The Weekly Sermon » Practical Christian Living

Watch and Pray

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 00:51:49 +0000

Sunday March 4, 2012	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: Watch and Pray	Text: Psalm 63:6; Luke 11:2-4; Matthew 26:41; James 1:15

"Watch and Pray"

Introduction: In Psalms 63:6 we read, "When I remember thee upon my bed, and mediate on thee in the night watches…"

In Luke 11 our Lord is teaching His disciples how to pray. In the last phrase of verse 4 He said, "And lead us not into TEMPTATION; but deliver us from evil." I want you to notice that statement, "Lead us not into TEMPTATION." This prayer petition is similar to David's in Psalm 141:4, "Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity." The petition is "Do not permit me to be tempted."Now please follow me closely, as I want to make five statements related to temptation.

First: God does not temp us. In James 1:13 we read, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempted he any man;.."

Second: Satan does tempt us. In Matthew 4:1-3 we read, "Then was Jesus led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."

Third: God sometimes delivers us to Satan for temptation. In I Corinthians 5:1-5 here is the the story of a man who was living in sin with his step-mother. In verse 5 we read that God said, "To deliver such as one unto Satan for the destruction (or the defilement) of the flesh, that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."

Fourth: God limits Satan's ability to tempt us. We read of this in I Corinthians 10:13 in the phrase, "Who will not permit or allow you to be tempted above that you are able." God does put a limit on Satan's ability to tempt us.

Fifth: God can keep Satan from tempting us. In Revelation 3:10 we read, "Because thou has kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation…"

Now, in light of the previous five statements:

Does God tempt us? NO

Does Satan tempt us? YES

For Satan to tempt us, God has to do what? "DELIVER US TO SATAN"

Does God limit Satan's temptation? YES

Can God keep us from temptation? YES

Now we come to the question, “Under what condition will God keep Satan from tempting us?” I believe the answer to that can be found in our Lords' experience in the Garden of Gethsemane. Please turn to Matthew 26 and follow as I read verses 36-43.

“Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. (37) And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. (38) Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. (39) And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (40) And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? (41) Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (42) He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. (43) And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.”

Would you please notice again verse 41, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into TEMPTATION; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." So, what keeps us from temptation? WE ARE TO WATCH AND PRAY. It is not just praying, but it is watching and praying.

So you ask, what is watching and praying? When Jesus came with His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane, it was night time. They had come from the upper room, where Jesus had helped to prepare them for the WHY of His going back to heaven. Remember among many things He said, "Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God believe also in me, I promise to prepare a place for you and I will return for you." Now, our Lord comes to the agony of the Garden. Notice again verse 38. “Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.” Notice again verses 40-41, “And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? (41) Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

This was a rebuke to Peter. Only a little while ago Jesus had warned the disciples that before the night was over they would all be offended and would leave him. Now to WATCH was a special duty of that hour for the disciples. PRAYER would help them to WATCH, and WATCHING would aid them in PRAYING.

They were to WATCH because of the temptations that lay ahead.

Jesus knew what temptations these men would be facing.

He saw how badly they needed to be in prayer. Notice He said in verse 41 "For the spirit (our spirit) indeed is willing but the flesh (our human nature) is weak."

Jesus knew the weakness of the human nature.

He knew their strength would not be sufficient to sustain them.

He knew the Devil would attack at anytime, especially when circumstances have already weakened them.

So the Lord said, "Watch and Pray". In the Jewish night there were two watches.

First watch was from 6:00 PM to midnight.

Second watch was from midnight to about 6:00 AM.

So you are to watch and pray while others are asleep. Watching is a sentinel term; it is a time of standing guard in the night. If you would avoid temptation, you have to pray, but more than that, you have to WATCH and PRAY.

Now why did Jesus ask the disciples to WATCH and PRAY? He knew that right before the cross, where He was about to bear the sins of the world, Satan would again make an effort to entice Jesus to avoid the cross, and die there in the garden. Notice again verse 39. “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” About to die in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed that the cup of death would pass from Him that night, so He could live to die on the cross the next day.

Now if Jesus had to WATCH and PRAY to avoid temptation, how much more do we need to WATCH and PRAY? Remember what Jesus had taught His disciples in the model prayer, "And lead us not into TEMPTATION but deliver us from evil… (literally the evil one).

Please listen carefully, unless you WATCH and PRAY you will be taken in by the devil or by the world or by your own sinful human nature. And before you know it, you will backslide like Peter who slept, while he should have WATCHED and PRAYED.

Let me ask you what temptations you face on a daily basis? Oh, to be sure there are temptations abounding, as someone said, "I don't have to go seeking temptations, they find me." Remember this, "Temptation will strike at our weakest moment at our strongest point." Those who think they cannot wander will be the first to lose their way. I Corinthians 10:12 says, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."Remember the big three:

The flesh, our old lustful human nature, which lurks inside us,

The world, with a lifestyle that leaves God out, and

The devil, the god of this world who blinds men eyes to the truth of the gospel, and who is alive and well upon Planet Earth.

Let's repeat again…

God does not temp us.

Satan does tempt us.

God allows Satan to tempt us.

God limits Satan's ability to temp us.

God can keep us from Satan's temptation, and

All this is done by WATCHING and PRAYING!

Would you please turn with me to James 1 and follow me as I read verses 13-15.

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: (14) 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.”

Now follow me in reverse order. At the bottom is death.

What brings DEATH? It is sin. (Romans 6:23)

What brings SIN? It is lust.

What brings lust? It is temptation.

Now the word temptation in verses 13-14 in the verb form means "a solicitation to do evil." A glance at a dictionary will inform us that temptation is "the act of enticement to do wrong, by promise of pleasure or gain." That's right! Temptation motivates you to be BAD by promising something GOOD. Isn't that just like the devil? TEMPTATION IS INEVITABLE! NONE ESCAPES IT!

Someone said, “You will be tempted. The kinds of temptation may change. You have candies for kids, sensuality for the teenager, riches for the middle-aged and power for the aging. The Evil One can bring the changes with greater skill than any advertising agency. He knows our Achilles’ heel. You will be tempted continuously. You will even be tempted ferociously at times."

Now lust in the Bible means wanting something we don't need. Lust is wanting, something that is usually sinful. Remember this:

Temptation brings Lust; Lust brings Sin; Sin brings Death!

Recall with me the story of Achan in Joshua 7 beginning with verses 20-21. “And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: (21) When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.”

This was the Achan who stole the accursed things out of Jericho that caused the defeat of Ai. In verses 24- 25 we have the results. “And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. (25) And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.”

Achan saw, that was TEMPTATION.

Achan coveted, that was LUST.

Achan took, that was SIN, and in verse 25

Achan DIED!

Same old story – he was tempted, he lusted, he sinned and he died. Now go back with me to James 1:13-15.

What brings Death, SIN

What leads to Sin, LUST

What leads to Lust, TEMPTATION

What keep us from Temptation, WATCHING & PRAYING!

That's why I have been saying that prayer is the means God has given to us to come to Him and ASK of Him our needs. Prayer allows us to pour out our souls unto God. Our churches ought to be focused on "LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY." Yet,our churches have become more concerned about:

TECHNIQUES, PERSONALITIES, PROGRAMS, METHODS, and How To Do books!

We have become so busy with meetings and committees that in the midst of all this "RELIGIOUS COMMOTION" we have not learned to pray. We have not learned to really pour out our hearts unto the Lord, begging and pleading for our needs and for the needs of others. Oh, how we need to learn to pray, to ASK and SEEK and to KNOCK.

We need soul winners; moreover we need praying soul winners.

We need preaching; moreover we need prayer anointed preaching.

We need godly teachers; moreover we need praying teachers.

We need Godly workers in all areas of the ministry; moreover we need praying workers.

We need Godly Moms and Dads; moreover we need Moms and Dads who will WATCH and PRAY.

We need God's people to be enrolled in the SCHOOL of PRAYER, to learn what it is to WATCH and PRAY.

I don't care who you are, the temptations in your life are stronger than you are. The devil is going to temp you at your strongest point in your weakest moment. You are not going to have the victory over TEMPTATION, LUST and SIN until you learn to WATCH and PRAY.

If I have to keep from DEATH, I must keep from SIN

What brings Sin? Lust

What brings Lust? Temptation

What keeps me from Temptation? WATCHING & PRAYING

That means I must WATCH and PRAY while others sleep. That means in the wee hours of the morning while no one else is awake, you are pouring out your heart and soul to God. It means in the early morning before time to get up, you are spending time on your face before God:

Pleading for the power to serve,

Begging for the needs of others,

Agonizing over your needs before God, and

Pouring out your soul for deliverance from lust and temptation and the evil one.

Here we go again:

Top step TEMPTATION,

Next step LUST,

Third step SIN,

Fourth step DEATH!

Now,

If I don't want to DIE, then I must not SIN.

If I don't want to SIN, then I must not LUST.

If I don't want to LUST, then I must not be TEMPTED.

If I want to avoid TEMPTATION, then I must WATCH and PRAY!

Folks, let me show you where most of you live. I believe you live between TEMPTATION and LUST (between the top two steps).

You go places you shouldn't go. You know it’s wrong, but you go there anyway.

You watch video and cable shows that are immoral. You know they are lustful, but you watch them anyway.

You justify the sin of drinking alcohol or listening to Rock music, even the so-called Christian Rock or Country and Western, which is just one step from the secular Rock and Roll.

You hang around people whose lifestyle is worldly. They live in sin by compromising with the world. They are unsaved or maybe worldly and even carnal, but you still hang out with them.

You fellowship with people, even "Christian people" whose doctrines, convictions, and principles are not in keeping with this Book. You justify it in the name of love and in the name of fellowship.

You walk with those people, even Christians, who are critical, who tear down instead of building up. Do you remember what Psalm 1:1 literally tells us? "Happy is the man who WALKETH not in the COUNSEL of the UNGODLY, nor STANDETH in the way of SINNERS, nor SITTETH in the seat of the SCORNFUL."

You may ask,“Pastor what is wrong with a social drink once in a while? Well, not only are you in disobedience to the Word of God, but you are at the level of TEMPTATION, just one step away from LUST.

You may ask, “Preacher what is wrong with listening to Christian Rock music? My friend you are just one step away from the temptation of listening to the world's Rock music. Find me a contemporary Christian singer or musician who has taken "Godly music" and put the worldly rock beat to it, who has not gotten caught up in the lifestyle of worldly music.

We live in a hooked generation. The devil has thrown out the bait and we have fallen for it. Unfortunately, what he has not done is spelled out the FRUSTRATION, the REMORSE and the FAILURE of being hooked. O' how I wish I could walk good folks across this platform to share their testimony of how they constantly walked between TEMPTATION and LUST and before long, sin over-took them. Remember, the devil:

Shows you the cigarette, but not the cancer.

Shows you the drugs, but not the blown minds.

Shows you the alcohol, but not the broken homes.

Shows you the glamour of sex, but not the haunting memory.

Shows you the saw dust size faults of others, but not the totem pole size faults in your eye.

Shows you the glories of telling a story, but not the scandal or heartache it carries.

The devil is always showing you the "Front Door" of sins, but never the garbage brought along with death at the "Rear Door."

Have you ever heard this statement, "Christians never have any fun?" That's interesting because:

In my Bible I read, "The wages of sin is death."

In my Bible I read, "The soul that sinneth shall die."

In my Bible I read, "then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

Reading those scriptures, it would seem to me that the world's crowd does not have much fun because they are "DEAD IN TREPASSES AND SIN." The world and the devil has nothing to offer that will last. That's why I remind you again of what Jesus said, "That I have come to give you life and to give you life more abundantly."

Let me pause here and say some of the things I have just said might seem hard to you but I believe if we are going to step back into old fashioned morality and righteous living, I have got to keep preaching up here and you need to keep on WATCHING and PRAYING with me or else the next generation will not know the God of our generation, the God of the Word of God.

Let me go one step further. When you WATCH and PRAY, you won't tempted to buy that new item that will increase your payments to the point you can’t pay the bills and still tithe. So you choose to work over time for extra money. But now you are not free to attend with your family all of the church services that encourage you to WATCH and PRAY.

When you WATCH and PRAY at night you will not be tempted to watch filthy TV shows where you secretly lust in your heart for some other woman or some other man.

What I am saying is if you get up and get on your face before God to beg and pray and WATCH and PRAYin the night watches, I believe what the Word of God is telling us is you'll come to avoid wrong desires and wrong decisions. Let's hear it again:

If I don't want to DIE, then I must not SIN.

If I don't want to SIN, then I must not LUST.

If I don't want to LUST, then I must not be TEMPTED.

If I want to avoid TEMPTATION, then I must WATCH and PRAY!

For our young people to keep themselves pure and clean and righteous, so that one day they will meet at the wedding alter in all their loveliness and purity, they need to get out of bed and fall before God and WATCH and PRAY.

Beg God to keep them HOLY and PURE and CLEAN and Alert to WRONG DESIRES and WRONG PEOPLE and WRONG DECISIONS, as well as pleading with God to keep them alert to the perfect Will of God to avoid Satanic temptation.

Parents, Moms, Dads, and Grandparents do you want to really protect your children and grandchildren from the temptations and the lusts that lurk in the world? Then get out of bed and pray for your kids and grandchildren at night. I mean literally slip out of bed, get up while they sleep and WATCH and PRAY. They face TEMPTATIONS and WORLDLY PRESSURES to conform that are much more powerful than they are to resist.

Please don't be deceived to think that just because you bring them to Sunday school, and perhaps you have them in C-club or the youth group activities that they will turn out OK. Oh, PLEASE DON'T BE DECEIVED!

We have got to live in Godly ways before them.

We have got to WATCH and PRAY.

We have got to set some standards and live by those convictions.

We have got to build RULES and BOUNDARIES into their lives.

Someone said, "Until you lose your will to the will of God, you will never be able to discern the will of God. Until you lose your own will, you will have a will, and with that will you will lust." That's why we read and quote Romans 12:1-2 so often and plead with you to follow it.

Until you come and place yourself on the altar, and let the mind of God operate in you,

You will have a will, and

That will will be tempted, and

That temptation will lead you to lust, and

That lust will lead you to sin, and

Before you know it, just like Peter of old who slept while he should have WATCHED and PRAYED, you, like he, will backslide.

Our Lord's admonition, which was more of a rebuke to the disciples, now becomes a challenge to you to WATCH and PRAY, Walk with GOD during the night hours.

Do as David said in Psalm 63:6, "When I remembered thee upon my bed and meditated on Thee (speaking of the Lord) in the NIGHT WATCHES." We must do as the Lord said in his prayer instruction to the disciples. We must pray, "Lord lead me not into temptation but deliver me from the evil one."

WATCH AND PRAY YOUR WAY THROUGH!

*****************************************************************************

If God has spoken to your heart, after reading the sermon “Watch and Pray” why not right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: “I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation.”

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior let me know? Please send an e-mail to, pdmikBBM@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

The “Weekly SERMON” was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA 18706. Privacy policy: your e-mail address will not be sold, or shared with any third party.

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Friend of the World, Enemy of God

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:40:29 +0000

Sunday February 19, 2012	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: Book of James # 17	Text: James 4:4-5

“Friend of the World, Enemy of God”

Introduction: We cannot deny the fact we are living in an age of moral decay! There is no doubt everywhere we look we are confronted with the signs of a PERVERTED, IMMORAL, and AMORAL society. However, this amoral age should not come as a surprise to the student of the Word of God.

This may surprise you, but the New Testament world was a totally pagan culture and society.

Materialism reigned supreme!

The society in general was X-rated.

Prostitution was part of their religious ritual.

Human life was cheap.

Divorce was rampant.

Large cities such as Rome, Ephesus and Antioch were centers of debauchery, sensuality, and shocking social life. It was into these wicked cities that churches were being planted. For the first time, the gospel and teachings of Jesus Christ began to penetrate the pagan environment.

New believers were being challenged to break away from their old habit patterns and to live for Jesus Christ.

From James 3:14-18 battles were going on inside the lives of believers and inside churches, between worldly wisdom and heavenly wisdom.

From James 4:1-3 James showed that strife in the home, conflicts in the business world, and conflict in our churches has its roots in the sensual desires and covetousness in our lives.

Now in verse 4, James came out with this startling statement, “YOU ADULTERESSES AND ADULTERERS...” The allustration James was making was quite familiar to his listeners. The Old Testament prophecies of Ezekiel, Isaiah, and especially Hosea, had often pictured the children of Israel as the unfaithful, impure wife of Jehovah, as we read in Jeremiah 3:20, "But like a woman unfaithful to her husband so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel."

In God's eyes, when Israel began to follow after false gods, they were guilty of spiritual adultery.

In James’ eyes, believers were committing spiritual adultery. They talked out of one side of their mouth that they loved God, but in reality they were having a love affair with the world.

James’ question was a shocker, "Don't you know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?" "Don't you know?" James shouts at the top of his voice. "What has happened to your spirit of discernment, that you no longer know what is good and evil, what is sin and what is righteousness? Have you completely lost your sense of values?"

Hold it! Let me ask the 21st century Christian in the 21st century church, where is your sense of godly values? James may very well be speaking to you who have become "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" as warned in II Timothy 3:4. In James 4:4-6 we read,

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (5) Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? (6) But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

In these verses please notice THREE statements.

FIRST: Friendship with the World DESTROYS our Fellowship with God, verse 4. “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” What does James mean when he scolds his readers for loving the WORLD? Reading through James, you will discover he has used this word a number of times.

James 1:27, "to keep oneself unspotted from the WORLD."

James 2:5, "Hath not God chosen the poor of this WORLD."

James 3:6, "The tongue is a fire, a WORLD of iniquity."

Now the term world has 3 distinct meanings in scripture.

Number 1: It refers to the physical earth. God created the earth to reveal to man that He is God, the powerful creator. Psalm 24:1 tells us, "The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof, the world and they who dwell therein."

Number 2: It refers to the human world of mankind. This is the world that according to John 3:16 “…God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son."

Number 3: It refers to the world's system.

To get a handle on what encompasses the world you need to focus your attention on the words from I John 2:15-17, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” May I suggest you circle the SIX times where the word “world” is used and then in the margin of your Bibles write the words "lifestyle." John is saying:

Love not the LIFESTYLE that excludes God.

Love not the LIFESTYLE that demisses the need for God.

Both John and James are speaking of the LIFESTYLE man has created for HIMSELF in which he attempts to live without God. A "man of the world" is a man whose thinking is caught up and devoted to a kind of living that leaves God out of the picture.

"Worldliness is anything that makes sin look attractive and righteousness look silly."

“Worldliness is a LIFESTYLE in opposition to what is GODLY and HOLY and SPIRITUAL.”

Let's face it. We either belong to God and live for God or we belong to this world and live like the world. If you belong to God, but live like the world then you are an enemy of God.

As a child of God we cannot avoid living INthe world, but we don't have to be a PARTof the world. As a believer in Christ there is a difference in our actions, activities, mind-set and attitude.

John comes right out in I John 2:15-17 and says "STOP loving the LIFESTYLE of the World." James comes out and says you are like an adulterer or adulteress if you are a friend of the world. Even the Apostle Paul made similar statements to help us understand what James and John had in mind.

In I Corinthians 1:20 Paul speaks of the wisdom of this WORLD – “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”

In Ephesians 2:2 Paul speaks of the ways of the WORLD – “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”

In Colossians 2:8 Paul speaks of the rudiments or principles of the WORLD – “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

To sum it up, the WAYS of the World, the WISDOM of the World and the PRINCIPLES of the world are man-centered and not God-centered.

Let's face it! We live in this world, therefore the world's lifestyle without God surrounds and touches our lives every day.

WORLDLINESS is in our homes.

WORLDLINESS is in our lives.

WORLDLINESS is in many of our Christian Schools.

WORLDLINESS is in our churches.

As someone said, “We looked for the church and found it in the world; we looked for the world and found it in the church. Is it any wonder our teenagers are so confused when they see the church in the world and the world in the church?

Our teenagers are confused about the importance of the church when they see their parents’ inconsistency in attending.

Our teenagers are confused over which religion is right to follow when their parents state that other religions are just looking at it from a different point of view. That is a very, very wrong answer.

Our teenagers are also confused over life, especially over the “thou shalt not’s” as they watch Christian adults violate them as if it was ok to do so.

Is it not too strong to say that friendship with the world is enmity with God?

Jesus said in Luke 16:13 "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

In sadness, Paul wrote of his friend Demas in II Timothy 4:10, "For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world…"

Pastor what is the difference? How do I know if I am a godly Christian or a worldly Christian? In answering those questions, ask yourself this one: Which do I enjoy the most?

Doing the things of God with the people of God in the house of God, or doing things of the world with the people of the world in the places of the world.

When Paul said of Demas "he loved this present world…" what does that involve? Think through your answers to these questions:

Are you more interested in news and current events than in the salvation of your friends, neighbors and relatives?

Are you more concerned in planning a family outing than in preparing your family for heaven?

Do you have a greater interest in building your own reputation, than that of Christ?

Do you find yourself becoming engrossed in the affairs of daily life and forgetting to live each day in the light of the soon return of Christ?

Do you find yourself neglecting personal prayer, reading the Word of God, consistent gathering for worship?

Do you find yourself caught up in the world of materialism?

Are you more concerned about being HAPPY than being HOLY?

Are you more concerned about making plans to leave your material goods to your children, while failing to plan to leave them a spiritual heritage?

Are you unwilling to get involved in a ministry that requires personal inconvenience and sacrifice?

Are you more excited about attending a church dinner than a prayer meeting?

Do you spend more time reading secular magazines, books and newspapers than reading and studying the Word of God?

Are you more interested in talking about sports, hobbies, or TV programs than about the Lord?

Let's nail this down, “What kind of LIFESTYLE are you showing your children and grandchildren?” Don't think you can hide these facts from your children and not have them affected! They will soon discover what is going on.

The contemporary adage is true, "garbage in – garbage out. Worldliness in will be worldliness out. Worldliness in our lives soon dulls our love for Jesus."

Do your children and grandchildren see a genuine Godly character, or do they see you living in spiritual adultery?

Is Sunday morning just a show of singing these songs, "Blessed Assurance Jesus is Mine” and “What a Foretaste of Glory" or “Oh, How I Love Jesus”? Once the Sunday halo comes off, does your every day worldly lifestyle go on? All the while, the children and teenagers wonder, with a great deal of confusion, WHICH IS THE RIGHT WAY.

Everything about the LIFESTYLE OF THE WORLD touches us every day. Someone said,"CHRISTIANS MUST LIVE IN THE WORLD, BUT THEY ARE NOT TO LET THE WORLD LIVE IN THEM."

In Colossians 3:1-3 we read, “If we then be risen with Christ, SEEK those things which are above…SET your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life, is hid with Christ in God.”

In Titus 2:11-13 we read, “For the grace of God, that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that denying ungodliness and WORLDLY lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present WORL;: Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;…”

Jesus said in Matthew 5:13-14 we are to be "the salt of the earth" and “the light of the world."That is, we are to change the world, but not allow the world to change us.

The way to combat worldliness is to be a friend of God. Please turn again to that great challenge given by the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Notice again verse 2, "Do not conform any longer to the patterns of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Let's say it this way:

"Don't let the world with its fads and styles, with its habits and pleasures, with its dress and amusement and actions, SQUEEZE YOU INTO ITS MOLD."

Notice Paul goes on to say, you are to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind." Old habits do not disappear overnight. The lifestyle you had before you were saved will not change immediately after you come to Christ. But it can and must change if you are going to live for God and shine as lights for Him in the world. The key is the mind. He who controls the MIND will control how you live.

If your mind is controlled by the Word of God you will live in a Godly way.

If your mind is controlled by the World you will live in a worldly way.

Returning to James 4:4, please notice God's attitude toward the world, "Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." Let me say it this way, "Don't you know that when you fall in love with the world, you begin to hate God?"

James is saying our affections cannot be divided. We cannot be in love with the world and with the Lord at the same time. It has to be one or the other.

Please listen carefully. I realize there are many things in this world that are not deliberately anti-God, things that are not openly defiant of God's laws. But in a way, many of these seemingly innocent desires and activities are ungodly and worldly,

if they retard our spiritual appetite,

if they weaken our spiritual influence and testimony for Jesus,

if they cannot being glory to Christ,

if they compromise our witness in life and testimony,

if in our effort to feel comfortable with people and places and activities of the world, we may automatically lower our standards to their level of conduct.

The result is then enmity with God! This leads us to our next verse and next point.

SECOND: Friendship with the world DENIES our Faith in God, verse 5 “Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?” One of the problems with verse 5 is the reference to the scriptural quotation, "The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy." If this is supposed to be a reference to some particular Old Testament passage, no one, from that time to this, has been able to locate it.

The best way to understand this reference is to view it in the same way we would view a preacher who might say, "The Bible says," and then refer to some concept generally taught in the Bible. James is simply saying the whole tenor of scripture teaches us that the Holy Spirit who lives within the believer JEALOUSLY DESIRES TO COMPLETELY POSESS THE BELIEVER AND CONTROL HIS LIFE.

Exodus 20:4-5 tells us, "You shall not make for yourselves a carved image…you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.

Deuteronomy 6:15, "For the Lord your God is a jealous God among you."

The Holy Spirit of God does not want us to give

one ounce of our energy,

one moment of our time,

one square inch of our hearts to ungodly things.

God's spirit is JEALOUS of every moment stolen from Him. Every affection given to the world grieves Him. God wants all of you, and He is jealous if He does not have that.

God doesn’t want to be "King for a day;" He wants to be King of our life.

He is not just the appetizer; He wants to be the entire entree.

He is not just the introduction; He wants to be the entire book.

He is not just the ornament; He wants to be the entire wardrobe.

He is not just a moon-lighting king on a part time throne.

We must realize Christianity is not just something we do during church time. It is

a way of living,

a way of acting,

a way of dressing,

a way of walking,

a way of talking and

a way of relating to people seven days a week.

We must choose whether we will be friends of the world or friends of God.

THIRD: Friendship with God DEVELOPS the Framework of Our Humble Spirit, verses 6-10, “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (7) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. (9) Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. (10) Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” The good news is, God "gives more grace," and "gives grace to the humble." Here are four tenets of practical advice to overcome the world:

First, Submit to God.

Second, Resist the devil.

Third, Draw near to God.

Fourth, Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts.

John Wesley once said, "Anything that cools my love for Christ is of the world." My friends, are there any areas in your life where you are allowing yourself to "be conformed to the pattern of this world?" James 4:4 again tells us "…Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?…" I John 2:15 says "Love not the world…neither the things that are in the world."

First and foremost the Christian life is a positive allegiance to Jesus Christ.

We should become so occupied with Jesus Christ that the things of this world become stale and tasteless.

There is little danger of conforming to the lifestyle of the world WITHOUT, if you have enough of Christ WITHIN.

********************************************************************

If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “Friend of the World, Enemy of God” then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior let me know? Please send an e-mail to, pdmikBBM@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

The “Weekly SERMON” was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA 18706. Privacy policy: your e-mail address will not be sold, or shared with any third party.

Copy write permission: Because the “Weekly SERMON” will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The “Weekly SERMON” in its original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the “Weekly SERMON” must set forth in full the heading that is given before each “Weekly SERMON.” Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikBBM@aol.com or by phone at 570.829.5216.

In His Amazing Grace,

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/……/MMXII/08/

Why Do we Have Conflicts?

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:55:33 +0000

Sunday February 12, 2012	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: Book of James #16	Text: James 4:1-3

Why Do we Have Conflicts?

Introduction: Let’s face it; we live in a world full of CONFLICTS. There are conflicts between individuals, conflicts in families, and conflicts that split church congregations over pettiness between individuals, not sound doctrine. There are conflicts on the job and in politics. So, why do we have them?

This question brings us back to our study of the New Testament book of James, where we are reminded that he is dealing with REAL PROBLEMS in the REAL WORLD that you and I face every day. In his usual style, James uses strong words at the beginning of chapter 4 as he deals with tensions arising within the church.

Satan desires to create TENSIONS and DISHARMONY in every relationship we have, including our family, our friends, and within our church. In James 4 we are warned about some major causes of disharmony – SELFISHNESS, ENVY, JEALOUSY, WORLDLINESS, and SLANDER.

These poor qualities in the Christian life are like sand in a watch, they damage it from the inside. It takes a HUMBLE, HONEST Christian to recognize such faults in his or her life and deal with them.

The break between chapters 3 and 4 is an unfortunate one, since James neither changes the subject nor shifts his emphasis. His comments regarding the destructive nature of the tongue which started in chapter 3, builds to a crescendo in chapter 4. In order to understand the context we need to go back to James 3:14-18 and see again the contrast between heavenly wisdom and earthly wisdom.

“But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. (15) This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. (16) For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. (17) But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. (18) And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”

Now in James 4:1-3 we read,

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? (2) Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. (3) Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

Someone entitled these verses, "When Worship turns to War." Another entitled it "Extending the Right FIST of Fellowship."

In James 4:1 we read “From whence come wars and fightings among you?" Like a parent stepping into the middle of a sibling squabble, James asks his readers, “What started all this?” Why do we, as Paul said in Galatians 5:15, "bite and devour one another?” Because we are full of SELF! Just look throughout the pages of the Word of God:

Lot caused a quarrel with His Uncle Abraham, Genesis 13

Absolom created war with his father David, II Samuel 13-18

The disciples argued among themselves, Luke 9:46

Members of the Corinthian church in I Corinthians 1:10-11 were competing with one another over spiritual gifts, quarreling with one another, and even going to court with others.

The members of the Galatian church were biting and devouring one another, Galatians 5:15

In Philippi, two women were just not getting along, Philippians 4:1

Even James seems to be addressing a church full of SELF and STRIFE. He talks about:

Class wars, James 2:1-9, where the rich were being honored and the poor were being ignored

Employment wars, James 5:1-6 the rich had power, while the poor got no wages

Church fights over selfish ambitions in James 1:19-20 and James 3:13-18

Church tongues were slandering one another, James 4:11, 5:9

From where do theseQUARRELS and CONFLICTS come? It's important for us to discover the answer to this because today there is AS MUCH CONFLICT WITHIN THE CHURCH AS THERE IS OUTSIDE IT. That’s why Christianity limps along as a godless world looks in and sees NOTHING different than what they see outside.

Someone made this profound statement, "There has never been a church in any age or in any place free from DISCORD or immune to the DANGER of RIVILRY and STRIFE."

Someone else said, "Whenever a church is advancing in fulfillment of its obligation to proclaim Christ, you may be sure Satan will be at work. Satan never disturbs a sleeping church. The members of such an assembly are no problem to him. But when God's people are wide awake and busy for the Lord, Satan and his emissaries will be there to impede the progress." How true that is!

Another said, “Satan's strategy throughout church history has been to destroy UNITY within the visible church. This makes a lot of sense from Satan's point of view. If he can destroy UNITY, he has destroyed the most powerful means of communication to LOST MEN and WOMEN that Jesus Christ is GOD. When that message is OBLITERATED or even BLURRED man is doomed to eternal despair. Man cannot come to know God apart from coming to know Jesus Christ, who is God the Son.”

When Christ was on earth, He worked miracles to convince men He was God. When He went back to heaven, He left His church to communicate that truth. The ingredient in the church that convinces NON-BELIEVERS that Jesus is God is UNITY - being of the SAME MIND WITH ONE ANOTHER. This is a miracle in itself, because:

Everywhere men tend toward DISHARMONY;

History flows with a lack of HARMONY, and

SQUABBLES are the norm, and SQUABBLES turn people off.

Do you think the GOSPEL turns people ON when they see Christians fighting and bickering and refuse to get along? In John 13:34-35 Jesus said to His disciples in the upper room "A new commandment I give unto you that you love one another as I have loved you… by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, If you have love one to another."

God is not the author of such a discordant spirit. James tells us that such a spirit comes from THREE WRONGS.

First: We have WRONG MOTIVES verse 1: “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?” Fighting and quarreling among you comes from "WITHIN YOU"

The origin of a family squabble can be traced to SELFISH LUSTS that are within you."

The origin of church disharmony can be traced to SELFISH LUSTS that comes from within you.

I believe that James is suggesting that the cause of the trouble is:

The SELF-CENTERED “I,” I DESIRE, I WANT MY WAY. I want my marbles. I want to do it my way. It’s my way or no way. If I cannot have it my way; I will either pick a fight to get it, or pick up my marbles to go somewhere else.

Someone said, “A person not at peace with himself can surely not be at peace with those around him.” Psalms 133:1 tells us, "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."

You will notice in James 4 the word “Lust” is used in all three verses. In verse 1 the Greek word is pronounced "Hedonism" meaning an "unbridled search for pleasure."

It is the philosophy of seeking "what pleases me."

It is a word for sensual pleasure of the FLESH.

My friends, we have too much FLESH in our Christian lives; we have too much FLESH in the church. For example:

If you say, I will only come to church if I get pleasure from worship.

If you say, I will only come to church when it suits me.

If you say, I will only serve for my pleasure or do things that I like to do.

You continually ask the modern day question, “WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?” So we go to church and there are personality conflicts; this personality can't get along with that personality. We go church and there are those who must have all the attention like DIOTREPHES, who loved to have the preeminence as we read in III John verse 9. His problem was his lust for position, his desire for authority; and he was causing "war" in the church.

In a church of any size, a natural tendency is for one group to think their ministry is of higher priority than the ministry of another group. Because you are serving in that ministry, you may not even notice or care if other ministries are struggling. Allow me to remind you that the Bible admonishes us to "In honor preferring one another."

The church is not intended to be a band of little groups loyal only to that group. Our loyalty ought to be to the Lord Jesus and to the entire church.

Each and every individual and family is important.

Each and every ministry is important.

All of us needs to do our part for the GLORY OF GOD, for anything less than our best is SIN.

Such a spirit of fighting comes to us because we seek to please ourselves. And why does such a spirit create dissension? Because we can only please ourselves AT THE EXPENSE OF ANOTHER.

I found this quote in an old message I preached years ago on this same passage, but I have no idea where it came from. Nevertheless it is as true today as it was when written.

"Pleasure-seeking destroys our love for spiritual things. We may still keep on doing them, but we do them out of duty and not love. I John 4:7 tells us "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." When we love Jesus, the most joyful thing in the world is to serve Him and obey Him. But when the goal of our lives is obtaining selfish pleasures, our obedience becomes simply a disagreeable duty.

Some of us go to church out of a sense of obligation. We have become so preoccupied with becoming "spiritual" that we have forgotten the real mark of spirituality is to LOVE JESUS. If we LOVE JESUS with all our being, we will be spiritual Christians. If we have conflicts and problems, we have no one else to blame but ourselves. IT IS OUR SPIRIT, OUR ATTITUDE."

Thus we discover in verse 1 that we have wrong motives which lead us.

Second: We have WRONG ACTIONS verse 2: “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” Here theword “lust” means "to set your heart on something." It’s the word for COVETOUSNESS, the brooding over something you want but can't have.

In Hebrews 13:5, we read, "let your manner of life be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have…"

In Luke 12:15 Jesus said, "…take heed and beware of covetousness, for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."

The 10th commandment in Exodus 20:17 tell us, "Thou shalt not covet."

This verse is full of SELFISHNESS on the inside. Instead of being thankful for the blessings we have, we complain about the blessings we would like to have. Consequently we develop a JEALOUS and ENVIOUS spirit.

So James says ye kill. The word, "kill" refers to "character and reputation assassination." We don't have it and we want it, so we kill the other person’s reputation, good name and character to get it. Someone said, "Jealousy realizes the good in others, but only desires to speak of the evil in them. James is saying, you can never claim a high position for yourself by pushing others down." You can never enjoy your life by killing someone else’s reputation, good name, or their character. Yet, this is being done all the time in our personal lives, in the church family, and in society. We tear this person down, this family member down, this ministry or that ministry down, in order for us to look good. How destructive to the name and cause of Christ.

From wrong motives in verse 1, to wrong actions in verse 2, we move on to:

Third: We have WRONG PRAYING, verse 3: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” I guess the natural question we need to ask is “what is the motive of your praying?”

Do you PRAY and ASK for your WANTS or NEEDS instead of the DESIRE for HIS GLORY.

In his usual blunt way, James says, "STOP ASKING FOR SELFISH THINGS." Often we call upon God as if He were a magic genie, someone who will grant our every wish and our every desire. THANK GOD HE DOES NOT GRANT OUR EVERY WANT or OUR EVERY WISH or OUR EVERY DESIRE!

Someone has said, "Sometimes the only thing worse than not getting what you want is getting it." Let me repeat that, "Sometimes the only thing worse than not getting what you want is getting it."

The Children of Israel in Numbers 11 complained about not having some meat to eat. They wanted flesh to eat. Yes, as usual they were weeping over something they wanted. Now listen carefully, God finally gave them what they wanted but they LOST WHAT THEY HAD. They received meat, but many of them lost their lives. As a result, they named the place where God sent them the meat "the graves of Lust."

The Promised Land was in Israel’s sight, at a place called Kadesh-Barnea. God wanted them to have it. But they did not want to face the giants in the land so they complained in Numbers 14:2, "Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt!" or would God we had died in this wilderness." Guess what? They got wanted they wanted. The people of Israel did not have to face the giants, but AGAIN THEY LOST WHAT THEY HAD which was many lives because they naturally died over the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. They got what they wanted, but lost what they had ALL BECAUSE OF PRAYING FOR SELFISH REASONS.

This is a warning to be careful. Do you pray for your own pleasure, or do you pray to get God's will and work done for His Glory?

Let's draw this message to a close by going to three verses of scripture.

Number 1: Notice the last part of Philippians 1:27 "That ye stand fast in ONE spirit, with ONE mind, STRIVING TOGETHER for the faith of the Gospel." The word STRIVE means to AGONIZE. Here we are to AGONIZE TOGETHER, to put all our efforts toward the cause, the distribution of the gospel to all the world.

Our commission as a church is to reach people both in our immediate world as well as in the regions beyond. We have seen that the world will not believe our message unless we are worshipping in UNITY andHARMONY.

Number 2: In Philippians 2:3 we read “Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” The words "one accord" means "joint souls". We ought to be ever singing, "Blest be the ties that bind our hearts in Christian Love."

Here are several safe guards to keep that all-important unity in the church:

1. Stay in love with Jesus by daily expressing to Him your love.

2. Don't be easily offended and walk around with a wounded Spirit.

3. Stay in love with the Word of God.

4. Realize the needs of OTHERS; always be conscious of others.

5. Realize that each of us is a child of God, therefore we ought to be the best of friends in Christ.

6. Remember,

We are all fighting the same enemies – the DEVIL, the WORLD and the FLESH.

We all have the same commission to win souls to Jesus.

We are all on our way to heaven, if by faith we have trusted Christ as our Savior.

We are all indwelt with the same Holy Spirit.

If you are saved, you are part of the family of God within a church. As such, I am just like you and you are just like me. We are trying to do our best for the Master. We must accept that each of us will fall in failure and fall short of the name we bear – Christian. For the Bible says, "All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. There is none righteous, no not one…"

We have got to realize that one of these days everybody in our church is going to disappoint us.

We have got to realize that within our church family we are brothers and sisters in Christ.

Therefore let us all share in our defeats as well as in our victories, and share in our mistakes as well as in our blessings.

Number 3: In Ephesians 4:3 we read, "Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of PEACE." Here is the by-product of Godly wisdom and Godly living which is the very opposite of strife and quarrels. Unity is not automatic:

It takes effort to get along with people.

It takes effort to daily apply the principles of scripture.

It takes effort to have the mind of Jesus Christ.

It takes effort to accept each other and to lift up the weak or fallen.

It takes effort to be patient and loving.

It takes effort to be forgiving.

I trust to you, that this has been a message of prevention in the context of our study of James. Nothing without will destroy the ministry of our church. It will only be destroyed if we let it by WRONG MOTIVES, WRONG ACTIONS, and WRONG PRAYING from within.

My friend, is there a conflict within you today? Are you troubled by warring and strife? In I John 5:14 we read, "this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us."

Jesus knows your burdens and conflicts, and He wants to give you victory over them and lasting peace.

Although the whole world may be in turmoil, the child of God can rest in the arms of the Prince of Peace.

********************************************************************

If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “Why Do We Have Conflicts?” then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

In His Amazing Grace,

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/……/MMXII/07/

In the Day of My Trouble

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 09:30:46 +0000

Sunday August 14, 2011	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: In the Day of My Trouble	Text: Psalm 77: 1-13

"In the Day of My Trouble"

Introduction: I'm not certain who first made this statement, but wise counsel was given when he or she said, "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle." In a more recent article, this statement caught my attention, “I do not know a single Christian who is following God, that is not either in the middle of a trial, just ending one, or about to start a new one. That is how God draws us closer to Him…” When life hands us painful surprises, we start to ask questions as:

We wonder if perhaps we've been cheated; or

We begin to doubt that life makes any sense at all; or

We even begin to question the goodness and love of God; or

We discover that bad things do happen to good people.

When these bad things happen, our normal response is, "WHY?"

If that is how you are feeling at this very moment, listen to this little boy’s account of his day. He has back-to-back disappointments, and one continuous "nothing goes right downer day." This little guy can't win for losing. Here is his day, written in his style.

I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

So after a terrible day at school, a horrible visit with the dentist, and a no-good stop at the shoe store where it seemed we tried on every shoe in the store but nothing would fit, what I liked my mother would not buy and whatever she liked I would not be caught wearing, so we came home to supper.

And you guessed it my troubles continued. There were lima beans for dinner and I hate limas. There was kissing on TV and I hate kissing. My bath was too hot, I got soap in my eyes, and my marble went down the drain, and I had to wear my railroad-train pajamas. I hate my railroad-train pajamas. When I went to bed my brother took back the pillow he said I could keep and the night light burned out and I bit my tongue. The dog wanted to sleep with my other brother, not with me. I guess no body love me. It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Small wonder that this little fellow sighs at the end of this day and says, "I think I'll move to Australia."

Let's face it. Bad things not only happen to good people, but they also happen to a select group of "good people – GOD'S PEOPLE." The fact that we know God as our Father and Jesus Christ as our Saviour doesn't exempt us from the normal burdens of life or from those troubles that totally surprise us at times. Even in Psalms 34:19, we read, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delievereth him out of them all." Many are the problems, trials and circumstances we can talk about, such as:

A sudden, unexpected, health, financial, or personal problem that comes our way; or

A husband or wife walking out of a marriage for no apparent reason; or

A man or woman losing their job without warning; or

A daughter or son breaking parent’s hearts; or

A marriage crumbling because a partner has an affair; or

A relationship that has gone sour that leaves us wondering; or

A family crisis that just staggers the mind for which there is no explanation..

On and on we could go with story after story. At times, circumstances of life come upon us that totally mystify us and stagger the mind. At times we come to the place where:

There is no way out;

There is no way through; and

There certainly is no way around the difficulties or circumstances in which we find ourselves.

Now with all that in mind, please go with me to Psalm 77: 1-14 where we find one with whom we can identify and who is very capable of articulating his woes.

First: We have the Psalmist focused on his TROUBLE, verse 2-9.

Second: We have the Psalmist focused on His GOD, verse 10-14.

Follow me as I read verses 1-9 for you.

“I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me. (2) In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. (3) I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah. (4) Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak. (5) I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. (6) I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. (7) Will the Lord cast off forever? and will he be favourable no more? (8) Is his mercy clean gone forever? doth his promise fail for evermore? (9) Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.”

In reading this part of the Psalm, no doubt you and I can say:

I can identify with that, or

I have experienced that, or

I know someone who has gone through or who is now going through that.

Starting with verse 1, this psalm indicates there is much sadness there. The Psalmist said literally "I was sobbing over a sorrow that has shaken me." Please hold that thought as I will return to verse 1. The real nuts and bolts of this passage is found in verses 2, 3, and 4 where we find the word "trouble" repeated three times:

Verse 2, "In the day of my TROUBLE I sought the Lord…"

Verse 3, "I remembered God, and was TROUBLED…"

Verse 4, "…I am so TROUBLED that I cannot speak."

The Psalmist isn't talking about:

Something that is petty in his life, nor

Something that would vanish in a day, nor

Something that is inconsequential.

Whatever this trouble was, it was something that totally devastated him. In verse 3 the Hebrew word "trouble" can be translated "violently agitated." As we read verse 4, we see that he was so violently agitated that he cannot even speak, which indicates he was in a state of shock.

Now back in verse 2 notice the phrase, "My sore ran in the night." The Hebrew word for "sore" means "hand." Perhaps you will understand this better if I read it this way, "in the day that I was violently agitated, I sought the Lord and at night I stretched out my hand." He sought the Lord throughout the night in a continual state of prayer.

Are there some here who can identify with that activity? You may be saying, “Pastor,

There is pain in my life,

There is trouble in my life,

There is a situation in my life that has mystified me, and

When my head hits the pillow, throughout the night I am crying out to God for relief.

The Psalmist was in such a state of shock that he literally stretched out his hands throughout the night in prayer. But there was another problem found at the end of verse 2 where he said, "My soul refused to be comforted." No one could provide comfort to this man.

No matter how MUCH he prayed;

No matter how MANY books he read;

No matter how MANY friends came to see him, and

No matter how many SERMONS he heard preached, he was not comforted.

Let me stop here and carefully say,

Just because you are a Christian, and

Just because you are a believer in Jesus Christ, saved, and absolutely sure of Heaven, and

You can't think of any un-confessed sin in your life, and

You don't believe you are out of the will of God, and

You are in fellowship with God, and

You are in fellowship with other believers around you,

Does not mean you are exempt from trouble, even trouble that staggers the mind and mystifies you. Please remember this,

THERE IS NO SHAME FOR A CHRISTIAN ADMITTING AT TIMES THAT HE OR SHE IS TOTALLY MYSTIFIED BY WHAT GOD HAS PERMITTED IN HIS OR HER LIFE.

It is easy for those who are strong and healthy to forget how many tears of sorrow and grief are shed every day by others. All around this aching world, perhaps in your own home or in your heart this very week, even unbeknown to the vast majority of us, sadness abounds. Tears fall. Grief has you in its grip, and IT CAN HAPPEN SO FAST!

Not only is this Psalmist mystified by the situation in his life, but he also begins to have doubts about:

the care of God,

the love of God,

the concern of God, and even

the existence of almighty God.

How could a loving God, a concerned God, permit these things to happen in his life? This was troubling to the Psalmist. In verses 6-9 as he stays focused on his troubles, he is saying, "Has God forgotten me, to the point that I don't even exist in his eyes?" He was so perplexed, so bewildered, and so troubled that he begins to question the ATTRIBUTES and CHARACTER of the God who once gave Him songs in the night.

Reading all the doubting questions the Psalmist raised in verses 7-9, you will discover that the answer to all these questions is NO!

Verse 7, "Will the Lord cast off forever?" No, for in Psalm 94:14, we read, "For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance."

Verse 7, "… And will he be favorable no more?" No, for in Lamentations 3:32 we read, "But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies."

Verse 8, "Is his mercy clean or completely gone forever?" Again No, for in that magnificent 136th Psalm we read 26 times, "for his mercy endureth forever." Thank God His grace, mercy, and love is unending.

Verse 8, "…Doth his promise fail for evermore?" No, for in II Corinthians 1:20 we read, "For all the promises of God in Him (that is in Christ) are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God." There it is. In Christ you can rest upon the promises of God.

Verse 9 "Hath God forgotten to be gracious?" Again No, for in Isaiah 30:19 we read, "…Thou shalt weep no more; he will be gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee."

Verse 9 "…Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?" No, for in Lamentations 3:22-23 we read, "It is because of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS."

Reading through the Word of God, you will discover that we have:

A God who is conscious of you and I, and

A God who is concerned for you and I, and

A God who cares for our needs and heartaches, and

A God who is loving in mercy, and

A God who is always that way and will always be that way!

You may be in the shadows of some problem or trouble today. You may be in the shadows of a trial or maybe even a disaster some weeks or months from now, but through it all don't doubt the promises of God. As someone so well said, "Don't doubt in the shadows what God has promised in the light." Let me tell you a little story.

A pastor went to see a dear lady in the hospital who had had one operation after another. There in her frail and weak state she said, "If there is a God, why does he permit this in my life, why does He allow all this pain and suffering to come upon me." The wise pastor asked the woman, "Do you believe that suffering is real?" She replied, "Yes, I believe it is real; I know it is real; I have been going through it week after week; yes suffering is real." Then the pastor said something like this, "If doubting God makes the pain any easier, then keep on doubting God. But if it doesn't, then cry out to God in prayer, and submit to God's word and trust Him to bring to pass His purpose and will in your life. And you will find that God cannot be unfaithful to His written word.

Listen to the words of this hymn:

There is a peace in my heart that the world never gave,

A peace it cannot take away;

Tho' the trials of life may surround like a cloud,

I've a peace that has come to stay!

Constantly abiding, Jesus is mine;

Constantly abiding, rapture divine;

He never leaves me lonely, whispers, O so kind,

"I will never leave thee" Jesus is mine.

Matthew Henry the great Bible expositor said this, "The God of Israel, is sometimes a God that hides Himself, but never a God that absents Himself; sometimes in the dark, but never at a distance."

Frances Ridly Havergal the hymn writer said, "When we are perplexed, when we cannot tell what to do, when we cannot understand what is going on around us, let us be calmed and steadied and made patient by the thought that what is hidden from us is not hidden from Him."

In Isaiah 42:2-3 we read, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. I AM THE LORD, YOUR GOD, THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL, YOUR SAVIOUR…"

The Psalmist said in Psalm 42:11, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? HOPE THOU IN GOD; for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God."

As I mentioned earlier, let’s go back to Psalm 77 verse 1 where we discover that the real focus should be on GOD. Here we read that this one "…cried unto God with his voice, EVEN UNTO GOD and He gave ear unto me."

In verses 2-9 the Psalmist focused on his TROUBLE. Now in verses 10-14 the Psalmist focused on His GOD, where we read “And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. (11) I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. (12) I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. (13) Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God? (14) Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.”I believe the answer to this man’s troubles and fears, and the sweet peace he was looking for came when he was willing to accept the phrase he wrote in verse 10, "THIS IS MY INFIRMITY."

Let’s face it. Everyone has their share of afflictions. Some people have a much larger dose than others. But there are NO EXCEPTIONS and there are NO EXEMPTIONS.

We are to expect what comes, since it comes from the very hand of the most-high God. And as we move through life, God has a set of circumstances for us to experience, every day, week and for every age of life. All the days of our years we will experience problems, because God has put them there.

So when they come, don’t be surprised, just look up to God and say, "THIS IS MY INFIRMITY," God you have put these circumstances here, and I accept that.

I am not going to fight it.

I am not going to question it.

I am not going to debate it.

I am not going to analyze it.

Rather, "THIS IS MY INFIRMITY," and I am going to accept it. When the Psalmist said that, GOD CAME INTO FOCUS. What is the character of the GOD of the Bible? If you really want to know, you need to read the BIBLE!

The God of the Bible is KIND.

The God of the Bible is COMPASSIONATE.

The God of the Bible is LOVING.

The God of the Bible is MERCIFUL.

The God of the Bible is TENDER.

The God of the Bible is SYMPATHETIC.

The God of the Bible is JUST.

The God of the Bible is HOLY.

Now those who have read and studied the Word of God have come to realize that the God of the BIBLE is all of these things. And the God of the Bible never deals with His people out of Character.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-29, "Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, AND YOU SHALL FIND REST UNTO YOUR SOULS."

Again notice what happens in verses 10-13 when the Psalmist gets his focus on GOD. “And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. (11) I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. (12) I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. (13) Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?” The Psalmist "remembers and meditates" upon the goodness of God, concluding in verse 13, "…Who is so great a God as our God?"

When you and I hurt deeply during the troubles of life, even over troubles at times we can't explain, what we really need is not an EXPLANATION from God but a REVELATION of God.

We need to see how GREAT God is.

We need to see the how GOOD our God is and praise Him.

We need to realize our light affliction on this earth is but for a moment in comparison to an eternity of peace with God.

The next time you are going through TROUBLE, TRIAL, or AFFLICTION reflect on Psalm 66:19-20, "But verily God hath heard me, he hath attended to the voice of my prayer, Blessed be God, who hath not turned away my prayer or His mercy from me." In the hymn, "The Eternal God is Thy Refuge," the author wrote:

Are the waves of trouble overwhelming?

Is the sky with tempest overcast?

Flee to God a never failing refuge,

He will shield thee till the storm is past.

He will hear and heed thy cry appealing,

He will turn no burdened soul away;

Whatsoever thy trouble, He can help thee,

Wilt thou trust His mighty arm today?

***********************************************

If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “In the Day of My Trouble” then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, let me know. Please send an e-mail to pdmikBBM@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

background:white;">Copy write permission background:white;">: Because the “Weekly SERMON” will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The “Weekly SERMON” in its original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the “Weekly SERMON” must set forth in full the heading that is given before each “Weekly SERMON.”

In His Amazing Grace,

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/…/MMXI/33/

A Psalm for Youth to Old Age

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 11:46:56 +0000

Sunday August 7, 2011	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: A Psalm for Youth to Old Age	Text: mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Psalm 71:1-8

Introduction: Today, we have within our church people in various stages of life to whom we are ministering.

There are the INFANTS just starting on life's journey.

There are the TODDLERS full of life, always moving, always exploring.

There are the ADOLESCENTS in Junior church that are being taught about life as they are reaching out in simple, child-like faith.

There are the TEENAGERS sitting here who have reached that stage where they are neither a child nor an adult, but somewhere in between. They are now questioning life, making decisions and looking forward to what life holds.

There are the YOUNG and MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS who have now reached that stage in life where they are involved in just about everything, carving out a career, raising a family, and struggling to make ends meet.

There are also those who have reached what we call OLD AGE who sit and look back at a life that has passed ever so quickly. In some cases they are regretting what they have done, and in other cases they are sitting here singing praises and joy to the Lord.

Since we are all headed towards being older adults, have you given much thought to just how will you feel when you look back at your life? Will it be with joy and praises unto God or will it be with regret? Believe it or not, your view of life will be established, not in your old age but in your youth. Here are two examples of differing life views found in the Scriptures:

There is KING SOLOMON, the richest, wisest man who ever lived, who looked back on his life in absolute regret for having forsaken the God of His youth, as he cried, "…vanity of vanities; all is vanity…"

The other is KING DAVID, Solomon’s father. Even though there were times in David’s life during which he sinned, as in all our lives, he is found looking back from old age to his youth always in the joy and praise of the Lord.

This morning, let’s examine these two lives in hope that you will make a conscious choice for more joy in your future, or perhaps change the direction of your present life in order to have a more praiseworthy old age.

First: KING SOLOMON, Ecclesiastes 12 Looking at Solomon's life, particularly in his books of the Song of Solomon, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, you will find him seeking fulfillment in a number of areas. Before we turn to Ecclesiastes 12, follow me as I read Ecclesiastes 1:1-4, “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. (2) Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. (3) What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? (4) One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.”

Please understand that the word “Vanity” means “emptiness.”Solomon had it all, but in the end he had nothing, because he left God out of the picture.

He sought fulfillment through the pursuit of PLEASURE. With reckless abandon, he indulged in every sensual pleasure known to man. However, he soon discovered that the dizzying succession of women, wine and parties, brought with it unexpected heartaches, turmoil, and pressure.

He sought fulfillment through the accumulation of POSSESSIONS. No price was too great to pay. Anything he liked, he bought. But gradually he grew bored with all his "toys." And he couldn't help wondering what would happen to it all when he was gone.

He sought fulfillment through the study of PHILOSOPHY. But even in the pursuit of knowledge, he realized that he could spend the rest of his life expanding his mind, and still be empty in his soul.

Wearied by his search for meaning, in verse 2 the disillusioned Solomon cries out in utter frustration, "Vanity of vanities…all is vanity." To put it another way, "What is life, but emptiness and meaningless?" The man who "has it all," the man who makes it to the top, looks down on his vast empire and says, "If this is all there is, I might as well be dead!"

Content for the first time in his life, after having wasted so much time grasping for meaning, we now turn to chapter 12 in which SOLOMON writes a solemn admonition for those of us who will follow after him. In verse 1 he says, "Remember NOW thy Creator in the days of thy youth." An explanation point could follow that first word, “Remember!” God wants you and me to remember HIM.

During your youthful years, the sky is bright, but the time will come when there will be darkness and difficult days and one storm after another and you will begin to wonder, where is the God I knew in my youth? Solomon warns: "Watch out! Keep the Lord in full focus! Why? Because there is that tendency in later years to look back and say we have no delight in days past. Having forgotten God, the older Solomon grew, the more he realized the emptiness and the joylessness of life.

In verses 3-7 Solomon gives one of the most imaginative descriptions of old age and subsequent death found anywhere. The possible meanings follow each phrase:

The keepers of the house shall tremble, meaning your arms and hands tremble.

The strong men shall bow themselves, meaning your legs will bend under the weight of the years.

The grinders cease because they are few, meaning you start to have gums instead of teeth. Old age robs you of your ivories!

Those that look out of the windows be darkened, meaning your eyes no longer see clearly.

The doors shall be shut in the streets, meaning your ears will no longer pick up familiar sounds. Your pet phrase becomes, "please repeat that."

He shall rise up at the voice of the bird, meaning you have insomnia because you wake-up early with the birds each morning, and wish you could sleep longer.

They shall be afraid of that which is high, meaning you develop phobias as you grow older and become afraid of falling from high places.

The almond tree shall flourish, meaning the hair on your head will turn gray just as the pink almond flower turns white as it ages.

The grasshopper shall be a burden, meaning the least little thing becomes a burden.

The desire shall fail, meaning you will lose your appetite for a number of things.

Man goeth to his long home, meaning he goes to the grave.

The silver cord be loosed, meaning the cord of life is snapped and the light of life goes out.

The golden bowel be broken, meaning the brain slows down and you incur the loss of memory. You forget names, places, and where you are or what you are doing.

The pitcher be broken at the fountain or the wheel broken at the cistern, meaning the machinery of life stops working, and the water of life stops flowing. Your heart and arteries stop circulating blood through your body so you die.

And in verse 7 we have the end, death, “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” Now for the last time in his discourse, Solomon said in verse 8, "Vanity of vanities…all is vanity." The book closes where it began in chapter 1:2, emphasizing the emptiness of life without God. When you look at life "under the sun" everything does seem vain; but when you know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, according to I Corinthians 15:58, "Your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

Solomon lived throughout his youth having everything life could hold, but he forgot the God of His youth. Then in old age he cried out, "life is empty!" Friends you don't' have to live that way and face the end of life with regret.

Someone has said, "Few things are more heart-rending than a hopeless old age. There isn't anything worse than to see a bitter, sad, hopeless old person." The worst thing you could do with all you have gained through life would be to carve out a cave and crawl into it, to wait until you die.

Another said, The greatest delight of your life as you grow older would be to continually invest yourselves in the younger generation, praying, teaching, praising and laughing.

As we age as Christians we should be capable of singing, “Sweeter as the years go by. Richer, fuller, deeper, Jesus’ love is sweeter.” As someone said, "Don't get older, just get better."

Now, turning from King Solomon to his father King David, we see in Psalm 71 that there was a joy and a confidence in David's life as He sang the praises of God from His youth onward.

Second: KING DAVID, PSALM 71, David has written this Psalm in the sunset years of his life. In verse 15 notice he says, "for I know not the numbers …" That is, he doesn’t know how many more days he has to live. Remember: “None of us knows how long we have to live, nor what tomorrow will bring.”

In Psalm 71 David begins to reflect on the goodness and mercy of God, what God has done for him and what God was continuing to do for him. Here David speaks of his youth as well as his old age.

Verse 5 "…Thou art my trust from my youth."

Verse 9 "Cast me not off in the time of old age …"

Verse 17 "O God, thou has taught me from my youth …"

Verse 18 "Now also when I am old and greyheaded…"

Let me for a moment call your attention to the end of verse 18, "O, God, forsake me not, until I have shown thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to everyone that is to come." To you folks we call our Senior Saints, Let me challenge you with an obligation you have. That is to show US the generation behind you that is your children and to the generation behind us that is our children your grandchildren “Not only the testimony power of God's works but also the testimony of the grace and mercy of God.”

This is not a time to sit back and retire. This is a time to keep showing us that Christ is still on the throne and your Christianity is genuine, for real, and it still works! You may be retired from employment, or no longer have the day by day responsibility of children under your feet, but folks let me challenge you to never, please never, retire from:

WALKING WITH THE LORD, and

WORKING FOR THE LORD, and

SINGING PRAISES TO THE LORD THROUGH TESTIMONY.

In Psalm 71 as David reflects back to his youth in his old age; notice he is full of continual praise. This was not just praise he sang on Sunday morning, or praise testimony he gave on Wednesday evening, but it was praise all the day long.

Verse 6, "…my PRAISE shall be CONTINUALLY of thee."

Verse 8, "Let my mouth be filled with thy PRAISE and with thy honor ALL THE DAY."

Verse 14, "But I will hope CONTINUALLY, and will yet PRAISE thee MORE AND MORE."

Verse 15, "My mouth shall show forth thy righteousness and thy salvation ALL THE DAY…"

Verse 22, "I will also PRAISE THEE…"

Verse 23, "My lips shall greatly REJOICE when I sing unto thee.."

Verse 24, "My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness ALL THE DAY LONG…"

In verses 1-2 David seems to exhibit some apprehension, fear and confusion in his sunset years of Life. He amplifies this feeling in verses 9 and 18 where he cries out "cast me not off, forsake me not."

In verses 1-2 we read, “In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. (2) Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.” Here the Psalmist is asking God to DO something for him. That is to deliver him from a state of worry to a state of confidence.

In verses 3-8 we read, “Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress. (4) Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. (5) For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. (6) By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee. (7) I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge. (8) Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.” Here the Psalmist is asking God to BE something toward him. God is not only our CREATOR, REDEEMER and SUSTAINER, but He is also the ANCHOR and PROTECTOR of our Soul.

Beginning with verse 3 on to verse 8, we find a number of areas all beginning with the word "MY" that show us why the Psalmist’s confidence was in the Lord. These are some very strong words showing what God is to us. It is on this basis that he could continually praise the Lord all the day long.

Verse 3, "Be Thou MY strong habitation…" This implies a strong SECURITY. There is a song that contains that word "habitation." It's entitled "Blessed Quietness" and the last stanza and chorus goes:

What a wonderful salvation,

Where we always see His face!

What a perfect habitation,

What a quiet resting place!

Blessed quietness, holy quietness,

What assurance in my soul!

On the stormy sea He speaks peace to me,

How the billows cease to roll!

Verse 3, "Thou art MY rock…" When we look in the New Testament, we find that the rock is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. The song writer said, and we sing, "On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand." Here we find our FOUNDATION secured.

Verse 3, "MY fortress…" In this word we find our lives are PROTECTED as a fortress is a place of protection. We sing that song, "A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing…"

Verse 5, "Thou art MY hope…" Here is a word of CONFIDENCE. David's confidence was in the Lord. We don't have to worry about tomorrow. We don't have to worry about our eternal redemption. Our hope is in the Lord. Amen

Verse 5, "Thou art MY trust…" Here David's TRUST is not only from his youth but all the days of his life. Again in verse 6 he says, "…my praise shall be continually of thee." Do you know what is so marvelous? It is for some boy or girl, or your son, daughter or grandchild to receive salvation at a very early age in life, and then experience the power of God keeping them from the sins of life from childhood through old age. David is saying that, "…thou has been my trust from my youth." What a tremendous trophy that is to see a son or a daughter grow up in the things of God.

Verse 7 "Thou art MY strong refuge…" In Psalm 46:1 we read, "God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble." Here David is saying God is our SAFETY.

In reviewing these 6 areas we find David's confidence was in God. His praise is for God's righteousness and His Salvation. David may now be old and greyheaded, but from his youth he is saying my confidence and my trust has been in God's comfort, in God's security, in God's strength. I sincerely believe that if David was alive today, one of his favorite songs would be:

O for a thousand tongues to sing,

My great Redeemer's praise,

The glories of my God and King,

The triumphs of his grace.

My gracious Master and my God, assist me to proclaim,

To spread through all the earth abroad,

The honors of Thy name.

Jesus! the name that charms our fears,

That bids our sorrows cease;

‘Tis music in the sinner's ears,

'Tis life, and health, and peace.

There you have it: two men, two choices, and two outcomes as they moved from their youth to old age.

For the one, DAVID, his trust and confidence and reliance was in God. He remembered the God of His youth even into old age. God's praise was continually in His mouth.

The other was SOLOMON who had forgotten the God of his youth and as a result he was a man full of bitterness as he cried at the end of life, "Vanity of Vanities…all is vanity. What is life, but emptiness! Life is meaningless!" Solomon had it all, but in reality, he had nothing,

Now youth, you have a choice to make. The choice you make today to praise God or ignore Him will determine what kind of life you will have when you become old and greyheaded.

To those of you who are in your 40's and 50's, moving toward old age and to those of you who are already there, it is possible to change the pattern of your life, if you would only let the Lord take firm control of your heart.

Time is short. Eternity is long. And Jesus is coming again!

When you stand before Him and all that is earthy and temporal has vanished away, what riches of eternal value will you have to cast at His feet?

Solomon had eternity in view when he wrote, "There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches."

David in summary in Psalm 71:16 says, "I will go in the strength of the Lord God…"

Let me ask you, "Is life worth living? My answer would be, Yes it is, if you are truly alive through faith in Jesus Christ. We read in I John 5:12, "he that hath the Son (that is Jesus Christ) hath LIFE. And he that hath not the Son of God hath NOT LIFE."

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If God has spoken to your heart, after reading the sermon “A Psalm for Youth to Old Age” right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you. Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior would you please let me know? Send an e-mail to: pdmikBBM@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

Copy write permission: Because the “Weekly SERMONS” will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The “Weekly SERMON” in its original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the “Weekly SERMON” must set forth in full the heading that is given before each “Weekly SERMON.” Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikBBM@aol.com or by phone at 570.829.5216.

In His Amazing Grace,

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/…/MMXI/27/

Finishing What You Start

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 18:15:40 +0000

Sunday July 31, 2011	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: Developing Godly Character #3	Text: Luke 2:46-49; II Timothy 4:7-8

“Character: Finishing What You Start”

Introduction: In Luke 2:46-49 we read, "And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" These verses give an account of Jesus and His family going to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. In the passing of time, and as they began their long journey home, Mary and Joseph realized that Jesus was not with them. They turned back to Jerusalem to find him. When they arrived, they found him in the Temple sitting in the midst of some very influential people, teaching and learning from them. Rightfully so, Mary and Joseph asked Jesus why He had allowed Himself to be separated from them, and He answered, "…wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" Jesus was saying, "I have started something for My Father, and I must work on it until it is finished." Today:

We're a generation of starters but not a generation of "finishers."

We're a generation of beginners, but not a generation of “completers.”

We're a generation of promises and commitments that only last for so long, they don't last.

An important trait of character is that of finishing whatever is started. Unfinished tasks clutter the lives of millions. How many times does something go unfinished that God needs to be completed for His work?

I. FINISHING WHAT IS STARTED WILL REMOVE MUCH FRUSTRATION FROM LIFE. Unfinished tasks often contribute to life's discouragements. I have learned if ever I find myself miserable with my work, it is often due to unfinished tasks. In this case, I sit at my desk, and compose a list of what needs to be finished. I then work to finish all that I can. As I finish a task, I mark through it on my list. At the end of the day, each task I have marked off the list ceases to cause frustration and becomes an encouragement to me. The same goes for my weekly schedule. I believe the most miserable people in the world are those who are not “finishers.”

II. STUDENTS SHOULD FINISH SCHOOL. In this point, I speak to students at every level – high school, or college. I have read that the United States government has now passed laws giving a 16-year-old the right to quit school with parental consent. Young people especially should learn to finish what they start. A youth who does not finish high school is apt to live life lacking strong character. I believe that parents should be aware of their children’s assignments and then make them finish the required assignments on time. By doing so, parents are teaching children early in life to finish what they start.

An unskilled and untaught young person will have a difficult time finding good employment. He may even end up living on welfare from the tax money paid by graduates who had the character to finish. He may even spend his life freeloading off of his parents.

A high school dropout will often struggle to support a family. A general equivalency diploma (G.E.D.) is better than nothing, but it is not as good as a high school diploma. Many earn their G.E.D. because of a lack of commitment and an abundance of laziness.

A college student should also finish what he starts. People often look with disapproval on a high school dropout. I feel much the same way toward a college dropout. It is just as important to complete college as it is to finish high school. It may even be more important because of the stage of life that college represents.

III. A PERSON SHOULD FINISH HIS FOOD. There was a time when people ate all the food they put on their plates. Children used to be taught to clean their plates. Americans are people who waste much. While people in other countries starve to death, Americans put food in the trash at a rapid rate. This practice is a sin against God. Select the appropriate amount of food to put on your plate, and then eat it. Finish the food you are given by God, and don't waste His blessing to you.

IV. A PERSON SHOULD FINISH HIS FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS. If a person starts a financial agreement, he should be sure he finishes with the transaction. If he borrows money, he should repay it – on time. If he promises the bank a certain payment, he should keep his promise and finish making all of his payments at that agreed amount. If a person incurs a debt with a family member, he should finish by repaying that debt. Just because a person addresses the people from whom he borrows as parents does not give him the right to take advantage of them nor steal from them.

Today, we live in a society in which many think you get credit cards and write checks to enjoy yourself in life. However, the truth is you are a thief if you owe anyone money and you are late even one day paying it back. Do not borrow money unless you can afford to pay it back. Never begin a debt you cannot fulfil.

V. A PERSON SHOULD FINISH PROJECTS. I could easily go into a lot of detail on this subject.

To build character, a person might study his life and list the projects that have been started, but are unfinished, and if possible, finish them..A person should not even begin projects that are not worth finishing, so look ahead before you start a project. Even hobbies and projects that are started for enjoyment should be finished.

A conscientious person finishes the little projects around the home and at work that need attention. A conscientious person finishes what he or she has committed themselves to do on a church project or on a committee obligation. We seem to live in a world with a lot of starters and not many finishers. Why is that so? I believe it is because of a lack of commitment.

VI. A PERSON SHOULD FINISH FOR THE LORD. Have you heard people say any of these or said them yourself?

“I'm going to commit myself to PRAY for twenty minutes a day.” That will last for maybe a week!

“I'm going to commit myself to reading through my BIBLE this year.” That is until you get to the book of Leviticus!

“I'm going to be a SOUL WINNER and go on visitation once a week.” That is until either the weather changes or someone throws cold water on your efforts.

“I'm making a commitment to LIVE for Jesus.” We say "Praise the Lord", but how many will be doing that come a year from now?

“I'm making a commitment to SERVE God.” But unless you realize that your efforts must be Holy Spirit motivated, and Holy Spirit energized, you will not finish the course.

“I'm making a commitment to come to Sunday school every Sunday.” Believe me, adults need Sunday school as long as we are alive. We need the commitment to Sunday morning and evening and also to midweek Prayer meeting. But even here, we find today more so than ever, people who are becoming more and more inconsistent with their church attendance.

Since God has started a work in every Christian, that Christian must be sure to finish his life in the will of God. Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Every Christian needs to finish what he starts in his Christian life.

VII. A PERSON SHOULD FINISH HIS/HER MARRIAGE. In Matthew 9:6 we read, "Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Marriage IS a commitment! A couple should get married and stay married. "Till death do us part" is a part of the marriage vows. Once the marital relationship is started, it should be finished. Neither one should turn from this responsibility. Far too many couples run to the divorce courts, because of a lack of character. Hard work is required to correct marital hardships, but hard work is not an excuse to divorce. A couple should not lie about their promise to stay together. The couple who finishes their marriage will not quit on their children, parents, or God.

VIII. A PERSON SHOULD NOT START WHAT HE CANNOT FINISH. In this point, I am speaking of criticism about others. When a person begins talking about the faults of others, he enters a realm that is out of his control. When a person gossips about another's faults, he won't be able to change or help that person. Criticism does not help anyone. Remember this statement, "Judging is giving verdict without any intention of ever helping." Criticism falls into the same category as criticism. I say, "Don't talk about that which you cannot change." Let me repeat, a person should not start what he cannot finish.

IX. CHILDREN SHOULD BE TAUGHT TO BE FINISHERS.

Children should learn to finish a task given to them completely and in the way it was expected to be done.

Children should learn to finish a project and then clean up after themselves. In the same way younger children should be taught to put away their playthings when they have finished playing with them.

Children should be prompted to finish coloring one page before going to the next page.

Children should be required to clean their plates at every meal, if age-appropriate portions have been given.

Children should be required to finish cleaning their rooms before privileges are granted. Remember responsibilities must be completed before privileges are given.

Again, children should learn to finish schoolwork as a good method of training.

Developing the character to finish the little areas of life will condition them to finish school and much larger areas of life.

XIII. JESUS WAS A FINISHER. John 19:30 says, "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." It cost Jesus Christ His life to finish the task before Him, but He did it. Then He had to rise from the grave. Wow! Has anyone succeeded at that lately? Talk about a hard task to finish! Jesus allowed nothing to stop Him from finishing the mission God gave Him.

Every person should finish whatever task he starts. In drawing this message to a close I want to call your attention to II Timothy 4:1-8, “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 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; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” Every person should join the Apostle Paul in saying, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." (II Timothy 4:7, 8a) For the most part this passage in II Timothy 4:1-8 has been used as a challenge and encouragement to preachers and pastors. However, I believe there is much to be said to all of us. Paul is talking about finishing the job. I believe with all my heart, our children and grandchildren and the next generations need people to look up to. There are no good excuses for quitting. You who have received eternal life from Christ and started out on a COURSE of service to Him, please "DON'T QUIT!" Our teenagers need to see Christian people being adults who stand up like the Apostle Paul, and at the end of life can say to some young Timothy in the faith:

I HAVE HANGED TOUGH; "I have fought a good fight!"

I HAVE STAYED WITH THE PLAN; "I finished my course!"

I HAVE WALKED WITH GOD; "I kept the faith!"

I HAVE FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE even in the difficulties of the present because the eternal rewards are being set aside by God.

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If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “Character: Finishing What You Start,”then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

In His Amazing Grace,

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/…/MMXI/31/

Character: When Your Flesh is Weak

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 09:31:29 +0000

Sunday July 24, 2011	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: Developing Godly Character #2	Text: mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Matthew 26:41; I Corinthians 10:12-13

“Character: When Your Flesh is Weak”

Introduction: I need to have you look at two passages of scripture to lay the foundation for this lesson entitled “Character: When Your Flesh is Weak.”

Number 1: In I Corinthians 6:19-20 we read, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” This verse is telling me that within me right now (you too if you are saved) resides the Holy Spirit of God.

Number 2: In Matthew 26:41 we read, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Before I was saved within me was the FLESH, the OLD SIN NATURE. That nature caused me to do wrong, caused me to sin. After I was saved, the FLESH, the OLD SIN NATURE did not leave me, it is still here. However, the Holy Spirit came into me to encourage me to do right.

One day an Indian was talking to a missionary and said, “It is hard to live for Christ. Inside me lives white dog and inside me lives black dog. Black dog is the old me who wants to do bad things. White dog is the Spirit of God, He wants to do good things. The white dog and the black dog, they fight all the time. White dog wants to do RIGHT; black dog wants to do WRONG.” The missionary said, “Well, who usually wins the fight?” The old Indian answered, “Whichever one me feeds the most.”

Within you lives the Spirit of God Who wants you to do right, but also there is that old nature in you which we call the flesh – the black dog, if you please. That old nature wants you to do wrong. The nature you feed the most is going to be victorious. “Are you feeding the Spirit of God or are you doing that which would strengthen the flesh?” The Bible tells us that there will be times when we will be weak. The strength of our character should cause us to avoid these weak times, so we can be victorious in our Christian life.

1. We are weak at night. Proverbs 7:7-12 says, "And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, Passing through the street near her corner,' and he went the way to her house, In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner)" It was dark, and it was a late hour. A young man passing through a certain block in his city met a wicked woman who wore the attire of a harlot. The Bible lists many characteristics of this woman. She was loud. She was subtle, clever and sly. She was dressed in a wicked, seductive way. Proverbs 7:21-22 says, "With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks.” The young man committed a terrible sin, perhaps thinking no one would see him during the late hours.

John 3:19 says, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." I believe we are weakest when it is dark. Remember, the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. The nighttime hours have always held certain enticements. A big time at the bar is during the late evening hours. The big time for the dance is during the evening hours. Robbery, murder, and violent crimes usually take place during the evening hours when unseen. This is why I have for years instructed parents to set the curfew for their children to be home no later than 10:00 pm, 9:00 pm during the week. Probably 95 percent of the incidences of immorality are committed at nighttime. Why, because there is something about darkness, the night, and the midnight hour that the Devil enjoys using. We know that evil lurks in the darkness. Therefore, we must realize that evening hours are times when we are weakest.

2. We are weak when we get off schedule. II Samuel 11: 1 says, "And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel, and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem." As leader of the forces, David should have gone to battle with his men, but David chose to tarry at Jerusalem. In other words, David got out of his usual routine. Because he was home, he saw Bathsheba bathing on the roof of her home. David lusted after her and called her to come to his home, where he committed immorality and eventually tried to cover his sin by having her husband killed. Allow me to explain why all that happened. Quite simply, David wasn't where he was supposed to be when he was supposed to be there. "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." The Bible says it was a time for kings to be in battle; David set himself up for a time of weakness.

When we lack organization watch out! The Devil knows it is a time he can attack. Teens cause more problems on the weekend than they do during the week. Why? During the week they are scheduled; they get up at the same time and spend the day at school. People in authority tell them when to sit, when to walk, when to talk, when to close the door, and when to eat. A schedule is easily followed. Once teens lack organization, they are apt to get in trouble. That is why a teen ought to have a schedule of things to do all the time, even in the evening.

Be careful during your weekends. More people get away from God on the weekend than they do during the week. Keep yourself on schedule during the weekends.

3. We are weak when hungry. Matthew 4:1-4 says, "Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." The Bible says in Matthew 4 that Jesus had been fasting and praying. The Devil knew Jesus was hungry, so he tempted Jesus to prove Himself by turning the stones into food.

In Genesis 25 the Bible gives another example of the weakness that can be caused by hunger. Esau, the firstborn son of Isaac and Rebekah, had been out hunting. He arrived home tired and hungry – so hungry he believed he would die. Jacob happened to be cooking, and Esau said, "Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage, for I am faint." (Genesis 25:30) Jacob said, "Sell me this day thy birthright." The Bible says Esau despised his birthright, and he sold it to Jacob for bread and lentils.

The two examples show that when you are hungry, it causes weakness of the flesh. These two illustrations both talk about physical food. However, people can be hungry for more than just food. There are other appetites some people crave to be fulfilled. Be careful that you do not allow your appetites to run wild. For instance, seeking money or fame can also cause weakness.

A man's uncurbed appetite for a woman will cause his flesh to be weak, and the Spirit may never dominate his life. We must learn to control ourselves. Young ladies also need to learn to control their appetites for members of the opposite sex. Get your appetites under control. Developing character means gaining and keeping control of your appetites.

4. We are weak when tired. I Kings 19:4 says, "But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die,' and said, It is enough,' now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers." Elijah had confronted more than 850 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. He had called down fire from Heaven, which totally consumed a sacrifice that had been water drenched. He had single-handedly slaughtered over 850 men. When Jezebel heard of Elijah's victory and how he had killed her false prophets, in so many words she said, "I'm going to get him." The result: Elijah ran from her. I believe he ran because he was dead tired.

One principle we can learn from the life of Elijah is to get the proper amount of sleep. Christians must learn to take care of themselves. Why? Many people who make irresponsible mistakes with their lives do so because they are too tired to make right decisions. Everyone must have the proper amount of sleep to function well. Becoming too exhausted to listen in church will lend toward making more mistakes. Never get so tired that you cannot do right.

5. Married people are weak when away from their spouses too much. I Corinthians 7:5 teaches, "Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer,' and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency." A married person who is away from his spouse in the area of intimacy is tempted easily. A husband and wife need to come together physically to remain strong in this area.

Would you again return to Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” I believe God would have us follow a rather simple principle of life, rather than allow the Devil to devour us. Here is the principle.

Be careful the Devil doesn't trip you up at your WEAKEST moment during the STRONGEST point of your life.

Remember the Devil WILL ATTACK NOT JUST YOUR WEAKNESS; he'll attack YOUR STRENGTH at your weakest moment.

Let me leave you with three statements that will help you here.

First: Your strength becomes your weakness when you take it for granted. Proverbs 16:18 tells us, "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." BE CAREFUL BECAUSE YOUR PRIDE WILL GET THE BEST OF YOU. Your strength becomes your weakness when you overlook it, when you don't recognize that your real source of strength comes from the Lord. PRIDE TAKES THINGS FOR GRANTED AND LOSES THEM.

Second: Your strength becomes your weakness when you neglect it. Listen carefully, I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR STRONG POINT IS, YOU ARE NOT BEYOND SIN. No one arrives at perfection in the Christian life; you still have room for growth. If I am going to be a good Christian, I'll have to constantly work at it. It doesn't matter what I was six months ago. If I'm going to be a good Christian today, I'LL HAVE TO WORK AT IT TODAY, JUST LIKE I DID YESTERDAY.

When you stop growing, you start dying. Your strength has becomes your weakness because you stopped going ONWARD, FORWARD, UPWARD. If you measure yourself by Jesus, you will barely come to His shoelaces. Therefore you still have plenty of room to grow.

Third: Your strength becomes your weakness when you think you're immune to danger. In I Peter 5:9, we read, "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." I've seen Christians who do not have any respect for the Devil and his crowd, but they let their guard down. THEY DIDN'T THINK THEY HAD TO BE SOBER AND VIGILANT. THEY DIDN'T KEEP THEIR GUARD UP. Your strength becomes your weakness when you think you can't fall.

Return with me one more time to Matthew 26:41 and let’s read this together, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Every person must learn to recognize the times when he is weak. During those times, the person must do whatever he can to correct the situation. If hungry, eat. If unscheduled, purchase a schedule book and make a schedule. Because we have the Holy Spirit living within us, we have the wherewithal to combat effectively the times of weakness we encounter.

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If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “Character: When the Flesh is Weak” then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

In His Amazing Grace,

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/…/MMXI/30/

Character #1

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 04:14:54 +0000

Sunday July 17, 2011	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Developing Godly Character - #1	Text: mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">James 1:13-15; 4:6-7

Character: Developing the Sense to AVOID

What We Cannot RESIST

In James 1:13-15 we read, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

In James 4:5-7 we read, “Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Mark Anthony was known as the silver-throated orator of Rome.

He was credited with being a brilliant man, a strong leader, and a courageous soldier, but the one thing he lacked was strength of character. On the outside he was powerful and impressive, but on the inside he was weak and vulnerable. This so enraged his tutor that on one occasion he shouted at him, “O’ Marcus, O’ colossal child…able to conquer the world but unable to resist a temptation.”

That indictment fits not only Mark Anthony but also many of us today. No one is immune to the bewitching appeals of temptation with its seductive songs; whether it is the temptation of things, titles, cheating, enticements, sexual sin or broken friendships in which gossip sings.

The dictionary informs us that temptation is "the act of enticement to do wrong, by promise of pleasure or gain." That's right! Temptation motivates us to be BAD by promising something GOOD. Isn't that just like the devil? It is no sin to be tempted. Our human nature is subject to temptation day after day. However, the sin lies in yielding to that temptation.

Remember this, "Temptation will strike at our weakest moment at our strongest point." Does it not say in I Corinthians 10:12 "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed least he fall?"

Remember this statement, “Nothing tests the integrity of our faith like our response to temptation.”

The simple truth is none of us can live without facing temptations. If you think you've found some ideal area where there is no chance for temptation, then don’t go there. We will never be in a place on earth where there is no temptation, never. The temptation is not the problem; it is our old sin nature that gets in the way. Most of us are not at all surprised when we hear of others falling prey to temptation, but we are often surprised when we face it. YET TEMPTATION IS INEVITABLE! NONE ESCAPES IT!

Someone said, "You will be tempted. The kinds of temptation may change; candies for kids, sensuality for the teenager, riches for the middle-aged and power for the aging. The Evil One can rig the chances with greater skill than any advertising agency. He knows our Achilles heel. You will be tempted continuously. At times, you will even be tempted ferociously!"

Paul puts it this way in I Corinthians 10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer (or permit) you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it."

Notice again, James 1:15 tells us not "if" but"when." Every one of us faces temptation. Therefore, this message is meant to help us in “developing the sense to AVOID what we cannot RESIST.” Saying NO is something all of us who belong to Christ can do. There's nothing magical about it. You simply put JESUS CHRIST AT THE HELM OF YOUR LIFE AND SAY NO! Someone said, "Give me men who love nothing but God and hate nothing but sin."

Because Joseph was the most beloved son of his father, Jacob, his brothers were very jealous of him. Their desire was to do him harm. Instead of having Joseph’s blood on their hands, they sold him for 20 pieces of silver to a caravan of Ishmeelites on their way to Egypt. When the caravan reached Egypt, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh. Reading Genesis 39:2, Potiphar saw that “…the LORD was with Joseph.” Everything Joseph touched prospered. Potiphar soon promoted Joseph to overseer of his estate. In Geneses 39:5 we read, “…that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake.” Then in Genesis 39:7-12 we are given an account of the beginning of Joseph’s adversity in Egypt. These verses tell us that Joseph resisted the sinful advances of Potiphar's wife. She even took hold of Joseph, so he ran, leaving his jacket in her hands. In retaliation, she took Joseph's coat to her husband and said that Joseph tried to assault her.

I contend that Joseph RESISTED when he should have AVOIDED. The sad thing about this account is that Joseph resisted Potiphar's wife, but he did not try to avoid her. The Bible says, "And there was none of the men of the house there within." What in the world was Joseph doing in a house all alone with a woman whom he knew was after him daily? Joseph would never have had to resist if he had avoided being alone with Potiphar's wife. So why had Joseph placed himself in a situation where he knew a beautiful woman was trying to seduce him? A person with good character should always seek to protect his reputation by avoiding even the temptation to sin.

Genesis 39:10 says that "day by day" Potiphar's wife tempted Joseph. No doubt he realized that she was watching for an opportunity to have her way. Joseph knew that she was tempting him. The Bible says he refused to do such wickedness against his employer. However, Joseph placed himself in a situation where he had to resist sin when he could have just avoided even the temptation to sin.

Had he been avoiding sin, he would have no doubt avoided the house completely. He surely would not have been in the house alone with Potiphar's wife, especially knowing that she was trying to entice him. Joseph should never have come face to face with that temptation. Yes, he did say "No!" to sin; however, he placed himself in a situation that could have destroyed him.

In the same way, the Devil is watching for his chance to get us. The Devil will make us an offer the same way Joseph was given an offer. The Devil might not use the same circumstances, but be assured that the he will tempt us. However, we will not have to resist committing sin, if we will avoid sin's territory. The Bible says,

In II Timothy 2:22, "Flee youthful lust" and

In II Thessalonians 5:22,we are to “Abstain from all appearances of evil.”

Here are several truths to keep in mind to develop and protect your Christian character:

1. It is easier to avoid temptation than it is to resist temptation. Let me give you an illustration using a cobra with a four-foot striking range. "How many of you would stand exactly four feet and one inch from that cobra?" Perhaps most of you are thinking "That is ridiculous and stupid!" It is just as ridiculous to see how close you can get to sin because the bite of sin is more deadly than any poisonous snake. If someone gave you twelve ounces of strychnine and you knew that amount was fatal, you surely wouldn't try drinking five ounces to see what would happen. That would be ridiculous! Sin is far more fatal than any poison found on the face of this Earth. Do not just resist sin. Avoid it!

2. When you resist sin instead of avoiding it, some will still think you committed sin. Potiphar believed Joseph was guilty of assault. The accusations were not true, but Joseph knowingly put himself in a situation where he looked guilty without a way to prove otherwise. He lost not only his reputation, but his position, his job, his freedom, and his testimony; all because he resisted instead of avoided. The way to avoid getting fleas is to avoid sleeping with the dogs. If you are not guilty, do not look guilty. If you avoid sin, people usually won't believe you committed a sin.

If I told you I saw a Christian you admire in a state of drunkenness, you would say, "Far from it!" Why, because someone who is far from sin is avoiding sin. If you are a Christian who is known for only resisting sin, someone may still think that you are guilty. Your excuse will sound just like the one everybody else gives. Most guilty people will say, "I was there, but I am not guilty." When you are not guilty, but you are in a place full of guilty people, your story sounds just like the one they give. Therefore, you must live in such a way that you are not even in the vicinity of sin. Reason with me. Is it better to say, "I wasn't even there," or "I was there, but I'm not guilty?" I would far rather say, "I'm not just resisting, I am avoiding."

If you do not want people to think you are guilty of criticism, don't run with the critics.

If you don't want people to think you are immoral, don't spend your time with those who have a bad reputation.

If you don't want people to think you are a rule breaker, don't spend your time with those who break the rules.

If you don't want people to think you are guilty of stealing, then stay away from other people's possessions.

If you don't want people to think you are guilty of being a rebel, then don't listen to the rebel's music.

If you don't want people to think you are a drunkard, then don't go to the office Christmas party where you know drinks will be served.

Avoid these situations. Don't spoil your reputation over something you did not do by putting your reputation on the line of resistance.

3. It is easier to avoid sin than it is to resist it. Don't let the Devil lie to you and make you think that you are strong enough to resist – because you are not. Many of you sincerely plan to say "No!" when you come face to face with sin, but you are only strong enough to avoid sin. Most Christians are not strong enough to resist. Remember, you are only strong enough to avoid. Many of you wonder why you leave church with a burning desire to say "No!" to sin, but soon find yourself in sin. Quite simply, it is because you are not avoiding sin; you are hoping to resist it. I contend

…it is easier to say "No!" to an invitation to attend the family reunion than to say "No!" to beer drinking at the reunion.

…it is easier to say "No!" to an invitation to attend a friend’s bachelor party than to say "No!" to watching the dirty videos shown at the party.

…it is easier to say "No!" to criticism from the bad crowd; than to say "No!" to the bad crowd once you go out with them.

…it is easier to say "No!" to a ride in a friend's car than to say "No!" to the rock music that will be played in the car.

…it is easier to say "No!" to a pack of cigarettes on the store counter than it is to say "No!" when the cigarettes are in your purse or pocket.

…it is easier to say "No!" to a filthy magazine at the bookstore than when you have it hidden at home.

I know me. I know that I am a dirty, rotten, lowdown, good-for-nothing, filthy sinner. I know that if I am going to succeed in the Christian life, I must avoid sin's territory.

4. If you do not avoid sin and only resist it, the next step is to commit sin. I believe that if Joseph had been pardoned and allowed to return to work for Potiphar, he probably would have placed himself in the same situation again. I also believe he would eventually have committed a sexual sin. A Christian cannot play tag with sin and win. The next step after resisting is committing. If a Christian will avoid sin, he will not have to resist the sin, and that will keep the Christian from committing sin.

Paul wrote about this in Romans 6:13, "Neither yield you your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead…" Yield yourself to God; don't try to peacefully coexist with temptation. Come out against it. Let's face it. We play with things that make us weak and we know what areas they are. If we continually subject ourselves to stimuli that triggers evil desires, we are simply asking for trouble.

If you are weakened by certain kinds of music, stay away from it.

If you are weakened by certain types of TV shows that build desires within you that you can't handle, then turn it off.

If you feed your mind with the garbage printed in the "national magazines," don't be surprised at the outcome – a garbage seeking mentality.

If being around certain individuals will lead you astray, learn from Joseph – RUN!

Psalm 1:1 tells us "Blessed is the man who does NOT WALK in the counsel of the wicked or STAND in the way of sinners or SIT in the seat of the scornful (mockers)." If you keep walking by the temptation, it will be easy to stop and stand and stare at it, and before long you will be participating in it. The farther from sin a Christian stays, the better off he will be.

5. Pray as Matthew 6:13a says, "And lead us not into temptation." This verse is asking God to help us to avoid temptation. If I avoid it, I have automatically resisted the temptation. I believe Joseph could have done better for himself by not being unchaperoned in Potiphar's house. Yes, Joseph did resist; nonetheless, I believe he could have and should have avoided the appearance of evil.

6. Control your thought life through the memorized Word. When the devil launches his full-scale attack against you, remember Psalm 119:9-11, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. Thy word have I hidden in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." These are familiar, but strong words. When the Word of God is stored up in our minds, it stands ready to strike. No weapon, not even the Devil, can stand against the truth. In Ephesians 6:17 Paul tells us to use the "Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God." as a weapon against Satan. Remember this simple yet profound truth, "This book will keep you from yielding to temptation, or the pleasure of sin will keep you from this book." Does it work? I can testify by personal experience that it really does.

Mark Anthony’s most widely known and costly temptation was the dazzling bait of Cleopatra. Their adulterous relationship, with its passing pleasure, cost him his wife, his place as a world leader, and ultimately his life.

Are you giving-in to temptation and being ground by the "MILL OF REMORSE"? Then humble yourself before God, and let Him give you the strength to AVOID and RESIST.

***********************************************

If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “Character: Developing the Sense to Avoid What We Cannot Resist.”then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

In His Amazing Grace,

http://biblebaptistministry.org/././MMXI/29/

America, The Rest of The Story

Pastor David Miklas — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 07:37:02 +0000

Sunday June 26, 2011	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: Patriotic	Text: mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">: Psalm 33, II Timothy 3:1-17

The author of the well-known hymn, "Abide With Me" sounds like a contemporary poet although he lived more than a century ago. Here are his words from the second stanza, "Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day; earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away; change and decay in all around I see, O Thou who changest not, abide with me!"

By now you should recognize we live in an atmosphere of change. Today, more than ever before, it appears almost everything is in a state of flux. Very little seems to endure. Many well-established foundations are being shaken, religiously, socially, politically and economically. The world, you might say, is "on the move." As a result, this generation is restless, insecure, and uncertain of where they have come from, who they are, why they are here, and where they are going. In such a day we should be thankful there are some things that abide.

First: We are fortunate to know a Person who never changes, One in whom we can place our trust and believe with all our hearts. We serve a God who is immutable, meaning He is unchangeable.

In Malachi 3:6 God said, "I am the Lord, I change not …"

In Hebrews 13:8 we read, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever."

In Psalm 102:24-27 we read, "I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. (25) Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. (26) They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: (27) But thou ART THE SAME, and thy years shall have no end."
In James 1: 17 we read of God, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

Second: In the Word of God, there are the absolutes, principles, and abiding truths to guide and comfort us. Every believer can be completely assured that the Bible is the eternal, unchanging revelation from God.

Psalm 119:89 reads, "Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven."

Isaiah 40:8 reads, "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."
Matthew 24:35 Jesus said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

Everything around us may change and decay, but the Word of God given to us by an immutable God will remain forever. Thank God for the Bible, His unchanging Word in a changing world. "Wonderful Words of Life" was written by Philip P. Bliss in 1874, for the first issue of a Sunday school paper, Words of Life. These words still speak of the importance of God's Word in our daily lives.

Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life:

Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life.

Words of life and beauty, teach me faith and duty:

Christ, the blessed one, gives to all wonderful words of life:

Sinner, list to the loving call, wonderful words of life. All so freely given, wooing us to heaven:

Sweetly echo the gospel call, wonderful words of life; Offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of life.

Jesus, only Savior, sanctify forever:

Beautiful words, wonderful words of life.

In His Amazing Grace,

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/links/archives/MMXI/26/

UP-Look For The Downcast

Pastor David Miklas — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 19:08:38 +0000

Sunday June 19, 2011	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: Discouargement	Text: Psalm 42-43

"UP-Look for the Downcast"

Introduction: This morning, I believe with all my heart God would have me touch upon a subject all of us face from time to time – including this preacher. It's common to all of us to become discouraged in the WAY, or discouraged because of PEOPLE.

I find it rather comforting that God's inspired Hymnal, the Book of Psalms, does not omit the reality of the grind and inner turmoil that produces DISCOURAGEMENT. With that in mind, please turn with me to Psalms 42 and 43. These Psalms should be taken together as a unit, the one flowing quite naturally into the other.

Psalm 42, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. (2) My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? (3) My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? (4) When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. (5) Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. (6) O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. (7) Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. (8) Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. (9) I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? (10) As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? (11) Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

Psalms 43, “Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. (2) For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? (3) O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. (4) Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God. (5) Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

The situation the writer is facing is seen in that phrase repeated three times in 42:5, 11, and 43:5, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul?" The situation in his life is one of inner despair, and discouragement. Then to make matters worse, the writer’s enemies or friends were saying in verse 3, "Where is thy God?"

These two songs from the Book of Psalms have been preserved to provide you and I with wisdom and insight in handling:

Those days when you are ready to throw up your hands and say, "So what, what’s the use of trying?"

Those days when you feel like curling up in a fetal position, and just quitting;

Those days when you are saying, “I am down and feeling low, nothing seems to be working.”

Those days when it appears you have reached a BREAKING POINT, and you don't know whether you are coming or going..Those days when God seems far away, which is not actually true, and when no one seems to care, which is also not true, but just the same, that is how you feel.

Look, I am just as human as you are. I am a sinner, Praise God, saved by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on Calvary like the majority of you here. Believe me; I have my times of DISCOURAGEMENT:

When the DEVIL seems to be on my back and won't get off, and

When PEOPLE have approached me with 3 big "A's" – attitudes, actions and activities, and

When MY SPIRITUAL SELF is fighting on the bottom and my HUMAN FLESH is on top.

Look, it's not a disgrace to become discouraged, it comes to all of us, to some more than others. But it IS damaging to your testimony to linger there! And by the way:

This is not the time to stay home from church and brew over your problems. I have said it over and over again, the message you miss is the very message you needed either now or in the future.

This is not the time to stay away from God's people. I believe more people would care about you and respond to you if they knew of your needs.

This is not the time to change churches or stop serving the Lord; just because things are not going the way you might think they should go.

"Life is not fair!" Bad things do happen to good people. And like it or not, good things do happen to bad people.

"People are cruel!" It can seem that those who are the cruelest get along just fine.

However, we must remember we serve our God. It is God who has allowed us to be placed in this situation in spite of the people or circumstances surrounding us.

What IS important to remember is these psalms help point the way to VICTORY over discouragement. From the writer’s own experience, he says to us, "If you want to overcome discouragement, then you must make some radical changes in your "OUTLOOK ON LIFE."

FIRST: We need to stop looking at ourselves and start looking at God. As we read through Psalms 42-43 we will soon discover 51 personal pronouns. The writer mentions "I" 14 times, "me" 16 times, and "my" 21 times. He mentions "God" only 20 times. We get the distinct impression that life was a mirror, and the writer was looking only at himself. His constant cry was “LOOK AT POOR ME."

He was discouraged because HIS PLANS HAD NOT BEEN FULFILLED, verse 4, “When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.” He had gone to the house of God and had expected to be uplifted, but he came away discouraged still. You can understand this, when you do what you are supposed to do and “expect” God to supply your need, but he chooses not to respond immediately. However as someone said, "WHO ARE WE THAT GOD SHOULD ALWAYS WORK THINGS OUT TO PLEASE US?"

He was discouraged because HIS FEELINGS HAD BEEN HURT, verse 3, “My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?” and in verse 10 we read, “As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?” Whatever the problem he was facing, he was crying over it night and day. To make matters worse, his enemies where taunting him, "Where is your God in all this?"

He was discouraged because HIS QUESTIONS HAD NOT BEEN ANSWERED, questions such as:

"Why art thou cast down?"

"When shall I come and appear before God?"

"Why has thou (God) forgotten me?"

Ten times the writer asked "WHY?" What makes this passage so interesting is the fact that we have no record that God ever gave him an answer! What was at the heart of his complaint? IT WAS SELF.

He wanted HIS plans to be fulfilled.

He wanted HIS feelings to improve.

He wanted HIS questions to be answered.

He was so busy looking at himself that he forgot to look at God. How true that is. We are so full of self that:

We want OUR plans to be fulfilled.

We want OUR feelings to improve.

We want OUR questions to be answered.

We want OUR way or no way.

SELFISH-PRIDE sees only one thing ME. No matter where I look, all I see is ME. This explains why a change of circumstances cannot of itself cure discouragement, because we take our hearts with us. As we read this Psalm we will discover that even natural beauty will fail to give peace to the troubled heart, especially if we are thinking only of ourselves and not of God and others.

What the writer needed to do was STOP, just as you and I need to do along with constantly reminding ourselves that we walk, "BY FAITH SEEING GOD IN THE PICTURE."

After all God is in control of this universe!

After all God is in command of our lives!

Listen! The most important thing about any difficult experience is not THAT we get out of it, but WHAT we get out of it.

If we are truly thirsting after God in all our experiences, we will be PRAYING and PRAISING GOD instead of complaining.

If we are looking THAT we get out of it, life will be a MIRROR in which we only see ourselves;

If we are looking WHAT we get out of it, life will be a WINDOW through which we see God.

Again, we are encouraged to stop looking at ourselves and start looking at God.

SECOND: We need to stop looking at the past and start looking at the future.

If we look to the FUTURE, we are trying to put ourselves aside.

If we look to the PAST, we usually are having a self-pity-party.

When we see God in our past, then the memory will be a blessing. But when we only see OURSELVES, and start complaining about our circumstances, then the memory will only bring more discouragement.

The important thing is not just to remember the past, but to REMEMBER GOD IN OUR PAST, verse 6, "O my God, my soul is cast down within me, therefore will I remember thee…" It is helpful to look back and see what God has done. We cannot recapture the past, but we can trust THE SAME GOD WHO HAS NEVER FAILED OR FORSAKEN US IN THE PAST. Listen to this poem:

Yesterday God helped me; today He'll do the same.

How long will this continue? FOREVER! Praise His name!

The ANSWER to DISAPPOINTMENT AND DISCOURAGEMENT is HOPE. Three times in 42:5, 11 and 43:5, the writer encouraged himself to "hope in God." Four times in verses 42:5, 6, 11; 43:5 the writer says “that his soul is cast down.” But then the response comes, "Hope in God." In Psalm 43 the Psalmist lists his hopes:

In verse 1, the writer knows that "God will one day defeat the enemy and give victory." "To Judge me" means, "to do justice for me."

In verse 2, the writer has hope because of "God's presence and protection." Why go around mourning when God is with us to be our strength and stronghold? God may not change the circumstances, but He will enable us to face them.

Someone said this years ago, "Do not pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks." This seems closely related to those 3 “A’s” – attitudes, actions, and activities!

In verse 3 the third source of hope is "God's direction in our lives."God gives light in the darkness. Here is some wise advice:

"Never make IMPORTANT DECISIONS when you are tired;

"Never make IMPORTANT DECISIONS late at night;

"Never make IMPORTANT DECISIONS when you are discouraged or depressed; because they will probably be wrong decisions."

The key is to wait on the Lord.

In verse 4 we have hope because "God is our joy." If we always base our feelings on being in comfortable circumstances, we will constantly be disappointed. But in the midst of hopeless situations, if we find our joy in Him, we will experience hope.

To remember the past and forget God’s control of it is to encourage disappointment! Our only help in the PRESENT, and hope for the FUTURE, is God. Like the Apostle Paul we need to say what we read in Philippians 3:13, "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before."

A lost world does all it can to manufacture hope, but they have no hope. On the other hand, it is Jesus Christ, who is our hope. His death on Calvary and His resurrection from the grave have given us a living hope. Thank God for His faithfulness in the PAST and in the PRESENT, but our assurance comes from anticipation of a thrilling FUTURE!

There is one more thing to call to our attention before leaving this point. Three times the Psalmist mentions "the health of my countenance, and my God" in connection with having "Hope in God." Certainly depression and disappointment shows on our faces! However, we can be assured that God's face is never marked by disappointment. When He looks upon us, it is always with Love and Mercy.

Remember the benediction found in Numbers 6:24-26, "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; the Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lift up His countenance, and be gracious unto thee, and give thee peace." The countenance of God's smile is seen on the faces of those who hope in Him.

We are encouraged to

Stop looking at ourselves and start looking at God.

Stop looking at the past and start looking at the future.

THIRD: Stop searching for reasons and start resting on promises: There are at least 13 questions asked in Psalms 42-43. The writer had the nerve to ask "Why?" 10 times and "Why?" is not always an easy question to answer. (If you have raised children, especially teenagers, you know that!). It is normal for us to ask questions when we are hurting or going through perplexing experiences. IT IS NOT WRONG TO ASK QUESTIONS OF GOD, BUT IT IS WRONG TO QUESTION GOD’S MOTIVES OR INTENTIONS.

As you read Psalm 42-43, you sense that the writer is getting impatient.

Why am I cast down in my soul?

Why, God, have you forgotten me?

Where is God?

Why doesn't He do something?

When will He start to work?

It appears that everything is against him for in verse 7 he says, "All Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over me."

Suppose God HAD answered all his questions; would that have solved any problems and made him feel any better? NO!

It is a basic fact of life that we DO NOT LIVE ON EXPLANATIONS; WE LIVE ON PROMISES.

An explanation may satisfy the curiosity of the mind, but only a promise can heal the hurt in the heart and give strength to the will.

The writer had looked around at nature and seen only himself. Why? Because he was looking for explanations. In his pride and self-pity, he was demanding that God give reasons for what He was doing! What he needed to see were the PROMISES of God.

He needed to LOOK UP and see that our God is the living God, 42:2, “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” The enemy may taunt us and suggest that God is dead, as in verse 3, "Where is your God?" But we know that our God is alive and meeting all of our needs. Therefore, we should acknowledge Him as the SOVEREIGN GOD of the Universe.

Our God is El Elohim, the strong creator, literally the strongest of the strong.

Our God is Jehovah-Jirah, the one who pre-sees our needs and then has the provision to meet those needs.

Our God is Jehovah-Shalom, the God who brings peace in the midst of trying circumstances that can discourage us.

He needed to LOOK OUT and see that God promises to be faithful, verse 8, “Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.” As the earth orbits the sun, day and night, God’s faithfulness is illustrated. Each sunrise and sunset is a reminder of the faithfulness of God.

In Lamentations 3:22-23 we read, "It is because of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion's fail not. They are new every MORNING, GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS."

In Psalm 92:1-2 we read, "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High: to show forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and THY FAITHFULNESS EVERY NIGHT, …"

He needed to LOOK IN and see that God promises to forgive and cleanse, 42:4, “When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday”. Apparently the writer went with others to the house of God, the temple, and while there he would have praised God and offered a sacrifice for the cleansing of his sins in keeping with the rituals associated with a holyday.

We should thank God that in Christ we have a final and completed salvation from sin, through His victory at Calvary.

We should thank God as Christians we do not have to travel to a "Holy Place" to find God because he dwells in us and works in us.

We should thank God we can come into the house of God and worship Him "in spirit and in truth."

He needed to LOOK AROUND and see that God promises to be our strength and refuge, verse 6, “O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.” The hills and mountains were the strongest and most dependable things the Old Testament Jew knew. Our God is a God of both the hills and the valleys in our life.

In Psalm 46:1-2 we read, "God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea."

Even if God did give reasons for all His acts, we would not be satisfied. In fact, it would be impossible for us to fully understand all that God is doing! What we do need to understand is that "WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT, OR BY EXPLANATIONS."

Someone said and I thought it was good advice, "When the outlook is grim, try the up-look." That's been the advice given to us here in Psalm 42-43. "Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise Him."

Stop looking at yourself and start looking at God.

Stop looking at the past and start looking at the future.

Stop searching for reasons and start resting on promises.

Here again the immortal words of the hymn we have often sung:

When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are DISCOURAGED, thinking all is lost,

Count your MANY BLESSINGS name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,

Do not be DISCOURAGED – God is over all;

Count your MANY BLESSINGS angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to the journeys end.

Times of DISCOURAGEMENT will come. If not today, they will come tomorrow, but there is HOPE as we read again in Isaiah 41:10, "Fear thou not; be not dismayed; for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “Up-Look for the Downcast” bold">then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

In His Amazing Grace,

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/…/MMXI/25/