Strength For Every Trial

Have you ever noticed that after experiencing great spiritual victories, the valley of doubt is lurking near? As mere human beings we can often struggle with trusting the Lord as we should. One minute trusting in the Lord's strength and the next minute struggling with doubt and fear. Well, if you find yourself doing this at times, understand that you are not alone. There are many in the Bible that have done the same thing.

Today we want to consider the experience of Asa King of Judah (the southern Kingdom). Turn in your Bible to 1Kings 15:9ff.  Here we learn that Asa was a good King. (1 Kings 15:11) "And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father."  In the next several verses we find Asa reforming Judah so that they will conform to God's will. Unfortunately, he was not able to completely reform Judah for in v.14 we learn that he was not able to remove all the "high places" which were places of pagan worship. Yet we are also told in v.14 that "Asa's heart was perfect with the Lord all his days."  The word "perfect" means undivided, whole. In other words Asa was devoted to the Lord- desired to serve and please the Lord. Yet we will see that Asa did struggle with trust and disobedience. Even though he did struggle some, he still is quite a contrast to many Kings of the Old Testament.

Now turn to and read 2 Chronicles 14:9-15. Here Zerah brings an army of Ethiopians and Lubims (or Libyans in Africa near Egypt- 2Chron.16:8) numbering around a million men and three hundred chariots (v.9) against Asa. Some have doubted the number of men yet there are historical records of even bigger armies of that time period.  This is by the way the biggest army mentioned in the Bible. Can you imagine being Asa and facing this GREAT threat? What will he do? His army is FAR less than the opponent's. Look what he does in vv.11-12.  (2 Chronicles 14:11-12) "And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. {man: or, mortal man} So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled."  WOW, what faith and trust seen in Asa!  God gave them the victory in a way that only He could. What a moral booster! what a faith building experience!

Now turn in your Bible to 2Chronicles 16 and read the chapter. Baasha King of Israel (The Northern Kingdom- remember that after Solomon Israel split into two Kingdoms) came to fight against Asa and the southern Kingdom of Judah.  But what an unfortunate turn of events that we read about here. Asa panics! He does not go to the LORD in prayer! Instead he turns to the King of Syria for help. He offers him great treasure from the "House of the Lord" (v.2). Ben-hadad agrees to help him. In vv.4ff. Ben-hadad fights against Israel the Northern Kingdom and cripples them. 

Asa got what he wanted. The threat from the North has been dealt with.  All is well, right? Well not quite!  Look at vv.7-8. (2 Chronicles 16:7-8) "And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand."  (this last part of the verse referring to 14:9-15) 

What happened to Asa's trust in the Lord? He forgot what God did for him in the past. Less we be to hard on Asa, don't we also do the same thing at times?  God gives us great victories in our lives and we are on "cloud nine," then the next great trial comes and we forget what God can and wants to do for us. If you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior- trusting in Him alone for salvation, then we can have the confidence of a loving God watching over us.  (1 Peter 5:7) "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."  Asa forgot this!

Now for the "golden nugget" to help you to press on through any trouble or difficulty. Notice very carefully v.9. (2 Chronicles 16:9) "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars."  Our great God is looking for people "whose heart is perfect toward Him." Again, as mentioned earlier, the word "perfect" means whole or undivided. God is looking for devoted believers who will trust Him completely so that He can show Himself strong in their lives. God wants to work in our lives! He is the God of all strength and power! There is nothing that He can't do! And He wants to work in our lives! Are we looking to and trusting Him to work on our behalf?  "To shew Himself strong" means to strengthen us, support us, to supply our need (if it is with in His will), to protect us, to defend us!  How can we loose with God fighting for us?  We have no reason to worry or become depressed over difficult situations.  Asa should have remembered God's great victory in Chapter 14, but he forgot and paid a price for it!  Are you trusting God to help you? Are you resting in His strength, love, and care? Memorize this wonderful verse and believe it with all of your heart!!

Clinging To The Lord

I was reading in 1 Kings 11 the other morning and one verse in particular jumped out at me. This is the continuing story of King Solomon. The text reads, (1 Kings 11:1-2) But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.  Solomon clave unto foreign women and soon to their gods as you read the rest of the verses. How sad!! 

The Hebrew word for clave means "to cling to, " "to adhere," "to join to something." It is often used with the idea of clinging to someone with affection, devotion, and loyalty.  What are you clinging to? What are you devoted to? Solomon use to be devoted to the Lord, but something happened to where God was no longer enough for him. That is especially amazing to us as we read many of his wonderful Proverbs. I'm afraid there are many Christians like Solomon who are clinging to the wrong things.

David wrote in (Psalms 101:3-4) I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.  A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person. David said that he would not allow any wicked thing before him. The commentators explain that the wicked thing can also include wicked plans and purposes.  The word for "wicked" is a word that can mean "evil," or "worthless," or something with out profit." David said that no wicked thing shall cleave unto him. Why? Because he was clinging to God. Not perfectly, he made his share of mistakes, some even very big ones, but his heart was one that loved Jehovah. We must cling to God or sin will cling to us.

The Book of Deuteronomy stresses the importance of clinging to God. Observe a few verses:  (Deuteronomy 10:20) Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.  (Deuteronomy 11:22) For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him;  (Deuteronomy 13:4) Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.  Take time to read the verses in context.

Also consider King Hezekiah, one of the good Kings of Judah.  (2 Kings 18:6) For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.  V.7 then tells us that he prospered by clinging to God. We will always prosper, at least spiritually, by clinging to God!!

Back to my opening text, Solomon struggled because he clung to the wrong thing.  We will pay a price too, if we cling to the wrong things.  We must cling to God! Stay devoted to Him! Then we know that we can expect answers to prayer, help in time of need, direction for life, comfort in trouble, and so forth!   James tells us in James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.  Let us purpose to draw very close to God and enjoy a life worth living. Everything else will leave us empty and unsatisfied!

Not Left To Ourselves

(1 Corinthians 10:13) "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

The context of 1Cor.10:1-10 is the example of OT Israel’s temptation and fall into idolatry. Therefore, Paul warns the Corinthian believer’s because of their own temptation and the failure of some in participating in pagan feats- eating of food offered to idols. They were really pushing the limits on the use of their Christian Liberty in regard to heathen feasts.   V.11 is Paul’s challenge, v.12 is the warning- take heed (present imperative) continually take heed & v.13 is the encouragement!  Understand that temptations will come, but we don’t have to fail!!  Victory is always available!

 

There hath no temptation taken you-  Temptation- this word can mean both testing or temptation. Testing from the outside- trials of any kind meant to strengthen us. If from God, the trials can be to prove/strengthen us!!  But there are also solicitations to sin- (1 Peter 5:8) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  

 

In this context for the Corinthians it is the temptation to compromise!  There were allurements to idolatry and the threat of persecution for those abandoning idolatrous practices. Remember that idolatry was involved in all aspects of life, including at your job/trade. Once a person was saved in that time, they gave up a lot of things. Sometimes jobs, families, social status, economic advancement & so on!  (1 Peter 4:3-4) For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:  

Albert Barnes states that the temptations could be “Anything that would have a tendency to induce them to forsake their allegiance to their Lord & lead them to idolatry & sin.” 

 

Taken you- to get a hold of, to seize, overtake.  Trials sometimes catch us by surprise and can overwhelm us.  At other times sin will get a hold of us, especially if we are not consistently walking with God!  The threat is always there! (1 Corinthians 10:12) “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”  Just ask David when he saw Bathsheba bathing, or Peter when he denied his Lord, & so forth! 

 

But such as is common to man:- In talking about our trials and sins, there is nothing new in your experience that someone else hasn’t gone through. They are typical human experiences! 

 

But God is faithful, who will not suffer you…- God will not allow you to experience any test /temptation that you are not able to meet- to be victorious over!!  John MacArthur notes that “No Temptation is inherently stronger than our spiritual resources.”  God is on our side and He does not want us to fail! His goal for us is that we would be like His Son!!  For protection from failing in trials and temptations to sin, Jesus taught His disciples to pray- (Matthew 6:13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.  The prayer is to save us from or deliver us out of trials, temptation, doing wrong. This is a prayer for protection and help.  We can pray this because our God is faithful- He is trustworthy and true to His word!!

 

Notice the last part of the verse- 2 Parts: 1) “but will with the temptation also make a way to escape,…” God has given us a way of escape.  “Escape”, imagery of an army trapped in the mountains and then finding a little mountain pass to escape by. As Ellicott puts it “God makes an open road” and we have a choice to follow it or not!  Go provides a way out in each particular instance.  The problem is that usually we enjoy our sin to much and we are not looking for a way out!  2) “that ye may be able to bear it.” The verse does not say that He will always take away the trial, but He will see us through it- help us to endure it because they are a part of our growth!!   (James 1:12) “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”  Please understand that our temptations and trials can be met & endured by depending on God who is faithful!

 

Folks, we don’t have to sin- we can be victorious!! The means are there!!  But also remember that when the testing’s/trial’s also come, they are necessary to our spiritual maturity and God will help us to endure them so that we can mature through them! 

 

If we can grasp hold of this awesome verse, our faith will flourish!!  We won’t despair, we won’t be full of anxiety, but we will find peace in the storm and endure any trial or temptation with a right understanding. God is with us & wants to help us!!  

Dear Readers,

I want to thank you so much for reading my blog. It is nothing special or deep like some other blogs, But I hope the articles have been edifying and maybe challenging to you!

This has been a diificult summer for me as I have struggled with some health problems. But I do plan on writing more articles soon for those who are interested! God Bless and keep looking to our wonderful Lord- The Lord Jesus Christ!!

Urgency of Prayer

(1 Peter 4:7) "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer."

How important is prayer to you? In our verse Peter emphasizes the great importance of prayer based on the fact that we are living in the "last days." Now Peter does not use the terms "last days" here , but that is what is meant by "the end of all things is at hand." More often than not, when the Bible talks about the last days it is talking about the period of time between the ascension of Christ and His return. At other times the "last days" can refer to the tribulation period.

D. Edmond Heibert explains Peter's time reference as "The consemation of the present course of history..." There is nothing left on the prophetic calandar prohibiting Christ's return to rapture the Saints unto Himself. The time "is at hand." "Is at hand" is one Greek word meaning the time is drawing near, approaching, can happen at any moment. If we truly believe we are living in these days, and we better, than we must realize the urgency and imporatnce of prayer!! We are told in the Bible that life in these "last days" would get more and more difficult. Contray to some teaching, this world is not getting better, but Satan's attacks will grow stronger as he realizes his time is growing short. We will need to draw closer to our wonderful Savior to gain the strength we need to live effectively for Him!!

After this initial statement Peter gives us two imperitives/commands. First, "be ye therefore sober." The Word "sober" means to be of a sound mind or a clear mind, to be reasonable, to be in a right mind. This would be a mind that can think clearly because it is biblically informed. This is a mind free from the contamination of worldly thinking and unbelief. We need to have a solid foundation under us that is Bible centered so that what ever trials, temptations, and difficulties, come our way, we are prepared to handle them.

The second command is "watch unto prayer." The word "watch" means sobriety, to be alert, or to be self-controlled. Since these times will grow more and more difficult, we need to be alert and focused in our prayer life. We must cultivate a strong, vibrant, daily prayer walk. A strong prayer life is a dependent life in Christ. We cannot make it in life unless we are walking closely with our Lord depending on His strength!! (Philippians 4:13) "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

Remember Peter in the Garden with Christ right before the Cross? (Matthew 26:40-41) "And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Peter struggled with prayer that night and he did fall to temptation and denied his Lord. Yet, this same Peter grew and now challenges us to the urgency of prayer.

Do you realize the urgency and importance of Prayer for yourself? Prayer is a vital ingredient to our survival in these days before Christ's return!

Desiring Answered Prayer

We all desire that God would hear us and answer our prayers, but I wonder if we are in a position for God to answer us. Prayer is hard work! It is one area in every believer's life that could use improving. How important is prayer to you? Do you realize it is a part of our power source. We don't function well when we ignore prayer or spend very little time in it.

I want to share with you several things that will hinder the effectiveness of our prayer life:

1) Unwillingness to obey the Scriptures: (1 John 3:22) "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." The Greek present tense emphasizes continual keeping/obedience.

2) Cherishing Sin in Our Lives: (Psalms 66:18) "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:" To regard means to see with pleasure. There may be sins we are enjoying with out even realizing it. We must search our hearts and ask God to bring harbored sin to our attention. (Job 11:13-15) "If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him; If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:"

3) A Lack of Faith that God will Work: (Mark 11:24) "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." If we doubt God’s power, love, or desire to answer our prayers, why should He answer our prayers? (Hebrews 11:6) "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

4) Unwillingness to Forgive Others: (Mark 11:25) "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

5) Praying Selfishly and Not Truly Seeking God’s Will: (1 John 5:14) "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:" (James 4:3) Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts/pleasures.

6) Bad Relationship with Your Spouse: (1 Peter 3:7) "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."

7) Not Asking/Praying: (James 4:2) "Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not."

I am sure you can find other reasons for ineffective prayers, but this list is an important one that should be mediated on! Do you have God’s attention when you pray? Prayer is vitally important and we need to clear out the obstacles so that we stay connected to our wonderful power source.

Are You A Disciple of Christ?

Discipleship is a very important ministry of the local church. Churches need committed men and women to serve faithfully to keep the church operating effectively for Christ. Jesus sought and found twelve men to follow Him so that He could train them for the gospel ministry (Mt. 4:18-25; Mk. 1:16-20; John 1:35-51). In Matthew 4:18-19 Jesus told Peter and Andrew that He would make them “fishers of men.” Jesus’ whole desire was to shape and mold these men for the gospel ministry. The disciples were committed and left their jobs to follow Christ (I am not saying that today everyone must leave their jobs to be disciples). To be a disciple takes a great commitment. In Luke 9:57-62 three different men sought to follow Jesus half heartedly, but all three had excuses why they could not totally commit themselves to Him and Jesus responded to them by saying: “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.” (Lk. 9:62)

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus extends an invitation to all to come unto Him for salvation. Then in vv.29&30 He offers an opportunity for discipleship as people can learn of Him and serve in yoke with Him. It is truly Jesus’ desire that people will accept Him as their savior and follow Him in discipleship. According to Jesus’ words in Luke 9:23-26, discipleship is costly. Jesus expects His disciples to die to their self interests (v.23). If we are going to be a true disciple of Christ, then we must set aside all of our goals, ambitions, desires, and our will and allow Jesus to rule and guide our lives the way He wants too. A true disciple is to take up his cross and follow Jesus. A man on a cross no longer directs his own life, but he is under the will of another, namely the one who put him on the cross. A disciple must be utterly devoted to Christ (Lk.14:33).

Discipleship is extremely important because local churches need dedicated followers of Christ to function properly in God’s plan. Paul frequently was discipling others to be servants and leaders in the church. For example, Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus provide us examples of Paul’s working with them. Paul seen two young men with great potential to be church leaders and invested his time and energy in training them. According to 2 Timothy 2:2 Paul expected Timothy to also disciple other people. Timothy was to share with faithful men what Paul taught him so that they would in return teach others. Consequently, Paul is laying down the principle that discipleship is an ongoing process amongst believers preparing them to do God’s work.

Unfortunately, not all believers will be good disciples. I read somewhere that Dwight Pentecost commented that being a disciple is not all about how much you know or how much you do, but how much are you committed to Christ. Again in 2 Timothy 2:3-7 Paul uses the examples of a soldier (vv.3-4), an athlete (v.5), and the farmer (vv.5-7) to describe a good disciple. All three professions require discipline, dedication, and focus; three characteristics that produce good, obedient disciples for Christ. What kind of disciple are you? Are you discipling anybody?