Be diligent to come to me quickly; for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica-Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come-and the books, especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words. At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen! 2 Timothy 4:9-18
In His ministry, Apostle Paul had more than his share of troubles! Demas had forsaken him, having loved this present world, and had departed for Thessalonica. Alexander the coppersmith did him much harm. But the Lord stood with him and strengthened him, so that the message might be preached fully through him, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Paul was delivered out of the mouth of the lion and was confident that the Lord would deliver him from every evil work and preserve him for His heavenly kingdom.
The good news is that our God is omnipotent and Almighty. Nothing is impossible for Him. His mighty power can rescue us from any danger. The Bible describes as to how a certain woman who suffered from a dreadful disease for many years was healed miraculously when she trusted Him whole-heartedly (Luke 8:48). Our problems may look like a mountain but we can believe and trust in Him like this woman and He shall deliver us from all our problems. God’s word is true:
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you," Says the LORD, your Redeemer. "For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; For as I have sworn That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, So have I sworn That I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," Says the LORD, who has mercy on you Isaiah 54:8-10
Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: "My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God"? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Isaiah 40:27-29.
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Why should God grant power to those who are weak and make them live? Because He remains faithful according to His word:
If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. 2 Timothy 2:12-13
If we observe the life of king Solomon, he tells God, “Lord! I am a small child.” However, God lifts him, made him a great king, gave him visions, grants him wisdom, wealth, name and fame. Alas! King Solomon forgot God and chased after the things of this world. He chose the counsel of the men and handled the practices of the kings of this world. However, the Almighty and all powerful God appeared twice asking him not to forget Him and His ways. He warns him not to go behind the ways of this world (1 Kings 11:9). Isn’t that an amazing love of God? God never faints in His love for us.
God can never become tired of us because even though we are unfaithful He always remains faithful. Whenever we come back to Him and say, “Lord! I am sorry. Please have mercy upon me”, He immediately embraces us with joy and blesses us. He can never get tired. We may be tired but God is not. He is not tired of answering our prayers or lifting us up.
And sometimes God may test our faith! But we must remain firm in our faith depending on God alone. Then victory is ours! We know that we glory in tribulation because tribulation produces perseverance (Romans 5:3). When our faith is tested, we must be firm in our faith on God. He will give us the patience to overcome it and bless us. His word is true:
"For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. "For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the LORD for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." Isaiah 55:10-13
"Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him." For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody. Isaiah 51:1-3
"For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up," Says the LORD of hosts, "That will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this," Says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 4:1-3
Yes, God will bless and increase us. He will comfort all our waste places. He will release health and healing over them. He will make our wilderness like Eden, and our desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody. Yes, for those who fear His name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and they shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. They shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of their feet. God’s word is true:
Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be. "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds. The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, 'Destroy!' Then Israel shall dwell in safety, The fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens shall also drop dew. Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, The shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! Your enemies shall submit to you, And you shall tread down their high places." Deuteronomy 33:25-29
"Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. "From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. "Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. "Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Johsua 1:3-9
"Therefore the LORD God of Israel says: 'I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.' But now the LORD says: 'Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. 1 Samuel 2:30
EXTRACT FROM Be Not Ignorant
http://walthope.tripod.com/ignorant.htm
http://walthope.wordpress.com
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100302133262254344211/posts
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