Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Neither Were They Thankful

Hallelujah. Amen. Well, Tony’s excited, I know. Today they’ll be arriving about 2:15 this afternoon. I know he’ll be looking forward to seeing all of you; it will be a good time of refreshing for them. Today is his birthday…. I think he’s 25. We’re looking forward to just seeing him get refreshed and getting some more things prepared for the work that’s going on. They’re doing a great job over there, so we’re excited what’s taking place in all of their lives. Be prayerful and look for them to get in safely; some good things ahead.

I’m not even supposed to be here; our plans were to be in Norwalk this weekend and then driving down to Bristol next weekend; different races that we had scheduled. Father saw fit to have us here today. So, here we are, praise God! Let’s see what Father has for us.

As I’ve been meditating, just kind of looking at were we are, I’ve actually been studying and getting ready for a series that we’re going to be dealing with called walking in grace. It’s going to be along the lines of the Walking in the Spirit series that we did in (1979) but from another perspective; looking at the real synergism of how we walk in the sanctified life—God working in us to will and to do His good pleasure—and to not trust in our own strength, our own abilities, our own accomplishments. Not to trust in many of the systematic devotions that we have. Not to grade ourselves on performance, but to really see Christ in us the hope of all glory. I’m excited about that, so we’re going to start it right after we get back to school, whenever that is, I guess not this coming weekend, the following weekend.

I was just prayerfully spending time in studying preparing in that, and then the circumstances that we’re going through right now—We’ve been through some real warfare. We thank you all for praying Wednesday; just a true demonic attack, and Father’s grace is sufficient. Amen? We thank you for your prayer and intercession. That was a real refreshing time for Greer. Physically, there’s no change, she’s still sick and pretty much dysfunctional, and nobody knows why. We’re still believing Father to heal her, believing that by His stripes we’re healed. Amen? In the process, just looking to the heart of God, and as I was in prayer yesterday, last night for service, and I told Greer this morning on the way, just saying, "It’s going to be interesting to see what good Father does out of this." Amen? There are already some good things happening in us. Whenever you’re in trials and different things—and it’s not just the physical trial; we’ve been under, like I said, a real spiritual attack. Just continue to pray for both of us. Something good must be getting ready to happen. The thing that I do know is this: When the enemy comes in like a flood, God raises a standard against him. Amen? So, that’s what we’re rejoicing in and looking for all of the good things that Father wants to do in our lives.

As I was meditating on this, of course you go to James, and you, "…count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." Anybody here, besides me, need patience? You know, the patience—not, of course, as we’ve taught in the past—not the endurance aspect as much as that consistency, or that constant abiding or trusting in the Lord; that ability just to rest again in His goodness and in His greatness, and to be able to declare that if God is for us nobody can be against us. Amen?

Count it all joy. What is that talking about? Does that mean that we just celebrate and they’re enjoying the moment? No, that’s not what "counting it all joy" means. We were just talking in the back; Kimberly is really suffering from just severe, severe inflammation in the sciatic to where she can barely get around. She was talking back there, and some of you have experienced it, I know, the different things where you can’t walk, you can’t get up, you crawl over to the bed to pull yourself up. At those moments you’re just not saying, "Oh this is great! Thank you, Lord. I appreciate it." That’s not what counting it all joy’s all about. Greer is constantly weak and the frustrations, the 24-hour-a-day nausea, and all of those particular things; you’re not just saying, "Oh this is great, praise God!" That’s not what counting it all joy means. The counting it joy that we’re looking at is the knowledge that God is going to keep that which we’ve committed to Him against that day. Amen? The trials that we’re involved in, we’re not tried past that that we’re able to stand, and with every temptation, God makes the way of escape. What is the way of escape? Patience, endurance and consistency; not wavering, not being tossed to and fro. Not getting into that game of judging ourselves, "What’s wrong?" No condemnation. "There is therefore now no condemnation to [those of us] which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. [We live in that new] law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made [us] free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1-2). Counting it all joy that God’s working something in us that there’s a confidence that Father has, that as He cultivates our lives, many times through the pressures of life and the trials, there’s some good fruit coming, if we remain patience, if we stand up under the chastisement of the Lord.

The chastening of the Lord, the disciplines of God, are grievous for the moment. So, now I want you to see that as it pertains to what James is saying. James says, "Count it all joy," and Paul says it’s what? "It can be grievous for the moment." It hurts; I don’t like it, I don’t understand it, but it’s working in us—say it—the peaceable fruit of righteousness, the righteousness that is really the rest and the justification of God and not in our own ability. We’re not trusting in our performance of what we’re doing good for God or anything that has to do with performance orientation, but our righteousness is of God in Christ. What am I saying? In many of these things, it helps us to understand God loves us, not for our productivity, not for our abilities, but because He’s chosen to lavish His goodness, His kindness, and His mercy on us. Trials usually are for the purpose of showing us that we have too much confidence in ourselves. We might not think so, but at different times of saying, "You know what? You’re slipping away from the absolute trust and reliance in me." Sometimes we actually even get lulled to sleep in long periods of ease and comfort and don’t even know, many times, like Samson, what we’ve lost, and God reminds us again of our dependency on Him.

I know that even in my own life, as we’ve been experiencing these things, this is something that Father’s been revealing to me and sharing with me: "You’ve got to become aware of your necessity of daily dependence." Just wrestling again last night with principalities and powers and really not able to go to sleep until… I remember seeing 3:00 o’clock at least, and battling, warring in my mind; it was Satan. The one thing that came to me at that point—and I don’t know if it was the spirit of God or just the questioning that we have within ourselves—but I believe it was the Lord trying to help me, regardless of what the origin of it was, to see where we’re headed. What came to me at that time, as we were wrestling and warring in that area, the thought came to me: "If the footmen have wearied you, how are you going to contend with the horses and the chariots?" In other words, the Lord was saying, "There are some real bad times coming. What are you learning right now? What can you take away from the trials that you’ve been in, in the last 60 days that have been warring against your mind and against your body? What have you learned in all of this?" What I learned basically, and learning even more now, is the fact that I wasn’t trusting; I wasn’t resting in the manner sufficient for what’s ahead, the things that are coming, to be able to step back again and realize that it’s Christ in us the hope of glory. You can’t trust in methods or in knowledge or in past accomplishments and experience, but only in the momentary presence of God. Amen? Just now. The knowledge of God, the awareness of His love for us and His eternal desire to be glorified in us and through us, vehicles able to be used.

"…count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James 1:1-3). What is he talking about there? Since we’re talking about James, I wasn’t necessarily going to start there, but that’s where we are. You can go over to James, the first chapter. What James is saying to us there, the lacking of nothing, has nothing to do with circumstances; it has to do with spiritual character and Christlikeness. We know that James goes on in this epistle and speaks very clearly of the fact that there has to be a fruit, an evidence of obedience, an outward righteousness. Show me your faith. Show me faith without works; I’ll show you faith by my works. "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?" That’s not talking about genuine faith, that’s talking about a presumption of ourselves that may not be accurate. It’s not talking about biblical faith, because faith does save us. It’s talking about intellectual and understanding of redemption, of righteousness, of relationship, but no evidence of it. Empty statements of what we believe or who we are without the heart experience, and James is saying trials are what’s going to show you what you really are, where your hope really is, whether it’s in your own ability and your own perception, or whether or not you’re going to be able to roll and cast the care over on Him, truly believing that He cares for us, knowing that the knowledge of God’s love, that perfect love, casts out fear. He says in Chapter 2, verse 20, "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" What he’s saying is: I want to see some things worked in you in the area of fruit, of just trust, of the peace and the rest in the midst of the trials. The joy is the expectation of the glory of God being worked in us. That’s what makes us be able to rejoice. Not in the circumstances; what’s being worked in me, praise God. I rejoice that when this thing’s over, and it will end. Amen? As we endure, it will end, if we faint not, it will end, praise God, and it will end for the glory of God. Not always to our understanding or expectations. We pray, expecting the immediate, momentary result and promise of God.

I know on a couple of occasions as I’ve been praying and believing for that deliverance, and really many times sensing that the victory had been won, and then the next day nothing’s different, everything’s just the way it was. The favorable expectation is still now the reality, and not the circumstances. Calling things that are not as though they were but for the glory of God, and realizing that even when it doesn’t manifest, or in the time or the way that you expect. What’s this thing working in me right now? A consistent expectation of the goodness and the glory of God that we might be perfect, entire, wanting nothing; lacking none of the things necessary to stand and bring glory to God. To go on, as James has in this epistle, to begin to have evidence of our faith, the expression of our faith, not only in our declaration but in our ability to trust Him and stand, even when circumstances are adverse as they were in the life of Abraham, as James goes on and talks about. Not trying to presume but even praying, as James says in this first chapter, for the wisdom of God. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God…" What’s the wisdom that we’re looking for here? "Father, what are You trying to say to me? What are You trying to show me in the midst of this?" He said, "I’m trying to show you that I work all things together for good to those that love Me to those that are called according to My eternal divine purposes."

Are you experiencing anything adverse in your life? If not, then it’s coming. You remember we’ve talked before, as we’ve done extensive studies here in James, the realizing that Father will not tempt us past that we’re able, and with every temptation He makes the way of escape. Many times the place that we find ourselves is the expression of God’s confidence in us that we won’t faint, that we’re not going to fail, that we are going to cast it over on Him, because ultimately He’s going to be glorified in us. There’s a war going on in the heavens: The glory of God and Satan trying to steal His glory. In the midst of all of this perversion that we’re living in, I want us to see one thing that’s very important as we continue in the warfare, and this is where I was actually wanting to go, but as we looked at James here a little bit we’ll probably refer back.

Turn to Romans 1 with me. As we’re battling in this generation and we’re called to be the light of the world, think with me for just a moment, beloved—I mean, people are wandering in absolute darkness out there today, the blind leading the blind. We mentioned about that book that was one of the best sellers right now, just mocking God. We’re living in a generation when men are so confident in their own ability. The different areas of trust, some trusting in the economy—Boy, talk about the broken reed of Egypt! I went and watched the latest Bruce Willis Die Hard movie. I enjoyed it, there’s a lot of action, but the thing that I enjoyed, it’s kind of an updated thing of where we are—and it’s not way beyond the ability to imagine something similar to that happening—It had to do with cyber-terrorism. As it showed these computer geniuses able to take over because everything runs by computer today; everybody trusts in technology, it’s amazing. Try to get something done today. I think the key was those of you that were in Africa, right, and we go up to the British Airways desk and they go, "The computers are down," and we immediately go to the Stone Age. They’re handwriting every ticket and five people are assigned to the same seat. So, it’s not bad enough that the computers are down; you have these geniuses trying to do this thing by hand, and the confusion... We so expect everything to happen systematically and instantaneously and we get to London, and it’s hard for us to believe that communication hadn’t taken place, and they didn’t know that we were arriving, and they were supposed to have communicated these things. We’re expecting instantaneous communication and all of these things that people have begun to depend upon. This need to stay connected today.

The fad—the new cell phone that just came out that’s now—the iPhone—Have any of you really thought about this for a moment? This thing is able to hold 10,000 songs. Who knows 10,000 songs? Now, there are people that don’t have a life, I guess, that might, "I have to have my music." What’s that all about? Are you Linus; you’ve got to have your little blanket? I mean, they have to have their music. I know parts of a lot of songs, probably just because I’m old. I got thinking—I think about things I guess you don’t need to think about—but I got thinking about this, and I really got thinking about how many songs do I really know all the words to? I know "Happy Birthday." I never quite know whose name to put in there but, "Dear mmmm, happy birthday to you." I started analyzing myself, "Why don’t you know these words?" I figured it out, even when I was a teenager. I know part of the words to a lot of songs, but do you know what I figured out? When I was kid and we were listening to music, we were either headed somewhere to play ball or to do something, and I was taken up with the people in the car, and because of our conversation, our dialog, because we were going somewhere to do something, I wasn’t absorbed in whatever this is. I don’t know that I know all of the words to any of our choruses, because usually when we’re singing the choruses, my mind’s on what I’m going to teach, what’s going on, and I’ve realized that my focus has never been on that.

People that are focusing on that—and I’m saying all this, that about those that have all these songs and know all these words—how much focus has there been on the Word of God? How many times, when we’re in the midst of all of our music and all of memorization through repetition, is the Holy Spirit wanting to speak to us, and He can’t get on the right frequency? All I’m saying is—I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with these things— I’m saying: the distractions of this hour are not coincidental. This is a satanic design to take away "Be still and know that I am God. Get alone with me." I heard a guy say it just the other day—I can’t even remember where we were—and somebody was making the comment, "I couldn’t live without my cell phone." Now, that’s quite a statement.

We talked about the pastor’s conference the other day, and I asked these men where their trust was, and whether or not we’ve been distracted in this generation as to who we are as the children of God and what it means to worship the Lord; and that it doesn’t have to do with currency, it has to do with increase, and the true—and this is what I want to talk about this morning, we’ll get there—the true focus is being thankful for what God has given us primarily: the gift of His presence, the calling of God on our lives as sons of God, heirs and joint heirs with Christ Jesus, that godliness with contentment is great gain. So, because of that lack of satisfaction with just the presence of God, with the spiritual realm, we’re looking for other ways to constantly be in touch, connected; and if I’m connected to man I don’t need God. If I’m getting my gratification, my comfort my help from whom I’m connected to, I don’t need God. If I’m getting my needs met from the microbiologist, from the new credit system, then I don’t need God.

As we look at Romans 1, and the Lord is speaking here concerning the depravity of man, let’s remember what we’re basically talking when we talk about depravity: depravity is not our actions, it’s not our morality; the depravity is the absence of God, the absence of lordship of Jesus in our lives. You see, when Adam and Eve first sinned, they were not on drugs, they weren’t committing adultery, murder would come later. The real sin was independence, self-sufficiency. The real sin was lack of contentment with what God had given, there was more to be had. "What I want is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. I want the knowledge, I want to be in control, I want to know why these things are happening. I want them to go according to my time. I want to go according to my methods." So, we’re always frustrated, and that’s part of the frustration we’ve been going through. The frustration I’ve been going though: how come the prayer of faith isn’t working in the way that I think it should? How come it’s not being healed in my time? How come Satan isn’t immediately fleeing as I resist him at this moment? Then we go back to Paul and he said, I sought the Lord thrice, and His response was my—say it—grace is sufficient for you. You see, grace is not just the unmerited favor or gift of God, grace is the ability to stand and know the goodness of God in adverse circumstances, that God is good whether it seems like or not, whether it feels like it or not, whether I understand it or not. God is good, praise God! And His mercies endure forever. Amen.

See, that’s what trials keep trying to bring us back to. When we start getting off course then He wants us to come back and be pressed to that place where we say, "I can’t do anything; God, You’re good, praise God, and though Thou He slay me, I will serve Thee." That comes in the different aspects of trials and temptations and pressures, whether they’re of great magnitude or even just the frustrations of daily life, those are trials to us. Any time we feel out of control, it’s a trial to us as to whether or not we’re going to trust God. What’s going to comfort me here: the circumstances changing or the knowledge that God works everything for good? It could be a small thing. It’s obvious that in the big things when we’re just totally broken and without strength, and we just fall on the mercy of God and cry out. Those things become obvious, but see, that’s not where the real problem is. When we’re pressed to that decision, "Am I going to trust God or am I going to die trusting myself?" What about the daily frustrations? Do you find yourself frustrated by life? Do you feel the need to be comforted, to network and have our hope in the strength of allies, or can you at those times just put everything down, come into the presence of God, and taste and see the goodness of the Lord? Come out of that prayer closet strengthened, clear vision, no more understanding than you had before of what was going on, but knowing that the steps of a good man are ordered by God. That’s where our confidence is, that’s where our boast is. See, many of us, because we’re not caught up in the vile things, seem to think that we’re okay, and Romans, then, talks about the depravity of man, the vileness.

Look at what verse 29 says, of Romans 1. "Being filled…" That’s interesting that being filled is the perfect participle, and it’s really talking about a past fact with a present result, an expression, and it’s to its fullness in its effect, and being expressed in these different ways. What am I saying? You’re not totally unrighteous or messed up in every area but you are totally messed up, and it will manifest itself in one or all of these different expressions. The fact that we don’t have all of them doesn’t mean we’re not that bad. We are totally depraved. Without Him we can do nothing that’s accepted of Him. "In me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good thing." So, how are we going to ever please Him in the natural? How we ever going to please Him with the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil that that we boast in, that that we think we’ve perfected, that that our father Adam had to have? God’s not looking for us to solve our problems, to show ourselves strong; He’s looking for us to rely on and trust in Him to boast in Him; to boast in our own weakness so that God could be strong. "Being filled with unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud... [You know, this list is just us to different degrees.] inventors of evil things, [as if there’s not enough bad guys, they’re inventing new ways to be evil] disobedient to parents, [wait a minute, how did that get in there?] Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of [damnation], not only do them, but have pleasure in them that do them [follow them around, try to emulate, make heroes out of these people]."

That’s why we’ve talked in the past that it’s one thing to be a fan, or to admire different skills, but to make heroes, or to in some way want to emulate the world—their movie stars, their athletes, the business tycoons—is to fulfill what’s being said right here. Because if they’ve accomplished what they’ve accomplished in their own strength, and we’re taking pleasure in them wanting to emulate them, be in awe of their accomplishments, then we’ve allowed idolatry—and not just of the particular person, but of the system—to grab our hearts. Do you want to know what the cause of it is? It’s back here in verse 21. Go back there with me for a moment. How do we get to that place where the world becomes so influential in our lives? We talked about it before, and most of us are not caught up in a lot of these things, but it’s amazing where we are, how many people can tell you everything that’s going on in the world today, listening to all the news channels, and this is happening here, and that’s happening there, and either up on a soap box—this is injustice, and this is wrong—or wringing their hands because of the circumstances, and there’s a sniper over here, and 12 people were killed in Syria. Can you tell me what’s happening in the book of Acts? Why are we so caught up in that? Every statistic of this NBA player; people can tell us who were the first ten taken in the NBA draft. That just happened, and I know that because I was in a restaurant and they put part of it up on the TV screen. I didn’t see who they were. Some of you might know, I’m not going to ask, and that’s okay. Are we impressed by that? How much time is it taking in our lives? What is any of this doing to prepare us for the next battle that we’re going to experience in the heavenlies? What fruit is being evidenced by the knowing of that or the involvement of that for the glory of God?

Here’s what we need to be very aware of: "…when they knew God, [when they were in that place where God had made Himself real and there was a knowledge of God, gnosko, experiential, not knowing about God; because says in the verse just before that, that the knowledge of God is within us all, therefore all men are without an excuse. Every one of us believes in God; every man believes in God. The devil believes in God and trembles. But those that knew God—watch!] they glorified Him not as God." At the place that we find ourselves, today in the relationship with Father, the knowledge that we have of God, what does it mean to continue to glorify Him as God? The word, glorify means to declare His greatness. To glorify is a showing forth of our trust and our reliance, and our hope; our assurance that God will do what He said He would do, and that He is who He said He is; that He would never leave us nor forsake us, that He’s the giver of every good and perfect gift; that He’s gone to prepare a place for us, and He’ll come and receive us to Himself. "… they knew God, they glorified him not as God, [What does it mean to steal the glory of God? Look at the next phrase, say it with me] neither were thankful; but became vain [or void] in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened."

How do we become darkened in our hearts? How do we become a foolish heart? By being unthankful for what God is doing in our lives right now, the goodness of God in our lives right now. The fact that all things are working together for good to those that love God and are called according to His purpose. What is His purpose? That He might be glorified. God’s purpose isn’t about us being blessed; it’s about Him being glorified. So the question, then, is: Are we counting joy where Father has us at this time in our lives? We need to answer that for ourselves and then take James’ admonishment and not say, "Well yeah, praise God, I’m counting it all joy." Where is that? Show me your faith without works, and I’ll show you true faith by works. What are the works that He’s looking for? He’s looking for us to declare the goodness of God in the midst of the adversities, just to talk about the goodness of God. The Scripture says that there’s a book of the remembrance that’s made up concerning those of us that boast in His righteousness, and that call on His name, and magnify Him in the midst of all of these opportunities to bring Him glory.

Go back to James with me for just a second. He says, in verse 12 of the first chapter, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation…" The word "endurance" there is an interesting word; it’s not just get through but in the Greek, really, we’re talking about someone that is strong in the midst of. How then are we to express our strength in the midst of the trials or temptations we’re in? The greatest declaration of our strength is the proclamation of our weakness. We declare our strength by proclaiming our weakness: "I can’t do it without you; without you I can do nothing." Now listen: I choose to do nothing. I might could figure a way out of this in the natural, I might con my way out of this. I could leverage my way out of this. I could go leverage some of my holdings and get what I need at this moment to get out of this thing. I can do it in my own strength, but, you know, I’m coming to realize I’m here to learn something about myself and about God. I find myself in the midst of the temptation; this is what James is talking about: blessed is the man that endures temptation, is strong in the midst of temptation; not just, "Well, I’m just going to wait this thing out. Dear God, I hope I don’t die." How do we stand up and hope for, and look for, and pray for the wisdom, James says in the previous verses, as to what will bring God the most glory at this moment in my life?

Now, that doesn’t always mean for everybody to see. God is glorified when something just works inside of you. Amen? It doesn’t have to been seen. It doesn’t have to be proclaimed. You don’t have to write a book on it: "My testimony of deliverance from____." Praise God, there will be an opportunity someday to share that testimony and be able to comfort with the same comfort wherewith you’ve been comforted, but so often we look for some external way. God is looking to be glorified in us in the invisible realm. God is looking to be glorified more in the realm of principalities and powers, which is where the real war is, than He is in the eyes of men. Let me say it again so you can understand: God is more concerned about His glory in the invisible than He is in the visible. God isn’t that taken up with man in the condition that he’s in. Man is not the enemy of God; man is the servant of the enemy of God, Satan, which makes him the enemy. But men are tools, instruments that Satan is using to blaspheme; but God, in His love for His creation, God, in love for His man, is looking to be glorified in us and through us.

So, endure temptations, be strong. To bear up under is another rendering here in the Greek. Don’t faint, for in due season you’re going to reap. What is bearing up under? It doesn’t mean just getting through it, it means getting through it, giving glory to God; getting through it expecting the character of Jesus to be worked in you. See, I don’t want to be the same, I don’t just want to get out of this thing, I want to get out of the midst of it more like Jesus. Amen? It’s about me being conformed into His image. This is an opportunity for refinement and preparation to serve in a greater way. "…for when [man] is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted [toward evil, toward independence], when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, [left to itself, and in it’s final work], bringeth forth death."

He’s making the distinction between the different trials that we have. Self-induced trials by lust and covetousness, and greed, and independence. That’s not God working character working in you, that’s Satan lording over your life. But God is the giver of every good and perfect gift. God takes these things, these trials, and if we will then rest, and realize, and reconcile the sin that’s in our members, He turns these things, then, for good as He’s refining us, and of His own will, verse 18 says "…begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, [verse 19] let every man [here’s an encouragement; here’s what you do in trials. Listen. Many of us don’t get this right. In the midst of this,] let every man be swift to [say it] hear, [See, we all want to talk; we want to justify it, we want to find the solution, we want to question God.] slow to wrath: [Slow to anger. "Why is this happening to me, why are people treating me this way?" No.] be swift to hear [listen to what God’s saying to you in the midst of this thing, put your hand over your mouth, like Job, and stop feeling sorry for yourself.] slow to wrath:" "Why me; why is this happening?" Then the Scripture says that we’re able to receive as we’re swift to hear, verse 21, with meekness—now this is something important—with meekness. That means we’re able to hear. We don’t go to the Word of God and try to force our solution. "I’m going to get verses that will justify what I want done." In meekness we hear what God has to say, we let Him give us the guidance, the wisdom. Let Him tell you what needs to be done. Pray for wisdom, James said, in the midst of the adversities. "Lord, speak to me; show me what you want me to learn in this thing. Show me what will bring you the most glory. What am I lacking in my trust?" "…and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls."

So, therefore you are now a doer of the word and not a hearer only, deceiving yourselves. The joy of knowing that God’s being glorified. This is preparatory for the glory of God. This is causing me to be more conformed into His image. This situation is not about me, it’s about the declaration of the goodness of God, the giver of every good and perfect gift.

Father we thank You this morning that You do provide for us in all things and in the midst of it there are trials, there are tribulations. Of the amount of people here this morning there are a number of us that are experiencing trials: domestic situations, physical situations, besetting sins that we thought were gone that are manifesting themselves again; just weariness of trying to stand in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, the trial of independence in this nation that we live in. All the distractions, always connected, the telephone is on, the radio is on, the television is on, always hanging out. Then there are those real moments when we’re alone just before we go to sleep in the bed, and all the connections are broken, and we deal with what we really are.

We’re thankful, Father, that the trials, the tests, show us that. It’s our report card. Thank You for Your goodness of not allowing us to deceive our own selves but the constant reminder that without You we can do nothing. The constant reminder that it’s not all of the wickedness that Romans 1 speaks of, but the unthankfulness, our judging You unfaithful, our questioning of life’s circumstances, that somehow they are not for us, when You’ve said in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Father, we quote that so many times that we don’t listen to it. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God. "You mean, the circumstances are the will of God?" The giving of thanks is the will of God, which then makes the circumstances the will of God. You’ve told us, Father, that we were to give thanks unto You for You’ve made us able to become partakers of the inheritance of the saints. Father, if we receive nothing else in this life, our inheritance, partakers of the children of light, how blessed we are. Finish the work in us, for we are the light of this dark world. Could others look and see? "Yeah, Christians have the same problems we have, but their hope is in the heavens. They’re not limited to this life, they live beyond the immediate." That’s our testimony, that’s Your glory.

Father, make it real in our lives that men would see our good works, of rest, of trust, of boasting, and glorify our Father which is in heaven. For that we say, "Thank You," in Jesus’ name, amen. Let’s stand before the Lord this morning. Amen. Turn to somebody next to you this morning and say, "In everything give thanks." Amen. Go in peace, God’s love go with you.

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