TRUSTING THE LORD - A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

An Imperative for the Mature Christian! Although Christmas is a time we should celebrate and be of good cheer, some facts would like to change our attitude and cause us to be down on life and living...
For instance:

In One (1) Year in the United States...

• 15,241 homicides (murders)
  
  
• Over 950,000 divorces
  
  
• Over 1.2 million children were left in need of care... some abused
  
  
• Over 1.2 million abortions (babies killed) legally (man's law)... certainly not God's.
  53,310,843 since 1973 in the U.S.
  
  
• Local Residents (Coaches, Pastors, Teachers, Family members) Charged With Sexual Misconduct
  
  
• Euthanasia (killing of the old and physically disabled) talked about and performed in some cases (Chuck Colson's Book, How Now Shall We Live."
  
  
• 2000-2010, Many pastors fell to various scandals.
  
  
• 2009, Over 11,773 people were killed by drivers using and abusing alcohol.
  
  

Cop Out: "It is not my fault... it is someone else's problem."

Adam Syndrome: "That woman that you gave me. She gave it to me and I did eat."

Psalm 11:1-3... The world is saying to the righteous... "Flee to the mountains; the world is gathering to gather to make war against those who are righteous."
The general public as a whole is against you... Christian!

David...the Psalmist; the man after God's heart states, "How dare you to tell me to flee to the mountains for safety."

But... what about you?
Think about all the things that have happened to you and your family this year. You feel like the arrows are falling around you... thick and fast...and you feel that you are being used for target practice...

And the question comes up... If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Foundations... there are those that believe... and the news media want you to think that:

• Our society is sinking!
• Our honorable foundations of integrity, honesty, and moral and ethical standards are crumbling.
• Our principles of fairness... like a fair day's pay for a fair day's work... is old fashion and the state owes it to us to take care of us whether we work or not
• Our respect for the sanctity and permanence of marriage and the necessity of a stable family and home is not possible in today's world...

Well... they are wrong!

So... in lieu of statistics and some inevitable facts, the Christian should stay positive with the message of hope and trust!

David said it in Psalm 11:1... I say it... and I want you to say it with some enthusiasm.
"God... I put my trust in you."

New Testament... Faith and Believe are used over and over. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Believe on the Lord and you will be saved.
Important!

In the Old Testament: "Trust" is the common word used for relying and having confidence in a loving, caring and all knowing God.

Used over 150 times in the Old Testament.

Old Testament TRUST... reminds us that there is much more to faith than intellectual assent/revelation.

Real faith trusts what it believes... God said it... therefore, I believe it!

Trusting involves a number of things!

Three (3) different Hebrew words for trust... .

1. "To take refuge in"... "Chacah"... khaw saw
2. "To lean upon"... "batach"... or "aman" meaning "to support." Psalm 9:10 "They that know thy name will put their trust in thee." Learning to lean of God is simply admitting "I can't stand on my own during pressing times... I need to (must) lean on you!"
3. "To roll upon"... or "to rely on"... "Pectho"... to rely on... or to yield (give in and roll my troubles over to the Lord). Psalm 22:5 however, same word: "In you they trusted and were not disappointed."

Who is trusting what?

Psalm 20:7 "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord."
Tanks and Missiles (the armies...and weapons)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and He shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5

Not everyone is worthy of trust!

• Hitler... millions of Jews were slaughtered
• Jim Jones... 100's trusted him and went to their death believing he was worth dying for.
• Some who trust in some preachers' words... die (faith healers who desire recognition).
            But... remember this, "It is appointed to man once to die... but after that the judgment."

I suggest and strongly urge you to:

1. Trust in the Lord who intercedes.
2. Trust in the Lord who reigns.
3. Trust in the Lord who watches.
4. Trust in the Lord who evaluates.

Psalm 11:4 "The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord is on His heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; His eyes examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence His soul hates."

Intercedes - in His holy temple
Reigns - "On His throne in heaven"
Watches - Eyes behold "He observes the sons of men."
Evaluates - eyelids try the children of men "Eyes examine them."

When everything seems to be going wrong... .Remember:

Psalm 11:7 "For the Lord is righteous, He loves justice; upright men will see His face."
One of the many promises in God's Word for the godly: "the godly will see His face."

When you are discouraged...whether it be this Christmas or any day through the year...Christian, take action. "Be doers of the Word and not hearers only"... go into action:

When discouraged:

Call upon the Lord
Hear and Hold on		"To keep on; to continue; to keep one's hold."
Reach out		"To make a stretch in a certain direction"
Imitate		"To try and be like."
Seek		"To hunt, search;"... Hunt for good things that encourage.
Take		"To lay hold of; to seize;"... Capture the truth that Jesus loves you.
Meet		"To come face to face with"...
Anticipate		"To look forward to; expect"... heaven is real.
Stand		"To be put upright on one's feet"... Stand on; Keep one's course.

This Christmas Season...

• Encourage; Don't Discourage.
  
  
• Trust and Obey God's Word with Enthusiasm!