PROBLEMS AND PRESSURES

                                                        By   Charles Woodruff
Do you ever feel like God is sifting you? Are you puzzled by the purpose of pressures and problems in your life? None of us are without them. Some have more and some have less. If we are Christians we have to keep in mind Romans 8:28; "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose"These blessed words are written only for Christians. It has been a comfort for believers since Paul wrote the inspired words nearly 2000 years ago. The unbeliever knows nothing of this, and could not claim this truth (if he would even be interested), without first being regenerated. It is a blessed tonic for the children of God, called “A Divine Cordial" by the Puritan, Thomas Watson,in his classic book on the subject.

There are many things in our lives that do not seem to be working for our good, but God says through His apostle that they indeed do work for good. Often we cannot see the good when going through a trial. We may even ask God to remove the trial, and often He does not. We are called according to His purpose, and He has a purpose in our trials and tribulations. Jesus said "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world"(John16:33). I believe the following meditation by Mr. Spurgeon says it very well.

DELIVERANCE FROM DUST AND CHAFF
C.H. Spurgeon
"For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all sections, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth" (Amos 9:9).
The sifting process is going on still. Wherever we go, we are still being winnowed and sifted. In all countries God's people are being tried "like as corn is sifted in a sieve." Sometimes the devil holds the sieve and tosses us up and down at a great rate, with the earnest desire to get rid of us forever. Unbelief  is not slow to agitate our heart and mind with its restless fears. The world lends a willing hand at the same process and shakes us to the right and to the left with great vigor. Worst of all, the church, so largely  apostate as it is, comes in to give a more furious force to the sifting process. Well, well! Let it go on.Thus is the chaff severed from the wheat. Thus is the wheat delivered from dust and chaff. And how great    is the mercy which comes to us in the text, "Yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth"! All shall be preserved that is good, true, and gracious. Not one of the least of believers lose anything worth calling a  loss. We shall be so kept in the sifting that it shall be a real gain to us through Christ Jesus. “Faith's Checkbook for 9/23"

Existentialism, Atheism, Humanism and Plain Unbelief
Charles Woodruff
If I were an existentialist, I would probably worry. As a Christian, I don’t. Existentialism: A literary-philosophic cult of nihilism and pessimism, considered to be founded by Soren Kierkegaard, and popularized in France after World War II, chiefly by Jean-Paul Sartre. It holds that each person exists as an individual in a purposeless universe, and that each must oppose their hostile environment through the exercise of their free will. In existentialism there is no answer to the question “Why are things as they are and not otherwise?” (Webster’s New World Dictionary, College edition, 1960).

One does not have to be an existentialist to have that philosophy at least partially influence him or her. Europe is farther down that road than America, yet America is fast sliding that way. This land that was founded as certainly the most Christian influenced nation ever, is now, as the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer described it as in a “post Christian era.” No nation has ever been 100% Christian, but the foundation was here in early America. It is clear from our early history and documents.

“Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD. Let them be troubled and confounded forever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: That men may know that thou whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.” (Psalm 83:16-18)

“Sin may open bright as the morning, but it will end dark as the night.” T.DeWitt Talmadge, as quoted by R.G. Lee in "Bread from Bellevue Oven.”

“A man by his sin may waste himself, which is to waste that which on earth is most like God.”
A.W. Tozer in “Gems from Tozer.”

“Prayer and sinning will never live together in the same heart. Prayer will consume sin, or sin will choke prayer. I cannot forget this. I look at men's  lives. I believe that few pray.” J.C. Ryle in “A Call to Prayer.”

“When a man is savingly changed, he is deeply convinced not only of the danger, but of the defilement of sin; and O, how earnest is he with God to be purified. He loathes himself for his sins.He runs to Christ, and casts himself into the fountain set open for him and for uncleanness. If he fall, what a stir is there to get all clean again! He has no rest until he flees to the Word, and washes, and rubs and rinses in the infinite fountain, labouring to cleanse himself from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit.” Joseph Alleine in “Alarm to the Unconverted.”

REGARDING PRAYER
“Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness”- According to Arthur W. Pink and others, this quote is attributed to Martin Luther. George Muller, Phillips Brooks, and Richard Trench have also been reported to have said it, but Luther was before them. It is a good and scriptural saying. Maybe they all said it; I know I have often said it since I first read it in Pink’s Sovereignty  of God  in his chapter on prayer. It is one of my favorite books, and I suppose the one that influenced me the most regarding God’s absolute sovereignty. (Cw)
Published by Charles Woodruff- email oursong2000@yahoo.com

PAUL'S LAST VOYAGE--ACTS 27

                                                                BY CHARLES WOODRUFF
          

Even Paul did not go everywhere he expected to go in this life. As far as we know, he never made it to Spain, though he had said he was going there. “Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.” (Romans 15:24)  This was his plan, to visit Rome on the way to Spain. Instead he is taken to Rome as a prisoner, who had appealed, as a Roman citizen, to Caesar regarding the questions that were raised by Paul’s ministry. He was heard two times by Nero, and was executed in Rome. There is a fascinating story of his last journey to Rome on the ship. We can look at it and see many things that the Lord will teach us.

                        THE BEGINNING OF THE VOYAGE                                                      
In Acts 27:1- 13 we are told about how it started. Paul was at Caesarea where he was interviewed by Agrippa, and later by Festus. They were going to take him back to Jerusalem to answer the Jew’s charges, but could not do that when they found that Paul, a Roman citizen, had appealed unto Caesar. Perhaps the narrator here was Luke, as well as Paul. It seems that when Paul was writing from Rome, he said to Timothy “Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.”  (2 Timothy 4:11)  Remember, this is history, but it has a spiritual application for us. The geographic setting is interesting, but more so is He that rules the waves and wind. It was said seven times ‘The winds were contrary’, ‘How dangerous they were’ ‘Not suffering us’, ‘There was a tempest’, etc. This was not happenstance that Paul was where he was, but it was God’s Providence. 

On the journey across the Mediterranean, we are told of several stops and a change to a ship of Alexandria, which was bound for Italy. We are told of several places they went. Then in verse 10, Paul was speaking from much spiritual insight, but not full revelation yet, when he gave forth a warning regarding the voyage. But, the centurion believed the helmsman (or captain) instead of Paul. We see that Paul was not exempt from life’s storms and tribulation, but had to bear them with the unsaved. They were not at a good place for winter, so they continued sailing toward Crete. So far, so good.                                                                                             

                                                                    EUROCLYDON

“But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.” (Acts 27:14)  To get the entire picture, I would urge you to read over this chapter on your own to really grasp it. Actually, you should slowly read chapter 27, and chapter 28 to get the entire story. I cannot cover all that in one message, so I will continue the story here. In spite of the warning Paul had given, things remained calm. There was a south wind, which verse 13 said ‘blew softly’.  They thought all was okay. But in verse 14 we are told that a tempestuous wind called Euroclydon blew. This is the name of a particular type of Mediterranean hurricane called a levanter (a strong northeast wind). They couldn’t hold it, so they let her drive. It was evidently very fierce. Passing Claudia, they were fearful of being blown into the sandbar of Syrtis (which is now the Gulf of Sidra, once Quddaffi’s ‘line of death’). So they lightened the ship as much as possible. Note: when life’s storms hit, it is time to lighten the ship.

Then things got dark. “And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.” (Acts 27:20) But they did know the song that we know. “When darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” God’s sovereign plan to encourage and care for His own is found and clearly shown as Paul said in verse 22. “And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.” (Acts 27:22)  But God sends angels sometimes when we know it least, for the angel had said to Paul “For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.” (Acts 27:23, 24) So Paul told them “Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.” (Acts 27:25-26)

 

                             ARRIVING AT OUR HAVEN SAFELY                                            
Paul’s continual testimony was “I believe God”. He believed that God was going to see them all through the storm. This is what we must believe in life’s storms; God will provide. The story goes on, that after 14 nights Paul persuades the men to take food. They had been evidently fasting. They ran aground on an island which we are later told was Melita. I’d like to tell you all that happened there, but I must make several points here. The men were so scared they were about to flee the ship.   “Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved” (Acts 27:31) Here we can see the sovereignty of God, as Paul had already said, but we also see the responsibility of man. They must abide in the ship. Look at Matthew 24:13, Colossians 1:23, and Hebrews 10:39 to focus on this truth; God is sovereign, but man is responsible. Keep that in mind.

It is interesting that the soldiers cut the ropes from the rescue boat, which closed the way of escape. This is to the sailors what they were depending on. In life God wants us to depend on Him, not the ropes of men. There were 276 men aboard, all at the mercy of God. They began to see that Paul was God’s man. God has His servants where He wants them. His purpose will prevail! Just think, these 276 men were all rescued by God’s grace because of one man. This ought to encourage us to look to God’s leader He has over us, no matter where we are. In our recent election here in the states many were almost in despair because Obama got re-elected. But, we must remember, the future is in God’s hands. He will bring about His will. Do we really understand that? Do we? I hope so.

   When they were going to run the ship aground, the word was 'kill the prisoners, lest they escape’.  
   “But  the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and  commanded  that    they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land.” (Acts 27:43) So all they aboard were saved. This was God’s purpose. But remember, our last step home may be with violence. Some were on boards, some on broken pieces, some swimming, but all made it safely. Not only on that island, but they were later put on another ship going to Italy. It was God’s purpose. I’ll say little about the island. I will say more next week, because several important things took place.  
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:28-31)

THE DEVIL'S LIE----MARIANNE LORDI

(Here is another very good word from my friend, Marianne Lordi. Read it and be strengthened. It will bless you. She writes with a burden and she has traveled where she writes. I pray God will use it for your good.)

”Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall” (Psalm 55:22)

I know that times are tough and everyone is being hit with seemingly endless trials and tribulations.   As the devil realizes that his time is growing short, the furor of hell has darkened this earth. We are living in a time of deception when many are compromising the truth.  In an attempt to mollify those who just want to hear what tickles the ear, false teachers have watered down the gospel to the extent that even the devil isn’t offended!  It is no wonder that as life’s storms grow fiercer, many people are having difficulty trusting that God’s power is enough.

Christ will always have the authority over everything that touches your life.  God does not take a walk to the other side of heaven and forget about your pain and heartache. He sees each tear you shed.  He has a full view of all that concerns you.  All the storms in a believer’s life are permitted for an eternal reason. You are being made stronger and powerfully equipped for battle as you grow in your understanding of God’s limitless power. 

It was with this knowledge that Job was able to cry out, “I know my Redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25) Despite losing his children, his fortune and his health, Job still believed that God was with him!  He said of God, “When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”(Job 23:9-10)

You don’t have to see God to know that he is with you every second and leading you on the path that he has chosen for you long before the foundation of the earth. The devil himself can see God’s presence and protection surrounding you.  One thing I have said before but is important enough to say again and that is that everything that comes against you MUST bow to the will of God for your life! You have nothing to fear for God will be with you to the end.

The perfect love of Christ breaks the bondage of fear.  You belong to Christ and his will for your life cannot be hindered by any of your problems or weaknesses.  Neither the world, the flesh nor the devil can alter the purpose and plan of God for you.  There are no impossible situations for God.  You need to look past the fiery furnace of every affliction and see the presence of Christ who is there to protect you.  He alone has the final word in what happens to you in every circumstance.  Problems increase when you start doubting that God will help you.  It always leads to failure when you can’t wait on God and try to work things out your way.  Nothing will prevent Christ from completing the job he started in you.  Your pain will not crush you  and it has no power to destroy you.   When you shrink back in fear over your problems, you allow the lie   of Satan to rule in your life.

I know that you may be feeling overwhelmed by all that is causing you pain right now, but don’t give up.   You need to remember that Jesus paid the price for you to have an abundant life in spite of all the troubles you face.  As he was dying on the cross for us, he cried out with his last breath “IT IS FINISHED!” That means that nothing on this earth can keep you in bondage! You have been set free.  Anything that opposes God’s will for you has now been rendered powerless.  The impact of those words should stay in your heart always.  Victory is living within you and the power that raised Christ from the dead is now your strength.  

The trial you are in cannot take you from God’s sight nor stop him from helping you. In order to defeat the enemy, you must know the truth. In James 4:7 we read, “Submit yourselves; then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." The main command is to “submit yourselves to God” first. It is by humbling yourself before him and trusting that he will help you that you get all the strength that you need to make the devil and his schemes flee from you!  The forces of hell shudder at the sight of one believer in prayer who trusts that God can do all things.

YOU are that believer!  Let go of the lies and begin to trust in the power of God.  He can keep you in his perfect peace beyond your power to understand.  You can take God at his word who says:

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)

God is with you and I will be praying for you. You are never alone!

REFORMATION DAY---CHARLES WOODRUFF

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16, 17)

  I hope you had a Happy Reformation Day. I did. Perhaps your reply to that is “Reformation Day? I thought it was Halloween.”  You are correct, but only because some things are not out in the open, as they should be. You see, on October 31, 1517, a Catholic priest named Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to the door of his church at Wittenberg, Germany. These writings were items of concern to him regarding the corrupt direction of the Roman Catholic Church at that time. Some of his main points had to do with a fantasy called indulgences. It was a scheme promoted in Europe in order to get money from the faithful. It was a pretense, for the scheme was based on giving money, or goods to buy someone out of guilt for their sins. The price was set by the priest visiting the town on behalf of the church to raise this money. There were a number of priests involved in this scheme, which was widespread.

 In Martin Luther’s area of Germany there came a Dominican friar, Tetzel, who was the architect of the plot there to bleed the people dry. Tetzel stated that “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings the soul from purgatory into heaven springs.” Luther opposed him, and had confrontations with him. It later resulted in the writing of the 95 theses, which were nailed to the door. This was not a rare thing. Often the door of the church was an outlet for news and announcements. This batch of information was different, however. First, it was written in Latin. Most of the people could not read Latin. Second, it was strictly church matters, and would not likely interest many outsiders. But because Luther preached on these things, it was spread.

 Somewhat earlier the Lord had been dealing with Martin Luther concerning the life of faith. When he was reading Romans, and came across Romans 1:17, it spoke to him in an urgent and special way. He was especially attracted by the last part of the verse “As it is written, the just shall live by faith.”  It was obvious that God was already dealing with Luther to instruct Him in the truth. He struggled with the truth of this verse. He sought advice from other priests. No one had a satisfactory answer. They all went with the Romanist traditions of interpretation. Luther was not satisfied with this. His struggles with the gospel were already causing interest from the pope. He had sent letters of censure to Luther already, so when he nailed these 95 theses to the door, it caused uproar in Rome. It was the culmination of an ongoing struggle between Martin Luther, and the Catholic Church over reform. Especially so in practice of donations for indulgences. However, there were other deeper issues that revolved around both theological concerns:

• On a theological level, Luther had challenged the absolute authority of the Pope over the Church by maintaining that the doctrine of indulgences, as authorized and taught by the Pope, was wrong.
• Luther maintained that salvation was by faith alone (sola fide) without reference to good works, alms, penance, or the Church's sacraments.
• He had also challenged the authority of the Church by maintaining that all doctrines and dogmata of the Church not found in Scripture should be discarded (sola scriptura).

The turmoil increased over several years, and finally  in 1521, Pope Leo X issued the Papal bull Exsurge Domine ("Arise, O Lord"), outlining 41 purported errors found in Martin Luther's 95 theses, and other writings related to or written by him.  On April 17, 1521 Luther had to appear to answer charges at Worms, a city some 300 miles away from Wittenberg. It was at that time a journey of 15 days. Luther was guaranteed safety for his travel there and back. When Martin Luther appeared before the assembly, Johann Eck, an assistant of the Archbishop of Trier, acted as a spokesman for the emperor, Charles V. Luther was set to explain the meaning of the 95 theses, but Eck demanded that he either affirm or renounce the writings. Luther was very adamant, though polite, and asked for 24 hours to consider it, which was granted to him.

The next day when appearing before Eck, and the others at that hearing, Luther uttered these famous words.  “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures, or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted, and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot, and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen.”

It is interesting that Luther is sometimes also quoted as saying: "Here I stand. I can do no other". Recent scholars consider the evidence for these words to be unreliable, since they were inserted before "May God help me" only in later versions of the speech and not recorded in witness accounts of the proceedings.

The result of the Diet of Worms was that Luther was excommunicated and considered an outlaw. The emperor Charles V stated in the final draft of the Diet of Worms “We want him to apprehended and punished as a notorious heretic.” It also made it a crime for anyone in Germany to give Luther food or shelter. It permitted anyone to kill Luther without legal consequence. He had the guarantee of safe travel, but Luther did not trust in that. Others had been promised safety and were caught and killed.

In God’s providence someone was looking out for Martin Luther. Frederick III, the Elector of Saxony, had him intercepted on his way home by masked horsemen, and escorted to the security of Wartburg Castle at Eisenach. During his stay at Wartburg, which he called “my Patmos”; Luther translated the New Testament from Greek into German, and poured out doctrinal and polemical writings. Luther was protected by God for the purpose God had ordained for him. He wasn’t a perfect man, but he was a vessel of honor, used by the Lord in a mighty way to set forth the Reformation. It was January 18, 1518 when the 95 theses were translated out of Latin into German. It was printed and widely copied, making the controversy the first in history to be aided by the printing press.

So we must remember Reformation Day. Why do you think the devil has been so enthusiastic about Halloween? Surely you must know. The date is so obvious. Satan does not want mankind awakened out of sleep and following Jesus Christ. At all costs he has wanted that door to remain closed. Luther didn’t have all the light, but he had a lot. Those who came after him were given more. We need to work while we still have some light, for night is coming when no man can work. We must preach Christ to the nations. Pray with us about this ministry. It is getting out all over the world. Pray that God will anoint it, and use it to reach sinners. I am amazed at where letters and emails come from. We have only scratched the surface. We can do so much more. You can help us to spread the uncompromised word of God. Will you? Our Sermon Audio work is accomplishing much. I want it to do much more. Do you? God bless you!!

Published by Charles Woodruff- email: oursong2000@yahoo.com