INTRODUCTION

Trials and Tribulations Psalm 102:1-2 New International Version (NIV) 1 Hear my prayer, Lord; let my cry for help come to you. 2 Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. We have all faced trial and tribulation. We have faced times of testing where we felt all hope was truly gone. There have been times when we look to the heavens and weep. When we cry out from within to our God hoping that He answers us quickly. These are the many trials and tribulations we face. We face these giants in life. A great confrontation stands before us. Do we stand on the Rock in the middle of the storm, or do we abandon all hope and flee in the face of turmoil? A Season of Test Psalm 102:8-9 New International Version (NIV) 8 All day long my enemies taunt me; those who rail against me use my name as a curse. 9 For I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drink with tears As I look over my life I am reminded of this portion of Psalm 102. Have you ever been there? Where your enemies, whether of the world or the Church (yes, these exist too) do not help you but taunt you? Before you can defend yourself you are judged. There is no defense in the eyes of men. I want you to take heart. I want you to stand strong. Because we have an Advocate. Our Lawyer never loses a case. His name is Jesus. The Lord God will stand with you during your season of test. Be encouraged. Do not doubt, only believe that He is here with you. Why This E-Tract? I was led to write this E-Tract for the purpose of God's people. After having went through the darkest period of my life I wanted others to know there is hope. You see, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. In the darkness of sin it is hard to see ahead of you. When evil surrounds you and tribulation presses down upon your chest, all hope seems gone. But remember my brother and sister in Christ, it is not!

You see, it is in these times we must stand strong. We must press forward... even if we press on alone. And by alone I mean without family or friends. The Lord is always with you. He will never leave you or even forsake you. So I implore you to press on. Read this writing. Be encouraged. Stand on the Rock which is everlasting. Castaway doubt and fear. And let us enter a Season For Psalms now!

Dir. P E. Barber II The Great Commission Global Ministries

BACKGROUND
Who Am I? As you begin to read this E-Tract you are probably wondering, Who is this guy? Well, let me begin briefly with a little story. I was a builder who sought to build without first consulting the Maser Architect. A designer with no plan. A man who did not count the cost. You see, I did not understand that on this path you could lose everything. I know that may sound strange to some, but to those that have been there it does not. In today's world of shrink-wrapped Gospel it is a commodity to find the real thing. Ever so often you find pieces of the Rock. Many times in the storefront churches you will find a gem. Me, I had no plans of losing. But many times on the road to success I loss. I did not understand. I just could not reconcile how I gave so much to receive so little. It was not until I examined myself and my life that I finally began to understand my error. The Trying Of Your Faith I did not want to fight. Oh I preached about battle. I preached about going toe to toe with the devil. I preached about overcoming giants and treading on serpents. But when it came to delivering the goods. When it came to true sacrifice. When it came to the trying of my faith I fell short. This falling short cost me everything. It cost me my finances. It cost me my family. It cost me my ministry. It almost cost me my life. You see, if you seek to save your life you shall lose it. But, if you lose it for the Lord's sake... The point is I had no endurance. I suffered from pew-itis. I enjoyed sitting rather then walking. I

enjoyed talking rather then doing. Can I get a witness? Anyone else suffering from a hard case of pewitis? How I Got Through With all of this sorrow you are probably wondering how I got through. With nothing sitting in my parents living room I had the Bible my father gave me on the day I preached my first sermon (at age thirteen). I began to read. What I read changed my life. It was not an immediate change. Some people have those experiences. Mine was more gradual. My change took a total of four months. I began to read the Psalms. I heard about a man who had been through the darkness. Some of it for only doing what God had told him to do. I did not feel alone. This man was not perfect. This man had sinned too. This man was also the King of Israel. This man was David. His pleas to God cut through my heart because they were my pleas to God. He said exactly what I was feeling. He said exactly what I was going through. I found comfort in those words. As I do now, reading over the text. In a time like this we must return to the light. We must return to the Word. Without it we are left with the darkness. The darkness had taken everything from me. It was the light of Jesus Christ that helped me out of it.

A NEED FOR PROTECTION

The Lord My Fortress When you go through a trial or tribulation you begin to feel like the whole world is against you. Friends turn into enemies, and people you once confided in will no longer listen or help you. I know what you are going through, I am reminded of a scripture that always helps me in these times. Psalm 91:1-2 New International Version (NIV) 1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.

A fortress is a place of protection. You might be wondering how is the Lord a place of protection? A refuge is a place you enter. A shelter is a place where you dwell and reside in. It is a place you abide in. So the real question is, How do I abide in the Lord? Well, I am reminded of another scripture which teaches us how to abide in Him. John 15:4-8 King James Version (KJV) 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. I could expound upon this passage for twenty more pages. However, in relation to the above text we see that this abiding in Jesus is given in relationship to a vine. Not only do we abide in Him, but He also abides in us. His substance is within us as we stay within Him, the Word of God. If we love Him we keep His commandments. By the keeping of Christ commandments, and obeying the Word we are placed in a position to bear much fruit. Within ourselves we are utterly helpless. You seek refuge because of your helplessness. You need a fortress for protection from a hostile force. Jesus tells us that without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). The Lord Your Fortress Do you want the Lord to be your fortress? Then abide in Him, the Word of God. Find His opinion on the matter. Read about Him. Seek Him. Do not seek Him in your intellect discriminating His words with carnal wisdom. Pray with an open heart. Become as a child receiving the sincere milk of the Word of God. For a child cannot feed itself. The parent feeds the child. In the same we are told to become as children. We must let the Lord feed us. The Lord God is our protection. The Lord God is our shield. And if you will believe in Him today. If you will call on the Name of the Lord. If you will call on Jesus Christ He will become your refuge and your fortress!

CONCLUSION
Whatever you are going through, the Lord Jesus Christ has your answer! If you are saved, heed the Holy Spirit and follow His guidance. If Psalms teaches us anything, it is to follow the Lord in all we do. If you are not saved, and you do not know Jesus Christ then please accept the Lord Jesus as Master today. Remember Romans 10:9-10 Romans 10:9-10 New International Version (NIV) 9 If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. I recommend you enter a faith filled Church so you can receive proper teaching. If you are in the Charlotte area there are many such ministries. TGC Global Ministries has many studies and programs in and around Charlotte, NC. For further information you can access our website at www.tgcgm.org. Also, if you wold like to donate to our ministry you can do so at the website above, or mail checks and money orders payable to The Great Commission Global Ministries to the P.O. Box below: The Great Commission Global Ministries P.O. Box 7804 Charlotte, NC 28214 I thank you for reading. I pray that this text not only blesses you, but inspires you to help others. Remember, you can give away this E-Tract freely, so print copies or email it as is. May the Lord bless you! Signed, Dir. P.E. Barber II The Great Commission Global Ministries Giving a living Word to a dying world.