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever. [24] and freed us from our enemies. His love endures forever.

** When people are satisfied, they become full of pride, and the Lord must respond with discipline

Hosea 13:5-7 NIV

[5] I cared for you in the wilderness, in the land of burning heat. [6] When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me. [7] So I will be like a lion to them, like a leopard I will lurk by the path.

** God sometimes removes Himself and His blessings as a form of punishment, with the aim of bringing the lost back to Him

Hosea 9:1-3 NIV

[1] Do not rejoice, Israel; do not be jubilant like the other nations. For you have been unfaithful to your God; you love the wages of a prostitute at every threshing floor. [2] Threshing floors and winepresses will not feed the people; the new wine will fail them. [3] They will not remain in the Lord's land; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.

Psalm 84:11 NIV

[11] For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

** No good thing does God withhold from those who trust and believe in Him

Psalm 84:11-12 NIV

[11] For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. [12] Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.

1 John 3:21-22 NIV

[21] Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God [22] and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.

** The Israelites turned a deaf ear to Hosea and his inspired message, as most people today ignore warnings from God; Hosea chapters 5 & 6 provide a relevant warning for America and the world around us <H87>

1. Hosea calls out the priests and politicians for leading the people into sin (1-5)

2. Hosea calls out their foolishness and false pursuit of God (6-15); God tires of this and gives people over to their own self-interests and perverted sin

• “Reprobate mind” = a mind so perverted that it cannot think in its own best interest <L124>

• Those who venture away from God’s word do not know what is right or just <K110>

Proverbs 28:5 NIV

[5] Evildoers do not understand what is right, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.

3. Eventually, in the misery inflicted by God, people will return to Him; unfortunately God must bring on misery in order to get the attention of those who don’t seek Him

Hosea 5:15 NIV

[15] Then I will return to my lair until they have borne their guilt and seek my face---in their misery they will earnestly seek me. ”

** People will turn to God in their misery; this will still happen to Israel in the end times after having been dispersed across the globe since 70 AD <H87>

Hosea 5:15 NIV

[15] Then I will return to my lair until they have borne their guilt and seek my face---in their misery they will earnestly seek me. ”

Zechariah 12:10 NIV

[10] “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

** God tells Hosea to marry a prostitute who has unfaithful children (children not from Hosea) to describe what Israel had done to Him; Israel had prostituted itself with foreign gods

Instructing Hosea to marry Gomer was a good allegorical image — a husband with unmerited goodness and unwearied patience in contrast to his perverse ungrateful wife — just as God had been with unfaithful Israel <H83>

The children of harlotry points to the future unfaithfulness of Israelite generations <M130>

Hosea 1:2 NIV

[2] When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.”

** God is the one who blesses us and He reminded Hosea’s wife by removing the blessings

Hosea 2:10-13 NIV

[10] So now I will expose her lewdness before the eyes of her lovers; no one will take her out of my hands. [11] I will stop all her celebrations: her yearly festivals, her New Moons, her Sabbath days---all her appointed festivals. [12] I will ruin her vines and her fig trees, which she said were her pay from her lovers; I will make them a thicket, and wild animals will devour them. [13] I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the Baals; she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot, ” declares the Lord.

** God proclaimed His judgment of a coming Assyrian war on the northern kingdom of Israel, that never had a good king

Whereas they thought themselves to be in favor of God and to be His people, the Prophet calls them bastards and children born in adultery; the Prophet was to show Israel their sin of idolatry <C39>

Hosea 1:6 NIV

[6] Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call her Lo-Ruhamah (which means “not loved”), for I will no longer show love to Israel, that I should at all forgive them.

** Sin turns away the mercy of God, even toward Israel, His own professing people <H83>

Hosea 1:6b-7 NIV

[6] …I will no longer show love to Israel, that I should at all forgive them. [7] Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them---not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the Lord their God, will save them.”

** God has seen fit to stop you in the midst of your busy life and to lay you aside for a while. It is not by chance that His afflicting hand has fallen upon you. It is not at random that He has chastened you.

It may seem to be a mere accident that you are afflicted and not another. But no; God has done it purposely! God afflicts His children because He desires to do them some great good.

The GARDENER cuts and prunes his tree to make it grow better and bear more precious fruit. In the same way, God often uses His sharp knife for some gracious purpose.

The wise and loving FATHER thwarts his child and sometimes scourges it for its good. Just so, God uses His chastening rod for the very same reason.

The skillful PHYSICIAN prescribes nauseous medicines to restore his patient's health. In the same way, God makes us take His bitter medicines, though at the time they are very distasteful to us.

Why does God afflict us? Because He loves us and wishes to make us holy as He is holy and happy as He is happy. For, as it has been well said, "Fiery trials make golden Christians!" <O159>

Job 5:6 NIV

[6] For hardship does not spring from the soil, nor does trouble sprout from the ground.

Deuteronomy 8:5 NIV

[5] Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.

Psalm 119:75 NIV

[75] I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

Revelation 3:19 NIV

[19] Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.

Hebrews 12:6 NIV

[6] because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

Psalm 39:9 NIV

[9] I was silent; I would not open my mouth, for you are the one who has done this.

** We put God in a situation where He HAS to ‘take His belt off’ and punish us for our sinful ways, otherwise He is not a good Father <D40>

** "Why do I keep struggling with the same sinful thoughts?" "Why can't I just gain victory over lust and pride?" "Why does God allow sin to remain in His people?" <B22>

These are questions Christians ask from time to time. We think of how nice it would be if we didn't have to struggle with sinful thoughts, words, and deeds. But, in His sovereignty, God has a reason for allowing sin to remain in His children. Here are some of Thomas Boston's answers:

1. God has ordered the matter of the believer's sanctification that sin is left to be active in their souls while here on earth, for their further HUMILIATION. For example, God gave Paul a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble. And so we find David, after his grievous fall, grows in the grace of humility.

2. The Lord allows sin to remain in His people so they are stirred to the frequent exercise of PRAYER. The soul feels the continual need of pardon, and therefore must be much lying at God's footstool. When His children grow remiss in their duty, the Lord sometimes allows them to fall into some grievous sin to awaken them and wound their conscience, so that they cry to Him like a child who falls into a fire.

3. The sin left in us makes us more WATCHFUL of our hearts which still are prone to wander. When a prisoner escapes, and they catch him, they will put him into more close custody than before. We walk through a world filled with many snares; if we were not watchful, we would be caught in them!

4. Just like God allowed some Canaanites to remain in the land to try His people, so He has left remains of natural corruption in them for their exercise and TRIAL. Indwelling sin makes us lean on Christ's strength and use God's armor in the battle.

5. Through sin is left in us, we are made more and more to FEEL OUR NEED FOR CHRIST and His precious blood for the removal of our guilt daily contracted anew, and for the strengthening of our souls in our Christian course--so that we come out of the wilderness resting upon our Beloved.

6. Through the indwelling sin that remains, CHRIST IS GLORIFIED. While the enemy, sin, dwells in us, Christ's grace and Holy Spirit are at work in us so that the enemy cannot overcome, domineer, or destroy us. Because of indwelling sin we know that we cannot justify ourselves, but can only be justified by the perfect obedience of Christ, which we lay hold of by faith. In this, Christ is glorified.

7. To see how GOD MAKES AN EXCELLENT MEDICINE from such poisonous ingredients, cannot be but very delightful! Romans 8:28

The struggle against indwelling sin is difficult for sure. But when we remember God's sovereign use of indwelling sin in His people for their good and His glory, it helps us press on in the faith with our eyes fixed on Jesus. He will one day graciously give us the full victory over sin!

Romans 8:29 NIV

[29] For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

2 Peter 3:13 NIV

[13] But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

Jude 1:24-25 NIV

[24] To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy--- [25] to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

** Daniel and others refused to worship and were reported to the king for their disobedience; Nebuchadnezzar’s challenge that their God could not save them came back to embarrass him

Daniel 3:15-18 NIV

[15] Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” [16] Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. [17] If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand. [18] But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. ”

Daniel 3:21-26 NIV

[21] So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. [22] The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, [23] and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. [24] Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” [25] He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” [26] Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire

** Daniel’s friends were promoted and God was recognized as the all-powerful God because they stood their ground against the king’s edict

Daniel 3:28-30 NIV

[28] Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. [29] Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” [30] Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

** The arrogance of the Babylonians (drinking from Jewish goblets previously dedicated to their temple) was not tolerated by God, who wrote a message of warning on the wall for all to see

Daniel 5:3-5 NIV

[3] So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. [4] As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. [5] Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote.

Daniel 5:22-24 NIV

[22] “But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. [23] Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. [24] Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.

** Babylon thought it was secure as indicated by their partying, while their enemies (Medes and Persians) were diverting their water from the Euphrates without them knowing

This is a similar image of western society being asleep as their culture is under attack, only to wake up one day and ask “what happened?”

Daniel 5:1 NIV

[1] King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them

** God allows us to undergo difficulty so we recognize His deliverance; besides applying this to any particular deliverance, we should have in our thoughts the great work of redemption by Jesus Christ by which believers were rescued from Satan <H83>

Psalm 124:1-5 NIV

[1] If the Lord had not been on our side---let Israel say--- [2] if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us, [3] they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us; [4] the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, [5] the raging waters would have swept us away.

** God dealt with the king’s pride in a very overt way

Daniel 5:20-21 NIV

[20] But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. [21] He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.

Daniel 5:26-28 NIV

[26] “Here is what these words mean: Mene : God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. [27] Tekel : You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. [28] Peres : Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

Daniel 5:30-31 NIV

[30] That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, [31] and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.

** The king was not ignorant of what he should do and therefore knew he would experience the greatest judgment

Daniel 5:22,30-31 NIV

[22] “But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. [30] That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, [31] and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.

Daniel 5:30-31 NIV

[30] That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, [31] and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.

** God leaves room for people to repent and acknowledge Him as 'sovereign over all', as indicated in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream

• Nebuchadnezzar decided to glory in his own accomplishments so God immediately humbled him

• As punishment for his pride, Nebuchadnezzar would dwell with the beasts of the field and eat grass like oxen until he knew that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses <D497>

• Nebuchadnezzar later repented after his suffering and was restored to his throne

Daniel 4:24-26 NIV

[24] “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: [25] You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. [26] The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.

Daniel 4:29-31 NIV

[29] Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, [30] he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” [31] Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you.

Daniel 4:34-37 NIV

[34] At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. [35] All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” [36] At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. [37] Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

** May Israel say — the danger was so great, their helplessness so manifest, and the deliverance was so clearly the work of God, that it was proper to say that if this had not occurred, ruin would have been inevitable and entire <C33>

Psalm 124:6-8 NIV

[6] Praise be to the Lord, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. [7] We have escaped like a bird from the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. [8] Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

** God will continue to use the prophet’s writings to convey His message; for example, God will address Gog by saying they were forewarned through Ezekiel’s writings <T203>

Ezekiel 38:17 NIV

[17] “ 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You are the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel. At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them.

** One of the many signs — perhaps the most significant — is Israel becoming a nation again and the Jews returning to make it productive; Israel became a nation in 1948 and is the 8th most powerful country in the world today!

Ezekiel 38:8 NIV

[8] After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.

** In Ezekiel's day, Israel had not existed for 150 years and there would not be a place named "Israel" for another 2520 years; when the Jewish people returned to their land, they were ruled by Rome and the land was called Palestine

Ezekiel's prophetic writing, however, speaks of a future land of Israel, where "the people [would be] gathered from the nations” (vs12)

Ezekiel 38:12 NIV

[12] I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.

** Have you noticed that many pastors and church members have no trouble believing that God allowed Assyria to destroy the Northern Kingdom of Israel, He allowed Babylon to destroy the Southern Kingdom of Judah, and He allowed the Roman Empire to destroy the restored nation of Israel?

It is easy for some pastors and church members to admit that the Jews abandoned God, they stopped keeping His Commandments, they started worshiping idols, they started sacrificing their children, etc., so He allowed their enemies to destroy their nation.

But it is difficult for some pastors and church members to admit that God would destroy America or send the Tribulation Period upon the whole world for abandoning Him in our generation.

If God’s judgment fell upon the Jews for abandoning Him in Old Testament times, why wouldn’t this God that never changes let His judgment fall upon America and the world for abandoning Him? <D41>

** God does not take pleasure or want to punish the sinner for his sin but pleads that they turn from their sin; God loves us that He does not want sin to harm us

Ezekiel 33:11 NIV

[11] Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?'

** Purpose of God's judgment and consequent discipline is to bring glory to God

Ezekiel 39:27-29 NIV

[27] When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of many nations. [28] Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. [29] I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord. ”

** God’s punishment against nations was intended to get people to focus on Him

Ezekiel 32:15 NIV

[15] When I make Egypt desolate and strip the land of everything in it, when I strike down all who live there, then they will know that I am the Lord. '

** All things are possible with God, for He can “dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish”

Ezekiel reasoned that just as a strong tree like Assyria fell (609BC) so can Egypt fall (568BC) <M130>

Ezekiel 17:22-24 NIV

[22] “ 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. [23] On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches. [24] All the trees of the forest will know that I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. “ 'I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it. ' ”

Ezekiel 31:3,8-9 NIV

[3] Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, its top above the thick foliage. [8] The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor could the junipers equal its boughs, nor could the plane trees compare with its branches---no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty. [9] I made it beautiful with abundant branches, the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God.

Ezekiel 31:10-12 NIV

[10] “ 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud of its height, [11] I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside, [12] and the most ruthless of foreign nations cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys; its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth came out from under its shade and left it.

** God used the king of Babylon and his army as instruments of destruction so they would recognize Him, making one wicked man a scourge to another; at this time, no place in the land of Egypt escaped the fury of the Chaldeans

Ezekiel 30:10-12 NIV

[10] “ 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “ 'I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. [11] He and his army---the most ruthless of nations---will be brought in to destroy the land. They will draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain. [12] I will dry up the waters of the Nile and sell the land to an evil nation; by the hand of foreigners I will lay waste the land and everything in it. I the Lord have spoken.

Ezekiel 30:17,19 NIV

[17] The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis will fall by the sword, and the cities themselves will go into captivity. [19] So I will inflict punishment on Egypt, and they will know that I am the Lord.' ”

Ezekiel 30:24-26 NIV

[24] I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man. [25] I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt. [26] I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord. ”

** God used the taking of Ezekiel’s wife as a sign to Israel; just as Ezekiel was not to mourn the death of his wife, so Israel was not to mourn the death of her families

Ezekiel 24:20-24 NIV

[20] So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: [21] Say to the people of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary---the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword. [22] And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard or eat the customary food of mourners. [23] You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep but will waste away because of your sins and groan among yourselves. [24] Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.'

** As difficult as it was, Ezekiel was obedient to God’s command not to mourn the death of his wife and became a heartbreaking sign to his people because of how precious his wife was to him

Ezekiel 24:18 NIV

[18] So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded

** We are assured "that all things work together for good, to those who love God." The afflictions of this life, are the faithful corrections of a kind and tender Father. "For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and He scourges every son whom He receives."

How consoling the reflection — that all our sufferings are designed to mortify and subdue our corruptions, to wean us from the world, and lead us to a more humble and constant sense of dependence upon God! How ungrateful for a child of God to repine at the dealings of such a tender and faithful Father!

God will give us all that He sees is best for us. And surely we ought to be satisfied with this; for He who sees the end from the beginning, must know much better than we what is for our good. It is our duty to maintain a contented and cheerful spirit in every situation of life. <N151>

Hebrews 12:5-7 NIV

[5] And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, [6] because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” [7] Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?

• Were all prosperity: we would be lifted up in pride.

• Were all adversity: we would faint under the heavy load.

God's ways are just and equal--look back and see. Had times been pleasant with you, and experience been sweet? How surely they were followed by deadness in the soul! Your joy was gone, you knew not why. Ah! but God knew it. It was the adjusting of the scales, that nothing might be out of balance. Has life gone prosperously? Sooner or later, crosses came--some disappointment, something to bring you down, something or other, counter to your will. It was the adjusting of the scales. And just so with health, and other comforts--God keeps the scales perfectly balanced. <M138>

Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV

[14] When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

** People have opportunity to understand why calamity is upon them, for they will be reminded of their guilt

Ezekiel 21:7 NIV

[7] And when they ask you, 'Why are you groaning? ' you shall say, 'Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear and every hand go limp; every spirit will become faint and every leg will be wet with urine.' It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Ezekiel 21:24 NIV

[24] “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: 'Because you people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you do---because you have done this, you will be taken captive.

** God got Israel’s attention; He woke them to recognize their sin and its consequences

Ezekiel 21:14-15 NIV

[14] “So then, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together. Let the sword strike twice, even three times. It is a sword for slaughter---a sword for great slaughter, closing in on them from every side. [15] So that hearts may melt with fear and the fallen be many, I have stationed the sword for slaughter at all their gates. Look! It is forged to strike like lightning, it is grasped for slaughter.

** God knows that most Israelites and unbelieving Gentiles will need to go through the Tribulation to come to a point of repentance

Ezekiel 20:39,42-43 NIV

[39] “ 'As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols. [42] Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors. [43] There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done.

** God declares Himself to us in so many ways, if only we would pay attention <D40>

Consider the following:

• Physical manifestation of His presence through the birth of His Son Jesus; expressed through words in Christmas carols such as “O Come Emmanuel” (God with us)

• Communication embodiment of His presence through His eternal word, revealing His thoughts, desires, law/edicts, joys, workings through His people, prophecies, etc — full revelation of God revealed to the human race for thousands of years

• Revealing Himself via the Holy Spirit personally through His people

• Revealing Himself continually via the Holy Spirit; “God in them” inspiring practices such as hospitals, orphanages, healthcare — many of the things we take for granted today were established from Christian love and emulated by Christ Himself

Matthew 1:23 NIV

[23] “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Luke 7:16-17 NIV

[16] They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” [17] This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

Romans 1:17 NIV

[17] For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed---a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Romans 16:26-27 NIV

[26] but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith--- [27] to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Ephesians 1:3 NIV

[3] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

2 John 1:3 NIV

[3] Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love.

** God’s discipline is to encourage His children to return to more-innocent days; restoration will be by grace, not merit

Ezekiel 16:53-55 NIV

[53] “ 'However, I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them, [54] so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. [55] And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before.

Ezekiel 16:59-60,63 NIV

[59] “ 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant. [60] Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. [63] Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord. ' ”

** Ananias and Sapphira loved money more than the Lord and lied to both man and God; they sold their property in efforts to be liked by others (tainted offering) and not to glorify God

Acts 5:9-10 NIV

[9] Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” [10] At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

Matthew 6:1-4 NIV

[1] “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. [2] “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. [3] But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, [4] so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 NIV

[6] But godliness with contentment is great gain. [7] For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. [8] But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. [9] Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. [10] For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

** People may mock and think nothing comes of prophetic warnings but God WILL fulfill His Word and promises, putting an end to false utterances

Ezekiel 12:21-25 NIV

[21] The word of the Lord came to me: [22] “Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: 'The days go by and every vision comes to nothing'? [23] Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.' Say to them, 'The days are near when every vision will be fulfilled. [24] For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations among the people of Israel. [25] But I the Lord will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, you rebellious people, I will fulfill whatever I say, declares the Sovereign Lord.' ”

Ezekiel 12:26-28 NIV

[26] The word of the Lord came to me: [27] “Son of man, the Israelites are saying, 'The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.' [28] “Therefore say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.' ”

** God had plans to kill the prince after he was taken to Babylon, then scatter the rest to other nations and leave the land desolate so the people would finally know that “I am the Lord”

Ezekiel 12:13-16 NIV

[13] I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die. [14] I will scatter to the winds all those around him---his staff and all his troops---and I will pursue them with drawn sword. [15] “They will know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries. [16] But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that in the nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the Lord. ”

Ezekiel 12:20 NIV

[20] The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ' ”

** The land of Israel would lay waste until it was repopulated and worked over again 1900 years later, then usher in the ‘end times’

Ezekiel 12:20 NIV

[20] The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ' ”

** ASK God in faith what you need to do to obtain security after this life and obey His direction; the unrepentant person will not seek Him unless HE opens their eyes, for no one can recognize God on their own without His help

Ezekiel 11:19-20 NIV

[19] I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. [20] Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

Ezekiel 36:25-26 NIV

[25] I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. [26] I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Galatians 3:13-14 NIV

[13] Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” [14] He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

** We often get anxious asking, “when in Christ going to return?” but remember that God wants to give opportunity to the (estimated) 150,000 people who come to Christ daily and remember that His timetable is not our own <S188>

2 Peter 3:8 NIV

[8] But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

** It used to be a custom for travelers in Switzerland to bring home clusters of the edelweiss. The flower is not sought because of its beauty or for its fragrance, but in recognition of its hardiness and victoriousness in living and blooming under very difficult conditions. It grows on the Alps and Pyrenees, at lofty altitudes, where almost nothing else lives, and on crags difficult of access, and is among the hardiest of all plants.

Thus the edelweiss becomes the symbol of noble life which…

• endures hardness,

• is victorious amid antagonisms,

• rises superior to obstacles.

The man who has never known hardship, who never has had to practice self-denial or make a personal sacrifice — may be the envy of other men whose lives have been one continual struggle. They may think that if they could have had his easy circumstances, that they could have made a great deal more of their life. But really, their opportunities in life thus far, has been far better than his. Christian character is made in the field of struggle and hardship, not in ways of ease and luxury.

• Hindrances are opportunities.

• Difficulty is a school for character.

Strength is the glory of manhood. Yet it is not easy to be strong, it is easier to be weak and to drift. It is easier for the boy in school not to work hard to get his lessons--but to let them go, and then at the last depend on some other boy to help him through. <M136>

** The voice of God can be found in a still small whisper; if we want to hear what He has to say, we need to ‘turn down the volume’ on all the distractions of life around us <F60>

1 Kings 19:11-13 NIV

[11] The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. [12] After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. [13] When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

** It grieves God when His children turn their attention away from Him, lusting after idols

Ezekiel 6:9b NIV

[9] …How I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their detestable practices.

** It is just for God to make that a desolation, which we make an idol; the day is at hand when God will destroy the idols from professed Christian churches as they were from among the Jews <H83>

Ezekiel 6:11,13-14 NIV

[11] “ 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Strike your hands together and stamp your feet and cry out “Alas!” because of all the wicked and detestable practices of the people of Israel, for they will fall by the sword, famine and plague. [13] And they will know that I am the Lord, when their people lie slain among their idols around their altars, on every high hill and on all the mountaintops, under every spreading tree and every leafy oak---places where they offered fragrant incense to all their idols. [14] And I will stretch out my hand against them and make the land a desolate waste from the desert to Diblah---wherever they live. Then they will know that I am the Lord. ' ”

** The prophets often foreshowed impending judgments by significant emblems, which usually strike more powerfully than words. So Jeremiah was commanded to go down to the potter’s house and observe how frequently vessels were marred in his hands (Jer 18) and to take one of those earthen vessels and break it in the sight of the elders of the Jews (Jer 19) that they might thereby be sensibly taught the greatness of God’s power and their own frailty. So here God commands Ezekiel to take a tile, or such a slate as mathematical lines or figures are usually drawn upon, and there to make a portrait of Jerusalem, thereby to represent it as under a siege. <C34>

Ezekiel 4:1-3 NIV

[1] “Now, son of man, take a block of clay, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. [2] Then lay siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp up to it, set up camps against it and put battering rams around it. [3] Then take an iron pan, place it as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face toward it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the people of Israel.

Jeremiah 18:1-6 NIV

[1] This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: [2] “Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message.” [3] So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. [4] But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. [5] Then the word of the Lord came to me. [6] He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.

Jeremiah 19:1-2,10-11 NIV

[1] This is what the Lord says: “Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take along some of the elders of the people and of the priests [2] and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom, near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. There proclaim the words I tell you, [10] “Then break the jar while those who go with you are watching, [11] and say to them, 'This is what the Lord Almighty says: I will smash this nation and this city just as this potter's jar is smashed and cannot be repaired. They will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room.

** There are times when it is necessary Christians are BOLD and controversial when interacting with others

• Christ did not come to earth to ‘fit into society’ but challenged even the religious leader’s thinking

• Calling the religious leaders ‘whitewashed tombs’ were not words intended to build their self-esteem but to challenge their thinking

• Paul encouraged Christians in Ephesus to disassociate themselves from evil doers and expose them

• Remain strong in your conviction!

Ephesians 5:11 NIV

[11] Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

Romans 13:12 NIV

[12] The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

** Old Testament prophets were called to be watchmen, warning people of their sin and God’s impending wrath

• They were specifically held accountable if others died in their sin and the prophets did not warn them

Ezekiel 3:17-19 NIV

[17] “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. [18] When I say to a wicked person, 'You will surely die, ' and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. [19] But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.

• Israel’s spiritual watchmen bore a heavy responsibility before the Lord

• If a prophet failed to warn others as God had appointed him to do, his own life was in danger, and he would be held accountable for the people’s sin

Ezekiel 33:2-6 NIV

[2] “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: 'When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, [3] and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, [4] then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. [5] Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. [6] But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone's life, that person's life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.'

• A watchman who was blind or disobedient to the Lord’s Word left the people he was called to protect open to danger and suffering

• Obedience is the only course of action for a true watchman

Isaiah 56:10 NIV

[10] Israel's watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep.

Ezekiel 33:9 NIV

[9] But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.

• The role of spiritual watchman continues in the New Testament in the form of church leaders

Hebrews 13:17 NIV

[17] Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

• In another sense, God calls not just leaders, but all Christians to be watchmen

• Jesus told His disciples to “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38)

• We should be ready and waiting for the Lord’s return <G72>

Luke 12:35-40 NIV

[35] “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, [36] like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. [37] It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. [38] It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. [39] But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. [40] You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

** The prophet Ezekiel was to represent the siege of Jerusalem by signs and lie on his left side for a number of days, equal to the years the Jews were captivated by idolatry; Ezekiel was to show how sin was causing the destruction of Jerusalem <H83>

Ezekiel 4:4-6 NIV

[4] “Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the people of Israel upon yourself. You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side. [5] I have assigned you the same number of days as the years of their sin. So for 390 days you will bear the sin of the people of Israel. [6] “After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin of the people of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year.

** God gave the prophet Ezekiel everything needed to deal with the hard-hearted and obstinate exiles he was to approach in ministry; God lifted Ezekiel to the place he needed to be and later told him where to go

Ezekiel 3:4-9 NIV

[4] He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. [5] You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel--- [6] not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. [7] But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate. [8] But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. [9] I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people. ”

Ezekiel 3:12-15 NIV

[12] Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound as the glory of the Lord rose from the place where it was standing. [13] It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound. [14] The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord on me. [15] I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Aviv near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days---deeply distressed.

Ezekiel 3:22-24 NIV

[22] The hand of the Lord was on me there, and he said to me, “Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.” [23] So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. [24] Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: “Go, shut yourself inside your house.

** We are called to witness to others whether we think they will listen or not — leave the results of your obedience in God’s hands

Ezekiel 2:3-5 NIV

[3] He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day. [4] The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says.' [5] And whether they listen or fail to listen---for they are a rebellious people---they will know that a prophet has been among them.

Ezekiel 2:7 NIV

[7] You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.

** The voice that spoke to Ezekiel was believed to be the Most High in words that were understandably articulate; like Daniel who also received word/direction from God, Ezekiel became weak when confronted by God and told to stand <C32>

Ezekiel 2:1-2 NIV

[1] He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you. ” [2] As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

Daniel 10:11 NIV

[11] He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.

** Jeremiah reminds the reader why his people are suffering — because “we have sinned”

Lamentations 5:15-16 NIV

[15] Joy is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. [16] The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!

** The author of Lamentations understands God bringing grief because of Jerusalem’s many sins

Lamentations 1:5 NIV

[5] Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. The Lord has brought her grief because of her many sins. Her children have gone into exile, captive before the foe.

Lamentations 1:8 NIV

[8] Jerusalem has sinned greatly and so has become unclean. All who honored her despise her, for they have all seen her naked; she herself groans and turns away.

** God willingly destroyed His creation because Israel continued in evil

Lamentations 2:6 NIV

[6] He has laid waste his dwelling like a garden; he has destroyed his place of meeting. The Lord has made Zion forget her appointed festivals and her Sabbaths; in his fierce anger he has spurned both king and priest.

Lamentations 2:8-9 NIV

[8] The Lord determined to tear down the wall around Daughter Zion. He stretched out a measuring line and did not withhold his hand from destroying. He made ramparts and walls lament; together they wasted away. [9] Her gates have sunk into the ground; their bars he has broken and destroyed. Her king and her princes are exiled among the nations, the law is no more, and her prophets no longer find visions from the Lord.

** The audacity of mortal men, who are weaker than angels, proclaiming themselves either greater than God (by denying He exists), or greater than God’s servants (of whom, they beat, kill, and imprison for sharing the Good News). Think about the wrath they are storing up for themselves. Think about the demonic forces (who are more powerful than we) and how they tremble at the thought of God’s wrath. This should be cause for great concern for those denying the coming of our Lord and the truth about where we are on God’s prophetic timeline. <G70>

Ephesians 5:5-6 NIV

[5] For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person---such a person is an idolater---has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. [6] Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

John 3:36 NIV

[36] Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them.

** The image that floats before the poet’s mind is that of a dark thundercloud breaking into a tempest, which overflows Jerusalem’s “perfection of beauty” <C32>

Lamentations 2:1-2 NIV

[1] How the Lord has covered Daughter Zion

with the cloud of his anger ! He has hurled down the splendor of Israel from heaven to earth; he has not remembered his footstool in the day of his anger. [2] Without pity the Lord has swallowed up all the dwellings of Jacob; in his wrath he has torn down the strongholds of Daughter Judah. He has brought her kingdom and its princes down to the ground in dishonor.

Lamentations 2:15 NIV

[15] All who pass your way clap their hands at you; they scoff and shake their heads at Daughter Jerusalem: “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?”

** Babylon laid siege on Jerusalem for 2 years and eventually broke through the wall; Zedekiah’s flight was in vain because there is no escaping the judgment of God for the sinner <H83>

Jeremiah 52:4-9 NIV

[4] So in the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. They encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it. [5] The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. [6] By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. [7] Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled. They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king's garden, though the Babylonians were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah, [8] but the Babylonian army pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, [9] and he was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him.

** The country of Moab did not experience ‘suffering upon suffering’ — similar to wine being sifted as it is poured from one container to another — so her sin was not made conscious through difficulty; the nation therefore settled into its own sin and God’s judgment rested upon her <M130>

Jeremiah 48:11-12 NIV

[11] “Moab has been at rest from youth, like wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another---she has not gone into exile. So she tastes as she did, and her aroma is unchanged. [12] But days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will send men who pour from pitchers, and they will pour her out; they will empty her pitchers and smash her jars.

Jeremiah 48:16-17 NIV

[16] “The fall of Moab is at hand; her calamity will come quickly. [17] Mourn for her, all who live around her, all who know her fame; say, 'How broken is the mighty scepter, how broken the glorious staff!'

** God allows [shadow of the four horsemen] to foreshadow the horror to come. Not to scare the believer, but as a warning for us that time is running out. The reason it is obvious to us, and not the world is because the world is not looking for it. Furthermore, they are incapable of understanding what is transpiring right in front of their very eyes. The convergence of the signs is for those who are watching to know the season and to see that day approaching, as the Bible instructs.

“Shadows are interesting things. They communicate a reality, yet, they themselves are not really real. They indicate the thing that is coming, yet, they are not the things themselves.” <O1591>

Luke 21:28 NIV

[28] When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

** God has a ‘red line’ or ‘boiling point’ that invokes His wrath when His people continue in unabated sin; punishment ensues because people need to be reminded of God’s sovereignty!

Jeremiah 44:22-23 NIV

[22] When the Lord could no longer endure your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became a curse and a desolate waste without inhabitants, as it is today. [23] Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed him or followed his law or his decrees or his stipulations, this disaster has come upon you, as you now see.”

Jeremiah 44:27-28 NIV

[27] For I am watching over them for harm, not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish by sword and famine until they are all destroyed. [28] Those who escape the sword and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few. Then the whole remnant of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will stand---mine or theirs.

** God continues to discipline His people “in due measure” and “not let [us] go entirely unpunished”, ensuring that we reap the consequences of what we sow

Jeremiah 46:27-28 NIV

[27] “Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. [28] Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant, for I am with you,” declares the Lord. “Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only in due measure; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”

** God will bring down the proud and sinful; they will have no secure place to live

Jeremiah 49:16 NIV

[16] The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of the hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle's, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 49:18 NIV

[18] As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, along with their neighboring towns,” says the Lord, “so no one will live there; no people will dwell in it.

Jeremiah 49:31 NIV

[31] “Arise and attack a nation at ease, which lives in confidence,” declares the Lord, “a nation that has neither gates nor bars; its people live far from danger.

** God opposes the arrogant

Jeremiah 50:31-32 NIV

[31] “See, I am against you, you arrogant one,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty, “for your day has come, the time for you to be punished. [32] The arrogant one will stumble and fall and no one will help her up; I will kindle a fire in her towns that will consume all who are around her.”

** The wounds God inflicts on His enemies cannot be healed by medicines, anymore than armies can protect themselves when God is against them

Jeremiah 46:4-5 NIV

[4] Harness the horses, mount the steeds! Take your positions with helmets on! Polish your spears, put on your armor! [5] What do I see? They are terrified, they are retreating, their warriors are defeated. They flee in haste without looking back, and there is terror on every side,” declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 46:9-10 NIV

[9] Charge, you horses! Drive furiously, you charioteers! March on, you warriors---men of Cush and Put who carry shields, men of Lydia who draw the bow. [10] But that day belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty---a day of vengeance , for vengeance on his foes. The sword will devour till it is satisfied, till it has quenched its thirst with blood. For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.

Jeremiah 46:11,15 NIV

[11] “Go up to Gilead and get balm, Virgin Daughter Egypt. But you try many medicines in vain; there is no healing for you. [15] Why will your warriors be laid low? They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.

** Our Father is the gardener; we are branches under His care. He watches over our lives. The painful afflictions which cut into our very souls, the taking from us of objects that are dear to us, as when the gardener with his sharp knife removes luxuriant branches from the vine — are our Father's prunings! No hand but His, ever holds the knife! We are sure, then, that there is never any careless cutting, any unwise or mistaken pruning, any needless removing of rich branches or growths.

We really need to go no farther than this. A strong, abiding confidence that all the trials, sorrows and losses of our lives are parts of our Father's pruning ought to silence every question, quiet every fear and give peace and restful assurance to our hearts, in all their pain. We cannot know the reason for the painful strokes, but we know that He who holds the pruning-knife is our Father! That is all we need to know. <M136>

John 15:1-2 NIV

[1] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. [2] He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

** God wanted to make sure His message was received by everyone (including the king and His people) so He had Jeremiah write down what God had spoken to him; Jeremiah created a second scroll after King Jehoiakim burned the first

Jeremiah 36:2-3 NIV

[2] “Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. [3] Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn from their wicked ways; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin.”

Jeremiah 36:27-28,32 NIV

[27] After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah's dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: [28] “Take another scroll and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up. [32] So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.

** Baruch not only recorded Jeremiah’s dictation but read God’s words in the temple

Jeremiah 36:4-6,8 NIV

[4] So Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and while Jeremiah dictated all the words the Lord had spoken to him, Baruch wrote them on the scroll. [5] Then Jeremiah told Baruch, “I am restricted; I am not allowed to go to the Lord's temple. [6] So you go to the house of the Lord on a day of fasting and read to the people from the scroll the words of the Lord that you wrote as I dictated. Read them to all the people of Judah who come in from their towns. [8] Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do; at the Lord's temple he read the words of the Lord from the scroll.

** Our Christian life demonstrated through our faith is a muscle like others in our body that need to be used & tested in order to grow

• We lose muscles we don’t use and the same will happen to our faith if we don’t exercise it

• Put into action your belief in God, that He hears you, loves you, wants what is best for you, is sovereign above all else… and then leave the results to Him

2 Corinthians 1:24 NIV

[24] Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.

1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV

[3] We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

James 2:22-24 NIV

[22] You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. [23] And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God's friend. [24] You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

** Israel’s first birth happened when Joshua brought God’s people into the Promised Land; Israel’s second birth was in 1948 in one day, exactly as Isaiah proclaimed 2500 years ago! <H84>

Isaiah 66:7-9 NIV

[7] “Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. [8] Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. [9] Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?” says the Lord. “Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?” says your God.

Ezekiel 34:13 NIV

[13] I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.

** We are apt to forget that the aim of God with us, is…

• not to flood us with tenderness all the time,

• not to keep our path always strewn with flowers,

• not to continually give us everything we want,

• not to save us from all manner of suffering.

No! God's aim with us, is…

• to make something of us,

• to build up strong and noble character in us,

• to mature qualities of grace and beauty in us,

• to make us more like Christ!

To do this, He must ofttimes deny us what we ask for and must seem indifferent to our cries. "Jesus did not answer her a word!"

There are 'sentimental ideas of God' prevalent which are dishonoring to Him. There are those who imagine that God's love means tenderness that cannot cause pain. They think that He cannot look a moment on suffering without relieving it; that He must instantly hear and answer every cry for the removal of trouble.

Not such a God, is the God of the Bible! When suffering is the best thing for us, He is not too sympathetic to let us suffer until the work of suffering is accomplished in us. He is not too kind to be silent to our prayers when it is better that He should be silent for a time to allow…

• faith to grow strong,

• self-confidence to be swept away, and

• the evil in us to be burned out in the furnace of pain!

There is a danger with all of us — our tenderness lacks strength. We cannot tolerate to see people suffer and so we hasten to give relief before the ministry of suffering is accomplished. We think of our mission to others as being only 'to make life easier for them'. We are continually lifting away burdens, which it were better to have left resting longer on our friend's shoulder! We are eager to make life easy for our children when it were better if it had been left hard.

We must learn that God does not deal with us in this 'sentimental' way. He is not too tender to see us suffer, if more suffering is needed to work in us the discipline that will make us like Christ! Here we have the key of many of the 'mysteries of Providence'.

Life is not easy for us — and God does not intend it to be easy!

Suppose for a moment, that God immediately gave us everything we ask for and immediately removed every little pain, trouble, difficulty, and hardness that we seek to have removed. What would be the result on us? How selfish it would make us! We would become weak — unable to endure suffering, to bear trial, to carry burdens, or to struggle. We would be only children always, and would never rise into manly strength. God's over-kindness to us would pamper in us all the worst elements of our nature and would make us only poor driveling creatures!

On the other hand, however, God's wise and firm treatment of us teaches us the great lessons which make us strong with the strength of Christ Himself.

• He teaches us to yield our own will to Him.

• He develops in us patience, faith, love, hope and peace.

• He trains us to endure hardness, that we may grow heroic, courageous and strong. <M136>

Matthew 15:22-23 NIV

[22] A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” [23] Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

Hebrews 12:6-10 NIV

[6] because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” [7] Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? [8] If you are not disciplined---and everyone undergoes discipline---then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. [9] Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! [10] They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.

** There are 4 types of God’s wrath:

1. Direct wrath - what God did to Sodom & Gomorrah

2. Eschatological wrath - in the Day of our Lord in the end times

3. Eternal wrath - some will face in Hell

4. Abandonment wrath - when God turns people over to their sin <H89>

Romans 1:18-20 NIV

[18] The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, [19] since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. [20] For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities---his eternal power and divine nature---have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Colossians 3:5-6 NIV

[5] Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. [6] Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.

** When the Lord takes the time to rebuke you, to convict you, or to show you that you’re doing something wrong, it isn’t because He hates you. Rather, it’s because He loves you. And that very discipline is a reminder of your relationship with Him. <L120>

Hebrews 12:6 NIV

[6] because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

** Could we transport ourselves above the moon, could we reach the highest star above our heads--we would instantly discover new skies, new stars, new suns, new systems, and perhaps more magnificently adorned! But even there the vast dominions of our great Creator would not terminate; we would then find, to our astonishment, that we had only arrived at the borders of the works of God!

It is but little that we can know of His works, but that little should teach us to be humble, and to admire God's wisdom, power and goodness. How great must that Being be…

• who produced these immense globes out of nothing,

• who regulates their courses, and

• whose mighty hand directs and supports them all!

What is this clod of earth which we inhabit, with all the magnificent scenes it presents to us--in comparison of those innumerable worlds? Were this earth annihilated, its absence would no more be observed than the removal of a grain of sand from the vast sea shore! What then are all our fine homes and belongings--when compared with those infinite worlds? They are but atoms dancing in the air, which are revealed to us by the sunbeams!

What then am I, when reckoned among the infinite number of God's creatures? I am lost in my own nothingness!

But as little as I appear in this respect--I find myself great in others. There is great beauty in this starry skies which God has chosen for His throne! How admirable are those celestial bodies! I am dazzled with their splendor, and enchanted with their beauty! But notwithstanding this, however beautiful, and however richly adorned--yet this sky is void of intelligence. It is a stranger to its own beauty--while I, who am mere clay molded by a divine hand, am endowed with sense and reason. I can contemplate the beauty of these shining worlds; nay, more, I am already, to a certain degree, acquainted with their sublime Author; and by faith I see some small rays of His divine glory.

O may I be more and more acquainted with His works and make the study of them my employ, until by a glorious change I rise to dwell with Him above the starry regions! <S1996>

Psalm 8:3-5 NIV

[3] When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, [4] what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? [5] You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.

** The Macedonian Call

• The Holy Spirit forbade Paul from continuing west on his journey into Asia (modern day Turkey) but directed him to Macedonia (modern day Greece)

• Macedonia was the cradle of western civilization

• God knew His message needed to be preached in this area so it would spread to the rest of the western world

Acts 16:6-8 NIV

[6] Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. [7] When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. [8] So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.

Acts 16:9-10 NIV

[9] During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” [10] After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

** God responded to Jeremiah’s complaint by telling him that if he grew faint in these lesser trials and felt like quitting, what would he do when the battle got harder? <M130>

“Our grief that there should be so much evil is often mixed with peevishness on account of the trials it occasions us” <H83>

Jeremiah 12:5 NIV

[5] “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?

** Serving is not an easy lesson to learn. But it is a lesson we must learn, if ever we would become like our Master. Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve. He served to the uttermost, just as He loved to the uttermost. Any service that needed to be done for another, He did as naturally and as simply as He breathed! He loved people, and was interested in them and was ready always to be helpful to them. It never mattered what the service was--whether it was the saving of a soul, the curing of a grievous sickness, or the giving of a cup of water. He did the least service as graciously and as divinely as the greatest!

The washing of feet was the lowliest service any man could do for another. It was the work of the lowliest slave. Yet Jesus without hesitation, did this service for His own disciples. Thus He taught them that nothing anyone may ever need to have done by another, is unfit for the holiest hands. We begin to be like Christ, only when we begin to love others enough to serve them, regardless of the lowliness of the particular service. <M136>

John 13:4-5 NIV

[4] so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. [5] After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

** God leads His people via His own appointed shepherds

Jeremiah 3:15 NIV

[15] Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.

** People are intrigued by sensationalism, so every claimed vision/message in a dream MUST be supported by Scripture; if it is not referenced and supported in Scripture then it is not worth considering <T203>

Joel 2:28-30 NIV

Acts 2:14-21 NIV

[14] Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. [15] These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! [16] No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: [17] “ 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. [18] Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. [19] I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. [20] The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. [21] And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

** God allowed Israel to be reborn as a nation in one day on May 14, 1948

• The Jews did not have their own land for almost 2000 years and were scattered across hundreds of nations with people & governments wanting to destroy them

• On November 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly voted 33 to 13 in favor of the partition plan designed to give a certain small amount of land for the creation of a modern-day state of Israel

• On that day, Israel achieved statehood, and on May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence! <M1513>

Isaiah 66:8 NIV

[8] Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.

Jeremiah 16:14-15 NIV

[14] “However, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, 'As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' [15] but it will be said, 'As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.' For I will restore them to the land I gave their ancestors.

Ezekiel 36:24-28 NIV

[24] “ 'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. [25] I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. [26] I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. [27] And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. [28] Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.

Malachi 3:6 NIV

[6] “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.

** The Lord is always patient and faithful in His relationships until it is evident when He has been tossed aside; God outlined in the book of Jeremiah the reason He divorced Himself from Israel and Judah

Jeremiah 3:6-8 NIV

[6] During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there. [7] I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. [8] I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery.

** God’s response to Israel rejecting Him was to bring charges against her

Jeremiah 2:9 NIV

[9] “Therefore I bring charges against you again,” declares the Lord. “And I will bring charges against your children's children.

Jeremiah 2:11,13 NIV

[11] Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols. [13] “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

** God, in His mercy, redeemed Israel until they rebelled against Him and He became their enemy; when they changed from their rebellious ways, God again forgave them... and so continues the cycle of God’s mercy

Isaiah 63:8-11a NIV

[8] He said, “Surely they are my people, children who will be true to me”; and so he became their Savior. [9] In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. [10] Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them. [11] Then his people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses and his people---

** God sometimes remains silent but He conveys to Israel that He will not remain silent any longer; God will lift His voice and the nations will hear

Isaiah 62:1-2 NIV

[1] For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. [2] The nations will see your vindication, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.

** When we align with Christ we are expected to suffer at the hands of those who do not believe — all for our ultimate good to become more Christlike, the will of God and God’s glory

• Our faith is tested by our suffering while God turns our anxious prayers into comfort

• Maintain a joy-filled perspective in all circumstances and look beyond the temporary suffering to the positive result that ultimately awaits

1 Peter 4:1-2 NIV

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. [2] As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

1 Peter 4:3-5 NIV

For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do---living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. [4] They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. [5] But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

Romans 8:18 NIV

[18] I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

** God pointed out to Jeremiah that his own family had betrayed him even though they outwardly spoke well of him

Jeremiah 12:6 NIV

[6] Your relatives, members of your own family---even they have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.

** Paul tells us that his "thorn" was given to him to keep him humble, and save him from spiritual peril. Without it, he would have been exalted above measure and would have lost his spirituality. We do not know how much of his deep insight into the things of God, and his power in service for his Master, was owed to Paul’s torturing "thorn". It seemed to hinder him, and it caused him incessant suffering but it detained him in the low valley of humility, made him ever conscious of his own weakness and insufficiency, and thus kept him near to Christ whose home is with the humble.

There are few people who do not have some "thorn" rankling in their flesh. Who has not his thorn?

We should never forget that in one sense, our thorn is a "messenger of Satan" who desires to:

• Hurt our life

• Mar our peace

• Spoil the divine beauty in us, and

• Break our communion with Christ

On the other hand, however, Christ Himself has a loving design in our "thorn." He wants it to be a blessing to us. He would have it keep us humble and save us from becoming vain. Or He means it to soften our hearts and make us more gentle. He would have the uncongenial things in our environment to discipline us into heavenly-mindedness, give us greater self-control, and help us to keep our hearts loving and sweet. He would have our pain teach us endurance and patience; and our sorrow and loss teach us faith.

Thus, our thorn may either be a choice blessing to us — or it may do us irreparable harm. <M136>

2 Corinthians 12:7 NIV

[7] or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

** Where the Holy Spirit is, there will always be deep conviction of sin and true repentance for it. It is His special office to convict of sin.

• Holy Spirit shows the exceeding holiness of God

• He teaches the exceeding corruption and infirmity of our nature

• He strips us of our blind self-righteousness

• He opens our eyes to our awful guilt, folly and danger

• He fills the heart with sorrow, contrition, and abhorrence for sin — as the abominable thing which God hates

He who knows nothing of all this, and saunters carelessly through life, thoughtless about sin, and indifferent and unconcerned about his soul is a dead man before God! He has not the Holy Spirit.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in a man's heart can only be known by the fruits and effects He produces. Mysterious and invisible to mortal eye as His operations are, they always lead to certain visible and tangible results.

Just as you know there is life in a tree by its sap, buds, leaves and fruits — so you may know the Spirit to be in a man's heart by the influence He exercises over his thoughts, affections, opinions, habits, and life. I lay this down broadly and unhesitatingly; I see it clearly marked out in our Lord Jesus Christ's words in Luke 6. <R170>

John 16:8 NIV

[8] When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment

Luke 6:43-45 NIV

[43] “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. [44] Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. [45] A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Jeremiah 31:3 NIV

[3] The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

** Sin separates us from God and He hides His face when we sin; we dare not ask God for anything when arrogantly continuing to live in sin

Isaiah 59:2-3,7 NIV

[2] But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. [3] For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things. [7] Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. They pursue evil schemes; acts of violence mark their ways.

** When people turn their backs on God, then rebellion, treachery, revolt, and lies abound while those who follow God become their prey; truth and justice is nowhere to be found

Isaiah 59:12-15 NIV

[12] For our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities: [13] rebellion and treachery against the Lord, turning our backs on our God, inciting revolt and oppression, uttering lies our hearts have conceived. [14] So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. [15] Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice.

** We are to look to our Creator when pursuing righteousness, for who knows us better than He?

Isaiah 51:1 NIV

[1] “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn

Isaiah 51:16 NIV

[16] I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand---I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, 'You are my people. ' ”

** God deeply loves His people even though anger drove Him away for a brief moment; God’s promises remain secure with a foundation of unfailing love toward His children — everything material will fall apart around us but His covenant remains secure <B20>

Isaiah 54:7-8 NIV

[7] “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. [8] In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord your Redeemer.

Isaiah 54:9-10 NIV

[9] “To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again. [10] Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Matthew 24:35 NIV

[35] Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Isaiah 51:6 NIV

[6] Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.

Isaiah 55:3,7,12 NIV

[3] Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. [7] Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. [12] You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Isaiah 59:21 NIV

[21] “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants---from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.

Isaiah 61:8 NIV

[8] “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them.

Isaiah 63:7 NIV

[7] I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us---yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.

Ezekiel 16:42 NIV

[42] Then my wrath against you will subside and my jealous anger will turn away from you; I will be calm and no longer angry.

** Gideon tried everything to convince the angel that he was NOT the one God was looking for — he was the black sheep of his family, and his family was the black sheep of his clan, and his clan was the black sheep of the tribes; but God knew exactly who He was calling because He wanted everyone to know who could defeat the Midianites

Judges 6:11-16 NIV

[11] The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. [12] When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior. ” [13] “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, 'Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” [14] The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?” [15] “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family. ” [16] The Lord answered, “I will be with you , and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

** God laid out the foundations of the earth and spread out the heavens to demonstrate His glory

Isaiah 48:12-14 NIV

[12] “Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last. [13] My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together. [14] “Come together, all of you, and listen: Which of the idols has foretold these things? The Lord's chosen ally will carry out his purpose against Babylon; his arm will be against the Babylonians.

** Afflictions tend to purify us. Before some of the vessels of the temple could be used for sacred purposes, they had to be put into the fire.

Just so, before we are prepared for the Master's use, it is needful that we pass through the furnace of affliction.

The human heart, like the soil of the earth, has to be torn up by the plowshare of tribulation, before it will produce much fruit of holiness. <T204>

Isaiah 48:10 NIV

[10] See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

Job 23:10 NIV

[10] But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

** The furnace of affliction! It is God's meeting place with His people. "I have chosen you," says He, "in the furnace of affliction. I will keep you there, until the purifying process is complete; and if need be, in a 'chariot of fire' I will carry you to heaven!"

Some fires are for destruction, but the furnace of affliction is for purification. He, the Refiner, is sitting by the furnace regulating the flames, tempering the heat; not the least filing of the gold but what is precious to Him! The bush is burning with fire, but He is in the middle of it; a living God in a bush; a living Savior in the furnace!

And has this not been the method of His dealing with His redeemed people in every age.

• First, trial — then blessing.

• First, difficulties — then deliverances.

• First, Egyptian plagues, darkness, brick kilns, the Red Sea, forty years of desert privations — then Canaan!

• First, the burning fiery furnace — then the vision of "one like the Son of God!"

• Or, as with Elijah on Carmel, the answer is first by fire — and then by rain.

• First, the fiery trial — then the gentle descent of the Spirit's influences, coming down like "rain upon the mown grass, and as showers that water the earth."

Believer! be it yours to ask, "Are my trials sanctified?" Are they making me holier, purer, better, more meek, more gentle, more heavenly-minded, more Savior-like? Seek to "glorify God in the fires." <M129>

Isaiah 48:10 NIV

[10] See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

** Dear Sir,

I received your letter, and dare not say that I am sorry for your fall, nor indeed for any afflictions that God lays on His children; they are tokens of His fatherly love, and needful medicine for us. Rather would I pray that while God keeps you in the furnace--you may be still, and feel your dross and tin being purged away.

The Lord Jesus gives me a dose of this medicine most days; and I am never so well as when I am taking it, though I frequently make a crooked face at it. If your heart is as my heart, it will need many a bitter potion to cleanse and strengthen it! Afflictions have been to me some of my greatest mercies.

No lasting gain do I get, but in a furnace. Comforts of every kind make me either light or lofty, and swell me, though unperceivably, with self-sufficiency. Indeed, so much dross, native and acquired, is found in my heart, that I have constant need of a furnace. Jesus has selected a suitable furnace for me, not a hot and hasty one, which seems likely to harden and consume me--but one with a gentle and lingering heat, which melts my heart gradually, and lets out some of its dross. Though I cannot love the furnace, yet the longer I live, the more I see of its need and its use. A believer seldom walks steadily and brightly, unless he is well-furnaced...

For His sake, I am your servant,

John Berridge, 1761

Isaiah 48:10 NIV

[10] See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

** “Hindsight is 20/20” says the old adage. Hindsight is actually one of the greatest tools toward a deeper faith. Because it is through looking back that we can often see just how wrong we were and how right God always is. When we’re in the midst of it, we cry, “Why didn’t God hear our prayers? Why is He letting this happen? He must be punishing us.” The fact is God did hear your prayer. He just chose a different path. And it’s very possible that His reason for saying “No” to your prayer had nothing to do with you. Instead, He is making moves to forward history toward its final conclusion. Just like we can look back at events in our lives now and say, “Oh, that’s what you were doing, Lord,” there will be a time when we will look back on the events of these days and say, “Now I see what You were doing, God! Great plan!” <T203> (Mar 2021)

** Many will accuse God today saying, “how can He be a loving God and allow difficulty to happen, but never think about the LOVE He demonstrated by witnessing the death of His Son on the cross

Isaiah 53:10 NIV

[10] Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

Isaiah 53:12 NIV

[12] Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

** How blessed that elementary truth: the Lord reigns!

To know that there is no chance or accident with God, for He decrees the fall of a sparrow, destruction of an atom and annihilation of a world! The Almighty is not like Baal, asleep. He who keeps Israel can never for a moment slumber.

Man proposes, but God disposes. 'You, Lord have done it' is the history of every event: past, present and to come. His purposes none can change. His counsels none can resist.

Believer, how cheering to know that all that befalls you is thus ordered in the eternal purpose of a Covenant God! Every minute circumstance of your lot; appointing the bounds of your habitation; meting out every drop in the cup of life; arranging what by you is called its "vicissitudes;" decreeing all its trials; and at last, as the great Proprietor of life, revoking the lease of existence when its allotted term has expired!

How it should keep the mind from its guilty proneness to brood and fret over second causes, were this grand but simple truth ever realized--that all that befalls us are integral parts in a stupendous plan of wisdom; that there is no crossing or thwarting the designs and dealings of God. <M129>

Psalm 135:6 NIV

[6] The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.

Psalm 33:11 NIV

[11] But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Job 23:13 NIV

[13] “But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? He does whatever he pleases.

Isaiah 46:10 NIV

[10] I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'

Psalm 115:3 NIV

[3] Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.

Revelation 19:6 NIV

[6] Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

** God continues to cause general calamity as a judgment against sin

• This is different from God’s discipline with His children (believers) but God’s response to sin in our fallen world

• There is NOTHING that happens outside of God’s eternal decree including the use of evil/disaster to accomplish His will <P162>

Isaiah 45:6-7 NIV

[6] so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. [7] I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.

Amos 3:6-7 NIV

[6] When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the Lord caused it? [7] Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

Isaiah 46:9-10 NIV

Job 2:9-10 NIV

[9] His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” [10] He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

** God does not always operate as He did in the past; sometimes He provides a new way forward

Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV

[18] “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. [19] See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

** God gets our attention through the discipline He uses to help us straighten our ways

Isaiah 30:30-31 NIV

[30] The Lord will cause people to hear his majestic voice and will make them see his arm coming down with raging anger and consuming fire, with cloudburst, thunderstorm and hail. [31] The voice of the Lord will shatter Assyria; with his rod he will strike them down.

** God sometimes gets our attention and increases our faith via miracles: unexplainable events that occur in contrast to our understanding

• Crisis of belief: an official had heard that Jesus could heal his son and traveled a day to meet Jesus

• Confirmation of faith happened when the father believed Jesus at His word

• We assume the father's heart was calmed because he did not hurry back to his son (spent the night in Cana)

• Eventually his household came to faith in Jesus after the father's faith was confirmed and the son was healed

• In this example, God answered the father's prayer because it was in God's timing & purpose

• Jesus commended the father for having faith in Jesus' words (Jesus did not have to be physically present with his son to perform the healing miracle)

• Likewise we are to make decisions to either trust God or not, and choose whether to believe God or not -- regardless if we SEE God's words in action (the miracle)

• Faith is increased through crisis of faith and confirmation of faith

John 4:46-47 NIV

[46] Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. [47] When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

John 4:49-53 NIV

[49] The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” [50] “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed. [51] While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. [52] When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.” [53] Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed.

** God is in full control of His creation; He can make the sun retreat at His command

Isaiah 38:8 NIV

[8] I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.' ” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.

** Isaiah prophesied God’s judgment during the end times, giving reference to how His judgment comes like that of pangs from child birth

Isaiah 42:14-16 NIV

[14] “For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant. [15] I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools. [16] I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

** Worldly men imagine that there is true excellency and true happiness in those things which they are pursuing. They think that if they could but obtain them, that they would be happy. But when they obtain them, and cannot find happiness — then they look for happiness in something else, and are still upon the futile pursuit.

There is a transcendent glory, and an ineffable sweetness in Christ.

• Jesus Christ has true excellency, and so great an excellency that when you come to truly see Him, you look no further, but your mind rests there.

You see that you had been pursuing shadows, but now you have found the substance.

• You realize that you had been seeking happiness in the stream, but now you have found the ocean!

The excellency of Christ is an object adequate to the natural cravings of the soul, and is sufficient to fill its capacity.

• Christ has an infinite excellency, such as the mind desires, in which it can find no bounds.

• The more the mind contemplates Him, the more excellent does He appear. <E55>

** A sad commentary about those who see and hear God’s judgment but do not pay attention or understand or take it to heart

Isaiah 42:18,20,23,25 NIV

[18] “Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see! [20] You have seen many things, but you pay no attention; your ears are open, but you do not listen.” [23] Which of you will listen to this or pay close attention in time to come? [25] So he poured out on them his burning anger, the violence of war. It enveloped them in flames, yet they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.

** In Scripture, we learn a lot about spiritual warfare as we study the roughly 7000 verses of fulfilled Bible prophecy. We can read and study a few thousand more verses about future prophecy. The 100% accuracy rate of detailed prophecies which were literally fulfilled assure us that the remaining prophecies will also be fulfilled literally.

Here's the first kicker--end-time Bible prophecy is directly connected to spiritual warfare. More scripture is dedicated to the future 7-year tribulation period than any other time period of history. Think about that for a moment. This period is known as The Day of the Lord, Daniel's 70th Week, The Time of Jacob's Trouble, tribulation, the time of travail, and a few other terms.

This intense future period is the culmination of thousands of years of spiritual warfare. It will be a period of time when the seen and unseen realms collide like never before. The battle lines are drawn, and the roots of spiritual warfare will culminate in a final crescendo of final-day events.

Here's the second kicker--all of the sign indicators described in Scripture point to the fact that we are very close to this prophesied period. Many Bible prophecy experts agree that you and I are living in the closing moments of the church age. In my book The Non-Prophet's Guide to the End-Times, I spent 7 full chapters detailing the Biblical veracity and current reality of end-time signs unfolding in our day. <H95>

** How does God promise to teach and to guide? Not in the way that we would like to go —not in the way of our own choosing — but "the way which you shall go." Often we would decide on pursuing the sunny highway. But God says, 'the rough mountain-track is best for you!' Often we would, like Israel, take the near and smooth road to Canaan. But God's pillar-cloud decides otherwise, and takes us by a circuitous route "by the way of the wilderness." Often we would prefer, like the disciples at sea of Tiberias, the safe path by the seashore, so as to avoid the gathering storm, "for the wind is contrary." But God says, "No!" He constrains us to get into the boat!

The gardener has occasionally to subject his plants to apparently rough treatment — cutting, lopping, mutilating; reducing them to unsightly shapes — before they burst into flower. Summer, however, before long, vindicates the wisdom of his treatment, in its clusters of varied fragrance and beauty. So also, at times, does our heavenly Gardener see fit to use His pruning-knife! But be assured that there is not one superfluous or redundant lopping. We shall understand and acknowledge an infinitely wise necessity for all, when the plant has unfolded itself into the full flower, bathed in the tints and diffusing the fragrance of Heaven. <M129>

Psalm 32:8 NIV

[8] I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

** The righteous anxiously yearn to reside with the Lord and experience leveled paths as they wait in this life

Isaiah 26:7-9 NIV

[7] The path of the righteous is level; you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth. [8] Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. [9] My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.

Isaiah 26:12 NIV

[12] Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us.

** All human plans to “save the world” will come to naught

Isaiah 26:17-18 NIV

[17] As a pregnant woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, Lord. [18] We were with child, we writhed in labor, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth, and the people of the world have not come to life.

** Identifying names given to the future Savior of the world <M130>

• Wonderful Counselor = supernatural wisdom

• Mighty God = powerful warrior who will rule over all nations

• Everlasting Father = eternal father to His people

• Prince of Peace = will procure and perpetuate peace among the nations

Isaiah 9:6 NIV

[6] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

** The unrepentant Israelites displayed a marked lack of vision with the oblivion that awaited them, and the prophet Isaiah sarcastically asked the Israelites “what troubles you now?”; instead of them repenting, they partied

Isaiah 22:11-13 NIV

[11] You built a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the Old Pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago. [12] The Lord, the Lord Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth. [13] But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! “Let us eat and drink,” you say, “for tomorrow we die!”

Isaiah 22:1-2a NIV

[1] A prophecy against the Valley of Vision: What troubles you now, that you have all gone up on the roofs, [2] you town so full of commotion, you city of tumult and revelry?

1 Corinthians 15:30-32 NIV

[30] And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? [31] I face death every day---yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. [32] If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

** The Lord promised to punish Israel and dash their prideful boasting of military might and position

Isaiah 22:17-19 NIV

[17] “Beware, the Lord is about to take firm hold of you and hurl you away, you mighty man. [18] He will roll you up tightly like a ball and throw you into a large country. There you will die and there the chariots you were so proud of will become a disgrace to your master's house. [19] I will depose you from your office, and you will be ousted from your position.

** The Moabites would have had recourse from destruction if they would give up their idols; men in trouble seldom go to God in earnest prayer but rather depend on insincere public displays of sorrow

Isaiah 15:3 NIV

[3] In the streets they wear sackcloth; on the roofs and in the public squares they all wail, prostrate with weeping.

** There will be no mistaking what is happening when the Lord brings final justice to this earth, for the heavens will tremble and the earth quake

Isaiah 13:13 NIV

[13] Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the Lord Almighty, in the day of his burning anger.

** God’s righteousness will shine for all to see and then His people will rest safe with the destruction of His adversaries all around

Isaiah 5:16-17 NIV

[16] But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts. [17] Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture; lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich.

** Difference between rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4 and Jesus second coming in Revelation 19 <R173>

Rapture - APPEARS

• Appears in the heavens

• Deliverer

• FOR the church

• Love & compassion

• Bridegroom

Second Coming - RETURNS

• Returns to earth

• Warrior

• WITH the church

• Wrath & vengeance

• King of Kings

** This is a journey which may be near at hand. "I am this day going the way of all the earth." For anything we know, the journey may be just before us--there may be but a step between us and death!

We have perpetual admonitions respecting the shortness and uncertainty of life. The Word and the ministers of God unitedly call our attention to those subjects, and we ought earnestly to pray that the Lord would teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Our days are but a span, a hand-breadth, an inch or two of time. Life is but a vapor that appears for a little season, and then vanishes away. Life is but like a flower of the field, which quickly fades, withers and dies away. Our breath is in our nostrils, ever ready to depart, and any motion of our lungs may be the last.

While the man is vainly dreaming of years of felicity on earth, God says unto him, "You foolish mortal, this night shall your soul be required of you!" Thus the words of inspiration are verified: "In an hour when you think not, the Son of man will come." The living know that they must die. All men are sensible that they must go on this journey sooner or later, but the general part of mankind consider it as at a considerable distance.

What numbers do we hear of who are cut off by sudden death! Many are called to set out on this journey at a moment's warning. The darksome messenger comes, and they must go, whether they are prepared or not. Ready or not, the summons must be obeyed; whether they are busy or indolent, active or negligent--they must immediately set out on this important journey. The call is often given at an unexpected moment.

Oh what a solemn journey is that which we have before us! A journey to eternity, a journey which will bring us where we must be, not for an age only, but for millions of ages, more millions of ages than there are sands on the seashore; more millions of ages than there are blades of grass on the surface of the earth; more millions of ages than there are atoms in the universe!

May our hearts be dead to all earthly good. May our affections be set on things above, and our thoughts be in Heaven--that better country to which we are going, and where we will dwell forever. <F62>

Psalm 39:4 NIV

[4] “Show me, Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.

** There are consequences for our actions, including neglecting and taking advantage of the poor; the Lord will punish as needed

Isaiah 3:11 NIV

[11] Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done.

Isaiah 3:14-15 NIV

[14] The Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: “It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses. [15] What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

Isaiah 3:25 NIV

[25] Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle.

** In the day of adversity, you should consider from whose hand it has been sent to you! It comes direct from the hand of God!

Intermediate agencies may have been employed in inflicting it:

• a cherished family member may have been the messenger of disease;

• a treacherous friend may have been the cause of bankruptcy;

• an avowed enemy may have been the author of reproach and shame;

• Satan himself may have been allowed to smite you!

But through whatever secondary agency it may have been conveyed, adversity comes from God's hand! <B25>

Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV

[14] When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

Isaiah 45:7 NIV

[7] I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.

Lamentations 3:38 NIV

[38] Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?

Job 2:10 NIV

[10] He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Job 5:17-18 NIV

[17] “Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. [18] For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal.

Deuteronomy 32:39 NIV

[39] “See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.

Amos 3:6 NIV

[6] When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the Lord caused it?

** Elijah was shaken because the Lord did not act as he anticipated

• When Jezebel heard that Elijah killed the prophets of Baal and Asherah, she threatened to kill him

• Exhausted, Elijah fled to the wilderness where God spoke to him

1 Kings 19:1-4 NIV

[1] Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. [2] So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” [3] Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, [4] while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

• It is a powerful scene when Elijah, who just demonstrated God’s power to the Israelites via fire from heaven and then killed 450 prophets of Baal and ended a drought, was found sitting under a tree asking God to take his life

• The reason Elijah was disillusioned was because God did not retaliate against Jezebel’s threats as God miraculously performed before with fire and rain

• Obeying God can come at a great risk such as Elijah experienced fearing for his life, but God will protect His ambassadors

2 Kings 1:9-10 NIV

[9] Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, 'Come down!' ” [10] Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.

• Elijah was also dismayed because Israel was not great again — via Israel’s repentance and revival

1 Kings 19:14-17 NIV

[14] He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” [15] The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. [16] Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. [17] Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.

• The lesson is that God’s ways and timing are not always what we expect

• No, God's ways are higher, better and greater!

• God does appear to Elijah but not in the mighty earthquake, winds or fire, but in a quiet whisper asking Elijah what he was doing... why the pity party?

• God is not bound to working in the same way as He has previously

• Expect the unexpected!

NOTE:

• Elijah never saw death as he feared because he was raptured to heaven by a chariot of fire

• The next time we see Elijah will be when he is with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration <F60>

Matthew 17:1-3 NIV

[1] After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. [2] There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. [3] Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

** If we would learn something of the vastness of redeeming love, we must consider the character and dignity of Him by whom it was manifested.

Had one of those holy angels who minister in the presence of God clothed himself with garments of humanity, and amid the most intense and indescribable sufferings, finished his earthly course on a cross, for the purpose of redeeming a race of sinners from everlasting destruction--how immeasurable would have been the benevolence displayed in such a condescending act! It must have filled us with amazement, and excited the strongest feelings of gratitude.

But how shall we express our admiration and praise...

• when we see Him whom seraphim adore, stooping from heaven to earth to encircle vile sinners in the arms of His mercy;

• when we see Him, who is infinite in power, and majesty, and riches and glory voluntarily placing Himself in the room of rebels on earth;

• when we see Jesus, the brightness of His Father's glory, stretched upon the cross, racked with the most intense pain of body and soul, and suffering for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God!

How amazing that He, who, by His infinite power, could have at once annihilated our rebellious race, or consigned us to everlasting punishment--should, for a season...

• divest Himself of His heavenly glory,

• visit rebellious earth,

• stoop so low in humiliation,

• become so poor,

• suffer so much,

• endure such a shameful, painful, and accursed death for the purpose of making vile sinners eternally rich, holy, and happy in the Paradise of God! <H97>

Romans 5:6 NIV

[6] You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

Ephesians 3:18-19 NIV

[18] may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, [19] and to know this love that surpasses knowledge---that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

** There are many variations in the Christian's path. Sometimes it is smooth and flowery, with sunny slopes, and sylvan shades, and prospects which entrance the soul with loveliness. There are seasons when no doubts perplex the spirit, and when our circumstances in life are in harmony with duty, so that the right path is an easy path.

But this is the exception.

Often the road is steep, craggy, and beset with foes! Sometimes it is a "Hill Difficulty" throughout, and Apollyon stretches himself across the way aiming his fiery darts at the pilgrim. Then some bypath attracts us by its pleasantness, while Satan whispers that a thorny and painful road, cannot be the true one.

But Jesus never promised to lead us only in smooth places. It is not necessary that we should always rejoice--but it is necessary that we always follow. Wherever He goes, rough or smooth--there we also must go. <H80>

John 10:27-28 NIV

[27] My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

** Why are we so determined to carry our own burdens, when we have proved countless times that we are utterly insufficient for the task? Is it not due to our sinful flesh, carnal pride, and foolish self-sufficiency? We often mope about in sadness and depression with heavy hearts because we foolishly, ignorantly, and obstinately refuse to cast our burden on the LORD.

The Lord Jesus has proven Himself fully capable and willing to carry our heaviest burdens. The heaviest load that has ever been carried was carried by Him, for "the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all!" (Isaiah 53:6). It was the tremendous weight of our sins which laid Him low in the garden of Gethsemane and pressed His blood through the pores of His skin. In infinite mercy and grace, He bore our sins, our guilt, and our shame in His own body on the cruel tree, and was made a curse for us — that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. He not only carried our sins to Calvary's cross, He took them away forever by the sacrifice of Himself. ‘As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us!’ (Psalm 103:12).

Children of God, let us forever cease from fleshly self-dependence and cast every burden on our mighty Savior. It doesn't matter what the burden is, or how heavy the load is — the Lord Jesus is ready, able, and willing to bear it for us. We need not bear it even for a moment. It is our glorious right and God-given privilege as the beloved children of God, to cast every care and every burden on our Savior.

Are you struggling to carry a burden of guilt and sin? Struggle no longer and stumble no more. Cast your sin and guilt on Him! He will:

• Sustain you

• Forgive you

• Receive you, and

• Embrace you

Are your responsibilities stressful and overwhelming your soul? Do not neglect them, but do not presume that you are sufficient to do anything on your own. Cast them on Him, seek His grace, depend on His mighty arm and He will sustain you! Is your heart laid low with heavy cares and secret troubles? Cast them all on Christ!

In love, grace, and wisdom, your Savior gave you these cares and troubles — not to see how far you could carry them on your own, but to bring you to the end of yourself. He gave you these cares to show you your inability, your weakness, and your need of Him that you would cease from your carnal self-confidence and find your all in Him:

• Full salvation

• Infinite strength

• Unceasing aid

• Everlasting sufficiency, and

• Perfect help

His power and grace are sufficient for us in all things in:

• Every trial

• Every circumstance, and

• Every temptation

He will sustain us to the end. He will never allow His righteous ones to be moved. He loves them with an everlasting immutable love! They will never be utterly forsaken or cast down. He:

• Keeps them

• Protects them

• Helps them

• Preserves them

• Provides for their souls, and

• Sustains them freely forever by His almighty grace

No two things fit more perfectly together, than an all-sufficient Savior and a needy sinner!

Psalm 55:22 NIV

[22] Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV

[6] Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. [7] Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

** While we, the Church, should actively pray for repentance as a nation and for revival, we should be discouraged neither by our efforts nor by the results. Revival and repentance are never mainstays in our world. They are temporary endeavors because the unregenerate human heart is incurably wicked (Jer. 17:9). It is not that God is not listening, for many in the world are still coming to saving faith. It is because God is even now, in the process, of giving people over to their sins and delusions. The wicked are hardening their hearts because of the mercy of God, not for lack of it. God did not delay the flood because of a lack of converts. He gave ample warning through Enoch, Methuselah, and Noah.

The Holy Spirit filled Church (the body of Christ) is the restraining force of evil on the planet. Denominations are not the Restrainers, but the body of believers whom through the Holy Spirit works to fulfill God's plan, is the restraint, holding back evil, wholesale. As the power and authority of the true church diminishes, darkness has begun to creep back over the land. That is not to say the forces of evil (principalities and powers) have not wrought evil and wickedness upon this earth, because clearly, they have. However, the fervent prayers of a righteous man (men and women), availeth much (James 5:16). We have been able to effectively keep evil at bay from completely taking over this planet.

Thus, our time has become increasingly dark and heavy. Spiritual oppression and alienation are at an all-time high for believers. However, you are not alone. As Ambassadors of Christ, we have to remember, we are not here to change the policies of this fallen planet. We cannot; that is not the role of ambassadors. That would be like trying to fix minor plumbing issues on the Titanic after it has already struck the iceberg and is listing to one side. This ship is going down, and we do not have the means to fix it, nor is it in the plan of God to repair Satan's busted ship. Imagine the Titanic, having struck the iceberg, but is now disabled, sinking, and now, in the path of a massive Category 5 hurricane. That is what is coming.

As Ambassadors of Christ, we are here as representatives of our Heavenly Father and His Kingdom. We are here to bring as many people WITH us in the upcoming rescue operation from planet earth. However, God has both the power and ability to hold back the winds of the coming storm, until His perfect timing. He will not declare war on this planet until He has removed His ambassadors from enemy territory first. <G70>

Revelation 3:10-13 NIV

[10] Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. [11] I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. [12] The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. [13] Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

** The Lord protected His anointed through the centuries, even as they wandered the desert

Psalm 105:15 NIV

[15] “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.”

Psalm 105:12-14 NIV

[12] When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it, [13] they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. [14] He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:

** God acts on behalf of His children, protecting, providing and directing them

Psalm 105:26-36 NIV

[26] He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. [27] They performed his signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham. [28] He sent darkness and made the land dark---for had they not rebelled against his words? [29] He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die. [30] Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers. [31] He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country. [32] He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land; [33] he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country. [34] He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number; [35] they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil. [36] Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood.

Psalm 105:39-41 NIV

[39] He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night. [40] They asked, and he brought them quail; he fed them well with the bread of heaven. [41] He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert.

** The chastisements of Christ are precious to those who believe. The believer's love to Jesus Christ, not only continues under the rod of correction but is quickened and increased by it! Thus it is distinguished from that pretended love, which exists only in times of prosperity. The afflicted Christian is enabled to consider that whom the Lord loves, He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives; and that He only afflicts us for our profit to make us partakers of His holiness.

The Lord can so manifest Himself to His afflicted people, that the season of affliction shall be to them a season of great consolation. He is to them a fountain of life, of strength, of grace and comfort in the afflictive hour; and of His fullness they receive, as their necessities require. The Lord Jesus Christ is a sun to enlighten and cheer His afflicted followers, and a shield to defend them. He is a hiding-place from the storm, a covert from the tempest, and as the shadow of a great rock in a dry and weary land.

All the afflictions of God's people are designed, under His gracious management, to test, to make manifest, and to exercise, those graces and virtues which He has implanted in them. Though afflictions in themselves are not joyous but grievous, nevertheless they yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness in those who are exercised thereby.

Afflictions serve to quicken the spirit of devotion in us; and to rouse us from that formality and indifference which frequently attend a long course of ease and prosperity. We are constrained to seek God with sincerity and fervor, when His chastening hand is upon us — since we then feel our absolute need of that help and deliverance, which He alone can give us.

When the loss of any temporal enjoyment casts us into excessive despondency and dejection, it is evident that what we have lost was the object of our inordinate love. The most innocent attachments cease to be innocent, when they press too strongly upon us! To cleave to any created object and to look for happiness from it, is to make an idol of it, and to set it up in God's place. Should this object be a friend, a brother, a wife, or a child — the idolatry is still odious in the eyes of that God to whom we owe our chief affection. Our warmest passions, our most fervent love, desires, hopes and confidences should always have God for their object. It is His desire that our happiness should not center in any of the good things of this life.

Losses and disappointments are the trials of our faith, our patience, and our obedience. When we are in the midst of prosperity it is difficult to know whether we have a love for the Benefactor, or only for His benefits. It is in the midst of adversity, that our piety is put to the trial.

Afflictions serve most effectually...

• to convince us of the vanity of all that this world can afford

• to remind us that this is not our rest, and

• to stir up desires and hopes for our everlasting home.

They produce in us a spirit of sympathy towards our companions in tribulation. They give occasion for the exercise of patience, meekness, submission, and resignation. Were it not for the wholesome and necessary discipline of affliction, these excellent virtues would lie dormant. Afflictions serve to convince us more deeply of our own weakness and insufficiency and to endear the person, the grace, the promises, and the salvation of our Redeemer, more and more to our hearts. Thus we are taught to esteem His very chastisements as precious — on account of the benefits we derive from them.

Afflictions are not to punish, but to purify the believing soul. They are not in wrath, but in mercy. Amidst the distresses and miseries of life, it is a felicity to belong to Christ, without whose permission and appointment, no evil can befall us! He always sends afflictions for our good; and knows by experience, what it is to suffer them. His kind hand will speedily put an end to all the pains we feel when we have derived from them all the good which He intends to do for us, by them. <F62>

Romans 5:3-4 NIV

[3] Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; [4] perseverance, character; and character, hope.

** God is in control of His creation

Psalm 114:5-8 NIV

[5] Why was it, sea, that you fled? Why, Jordan, did you turn back? [6] Why, mountains, did you leap like rams, you hills, like lambs? [7] Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, [8] who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.

** What should hinder him who sees God as his Heavenly Father, and believes that all events proceed from His hand, and are managed by His wisdom, and are prompted by His love — from kissing the rod, and saying, "My Father, not my will, but may Your will be done." I say, what should hinder him from taking the agonizing cup and draining it to the bitterest dregs.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 NIV

Job 1:21 NIV

[21] and said: “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

Job 2:10 NIV

[10] He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

1 Samuel 3:18 NIV

[18] So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV

[14] When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

Matthew 26:39 NIV

[39] Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

** Make sure you follow Christ, not worry about whether you are following the crowd

John 21:21-22 NIV

[21] When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” [22] Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”

** The reason some may question their salvation is due to not having enough tests in this life. The proof of our faith is getting through the trials. We don't want our best life now! On the contrary, we want trials and suffering, because when we come through to the other side and we know our faith is intact, the gift of God is the assurance that our salvation is the real thing! <M130>

1 Peter 1:6-7

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

** God’s judgment will come after this life on this earth has ended <M130>

• Blessings and rewards are reserved for the righteous

• His punishment is reserved for the unrepentant sinner

• There are foretastes of both punishment and reward during life on earth

• For instance, the righteous experience God’s personal care and goodness, while the wicked are void of it

Proverbs 11:31 NIV

[31] If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

Proverbs 16:6 NIV

[6] Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided.

Proverbs 21:1 NIV

[1] In the Lord's hand the king's heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.

Proverbs 21:12 NIV

[12] The Righteous One takes note of the house of the wicked and brings the wicked to ruin.

Proverbs 21:16 NIV

[16] Whoever strays from the path of prudence comes to rest in the company of the dead.

** Love and faithfulness are to be at the core of the Christian life which will then bring favor on God and man

Proverbs 3:3-4 NIV

[3] Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. [4] Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

** God uses His creation to draw man’s attention to Himself

Job 38:22-23 NIV

[22] “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, [23] which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle?

** The earth and all nature within its orbit has been in motion for thousands of years — day after day the world is in motion in a beautifully balanced harmonious cycle of events!

Ecclesiastes 1:5-7 NIV

[5] The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. [6] The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. [7] All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.

** This is what it looks like when God abandons us to our evil

2 Chronicles 15:3-6 NIV

[3] For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. [4] But in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them. [5] In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. [6] One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress.

** Only God can take the wrath (evil) of man and make it to glorify Him, for God will never allow Satan to do anything unless it serves His purpose for His kingdom and glory <F60>

Psalm 76:10 NIV

[10] Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.

Genesis 50:19-20 NIV

[19] But Joseph said to them, “Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? [20] You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

** Job felt abandoned by God through this ordeal, but God was going to let him know that He never left

Job 29:2-5 NIV

[2] “How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me, [3] when his lamp shone on my head and by his light I walked through darkness! [4] Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God's intimate friendship blessed my house, [5] when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me

Job 30:18-21 NIV

[18] In his great power God becomes like clothing to me ; he binds me like the neck of my garment. [19] He throws me into the mud, and I am reduced to dust and ashes. [20] “I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me. [21] You turn on me ruthlessly; with the might of your hand you attack me.

Job 34:21-22 NIV

[21] “His eyes are on the ways of mortals; he sees their every step. [22] There is no deep shadow, no utter darkness, where evildoers can hide.

** Job recounts the majesty of God in light of His creation

Job 9:5-9 NIV

[5] He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. [6] He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble. [7] He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. [8] He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. [9] He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.

** God will not allow Satan to do anything if it is not for God’s glory and for our good, for God cannot work through us until He works in us!

Satan’s goal is to have us doubt this and question the love of God; therefore it is imperative we understand and do not doubt God so when difficulties come we DON’T ask “God, why are you doing this to me?” but rather ASK “God, what are you trying to show me?” <F60>

The reasons God allows difficulties:

1. To get our attention & focus on Him because we tend to focus on Him more during difficult times (Ecc 7:14)

Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV

[14] When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

2. To help us understand that nothing matters in this world

3. God may be protecting you from a bigger trial, like Jesus deliberately sending the disciples into the storm and showing them He will get them through this! (Matt 14:22-32)

Matthew 14:22-24,26-32 NIV

[22] Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. [23] After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, [24] and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. [26] When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It's a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. [27] But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.” [28] “Lord, if it's you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” [29] “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. [30] But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” [31] Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” [32] And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.

4. God may preparing you for what He wants to do through you, such as God did with Joseph for 17 years

5. God may be humbling you so you will completely depend on Him, like the thorn in the flesh God permitted with Paul so he could boast of God in his weakness (2 Cor 12:7-10)

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV

[7] or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. [8] Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. [9] But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. [10] That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

6. God may be using the comfort you received from Him through pain & suffering so you can comfort others (2 Cor 1:3-7)

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 NIV

[3] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, [4] who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. [5] For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. [6] If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. [7] And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

7. God may want to mature you so you will develop perseverance (James 1:2-4)

James 1:2-4 NIV

[2] Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, [3] because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. [4] Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

8. God may be allowing the hard times to show you are helpless and need to cry to Him for help (2 Chron 20:10-15)

2 Chronicles 20:10-15 NIV

[10] “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. [11] See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. [12] Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. ” [13] All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord. [14] Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly. [15] He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.

** Job realized that God allowed his misery that weighs heavy on him

Job 6:2-4 NIV

[2] “If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales! [3] It would surely outweigh the sand of the seas---no wonder my words have been impetuous. [4] The arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks in their poison; God's terrors are marshaled against me.

** Job understood that following God did not guarantee a “good life” but followers must accept troubled times just as they welcome good times

Job 2:9-10 NIV

** God put Job in his rightful place

• On the surface God’s theme seems to be His lordship over nature, for He is Creator (38:4-15), He rules the inanimate (38:16-38), He also rules the animate (38:39-39:30)

• God raised questions to Job about the universe that puzzle even modern science!

• We need to realize the limits of our understanding and appreciate God’s wisdom

• It is futile to raise questions of ‘why?’ when suffering comes

• Remember that God knows what He is doing, so put your trust in Him <R1795>

Job 38:18,21 NIV

[18] Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this. [21] Surely you know, for you were already born! You have lived so many years!

** Difficulty takes our focus off this world; Job was confused because he could not find any sinful source for his difficulties and would rejoice in his pain if it lead to death, but he didn’t see any hope for deliverance by death <M130>

Job 6:8-11 NIV

[8] “Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for, [9] that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut off my life! [10] Then I would still have this consolation---my joy in unrelenting pain---that I had not denied the words of the Holy One. [11] “What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient?

** Eliphaz, friend of Job, assumed he was suffering because of some grievous sin <M130>

• Eliphaz thought a moral order was at play, oversimplifying God’s pattern of retribution with simple logic

• The simple axiom ‘the righteous will prosper and the wicked will suffer’ does not always hold up in the human experience

• Eliphaz was partially right but not everything we reap in life is the result of something we have sown

Job 4:5-8 NIV

[5] But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed. [6] Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope? [7] “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed? [8] As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.

Galatians 6:7-9 NIV

[7] Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. [8] Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. [9] Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

1 Peter 3:12 NIV

[12] For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV

John 9:1-3 NIV

[1] As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. [2] His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” [3] “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

** If you would bear the loss of your dear relations with moderation, then eye God in the whole process of the affliction more, and secondary causes and circumstances of the matter less.

Consider the hand of the Lord in your affliction, particularly:

• As a sovereign hand, which has the right to dispose of you and all your comforts, without your permission or consent.

• As a father's hand, correcting you in love and faithfulness. "Whom the LORD loves He corrects, as a father the son in whom he delights." Oh, if once you could but see affliction as a rod in your heavenly father's hand, proceeding from His love, and intended for your eternal good--how submissive you would then be!

And surely if it draws your heart nearer to your God, and mortifies it more to this vain world--then it is a rod in the hand of His special love. If your trial ends in your love to God, doubt not but it comes from God's love to you.

• As a just and righteous hand. Yes, the Lord is just in all that has come upon you. Whatever He has done, He has done you no wrong.

• As a moderate and merciful hand, that has punished you less than your iniquities deserve. He who has cast you into affliction, might have justly cast you into Hell! It is of the Lord's mercy that you are not consumed.

Learn from the death of your loved ones: the vanity of the creature, and the emptiness and nothingness of the best things here below! Affliction is a bitter pill, which, being enrapt in patience and quiet submission, may be easily swallowed. But discontent chews the pill, and so embitters the soul. <F63>

Psalm 39:9 NIV

[9] I was silent; I would not open my mouth, for you are the one who has done this.

Job 2:10 NIV

[10] He replied, “...Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

** Pagans believe they have within them what it takes to solve the world’s problems while many churches today want to apply God’s law to fix the world

• As followers of Christ, however, we can apply His truth and realize His transforming power but understand the end result

• THE WORLD WILL NOT BE FIXED OR IMPROVED IN ORDER TO WELCOME CHRIST BUT WE NEED TO BE READY FOR CHRIST TO RETURN TO JUDGE AND USHER IN A NEW WORLD!!

• The world will NEVER be right until it is under God’s control and His sovereign rule

• When Christ returns we will have freedom from sin, righteous justice meted out, God ruling with a rod of iron, man-advancing rebellion ends, the Lord torches the world system to smoldering ash, union with our Savior at the marriage supper (text borrowed from Deut 32) — and the response in heaven is continual “hallelujah”!!

1 John 2:15-17 NIV

[15] Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. [16] For everything in the world---the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life---comes not from the Father but from the world. [17] The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

John 12:25 NIV

[25] Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Galatians 1:3-5 NIV

[3] Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, [4] who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, [5] to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

• Be careful not to fall for Kingdom Now theology when listening to Christians who want to improve the world

• Scripture reminds us that our battle is not against the physical flesh and blood but against spiritual principalities, so look at the world events through that lens

• Do we believe what God has planned for this earth as outlined in Scripture, including His plan of salvation?

• There must be a literal understanding of the Bible

• Why would God want to trip-us-up by having riddles that most cannot solve?

• Look at God’s word and fulfillment of literal prophecy during Old Testament days, such as His first coming as an infant

• If we can allegorize eschatology (which comprises of 1/4 of the Bible) then what is stopping us from allegorizing the rest?

• The church is crumbling because attendees don’t believe the Bible anymore

• We either believe Scripture is His God-directed word and the Holy Spirit can illuminate its message or we don’t

• Is there hope? YES in Christ alone!

Titus 2:11-14 NIV

[11] For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. [12] It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, [13] while we wait for the blessed hope---the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, [14] who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Isaiah 41:13 NIV

[13] For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Psalm 121:1-8 NIV

[1] I lift up my eyes to the mountains---where does my help come from? [2] My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. [3] He will not let your foot slip---he who watches over you will not slumber; [4] indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. [5] The Lord watches over you---the Lord is your shade at your right hand; [6] the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. [7] The Lord will keep you from all harm---he will watch over your life; [8] the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

** God has done everything He can to get people to understand who He is and accept His offer of salvation — from His involvement in Old Testament times, to coming to earth to show us the way, to His death & resurrection that conquered sin & death, to even sending witnesses during the end times Tribulation — so those who denied Him are without excuse <J103>

** The Lord warned the Israelites of their wayward ways but they did not listen, so He got their attention another way!

• Times of distress are often not times of punishment, but discipline

• God permits them, and intends to do us good through them <R1795>

2 Chronicles 33:10-11 NIV

[10] The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. [11] So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.

** The Lord’s wrath grew as His people refused to turn to Him; God let the temple and Jerusalem fall into the hands of the Babylonians

2 Chronicles 36:17-20 NIV

[17] He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. [18] He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord's temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. [19] They set fire to God's temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there. [20] He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power.

** The king of Assyria mocked the God of Israel

• Hezekiah warned him that his country had never been defeated by pagan gods of other nations

• In the end, God annihilated the Assyrians as proof once again

2 Chronicles 32:10-14 NIV

[10] “This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: On what are you basing your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? [11] When Hezekiah says, 'The Lord our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria,' he is misleading you, to let you die of hunger and thirst. [12] Did not Hezekiah himself remove this god's high places and altars, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, 'You must worship before one altar and burn sacrifices on it'? [13] “Do you not know what I and my predecessors have done to all the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to deliver their land from my hand? [14] Who of all the gods of these nations that my predecessors destroyed has been able to save his people from me? How then can your god deliver you from my hand?

2 Chronicles 32:17-21 NIV

[17] The king also wrote letters ridiculing the Lord, the God of Israel, and saying this against him: “Just as the gods of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.” [18] Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city. [19] They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world---the work of human hands. [20] King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this. [21] And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword.

** About two thousand years ago, Jesus rebuked the religious elites of His day. He criticized them for their failure to recognize His Coming. He told them, "You know how to look at the sky and predict the weather, but you don't know how to recognize the signs of the times" (Matthew 16:1-3).

Just like you and me, the religious leaders could see dark clouds on the horizon and know a rain storm was on its way. In the same manner, Jesus said they should have seen the signs and prepared for His arrival. The Pharisees and Sadducees knew the Old Testament Messianic prophecies, yet they failed to recognize the Messiah.

But their failure is relevant to our day and time as well. Why? Because Jesus wasn't simply addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees when He said this. He had a second audience in mind - you and me. That's right. Jesus was also talking to our generation.

The Bible is filled with prophecies about the Second Coming, and Jesus commanded us to watch for Him (Mark 13:35-37). Our generation is also expected to recognize the "signs of the times." But are we? Do you recognize the signs of the times? <G76>

Matthew 16:1-3 NIV

[1] The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. [2] He replied, “When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' [3] and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

Mark 13:33-37 NIV

[33] Be on guard! Be alert ! You do not know when that time will come. [34] It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. [35] “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back---whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. [36] If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. [37] What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!' ”

** Jehoshaphat recognized God as all powerful, whom no one can withstand; the people of Judah understood they could call upon the Lord and He would hear their cry!

2 Chronicles 20:5-6 NIV

[5] Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard [6] and said: “Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.

2 Chronicles 20:9,12 NIV

[9] 'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.' [12] Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. ”

2 Chronicles 20:29 NIV

[29] The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.

** Why does God allow evil and perilous times? To bring people to Him. He did this with Israel time and again over the centuries and He still does this today. It isn’t surprising people turn to the clarity of the Bible in times of uncertainty; people looking for hope as they try to connect with God. That’s why we see Bible sales up 149% and Internet searches for “prayer” during today’s COVID19 crisis. <C35> (Apr 2020)

2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

[14] if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

** Half of America, it seems, is kneeling before forces of evil. The answer to our dire predicament is to do the same. We, who call upon the name of Jesus Christ, must kneel also before our Lord and invoke again the prayer as instructed by the Heavenly Father. As we approach election this November 2020, it is imperative that we heed and do as instructed.

2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

We are not naïve. Our beloved nation and the world of nations will eventually fall to the global scheme Satan and his minions are working day and night to bring into being. The satanic, global order is there in Bible prophecy. But our prayers and efforts at the voting booth and in other ways can delay the devil's implementation of his hellish scheme.

When the Church is called by Christ (Revelation 4:1) in the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-55 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), the world of rebels, sadly, will get their abominable New World Order. Let us be salt and light to the world until that glorious moment. <J100> (Jun 2020)

** Today and into the end times, Christians must continually ask whether the plethora of agendas advocated by society are trying to conjure their own truth (via flawed “evidence” or propaganda) and substitute God’s law? Some agendas may even exhibit powers that come from demonic sources. We must continually test how each agenda handles God and His Word. If the agenda is fundamentally anti-Christian, then you must choose your side — will you adhere to God’s Word or the other religion/agenda?

Christians know God’s power ultimately rules supreme so we do not need to be afraid WHEN choosing to be on God’s side! While others who are deluded will continue to deny God’s power, Christians can rest knowing the Truth.

Deuteronomy 13:1-3 NIV

[1] If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, [2] and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” [3] you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Matthew 24:23-25 NIV

[23] At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. [24] For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. [25] See, I have told you ahead of time.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 NIV

[9] The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, [10] and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

Revelation 13:13-14 NIV

[13] And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. [14] Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.

** Disaster and destruction are experienced reminders how people have turned away from God

2 Chronicles 7:21-22 NIV

[21] This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and say, 'Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?' [22] People will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them---that is why he brought all this disaster on them.' ”

** Ahaz, son of Jotham, did not do right in the eyes of the Lord and suffered because of it; he did not learn from this consequence either

2 Chronicles 28:1-6 NIV

[1] Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. [2] He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and also made idols for worshiping the Baals. [3] He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his children in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. [4] He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree. [5] Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hands of the king of Aram. The Arameans defeated him and took many of his people as prisoners and brought them to Damascus. He was also given into the hands of the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy casualties on him. [6] In one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers in Judah---because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

2 Chronicles 28:19,22-23 NIV

[19] The Lord had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the Lord. [22] In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord. [23] He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.

** David summed up exactly why God chose Israel as His people and gave promises to them forever: to redeem them and make a name for Himself through His great and awesome wonders

1 Chronicles 17:21-22 NIV

[21] And who is like your people Israel---the one nation on earth whose God went out to redeem a people for himself, and to make a name for yourself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? [22] You made your people Israel your very own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.

** God, the Maker of heaven and earth, is God above all gods

1 Chronicles 16:25-28 NIV

[25] For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. [26] For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. [27] Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place. [28] Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

1 Chronicles 16:31-33 NIV

[31] Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! ” [32] Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them! [33] Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.

** David recognized God as Lord over all

1 Chronicles 29:10-11 NIV

[10] David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. [11] Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.

** Old Testament prophecies are often referenced in the New Testament

• For example, Jesus references the Old Testament when it mentioned a time when He will come to judge the earth

• Those who have not accepted God’s gift of salvation to cover our sins will be cast into outer darkness <G72>

1 Chronicles 16:33 NIV

[33] Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.

Matthew 25:31-32 NIV

[31] “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. [32] All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

** It is clear the reason Saul and his sons died the way they did — because Saul was unfaithful to God

• Even a member of the covenant community and one who is exalted to be king over God’s people was to submit to God and do His will

• The faithless Saul was rejected and the Lord put him to death

• Yet even the unfaithfulness of Saul could not thwart God’s good purposes for His people, for the Lord turned the kingdom over to David

• David would be faithful to God and He would give unique promises to him <R1795>

1 Chronicles 10:3-6 NIV

[3] The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him. [4] Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and abuse me.” But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. [5] When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died. [6] So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died together.

1 Chronicles 10:13-14 NIV

[13] Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, [14] and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

• On the contrary, from the Old Testament to New Testament, Scripture is replete with people choosing to obey God rather than their own self interests

• God rewarded them as a result of their obedience

Acts 5:27-29 NIV

[27] The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. [28] “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood.” [29] Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!.

** What if by God's chastening rod...

• your wandering, gadding heart shall be whipped home to God

• your neglected duties are revived

• your decayed communion with God is restored

• a spiritual, heavenly frame of heart is recovered?

Surely you will bless that merciful hand which removed these obstructions, and adore the Divine wisdom and goodness, that by such an affliction as this, He has recovered you to Himself. Now you can pray more constantly, more spiritually, more affectionately than before. O blessed rod, which buds and blossoms with such fruits as these! Let this be written among your best mercies, for you shall have cause to adore and bless God eternally for this beneficial affliction. <F63>

Micah 6:9 NIV

[9] Listen! The Lord is calling to the city---and to fear your name is wisdom---“Heed the rod and the One who appointed it.

** Even along our pilgrim way, God walks with us and makes our hearts burn within us. These sweet foretastes of His love draw us on and whet our appetite for Heaven. A few more of these foretastes, and we shall get to the fountainhead and drink rivers of pleasure forevermore! <R172>

** The Lord put on Nehemiah’s heart the next step: to take a census and record the number of descendants of families exiled from Babylon

Nehemiah 7:5 NIV

[5] So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return.

Nehemiah 7:66-69 NIV

[66] The whole company numbered 42,360, [67] besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 245 male and female singers. [68] There were 736 horses, 245 mules, [69] 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.

** We live through different seasons in life and sometimes we simply need to wait for the “right season”. Don’t protest but learn and be patient in the season of life God has you experiencing right now! The more we protest and want out of the season, the slower time seems to go for us.

The Law of the Harvest emphasizes that we can’t rush the harvest... we may be in the planting seed stage or growth stage yet pray and expect the harvest. God may in the rare occasion allow us to jump to the end but most of the time we are to value each season and lean on Him throughout

Winter = planning stage

Spring = planting the ideas; make sure you plant the right seeds!

Summer = growing season where ideas are budding and showing fruit

Fall Harvest = gathering in rewards of the seeds that were planted

Did you plant the right seed in order to produce good fruit? What season of life are we in right now? Do you have others (perhaps those who are older) who can support you in your season? <H86>

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV

[1] There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens

Hebrews 12:11 NIV

[11] No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Galatians 6:9 NIV

[9] Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Hebrews 3:7-8 NIV

[7] So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, [8] do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness,

1 Corinthians 4:5 NIV

[5] Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

Galatians 4:2 NIV

[2] The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.

** To suppose that temporal things are too little for our condescending God, is to forget that He observes the flight of sparrows, and counts the hairs of His people's heads. Besides, everything is so little to Him, that, if He does not care for the little, He cares for nothing.

** Christ worked miracles when He walked the earth to authenticate Himself; the typical response when we are suffering today is not to remove the problem but force us to go through the problem and lean on Him the whole way, for God will give us the needed tools <H86>

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV

** Every event is under Divine control. Nothing is left to 'chance'. The hand of God is in all that occurs: directing, overruling, and sanctifying everything to our good and His glory.

He appointed all that concerns us, and appointed all in infinite wisdom and love. Therefore we should not judge rashly--or conclude hastily. We know not what may occur today--but we know that the purpose of God cannot be frustrated, nor can His purpose fail. He works all things after the counsel of His own will.

He says, "My purpose shall stand--and I will do all My pleasure." But this is our comfort, that He takes pleasure in His people, and in the prosperity of His redeemed ones.

Let us consider, then, that everything that happens to us:

• Passes under our Father's eye

• Is overruled by our Savior's power

• Is directed by the Holy Spirit to do us good

It shall not be as our enemies wish, or as our hearts fear; but as our God and Father pleases, and has ordained.

Therefore do not be anxious, troubled, or cast down! The Lord God omnipotent reigns--and He is your Father and your God! He shall preserve you from all evil--He shall preserve your soul. <S183>

Psalm 31:15 NIV

[15] My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.

Romans 8:27-28 NIV

[27] And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God. [28] And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

** Solomon sums it up this way: we need to keep in mind during times of prosperity and times of adversity that nothing is certain in this life; tomorrow is not guaranteed <F60>

Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV

[14] When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

James 4:13-15 NIV

** How often have you heard the Bible mocked as antiquated and irrelevant? "It's a bronze age book about a tribal deity," the critics tell us. "It has nothing to say to us today." The reality is that the Bible, which is God's Word, is always relevant and timely. That's because God hasn't changed, the world hasn't changed, and human nature hasn't changed. The ancient words are still relevant!

Today, in the year 2020, God's Word continues to speak afresh, reminding us that there is nothing new under the sun. (Wait! That's in the Bible too. See Ecclesiastes 1:9.)

• In recent months, there have been devastating forest fires in Australia, reportedly killing more than one billion animals

• Then there were the terrible locust invasions that ravaged East Africa, with a second, even worse wave on the way

• Then we were struck with a plague, COVID-19, which could ultimately take the lives of several hundred thousand people. (The present number of deaths is roughly 120,000.)

And in each case, despite our wonderful technology and our many scientific advancements, we have been relatively powerless. We have not been able to stop the drought, the fires, the locusts or the virus. Sometimes the best we can do is run and hide.

And that brings me back to a passage in the Word of God, where the Lord spoke to King Solomon after the dedication of the Temple. We are all familiar with 2 Chronicles 7:14, which says this to the children of Israel, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." But what comes immediately before this verse? It is 2 Chronicles 7:13, which states, "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people."

This was spoken in the mid-900s B.C., so, nearly 3,000 years ago. Yet it could have been spoken this month. Drought. Locusts. Plague. A devastated earth and a devastated people. The only solution is repentance and prayer.

Now, I am not saying that the wildfires in Australia or the locust invasions or the coronavirus has been a divine judgment. God Himself knows. But I am saying that there is nothing new under the sun. That the same challenges that confronted the human race 3,000 years ago are still confronting us today. And that humbly seeking God remains the ultimate solution. <B28> (Apr 2020)

** Elisha and a company of prophets agreed to build a place of meeting at the Jordan River; an axhead fell into the river while cutting down a tree and the prophet was upset because the expensive iron axhead was borrowed and he could not afford to replace it, some Elisha threw a stick in the river and the axhead floated to the surface!

2 Kings 6:4-7 NIV

[4] And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. [5] As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh no, my lord!” he cried out. “It was borrowed!” [6] The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. [7] “Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.

** Elisha instructed Naaman to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River but Naaman went away angry because he envisioned a different response based on his logic — thinking there are ‘cleaner rivers’ than the Jordan

2 Kings 5:10-12 NIV

[10] Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” [11] But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. [12] Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

** Naaman’s servants encouraged him to follow Elisha’s instruction and, after he did, was healed of his leprosy; as a result, Naaman knew there was no God greater than the God of Israel

2 Kings 5:13-15 NIV

[13] Naaman's servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!” [14] So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. [15] Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God . He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”

** The Rapture is “imminent” which means it is “about to happen”, not that it has to happen “first” before the other pre-tribulation birth pangs such as one world government, one world religion, state of Israel (done), world wars (done), reclaiming of Jerusalem (done), Gog and Magog war, digital currency, digital tracking, apostasy (happening), revealing of Antichrist for the nation of Israel (after the Rapture yet before the Tribulation), etc.

We could see any number of the birth pangs before the Tribulation (Daniel’s 70th week) and must be ready for all possibilities; in fact, we are seeing the table being set for the Tribulation, that is not “imminent”, and could see a lot more depending on when God decides to take us home! <H86> (Apr 2020)

** The Lord told Elijah to stand on the mountain in the presence of God for He was to pass by; the Lord was not in the violent winds, earthquake or fire but in a gentle whisper

1 Kings 19:9-13 NIV

[9] There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” [10] He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” [11] The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. [12] After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. [13] When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

** The Lord continues to provide for His children as seen when God gave enough olive oil to fill numerous jars gathered by a widow; the oil was then sold to pay off debts and support her family

2 Kings 4:2-7 NIV

[2] Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” [3] Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few. [4] Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” [5] She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. [6] When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. [7] She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

** Elijah demonstrated the power of God by destroying two envoys of men sent by the King of Israel; God told Elijah to go along with the third envoy back to the king

2 Kings 1:9-10 NIV

[9] Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, 'Come down!'” [10] Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.

2 Kings 1:13-15 NIV

[13] So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. “Man of God,” he begged, “please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! [14] See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!” [15] The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.

** Elijah prophesied that rain would cover the earth and end the drought, as it did, once again demonstrating that God is sovereign over everything including nature!

1 Kings 18:40-45 NIV

[40] Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there. [41] And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” [42] So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. [43] “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” [44] The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.' ” [45] Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel.

** A prophet of the Lord instructed Ahab to fight Ben-Hadad’s armies because the Lord would miraculously deliver them into his hands; God did this so the people would know it was He who delivered them — no other explanation possible

1 Kings 20:7-9,13-14 NIV

[7] The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, “See how this man is looking for trouble! When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him.” [8] The elders and the people all answered, “Don't listen to him or agree to his demands.” [9] So he replied to Ben-Hadad's messengers, “Tell my lord the king, 'Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.' ” They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad. [13] Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, “This is what the Lord says: 'Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the Lord.' ” [14] “But who will do this?” asked Ahab. The prophet replied, “This is what the Lord says: 'The junior officers under the provincial commanders will do it.' ” “And who will start the battle?” he asked. The prophet answered, “You will.”

1 Kings 20:15-21 NIV

[15] So Ahab summoned the 232 junior officers under the provincial commanders. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all. [16] They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. [17] The junior officers under the provincial commanders went out first. Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, “Men are advancing from Samaria.” [18] He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive.” [19] The junior officers under the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them [20] and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. [21] The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.

** Those who opposed and lost to the Israelites in the first round reasoned the Israelis had an advantage because of the terrain; the next spring God showed everyone His power when over one-hundred-thousand Aramean soldiers were killed and Ben-Hadad suffered defeat once again

1 Kings 20:23-25 NIV

[23] Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. [24] Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. [25] You must also raise an army like the one you lost---horse for horse and chariot for chariot---so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they.” He agreed with them and acted accordingly.

1 Kings 20:29-30 NIV

[29] For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. [30] The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room.

** These Old Testament passages are a foreshadowing how Christ will return one day — everyone will witness His splendor and majesty as He descends from the heavens!

Psalm 104:1-4 NIV

[1] Praise the Lord, my soul. Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. [2] The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent [3] and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. [4] He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.

2 Samuel 22:10-14 NIV

[10] He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. [11] He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. [12] He made darkness his canopy around him---the dark rain clouds of the sky. [13] Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth. [14] The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.

** We can see devastation all around us but we know this is a result of those not trusting in Him

Psalm 91:7-8 NIV

[7] A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. [8] You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

** The Lord was clear about the repercussions if the Israelites disobeyed Him

• God renewed His promise to Solomon 25 years into his 40 year reign, but gave a warning no to turn away from Him <R1795>

• If the people turned from God, He would remove Himself from the temple and cut them off from the land

• And, ultimately, other nations would know the reason for the Israelites distress

1 Kings 9:6-9 NIV

[6] “But if you or your descendants turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, [7] then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. [8] This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, 'Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?' [9] People will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them---that is why the Lord brought all this disaster on them.' ”

** God showed the Philistines that He is mightier than any false god by afflicting the population with sickness

• The Philistines wanted to remove the Ark from their presence but didn't get relief until it was taken back to the Israelites

• At last Israel’s enemy decided that the God of Israel caused their discomfort and returned the Ark

• For 20 years it rested on the property of a man called Abinadab <R1795>

1 Samuel 5:6-8 NIV

[6] The Lord’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation on them and afflicted them with tumors. [7] When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.” [8] So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked them, “What shall we do with the ark of the god of Israel?” They answered, “Have the ark of the god of Israel moved to Gath. ” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.

1 Samuel 5:9-12 NIV

[9] But after they had moved it, the Lord’s hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors. [10] So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. As the ark of God was entering Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought the ark of the god of Israel around to us to kill us and our people.” [11] So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it will kill us and our people.” For death had filled the city with panic; God’s hand was very heavy on it. [12] Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

** The Lord punished David and Israel with a three day plague for David taking a census of the number of men in the army and not trusting God

2 Samuel 24:10-15 NIV

[10] David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing. ” [11] Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer: [12] “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’ ” [13] So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come on you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.” [14] David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.” [15] So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.

** Saul automatically assumed God 'delivered David into his hands' or that God was on his side because the situation appeared to be in his favor; God had other plans

1 Samuel 23:7 NIV

[7] Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”

1 Samuel 23:14 NIV

[14] David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.

1 Samuel 23:19-21 NIV

[19] The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? [20] Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving him into your hands.” [21] Saul replied, “The Lord bless you for your concern for me.

** God sent panic among the Philistine camp using an earthquake; Saul and his men noticed the Philistine army in disarray and moved in to attack

1 Samuel 14:16-17,20,23 NIV

[16] Saul’s lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. [17] Then Saul said to the men who were with him, “Muster the forces and see who has left us.” When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there. [20] Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords. [23] So on that day the Lord saved Israel, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven.

** David visited Samuel when fleeing from Saul; every time Saul sent men to kill David, they were overcome by God’s spirit when encountering Samuel and ended their pursuit

1 Samuel 19:18-20 NIV

[18] When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. [19] Word came to Saul: “David is in Naioth at Ramah”; [20] so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on Saul’s men, and they also prophesied.

** This was the last time the Spirit of God was to rest on Saul directing him to prophecy <M130>

1 Samuel 19:23 NIV

[23] So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth.

** God tests us to determine where we stand with Him

Psalm 81:7b NIV

[7] In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah.

** It is the characteristic of a growing state of grace not to see its growth, but to see more clearly its shortcomings.

The nearer the light, the more visible are the imperfections.

In the same way, the deeper the work of grace, the more opposition will it usually encounter in the heart; and the inward evil will generally become more vividly realized by the believer.

The more we have of each grace, the more clearly shall we discern its opposite within:

The more we have of humility, the more shall we know and mourn over our pride.

The more we have of patience, the more shall we know and mourn over our impatience.

The more we have of faith, the more shall we know and mourn over our unbelief.

The more we have of conformity to the image of Christ, the more shall we know and mourn over our lack of conformity to Him.

The more we have of self-denial, the more shall we know and mourn over our selfishness.

The more we have of love to Christ, the more shall we know and mourn over our lack of love to Him.

Thus each grace becomes a light to show us how much of the contrary we have by nature.

Indeed, by this means we grow in grace, because thus we more fully know our great need of the Lord Jesus, and are led to look more humbly, confidently, and helplessly to Him, to whom we can never look in vain. Nothing draws so abundantly from His fullness, as a helpless trusting heart. <M141>

** The Lord desires to bless us but will let us go our own way when we refuse to follow Him

Psalm 81:13-16 NIV

[13] “If my people would only listen to me, if Israel would only follow my ways, [14] how quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! [15] Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. [16] But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Psalm 81:11-12 NIV

[11] “But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. [12] So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.

** Our response is to love the Lord and follow Him when we recognize His gracious gifts to us

Psalm 86:12-13 NIV

[12] I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. [13] For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead.

** The Lord reigns with justice and righteousness as the foundations of His throne; followers are to recognize God and rejoice!

Psalm 97:1-2 NIV

[1] The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. [2] Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Psalm 97:6,12 NIV

[6] The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all peoples see his glory. [12] Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.

** The king from a pagan nation recognized God paying him back for what he did to other kings

Judges 1:4-7 NIV

[4] When Judah attacked, the Lord gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. [5] It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. [6] Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. [7] Then Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

** Satan continues his efforts to repudiate God’s promise to preserve forever the nation of Israel, using threats from surrounding nations <M130>

• Many believe Psalm 83 is part of the final days prophecy — needed completion before the Gog and Magog war.

Psalm 83:1-5 NIV

[1] O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God. [2] See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads. [3] With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. [4] “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel's name is remembered no more.” [5] With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you---

Genesis 17:7-8 NIV

[7] I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. [8] The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God. ”

Psalm 89:34-37 NIV

[34] I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered. [35] Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness---and I will not lie to David--- [36] that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun; [37] it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.”

** The purpose of the threats by the hostile nations against Israel are neither personal nor national, but spiritual; the Gentile nations need to know that the God of the Bible is the only God <M130>

Psalm 83:18 NIV

[18] Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord---that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

** God made every effort to communicate to His people, through miracles in nature that got their attention and then audible instruction for Moses to pass on to the assembly

Deuteronomy 4:11-14 NIV

[11] You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. [12] Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice. [13] He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets. [14] And the Lord directed me at that time to teach you the decrees and laws you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

Deuteronomy 4:32-34 NIV

[32] Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? [33] Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? [34] Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?

Deuteronomy 4:36 NIV

[36] From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire.

** God often uses His blessings to demonstrate His presence and goodness, for others will recognize the hand of God when they see it

1 Kings 10:9 NIV

[9] Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.”

1 Kings 10:23-24 NIV

[23] King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. [24] The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.

1 Kings 10:26-27 NIV

[26] Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. [27] The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills.

** The ark was brought to the temple and the glory of the Lord filled the temple

• The ark was the most holy object in Israel’s religion

• It was there alone, on the top of this golden box, that sacrificial blood was spilt on the Day of Atonement and ‘every sin’ of Israel was forgiven (Lev 16)

• The holy ark was therefore the one place on earth where the holy God met sinful men

• The temple, as magnificent as it was, had meaning only because it housed the ark on which God’s presence rested <R1795>

• The Lord confirmed that He provided a place for the ark

• The cloud was a visible symbol of the presence of God and signaled the Lord’s approval of the new temple <M130>

1 Kings 8:6-9 NIV

[6] The priests then brought the ark of the Lord's covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. [7] The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles. [8] These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. [9] There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

1 Kings 8:10-11 NIV

[10] When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. [11] And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple.

1 Kings 8:21 NIV

[21] I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”

Exodus 40:34-35 NIV

[34] Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. [35] Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

** God reveals Himself through His Book of the Law

Deuteronomy 29:21 NIV

[21] The Lord will single them out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law.

** What God requires of us is accessible through His Word and easy to obey, if only people then choose to obey

Deuteronomy 30:11-14 NIV

[11] Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. [12] It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” [13] Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” [14] No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

** Samson engaged in sin, staying the night with a prostitute and falling in love with a Philistine

• This eventually led Samson to divulge how others could steal God's power from him

• Delilah nagged at Samson until he told her about his secret

Judges 16:16-19 NIV

[16] With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it. [17] So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.” [18] When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines , “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. [19] After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.

That’s what sin is like:

• It promises life but it brings death

• It promises fulfillment but it brings a greater emptiness

• Satan had found Samson’s weakness and he was ready to exploit it

• There is no question that the devil will tempt us; he will bring appealing temptations our way

• However, there must be an interest on our part for those temptations to work

• Satan uses different kinds of bait for different kinds of fish, so to speak

• Here’s what we need to remember -- it is not a sin when we face temptation, for it is only a sin when we give in to that temptation <L120>

James 1:14-15 NIV

[14] but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. [15] Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

** Samson did not know his sin would cause God to depart from him

Here we see the tragedy of sin causing abandonment -- Samson's sin caused him to forfeit the power of God's presence; we see this throughout Scripture <M130>

Judges 16:20 NIV

[20] Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.

Genesis 6:3 NIV

[3] Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal ; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

Proverbs 1:24-31 NIV

[24] But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand, [25] since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke, [26] I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you--- [27] when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. [28] “Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me, [29] since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord. [30] Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, [31] they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

Matthew 15:13-14 NIV

[13] He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. [14] Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

Romans 1:24-27 NIV

[24] Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. [25] They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator---who is forever praised. Amen. [26] Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. [27] In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

** God has a purpose for trials and discipline — to bring our focus onto Him as our Helper in time of need

Psalm 66:10-12 NIV

[10] For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. [11] You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. [12] You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.

Psalm 66:16-17 NIV

[16] Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. [17] I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue.

** History has shown the fulfillment of God's Word, such as the Promised Land turning to dust as a result of the Israelites turning from God

Deuteronomy 29:19-28 NIV

[19] When such a person hears the words of this oath and they invoke a blessing on themselves, thinking, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way,” they will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. [20] The Lord will never be willing to forgive them; his wrath and zeal will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will fall on them, and the Lord will blot out their names from under heaven. [21] The Lord will single them out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law. [22] Your children who follow you in later generations and foreigners who come from distant lands will see the calamities that have fallen on the land and the diseases with which the Lord has afflicted it. [23] The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur---nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, which the Lord overthrew in fierce anger. [24] All the nations will ask: “Why has the Lord done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?” [25] And the answer will be: “It is because this people abandoned the covenant of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the covenant he made with them when he brought them out of Egypt. [26] They went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them, gods they did not know, gods he had not given them. [27] Therefore the Lord’s anger burned against this land, so that he brought on it all the curses written in this book. [28] In furious anger and in great wrath the Lord uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now.”

** God occasionally used prophets to communicate His message, including this time when the prophet brought to the Israelites a divine curse because of their infidelity <M130>

Judges 6:7-8,10 NIV

[7] When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian, [8] he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. [10] I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

** God also communicated through His angel, encouraging Gideon to fight for Israel which he eventually did with added confirmation from God

• The hesitant hero asked God for reassuring signs, and He graciously reassured Gideon

• All too often our circumstances rob us of a sense of God’s presence

• God commands us to ‘go in the strength we already have’ and rely on the fact that God is truly with us, even if we do not sense His presence <R1795>

Judges 6:11-12 NIV

Judges 6:14-16 NIV

[14] The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” [15] “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family. ” [16] The Lord answered, “I will be with you , and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

Judges 6:34 NIV

[34] Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.

** God reveals Himself not only through His word but through nature, signs and wonders

Deuteronomy 4:34-35 NIV

[34] Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? [35] You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other.

Deuteronomy 4:39 NIV

[39] Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.

** God is absolutely righteous and omnipotent which should make us stand in absolute AWE, even as the demons recognize God and shudder!

James 2:19 NIV

[19] You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that---and shudder.

** God can get the attention of His people through a series of miracles and, as we know in New Testament times, working on the hearts of listeners

Exodus 4:1-9 NIV

[1] Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?” [2] Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. [3] The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. [4] Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. [5] “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers---the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob---has appeared to you.” [6] Then the Lord said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous---it had become as white as snow. [7] “Now put it back into your cloak,” he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh. [8] Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second. [9] But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground.”

Romans 5:5 NIV

[5] And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

** God made a covenant with all segments of His chosen community for all generations so He may be recognized as their God

Deuteronomy 29:10-13 NIV

[10] All of you are standing today in the presence of the Lord your God---your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and all the other men of Israel, [11] together with your children and your wives, and the foreigners living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water. [12] You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the Lord your God, a covenant the Lord is making with you this day and sealing with an oath, [13] to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Deuteronomy 29:14-15 NIV

[14] I am making this covenant, with its oath, not only with you [15] who are standing here with us today in the presence of the Lord our God but also with those who are not here today.

** The Lord tests us for specific reasons as any loving father would discipline his child: to grow in our relationship with Him, to test what is in our heart, so God can provide for us as needed

Deuteronomy 8:2-3 NIV

[2] Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. [3] He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 8:5 NIV

[5] Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.

** God disciplines us for our good! by John Fawcett

"We also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope." Romans 5:3-4

All the afflictions of God's people are designed, under His gracious management--to test, to make manifest, and to exercise, those graces and virtues which He has implanted in them. Though afflictions in themselves are not joyous but grievous, nevertheless they yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness in those who are exercised thereby.

Afflictions serve to quicken the spirit of devotion in us, and to rouse us from that formality and indifference which frequently attend a long course of ease and prosperity. We are constrained to seek God with sincerity and fervor when His chastening hand is upon us, since we then feel our absolute need of that help and deliverance which He alone can give us.

Afflictions serve most effectually to convince us of the vanity of all that this world can afford, to remind us that this poor world is not our rest, and to stir up desires and hopes for our everlasting home.

Afflictions produce in us a spirit of sympathy towards our companions in tribulation.

Afflictions give occasion for the exercise of patience, meekness, submission, and resignation. Were it not for the wholesome and necessary discipline of affliction, these excellent virtues would lie dormant.

Afflictions serve to convince us more deeply of our own weakness and insufficiency, and to endear the person, the grace, the promises, and the salvation of our Redeemer, more and more to our hearts. Thus we are taught to esteem His very chastisements as precious on account of the benefits we derive from them.

Afflictions are not to punish, but to purify the believing soul.

They are not sent in wrath, but in mercy.

Amidst the distresses and miseries of life--it is a felicity to belong to Christ, without whose appointment, no evil can befall us! He always sends afflictions for our good; and knows by experience, what it is to suffer them. His kind hand will speedily put an end to all the pains we feel, when we have derived from them all the good which He intends to do for us, by them.

Hebrews 12:10 NIV

[10] They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.

** God has a purpose for trials and discipline — to bring our focus onto Him as our Helper in time of need

Psalm 66:10-12 NIV

Psalm 66:16-17 NIV

[16] Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. [17] I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue.

** God sometimes offers miraculous solutions when situations seem dire

Numbers 11:21-23 NIV

[21] But Moses said, “Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’ [22] Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?” [23] The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you. ”

Numbers 11:31-33 NIV

[31] Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail in from the sea. It scattered them up to two cubits deep all around the camp, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. [32] All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers. Then they spread them out all around the camp. [33] But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.

** God controls all events, even the obstacles we fear; for instance, God can defeat an army without succumbing to man’s methods of war!

Leviticus 26:36-38 NIV

[36] “ ‘As for those of you who are left, I will make their hearts so fearful in the lands of their enemies that the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. They will run as though fleeing from the sword, and they will fall, even though no one is pursuing them. [37] They will stumble over one another as though fleeing from the sword, even though no one is pursuing them. So you will not be able to stand before your enemies. [38] You will perish among the nations; the land of your enemies will devour you.

** In contrast to potential blessings, the Lord issues warnings when people do not follow His commands; further warnings with continued disobedience

Leviticus 26:14-17 NIV

[14] “ ‘But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, [15] and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, [16] then I will do this to you: I will bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and sap your strength. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. [17] I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you.

Leviticus 26:18-19,21 NIV

[18] “‘If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over. [19] I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. [21] “‘If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve.

** The Israelites returned to doing evil when the leader-judge died and the Lord would then punish them for it; this cycle repeated over and over throughout the generations

Judges 4:1-3 NIV

[1] Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, now that Ehud was dead. [2] So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Sisera, the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. [3] Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

** As punishment for their rebellion and unbelief, God forbade the Israelites over 20 years of age to enter the Promised Land for 40 years (a year for each day they explored the new land)

Specifically, the current generation would die and next generation would suffer for their parent's sin, while those men who explored the land and came back with a bad report died of a plague immediately; God makes it clear that we will "know what it is like to have [God] against [those who rebel]"

Numbers 14:26-31 NIV

[26] The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: [27] “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. [28] So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: [29] In this wilderness your bodies will fall---every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. [30] Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. [31] As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected.

Numbers 14:32-35 NIV

[32] But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. [33] Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. [34] For forty years---one year for each of the forty days you explored the land---you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ [35] I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die. ”

Numbers 14:36-38 NIV

[36] So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it--- [37] these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord. [38] Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.

** Further in their obstinance, the Israelites believed they could circumvent God's punishment and enter the land by force; Moses warns them that God is not with them because they turned from Him

Numbers 14:39-42 NIV

[39] When Moses reported this to all the Israelites, they mourned bitterly. [40] Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country, saying, “Now we are ready to go up to the land the Lord promised. Surely we have sinned! ” [41] But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed! [42] Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies,

Numbers 14:44-45 NIV

[44] Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp. [45] Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.

** The punishment God had pronounced for Moses was to remain, instructing Moses not to "speak to me anymore about this matter"

Deuteronomy 3:23-27 NIV

[23] At that time I pleaded with the Lord: [24] “Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? [25] Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan---that fine hill country and Lebanon. ” [26] But because of you the Lord was angry with me and would not listen to me. “That is enough,” the Lord said. “Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. [27] Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan.

** God disciplines us for a purpose -- to bring us back into obedient alignment with Him; punishment continues for continued rebellion

Leviticus 26:23-24 NIV

[23] “ ‘If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me, [24] I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over.

Psalm 16:4a NIV

[4] Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.

** We run the risk of experiencing the wrath of God and being abhorred by God when we sin and do not follow Him; as New Testament believers, we know we can accept His gift of salvation and fall into His loving relationship but quite the opposite if we do not fear Him, accept His offer of redemption and abide in Him

Leviticus 26:30 NIV

[30] I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you.

Acts 4:12 NIV

[12] Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

John 3:36 NIV

[36] Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

Romans 1:18-19,21-25 NIV

[18] The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, [19] since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. [21] For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. [22] Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools [23] and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. [24] Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. [25] They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator---who is forever praised. Amen.

Romans 5:9 NIV

[9] Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

** The Lord protected His people by having Pharaoh think the Israelites were confused in the desert, then ultimately pursuing them and being destroyed in the process

Exodus 14:1-4 NIV

[1] Then the Lord said to Moses, [2] “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. [3] Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ [4] And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this.

Exodus 14:26-28 NIV

[26] Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” [27] Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. [28] The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen---the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.

** The Egyptians were mightily equipped to bring the Israelites back to Egypt, but the Lord had other plans to rescue them with His power and for His glory

Exodus 14:5-7,9 NIV

[5] When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” [6] So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. [7] He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. [9] The Egyptians---all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops---pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.

Exodus 14:19-20 NIV

[19] Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, [20] coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

Exodus 14:21-22 NIV

[21] Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, [22] and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

Exodus 14:23-25 NIV

[23] The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. [24] During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. [25] He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”

** God understands what we are going through — including times of loneliness, scorn, poverty and concern over death — and addresses our need

Psalm 68:5-6a NIV

[5] A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. [6] God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing

Psalm 69:19-20 NIV

[19] You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you. [20] Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.

Psalm 68:10 NIV

[10] Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor.

Psalm 70:5 NIV

[5] But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay.

Psalm 68:19-20 NIV

[19] Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. [20] Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

Psalm 69:32-33 NIV

[32] The poor will see and be glad---you who seek God, may your hearts live! [33] The Lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.

** Miraculous power can come from various sources but we know Who holds supreme power; we must test the spirits

Exodus 7:9-12 NIV

[9] “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle, ’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.” [10] So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. [11] Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: [12] Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.

Exodus 7:21-22 NIV

[21] The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt. [22] But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

Exodus 8:7 NIV

[7] But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

1 John 4:1 NIV

[1] Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

** Pharaoh was warned that his refusal to obey God would bring on judgment as experienced personally in losing his firstborn son; the only refuge for Pharaoh (or any of us) was to take refuge in the omniscience and omnipotence of God who was determined to bring about His deliverance of Israel

Exodus 4:22-23 NIV

[22] Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, [23] and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’ ”

** Pharaoh recognizes God when asking Moses to pray that He would relieve them of the infestation of frogs and hail

Exodus 8:8-13 NIV

[8] Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.” [9] Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.” [10] “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said. Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God. [11] The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.” [12] After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. [13] And the Lord did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields.

Exodus 9:27-30 NIV

[27] Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said to them. “The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. [28] Pray to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t have to stay any longer.” [29] Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. [30] But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the Lord God.”

** Neighbors of Isaac recognized God's hand of protection and asked for a sworn agreement

Genesis 26:28-31 NIV

[28] They answered, “We saw clearly that the Lord was with you; so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’---between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you [29] that you will do us no harm, just as we did not harm you but always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. And now you are blessed by the Lord.” [30] Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. [31] Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they went away peacefully.

** Jacob understood the power of God who opened and closed wombs

Genesis 30:1-2 NIV

[1] When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” [2] Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?”

** God intentionally tests us to build our faith and increase our dependency on Him

Genesis 22:1-2 NIV

[1] Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. [2] Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love-- Isaac --- and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you. ”

** Sarah laughed in disbelief at what the Lord had predicted and God called her on it, for nothing is too difficult for the Lord to accomplish!

Genesis 18:11-12 NIV

[11] Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. [12] So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

Genesis 18:13-14 NIV

[13] Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ [14] Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

** God places Joseph in prison where the cupbearer and baker also reside, both having dreams that need interpreting

Genesis 40:2-3 NIV

[2] Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, [3] and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined.

Genesis 40:8 NIV

[8] “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

** Joseph instructs Pharaoh to prepare for the upcoming famine; Pharaoh recognizes that God is directing Joseph and puts him in charge next to him

Genesis 41:33-37 NIV

[33] “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. [34] Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. [35] They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. [36] This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.” [37] The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials.

Genesis 41:39-40 NIV

[39] Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. [40] You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you. ”

** A person’s life will be ‘in control’ when Jesus is at the center of their life; Jesus may be their Savior but is He Lord over their life? Jesus, who created the universe and holds it together, certainly has the ability to hold our lives together! <F60>

Colossians 1:15-23 NIV

[15] The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. [16] For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. [17] He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. [18] And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. [19] For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, [20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. [21] Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. [22] But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation--- [23] if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Hebrews 1:3a NIV

[3] The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

** God heard and answered our cry for mercy with an offer of salvation <M130>

• There is a time in God’s economy when He listens to sinners and responds to those who are repentant

• The time to accept His offer is NOW!

• Understand there will be an end to this offer of salvation, which is why Paul passionately urged his Corinthian audience to act

• Paul implored the Corinthians to see that NOW is the time to accept this offer and share this message with others

2 Corinthians 6:2 NIV

[2] For [God] says,

“In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

Isaiah 49:8 NIV

[8] This is what the Lord says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances,

Hebrews 3:7-8 NIV

[7] So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, [8] do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness

Psalm 116:1-2 NIV

[1] I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. [2] Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

John 9:4 NIV

[4] As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.

** Paul identifies himself as a living example of God’s grace, for after Paul repented, God turned him from killing Christians to loving and shepherding them!

1 Corinthians 15:9-10 NIV

[9] For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. [10] But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them---yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

** God allows us to struggle with a weakness or affliction in order to keep us humble and continue looking to Him for strength to endure

• Scholars still debate the nature of Paul’s thorn in the flesh

• Most often mentioned is a disfiguring eye disease that made it difficult for Paul to read and write (Gal 6:11)

• All we know is that it troubled Paul greatly that he prayed continually to have it removed

• He finally came to appreciate his thorn as a weakness through which Christ’s power might be more clearly displayed <R1795>

2 Corinthians 12:7b-9 NIV

[7] Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. [8] Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. [9] But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Galatians 6:11 NIV

[11] See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!

** Embrace and rejoice in our weakness for it highlights God’s constant grace working in us as He helps us overcome; we are strong when we are weak

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV

[9] But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. [10] That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV

[10] But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them---yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Philippians 4:13 NIV

[13] I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Colossians 1:29 NIV

[29] To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

** Paul is an amazing example of how suffering and persecution must be endured for the sake of the gospel — including flogging, prison, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, exposed to bandits, danger from others, physical deprivation, escaping authorities, longing for the salvation of others and conviction of personal sin

2 Corinthians 11:23b-29 NIV

[23] I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. [24] Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. [25] Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, [26] I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. [27] I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. [28] Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. [29] Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?

** We can be bold in our testimony because of the overriding hope we have in Christ

2 Corinthians 3:12 NIV

[12] Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.

2 Corinthians 4:1 NIV

[1] Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.

** Even if our testimony is veiled, the message of Christ is still going out to those who are perishing

• Paul wasn’t being critical of the mortal body; he was simply contrasting the weak and ordinary character of the messenger with the overwhelming power of the message

• Paul knew the dynamic power that had marked his ministry had no source in him

• Jesus is to be credited who saves all who believe in Him

• Despite our weaknesses, we are not crushed, nor drowned in despair, nor abandoned, nor destroyed

• Don’t let a sense of personal weakness keep you from serving God <R1795>

2 Corinthians 4:3-5 NIV

[3] And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. [4] The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. [5] For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, carry the death of Christ but are not destroyed by it; consequently we reveal in our bodies the same Christ who conquered death on the cross!

** Anyone who is built into the Christian faith will be tested at some point and the materials used will either survive or burn to ashes; make sure what is built will survive the test!

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 NIV

[12] If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, [13] their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work. [14] If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. [15] If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved---even though only as one escaping through the flames.

** Our admonition of others can include boldness and frankness for their benefit (tough love); do not succumb to or prioritize political correctness at the cost of living out God’s truth

• Love isn’t a matter of how we look, or how much money or education we have

• Love is simply the overflow of a deep concern for the welfare of others

• If you have that love, nothing else matters; if you do not have that love, nothing else counts <R1795>

• Love involves supporting others, but remember that love is not simply accepting whatever a person thinks or how they act <M1501>

• On the contrary, Biblical love sometimes involves admonishing another because they are blatantly opposing God, as Jesus admonishes those He loves

• If you love someone, you need to protect them and tell them the truth

• Do not approve of everything they want to do because it is most likely harmful to them, others, and against God’s will <T2097>

• Any admonishment must be done out of a loving motive, similar to one who acts in 'tough love'

2 Corinthians 7:4a NIV

[4] I have spoken to you with great frankness

2 Corinthians 7:8-9 NIV

[8] Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it---I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while--- [9] yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.

** We reveal what is in our heart, and hopefully our heart does not reflect approval of values of the current age for this world is dominated by Satan

Paul talks of the renewing of our mind that focuses solely on God and is saturated and controlled by the Word of God <M130>; this can only happen as the Holy Spirit changes our thinking through consistent study and meditation of Scripture and our desire is to pursue an intimate walk with God

Romans 12:2 NIV

[2] Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is---his good, pleasing and perfect will.

** Israelites saw that the rock Moses struck provided water for them throughout their journey; Paul identifies this rock as the Eternal Rock of Jesus Christ who continues to stay and provide for us when we look to Him

1 Corinthians 10:1-4 NIV

[1] For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. [2] They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. [3] They all ate the same spiritual food [4] and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

** Paul shared about his new life in Christ, having an encounter with God, then repenting of his sin before experiencing a radical life transformation

Acts 26:4-6 NIV

[4] “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. [5] They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee. [6] And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today.

Acts 26:9-17 NIV

[9] “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. [10] And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. [11] Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities. [12] “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. [13] About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. [14] We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ [15] “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. [16] ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. [17] I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them

** Losing sight must have been traumatic for Paul and regaining his sight must have been incredibly comforting; God definitely got Paul's attention!

Acts 22:11-13 NIV

[11] My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. [12] “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. [13] He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

** Believers need to have a righteous fear of God!

Romans 3:18 NIV

[18] “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

** Jesus did not come to lead war but to show us a different way, even to the point of personal ridicule and death

Luke 22:49-51 NIV

[49] When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” [50] And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. [51] But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

Luke 22:52-53 NIV

[52] Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? [53] Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour---when darkness reigns.”

Luke 22:63-65 NIV

[63] The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. [64] They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” [65] And they said many other insulting things to him.

** We are cognizant of sin because Christ came to show us our depraved state

John 15:22,24 NIV

[22] If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. [24] If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.

** Jesus was obedient to the end, His death on a cross; Jesus knew His purpose demonstrated an immense amount of love

John 18:11 NIV

[11] Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

John 3:16-17 NIV

[16] For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

** The Holy Spirit will testify about the truth of Christ and what is to come; we can confirm this truth since we are followers of Christ

John 16:13-14 NIV

John 15:26-27 NIV

[26] “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father---the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father---he will testify about me. [27] And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

** Tongues is a sign for unbelievers while prophecy is a sign for believers

• A sign is a visible mark of God’s presence or activity

• Even though tongues can offer unbelievers a sign of God, intelligible speech has priority in the church because it can be used to convict an unbeliever of sin <R1795>

1 Corinthians 14:22 NIV

[22] Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers.

1 Corinthians 14:23-25 NIV

[23] So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? [24] But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, [25] as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”

** There were periods of time in the Old Testament that God stopped speaking audibly or through dreams

• God spoke to prophets – and promises to speak again

Acts 2:17 NIV

[17] “ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

It would be impossible to say, definitively, whether or not God gives prophetic dreams to people today. There are many reports of prophetic dreams, especially in areas where access to the Bible and the gospel are limited. God may sometimes use dreams to guide people to places where they can hear the gospel and be saved. A wide variety of spiritual or prophetic dreams are reported by a wide variety of Christians in many countries. But none of these are verifiable to the degree that we can say “yes, God definitely gives prophetic dreams today.”

If you think you have had a prophetic dream or have heard a firsthand story from another person who has had a prophetic dream, the first question to ask is “is this dream from God?” Compare the content of the dream and its message to the Scriptures; if anything seems to contradict God’s words or His nature, it is wise to disregard the dream—even if it comes true. God will never go against His Word. The Bible is our standard for truth and the revelation that God has given. We can always ask God for wisdom when examining a dream. <G72>

• We are told to test the spirits, and the Lord with confirm

1 Corinthians 14:29-31 NIV

[29] Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. [30] And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. [31] For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.

James 1:5 NIV

[5] If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

** God may use suffering to awaken our spirits or to reveal His work; regardless of His purpose, we can rest in the fact that God loves us by proof of sending His Son to the world to take on our punishment

John 9:3 NIV

[3] “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

- Jesus knew the Jews wanted to kill Him

- Jesus was not preoccupied with His safety but instead was alert to every opportunity to meet people's needs around Him and fulfill His Father's will

- Jesus understood with compassion the blind man's isolation and loneliness

- Jesus noticed a blind man who was born blind; the disciples had a technical question asking the reason for the man's blindness -- the sin of the man or his parents -- and Jesus answers that his suffering is for a different purpose than the result of sin, to glorify God

** We still see today the consequences of Abraham's hasty attempt at solving his problem rather than waiting on God; the roots of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians go back to Abraham's decision to father a son through his wife's maidservant Hagar rather than trust God to provide through his wife Sarai

Romans 9:11-12 NIV

[11] Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad---in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: [12] not by works but by him who calls---she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”

Genesis 16:1-2 NIV

[1] Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; [2] so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said.

** It may seem as though God is not paying attention but His wrath will eventually come on those who reject Him and His ways

Psalm 50:16-17,21-22 NIV

[16] But to the wicked person, God says: “What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? [17] You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you. [21] When you did these things and I kept silent, you thought I was exactly like you. But I now arraign you and set my accusations before you. [22] “Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you

** There are some things we simply cannot do but we serve a God who can; Jesus meets our physical need which only proves He can meet our spiritual need

John 6:11-13 NIV

Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. [12] When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” [13] So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

** Jesus performs the miracle of feeding 5000 (more like 10-20 000) to show His power to meet more than just the physical need; Jesus abundantly met the need (not just minimally) thus showing us His unlimited ability and our faith is expanded as a result

John 6:13-14 NIV

So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. [14] After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

** Peter uses the opportunity with a curious crowd, wondering how a man got healed, to share how they put Jesus to death and didn't know He came as the expected Messiah offering salvation

Acts 3:12 NIV

[12] When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?

Acts 3:13-16 NIV

[13] The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. [14] You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. [15] You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. [16] By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

Acts 3:17-18 NIV

[17] “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. [18] But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer.

** The Jewish leaders were more concerned about following a rule on the Sabbath than recognizing a man who was healed after 38 years; Jesus' miraculous power testified to His deity and their hearts should have been changed as a result, but weren't

John 5:10-11,16 NIV

[10] and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.” [11] But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’” [16] So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him.

** Jesus offers a sure way that defies human logic and methods -- in this situation in the book of John, Jesus pursues a man who was an invalid and waited 38 years to enter a pool. Jesus singled out and pursued this individual to show him ultimate hope through believing in Christ. Jesus shows invalids and witnesses at the time they were not to believe in superstitions but rather in Him alone who can heal, and not only temporarily but eternally!

God can choose to work through the methods we know (such as self-help books, medication, surgery, counseling sessions) but the question remains whether we RELY on these things or seek Christ and trust Him in the process?

Jesus knows every detail about us and our situation and desires what is best for us even if we don't see it at the time. Do we trust that He knows best? If we do, then life could look vastly different than what we imagine.

John 5:2-3,5-9 NIV

[2] Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. [3] Here a great number of disabled people used to lie---the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [5] One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. [6] When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” [7] “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” [8] Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” [9] At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath

** Jesus raises a widow's son from the dead; the crowd is filled (understandably) with awe and think that Jesus came to help His people

Luke 7:14-15 NIV

[14] Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” [15] The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

Luke 7:16 NIV

[16] They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.”

** How incredibly comforting to know that God, the Founder of the world and universe around us, remains in complete control of its continued existence all that operates within it

Psalm 24:1-2 NIV

[1] The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; [2] for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.

** Our life here on earth is short and it is fragile; God guarantees we will face death one way or another

Psalm 18:4-5 NIV

[4] The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. [5] The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.

Psalm 102:23 NIV

[23] In the course of my life he broke my strength; he cut short my days.

** We are issued a warning that if we don't love and serve the One True God then we our suffering will increase

Psalm 16:4 NIV

[4] Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips.

** We will experience suffering and God's wrath when He is angry with us

Psalm 44:9-11 NIV

[9] But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies. [10] You made us retreat before the enemy, and our adversaries have plundered us. [11] You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations.

Psalm 44:13,15-16,22 NIV

[13] You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us. [15] I live in disgrace all day long, and my face is covered with shame [16] at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me, because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge. [22] Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

** David makes an appeal to the Lord to rescue his people even though by vs 22 ("yet for your sake") he understands it is the Lord's sovereign will and for His honor that they suffer

Psalm 44:22 NIV

[22] Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

** God isn't only about grace, grace, grace but gets angry and shows His anger when reaching a certain point; Scripture supports He gets angry at those who oppose Him and who prove to be His children's enemies

Psalm 18:7-14 NIV

[7] The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. [8] Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. [9] He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. [10] He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. [11] He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him---the dark rain clouds of the sky. [12] Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. [13] The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. [14] He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them.

** Ultimately we have no choice but to put our trust in God because nothing is safe from His judgment and righteous wrath

Psalm 11:3,7 NIV

[3] When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” [7] For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.

** The Spirit, who is in tune with God's perfect purpose and timing, led Jesus into the desert to be tempted for 40 days; God sometimes uses temptation to strengthen our reliance and faith in Him

Luke 4:1-2 NIV

[1] Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, [2] where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

** God can use the most unlikely people to witness for Him, as He did with Saul who killed the early believers but later became the apostle Paul; God used the persecution to spread the Good News

Acts 8:3 NIV

[3] But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

Acts 9:1-2 NIV

[1] Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest [2] and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

Acts 8:1,4 NIV

[1] And Saul approved of their killing [Stephen]. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. [4] Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

** God is aware of everything that happens on earth as He examines each one of us

• God sees and knows everything

• This verse is disconcerting in that nothing (including our sin) escapes the eye/attention of God, but it can also be comforting because God knows our heart and motive!

Psalm 11:4 NIV

[4] The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them.

** The Samaritan woman represents those in sin who do not know they are in sin or know that God even sees them; Jesus directed a question toward the woman, provoking her to think about something she had not previously considered

John 4:7,9-10 NIV

[7] When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” [9] The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. ) [10] Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

- Jesus approached the Samaritan woman with a question that initiated a conversation, as opposed to His confronting Nicodemus with a response to his question

- Nicodemus thought he knew who Jesus was whereas Samaritan woman didn't come with preconceived ideas; Jesus adapts to every situation

- Jesus lets the woman know what she needed, who could offer help, how to receive help

- we learn of Living Water = Spirit which is life giving (eternal) rather than a temporary solution that looks after our current thirst

** As things started to get personal, the woman at the well changed the subject and challenged His words; Jesus uses her comments to guide the conversation and stick with His challenge so she could experience personal spiritual worship

Salvation does not depend on location (like the Jews worshiping at temples in Jerusalem or Samaritans worshiping on a mountain) for salvation comes through Jesus

John 4:20-21 NIV

[20] Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” [21] “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem."

John 4:25-26 NIV

[25] The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” [26] Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you---I am he.”

** Jesus crossed many social barriers in a tactful way, confronting the Samaritan woman's sinful relational issues and drawing the truth out of her after she is coy in her initial response to His comment

John 4:16-18 NIV

[16] He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” [17] “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. [18] The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

** The Lord discerns between those who are upright in the eyes of The Lord and the wicked; His response is conditional

Psalm 11:5-7 NIV

[5] The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion. [6] On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. [7] For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.

Matthew 13:40-42 NIV

[40] “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. [41] The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. [42] They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

** Christ demonstrated what it meant to be a great leader: the Creator God of the universe who gave up all and became a servant to all

Mark 10:42-45 NIV

[42] Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. [43] Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, [44] and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. [45] For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

** Jesus came with a message of love and peace, completely contrary to the worldly thinking and popular notion that the leader Messiah would come using forceful measures to oust opponents and oppressors

Mark 14:48-50 NIV

[48] “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? [49] Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” [50] Then everyone deserted him and fled.

** God uses difficult situations to get us to focus on Him and show His care/provision for us

Habakkuk 3:17-19 NIV

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, [18] yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. [19] The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

** Like the fig tree, Israel had no fruit because the Jewish people had rejected Jesus as their Messiah. The curse Jesus placed on the tree was symbolic of the fact that the Jewish nation would experience the wrath of God and be set aside if they did not repent

In Mark’s account, the next morning as they returned to the Temple Mount (Tuesday), they saw that the fig tree had withered. Later that same day, after visiting the Temple, Jesus delivered His Olivet Discourse, and he reminded them of the fig tree. That’s when he told them to watch it because one day it would come alive again, and when that happened, the generation that witnessed it would also witness His return to earth. This is why He had told them that morning to “have faith in God.” Their state would be destroyed due to their rejection of their Messiah but one day it would be re-established again. <H994>

In Luke’s account, the parable of the fig tree emphasizes how close judgment had come, and how little time was left for repentance. If repentance did not come soon, the verdict would be to “cut it down.” <R1795>

Mark 11:12-14,19-22 NIV

[12] The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. [13] Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. [14] Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. [19] When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. [20] In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. [21] Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” [22] “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.

Luke 13:6-9 NIV

[6] Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. [7] So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' [8] “ 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. [9] If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' ”

** Sometimes we echo David's sentiments when God seemingly withdraws His presence, not being responsive to our cries for help

• David addressed God personally which indicated a personal relationship with his Father

• Jesus cried the same question on the cross but God still demonstrated His divine wrath by turning the other way

Psalm 22:1-2 NIV

[1] My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? [2] My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.

Psalm 22:11 NIV

[11] Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

** Regardless of David's feelings, he praises God and calls on others to do the same, for he knows that God is the Almighty and can deliver those who consistently call on His name; rest assured, God hears our every word and answers our prayers when we trust Him and turn to Him

Psalm 22:3-5 NIV

[3] Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. [4] In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. [5] To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

Psalm 22:22 NIV

[22] I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you.

Psalm 22:25 NIV

[25] From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.

Psalm 22:23-24 NIV

[23] You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! [24] For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

** Jeremiah understands that God's judgments are righteous and He dispenses 'just rewards' for our sins; repentance and a new direction should be on our lips

Lamentations 3:39-42 NIV

[39] Why should the living complain when punished for their sins? [40] Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. [41] Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say: [42] “We have sinned and rebelled...

** The Lord can be angry and turn from us for a period of time for our own good (discipline), so we feel the impact of our sin; God continues to hear our plea, however, and we are blessed when He forgives us after recognizing and repenting from our ways

Lamentations 3:55-58 NIV

[55] I called on your name, Lord, from the depths of the pit. [56] You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.” [57] You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.” [58] You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life.

** God is in control of every moment of our life, including being aware of and giving us hope in the midst of affliction and struggle

Psalm 31:2-3 NIV

[2] Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. [3] Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Psalm 31:10,12 NIV

[10] My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. [12] I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery.

Psalm 31:24 NIV

[24] Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

** Be patient in the midst of affliction; wait for the Lord's return and observe how God will respond in the meantime

James 5:7-8 NIV

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. [8] You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

James 5:10-11 NIV

Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. [11] As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

** Jesus walks on water to greet the disciples, defies the 'natural' by walking on water, encourages them with His words and demonstrates His power over all things by calming the water when He gets on the boat

Mark 6:48-51 NIV

[48] He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, [49] but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, [50] because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” [51] Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed,

** God can harden hearts as He reveals Himself to some, just like God hardened Pharaoh's heart in order to show His power and bring glory to Himself

Exodus 7:3-5 NIV

But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, [4] he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. [5] And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

Ephesians 4:17-18 NIV

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. [18] They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.

** God sent His Spirit or angel representative at various times; people in the Old Testament were not privileged to have the indwelling of the Spirit as in New Testament times

Ephesians 3:4-5 NIV

In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, [5] which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.

** Sometimes we are oblivious (not listening) and even knowingly disobedient regarding God's call on us, but God can wake us up and orchestrate a change of heart through difficult and sometimes extraordinary events prompting us to call on Him

Jonah 2:1-6 NIV

2 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. [2] He said:

“In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. [3] You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. [4] I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ [5] The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. [6] To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit.

James 4:6 NIV

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

** It's easy to dismiss the seemingly small events in our lives but God is in the details; just look at His creation from the infinite universe to the forming of DNA

- to minimize or ignore the working of God, is to minimize and ignore God

- small details may seem like small potatoes but these details are often stress producers at the same time; if they are a concern to us then they are a concern to God, especially when we aim to keep in line with His will

- sometimes the small details add up, influencing the big picture and final outcome, so God would undoubtedly be interested in these details

- let's bring glory to God through life's journey in both big and small ways!

Acts 21:19-20 NIV

Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. [20] When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.

** God sent Christ to show us His ways and will; we are blessed when consuming His words and the prophesy God have to His servant John

Revelation 1:1-3 NIV

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, [2] who testifies to everything he saw---that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. [3] Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

Revelation 1:10-11 NIV

On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, [11] which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

Revelation 1:17-19 NIV

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. [18] I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. [19] “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.

** There are serious consequences that God will invoke for not following Him; God informs us of His rules already in the Old Testament thus we have no excuse

Deuteronomy 28:45-48 NIV

All these curses will come on you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you. [46] They will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever. [47] Because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, [48] therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.

Deuteronomy 28:58-61 NIV

If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name---the Lord your God--- [59] the Lord will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. [60] He will bring on you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you. [61] The Lord will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed.

** Solomon, who had everything he could ever want (including intelligence) realized it was all useless; everything in life lost its meaning because he took his eyes off of God and let faith in God slowly slip away

Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 NIV

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. [11] Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

1 Kings 11:3-4 NIV

He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. [4] As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

** David expressed the same realization in the Psalms, that our life on earth is but a breath so why spend so much time and energy striving for what it has to offer?

Psalm 39:4-7 NIV

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. [5] You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. [6] “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be. [7] “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.

** "Pain is God's megaphone to ..." <L125>

** Sometimes God uses us as a testimony to others

• Paul's illness was a trial to others

• No one can say for sure what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was

• It must have been a source of real pain in the apostle’s life and had affected those around him

Galatians 4:14 NIV

and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.

** We are good at trying to cover up our sin and pretend it doesn't exist but God knows all

Genesis 3:11-12 NIV

And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from? ” [12] The man said, “The woman you put here with me---she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

- we are guilty because we have sinned against God, not because of what Adam did

** We are to take whatever measure is needed to avoid sinning and consequent eternity in Hell

Matthew 18:8-9 NIV

If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. [9] And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

** We receive His word, we stand in it regardless of the consequences, and let our stand change our lives every day!

Ephesians 1:13 NIV

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

Ephesians 2:22 NIV

And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

** Difficulty may come at any time and it may appear we are alone to face the danger alone

Matthew 8:23-24 NIV

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. [24] Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.

** Nations who forget God will go down by their own demise

• Those who do not know God by faith will learn of Him later, for God is and will be known by His justice

• The moral order of the universe means that the wicked will fall into the pits they dig for others, and their own feet will be snared in the traps they have hidden <R1795>

Psalm 9:15-17 NIV

[15] The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. [16] The Lord is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. [17] The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God.

Psalm 9:19-20 NIV

[19] Arise, Lord, do not let mortals triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. [20] Strike them with terror, Lord; let the nations know they are only mortal.

** We can call on God at any time to save us; nothing is too difficult for the One who created the winds and universe!

Matthew 8:25-27 NIV

The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” [26] He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. [27] The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

** God does not want any of His followers to perish and will attempt to bring them back to the fold

Matthew 18:12-14 NIV

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? [13] And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. [14] In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

** May we know the fullness of God, including His immeasurable love for us

Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, [18] may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, [19] and to know this love that surpasses knowledge---that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

** God has a will and purpose for our lives, known sometimes via an open door and peace of mind

2 Corinthians 1:1a NIV

[1] Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother

2 Corinthians 2:12-13 NIV

[12] Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, [13] I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

K4.

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