Genesis 4:6
And the Lord said unto Cain,
Why art thou wroth?
and why is thy countenance fallen?

God asked Cain what was wrong, why was his countenance fallen. God could tell that Cain was upset, by the look on his face.

You know, there's a story to tell by the expression on someone's face.

Nehemiah 2:2
Wherefore the king said unto me,
Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick?
this is nothing else but sorrow of heart.
Then I was very sore afraid.

Nehemiah always seemed to have a smile on his face. The king had never seen him sad before. But on this day, the king could clearly see something was wrong; it was written all over Nehemiah's face. When someone is having a trial, and he is under pressure - it shows on his face.

You fill up a steam boiler with water to a certain level, heat up the fire under it, and let it burn for a while. As the water grows hotter, the steam pressure rises. It begins to fill the chamber, building more and more pressure.

As long as the fire burns, the pressure mounts. If that pressure isn't relieved, eventually something will happen! If you don't turn down the fire or release the steam, the boiler will blow up!

I worked in a boiler room when I was in the Navy, so I know how much pressure those boilers can take. It took a lot of fire, but you could build it up to 600 pounds of pressure! That sure is a lot of pressure.

Now, did you ever think of yourself as being a steam boiler?

In your experience with God, you are often exposed to great pressures. Does the pressure at times seem to build and build, without any stopping - sometimes feeling as though you might explode if it doesn't soon let up.

Why should God's people ever be under pressure? Did you ever ask that question? Have you ever wondered why it seems like you're constantly going through one trial after another?

A boiler has to be tested to see if it can go through the amount of pressure it's made to bear. When you test it, you don't test it with steam - because if it failed the test, everybody near it would be killed! Instead of using fire, you start pumping water into it - until the pressure is built up to at least 300 more pounds than it is intended to take. Then you let it sit under all that pressure for a while before you consider the test to be satisfactory and you know it can take it!

We need to realize that pressures will come. We can expect them. God wants a tried people, proven to stand under all kinds of pressure. You might claim that the devil is after you. But the Lord is allowing it. He knows what is good for you - and He knows how much you can take.

Have you ever tried to stop a spoonful of Jell-O from wiggling? Jell-O can't take much, can it? Did you ever try to make a sandwich out of it?

Without trials and tests, we're like a bowl of Jell-O. We wiggle, and we shake, and we squirm. We can't stand firm even in the smallest upsets.

Now, I want you to understand a few things about God, and about His kingdom.

Matthew 16:18
And I say also unto thee,
That thou art Peter,
and upon this rock I will build My church;
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

If you think that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ will make it into glory without finding opposition from the gates of hell, you're sadly mistaken. This Scripture suggests a solemn fact: the church is built on the Rock Jesus Christ.

Another fact is that the gates of hell will always be in conflict with it. The kingdom of darkness is ever attempting to overthrow the kingdom of God; but Jesus gives the assurance that it will not prevail against it. With such a conflict coming against the church - what makes you think you won't feel any pressure?

Now, pressure hits the weakest point. If you're going to break a chain, it will break at it's weakest link. The devil knows that he must concentrate on the weak places in the church.

Where is the church weak?

It becomes weak when it slackens in it's prayer life, slackens in it's dedication and consecration. Christians who stand firm in each test and trial are strong links in the chain. These are the ones who have been pressing in and diligently seeking the Lord.

II Timothy 2:3-4
Thou therefore endure hardness,
as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
No man that warreth
entangleth himself with the affairs of this life;
that he may please Him
who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

Going through boot camp -

Paul knew Timothy would be engaged in spiritual warfare, and encouraged him to be prepared to be able to stand the pressures of conflict.

If you were to join the Marines, you'd face the hardest training of any branch of the service. You'd go through basic training that would teach you how to endure extreme pressure.

Why?

If you were in a foxhole out on the battlefield, with bullets flying over your head, you'd certainly feel some pressure. That's why basic training is so strict. If you hadn't made it through the pressures of basic training, you'd panic out on the battlefield.

Pressures tend to strengthen us where we're weak. They help us to see where we're dependent upon the Lord if we're going to be strong. Instead of running from pressures, let's face them, enduring them as good soldiers - that they may accomplish a work in our lives.

God's people need to harden themselves to stand and take the pressures that come their way. They need to be able to take the persecution that comes in living for the Lord. The powers of darkness will bear down on you and strive to pressure you to where you think you can't take any more.

Ephesians 6:11
Put on the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.

Most of you are only in boot camp. What will it be like when you get out on the battlefield?

Someone says, I've got a call to the mission field. Well, when you get over there, be sure to have some games to pass the time with! Listen! the mission field is filled with pressures from all sides. If you can't take the pressures here at home, you'll never make it over there.

Now, pressure has it's way of letting you know that it's there. It hits your nerves and your stomach; your head aches, and you feel like crying - all because you're under pressure. You feel like you just can't take any more.

You know you should pray - but you really don't feel like praying.

Naturally you don't feel like praying!! you're under pressure! God says, You'd better get on with it. Begin to endure hardness - that you'll be able to stand on the battlefield.

Know that the pressures are there for your good. They're there to teach you how to respond to God in the midst of the battle. When God gets done with you in boot camp, you'll be well able to face the pressures on the battlefield.

Don't moan and groan. Don't complain when you're under pressure. Thank God that He is preparing you for the greater battles that are down the road.

Often, pressures bring about mental attitudes. One of the first of these to show up is, I can't pray! The devil puts the pressures on because he knows most of God's people will cease to pray when they're under pressure.

You can't pray as effectively under pressure as you can when there are no pressures? so why bother praying?

Just because you're under pressure, don't build up a defeatist attitude. Don't stop praying! You need to pray even more so under pressure. Who said you can't pray under pressure? Do you think you have to have some kind of elated feeling in order to pray? Do you think you can only pray when everything is going fine?

You should be saying, Naturally I'm under pressure - I'm in a warfare! and I'm going to start fighting back the enemy who is causing this pressure. In fact, I'm going to pray more earnestly than I've ever prayed before.

Pressure is a force that will turn you one way or the other. It will either cause you to rise up and fight a good warfare - or it will cause you to walk right into the arms of the enemy, saying, I can't pray - because I'm under pressure.

If you allow pressures to defeat you, you can be sure that you'll ever be under pressure. But as soon as the devil sees that pressures won't stop you from praying, he'll have to look around for some other tactic.

Ready for the battle -

If you can't make it through boot camp - I certainly wouldn't want to share a foxhole with you on the battlefield. All my time would be spent looking after you to be sure you kept your head down! Instead of working along with me, you'd have me dragging you around like a wounded soldier!

I John 5:14-15
And this is the confidence that we have in Him,
that, if we ask any thing according to His will,
He heareth us:
and if we know that He hear us,
whatsoever we ask,
we know that we have the petitions
that we desired of Him.

If you pray for God to lift the pressure, and He doesn't, know that He has heard your prayer. However, He may not ready to lift the pressure. You haven't proven yourself yet. Those pressures haven't accomplished their work.

God's people need to realize that pressure is part of His program for their lives. It's better to yield now - or you'll have to start at the bottom all over again.

I'm glad He takes the time to teach His soldiers how to endure hardness, that they might be prepared to fight the good fight of faith.

The fight is not against flesh and blood -

Ephesians 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The battle is against your soul -

I Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour

Doesn't this show you that there's a battle to face? And in it, you must be careful that you're not devoured by the enemy.

Revelation 12:11-12
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb,
and by the word of their testimony;
and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens,
and ye that dwell in them.
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea!
for the devil is come down unto you,
having great wrath,
because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

We're living in a day and an hour when the powers of evil are raging upon the face of the earth as never before - because the devil knows he has but a short time left to fight. But let us remember that we have the means whereby we can always overcome.

That word overcome suggests a conflict, doesn't it?

I John 2:13b
I write unto you, young men,
because ye have overcome the wicked one.

This reveals that there is a wicked one. And it also reveals something else: you have overcome the wicked one! You who are young are able to overcome that wicked one.

Read this verse carefully. Can you see that you not only can overcome, but already have overcome.

What am I fighting for?
What is this war all about?
What is the real issue?

First, your soul is being fought over. Do you want to gain eternal life? Then you'd best fight a good fight, and overcome that wicked one at every turn.

What does Satan want with the souls of men? He wants to see the gates of hell jammed with souls lost for eternity, to see them face the same fiery judgment that he has been sentenced to face. Sad to say, but it is true - multitudes more will be devoured by him before he is through.

Matthew 7:13
Enter ye in at the strait gate:
for wide is the gate, and broad is the way,
that leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat.

Yes, there is a conflict over souls. We must do all we can to stand under the pressures . . . and snatch others from the flames of hell. Satan isn't pleased when a lost soul receives the Gospel. This gets him angry, and he puts on the pressure to try to prevent that soul from hearing too much and finding eternal life.

Hebrews 4:12
For the Word of God is quick, and powerful,
and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow,
and is a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The Word of God cuts you open so you can see the carnal nature that's still in there. It gets down to the smallest areas - It gets down to joints and marrow, and it shows those areas you have to mortify and get rid of. You soon find out what's of the flesh, and what's of the spirit - because the Word of God discerns and divides.

Now, when that sharp Sword is at work, you will feel pressure. When God is dealing with you through His Word, your flesh feels the effects of it. The Word ever condemns the old man - while at the same time, it builds up the new man.

A concern for others -

God said in His Word to go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature - Matthew 28:19

Has that commission reached your heart yet? Has the Word gotten into you, to where you can see the work and labor that's involved in soul winning?

There are many pressures in working for the Lord. When we're out on the harvest field, we will come against strong Satanic opposition. But we shouldn't think that strange since we are snatching souls from his grip.

I Peter 4:12
Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you,
as though some strange thing happened unto you

As we saw earlier, in order for the pressure to rise in that boiler, the fire has to be heated hotter and hotter; and you're like that boiler God spends much time teaching you how to cope with pressures - allowing fiery trial after fiery trial to come your way.

I sure want to work for God. I can feel His call upon my life.

Can you also feel the pressures God is using to get you prepared?

I Peter 1:7
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

Those trials will teach you how to stand and believe God in the conflict, how to believe Him in the midst of great pressures. We think we have it hard now - but the day may soon show it's ugly head when we'll see what trials are all about. If we learn in boot camp how to stand under the pressures - we won't find it hard when things grow worse, when the pressure gets hotter. We will know from experience that God's grace is sufficient.

When pressures get to you, do you whimper and cry? Is your countenance sad? do you cry out: I don't understand! I can't rise above this! I can't pray!

Listen! God's not foolish. He's not about to send you into battle unprepared. Unless you're prepared through trials, He knows, as soon as the pressures grow strong, you'll sit down and bawl. He knows you'll quit if you're not prepared.

That's why He's putting you under pressure now. He wants to place in you the sweet attitudes that ought to be there. He wants to place in you the things which will give you spiritual gumption to stand in the battle.

But realize that God uses strong methods to accomplish this. It takes a lot of fire to bring you to that place of spiritual maturity.

I can't take much more of this!

God hears you say that you can't take MUCH more, so - He gives you just a little more to take. He brings a little more pressure upon you - and you cry out again, I can't take MUCH more !!!!

But as He gives you another trial, He says, Oh, yes you can. I'll give you no more than you can bear for now - but I'll give you more when you can take it.

You see, God sends a few fiery trials your way at a time. And with each trial you get a little stronger, and you're able to bear a little more.

If you had pressure a year ago that you have on you today, you'd have fallen for sure. You'd have run for sure.

But God, in His wisdom, already prepared you for the trials of today. And He will prepare you for the trials you will face tomorrow as well.