The Bible is a record of the troubles and triumphs of God's people. It is a record of how man allowed trouble to come into the earth, but through the mercies of God, through Jesus Christ, all troubles can be overcome sooner or later.
    Trouble started in the garden of Eden, it has persisted throughout all ages, and it's going to really get bad worldwide in the very end, but those who are committed to Jesus Christ triumph in the end. God has provided through Jesus, that for all eternity, there will be no trouble.
    We see trouble's source in Gen.2 & 3: sin/disobedience--satan's temptations.
So there are two sources of trouble:
1. That which we bring on ourselves.
2. That in which satan attacks the gospel ministry, and to destroy God's people.
    Through the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can be delivered from our troubles today, and see it manifested in our lives in due time.

TWO SOURCES
    The prophet David had two souces of trouble: from his own mistakes, and from his enemies. In Ps.31.9,10, David is realizing his troubles to be from his own mistakes. In Ps.34, he is realizing his deliverance from the many afflictions (evil, troubles) that comes from his enemies.
    Many times, through the accusation of the enemy, these two sources get all mixed up together. That's why we submit to God to obey Him, and resist the devil in that submission. We humble ourselves under God's mighty hand, so that He can clearly divide to us what is the source of our trouble, and we can receive our deliverance.
    Satan's trick is to get us to fighting him in our own strength. Our strength is God's Word. What we are to do is to take the Word and send the Word into the situation. That's duplicable. Not everybody can be "strong" in themselves from years of experience, lots of knowledge, etc. But, even the least and newest babe saint can take the Word and hurl it into the face of Goliath and bring him down. This is how we fight satan. God has set it up so that victory is easily duplicable.
Our strength is depending on God's strength, knowledge, and ability.

SUBMIT TO GOD
    What is submission to God? Submission to God is laying our lives down before God and making the changes that God is calling for us to make in our lives.
    To submit is to yield to the authority of another. The Greek word is 5293, meaning "to subordinate; obey". This is found in Jas.4.6-10. The context shows the people were having troubles, wars and fightings among themselves, because of their lusts, their own personal desires and concepts.
    Humbling ourselves to God is "showing submissive respect". The Greek word is 5013 meaning "to depress; to humiliate" self. This is found in 1Pet.5.6-10, and keep in mind the context of whole book: here the people are suffering because of the gospel. Also, Heb.10.32-39--11.1-6 and whole chapter--suffering because of the gospel, but overcoming by faith.
    So in these passages, we see the two souces of trouble: self's lusts and because of the gospel or being associated with the gospel.

RESIST THE DEVIL
    The bottom line is this: satan is out to steal, kill, and destroy, and he will take advantage of every open door he can to do this. Jesus has come to give us life more abundantly, and He will bless us this way through every open door we give Him. He stands at our heart's door and knocks, and we have the power, through faith in His Word, to open that door to Him, and close the door to the enemy, and so overcome our troubles.
    Rev.12.10,11.
    2 Cor. 11.23-30;  2.14
    Satan must flee when we submit to God, resist the devil, cleanse our hands from sin (missing the mark) and purify our hearts from double-mindedness (wavering from faith in the Word of God).
    What it amounts to is that we get our eyes off our troubles that have distracted us from the Word, and that we get our minds off our troubles from our trying to figure it out ourselves, and we get our eyes and mind back on Jesus, the Living Word, and the battle shifts into the heavenlies by faith, and God fights our battles--and GOD NEVER LOSES!!! HALLELUJAH! (Ex.14.13,14--Chap.15).
    And, bottom line is this: whether the source of our trouble is due to our own mistakes or just from the devil's hatred of us because of our commitment to Jesus, as we submit to God, cleanse ourselves before Him, and resist the devil, he must flee, and we can overcome our troubles. We are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us! (Rom.8.35-39).

GOD LIFTS US UP
    The battle belongs to the Lord. Our faith hooks up to His strength and ability. His desire is to deliver us out of all our troubles, and we believe that He is--"I AM".
    The LORD is our Shepherd. (Ps. 23). He cares for us.
    So, let us focus on His Word of promise, and line ourselves up to what He is calling us to do, and we can now receive our deliverance from our troubles by faith.
Hallelujah!
    We see JESUS--Crucified, Resurrected, REIGNING--Today!

Offering: 1 Chron.26.27;  2 Chron.20.25;  26.5                                                          Sun.morn.11-21-99