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Psalms 71:1-8 In You, O
LORD, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame. Deliver me in Your
righteousness, and cause me to escape; Incline Your ear to me, and save me. Be
my strong refuge, To which I may resort continually; You have given the
commandment to save me, For You are
my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. For You are my hope, O Lord
GOD; You are my trust from my
youth. By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my
mother's womb. My praise shall be
continually of You. I have become as a wonder to many, But You are my strong refuge. Let my mouth be
filled with Your praise And with Your glory all the day. Father I come before you in the name
of Jesus. I pray for your Spirit to show all that read your messages the truth,
and what they must do to have assurance of Heaven when they pass from earth. We
give you all the glory and praise. Amen!
Romans 8:17-18 NKJV
The last couple weeks I have touched on repentance in
conjunction with the lessons. I have said some things that could really cut a
person to the bone in their beliefs, but I say them out of love because I want
people to think for themselves about what they have been taught. I want people
to know the truth. I want to see everyone in Heaven. I want people to place
their faith in Jesus and understand why He died on the cross for us.
Since this chapter teaches so much about the power of the
Holy Spirit and how it gives an individual the power to deal with our sin
nature after we are Born Again, I’m going to share how the Holy Spirit dealt
with me along with repentance. One thing I have come to learn is the main
duties of the Holy Spirit is conviction. See the Holy Spirit is around us
before being saved, but after our Spiritual Birth He takes up residence within
and that is when God’s Commandments/Bible is written on our hearts in BIG BOLD
LETTERS. You have seen on TV where the Holy Spirit (God’s Truth; His Laws; His
Word being the Bible) is sitting on one shoulder and the devil (self; sin
nature; flesh) is sitting on the other shoulder of an individual and both are
whispering in the ears of the person, right? When a person starts reading the
Bible and seeking the truth a battle begins inside the human mind. This battle
that went on inside my mind was horrendous. What I had been taught growing up
at home said one thing, yet what I read in the Bible said another. I’m not
talking about my parent, because if it wasn’t for my parents, their lifestyle,
and influence on my life I may not have picked up the Bible in search of what
was contained within the front and back covers. What I’m talking about when I
refer to growing up at home was what I was taught by the religion we practiced.
The religion knows who Jesus is, what he did, and that He is our Saviour, but
also teaches so much manmade doctrine, rules, rituals, customs, etc. that a
young person is lead to believe through their religious instruction, they will
go to Heaven if they practice the doctrine of the denomination. A young person
then puts their salvation in a religion and that is how they start living and
it carries on into their adult life. They have a family and what the parents
believe is taught to their children with each passing generation. Now when I
hear someone say they are religious or they belong to this religion or that
religion, I immediately think of the Pharisee’s and Sadducee’s, because that is
where they placed their faith in going to Heaven (man’s laws and self works).
So you see, if your faith is not in Jesus Christ and what transpired on the
Cross at Calvary, then you are just like the Pharisee’s and Sadducee’s that had
minds of enmity against Jesus. Here is a key point to remember that will lead
you in the right direction pertaining to God, and that is if any religion or
person, leads you and teaches from anything other than the Bible or tells you
you don’t need to read the Bible, a red flag should go up. If a red flag goes
up then you really need to verify the accuracy of what that person or religion
is teaching with God’s Word, the Bible. Another red flag is if the church
doctrine is continually changing, especially if the religion claims it is the
one and only true church.
I remember October, November, and December of 2007 as if
it was yesterday. Why is it we have vivid memories of past events in our lives?
It is because something has happened in a person’s life that had a huge impact and
changed their lifestyle, habits, thoughts, etc. As I started reading the New
Testament some verses stood out in bold 3D letters. Sometimes I would blink my
eyes but it wouldn’t go away. I knew God was trying to tell me something. As I
continued to read and study I started searching for what I placed my faith in,
that being what I was taught in CCD. As I researched each thing a battle would
go on in inside of me. My flesh saying it was true, but the Bible saying it was
false because it didn’t confirm my beliefs. Such as partaking of communion
would cleanse you of venial sins, absolution of mortal sins by man, practicing
of the sacraments would get you to heaven, praying for a deceased persons would
get them from purgatory to heaven, if you didn’t live a good enough life (which
I viewed my life as good enough) on earth you would go to purgatory and people
would pray you to heaven, if an infant is baptized they will go to heaven, and
the list goes on and on. With each and every belief I was taught and believed
in for 57 years I could not confirm it in the Bible. I wept many times because
my religious beliefs were not confirmed in the Bible and with each one a battle
would rise up inside of me.
This
battle that was going on inside my head was the convicting power of the Holy
Spirit. I could have denied what the Holy Spirit was telling me and continued
to live according to what I was taught, but here is one thing I was taught as a
child and I believed this with all my heart, that we are to live by what God’s
Word the Bible says. This is what hurt so much because I thought I was living a
life based of Bible belief. This belief is what turned me away from mans laws,
and I thank God and whoever instilled that belief in me. This is why I keep
preaching so much on mans laws and reading and knowing what the Bible says so
you will have discernment concerning false doctrine. So I leave you with this,
if you are questioning anything with these messages about what you believe in,
then do the research to verify what I’m saying. Is it true based on scripture
or what you have been taught to believe. If you question anything, it is
because the Holy Spirit is convicting you of the truth. Conviction is the Holy
Spirits job, you have to make the correct decision. Just remember, it is your
eternal life that is at hand here. God’s Word is the same yesterday, today, and
tomorrow, it never changes. Hebrews
13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and
forever.
Romans 8:
17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and
joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Verse
17 was in last week’s lesson also, but verse 18 talks about suffering and glory
too. Suffering and glory go hand in hand and there is much to be said about the
two. I have many verses pertaining to today’s lesson. Before I get started I
want to point out something about being heirs of God that I didn’t point our
very well last week, that being, “joint heirs with Christ”. Do you understand
what that states? If a person is just an heir they only receive part of the
inheritance. For instance, heir of an estate, and if 4 heirs, each will receive
¼ of the estate. Joint heir is totally different because all parties share in
the total inheritance. So when a person becomes a Born Again Saint they inherit
everything God has to offer and they share that inheritance with Jesus, not
just a piece of the pie, but the whole pie. WOW, THAT’S SOMETHING TO SHOUT
ABOUT!
Suffering is throughout
the Bible and the significance it plays in unsaved and saved individuals lives
is a revelation I have found in studying the word. There are many terms used in
God’s Word that describe suffering. Affliction, anguish, distress, grief,
misery, pain, tribulation, chastisement, etc. Various metaphors such as
refining fire (Isaiah
48:10 Behold, I have refined you,
but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.), overflowing waters (Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the
rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall
not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.), birth pangs (John 16:20-22 Most assuredly, I say to
you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be
sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. 21 A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour
has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer
remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and
your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.; Romans
8:18-22) also reflect suffering. Some people come to Jesus by means
of reading and studying God’s Word,
while others are inflicted by a form of suffering and the individual cries out
to God, and as a result something changes within them and they give their life
to Jesus and accept Him as their Saviour. Some examples of these sufferings
involve, fear of dying from cancer, drug addiction, an accident of some type,
the suffering of a disease, divorce, job stress, and many more.
C. S. Lewis explains
suffering this way: “Now God, who has made us, knows what we are and that our
happiness lies in Him. Yet we will not seek it in Him as long as He leaves us
any other resort where it can even plausibly be looked for. While what we call
‘our own life’ remains agreeable, we will not surrender it to Him. What then
can God do in our interest but make ‘our own life’ less agreeable to us, and
take away the plausible sources of false happiness.”
C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain,
(New York: MacMillan, 1062), 93.
The pathway to glory comes
through suffering. Through suffering we come closer to God, but in most cases when
things are going well in people’s lives they forget about God. They only seek
God during hard times. Does each suffering, trials, and tribulation a person
has, draw them closer to God over time? As an unsaved person, probably not,
because after the suffering is over they revert back to their normal way of
life until the next tribulation arises. Their dependence is on themselves and
not God. As a saved person, yes each tribulation/suffering draws them closer to
God because their faith is in God and they praise and thank Him for their
deliverance. They put their life in God’s hands and with each deliverance from
suffering it builds their faith knowing God is in control. Through pain and
suffering, glory and beauty are produced.
The following verses tell
us that Jesus, the Apostles, and followers of Jesus endured many types of pain,
suffering, and persecutions which in turn Glorifies our Father in Heaven. As a
believer being a servant of God you will be rewarded, but the greatest reward
we partake in here on earth is walking with God. It is that little taste of
Heaven knowing God has all things in control.
As a true believer you
will share in the pain and suffering Jesus endured for us. Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His
resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His
death,
As a believer we share in
the sufferings of Jesus, resulting in a Christ-like love and compassion for
other people and sharing the message of the Cross. 2 Corinthians 1:5 For as the
sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through
Christ.
As a true believer one is
tested to see how genuine their faith is. Faith is so important to God, gold is
use as a comparison, but faith is much more precious. 1 Peter 1:6-7 In this you
greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been
grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold
that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and
glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
God rebukes and allows
inflictions in the lives of his children to bring correction in wrong doing. He
does this out of love like a mother and father disciplines their children. Hebrews 12:5-6 And you have forgotten the exhortation which
speaks to you as to sons: "MY SON, DO NOT DESPISE THE CHASTENING OF THE
LORD, NOR BE DISCOURAGED WHEN YOU ARE REBUKED BY HIM; 6 FOR WHOM
THE LORD LOVES HE CHASTENS, AND SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."
The next two verses Paul
is stating that he thought he was going to die. Of what we do not know except
it was due to preaching the Gospel. Even with death close at hand his faith was
in God and not himself. 2
Corinthians 1:8-9 For we do
not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia:
that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even
of life. 9
Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in
ourselves but in God who raises the dead,
James is telling us to
take various trials in stride and rejoice instead of whining, complaining, and
seeking pity from others. A child of God views trials as something that
produces patience James
1:2-3 My brethren, count it all joy
when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing
that the testing of your faith produces patience.
Paul tells his newly
formed churches they will suffer but with faith in Jesus they will be
delivered. 2 Timothy 3:11-12 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me
at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ
Jesus will suffer persecution.
Here is a list of other
scripture involving trials and tribulations that Paul describes. 2 Timothy 3:12 Philippians 1:12-14; 2 Corinthians 4:6-10; 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5; 1
Thessalonians 2:1-4
What
do you learn when afflicted with pain and suffering? Do you think God is trying
to tell you something when you have tribulations? Is God trying to tell you to
repent of something you have done? Is He trying to get your attention so you
will turn to Him and not man’s idolatry? Is He testing your faith? Psalms 119:71 It is
good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes. Psalms 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
Just being enlighten by these verses, we need to seek God’s face for an answer
to why we have trials and tribulations. It might just be He isn’t please with
what you are doing or what you have placed your faith in and he is trying to
get you to come to Him. John
14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the
way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Not Self, Not Religion, Not Works, Not Laws, and Not Rituals will get a person to Heaven.
For I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ,
for it is the power of God
to salvation for everyone who believes,
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a
steadfast spirit within me.
Unless you are Born Again,
you cannot enter into Heaven, the Kingdom of God."
Bill Wiesbrock
Last Week’s Trivia: As the deer pants for the water brooks.
What is this phrase all about?
Answer: Psalm 49 opens with this verse. Psalms 42:1, 2 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants
my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall
I come and appear before God?
These
two verses pertain to the oppressed Israelites in chapter one of Exodus, to
David longing for deliverance from his enemies, and also to us as a nonbeliever
and believer. Deep down inside, the spirit of a nonbeliever, longs for
something, but the individual doesn’t know what. Not being able to sort things
out they turn to the world, materialistic things, things that they think please
the flesh, religion, and self reliance. That longing goes on till death (Hell)
unless they find Jesus and realize what the finished work of the Cross really
means and they then put their trust and faith where it belongs.
As a
saved true believer, they pant for deliverance from this world that they don’t
belong to. They long to be with Jesus Christ in Heaven where our Father is.
This week’s Trivia: What does an unsaved person and a
stubborn donkey have in common?
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