Poster | Thread | Holiday Member
Joined: 2005/5/1 Posts: 8
| Suffering / Sanctification | | Would like your opinions here:
Suffering for the Gospel seems unavoidable, after reading the words of Jesus.
Can anyone here share some of their sufferings for the faith? Has anyone here experienced any symptons of painful sanctification? In other words, as the Lord shapes you and molds you, how have you been hurt and how have to learned to grow in grace through this experience?
Thank you for sharing your experiences. |
| 2005/5/22 13:46 | Profile | roadsign Member
Joined: 2005/5/2 Posts: 3777
| Re: Suffering / Sanctification | | I have experienced suffering for two main reasons - as God's sanctifying process, and also for my faith in Christ. So far, the first has been much more intense - God's refining fires. The pain that I experienced was usually not because of my faith, but because of my lack of it. Trials came through health troubles, family troubles, etc etc. There are a lot of amazing testimonies on this site here and there - where people share their journey through suffering. I hope that you discover them - and I'm sure that you will be as blessed and encouraged as I was.
For now, I'll merely paste some links here in which I share what I learned through suffering. http://www.thewayback.net/articles/healed.htm http://www.thewayback.net/articles/computerlanguage.htm
I don't know if this helps you at this time. Diane
_________________ Diane
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| 2005/5/22 20:31 | Profile | rookie Member
Joined: 2003/6/3 Posts: 4821 Savannah TN
| Re: | | Sister Diane
I just read your posted testimony in this tread. For the last year I have seen in the Scripture what you have writen of concerning rest, Sabbath rest, and the understanding of what God provides that fills us with all that we need.
I then went to your E-book, but by chapter two, I got this message, URL not found. Except for chapter 3, the rest of your book cannot be found. I am a rookie in more ways than you might imagine. Is there anything I can do to read your E-book?
Just this Friday an older Brother in the Lord was sharing about suffering and that our suffering is the means by which God opens our minds and hearts to understanding His voice. Hearing Him and learning from Him comes in the times when we most need Him because we can do nothing else. To understand this position, opens the door to Him that waits.
He teaches us to understand the depravity of our carnal minds. As we learn of our weaknesses and the futility for which we strive, He begins to show us His glory. It is His glory that overcome our corruption. It is His glory that fills us with a hope that cannot fail.
The things you write of gives understanding to how we become one with Him. The few things that I have read thus far, I see the mind of Christ in them.
God Bless In Christ Jeff _________________ Jeff Marshalek
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| 2005/5/23 16:48 | Profile |
| Re: Suffering / Sanctification | | Quote:
In other words, as the Lord shapes you and molds you, how have you been hurt and how have to learned to grow in grace through this experience?
Im so glad you asked this because it has given me a chance to reflect on something im going through right now that is tremendously painful. This is the second time i've typed this because i wrote what it was i was going through but then i felt it would have been wrong for me to post it as i feel i really had to take it all to God. Right now though i feel rejection, deep wounds and out of place :-( Yet i know this is a work God is doing in me right now. I only pray i react in a way pleasing to the Lord and learn all there is to learn in this situation. In His Love, Geraldine
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| 2005/5/23 17:06 | | roadsign Member
Joined: 2005/5/2 Posts: 3777
| Re: troubles | | Geraldine wrote,
Quote:
I felt it would have been wrong for me to post it as i feel i really had to take it all to God. Right now though i feel rejection, deep wounds and out of place
Bless you, Geraldine, for sharing. Do you ever wonder where we get these crazy ideas that we shouldn't share our negative feelings, but instead, keep a stiff upper lip, try to stay saintly all the time? That's not from God.
I have learned through experience that God prefers my honesty, even if it seems to be messy, tempermental, and unsanctified (like some of the Psalms) It is during those times of brute honesty that God has reached down to me and touched me with his mercy and comfort. One time, just after I had screamed at God with bitter anger, he brought a miraculous healing to me. I then realized that I had finally admitted some anger that I had bottled up for years. (this was all a work of the Spirit - my divine therapist) And after that I could move forward spiritually. And also, others were more inclined to be honest with me about themselves.
While we must go to God with our honest feelings and let him help us process them, we also need to learn to trust each other because that is part of the path to healing, as expressed in this small article by Charles Finn "Please hear what I am not saying" http://www.thewayback.net/articles/pleasehearwhatiam.htm (this article has traveled around the world and is on many websites) Diane _________________ Diane
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| 2005/5/23 17:57 | Profile | roadsign Member
Joined: 2005/5/2 Posts: 3777
| troubled computer | | Rookie, I don't know why those links went dead. I have had lots of computer problems since starting SI. (blame SI, why not?) I'm only a rookie when it comes to computers. In the mean time I'll try to get them to you another way. Diane _________________ Diane
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| 2005/5/23 18:03 | Profile | Holiday Member
Joined: 2005/5/1 Posts: 8
| Re: Suffering / Sanctification | | Thank you all for sharing.
I was Saved in July of 2001. I had come from a background of alcohol / drug abuse + many other sins such as extreme pride, sexual perversions, etc.
A co-worker gave me a NLT New Testament in the Fall of 2000, while I was still locked in sin. After much reading and considering, I finally came to a decision about Jesus the following summer.
As I made my way (painfully) out of my drug / alcohol lifestyle, I must say, looking back, that God was so gracious, patient and gentle with me that it almost brings me to tears.
He could have allowed me to suffer so much more if He wanted to. More than a few of my old friends truly messed up their lives from drugs / alcohol / suicide attempts / etc.
There were painful times that I believe the Lord let me experience both before and after I was born again that allowed me to learn the complete folly of my sin-filled ways.
And He is still teaching me today. I admit that I have a hard time sometimes accepting that God MUST change me from the creature that I currently am into a more Godly man.
Thanks again for sharing and God Bless you all as you grow.
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| 2005/5/23 18:15 | Profile | Compton Member
Joined: 2005/2/24 Posts: 2732
| Re: | | Quote:
As I made my way (painfully) out of my drug / alcohol lifestyle, I must say, looking back, that God was so gracious, patient and gentle with me that it almost brings me to tears.
Reading your brief testimony makes my eyes moist as well Holiday. It is great to hear how God has taken you into His arms. You are an encouragement.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!
MC
_________________ Mike Compton
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| 2005/5/23 19:39 | Profile | Corneliu Member
Joined: 2004/1/6 Posts: 61
| Re: | | The Bible says that Jesus Christ was made perfect thru suffering. And there will be meny kinds of it.
Today I have heard a good sermon that showed how a lot of the suffering comes from the carnal christians, because the carnal and the spiritual can live in peace.
I have tried to post a link earlier today and it didn't work. I apologize for that one and if this one doesn;t work I apologize again.
If you can listen to it: it is good. It is today's sermon on this web site.
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/kingdom_living/ _________________ Cornelius
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| 2005/5/23 20:00 | Profile | roadsign Member
Joined: 2005/5/2 Posts: 3777
| Re: Carnal "Christians" - God's refining agents | | I am assuming that by carnal Christian your mean a make-believer rather than a genuine believer.
Nothing has changed since the Bible days. Those most hostile towards God's true followers have always been the hypocrites - those who don't see a need to repent. The NT refers to that kind of suffering more than any other type of suffering.
I believe that God uses the fake "believers" to refine his true believers, build their faith, patience, maturity...and knock down their own hypocritical tendencies. (it was that way for me)
Those hypocrites can be quite a pain! There is nothing more dreadful than being down and out with all kinds of troubles, and then get futher knocked down by a self-righteous make-believer who says or implies, It must be because of your sin." or, "You should just praise the Lord, and cheer up." Really it is only our pride that hurts.
Someone once said to me, "If it still hurts, its not dead yet." Suffering puts our many sinful vices like pride, self-righteousness etc to death.
Diane _________________ Diane
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| 2005/5/23 20:20 | Profile |
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