ONE BAD DECISION: DEATH BY GREED

March 21, 2012 at 9:19 AM (Christian Living, One Bad Decision)
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In the course of a twenty-four hour period we make gobs of decisions. Some of these we make with a serious amount of forethought and prayer. But, if you’re like me, we make many of our decisions spontaneously with little or no thought as to the consequences or impact our decisions will have—not only for ourselves, but also for the many others whose lives are intertwined with  ours.

Have you ever thought much about how a single decision can change your life forever? Sometimes a single decision will change us for the better. And sometimes a single decision will change us for the worse.

In these blog posts I’d like to look at the singular decision that some people in the Bible made that changed their lives forever…for the worse. By looking at ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word it’ll give us reason to stop and think about both the long-term and short-term ramifications of the decisions we make. Lots of forethought and prayer, I’m convinced, will save us from the pain and regret of a hastily-made decision for the worse.

DEATH BY GREED

The forty long years of desert travels have ended. The Israelites have entered the Promised Land. They’ve begun their war of conquest and possession of Canaan land. Jericho has fallen. Next up was the small city of Ai. It wasn’t anywhere near as big as Jericho, so Joshua sent a token force to take the city. To their utter shock and dismay, the small army of Ai routed the Israelites in battle! The Israelites couldn’t believe it! What in the world was going on? Joshua, the General of the Army, was so disheartened by the disaster that he went boo hooing into God’s presence for an explanation.

Turned out, somebody in the army messed up. The rule was, after all the city’s inhabitants were killed, the Israelites could confiscate the spoils of war for themselves. The only exception was the gold and silver, as well as vessels of brass and iron: all these belonged to the Lord and were to be deposited in the Tabernacle Treasury.

While the small Israelite force was busy going house-to-house in combat, one of their soldiers named Achan spotted the spoils of war that were just too enticing for him to pass up. He somehow managed to stop fighting long enough to carry away for himself a splendid Babylonian robe, along with 200 silver shekels and a wedge of gold. Weighted down, he resumed the war. That’s when the invasion started falling apart and the army of Ai started getting the upper hand. The Israelites sounded retreat and they marched back to camp forlornly and ashamed.

Achan hid the forbidden spoils of war in his tent. He knew full well that he had disobeyed the Lord’s orders. Achan coveted and took what rightfully belonged to the Lord. He’d stolen from God. And for this sin, the Israelite army and nation suffered a humiliating national defeat. You can read about it for yourself in Joshua 7.

Well, Achan hid his sin. But God brought it to light. YOU HIDE NOTHING FROM GOD. Achan was eventually discovered as the guilty culprit and the reason for the national defeat. He fessed up. But the confession would not diminish or lighten his sentence. He and his entire family—his wife and children—and everything he possessed, including his flocks and livestock, even his tents, clothes, furniture, and all; were brought to the Valley of Achor. And there the congregation of Israel stoned them to death, Joshua 7:24-26.

Of all the story pictures in the Bible, this one burns brightest and most vividly in my mind. I can picture the scene as Joshua passed judgment. How Achan must have begged and pled for mercy—if not for himself, then for his family. How his wife must have cried and looked frightfully in her husband’s eyes, and screamed, Achan, help me! Don’t let them hurt the children! I can hear the cries of the children as the reality of what was about to happen to them sank in. I can see them struggling and resisting as they were escorted to the Valley. I can see all the animals herded into the valley and all of Achan’s possessions thrown down around him. I can see Achan holding his wife and children close to his body, trying to shield them from the inevitable stones that were soon to fall upon them all. I can hear their cries of anguish and pain as the stones hit their bodies. I can hear the cries of the animals. I can see the blood flowing into the ground. What a terrible way to die! All because Achan was greedy!

If we reckoned the value of the stolen silver and gold by today’s standards, reckoning $32/ounce of silver and $1,665/ounce of gold; a shekel being ½ ounce; then 200 silver shekels and the wedge of gold that Achan stole for himself was worth almost $45,000 in today’s currency. Was it worth it, Achan? You lost your life—you got your wife and children killed—in the most painful and gruesome of ways. For what? $45,000. And you never even got a chance to spend it or enjoy it! Was it worth it? The treasure of wealth that you acquired was not worth the treasure of life and family that you lost. One quick, spontaneous decision made in the heat of battle cost Achan his life and that of his entire family. He died regretting his decision.

Friends, watch what decisions you make spontaneously without deliberation or forethought. WHEN YOU’RE BEING CARNAL, FLESHLY, DISOBEDIENT, OR SINFUL; THAT’S NOT THE TIME TO BE MAKING DECISIONS. Decisions made in this state produce heartache, regret, and sometimes, literally, death as in Achan’s case. James 1:14-15,  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  (15)  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Learn from Achan’s death. Stay out of the Valley of Achor. Get rid of covetousness and greed. You’ll live longer and you’ll be a lot happier without greed. Just ask Achan. From beyond the grave he’ll tell you…No amount of money is worth losing your life or your family. They’re your greatest treasure. Don’t let greed rob you of your treasure. Your life. Your soul.

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BEST DECISION EVER: HANGIN’ AROUND

February 23, 2012 at 5:54 PM (Best Decision Ever, Christian Living)
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In the course of a twenty-four hour period we make gobs of decisions. Some of these we make with a serious amount of forethought and prayer. Others we make spontaneously with little or no thought as to the consequences or impact our decisions will have—not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives are intertwined with ours.

Have you ever thought much about how a single decision can change your life forever? For better or worse?

In these blog posts I’d like to look at the one good decision that some people in the Bible made that changed the course of their life for the better. By looking at ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word I hope we’ll all take comfort, courage, and hope in the fact that, despite the mess we’re presently faced with, we can still turn things around. A lousy past or dismal present doesn’t have to give us the same future. By God’s grace, our future and life can be changed for the better…if we only make the right decision today. May God help us do that on a daily basis!

HANGIN’ AROUND

Many of us are familiar with the trials and triumphs of the apostle Peter. On the night of Jesus’ arrest, just hours prior to that, Jesus prophesied that all His disciples would fail and desert Him that very night (Matthew 26:31). No way!, Peter vowed.  He’d never deny the Lord (Matthew 26:35). He’d rather go to prison and die for Jesus than deny Him (John 13:37). In fact, at that very moment, he was all pumped up and ready to follow Jesus to the very end (Luke 22:33). Come what may, Peter was going to be supremely faithful to his Lord. No way was he ever going to deny the Lord! The poor guy was surely intent on proving the Lord wrong!

But, as surely as the Lord prophesied, Peter and the rest of the disciples all forsook and deserted our Lord that evening. To his credit, however, Peter followed the arresting party to the High Priest’s house and watched from a distance what would become of Jesus. He hid himself, as it were, as he wandered fearfully about the lion’s den. When folks recognized him as one of Jesus’ disciples, Peter would deny the charge, brush his accusers aside, then go to some other dark corner of the courtyard to hide. Alas, when the cock crew, he caught a glance of Jesus just as Jesus turned and looked him straight in the eyes. He’d just denied the Lord thrice, just as Jesus said he would. And with the shameful realization of what he’d just done, Peter left the courtyard and went out into the night, weeping profusely in condemnation and sorrow (Luke 22:62).

I feel so sorry for Peter at that very moment of realization because that’s exactly what I would have done. I’d be so condemned that, apart from God’s grace, I’d have killed myself. There’s no way I could have lived with the guilt and shame of denying my precious Lord. I’d rather die than live with the torments and haunts of my cowardice and guilt.

Honestly, if you were in Peter’s sandals, feeling everything he was feeling, what would you have done that night after you left the High Priest’s house? Some of us would opt for suicide. Others among us would have left the city immediately: no way am I gonna hang around and see my precious Jesus get Himself crucified and killed. That would only be adding infinitely more grief and unbearable guilt to that which were already killing me.

My first thought would be to go back home to Capernaum, my adopted hometown; or back to Bethsaida where I originally came from. But then, on second thought, I’d probably not go anywhere where I’d be recognized as being one of Jesus’ disciples. I couldn’t bear the people’s scorn and ridicule.

No, I’ll buy me a one-way ticket to nowhere where I would be a complete stranger, go on with life, and find a way to live with myself. In any wise, I definitely wouldn’t hang around Jerusalem. I wouldn’t go back to my friends and the other apostles. I just couldn’t handle the shame and guilt that were sure to come from them. No, just let me leave on a jet plane, I’ll not be back again. I’m done. I’m through. I’m all washed up. I’m a has-been. And that’s what I’ll always be.

But to Peter’s credit, he didn’t kill himself or leave. Just like he did at the High Priest’s home, Peter decided to hang around. He stayed put in Jerusalem. Presumably, he was in the crowd of Jesus’ followers who stood afar off at Calvary and watched the agony of Jesus’ crucifixion (Luke 23:49). On Resurrection Sunday when the women found the empty tomb, they hurried back into the city and relayed the news to the eleven apostles (Luke 24:9). Peter was there. And both he and John ran to the empty tomb to ascertain the truth of the women’s incredible report (Luke 24:12). It wasn’t until later that same night when Peter and the other apostles saw Jesus alive for the very first time after His crucifixion (Luke 24:33,36). I’m sure all the disciples were reinvigorated when they saw the risen Lord for themselves. The depression and guilt that hung on their shoulders weighed heavily upon them. I’m so totally sure that they got things right with Jesus and went on to have a fabulous time with the Lord for the remainder of the evening.

Peter, however, was not totally healed or relieved of his guilt—not as far as he was concerned. Just a few days later, he decided to go fishing (John 21:3). The sense in the Greek text of the Scripture is that he was going back to fishing as a livelihood. He was abandoning his apostolic calling and ministry. He was calling it quits. He was walking out on the Lord and the apostles. He was through being an apostle. That’s when the Lord showed up on Galilee’s shores and called him back to the ministry (John 21:15-19). Thankfully, Peter acceded and the rest is history.

Think about Peter’s fiery Pentecostal sermon that resulted in the conversion of thousands of Jews (Acts 2). His bold stance against the the religious leaders in Jerusalem (Acts 3-4). His judgment of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5). By him the first Gentiles were saved (Acts 10). When the apostles questioned his ministry among the Gentiles, it was Peter who convinced them to open the doors of the church to the Gentiles (Acts 11). Peter didn’t stay put in Jerusalem. He went out and became a travelling missionary in Asia Minor. And he wrote a couple of letters that became a permanent part of the Holy Scriptures.

Wow! What an amazing comeback from a guy who sobbed bucket loads of tears, got buried ‘neathe a load of guilt and shame, survived the worst case of self-condemnation and depression, and went on to become a shining light of the early church. Man oh man! What happened to him? What changed him? How did he do it? Here’s the answer. Instead of Peter killing himself or splitting the scene, he decided to hang around town and stay with the rest of the disciples. I’m very sure this was a difficult thing for him to decide and do. It took guts and loads of humility. But he made the decision to stay put. And, in doing so, he put himself in a position where Jesus could crown him the comeback kid.

Have you ever made a mistake that just killed you? Are you tempted to run off and forsake the Lord and the church? Are you wanting to fall into some dark hole and die? Dear friends, look at Peter. Hang tight. Hang tough. Hang around. God’s not done with you. Resurrection Sunday’s coming round for you and Jesus is coming to crown you the next comeback kid. So cry out to God, get back to church, and make this your best decision ever. God bless you and help you be the next comeback kid.

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ONE BAD DECISION: AN AWESOME NIGHT IN BED

February 10, 2012 at 11:31 AM (Christian Living, One Bad Decision)
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In the course of a twenty-four hour period we make gobs of decisions. Some of these we make with a serious amount of forethought and prayer. Others we make spontaneously with little or no thought as to the consequences or impact our decisions will have—not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives are intertwined with  ours.

Have you ever thought much about how a single decision can change your life forever? Sometimes a single decision will change us for the better. And sometimes a single decision will change us for the worse.

In these blog posts I’d like to look at the one bad decision that some people in the Bible made that changed their lives forever…for the worse. By looking at ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word it’ll give us reason to stop and think about both the long-term, and short-term, ramifications of the decisions we make. Lots of forethought and prayer, I’m convinced, will save us from the pain and regret of a hastily-made decision for the worse.

AN AWESOME NIGHT IN BED

King David was a mighty warrior, a brilliant General and superb military strategist. The nations of the earth trembled at his military prowess and victories. He restored a sense of national pride to Israel that had been lost during the long, dark period of the Judges. So, quite understandably, the King was very well respected and revered as a national hero. A living legend.

The winter rains had stopped. Spring was here. The flowers were in bloom. The fruit trees were blossoming. The water-logged fields were now dry. The ground could once again support the trampling of soldiers’ feet, chariot wheels, armament carts, and the countless horses of the cavaliers. It was that time of year when kings would go to war. And it was a time of war in Israel.

But the good King David, on this one particular occasion, chose to stay back in Jerusalem. Instead, he let his top General by the name of Joab lead the Israelite army into battle.

2 Samuel 11:1, In the spring, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, his mercenaries, and Israel’s army to war. They destroyed the Ammonites and attacked Rabbah, while David stayed in Jerusalem.

As it turned out, unbeknownst to the good King, this decision to stay back in Jerusalem and not lead his army into battle would change his life forever. It was the beginning of troubles that would dog him for many years to come.

2 Samuel 11:2, Now, when evening came, David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the royal palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, and she was very pretty.

I don’t know how much you young ladies and single sisters know about the effect you have on men—on any man—whether they’re young and single, or old and married. But when a man sees the naked body of a woman it makes most men go berserk. It’d be comical if it weren’t so tragic. Seeing a woman’s skin (or her privates) makes a man do dumb, stupid, sinful things. And that’s exactly what King David did. He fetched the woman, laid with her, and had the most fantastic, memorable night with her in bed.

2 Samuel 11:3-4, David sent someone to ask about the woman. The man said, “She’s Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hittite.”  (4)  So David sent messengers and took her. She came to him, and he went to bed with her. (She had just cleansed herself after her monthly period.) Then she went home.

The only problem with having such a wonderful night in bed is, (and don’t you just hate it!), night always ends and morning invariably, unstoppably, comes. In David’s case, morning came soon enough. Bathsheba had to go home. And David had to figure out how he was going to cover up his mischief.

2 Samuel 11:5-11, The woman had become pregnant. So she sent someone to tell David that she was pregnant.  (6)  Then David sent a messenger to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David.  (7)  When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab and the troops were and how the war was going.  (8)  “Go home,” David said to Uriah, “and wash your feet.” Uriah left the royal palace, and the king sent a present to him.  (9)  But Uriah slept at the entrance of the royal palace among his superior’s mercenaries. He didn’t go home.  (10)  When they told David, “Uriah didn’t go home,” David asked Uriah, “Didn’t you just come from a journey? Why didn’t you go home?”  (11)  Uriah answered David, “The ark and the army of Israel and Judah are in temporary shelters, and my commander Joab and Your Majesty’s mercenaries are living in the field. Should I then go to my house to eat and drink and go to bed with my wife? I solemnly swear, as sure as you’re living, I won’t do this!”

Well, David’s cover up didn’t go as planned. Uriah refused to go home and sleep with his wife. Bathsheba’s pregnant and Uriah’s gonna know that he’s not the father of the child. So David gets himself into more trouble. He comes up with a devious plan to steal this married woman away from her husband and get her for himself.

To make a long story short, he commanded General Joab to take his soldiers and this woman’s  husband,  who  happened to be a soldier, to the front lines. Once there, the army was to retreat, leaving Uriah by himself at the front line to fight the enemy by himself.

Well, you know what happened. Uriah got killed. And David got himself a new wife! How happy he must have been on his wedding day! There’d be many more memorable nights in bed! I can almost hear the King shouting Yahoooooo!, as he skipped gleefully throughout the Royal Palace.

But what David did was wrong. Sin has consequences. And when you choose to sin you automatically, unavoidably, choose to suffer sin’s consequences. You don’t choose what these consequences are. The only choice you have is to sin or not sin. And when you choose to sin, you’ve chosen to suffer the troubles and heartaches that sin brings. Unbeknownst to David while he lay with Bathsheba in bed, there’d be consequences he’d have to suffer.

God sent the prophet Nathan to David. What David hid, God brought to light. David thought he could get away with sin. But he got caught. You’ll always get caught! God misses no one! David had sown his wild oats. Now it was time for him to pay up. 

2 Samuel 12:7b-12, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: I anointed you king over Israel and rescued you from Saul.  (8)  I gave you your master Saul’s house and his wives. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if this weren’t enough, I would have given you even more.  (9)  Why did you despise my word by doing what I considered evil? You had Uriah the Hittite killed in battle. You took his wife as your wife. You used the Ammonites to kill him.  (10)  So warfare will never leave your house because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.  (11)  “This is what the Lord says: I will stir up trouble against you within your own household, and before your own eyes I will take your wives and give them to someone close to you. He will go to bed with your wives in broad daylight.  (12) You did this secretly, but I will make this happen in broad daylight in front of all Israel.”

All that the Lord prophesied through Nathan the prophet came to pass. David brought civil war upon himself and the nation. And, to top it all off, the baby conceived in sin died (2 Samuel 12:14-18).

So the decision to stay in Jerusalem and not go to war with the rest of the army led David into adultery. Adultery led to lying. Then murder. A just and honorable warrior was killed. A woman sinned against husband. Then lost him. An innocent baby died. And the heretofore strong Israelite nation was subsequently weakened by civil strife. David’s sin not only affected him and Bathsheba, but it affected the entire nation! It’s amazing how ONE DECISION–JUST ONE!–CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER AND AFFECT THE LIVES OF SO MANY OTHERS.

Brethren, don’t be hasty or short-sighted about the decisions you make. Think. Pray. Make the right decision. God’s decision. It’ll save you a heap of trouble, pain, and regret. And your future will definitely be brighter! God bless you and keep you from making a bad decision.

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GETTING UP WHEN YOU’RE DOWN: DEALING WITH DISCOURAGEMENT PART 8

November 23, 2011 at 11:22 AM (Discouragement)

A MINDSET OF GRATITUDE AND A MOUTH OF REJOICING

BE THANKFUL!  Rising above discouragement, in the final place, requires you to keep on the positive side of life. Get your eyes and mind off of the bad things that are happening to you. Learn to be thankful. Look for things to be thankful about. Write them down. I guarantee you’ll be amazed at how many things you’ve got to be thankful for. It’ll revolutionize your perspective on life.

SING! Once you’re thankful, open your mouth and praise God for all His blessings on your life. Sing out loud. Let the Lord and the Devil hear your song. The Devil hates to hear you singing and praising God. He hates it so much that he can’t stand it. It drives him nuts. And best of all, it drive him away. The Devil just can’t stand to be in the presence of singing, rejoicing saints. That’s one reason why he won’t be in Heaven. He can’t stand to hear God’s people praising God. So if you want the Devil to leave you alone, just open your mouth and sing.

USE THE SWORD! Do you remember how Jesus beat the Devil in His wilderness temptations? Jesus quoted him the Word and the Word shut him up. When the Devil talks to you and tries to get you depressed, discouraged, or grumbling; just quote him the Word. It’s the sword of the Spirit that wounds him (Ephesians 6:17). You’ll be hurting him so bad that he won’t be talking back to you a whole lot. He’ll have to leave you so that he can tend to his wounds. Get your Bible out. Read and write down, or memorize, the verses that really mean a lot to you, especially the ones that speak to your situation. Then when the Devil comes around, get out the sword of the Spirit and let him have it.

To help you get started, here are some promises that you can recite or confess.

  • I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Phil. 4:13).
  • God is working in me, both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13).
  • He who hath begun a good work in me will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6).
  • The Lord will perfect  (complete) that which concerneth me (Psa. 138:8).
  • His grace is sufficient for me (2 Cor. 12:9).
  • The power of Christ resteth upon me (2 Cor. 12:9).
  •  He will not allow me to be tested beyond my ability to endure (1 Cor. 10:13).
  • He will make a way of escape, whereby I am able to endure it (1 Cor. 10:13).
  • Nothing and no one is able to pluck me out of my Father’s hands John 10:29).
  • Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).
  • Thanks be to God who always causeth me to triumph in Christ (1 Cor. 2:14).
  • I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from mine enemies (Psa. 18:3).
  • Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered (Psa. 68:1).
  • In due season I shall reap, if I faint not (Gal. 6:9).
  • Whatsoever I desire, when I pray and believe, I shall have it (Mark 11:24).
  •  As I have believed, let it be done unto me (Matt. 8:13).

What more shall I say and where do the promises and comforts of Scripture end? By confessing promises like these, I hope you’re beginning to see that the promises are an immense source of comfort to you. As you get in the Word and meditate on the Word, you’ll find yourself getting your faith, your courage, your joy, and your song, back. These things can’t help but happen when you’re in God’s presence and you listen to what God has to say to you.

KEEP FOCUSED ON GOD INSTEAD OF YOUR TRIALS! Instead of keeping your eyes focused on what’s happening, go back to Calvary. Look at what Christ has done for you. Look at all He’s promised to do for you. Brethren, keep your eyes focused on the promise and let the promise ever draw you onward.

GOD KEEPS HIS WORD! While the way was indeed tough and trying for the Israelites, nevertheless, in the end, God kept His promise to them.  He brought them into the promised land. The Israelites made it. The journey was not in vain! Though it came with much trials and anguish, the Israelites eventually had what God said they could and would have. Canaan became their home and inheritance.

In much the same way, brethren, remember that God has made you a promise. He not only promised to give you something or do something for you: He also said you would have it, you would receive it, you would experience and enjoy it. In other words, you’ll live to see the day when your prayer is answered. My friends, though the journey has been forty years and has involved a lot of trials and anguish of soul, continue to believe and walk on because Ye shall have it. Let the promise of possession keep you moving forward. You’ll not only get the answer, but more importantly, you’ll make it in this walk to journey’s end. My friend, with God by your side and Christ’s power resting on you, you shall make it! May God bless you and walk with you every step of the journey.

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GETTING UP WHEN YOU’RE DOWN: DEALING WITH DISCOURAGEMENT PART 7

November 16, 2011 at 11:26 AM (Discouragement)

GETTING UP AND FIGHTING BACK

When the way gets tough and discouraging you’ve got to fight back and endure. Instead of resigning yourself to what’s going on and wallowing deeper and deeper into self-pity, murmuring and discouragement; you’ve got to do something good for yourself and that is fight back and endure.

(A)  A True Perspective Of Discouragement.  Most people tend to see discouragement in terms of what’s going on around them and what’s happening to them: they look at the way life is going and because life isn’t going very well at the moment, they get discouraged.  While these things that are happening to you cannot be denied, you must nevertheless get a fresh or a true perspective of discouragement and see discouragement not so much in terms of people, situations, or the Lord’s demands; but rather, in terms of Satan coming against you, attacking you, discouraging you, and trying to get you to quit.

Satan is using what’s happening to you–he’s working through it all–to get you to quit the journey and give up on the Lord: “The Lord’s way is just too hard! The Lord is just too unreasonable!”  And if the devil can’t get you to quit, he’ll at least try to get you to have lousy attitudes and start criticizing and complaining. Why? Because Satan knows that a bad attitude and a bad mouth will get you into trouble with God (i.e. the fiery serpents of God’s chastisement). And when you get into trouble with God, the potential is there for you to get even more discouraged, thus increasing the likelihood of you giving up on the Lord. Discouragement, I am saying, is a spiritual warfare. Satan is out to get your soul!

(B)  A Time To Fight Back.  Viewed in this light, discouragement is not a time for self-pity, but rather, a time to fight back and fight for your life. I’m talking about fighting the devil back and resisting those spirits of self-pity, discouragement, despair, criticism, complaining, and any others that might be coming against you. Quit feeling sorry for yourself! Take authority over these demons and command them to cease their activity against you and go in the Name of Jesus. Instead of listening to them tell you how rotten God, Christianity and the Church are; refuse to listen to them, control your mind and what you think on, and keep your mind under the blood of Jesus. Friend, you’ve got to quit listening to the devil!  Quit listening to his lies! Instead of letting the devil hang around to talk to you some more, command him to go away in the Name of Jesus.

You’ve not only got to take authority over the devil and your mind: you’ve also got to take authority over your emotions. Discouragement is an emotion common to all human beings. You’ve got to fight back and refuse to get discouraged over what’s happening to you: tell yourself you’re not going to feel that way and stop yourself when you begin to feel discouraged. It’s a real discipline and it takes a lot of work, I know. But then, working to stay alive has always involved a lot of work.

Ask a climber trapped high atop a mountain, or a camper lost in a vast wilderness; ask a survivor trapped underneath the rubble of a building, or a soldier in the midst of war. It’s a fight to stay alive when you’re being threatened with death. Overcoming discouragement is a fight: it takes work. And no one can do it for you but you yourself.

Whenever my mind and emotions begin to get the best of me, I always come back to Philippians 4:6,7. First, I pray and commit my need to the Lord (verse 6), then I claim and confess the promise of verse 7: And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (my) heart and mind through Christ Jesus. Brethren, take your discouragements to the Lord and claim His peace.

(C)  A Time To Go To The Lord For Refreshing. When the way becomes too hard and tiresome, my friends, go into the presence of the Lord and seek His refreshing and renewing strength. Instead of getting bitter and angry at God for allowing all these things to come upon you, go to God and ask God for grace and mercy and strength.

God’s way may be hard and demanding, but He’s promised to give you strength for the way: He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. (30) Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: (31) But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:29-31).

In other words, if you’re faint and weary, you can go to God for the strength to go on. And when God’s done with you, you’ll have the strength, you’ll have the courage, you’ll have the umph to go on: you shall run, you shall walk–without getting weary or faint. You say you’re discouraged and can’t go on? You don’t want to go on? Dear friend, go to God and you’ll get the want-go back!

When bad things are happening to you, you can go to God not only for strength, but also for wisdom as to how to handle a particular situation that’s troubling or discouraging you.

  • When the Israelites were ready to stone Moses because there was no water to drink, what did Moses do? He went to the Lord and asked for wisdom. And God, in turn, showed Moses what to do (Exodus 17:3-6).
  • When the Israelites were defeated at the battle of Ai, Joshua went to the Lord with his “Why, Lord?”  And God, in turn, showed Joshua what the problem was (Joshua 7:5-13).
  • When the Amalekites invaded Ziklag and took the women and children of Israel captive, David’s men talked about stoning him; they blamed him for what happened. And what did David do? He went before God’s presence and encouraged himself in the Lord. And God, in turn, showed David what to do (1 Samuel 30:3-8).
  • When Hezekiah received troubling news about his pending death, he cried out to God for mercy. And God, in turn, answered his cry and gave him an additional fifteen years to live (2 Kings 20:1-6).

In these and many instances, the great men of God went into God’s presence to seek His wisdom, counsel, and courage concerning the troubling things that happened to them. Brethren, it works the same way for you. When trouble strikes or threatens, go to God and let God direct and encourage you.

And while you’re in God’s presence, don’t forget to pray in tongues. You build up, edify, and strengthen yourself as you pray in the Holy Ghost. You may not understand how it works–the important thing is, it works!  As you do it more and more, I think you’ll find that praying in tongues is a really good way to get your mind off of the troubles: it helps you put things in proper perspective.

(D)  A Time To Concentrate On Enduring.  When discouraging things are happening to you, that’s not the time for criticism or complaining. Rather, it’s the time to die out, overcome, obey the Lord, and endure the trial or hardship. While it’s certain that tough things are happening to you or around you, I can’t help but feel that there’s bad things going on inside of you–bad things like,

  • you’re not wanting to go through the trial–that’s why you’re discouraged!
  • you’re not wanting to do what God is telling you to do–that’s why you’re discouraged!
  • you’re not dying out to people who are mistreating you or causing you some grief and hardship–that’s why you’re discouraged!
  • you’re not crucifying, putting away, and repenting of some lousy attitudes–that’s why you’re discouraged!

Brethren, when the way gets tough and discouraging, that’s the time to concentrate your efforts on enduring. What all is involved in enduring?

  • Instead of resisting the trial, submit to it. Concentrate on letting the trial do the work the Lord wants it to do in you.
  • Instead of resisting the persecution, face it and submit to it. Concentrate on letting the likeness and life of Christ shine through you. Determine to be Christ like in the way you respond to your persecutors.
  • Instead of running from what God wants you to do, die out to Self and obey the Lord. Get rid of the lusts, fears, or attitudes that are hindering and preventing you from obeying the Lord.
  • Instead of resenting and despising the Word of the Lord, admit the unscripturalness of your present opinions or beliefs and give them up. Concentrate on taking God at His Word and accepting what He has said in His Word as the ultimate standard of everything you believe.
  • Get rid of lousy attitudes. God, through the hardships of life, is exposing these   attitudes that have got to go. Concentrate on getting your attitudes right.
  • Take control of your tongue and keep it from complaining. Concentrate on learning to face life’s trials and hardships without complaining.

I’d like to say a final word on enduring by saying that enduring the trials and hardships of life means you endure them non-resistantly, without retaliating against those who are causing you so much grief. Human nature being what it is, it’s so easy to start thinking of ways to get even with the people who did you wrong; you start devising ways to repay them, you wish and pray that bad things would happen to them. This, brethren, is not the spirit of Christ (Luke 9:51-56). If there’s any retaliating or judging to be done, let God do it–that’s His business, not yours.

When Moses asked the king of Edom if the Israelites could pass through his land, the king’s refusal was most unkind and unjustified–especially considering the fact that the Israelites were his brethren and relatives. In many respects, the king’s refusal and insistence in this matter was the cause of the Israelites’ complaints and discouragement. But the Lord would not allow them to take revenge against the Edomites: Meddle not with them (Deuteronomy 2:5). This word ‘meddle’ means ‘to stir up strife or to engage oneself in strife against another’. In other words, the Lord forbade His people from antagonizing or going to war with the Edomites.

Brethren, what other people have done to you is, without question, unkind, unjustified, and unchristian; what they have done has truly caused you much anguish and trouble. But the unjustifiableness of their conduct does not justify vengeance on your part; you are still under Christ’s command to recompense to no man evil for evil…Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath (Rom. 12:17,19).  Learn, my brethren, to love, do good, forgive, and forget. You can’t be Christ-like without that.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, The 8th And Final Installment. Here is the key that will keep you above ground. With it, you can lock the door to the pit of discouragement and depression forever. You definitely want to be here.

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GETTING UP WHEN YOU’RE DOWN: DEALING WITH DISCOURAGEMENT PART 6

November 9, 2011 at 9:59 AM (Discouragement)

When the way becomes nothing but one big trial, one big problem, and you find no refreshing oasis or manna from Heaven; this, beloved, is not the way to the promised land. When you know nothing but unanswered prayers, this, beloved, is not the promise God made us. When you walk on without the blessings and provisions of God, this, beloved, is not the way of God. The way of God is the thirst and the oasis, the hunger and the manna, the lack and the provision, the judgments and the deliverance, the weariness and the rest, the warfare and the victory.

  • Matthew 21:22  And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
  • Mark 11:24  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
  • 1 Corinthians 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
  • 2 Corinthians 1:3-5  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; (4) Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (5) For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
  • 2 Corinthians 12:9-10  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (literally, weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities (literally, weaknesses), in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
  • Galatians 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
  • Hebrews 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. (Not ‘might receive’ as if to express uncertainty or doubt about receiving the promise; but rather, ‘may receive’, expressing the assurance  and certainty of receiving–conditioned upon enduring.)

God not only makes promises: He keeps them. He gives answers to prayer. God not only promises trials: He gives grace, comfort and encouragement to endure them. He makes a way of escape. He provides deliverance. When the way you tread becomes nothing but one big trial without provision, deliverance, help, or answers–this is not the Lord’s way, nor is it the Lord’s doing. And it behooves you to stop and ask yourself why things are going the way they’re going.

You say you’re discouraged because the way is so hard and nothing’s going right. Brethren, could it be nothing’s going right because you’re on the wrong way? Could it be you’re to blame, you’re doing something wrong? When things are constantly going wrong for you and nothing seems to be working, here are some probable reasons you should consider.

1. DIVINE CHASTISEMENT. When you do something wrong (i.e. sin), God deals with you through the convicting work of the Spirit speaking a word of rebuke to you. At other times, He deals with you through chastisement.

Chastisement takes on many forms and the one we normally think of is physical, or bodily, sickness. One of the purposes of chastisement is God calling your attention to the fact that you sinned, you need to repent and deal with the problem. Sometimes, if you’re hardheaded enough, you’ll refuse to admit you’ve sinned; you won’t take care of the problem. Consequently, the chastisement drags on. Hence, the discouragement.

Brethren, could it be that the healing hasn’t come yet because you’ve not repented? Instead of finding fault with God, you need to be honest with yourself, face up to the sin, and repent. As with the children of Israel, no confession or repentance, no brazen serpent or healing.

2. SPIRITUAL OPPRESSION.  Some problems are a matter of oppression. One telltale indicator of oppression is, the problem is incessant and recurring; it’s a continual thing with no lasting relief.  For example, if you’re plagued with constant ear aches, you may be dealing with an hereditary sort of oppression working in your ancestors and family. At the very least, you might want to seek the Lord about coming against a spirit of infirmity relating to the ears.

One thing’s for sure. When the Lord heals, He heals. The problem is taken care of. This doesn’t mean there aren’t any more trials related to that healing. Satan in all likelihood will try to put the infirmity back on you. But as you resist him and refuse to accept the symptoms, the symptoms eventually go. What I’m saying is, when the Lord heals you of heart disease, you don’t live with constant, recurring heart disease. Being healed means you don’t have the disease; you don’t live with the disease or its symptoms. And if you continue to have the disease, then you ought to seek the Lord about an here-to-fore unknown matter of oppression.

You’re discouraged because the healing hasn’t come yet; you’re still experiencing the symptoms. Brethren, it could be a matter of deliverance from oppression. In some instances, the healing isn’t manifested until you’ve first of all gone through deliverance from oppression.

3. FAILURE TO FIGHT. When the Devil’s working you over, he’ll continue to do it as long as you let him do it. He won’t stop until you make him stop. How do you make him stop? You get out of that hole in the ground, stand up to him, and fight him. James 4:7 tells you to resist the devil, and he will flee from you. His flight requires your fight. In the Devil’s temptations of Jesus in Matthew 4, the Devil tempted Jesus three times and every time he tried to get Jesus to sin, our Lord resisted him and the Devil eventually gave up and left Him. The spiritual battles ended when Jesus fought. They ended because He fought.

The classic example of suffering continual harassment is in the story of David and Goliath (read 1 Samuel 17). For forty days Goliath kept taunting the Israelites because none of the Israelites had the guts to come out, stand up to him, and fight him. As long as they stayed in their foxholes, Goliath kept demoralizing them day after day for forty long days. What made Goliath quit his taunts? David came out to the battlefield one day and silenced Goliath’s big mouth. The fight ended when David fought.

Brethren, as long as you cower in the foxhole of fear and doubt, the Devil will keep coming at you. He’ll keep on beating you up. He’ll keep on robbing you blind. Because you’re letting him do it. He won’t stop until you set your fears aside, get out of the foxhole, come face to face with him, and fight him in Jesus’ Name. I know some battles are prolonged because the Devil doesn’t give up easily. But as long as you’re fighting him, he’ll eventually tire of the battle and leave. You’ll get your victory. But if you’re not fighting, then that’s why the battle is prolonged. And that’s why you’re discouraged.

4. SOWING & REAPING.  Some of your problems or sufferings in life may be the result of personal irresponsibility and neglect on your part. This is known as the law of sowing and reaping: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.(8) For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting (Galatians 6:7,8).

  • For example, if the children are pretty destructive and they do a good job tearing up the house, it might be a spirit of destruction involved. But then, it could also be the fact that you aren’t training or disciplining your children well. If you don’t teach them to not jump on the furniture, they will jump on the furniture and break them. If you don’t teach them to not throw things in the house, they will throw things and get things broken. Children will do what they are allowed to do. They will do what they are not taught  to do. The lack of instruction and discipline always shows up in the children’s behavior and conduct.
  • If you battle constant tooth aches, chances are, you’re reaping the consequences of eating too much sugar.
  • If you go outdoors in the winter without your coat on, chances are, you’ll come down with the colds and cough.

Do you see what I’m saying? The troubles you’re facing in life may well be the harvest of your misconduct or irresponsibility: the fault is no one else’s but your own. You’re reaping what you’ve sown.

Now just because you’re reaping what you’ve sown doesn’t mean you can’t ask God to help you get the problem remedied. God can heal the tooth aches, He can deliver the kids from their destructive ways. Despite the failures of the past, the problems can still be resolved: they don’t have to go on, you’re not cursed or doomed to live with the consequences of past lifestyles or actions (read Joel 2).

But you’re going to have to change: be moderate or temperate in your use of sugar; diligently teach and discipline your children concerning proper conduct in the house. It takes more than just the prayer of faith to get the answers to your prayer: the answers involve you doing your part. What is your part? Obeying the Lord. In the examples we cited, obeying the Lord means bearing the fruit of the Spirit called temperance or self-control: it means driving foolishness out of the hearts of your children by using the rod on them.

Brethren, the reason why things are going wrong with you is because you might well be doing something wrong. You’re reaping the harvest of neglect or irresponsibility. Things won’t change until you do.

5. THE UNCRUCIFIED LIFE.  Some problems in life are persistent because self is not being crucified on a daily, or continual, basis. The uncrucified self spells problems.

  • For example, you’re discouraged because people let you down. But if you just die out and learn to be more understanding and patient and forgiving, discouragement would not be the problem that it is.
  • You’re discouraged because things didn’t go the way you wanted them to go. But if you just die out and trust that God is in sovereign control of the situation–He knows what He’s doing–then you wouldn’t be discouraged because you’re believing that all things do work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose.
  • You’re discouraged because Satan is really giving you a hard time, tempting you, appealing to your lustful desire, making it really hard for you to go on or keep pure. But if you just die out and get rid of the lust, the temptations concerning that lust will eventually quit.

You live in an imperfect, sinful world. Life now is not a Utopia. Things go wrong, they wear out, they break down. Stores run out of things you need and want, restaurants close earlier than you want them to close, offices aren’t opened during the week end. People at times will disappoint you and hurt you, Christians aren’t angels, and even strong, spiritual Christians don’t always do a good job of overcoming and dying out.

Above all, as a child of God, you can’t have it your own way: God doesn’t ask for your opinion or permission. He doesn’t do things your way.  This isn’t a Heaven-on-earth.  As long as you live in an imperfect world, there will always be some sort of problem you’ll run across. And if you aren’t on your cross dying out, the problem tends to be magnified and it breeds more problems. The answer is to die out, overcome evil with good, and rejoice in life’s tribulations and problems.

The way, I have said, is a way that’s paved with trials and tribulations. But it’s also paved with God’s blessings and goodness and answers to prayer. There’s rest and renewing along the way: life’s sorrows are tempered with life’s joys, life’s miseries are balanced with life’s miracles. In other words, God’s way is not one big trial! If your journey is filled with troubles–with no rest or relief in sight–then you’re on the wrong road, you’re doing something wrong, and it behooves you to stop, find out what you’re doing wrong, then get things right. The answer for discouragement is to make what’s wrong, right.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 7. Now comes the nuts-n-bolts of getting up out of that hole in the ground. I’ll be giving you some practical things you can do to get up and stay up. It’s going to be good, so don’t miss out.

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GETTING UP WHEN YOU’RE DOWN: DEALING WITH DISCOURAGEMENT PART 5

November 2, 2011 at 9:58 AM (Discouragement)

2. WHEN THE WAY GETS TOUGH AND DISCOURAGING, PRAY!  Like the Israelites, we complain whenever we go through trials and troubles. We don’t like sufferings and pain. And when the troubles linger and bad news continue to pour in, we get discouraged, depressed, and we give up on God and life.

Brethren, when life gets tough you need to pray instead of complain. Pray about what? For one thing, you can pray and ask God to help you not complain. To help you be thankful. To help you see the good in everything that’s bad around you. To help you see things from a different perspective. From God’s own perspective.

3. GET A FRESH PERSPECTIVE OF THE WAY. When the way gets tough and discouraging, the answer, my friends, is to get a fresh perspective of the Christian life. You see, one reason why people get discouraged when life becomes one big trial and frustration is because they have mistaken notions of the way.

This was the problem that many of the Israelites had. Many of them wanted the desert journey to be trial-and-trouble-free: “Moses, we just came out of one big trial in Egypt. Please, no more trials!”  And while the people longed for the promised land of peace and plenty, I think many of them forgot that it wasn’t going to be easy getting there: there was a vast wilderness desert to walk through first.  Although they were traveling in a desert land, they nevertheless wanted to have in the desert what they had in Egypt. I’m talking about the fishes, onions, garlic, and an abundant water supply.  They didn’t have Egypt’s provisions in the desert. They left one kind of trial in Egypt (slavery) and walked into another trial in the desert (deprivation). This is the reason why they complained a lot. The present way through the desert involved too many trials! Apparently, they thought that when they left Egypt, there would be no more trials.

A. The Way Is a Way of Trial & Tribulation. Have you, like the Israelites, forgotten that you’re in a desert journey to the promised land? Don’t you know that the way you’re in is a way that’s paved with trials and tribulations? Acts 14:22 tells us we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Not just tribulation, but much. A lot of it. We are like sheep destined for the slaughter (Romans 8:36). We are appointed unto the suffering of trial and tribulation (1 Thessalonians 3:4). Brethren, the way is hard and trying. And if you’re expecting life to be a whole lot easier, trial-and-trouble-free, free from the narrow and rigorous demands of faith and holiness, a little Heaven on Earth; then it’s no wonder you’re discouraged! Life isn’t going your way. It isn’t going the way you want or expect it to go. The truth of the matter is, it won’t. Life for the Christian will go the one way God ordained for it to go and that’s around the land of Edom, through the pathway of much tribulation.

B. A Distorted View Of Egypt & The World.  The problem, all too often, is people forget what life in Egypt was really like. They look at the present trials and hardships of the way, then look back and see what an easier life they had in Egypt; they reminisce on all the fun and good times they had back then. And when they get to comparing the present to the past, the comparison and memories of the past adds fuel to the discouragement.

But the fond memories of the past are a one-sided picture of Egypt fraught with distortion.

  • So you don’t like having a Moses around to tell you what to do? You want to live and do as you please? Just remember. You had Pharaoh back there in Egypt who told you what to do. He didn’t let you live and do as you pleased. You were his slave and you had to do what he told you to do.
  • So you don’t like the trials you’re going through? You think life should be a whole lot easier on you? Just remember. You had trials in Egypt too! You seem to forget about the taskmasters who whipped and beat you when you didn’t show up for work or when you didn’t do as much work as they wanted you to do. Have you forgotten the beatings?
  • So you lack water in the desert. Big deal! You lacked straw in Egypt (Exodus 5).
  • So you had the fish and onions in Egypt. But if life in Egypt was so good and dear to you, why did you end up leaving? You seem to have forgotten that you got so sick and tired of Egypt. You cried out to God to save you and get you out of there.
  • You say the desert is one big trial and threat to life. How many of your brethren and ancestors did Egypt kill? Brethren, you’ve got to remember that as hard as the present way may be, life in Egypt was harder yet: it was what caused you to leave Egypt in the first place.

C. The Way Is A Way Of Blessing, Provision, & Answers To Prayer.  To this point, we’ve been saying that if the way has become a matter of complaint and discouragement to you, you need to get a fresh perspective of the Christian life. You’re on a journey to the promised land. You’re not yet in the promised land. The desert is not the promised land. Being in a desert means there will be desert trials and tribulations to go through.

Having said all that, we need to say in the same breath that the Lord provides for the care and well-being of His people. He gave water and manna to His people. Not one of three million Israelites died in the desert of hunger or thirst! None! He led them with the pillar of cloud and fire so that they would know the way to go. He protected them from their enemies and gave them victory in war against the Amalekites, Canaanites, Midianites, and more. They walked for forty years, yet their clothes did not wear out, neither did their feet swell (Deuteronomy 8:4). There was not one feeble person in their midst (Psalm 105:37).

Yes, there were judgments of God upon them and thousands of them died. But they died because they messed up, not God. But even in the midst of judgment, God provided deliverance for the millions who survived: the intercessions of Moses brought forgiveness; the censers of incense  stayed the plague; and the brazen serpent  quenched the venom of fiery serpents.

The way, I am saying, was hard. But God proved His love and mercies over and over again: He led them, provided for them, forgave them, healed them, preserved them. While the way was hard, God gave them His blessings and mercies to help them walk the way. Here are some verses you can look up. Exodus 16:35, Joshua 23:14, and Nehemiah 9:19-21.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 6. If life has been one big headache and heartache for you and you’ve not known God’s blessings or provisions, then something is very wrong with this picture. Stay tuned and watch God get things back into focus.

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GETTING UP WHEN YOU’RE DOWN: DEALING WITH DISCOURAGEMENT PART 4

October 26, 2011 at 9:22 AM (Discouragement)

RISING ABOVE DISCOURAGEMENT

Having gone through the valleys and dark nights of discouragement, all of us should know by now that discouragement is a killer. It kills as it slowly takes our strength, our joy, our courage and faith, away from us. Brethren, it is this knowledge of what discouragement does that must prompt us all to put discouragement far from us. We must resist it and rise above it when the way gets hard and Satan decides he wants to walk with us and talk to us about the hardness of God’s ways.

It’s always easier not to resist or do anything about what’s bothering us. But the more we let discouragement work, and the longer we allow ourselves to be discouraged, the harder it is to rise above it. Why is that? Because we get weaker and more apathetic with each passing hour and with each passing day. It’s hard to do something when you’re too weak to do it and when you don’t even care about doing it. The time to deal with discouragement is now! Let’s nip it in the bud before the venom of fiery serpents takes its toll.

l. DELIVERANCE, HEALING, AND A NEW LEASE ON LIFE BEGIN WITH REPENTANCE.  The first thing you need to do when you’re discouraged is repent for the moaning and bellyaching you’ve done. In all likelihood, if you’re discouraged, you’ve done some of that. You’ve let the Lord and other people know how you feel about the hardness or unreasonableness of this Christian life.

If you read our Scripture text carefully, you’ll see that the Israelites didn’t complain to God. They complained to Moses. But in God’s sight, complaining to Moses was the same thing as complaining to God Himself: And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread (Num. 21:5).

When the Lord chastised them and brought them to repentance, the people admitted they had spoken or complained against the Lord: Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee (Num. 21:7a). While the people complained to Moses, God saw them as complaining to Him. When the Lord dealt with them about it, the people saw their sin and action from God’s perspective. They saw it the same way God saw it: “When we complained to Moses we were also complaining to the Lord!”  Friends, you need to know that when you complain about the hardness of God’s ways, you’re automatically complaining to the Lord. That’s the way the Lord sees it and that’s the way you’ll eventually see it when the fiery serpents start biting.

Now there’s no doubt the way is hard. The children of Israel had to go around the land of Edom. They had to go through barren desert land. There was nothing imaginary or made-up about the people’s circumstances or about the people’s complaints. What the people were complaining about was true! The way was hard!  But JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE VALID, LEGITIMATE THINGS TO COMPLAIN ABOUT DOESN’T MEAN YOU SHOULD COMPLAIN. IT DOESN’T MAKE COMPLAINING RIGHT.

Brethren, the hardness of the Christian life should not be made a matter of complaint! Why? Because complaining doesn’t do any good. I’m wondering if I can just stop here and let these last five words sink fully into our heart: complaining doesn’t do any good! To the contrary, it makes matters worse and it gets you into trouble with God. When the way got tough, the people complained: And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. (5a) And the people spake against God, and against Moses (Num. 21:4,5a).

  • Now notice that when the people complained about the way, their complaints did not make the way easier. In fact, the way got harder because the people now had to deal with fiery serpents crawling and biting all over the place.
  • When the people complained about their trials, their complaints did not stop or take away their trials. Their complaints brought on more trials (really, chastisement) and these added trials-so-called were even deadlier than the trials that they were already going through with water and food. Their added trials killed many of them.
  • The people’s complaints did not change God’s mind about the way He had chosen for them to go. When God heard their complaints He did not change His mind about the detour around the land of Edom. God stuck to His way. He did not make it easier for the people, He did not choose an easier way.
  • The people’s complaints did not stop them from going the way God wanted them to go. Even though it was harder, more inconvenient, and more time- consuming, God wanted them to go around the land of Edom. That’s the way He led them and that’s the way they went. Their bellyaching did not stop them from going through the trial: they still had to go through it.
  • The only way the people could get out of having to go God’s way was death. Those who didn’t like God’s way and who didn’t repent of their complaining ended up not going God’s way. They died.

The people’s complaints, I am saying, didn’t do them any good. It didn’t help them. When God dealt with them about their complaints, the people had only one choice: either repent or die.

When we complain today because of the hardness or unreasonableness of the way and of the Word, the choice is not as clear-cut because there aren’t any literal fiery serpents around to kill us. We can complain and still live through it: God doesn’t strike us dead. And because He doesn’t strike us dead, that makes it easier for us to go on ahead and complain without giving much thought about the need to repent. No serpents, no confession. No chastisement, no repentance.

You see, it was the chastisement of fiery serpents that brought the people to repentance. If God hadn’t sent the serpents, they would have kept up their complaints. But the serpents brought their complaints to an end: it brought them to confession and repentance of sin.

Brethren, just because God hasn’t sent you the serpents yet doesn’t mean it’s alright for you to keep on complaining about God’s way; just because God’s hand of chastisement hasn’t got ahold of you yet doesn’t mean you don’t need to repent. Friends, now is the time to repent. Do you need serpents before you will repent?  Complain all you want–complaining will not do you any good!

Notice in the text of Scripture that WHEN THE WAY GOT TOUGH, IT GOT EVEN TOUGHER WHEN THE PEOPLE COMPLAINED ABOUT IT. People started dying all over the place because of the serpents. However, it was repentance that brought the bellyaching to an end: it was repentance that brought healing and a new lease on life. When the people repented, God saved them from death.

Brethren, when the way gets tough and you don’t feel like it’s right, you don’t feel like going on, the answer is not to complain. If you do complain, then you need to know that you stand in need of repentance. Without repentance, you, like the Israelites, will ultimately die. The easy way will kill you (Matthew 7:13).Your faithlessness will kill you  (Hebrews 4:11).Your departure from God and His truth will kill you (1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Peter 3:17).

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 5. I’ll continue to show you how you can get up when you’re down. The cool thing is, it really isn’t that hard—not if you have a mind to get up and enjoy life again. You’re not doing it alone: God will help you. Check in next time for a lift.

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GETTING UP WHEN YOU’RE DOWN: DEALING WITH DISCOURAGEMENT PART 3

October 19, 2011 at 8:59 AM (Discouragement)

THE DANGERS AND CONSEQUENCES OF DISCOURAGEMENT

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3. DISCOURAGEMENT LEADS TO MURMURING.  Discouragement, despair, and self-pity eventually lead to murmuring. You look around at what’s happening to you. You don’t like it. It’s hurting or adversely affecting you. So what do you do? Like the Israelites, you blame God! And the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. (5) And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread (Numbers 21:4,5). It’s all God’s fault! God’s wrong for allowing the trial. He’s wrong for letting the trial go this far. This long. He’s wrong for not answering our prayers.  He’s wrong for not making matters any better. He’s wrong for making life so hard. God’s wrong!

The purpose or advantage of making such accusations against God is it puts all the blame and responsibility on God. You can drop out of the race, you can walk out of the furnace, you can leave the Lord and the church; blaming God and maintaining your rightness and innocence. It’s all God’s fault. And as long as it’s God’s fault, you’re not to blame. You’re not wrong!  So, with this summary judgment, you do whatever you want to do, you go wherever you want to go, without shouldering any guilt or responsibility. It isn’t your fault!

4. DISCOURAGEMENT TAKES YOU BACK.  When you fear for your life and welfare (this desert walk will kill me!), you’ll do what you must to try and preserve it. You see, the Israelites were in a barren desert land with very little food and water. It didn’t look too good for them. The desert didn’t look too promising. There wasn’t much hope that the desert would feed them and quench their thirst. If you read through the entire wilderness narrative (Exodus & Numbers), you’ll find that most of the Israelites’ complaints had to do with food and water: they complained about the desert’s threat to their physical well-being. In a word, they feared for their lives.

Brethren, you’re not in a literal desert. But often times, this life with all its trials is every bit like a desert. And you can get to fearing for your life. How is this trial going to end?  Pondering on the way, it doesn’t look too good and it doesn’t look like it’s going to end well for you. So what do you do? You try to preserve your life and insure your safety or well-being. How do you do that? You quit walking with the Lord, you leave the church, and you go back to Egypt.

For some, (1) Egypt is the world and the freedom to do whatever they want to do. The freedom to be lustful and live for the flesh. (2) For others, Egypt is the false religious systems of man that allow you to believe whatever you want to believe; live however you want to live; without getting any flack or conviction about it. No laws. No rules. God doesn’t really want anything from you. He doesn’t expect you to do anything for Him. All He wants is for you to believe Him and if you do that, you’ll go to Heaven. (3) For still others, Egypt is a no-man’s-land, a barren wilderness. They’re not in the world, they’re not in church. They stay at home, to themselves and go nowhere, spiritually speaking. It’s called spiritual stagnancy, complacency, and lukewarmness.

5. DISCOURAGEMENT KILLS YOU! If you don’t get rid of discouragement, discouragement will ultimately kill you in a spiritual way. It’ll kill you in Egypt. It’ll kill you in compromise and delusion. It’ll kill you in complacency and apathy. Discouragement kills!

Like many of the Israelites, the desert journey ended in death. When the way got tough, the people became discouraged. In their discouragement, they complained and let their tongue run loose against God and against their God-chosen leader. And their complaining, in turn, ended in death: And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died (Numbers 21:6). The Lord didn’t allow His people to complain and get away with it. He dealt with it.

Brethren, you can’t complain, criticize and find fault with God and His ways and get away with it. God will deal with you about it. And when that happens, it isn’t very pleasant. God doesn’t take too kindly to your complaints. The way may be hard and discouraging; there may be lots of things to complain about. But considering God’s provision thus far, His miracle of manna and water out of rocks, His many answers to your prayers, and His preservation of your life and soul to date; you really have nothing to complain about! You have no business finding fault with God! That kind of conduct can only lead to your demise in the desert. So you’re not happy with the way things are going? My friends, watch out! Fiery serpents are close at hand.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 4. When you’re down and out, what can you do to get up and going again? You don’t want to miss this next blog. Come on by and, instead of letting the Devil bury you, we’ll get you out of the hole and bury him instead.

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GETTING UP WHEN YOU’RE DOWN: DEALING WITH DISCOURAGEMENT PART 2

October 12, 2011 at 10:55 AM (Discouragement)

DEFINITION OF DISCOURAGEMENT

Webster defines discouragement as the state of being disheartened or dispirited, not having courage or hope. The word is synonymous with depression, dejection, and hopelessness.

In the Hebrew, the word discourage (qâtsar) basically means ‘short’ and it’s used figuratively to denote being short of courage, patience, or endurance. The idea here in Numbers is one of utter discouragement: the people did not like the way. They were worn out. They had reached the limits of their endurance.

THE REASON AND CAUSE FOR DISCOURAGEMENT

Why did the people become discouraged? They became discouraged because of the way: And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way, Numbers 21:4. They had to go around the land of Edom. The way was long and the land was arid. They didn’t like the inconvenience the Edomites  put them through. So they became discouraged.

It’s not different for us today. Like the Israelites, we become discouraged because of the way. We don’t like the way things are going. We don’t like the trials we’re in. We don’t like what’s happening to us. Things aren’t going the way we want them to go. Our prayers aren’t getting answered fast enough. If at all. We’re tired of the inconveniences and frustrations that are all too common in the way. The journey’s too hard. The way is too narrow. God’s got too many laws or requirements: His standards and demands are just too lofty, too idealistic, no one can live it. There’s so much opposition to us–and it’s even coming from our relatives, our brethren–the Edomites. It’s getting too lonely. We’ve lost too many of the brethren. We’ve got no friends.  The manna we’re getting every day or every week is supernatural, fresh from Heaven. But we’re used to it. We’ve had so much of it that we’ve come to despise it. It’s getting old. We’re tired of the same old manna, the same old message, the same old Word. We want something different. Something easier. Something less convicting or demanding. We’ve walked enough! We’ve suffered enough! We’ve had enough! We’re discouraged because of the way. And as a result, we find fault with God.

The cause of discouragement is painfully simple: it’s Self. We’re discouraged because things aren’t going our way: they aren’t going the way we would like for them to go. The Lord isn’t doing it the way we want Him to do it: the preacher isn’t preaching what we want him to preach; the message and walk aren’t what we want them to be. We’re not getting our way; we’re not having it our way. And because we’re not dying out to our own way, problems arise. Brethren, the Lord is talking to us in this hour about the need for us to die out to our own way. Have we gotten the message yet? Are we dying out yet? If not, then that’s the reason why we’re discouraged.

THE DANGERS AND CONSEQUENCES OF DISCOURAGEMENT

It’s easy to become discouraged, especially when there are so many discouraging things going on and too many discouraging things happening. And while it’s easy to give in to discouragement, seldom, if ever, do we take the time to consider beforehand what happens to us when we become discouraged.

If people knew there was a bomb in the plane, they wouldn’t fly that plane. If they knew a barge had damaged the bridge, they wouldn’t drive over that bridge. If they knew the salesman was dishonest, they wouldn’t have done business with him.  Do you see what I mean? Knowledge of danger or wrong keeps us from plunging headlong into trouble.

And by the same token, it’s easy to rush into something when we don’t know what lies ahead and don’t see the dangers involved. Brethren, discouragement has its dangers. There are risks involved when we give in to discouragement. And if we had the foresight, I would like to believe we’d think twice and not be too quick about giving in to discouragement. So what happens when we become discouraged?

1. DISCOURAGEMENT WEAKENS US.  One of the most harmful things discouragement does to us is it weakens us. Discouragement affects our spirit. It controls our spirit. Hence, it affects and controls our whole outlook on life: it affects and controls our attitudes and the way we respond to life’s problems or situations. Like a serpent coiled about its victim, discouragement saps all the life, joy, hope, and enthusiasm out of us. It drains us of all our spiritual energies. It weakens us. It causes us to become weary and tired. It robs us of the strength, motivation, or willingness to endure the trial, fight the war, run the race, and finish it.

Beloved, spiritual weariness is Satan’s tactic of the hour. It’s what he’s doing most against those of us who have committed ourselves to the Lord. Do you know why Satan’s fighting hard to discourage us? Because when a person is tired, he doesn’t do anything. He doesn’t care anymore. He doesn’t care about anything. He’s deaf and apathetic towards everything else. He can’t do anything. He doesn’t want to do anything. All he wants is rest. He just wants to be left alone so that he can get some rest.

And it’s the same way in the spiritual realm. When you become weary in spirit, you don’t care about anyone or anything. You don’t care anymore. And because you don’t care, it’s very hard for anyone to reach out and minister to you. You don’t hear, you don’t listen, because you don’t care. Nothing matters to you. Nothing concerns you. You aren’t interested. You’re tired. You can’t go on. You just want to be left alone. And when people won’t leave you alone, if the problems don’t stop, you get ugly and mean. It’s like you become another person.

2. DISCOURAGEMENT LEADS TO DESPAIR. It is the nature and work of discouragement to breed despair. When you’re discouraged and you don’t take care of it, you eventually become a very despairing person without faith or courage or hope. You see, discouragement is often what happens when you allow your senses to go uncontrolled. You look at the way, you look at the journey ahead, you look at the trials today, you let your mind reason any old way it wants to. And the result is, you become discouraged because of the way. Discouragement, I am saying, is a product of uncontrolled senses.

When you look at how bad things are going, two things invariably result. First, you despair. You’re so busy looking at the giants and Goliaths that you lose sight of God, you forget what God can do. You don’t see any remedies. You see no door of escape. Hope fades, my friend, when your vision is blurred. WHEN YOU GET YOUR EYES ON CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU LOSE SIGHT OF GOD. AND WHEN YOU LOSE SIGHT OF GOD, YOU LOSE COURAGE, HOPE, AND FAITH. That’s the way it always is! You lose courage, hope and faith when you get your eyes off of God. As a result, because you’ve got no courage or faith, you don’t do anything. You don’t rise up and fight back. You sit still and let the Devil run ram shod all over you. You resign yourself to “whatever will be, will be.”  Little do you realize that with God and with faith, whatever will be, won’t be.

And a second thing that happens when you let your senses wander is self-pity. You look at all the bad things that are happening to you and you get to pitying yourself. You feel sorry for yourself because it doesn’t look too good for you. You become a very self-centered person.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 3. More on the things discouragement does to you. It’s such a sad picture that you just don’t want to have anything to do with discouragement. It’ll motivate you to get out of that hole in the ground and look at the sunshine of God’s love and power.

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