# The best way of handling hard times

Category: Suffering, Trials & Burdens
Key Passage: 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Speaker: Paul Chisgar
Date: June 7, 2024

Back in the day, all medicine tasted awful. Some of you older people don’t say amen to that.

I have not had this—oh, I want to say privilege, but I don’t know if I’d call it that. I’d be lying. I’m in church, amen. But I’ve never had to take castor oil. How did we ever have to take castor oil? Raise your hand. Oh, wow, wow. You just dated yourself. How many of you got sick and your mom or your dad or somebody said, “Hey, you need to take the little castor oil,” you know?

How many said that’s the awfulest tasting stuff in all the world? And what it does to you is awful too, you know. It’s awful everywhere you look at it. And I feel a little bit like that this morning. It is, by the way, I for sure have not lived up to what I’m going to preach today. You know, sometimes it’s what they call easy preaching, hard living, you know.

Preaching is just one sinner preaching out a bunch of other sinners, you know. I’m not saying I got it all together and I’m doing this, but I will say it’ll make you better.

And I will say, if you put into practice what the Bible says, it’ll help. Here’s the title of the message: The Best Way to Handle Hard Times. Right? It’s going to be biblical. It’s not pastor’s opinion here. It’s not Pastor-ology. This is Bible-ology right here, amen. But the best way to handle hard times, all right?

Look, don’t get mad at me. The Lord is the one that told me to preach it, amen. And I just got to obey the Lord, all right? But the Lord keeps leading me this way, and I can say, “Lord, that’s a tough one for them right now, whatever they’re going on.” And the Lord says, “Yeah, but it’ll help them handle it a whole lot better. It’ll just take the medicine. It’ll help you, I promise, if you put it to practice.”

I have had to work at, and I’m still working on, putting it into practice, all right? Would you please stand as to read God’s Word? First Thessalonians 5. Now you’re very curious, aren’t you? You’re actually listening now. Look at that. If I tell you the verse, you’ll know. You’ll know. And I’ve seen Miss Cotora coming up, and I thought she’s not going to sing one of those high-note specials. She’s about to have a baby, you know.

Brother Anthony, Miss Gator just stood up, and I saw Brother Anthony reach his hand over on her stomach, and they’re talking about the baby moving or something. I don’t know. So if they leave, they’re about to have a baby, folks. I tell you what, you know. Verse number 18, 1st Thessalonians 5 and verse number 18. You’re looking now. You’re not listening, you’re looking at the verse. Here’s what God says: “In everything, give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Now, let me clarify the last part. That doesn’t mean that everything that happens is God’s will. It doesn’t mean that. It means for you to give thanks about everything is God’s will for you. Somebody said, “I want to know God’s will for my life.” I tell you, one of God’s wills for your life is for you to give thanks about everything. That’s what it’s teaching.

Sometimes you’ve got to check your theology. I had to years ago when a young couple came and some little children had been molested, and the wife was bitter over it and trying to get past it. Praise the Lord. And some comments I had made before, I had to kind of check my theology when they… You know, pastors can give all the answers when everybody’s there, but when they leave you… I think that was that, right or not?

And I had to rethink some things. And biblically, it’s not saying everything happens by God’s will. It’s saying it’s always God’s will for you to give thanks for whatever’s going on. But that first little phrase, I believe the Lord wants us to focus on it. It’s that first phrase there: “In everything, give thanks.”

God can say so much in so little, and it takes the pastor three hours to say what God said in just a line there, you know. Somebody said, “Well, let’s just read the line and pray and go home. God already said it,” you know.

Would you say that line with me out loud, just that first little phrase there? Here we go. Would you say? Here we go: “In everything, give thanks.” Would you do it one more time? Here we go: “In everything.”

Let’s pray. Lord, we sure need your help. Lord, not only in the message. Father, help me to deliver it like you want. But, Lord, we sure need your grace and your help in putting it into practice. Father, thank you. You always do know the medicine we need. And, Lord, help us do it, take it and digest it, and to put it to practice. And Father, we’ll thank you. We’ll praise you, brag on you for what you do in Jesus’ name we ask. Amen. Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

Just that little phrase, “In everything, give thanks.” We’ll pull out several different words. The first words we want to pull out, he says, “In everything.” Would you finish it off? Can I just say, it doesn’t say in everything, be thankful? It doesn’t say that. It doesn’t say that.

I’ll be honest with you, if it said that, I don’t think that I can always, every time, obey. And I believe every command God gives in the Bible, God gives the resources for us to obey. It says, “In everything, give thanks.” You say, “What do you mean by that?” Let me give you a personal illustration. I’ve been battling it just like you’ve been battling it for the last couple of days.

And last night, my wife and I were sitting on the couch, and I’ll tell you what, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. It wasn’t because she had hit me so much, all right? That wasn’t the reason. You heard about the guy. He said him and his wife got in a fuss or fight, and he said, “I hadn’t seen her in two weeks since then.” He said, “After that, my right eye started opening up just a little bit,” you know. It wasn’t that thing, you know. But I went to bed early, so…

I woke up early because I went to bed so early, you know. And anybody wake up with the mulligrubs on top of you? I don’t know about you, but I just wake up sometimes, and I stand up, and my wife, she doesn’t have to sweep the floors on days like that because my bottom leg drags the floor. I just clean up the whole floors around the house because my bottom lip is hanging so low, you know. You just wake up like that, you know. I kind of woke up like that, battling it just…

Probably like all of us are, you know. And I went down to my garage. Now, the Lord had already told me several days ago what to preach today. And I said, “Lord, that’s tough for them.” And that’s tough for me. And the Holy Spirit said, “Hey, bud, you need to put into practice what you’re about to preach.” And I said, “Well, as bad as I don’t want to preach it, I don’t want to live it either. It’s hard to do that right now.”

But I began to give thanks. Now, I’m not saying my heart was thankful at that moment. It wasn’t. My heart was in the mulligrubs, you know. I mean, the castor oil disease had attacked me. I had it bad, you know. But it’s amazing when it began to give thanks.

Middle of the morning, you know, it was very early in the morning in that old garage. I even—it was hard for me to say—but I even said, “Thank you, Lord, for the way this crazy election is going.” I wasn’t saying I like it. I don’t like it. I think there’s a whole lot of issues and corruption and everything else going on. I’m not saying I like it, and I’ve told the Lord about that many a time, like you probably have. All right?

But I said, “Lord, I don’t understand it. I’m not saying I like it, but thank you for this crazy thing.” By the way, isn’t it fitting for the end of 2020 for it to be like this, you know? I mean, if something would have done normal in 2020, we’d think something’s wrong, you know. It can’t happen like that. But I said, “Thank you.” And I just began to thank him for everything.

And I began to thank him. “Thank you, Lord.” I remember months ago when we made up our fall calendar, that little handout we’ve handed out. And we said, “Now all these things are pending,” you know, with COVID and everything else going on. Who knows? And so far, every one of those things we’ve been able to fulfill. And we were, remember, we were praying, “Lord, would you help with this fall schedule? Would you help us maybe get back on our feet as a church, get our feet underneath us, and maybe we can even move forward a little bit later on?” Man, I’m going to thank you, Lord. Man, you really have helped our church to get its feet back on the ground. By the way, you think about the new people that came. What a blessing they’ve been. They brought a fresh air to our church. If we get all the old people back with the new people, we’d be doing pretty good, you know. And I’m going to thank the Lord for our fall and how…

You know, we’ve had different people here and there have COVID, we really have. But it’s not swept through our church. It has in many churches. It could have here.

And I began to thank the Lord. Man, it really has been beautiful here lately with all the leaves turning. Hasn’t it been pretty? And I began to thank the Lord just for so many different things. I won’t remember them all, but just some more I began to thank, giving thanks, even though my heart wasn’t there. After a while, you know what? My heart started getting there.

And after a while, even with the election going like it is and all the corruption and everything else, after a while, after a good little bit amount of time giving thanks, pretty soon I began to get thankful. And my spirit began to get up. And I began to get excited about church and God’s Word and the promises in heaven, amen.

Now look, he says “give thanks.” If it was “be thankful,” that’s—I would just say, man, that’s not doable for me right now. But I can give thanks.

It’s interesting when the Bible talks about giving thanks or anything being grateful, and continuous of that, it’s amazing how he’ll—he’ll somebody let you know he’s talking about giving thanks. Let me read a couple verses. You don’t look them up if you would. Let me read a couple. I’ll read for you: Ephesians 5:20, “Giving thanks.” Didn’t say “be thankful.” “Giving thanks always for all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Psalm 34:1, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my what?” That’s giving thanks. Let them tell your heart there. Now, I want it in your heart. He’s talking about always in my mouth. Colossians 3:17, “And whatsoever ye do in word, if your tongue, your mouth, or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.”

I’m talking about the comparison here, being thankful, giving thanks with your tongue, with your mouth. Hebrews 13:15, “By Him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, all the time, continually. That is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” So he says, “In everything, give thanks.”

And I’m telling you, it’s not—it’s hard to do it first. It’s like when they would take that spoon, you older folks know, that spoon of that stinking castor oil, and they’d put it up to your mouth, and they say, “It’ll make you better.” And you say, “If that’s the cost, I don’t want to get any better.” And I say, “If you don’t, Dad’s going to come in here and hold you down and hold your mouth open.” Bring him on in. No.

There was a wagon train traveling west, of course, going to Oregon. And it had been hard. Water and grass that they could feed their cattle and everything was just very scarce. Some of the wagons were broken down, and their traveling was delayed, and just everyone was getting depressed. The morale was just super low.

So finally they said, they said, “Look, we’re just going to stop, and we’re going to just have to have a meeting and air it all out. There’s so much gruntled and depression and discouragement. We’ve got to just have a meeting. Get it all out.” And so they did. They stopped that night. They got in a meeting. They’re going to air it all out.

And one man said, “Hey, before we get going, could I say a word?” And that’s what he said: “Before we do anything else, I think we should first thank God that we have come this far with no loss of life, with no serious trouble with the Indians, that we have enough strength left to finish our journey.” They stopped.

They prayed and thanked the Lord. They said, “All right, who’s got a concern they want to air out?” And nobody said a word. And they went on their journey with a good spirit.

Because they gave—help me out—finish it off, would you please? “In everything, give thanks.” Give thanks.

Now, let’s look at another word. We’re going to move along pretty quickly here, I believe, this morning. “Everything, give thanks.” Here’s the next word. In—what’s the next word? “In everything.” Everything. Help me out.

What does everything include? Everything. Even when you got a hang-up, everything. Even when you got a bad hair day, everything. Even when bills come in—whew, I don’t like it either. It says everything.

You know, one of the best things that ever happened to me after I lost my fingers in the accident was when I said, “Lord, I understand it, I don’t like it, but thank you.” One of the best things that ever happened to me was when I just got to the point where I said, “Thank you.” I’m not saying I was thankful at the moment, but I gave thanks.

Everything. In everything. In everything. You have things. Maybe you heard me tell this story before. I probably told it here. I know I told it a few years before. But The Hiding Place. Corrie ten Boom wrote that. How many of you read that book, The Hiding Place? Great book. Great book. And they would hide Jewish people.

The Nazis were coming in and trying to kill the Jews and put them in concentration camps and whatnot. And actually, the family that was hiding them, they had a watch and a clock store, and they’d hide them. But anyway, the Germans came in and found out they were hiding Jewish people. So they put much of the family in concentration camps. And that book is about their time, for the most part, in the concentration camps.

Corrie ten Boom talks about her and her sister were in Ravensbrück. How many of you—maybe some of you have been in the military in Germany? Have you been to Ravensbrück, the concentration camp? Maybe visited there before? Anybody visited there? Mom has? Anybody else? But there, I swear she was at. And she said the barracks—the soldiers, the guards would come in there and they would regularly take them out and torture them. And as ladies, sometimes take the ladies out. In fact, Corrie had such a hard time not being bitter when they would come and take her sister out and do horrible things to them.

The barrack they were at, they would come in regularly and take them out and just abuse them and do horrible things to them. And then they came in one day and said, “We’re moving you out of this barrack to Barrack 28,” if I remember right. So they moved them over there to Barrack 28. Well, the thing there was that Barrack 28 was infested with fleas, if I remember right, bedbugs and all the rest of that.

You know, ladies had to move in there, and it was horrible. I mean, just horrible. And here’s the thing: Betsy would tell her sister, Corrie, “We’re supposed to give thanks in everything.” And Corrie would be like, “I can’t thank God for all these fleas and these bedbugs. I just have a hard time doing that.” And Betsy said, “No, no, no. The Bible says in everything, give thanks.”

We’re like, “Betsy, come on, man. Give thanks about fleas and everything else.” And Betsy would say, “Well, that’s what the Bible says.” Well, they noticed in Barrack 28 the guards didn’t come in very much. And the line—just glad for it. It wasn’t until a good while later on down the road they found out that the guards didn’t come into Barrack 28 very much because of all the fleas and bedbugs.

They didn’t know it. Betsy was just trying to follow the Bible: “In everything, give thanks.” Even for fleas and all that? Yes, yes. God had a purpose for having that there. You’re not going to understand all the purpose many, many times, maybe not until you get to heaven. But the Bible says, “In everything, give thanks.”

The best way to handle a hard time is give thanks in everything. That’s what the Bible says. Everything. Just give thanks. This morning I went in the garage and I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to do it, but I had to just start giving thanks. You know what? I thanked God for it. This was a hard one for me. I don’t know about you, but this was a hard one. I had to thank God.

Several times I had to thank God that those two acres haven’t sold yet. I don’t like it. I got my will. It had been sold for about $3 million a long time ago. It hasn’t. But “In everything, give thanks.” I mean, no matter what it is.

Give—it doesn’t mean your heart’s there at the time, but you give thanks. I don’t do it as much as I should, but sometimes when that disease is there, and man, I’m infected real bad with that poochy lip disease, you know, and my bottom lip was just way down there, you know. When I’m there, sometimes the Holy Spirit just beats me over the head. Finally, I listen, you know. And I’ll be driving down the road, and I’ll just—I try to put this—

Everything I see, I’ll thank God for. “Thank you for the roads. We’ve got good roads.” If you don’t think we have good roads, we have a visitor here from Chicago, and he can tell you we have good roads. I’ve lived up there. It’s true. Man, I’ve got those snowplows everywhere in Region Four. But I mean, I thank God for the roads. I thank God for the grass. I’ll thank God for the trees. Thank God if there’s rain, for the rain, for the clouds, whatever.

Brother Fontaine told me this: If I see a buzzard eating dead animals over there, I say, “Thank you, Lord, that’s your automatic trash cleanup right there.” I mean…

I mean, just thank you for everything. And the more I just think of everything I see—I mean, even if I see someone riding along in a vehicle and they have like the enemy, you know, bumper sticker like Georgia or Arkansas that beat us yesterday or whoever it may be—I’ll even thank you, Lord, for our enemies, you know. But I’ll try to thank you for everything I see.

“Thank you, Lord, for this,” you know, car, truck, whatever. I mean, it just—and the more I do that, after a while, man, the best thing you can do in hard times: give thanks about everything. “In everything, give thanks.”

My family, we should do this a lot when the kids are home. My wife and I have had to do it. But we’ll just say, “Hey, we’re just going to go around the room and everybody’s got to say something they’re thankful for.” All right, you’re starting off. “Thank you for this.” It’s amazing how us Christians, we always get our set thing: “Thank you for my salvation.” That’s not fair, you know, because you can’t do the same thing twice.

You’re like, everybody says that one. You know, that’s Bible. You stole that one. And then in our family, one of the next things: “Thank you for our dogs,” you know, we always think. And after a while, everybody stole everything. You got to start thinking about what am I thankful for? And it’s amazing after a while, giving thanks about everything—it’ll change you.

Yes, yes, we can go through hard times and live in the mulligrubs. I’ve been there many a time. Or, or we can just kind of go ahead and take the castor oil. Tastes awful, but it helps.

“In everything, everything, everything, give thanks.” One more word and we’re done. One more word and we’re done. Help me out. Look back at that. Look back at that. Would you please? Back—tell me out. What’s the first word of this verse? That’s important. That’s why we don’t want anybody messing with the Bible, by the way. Every word is important. Here’s what I like to do: Once it’s all over and I can understand it a little bit better, then I give thanks. But that’s not what he said. Right smack dab in the middle: “Give thanks.”

Corrie, she’s like me. “Thank you for fleas.” Now, once it’s over and she understood why God did that, or I’ll give thanks. That’s better than no thanks at all, right? It really is.

But the best way, the best way—and I’m not always there, for sure—but the best thing is right smack dab in the middle of hard times: give thanks. “In everything, give thanks.” I’m not there. But when I do get there, I sure can handle the hard times a whole lot better.

I sure am a better testimony for the Lord when I give thanks in the middle of everything. By the way, often that’s when people are really watching—when you’re right in the middle of hard times.

“In everything.” Matthew Henry, he wrote a set of books called Commentaries. Most of you know what that means. It just helped you understand the Bible. How many have ever read, or whether it be on computer or actual books, how many ever read Matthew Henry’s commentary? Have you ever checked that out? See what it has to say? Sure. Maybe the most used commentary over the years there is Matthew Henry.

Matthew Henry was mugged at one time. Somebody mugged him and took all his money. And he said a few words about that. And let me read for you. This is what he said. He said, “Let me be thankful first because I was never robbed before.”

“Second, let me be thankful because although they took my wallet, they didn’t take my life.” I thought it was going to say that even though they took my wallet, they didn’t take much—wasn’t much in there, you know.

“Third, let me be thankful because although they took my—oh, here it is, I’m sorry—because although they took my all, it was not much.” I thought it was in there somewhere.

“And fourth, I like this one, this is one that stuck with me. And fourth, let me be thankful because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.” “In everything, give thanks.”

I like to be Corrie, after it’s all over, then I’ll give thanks. And that’s all right. But I’ll probably be miserable going through it. Poor testimony. Probably won’t be much help for my wife, for my kids. Probably won’t be a whole lot of help for you as a pastor in the middle of it.

Or I can just say, “Lord, boy, that doesn’t taste good.” I was trying to think of bad-tasting medicine this morning used to have. I wasn’t there for the most part. I don’t think I’ve ever had castor oil. But help me out, some of you wiser people. This kept coming to my mind. Help me out if this was valid or not: Cod liver oil. Have you ever had to take cod liver oil? Anybody?

Yeah, some of you folks are shaking. Okay, all right. Did that taste like cherries or some strawberries or something like that? I’ve heard stories. I’ve never been there where they take that big shrub back in the day and they would—they had rub that on you and they say, you know, if you had any hair there or anything, it wasn’t there after a while, you know. I’ve heard stories like that. Or liniment. Boy, you can smell that a mile coming, you know. I’ll tell you what.

Here’s saying all that medicine. But I’ve heard a lot of people say, “Man, they put that big rub stuff on there. It stunk and it burned, and all the next morning, you’re better, though.” Brother Fontaine’s the only one that testifies. I’m not saying I practiced it like all two. This morning I was trying, and it sure helped me.

I don’t like it either, folks. I’m just being honest with you. But I know according to God’s word, the best way, the best way to handle hard times is “In everything, give thanks.”

Would you bow your heads and close your eyes, please? Our heads are bowed, our eyes are closed. If you’re there and you say, “Preacher, I’m going to work at this thing. I’m going to work at this thing at giving thanks right in the middle of hard times. I’m going to work at this thing right in the middle of hard times. I’m going to try to give thanks.” If that’s you this morning, you slip your hand up. “Preacher, right in the middle of it, I’m going to work at this thing, giving thanks. I’m trying to.” So all the masters, let’s just try. God bless your soul. Many, many of my hands.

I’m going to ask you this. Thank you so much. You can put your hands down. I’m going to ask you this in just a moment. We’re going to all stand. And I’m going to pray. As soon as I say amen, we’re going to sing an invitation. Brother Anthony just sing it. And I’m going to ask us this invitation: Let’s just all participate. It’d be great for a good number. It’d be great for a vast majority of our church to get on our knees, come to the old-fashioned altar, wherever it may be, and just give thanks.

You say, “Right now, the way things are?” Yeah. Yeah. “In everything, give thanks.” I believe it would do something to our spirit, heart. It’s been good. I know our people have been working at it. I can see that. Best way to handle hard times: “In everything, give thanks.”

Maybe you hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, there’s some tough times that I look back in my life and I’ve never—I’ve never—and it’s going to be hard for me to do it, but I’m going to work at giving thanks even about that situation, that time.” I understand it’s not easy, but can I say that’s part of the pathway to healing?

And maybe you hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, there’s a certain situation in my life, and the Holy Spirit’s impressed me I need to give thanks for even that time, that situation in my life.” I spoke right now. “I’m going to work at that. I’m going to work at that.” If that’s you this morning with their heads bowed and eyes closed, “Preacher, there’s a specific time, thing, a situation, maybe in the past in your life, I’m going to work to give you thanks about that. God spoke to my heart about that.” Would you slip your hand up, preacher? “I’m going to work with that.” God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God—that’s important. God bless you. I’m not saying you like it. Oh, I understand. No, no. I’m going to try to follow your Word, Lord, in faith. That does take faith. In God’s pleasing with faith. Thank you so very, very much. Thank you. Put your hands down. Thank you so very much.

I did not mention it, but the most important thing is salvation. If you are saved, you really can give thanks in everything. You’ve got heaven to look forward to. You’re on the winning side. But if you’re not saved…

It’d be pretty much impossible to give thanks. Maybe you hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, I’m not saved, or I don’t know that I’m saved.” If that’s you, I’d love to be a help. I’d love to be a help if I can be. I’d love to pray for you. You hear this morning, you said, “Preacher, I don’t know—I don’t know that I’m saved. I’m not saved. I really can’t be in everything, give thanks, because I don’t know I’m going to heaven.” If that’s you right where you’re at, with their heads bowed and eyes closed, if that’s you, would you slip your hand up? “Preacher, I don’t know that I’m going to heaven.” If that’s you, would you slip your hand up if you’re not sure? You slip it up if you’re not sure.

In just a moment, we’re going to all stand. We’re going to pray. As soon as I say amen, we’ll sing a song. As soon as that song starts singing, if you’re not sure about heaven, you’re home, there’ll be a man standing down front here, and there’ll be a man standing in the back. Would you go to one of those men, tell them, “Hey, I need to make sure I’m going to heaven”? They’ll help you. They’ll show you from the Bible how you can know for sure you go to heaven. Hey, Christians, let’s just put this thing into practice this morning. A great time to work at this thing, to start as in the invitation.

Would you please stand? Would you please stand right where you are? I’m going to pray. As soon as we say amen, would you come? Just start giving thanks. Would you do that? As soon as we say, don’t wait for anybody else. You come. As soon as we say amen, you come. Lord, thank you for your Word. It’s so wise. Help us, Lord. You’re such a gracious, merciful God. Help us to take the medicine, if you would, Lord.

Help us to put it into practice. I need that, Lord. Help these dear people to put your great—your great truth—into practice this morning during the invitation. We’ll thank you, Lord, for what you do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Would you come as we sing? Would you come? Let’s just give thanks. That’s right. That’s good. The good of just your church family, “In everything, give thanks.” Let’s just work at it right now. Let’s just give thanks right now. That’s good. That’s right. It’ll help you. Best way to live your life. Had a hard time. Hey, let’s just right now in your mind start going through the inventory. I’ve got so much to be thankful for, Lord. Heaven.

It’s got problems, but a great country, church, brothers and sisters in Christ, forgiveness, cleansing, prayer, and everything. Even the tough times, Lord, thank you for that. A hard time. That’s tough, Lord, but thank you. I trust you, Lord. Oh, it’ll—best way to handle hard times right there. Take your time. You’d be thankful to them. Would you please? To Jesus, I surrender. I bow worldly pleasures all forsaken. Take me, Jesus, take me now. Jesus, I surrender. Make me saved your spirit.

For years have known about Brother Tom Kent, his wife, as Kent, and pastored here. It used to be Calvary Baptist Church. Calvary Baptist Church used to be where the Nissan plant is. How many of you folks, you’re dating yourself in a lot of different ways. How many remember Calvary Baptist Church, but it’s by the Nissan plant? How many remember that? I’ve heard that. I’m not that old. No, I didn’t live here then. But years ago, Brother Tom Kent pastored there for years and years, Calvary Baptist Church, and he’s been a Christian school principal, and he just served the Lord. When I really got acquainted more with the Kents, he was the president of the Senior Citizens of Smyrna. They have a get-together by the library, and he was the president of it. He was having a Christmas party, and he said, “Look, the reason why I’m… you know, president,” I can’t remember all over it, but he said, “because this Christmas party, I want to have somebody come in there and present the gospel.” And he said, “I’m the president. You come in there. You can say whatever. I’m the president, and you present the gospel.” I don’t know, a couple hundred seniors in there. And the Town Hall was murder over there. We presented the gospel. It was a city event, amen. And we got the gospel in there. And anyway…

But I love it. It’s just been focused about trying to win souls all these years. And a couple Sundays ago, they just came in. I hadn’t seen him in a while and been coming. What a blessing. And by the way, he came in—I think I mentioned I like it. First Sunday he came in, he said, “Hey,” he didn’t show me this, so I’d tell you, but he came, he said, “Hey, this is the tract I’m using right now. What you’ve been using? I like it. I like it.” He’s got tracts out, get in the gospel, whatever way he can. I love that.

And praise the Lord for just a great couple. And praise the Lord, they want to come and join the church this morning and have been saved, been baptized. If you’re for them coming and joining this morning, would you say amen? Amen. And praise the Lord for that, great people. And we just want to make a difference for the Lord. Amen. That’s what it’s all about. And who knows how much more time I have left? We’d like to win some souls in the meantime and him find us so doing. And that’s what it’s all about. Praise the Lord for just a great, great young couple coming and joining this morning.

And he mentioned this. We were down there. He said, “What about Romans 8:28?” You can tell he’s a preacher. He wasn’t listening to be preached; he was thinking about all those verses. That’s great. That’s great. I love it. Brother Kent, can we get y’all to come stand in front here? And we’re going to pray and be dismissed. And you come by and shake their hand. Let them know you love them and are so thankful.

Just great people coming to the church. And it’s refreshing. It’s a blessing. Which way? Would we go this way, Lester? Are y’all trying to do sign language on me or what now? It’s funny to watch everybody point here, you know. So they’re saying this was the last time we came this way? I got people shaking no way and yes all at the same time. All right, so you’re saying we need to go this way this time? Is that what you’re trying to say? Can we get Ms. Debbie Bartley and Brother Jim Shank? You’re going to arm wrestle over this thing here, you know?

All right, all right. We’re going to go this way. We’re going to go this way. We’ll go this way. I don’t know. We’ll go this way. We’ll go this way. We’ll go this way. And come by and shake their hand. Let them—and mean it—let them know you love them. You’ll be praying for them. And what a blessing. We don’t deserve so many, so many good people in our church. God just be…

Original File: The best way of handling hard times - Pastor Paul Chisgar Sunday AM 11820