It Was Good For Me That I Was Afflicted - Loammi Diaz

able to address you and to speak the word I have thoroughly enjoyed myself in the ministry that I have received and also the fellowship it is always good and to be here I want to turn your attention to the book of song to give honor to your pastor our ministry team here the Book of Psalms 119 and I'm going to read verse 71 119 and verse 71 and the Bible reads is so in the name of Jesus Christ it is good for me then I have been afflicted that I might learn the statutes it is good for me that I make that I have been flicked that I may learn your statute today I just simply want to speak to you on this subject it was good for me that I was afflicted it was good for me that I was afflicted would you help me go before the Lord and ask him to be with us here in his session and to minister to us as I speak his word father we pray that you would be with us that you would help us so God to understand your word allow me to be honest with the text presented in a way that is understandable that your people may hear but not just hear that they would listen and I pray O God that we would put all of these things into practice and that we would understand how loving embrace Philander sefolosha in Jesus name we pray amen and amen god bless you all that you may be seated the dictionary defines the word good as something that is satisfactory in quality quantity or degree and to be honest with you that's usually how I define that word myself good something that is satisfactory in quality quantity or degree when I think of good I think of an all-expense-paid vacation to the island of Tahiti that's good when I think of good I think of a medium-rare ribeye steak from Gallagher Steakhouse in New York City oh that is so good or a hot molten lava chocolate cake for dessert good is the sensation that you feel when you clean out your ears with a q-tip after a shower and your right leg starts shaking that's good good is being in a hotel spa in the Philippines and having 3 masseuses work your body simultaneously oh my goodness that was God good is shooting unwelcome critters growing up in New York City and sometimes on Saturdays with BB guns we even shot Jehovah's Witnesses oh that was good good was sitting in an airplane first-class in sitting next to a young lady and talked the whole way from New York all the way down to LA five and a half hours talked the whole time and then afterwards I asked what is your name ma'am and she said Alicia Keys that was good and may I add that girl was on fire but anyway weakness hmm you can always tell the heat in churches but God seems to have a sense of humor because many times what the Bible calls good and what we call good are two very distinct things you see the psalmist says that it was good for him to be afflicted afflicted well affliction means a state of pain a state of distress a state of misery friends that doesn't sound like anything near a medium-rare ribeye steak at Gallagher steakhouse there's another verse in the New Testament that uses good very similarly in that verse is we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and to those who are the called according to his purpose firstly that phrase all things is not just talking about pleasant things all things means just that all things preacher does all things include things like illness and divorce and foreclosure and unemployment and accidents and heartbreak and torture and persecution etcetera yes all things and they work together for good but since we equate the word good with earthly pleasure than what we assume is that what the biblical writer meant when he said good was something that feels good to us but we can't force biblical words to fit our personal definitions of them the good that Paul is talking about is revealed in the next verse because the next verse starts out with for whenever you see that word for whenever you see the word therefore make sure that you ask yourself what is it therefore see what it's there for for is a conjunction in other words it is there to connect the previous clause to the next clause and so for means because or since or on account of so what it what it's saying is I'm about to explain to you what that good is and here it goes what is that good that you know the the socket amount that all things work together for well for means in this context it says for whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in other words God in his foreknowledge predetermined that the redeemed would go through a process whereby they would become more like Jesus they would be conformed into the image of his son that's the good that he's talking about I'm forging you through all things they're working together for a good and what good is that that home I for knew I predestined to be conformed to the image of my son that's the good I'm talking about that your trials and tribulations and everything else the good and the bad is working together to make you more like Jesus you know when we use that verse we usually tell a cancer patient don't worry all things work together for good and what we mean by that is God is gonna give you double for your trouble he's gonna bring you out you don't even understand how God is good that's not what Paul was saying what Paul was saying is all of your situations everything that happens in your life is working together for to one purpose and that is to building you the type of character so that you would look like talk like dress like behave like Jesus Christ a man who you know whose breath is perfection and so this is who you need to look and be like truthfully that doesn't necessarily seem good to me and be honest with you that my suffering happens so that I become more like Jesus and Paul intimates that that is good now I've heard it all the time and you've heard it all the time God is good and all the time God is good now I vehemently I wholeheartedly agree with that wholeheartedly agree with that but I vehemently disagree with the way we usually the fine good see what we mean by good is that God never brings bad circumstances into our lives and if they were ever to happen by some random luck of a draw then God will use our adversity to bring us good of course he will but trials tribulations afflictions that of adversity they don't stem from God God would never do that to us they're used by God for His purposes but he would never bring about these circumstances into our lives oh I get it see in our love for God we tried to absolve him from any fault or wrongdoing when we go through hard times so that no one will blame God for being evil and so in our love for God you know we we try to defend him almost when we say no no no no God is good he's good all the time because we we try to force our definition of good into what God is and so friends the sentiment is right because when you love someone you try to defend their honor so the sentiment is right but the theology is wrong see the problem with that fear is that Joe would contradict you when he himself tells his wife shall we accept good from God and shall we not also accept adversity that's what Joe told his wife I'm gonna prove to you today that God disciplines that God tests and that God causes trials in his children let it not escape us that God uses and causes trials de-stresses calamities and it is all for our good and that is God's definition of good however when God punishes us God punishes his sons he doesn't do it out of mere retribution for an offense when God in free he doesn't inflict punishment on us as vengeance for our actions that's not how he punishes us he doesn't punish the redeemed as a judge he punishes us as a loving father and there's a word for that it is called diss the plan discipline I know at least in America I know that now there's a new concept it is called time out you put the child in timeout listen whatever works for you you do whatever works for you but I'm gonna tell you what doubt that wasn't my testimony that was not my testimony growing up my mother was an Old Testament prophet my mother my mother stone me to death a couple of times then revived me and said I'm not through with you yet and stone me some more you know my mother was a mix between like Freddy Krueger and and if you're old enough you would know about this video game Street Fighter she was like Blanca on Street Fighter see according to Scripture God uses these trials to correct our ways and to bring us salvation and to instruct us and to make us more like Jesus this is what the writer of Hebrews said he said my son do not despise the chastening do you know what chastening is is discipline the NIV says correct or correction see do not despise the chastening of whom of the Lord and then it says do not be discouraged when you are rebuked by him this is Hebrews 12:5 do not be discouraged when you are rebuked by him for whom the Lord the Lord loves he chastens and then watch this and he scourges do you know what scourging is it is whips he whips for those who only believe in timeout well that the Lord doesn't believe in timeout the Lord whips that's the the Lord will whoop your beat behind for lack of a better word he whips every single son whom he receives that's what the Bible said he doesn't whip some sons he whips every son I'm always looking this way I can't forget that you guys exist he whips every son whom he receives amen and in our text the psalmist says it is good for me that I have been afflicted it is good for me that I have been afflicted many think that the psalmist here is saying that when random afflictions came into his life that God turned it around for his good you know random afflictions which came into his life from the world is such an evil place or the devil himself is such an evil person and random afflictions came into my life well here's a problem this is not the kind of affliction that the psalmist was talking about God in this case wasn't just allowing his affliction to work together for his good God in this case was causing his affliction how do I know that I know that because just four verses later the psalmist himself tells you so he said I know Oh Lord that your judgments are right and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me in faithfulness you have afflicted me in other words this is what he's saying what do you when he uses that word faithfulness you've been faithful to me when you've inflicted me listen to that listen that's powerful God is this is what the psalmist is saying God you display moil t to your word into your covenant and to me you display loyalty that's what faithfulness means you display loyalty to me to my relationship with you when you afflict me because had you not afflicted me to show me the error of my way and to restore me unto the right path and to lead me to salvation had you not afflicted me you would have been unfaithful and disloyal and insincere and unreliable and wishy-washy and fickle and not dependent and I would want nothing to do with somebody who doesn't love me enough to correct me in my wrong pass so I I don't believe that you would be faithful if you didn't afflict at me if you didn't afflict me I would have no confidence in your love for me if you didn't afflict me but the reason I know that I can trust that you have my best interest in mind and at heart the reason that I can rest assured in your faithfulness and loyalty is because you are more concerned with my holiness then you are my happiness that this is why I know that I can trust your judgments on me it's because you are more concerned you would rather that I make it to heaven through pressure that that I make it to hell through pleasure this is why I know that you have my best interest at heart because the same grace that brings me favor for salvation is the same grace that brings me friction for sanctification so this is how I know that your judgments are right this is how I know that you are faithful this is how I know that you love me because as a parent I know that if my kid only thought whoa this is my bad he gives me ice cream for breakfast my dad doesn't kappa he doesn't have a care in the world about us he doesn't care what we do I know as a parent that if that's my kids attitude then I don't love him enough that you know if they don't hate me at one point or another then I'm not loving them enough but I love my children enough to let them know you better correct your path you better stand up straighter you better walk this way and that's why you need a pastor that's why you need an accountability partner that's why you need an elder that's why you meet somebody to point a finger at you and tell you if you don't quit going this way you're gonna die you're gonna go to hell if you don't quit going this way you're not gonna correct your path you need somebody to love you enough it's not love when you don't tell me my wrongs it's not love when you don't and lovingly criticize what I'm doing that is wrong that is not love that is not love IIIi was preaching for a friend of mine you know a couple of years back and he asked me he said hey bro what what have you done to such and such a person and I said absolutely nothing that man is an elder in my life I I consider his word to be you know just he has veto power in my life I mean I called him whenever I'm in need and that's an elder in my life I've done nothing I don't think I've done anything to him he said while I was talking to him and and you know we were talking about younger preachers and who they have come over and and and he and I brought your name up and he said I will never have that guy in my church and I asked him why and he said well the reason why is because I think he's full of pride and listen listen I'm gonna I'm gonna tell you right now because you know the first your first reaction to that maybe is to say oh that's wrong or oh wow that I don't think he's prideful I hope you don't think I'm prideful but if you do I mean you know that it just it just that comes with the territory but here I am and I'm and I'm over there and I'm going you know is that really shocked me that really hurt me it really offended me but it did not offend me for the reasons that you think it would offend me because if you if you have been in full-time ministry at any point in your life you know that pride it does have a way to creep up on you from time to time I mean you get the adulation of the people you get to preach messages and people are high-fiving you and patting you on the back and going woo or you are something else and then you get home and sometimes it's like woo maybe I start believing that stuff you know and no pride does have a way of coming inside of you so that's not what I'm mad at I'm not offended at that what I'm offended at is you are an elder in my life you are a man who has veto power in my life you are a teacher in my life and you didn't love me enough to pull me to the side and say son if you don't stop with this attitude you're gonna be you're on your way down to hell because Rider comes before destruction and a haughty spirit before the fall I need you if you're gonna be my elder I need you to grab me by the collar and tell me don't listen don't you leave me to my own devices I need you to teach me obedience teach me the right posture love me enough to keep me from hell love me to show me the error of my way I need somebody to tell me what I'm doing wrong be faithful to my relationship with you this concept is not foreign to the Word of God God loves his children enough to correct him over and over and again and to afflict them and to bring about his purposes through affliction and if you think right now Oh God would never do stuff like that humble you're in for some because I'm gonna prove to you over and over again that God does bring affliction take the life of Joseph for example went through a great number of trials in his life when he finally got the chance to summarize to his brothers who were responsible for causing much of the distress what had happened to him this is how he explained it he said and this is Genesis forty five and seven he said and God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance who did it God sent me before you notice here God did it how did God send Joseph well because many people say well you know yes God did it he brought him to the how did he get to the palace you know Joseph could have easily just walked from his father's house to the palace if that's how God wanted to do it that's not how God brought him to the palace he Joseph he went he closed his own brothers to be jealous of him stripped him of the house of a loving father cast him down into a pit sold them into slavery caused him to be tempted put him in jail and finally he got the chance to come into Pharaoh's Palace that's the road that God took for him to get to the palace but all in all it was God who brought him there and then when hindsight when Joseph tells his brothers what happens this is what he tells them in Genesis 50:20 but as for you you meant it for evil for me but God meant it for good God meant it for good God meant it for good good good good it was good it was good for me that God meant it God meant it for good can I tell you something what we usually looking into that and we looking at that you know as preachers and we try to motivate people so we say God meant it for good see what the devil means for evil God is meaning it for good and what we want is for you to respond to that and say whoa I'm going to the palace whoa this is the good that no hole that is not the emphasis that you should look at in this verse what you should look at is this not God meant it for good but that God meant it you know what that means that God meant it he meant the pit he meant Potiphar's house he meant him being sold into slavery when you see it that way you go okay I don't want all that good that you're talking about in Peters first sermon he also said men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth is talking about Jesus let's see if God meant the evil that came upon Jesus of Nazareth or you know a man attested by God to you by miracles wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst as you yourself also know him being delivered by the watch this determined purpose and foreknowledge of God it was the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God you have taken by lawless hands have crucified and put to death no wonder when you see it this way it was the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God therefore God Himself knew that when he would manifest himself in flesh and come among us he knew this evil was going to come this evil is meant then no wonder jesus said no man takes my life from me I lay it down on my own accord how can you take the life of the person who gave you life in the first place you can't take my life from me I've got the power by my goal power of my word all things subsist do you really think that I don't have the power right now to disintegrate you and to make you an ant if I wanted to I've got creative power you don't take my life from me I'm giving it to you but this is why I don't do it the reason I don't do it is because this commandment have I received from My Father and in the church prayed and they said for truly against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together to do watch this whatever your hand and your purpose determined before to be done the crown of thorns that didn't happen because the people wanted to do that and were cruel it happened because this is what God God's hand and purpose had determined before to be done to him it pleased the father to bruise his own son that's what the Bible says it pleased the father to bruise his own son and then in the book of Job in the book of Job watch this and all of his brothers Jojo forty-two and eleven then all of his brothers all of his sisters all those who have been his acquaintances before came to him and ate food with him in his house and they consoled him and comforted him for what for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him and each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold do you realize what that is telling me now if you really listen to the book of Job if you really read the book of Job the book of Job was written for one purpose and one purpose alone and that book was written for one purpose and this is the purpose to shut the devil's mouth up that's what the book of Job was written for because if you really read the book of Job it wasn't the devil that brought job up it wasn't the devil when they had their little meeting in heaven the Avengers got together and had their little meeting in heaven right when they went up and it wasn't the devil that said well this servant of yours job is giving me a hard time with this worship he'd the devil didn't even know he was out there like that it was God who brought him up God said have you not considered my servant job you know I've asked God a million times when you have your little adventures meeting up in heaven do not remember my name like I'm good don't worry about me let the meeting pass right don't remember my name because this is what God was said God was up there and he said devil have you not considered my servant job this is what he was saying he said it listen I'm not here advocating gambling but this is what God said I bet you that if you went down there and you put every single trial that you ever could on job I guarantee you I've got people down there that will still worship me in spite of it all you wanna bet come on we'll gentlemen's work gentlemen's wager I bet you that job will do what you couldn't do see you couldn't worship me when there was no devil when there was no trial when there was no sin when there was no tribulation when there was no affliction but I guarantee you I've got people down there who will worship me in spite of trial in spite of tribulation in spite of affliction I've got somebody who will stand in the midst of it all and so though he slay me yet will I trust him I've got somebody who will stand and still say yea the Lord giveth the Lord taketh away but blessed be the name of the Lord I've got people down there who will worship me in spite of it this was the affliction comes from God I've got a hurry I've got a hurry so I've got a message I've got a deliverer and this is it Paul Paul himself who here is a better Christian than Paul nobody don't lift your hands here's a better Christian than Paul I mean frankly probably not none of us that this man was a man from God he wasn't just an apostle he was an apostle to the Gentiles or not an apostle the apostle to the Gentiles he wrote more than half of the New Testament at the equivalent of three PhDs by the time he was 25 years old and had if not the whole Torah most of the Torah memorized but memorized from his childhood that is the Old Testament memorized and we know that from the type of Pharisee that he was this was the school this this was something that they did and the Gamaliel as the teacher this was kind of the way they did things so this man was a smart cookie and no not only was he a smart cookie he was you know he was a great Christian as well and then but then the Bible said and in 2nd Corinthians 12 and 7 he says unless I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations a thorn in the flesh I didn't just appear just you know a thorn in the flesh appear no it said it was given to me it was given to me now many people see the very next phrase and it says a messenger of Satan to buff it me and many say oh you see it was Satan it was a messenger of Satan Satan sent the messenger to put a thorn in the flesh there yes yes there are some truth to that but here's the problem the Satan was just a messenger who sent the messenger right that song in the flesh wasn't wasn't the idea of Satan how do we know that okay let's read it again lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations that I had received a thorn in the flesh was given to me this is how we know it wasn't Satan's idea because Satan won't give you a thorn in the flesh to keep you from being prideful that's the very thing he wants to give you his pride he doesn't go oh you're too prideful you're too prideful let me give you a thorn in the flesh to balance you out that is not what he said lest I be exalted above measure lest I be exalted above measure this wasn't Satan this was God who gave him a thorn in the flesh he said I'm giving you way too many revelations Paul and I've got the power and anytime they take it away how do we know that because Paul asked three times for him to take it away and the Lord said nope he said come on take it away again No take it away again No three times he said no he said my grace is sufficient my strength is made perfect in your weakness and so I need you to be weak I need you to be afflicted I need you to have a thorn in the flesh and it is good for you it's gonna keep you from Pride it's gonna keep you from being exalted it is good for you that I'm afflicting you Paul it is good alright preacher how our trials good for me please let me know how our tests and trials and adversity and affliction from God good for me well I've got listen I've got like twenty of these things but I'll cut it down to like three maybe eight so this is three well we'll do three how our trials good for you how our trials good for you number one trials are good for us because they test the strength of your faith trials are good for you because they test the strength of your faith many people think that the devil is after your finances after your health after your house after your you know the earthly possessions that's not what the devil is ultimately after to some people he will tempt you with money and to other people he will take your money away it doesn't really matter to him whether you have health or don't have health to some people he gives good health and to others he takes your health away because that is not what he's after do you know what the devil is after the devil is after your faith he's after your faith and he can take it from some people by giving them money and he can take it from others by taking their money but he's after your faith and trials come why does God give us trials because he wants to test the strength of our faith well how do I know that second chronicles 32 and 31 this is talking about King Hezekiah Hezekiah went through a period of time he was a good king but he had seasons of lapses in his kingdom in his kingship where he would where at times he would lose track and he would get prideful and stop his confidence in God so he had bad moments bad seasons during his kingship right well his account was going through one of these periods in his time and this is what it tells me right here it says God watch this God withdrew from Hezekiah God withdrew from him for what reason did you withdraw from him in order to test him to test him so he sent him a test why did he send him a test watch this that he might know all that was in his heart that he might know all that was in his heart now that who might know all that was in his heart not God God already knows what is in your heart by way of our missions he knows all things he doesn't need to test you to know what is in your heart why did God test Hezekiah he withdrew from him so that Hezekiah would know what was in his own heart see God tests us so that we may know what is in our own heart so that we test the strength of our faith because trials assist us you know what trials assist you in in self-examination in taking inventory of the strength of your faith you know when you go to you work retail you've got to take inventory every night if you work retail and see okay how many did we sell how many do we have to put out what is the strength of our of our section over here do we need to bring stuff from the back do we need to order some more this is what inventory is and this is what God sends trials into your life for so that you go back into your heart and go hold up did I trust God in this area am i strong here am i weak here where am i failing God in this area this this is what trials do trials introduce you to you amen see because if you're shaking your fist at God and you're fretting and you're worrying that you're marred by anxiety and you're upset at God and you don't want to come to church anymore then guess what you have a you've gotta take inventory of the kind of faith that you have faith is not tried until it goes through the fire it's gotta go through the fire in order for you to know whether your faith is stronger nada you can mean it so easy to say whoa I believe in God I believe in God I believe in God yeah if everything's peachy if all food is on the table if you've got a roof over your head if your business is doing well it is so easy to say whoa God has been so good I believe in God he's giving me double make it look at me that's not where your faith is tested your faith is tested when all hope is gone with all children our corner when your family is Wacka when your money is acting funny that's when your test of faith is being tested [Applause] but if you're resting in the Lord and leaving it to his care and going on your way rejoicing as best as you possibly can under the circumstances then guess what you have a strong faith you have a strong faith that's why in Habakkuk in Habakkuk you see we ought to be thankful for trials because they assist you in taking inventory of your faith Habakkuk was a prophet who was in the midst of a great trial and what happened the Assyrian people whom the Bible said their soldiers were as fast as leopards and as strong as lions and this is what the Bible said about them there were cruel people there are the people that invented crucifixion this is how they would deal with their oppressors and their enemies and so the Assyrians were cruel and yet God used the Assyrians to bring judgment upon his people Israel and so Habakkuk goes wait a second we are your people how is it that you're gonna allow these these wicked people to take and rape our virgins and smash our children to the rocks and do all sorts of stuff we are oppressed and I don't get it Lord I don't get it and so the Lord responded he said you know if the Lord said I Habakkuk at the Lord is in his temple let all the earth remain silent in other words don't you ever don't you ever question my judgment don't ever question my statutes don't you ever question the way I do things I am still sitting on my throne and I still speak from the temple I am God don't you ever question me and then when he told him what he told them you know in essence what he told them is there are questions you don't have answers for and you never will because you're not God so don't ask me some questions this is what he's done you know I'm paraphrasing but this is what God told them in the book of Habakkuk at the end how about that didn't have one answer but at the end he took inventory of his faith and this is what he did he went and he wrote a song and this is what he wrote he said though the fig tree may not blossom and nor the fruit be on the vines and though the labor of the olives may fail and the fields yield no food though the flock may be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls yet will I rejoice in the Lord and I will joy in the God of my salvation the Lord God is my strength he will make my feet like deers feet and he will make me walk on my high heels listen this is what Habakkuk had he had strong faith he had strong faith he said I know I'm going through a trial but I'm gonna sing a song anyhow I'm gonna tell you you are the joy of my salvation old preacher you're just trying to hide the people up you're just telling them that Habakkuk was singing in the midst of trial that's such a Pentecostal thing to do no I'm being serious you know how I know that because the Bible tells you in the next verse it says to the chief musician with my stringed instrument sir Habakkuk pull down a harp in the midst of the trial and begin to sing a song and he said God you are the joy of my salvation you are still everything that I need if I didn't have you I would've lost my mind thank you for being everything I ever hoped you were that strong faith that strong faith it's the type of painter that will have you're crawling to the house of God but when you get here you still lift up your hands up and say I'm not healed but I still got a ditch ha I'm not a but I still got a worship ha I'm not all the way fool but thank you you are my buck where at my shield you are my rock and my salvation you are the lifter of my head you are my portion all right I'm almost done I'm almost there trials they come you know why trials come to your life they come to wean you from your dependence on worldly things who you know how I know that man I wish I could give you all of these but it's over to you someday part 2 is coming next year come back alright trials come to wean you from your dependence on worldly things you remember the story of Philip you remember when the Lord fed the 5000 with well there's a story behind that the Lord didn't just tell his disciples hey you guys know somebody out there just bring him over and uh and I'll multiply this stuff no the Lord asked the disciples to go fetch food and then he asked Philip how are we going to feed these 5,000 and you know what the Bible says he says he asked him as a test it was a test because he himself knew what he was going to do this is what the Bible says Jesus already knew what he was going to do but he asked Philip how are we gonna feed these 5,000 do you know why he tested him because he wanted to know he want to fill up to find out that is dependent was still on worldly things he wanted to Philip you know Philips answer should have been Oh Lord I've seen you stretch out the hand of a withered man that's what Philips answer should have been I've seen you walk on water I've seen you open blind eyes I see don't you ask me I'm just the natural man but I've seen you working the supernatural so I trust that you are able to do exceeding and abundantly and above all that I could ever imagine or I could ever see that's what Philips answer should have been but he said I don't know it's humanly impossible do you know what trials come into your life God tests you to reveal to you the bankruptcy of human resources and to wean you from your dependence on worldly things because if your dependence is on your money there goes your money and now who do you depend on you understand what I'm saying if your dependence his own riches is your dependence is on your education all of a sudden the market starts shifting and no one wants you anymore before what you studied for and there goes your future and there goes everything and that's why trials come to wean you from your dependence on worldly things when trials come into your life you ought to say Oh God but you are the strength of my faith you are the sorcerer you are my joy you are my provider you are Jehovah Jireh you you you lastly last name why do trials come to your life trials come to teach us to help others in their suffering God puts you through the test to give you a testimony he puts you through the mess to give you a message he puts you through the misery to give you a ministry how do I know that it's how I know that Luke 22 31 and 32 the Lord said to Simon Simon Simon indeed Satan has asked for you that right there ought to bring you joy that there is absolutely nothing Satan can do unless he asks a man that ought to bring you joy your health may be in Satan's hands but Satan is in God's hands so it doesn't matter if God's got it under control it doesn't matter what Satan brings my way he has to ask he has to ask Satan has asked for you for what reason that he may sift you as wheat I don't have time to go into what that means but that he may sift you as we just know that it was a trial now many people though will see but God blocked it God got him out of that God is incredible that that's not what happened he was sifting his wheat the Lord did allow him to be sifted as me well watch this but I have prayed for you how beautiful is that what I have prayed for you and there's a theological reason for that there is there is the you know the the priesthood of God make an intercession of Jesus making intercession for us III get that but I'm just gonna I'm just gonna give you a little practical something on this just from that I said don't you ever underestimate the power of someone messaging you and saying I prayed for you this morning I prayed for you this morning don't you ever just dismiss that as just all some random text that someone that's some annoying person sent in a group message don't you ever dismiss that you take that you respond you say I covet those prayers please continue to pray for me you know why because you know right now you may be strong but my god you're gonna go through a trial and a valley in your life and a temptation in your life someday that you don't even know what to pray for yourself you need two or three people on your behalf in the background where nobody even knows bombarding heaven on your behalf you know you're gonna need somebody when your strength is gone when you can't even you don't even feel like lifting your own hands you're gonna need somebody like Aaron to lift up Moses's hands you're gonna need somebody to go to heaven and say I'm gonna take his place I'm gonna be a substitute Lord I'm gonna either seat on their behalf I'll be honest I'm going through a great place in my in my life right now I'm going through a season that no weapon formed against me shall ever prosper because I'm telling you my prayer life is on point my prayer life has been fixed it is a home point and my Bible reading like I am up to date on the Bible app like every single day I am up to date not only am i up to date like I am even like writing notes writing commentary like pretty soon I'm gonna have my own theological dictionary like I'm just I'm writing commentary I'm doing really really good like if the devil comes or I'll slap them in the face this is this is dead like I'm I'm dead I'm dead serious my kids love me I love my kids they're obedient for the most part and I am I'm doing really good in my life right now but don't you stop praying for me I'm gonna need about two or three of you to start praying for me because before I'm a man of God I am a man and I'm going to tell you I'm gonna tell you right now I'm in a strong place in God I I'm so strong I can pray for you but I'm gonna be in a place pretty soon because this is what happens with all men of God right after God Jesus's baptism what happens he gets thrown into the desert to be tempted by the devil and so I'm gonna need two or three of you to pray because there's gonna come a time of temptation where the devil's gonna come after my faith where he's gonna come after and destroying my testimony and I'm gonna need somebody somebody to bombard in heaven on my behalf so when the devil comes and shows up and I don't have the strength to run from this temptation I'm gonna need somebody across the world in Australia sending a little prayer on my behalf and saying Minister Diaz wherever he is Lord cover him cover his steps cover his testimony keep him right here sir keep him holy keep him in your way sir cover his eyes cover his ears give him strength I'm gonna need somebody to bombard heaven Oh Papa you're gonna need it y'all gonna beat it finally but I prayed for you again what did he pray for that you stopped being sifted as we know I prayed that your faith should not fail because Satan is not after anything else but your faith so I'm praying that your faith will not fail I'm not praying that you get out of this trial I'm I'm praying that the trial will make your faith stronger watch this because I have a word for somebody right now you remember how the Lord had prophesied to Peter that he would deny him three times everybody preaches on that how the Lord prophesy to Peter that he was going to deny him and backslide but no one preaches this the Lord didn't just prophesied that he would deny him and backside the Lord also prophesied and spoke a word over his life that he was going to come back how do I know that well that's what the Bible says he said that your faith should not fail and when you have returned to me not if but when you have returned to me in Colorado so turned out of Oklahoma I got a word for somebody in this house you've been praying for some loved unsaved souls who know the way I've been sitting in these seats and the seats of your church and I've gone astray got a word for a mother you've been praying for your child for way too long they've been gone but the Lord has spoken over their lives you didn't just leave you're coming back you're I know it doesn't seem like it I know it doesn't seem like but you're coming back I've got from family members of my own and I'm praying for and I know that God will speak into your situation coming back when you ever turn to me this is what he said and when you have returned to me you know I was going to add something to that real quick you know what I love about Scripture sometimes the story where the Lord left the 99 and he went after the one sheet one law Street I was reading that and I love it because it said that he went after that one lost sheep and he didn't come back until he found it like the Shepherd wasn't coming back until he found it he was determined I got and I prayed that prayer I said Lord don't you come back until you find you go after that sheep Lord you bring him and bring her back until you find her when you ever turn to me there's what he said strengthen your it strengthen your brethren I'm putting you through the misery so that I can give you this ministry Peter you're gonna be the leader of the rest and all these guys are going backslide I'm gonna let you backslide so that you have a testimony you can strengthen your brethren that you can go over and say come on Thomas he's alive he's all right come on come on John it's gonna be all right Matthias come on baby he's alive I went through it he appeared unto me I saw him myself he talked to me I've got a testimony now God will put you through it so that you have a testimony see if you if you if you have cancer here today and you come to me and you say preacher give me something give me courage I I'll give you some verses you know I'll research some stuff I'll put some stuff together I'll try to encourage you but I can't really minister to you I've never been in the hospital in my life like I've never stayed there I don't know what it is to be ill I hardly ever get sick I don't I don't know what that is I can't minister you but oh there are some people here that have been sifted as wheat there's some people here who are cancer survivors and the Lord brought you out that you can go to and she says come on baby let's let's have some tea I've got I've got something for you this is what I would do these are the verses that comforted me this is the prayer that I prayed on my second week of chemo I got this question and and someone gave me this sermon and really ministered I mean let me share it with you Pope come on let's pray this prayer together let let me show you how to deal with these children when they come and ask you questions these are people who can minister to you and they minister to you out of their own experience they minister to you out of their own sifting out of their own misery out of their own trials that God afflicted them God has afflicted you so that you help the kingdom of God God has afflicted you so that you know what it feels like so that you're compassionate so that you strengthen your brethren so that you can bring about peace to others this is why you have been afflicted for he himself suffered being tempted so that he may secure those who are tempted this is what you've been afflicted for would you lift your hands right now in the end it was good for you it didn't feel good but it was good it is good your affliction is good it's working in you a greater hope of glory your affliction is good I know hold on brother hold on sister it is good it is good this altar is open this Sunday morning I'm opening up this altar and if you want to come before the Lord here I encourage you come on and invite somebody with you and come here and say oh god I didn't see it before but I see it now it is good for me it is good for me you have tested you've tested the strength of my faith it is good for me O Lord thank you Jesus it is good for me I appreciate Oh God everything you've put me through you've displayed loyalty to me and faithfulness and so we thank you now you are a loyal and faithful God to your word and your covenant and to me and you love me now I know that you truly love me because of the things that I have suffered thank you Jesus you've given me a ministry you've given me a testimony you've given me O God hope in the midst of this trial it is good for you I know it doesn't seem like it but it is good for you it is good just trust his head come on it is good it is good it is good it is good I know you I know you're hurting now but it is good it is good you'll see it you'll see it in the end you'll see it in the end you'll see it is good it is good it is good for you [Music]

Channel: POSydney

Views: 5,763

Rating: 4.941606 out of 5

Keywords: Preaching, pentecostal, church, Sydney, Australia, Sermon, Loammi Diaz, UpRising, Evangelist

Id: _xuJmFa7cNY

Length: 61min 5sec (3665 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 27 2017