Faith Is, Chapter Seventeen
We
hear so much today from faith preachers saying that if you come to Jesus your
life will be a bed of roses and all your problems will fade away. Well, I hate
to be the one to burst your fantasy bubble but that is not what the Bible says
will happen. Jesus said in Jn. 15:20-21,
"Remember the word that I said
unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me,
they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all
these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not
him that sent me."
He also said in Jn. 16:33,
"These things I have
spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have
overcome the world."
The Lord also said in Isaiah 43:1-2,
"Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have
called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When
thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the
flame kindle upon thee."
In this world we are going to have problems and be
tried in every way that Jesus was tried but notice that He said that when we
pass through these troubles they would not overcome us. He did not say,
"If we pass through these troubles!" Why do they not overcome us?
Because greater is He that is within us then he that is within the world. (1
Jn. 4:4) Problems come to us for one reason only and that is so we can overcome
them through our faith in Him. Notice what John said about Jesus in 1 Jn. 3:8,
"For this purpose the Son of God was
manifested, that he
might destroy the works of the
devil."
Have you ever notice that when Jesus was
baptized and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him that the Spirit immediately led
Him to be tried by the devil? Matt. 4:1 says,
"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into
the wilderness to be tempted
of the devil."
Why in the
world did the Spirit lead Jesus to be tempted of the devil? He lead Him to face
the devil in order that He might defeat the devil at his own game.
"For this purpose the Son of God was
manifested, that he
might destroy the works of the
devil."
You might think, "Well, Jesus face
these things so that I won't have to face them!" Really!" Jesus said,
"If they
have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they
will keep yours also."
When I received the baptism of
the Holy Spirit I thought, "Oh boy, I can go among the Pentecostal and
Charismatic believers and it will be a utopia." Boy, did I ever step into
the fire. I quickly found out that no matter what church you attend you will find
people with the same problems. There will be babes in Christ and mature ones in
Christ and every thing in between. I found out that in the Pentecostal and
Charismatic churches they had many who were immature and selfish and judgmental
just like every other church.
When I received the baptism of
the Holy Spirit, I was asked to leave my church that I had been a member of all
my life because I believed in miracles and speaking in tongues and many of the
friends that I had known all my life turned against me and thought that I had
lost my mind.
Why did these things happen to
me? Because God had something better for me and through these disappointments
and trials He was able to open the eyes of my heart and give me a chance to
forgive them and show His mercy to them. Not because I am such a good guy but
because He was now living His life through me. Just like the great Apostle Paul
said in Gal. 2:20,
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I
live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and
the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave himself for me."
It seems that the closer we draw to the
Lord the more our friends often misunderstand us because what we have learned
is yet to be revealed to them. In these circumstances it give us the
opportunity to show mercy to them and to have patience with them until the Lord
reveals the same thing to them.
The church world has just celebrated the
death of Jesus in their Easter programs and much can be learned about our walk
with Him if we will just listen to the Spirit. Jesus made an unusual statement
in Matt. 10:39,
"He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that
loses his life for my sake shall find it."
Wow! Is that double talk or what? How can
I by finding my life and then loosening it for Jesus sake find my life? If I
will give up the way that I would normally live and live the way the Lord wants
me to live I would find out that the life that He wants me to live is so much
more rewarding to me than if I walk in my own desires and ways. Jesus also said
in Luke 9:23,
"If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."
What did He mean by taking up
our cross and follow Him? Crosses come in many different packages and are not
all the same. When I was asked to leave my church and many of my friends turned
against me that was a cross that I had to bear but the beautiful thing about
bearing a cross is that there is a resurrection that is coming. Keep this in mind the next time you have a
cross to bear. While I had to leave many friends behind and many of my own
family members the Lord gave me many new friends and over a period of time
restored most of my original friends.
In the bearing of
our crosses we should always remember that there is a resurrection coming and
rejoice that we have been given a chance to bear some of the sufferings of the
Lord! You might say, "Well, How can I bear some of the sufferings of the
Lord?
You must realize that we are all
a part of the body of Christ and Jesus is the head of this body and if that
body is being persecuted it is effecting Him. Jesus said in Jn. 15:20-21,
"If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute
you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my
name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me."
I don't know what the cross is that you
are having to bear today. It may be your boss or the ones you are working with.
It may be your next door neighbor. It may be your own children. It may be a
family member who is always bad mouthing you. Whatever your cross may be just
remember what Jesus said in Matt. 5:38-42,
"You have heard that it was said, ‘An
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person.
But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic,
let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go
one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and
from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away."
That's a strange statement. I am not to
resist an evil person! Paul said in Rom. 12:20-21,
"Therefore if your enemy hunger, feed
him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shall heap coals
of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil
with good."
Have you ever tried doing this to someone
who refuses to forgive you for something you have done to them? It puts all
kind of pressure on them if you admit that you were wrong and ask them to
forgive you. When you do something good to them it baffles them as to why you
would do such a thing.
Why do these trials and tribulations come
our way? They come our way so we can be an overcomer. Jesus said in Rev. 3:21,
"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in
my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."
The Holy Spirit will lead you into trails
and temptations in order for you to defeat them and every time you defeat them
it makes you stronger. James said in James 1:2-4,
"My brethren, count it all
joy when you fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the
trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have her
perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."
If you want to build up your
muscles in order to be strong and you want to build up your stamina what do you
do? You lift weights and jog. It's through opposition that you become strong.
The same is true in your spiritual life. When you are faced with trials and
problems that cause you to exercise your faith in God's word and you declare
what the word of God says about your circumstance and not what your carnal mind
wants to say, you overcome that circumstance and in doing this your faith is
made stronger. The next time a similar circumstance comes along it will not be
as hard to say no to it because you have overcome it before.
Today, if you are holding
grudges against someone who has done you wrong in the past, let it go. If you
continue to harbor these grudges they are going to effect the way you see other
people and your judgments of other people are going to be controlled by the
grudges that you have held onto.
I want to show you something
that you almost never hear proclaimed from the pulpit. Jesus made a very
profound statement in John 20:23,
"Whose so ever sins you remit, they are remitted unto
them; and whose so ever sins you
retain, they are
retained."
Wow!!! Did you know that Jesus said
this? Do you know what it is to remit
something? It means to pardon or forgive someone! Jesus said that we have the
power to forgive someone's sin. We know that Jesus had this power because He
said in Matt. 9:5-7,
"For whether it is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven
thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man has power on
earth to forgive sins,
(then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up your bed, and
go unto your house. And he arose, and departed to his house."
He said that we also have
the same power to forgive others of their sins. But He also said that we could
retain their sins! What does it mean to retain something? It means to continue
to hold or to have memories of and to remind. In other words Jesus said that we
have the power to hold onto someone's sin against us and they won't be
forgiven. If you have trouble believing this look at what Jesus said about this
in Mark 11:25-26,
"And when you stand
praying, forgive, if you have ought against any: that your Father also which is
in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father
which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."
WOW!!!! That puts the ball
directly into our court, so to speak!!!! If I do not forgive you of your sins
against me then my Father will not forgive me of my sins against Him!!! I guess
He thinks that if I can't stand up and allow His love to be express through me
to my brother then He will follow my example and not forgive me! I know that you
will agree with me that we need His forgiveness because we have a tendency to
make mistakes! We are the brothers and sisters of Jesus and our Father expects
us to be just like Him. If we do not forgive others there is a terrible result
of our not forgiving our brothers and sisters because we will not be forgiven.
This requires accountability on our part.
So don't you think it is
about time we forgive one another and refuse to speak of that offense
again????? Brethren, this will set you
free and who the Lord sets free is free indeed! Jesus said in John 8:36,
" If the Son therefore shall
make you free, you shall be free indeed."