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The
Spiritual Emergency Manual. (2) CONTINUED |
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All of us at one time or another have circumstances that can
seem overwhelming. We want to be
encouraged in God, but feel we can’t hear from Him. Or we forget where all those promises are in the Bible. The Bible is God’s promises.
You can believe them as if they were written to you. If you struggle with that, read , God,
UNPLUGGED! to help you decide if the Bible is valid and powerful. CONTINUED
FROM PAGE 1 Lack of Faith = Lack of Results. Even Jesus could not do many miracles when those He wanted to help wouldn't believe in Him. And he did not do many miracles there
I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD. (Ps 27:13-14 NAS) Heb 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (NAS) So in seeking (inquiring, asking) God for help, the prayer must be in confidence that God is listening, He wants to help and He will respond if you see that He wants to help you in His time and way. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Pet 5:6-11
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Lack of Faith = Lack of Results. Using FAITH in your circumstance God is faithful to His promises What heals or keeps me from sickness? How do I know God wants me to prosper?
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Using FAITH in your circumstance Heb 10:35-39 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
Rom 4:18-25 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead -since he was about a hundred years old -and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness— for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Rom 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. How do I get faith? Eating junk food will make you fat. Watching depressing news or crime shows all the time won’t increase your faith. Aren’t you encouraged by stories about people who overcame long odds to win, survived cancer, were victorious in competition, etc.? Faith comes from surrounding yourself with positive input of God’s promises and examples of those who received those promises. Rom 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Dan 10:19 “Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.” John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 1 Sam 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. (KJV) Be Patient Rom 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Isa 40:29-31 He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. (NAS) Ps 40:1-3 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Lam 3:24-42 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he should bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and be silent Since He has laid it on him. Let him put his mouth in the dust, perhaps there is hope. Let him give his cheek to the smiter; let him be filled with reproach. For the Lord will not reject forever, For if He causes grief, then He will have compassion according to His abundant loving kindness. For He does not afflict willingly, or grieve the sons of men. To crush under His feet all the prisoners of the land, To deprive a man of justice in the presence of the Most High, To defraud a man in his lawsuit— of these things the Lord does not approve. Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and ill go forth? Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins? Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the LORD. We lift up our heart and hands toward God in heaven; We have transgressed and rebelled, Thou hast not pardoned. (NAS) What else do I do? Ps 37:1-13 Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass, and fade like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it. And He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret, it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; and you will look carefully for his place, and he will not be there. But the humble will inherit the land, and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity. The wicked plots against the righteous, and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him; for He sees his day is coming. (NAS) Heb 3:7-13 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, Where your fathers tried me by testing me, and saw My works for forty years. “Therefore I was angry with this generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; and they did not know My ways’; As I swore in My wrath, ‘they shall not enter My rest.’” Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (NAS) 1 Cor 16:13-14 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love. Heb 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness’, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need. (NAS) Heb 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near. (NAS)
1 Pet 4:12-13 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
Why do problems happen? As best I can tell, the Bible gives us four reasons:
Reason #1: You brought it on yourself. If you’ve not admitted your shortcomings and trusted in God’s forgiveness, you have to deal with the consequences. “God is not mocked, a man reaps what he sows”. If you go over the speed limit, don’t be so surprised you got a ticket. Prov 19:3 A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD. Prov 28:14 Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
Reason #2: God is trying to improve you. He loves you too much to leave you the way you are. If your child is grown and still cries when he or she doesn’t get their way, YOU would take action. You know that though it’s not comfortable at first, they need to learn that behavior isn’t the best for their character in the long run. Heb 12:5-13 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline) , then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Sometimes discipline isn't punishment. It may just be to grow and teach a new virtue in you. Just as you care more about the character of your kids than if they get a new bike, your Father is willing to sacrifice your immediate pleasure to make you into something better. 1 Pet 1:6-7 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith— of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire— may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
When God led the Israelites out of Egypt into the desert, He did it to deal with their rebellion and train them to look to God for answers rather than just food and money.
Deut 8:2-5 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.
Reason #3: God has something better to come out of your troubles. Joseph was hated by his brothers, beaten up and sold into slavery. As a slave he was unjustly accused of rape and thrown into prison. But in prison the king met him, and liked him so much, he put Joseph in charge of the entire kingdom! Who’d a thought it? When his brothers (who started this mess) realized their powerful brother could take revenge, they feared for their lives. But Joseph understood why it happened. He said, ... Gen 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
Reason #4: God wants others to know His abiilty to Help them. God was so sure of Job’s faithfulness He allowed Satan to torment Job to see if Job would turn from God. It doesn’t seem fair to you or me, but He IS God. And, God caused Job to be twice as prosperous in his career and family afterwards. God helps man to understand His Glory. James 5:11 Behold, we count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. (NAS)
The Devil Can't Make You Do It: The devil can’t cause you trouble without one of the other previous reasons. I Jn 5:18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. Prov 16:7 When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him. Job 1:9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 12 The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
God’s Word on Health
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All Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. All Scripture NIV except where indicated NAS (New American Standard by the Lockman Foundation © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1988) and KJV (King James Version). |
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God is faithful to His promises What heals or keeps me from sickness? |
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