By Biblestudycompany.com Ric Joyner
We will state upfront that Christmas is not a biblical holiday. But it is not unbiblical to celebrate the birth of Christ. We should also not equalize Christmas with the advent of our Savior. The Old Testament prophesized over the birth of the Savior to come. The current secular traditions of Santa, with almost God-like qualities and manipulating kids to "further fantasize" a jolly old man who can give all children on earth toys and an "elf on the shelf" that watches how they behave, is unbiblical. Still, some feel it is acceptable to create a myth around Santa Claus while children are young. We disagree. It is always best to be honest with children about Santa. Giving presents at this time of the year is not wrong because the Magi gave Christ's family gifts in worship to the young boy Messiah, who helped the family with the expenses of fleeing to Egypt. Consumerism and greed are wrong and sinful, but only the Holy Spirit can lead you to that truth, and He knows your heart.
Frustration mounts as we approach this time of year in the Christmas season. Screams of "Christmas is pagan" escalate into a crescendo with arguments against Christmas on social media and by some bible teachers. Could this be a veiled attack on the Gospel in the name of "we don't want to be idolators"?
Let's take a look. Please reread these scriptures prayerfully as we begin our biblical study.
Matthew Chapters 1-2 highlights
"30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel."
Luke Chapters 1 and 2. Pay attention to what the angels say a couple of times: "Good news," translated as the same word… Gospel. The birth of Christ was good news for Jews because their long-awaited Messiah was finally here, and the prophecy was fulfilled. We write this paper 2,000 years later for Gentiles, grateful that the apostles preached the Gospel to us: Good news: Christ came as a child to break the back of sin and death and allowed us Gentiles an eternal "home" and become children of God! Gentiles are not part of the nation of Israel, but we are part of God's family! (Eph Chap 1-4) We celebrate the birth of Christ because of the Gospel!
Read John 1 for a view from heaven of why Christ came.
"9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the intention of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. We saw His glory as the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'" 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him."
If it is, then are you a pagan for celebrating the Day of Christ's birth? The historical false proof that Christmas is pagan is thrown at you with overwhelming emotional authoritarianism. Is emotionalism based on biblical truth? How about historical facts? We know the origin of Christmas (birth of Christ) is biblical. The story of our Savior starts with His birth because the prophets mentioned He was coming. We suspect the anti-Christmas vehemence is agenda-driven. We ask this question because born-again believing Christians are not worshipping pagan deities by participating in the birth of Christ called Christmas today. I spoke to a Torah-keeping brother who said, "Yes, Christmas is pagan." I asked how that could be, and he shared, "When you put a present under the tree, you are 'bowing' down to the tree." I was stunned. The logic he displayed defied logic. Yeah, no. Worshipping a pagan deity requires one to engage the diety knowingly.
In our research, there were pagan celebrations that started around the time of 274 AD, but they appear to be in response to Christians in Rome celebrating the birth of Christ! We then ask what came first, the "chicken or the egg?" "However, it has also been argued that, on the contrary, Emperor Aurelian, who in 274 instituted the holiday of the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, did so partly as an attempt to give a pagan significance to a date already important for Christians in Rome.[76]
Is the nearness of a pagan holiday make Christmas pagan? When I sift through the concerns of 'Christmas is pagan,' people, did you know there was a pagan holiday at this time? We will deal with this later, but does that make celebrating the birth of Christ pagan today? Let's ask another question: Is Hanukkah pagan? The answer is no. Yet, Hanukkah is square in the middle of this pagan holiday called Saturnalia. The true church pushed hard against these wicked holidays, and to assume born-again believers were participating in pagan festivals doesn't make much sense since Christians had to live outside of society for several hundred years because of severe persecution.
Calling Christmas pagan because of the nearness of the same period of a pagan holiday would be the same as calling Easter (the resurrection of Christ) and Passover pagan. The proximity does not work because a pagan spring festival may happen simultaneously.
We can confidently say that born-again believers would not have observed a pagan holiday and dishonored our Lord Jesus Christ, who rescued us from sin and death. Born-again believers do not participate in pagan rituals today, and Christmas is about the birth of Christ.
Conclusion. We will focus on the birth of Christ currently and not conflate the past to today.
"Certainly today, the mix of consumerism (AKA Santa Claus) can take people's eyes off Christ, but our job is to bring them back to the salvation message of the Gospel. Will you join us?" BSC.
Note: In our extensive research, we stumbled upon a Wikipedia article. We usually would bypass Wikipedia as higher education frowns on the use of Wikipedia; however, this article has stood the test of time (2001) and is updated continually, even in 2021. Once you dive into the article, you will see the extent and expanse of the research on Christmas.
"Got you, Biblestudycompany…see, Christmas is pagan". Well, no, and not so fast. This Wikipedia article on Christmas is excellent and thorough for a balanced perspective.
Here are some highlights:
"Christmas" is a shortened form of "Christ's mass." The word was recorded as Crīstesmæsse in 1038 and Cristes-messe in 1131.[22] Crīst (genitive Crīstes) is from Greek Khrīstos (Χριστός), a translation of Hebrew Māšîaḥ (מָשִׁיחַ), "Messiah," meaning "anointed";[23][24] and mæsse is from Latin missa, the celebration of the Eucharist.[25]”
"December 25 was the winter solstice date in the Roman calendar.[16][53] A late fourth-century sermon by Saint Augustine explains why this was a fitting day to celebrate Christ's nativity: "Hence it is that He was born on the Day which is the shortest in our earthly reckoning and from which subsequent days begin to increase in length. He, therefore, who bent low and lifted us chose the shortest Day, yet the one whence Light begins to increase." [54]
We conclude by the historical facts that the Roman Catholic Church did not exist at the beginning of Christian recognition of the birth of Christ.
"The Roman Emperor Constantine established himself as the head of the church around 313 A.D., which made this new "Christianity" the Roman Empire's official religion. The first actual Pope in Rome was probably Leo I (440-461 A.D.), although some claim that Gregory I was the first (Pope) (590-604 A.D.). This ungodly system eventually ushered in the darkest period known to man, called the "Dark Ages" (500-1500 A.D.). Through popes, bishops, and priests, Satan ruled Europe, and Biblical Christianity became illegal."
"And therefore, we should not celebrate the birth of Christ." We would say, "Tell that to the angels engaging the shepherds because heaven celebrated the birth of God's Son!" Luke 2:2-14
"And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
Note: the words Good News are translated from Greek
Original word: εὐαγγελίζω
Transliteration: euaggelizó
Definition (short): preach
Description (complete): to announce good news
Yep, evangelize during Christmas. There are hurting hearts at this time of the year, and many blindly celebrate a holiday not connected to Christ's birth. Let us help people relate it to Christ, our Savior.
If not Christmas, what should we celebrate instead? We should celebrate Hanukkah to return to our Jewish roots. Hanukkah was not part of the Gospel, and the birth of Christ IS part of the Gospel.
We encourage everyone everywhere to ask God whether one should participate in the celebration of the birth of Christ. We say YES! We can confidently push back on anti-Christmas and anti-birth of Christ people with correct historical and biblical facts.
During this time of the year, people are open to the Gospel for nearly one month. Do we let this opportunity slide through our fingers? In Matthew 28, our commission is to go and make disciples. To make a disciple, we must present the Gospel first. Will we waste our time arguing over the birth of Christ, whether it is pagan or not? To this, we say that people saying Christmas or the celebration of the birth of Christ is pagan are avoiding the Gospel! Why? Who in the spiritual realm attacks the Gospel and wants it destroyed? Satan. Think about this tidbit. Imagine a worldwide focus on Christmas, even in Buddhist countries. Why not present the Gospel at this time of the year? As Paul said, his focus was on getting people reconciled to God. (2Cor 5:18-21)
"15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." The Accuser is bound and determined to use people, even with good intentions, to stop the message of the Gospel of Salvation. We use the word accusation intentionally because people who celebrate traditional Christmas are called pagans. A severe charge but, fortunately, untrue.
God is a God of prophecy. He wants us to know what is coming. He answered His word and has "healing in His wings" to "reconcile us to God." There are no other holy books that contain prophetic words fulfilled!
Every Christmas season is a literal miracle that this holiday (holy Day) is focused worldwide on Jesus Christ, our Savior. Even the Wikipedia article acknowledges this undeniable fact.
Therefore, let us turn aside from the poor handling of scripture and agenda-driven history "facts" and focus on the birth of Christ and sharing the Good news of His coming to rescue us from our sin, thus giving us eternal life without works and fear in the blood of Christ!
What can you and your family do to share the love of Christ with a hurting world this Christmas season? Here is one video that touches our hearts when we watch it.
Feel free to share the resources.
Melton, James. "The Plain Truth about the Roman Catholic Church." biblebelievers.com. Bible Baptist Publications, 1998. https://biblebelievers.com/jmelton/Catholic.html.
Wikipedia Contributors. "Christmas." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, October 31, 2001. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas.
———. "Christmas." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, October 31, 2001. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas
William Federer: There is a Santa Claus - History of Saint Nicholas & Christmas Holiday Traditions
by Amazon.com Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0965355748/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_QVM4MJF835RK35KMWAHR
Christmas has nothing to do with paganism: Red pen logic
Was December 25 the date of Christ's birth? The Greek Orthodox church thinks so.
Mike Winger on Christmas:
1. Is Christmas PAGAN? In defense of Christmas
3. Stop Twisting Jeremiah 10 Because It's Not About Christmas Trees
4. Alisa Childers on Christmas
5. For the extensive history of Christmas with the discussion of the dates for the birth of Christ, God Became Incarnate James Quiggle by Amazon.com
Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/149918669X/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_AR6NEZ6XB0TPZ5N1VB90
6. The star of Bethlehem is an excellent movie on the astronomical view of the star. https://youtu.be/55VRdLnkvDw
Playlist of videos that will go step by step
Article On how to study the Bible from BSC step by step
Article by Dr. Baruch on how to study the Bible
Article on how numbers play a role in Bible Study
Blog article and podcast on how we learned to study the Bible with Dr. Baruch
See full post & commentsThis prayer is a guide and biblically based. All a person needs to do is cry out to God in their own words. If you are not sure how to pray, please use this as a guide.
To have a relationship with God versus religion, pray this prayer sincerely and in your own words.
Dear Heavenly Father, (Matt. 6:9) I want a relationship with You...not a religion. I come to You and open my heart. (John 3:16) I will be honest and sincere with You. (John 4) I am running my life and need Your help. (Matt. 6:10) I am made in Your image (Gen 1:26, 27), and I won't be happy until I am in a relationship with you. (Gen. 3) Most of my behavior does not please You. (Romans 3:23) I know I am a sinner, so please forgive my sins because of Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who came to die for my sins. (John 3:16) His death on the cross is the punishment I should receive, but You were gracious to die in my place through Christ. By faith, I place all of my past, present, and future sins on Christ. I believe Jesus Christ is my Savior, and salvation is a gift! I know I cannot earn my way to heaven by being good through good works. (Eph. 2:8) You did this so I can be in a relationship with You on earth and for all eternity. (Romans 10:9-13) And I will forgive those who have sinned or hurt me because you have forgiven me. Take away any bitterness or resentment I carry toward You or other people. (Matt. 6:13-14) Please show and teach me how to live a praiseworthy life on earth to You starting today. (Matt. 6:33, Acts 9 and 10) I ask you to be in my heart, as Paul said in Ephesians 3:17. I know that You love me, Father, and I want to love You and that you have a purpose and plan for my life. I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Lord, because You gave me breath in my lungs and Savior, because you paid my sin debt. Please teach me to pray. (Matt. 6:9) Thank You, Jesus, for saving me to Yourself (Ex. 19:1-8) and making me a new person! (2 Cor. 5:17) In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen!
Learn to grow at www.biblestudycompany.com, Grace Bible Church, and Christ Community Church.
See full post & commentsMP3 Direct Download http://bit.ly/2QJitCR
EPISODE SUMMARY
When encountering the living God expect change! Exodus 3 Part 2 Join Ric and Mary Joyner for continuing the discussion in Exodus which is a glimpse of our Christian walk.
EPISODE NOTES
After 40 years in Egypt and 40 years in the wilderness, Moses encounters the Living God Who is moving to SAVE His people out of Egypt. Egypt represents the world system of sin and being enslaved by sin. The Pharaoh is the evil ruler and is representative of Satan. But sin is what separates us from God. Our discussion asks questions of the Lord, such as why the Hebrews ended up enslaved in Egypt and you will be surprised by the parallels of our own lives? Hint: Idolatry. God is listening to our cries for His salvation from the bondage of our sin. He wants to rescue us to Himself.
Join us for this podcast.
See full post & commentsThis video was shown at the Loveisrael.org Annual Conference. We were Christians for many years before finding out this "secret". We were reading our favorite Christian books, sitting in the pews taking in what the pastor shared and using our bible as a devotional book. Our life changed dramatically when we changed our position to study the bible to be obedient to the word of God. But how? Watch the video.
See full post & comments
EPISODE SUMMARY
How to become a disciple. In this talk, biblestudycompany asked Dr. Baruch to discuss what it means to be a disciple. He covers 2 Timothy 2:1-10.
EPISODE NOTES
This podcast for pewsitter is on how to become a disciple. In this talk, biblestudycompany asked Dr. Baruch to discuss what it means to be a disciple. He covers 2 Timothy 2:1-10. But first, he discusses Moses.
Humility is a crucial component. Our understanding of humility is flawed. It is not an outward emotion or demeanor but a choice. Yes, a choice. According to Numbers 12:3, Moses was the most humble man on earth. How do we know humility has nothing to do with a demeanor? Because the Lord says: 7 "Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; 8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he beholds the form of the LORD. " Please note that this confirms Gen 12:4 that Abraham was full of faith because He heard from the Lord and obeyed God's word. Moses, too, was humble because following the word of God is going to be hard on us. And that is why it is a choice. Obeying God can be so hard we may not be able to accomplish obedience without His help changing us! Our thoughts are that Moses was indeed humble and a strong leader. Inward strength is required to obey God's word. Will we make a choice to follow God's word with His help? So God is faithful to His word meaning that He keeps His promises. We are to be faithful to act on His word as well.
Dr. Baruch carries this concept into the New Testament in 2 Timothy 2:1-10
For Search Engines: There are many bible verses about love, and there are many bible verses of the day programs. The holy bible provides these remarkable bible commentary. Bible Study and online bible study are available at biblestudycompany.com. Bible verses of faith are of interest as well. Even bible verses about hope are helpful. Bible verses about women are encouraging. Read the Bible online with biblestudycompany.com. We will all do better when love is patient love is kind. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me in times of trouble. With daily bible devotions, I grow. The gifts of the holy spirit are for every day. Online bible study is so helpful. biblestudycompany is a free online bible. With so many books of the bible, I can grow. We love inspirational bible verses in daily Bible reading.
See full post & commentsEPISODE SUMMARY
First Annual Bible Study Company Conference. When will the tribulation start? What is the next event on God's prophetic calendar? Dr. Baruch Korman of Loveisrael.org covers Ezekiel 44:23-17
EPISODE NOTES
Dr. Baruch gives us the next events in God's prophetic timetable. It is as if you are sitting in front of Dr. Baruch, who is creating a dinner full of events that we can see unfolding. We are indeed in a startling time of history. Prophecy is unfolding before our eyes in rapid acceleration. For example, some of the questions Dr. Baruch answers are: When will the tribulation start? Watch Iran. What is the next prophetic escalation? The religion of the Anti-Christ will be tolerance, except for Jews and Christians. Why is global climate change a huge deal? Are there ways for us to be a Kingdom person? Why is there such a focus away from God's word in the church and to signs and wonders? Does the prayer of people in church seem to be for emotional revivals that focus on experiences rather than discipleship? The Lord always calls us to submit our lives to Him and His word. By asking for Christ's help to change us to line up with His will, the greatest miracle of all happens. A person's heart is changed; they are born again; they can understand God's ways and will bear fruit according to Christ and the Kingdom of God.
Join us for this podcast or video.
For Search Engines: There are many bible verses about love, and there are many bible verse of the day programs. The holy bible provides these remarkable bible commentary. Bible Study and online bible study are available at biblestudycompany.com. Bible verses of faith are of interest as well. Even bible verses about hope are helpful. Bible verses about women are encouraging. Read the Bible online with biblestudycompany.com. We will all do better when love is patient love is kind. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me in times of trouble. With daily bible devotions, I grow. The gifts of the holy spirit are for every day. Online bible study is so helpful. biblestudycompany is a free online bible. With so many books of the bible, I can grow. We love inspirational bible verses in daily Bible reading.
See full post & commentsMary and I were in a bible study we had today for a group. We discussed the role of the bible in our lives. We discussed every pewsitters "role" in going to church. We dutifully go to church but are listening to what pastors teach about the bible but rarely engage Scripture ourselves. The group nodded in agreement. We also explained that the bible is 66 books with 37 authors! But the exciting theme in Scripture is that God, Who could speak the universe into existence, is impacting the lives of people. The people who put their trust in God as a result of obedience to His word, faired very well under His Lordship, rather than following their heart's desires. He is moving in our lives as well. We either see Him or not. "What did you just say, Ric?" Yes, we can miss Him as He is moving through history. We are blinded by our own minds to His ways. And if we are lucky enough, we may come in contact with Christ, and we are born again. Our eyes are changed. What now? How do we move forward? We go to church. We are told what to do and what to know and even what to think. But is this the model of discipleship that Christ had with His disciples? No. They were in a relationship with Him as He moved through their lives and onto a goal of doing the Father's Will. What is God's will for you? To be in submission to His will and thus His word. But you have to be a disciple first. As a person in the pew, how do we go about being a disciple? Take a course? Better yet, how can I study like Dr. Baruch? Change your thinking and start a relationship with the God of the bible by engaging His word. In this podcast or video, Dr. Baruch shares how we can begin to study like a disciple. If we are serious about Scripture, He may open up the word to us. (Prov 1-2) We may get to see into the Living God's heart! We can get to know Him and His ways. David did. David learned through the trials of life and the word of God, to do His will. Will you? Pick up the word to obey God in a relationship with Him today. Don't think you can? Ask Him to change you. He will. And don't let HIM GO like Jacob refused to do. You, like Jacob, will never walk the same again. Join us as we listen to Dr. Baruch expound the scriptures to inspire us to be doers of the word.
For Search Engines: There are many bible verses about love, and there are many bible verse of the day programs. The holy bible provides these remarkable bible commentary. Bible Study and online bible study are available at biblestudycompany.com. Bible verses of faith are of interest as well. Even bible verses about hope are helpful. Bible verses about women are encouraging. Read the Bible online with biblestudycompany.com. We will all do better when love is patient love is kind. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me in times of trouble. With daily bible devotions, I grow. The gifts of the holy spirit are for every day. Online bible study is so helpful. biblestudycompany is a free online bible. With so many books of the bible, I can grow. We love inspirational bible verses in daily Bible reading.
See full post & commentsEPISODE SUMMARY
Why study the Bible? What is the purpose? Are you a disciple of Christ? From Romans 9:1-16 Part 1, Dr. Baruch Korman shares at the First Annual User Conference why we as Pewsitters need to study God's word.
EPISODE NOTES
Why study the Bible? What is the purpose? Are you a disciple of Christ? Disciples obey the teacher. Our Teacher is the Lord Jesus Christ. From Romans 9:1-16 Part 1, Dr. Baruch Korman shares at the First Annual User Conference why, we as Pewsitters, need to study God's word. But how?
One of the first signs of someone's experience of being born again INTO GOD'S Kingdom is a hunger for God's word. But what about us who have been "sitting in pews" for many years? The main reason for us to dig in as pewsitters is to get to KNOW God. We can ask Him to be Lord of our life but what does that mean? Who is this God I cannot see? But I can hear from Him through His Word. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Dr. Baruch Korman of Loveisrael.org helps us to get a foundation of FAITH in the why, how, of biblical study. Join us for this podcast or video.
Dr. Baruch goes into detail about a passage that was important to the Apostle Paul. Today the church is lacking in teaching about doctrine and theology because it may not "grow" the church. But for those of us who wish to be disciples to live a praiseworthy life to God, we must know how critical doctrine and theology are to our walk with Christ. The Lord wants us to be ready and prepared. We do this by knowing how and what God expects us to obey. Don't miss this foundation talk!
Search Engines: There are many bible verses about love, and there are many bible verse of the day programs. The holy bible provides these remarkable bible commentary. Bible Study and online bible study are available at biblestudycompany.com. Bible verses of faith are of interest as well. Even bible verses about hope are helpful. Bible verses about women are encouraging. Read the Bible online with biblestudycompany.com. We will all do better when love is patient love is kind. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me in times of trouble. With daily bible devotions, I grow. The gifts of the holy spirit are for every day. Online bible study is so helpful. biblestudycompany is a free online bible. With so many books of the bible, I can grow. We love inspirational bible verses in daily Bible reading.
See full post & commentsWhen it hurts the most...
When the tough things of life impact us what is our reaction? Do we get angry at other people? Do we agonize over the decision that created this mess? Do we blame God if a loved one is ill or we are? What if we are hurt in a church, family or work setting where we trusted people and a breach happened. These are deep wounds. As Mary and I studied the bible together to find God's agenda for our lives we saw some patterns develop. Let's take a look.
What can we learn in the Exodus? Complaining against God and others is not an appropriate response. Why? Because it actually says to God: "You are NOT caring for me the way I want You to and thus You Who created the Universe don't know what You are doing". [We cringe writing this as we are skirting using the Lord's name in vain by writing our thoughts about His character which are untrue, but this is for a teaching moment for us so please bear with us.] He is none of those negative traits and we actually can think He doesn't see my problem or care! Which is far from the truth. So what should be our response? Worship and thanksgiving. "WHAT!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME Bible Study Company!? I am in such pain right now you have no idea and so much bitterness". No, we are not kidding. We have been through some SCARRY SITUATIONS and are still going through some long term heart-wrenchers. As we studied God's Word to find out His agenda for our lives we saw the response of God's people in the desert to Him. Meaning that whenever a hard spot was encountered, they blamed God or Moses or both and said that He was taking them out in the desert to kill them! This is very hurtful and disrespectful to God and Moses since He just got done rescuing them and fed and watered them in the desert and actually created a climate-controlled environment. All of this the nations could see and marvel. So how can it enter our minds that He would be so cruel after showing so much love? In Heb 3:10 God shows how angry He was at being mistreated, and disrespected. They got their reward. By being buried in the desert of "man's" opinions versus being allowed into the promised land. See the irony? We are those people too. King David was a great example of someone who decided to trust God in very trying times. Imagine being made a king when the kingdom already had a king!? Yep, God fired King Saul and anointed David the lowly shepherd and King Saul focused his energy, not on repenting for failing to obey God, but on someone who was to replace him! Saul was hunting David down to kill him. David instead was hunting God's heart. But God was with David. Yep, the book of Psalms was written out of those trials. So grab your psalms and read them back to God in your own words when in a trial. Dig deep in the well of worship. Here is an example in Psalm 23: "The Lord is my Shepherd. (Stop) and now say: Lord you are my shepherd, I trust in you with xyz trial or person or situation. You will lead me to green pastures. Why? I know I can trust in Your great love for me. Change me so that I walk in Your ways, the ways You desire and not my own...". See now we are offering the sacrifice of praise. Heb 13:15. Christ did this too in all of His sufferings. The disciples couldn't see the benefit of Christ whom they loved tortured. But through His sacrifice, we can now put our sin on Him by faith and we are raised to newness of life. So if Christ could go through the brutality of suffering for us, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to Him! We have a saying at BSC "When it hurts the most worship the most".