Participants: Paul Rayne
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000345
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00:31 Welcome to Faith Chapel, thank you
00:33 for tuning in to 3ABN. My name is Paul Rayne 00:37 from Restoration International. 00:40 A little Ministry up there in the Northwest 00:42 corner of Montana, we have a subject for 00:45 you today called the Refiner's Fire, 00:48 its all about the trails that come 00:51 our way but before we get into God's 00:53 word lets seek him in prayer. 00:56 Father in heaven, we thank you that 00:59 you are an infinitely loving God and we 01:04 want to take a look today at some of the 01:07 things that you allow our way. 01:09 I pray that your Holy Spirit 01:11 will illuminate our minds it's 01:14 in Jesus name we pray, Amen. 01:18 Trials come out our way, don't they? 01:21 Let me ask you some questions 01:22 would you rather somebody love 01:24 you or love you? Would you rather 01:29 somebody hate you and hinder you 01:33 or would you rather they help you? 01:37 You might say, come on the questions 01:40 are obvious, the answers are obvious. 01:42 How about would you rather somebody 01:44 pray for you or prey on you? You know 01:49 what I mean prey on you, pull you to pieces, 01:52 well one more question? Would you rather 01:56 have a friend or a foe? You know we 02:01 seem as human beings here on 02:03 planet earth, we seem to make 02:06 superhuman efforts to make everything 02:09 plain sailing for ourselves, think about it; 02:13 it's very obvious. If you're gonna go 02:15 camping; you like to go camping? 02:18 Do you go camping in the winter 02:19 or the summer? I come from, 02:23 like I said the North-West corner of Montana. 02:26 I hope that new Glacier Park, 02:28 you know nobody goes camping in 02:30 Glacier Park in the winter, because it's 02:33 too much snow who would ever think 02:34 of doing such a crazy thing? Well, 02:36 how about when you come to buy a vehicle? 02:38 Are you going to go to the parking lot 02:41 and look at that one and think it 02:43 looks like a good one and I could 02:45 afford it I buy it or would you go to 02:48 another one until that thing just doesn't 02:50 look good at all. And it's overpriced, 02:52 I'll buy that. No, you wouldn't do that, 02:55 because we make superhuman effort, consciously 02:59 and unconsciously we are always about 03:03 trying to make life easy on ourselves. 03:06 But life isn't easy. So, what's going on? 03:11 So, I'll tell you exactly what is going on. 03:15 First Peter chapter 4 verses 12 and 13, 03:20 look at it with me. It says that, 03:23 Beloved, think it not strange concerning 03:26 the fiery trial which is to try you, 03:29 as though some strange thing happened 03:32 unto you But rejoice, inasmuch 03:35 as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; 03:38 that, when his glory shall be revealed, 03:42 ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 03:46 God allows trials dear friends, 03:51 to come our way because we make 03:54 every effort to make life smooth 03:56 and to avoid them, so God somehow, 03:59 not that He originates the trails, 04:02 the devil does that, but every trial 04:06 that comes into our life. 04:07 God has allowed to come our way. So, 04:11 that our characters can be refined, ready 04:16 for the Heavenly Kingdom. Let me ask you a question. 04:18 What kind of knowledge is it that we gain 04:22 in a trial? Is it just hath knowledge? 04:25 Is it just an understanding of 04:27 God's word? Well yes, we do get 04:29 a deeper understanding, but it's a 04:31 hard experience that we learn from the trials. 04:35 You know some of the things that we 04:38 try to avoid are the very things 04:40 that God wants to bring our way 04:43 or allow our way so that we 04:45 can be strong and mighty for him. 04:48 Let me read from you another quote. 04:50 It's from a very old magazine 04:52 called The Review and Herald. 04:54 This is an old article, it's from 04:56 April 10, 1894. That's a long time ago, 1894. 05:02 But this is truth. Let me read it to you. 05:05 A refining, purifying process is going 05:09 on among the people of God, 05:11 and the Lord of hosts has set 05:13 his hand to this work. 05:15 The process is most trying to the soul, 05:17 but it is necessary in order the defilement 05:21 maybe removed. Trials are essential 05:26 in order that we may be brought 05:29 close to our heavenly Father. 05:31 You know there is something more 05:35 precious than a friend, it's a foe. 05:38 And there's something better than 05:41 a car that runs perfectly. It's a car that 05:44 breaks down once in a while 05:46 because then character is developed in a trial. 05:52 Are you preparing for the second 05:54 for the second coming of our Lord 05:56 and Savior Jesus Christ? You know, 05:58 if you don't realize it, I want to tell you. 06:00 May be nobody's ever told you before 06:02 but I want to tell you Jesus Christ 06:05 is coming back to this world a second time. 06:07 Every prophecy it seems in the Scripture 06:10 centers on the fact that Jesus is 06:13 gonna come back to this world and 06:15 he is gonna take his people home with him. 06:17 But, let's turn to Malachi, the last book 06:21 of The Old Testament. Malachi chapter 06:23 3 and verse 2, take a look with me there. 06:26 It says, But who may abide the day 06:29 of his coming? And who shall stand when 06:33 he appeareth? And this question, 06:36 for he is like a refiner's fire, and a 06:41 fullers' soap. You know every single 06:45 one of you watching this program today, 06:47 from where you are in your present 06:51 experience or a lack of it with the Lord 06:53 between here and when Jesus comes 06:56 again you and I are going to have 06:59 to go through the refiner's fire. 07:02 There's no escaping it. You can't get 07:05 around it, it's we who are gonna have 07:07 to go through it. There are people who have 07:09 gone through ahead us and 07:10 we are gonna have to go through it. 07:12 That may be bad news to you, but it's 07:14 not bad news. Let me tell you about 07:17 Daniel chapter 3. If you remember 07:19 Daniel chapter 3, There was a big 07:21 image set up on the plain of Dura, 07:24 and the King told everybody that they 07:27 were to bow down. Well there were 07:29 three people that didn't bow down. 07:32 And the King gave them a second chance. 07:33 He says bow down or you're going in the furnace? 07:37 They didn't bow down. They got thrown 07:40 in the furnace. But, do you know the story? 07:45 You can read it for yourself in 07:47 Daniel chapter 3. In that story, 07:49 even though they went into the fire 07:52 and when they went into the fire 07:55 they were all tied up. 07:56 They were bound, the Bible says. Three times 07:58 it says they were bound. 08:00 They went into that fire and you know 08:02 what happened? They didn't burn. They survived. 08:07 You know the only thing that burned were 08:11 the cords that bound them. As you and 08:15 as I go into the furnace of trial, 08:19 as the Lord our gracious, loving, compassionate 08:23 Lord allows trials to come into our life. 08:27 I wanna assure you of two things, 08:29 it's only the cords that will burn and secondly, 08:34 if you remember the story of Daniel chapter 3 08:37 it was Jesus Christ that it was in there 08:42 with them. Jesus Christ was in that furnace. 08:46 You read it, Daniel chapter 3. 08:48 Jesus Christ was in the furnace with those men. 08:52 Let me read another quote to you, 08:55 it's from a favorite book of mine. 08:57 It's called Lift Him Up. It's an old book, 09:00 it's page 250. It says in the future 09:04 we shall see how closely all our trials 09:09 were connected with our salvation, 09:12 and how these light afflictions worked out 09:16 for us a far more eternal and exceeding 09:21 weight of glory. You know it doesn't 09:27 feel much like much fun when the trials 09:31 are upon us. But, God is doing his work. 09:34 Don't be discouraged, don't be discouraged. 09:40 I know sometimes, all around you maybe 09:43 right now, maybe for one of our viewers right now, 09:46 things are overwhelmingly dark. Don't give up. 09:50 You know it's in the darkest hour 09:54 that Jesus might well be the closest. 09:57 You might be just around the corner 10:00 from day break. When is the darkest part 10:03 in the day? Just before the dawn. 10:05 Hang on to Jesus Christ. 10:07 If you are one viewer today that's 10:10 thinking it's all too much. 10:12 Hang on, Jesus is able, Jesus is more than 10:18 able to take you through whatever 10:20 you're face in right now. I've been 10:23 through some trials in my life and 10:25 at times you attempted to be discouraged, 10:27 keep your eyes on The Lord. Say out 10:30 loud Lord, I will not give up. 10:33 I will hang on to you as long as life shall last. 10:37 You know think of Peter. Do you like Peter? 10:40 Peter of The New Testament. 10:42 What a character Peter is. 10:44 Let me read with you from first, no this is Matthew, 10:48 Matthew 16:22. And this is Peter speaking 10:51 he says, sorry this is Christ speaking. 10:55 Then Peter took him, and began 10:58 to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, 11:01 Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 11:04 What's going on? Let me give you the picture: 11:06 Jesus has just announced to his disciples 11:10 that he is going to be betrayed, 11:14 he is gonna be killed and he is going to 11:16 die a martyr's death. And Peter says, 11:20 no way Lord, I am not going to allow them 11:24 to do that to you. I am ready to go, 11:28 I am ready to do whatever I need to do 11:30 to make sure they don't harm you. But, now, 11:35 come with me a few pages into scripture. 11:37 Let's look at 1st Peter chapter 4 and verse 12, 11:41 1st Peter chapter 4 verse 12, this is Peter 11:45 again beloved, this is Peter himself now. 11:47 Beloved, think it not strange concerning 11:51 the fiery trail which is to try you, as through 11:54 some strange thing happened unto you; 11:56 that the verse that we started with. 11:58 Peter went from refusing to allow trials 12:05 in the life of Jesus to the point where he could 12:08 write, think it not strange. You know what 12:11 would be a modern version of think it 12:13 not strange, expect it? Plan on it? Yes, 12:18 friends, if we are following Jesus we can 12:22 plan on a few trials in our life, we can 12:24 expect them. Don't think it is strange. 12:26 You know, it was a very slow lesson 12:29 that Peter learned, very slow and it's 12:32 one that we learn very slowly as well. But, 12:35 I hope today's program, I hope this Faith Chapel 12:39 is helping you to understand that the way of salvation 12:45 is though the Refiner's Fire. 12:49 Do any of you know who Horatio Spafford is? 12:55 He was a wealthy businessman who lived 12:59 in Chicago back in the, oh I forget when it was. 13:03 But, it was many years ago and he, because 13:09 of the fire, some of you might remember 13:11 some of you historians might remember 13:12 the fire in Chicago, well, much of the school system 13:16 was destroyed. Horatio Spafford being a 13:18 fairly wealthy businessman decided 13:20 to send his family over to Europe where I'm from. 13:24 And there he went to the boat the Ville du Havre, 13:28 was the name of the ship and he put his family 13:31 in and he on the boat, the last minute just 13:34 before the boat was gonna set to sail. 13:36 He got called back to Chicago. 13:38 Some of your real-estate is going to come 13:41 up in the system and you need to be there. 13:44 So, what Horatio did was he got off the boat, 13:49 he said to his wife and his four daughters 13:52 you head on, I'll follow you as soon as 13:55 business is wrapped up. Well, so he waved 13:58 off his family and Ville du Havre set sail 14:02 from the East Coast of US heading over to Europe. 14:06 Taking the straightest route, which took 14:08 them past Newfoundland. Well, you know 14:11 it wasn't just a few days into that journey 14:14 that the Ville du Havre collided with a 14:18 British sailing ship. The Ville du Havre went down. 14:24 In 2 hours the whole boat was gone. 14:31 The mother was holding the youngest child 14:33 at the time and the story tells us that 14:39 the baby, the 18 month old daughter of 14:42 Horatio Spafford was swept from his 14:45 mother arms to its watery grave. 14:48 What about the other children? They all died. 14:53 It's a tragic story. The wife, Anna Spafford 14:57 survived, she was found clinging on to 15:00 some of the ship, they found her, they took 15:03 her to Cardiff Wales. There she telegraphed 15:06 her husband, two stinging words, 15:10 how would you like to receive a telegram 15:12 like this, my friend? Saved alone, just her. 15:18 Saved alone, well what would you do men? 15:23 You would do exactly what Mr. Spafford did. 15:25 He got on the next boat and he headed 15:27 over to Europe to be reunited with his wife. 15:30 As he sailed across, he took the some path and 15:37 the captain called him aside, he said, 15:38 Mr. Spafford, I do believe we are over 15:42 the spot where your daughters died, 15:45 the water is two miles deep. 15:50 Oh can you imagine, can you imagine that kind 15:56 of trial? You might be going through some 15:58 of the trails at the moment and they might 16:00 be hard and oh, my brothers and sisters 16:02 I sympathize, but is your trial like 16:06 Mr. Spafford's trial and Mrs. Spafford's trial? 16:09 They've lost all four children in one day. 16:15 Well, Horatio went back to his room on the ship, 16:18 not the Ville du Havre, that was the one 16:21 that had gone down, he went back to his room, 16:23 he couldn't sleep but he could write. 16:26 You wanna know what he wrote? Let me read It 16:29 to you, you will recognize it. When peace, 16:32 like a river, attendeth my way, When 16:35 sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, 16:41 Thou has taught me to say, It is well, 16:46 it is well, with my soul. You see where he 16:50 got the words from? You see what was 16:52 going on in his life? The second stanza 16:55 is not in the American hymn no, 16:58 not that I found. But, it's in the ones 16:59 in Europe. And this is how it goes. 17:00 It says, Though Satan should buffet, 17:03 though trials should come, Let this blessed 17:08 assurance control, That Christ hath regarded 17:12 my helpless estate, And hath shed His 17:17 own blood for my soul. Oh, Jesus is a 17:21 compassionate Savior, He is right there 17:24 with us in every trial. First Peter chapter 17:33 1 and verse 7. Turn there with me if 17:36 you have your Bibles. I really encourage you 17:38 folks, watching at home or watching in church, 17:41 get out the word of God. You know, 17:44 you remember just where this is 17:45 on the page and next time you're 17:47 studying your Bible you'll remember this. 17:49 Turn with me, First Peter chapter 1 verse 7, 17:53 it says here, That the trail of your faith, 17:55 being much more precious than gold that perisheth, 17:59 though it be tried with fire, might be found unto 18:03 praise and honor and glory at the 18:08 appearing of Jesus Christ. 18:13 Trials out for in the moment are they? But, 18:17 Jesus has a very definite plan as for 18:20 what he is trying to achieve. And to try 18:23 and make this message to you dear viewer 18:26 as practical as possible I'm gonna encourage 18:28 you at this point run out and get a pen and paper. 18:31 I want you to take down some things with me. 18:33 I'm gonna go to a few points that I want 18:36 you to remember in a trial. Maybe you're 18:38 in a trial right now. If you are, go and 18:41 get a piece of paper. Write this down. 18:43 There's a few points, here is number one, 18:46 it says, We must not look upon a 18:48 trial as a punishment. So, often we beat 18:54 ourselves up so to speak and we say, 18:57 Oh, I'm in this terrible trial and it's all 18:59 my fault and it worries me and we start 19:02 to go down the negative thinking path. 19:05 I want you to know though yet some trials do come 19:10 because of our dumb behavior. But, some 19:13 times trials come as no result of what we've done. 19:15 Maybe you were just innocently driving around 19:18 the road and now you're in hospital. 19:20 It wasn't your fault? I want you to know 19:23 that trials, my brothers and sisters are 19:26 not punishments. That's not the sort 19:29 of God that we serve. Trials come to 19:32 everybody. Also, remember point two, 19:35 we must not compare ourselves among ourselves. 19:38 You can't say in a trial: why is this 19:42 happening to me? It should be him. 19:44 No, let the Lord take care of him and 19:49 let the Lord take care of you also. 19:51 Don't compare yourself among yourselves. 19:55 Say: this is come my way and it's for me 19:58 and my Savior Jesus Christ to work it out. 20:00 Another point I want you to remember is, 20:04 and remember this from the book of Job, 20:06 every trial that comes into our life 20:09 has been weighed unmeasured by God 20:14 himself before it's get anywhere near 20:16 planet earth. There are some things I can 20:19 just picture. I can just picture the devil 20:22 and is out to get me, and is out to get you and 20:25 he wants to destroy us and God says, no, 20:29 that's my child. And he allows, 20:33 God allows the devil to come so far. 20:37 Everything is weighed and measured. 20:38 So, if a trial is in your life. If a loved one 20:41 is causing you pain or if your whole body 20:44 is causing you pain or whatever your situation, 20:47 I want you to know that Jesus, your lovely Savior, 20:52 my lovely Savior he has weighed and measured 20:55 that long before it go anywhere near 20:58 this earth and your life. You know, 21:03 First Corinthians chapter 10 verse 13, 21:08 let's look, God is faithful, who will not 21:12 suffer us to be tempted above that you're able, 21:16 but will with the temptation also make a way 21:20 of escape that you may be able to bear it. 21:23 That is good news. That means there is nothing, 21:28 there is nothing that comes to this earth, 21:32 nothing that comes into your life or my life. But, 21:35 Jesus has not made provision to take care 21:38 off. Point number 4, I want you to take note 21:41 of in a trial that God is not against us. 21:46 We are not fighting God. God is on our side. 21:55 That's obvious. But, so often when 21:57 we get into a temptation, when we get into a trial, 22:00 we think: God, why are you doing this to me? 22:05 Because God loves you and he is seeking to refine you. 22:08 You are in the Refiner's Fire and it's not 22:12 comfortable, but it is necessary. Remember what 22:15 we read earlier: trials are essential, 22:18 that our characters may be refined, 22:21 ready for the second coming of our Lord 22:24 our savior. Another thing I want you to remember 22:27 in a trial is what God is trying to teach me? 22:30 God's always trying to teach us. In this trial 22:34 God is not arbitrary, I'll just give this 22:36 guy a hard time for a couple of hours? No, 22:39 away with such thoughts. We serve 22:42 a compassionate God, but not a, 22:44 you know the modern version of love is all 22:48 kind of wishy, washy. We serve a God 22:50 with a purpose and he is sending us 22:54 trials 'cause he wants to teach us something. 22:56 So, in a trial say Lord, what is it that 22:59 you're trying to teach me? I guarantee you, 23:03 he will give you answers maybe not the first 23:05 time you pray it, maybe not the second time you 23:07 pray it. But, God is trying to teach 23:09 you something and you know what I have learned? 23:11 In all the little trials and some of the bigger 23:13 trials that I've been through in my life. 23:15 The one thing that Jesus is trying to teach me 23:19 in every trail is that I've got a fallen nature, 23:23 I've got an old man, I call it self and it 23:26 rises up and it wants to take the control 23:29 of the situation and it wants to say what it 23:30 wants to say. And do what it wants to do. 23:33 You know, self has to die. You have to die 23:40 and you have to let Jesus Christ come into 23:42 your heart and then, this body, this mouth, 23:45 this man will speak words for God 23:49 and that can be the same for you. So, 23:51 in a trial what is it that God is trying to teach me? 23:56 The last thing in a trial is I want you to recognize 23:59 once you realize what the problem is, 24:01 to make a full surrender to him. Is that possible? 24:05 An unconditional surrender to the will of 24:10 Jesus Christ. Do it brothers and sisters 24:13 you'll be very happy. You know if we hold out 24:16 on God and if we say no, I'm gonna refuse, 24:19 I can see my way through this trail, 24:20 I can bet my teeth I'll get through it. 24:22 I'm not gonna surrender to what the Lord 24:24 is teaching me, I don't want to surrender. Well, 24:27 you know what? It might will have to 24:31 come around the second time. Don't make 24:35 life hard on yourself. Give your hearts fully 24:38 and completely to Jesus Christ right now 24:40 whatever trial you're in. Jesus, 24:44 I want to just talk a little bit about the life 24:47 of Jesus. Do you think that Jesus had 24:49 any trials in his life from beginning to end? 24:52 But, Jesus was perfect. Surely, Jesus didn't 24:56 need character development. Hebrews 5, 25:01 I'm gonna read it for you. Hebrews 5 and 25:04 verse 8 says, though He was a Son, yet to 25:07 learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 25:12 Can you believe that? That Jesus Christ learned 25:17 lessons by the things that he 25:20 suffered just like we do. 25:22 So, if it was necessary for Jesus then it's got 25:27 to be necessary for us. Think about Jesus, 25:32 where we started in this message, would you 25:34 rather somebody love you or leave you? 25:36 Think of Jesus life. Oh, those guys were on his 25:39 back all the way through his public ministry. 25:41 Trying to trick him up, trying to catch his 25:43 every word. Would you rather somebody help 25:47 you or hinder you? They were always hindering, 25:49 even some of his own disciples were hindering 25:51 his work. Judas, was always out to cast 25:55 insinuations against Jesus. You read that 25:57 in the Scriptures. What about, rather having 26:01 been somebody pray for you than prey on you? 26:02 They were always preying on Jesus. But, 26:05 despite the fact that Jesus life was way 26:09 more difficult to live than ever whatever you 26:11 and I have will to go through. He had trials 26:14 to deal that we note not off. You know if 26:18 the devil could have got him to sin, then 26:21 the whole human race would've been lost. 26:25 The devil tried very hard on Jesus Christ and I 26:28 know he is trying hard on us as well. But, 26:30 I want to encourage you that the Refiner's Fire 26:34 is the very place where God wants us to be. 26:39 Maybe you are not in a trial presently 26:41 maybe it's smooth sailing but there might 26:45 be one at the corner and if it comes in your 26:46 way I want you to remember: that this 26:50 has been weighed and measured and that 26:53 Jesus Christ is in control. Will you 26:57 bow your heads with me? Father in Heaven, 27:00 Oh, I thank you that you are loving God 27:02 and I also thank you that You love us enough 27:06 to send trials our way. Oh Father, we ask 27:12 that you would give us the grace to go through them. 27:15 Oh, Father, I even pray by faith that you would send 27:19 some our way and some in the way of our viewers. 27:22 And it's in Jesus name I ask these things Amen. 27:28 You know, there are trials coming to this world, 27:30 the little trials that we are going through 27:33 just now, whatever they maybe. 27:35 There's a big trial coming. There is a time of 27:37 trouble coming to this earth such as never was. 27:41 And ever I don't say that to make you miserable 27:43 just to let you know that now, today is the day 27:47 of salvation. Today is the day we need 27:50 to be praying through our trails. 27:52 Thank you for joining us. May God richly bless you. |
Revised 2014-12-17