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Today is Sunday June 27, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Psalms, chapters 10-17. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-june-27

Today's Message: Dealing With Conflicts

The word conflict is defined as warfare, a battle, as Christians we are going to face many conflicts in our lives, if not from people who live in the world than from fellow Christians. There is a constant conflict for a Christian to compromise one's faith in God for man. While we are to stand up and fight for our right to choose Christ and follow Him, there are times when we need to refrain from instead of adding fuel to the fire of the conflict. Those who are living in sin love to debate those who are living godly and will keep going on and on until they think they have you beat. “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” - I Corinthians 9:25. Every once in a while I will get someone thinking that I was personally talking about them in one of my messages and will call me every name in the book, I use to reply only to get a worse response each time. Then I realized these people just feel convicted by the Holy Spirit and it has nothing to do with me, I was just the closest person to blame. So, now I just let it go, they will either hate me or thank me later, but they will never forget that reminder they got. We may never understand why we face the conflicts we do, but one thing we can understand is that they too teach us something, to keep our faith in God.

David went from one battle after another from the time he was anointed to be king when he was just a teenager. Saul, who was God's first anointed king sinned against God and David would one day take his place. Because of this thee was much conflict between Saul and David, so much that Saul wanted to kill David. Many of the Psalms were written by David when he was running from Saul and some of them expressed his sorrow over Saul wanting to kill him, but he also knew God would take care of him. “He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor. He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net. He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones. He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it. Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble....The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land. LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.” - Psalm 10:8-12,16-18. We can all get where we do not understand why someone is out to get us and it can make one feel a bit discouraged. Thank God for prayer, it is our only communication with God, without prayer we will never see an end to a hopeless situation.

We can not always run from conflicts, but we can stand firm in our faith. David's friends advised him to flee to the mountainous parts of the land of Judah to escape the danger which was threatening him, instead he stood his ground and trusted in God. “In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men....For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.” - Psalm 11:1-7. David expressed his absolute assurance that righteousness shall triumph over the wicked. At one time or another, all of God's people may expect their faith to be severely tested. However, the more it is tested the more confidence we obtain as we put our faith in God that He and only He can resolve the problem.

One thing we should never do is try to get even with someone, conflicts come and go, but revenge is not the answer and solves no problem. Give it over to God and He will take care of it. “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” - Romans 12:18,19. God is our body guard, He will protect us and if anything does happen to us, He will get vengeance.

Are you dealing with conflicts? Look to Jesus, He will tell you how to handle it. He will either help you avoid the conflict or face it, but one thing He will never do is let you handle it all on your own as long as you keep your eyes on Him. “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” - Hebrews 12:1,2. Praise God!

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and an awesome week
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

P.S. I apologize for this getting sent out so late, all will resume at normal times tomorrow.

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