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The Purpose of a Trial

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1 Peter 4:12-14

[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.
[14] If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

A Christian’s life begins with a spiritual birth (John 3:3-5)

[3] Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
[4] Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
[5] Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

  • God’s plan is birth, growth and maturity
  • God uses the bible, the church and other believers to bring growth
  • God uses trials bring us into maturity (spiritual perfection)

So why do we as Christians have trials? (v. 12)

“Think it not strange”

  • Christians have trials because we live in a sinful world
  • We live in a world of turmoil and natural disasters
  • We live in a world of crime, sickness and death
  • We are a part of a straying generation (Romans 3:10-18)

[10] As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
[11] There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
[12] They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
[13] Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
[14] Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
[15] Their feet are swift to shed blood:
[16] Destruction and misery are in their ways:
[17] And the way of peace have they not known:
[18] There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Christians have trials because of the power of Satan

  • Satan is our adversary
  • Consider his attack on Job
  • He is as a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8)

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

Christians are on a collision course with the world

  • Jesus warned us of this conflict (John 15:18-20)

[18] If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
[19] If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
[20] Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

  • Many have suffered and died for Christ (Hebrews 11:36-40)

[36] And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
[37] They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
[38] (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
[39] And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
[40] God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

What makes our trials different? Why would they be worth making it through? (v. 13)

  • We do not suffer alone (Hebrews 13:5-6)

[5] Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
[6] So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

  • We become partakers of Christ’s sufferings (v. 13)
  • We can even find joy in jeopardy (Acts 16:25-32)

[25] And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
[26] And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
[27] And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
[28] But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
[29] Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
[30] And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
[31] And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
[32] And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

  • There is a design in our difficulties (Romans 8:28-29)

[28] And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
[29] For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

  • And after it is all said and done our trials will come to glory (Romans 8:17-18)

[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.

It’s Way More Than Fabric

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How well that you embrace change demonstrates how great the spirit is in your life to help you adjust.

Your environments may change…

Your support may change…

Your enemies may change…

Your circumstances that hinder you may change…

Yet the one thing that can be a constant is your faith for change.

Joseph not only adapted to the situation but evolved by faith to make the best of it. Just because he lost his coat did not mean he lost what the coat represented to him. He still wore favor by faith! It is way more than fabric, favor is worn by faith!

Genesis 37:1-4

[1] And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
[2] These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
[3] Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
[4] And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

In the history of Joseph we begin to see something of Christ, who was first humbled and then exalted. It also shows us as Christians who through many forms of tribulation are saved. As you are saved, God gives you (through the Holy Ghost) favor (or grace and kindness). This same favor will in-turn begin to produce opportunities to receive the spiritual word that leads you to a closer walk and blessings that are to come. And as the brothers looked on with envy, so does the devil look on at you with every intention to destroy you. God gave Joseph dreams of advancement to not only show what is ahead but to let this support and comfort him under his long and grievous season of trouble.

Genesis 37:5-11

[5] And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
[6] And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
[7] For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
[8] And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
[9] And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
[10] And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
[11] And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Notice he dreamed of his favor and not his trouble. Such as we are when we go out into the world: we think of nothing but prospering and never of trouble. And while the brothers (and our enemies) made an attempt to destroy it they in-turn become the instruments of accomplishing it. Thus the Jews understood what Jesus said of the Kingdom, that he should not reign over them, they consulted to put him to death and by his crucifixion made way for the exaltation they designed to prevent.

Genesis 37:12-22

[12] And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
[13] And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
[14] And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
[15] And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
[16] And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
[17] And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
[18] And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
[19] And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
[20] Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
[21] And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
[22] And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

Joseph was a type of Christ: for though he was the beloved son of his father, and hated by a wicked world, yet the father sent out of his bosom to visit us in humility and love. He came from Heaven to earth to seek and save us; yet the malicious plots were laid against him. His own not only received him not, but crucified him. Thus he submitted to, as part of Gods design to redeem and save us!

So Where Did You Say The End Was At?!?

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Have you ever began something and started to wonder if there was ever an end to what you are going through? I am not sure where you may be, whether that be at the start and finish, but I can certainly understand what it feels like to get lost somewhere in between. Ever had one of those good ol’ “one thing right after another” days? There used to be some times in my life where I would honestly feel like, “Okay, well you know (talking to God in my mind), I guess this is it for me. I cannot keep this up anymore.” So I write this in complete empathy for those of you that are going through some real tough stuff. And unlike some people that tell you in ignorance to just laugh/blow off tough stuff I learned through tribulation that hard trials do not leave simply because you try to dismiss them of your own strength. It takes a divine power to overcome and be strengthened enough to rejoice in the fiery trials. Do not get me wrong about chuckling over stuff to find a smile; for laughter does great things like a medicine but remember that medicine is only part of a possible treatment and may not work depending on a situation or the sickness of their spirit. The will to live and the substance to which drives a person to keep fighting is what gets us from tangled heartstrings to the comfort of the Holy Spirit. The one lesson I have learned after going through things in my personal life: there will be a given end to any beginning. Sometimes the outcome did not turn in my favor but this did not leave the trial looping over and over again. There was a lesson learned at the trials conclusion. There were emotions that had been affected as a result of the consequences. Life as I know it changed with the outcomes of what had happened.

So where did you say the end was at?!?

There came a day when I realized that I had to stop fighting to reach then end and to actually fight to win the battle. An example? Depression has no end if you try to just wait it out. The only way you find the end to being sad is when you begin to fight the feeling. Addictive behavior only knows how to continue. You can only find the end of addiction when you begin to fight the battle to be free! I encourage all of you today with a very serious and sincere word from the bottom of my heart: fight to win the battle and not to just get through something! The best part about what I am telling you is that when we come into complete surrender of our heart and troubles we are reassured that all the while God is fighting our every battle!

While We Wait

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Today I would like to talk about a tough topic when it comes to a persons walk with God: waiting. There are moments in my life where I cannot move any further in a matter. Even if I could intervene, it would be the wrong course of action.

Let us read a passage:

Romans 5:1-5

[1]Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
[2] By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
[3] And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
[4] And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
[5] And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

There are three key points that I would like to make here.

First of all, I cannot be justified by faith unless I actually use it. Why would it be spoken in the word of God that you have access to something if you did not need to know that you had to go and access it?

Secondly, Faith without works in my life is dead; I can’t sit back and just wait for it all to happen for me. I have to be faithful through my experiences and believe that God is going to help me with the long-term things as I obey him through the short term! I stand in my faith not literally, but through endurance of grace I make it through! I also rejoice! I can come to God’s house and praise the Lord! I can come and not be fearful of what anyone would direct otherwise! God would never have you be in a place where you could not step out through obedience to grow!

Finally, remember that which is in you and around you! The love of God (as given by the Holy Ghost) is always in you, always ready for you to be able to step out and make a difference each day. You might be in a place where that is frowned upon, but just hang in there! God will make a way for your ministry to grow! Remember who it is that you worship, and who it is that you serve! If it is anything other than God, than you cannot survive long-term! Tribulation was never meant to be endured without God!

Breaking Down God’s Communication

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John 16:13

[13] Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Literally and Spiritually via the bible and through seeking him! I think about hearing the phrase into “all truth”, and it makes me to consider that there will not be any moments where I am feeling lost!

The spirit of truth will provide you with guidance, and will not lie to you. It will not leave you comfortless, or without peace of mind. Sometimes we feel like that we are left without hope, but we are not! Do not be deceived! People will deceive you, but God will not!

Luke 21:33-36

[33] Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
[34] And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
[35] For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
[36] Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

The word of God will speak to every circumstance, and it will instruct you and help you to grow in areas that you are weak in!

It’s important to know that our decisions only line up if we know God personally. If the condition of the relationship is right also, in other words when we are right, we are in operation of the mind of Christ!

And when the body of Christ is in proper operation, people get help the way that God intended it to be in the beginning!

Romans 8:35

[35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

God speaks through the details of your life; i.e. your trials and circumstances: the things that we know the best of course!

This is hard to say, but if we feel like we are getting the short end of the stick in life, then maybe it’s time we get back to basics and begin to take focus off me (flesh), read his word more, be around people in God’s will, have a strong spiritual environment, and  begin to focus more on God!

We must know and realize that our trials have their place, and they should not be the thing that rules our lives! God should be!

Proverbs 1:10

[10] My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

Say what?!? Some things must begin to change! Consent thou not! In other words, don’t feel like you have to be like everybody else! God has raised up a standard in you to be something different; an example if you will, that will lead others to Christ!

Proverbs 4:13-15

[13] Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
[14] Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
[15] Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

Let the instruction not go! If we do anything, do not let go of the things that God speaks to you, the guidance, steps and words that are given to you are the only life to you that will keep you through the dark times and storms of your life!

Loves Goes Further Than Hate

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THE WORD

Luke 10:27 – And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Throughout my life there have been many instances where I wanted to get upset because of some situation and act upon my frustration. It is safe to say that every human being in the world faces this challenge. Let us remind ourselves today that actions and words coming out of our own hatred and anger will not change anything, but in fact turn you away from the love of God. Remember how that acts of love, no matter how great the trials we are facing, have a greater impact than acts of hate. If your act of love is to simply hold your peace after someone worked against you then you must show God’s love and preserve your peace!

This concept of merciful thinking may be hard to implant into our minds yet we recall that the word of God teaches us to deal with persecution by rejoicing in our tribulation. I can assure you that without the strength only received by the joy of the Lord that finding peace of mind will be difficult.  In fact, by attempting to interpret this concept within our own ideals we may find ourselves laughing as Abraham and Sarah did as they attempted to believe in their elder ages of what seemed like an impossible turn of events that God had spoken would come to pass (about the birth of their future son Isaac).

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Some of you that are reading this page struggle with your anger more than others; for this reason let me speak to you directly and encourage you: as you are starting on this new path of groundbreaking love to find a spiritual mentor, pastor or counselor to help you with your first few situations.  And as you grow in God continue to keep your emotions in check through all the amazing tools that God has given you and you will never be moved in the faith that you have. This is not impossible!