[NFBF-Melbourne] Weekend Devotion: (Sat., June 20, 2020)

[Joyce Taylor]

Hello Everyone!  Praise the Lord!  We give glory and honor to the God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who has always kept us through our trials and
tribulations.  Even though we may be in a storm, we do not have to choose to
be a part of the storm!  Right in the midst of the pandemic, God can keep us
if you solely trust in Him and follow His instructions.  The Word of God is
a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path which will guide you right
through the circumstances.  And, of course, we know that the prayers of the
righteous availeth much.  So let us lean not to our own understanding, but
in all our ways acknowledge God and He will direct our paths.  A good man's
steps are ordered by the Lord!  Lord our prayer is that you keep us, lead
and guide us as well as protect us through this uncertainty.

 

God bless,

 

Dr. Joyce Taylor, VP, MSCC

Communities of Faith Committee Member

 

Please be encouraged by the message below written by my Greek Professor

  GOD HAS ALWAYS KEPT HIS PEOPLE "THROUGH" TRIBULATION

 

"The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done
is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun"
(Ecclesiastes 1:9.)

 

God is unchangeable. There are many Scriptures that support that assertion.
One is James 1:17 which reads "Every good gift and every perfect gift is
from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning." Malachi 3:6 quotes God. "For I am
the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."
Hebrews 13:8 also informs us of the invariableness of God. "Jesus Christ the
same yesterday, and today, and forever." 

 

When the Scriptures speak of the invariability or unchangeableness of God,
they refer to His nature. Unlike man, God has no need to resort to "plan B"
because of some unforeseen event or action. No course of action of any human
being or angel is able to take God by surprise. There is no calamity or
weather event for which God must make allowances for or anticipate. But,
while God is immutable, He can and frequently varies His method or way of
doing things. For instance, salvation has always been through faith. Of
Abraham, Genesis 15:6 says "And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it
to him for righteousness." He and the Old Testament patriarchs did not have
to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for salvation as do we today
(Acts 2:38.) However, beginning on the day of Pentecost, although salvation
was yet by faith as in Old Testament times (Read Ephesians 2:8,) God
instituted water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ as requisite to being
born into the body of Christ (the Church.)

 

As salvation has always been through faith, God has always kept His people
THROUGH tribulation and persecution rather than physically removing them
from the scene. Let us now traverse Bible history to prove this. The very
first trial to affect the people of God was the global flood of Noah's day.
As it turns out, only eight souls were saved (Noah and wife and his three
sons and their wives.) "And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the
eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the
world of the ungodly" (2 Peter 2:5.) God could have removed Noah and his
family to heaven for safety, but He didn't. Instead, He saved them THROUGH
the watery destruction. 1 Peter 3:20 reads "Which sometime were disobedient,
when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark
was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water." 

 

Let us now look at Lot and his family and how God spared them from the fiery
destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Angels warned Lot of the impending
disaster. "And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in
law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city,
bring them out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the
cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath
sent us to destroy it" (Genesis 19:12-13.) The angels led the family to a
mountain outside of the city limits (Genesis 19:15-17.) God saved Daniel
THROUGH his lions' den ordeal. He was placed IN the den of lions and God
miraculously protected him WITHOUT physically removing him (Daniel 6:16-22.)
We are all familiar with the historic account of the fiery trial (pun
intended) of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:11-27.) God preserved
their lives not only from the flames and heat but even prevented the smell
of fire from permeating their clothing WHILE IN THE FURNACE!

 

As we have shown from Bible history, God has ALWAYS protected His people
from harm and death THROUGH the storm rather than removing them from it.
God's choice to keep His people while in the midst of their trial or
persecution is a much greater testimony to and reflection of His miraculous
keeping power than simply removing them to a place of safety. Here is a
promise from Jesus. "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the
world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil" (John 17:15.) He
promises to preserve His disciples from the evil WITHOUT removing them from
the earth (world.) But, does this apply to believers today? Yes, it does!
Verse 20 reads "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which
shall believe on me through their word." 

 

By Elder Joseph Barrett

 

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