Thus Saith God's Word by Rev. Ted Brooks "Simon Peter answered and said. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Lis mg God." (Matthew 16:16) "He began to curse and swear. I know not this man ofwhomve speak "(Mark 14:71) The ultimate test is used in mans ssays to find out if it really is as good as it claims to be. the ultimate speed of a ear operating from a distance by remote control. So it is with man. He otien fails the test when trials come. There is a danger svhen temptation comes to entice, to do wrong bs promise of pleasure or gain that which is to arouse you to action, to risk the danger. It was Satan who came to Jesus in the ss ilderness to tempt him." And when he had fasted Ions das s and forts nights, he ss as afterward hungered. And when the tempter came to him. Satan said, if thou be the Son of God. command that these stones be made bread. Jesus said unto him. it is ssritten again, thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God." Satan cried out. "If thou be the Son of God. cast thyself down." (Verse 6) Satan on a high exceeding mountain shessetlt him all the kingdom of the svorld and the glory of them. Satan said all these things ss ill I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. (Matthew 4:1-9) Jesus' weapon was the word. "Thu shall not tempt the Lord thy God." In Brother Paul's writing he declared "W here fore let him that lltinketh he stand, take heed lest he fall." (I Corinthians 10:12) My friend, there is a great falling away today. Mans of those who have been in the church as a member, to preach, teach, lead the choir, ordained Deacon, arc now beingtcstcd. Satan has mans on his tread mill to investigate judicially to put to the test the limit of their breaking point. The Devil does this all the time. Look back and see the young person who was single and they were try ing to skate in this world alone. Soon apartner came along and they teamed up and began to skate together. They get married. Soon children come along. Months go by. then years pass on. Then comes a temptation form Satan. You slip and fall. Once you embraced each other, held hands and you secured each otner in every move. The music of life ssas great. All at once, the music stops. Nothing seems to go right any more. Steps were out of place. There on the floor with all eyes on you. you fell flat on your face You are embarrassed. Even worse, your partner skates off and leaves sou flat on your back. Satan slips in and w ill say to the one left standing, go ahead and leave him or her behind. You can skate better by yourself. Jesus had said to Peter earlier. "Peter. Satan has a desire to sift thee." At that time Peter was high on the mountain. The keys to build the church were given to Peter and with a promise from Christ Himself that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." It was here that Peter boasted to follow Christ even unto death and Jesus warned Peter that acock would crow twice in his denial. Peter answered and said. "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God:" He began to curse and to swear. I know not this man of whom ye speak. (Matthew 16:16 and Mark 14:71) Can you not see the contrast? Is it not a startling one. It is at first sight almost inconceivable that these are the words of the same man. and yet we know they are. Peter said. "I know not the man." A cardiologist has what is called a treadmill. Some call it a stress test. This machine has many monitors to connect to the body of a person. This machine will force you to walk at a pace which is above the normal walking pace. The purpose is to reveal the condition of the heart. It is an ultimate test to reveal the true condition of the heart. "Peter, lovest thou me more than these? Peter replied yea. Lord, thou knowestthat I love thee. He said feed my lambs." Three times Jesus confronted Peter with this question: lovest thou me more than these? (John 21:15-17) You see. my friend, after several minutes on a tread mill, when cut off the monitors will do a print out. The result will tell the doctor if you have a problem with your heart. Possibly a blockage, valves closing ofT, hardening of the arteries. God does this in similar matters. God allows us as he did Peter, a test in our lives, not to kill us or harm us or to cause us a heart attack, but to give us a diagnosis concerning the condition of our faith. God did tempt Abraham. Satan wanted Abraham's faith tested and tried to see if he really loved God. Satan had said, " Does Abraham serve God for naught. You bless him with herds, flocks and provided him with a son through a barren wife. You protected him against other kings, even when he was not honest. You asked him for his son and he will curse you to your face." (Genesis : 22:1-18) Satan with a breath of hate saying. "Put him on the tread mill. Give Abraham the ultimate lest Let me have that remote. Let me turn up the speed. Let me has e a less minutes ssith him under extreme pressure " God's purpose for Abraham ssas for Abraham to know that he loved God To know his ovvn truthfulness, his worth and his own sincerity Ms friend. God wants us to want him. " I'hes that hunger and thirst shall be filled." God can bring us to the place that we will call and say. "O God. I need sou and I will not let sou go." Ms friend, there is a modern theology out there which will make you believe if sou listen that God will never allow sou to be in that place Hut I am telling you that according to the Bible God will allow his children to reach a place that they has e no other source. God y ou are my only source, my only way out I've done all I know to do. God I've got to have sou l ook at Jacob He was desperate, leaving his father-in-law home (Hebron) he had taken all his glory and l.aban ssas in hot pursuit and ahead ofhint was Lsau. an angry brother ssith a mind to commit murder and the Bible tell us "And Jacob ssas left alone and there he ssrestlcd svith a man " (Genesis 32:24) first the isolation, the desperation, noss confirmation. Jacob had a plan, a scheme I fall other plans fail, then run. He divided up his family in groups to flee, Jacobs ssas desperate. Lsau had promised to kill him. Noss Jacob has a plan He had some gifts to send Lsau and if that didn't ssork. we all ss ill split up and run and some of us vv ill escape Noss look and see God bring Jacob to a place of desperation, and noss God says to Jacob. I am going to cripple sou. You said that in sour last resort that s ou could run. but I'm taking ass as plan three. I am going to put sou in a position that sou are going to have to depend on me There are those in the church xslio need to be brought to that place that God is sour only source, not the church or a building but God. I tell you svith tender love, if there ever has been an era in the churches of our country that sse need to reach a place and to realize that God is our only source that our only substitute is God. If we ever need God. it's noss As I svrite this message this land, this country is under attack. Mas it help us to realize God is our only source and that we need God today. I tell you sse not only live in a troubled ssorld. but sve have a troubled church. You see. sse are not immune from the troubles of this world. In this world you have tribulation and because of the tribulations of this world it has crept in among the saints and the saints are in trouble and when sou get a troubled saint, sou have got a troubled church and when you get a troubled church sou have got a troubled clergy and when sou have a troubled clergy, you have got trouble. You and I need to pray that we would no longer depend upon the system of the church, that we only iove but bring us to that place that God would be our only source. We need God in our lives. He is our onK source. Preacher, it is not a finance package that you need: it is God. He alone is our subsidence. God knows where you are best at and if it takes desperation, isolation. God will bring you to such a place and to be any where else sou will find that fire that you warmed yourself is a false fire and it w ill not comfort you. Folks, as I write this message this nation of ours is being attacked. We need to pray that God will use this to bring all mankind to a place that God is our only source. (Continued next week.) ; ^ If mm 'l^Z; For free information on how you may qualify I through Medicare or private insurance to receive I | your supplies for any or all of these health | conditions at LlTl UE OR NO COST to you, call j Easy Access Medical Supply, Inc. 1-800-679-1623 Certain restrictions may apply. No HMO's please. Class of '76 Pembroke Senior High School Help us make our next class reunion the best ever. For more information call: "Dollar Bill" Oxendine at 422-8129. 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