Suffering – God’s will as a Christian

Quite often I have been asked by Christians when going through some trial or suffering, “Why am I going through this?”

Jesus says, “In this world you will have troubles but fear not for I have overcome the world”

Psalm 34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

But the Lord delivers him out of them all”

The worst thing that we can do is ask God why.

He says “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Job asked God and this was God’s response: JOB 38

THREE REASONS FOR SUFFERING-

1. IT PRODUCES CHARACTER

Romans 5:1  1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Character is the one thing we make in this world and take with us into the next. The circumstances amid which you live determine your reputation; the truth you believe determines your character.

Reputation is what you are supposed to be; Character is what you are.

Reputation is what you have when you come to a new community; Character is what you have when you go away.

Reputation is made in a moment; Character is built in a lifetime.

Reputation grows like a mushroom; Character grows like an oak.

Your reputation is learned in an hour; Your character is does not come to light for a year.

A single newspaper report gives your reputation; a life of toil gives you your character.

Reputation makes you rich or makes you poor; Character makes you happy or makes you miserable.

Reputation is what men say about you on your tombstone; Character is what angels say about you before the throne of God.

Your character is what God knows you to be. Your reputation is what men think you are.

Character is what comes out in crisis- Toothpaste

Perserverence through suffering is the only thing that produces Character.

Like Gold in the refiners fire:

Gold

He sat by the fire of seven-fold heat,

As He watched by the precious ore.

And closer He bent with a searching gaze

As He heated it more and more.

He knew He had ore that could stand the test

And He wanted the finest gold,

To mold as a crown for the King to wear,

Set with gems of price untold.

So He laid our gold in the burning fire,

Though we fain would have said Him, “Nay.”

And He watched the dross that we had not seen,

As it melted and passed away.

And the gold grew brighter, and yet more bright

And our eyes were so dim with tears,

As we saw the fire, not the Master’s hand,

And questioned with anxious fear.

Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow,

As it mirrored a Form above

That bent o’er the fire, though unseen by us

With a look of infinite love.

Can we think that it pleased His loving heart

To cause a moment of pain?

Ah, no, but He saw through the present cross

The bliss of eternal gain.

So He waited there with a watchful eye,

With a love that is strong and sure,

And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat

Than was needed to make it pure!

2. We use the experience to comfort others in their suffering

2 Corinthians 1:3-7: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

3. It get’s our eyes of this life and onto eternity:

Romans 8:18
[ From Suffering to Glory ] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

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3 false beliefs about christian trials and sufferings:

1. This isn’t meant to be happening to me. My life is supposed to be comfortable:

Phill 1:29- For to you it has been granted not only to believe on Him but also to suffer for Him

1 Pet 2:21-  21For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps

2. God is punishing me and has somehow abandoned me-

That was what the devil would have you believe: That you sinned, that you didn’t have enough faith, that your being punished for something. Should have done this, could have done that……Job’s comforters and wife.

God is the one that is with us in the midst of trials and suffering:

•      He was the fourth man in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

•      He was with Daniel in the Lion’s den.

•      He was with Jesus in the wilderness

•      He was with Stephen at his stoning

•      Psalm 23 tells us that he is with us in the valley of the shadow of death

His promise is that NEVER WILL HE LEAVE US, NEVER WILL HE FORSAKE US.

3. God doesn’t know I’m suffering.

Matthew 10:29-31- 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Nothing is a surprise to Him!!!

Psalm 139:16: Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

Holiness

God’s desire in this day is that the Church would walk in Holiness. God is getting ready

to pour out His spirit in these last days. He is calling His people to rebel against this

world, it’s values, it’s standards, it’s ways and anything that looks like it. Come out and

be clean.

God wants his Church to be a blameless spotless Church. You say, “ Won’t God do

that isn’t that God’s job to make us clean.” If it were entirely up to God then why is the

parable of the ten virgins in the Bible. Five were ready and five weren’t

D.A. Carson said this- “People do not drift toward Holiness. Apart from grace-driven

effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith,

and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift

toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith.

We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward

prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide

toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.”

Mother Theresa said, ““Holiness is not the luxury of a few. It is everyone’s

duty: yours and mine.”

God has not changed His standard. Oh but that’s the old testament isn’t it. Aren’t we free

from obeying the law. Obedience is the mark of a Christian

Yeah sure God just says I don’t need my people to be like me anymore. I don’t want

them to live as sinless as possible.

Too many times we pussyfoot around this topic. We water it down to suit ourselves when

the very reason that Christians are weak and powerless in the 21st

Sin and Compromise.

IT’S TIME CHURCH. TIME TO CATCH US THOSE LITTLE FOXES THAT SPOIL

THE VINE.

God is blowing his trumpet. It is a new day. Things that before were permissible are no

longer beneficial. Things that before God would have turned a blind eye to, now He is

saying no more.

This is the hour where, in the spirit we are standing at God’s Threshing floor.

2 Samuel 1-8 Nakon’s threshing floor

Jeremiah 15:5-7 God’s threshing floor

Matt 3:12 Jesus’ Threshing floor

century is because of

Four really good reasons that we should pursue Holiness

1. It is what God wants for His people. that they would look different from the

world.

Our salvation might very well depend upon it.

Psalm 111:10

John 14:21

John 15:10

1 Corinthians 7:19

1 John 2:3-4

1 John 3:3

Remember the virgins or remember it says “Who shall ascend to his holy hill, he that

hath clean hands and a pure heart.”

James 4:7-10, “7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee

from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands,

you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail.

Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves

before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

The scary thing is that God let’s us work it out for ourselves with fear and trembling

Matt 13:24

2 Peter 2:4-10

2. Obedience leads to blessing

My testimony of blessing

Isaiah 48: 18-19

James 1:25But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and

continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed

in what they do.

Psalm 112:1[ Psalm 112 ] Praise the LORD. Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who

find great delight in his commands.

Psalm 119:2 “Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart”

Psalm 84:11For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor;

no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

To the generations that follow: Genesis 26:2 “The LORD appeared to Isaac and said,

“Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. 3 Stay in this land for

a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will

give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will

make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these

lands, and through your offspring[a

Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my

decrees and my instructions.”

all nations on earth will be blessed,[b

]

] 5 because

3. We are better witnesses

We stand out as clean and pure witnesses when they see us not doing what they are

doing. The single biggest cause for Atheism in the world today is Christians who

confess Jesus with their lips and deny Him with their lifestyle.

Titus 2:6-8- Let them be ashamed who oppose you.

4. We don’t want to miss out on God’s outpouring:

1 Then the LORD said to Moses: 2 “Set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the

first day of the first month. 3 Place the ark of the covenant law in it and shield the ark

with the curtain. 4 Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the

lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the

covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.

6 “Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of

meeting; 7 place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. 8

Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.

9 “Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it

and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. 10 Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and

all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy. 11 Anoint the basin and its

stand and consecrate them.

12 “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with

water. 13 Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he

may serve me as priest. 14 Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. 15 Anoint them just

as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a

priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.” 16 Moses did everything just

as the LORD commanded him.

17 So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. 18

When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted

the crossbars and set up the posts. 19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put

the covering over the tent, as the LORD commanded him.

20 He took the tablets of the covenant law and placed them in the ark, attached the

poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it. 21 Then he brought the ark into the

tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the covenant law, as

the LORD commanded him.

22 Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle

outside the curtain 23 and set out the bread on it before the LORD, as the LORD

commanded him.

24 He placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of

the tabernacle 25 and set up the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD commanded him.

26 Moses placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain 27 and

burned fragrant incense on it, as the LORD commanded him.

28 Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. 29 He set the altar of

burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it

burnt offerings and grain offerings, as the LORD commanded him.

30 He placed the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for

washing, 31 and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. 32

They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar, as the

LORD commanded Moses.

33 Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the

curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the LORD

34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled

the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had

settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

In Conclusion: Let’s repent today and cut off some of that sin that disqualifies us. You

may think that God doesn’t mind. You may think that it’s ok to be like the world.. But

today God is asking us to come out, be a separate people, to cut out the cancer that is

slowly killing our life that wants to shine out of us.

1 Cor: 5:6-8

1 Peter 4: 17-18-

17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us,

what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And,

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the

sinner?”

The Touch of God

We need to get hungry for the touch of God on our lives again.

Many of us are trying to change ourselves to be holy.

Trying to be successful with our own ability.

Trying this strategy and that strategy.

Trying to win friends and influence people.

Doing whatever works will clear our conscience and make us feel significant. Striving all of our life to attain some feeble level of self-sufficiency and comfort or some illusive sense of achievement.

When all we need is the touch of God.

The touch of God will make everything in your life blessed. Obed edem 2 Samuel 6:9-12

The touch of God will line everything in your life up with His divine plan.

The touch of God will cause you to hate sin and love righteousness.

The Touch of God will make you irresistible. Stephen in court Acts 6: 5-15

The touch of God makes you hunger for more of Him.

The touch of God gives you eternal perspective.

The touch of God makes you untouchable to the enemy.

The touch of God will give you favour with man and God.

The touch of God gives you peace, joy and authority in every circumstance. Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,

We are all just ordinary people with an extraordinary God. The touch of God is what sets us apart.  Acts 4:8-14

A Christian is not just someone who believes it is someone who follows hard after their God.

It is GOD’S DESIRE TO SHOW HIMSELF POWERFUL THROUGH YOU.    2 Chronicles 16:9

 

The touch of God was on Enoch, so much so that God took him

The Touch of God was on Moses when he parted the red sea, drew water from a rock and when his face shone from the presence of God on Mount Sinai.

The touch of God was on Aaron when his rod budded and others didn’t.

The touch of God was on Samson with the strength of ten men

The touch of God was on David when he killed Goliath

The touch of God was on Solomon in all of his wisdom and his wealth

The touch of God was on Elijah

1) Causing the rain the cease for 3 1/2 years (1Ki 17:1)

2) Being fed by the ravens (1Ki 17:4)

3) Miracle of the barrel of meal and cruse of oil (1Ki 17:14)

4) Resurrection of the widow’s son (1Ki 17:22)

5) Calling of fire from heaven on the altar (1Ki 18:38)

6) Causing it to rain (1Ki 18:45)

7) Prophecy that Ahab’s sons would all be destroyed (1Ki 21:22)

8) Prophecy that Jezebel would be eaten by dogs (1Ki 21:23)

9) Prophecy that Ahaziah would die of his illness (2Ki 1:4)

10) Calling fire from heaven upon the first 50 soldiers (2Ki 2:10)

11) Calling fire from heaven upon the second 50 soldiers (2Ki 2:12)

12) Parting of the Jordan (2Ki 2:8)

13) Prophecy that Elisha should have a double portion of his spirit (2Ki 2:10)

14) Being caught up to heaven in a whirlwind (2Ki 2:11)

 

The touch of God was on Elisha

1) Parting of the Jordan (2Ki 2:14)

2) Healing of the waters (2Ki 2:21)

3) Curse of the she bears (2Ki 2:24)

4) Filling of the valley with water (2Ki 3:17)

5) Deception of the Moabites with the valley of blood (2Ki 3:22)

6) Miracle of the vessels of oil (2Ki 4:4)

7) Prophecy that the Shunammite woman would have a son (2Ki 4:16)

8) Resurrection of the Shunammite’s son (2Ki 4:34)

9) Healing of the gourds (2Ki 4:41)

10) Miracle of the bread (2Ki 4:43)

11) Healing of Naaman (2Ki 5:14)

12) Perception of Gehazi’s transgression (2Ki 5:26)

13) Cursing Gehazi with leprosy (2Ki 5:27)

14) Floating of the axe head (2Ki 6:6)

15) Prophecy of the Syrian battle plans (2Ki 6:9)

16) Vision of the chariots (2Ki 6:17)

17) Smiting the Syrian army with blindness (2Ki 6:18)

18) Restoring the sight of the Syrian army (2Ki 6:20)

19) Prophecy of the end of the great famine (2Ki 7:1)

20) Prophecy that the scoffing nobleman would see, but not partake of, the abundance (2Ki 7:2)

21) Deception of the Syrians with the sound of chariots (2Ki 7:6)

22) Prophecy of the seven-year famine (2Ki 8:1)

23) Prophecy of Benhadad’s untimely death (2Ki 8:10)

24) Prophecy of Hazael’s cruelty to Israel (2Ki 8:12)

25) Prophecy that Jehu would smite the house of Ahab (2Ki 9:7)

26) Prophecy that Joash would smite the Syrians at Aphek (2Ki 13:17)

27) Prophecy that Joash would smite Syria thrice but not consume it (2Ki 13:19)

28) Resurrection of the man touched by his bones (2Ki 13:21)

The touch of God was on Daniel in the lion’s den.

The touch of God was on Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace

The touch of God was on Peter when he walked out of prison. The same touch that Jesus had on him when they tried to throw him off a cliff and He walked straight through their midst.

The touch of God was on Evan Roberts when he would walk outdoors and sinners would fall in repentance as they got within 100 yards from him.

The touch of God was on Jonathon Edwards as he simply read out his sermon “Sinners in the hands of an angry God” and before he had finished reading convicted sinners would be clawing their way over the top of each other to get to the alter.

The touch of God was on Smith Wigglesworth as he was so hated by medical practitioners for taking their business away that in some towns he was prohibited to lay hands on people because he was said to have been practicing medicine without a licence.

The touch of God was on William Seymour, a one eyed black man who hired a little hall in Azusa St. Los Angeles and started to preach about the holiness of God. A revival was birthed out of those meetings of which you have today every Pentecostal Church in the world.

The touch of God was on John G Lake who received the baptism in the Holy Spirit at Azusa St. then went on to start the healing rooms in Spokane Washington where over 100’000 miracles were documented in just 5 years. Spokane was later called “the healthiest city in the world”.

ORDINARY MEN WITH AN EXTRAORDINARY GOD

Most people will follow  someone or something with the touch of God on them.

Favour of God:

Leviticus 26: 1-13

1 ‘Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the LORD your God.

2 ‘Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD.

3 ‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands,

4 I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit.

5 Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.

6 ‘I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no-one will make you afraid. I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country.

7 You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you.

8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.

9 ‘I will look on you with favour and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you.

10 You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new.

11 I will put my dwelling-place among you, and I will not abhor you.

12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.

13 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.