Posts Tagged ‘Trials’
Forty Years Of What’s This?
Forty Years Of What’s This?
Imagine living with “I don’t know what this is” situation for nearly a lifetime. Israel did in the wilderness. They woke up one morning and were presented with something they had never seen or ever heard about. It didn’t go away. It perplexed them.
Manna – What Is This?
King James
Exo. 16:14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
Exo. 16:15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
Jubilee Bible 2000
Exo. 16:15 And when the sons of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna (What is it?): for they did not know what it was. Then Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.
New International Version
Exo. 16:14 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.
Living With Things We Don’t Understand May Be What God Gave Us To Eat For Now.
- Some of us live a lifetime with I Don’t Know.
- We all have lived with things we don’t understand.
- We all are asked to partake of things that don’t make sense.
- We live a life surrounded by perplexing things.
The Very Thing They Didn’t Understand And Got Tired Of… Was The Thing That Preserved And Sustained Them In The Wilderness.
- Complainers are everywhere.
- Some would rather have the leeks and garlic diet of Egypt.
- They wanted things like it used to be.
- All of them wanted meat and not more of What’s This?
How Long Have You Gone Through Something And Didn’t Know When Or If It Would Ever End?
- You couldn’t see the purpose or benefit?
- Cancer.
- Health issues.
- Financial problems.
- Marriage problems.
- Hurts.
- And besides, you would have rather have any thing else but this.
Once Israel Reached The Place God Promised Them, The Manna Ceased
Joshua 5:12 And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
- There was a day when it ended for them. There will be a day when yours ends too.
What Israel Didn’t Know.
- The thing they complained about.
- The thing some even refused to eat.
- The thing they felt forced to live with for forty years…
…Was Angel Food
Psa 78:25 Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.
- Be careful about your complaints to God.
- Be careful of your attitude when you live with things you don’t understand.
It Could Just Be That God Is Giving You Angel Food.
How Long Is The Night?
How Long Is The Night?
Nights seem shorter during the summer months, and a lot longer during the winter.
John 11:9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day?
Without getting too scientific, even at the geographical poles, where the earth’s rotation isn’t a factor, there is a six months night and a six months day.
And according to Yahoo, even “at the equinoxes, when the sun is exactly perpendicular to the equator, everywhere on earth, there is a day somewhere that has exactly 12 hours and a night of 12 hours.”
So… How Long Has The Been For Night For You?
In The Garden At Night
It was in the Garden of Gethsemane at night, that Jesus was forced to face his greatest battle. It was also a time when his own disciples slept. There was no one to help him during His night season.
The Night Jesus Was In The Tomb.
It was a very long night for the believers of Jesus, when they knew his body lay encased in a tomb. Their hopes were dashed. Their future dreams all dissolved before their eyes.
Peter’s Night After The Denial
How long was the night for Peter? He lived all night with the haunting reality of his denial of the Lord.
The Ten Virgins
For the ten virgins, the night was long enough to make them all fall asleep from weariness and exhaustion.
Daniel’s Night In The Lions Den
How long was the night for Daniel as he listened to the lions snore next to him? No one had ever survived an ordeal like this before! Would he?
Paul’s Night Floating In The Mediterranean Sea
Paul said he spent all night floating in the open sea after his shipwreck. Sometimes, there is no rest all night long. Night seems to be a time in which men fight for survival.
The Night Of The First Passover
How could they sleep knowing that death lurked outside in the darkness? The blood of the lamb was their only defense! They had to keep their shoes on. In spite of the judgment that fell on the unbelievers, Deliverance came for them the same night.
Night Has Often Been A Time For Coming To Grips With Our Greatest Fears.
- For some, it’s a time of loneliness.
- Maybe, it could also be a time for tears.
- For others, it’s in the night that fear reigns supreme.
- Nightmares happen in the night.
- Sounds are heard at night that no one seems to notice during the day.
- Storms of devastation seem to come at night.
Nights Are Horrible For Anyone That Is Away From God.
- It seems that the death angel comes more often at night.
- Sick people gain hope, if they can just make it through the night.
We all have nights, and for most of our lives think nothing of them. There are times however, when situations and circumstances look bleak, and despair seems to show it’s ugly face.
- Fear grips our hearts.
- Our mind tells us how hopeless our situation is.
Your Night Of Trial And Testing!
I’m Sure It’s Painful! How Often We All Desire To Spare Those We Love From Their Night Terrors!
Only God has the answer!- Only God knows how much longer your night will last.
- Only God knows how much you will have to bear.
- Only God knows how He plans to be glorified by your trial of faith.
- Only God knows where you are ‘at.’
- Only God knows why you have been chosen to bear your load.
- Only God knows why you had to hear the doctor’s bad report.
- Only God knows why you suffered such loss.
But, There Is One Thing He Wants You To Know!
Psa 30: 5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
I Am Praying For You, That Your ‘Night’ Not Last Much Longer!
For The Church Of Jesus Christ
This is a dark time. It is an hour of spiritual wickedness and the prince of darkness is having his last fling. This truly is the midnight hour.
- But, Be Of Good Cheer. The Morning Cometh!
- Jesus Is Coming Soon. The Night Is Almost Over!
- Are You Ready For A New Day?
Are You Ready For The Morning?
Surviving Your Nightmare
Surviving Your Nightmare
Sometimes life doesn’t seem fair. Worse than that, events happen that knock your feet out from under you. The pain is like a nightmare that won’t stop. Thank God we have the Holy Ghost, a church, a pastor, a Bible, family and friends to help us through. Job didn’t.
What happened in the book of Job is hard for human minds to fathom. The book starts out with a special meeting. The sons of God came before the Lord. Satan came also.
The Lord asked Satan where he’d been and what he’d been doing, then the next question He asked was, “What do you think about my servant Job?
Unbeknown to Job, he was God’s favorite person in the whole world. Being God’s favorite has the greatest of benefits. God loved him so much He put a hedge around him.
Satan was sure that Job only served God for the financial blessings. God gave Satan permission to find out for sure.
Satan’s First Day Of Trying To Destroy Job.
Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
Job 1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Job 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Job 1:11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
Satan took Job’s most prized possessions in one day.
- His Beloved Children
- His Herds
- His Wealth
- All Gone in One Day
Satan’s Second Day Of Trying To Destroy Job.
Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
Job 2:2 And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Job 2:3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
Job 2:4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
Job 2:5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 2:6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
Job 2:7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
Job 2:8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
Satan Attacked Job physically. He couldn’t make him curse God by destroying his possessions and his family. He was still reeling from the loss of his children and his financial empire. But Satan wasn’t done. His second attack on Job was physically and emotionally. Physically with the boils, and emotionally with critical ‘friends.’
- Boils
- Critical And Fault Finding Friends
By this time, Job is feeling pain in every part of his body and soul. His own wife pushes him to reject God. She has had it with living for God. Job was not a weak man and would not budge.
He kept trusting God and said, Job 13:15 “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.”
Job vowed to maintain his ways. He promised God he would keep on doing what he’s always been doing… serving the Lord.
In the end, God blessed Job with double what he had before, yes and double the number of children too.
There may be days in your walk with God that you feel what you are going through is an attack from Satan. You may be very well right.
I can only imagine how devastating it is to feel the cold icy hands of Satan trying to destroy you in your labor for the Lord. I am sure it is very easy to focus on the pain he has inflicted upon your life. Pain comes in many forms, such as the loss of finances, the loss of health, the loss of friendships, and the loss of life. It is a very personal nightmare to watch him tear down everything you have built.
On top of all the pain that Satan brings, he will talk trash to your mind as well. He will tell you that you are, “Out of the will of God. God hates you. You have sinned in the past and this is God’s judgment upon you. You are not qualified to be in the work of the Lord. Get out now.”
He will push you to resign whatever office or position you have in the Kingdom of God. He will tell you to withdraw and lick your wounds. He will tell you that you are not loved or appreciated either.
Satan plays dirty. He is not a gentleman. He will kick you when you are down. He did it to Job, and Job didn’t even have the Holy Ghost.
I am not sure that Job even knew he was God’s favorite man in the whole world. I don’t think that he even knew God had his picture hanging on heaven’s wall. Job didn’t know he was heaven most prized earthly possession. All Job knew about was the pain. He hurt so bad, that pain was all he could see.
To those of us today who feel the harshness of Satan’s handiwork in our lives, I wish to remind you of these things:
- Don’t believe Satan’s Lies.
- God does not hate you. In fact He loves you dearly.
- If pain and problems mean you are out of the will of God, then the Apostle Paul never was in the will of God.
- Job was God’s favorite and he still went through this and God brought him out victorious.
- God’s loves you. You enjoy a better relationship with Him than just being on in His list of Favorites, You are His Child.
- He will bring you out victorious, just like He did Job.
- God knows what you are going through. He has not forgotten where you are.
- He will bring you out
- He will give you back all that the enemy has taken from you… and more!
You Are God’s Favorite Child, In Spite Of What Satan Does.
God Has A Hedge Built All Around You.
It’s God Who Is In Control Of Your Situation.
Be Faithful Like Job, And He Will Bring You Through Your Nightmare.
You Will Survive, In Jesus Name!
Apostolic Expository Series
Christy Ballestero (My Beautiful DIL)
http://marciaballestero.com/
Pastor Anthony & Kim Ballestero, New Destiny Worship Center, Clearwater, FL (My Son)
Pastor Bryan & Christy Ballestero, Temple Of Pentecost, Raleigh, NC (My Son)
James Groce Blog – "Toward The Mark"
Kenneth Bow Blog
Kingdom Speak Podcast
Philip Harrelson – "The Barnabas Blog"
Verbal Bean Ministries
Holy Ghost Radio
The Ballestero Blog 