Psalm 100:1-5 “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”
Every Sunday morning I post on facebook a reference to Psalm 118:24 “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
There are some differences among good men as to what this “day which the Lord hath made” is referring to by the Psalmist. With good authority some believe he was talking about the day in which God brought him to the throne to bring freedom to His chosen people. That was a day in which to “rejoice and be glad.” God hand-picked David to be king, the least of anybody’s expectation.
Some believe that this “day” was prophetic of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. That truly is a day to rejoice and that is exactly what we do every Sunday as we gather together in our local churches to praise and worship God.
But I believe that it also could have reference to another day of which God has “made” and that’s the day when He will break through the blue on the second coming of Jesus Christ. What a day that will be. Praise God for the prospect of the Lord coming again.
Here in Psalm 100 the Psalmist calls us to praise the Lord. Dr. Warren Wiersbe, one of my favorite writers, says that “praise is the highest use of man’s faculties.” When we think of God and all He is, we can’t help but praise Him.
In this week’s CHALLENGING CONCEPTS I want us to consider one verse from this Psalm. Notice verse 5 “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” The Psalmist points out three attributes of God here:
1. PRAISE GOD FOR HIS GOODNESS – His nature is to be good. Sometimes we only think God is good when we’re on the mountain; just got a raise in our salary; got a good report from the doctor, etc. But God is also good when we’re in the valley; lost our job; been told by the doctor we have a tumor, etc. “God is good all the time; all the time God is good.”
Look around and see God’s goodness in nature. He created the universe and said, “. . . it is good.” Even though man’s sin has brought a curse on it, you look around at the flowers, trees, green fields, etc. Grace and I always say, “God has given us a beautiful place to live.” God is so good and that ought to bring joy, gladness and praise from our hearts.
2. PRAISE GOD FOR HIS EVERLASTING MERCY – I like the word “everlasting” and “eternal.” These two words are used some 37 times in the New Testament. Along with use to describe our salvation, the glory of Christ and the kingdom of Jesus Christ, they are used to describe the nature of God Himself. In Genesis 21:3 we read “And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.”
In Deuteronomy 33:27 we see both words used: “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say Destroy them.”
When you consider the above usage of the word “everlasting,” this really takes God’s mercy to a very high level. Since no one is big enough to throw Christ off His throne, Christ cannot lose His glory and certainly God is not going to die, then everlasting mercy will always be part of His attribute toward us. In fact we read in Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” The “goodness” of point 1 and the “mercy” here will follow us all of our days. It’s everlasting.
3. PRAISE GOD FOR HIS ENDURING TRUTH – On this past Sunday our pastor, Rev. Daniel Harper, brought this truth to our minds by pointing out that God communicates His existence by two different witnesses in Psalm 19: His Creation (vs 1-6) and His Word (vs 7-14). In these last verses God gives 7 terms that are used for the Word of God. One of those is “Fear of the Lord” which is declared “enduring forever.” Of course He used other verses to reinforce this truth such as Luke 21:33 “Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away.”
There are other Scripture that we also use to back up this truth such as: Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withereth the flower fadeth but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” And I Peter 1:25 “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
As we consider these three points out of Psalm 100:5 (1) God’s Goodness (2) God’s Everlasting Mercy (3) God’s Enduring Truth, we see that we have so much for which to praise God. No wonder the Psalmist said in verse 4 “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
Do you regularly come into God’s presence with thanksgiving and praise? This is a good question for you and me to consider today!
That’s my view; how about you?
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
GROWING THROUGH ADVERSITY - Pt 5
James 1: 1-12 “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
I don’t know about you, but I don’t look forward to adversities, but this study gives us a good understanding of how they are used to make us more like our Lord. Paul says in Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things (even adversities) work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
There are two natural ways that most people deal with adversities or trials. (1) They try to ignore them. They try to get in bed, cover up their head and hope it goes away. We all know that it will not go away. There is a reason that adversity came, so trying to imagine that it didn’t happen does not serve its purpose. God wants to accomplish something in the life of the believer and that is not done under the cover. (2) They panic! I have never seen panic solve anything. Verse 3 tells us that one of the purposes is patience and patience in the adversity leads to maturity. That is not accomplished by panic.
IV. THE REWARD OF ADVERSITY – verse 12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
Let me divide what I’m calling “reward” into two categories:
A. Present Rewards
Some may not look at what I’m going to present as rewards, but indulge me if you will. Remember, I’m talking about a person responding to adversity and not reacting to them:
(1) Purified Faith – Faith that is tried comes out stronger when you respond to adversity. In fact, I’m not sure we really know how strong our faith really is without adversity and trials in our lives.
Adam Clark’s Commentary states: “The trying of your faith. Trials put religion, and all the graces of which it is composed to proof; the man that stands in such trials gives proof that his religion is sound, and the evidence afforded to his own mind induces him to take courage, bear patiently, and persevere.”
I think that our true Christianity is put on display, not by what we say, but by how we respond to adversities. Notice Malachi 3:3-4 “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.”
(2) Patience – You may not look at patience as a reward but I bet my wife would look at it as a reward if I learned more of it. This takes time; that’s why panic is not an option. The word patience has the idea of endurance. God has a purpose and that usually is not accomplished over night.
(3) Maturity – In verse 4 we read “. . . that ye may be perfect and entire lacking nothing.” The word “perfect” means “complete; moral character), while “entire” means “complete in every part.”
James is letting us know that when adversity or trials come our way, there is a positive side to these troubles. When we respond to the issues in our lives, there is a process that will eventually result in maturity. I think all of us have a desire to be mature, so we have to let God work and He will bring us out a better person.
Notice Psalm 66:10-12 “For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.”
B. Prospective Reward – verse 12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
I have dealt with the subject matter that adversity or trials reveal the strength of your faith. I think here James is talking about the revelation of the genuineness of a person’s faith. John MacArthur says “What you do through a trial will reveal whether you really believe God and are genuinely saved.”
I have seen many professing believers fall by the wayside in times of adversity. They accuse God of letting them down; not being there when they needed Him; or being a God who didn’t care about their welfare. They walk away never to return. The adversity revealed they were never a child of God.
I want to be a person who responds to trials as they come my way. I’m one of God children and know that He is working things for my good and His glory.
Let’s all let adversity reveal the genuineness of our faith and also purify and strengthen our faith.
That’s my view; how about you?
I don’t know about you, but I don’t look forward to adversities, but this study gives us a good understanding of how they are used to make us more like our Lord. Paul says in Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things (even adversities) work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
There are two natural ways that most people deal with adversities or trials. (1) They try to ignore them. They try to get in bed, cover up their head and hope it goes away. We all know that it will not go away. There is a reason that adversity came, so trying to imagine that it didn’t happen does not serve its purpose. God wants to accomplish something in the life of the believer and that is not done under the cover. (2) They panic! I have never seen panic solve anything. Verse 3 tells us that one of the purposes is patience and patience in the adversity leads to maturity. That is not accomplished by panic.
IV. THE REWARD OF ADVERSITY – verse 12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
Let me divide what I’m calling “reward” into two categories:
A. Present Rewards
Some may not look at what I’m going to present as rewards, but indulge me if you will. Remember, I’m talking about a person responding to adversity and not reacting to them:
(1) Purified Faith – Faith that is tried comes out stronger when you respond to adversity. In fact, I’m not sure we really know how strong our faith really is without adversity and trials in our lives.
Adam Clark’s Commentary states: “The trying of your faith. Trials put religion, and all the graces of which it is composed to proof; the man that stands in such trials gives proof that his religion is sound, and the evidence afforded to his own mind induces him to take courage, bear patiently, and persevere.”
I think that our true Christianity is put on display, not by what we say, but by how we respond to adversities. Notice Malachi 3:3-4 “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.”
(2) Patience – You may not look at patience as a reward but I bet my wife would look at it as a reward if I learned more of it. This takes time; that’s why panic is not an option. The word patience has the idea of endurance. God has a purpose and that usually is not accomplished over night.
(3) Maturity – In verse 4 we read “. . . that ye may be perfect and entire lacking nothing.” The word “perfect” means “complete; moral character), while “entire” means “complete in every part.”
James is letting us know that when adversity or trials come our way, there is a positive side to these troubles. When we respond to the issues in our lives, there is a process that will eventually result in maturity. I think all of us have a desire to be mature, so we have to let God work and He will bring us out a better person.
Notice Psalm 66:10-12 “For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.”
B. Prospective Reward – verse 12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
I have dealt with the subject matter that adversity or trials reveal the strength of your faith. I think here James is talking about the revelation of the genuineness of a person’s faith. John MacArthur says “What you do through a trial will reveal whether you really believe God and are genuinely saved.”
I have seen many professing believers fall by the wayside in times of adversity. They accuse God of letting them down; not being there when they needed Him; or being a God who didn’t care about their welfare. They walk away never to return. The adversity revealed they were never a child of God.
I want to be a person who responds to trials as they come my way. I’m one of God children and know that He is working things for my good and His glory.
Let’s all let adversity reveal the genuineness of our faith and also purify and strengthen our faith.
That’s my view; how about you?
Monday, June 6, 2011
GROWING THROUGH ADVERSITY - Pt 3
James 1: 1-12 “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
I read about a young man who wanted to get into the business of growing peaches. He made the leap and worked very hard. He invested everything he had in a peach orchard. The orchard had blossomed beautifully but then a late frost destroyed his entire crop.
The next Sunday he was absent in church causing his pastor to make a visit to find out why he had been absent. The young man said, “Pastor, I’m not coming to church any more because I just can’t worship a God who cares so little for me that He would let a frost kill all my peaches.” The wise and kind pastor replied, “Son, God loves you better than He loves your peaches. God understands that while peaches can grown without frost, Christians cannot grow without trials. God is in the business of growing Christians; not peaches.”
Let’s think about some reasons why God allows adversities to come into the lives of His children.
II. THE REASON FOR ADVERSITY – Notice verses 3-4 “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
When adversity comes to the believer, he can always know that there’s a divine purpose attached to it. Notice the words “knowing this.” James is saying that he wants us to understand that when trials come they are not by accident and are not without rhyme or reason. God doesn’t work that way. He is sovereign and has a purpose in mind. Notice what adversities produce in the life of the believer.
A. Adversity Purifies Faith – Notice the first part of verse 3 “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith. . .”
The word “trying” speaks of the process in the purifying of precious metals. The picture here is the heating of that metal in order for the impurities to be removed. In his book, “How to Solve Conflicts: A Practical Study of the Book of James” Dr. George Sweeting wrote, “A Christian is like a tea bag. He is not worth much until he has been through hot water.”
The child of God is put into the fire in order to purge his life of all the impurities. An Old Testament character knew this. We read in Job 23:10 “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”
Adversity is often God’s way of bring us to the place of dealing with things that are displeasing to Him. Our lives need to be purified.
There are times when the only way we look up is lying flat on our backs. There are many of us who are so stubborn that God has to take drastic means to get our attention.
B. Adversity Produces Forbearance – Notice verse 3 again “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”
According to Strong’s Greek Dictionary, the word “patience” means “cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: -- enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting).” James is talking about perseverance. He is telling us that one of the ways God makes strong Christians is through trials.
God’s desire is for us to be strong spiritually. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” William Burkitt’s Notes On The New Testament reads, “A Christian, above all men, needs resolution, and a daring courage: if he be possessed with fear, he is unfit to go into the field; if dispirited with strong impressions of danger, how unready for the encounter!”
How does James say that God builds strong believers? He does so by allowing or bringing adversities into our lives.
C. Adversity Permits Finishing – Notice verse 4 “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
It’s interesting to me that James uses the word “perfect” two times in this one verse. The word means “complete or mature.” So in the first place James is saying let “patience” or “forbearance” have its complete work. How many people have you seen that have bailed out when hardships come?
I remember hearing a missionary to the Germans say that he was leaving the mission field because they just couldn’t take the hardships they were going through. I told my wife about it and her response was “where is God in that person’s life?” And she was right. Is God sovereign? Could he have stopped the hardship if He had wanted? Was there a purpose in the hardship? The answer to all of these questions was, “Yes!” God was allowing adversity in his life for a purpose and he ended up going back to the States and getting out of the ministry. He did not allow “patience to have her perfect (or complete) work.”
The last “perfect” in verse 4 talks about the believer being “perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” God wants spiritual maturity in the life of each child of His.
Trials are part of God’s way of helping us mature spiritually.
These are reasons for the believer going through adversity. Adversity is not fun, easy, or without a purpose. God knows what He’s doing and there are good reasons why adversity comes into our life. Let’s allow God to do what He needs to do in our life to bring us to where He can use us.
In next week’s CHALLENGING CONCEPTS we will explore THE REWARDS OF ADVERSITY.
That’s my view; how about you!
I read about a young man who wanted to get into the business of growing peaches. He made the leap and worked very hard. He invested everything he had in a peach orchard. The orchard had blossomed beautifully but then a late frost destroyed his entire crop.
The next Sunday he was absent in church causing his pastor to make a visit to find out why he had been absent. The young man said, “Pastor, I’m not coming to church any more because I just can’t worship a God who cares so little for me that He would let a frost kill all my peaches.” The wise and kind pastor replied, “Son, God loves you better than He loves your peaches. God understands that while peaches can grown without frost, Christians cannot grow without trials. God is in the business of growing Christians; not peaches.”
Let’s think about some reasons why God allows adversities to come into the lives of His children.
II. THE REASON FOR ADVERSITY – Notice verses 3-4 “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
When adversity comes to the believer, he can always know that there’s a divine purpose attached to it. Notice the words “knowing this.” James is saying that he wants us to understand that when trials come they are not by accident and are not without rhyme or reason. God doesn’t work that way. He is sovereign and has a purpose in mind. Notice what adversities produce in the life of the believer.
A. Adversity Purifies Faith – Notice the first part of verse 3 “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith. . .”
The word “trying” speaks of the process in the purifying of precious metals. The picture here is the heating of that metal in order for the impurities to be removed. In his book, “How to Solve Conflicts: A Practical Study of the Book of James” Dr. George Sweeting wrote, “A Christian is like a tea bag. He is not worth much until he has been through hot water.”
The child of God is put into the fire in order to purge his life of all the impurities. An Old Testament character knew this. We read in Job 23:10 “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”
Adversity is often God’s way of bring us to the place of dealing with things that are displeasing to Him. Our lives need to be purified.
There are times when the only way we look up is lying flat on our backs. There are many of us who are so stubborn that God has to take drastic means to get our attention.
B. Adversity Produces Forbearance – Notice verse 3 again “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”
According to Strong’s Greek Dictionary, the word “patience” means “cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: -- enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting).” James is talking about perseverance. He is telling us that one of the ways God makes strong Christians is through trials.
God’s desire is for us to be strong spiritually. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” William Burkitt’s Notes On The New Testament reads, “A Christian, above all men, needs resolution, and a daring courage: if he be possessed with fear, he is unfit to go into the field; if dispirited with strong impressions of danger, how unready for the encounter!”
How does James say that God builds strong believers? He does so by allowing or bringing adversities into our lives.
C. Adversity Permits Finishing – Notice verse 4 “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
It’s interesting to me that James uses the word “perfect” two times in this one verse. The word means “complete or mature.” So in the first place James is saying let “patience” or “forbearance” have its complete work. How many people have you seen that have bailed out when hardships come?
I remember hearing a missionary to the Germans say that he was leaving the mission field because they just couldn’t take the hardships they were going through. I told my wife about it and her response was “where is God in that person’s life?” And she was right. Is God sovereign? Could he have stopped the hardship if He had wanted? Was there a purpose in the hardship? The answer to all of these questions was, “Yes!” God was allowing adversity in his life for a purpose and he ended up going back to the States and getting out of the ministry. He did not allow “patience to have her perfect (or complete) work.”
The last “perfect” in verse 4 talks about the believer being “perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” God wants spiritual maturity in the life of each child of His.
Trials are part of God’s way of helping us mature spiritually.
These are reasons for the believer going through adversity. Adversity is not fun, easy, or without a purpose. God knows what He’s doing and there are good reasons why adversity comes into our life. Let’s allow God to do what He needs to do in our life to bring us to where He can use us.
In next week’s CHALLENGING CONCEPTS we will explore THE REWARDS OF ADVERSITY.
That’s my view; how about you!
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