Job 1:20-21 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Then Job arose. Not till the last calamity was announced did Job stir. The loss of his wealth little moved him. But when he heard that his children were destroyed, all of them "at one fell swoop," then he could endure no longer, but rose from the seat on which he was sitting, and showed forth his grief. First he rent his mantle, "the outer robe worn by men of rank" (Cook)—a customary sign of grief in the ancient world;1 then he shaved his head—another less usual but still not uncommon sign of grief, forbidden under the Law of the Jews, [Le 21:5; De 14:1] but widely practised by the Gentiles.2 And fell down upon the ground, and worshipped. After giving vent to his natural grief, Job made an act of adoration. Recognizing the fact that adversity, as well as prosperity comes from God, and submitting himself to the Divine will, he "worshipped." How often has his act flashed across the minds of Christians. and enabled them, in their dark hour, to imitate him, and repeat his words, "The Lord gave," etc.!

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Job 1:20
Rent his mantle - Tearing the garments, shaving or pulling off the hair of the head, throwing dust or ashes on the head, and fitting on the ground, were acts by which immoderate grief was expressed. Job must have felt the bitterness of anguish when he was told that, in addition to the loss of all his property, he was deprived of his ten children by a violent death. Had he not felt this most poignantly, he would have been unworthy of the name of man.
Worshipped - Prostrated himself; lay all along upon the ground, with his face in the dust.

Job's resignation.


We cannot but be struck with the magnificent calmness of Job after receiving the successive blows of unprecedented calamities. He is not stunned; he is not distracted. He possesses his soul in patience. With a singular dignity of bearing he is seen to be greater now in his calamity than ever he appeared when at the height of success.

I HOW JOB BEHAVED.

1. He mourned. This was natural, reasonable, and right. He would have been less than mall if he had taken his troubles without a pang. God loves the heart of flesh, not the stony heart; and the heart of flesh must needs feel great trouble very keenly. God's saint is not a stoic. But though Job mourned, he did so with calmness and self-restraint. He did not fling himself down in passionate grief. His rising, his rending his mantle—from neck to girdle, according to custom—his shaving his head, all indicate his marvellous self-possession. He goes through the dreary process of conventional mourning with unflinching decision. His calmness, however, only covers the depth of his sorrow. There is something terrible about that methodical process. The tragedy is sublime.

2. He worshipped. He did not renounce God. On the contrary, he blessed the Name of the Lord. He could not understand the meaning and end of his strange experience. But he knew God, and he never dreamed of doubting God. Moreover, his trouble drives him to God. He falls before God in adoration. The singular thing is that he is not seen praying for help. His trouble is beyond help, and he is not one to whine in weak misery. He loses himself in adoration of God. This is the great secret of fortitude—not to cry for deliverance, but to forget ourselves in God.

II WHAT JOB RECEIVED. He spoke to God, or perhaps uttered a soliloquy, for the relief of his own heart, yet doubtless conscious of the sustaining presence of God. His words show his perfect reasonableness. There is nothing which makes people so unreasonable as trouble. Yet Job was not yet turned one hairs breadth from the line of truth and reason by his fearful calamities. It is a great security to see things as they are. Half our distress arises from our viewing them in false lights of passion and prejudice. If we are only calm enough to look about us, we may discover a strange revealing light in great calamities. They break through the conventional forms, and flash out facts.

1. Job saw his own littleness. In a moment he perceived that he had no natural right to all he had possessed. He had nothing when he entered the world; he could carry nothing out with him. Pride prepares for distresses which humility escapes. When we perceive how very small we are, we cannot be amazed at any loss which we may sustain.

2. Job recognized God's right. He who gives has a right to withdraw. All we have is on loan from God. This truth does not make our loss the less, but a perception of it calms the foolish, rebellious spirit, which is the source of our deepest misery.—W.F.A.

Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, a called


2 apostle, separated unto God's good news, which He before promised through His prophets in (the)

3 holy Scriptures, concerning His Son: who was

4 born of David's seed according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by resurrection of the

5 dead,- Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we received grace and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations for His name's sake;

6 among whom are ye also,- called as Jesus Christ's:

7 to all those who are in Rome beloved of God, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

AN OLD PREACHER'S ADVICE TO A YOUNG PREACHER

(This outline is of unknown origin)
I TIMOTHY 1:18

I. THE ADVICE CONCERNING SEPARATION FROM EVIL; I Tim. 6:11.

1. The young preacher should abstain from fleshly lusts; I Peter 2:11.

2. The young preacher should not have fellowship with unfruitfulness; Eph. 5:11.

3. The young preacher should abstain from all evil; I Thess. 5:22.

II. THE ADVICE CONCERNING GOSSIP; I Tim. 4:7.

1. The young preacher should recognize the error of gossip; James 1:26.

2. The young preacher should not be a talebearer; Lev. 19:16.

3. The young preacher's conversation should honor Christ; Phil. 1:27.

Ill. THE ADVICE CONCERNING PRAYER; I Tim. 2:1.

1. The young preacher should pray with faith; Matt. 21:22.

2. The young preacher should pray with humility; II Chron. 33:12.

3. The young preacher should pray with earnestness; I Thess. 3:10.

IV. THE ADVICE CONCERNING CONDUCT AT WORSHIP; I Tim. 3:15.

1. The young preacher should worship God in spirit and truth; John 4:24.

2. The young preacher should worship with reverence; Exodus 3:5.

3. The young preacher:- should worship with rejoicing; Psa.122:1.

V. THE ADVICE CONCERNING RFSPECT FOR OTHERS; I Tim. 5:1-3.

1. The young preacher should hear the burdens of others; Gal. 6:2.

2. The young preacher should show hospitality; I Peter 4:9.

3. The young preacher should minister unto others; I Peter 4:10.

VI. THE ADVICE CONCERNING BEING AN EXAMPLE TO OTHER BELIEVERS; I Tim. 4:12.

1. The young preacher should be an example in good works; Titus 2:7.

2. The young preacher should he an example in speech; Job 2:10.

3. The young preacher should be an example in conduct; Heb. 11:2.

VII. THE ADVICE CONCERNING CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH; I Tim. 6:12.

1. The young preacher should defend the faith; Rom. 1:16.

2. The young preacher should preach with boldness; II Cor. 4:13.

3. The young preacher should hold forth tile Word of Life; Phil. 2:16.
Conclusion:
A young preacher will be wise to learn from older preachers who have already traveled the road they are getting read to trod. Experience is a valuable teacher. If you learn from those who have already experienced what it is to make right and wrong moves in the church, it may just keep you from heading down a wrong pathway that will lead to your destruction.

What was my past?

I was thinking about my past, and I wondered, Did I have to get so far in the pit for me to see Jesus? No, but I am glad he reached down and got me out, He didn't get in the pit with me but his hand descended and I ascended. I was on a road of destruction and ruin in sin, The Bible says, Ezekiel 18:30 Therefore I will judge you....., saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
I was in ruin, but he got me, Jesus passed by , and I looked and now I live,
I live because He lives, And because HE lives I will one day be in Glory,,,,woooohooooo!
Ezekiel 16:6 And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.
I was polluted in my own sin, I was in ruins, I was in a horrible pit, my feet was set upon miry clay, I had no foundation, but I thank God I looked upon Him and he showed mercy for me, He paid the debt I owed, and now I am free,
Oh my Past was awful, my past was filled with Sin, But they are gone and forgotten,
Jeremiah 31:34...... for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
That old Devil would like to bring my past up, my friends would like to bring up my past, my enemy's would like to bring up my past, when I worked for my dad, he wanted to bring up my past,,,
but thank God, Thank God I am saved and they are forgotten!!!!
Sin had wounded me, sin had cast me out, and the world classified me an outcast,but my Lord took me up, My Lord healed my wounds and fixed me up,
There was a time when they cried Out,"Is there no Balm in Gilead? Is there not a physician? IS there any hope?"
Oh I say Look up Oh child. look up, For when Jesus passes by there shall be a remedy,
The Lord said in Ezekiel 16, Live ye, Live YE!!
you can live my friend, you can live.
What was my path?
It was my sin, but oh what a day Aug 17 1998 was to me. When he washed me, and cleansed me.,
That old devil would like to convince me I am lost, but I will show him the day, I will shout it and sing thank God I am free,