What worrying does to your health:

2. What worrying does to your health:

   “Worrying can have a negative effect on your health, making you tired, stressed, speed up the ageing process and sometimes more prone to depression.
   What worrying does to your body:
   When you worry, your body responds to your anxiety the same way it would react to physical danger.
   To help you cope with the physical demands you are about to ask your body to perform, your brain releases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream. They trigger a range of physical reactions that will equip your body for action.
   Your heart rate increases, your breathing becomes heavier and you may sweat more. You may also become pale as the blood moves away from the skin towards the muscles to help them prepare for the ‘fight or flight’ situation your worry has created.
   The ‘fight or flight’ response is your body’s instinctive reaction to danger. Unconsciously your body prepares itself to either run away from danger or becomes very alert in order to fight predators.
   But many of the things we worry about today cannot be dealt with by fighting or running away. Credit card bills, bad relationships or stress at work cannot be dealt with physically, so our body remains in a state of anxiety, ready for action.
   This means the stress hormones are still circulating in the blood stream. Theresa Francis-Cheung says over a prolonged period of time, raised levels of these chemicals can start to have a toxic effect on the glands, nervous system and the heart, eventually leading to heart attacks, increased risk of stroke and stomach ulcers.
   Because your body has tensed ready to respond to the threat you are feeling, this muscle tension can turn into aches and pains causing headaches, back pain, weak legs and trembling. This tension can also affect your digestive system triggering bouts of constipation or diarrhoea.
   You may also become more prone to infections. It is widely accepted that stress and anxiety can lower your immune system, making you more susceptible to picking up colds or more
   illnesses. With excessive worry, our immune systems have little time to recover so you become even more tired and lethargic.
   How worry affects your brain
   Worrying also has an effect on our brains. Excessive worry disturbs your peace of mind making it harder for you to concentrate on one task at a time…”-ROSALIND RYAN, femail.co.uk,
   Read more: http://awww.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-97853/What-worrying-does-health.html#ixzz35iqWTcza

   What God’s Word Teaches About “Worry”:

   Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear.
   And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? (Luke 12:22, 28 NLT)

   Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (Philippians 4:6)

   awww.dailymail.co.uk

Jesus is Coming Very, Very Soon!

So also when you see these signs, all taken together, coming to pass, you may know of a surety that He is near, at the very doors.(Matt. 24:33 AMP)
Thoralf Gilbrant in his book, The Sign of the Times, 1972, said, ”When Jesus speaks of the sign of the times he speaks of that which no one can know and of that we all ought to have knowledge about. That which no one can know is the day and the hour of Jesus’ return. “But of that day and hour knoweth no man,…” (Matt. 24:36). But we all should be able to know when the day is approaching-“ Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” (Matt. 24:33). The actual day is not known but the actual time period when our Lord is coming can be known. The generation living in the last days will be able to see the sign of the times and as a result they will understand that the day of the Lord is near, Matt. 24:32-36. The question then is, how near is the coming of Jesus Christ? Jesus, Himself gave an answer to that question when He said: “ Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” (Matt. 24:34). When Jesus speaks of ”this generation” He uses the Greek New Testament word, ”genea” that appears to point to a certain ”generation i.e. the generation living in the last days just before Jesus returns that see all these things taking place and therefore can know the Lord’s coming is near ‘even at the doors’.”
Every sign that is taking place in the world today indicates that we who are living at this time in history are the generation that Jesus had in view.

 

Finding Purpose in Trials and Sufferings:

Finding Purpose in Trials and Sufferings
Introduction:
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] (John 16:33Ampl. Ver.).
Jesus told his disciples that in the world they can expect trials and difficulties but He also said to them that the trials cannot defeat them if they will put their trust in Him.
Victory comes, as David experienced, when we call upon the Lord who alone is able to help us:
In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened;
he saved me from all my troubles.(Psalm 34:6).
In every trial God allows us to go through He also promises that we will be able to come through it victoriously. We read in 1Cor. 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.”
Difeference between trials sent by God and wicked temptations sent from the devil:
We must distinguish the difference between trials sent by God and wicked temptations sent from the devil, the ark enemy of our soul who seeks our destruction. In James 1:13 we read, “When tempted (from the Greek word “peirazo” which means “to examine” but also means “to entice”) no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.” Tempting as used here is the devil trying to entice a person to do wrong just as the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness or Eve in the garden of Eden. A trial sent by God, on the other hand, is God giving a person an opportunity to do something right allowing us to go through tough circumstances for our highest good to prepare us in order to fulfill His purpose in our lives.
Persons that God uses are prepared by Trials:
The strongest tree is not found in the shelter of the forest, but out in the open where the winds and the storm beat furiously upon it, thus causing the roots to go down deep and thus the tree grows to become a giant in size and strength.
Subsequently when you see a spiritual giant and you will examine his life you will see that he did not become one overnight. You will observe that he did not travel the easy road where wild flowers bloom but the hard and lonely road where there were obstacles to overcome, where there were trials and difficulties and storms.
If you look at the lives of those God used mightily in Bible history you will see that they were prepared through trials.
Abraham called to leave his homeland, no doubt encountering great difficulties before reaching Canaan and then experienced famine while there. Sarah was barren for many years. He encountered the greatest test of his life when God told him to go to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice Issac, the son that God had promised him and the one he waited so long for. Abraham passed the tests and God was able to trust him and consequently use him to become the Father of many nations for out from his seed came the Messiah the Saviour for both Jews and Gentiles.
See the life of Joseph who had to go through many trials before his dreams were fulfilled and he was used mightily of God. First he was rejected and hated of his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused and thrown into prison. We read this about him in Psalms 105:18,19-“They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true.”
Moses, who was called the meekest man upon the face of the earth, (Num. 12:3) was one of the greatest leaders that God raised up for Israel. He went through many trials and was tested and proved for forty years before God could use him.
David is another example of a man who was greatly used of God but we see that he was also prepared by many tests and trials. First as a shepherd in the wilderness, in Saul’s army, as a fugitive in the wilderness fleeing from King Saul. He was able to say in Psalm 66:10-12: “For you, O God tested us ; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.”
Some of David’s most beautiful psalms were born when He was undergoing some of the most difficult times of His life.
We think of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Judas he had a scheming traitor in his company for three years, he was misunderstood, mistreated and falsely accused by the Pharisees till at last He was cruelly scourged and crucified. It was said of Him in Hebrews 5:8: “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which He suffered.” In Matt. 10:24-25 we read: “The disciple is not above his master…If they have called the Master of the Beelzebub, how much more will they speak evil of those of his household.”
A good example of a person who went through deep trials was Fanny Crosby. She was a well known hymn writer, who wrote thousands of hymns that have been a great blessing to many. Her life was not a bed of roses but her trust was in a loving God who did all things well. When she was six weeks old she became blind because of a wrong prescription from the doctor. When she was only one year old her father died. She was not able to go to school with other children. Yet at the end of her life she was able to write in her “Memories of eighty Years”:I have not for a moment, in more than eighty-five years, felt a spark of resentment against the doctor; for I have always believed that the good Lord, in His infinite mercy, by this means consecrated me to the work that I am still permitted to do. When I remember how I have been blessed, how can I repine?” She also said, “Darkness may throw a shadow over my outer vision, but there is not a cloud that can keep the sunlight of hope from a trustful soul.”

The following is one of the hymns she wrote entitled “Close to Thee”
Thou, my everlasting portion, more than friend or life to me, all along my pilgrim journey, Saviour, let me walk with Thee.
Close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee;
All along my pilgrim journey, Saviour, let me walk with Thee.

Not for ease or worldly pleasure, nor for fame my prayer shall be;
Gladly will I toil and suffer, only let me walk with Thee.
Close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee;
Gladly will I toil and suffer, only let me walk with Thee.

Lead me thro’ the vale of shadows, bear me o’er life’s fitful sea;
Then the gate of life eternal may I enter, Lord, with Thee.
Close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee;
Then the gate of life eternal may I enter, Lord, with Thee.
The Lord was Fanny’s “everlasting portion.” Like David who prayed to the Lord, “Your life is better than life.”(Psalm 63:3), she was able to sing and pray in the above song: “Thou my everlasting portion, more than friend or life to me, all along my pilgrim journey, Saviour, let me walk with Thee.”

Moses asked the Lord this question in Numbers 11:11, “And Moses said unto the Lord, wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant..” Many are still asking that question today. The following are some reasons why God allows us to go through trials:

1. As a vinedresser prunes his trees so that they would produce more fruit God purges us through trials and adversity so that we might be more fruitful. We read in St. John 15:2: “…and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”

2. God sends us trials to wean us from the love of this world and give us a longing for Heaven. We read in 1Pet.4:12-13: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. We also read in 2Cor. 4:17, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all”.

3. God sends trials along our way to refine us and to produce in us the beauty and sweetness of Jesus and conform us to His image.
Trials are like sand paper. As a carpenter uses sand paper to polish the rough edges of a piece of furniture in order to make it smooth so God uses trials to polish our character. What are His sand paper and chisel? They are trials and tribulation. In your situation it could be a difficult or ill tempered person, hard circumstances, poverty, sickness, economic difficulties or missing of a loved on, etc.
We read the following words in 2Corinthians 3:18:
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
Paul states in the above verse that we are being transformed or changed from one degree of glory to another. In other words change does not happen over night but it is a process that gradually occurs over a period of time.
In Isaiah 48:10 we read that God is refining us through trials and sufferings:
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.
A friend of Michelangelo once saw him working one day on a piece of marble that he had found in the garbage dump near Rome. When he asked the sculptor what he was doing, he answed, “there is an angel in this piece of marble and I am trying to get him out. We are like that worthless piece of marble but God sees something beautiful in us.
A man of God was once undergoing a severe trial and in his private prayer time he asked God to please remove his trial. The Lord then gave him a vision of a sculptor grinding and chiseling a rough block of marble. As the sculptor continued his work he noticed that a beautiful image begin to appear in the marble. The Lord spoke to him and said, “Son, you are that block of marble. I have an image in my mind, and I desire to produce it in your character, and will do so if you will stand the grinding (the trial); but I will stop now if you so desire.” The man of God who was wanting God’s best for his life, regretted that he had asked the Lord to remove the trial, repented, and pleaded with the Lord to continue the chiseling and grinding. We are God’s workmanship and it is He who is polishing us.
In Psalm 66:10 we read, (For You, O God, tested us; You refined us like silver.) The Bible teaches us that God refines us the same way as a silver refiner refines silver. In Bible times the way that a man did that was to place the silver in a metal container over the hottest possible fire and then, as the silver began to melt in the heat, the dross, the scum, the impurities would rise to the surface and then the silver smith would scrape them off as they rose up and he would go on scraping until there was no impurity left in the silver.

A man working as a silver smith was once asked, “How do you know when the silver is pure”. He replied,” “When I see my reflection in it”. When you have been refined by trials people also will be able to see Jesus’ reflection-his beauty and his sweetness in you.

Madame Guyon that great saint who lived many years ago said, “It is the fire of suffering that brings forth the gold of godliness.
We should never enjoy the juice of the grape if it were not crushed nor would we enjoy the sweet perfume of cinnamon if it were not pressed and beated.

4. God sends trials to test us in order to reveal how mature and genuine we are.
In 1Peter1:6 we read,”In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come that your faith-of greater worth than gold which perishes even though refined by fire may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.” In Peter’s day potters baked clay pots to give them strength. The process cracked pots with flaws but the ones that survived were marked with the same Greek word that Peter uses here which in English is translated “genuine”. The Greek word for trial as used here “peirasmos” means a putting to proof or to examine for the purpose of revealing something about the thing tested. When trials and difficulties come our way what we are really like will be quickly revealed. Do we keep our temper when harassed. Do we continue to be peaceful in the midst of the storm or do we easily become frustrated and anxious when troubles come our way. God does not test worthless souls. It is true faith, that with Job, can say in the deepest trouble, “ though he slay me yet will I trust Him.”
Smith wigglesworth once said, “I would pity one who has gone a whole week without temptation (trials). Why? Because God only tries the people that are worthy. God tries us before He can trust us with His power.”
5. Trials can develop us into mature believers and strengthen our faith. A little girl complained to her piano teacher, “my fingers hurt”, her teacher replied, “but they are also being strengthened”. The little girl wisely answered, “All that strengthens hurts”.
A good athlete is not made over night but must undergo hard and vigorous training. In the same way a mature believer that God can trust is not made quickly but also goes through vigorous training which includes trials and difficulties. In Romans 5:3-4 we read, “Not only so but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that sufferings produce perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” Good strong iron is produced under great heat in order to burn out all impurities.
6.Trials can be a consequence of how we live. The law of reaping and sowing is put into action. If we live careless, undisciplined lives such as not heeding health laws and allowing unhealthy emotions such as anger control our lives, etc. we will suffer the consequences. In Galatians 6:7 we read, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
7.Trials can come as a result of God disciplining us because of unrepentant sin and disobedience in our lives. Just as a father disciplines his children because he loves them, God as our Heavenly Father and Great Teacher disciplines us when we need it. We read in Heb. 12:10, “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good that we may share His holiness.
In Hosea 5:15 we read, “In their affliction they will seek me early”.
When the prodigal son went through trials and great difficulties he came to his senses and said, “I will arise and go to my father,”(Luke 15:18).
God’s judgment on continual sinful rebellion can come on whole nations, groups of people, or areas of the country. In Jeremiah 11:10-11 we read of the reason why God will send judgment on Israel and Judah: “They have returned to the sins of their forefathers who refused to listen to my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.
Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.”
God does not bring judgment because of vengeance but because of justice. Unrepentant sin had to be punished for God’s holiness demanded it. In the midst of judgment we see God’s heart of love revealed to us in Lamentations 3:32-33: “But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he does not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.” God’s purpose in sending judgment is like a surgeons purpose in removing the cancer –to stop the spread of the cancer in order for the body to be healed.
Both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament God is depicted as a God of mercy but also a God of judgment. In Romans 1:17-18 we read, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith… For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.”

In 1Cor.11:17-33 the Apostle Paul is teaching on the Lord’s supper and in verses 27-32 we read these serious words:
“Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.”
We see here that Paul exhorts the church to examine themselves. This is done by allowing the Holy Spirit to search one’s hearts, confess any known sin and if necessary make restitution, before they partake of communion lest they partake in an unworthy manner. If they do not examine themselves and repent of any unconfessed sins that they may have, they come under God’s judgment and chastisement. In Heb. 12:10 we read, “…but God chastises us or disciplines us for our good that we may share in His holiness.”
It is because of God’s mercy that we are judged and punished since it is not God’s will that we be condemned with the world. If we still do not repent after being chastised and since we are living like the world in willful disobedience and rebellion then we will be condemned with the world. This is a choice that would bring terrible consequences.
We learn things about God in trials and suffering that we can’t learn any other way. In order for us to get to know Jesus, the “Lilly of the Valley”, we must go through the valley i.e. the valley of suffering. Life’s most painful tragedies can bring us into a deeper love relationship with our precious Saviour.

9. We go through trials in order that we might be a blessing and a source of comfort to those who are going through similar trials. We read in 2Cor.1:3-5, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all comfort who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

10. We go through trials in order to be a witness to the world and to other believers. People will be watching how we handle difficulties. How we react when we go through trials can be a great blessing to them and can also be a means of bringing some into the family of God. The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the Thessalonians:
“So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece—throughout both Macedonia and Achaia.” (1Thess. 1:6-7)
11. God uses trials in order to draw us closer to himself . We read in God’s Word, “The Lord is close to the broken hearted; He rescues those who are crushed in spirit”(Psam34:18).
12. We go through trials in order that we might die out to the old adamic nature so that Christ might be all in all. You will never know that God is all you need until you go through circumstances that make you realize that God is all you have. Our testimony should be that of A.B. Simpson who, after going through a trying experience, penned the words “Jesus, I my cross have taken, All to leave and follow thee: Destitute, despised , forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.”
A humble, godly lay man came to Johannes Tauler, one of the great mystics and preachers of the Middle Ages, to confess his sins. Tauler confessed to him instead and said, “I am not satisfied”. The layman then said, “Tauler has to die before he can be satisfied”. Tauler allowed himself to be guided by the layman and learned from him to forget the world and himself ,to turn all his thoughts upon God and to lead a life of the Spirit. For two years he lived in seclusion. When he came back to the congregation he was pastoring his preaching was with power and lives were changed. Jesus said in John 12:24, “Verily, verily I say unto you except a corn of wheat die it abideth alone, but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit.” Paul said in Gal.2:20, “ I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live, yet not but Christ that liveth in me:..” We also read in Luke 9:23, “And he said unto them all, if any man will come after me let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
13. Trials can be used to bring us to salvation. Abraham Lincoln who rose from humble beginnings to become a great president received Jesus Christ after deep emotional sufferings. He said once to a crowd in his home town in Illinois: When I left Springfield, I asked the people to pray for me; I was not a Christian. When I buried my son which was the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ. I do love Jesus.”
In Hosea 5:15 we read, “In their affliction they will seek me early”. A Chinese woman whom we met in Malaysia shared the story of how while she was in business she suffered great loss due to her business partner who was corrupt. Her brother was a Pastor but she was not a believer. In her great need she surrendered her life to the Lord and was saved. God had to put her through deep trials in order for her to get her attention away from the trivial to the eternal, from making money to a right relationship with God her Maker.
14. Trials teach us patience. We read in James 1:3-4:
“ Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.
But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.”
15. Trials teach us to watch and pray and to meditate on and read and study God’s Word. When we go through difficult times our faith is being exercised and this causes us to humble ourselves, to seek God’s face and to receive strength from Him as well as to find answers to our problems from His Word. We read in Psalms 119:50: “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy Word hath quickened me.”

It is very important to know how to react when we are undergoing trials. The following are some principles from God’s Word as to how we should react:

1. We should not become bitter but focus on the end result. We read the wonderful testimony of Joseph, who had every natural right to have become bitter towards his brothers, say these assuring words to them in Genesis 50:19,20: “And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass , as it is this day, to save much people alive.”
Henry Suso who lived many years ago,was a man greatly used of God. Once he was seeking to know God better and as he was seeking God, people started telling evil and false stories about him. It grieved him so that he wept bitter tears and went through great sorrow. During this time he looked out the window one day and saw a dog playing on the lawn. The dog had a mat and kept picking the mat up and tossing it over his shoulder, running and getting it, tossing it some more, picking it up and tossing it again.
God then spoke to Suso and said, “That mat is your reputation, and I am letting the dogs of sin tear your reputation to shreds and toss it all over the lawn for your own good. One of these days things will change.” Things did change. It was not long before people who were tearing his reputation were confounded. The truth came out. Best of all something happened to Suso and his relationship with God. He rose to a place that made him a power in his day and a great blessing still to those who sing his hymns and read his works.

2. We should refuse to give up regardless how severe the trial we may be going through. We read in 2Cor. 4:16: “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish our inward man is renewed day by day. We also read in 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.”
We read also in Heb, 10:35-36: “Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Winston Churchhill gave one of his most famous speeches at a commencement ceremony after world war II. First a speaker gave Churchhill a long introduction. Then Churchhill walked to the podium and spoke softly, but firmly: “Never, never, never, never, never, never give up.” He returned to his chair and sat down. The listeners were stunned silent, then one person brought his hands together. Immediately the entire crowd stood and started applauding and cheering . We can be certain that that was one speech the listeners never forgot.
3. We are to be patient when going through trials. God’s Word exhorts us in Romans 12:12 to be patient when undergoing tribulation and suffering.

“Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer.” (Amp. Ver.)
When a diamond is found it is rough and dark like a common pebble. It takes a long time to polish it and it very hard work. It is held by means of a piece of metal close to the surface of a large wheel, which is kept going round and round. Fine diamond dust is put on the wheel, nothing else is hard enough to polish the diamond. This hard work is kept up for months, and sometimes for several years, before it is finished. If the diamond is intended for a king, then greater time and trouble are spent upon it.” When the cutting and polishing are completed, it will shine with a thousand flashes of reflected light. We are God’s workmanship and it is He who is polishing us. Let us wait His time while He is working on us, let us not become discouraged or give up but let us put our trust in our wonderful Lord who is working through adverse circumstances to produce the beauty and sweetness of Jesus in us.

Because our prayers are not answered immediately does not mean that God does not hear or is acting on our behalf. I am sure the children of Israel at times were tempted to think that God had forgotten them.
Pastor O. Stockmayer described it well when he said, “God always hears, and He never forgets. His silence does not mean that He is not listening and is not planning. Probably it means that the best time of deliverance has not come yet, and that He is patiently waiting for the moment to arrive when He may prove His love and His power…
There is a set time for putting into the furnace, and a set time for taking out of the furnace.
There is a time for pruning the branches of the vine, and there is a time when the husbandman lays aside the pruning hook.
Let us wait His time; “He that believeth shall not make haste.” (Isaiah 28:16). God’s time is the best time. But shall we come out the same as we went in? Oh, no! “We shall come forth as gold.”
3. We are to rejoice in the midst of our trials and difficulties. We read in James 1:2:
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.”
Paul gave his own personal testimony in 2Cor.6:10:
”As sorrowful yet always rejoicing…”
When Paul and Silas were in prison in Philippi after being beaten and their feet in stocks and in spite of their pain and discomfort, they prayed and sang praises unto God. (Acts 16:25,26). As a result God sent an earthquake and they were miraculously released.
4. When we go through trials and are tempted by the devil to sin we are to resist him. In James 4:7 it is written, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Jesus is our great example here . When He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness He resisted him by using God’s Word. One of our great weapons against the devil is also God’s Word. Jesus said in John 8:32: “And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” We use God’s word by confessing and proclaiming God’s word and using our authority that God has given us because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross on our behalf when He utterly defeated Satan. (see Col. 2.17 and Luke 10:19)
5. When going through trials we ought to praise the Lord and give thanks instead of complaining. In 1Thess. 5:18 we read: “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”. It doesn’t say here to give thanks for all circumstances but to give thanks in all circumstances. God doesn’t expect you to be thankful for evil, for sin, for injustice, instead God wants you to thank him that he will use your problems to fulfill his purposes for your life and that we are in the hands of Him does all things well. We also read in Psalm 34:1:
“ I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth”
6. When going through trials we should forgive immediately those who are mistreating us, rejecting us or unjustly treating us in any way. By doing this we overcome resentment with forgiveness. If we don’t then a root of bitterness can come into our hearts. We read in Hebrews 12:14-15:
“Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”

7. When going through trials our focus should be on Jesus and not on our trials:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” (Heb. 12:1-2)
.6. When going through trials we ought to remember that we are not going through them alone. Jesus Himself promised: “I will never leave you nor forsake you…” We also have the Wonderful Holy Spirit indwelling us and He is our Helper, our Strengthener, our Guide, our Advocate, our Encourager.

Conclusion.
There is a wonderful reward waiting for those who come through temptation and trials victoriously. We read in James 1:12:
“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

May this also be also our sincere prayer and testimony , no matter what the trial or circumstance, or suffering we may be going through, may our eyes ever be fixed on Jesus walking close to Him, knowing that no matter how great the trial it cannot separate us from God’s love. “If we share His suffering here we will also share His glory.” (Rom. 8:17), “and if we suffer with Him we shall also reign with Him.” (2Tim:2:12).
The story was told of a great Roman conqueror, who after defeating his enemy that was in another country far away from his, was now leading his victorious army back to Italy and home. Onward they marched, over rivers and plains and through wooded forests, until they reached the foot hills of the towering Alps- a very rugged and mountain range to cross. As the journey became more and more difficult the soldiers were tired and weary and there were those who because they could not manage more were in the process of almost giving up as they trudged on over the rocky and dangerous mountain passes. As they climbed higher and still higher, the blinding snow and storms tempted the bravest heart to be discouraged. The great general knew that it was very urgent and necessary to encourage and inspire his army, so he stopped on a high rock where he could over look all his men and be heard by them, and pointing upward across the mighty barrier, he shouted, “Men. Beyond those Alps lies Italy!
Italy! Waving fields, beautiful orchards, sparkling fountains! Mothers and Father wives, and children, sweethearts! Home! sweet home!”
As the soldiers heard these encouraging words reminding them of what was waiting them beyond those rugged mountains, their fainting hearts revived . Tired muscles found new strength. Onward and upward that brave army pressed against every obstacle and won! They reached Italy and home.
Dear Friend, perhaps you are going through severe trials and you are on the verge of giving up, then put your eyes on Jesus, your great captain, who has never lost a battle. He will see you through to glorious victory. He is there to cheer you on, He is there to encourage you, He is there to lift you up when you have fallen. Remember, weary pilgrim, on the other side of these mountains of difficulties and trials you may be going through lies our beautiful eternal home. There you will be forever with your blessed Lord and loved ones that have gone on before you and He will wipe away all your tears and take away all your sorrows and pains. Therefore may you take new courage and hope as you look forward to that glad reunion day when you will receive your eternal reward.
May we follow the example of the Apostle Paul who at the end of his journey was able to write in 2 Timothy 4:6-8:
6 As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.
May God bless and encourage each one of you, in spite of trials and tribulations that you might be going through, to fight the good fight of faith in the power of the Holy Spirit and by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ so that you too one day will receive that crown.

Kenneth Korol

 

 

 

Ressurrection, hope for the backslider:

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The Resurrection gives Hope to every Backslider and to every Sinner

 

The day that our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified on was a dark day! It was a day of great suffering and humiliation for our wonderful Savior. First He was betrayed by one of His own disciples and then arrested. After he was arrested His disciples deserted Him and fled. While he was being condemned by the religious leaders, Peter one of His closest disciples denied knowing him three times. We read about this in Luke 22:60-62: “ But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.”

Knowing the character of Jesus, I am sure that when Jesus looked at Peter it was not a look of anger or disappointment but of love and tenderness. After this Jesus was brought before Pilate, then sent to Herod where he was mocked and ridiculed. He was then returned to Pilate where he was cruelly flogged and sentenced to die. He was then forced to carry his own cross and was led away to Calvary where He was crucified. While on the cross He was insulted by people passing by, by the religious leaders, and also by the soldiers. In spite of all this cruel treatment He was not resentful or bitter but He prayed, “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34). While on the cross and suffering great agony He was still thinking of others and therefore He asked John to take care of His mother (John 19:26-27) and also forgave one of the criminals that was crucified with him and assured him of Heaven. (Luke 23:40-43).

Yes, it was a day of great darkness both spiritually and also physically; spiritually because it seemed that all the demons of the kingdom of darkness had full control. They no doubt were rejoicing and laughing with glee because Jesus was now crucified. It was dark because it seemed for the moment that even God the Father had forsaken Jesus, Jesus prayed, “My God, My God why have You forsaken Me.” (Matt. 27:46). It was also physically dark because darkness had covered the whole land. We read in Mark 15:34, “At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.”

Jesus last statement before He died was “It is finished” (John 19:30). What does it mean? In the Greek the word is tetelestai Which according to Derek Prince who was also a Greek scholar means “perfectly perfect” and “completely complete”. What seemed like dismal failure and defeat was Christ’s finest hour. His work in becoming the sin bearer for all mankind was complete and perfect. Satan’s plan was to destroy Jesus but God’s plan was to save the world through Him, “ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

That was dark Friday, but then came resurrection Sunday when Jesus triumphed over the grave and death and through the power of the Holy Spirit was raised up from the dead. We read in Luke 24:1-7, “ But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” In 1Cor. 15:12-17 Paul show the importance of the resurrection of our Lord, “2 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” Paul said that if Christ has not been raised then our faith is useless and we are still in our sins! What if this was the case! What a sad world we would be living in, but thank God that is not the case, Jesus is indeed risen and therefore there is hope for every lost sinner and for every backslider!

Dear friend, you may not have yet received Jesus as your Savior and as a result may still be in your sins. May you understand today that God loves you and just as the criminal, who with Jesus was hanging on the cross, was extended mercy and saved, God would extend His mercy to you and save you. God’s Word declares in Acts 2:21, “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” Call upon Him today, turn from all sin and rebellion, invite Jesus into your heart to be your personal Savior and you will then experience His peace and forgiveness.

Maybe you are a backslider and perhaps you have allowed sin to come into your life. Perhaps you have grown cold and are neglecting your walk with the Lord or perhaps you are battling with unforgiveness in your heart towards other people who you feel have hurt you. Repent of this and ask God to forgive you immediately, and forgive everybody, even your worst enemy. If you will not forgive then God cannot forgive you. Perhaps you were a church leader, or a pastor and in a moment of weakness and temptation, you fell into sin. Now you feel that God cannot forgive you, and you cannot forgive yourself then remember Peter! We read earlier how Peter had denied Jesus three times. Did Jesus hold a grudge in His heart against Peter because of this? Not at all! We see evidence of this from the angel’s message to the women who came to anoiny Jesus’ body early on Sunday morning, the big stone that was at the entrance of the cave where He lay was rolled away and when they entered the tomb they met an angel who said to them, “… “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” The angel specifically mentioned Peter’s name. How glad Peter must have been when he heard this for he no doubt was suffering from shame and guilt. He now knew that Jesus still loved him and had forgiven him. How free he must have felt!

God is a God of reconciliation, of forgiveness who has come to forgive us and to heal our broken hearts. Come to Jesus today with all your sins , with all your guilt and shame, with all your sorrows and heartaches. He is alive today, He is not in the grave and waits with open arms to receive you and restore you into fellowship again.

We have the wonderful example of Jesus standing at the door of a backsliden church and knocking found in Rev. 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me..”

Jesus said, “If anyone hear my voice..” This means you also! Will you open the door of your heart and let Jesus come into your life today?

The following is a prayer you can pray;

“Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you that you love me in spite of all my failures and sins. Now because of what Jesus did on the cross when He died in my place, please forgive me of all my sins and failures. I am sorry for all my backslidings, I repent of them all and ask you to restore back into fellowship with yourself. I invite you Lord Jesus to please come into my life, sit on the throne of my heart and be my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you for hearing my prayer, for coming into my heart and for forgiving me. Thank you, thank you Father. I pray all this in Jesus Name, Amen

Now that you have invited the Lord Jesus to come into your heart, believe that what He has promised is yours, that He has come into your heart and has forgiven you. Perhaps you may not immediately feel any difference, therefore accept it by faith. God’s Word states that “the just shall live by faith”. This means that we don’t live by our feelings. God said it and we believe His Word. Therefore regardless of how you feel you now begin to thank God for saving you and forgiving you. This you ought to do every day.
After you have invited the Lord Jesus into your heart it is very important that you share with others what you have done. Also share the good news of the Gospel with others. It is also very important that we daily spend time in prayer and fellowship with God. We should also daily read and meditate on His precious Word. A good time to do this is in the morning before you begin your day. We should also daily yield our lives to be filled and led by the blessed Holy Spirit.
It also very important to belong to a local fellowship of believers, a church home, where God’s Word is taught and where we can have regular fellowship.

May God richly bless you! May you experience this as the greatest Easter of your life as you come into a personal relationship with the resurrected Savior. May your dark Friday become a glotious Easter Sunday experience! May you continually grow in grace and in the knowledge of our precious Savior and be a blessing to many people.

 

The Lord’s Prayer, First Part:

The Lord’s Prayer, First part:
1.” Lord, teach us to pray”:
Jesus is our great example in our prayer life. The disciples had observed Jesus’ prayer life. They saw how very early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went to a lonely place to pray (Mark1:35). They saw how he went to a mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God (Luke 6:12). They saw how that He often withdrew to lonely places and prayed (Luke 5:16). He lived a life of intimate fellowship with His father: He not only conversed with His Father but He also listened to His voice for guidance and direction (For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me (John 6:38). No wonder the disciples asked Him: “Lord teach us to pray (Luke 11:1). In answer to their question Jesus gave to them the model prayer commonly called the Lord’s prayer and which is a very deep and profound prayer. This is found in Matthew 6:9-13.
2 How and when you should pray:
The repeating of this prayer that Jesus taught His disciples has become a ritual in many churches and for many people. To only repeat this prayer it would take about a minute or two of our time But Jesus said, “This is how you should pray” not what you should pray. When we really learn the depths of this prayer we will see that it takes much more of our time than just a minute to pray. Jesus also said in Matthew 26:40-41-“Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour…Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak.” Jesus is challenging His disciples to watch with Him for one hour. He warns them about the weakness of the flesh. For example the flesh will complain terribly for having to wake up early to wait upon God, it would rather sleep and rest, it would rather read something interesting, it would rather see a video, It would rather surf the internet, it would rather write or do some other work, it would rather do anything thing else except pray! Therefore through the power of the Holy Spirit we must be willing to say no to the flesh and follow the desire of the spirit instead. If every believer would begin their day by taking at least an hour and earnestly and sincerely use the model of the Lords prayer they would experience victory in their Christian life and revival in their churches.
The Holy Spirit, through David, in Psalm 5:3, showed us the great necessity of meeting the Lord in the morning.
“My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.”
We of course must not limit our prayer time to only in the morning nor must we limit our prayer time to only one hour many will want to pray much longer than that or perhaps even less. Daniel faithfully prayed three times in a day:
“When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously”(Daniel 6:10).
The Apostle Paul exhorts us in 1Thess. 5:17 to always be in an attitude of prayer, “ pray without ceasing.” We should not grow weary in our praying and when we do not feel like praying that is the time when we should pray most!
Some people may feel that they can pray only when they are going about their different duties, this is okay, to be in an attitude of prayer at all times, but if Jesus our Lord realized the need of withdrawing from all other activity and being alone with His Father, how much more should we! We see this in Luke 5:16, “16 But he often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.” There is no doubt that Jesus was in communion with His Father at all times but He also saw the great need of withdrawing to be alone with His Father and by this also gave us an example to follow!

3.Where should we pray:
If possible we should withdraw to a lonely or quiet place where we will not be interrupted or disturbed. If this is not possible we should try and raise earlier so that we would not be interrupted by telephone calls or by the crying of our children, etc. We see this to be the case in our Lord Jesus Christ’s life, “ Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.” (Mark 1:35). Some people may find other times of the day to be more convenient. For example mothers who have children going to school may find it a convenient time to pray when their children are in school.
4.The goal of this article:
Not one of us could say that we have achieved all we need to know about prayer I have been a believer for over sixty-five years and I am still learning. Our goal with this article is to discover how we can be more effective and disciplined in our prayer life by using the model prayer Jesus taught His disciples.
4.All three members of the Trinity are involved in our prayer life:
It is important to know that all three members of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are involved in our prayer life. Although Jesus taught us to address our prayers to the Father, In Ephesians 2:18 we see that both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are involved in our approach and prayer life with the Father:
“For through him (Jesus) we both (both Jew and Gentile) have access to the Father by one Spirit.”
a. Jesus’ role in our prayer life:
We are invited to come to the Father in and through the Name of Jesus. We see this is repeated five times in the Gospel of John-John 14:13-14, John 15:16, John 16:23, John16:24, John 16:26. To pray in Jesus Name means that we are able to come to the Father not in our own righteousness but through the Blood of Jesus and therefore we are able to come in His presence with boldness and without fear, without shame, and without guilt. To pray in Jesus Name is also to be wholly identified with God’s will and purpose. It is acting as the substitute and representative of Jesus Christ in making our petitions known to the Father.
All that Jesus is is embodied in His Name. Therefore when we pray in Jesus Name all His power and all His life stands behind His Name. This means that all the power of Heaven stands behind the wonderful Name of Jesus. We read in Col 1:19: “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,” We also read in Phil.2:9-10, “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,”
In John 16:23 we read that Jesus is exhorting His disciples that after Pentecost they can bring their requests directly to the Father in His Name-
“In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my Name.”

b. The Holy Spirit’s role in our prayer life:
The Holy Spirit also helps us to pray. He reveals to us what is the will of the Father and what is the burden of the Father’s heart. He gives us anointing and power and energizes our prayers, He gives us a prayer language so that we can praise God and pray and intercede by praying with other tongues ( Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (groans that our own human words cannot express).- Romans 8:26).
“ What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.” (1Cor. 14:15).
He also convicts us of any unconfessed sin that may be in our life ( And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment-John 16:8). If unconfessed sin is there then it is important for us to immediately bring it to the light (that means that we do not pretend that it is not there and try to hide it but name the sin and forsake it) and then bring it to the blood of Jesus for cleansing and forgiveness. God’s Word says in Psalms 66:18: “If I had cherished sin in my heart the Lord would not have listened,” but it also says in 1John 1:7-8: “ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
The work of the Holy Spirit is to usher us into the presence of the Father where the Father is waiting with His arms of love wide open to receive us and to welcome us with joy into His presence. The Holy Spirit brings the presence of the Father and the Son into our hearts and brings us into a love relationship with them (John 14:23). The work that the Holy Spirit has in our praying is very important, therefore we must not ignore Him! We need to acknowledge Him and welcome Him in our prayer time . We read in Jude 20,
“Building yourselves up on your most holy faith praying in the Holy Spirit.”
and in Eph. 6:18, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Holy Spirit.” In John 14:16 Jesus calls the Holy Spirit our “Helper.” The Holy Spirit is not going to do your praying for you but He is there to help you.
5. The Great Importance and Privilege of Prayer:
The person or assembly of people who know how to pray can change the course of history, can bring down leaders and kingdoms and can change and transform the community, the city, or the nation that they are living in! Their prayers like intercontinental missiles can reach even beyond their own nation and can affect the nations of the world.
6. The Scope and Conditions of Prayer:
The following three verses bring out the fantastic and unlimited scope of prayer as well as the conditions that are necessary in order to get our prayers answered:
(a)Matt. 21:22: “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” The scope here is, “whatever you ask.” The condition is, “if you have faith.”
(b)John 15:7: “ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” The scope in this verse is, “ask whatever you wish.” The condition is, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you.” This means a constant fellowship and communion with Our Lord as well as diligently meditating in His Word, thus making our prayers harmonize according to God’s Word.
(c)1John 5:14: “ And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” The scope here is, “If we ask anything.” The condition is, “that we ask according to His will.”
Author’s note:
The model prayer that Jesus taught us to pray is divided up into nine different categories. This material is in the process of being written and will be sent for publishing shortly!
Words-2065 words.
Written by Kenneth Korol.