We are to trust in God for everything. Not in our own hearts or thoughts.
Pray about every decision.
Proverbs 3:5-6 ” Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
If we are always mindful to pray and seek God’s will in everything, then He will lead us in the right path and we will not make mistakes.
Why can’t we just trust in our own heart?
We are never to lean on our own understanding, and think that we can handle things ourselves, because our own hearts can deceive us and lead us the wrong way.
Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Our own understanding can lead us to death.
Proverbs 16:25 “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
The Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge.
Psalms 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.”
Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”
God wants us to ask Him for wisdom in everything. Nothing is too small or too big.
James 1:5-8 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
God’s wisdom will always lead you right.
James 3:17 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”
Trust in God for all your answers and you will live a life without regrets.
The
Bible says in Romans 15:2 “Let every one of us please his neighbour for his
good to edification.”
To edify means to “build up” (see the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance with Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries #s 3619, 3624, and 1430 in the Greek dictionary).
We are not to hurt people’s feelings through joking.
The
Bible also says in Ephesians 5:1-7 “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear
children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath
given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling
savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be
once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither
filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but
rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean
person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the
kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the
wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers
with them.”
Right
in the midst of a list of terrible sins in Ephesians 5:1-7, God deals with some
sins of the tongue, and right in the
midst of these sins of the tongue, God says that jesting (teasing, bullying,
joking, picking on people, etc) is a sin. And then God says later that His wrath falls on people for these
sins!
As Christians we are to love others, not tease them and hurt their feelings.
Some Christians have a wrong
belief that people must be thick skinned, and that it is immature for a
Christian to get their feelings hurt.
They get this by not understanding the proper definition of the word “offend” in Psalms 119:165 “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.”
This
verse does not mean that a strong Christian will not get their feelings hurt.
The word offend in this verse means
“cause to sin.” (see the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance with Greek and Hebrew
Dictionaries #s 4383, and 3782 in the Hebrew dictionary).
This verse simply means that a strong, mature Christian will never turn away from God for any reason.
The truth is, it is not
immature to get your feelings hurt, it is immature, and a sin, to tease and
bully someone and hurt their feelings. Even a child knows this!
Our speech should always be wrapped in thankfulness to God, and the purpose of everything we say is to be to edify the person we are speaking too.
Even if we have to correct someone, who is doing wrong, our goal should never be to hurt their feelings, but to build them up by pointing them to a higher relationship with God.
Although when you correct someone, their
feelings are usually hurt, because no one likes to be corrected.
The Bible says in Luke 17:3
“Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and
if he repent, forgive him.”
Sometimes this kind of speech is necessary, but our goal should still be to build them up to a higher relationship with God, not hurt their feelings.
As Ephesians 5:1-7 shows, God takes sins of the tongue very seriously, so we need to always think before we say anything.
God is judging the world right now, but For Christians,
who are right with God, Jesus is our shelter in the storm.
Proverbs 3:25-26 “Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of
the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the LORD shall be thy
confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.”
Psalms 91:
1 “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress:
my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler,
and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings
shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for
the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for
the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy
right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward
of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even
the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague
come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep
thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash
thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion
and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I
deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be
with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my
salvation.”
Isaiah 43:1b-2 “…Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”
God is always with us, and nothing can separate us from
His love.
Hebrews 13:5b “…for he hath said, I will never leave thee,
nor forsake thee.”
Matthew 28:20b “…I am with you alway, even unto the end of
the world. Amen.”
Romans 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
We must watch, and pray always that we may be accounted
worthy to escape all the bad things that God will send on the earth.
Luke 21:36 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may
be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to
stand before the Son of man.”
We must judge ourselves so that we are not judged by God
with the world. (We must keep prayed up and repented up.)
Revelation 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be
zealous therefore, and repent.”
1 Corinthians 11:32 “But when we are judged, we are
chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”
1 Corinthians 11:31 “For if we would judge ourselves, we
should not be judged.”
In addition, Jesus showed in the Lord’s prayer that we
should pray that God the Father does not test us.
Matthew 6:13 “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver
us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen.”
The word “temptation” in this verse means to try and roots back to a Greek word meaning to test (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Greek and Hrebrew Dictionaries # 3986 and then #3985 both in the Greek.)
The word “evil” in this verse can mean bad, hurtful, or even “figuratively calamitous; also (passively) ill, that is, diseased.” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Greek and Hrebrew Dictionaries #4190 in the Greek.)
Therefore, in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus showed us that we should always pray that the Father has mercy on us and does not test or try our faith by sending us calamity or disease.
I have never heard this preached. God showed my family and I
this a few years ago, and we have seen God protect us and deliver us from some situations
that could have been very calamitous financially and health-wise.
Now, God may still
test your faith some, (He still tests us some at times with little problems), so
trust Him to meet your needs.
Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need
according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
The more you trust God the more apt He will be to not try
your faith, because you have already proven your faith to Him.
God never took everything away from Job again.
Do not worry or complain, just trust Him, and He will
work everything out for your good.
1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth
for you.”
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose.”
Now, that “good” primarily means that you will end up being more like Christ, not necessarily that you will have everything you want.
Be thankful for and Content with what you have.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In every thing give thanks: for this
is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
Hebrews 13:5 “Let your conversation be without covetousness;
and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never
leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
I pray this encourages you and helps you through this storm.
May God bless you and protect you, as you seek to please Him in all things.
God has a prescription of healing and restoration for America, and the rest of the world. God does not want to destroy people, He wants to save people. God has a beautiful plan for everyone, if they would just turn to Him in faith and obedience.
God’s Prescription
2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
A lot of people are talking about praying, but God does not just require us to pray. He also requires us to humble ourselves, repent of our sins, and seek Him. Only then will He hear our prayers and heal our land!
God’s will
It is God’s perfect will that our Country continues and is prosperous until Christ’s return. However, God cannot tolerate sin, and if America refuses to turn back to Him then we are at risk of losing everything.
We are under God’s judgment.
Right now, a deadly virus is sweeping throughout our nation
and the world. There are also severe storms sweeping through America right now.
God is angry, folks! Because His people refuse to obey Him, and the lost people hate Him and mock His Name!
We are living on the brink of destruction, and it is only by
God’s mercy that we have not already been consumed!
Things will only get worse until people repent and turn to obeying Him.
We can stop God’s judgment.
God’s judgment can end, and revival can break out all over the world, if God’s people would repent, obey Him, and pray for revival and healing.
What you need to do if you are a Christian, but not completely right with God.
If you are a backslidden Christian, you need to repent now and start praying that God has mercy and sends revival and heals America and the rest of the world. God will make your problems keep getting worse until you turn back to Him!
What you need to do if you have never trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior.
If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you need to do it now so that you do not go to Hell. Many people are dying right now, even some young and healthy people are dying from the Corona virus. You never know when you will die. God does not promise you another minute.
Please go to the page How to get to Heaven to learn how you can trust in Jesus now. It is not just saying a prayer. It requires a lot more that just that.
What you need to do if you are a Christian and are right with God.
Lastly, if you are a Christian and are right with God, pray for revival, warn people of God’s judgment, and tell them how to get saved or get right with God. Be sure to trust God to meet your needs, and try your best to not complain, but praise God and thank Him for everything that you have. Ask Him to give you wisdom on how to live during these times, and then do what He says.
Every Christian needs to know how to properly resist the Devil, so they can be most effective for God, and so they do not fall into sin and bring disgrace upon Christ.
The Bible says how we get rid of the Devil is too:
James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Now, this does not mean that the Devil only fights people who are not submitted to God already.
Job was right with God and the Devil viciously attacked him. (See Job chapter 1)
Moreover, the Bible also says that we must put on the whole armour of God in order to properly resist the Devil.
Ephesians 6:10-18 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
Here are some practical things you can do to put on the armour of God, and make the Devil flee from you:
Pray a lot, keep God in all your thoughts (stay in an attitude of prayer constantly with thanksgiving).
1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
Psalms 10:4 “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” (If God is not in all the thoughts of the wicked, then He should be in all the thoughts of a Christian.)
Philippians 4:6-9 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”
Read the Bible a lot (especially John and Psalms).
Psalms 119:50 “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.”
Psalms 119:52 “I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself.”
John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;”
John 14:18 “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”
John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
2 Peter 1:2 “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord”
Listen to a lot of comforting and soothing Christian music, like Hymns, not Christian Rock.
Christian Rock will excite your emotions too much. You need to listen to calming Christian music, like hymns, so you can truly be still and know that God is God. (see Psalm 46:10)
You can find a lot of these kinds of videos on you tube, especially ones that are just instrumental.
Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
Ephesians 5:17-20 “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”
Also, continually do things that you know pleases God, and don’t do anything that you know would displease Him.
Titus 3:8 “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.”
2 Corinthians 13:11 “Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.”
Now, the word perfect there does not mean that you can be completely sinless, but rather that you be submitted to Go by not intentionally sinning.
This is how you resist the Devil. If you keep doing these things the Devil will flee from you, and you will have peace.
However, as long as you are in this life, the Devil will probably come back and bother you again in time, but every time, just resist him like this, and he will leave.
Many Christians take Romans 8:28 out of context, and tell people to just hang in there and their circumstances will improve. I believe that sometimes this does more harm than good, because sometimes a person’s circumstances just do not improve.
I am going to explain the true meaning of Romans 8:28 in context, and I pray it will be a comfort to you, as it has been to me.
I have written it so you can see each individual verse in order to make my point better.
Romans 8:
26 “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.”
27 “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
29 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
What is that “good” in verse 28?
Most Christians interpret this to mean that in time our circumstances will get better, as Job’s did in the Old Testament.
This is not what that “good” means.
The Bible always interprets itself and usually within the same passage.
Now look at verse 29 again.
Romans 8:29 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
It shows that after we get saved, God then predestines us to be conformed to the image of Jesus.
Therefore, “All things work together for good” means that all things work together to make us be more like Jesus. This is the “good,” not that our circumstances will improve.
The more like Jesus we are, the more rewards we receive in the next life in heaven.
Being a Christian is not about receiving material prosperity in this life, but about laying up treasures in heaven.
Jesus commands that we must forsake all to follow Him.
Luke 14:33 “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”
But He promises that if we do, then we will receive a hundred fold in heaven, not in this life.
Matthew 19:29 “And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.”
In addition, in Romans 8:26-27 the Bible says:
26 “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.”
27 “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
How the Holy Spirit helps us pray:
This shows that we do not know how to pray for what we truly need, so the Holy Spirit helps us by asking God to give us what we truly need according to His will.
Therefore, sometimes when we are praying for God to change our circumstances, like praying for healing of a health problem, the Holy Spirit is actually praying something like:
“God what they really need is for You to show them Your will, teach them what You want them to learn from this, use this to make them more like Christ, help them to accept Your will, and learn how to have peace and joy and faithfully serve You, in spite of their circumstances.”
Seek God’s will.
Therefore, seek God’s will in your circumstances, and pray for understanding. If God shows you that your circumstances are His will, then accept it, and ask Him to show you how He wants you to serve Him, in spit of your circumstances.
Your circumstances may not change any, but your perception of those circumstances will.
Your circumstances will become a blessing.
You will no longer see your circumstances as a hindrance, but as a blessing and a tool to serve God.
The example of Paul:
The Apostle Paul struggled with many hard circumstances including health problems, and he said:
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
And remember:
Colossians 3:2 “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
I pray this comforts you, and encourages you to stay faithful to God, no matter your circumstances.
2 Timothy 3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
John 15:20 “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”
Why People Persecute Christians:
People persecute us, because we do not participate with them in doing things that God says are wrong.
1 Peter 4:4 “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:”
Also, because we reprove evil works.
Ephesians 5:11 “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”
Different levels of persecution.
Everyone who lives godly in Christ suffers persecution, but some suffer more than others. This is dependent largely upon where a person lives.
Many Christians in other Countries such as: North Korea, Iran, China, and many others face very harsh persecution by their governments. They are constantly imprisoned, tortured and killed for their faith in Christ.
Here in America we enjoy religious freedom from our government. Therefore, we do not have to face being imprisoned, tortured, or killed by our government for being Christians.
However, we still suffer some persecution from friends, family, co-workers and others for trying our best to please God in all things that we do.
When a person gets saved their friends and family may turn away from them, because the saved person will no longer drink, do drugs, swear, tell dirty jokes, or participate in other activities with them anymore, because those activities would displease God.
In recent years employees and business owners have fallen under persecution for refusing to participate in homosexual marriages. (See Romans 1:24-32) This fight has now largely been won, because the Supreme Court has upheld our Constitution.
Jesus sends us as sheep among wolves.
Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
We become wise as serpents by studying God’s Word.
Wolves will try to twist the meanings of God’s Word and confuse us. Therefore, we must diligently study God’s Word in order to combat their twisted arguments.
2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Sometimes wolves will try to look like sheep, and even secure for themselves a “job” as a Pastor of a church. But they are only in it for power or money, they are corrupt, they abuse their sheep, and lead them to destruction.
We must diligently study the Word of God so we can recognize these wolves in sheep’s clothing, and get away from them.
Jude 1:3-4 “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Timothy 3:5-6 “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,” (The word “houses” here is speaking of “houses of worship” i.e. “churches.”)This is specifically speaking of the wolves in sheep’s clothing who get “jobs” as Pastors of churches.
If you start going to a church, and discover that the Pastor is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, you need to just quietly leave and find another church. Wolves are dangerous, not only spiritually, but they can be physically dangerous too.
We must be harmless as doves by showing our persecutors love not hate.
Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
Proverbs 25:21-22 “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.”
We are allowed to use the laws of our Country to protect ourselves, Paul did.
Acts 22:25-29 “And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.”
Fear God not Men.
Matthew 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Acts 5:29 “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”
Our life is not ours.
1Cor 6:19-20 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Colossians 3:3 “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
Those faithful unto death receive the crown of life.
Revelation 2:10 “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”
If we endure persecution we obtain a better resurrection.
Hebrews 11:35b “…and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:”
When persecuted, remember nothing can separate you from God’s love, and you are more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?shall tribulation, or distress, orpersecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Arm your mind to endure persecution.
1 Peter 4:1 “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;”
1 Peter 4:1 was written by the Apostle Peter, the disciple who denied Jesus at His crucifixion. Here Peter tells us how to avoid making his mistake. We must arm or train our minds to stand for Christ no matter what.
The Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:3 “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
Soldiers are trained to endure torture and die for their Country, if they are ever captured by the enemy.
We must train our minds the same way to suffer and die for Christ, and our heavenly Country (Hebrews 11:16), if we ever need to.
The Bible says in Proverbs 23:7a “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…”
How we think is how we will be!
If we train our minds to endure persecution, the Bible says that we can know that we will endure it!
The Bible says we must also be willing to die for other Christians, not just for Christ.
1 John 3:16 “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
To Betray Another Christian is to Betray Christ.
Matthew 25:40 “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Before the Apostle Paul got saved, his name was Saul and he persecuted Christians. When Jesus appeared to him He asked Saul why he was persecuting Him.
Acts 9:1-5a “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:”
The Bible makes it very plain that what someone does to a Christian they also do to Christ.
Many Christians have suffered torture and death, because they would not betray other Christians.
In the book and movie “Tortured for Christ” Richard Wurmbrand tells how he and other Christians were imprisoned and tortured in the Soviet Union for being Christians. Their government told them that if they would betray other Christians to them they would receive special favors, but if not, they would be tortured worse. Richard Wurmbrand and many others suffered unspeakable tortures and some died, because they had armed their minds not to betray their brothers and sisters in Christ.
This is one reason why God commands us to always treat other Christians kindly (see 1 Peter 4:8 and Romans 12:10). Someday they may have to die for us, if we have treated them badly it could cause them to sin and betray usand Christ.
I encourage you to read the book and watch the movie “Tortured for Christ” they will strengthen your faith and change your life.
We must also be willing to let others die for Christ.
Matthew 10:37 “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
Many Christians have had to watch their children and other loved ones be tortured and killed, because they themselves would not deny Christ or betray other Christians.
Again in the book and movie “Tortured for Christ” Richard Wurmbrand tells of another man whose son (about 12 yrs old) was tortured to death in front of him, to try to get the man to betray other Christians. As his son was being tortured the man started to become weak, and was going to give the government the names of the other Christians, but the boy encouraged his father and begged him not to betray them. The father did not betray the other Christians, and the child died.
This is the reality of true Christianity. Christ died for us and we must be willing to suffer the loss of all things and die for Him and other Christians, if we are faced with it.
Now in America, we are very blessed, we have never had to face this level of persecution yet, but it could happen.
It is happening right now in other places of the world like: North Korea,Nigeria,Iran,China,and most recently the Philippines.
Those who don’t endure:
Matthew 13:20-21 “But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.”
Christ will deny those who deny Him.
2 Timothy 2:12 “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:”
Matthew 10:33 “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you cannot know for sure if you would be able to endure certain kinds of persecution or not until you are faced with it.
That is a lie from Hell to try to cause you to deny Christ!
As shown above, If we train our minds to endure persecution, the Bible says that we can know that we will endure it!
It is not prideful to say that you would die and suffer anything for Christ, It is obedience to the Word of God! (1 Peter 4:1) Don’t ever let any wolf in sheep’s clothing, standing behind a pulpit ever tell you any different. They are setting you up for a fall, and trying to take away your crown of life.
Revelation 3:11 “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”
We must arm our minds and decide that we will always obey God no matter what happens.
One of the lesser known heroes of the Bible is a man named Adino. He was the first of David’s three mighty men, and he killed 800 enemies at one time with his spear.
The Bible only mentions Adino one time in 2 Samuel 23:8:
“These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.”
God’s promise to Israel
God promised Israel that if they obeyed Him, one of them would be able to chase a thousand enemies.
Joshua 23:10 “One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.”
Our Lesson
Adino was faced with a problem much bigger than himself, but he remembered God’s promise, trusted in it, and God delivered him.
God will do the same for us too, if we trust His promises and obey Him.
Mark 9:23 “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”
None of us will probably ever face fighting 800 people trying to kill us, but we may face problems bigger than us such as health,finances, relationships etc.
If God could help Adino fight off 800 soldiers at once, He can help us with our problems too.
More Verses:
Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
