TEEN TREE 
OF LIFE
Are You Having A Jōb Moment?
Part 3
February 17, 2019
Before you begin, ask yourself a very important question: Do you believe that Jesus Christ died on The Cross for all of your sins? If you answered yes, you will need to be sure that you are filled with The Holy Spirit. How do you do this? You name your sins to God The Father in His Son’s Name. This is called rebound. As a Christian, you must rebound any time you sin. This is taught in 1JOHN 1:9: If we confess our sins [directly to God], He [God] is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Now, if you have never believed that Jesus Christ died on The Cross for all of your sins, all you have to do is say to yourself that you believe in Him and you are saved! The Bible verse which teaches us this is ACTS 16:31: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”
Here’s a very interesting fact about the Bible: The Book of Job was actually written first – before any of the other books of the Bible. The order that you see when you open your Bible is not the chronological or historical order in which the books were written. (Genesis was put in first. Look at it and you’ll understand why.) We couldn’t know this without a pastor-teacher who uncovers these facts for us. The apostle Paul teaches us about pastor-teachers and their jobs in EPH 4 The Message Bible: He [Jesus Christ] handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers…
So, the first book of God’s Word, which He magnifies above His Name, is all about Evidence Testing and that has to make it a very important subject, right? Evidence Testing is the greatest way to glorify God The Father, God The Son and God The Holy Spirit and, as we have learned, we were created to glorify them. Evidence Testing is the highest form of testing and when you face it – when you have your “Job moment” – your only choice is to apply His Word and pass the test. And you will glorify Our Beloved Trinity!!
Let’s take a look at the importance of applying (or the application of) God’s Word. First ask yourself, “What is faith?” We’re learning that Job’s faith was immeasurable – so much so that God allowed Satan to put him through Evidence Testing. Faith is the system of belief arrived at through the perception, metabolization and application of Bible doctrine. So first, you have to learn (or perceive) Bible doctrine. The Holy Spirit metabolizes doctrine whenever a believer mixes accurate doctrine that is understood with faith.
Bible doctrine perceived is made understandable by means of the Filling of The Holy Spirit. This means that you have to rebound and be filled with The Holy Spirit in order to understand God’s Word. Once you have understood the doctrine, you have knowledge of it but it cannot be applied. At this point, you can choose to accept its truth by faith or reject it. Just like the body metabolizes food for energy, when doctrine is believed, God the Holy Spirit metabolizes the doctrine by cycling it from the left lobe of your soul (your mind) to the right lobe (your heart) where it becomes spiritual energy which is ready for application. The heart in your body’s chest is your cardio-vascular system. Your brain or right lobe is where God’s Word lives waiting to be applied.
Everything that happens to a believer during Evidence Testing is permitted by God. Satan couldn’t just test Job without God’s permission. This falls in line with God’s Promise that He will never give us anything we can’t handle: No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it. (1COR 10:13 The Message Bible) This promise is the key to facing any kind of testing HEAD ON!
Back in part 1 of our study, we learned how very prosperous Job was. One of the biggest tests Satan slyly chooses for Job is to put him through financial suffering. We read about this in JOB 1:13-15 (The Message Bible): Sometime later, while Job’s children were having one of their parties at the home of the oldest son, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys grazing in the field next to us when Sabeans attacked. They stole the animals and killed the field hands. I’m the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened.” But Satan doesn’t stop there! More devastation strikes Job in verses 16-17: While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, “Bolts of lightning struck the sheep and the shepherds and fried them—burned them to a crisp. I’m the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened.” While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, “Chaldeans coming from three directions raided the camels and massacred the camel drivers. I’m the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened.”
Now at this point, Job is completely penniless. As a teenager, this may not be something that you can fathom. So, use your imagination and think of the wealthiest person you know. Think of one of your favorite singers or television actors or even the owner of Amazon. Imagine that the person is a mature believer and wakes up one day to find that every penny he or she had earned was taken away by God. And remember, it isn’t just the wealthy person’s money – it’s also all of the people he or she employs (except one)! What do you think that person would do? What would you do?
You would apply the doctrine in your right lobe!
And just when you think things couldn’t get any worse for Job, Satan strikes again! The next tragedy is recorded in JOB 1:18-19 (The Message Bible): While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, “Your children were having a party at the home of the oldest brother when a tornado swept in off the desert and struck the house. It collapsed on the young people and they died. I’m the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened.”
And what does Job do? Does he lose faith? Does he curse God? No! Look at JOB 1:20-22 (The Message Bible): Job got to his feet, ripped his robe, shaved his head, then fell to the ground and worshiped: Naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked I’ll return to the womb of the earth. God gives, God takes. God’s name be ever blessed. Not once through all this did Job sin; not once did he blame God. You have to love Job!!
At this point in the account of Job’s amazing life, you may be wondering what’s going on with his wife. Is she killed when the tornado kills their children? Actually, his wife is kept alive so she can torment Job even more: “God alienated my family from me; everyone who knows me avoids me. my relatives and friends have all left; houseguests forget I ever existed. The servant girls treat me like a bum off the street, look at me like they’ve never seen me before. I call my attendant and he ignores me, ignores me even though I plead with him. My wife can’t stand to be around me anymore. I’m repulsive to my family. Even street urchins despise me; when I come out, they taunt and jeer. Everyone I’ve ever been close to abhors me; my dearest loved ones reject me. I’m nothing but a bag of bones; my life hangs by a thread.” (The Message Bible – JOB 19:13-20) Job is obviously very depressed at this point but he still has faith in and loves God! His Word is applicable to every situation, so we know that God gave his permission for Job’s wife to be a part of Satan’s scheme to test Job. Job’s wife is a negative believer so she can’t admire Job’s integrity and faith. She can’t admire how he stays in fellowship through all of these horrible events. After she is mentioned in JOB 19:13-20, we never hear another word about her. Once Job passes the Evidence Testing, God blesses him with a new wife, who is a positive believer, and ten new children – but not before more testing from Satan.
{to be continued}