Triumph Through Trials part 3 Trust in God

We know by now that we have established that the world is in desperate need of seeing real Christianity. That brings about the title of the series in the book of James, "Good Works Flow From Good Faith." If we open up our eyes, if we look around us in the lost world, we see that the world is in desperate need of seeing real Bible Christianity, not just this professed, cheap Christianity that so many people have. Now I was reminded of the world's need of real Christianity when I ran across another quote. I gave us this quote in our study in 1st Timothy, and this is dealing with the church.

It's by a man named Roy Hessian, and it comes out of a little book called "The Cowrie Road." Roy Hessian said, "The world has lost its faith because the church has lost its fire." I like that, and it's true. The world does not see validity in our faith. It does not see validity in the faith in the church. I'm afraid because we have lost our fire, and we have lost good works that come out of good faith. It really doesn't matter about our church definition, our church proclamations, our theological explanations. What matters is if the lost world sees Christ, Jesus, in us.

Now we have learned the past two weeks that trials are a natural part of the Christian's life. This truth was established quickly by James beginning in verse 2 all the way down to verse 8, and we understand that this is God's plan for godliness and youthfulness in our lives. Now as we mature in the Christian walk, we can even welcome trials. I know that might seem strange to some of you. You mean to tell me, "Preacher, we can even welcome a trial." Yes, we can, because when we mature, we understand God's workings, and it's because we understand the truth from these scriptures. We understand it, and we can welcome it.

Now just a matter of review, message number one was through trials. Our faith is tested, verses 2 through 4. As we walk with God, we see that we must have joy in trials, we must have understanding in trials, and we must have submission in trials. Now that was a command in these verses, and we were, we saw that we are commanded to have joy in trials. That's why the mature Christian can welcome a trial as it comes into their life. And then last week we saw a message number two, triumph through trials, wisdom is needed. We learned that as we experience trials, we must seek wisdom, and we must seek wisdom by faith.

Both of these are an imperative. Both of these are a command. We see a pattern developing. James is commanding his audience. This is a command. You must do these things. These things are not optional. And we saw last week that this comes out of a loving heart that God the Father has, as God is commanding us to rush to Him in the trial because He is in the center of the trial. But before I introduce, or we get into the third part of triumph through trials, I want to make sure that our mindset and our understanding is correct. I ran across some introductory material in some reading this week.

It was by Warren Wiersby, and he had a way of putting it, and I like it. He said, "Outlook determines the outcome." Now let that sink you in a minute. Our outlook determines the outcome. What is he talking about? When we engage in a trial, when we're thrust headlong in a trial, our outlook will determine our outcome. He went on to say that Satan uses tests to tear us down, but God uses tests to build us up. See, that's outlook. That's understanding. And he goes on to say that love is the force behind these commands or these imperatives. So what does Warren Wiersby trying to teach us and help us understand? We must have the proper outlook.

We must have the proper understanding when we are thrust headlong in the trial, because if we do not, we will come out on the other side of that thing wrong. We'll miss it. So therefore, we get into the third message of triumph through trials, part three, trust in God. We'll be in verses 9 through 12. Let's look at the verses together. I'll go back and start again with verse two, because all these go together. Verse two, James says, "To these Christians, consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, liking nothing. But if ye need you like's wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously, and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man and stable in all his ways." And here's where we're going to be this morning.

"But let the brother, in humble circumstances, glory in his high position, and let the rich man glory in his humiliation. Because like the flowering grass, he will pass away. For the sun rises, and with a scorching wind, and withers the grass, and its flower falls off. And the beauty of its appearance is destroyed. So too the rich man, in the midst of his pursuits, will fade away." Verse 12, "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial. For once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him." Now out of these verses, verses 9 through 12, we're going to look at two primary truths.

First, as we trust God, we trust God in our position in life. We trust God in our position in life. And then second, or Roman numeral two, we trust God in our trials in life. In our trials in life. And we have lots of truth to hang from these two main truths that I want us to see this morning. So if you're taking notes, and I trust that you do, Roman numeral one, our number one, trust in God in our position in life. Trust in God in our position in life. Look at verse 9. Paul's dealing with this subject all the way to verse 11. What does he say?

Or excuse me, James is, "But let the brother of humble circumstances glory in his high position." Verse 10, "And let the rich man glory in his humiliation." What is James dealing with? He's dealing with the position in life that the Lord brings us into. Now there's a key word that I want us to see here in verse 9, and that is the word brother. Go back to the text. "But let the brother of humble circumstances." The New American Standard, English Standard Version, King James all say brother. The New International Version says believers, and it all communicates the same thing.

One of the footnotes in the New American Standard that I'm reading from, footnotes this word brother, and it says that it can be translated church member. Now what's the point? The point is this is the truly born-again Christian. This is not the cultural Christian. This is not just a Sunday morning pew warmer that we are so familiar with. He says the word brother or believers here, because this pertains to the true born-again Christian who finds himself in a certain position in life. Now let's just go on down the verse and let's see what we can learn here. So number one, I want you to see the brother, the one in poverty, the one in poverty.

Look at verse 9, "Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position." This is the one who finds himself in poverty. Now first let's notice the commanded reaction, the commanded reaction. Notice what he says, "But let the brother of humble circumstances glory." Now what's the word glory here? The King James says, "Let him rejoice." The English Standard Version says, "Let him boast." The New International Version says, "Take pride." What does he say? James is commanding him to react a certain way when he finds himself in a place of humiliation or poverty. What is he saying? "But let the brother of humble circumstances glory.

Take pride in, boast in what? His high position." So James is commanding him to react a certain way. Now again this is an imperative. Again this is a command. What that means is an imperative is a command to do something in the future and it involves a continuous repeated action. James doesn't say, "I command you to take pride in your circumstances just for a moment." He says, "No, you hold on to that. I command you to continue in a place of being prideful in the position that you are in." John MacArthur says this is a legitimate form of pride.

"Even that the most destitute can have." In other words, this is a good pride, not the wicked form of pride that we are familiar with. So James, what is he saying? He's saying, "You brother who find yourself in a poverty situation, you glory in that situation, you take pride in that situation, you in the right kind of way, you become boastful because God has you there." Second, I want you to notice the stated position. The stated position this man finds himself in. Verse 9, "Let the brother of humble circumstances glory in his high position." The King James says that he is exalted. The English Standard Version uses the word exaltation.

What are we saying? What are we seeing here? James is saying, "Although he is in a place of poverty and although I command these to glory in this place, they are in a position of being exalted." They are exalted. Now for us in our culture, this is the opposite. Is it not? If we find ourselves in a poverty-stricken situation, a situation where we are without, we do not take pride in that. But spiritually speaking, James is saying, "You take pride in that. I command you to take pride in that because you have been exalted." Now what's the context? The context are these Jewish believers who have been scattered.

In the book of Acts, there arose a great, great persecution that scattered believers to and fro from Jerusalem. And James is writing to these Jews who are scattered, some have lost their homes, some have lost their businesses, they've lost their security, maybe they've lost their riches, maybe some have gained financially because of it. But what he's saying is, you find yourself at a place of poverty, you react by being thankful, by glorying in this, by taking pride in this because God has exalted you. That's the context. But number two, let's look at the one who's in riches. We've seen the one in poverty, but notice the one in riches.

Look at verse 10, "And let the rich man glory in his humiliation." See, James is drawing a distinction between the verse 9, "man" or "brother" and the verse 10, "brother." This is the one who is in riches. Now notice the command of his reaction, of his reaction. Go back to the scripture, verse 10, "Let the rich man glory in his humiliation." That's the New American standard. Now it's in the italics. Why is that written in the italics? I'll tell you why. The English standard in the King James does not give this word glory. It is implied. What are we seeing here? What am I showing you here?

Verse 10 reads this way, "And let the rich man in his humiliation." It is implied this word glory, this word taking pride in your position. He's saying to the poor man, "You take pride in your situation." And he's saying to the rich man, "Now you're in a totally different boat, but you take pride in yours as well." And again, this is commanded. Second, notice the position. He is in a position of humiliation, while the poor man is in a position of exaltation. What does he say? "Let the rich man glory in his humiliation." Now there can be a misunderstanding here. The humiliation is not the riches.

The humiliation that he's speaking of is the trial. Remember, the whole context of verses 9 through 12 or verses 2 through 12 is trial. What is James saying? He's saying the poor man is exalted in his poverty, but he's in the trial. And he's saying the rich man, he is going through trial and he is in a position of humiliation. What we see here is the trial is showing the rich man that he cannot trust in his riches.

I like what MacArthur says, "The idea is that a believer who is materially well off, healthy and otherwise physically blessed, should rejoice when trial comes for they," that's the trial, "teach him the temporary nature of those material things and their inability to give inner and lasting satisfaction are a help, especially spiritual help." So we see a picture develop. There's a difference in the rich man and the poor man, but notice the temporary position of the riches. "Let the rich man glory in his humiliation because, like the flowering grass, he will pass away.

For the sun rises and a scorching wind and withers the grass and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed. So too the rich man in his midst of the pursuits will fade away." What is James teaching? Riches are temporary and the rich man is temporary as well. Riches will pass away as well as the rich man. Now let's just take a step back and let's ask ourselves a question. Is money and riches a sin? I've heard people say it like this, "Well you know the Bible says that the money, I have heard people say it like this, excuse me, well the Bible says money is the root of all evil." Does the Bible say that?

No, that is a perverted version of what the Bible says. 1st Timothy 6.10 says, "For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil." Money is not evil, riches is not evil, but the love of money. 1st Timothy 6 verse 17 says, "Enstruck those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches but on God who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy." And notice what Paul says, "Enstruck them to do good to be rich in good deeds." So riches are not the sin, riches are not the issue here. The issue is the trial.

The poor man finds himself in a place of trial, he is poor, he is destitute, and he is commanded to take pride in that situation. He is commanded to see that God has exalted him and that he must be dependent on God. The rich man finds himself in a place of trial and he is commanded to react likewise to glory in what? In his humiliation because God is teaching him you cannot depend on your wealth, your riches, or your position in life. Those things are temporary and God is humbling him and he is showing him that riches are just temporary. But the context is the trial.

The teaching is the trial and these believers found themselves in the midst of a trial and they had to accept the position in life that God had given them. Remember the context. Christianity had its hub in Jerusalem. Great persecution broke out when they stoned Stephen. We know that Saul, who later became Paul, was breathing out murderous threats and Christians scattered here and there and everywhere and these are the Christian Jews that James is writing to. No doubt some lost their homes, their businesses, their wealth. No doubt some might have prospered because of this but they're still in trial.

I tell you who I think about that fits this perfectly. The story of Joseph. Y'all know the story of Joseph? Have you ever studied the life of Joseph? Joseph was one of Jacob's sons. You know who Jacob was? Jacob? God changed his name to Israel. As a matter of fact Jacob's sons became the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel and you can find the story of Jacob and Joseph starting in Genesis chapter 35 but see Joseph was Jacob's favorite.

Joseph was the one that his daddy really loved and as a matter of fact God started working in Joseph's life and Joseph started having dreams and Joseph started having visions and lo and behold Joseph's brothers became jealous and what did they do? They conspired against him. Some said let's kill him. Other said no. They took him and threw him in the bottom of a well and finally a caravan came along and they sold him into slavery. Joseph found himself in slavery in Egypt away from God's people, God's land, his family and he found himself what? In a position in life that he never would have imagined would come his way.

What happened to him when he was in Egypt? He was in the house of Potiphar and God blessed Joseph because he was a man of God but he rose to a place of prominence in Potiphar's house but there became a false accusation levied against him and what happened? He ended up in prison. It's not bad enough that his family sold him out. He ended up in Egypt and now he's in jail but God was still with him and he still could interpret dreams and visions.

God still had his hand on him but if you fast forward the story lo and behold Joseph ends up in the very house of Pharaoh because God was bringing about a great famine in the land and God was revealing that to Pharaoh and God put Joseph in the middle of Pharaoh's house and he interpreted those dreams for Pharaoh and lo and behold if you fast forward the story through many years God exalted Joseph to second in command in Egypt.

He was taken care of the house of Pharaoh, the country of Egypt and they were the most prosperous and powerful nation on the face of the earth and Joseph had to accept the position that God had put him in whether he was in the bottom of a well or on a camel going to Egypt or enslaved in Potiphar's house or thrown in jail or exalted to second in command in Egypt he had to accept the position that God had put him in. Why? Because he understood that God was his God and God was the very center of whatever came around the corner and look how God worked. We know that he understood this.

We know that he accepted this because if you fast forward the story more the famine got so bad that Jacob sent his sons to Egypt for food and who in the world did they stand before? Joseph and Jacob's sons stood there begging for food to survive and they did not even know that it was their brother but yet through a series of events Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and he had the power to chop their heads off right then and there to bring about revenge but what did he say? If you look at the scriptures it is beautiful because what he said was what you meant for evil God meant for what? Good!

He accepted the trial and whatever position he was in he took every bit of it whether he was exalted or humiliated no matter what position because God was in the center of the trial for him and look the two things I've been teaching you trial will bring about a greater level of godliness in your life and then second it will bring about a greater level of usefulness and that is exactly what happened in Joseph. Was he a more mature man of God because of what he went through? You better know it. God grew him up to be a wonderful strong man of God and God used him to do what?

To preserve his people and let me tell you when trial comes if God totally dislodges your life you must accept whatever position he puts you in if he takes away from you if he gives to you in that you accept it. We are commanded right here to what? Glory! Take pride! So that tells me that Joseph when he was in that jail cell in Egypt wrongly accused he had to look to heaven and say God I don't understand it but I take pride in the circumstances you have brought my way. So number one as we trust in God in trials we trust in God in our position in life. Let's move on.

Number two or Roman numeral two is we trust in God in trials we trust in God in our trials in life. Now some of this might seem repetitive but it's another layer. We trust in God in our trials in life. Look at verse 12 with me. "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial for once he has been approved he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him." Now I want you to notice a key word and that is the word blessed. Look at your scripture the word blessed. Now this is the same word that is used in the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5 that is Jesus teaching.

Now the word blessed does not mean happiness we've already discovered that with joy. Joy is not happiness nor is being blessed right here. It does not mean a life free from trouble or heartache or questions. Blessed means possessing an inner joy and satisfaction which comes from God. What we see here is is when we are in the midst of trial and we because we walk with God possess a joy in Christ Jesus in the midst of the trial we are blessed we are in a place of being blessed. Now this can only be found in the true Christian as they walk with God. God is the center of it. God is the center of it. So look at verse 12.

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial." So what I want us to do I want us to see number one what we must do during trials during trials. For go back to the verse excuse me. "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial for once he has been approved he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him." So during trials first we must persevere. We've learned this already but we need to learn it some more. We must persevere. Now to persevere it means to remain. It remains to stay under. It means to have fortitude and to persevere is to never lose confidence in what? In your ability to get through it?

In your ability to fight? No. That is not biblical perseverance. Perseverance is to never lose confidence in God. Never to lose confidence in God. To never forsake trusting in God because he is the center of our trial and the center of our perseverance. Second not only must we persevere during trials we must pass the test during trials. For once he has been approved he will receive the crown of life. The New American Standard says been approved or passed the test. The English Standard Version says when he has stood the test. The King James says when he has tried. The New International Version says having stood the test. What do we see here?

When trial comes during trials we must persevere and then we must pass the test. This is simple. Persevering and passing the test of the trial that brings that God brings our way. Now listen. Brings God's approval. Go back to the verse. "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial for once he has been approved or passed the test or stood the test he will receive the crown of life." What are we seeing here? We must pass the test. It's not enough to enter the test with perseverance. We must hold on to that perseverance making knowing and making God the center of that perseverance until we have passed the test that God has brought our way.

Again remember the context. Christian Jews scattered away from family, away from friends, away from security, away from their church home. Many having lost so much in a foreign place, a foreign language, a foreign people and what do they have to do? They must persevere and they must pass the test that God has brought their way if they're going to gain his approval. So number one during trials we must persevere we must pass the test and then number two after trials I want us to see we will be rewarded. You can't help but notice this.

"For once he has been approved," that's passing the test, "he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him." For you see after we pass the trials, after we pass the tests, we will be rewarded. Now the term crown of life James borrows from the athletic games. We've seen this before. Paul does this in 1st Corinthians. We talked about this some Wednesday night in our Bible study prayer time. In 1st Corinthians Paul talks about running his race and listen to what Paul says, "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run but only one receives the prize?

Run in such a way that you may win and everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath." That's a perishable crown he's talking about in Corinthians. Now what is Paul doing? What is James doing? They are borrowing language from the games of the day and what is he saying? You will be rewarded with a crown but listen this is not the earned eternal life. No, we cannot earn eternal life. We cannot earn salvation. Many people misinterpret this. That's not what this is. An accurate translation is this, that we earn a crown which is life. You see what he's teaching?

"Blessed is a man who perseveres unto the trial for once he has passed the test he will receive a crown for what? For persevering and for passing a test and that is life." John MacArthur helps us understand this. He says, "A more accurate statement of the principle is this, perseverance attests to God's approval for it gives evidence of eternal life." In other words, perseverance does not result in salvation and eternal life but it is itself the result and evidence of salvation. And what are we learning? We will be rewarded a crown and what is that crown? That crown is God working in us, that crown is growing us and what?

Maturing us and that's the next thing I want us to see. After trials we'll be rewarded and after trials we will grow in maturity. We will grow in maturity. "For once he has been approved he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him." Have we not seen in all of these verses the end result? It is maturity. This one is blessed through trials. They have persevered through trials. They have passed the test that God has brought their way. They have been rewarded and part of the test, part of the perseverance, part of the blessing is Christian maturity.

It is growing in godliness, growing in usefulness, growing in maturity to be the person that God wants them to be. Now remember the context. Christians scattered. Some are without. Some have maybe been blessed financially because of the scattering, but they're still in the trial. They are still being scattered and what God is doing is he's desiring to bring about maturity. He's desiring to bring about growth in them to make them the people he wants them to be so that they could be used. And let me show you how good God is. You know what God did through the dispersion? He evangelized people. What did they do?

As they were scattered, what did they do? They evangelized. As they fled Jerusalem, they were telling people about Jesus. They were evangelizing as they were going. And look at the beauty of the trial that these believers were facing. What Satan meant for bad, persecution, God meant for good because he got them away from Jerusalem to go spread the gospel. And see, they had to get the full work that God wanted to do in them. Now, who can we think of that can fit dealing with trials in life like we just discussed? I know we've talked about him. I know we've mentioned his name quite a bit, but I think about Abraham. We know the story of Abraham.

God called him out of a pagan land. Abraham worshipped pagan gods. And he called him unto himself and he became the father of the faith. But if you study the life of Abraham, you know that God promised he and his wife Sarah a son. Abraham and his wife Sarah were well beyond childbearing years. It was obvious. If you can remember correctly, Sarah, she laughed. What? Me? An old lady gonna have a child? But God promised Abraham a son. God promised him that he would be a father of many nations.

God even let him out into a clear sky one night and said, "See all the stars, your descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky." And then when he looked at his wife, he said, "Us?" See, Abraham was in a trial. God had brought him to a place where they couldn't have children. And God promised him that he would have a son and he had to trust God. He had to trust the promise of God. He had to trust God as he personally related to God. And he had to hold on to God and what God told him. Although year after year, no son. Year after year, no son. Year after year, no son. This is a trial.

What God is doing is God is being slow and keeping his promise so Abraham will depend on him. But lo and behold, here came a temptation in the form of his wife. After 10 years, no child. But according to the scripture, it says that Sarah came to Abraham and I know I'm paraphrasing. He said, "Abraham, it's not happening." But maybe we can do like everybody else does. Here's my maid servant Hagar. Take her. See, that was a common practice of the world in that day. If your wife could not give you children, take another wife because it was a disgrace not to have children. And it was also a disgrace not to have a son.

So what Sarah was doing was she was proposing, now get this, the world's way to do God's work. And what did Abraham do? He failed that test because he took his eyes off God and he listened to what someone else would say and the scripture says he took her as his wife and he went in with her and she conceived and she bore him a son, Ishmael. God never called him his son. He failed that test. He did not persevere. He failed. He did not pass. Therefore, there was not brought about a new level of maturity and usefulness. He was not ready to be the great father of the nations. He was not ready to be the great man that God wanted him to be.

He failed. But God is loving and God is patient and God is gracious. He is merciful and he is kind and he didn't give up on Abraham. And yes, he was true to his word and finally after many more years, God did bring about a son and his name was Isaac and he was the son of promise. And we know that God did grow Abraham and Abraham did pass the test because we know that faithful day when God said to sacrifice your son Isaac, he was following God's word to the tee. What am I showing you? We see this work short circuited in Abraham.

He did not persevere and he failed the test but yet because he did persevere in God and God did persevere in him, he did persevere in the trial. He did pass the test. He was rewarded and he was grown in maturity and usefulness. And that's the purpose of trials. See, I want you to notice what we're looking at. Try it through trials, trusting in God. And when we are thrust headlong in trials, we must trust in who? God. That's the purpose of it all. To find him in it. And if we find him and we hold on to him, look, we will get all that God wants us to have. We will become all that God wants us to be.

Now as I close, I want to give you kind of a modern day illustration or example. You know that God has put on our heart ministry in India. We have friends there. I have friends there. You have gotten to know individuals who are pastors who take care of orphans, who are evangelists. We know men's names like Mukesh and Jeevan. We met an Indian named Jason Job who came and ministered to us. We are praying for orphans. We are pouring into ministry in this capital city of New Delhi through Monsey and his brother Joshi. We have a footprint in India. We have friends there. They have friends here and God has put us in that position and I'm thankful.

But our brothers in India are facing a trial. Let me explain what I mean. There has just been a recent election for Prime Minister in India. When I was in India a couple of months ago or a few months ago, I could hear the Indians speaking about their concern for the election that was coming up because those who were in office, the current Prime Minister at the time, was favorable to religious freedom. India is primarily a Hindu country and the Hindus have been very violent towards Christians and other faiths in the past.

The ones who were opposing the current leadership were Hindu and they knew that if this particular man and party was elected to the position of Prime Minister that it could become dark days. In the name of that party, the abbreviation for it is the BJP party. Well, I've been keeping up with it through the news and yes, the BJP party won. The Hindus are back in power. Now, what does that mean? Y'all remember Jason Job who was here? The one who trained him in ministry was a man named Sam Thomas. Sam Thomas is a famous Christian but his father is a more famous Christian. He's passed away in India. His name was M.A.

Thomas and God used him and thrust him to a national place in India. He was persecuted for being a Christian. He risk his life. He had to go into hiding many times but he had a great evangelistic ministry and M.A. Thomas had a great orphan ministry gathering the orphans off the streets of India and evangelizing them and sending them out and Sam Thomas has taken over that ministry and men like Jason Job were trained under Sam Thomas. In just moments before or after, I don't know, one of Sam Thomas's orphanage was raided by some organization and the police. Orphans were seized. The organization shut down. Lies were propagated.

Luke emailed me the article from some organization and the name of the orphanage was Emmanuel and I asked Luke, I said, "Luke, you have been there. What was it like?" He said it was wonderful. A beautiful ministry. Men and women who love God rescuing children's off the street. What am I trying to show you? We don't know these people. Me, you've never met them but we know them because God has connected our hearts and what am I showing you is that persecution is breaking out against them. Trial is being unleashed by God by evil means. I don't understand the tension. God allows evil means and what are we seeing?

Christians there who are scattered, who are persecuted, who are enduring hardship. Some could lose their life. Some could be thrust in prison. Some could lose their ministries but according to what we're learning here in James is they should welcome that position that they find themselves in, endure with perseverance, look for God in the midst of the trial, persevere, pass the test, and be grown into the men and women and the people that God wants them to be because you know what? None of this takes God by surprise. He knows and somehow a good God has allowed it just like he allowed it in the lives of those Jewish Christians.

So we must triumph through trial in part three is trust in God. That's our hope. Let's pray.