Good morning to all who are joining us here in the J and L Ministries room here on Paltalk. We're on part two of a series that we started last week called "The Seeds We Sow." What we say or don't say has consequences. Those words can either bless or curse. I choose blessing, how about you? We read last week in the book of James that no man can tame the tongue. No one can make you talk right. Except you. Does everyone want to speak in the manner that's pleasing to God? Well my friends, the first step is you wanting to. If you say that you don't want to, or you don't care, then your tongue will never be tamed. And church, it will cost you. I'm speaking in faith, because I believe the words I say, that some of you will be enlightened during this series. I'm believing some of you who may be struggling with words you use will desire to change the way you talk. I believe that there will be those who will find grace and strength and watch their mouth and change their words. Last week, we looked at words spoken being seeds that can sow good fruit or bad fruit. During that message we looked at many verses in the book of James chapter 3 on how our little member (the tongue) can be such a dangerous thing. This week as we continue, I want to look at positive things our tongues say. Amen? We read two verses last week that I want to look at again. Proverbs 18:21 KJV Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. James 3:2 KJV For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. This week I want to look at the positive words we need to speak and starting from these two verses. I want everyone to think back in this past week and think back to positive words that you may have spoken to a co-worker, fellow student, maybe a family member, someone at church, or maybe a neighbor. Remember the phrase I mentioned last week? "If you say so?" Anyone remember? If you say so, it is so. Brethren, we need to watch what comes out of our mouths. When we do this it will absolutely change our lives. This isn't my idea, but we can find it in scripture after scripture after scripture and that's what we'll do in the next few weeks. Praise God. What should come out of our mouths? Blessings. Not blessings and cursing. Church, you may be hearing other things, feeling other things, you may be experiencing unpleasant things, but we should never speak those things. Does anyone remember what it means when we speak blessings over someone, or say God bless you? Anyone? It doesn’t have to be word for word as I know it's a mouthful. What it means is this: I bless you means I declare over you that God’s full intention that He has for your life would come into fullness. Amen? How many want God’s full intentions in your spouse’s life? How many want to speak God’s intentions that He has purposed for your children or grandchildren's lives? What about over your own life? It should be one of our greatest desires. When we learn these principles, we can speak to things that are not pleasant, or those things that are against God’s will and then expect and watch things change. Faith and works, Amen? John 10:10 The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. Brothers and sisters, what you and I need to get a firm understanding of is that the devil is the tempter. He'll bait you and do all he can to lure you in. Satan is about darkness and death, and guess what he wants you to speak? Darkness, death and curses, and when we fall for that he earns the right to enter in. Church, there are spiritual forces going on all around us who are saved. The enemy wants so badly to get into our lives. Ephesians 4:27 KJV Neither give place to the devil. Did we catch this, friends? Actually, let's look more at that passage starting with verse 17. Ephesians 4:17-27 KJV This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, (18) Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: (19) Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. (20) But ye have not so learned Christ; (21) If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: (22) That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; (23) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; (24) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (25) Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. (26) Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: (27) Neither give place to the devil. Something I don't think a lot of believers understand is this. The devil needs you to say negative things to gain access. Does everyone understand this? The same as God needs us to speak of uplifting and edifying words. "I am a conqueror. The Greater One lives in me." "Brother Jim, you're saying that God needs me to say those things?" Yes, so that He can do things in your life. To give you full access in your life to do it. Glory to God! He needs you to say, "I'm the righteousness of Christ." For those who are suffering from medical issues, He needs you to say, "By His stripes I am healed." Then He can do those things. Church, are we getting this? All around us in the world, we hear about death. The world talks about death and darkness. Brethren, we being in Christ are about eternal life. We're from another family. Praise Jesus! That's what we need to be speaking. We talk life only. We talk blessings only. My brothers and sisters in Christ, I hope from this day forward when people come griping about this and that they'll be wasting their time around you, because you won't even know that language. That you my friends will and can change the topic to positive. That you can start telling them of the goodness of God. That you start telling them how powerful and great He is and that there's nothing too hard for Him. You tell those who bring this negativity on that God's the one who directs your path and your life's getting brighter and brighter. Glory to God! What I want to try to encourage everyone to do when you're going through storms in your life or a family member is to speak differently. We need to be aware of the things we say. Church, what we need to realize is there's power in our words. We have the power in our words to bless or curse. Power in our words. Better yet, there's power in the name of Jesus. I think many forget this when they go through storms, and I have my hand raised also, as there are times I jump and act on my own when I might be struggling with an issue. I, as I hope all of you are, am a child of God. I learn from His word. I read and I study what His word says for my life, my family’s lives and for you who come to our house, join in live via Paltalk, phone, or for those who read or watch this on the many sites they're posted. Take the Gospel to the world is what Jesus commanded us to do in Mark 16:15. That's what I try to do each week and also for those I meet throughout the week. Let’s look at some of the verses discussing Jesus' name and the power in His name. Friends, there's only one Jesus that stands as a mediator between the Father God and humanity. There's only one Jesus who died on the cross and rose victoriously who said all power in heaven and in earth now belongs to Me. There have been messages that I've done where I've asked you to write them down and post them in places you'll see and be able to speak them out. I hope that you've been doing that. When you and I use the name of Jesus in faith, it means knowing WHO it is that stands behind that name, knowing the wealth and the power that is invested in that name. Amen? This is one of the greatest weapons that you and I have in our arsenal to use against the enemy. Let’s turn to Philippians 2:9-11. Philippians 2:9-11 KJV Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Praise God!! Friends, the enemy's going to try so many ways to throw you off the path that God has chosen for you. There have been many times that I knew that I knew, I was supposed to ask someone if I could pray with them. It's one thing to pray for someone in your own prayer closet. What I mean is in a place where you're alone, or with your spouse or a close friend, but to pray with someone you barely know? That takes leaning on God’s strength. Don’t allow Satan to make you think, "I tried this before brother Jim, it just doesn’t work for me." This is not a trick, this is the Word of God. You've got to plant the Word inside your heart and mind and not move off of it. Get this! No matter what you see or hear or feel. Church, for this reason I asked you to memorize verses. God tells us in His word, that every word is true and every man (who denies it) is a liar. God's trying to work some miracles out in your life and Satan's trying to block it. But you can be victorious by using the name of Jesus and having faith and confidence in His name and His Word. You can trust God’s Word. Amen? We can speak blessings and cursing. How often I see or hear brothers and sisters in Christ who seem to be full of joy one day and just the opposite the next. Want to know a big reason why? They bless one day and curse the next. What did James say about this man? He's double minded. Church, we're to only speak life. Will you be tempted to speak differently? Oh yes you will. There will be times you'll want to put your hand over your mouth and say, "Shut up." Why does this happen if you're following Christ? Because spiritual forces are at work. The enemy will do all he can to get those ungodly words out of your mouth. It's very important that we go to the Word of God, the Bible, for ALL our priorities in life. And all of our understanding about who Jesus is, what the Gospel is, how a person becomes reconciled with God, how a person gets to heaven, how we should live as Christians, what the Church is, how the Church should function. Who should lead in the body of Christ, what's our calling in society on this earth, what should our message be to the world? If I was to ask everyone, what has God called you to do? You don’t have to answer out loud for those listening live, but do you have an answer from God? Do you know what your gifts are? I'm not trying to attack anyone, but these are things that we should know. We find these things as we spend time in His Word, in prayer and when we're in obedience. He has a perfect plan for each of us. The first night, I should say in the wee hours of the morning, when I came home a couple years ago after bringing Leanna to the ER, I spent an hour crying out to God on the drive home after hearing one symptom after another that the doctors discussed could be wrong with my wife. We went because of a sore on her ankle. In that prayer, I asked God "Why, Lord? I know that You blessed us with this part of J and L Ministries. Why these symptoms? I can’t do this ministry on my own. You blessed me with her and because of her, I have a purpose in my life now. Because of her and what You've done through the both of us, why take her away?" Church, I was hurting and when I was almost home, I realized what was going on. We had gotten to a higher place with God. We were studying things that I guarantee the enemy didn’t want us to learn about. In many ways we were coming to a higher level with God. Then, 4 days later, my dad passed away. In fact the same day I brought Leanna home from the hospital. Again I went through stuff, and again I had many hours of traveling and much alone time during that week. Because of that alone time and in prayer, I wrote a salvation message to read at my dad’s funeral. Praise God. I know I've gone totally off what I thought I was supposed to teach on today, but there must be something that someone needed to hear. If that was you, I'd like to hear after this service. If you're reading this and it spoke to your heart, please drop me a message. Back to words being seed. If everyone can please turn to Matthew 12:32. Whatever's in your heart will eventually come out of your mouth. Matthew 12:33-37 KJV Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. (34) O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (35) A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. (36) But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. (37) For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Good things as well as bad things come into being, why? Because of the words we speak. Let’s turn to Matthew 15:10-20. I want us to see what Jesus says in this parable. Matthew 15:10-20 KJV And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: (11) Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. (12) Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? (13) But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. (14) Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. (15) Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. (16) And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? (17) Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? (18) But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. (19) For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: (20) These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. These words from Jesus are to the bad or evil treasure in our hearts that comes out as negative and perverse speech. We've seen in other studies that all through the entire Bible we're given very explicit and detailed instructions about speaking right words. Does what we say matter? Proverbs 18:20-21 KJV A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. My friends, I've met great people, Christian men and women who work hard. Some even work all the overtime they can, yet the struggle. Why? I believe much has to do with their words. The words that come out of their mouth is unbelief. "Well, I guess I'll work as long as I can. It won't be too much longer and this mill will close." If you say so. If you say it won't be much longer it won't be much longer. Then you have this. "Well brother Jim, I just don't know how I'm going to make it another year. I work all the hours I can and the IRS takes so much money and I am tired and just feel like giving up." And church, to the world this sounds natural. And worse than that, most Christians are right there with this same bunch. I know, I was right there too. This is speaking absolute death. What did we read in verse 22? A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Someone say glory to God! Death and life are in the power of the tongue: (Is that true church? Does it matter what we say? How much does it matter?) and they who love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Friends, you'll find those who will say we don't have to worry about these kinds of verses. I disagree. I said I disagree, and why I disagree is Jesus, who is the Word of God has it there for a reason. Man's dumb religion and traditions say that we don't have to take this verse seriously. This is going to get someone upset, but hear me out. There are those who will say, "Well I just believe. I have the right to my beliefs." No you don't. Nor do I. If you are a Christian...f you're a believer, you're supposed to believe what God tells you to believe. There are folks who'll have a problem with me saying this, but their problem is with the Bible. I'm showing biblical truths here. Thank you Jesus. My dear friends, when the Bible shows you something different than that of what we've been taught, it's time to change. That is the renewing of the mind. And church, we're responsible for what we learn from this Holy book. We're to be witnesses to the world. If we're cursing others, and I don’t mean just swearing, but saying hateful things that down others, is that being a good witness? If others are around us hearing us constantly speaking negative things about others, are they going to be learning the ways of God? I think not. Let's turn to a verse we've looked at before. Proverbs 4: 20-24. Proverbs 4:18-27 KJV But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. 19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. 20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. 25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. 26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. Powerful words here. Friends, I think the message God's trying to get across to us today is this. We need to be careful with our words. I remember a saying that my mom used to say to my brother, sister and I and I am sure most of you have heard it too. "If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it." Amen? Do we want to say things that are going to harm people and then come back to harm us? Think about that for a moment. Remember, there's power in our words. We can curse or bless with what we say. Including ourselves. Romans 12:2 tells us to be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may PROVE what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Once you prove God’s word to be true to yourself, the gates of hell will not be able to prevail against it. You'll know that you know that it's the truth and no one will be able to steal it from you if you continually guard your heart. Friends in closing, most of you know I don’t usually get into healing messages and had no intentions, but that's where I felt led to go in the final part of this message. There's a reason, and I trust the Holy Spirit to minister this morning. Whether for Leanna’s or my sake, or someone else going through stuff, speak against it in Jesus' name. Sickness is not of God, but from the devil himself. Yes, there will be those who go against me on this and those who'll claim that Jesus only healed while He walked on earth, but I ask you my friends. Can you show me scriptures showing that Jesus didn't heal anyone who came asking to be healed? You won't find it. The Bible shows me that all who came to Jesus were healed. And what did He say to His disciples? "These things and more will you do." Praise Jesus! He's the same yesterday, today and forever. My Bible also says that He's not a respecter of persons. So, if Jesus healed everyone that came to Him, then He'll do it for you and He'll do it for me. If He won't do it for you, or for me, then He is a respecter of persons, or He has changed. Neither of these things can be so. Contrary to popular belief, it wasn't God who made Job sick, it was the devil. Sickness does not come from God, it comes from the devil! In Acts 10:38 it says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all WHO WERE OPPRESSED BY THE DEVIL.” This scripture tells us that every person that Jesus healed was made sick by the devil. Not one time during His earthly ministry did Jesus ever tell a sick person that it was not His will to heal them. We can’t even find one scripture that says it was God who made them sick. From Genesis to Revelation the Word of God is clear, sickness does not come from God, it comes from the devil. In Acts 10:38 sickness is called “oppression of the devil”. In Job 42:10 it's called “captivity”. Psalm 41:8 calls sickness an “evil disease”. In Psalm 107:20, sickness is called “destruction”. And we know that Satan is the one who kills, steals and DESTROYS, not God. Lastly, in Luke 13:16 Jesus calls it “bondage from Satan”. One of the main tactics of the enemy is to get God’s people to believe that it's God’s will for them to be sick; that God is somehow using their sickness to teach them something. However, nothing could be further from the truth! In the light of all the scriptures that I've just quoted, I’d like you to now consider 1 John 3:8. 1 John 3:8 KJV He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. The latter part of that verse says, “For this purpose was the Son of God manifested; that He might destroy the works of the devil.” Jesus didn't come to USE the works of the devil, He came to destroy them! God will never teach us by using something that Jesus died to redeem us from! This verse says that Jesus came to destroy the “works” (plural) of the devil. There's more than one work of the devil. Yes, sin is the work of the devil. But according to the scriptures, sickness is also the work of the devil. This is why Jesus spent so much time during His earthly ministry healing the sick. His purpose was to deliver people from the works of the devil! Referring to the woman that as hunched backed. Let's see where that came from. Luke 13:16 KJV And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? Another thing church that's important. Regardless of how you feel, act in faith as if you're healed, much like you did when you forced yourself to go to work even though you didn't feel so good. Only this time resist the symptoms of the sickness or disease knowing that without a doubt it's the devil that's seeking to devour you by bringing these symptoms upon you. Remember that these are only symptoms as yet and only false evidence appearing real unless you give in and accept them. Here's another clincher. Refuse to be double-minded by giving in and saying how bad you feel. Galatians 3:13 KJV Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: For those who aren't sure what the blessings and curses are, read the entire chapter of Deuteronomy 28. I want to leave you with two last scriptures. Proverbs 21:23 KJV Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. 1 John 5:18 KJV We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. With these two verses, should we not want to live our lives for God the best we can? When we totally surrender to Jesus, we can. Glory to God. Our friends, I believe that as we continue digging into God's truths and they're written on our hearts and we then act upon what we've learned, our lives will change. We thank all of you for joining us here in the J and L Ministries room. We do hope that you'll share these videos with your friends and family. If you haven't subscribed to the J and L Ministries page on u-tube, please do, as we'll be adding many videos of teachings that we do. Leanna and I love you and please study this verse through this week. Romans 15:4 KJV For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
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"The Seeds We Sow
Good morning friends and family and welcome to the J and L Ministries room here on Paltalk. I thank God for the opportunity to share messages through the internet with people from all over the world. I also thank Him for the awesome fellowship we can have after these messages are delivered. Today we're going to go in a different direction than we have been. Again, I think this will be a series, but a much needed word that we all must get. Are you glad to be saved? For those who are truly born again, there's nothing better than to live a Christian life. Glory to God! A true, born again Christian believer has joy. Even through the trials and temptations, you still have joy in your heart. A true follower of Christ is blessed and they are a blessing to others. Glory to God! Church are you listening? So praise God. Is everyone excited to hear from the word of God? Today’s message is “The Seeds We Sow." Now I know when some hear the word sowing they get antsy because they think the message is going to be on tithing. "Brother Jim is going to teach on tithing, why did I come this morning? He hardly ever brings up money issues." Even though I think it's very important that we tithe and that our tithes and offerings also need to be sown into good ground, and I will do a message on that when I feel led to, but this isn’t a message on God’s money. No my friends, this message has to do with a different type of sowing, and through this message we'll look at how we spend our time…what we say and what we do, what our reaction is to people when they wrong us. Here's one that some don’t like me to discuss, but it's important... sharing our faith with others. This topic about sharing the good news of Jesus with non-believers seems to be the least thing on many people’s agenda, yet Jesus our Savior told us to share the Gospel with the world. Amen? I love to talk about my faith. I love sharing the love of Christ with others. I get all teary eyed hearing testimony of how God worked in people's lives. To hear how people were delivered from things that you know that you know only God could have done. These are a few of the things we'll look at today. Is everyone excited? I said is everyone excited to hear from the Word of God this morning? Praise the Lord. God is so good. God's love never fails. His word never fails. His perfect will is always perfect for you and me. Amen? Prayer. I've shared before that Leanna and I have either the dramatized version of the King James Bible or sermons from different preachers playing each night when we go to bed. They play all night either on a CD or on an MP3. I've encouraged many to do the same. Recently we listened to a series that we haven’t heard for a bit and we both wanted to refresh our minds. Some of you may have heard it, maybe even read some of this man’s books. The series is called The Power of Blessing by Kerry Kirkwood. If you could turn in your Bibles to 1st Peter 3:8-10. Brothers and sisters in Christ, Leanna will be posting the scriptures as we go through today's message, but please friends, mark these verses down and study them for yourselves. For those who have Bibles of your own with you, follow along. Let your eyes see these words for yourself. It shows respect to the Lord and I believe that it gets into you better and feeds the spirit within you. That, and also to make sure I'm teaching you right. Lately I have those who say some really twisted stuff and they claim it comes from the Bible, and something you and I both need to start doing is when these things happen to ask, "Where's the scripture?" I know that there will be a time very soon that what I'll be sharing in another teaching, I'll have scriptures to prove the message and when the doubt comes, I'll have to ask those who attack to show me scriptures to show me otherwise. Amen someone? There's power in these words when we truly grasp the meaning and act on it. I mentioned last week, or maybe the week before, but when Leanna and I are asked from anyone how we are, we say we're blessed. Many times I'll say "I'm blessed and highly favored." Praise the Lord. There's power in those words. I did a message a while back on the importance of what we say or don’t say. We discussed the power of our words. Friends, we need to get this. 1 Peter 3:8-10 KJV Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: James 3:8-10 KJV But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Pro 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Church, when we speak blessings out, we're declaring a prophetic message. Kerry, in this message, says when we speak blessings over someone we're saying, “May the Lord Grant you all of His intentions that He has purposed for you.” Is this awesome or what? This little phrase has all this inside when we speak it out. I bless you means I declare over you that God’s full intention that He has for your life would come into fullness. Amen? I would really urge everyone to get this CD set or the book. If you'd like to read the first chapter, here's a link. Enjoy. http://files.destinyimage.com/PowerofBlessing_freechap.pdf We started by reading these verses on the power of our tongue. We see that we can sow good seed or rotten seed. I wonder how many listening to this or who may reading or watching this video later have had good or bad seed sown into their lives? "Brother Jim, you act like words are a vegetable." I hope by the time we're done with this message, those who doubt will have a new perspective on the words they use towards others and the words we use about ourselves. How many times have we been to a store and we see a parent speaking ill words towards a child? Here in Maine it's a common occurrence. Why? I think a lot has to do with Maine’s poor economy. Maine is the second poorest state in America, and the county we live in is the poorest county within the state of Maine. I think maybe because to survive here, many have to work multiple jobs. Winters can be harsh and expensive to heat our homes during the winter. Many of the old-timers didn’t have a great education. Whatever the case, I see verbal abuse often. I'm not saying that we shouldn’t correct our children and grandchildren, but we need to be careful of the words we use. If everyone can turn to the book of James. I want to focus on verses in chapter 3 and starting with verse 1. Many of you know that I use this verse often. James 3:1 KJV My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. James 3:1 ASV Be not many of you teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive heavier judgment. Who wants to lead this service today now? Teaching was a highly valued and respected profession in Jewish culture, and many Jews who embraced Christianity wanted to become teachers. I've shared in many messages that when Leanna and I knew it was time for us to leave a church that we helped start and we prayed where God would have us go to church, and after 2 months of hearing, “Right here and let Me guide you,” we finally did. This is one of the verses that kept going through my mind. James warned that although it's good to aspire to teach, the teacher’s responsibility is great because their words and examples affect others' spiritual lives. If you're in a teaching or leadership role, how are you affecting those you lead? I hope I'm doing okay in this area. My greatest passion in life is to sow seeds into the lives of those who are lost, not knowing Christ as their Savior and to teach those who have heard a watered down message for so long that might keep them from being a King’s kid. Amen? I've found especially in the last couple months that there are those who are so caught up on tradition. Everything has to be as what they learned in the church that they attended for the past few decades. Didn't Jesus rebuke those religious leaders for their persistence of keeping traditions? People get all caught up on what type of music should be played. Should we shake hands and greet one another before the service starts? This very thing causes division within a church. Do the men need to wear a 3 piece suit? Women have to wear a dresses to their ankles and they have to have uncut hair and their hair needs to be in a bun and if not, they're not welcomed into a church. "Look at that couple, they're wearing jeans. What a disgrace." Oh my friends, if this is you, get over yourselves. James 3:2-3 KJV For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. In the past few months I've had many tests. I've been in several situations where I almost let the flesh get the best of me. I've been in many positions where I really needed to bite my tongue and do that counting to 10 thing. Walking away, knowing that Satan was defeated, I did much praising to Jesus. Friends, what we say and what we don’t say are both important. Proper speech is not only saying the right words at the right time, but it's also controlling your desire to say what you shouldn’t. And just to go a bit further with this, what we type is the same as speaking these things out of our mouths. In the past 5 to 10 years, it seems that instead of using the little member that dangles under our nose to communicate, we tickle our keys on our computers or type on our cell phones. Those same words, spoken out-loud or typed, can either curse or bless others. When we look at these two verses in James, it speaks volumes, or should. A few examples of an untamed tongue, (ready for this?) include gossiping (many don’t realize this), putting others down (oops, did that talk to someone?), bragging (that's something that I've had to really work on at different times in my life), manipulating, false teachings, exaggerating (again, me), complaining (at times), flattering and lying. Before you speak, ask , “Is what I want to say true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?” How many did these two verses speak to? James 3:4 KJV Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. In Gill’s Commentary, he says this. "A small helm," as the apostle here does, and accounts for it how large ships should be moved and steered by it. And so, though the tongue is to the rest of the body as a small helm to a large ship, yet like that, it has great influence over the whole body, to check it when it's carrying away with the force of its appetites and passions; and so churches, societies, and bodies of Christians, which are large and numerous, and are like ships upon the ocean, tossed to and fro with tempests, driven by Satan's temptations and the world's persecution, and ready to be carried away with the wind of false doctrine, yet are influenced and directed aright by those who are at the helm, the faithful ministers of the word, who say to them, "This is the way, walk in it." Friends, this is speaking about us right now. We're in that age. James wrote this verse about 45 AD. And John Gill, who was a great theologian and pastor was born November 23, 1697 and died October 14, 1771. We see these things still being a problem in 2015. James 3:6 KJV And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. James compares the damage the tongue can do to a raging fire. Catch and understand this friends. The tongue’s wickedness has its source in hell itself. We just read that the uncontrolled tongue can do terrible damage. Satan uses the tongue to divide people and put them against one another. How many have seen this happen within the past 6 months? Idle and hateful words are damaging because they spread destruction quickly, and no one can stop the results once they're spoken. We dare not be careless with what we say, thinking we can apologize later, because even if we do, the scars remain. A few words spoken in anger can destroy a relationship that took years to build. Before you speak, remember that words are like fire and you can neither control nor reverse the damage they can do. Couples, do we hear this? Moms and dads, grandparents? Business men and women, did we hear this? Friends at school, did you hear this? Words can scar. Oh…church groups, praise and worship leaders, you were being spoken to also. No one is exempt here. It happens, but it shouldn’t. And then what does James say? James 3:8 KJV But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. What kinds of seeds does the tongue sow? No cunning, persuasion, or influence has ever been able to silence it. Nothing but the grace of God, excision (cutting it out), or death, can bring it under subjection. Someone might be thinking, "If no human being can control the tongue, why bother trying?" Even if we may not achieve perfect control of our tongues, we can still learn enough control to reduce the damage our words can do. It's better to fight a fire than go around setting new ones. Church, one thing we need to remember is that we're not fighting the tongue’s fire in our own strength. The Holy Spirit will give us increasing power to monitor and control what we say so that when we're offended, the Spirit will remind us of God’s love, and we won’t react in a hateful manner. When we're criticized, the Spirit will heal the hurt, and we won't lash out. Am I speaking to someone? My hand is raised. Let's look at a few more verses in James chapter 3. James 3:9-12 KJV Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. What should come out of our mouths? Blessings and cursing? Blessings is speaking good, encouraging words to uplift others. To bless has the power to cause success, to multiply and to prosper. What about cursing? Many think this has to do with 4 letter words that we know better than to say. No my friends, it goes much deeper than that. Cursing is the opposite of blessing. Instead of speaking increase, when you speak curses, you speak decrease. Instead of speaking success, you're speaking failure. Are we getting this brethren? Instead of speaking health, you're speaking sickness. And what did James say about cursing? "These things should not be." At times our words are right and pleasing to God. Some of us have memorized verses that please God, but then at other times our words are violent and destructive to others. Which of these two speech patterns reflects our true identity? The tongue gives us a picture of our basic human sin. God works to change us from the inside out. When the Holy Spirit purifies a heart, he gives us self-control so that the person will speak words that please God. We also should be speaking words that are kind to others, uplifting and edifying to others. In the series I mentioned, The Power of Blessing, you'll find some of these keys. Friends, as I've been preparing this message, I think we'll call this an introduction of this series "The Seeds We Sow. " There are so many things that I believe God wants us to look at, and in a week or two, I don't think we can even scratch the surface. Church, in closing, what you and I need to understand from today's message, and we will look more into this as we go, is we need to be careful of the things we speak. We're to speak blessing and...... blessing. Amen, friends? Should we speak cursing? So another words, we don't speak failure. We don't talk death. We don't talk doubt. We don't talk worry. Are you seeing this church? We don't talk fear. Church, we're all going to have what many call off-days. You know those days that it seems like the whole world comes against you? Days that distractions come and come? Days when everything you touch seems to break, or go wrong? What do we do about it? We can speak blessings, or we can curse. What will you do from this day on? Let's for a moment hear some of the things that people say that might be curses. "I'm so tired of being sick and tired." "Errr, that blankity-blank-blank." I heard a pastor a while back who kept using this phrase and I'll be using it a lot throughout this series, because it fits. For those who I fellowship with on other sites, you're going to hear this. "If you say so." "Oh, my head aches so bad I just want to die." "If you say so." "Every time I get ahead, something else breaks and has to be replaced." "If you say so." "Every time I get something paid off, something else come up." "If you say so." If you say so, it will be so. "I just feel like I'm in bondage all the time." "If you say so." My dear friends, I know there are ones that don't like what I am saying right now. There are ones who may be listening right now that this irritates you and the reason why it irritates you is because you don't get it. You're not refraining from cursing. You and I have to realize that this isn't about irritating, it's about being free. This is about realizing one of the most powerful things that God has put at our disposal. Glory to God! Friends, when you want to see your life change....Church get this. If you get anything today in your heart today, get this. If you want to see a life change, watch what comes out of your mouth. When you change from cursings to blessings you'll see your life change. Friends, this is not my words. As we continue in this series, I'll show you scripture after scripture after scripture. Praise God! Brothers and sisters, you may be feeling some things, you may be hearing some things. You might be right in the middle of things that aren't good. Oh church understand this. Don't speak those negative words. This is where spiritual discipline comes in. Yes, I have to be reminded too. Friends, as we look into this more next week I'm going to show you proof of what I'm referring to. Satan hates everything about you. Satan is the tempter and we learn from God's Word that he's the god (little g) of this world. Satan is about death and darkness. Now is anyone getting a revelation of where that negative speech comes from? He wants you to speak negative. Satan wants you to speak of things against your good health and your life, because when he gets you to do that, it allows him in. Satan comes so subtly. Just like the snake that he is. He can make things sound so good, so inviting, but there's always a catch. Something's always twisted and perverted, because the truth isn't in him. Church, I choose life. What about you? I choose speaking blessings over others and myself. What about you? Praise be to Jesus. We only started looking into the seeds we sow, and that was only in our speech. For parents hearing or reading this, children pick up on what we say and do. Oh, do I know this from our grandson Ashton. I've mentioned this before, but it's so worth saying again, as a parent or grandparent may pick up on this. Leanna and I took care of Ashton our 10 year old grandson most of his infant life because of his parent’s jobs, then separation, to divorce. Ashton had many health issues, his mom was dealing with cancer and they lived about 3 hours away, so it was easier for Leanna and I to have him live with us for the first few months of his life . We made a commitment to God saying that we'd bring him up as Godly as we could. He's heard God’s Word. He praises and worships God with us. He's memorized parts of the Bible. He asks questions about Jesus often. Even when he was 8 years old he witnessed as best as an 8 year old can to his friends. Is it important that we sow good seed into our youngster’s lives? Absolutely! If this had been going on in the majority of the families here in the US for the last couple of decades, we wouldn’t be hearing about all the violence, sexual crimes and all the things that are an abomination to God at the alarming rate that we hear of now. One thing I want to say today, and I hope everyone hearing this or reading this will think about all week long… sow the seed of love to everyone you meet. Thank you so much for allowing J and L Ministries into your homes. Please, share these teachings with family and friends. Let's do all we can to educate and remind others of the things of our Savior. Let me leave you each with this verse. Proverbs 4:22 KJV For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. We love you and look forward to sharing with you next time. May the Lord bless you. Good morning family. Thank God we can meet again this week. Thank God that we have the freedom to share our faith here in person and through the internet. It blesses my heart that I can do this, but I keep in my mind always that God gets the glory and that I am responsible for everything I teach.
Leanna and I want to welcome each of you to the J and L Ministries room here in Paltalk. We thank you for being here this morning and we also thank you our friends who watch these videos that we share on many Christian networks and also secular websites. Today, we'll be looking at part 3 of this series titled "Those Trials Will Come." For those who've been following along you know that the first week we looked at some of the things that Moses went through and compared it to what we might face in our life. Last week we looked at the passage found in Mark 4: 35-41 about Jesus rebuking the storm that He and His disciples were going through and again comparing those things with our lives and how Jesus spoke to the storms as we should. This week I want to look into some of the storms that King David went through and how he overcame some of them. You know... the man who God said was after His heart? Before we start, I want each of you to think back t9 a storm that you've gone through. Maybe you're still in it. How are you dealing with that trial that's come your way? Are you trying to deal with it in your own knowledge and understanding? Are you dealing with it in your own strength? Then I ask, "How is that working for you?" I used to be in that very same place. So as we go through these next few weeks, when these messages start start looking like there's a finger being pointed at you, know that much of what we are learning I had to go through myself. At times I'm still going through them. I had a friend share something a couple years ago that took me by complete surprise and hurt me at the same time. It didn't hurt me physically, but it was although I felt their pain, yet I couldn't fathom what was done, nor why. This person went on about how things had gotten so bad in her life, that to ease the pain, cutting was the solution. For those not familiar with what cutting is, it's where one will take a knife or razor blade and actually cut their flesh. Brethren, I've gone through some horrible things in my life, but I never thought of cutting my arm or any other part of my body to ease the pain. This isn’t to make fun of those who are reading this that have or still are doing this act. I hear about this often and I just want to hug them and let them know that there's a God who'll break this bondage and ease the pain they're going through. I can’t imagine the pain someone could have to want to cause themselves more pain. Please turn to 1st Samuel 16 and that's where we'll begin this morning. What I want to point out in this chapter is this. While I say these things, I want you to be praying to have God do the same for you and be listening to God (and He'll do it if you listen and stay in obedience). Who God appoints He anoints, and who He anoints is truly qualified for service. Amen? From what you know of David, was he anointed? Was he qualified? I think he was, though, like we often do, he made mistakes. He was a great man of God but made some choices that weren't good. David means “beloved” for he was a type of the Beloved Son. As he was called from the place of obscurity and contempt, David was first anointed by God and later by the people. 1 Samuel 16:1-7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. 2 And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD. 3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee. 4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? 5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. 6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’S anointed is before him. 7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. So let’s backtrack a bit. If we were to go back and look at Saul’s life, we'd find that though he was a talented king, he stopped obeying God early on. He became selfish and evil. We just read that God told the prophet Samuel he would remove Saul from being the first king of Israel and replace him with a man after his own heart. And we all know because of what the Bible says, and a very common statement, that David was this man after God’s heart. Amen? When you get a chance on your own, read first Samuel chapters 13, 14 and 15, just so you know what was going on. Saul was King at this time but made many stupid mistakes. Saul’s first mistake was that he was very successful and the successes went to his head. As even with us today, humility gives place to pride. He offered sacrifices which was only for the priesthood at that time to do. Then he had a silly order for the Army to abstain from food, and you’ll find that in chapter 14. You'll also see where he tried to have his son Jonathan and his armor bearer foolishly killed, and that's when Saul decided to be a fool to the people. When we turn to chapter 15, we find that Saul's final mistake is that he deliberately disobeyed God because of this final act. You can read that on your own. Saul was told, "Because you have rejected God, God has rejected you from being king." Let’s get back to chapter 16. We read that David was anointed. But that anointing couldn't have been done openly, because at that time Saul would definitely have killed David. And I think the whole purpose was to give David a chance to train himself for the office that he would take and we see in verse 13, that God took David into His care. I love how we can go to Scripture and find that when God had a plan, that plan was carried out. So many times when we look at the situations that are going on throughout the Bible we might think it's impossible. Yet we know that when God speaks, He speaks in faith and with God all things are possible and what He says is done. Praise the Lord!!! We go back to verse two and we see where Samuel starts questioning God. Samuel says, "How can I go? Saul would hear then he would kill me." God tells Samuel to "Take a heifer with thee and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.'" 1Samuel 16:4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? 1 Samuel 16:5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. Notice in verse four it said that the elders trembled at his coming. I think what was happening is when the elders saw Jesse...and Jesse being an older man, is.... I’m not sure what the dress was back then, but maybe he was wearing clothing that a prophet would have worn back then, but they were afraid. They probably thought he was bringing some kind of word from God of judgment for their sins. They asked Samuel, "Do you come in peace?" Now we get to where Samuel meets Jesse’s sons. Eliab, who was Jesse’s first son, was the one that Samuel thought that God would choose to be king. Then we find in verse seven, but the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature because I have refused him: for the Lord see if not as man see if; for man look at on the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart. I wonder how often we do that. How many times do we see somebody who might be applying for a job, or even somebody who signed up for a sport in school when we look at their outward appearance? I think this happens often. In fact, too often. How many times in churches does a family come in and they might not be dressed with suits and ties all neatly pressed or a young lady wearing a nice pretty dress with a pretty bow in their hair and they're automatically shunned? I’ve seen it happen, so I know it does. How many times ones come into the church who may not have had a bath for weeks or maybe months and nobody wants anything to do with them? Too often. Yet here we're supposed to have the compassion of Christ. The mirrored image of Christ, who could reach out and put His hands on a leper whose skin was oozing, stinking and rotting and was highly contagious. "Oh but Brother Jim, Jesus was God in the flesh." Amen!! Yes He was, Praise the Lord. Halleluiah!! And your point? Keep your place in 1st Samuel, but turn to John 14 and 11. Jesus said in John 14:11-13 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. 12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Mark 16:16-18 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. 17 And these signs shall accompany them that believe: body is, Who? In my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Yet we are afraid to get near them? Where's our faith? Church, am I painting a picture? Now, this might not be happening in the church you belong to within the congregation that you belong to, but I guarantee you it is in many. Let's look at David's appearance. David was a short man and he had a fair complexion. He was said to have been handsome. He had immense physical strength and a great personal attractiveness. He was a man of war. Prudent in speech, very brave, musical and said to be religious. That word religious really bothers me. Why? Because there are so many religions out there. Some clinging to some of the truths, while others teach the opposite of what the true living God is. We find in chapter 16 that David's fame as a musician was noticed by King Saul. We also find that King Saul at the time didn’t realize that David had been anointed as his successor even before David became Saul’s armor bearer. Can we see how God was working within David’s life? Keeping Him close to King Saul and all the higher-ups? This was all part of God’s way of training David will for his responsibilities when he would become King. Let’s turn to chapter 17 in first Samuel. Friends, what I want to show here is that David did put his trust in God. Many times throughout the Old Testament you’ll find there were many battles with the Philistines. And we'll also find that after many years David wasn't just a child. His appearance changed and Saul didn’t even recognize him. And here we are at Socoh. We had the Philistines gathered to battle. Saul and his men of Israel are at Elah. Here comes Goliath. We all know the story, yes? Here comes this 6’9" giant with heavy armor protecting almost every part of him. And Goliath yells to (Brother Jim’s translation) God’s chosen people, "Send your best warrior to fight with me one on one. If he can kill big old me, ha ha. The Philistines will be your servants. Now we know that can’t happen because I'm the biggest baddest dude around. Now, if I kill your best warrior, and you know I will, then you will serve us. So I guess you can try to kill me, but for us bad guys, it’s a win, win situation." Church, catch this. I added my own words there for a reason. Israel has and always will be God’s chosen people. Throughout the Bible that has been. Amen? But what do we see in verse 11? 1 Samuel 17:11 KJV When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid. What about you, church? What's the giant you're afraid of? Fear is a spirit that comes from that crooked-legged, slimy, slithering Satan. 1 Samuel 17:17-18 KJV And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; (18) And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge. In verse 17 we find Jesse, David’s dad sendshim to this place where the Israelites and Philistines have been feuding for 40 days to give his brothers a half-bushel of this roasted grain and ten loaves of bread. Verse 18 He also sent ten cheeses to the commanding officer and told David to find out how his brothers were doing and to bring back some kind of evidence that they were well. Skip down to verse 25. 1 Samuel 17:25 KJV And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? Surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel. I love this, and it shows where David’s heart really was. And here we find the Israelites scared because it is seen that Goliath is listening to his threats and they’ve heard King Saul’s promises that the one who kills this giant would receive a giant reward, will be promised Saul’s daughter in marriage, and also that his father’s family wouldn't have to pay taxes. But I love this next verse. David asked the men who were near, "What happens to the man who kills this Philistine and frees Israel from this disgrace?" Then David gets even bolder and he says, "After all, who is this heathen Philistine to defy the Army of the Living God?" If you're following along in your Bible, this is what's going on. We've heard hardly nothing from David, and right here he’s talking about the true living God. Then go a little further. Now we see his brother putting him down, then we have the soldiers telling King Saul what David had said, then David and Saul meet. Catch this in verse 32. David says to the King, "No one should be afraid of this Philistine. I will go and fight him." And here we go with the stature again. Saul says you’re just a boy. This giant has been a soldier all his life. Then David tells Saul his testimonies about rescuing lambs that have been taken away by bears and lions and how he kills these animals and rescues the lamb. Here's where David’s faith is. David tells Saul, "I've killed lions and bears and I'll do the same to this heathen Philistine who's defiled the Army of the living God." Catch this church. Tell me you can’t see were David’s heart is. Let’s see where his faith is. "The Lord has saved me from lions and bears and he'll save me from this Philistine." So when Saul agrees to this, he gives David his own armor and bronze helmet to wear. David will soon, unknowingly to Saul, takeover his position as king. Look what happens. David's used to carrying all this weight. He’s a shepherd boy. This next part really shows what God does when you put your trust in Him. David strips off all this heavy metal and picks up what he is used to, his shepherd stick and five smooth stones and goes out to meet this giant. Now let’s look at Goliath’s response. When Goliath gets close enough to see David, the king James says that he disdained him for he was but a youth, and ruddy and of a fair countenance. The good news Bible says and when he got a good look at David he was filled with scorn for him because he was just a nice, good looking boy. We read earlier that when Samuel went to see Jesse to find the one who God would make king, we know that God had already anointed David. This reminds me of when I used to tease a pastor a few years back. I knew I would always hear, "Don’t mess with God’s anointed." Now I want you to think about these next verses. Some of you who are out there sharing God’s word, whether it be in school, work, home, or even out in your community, have any of you gotten a tongue-lashing from those who don’t believe in Jesus? 1 Samuel 17:43-46 KJV And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. 45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Again my friends, where is David putting his faith? Church, this is where you and I need to be. When these storms come, whatever they may be, we have God’s word that tells us what we need to believe. The Bible tells us what we need to put our faith in during the good times and during the bad. And what about praising God? What we read, especially from the book of Psalms, David praised God all the time. A man after God’s own heart. And that's what's so great about reading about this great man. Trials? Did David have trials? You bet he did. And we'll look into some of those trials next week. But we'll also look at how God’s anointed king overcame those trials because of his trust in God. 1 Samuel 17:47 KJV And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands. What faith this David has. Here this young man, this young shepherd, up against this fierce giant. What faith. What trust in an all-knowing, all-powerful, invisible God. We all know that Goliath was hit in the head with one small stone and fell to the ground where David beheaded him. Brothers and sisters, the battle is God’s battle. Amen? If our confidence is purely in the power of God, rather than in any armor or sufficiency of our own, we may be certain the world’s utmost might cannot withstand. Friends, God resists the proud and pours contempt upon those who bid defiance to His people, humiliating them by a defeat with the meanest of instruments. David was anointed to be king and then this soon to be king defeats this boastful champion who he overcomes in the name of God. When Jesus comes as Lord of Hosts, the anti-Christ will be destroyed by the brightness of His coming. Praise the name of Jesus. The day of the Lord. So I ask you my friends, as I'm about to close this message. What will you do when you face that giant? Or like last week, when those storms come. Will you hide? Will you lay down and and be swept away by the storm or crushed by the giant? Or will you stand in faith in the all powerful God who loves you and cares for you and who will protect you? Storms are going to come. There'll be Giants that we'll face. There will be mountains that'll be in our way. Do we look at that mountain and just give up, or do we say to that mountain, "Mountain, you may be huge. You may be magnificent, but my God is bigger and when He opens up a door and tells me that this is what He's called me to do, you' Mr. Mountain need to get out of my way. You, problem are not going to stop me from doing God's will for my life. You, 20-foot wave that's about to come crashing down on me, I say peace be still. Church, I believe in what the Bible tells me for my life. I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. Acts 13:39 And by Him (Jesus) all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Do we believe, church? I believe in miracles, do you? I believe a young woman who was a virgin gave birth to the Savior of the world. I believe that God spoke to a man who wandered in the desert for 40 years through a bush that was engulfed by flames. I believe that a raven brought bread and meat to a man in the morning and evening. I believe a Holy God made the earth and all that's in it in 6 days. I believe that the red sea was parted and over a million people crossed over to the other side. I believe miracles happen to those who believe. I believe that Jesus came to earth, lived a sinless life, was beaten, and by His stripes I am healed. I believe this same Jesus died for my sins and was resurrected on the third day and now sits at he right hand of God. I believe that a rod was struck against a rock and water gushed out. I believe a young boy flung a stone and killed a giant. I believe that when you and I have storms that come against what God calls us to do, if we believe, God will see us through. What about you, my dear friends? It's time for us to put our complete trust in God and His Word for our lives and for the lives of our families. Friends, it's been a blessing being here with you today here in the J and L Ministries room on this Paltalk platform. We thank God for each of you and for the hungry souls who view these messages on U-tube, Cross Roads Fellowship, Mylook online, Lokey Sisters, Zero Hour Ministry and wherever others share these videos. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we love you and I ask you to live your life by this verse found in Galatians 2:20 KJV I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Have a blessed week in the Lord. Those Trials Will Come
Good morning friends and family and welcome to part two of this message "Those Trials Will Come." Leanna and I want to welcome you to the J and L Ministries Paltalk room, and I also thank all those who have been viewing these messages on other sites across internet land. Also thank you to those who have been sharing these videos. Glory to God! Today we'll be basing this message around Mark chapter 4, if you want to please turn there. Also, I would encourage each of you to take notes on the scriptures that we'll be looking at and also encourage you to dissect these verses on your own. I've heard so many people this week giving the devil way too much credit for things going on in this world and in their lives. I think we give that slime-bag too much credit. We have choices, and sometimes our free-will choices get us into trouble. When we know what God’s Word says and we purposely go about things that we should or shouldn't do according to what it says, how can we blame the enemy for that? Not that I want to brag any of his doings up or try to convince you to let up your guard when it comes to Satan. Let's start today by looking at some situations that we might need to overcome. Amen? I feel with all my being that things are going to change drastically here in the US and it's going to happen very soon. I've had many conversations this week from those who say that gay life-style is okay and who cares that our children and grandchildren are going to be taught that it's okay for Tom to marry Bruce, or that Cindy is marrying Mary. That it's okay to murder babies. It's okay to smoke weed in many states (catch this), for recreational purposes. Wow!!! As I said many times, God is in control. The things that are happening in the world He already knows about. He knew centuries ago. When we look at the things that will happen in the last days, it isn’t pretty. Now, I'm not trying to scare people into thinking that tomorrow will be the battle of Armageddon, but we do need to prepare ourselves. We need to prepare our hearts and learn how to overcome some of the storms that may have been going on in our lives and those storms and trials that are about to come. I believe this message is from the Lord and if we get this into our hearts and act on it, it will make a big difference in our lives. Where I'm trying to go with all these messages is to build our faith. Amen? This week I want to look at trials that may keep you from God’s promises, blessings, and maybe even your destiny. Have I got everyone’s attention now? Please turn to the book of Mark, chapter 4. Leanna will be posting the scriptures as we go through this study. Thank you love for being so helpful. Mark 4:35-41 KJV And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. (36) And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. (37) And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. (38) And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? (39) And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (40) And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? (41) And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? How many of you have been through a major storm or trial in your life? Do you remember how that storm ended? Maybe for some of you it's still going on today. We're going to look at many verses that I hope prepares each of us when those storms come. Church, I want you to know that Satan hates you. He hates your spouse, your children, grandchildren, finances, home, and everything that you have. Satan wants to destroy everything you have, including your life. Satan will do everything he can to steer you away from God’s promises. Does everyone get that? That's the Gospel truth my friends, and I could show you these facts starting from Genesis all the way through. The enemy hates everything about you. For those who are, baby Christians as I call them. Ones who have just recently called upon Jesus to be Lord and Savior of their life. This is when Satan starts his lies with you. This is when he tries to force you into believing that the Bible is false. This is when he'll try to make you doubt your salvation and even that Christ existed. Let's get back to these verses. Notice the disciples were obeying the Lord and yet they were in a storm. Jesus said, "Let’s cross over to the other side,” and they gladly and promptly obeyed. They were doing what the Lord had requested, and they were in a storm. Just because you're experiencing a storm in your life doesn't mean you're somehow out of the will of God. If that was true, the Apostle Paul was never in the will of God, because he experienced storm after storm. Amen? Do we all have a remembrance of some of the things Paul went through? You can be doing exactly what God told you to do and it can seem like everything's going wrong and everything is against you. The circumstances that attack you from every direction, or the winds and waves that come into your life are not a sign that you're out of the will or the plan of God. For those who were with us last week, I shared that many believe that because you sinned against God, that is why you maybe going through a trial. It just occurred to me that I should have shown you all in scripture that's not always the case. I'm not going to go deep into this, but want to show you an example and show you what Jesus said. John 9:1-3 KJV And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. (2) And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? (3) Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I felt led to share that with you just in case someone might have raised an eyebrow when I mentioned that last week. Just because you're smack dab in the middle of a fierce storm doesn't mean that you're going through it because of being in disobedience. Back to Mark. We read that a great windstorm arose. It literally means a furious gale. It wasn't a normal storm that they were in. Some of Jesus' disciples were fishermen who had spent their lives on the Sea of Galilee. They were certain they were going to die. It was beyond their skill or ability to handle. I've used this story so many times because it's a life lesson for all of us. What did the King of kings say to them before they got into the boat? He didn't say, "Let’s go halfway across the lake and sink." He said, "Let us pass over to the other side." That was the word of the Lord to them. Brothers and sisters in Christ, when God gives us a promise, it's never at the mercy of a storm. Friends, I struggle with this at times. Storms or awful circumstances can't overpower the potential of His promises. When God gives a promise, it's, "Let’s pass over from lack into ample supply, from sickness into health, and from instability into stability and soundness." Amen? Glory to God! God’s word to you will always be challenged. Even as I'm preparing this message and now delivering it, I have many challenging things coming. I, as some of you hear in this room have had a very challenging couple of months. But even though those challenges have come and when we left those things in the past and put our focus back of Jesus and the mission He has called you and me to do, we notice doors spring open. Thank You Jesus. Between receiving a promise from God and the fulfillment of that promise, there are usually storms. The Holy Spirit may have spoken something to your heart at some time or another, or a promise from the Word had come alive to you. Your heart was encouraged, and then you found yourself in a storm. That's normal. Been there. Done that!! And I'll be there again and so will you. We see in the passage of Mark that we've been reading from that Jesus was tired. Before this He had been dealing with the multitudes for some time. How many times does the Bible say he was being thronged? How many times does it say that there were great multitudes of people? That's thousands of people wanting Jesus and wanting healing. Wanting to be near the Messiah. Wanting to see miracles, because that's how we are. Amen? They'd been crowding around Him and pressing Him. Finally Jesus and the disciples had gotten away from the multitudes for a bit. Church, picture this..... Jesus was tired. He fell asleep on a cushion in the back of a boat. He wasn't awakened by the storm. The waves, pounding against the side of their boat, lifting them up and crashing them down, and it didn't wake Him up. The howling winds and the creaking timbers didn't awaken Him. As soon as they touched Him and said, "Teacher," He was aroused. It shows you something of the heart of the Lord. It's like a mother. She can sleep through noisy traffic sounds and train wrecks; but the moment her baby sighs, she's aroused. For the mothers hearing this, or reading, do you get this? Some dads, too? You know where I am coming from? Jesus said in Luke 13:34 KJV O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! The Lord Jesus not only has the heart of a father, He also has the heart of a mother. He does hear your cry, and He does know what's going on with you. Praise Jesus! Do we understand this my friends? Mark 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. In the Greek language what He said was, "Shut up and be nuzzled". I can't imagine Jesus getting angry at the wind, but when you study that phrase and those words, it's the exact same statement Jesus would make to demons. I'm also reminded of a verse in Matthew. Matthew 21:13 KJV And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. Friends,I think it's a revelation as to the source of the storm in this passage. The Bible refers in one place to our adversary, the devil, as the prince of the power of the air. In the Book of Job, a great storm came and caused the house to cave in and all of Job’s children were killed, and raiders came and stole his wealth and killed his servants. We read in the beginning of the Book of Job that Satan was behind it all. We read this last week. Here in Mark, Jesus was angry because of the source of the storm, and He rebuked the wind as He would a demon. Then He turned, and to me it was like He scolded His disciples, asking, Mark 4:40 KJV And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? He asked them, "Why are you such cowards? Why are you so frightened? Don't you have any faith yet?" It may be easier for God to calm a storm on the sea than it is for Him to calm a storm in a person’s soul. I think God has a far greater challenge with us in our interior worlds than He does dealing with the elements of the exterior world. Mark 4:41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? They feared exceedingly. Literally, they feared with a great fear. That fear wasn't produced by the storm, but by the calm. They only greatly feared after the storm ceased, and they said, "Who can this be? Even the elements obey Him." They asked, "Lord, aren’t You concerned?" Jesus was not. Jesus knew they would get to the other side. When they said, "Teacher, don’t You care? Aren’t You concerned?" It wasn't a request for help. They were actually astonished that He was able to stop the storm. They didn't know at this point that He could do things like that. Then suddenly He rebuked the wind and the waves stopped. Here's what we all need to understand. When God has given you a promise that you'll pass over to the other side (whatever the promise is), you may go through a storm. The enemy may send all things against you. He may stir up the elements, circumstances, the evil hearts of men and women, or the passions of the world to stop the promises and plans God has given you. Be encouraged, my friends. They can't stop the program of God. They can't nullify the promise of God. It doesn't matter what happens. When these hearts of ours get all panicky, we need to remember that. That was why Jesus reproved the disciples and asked, "Why are you so fearful? Why don’t you have any faith?" We need to remember, even in the midst of a storm, Who gave us the promise and Who is in our boat. Jesus was the Son of God, yet by choice He had become Himself to a body of flesh. The Book of Philippians says that He emptied Himself of His divine rights and privileges and was found in the fashion of a man. Philippians 2:5-11 KJV Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (9) Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Friends, this is such a great reminder to me and should be to you also. In your boat with you, you have the One who rolls the heavens out like a scroll and measures it with the palm of His hand, and He calls the stars by name. He measures the dust of the hills in His balance. He's the Creator of heaven and earth, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. He's the One who parts the Red Sea and causes water to come out of a rock to quench the thirst of millions. He's the Prince of peace, the everlasting Father, the King of glory, and the captain of our salvation. He's the One who defeated principalities and powers, triumphing over them through the cross. He's the One who poured out His own precious blood on the cross and was raised from the dead on the third day, who ascended into heaven, and who sat down at the right hand of God on high. He's the Savior, the Healer, and the Deliverer. He's the Son of the living God. Glory be to Jesus!! Praise His Holy name. The disciples had Jesus in their boat as a man. We have Him in our boat as the Savior of the world. The next time your little heart wants to panic in the middle of a storm, you need to say, "Wait a minute. Who told me I was going over to the other side? Who is in this boat? Who is it that lives in me and dwells in me by His Spirit? I am not going to go halfway and sink. Jesus is along for the ride and He is faithful. Praise You Jesus!!!" The disciples asked, "Who can this be?" I think that's so important for us to grasp. The more we get to know who Jesus is, the more our hearts will come to rest, and the less we will be inclined to panic in times of stress and difficulties. Draw close to the Savior. Find out who He is through prayer, reading His Word, and getting to know others who love Him, as you become acquainted with this wonderful Savior, who laid down His life for you and me and was raised from death, and who's going to return to bring us home. Friends, as we continue to dig into His Word and persistently be in prayer, you'll find you'll increase in faith. Please turn to John 6:16-21. Let's look at a totally different storm in the Bible. John 6:16-21 KJV And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, (17) And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. (18) And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. (19) So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. (20) But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid. (21) Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went. Perhaps things are dark for you. You're in the middle of a storm and you're thinking, "Where are You, Lord?" Anyone been there? They had rowed for three to four miles. I've been there before. In fact, thinking back, often. We need to realize there are some storms that we can't row our way out of. We can't escape them through human effort. I've found when I try to rely on myself to overcome some situations I struggle. Sometimes I fail. In fact I usually fail miserably. Trusting others in some situations, again, not always a good choice. Trusting the King of kings? Trusting Jesus is always the right choice. Jeremiah 17:5 Thus says the Lord: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. Psalm 146:3 Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. Here's where I try to teach people. We don’t have to accept bad news that we may receive. Leanna has a testimony that proves this. There are times when no amount of human intelligence, understanding, or skill can help you, such as when the doctor says, "Nothing more can be done. Get your house in order. There is no hope." Perhaps your financial advisers have said, “You're done. It's over." The circumstances scream out. Your flesh may even scream out. Things will never, ever change for you. You've been rowing and rowing, doing everything you can, and fighting against the wind and it seems like you're getting nowhere. Jesus says He'll never leave us nor forsake us. Friends, Jesus loves you. He wants what's best for you. He wants us to make right choices and is willing to guide us if we heed His voice. We read in John 6: 21 John 6:21 Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land. If we want divine help, we must willingly receive it. We have to get to the place where we admit that merely rowing in our own strength isn't enough, we need to invite the Lord into our boat, and we need to receive help from God. Amen? Apostle Paul shared his struggles and his difficulties. 2 Corinthians 1:8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Paul was saying that he didn't have the wisdom or strength to cope with the difficulties. He despaired even of life. 1 Corinthians 1:9-10 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us. They put their trust in God. Paul writes his thoughts behind many of the difficulties that he experienced. 2 Corinthians 12:7, And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. There are so many lessons to be learned from the truths God shared with Paul which became our New Testament. The message of salvation by grace, through faith, and not of works lest any man should boast. Paul was planting churches and sharing the good news about Jesus Christ. People wanted to kill him, he got shipwrecked, he was beaten with rods, he was harassed and many other things came against him. The thorn in his side. Mark 11:22 Jesus answered and said to them, Have faith in God. Faith is not faith in a principle, faith in yourself, or faith in faith. It's about faith in God. Only God is the One who can make things happen. Mark 11:23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Friends, the mountain represents a difficulty in your life that you can't cope with on your own. It's too high to climb and too wide to go around it. God is the One who removes it, but we need to do our part in order for God to do His part. Faith has to do with cooperation with God. Mark 11:24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. When you pray, believe you receive, and you will have. How many people are at the point in their lives who say, "When I have it, then I will believe I received it." Jesus says you have to believe you receive it, and then God will see that you have it. The Amplified Bible says "Believe it’s been granted to you when you pray, and you’ll get it." Hebrews 11:1 So faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Things may not look different, but that doesn't have anything to do with it. This is about faith in God, the evidence of things not seen. I receive when I pray, and He will see that I get it. Perhaps it's time for you to stop rowing and time to start receiving. Whatever your mountain is, it may be with your health, your kids, your marriage, your finances, oppression, a situation at work, or something else. God knows, and He cares. Remember, Jesus got a little bit angry because He knew the source of the storm. The Apostle Paul talked about the source behind many of his difficulties. Jesus was harsh when He dealt with it. Why don’t you speak to that mountain and tell it to be moved right now? Admit you can't row yourself out of this one. Invite Jesus into your boat. Talk to Him, and receive some help from God right now. Receive His help by faith. Believe it’s granted to you. You will see it. God is faithful. Amen? Friends and family here in the J and L Ministries Paltalk room, for those watching this video from u-tube or the many other sites that it's posted, we love you and want to see storms that may be going on in your life to be calmed. Let's be an encouragement to one another. Pray for one another. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 KJV (11) Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. James 5:16 KJV Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. As I close, I want to leave you with this. Our Lord Jesus purchased you and me with His blood that He might set us apart a peculiar people zealous of good works. Friends, let us therefore seek to excel in those duties becoming to Christians, such as brotherly love, generosity, contentment, obedience to those over us, steadfast in the faith, patient suffering with Him and continual praise. Our Lord Jesus was the perfect anti-type of the sin offering, being offered “without the gate,” a striking illustration of His humiliation as a sin bearer. We as believers are therefore exhorted to go forth from the ceremonial law, from sin, from the world, and identify ourselves with Christ, being willing to bear His reproach in gratitude for the salvation He has provided. Praise You Jesus. What a blessing to spend time with all of you today. It's always joy to be in God's word with fellow believers. We love you all and thank you for allowing us to be part of your family today, sharing God's Word to His family. I'm going to stop the recording, but I'm going to keep this room open for questions and comments. Remember: The Lord is your helper, and you should not nor will not fear what man shall do unto you. Praise God! Those Trials Will Come part 1
message delivered November 1, 2015 Good morning Friends and family and welcome to the J and L Ministries paltalk room. For the past few weeks there have been more and more joining in with us in this room and I believe it's because of the hunger that some have to know Christ in a more intimate way. I believe that there are those who have been joining us here who have seen from sermon messages shared that we do rightly divide scripture with other scriptures and we don't base everything around one passage and leave it there. Thank You Jesus for Your beautiful, powerful Word. Today friends, we'll be starting the first part of a multi-part series called Those Trials Will Come. Throughout this week I had been thinking and praying on what topic God would use for today's message. Well, Friday morning I was reading in Psalms and I think He gave me a clear direction. I also think that this is going to have to be a series, as there have been many thoughts as to where this is going to lead to. I'm believing that as this study speaks to me, it will speak to you also. As I sat down to put this message together, I had a brother in the Lord call and was very persistent to look into a situation. Right off the bat I felt that this was going to be a day that the distractions would come as they've been coming from every direction in the past few months. As I investigated this matter, I knew that I knew that what I felt led to teach on was right on target. Then as I started putting my notes together and collecting scriptures that I would use for today's message, the power went out. Praise the Lord, Microsoft Word saved what I had. Many of you might think, "Well of course it saved them." Church, more than once have I been in this predicament and lost everything that I had that was typed out. Again, I praise God for helping me out with this. Last week, for those who joined us, saw firsthand the attacks from the enemy that came strong. And what happened church? We pressed on and Satan lost. Glory to God. So as we go about today's message, whatever attack might come, again we need to press in and press on. The same goes for our everyday walk with God. Brothers and sister, we can't be just hearers of the Word and not doers. And we can't look at one scripture and think that's what God is saying. I hope someone gets a revelation of this. Brethren, every living being is going to go through some kind of situation. Amen? Whether it be a physical problem, emotional problem, spiritual, financial problem, each and every one of us is going to go through a hardship. Maybe some of you hearing this message or reading at another time are going through something right now. Friends, when we come to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the enemy comes to start his attacks. You see, before we're saved, the enemy had us right where he needed us to be. Think back to the day you were saved. All the thoughts about "Is Christ really God? Does He really love me like the Bible says? Is the Bible really true?" Here 's a typical thought or emotion that Satan uses often. "Am I really saved?" Come on, church. How many have had those thoughts come to mind? I ask you friends, has the enemy brought his lies and then twisted things around to make you think that God isn't faithful to His promises that we find in the Bible? Satan tries to tell us that God doesn’t love us or He wouldn’t have allowed this or that to happen to you or your family if He really loved you. You all know where I'm going with this. So buckle up, take notes, and let’s tell that slimy devil where he can go. Let’s learn through scriptures from the Old and New Testaments how we can overcome these attacks from whatever the source might be. For some, these attacks may be coming from a family member. For some, it may be coming from your job. Maybe for those who are watching this video on u-tube, it may be from a classmate. Church, and listen up. It may be from a pastor or religious leader. Whatever the case, there are ways to deal with those attacks and often, for us, it's better for us to be quiet. I know that isn't the natural thing to do, but at times that's where God will lead us. From conversations with friends on the many sites that I'm part of and conversations with others on the phone, there have been attacks on so many Christians. Church, we all need to know what to do when those attacks come. We do have that power, and Jesus is the name that demons tremble from. Amen? Saints, we need to get this now like never before. Praise the name of Jesus! Are we ready? I mean....are we truly ready to better our journey with Jesus? I hope so, and that's my prayer for you and me today. I've used this example that I'm about to share in other teachings, but it fits perfectly in this lesson. I want us to look at adversity. It may come to you like a nagging pebble in your shoe or like an overwhelming rock slide. No matter how adversity crashes into your life, the question is how will you respond? How does the Bible tell us to respond when attacked? Let’s take a few minutes and think of some adversities that people might go through. Hurtful words spoken to or about us? No money, or lack of it? Here are the big ones that most share with me. Sickness? Maybe for those reading this it's the loss of a job. We can let these things bother us. We can shrug it off knowing that adversity is bound to be a part of everyone's lives. Or, and this is where need to come to a point in our walk with God, we can put our total trust in God like the Bible tells us to. Things are going to happen. Church, we need to be prepared. God's Word prepares you by showing what adversity is and how you can live through it in faith. Unwavering, persistent faith. Today we're going to look at the life of Moses. Later in this series, God willing, we'll look into King David’s life. I don't know that there's anybody in the Bible who shows us the kinds of explosions that can come into our lives better than the character of Moses in the Old Testament. Amen someone? If everyone could turn to Deuteronomy chapter 4, and while you're doing that, think of a time that you may have had a pebble in your shoe and when you took your shoe off to find it, you couldn’t? You put it back on and continued to walk and you could still feel it and figured it must have been just your sock. I'm going through a similar problem right now. Many know that I'm an amputee. Because of the type of artificial leg that I wear, there's a rubbery material that I put on first, then the artificial leg fits over that. A few days ago...maybe a week ago, I stood up and my knee hurt. In fact, it hurt bad. It was like someone stuck me with a pin. What had happened is that there was a little pimple that formed and it's infected. It's in a place where when I stand up, most of the pressure is between my stump and the prosthesis. It hurts. That's what I want to talk with you about today. Not the pimple, or about artificial legs, but when things happen in your life that you don't understand, when trouble comes into your life, what are you going to do about those troubles? I think as we look at scriptures today and we spend time in the Word of God, we'll have a better understanding about what happens when adversity comes to our life. Deuteronomy 4:27-31 KJV (27) And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you. (28) And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. (29) But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. (30) When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (31) (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. I find this passage to be extremely comforting, and I hope all of you do also. Praise God!! When I'm in tribulation (we saw this in verse 31), some versions use distress...that's the word he uses there... when I'm in distress, I know the Lord's not going to forget me. If you think about the life of Moses and the children of Israel, their lives are like ours in many ways. Think about life in this way: When you learn how to deal with adversity, one of the conclusions you come to almost automatically is that everyone has adversity. Everyone has some sort of trouble. I think we have to all expect adversity to come into our lives. Brothers and sisters in Christ, sometimes adversity is associated with sin. It comes because of things we've done. I want to take a quick peek at how Kind David was tempted and then the result of his choice. Many are thinking , "Oh boy, Jim's going to take us to where David lusted after Bathsheba." Nope, but another huge mistake that King David made. And what I really want you to notice is where that thought came from. 1 Chronicles 21:1 KJV And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. David numbered the people. He took a census and then notice it wasn't what God told him to do. If we were to continue to read, we'd notice that was a piece of pride on David's behalf. The end result of that was significant trouble in his life. It came because of sin. Sometimes adversity is the result of simple disobedience. Remember Jonah who ran from God? His disobedience brought all the troubles that came into his life. You might be saying to yourself, "Okay Brother Jim, does that mean when I have trouble in my life that automatically there's sin in my life?" The answer is no, and I hate hearing preachers saying this. For those who have read the book of Job, Job's best friends tried that on him. I know there are a lot of people who feel this. They've been told and believe that if you just had faith enough, if you confessed your sins, there would be no difficulties in your life. But brethren I ask you, for those who have read the book of Job, remember Job? Job is a perfect example of a man who was obedient to God. He didn't do the things that other people were doing, and yet adversity came into his life just like everyone else. I may do a message on the book of Job soon, because I think there's much to learn from it and I find many things being taught about the book of Job that don't line up with my Bible. Jesus said in Matthew 5:45 Matthew 5:45 KJV That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. God makes His sun to shine on good and bad people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil. The saved and the unsaved. Adversity comes to the righteous and the unrighteous. The just and the unjust, just like the rain does. Just because you're alive means you're going to have trouble. If you haven't found it yet, it's going to happen pretty quickly. You're not exempt because you may be a Christian. There are lots of people who teach and believe that because you're a Christian no trouble will ever come to you. God will never let you be sick or be poor. There are a lot of sick, poor Christians who don't understand why people are teaching this. There are lots of sick and poor Christians in the Bible, but they were godly people. When Paul wanted to encourage the believers of Asia Minor, this is what he said: "We must go through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God." Listen up church and I hope each of you understands this. Tribulation--for those who are living rightly before God--is a good thing, because it proves you can still live righteously before God. You can be right before God and still face difficulty in your life. Adversity comes to everybody and you should expect it. Right living people are not at all exempt from adversity. Do we get this church? Someone might be thinking, "Brother Jim, you've completely lost your marbles." I think maybe the reason Apostle Paul understood that principle so well is he had so much trouble in his life. If you ever want to read about the difficulties Paul had, go to 2 Corinthians, chapter 11. In this chapter, you're going to see a whole list of problems faced by the apostle Paul. And do you know what? When you read that chapter you're not going to know when almost any one of these occurred. But I think Paul understood that adversity will come to every person. Adversity will come to you regardless of who you are. If you're a Christian today, don't expect God not to allow adversity to come into your life. Going through these situations, when we handle them by trusting in God, it makes us stronger. We can't understand that, and I don't claim to understand fully. Church, remember Job? This is my translation of some of the things that went on there. He was the man who lived a life that was good before God and before men. When Satan came to God and said, “You know why Job loves You? You know why Job is living a righteous life? It's because Job is rich. Life's easy for him. You take away those easy things, and Job isn't going to love You so long." God said, "Well, consider my servant, Job. He's yours. You can do anything you want to him, but you can't touch his life. You can't kill him." Here's a man who is a great example of the fact that God will sometimes actually allow adversity to come into your life. Sometimes God allows adversity to come into our lives because the lack of adversity can be a problem for us. Think about that for a moment. A selah moment. I think sometimes when you don't have adversity, that can be a problem in your life. I want you to fully grasp this friends. There's something about all of us that needs a challenge. Those who need some adversity to rise above. If there was no adversity into your life, you may not be able to enjoy life. God sometimes allows adversity to come to your life. It's also how we build up our faith in God. For some, me included, adversity can make you stronger...when you learn to trust in God to help you through that tempest. Amen someone? Sometimes God uses adversity as an opportunity to help you in your own life. Sometimes God will use adversity simply to bring you to the point where He can bless you. It's evident too, that sometimes God allows adversity in our lives simply because He wants to strengthen our character. Amen? Can anyone relate to this? Is anyone getting a revelation of what's being taught here? My brothers and sisters, I've had conversations with some of you and I know that there have been things that have been shared and I've seen the results of some of the right choices made. Praise God. There are things in your life that God will allow to come into your life because He knows the end from the beginning, and He knows what's good for you. In fact, He knows what's best for you. So if God allows adversity in your life, He does so because.... open up those ear gates. He knows it will only lead to good for you. Romans 8:28 KJV 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. Praise Jesus!!! I'm going to say something that might not be taken well, but I hope you hear me out with an open mind. I'm being spoken to as I type this out. I think if we look back at a situation that seemed devastating to us in our lives, whatever that might be… cancer, bankruptcy, loss of a family member. Maybe harsh words spoken unjustly by someone we felt close to? Whatever the case might be, this message might be hard to accept. We shouldn't seek trials, but expect them and accept them when they come. That's hard to say, yes? Regardless of what some teach about whether or not we should pray or not, I know that we have the privilege to pray and I pray often. What I want us to get and really the point I want to get across is that we almost have to, and this next thing I say is very tough to say, but hear me out, “Embrace it”. And that's not your only option. Lots of people get mad at God. They become bitter about their difficulties. But if you do embrace it, if you open yourself up to invite God's grace into your life, you can actually gain from adversity, not lose from it. Does this make sense to everyone? I hope so, because I know there are some who are dealing with trials that might be here this morning in this paltalk room, or watching on the J and L Ministries u-tube channel , or who will hear this on the various sites that I share these messages. There are some who are right in the middle of adversity, so I hope that will be an encouragement to them. Whatever you're going through in life today, I want you to know that it's not necessarily because of sin in your life. That's not always true. I want you to know whatever you're going through today, that God sometimes allows you to go through it because He has a plan for you that's better than what you have in mind for your life right now. I want you to remember this passage in Hebrews 13. In fact, let's all turn there. Hebrews 13:5-8 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. :6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. :7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. :8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and forever. Here's part of the scripture that I was reading and studying this morning. Psalms 94:11-14 KJV The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. (12) Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law; (13) That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. (14) For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. Church, what I say next, I urge you to dwell on the rest of your life. God is very interested in you, and He will never let you go through adversity all by yourself. Get this! Truly grasp and get a full understanding of what I just said. It's not until we learn the lessons of adversity that we understand that adversity indeed is necessary in our lives. It's not a necessary evil; it's a necessary thing in our lives. Not long ago, I saw a post somewhere that had a picture of a caterpillar and it said: And like the cocoon, you can't have the butterfly without the cocoon. Friends, you and I can't really have maturity in our Christian life without the adversity of life. But you know what? Some of us, even those who may be more mature in the Christian faith, sometimes we're about to crack under our adversity. It's good if you have a little hangnail, but if you're really hurting, then you need to know that God hasn't abandoned you during your adversity. We're reminded that in Psalm 23. The promise is, Psalms 23:4 KJV Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. It's not that God says you won't go through the valley; He says, "I'll go through the valley with you." Amen? Glory to God!! Thank You Father for never leaving us nor forsaking us. I think the great strength that comes through understanding adversity that leads to maturity, that leads to our understanding that you can't do certain things, is that you can't take adversity away from life and expect life to be as good as it would have been. I think one of the great understandings that comes to us is that when we watch God walk with us through the adversities of life, it draws us closer to Him. Don’t hear me wrong. I'm not crazy; I'm not asking God to give me adversity just so I can understand this or so I can walk closer to Him. I say, "Lord, if there's an easier way for me to walk with You, hey, give me that easier way." I also learn that adversity will teach me something about myself. I learn a lot about my character when things are tough in my life (I don't learn much about me when things are going well), I learn that I'm not sufficient in myself to overcome the adversities of my life. It's through God's strength that I'm strong. Philippians 4:13 KJV I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. This verse doesn't say (I can do all things alone). This verse tells me I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me. I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me. And church, that includes facing the adversity of life. I also learn that adversity teaches me something about my adversaries. It teaches me something about those who would do harm to me. Glory to God! Let's read what Jesus told His followers: Mark 13:9 KJV But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. What Jesus was telling his followers is, "Be on your guard! You will be taken to courts and beaten with whips in their meeting places. And because of me, you will have to stand before rulers and kings to tell about your faith." And brothers and sisters in Christ He is saying, "This will be your opportunity to tell them about Me." Sometimes I don't want adversity to come to my life. At times it might make us feel weak. At times it may mean separating ourselves from those we love. But as I mature in my faith, I understand that God allows adversity to come to my life. I also learn that no one is exempt from adversity. You're going to face it, and so am I. The thing that encourages me the most is (and this is the key right here) I learn that nobody has to face adversity alone, that God always says, "I will go with you through the adversity. I'll hold your hand during this adversity. In fact, I'll help take this adversity and make something good of it when all you can see is the difficulty of your trials." When someone hurts us, how do we become compassionate toward them? I struggle sometimes here. They are the adversities in our lives. The easiest thing in the world is to just write them off, or some might say, "Satan, they belong to you. You can have them." But it isn’t the person, but the enemy. The fact of the matter is, as our adversary, or as the adversity in our life, they may be God's tool in our lives and we don't even know it. That doesn't mean they're right. What they're doing to us may be entirely wrong, but what was done to Job was entirely wrong, too. They may be God's instrument of bringing compassion to us or God's instrument of maturing us, molding us, shaping us. How do we deal compassionately with people who don't deal compassionately with us? When someone is our adversary, when they hurt us, how do we become compassionate toward them? The answer is that we can't--unless we learn how to forgive. Amen? And forgiveness may be one of the hardest things for us to learn to do. The real problem, and we're going to see this later on in this study, is when people hurt us we will either become better or bitter. Most of us, frankly become bitter. We don't want to forgive them because they hurt us so deeply. Compassion, I think, follows forgiveness. Until we get a handle on how to forgive people that hurt us, hurt us deeply, I don't think we'll ever be compassionate toward them. We're going to learn later in our study about Joseph in the Old Testament. What a wonderful example of a person who had adversity in his life. None of it was his fault, but he had to learn how deal with brothers. He had to learn how to deal with false accusations in his life. There were so many things he had to learn in order to become compassionate, but he had to first learn how to forgive. I think that's the secret to dealing with people who hurt us. We have to learn how to forgive and that's not an easy lesson. Forgiveness tends to be, “Well, if you confess your sins, I'll forgive you," but that's not the biblical definition of forgiveness. Forgiveness means we turn over to God the hurt that's been done to us. We say, “I don't like this. I don't understand it, but I'm not going to retaliate for it. I'm going to simply give it to You, and let You deal with it in my life." And then, and here's where so many mess up. You leave it alone. Stop bringing it up the next time you have a chance. I see this so often. I have ones who pour their hearts out to me. And of course I have to share that there needs to be forgiveness. "But brother Jim, I forgave them." And they're sobbing like crazy and then sometimes in the next breath they start wailing again and carrying on about how much this other person hurt them. That is not forgiveness. I'm about to close this message. Let’s think about someone who may be physically alone. Someone who's in a nursing home, shut in for health reasons. Maybe someone who's in prison, or whatever the circumstance might be. Is that promise for them too? What would we say to those who might be struggling? I would say no one is ever really alone as long as you have someone to talk to. And for the person who follows the Lord Jesus, He's always there for us to talk with Him. That's exactly what prayer is all about. You don't have to talk out loud, but you do have to be intimate in your conversation with Jesus. And, our prayers need to line up with God's Character. So throughout the day, throughout the night, keep your conversation going. Keep it going in your mind with the Lord Jesus. Let Him in on your life. Tell Him what's on your mind. Tell the Master Jesus what worries you. Then tell the King of kings and Lord of lords to take your fears and your concerns and your worries away from you. Praise You Jesus. Now let's kind of turn the tables. You're not physically alone, but emotionally you're struggling. Maybe some of you are feeling isolated. Maybe feeling disconnected and alone….what then? I would suggest to them the same thing. When we feel disconnected, when we feel isolated, it's probably because we are. And that means we're not staying in constant and quality contact with the Savior. Again, I think prayer can change all that. Prayer isn't always asking something of God. Sometimes it's just talking with Him. It's asking Him to help us know His presence and to understand just how deeply He loves us. There have been times when I felt alone like this and prayer is a help, but just opening His Word and reading God's instructions to me is a huge help. It's amazing how you find yourself feeling His compassion and all of these things open the door to our intimacy with God. Rather than saying, “God, You don't care. You're not out there. You don't really care at all what's happening to me," suddenly we find ourselves talking with Him. We find ourselves reading His Word and discovering He really does love us. Friends, in closing I want to make this point. We don't have to go through the trials alone. Jesus is right here and I think sometimes instead of calling out to Him, we hold onto the issues in our lives. I want you to know that when the attacks come, don't let people try to convince you that it's because of something wrong you did. Can you think of someone who may be hurting that you might be able to share this with, or invite them to join us next week? That's the whole purpose of what J and L Ministries is all about…learning and sharing what we learn with others to help them with their walk with God. Friends, for those that have been with us here in the J and L Ministries room here on Paltalk, we thank you and after I stop this recording, I will open the room for questions and discussions. For those who've been watching on u-tube, or any of the Christian and secular sites, we thank you for supporting this ministry. We do ask that you please share these videos. Please help get the Word out that people don't have to deal with life alone. There's a friend that will be more of a friend than any man or woman on earth could ever be. He's willing to walk through the storms with you and carry you through them. We love you and may the Lord bless you. |
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