COMBATING SEASONS OF DISCOURAGEMENT

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1 MARANATHA MESSENGER Weekly Newsletter of Private Circulation Only MARANATHA BIBLE-PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 17 August 2003 Present every man perfect in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:28). Address: 63 Cranwell Road, Singapore Tel: (65) Fax: (65) Website: * Sunday School: 9.45 am Worship Service: am Wednesday Prayer Meeting: 8.00 pm Pastor: Rev Jack Sin (Pager: ) COMBATING SEASONS OF DISCOURAGEMENT Introduction We live in a highly exacting environment of secular work, family life, studies and other cares of the world. In the pursuit of our career or academic success, there may be moments of distress and discouragement. Weariness and uncertainty often creep in and a downcast spirit may cloud our perspective of God and life. Often times, one feels devastated, hopeless, abandoned, useless or even worthless. The Christian often battles with emotions of personal discouragement when failure, financial reversals, relationship problems or unexpected changes happen to us each time. How can a Christian cope with the enemy of discouragement when it comes? Below are suggested tips for coping with impending discouragement. Getting our Priorities Right Not all discouragements are necessarily bad. Often, our sovereign Almighty God has a prudent way of getting us to streamline and evaluate ourselves and put the first things first in our lives. Ps 139:23,24 say, Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Problems and troubles are often God s way of telling we are heading the wrong direction. Jesus our Lord in Matt 6:33 says, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Paul in Col 3:1,2 says, If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Is there some misplaced priorities in your life today that account for your depressed emotions? If so, it is time to set things right and concentrate on things spiritual and heavenly instead of the earthly and mundane. Isaiah was emotionally affected when Uzziah died but God gave him a whole new perspective when his eyes were focused on Jehovah and he got a new calling to serve God as a prophet (Isa 6). He caught on a new vision and was greatly used of God to challenge and rebuke His people in momentous times. The Testing of Character 2 Pet 1:5-9 say, And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue;

2 and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Often, seasons of discouragement are for the development of our character. Patience or endurance during uncertain anxieties and discouragement is developed and nurtured, which is a desirable quality. God often allows His children to be in the doldrums of life to develop their inner being of endurance, perseverance, faith and godliness, in order to mould us. Job went through much suffering and anguish but God revived and rewarded him later (Job 42). Joseph was discouraged at one time in the prison cell (Gen 39) but God overturned and raised him up in the fullness of time, to be the top civil servant of Egypt. God has a purpose in everything, including the negative moments of life. We are to wait patiently and witness the good hand of the Lord in the fullness of time. Joseph in Gen 50:20 says, But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Paul in 2 Cor 4:8,9 say, We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. Chastisement or Time for Reflection Our heavenly Father loves us so much that He will not allow us to go on to destruction in sin. Sometimes, God allows discouragement to happen to us to show His disfavour or displeasure. Heb 12:6-7 says, For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? When David sinned against God in adultery, there were emotional struggles as well. In Ps 32:1-3 he says, Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. There will be moments of God s frowning providence whereby He allows us to be downcast and depressed for a season so that we will confess, repent of our sins and return to Him one day. The Prodigal Son went through that, was revived and finally reconciled with the father after a bout of serious discouragement. It is a time to draw nigh to God in an intimate communion, comfort and peace will be restored. Phil 4:6,7 say, Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all

3 understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Let the seasons of discouragements be turned into times of refreshing and awakening to the spiritual benefit of our souls. An Old Testament Testimony Ironically, the prophet Elijah was almost discouraged in 1 Ki 18 after he defeated the 450 prophets of Baal. He was running for his life out of fear from Jezebel, who sought to kill him out of fear. God encouraged him with food, rest, some comforting words of challenge and solace which can guide him back on the right track. Have you run out of steam in the race and need a strong arm to carry you? Maybe it is time for reflection and meditation and rely on the Lord and let Him carry you through. Ps 46:10 says, Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Deut 33:27 says, The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. Always remember Paul s words in Rom 8:37-39, Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Conclusion Life has its seasons of ups and downs. We all need a word of encouragement and comfort at one time or other. Our God is our sovereign Comforter and Advocate who is always by our side when things turn bad. We will never be at hope or faith s end though often at wit s end. 2 Cor 1:4 says, Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. Draw nigh to God and be an encourager to another for the Lord today. Jack Sin AVOIDING THE CROOKED PATHS (Summary of Message to Kulai Besar BPC, JB) Introduction The prophet Isaiah prophesied about 740 BC during the reign of three kings. The context was that there was a low ebb in the spiritual life of Israel especially under King Ahaz ( BC). There was constant threat from the enemies. The people were far away from the Lord and God sent prophets to revive and to awaken His covenant people. Isaiah, called of the Lord was one of the main prophets who exposed their sins and urged them to return to the Lord. This message is still relevant to us today. A Prayer Answering God

4 Thank God that he is ever ready to hear and answer our prayer, yet it is our sins that separated us from God (Ps 66:18). One cannot continue to sin in your life and expect God to bless. You have to confess and forsake sin (1 John 1:9; 2 Cor 7:10). The crooked ways or paths of iniquity of the people are enumerated by the prophet in the following ways in Isa falsehood (v4) 2. trust in mischief or idols (v5) 3. kill innocent people (v7) 4. have wicked & evil thoughts (v7) 5. crooked in their judgment (v8) 6. oppression & rebellion against God (v12) 7. a deceitful heart (v13) 8. perverted justice & truth (v14) God hates sins and when we indulged in it, these are consequences and no blessing. The people are given to idolatry; immorality, rebellion, unrighteousness and their lives are caught up with worldliness, secular interest and selfish concerns, neglecting God. Lessons for Us Today By corollary, the recent economic crisis reveals the fleeting nature of riches and the foolishness of this world. Men are covetous and insatiable but alas, many are caught in a financial predicament and some even contemplated suicide. But godliness with contentment is great gain. Is Jesus our Lord enough for you? How much more is enough for you? With even all the 5Cs (ie credit card, condominium, corporate success, country club, car) of life, some are still not contented. These are serious problems that we face as a direct result of our own avarice and transgressions. Many are caught up with pleasure, money making, entertainment, deception and forgetting God altogether. One cannot continue in sin and yet have the full blessings of God. We are told to keep away from sin and flee youthful lusts (2 Tim 2:22). Give up your worldly ambitions, sinful habits and practices. Forsake your evil ways and seek the Lord. If you smoke or drink or gamble, steal or lie, copy and cheat, do it no more. This is the mark of true repentance. A Revival in Our Times? During the momentous times of the first great awakening in the 1740s in England and the USA under George Whitfield and Jonathan Edwards, people s lives were savingly transformed and they repented and turned to the Lord. We need to do the same today. Give up your idols and follow Christ wholly. Surrender yourselves and be a fully consecrated Christian like Caleb, who wholly followed the Lord (Jos 14:14). Jesus says in Luke 9:23, And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me and the Apostle Paul exhorted and challenged us from Rom 12:1,2 saying, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Conclusion Therefore let us be reminded of the warnings of the Apostle John in 1 John 3:15-16, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world,

5 the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. Pray that God will preserve and keep us from these wicked and crooked paths of sins, be truly revived again, strengthened and used of Him for his glory in these last perilous days. Jack Sin MAIL FROM KENYA Kenya, East Africa 3 Aug 2003 Congratulations for your article entitled An Examination of the Modern Church Movement that was published in Faith and Freedom magazine - of Rev John S Mackenzie of Australia. The article really blessed my soul. I am 40 years of age, an ordained Elder of the Lord s Ministry in the Independent Presbyterian Church. My church is an offspring of Bible Presbyterian Church of America through IBPFM in Mine was to ask for prayers from you and to that end. Eld Peter Munyao Mutemi At the Pulpit Theme for the Quarter: The Holy Spirit & The Believer Today Mr George Skariah "The Gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12) *These hyperlinks work with Word 97 and later version. [End of MM, 17 August 2003]