Hebrews 10:31  "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

Sometimes God puts a very heavy hand on His children.  

He chastens them  -  or as we say,  He takes them to the woodshed.

David tells us in 

Psalm 32:4  "For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me:"

What was God doing?  

He was chastening David.  

David tried to cover up his sin, but God forced him to confess it and deal with it. 

God today still chastens those that are His own.  

But His chastening is altogether different from His hand of judgement.   

God does not take vengeance in a spiteful, vindictive manner.  

But God does judge sin.  

Listen to the Psalmist

Psalm 75:8  "For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup,  and the wine is red,  it is fully mixed,  and He poureth out of the same,  but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall drain them,  and drink them."  

Judgement will come when the cup of wrath is filled up.  

It is a bitter cup.  

God is patient - not willing that any should perish - but the cup of judgement is ahead for all those who have trodden under foot the Son of God.  

Those who have despised what Christ has done for them on the cross and rejected His gift of salvation will face judgement.  

Hebrews 10:29  "Of how much sorer punishment,  suppose ye,  be thought worthy,  who hath trodden under foot the Son of God,  and hath counted the blood of the covenant,  with which he was sanctified,  an unholy thing,  and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace?" 

The Bible teaches us quite clearly that those whom the Lord loves,  He chastens.  

The righteous,  those who have His righteousness imputed to them, are His.  

Actually they are seated in Him,  in the heavenlies.  

This is Bible truth.  

The Word of God just confirms that the righteous do suffer. 

It is a different type of suffering though  

Psalm 34:19  "Many are the afflictions of the righteous:  but the Lord delivereth them out of them all."

The difference is that when we are God's children,  we can expect to be delivered from every affliction.  

This is too wonderful for words!

We need to grasp it with both hands. 

God is so good.  

God is so good, God is so good,
God is so good, He's so good to me.

He took my sin, He took my sin,
He took my sin, He's so good to me.

Now I am free, now I am free,
Now I am free, He's so good to me.

God is so good, He took my sin,
Now I am free, He's so good to me

If you accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, even right now before we go a step further,  you can be sure from the Word of God, that any affliction that you are now suffering, you can expect to be delivered from it. 

This is God's marvelous grace.  

We are not only saved by grace,  but we are also to live by grace.  

This is living by grace  -  living in Him  -  trusting Him moment by moment. Trusting Him for complete deliverance - deliverance out of every affliction.  Trusting God for the gift of salvation seems easy when we have to trust Him for deliverance out of every affliction.  

The question is, 

do we believe God?  

We believe that he died on the cross for our salvation - we actually know that that this is true.  But the true test of our faith comes after we have believed that the Lord Jesus died in our place on Calvary.  

That He who died in our place on the rugged cross of Calvary, is God of very God.  

Now we have to accept that He not only died to save us, but that He died to KEEP US SAVED.  

He is able to deliver us out of  temptation,  and He will,  if we will just call on His name.  

This is truth and I can truly testify to it.  I have had many, many afflictions but the Lord Jesus Christ has delivered me from them all.  I no sooner get through one when there is another on the horizon. This is what enables me to stay very close to Him at all times. I have learned to keep short accounts with my Saviour.   

Sin separates us from God,  even though we are in Christ,  sin separates us from our close fellowship with Him because God cannot look on sin. 

We can never stop the sun from shining but we can put up an umbrella to keep the sun from shining on us.  There are also dark clouds in our lives, when we feel that the sun will never shine upon us ever again, but every single storm cloud always passes. Time has proven that to us. 

Our gracious God,  the Lord Jesus Christ,  Himself,  wants us to learn to lean on Him.  

We are to trust Him who is able to deliver us from every affliction.

What a fellowship,  What a joy divine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

What a blessedness,  What a peace is mine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

Chorus.

LEANING,  LEANING,  

SAFE AND SECURE FROM ALL ALARMS;

LEANING, I'M LEANING,  

I'M LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS. 

O how sweet to walk,  In this pilgrim way,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

Oh how bright the path grows from day to day,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

What have I to dread,  What have I to fear;

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

I have blessed peace,  when my Lord is near,

LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS.

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

Are you able to sing this last line truthfully?

This is for me, the greatest challenge in my  "running the race."  I long to run so as to win the prize of my high calling and I do look at the apostle Paul's example, but I find it the greatest challenge.   I love Paul more and more as I learn how he coped with all the many afflictions in his life. Yes I can say,  I truly love the apostle Paul.  The Lord Jesus has proven to me, through the apostle Paul, that,  there is deliverance and great joy,  bountiful joy, in all our troubles.

Why?  

Because God of Very God  IS WITH US.  

He never leaves us nor forsakes us.

This is what He has promised us.  He is our Shepherd.  And as our Shepherd,  He not only feeds us,   He also protects us.  He protects us with his rod and His staff. They are a comfort to us. 

 The rod was for defense and the staff was for direction. 

The Lord Jesus gives us gentle reproof  -  dressing down, and He always teaches us a lesson. 

He uses that staff on all the sheep that like to wander away and go astray. 

Sometimes, sheep who are very stubborn,  like to go their own way.  

The staff is the best thing for us because it gets us back into the fold. 

The Lord Jesus Christ, is the ONLY WAY back into the fold.  

The moment that we accept the Lord Jesus as our personal Saviour,  He becomes our Shepherd and from there on,  He will keep us and bring us to our eternal home. 

he will not loose a single sheep!

We can be very sure about that.

This is marvelous truth and we can rest in it entirely. We will not get to heaven because we are well behaved, good, gentle and lowly sheep. We will get there because we have a Good Shepherd.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Great Shepherd of the sheep and He is also the Chief Shepherd.

He  knows just how feeble His own sheep really are.  On this earth we will always be totally dependant on Him.  The more that we get to know Him the more we realize just how much we need Him and how much we have to depend on -  lean on - Him.  

As I look back over my own life, I can say that on many occasions our Lord has used His rod to protect me from evil, and He has used His staff to correct my way of boastfulness,  selfishness,  bitterness,  and jealousy. Today, I  thank Him for all the times He has brought me back to the place of resting in Him and leaving all the things that cause me to sin,  in His hand.

Father,  I place into Your hands,  

The things  I can not do.

Father,  I place into Your hands,  

The troubles I've been through.

Father,  I place into Your hands,  

The way that I should go.

For I know,  I always can trust You.

Father,  I place into Your hands  

My friends and family. 

Father,  I place into Your hands,  

The things that trouble me.

Father,  I place into Your hands  

The person I would be,

For I know,  I always can trust You.

Father,  we love to see Your face,  

We love to hear Your voice.

Father,  we love to sing Your praise  

And in Your name rejoice.

Father,  we love to walk with You,  

And in Your presence rest,

For we know,  we always can trust You.

Father,  I want to be with You  

And do the things You do.

Father,  I want to speak the words  

That You are speaking too.

Father,  I want to love the ones   

That You will draw to You,

FOR I KNOW,  THAT I AM ONE WITH YOU.

Sung by Losinda.

Amen!

Jesus is a wonderful Saviour.     

He will carry you through.

Jesus is a wonderful Saviour,  

He will carry you through.  My brother,

Jesus is a wonderful Saviour,  

He will carry you through,

And when the battle is done,  

And the victory is won,

My Lord will carry you through,  

My loving brother,

When the world is on fire,  

You'll need my Jesus,  to be your Saviour.

He'll ever hide you,  

In the Rock of ages,  

The Rock of ages 

That was cleft for you,

Sung by Losinda.

Amen!

There is also a stern warning that the apostle Paul gives us

1 Corinthians 11:29   "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily,  eateth and drinketh judgement to himself,  not discerning the Lord's body.  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you,  and many sleep.  For if we would judge ourselves,  we should not be judged.  But when we are judged,  we are chastened of the Lord,  that  we should not be condemned with the world."  

When we observe the Lord's supper,  

HE IS PRESENT.  

We are clearly told that we are to discern the Lord's body. 

To discern His body means that we have bread in our mouths but we have Christ Jesus is in our hearts. 

This is the reality of the breaking of bread, and this makes the Lord's supper a very joyful feast.  

A feast on Him.  

We come together to worship Him.

We come together to  honor Him,  to praise and adore Him because He has saved us by His grace. 

He has paid the price of our sin. 

We have been redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb.

We have been SET FREE in order that we might WORSHIP HIM.  

The sin in our lives has been dealt with on the cross of Calvary. 

We have the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ imputed to us.  

We can only worship God when we are in Christ Jesus.

Those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth  -  that is in Christ Jesus.

The Lord Jesus is the only Way the Truth and the Life.

The only way to worship God,  is through our Saviour.

Acts 4:12  "Neither is there salvation in any other;  for there is no other name under heaven given among men,  whereby we must be saved."  

THERE IS BUT ONE WAY TO WORSHIP GOD.

The Lord Jesus told the woman at the well

John 4:23–24   "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.  God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth."

It is irrelevant, where we worship God. 

It is not  where  but  how  we worship Him that is important. 

Our Lord answered her very adequately. 

God is a Spirit. 

We do not have to run to this place or that place. 

True worshipers worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.

Philippians 2:9-10  "Wherefore,  God also hath highly exalted Him,  and given Him a name which is above every name,  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,  of things in heaven,  and things in earth,  and things under the earth,  And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,  to the glory of God,  the Father." 

If we come to the Lord's supper for any other reason other than to worship Him, or  if we come with pride in ourselves  -  of how good we are -  then we cannot worship God as we ought.  

If we do not judge the sin in our own lives

then we are chastened of the Lord 

"that  we should not be condemned with the world"

Christ will one day judge the world. 

Today He deals with those who are His own here upon this earth.

There is a sin which is unto death. 

1 John 5:16-21  "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death,  he shall ask,  and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. 

There is a sin unto death;  

I do not say that he shall pray for it.  

All unrighteousness in sin,  

and there is a sin unto death.  

We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not,  but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself,  and the wicked one toucheth him not.  

And we know that we are of God,  and the whole world lieth in wickedness.  

And we know that the Son of God is come,  and hath given us an understanding,  that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true,  even in His Son Jesus Christ. 

This is the true God, and eternal life.  

Little children keep yourselves from idols." 

Death refers to physical death here.  

It has no reference to spiritual death because the child of God has eternal life. 

Apostle John is saying that the child of God can commit a sin for which Our Heavenly Father, will call them home.

God will remove them from this life here on earth.

There are many different reasons why God does this, and we will never understand the ways of God but we do know from experience, in our daily walk with the Lord here on this this earth,  that often, those who bring disgrace on the precious name of the Lord Jesus, are physically removed.  

There are a few examples in Scriptures. 

Moses was removed. 

He got angry with the children of Israel  -  he smote the rock,  twice instead of once.  He should not have smitten that rock at all because that rock speaks of Christ.  

Moses was disobedient to God.

He should have spoken to the rock.  

Numbers 20:7-8   "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,  Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink."

The rock was to be an example and a type of Christ.  

Apostle Paul wrote 

  1 Corinthians 10:4   of Israel,   ".....all did drink the same spiritual drink;  for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them,  and that Rock was Christ."    

God said to Moses,

Numbers 20:12    "And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron , because ye believed me not,  to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel,  therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." 

Moses sinned a sin unto death. 

In the New Testament we have Ananias and Sapphira,  they were a part of the early church.  They were guilty of telling a lie.  They gave a false impression.

Acts 5:3-9   "But Peter said, Ananias,  why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?  Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? 

Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? 

Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.  

And Ananias, hearing these words,  fell down,  and died;  and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.  And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.  And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? 

And she said, Yea, for so much. 

Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out."

Ananias and Sapphira were both willing to live a lie.  

God removed them both physically from this earth.  

There was also an incident at the Lord's Supper. 

Some of the people were getting drunk and they were missing the meaning of the Lord's Supper. 

  1 Corinthians 11:21  "For in eating everyone taketh before the other his own supper;  one is hungry and another is drunk." 

When God's children sin,  a sin which for them a sin unto death,  God says that He will take them home and He does. 

A sin unto death is not one sin specifically. 

For Moses it was because  "Ye believed Me not,  to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel,   -  MOSES LOST HIS TEMPER. 

Absalom was a troublemaker.

He committed a sin unto death when he led a rebellion against his father, King David.  

Ananias and Sapphira  "Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart?   Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.  

ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRE LIED TO THE HOLY GHOST.

They were willing to live as hypocrites.

For other believers it was getting drunk and behaving in a disorderly way at the Lord's Supper.

These are very solemn thoughts,  but we need to face the truth of God's Word.  

2 Timothy 3:16   "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,  and is profitable for doctrine,  for reproof,  for correction,  for instruction in righteousness."  

When we study the Word of God,  it brings conviction to our hearts. 

This is a test to see if we are in the faith or not.  

Does the Bible bring conviction to us?  

If it does, then we know that the Holy Spirit is at work in us.  

The Word of God instructs us in the way that we should walk, and it also disciplines us.  

It corrects our wrong doing and thinking. 

When we study the Word of God,  we get to know Christ.

We get to see through the study of the Word of God, that no man ever got by with sin - God always punishes sin.  

We can be very sure of that.

God chastises His own children.

It is for those who have been walking with the Lord for a long time.

Discipline does not mean punishment  it means  "child training"

Hebrews 12:6-8   "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

When illness confines us we have plenty of time to study and seek our Lord.

The Lord graciously teaches us through suffering and illness.

We learn by experience that we are to lean on Christ, entirely.

I know today that I have to lean on Him more than ever before.

In the Book of Job we read,

"Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7).

The Lord Jesus said,

 "… In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

And apostle Paul said,

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution"    (2 Timothy 3:12).

Why do God’s people suffer?

There is no one little verse of Scripture answers to that.

There are several reasons.

I have listed 7 of them.

1 Peter 2:20   "For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently…."

The word faults refers to a sin where you missed the mark.

Apostle  Peter says there is no value in the suffering which was caused by our own foolishness.

Apostle Peter says,

1 Peter 3:14  "But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled."

 Many people deliberately take a stand for God, and they have suffered for it.

Apostle Paul says,

 1 Corinthians 11:31  "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged."

However, if we are God’s children and we refuse to deal with the sin in our lives, God will deal with it.  He will judge us.

We see this in the Book of Job.

Job suffered because he was demonstrating to Satan and the demon world and to the angels of heaven that he was not a timeserver, that every man does not have his price and that he loved God for Himself alone.

We ought not to say.

"Oh, why did God let this happen to me?

The fact is that your suffering is the proof that you are a child of God.

When we are in trouble and we do not know why, we can go to the Lord and talk to Him about it.  He will et us know we are in trouble.

The reason may not be that He is judging us.

God does judge us, and that is punishment,  but He is also our loving, heavenly Father who disciplines His own dear children.

THIS PAGE UPDATED:  19-10-2007.