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LETTING  PEACE  RULE

1/2/2022

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January 2, 2022                                    LETTING  PEACE  RULE
Colossians 3:15 “And letle the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful.”
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be known to God. And the peace of God which passes all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
John 14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.”
Peace in our hearts and minds does not just happen; if our peace is dependent upon circumstances, our peace will come and go with the circumstances. We live in a time when there is much that would rob us of peace of mind and cause our hearts to be troubled. However, God sent His Son into the world to redeem us and to restore us back to our Father; we have been redeemed and have been made new creations. Because we have become members of the family of God and have been made new, we are no longer subject to the ways of the world. The ‘ways of the world’ refers to the world’s philosophy, the culture of the world, to living with no knowledge of God, and living life with the goal of self-satisfaction. The gospel that Jesus was sent to proclaim is truly ‘out of this world;’ the gospel of God sets us free to live as God designed, and only by living according to our Creator’s design, can we experience life to the fullest. If not alert spiritually, we can live life on ‘auto pilot’ and find ourselves living ‘under the circumstances’ instead of overcoming the trials we encounter. To live according to God’s design and to live according to the gospel does in no way mean that every day will be rosy or that we will not experience difficulties in life; but it does mean that we can let the peace of God rule in our hearts, that we can live without our hearts being troubled, and that we can live without being anxious for anything. To live in such a way is indeed super-natural; and that is just what the Christian life is-super-natural. God has not simply refurbished us or improved us; He has made us new and has given us His life. As I am writing this, I am reminded of when I knew these truths in my mind, but not until God revealed them in my spirit did they really make a difference. You may be at the same place; in your mind you agree with what the scriptures say, but your life has not been transformed by the good news of the gospel. If that is the case, I encourage you to acknowledge that to the Lord; continue to seek Him, read His word with the view of discovering who He says you are, and ask your Father to reveal the truth of the gospel in your spirit. John 4:24 tells us that “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Knowing truth in our mind is certainly essential, but we also must know God in our spirit. As we launch into a new year, let us do so with confidence, faith, hope, and courage that comes from knowing God as OUR Father. May the peace of God that passes all comprehension guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. Have a blessed and happy new year.
Ephesians 1:18 “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people.”
Blessings, Buddy
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CALLED  TO  CONQUER

12/30/2021

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December 30, 2021                                   CALLED  TO  CONQUER
Daniel 11:32b “…but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”
Joshua 14:11-12a “I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. Now then, give me this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day,”
2 Corinthians 10:4 “for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”     
From my perspective, as a culture, it seems we have diminished the idea of conquering and have retreated to a position of compromise and complacency, and acceptance of things as they are. The idea of fighting or going to war is frowned upon by many who say we must live in peace and let people do as they please, and live without moral absolutes. Many believe that God is a God of love, and He is that; but He is also a God who wars against His enemies and is all about His people conquering and overcoming just as He does. In the Old Testament, the people of God were constantly engaged in physical wars and struggles that was a foreshadow or picture of the spiritual battles we are engaged in under the New Covenant. Today, if we are engaged, we are constantly having to battle with philosophies and beliefs that are contrary to the truth of the scriptures; we are bombarded continually with lies-and sometime the lies we hear sound reasonable and good. Many things that are now commonly accepted in our culture are in extreme contradiction to the clear teachings of God’s word. As Chester Puller (a famous US Marine) once said when surrounded by the enemy “We can now fight in any direction.” So it is with us. However, we do not fight alone or in our own strength-but we do fight! As believers, we must stand for truth at all cost; we must expose the lies that would defeat us and our loved ones; a lot is at stake. The first battle we must engage in is a personal battle; we must examine our own beliefs and our actions to make sure we are spiritually healthy and ready for battle. Next, we must realize that we have been called to the front lines to fight for the truth. We must proclaim as well as demonstrate that God is able to deliver His people from all that binds them and all that defeats them, whether it be depression, anxiety, fear, harmful addictions, bad attitudes, disappointments, unbelief, and a mindset of giving up on life. God has called us AND equipped us to be ones who bring the good news to those who have been taken prisoners by the lies of the culture. The battles we face are primarily spiritual battles, but I believe that there is a physical battle that comes in to play as well; I think there is a connection between the spiritual and the physical-mainly, the spiritual affects the physical. (Sorry I am rambling a little-there is a lot I want to say.) One thing that greatly disturbs me is the ‘de-masculinity’ of men. There is a need for men to step in to their role as men who love God, who protect and provide for those around them, who are strong but yet gentle and kind, and who serve. God designed the woman and the man with unique strengths and abilities; the culture, and the children, suffer when we ignore the basic design of the woman and the man. We need to know that we are in a battle, know that God has equipped us, and know that we are called to action. To be sedentary is not God’s idea for us. Go ahead and do a few exploits; scale that mountain; take the enemy out; expose the darkness and the lies! If you know God personally, then you are called to be an overcomer in life-there is no escaping that fact. Remember, we win the fight only as we fight in His strength.
Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
2 Corinthians 10:5 “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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BUILDING  WITH  THE  RIGHT  MATERIALS

12/27/2021

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December 27, 2021                                 BUILDING  WITH  THE  RIGHT  MATERIALS
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, precious silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed by fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet as through fire.”
I am thankful that God gives us new beginnings; new days, new weeks, and new years. As we contemplate the new year we are about to begin, let us do a self-examination, reflecting on the life we are living; what or who motivates me; what are my goals; what am I pursuing; how am I relating to others; and most importantly, how is my relationship with God. These self-examinations are not to be a morbid introspection or neither are they to lead to a feeling of condemnation. The verses above serve as a good guide for this self-examination. The fact is that we are building, not a physical building, but we are building our life. Lives have foundations just as building do; the obvious question is, what foundation are we building on. Actually, there is only one foundation that is sure, and that is Christ Jesus; any other foundation is doomed to fail. The quality of our building material is critical; if we build with straw, wood, or hay, what we build will not last. We are forewarned; the material we use to build with will become evident as it will tested by fire. If we are building with gold, precious silver and precious stones, our building will survive the fire-and we will be rewarded. We build with gold, precious silver and precious stones by living according to the truth of God’s word; by living in a way that pleases the Lord. Do not misunderstand; I am not suggesting that we can by our good works earn God’s love; but I am saying that if we love Him, it will be our desire to please Him and to walk in His ways. Our ‘works’ are very important, but it is the motivation behind our works that matters the most. Because God loves us and has made us new creations, we can now build on the foundation of Christ Jesus with gold, precious silver, and precious stone-and what we build will last, and again, we will be rewarded! The past year has had its bumps in the road for many, but let us welcome this new year as an opportunity to build our lives on the only foundation, Christ Jesus. We face a new beginning; may be wise builders. Have a blessed and happy new year.
1 Corinthians 4:4-5 “I am conscience of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgement before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.”
Colossians 3:1-2 “If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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GOOD NEWS  OF  A  GREAT  JOY

12/25/2021

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December 25, 2021                                  GOOD  NEWS  OF  A  GREAT  JOY
 Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Luke 2:9-11 “And an angle suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terribly frightened. And the angle said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Jesus being born as a man almost defies the imagination. The very Son of God, who reigned in heaven with the Father, came to be born as a baby on planet earth-even in a manger! Jesus laid aside His heavenly person and took on the form of man. Trying to describe and put in human terms the reality of Jesus becoming a man, someone said that “God allowed someone to change his diapers.” It was the love of God that led to the birth of Jesus. Jesus came for one reason; and that was that man might be saved from his sins and restored to the Father. The news that the angel delivered to the shepherds that day was indeed “news of a great joy---for all the people.” This Christmas season, let us not overlook the magnitude of the birth of our Savior; may we enjoy the season of Christmas, but let us not get so caught up in all the busy-ness of the holidays that we miss the point of what we are celebrating. Had Jesus not been born, we would be lost and without hope. The words of the popular Christmas carol says it well; “Let earth receive her King.” As we look back at the events surrounding Jesus’ birth, let us thank Him and worship Him for coming for you and I; He came because He loved us that much. Jesus being born as a man is fantastic, but that it is not all the story; He also came, knowing that He would be crucified on a cruel cross as a sacrifice for the sins of man. But neither is that the end of the story; as our Savior, He was raised from the dead. So, as we celebrate Christmas, let us be reminded that it was for us that He was born as a man, that He gave His life for us, and that He was raised from the dead. Our Savior has come and our salvation is complete-that’s what it’s all about.
Luke 2:13-14 “And suddenly there appeared with the angel  a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated means, ‘God with us.’”
Blessings,
Buddy
 
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A  TRUE  KNOWLEDGE

12/23/2021

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December 23, 2021                                 A  TRUE  KNOWLEDGE
Colossians 2:2-3 “that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
Chapter 2 of Colossians tells us that there was a mystery which was hidden from past generations, but was manifested to the saints (ones who accepted Jesus as Savior) at the birth of Jesus; and the mystery is “Christ in you (us), the hope of glory.”  The writers of the Old Testament and the prophets, knew that God had a plan of redemption, but they did not fully understand what the plan was. Much of what we read in the Old Testament points to, or foreshadows Jesus. The awesome news for us is that the mystery has been revealed, and the mystery is that Christ lives in us! Christ fulfilled the requirements of the Law; He dealt with the sin issue and has restored us to fellowship with Himself. Now that the mystery has been revealed, there is more to take place in us. Paul was ‘admonishing,’ ‘proclaiming,’ ‘laboring,’ and ‘striving’ in the power of God that believers may be complete in Christ. In Galatians 4:19 Paul we see the heart of Paul when He said “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.” The mystery being revealed is not the end of the story; now we are to be being formed into His image, and to find our completeness in Him. If we are searching for wisdom, knowledge, and life to the fullest, we need to search no longer, because all wisdom, knowledge, and life to the fullest are found only in Christ-and He is in us! It was Paul’s prayer for all believers that they would attain to all the wealth that comes from understanding that Christ Himself is in us. Christ in us is the hope of glory. For us, the mystery has been revealed; now we are to be about learning Christ and discovering what all it means that He is living in us and that He IS our life. There is a striving, a seeking, a laboring for the people of God; that He might be formed in us-and that calls for us to die to ourselves. The striving, the seeking, and the laboring is a good striving, seeking and laboring-it leads to life. Only by discovering that Christ lives in us, will we be fulfilled.
Colossians 2:5-7 “For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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CONTINUING  IN  THE  FAITH

12/21/2021

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December 21, 2021                                   CONTINUING  IN  THE  FAITH
Colossians 1:21-23 “And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”
Only because of the grace of God and by His doings can we know Him; we were dead in our trespasses and sins but have now been made a live. Ephesians 2:1-5. We may not think of it this way, but we have been resurrected-we were dead-and have been made alive in our spirit, and raised up with Christ. Ephesians 2:6. God has indeed done awesome and mighty things on our behalf because He loves us and has been gracious to us. However, there is a truth we must not overlook as we consider all that He has done for us. Note the words in verse three above; ‘if indeed you continue in the faith.’ We must understand that in order for us to walk in, and to experience all that God has for us, there is a part for us to play. Our part is ‘to continue in the faith.’ We are to keep on growing in the faith; to keep on seeking Him first; to keep on hearing and obeying what He says; to keep on being a part of the body of Christ; to keep on studying His word and praying; and to keep on fulfilling the one-another commands we find in the scriptures. As we walk in His ways, as we continue in the faith and are firmly established in the hope of the gospel, we stand before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach. That is the good news of the gospel. I am not suggesting that we are sinless, but I am saying that we can walk in His ways, and we can say no to sin. To sin is not to walk in His ways; yet, if and when we sin and we confess our sin and turn from it, our confessing and turning from our sin is a part of walking in His ways. No matter the circumstances, we are to remain steadfast in the hope of the gospel; the gospel is the only sure hope for mankind. The gospel is God’s message to all; it’s a message of forgiveness; of love; of purpose; of our new identity in the Him; and a message of how to live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord and how to live in the light. Let us be fervent in our continuing in the faith, knowing that we will be rewarded and that we will stand before Him holy, blameless, and beyond reproach.
Colossians 2:6-8 “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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PRESSING  ON

12/19/2021

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December 19, 2021                                    PRESSING  ON
Philippians 3:12-14 “Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold if it yet; but one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
There is more. We have not arrived. The calling of God is continual; it is a lifetime of increasing in the knowledge of Him. If we are not pressing on in our spiritual journey, we will find ourselves living on a spiritually plateau, or perhaps on a deep downward slope. The passage above serves as a warning to us not to become spiritually lazy. God called each of us for a purpose and just as Paul did, we must “lay hold for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” Each of us have a specific call from God that is just for us; but all believers are called to certain things. As believers, we are called to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18. One primary way to grow in our knowledge of Him is to read and study His word because He reveals Himself through His word. We may listen to  good sermons-we let the ‘preacher’ study for us-and listen to good worship songs, and may read good daily devotions, BUT these are no substitute for personally reading and studying His word. Our motivation for reading His word should not be out of feeling obligated to do so, but rather to discover just how awesome God is-His word gives life. Our purpose in reading His word is not just to gain knowledge for the sake of knowledge; our purpose is to increase in our knowledge of Him and to know Him personally. There is one important truth that we must not overlook as we read His word; obeying and acting on His word is essential if we are to grow in Him; knowledge alone does not change us. Pressing on in the calling of God means that we keep at it even when things are difficult; it means we do not give up; it means refusing to live according to our flesh; and it means we are not distracted from our pursuit of knowing God more fully. To press on, we must forget what lies behind. All too often, remembering failures and mistakes of the past becomes a stumbling block for moving forward. Even being focused on our past successes and our ‘mountain top experiences’ with the Lord can get us off track from pressing on. Pressing on also means that we must be reaching forward to what lies ahead. The past is the past; God is current, and His plans and His purposes are moving forward, AND He invites us to be a part of what He is doing. God has a purpose for each of us, and it is our part to keep pressing on in our pursuit to ‘lay hold’ of what God has for us. When we are pursuing Him and His ways, it will be evident in the life we live. There are rewards for those who press on in the things of the Lord. Paul said that he was pressing on “toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. We have but one life to live; let us be men and woman who are pressing on in seeking all that God has for us.
Colossians 1:9b-10 “that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
Blessings,
Buddy
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IN  HIM

12/17/2021

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December 17, 2021                                        IN  HIM
Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,”
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
In the first chapter of Ephesians, you find the words “in Him” numerous times, and in the New Testament you find 130 references to ‘in Him,’ or ‘with Him,’ and ‘by Him.’ Someone has said that ‘in Him’ “Is the whole of the Christian life. Jesus Christ His person, His work, and our union with Him.” To live the Christian life as described in the scriptures and to be able to relate to God personally can only be done because we are in Him. The idea of being in Him is not just for theological discussion; being in Him has both spiritual and practical implications. We tend to think in terms of the natural; the physical world; instead of seeing ourselves as being a body with as spirit, we should see ourselves as a spirit who has a body. This physical body of ours will pass away, but the spirit will not. Paul made an interesting comment when he said that he no longer regarded anyone according to the flesh. 2 Corinthians 5:16. In 2 Corinthians 4:18 we are reminded that what is seen is temporal, but what is unseen is eternal. Even though we do not fully understand it, we must focus on the spiritual; in particular, that our spirit has been made alive, making us ‘spiritual beings’ who have been joined to God and who will never die. The fact is that we are now in Christ, and Christ is in us! In Ephesians 1:18 Paul prayed that the eyes of our heart would be opened to see all that God has for those who love Him. We can now relate to God spirit to Spirit. We can know what the Spirit is saying to us; we can know God’s thoughts toward us; we can know how God would have us respond in any situation; and we can know the joy of the Lord. Being in Him has practical implications as well. In Ephesians 2:6 we are told that God has raised us up and seated us with Him in heavenly places. Being seated with Him in heavenly places enables us to live life here on earth according to His kingdom. In other words, we can get our marching orders and our instructions for living life on planet earth from our position of being seated with Him in heavenly places. What is more awesome than that! For example, I may not in the natural want to help a neighbor who has a need; but as I communicate with God spiritually, I will know what response I am to have toward my neighbor. We are to let the Spirit rule instead of letting the natural rule.  Let us not live out according to the ways of man, but let us live out of our position of being in Him; because we are in Him, we have not only the knowledge of how we are to live; we also have the power to live in perfect harmony with our Father.
1 Corinthians 1:13-14 “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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AS  HE  IS,  SO  ALSO  ARE  WE

12/15/2021

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December 15, 2021                                 AS  HE  IS,  SO  ALSO  ARE WE
1 John 4:16-19: “And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgement; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love cast our fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.”
The greatest discovery we could ever make, the greatest insight that we could ever gain, the greatest power we could ever know is the love of God! The overriding theme in the scriptures- the main deal- the big idea, is that God is a God of love. (Don’t confuse what the world calls love with the love of God).  In the verse above, Paul said that “we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us.” God demonstrated His love and this demonstration of love turned the world upside down. When we come to know the love God has for us, our world is turned upside down as well-everything changes. It may sound so simple, but it is awesome to know that when one abides in love, he abides in God, AND God abides in him! Can we get the truth in our hearts and minds that GOD dwells in us? One day God will judge the world and the judgement will be based on the rejection of Jesus and the judgement will be sudden and it will be fierce. However, those who are abiding in the love of God, who have been redeemed, will have confidence in that day and will not have fear. The love that God has is a perfect love, and in love, there is no fear. Because God is sovereign, because God is all powerful, and because this same God is our Father who loves us, we have nothing to fear. We can trust that whatever God allows to touch our lives, it is for our good. Our God is the one who provides and protects. When one is fearful, he is “not perfected in love.” God’s love is a giving love and when we abide in His love, we also become givers, and in this way we are like Him in this world! We cannot encounter His love and remain unchanged.
We live in a world that does not know the love of God, and as a result, the focus is on self-preservation and “getting all you can” and in such an environment, fear and mistrust are common place. The kingdom of God has invaded the kingdom of this world and God’s kingdom stands in stark contrast to the kingdom of this world. In the kingdom of God, there is no fear; and in this kingdom, giving and trust and love prevail. In His kingdom we find joy, peace, purpose, rest, wisdom, hope, faith and love. The two kingdoms cannot be blended together-there are two, and only two distinct kingdoms. Those that have come to know God are most blessed to live in His kingdom, even while living here on earth. As we experience life in His kingdom, we can clearly see the conflict, the insecurity, the mistrust, and the fear that is so prevalent in the world. It is not our place to judge the world, or those in the world, (that’s God’s business) but it is our place to be light in the darkness. We must remember that if we have come to know the love of God, then we will be conduits of His love, and “as He is, so also are we in this world.”
We have the privilege of being a part of a revolution-a revolution of love. Join the revolution today-find ways to boldly express the love of God and be as He is.
 
1 John 4:7-8: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
 
Blessings,
 
Buddy
 
 
 
 
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SINGING  IN  THE  STORM

12/13/2021

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December 13, 2021                                 SINGING  IN  STORM
Acts 16:23-25 “And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;”
Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”
We have no problem singing hymns of praise when we are on a spiritual mountain top; but what about when we are suffering and experiencing great difficulties. Obviously, Paul and Silas had something within them that enabled them rejoice in the worst of circumstances. I doubt that Paul and Silas were joking and laughing after being beaten and being put in stocks; but they were praying and singing praises to God. What was it that caused, or enabled them to respond to their trials in the way they did, and what can we learn from them? I’m not sure I can answer that question completely; what little suffering I have endured does not nearly compare to the sufferings of Paul and Silas, and many other believers of their day. I do know that to sing hymns of praise to God in the storms of life calls for something that we do not possess in our flesh; it calls for an awareness of the presence of God even in our darkness moments. Singing praises in the trial flows out of a living, on-going relationship with God; it comes out of experiencing the work of God in the past and knowing first-hand His faithfulness. As we come to know and experience God, we know that whatever He allows to come our way, He has a purpose in it, and we have His promise that He will be with us in the trial. We do not start out as mature believers, we must grow in in the faith and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As we mature, we gain the assurance that He is always with us and that He uses all things for good. Our rejoicing and singing praises is not always based on feelings; sometimes it is a choice; we choose to because we know our God. There are times when we grieve and mourn, but even in such times we do so with an underlying assurance that our God is good, and that He is sufficient. 1 Thessalonians 4:13b tells us as believers, that we “may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” Let us pray sing praises to God not only when things are great, but let us also pray and sing our praises to God when trials and difficulties come; we can do so because we know that our God is good, He loves us, He is faithful, and He uses all things for our good. Suffering and experiencing trials is no fun-but our God is greater than whatever we face. Instead of complaining about the storm, start singing praises to God.
James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.”
Romans 5:3-4 “Not only that, but we rejoice in our suffering, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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