Sunday 25 November 2012

under the mighty hand of God

Today's meeting at Kingdom Life Church was EXCEPTIONAL!!  From our time of singing to the fellowship to the preaching, we basked in the glow of God's presence with us.  We have been in the book of I Peter ("One Peter," I can just hear Pete Privitera say!) and today we were taught from chapter 5, verses 8-11.  Wow.  If you have 40-45 minutes and want to hear a great message on trials, go to www.kingdomlifemedia.org and look for the Nov. 25th, 2012 message by Cedric Moss.  I was so affected by this message, I want to share it with those I love the most.  Cedric's three points were so well laid-out, "Our view of God in our trials," "Our view of the devil in our trials," and "Our view of trials in our trials."  We live on an island where many churches are teaching the "Name it, Claim it" gospel or the "Health, Wealth, and Prosperity" gospel.   Many people here are firm believers that any and all trying times are strictly Satan's designs to harm and rob us.  They believe they must "pray him away" or "claim victory" in loud and heated tones. 

But this morning, we began with the truth that we are to "Humble (our)selves under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you (us), casting all your (our) anxieties on him, because he cares for you."  Ah....the Mighty Hand of God.  That's where we begin.  Our trials our always "under the mighty hand of God."  So what of Satan?  We saw that Peter's admonition to us was to "Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world."   These trials are first and foremost under the mighty hand of God.  And in these trials, we must resist the devil's ploys to lie and tell us we are alone in our trial, and that no one is suffering like us.  He wants our faith in God to slip.  But God is greater, and Peter finishes by telling us, "And after you have suffered a little while (even if it's a lifetime, it is but a breath compared to eternity), the God of ALL GRACE, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.  To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen."

WOW.  I am refreshed in my view of the Mighty Hand of God today!  He is not feebly allowing Satan to run me over day in, day out, with trials of many kinds.  Rather, these very trials are under that mighty hand of God, used by God to strenthen and develop my faith to make it robust.  And after a little while (which may even mean a lifetime here on earth) God will restore me again.  Trials don't last forever, but our God does.  Oh Happy Thought!!

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