God has given us a family to help us get through this life, and we include friends in our meaning of family here. A lot of the help we give one another comes in the form of encouragement. The apostle Paul said that we must pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another (Romans 14:19). He spoke those words in the context which condemns brothers and sisters in Christ who fuss and fight over things like whether or not to eat meat or celebrate a holiday. The problem with this kind of disputing is that the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). As citizens of the kingdom of God, we are commanded to pursue the things which make for peace and we are commanded to pursue the things which build each other up. In Ephesians 4:29 Paul said that we should only speak words that are good for the building up of one another. That means that God wants you to be encouraged. He did not just leave you out here with no net (no one to help).
I do not have to give you a list of all the ways people suffer today. You are every bit as much a part of this world as I am and you know this as well as I do, perhaps better. Still, it won’t hurt us to be reminded of something. God sees the mother whose heart aches because of her children’s sin. He knows about the wife whose husband is abusive. He is touched by the loving wife or husband who cares for an invalid spouse. God is fully aware of the faithful brother or sister who seems to be fighting the good fight all alone in a congregation of the unfaithful. He sits beside the man whose wife has left him. And His tears fall at the feet of the family of a dear, departed loved one. He heard the psalmist say, “O God, do not be far from me; O my God, hasten to my help” (Psalm 71:12). And He hears you when you cry that same prayer.
One of the ways God answers that prayer is to provide you with a family who loves you and cares for you. That family is the church, the household of God, the church of the living God (1 Timothy 3:15). No matter how dark your days are; no matter how gloomy and dreary your Monday seems, there is Someone Who sees you and loves you and has given you people around you who love you, even if you cannot see them. By the way, the reason you cannot see them is usually because you are not looking. Look around at those who love you; hear the wholesome (encouraging) words being spoken to you. Know that God loves and so do I.
Donnie Bates
A peaceful spring on the Macedonian side of Lake Ochrid in the Balkan Mountains
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Monday, January 22, 2007
Good Friends
After a phone conversation the other day with a very dear friend, I started thinking about my friends. All of us agree that friends are important. We need friends with whom we can just be ourselves.
Scripture says: A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). “Too many friends” seems hard to imagine, doesn’t it? That almost sounds like “too much fun” or “too much money.” Sometimes I think I would like to try either (or both) just to see how “bad” that would be. Actually, I may be wrong, but Proverbs 18:24 seems to be describing a person with a lot of friends, but none of them are close, real, or true friends. Perhaps he comes to ruin because he does not have that “friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
I have been blessed in my ministry to have served in many places in this country and abroad. I do count it a great blessing to have met and worked with many, many faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. The blessing God has given me in this regard overwhelms me when I think about it.
I currently live not far from my boyhood home and I am getting to work with and renew friendships with people I have known since childhood. I have a file that is labeled “Important Personal Letters.” It contains (you guessed it) important personal letters, but they are only important to me. They are letters I have received over the years that were of special encouragement to me. I thank God for the encouragement I receive from my friends (Philippians 1:3).
And yet, who am I? As I write this it strikes me that it sounds like this posting is all about me. I will tell you who I am. I am someone just like you. I have things that afflict me in this life just like you do. I sometimes react angrily and sinfully, full of self-pity just like you do. And I have friends that stick closer to me than a brother. And I have a Friend Who is closer than all the rest (John 15:13, 14) just like you do. I know there are some who think they do not have any friends at all. Well, even the friendless has a friend in Jesus if he will only submit himself to God.
I told my friend on the phone about my file and how I sometimes will take it out and just read through some of the letters. I do that when I am discouraged, when I feel a little nostalgic, or just when I would like a little pick-me-up. In fact, after getting off the phone, I got out my file and read some of those letters, which go back almost twenty-five years. Some of them make me laugh, some of them make me cry, but all of them encourage me. We need to remember, though, that what our Greatest Friend has written is even more valuable (2 Peter 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17). So, pick up a (the) Good Book and read of the hope you can have of eternal life provided by the Author. He loves you and so do I.
Donnie Bates
Scripture says: A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). “Too many friends” seems hard to imagine, doesn’t it? That almost sounds like “too much fun” or “too much money.” Sometimes I think I would like to try either (or both) just to see how “bad” that would be. Actually, I may be wrong, but Proverbs 18:24 seems to be describing a person with a lot of friends, but none of them are close, real, or true friends. Perhaps he comes to ruin because he does not have that “friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
I have been blessed in my ministry to have served in many places in this country and abroad. I do count it a great blessing to have met and worked with many, many faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. The blessing God has given me in this regard overwhelms me when I think about it.
I currently live not far from my boyhood home and I am getting to work with and renew friendships with people I have known since childhood. I have a file that is labeled “Important Personal Letters.” It contains (you guessed it) important personal letters, but they are only important to me. They are letters I have received over the years that were of special encouragement to me. I thank God for the encouragement I receive from my friends (Philippians 1:3).
And yet, who am I? As I write this it strikes me that it sounds like this posting is all about me. I will tell you who I am. I am someone just like you. I have things that afflict me in this life just like you do. I sometimes react angrily and sinfully, full of self-pity just like you do. And I have friends that stick closer to me than a brother. And I have a Friend Who is closer than all the rest (John 15:13, 14) just like you do. I know there are some who think they do not have any friends at all. Well, even the friendless has a friend in Jesus if he will only submit himself to God.
I told my friend on the phone about my file and how I sometimes will take it out and just read through some of the letters. I do that when I am discouraged, when I feel a little nostalgic, or just when I would like a little pick-me-up. In fact, after getting off the phone, I got out my file and read some of those letters, which go back almost twenty-five years. Some of them make me laugh, some of them make me cry, but all of them encourage me. We need to remember, though, that what our Greatest Friend has written is even more valuable (2 Peter 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17). So, pick up a (the) Good Book and read of the hope you can have of eternal life provided by the Author. He loves you and so do I.
Donnie Bates
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Cast Your Burdon upon the Lord
Have you ever been hurt by someone really close to you? Rare is the cut that is deeper than that from a friend or loved one. There is a reason for that. As we form relationships we lower our defenses to varying degrees (depending upon the kind of relationship). By "defenses" I mean those parts of our psyche we use to protect ourselves from mental or psychological attack from others. The closer you are to someone, the lower your defenses are. The marriage relationship is the closest ("one flesh," Genesis 2:24) and in which the defenses are generally the lowest. Thefore, cutting words or treacherous behavior will do more damage in such a close, "defenseless" relationship.
There are other ways that such hurtful words or actions can get "under" our defenses. A very good friend of mine, who has much more experience in counseling than I, once described to me the concept of the power of the word overheard. What he meant is that to words we overhear, we give more credence, for some reason. For example, when I meet a stranger, I am polite and cordial, but there are some psychological defenses I activate because I do not know what to expect. I'm not suspicious, or expecting trouble, but if he says, "Donnie, you are just plain ugly!" it is not going to devestate me. It will hurt my feelings, but I will be able to carry on. On the other hand, if he is just as polite and cordial as he can be, but later I overhear him tell someone else, "I didn't have the heart to say anything, but that Donnie Bates is the ugliest man I ever saw," for some reason I give his words more credibility, simply because the "attack" came indirectly. Just for the record, I know I'm ugly so no further comment is needed, thank you very much!!
There is still another kind of hurt that may be the worst of all. It is the pain and hurt caused in the body of Christ by a Christian who has treacherously turned on his or her brethren. David wrote: My heart is in anguish within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me. I said, Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Behold, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness. I would hasten to my place of refuge from the stormy wind and tempest" (Psalm 55:4-7). Note the source of the anguish: For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, then I could bear it; nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, then I could hide myself from him. But it is you, a man my equal, my companion and my familiar friend; we who had sweet fellowship together walked in the house of God in the throng. Let death come deceitfully upon them; let them go down alive to Sheol, for evil is in their dwelling, in their midst (Psalm 55:12-15). Hear how this treacherous brother is described: He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; he has violated his covenant. His speech was smoother than butter, but his heart was war; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords (Psalm 55:20, 21). When brethren turn on brethren the result is just awful. (See Galatians 5:15).
It does not matter what the source of your pain is. It could be any of the examples we have described or it could be something else. You might be in so much pain you do not even know the source of it. All you know is, you are in pain! Well, these words are for you: Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (Psalm 55:22).
You say you've got a burden to carry? Well, you have help to carry it! You do not have to carry it alone. What a comfort it is to realize that in your darkest hour, there is One Who is on your side if you are faithfully His.
I hope it eases your mind today, lifts your heart and perhaps puts a smile on your lips to know God sees you right now and loves you. It won't help as much, I know, but I hope it helps a little to know this old, ugly fellow loves you, too.
Donnie Bates
There are other ways that such hurtful words or actions can get "under" our defenses. A very good friend of mine, who has much more experience in counseling than I, once described to me the concept of the power of the word overheard. What he meant is that to words we overhear, we give more credence, for some reason. For example, when I meet a stranger, I am polite and cordial, but there are some psychological defenses I activate because I do not know what to expect. I'm not suspicious, or expecting trouble, but if he says, "Donnie, you are just plain ugly!" it is not going to devestate me. It will hurt my feelings, but I will be able to carry on. On the other hand, if he is just as polite and cordial as he can be, but later I overhear him tell someone else, "I didn't have the heart to say anything, but that Donnie Bates is the ugliest man I ever saw," for some reason I give his words more credibility, simply because the "attack" came indirectly. Just for the record, I know I'm ugly so no further comment is needed, thank you very much!!
There is still another kind of hurt that may be the worst of all. It is the pain and hurt caused in the body of Christ by a Christian who has treacherously turned on his or her brethren. David wrote: My heart is in anguish within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me. I said, Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Behold, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness. I would hasten to my place of refuge from the stormy wind and tempest" (Psalm 55:4-7). Note the source of the anguish: For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, then I could bear it; nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, then I could hide myself from him. But it is you, a man my equal, my companion and my familiar friend; we who had sweet fellowship together walked in the house of God in the throng. Let death come deceitfully upon them; let them go down alive to Sheol, for evil is in their dwelling, in their midst (Psalm 55:12-15). Hear how this treacherous brother is described: He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; he has violated his covenant. His speech was smoother than butter, but his heart was war; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords (Psalm 55:20, 21). When brethren turn on brethren the result is just awful. (See Galatians 5:15).
It does not matter what the source of your pain is. It could be any of the examples we have described or it could be something else. You might be in so much pain you do not even know the source of it. All you know is, you are in pain! Well, these words are for you: Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (Psalm 55:22).
You say you've got a burden to carry? Well, you have help to carry it! You do not have to carry it alone. What a comfort it is to realize that in your darkest hour, there is One Who is on your side if you are faithfully His.
I hope it eases your mind today, lifts your heart and perhaps puts a smile on your lips to know God sees you right now and loves you. It won't help as much, I know, but I hope it helps a little to know this old, ugly fellow loves you, too.
Donnie Bates
Don't Worry, God is Watching
The Lord has truly blessed us, hasn't He? Oh, I know that things are not as good as we would like them to be, or as good as we think they could be. Nevertheless, if we look at our lives objectively, we can see that God really does take care of us. The problem is, we do not always look at our lives objectively, do we?
For some reason, it is very easy to focus on someone else, especially when something good happens to them. My life never seems to be as good as someone else's. When I hear of something good happening to someone else, it becomes painfully obvious to me that nothing like that has ever happened to me, or at least, it seems like it never has. It is so easy to forget the blessings in our lives and look with envy on the blessings of others. And the problem is magnified when we see people who do not deserve those blessings getting away with their evil ways. I mean truly bad, evil people. Here I am, doing my best to be faithful to God and resisting temptation right and left and I can never seem to get ahead. In fact, I am barely able to keep myself afloat. It's just not fair! From the standpoint of church work and life, doesn't it just gall you to see people believe and teach false doctrine and still grow churches so fast it makes the head spin? Why does God allow such people, even in the church, to get away with things like that? Do you ever feel like the psalmist who said, "I will say to God my rock, 'Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?'" (Psalm 42:9)?
Whew!! That last paragraph needs a chill pill! That is what happens when we start focusing on ourselves. Aren't you glad that the Bible is so full of answers? I know I am. It would be a lot harder to write encouraging words if I had to depend on my own wisdom to answer questions like this. In Psalm 37:1-3 David writes, "Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good." In other words, don't worry about other people. You just do what God wants you to do. It may seem like evil people are getting away with sin and are prospering in life, but they are not! Now, the point here is not to realize that God will judge those people in the end and gleefully rub our hands together in anticipation of Judgment Day so they will get their comeuppance. The point is, God has told you what He expects of you. Don't worry about other people!
A word of caution is in order, however. Another temptation we face is sometimes overwhelming. It is the temptation to take the admonitions Do not fret because of evildoers and Do not judge so that you will not be judged (Matthew 7:1) to the extreme. Some people are not the least bit discouraged about the evil in the world. They just want to live their lives and let others live theirs. Do you remember that David said our responsibility is "Trust in the Lord and do good"? Well, part of "doing good" is telling others about what God expects them to do. There seems to be no end to the number of people who tell us that we should leave well enough alone; to not be judgmental. And yet, the Bible plainly tells (commands) us to preach the Gospel to every creature and that is going to involve telling people that they are living in sin and if they do not repent and obey the commands of the Lord concerning salvation, they are going to be lost in hell for eternity. Never should that be done with glee! However, it must be done if we are to obey the command, "Trust in the Lord and do good."
A word of encouragement? Yes, I think there is a word that will do. The next time you feel discouraged by the unfairness of life (as it appears to you), the next time you are tempted to think evil has triumphed over good, remember these words: The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:15-18).
I hope you have a wonderful day. I pray that God will richly bless you and encourage you. If I may borrow words from the apostle Paul, I would like to close with this word from me to you: For this reason I bow my knees before the Father...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19). Please know that God loves you and so do I.
Donnie Bates
For some reason, it is very easy to focus on someone else, especially when something good happens to them. My life never seems to be as good as someone else's. When I hear of something good happening to someone else, it becomes painfully obvious to me that nothing like that has ever happened to me, or at least, it seems like it never has. It is so easy to forget the blessings in our lives and look with envy on the blessings of others. And the problem is magnified when we see people who do not deserve those blessings getting away with their evil ways. I mean truly bad, evil people. Here I am, doing my best to be faithful to God and resisting temptation right and left and I can never seem to get ahead. In fact, I am barely able to keep myself afloat. It's just not fair! From the standpoint of church work and life, doesn't it just gall you to see people believe and teach false doctrine and still grow churches so fast it makes the head spin? Why does God allow such people, even in the church, to get away with things like that? Do you ever feel like the psalmist who said, "I will say to God my rock, 'Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?'" (Psalm 42:9)?
Whew!! That last paragraph needs a chill pill! That is what happens when we start focusing on ourselves. Aren't you glad that the Bible is so full of answers? I know I am. It would be a lot harder to write encouraging words if I had to depend on my own wisdom to answer questions like this. In Psalm 37:1-3 David writes, "Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good." In other words, don't worry about other people. You just do what God wants you to do. It may seem like evil people are getting away with sin and are prospering in life, but they are not! Now, the point here is not to realize that God will judge those people in the end and gleefully rub our hands together in anticipation of Judgment Day so they will get their comeuppance. The point is, God has told you what He expects of you. Don't worry about other people!
A word of caution is in order, however. Another temptation we face is sometimes overwhelming. It is the temptation to take the admonitions Do not fret because of evildoers and Do not judge so that you will not be judged (Matthew 7:1) to the extreme. Some people are not the least bit discouraged about the evil in the world. They just want to live their lives and let others live theirs. Do you remember that David said our responsibility is "Trust in the Lord and do good"? Well, part of "doing good" is telling others about what God expects them to do. There seems to be no end to the number of people who tell us that we should leave well enough alone; to not be judgmental. And yet, the Bible plainly tells (commands) us to preach the Gospel to every creature and that is going to involve telling people that they are living in sin and if they do not repent and obey the commands of the Lord concerning salvation, they are going to be lost in hell for eternity. Never should that be done with glee! However, it must be done if we are to obey the command, "Trust in the Lord and do good."
A word of encouragement? Yes, I think there is a word that will do. The next time you feel discouraged by the unfairness of life (as it appears to you), the next time you are tempted to think evil has triumphed over good, remember these words: The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:15-18).
I hope you have a wonderful day. I pray that God will richly bless you and encourage you. If I may borrow words from the apostle Paul, I would like to close with this word from me to you: For this reason I bow my knees before the Father...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19). Please know that God loves you and so do I.
Donnie Bates
God is Near
"Words of encouragement"... that sounded so easy when I had the idea to create this series of articles. I really just wanted to put something together that would help friends of mine get through a tough time, perhaps offer some encouragement to the discouraged; maybe even replace a tear with a smile.
Personally, I have never been more discouraged than when I have been alone, or at least when I have felt alone. I was visiting with a brother in Christ once who was discouraged. I asked him a question that may have changed my life more than his. I like to ask questions that are easy to answer, but in the answering make us see a particular point. I asked this man, "Do you feel that God has abandoned you?" I intended for him to give the obvious answer ("No!") and then, magically understand, open his eyes and realize that God was still with him and that his situation was not as hopeless as he thought. To my amazement he answered, "Yes!" Well, that caused me to change my approach drastically. I now had to convince him that God was still nearby (see Psalm 139).
From that day I have made that question a regular part of my conversations with those who are discouraged to some degree. And a large number of them answer, "Yes, I feel abandoned by God!" Before we go any further, let me assure you, one and all, that God has not gone anywhere! Did you read Psalm 139? Take out your Bible and do so if you have not already. Go ahead...I'll wait.
Now, some may see a threat in those verses (i.e. God is everywhere, watching over your shoulder to see if you do something wrong), but I encourage you to look at this passage from the point of view of someone who is discouraged and feels that God has abandoned him (or her). Maybe you have sunk to the depths of despair; you are deeper than you have ever been. Well, even in the deepest depths Your [God's] hand will lead me (verse 10). Even in the darkest night (gloomiest circumstances) God sees you (verse 12).
Does it encourage you to know that you are in complete control? Well, I hate to tell you this (not really), but you are not in complete control. But wait! There is good news. There is One Who is in complete control!! And He is on your side, if you are on His.
Wipe the tears away and smile. God loves you and so do I.
Donnie Bates
Personally, I have never been more discouraged than when I have been alone, or at least when I have felt alone. I was visiting with a brother in Christ once who was discouraged. I asked him a question that may have changed my life more than his. I like to ask questions that are easy to answer, but in the answering make us see a particular point. I asked this man, "Do you feel that God has abandoned you?" I intended for him to give the obvious answer ("No!") and then, magically understand, open his eyes and realize that God was still with him and that his situation was not as hopeless as he thought. To my amazement he answered, "Yes!" Well, that caused me to change my approach drastically. I now had to convince him that God was still nearby (see Psalm 139).
From that day I have made that question a regular part of my conversations with those who are discouraged to some degree. And a large number of them answer, "Yes, I feel abandoned by God!" Before we go any further, let me assure you, one and all, that God has not gone anywhere! Did you read Psalm 139? Take out your Bible and do so if you have not already. Go ahead...I'll wait.
Now, some may see a threat in those verses (i.e. God is everywhere, watching over your shoulder to see if you do something wrong), but I encourage you to look at this passage from the point of view of someone who is discouraged and feels that God has abandoned him (or her). Maybe you have sunk to the depths of despair; you are deeper than you have ever been. Well, even in the deepest depths Your [God's] hand will lead me (verse 10). Even in the darkest night (gloomiest circumstances) God sees you (verse 12).
Does it encourage you to know that you are in complete control? Well, I hate to tell you this (not really), but you are not in complete control. But wait! There is good news. There is One Who is in complete control!! And He is on your side, if you are on His.
Wipe the tears away and smile. God loves you and so do I.
Donnie Bates
An Encouraging Word
Several years ago a young teenage girl in the congregation where I was preaching was feeling a lot of pressure to join in with her peers. Her eighth grade class was planning a project that she did not feel she could participate in as a Christian. She told her teacher that she would not be able to participate. Some of her peers thought she was a spoil-sport who did not want to have any fun and would ruin it for everyone else, too. The things that were said to her hurt. The victory she won by holding to her principles was a painful one and she was very discouraged. It struck me at the time that Matthew 5:10-12 was an appropriate passage to share with her: Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Jesus says, in effect, when people say those kinds of things to you because of your faith, you are in good company. The young lady I described was encouraged by God's Word and received the grace to help in her time of need (see Hebrews 4:16).
This is the first in a series of articles that were first sent out in e-mails almost five years ago. They are designed to offer encouragement from God's Word to those who are discouraged by what life has to offer. Christians are assailed from every direction today, including from within the church herself. We want to offer encouragement; a reason to hope and to feel that we are on the winning side of the Good Fight and not on the losing side. It will not be the purpose of Barnabas' Notes to offer criticism or to attack anyone. That does not mean, however, that we will not offer encouragement by pointing out that sin is sin, and that to resist sin and the teaching of false doctrine is a good and positive thing. It will be our purpose, first and foremost, to remain faithful to God's Word. Second, we intend to lift up the heads of those faithful who are tempted to think the battle has become too difficult.
The apostle Paul asked, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). That is a question that every Christian needs to consider. His point in asking is to say, "No one can overcome us, if we remain faithful to Him!" Paul went on to say, "In all these things we overwhelmingly conquer!" (Romans 8:37). Notice what "things" from verse 35: "Neither tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword can separate us from the love of Christ." In verses 38, 39 he says "that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing" can separate us from the love of God. Pretty cool, huh? Just ask yourself, "Can this little things that afflicts me today separate me from the love of God?" The answer is: No! No!! NO!!
I know that sometimes it sounds trite to say that God is on our side and we can overcome. It never seems like the one who says it has been through what we are suffering right this moment. Still, the One Who originally said it has been through it (see Hebrews 4:15). He knows what it's like to suffer what you are suffering. In coming articles we are going to explore more specific application of Scripture to more specific afflictions. Know this: God knows you and He knows how to rescue the godly from temptation (see 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Peter 2:9). He loves you and so do I.
Donnie Bates
Jesus says, in effect, when people say those kinds of things to you because of your faith, you are in good company. The young lady I described was encouraged by God's Word and received the grace to help in her time of need (see Hebrews 4:16).
This is the first in a series of articles that were first sent out in e-mails almost five years ago. They are designed to offer encouragement from God's Word to those who are discouraged by what life has to offer. Christians are assailed from every direction today, including from within the church herself. We want to offer encouragement; a reason to hope and to feel that we are on the winning side of the Good Fight and not on the losing side. It will not be the purpose of Barnabas' Notes to offer criticism or to attack anyone. That does not mean, however, that we will not offer encouragement by pointing out that sin is sin, and that to resist sin and the teaching of false doctrine is a good and positive thing. It will be our purpose, first and foremost, to remain faithful to God's Word. Second, we intend to lift up the heads of those faithful who are tempted to think the battle has become too difficult.
The apostle Paul asked, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). That is a question that every Christian needs to consider. His point in asking is to say, "No one can overcome us, if we remain faithful to Him!" Paul went on to say, "In all these things we overwhelmingly conquer!" (Romans 8:37). Notice what "things" from verse 35: "Neither tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword can separate us from the love of Christ." In verses 38, 39 he says "that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing" can separate us from the love of God. Pretty cool, huh? Just ask yourself, "Can this little things that afflicts me today separate me from the love of God?" The answer is: No! No!! NO!!
I know that sometimes it sounds trite to say that God is on our side and we can overcome. It never seems like the one who says it has been through what we are suffering right this moment. Still, the One Who originally said it has been through it (see Hebrews 4:15). He knows what it's like to suffer what you are suffering. In coming articles we are going to explore more specific application of Scripture to more specific afflictions. Know this: God knows you and He knows how to rescue the godly from temptation (see 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Peter 2:9). He loves you and so do I.
Donnie Bates
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