School is soon to begin, and with school comes the fact that lessons will be taught, quizzes will be given, practice will be provided through homework, and then test/examinations will be given.  We can expect the exams, and as a student, we should not have been surprised by the teacher’s announcement—

“I think we will have our examination on Friday.  You have had time to practice, so I believe you will do well.  You are prepared, and you should do well [on the test].”

1. As the instructor, in all the times I have announced the day of the exam, I have never had students cheer and be excited about “test-day.”
2. As the student, in all the times I have received the instructor’s announcement about the day of the exam, I have never cheered and been excited about my upcoming “examination-day.”

Usually, the opposite emotion transpired when an announcement has been given.

• Maybe the Lord Jesus’ brother James knew this about us.
• Maybe James was just like us and did not enjoy the “testing” of his faith.
• Maybe this is why James was led by God to write—

When life becomes “tough,” we may question God and say something like:  “Why me, Lord?  Why must I be the one to suffer.  Why can’t you take THIS away from my life?  Haven’t I suffered enough, Lord?”

This morning, I read about a missionary family living in the United States, a place where we ‘think’ it’s a Christian nation and everyone knows about the man named Jesus, but that’s just not so.  There are so many households, townships, communities, and cities across this nation (as well as across the globe) where individually, people have just NOT HEARD the GOSPEL MESSAGE.  In reading about this missionary family, the father made this request—Please pray for my daughters who must attend school as members of the ONLY CHRISTIAN FAMILY in their school.

Currently, I know individuals who are facing a variety of testing, of trials, of struggles:

• Some have on-going health issues.
• Some have children who remain lost.
• Some have lost a dear spouse in death.
• Some are wedded to a spouse who does not yet know Jesus as Savior.
• Some have family members who are walking away from the path of God.
• Some have encountered the fear in life of asking:  “What’s next for me?”
• Some have traveled thousands of miles to live away from the support of their families—just to attend the university and receive an education.
• Some struggle to make ends meet each month.
• Some are ridiculed for their faith-walk.
• Some even face the profound adversity of losing their life for the sake of the Gospel.

• BLESSED ARE YOU!
• REJOICE!
• BE GLAD!

WE FOLLOW THE GREAT PROPHETS WHO ENDURED “TESTING” FOR THEIR FAITH—Because of our testimony of Jesus!

God allows hardships into a believer’s life for a variety of reasons:

• Could it be that God wants to deepen our faith?
• Could it be that God wants us to depend more on Him?
• Could it be that God wants to conquer our pride of self-sufficiency?
• Could it be that God wants to just get our attention?
• Could it be that God wants to remind us of His faithfulness?
• Could it be ALL of the ABOVE?!!!

Once Jesus ascended back to Heaven, the disciples of Jesus went out into the world, and we can read The Acts of the Apostles and see the various trials & testing they faced.  One of the supreme persecutors of the faith—the man named Saul—encountered Jesus—& because of that encounter, God changed Saul!  The changed man—Saul—became one of the supreme testifiers of the faith—the Apostle Paul—who wrote about the acts of Jesus’ followers.  These words were provided to him by the Holy Spirit of God, and these passages are given to encourage us in our faith walk.

Peter & the apostles faced persecution and were brought into the presence of the high priest.  At such time, they were commanded to remain silent, to stop proclaiming Jesus to the listening crowd of that day.

Truly, the apostles knew something about walking lives worthy of the “testing of one’s faith.”

1. Do we need to be more intentional in our faith-walk?
2. Do we need to view our current “testing” as a blessing of God?
3. Do we need to seek God more as we walk through this “trying time”?
4. Do we need to lean even more upon our Lord as we walk through life?
5. Do we need to look around the world surrounding us and see God at work?
6. Do we need to pause, place our eyes upon Jesus, & proclaim:  “Come what may, I will follow You!”

May we be reminded—

• We need a surrendered will to follow God’s will for our lives!
• In suffering there is power—God’s!
• Our Faith Grows through Testing!

• IN GOD, WE ARE MADE PERFECT!
• IN GOD, WE ARE MADE COMPLETE!
• BECAUSE OF JESUS, WE LACK NOTHING!
• BECAUSE OF JESUS, ONE DAY SOON WE WILL WALK THE STREETS OF GOLD IN HEAVEN!
• BECAUSE OF JESUS, ONE DAY SOON WE WILL WALK WITHIN HIS PRESENCE!

May we center ourselves upon God’s will for our days as we proclaim to the world & to ourselves—OUR FAITH GROWS THROUGH OUR TESTING, THROUGH OUR TRIALS.