Training for Preachers and Teachers of God's Word, Want to know what an RSS feed is and how it works? When he went before Pilate, the Roman governor received an urgent message from his wife: Dont have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him (Matthew 27:19). It was a period of apostasy and violence. Finally, they suborned perjury by putting forward false witnesses who produced contradictory testimony. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. God This doesnt erase tragedy or transform heartache, but it gives us a divine perspective on the hard times of life that enables us to keep on going when wed rather give up and quit. WebGod also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. Remember my imprisonment. Paul used this verse from Habakkuk to warn the foolish despisers of the gospel. In our text, Ex. But through the lens of the New Testament, he is seen as a wicked man. They heap judgment on themselves. or will we in our rebellion demonstrate the just curse of His covenant warnings? Zechariah 11:1230 pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:15). Jesus point is clear, The King will answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.. But if anyone says to you, This is meat sacrificed to idols, do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience sake; I mean not your own conscience, but the other mans; for why is my freedom judged by anothers conscience? shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. And Jesus said, For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind. Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, We are not blind too, are we? Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, We see, your sin remains. 5:14). Jesus Sends Out the They have no respect for the leaders of other nations. God has already determined the end from the beginning (Isa. They have heard that You, O. One of the most remarkable things about the Scriptures is how they preserve for us what we regard as our highest dignity, which is the right to exercise our own will. They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. 14:11). God is unimpressed. God WebJohn 3:16. Now relax your hand! And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. WebGod also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. 4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. I dont speak on any circuits, have given no TED talks, and have been the keynote speaker less than once. Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? B) We entrust our lives to the God who cares for us. Jesus says much the same thing in his famous prayer just before Judas arrives: None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that the Scripture would be fulfilled (John17:12b). Those who look to themselves, will eventually and always reap their just punishment. He clings to his sin like a drowning man to an iron life preserver. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. WebGod also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. They move ahead as a determined army spreading violence. Strategically, this appeared to be a very unwise move, unless you are God. God ordains the means and the ends of life. God could by-pass us and do everything himself, but He does not. But we can find hope in knowing that God is in control, He works all things for our God, and no suffering we face know will even be able to cast a shadow on the glory we will receive in Heaven. God Email Jack. Here we see that when believers are doing the will of God, obeying the Word of God, and serving even the least of the Saints, they are Gods instruments, doing Jesus will, ministering to Jesus people, His body, His bride. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). Gods sign of judgment was that they would hear foreign language on the streets of Jerusalem, speaking in a language they did not understand. The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. I have received no honorary doctorates. Why bother praying to a God who isnt? And goes on to say, How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? Rejoice that Christ is all-sufficient and always dependable. We see this all the way through the Bible. WebThe one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. He could have just caused them to drop dead. In Acts 2 God poured out His Holy Spirit on the disciples who spoke on the streets of Jerusalem in the languages of the Gentiles who were present. Just as He did with Pharaoh who placed no faith in the God of Israel. C) God uses all eventsgood and badto accomplish his purposes. The unbeliever has made an exchangethe truth for a lieand the devil is happy to facilitate the swap by presenting the sinner with a wide array of lies from which to choose. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. But God did just that and used a sinning Gentile to begin the process of restoring Israel. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 His silence spoke more loudly than the foolish claims of his lying accusers. He sent His son to pay a most costly price for the sin of His people, for those who trust in Him. But it does mean everything will happen as God sees fit. WebGod never does evil Himself. To say it another way, there is a man in hell today who has been there for 2000 years even though what he did advanced Gods plan to save the world. Those who read my words are in many different situations: May I repeat what I just said: He has not brought us this far to cause us to fail. This week I ate lunch with a man who has recently become an acquaintance through an e-mail correspondence. Acts 2:23 tells us that Jesus was delivered up, by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death. When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, It is enough! This was Moses advice to the people of Israel when facing the imminent threat of death, and it is true for us as well when facing any trial. You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. But God gave the command, Moses obeyed the command, and in a sense Moses divided the Sea, as the Lord commanded, and in a more ultimate sense God did the miracle and divided the Red Sea. I am sure God has many reasons for doing the things He does in the way and timing of His choosing, but lets consider some likely reasons He used Moses, a sinner, to be the instrument of His sovereign, miraculous work of dividing the Red Sea. WebJohn 3:16. 12:35-36). It even included the price Judas would receive for his act of treachery30 pieces of silver. When Isaiah 53:1 speaks of the future coming of the Messiah, literally it says, who would have believed the thing reported? His birth as a baby who would grow up, suffer and die was most unexpected. Fit to be Used Other examples could be added to this list. Showing us that our God can and will use anyone even though they dont know Him. When we pray, we strive to pray according to Gods will (I Jn. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. Because God is utterly unimpressed by my rsum. Impatience and failing to trust God is never helpful. Dont get me wrong, wisdom is important. They mock authority and law, and believe that might makes right. They still look to their own strength and ability as if they were divine and answer to no authority above their own. They intend to be their own god. God is not finished with you yet, so dont give up on him. Thanks for your interest! International Standard Version. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. When we dont see the ungodly punished immediately, or when they seem to be successful in their evil ways, we should not assume that God is beaten or is pleased to turn His head. and be astounded! For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son for those who believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. One final point is in order. But we learn that over time a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph or respect what Joseph had done (Ex. For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son for those who believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.. It was all the Lord. Egypt made his brother, Jehoiakim, the new king over the Jews. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. The coming of Messiah was unexpected. He has not brought us this far to cause us to fail. Literal Standard Version. I am the trustee of nothing more than my personal belongings. Gods plan included the time of Jesus deathPassover, the placeJerusalem, the opposition by the Jewish leaders, and the betrayal by Judas. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. Peter didnt see it, he only saw the treachery of Judas. No, its a mystery. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. At first he ordered the Israelite babies to be killed at birth by the midwives (Ex. Nothing that happened to Jesus that night or later on Good Friday made sense when it happened. The purpose of www.drivennails.com is to help train expository preachers in sermon construction and delivery, to train inductive Bible study writers and teachers, and to edify the saints with the Word of God. I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. He uses believers and unbelievers. It was their God, or at least the God of Moses, that just killed all the first born of Egypt. He betrayed the Lord but ended up vindicating him. As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land, even those men who brought out the very bad report of the land died by a plague before the. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. Psalm 69:25Reputation destroyed forever. At the beginning of their sojourn, Joseph was ruler of Egypt, a son of Jacob, and watched over his own. Why does God allow deception Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. 28:36, The LORD will bring you and the king whom you set over you to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods wood and stone. WebWhat if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 1 Peter 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. Able to do exceedingly and abundantly using unlikely people to further His plans. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth (Isaiah 53:7). The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Click here. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. Providence means that God is in charge of the entire universe at all times and nothing happens outside his control. God Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. Yet, God used him to rebuild the temple and allow Jews to return to their land. I sit on no boards. 14:16, God, who is all powerful and infinitely sovereign, tells Moses, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. Why didnt God just part the Red Sea? God himself had foreordained every detail surrounding the death of his Son. The greater the pain, the harder it is to see Gods fingerprints. International Standard Version. Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. They were evil cowards who hated the Son of God but feared a popular uprising if they tried to arrest him. Israel as a nation had rejected the promises of Moses and the Prophets culminating in the demand for the death of Jesus, Gods Messiah. Judas didnt know itand doesnt get any credit for itbut his dastardly deed actually fulfilled predictions given by the Holy Spirit hundreds of years before he was born. God Will Use Even You He recognized what was evil because he believed Gods law. But the fact of the matter is it wasnt me! Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. The Prophet Habakkuk wrote during the troubled times before Judahs captivity. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Moses didnt have any power to bring the ten plagues upon Egypt either. How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? In Acts 2 God poured out His Holy Spirit on the disciples who spoke on the streets of Jerusalem in the languages of the Gentiles who were present. "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. The evil nations God was raising up to judge his rebellious people were self-centered. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. In those moments we often feel alone in the chaos of circumstances as life tumbles in around us. Moses give the Israelites specific instruction and visible representation from the invisible God. The unbeliever has made an exchangethe truth for a lieand the devil is happy to facilitate the swap by presenting the sinner with a wide array of lies from which to choose. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? God Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus You truly never know God could be doing something right that we wouldnt understand even if He told us. Remember my imprisonment. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. God was rejecting their national privilege, and turning to the Gentiles to populate his Covenant Nation on Earth. Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. by Bob Burridge 2013, 2015 He dealt with his doubts and confusion in the right way, he turned to God, not to his own understanding. And he was an exalted and successful king. The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. Assyria had fallen when Nineveh, its capitol, was destroyed in 612 BC. But before his salvation took place God was still using Him. If so, did he have a choice? Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? God used this unlikely group of people to accomplish His greatest work and they had no idea. If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience sake. He uses believers and unbelievers. Peter told the early Christians that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the betrayal had to happen the way it did. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 Is that a contradiction? God didnt want to lead the people around the Red Sea by the way of the Philistines knowing they might get scared and run back to Egypt (Ex. Today, the weapons of force have improved, yet all the more they take whatever they want, and give only when it serves their purpose. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven, will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. Here are some examples: It can be fairly said that the common people by and large respected Jesus and responded positively to his message. Soon they will be raised up from that struggle to full power. God Uses (see Matthew 27:5). And, "Who Are The Sons of God in Genesis 6? So while many American Christians worry about what will take place in the coming years I find peace in knowing that God can use even the most unlikely candidates to accomplish His will. As they plotted how to murder Jesus they had no idea they were accomplishing Gods will. In heaven, each mans praise will come to him from God, and God will be glorified for sovereignly using sinners for His good purposes (I Cor. God Uses I cant charge an exorbitant hourly fee for my time. 10 people that God used to accomplish his purposes I. Paul: The one with a shameful past and challenging present (4:18) Colossians 4:18 - I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. God chooses the custodian with a heavy accent to share the gospel and save lives. We need to remember that God uses the foolish. The trials that were meant to establish his guilt ended up establishing his innocence for all the world to see. verses about Unbelievers This could be the begging of a time of great growth for the church. It appears that between 11 PM Thursday night and 7:30 AM Friday morning, Jesus underwent six different hearingsone before Annas, two before Caiaphas, one before the Sanhedrin, and two before Pontius Pilate. I believe that t he Lord is here suggesting that the eternal torment that unbelievers will experience will be on a scale from more tolerable to less tolerable. Anxiety, worry, anger, never help remedy the situation, they are emotions that compound our trials and betray that in our hearts we dont believe God, dont trust God, and dont think He is good. Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. He is the preeminent insider who knew Jesus as well as anyone has ever known himyet in the end never really knew him at all. It is a mighty nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say. . God has sinners pray and answers the prayers of sinners that are according to His will, getting glory for himself. An unlikely person to be used by God. Psalm 109:8Replaced by another manMatthias (see Acts 1:20). Or see articles from other writers we feature Here. Our accolades cannot merit us any greatness. This is the attitude of the evil heart in all ages. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. That literally means, I find no basis for any of the charges brought against this man. In modern terms, you might call it a Summary Judgment in favor of Jesus. Why would God allow his Son to suffer such indignity at the hands of one who claimed to be his friend? Eternity will reveal how your faithful service was used by the Lord in amazing ways.
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