"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WORRY"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WORRY"

Phl 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Phl 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. Paul is dealing with the issue of "Worry" And, he is going to tell us how to deal with it, giving us very explicit detail, along with a great promise from God, that if we will deal with "Worry" the way God's wants us to, there will be a tremendous blessing coming into our lives.

3. Let's break this down bit by bit.

(1) First of all, we are told to simply, "Be anxious for nothing" Or don't worry about anything. Anxious here, means, to worry,
also, translated, take thought, have care, to be troubled with cares, to look out for a thing. Essentially, it means, to worry.
The dictionary says, to give way to anxiety or unease, to allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles,

(2) Secondly, and this is so helpful, here's what Php 4:6b says, "but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;" So, the Lord does not just say, don't worry, but He gives us direction as to what action we can take when instead of worrying. In everything we are to pray. So, instead of worrying about anything, in everything pray. And, we are given some specific things to do when we pray.

(3) Thirdly, here's the detail about prayer. It's prayer, supplication, with thanksgiving. These three things. To pray, simply means, to talk to God, to have "conversation" with God. Supplication, means to converse with God, and where we express our needs to Him. In this case, one of the needs we express would be the situation we are worrying about. And, then, there is "Thanksgiving" Now, this is very important. This is when we move away from what we are asking God to do, and focusing on what God has done, and thanking Him for it. It's kind of like the old song which says, "Count Your Blessings One By One" Name, them, tell God You are thankful for what He has done, For, He has done so much.

(4) Fourthly, we are to "let your requests be made known to God;" This is where we take the things that we are asking God to do, and make them known to Him. We are to express those things that we want, or need to Him. Can I let you in, on a little secret? He already knows what you have need of before you ask Him. Here's what Jesus said, Matt 6:8b " For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him." He knows what you are telling Him. And, He knew it long before you even knew what you were going to talk to Him about. You might say, "Why pray if He already knows?" Good question, and there are some simple answers to it. 1. God has instructed us to pray. 2. Prayer is effective. 3. Prayer brings our will into line with His 4. God not only hears prayer, but He answers prayer. 5. There are way to many other reasons to list here.

(5) Fifthly, here's what God promises will happen if we follow the instruction given to us above. Phl 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Another version, the NLT says it this way. "If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

We will experience God's peace, which is more then we can even comprehend, And, God's peace will guard our hearts and minds as we live in Christ Jesus. It's the ultimate exchange program. We choose not to worry, We choose to pray, and, we choose to let God know what we are requesting, and He promises to give us peace. Which would a person want, worry, or peace?. Of course, it's peace.

A prayer:

Father, these two verses are packed with comfort for us. And, these verses are filled with almost a step by step process You call us to follow, and there is this wonderful promise that You make. So, today, may we just pause for a moment or two, and think about what we may be worrying about, and stop worrying, and then turn to You in prayer, along with thanksgiving, and let our requests be made known to You, and then standby, as You give us Your peace, which will guard, or keep our hearts and minds in Your son Jesus Christ. Thank You Lord for this very, very helpful prescription approved not by the FDA, but, given directly from The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Help us Lord to be doers, not just hearers of Your Word. In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR HURTING MARRIAGES"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR HURTING MARRIAGES"

1st Peter 3:7. Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

Some explanatory thoughts, application and a prayer:

1. Peter is clearly teaching us here about husbands and wives. It's a great, and helpful blessing from the Lord that we do have His Word on almost any area of our lives that need encouragement and guidance, and this one simple verse really provides that. It's directed towards the husband, and it explains to a very large degree how he is to live with his wife, in such a way that He is pleasing God, and investing in his marriage to make it the way it ought to be.

2. So, let's break this down into it's very obvious parts, and understand what they mean, and how they apply.

(1) Husbands are to dwell with their wives with understanding. Now, what does this mean? Knowledge comes from a word that means, to appreciate, be aware, become learned, conscious, to know about, realize, not be unaware. Having moral wisdom, that is seen in right living, is another way the word is used.  Simply put treat her with understanding. The dictionary, defines understanding as comprehension, to perceive, be aware.  A man needs to know his wife's life, her needs, her wishes, etc.

(2) The next thing a husband is to do, along with being aware of his wife, understanding her needs, is as Peter says, "giving honor to the wife as the weaker vessel" So, there are two things here, giving honor to her, and then this phrase, "the weaker vessel" To give honor, means, that just in the same way a wife is expected to give honor to her husband, the husband is to give honor to his wife.

Honor means, price, precious, valuing, deference, and reverence. It seems to me that husbands have a tendency to just blow right by their wives, but what's being said here, is to slow down, stop, think, and then give real attention to your wife, she is precious, defer to her, and be very respectful to her. This will bring great appreciation towards you, from her.

The weaker vessel expression, is referencing the simple and basic physical differences between a man and his wife. Men are made by God to be stronger physically, and women are made by God not to be as strong physically. Therefore, a man who is dwelling with his wife with understanding, needs to be aware of her physical limitations if you will, and then make sure that he is responding to that reality, and doing whatever it takes to treat her with respect and help.

(3) Lastly, here's what Peter says, "and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered."
God wants the husband to know that he and his wife are heirs together of the grace of life. ( now there is an assumption here that both the husband and the wife are saved ) in which case, both have become adopted into God's family and stand in the grace of God, and have access to His wonderful grace. You both are God's children. You are not only married, but are also both members of God's family. You are in a very real sense, a brother and sister in Christ.

You're both Christians. But, here's the very important point, and it's right at the end of the verse, "that your prayers may not be hindered." Now, this could mean, that if the husband treats his wife the way that he ought to his prayers won't be hindered, or frustrated, or cut off, and not effective, or it could mean, that it's hard for a husband and wife to pray together if the husband is not treating his wife the way that he should. She will not really want to pray with him, and in that sense, the prayers are frustrated.

3. One man, once said something like this. "Men, do not treat your wife like she is an A&W Root Beer Mug, but rather treat her as you would a fine crystal and expensive drinking glass, the kind you use only for very special occasions. In other words, be sensitive to her, and treat her with respect and be kind, gentle, caring, pay attention to her, figure out what she needs today, and then seek to meet those needs. You are there to serve her, she is not there to serve you in that sense. Your leadership is expressed according to God by being a servant. The thing is, that if you really do treat her the way God wants you to treat her, guess what,  she will love you and want to take care of you and actually serve you. But, the man is called to set the pace, and set the example.

A prayer:

Lord, many things in this life are easier said then done, and this may well be one that is right up there near the top of the list. But, it's from You, and it's the way of living that You have designed, and it's what is pleasing to You. Father for the men reading this, we freely admit, that we need constant help in remembering what it is that we are to do, and how we are to act. And, for the wives reading this, they are no doubt saying, "yay, yes, thank you, let's do it this way, etc, " Because they know down deep inside that this is the way of the Lord. So, Father, we look to You to bring Your grace into our lives, and we want to be those who put Your Word into action, please give us wisdom, and patience, and a steadfast determination to live to please You Lord, in Your name we pray, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LOST A LOVED ONE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LOST A LOVED ONE"

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. Jesus said what He said here, in the context of His apostles understanding that He would be leaving them, and no doubt they were troubled. John 16:32  “Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.

2. What He said to them in John 16:33 really breaks down into a number of important and easy to understand truths that bring peace to us as we believe in Him, and act upon His Word. Let's look at them together.

(1) First of all, Jesus reminds them of His Word. He says, “These things I have spoken to you," So, He is telling them and us about His Word, about what He had said, He was essentially directing them back to His Word. And, as we will see, His Word becomes the source of our comfort.

(2) Next, He explains why He had said what He had said. "that in Me you may have peace." Or that you may have peace in Me. He was letting them know, and wants You to know that also. In Him You can have peace. The word peace here, means, rest, quietness, a state of tranquility, exemption from rage of war and havoc. Peace between individuals,

(3) Jesus went on to explain what is in the world, that is, the atmosphere of the world, the expectations we can have in the world, or in this life we are living. He tells us in no uncertain terms what we can expect, and it's in one powerful and sobering word. " In the world you will have tribulation;" That is what we have.

Tribulation, or trials and sorrows. So, in Him we can have peace, but in the world we will have trouble and sorrow, trials. What a contrast, and what an expression of two realities for the Christian. The non-christian of course only has the latter, the trials, the trouble, and the sorrow, but for the Christian, in and through the Word, in Christ, we can have that peace, that tranquility.

(4) Finally, and this is a beautiful and comforting statement. "but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
What does this mean. Well, first of all, it's a call to be of good cheer. Jesus is telling us what to do, in light of what is true about what He has done.

But, what does it mean? What do these two things mean. To be of good cheer, means, to take heart. That's it. Take heart. And, Jesus adds, that He has overcome, or conquered the World. He is greater than this world, He is different than this world, He died and rose again in this world.

6. Let's just take one more look at John 16:33, only in Three different versions.

The J. B. Phillips translation says it this way.
John 16:33  " I have told you all this so that you may find your peace in me. You will find trouble in the world—but, never lose heart, I have conquered the world!”

The Amplified says it this way.
John 16:33  "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]"

The NLT says is this way.
John 16:33  "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

A prayer:

Father, You above all know what it is to suffer the loss of a loved one. You gave, and Lost as it were Your Own Son at the Cross. But, Father, You did this for us. And, Lord Jesus thank You for these wonderful words, and thank You that indeed, in You, and in and through Your Word, we can find the peace we so desperately need.

We pray as we read this, and pray, that You Lord would help bring peace to those reading, who have recently lost a loved one, or are still suffering the pain of that loss, even though the loss may have been not so recent. But, the pain of the loss is very present with them. May they find the peace You speak of Lord, In Jesus name, Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR LONELY HEARTS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR LONELY HEARTS" 

Ps 37:4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. This Psalm was written by King David, the one who had been a shepherd boy, spending many lonely nights out in the fields, and by the boy who had slain Goliath the giant also. This verse actually says 2 things to us. One, it speaks of God's call to us, and then, it speaks of God's promise to us. By the way, interesting to note, that the name Goliath comes from a word meaning, to exile, to be away, to remove, all of which are in a very real sense an apt description of loneliness. God through David was able to destroy Goliath, and I believe that God can help you if your heart is lonely. May it be so Lord, may it be so.

2. Let's take a closer look at the 2 parts to this verse. Ps 37:4a Delight yourself also in the LORD.

(1) God calls His people to "delight" themselves also in the LORD." The word delight, means, to trust in, to rely upon. So, essentially, God is saying here, to put your trust in Him. Interestingly enough, trust in God grows when a believer's life and soul feed on the faithfulness of God in times past. May I encourage you to pause right now, and count your blessings from the past, give some thought to what Your Faithful and loving God has done in the past. Think of His mercy, His love, His peace, His grace, and His power towards you in the past, in your walk with Him. 

(2) God then in this verse, promises to give something to His people. Ps 37:4b And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Now what does this mean? First of all, I do not believe it means, that God will simply give you what you want when you ask Him for it. Like going into a place to eat, and picking from the menu, and then giving your order to the server. No, not that. But, rather, I believe it means, that if you do what God says in the first part of the verse,  Ps 37:4a Delight yourself also in the LORD. That He will then place within Your heart the desires He has for You. 

3. So, the trust part of the verse, can be looked at as "I'm committing" myself to You Lord, and commit, means to take the whole of one's life and give it to God. See Pro 16:3 Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established.
The NT counterpart to this, is "to cast all of your cares upon Him, for He cares for you" 1st Peter 5:7

4. God is always with us. No matter how we may feel. In fact, it's so easy to walk by our feelings, and not by our faith. Faith is believing that something is true, even though we can't prove it by our senses. Faith is also taking God's Word to heart and putting legs on it, or acting upon it. 

5. Here are the next 2 verses in Ps 37, in the NLT version

Psalm 37:5  Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.

Psalm 37:6 He will make your innocence as clear as the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

May I encourage You to just ponder what is said in those 2 Verses, and then take them to heart. Your God is faithful, and He cannot lie, He makes promises, and He keeps them. He only asks, that You believe Him, and act upon His Word. 

A Prayer:

Father, thank You for being so gracious and loving to us. You are indeed always with us. And, we will one day always be with You in heaven. Right now Lord, in times of trouble and loneliness, we ask for Your Holy Spirit to fill our hearts and our minds with grace, mercy, peace and love. Perfect love casts out fear, and a lot of other things. Cast out of hearts those things that cloud seeing You by faith, and let the knowledge of Christ be like the noonday sun.
In Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WEAKNESS, INFIRMITIES, DISTRESS, AND PERSECUTIONS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WEAKNESS, INFIRMITIES, DISTRESS, AND PERSECUTIONS"

2nd Cor 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2nd Cor 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. Paul is explaining what he had found to be true when going through times of weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. He has just covered a lot of ground in those words. They were his real experiences.

2. Here's what he had found during those times. 2nd Cor 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2nd Cor 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

3. Paul had what he called a thorn in the flesh, words that are used to describe a big stake, like the kind they use to hold the ropes of tent. He had some type of problem. Some think it was physical, and some think it was a spiritual problem, ( brought about by the false teachers who had come into the Corinthian church and were causing such destruction and trouble among the flock)

No one knows for sure, but it was a very painful problem for Paul. And, He had asked the Lord to take it away from him, and He did not. So, Paul asked him over and over again, and still the Lord did not. But what the Lord did tell him, is found in these two verses. And, the result of what God told him is also found in these verses. And, Paul wound up actually taking pleasure in that for which he had asked be taken from him.

4. Let's read the verses one more time only this time in the NLT.

2nd Cor 12:9 Each time he said, “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me.

2nd Cor 12:10 Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Here's what Paul had discovered. And what a blessing it is.

(1) God had grace for Him, and told Paul that His grace would be all he needed during these difficult times.

(2) The reason for this, is that God's grace works best during times of difficulty. In other words Paul found that when he was having these problems, that God really helped Him, and Paul then wound up actually being glad when these difficulties came, because it was then that he discovered God's power and help as never before.

(3) So, from then on, Paul actually took pleasure when these times came upon him. Because he had learned that it was in his own personal weakness that God's grace and help became so evident and effective in his life. These troubles became a blessing to him.

5. So, the lesson is, that God's grace and power is all that You need in times of difficulty. Have you found it to be true.? Funny how what we think is so terrible can turn out to be so wonderful if we will turn to God in hard times and surrender our lives to Him, He is so faithful to come and give us strength, power, grace, to help us. We too, can wind up rejoicing in those times just as Paul did.

A prayer:

Father, Your ways are indeed not our ways. On a purely human level Lord, this does not make sense. But, Father, You are not human, You are Spirit, and You are wise and almighty. And, You take great joy in helping us, because, it's during these times that we find ourselves drawing closer, and closer to You then when all is well. So, thank You Lord for the truth of Grace being sufficient in our weakness and times of trouble. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT HEAVEN BEING A REAL PLACE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT HEAVEN BEING A REAL PLACE"

John 14:2 “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:

1. Jesus was speaking to His disciples, and telling them the truth about heaven. What He had to say here about heaven, was not just a pleasant idea, or a idea He had cooked up, nor was it a figment of His imagination, nor is it the invention of man. But, rather it's a literal place.

2. Jesus called it "My Father's house" and the main thing that Jesus was saying here, is that He was going there to this real, literal place, to prepare a place for His followers. 

3. It's comforting, and helpful, and instructive for us to note, that the word "place" in the greek language refers to an actual physical location. So, as one man said, "From this promise we can have full confidence that heaven is a real, physical place-a place where believers will one day reside with their Savior" Dr David Jeremiah. 

4. Now, let's notice just a few more things Jesus says about heaven being a real place, and what He intends for His followers in the future. 

(1) Jesus was going to go there. And, He is there right now, sitting at the right hand of God. See Heb 1.

(2) There are many mansions in heaven. Or rooms in heaven. Perhaps a reference to our new bodies. The word rooms, means, dwelling, an inhabited edifice. It may mean building or home in the sense we think of one today, or as mentioned, it may mean the heavenly body that we will dwell in, and live in forever. Interesting to note what Paul said in 2nd Cor 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

(3) Jesus is actively preparing a place for you as a believer. That word place, means, quarter, or space marked off, as it were from surrounding space. An inhabited place. So, again, it's up for grabs, might be a physical location, or it could be our new bodies, but it's something real, and Jesus is preparing it at this very moment for You. By the way, the people You know who have gone there know the answers to the things we don't. But, we ourselves will one day know. 

(4) Lastly, Jesus promised to return to get us, and take us there, so that where He is, we could be also. John 14:3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. NLT. So, He is working, preparing a place for you, and when the time is right, according to God's perfect timing, Jesus is personally going to come and get You, so that You will always be with Him. And, if it was not going to happen, Jesus would not have told us so plainly. Jesus is God, and God cannot lie, and His promises come to pass. 

A prayer:

Father, we are so grateful for the hope You have given us through Jesus Christ. Not only have we been saved by Your death, burial, and being raised from the dead, and our coming to You in faith, and receiving You, but we have such a glorious place we are going to. And, thank You that You Lord Jesus are actually preparing what's there in heaven for us right now. And, when it's the perfect time for each of us, You will come and get us. And, then we will be with You, where You are right now, forever and ever. Thank You for making it so plain and easy to understand. 

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.