LET US LOOK AT TESTING!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
James says Count it all JOY when you have many tests.
Exodus 16:4 Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go and gather a certain rate every day, THAT I MAY PROVE THEM, whether they will walk in My Law, or not.
Exodus 16: 8 Your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord.
Exodus 16:8 .... for the LORD hears YOUR MURMURINGS WHICH YOU MURMUR AGAINST HIM: and what are we? Your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord.
We hear a growing cry from within the church that if I give, if I pray right, if I love right I will be exempt from the testing processes
of life.
In my opinion this teaching exemption from testing is foolish and dangerous.
All the great people and small people of the Bible have know test.
Great test, make great testimonies.
We need to define testing?
Critical examination --- evaluation --- trial --- temptation --- statement that leads to proof or disproof --- value ---
a series of questions or exercises for measuring skills, intelligence, capacities, aptitudes
to apply a means of analysis or diagnoses.
I had a student while I was a school teacher that learned to love the test.
Once he asked to take a test early, I asked WHY?
He said, I want to prove I have studied and finished my work.
We learn to dread the test and the student process.
This is so sad, you will be tested like it or not.
Being a student is part of the journey and we must learn to love the journey,
not just the destination.
HOW SMART WOULD WE BE TO:
A. Expect tests.
B. PREPARE for testing.
C. Thrive during the testing process.
D. Learn while in the test and apply the lesson to growth.
Let us study some of the test of the Bible.
1. A TEST OF FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS.
Exodus 16:4 Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven
for you; and the people shall go and gather a certain rate every day, THAT I MAY PROVE THEM, whether they will walk in My Law, or not.
The simple test was gather an omer, about a quart, of bread daily.
An omer will be enough. If they gather more than an omer worms would invest the
manna.
Who wants the protein of worms if their food?
Many will fail the testing of following directions.
Why can’t I do what I want to do?
I don’t like your rules?
2. THE TESTING OF AUTHORITY.
Exodus 16: 8 Your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord.
People don’t seem to realize the danger of undercutting authority.
Moses is just a man like us?
Exodus 16:20 Not with standing they hearkened not unto Moses, ---
and the manna stank by morning.
3. THE TESTING OF MURMURING.
Many people fail to see the weight and potential sin that can follow those
that grumble and complain all the time.
Exodus 16:8 .... for the LORD hears YOUR MURMURINGS WHICH YOU MURMUR AGAINST HIM: and what are we? Your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord.
4. THE TEST OF REMEMBERING
Exodus 16:33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it to be kept for generation
34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the TESTIMONY, to be kept.
God keeps records of how we handle the testing process.
We need to remember where we have been, where we are, and where we need to be.
5. TEST OF DISTANCE.
You determine the distance at which you walk with or from the Lord.
Exodus 20:20 Moses said to the people, DO NOT BE AFRAID.
GOD HAS COME TO TEST YOU. So that the fear of the Lord will be with you
to keep you from sinning.
21. And the people stood afar off and Moses drew near where God was.
Remember when Peter warmed by the fires some distance away from Jesus.
I was having to discipline a young boy when I was a school teacher.
He kept standing very close to me.
I would move him away, and he would move close to me.
I said, Joe, what are you doing?
He said, Mr. Hughes, I have found the closer I stand to the teacher, the less the punishment hurts.
I said, Joe, go to the room and tell your teacher I have taken care of it.
Have you found the closer to our Father you are, the less the world hurts?
James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.
Don’t stand away from God.
Come unto Him.
6. THE TEST OF THE FURNACE.
Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined you, but not with silver, I have chosen you
in the furnace of affliction.
Some say the three Hebrew children never had anything burn.
This is wrong.
While they came out without the smell of smoke, something did burn.
The ropes that had them bound were burned and destroyed.
The fiery test will grow us to be like Jesus.
7. THE TROUBLED HEART TEST.
We are worried and troubled about many things.
Is what you are troubled about, what God is troubled about?
John 14: 1 Let not your heart be troubled...
This is an imperative command, this is an order from the heart of God,
Don’t worry and be stressed out.
Trust God.
8.THE TEST OF THE DESERT.
Deut. 8:2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these 40 years...
TO HUMBLE YOU and TO TEST YOU in order to KNOW WHAT WAS IN YOUR HEART, whether or not you would keep the commandments.
9. TEST OF JUDGING OTHERS OR EXAMINE SELF.
Why would you want to do surgery on the splinter I have when you have a 2x4 in your eye?
2 Cor. 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith: Prove your own self!
10. THE TEST OF BUILDING MATERIALS.
! Cor. 3 warns us that the fire is coming...
Some build with wood, hay, stubble --- the fire will destroy.
Others will build out of gold, silver, and precious stones.
What are you building in your daily walk and talk?
11. TEST OF LOVE.
Many say one thing, yet their daily walk is different.
You only love God as much as you love the person you love the least!
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we LOVE the BRETHREN.
1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God.
12. WE LOVE THE COMMANDMENTS AND KNOW THEY ARE NOT GRIEVOUS
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God,
that we keep His Commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.
Here are several other pivotal testing points.
13. GIVING
14. How we spend our time?
15. Attitude determines your altitude.
16. Creative use of Conflict, what do you do in a crisis?
17. Faithfulness --- consistency
18. Anger is one letter from danger.
Keep your temper, no one wants it!
His servant,
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
