 1 Peter 1:8 says, “Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”
He's not really just talking about persecution. He could have used a different word for that. He's really talking about general trials, general tests, and general struggles. Persecution is certainly a part of that. Peter is writing to believers who have experienced difficulties in life and he says, "Rejoice with joy, inexpressible, full of glory." Why? Toward the end of verse seven, Peter says, "Though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory…” Whose praise, honor, and glory? We might think it is referring to God, but it’s not. He is saying our praise, our glory, and our honor. It's really saying that we've been approved, which is the testing of our faith. We have passed the test. Now we're rejoicing because we have passed the test, knowing that God was allowing us to go through it; there was something going on in our life to develop us. Consider these five facts about trials [1]:
Psalm 119:71 says, "It was good for me that I have been afflicted that I may learn Your statutes.” Is there something that happens in the life of a believer that develops them to the point where God would say He can bring about this no other way? There are some things that you and I have to go through that lead to the development of our faith or prove the genuineness of our faith. Bob Russell described [2] how one of his members was working in the burn unit of a children's hospital and was given the assignment to scrub with a brillow-like brush the badly burned arms of an 18-month-old child who was screaming in pain. This brush would scrub all of the dead tissue away from his arm so the skin would heal properly. She thought, "I cannot inflict that kind of pain on a child that is already hurting." But then the doctor showed her a picture of another burn victim who was now an adult, whose arm was so scarred, and the skin was so stiff, it had shriveled up and the arm had no movement. She learned that no matter how painful that scrubbing process would be, it was essential for the skin to become supple in the end and that the child would have proper movement of her arms. So she was willing to inflict that pain temporarily and even endure the hateful protest of the child so that years later the child would be mobile and thankful. The Great Physician sometimes allows us to endure excruciating pain but only that which is helpful for our spiritual health and eternal benefit. Russell then made this pointed remark, “How long will we be in the fire? That goldsmith, looking at the gold in the fire, has eyes on the gold. He's got his hand on the thermostat and he's very careful. He'll never put too much fire on you. He'll never put the fire to the point that it will harm your faith but rather that it will purify your faith. You ask, ‘Preacher, how does the goldsmith know when its time to take the gold out of the fire?’ When the goldsmith sees his own reflection in the gold, he knows that it's time to take the gold out of the fire.” [3] David Helm writes, “Understanding that God’s purposes for us include various trials is important, for by them we are tempered. The extracts of this world are removed from us, and we are made fit for Heaven. A simple bar of iron ore, pulled from the earth, might be worth $5.00. However, that same bar, when made into horseshoes, would be worth $10.50. If the owner decided to make the bar into needles for sewing, it could be worth as much as $3,285. And if he turned it into springs for watches, its value could jump as high as $250,000. What made the difference? Simply the amount of heat by which the iron bar was tempered and honed.” [4] Warren Wiersbe once wrote about trials: "When God permits His children to go through the furnace, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat." He controls the longevity and the intensity. I think of Joseph, who struggled for 12 years. He tells his brothers, “I’ve had this dream where you guys are going to bow down to me. I don’t understand it.” The brothers got jealous, threw him into a well, and sold him into slavery. He gets wrongly accused of hurting Potiphar's wife and gets sent to prison. Then the inmates say they're going to remember him when they get out of prison. They don't remember him. He's just stuck there, and the Bible says the Lord was with him. When he finally gets out, he's allowed to go before the Pharaoh and tell the meaning of Pharaoh’s dream. He gets basically positioned as second in command over this food distribution program that not only saves Egypt but also saves his own people. Finally, the moment comes when the brothers, who have been seeking help from Egypt, realize they are standing before Joseph. Joseph has revealed himself. He rescues his brothers’ families, including his own father, Jacob. However, once Jacob dies of old age, the brothers think Joseph will take revenge upon them for what they did years before which led Joseph through years of suffering. As Joseph recounts the events of his life with his brothers, he says in Genesis 50:20, "What you meant for evil, God meant for good, that he could save his people through me." He says, "God has used me. God has used that suffering that I didn't understand. For 12 years, I suffered in either slavery, mistreatment, or even in prison so that I could secure my own family through this food distribution program. You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." These trials are developing something in us or doing something for us. God is using these trials to demonstrate the genuineness of our faith. There is a demonstration that can only be seen in the trials. Anyone can say they trust God in the good times. The book of Job recounts all of the suffering that Job endured. However, in the first chapter, Satan’s accusation is that Job serves and worships God because God has made him healthy, wealthy, and protected. God had blessed Job beyond measure. He was one of the richest person’s in the known world. Satan told God that if He would take all of those blessings away, Job would curse God to His face. As Job suffered throughout the book, the genuineness of his faith was demonstrated - not in the good times but in the difficult times. Sometimes those trials are allowed in order to develop something in us. Sometimes those trials are allowed to demonstrate something in us. Either way, God is going to use those trials in our lives, if we allow Him. "Father, when I am in the fire, help me remember that You have Your hand on the thermostat and Your eyes on the clock. I pray that my faith that is being tested will be stronger after this trial is over. In the meantime, I trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” [1] Based upon the observations found in Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on James, 1 & 2 Peter, vol. 13, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2014), 159. [2] Bob Russell, “A Reason to Hope,” (Finding Your Way in a “Whatever” World), audio, 8/15/2004. [3] Ibid. [4] David R. Helm, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ’s Sufferings, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008), 42.  There are several different philosophies that people have when difficulties come. One philosophy is to deny its existence. At times, you can turn on Christian television and see this promoted. This idea is that if you're a Christian, you're never going to have to go through any down days. You're never going to have to go through any difficulties. The Bible does not teach that.
Paul describes that he had to endure his own “thorn in the flesh” in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. We don't know what that thorn was. It could have been a persecutor. After Paul taught the simple gospel message, Judaizers would come along and say, "You can accept Jesus, but you also must abide by Jewish traditions, customs, and laws." That could have been Paul’s thorn in the flesh. It could have been a physical malady or problem of some kind. Galatians 4:15 says, “…if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.” Galatians 6:11 says, “See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!” Most scholars see this as describing an eyesight problem. It could have been a demonic attack. He calls it a messenger of satan sent to buffet him. We don't know what the thorn was, but he said that God allowed this thorn in the flesh in my life because he was being puffed up beyond measure (2 Corinthians 12:7). Paul said, “I had been given revelations and visions of the world to come. I had been given these incredible truths, many of them that we've read through as a body of Christ together. And in order that I would not be elevated or puffed up with pride, I was given this thorn in the flesh.” Three times, Paul would say, "Please remove this thorn, deliver me from this thorn," and three times, God would reply, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in your weakness." Paul would respond by saying that in his weakness, the power of God is made more evident. Christians also face challenges and hardships in life. They go through dark times too. In 1 Peter 1:6, Peter says, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials.” The “this” he is talking about refers to the previous section that underscores all of the blessings that Christians enjoy. Peter acknowledges that the trials that Christians go through are real and can cause grief and pain. As Christians, we should not pretend that these trials don't exist or that we will never experience them. However, he reminds us that we have a promised inheritance in glory, which we should greatly rejoice in, even if we are facing various trials at the moment. We need to understand that trials are difficult, and they can be heavy and painful. We should not deny their reality. There's another philosophy out there that says, "Well, I'm just going to take it on the chin. I'm going to grin and bear it. I'm going to endure this difficult time." There's another that would say, “I'm just going to throw up my hands and resign. It's going to happen anyways.” However, Peter is trying to promote a unique quality in the life of a Christian in this passage. He reminds us that we are blessed beyond measure, far wealthier than we realize, and we should greatly rejoice. Even if we are experiencing a season of heaviness and distress due to various trials, we should experience joy because we are abundantly blessed. The distinctive Christian quality is that Christians experience joy in the midst of trials. James 1:2-3 says, "Count it all joy, my brethren when you fall into divers temptations, testings, and trials, for we know that it's working endurance in our life,” that is, it's perfecting us. It's doing something for us. You may ask, “How am I supposed to be happy in the midst of difficulties?” In The Law of Happiness, psychologist Dr. Henry Cloud (co-author of Boundaries) makes the case that most people are pushing the wrong buttons in their search for happiness. He said we fall prey to thinking things like:
He writes this philosophy is a path to unsustainable happiness for three reasons:
He cites his research that people's happiness is mathematically made up in this way:
His idea is that if you continue to pursue career advancement or earning more money, if you continue to pursue things of this life, the toys of this world, then you're not pursuing the things that really will bring satisfaction and contentment. He says happy people spend their time and energy building relationships with the people that they love instead of chasing after things. Well, it's hard to do both, so why are we chasing after things that would make us temporarily happy? That would give us kind of an emotional buzz, but not really secure lasting happiness. I think Dr. Cloud uses the word “happiness” because that is what people are looking for. However, I think the word I would use is “joy” rather than “happiness”. Happiness is really based on what happens to us. It's circumstantial, and the child of God is promised something far greater than happiness. The child of God has been promised joy. Peter says in this passage, "you greatly rejoice." That's the same word. Joy is not based on what happens. It is something internal that doesn't matter what circumstances come our way. He says that you can experience joy even in the midst of difficult times because you recognize something is going on that maybe you didn't know before. You recognize that this pain is for a season, but there's something on the other end of that pain that you can rejoice about. For instance, Lydia and I have three sons. With each one, there were nine months in the womb and then the labor pains. She could go through the labor pains, understanding that precious baby is going to be delivered. The pain is momentary, but the joy is lasting. So you can get through the difficulties because of what's to come on the other side. You know this is not going to be forever. This is going to be momentary. "Father, help me long for Your joy, no matter what I’m facing. Help me face today’s challenges remembering that I am abundantly blessed. Help me invest my time in things that promote joy and not just happiness. I pray that my ability to lean on You during difficult times will be a testimony to others and point people to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”  Isaiah 64:8 says, “But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.”
Isaiah 45:9 says, “…Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ …” Jeremiah 18:6 says, "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel." A couple that was shopping in an antique shop, when they saw this beautiful little teacup that was so unique, and they just said, "Well, we've just got to have this little teacup. It's so special and unique." And as they were getting ready to grab the teacup, the teacup spoke out and said, "Hey." They were a little shocked, and they started listening to this teacup talk. The teacup said, "I haven't always been this valuable. I haven't always been this precious." It said, "I remember when I was a lump of clay, and the potter began to mold me and squeeze me and push me and develop me. And I thought, this is uncomfortable, this hurts. I don't like this. You need to stop doing this." The potter said, "Not yet." Since the teacup was formed, it thought, "Well, okay, now it's over," but no. Then the potter put it in the oven and turned up the heat. The teacup was screaming from the inside, saying, "This is hot! This hurts. I don't like this! Get me out of here!” And the potter looked in and said, "Not yet." So, finally, the potter took the teacup and set it on a shelf to cool. The teacup thought, "Okay, finally it's over." But then the potter took some glaze and some brushes and began to paint it with this mixture that was suffocating. The teacup told the couple, “I couldn't breathe, and I didn't like it. It was sticky, and I said, ‘Stop it!’ And the potter told me, ‘Not yet.’ Then he put me in another oven twice as hot as the first oven, and I thought, ‘I'm exhausted. I can't handle any more heat.’” Finally, the potter took the teacup, set it on the shelf, and said, “Now it is finished." The teacup told the couple, "What I thought was hurting me was, in the long run, making me valuable.” This teacup had become so precious and unique that a couple wanted to buy it. [1] 1 Peter 1:7 says, “that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Peter helps us understand the trials of our faith. The trials and tests that come our way are not random or purposeless, but similar to a furnace, heating and refining us like gold. When gold is heated, the impurities are brought to the surface and scraped off until the refiner can see his reflection in the gold. Similarly, God allows us to go through intense times to refine us and mold us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Our purpose in life is not just to endure these trials, but to use them as opportunities to become more like Jesus every day. This is what Paul meant in Romans 8:29 when he said that God predestined us to become conformed to the image of His Son. "Father, today I yield to You as the Potter. I am the clay. I believe You are working on me, removing impurities from my life. I ask You to help me keep this perspective when I don’t understand why the heat has been turned up in my life. I trust You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” [1] From various sources, one of which is http://positivetheresa.blogspot.com/2011/01/just-old-lump-of-clay.html  Ephesians 6:17 says, "taking the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." This tells us that the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, but how does the Christian transform his or her Bible into a sword? The word “Word” here is “rhema”, which means the spoken Word of God. Your Bible will become a sword, as you internalize in your mind and heart, and then speak that Word out of your mouth. When it comes to defeating your enemy, the devil, understand that the Word of God internalized must answer the accusations, lies and deception of the enemy. The devil, who is the father of lies, will tempt the believer with some half-truth or whole-lie to defeat and imprison us. The only way we can be prepared for those lies is through storing God’s Word in our hearts before we need it so it will be there when we need it. I recently read of a Christian young man whose band performed on a Caribbean cruise. One night his buddies tried to entice him into the ship’s bar, but Chad, whose mother was an alcoholic, had memorized verses from Proverbs about alcohol abuse. He explained to his friends that addiction ran in his family, then he had the courage to quote Scripture to them: “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” (Proverbs 20:1) They replied, “Come on, Chad. Just one beer won’t hurt.” He replied, “At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like a viper” (Proverbs 23:32). They accused him of rejecting their company, to which he said, “If sinners entice you, do not consent.” (Proverbs 1:10) “Leave him be,” he heard one of the young men say to the others. “He’s so full of Scripture we can’t do a thing with him!” Remember the promise found in Psalm 119:11, “Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against God.” John 14:26 also tells us that the Holy Spirit will bring to our remembrance the Word of God in our time of need. For the time spent, I have never found anything more valuable to my Christian walk than endeavoring to systematically store God’s word into my heart and into my mind. Dallas Willard agrees when he writes, “If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs.”[1] Chuck Swindoll has also written, “I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture… No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified.”[2] Billy Graham once said, “Like Joseph storing grain during the years of plenty to be used during the years of famine that lay ahead, may we store up the truths of God’s Word in our hearts as much as possible, so that we are prepared for whatever suffering we are called upon to endure.”[3] Lorne Sanny once shared why Scripture memory was so important in his life: “We don't always have our Bibles with us when we need deliverance, victory, guidance, or a truth to help others. But Scripture memory puts the Word in our hearts, food in our minds, a light on our path, a weapon in one hand and a tool in the other.” Take time to store your mind and heart with God’s Word, and pull them out the next time the enemy attacks. Primary Lies of the Devil (with the Scriptures that answer his accusations):[4]
Lies Specifically about Lust and Sex (with the Scriptures that answer these lies):
[1] Williard, Dallas, “Spiritual Formation in Christ for the Whole Life and Whole Person” in Vocatio, Vol. 12, no. 2, Spring, 2001, p. 7 [2] Swindoll, Charles, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994], p. 61 [3] Graham, Billy, ‘Til Armageddon (Minneapolis: WorldWide, 1981), 9. [4] Compiled from multiple sources, but primarily “Lies and Truth” by: Fellowship Bible Church. This blogpost is taken from "Pathway to Power". Click below to order a copy:   Sometimes we may think that we are holding onto God, but in reality, God is holding onto us. A man and his son were preparing to cross the street. Although there was some traffic, it wasn't too heavy. The father told the son to hold his hand. The little boy wrapped his chubby little fingers around one of his father’s fingers. As they began walking, the traffic started to get more intense. The father noticed this and decided to take extra precautions. Instead of allowing the child to hold his little finger, the father wrapped his big hand around the boy's hand and pulled him across the oncoming traffic to safety. When they reached the other side, the boy looked up and said, "I didn't let go, Daddy." You and I both know it wasn't the boy holding the dad's hand, but rather it was the dad holding the son's hand. God also says to His children, "I am keeping you."
Peter writes about God’s keeping care for His children in 1 Peter 1:3-5. He writes, 1 Peter 1:3–5 (NKJV) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. He's not only keeping the inheritance for you, he's also keeping you for the inheritance. Verse five says, "who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." He says, "You are kept." This describes the eternal security that each one of us has as a child of God. Psalm 37:23 says, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. He delights in his way, though he may fall. He shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholds him with his righteous hand." This verse reminds us that even if we stumble, God is always there to lift us up. 2 Timothy 1:12 also says, "… I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him until that day." This verse reminds us that we can trust in God to take care of the things we entrust to Him. This story illustrates how God is holding us: “One day in 1932, 200 sailors were holding onto ropes attached to the dirigible, the USS Akron, as they attempted to moor the giant airship to a steel mast in San Diego. Suddenly, however, the dirigible shot straight up into the air. Some of the men hung onto the lines and were swept up with the ship, soon falling to the ground. Several were killed. After all the rest had fallen, one man kept hanging on. He could be seen as the dirigible soared high in the sky. People were screaming and fainting. They knew this sailor couldn't hold on much longer, and any minute he might fall back to the earth and certain death. But after an hour and forty-five minutes, when they were able to pull the dirigible back to its mooring, the sailor was still dangling from the airship. An ambulance was waiting to take him to the hospital, but he said he was all right. People asked him how he had held on for so long. He told them he had found he had about four feet of rope, so, while holding on with one hand, he tied the rope around his waist with the other, and the rope held him. He had just been swinging free the whole time!”[1] Today, you might feel like you are struggling, but it is important to remember that God is always with you. Instead of holding onto the rope, let the rope hold onto you. Imagine how it would feel to be confident and secure in knowing that your reservation is settled in heaven, that you have an inheritance, and that you are a child of the King. You are richer than you realize, and this knowledge can help you find hope in the future and power in the present. "Lord, when I feel like I am exhausted, and I can’t hold on any longer, please remind me that You are the One Who is holding me. Help me remember that I can rest in Your keeping care. You have me in the palm of Your hands, and You will keep me from falling. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” [1] https://www.facebook.com/180971748595555/posts/swinging-free-kenneth-e-hagin-finally-my-brethren-be-strong-in-the-lord-and-in-t/29924797241113 |
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