Trusting God in Times of Trouble

Understand that God IS God and claim His promises of protection

Fred R. Coulter—March 21, 2020

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Greetings, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath services! Everyone wants to know:

• What's happening in the world?
• What's happening in America?
• Why are these things taking place?

Here we are in 'shelter in place' and stay home for 15 days!

• Why are all these things coming upon us?

The least place that people would look would be in the Bible!

One of the most important things that people ignore, scoff at and reject is where the descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel are. We know where the Jews are in the area of the Middle East and then scattered around the world.

But contrary to the claim of Judaism, they are not all the 12 tribes. What happened to the ten tribes who were carried off into captivity by the Assyrians.

You need our book: America and Britain in Prophecy: Two Nations That Changed the World by Philip Neal.

I want to read to you that Jacob—the father of the 12 tribes of Israel—gave to Ephraim and Manasseh, whose father was Joseph. Remember that Joseph was the one who was sold by his brothers into servitude into Egypt.

Then being righteous he didn't want to commit adultery with his master's wife. So, she screamed and yelled that he tried to attack me. They arrested him and threw him in prison and there he was all alone.

Joseph had a dream, and there was the baker and attendant of the Pharaoh already in prison. Joseph was intelligent, organized, and he ended up being semi-in-charge of the whole prison. When the baker and the attendant had a dream, Joseph told them exactly what the dream was and what would happen. One would die and one would live. The attendant was the one who lived.

Then the Pharaoh had a dream of the fat cows for seven years, and the lean cows for seven years, and no one could tell the dream. The attendant said, 'I remember that man in prison, Joseph, and he can tell you the dream.

So, Joseph was brought to Pharaoh and he told him the dream and that the dream was from God, and there are going to be seven years of extra plenty and seven years of famine; and it happened!

But first, the Pharaoh made Joseph second in command of all Egypt. Then later Jacob and the other sons came down into Egypt, and Pharaoh gave them the land of Goshen.

Just before Jacob was to die he blessed the two sons of Joseph: Ephraim and Manasseh. Let's see what the blessing was and when this was to occur; quite an amazing thing, indeed!

We're not going to read the blessing for every one of the 12 tribes; we want to focus on America and Britain. We will see what Jacob, the father, says. This is a blessing from God through Jacob to his descendants down through all time. This tells us, particularly, a very important thing.

Genesis 49:1: "And Jacob called to his sons and said, 'Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in the last days.'"

How long are the last days? God doesn't tell us! But if we look back at history, after we read the blessing to Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, we can pretty well discern that something happened in the early 1600s with the colonization of North America, and the time leading up to that in Britain.

Let's read what Jacob said to Joseph, who is the father of Ephraim and Manasseh. So, this applies to both Britain and America, and much more so today with America than with Britain, because Britain has already succumbed to many of their own sins and problems as we will see a little later.

Verse 22: "Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall…. [many people, lots of everything] …The archers have fiercely attacked him and have shot at him, and hated him" (vs 22-23). A perfect description of the world concerning America!

Verse 24: "But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob…"

Why is it that we say that America is the most blessed nation in the world? Because of right here! This blessing came to us from sea to shinning sea! Britain had its empire! But because of its sins down through time, they lost it.

Now America is going through some terrible times at this point. Right now we're right on the verge:

• What is going to happen?
• How will the people react?

Let's see the blessing; then we will look at some of the punishments that would come because of sin!

"…—from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel—" (v 24).

• Why?
• Why is it that the king and queen of England are coronated on a special chair with the stone underneath it?

The truth is that is probably the Stone of Jacob, going back thousands of years! They are coronated as king or queen 'over your people Israel.' Did you know that?

Remember this is to Joseph—Ephraim and Manasseh—right here:

Verse 25: "By the God of your father, Who shall help you. And may the Almighty bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of my ancestors, to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him, the ruler, the leader who was separated from his brothers" (vs 25-26).

That's quite a blessing! Think about that in relationship to how England rose in power, and how America rose in power. Remember that these are for the last days. Think about which is the greatest nation in the world today, America! That's because of God! That's because we are mainly the tribe of Manasseh, with parts of all the tribes of the different tribes of Israel in America!

Deuteronomy 33:13: "And of Joseph he said, 'Blessed of the LORD be his land, with the precious things of the heavens, for the dew, and for the deep that couches beneath, and for the precious things of the fruits of the sun, and with the precious things of the yield of the months. And with the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the everlasting hills" (vs 13-15).

Sound a little like treasure, gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and all of that sort of thing? That's what it means!

Verse 16: "And for the precious things of the earth and fullness of it, and for the good will of Him Who dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come on the head of Joseph, and on the top of the head of him who was separated from his brothers. His glory is like the firstborn of his bull, and his horns are like the horns of the wild ox. With them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth…." (vs 16-17).

• Did that not happen with the British Empire?
• Has that not happened afterward with America?
• Yes, indeed!

"…And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh" (v 17).

What did we do when we came into the land? We had to have the separation with the Revolutionary War! Britain went on to conquer the empire and become the greatest power in the world leading up to WWI. America became a great power after the turn of the century going into the 1900s. Think about all the problems with all the victories, with all the ups and downs that we have gone through.

Let's just number them by the wars:

• Revolutionary War
• War of 1812
• Civil War
• Spanish/American War
• WWI
• WWII
• Korean War
• Vietnam War
• 1st Iraq War
• then we had the 2001—9/11—with the twin towers being knocked down and the Pentagon being attacked
• Afghanistan War
• The Iraq War
• and the other wars subsequent to that

Look at us today, when we started the Bible was the main instrument of learning. You can read the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of the United States, and the amendments and you will see that it's based upon the principles of the Word of God! We were a very religious people!

Yes, we've always had our troubles and difficulties, but because people—Americans—would turn to God in times of trouble, who did we have in the worst time of trouble in this nation, the Civil War? Abraham Lincoln! He quoted more of the Bible and prayed more about this nation than any other President coming up to the current one that we have now—Donald J. Trump! And the President that we have now is relying on God more than any other President from the time of Lincoln until now.

But look at all the troubles that we are going through. Why do we have all these troubles? We will see how God looks at Israel, and when He looks at Israel He's thinking mostly of Ephraim and Manasseh!

What has happened? You look at what has happened in England today! They have given up on God! Much more so than America. We have the agents and the people in America trying to get us to give up on God. But:

• Let's see what happens when people do that
• let's see what happen when people turn their back on God

This goes clear back to the Garden of Eden, and that's why we have the troubles that we have. If you list all the troubles of all mankind down through all history up to this time, you'd have to ask: Why did they do it when God made it possible for them to have His blessing?

Isa. 5—God compares Israel to a vineyard. When you read the New Testament, you find that Jesus talks about the vineyard.

Isaiah 5:1: "Now, I will sing to my Beloved a song of my Beloved concerning His vineyard. My Beloved has a vineyard in a very fruitful hill."

• we don't live in the desert like the Arabs
• we don't live in the jungles like other people

We live in a very fruitful land!

Verse 2: "And He dug it up, and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines, and built a tower in its midst, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and He looked for it to produce grapes. But it produced worthless fruits."

Stop and think: Most people in America have a Bible. If anyone has a Bible, they have it because God caused it to be there, because He wants you to have a Bible so that you can connect with God if you will read it. It doesn't matter how it got there. In the world today there are more Bibles than any other book in the whole world when you count all the digital Bibles that are on smart phones, computers and printed Bibles.

But how many people read the Bible to understand how they are to live? One of the very first things that Jesus said—which is true through the whole Bible—is 'man shall not live by bread alone—food alone—but by every Word of God!'

What have we done? Down through time we've gotten rid of God! Every time we get rid of God—out of government, schools, private lives, institutions, language and how we live our lives—we bring sorrow and evil!

It says here in Isaiah, woe upon us! That means extreme suffering! "…But it produced worthless fruits."

Verse 3: "And now, O people of Jerusalem, and men of Judah…" Jerusalem is a type of all 12 tribes of Israel!

Since this was prophesied right there in the city of Jerusalem, and that's where the Jews were at the time, God says:

"…I ask you to judge between Me and My vineyard. What more could have been done to My vineyard… [with everything] …that I have not done in it? Who knows? I looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard…" (vs 3-5).

I want you to understand that the laws and commandments of God are automatic! IF you leave God, you leave out God, you reject God, you have trouble! And look at what we have today!

Every once in a while we have an occasion to bring us back to God. But that's only for a short time! Then right back to our own sinful ways!

"…I will take away its hedge, and it shall be consumed…" (v 5). Look at what is happening! Look at how it's happening!

"…and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down; And I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor dug; but briers and thorns shall come up. And I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it" (vs 5-6)—or send too much rain, snow and cold!

Verse 7: "For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel… [that's us] …and the men of Judah His pleasant plant; and He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress!"

Doesn't that describe us today exactly? Look at the crime, the drugs, all the things that are going on! There's another prophecy that is actively taking place: the stranger within your midst shall get up very high above you (Deut. 28:43[transcriber's correction])! Is that happening? Yes, it is!

Notice that Isaiah lays out a step-by-step of the wrong things that we have done that has led to our problems. These are the WOES!

Verse 8: "Woe to those who join house to house, that lay field to field, until there is no place left, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land!"

Think about it; look at our cities. Let's take the city of New York where they have more Coronavirus than anywhere. Look at it! They're not only side-by-side, they're on top of each other: stacked! jammed! Look at all the problems that come because of that, and the crime.

Verse 11: "Woe to those who rise up early in the morning to go after strong drink…"—add to that drugs!

It's an eye-opener: Watch NatGeo—National Geographic channel—when they have their secret operations that they go along and do documentaries of the drug dealers, and how they're dedicated to evil, dedicated to wasting people's lives. How did that get started? Because they rejected God!

"…who continue late into the night while wine inflames them! And the lyre, and the harp, the drum, and pipe, and wine, are at their feasts…" (vs 11-12). You might say rock concerts! Look at all of that.

But here's why the woes come! I don't know what your life is like, but you need to think about it:

"…but they do not regard the work of the LORD…." (v 12):

• everything He has created
• the Word of God
• what God commanded

Take one simple commandment; the only one of ten that says remember; that's the one everybody forgets: Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it Holy!

Whenever people turn their back on God, Satan comes and fills the void. So, what is a typical Saturday from Friday night to Saturday night like?

All kinds of festivities, drugs, games, operas, concerts, athletics of all kinds and sales during the daytime. All of those are breaking the Sabbath!

God says that IF will turn your foot away from the Sabbath, from doing your own business and work, THEN God will lift these things from us! But how many are willing to do that? All of those who are Sunday-keepers every week violate the fourth commandment! They think that they're doing well, but that's not what God said.

Look at this way: What if someone gave you $100,000 and said, 'I want you deposit it in this bank'? But you and your friends took it out and spent it on yourself.

What kind of reaction would you expect? Apply that as an analogy to the Sabbath, which is a day that God says,

I will put My presence in , bless you and be with you IF you assemble to Me and learn of My Word. I will send My Spirit and bless you with knowledge and understanding, and IF you repent and are converted—and are faithful—I will give you everlasting life!

Think about that! 'No! No! We can't have any of that!' So, they bring the WOE upon themselves!

"…but they do not regard the work of the LORD. Yea, they do not see the work of His hands. Therefore, My people are gone into exile because they have no knowledge…" (vs 12-13). That's coming!

If you think that the Coronavirus is bad, just wait! If we keep going the way that we are, it's coming sooner. If there's some reformation and change, and some turn to God, it may be put off a while. But it's coming!

Verse 18: "Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity…"—talking about all our entertainment and music industry, and our education, colleges and government!

"…and sin with cart ropes" (v 18). Everything is sin!

Just to give you an example: Vice President Mike Pence is head of the Coronavirus task force, to coordinate everything that's going on. He opened with prayer to God. That God would guide him to help the people to turn back the Coronavirus. The news outlets went crazy! Why would he pray? Because He knows why these things are coming! That's why!

Verse 19: "Who say, 'Let Him hurry and hasten His work, so that we may see it; and let the purpose of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, so that we may know!'" But they're taunting God!

But God says, 'You don't do that! If you want to know about Me, you better come to Me and repent. You better obey me and keep My Word.'

NO! They just taunt God! So, look at all the troubles that come because of it!

Verse 20: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil…"

Look at the 'alphabet genders' that we have today! I call it that because there re so many different genders that it takes up the whole alphabet! God says that everything should be through marriage, a man and a woman, children and family! But NO! they say, 'we need the right,' and whenever they say that they are saying

You let us do our own thing because that is our right, and we desire to sin and stuff it in Your face.'

Then they expect good to happen!

Listen! Coronavirus is going to turn out to be a very mild thing compared to what's coming, unless there's some repentance!

"…who put darkness for light and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!" (vs 20-21).

Yes, we're smart, we'll figure it out! We have all the modern tests and everything like this, and we will do it ourselves!

Wait until they meet the power of God! That will be a different story!

Verse 22: "Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink… [and add in all the other drugs that go with it] …who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!" (vs 22-23). Isn't that what is happening? Yes!

We've got another website that was years ahead of what is going on now called: churchathome.org—Church at Home. We could foresee, according to the Word of God, down into the future that the only safe place to worship God is in your own home. But then there will come a time when even that will end, because Satan is going to come with great power and fury, and try and destroy everyone who loves God and believes Him.

But even if they kill them, God has a surprise! He's going to resurrect them all! He's going to send Christ to return to take over this world.

I want you to read v 24, and understand this. I want you to know what's coming; v 24: "Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble…"—those little parts of the hay, wheat and barley; a little bit of the stock, husk and roots, and when the grain is removed, if it gets too hot, POOF! it explodes!

"…and the flame burns up the chaff; their root shall be like rottenness, and their blossoms shall go up like dust because…" (v 24).

Here's the cause, the reason why these things come; if you would be smart enough to take a Bible and read the Ten Commandments, look at them literally and look at the behavior of people all around the world and understand that there's a Satan the devil and he has millions of demons working with him, then you will begin to understand why we have all of these problems.

God is calling His people to come out of that, and calling other people who want to turn to God and telling them to turn to God and He will help you! But if you don't turn to God the next wave is going to be worse! And the one after that will be worse!

"…they have cast away the Law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel" (v 24).

God always gives warning! God never does anything unless there's a warning that comes out. Anybody who has a Bible has it written down and sitting on the shelf of their own library. If they don't read it, that's their problem.

Everyone wants a blessing from God, 'O God, don't give me Your anger.'

Verse 25 tells us what God is going to do: "Therefore, the anger of the LORD is kindled against His people, and He has stretched out His hand against them, and has stricken them; and the hills trembled, and their dead bodies were as filth in the midst of the streets. In all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still"—because there is no repentance!

• this tells us what's going to happen
• this tells us why we have all of these problems

What are we going to do? Let's ask all the people who say that they're the people of God:

• Do you really believe God? Really?
• Do you really love God? Actually?
• How did Jesus say that we are to do that?

The Protestants all claim the love of God and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. But you want to know something? That's just the first half step! You have to come to God and love Him, as Jesus said. As He told Israel, this is also recorded in Deut. 6, because the Israelites wanted to know:

'O Lord, what shall we do?' The Scribe came to Jesus and said, 'Master, which is the greatest commandment of all?' Here was the answer: 'Hear O Israel—put your name there—the Lord God is one Lord, and you shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength!'

• Is that how you approach God?

For the world, they don't even know, but for the people of God:

• Are you a one-day a week Christian?

And even if you may keep the Sabbath:

• How much different are you from the Sunday-keepers from the one-day a week Christian?

You may read some of the Bible, those things that are pleasant to you, but very few people want to read the things that tell you what God is going to do if you don't repent and come to Him. He also says that of other churches, too.

This is where we are in all of this. This is a lot of trouble and difficulty, indeed!

Let's see what God wants, and He lays this out for the nation of Israel, and in fact, all nations of the world now. But in particularly the nations of Israel, because they are the descendants of Jacob. Here's what everybody wants, and notice how God expresses it in what we must do, and what kind of effort we need to put forth so that God will be with us and we will be on God's side! Too many people want God to come on their side. But God is saying, 'NO! You come on My side, because I'm God! I will bless you! You need Me, and I will take care of you!' This is what He told the Israelites here:

Deuteronomy 28:1: "And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD your God…" That's the most simple thing of all! God says obey My voice!

• Did Adam and Eve? No!
• Did most of the people down through history obey the voice of God? No!

It's simple: obey My voice! You want things to go good; you want them to go well, obey My voice diligently!

• not half-heartedly
• not one day a week
• but how you live

"…to observe and to do all His commandments, which I command you today… [this is a conditional clause] …the LORD your God will set you on high above all nations of the earth" (v 1).

• Did God not do that with Britain and America? Yes, indeed!
• What have we done? Look at it! Look a the inner cities wherever you go!

If you do, v 2: "And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you will obey the voice of the LORD your God."

Some is always going say—being a smart aleck—'How am I going to hear the voice of the Lord God?' Well, He made it easy for you to hear it! He had it written down and printed!

Is this not saying that the Lord is talking here? If you read it, you're reading what He said! If you read what He said, you're reading what He spoke! Then it says:

Verse 3: "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, and the fruit of your ground, and the fruit of your livestock, the increase of your cattle, and the flocks of your sheep. Blessed shall be your basket and your store. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. The LORD shall cause your enemies that rise up against you to be stricken before your face…." (vs 3-7)—just a small army!

God would fight the battle. Can the largest army in the world fight against God and prevail? NO WAY!

"…They shall come out against you one way, and flee before you seven ways. The LORD shall command the blessing upon you in your storehouses, and all that you set your hand to. And He shall bless you in the land, which the LORD your God gives you" (vs 7-8). How did we get here? Because God gave it!

Verse 9: "The LORD shall establish you a Holy people to Himself, as He has sworn to you, if you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. And all the people of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you" (vs 9-10).

Since we haven't done this, the next thing happens!

(go to the next track)

Let's finish up a little more here in Deut. 28 before we look at how we conduct ourselves when there's trouble everywhere. That's what's going to happen, there's going to be trouble everywhere. That's why I want you to read all the curses that come automatically that are listed here in Deut. 28. These happen!

It's kind of like you have a pile of sand and you keep putting more and more sand on it, and all that sand represents your sins. It gets bigger and bigger, and all of that accumulative effect is going to cause different problems. There may be small problems at first, but sooner or later you get it up high enough and you're going to have an avalanche!

• What's going to happen if you have a horrible rain?
• What's going to happen if someone comes with a big hose and deliberately washes it down?

Look at it that way, because it builds up and up and then there is a climax and we're at one of those points of climax right now.

What's going to happen? It will settle down a little bit and then it will build up and up again! So, read all the curses in Deut. 28!

Verse 15: "And it shall come to pass…"—it's automatic, because God is Lawgiver, and:

• IF you obey God, obey His voice, there are blessings that are automatic
• IF you disobey they are penalties—curses—that come out automatically

Let's just use lying vs truth: IF you're always honest, you always tell the truth, you don't have worry about what you've said, because you're telling the truth! You'll never get caught in a lie because you don't tell lies.

What happens if you live in a dream world, a sinful world and you're a liar to yourself, thinking you can be prospered in these sins—which you can't—then it's going build up and up and BAM! there's going to be a great penalty to pay!

Another way to look at it, every time you sin and don't repent, it's like putting on some weight, a little here, a little there, and then you do a big sin and that's more weight. You do more sins and pretty soon you're loaded down with sin.

What happens when you get so much you can't carry it? You break down! Your life falls apart! So, those all apply.

Verse 15: "And it shall come to pass, if… [meaning it's our choice] …you will not hearken… [meaning to hear and obey] …to the voice of the LORD your God to observe and to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you."

I'll just read a few of them, and ask yourself: Does this apply to where I live?

Verse 16: "Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field. Cursed shall be your basket and your store. Cursed shall be the fruit of your body, and the fruit of your land, the increase of your livestock, and the flocks of your sheep. Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out" (vs 16-19). That's like saying, nothing is going to go right!

Verse 20: "The LORD shall send on you…" It's automatic! He doesn't have to say, 'Okay, I'm going to do this…' No! It builds up! Just like the sand, or the over weight.

Verse 21: "The LORD shall make the pestilence…",

Verse 22: "The LORD shall strike you with lung disease and with a fever, and with an inflammation…"

Verse 23: And your heavens over your head shall be bronze, and the earth that is under you iron. The LORD shall make the rain of your land powder and dust…" (vs 23-24).

Verse 25: "The LORD shall cause you to be stricken before your enemies…."

Read it all! Read the whole thing all the way through! You will understand that God is God and you can't go against Him!

Therefore, God being merciful, loving and kind, extends forgiveness with repentance! When someone becomes a true Christian—because there are a lot of fake Christians out there—they are baptized for the remission, forgiveness, of all those sins!

They receive the Holy Spirit of God. With the Holy Spirit of God we still live in the world. So, there are still things that we have to learn, and learn how to cope with so that we don't get overtaken by the sins of other people.

Psa. 25—here is what we are to do. This will help us!

• God will be with us!
• God will bless us!
• God will watch out for us!
• God will protect us!

We will see that we may have to live through disasters! But God will see us through it!

Here's where we start so that God will be with us and help us; you have to turn to God! You have to repent of your sins, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ pays the penalty for you! You turn to God and, as Jesus said, 'Live by every Word of God!'

Psalm 25:1: "To You, O LORD, do I lift up my soul…. [that's the main, most important thing in your life] …O my God, I trust in You… [you don't trust in your own self and devices] …do not let me be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me…. [because you're trusting in God] …Yea, let none who wait on You be ashamed; let them be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause. Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths" (vs 1-4). That's why you have the Bible, so you can learn of God's way!

• What do I do?
• How do I live?
• What does God want me to do?

That's the most important thing! He will show you; we have the promise in John 6:45 that we will all be taught of God!

How are we taught of God? We're taught if you read His Word! If you understand it, accept it and live by it! "…teach me Your paths."

• How do I live?
• How do I think?
• What do I do?

The whole book of Proverbs is full of that! It tells you right/wrong, good/evil, and everything that you need to know, especially for your children.

That's especially for teenagers, and we have a special Proverbs reading that your teens can go through every day, because the most important thing for young people is get your mind programmed the right way. Too many minds are programmed the wrong way through hightech, music, friends and wrong education.

Verse 5: "Lead me in Your Truth…"

• What is Truth? The Word of God is Truth!
• How does God lead you in it? By His Spirit that is in you to lead you!

"…and teach me…" (v 5). Every day we're to learn! I'm still learning. Everyone who is studying the Bible, learns!

Let me tell you something that is fantastic about the Bible: the more you read it, the more you study it, the more you learn! Then when you go back over it, you go over the same thing and you learn new things and make different connections with it in your mind, heart and thoughts in every way.

That's a process and over time. All of this is preparing you for eternal life. That's something to contemplate.

"…for You are the God of my salvation; on You do I wait all the day long" (v 5). Not doing your own thing your own way, but once you find out how God wants you to live, then you live by every Word of God!

Verse 6: "Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your loving kindness, for they have been of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth…" (vs 6-7)—or any of my sins!

When you repent they are removed from you as far as the east is from the west. That is true! However, you still may have a memory of them in your mind so that you have that as a warning: don't do this anymore!

"…nor my transgressions; according to Your loving kindness remember me for Your goodness sake, O LORD" (v 7).

• How does that work? When you do the things that please God!

Think about that! Men and women can please God!

• How do they please God? By prayer, by study, by living God's way!

Then when you congregate with true Christians, loving, serving and helping each other; that all comes together.

Verse 8: "Good and upright is the LORD; therefore, He will teach sinners in the way…. [You have to unlearn your sins] …The meek He will guide in judgment; and the meek He will teach His way" (vs 8-9).

Notice that this is what everybody wants. When we read the blessing in Deut. 28, that's what everyone wants. They want:

• this, that and the other thing
• goodness
• God with them
• plenty of this and that

But they don't want to obey Him! When you love God and obey Him, this is what happens. Here it is right here:

Verse 10: "All the paths of the LORD are mercy and Truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name's sake, O LORD, pardon my iniquity, for it is great" (vs 10-11).

I want you to think about that! Look at how many times David talks about forgiveness, confessing sin, asking God to forget it. That's all part of how to pray, because a Psalm is a prayer.

Verse 12: What man…"—or woman! God is not against women; they are the finest most wonderful thing that God has created.

After everything that was created and even Adam, the last thing that God created was a woman! But taken from a man, so therefore the last three letters of the word woman is man. So, whenever you read the word man that applies to women as well.

"…is he who fears the LORD? He shall teach him in the way that He shall choose…. [because everything is a choice; choose to do right] …His soul shall dwell at ease… [you won't be anxious, nervous or afraid] …and his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the LORD…" (vs 12-14).

That's what the New Testament is; did you know that? It is the mystery or secret of God! That is how do to be born into the Family of God at the resurrection when Jesus returns.

"…is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant" (v 14).

Psa. 91 is a great Psalm! I know a lady who reads this very regularly, and the reason is because we need strength, comfort and hope when times get bad. The way that the world is going, we're going to be living in a lot of bad and difficult times down the road. It's going to happen! There's no way that it isn't going to happen!

But if you are on God's side… remember that God does not come to your side, you come to God's side! Notice what this provides:

Psalm 91:1: "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High…" That's what grace is all about! You have direct connection with God the Father and Jesus Christ!

"…shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (v 1).

You can see a shadow on the ground, but you can't see the shadow if you look at it sideways, so this is the invisible protection of God, coming from God!

Verse 2: "I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Whom I will trust.'" Notice how the things are there so we can have that protection:

Verse 3: "Surely He will deliver you from the fowler's trap… [the traps of sin] …and from the destroying pestilence."

It will be interesting to see among the people of God, how many did not get the Coronavirus! Think of that!

Verse 4: "He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge…." Those ware the unseen protections that come from God!

"…His Truth… [all of His Word] …shall be your shield and buckler" (v 4). In other words, against the forces of evil all around you, the Truth of God, the power of God and God's special protection will be with you!

Verse 5: "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flies by day, nor for the plague that walks in darkness, nor for the destruction laying waste at noonday."

Now here, right in the middle of death and destruction! None of us have been there, or very few. A good number of soldiers, when they're out there fighting have trusted in God and somehow they have survived everything! Many of them, but why did it happen to them?

Verse 7: "A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand; it shall not come near you." That is to take you down!

Verse 8: "Only with your eyes you shall behold and see the recompense of the wicked." This goes forward clear to the resurrection, right here! Because all of those in the first resurrection are going to see the recompense against Satan the devil, the demons and all of the wicked in the world that come to fight against Christ! We will all see it!

Here's why; here's a blessing; v 9: "Because you have made the LORD, Who is my refuge… [David writing] …even the Most High, your habitation, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling" (vs 9-10).

You can pray that prayer with what's going on today! That doesn't mean that you don't do the things that you need to so that you're not going to get it. You don't walk out into the middle of it.

Verse 11: "For He shall give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways." How about that! Invisible angels guarding and protecting you!

That's something! You'll never see it. People have experienced what angels have done in various accidents and things that they've been in. Yes, they've gotten hurt a little bit, but they survived.

Verse 12: "They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone."

Now, v 13 is talking about the time of the resurrection and the power and strength that we will have at that time against the wicked, to get rid of them and to help institute the way and the Government of God on the whole earth.

Verse 13: "You shall tread upon the lion… [Who is the lion going around roaring? Satan the devil!] …and asp; the young lion and the jackal you shall trample underfoot."

You're going to get rid of all sin out of the whole earth with all the rest of the saints and Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. Here's why, and this gets right back to where we started:

Verse 14: "Because he… [you, the one who is trusting in God] …has set his love upon me… [David talking about the love of God] …therefore, I will deliver him…" IF you set your love upon God, He says that He will deliver you!

"…I will set him on high because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him…" (v 15).

IF you have the Spirit of God in you, everything you go through with God's Spirit, He is there with you in everything; notice this:

"…I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him" (v 15). That's quite a blessing!

• Is it not worth what God has said for this tremendous blessing that He says that He will give you?
• Even in the most trying and the most difficult times that there can possibly be?

Verse 16: "With long life… [eternal life, for eternity] …I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation."

What kind of attitude does this give us when trouble comes? We don't have to worry about the difficult things that come along—they will come! But how do we handle them?

Every one of us are going to go through things where it may even get down to that it looks like everything you have is gone! But even if everything that you have is gone, and God is in you and with you, He's going to replace all of that with the greatness of the power of His resurrection and being in New Jerusalem forever! That's what we need to think on! Here's the attitude that we have to have:

Psalm 27:1: "The LORD is my Light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?…." Don't have to, put it all in God's hands, come what may!

That's how all the saints were able to, down through history, go through the slaughter and the torture, because they knew that if they lost their life they were assured of the resurrection. Christ's plan is to annul death as if it never occurred and their tormentors couldn't understand it. They couldn't understand why they would be singing hymns! Why they would willingly go! An amazing thing when you think about it.

"…The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell" (vs 1-2). This is with David, with his fighting for God! God had His angels out there ahead of the battle.

Verse 3: "Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not be afraid; though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident."

That's what David did when he was conquering the land as God gave him the victory. But think about taking it forward to the resurrection when we come back and fight with Christ to get rid of all the enemies of God. Get rid of Satan and demons, and see all of these people who need help, blessings, healing and all of that. This is going to be the greatest victory that ever happened!

Verse 4: "One thing… [you might say the most important thing] …I have desired from the LORD, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life… [eternal life] …to behold the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple."

When you have your mind on this, when trouble comes, you'll be able to handle it. You'll be able to get through it!  It doesn't matter what it is, because it's going to be pretty heavy stuff when it comes.

Verse 5: "For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion, in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me upon a Rock"—that's Christ!

This is the attitude that we need to have when these troubles and difficulties come along. God will always be there:

• with you
• for you
• to help you

Here's what we do! You've heard the song Take it All to God in Prayer, that is literally true. That's what David did.

Psalm 31:1: "In You, O LORD, have I taken refuge, let me never be ashamed; deliver me in Your righteousness. Bow down Your ear to me; deliver me quickly; be my strong Rock, a fortress of defense to save me; for You are my Rock…" (vs 1-3).

Remember what Jesus said about building on a Rock: If you build on the Rock, the winds are going to blow, the rains are going to come, the floods are going to come, but you're on the Rock and you will see it through!

Compared to the one who builds his house upon the sand. The wind will come, the rain will come and the flood will come, and the fall of that house is quick and immediate. So, here is New Testament doctrine right in the Psalms.

"…and my fortress; therefore, for Your name's sake lead me and guide me. Pull me up out of the net that they have hidden for me, for You are my strength. 'Into Your hand… [this is a quote from Jesus just before He died, but this is true for all of us as well]: ….I commit My spirit; You have redeemed Me, O LORD God of Truth'" (vs 3-5). That's quite a fantastic and wonderful thing indeed!

Psalm 37:39: "But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them because they take refuge in Him" (vs 39-40). That's quite a blessing! That is how God is going to:

• watch over us
• be with us
• guide us

Let's read what Paul wrote. It's interesting, because the books of Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians were written while Paul was a prisoner in Rome. He sent these letters to these churches, and look at his attitude. He didn't know if he might end up being beheaded! But he:

• kept his mind on God
• kept his mind on what it should be

Philippians 4:6: "Do not be anxious about anything… [put it all in God's hands; you do what you have to do, God will do what He has to do] …but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God in everything."

Notice this promise; I want you to think about this; v 7: "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding… [human understanding] …shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus."

Heb. 13 is quite a promise; you can claim these promises. One way to do this is when you pray get on your knees and have a place where you can open your Bible and read some of the Psalms. You can read some of these verses and you're coming before God. He has promised to hear you IF you yield to Him, desire Him and you're doing this in a way that glorifies Him!

Here's a promise of God. So, if you have troubles and difficulties, and it seems like you are ready to go under the water and drown… sometimes it feels like that, it's overwhelming. You come to God with this:

Hebrews 13:5: "Do not allow the love of money to influence your behavior, but be satisfied with what you have; for He has said, 'In no way…'"

These are the words of Christ! His Word is Truth! Heaven and earth shall pass away, but His Word shall never pass away! So, when He says:

"…'In no way will I ever leave you… [He reiterates] …no—I will never forsake you in any way'" (v 5).

That's Christ's promise to us! Even if it's difficult, tough, hard or a lot of opposition against you, all things are going to work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose!

It doesn't matter what it is, because the ultimate end of it all is the resurrection and what God is going to do!

"…'In no way will I ever leave you; no—I will never forsake you in any way.' So then, let us boldly say, 'The Lord is my Helper, and I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" (vs 5-6). That's the attitude that we need to have, brethren!

• trust in God
• look to Him
• understand what's going on
• realize that God loves you
• He's for you

You love God and He's going to see you through it! It's all going to work out for the best in the long run! Keep this in mind as we go down through time and all of these difficult times come upon us!

Scriptural References:

• Genesis 49:1, 22-26
• Deuteronomy 33:13-17
• Isaiah 5:1-8, 11-13, 18-25
• Deuteronomy 28:1-9, 15-25
• Psalm 25:1-14
• Psalm 91:1-16
• Psalm 27:1-5
• Psalm 31:1-5
• Psalm 37:39-40
• Philippians 4:6-7
• Hebrews 13:5-6

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Deuteronomy 22:43
• Isaiah 58; 56
• Deuteronomy 6
• John 6:45

Also referenced: Book:
America and Britain in Prophecy: Two Nations That Changed the World by Philip Neal

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 3/25/20

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