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2005 - Touchet Baptist Church, Touchet, Washington - Pastor Mike Paulson - 2005 Expounding the way of God more perfectly - Acts 18:26 - with the Scriptures Rightly Divided - II Timothy 2:15 |
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Part I You looking for a few wonders, are you? |
Life is life - and it often 'stinks,' eh!
And yet, all of a sudden - POW! You still get
a hit!
And maybe even a hit on top of that hit!
Where is God, you might ask?
Be of good cheer?
Or are we just acting like those folks in New Orleans who are complaining about their rescuers?
Are we complaining to our rescuer - are we fighting the One with the life preserver?
The professional advice to save a drowning person is to sneak up behind
them
and whack them on the noggin - if that doesn't' work, let em go...
...or they will try to take you down with them!
Do we drag God down in the eyes and ears of others with our whining
and complaining
and wondering where He is at causing others to wonder the same thing?
2. Maybe God is trying to show SOMEBODY ELSE something through
your life's testimony and how you have learned to trust and follow Him
No Matter What, just like you have professed to others!!!
II Corinthians 1:4-6 - Who
comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort
them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves
are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so
our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted,
it
is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring
of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted,
it is for your consolation and salvation.
3. Maybe God is just trying to get some glory from a victory
in your trial? Is that a morbid thought?
Revelation 4:11 - Thou
art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast
created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Doesn't He still deserve praise for even your trials?
4. Maybe God is trying to make you a bit more worthy yourself?
II Thessalonians 1:4,5 - So
that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience
and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:Which
is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted
worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
II Thessalonians 1:11 - Wherefore
also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this
calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work
of faith with power:
5. Maybe God would like to give you something from your trials
- maybe you could earn a few things yourself...
I Peter 1:7 - That
the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,
though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and
glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
I Peter 4:12 -
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try
you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
Revelation 3:18 -
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be
rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame
of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that
thou mayest see. That stuff
in our lives is not easy today!
Speaking of the Book of Revelation...
Don't fool yourself - when things appear to
be good in your eyes, they may not be that good!
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased
with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched,
and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: Revelation
3:17
And remember that you are living in the hour of temptation -
the Laodicean church age - Revelation 3
- you can't get out of it - you are not in the Philadelphian era, nor are
you in the Smyrna church age - you don't have to die in jail or on the
rack or tied to a burning stake with nails jammed between your fingernails
with a nail infested rag crammed down your throat! Things could always
be worse!
Let's look the Book for some 'advice' - 'ensample' on this matter!
Look at Moses in Exodus chapter 1.
The folks had gone from 1800-1400 B.C. without God stepping in - 400
years. America isn't even that old!
Do you not believe what you have read / been preached to, etc?
Exodus 4:1 - And
Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken
unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.
you don't think you have seen God work around here?
you don't think you have seen God prove that what
you have heard in the preaching here is true concerning these deceitful
days of more and more apostasy!
you don't think you have seen blessings from God
here in Touchet?
Well, how do you expect God to 'show Himself" today?
Why do you even expect God to 'show Himself' today?
We have had it so good in America, haven't we!
Exodus 1:7 -
And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and
multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
But things are sure different these days!
Exodus 1:8 -
Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
As did Moses' people, we certainly have heard God's promises...
He must know our situation...
Exodus 3:7-9 -
And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which
are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters;
for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out
of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto
a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto
the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the
Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold,
the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen
the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
I Timothy 1:14 -
And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which
is in Christ Jesus.
Read the sermon Delivered
from & to...
Are we allowing these hard and difficult things in our life cause
us bitterness towards God?
Exodus 1:14 -
And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick,
and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they
made them serve, was with rigour.
People in those days needed SIGNS!
After Moses came onto the scene, they had to SEE God work!
Exodus 4:8,9,17,28,30.
Those who still look for signs and wonders today are on a dangerous
ground because the Antichrist will deceive the world with signs and wonders.
Revelation 13:13-14; II Thessalonians 2:8-12
- even with the help of the Lord - that ole strong delusion that He will
send!
The generation that seeketh a sign - But
he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh
after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the
prophet Jonas: Matthew 12:39
Mark 16:16-20
- is still all about confirming the word with signs!
That is tonight - Part II
Where Do We See God's Wonders Today?