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Don't let your heart be tripped up with the cares of this world.
Don't let your FEARS run all over you..
“Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.”
― William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
Come on people..
No one wants bad things to happen..
But they come to the rich and the poor alike..
These kinds of things are supposed to be what makes a CHRISTIANS LIFE SHINE!
"3
Knowing this, that the trying of
your faith worketh patience. 4 But
let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and
entire, wanting nothing" (James 1:3-4).
God has not called us to a monkish life of separation, but only to allow the All Wise Father to choose for us the best means and circumstances for our sanctification. "Wherefore let them that suffer according to the Will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a Faithful Creator" (1Peter 4:19).
Suffering and joy seem so much to be opposites, yet Jesus "Who for the joy that was set before Him endured [took patiently] the Cross" (Hebrews 12:2).
The Cross itself was the pain and suffering, but the resulting Atonement for our sins was the joy. "13 Greater Love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" (John 15:13-14).
It is evident from Scripture that our true necessity of patience must be matured through the Divinely directed trials of our life. "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience" (James 1:3). Rather than comparing our circumstances with others or feeling that we have seen an unusually hard turn of events, we are to rejoice as only the LORD's Saints can. "12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His Glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (1Peter 4:12-13). The resulting refinement of our character is worth more than gold. "6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 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" (1:6-7).
Any spiritual growth that ever takes place in our life will always be accompanied by the trials of life, for "He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10). Though it is natural for us to shield ourselves from the vicissitudes of life, it is an act of faith to entrust our circumstances to the LORD, placing greater emphasis upon the development of our spiritual character than the defense of our mortal flesh. "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations" (James 1:2). Patience is that misunderstood commodity that must be continually supplied to connect the certainty of our past faith with our hope of seeing the result of the thing promised. "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the Will of God, ye might receive the Promise" (Hebrews 10:36). Our Faithful God (Deuteronomy 7:9) wisely supplies the opportunity for patience to be formed in us by the "trying of [our] faith [which] worketh patience" (James 1:3). Of course, patience will never be formed in us, if we do not cooperatively endure. "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Mark 13:13). Remember that Salvation has always been conditional, i.e., on condition of our faith and repentance-- "The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel" (Mark 1:15).
Humanly speaking, we would rather forego our testings by the Almighty, for "no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it" (Ephesians 5:29). But, how can we call ourselves Christian, if we only trust God when things are seemingly going well, when our peers feel that we walk spiritually, and when the world thinks that we prosper? "17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:17-18). We are prone to think that Scripture describes only the suffering that comes at the hands of those that oppose Christianity; but, even more often, our suffering simply will come from our physical circumstances. "Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered" (Hebrews 5:8). In fact, God must periodically hide His face from us to strengthen our faith-- just read about Job. "Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the Name of the LORD, and stay upon his God" (Isaiah 50:10).
God has not called us to a monkish life of separation, but only to allow the All Wise Father to choose for us the best means and circumstances for our sanctification. "Wherefore let them that suffer according to the Will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a Faithful Creator" (1Peter 4:19).
Suffering and joy seem so much to be opposites, yet Jesus "Who for the joy that was set before Him endured [took patiently] the Cross" (Hebrews 12:2).
The Cross itself was the pain and suffering, but the resulting Atonement for our sins was the joy. "13 Greater Love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" (John 15:13-14).
It is evident from Scripture that our true necessity of patience must be matured through the Divinely directed trials of our life. "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience" (James 1:3). Rather than comparing our circumstances with others or feeling that we have seen an unusually hard turn of events, we are to rejoice as only the LORD's Saints can. "12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His Glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (1Peter 4:12-13). The resulting refinement of our character is worth more than gold. "6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 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" (1:6-7).
Any spiritual growth that ever takes place in our life will always be accompanied by the trials of life, for "He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10). Though it is natural for us to shield ourselves from the vicissitudes of life, it is an act of faith to entrust our circumstances to the LORD, placing greater emphasis upon the development of our spiritual character than the defense of our mortal flesh. "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations" (James 1:2). Patience is that misunderstood commodity that must be continually supplied to connect the certainty of our past faith with our hope of seeing the result of the thing promised. "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the Will of God, ye might receive the Promise" (Hebrews 10:36). Our Faithful God (Deuteronomy 7:9) wisely supplies the opportunity for patience to be formed in us by the "trying of [our] faith [which] worketh patience" (James 1:3). Of course, patience will never be formed in us, if we do not cooperatively endure. "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Mark 13:13). Remember that Salvation has always been conditional, i.e., on condition of our faith and repentance-- "The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel" (Mark 1:15).
Humanly speaking, we would rather forego our testings by the Almighty, for "no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it" (Ephesians 5:29). But, how can we call ourselves Christian, if we only trust God when things are seemingly going well, when our peers feel that we walk spiritually, and when the world thinks that we prosper? "17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:17-18). We are prone to think that Scripture describes only the suffering that comes at the hands of those that oppose Christianity; but, even more often, our suffering simply will come from our physical circumstances. "Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered" (Hebrews 5:8). In fact, God must periodically hide His face from us to strengthen our faith-- just read about Job. "Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the Name of the LORD, and stay upon his God" (Isaiah 50:10).
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