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WEDNESDAY'S WORD: Job 1:20-21

8/29/2018

20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
~Job 1:20-21

The testimony of Job is one of the most unusual in all of the Bible. He is described as a man who was "blameless and upright; one who feared God and shunned evil." Yet it was this very man, a man of humility, a man of faith, a man of prayer, and a man whose life was marked by the righteous activity of God, it was this man who found himself in the cross-hairs of Satan's hateful rage. In the midst of a heavenly conversation, God mentioned the faithfulness of this unique man, and Satan made unholy accusations against God and against Job. As a result, Satan was given permission to strike Job, yet without touching him personally. Suddenly, without any warning, Job received reports of how unusual circumstances occurred that basically eliminated his vast wealth. Even as he sought to comprehend this tragic news, another report arrived that told of the awful death of all of his children. This incredible man had now been told that all of his wealth, and all of his children, everything and everyone, all that was so important to him had been taken away in one horrible day.

How did this man reply? "Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head; and fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.'" In such horrific pain, Job worshiped and blessed the name of the Lord!

But following another heavenly conversation, God allowed Satan to actually strike Job, yet his life was to be spared. The Bible says horrible boils covered Job's entire body. To seek relief, this man sat in an ash pile and scraped his sores with broken pieces of pottery. Job's wife was no help to this man, as she said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" Job's reply is priceless: "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" And then we are told: "In all of this Job did not sin with his lips." We can understand how horrible his physical condition was when Job's three friends came to comfort him, and they cried out as they approached him. Why? Because he was so disfigured that even his friends could not recognize him.

I cannot even begin to imagine the depth of pain, fear, and sorrow that was in Job's mind and heart. A man so blessed of God, yet in a mysterious way due to spiritual conflict, he loses his wealth, his children, and his physical health. If you have never read and studied the Book of Job, I encourage you to dig deeply into the pages of this incredible testimony. The Bible says, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Pray fervently as you read carefully this Old Testament treasure of truth. As you read, you will realize that all suffering does not come as a DIRECT result of someone's specific sin, as Job's friends tried to convince him of this false system of belief. Because of the fact of sin, suffering occurs in this life, as Jesus even said, "In this world, you will have tribulation." Yet Jesus went on to say, "But be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world." In the end, Job encountered an incredible victory in his life, as God blessed and restored him after revealing Himself to Job and teaching him a valuable lesson. Read it - learn from it - and share what you learn with others. God bless you!

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WEDNESDAY'S WORD: Ephesians 3:8

8/22/2018

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"To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."
Ephesians 3:8

Throughout the life of the apostle Paul, he never forgot who he was in relation to God's amazing grace. As a persecutor of the church, he was astounded that God would convict him, convert him, change him, and call him. It truly is remarkable to realize that so much of the New Testament was written by someone who demonstrated extreme hatred towards the developing body of Christ in Jerusalem, and beyond. Even in his final years of life, Paul would reflect upon his journey and rejoice in what Jesus had done, and what He continued to do in and through his remarkable life.

The link below opens a testimony that I posted two years ago concerning my own walk of faith. I can certainly look back and see so many embarrassing failures in my life. If my gaze, however, remains upon what I did, or said, or even thought, that was wrong, I will be forever crippled spiritually. Like Paul, we need not forget what we were and what we've done, for they are clear reminders that God's grace is greater than all our sin. But at the same time we must not bury ourselves in emotional remorse about yesterday, and then forget that He has a greater plan for today, as well as for tomorrow!

If you are new to my Wednesday's Word and Seeking Him ministry via social media and email, I encourage you to find the time to read this post, and to read all the posts consecutively to grasp what God has been accomplishing in my life. On more than one occasion, some with very soft testimonies of experiential grace have said that I should not preach my testimony in a way that exalts the pleasures of sin. I have never believed that I have been guilty of such nonsense, as my motive was to always exalt the person of Christ and the power of the gospel to change anyone and everyone who trusts in Him! Pondering this kind of advice always led me to evaluate Paul's use of his personal testimony, as he encouraged others to repent and believe the gospel. So, I believe that I'll just keep on telling my story to those who will listen. And maybe, just maybe, some of those who listen, will listen and BELIEVE!

"To God be the glory, great things He hath done!"

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WEDNESDAY'S WORD: 2 Timothy 4:2

8/15/2018

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"Preach the word!"
2 Timothy 4:2

God used the Apostle Paul to teach and instruct Timothy concerning his walk of faith in pastoral ministry. Over and over again, Timothy was reminded of how important the word of God would be in his life. He was challenged to read the word, study the word, trust the word, obey the word, and to PREACH the word!

The Greek word for preach is kerysso, which carries the idea of proclaiming openly, or heralding boldly. You may remember from history that cities, years ago, would have a town herald, or someone referred to as the town crier. This was an official and significant position that required new laws, important announcements, or any pertinent information that effected the security and well being of the citizens to be publicly proclaimed. The herald would usually wear very bold colored clothing to distinguish himself from the crowd, and lift up his voice loudly in proclaiming his message as he walked the streets of his city. When I think of these heralds in action, I am reminded of Isaiah 58:1, where the Bible says, "Cry aloud, spare not: Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins."

This scenario also gives me a mental picture of the task of the "watchman on the wall" as described in the Old Testament. These men were strategically placed on the walls of the city to maintain security for the citizens. They were to remain alert at all times of their watch, perpetually scanning the horizon, and sound the alarm should they see anything that could be considered a threat. The alarm would allow anyone outside of the walls in the surrounding pastures and fields to take shelter within the city; It would give the soldiers adequate time to secure their weapons and to get into their defensive positions along the walls; And it would allow all of the gates to be quickly closed once everyone was inside and securely locked.

Preach the word, Paul commanded Timothy. Yes, if you continue reading, you'll discover that some will not desire to hear the truth. They would rather hear funny stories. They prefer "gospel" comedy routines, or some kind of religious drama performance, or perhaps they fancy fifty minutes of inspirational music with a twelve minute devotional thought. You know, a kind of "simple sermon for sinning saints." How sad and tragic, that some do not want to hear the cries of the town herald, they do not desire to be warned by the faithful watchman on the wall. Yet do you not realize that those with this kind of attitude are not directly hurting the herald, nor the watchman. They are harming and hurting themselves, their children, their grandchildren, and their fellow citizens by silencing the voice of the one sent to warn them of the impending dangers.

In these days in which we live, if you are a God-called pastor, missionary, or evangelist, PREACH THE WORD! The world doesn't need your stale jokes, your worn out clichés, nor your sanctified opinions. This world needs a double dose of the authority and power of the gospel of Christ! So my dear brother, "lift up your voice like a trumpet" and PREACH THE WORD!

And if you have not been called into some kind of preaching ministry, then please, PLEASE, set aside time each day to lovingly, personally, fervently, consistently, tearfully, and faithfully pray for your pastor, and for others that you know who shoulder the responsibility to preach the word.

Thank you - God bless you!

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WEDNESDAY'S WORD: Job 1:20-21

20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
~Job 1:20-21

WEDNESDAY'S WORD: Ephesians 3:8

"To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."
Ephesians 3:8

WEDNESDAY'S WORD: 2 Timothy 4:2

"Preach the word!"
2 Timothy 4:2

Charles Smith

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Pulpit Truth

WEDNESDAY'S WORD: Job 1:20-21

20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”~Job 1:20-21

WEDNESDAY'S WORD: Ephesians 3:8

"To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." Ephesians 3:8

WEDNESDAY'S WORD: 2 Timothy 4:2

"Preach the word!"2 Timothy 4:2

Charles Smith

Archives

Categories

20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
~Job 1:20-21

"To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."
Ephesians 3:8

"Preach the word!"
2 Timothy 4:2