Profiting From Trials, Evans Olang

2Corinthians 4:7, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,”

The new year has began, not everyone has began it on a good note. My family for one is in a trying period having finished the year with one only to open with another. The reality is that we live in a fallen world full of pain and suffering, however we as believers can be different from the world by learning to profit from trials.

When it comes to afflictions/trials, three men in new testament tells us how we should respond to them. James encourages us to count it all joy. Paul encourages to consider them light. Peter on the other hand encourages us not to think them strange. Only the grace of God enables us to speak and live in the light of such words with confidence.

The Lord Is With You, Evans Olang

Judges 6:11-27, “12 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” 13 Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”

Meditating on encouragements has opened my heart and mind to many men and women in the bible who encountered discouragements in the lives. These were normal people and their true stories are encouragement to us too that if they overcame their discouraging times, we too can.

Today I look at a man by the name of Gideon as told in Judges 6. Gideon’s discouragement is a little different because he felt the Lord was against him and his people. He felt that God had allowed the Midianites to attack them year in year out. He couldn’t turn to God whom he felt was against him. If you read Numbers 31, you will find that the Israelites had very much defeated the Midianites under the leadership of Moses. The Midianites were no march to them.

After You Have Suffered A Little While… Sis. Bala Samson

1Peter 5:10, “And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

God sometimes speaks loudly through His Word, I was excited as I read this scripture which refreshed and revitalized me . We should remember that the trials the devil seeks to use to destroy us, God desires to use, to make us stronger and more equipped to follow Him. Every tree that produces fruit, He prunes so as to make it stronger. (John 15:2) Suffering wasn’t a sign that they were doing something wrong, but Peter reminds us that through the sufferings, God strengthens us spiritually. Satan may try to tear us down through failures, discouragements and humiliation, but God builds you in the midst of all the pain. Want to know more? Stay tuned!

Seasons Change, God Remains The Same, Evans Olang

Judges 15:18-19, “18 Because he was very thirsty, he cried out to the LORD, “You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” 19 Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived.”, (NIV).

The desire to be victorious in every area is a thirst majority craves for. A desire to let everything run smoothly in one’s life yet we find that there are times you are victorious in one area and a failure in other areas. We are like trees that go through different seasons, the winter, spring, summer and autumn. If you took time to look at trees in these different seasons, you will discover that there is change on how they look. During winter time, their leaves are gone. For someone who may not know may conclude the trees are dead but the truth of the matter is, they are alive and well adjusting to the season in which they find themselves in. Their existence is not dependant on the season, their existence is dependant on the roots that have gone deep underground in search of water and nutrients. So the days they may not look attractive, they still have a way of surviving one season while they wait for the next season.

Bounce Back, Evans Olang

Daniel 3:17&18, “17…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18, But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

Once in a while in life you will experience disappointments. As I’m put this message together, someone has been disappointed in the last few days. If you’ve never been disappointed, I guess you haven’t hit puberty yet. Disappointed in your job, relationship, boss, children, church, friends. Either you will disappoint someone or they will be disappointed by you, that is a fact of life. Disappointment simply means a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized.

He Called Me What I’m Not, Part 4of4, Evans Olang

Judges 6:11-40&7:1-25, “…The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor”

Judges 6:33, “Then all the Medianites and Amelikites, the people of the East, gathered together; they crossed over and encamped in the Valley of Jezreal” you read of these people camping somewhere in readiness to attack Gideon and his people,

He Called Me What I’m Not, Part 3of4, Evans Olang

Judges 6:11-40&7:1-25, “…The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor”

Judges 6:16, “And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man”, Our God is full of promises that He keeps, David reports God’s faithfulness in keeping promises.

He Called Me What I’m Not, Part 2of4, Evans Olang

Judges 6:11-40&7:1-25, “…The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor”

We looked Gideon’s response to the Angel of the Lord when He appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you” . It did not make sense to him having suffered for a while. He did not see how the Lord could have possibly been with him, and I agreed with Gideon at one point until I looked deeper and realized the Lord was with him the whole time, otherwise worse things could have happened to him had it not been for God’s hands protecting him. We said, where we are going doubt, fear, un answered questions cannot come with us, they are a hindrances to God’s move.

He Called Me What I’m Not, Part 1of4, Evans Olang

Judges 6:11-40&7:1-25, "…The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor"

We all love the presence of God, His Son, the Holy Ghost and God’s Angels. Any time we feel alone and the thought of no one cares, there is always a way God reaches out to us in ways no one else can.