WHEN YOU FALL, YOU CAN GET UP AGAIN.

Reading: Matthew 26:69-75.
“Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”
And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!” And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”
Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.”

Have you ever fallen down spiritually while running this race, being tripped up by the devil? You are not a failure because you fall, only if you do not get back up. If you get up just once more when you fall then you are a success!
Proverbs 24:16
“For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again.”
What would you think of a preacher who would curse and swear in front of one of a teenager? Peter did just that, and denied the Lord, but in spite of it all, God gave Him a new start and Peter learned how to fall and get up again!

1. FAILURE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A PROBLEM POTHOLE; IT CAN BE A GUIDE POST.

We can learn from failures and sins! God has a way of bringing good out of bad! Some have low self esteem and think God sees them as a collection of all their failures, but not so! When God forgives, He forgets “as far as east from west!”
Not to say there is no cost but from a judgmental viewpoint, God does not hold sin against us!

2. IF WE FAIL GOD, IT WILL PROBABLY BE AT A POINT OF OUR GREATEST STRENGTH.

Peter’s greatest strength was his courage! We criticize Peter for taking his eyes off the Lord on the Sea of Galilee and beginning to sink, but at least he got out of the boat! When they came to arrest Jesus, Peter pulled out his sword to defend him; he tried to take off one of their heads!
This big, strongly built fisherman, however, trembled before a teenage girl, in the area of his greatest strength!

Other examples:
Moses.
Bible says he was the meekest among men (meekness: is strength under control). But what did he do? He lost control of his emotions and killed an Egyptian, later he smote a rock twice!
Abraham.
He is called the father of faith, but he left Canaan and went into Egypt, and lied about Sarah his wife, because he did not have enough faith that God would protect him, he failed in his area of strength!
David.
A picture of purity, the apple of God’s eye, a man after God’s own heart, but he committed adultery, he failed in his area of strength!
None of these failed in their weakness, but in their strength, because we all have a tendency to leave our strengths unguarded! An unguarded strength is a double weakness!

Proverbs 16:18
“Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
1 Corinthians 10:12
“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”
2 Corinthians 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.”
Paul said when I am weak, them am I strong! (For then I am depending on the Lord, and not myself!) We can admire Paul’s statement at first glance, but there’s a difference between saying I can do all things through Christ, or just I can do all things!
The boastful man is tempting the devil to tempt him.

3. BEFORE WE SIN, THE DEVIL IS A TEMPTER; AFTER WE SIN THE DEVIL IS AN ACCUSER.

Before we sin, he says, go ahead, no one will know, you can get away with it, afterward he says, you will never get away with it, you have blown it, you might as well not even try to serve God!
Satan’s goal is not only for you to fall, but for you to stay down, so let us learn how to fall and to get up again!

THREE wonderful truths:
1. Even when we fail, God is still sovereign.
Sovereign means “in control.” “Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.”
The rooster crowing is a testimony that God was still in control, the Lord shut the beaks of hundreds of roosters until the precise moment of the 3rd denial! Right now Peter is at his worst, his lowest, he is failing, and out of control, but he us got a message from the Lord, “I am still in control!”
2 Timothy 2:13
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful.”
We often fail God, but He never fails us, often I am not faithful to Him, but great is His Faithfulness! I am not so great, but “How Great YOU Are!” To learn to fall and to get up again, we must remember that even when we despair and feel out of control, God is still in control, He is still sovereign!
And when Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” This includes our failures! You may feel like you have blown it, and maybe you have! But no matter what you have done, God still has a wonderful plan for your life! How do I know that? You are here and still breathing!

2. When we fail, God is concerned.
Luke 22:61 “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
The moment Peter denied, he turned and saw the Lord, and their eyes met! It was not a look of disappointment or anger; it was a look of love! God does not love us because we are valuable; we are valuable because He loves us!
Psalm 103:14
“For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.”
His grace is not a license to sin, and anyone who views it that way is not truly saved! But it is so good to know that when we fall, He is concerned, He is sovereign.
I think that sometimes we feel that after failing God, we are almost embarrassed to go to Him in prayer, or to ask for forgiveness for that same old sin again! And then the devil causes us to look to heaven and wonder, God, do you even want me? The Good news is: God wants you! He is there all the time, waiting patiently for you to return!

3. Even when we fail, we are secure.
Are not you glad your salvation does not depend upon YOU? If you have been born again, you are forever changed. You are safe and secure in His Mighty Hands!
Satan wanted to sift Peter to condemn him; Jesus allowed the sifting in order to cleanse Peter. Jesus also knew there was some chaff, and that Peter would never deal with it until he became aware of it, so He allowed it!
So, Jesus used the devil’s tool, to help Peter! Just like David used Goliath’s own sword to cut off his head! Jesus is not fixed on the chaff in your life, He sees the wheat, and He wants to cleanse you!

CONCLUSION:

THREE things Jesus knew about Peter:
1. Failure.
2. Faith.
3. Future.
Peter, you have blown it big time, but I am going to help you up, and you are going to be stronger for it, and believe it or not, you are going to preach and 3,000 will get saved, you are going to write part of the Bible, you are going to die for Me.
Maybe you have failed, or fallen? Get back up; just do not fail to be saved!
Christians: can you see the sovereign Lord behind your struggles? He is concerned, and you are secure in Christ!

A Prayer for the Young Women of the World.

Father God, thank you for all the young women in the world. Give them dreams that are bigger than themselves--so they will have to trust you to make their dream come true. Give them a will and heart to be all you created them to be. Help them to work hard and be successful.

Enable them to be generous to those who are less fortunate. Give them hearts full of love and compassion.
Give them the strength to say “no” to activities that they would later be remorseful about--that they would do what is right for them and for the world around them. Help them to be kind to others.

Protect them from people who would harm them physically, emotionally and mentally.
Let them know that allowing You to direct their way is the smartest thing they can do. In Jesus wonderful and powerful name.
Amen

A PRAYER FOR SUNDAY.

A Sample Prayer of Personal Renewal.
(When you are unsure of where you will spend eternity)

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally.
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins.
I open the door of my life and receive You as my Saviour and Lord.
Thank You for forgiving me of my sins and giving me eternal life.
Take control of the throne of my life.
Make me the kind of person You want me to be.
Amen

A MORNING PRAYER.

A Morning Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, and my Lord and Saviour,
I give you my hands to do Your work;
I give You my feet to go Your way;
I give You my eyes to see as You see;
I give You my tongue to speak Your words;
I give You my mind that You may think in me;
I give You my spirit that You may pray in me.
Above all, I give You my heart that You may love in me, and I love the Father and love all humankind.
I give You my whole self, Lord, that You may grow in me, so that it is You who lives, works and prays in me.
Amen.

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Text: 1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-11.

INTRODUCTION TO THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant” 1 Corinthians 12:1.
God has placed these nine gifts in the church to be used to advance the kingdom of God. They are not to be used for selfish reasons. When God entrusts any of these gifts to a person, that person should not feel spiritually superior.

1. THE PURPOSE OF THE GIFTS.

A. To edify. To build up the Christian and the church. Always keep in mind; these gifts are to advance God's work.
B. To encourage. They are to encourage the Chris­tian in every phase of their lives.
C. To enlighten. They help the Christian know right from wrong. Since Satan is supernatural and has power to deceive, we need a super­natural power to understand the true from the false.
D. To educate. These gifts can educate even the illiterate, as they are used for God’s glory.
E. To expose. These gifts will help us expose false spirits and religions.

2. THE PERSONALITY OF THESE GIFTS.

A. Spiritual gifts vs. natural gifts. Natural gifts are for personal help and enjoyment. Spiritual gifts are to share by helping others.

B. Spiritual gifts vs. fruit of the spirit. Fruit grows; gifts are given.
Spiritual gifts are given by God to those whom He knows will use them for His honour and glory. At times they are given to the most unlikely people. However, only God knows the hearts and minds of men.

3. THE POWER OF THESE GIFTS.

A. Power to discern. Spiritual gifts help us discern God's will and way. They also help us discern the nature of a problem, as well as a way to solve that problem.

B. Power to denounce and destroy. Spiritual gifts are backed by the power to denounce the pow­ers of sin, Satan, and sickness.
Some fear the gifts of the Spirit because of past expe­riences with misuse of the gifts. God has a plan and purpose as to how these gifts are to be given and used. God will give these gifts to those who will use them for His glory.

Within this study, we need to give special attention to the fact, that each of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, cannot come through human ability or talent. But, by the Holy Spirit and our desire to be filled.
We will soon discover the added strength and power received through the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit.” As you learn, and understand the gifts of the Holy Spirit, you will begin to find yourself, able to be used by the Spirit, in their effective manifestation.

NEXT TIME: THE THREE GIFTS OF INSPIRATION.

BIBLE STUDY WEEK IN THE BEATITUDES of MATTHEW 5

DAY TWO: The Lord here gives eight characters of blessings, verses 3-12.
Verse 3. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The Lord gives EIGHT characters of blessed people, which represent to us the true character of a Christian.
The “Beatitudes,” set forth the characteristics of the heirs of the Kingdom. There is a heavenly side and an earthly side to the Kingdom, and it is only for those who are “poor in spirit,” those who humble themselves on account of their sin, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, who, through the new birth, receive the Kingdom of Heaven.
Let us also consider who they are that are called “blessed” at the beginning of the Sermon. For whom the great High Priest blesses, are blessed indeed! Blessing and laying on of hands, the fathers blessing to the eldest son, the Father’s blessing to His children, the Lord wants to bless His people.

1st Description and Blessing: Verse Three.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The poor in spirit are happy.
They see their want, weep with guilt, and thirst after Jesus their Redeemer. The kingdom of grace and mercy is for such; the kingdom of heaven is for them.

“Blessed.”
Happy, Oh! The blessedness of those; the Psalmist says: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful” Psalm 1:1.

“The Poor.”
Not the poor in purse, the kingdom of heaven cannot be said to belong to them; but such that are poor in a spiritual sense. For all mankind are spiritually poor; and in such a condition, and cannot help themselves.
The greater part of mankind are not aware of their condition; but think themselves rich, and increased with goods: but, there are some who are aware of it, who see their poverty and want, and mourn over it, and acknowledge, that all they have, or hope to have, is own to the free grace of God.

The “humble,” are those who are deeply convinced of their own sinfulness in the Lord’s sight. They are not “rich and increased with goods;” and do not fancy they “need nothing;” The Revelation church thought the same way. But, they regard themselves as “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”

“For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The poor in spirit not only shall have - but they already have - the Kingdom. The poor in spirit are rich in the knowledge of God, while others walk in darkness, without light. Men who know their spiritual poverty are the only ones who by faith can lay hold of the true riches of grace.
“The poor have the Gospel preached:” it not only reaches their ears, but it reaches their hearts; it enters into them, and is applied unto them, they receive and embrace it with joy and gladness.