Tag: Mark Harris

Jesus, in preparing His disciples for His departure, told them, “Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.” (John 14:1) Jesus knew that from the time of His departure until the time of His return His followers would often experience difficulties which were going to be both frightening and confusing. And in those times one of the truths that would keep them encouraged was knowing and trusting in the fact of heaven and Jesus’ promise of returning to take us there.

Read the story: John 14

Jesus was exhorting them to not allow their heart to be overwhelmed with the sorrows of suffering loss but to understand that heaven is real and Jesus is preparing it for us and the final result of all that we are going through is that we get to live with Him forever in a heaven that is beyond earthly description or comprehension. He assured them that their future is secure in eternity with Him. He wanted them to understand that keeping their focus on eternity would produce an unshakable trust in God that would hold them steadfast when they were going through circumstances that they didn’t understand.

An example of this confident trust while going through difficult times is Abraham. Hebrews 11:10 tells us, “Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.” (NLT) What gave Abraham this ability to keep trusting God when he didn’t understand his circumstances was his steadfast focus on the eternal city designed and built by God.

Abraham’s life journey was filled with circumstances that were difficult, confusing and many times fearful. But what kept him trusting God was his confidence in the eternal city awaiting him at the end of it all. Abraham viewed life with an eternal perspective.

This truth is beautifully express in the Hymn , “When we see Christ” written by Ester Kerr Rusthoi in the uncertain times of World War II. This hymn expresses the confidence we have when we focus on eternity with Jesus.

Sometimes the day seems long
Our trials hard to bear.
We’re tempted to complain
To murmur and despair.
But Christ will soon appear
To catch His bride away!
All tears forever over
In God’s eternal day.

It will be worth it all
When we see Jesus
Life’s trials will seem so small
When we see Christ.
One glimpse of His dear face
All sorrow will erase
So bravely run the race
Til’ we see Christ.

Activity:
Google this hymn and listen to it sung to encourage you to live with a view of eternity.

Paul in writing to Timothy warns him of the terrible times that would exist in the last days. He admonishes Timothy to continue in what he had learned and had become convinced of. He urges him to keep himself grounded in the scriptures so that he would endure being thoroughly equipped for every situation and good work.

Read the story: II Timothy 3:1-17

Paul gave Timothy a list of conditions that will exist in the lives of people in the last days.

1. People will be self-centered lovers of themselves.
2. They will be lovers of money.
3. They will be boastful and proud.
4. They will be abusive and disobedient to parents.
5. They will be ungrateful, unholy, unloving and unforgiving.
6. They will be slanderous, brutal, and without self-control,
7. They will be treacherous, rash and conceited.
8. They will be lovers of pleasure.
9. They will have a form of godliness but deny its power.
10. They will always be learning but never come to the knowledge of the truth.
11. They will be depraved and twisted in their thinking.

In view of this, Paul exhorted Timothy to remember the example Paul had lived before him, his teaching, his way of life, his faith, his patience and love his endurance in times of suffering and persecution and how God had rescued him from them all.

Paul tells Timothy that everyone who lives a godly life in Christ will experience times of difficulty and persecution, but the way to nourish and maintain spiritual confidence is to keep themselves grounded in the Word of God. Every part of scripture is God-breathed showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, and training us to live God’s way. The more one devours the Word of God, the more they will understand God’s commitment to use the things they go through to grow them into His likeness and to use them for His purpose.

Activity:
Write a note of praise to God for how He is using your experiences to grow you and to fulfill His purposes in your life.

The author of the book of Hebrews in chapter 11 gives illustration after illustration of men and women who endured torture, hardship, rejection and all kinds of disappointing and confusing circumstances. They endured because of faith, they clung to the anchor of their soul with confidence that He would see them through. In chapter 12 we are admonished to learn from their examples of perseverance.

Read the Story: Hebrews 12:1-3

In this portion of scripture we are given several practical actions to pursue that will enable us to maintain and nourish our confidence in confusing times.

1. “Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” (v.1).
Just as a runner wears light weight and unrestrictive clothing, so we are to remove thoughts and attitudes that tend to encumber us tripping us up and weighing us down.

2. Run with perseverance the race before us. (v.1).
Don’t allow confusion to discourage you and cause you to give up, rather, keep pressing forward in the strength of Christ. He will give you what you need.

3. Fix your eyes on Jesus (v.2).
Look away from all distractions keeping your focus on Jesus and His example of enduring the suffering of the cross.

4. Do not grow weary and lose heart. (v.3)
Don’t waste your energy on worry and fear, rather encourage yourself in the fact that the same grace of God that brought Jesus through all that He suffered will likewise bring you through all that you face, as well.

5. As children of God, be receptive to His discipline. (vs.5-11)
Recognize He is shaping you into His likeness. He is growing you into spiritual maturity and fruitfulness

6. Strength your feeble arms and weak knees. (v.12)
Don’t mope around in self pity, rather admit you weaknesses and put forth the effort to exercise those spiritual muscles to become strong. Set an example for others to follow by their observing the straight paths you have chosen. (v.13).

These six actions will produce boldness and courage and the confidence to endure knowing God is using what we are going through for His glory and for our growth.

Activity:
Write a paragraph on how you see practicing these six actions would produce spiritual confidence in you.

The writer of the book of Hebrews reminded his readers in chapter 10 of the confidence we have to enter God’s presence through the blood of Jesus (v.19) and the assurance of faith we have to draw near to God (v.22) so we can hold unswervingly to hope because of God’s faithfulness (v.23).

Read the Story: Hebrews 10:19-39

These Hebrew Christians had stood their ground in the face of suffering (v.32). They had been publicly exposed to insults and persecution (v. 33). Many had been imprisoned, bodily mistreated, and their property confiscated (v.34). Because of confusing circumstances some had lost their spiritual confidence.

The writer encourages them, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.” (Vs. 35-36). Many Christians throw away their confidence about God’s goodness and faithfulness when they find themselves in difficult and painful situations. They allow the confusion of circumstances to cloud their thinking. They allow Satan’s lies to consume their minds and his fears to overwhelm their emotions.

The key to receiving God’s provision is learning to maintain one’s spiritual confidence. The very next chapter (Hebrews chapter 11) enumerates a long list of spiritual heroes whom God sustained through all kinds of difficulties and sorrows, in spite of their not understanding their circumstance, because they refused to throw away their confidence in God holding unswervingly to their faith and hope.

The year 2020 has been a difficult year in many ways. COVID-19 has caused a total disruption of our normal activities. We’ve been forced to quarantine, stay at home, social distance, isolate ourselves, and close schools and businesses. Many people have lost their jobs, the economy has been unstable flexing up and down. There have been natural disasters, hurricanes, tornados, forest fires with devastating destruction.

There have been protest and social unrest with riots in major cities. Everything that can be shaken seems to be being shaken. Consequently, many Christians have thrown away their confidence and lost their faith. The uncertainty of things has overwhelmed many and filled them with fear and confusion. I don’t know what further difficulties we may have to face in 2020. Things might get worse, but whatever happens, we have an anchor for our soul. We can cling to Him and He will sustain us empowering us to stand firm enduring to the end.

Activity:
Make a list of your own heroes of faith, people you know, people who have been an encouragement and inspiration to you as you have observed them enduring hardship, suffering, and difficult times. Take time to tell them the inspiration and encouragement they have been to you.

Psalm 91 is believed to have been written by Moses during Israel’s journey through the wilderness. The wilderness presented many challenges and difficulties which were confusing and fearful.

Read the Story: Psalm 91

God instructs Israel, “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that strikes in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.” (Ps. 91:5-6) He confronts fears and confusion with the facts of God being our refuge (vs. 9), the ministry of angels (vs.11), and God’s commitment to answer our prayers. (vs.15).

We can choose to focus on our negative circumstances and the things that confuse us or we can choose to focus on the truth about God and what we’ve experienced of His goodness and faithfulness. It’s a deliberate choice. When my wife died of cancer, I was in total confusion. I was 42 years old and had two teen age daughters. I had no answers for my questions and I didn’t see how I could carry on. Fear and confusion overwhelmed me.

God said to me in my duress, “As long as you focus on what’s confusing you, you will always be in confusion. You need to focus on what you know to be true about me.” I made a deliberate choice to give to God all my confusion and to focus on what I knew to be true about God. That didn’t change my circumstances but it did change how I viewed them. I knew that even though I didn’t understand why things happened the way they did, I knew God loved me, I knew He is always faithful to His Word, I knew He is always committed to my growth and fruitfulness. I knew He would sustain me and show me the way to move forward in His strength.

When I made that deliberate choice to not allow fear and confusion to dominate my thinking and to fill my mind with what I knew to be true about God, only then was I able to move out of depression, and hopelessness into confidence in the goodness and faithfulness of God who would sustain me and see me through my loss.

Activity:

From this Psalm 91, list as many statements about God as you can find and any conditions attached to the promises that are make.