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DR.MYLES MUNROE: UNDERSTANDING GOD'S PLAN

WHY ARE WE SHEADING TEARS?

 

David said in Psalm 6, "I'm worn out from groaning all night long." Theologically the shedding of tears shows that the heart is engaged. In others words as most believers said “Tears are a language God understands.” in other words “Life is represented as a scene of unending struggles and sorrows; and men are made to walk under a constant shadow.”

as human we shed tears in our sorrows during our difficult times of our life; this shows that we are weak and asking of help from others to join in our difficulties; but Paul said that we should not sorrow as one who has no hope.scientists argued that “Tears are familiar to the infant as well as the oldest person living at this very moment. From infancy to old age the record of every man’s life is written in letters of  tears”.

 The Bible has a great deal to say about this matter of “tears”. In the Scriptures we see (babies) weeping; we discover (strong men) crying…we read of our Lord weeping and shedding “tears”.

The first mention of ‘tears’ in the Bible is in [II Kings 20:5]. Here we have a record of a King weeping. King Hezekiah was sick unto death…he had just been informed by the Prophet that he was going to die. Turning his face to the wall, he cries out to the Lord; pleading for his life. The Lord saw his tears and stayed the hand of death and added years to his life.

 It is found in [Revelation 21:4]- “And God shall wipe away ALL TEARS from their eyes.”

God is the One who gave us “tears” to shed. He is also the great ‘tear’ drier. God dried the ‘tears’ of King Hezekiah when he cried to the Lord…And one day God will dry every ‘tear’ from the eyes of His children.

Every single one of us has shed “tears” at some time or another----and the majority of us has shed many, many, many “tears”. The shedding of “tears” is a peculiar unique human method of expressing emotions, such as sorrow, pain, despair, and disappointment. Man is the only created being who can laugh. Man, too, is the only one who can shed ‘tears’ in the sense of expressing emotion.

we need to be proud because  “Tears are a language, God understands.” Whether you know it or not, God sees you in your good times and also in your bad times. God is near you when you smile and also when you are brokenhearted. God remembers when you think on Him because you love Him---and He remembers you and records your “tears” when you think on Him because you need Him close to you.

“Tears” of physical pain comes from experiencing some form of disease. There is the pain of having surgery…having an accident…

 Think of the child whose feelings are hurt because they didn’t get their way.

"Sorrows, emotional pain cannot be treated by physicians…they really cannot be understood by philosophers. Medicine, pain pills cannot cure emotional distress. Doctors cannot treat a heart that has been broken by death. A Preacher cannot take away the hurt that a person feels when they have cancer".

“Tears that are shed make us willing to leave this valley of the shadow of death and go home to be with Jesus. If there were no troubles; if there were no sorrows; if there were no hurts; if there were no separation; if there were no death, we would be perfectly content to remain here on this earth forever.But the “tears” that have been shed; the “tears” that will be shed by a Child of God remind us that one day all sorrow, suffering; sickness; sadness; separation will be over.

Every trial that comes into your life becomes a test of your faith. You either pass or fail. To fail the test by wrongly responding to it allows it to become a temptation. If it ends up leading you to sin, it has proven to be successful in tempting you. If it ends up in victory, it has proven to be successful in strengthening you. the quick solution is to shed tears. Simon Peter wept when he denied the Lord 3 times.

As the son of God we need to shed tears for his glory and not for our Pain because he is a comforter and healer of our pain.

AMEN

 

WHEN WE FACE TRIALS JESUS IS THE ANSWER.

• Jesus never looked for trouble, but He always accepted it when it came.

 

James 1:2 says, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials."

James is saying that if your Christianity is genuine, it will prove itself in times of trouble. If my faith in God is good only when I'm doing well, then it's of little value. True faith will sustain the believer when life goes wrong.

Trials are tests that reveal the genuineness and strength of one's faith (James 1:3), and therefore apply to believers as well as unbelievers. If you consistently persevere through trials and never abandon your trust in God, then you prove to have genuine faith.

When a false Christian goes through a test, it will inevitably reveal his true colors. When a true believer goes through a test, he will be driven to prayer, leaning on the strength of God rather than his own weakness. Trials burn up imitation faith but strengthen true faith. They may cause us pain when we are confronted by our weaknesses, but they have the good result of causing us to turn from ourselves to the infinite strength of God.

Evaluating a trial as being joyful is something a Christian must discipline himself to do, because joy is not the natural human response to troubles. It takes a conscious commitment. Paul made such a commitment while a prisoner in Rome . He told the Philippians, "Rejoice in the Lord always" and "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am" (Phil. 4:4, 11). Trials should be faced with a joyful attitude because they bring about proven faith, strengthen us, draw us into communion with God as we identify with Christ in His sufferings, and promise us better things to come.

In 1 Corinthians 10:13 Paul says, "No temptation [trial] 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." Not everyone has the same ability to endure trials.

God faithfully works in our lives in a personal way to allow trials, unique to each individual, to take us to higher levels of spiritual maturity.

• If you fight against God's perfecting work, the trials may become more difficult.

• It is as mandatory as Paul's instruction to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17).

God intends for you to recognize the limitations of human reason. Proverbs 3:5-7 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes." When you're going through a trial, you must put your faith in God's wisdom and not in your own limited understanding.

In James 1:5 James explains God's response to our prayers for wisdom: "[He] gives to all men generously and without reproach." We have a gracious God who desires to give us what we desire and need. The Greek word translated "generously" speaks of something that is given unconditionally, without bargaining. It is reminiscent of Matthew 7:7-11: "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened. 

Or what man is there among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he shall ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"

When you go through a difficult trial, go to God in prayer. He will generously give you the wisdom you need to understand that trial and properly respond to it.

In James 1:6 James gives an analogy of the doubting person: "The one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind." The doubting person who goes to God but doesn't believe He can provide him the necessary wisdom is like the billowing, restless sea, which surges back and forth with its endless tides, and is never able to settle. 

Then James tells us what the double-minded man should expect: "Let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord" (v. 7). When faced with a trial, an unbeliever who professes to know Christ will doubt God and get angry with Him, eventually severing his association with a church. A true Christian who is spiritually immature may respond in a similar manner. He reacts emotionally to his difficult circumstances and doesn't fully trust God.

 In the midst of trials he doesn't experience a joyous attitude, an understanding mind, a submissive will, or a believing heart. He is unable to ask for wisdom from God and unwilling to take advantage of the resources God has provided. As long as He continues to doubt God, he will never know the resolution available to him through faithful, persistent prayer to God.

Loving the world and trying to love God at the same time is impossible.When you enter a trial, you will be able to endure it through divine wisdom and the confidence that God will freely give you what is necessary for victory. But the condition is that your faith be unwavering. Otherwise you will be unstable in every area of life and never receive the wisdom you requested. True stability in life is characteristic of those who trust God in the midst of trials.Whether rich or poor, trials humble all believers to the same level of dependency on God. 

Money doesn't buy people out of their problems, although it may solve some economic ones. Equality is driven home through trials. When you lose a daughter, son, wife, or husband, it doesn't matter how much money you have. No amount can buy your way out of that trial. We should not exalt those who have much over those who have little because earthly possessions are inadequate to buy us what we need spiritually.

James ends his discourse on trials in verse 12 by saying, "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." James 5:11

AMEN

THE MASSAGE FOR GOOD FRIDAY 2015 BE KIND AND COMPASSIONATE:

The message for Good Friday 2015 comes from Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you”.

The bible remands us that Loving one another does not mean loving only those believers to whom we are naturally attracted. It means loving every believer. The Apostle John said that loving one another is the proof that we have been truly follower of Jesus despite the fact that our personalities are so different, we are naturally attracted to some people and not attracted to others.  God made us different from one another, and therefore we have different likes and dislikes. Jesus did not say that we must like every believer; He said that we must love them.

Right now, God may be speaking to you about someone you do not love. It may be a relative, a fellow church member, or someone else. You may be saying, "I know that I should love that person, but how do I do it?

i know that it is easy to say that I cannot control my feelings, but I can control my will. I cannot make myself have a feeling of love toward someone, but I can choose to love that person. If I make that choice and hold to it, I will find that my feelings will, in time, follow the choice of my will. The important thing to remember is this: I am controlled by the decision of my will and not by my feelings.

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." Matthew 5:43-44

it is a challenging when we read that; "If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic" philosophically this statement can expressed as " to go out of your way to avoid a nasty confrontation. Even though provoked, instead of lashing out, you turn the other cheek. In fact, I think that's pretty close to what this sentence means in Jesus' teaching. Remember, the context is enemies, those who insult us and seek to embarrass us".

Jesus' point is that we are to avoid hitting back, the natural human reaction. How can we love when we hit back with something that will wound our opponent? Husbands and wives sometimes get into arguments; tensions that may have been simmering for years boil over once again. And with the boiling comes anger, and with anger a willingness not just to defend, but to strike back. To get an advantage. To have the last word. To wound.

Though Jesus' instruction to turn the other cheek is intended in the arena with a sworn enemy, the principle applies to every area of our lives. Don't retaliate. Don't hit back. Don't move from a position of prayerful love for your enemy to a drop-down, drag-out fight. Love doesn't retaliate. Love seeks the enemy's good (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

The second command is harder yet to understand. "If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic"  But we need  love him and  pray for him. The bible wants us to avoid  to get grabby and nasty and accusing behavior. Through the massage of this Good Friday we need to ask  the Spirit of Jesus to working through you he can teach you to love your enemies -- even at their ugliest.

• "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full."

• "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful"

Therefore this Good Friday Lord,  help me to take your words seriously and not discount them. Make your point deep in my heart. Teach me your mercy. In Jesus' name to;

• Love your/my enemies
• Do good to them
• Lend to them without expecting to get anything back.

 AMEN

HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY 2015

DEALING WITH DIFFICULTY PERSONALITIES?

Tips questions about dealing with difficult people:

• Can you recall the last time you had to deal with a negative or difficult person?

• Or the last time someone said something with the intention of hurting you? How did you handle it?

• What was the result? What can you do in the future to get through these situations with peace and grace?

• It is true that wherever we are going we will face people who are negative and who will oppose what you think it is right.

• How can we handle negative situation when it happens?

• Why we need to be careful when we are dealing with negative people or negative issues?

The Bible gives us some practical guidelines for managing difficult people. The first is found in Matthew 18:15-17 and Ephesians 4:15. Both of these passages instruct us to confront difficult people privately and in love. Take the initiative; but in doing so, be sure you are fair, firm and friendly.

According to the Bible the way to deal with difficult people is to love them, pray for them, expect to give rather than to receive, maintain a humble spirit, and relate to them in patience and kindness.

The Bible also cautions us that we also need to examine ourselves before judging others by praying for the Spirit’s power to change our own hearts and minds toward the difficult person and enable us to see them as needing the same love, grace and mercy that God extended toward us.

We have a clear example of Jesus forgave the men who were going to kill him, as we read in Luke 23:34-39. The way to deal with difficult people, then, is to practice Christ’s humility and love. That kind of response is both edifying to us and pleasing to the Lord. Pope John Paul II Demonstrating with his personal deeds, he visited the man who attempted to kill him and forgave him for his wrong doing. He exhorted the faithful to be merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful. So what about us do we always utilize this merciful tool in our life towards difficult people?

If in our life we don’t do that what we create is holding grudge what does this means in our life, it is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. But we forget that the only person we hurt is ourselves. When we react to negativity, we are disturbing our inner space and mentally creating pain within ourselves.

Why people initiate negativity, it looks like it is a reflection of their inner state expressed externally and sometimes because our ego likes problems and conflict. People are often so bored and unhappy with their own lives that they want to take others down with them.

As I have explained before that when we are in a negative state or holding a grudge against someone, we don’t feel very good. We carry that energy with us as we go about our day. When we don’t feel very good, we lose sight of clarity and may react unconsciously to matters in other areas of our lives, unnecessarily.

We can run away from the truth that we are humans after all, and we have emotions and egos. And we need to understand that Negative people can be a source of energy. When you find yourself identifying with emotions and thoughts, bring your focus on your breath.  Need to remember that when we are  dealing with difficult people, don’t try to change the other person; you will only get into a power struggle, cause defensiveness, invite criticism, or otherwise make things worse. It also makes you a more difficult person to deal with.

Therefore lowering your expectations of people will make you more comfortable with difficult as James 1:19-20: said that "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God"