Be encouraged Christian, God intends to use you in all your multifaceted weakness and obscurity for his glory. Habakkuk learned that the material success of the ungodly is not a reliable measure of their true success. Nothing will ever be able to affect Gods will. And he was an exalted and successful king. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. Remember my imprisonment. I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. Is that a contradiction? It only made sense on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus Sends Out the (Bible quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.). Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat. And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? His plan in doing so was to bless all people. The gospel writers record many Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God 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. Though there were still many who had remained faithful, others no longer followed the words of the Prophets. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. Now and then we advance to Easter morning where we discover Gods purpose in our pain. As the persecution he inflicted was just the jump-start the early church needed to start taking the Gospel to the rest of the world. Jesus waved him off by declaring, All this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled (Matthew 26:56). Herod the Great tried to kill him in Bethlehem. Prayer is one of the means God uses to accomplish His sovereign will and get glory for himself. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. If youd like an interesting Bible study, take a look at the trials of Jesus. 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. Jump to Previous Wisdom alone, though, is insufficient. When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. The total number of prophecies is well over 100. I also answer yes. The mind of evil changes from bad to worse being taken in by successes in conquest. They make a joke out of those who dare to not submit to them. We pray because God is sovereign and all powerful. The ungodly show the futility of their rebellion, the awful penalty of sin, and the just wrath of God. So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. Gods sign of judgment was that they would hear foreign language on the streets of Jerusalem, speaking in a language they did not understand. Jesus is truly the lamb without blemish who died for the sins of the world (John 1:29). Things may seem impossible, and for men, they might be impossible, but nothing is impossible with God (Lk. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. The way to heaven is only Jesus and Jesus only.. He uses believers and unbelievers. It forces us to live by faith, which is how He wants us to live all the time because it gives Him glory. He chooses to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will, often in ways we dont even understand. Verse Concepts. Soon they will be raised up from that struggle to full power. He didnt accept evil apathetically, he was appalled by it. Romans 8:28 says, For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. All things includes both good and bad things. And He *said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. Email Jack. But most of the time we wont see it fully until we finally arrive in heaven. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. We see the same thing after the Israelites cross the Red Sea and are attacked by the Amalekites (Ex. God wants to use those who look away from their self-sufficiency to his all-sufficiency. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. We should never presume to say to an unbeliever, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. We cant know that. Were on a mission to change that. God sovereignly saves sinners, yet, He often uses sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. 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. During his ministry his greatest opposition came from the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes and the teachers of the Law. Why does God allow deception your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. God didnt need to have Moses lift up his staff. Lest he misunderstand, I also told him that going to Calvary Memorial Church cannot save anyoneor help save anyone. 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. According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, even forty years, and you will know My opposition. Recent events may not have gone how you hoped and the signs may seem bleak. Jesus Sends Out the As with the raising of Moses hands by Aaron and Hurt, sharing the gospel, or praying, God delights in and receives glory for himself, when we submit to His will, live by faith, and obey His Word. He could have rained fire and brimstone down on them. Causing him to not let the people go. 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. or will we in our rebellion demonstrate the just curse of His covenant warnings? He has many means to accomplish that holy purposeincluding some that are difficult to understand. In this period of Judahs last kings, the Prophets warned of the fulfillment of this covenant promise. God asks us to do things we cant do, because it makes us trust IN HIM, not ourselves. Verse Concepts. His silence spoke more loudly than the foolish claims of his lying accusers. God ordains the means and the ends of life. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. Jesus said the unbelievers failed to give him food, drink, nurse him in His sickness, or visit Him in prison. Egypt made his brother, Jehoiakim, the new king over the Jews. Understanding God in Troubled Times God answered him. God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk All of these people are unlikely choices to be used by God since they didnt truly know or believe in Him. God Uses At first he ordered the Israelite babies to be killed at birth by the midwives (Ex. 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. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. They were afraid. God Uses 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. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. 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. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? I answer yes. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Do not begrudge your weakness. They were in an impossible situation with no way out. God use non-believers to help His people The trials that were meant to establish his guilt ended up establishing his innocence for all the world to see. When Judas actually betrayed Jesus in the Garden, Peter immediately sprang to his defense. A second reason, related to the first reason, is that God knew that by doing His miracles through Moses, Moses would then in turn give glory to God. Peter told the early Christians that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the betrayal had to happen the way it did. At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. 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? 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. For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.. One final point is in order. "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. But before his salvation took place God was still using Him. I think we can learn some great lessons by answering these questions. Before the Apostle Paul wrote his letter he was known as Saul. First, we see the faith of Moses. Sign up to join over 20,000 subscribers receiving our weekly sermon email. 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. God Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus (see Acts 1:20). So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. 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. Because God does miracles by His own power. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. To put the matter that way raises several other questions: Was Judas predestined by God to betray Jesus? God is unimpressed by our collection of readers, likes, retweets, friends, connections, or admirers. 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. Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. He betrayed the Lord but ended up vindicating him. Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, We see, your sin remains. Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. In their very act of oppression, they unknowingly serve the glory of the Creator. How will they preach unless they are sent? As they plotted how to murder Jesus they had no idea they were accomplishing Gods will. Bible Hub Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. 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. 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? God A) We bow in submission before the mysterious ways of God. Why does God allow deception In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. In the process, we will also find an answer to a third question, Who are the sons of God in Gen. 6? If you like solving mysteries, you will love this, "Churches are going apostate inside their comfortable church buildings! Why would God allow his Son to suffer such indignity at the hands of one who claimed to be his friend? Even today there are those who are arrogant and have no honor for God as He reveals Himself in Scripture. Being a creative, innovative or highly effective leader is insufficient. Moses was a by-product of the Egyptians attempts to hinder Gods blessing upon them, was placed in pitch covered basket and set adrift in the Nile, but rescued, weened by his own mother, adopted into Pharaohs house, and educated in all the learning of Egypt (Acts 7:22). God They post my sermons on the web and people listen to or watch me preach all over the world. 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.. His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. God Uses Joseph made Egypt phenomenally wealthy during the years of the famine. If we lack wisdom, we should ask God for it (James 1:5). Solomon was given a mind like no one before and like none even after him (1 Kings 3:12). God Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. Bible Hub Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? He does this for obvious reasons. But all of them come from the hand of the Lord. This seems to be one of the reasons God had Moses lift up his staff and hands to divide the Red Sea. Many that people can plan to do much but is God that will always have the final say. God Uses The phrase all this refers to the betrayal, the circumstances surrounding it, and the circumstances flowing from it. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Although Judas appears to be acting solely on his own initiative, it is clear that his betrayal fits into a larger pattern of eventsone that is orchestrated by the unseen hand of the Living God. A third reason God had Moses raise his staff and hands before dividing the Red Sea is that God delights to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. C) We place our confidence in Gods ultimate purpose for us. God commissions the invalid retiree to uphold dozens, even hundreds of missionaries on the field. The people of Israel, were backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaohs army charging at them. Moses had great faith! But he chose instead to allow himself to be arrested, knowing that this would fulfill Gods plan. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren. If your rsum is sparse, your intellect feeble, your skills unimpressive, and your wisdom just average, fret not. shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. It becomes all the more bold in lawlessness. And that is okay. Fit to be Used He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. I run into people in different countries or am contacted by those from different countries who have been blessed by my preaching. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. In those moments we often feel alone in the chaos of circumstances as life tumbles in around us. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. In Acts 13:41 he said, Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Thats where the judgment will come from. 1 John 5:14. 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. In the words of a 19th century writer, hatred, treachery and deceit will not prevail against the church of God. God God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. God I dont have any letters after my name. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. He was a brilliant poet, a skillful songwriter, a genius botanist, and a first-class biologist. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 I might preach to 100 people on Sunday morning in my own little church, but I preach to thousands over the internet. Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. This brings us face to face with the doctrine of Gods providence, which means, A) God has a plan that includes everything that happens in the universe, and, B) Gods plan extends to the tiniest details of life, and. 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. WebJohn 3:16. In spite of our slownessand even sinGod will bless and use us to fulfill His purpose of blessing all nations through Christ, because of our relationship to the Father through the Son. The articles posted on this website are here to provide information about the Bible and specific topics related to the Reformed Faith along with it's application in our daily thoughts and activities. 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. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. For this reason God purposefully led the wondering multitude to a place where there was no possible way of escape from Pharaoh and his army, humanly speaking. But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. But among the leaders of the nation, only a few followed Christand they became secret believers for fear of persecution by their brethren. C) God uses all eventsgood and badto accomplish his purposes. 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. Because they did not believe in GodAnd did not trust in His salvation. Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness. Everything else in the story fits into Gods plan: The crown of thorns, the scourging, the trials, Pilates testimony, his verdict of death, a man to help carry the cross, the place of deathGolgotha, and the moment of death3 PM, the time when the Passover lambs were sacrificed at the Temple. It was their God, or at least the God of Moses, that just killed all the first born of Egypt. 46:10). I sit on no boards. WebAnd then they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the Devil, who had caught them and made them obey his will. God Matthew 26:3-5 informs us that the leaders of the Jews were looking for an opportunity to arrest Jesus and put him to death. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. 1:22). You are going to need it as we search the Scriptures to answer these two questions. He told the people that Pharaohs army would be wiped out, though he did not know how. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. 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.. 1 John 5:14. When we reach a dead end in our own resources, God can part the sea of the impossible and get us through, but I digress. He was ready to die for his Master and intended to take a few of the bad guys with him. They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. After God redeemed Israel from Egypt through a series of ten miraculous plagues, he had Moses lead the people of Israel out of Egypt near the shore of the Red Sea. When you find yourself in a tight spot and you cant see any way of deliverance, have faith in God, obey His Word, and wait for the salvation of the Lord. I have not written a New York Times Bestseller, and no one has publicly endorsed, recommended, or vouched for me. 1:8). The evil nations God was raising up to judge his rebellious people were self-centered. As a place to begin, consider three verses dealing with Judas. God Will Use Even You According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, even forty years, and you will know My opposition. 2:11). Does God Accomplish His Purpose in Our 1:21). Do you merely profess Christ and trust in your religious habits to save you, or do you possess Christ in your heart by faith? God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. International Standard Version. This is the grace of God as revealed in His merciful covenant. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We turn now to consider how the sin of Judas served many good purposesnone of which were seen that night and none of which diminish his true moral guilt. God Himself said that He used Pharaoh so that His name would be known on all the earth. 5:14). Your children, however, whom you said would become a preyI will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. Do not lament your insufficiency. 1:37). They live as if there was no Creator, no moral law, no accountability. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. But we learn that over time a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph or respect what Joseph had done (Ex. Dont mistake temporary material victories for true success. Bible Hub God Works His Will He sent His son to pay a most costly price for the sin of His people, for those who trust in Him. Pastor, Expository Preacher, Author, Trainer of Preachers and Bible Teachers. He uses believers and unbelievers. Peter didnt see it, he only saw the treachery of Judas. 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. 14:11). It was the tech team, the web master, the secretary, or whoever posted my sermon on line. Able to do exceedingly and abundantly using unlikely people to further His plans. Here is my answer: He allowed Judas to betray Jesus so that Jesus could become the Savior of the world. A man who lived in a time in which only Jews served the one true God. Literal Standard Version. New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. He may for a time use the ungodly to bring deserved chastising upon the hypocrites among His own people, and to show his uncompromising wrath upon those left to what we all deserve aside from the work of his grace. even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. How beautiful! In the providence of God, the betrayal by Judas actually advanced Gods purpose in the world. In Acts 1:16 Peter declared that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the Old Testament predictions (he cites Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8) regarding Judas were bound to come true.
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