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Discussion Forum : Scriptures and Doctrine : DON’T BE AFRAID OF A LITTLE SUFFERING

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Joyful_Heart
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Joined: 2009/12/8
Posts: 1795


 DON’T BE AFRAID OF A LITTLE SUFFERING

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2010 David Wilkerson
DON’T BE AFRAID OF A LITTLE SUFFERING

Christ’s resurrection was preceded by a short period of suffering. We do die! We do suffer! There is pain and sorrow.

We do not want to suffer or be hurt. We want painless deliverance, supernatural intervention. “Do it, God,” we pray, “because I am weak and always will be. Do it all while I go my way, waiting for a supernatural deliverance.”

We may blame our troubles on demons. We seek out a man of God and hope he can cast out the demon so that we can go on our way with no pain or suffering. All done! Breeze right through to a peaceful life of victory. We want someone to lay hands on us and drive away all the dryness. But victory is not always without suffering and pain. Look at your sin. Face it. Suffer it through, just as Jesus did. Enter into his suffering. Suffering endures for a night, but joy always follows in the morning.

God’s love demands a choice. If God supernaturally lifted us out of every battle without pain or suffering, it would abort all trials and all temptation; there would be no free choice and no testing as by fire. It would be God superimposing his will on mankind. He chooses to meet us in our dryness and show us how it can become the way into a new life of faith.

It is often the will of God that we suffer dryness and even pain. “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” (1 Peter 4:19).

Thank God, suffering is always the short period before final victory! “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you” (1 Peter 5:10).

 2010/12/30 11:14Profile
UntoBabes
Member



Joined: 2010/8/24
Posts: 1035
Oregon

 Re: DON’T BE AFRAID OF A LITTLE SUFFERING

Quote:
We want someone to lay hands on us and drive away all the dryness. But victory is not always without suffering and pain.




That reminded me of some thoughts I had lately.

Thank you for this.
PRAISE GOD.


_________________
Fifi

 2010/12/30 15:10Profile









 don't be afraid of suffering

"Lips Are Given For Smiling"

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Romans 8:35)


Dearly Beloved,

In Communist China and other countries where believers are persecuted, there are now millions and millions of Christians, despite the persecution that is exercised. They meet in secret places with joyful hearts because they believe with the apostle that nothing can separate them from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38,39).

You should see how the persecuted Christians recite the Apostle's Creed. They state the same affirmation of faith that we recite in the West. But where there is persecution the Creed is said somehow in a different manner. You should see how they say it.

As they begin, their faces shine and their eyes are full of joy. They say, "I believe you, the persecutors, may not believe, but I am me. I am not you and if the whole world would not believe, I believe, I believe in the one God, the Father almighty. He has made not only the visible things but many invisible things. He has made not only the earth but a beautiful heaven, and if you put me in jail, if you take away my life on this earth, I would have a heaven."

They say, "I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ" and they finish the Creed as we finish it. "I believe in the resurrection of the body and in life everlasting."

I give you the good news that persecution and torture did not break their faith but made it stronger. We have unknown numbers of brothers and sisters in jail, but they have kept the same faith that you have.

I do not know how often you sing to the glory of God. Some Christians sing only once a week, on Sunday; others sing throughout the week.

We, in prison, sang every day and every Christian in jail had a musical instrument. The Communists were nice: every Christian, when he entered jail, received a musical instrument. Not a guitar but chains on his hands and feet. Chains are splendid musical instruments. We could sing, "Onward Christian soldiers (clink, clank), marching as to war (clink, clank, clink, clank)." The words of praise and glorification of God never cease.

The brethren in Communist and Muslim prisons pray for you. You should also pray for them and think about them with love. Do not think that they sit there in their prison cells, very sad and brooding. There is a joy in their hearts because Christ is with them.

One of our brethren was arrested. They beat and tortured him because he did not wish to denounce his faith. The Communist officer who led the interrogation said, "I am tired. We will not beat you any more. We will deport you to Siberia where the snow never melts. It is a place of great suffering. We will deport you and your whole family to Siberia."

The brother smiled. Lips are given to us for smiling; a Christian can smile even in moments of great sorrow. The Christian replied with a smile, "Captain, where can you deport me? The whole earth belongs to my Father. Wherever you send me I will be on my Father's earth."

Now the Communist got very angry. He said, "We will confiscate all your property." The Christian continued to smile and said, "You are free to take all my property, but I pity you because I have gathered my treasures in heaven and you will need a very high ladder. If you find such a ladder, you will have to climb and climb and climb. If you arrive there, you can take everything I have. On earth I have nothing."

Now the officer thought he was being mocked. He shouted, "We will shoot you!" The Christian still replied with a smile, "If you take away my life in this world, my real life of bliss and beauty will begin. I am not afraid of being killed." The Communist yelled at him, "We will not kill you! We will keep you alone in a cell behind locked doors and iron bars, and we will allow no one to come to see you!" The Christian, still smiling, replied: "You cannot make me sit alone in a cell. I have a Friend who can pass through locked doors and iron bars. No one can separate me from the love of the Messiah."

That is the experience we had in jail. Other Christians and I experienced it in our jail; my wife and other Christians had it in their jail. Alexei Kortov, a pastor who was in jail in Russia for 45 years, had also the same hope and joy.

Our brothers and sisters have learned what it means when they repeat the words found in the Creed," I believe."
You have all passed through different experiences. Every one of you, every day, have before you different choices and decisions. Christ is purity; if you are impure, you deny Christ. Christ is truth. When you lie, you deny Christ. Christ is love and peace. When you quarrel and when you hate, you deny Christ. Do not be hypocrites. Let us be Christians who express joy to our Savior.

Let us each love Him with all our heart. We are not put to the same tests as our brethren in Communist and Islamic countries. But Messiah looks to the heart. May He see men and women who love Him with all their hearts, who will not be separated from the love of Messiah.

May God bless you for your prayerful help, which we share with the persecuted Church.

In Messiah,

Richard Wurmbrand

 2011/1/20 9:06
wombat1
Member



Joined: 2010/12/1
Posts: 69
Melbourne

 Re: DON’T BE AFRAID OF A LITTLE SUFFERING

It is so rare in these days of the disney gospel to find a strong supporter of the need for the cross in our daily lives. Also in Peter there is a verse in 1 Peter that says that the firey trial of our faith is more precious than gold.Also Paul write to James in I:1-4 concerning the trial of our faith perfecting us.


Richard Worbrandts story reminds me of a person who said the west prays for the east to ease their suffering, whilst the east prays for the west to gain their suffering. Persecution faning the flames of revival. I hope we can see this not as works or earning salvation but rather submitting to the will of God.

I squirm like many in the trial but hope and believe that like Elisha I will have the heart to follow on in difficult times like Elisha following Elijah in the desert. He did so even when there is no evedence of the need to, rather than staying with the sons of the prophets. They opperated with the words of knowledge but without the mind of christ.These, had the comfort of the city, of water and fruit and shade whilst being drawn out of the city a short way did not like Elisha pick up the double portion annointing by going all the way into the desert and across the Jordan.

Suffering for some is not always short but as we are shown in the word, it is not worthy to be compared with the glory to come. I pray we die daily to our carnality and increasingly put on the new man, to his glory.


_________________
Oskar Abley

 2011/1/24 9:25Profile





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