When we see that our trials have purpose and make us stronger we can accept them, even lean into them to learn the lesson God has for us.
James 1:2-7 "2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
Those who fight and argue against what God has ordained will miss the blessing of calmness and strength that He has for them.
It was God that brought all that is happening now, by allowing evil people to dominate and control those who have been resistant to God. When we do not listen to God's Word to obey it, He often brings judgments on us through wicked people.
Instead of complaining about everything going on now, we ought to be looking for the lessons God has for us in all of it.
God closed the churches, the schools, the restaurants, the theme parks, the bars, and everything else that was distracting us from Him. We have used God's blessings in this country to elevate ourselves above God.
He is about to remove all those blessings and our response is to whine and complain at their removal instead of shame that He has to remove them.
One sister mentioned recently that it seems the more we are blessed the worse we become. She is right, and the more apostate the churches become.
Revelation 2:4-5 "…4 But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love. 5 Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. "
The churches are preaching a man-centered gospel based on personal pleasure and entertainment, they mocked God in doing this and placed man's desires above God.
We have no reason to be proud, we ought to feel shame and accept the discipline God is giving us.
We have become arrogant and stubborn as a country, we have no reason to expect more blessings when we misused the ones God gave us. And, yet we keep repeating the same old mantra, "God bless America" as though we deserve it, such arrogance is taking us down each day a little more than the last day.
Individuals can and should repent but God is not going to stop the judgment. He must avenge the 65 million dead babies killed by their own mothers. No amount of repentance will stop the discipline for these monstrous acts.
The divorces and remarriage that are rampant and in the church must be disciplined.
There are so many sins that people are claiming are good and normal that must be disciplined by God. As born-again believers, we will experience some of the fallout from God's judgment but it will not affect us because we are directed and protected by the Holy Spirit.
Do not be worried, God will not punish those who have repented and those who have not indulged willfully in these sins. We do not fear discipline for things from which we have repented.
We do not fear the rejection of those who have chosen to defend their sin, Christ is everything to us!
