STORMS IN LIFE

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that makes a big difference. A life jacket is certainly a small thing that can make a difference. Experienced fishermen and seamen know the benefits of wearing a life jacket. A life jacket could be the difference between life and death. But, as we know, people don’t always listen to good advice and so every year people drown.

Our lives are like the ocean or the seas. Sometimes our lives are calm and serene. At other times, our lives are turbulent as the winds and waves of adversities beat against us. Even Jesus experienced problems and heartaches. He had many storms in His life.

It is true that sometimes we create our own storms in our lives and have no one to blame but ourselves. We learn there are consequences to our actions. Sometimes there may be storms caused by others that we have no control over. No matter the reason behind the storms, God is always in control. James wrote, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” (James 1:2) NIV

Soviet novelist Alexander Solzhenitsyn was sent to prison 10 years for his dissident writings. After 10 years in prison he wrote, “Bless you, prison, and bless you for having been my life. It was there lying on that rotten straw, that for the very first time I understood the purpose of life is not prosperity as we have been made to believe, but the maturing of the human soul.” It is during adversities that we learn what really matters in life and what doesn’t. We can’t really appreciate freedom if we have never been to prison. We cannot appreciate good health if we have never been sick. We cannot appreciate being warm if we have never been cold. Troubles teach us patience, humility and the true values of life.

We cannot stop the storms of life from coming our way. They will come. This is a fact. Some storms will last a brief while, while others last longer. Some storms will be mild and some will be severe. Apostle Paul was on a ship that was caught in a severe storm. It was only when the time was right that he told the men on board to abandon ship and swim for safety. (Acts Chapter 27) There were 276 men on board and not one of them perished. (Acts 27:37-44) NIV Paul was certainly a great man of faith. Yet, he spent more time in prison than he did out of prison. He was beaten, stoned and even left for dead on one occasion. Paul learned “humility” through the things he suffered.

• It is the irritant in the oyster that produces the beautiful pearl.
• It is the crushed flower that produces the perfume.
• It is carbon pressure under the tremendous pressure of tons of earth that produces a diamond.

The strongest steel is forged in the hottest fire. Christians are not immune from storms in life. There are some difficulties that can only be accomplished in our character brought about by suffering and trials. The life storms we encounter can be our greatest teacher.

BIBLE PROPHECY

Bible prophecy is a God-given revelation of the future. There is a reason that one fourth of the Bible is devoted to prophecy. God wants His people know what is going to happen in the future. Some of the prophecies have already been fulfilled and the rest are still waiting to be fulfilled.  Biblical prophecies are different from other prophecies in that all of them do come to pass and they are fulfilled “exactly” as foretold.  In fact, the Bible’s own standard is that if a person is known to have given a false prophecy, that person should be put to death. (Deuteronomy 13:1-5) NIV

Fulfilled prophecy is one of the most powerful proofs that the Bible truly is the Word of God. The Old Testament was written over a 1,000 period and contains hundreds of references to the coming of the Messiah. The chances that “all” these predictions came true “exactly” as written are beyond most human comprehension. The chance of one man fulfilling just eight Old Testament prophecies has been calculated at one in one hundred billion. This is a number which is millions times greater than the total number of people who have ever walked the planet. Think about those odds for a moment.

Jesus prophesied to His disciples that the beautiful temple would be destroyed. He said that not one stone would be left in place. (Matthew 24:1-2; Luke 21:6) NIV It happened exactly as Jesus had prophesied to His disciples. The Romans under Titus completely destroyed Jerusalem and the temple buildings in 70 A.D. (Source: Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian.). Stones were even pried apart to collect the gold leaf that melted from the roof when it was set on fire. Excavations in 1968 uncovered a large number of these stones toppled down by the invaders. There were 1.5 million Jews killed during this massacre. The Jews that escaped the Roman massacre fled to different countries all over the world. (Source: Flavius Josephus.) Even after they fled to other countries they were tortured and killed. Read the prophecy of Moses that was written in approximately 1410 B.C. “The Lord will “scatter” you among all peoples from one end of the earth to the other and among those nations you will find no rest.” (Deuteronomy 28:64-65) NIV Who can ever forget Adolph Hitler’s Holocaust? 

God promised the Jews that one day He would bring them back to their homeland. The prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel spoke of a day when the nation of Israel would be born in one day. This happened exactly 100% as God said that it would. “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own homeland.” (Ezekiel 36:24) NIV Ezekiel wrote these words in approximately 585-573 B.C. “Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a country be born in one day or a nation be brought forth in a moment?” (Isaiah 66:8) NIV Isaiah wrote these prophetic words in approximately 701-681 B.C.  This prophecy was fulfilled in one day when Israel became a nation on May 14, 1948 after 2,900 years. This is a historical fact. Prophecies which have not yet been fulfilled are of great interest to Christians and especially so today. This is true because we see many prophecies beginning to come to pass in our own generation. God’s prophetic clock continues ticking.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

• Should we have a bad day at work;
• Think of the person who has been out of work for a year or longer.

• Should we despair over a relationship gone bad;
• Think of the person who has never known what it’s like to love and be loved in return.

• Should we grieve the passing of another week end;
• Think of the struggling person who is working twelve hours a day, seven days a week just to be able to feed and clothe their family.

• Should we complain about having to walk anywhere for anything;
• Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

• Should we find ourselves at a loss pondering what life is all about;
• Let’s be thankful. There are those who didn’t live long enough to get the opportunity.

• Should we find ourselves the victim of other people’s anger, bitterness, ignorance, or insecurities;
• Remember that things could be worse.

• If we find ourselves stuck in traffic, don’t get upset;
• There are people in this world for which driving is an unheard of privilege.

• Should we notice a gray hair in the mirror;
• Think of the cancer patients taking chemotherapy who wished they had hair to examine.

• Should we find ourselves complaining about the price of food;
• Let’s remember the starving people all over the world who would love to eat just the scraps from our table.

• Should we complain about the cost of heating bills in the winter;
• Let’s remember the homeless people who sleep outside in the cold.

 “In everything give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) KJV

THE BITTERNESS OF BETRAYAL

THE BITTERNESS OF BETRAYAL

The simple definition of betrayal is for someone to be disloyal. Someone close to us has probably betrayed most of us during our lifetime.  Being “betrayed” by someone we trusted is one of the most painful experiences in life. We feel hurt, depressed and angry. It is a horrible experience. It is hard to get to the point of forgiveness towards someone who has betrayed us in such a painful way.

King David knew the sting and bitterness of betrayal. His son Absalom and Ahitophel, one of David’s closest officials and counselor betrayed him. Absalom and Ahitophel “betrayed” David by joining together in a conspiracy to overthrow him so that Absalom could ascend to the throne. They gathered together an army and King David had to flee for his life. Their evil plan didn’t work and in the end both of them died. Ahitophel hanged himself. (2 Samuel 17:23) KJV Absalom was on a mule. “The mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair while the mule he was riding kept on going.”(2 Samuel 18:9-10) NIV David could have felt relieved and happy when he was told of Absalom’s death.  Instead, he wept. (2 Samuel 18:33) NIV It is plain to see in this scripture that David still loved and forgave Absalom after being betrayed by him.

David wrote from his heart about being betrayed by a close friend. “Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” (Psalm 41:9-10) NIV David turns away from the one who had stabbed him in the back and looks instead to the Lord for mercy. Of all the sorrows of life, this is certainly one of the bitterest---to be betrayed by one who has had close association with us.  It is a sorrow that Jesus experienced in the betrayal of Judas. (John 13:21) NIV Judas belonged to the inner circle of the disciples who were closest to Jesus. Judas became remorseful when he realized what he had done and went out and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:5) KJV

Benedict Arnold betrayed his country.  George Washington and Benedict Arnold were great leaders fighting for the same cause against the British in the American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence. Today, George Washington is remembered as a great American legend for all the good he did for his country. Benedict Arnold is remembered as a traitor for his “treachery and betrayal” against his own country.

Several years ago a close friend betrayed me. The betrayal came as a complete shock to me. I can honestly say, “I didn’t see it coming.” I was speechless. How could such a trusted friend be so cruel? Our friendship lay in shambles. I wept. I found out later it was because of envy and jealousy this person harbored in their heart against me. I never had a clue. It is said that people come into our lives for a REASON…a SEASON…or a LIFE TIME. This person came into my life for a REASON. I was severely tested. I learned that character is both developed and revealed when we are “betrayed” by someone close to us. We can choose to become “bitter” or better.” We can hold on to the emotional hurt or we can forgive. I chose to “forgive” and to become “better.” I am a “victor” and not a “victim.”

LAWLESSNESS IN THE END TIMES

The basic condition for a civilization is that there be law and order. Obviously, this is coming to an end. A pattern of lawlessness is dominating our society today that was found throughout history in civilizations that were in the process of decline. It is a pattern evident in nations that rejected God’s word as the ultimate authority in their lives. We have become a nation obsessed with crime, violence and immorality. In the last four decades there has been a strong move in our whole society to throw off the “fetters” of law, particularly Biblical restraints. “Let us break their chains, they say, and throw off their fetters.” (Psalm 2:23) NIV A “fetter” is anything that serves to restrain or restrict. Biblical “fetters” have been removed from our nation.

The world has entered a time of dramatic and ominous change. Today we call wrong right and right wrong. Many secular as well as religious authorities recognize that these are days of extraordinary times. Even the most seasoned newsmen who have “seen it all” are in awe of world developments in recent years. We have reached the day in which the prophet Isaiah wrote about thousands of years ago. “Woe to them that call evil good and good evil.”(Isaiah 5:20) KJV It is a fact that darkness and light cannot occupy the same space.

Our universe is a universe of law. Sometimes things appear chaotic, but this is in appearance only. The tiniest cells operate with incredible order. Planets move through the heavens with precision. Natural lives proceed all around us in a complex and well-organized system. The exception to this, of course, is “man” who has fallen into sin and who has refused to live by God’s order. The Bible teaches us that in His timing God always judges lawlessness. What would our world be without law? It would be something like a six way intersection with out a stoplight and automobiles speeding through at 100 miles per hour from all directions. For sure, it would be a world in which few of us would want to live.

Man has pushed the self-destruction button. Foundations of godliness have crumbled. Things that were once considered sacred are now scorned and ridiculed. Immorality and violence are out of control. More people have been killed in warfare in this century than at any other time in history. Devastating weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical & biological) are now available. For the first time in human history we now have the capacity to destroy ourselves. We are trying to build a peaceful world, but there is no peace within people’s hearts.

The world is drowning in discouragement and uncertainty. As we approach the end times, the Bible indicates that the human race will become exceedingly lawless.  It is apparent that the complete disobedience to Biblical law creates an atmosphere of wickedness and lawlessness.

 “A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.”  Source: Ariel Durant. Ariel was a Russian born American writer and Historian. (May 10, 1898-October 25, 1981)

THE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE

Spending time in the wilderness is nothing new to Christians. There are times when it seems everything is going great in our lives. There are other times when it seems everything that could go wrong goes wrong. It is during these times we feel we are marching across a desert without water, no shade and just dust and heat. We feel isolated and alone. We need to understand one thing. In the life of a believer, God has a purpose for allowing us to go through a “wilderness experience.” I will share with you three of my own personal “wilderness experiences.” One of my “worst wilderness experiences” came to me in August of 1996. I was diagnosed with cancer and it seemed that time stood still. It was hard for me to focus on anything except I had cancer. I felt so alone even though I knew that I had God, a multitude of Christian friends and family that were standing by me and supporting me. No one could walk this path for me. My turn had come to be tested” on the backside of the desert. This was a time that I had to literally walk by faith. I did not know if I was going to live or die. All I knew was that God had a plan and purpose for my life that I could not see at the moment.

Another wilderness experience came when my husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2001. At the time we had been married for almost 44 years. I could not fathom losing him. I asked God to heal him but God did not heal him. My husband took his heavenly flight to heaven on March 31, 2004. I was at peace knowing his suffering was over and he was in a better place and free from all suffering. Yet, I still had agonizing pain in my heart and felt so alone. I wondered how I could go on without him. I put my faith and trust in God and started taking one day at a time. Each day got a little easier. Six months after his death, Hurricane Ivan came roaring into our area. Its effect was total devastation. I didn’t know where to begin or how to deal with all this chaos. All of my friends, neighbors and family members were dealing with their own problems and devastation. I prayed for wisdom and knowledge to help me make the right decisions. There are always “scammers” that come pouring into areas that are hard hit by hurricanes, tornados and flood. God helped me make all the right decisions.

Hurricane Dennis came roaring into our area just 9 months after Hurricane Ivan. My yard looked like a bomb had been dropped on it. There were trees on the ground everywhere. To compound my “wilderness experience,” my brother in law died on the very day Hurricane Dennis hit our area. Now, I had a funeral of a loved one to attend in the midst of all this turmoil. It took a crew from Arkansas two days just to remove the trees that had been blown down in my yard. When Dennis was done, it would go down as one of the most powerful events in the month of July 2005 with 150 mph winds at its peak. I wondered where God was in all this mess. I found myself sitting in a lawn chair in my back yard feeling totally stunned, overwhelmed, isolated and alone. Tears flowed easily.  I knew my husband would know exactly what to do and I didn’t have a clue. Oh, how I missed him and his ability to comfort me in stressful times and make the right decisions. I was reminded of the story of Job. He lost everything in one day. He was stricken with painful boils. Yet, Job continued to trust God. For Job’s obedience, trust and faith God restored to him more in the end than he had in the beginning.

THE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE

Part 2

In the Bible, the number 40 always represents God testing man. Moses spent the first 40 years of his life in Pharaoh’s palace as a Prince over Egypt. One day he killed an Egyptian soldier and had to flee for his life. (Exodus 2:11-15) NIV He wound up on the backside of the desert tending his father in law’s sheep. (Exodus 3:1) KJV Moses stayed in the desert for 40 years. (Acts 7:30) KJV He went from being a Prince over Egypt to being a poor shepherd taking care of sheep. During this time God taught Moses to be a leader and a servant for Him. At the end of these 40 years, God called him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. (Exodus 3:10) KJV Moses spent the next 40 years of his life wandering around in the desert leading a group of complaining people. This was a progression of  “learning” and “testing” for Moses. During this time God gave Moses the Ten Commandments for the nation of Israel on Mt. Sinai. (Exodus 20:1-17) KJV

There is one thing that we can count on and that is God does nothing in the believer’s life that does not have a purpose in it. Keep in mind that Moses went from living in a palatial palace to living in the desert with sheep. He was also working for someone else. No doubt Moses probably had accepted the fact that he would spend the rest of his life in the desert-tending sheep. But, God had a plan and purpose for Moses.

·        The first 40 years, Moses learned to be somebody.

·        The second 40 years, Moses learned to be a nobody.

·        The last 40 years, Moses learned to help everybody.

What is the greatest temptation that faces Christians in a long time in the wilderness? It is the danger to drift slowly from the Lord. It begins slowly and then begins to mushroom out of control if it isn’t checked. God is right there with us when we are going through a “wilderness experience.” God tests our faith during these times. He is training and developing character in us. If we find ourselves on the backside of the desert and it is not for sinful reasons, then we can rejoice because God is preparing us for something that only we are able to accomplish because of His special preparation in our lives.

I started a ladies Bible study group after my bout with cancer. I did not want to do it. I had never taught a class of any kind in my life. I gave God all kind of excuses on why I was not the one to lead a Bible study group. Then the Holy Spirit brought to my remembrance a scripture. “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send and who will go for us? And I said, here I am, send me.” (Isaiah 6:8) KJV I said, “Yes, Lord I will go and be your servant in whatever you want me to do.” I am thankful for all of my wilderness experiences and for obeying God for His calling on my life. My life has been greatly blessed and enriched by the multitude of women that God has allowed to cross my path in our Bible study group over the years.