Always Abounding - Fall 2019

FUNDAMENTALIST
Always
Abounding

UPCOMING EVENTS
17
December
2019
Glory of Christmas
Concert
6
March
2020
Men's BBQ
26-29
January
2020
Winter Revival
12-13
March
2020
Basketball & Volleyball
Tournament
7
February
2020
24-5
February 24 -
March 5
2020
Mother / Daughter
Banquet
Israel Trip
19-23
April
2020
Preaching
Conference
&
College Days
PODCAST
Go to www.fhbc.me/momentinministry to get updates about
the podcast and to view the full library of helpful videos!
2 | ALWAYS ABOUNDING

MEET AN FBC STUDENT
Sarah Edwards (Dover, Delaware)
Whenever
people
would ask
me what I wanted
to do with my life,
I would always give
the same answer.
I wanted to be a
veterinarian/coffee
shop owner. I was quite ambitious at a
young age! I held on to this desire for years.
It wasn’t until I was older that I realized God
had other plans for my life.
I was born into a Christian family in
Dover, Delaware. I’ve been going to church
ever since I was born; literally, my first church
service was spent as an infant in the nursery.
I made a profession of faith at a young age,
but I wasn’t truly saved until I was 15 years
old while attending teen camp.
As I progressed through school, the
infamous question, “What are you going to
do with your life?” came up more and more.
I was constantly under pressure to decide
where I wanted to go to college, what I
wanted to major in, and what direction I
wanted my life to take.
I still held on to my dream as a
veterinarian/coffee shop owner well into
junior high. I began researching where I
could study and how long the course of
study would be, but something just didn’t
feel right. In my 8th grade year, God gave
me what I needed to push me in the right
direction.
My earth science teacher had an
undeniable passion for teaching. She loved
her students and desired for us to gain the
knowledge we would need to get through
the rest of high school, college, and life. It
was through watching her that I realized I
wanted to teach. Two years later when I was
in the 10th grade, I felt God’s call to pursue
Christian education.
Now that I had decided on what I wanted
to do, it was time to choose a college. A few
colleges had visited my church, but none
of them seemed to stick out. Every time a
college would come to visit, I would pray for
God to show me which college was the right
one for me. Sure enough, God answered my
prayer, and the right college came along.
A singing group from Fairhaven came
to my church in 2015, and they presented
the college. As I talked to one of the ladies
from the ensemble, I told her how I wanted
to study secondary education, either science
or math. Upon hearing this, she recounted
a story about her roommate who had
dissected a cat for biology and brought it
back into the dorm! My first thought was
that of excitement, “That could be me!” In
my senior year of high school, I knew that it
was God’s will for me to come to Fairhaven.
Now I am a junior, studying Secondary
Education, with a major in math and a minor
in speech. (So, no dissected cats for me!)
I chose to study math because there is a
great lack of math teachers among Christian
schools. As a future educator, I want to be
ready for whatever God has for me.
Now when people ask me, “What are
you gonna do with your life?” I confidently
tell them that I want to serve the Lord as an
educator! Whether
teaching in a
Christian school, on
the mission field, or
wherever else God
wants me, I will be
ready!
www.fairhavenbaptist.org | 3

College Days
2020
Training young people
for God's service
F A I R H A V E N B A P T I S T C O L L E G E
2019/2020 Traveling Ensembles
4 | ALWAYS ABOUNDING

ADVICE TO YOUNG MEN
by Dr. Jeff Voegtlin
READY TO DATE?
READY TO MARRY?
Ihave often been
asked, “What
advice do you
have for someone
who is looking for a
wife?” Normally, this
question comes from
a young man who has
already somewhat
settled in on a young lady and has become
more serious about the idea of having a
wife. So, here are some thoughts for that
young man, and most of them have to do
with you, not her (I know I switched person
there, but I wanted to get your attention).
The question you must ask before
“What should I look for in a wife?” is
“What, or who, do I need to be in order
to take a lady as my wife?” You should
evaluate yourself in several areas including
your spiritual, mental, intellectual, and
financial condition. When finding a lifemate,
most men see a lady that at first
consideration seems to be a nice person;
so they start spending more and more
time with her. They think that since they
are feeling physical attraction to her, they
should keep going with the relationship
and figure the rest out along the way. And
that’s the path they follow. Not too far
down the road, you are quite attracted to
her (and she is to you also,) and then you
begin to wonder if she’s the “one.” So, my
first piece of advice is to be “not much”
concerned about whether you will be
physically attracted to the one you marry.
If you take a Biblical and spiritual approach
to this process, there will be plenty of time
to develop a proper physical relationship.
My second piece of advice is: before
singling out a lady to spend extra time
with and develop a relationship that has
the potential to “end” in marriage, be sure
you are spiritually, mentally, intellectually,
and financially on track to be the man
you should be when you take the title
“husband.” Please note that I emphasized
being “on track.” You don’t need to be
completely ready to be married before you
begin the process of finding a mate for your
life’s work. But you do need to be “on track”
to be a godly husband before you start. And
this involves a few things. First, you need
to understand what a man needs to be in
order to be ready for marriage. Second,
you need to evaluate where you are now, in
relation to the Biblical standard for a man
in marriage. Third, you need to determine
how long it will take you get on the track
(if needed) and down to the right spot on
the tracks to be married. And finally, you
need to gauge where your relationship is
presently (if you have one) and determine
if it is further down the tracks than you are.
This is most often the case, but sometimes
men overemphasize Biblical readiness and
(cont., pg 6)
www.fairhavenbaptist.org | 5

hold themselves to an impossible standard
(or hold the one they are looking for to an
impossible standard) and never get around
to actually obeying the Bible and taking a
wife to be the help God has designed for
them.
That last paragraph is the important
one, so go back and read it again to be sure
that you understand what I’m saying. Now,
if this is the second time you’re reading
this, I’ll proceed to try to fill in some
understanding of what I’m saying. I’m not
going to be overly thorough because each
of you is an individual with differing callings
and needs. By giving some examples, you
should be able to make pertinent, practical
application to yourself.
To be a married
man, you need to
be a spiritual man.
You need to have
established spiritual
habits that keep you
in God’s Word and
obeying the Holy
Spirit’s application
of the Bible to your
personal life and
actions. You will not
have good spiritual habits without strong
character habits, so do the work it takes to
develop a strong character which will help
you develop a real spiritual life.
You also must understand how
authority works with godly men. When
a man gets married, it appears to the
unspiritual that he has finally become
his own man and answers to no one but
himself. This is clearly wrong, and you must
not desire to be married so that you can get
out from under authority in your life. You
are not ready for the increased authority
and responsibility of being a husband
until you are completely submissive to the
present Biblical authorities in your life.
This includes your parents, your pastor,
your civil authority, and your employer.
If you are still trying to skirt the authority
these hold in your life, you are not ready to
be a husband. Work on that, for sure. You
also must have a place in your church to
serve God. A godly husband is in a church,
and he has a way to serve God through
his church. This places him under the
authority of a pastor and in encouraging
communion with other believers.
Second, to be a married man, you
must be a mature man. You should not be
involved “deeply” with a girl just because
it makes you feel good or because it is
enjoyable. Of course, done properly, a
relationship with a lady does make you feel
good and is enjoyable. But these cannot be
what drives your desire
for a relationship. You
are a man, and you
should be more mature
than to be controlled
by your emotions.
Make sure you are
growing up before you
go seeking a wife.
Thirdly, to be a married
man, you must be
skilled or schooled.
As a man, God has commissioned you to
subdue and take dominion over the earth.
This manifests itself in a job of some sort.
As a married man, he has also given you
a wife and, probably soon, children to
nourish and provide for. You need income
to do that, and normally, a job is the way
to get income. A good job pays you well
enough to have time to be spiritual yourself,
to be a godly husband and father for your
family, and to be involved in your church
and ministries. To get a job that pays that
well, you need skills or education. Having
a job is directly related to finances, but it is
not all that is involved with finances.
So, finally, to be a married man, you must
have a Biblical view of money. You should
6 | ALWAYS ABOUNDING

be debt free when you get married. Many
people think that getting married doubles
the income producing possibilities, but I’ve
rarely seen it work that way. Couples who
postpone marriage (by a reasonably small
amount of time) to clear out their debt
are much better off in more than financial
ways when they get married. However
the point of writing this is not to get you
to postpone your marriage when you are
ready to get married...the point is for you
to get rid of your debt while you are still
getting prepared for marriage. Don’t get
“all involved” and then figure out that you
have too much debt, not enough income,
no place to live, a car that scares your
father-in-law to death, and more expenses
than you can handle to get married. Get
your finances and your outlook on money
straight before you begin to pursue a wife.
Again, you should be debt free; you should
have sufficient income (not your or her
dad’s level of income, just sufficient); you
should have a modest place to live; and
you should have your expenses completely
under control.
So, where are you in these areas?
How long (in months) will it take for you
to become ready to be married? Now,
how long will it take you to meet, get to
know, engage, and marry? The normal
engagement time for college-age young
people is 10-12 months. Often, couples
are in a period of being “quite sure” that
the person they are dating is the one they
will marry for 4-6 months. They spend
that time getting to know each other
better. And it often takes 4-6 months for
a couple to “find out” if the one they’re
hanging out with more than the others
is worth getting to know. So, the typical
courtship time period from “just friends”
(honestly) to “I do” is from 18-24 months.
Often, when a relationship is longer than
this, the physical attraction has progressed
way before the rest of the relationship has,
and couples put themselves in danger of
serious problems.
God created marriage. Keep yourself
“on track” to be a Biblical husband.
“Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good
thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord
(Proverbs 18:22).”
(Jeff Voegtlin is the Vice President of Fairhaven Baptist
College and leads the singles group of Fairhaven
Baptist Church.)
Interior of Church Building
Throughout the 50-year history of
Fairhaven Baptist Church, God has
touched countless lives. We rejoice to hear
of many still serving the Lord throughout
the world today. In a world that is aimless
with those who have turned their back on
God, it is such an encouragement to know
there are so many still faithful to His Word.
Please come rejoice with us in His
goodness! On Saturday, July 11, a
“Welcome Home” dinner will be served at
5:00 pm, with fellowship and a fireworks
display to follow. For those whose church
isn’t local, please join us for a special
Sunday morning service at 10:30 am and
lunch following.
www.fairhavenbaptist.org | 7

GIVING HELP TO THE HURTING
by Dr. Steve Damron
As a preacher
and someone
who has been
helping people in
the ministry for close
to three decades, I
find that one of the
hardest things to do
is to give people the
help that they need in times of trial, sin,
and distress. I don’t think that I am unique
in this conundrum. We can find men in
the Bible who seemed at a loss for what
to do or what to say to some of the people
they were ministering to. Consider the
following examples in Scripture.
“And all the congregation lifted up their
voice, and cried; and the people wept
that night. And all the children of Israel
murmured against Moses and against
Aaron: and the whole congregation said
unto them, Would God that we had died
in the land of Egypt! or would God we had
died in this wilderness! And wherefore
hath the LORD brought us unto this land,
to fall by the sword, that our wives and
our children should be a prey? were it not
better for us to return into Egypt? And
they said one to another, Let us make a
captain, and let us return into Egypt. Then
Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before
all the assembly of the congregation of
the children of Israel. And Joshua the son
of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh,
which were of them that searched the
land, rent their clothes: And they spake
unto all the company of the children of
Israel, saying, The land, which we passed
through to search it, is an exceeding good
land. If the LORD delight in us, then he
will bring us into this land, and give it us;
a land which floweth with milk and honey.
Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither
fear ye the people of the land; for they
are bread for us: their defence is departed
from them, and the LORD is with us: fear
them not. But all the congregation bade
stone them with stones. And the glory of
the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of
the congregation before all the children of
Israel” (Numbers 14:1-10).
“So there went up thither of the people
about three thousand men: and they fled
before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai
smote of them about thirty and six men:
for they chased them from before the gate
even unto Shebarim, and smote them in
the going down: wherefore the hearts of
the people melted, and became as water.
And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to
the earth upon his face before the ark of
the LORD until the eventide, he and the
elders of Israel, and put dust upon their
heads. And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD,
wherefore hast thou at all brought this
people over Jordan, to deliver us into the
hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would
to God we had been content, and dwelt on
the other side Jordan! O Lord, what shall I
say, when Israel turneth their backs before
their enemies! For the Canaanites and all
the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it,
and shall environ us round, and cut off our
name from the earth: and what wilt thou
do unto thy great name? And the LORD
said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore
liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath
sinned, and they have also transgressed
my covenant which I commanded them: for
they have even taken of the accursed thing,
8 | ALWAYS ABOUNDING

and have also stolen, and dissembled also,
and they have put it even among their own
stuff” (Joshua 7:4-11).
Psalm 34 was written during a great
time of affliction in David’s life. He had been
anointed to be king and then was fleeing
for his life and hiding with the enemy of
his nation. It truly was a trying time and a
time of heartbrokenness. Psalms like these
are good for us to consider when helping
others. As ministers of the Word of God,
we are responsible to give our sheep help
to endure and to understand that the Lord
has not forsaken them.
“The eyes of the LORD are upon the
righteous, and his ears are open unto their
cry. The face of the LORD is against them
that do evil, to cut off the remembrance
of them from the earth. The righteous
cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth
them out of all their troubles. The LORD is
nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;
and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous:
but the LORD delivereth him out of them
all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of
them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked:
and they that hate the righteous shall be
desolate. The LORD redeemeth the soul of
his servants: and none of them that trust
in him shall be desolate” (Psalm 34:15-22).
As you can see from the previous
examples, Moses, Joshua, and David
all came to a place where they were
speechless, angry, or fed up either with
the situation they were dealing with or
the people they were supposed to be
ministering to. As ministers of the Word
of God, we can take hope that such men
of renown were “stumped” sometimes.
Today, we have an advantage which those
men did not have—the written Word
of God. What a wonderful source of
infinite wisdom and divine guidance that
we possess in our hands! We have the
product of the miracle of inspiration and
preservation handed down to us so that
we are not left defenseless.
Let’s take five lessons from the life of
Christ to help us when we as ministers of
Christ don’t know what to do or what to
say. We are going to take these from the
first chapter of Mark. Mark is unique in that
he was not one of the disciples that walked
with Christ. Most believe that this is John
Mark who was turned away by the Apostle
Paul for a little time. The Gospel of Mark
is an action-packed book which is fitting
for our study because it concentrates on
the interactions of Christ with the crowds.
Consider what the International Standard
Bible Encyclopedia says about the Gospel
of Mark:
“Judged by the space occupied, Mark is a
Gospel of deeds. Jesus is a worker. His life
is one of strenuous activity. He hastens
from one task to another with energy and
decision. The word εὐθύς, euthús, i.e.
“straightway,” is used 42 times as against
Matthew’s 7 and Luke’s 1. In 14 of these,
as compared with 2 in Matthew and none
in Luke, the word is used of the personal
activity of Jesus.”
(cont., pg 10)
www.fairhavenbaptist.org | 9

Lesson 1: Be Sure That You Have
the Spirit’s Filling and Leading
“And it came to pass in those days, that
Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee,
and was baptized of John in Jordan. And
straightway coming up out of the water, he
saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like
a dove descending upon him: And there
came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou
art my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased” (Mark 1:9-11).
There is much disagreement about
terminology when it comes to the Spirit’s
working in a believer’s life. I have found
that the Spirit’s power, teaching, and
guidance is very evident and clearly
defined in Scripture. We could take much
time to reveal that fact in John 14-16, but I
will leave it up to the reader to do a further
study on his own to see that the Spirit’s
working in a believer’s life is needed
to accomplish any spiritual good. That
being said, those of us that lead others
must be ever vigilant to have the Spirit’s
guidance as we guide them through trials,
overcoming sins, and fighting the devil. I
find it instructive in my own life that one of
the first acts of Christ was His baptism as
He began His ministry here on this earth.
There must be balance when it comes to
the doctrine of the Holy Spirit; however,
we must not discard it altogether. There
are those who try to make the work of
the Holy Spirit so mystical that it becomes
unrealistic or just for a chosen few. There
are those who may take the work of the
Holy Spirit and relegate it to having no
earthly affect on the believer while he
is here on this earth. Both instances are
wrong. A believer must understand that
through the ministry and power of the
Holy Spirit he can have victory. We must
follow the example of Christ and ask for
the Holy Spirit’s power to be able to do the
work of ministering to hurting people.
Lesson 2: Realize Where Your
Authority Comes From
“And they went into Capernaum; and
straightway on the sabbath day he entered
into the synagogue, and taught. And they
were astonished at his doctrine: for he
taught them as one that had authority, and
not as the scribes. And there was in their
synagogue a man with an unclean spirit;
and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone;
what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus
of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us?
I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of
God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold
thy peace, and come out of him. And when
the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried
with a loud voice, he came out of him. And
they were all amazed, insomuch that they
questioned among themselves, saying,
What thing is this? what new doctrine is
this? for with authority commandeth he
even the unclean spirits, and they do obey
him. And immediately his fame spread
abroad throughout all the region round
about Galilee” (Mark 1:21-28).
It is interesting that Jesus steps onto
the scene and is engaged in teaching
and preaching in the synagogues and
then in dealing with the devil himself. As
10 | ALWAYS ABOUNDING

ministers of the Lord, our authority does
not rest on our personal experience, our
grand education, or in the greatness of
our personality. Our expertise comes from
the foundational truths of God’s Word.
It is God’s Word which will change a life.
As ministers, we cannot find some “new”
truth which will be enlightening to this
age. Yes, I understand that God does bring
leaders into this world and uses them to
help further His kingdom, but sometimes
we are looking for that special missing
ingredient. Could it be that you are not
spending enough time in the sacred text
of Scriptures? The Scriptures have what
we need in dealing with the naysayers, the
religious crowd, and with the devil himself.
Lesson 3: Be Available for God to
Use You in Multiple Venues
“And forthwith, when they were come out
of the synagogue, they entered into the
house of Simon and Andrew, with James
and John. But Simon’s wife’s mother lay
sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.
And he came and took her by the hand, and
lifted her up; and immediately the fever
left her, and she ministered unto them.
And at even, when the sun did set, they
brought unto him all that were diseased,
and them that were possessed with devils.
And all the city was gathered together at
the door. And he healed many that were
sick of divers diseases, and cast out many
devils; and suffered not the devils to speak,
because they knew him” (Mark 1:29-34).
I find it interesting that our Savior was
in the synagogues, in the house of His
disciples, and then sitting outside until
the sun was setting meeting, greeting,
and healing folks. A few verses later in
the text, Jesus mentions moving to other
towns (notice it is plural) to preach and
teach. Christ mentions that this is the
reason He came, and as Christ mentioned
to His parents in Luke 2, that He must be
about His Father’s business. Christ was
available to minister to the needs of those
around Him. I understand needing time to
study and being “prayed up and studied
up” for Sunday duties, but be careful of
always being “about the study” and not
“about the sheep.” A minister should be
available to meet the needs of the flock
that God has given him. Don’t get so busy
with administrative life that you forget that
you would not have that life if it were not
for the flock that God has given you. Be
available to meet the spiritual needs of
your flock.
Lesson 4: Learn to Sit at the Feet
of Him Who Can Sustain Your
Duties
“And in the morning, rising up a great
while before day, he went out, and
departed into a solitary place, and there
prayed. And Simon and they that were
with him followed after him. And when
they had found him, they said unto him, All
men seek for thee. And he said unto them,
Let us go into the next towns, that I may
preach there also: for therefore came I
forth. And he preached in their synagogues
throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils”
(Mark 1:35-39).
(cont., pg 12)
www.fairhavenbaptist.org | 11

It is not a coincidence that in Mark 1
we are read of Christ rising up a great while
before day. Recently, I was on a back-toschool
campout revival with our teenagers.
I was thrilled to walk up and hear one
of the staff at morning devotion time
challenging the teens to be more sincere
and dedicated to their prayer time. One
thing that he was challenging them to do
is to try to set an extra hour or so a week
aside just for prayer. His statement later in
the lesson was challenging to me. He told
the teens that if they decided to take this
challenge, they would find it to be one of
the hardest things they ever attempted. I
have found this to be true. I can do many
activities such as visitation, studying,
planning, and counseling, but the hardest
task of all is to spend extra time in prayer
for my own spiritual well being. May God
help us who minister to others to realize
that our strength for the journey is not
within ourselves, but in Him Who has all
power. We truly have a wonderful Savior!
Lesson 5: Don’t Be Afraid of
Horrible Situations
“And there came a leper to him, beseeching
him, and kneeling down to him, and saying
unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me
clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion,
put forth his hand, and touched him, and
saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. And
as soon as he had spoken, immediately the
leprosy departed from him, and he was
cleansed” (Mark 1:40-42).
to be forbidden to have contact with a
leprous person. Christ was different and
His ministers should be as well. Over
the course of decades in ministry, I have
seen spiritual leprosy, and I have had the
wondrous opportunity to see what Christ
can do to a heart that finds cleansing
through Christ. It is true that we live in
a dark age in America. The forces of evil
seem to be ever strengthening, but does
that mean that Christ’s healing power
is ineffective? No, on the contrary, we
should always be looking for folks who are
“leprous” in their sinful ways. They are
downtrodden and heading for damnation.
With Christ’s saving power, a sinner can be
changed.
My prayer is that through this quick
study of the life of Christ we can see that
we can bring help to the hurting. Christ
was a great shepherd. As undershepherds
for Him, let’s bring the healing that is
available from an omnipotent, omniscient
Savior.
(Steve Damron is the pastor of Fairhaven Baptist
Church and president of Fairhaven Baptist College.)
I would challenge the reader to do a
study on leprosy during the time of Christ.
It was a horrible disease that pictures
the decaying and destructive influence of
sin. There was not anything good about
having leprosy. It was also very common
12 | ALWAYS ABOUNDING

PREACHING
Conference 2020
April 19-23
INTEGRITY
The
JUSTman walketh in
his INTEGRITY...
Psalm 20:7
Guest Speakers:
Jason Atwood Jason Brenenstuhl Sam Knickerbocker Randy Starr Fred Weiss
www.fairhavenbaptist.org | 13

A VERY PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE
by Pastor Jerry Ross
“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1
I
love the King
James Bible. I love
the wording; so, to
those determined
to change it, I say,
“Leave it alone!”
It does not need
revised or rewritten.
Just preach it! Then,
watch it produce repentance, rebirth, and
revival.
I have also watched this wonderful
Holy Book get people through some pretty
tough times. In the forty-sixth Psalm, God
reminds us that He is our refuge and our
strength. Then he makes us a promise.
God promises to be a very present help
during times of trouble.
Notice the English grammar: “very
present help” (adverb, adjective, noun).
“Very” carries the meaning of being
vehemently, wholly, speedily, especially,
quickly, and exceedingly while the
adjective, “present” means to come forth,
to appear and exist, to be present or found.
What is God trying to communicate to
us through this verse? God is saying that
in life you will face trouble, but during
those times, He will be your refuge and
your strength. He then adds these three
wonderful words: very present help.
During trials and testings, He is there—
but not just there, very there! And not
just very there, but there for a specific
purpose—very there to bring aid and to
bring help. What this verse is teaching us
is that God’s presence intensifies during
times of trouble. God’s power amplifies
during times of trouble. Whenever one of
His children faces a Satanic attack, God has
promised to wholly, speedily, exceedingly,
especially, quickly, and mightily appear
and exist to help and aid you in your time
of trouble.
When you face tribulation, you have a
great opportunity to see God as you have
never seen Him before and to learn things
about God that you have never learned
before. During times of trouble, you have
an opportunity to become an eyewitness
to the intensified presence of God and
amplified power of God.
All through the Bible, we find stories
of God’s children facing trouble and then
experiencing the very present help of their
Father.
Moses’ newly freed children of Israel
faced the fickle fury of Pharaoh as he
changed his mind and pursued them,
pinning them against the Red Sea. In
this time of trouble, God became their
very present help! Soon, water stood at
attention while God’s people kicked up
dust as they crossed over on dry ground.
God was always there, but when they were
in trouble, God became very there.
Nebuchadnezzar, in Daniel 3, decided
that three of God’s children should be
thrown into a furnace of fire because they
refused to worship his idol. Sometimes,
doing the right thing can get you into
trouble, but don’t worry about it. In that
furnace of fire, the Son of God became
their very present help.
I do not like trouble, but I like the
opportunity it gives me. When I face
14 | ALWAYS ABOUNDING

trouble, I can focus on the trouble or I can
focus on God and know that I have been
given a rare opportunity to watch Him
perform supernaturally in the midst of my
trouble. Again, I do not like trouble, but
I sure like the intensified presence of my
Almighty Father helping and aiding on my
behalf!
May I ask you a question: what are
you going through? God wants to remind
you that along with your trouble, you
have something else—you have a refuge
and a strength. You have a God who
delights in being a very present help. You
have a God who has promised to wholly,
speedily, exceedingly, especially, quickly,
and mightily appear and exist to help and
aid you during your time of trouble. Now,
until this trouble is resolved in your life,
don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn
all you can about Him. And don’t be so
focused on the trouble that you miss the
miracles He will send in the midst of your
trouble.
And lastly, enjoy—that’s right—
determine to enjoy the One Who is that
very present help. God will never be any
closer than He is right now.
(Jerry Ross is the pastor of Blessed Hope Baptist
Church in Jasonville, Indiana.)
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