We have all faced difficulties; some have faced more extreme difficulties than others, but all of us have our own share of heartache. The question we face is what to do with the trials and the emotions those difficulties bring. We ask ourselves, “Shall I walk through life depressed and gloomy forever? Will I never find a reason to smile again? Will I never have a night of peaceful sleep or wake with hope in my heart again?” Those thoughts hardly fit with Christ and "life more abundantly,” yet these feelings are real and need to be addressed.

Most of us are familiar with the life of Job: his sufferings, his difficulties, the death of his family, and his financial disaster — all of these things piled onto the life of one of the finest men that lived in the land.

Psalm 11:5 “The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.”

Colossians 1:13 “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:”

My wife and I have been a part of the Christian life for many years. Having been a pastor for four decades, I have observed a few proven facts over the years. One such observation is this: In many cases, God will let you have what you want.


America has the idea that our values are the best on earth, and that our priorities are superior to all others. I will admit that to the extent that we follow the truths of the Bible and the founders who sought complete freedom, America is superior, but it is all a work of God, not of our own.

Zephaniah 1:4 “I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;”

Just what does your church believe?
That is the question many people need to ask. For if we talk to the folks in the church, there is little clarity as to their beliefs. Can you get saved without good works? Are you saved by faith, or is repentance from sin required? Are you ordained to be saved and have little or no part in the work of salvation? The questions go on and on. Once you are saved, can you lose your salvation? How much sin can you commit and still be saved? What about baptism? Do you need to be baptized to be saved? Is baptism under water or is sprinkling adequate?

In the time of the judges, war came, and among the people, they basically had no weapons. That was a serious problem!

It is unlikely this message will get to those it would help most, but the truth should be printed and published to allow the Holy Spirit to direct people to it as He chooses.

Having worked closely with God’s people for nearly fifty years, I have noticed certain things that cause people to become casualties on the road of spiritual living. These people are not bad. These people do not have drug, alcohol, or criminal problems. These people became casualties. A soldier who is a casualty ceases to fight; he is no longer able to stay in the fight and help the cause for which he enlisted. In regards to Christianity, you can be physically well, but be a spiritual casualty.

Every Christian faces tragedies, trials, and severe times of testing in life.
Consider the great people in the Bible like Joseph, Daniel, Abraham, and others who went through deep valleys. It would be wise to bring Jesus into the equation. Consider the great suffering of our Lord; He certainly did nothing to deserve the kind of treatment he received. He offended neither God nor man, and yet, He suffered as no other man has suffered.

We all face trials. Sometimes trials are very personal, and other times, trials involve finances or health troubles that enter every life — but no matter what, each trial is an assault.

We will often hear people make comments such as, “People agree,” or “The majority says,” or “Most fundamental leaders believe…” These statements invoke the theory that something is right if a group of people agreeing on it. (Now, we know better than that.)

We consider many things to be important that have a tendency to get us in trouble.  Being flesh, we often stumble over certain principles regularly.  Identifying some of our weak areas might be a help.  One such principle that often causes problems is that of unity.  Unity is very important — as long as it is built upon truth.  
Mark 3:25 “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

While out witnessing, a common response to hear is that no one can KNOW for sure they are going to Heaven.  From the perspective of a lost man who has no faith or trust in the Bible, perhaps that is true.   If we believe the Bible at face value, we can KNOW. 

Good Morning,
During our Wednesday Bible study, I spent a few weeks teaching some of the most basic thoughts about Calvinism. I thought I might add an additional thought here, as there is always a draw toward doctrinal error.

Rebellion rarely starts out in matters of sin or issues that are clearly right and wrong.  For example, Aaron and Miriam and their attitude toward Moses.

Luke 22:42 “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”

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