Pastor's Comments May 4, 2012

Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him . . . but David encouraged himself in the LORD.

Realizing the many, many problems that are affecting God’s people today, while living a day-to-day existence with barely enough income to survive, along with personal health problems, family, and close relatives, it becomes easy to become discouraged and disheartened when healing or deliverance does not take place right away

Of added concern is realizing our homes and daily lives are soon to be disrupted far more than they are now with some really hard times facing everyone – including God’s Church!

Terrible problems that will be brought about by the many unsolvable destructive problems confronting the House of Joseph that will soon bring about their demise as nations!

There are many thousands of people, perhaps millions, who are very frightened seeing all that is going on in the House of Joseph! They know this civilization is standing on the brink of collapse; and they know not what to do.

God inspired His prophet Habakkuk to write of our time now while making known the breakdown of our cities and society— and the causes:

Habakkuk 1:2-4 “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to you VIOLENCE!” And you will not save. Why do you show me iniquity (lawlessness, crime, open and unabashed sex sins, the murder of the unborn), and cause me to see trouble? For PLUNDERING and VIOLENCE are before me (robberies and killings); there is STRIFE, and CONTENTION arises (rebellion in society). Therefore THE LAW IS POWERLESS, and JUSTICE (righteous, based on God’s law) never goes forth. For the WICKED SURROUND the righteous (unafraid and open); therefore PERVERSE JUDGMENT proceeds.”

We read about all this in our daily Newspapers and view it on television from the News Channels. And this is of great concern to most people. They are very concerned, worried, depressed, and do not know what to do about these terrible problems or where to go to get away from them.

Troubles of one kind or another are not new to anyone, older people, the young, wealthy, or the poor! For as Job said:

Job 14:1-2 “Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of troubles. He comes forth like a flower; he flees like a shadow and does not continue.”

Because God does not always deliver us immediately from our problems, it isn’t as if God is not hearing us, but there is a need of realizing we are His children and because we are, He sees the need of our developing more in godly character, the need of spiritual growth in faith and trust in Him regardless of the circumstances.

Each one has to prove his or her self before we can be accepted by God in His coming Kingdom. This is why God permits problems to develop in our lives – they serve His purpose:

James 1:2-3 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the TESTING of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

There are the times when they are overwhelming, several of them coming all at one time. Scripture makes known this would take place in our lives from time to time:

Psalm 34:19 “Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the LORD delivers him out of them all.”

The blessing is that Christ has promised to deliver us from all of them; not always immediately, but at the time Christ sees it is best for each of us, and our need of spiritual growth.

Remember—God is always thinking about each of us— all the time—He never forgets us:

Psalm 139:17-18 “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with you.”

Indeed, there are some very hard times ahead of each of us before the time God chooses to have His Church flee!

With crime out of control, a very unstable economy, living expenses going up along with the cost of food, with little money to try and make ends meet, I suppose most, if not all of you, are struggling with discouragement because of these and other problems that sometimes comes to be of such great magnitude that we could compare ourselves to Israel at the Red Sea – boxed in and no way out!

Satan knows he has but a short time to try and destroy us and he will come at us in any way he can to accomplish his destructive objectives just as he did with Job’s family and his possessions (Revelation 12:12; Job 1:13-19).

Satan does NOT want us to observe God’s Holy Days for they are reminders of His Master Plan of Salvation. And Satan will do anything he can to discourage us from obeying God for they continue to REMIND us of God’s wonderful purpose that He is working out in our lives.

During my personal times of discouragement over the many years, of which there have been many, many, times I have turned to the Book of Psalms for solace and comfort as well as encouragement, and found it.

I have also gone back in Scripture and reviewed how many years ago God worked with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Once again this was encouraging to be reminded of the relationship between God and these men that belonged to Him.

To read about their life stories can be very encouraging for we realize our problems are usually of our own making just as they were of these three great men. I am confident they felt just as we do that God won’t hear us because of our often making the wrong decisions that led us into our overwhelming problems.

And we feel very down and out because we did, and as the result feel we are not worthy for God to intervene and deliver us from what we are experiencing due to going contrary to what Jesus Christ has said in His teachings. We feel sad, dejected, and discouraged, knowing we are worthy for whatever punishment that may come upon us due to our human failures.

While reading about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we see where they made some wrong decisions that were contrary to God’s laws. We then can take heart in the fact God did not reject them because of what they did; nor will He us. Though we do not always read of their repentance, as we can about David, we can be sure they did because of their continued ongoing relationship with Him.

Brethren, please read, think and meditate, on those Scriptures as well as many others we can all turn to and know God is working out His purpose in our lives, just as He was working out His purpose in their lives, preparing all of us to work with others in the world to come.

By what we experience in our own lives and finding God’s deliverance can go a long way in our encouraging and helping others now and later.

I well realize that sometimes God does not always deliver us in the way we expect, or the way we hope for, but we can take real comfort in the fact that God is still with us, and know that all things will WORK TOGETHER for our good if we just keep our relationship alive with Him and continue to seek His will whatever it might be for us (Romans 8:28).

Jesus Christ has promised never to leave nor forsake us (Matthew 28:20). And he will not – just as He did not with these three great men in past ages.

The same can be said about David who made many mistakes in judgment – yet God makes known he will be king over all Israel in the world soon to come. David repented when he found he was wrong and God forgave him – even from some very bad sins!

Take heart, my brothers and sisters, if God be for us, and He is, who can be against us (Romans 8:31). Cling to God just as did Jacob when he wrestled with Christ and would not let go until God blessed him (Genesis 32:26). And He did!

You might also read about Jacob’s repentant prayer to God when he knew his life and the lives of his family were in grave jeopardy from his brother Esau (Genesis 32:9-12). And God heard and delivered him.

A final Scripture written by David to seriously ponder for it makes known the need of waiting patiently on God for His deliverance for it will always come in God’s perfect time. The time that is best for each of us and will make possible our being counted worthy to stand before His glorious presence when He soon returns to this earth:

Psalm 127:13-14 “I would have lost heart unless I had BELIEVED that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait (continue walking in faith) on the LORD; be of good courage. And He shall STRENGTHEN your heart; WAIT, I say, on the LORD.”

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