Suffering

2 Corinth 1:7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

To suffer, means to experience pain and loss. The pain may be physical, emotional, or even mental. The loss may be due to evil demised, unfortunate events, or the death of a loved one. Christian are not exempt from suffering. Sin has scared this world of all that his pure and good. The consolation of Christian is that God give the grace help us endure the suffering we bare. And through suffering we are able to emphasized with those who also suffer, and give them comfort. When bad things (suffering) happen to good people, it is an opportunity for lovers of God to show forth God’s love and goodness. God is good and He does all things in His time and for His purpose. Like Job, who am I to question the almighty and His ways. Accepting suffering is not easy, but it is what God desires. Yes, we are encourage to ask God to relieve us of our suffering, and He is able. But, ultimately, like the 3 Hebrew children that were thrown into the fiery furnace. It it be God’s will, He can and will bring us through our suffering. 

Suffer Persecution

2Tim 3:12- Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 

Through time and history, the church has faced persecution from all that fight against God and the claims of Christ as God. Followers of Christ are seen as bigots and intolerant for they claim that Jesus in the only way to God the Father.  The church has suffered persecution from all those that oppose a God that requires obedience to a moral law. In the face of evil, John the Baptist darned to cross the immoral behavior of the daughter of Herod, for this he was beheaded. We stand today in a world with a philosophy that ever man is doing that which is right in his own eyes. If you dare show any intolerance or judgement of their behavior you are labeled as narrow minded and are ridiculed for your faith. In America, persecution may not show up as physical beating or elimination, but the faith of believers who stand up to truth is belittled and mocked. All those who live godly in Christ will be attached and judged by those who claim that they are tolerant of all people except Christians. With grace, Christian need to stand firm for truth, yet show to the world the love of Christ that is able to bring peace and forgiveness to the hearts of men.

Solid Foundation

Luke 6:48  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

Our lives are like a house. How it weathers the storm or the span of time will depend on the foundation that it is built on. When a house is built, it is important that the ground beneath it is solid and stable. No matter how elegant the exterior the house may be, if the foundation is not solid, it will fall and crumple when the the floods of water start to assault the house. How do we know our lives are built on something solid? Jesus says, that the person that will do the things that He say is the person that has a solid foundation. Jesus, says, I’m the way, the truth, and the life, through Him we come to the Father. He also says, if you love me, keep my commandments. Giving our lives to Him, having our sinned forgiven, and following His Word will assure us that we our building our lives on a solid foundation.

He Will Meet Our Needs

Matt. 6:32 For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things.

Eating, drinking, and shelter are natural instincts of human nature. Yet, Jesus says, not to worry about such things. I believe there is a deeper truth here than what is implied. Our spiritual needs should supersede our temporal needs. This body will die and pass away, but the spirit of this body will live for eternity. It is a step of faith to believe what you cannot see. Eternal life is beyond understanding. We live each day for food and shelter. We work each day to provide for the needs of the flesh and its comforts. We worry how we are going to make ends meet. There is a responsibility on our part to work. God has given us strength, talents, and a brain to accomplish many things, but our love and affections should be to first seek the Kingdom of God. We must do our best, and trust God to do the rest. At the end of our resources, He give us what we need when we need it. 

Taste of the Lord

Ps. 34:8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

You don’t know until you try it. I have never met anyone who gave their lives to Jesus and later in life regretted doing so. We often try things because others who have tried it have had a good experience. There are something in the world that we know by other’s experience that it is best not to even try. We know that doing so often ends bad. Smoking, drinking, drugs, and various forms of immoral behaviors. But, drinking at the fountain of living water, taking a bite from the bread of Life, feasting at the table of the Lord is always done with satisfaction. It never leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Come and dine and see that the Lord is good. Taste of Him and your life will be filled with joy and satisfaction.

Give All To Jesus

Luke 23:46 46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: 

Resigned to the will of God. I give it up and place my life into your hand. Jesus, the God-man gave up His earthly life, made himself willing to be the supreme sacrifice for sin. There on the cross, He speaks some of His final words, “Father, I offer up my life” A very intimate prayer that implies a close relationship with God the Father. We must come to a place in our lives where we come to the end of ourselves and submit everything to God. In His love and mercy, He forgives us of our unrighteousness and makes our heart clean from those sins we have committed, but now entreats us to give it all up. Our desires and wants, all that we hold dear to our hearts. Into His hand we commit “self” to let God do what He desires. “Commit thy way unto the Lord, and He will direct thy path”  

One Offering

Hebrew 10:12.14  But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;…  For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Them that are set apart, believing that Jesus died on the cross to forgive us of our sins, He hath made them perfect in heart. Because of Adam’s transgression, all born into this world are born with sin, but God sent His son to be the one offering to redeem man from his sinful state. We have not yet arrived, and we are a work in progress. Perfect in heart, with a singleness toward the will of God. But we are earthen vessels, prone to weakness and failures. Our body and mind, and emotions are imperfect and subject to breaking down. God takes this vessel, fills it with His Spirit and uses it for His purpose. He is the potter, we are the clay. He is molding and making us into His perfect will. We need to keep are hands off the wheel and let Him do what He must to make us what we ought to be.