Your Ways Are Higher Than Mine

I want mountains to move, You want me to climb.

Video: Your Ways Are Higher Than Mine  | The Collingsworth Family

It's not what I prayed for

It's not what I wanted

It's not something I understand

My circumstances seem so confusing

I'm placing it all in Your hands

Your ways are higher than mine

I want mountains to move

You want me to climb

So I'm gonna trust Your work, 

Your will, and Your time

Your ways are higher than mine

One day I'm sure

I will look back and marvel

At how You knew best all along

You see from Heaven

You know it's the hard times

That make my face steady and strong

Psalm 131:1-3 LORD, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. 2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me. 3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD— now and always.

Redeemed And Regretting

It must confuse the world when God's people lose their joy.

Exodus 15:22-24 Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water. 23 When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”). 24 Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded.

Exodus 16:1-3 Then the whole community of Israel set out from Elim and journeyed into the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Mount Sinai. They arrived there on the fifteenth day of the second month, one month after leaving the land of Egypt. 2 There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron. 3 “If only the LORD had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”

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In the previous post we saw that God's people were redeemed and rejoicing as they stood on the banks of the sea that had just swallowed up their enemies. After hundreds of years living in bondage they were redeemed from the kingdom of darkness! 

God's people just got out of church, it was the best worship service ever, they sang the first praise and worship songs ever and nobody complained that they didn't know the song or that the music was too loud. (Exodus 15:1-21) 

But the best worship service ever wasn't enough to stop them from complaining right after church was over. The amazing things that God did for his people were quickly put aside as they left the worship service. 

The people looked at their situation and quickly turned the amazing things that God did for them around so that it was a curse instead of a blessing. They failed to acknowledge that God's goodness is the reason they are out in the wilderness on their way to his next promise. 

The redeemed and rejoicing so quickly became the redeemed and regretting!

Exodus 16:3 “If only the LORD had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned.

Instead of continuing to praising him they turned into complainers that didn't appreciate what God did for them. They looked back and decided it would be better to be dead back in Egypt than to be dead in the wilderness. 

Say what!?! Either way they would be dead! The fact that they are in the wilderness meant they had experienced God in a bold new way and they should expect that they will see him work for them again. 

Our unmet physical needs are the quickest way to get distracted from what really matters. It is difficult to trust God spiritually when you are doubting that he will provide for you physically. It is easy to see that we need to grow up when our first thought is "What do I get out of this?" rather than "How can I please God in this?"

God Is Sufficient For Our Needs

1. God leads you into places of need so that you will look to Him to meet those needs. 2. When you look to the Lord, you’ll see His grace and glory to be your sufficiency. 3. The manna points to Jesus Christ, the true bread of life that comes down out of heaven to satisfy your soul. 4. You must daily make the effort to lay hold of Christ as bread for your soul. -From "Raining Bread From Heaven" (bible.org)

God allows us to have unmet needs so that we will learn about him and so we can learn something about ourselves as well. God already knows our heart, so when the ultimate heart doctor gives us a test, it is for our benefit. The test result show us things about ourselves that can be shocking to learn.

The worship service shouldn't be an event that is done for a set amount of time, it should be a lifestyle that continues all week long, but God's people lose their joy so quickly that the rest of the world must get really confused. They can't see God's glory in us and long for what we have because most of the time we don't seem to have much that they should desire to have.

God's people often feel that if they just grumble to a close friend that will be discrete with the information then it's okay but they fail to acknowledge that God hears it all. The Bible tells us four times that while the children of God were whining in the wilderness God was listening to their ungrateful attitude and he wasn't pleased. (Exodus 16:7-12)

Exodus 16:7  In the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your complaints, which are against him, not against us. What have we done that you should complain about us?”

Exodus 16:10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole community of Israel, they looked out toward the wilderness. There they could see the awesome glory of the LORD in the cloud.

God used the wilderness experience of Moses to prepare him to lead his people and now the entire nation was going to be in God's wilderness classroom. They would see God's glory just as vividly as Moses did in the burning bush and they would also doubt God just as Moses did. They could see the awesome glory of God but they still couldn't take their eyes off of themselves. 

The people that met Jesus when he came to our world failed just the same. The true daily bread from Heaven miraculously fed thousands from a boy's lunch box and the same people respond to Jesus the next day by focusing on themselves so much that they missed the long awaited Messiah. (John 6:1-71)

We need to appreciate God's goodness toward us even after the emotional high of a big event begins to wear off. We have "crossing the Red Sea" moments in our lives that should change our relationship with God but too often we miss out on truly seeing him, experiencing him and learning from him.

Thank you Lord for your presence in my life! Help me to see your glory in the big moments so that I can learn that you are sufficient for all of my needs. I need to acknowledge that your goodness brought me to this place in life and my wilderness experience is a classroom that I shouldn't complain about.

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Redeemed For God's Glory

We think it's all about us but God's plans are bigger than that.

Exodus 14:10-13  As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the LORD, 11 and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? 

12 Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’” 

13 But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again.

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We saw in the previous post that God saved his people from the sting of death and the world reacted by sending them away. The Egyptian people had enough of God's power being used against them but they were not ready to change their ways. They chose to stay with their powerless gods that didn't do anything to protect them from the real God.

It didn't take long for Pharaoh to get over the death of his firstborn son and think about what he had just allowed to happen. The Egyptians asked each other "What have we done?" but they are not the only ones asking this question, God's people also had their share of regrets for leaving. (Exodus 14:5, 10)

When the report came in that the Hebrews were in a vulnerable position that Pharaoh could use to get them back, he thought it was all about him, he didn't realize that God allowed him to see this irresistible opportunity for a bigger purpose.

When God's people saw that Pharaoh was coming after them and they saw their helpless position between the mountains and the sea, they thought it was all about themselves. Just like Pharaoh, they saw their circumstances from a selfish perspective, but that's exactly what we all would do. 

It isn't natural to view our trials and suffering from God's point of view, we think about our safety and our chances of survival just like they did, but God allowed his wrath to be seen by his children as he judged the world to teach them some lessons that they would never fully embrace.

God's people need to learn that:

1. God is sovereign over all things, including the trials that come into our lives, it is difficult to understand that not only does he allow trials, he also sends trials. 

2. God sends trials and difficulty so that he can show his glory to his people and to the rest of the world. The supernatural way that God saved his people, proved that the little gods that man creates are nothing compared to the strength of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob's ancestors.

3. God ordains trials so that we will trust Him to deliver us. God wants us to cry out to him in faith, but sometimes he wants us to stop crying and get to work. Just like God told Moses to end his prayer meeting and get to work, we can also be slow to put our faith into action. (Exodus 14:15)

Exodus 14:30-31 That is how the LORD rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore.

31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the LORD had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

God revealed himself to the Egyptians in a very special way but as plain as the evidence is, most of them were still blind to the truth, they rejected all of the obvious displays of God's power that should have proved to the Egyptians that he alone is God but they still rejected him. (Exodus 7:5, 9:16, 14:4, 14:18)

Satan is happy if we have a god or two just as long as it isn't the God and only the God. Satan is pleased that most people believe in the idea of God as long as they don't believe in a biblical view of God. We try to change who God is and what he requires of us so that we can feel comfortable about our lives and our destiny after death but God is perfect and therefore he is unchangeable. (Psalm 53:1, Romans 1:18-19, Hebrews 1:10-12)

Philippians 1:28-29 Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. 29 For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.

We have been saved from the kingdom of darkness and evil to live as pilgrims and ambassadors that represent a better country that will be our future home for eternity. (2 Corinthians 5:20, Colossians 1:13-14, Hebrews 11:13-16)

We have not been saved from the trials of this life. The same God that asked Abraham to leave home is the same God that asked Noah to build a huge boat and he is the same God that led his children to Egypt to suffer for hundreds of years.

Exodus 18:10-11 “Praise the LORD,” Jethro said, “for he has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. Yes, he has rescued Israel from the powerful hand of Egypt! 11 I know now that the LORD is greater than all other gods, because he rescued his people from the oppression of the proud Egyptians.”

My rescue is a testimony to the rest of the world. Moses left his father in law on a mission from God, after the mission was completed Jethro told his son in law that he was convinced about God because of the display of God's power in the lives of his people. When God's glory is displayed in our lives, some people will react like Jethro but other people will be more like the Egyptians.

Through all of our difficult and challenging situations God reminds us that he created us for his glory and he saved us to display his glory to the world so that all of mankind will know him.

All of the glory for my salvation goes to God. If I can help God in the process then I can share some of His glory, but he came to give me the rescue that I couldn't possibly achieve on my own. The possibility of me saving myself are no better than what God's people had as they were camped out by the Red Sea with Pharaoh coming after them.

Thank you Lord for my rescue from the kingdom of this world. Help me to show your glory to the world as I wait patiently for my ultimate rescue when you take me to the Promised Land.

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Your Will Be Done

How radical am I for God's will?

John 17:1-5 After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so He can give glory back to You. 2 For You have given Him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one You have given Him.

3 And this is the way to have eternal life–to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the One You sent to earth. 4 I brought glory to You here on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do. 5 Now, Father, bring Me into the glory We shared before the world began.

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When we hear somebody mention the Lord’s Prayer we think about the prayer that Jesus said when his disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. Maybe you never thought about it but Jesus didn’t actually pray that prayer, Jesus wouldn’t have asked God to forgive his sins, he spoke that prayer as an example for us. (Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4)

The prayer in John 17:1-26 is the longest prayer of Jesus that we have recorded in the Bible. It is our best opportunity to listen in as Jesus talks to his Father, it shows us the courage that Jesus had to stay with God’s plan despite the great sacrifice that it would require.

Jesus begins this prayer completely surrendered, safety and comfort are not on his mind, he is only thinking about God’s will and timing in his life. It is odd that the Giver of Life who would never have to die, willingly submits in obedience, He will choose to be subject to the curse of death. (Philippians 2:8)

God’s Timing In Jesus Life
(John 2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20, 12:23, 27; 13:1; 16:32)

Jesus never lost sight of his mission and purpose for being here. Imagine knowing that you came for a purpose and having to wait thirty-three years for God’s timing so that you can complete your mission. We can learn a lot from Jesus about how we handle delay in our lives, we get anxious and want God to hurry up, Jesus left the timing of events up to his Father.

Now the time is right and the shame and the pain would not keep him from completing his work. Jesus shows us that if we are going to do God’s will in this hostile world then we need to submit without hesitation to God’s sovereign plan to glorify Himself.

You will be inconvenienced and you will get dirty, you may have to go toward dangerous situations, live with uncertainty, or embarrassment. Life is full of risk, but the life that is lived for Jesus is even riskier, the side effect of living in the rescuing power of the gospel and being willing to rescue someone else is that you will have to live by faith.

Risk It All To Glorify God
(1 Samuel 14:1-23 / 2 Samuel 10:12 / Esther 4:15-16 / Daniel 3:16-18)

Jesus surrendered to the cross and we must do the same, He told us to pick up our cross daily and follow him, that certainly involves risk. God’s people have always been called to take risk, that’s the very nature of living by faith, we cannot see the outcome or the pathway but we step out because we are told to do so.

When we risk losing face or money or life because we believe God will always help us and use our loss, in the end, to make us more glad in his glory, then it’s not we who get the praise because of our courage; it’s God who gets the praise because of his care. In this way risk reflects God’s value, not our valor.

-John Piper “Risk Is Right”

God is most glorified in my life when I step out and rely on him no matter what is going on around me and how foolish my obedience looks to the rest of the world. The glory goes to God when the world sees me trusting him with absolutely everything.

It is difficult to value our forever life that we cannot see over our temporary life that we can see. The ability to put our lives completely into God’s hands and follow no matter what is a real struggle that most of us want to avoid. Very few people in our safety minded culture come to the point that the disciples came to.

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus–the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

-Apostle Paul

How radical am I for God’s will? We pray a lot about knowing God’s will, but few of us really want to know what that looks like. The number one prayer request from Christ followers living in the safest country on the planet is for safety. I don’t know of anybody praying like that in the Bible. God’s people chose to do God’s will despite the risk that was involved and they prayed that they would have even more boldness. (Acts 4:23-31)

In every life that is lived for the Lord there will be a moment when a radical step of faith is required in order to please God. I need to be willing to allow God to achieve his agenda through my life and I need to be okay with being uncomfortable and insecure when God shows me his agenda.

Jesus Children Are Overcomers

Trouble is going to happen but it isn't the end of my story.

John 16:29-33 Then His disciples said, “At last You are speaking plainly and not figuratively. 30 Now we understand that You know everything, and there’s no need to question You. From this we believe that You came from God.”

31 Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe? 32 But the time is coming–indeed it’s here now–when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving Me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with Me.

33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

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The fact that you have the technology to see this blog post says that you probably have a very comfortable life. The odds are that you probably live in a culture that offers you a comfortable lifestyle and instant everything.

But none of the toys and conveniences that are so abundant can guarantee you an easy life. There is heartache and misery all around, some of you have had a miserable existence, people that you loved and trusted have let you down, friendless, beat up and unloved, you find yourself all alone and hopeless.

That is the kind of people that Jesus had around him during his stay on earth, His people were beat-up and tired, they had been raided and pushed around by foreign governments, they were being used by their own religious leaders, His people were desperate and He was sad for them. (Matthew 9:36, 11:28-29, 15:32, Luke 7:13, 19:41, John 11:35)

Jesus Was A Man Of Sorrows
Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected--a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.

Imagine coming to live here after being in Heaven for all of eternity past, imagine starting life over as a child, a child that is fully God but also fully man. Suddenly you feel pain, hunger and you require sleep just like everybody else yet, you are also God.

When Christ came into the world the first sound He heard was woe-the wail of those mothers in Bethlehem; and from the manger to the Cross, He was surrounded with sorrow.

-Dwight L. Moody 

Imagine leaving the perfection of the best place ever to come to a broken world so that you can go head to head with your worst enemy. What would it be like to know that you were here to die for people that don’t like you and for friends that would turn their back and run? (John 13:37-38)

Jesus gave up a lot to come and be “God with us” but he didn’t show any sorrow about what he lost by leaving Heaven. The main source of his sorrow was for the condition of mankind and the fact that His people rejected the only hope that could ever help.

Jesus Disciples Overcome
1 John 5: 4-5 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Followers of Jesus have the big picture, their immediate circumstances are not the end of the story, the trials and sorrows that they have today isn’t how it is always going to be. Jesus told the disciples that you will have these troubles but don’t let it get you down because He has overcome the world.

God is still governing this world, don’t let the daily battle get you down and cause you too much grief, there aren’t any term limits on God’s reign. He is in charge of the circumstances around us and He always will be. What we see as chaos isn’t a surprise or a source of concern to him.

This is not my home, and I will never feel perfectly at peace and perfectly comfortable here but I must continue to the the good works that He has planned or me to do until the day I die and overcome this world just as Jesus did.

Peter On Trial

Peter's denial happened because he wasn't ready for his trial by the fire. 

John 18:15-18 Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the high priest's courtyard with Jesus. 16 Peter had to stay outside the gate.

Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. 17 The woman asked Peter, "You're not one of that man's disciples, are you?" "No," he said, "I am not." 18 Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it, warming themselves, and Peter stood with them, warming himself.

John 18:25-27 Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked Him again, "You're not one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it, saying, "No, I am not." 26 But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Didn't I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?" 27 Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.

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Peter was in the wrong place at the wrong time, if he truly wanted to make good on the promise that he would never deny Jesus, then he should have been hiding with the other disciples. Maybe Peter felt that hiding out in itself was a form of denial and that would also be a betrayal of his best friend.

Peter did not realize that Jesus was not the only man on trial that night, while Peter was being questioned and as he was answering in fear, his best friend was just the opposite.

Jesus was in control of His situation, He was being questioned but He was answering the questions with one hundred percent calm, He knew that the cup of God's wrath was about to be poured out and He was willingly going to take it.

Matthew 26:40-41 Then He returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, "Couldn't you watch with Me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!"

It was a cool night and the fire seemed like a good place to be but Peter did not prepare for his trial by the fire, earlier he was sleeping as Jesus was preparing for His trial with praying, the interrogation that Peter would encounter would prove that his love and courage would not be enough to remain loyal to Jesus.

Luke 22:33 Peter said, "Lord, I am ready to go to prison with You, and even to die with You."

Peter's trial began with the servant girl asking the first question. If he was going to be successful at living up to his promise then this should prove to be the easiest questioner for him to handle but instead he fails right away. Two more times Peter would be questioned and each time he would get more anxious and frustrated while Jesus was calmly answered his interrogators.

Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected--a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.

Others in the circle around the fire took up the same question and one by one they began to ask. The third question came from one of Malchus’ relatives! This man had gotten a good look at Peter because he was probably standing with Malchus when he was injured by Peter.

On the third time Peter swore with an oath that he wasn't one of Jesus disciples and then the rooster crowed to remind Peter that he had done what Jesus had predicted. I cannot imagine the thoughts that went through Peter's head as his heart sank when Jesus looked him in the eye.

It is worthwhile to contrast Peter and Judas. Peter wept over his sins and repented, while Judas admitted his sins but never really repented. Judas experienced remorse, not repentance. When Judas went out from the Upper Room, “it was night” but when Peter went out to weep bitterly, there was the dawning of a new day.

- Warren Weirsbe

Peter failed while he was on trial but thankfully Peter’s failure isn't the end of his story. Peter would be restored and would be filled with the Holy Spirit to give him wisdom and strength to lead the early church.

I need to remember:

• Self-confidence and lack of prayer is a good way to fail when I am on trial.
• Making promises to God that are outside of His plans is useless.
• Making promises within His will without relying on His strength is also useless.

Thank you Lord for your grace that offers me second chances. I have failed miserably when I have been tried by the fire. Help me to rely on your strength to do what you have chosen for me to do.

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Salvation: Guaranteed By The Holy Spirit

God's plan to save us comes with a guarantee.

Ephesians 1:13-14   And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago.  14  The Spirit is God's guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him.

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My recent post, in Ephesians chapter 1, have been about our salvation. I learned that it was always God's plan to save us, that the plan became a reality by Jesus and today my post is on the guarantee that my salvation is true.

Life doesn't offer us very many guarantees, we cannot be sure that we will take another breath, I cannot even be sure that I will finish this sentence. Oh look I did! We can't guarantee that people will like us or if we will have a lot of cool stuff.

One thing that does have a 100% complete guarantee is that those that believe in Jesus and the work that he accomplished on the cross are saved and they will be saved forever. We cannot lose our salvation, you have the Holy Spirit living in you as a promise, the Holy Spirit is God's guarantee that you are his and that you will receive an inheritance as his child. How could God condemn his children, the very ones that have the Holy Spirit living in them?

Romans 8:1-4 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

There is one other guarantee that we have is this world, Jesus told us about it, "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows." Thankfully the Holy Spirit is living in us to help. (John 16:33)

There are a lot of benefits to having the Holy Spirit living in us, not only does he guarantee our salvation but he also helps us to live with peace, he helps us to defeat the power of sin in our lives, and he shows us truth. (John 14:15-17, Romans 8:6,13)

Thank you Lord for the Holy Spirit's help. You warned us that we will have trouble in this world but you also gave us the power source that we need so that we can overcome.

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There Is Wonderful Joy Ahead

Don't worry so much about the trials.

1 Peter 1:6-7 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

1 Peter 5:6-7  So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

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Good news! True gladness and wonderful joy is possible for those that belong to God, notice that the gladness and joy are spoken of as happening now, you don't have to wait for them. Our circumstances don't have to change to have this joy and we don't have to go through life toughing it out until we get to heaven to experience it.

Everything that happens has a purpose, God uses everything for our good, when we forget this fact then we are tempted to fall into despair. We want to have the easy life but too much of easy living will not be good for our character and our faith will never grow unless it has an opportunity to be used. Don't be upset  by the trials that God is using to prove that your faith is for real.

Jesus didn't have the easy life

Luke 6:22-23 What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. 23 When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward  awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.

The man that is our example on how to live to please God didn't have the easy life and he taught his followers that they shouldn't expect to have it any better. Jesus said that we will not be thought of when it's party time and we will be made fun of if we don't participate in the lifestyle of the unbelievers.

Look at the example of the apostles, they also said that they rejoiced that they were able to suffer for the name of Jesus, there are so many verses that teaches us that the apostles had a very different view of suffering than we have. (Acts 5:41, 2 Corinthians 6:1-10, 1 Peter 4:13, James 1:2)

Nobody is thrilled about suffering but we can be glad and have joy because we know that God is working everything to his glory and we know that we will also receive "much praise and glory and honor" when Jesus returns.

Going Through The Fire

God has a way of refining his people.

Jeremiah 6:27-30  "Jeremiah, I have made you a tester of metals, that you may determine the quality of My people.  28  They are the worst kind of rebel, full of slander. They are as hard as bronze and iron, and they lead others into corruption.  29  The bellows fiercely fan the flames to burn out the corruption. But it does not purify them, for the wickedness remains.  30  I will label them 'Rejected Silver,' for I, the LORD, am discarding them."

Jeremiah 9:7 Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “See, I will melt them down in a crucible and test them like metal. What else can I do with my people?

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Is God turning up the heat on you? There are times when the children of God will have to go through some very hot flames, they keep getting hotter and hotter, you may think that it is hotter than King Nebuchadnezzar's furnace. Did you ever think that maybe God is the one pushing the thermostat higher in your life.

God told Jeremiah that he has given him a job as a metallurgist, God's people were impure and the time had come for him to do something about it, left to their own discretion they were not getting any better than the rest of the world around them. God had given them every opportunity to come back to him but they kept trampling on his grace and now God was prepared to judge them.

As a tester of metals Jeremiah had to determine what kind of quality God's people were, God had given him to judge their quality and if the waste product could not be removed then they would be labeled 'Rejected Silver.'

1 Peter 1:6-7 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

It is difficult to imagine saying "Wow, that was a lot of fun" but Peter says that we should rejoice in our trials. We can rejoice in the knowledge that God is perfecting us, he is moving us closer to the purity that can only be found in his son Jesus. We are valuable because of what Jesus did for us, yet we are trapped in the impurities of this world and in need of being refined to help us get rid of the junk.

God knows that his people are hard as metal, we will resist change as much just like an anvil does, you can beat on the anvil all day but it isn't going to change without some extreme heat.

2 Corinthians 7:1 Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

God doesn't want us to put value into what the world values, what they think is important, what jokes they think are funny and what choices the world says are the right choices. We are supposed to look different, we are supposed to become more like his son, we should be putting effort into exhibiting the character traits that Jesus has. (James 1:21, Phil 2:12)

Thank you Lord for loving me and wanting me to be the best that I can be, I need to be more like your son and I should be thankful for the heat that you put in my life, thank you for saving me and perfecting me instead of leaving me in my sinful ways.

It's Not Over

Look to the sky, help is on the way!

Israel & New Breed  "It's Not Over"

It’s Not Over, It’s Not Finished

It’s Not Ending, It’s Only The Beginning

When God Is In It,

All Things Are New All Things Are New

I Know It’s Darkest Just Before Dawn

Might Be The Hardest Season You Experience

I Know It Hurts, Won’t Be Too Long

You’re Closer Than You Think You Are

You’re Closer Than You’ve Been Before

 Look To The Sky, Help Is On The Way

It’s Not Over, It’s Not Finished

It’s Not Ending, It’s Only The Beginning

When God Is In It All Things Are New

All Things Are New

Something Is Moving,

Turning Around Seasons Are Changing,

Everything Is Different Now

Here Comes The Sun, Piercing The Clouds

You’re Closer Than You Think You Are

You’re Closer Than You’ve Been Before

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Do you get discouraged? Are you tempted to give up? Becoming bitter or angry? Sometimes life is too hard to handle and we can find ourselves focusing inward on our own abilities and resources to help us get through our troubles.

How do you cope?

Lamentations 3:19-24 The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!"

The child of God has a powerful resource that the rest of the world doesn't have! We will suffer, experience grief and loss but these difficult circumstances are not the end for us. God's power is the only power that we need to get us through to a fresh new start each day.

Life Isn't Easy

God's kids don't get a free ride.

1 Peter 1:4-6 And we have a priceless inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.
1 Peter 1:14-15  So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then.

But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.

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Life isn't easy, but if you want to pursue the easy life then being a Christ follower is not the way to go. You stand a better chance of skating through life without any bruises if you stay away from Jesus.

Living to satisfy self doesn't require much effort on your part, that's the most natural way to live, staying away from Jesus will help you to live life effortlessly. No requirements,  no standards, just do whatever feels right to you.

God calls his children to live to a higher standard, he establishes what is right with his "inconvenient" absolute truth and then he commands us to do what's right, to love him above all others and put others before yourself. Much is required of us but we also have much to gain.

Life is hard, we have been told to live different, as we strive to be holy. We need to remember that this life is but a minute when we have our sights set on eternity. The trials that we face will be over as we walk into the priceless inheritance that Jesus has prepared for us, no more pain, no more struggle, there is wonderful joy ahead!

He Will Bring You Through

Don't forget how well God has treated you.

Joshua 4:1-7 When all the people had crossed the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, 2 "Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. 3 Tell them, 'Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.'"

4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen--one from each of the tribes of Israel. 5 He told them, "Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the LORD your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder--twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 6 We will use these stones to build a memorial.

In the future your children will ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' 7 Then you can tell them, 'They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the LORD's Covenant went across.' These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever."

Joshua 4:19-24 The people crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. Then they camped at Gilgal, just east of Jericho. 20 It was there at Gilgal that Joshua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River.

21 Then Joshua said to the Israelites, "In the future your children will ask, 'What do these stones mean?' 22 Then you can tell them, 'This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' 23 For the LORD your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and He kept it dry until you were all across, just as He did at the Red Sea when He dried it up until we had all crossed over. 24 He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the LORD's hand is powerful, and so you might fear the LORD your God forever."

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Yesterday we saw that the Israelites had a problem, there was a powerful force between them and the good things that God had Promised to give to them, we learned that God isn't surprised by the circumstances that stand his people and his promises. The fact is, those problems are there for our benefit, just another example of how God's logic is completely opposite of human logic.

Those trials are there for a reason:

God wants us to learn to rely on him. What a difficult lesson to learn, forty years ago they wouldn't rely on God, but now after forty years wondering around in the wilderness, they finally get to claim God's promise.

So we can teach the next generation. What good is it to discover how awesome your God is and then not pass it on to your kids?

A testimony to his power. If there was never any opposition or road blocks then we would be self sufficient and we wouldn't realize God's power or have any need for it.

So you will fear him, both in His severity and in His goodness, He is to be feared (Job 23:13-16, Psalm 90:11, Jeremiah 33:9; Luke 5:26).

I need to remember his faithfulness, too bad that we don't set up memorials these days to commemorate when we have seen God work and when he has proven his love for us.

Thank you Lord for revealing yourself to us through your mighty deeds, help me to remember that you will keep your promises despite the trials of life.

God Made A Promise

He doesn't need me to figure out how to make it happen.

Joshua 3:1-5   Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing.

2 Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp, 3 giving these instructions to the people: "When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, move out from your positions and follow them. 4 Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about a half mile behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don't come any closer."

5 Then Joshua told the people, "Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do great wonders among you."

Joshua 3:13-17 The priests will carry the Ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall."

14 So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them. 15 It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river's edge, 16 the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho.

17 Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the LORD's Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.

Joshua 4:15-18 The LORD had said to Joshua, 16 "Command the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to come up out of the riverbed." 17 So Joshua gave the command. 18 As soon as the priests carrying the Ark of the LORD's Covenant came up out of the riverbed and their feet were on high ground, the water of the Jordan returned and overflowed its banks as before.

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Look across the river over there, that's the land that the Lord has promised to give us, it looks like a nice place but there is something big that stands between us and what God has promised. That water is moving fast, this is not the right time of year to move our cattle across the river, and look at that little foot bridge over there, it would take a few years for all of us to cross the river on that thing.

Great big problems can stand in between us and what God wants to give us, that raging river was nothing for God, if God has made a promise then you can stop looking at the raging river. The Israelites camped out next to that river for three days and they must have looked at that river and thought "Wow, we are going to get wet" or perhaps they thought that God was going to have them camp out right there until the rainy season was over.

God has already seen the raging rivers in our lives and he already knows the way to get us to the other side, the nation of Israel didn't realize that God's power was about to be displayed in their life, there was only one way that God's promise could come true and that is for God to provide his way.

I will trust God to come through, even if it looks like I need to help him out, I need to just wait on him to provide.

Thank you for your promises Lord, help me to trust you and to rely on you to keep your promises.

God's Way

It doesn't always make sense to me.

Deuteronomy 7:16-21 "You must destroy all the nations the LORD your God hands over to you. Show them no mercy, and do not worship their gods, or they will trap you.

17 Perhaps you will think to yourselves, 'How can we ever conquer these nations that are so much more powerful than we are?' 18 But don't be afraid of them! Just remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all the land of Egypt.

19 Remember the great terrors the LORD your God sent against them. You saw it all with your own eyes! And remember the miraculous signs and wonders, and the strong hand and powerful arm with which He brought you out of Egypt. The LORD your God will use this same power against all the people you fear. 20 And then the LORD your God will send terror to drive out the few survivors still hiding from you! 21 "No, do not be afraid of those nations, for the LORD your God is among you, and He is a great and awesome God.

The Mission

Through all the difficult times that Israel has had to endure, I bet they never looked at their circumstances and thought to themselves that they were being prepared for God's mission. They couldn't see how they were a part of a really big plan that God had in motion.

God is judging the nations that Israel is being told to destroy, nations that had rejected the Lord and worshiped anything else that they could find instead of the living God, the time for mercy was over (Deut 9:4-5). The Israelites didn't have the right to show mercy to these nations that God was judging by signing a treaty with these people that would forfeit God's will (Deut 7:16).

The Power

You have the Lord and he is great and awesome, why should you be afraid to do the Lord's will? Didn't you see the power that your God had? (Deut 7:17-19)

Remember the awesome things that God did to the Egyptians, how you were able to walk away from such a powerful nation and to receive gifts as you were on your way out. Remember how he fed you and gave you water, he kept your clothes and your feet from wearing out (Deut 8:3-4).

God displayed his power to them back in Egypt so that they would know for sure that God was in control and he has the power to accomplish his will. God sustained his people out in the wilderness so that they would be humbled and have their faith tested before they went to battle so that they could exercise their faith and know his ability to provide for their needs when the going gets tough.

Sometimes we go through things that we cannot comprehend, but there is a bigger picture than what we can see, thats the perspective that God is working from, he sees the whole picture and he has a plan that makes no sense to us.

No matter what happens I will trust you Lord for everything, even when things do not make sense I need to be faithful and know that you are in control and I am a part of your bigger picture.

Hard Times

Every trial is an opportunity to see God at work.

Exodus 14:1-4  Then the Lord gave these instructions to Moses:

2 “Order the Israelites to turn back and camp by Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. Camp there along the shore, across from Baal-zephon.

3 Then Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!’ 4 And once again I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after you.

I have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord!” So the Israelites camped there as they were told.

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Things have been pretty rough for the nation of Israel, there has been hard times for them for a long time, now they must be saying to each other "here we go again."

It is difficult most of the time to see any good coming out of our trials, but the Lord has been telling Moses that all of the miracles that they had witnessed back in Egypt was so that everybody would see the glory of the Lord.

Every trial is an opportunity to see God at work. If everything was always peachy then we would never see the Lord at work, we may even tend to forget who he is, just like the nation of Israel did everytime they were prosperous.

I must remember that God's glory is magnified in the trials, I can see him at work in every difficult situation and I can use that opportunity to give him the praise that he deserves.

Thank you Lord for helping us through the hard times, I pray that I will see you at work through every circumstance and give you the glory.

Where Is The Cake?

So you thought life was going to be a piece of cake, I could use some of that cake.

1 Peter 4:12 Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

14 So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. 15 If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people's affairs. 16 But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! 17 For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God's household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God's Good News? 18 And also, "If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?"

19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

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Did the "fiery" trials take you by surprise, probably not. You probably went through them before, and just like the last time you probably were not happy about it. Too bad life isn't a cake walk, we all like cake but trials is a different story.

What an unusual response to hardship, to be glad is totally opposite from what our human nature tells us to do. It is just natural to seek the easy and the comfortable but God never told us to seek after those two things.

We do need to be careful that we don't make our own trouble, God tells us that if the trials came upon us because of our sin then it is your suffering to bear, he isn't going to reach down and do away with the consequences of the mess we made.

But it is a privilege if you suffer for being a Christ follower. Don't worry about what the score is down here because after the Lord returns you will saved, you can trust your life to the one who created you and loves you. It is difficult to view suffering as a blessing but if I continue to do what is right my blessing will come it could be now or in the life to come.

I must remember that despite the trouble I endure down here, I can be sure that he will never fail me.

Wonderful Joy Ahead

God will deliver us now and forever.

1 Peter 1:3-9  All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great hope, 4  and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5  And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

6  So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7  These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

8  You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9  The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

23  For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

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I am so blessed, I didn't do anything to get eternal life, not a thing, it was taken care of for me because of "God's great mercy," (verse 3) his son Jesus was sent to die and be raised from the dead so that I can have eternal life.

Because of what Jesus did for me, I have a bright future, and that future goes far beyond the limits of this temporary assignment here on planet earth. I have a future that is full of hope, hope that the government cannot give me, and hope that my friends and family cannot give to me. My hope is in the blessings of an eternal inheritance, a priceless inheritance (verse 4), how could any value be placed on being in the presence of God for eternity?

It is just human nature to want to be comfortable and to have the easy life and it is hard to accept that the trials that we despise help to increase our faith, if my faith wasn't put to the test then my faith wouldn't be much. And if it were always bottled up inside of me, then my faith can not be seen by others, It can only be seen by others when it is exercised and when it is exercised then the rest of the world can see it. My future with God for eternity looks better and better every day with every trial that comes my way.

It is difficult to be truly glad and to think about the wonderful joy that is ahead (verse 6) but we have to realize that this life will quickly end (verse 23) and our new life will last forever.

Lord you have blessed me so much, help me to be thankful through the hard times and remind me of the hope that I have in you. Increase my faith and help me to put it into action so that the rest of the world can see it.

Romans 15:13  I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Good News and Bad News

Easy street

scripture

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John 16:33 “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

observation

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Jesus says that he has some good news and some bad news, first here’s the bad news:

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows

Jesus didn’t promise us our “best life now” just take a look at a few examples:

• John the Baptist- beheaded,
• Stephen- stoned to death,
• Paul- stoned just short of death,
• James the son of Zebedee- beheaded,
• Philip- crucified.

I have the freedom, so far, to believe and share my belief with anyone without fear of physical harm, but in many places the church is persecuted everyday. Still there is plenty of suffering in our country too, all around people are hurting physically and emotionally, everyone is looking for peace in all the chaos.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Now don’t let the bad news get you down, let’s move on to the good news:
But take heart, because I have overcome the world
1 John 5:4-5 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Despite all the trials and sorrows that Jesus told us that we would have to go through, ultimately this world is not the end for us and a better day is coming, just knowing that we have hope in Christ is all the encouragement that we should ever need to live above our circumstances here.

application

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I need to count my blessings! It is necessary to remember that Jesus over came the world and we will too. When it is tempting to allow circumstances to get me down I must remember that I have an awesome life and I have been blessed way beyond what I deserve.

prayer 

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Thank you for the hope that we have in you Lord.