Problems

Everybody has problems.  It is sad and not much fun to talk about.  Nevertheless, it is true.  I never met a person who didn’t have problems at some time in their life.  The rich man in his penthouse may be told that he has cancer.  The poor woman in Nigeria watches as terrorists kill her husband and burn down their subsistence farm because they are Christians.  The talented and dedicated worker endures mistreatment by a supervisor who is afraid the worker will take his job.  A child is bullied at school.

Our problems do not go away when we get saved.  Sometimes we have more of them, or the problems we have get worse; or both.  When we accept the gift of salvation and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we are changed.  By living to please the Spirit we may lose friends.  Family members may forsake us.  People at work may withdraw thinking that we have become a “fanatic.”  We may not be have the ethical “flexibility” we used to on the job, and it may diminish our employer’s estimation of our effectiveness.

Our Lord does not, however, leave us without comfort.  Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NASB) *

And, again He says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (2Corinthians 12:7 NASB) *

Speaking by the Apostle Paul, the Holy Spirit instructs us about dealing with our problems in the grace Jesus gives us:

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.  And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (emphasis added) (Romans 5:1-5 NASB) *

In the inspiration of the Spirit, other New Testament writers give us the same guidance:

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.  (James 1:2-4 NASB) *

Therefore, be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. (James 5: 7-11 NASB) *

… applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,  and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.  (2Peter 1:5-7 NASB) *

Although there is disagreement about the human authorship of the Book of Hebrews, the Spirit’s message is the same:

… let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12: 1-3 NASB) *

If we persevere and patiently endure, resting in the power of His favor and the strength of the Holy spirit, then we can know that our trials in this earthly existence will help us grow and become stronger – better – in Him.  Therefore, we can count our troubles as a source of joy because we know:

… that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30 NASB) *

Please pray with me:

Heavenly Father, please forgive us our sins and hear our prayer.  Please help us in our time of trouble.  We know that without You we can accomplish nothing, but in You all things are possible.  Take away our sense of entitlement and resentful feelings that we deserve better; for You know the depth of our unworthiness, due to sin.  You suffered for us, Lord, and we are not above our Master.  In Your mercy, give us the strength to endure, persevere, and to do all things in You and for Your honor and glory.  Give us faith that You will make everything work out for the best in the end.  Your will be done.  In the name of Jesus, Amen.

*  https://biblehub.com/

Praise God for All He has Done for Us!

Psalm 103

A Psalm of David

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.
But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all.

Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.

Bless the Lord, O my soul! (Psalm 103 NKJV) *

I praise the Lord that He was patient with me.  He let me live long enough to come to the end of myself and come to Him. Praise the Lord, Oh my soul!


*  https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalms+103&version=NKJV

We Must be Born Again

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’  Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ (John 3:1-8 NASB) *

‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.’ (John 3:16-21 NASB) *

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (2Corinthians 5:17 NASB) *

*  https://biblehub.com/

Of Wisdom and Foolishness

People mocked Christ while He was suffering for them on the cross:

The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.’ 

The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ (Luke 23: 35-36 NIV) *

Today, those immersed in the wisdom of the world sometimes consider the Christian message to be out of date, unrealistic, and irrational.  To some, it is even seen as a crutch for people who are too weak to cope with life’s challenges on their own.  Speaking through the Apostle Paul, the Holy Spirit refutes the scoffers:

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (emphasis added), but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written:

‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;

the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’ (Isaiah 29:14)

 (1Corinthians 1:18-19 NIV) *

Paul described how he helped those who were chosen to become believers to set aside their doubts:

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,  so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:

‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard,

and what no human mind has conceived —

the things God has prepared for those who love him’ — (Isaiah 64:4)

these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.  The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for,

‘Who has known the mind of the Lord

so as to instruct him?’ (Isaiah 40:13)

But we have the mind of Christ (emphasis added). (1Corinthians 2:1-16 NIV) *

And what is this message Paul was speaking of?

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (Romans 5:1-10 NIV) *

Are you saved?  Repent and ask God to save you.  He will.

*  https://biblehub.com/

Erfrische Dich

May I share a Haiku with you?

By a mountain stream

Hear the cold, clear water flow

God will refresh you

(Psalm 23)

Perhaps in 2020?

Will 2020 be the year that Jesus raptures all those who believe in Him and trust only in Him for their salvation, taking them out of this world to be with Him in the heavens?  I don’t know, but I hope so.  I long to be in His presence where we will see Him face to face.  I know that He will bring back with Him the believers who have died up until that moment.  We will have the blessing of seeing our loved ones again.  In His presence there will be no more sickness, death, pain, or tears.  Who wouldn’t look forward to that?

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1Thessalonians 4:13-18 NASB) *

In writing this, I am not setting a date or year for the Lord’s return.  I’m just sharing my hope that it will be this year.  Do not lose heart, however, if the Lord waits; if He delays His coming a while longer.  We know He is merciful, and He is waiting until all who will come to Him have the opportunity to do so. (2Peter:3-9)  Our job is to watch for Him, and to be ready.

For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night …

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day.  We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.  For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.  But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.  For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.  Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. (1Thessalonians 5:2, 4-11 NASB) *

  

* https://biblehub.com/nasb/1_thessalonians/4.htm

A Prayer

This prayer was originally written by the Apostle Paul for the church in Ephesus.  I do not think, however, that he would object if we include all believers in it.

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 
may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- 
to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 
to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21 NKJV)*

*  https://www.biblestudytools.com/nkjv/ephesians/3.html