The Weekly Sermon » Practical Christian Living

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.

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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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.”

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.”

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/

Wanted: MEN of CONVICTION

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 07:13:08 +0000

Sunday June 12, 2011	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: Father's Day – 2011	Text: mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Exodus 20:2-17; Ezekiel 22:30

"Wanted: MEN with CONVICTIONS"

Introduction: God was describing for us the sins of the people and leaders of Israel in these words from Ezekiel 22:23-31:

“And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (24) Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. (25) There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. (26) Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. (27) Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. (28) And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken. (29) The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. (30) And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. (31) Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.”

Now again notice what God sought for in verse 30. "I sought for a man, but I found none.” Throughout history, God has been seeking men that He could trust,

men thoroughly saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,

men filled with the Holy Spirit of God in Love, Wisdom, Power, and

men through whom He could accomplish His purpose.

This Sunday being FATHERS DAY, I welcome the opportunity to speak to the men of our church. Even though I will direct all my attention, remarks, and scripture to our men, the application of each point is applicable to all of us.

Before we begin, let me voice a word of caution to the women and wives of our church. Please, don't use this message as a whip over your husband’s head. Remember as men we desperately need your PRAYERS, your ENCOURAGEMENT and your SUPPORT. Your influence in our lives is incalculable, for better or for worse! While we must begin to take full responsibility for our lives, there is so much you can do to help. Please go home and pray for your husband, love him and turn him over to God, allowing God to place convictions and principles in his life to become a man for whom God is looking.

God is looking for men of PURPOSE and men of CONVICTION. You ask, what is a conviction? "A conviction is a basic spiritual principle which we purpose to follow, WHATEVER THE COST."God is looking for:

Men who live under the control of the Holy Spirit.

Men who make their days count for the things of Christ.

Men who have disciplined minds, focused on, sensitive to, and energized by the Word of God.

Men who are more concerned about building God's reputation than their own.

Men who are more concerned about building God's kingdom than their own financial empire.

Men whose focus is to one day hear the Master say to them, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

As just mentioned, a CONVICTION is a basic spiritual principle which we purpose to follow, WHATEVER THE COST. We have a strange thing happening in our American society, and it has invaded our churches.

We appear to be living by our preferences instead of our convictions.

We are living by the winds of change, and circumstances rather than convictions govern our desire and our actions.

Now every belief you have, your way of life, your faith is either a preference or a conviction.

A PREFERENCE is a belief you hold on to very, very strongly. But it is a belief that you might change, you just prefer it. For example, you believe Sunday is the Lord's Day and you ought to be in the Lord's house. However, there may be times you plan to do other things, rather than being in the house of God.

The court of our land calls that kind of belief suspect.

The world calls that kind of belief hypocritical.

If you might change your belief from day to day, what value is it?

A CONVICTION on the other hand is a belief you hold with such intensity in the fabric of your soul that you will not change or discard it, no matter what the cost. You accept this belief is steadfast, because God demands it of you.

Convictions give us purpose in life. I know what I am living for. I have a purpose, and that purpose is to live to give God the Glory.

Convictions give us direction for making decisions. When you have definite defined convictions, you know where you are headed. Therefore every decision you make will be guided by your convictions.

Convictions give us protection from sin. You will not have to question Right or Wrong, whether an action is moral or immoral. Your convictions will guide you to say this is sin, and I need to stay away from it.

I sincerely believe that a lack of convictions on the part of men is the cause of the increase of SIN in our Nation and the decrease of Holy living on the part of men in our churches. I remind you it is still a SIN to lie, to cheat, to commit adultery, to gossip, to murder and to disobey God's divine laws.

I sincerely believe that the lack of spiritual convictions on the part of fathers is causing rebellion in the lives of their children.

A father with inconsistent standards will cause his children to despise him.

A father with no personal convictions will cause his children to accept situation-ethics and exercise in excess what the father allowed in moderation.

In Proverbs 22:28 we read, "Remove not the ancient landmarks which thy fathers have set." Now a landmark was a boundary line set to mark off property. In the Old Testament it became a phrase used by the Patriarchs to warn people about straying from the ways, laws and precepts of God.

Perhaps the greatest of all the ancient landmarks are the Ten Commandments given first in Exodus 5 then repeated in Deuteronomy 20 and repeated 109 times in the New Testament. These scriptural commandments ought to be ancient landmarks in our lives. They ought to be spiritual convictions by which we live, whatever the cost.

There has been and still is a movement today in our courts, communities and schools to disregard and discredit the importance of the Ten Commandments. However,

If we are going to turn this nation around,

If we are going to see again the power and the Glory of God in our churches, and

If we are going to lead our sons and daughters into holy and righteous living,

WE MUST HAVE MEN WHO HOLD TO THESE ANCIENT LANDMARKS, the Ten Commandments.

Please turn with me to Exodus 20:3-17 and notice again as I read God’s Moral Commandments that He gave to us.

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (4) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: (5) Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; (6) And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (7) Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (8) Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (9) Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: (10) But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: (11) For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (12) Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. (13) Thou shalt not kill. (14) Thou shalt not commit adultery. (15) Thou shalt not steal. (16) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (17) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.”

This FATHER'S DAY I would like to share with you TEN SCRIPTURAL CONVICTIONS gleaned from these TEN COMMANDMENTS.

Every man must hold these in the fabric of his soul to live by.

Every man must teach these to his family by word and practice, in order to protect them from the destructive influences of wrong desires, false philosophies, and Satanic temptations.

CONVICTION #1 God alone is sovereign, and the Bible is His inspired, infallible word and final authority for my life. This is from the FIRST Commandment found in Exodus 20:3, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." It must be understood that the rejection of the inspiration of the Word of God will make a god out of your intellect.

David said in Psalm 138:2, "…Thou hast magnified Thy word above Thy name."

Jesus said, in Matthew 4:4, "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

Let me ask you, as I must ask myself, how firm is your conviction about the Word of God you are holding in your hands?

Is it your conviction that it is the inerrant and infallible Word of God?

Is it your conviction that the Bible is the absolute and final authority for your life?

Or, do you by life and practice DISPUTE its claims, ARGUE its principles, and DISOBEY its commands?

Is this commandment a conviction or preference in your life as you live it before your family? Before you answer, let me ask you:

How often do you read the Bible in private and before your family?

How often do you go to your Bible for answers in life?

Do you carry your Bible to church?

In this past year, how much on your own did you study the Word of God?

CONVICTION #2: My purpose in life is to seek God with my whole heart and to build my goals around His purposes. This is from the SECOND commandment found in Exodus 20:4-5, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: (5) Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God…”

David said in Psalm 119:2, "Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart."

Jesus said, in Matthew 6:33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you."

The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:8, "… I count all things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ …"

Men with this conviction have set their WILLS, MINDS, and AFFECTIONS on one supreme objective, "To know, love, obey, and serve God with all their heart." Such wholehearted love for God:

will not flirt with the love of money;

will not flirt with the love of self;

will not flirt with the love of this present world;

will not flirt with the love of pleasure;

will not flirt with the love of the praise of men.

Charles Wesley expressed a longing for God when he wrote:

Oh, for a heart to praise God, A heart from sin set free,

A heart that always feels thy blood, so freely shed for me.

A heart resigned, submissive, meek, My redeemer's throne;

Where only Christ is heard to speak, Where Jesus reigns alone.

A heart in every thought renewed, and full of love divine;

Perfect, and right, and pure and good, a copy, Lord, of Thine!

CONVICTION #3: My body is the living temple of God and must not be defiled by the lust of the world. This is expressed in the THIRD Commandment found in Exodus 20:7, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain…" Here it must be understood you can damage His name by your immorality.

Jesus said in Mark 7:21-23, "… from within out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication…and defile a man."

Paul said in I Corinthians 3:16-17, "Know ye not that you are the temple of God … if any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy …"

God is looking for men of purity, men whose lives are blameless, men who are beyond reproach. Men of conviction take seriously the commands of God's Word from II Corinthians 7:1, to "Cleanse ourselves of all filthiness of the flesh and spirit." Oh, my prayer for my life as well as my sons is that we will be holy men of God.

It is important to remember purity begins in the heart, and in the thoughts. The man who has a conviction to maintain purity will flee from every impure influence. The man of convictions will flee from TV movies and prime time shows that flaunt immorality, you will not surf the internet for pornography in the secret of your room. Rather:

You will vow to follow Psalm 101:3, "I will set no wicked thing before my eyes."

You will obey the Word of I Timothy 5:22 "keep thyself pure."

Gentlemen, we must never forget, you and I will never arrive at a point during which we can afford to let down our spiritual guard or indulge in our flesh for even a moment.

CONVICTION #4: My church must teach the foundational truths of scripture and reinforce my basic convictions. This is expressed in the FOURTH Commandment of Exodus 20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."

David said this in Psalms 29:2, "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness."

Paul said in Hebrews, and Peter said in Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (25) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another…”

I Peter 4:17, "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God…"

Is recognition of the Lord's Day profound conviction within your soul, or just a preference to you? Is it important that you and your family be in the house of God starting with Sunday School and ending with the evening service? Or, if something else comes along, will you will forsake the house of God and participate in that?

CONVICTION #5: My children and grandchildren belong to God, and it is my responsibility to teach them scriptural principles, Godly character and basic convictions from the Word of God. This is given to us in the FIFTH Commandment of Exodus 20:12 "Honor thy father and thy mother…"

God's instruction in Deuteronomy 6:6-7 reads, "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children…"

Jesus taught us in Matthew 19:14, "…suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

Paul reminded us in Ephesians 6:4, "And, ye father, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture (discipline) and admonition (teaching or instruction) of the Lord."

If you believe those verses in the very fabric of your soul, if that is your conviction, then

Do you teach your children the Word of God in your home?

Do you see to it that your children are in the house of God even for Sunday School, and you attend with them?

Do you see that your children's activities are Christ-centered and do you support them?

Do you encourage your grandchildren in the things of Christ?

CONVICTION #6: My activities must never weaken the scriptural convictions of another Christian. This is expressed in the SIXTH Commandment found in Exodus 20:13, "Thou shalt not kill." Literally, "thou shalt not premeditate murder." Remember, Jesus said in the New Testament even if you hate your brother in your mind it is the same as murder by your hand. This can also be applied in a spiritual sense.

Jesus warned in Matthew 18:6 about us weakening the lives of children by our actions, "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."

The Apostle Paul warned us in Romans 14:13 "…But judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way."

CONVICTION #7: My marriage is a life-long commitment to God and to my marriage partner. This is reflected in the SEVENTH Commandment of Exodus 20:14, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”

God's purpose for one man-one woman relationships is found in Genesis 2:24, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

In Proverbs 6:32 we read, "Whoso committed adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul."

Jesus taught in Matthew 19:6, "…What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

Based upon this conviction, God is looking for men who are committed to their wives in a life-long marriage. The word divorce should not be in your vocabulary, and this ought to be conveyed by word and action to each other and to your children.

CONVICTION #8: My money is a trust from God and must be earned and managed according to Scriptural principle. This is found in the EIGHTH Commandment of Exodus 20:15, “Thou shalt not steal.”

Jesus said in Luke 16:11, "If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous riches, who will commit to your trust the true riches?"

The Apostle Paul said, in I Timothy 6:10, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

CONVICTION #9: My words must be in harmony with scripture especially when rejoicing and restoring a Christian brother. We see this from the NINTH Commandment in Exodus 20:16 which reads, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.”

Jesus said in Matthew 12:27, "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

Then in Matthew 18:15 Jesus said, "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone."

CONVICTION #10: My affection must be set on things above not on things on the earth. Herein is the TENTH Commandment from Exodus 20:17, God said, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.”

Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:20-21, "But lay up for yourself treasures in heaven … or where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

The Apostle Paul said in Colossians 3:2, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

If a man is going to build convictions into the fiber of his spiritual life to become the man God wants for him to be, he must hold these truths as absolutes within his very soul.

In a speech given to the Press Club of Washington, former Senator Frank Carlson of Kansas spoke on "Wanted: a man, a man who will stand." On a number of occasions, this speech was printed as an editorial page in the US News and World Report Magazine. Using the text of Ezekiel 22:30, Senator Carlson said in conclusion, God is looking for:

Men who are not “For Sale;”

Men who are honest, sound from center to circumference, true to the heart's core;

Men who will stand for the right even if the earth reels;

Men who will tell the truth and look the world right in the eye;

Men who will neither brag, nor run away, nor flinch;

Men in whom the courage of everlasting life still runs deep and strong;

Men who know their place and fill it;

Men who are not too lazy to work nor too proud to be poor;

Men who are willing to eat what they have earned and wear what they have paid for;

God is looking for men, who have come to the kingdom for such a time as this. God give us men.

From our Ezekiel passage, God is looking for men of principle, whose lives are governed not by preferences but by convictions.

God is looking for men who do not do what comes naturally or what is expedient or easiest for the flesh, but who live by “Godly Righteousness.”

God is looking for men who deny themselves and there fleshly appetites to take up the cross and follow Jesus Christ.

God is looking for men whose conscience is sensitive and knows how to distinguish between right and wrong. They, "Abhor that which is evil, and cleave to that which is good." Romans 12:9

God is looking for men who are willing to risk their reputation and what others may think of them, in order to take a stand for what they know is right.

God is looking for men whose principles commit them to build their homes on a Godly foundation, and to take responsibility for maintaining a climate of holiness in their homes.

God is looking for men whose priorities are spiritual and whose values are eternal.

These men are willing to say "NO" to many things that may be GOOD, so that they can say "YES" to those things that are BEST! “Will YOU be such a man of CONVICTIONS?

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

If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon "Wanted: MEN with CONVICTIONS," then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Do you have the assurance 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 you 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 your 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 you personal Savior would you let me know. Fill out the information below and e-mail me, pdmikBBM@aol.com. I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

Date: _________________ Name: __________________, Address: _______________

The “Weekly SERMON” was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, P.O. Box 1425, Kingston, PA 18706. Privacy policy, your e-mail address will not be sold, or shared with any third party.

Copy write permission: Because the “Weekly SERMONS” will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING, the “Weekly SERMON” in it’s 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/24/

Love’s Departure – Misplaced Affections

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 17:01:53 +0000

Sunday June 5, 2011	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: Love	Text: mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Revelation 2:1-7

“Love’s Departure – Misplaced Affections”

Introduction: This may be one of the shortest honeymoons on record: A couple got married on March 6, 2007, in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it took less than 24 hours for the bride to decide to leave the love of her life. They married on a Sunday; but by Monday as a result of an energetic heated argument, she was in the hospital with a broken leg and the groom was in handcuffs headed for jail.

While it took the unfortunate couple I just described less than a day to lose one another, for most people it happens over time. One day, excitement and passion about life are in full bloom; and a year later, it's as if the candle had never been lit at all.

It happens not just in marriage or in personal relationships. The love that once fueled a hobby, a career, a ministry, or a dream for the future can fade like a dying ember. Something to which we were once committed is no longer a priority in our life.

While the loss of love is a disheartening experience in any area of life, there is one area in which the consequences are most serious: when we lose our spiritual love for the things of God. I have seen this happen to many Christians in my years as a pastor. Without diligence, the fire of love that burned brightly when we first met Jesus Christ can begin to fade and provide lesser and lesser amounts of light in this world.

I. Love was lost in Ephesus: In the revelation of Jesus Christ given to the apostle John, we find the record of a church that had started strong in the faith. I am talking about the church at Ephesus. To get an overview, we need to read the text in Revelation 2:1-7,

“Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; (2) I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: (3) And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. (4) Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. (5) Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. (6) But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. (7) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

First-time readers of Revelation with some knowledge of the New Testament are often surprised when they discover that the Ephesian church is the one called to account for having lost its love for God. In fact according to verse 4, they hadn't lost their love – they had left their love.

Ephesus? Wasn't this the church to whom Paul wrote one of the deepest theological letters in the New Testament? Indeed, it was.

He wrote in Ephesians 1:15-23, “Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, (16) Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; (17) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: (18) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, (19) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, (20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, (21) Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: (22) And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, (23) Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”

He also wrote in Ephesians 3:14-21, “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, (15) Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, (16) That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; (17) That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (19) And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (20) Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, (21) Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

Ephesus? Wasn't this the church which had a long history of Christian witness, and some tremendous pastoral leadership?

They had in their midst Aquilla and Priscilla.

There was also the eloquent preacher Apollos.

The Apostle Paul spent 3 years preaching, and teaching them, warning them and winning souls to Christ.

They also had the privilege of being led by Timothy and the beloved Apostle John.

Ephesus? Wasn't this the church with whose elders Paul knelt and prayed and wept as he left them after three years in their midst? His words are recorded for us in Acts 20:17-38. Paul had taught them everything he knew to help them grow, going from "house to house," investing himself in their lives. The effectiveness of this church’s ministry is found in Acts 19:10 where we read "All they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord both Jews and Gentile."

Returning to our text in Relation 2, it would be a flawless church, in the eyes of many. In verses 2-3 our Lord paid a five-fold compliment to them, with a lot of positive pluses. He tells them what is right in the church.

First: They were a SERVING church, busy doing the work of the Lord, verse 2, "I know thy works, and thy labor." By using the word "labor" it means this church was "serving to the point of exhaustion." No doubt their schedule was filled with activities.

Second: They were a SEPARATED church in that they were “careful in their holiness” verse 2, "…could not bear them who were evil." They could not nor would not tolerate immorality and sin within their midst. Here was a church in the world, but the world was not in the church.

Third: They were WATCHFUL in their doctrine. "Ministerial courtesy" had no place in Ephesus, verse 2, "They had tried the false apostles and found them to be liars."This church was concerned that Christ centered, responsible men were getting the Word of God out. Paul warned them in Acts 20 they were as sheep among wolves, and they were to be on guard against wolves among the sheep.

Fourth: They were a STEADFAST church, verse 3. They were faithful in the midst of opposition. The word "patience" carries the meaning of "endurance under trial." They kept going when the going was tough. This tells me they had their problems but they were not quitters.

Fifth: They were a SUFFERING church, verse 3, "and has not fainted." Here was a church that had not lost heart or their spirit. They weren't easily discouraged, dismayed or depressed by the obstacles.

Here was a church with a lot of positive pluses. No matter how you would examine this congregation, you could conclude that it is just about as perfect as a church could become. However, I am not the one who draws the line. The Lord Jesus Christ is the evaluator and in spite of everything this church appears to be, it's on the verge of FAILURE. They were barely getting a passing grade.

Please notice in verse 4 the Lord tells them what is wrong. “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” Jesus had told His disciples, concerning the last days before His return in Matthew 24:12, "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." The church at Ephesus, for all her works, and toil, and orthodoxy, and perseverance, had abandoned their first love.

Please notice several things about this astonishing verse.

First: Please notice they did not lose their first love. They “LEFT” their first love.

Second: You will notice in this verse there is an italicized word -"Somewhat."It ought not to be there, as italicized words indicate a word added by the translator. The Lord is not saying I have somewhat against you. Literally it reads, "I have against thee."

Third: The order of the words in the Greek is emphatic; "Your first love you have left."This rebuke contrasts what Paul had written to these Ephesians 35 years earlier, that he never stopped giving thanks for them because of their faith in Christ and their Love.

Leaving their first love, they were outwardly WARM yet inwardly COLD. Day after day they went though the RIGHT ROUTINE, and said the RIGHT WORDS.

They were sound in doctrine and practice crossing the right Fundamental "T" and dotting the right Fundamental "I".

Yet their inward problem was the heart. Someone said this, "To be aware of a time when Jesus meant more; or your DEVOTION to Jesus Christ was of a greater degree or your DEDICATION involved a greater commitment, to say it WAS and NOW is NOT is to SAY you have changed."

The story is told of a father and daughter whose custom it was for a number of years to take a walk every evening after supper. But for a period of 3 months, there came a time where she was reluctant to go. She would always try to find an excuse to leave her father and go back to the house and shut herself up in her room. This grieved the heart of the father and he was distressed about it, but said nothing.

Finally on the occasion of his birthday, this little girl with a joyful smile handed her father a birthday present. When the father opened the package, to his astonishment there was a pair of home–made bedroom slippers.

The father said, "Did you make these for me." She said "Yes sir".

Then the father replied, "I really appreciate the slippers and I am very grateful that you took the time to make them but is that what has been keeping you from taking a walk with me for these past 3 months. She answered, "Yes sir."

He said, "Honey, next time tell me how much you need to buy me a present and I'll give you the money. What I really want is not what you can make for me as much as I want to be with you.”

I believe that's the way the Lord Jesus feels about us. IT'S NOT WHAT WE ARE DOING FOR THE LORD THAT IS OF INTEREST TO THE HEART OF JESUS. Rather it's the fact that Jesus wants us to be in love with Him.

II. What causes this COLDNESS to come into our lives, that leaves the LOVE for Christ out? There is no greater love than the love we have for Christ. But, regardless of the object, love is love. The way we leave our love – whether love for Christ, the Scriptures, prayer, our family, or our ministry – is the same in every case.

First: We leave by lusting. If we do not guard against “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life” as we read in I John 2:16, we can leave the things of Christ in pursuit of the things of this world. Money, position, power, influence, possessions – these are powerful enticements for the one who has not maintained a close walk with Jesus.

Second: We leave by lack of attention. It stands to reason that what we ignore, we will eventually care little about. If we ignore the Bible, our spouse, our responsibilities as a parent, our life in the church – it will only be a matter of time before we find little or no love for those parts of our life. It takes years to develop the ability to play an instrument. But it only takes a few weeks of inattention to the instrument for that ability to be lost.

Third: We leave by lack of perseverance. The greatest myth about sacrificial love is that it is easy. The truth is, nothing could be harder, because true love is the opposite of human nature. Love takes work, diligence, and perseverance. It's easy to sleep in instead of rising to pray and read the Bible, and easier still to take a spouse for granted than to practice acts of kindness. It is definitely easier, when the way gets hard, not to take up our cross and follow Jesus as His disciple.

Fourth: We leave by laziness. Sometimes it's not temptation or time or the world – it's just us! It’s easy to go through life as a couch potato, surfing the channels on TV or the Web on our computer. We can while away a half day, a weekend … we can while away a lifetime by living an unfocused, self-centered, lazy life. It's human nature to do so, and the quicker we recognize that pattern and correct it, the sooner we'll find love returning.

Fifth: We leave by lapsing. Finally, we can leave our love by lapsing into sin, and staying there. We're going to sin in this life. But if we don't confess and repent of our sin when it happens, we are opening up the door for that sin to become a lifestyle.

III. How to Find and Keep our Love. Jesus told the church at Ephesus that unless they repented, He would remove the lampstand – the light of His presence – from their midst. Notice again the words in verse 5, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. Jesus stood before the church at Ephesus and told them in verse 5 to REMEMBER, REPENT, REPEAT, or be REMOVED.

Let us REMEMBER how we loved Christ as young Christians when we were the happiest people in the world. Literally the text says "keep on remembering."

Remember the love affair you had with Christ at salvation.

Remember the Joy, the tears and the contentment from hearing the word of God preached, before you began to sit in the seat of the scornful.

Remember when your heart was warmed as you served Christ.

Remember how your heart burned to win folks to Christ.

Remember how you used to love the brethren and be concerned for their spiritual and physical welfare.

Remember all the victories you had from the Lord.

Remember your sweetheart love for the Lord before it degenerated into cold mechanical church work.

Let us REPENT, turn, confess, go back and ask God to fill our hearts with the love of God shed abroad by the Holy Spirit. Is the furnace in your heart still there, or has the fire gone out?

Let us REPEAT, do again the first works as we used to do when our faith was aglow with a loving heart, and our church work was a labor of love and not just labor. Have you gotten so involved in the work of the Lord that you have forgotten the Lord of the work?

If we don’t "Remember, Repent and Repeat," there is one more "R" with which to contend. "Or else I will REMOVE thy lampstand out of his place, except thou repent." It is either Revival or Removal!

With Ephesus it meant REMOVAL, as the city and the church today lay in ruins. The church that loses its LOVE will soon lose its LIGHT, no matter how doctrinally sound it may be. God help us to remember, repent and repeat so that there may be revival and not removal!

God calls us to love Him, our spouse, our children, the church, the lost – there are many objects worthy of our sacrificial love. But if we ever leave our first love – our love for Jesus Christ – we will not be able to love anyone or anything else as we should.

The way we rekindle and keep our love for Jesus and others is by reversing what we did to lose it. In short, stay close to and focused on serving those you should love. Rekindling the flame of love for Jesus will cause that flame to spread and burn brightly for everyone and everything in your life.

In closing let me quote three of the greatest verses in the Bible on Love and three hymns that tell us of the love of God.

In Jeremiah 31:3 we read, “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

Wonderful story of love, tell it to me again.

Wonderful story of love, wake the immortal strain!

Angels with rapture announce it.

Shepherd with wonder receive it.

Sinner, O won't you believe it?

Wonderful story of love.

In Romans 5:8 we read, “But God commendeth his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet SINNERS, Christ died for us.”

Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade

To write the LOVE OF GOD above would drain the ocean dry,

Nor would the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.

In John 3:16-17 we read, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life…”

I stand amazed in the presence,

Of Jesus the Nazarene,

And wonder how He could LOVE me,

A sinner, condemned, unclean.

How marvelous, How wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

How marvelous, How wonderful!

Is my Saviour's LOVE for me!

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

If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “Love’s Departure – Misplaced Affections”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/23/

How to Love One Another in the Family of God – Part -2

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 29 May 2011 20:25:58 +0000

Sunday May 29, 2011	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: Family of God # 14	Text: mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"> I Corinthians 13:1-13

“How to Love One Another in the Family of God” (Part II)

Introduction: Sometimes the best illustration of biblical truth comes from the observation and mouths of children. There was a contest held asking young children to define Love. What does love mean? Here are some of their answers.

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."

"Love is what's in the room at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate."

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, say it a lot. People forget."

The real purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, “Nothing, I just helped him cry.”

In I Corinthians 16:14 we read, "Let all things be done with love." For a Christian there is no substitute or excuse for not LOVING our brothers and sisters in Christ. The reason for this love is found in the words of Romans 5:5, “…Because the LOVE OF GOD is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given unto us."We do not have to manufacture love. We only have to share the Love given by God through Christ.

In this our last message on “How to Treat One Another in the Family of God” we want to focus our attention on the spectrum of LOVE found in I Corinthians 13:1-13. Please understand as you read this chapter the word “Charity” is the word for “Love.”

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. (2) And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. (3) And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (4) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, (5) Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; (6) Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; (7) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. (8) Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. (9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. (10) But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. (11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (12) For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (13) And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

In I Corinthians chapters 12, 13, & 14, Paul is dealing with the subject of “SPIRITUAL GIFTS.” A spiritual gift is a supernatural ability given to the believer by Christ through the Holy Spirit at the moment of his salvation. The purpose of each gift is to glorify God, Revelation 4:11 and to edify both the believers and the church, Ephesians 4:12-13. In these chapters, Paul in particular was dealing with the problem of the misuse and abuse of some of the gifts in the church.

In I Corinthians chapter 13, Paul is saying no matter how exciting and beneficial the “Spiritual Gifts” are to the church, THEY ARE USELESS UNLESS THEY ARE CROWNED AND COVERED IN LOVE.

I Corinthians chapter 13 was a REBUKE to the Corinthian church that was ransacked with carnality. Here was a church full of themselves.

They had created divisions in the church, 1:10.

They had perverted the doctrine of baptism, 1:11-17.

They were bragging about the human wisdom they had, 1:18-31.

They were carnal to the core, 3:1.

They had deceived themselves and defiled their bodies, 3:17-18.

They were puffed up, 4:18.

They were tolerating horrible immorality, 5:1.

They were suing each other in heathen courts, 6:1.

They were confused about marriage, 7:1.

They were making a mockery of the Lord’s Supper, 11:30.

They had corrupted the gifts of the spirit, especially tongues, chapter 14.

They were confused on the subject of the resurrection, chapter 15.

They had slacked off on their offerings, chapter 16.

Someone said, “If sins were horses, this church would be filled with many stables.” So, to a church full of itself, this love chapter was a rebuke to them.

I Corinthians chapter 13 could be called the HOLY SPIRIT CHAPTER. An evidence of the Holy Spirit in us is the FRUIT of LOVE. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us, "But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…"

I Corinthians chapter 13 could be described as a PORTRAIT OF CHRIST. Someone said, "Paul is painting a portrait of love and Jesus Christ is sitting for the portrait. He lived out in perfection all of these virtues of love. This beautiful picture of love is a portrait of Him. And when we are living out these virtues of love we are showing the world the LOVE OF JESUS." This was Christ’s emphasis to the disciples on the eve of His crucifixion when He said in John 13: 34-35, "… By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

I Corinthians chapter 13 has three parts. They are:

A. Verses 1-3, Love is ENRICHING,

B. Verses 4-8, Love is EDIFYING,

C. Verses 8-13, Love is ENDURING.

A. I CORINTHIANS 13:1-3 teaches us that LOVE IS ENRICHING. These verses focus on the EMPTINESS produced when LOVE is ABSENT.

Verse 1describes a person who PRODUCES nothing without LOVE, ““Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”

Verse 2describes a person who IS nothing without LOVE, “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.”

Verse 3describes a person who GAINS nothing without LOVE, “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”

In other words a ministry without LOVE is cheapened. It has been said, “Agape Love is the "CIRCULATORY SYSTEM' of the church.” The word LOVE in this chapter is the Greek word "AGAPE." In I John 4:10 we read, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” This is the Love of God.

"AGAPO" love is a love without emotion

"AGAPO" love is a love that is deliberate

"AGAPO" love is not a feeling, it is an ACT OF THE WILL.

"AGAPO" love is a love that loves regardless of the attraction of the object.

"AGAPO" love is a love that's PERSISTENT, PASSIONATE, IMPARTIAL, INEXHAUSTIBLE, UNCONDITIONAL and EVERLASTING.

“Real love is visible compassion in my heart to meet another's needs. Real love is putting skin over your Christianity.” The hymn “My Savior’s Love” expresses this love.

I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus of Nazarene,

And wonder how he could love me,

A sinner condemned unclean.

He took my sin and my sorrows;

He made them His very own;

He bore the burden to Calvary,

And suffered, and died alone.

How marvelous! how wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

How marvelous! how wonderful!

Is my Savior’s love for me!

B. I CORINTHIANS 13:4-8 teaches us that LOVE IS EDIFYING. In these verses we are given fifteen spectrums of LOVE. In the original language each of these descriptive words are verbs. They do not focus on WHAT LOVE IS SO MUCH AS WHAT LOVE DOES AND DOES NOT DO. Agape LOVE is ACTIVE. It is not passive or abstract. For example:

Love does not feel patience, it practices patience.

Love does not feel kind, it practices kind things.

Love does not just recognize truth, it rejoices in truth.

The point to be made is:

Love is fully LOVE only when it is PRACTICED.

Real love is putting skin over your Christianity.

First: LOVE SUFFERETH LONG, verse 4.Love practices being PATIENT. Love is literally "LONG-TEMPERED." Love's patience is the ability to be inconvenienced or unfairly used over and over again and yet NOT BECOMING UPSET OR ANGRY. In the world in which this church existed, vengeance was a virtue:

You were to FIGHT BACK;

You were to STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS;

You were to do whatever it took to GET EVEN.

However, in God's Word our primary concern is the welfare of others, even to the point of our willingness to be UNFAIRLY USED. In Romans 12:17-21 we read, “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. (18) If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. (19) Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (20) Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. (21) Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Love refuses to PAY BACK EVIL FOR EVIL.

Remember, Jesus’ first words on the cross, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."

Remember, Stephen's last words as he was being stoned to death, "Lord do not hold this sin against them."

Second: LOVE IS KIND, verse 4. Being KIND is the counterpart of being patient.

Patience puts up with a lot. Kindness gives out a lot.

Patience requires self-restraint. Kindness expresses sweetness and compassion.

Kindness is ACTIVE goodwill. It is generous. It works for the welfare of others. In Titus 3:4-5a we read that contrary to our sinful attitude and activities, God in His Kindness shows His mercy. “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, (5) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…”

Third: LOVE ENVIETH NOT, verse 4. Another way of saying this is LOVE IS NOT JEALOUS. This is the first of eight negative descriptions of LOVE. Love and Jealousy DO NOT travel togetherWHERE THE ONE IS, THE OTHER CAN NOT BE.

One of the hardest battles a Christian must face is JEALOUSY. There will always be someone who is a little better. Proverbs 6:34 tells us, “For jealousy is the rage of man…” But a loving person is never JEALOUS. He is GLAD for the success of others, even if their success works against his own. In Philippians 2:3-4 we read, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

Fourth: LOVE VAUNTETH NOT ITSELF, verse 4. When Paul uses the word "VAUNTETH," he is saying LOVE DOES NOT BRAG.

Love does not BOAST of its SUCCESS.

Love does not parade its accomplishments, nor is it conceited.

Love does not seek to win the praise or the applause of others.

JEALOUSLY is a desire for what someone else has.

BRAGGING is trying to make others JEALOUS of what we have.

JEALOUSY puts others down, BRAGGING builds us up.

The Corinthian’s were SPIRITUAL SHOW-OFF'S! They were constantly vying for public attention. They cared nothing for harmony. Each did his own thing, in total disregard for what others were doing. This was the very opposite of the Lord Jesus who never BOASTED. In Philippians 2:6-8 we read of the humble submission of our Christ, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Fifth: LOVE IS NOT PUFFED-UP, verse 4. Another way of saying puffed-up is with the word ARROGANT. An ARROGANT person is one who is INFLATED WITH HIS OWN IMPORTANCE. The Corinthian’s were proud and arrogant about:

Their Spiritual Gifts,

Their Carnality,

Their Worldliness,

Their Immorally.

They were arrogant rather then repentant. They BRAGGED when they should have MOURNED. InProverbs 16:18 we are warned, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." It has been said, “Arrogance is BIG-HEADED, whereas love is BIG-HEARTED!”

Sixth: DOES NOT BEHAVE INAPPROPRIATELY, verse 5. This refers to poor manners and RUDE living. Rude people do not care about others’ feelings or sensitivities. Christian rudeness is an offense to the unsaved who immediately turn-off the gospel. Love is gracious, not RUDE. It appears that everything the Corinthian’s did was rude and crude.

They were rude with each other by taking one another to court.

They were rude with one another at the Lords table.

They were rude in their worship. as they tried to out-talk each other.

Another way of saying this is "Love does not behave graciously, Love is gracious."

Seventh: LOVE SEEKETH NOT IT'S OWN, verse 5. In this statement is the idea of insisting on MY RIGHTS. To illustrate this, please notice the wording on these two contrasting tombstones:

Here lies a miser who lived for himself, and cared for nothing but gathering wealth.

Now where he is or how he fares nobody knows and nobody cares.

Sacred to the memory of General George Gordon

Who at all times and everywhere gave

His STRENGTH to the weak, His SUBSTANCE TO THE POOR,

His SYMPATHY to the SUFFERING, and His HEART to God.

The Corinthian’s were selfish to an extreme. They did not use their gifts to BUILD-UP the church. They used their gifts to BUILD-UP themselves.

Again in Philippians 2:4 we read love should not be preoccupied with its own things, but with the interests of others, “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." Jesus modeled this for us in the words from Matthew 20:26-28, “But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; (27) And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: (28) Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Jesus came to serve. He never sought His own welfare, but the welfare of others.

Others Lord, Yes others, let this my motto be

Help me to live for others, that I may live like Thee.

Eight: LOVE IS NOT PROVOKED, verse 5. The word provoked has to do with the idea of being "AROUSED TO ANGER" or "EASILY UPSET." Love is not bad-tempered. STOP! There is nothing wrong with anger against sin. We ought to be angry over unrighteousness. We should be angry over the things that ANGER GOD. However, it is wrong to get angry over having YOUR OWN WAY. On the other hand, Agape LOVE centers on the WELL BEING OF OTHERS.

Ninth: LOVE THINKETH NO EVIL, verse 5. In other words LOVE KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONG SUFFERED: Love quenches wrong rather than recording it.

Now if God completely and permanently erases the record of our many sins against Him, then how much more should we forgive and forget the much lesser wrongs done against us? In Ephesians 4:32 we read "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, FORGIVING one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath FORGIVEN you."

LOVE KEEPS NO BOOKS of RESENTMENT.

LOVE QUENCHES WRONG RATHER THEN RECORDING IT.

Tenth: LOVE DOES NOT REJOICE IN INIQUITY, verse 6. Love never brags about sin. Doing wrong is bad enough, but bragging about it makes that sin even worse.

Rejoicing in sin is the same as justifying the sin. We are making the wrong right. Isaiah 5:20 warns us, "Woe unto them who call evil, good and good evil…"

Rejoicing in sin is an affront to God. When we delight in SIN we are delighting in what OFFENDS and GRIEVES God. IF WE LOVE GOD, THEN WHAT OFFENDS HIM WILL OFFEND US.

Rejoicing in sin only promotes the sin and the wrongdoing. It allows sin to grow and develop which in turn will produce more harm and eventually death.

"Love does not delight in exposing the weakness and sins of others. Love will weep over sin and be brokenhearted over failures. Love will condemn sin, but love will always yearn to cover and protect those who fall.”

In I Peter 4:8 we read, “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”

ELEVEN: LOVE REJOICES IN THE TRUTH, verse 6. Having now gone through EIGHT negative areas, Paul gives us FIVE more positive aspects of LOVE. The first one is a contrast to the last. Instead of rejoicing in EVIL, we are to rejoice in the TRUTH. LOVE cannot compromise the truth. Love does not focus on the wrongs of others. Love does not parade another’s faults for the world to see. Rather, love LOOKS FOR THE GOOD, HOPES FOR THE GOOD, and EMPHASIZES THE GOOD. Someone said, "Love approaches the triumphs of ordinary folks. It's primary business is to build-up not to tear-down."

TWELVE: LOVE BEARS ALL THINGS, verse 7. The word "BEAR" is a building term, speaking of a roof. A roof is there for protection. In other words LOVE PROTECTS. Genuine love DOES NOT EXPOSE, GOSSIP nor LISTEN TO GOSSIP. Human nature takes pleasure in exposing others faults and failures.

LOVE does not EXPLOIT or GLOAT.

It B–E–A–R–S. It does not B–A–R–E.

In Proverbs 10:12 we read "Hatred stirreth up strife, but LOVE covereth all sins." Love does not justify or compromise sin nor does love broadcast sin. Instead, love warns, love corrects, love rebukes and love disciplines. Love feels the pain of those it loves who have fallen into sin and it helps to carry the burden of their heart.

THIRTEEN: LOVE BELIEVES ALL THINGS, verse7. Love is not suspicious. When love throws it's mantle over a wrong, love also believes in the best outcome: that the wrong will be CONFESSED and FORGIVEN and the loved one RESTORED to righteousness. Real love is willing to give the benefit of the doubt. Real love is willing to go the extra mile.

FOURTEEN: LOVE HOPETH FOR ALL THINGS, verse 7. Love does not stop loving. Even when belief in a loved one's goodness or repentance is shallow, LOVE STILL HOPES. Remember, as long as God's grace is operating, HUMAN FAILURE IS NEVER FINAL.

FIFTEEN: LOVE ENDURES ALL THINGS, verse 7. The word "ENDURE" is a military term which speaks of holding a vital position at all costs. LOVE holds fast to those it loves. In other words LOVE WILL NEVER STOP LOVING!

C. I Corinthians 13:8-13 teaches us that LOVE IS ENDURING. Would you notice the first words of verse 8, "Love never faileth…" This is a quality which should characterize every child of God in EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE, twenty-four hours a day, and seven days a week. This word “FAILETH” can be translated several different ways:

Love never falls to the ground. It never decays.

Love never loses its strength. It is inexhaustible.

Love never leaves its place. It is immovable.

Love will outlast everything.

All of us in one way or another live within the context of a family. Years ago I found this paraphrase of I Corinthians written in reference to the family. I repeat it to you in closing.

Though in the glamour of the public eye, I sway the emotions of man by oratory, or by my silver singing, or by my skillful playing, and then go home and gripe because supper is late, or because my clothes weren't made to suit me, I am become as sounding brass or tinkling cymbal.

And though I am able to impress others with my vast knowledge of the deep things of the Word of God, and though I am able to accomplish mighty things through faith, so that I become famous among men as a remover of mountains, and have not the love that reads the deep longings of the heart around the family circle and removes the barriers that grow up in shy and tender hearts, I am nothing.

And though in the glamour of public praise I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I win the name and fame of a martyr by giving my body to be burned, and yet close up like a clam at home, or behave like a snapping turtle, knowing nothing of the glory of giving myself in self-denying service to those nearest and dearest, it profited me nothing.

Love is never IMPATIENT, but KIND; love knows no JEALOUSY; love makes no PARADE, gives itself no AIRS.

Love is never RUDE, seeks not her OWN, nor FIGHTS for her own RIGHTS, is never RESENTFUL, never imagines that others are plotting EVIL against her.

Never broods over WRONGS; never exults over MISTAKES of others; but is truly gladdened by GOODNESS.

Love is the acid test of the truly yielded life, for in all other phases of Christian service there is a certain amount of glamour; but in the home one is confronted with the bare facts of life, stripped of all glamour. The home is given to help every Christian "not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think." And it is in the home that we have the privilege of demonstrating that the Christian life is "faith which worketh by love."

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If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “How to Love One Another in the Family of God” (Part II) 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.

In His Amazing Grace,

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/…/MMXI/22/