My summary of Pastor Hines message, in terms of what I saw as useful: there are many wrong ways to respond / react to afflictions from our sovereign God. If you study much on the topic of God’s providence, you will discover that a Christian is to count all things that come into his life as from God: sickness, disease, loss….
It is human to want ease, comfort, pleasure and so on. Such human desires can lead us to murmur, become bitter, seek pleasure, etc., when we are afflicted. Pastor Hines uses two examples of responses to affliction to teach us some godly ways of dealing with the afflictions that God sends into our lives.
The first part of the video is a bit difficult to get through because of the tragic reaction of the man he discussed. But as he explains the afflictions of the second man, which were far worse, you will grasp the value of learning receive the afflictions that God sends into your life in a biblical manner.
Lastly, when I was dealing with prostate cancer, my brother gave me a book titled, The Afflicted Man’s Companion, therein, I learned much that God wants us to feel the pain of our afflictions and to find value in them. There are many ways to run from the work God is doing in your life, pleasure-seeking to escape the pain for example; or becoming bitter, resentful and murmuring like Israel in the wilderness.
Pastor Hines’ message will help you learn a godly way to ‘respond’ to the afflictions you get from God.
Podcast text:
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
The following narrative and links accompanied the above video at the YouTube site, Christian Sermons and Audio Books:
Grief, Loss, and Terrible Darkness What is God’s Purpose in Such Things – Pastor Patrick Hines Podcast
▶️The Gospel of God’s Free Grace: An Overview of Romans Chapters 1 through 8 eBook:
Pastor Patrick Hines https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BN6S4MPQ
▶️Reformed Presbyterian Pulpit Supplemental (Pastor Hines’ YouTube Channel):
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClW5…
▶️Bridwell Heights Presbyterian Church http://www.bridwellheightschurch.org/
▶️Pastor Patrick Hines (PLAYLIST): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…
“It is good for me that I was afflicted, So that I may learn Your statutes.” Psalm 119:71
Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to [obtain] an inheritance [which is] imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in [the] last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various *trials, 7 so that the *proof of your faith, [being] more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and *full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of *your souls.
From church website:
We subscribe to the Westminster Standards as our doctrinal statement. It consists of the following documents:
The Westminster Confession of Faith
The Westminster Larger Catechism
The Westminster Shorter Catechism
We also believe that Christian Worship is to be regulated and defined by God’s Word, the Bible.
Our worship services are designed to please and honor the Triune God of the Bible. We place Scripture reading and the preaching of the word of God at the center of worship along with Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These are God’s gifts to His church and ought to always be at the center of Christian worship. We are a congregation that loves to sing God’s praises, recite His Word back to Him, and actively engage in hearing and learning from God’s Word.
We embrace and promote a comprehensive Christian world and life view.
There is no area of life which is not under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is to God and His law which all people, including governments and civil rulers, will answer. The Word of God embraces and informs the way we view marriage, the family, children, education, politics, worship, law, government, war, the church, missions, evangelism, and worship. In the world today there is a battle of opposing worldviews. There are basically only two positions: God’s Word and man’s ideas. We stand positively for Biblical truth and negatively against man’s ideas which are opposed to Biblical truth.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only hope for mankind.
Because all men fall short of obeying God’s law, all men everywhere are in need of divine grace and salvation from God. This salvation is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ who died for sinners, was buried, rose again, and is alive today seated at God the Father’s right hand.
We Worship God Together as Families.
We offer nursery during morning worship service for newborns and infants but encourage people to keep as many of their children as they can with them for morning worship. The audio of the service is in the nursery via speakers. There is also a crying room with a video screen and audio of the sermon. We offer Sunday school classes for all ages but worship together as families. We do not offer “children’s” church. Children need to be in morning worship as soon as possible so they can learn how to participate as active worshipers of God which includes the singing of His praises and listening actively to sermons.
Please watch: “A Call to Separation – A. W. Pink Christian Audio Books / Don’t be Unequally Yoked / Be Ye Separate”
If the name of JESUS isn’t glorified and credited in ALL CHRISTIAN WRITINGS then the belief of the writer is suspect.
Poiuy321, Thank you for commenting on my post. I’m not sure what you’re referring to, because the podcast text was, 1 Peter 1:3-9 which began: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead….” In the initial 15 minutes, he read 1 Peter 1:3-9, and mentioned ‘Jesus Christ’ and ‘Christ.’ I did not re listen to the 60 minute podcast to count the times he referred to Jesus. I believe that the criteria for determining if a sermon or podcast is biblical is whether it contains biblical doctrine, and this podcast did. The first thing that occurred to me after reading your comment, was that I have heard plenty of professed Christians call the name of Jesus again and again and they don’t even read the Bibles; and I’ve heard preachers doing the same, while they are preaching heresy. So, just saying the name of Jesus doesn’t cause a presentation to pass the test that, for example, the Bereans would have required from the apostle Paul in Acts 17. Another thing that occurred to me is the following text that Jesus spoke from Luke 24:26 “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 AND BEGINNING AT MOSES AND ALL THE PROPHETS, HE EXPOUNDED UNTO THEM IN ALL THE SCRIPTURES THE THINGS CONCERNING HIMSELF.” I don’t believe that the OLD TESTAMENT mentions the name of JESUS’at all. HE IS CALLED EMMANUEL, THE EVERLASTING FATHER…. THERE ARE MANY REFERENCES TO HIM, AND NOAH’S ARK WAS A TYPE OF CHRIST, THE PASSOVER WAS A TYPE OF CHRIST, THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM IN LEVITICUS ALL POINTED TO CHRIST, AS JESUS UNDOUBTEDLY TOLD THE TRAVELERS ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS. I listened through the podcast two or three times before I posted it, and believe that it was a bible-based presentation of the affliction that God the Father sends into the lives of His children to conform them into the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And the men he used as examples of REACTING to affliction and RESPONDING to affliction were also appropriate. Another thing I want to say about Pastor Hines presentation is that he is one of the most genuine pastors I have heard speak, as his words convey that he understands the fight against the world, the flesh and the devil. He isn’t pretending to be a perfect pastor, but admits to having struggles in his life. Another reader said something similar to me recently and I referred him to the Mission Statement post of my blog, see CATEGORIES; and asked him to sample more than one post from my blog before deciding that it is not biblical. I ask you to do the same. Lastly, I’d like to say that I am certainly capable of making mistakes, even thought I work hard not to.