Any thing else may be a waste of time

If it isn't making you into a person who is :

1. Filled with love
2. Pure heart
3. Clear conscience
4. Genuine faith
Then it may be a waste of time.

How far will it take you?

We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. 2 Corinthians 1.8.NLT (Paul the Apostle)

http://bible.com/116/2CO1.8.NLT Bible.com/app

There's a lot of people handing out 'encouragement' and advice that don't know what they are talking about. Some people are being told that God won't let them suffer.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NASB

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

But its obvious enough if you read what the Bible says that people who suffer (that's supposed to be everyone who follows Jesus) will sometimes feel like its too much. They'll think that the suffering is going to kill them. They're not immediately, easily, or peacefully finding 'the way of escape.'

The Apostle Paul is not some kind of sissy drama queen. He's seen his share of tough situations.

2 Corinthians 11:23-28 NASB

... in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.  Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.

That's a list that puts Jason Bourne to shame. 

Paul's story is real life and far more exciting than anything Hollywood can dream up. But all that adventure doesn't make you into a rock. Paul wasn't transformed into a fearless, emotionless, 'never cry'- kind-of-action-hero. 

Paul thought sometimes it was too much. He thought it was going to kill him.

Go back to the top and read what super Apostle was saying.

CRUSHED   
OVERWHELMED
BEYOND our ability to endure
Thought we'd NEVER LIVE THROUGH IT

Today I'm writing to give you permission to feel crushed. Don't let your brother's and sisters tell you you are wrong for feeling crushed. I can already hear the hard nosed super Christians with the stiff upper lip and the faith to move mountains start to object and say this is Paul and it isn't an example. And in fact Paul's 'lack of faith' may have been sin!

I don't buy that.  

Let's look at Jesus. Jesus never sinned. So this account in Mark must not be sinful.

Mark 14:33-36 NLT

He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Faith has a long view. The view of faith extends beyond the grave. The view of faith trusts the plan of God. The view of faith says this life is only a short time at best. Faith can wait till thier wife is 99 before she has her first baby. Faith can willingly sacrifice thier son, because it believes in the resurrection of the dead. Faith feels pain but believes in heaven. Faith thinks things may be unbearable but believes God will make it come good even after death.

2CO 1:8-11 NLT

We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.

Behind the scenes, His purpose.

Exodus 9 :12
"But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh,"

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(a more complete sampling of these passages is included below my notes.)

Sheffield seen from Heeley

Two things you need to know about how God sometimes works.

• In the short term he may ask you to do something and then he might work 'against you' while you try to do what he said.
• God may be doing something 'odd' in someone else's heart; You have no idea how he works.

God asks Moses to talk to Pharaoh and ask Pharaoh to let his people go.

Then God makes sure Pharaoh says no a lot!

For a while this makes Moses very unpopular with God's people and with Pharaoh. I'm sure the Egyptians weren't very impressed either.

From our perspective God sets Moses up to fail. Sure in the end it works out for the most part but along the way Moses has a lot to deal with. If you were given a job by God how long will you accept what looks and feels like failure.

Many modern day followers of God give up on a lot of things pretty quickly.

Pharaoh's heart was hardened. I find this incredible. And God gives a reason too.

" so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth."
" But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth."

God being seeing as God is the highest goal and greatest reason for all that God does. It is all for the glory of God. From my and your limited point of view we can not always see how God could get glory out of the situation. But God can. It's all part of God's plan. We should not be so quick to judge. We don't have all the information.

Moses and Pharaoh are both quite unlikely characters to accomplish God's purposes and bring him glory.

Maybe you are too. But the story of the Exodus is epic in God's plan. This incident is repeated over and over. These events are key to understanding what God is doing through Jesus. Jesus himself retells the story the night before he is crucified as did every faithful Jews at every passover celebration for over a thousand years and a couple thousand since Jesus.

I suppose I just think we need to be reminded that God doesn't always ask us to do things he's going to make easy. I can imagine God's people praying, 'Lord  please soften Pharaoh's heart so he let's us go.' All the while God is hardening his heart.

• Are you sure you know what God is doing? 
• What brings him glory? 
• Do you really know how you'd be best partnering with him?
• Do what you're told!
• Leave the results up to God. 
• Don't give up. 
• Don't think you know what's going on. 
• Have faith that God does.

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Exodus 9:12-21, 27-28, 34-35 ESV

But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had spoken to Moses. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, "Thus says the Lord , the God of the Hebrews, "Let my people go, that they may serve me. For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go. Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. Now therefore send, get your livestock and all that you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them."" Then whoever feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses, but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the Lord left his slaves and his livestock in the field. Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, "This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. Plead with the Lord , for there has been enough of God's thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer." But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses.

EXO 10:1-2 ESV

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord ."

Mistaken identity

Genesis 21:1-7 ESV

The Lord
visited Sarah
as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised.
And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age
at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac.  And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old,
as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said,
"God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me." And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."
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How many times have you heard this story? I know I've heard it many times. And it seems to me every time I've ever heard it before I've left thinking of Abraham and even more so of Sarah. And to be sure both of them are key characters. We should empathise with them. It is an exciting miracle. A very old couple have become first time parents. Sarah is ninety! Ninety year old women don't have babies!
But this is not first and foremost a story about Abraham, Sarah, or Isaac.

This is a story about God!

If you take a moment to thumb through your Bible around these chapters in Genesis. Look for the number of times the narration punctuates the action with God or the Lord. God said. The Lord said. The Lord went. God came. God caused.
And crucially in these seven verses above, God has made.

Listen to how Paul puts God the focus of Abraham's sorry in Romans,
Romans 4:19-22 ESV

He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead ( since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness."

Romans 9:8-11 ESV

This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: "About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son." And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—

Later the author of the book of Hebrews sheds this light on these events,

Hebrews 11:11-19 ESV

By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

In every case the story is about God. Is your life story about God? Are you putting your faith in the promise of God to you?

When you review your past or contemplate your future is it seen though the lens of God's plan and God's promise?

Don't try to be the star of this epic saga. Trust God who, keeps giving. Expect God to enable you to fulfil his promise to you.

Do you even know God's promise to you? Here's a clue it is a promise about Jesus. Jesus is the son of promise, born out of time. Born into impossible circumstances. Born to declare God's intention to save. Born to show God to you. Jesus is ultimately the one who in every way fulfils the many promises of God.

Do you know him?
Do you trust him?
Are you expecting him to work out the promise of God to you?
Are you making sure the story of your life is a story about God fulfilling his promise through Jesus?

To the best informed it's nonsense.

Luke 24:11 NLT

But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn't believe it.

(Please read more of the story below.)
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Jesus told them plainly he would die and then rise from the dead. Somehow it was too fantastic of a claim so they didn't believe it.
Now it had happened, and actual angels have come to tell the women, and the men refuse to believe.

Jesus performed amazing miracles including raising people from the dead. Jesus healed lame, cured diseases, fed thousands, calmed storms, cast out demons, walked on water, made the blind see, yet the news that Jesus had rose from the dead sounded like nonsense?
These guys had seen it all but they still didn't believe.

Can you see 'belief' must be a special work of God. It is not proofs, facts, or persuasion! It's not meeting Jesus or spending time with him. It is not even listening to his teachings. The disciples had all this and they thought the resurrection from the dead of Jesus was nonsense.

To be sure we must teach the Word of God. We must expect God to be able to do the miraculous. We must persuade, show proofs, and declare the facts. But this is all still nonsense until God brings belief to the person's heart.

Pray God opens the heart and brings belief to the individual. The gospel message sounds like nonsense to the most initiated.

Remember these disciples had seen it all, had it all explained to them and were plainly told the plan of God for Jesus to be killed, buried, and rise from the dead. But when they heard it, they thought it sounded like nonsense!

Are you trusting in God to convert the souls of those you love? Are you resting in God's work to bring about belief? Can you see how unlikely it is that anyone would believe?

Belief in the Gospel is a miraculous work of God. It is not the sum of exposure to the truth or proofs. Belief is not an act of human will or emotion. Belief isn't even being in love with Jesus the teacher or man.

Belief in the Gospel is a work of God.
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Luke 24:1-12 NLT

But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” Then they remembered that he had said this. So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.

Simon, Satan, Sifting, and Strengthening (ver. 1)

Luke 22:31-34 NLT

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.  But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.” But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
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Satan wants to have a go with Jesus disciples. Satan requires Jesus' permission. The image Jesus used to describe Satan's goal and method, is the sifting of wheat to separate the kernel from the chaff. This processes reminds me of Psalm 1(pasted below the Matthew Henry's Luke commentary passage). In Psalm 1 the contrast is between the fruitful vibrant tree planted by a stream and the worthless waste product of life, chaff blown away so they get to the thing of value.
Satan wanted to show that Jesus' ministry was fruitless. Satan had been allowed to have Judas and apparently thought he might have all of Jesus' disciples. Jesus knows the disciples are fruitful or at least will be. So he allows Satan to 'sift' all the disciples. Strangely some versions of the Bible do not translate the object of Satan's sifting as plural. But the original language is indeed plural and Jesus is referring to all the disciples. And I believe it is important because of Jesus intent for Peter.

Jesus pleads in prayer for Simon's faith.

And Jesus prays Simon's faith will not fail when Satan 'sifts' him. Although Satan's goal is to show Jesus as fruitless, it is interesting that the process not only will show fruit (faith) but will also get rid of chaff.

Might Jesus allow you to be sifted? Will your faith remain?

So Jesus prays faith will remain and that faith will bring repentance and a turning back to Jesus.

This is not the end goal of Jesus. And neither should it be ours.
Listen now!
The purpose of allowing Satan to sift, the purpose of Jesus' pleading in prayer for faith to remain, and the purpose of Simon's repentance and return to Jesus, was to strengthen the other disciples; Presumably, so they too would repent, turn to Jesus, and have faith that remains. And so all the disciples could strengthen others who would have faith, repent and turn to Jesus.

We can not do it on our own. Like Peter, we'll deny Jesus. Like Peter we may be sifted. But like Peter, Jesus is praying for us.

John 17:20“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. (NLT)

I'm not sure why you thought it would be easy. It will not be easy. I'm not sure why you thought you'd always win, stand strong, and never deny Jesus. I'm not sure why you thought Satan could not try and uncover your fruitless faithlessness. Probably God will allow you to face temptations and trials. Jesus did. You are following Jesus! Aren't you? Satan tried to get Jesus to worship him. The Holy Spirit led him to face Satan. Jesus let Satan have a go at his disciples.
Aren't you in the same rank and file? Aren't you following Jesus and God disciples?

Then believe me this will happen to you. And Jesus prays for you. And Jesus wants your faith to remain. He wants you to repent. He wants you to strengthen others.
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Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

Luke 22:21-38 How unbecoming is the worldly ambition of being the greatest, to the character of a follower of Jesus, who took upon him the form of a servant, and humbled himself to the death of the cross! In the way to eternal happiness, we must expect to be assaulted and sifted by Satan. If he cannot destroy, he will try to disgrace or distress us. Nothing more certainly forebodes a fall, in a professed follower of Christ, than self-confidence, with disregard to warnings, and contempt of danger. Unless we watch and pray always, we may be drawn in the course of the day into those sins which we were in the morning most resolved against. If believers were left to themselves, they would fall; but they are kept by the power of God, and the prayer of Christ. Our Lord gave notice of a very great change of circumstances now approaching. The disciples must not expect that their friends would be kind to them as they had been. Therefore, he that has a purse, let him take it, for he may need it. They must now expect that their enemies would be more fierce than they had been, and they would need weapons. At the time the apostles understood Christ to mean real weapons, but he spake only of the weapons of the spiritual warfare. The sword of the Spirit is the sword with which the disciples of Christ must furnish themselves.

Book One (Psalms 1–41)
psalm 1
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.
4 But not the wicked!
They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
Sinners will have no place among the godly.
6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
but the path of the wicked leads to destruction. (NLT)

Don't avoid the opportunity.

Luke 21:12-13 NLT

“But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers.  But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.
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In England and in America as well as in many other countries in the world, religious persecution is illegal. People should be protected from discrimination due to their faith in God.

No Christian wakes up one fine morning and says to himself,  "You know today is a beautiful day to be persecuted." It's not likely elders of churches are sitting together plotting how they get attested for their beliefs so they can evangelise politicians and people in prominent positions. I've never heard once in a church someone suggest that people prepare for the great opportunities to spread the good news about Jesus because of the coming persecution.

By in large, people pray to avoid persecution. Churches plead with God that people not suffer. Christians solicit governments to release individuals held for their religious beliefs.

According to Jesus, persecution provides opportunities to talk to people about Jesus.

Persecution spreads the good news.

The genuinely persecuted are empowered to say the right thing.

As you'll see in the context below there will be a lot of confusion and lots of false 'Messiahs.'

People have died as martyrs. They have become confused and they have babbled on without explaining Jesus and in some cases even denying him. But so have people miraculously calmly held their faith while being tortured.

Jesus' point is that no matter what happens to the real believer it'll all come good in heaven. Oh to be sure, the literal safety of 'not a hair touched' happened too. But in the end nearly every one of the then followers of Jesus ultimately paid the price for following Jesus. Nearly all suffered far more than any current western christian.

Can you see persecution as opportunity?

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Luke 21:8-19 NLT

He replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and saying, ‘The time has come!’ But don’t believe them.  And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won’t follow immediately.”  Then he added, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven. “But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers.  But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.  So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you,  for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!  Even those closest to you—your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends—will betray you. They will even kill some of you.  And everyone will hate you because you are my followers.  But not a hair of your head will perish!  By standing firm, you will win your souls.

Are you singing?

Psalm 98:1-9 NLT

Sing a new song to the LORD,
for he has done wonderful deeds.
His right hand has won a mighty victory;
his holy arm has shown his saving power! The LORD has announced his victory
and has revealed his righteousness to every nation! He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel.
The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Shout to the LORD, all the earth;
break out in praise and sing for joy! Sing your praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn.
Make a joyful symphony before the LORD, the King! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Let the earth and all living things join in. Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!
Let the hills sing out their songs of joy before the LORD.
For the LORD is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
and the nations with fairness.

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Struggling? Getting on just fine, but coasting? Finding your faith a bit dull?

Sing! Shout! Vocalise your faith. Say it. Say it aloud! Break the sound barrier with your praise.

Tell your head and heart the truth. Instruct your soul through the ear-gate.
Is it possible, the radio, the TV, your family, your friends, your neighbours, your ipod and your colleagues are daily filling your ears with negative thoughts. Could it be you are being brainwashed into a defeatist attitude because of what you are hearing?

So sing! Reprogram your heart with a song. Shout a blue streak of praise. Break into a torrent of exaltation.

I often tell others and myself that the lows frequently come because we're stuck believing a lie.

So in song rehearse the truth.

It works. Song lifts the heart and sooths the soul.

Teach your inner person the hope and joy you long for by singing a song.

Sing while you walk, sing in the car. Sing in the shower. Song while you cook. Sing while you work. Sing songs of praise.

You may sing with the church but take it further, sing through your day.

Prepare your heart to sing.  Pick a couple of songs that praise God. Pick one your know most of the words to. Pick a song you know the tune to.

Ok, now practice a bit, right now.

Don't worry if it sounds bad. Listen to the words. Let the attempt at a tune give you a bit of a lift.

Don't know a sing of praise?  Well then get with the program. Learn a song.  You can not obey God of you don't start to sing your faith. The Bible repeatedly exhorts you to sing.

Are you singing? Are you obeying? Are you reaping the benefits of singing praise?

Why not tell me the song that you've chosen to sing today?

wkbode@gmail.com