The Things Only God Can Give
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Be patient until Christ returns! (Verse 7-8)
Be patient until Christ returns! (Verse 7-8)
There are a lot of misquoted, mis-applied Bible verses circulating the internet
“When the time is right, I the Lord, will make it happen”
Idk who needs this
I have no idea what translation this is
It is attached to something like this: “I don’t know who needs this right now”
But the 60th chapter of Isaiah is not speaking baout God’s deliverance atleast not in this life
God is speaking about the new Jerusalem. The New Zion. The heavenly City in Rev 21
Hope is Coming, but the hope we have is in Christ’s return
Don’t get caught up in thinking God has to fix everything, has to make everything happy, has to bring us great joy, has to give us everything we have ever wanted!
People often get the idea that as Christians, God is here to give us what we want
What God does tell is to BE PATIENT UNTIL CHRIST RETUNRNS!!
If we pray enough, and are good enough God will fulfill our desires
What God is interested in is making you useful to him
The goal of Christianity is to get to a place where our desires are God’s desires
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Pslam 37:4
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
Both of these verses mean the same thing
Pslam 37:4
They do not mean God will give you whatever you want
They do mean when your heart is sold out to the Lord, what He wants for you, you will want for you
It means your desires will be His desires
God’s plan is not always be to deliver us, because His goal is to change us
God never promised he would give us an easy life.
Some Christians get cancer and never recover
Some born again believers have accidents and die a young death
There are many unexplained things that happen and we do not know why
What God did promise is that if we remain faithful to Him it would all be worth it.
Thats what is talking about
That verse is not a guarantee that God is going to make something happen
That verse is a guarantee that your eternity in Christ is sealed and coming
Your success as a Christian, in my estimation, is determined by how well you can ENDURE
Studying the bible, praying, coming to church is great things, but ENDURING is most fruitful
The best things from God come through patiently waiting on HIM
God’s best things are at the end of a long trial
The biggest changes in your life, come when you have to be completely dependent upon Him
And the Christian life is summed up in…was he faithful to the end? Was she faithful tot he end?
Because at the end of this life there is going to be something so great, so wonderful, so glorious the sufferings of the present time will not matter
Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Paul
If you want to model yourself after a Christian, then study the life of Paul.
In fact Paul told the church at Corinth, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ”
Listen to what Paul went through as a Christian
Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—
Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;
Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
Shipwrecked
Not many people are willing to give what Paul did for the sake of the kingdom
2 Cor 11:
Beaten
But I can guarantee you, Paul has recieved his crown and everything he endured was well worth it!
There are some things God may never deliver us from
Paul had a thorn in his side that God never took away
It doesn’t mean God doesn’t love us, it means he loves us more
It means he loves us enough to take the effort to change us
We called to be patent and wait UNTIL CHRIST RETURNS
“Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (strengthen)
JAMES IS CALLING FOR A FIRM ADHERENCE OF THE FAITH
It is a call to stand firm in what we believe! Why?
because the coming of the Lord is near...
This age we are in now is the final age—these are the last days!
That means Christ could come back at any moment!
For the Coming of the Lord is near means any second of any day could be the last chance anyone could ever have to get saved!
It could be the last
How do we act while we wait?
How do we act while we wait?
Without Complaining (grumbling)
I am guilt of this
I don’t want to be, but I have a habit of it and its sinful
I have asked God’s forgiveness and I am going to make every effort and ask for God to help me
I am a complainer
Complaining is not only contagious but it is deadly...
Israel was a group of complainers
God told the children of Israel that He would deliver them and give them a land flowing with milk and honey
He delivered them from Pharoah, from slavery, from bondage, took them into the wilderness, and they complained they were hungry
So God gave them mana everyday and they complained about the mana and wanted meat
So He gave them quail to eat
They were thirsty so God gave them water
Thye complained that it was bitter water
They wanted to be led, so God gave them Moses
Aaron and Miriam complain about Moses leadership
They arrive at the Promise land to receive the land flowing with milk and honey
And they complain that the Canaanites are too strong and they are ready to return to Egypt and return to slavery
In return for this complaint God punishes them to wander the wilderness for 40 years and die without knowing the great gift God had for them
Doing God’s will, will often if not always lead to suffering
What is needed is a willingness to be strong under suffering and persevere
What is needed is a great patience that is willing to wait on the Lord
What is needed is to let God change the situation instead of us taking things into our hands
James gives the example of the prophets
Jeremiah preached for 40 years and no one listened
When we complain about the situation were in, we are rally complaining about what God has sent to us
If we believe God is sovereign and he is in control we must also believe He allowed whatever it is into our lives for a purpose
To reject the purposes of God is to reject the Lordship of God
“Lest you be condemned”
In other words unless you want judgement
Make no mistake God is gracious in ways I cannot explain in words
He is longsuffering with us, but he is also just
And God will judge when the line is crossed of His gracefulness
Why shouldn’t we complain when hard times come??
“You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful”
God does not let things come into your life without a greater purpose for you!
God allows us to suffer, because He is trying to something in us and through us we could not get any other way
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
God is good and God is for you, so we must understand what He allows in our life is for our good!
And personally I think many people get saved because of hardships God brings
(NAS): If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.
God wants to give good things to us
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
And the good things in life come God’s way
Be patient in waiting for God…don’t give up
Just like the farmer waits for the crop to be produced, so should we wait for God
Know that God truly wants the best for your life
He is the good Father who knows how to give good gifts
Do not grumble or complain while waiting
Any grumbling puts us with the Israelites in the wilderness and evokes judgement