Introduction: Can we find GRACE in the eyes of the Lord? What does this mean? Is it available for us today?

1. Noah found GRACE in the eyes of the Lord!

“8But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” (Gen 6:8)

Noah was a solitary saint living in a sin-sick-society. He stuck out like a sore thumb. But God’s favor and blessing was on both he and his family. 

2. Ruth found GRACE and FAVOR from the Lord and Boaz recognized it!

“0Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?” (Ruth 2:10)

A Moabite maid found favor with a bachelor in Bethlehem named Boaz who happened to be very wealthy. Later, as orchestrated by the hand of God, they were married and bore a son who was in the genealogical lineage of Jesus Christ. 

3. Esther found GRACE in the eyes of the Lord through the King!

“2And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand.” (Esther 5:2)

“3Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.” (Esther 6:3)

4. Mephibosheth found GRACE in the eyes of the Lord through David!

“Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! 7And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.” (2Sam 9:6,7)

5. Paul found GRACE in the eyes of the Lord!

“10But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1Cor 15:10)

“8For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2Cor 12:8-12)

Conclusion: We are all saved / forgiven by His GRACE!

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph 2:8,9)

We live the Christian life by His GRACE!

“1For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:11-14)

God’s GRACE through Jesus Christ is truly AMAZING!

Introduction: Peace one minute. Trouble the next. How can we have PEACE within, while trouble is surrounding us?

1. Some things we can not Control!

“45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matt 5:45)

Prayer: Lord Jesus give me your PEACE to accept the things (We) cannot control.

2. Some people we can not Control!

“43Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?” (Matt 5:43-46)

Prayer: Lord Jesus give us your wisdom to be able to put people into your hands.

3. Some things we can Control!

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Matt 6:33,34)

Prayer: Lord Jesus help us to know what is in our control.

4. Some choices we can Control!

“24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” (Matt 7:24-27)

Prayer: Lord Jesus show us how to build our life upon Your Word.

5. Somehow realize God is in Control!

“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven…….For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” (Matt 6:9-13)

Prayer: Lord Jesus give us great faith to trust in You no matter what.

Introduction: After being born again by the power of God, a new believer has difficulty drawing the line between witnessing to sinners (the lost) without compromising with their sin, especially if it is a family member. Or another challenge is for the new CHRISTian who desires others to be saved and forgiven, to not come across as a self-righteous Pharisee.

How do we keep the balance?

1. Remember what Paul wrote to the Corinthians.

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1Cor 6:9,10,11)

Bottom line: Don’t forget where Jesus has brought you (me) from and brought you (me) to!

2. Remember what Jude wrote while debunking false teachers.

“And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” (Jude 1:22,23)

If we could only have this attitude in reaching those without a relationship with Jesus Christ, it would make more of a difference.

3. Remember what Jesus said.

“1Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” (Matt 7:1-5)

This verse is perhaps the most misunderstood verse in all the Bible. A closer investigation reveals that Jesus is saying 1st….we are to judge ours selves! Then, we are in a better position to lovingly and gently get the “splinter” out of our brother’s eye….only after we take the “2×4” out of our eye.

4. Remember where you once were.

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Eph 2:1-7)

Bottom line: From Root to Fruit, it is all by God’s GRACE!

Conclusion: Going over this checklist will help ensure every CHRISTian to LOVE sinners and share JESUS without being a Pharisee or without compromising with the sinner’s sin…to Him be GLORY.

Introduction: Are you tempted to complain? Blame? Gossip? Excuse? Argue? Lust? Lie? Steal? Covet? How can we win the war over temptation without it defeating us?

1. The War of Temptations!

“13Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:13-15)

The War of temptation can come from within (every man tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts, etc.). Or the War of temptation can come from the outside.

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” (1John 2:15-17)

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” (Gen 3:6)

Either way, being tempted is not a sin, until it is yielded to.

* And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 21When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.” (Joshua 7:20,21)

“Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 15And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. 16And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.” (Matt 26:14-16)

Where are you being tempted today?

2. Winning the War over Temptation!

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1Cor 10:13)

“And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. 8But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; 9There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? 10And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. 11And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. 12And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.” (Gen 39:7-12)

Joseph lost his coat but he kept his purity.

Conclusion: So how can we Win the WAR over TEMPTATION? First, Realize when we yield to the temptation it is sin against God. Secondly, we need to put a guard over our heart.

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Prov 4:23)

Thirdly, set some PURPOSES in our heart.

“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank.” (Dan 1:8)

Fourth, run from some things and run to some things because the Lord has made a way of escape from the temptation.

“22Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2Tim 2:22)

We can WIN the WAR over TEMPTATION because Jesus Christ has WON! And He gives us the VICTORY through His Holy Spirit.

1. What & Where are the CLEAR Scripture references to know the will of God?

2. What & Where are the UNCLEAR Scripture references to know the will of God?

B. By being led of the Holy Spirit of God!

C. By seeking out godly counsel!

“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Prov 11:14)

D. By letting God’s inner peace rule in your heart!

E. By observing circumstances!

Introduction: Have you ever heard of someone predicting the future? They may succeed occasionally but more often they fail. However, the Bible can claim 100% accuracy when it comes to Bible Prophecy. For example, there are over 333 prophecies concerning the first coming of Jesus Christ, which everyone of them have been fulfilled. In addition, the book of Daniel is no exception. God gave him incredible insight with prophecies which have already been fulfilled although some are yet to be fulfilled.

1. What about Daniel’s prophecies found in the Bible that have already been fulfilled?

“24Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off.” (Dan 9:24-26)

Background: Daniel was taken away into Babylon (900 miles ) as a teenager by king Nebuchadnezzar after his invasion; Jerusalem was burnt to the ground along with the temple. While in Babylon, God blessed Daniel with great wisdom and discernment; consequently, he interprets the King’s dream which reveals 4 dominate world empires (Babylon, Medo-Persian, Grecian, Rome) that were futuristic in his time but past in our time. The last empire which is yet to come is illustrated by the 10 toes – mixed with iron and clay. Conservative bible scholars acknowledge this to be the Revived Roman Empire, at least the headquarters of this GLOBAL world ruler known as the Antichrist. At the age of around 80 yrs old, Daniel is writing to the Jewish people concerning Jerusalem (the holy city) in Daniel 9.

A. See Dan 9:24-Seventy Weeks- “70 weeks” = 490 years based on the Hebrew word for weeks.
70 weeks years -70x 7= 490- This would be God’s timeline for the Jewish people.
In other words, Daniel looks almost 500 Years into the future.

B. See Dan 9:25 – God shows Daniel that the Jews would return to build the broken down walls in “seven weeks” or (7x 7= 49 years.) Notice “Messiah will be cut off” in 62 weeks or (62 x7 = 434 years).

Did these two prophecies come to pass? Yes. Precisely to the date. Nehemiah gives a record when the Jews we allowed to return from captivity to rebuild the walls (Neh 2:1-8). Dr. Randal Price renowned professor at Liberty University and archaeologists has noted that from March 5, 444 B.C. (the time of Nehemiah’s return) until the time “Messiah” ( March 30, 33 AD) would be 69 weeks x 7 weeks x 360 days (Jewish calendar – lunar) and would equal = 173,880 days.

Whereas the Jewish calendar is based on the lunar, our Gregorian calendar including leap years calculates to
173,880 days exactly. Needless to say, this is absolutely amazing! What does that tell us about our bibles? Bible prophecy?

These two predictions equals 483 years which have already been fulfilled. However, in the 490 years prophesied by Daniel, 7 years remain unfulfilled. These years (7) are yet to come in what is known as the tribulation. Please notice the focus is on the Jewish people not the Church, including the tribulation. That is one of many other reasons, this Pastor interprets the rapture as pretribulation (before the 7 years – the word “Church” is not mentioned from Rev 6-18 but the word “Israel” is 85% of the 30 times used in the book of Revelation).

2. What about Daniel’s prophecy that have yet to be fulfilled?

“27And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Dan 9:27)

This is a reference describing the Antichrist when he defiles the temple which Jesus makes reference (Matt 24:15) and Paul mentions as the Antichrist sits in the temple claiming to be God and desiring worship during the tribulation (2Thess 2:1-4).

Introduction: Do you ever plan ahead? How should we, as believers in Jesus Christ, live in the light of His promise to come again? Is there a balance? How can we both look to the future and yet be ready for the rapture? This devotion will address this dilemma. 

1. Does the brevity of Life seem UNFAIR?

As the Lord wills…. Planning and scheduling 

“13Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” (James 4:14-17)

The coming of the Lord draws near. “Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:8). James is saying when we plan, we need to realize this: “As the Lord wills…” We are not promised to live here on the earth, even tomorrow.

2. What about Unnecessary CARE?

“5Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?…. 34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Matt 6:25-34)

Try not to take on took much CARE in Planning for tomorrow! Jesus instructed His disciples to be LOOKING UP because our redemption draws near.

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28)

3. Can we Plan without Care because of the Absolute Power of PRAYER?

“And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. 41And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 42Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:39-42)

Paul writes to Titus explaining how we are to live in the light of Jesus’ coming, by LOOKING IN and LOOKING OUT while LOOKING UP!

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ…” (Titus 2:11-14)

Conclusion: Can we get overextended with planning? In other words, since we do not know the future, where do we draw the line? Praying and planning by saying, “as the Lord wills” is the proper way to being ready for Jesus to return but also planning for the future.

Introduction: Is the Bible just an ordinary book written by men? Or is it a supernatural book inspired by God the Holy Spirit? The latter is true. How can you know? Why should we believe? What makes it different? Can you defend your faith? 

1. First, the Scriptures claim to be inspired of God!

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2Tim 3:16,17)

“20Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2Pet 1:20-21)

2. Second, the Bible has stood the test of time!

“89For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.” (Psa 119:89)

3. Third, the message of the Bible has life changing power because the Author is Alive!

“12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb 4:12)

4. What other options does man have in this life?

“25There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Prov 16:25)

5. Do mere men have enough wisdom to look into the future and predict coming events with 100% accuracy?

“23But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.” (Mark 13:23)

6. Does God give believers guidance in the Scripture?

“130The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” (Psalm 119:130)

7. Does Science contradict the Bible?

“Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called.” (2 Tim 6:20)

The answer is No. Study the 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics and one can see that things are not increasing in order like the evolutionists claim, rather they are decreasing in order like the biblical model declares.

“1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Gen 1:1)

8. Can you intelligently explain why you believe in the Creationists model rather than Evolution?

“0For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” (Rom 1:20, 21f)

9. Why do people reject the Bible?

Because it exposes and condemns their sinful lifestyle.

Finally, according to the Bible, Jesus will come again!

Introduction: How many of you know that “being GOOD” does not get a person to heaven? In fact, in Luke’s gospel, we read just that. Our Lord Jesus Christ tells this account of two men in a parable. Does Jesus see you as PRIDEFUL or HUMBLE?

1. A GOOD man went to the temple to Pray!

“10Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” (Luke 18:10-12)

Granted, it is good to go to Church and pray. But often, if we are not careful, we can go to Church and fault-find others.
Or show up with a bad Attitude and leave with a worse Attitude. 

Honesty, because of our need for a GOOD SELF IMAGE, we have a tendency to brag about ourselves in a subtle way, or tell of all the good things we are doing, rather than focus on our flaws and faults. Furthermore, instead of seeing ourselves as Jesus sees us and repenting, we put on a front to be humble. 

However, this can be a major blunder when it comes to growing spiritually. The way UP is DOWN!

Humility is a trait that Jesus works in us as we become less dependent upon ourselves and more dependent upon His GRACE and MERCY toward us. Humility is the fruit of being BROKEN through adversity in this life. But eventually, remember….when we decrease, Jesus increases!

2. A BAD man was Justified!

“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” (Luke 18:13)

By the way, there is a “superficial” humility that is going around today. Some people pray humble prayers but their actions reveal the secret PRIDE that lurks underneath the surface, i.e. trying to impress others because of our inability to fight against SIN, and thus succumb to our FLESHLY APPETITES. Feeling convicted and guilty, we pray a self renunciation type of prayer to make us feel better, the whole time unwilling to make the changes the Holy Spirit calls for.

3. A Sinless SAVIOR gives the evaluation of the two men.

“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 18:14)

There is a “Spirit” of the Pharisees among us today. While the dress is different, the legalism is the same. People do not tell you they are going to heaven because of their GOOD works but their PRACTICE shows it! It is not necessarily what they DO, but rather it is what they DO NOT do! By that meaning, there is NO real surrender of their hearts or will to the will of God. Others tell you what they DO NOT do (smoke, drink, etc.). But the question is do they give Jesus control of their life (time, Church, money, family, service, etc.).

How many IDOLS have we accumulated, but guard them with our life! Be honest.

Introduction: How would you describe real FAITH? Having FAITH in the God of the Bible does not always mean
He will do everything we want Him to do. Rather, it means we TRUST His judgment – His will, because He is much WISER than we are. This does not mean this is passive FAITH. Some examples in Scripture reveal a contrast and comparison of biblical FAITH.

1. “Even If”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!

“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” (Dan 3:17,18)

These three Hebrew boys Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, were not going to BOW or BEND down to king Nebuchadnezzar’s idols. Thank God, they did not BURN!

Did you notice that Jehovah God delivered them “FROM” the fiery Furnace? Or should it be said, “IN” the fiery Furnace!
Please notice that those boys had determined whether they were saved or not – from the fire, they were not going to violate their conscience while disobeying their God.

2. “Even If”
John the Baptist!

Jesus said there was not a greater prophet than John the Baptist.

“Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist.” (Matt 11:11)

While in prison for preaching and taking a stand against Herod, John questions the credibility of Jesus being the Messiah.

“For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her. 18For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.” (Mark 6:17-18)

“2Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” (Matt 11:2)

Why did John ask this question? He had witnessed that heavenly scene when he baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.
In fact, he introduced Jesus as the “Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world”! (John 1:29)

Did he second guess? Was his FAITH faltering while going through the crucible? Ultimately, John was not delivered from prison, but rather had his head severed from his body.

“And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee; 22And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. 23And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom. 24And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. 25And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.” (Mark 6:21-25)

While God delivered the 3 Hebrew boys, He permitted Herod to have John’s head cut off.

“And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison, 28And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother. 29And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.” (Mark 6:27-29)

Did this mean that John just did not have enough FAITH in God? NO. It meant GOD’S WILL was supreme! Over our conveniences, preferences, and expectations, our Lord has a plan for our lives. We can TRUST HIM. “EVEN IF”…..it doesn’t make sense.

Conclusion: Some people turn away from trusting and serving the Lord when things do not go their way. Others get angry and mad. Don’t forget. God had only 1 Son without sin. But He never has had a son without suffering. So instead of saying, “WHAT IF!” We should begin saying, “EVEN IF”!