Gaylord Diaz's Blog

FAITH-FORTIFYING FACTS: GOD IS TRUE PART 3

July 9, 2010 at 8:17 AM (Faith, Getting/Increasing)

A Word By Way Of Introduction. This blog post is the third and final installment of a faith message relating to God’s truthfulness. If you haven’t read the two preceding installments I encourage you to do that now since the present post builds upon the truths contained in the previous posts.

WHAT IS TRUE CANNOT BE MADE UNTRUE

SOMETHING THAT’S TRUE CANNOT BE MADE UNTRUE. For example, a glass of water is a glass of water. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says: their words can’t change the fact that this is indeed a glass of water. The book that’s on my desk is a book. It doesn’t matter how hard you try to convince me it’s a piano: your words can’t change the fact that this is indeed a book. Jesus Christ rose from the dead. It doesn’t matter what the chief priests said: their arguments to the contrary can’t change the fact that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead. Do you understand what I’m trying to say? Something that’s true cannot be made untrue.

Now there are indeed a couple of things that can make something, something else. Take a glass of water for an example. Through a miracle or magic, this glass of water can be turned into something else. Jesus, you will remember, turned water into wine. Through a miracle of God, Moses’ rod turned into a living serpent. Some things, you see, can be changed or turned into something else. But until that change takes place, the glass of water is a glass of water, not wine. As long as Moses’ rod is a rod, it’s not a serpent.

Now when it comes to the truth, my friends, THERE IS NO MAGIC OR MIRACLE THAT CAN TURN GOD’S TRUTH INTO SOMETHING THAT’S UNTRUE.

God Himself can’t do it, He has no such miracle, because God can’t say anything that’s untrue. He is a God of truth and without iniquity (Deuteronomy 32:4).
Satan and men—be they believers or deceivers—can’t change God’s truth into falsehood because the Word itself cannot be changed. Isaiah 40:8 tells us, The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Psalm 119:89 reads, For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. It cannot be changed! The Word will remain unchanged forever! There will never come a time or a miracle or a magic when the Word that’s true forever will be changed into a Word that’s false and untrue. O sure, men and the Devil can say that God’s Word isn’t true. In fact, they say it all the time. But, brethren, their saying it doesn’t make it so. You can tell me all you want that this travel mug isn’t a travel mug. But all your arguments won’t convince me because this travel mug remains what it is–a travel mug. Do you see what I mean? No matter what men, demons, and circumstances say, God’s Word remains the same. It can’t be changed!

What’s true, you see, can’t be made untrue. Now it’s really important for you to comprehend and accept this fact because it will anchor your faith against the storms of doubt that will surely come your way. You see, there are many in our day who, either intentionally or unknowingly, cause us to doubt the truth of God’s Word by their loud and insistent arguments. They say that faith doesn’t always work, miracles aren’t for today, the promises don’t apply to us today, prayers aren’t always answered. What is it, brethren, that inspires people to make these serious claims and try to get us to quit believing in God’s promise?

Some people don’t believe God’s promise because of the convincing arguments of men. “If it’s God’s will to heal every disease, how do you explain the fact that many saints of God who asked Him for healing live their lives diseased and infirmed? How do you explain the death of many who were believing God to heal them? Disease and death prove that sickness, like healing, is also God’s will.” The argument sounds good. But it flat out contradicts God’s Word in Psalm 103:3, He healeth all thy diseases. Deuteronomy 7:15a echoes the refrain, The Lord will take away from thee all sickness. God, brethren, told us what to do when we get seriously sick: Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; {15} And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him (James 5:14-15). Brethren, is God’s Word true or not? There are all sorts of good arguments that explain away the truth of God’s Word. But if God’s Word is true, as it surely is, can anything–including a good argument–make it untrue? Let’s go back to my travel mug for an example. We can argue for hours about whether or not this is really a travel mug. The arguments we have may sound good. But do you know what? As good as our arguments may be, our arguments won’t change the fact that this travel mug is indeed a travel mug. OUR ARGUMENTS, YOU SEE, DON’T, AND CAN’T, CHANGE WHAT’S TRUE. Brethren, when it comes to God and His Word, NOBODY’S ARGUMENTS, NO MATTER HOW GOOD OR CONVINCING, CAN CHANGE GOD’S TRUTH AND MAKE IT UNTRUE. What’s true is true. The truth cannot be changed!
Others don’t believe God’s promise because of wrong results. They didn’t get healed. The baby died. The divorce went through. The money didn’t come in. They didn’t get what they were supposedly believing God for. Things didn’t happen as they expected. Things didn’t turn out the way they were supposed to turn out. For these people, wrong results make the promises of God’s Word untrue. Brethren, what’s true cannot be made untrue. SOMETHING THAT’S TRUE CANNOT BE FALSE AT THE SAME TIME. IT’S EITHER TRUE OR FALSE. AND IF IT’S TRUE, IT CAN’T BE FALSE, NOR CAN IT BE PROVEN OR SHOWN TO BE FALSE. There are explanations for wrong results. I wish I could preach that sermon now, but I don’t want to get off the beaten path. When everything is said and done, WRONG RESULTS CAN NEVER MAKE WHAT’S TRUE, UNTRUE. THEY CAN NEVER MAKE GOD’S WORD A LIE, NOR CAN THEY MAKE GOD HIMSELF A LIAR.

For others, death changes the truth of God’s promise and renders it untrue. A brother or sister was believing God for healing, but they died. For their survivors and friends, death is the proof that faith doesn’t always work. Hobart Freeman was a faith teacher. Many who believed his message of faith regarded it as true and scriptural. But when he died, his death somehow made the message no longer true. Brethren, did Moses’ death change the Law that he gave? Did Jesus’ death change the Gospel that He preached? When the apostles died did their death change the truth of the Epistles that they wrote? If something is true, how can death make it untrue?
For others, the popularity of a message makes it true. And when a lot of people disbelieve and reject the message, then this somehow makes the message no longer true. Because not many people believe in the message of faith, including the promise of Divine healing, then somehow this makes the message of faith false. “What’s rejected and persecuted can’t be true!” Beloved, that’s absurd. Has it ever occurred to you that people will reject a message for the precise reason that it’s true? Paul prophesied in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; {4} And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. A lot of people don’t want the truth. That is, God’s truth. The only truth they embrace is whatever truth they believe is the real truth. They themselves, not God, determine what the truth really is. Sadly, the truth as it is popularly regarded is nothing more than what the Bible calls the fables of men. Tales. Fiction. Myths. But not truth. The great majority of people on this Earth don’t believe in God, that is, the Judeo-Christian God. Does this mean there isn’t a God? Most people don’t believe Jesus is the Son of God. Does this mean He isn’t the Son of God? Jesus was vastly outnumbered in Pilate’s court and just about everyone shouted for His crucifixion. Did the people’s rejection of Him mean He wasn’t the Messiah? In all this, numbers and popularity or persecution can’t make what’s true, untrue. WHAT’S TRUE REMAINS TRUE, EVEN WHEN NO ONE BELIEVES IT AND EVEN WHEN EVERYBODY REJECTS IT .

CONCLUSION

Make no mistake, beloved. The Devil is launching a full-scale assault against your faith because he doesn’t want you to believe, follow, and serve the living God. The Devil is doing today what he did to our forbears at the start of human history. Do you remember what he said and did in the Garden of Eden? He questioned God’s veracity, then proceeded to convince Eve that what God said really was not true (Genesis 3:1-5). Sadly, Eve believed him, she rejected God’s truth, embraced the lie, and ever since then, we all without exception have paid dearly for her unbelief and disobedience. A lie, brethren, doesn’t minister life. It kills. It’s not good for you. It may look good. It may sound good. But, truth be told, it’s not good for you.

Friends, the truths of God’s Word will keep you anchored in the time of trial and temptation. But the only way they’ll do that is if you continue to believe God and His Word. As you affirm your faith in the fact that all of God’s promises are true, that God is always faithful; your faith will hold and God’s Word—indeed, His very presence and grace—will help you weather the war and emerge the victor over Satan’s lies. Beloved, never question the truth of God’s Word. Question it if you must. But let your inquiry always lead you to an affirmation that God’s Word is true because God Himself is true. He cannot, He will not, lie. Keep on believing the Word. The trial will soon be passed and you will find out once again, as you’ve found out many times before, that God keeps His promise, Ye shall have it! With God nothing is impossible! Nothing shall be impossible to you who believe. Take heart and be of good courage, my friends. For I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me (Acts 27:25). May God bless and strengthen you with these words of truth and encouragement.

FAITH-FORTIFYING FACTS: GOD IS TRUE PART 2

June 28, 2010 at 8:10 AM (Faith, Getting/Increasing)

A Word By Way Of Introduction. This is the second installment of a post relating to God’s truthfulness. It shows how God’s truthfulness can dramatically inspire and strengthen your faith in Scripture and in God Himself. If you haven’t read the first installment yet, you may want to do that now since the following post builds on the one previously given.

WHATEVER CONTRADICTS THE TRUTH ISN’T TRUE

Truth is one. I have a travel mug in my hand. It’s a travel mug, not a binder or a book. Now there are many truths about this travel mug. For example, it’s made of stainless steel, it’s got a black handle, and it’s made by Thermos. But the bottom line is, it’s still a travel mug—not a lawn chair or mower. Truth, you see, is one.

Now two opposite, or contradictory, things cannot both be true at the same time. For example, the pen that I hold in my hand is a pen: it can’t be a fly swatter. The Bible on my desk is a Bible: it can’t be a lawn mower. I am a man: I can’t be a woman. You see, what’s true is true and WHATEVER CONTRADICTS THE TRUTH CAN’T BE TRUE. Why? Because two opposite, or contradictory, things cannot both be true. Why? Because truth is one. Now since the Bible is true, then we must understand that WHATEVER CONTRADICTS THE BIBLE ISN’T TRUE. It’s a lie.

Since God said He would heal all of your diseases (Psalm 103:3), then it’s wrong for you to believe that God won’t heal every last one of your diseases. I know we all have an appointment with death if Jesus doesn’t come back in our lifetime. But if it’s not your time to die, then God’s promise of healing applies to whatever sickness or disease you’re going through right now. Since He said the prayer of faith would heal the sick and not kill them (James 5:14-15), then it’s wrong for you to believe that your prayer of faith won’t heal you. Since He said He would raise you up (James 5:14-15), then it’s wrong for you to believe you’ll die or be diseased for the rest of your life.
Since God said He would forgive all your iniquities (Psalm 103:3), then it’s wrong for you to believe that God won’t forgive you for whatever it is you’ve done. Naturally, you’ve got to confess your sin to God and repent of it in order to be forgiven (2 Chronicles 7:14, 1 John 1:9). If you’ve done that, then you need to know that there is no sin–except the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost–that God cannot, and will not, forgive (Matthew 12:31-32). YOUR SIN, MY FRIEND, IS NOT BEYOND GOD’S DESIRE AND WILL TO FORGIVE. God wants to forgive you!
Since God said there’s nothing too hard for Him to do (Jeremiah 32:17), then it’s wrong for you to believe that God can’t possibly do anything to help you in this situation or that. NO MATTER WHAT YOUR SITUATION IS, YOU WILL NEVER FIND GOD UTTERLY HELPLESS OR USELESS! Luke 18:27 assures us that the things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

You see, God says one thing and you say another that’s completely different and contradictory to what God says. Now BOTH YOU AND GOD CAN’T BE TRUE AT THE SAME TIME. ONE OF YOU HAS TO BE WRONG. YOU BOTH CAN’T BE RIGHT. Since God is true and cannot lie, then what He says is true. I hate to have to be the one to tell you, and I really mean no disrespect, but whenever you contradict God you’re the one who’s wrong!

I know that might be hard for you to accept because you believe you’re right. But have you ever been in a situation where you thought you were right, you were convinced you were right, but later found out you were wrong? There were times when I thought my bank made a mistake on my bank statement and I’d go in and talk to the bank about it. Do you know what? The bank was always right! I thought for sure I was right, but I was wrong. The point is, you can think you’re right. But friends, WHENEVER YOU CONTRADICT THE LORD YOU’RE NEVER RIGHT! You always come out the loser and the liar because God is always right. If He weren’t, He wouldn’t be God.

Since whatever contradicts the truth can’t be true, then two things just don’t matter. (1) First, it doesn’t matter who’s contradicting the truth. It may be the Devil or a skeptic, a Christian or a heathen, the smartest man alive or the ablest scientist and theologian around. It doesn’t matter who’s saying something that contradicts the Word. WHOEVER CONTRADICTS THE WORD IS WRONG! Romans 3:4 declares let God be true, but every man a liar. Brethren, WHOEVER’S CONTRADICTING GOD IS A LIAR. Settle that in your heart right now. It doesn’t matter who he is, what his name is, or what his credentials are. Whoever contradicts God is a liar. Beloved, the truth of God will bring peace, confidence, and faith to your troubled, doubting soul only as you resolve in your heart that GOD IS ALWAYS RIGHT AND WHOEVER’S CONTRADICTING HIM IS ALWAYS WRONG. Friends, don’t let the identity of an individual make you think he’s right in what he’s saying. He might be very logical, the proofs may be very convincing. But the bottom line is, he and God can’t both be right. One of them has to be wrong. GOD, BRETHREN, IS NEVER WRONG! You can quote me on that.

(2) Since whatever contradicts the truth can’t be true, then a second thing that just doesn’t matter is the contrary circumstances or evidence that seem to be resounding proof of the falseness of God’s promise or Word. The physical symptoms may linger. The unsaved loved one may still hate you and the Lord. The geological evidence may point to an Earth that’s billions of years old. And the anthropological evidence may point to man being millions of years old and sharing a common ancestry with monkeys. Despite the glaring and convincing circumstances, WHATEVER CONTRADICTS THE BIBLE IS FALSE! Brethren, it may be a real temptation to believe the circumstances or symptoms. But YOU DON’T GROW STRONG AND SETTLED IN FAITH BY BELIEVING THINGS THAT DON’T LINE UP WITH GOD’S WORD.

Here’s a case in point. When God promised Abraham a son, Abraham believed God for something that was, in the natural, impossible and unnatural. He was ninety-nine years old, Sarah his wife was ninety (Genesis 17). Besides that, she was barren! But Abraham believed God. He didn’t waver in the faith that he and Sarah would have a son. Do you know why he didn’t waver in faith? Because he chose to believe God’s Word, not the circumstances. Now get this. The circumstances of his age, her age, and her barrenness, were all very real. The obstacles to the promise becoming a reality were not imaginary They were very much real. They were facts that were beyond argumentation or debate. Which is to say, God does, at times, say things that defy human logic and contradict the worst and most impossible of circumstances. THE SEVERITY OF YOUR TRIAL, SYMPTOMS, OR CIRCUMSTANCES, DEAR FRIENDS, DOESN’T STOP GOD FROM MAKING YOU A PROMISE OF HEALING, HELP, OR DELIVERANCE. I know I’m straying from my point, but I believe some of you needed to hear what I just said. Anyways, back to my point. Even though the facts were real, Abraham chose to stick with what God said. Romans 4:19-21 reads, And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: {20} He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; {21} And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Friends, YOUR FAITH IN GOD BECOMES STRONG ONLY AS YOU STICK WITH GOD’S WORD. You see, we all have a choice as to who we’re going to believe: what God says or what the Devil says; what the symptoms tell you or what the Scriptures tell you. No matter how convincing the circumstances or logic may be, stay with God’s Word because GOD’S WORD IS ALWAYS TRUE. What God said will eventually come to pass, He’ll make good on His Word, because He cannot promise something and then not fulfill it—not as long as you’re believing. God, my friends, is not a liar. IF HE MADE YOU A PROMISE HE’LL COME THROUGH ON IT AND KEEP IT. How do I know that? Because God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should change his mind: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? I didn’t make this up. The verse is Numbers 23:19 if you want to look it up for yourself. The point is, God’s Word is true. Stick with it through thick and thin and you’ll see for yourself just how true it really is. With the passage of time and your faithful endurance, you’ll see for yourself just how true it always is.

Drop by for another visit on the net next week. I’ll be posting my third and final blog of this series relating to God’s truthfulness. I promise you it’ll be a third, doubt-crushing, faith-fortifying dose of encouragement from God’s Word. Until then, God bless. Keep on believing God. And be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me (Acts 27:25).

FAITH-FORTIFYING FACTS: GOD IS TRUE PART 1

June 22, 2010 at 7:39 AM (Faith, Getting/Increasing)

A Word of Introduction. Psalm 62:8 exhorts us to trust in God at all times. Unfortunately, that’s not always easy to do, especially when the circumstances are frightfully contrary. When you’ve got the Devil perched on your shoulders, giving you all sorts of reasons why God doesn’t expect you to trust Him in this particular situation, trusting God becomes especially harder. Some will trust God anyway, but will waver and falter in faith as the symptoms linger and worsen and there seems to be no answer or miracle in sight. Enduring by faith has never been easy. Yet, it’s what God called us to do and it’s an integral part of receiving answers to prayer (Hebrews 10:35-36). I know of what I speak because I’m going through a physical trial right now that, in the natural, is a life-ending trial. After a month and a half of believing God for healing, I had to stop, get alone with God, and see if God really wanted to heal me or take me. Well, God met with me and made it unmistakably clear to me that this wasn’t my time to die. So I’m back to believing God for healing and, day by day, I’m feeling finer and finer because God is faithful to His Word. He said He’d heal me. I believe it. And that settles it…despite what Satan and the symptoms say. If you’re sick and infirmed right now, I’d like for you to know that our God is a Healer (Exodus 15:26) and there’s no sickness or disease that’s too hard, or impossible, for Him to heal (see Luke 1:37). All things are still possible if you believe (Mark 9:23). I’d like to share with you some of the biblical truths that have been of immense comfort to me in my storm-tossed, dark nights of trial. These truths strengthen and increase faith. They help us trust God and endure by faith. If you need prayer or counsel, please leave a comment at the end of this post. I’d be honored to pray for you and fight the Devil on your behalf.

GOD DOESN’T LIE!

The first faith-fortifying fact that I’d like to share with you is the fact that our God is true. The God we serve, brethren, is a God of truth. Deuteronomy 32:4 reads, He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. Now when the Bible says God is a God of truth this means there is no lie, no falsehood, no deceit, no hypocrisy, in Him.

When it says God is without iniquity this means God doesn’t sin. He can’t do anything that’s sinful or wrong. Lying, you see, is wrong. In fact, the ninth commandment is a prohibition against lying (Exodus 20:16). Saying something that’s false and untrue is sin. It’s iniquity. Therefore, when the Bible says that God is without iniquity, among the many things this means is, God doesn’t lie. Brethren, God would never lie to you, to me, or to anyone else! He can’t because He’s a God of truth and there’s no sin or iniquity in Him. None whatsoever! If God lied just once, to only one individual in all of human history, He wouldn’t be a God of truth. You see, one lie is all it would take for God to become a sinful, untruthful God (see James 2:10). So when the Bible tells us that our God is without iniquity we can rest assured that our God has never lied to any one individual. He has never lied. Not even once! After thousands of years of human history, with billions of people passing through the stage of time, God will not break His perfect track record and lie to you now.

Hebrews 6:18 goes on to tell us that it’s impossible for God to lie. It’s interesting to note that in all of Scripture the word ‘impossible’ is used only one time with respect to God. And the one thing that’s impossible for God to do is lie. Brethren, what does ‘impossible’ mean? It means it can’t be done. God can’t say anything that’s wrong, false, or untrue. Do you know why? Because it’s impossible for Him to lie! The thing that I want you to understand quite clearly about God’s Word and His many promises, is this: if it wasn’t true, God wouldn’t have said it. Brethren, God would never say anything that isn’t true. He can’t. Do you know why? Because it’s utterly impossible for Him to lie.

Everything God Says Is True! Because God can’t say anything that’s wrong or untrue, then this means that everything God says is true. The Bible, which is God’s spoken Word written down on paper, is true. Men are always calling into question God’s Word and finding things they claim are wrong or untrue. But the fact of the matter is, God is true. And since He cannot lie, then everything He says is true. Psalm 119:160 reads, Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. 2 Timothy 3:16 goes on to say, All scripture is given by inspiration of God. God Himself was in charge of the writing of Scripture. He told the writers of Scripture what He wanted them to write down and everything they wrote down is true. Why? Because it’s what God told them to write. Now if God can’t say anything wrong, then it should be obvious to all that what God said in Scripture is true. Everything He said in Scripture is true. There’s not one false statement or promise in Scripture.

Jesus told us something that I find very interesting in John 14:1-2. He said, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. {2a} In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. You see, Jesus doesn’t say anything that’s false or untrue. If He was lying to us He would tell us outrightly that He was lying. Listen to what Jesus said: If it were not so, I would have told you. What would He have told us? He would have told us that what He said to us was not so or was not true. You see, brethren, Jesus doesn’t lie. And if ever He lies, He would tell us He was lying. Now did Jesus ever tell us He was lying? Did He ever tell us that something in the Bible wasn’t true? Not at all! In fact, 1 John 3:5 tells us that in Him is no sin. In other words, Jesus never sinned. He never lied. Which is to say, every verse, every prophecy, every warning, and every promise, written in Scripture is true. Brethren, you will not find one word in Scripture that isn’t true!

Because every verse in the Bible is true, then you can take God at His Word. You see, brethren, you don’t have to wonder if what God said is true. There is absolutely no reason or cause for you to doubt the truthfulness of God’s Word. It’s true because He said it. If it wasn’t true, it wouldn’t be in the Bible. The very fact that a statement or promise is found written in the Bible is it’s own proof that the statement or promise is true.

For example, God said He wouldn’t allow you to be tried beyond your ability to endure (1 Corinthians 10:13). Because this is true, then whatever you’re going through right now is endurable. You can go through, and endure, whatever it is you’re faced with. If you couldn’t, God wouldn’t have allowed the trial to come upon you in the first place. You wouldn’t be going through it right now. I know there are times when it seems there’s no possible way for you to endure the trial. The rest of us have been there too. And the thing we’ve found out–after we’ve endured– is WE CAN ENDURE MORE THAN WHAT WE THINK WE CAN ENDURE. We may not want to go through the trial. We may be absolutely convinced there’s no way we can endure the trial. But after going through it, howbeit grudgingly or fearfully at first, we found that God does indeed give us grace and His grace enables us to endure what we once thought was unendurable.

Beloved, if God’s Word is true, as it indeed is, then you must find solace in the fact that no matter what you’re faced with, you can endure! You don’t have to give up or give in! God will see you through, brethren. He’ll be there to comfort, strengthen, and sustain you. He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). The trial will come to an end. And you’ll see, once again, that God is true and He’s faithful to His Word. For the Lord doth say unto His people, God is not a man, that He should lie; neither is He a man, that He should change His mind. Hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good (Numbers 23:19)? Hang in there, dear saint. God isn’t done yet!

Drop by for a visit on the net next week. I’ll be posting part 2 of this 3-part message. I promise it’ll be a second, powerful dose of encouragement from God’s Word. In the meantime, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me (Acts 27:25). God bless.

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Life-Changing Images: Conversational Carnage

June 14, 2010 at 7:08 AM (From My Life, Musings)

I’m not gifted with visions. Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve ever had a vision. What I have had, though, are a handful of really powerful mental images or pictures that the Lord has given me. They’re all so vivid and all of them have had such a profound, life-changing effect on me. Here’s one of them.

Sometime during my pastoral ministry, as I was teaching on the tongue, the Lord allowed me to see a heart-rending scene that has haunted me ever since. In this scene I was a witness and bystander. Two men were standing apart at a distance, as in a duel. One of the men pulled out a gun and summarily shot the other man in the head. As the wounded man fell to the ground, I ran frantically to assist him. As I sat on the ground and held him in my arms, I was crying and screaming. The man’s brains were spilling out of his skull. Blood was gushing out at a furious pace. I was rapidly becoming a bloody mess. But I was nowhere near as pitiful as the dying man who laid there, powerless to resist the inevitable reality that now faced him: he’d be dead within a minute. I felt so utterly powerless to save him. As I sat there crying, trying to comfort the dying man, the murderer, still at a distance, walked away. He never saw—not close up—the carnage and bloodbath that I now held in my hands. He didn’t see the gory mess, he didn’t feel the pained emotions, that were a direct result of his pulling the trigger. He just shot and then walked away.

When we say an unkind word—a critical, judgmental, hateful word, a false accusation, an untruth, an unloving word—we are like the murderer. We just shoot at the mouth, then walk away without really seeing all the pain, suffering, and damage that our hurtful words inflict. Brethren, as long as you shoot and walk away, you never really know the full extent of the hurt and damage you’ve inflicted. And it’s what keeps you shooting time and time again. You can keep on shooting, keep on hurting, keep on killing, because you never really see what a wounded, dying person goes through after you’ve shot them. But when you as a murderer linger around, come up close, and see the damage for yourself, hopefully, you’ll change. Hopefully you’ll cry in anguish at the pain you’ve caused and the life you’ve taken. And, hopefully, you’ll change. Friends, we all have got to quit shooting and killing one another. We’ve killed too many people already. Ours is a ministry—not of death, but of life. Put the gun away and help me bandage up the wounded. Together, let’s work to save a life. That’s what we’ve been called to do.

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CIRCLE THE WAGONS

June 7, 2010 at 6:56 AM (Church Life & Ministry)

A Word By Way Of Introduction: I don’t know what your church background is. I come from an independent Charismatic assembly that has seen a lot of internal conflicts and divisions. If you’re going through the same struggle in your church, this blog is for you. The following message was delivered on a Wednesday evening service at Faith Christian Assembly, meeting at the time in Milford, Indiana. It was one of the most anointed and memorable sermons I have ever been blest to preach. At the end of the service, the entire congregation held hands and formed a huge circle in the auditorium. Those who had prayer requests were put in the center of the circle and we, as a church, petitioned the Lord on their behalf. We fought the Devil concerning them. And we left church with a renewed sense of unity and care. The local church is the Lord’s church. It’s no man’s church, but the Lord’s. And His will for the church is this…That there be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another (1 Corinthians 12:25).

INTRODUCTION: During the 1800’s we had what is known in American history as the westward expansion. Many settlers in the east packed up their belongings, joined a wagon train, and headed west to settle the frontiers. The wagon trains were headed by a wagon master. Whenever there was an Indian attack the wagon master would issue the order to circle the wagons. The wagon in the lead, and those behind it, would circle around and form a complete circle with the last wagon in the train. This circular barrier was like a makeshift fort out in the open. It gave the settlers a wall of protection and they would stave off the attack, shooting their guns from behind their wagons. When night came, the wagon train would once again circle the wagons so that the settlers could eat, amuse themselves, and rest behind the wall of protection that their wagons gave them. Based on this familiar scene of a bygone era, I would like to sound the order for us to circle the wagons in view of Satan’s ceaseless attacks against the Church and her Heaven-bound settlers.

TEXT: Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. (9) And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. (10) So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. (11) And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. (12) But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. (13) And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. (14) And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. (15) And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: (16) For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation (Exodus 17:8-16).

THE AMALEKITE AGGRESSION: The Israelites have been delivered from a long, dark night of bondage in Egypt. They’ve crossed the Red Sea where the Lord supernaturally destroyed the great Egyptian army. They’re now in the Desert of Sin. Coming to a place called Rephidim, the great company of about 3 million Israelites was attacked by the Amalekites. Now this is a significant page in the annals of Israel’s history because it marked the first time that a foreign nation went to war against Israel. Out of all the nations of the Earth, the Amalekites were the first to make war with Israel.

Just who are the Amalekites? They were the descendants of Amalek, who, in turn, was a grandson of Esau. You can read a little bit about their ancestry in Genesis 36:10-12.

Now the Israelites were descendants of Jacob. Jacob was Esau’s brother. So the Israelites and Amalekites were distant relatives. Brethren, don’t be surprised when family—however close or far—rise up against you to attack you.

While our text here in Exodus 17 records the Amalekite attack against the Israelites, Deuteronomy 25 sheds additional light on how the Amalekites actually carried out their attack. They attacked Israel from the rear. Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; {18} How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God (Deuteronomy 25:17-18).

As you would imagine, a nation of roughly 3 million people formed a rather long caravan line, stretching out for miles in the desert. As is often the case, the weak and weary lagged behind the main body of Israelites. They were the stragglers and they made up the rear. Now when the Amalekites attacked, they didn’t attack the front, but rather, the rear. And because these Israelites at the rear were weary and weak, the great majority of them were killed. They were simply not strong enough to defend themselves and thwart the Amalekite attack.

Like these weary Israelites at the rear, the people who are most susceptible to Satan’s attack and slaughter are those who are spiritually weak and weary. Brethren, when you find yourself getting tired of walking with the Lord; when you start questioning, and resisting, and defying, the Lord’s demands on your life; that’s the time for you to really be careful. You’ve got to watch your rear because that’s where Satan will attack you. He’ll attack the rear first because these are the people who are the weakest and weariest of the bunch. They’re the ones who offer him the least resistance. And because they offer him the least resistance, they hand the Devil his easiest victories. Brethren, do not be weary in well doing. Keep pace with Lord. Keep up with the church. Don’t lag behind because you’ll be the first to be attacked—and quite possibly, be the first victims of the fray. Take earnest note, dear brethren. It’s dangerous to lag behind!

THE ISRAELITE RESPONSE: So what did the Israelites do? They fought back. And do you know what? They won! They actually succeeded in thwarting, and defeating, the Amalekites! In this way, the Amalekite aggression is significant not only because it was the first time Israel was attacked, but also because it was the first war Israel ever fought and won. They just came out of Egypt. They were shepherds, farmers, brick makers and pyramid builders. They were not experienced warriors. They had no trained, professional army. They never saw combat before. They were caught completely off-guard in this surprise, unprevoked attack. But the Israelites fought back. And the marvelous, amazing thing of it was, they won! They defeated an experienced army! With God’s help, of course! But it just goes to show what we as God’s people can do—what we can accomplish—when we have God to help us.

What I’d like for you to focus your attention on is the fact that the Israelites did something they never did before. They never fought a war before. They didn’t know how to fight. They were inexperienced and ignorant in war. But their inexperience aside, they gathered all able-bodied men, went to the rescue, and joined the fight at the rear. They did something they never did before. They started shooting their arrows, throwing their spears, and swinging their swords. When it was all said and done, God gave them the victory. They successfully repelled and defeated the Amalekites in battle.

DOING WHAT WE’VE NOT DONE BEFORE: In much the same way, brethren, we’re under attack. We’re engaged in an on-going war with the Devil. And in order for us to win this war—I repeat, in order for us to win this war—we’re going to have to start doing some things that we’ve not done before. What kind of things?

1. STAY TOGETHER AND PERSEVERE WITH THE CHURCH. In past years we upped and left whenever things at church started to sour. When the message started stepping on our toes, when the minister started doing things we didn’t like or approve of, when we didn’t care for certain people in the church, when it was our turn to be rebuked, or when people criticized, hurt, or offended us; it was all too easy for us to up and leave. We started going to another church. Some quit going to church altogether.

Now let me hasten to say that there are valid reasons for leaving a church. There are times when we are left with no other recourse but to leave. But I’ve found in many instances that some people’s reasons for leaving a church were not valid. Other people’s reasons were valid, but they didn’t give peace and reconciliation a chance. They acted hastily without trying to work the problems out. Shamefully, regretfully, I include myself in this number.

Some leave because they’re tired of problems in the church. I’ve got news for you. You’re going to have problems wherever you go. No matter what church you go to there’ll be problems, issues, conflicts, and concerns that you’ll wrestle with because people aren’t perfect. There is no such thing as a perfect, problem-free church. The problems you leave in one church will await and confront you in the next church you attend. So you may as well stay put right here, die out, and start working towards a resolution of the problem.

Unfortunately, this is a tough lesson for some of us to learn. We think our way is the right way. Our solution is the best solution. What’s our solution? We start fighting with one another. Naturally, we get hurt. A lot of people get hurt. That’s what happens when people fight. Have you ever been in a fist fight, or a verbal fight, where no one got hurt? Someone always get hurt when there’s a fight. And when we get hurt we isolate ourselves from the rest of the brethren. We start skipping church. We lag farther and farther behind the pack. And, like the aged and the feeble at the rear, we’ve set ourselves up for an attack. And wow! How have we been attacked! Our churches are split. Our numbers are dwindling. Brethren are alienated from brethren. Brethren wound brethren. The aged disavow what they once believed. The young take liberties that their parents once forsook. The church is more worldly than holy. And the voice of admonishment or rebuke is silent. Make no mistake, beloved. We’ve been attacked. And the camp here at the rear lies in tatters and ruins.

Some of us have managed to survive the attack—howbeit we’ve been badly bruised and wounded. But, by God’s grace, we’ve made it back. Christ carried us back to the safety and security of the Heaven-bound wagon train that we call the local church. But many others haven’t. Many lie buried beneath the desert sands in Rephidim. The Devil has had his many victories among us. He’s had too many. And I say he’s had enough. We’ve given him too many victories. Brethren, it’s time we put his winning days to an end! Enough of our feeble complaints! Enough of our age-old criticisms! Enough of the bickerings that enfeeble and infirm us! Enough of the friendly fires that kill us! It’s time we score one over the Devil! It’s time we do something we’ve not done before. And that is, let’s stay with the pack. Let’s find our safety and security—not only in the Lord, but in the caravan that we call the local church. The Devil can easily snuff out a single, solitary wagon. But he can’t do the same with an armed and encircled wagon train. Brethren, all our lives are on the line. Let’s unite. And let’s fight our common enemy, the Devil, with determined resolve. We’ll survive and triumph over Amalek’s aggression. But we’ve got to stay together! Keep the unity. Keep the peace. Not separate. And not lag behind!

2. CARE! In order for us to repel the Amalekites we’ve got to love and care enough about each other to fight the Devil back on each other’s defense. You see, when the Israelites at the rear were attacked, their brethren in the middle and up front didn’t leave them behind. They didn’t keep on rolling to Canaan land. They didn’t run and desert their brethren. To the contrary, as soon as Moses heard what happened at the rear he formed an army. He appointed Joshua as its commander. And he sent them to the rear to defend their weary, feeble, aged brethren. You see, the rest of the Israelites cared enough about their brethren to put themselves in harm’s way, take up the sword, enter the battlefield, and risk injury and death. For what reason or purpose? To defend their brethren who were under attack!

Their care for their brethren is all the more marvelous and magnanimous when you consider who it was they cared for.

THE FEEBLE. They’re the ones who are too tired to do you any good. They’re the ones you’ve always got to help. It seems they can’t do anything for themselves.
THE SICK. They’re too sick to do anything for you. You’d like to be ministered to, too. But because you’re able-bodied, you have to stop what you’re doing to minister to them. They eat up your time and resources.
THE AGED. They’re going to die anyway. They don’t have much time left to live. Why lay your life on the line for these who are going to die anyway?
THE WEARY. They’ve done nothing but drag feet, moan, groan, and complain. They’re the ones who’ve discouraged and disheartened the assembly. You’re tired of putting up with them.
THE FAINT. They don’t have any energy to keep on going. In the natural, they’re not going to make it with us to the Promised Land. So why bother with them?

Why fight for these? Why lay our lives on the line for these? Why get injured and killed for these people?

The backslidden are at the rear. They’ve sown their wild oats. Why not let them reap the harvest of their own destruction?
The carnal and worldly are at the rear. They’re the ones who are leading others astray from the path of holiness.
The fearful and unbelieving make up the rear, setting an example of fear, doubt and unbelief.
Mixed in with all these at the rear are the self-righteous who make us look bad. They make us feel like we’re worthless, no good, and of no value or use to God.
And most miserably of all, those who are at the rear are the critics who do nothing but hurt the church, point fingers, and publicize—yea, magnify—people’s faults.

Why fight for these? Why help and rescue these? Why pray and believe for these? Why love and care for these? Why? In a word, because they’re our brethren. Christ died for them. And He is not willing that any of them should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Sometimes, their coming to repentance involves us running to them in the rear and plucking them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh (Jude 23).

Brethren, if we’re going to win this war and make it to the Promised Land we’re going to have to do some things that we’ve not done before—and that is, love and care enough for one another that we would help each other out. Brethren, we can’t stand idly by and do nothing while our brethren perish or fall. Jesus bids us, To the rescue! To the rear!

3. CIRCLE THE WAGONS. Lastly, in order for us to overcome the Amalekite aggression we’re going to have to go beyond caring and start putting caring into action. Your love, prayers, and concern are commendable. We thank you for caring! But the Lord wants more than just your care. He wants action! He wants all of us to circle the wagons. Instead of each one believing only for himself, pleasing himself, living for himself, and saving his own skin; we’re going to have to start thinking about the rest of the people who make up this wagon train that we call the church. We’re going to have to get off our duffs and go to the defense of those who are under attack. Friends, we’ve got to care enough to do something good for the brethren. We’ve got to rescue those whom Satan seeks to devour from our midst.

Here’s a backslidden brother. Circle the wagons, go and bring that brother back.
There’s a fallen sister. Circle the wagons, pour in the oil and wine. Bandage her wounds. And restore her to health.
Here’s a teen brother who’s battling serious sexual temptation. Circle the wagons, get on your knees with that young man, fight the Devil, and help the brother win this winnable war.
There’s a teen sister who’s looking for love and acceptance from the wrong crowd. Circle the wagons, reach out to her, love her, and show her that love and acceptance don’t have to come at the expense of her virginity and her walk with the Lord.
Here’s a mother weary with the toils and stress of the children.
There’s a father who’s lost his love for wife and children.
Here’s a brother struggling with unbelief and doubt.
There’s a sister burdened with condemnation and rejection.
Here’s a man who’s struggling to make ends meet.
There’s a family who could use a bag of clothes or groceries.

Brethren, circle the wagons! To the rescue! The souls of your brothers and sisters are at stake!

Beloved, if we’re going to push the Devil back and thwart his attack we’re going to have to circle the wagons and rally around one another. You see, when the Israelites at the rear were attacked, all of the Israelites stopped their march to the Promised Land. They gathered an army together and went to the rescue of their brethren at the rear. And those who didn’t go to war didn’t sit still. They got involved in the war effort. The women bandaged the wounded. The aged men kept the fires burning. The aged women cooked the food. The little children gave water to the wounded and the helpers. The older children took care of the babies. Everyone had a part to play. And everyone did what they could to help.

Now the thing of it is, they helped without fighting each other. The officers on the battlefield didn’t resent Moses up on the mountain holding up his hands. The soldier swinging his sword didn’t resent his neighbor back home standing sentry over the women and children. The young women who tended the wounded didn’t resent the aged women who were cooking the food. The teenaged water boys didn’t resent the grandpas who were stoking the fires. Do you see what I mean? Each Israelite had a part to play and they played their part without arguing or fighting with one another. They all had a common enemy—the Amalekites. And they all devoted their energies towards defeating that enemy. No matter what a person did for the nation, no one was unimportant. No one was unnecessary. The nation needed everyone, rallying together, working together, for the common good of the entire nation.

In like manner, brethren, we need each one of you. Despite what you think, we need each other—that’s why the Lord put us together in the same wagon train. Each of you—regardless of your age, gender, or spiritual gift—is important. We need all of you here in church, functioning in your gift, doing your part to insure that we all make it safely to our destination in glory. Our well-being as a wagon train depends on each one of us getting involved, doing our part, doing what we can, to insure the preservation and well-being of the train.

Brethren, it’s time to circle the wagons, roll up our sleeves, and do what we can to help one another make it through this desert trip. With God’s help, we can survive our desert trials! We’ve been overrun by our Amalekites. But with God’s grace we can recover, rebound, regroup, fight the Devil back, and triumph over him in our desert wars! We can make it to glory! But we’ve got to circle the wagons! May God help us to this end. May He help us help one another. God bless you richly.

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IN THE BOXING RING WITH THE DEVIL

June 2, 2010 at 8:22 AM (From My Life, Musings)

There was a huge recreation center on Guam in the village of Asan by the ocean. On several occasions dad would take my brother and me to watch a boxing match there. We would go only when a particular Filipino boxer was fighting. He was coached by a member of our church named Sim Malinao. We were pretty up close to the ring where we could see, and feel, all the emotion and pain emanating from that ring. Honestly, I can still see in my mind’s eye the drops of sweat that would fall off the boxers as they fought their way to an upraised arm at match’s end.

Fast forward years later along a different train of thought. In the summer of 1979 I came to Anderson, Indiana to go to Seminary. I first boarded in the house of a lady named Donetta Cooke. Sometime during my first semester I met a really nice collegian named Marlene Howell. She told me about her aunt, a widow and a diabetic, who was living by herself in the same city and subject to frequent diabetic attacks. It seemed to me Aunt Ruth needed help. So I moved in with her. We had lots of blessed times around the supper table. Afterwards, we would go out to the living room and watch a religious broadcast or two. But always, before we’d go to bed, we’d both kneel down in the living room and pray together. What wonderful times they were!

Anyways, one night, I had a dream. It was a dream of Aunt Ruth lying flat on her back in bed, wailing. Her arms and legs were flinging in the air, much like the way a baby does when it’s crying its heart out. Instead of hearing sounds, the sounds were made visible to me as sound waves coming out of her mouth and making their way to my ears. I woke up right then and there. And wouldn’t you know it, do you know what I heard? Aunt Ruth wailing like a baby in the next room over. You bet I was scared silly. I was trembling off the Richter scale. Knowing what I had to do, I reluctantly got out of bed, went to her room, turned the light on, and there she was, wailing and flinging—just like in my dream. Her eyes and her wailing had the Devil’s name written all over them. They just weren’t natural! This was not Aunt Ruth! That fiend of a Devil was beating her up. As I stood there watching I truly felt helpless. For the very first time in my life, I felt like I met up with the Devil Himself—just he and me, locked up in this small bedroom, this boxing ring. I was scared as scared can be. My knees were literally bent and knocking together. To this day I don’t know how I was able to stand in that room. But for the grace of God, the Devil would have sent me to the canvas that night. But I did the only thing I knew to do, and that is, rebuke the Devil in Jesus’ Name. So, with trembling knees and voice, I pointed my hand at Aunt Ruth and said, “I rebuke you Devil in Jesus’ Name.” Immediately, and I mean immediately, the fight was over. Aunt Ruth calmed down and she laid perfectly silent and still. I was truly amazed. I’d never seen anything like it before. The Devil actually listened to me–even though I was scared out of my socks–because I used the Name of Jesus against him. Snapping back to reality, I walked out to the kitchen, picked up the phone, and called a neighbor. She came over within minutes, gave Aunt Ruth some orange juice, then we all went back to bed.

For months thereafter I’d be scared at night, fearing this dreaded encounter with the Devil would happen again. It never did. Aunt Ruth never had another diabetic attack for the two years that I stayed with her. Though fearful for a long time afterwards, I manage to chuckle and grin every time I remember my night with the Devil in the boxing ring. God raised my arm and, in Jesus’ Name, declared me the victor in the ring. All glory to God, the Devil got a bruising that night. Instead of me, it was he who got to taste the canvas. Sweeeet!

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RISING FROM THE ASHES OF FAILURE & DEFEAT

May 25, 2010 at 8:10 AM (Christian Living)

If you’re laboring under a heavy weight of condemnation, rejection, and unworthiness because you’ve fallen, failed, and sinned against the Lord, this blog is for you. Though it’s your heart’s desire to be faithful to the Lord and walk with Him, you’re not quite sure if the Lord has forgiven you or if the Lord even wants you back. You can recite the Scriptures and the promises of God’s forgiveness, but somehow you’ve come to believe that maybe these promises don’t apply to you. Unbeknownst to you, the Devil has worked you over and through his own doings you’ve come to believe that God hasn’t forgiven you. He’s rejected you. And all you can do is hope that with good behavior and good works God will somehow change His mind about you, forgive you, and receive you back into His love and favor. This weight of condemnation, rejection, and unworthiness is a heavy load that you bear. It’s brought you a lot of torment, grief, and tears. And in God’s love for you, He’s come today to relieve you of that weight, free you from that torment, and bring peace and joy to your soul. As a prophetic word from the Lord, God still loves you, He’s forgiven you, and He wants you to come back to Him. All you have to do, dear friends, is believe and receive God’s love and forgiveness. Let’s look to the Scriptures for encouragement. Mark 14:17-31 is a good place to start. You can read the passage from your Bible now. The air is filled with heaviness as Jesus has just announced that one of his apostles would betray Him. In just a few hours Jesus would be arrested. Before the light of morning came He would be tried and condemned to death by the Great Sanhedrin. By noon Jesus would be nailed to a cross. And by mid afternoon–15 hours from this scene in the upper room–He would be dead. The apostles are shocked. With the exception of the betrayer, all of them are in disbelief that one of them would actually betray the Lord. To add to their shocked disbelief, Jesus predicts that every last one of them without exception would stumble, fall, and fail the Lord. Peter and the rest of the apostles object strenuously and vehemently. In their great love for the Lord, they would never–not in a million years–deny the Lord. We pick the story up in Luke 22:31-34. Luke 22:31a, And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you. Literally in the Greek, Satan has asked and petitioned to have you. You see, before the Devil can work you over he first has to ask God’s permission to do it. And if God doesn’t give him permission, the Devil can’t lay a hand on you. In Peter’s case, Satan has petitioned God to have Peter in his hands. That’s kind of a frightful thought. To be taken out of God’s loving, protecting hands, and be placed in the clutches of Satan’s hateful, hurting hands. What does the Devil want with us? Luke 22:31b, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. As many of you know, wheat grows naturally encased in chaff. Before it can be ground or used, the chaff has to be removed. Rice is the same way. Over in the Philippines where I have some roots, after the rice is harvested it would be spread out in the open on huge cement floors where the sun would dry the rice. And as the rice dried, the chaff would break open even more, making it easier to separate the chaff from the rice. Out in the country, Filipinos would buy rice still mixed with chaff because that’s the cheapest kind of rice that you can buy. Now every household would have a basket-like platter that was woven with coconut leaves. It was big around, slightly concave in the middle, with a rim on it. If you can imagine a 30″ cake pan made of woven coconut leaves you’ll have a fairly good idea of what these rice pans were like. Several handfuls of rice would be placed in the pan and, with a flick of the wrist and hands, you’d flip the front side of the pan upwards in such a way that the rice would be thrown in the air. Because the rice was heavier than the chaff, it would land back down in the pan first. And once the rice lands in the pan, you’d move the whole pan back and away so that the chaff would fall to the ground. You’d shake the pan a few times and get the rice moving around toward the front of the pan. Then, with another flick of the wrists, you’d flip the pan upwards again to get more of the chaff out. You’d do this several times until the chaff was all out. Anyways, this is what Satan wanted to do with Peter. He wanted to put Peter in this rice pan, flip him up and down, then when he landed, swirl him round and round. Wait a minute. Satan’s not done yet. He’ll flip Peter up and down again, then swirl him round and round some more. By the time Satan is done with Peter, the hapless chap would be stunned and dazed, wondering what hit him or what in the world happened to him. Now a parent’s first inclination is to shelter and protect their child from being sifted in this fashion. But God allows Satan to get ahold of Peter. And it’s not going to be nice or pleasant for Peter. Peter is going to suffer a lot of heartache because of it. There’s going to be a lot of pain, anguish, tears, and regrets. Wow. This sounds an awful lot like where you’re at today. Not to worry. We all can relate because we all have been there. We’ve all been mired in the muck and torment of condemnation, rejection, and unworthiness. We’ve all fallen and missed the Lord too. Anyways, the Lord allows Satan to get his hands on Peter and sift him–not because our God is cruel or sadistic. Not because He derives pleasure in watching us suffer. No. God allows Satan to sift Peter because He knows that before the rice can be used the chaff must first be removed. For gold to have its highest value it must first be purged of its impurities. For silver to be valued and used it must first be purged of its dross. To become a better Christian you must first be tried: My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers trials; (3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. (4) But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing (James 1:2-4). Job 23:10 reads, But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. So in order for Peter to become a better Christian he’s going to have to be tried. And as trials sometimes go, Peter is going to know the heartache of failure and defeat. Luke 22:32a, But I have prayed for thee. Do you think the Lord doesn’t care about you? Friends, even when the Lord knows you’re going to sin or fall, He still prays for you! Wow! Did you read that? He still prays for you! Brethren, there’s no rejection in that. Jesus’ love and concern for you is written all over the prayer He’s praying for you. What’s He praying for? Luke 22:32b, that thy faith fail not. Literally, that you won’t quit believing. You see, when you’ve fallen it’s a real temptation to turn your back on the Lord and quit believing Him. You feel as if the Lord has failed you, He hasn’t kept His promise, things didn’t turn out the way you thought they would. You’re tempted to quit believing the Lord and the promises. Jesus, beloved, is praying that you’ll keep on believing in spite of everything that’s happened. Sometimes we quit believing in ourselves. You see, when Peter denied the Lord, the Lord didn’t make him do that. Peter denied the Lord on his own free will. It was Peter–not Jesus–who failed. And when you’re totally sold out to the Lord you take failure pretty hard. You’re hard on yourself. You’re merciless, you’re brutal, with yourself. You find it hard to forgive yourself. You consider yourself an utter failure, undeserving of the Lord’s love, mercies, or forgiveness. You’re not worthy of a second chance…or so you think. You’re cutting yourself off from the Lord. You’re the one doing that. The Lord isn’t cutting you off. You’ve given up on yourself. You’ve quit believing in yourself. You’ve quit believing that you can be a faithful, totally-committed, Christian once again. You’ve quit believing that there’s any hope or future with you and God. You’re living out the rest of your life just waiting for God to either kill you or damn you. And all the time you’re beating up on yourself, Jesus is praying for you. Praying that you won’t give up on yourself. You won’t give up on Him. Luke 22:32c, and when thou art converted. The word converted here doesn’t mean to get saved again. Rather, it means to restore to a previous condition. Peter, you’re going to be tested and you’re going to fall, and fall down hard. But I’m praying for you. And, by God’s grace, you’re going to repent and get back up on your feet. And when you do, we’re going to continue walking together just like before. But it’s not just about you and Me, Peter. Luke 22:32d, and when thou art restored, strengthen thy brethren. Your brethren need you. The people of God need you. I’m sending you to them and you’re going to be a blessing to them and help them. Luke 22:33, And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. Of all the apostles, none was more committed and dedicated to the Lord than Peter. He had no idea that he would ever fail the Lord. That was the farthest thing from his mind. The thought never even entered or crossed his mind. Peter was intent on being faithful to the Lord even if it killed him. His heart was like so many of ours today. We want to be faithful. We’re going to be faithful. No what matter! I Corinthians 10:12, Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. Allow me to use this scene in the life of Peter to blog five things to you by way of warning as well as encouragement. 1. WE’RE CAPABLE OF DOING THINGS WE NEVER THOUGHT OR IMAGINED WE WOULD DO. Peter was so intent on being faithful to the Lord–even unto death–that the thought of being fearful or cowardly never even entered his mind. He never imagined–in all of his wildest imagination–that he would ever deny the Lord. That would simply never happen! But it did! And it’s ample testimony to us that, even in our great love for the Lord, we’re capable of doing the unthinkable, the unlikely, and the unimaginable when we’re in the heat of the trial and are sorely put to the test. You see, what we intend to do–that is, be faithful–and what we end up doing are two different things. Just because you want to be faithful doesn’t automatically mean you’ll end up being faithful. The desire or intention is noble, for which you are to be commended. But what are you doing to make sure you don’t end up doing the things you never imagined or intended to do? 2. IT TAKES A TRIAL TO EXPOSE YOU AND PERFECT YOU. Peter never imagined that he would deny the Lord because, as far as he was concerned, he was as fearless and as loyal as they come. But unbeknownst to him, fear was present and latent in him. He didn’t know it was there. And it took this trial of sifting to expose this serious flaw in him. You see, Peter didn’t know he was fearful until the trial came along and exposed it to him. Peter failed–not because he was faithless, doubtful, or unbelieving. Not because he wasn’t totally sold out or committed to the Lord. To the contrary, he failed because he was fearful. Brethren, if you want to be faithful to the very end, no matter what, be it a physical trial, a sexual temptation, a financial enticement, or the brutal pains of persecution; you’ve first got to get rid of fear. Don’t assume you don’t have it. Don’t assume you’ve gotten rid of it. Assume nothing. Face it head on and get rid of fear. Like Peter and the hidden fear that he didn’t know he had, we, too, are faced with flaws, weaknesses, and imperfections. Some of these we recognize and admit to. But some we deny and refuse to admit we have. Beloved, it takes the trial, the trouble, the temptation; to reveal these hidden flaws in us. The trying of our faith is meant not only to bring these flaws to light, but more so, to get us to deal with them and bring us farther along the road to Christian maturity and virtue. Now that Peter knew what he had to deal with, he dealt with it. It didn’t get done in a single day. It took some time. But years later when it came time for him to either deny the Lord or die acknowledging Him in the presence of his persecutors, Peter stayed true to the Lord and he died faithful, not fearful. The trial you went through, that caused you to stumble, dear brethren, was not meant to keep you down in the dumps or in the valley of despair. It was meant to show you what you have to deal with so that you can deal with it and be rid of it, so that it won’t trip you up again. 3. JESUS IS PRAYING FOR YOU. A third thing of tremendous comfort and consolation to us is the fact that, unbeknownst to us, Jesus is praying for us. He ever liveth to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). He knows we’ll fail, grieve, shame, and disappoint Him. He could just as easily leave us and damn us. But He will not quit loving us! He will not let us go! He prays for our repentance and restoration. Do you know what all these things tell us? It tells us that God is interested in saving us, not damning us. The full text of the verse that I just alluded to reads thus, Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Brethren, Jesus will not quit loving you. He will not quit praying for you. 4. IT’S POSSIBLE TO BOUNCE BACK FROM DEFEAT AND GO ON WITH THE LORD. Despite how grievous, shameful, or inexcusable our failure may be, we nevertheless see in Jesus’ words to Peter the hope of ultimate restoration. I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted. Brethren, there’s hope for you after a fall. Failure doesn’t have to end in rejection, condemnation, or damnation. Jesus extends to you the hope of restoration. Which is to say, it’s possible to bounce back from defeat. You can get up from a fall. And you can come back to the Lord. God doesn’t cut you off and disown you when you fail Him. He didn’t do it for Peter and He’s not going to do it for you. God, brethren, isn’t interested in damning you, but rather, saving you. He’s a merciful, forgiving God. He wants you back! He’s praying that you’d come back! Now the hope of restoration carries with it your responsibility to confess your sin, repent, and ask God to forgive you. 1 John 1:9 tells us, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Brethren, when you confess your sins to God, God’s justice demands that He forgives you. When you come repentantly to Him, seeking His forgiveness, you will get it! He will forgive you! He will not leave you or your sin unforgiven! Aside from the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, there is no sin that you have committed that God will not forgive–if you are repentant. His justice demands His forgiveness. And He forgives because that’s His will, His heart, His desire for you. Hebrews 4:15-16 reads, For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (16) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Brethren, when you come to the Lord seeking His mercy, His help, and His forgiveness, you will find it! You will obtain! No sin will be left unforgiven. No one–including you–will remain unforgiven, rejected, and condemned by God. Brethren, if you’ve repented of your sins, confessed them, and asked God to forgive you; then you need to know that God forgave you at that very moment. You’re forgiven right now. God’s accepted you. And He doesn’t stand in condemnation of you. You stand forgiven. If you’re still condemned, it’s the Devil who’s condemning you. Quit believing that rascal! Take God at His word, receive His forgiveness, come back to the Lord, and go on walking with Him. 5. GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE HASN’T CHANGED. Lastly, I see here in Jesus’ words to Peter the encouraging fact that, WHEN YOU RETURN AND ARE RESTORED TO THE LORD AFTER A FALL THE LORD WANTS YOU TO CARRY ON THE WORK THAT HE’S GIVEN YOU TO DO. Jesus said, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. You see, Peter had a job to do as an apostle for the Lord. When he recovered and returned from his fall he was still an apostle, he still had a job to do, and perhaps most surprisingly to some of us, Jesus wanted him to do it. Peter’s fall didn’t leave him as a spiritual has-been. It didn’t disqualify him from continuing to be an apostle. He didn’t quit being an apostle. God didn’t take his apostolic calling, office, ministry, and anointing away! Many of us would have stripped Peter of his apostolic calling or ministry. We would have disqualified him from being an apostle. We would have retired him and put him out to pasture. But the Lord didn’t! Jesus kept him as an apostle and He gave him a job to do. Do you see what I’m saying? Peter’s sin didn’t rob him of his ministry. Jonah’s disobedience didn’t disqualify him from continuing to be a prophet. God held on to both of these servants, He dealt with them, brought them to repentance, forgave them, then sent them right back to the job that He gave them to do. God, dear friend, is no respecter of persons! He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever! Brethren, GOD GAVE YOU A JOB TO DO AND WHEN YOU FELL YOUR SIN DIDN’T RELIEVE YOU OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DO, AND FINISH, THAT JOB. WHEN GOD GAVE YOU THE GIFT OF REPENTANCE HE DIDN’T TAKE AWAY FROM YOU THE GIFT, MINISTRY, OR CALLING THAT HE GAVE YOU. WHEN YOU FELL, GOD DIDN’T CHANGE HIS MIND ABOUT YOU DOING THE JOB THAT HE GAVE YOU TO DO. HE STILL WANTS YOU TO DO IT! So do it! So how do you rise from the ashes of failure and defeat? (1) Believe in God’s steadfast love for you and His forgiveness. He’s already forgiven you! (2) Receive His forgiveness and acceptance. Quit doubting and rejecting it. Quit listening to, and believing, the Devil’s lies. And (3) get up and go on. Find your footing. Take one step at a time. Revive your prayer life and communion with the Lord. Start reading and studying your Bible again. Go to church. Fellowship with spiritually-minded brethren. Do these things and you’ll soon begin to experience the joy and peace of God’s salvation. Beloved, may God give you the courage and grace to get up, get right, and get busy doing the Lord’s will. May God bless you richly to this end!