Good morning, to everyone here in Hawaii, and to all the parts of the world.
The bible is indeed a book for many, the unsuccessful. Its sweetest messages are for those who have fallen. It is a book of love and sympathy. It is like a mother’s bosom to lay one head upon in the time of distress or pain; its pages teem and cheer for those who are discouraged. It sets its lamps of hope to shine in darkened chambers. It reaches out its hands of help to the fainting and to those who have fallen. It is the full comfort for those who are in sorrow. It has its many special promises for the needy, the poor, and the broken. It also could be a book for the ones who have failed, for the disappointed, the defeated, and the discouraged.
It is this quality in the bible that makes it so dear to the heart of humanity. If it were a book only for the strong, the successful, the victorious, the unfallen, those who have no sorrow, who never fail the whole, the happy, it would not find such a welcome wherever it goes in this world. So long as there are tears and sorrows and broken hearts, and crushed hopes, and human failures, and lives burdened down, and spirits sad and despairing, so long will the bible be a book believed in as of God, and inspired book, and full of inspiration, light, help, and strength for the earth’s weary ones.
The God of the bible is the God of those who have not succeeded. Wherever there is a week, stumbling one, unable to walk alone, to him the divine heart goes out in tender thought and sympathy, and the divine hand is extended to support him, and to keep him from falling, wherever one has fallen, and lies in defeat or failure, over bends the Heavenly Father in kindly pity, to raise him up and to help him to begin again.
Dear Father in heaven, We truly want to say that we love you and worship you, with all of or hearts, please forgive us of our sins, please cast away or fears, please help us to be more like your Son Jesus, and to find Him, and know Him, within our hearts and to feel his tender loving care within us all. O’Father please her our cries, we are some who have gone through great amounts of tests and sufferings, please show us how to rejoice within them all, and tap into your strength, to finish the calling that you have selected us to perform, with pure love and devotion to you. In Jesus Name, Amen
Please turn your bibles to 2 Corinthians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort. 2Cor. 1:3-7 NASB
Many think that when God comforts us, our troubles should go away, and everything will be alright. But if that were always so, people would turn to God only out of desire to be relieved of pain, and not out of love for Him. We must understand that being comforted can also mean receiving strength, encouragement, wisdom, power, and hope to deal with our troubles. The more we suffer the more comfort God gives us. But we have to keep our faith strong; otherwise God cannot comfort a doubter. We cannot fall apart at the seams every time something goes wrong. We should always maintain and cling to the mind of Christ. If we are being overwhelmed, we must wait and allow God to comfort us. Remember that every trial, test or hardship you endure will help you comfort other people who are suffering similar troubles.
I guess I have come to the conclusion that Christian unfounded sufferings have many comforts, if you don’t let them take over into your heart. It seems God makes no mistakes in dealing with His children. He never does, that is His word and promise. He knows what school we should attend so we will learn the best lessons, and what experiences that we may grow the best for Him, ourselves and for others. We have to consider the oven fires of sickness can burn off many a bond of sin and worldliness. Many now in heaven will thank God forever for the persistent conditions of their sufferings or misfortunes in their life which kept them from sin. We may be sure that God never calls any of His children apart from the sick-room without a purpose of a blessing, there is some lesson He wants to teach us, some new indication of His love He wants to show us, some magnificence in ourselves, that He wants to bring out. Sick-rooms should always be to us sacred places, as we remember that God has summoned us there for some special work upon our souls. We need to be very careful in case we miss the good, He wants us to receive. It is only those who trust Christ and lie upon His bosom that are blessed by sickness. Too many unsound sufferings grow to be discontented, unhappy, unpleasant, and agitated. Sickness often at times fails to do well to those who take the affliction the wrong way. There are a few experiences in which we so much need to be watchful over ourselves, and continue to be prayerful, with constant praise toward God. We must be sure to keep sickness out of our hearts, and keep Christ there with His love and peace.
I faint with longing for your salvation;
but I have put my hope in your word.
My eyes are straining to see your promises come true.
When will you comfort me?
I am shriveled like a wineskin in the smoke, exhausted with waiting.
But I cling to your principles and obey them. Psalm 119:81-83 NLT
Fragrant flowers cannot be concealed, and there is a fragrance about Jesus that always reveals His presence. Light cannot be hidden, and there is so much light in Him that it shines out of every window and through every crack and crevice in the body, where He abides. Love itself is invisible, but where ever it dwells, it produces such special effects that soon it becomes known. It makes people calm, compassionate, sympathetic, and selfless, and fills them with new desires to do good, and to serve and bless others. And wherever Christ is, love is, in all its omnipresent, transforming power.
Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their sorrow.
Yet Jerusalem says, "The LORD has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us."
"Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for a child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on my hand. Isaiah 49:13-16a NLT
To make progress in the church we must build upon a foundation that others have laid before us and must add our work, through grace and power of the Holy Spirit to theirs. It is the climax of egotism and ridiculousness for any man to claim that no valid work has been done by any of his predecessors, while his work will be suitable. Yet that is the attitude of some modern preachers of progress. If each generation is to devote itself to tearing up the foundations laid by its predecessors, and putting in a new one of its own, then the world will never get beyond the foundation laying period. A foundation is worthless in itself; its only value is in the structure of Christ upon it.
" He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone.
"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:11-12 NASB
Two men sitting at a table to eat , the one is a distinguished professor of chemistry and physiology, who can tell you just what courses the elements of the dinner will take, which part will go to the muscle, which to the bone, which to the nerves etc. The other is not to smart, he cannot right his name, knowing nothing of the chemistry of the food or of the physiology of digestion. Yet, other things being equal, the not so smart man will get as much benefit from the dinner as will the professor. This is a way to describe that all men in Christ are equal, and yet faith avails where knowledge is lacking.
Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor.
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.2Tim.2:20-22
Also our own senses can deceive us. If we put one hand in hot water, and one in cold, and then suddenly plunge both into lukewarm water, to one hand it is hot and to the other it is cold, the testimony of sense in one hand contradicting that in the other. We can’t let our senses guide us, only our faith.
When Christ needs men for important positions He never looks for them as slackers. He always seeks in the lines of busy people, among those who are at there posts and are faithfully doing there duty. When the Lord wanted a man to be the deliverer of his people He found Moses tending sheep in the wilderness. When He sought for a man to king over Israel, He found a shepherd boy watching over his flocks, when he wanted a man for a prophet, he found Elisha at his plough. When Jesus needed men to become apostles, to lay the foundation of the Christian Church, He walked by the sea and observed them among the busiest. No doubt there were many sluggards loitering along the shore that day, lounging among the boats and watching those who were at work; but Jesus did not call any of these to be His apostles, He did not want for His apostles idle men or those whom their neighbors did not care to employ; so He passed by all the loungers, and kept His eye on the men who were at work He must have men who of activity, men of energy and earnestness, and He knew where to look for them.
If we want Christ to call us to important places we must be busy and full of life, that when He comes seeking for persons to do His work He will see that we are capable and worthy.
"Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
"Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.'
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.
"And the LORD will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
"Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of the streets in which to dwell. Isaiah 58:8-12 NASB
Dear Father in Heaven, Thank for your Holy presence this day, thank you for your teaching and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit which has been poured upon this church, please keep all of us safe this week, and full of joy, for all that have attended, or read this service, and please bless us all with a special healing, or that special love that comes from your Son Jesus, please open the doors to all our prayer requests, and please O’Father keep us from the attacks of the evil one, please shield us with your grace and purity. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen, and Amen.
