Finding peace in trials

Here are my Sunday night notes....


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IF YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLES James 1:9-13
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Tonight my message is going to be about......Finding peace during trials.
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LETS READ THE TEXT James 1:9-13
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V.9A “Let the brother of low degree rejoice”
-INSTRUCTIONS TO THE POOR.......TO REJOICE-
(In spite of your poverty
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There is more to life than money!
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V.9B “in that he is exalted:”
-A REASON THE POOR HAVE......TO REJOICE-
(Because you know what’s coming
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Times of exaltation:
Times when the Lord will bless you!
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V.10A “But the rich,”
-AN INSTRUCTION TO THE RICH....TO ALWAYS REJOICE-
(Regardless......of what happens
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Just because you have plenty of money:
Doesn’t mean....that you happy all the time!
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V.10B “in that he is made low:”
-AN UNDERSTANDING.....AS TO WHY THEY SHOULD ALWAYS BE REJOICING-
(By having an eye on eternity
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-AN UNDERSTANDING THAT ENABLES THEM.....TO REJOICE IN TRIALS-
Seeing that this life...is just a launch pad:
To go off into eternity:
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And that’s it’s good......to be humbled here:
In order.....to have more riches there!
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V.10C “because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.”
-A LESSON....THAT BEING HUMBLED....TEACHES US-
(That life is more...than the things we have
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And “everything” here...will be burned up:
One of these days!
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V.11A “For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass,”
-EVEN MORE LIGHT.....ON SOME PREVIOUS PASSAGES-
(Isaiah 40:8 & 1 Peter 1:24,25
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This is a Biblical principle.....that is being established:
Teaching us.....to see the things of this life:
In a new light!
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Everything in this life....is “temporary”.
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V.11B “and the flower thereof falleth,”
-BEING REMINDED OF THE TRUTH...........ABOUT THIS WORLDS RICHES-
(They are fleeting
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And should not be depended upon...at all!
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V.11C “and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth:”
-NO AMOUNT OF “GLORY”.......CAN PROTECT US FROM FALLING-
(The richest man in the world
Can get cancer and die!
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So all of us...should be keeping our eyes on eternity!
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V.11D “so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.”
-THE GREATEST LESSON.....THE RICH CAN LEARN-
(That all the money in the world......can’t save you
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Qt. Mark 8:36 “For what shall it profit”
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Although there is nothing sinful....about being rich:
The riches of this world....can become a trap!
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V.12A “Blessed [is] the man that endureth temptation:”
-THE WONDERFUL BLESSING...OF ENDURING LIFE’S TESTS-
(By staying faithful........to the end
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Those who “get mad” or “give up”:
Will miss out.....on a great blessing!
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V.12B “for when he is tried,”
-A REALIZATION......THAT CAN HELP US ENDURE-
(That God....has a plan for us
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And that everything that happens to us:
Is for a “good” purpose:
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Qt. Romans 8:28 “And we know....”
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V.12C “he shall receive the crown of life,”
-A “SPECIAL” REWARD....TO THOSE WHO ARE FAITHFUL-
(“The crown of life”
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A crown......that we will have in eternity!
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V.12D “which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
-THE SPECIAL QUALITY.....OF THESE CROWNS-
(A handful of them.....are mentioned in Scripture
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And these are special.....
Because these are rewards that...can never be taken away:
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-THE SAD TRUTH.....ABOUT ALL OF OUR “OTHER REWARDS”-
Those rewards for good works....we are putting in heaven:
Can be gone in a second...if we backslide from the LORD:
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Remember: Ezekiel 3:20 & 1Corinthians 9:27 & 1Corinthians 3:15
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V.13A “Let no man say when he is tempted,”
-A WHOLE DIFFERENT CATEGORY OF TROUBLE.........ALTOGETHER-
(Being tempted.....to sin
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The LORD “will”......allow us to be tested by trials:
But He will “never”...tempt us to sin!
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V.13B “I am tempted of God:”
-THE CLASSIC EXCUSE.....PEOPLE USE FOR THEIR SIN-
(They blame God....in one way or another
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Just as Adam & Even did in the garden!
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V.13C “for God cannot be tempted with evil,”
-SOMETHING....THAT WE “CAN NOT” WRAP OUR HEADS AROUND-
(That God.....can’t even be tempted to sin
The Lord is so far above us...we can’t even grasp this:
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Even though Jesus was “tempted like as we are”
Hebrews 4:15
He was never...“tempted with evil”
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Like I said...this is hard to wrap our heads around!
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V.13D “neither tempteth he any man:”
-GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS & MERCY.....IS BOTTOMLESS-
(He is so far above us...in every area
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It’s going to take an eternity....to even start....to get to know Him!
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