WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS WHEN WE ARE HEAVYLADEN AND CUMBERED WITH A LOAD OF CARE
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OUTLINE
1. THE LORD IS BUILDING HIS CHURCH AND THE FORCES OF EVIL CANNOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT
2. THE MOUNTAIN WE FACE WILL BECOME A LEVEL GROUND BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
3. THE PRESENCE OF GOD WITH US WILL MAKE US THE MAJORITY AND THE WINNERS IN OUR BATTLES
4. NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST US WILL PREVAIL AND GOD WILL TURN ALL EVIL INTO GOOD
5. GOD WILL DELIVER US IN AN AMAZING MANNER WHICH MAY LEAVE US IN A DREAMLIKE STATE
6. GOD WILL REWARD THE RIGHTEOUS AND CAUSE US TO EXPERIENCE HIS FAITHFULNESS IN THE END
7. WHEN WE COMMIT OUR CAUSE TO THE LORD , HE WILL ENSURE JUSTICE FOR US AND DESTROY THE PLANS OF THE WICKED
THE MESSAGE
WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS WHEN WE ARE HEAVYLADEN AND CUMBERED WITH A LOAD OF CARE
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1. THE LORD IS BUILDING HIS CHURCH AND THE FORCES OF EVIL CANNOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT
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The Lord builds His church and the forces of hell cannot prevail against it . The devil has tried to destroy the church since its inception on the Day of Pentecost , but has not prevailed because the Lord is building His church. The Lord has given us the keys of the Kingdom and we must use that authority to bind the works of the enemy and loose the blessings of God in our lives. Unused keys cannot benefit us in any way. The Lord will deliver us from the hand of the enemy . He will contend with those who contend with us and save us. The Lord goes before us and opens a way for us . He removes the barriers and hindrances that the enemy may put in our way to prevent our progress.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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MATTHEW 16:18-19
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
ISAIAH 49:24-25
Can plunder be taken from warriors, or captives rescued from the fierce ?
But this is what the LORD says: "Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce; I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save.
MICAH 2:13
One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the LORD at their head."
ISAIAH 45:1-3
"This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
I will go before you and will level the mountains ; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.
I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
2. THE MOUNTAIN WE FACE WILL BECOME A LEVEL GROUND BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
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The Lord will destroy the obstacles facing us by the power of His Holy Spirit . He will make the challenge that looms against us like a mountian into a level ground. We may not have the human might or power against the mountain facing us. But the Lord will cause us to triumph by the power of His Spirit. When David faced Goliath , he did not have the human might or strength that Goliath had. But David came against Goliath in the name of the Lord and triumphed over him.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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ZECHARIAH 4:6-7
So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.
"What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ’God bless it! God bless it!’ "
1 SAMUEL 17:40-50
Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.
Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David.
He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him.
He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
"Come here," he said, "and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"
David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.
All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands."
As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.
Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
3. THE PRESENCE OF GOD WITH US WILL MAKE US THE MAJORITY AND THE WINNERS IN OUR BATTLES
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The Lord is with us when we face the challenges of life and helps us to get the victory. When the Lord is with us , we are the majority because God is greater than the entire humanity put together. Therefore when the Lord is on our side , we are on the winning side even if the whole world is against us. The servant of Elisha learnt this truth when they faced an army against them. The presence of God with us should fill our hearts with faith and confidence and deliver us from fear when we face the enemy.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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2 CHRONICLES 32:7-8
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.
With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.
2 KINGS 6:15-17
When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.
"Don’t be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
ROMANS 8:31-34
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
JEREMIAH 20:11-13
But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten.
O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.
Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.
ISAIAH 41:10-13
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
"All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish.
Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all.
For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
JOSHUA 1:5
No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
HEBREWS 13:5-6
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
DEUTERONOMY 28:7
The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
4. NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST US WILL PREVAIL AND GOD WILL TURN ALL EVIL INTO GOOD
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The Lord is with us and and will cause all the weapons formed against us to fail. We may not be able to prevent weapons from being formed against us as we live in an evil world with wicked people who are filled with hate , jealousy , greed and violence. But the Lord has given us the assurance that He will not allow any of those weapons to prevail. The Lord will turn evil into good and cause all things to work together for good when we love Him and and are called according to His purpose. Therefore all the evil attacks that we face will be turned into blessings in our lives.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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ISAIAH 54:17
no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD.
GENESIS 50:20
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
ROMANS 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
5. GOD WILL DELIVER US IN AN AMAZING MANNER WHICH MAY LEAVE US IN A DREAMLIKE STATE
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The Lord will turn our captivity in an amazing manner . He will deliver us in such an astonishing and unbeleivable manner that it may appear as a dream to us . When we sow in tears , we will reap with joy . When Peter was in prison, the church prayed fervently for him. There is great power in the united power of the church. The Lord sent an angel and delivered Peter from the prison . This deliverance was so amazing that Peter thought that it was a vision. Only later he realised that he was truly delivered.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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PSALM 126:1-6
When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev.
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.
He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.
ACTS 12:5-11
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.
Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him.
Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.
They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating."
6. GOD WILL REWARD THE RIGHTEOUS AND CAUSE US TO EXPERIENCE HIS FAITHFULNESS IN THE END
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The Lord will bless us and reward us for our faithfulness . Sometimes we wonder why bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. The adversity of the righteous and the prosperity of the wicked has troubled and confused us often. But when we remain faithful we will experience the goodness and the faithfulness of God . Job , a righteous man suffered much in his life through the attacks of the devil . But as he remained faithful to God ,ultimately he experienced the double blessing of God in his life.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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JOB 42:2
"I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.
JOB 1:8-12
Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."
"Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied.
"Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.
But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."
The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
JOB 2:3-7
Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason."
"Skin for skin!" Satan replied. "A man will give all he has for his own life.
But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face."
The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life."
So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
JAMES 5:10-11
Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
PSALM 73:3-9
For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.
They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills.
Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.
From their callous hearts comes iniquity ; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.
Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance.
They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?"
This is what the wicked are like— always carefree, they increase in wealth.
Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning.
If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children.
When I tried to understand all this,it was oppressive to me
till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.
How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!
MALACHI 3:13-18
"You have said harsh things against me," says the LORD. "Yet you ask, ’What have we said against you?’
"You have said, ’It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty?
But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.’ "
Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name.
"They will be mine," says the LORD Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him.
And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.
JEREMIAH 12:1-5
You are always righteous, O LORD, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?
You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts.
Yet you know me, O LORD; you see me and test my thoughts about you. Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter!
How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered? Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished. Moreover, the people are saying, "He will not see what happens to us."
"If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?
7. WHEN WE COMMIT OUR CAUSE TO THE LORD , HE WILL ENSURE JUSTICE FOR US AND DESTROY THE PLANS OF THE WICKED
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The Lord will grant justice to us and grant us victory in our battles when we commit our cause to Him . He will perform amazing wonders for us and destroy the crafty plans and devices of the enemy. He empowers us and guides us and leads us in the path of victory over our enemies.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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JOB 5:8-16
"But if it were I, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him.
He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.
He bestows rain on the earth; he sends water upon the countryside.
The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.
He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.
He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away.
Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night.
He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth; he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.
So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.
PSALM 18:32-50
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.
You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.
You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet.
You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.
They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the LORD, but he did not answer.
I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets.
You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations; people I did not know are subject to me.
As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me.
They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.
The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!
He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me,
who saves me from my enemies.You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me.
Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name.
He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.
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