Good morning everyone in Hawaii and throughout the world, it is good that you all have joined us, I came up this week with another affliction which no one again can explain, it seems like a sprained foot, but the swelling has been very strange. I know that I must be attacked, but I am feeling more like Job more and more. Like I have said before this church is on the right track, otherwise we would be left alone
Dear heavenly Father, we know our lives all have a purpose for you and your glory, we understand that we are your children and that you will never ever leave us, we come to you this day to worship you, to thank you, and praise your name, no matter what happens to us in this life, you will be with us, and guard us, and guide us. I ask for the Holy Spirit to come upon us all, that hear and or read our service today, to anoint us with the purity of your love and great power you possess, to spread it out to all of us and to heal all of our troubles, and set in us a new heart, one open to the sweetness of the peace and joy and power of God. In Jesus Name we say, Amen an Amen.
Please turn your bibles to the book of Acts chapter 26 verse 1
Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: "King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
"The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? "I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.
"On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'
"Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?'
" 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied. 'Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
"So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen-- that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles."
At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane."
"I am not insane, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable. The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do."
Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?"
Paul replied, "Short time or long--I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains." Acts 26:1-29 NIV
I choose this part of Acts, because mainly this is the same way that I feel and even though our names are the same, we are both in chains, and we want to spread the good news about the Christ who was raised from the dead in order to save our souls and many others, to give all mankind a future beyond this life. Although many of us in our lives today think this is the only life, and people are striving at super sonic speed to go here and there and make the most of what they have today, but the point is, at this time and in this life it is only a stepping stone to live a life with our creator and His son Jesus, to live in a new world without pain and without sorrow, and all the worries of this existing world which is only a testing ground for our future. To some it may be a battle ground, or a school ground. To some if you were born rich, you would have no idea of the sufferings, and misfortunes of others that are scrapping the gutter even to survive, this cold world, just to make it to the next. And there are so many that think they will make it into the next but will not. And we have to show you that there is a way, through the belief and love and companionship in and with our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
Our main objective is to preach truth and the Love of Christ, and how that same power that raised Christ from the dead is living inside of us all, if we believe and except our Lord as our savoir and most high Son of God. Suffering takes a major role in this as a part of the learning and a stepping stone to the gates of heaven; without suffering we cannot begin to understand what Christ is all about. How He felt, what He feels and what He has gone though within His mind during his stay here on earth. That is why Jesus spoke earlier;
Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. "Matt. 19:24 NASB
As the analogy was given, he used this presentation of a camel entering though a eye of a needle. As you would approach the gates of Jerusalem at night there where gates that where closed and a camel could fit through, but to get in the point is these camels were usually loaded down with supplies, and saddles and all kinds of traveling gear, and in order to get through, the camel had to be stripped of everything in it’s entirety, and then the camel had to more or less crouch down a certain way in order to get through this doorway or gate, the eye of the needle which is another way of speaking of the entrance, So in our explanation a rich man has to loose everything in order to fit through this gate, my it be possessions pride the love of money and so on, this is why when we are suffering we gain the knowledge, wisdom, and other certain teachings, and we are stripped of this worldly baggage, and we are taught that we cannot hold onto any of these worldly things, to enter the kingdom of heaven.
So as the camel would struggle to get though and whoever was the watchman or the owner then on the other side you would have to grab and carry through everything, and then reload and repack everything back on to the camel in order to, continue on there journey to go wherever they are setting on to go, many times at this gate things and possessions where to heavy for a man to carry, or drag through the needle, and so these particular things had to be left behind. And some other complications in this event, where to heavy to repack on to the camel, and still yet again were left behind,
So as we try to enter into the kingdom of heaven, we can take mostly what we have learned, through certain teachings and sufferings, study, and devotions of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, we have to believe, and to be close to Christ, and to have an objective to edify and teach to others the same similar analogy of the gate.
As a poor people we are mostly into prayer, almost everyday, because we need help daily, we need our Lord to be with us when we try a simple task for instance to start our car, not knowing if it will start, or if we even have enough gas, to get where we need to go, we need as a poor man to check our oil daily, knowing that our camel leaks and we don’t have the riches to fix any particular problem. So again we are in prayer, hoping and praying to God just to let us finish the journey we are set out to do, we have to pray about the tires, that they be bald and battered or re-treaded because we cannot afford to have the tires replaced, also some pray about the insurance tags because some cannot afford the new registration fees, or a sticker that says the vehicle is up to standard, there are so many things we as poor and suffering Christians have to do, in order to complete a daily journey , may it be to a job, or the store to buy supplies for the family, so the poor man has an extra closeness to God through prayer, daily that is why in 1Thess 5:17 it says pray without ceasing, when you are suffering or in pain, or in other ways some takes a lot longer even to get to the car, because of some great disability, our maybe something else like a new pair of glasses to see, that we cannot afford we as the poor and suffering have a much better chance to enter the kingdom of heaven than most, because of our suffering an misfortunes, we maintain that closeness with our Lord everyday, in prayer just to ride in our car.
The rich man of course he can afford everything he does not have to pray, about starting the car, because the car is brand new, he does not have to pray about the tires, or tags and stickers, because everything is paid for, he doesn’t worry about not getting to where he has to go, he can just call the auto club, or a taxi cab or even maybe use his other car. You see a rich man does not have that closeness to God as a poor man, there aren’t these extra burdens added to his heart, this rich man does not have to pray, about asking God for anything, he has money, so you may have money in this life, but the next life there will be no need for money, only the relationship we have formed and established with our Lord in this life.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.1Pet. 3-9NIV
Our foundation is grounded in God’s mercy, His act of compassion toward us despite our condition of sinfulness. God has given believers a new spiritual life that enables us to live in an entirely different dimension than the one our physical birth allowed. Hope here does not imply wishfulness but rather a dynamic confidence that does not end with this life but continues throughout eternity. Although this phrase may modify the phrase to a living hope the perspective suggests that it is to be understood as the means of our salvation rather than the means of our hope. God has set aside in heaven a wonderful inheritance that is waiting for us even now. God keeps His people safe from external attack and safe within the protective boundaries of his kingdom. We do not now see or understand fully the salvation that God has prepared for us, but one day we will. While there is much rejoicing because of the salvation God has prepared for us, there will be agony because of the pressures and difficulties of this life. Trials are a reference to certain ordeals that we encounter in life rather than those things that would induce us to sin. Note that no one particular problem is in view here, but rather all the testings of life. As the purity of gold is brought forth by intense heat, so the reality and purity of our faith are revealed as a result of the fiery trials we face. Ultimately the testing of our faith not only demonstrates our final salvation but also develops our capacity to bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ when he comes into His kingdom and we reign with Him.
In times of trouble we know we can count on God’s family, from now on, and forever eternally. Think of the beauty of God’s face when you are suffering and in your worst pain. The more the difficult times the more God will remain with us. All God wants from us is our unending faith and love. We should never lose these things and, and we will never lose God. It is that simple. You will be so utterly joyous and happy for that faith and love. We have to remain strong. We have to show others to be strong and to take away the hate and replace it with pure love. Please give pure love to all humanity for eternal joy.
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb. 4:15-16 NASB
Jesus is so much like us because he experienced everything we feel as human beings the temptations the hurts the pains the sufferings the afflictions so He can fully understand what are all going through when we are hurting. He can sympathize with us.
We know that Jesus went through all these things and still never sinned. We as troubles arise we sometimes get upset, get angry, ask why and even say words we shouldn’t so this may or not be our test to see how much we can handle before falling into sin. Jesus shows us and example of overpowering temptation, hurts, and pains without going into sin. So in other words we must always try to be more like Him in every way, by studying the word, staying in prayer, and have a personal relationship with Him. We should try not to think of our own problems or afflictions we should praise God for them. It might be a situation for us to grow. Prayer is the major equipment in our lives as we approach our God. We are to come boldly to the throne of grace. We cannot come feebly or with fear. We should not be afraid or timid as we ask God for things. We should also still be humble and shout with reverence and respect to the aid our Lord and King. But he must realize that he is our friend and counselor.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Rom 8:18 NASB
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. Matt. 19:29 NKJV
I guess the sufferings at this present time are not to be much considered. We have to maintain and realize that these things are only light afflictions compared to the eternal light of glory that we will receive later which could turn out to a “hundred fold” I am fighting a battle against pain I have been more under more and continuous attacks as ever before. I am suffering from poor nutrition not being able to chew and eat for four months, the pain in my mouth is unbelievable and nothing or medications are working. Then the affliction of a sprained foot stopped me dead in my tracks I cannot walk and pray and get my system working and I cannot go to the gym and allow the endorphins to kick in, and my foot is totally swollen and cannot do anything. So this affliction has gone beyond the norm.
For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2Cor. 4:17-18 NASB
For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.2Cor. 4:17-18NLT
Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.
And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2Cor.12:7-10 NASB
In this world I myself have gone and still have gone through great amounts of sufferings, I myself have pleaded with the Lord more than three times, this affliction, or should I say now has stopped me from anything prideful. I cannot eat, which makes my blood pressure go down, I do not have the strength I have had, and my physical training has gone down to almost limitless. When I train I feel better and stronger mentally, and physically, I feel I have maintained my body, spirit and mind to a restful condition, when I exercise. The certain pride about, what I can lift is gone, and also my weight and appearance has changed, I do not look the same, as before this affliction, and I fight the pride of self, looking in the mirror and weeping at 23 years work, but I know in my heart God’s grace will prevail. I have to walk around without my upper plate to take away any pride of looking good, I cannot smile, so I have learned a great amount of humility, and lose of pride with myself, for my present appearance. The bouncing from doctor and to doctor has made me patient, but very irritated in my heart, which may have something to do with that the great and assume healing power of the Lord. I have been treated like a less than common poor person, and all the reactions, and treatments, and medical care of doctors and nurses, most have not given me an ounce of respect. I have been lied to, conned, and mis-diagnosed several times, the formulation of my gums will never fit my plate again. Because now I am missing a major part of my gums, and have an empty hole there. And now I here I have to pay that out of pocket, just too where my teeth again, when I can. I am not treated like a man of God, people don’t seem to care what I do, or how I pray for the masses, and my mind is under the greatest test that I have ever known. And this thing with my foot, it is swelling up even now to where I might have to go back to the hospital again, the main thing is this affliction took me away from God, I have walked and cried out in the middle of fields, and streets for prayer for others, and to continue my daily relationship with God, and also to take away these weaknesses, distresses, and the pain that I have been suffering, but now that I can barely walk, how do I go out every morning and pray, I try to pray where I am sitting or laying down, but it is not the same. I have been insulted, time after time, I have lived in constant distress, and I can’t even obtain my own blood work, or the condition of myself, or if there is an answer to this infection, unless I pay for them. Yes I guess I have several thorns, and I have been begging God to take them away, How can I help and pray for others, be apart of my local church, and run this church, under so much torment?
So our worries, pains, troubles and afflictions shall not weaken our faith or disillusion us. We have to realize that there is a purpose to all this suffering. As I have said before that we have to understand and compare our sufferings to remind us of Christ’s sufferings and what He went through for us, so we can be freed from sin and death. Also these sufferings get us away from self and self pride, these are things that we should not possess, and we should be concentrating on others and not just ourselves.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Phil 2:3-4 NIV
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil. 2:7-11 NASB
These afflictions also cause us to look toward the future, beyond this small brief life we have here on earth. We should always look toward the future of being with Christ and in heaven with Him.
Also our sufferings can enable us to share our burdens with others and to fall into their afflictions because we ourselves have gone through many, and some similar situations which we are able to identify the cause and effect of their sufferings. We can share together our circumstances, and then have the ability to share the Love of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, and to show them the way and the truth, and the life of Jesus Christ.
These and all sufferings and or afflictions we will be able to show and demonstrate the true power of God when we receive healings or blessings or rewards, to show God still works miracles. Our ultimate hope when we all experience terrible illnesses, persecution, and pain is the realization that this life here is not all there is, we have a new life, unable to comprehend after death.
Knowing we will live with God forever in a place without sin and suffering, can help us now live above the pain that we face in this life.
Dear Father thank you for another day, that we are able to gather together and to help one another, and to show our Christian love with each other, we know we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed, but we know you are with us, and will stay with us from now until eternity. We love you so much Lord, and we praise your name with glory from the deepest parts of our hearts. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen and Amen.
