Looking Up When Life's Got You Down (Part 11)

Perched atop of a cliff in the beautiful country of Portugal. There is an ancient Monastery visitors to the lofty retreat are rewarded with a magnificent view of the countryside. Once they get up there. There was a problem. The only way to reach that Monastery is to be hoisted by an Asian monk off the cliff in a wicker basket tied to a rope and one day a guy than a visitor was sitting in this wicker basket and as they were leaving the Monastery, the basket as it being lowered down the precipice. By this age of monk.

It's long over the rocky basin. The nervous visitor looked at the Godhead in an trembling voice is sure. How often do you replace the rope and the stone face guy looked at him and he said each time the old rope breaks you can easily imagine the rate of the heartbeat of the visitor as he sat down in that swinging wicker basket but you know the reality is that this is how most people live their lives. They push through life that shoved through life they live a life of anxiety and fear. They live a life of tension that are never sure where there is the hope of life is going to make it or not, I daresay that many Christians live the same way they live a life of tension. A life of stress and when something goes wrong they say why did God do this where is God when things go wrong in my life.

How can a loving God not prevent this from happening.

Why is God's Thailand when I need him the most. And I'm convinced that the difficulty for all of us is to be able to rest in God especially when you're sitting in the wicker basket of life to be able to trust God even when the basket that you ceiling in swings widely to be confident that God does not wait for the rope to break before replacing it to be at peace that even when your wicker basket hits the rocks, God is there to be assured that God does not believe anything to chances to really really believe when the mind with the heart, and with the life that God uses big things small things uses everything in order to protect you that he uses everything because God does not allow any of the details in your life to fall through the cracks to be able to see that God uses the great things as well as a small things to accomplish his purpose in your life. That's a challenge in acts 23 we see Paul in a Roman prison in Jerusalem want us to question do you think all of that time was thinking that God has forsaken him. You think he was discouraged. Do you think Paul at that moment was wondering why God is silent you think Paul at this very moment. Was wondering if God is going to use him ever again. In fact, I want to tell you that from the moment Paul was arrested in acts 21. He had never became a free man again ever for the rest of his life and that's it. About five years, but I'm convinced that God would not have condemned the apostle Paul had.

He had these thoughts of discouragement. It is hard to mock. I'm convinced of that. Paul thought that God is been through with him, God would not have condemned him on to something else. Those five years in Paul's life have been the most productive. The most influential five years of his life because in prison, yes, but you are nine, 2000 years later are blessed by those epistles that were written in the prison. But instead of God, condemning Paul for feeling discouraged. I wanted to look at 2311 of the book of acts, and I want to do on the Linux in your Bibles. The Lord personally came and stood by Paul and he said to him, listen to those magnificent words, encourage Paul for as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness in Rome below, but I want to tell you something. There are times in all of our lives. Every one of us when we are tempted to Ms. Reed and Ms. understand the silence of God in our lives. There are days in our lives when we confuse the silence of God, for lack of caring on his part. There are circumstances in life when we question the nearness of God's while in reality, acts 2311 should teach us that God is never close up of his children than when they cannot see him. It teaches us that God is never nearer to his faithful son.

This faithful daughter. Then when they are unable to see him. Is that how do you know that how do you know that I'm going to tell you exactly how I know that because his word tells us that when Abraham was about to give up on the promises of God.

God came to him and this is Abraham. Don't be afraid because God's word tells us that when Paul was discouraged and he was sitting there in the prison. God came to him and said to him, to courage, Paul and my friend listen to me, but only tell you something that you must never forget that this promise of God to Paul is for you today.

If you are going through a hard time. If you are experiencing darkness in your life if you are tempted to give up on God. If you are wondering whether your wicker basket is going to make it or not. If rope is about to break. If you are wondering whether God has forgotten you.

If you are wondering whether God had forsaken you if you're wondering whether God has passed you by. I want to tell you his words to Paul meant to be for you is encouragement to Paul, this is encouragement to you his assurance to Paul is his assurance to you his promise to Paul as his promise to you, just nearness to Paul is an evidence of his nearness to you. You know when when children a small parents will identify with this. The noise of the rambunctious mom particularly they can be exhausting and if she can sit down and get a piece of mind. The kids get quiet you can be sure 99/100, when kids are quiet and silent. There up to no good. But listen, it is not so with God. When God is silent. He is working for you is working on your behalf, letting things work out for your good for your breasts for his glory and for this purpose in your life.

Secondly, his using even small things to accomplish his purpose and to protect you in your walk with him.

When Paul was taken by the Roman soldiers was put in that Roman prison for his own safety for his own protection. There were a group of men in the city known as the zealots in Jerusalem and very where dedicated technical law into their own hands and killed the apostle Paul 40 of them I think about this 40 are gonna kill one man 40. They took an oath that they will not need another drink very well not rest until Paul is killed another zealots of those days would be equivalent to the terrorists of our day, they saw the Roman occupation as the highest insult to the national honor and pride. The zealots of those days had they had explosives back then. I think they would've strapped themselves with explosives and walked into a crowd and wound themselves up together with all the people that wanted to kill the zealots like the terrorists they worked in secret.

They plotted behind the scenes they often disguise themselves and they never operated in the open and above all, they were violent and ready to assassinate people any people to achieve their political objectives.

Not only that they were ready to kill their fellow Jews, even the Jewish leaders if they believe all sense that they are cooperating with the Roman enemy saw the hatch this plot in secret to kill the apostle Paul would be all seeing God and the all-knowing God then you're watching God was watching the plot he was hearing what was going on and he did not intervene supernaturally to think I could've sworn his sword and kill all of them sure, but he didn't think of intervene supernaturally. He didn't open the present offer Paul to walk out. He didn't, but God allowed Paul's nephew to hear all the plot and gets the word to Paul and Paul sends them to the Roman captain and the plot is foiled and it took 200 people to protect Paul from Jerusalem to Caesarea. You know the other day I was speaking with one of our leaders over lunch and we were talking about how it would be mind-boggling for us to know how many plots a day that Satan hatches against God's children. It would be mind-boggling. There is no telling how many times a day.

Satan uses people to cause us havoc in our lives. There is no telling how many times a day Satan conspires to destroy the faithful servants of God. There is no telling how many times a day vetiver lives are threatened. There is no telling of how many ways and how many people that Satan would use to destroy us. There is no telling of how many traps of temptation that has been set. The trap you enter trap me only the watchful of our heavenly father would know how many all for the hand of God, all but for the hand of Providence. All parts of the sovereign mercy of God that foretells Satan's plots again and again and again and again and again watch the news and so somebody shot and said that could've been the computer got in an accident so somebody was killed in the cards that could've been you have never thought about this every single day. We just take it all for granted.

I said hello. I just had a good day at work today. Had a bad day at work today and go to sleep. Listen to your beloved friends when you put on your spiritual eyes you will recognize that there's an invisible curtain behind that invisible curtain. There is an invisible world.

There is an invisible war, and there are many many demons army of demons who are constantly plotting, constantly planning to destroy you and your family and your business.

There are many economic demons who are forever conspiring together with the world system against you as an demons conspiring all day long even with your own flesh. At times they conspire in order to get you to fall into temptation. Try to heavenly father and he sings mighty army of angels. He sends one of his children. He sends some unknown person to file Satan's conspiracy against you against your family against your business and that happens. Time after time after time day after day after day after day only in heaven. Only in heaven. I'm convinced that we will truly know that thousands of times that the eyes of Providence. The safe why in order that God might give you another day to serve the only in heaven will we truly comprehend the power of the head that protects us. Why so that he might give us one more day to glorify his name only in heaven. What we truly understand the mighty hand of God intervening on our behalf. Again and again and again in our lives.

Why so that he may give you one that you might be faithful in serving him. That is why I become so deeply concerned troubled and muscle. When I see a person continue to live for self when I see a person continues to ignore the voice of God when I see a person continue to disregard the mercies of God, when I see a person continues to take God for granted. When I see a person only continue to pamper themselves and think of themselves continued to presume on the goodness of God continued to presume on the mercy of God and continued to presume on the grace of God I am so deeply troubled. Why because Paul said ultimately if that attitude continues God is going to take you home so that he may save your soul. A friend of mine sent me an email recently that went something like this.

A basketball in my hand is worth $19. I did not another without expensive but that same basketball and Michael Jordan's hand is worth over $30 million. That really shocked me. Beloved friends listen see it all depends, in whose hands it is when I read this I couldn't help but think about my beloved Lord and his incredible love, and his incredible power and his incredible mercy. I couldn't help but think that a handful of dust in my hands that are beyond worthless.

But in his hands that created Adam as slingshots and five stones in my hand would be worth very little. But in David's hand and God's power brought Victor to a nation, a jawbone of a donkey can be repulsive in my hand, but all in Samson's hands wiped out the Philistine's staff in my hand. Might be worth a few dollars but in Moses's hand part the Red Sea and saved a nation. Paul's nephew is unnamed and unknown, but in God's hand. He succeeded to save the apostle Paul. Thirdly, because God is the God of circumstances. God is a God of circumstances, you might be listening to us by radio and you're thinking to yourself that your circumstances are working against you. You might be thinking that if you were not at the wrong place at the wrong time.

You would not of made a mess of your circumstances. Conversely, probably are thinking that if you were the right place at the right time. Things might've worked out much better for you, and you might be sitting there and wondering if the circumstances were different in your life. You could've been somebody. You could've done something great for God. You could have triumphed over the difficulties that you're facing right now. You could have an you could have, and you could have an you could have. I want to tell you something, I pray to God. You'll never forget. It is rampant in paper. Write it down. If you are faithful, obedient child of God and the repeat that if you are faithful, obedient child of God you are.

Circumstances do not operate outside and independently of God, your God is in control of your circumstances, your God, is the master of the circumstances even when you know you did some things to get the software you are God still the God of your circumstances and God uses your circumstances he's using them right now to weave his purpose in your life. Joseph was sold out of envy by his brothers, and you say will why didn't God through that lens and God didn't do it.

He did permit then he ended up as a slave in a foreign land and you would tell you why did God do that to a godly man. God didn't do that but he did permit Joseph was falsely accused of saying that he refused to command. How can God do that to an innocent man righteous man, God did not do it, but he did permit it. Joseph ended up in prison.

In a strange land. Why did God do that to a man of character, God did not do that.

But God permitted the cupbearer goes out of the prison, he forgets about Joseph for two years.

Why did God do that faithful man… Do that but he did permit it. God was using the circumstances in Joseph's life to make Joseph the second most powerful man in the world so that he may save a nation so that the Messiah may be born out of that nation, so that you and I be safe today and significant circumstances. Yes, the world they are not the God not the God things are happening in your life is so puzzling they don't make sense not to God, my phrenology to listen carefully. I cannot tell you what God is doing in your circumstances, I cannot see your future anymore than I can see my future.

I cannot predict or pretend to know how God leaves all the circumstances in your life but I know this. I know this. I know that God is doing something in your circumstance and if you seem to be in darkness like Paul was is leading you. If you are discouraged and struggling hard like Paul was in the prison. I know that his weaving. His plan in your life.

If your circumstances appear to be puzzling, like Joseph were I know that is putting pieces of the puzzle together in the pictures not finished yet, even if you are disappointed and angry with God. I know that he took all of that upon his body on the cross of Calvary.

The question is if you have never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ. If you are living your life to yourself if you're living your life your way if you doing your thing. Don't expect God to weave the circumstances into a beautiful time in history. He doesn't with his children.

But today we can come to the Lord, and you can say Lord I've been living my life my way too long today I surrender to you. And so that you would help me make sense of my circumstances. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way.

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