Dreaming of Your Perfect World? Not in this life!

Dreaming of Your Perfect World? Not in this life!       By Kelly Durant

A study of the life of Job, Elijah, John the Baptist    Jesus said: Matthew 21:44 “And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” 

2. How many of you have sadly laughed when you have heard speakers, preachers, or read in books, that anyone with faith can speak into existence the dream reality they want! These erroneous ones claim that you can command God to give you the wealth and the material blessings you deserve! Just demand what’s yours from God! I pray the Holy Spirit protects you from such misguided ideas and theologies! 

Our reward is in heaven, so why should any of us worry so much about what we have while on earth? Everyone who has read the Bible knows that Jesus was not rich having no place to lay his head. He exposed the rich young ruler as loving riches more than God’s will. Many parables of Jesus express that in this life we will have no security, and while building bigger barns we may die in the night! In the end we are all just unjust, undeserving servants and the perfect world we dream of is only going to be in heaven. Many people communicate with God according to their own ideas, premises, and demise of how they want the world to function around them, but this is not how God’s plans come to be a reality in our lives. This is a warning, life may not always be as you want it to be!

People, even believers, often forget how easily their selfish sinful human condition often influences their dreams and they live by their illusions to avoid the reality of seeing who they really are or in accepting their lot in life: It all because of our fallen world. Throughout the Holy Scriptures it is clear, not one of us controls God, and God does not even control us if we don’t want to let Him! Did you pray for His will to be done in your life today? We pray, ‘thy will be done’, right? If so then this implies you leaving behind your plans, and your expectations and dreams in life. God provides for you and me, giving us contentment despite our surrounding conditions, as long as we worship Him and are obedient. Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. This includes what’s in our dreams as well! 

3. Jesus said: Matthew 21:44 “And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” Jesus is the stone. It is God’s plan for you and me to die to ourselves, to become like a dead seed so that you and I may blossom back to live again. You and I are just worthless rocks, but if we willingly accept getting broken and smashed open, then the beauty of the crystals (like in the Brazilian stones) inside will show for others to awe and wonder at. Those who never want to accept God’s breakings in their lives through Jesus will one day be smashed apart beyond recognition and usefulness; made powder in His judgment.

I am addressing this because too many people have a misconception of God, that God is there to serve you and me, and in their minds God should be providing for each of us our dream world, not there to mature us spiritually. The ultimate dream world you want will only happen in heaven! In the meantime this world is headed for a crash course! God has us temporarily here in this terrible place to be learning how to love Him, His Son, and others, learning obedience by the things we suffer, just as Jesus learned. Hebrews 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

Everyone must willingly fall on the rock (Jesus) and be broken apart and get humbled and remade and reshaped in life. Actually just living out life’s circumstances as you wind on down the road will be enough to break you! But all the lessons and suffering will all be for nothing and wasted unless you capture the soul reshaping lessons God has in it for you. 

4. Consider this, due to our mental blocks, due to our living in our own idea of what the world should be like influenced by media and culture, and due to our resisting of God’s breakings, many of us may actually be living in a bubble or in an artificial world. Ask yourself, am I honestly being sensitive and open to God letting His mysterious plans work in me? Have you signed a blank page for Him to fill in?

I have prepared here 3 quick case studies of God’s servants in the Bible. These are 3 people of God that suffered tremendously and it cost them but they surrendered to accepting God’s will. These great men of God had to give up different things such as their position, wealth, health, freedom, and loved ones. They were glorious and superior to others for a season but then they suffered some severe losses. The life of Jesus is paralleled in these lessons as well. He was glorious healing the sick and raising the dead, but look how He was hated and crucified in the end; how he suffered with only a lasting handful of followers! But all of these and millions live eternally in glory for loving God and being faithful!

5. What does everyone know about the Book of Job? That Job had incredible riches but lost them all suddenly, that the devil wanted to tempt Him to curse God and die, but in the end due to his faithfulness God, he got returned to Him double of what he lost! Not everyone in this life gets back the things they lose!

This is a great story with a great lesson on faithfulness but remember Job did not know how it was going to end: to him in the middle of the trial it was the very end! Job lived in his own perfect world where he loved God and God loved him back, and God had made him superior to others. Everyone knew God favored him because he had great riches, and a big family and a perfect world!

Many people live in this type of modern illusive world where they think nothing will ever go wrong but when it does, what a faith crisis and dilemma it is! It can cause a complete nervous breakdown! Isn’t God supposed to provide and protect? He always does, God wins in the end but only if we are willing to give up our idea of what He should be doing and submit to learn humility and love.

6. Job’s friends could not console him in his extreme pain. He had boils all over his body, thieves had stolen all of his thousands of camels and animals, and the worst of it was it seemed God had abandoned him! He had done no sin, but he was put to the test. What poverty and horrible circumstances! His pain was unbearable! 

Listen to this cruel statement, Job 2:9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” When your or my world is coming apart what happens? Instead of getting support from those closest to us, we quite often get criticism and cruelty, and as the saying goes ‘people make firewood from the fallen tree’. Jesus had compassion on the broken ones, we should too!

Isn’t that what happened to Jesus? How can you or I expect any better in our life? Prepare yourself, life is long and you and I have no clue of what sickness, or loss of home, freedom, and wealth is to come. Just praise God to know that like Job that if you are faithful you will be blessed in heaven and maybe on earth as well: Blessings will happen beyond your own imagination and dreams one day!

7. Now take into account a man that was so close to God he called fire down from heaven on Mt. Carmel! Elijah was not only a righteous man but he must have been quite strong as well because he killed 450 evil Baal worshippers in one day! The evil Baal worshippers sacrificed to false gods and Elijah wanted justice.  

I Kings 18:22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 1 Kings 18:40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there. Never forget despite its unpopularity, we play a role in stopping evil!

After this great moment he had to escape evil queen Jezebel’s command to kill him!  I Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

8.  God provided for him food by the ravens bringing it to him daily by the stream where he lived alone in the woods. In Elijah’s mind he was supposed to be the great new leader of Israel. He just proved how God is victorious so how did his world fall apart so quickly? Once again we see that God’s plans do not always happen within our ideas of expectations. God deals with all things His way.

Reflect on what we just read here in I Kings 19:4, a prophet of God is asking God to let him die! Have you ever felt that way that you want to just die?! I know I have about a half dozen times! I have prayed like Elijah on a few occasions when I have felt like life is enough already. I have complained, “Lord, these people in this place where you have me now are horrible and do not genuinely convert, they are two-faced, I have wasted my life, time, love and effort on so many unthankful abusers, I don’t want to live and do this anymore!”

But in the end God calls me back to the right compassionate attitude! Everything is a process and conquering evil takes much time so each of us must be patient when God has us in a time out. Jezebel was killed not long afterwards and Elijah lived to do more miracles! Encouragement comes, we have to pray and just wait!

9. Now the last person we will look at who reached the bottom and was disillusioned with reality and what should have been while rotting away in a shattered world was John the Baptist. He was truly brave and countered and exposed the corrupt system, even telling Herod it was unlawful for him to have his brother’s wife. In a time when the Romans would kill you for anything, he certainly had audacity to start up what would be considered a “holiness sect” today. He had a few faithful friends and followers in the desert who preached with him about repentance and holy living (as Salvationists preach) and they water baptized as an expression of a desire to live for God with a clean spirit. Remember John made it known that Jesus would baptize His followers with ‘spirit and fire’! 

He was God’s man for that hour but his mission was short lived. Jesus even said that he was one of the greatest! Matthew 11:11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

But when John was in prison he was not living in the world he thought he should be living in! He asked himself, “Was Jesus real, was it all in vain?” Matt 11: 2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples. 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” What an absurd question! John saw the heavens open and the Holy Ghost spoke, Matthew 3:17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

John was human and became confused and discouraged in the loneliness and isolation. It can happen to anyone of us! John had no clue he was going to lose his head over an exotic dance as a revenge on him from Herod’s wife. An early promotion to glory in heaven was what God knew was best for him! We must all be willing to accept God’s will, and actually we must accept God’s will as in Romans 14:8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

10. I get encouraged when I read these types of stories of the lives of the people of God! No person of faith has ever had life easy, and if your life is easy, and you are not suffering persecution for Christ’s sake as most have, just accept it as a blessing or that it may happen one day! John Westley, the first Methodist who preached over 40,000 sermons in his lifetime came to the U. S. in Georgia for a time; But he failed to convert anyone after a few thousand sermons in America to  enable him to start a mission! How discouraging after being so successful in England! Only after his death did his Methodists churches really take root in Georgia and everywhere else in the USA. I am sure he dreamed to see America convert to Christ, but he suffered sadly to not see his dreams come true! I can relate to his suffering as a disillusioned dreamer who has frustratingly not seen enough people in the world follow Jesus and obey His mission of love & salvation!

The reality is the world will never be as you and I want it to be! All of us are subject to the will of God and often the evil ones in this world changes everyone’s plans! Having reviewed all this, don’t you agree that none of us should create in our minds dreams, and plans for a perfect world, of a perfect Corps or church, of perfect leaders, or of a world getting better in general as it may not happen!

It is better to just not dream for the things of the world! God will give you more than what you could ever dream of in heaven! Another reality on earth is that not all is suffering; there are happy fulfilling times as well! Many of them! 

How much obedience do you and I have, how much of our dreams are the dreams of the Lord? Are you letting God break you open so you are useful? The dreams in your mind for the future need to be laid on the altar of sacrifice! Are you willing to give up your world in God’s hands today? Every person of God, even Jesus, had to give up all, and now He and mega millions live in eternal glory! Come, confess your weaknesses, fears, and dreams, let God’s will be done in you!

Sick? Only Jesus Heals, But With Your Cooperation!

Sick? Only Jesus Heals, But With Your Cooperation!           Kelly Durant

Matthew 9:12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

2. When you serve on disasters as we do in the Salvation Army you see all kinds of situations with people after a tragic event. One situation is this, a person comes to you to do volunteer work and you think, great, more help. But then as they fill out the form you notice they have not had a shower in several days and that their eyes are red from a lack of sleep, and they are repeating the same phrases like, “I’ve been helping all this time, I just want to help, I just want to help”. 

What is your assessment of this person? It becomes apparent that they are in shock and in denial of how they need a rest! In their mind they are there to do good because the tragedy is severe; there to serve and alleviate the suffering, but if they themselves need attention and are not perceiving it, then you and I have to convince them to just stop! They may refuse to hear that they should come back after a few days, that they first should attend to their selves, but otherwise they are in no sane condition to be of a help to anyone and you cannot work with them.

I am using this example as a parallel to what happens in the church. There are many people who come to serve, but they have not perceived how they are not ready to serve correctly due to living in denial of the sins they have, due to not being aware of their lack of being properly trained for the job, and due to a lack of not getting their own healing taken care of first so they serve while healthy.

3. When a Christian shares their faith, what is one of the first steps they must get another person to do? They must help them to see their sin and be aware of their condition so they repent of it. You and I must help others see that they are a train wreck disaster, that they have messed up and sinned and offended God and others, and that they are not able to fix it on their own. Can you still see your sins? Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

Name me your past sins right now? Can you? If a person thinks that they are alright, that they don’t need your Christian opinion or God’s word to try and find fault with their life to correct anything, then they are rejecting salvation and they will remain as lost and will keep on damaging others and their own selves! The law is you reap what you sew, so no one escapes. Closeness to God means awareness of what is not right, not by your own definition, but by God’s word.

Proverbs 5:22-23(NIV) 22 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. 23 For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.

4. So here is another analogy. You were sick, you got afflicted, let’s say you got a broken ankle; you were not walking with God but rather you were walking in places that were dangerous and risky and you had a fall and a wake up call. A common event that happens with most all of us as humans, right? Then what happened next? You went to the emergency room, got a cast, had some time out laying flat looking into the sky that God made, and then you were better but you were not totally well, so what did the doctor recommend? Therapy!

Have you ever thought of church and your time with God as your therapy? You have been healed for the most part of your broken spirit but you must have God’s word, and fellowship with other Christians to keep maintaining your health, like a medicine. Time with God is needed for all of us or we will not heal in the right way. If you do not heal an ankle in the right way it will hurt horribly and make you walk crooked until you die! But if you do God’s therapy you see positive results!

Fellowship with God’s people brings us joy and happiness and makes our hearts glad!Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.  God’s word brings wisdom and healing spiritually and even physically! Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

5. So why am I bringing this up? Because I am concerned that some people are more healed up in your broken-ness than others! Christian growth is a process and some of you are cooperating more with God applying your needed medicine and therapy than others!

In general many Christians (and think about how you do it) wake up and pray every day, they take time to read or study God’s word every day, so weekly they are getting 6 days or 6 hours of healing and then another 3 or 4 hours on Sunday so they are making good progress. 

But there are others that wait until Sunday, and then they only come one or two Sundays a month, so how do they think that 4 hours a month is going to help? That’s only 1/10^thcompared to the progress of others! This is why a person becomes weak, become prey to the enemy, and are not used by God as God would like. God has his will for us, but too often people let their will in the way!

6. Jesus always wanted people to do their part, like when He resurrected Lazarus, he told those near him to roll away the stone. Another example of those doing their part was when Jesus told the lepers to go show their selves to the priest. He did not heal them instantly as with others in the recent past, these lepers had to walk for some time to get to the temple and do what lepers never did, go into the temple! 

Luke 17:  12 ‘And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.’ It was forbidden for a leper to go anywhere near a priest so those that obeyed and went despite knowing that fact were healed! And all 10 went and were healed but only 1 came back to give thanks!

There are many people who get sick and then beg God to heal them but then soon afterwards they forget about the miracle. Consider this, the Lord puts the maintenance of our healing salvation on each us and He wants it to continue. Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 

7. What the word makes clear here is that you no one is answering for your obedience to God’s word, not me, and not Paul of Tarsus. Only you are directly responsible for your own salvation and maintenance of living free from not committing further sins and progressing and growing into a spiritually healthy holy saint of God. The doctrines of the Salvation Army confirm what is stated here in the Word as well. Let’s review 7 and 9.

*7. That repentance toward God / faith in our Lord Jesus Christ / and regeneration by the Holy Spirit are necessary to salvation. 9. That continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ. 

So how are we going to keep well and on the right path? We have to have the desire, passion, and will to do the work to make it happen! But there is one thing here in Doctrine 7 that we must take a closer look at.

8. It is the regeneration by the Holy Spirit! That is our medicine and power that keeps us healed, walking firm and strong, not letting us fall down as we use to so easily as before. Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

What brings us success is our connection to the Holy Spirit with our regenerated heart that has lost its desire to sin.  We know there are gifts of the Spirit and there are the fruits of the Spirit. Let’s review some of both. 

I Cor. 12 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

9. So how do we know if a Christian is healthy and healing, or not? Matthew 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. In the Holy Scripture also we can compare if a person is acting out of their own flesh, or matured and governed by the Holy Spirit. 

Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

10. Everyone is at a different maturity healing level in their walk with Jesus. Some have not fully assessed what made them fall in the first place and recognized how much they need assistance to heal, or how important it is that they should invest a whole lot more into their spiritual well-being. 

So many people who come so infrequently, who communicate so little, who may have too much pride, think they can do their own therapy with little council or guidance, but we observe it is not creating the needed healing. Our Church/ Corps fellowships are comparable to like having a classroom that accommodates toddlers, middle schoolers, and college students all in the same building, and it is a difficult situation but God has an individual plan for each person He loves.

The factor is we must be tolerant of each other, and accepting of each person’s level. Years in the Corps, or age does not necessarily equate into maturity. Maturity is a personal ongoing endeavor and others are here to guide, teach, and support but it is each individual that advances or regresses by their daily choice.

11. God loves everyone and the college student should not resent the High Schooler and no one should be a critic of who is where in their spiritual life, that is between them and God. At one point we all started out with the (symbolic) broken ankle. What you are doing to heal as an individual is what matters.

I recall when I was in a room with 5 other people who had broken their hip as my mother had at this time about 5 years ago and everyone was doing therapy. Some refused the therapy and preferred to stay in a wheelchair. Others did their best to get up and endure the pain and strengthen their walk and get back to normal. And others were told they were doing too little exercise on their own and that they needed to improve their self, allowing help, if they wanted to walk correctly and heal appropriately. This image describes the Christian walk and the dedication of people to heal and grow, does it not?

This is the situation here in this piece of God’s Kingdom, in the Corps. No one is to blame for where you are at spiritually except yourself! The Captains and Pastors are not to blame for the immaturity of some as some would like to think. Jesus taught Peter and Judas the same things and one turned out to be a powerhouse for winning souls while the other turned out to be a traitor!

Where you are with God, mature or immature, with your fruits and gifts, has been the product of your own work! This church family has offered, and keeps offering plenty of training, sermons, Bible classes, and council but since the truth hurts as a therapy, many don’t want very much of it. Let’s pray that each of us will take conviction and take more imitative to mature and heal correctly so God can use you and me to the maximun for His glory in winning others to Jesus.     

Have You Had A Desert Experience? Re: COVID-19

Have You Had A Desert Experience?                                                             Kelly Durant

Luke 4:1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness

2. On the way home with our grandkids we had some hours to kill in the car and we were looking for things to do to make the time pass. We found some self-discovery psychological tests online and we each did them and had fun talking about it. I thought it would be good if you did one of the tests as well as it is connected to the message today.

Imagine you are walking in a solitary desert all alone and then you come across a cube. (pause) What is it made of? How big is it? Take a mental note. Now you see a ladder. Where is it in relation to the cube? What is it made of? Now you see flowers near the cube. How many are there?  A storm is coming in now. Do you see it near or far, as a danger or as something passing? This is just a piece of the test.

Now let’s find out about it. The desert is your journey in life. The cube is your ego. How big is it? Big or small? What is it made of? And the ladder near or far? It describes how close your relationships are to you. And how many flowers were there? This represents your children, or the number of people you take care of. Your fear of the future is revealed in the danger of the storm. If you are curious my cube was as big as a house made of steel, and the ladder was made of aluminum and it was on the front of the cube so you could go on top, and the whole thing had hundreds of flowers all around it! And I saw the storm far away and not a threat! Strange mental games, right? What were your answers? 

3. Here is a reality, life with God will lead you into the wilderness, or desert at some time in your life! Do you realize how many people had to go into the wilderness because God lead them there? I don’t think any of them really wanted to go because as human beings we always seek comfort. But whether they wanted it or not it was a process that was needed for them to understand the deeper things God needed to teach them so they could be rewarded and broken into a vessel that is useful for God’s service.

Adam and Eve were forced into the wilderness out of the garden. Physically and metaphorically all of humanity is still in the wilderness and not home yet! Then after Adam there is Abraham. At a certain point in his life God spoke to him and told him to travel across unknown places. 

Genesis 12: 1 Now the Lord had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country, From your family

And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2. I will make you a great nation;

I will bless you, And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.

3. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you;

And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

 

So for God’s purpose and blessings, whether we decide for it or not, may include that you and I will have to move one day! And who was the next person in Genesis to be forced to leave into the wilderness out of the city of Sodom? Sodom was a comfortable prosperous place, but it was full of sin and violence compared to many huge cities today. It was Lot and his family! And then there is another one who had to go into the desert sent away; it was Hagar, who had her son Ishmael. And what about Joseph who is next on this list in Genesis? He was sold into slavery by his brothers and was taken through the desert to Egypt. And after the children’s children of Abraham spent a few hundred years in Egypt how did they escape the idolatry and slavery? God’s man Moses called them out and took them out into the desert! 

 

4. So God’s Word from the beginning describes how his children literally have to move from one place to another, and often move into a desert place for some time for a purpose, and this begs this question, how does this relate to you and me in our life? Can you describe a time in your life in which you felt like you were in a wilderness? A place and time where the heat and survival to live was so intense it was a life changing purge? Or maybe you are feeling that now!

 

God’s word since the beginning has recorded these personal stories of faith journeys in the wilderness for a reason. It is for each one of us to learn and mature by the life threatening experience because we usually do not do that on our own. We must ‘feel the heat’! Each of us have been, or will have to be in the desert at some point in our life in order to learn what God wants us to learn. Some people go through it young as Joseph, while others go through the desert when they are old, as Moses did.

 

Sometimes we get frustrated with each other as many people tend to be impatient, rude, prideful, unsympathetic, and unloving and these characteristics are what we saw in Moses and many others before their purging desert experience. The desert purge will change you because you are in a place where you will die if you do not depend on God! The quicker you and I learn the better!

 

5. So how do we relate the desert wilderness experience to Jesus as in the verse of today? It is interesting to note that even though He was divine, Jesus still had to learn to dominate His human nature and He had to learn that alone battling it out with Satan.

 

Here is a verse that always troubled me because I always thought, well, if Jesus had to suffer to learn, how much more I must suffer then to learn as well! Hebrews 5:8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. I always pray, “Lord make me a quick learner of your will!” 

 

The basics of this experience that Jesus had was to allow Him to go through all the situations and temptations that all of us must go through which are temptations to seek for bread alone, (implying the selfish desire for survival or seeking this world’s goods only) forgetting to worship God the provider who provides in His time. Next is the temptation to gain power and riches which Satan can grant by worshipping Him but you lose your soul in rebellion and to hell in the process. And finally the temptation to test God to show off is spiritual pride. Apart from life’s tests add in feelings of extreme discomfort when the heat is on and these include hunger, thirst, loneliness, anger, and depression.    

 

6. When I was a young radical passionate Christian I always had in the back of my mind that I too should get away and fast for 30 days as Jesus did in order to connect with God. I always wanted to be just alone with God but I never really got the chance as Jesus did it. I have fasted a few days at a time though. 

 

And then one day God seemed to speak to me in that still small voice that I was not Jesus, so why should I want to copy Him in everything? My life and yours may be on God’s path but it would be spiritual pride to copy Jesus exactly if imitating Him is just to show off we can be exactly like Him. But we never will be as holy, as strong, as loving as He was! But we do need to do our best!  I think you might be pretty sick after 30 days of no food! And traumatized as well from the isolation, heat, and mind games! 

 

We do seek to imitate Jesus in our lives and I have seen miracles after praying for others, but no one of us can ever be on the deserved respectable level of Jesus in His passionate dedication to God’s will. But we try! We obey to be holy as He is holy! But here is what God showed me then, it was almost as if He said, (in my thoughts) don’t seek a desert, your desert will come, but not the one you imagine, but one I will show you. In other words the purging, the maturing, the time of feeling all alone and having to only depend on God alone will happen but it will happen in God’s time but in the time and place where God will take you. 

 

7. But what do we learn from Jesus? He was called to a mission from God, got baptized as a symbol of His start down that path of mission. And then the heavens opened for all to see that the Holy Spirit would dwell with Him and all of us, and at that moment the Holy Spirit was leading Jesus.

 

Luke 4:1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. This was the path God had for Him and God has a distinct destiny for everyone, but you have to be sure that it is His Holy Spirit guiding you. How do you know? Believe me, you will know!

 

When I was called as a young man to serve God I was a confused mess wanting to escape this world after learning about all the hell and injustices that exist with hellish people and wars dominating this world. But after I decided to serve and follow Jesus I suddenly felt peace, joy, love and an unexplainable desire to help others and to give them what I had found, which was a new start in life with Jesus in the center of everything!

 

8. So while serving Jesus the desert in my life came after about 1 ½ year later of serving Him. The first 6 months I was in the clouds with Jesus. The next 6 months after that in Brazil the people were amazingly receptive to the gospel and I loved life. But then after that there were days in Bolivia in Lapaz where there are closed cold hearts that I literally cried day after day for a few months out of frustration that no one would convert to serve Jesus full time. Everyday I would pass out gospel tracts and pray with someone the sinner’s prayer but no one wanted to forsake all their miserable life, poor possessions, and shallow life to follow Jesus. I felt like all my labor was in vain and that I was sewing in the desert and I was alone in my fight but I was not going to quit!  

 

I often felt stupid inside trying love people who would not respond. I felt like a fool and then I read in my Bible that that was exactly what Paul felt as well. 1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored!

 

This is only one of the mini-deserts I have had to cross. But a few years later going back to Lapaz for 3 years I had a better experience. There are moments in our lives that we will feel like we are lost and spinning our wheels, walking in circles in the desert as the Israelites did with Moses because they were not mature and ready for the promised land. I prayed, “God get be out of here, change me totally to be what you need me to be!”

 

9. In our study of holiness you will recall Samuel Brengle, the Salvation Army theologian who wrote more than a dozen books on holiness, and how did he gained so much insight into God’s nature and change into God’s man? He went through several long and trying deserts. For one he was very well educated when he came to The Salvation Army as a young man but the founder, William Booth, chose to put him in charge of shining the hundreds of shoes of all the Officers that went out preaching in the muddy streets of London.

 

He must have felt humiliated, confused, and angry, but he was not going to quit, he remained faithful and took it like a test that he was going to pass and after months of being a nobody, God was preparing to use him as a great somebody. But later, after passing through the purge of Cadet training while in one of his appointments do you recall what tragedy happened to him next? An evil person who did not like street preachers dropped a brick on his head from a tall building! 

 

That injury almost killed him and sent him to the hospital for more than a year and half! Did he ever doubt and tell God that he was finished because serving him only got him into situations of suffering? No! He used his time alone in that hospital bed to write about how to live in God’s perfect love and holiness. His insight and writings live on, and his life was changed into something supernatural forever after that.  

 

10. So what desert have you been through? The desert is not always a physical one but it is a spiritual one, it is a time when you are tempted and tried, a time when everything around you seems meaningless and is just sand, uncomfortableness and nothing. 

 

Here is something I know, the desert is not forever for the Christian! The desert for Jesus was for 30 days and the desert for some may be for much longer, even years! In the case of the rebellious Israelites under Moses it lasted a lifetime but most of us are not that rebellious! When you feel a trying time coming on with loneliness and overwhelming heat and trials, it is time to seek God as never before! Today the Holy Spirit talks to us to teach us about where to be in God’s will but we must ask God to mold us and remake us as we, with overwhelming discomfort, learn to listen and obey His Word and will for our lives.    

 

The sad reality is many people in this world, even some Christians are too preprogramed by the culture and system have and have opted for the bread of materialism instead of faith, this world’s power positions instead of God’s future kingdom, and they tempt God by acting invincible with over confidence that God will just do for them all of what they desire. I wish that everyone would have a wilderness experience so they could turn their entire life around and be close to God! That is our goal… holiness, intimacy, and love dominating our lives and love for our amazing Savior who proved victory over evil is possible! 

   

 

 

 

Encourage Others To Be Encouraged!

Encourage Others To Be Encouraged! A Study in the Book of Acts  

by Kelly Durant  8-2-20                                  

Acts 4:36, Acts 9:31, Acts 11:23-24 , Acts 15:32 Acts 16: Acts 18:27, Acts 20:2, and Acts 28:15

2-How many of you have heard a quote, ‘It is better a hand on the shoulder, than a (hand) swat on the rear?’ It’s so true! We all need encouragement often! Do you not agree? In life everyone needs correction and instruction, but my favorite is way to give it is through encouragement! Encouragement needs from each of us all the time! It is an act of divine love!

Some of you have a difficult life from abusive people around. Some people are more easily depressed than others. Some people are living in very difficult situations. The reality is we all need someone to lift us up from time to time!

In life the average person will suffer discouragement over and over. People live with family problems, broken relationships, health issues, financial worries, corruption in their communities, and just random chaos upsetting our daily lives! Plus riots, unemployment, and Covid! 

3-But we have the promises of God from the Holy Scriptures that we are always going to come out alright!  As in Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.  And Jesus said,  in John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

These are a few causes of sadness and discouragement.  I personally think what brings about one of the worst discouragements in our lives a feeling of being unloved and unwanted. Sometimes this is due to circumstances out of our control. 

Sometimes our feelings come from deceptions aroused from bad information and distorted images. Often our minds deceive us, and if we are not praying, Satan, our enemy, can play with us to form attitudes against others which cause division and prevent the loving of another as our self. This divides and separates us. 

Mother Teresa stated, “The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved”.  I think everyone would confirm that our most important job in life is to love God and others and to encourage others in word and with effective deeds of kindness!

4-And then some people provoke upon their selves their own discouragement.  Sad but true, some people are not very loved because they themselves do not give love. Everyone reaps what they sew, or do not sew, in this life and eternally.

No matter what your situation is, it is important to refresh our minds at how to obtain encouragement. Repeatedly in the book of Acts we read that the disciples got encouragement. God wants Christians to be full of faith, hope, and love and these all bring encouragement!  

Do you like to encourage others? Do you sew it so you can reap it?

5-Consider this, how would you like to have as your name, Encourager? Acts 4:36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”, in modern English), (Other version: Son of consolation).

Imagine, if someone were to say, the son of encouragement will come to my house to visit, do you want to meet him?  Barnabas was true to his name to console others.  He was one of the first Jewish disciples that was considered to be a saint by the old church.

His first name was Joses, but he was led to change his name to Barnabas. Recall as well Saul became Paul, and many Christians changed their names to signify their mission in life! Maybe we should change the names of some of you here! I have known a few ladies with the name Dolores (which means “pains”) that I wish we could renamed as Joy!

If Barnabas had the job of encouraging, and he was one of the most important figures travelling with Paul, then I deduct the message we should learn here is that we must develop more encouragers amongst ourselves!

Where does our encouragement from God come from? Through the Holy Spirit!

6-Acts 9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

Here in this Corps, we observe ourselves in this phase as they were, in a time of strength.  

We are enjoying a growth phase, but this blessing is only effective if each person here is being sensitive living a pure obedient Christian life which attracts the Holy Spirit! It also attracts others from the world to join us to get relief from their suffering. Jesus stated clearly that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter. 

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

When you share comfort and encouragement you are being a channel for the Holy Spirit to work in you!

7-Acts 11: 22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. 23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. 24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.

So now consider this, Barnabas encouraged others with the Holy Spirit, and many people believed on the Lord due to his way of being, by his loving spirit, and for his concern for others. His influence was like a fire that spread and warmed many hearts to do the same! Let’s keep this fire burning!

This brings each of us to a challenge, ask yourself: How many people have you encouraged in your lifetime to be closer to the Lord? Can you name the person that has encouraged you in your past as well?

The word says in Matthew 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

8-Let’s continue on in Acts 15:32 Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers.

Here we have an example of 2 more brothers who were very good at encouraging others. And a prophet, or one representing God, is one who encourages through prayer and study of the word, and the results bring strength and power in the spirit!

How encouraging are you? How loving are you? How full of the Holy Spirit are you? When people think of you, do they think you are full of comfort, consolation, and encouragement? Or are others indifferent to you because you are indifferent?

9-Acts 16:40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.

What is the message here? Whenever you have a testimony you must share it to encourage others! Paul and Silas had a big testimony, that God opened the prison doors for them!

These brothers went to a house for a visit, but what about those that are too far away to visit? What can we do?

All of us can encourage friends that are far away by writing to them sharing  uplifting words to continue to do good for the Lord! In today’s world be can call them as well! We find more visitation in the next verse, first a letter, then a visit.

10-Acts 18:27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.

Paul, Barnabas and many like Apollos seemed to get around a lot to encourage others. 

Acts 20:2 He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 

Even when you are in a hard situation you can still be uplifting. Paul was shipwrecked and in a survival situation but he was always positive. Look in:

11-Acts 27: 34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. 36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.

Notice how Paul encouraged them that nothing bad would happen to them because God was with them in their journey on the ship. Do you do that? Do you tell others things will come out good because God is with you? The people were made very happy by these words! And his encouragement was not a long exhortation but a short one. Encouragement doesn’t have to be a long speech; it can be just a few words as well.

12-Acts 28:15The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged.

What we learn from this verse is when a Christian brother or sister is close by we should get excited and encouraged we should go visit them as it will bring us up in spirits. If they come near, we should also go to see them.

Travel or visiting and seeing friends encourages us in the spirit! Encouragement comes from hearing the word through someone who is mature in the spirit. Leaders must travel to inspire others!

13-What has the Book of Acts taught us about encouragement today?

1-Encouragement comes from people who take up the challenge. Ask yourself, am I willing to be a Barnabas to have the ministry of encouragement?

2-Encouragement comes from the Holy Spirit and all we have to do is ask for it. Ask yourself, do I regularly ask for the Holy Spirit to be close to me?

3-The influence of one encourager spreads and causes many others to become encouragers as well.  Ask yourself how many people have I influenced in my life?

4-We must share testimonies and positive words of God’s works to bring encouragement to others. Ask yourself, when have I shared a testimony?

5-Visitation from others brings encouragement. Ask yourself, when was the last time I traveled to get encouragement from someone mature in the faith? Or to give it?

Remember love is encouragement and it is like a cologne, or perfume, and you cannot put some on someone else without getting some on yourself! Be encouraged and encourage others from this day forward! 

1- Barnabas: Ministry of encouragement! For you?

2- The Holy Spirit for encouragement! Got it?

3-The influence of encouragement! Have you?

4- Share words of encouragement! Do you?

5-Visitations bring encouragement. Will you?