The 6 Trials Of Jesus

THE 6 TRIALS OF JESUS

Ever hear of double jeopardy?  It is defined as "the act of putting a person through a second trial for an offense for which he or she has already been prosecuted or convicted."  Ever hear of sextuple jeopardy, or the act of putting someone through 6 trials for which they have already been prosecuted?  Outlandish, you say?  It happened to Jesus!  That's right!  He went through 3 civil Roman trials and was found not guilty, and 3 religious Jewish trials, and was convicted!  Let's find these trials in the bible, and then you can see what I'm talking about!  We'll start with the first three, the Jewish trials, and then we'll look at the last three, which were Roman trials, and see what happened...

The first trial is found in John 18:12 - 14; "Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound Him, and led Him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.  Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people."  So Annas was Jesus' first judge, and his decision was death to Jesus.

The second trial is found in Matt. 26:57 - 68; "And they that had laid hold on Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.  But Peter followed Him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.  Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put Him to death; but found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none.  The last came two false witnesses, and said, 'This fellow said, "I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days."  And the high priest arose, and said unto Him, 'Answerest Thou nothing?  What is it which these witness against Thee?'  But Jesus held His peace.  And the high priest answered and said unto Him, 'I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son of God.'  Jesus saith unto him, 'Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.'  Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, 'He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses?  Behold, now ye have heard His blasphemy.  What think ye?'  They answered and said, 'He is guilty of death.'  Then did they spit in His face, and buffeted Him; and others smote Him with the palms of their hands, saying, 'Prophesy unto us, Thou Christ, Who is he that smote Thee?'"  I see a legal problem in most legal systems here today compared to then; notice the father-in-law judge sent Jesus to the son-in-law judge?  Bad enough the judgeships are in the family here, but to send the same prisoner to both judges for verdict, surely this would've been thrown out of most court systems that exist today!  Okay, in this trial, Jesus is charged with blasphemy, and yet, Jesus has 4 more trials to go!  Let's look at the next one...

Matt. 27:1 - 2 has Jesus this 3rd time in front of the Sanhedrin as His judge; "When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death: And when they had bound Him, they led Him away, and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor."  At this point, the decision was to make the death sentence legal, but Jesus yet had 3 more trials to endure!
Now begins Jesus' first civil trial, and His judge is Pilate; this trial takes place in John 18:28 - 38.  "Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.  Pilate then went out unto them, and said, 'What accusation bring ye against this man?'  They answered and said unto him, 'If He were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered Him up unto thee.'  Then said Pilate unto them, 'Take ye Him, and judge Him according to your law.'  The Jews therefore said unto him, 'It is not lawful for us to put any man to death: That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which He spake, signifying what death He should die.  Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto Him, 'Art thou the King of the Jews?'  Jesus answered him, 'Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of Me?'  Pilate answered, 'Am I a Jew?  Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered Thee unto me: what hast Thou done?'  Jesus answered, 'My kingdom is not of this world: if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is My kingdom not from hence.'  Pilate therefore said unto Him, 'Art Thou a king then?'  Jesus answered, 'Thou sayest that I am a king.  To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.  Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice.'  Pilate saith unto Him, 'What is truth?'  And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, 'I find in him no fault at all.'"  What irony that His own people should condemn Him, but the heathen ruling nation find Him innocent!  On hearing that Jesus was a Galilean, he then sent Jesus to Herod for His 5th trial!

"When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean.  And as soon as he knew that He belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.  And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see Him of a long season, because he had heard many things of Him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by Him.  Then he questioned with Him in many words; but He answered him nothing.  And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.  And Herod with his men of war set Him at nought, and mocked Him, and arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him again to Pilate.  And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves." (Luke 23:6 - 12)  Initially, Herod and Pilate didn't get along; no love lost between the two, personality clash...all covered over because Pilate gave Herod the opportunity to see the King of the Jews he had heard of so much.  Nevertheless, Herod had no guilty verdict for Jesus, either.  He just had his fun of Him and sent Him back to Pilate!

Once again in Pilate's hands, Jesus was once again found not guilty, but Pilate felt forced to turn Jesus over to the Jews for crucifixion in John 18:39 - 19:6.  "'But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?'  Then cried they all again, saying, 'Not this man, but Barabbas.'  Now Barabbas was a robber.  Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged Him.  And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe, and said, 'Hail, King of the Jews!'  And they smote Him with their hands.  Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, 'Behold, I bring Him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in Him.'  Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe.  And Pilate saith unto them, 'Behold the man!'  When the chief priests therefore and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, 'Crucify Him, crucify Him.'  Pilate saith unto them, 'Take ye Him, and crucify Him: for I find no fault in Him."

And so ended the 6th and final trial of Jesus; He endured 6 judges and their judgments, and one of those judges He was subjected to twice, and twice Pilate found no guilt in Him!  Sadly, the Jews of that day indeed took Him up to Calvary and had Him crucified, but for us, it was a great day!  You see, if He had not gone to the cross on His mission from the Father, we would not have a perfect sacrifice for our sins!  Today we have as a result of His sextuple jeopardy and condemnation by the Jews a covering of all our sins in His precious blood shed on the cross!  For His sacrifice of His life we have salvation through no other name under heaven!  "This is the Stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the Head of the corner.  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:11 - 12)  Though it took 6 trials for Jesus, He endured all that and so much more that we should believe in Him and be free of condemnation!  "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Rom. 8:1)

BLESSINGS

BLESSINGS

Blessings come in so many ways, and for so many reasons can a person be blessed, throughout the bible are so many.  One interesting blessing is made by Jacob upon his son Joseph.  "Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: the blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren." (Gen. 49:25 - 26)  Eloquent, yes?

Then there are the blessings promised to Israel for obedience; "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: and all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.  Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.  Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.  Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.  Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.  The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.  The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and He shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.  The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto Himself, as He hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in His ways.  And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.  And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.  The LORD shall open unto thee His good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in His season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.  And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: and thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them." (Deut. 28:1-14)  How thoughtful God is in illustrating the many ways He can bless anyone!  And Joshua read this and more before the people so that they wouldn't forget either!  "And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law." (Josh. 8:34)  It's too bad we as a nation are so divided among the believers and unbelievers, that we do not strive for these promised blessings as of one accord!
David rejoiced in blessings of goodness in Psa. 21:3; "For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head."  Prov. 10:6 tells who shall receive blessings as well; "Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked."  So if we practice being just, blessings can be expected, and why wouldn't we rejoice as David did?

Ah, the many ways to acquire blessings!  Prov. 28:20 says; "A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent."  When we work faithfully at eventually acquiring wealth, we will abound with blessings, for we acquire it honestly.  But those who acquire wealth hastily generally do so through dishonest dealings, and so is the meaning of this proverb.

Consider the blessing of Abram (Abraham); "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Gen. 12:2 - 3)  How deep is this blessing?  God blesses Abram temporally, spiritually, and with a fame that has been passed down through the ages, has He not?  This passage is also a Messianic prophecy, because all believers, Jew and Gentile, are blessed by the salvation available to us in Abraham's seed, Christ Jesus!

"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.'" (Gen. 1:27 - 28)  So another of God's blessings is our fertility, those of us who are.

Can you imagine blessings as of a shower?  Consider this passage; "And I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing." (Ezek. 34:26)  Now this is a future prophecy, but indeed, those named in it will be literally showered with blessings, according to this Scripture.

Did you know that blessings should not be expected to automatically follow someone's repentance of sinfulness?  So it is written!  Joel called Israel to a repentance that comes from the heart, that peradventure the Lord might be willing in His time to return to blessing them..."Therefore also now", saith the LORD, 'Turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.  Who knoweth if He will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind Him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?'" (Joel 2:12 - 14)

Want a BIG blessing?  Malachi talked about blessings, and how the use of what money one possessed being as a scale of spirituality.  His Scripture on tithing and offerings was a precursor to the New Testament law of reciprocity; "Will a man rob God?  Yet ye have robbed Me.  But ye say, 'Wherein have we robbed Thee?'  'In tithes and offerings.  Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation.  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith', saith the LORD of hosts, 'If I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.'" (Mal. 3:8 - 10)

And that law of reciprocity I spoke of?  With the same measure of blessings you give unto others, so it will be meted unto you.  "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.  For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:38)  See if this isn't a call to generosity!  Kindness given breeds kindness received!  Goodness generously applied deems goodness generously received!

Jesus Himself named 8 ways to be blessed when He spoke the sermon on the mount.  "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake.  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." (Matt. 5:3 - 12)

"And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me." (Matt. 11:6)  Verily I tell you, fewer and fewer people are collecting this blessing, as time marches on.  As wickedness and hate cover the earth, and goodness and righteousness are beaten down and suppressed, that they might be fearless in the pleasures they find in their own eyes, we are fewer who receive this blessing.  I've mailed Christmas post cards to the Philippines, and it disappears as soon as it gets there.  I mailed three there last year, and not one made it.  Someone in the post office there obviously doesn't deserve their paycheck!  They don't even have love or peace in their heart to deliver a Christmas post card!  Don't misunderstand me, there are many Filipinos who DO possess His love and are not offended in Him, I would like to think many of them would be reading this as you do.  What a beautiful demonstration of love and faith many of them demonstrate during resurrection Sunday when they carry a cross and go through most of the passion HE did to show their love for Him!  According to Jesus' words here, blessed are those Filipinos, because they have demonstrated not offense, but so much love, they would emulate His passion during His work with the cross!

Know how Christians nowadays pray for a blessing on their food before they eat it?  You know who did that before we did, right?  "And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, He blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude." (Matt. 14:19)  That's right!  Jesus gave us example that we should pray for a blessing on our food when we eat!  At the last supper, too, He gave us ensample; "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.'" (Matt. 26:26)  God also commanded we pray after we eat, and bless the Lord!  "When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which He hath given thee." (Deut. 8:10)

Jesus also said that a person can be blessed simply for believing; "Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (John 20:29)  So each one of us who have not seen, yet believe in Him, are blessed, so He has spoken, and we know that God cannot lie!  Think not this promise is only for the Jews, for it is written it is for the Gentiles, called 'heathen' in this text, as well; "And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, 'In thee shall all nations be blessed.'  So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." (Gal. 3:8 - 9)

Would you believe you can be blessed for patience?  Does not temptation try patience?  "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him." (James 1:12)

So here we have many ways to receive blessings from God; the most important is believing in His Son, Christ Jesus, that we may get the crown of everlasting life, but we may also get them for tithing and generosity, for having faith, obeying Him, for being just, when you repent from sinfulness, when you're unashamed to claim Christ and be His witness, and those who are in the condition Christ spoke of in His sermon on the mount!  Collect as many as you will, for those you don't receive here, you receive in heaven, and they cannot rust, nor be destroyed by moths, nor be stolen by thieves!

Blessed Assurance

BLESSED ASSURANCE

My wife and I have a number of friends who have debated us that we cannot know if we are going to heaven or not.  I remember one I cornered in our kitchen and took her down Roman's road, and all she could answer was that I should be a preacher.  Well, yeah, I was preaching, all right...to HER!  Sometimes trying to get people in an unsaved status to understand God's plan of salvation for them is so hard, because as we know, the devil is trying to keep his thumbs plugging up their eyes, so that they won't see.  "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." (2 Cor. 4:3 - 5)  So let's see where all we can find blessed assurance that Jesus is our Savior, and that by our belief in Him, we are definitely going to heaven.  I find these assurances in 5 different books of the bible!

1. Matt. 24:29 - 35; "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.  Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away."  Does anyone doubt the words of Jesus Christ Himself?  His angels will gather us who believe in Him from all over the earth, and we have His promise of that!  Okay, let's visit the next reference...

2a. John 5:24; "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."  Here is a second instance where Jesus Himself has said it, that believing on Him is promised everlasting life.  But wait!  The Gospel of John has more...

2b. John 6:37; "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out."  Here is the guarantee from Jesus that if you come to Him, believing on Him, He will guaranteed not cast you out of heaven.  Three times He has guaranteed us believers security, and there's yet more!

2c. John 10:27 - 30; "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.  My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand.  I and my Father are one."  Now this statement is loaded!  There is some meaning with meat here!  Not only are we believers guaranteed eternal life, but we are also guaranteed that the devil, nor any false teacher, nor any power is able to take us out of His hand.  After all, since God is the creator, who is stronger than He, that they might be able to take us out of His hand?  Additionally, He is saying that He and His Father are one God.  This shoots a big hole in the false doctrine out there that claims there are three Gods, and that the Trinity are separate entities.  Here Jesus asserts that they are not!

2d. John 14:1-3; "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."  What a beautiful statement this is for the believer!  He will give us a mansion in heaven, and we will be with Him there!

2e. John 20:30 - 31; "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name."  John had selected only 7 of the many miracles Jesus did that he felt were so outstanding, that whosoever read of them which he had written would believe in Him, and thus be saved.  See now how I have 6 selections from Scripture assuring salvation, and I still have 3 more books to witness more of biblical assurance!

3. Rom. 8:16, 31 - 33, 35 - 39; "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:"  "If God be for us, who can be against us?  He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth."  "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written, 'For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.'  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  These things Paul said to give assurance to his Roman audience that Christ's believers are indeed children of God, that God has justified His elect to wit that nobody can lay any charge against us, because Jesus paid it all at the cross.  The last piece of this Scripture from Romans is Paul's affirmation that absolutely nothing in existence can separate Jesus' sheep from God's love, and really, it simply is a reaffirmation of what Christ said in 2c. in the paragraph above!  And Paul isn't done yet, I have one more selection of Scripture that he wrote that I would like to put to all...

4. Heb. 13:5; "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, 'I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.'"  Cause your human logic to reason this, that if Jesus will not leave us, nor forsake us, and He reigns eternally in heaven, then as He is with us, so we are with Him, and there in heaven, as is promised?  I have one last piece of Scripture for our assurance, the fifth book of the New Testament that I said I would submit.

5. 1 John 5:11 - 13; "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."  This last Scripture from the apostle Jesus loved affirms that all who believe on the name of the Son of God are saved and have eternal life.  This is the last I will put forth in this study, but by no means are these the only parts of Scripture wherein we can find blessed assurance!  If ever anyone wants to debate you about how sure you are in going to heaven just because you believe in Christ Jesus, you have all this Scripture I have put forth with which to base your argument.  After all, who is going to call Jesus a liar, except an unbeliever?

Be Confident In God's Plan!

BE CONFIDENT IN GOD'S PLAN!

Who all knows that God has a plan?  Who all knows that His plan is beneficial to all who believe on Him?  Who all trusts God's plan, and knows why they should trust it?  Seasoned Christians know of God's plan, and know they have reasons to trust Him, but how many of them can witness of it to the unsaved?  Some of them will have these questions, and we as the believers need to be ready to answer at a moment's notice!  "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." (2 Tim. 4:2)

First of all, we need use Scripture to fortify all our speaking, for if we speak without a foundation, our speech is as a wall with no foundation, that can be pushed over with a little force.  "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

God's love is perfectly faithful to man, and thus His love and also His wisdom is superior to man's, profitable to salvation, extrememly abundant in blessings of joy and fertility.  "Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.  'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways', saith the LORD.  'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.  For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.  Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.'" (Isa. 55:6 - 13)

Give thanks to God, for He is sovereign and great over all the nations, and national pride is vanity and for naught.  "Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, He taketh up the isles as a very little thing.  And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.  All nations before Him are as nothing; and they are counted to Him less than nothing, and vanity." (Isa. 40:15 - 17)  What ruler is there that is great?  Or what judge is there that is formidable?  God governs the world! He can lift rulers or judges, or smash them like bugs and uproot them as weeds!  "It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.  Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and He shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble." (Isa. 40:22 - 24)  The ruler of any land is either a blessing or a punishment upon the people of it!

God's will is perfect, and He provides for the needs of His people with it.  What obedient nation has God left unprotected?  Even when His people have strayed so far, with His punishment that they should remember Him, so comes His healing hand; when they repent, He heals their land, and returns them unto it!  "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chron. 7:14)  Remember, though, that God will not be with those people who are against Him, even if they are called by His name!  Remember the lessons of the book of Judges.  God provides for the needs of His people; "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.  I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.  I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it." (Isa. 41:17 - 20)

Who knows how the will of God is accomplished?  From the very beginning, it was spoken from the mouth of God!  "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isa. 55:10 - 11)  "And God said, 'Let there be light': and there was light."  (Gen. 1:3) "And God said, 'Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.'" (Gen. 1:6)  "And God said, 'Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear': and it was so." (Gen. 1:9)  You get the picture; God speaks, and His will is accomplished!

But look, we have been sinful, even wicked.  I have, you have, and come to think of it, who is there who has not been?  Who are we to hope that God's will be done for our benefit?  His plan is perfect; His will is faithful, even unto us who have sinned against Him!  "Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." (Isa. 55:6 - 7)  This is wonderful news to the sinner, but the unbeliever may ask, "Well, how do I know He's around to listen?"  We have this promise: "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, 'I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.'" (Heb. 13:5)

Praise God for His plan and for His wisdom, for man's wisdom is utterly foolish compared to God's!  "Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb,  'I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by Myself; that frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; that confirmeth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, "Thou shalt be inhabited"; and to the cities of Judah, "Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof": That saith to the deep, "Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers": That saith of Cyrus, "He is My shepherd, and shall perform all My pleasure": even saying to Jerusalem, "Thou shalt be built"; and to the temple, "Thy foundation shall be laid."'" (Isa. 44:24 - 28)

One thing is for our confidence, that we should believe in Him, and come to Him, and repent of anything we have done out of His will and out of His commandments and statutes, and that is that He is faithful and forgiving and merciful.  "It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." (Lam. 3:22 - 23)  Paul made a statement to make great the confidence of the Romans, and it should be a great confidence to us, too; "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written, For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 8:35 - 39)