First Baptist Church Cross Plains

In his book The Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers, Patrick Kavanaugh discusses George Frideric Handel’s musical masterpiece Messiah. An unpredictable composer at best, Handel spent much of his up-and-down career moving from one failure to another. In those days bankruptcy wasn’t an option, and by 1741, Handel was drowning in debt. Without a miracle, prison was inevitable. He decided to perform his farewell concert and retire a failure at age fifty-six. But when a friend handed him a libretto on the life of Jesus based on selected Scriptures from the Bible, everything changed. Handel threw himself into writing and composing, and in a staggering stretch completed Part One in six days, Part Two in nine days, and Part Three six days later. He worked feverishly, driven by one overwhelming purpose. Servants left meals outside his door, afraid to disturb him. Once, when a servant did find the courage to open the door, the startled composer cried out, with tears streaming down his face, ·I think I did see all heaven before me, and the great God Himself!” He had just finished the much-celebrated “Hallelujah Chorus: What a comeback story-and the Bible is filled with them! The first forty-one chapters in the book of Job describe all that he had lost: his health, his wealth, and his family. Then, in the last chapter we read, Toe Lord restored his fortunes… The Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning” (vv. 10, 12 NLT). And what God did for George Frideric Handel, and for Job, He can do for you when you put your life in His hands.

Jesus said:’ God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it!… For a great reward awaits you in heaven· (w. 11-12 NLT). If you’re thin-skinned you’ll always be an easy target. Endurance, not popularity,is the secret to long-term success. Paul endured desertion by his friends, ugly letters from the Corinthians, disappointment with the Galatians, mistreatment in Philippi, mocking in Athens, and beheading in Rome. He writes,’ Be on the alert…stand firm in the faith… act like men…be strong’ (1 Co 16:13 NAS). Let’s break this verse down: (7) Be on the alert. The Devil is out to get you. What’s he after? Your value to God’s kingdom. Your life is a seed capable of producing a harvest for God in the earth, so protect yourself. (2) Stand firm in the faith. You can’t stand on your circumstances or other people’s opinions,because those things constantly change. You can stand only on the Word of God. (3) Ad like men. Immaturity will hurt you when the attack comes. The Bible says you must’ [leave] the elementary…[and] press on to maturity· (Heb 6:1 NAS). If you’re still making the same mistakes twenty-five years later, you’re not learning enough.(4) Be strong. Weakness is an invitation to the Enemy. It always precedes surrender,and quitting isn’t an option. God told His people that the Promised Land was theirs,but they had to fight for it. And only those who were willing to fight got to enter it. The same goes for you.

James writes, Blessed is the one who perseveres under that because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown· (Jas 1 :12 NIV). Are you thinking of quitting? Life is full of quitting points, but if you throw in the towel on your marriage, your career or your dream, you may regret it for the rest of your life. Only by staying the course can God strengthen you and make you a winner. F. B. Meyer says, ‘You never test the resources of God until you attempt the impossible.’ Quitting doesn’t build character, endurance does. It develops something in you that nothing else can; that’s why God calls it’ blessed (Jas 5:11 NKJV). It sustains courage, gives staying power to discipline, and turns dreams into reality. Nobody knew more about endurance than Jesus.He endured all the way to Calvary: when they plucked the hair from His face, when the whip tore His flesh, when they nailed Him to a cross,when His friends forsook Him, when bystanders mocked Him, when God turned His face away, and when hell rose up and cried,’ Quit!’ The Bible says,’ Who for the joy that was set before Him endured.’ God rewards those who diligently seek Him (See Heb 11:6). He promises that when you seek Him with all your heart, you’ll find Him (See Jer 29:13). And those promises apply to you. So tell God, I plan to keep going,and trusting You for the strength to break thou.  When you pray that way, you’ll find your quitting point isn’t as solid as you thought.

Jesus said of Satan,’ When he lies, he speaks his native language: And he lies to us in three ways: (7) Doubts. His strategy is to discourage you, to make you throw up your hands and say,’ What’s the use? Nothing has changed’ ! When you say that, you’re signing the receipt and accepting the package. Don’t do it! The Bible says,’ You are snared with the words of your lips· (Pr 6:2 AMP(). What you say forms your perspective and creates the environment you live in. Never say anything that leads Satan to think he’s winning. (2) Shock. If you’re not expecting Satan’s attack, you’ll get alarmed and think,  I must not be making Why else would I still be fighting the same old battles?’ Why? Because Satan doesn’t give up without a fight, and his attack is proof you haven’t been conquered. (3) Feelings. Satan will try to convince you that you don’t deserve to be forgiven. He’ll tell you that because you don’t feel forgiven, you’re not. But remember he’s a liar. Here’s where victory is decided. Stand your ground. The work has already been done in you. God’s Word says so; now you must begin to say so too. Time will strengthen and solidify your position. Satan will bring to your mind all the things God has delivered you from, and in dealing with them you’ll experience some of the emotions you had when you went through them. His strategy is to make you feel like nothing has changed. Don’t buy it! Jesus said,’ If you hold to my teaching… you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free· (Jn 8:31-32 NIV).

Why would God let someone wrestle with Him? Because wrestling requires close contact. Jacob was a self-made man with an independent attitude that said, I don’t need anybody but myself” How long will God wrestle with you? Only for a limited time. In Jacob’s case,’ till daybreak.” God knew that if Jacob didn’t submit to Him that night, the rest of his life wouldn’t go right. There’s a lesson here for all of us. Don’t procrastinate; you may be running out of time. Before you forfeit your integrity or your family and your future, stop and realize that God knows things you don’t know. He knows when the Enemy plans to launch his next attack, or when death will be allowed to claim you. When He wrestles with you, it’s to make you realize that you’re wasting your life, or neglecting your family, or to show you that you’re not the center of the universe. Or it’s to encourage you to keep this job without quitting, or stay involved in this church, or invest in this marriage instead of bailing out. God will wrestle with you until you stop making excuses and face the truth. And He doesn’t sugarcoat things. He gives it to you straight. He won’t let you get away with some of the stuff you’ve pulled in the pas!t The very fact that God is willing to wrestle you into submission means He has great plans for you. Indeed, what He has in mind is greater than anything you could ever conceive or imagine. That is why God is wrestling with you.

f you were raised in a culture where any show of emotion was considered a sign of weakness, you must learn that grieving your losses is a healthy process-and a scriptural one. The Bible says,’ When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs… They will continue to grow stronger’ (vv. 6-7 NLT). Note, when your strength comes from the Lord, you can walk through’ the valley of weeping’ and come out stronger. The length of time each of us spends in that valley may differ, but there comes a point where we must accept God’s will and move forward. So often we’re shocked by the death of a loved one, but God is not. David said,’ You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment… laid out before a single day had passe’d (Ps 139:16 NLT). And try as you will, there’s nothing you can do to change that. The truth is, we don’t grieve·as… those who have no hope· (l Th 4:13 GNT). One day we’ll be reunited with our redeemed loved one in the presence of the Lord, never to be separated again. The farewell is just’ till we meet again.’ In the meantime, if you need help don’t be ashamed to reach for it. Remember: ‘ A brother is born for adversity· (Pr 17 :17 ). Ask God to lead you to a person, a counselor, or a support group that can help you identify the unfinished business that’s keeping you stuck in the cycle of grief. Cherish your love done’s memory, but move forward and fulfill your divine destiny and purpose.

The word worry comes from a Greek word meaning ·to divide the mind: Worry splits you right down the middle; instead of dwelling on God’s promises, you dwell on your problems. Worry is like a rocking chair-it gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere. Instead of relieving you of tomorrow’s troubles, it robs you of today’s strength-and you can’t afford to lose your strength. So how can you stop worrying? The Bible has a two-part answer: God’s part, and our part. Our part includes prayer and gratitude:’ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done· (v. 6 NLT). In order to worry less you must pray more, and also remember to express your gratitude. You can go to God confidently for the next thing, when you’ve taken time to thank Him for the last thing. And what’s God’s part?’ If you do this you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus· (v. 7  TLB). Note the words’  You will experience God’s peace: Imagine having God’s peaceful state of mind! Do you think He battles anxiety? Or wrings His hand sand asks the angels for antacids? Your problem is no more challenging to God than a twig is to an elephant. He enjoys perfect peace because He enjoys perfect power-and He offers His peace to you. When you do your part through prayer and thanksgiving, you’ll have a peaceful state of mind.