04/18/2014 – HIllcrest Bible Church

Always remember that the kingdom accomplished by Christ on the cross will one day be established by Christ with the crown.

Human history ends with the final triumph of God through Jesus Christ.

He will reign forever as the Savior-King. Always bear this in mind, because the present time is characterized by struggle. We are God’s messengers calling sinners to enter into the kingdom by the gospel of Christ. All must be born again to see and enter the kingdom of God. The apostle Paul was one of the first messengers, and sometimes he stood alone. When writing to Timothy, he lamented, “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me” (2 Timothy 4:16a). The messenger of the king stands alone? Everyone abandoned him?

It seems so bleak, and yet, Paul did not blame anyone.

He continued, “May it not be charged against them” (2 Timothy 4:16b). He was not calling for justice against those who let him stand alone. Instead, he observed a more important truth. “But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear” (2 Timothy 4:17a). He was rejoicing in the faithful presence of the Lord empowering him to preach the gospel. And, the deliverance was amazing. “And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion” (2 Timothy 4:17b). No one stood with him; no one saved him; no one, but the Lord! And this mighty deliverance greatly encouraged Paul’s heart to expect further victories in the future. “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen” (2 Timothy 4:18).

The absence of human support caused Paul to rely fully on the Lord.

It is the Lord’s presence and power that enables us to minister in a world of darkness. Our hope is not in man. Our hope is only in the Lord who empowers His message and protects his messengers. Every messenger of the Lord from the apostles to the present has been safely delivered into the kingdom of heaven. No one has been lost. All have been delivered. The work of the ministry continues today with each one of us.

May the words of Paul be a great encouragement to our hearts as we boldly proclaim the gospel of Christ.

-Gary W. Custis

It would be nice if Christians never experienced pain – and always enjoyed blessing.

Some people like to present the gospel with this promise of blessing, but it is a false hope.

Scripture never promises Christians a problem free existence in this life. We look forward to such a time when we are glorified, in the presence of Christ, and living in the New Heavens and the New Earth. One day God will wipe away every tear, but for now, Christians encounter suffering. Why?

Why do we suffer?

The simple answer to that question points to the eternal plan of our loving Heavenly Father. He has chosen this way to reveal all His attributes for His eternal glory. Against the backdrop of pain and suffering, God reveals Himself in all His glory. It is in the context of suffering that God displays the fullness of His attributes. In the darkness, God shines the light of His truth. This strategy forever emphasizes the glory of the light in the contrast with total darkness. But, in this eternal plan, God does not abandon us. In the face of suffering, we see Him. We see His love, His mercy, His grace, His faithfulness, and His eternal power. We see all these perfections of God and more! We see the light in the dark, but the darkness never prevails.

God always wins by allowing us to see His glory.

We see Him in the face of our trials – in spite of our trials. We see Him and praise His holy name. The Apostle Paul was humbled by God with a serious affliction. He prayed for deliverance, but the Lord revealed Himself in a different way. The Lord announced, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). It was the Lord’s purpose for Paul to experience the power of God in the context of his personal weakness. In his darkness, Paul saw the light of God’s provision meeting His needs. God could have shown His power by removing the thorn in the flesh. This too would have been a wonderful provision. Instead, the Lord wanted Paul to experience His power so he could say with conviction, “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (12:9) – and “when I am weak, then I am strong” (12:10).

The Christian life is not problem free, but it is designed for us to see God and rejoice only in Him.