R459 What Have I Been Given?

God has an encouraging word for you and me today. The Bible-based reading of Dr. Don Wilton as we open the book of first Peter together just a few moments I can organize into a message because what have I been given perfect for this holiday season.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, and all such an attitude of gratitude takes a difference in all that we do and we live.

You know that we are grateful for the opportunity to pray with you and for you, even during the holidays can always reach one of us at 866-899-WORD we love to pray with you, for you 866899673 or online@twonline.org this month are some remarkable resources, especially about decision-making perfect gifts and more that's in GW online.org.

Now today's message would Dr. Don Wilton our teacher here on first Peter chapter 1 first Peter in chapter 1 we all trying to have a look at the subject that affects every single one of us staying strong in difficult times. Now there are two components to that. See the first one is related to the difficult times that we experience, and one can imagine the whole gamut of the human experience. I know that in my own life as your pasta. It's not unusual for a pastor to find himself going from one end of the human experience to the other, sometimes in a very short space of time is not unusual in a day to find oneself a meeting with a couple whose marriage is falling apart and who all in trouble related to the marriage.

Moving from that circumstance going to help someone to comfort someone who is believed they lost a loved one moving from that perspective to gun counsel and meet with a couple who are about to be married and by so in love. You know they all because the entire two hours that you talk to them.

I don't hear a word you say such as they joy and they believe that married couples who are that couple about to be married and and then go down to the hospital way someone is having surgery to meet someone who has been diagnosed with the disease that could potentially be terminal and they believe that situation and go to another one where someone is contemplating suicide or there is been a road accident or there is been some other tragedy and they believe that and a run down to the hospital to rejoice with the couple who have just had a brand-new baby born and what joy there is to hold a newborn baby and so there is the whole coast of human emotion.

Sometimes it can happen in the space of just 2 to 3 laws and sometimes it can happen over weeks and individually in our lives. Sometimes that goes on ad infinitum. It never seems to stop. I will guarantee and I say this to the Fosters Sunday school because this morning, a much smaller group. I'll guarantee you that there is someone here this morning who is hurting the site cost or do you know that while of course I know a lot of things as God allows me to be privileged to partner with people but I don't know that. Specifically, as I stand here to bring you God's word. I make a statement of fact to you this morning that I will guarantee you that there is someone here, and perhaps more than just one.

Perhaps maybe there is someone here this morning that you are experiencing a difficult time and that issue in your heart. Some of these issues are so private I become so convinced that whilst we all public people. We are always out there for human consumption. There is a private side to the lives of most people that we don't want to share its personal and this is typically relevant when sometimes we we often do we go through experiences that damage our hearts to pull us down and I they affect us and and we don't want to get involved with other people and so we keep them and we we hide them and sometimes we we push them down in our hearts and we keep pushing them down. I know some people who push down for so long that they are literally lack volcanoes waiting to explode. I want you to listen to this later that I want to read to you this morning I received this in 1990 for your pasta for some time now. I have been sharing in the wonderful worship services of your church each Sunday. I wish I lived closer to Spartanburg so that I could come in person and be a part of Ehrlich goes on there please tell your people just are very grateful. We will for providing such a source of inspiration and comfort to so many people I know that you must receive many hundreds of personal requests each week and so I am sorry for troubling you in any way. I hope that there is nobody here today who ever thinks that you are trouble because you are hurting. All because you have a need, please never think that you are a burden or you are a trouble to me to these ministers to anyone who loves the Lord Jesus, you are never trouble you give to us the greatest privilege that God could ever give to us. My husband and I had been happily married for 20 years. We had both worked hard and had been able to live comfortably on our income.

We remain faithful to our vows to each other and to our two children Bonnie that both of us love the Lord will and have been actively involved in church, not Baptist, but a congregation of people who rarely try to live for the Lord than in brackets. We will still read this letter now that you know I'm not a Baptist, but I guess that's the end of that later. What a joy to be brothers and sisters in Christ. I don't want you to think that we are in any way perfect. But we have tried our best to raise our son and daughter in the best way provide them with a happy home life and make certain that all their needs are met. Bertha has been nothing but joy to us. Our son was the most precious boy we had much fun together until it all just went wrong.

Pasta hearts are broken. I don't understand what went wrong. Is it okay for me to question God about all of this when he was about eight or so we began to notice just little changes in attitude and behavior. By the time he reached 12, he would become so ugly to us in the home he would never quite costs but he would yell at me and he is daddy storm out losing his temper and say the most hurtful things to us and to his younger sister. We notice the kinds of friends.

He was hanging around the language the way they conducted themselves by friends up obscene so many times from the scope to our young people. Be very careful about the company you keep.

I cannot say that to you and not from the school.

Be very careful about the company you keep young people. Be very careful about the company you keep. I cannot say that in stronger terms to you. You did in the wrong company.

They will drag you down.

I'm telling you they will drag you down the motives.

Overall, they will destroy you.

You undergo an attitude change and you'll end up being hurt badly. Be very careful about the company you keep. Listen to what this mother says we notice the kind of friends. He was hanging around. They language the way they conducted themselves.

I know the kids are made to be kids, but everything our son began to do was a copy of the crowd, he was hanging with and if we did he say anything to him about them. You would not believe the things he would say in retaliation in front of others.

He would be okay and even pretty cool but it home.

It was totally different.

Then came the smoking. The drinking and the drugs he began to stay out all night long. Lied to us constantly stayed out of school and the list goes on just the heartbreak today at an age when most young people should be out having a bowl son is in jail ARE broken and we feel so empty and deflated as parents.

It's hard to describe. To make matters worse, marriages suffered, we blame each other and the tension has risen to an all-time high. I never thought I would talk to these words but I'm even thinking and scraping divorce and separation, which I know is wrong.

It's just likelihood so deep down if it wasn't for Rob Bricker. We would have nothing to smile about. I feel as though everyone is looking at me. Even the church so I stopped going a long time ago.

She will never know what your TV services of Maine.

To me, even though you don't even know I exist. Dr. Wilson, do I do. Where do I go sometimes I wish I was just doing.

I don't know where to turn. I thought perhaps you might have some hope for me. That really hurts is that I've always tried to live for God and do the right thing.

Why have we had to suffer like this. I know you have many people to care for, but every time I listen to you on TV, God seems to tell me something and so I wanted to write to you. Please forgive me if I sound like I'm the only person worth anything in this will I want you to know that there are so many issues that this lady has bold, they also real to you and me. They are very aware that all the things that that we experience in an and the question that strikes me most of the world is waiting want to into what do I do now, folks. This morning I could tell you to go and see a counselor and and of course that would have value to its but I'm going to say to you that it is absolutely paramount that first and foremost that we go to the root of God back as the reason why the Bible says this about it so that word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path way what God is teaching us here about his word in this precious word is just simply this, that God's word is an illuminator's word is a life it's a lamp and gone by his word and through the power and presence of his spirit who he has given to us to help us to understand and to comfort our hearts. God tosses as it would tease lamp through the very darkest and deepest holes in our life and he likes them up through his word and and he helps us not only to understand, but to see where we going.

He even helps us to diagnose what the problem is because you can see there are medical procedures deny I'm told that enable a person's anatomy to be explored in the dentist about very being. Basically what happens surgically as they put lights and things down there that use TV monitors and they can going to areas where the human eye cannot go, and when they see whatever it is that is causing the pain and suffering it in those the doctors and the surgeons to be able to act decisively and do something and recommend something to help overcome this particular problem.

God's word is just like that, thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path way he illuminates he he shines and he direct and God helps us to be able to understand the grief in the circumstances in which we find ourselves pizza writing there in his first epistle by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit puts his finger right on the bottom. I want to read it to you first Peter chapter 1 verse three read along with media penis is praise be to God and the father of our Lord Jesus Christ in his great mercy. Listen to this. He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish special terrifying bonhomie that it is kept in heaven for you, through faith, all she did by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the lost time and had a wonderful word by God write his word upon our hearts maybe open our hearts to understand what it is that we are dealing with. My God, by his grace and through his word. Give us the strength to stay strong in difficult times.

Remarkable yelled. The apostle begins by saying, praise be to God all begins with God the father, and you may be interested to know that in the Greek text that their praise is literally the word blessed.

It's not the same meaning as he used in the Beatitudes when he said blessed are the spirits and blessed are the meek.

This lesson here is wrong. The one that speaks of praise and glory, which results in a direct benefit to the one who is offering the price happens here, it's remarkable. Peterson is praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He begins with God.

Now, why does he begin with God.

Perhaps my friends this morning because Pete understood in no uncertain terms by the power of the Holy Spirit that if we going to stay strong in difficult times that we must begin with God because God is the one who has the position that enables women to do for us what we cannot do browser what a powerful statement.

God is the intercessor is one that does the riches and accomplish things we could never pray that if you find yourself on your own know that that's not God's plan. The body of Christ.

The church is here to lift one another up and we're here for you 24 hours a day to pray and encourage you at 866-899-WORD. That's 866899673, and a lot of things are developing a new website@twonline.org that's tewonline.org hope you drop by and visit Palestine back in today's message. What have I been given with Dr. Don Wilton yet writing under the inspiration of the Spirit of God says listen I know that you are experiencing difficult times and if you want to know the answer to this, let's begin where we need to begin, we need to begin with God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why because he is the one who has the position you need to have. That's why my messages entitled this morning have been given so you how to I stay strong in difficult times. I want you to understand the guy what you have been given. I lent you to understand and God wants us to understand more importantly an ease word that when we know what we been given we have something to hold onto you have anything to hold onto in difficult times, long down you go, you going to fail through the on my probably one of my favorite stories and Scripture is the wise man and the foolish man of the foolish man who these house on the sand and the rains came and when the rains came these hospital. Now you know why because these house had nothing to stand on.

He had nothing to hold onto you go to movies up and down our congregation had a knife and Austin. What's the most important thing you do when you build a house that I decide who the proper foundation what Peter is saying that. Listen, I grant you to be a foolish person I lent you to be a wise person I know God, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ is given you so that when it comes time for you to board you got something to hold onto number one mercy mercy MAR see why mercy 20 says that in his great mercy. The word any loss in the Greek text coming from God. Listen to what it means. It means feeling. It means pretty means compassion means of action means kindness. This kind of mercy that can only come from God, our heavenly father is the kind of mercy that literally means desire to contain the league trip to London so just think about that for a moment, staying strong in difficult times. How do I deal with my circumstances.

Number one, I've got something that God has given to me and it seems mercy when God gives me his mercy, and I understand that I have is mercy. What I have in my hand. I have tenderness, compassion. I have an inclination on God's part to draw us to himself I have kindness I have strength of the mercy of God. Listen to what the word says in Romans 1132 God has concluded them early nonbelief that he might have mercy on them. Ephesians 231 five God who is rich in mercy and practice chapter 3 in verse 5-3325 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he has saved us about Psalm 103 and verse 17.

Mercy is from everlasting to everlasting in my favorite one is in Lamentations 3 in verse 22. It is sees that we are not consumed why because he's compassions fail not. You know what difficult times due to us that consumers just me the latest take chunks out of just whoops I mean it's gone we are we suffering a list of things that are going on and it just keeps us God says wait a minute because of my mercy. I will not allow you to be consumed because you going to be overcome by my compassion, God of mercy. That's right. So what is his mercy done for us his mercy has saved us despite also, what is his mercy done for us. These mercy has adopted estimate cost beneficiaries to Bobby's business and he says I want you to know something. This is the God of our fathers, the God of the Lord Jesus Christ and God has Jesus Christ done for us through his mercy he has not only saved us, but he is a good us to allow us to become the cerise of God has given to him in his grace not hold on a minute hope that you know Jesus/this morning.

You see, knowing that Jesus Christ is the thing that makes a difference. It's not our church. The traditional black church is not going to save us. It's not going to be a preacher or priest. It's not going to be whether we were burning the church or whether we do this or that we did that. It's the grace of God the mercy of God, and God the God of our fathers, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He's not in the same us.

He's not on the device to become beneficiaries of his grace, but there's 1/3 thing that he's done by his mercy. I love this. He loves us. Someone said to me one time cost or the greatest thing that you can ever do for somebody who is struggling in difficult times, is to just love some of you might say to me today pasta you know when someone invites me around to their home will they believe hot. How do I minister to them that worry about with you say the right things are with you can quote all script just love that's God's mercy. Sometimes it really is that direct that simple. That honest God's love. God's mercy.

We believe that this is not a mistake not an accident of the God, his connected us together for us to share the teachings of Dr. Wilton with you because God loves you and is using this broadcast to let you know he loves you and has a plan for your life would you open your heart to what Dr. Wilton give us a nice perhaps the most important. 30 seconds of the day.

God has spoken to you hasn't you ready to give your heart to Jesus. I'd love to help you write you pray this prayer with me and accept Jesus into your heart and life. Dear God, I know that honest and I know that Jesus loves me and died from the cross. Right now I painted my second and I can face my sin coming to save give me for my sin. Jesus name I pray, amen. If you pray that pray we'd love to get alongside of units in the right save you some literature help users begin to grow and I want you to know that I love you very much welcome to the family of God. If you made a decision for Jesus Christ.

Let us know. Let us put some resources in your hands and help you grow in the next step numbers 866898668999673 chapter number down to have time right now calls later today would love to put these resources in growth. Speaking of resources. You'll find many of them on our website@twonline.org that's TW online.org. The source for great resources like this all around the world are looking for some kind of insurance, totally secure total hearing from God. Serious question having lunch with your gift of $25 in support for The Encouraging Word Dr. Wilton's powerful message. Copied assurance of salvation, along with his book totally secure. Both of these ministry resources will help answer important questions people charts unchurched struggling salvation. Can I leave my salvation will I go to having things when I seen Carla 866-899-WORD to request of the company assurance of salvation, along with his book totally secure. You can find peace and protection.

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