What to Expect When You Stop Enabling

Look Around You!!! The LAST Of The LAST DAYS!!!

The Complete Story The Book of Ephesians Like You've Never Seen It Before

Our Greatest Witness

Often the greatest witness to unbelievers of our faith is when we remain faithful to God through all our trials. Unbelievers might not believe the blatant miracle was real but they cannot deny our steadfastness and the continual joy as we slog through this life.

Unbelievers often become sullen and hopeless in trials, but we are not like that, we know everything has a purpose for the follower of Christ and that at the end of this life, we have eternity in paradise with God, a total restoration of what was lost in the fall.

Everyone has trials, every single one, but only born-again believers have the strength to remain faithful to God and full of His joy and purpose no matter what is happening around us or who rejects us.

Romans 3:3-4
3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4 Far from it! Rather, God must prove to be true, though every person be found a liar, as it is written:
“So that You are justified in Your words,
And prevail when You are judged.”

Hallelujah!

It is important to read Scripture in Context!!!

God's Love is Nothing Like Man's Love

Because God is perfect love He must correct and rebuke sin. There can be no love when there is acceptance of sin.

Love is relating to God in a way that helps others to repent and become born again.

Love is not a feeling or emotion, it is a mindset that cares deeply about others so that they can find salvation in Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 12:5-11

"And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? ."

Those who withhold correction to win someone to themselves are not showing love, they are selfish because the purpose of winning others to self is for self-exaltation and self-gratification.

When we love someone God's way we will tell them the truth, weep with them and laugh with them in all their experiences sharing in their life as if it were our own.

Proverbs 19:18

"Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be party to his death."

Our example for expressing love is all through God's word which are the directions from Jesus Christ, He is the Author.

When we are continually attempting to be friendly to the entire world so that people will like us we cannot please God.

Galatians 1:10 "For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ".

Do we love people the way God loves them or do we love ourselves hoping to win them to ourselves? This is an important matter to pray and fast over because our world in the churches do not understand love God's way and they do not love others God's way.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

"4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant.

5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered,

6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8a Love never fails;"

Our love toward our fellow man must go beyond superficial feelings and personal pleasure. It must be based in the Word of God willing to be helpful even when it may lose us something.

Trials Reveal and Build Character

For those charismatic "Christians" who say a believer should never be sick or encounter hardship, this is for you.

James 1:2-4 "2 Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

2 Coriinthians 11:23-29 ". 23 Are they servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.

24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift at sea. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers;

27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.

29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?"

All believers experience hardships and physical ill-health as long as they live on this earth.

James 1:12

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."

Romans 5:3-5

"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose"

There is no special holiness for those who do not experience difficulties, it is possible that those who have no been through trials do not grow in holiness. There is no need to trust in Christ fully when we live a life without trials.

No spiritual or emotional maturity occurs in those who have not had to endure struggle, trials and tribulation.

Our greatest trust in Christ develops when we have to go through testing, knowing He goes through with us.