The Sifter: Test & Promotion

THE SIFTER, TEST GO BEFORE PROMOTION.

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)

Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

*TEST: EVALUATION, value, proof, examination, a procedure intended to establish quality, check reliability, to check, to measure skills, measure knowledge, series of questions. The goal of testis SUCCESS.

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

*TRIAL: A SITUATION THAT God sends or allows with the intention of revealing motives, character and commitment.

Test prove strengthen and can bring promotion. Temptations tend to illustrate your weaknesses. I can’t stop birds from flying over, but I can stop them from building nest. (Vannucci)

It appears God tested Israel. It also appears Israel tested God.

GARDEN OF EDEN… GOD HAS A COMMAND NOT A SUGGESTION…

First test in the Bible, God designed a restriction for Adam and Eve to demonstrate LOVE, OBEDIENCE, LOYALITY AND THE ABILITY TO TRUST THE COUPLE. God trusted man , the ENEMY’S GOAL WAS TO FAIL. Satan rages and hates God and God’s creation. The ENEMY appeared as very beautiful, crafty, subtil

Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Deception, deceive? HALF TRUTH IS DEALING IN LIES… The enemy twisted God’s words and tries to make God look mean. THE TEMPTOR CANNOT FORCE EVE… Your choice will have eternal consequences

Genesis 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

EVE, THEN ADAM WHERE IS YOUR TRUST AND FAITH. Will we rely on God? Will we trust the lust of the flesh and kill the power of faith.

WANT TO DISCUSS A HARD TEST: ABRAHAM WAS TESTED 10 TIMES. ABRAHAM’S SUPREME TEST WAS TO LAY HIS ONLY SO ON THE ALTAR…

Genesis 22:6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

OUR ENEMY DESIRES TO TEST AND RUIN YOUR HOPES… THE SIFTER…

Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

THE QUART JAR TEST? THE TRIAL OR TEST MAY SEEM SO SIMPLE, WE MISS THE PURPOSE OF THE TEST…

Exodus 16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

JOB WAS TESTED…

Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

THERE IS A FOUNDATION TEST… FOUNDATION: LOW, LOAD BEARING; UNDERLYING BASIS, REASON.

THE STORMS: RAIN,(FREQUENT, SMALL); FLOOD ( WHERE YOU BUILD) AND THE WIND. (SURVEY DAMAGE AND BUILD AGAIN.

Luke 6:48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.