# What to do when the devil messes with you

Category: Fear & Worry
Key Passage: Luke 4
Speaker: Paul Chisgar
Date: June 7, 2024

And we’ve kind of changed gears on Sunday morning during this time instead of shaking of hands. We have a different person give a testimony. And Brother Matt Razor is going to give his testimony for us. I appreciate him. Come on, I appreciate him. I’m willing to do it. And it’s a very interesting story how God worked in their lives and get them in church here and whatnot. He’s going to tell that. I appreciate him doing that for us this morning.

Hey guys, how are y’all doing this morning? Pastor Paul was talking about a couple Sundays ago about being blessed. Well, I’m telling you what. Me, myself, I’m blessed to have a beautiful wife, two kids I can’t just talk about. And then I also have this church. And that is because of one man, well, let me say two men, the God, and…

Brother Duane, thank you. He came by my house when my kids were young and sobering. And I looked outside and I’m like, who is this guy talking to my kids? You know, some strange guy walking down in the neighborhood, y’all would be, who is this guy? So I walked outside. He goes, I hope y’all don’t mind. I’m talking to your kids about the Lord. I said, no, no, sir, go right ahead. Then my kids went to church.

Went to Sunday school for a while. Me and my wife were like, you know, we might need to look for a church. I said, you know what? I think we did. Kids come back, talk them up and storm about this church. So I’m like, you know, let’s go check it out. Thank the Lord. It’s like the church back in my home county, Brookridge County, Macedonia. It wasn’t a church. It was a family. And this is what this is. It’s a family.

And I’m so blessed to be part of this family. So I don’t want to talk too much. I can go on and on about being blessed. You all are blessed too to be a part of this church. And to have the Lord watching over us. It’s a great part to be. And I just want to say I’m blessed.

Thank you.

Number four in God’s Word. And I felt for several days God would want us to cover this briefly. But just try to pull out some things. But I don’t know exactly how to apply it all. So you pray that God would apply it in your heart like it needed to be. Would you do that? And Luke chapter number four, the title would be what to do when Satan is messing with you, what to do when Satan is messing with you.

I’ve seen a man come in this morning. I was glad. Just perchance I prayed for him last night. Said, hey, I prayed for you last night. He said, that’s good. He said the devil’s mess with us. I think that was his words for remember. He said, knock the Bible out of my hand coming in this morning. You know, and the devil do an awful lot of crazy things. You know, and but he’s a loser, amen.

Oh, we can do better about that. The devil’s a loser, amen. And he’s been lost. Christ beat him on the cross of Calvary, and he’ll let his share in the victory he won. But from time to time, what do you do? We’re talking about down here. What do you do when the devil, when Satan is messing with you?

Luke chapter number four, we’re going to start in verse number one. Luke four in verse number one. Would you please stand if you would? Just out of respect of the Word of God to get you awoke. Three of already fell asleep already anyway, so I get you woke up before I start preaching you fall asleep again. And y’all aren’t laughing this more. You’re smiling, but you’re not laughing. Come on now. We’ve got to get you loosen up a little bit there, you know.

How many have had one cup of coffee at least? How many? All right. How many have had two cups of coffee? All right. Those are ones that are at least smiling, you know. I mean, how many had five or more, you know? Brother Marlin, that’s why he’s bouncing off the walls back there, amen.

And Luke chapter number four in God’s word. The Bible says there, in Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan, and was led by the spirit into the wilderness. And being 40 days tempted of the devil. By the way, we often think at the very end Satan came and tempted him. He did, but he was tempted 40 days of the devil. It just wasn’t a brief little temptation. I think there’s so much more than I can grasp for sure. But he was being 40 days tempted of the devil. And in those days, he did eat nothing.

Well, that would wipe us Baptists out for sure, you know. 40 days without eating, come home. We can’t go over a day without fried chicken, so we’re in trouble, you know. Being 40 days tempted to the devil, and in those days he did eat nothing. When they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the son of God, commend this stone that it be made bread.

And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, that man should not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil taketh him up into an high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said in him, All this power will I give to thee and the glory of them, for that is delivered unto me, into whomsoever I will give it. If thou therefore will worship me, all shall be thine.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said at him, If thou be the son of God cast thyself down from hence. For it is written he should give his angels charge of thee to keep thee. And in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against the stone.

And Jesus answering said to him, It is set. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. And Jesus returned in power and the power of the spirit into Galilee. They went out of fame of him throughout all the region round about.

And would you go to the Lord of word of prayer and ask for him to speak to your heart as I do the same. Lord, thank you, Father, for great people that will come to your house. Lord, I believe they’re here. I believe they like to hear from you. Lord, I sure wish you had a better preacher here, Lord. I know there’s many that are better. But, Lord, for some reason, you’ve allowed, you won’t be here. So, Lord, would you speak through me and through the preaching of your word? And, Lord, would you do when only you can? Father, would you give every person to hear what they need from your word? And we’ll thank you, Lord. We’ll brag on you for what you do. Father, we’re asking for this in your son, Jesus, and then we pray and believe. Amen.

Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

Years ago, the church got me a very nice gift. Actually, they got me. I cannot remember if it was four or five flight hours. I mean learning to fly a plane. You say, wow. That’s when the planes were crashing a lot in Smyrna when I took those lessons. But they did, and in Smyrna Airport, I went over there, and I would go there, the trainer would be there with me, and I believe it was a Cessna 152, just a small plane. And it was five at the most flight hours. And…

But there’s a pre-trip to that thing. You’ve got to expect a lot of things on a plane before you take off from a plane. And I was learning all those things. It’s been years, so I cannot remember many of them. But I do remember it was a long task and labor some tasks. And every once in a while you think, man, this just takes so long. I mean, you’ve got to test everything on this plane. It seems like you’ve got to check the tires, actually the brakes on there. You look at the fuel gauge, but you don’t trust the fuel gauge because it may be also. You have to actually look and make sure the amount of fuel is in there the gauge says. You check and make sure the flaps are working properly and and when you turn in different things and you have to run the engine up to certain RPMs for, oh, I don’t know if it was a minute or how long you can keep him steady there and so on with the brakes on.

A lot of, Brother Cal back here, he is a pilot. He’s got his license and he’s got his instrument ratings and all those. He could tell you much, much better than I. But you go through all these different tests before you actually take off. And for an old country boy like me, I’m like, man, let’s just hop in the pickup truck and take off. You know, let’s go, you know.

And I remember the last, last time I went up with him in the small plane there. And it was a very, very windy day. That’s important to remember. And I went there, and the instructor said, all right, we’re going to do power stalls today. And…

That means when you get up, I can’t remember how high you don’t fly, course, as high as the commercial airline, maybe 7,000 feet, something like that. But once you get up, you actually throttle down as low as it’ll go, and then you put the flaps down on it, and that makes you very, very vulnerable. It’s a little bit simulating like your engine is stalling, and you’ve got to pull out of a stall and, you know, get things back going.

So here’s the thing. We’re up there. Praise the Lord, he’s over there. I’m here, you know, and we’ve throttle down and we put the flaps down. Remember, it was windy. I’m talking about it’s one of those days. The wind was blowing this way. You’re flying that way. You had to fly kind of like that to get that way because the wind just blowing so hard. And…

But we throttled down, put the flaps down, and all of a sudden a gust of wind came. Man, it took that little plane and just took us into a spin and a dive all at the same time. We just kind of started rolling, if you will. And you should have seen how much faith your pastor had, the brave man he was. I was so brave, I actually just throat stiff, scared after death. Praise the Lord, he had controls over there also. And he pulled us out of that thing fine. And he found out what I ate for breakfast. No, that didn’t happen. Came a little close. But I guarantee you during those minutes, I was very, very thankful that that plane had been tested.

Those life and death moments and your mind starts churning real quick. You’re like, I’m glad we tested so many things on this plane. Now, the reason why I tell that, friend, if you and I want to grow and want to fly for the Lord and soar and to be used by God, you’ll be tested.

I don’t like test. Never did. I didn’t like testing kindergarten. I didn’t go to kindergarten. But I didn’t like test through school through college. It’s part of it though. And if you, if you’re going to be used by God, if you’re going to soar for Christ, there’s going to be times that you are tested.

Jesus Christ had just been baptized. He’s coming from Jordan. He’s about to start really his public ministry for three and a half years there. And he’s filled the spirit and immediately, Mark tells him, immediately the spirit drove him into the wilderness. Why? To be tested.

Now, look at verse number 14, if you would, please. Look at verse number 14 here. Very interesting. He’s just starting, his public mission, and he’s tested. Now look at verse number 14. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee. And they went out of fame of him throughout all the region roundabout. And he taught in the synagogues and glorified of all. Now, before that happened, Jesus was tested.

Friend, if Jesus was tested, I would like to detour around the test. Anybody with me out there? I don’t like the test. But if Jesus was tested, who am I to say, Lord, I like to vote the test? That’s very interesting. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all talk, Mark very briefly, but all talk about the temptation. We call it the great temptation of Christ. All of them talk about it, but John does it.

Well, you see, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we call them synoptical gospels, but then Matthew describes Jesus as king, specifically king of Jews. I’m talking about it. He would have set his, and one day he will set his throne up on the throne of David in Jerusalem. Mark describes him as a servant. Luke describes him as a man. Now, here’s the thing. As that, he was tempted. Jesus was 100% man. And he was tempted. Tested, tried. John doesn’t describe that. John doesn’t give an account. Why? Because John describes Jesus as God. He was God. 100% God. And James 1:13 says, God cannot be tempted.

No need to tell about it because he’s God. You say, how can you explain 100% God and 100% man? I can’t. If I could, he wouldn’t be a real mighty God. You can’t figure it out. And if you could figure it out, he wouldn’t be a mighty God either. No, but he’s 100% man, 100% God. And as our example, Jesus, our example, he was tempted. He was tested. 40 days.

It’s amazing to me. Honestly, the way the Lord kind of led me to preach on this is just a couple of phrases. I want you to see it. It’s so interesting to me. Look in verse number five, Luke four. Look in verse number five. I’ve never noticed these until recently. Look in verse number five. The Bible says, and the devil taking him up into a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The devil taketh him up.

If you will, the devil had a little power, if you will. The devil taketh him up. Look down in verse number nine, verse number nine, and he, that’s the devil, and he, the devil, brought him to Jerusalem. Send him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, If thou be the son of God, cast thyself down from hence. But he brought him to Jerusalem.

You ever feel like the devil has got some some control of my life, the circumstances, and he’s just, you ever feel like that? The Bible says the devil took him. By the way, that lines up with the book of Job. Remember then, God is bragging on Job. He loses his children, temporary loss, but he loses 10 of them one time. Wow, I can’t imagine that. And then his finances and so on and eventually his health and even temporarily his wife’s support, she’s grieving too. But can I just read for you a little section of that when God is bragging on Job to the devil? And let me tell you what, let me just word what the devil said. He said, well, that’s because you put a hedge around him and I can’t touch him. So God said, all right. Let me read for exactly what God says, Job 2:6. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand. But save his life.

Now, friend, I’m saying, when you feel like, man, it’s just, I’ve got, I’m in a prison cell and it’s locked up, there’s no way out, and I got chains on me, and I’m just, something’s just beating on me, and I just can’t get out of, can I just say this? Hey, Jesus knows what you’re going through. Jesus has been there. You say, I feel like Satan has been allowed to do some things in my life, and I don’t stand it, I don’t like it, it breaks my heart, and I feel like everything in my world has been turned upside down, and I can’t make sense of anything. Can I just say Jesus understands? He understands. And if Jesus was tempted, can I remind you, friend, we’re going to be tempted?

Would you look at verse number one? We’ve already read it, but look back at verse number one there. Look for looking verse number one. And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Can I just say this is what I want to say? Jesus, of course, was not doing anything wrong.

Sometimes you say, I’m not doing anything wrong. It’s not because of sin in my life. And, friend, when things are going wrong, you ought to check up. God does chasing his children. And it could be, it could be God’s trying to get your attention. But sometimes as Jesus, he was full of the Holy Ghost of the Lord, let him, the Spirit, let him into that. You’re not doing anything wrong, but you’re going to be tempted. You’re going to be tested.

And you think, but why is this happening? And I don’t understand it. I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m trying to serve God. I’m not perfect, but I’m sincerely trying to seek God and follow God. Why? Jesus was there. He was not doing anything wrong. You ever look around and you say, man, it just seems like everywhere I look, everybody else is doing pretty good. Everything’s going wonderful for them, and my life is falling apart.

Frank, can I just say, Jesus knows what it’s like to be tested. He’s been there. Satan, yes, Jesus was God, and yes, he has all power given him in heaven and earth, but Satan was given a time or Satan could actually take him. What the Bible says, you believe the Bible.

And I’m saying, I’m saying Jesus understands these things. So if I’m to be maybe trusted and used by God with the most precious thing there is, people that God loves and gages his son for, if he’s going to trust me to have influence in their life, a good chance will be tested.

There’s a preacher and his children on the train years and years ago. Some of you heard me tell the story, and he had good kids. Man, they’re just very obedient. And yes, sir, and yes, ma’am, and he’ll do whatever mom and dad says and well-matter did all that. And, boy, the people on the train, they just love those kids. Well, man, that’s great. See, well-behaved kids, and they’re so good and so kind and so consider. All that. They’re just bragging away on the kids.

And then one of those kids messed up. And so dad said, well, got to go out back there, you know. Now on a train, you don’t go too far out back because we’re off the caboose. You know, that’s not a good thing. But it took that child out and, you know, like the one.

One lady took her child out there in middle of the service. Back of the day, they used to do this, you know, and the child was messing up, and so they took the child out and gave the child a weapon, brought it in, the child still messed up again. And so the pastor said, well, take that child out. Instead of rocking at this time, use another rock, you know. And, but anyway, that preacher took the kids out and spanked the kids and brought that child back in, and the child you could see had been crying and whatnot. Not abusing the child, but properly, properly as the Bible talks about. Writer and Proof, giveeth wisdom. Come on now.

But when those children came in on the train, and boy, you can see that child been crying, everybody started complaining. Oh, my kid, you believe they actually, they probably beat that kid out there, you know. It was all grandparents on the train. I understand those things, you know. Now that I’m a grandpa, I understand why God gives children to parents to raise, not grandparents to raise, you know.

Well, we’re all complaining, you know, just like a bunch of chickens, you know, pecking, you know, and I can’t believe you do that. Well, you can just hear them all, you know. The preacher kind of got fed up with it. And the preacher said this, he said, well, you all like the product, but you don’t like the ingredients. But you can’t get the product without the ingredients.

I like to be used by God. I like to soar with Christ. I like to be closer to him. I like to please him. But you can’t get the product without the ingredients. And Jesus himself before he went out in his public ministry, he was tested. And he was tried.

Let’s keep going a little bit farther down there saying. He wants you to know just a couple of things. Number one, what do you do when Satan’s messing with you? You remember you’ve got to be tested. There’s tests that come. Number two, number two. Would you look at verse number two, Luke four and verse number two? What do you do during that time? Verse number two, Luke four, the Bible says being 40 days tempted of the devil.

Can I just stop there and just say this? When you’re going through it, remember it’s only temporary. 40 in the Bible is often a number used for testing and trials. I don’t know what 40 would mean in your life. The Church of Smyrna over there in Revelation 2 and 3, the seven churches of Asia Minor, 10 days for them. I don’t know what it is for you. Somebody says, I’m glad there’s only three and a half more months of 2020 left, amen, you know.

I don’t know what 40 days means for you. The lady that touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, what was it? I believe 12 years for her. The man that pulled of Bethesda over there in John chapter 5, it was 38 years for him.

I don’t know at 40 days how long, but can I say this, even if it is for a lifetime, your testing? Even if it is till death comes knocking at you, can I say this in comparison to eternity? That’s very short. A million years from now, you’ll say, well, that was so temporary, that burden I had. That trial. I don’t know how long it may be for you, but, friend, it helps me so much when I can say, hey, this too shall pass. This is not going to last forever.

One day, he’ll wipe away the tears from our eyes if you’re a born-again Christian. One day there’ll be no more pain, there’ll be no more suffering, don’t be no more sorry. You’ll not have any worries and troubles and trials. One day, it’ll all be over one day, friend. I don’t know how long 40 days are for you, but friend, when you’re in the midst of the trial, when you say, hey, this thing is just temporary, temporary. This isn’t for eternity. This isn’t all said and done. It’ll be over one day.

What would you look over in Romans 8? Romans 8, such a great verse along this exact subject. Romans 8, wonderful verse. Some may need to memorize it. It’s just a great verse. Romans 8, verse number 18. Amen, Brother Dumpers there. Amen. Anybody else there, amen? Good deal. Romans 8. Look at verse number 18, if you would there. Great verse. He says, For I reckon, that proves it was a southern boy right there. You see that now? I’m going to preach the Bible whether you like it or not. I’m joking for you. He says, For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Oh, right now it hurts so bad. You said, preach, I feel like my heart’s just going to fall out of my chest. I hurt so bad. Everywhere I go, it hurts, and there’s no relief, and I wake up hurting, and I go to sleep hurting, and tears are just riding down the road, and all of a sudden tears just come, and I don’t know what to do about it all. Can I just say, friend, that’s temporary? For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time, they’re not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed.

Friend, even if it is to last for as long as you live down here or another, I don’t know, that sometimes is the case. But, friend, can’t remind you what is your life? It is even as a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanish to the way.

I think about some of those over there in Hebrews, chapter number 11, the Hall of Fame of Faith, and we don’t have time to look it up, but the first part talks about so many of the people you know, Abraham and Noah, and Enoch and so on and so on. But if you read that passage, you’ll come down and it begins to talk about those who are persecuted. And it says this and it says, And others. Now who’s that and others? It’s those you’ll never know their name. It’s those that down here on earth, never really, they didn’t see it down here on earth per cup. Maybe those were the ones that were martyrs of the catacombs. Maybe it was those that pulled of Bethesda. Jesus did heal that one man 38 years in infirmity, but there’s many others that didn’t get healed that day.

But it’s that group of people that God decided, hey, in your lifetime, you’re going to have suffering in it, and you’re going to have trials. And just sometimes you look at it and you say, I don’t understand, Lord, why they go through so much for so long and it lasts a lifetime sometime. Frank, can I say in the big picture, by the way, over there in Hebrews 11, he says the world is not worthy of them. That’s God’s opinion of them. God said, I’m going to take them out. They’re such great Christians. They don’t see it all right now. They’ll see it in heaven one day. But God says the world’s not worthy of those people right there. But, Frank, can I just say the sufferings of this present time? They’re suffering here. Not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed. Friend, even if it does last for a lifetime, friend, in the whole scheme of eternity, it’s temporary. This too shall pass.

The pain will be gone one day. One day you’ll be able to wake up and smile and it won’t be a put on. It’ll be real. I’m saying, friend, the trials and testings, they do come to even the best of Christians. Jesus went through it. But he had the joy on the side. You will too one day.

So what do you do when Satan’s messing with you? Number one, you realize, hey, you’re going to be tested sometime. Even Jesus was. Number two, remember, it’s only temporary. It’s only temporary. Number three, and we’re done. Won’t you just see this real quickly here? You’ll probably know this. Many of you know it. Look in verse number four. Verse number four, and Jesus answered him saying, what’s the next three words? It is written.

Look down if you go on verse number eight, verse number eight. And Jesus answered and said, him, get the behind me, Satan, for what’s the next three words? It is written. Good. Look down in verse number 12, if you would. Jesus answering, said at him, It is set. If you will, it is written.

Now, here’s what I’m getting at. Hey, when Satan’s messing with you, remember the promises of God are still true. They’re still real as they ever were. They’ll hold up even when Satan’s messing with you. That promise over there in 1 Corinthians 10:13, he cannot put something on you. You can’t handle it if it does. God will give you the strength that you can bear it. That’s still true, friend. That may be the promise you need during those times.

I’m saying when you’re being tested, every time Jesus overcame the devil by the Bible, by the Word of God, by the promises of God, and during those times say, I’m going to hang on to that book during those times of trials. Never let them go. You know, Ephesians 6 calls it the sword of the spirit.

I am if we came to church and about five of you guys had a sword and I wanted to describe one of those swords I’d say well that’s a sword of Scots, you know, that’s that’s Christian sword, you know. And the Bible Ephesians 6 calls this sword the sword of the spirit.

Now say that to say it’s amazing. When I seek and I ask and I say, Holy Spirit, I need a verse. I’ve got to have something to carry me through. We often quote Romans 10:17, a great verse, so then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Very interesting, that Word of God, usually word, the Greek word, is Logos. Actually, over there, Romans 10:17, it’s not Logos, it’s Rima. Rima, how do you want to say it? And it’s a little different, if you help. That’s what Rima means. It has to do with, oh.

Strong says it this way, an utterance. It’s like the Spirit of God gives you a word and utterance from the Word. And when the Spirit of God leads you to a promise, boy, that gives you faith. You have a lot of faith to face that time of trial.

My friend, I sell that to say, when you’re going through trials, it’s so important that you go to this spirit of God. You know a sword, if a guy has a sword. In fact, the devil used a sword if you notice that. The devil tried to quote somebody, he did quote some Bible verses that Jesus. Misusing them. But if someone, if you give a sword to a five-year-old, he’s lopper to cut his fingers off. I mean, that lop would look like pastor after a while, you know. Or hurt somebody, you know, the wrong person. But you give a sword to experienced swordsmen, if you will. Man, they can protect and take care and when you go to the spirit of god and say, hey, would you give me something from your word? I’m hurting right now. I need some help. It’s amazing how the spirit of god can speak to you through his word when you’re sincerely. You might have to get right with the Holy Spirit and say, hey, I’ve sinned. I need to confess and need to get some things right.

It’s amazing when I’m hurting sometimes and I need something. Boy, the Holy Spirit says, I want to talk to you. I’ve got everything you need, but we need to clear some things up. It’s amazing how that sometimes God uses that to get me right with Him. Boy, then the Spirit of God, it can give you just the promises you need.

I think about us purchasing the land over there. Many of you, you know, you’re with us through the whole process. But when we’re kind of looking at that land and we thought, man, that thing is way bigger than us, and it is. God gave me Revelation 3:8. I believe our former banner had it up there from last year. Remember that, Revelation 3:8? It’s speaking to the church of Philadelphia, but boy, the spirit used it to speak to me. This is what it says, Revelation 3:8, “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee, and open door. No man can shut it.”

I preach on it all. Remember, I preach on those, all we have to do is three things. For thou hast little strength. Well, we knew we were there. Just keep humble. For thou hast little strength and has kept my word. We don’t want to change. We don’t want to lower our standards. We don’t want to be people pleasers. We want to be God pleasers. It’s little strength. If we’re honest, we know that’s us for sure. Little strength kept in his word and has not denied my name. Oh, but God keep talking about the name of Jesus. I’m so glad it seems like some of our people here recently just got back to spread the name of Jesus everywhere they go and I love that. Such a good thing. It has not denied my name. You get the name of Jesus out. God says, I can open the door, nobody can shut it.

Can I just confess a little bit? That verse kind of carried me through us purchasing that property. Then recently, you know, you’re right in the middle of it too. But that daycare had listed those two acres. And boy, we’re so excited and God’s working there. And God was and is working there. But man, I got that phone call. And a real estate agent said the daycare’s backed out. I only got drunk one time from that, folks. Now I’m teasing. I probably shouldn’t joke like that. I did not, of course.

When I told someone, I told my wife, I said, our people are doing so good about it. And she said, well, that’s probably because you’re doing good about it. And said, well, they don’t know how I really feel about that thing. And God gave me a verse. First that’s when it’s 5:24, been my verse on that. I haven’t thought about it in years. I’ve memorized it years ago, but haven’t thought about it. It says, Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. And I know God’s led us into that. But yet, thanks. We got tested. We’re tested right there on that one, you know.

God gives a verse. Well, that verse is just kind of sustain me through that process a little bit. Hey, God’s, I know God’s let us into that thing. Too many things God’s did to make it happen. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. He’ll do it. That’s giving me faith through that.

And then we shared the building plans last week, by the way. You can go on our YouTube channel, look at that video about the new building anytime you want to check it out. But that process, we’ve we’ve remodeled a whole lot of buildings and expanded over the years, all that stuff. But we’ve never built. I’ve never built from ground up and all those different details and you know people involved and I think Lord, I’m a simple country boy. I don’t know about all that stuff, you know. I don’t know. I don’t know how we’re going to do all that stuff there. And God’s gave me a verse. It’s been, oh, the last couple of weeks, been my verse, Psalm 32:8. I’m still memorizing it. I haven’t gotten studied up real good like I want to, them blah, but I’ll preach on it pretty soon. I don’t know, maybe tonight.

But it says this, it says, I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shall go. I will guide thee with mine eye. Man, that’s been exactly what I need. God says, hey, I’ll instruct you. Yeah, you are a simple-minded country boy. You sure are. That’s all you.

Miss Dumpers told English, and we had the privilege of visiting with the other night, and we left, and I said, now let me apologize right before we ever get going. I apologize for my southern language instead of English, you know. And she said, I’ll forgive you this time, but not next. No, she didn’t say that. She didn’t say that. But God said, I’ll instruct you, I’ll teach you, I’ll guide you, and that’s been what I needed.

Now sell that to say, God’s got what you need for what you’re going through, the Holy Spirit. He’s got a verse of promise. It’s like when God speaks to you, when the Spirit speaks to you, it’s like, man, that promise right there is for me right now. It gives you faith like nothing else.

You’re going to be tested as part of it. Nobody likes it. And when Satan’s going to mess with you, if you live in the midst of it, you say, hey, Jesus went through the trials. I’m going to go through trials. When you’re going through, remember, hey, this thing’s temporary. If you’re a born-again Christian, praise the Lord, we’ve got millions and millions of years of joy. And don’t forget the promises. Every time Jesus said, It is written. It is written. It is said.

I haven’t ever heard of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. You heard of Spurgeon before, you know, Spurgeon. Let me just read for you a little time when God gave him a verse. So fitting for 2020. Just so fitting. I’ll read it for you. Do my best.

In the year 1854, when I’d scarcely been in London 12 months, the neighborhood in which I labored was visited by aesthetic. Calaria, am I saying that right? Whatever they said, that’s what it is. And my congregation suffered from its inroads. Family after family summoned me to the bedside of the spitting. Almost every day I was called to visit the grave. I gave myself up with youthful order to visitation of the sick. It was sent from all corners to the district to persons of all ranks and religions. I became weary in body and sick at heart. My friends seemed falling one by one. I felt or fancied that I was sickening like those around me. A little more work and weeping would have laid me low among the rest. I felt that burden was heavier than I could bear. And I was ready to sink under it.

As God would have it, I was returning warmly home from a funeral when my curiosity led me to read a sign in a shoemaker’s window in the Dover Road. It did not look like a trade announcement, nor was it, for it bore in a good, bold handwriting these words: Psalm 91:9 and 10. “Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge; even the most High, thy habitation: There shall no evil before thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” The effect upon my heart was immediate. Faith appropriated the passage as her own. I felt secure, refreshed, girt with immortality. I went on with my visitation of the dying in a calm, peaceful spirit. I felt no fear of evil and I suffered no harm. God gave him the verse he needed.

Original File: What to do when the Devil messes with you - Pastor Paul Chisgar 92020 am