The End of the Lord

by Mac Hammond 

The book of Job is the most concentrated example of suffering we have in the entire Bible, yet to the frustration of many theologians, the “whys” of his suffering are never really answered.

Perhaps it is because God wants us to learn from something else. James 5:11 says:

Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. (KJV)

God uses the story of Job to tell us that it doesn’t matter what you’re going through or the nature of the challenges you are facing; the principles are the same for all adversity. What matters is that you understand how to be patient like Job—you could also say his endurance—and something called the “end of the Lord.”

Just Do It

"And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day." (Luke 13:14)

Religion is dangerous. Religion would rather debate about healing than see somebody healed. Religion would rather argue about deliverance than see somebody set free.

You can see an example of that in Luke 13. Jesus healed a woman who had been bowed over for 18 years. Think of it, a dear old woman--a daughter of Abraham Jesus called her--set free after being bound by the devil for nearly two decades. You'd think the temple rulers would have been rejoicing at what Jesus had done. But, no! They were angry because He'd done it on the wrong day.

Do you know what's worse? Those very same religious leaders who criticized Jesus for healing on the Sabbath could have ministered healing to that woman themselves on any of the other six days of the week if they'd cared enough to do it.

That's why Jesus was so indignant with them. They had the same covenant of Abraham as Jesus. But their religion had kept that woman bound instead of setting her free. It always does.

HE'LL DO IT AGAIN

The other day I was looking through the aisle of the CVS store when suddenly arms from behind were embracing me. I turned quickly to find a young lady that worked there that had attended the women's crusade in April. 

 It was indeed a pleasure to see her and most of all wanting to hear how she was doing. She had been powerfully touched at the crusade and The Lord delivered her from some serious issues, but the look on her face the her body language quickly revealed the state she was in. So I asked, " how are you doing?" She proceeded to fill me in on the raging battle that she was in and how difficult it had been for her. 

But, I loved the ending comment; "I refuse to give up and lose what God did for me at the crusade." Well, enough said, that's it! I told her she had just scored at that moment because what she spoke out of her mouth has the power to keep her free.

Let God Do It His Way

"Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean. But Naaman was angry." (2 Kings 5:10-11, The Amplified Bible)

So often we miss out on what God wants to do for us because He doesn't do it the way we think He should. We work up an idea in our minds about how He's going to heal us, for instance. We think He's going to send some famous preacher to lay hands on us or that He's going to knock us off our feet with a blast of His power. When He doesn't, we let our faith drop and foul up what He had actually planned to do.

That's what Naaman did. He went to Elisha expecting to be healed in a particular way. When it didn't happen that way, the Bible says, he went away in a rage.

What Elisha told him to do was simple. Dip seven times in the Jordan. Naaman could do that. But it didn't fit his idea of how his healing should take place. He thought Elisha would heal him by waving his hands around and calling on the Name of the Lord.

This Is Your Day

"And Deborah said unto Barak, 'Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand....'"

Judges 4: 14

King James Version

       This Is Your Day"

"Nobody makes a greater mistake than (she) who does nothing because (she) could only do a little."

Edmund Burke

What is the 'Sisera' in my life that I need to be delivered from?

Today, do I hear God telling me, "__(Your Name)____, up! I have delivered 'Sisera' into your hands?"

Let God Do It His Way

"Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean. But Naaman was angry." (2 Kings 5:10-11, The Amplified Bible)

So often we miss out on what God wants to do for us because He doesn't do it the way we think He should. We work up an idea in our minds about how He's going to heal us, for instance. We think He's going to send some famous preacher to lay hands on us or that He's going to knock us off our feet with a blast of His power. When He doesn't, we let our faith drop and foul up what He had actually planned to do.

That's what Naaman did. He went to Elisha expecting to be healed in a particular way. When it didn't happen that way, the Bible says, he went away in a rage.

Pressing Into God During Times of Crisis

DESIREE AYRES

 

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(© Goodwyn / StockFreeImages.com)

Editor’s Note: Ten days after a terrible explosion left her fighting for her life, Hollywood stuntwoman Desiree Ayres walked out of the Sherman Oaks Burn Center completely healed and whole. Now she co-pastors with her husband and shares her powerful testimony of miraculous healing and restoration with everyone she meets.

No matter how challenging or difficult your present circumstance may be, I can assure you of one thing: If you cry out to God in your crisis, He can and will bring you help. Not only will He help you but He can make a multitude of blessings out of every situation. Be encouraged, because as you cry out to your Creator, He can and will turn your mess into a message, your test into a testimony!

His will for every problem and every situation — without exception

Read Psalms 106 -- 107

Highlights:

Want to take a 40-year trip? Travel with the people of God as they relive their desert wanderings. They confess their sins, including when they lusted (Ps. 106:14), murmured (106:25), mingled among the heathen (106:35), and shed innocent blood(106:38).

The magnificence of Israel's history was not the result of her heroes, priests, or prophets, but rather it was the fulfillment of the Word of God (Gen. 12:7). 

All failures which were written in their history — all losses, defeats in battle, famines, and exiles — to be seen as consequences of disobedience to His Word for they believed not His Word (Ps. 106:24). 

Finally, they praised God for their deliverance (107:19-20). 

The Refining Fire

by Barbie Breathitt
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, provoked the wrath of King Nebuchadnezzar because they didn’t respect his gods and refused to worship the gold statue that he erected. The king offered them a second chance to escape a sure death if they would bow their knees and worship the statue. 

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, "Nebuchadnezzar, we don't need to explain these things to you. If you throw us into the hot furnace, the God we serve can save us. And if he wants to, he can save us from your power. But even if God does not save us, we want you to know, king, that we refuse to serve your gods. We will not worship the gold idol you have set up." Daniel 3:16-18 Easy-to-Read Version, Revised Edition

Nebuchadnezzar’s face turned purple with rage. He ordered the furnace fired up seven times hotter than usual. Strongmen tied Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s hands and feet, and threw them fully dressed into the roaring furnace. The flames from the furnace killed the strongmen who bound Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But isn’t it interesting that the same flame that destroyed those who sought to bind and destroy the men of God, was able to set the men of God free?

TOUCHED BY LOVE

Mark 1:41, "And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him.... and he was cleansed."

MATTHEW 8:1-4, MARK 1:40-45, LUKE 5:12-15

Only Mark records this important statement that Jesus was "moved with compassion" in the healing of this leper. 

There are three other instances in the gospels when Jesus was moved with compassion which resulted in healing (Mt. 14:14; 20:34; Lk. 7:13; and once in deliverance - Mk.5:19). The difference between seeing a person healed or not healed many times is this all-important ingredient of love.

All three of the Gospel accounts record Jesus touching this leper. This not only illustrates the doctrine of "laying on of hands", but was probably included because according to Numbers 19:22, this action would have made Jesus unclean. This illustrates the New Testament ministry of the Spirit versus the Old Testament ministry of the letter of the law (2 Cor. 3:6).

Defeat Your Giant

"Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17:26)

You may be facing a giant today. He may be a giant of sickness or failure, of financial shortage or another kind of trouble. But don't let him scare you. You have a secret weapon. A weapon that once turned a shepherd boy into a bear-busting, lion-killing, giant-slaying champion. That weapon was a blood covenant with Almighty God.

Back in David's day, circumcision was the sign of that covenant. So, when he called Goliath uncircumcised, David was saying: This guy may be a giant; he may be strong; but he has no covenant with God and that's why I can kill him.

Like David, you, too, have a covenant. But yours is better. The covenant David had offered a wealth of blessings to those who kept it, but it also included curses for those who broke it.

Yours doesn't. Yours is a New Covenant that Jesus bought with His own blood. It doesn't depend on your ability. It depends on Him and what He has already done. He has done it all! All you have to do is believe it and receive it.

Abednego : The Man Who Defied a King

Abednego [Ăbĕd'-negō]—servant of nebo or servant of light. The name given by the prince of the eunuchs of King Nebuchadnezzar to Azariah, one of the four young princes of Judah who were carried away into Babylon. He was one of the three faithful Jews delivered from the fiery furnace (Dan. 1:7; 2:49; 3). How God honored the faith and courage of these Hebrew youths!

The Man Who Defied a King

There are at least four lessons to be learned from the dauntless, defiant witness of Abed-nego and his two companions:

Come To The Table

Written by Jack Hayford

When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer..." (Luke 22:14-15)

On the night before He was slain, Jesus opened up the Passover Seder to being more than a religious observance; it became a Communion Table in which He invited His disciples to partake of His fullness and life. It was here that the truth of our salvation, pre-figured in the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, would be fulfilled. As He broke the matzo, the unleavened Passover bread, and took the cup with them, He reinterpreted the practice that had been going on for centuries, applying it to Himself. Jesus was becoming the ultimate Pesach Lamb.

Escaping Egyptian Tyranny - Again

During the past month, a plague of locusts swept across Egypt and then into neighboring Israel. While not so uncommon, a number of news reports were quick to point out the significant timing of the occurrence—coming as it did just before the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, which will be observed next week. At this time we reflect on God's deliverance of the ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt. To free His people, God sent devastating plagues on Egypt, including locusts. In light of other recent events, there is much more to reflect on at this time as well.

It's been more than a month since I wrote the lead articles for the current issue of The Good News concerning the Arab Spring—covering Egypt's slide into Islamist tyranny and the drive toward an Islamic caliphate throughout the region and the wider Muslim world. Yet of course the threat to Israel remains. In fact, it may surprise you to learn that the Bible even foretells that slavery in Egypt and other lands lies ahead for many modern Israelites. I would like to have addressed this issue in the magazine, but length prevented me—and I'll still only be able to touch on it here.

Complaining in the Wilderness

Written by Darren Hewer

“Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you.” (Philippians 2:14, NLT)

Do you enjoy waking up early? I don’t. I emphasize with the psalmist when he writes: “I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.” (Psalm 119:147, NLT)

It’s not that I’m lazy, I’m just not a “morning person”. That’s why I need to continually turn away from the temptation to complain.

Just after the Exodus, when Moses had miraculously led the Israelites out of Egypt, the Israelites sung a song of praise to the Lord for their deliverance. (See Exodus 15.) 

Let's Run Away

Gwen Smith

Today's Truth

And don't let us yield to temptation. (Matthew 6:13, NLT)

Friend to Friend

It was a windy winter day. Our three dogs needed to stretch their legs and get a bit of outside playtime, so I let them out to roam freely in our fenced-in back yard. An hour later, my husband asked me where the dogs were.

"Out back," I replied.

"Honey, the wind blew that gate wide open and only Rocky is on the deck! How long ago did you let them out?" He asked.

"An hour ago!" I exclaimed, as feelings of unease crept into my heart.

Walk by faith...

By Fred Gillett, Crystal Cathedral Pastor

"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
-Psalm 34:17-18

We usually define a victory by success - being first, not making any mistakes, and careful preparation. Those who succeed and take the credit themselves forgetting all those who made it possible and forgetting God are not successful at all, just self-centered. When we recognize that our strength to get through obstacles, problems, failures, weaknesses, and neediness is from God, then we have success.

Don't Just Sit There...Arise!

"Now four men who were lepers were at the entrance of the city's gate; and they said to one another, Why do we sit here until we die.... So they arose." (2 Kings 7:3,5, The Amplified Bible)

No matter how bad the problem is you may be facing today, no matter how far under the circumstances you may be, in 24 hours you can be back on top!

"Oh, Brother Copeland, that would be impossible!"

That's what the Samaritans thought in 2 Kings 7. Their land was being ravaged by famine. Enemy troops had surrounded them and cut off all source of supply. Mothers were eating their own children just to survive.

Receiving A Miracle

Dear friends and partners,

   This week I finish part 2 of the study, "Receiving a miracle from God."  The prophet Isaiah asked the question in chapter 53, "Who will believe the report of the Lord?"  The report of the Lord is the final word on your life no matter what the world has to say.  Through the years I have learned to trust God in the most difficult situations imagined.  I know many of you have done the same.  The same God that miraculously brought you out of the matter is the same God who will do it again!

   The doctors report may be against you, but the word of the Lord is for you.  Sickness and disease cannot win against a victorious Believer in Jesus Christ!  Debt, lack and poverty cannot take your life because Jesus paid the price for your sins and He has redeemed you from the curse of the law that was against you.  I encourage you today to walk in the promise of the word of God and receive your miracle now!

What It Takes to Struggle with Something Hard

By Rachel Olsen

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." Romans 8:37 (NIV)

Beginning in my twenties, I wrestled each day with chronic pain and fatigue. The first few years of it, doctors had no idea why.

Then came the diagnosis: fibromyalgia.

I was told this condition was poorly understood, not very treatable, and also not reversible. In fact, they called it "degenerative," meaning it would worsen as I aged. In short, doctors said I had no chance to conquer this pain.

The pain worsened for a couple years and I couldn't image what my life would be like five, ten or fifty years down the road. I prayed for deliverance.