what's the problem?

Do we ever have trouble?

I am glad the bible says it like it is. It doesn’t sugar coat, it doesn’t hide from the truth, but shoots straight. One person in particular, had lot’s of problems, he had lot’s to get down about. I am speaking of Job. in chapt 5 verse 7 it says this.

Job 5:7 ESV

but man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward.

ever watched a fire? where do the sparks go? up. just like the sparks going up, trouble is happening. again in Job, 14:1

Job 14:1 ESV

“Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.

we certainly have trouble. Some we do bring on ourselves, but other problems are not our doing, although we have to deal with them. and any amount of life we have lived, we have seen our share of trouble. And the longer we live, well, the more trouble we see.

One of the problems with Job’s friends is they thought all trouble was due to personal sin. that is not always the case.

Some troubles we can get through rather easy, not saying it feels easy at the time but we get through it and find calmer waters....... eventually. And then there are some troubles that grip us like a giant storm or hurricane, that affect us in ways that will change our landscape forever.

And it is true, trouble or problems do have an affect on our lives for sure....but God, while we are walking with Him through the trouble, and remember, He is always there whether we realize it or not.....He can give us so much in the midst of it....He can teach us things that we would never learn or see any other way. God works that way.

I am not saying to you then to go out and look for trouble so you can learn more truths of the bible, but it is amazing what God teaches us through our lives and our struggles, isn’t it? I like how James says it....in 1:12

James 1:12 ESV

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

James

James admits we will have trials, and remaining steadfast through the trials doesn’t mean being perfect. but steadfastness is continuing to trust, to abide in the One that can get you through.

I mean, think about how solid and steadfast our God is.

When we have a foundation that we see that cannot be shaken, knowing that we can get pretty down, struggle pretty hard, but the foundation under us is so strong.......then our trust is in the right One. Think about this.....the very foundation which is found only in Jesus will last beyond this world, so it is the one to hold to.

think about the value of that. it is priceless. and we realize that or learn that when we go through the struggle. So whatever we go through, even the struggles, has value. the value to show us the strength of our God.

With God, all things have value. Paul confirms this with us in Phil 1:12

Philippians 1:12 ESV

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,

So, what happened to Paul?

He is writing from prison. from prison. that is bad enough but he has people trying to make his life in even worse. prison in Paul’s time is not a nice place with tv, bed and plenty of food, but more like a dungeon.

Tell me, if you were sitting in prison, would you consider that trouble? I probably would.

And we have Paul, with a certain perspective. He is seeing it from a different place than most people would. He sees the place he is in as the place he is supposed to be.

Why, how?

Paul is seeing the bigger picture going on. He is seeing from God’s eyes and that makes all the difference in the world. look at what he sees in 13 & 14.

Philippians 1:13 ESV

so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

it is for Christ! this changes his perspective entirely.

Philippians 1:14 ESV

And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Philippians 1 ESV

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

He is seeing how his situation, that is not the most fun situation in the world, but how it is affecting lives. it is causing some to enter the Kingdom of God, and to speak the word without fear.

1

How can a person in prison do that?

this is a God moment, Holy Spirit powered, intense time in the churches life. the church is still very small and organic. people are coming to Jesus by the preaching of the word and the testimony of the faithful.

We sometimes think we need a big production. something planned out and all our ducks in a row. It may be what we think we need but look what God did, God allowed Paul to go to prison to grow the kingdom.

hows that for evangelism events? any volunteers?

but this is the thing. Have we been led in a way to look at the world more in a business sense with the gospel message or do we still see it as an organic, right here, right now opportunity?

God is allowed to move us in any direction, to reach the one or many, so His kingdom grows.

Are we good with that? Him using us right in our situation?

I am not saying crusades and events are bad, just we do not have to wait for the events to share the gospel or to grow the Kingdom.

maybe God is calling you to share right where you are at in life. today. with those who are around you.

And maybe God has you in a place of trouble or struggle and He put you in that place for you to show your faith to another.

speaking of struggles, or storms for that matter.....

God gave me a dream a while back now. before the dream, I was in a place of relative calm. things were all going alright. things were somewhat normal.

then the dream. this is what happened.

I was in a plane. up in the cockpit with the pilot. we were in the air circling above a giant storm. it looked like a bad storm to me so I was very glad the pilot was circling high above.

then the pilot pushed the controls forward and I felt the plane start to decent, toward the storm.

Immediately I started to panic inside. I tried to keep my composer on the outside for a time, until I realized, he wasn’t going to pull up.

I asked what he was doing. He said we needed to go through the storm. I tried my best to keep it together and discuss with him that it was not a good idea and that we should just circle at a safe altitude until the storm passes.

he said, we are going through the storm. He seemed confident. way more than I did.

What was my problem? I thought we would not make it through? I thought the pilot didn’t know what he was doing? I thought it best to stay safe?

my problem actually was trust. I didn’t trust the pilot at that moment.

then the revelation.

In the dream God revealed to me that He was the pilot, and He would take me through the storm.....safely.

Now it was time to trust. I woke and didn’t really know what to make of that dream, until....

after this dream, not very long after, my life took a turn. it decended, down into a storm.

Without going into detail, about every area of my life has been touched by the storm. It has been challenging. But through it, God has revealed so much about myself, but more importantly, about Him.

I would have not seen what He showed me, unless the storm.

One of the biggest truths going through it has been where the storm is actually located. I thought the storm was events that happened outside of my physical body, and it can be. but God revealed to me, that the storm is actually in the heart. and this is the storm that He is going through to teach peace while trusting Him to fly right into it.

you know, we can have peace through any trouble, or we can have trouble in our hearts even in the midst of peace all around us.

It has been a journey.

Paul, sits in prison and sees how God is working! He has peace in his heart as his circumstances around him do not look pretty.

think about this. As Paul’s physical body is in prison, the gospel message freely moves about in the hearts of those around Paul. the gospel isn’t being held captive. Paul is good with what will happen with him as he sees the work of God being done.

Who does Paul see in charge over this entire situation?

Paul even tells us that he learned how to be at peace or contentment through all that he went through, having nothing or plenty. God showed Paul some incredible truths. but Paul had to experience some incredible hardships to learn what he did.

Are we OK with that? Going through our hardships with God? God being our foundation. To learn what He has to teach us.

Maybe we are not at the level Paul was at, but through our life experiences, God is revealing Himself to us in a very personal, very powerful way.

One key here is seeing what God is up to. Seeing how He is working through our struggle. Seeing His kingdom advancing. It is why we are here. It shows purpose in our problems and it makes it worth going through. Thank you Jesus!

Pray

May we see God working in our lives, and may that be the encouragement and the truth that gets us through all we experience, every storm whether external or internal.

And may we be flooded with Your grace as we are so challenged with this. We need you more than words can say, and I am so thankful that we can call you Father, knowing that we are your children. You care for us. You watch out for us. You protect us. Thank you Father!