AFFLICTIONS

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all" (Psalm 34:19 NKJV).

This verse is great encouragement to all believers who are going through trials and troubles. It speaks of the direction of afflictions, the dimensions of afflictions, the duration of afflictions, and the design of afflictions.

Direction of afflictions - “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” Afflictions and troubles are not only directed at the ungodly, but at the righteous as well. While it is true that the godly will escape those afflictions which occurs because of evil living, they not exempt. Suffering affliction does not necessarily indicate that we are being punished for doing wrong. Rather, it may indicate that we are being refined in the furnace of trial.

Dimensions of afflictions - “Many . . . afflictions.” Our afflictions are great in both number and nature. First, they are great in number as we daily experience trials. Second, great in nature. The word translated “afflictions” carries the idea of severe afflictions. These trials cause much pain, and are grievous.

Duration of afflictions - “But the Lord delivers him out of them all.” The trials of the righteous do not last forever. We serve a God who does not forget one single trial. He will deliver the righteous from them “all.”

Design of afflictions - “The Lord delivers.” The fact that God delivers from trial implies design. The afflictions that we face are never without a purpose – they are the path to choice blessings. Yes, there are some blessings will never come to us apart from trial. So we need trial to gain choice blessing. And when we receive the blessing, we will have to acknowledge that the blessing from trial is worth the burden of trial.

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“In the clouds of affliction, the eye of faith can always find God’s rainbow!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Disobedience

In Heb. 2:2 we read, “For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward” (NKJV).

Disobedience is the is the Greek word parakoē (παρακοή = par-ak-o-ay'). It is made up of two words: “para” which means beside, and “akouo” which means to hear. Thus the word means failing to hear, unwilling to hear, disobedience. Literally, it means hearing aside or a hearing amiss. It carries the idea of half–hearted listening or purposefully filtering out what the hearer did not want to hear. It is about closing one’s ears to God’s voice and as such describes an active disobedience which follows inattentive or careless hearing.

In Classical Greek parakoē means hearing imperfectly or misunderstanding. Parakoē is not found in the Septuagint (LXX), but it does occur three times in the New Testament. In each occurrence it is used of a volitional unwillingness to hear, which results in disobedience. In Rom. 5:19 the apostle Paul spoke of the doctrine of original sin when he said, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners.” The implication is that Adam’s failure to listen to God was a conscious choice which has affected all men. Parakoē is the deliberate shutting of the ears to the commands and warnings and invitations of God.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah would be praised tiny infants and nursing babes (Psalm 8:2)

New Testament Fulfillment – Matt. 21:16

Bible Facts About Jesus

Jesus' family

Jesus had several half-brothers and sister (Matt. 12:46-47). In Matt 13:55-56 His brothers are named - James, Joses, Simon and Judas. On the other hand, His sisters are not named in the Bible. History tells that James became the head of the church in Jerusalem (Gal. 2:9, Acts 15:13)

Bible Quiz

What surprised a Pharisee when Jesus ate dinner at his house?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: At which festival did the 12-year-old Jesus stay behind at the temple? Passover (Luke 2:41)

That’s in the Bible

"Still small voice”

"And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12 KJV).

“Still small voice” - The expression “still small voice” carries idea of listening to your conscience. Sometimes after some spectacular events, there will be the quiet, gentle whisper of God’s voice. During that whisper God is revealing Himself by speaking to our spirits, the heart of man. And it is through the movement of the heart that God convicts and moves a person to repentance.

Did You Know – Christian History

Henry Alline was born June 14, 1748 in Newport, Rhode Island. He was a minister, evangelist, and writer, who became known as “The Apostle of Nova Scotia.”

Born in Rhode Island, Alline migrated to Nova Scotia with his parents at twelve years of age. His formal education came to an end at age twelve, but his thirst for knowledge continued. After years of desperate search and being afraid of being damned forever, Alline discovered the love of Christ in 1775. His transformation was instantaneous.

He was twenty-seven. Immediately, he began telling others about Christ. Alline’s ministry took him across Nova Scotia and back into New England. Everywhere he went, he spoke of each person’s need for a heart relationship with the resurrected Christ. Travelling mostly by foot and at times on horseback, his ministry was hugely successful, drawing the attention and grudging admiration of even those who opposed him. The impact of his words and life were so great that he became known as “the Whitefield of Nova Scotia.” (George Whitefield was a preacher who led revival in England and the American colonies.)

This frantic pace which Alline imposed upon himself weakened his health and allowed the rapid advance of tuberculosis. Even so, in 1783 he decided to travel to New England to spread his Newlight ideas. Finally succumbing to his illness, Alline died February 2, 1784. He was not quite thirty-six years old and had preached for just eight years.

Alline’s work in the Maritime region has made it the Baptist bastion of Canada. In America his theology was a key factor in the birth of New England’s Free Will Baptist churches.

Alline is Canada’s most prolific 18th Century writer, publishing 487 hymns and spiritual songs, three sermons, many pamphlets, as well as two major theological works - Two Mites Cast into the Offering of God, for the Benefit of Mankind and A Court for the Trial of the Anti-Traditionalist. His Journal, published posthumously, is considered a classic of North American spiritualism and he is Canada’s first great Protestant and one of its most important theological writers.

A Little Humor

Old Andy Kline passed on, and at the end of his church funeral, someone remarked, “As I recall, old Andy attended church only three times during his entire life – when he was hatched, when he was matched, and now, when dispatched!”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“The Bible breaks hard hearts and heals broken hearts!”