male announcer: This
presentation is brought to you
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by the friends of the
Amazing Facts ministry.
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¤¤¤
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Doug Batchelor: Sometimes
you'll go through a trial
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because you may have
an idol in your life.
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It could be somebody.
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It could be something
that is more important to you
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than God, and God
may touch that person
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or that thing to
get your attention.
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Doug: You know, I
wanted to share what I think is
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a practical message
with you today that I hope
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will be of some encouragement.
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It's about "Coping
Through Tough Times."
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How can we triumph
in spite of our trials?
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The Bible's pretty clear
that there are trials in life.
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Everybody at some
point is going to experience
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varying degrees of trouble.
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You can read in Ecclesiastes
chapter 2, verse 23: "For
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all of his days are sorrowful,
and his work burdensome;
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even in the night
his heart takes no rest."
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Paul said, "All that live
godly," this is 2 Timothy 3:12.
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"All that live godly
will suffer persecution."
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And Paul, he was, "Strengthening
the souls of the disciples,
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exhorting them continue in the
faith, saying, 'We must through
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many tribulations
enter the kingdom of God.'"
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It is through tribulation
we enter the kingdom.
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Everybody
experiences tough times, but
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don't be discouraged.
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In spite of that, we can
have joy and we can have faith.
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You can read where Jesus said,
of course, that "in this life,
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you'll have tribulation; but be
of good cheer, I've overcome the
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world."
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"All that live godly
will suffer persecution.
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St. Augustine said, "God had one
Son on earth without sin, but he
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never had one
without suffering."
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So all of us experience
varying degrees of suffering.
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Now, I'll make
something for you very simple.
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If you wanna understand the
trials that you go through and
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kind of a divine perspective,
everything is gonna fall into
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one of two
categories, and often both.
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In your struggles, God is
trying to do something in you,
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that's one.
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And in your struggles,
God is wanting to do something
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through you.
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And often, he's wanting to
do something in you and through
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you, it's both.
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If you know there's a purpose
behind it, it's a lot easier to
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deal with, right?
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If we just can know, "Is
there some reason for this?
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Is something good
coming out of it?"
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then it makes it a
lot easier to handle.
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So, here are some of the common
reasons, according to the Bible,
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that people go through trials,
trouble, suffering, tribulation.
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First of all, he wants to help
us recognize our spiritual need.
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So, some of it for us.
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It's redemptive.
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The Bible says, "Blessed are the
poor in spirit, for theirs is
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the kingdom of heaven."
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And God may have blessed
you with physical poverty so you
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might know your
spiritual poverty.
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Our different trials that we go
through are designed to help us
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know that.
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2 Chronicles 32:31: "God
withdrew from Hezekiah, in order
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to test him, that he might
know all that was in his heart."
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Hezekiah thought he was rich
and increased with goods, and he
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didn't realize he had a
lot of pride in his heart.
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So, God--now, God didn't
back off so God could find out.
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God knows everything, right?
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The Bible says,
"Jesus knew what was in man."
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He did it so that Hezekiah could
realize, "Maybe I'm not as holy
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as I thought."
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God sends messengers to find out
about Jehovah, and instead, all
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he does is talk about his stuff.
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You ever gone through trial and
the Lord showed you something
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about yourself you didn't know?
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Exodus 9:27: "And the pharaoh
said to them, 'I have sinned
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this time.
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The Lord is righteous,
and my people are wicked."
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Even the pharaoh came to
the place where he realized his
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wickedness as he went through
the trial of the plagues that
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came on Egypt.
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So, that's one thing.
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Number two, God sometimes allows
us to go through trials to
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humble us because God--if you
kick the devil out for pride,
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we're not going into
heaven with our pride.
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We need to humble
ourselves, which is very hard.
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Deuteronomy 8:3: "So he humbled
you, he allowed you to hunger,
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and to feed you with manna
which you did not know nor your
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fathers know, that he might make
you know that man doesn't live
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by bread alone; but by every
word that proceeds from the
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mouth of God."
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Jesus, of course,
quotes this to the devil,
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the proudest of
all, in the wilderness.
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He humbled them that they
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might come to depend on God.
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They went through trials where
they not only ran out of food,
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they ran out of water,
and they had to turn to God.
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They were
attacked by their enemies.
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They learned on a daily basis
that they had to depend on God,
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and it's
humbling, but it's healthy.
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Ezra 8:21: "Then I proclaimed
a fast there at the river Ahava,
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that we might humble
ourselves before God."
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You know, sometimes fasting is
sort of like self-induced trial,
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self-denial, and part of
that represents we're humbling
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ourselves before God.
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Matthew 26:75: "And Peter
remembered the words of Jesus
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when he said, 'Before the
rooster crows, you'll deny me
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three times--'"
Peter had been bragging,
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"Though all men should forsake
you, I'll not forsake you."
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And he went through this
terrible trial so he could find
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out something in his own heart,
and he realized, "I'm not near
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as loyal as I thought I was."
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And the Bible says, "He
went out and he wept bitterly."
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So, that trial accomplished
something in Peter, and it also
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is a warning to us.
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Another reason we go through
trials is point number three, is
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to help us with our priorities,
to prioritize things correctly.
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You remember God said
to Abraham, "You love me?"
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"I love you."
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He said, "Okay, take your
son, your only son who you love,
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bring him to the Mountains of
Moriah and offer him there as an
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offering."
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"Well, Lord, I love you, but,
you know, actually, I love my
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son more." No,
he didn't say that.
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He put God first.
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Now, do you think that
was a trial for Abraham?
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It was.
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Sometimes you'll go through
a trial because you may have an
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idol in your life.
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It could be somebody.
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It could be something that is
more important to you than God,
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and God may touch that
person or that thing to get your
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attention.
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It wasn't just
Abraham with his son.
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How many of you remember
Jephthah with his daughter?
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He made a vow,
"Lord, you give me victory.
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Whatever it is that comes
through the gates of my house
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I'll offer to you."
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And the first thing through the
gates was not his ox or his goat
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or sheep. It was his daughter.
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He said, "Alas, my daughter, I
have opened my mouth to the Lord
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and I cannot go back."
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Doesn't Jesus say, "Unless you
love me more than the husband,
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wife, child, son, daughter,
you're not worthy of the
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kingdom, father, mother."
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Jesus needs first place.
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Trials sometimes help us to
recognize what our priorities
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are and to get them straight.
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Another reason we
sometimes go through trouble is,
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quite honestly, simply
to separate us from sin.
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It's a fire of
suffering that often brings fold
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the gold of godliness.
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1 Peter 4:1 and 2: "Therefore,
since Christ suffered for us in
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the flesh, arm yourself also
with the same mind, for he who
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had suffered in the flesh
has ceased from sin, that he no
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longer should live the rest
of his life in the flesh for the
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lusts of men, but
for the will of God."
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Hebrews 12:10: "For they indeed
for a few days chastened us as
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seemed best to them, but he,"
God, "for our profit, that we
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might be
partakers of his holiness."
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Now, so, sometimes God allows us
to go through suffering, and I'm
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gonna spend a moment on
this, because it's a chastening.
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Now, how many
of you are parents?
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I won't ask you how
you chasten your children.
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But how many of you lived in the
great generation that believed
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in the rod or the belt or the
switch or the willow, and you
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survived?
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How many of you that raised
your hand believed it wasn't
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that bad?
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You know, the Bible has a
lot to say about that one.
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You take this up with the Lord.
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I'm gonna probably get a call
from the officials, but this is
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what the Bible says.
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Hebrews 12, verse 4: "You've
not yet resisted to bloodshed,
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striving against sin."
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There's a struggle
sometimes with temptation.
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"And you've forgotten the
exhortation that speaks to you
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as sons: 'My son, do not despise
the chastening of the Lord, or
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be discouraged when you're
rebuked by him; for whom the
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Lord loves he chastens,
and he scourges every son
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who he receives.'
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If you endure chastening,
God deals with you as sons; for
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what son is there whom
the father does not chasten?
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But if you are without
chastening, of which you've
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become partakers, then you
are illegitimate and not sons.
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Furthermore, if we have human
fathers who corrected us, and we
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paid them respect, shall
we not much more readily be in
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subjection to the
Father of spirits and live?"
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Submit to his
chastening, in other words.
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"For they indeed for a few
days," earthly fathers, "for a
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few days chastened us as seemed
best to them, but he for our
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profit," sometimes parents don't
do it for the best motives and
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the best way.
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They're doing their best.
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But he said, "God always does it
for a profit, that we might be
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partakers of his holiness."
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Sometimes you're going through
trials and God is allowing it,
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that he can refine you and
you can be a partaker of his
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holiness.
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"Now no chastening seems to
be joyful for the present, but
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painful; nevertheless, afterward
it yields the peaceable fruit of
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righteousness to those
who have been trained by it."
00:10:23.89\00:10:28.22
Job 5:17: "Behold, happy is the
man whom God corrects; therefore
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do not despise the
chastening of the Almighty.
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For whom he bruises, but he
binds up; he wounds, but his
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hands make whole."
00:10:41.70\00:10:42.94
And again, it says, Proverbs 3,
verse 11 to 12: "My son, do not
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despise the chastening of the
Lord, nor detest his correction;
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for whom he loves he corrects,"
and there the Bible talks about
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some children that were
not corrected by their parents.
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Like, it talks about David
did not correct Adonijah, and he
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became very--a
lot of bad behavior.
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Eli would not correct his sons,
and he lost his sons, his sons
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and daughters.
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And again, I'm not talking about
corporal punishment, but I'm
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talking about the chastening of
the Lord, sometimes to save us
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because he loves us.
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Now, there's a couple
times my father spanked me.
00:11:19.67\00:11:21.44
Somebody threw a rock from
our house and hit the neighbor's
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house down below, and my
dad lined us all up and said,
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"Who did it?"
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And we all said we didn't
do it, but he was sure I did,
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and I got spanked,
and I didn't do it.
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But, you know, I didn't hold
it against my father because I
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thought of all the times I did
do things he didn't know about,
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and so I figured
it evened out somehow.
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You know what I'm talking about?
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Parents make mistakes, but
what about all the times you did
00:11:44.30\00:11:47.14
something wrong and you didn't
get in trouble, or you blamed it
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on your sibling and
they got in trouble?
00:11:50.81\00:11:52.97
And so it sort of
evens out at some point.
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Sometimes we go through
trials 'cause it helps us
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to focus on heaven.
00:11:59.51\00:12:01.78
Romans 8:18: "For I consider
that the sufferings of this
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present time are not worthy to
be compared with the glory that
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is to be revealed."
00:12:09.39\00:12:10.63
You know, as you think ahead and
you look at heaven, it gives us
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peace in knowing that you can
endure almost anything if you
00:12:14.93\00:12:19.03
know it's not gonna last.
00:12:19.07\00:12:20.70
It reminds you that whatever
suffering you have now, it's not
00:12:20.74\00:12:23.81
gonna last.
00:12:23.84\00:12:25.04
And the sufferings of this life
is like just a drop of water,
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and then look at an ocean.
00:12:30.45\00:12:32.85
I mean, you might have a hard
time in this life with that one
00:12:32.88\00:12:35.65
drop of water, but God is gonna
give you an ocean of pleasure at
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his right hand forevermore that
you can't comprehend through
00:12:39.62\00:12:42.36
eternity.
00:12:42.39\00:12:43.56
So to patiently endure the
struggles of this life, though
00:12:43.59\00:12:46.96
they seem to be long, is really
nothing, Paul is saying, by
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comparison with the glory that
God has in store for those that
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love him." Can you say, "Amen"?
00:12:55.14\00:12:58.37
Doug: Don't go
anywhere, friends.
00:12:58.41\00:12:59.51
In just a moment, we're
gonna continue with the rest of
00:12:59.54\00:13:01.71
today's presentation.
00:13:01.74\00:13:04.11
Have you ever wondered why a
loving God would allow you to
00:13:04.15\00:13:07.98
experience various trials,
sickness, the death of a loved
00:13:08.02\00:13:11.55
one, a divorce, or losing a job?
00:13:11.59\00:13:13.96
It's never pleasant to go
through these challenging times.
00:13:13.99\00:13:18.96
So why does God allow us
to experience these trials?
00:13:18.99\00:13:23.00
Understanding this
question can change your life.
00:13:23.03\00:13:26.00
That's why "Amazing Facts" would
like to send you this special
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gift called
"The Brook Dried Up."
00:13:30.31\00:13:32.64
This insightful and inspiring
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00:13:32.67\00:13:35.74
dependable Bible answers about
the reasons God allows us to
00:13:35.78\00:13:39.15
experience trials.
00:13:39.18\00:13:40.28
Reading this book will
strengthen your faith and help
00:13:40.32\00:13:43.25
prepare you to face
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To get your free copy, call the
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And after you read this
incredible resource, make sure
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and share it with a friend.
00:13:57.57\00:13:59.87
Well, now, let's get back to the
rest of today's presentation and
00:13:59.90\00:14:03.54
learn some more amazing
facts from the Word of God.
00:14:03.57\00:14:07.48
Doug: You know, a boxer can
stay in the ring and endure all
00:14:07.51\00:14:09.51
kinds of punches when he
considers the prize, the title,
00:14:09.54\00:14:14.65
and I don't recommend boxing.
00:14:14.68\00:14:17.92
It's a brutal sport,
but I used to watch it.
00:14:17.95\00:14:20.42
And my mother dated a
fellow that was big into boxing
00:14:20.46\00:14:24.63
for years.
00:14:24.66\00:14:25.86
And there was this one fight
in New York City, some of you
00:14:25.89\00:14:28.23
remember Muhammad Ali, Cassius
Clay when I was a kid, and he
00:14:28.26\00:14:32.13
fought with Joe Frazier.
00:14:32.17\00:14:33.30
And it's one of the few
fights that Muhammad Ali lost.
00:14:33.34\00:14:37.17
And they stood toe to toe in
the ring, and they beat on each
00:14:37.21\00:14:40.44
other for 15 rounds,
2 heavyweight boxers.
00:14:40.48\00:14:43.88
And Muhammad Ali got knocked out
a couple times, and he was in
00:14:43.91\00:14:47.75
pretty shape.
00:14:47.78\00:14:48.98
After the fight, he was in
the locker room, and he's on the
00:14:49.02\00:14:52.12
table, and a doctor's checkin'
on him 'cause he's bleedin',
00:14:52.15\00:14:54.96
he's swollen, he's bruised, and
Diana Ross, the singer, came in
00:14:54.99\00:14:58.36
and she saw him, and
she fell down at the table.
00:14:58.39\00:15:00.80
She's on her
knees, and she's crying.
00:15:00.83\00:15:03.13
He said, "I know I'm not pretty
anymore," he said, "but don't
00:15:03.16\00:15:06.23
cry for me, Diana.
00:15:06.27\00:15:07.34
I just got paid $2
million to get beat up."
00:15:07.37\00:15:09.90
He could handle it when
he thought about the prize.
00:15:12.07\00:15:15.64
And we've gotta keep our mind
on the prize, that this is not
00:15:15.68\00:15:19.41
gonna last forever.
00:15:19.45\00:15:21.22
There's a number of
promises in the Bible.
00:15:21.25\00:15:23.89
2 Corinthians 4:17: "For our
light affliction, which is but
00:15:23.92\00:15:28.82
for a moment, is working for us
a far more exceeding and eternal
00:15:28.86\00:15:34.30
weight of glory, while we do
not look at the things that are
00:15:34.30\00:15:37.40
seen, but the
things that are not seen."
00:15:37.43\00:15:40.64
Another reason we have trouble
is to help us help others.
00:15:40.67\00:15:46.41
I told you that God allows these
things to do something in us,
00:15:46.44\00:15:49.88
and often to do
something through us.
00:15:49.91\00:15:51.91
Job was afflicted, and he might
have wondered, "Why is this
00:15:54.05\00:15:58.59
happening?"
00:15:58.62\00:15:59.82
And he and his friends spent a
whole book talking about why an
00:15:59.85\00:16:01.82
innocent man would suffer.
00:16:01.86\00:16:03.63
How many people, how many
millions of people have been
00:16:03.66\00:16:06.06
encouraged by
the patience of Job?
00:16:06.09\00:16:08.26
Even James refers to the
patience of Job, where we see
00:16:08.30\00:16:11.63
that, in the end, God is good,
and we're realizing there's a
00:16:11.67\00:16:15.90
battle behind the scenes.
00:16:15.94\00:16:17.14
And as you look at the trials
that Job goes through, he maybe
00:16:17.17\00:16:19.91
couldn't see it then from
his perspective, but we can see,
00:16:19.94\00:16:23.45
looking back, that God sometimes
allows these things to teach us
00:16:23.48\00:16:30.45
and to help others.
00:16:30.49\00:16:31.79
Notice, 2
Corinthians 1, verse 3.
00:16:31.82\00:16:34.59
Now, this is a little bit of a
deep verse, so you gotta follow
00:16:34.62\00:16:39.33
me.
00:16:39.36\00:16:40.16
Paul sometimes
waxes eloquent here.
00:16:40.20\00:16:43.23
"Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
00:16:43.26\00:16:46.50
Father of mercies and the God
of all comfort," now that's the
00:16:46.53\00:16:49.27
operative word, "who comforts us
in all of our tribulation," why?
00:16:49.30\00:16:54.51
"That we may be able to comfort
those who are in any trouble."
00:16:54.54\00:16:59.71
The sermon's about how
to get through trouble.
00:16:59.75\00:17:04.49
Why do we go through trouble?
00:17:04.52\00:17:05.69
"That we might comfort those
who are in any trouble with the
00:17:05.72\00:17:09.09
comfort with which we
ourselves are comforted by God.
00:17:09.12\00:17:13.50
For as the sufferings of Christ
abound in us, our consolation
00:17:13.53\00:17:16.90
also abounds through Christ."
00:17:16.93\00:17:18.83
We're consoling others.
00:17:18.87\00:17:20.14
Now, if we're afflicted,
it's for your consolation and
00:17:20.17\00:17:23.24
salvation, which is effective
enduring the same sufferings
00:17:23.27\00:17:26.91
that we also suffer.
00:17:26.94\00:17:28.74
Or we are comforted, with
your consolation and salvation."
00:17:28.78\00:17:33.25
So, whatever you're going
through, God even might be using
00:17:33.28\00:17:36.18
it to discipline you, but it
could have multiple purposes,
00:17:36.22\00:17:39.59
one of them being that whenever
you get through it, you will be
00:17:39.62\00:17:43.39
able to relate to
another person and help them.
00:17:43.43\00:17:48.06
A friend was telling me they
were in the hospital for some
00:17:48.10\00:17:50.73
procedure, and a nurse came in
and had to turn them, and they
00:17:50.77\00:17:57.91
said, "That nurse was, like,
Atilla the Hun, just came in and
00:17:57.94\00:18:02.18
just threw me around, and I'm
in pain, and I'm going, 'Ow, ow,
00:18:02.21\00:18:04.61
oh, ahh--'" And said, "The next
day, another nurse, a different
00:18:04.65\00:18:09.08
nurse came in and they had
to turn them, and they were
00:18:09.12\00:18:13.19
so--they said, 'Is
this okay? How's this?
00:18:13.22\00:18:14.92
Am I going too fast?' And
they were so considerate."
00:18:14.96\00:18:18.86
And finally, they got them
settled down, and they had to
00:18:18.89\00:18:20.83
say to the nurse, they said,
"I just gotta tell ya, I really
00:18:20.86\00:18:23.57
appreciate you're being
sensitive and gentle because
00:18:23.60\00:18:25.73
yesterday, boy, I had a nurse
that was like a professional
00:18:25.77\00:18:28.10
wrestler, came in here
and just throwin' me around."
00:18:28.14\00:18:30.41
And the nurse said, "Well,
I'll tell ya, I've had the same
00:18:30.44\00:18:35.68
surgery that you've had.
00:18:35.71\00:18:38.48
I know how you feel."
00:18:38.51\00:18:41.68
And so when you're going through
some kinda trial or something,
00:18:41.72\00:18:45.82
just say, "All right, Lord,
I don't know what I've done to
00:18:45.85\00:18:48.69
deserve this," but maybe
you didn't do anything to
00:18:48.72\00:18:51.39
deserve it.
00:18:51.43\00:18:52.69
Maybe he's gonna use it
later to help somebody else.
00:18:52.73\00:18:56.43
And another very simple
principle in why we go through
00:18:56.46\00:18:59.63
troubles and suffering
is to grow Christian virtue.
00:18:59.67\00:19:04.21
1 Peter 1:6: "In this
00:19:04.24\00:19:07.01
you greatly rejoice, though now
00:19:07.04\00:19:08.81
for a little time, if need be,
00:19:08.84\00:19:11.11
you've been grieved by various
00:19:11.15\00:19:12.75
trials, that the trial of your
00:19:12.78\00:19:14.62
faith, being much more precious
00:19:14.65\00:19:17.19
than that of gold that perishes,
00:19:17.22\00:19:19.25
though it be tried with fire,
00:19:19.29\00:19:21.02
might be found unto praise
00:19:21.06\00:19:22.89
and honor and glory
00:19:22.92\00:19:23.89
at the appearing of Jesus."
00:19:23.93\00:19:26.70
And James says in James
1, verse 2: "My brethren,
00:19:26.73\00:19:29.20
count it all joy."
00:19:29.23\00:19:31.97
How many of you think, "Oh,
joy," when you're going through
00:19:32.00\00:19:34.84
a trial?
00:19:34.87\00:19:36.07
"Count it all joy when you fall
into various trials, knowing,"
00:19:36.10\00:19:39.31
just know, see, if you know
there's a purpose, that God has
00:19:39.34\00:19:41.48
got a purpose in it, "that
the testing of your faith, it's
00:19:41.51\00:19:45.61
helping you develop
faith, produces patience."
00:19:45.65\00:19:49.98
You know, when the Bible says,
"He that endures to the end will
00:19:50.02\00:19:52.15
be saved," that word
"endurance" is "patience."
00:19:52.19\00:19:55.89
"Let patience
have its perfect work."
00:19:55.92\00:19:58.83
Now, why would he say, "Let
patience have its perfect work,
00:19:58.86\00:20:01.03
except that it's possible
for you not to make the most of
00:20:01.06\00:20:04.63
your trials?
00:20:04.67\00:20:06.43
Say, "Lord, I will embrace
whatever it is you're trying to
00:20:06.47\00:20:10.81
teach me through this.
00:20:10.84\00:20:12.27
Somehow, sometime God is simply
glorified in some way through
00:20:12.31\00:20:16.48
the trials we experience.
00:20:16.51\00:20:18.85
Why did Jesus
say Lazarus got sick?
00:20:18.88\00:20:22.52
Because he ate too much sugar?
00:20:22.55\00:20:24.15
Or did Jesus tell the disciples,
"It's for the glory of God"?
00:20:24.19\00:20:29.76
"I didn't heal him right
away for the glory of God."
00:20:29.79\00:20:32.63
John chapter 9: "Now as Jesus
passed by, he saw a man blind
00:20:32.66\00:20:36.26
from birth."
00:20:36.30\00:20:37.13
And the
disciples wanna know, "Why?
00:20:37.17\00:20:38.47
Did he somehow do somethin'
wrong, or did God know he was
00:20:38.50\00:20:41.70
gonna go bad, or was
it his parents' sin?"
00:20:41.74\00:20:44.24
They're always
trying to figure out why.
00:20:44.27\00:20:46.17
You know what Jesus said?
00:20:46.21\00:20:47.98
"Neither, but that the works of
God should be revealed in him."
00:20:48.01\00:20:52.45
God was gonna be glorified in
a great way through his healing.
00:20:52.48\00:20:56.79
Now, that man had been blind.
00:20:56.82\00:20:57.85
He wasn't very old.
00:20:57.89\00:20:59.09
He had just come of age, so
he's, like, 18, 20 years old,
00:20:59.12\00:21:02.79
and been blind his whole life.
00:21:02.82\00:21:06.26
And you might think, "Well, what
a terrible thing, to be blind
00:21:06.73\00:21:09.03
your whole life, and the
Lord allow that, that he might
00:21:09.06\00:21:11.77
be glorified."
00:21:11.80\00:21:13.27
But how good did that man
feel when he got his sight?
00:21:13.30\00:21:17.44
And how long is that affliction
compared to eternity if he's
00:21:17.47\00:21:21.51
healed by Jesus and
he has everlasting life?
00:21:21.54\00:21:24.45
So, Paul said, "We shouldn't
question the Potter, saying,
00:21:24.48\00:21:27.72
'Why did you make one vessel
like this or one vessel like
00:21:27.75\00:21:30.29
that?"
00:21:30.32\00:21:31.49
We've gotta trust that God's
God, and he knows what he's
00:21:31.52\00:21:33.12
doing, right?
00:21:33.15\00:21:35.22
I used to always wonder,
"Why was I born healthy and
00:21:35.26\00:21:37.93
my brother with
cystic fibrosis?"
00:21:37.96\00:21:40.66
But if God can be glorified in
it--I was able to pray with my
00:21:40.70\00:21:44.33
brother before he died, and
he asked Jesus in his heart.
00:21:44.37\00:21:49.94
Romans 8:16: "The Spirit himself
bears witness with our spirit
00:21:49.97\00:21:54.64
that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs--and
00:21:54.68\00:21:57.71
heirs of God and joint heirs
with Christ, if indeed we suffer
00:21:57.75\00:22:02.35
with him, that we may
be glorified together."
00:22:02.38\00:22:06.76
Sometimes we don't
learn except through trouble.
00:22:06.79\00:22:10.83
Have you learned that
pain is a great instructor?
00:22:10.86\00:22:15.50
There are lessons you learn
in pain that you won't learn any
00:22:17.50\00:22:19.73
other way.
00:22:19.77\00:22:21.27
I've got something I'd
like to share with you.
00:22:21.50\00:22:23.91
Do not hold a sparkplug wire
when someone is turning over the
00:22:23.94\00:22:27.54
ignition.
00:22:27.58\00:22:29.78
I have learned that it is not 12
volts that will go through you,
00:22:29.81\00:22:33.58
but because of the capacitor,
you will experience 10,000
00:22:33.62\00:22:36.95
volts.
00:22:36.99\00:22:38.49
Ask me how I know that.
00:22:38.52\00:22:41.19
Ask me how I know you don't
wanna touch your disc brakes
00:22:41.22\00:22:45.89
after you park the
car, that they're very hot.
00:22:45.93\00:22:51.67
I will never do that again.
00:22:51.70\00:22:54.14
I have learned that lesson.
00:22:54.17\00:22:56.91
So, when you're going through
a trial, sometimes I say, "Lord,
00:22:56.94\00:22:59.37
if I'm doing this because
there's somethin' you wanna
00:22:59.41\00:23:01.11
teach me, please teach me now."
00:23:01.14\00:23:03.61
Don't be afraid of trials.
00:23:03.65\00:23:05.01
Yes, life is tough
for everybody, amen?
00:23:05.05\00:23:09.22
You don't have to be afraid.
00:23:09.25\00:23:11.15
Who was it that said, "A man
who fears suffering is already
00:23:11.19\00:23:14.52
suffering from what he fears"?
00:23:14.56\00:23:16.56
Thomas a Kempis said: "He who
knows how to suffer will enjoy
00:23:18.76\00:23:21.66
much peace.
00:23:21.70\00:23:23.67
Such a one is a conqueror of
himself and a lord of the world,
00:23:23.70\00:23:26.53
a friend of Christ
and an heir of heaven."
00:23:26.57\00:23:29.54
You know, the Bible tells
us that Christ suffered for us.
00:23:29.57\00:23:34.18
Hebrews 2:9: "But we see Jesus,
who was made a little lower than
00:23:34.21\00:23:37.95
the angels, for the suffering
of death crowned with glory and
00:23:37.98\00:23:41.72
honor."
00:23:41.75\00:23:42.88
Christ in the garden said,
"Lord, if there's any way not to
00:23:42.92\00:23:45.35
drink this
cup," but he drank it.
00:23:45.39\00:23:48.09
"That he might
taste death for every man.
00:23:48.59\00:23:51.13
For it was fitting for him, for
whom are all things and by whom
00:23:51.16\00:23:54.30
all things are, in bringing
many sons to glory, to make the
00:23:54.30\00:23:59.10
captain of their salvation
perfect through sufferings."
00:23:59.13\00:24:03.51
So, if he's our captain and he
suffers, we should know that he
00:24:03.54\00:24:07.28
can bring good of it.
00:24:07.31\00:24:08.41
Even the soldier by the
cross of Jesus saw Christ in his
00:24:08.44\00:24:12.11
sufferings.
00:24:12.15\00:24:12.98
He saw him say,
"Father, forgive them."
00:24:13.01\00:24:15.15
And through beholding the
sufferings, he said, "Surely
00:24:15.18\00:24:17.89
this is the Son of God."
00:24:17.92\00:24:19.15
When Christians would know how
to joyfully and patiently bear
00:24:19.19\00:24:24.09
our sufferings, it sometimes
is the very best opportunity to
00:24:24.13\00:24:27.13
witness, amen?
00:24:27.20\00:24:29.40
And God is working in us.
00:24:29.43\00:24:30.83
I'll close with a little poem
that you may have heard before,
00:24:30.87\00:24:34.27
someone once shared.
00:24:34.30\00:24:35.37
It's called "The
Oyster and the Pearl."
00:24:35.40\00:24:38.91
"There once was an oyster whose
story I'll tell who found that
00:24:38.94\00:24:43.04
some sand had
slipped into his shell.
00:24:43.08\00:24:45.85
Just one little grain, but it
gave him such pain, for oysters
00:24:45.88\00:24:50.35
have feelings,
although they're quite plain.
00:24:50.39\00:24:53.22
Now, did he berate the working
of fate which had led him to
00:24:53.25\00:24:56.16
such a deplorable state?
00:24:56.19\00:24:58.09
No, he said to himself as he lay
on the shelf, 'If I can't remove
00:24:58.13\00:25:00.96
it, I'll try to improve it,' so
the years rolled on by, as years
00:25:01.00\00:25:05.13
always do, and he came to
his ultimate destiny: stew."
00:25:05.17\00:25:09.80
I don't recommend oyster stew.
00:25:09.84\00:25:12.37
"But the small grain of sand
which had bothered him so was a
00:25:12.41\00:25:15.41
beautiful pearl
all richly aglow.
00:25:15.44\00:25:18.71
Now, this tale has a moral, for
isn't it grand what an oyster
00:25:18.75\00:25:22.28
can do with a morsel of sand?
00:25:22.32\00:25:24.35
What couldn't we do if we'd only
begin to enrich and embrace what
00:25:24.39\00:25:28.62
gets under our skin?"
00:25:28.66\00:25:30.66
God allows trials
because he loves you.
00:25:31.69\00:25:33.76
We need to learn how to
just see it through a heavenly
00:25:33.80\00:25:37.03
perspective, and nothing
is gonna--the pain won't last.
00:25:37.07\00:25:41.14
It's all temporary.
00:25:41.17\00:25:43.07
And just say, "Lord, help me
to avoid bringing sufferings on
00:25:43.10\00:25:46.01
myself.
00:25:46.04\00:25:47.01
If I suffered for
your sake, let me rejoice."
00:25:47.04\00:25:49.54
Jesus said, "Be
exceedingly glad."
00:25:49.58\00:25:51.85
And remember that he suffered
and it is an honor to be able to
00:25:51.88\00:25:56.69
suffer as a Christian, amen?
00:25:56.72\00:25:59.52
male announcer: Don't forget
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It's now easier than ever
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And most important,
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male announcer: Want to know
God's plan for our world and
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solutions for
your life's challenges?
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Beautifully redesigned, "Amazing
Facts" 27 Bible study guides
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Don't leave your
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Transform your life with truths
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study guides.
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Prefer to watch while you read?
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Our brand-new "Prophecy
Encounters" DVD series makes
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the perfect companion set.
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Don't wait, order your
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by visiting afbookstore.com
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or by calling 800-538-7275.
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female announcer: Let's
face it, it's not always easy to
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understand
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Bible. With over 700,000 words
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can generate a lot of questions.
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To get biblical straightforward
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Answers Live," a live nationwide
call-in radio program where you
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can talk to Pastor Doug
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difficult Bible questions.
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For times and
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or to listen to answers online,
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visit bal.amazingfacts.org.
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request today's free offer.
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It's sure to be a blessing.
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And thank you for your continued
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support as we take the gospel
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of Jesus Chris to the world.
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We hope you'll join us next week
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as we delve deep into the Word
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of God to explore more
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amazing facts.
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announcer: This presentation
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