Trials Strengthen the Believer in Christ

As a believer, our faith is stronger during trials. Those who lack trials are proud that they must have a good amount of faith. Just the opposite may be true.

Hebrews 12:7-11 "7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?

10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.

11 For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."

All children of God must endure trials to grow in holiness and in wisdom. Those who have had few trials and an easy life often lack wisdom.

James 1:5

"5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

Many Church attendees today are not asking for wisdom or they would leave those houses of apostasy. They prefer to think pleasant thoughts that stroke their egos rather than humble themselves and ask God.

When we ask God for His wisdom we see things that most do not see and notice things that are only Spiritually discnerened.

Because of this, we are hated and rejected by those who love their traditions more than they love God.

Handling Accusations of Lacking Faith Because of Our Trials

Prosperity preachers use manipulation in every gathering. They "guilt" people and claim they have little faith if they don't do what the preachers say.

This is a scam used by ALL prosperity preachers to line their own pockets with currency. Never trust someone who is getting wealthy off of others in the matter of "church gatherings." Something is wrong with those who are living a lifestyle of opulence because of their preaching.

Remember Pauls's experiences?

The next time someone accuses you of lacking faith because you are sick or because others have rejected you, remind them of Paul the apostle and his life of service to Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:23-33

"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?

30 If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.

32 In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me,

33 and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands."

Our trials are not evidence that something is wrong, just the opposite, they may be evidence that something is right.

James 1:2-4

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Matthew 10:21-23 "…21 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. "

Luke 21:15-17 "…15 For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death. 17 And you will be hated by everyone because of My name.…"

Matthew 10:21

"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death."

Jeremiah 9:4

4 “Let everyone be on guard against his neighbor,

And do not trust any brother;

Because every brother utterly betrays,

And every neighbor goes about as a slanderer."

We love people and share the gospel with whomever the Holy Spirit leads but we place our trust only in Christ, not in any human being.

Paul was once a murderer of believers before Christ saved him.

"Acts 26:10,11

Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them…"

This ought to give us hope that anyone can be saved no matter what they have done in their lives. Paul went from a killer of God's people to a preacher of the word.

When God tells us to walk away from someone we walk away, however, when the Holy Spirit tells us to speak we should speak even if it means the loss of love from our families or even a loss of life.

Revelation 12:11

"… and they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death."

When we are tempted to cry and whine that someone doesn't like us perhaps remembering what God said will dry those tears and give us joy and peace. Weeping over the loss of a loved one because we love Christ is the same as putting them first before Christ. Yes, feelings are real, weep for a short time but never allow it to control us or divert us from the mission God has given to us which is His Word to the lost and instruction to believers.

Hallelujah!!!!

Do not be Derailed by Man

Manipulation can be very subtle. For instance, a salesman who is selling vacuum cleaners door to door may tell you this is the last day of the sale and this is the last vacuum available.

We had this happen to us when I was 19 years old and married with a baby on the way. My husband and I were in need of a vacuum. A salesman came to our door full of manipulative smiles and fake concern about our predicament, which really wasn't a predicament at all, but when he was through with us we felt pressured to get that machine right now before we missed out.

Then there was the time not long after that an encyclopedia salesman came to the door. We had no furniture in the house to sit on, we ate our food sitting on the floor.

When the salesman entered the room we invited him to sit on the floor and show us his books. My husband is an avid reader and could not resist a brand-new shiny set of books.

After we signed the papers, gave a little down payment and the salesman left we sat there on the floor with a contract to pay big bucks over a years time for these books, we realized that money could have been spent to purchase furniture to sit on instead of books to read on the floor. We canceled the contract, paid the penalty for canceling and went out and purchased a couch.

We were manipulated both times and learned good lessons about the tactics of the salesmen. They made the purchases look important and that we would miss out if we didn't have these things.

Did you know the devil is using these very same tactics today among Christians only in a slightly different form, more cunning ways with guilt attached if we do not do as others do.

He leads the believer to think that to be a good Christian we must do all the things within church gatherings that everyone else is doing or we will miss out on something. And, possibly not be seen as good Christians by those in the gathering. Perhaps the most enticing thing he uses is the loss of the love and respect of the others in the group if we do not do as they say and do.

God commands us to be unified but always unified in His Word. We are never required to follow the dictates of others when they violate God's principles or when the rules are man-made and not commanded by God. Our freedom is immense within the principles of Christ. It is man who makes things complicated, difficult and oppressive.

A good example of this is when the apostles were not required to ritualistically wash their hands as was the custom of the religious leaders.

Matthew 15:1-3 "1Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.” 3Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?…"

If is acceptable to follow man's rules if you want to when they do not violate God's Word. However, it is also acceptable to ignore a man-made rule if God never commanded it.

Colossians 2:8,20-23

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."

The biggest problem with Christians today is the tendency to evaluate our walk according to how others view us more than we seek Christ for His truth. More actions and words are done to preserve our image within the church gatherings than resemble anything Biblical.

It was the religious Pharisees who burdened others with rules God never commanded and judged them if they didn't do it.

Matthew 23:4-5 " 4 They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.…"

I am alright with people making man-made rules for themselves if it makes them sense a closer walk with Christ, but I am not supportive of those who make these rules for themselves and pressure others to follow their rules. And worse, judge others who do not do what they do.

We are to judge righteous judgment, that is judging the things God has already stated as judgment in His Word. We can repeat God's judgement and encourage others to follow Christ, but we are not free to intimidate and manipulate others into obeying man's dictates that God never gave.

When we realize our allegiance is to Christ Who lives in us and not man we are free to hear from God and obey Him. Those who are following man's rules that God never made are in bondage to unnecessary pressure and guilt, the guilt is from man and the devil not from God.

Luke 11:46

"Woe to you as well, experts in the law!" He replied. "You weigh men down with heavy burdens, but you yourselves will not lift a finger to lighten their load."

Bottom line; evaluate everything according to the Bible and follow what Christ tells you to follow. And, do not allow any person to derail you from the path God has for you.

Amir Tsarfati: What's Next for Israel?

I’ll Keep You From the Hour of Testing – Mondo Gonzales

Confession of Sin and Forgiveness from God the Greatest Blessing a Believer Has in this Life

Asking for forgiveness is a blessing from God. Too many people don't realize this amazing provision for cleansing from guilt and spiritual and emotional growth. There is no greater blessing than this.

Those who cannot allow themselves the strength to confess their sin and become cleansed by Christ live in constant condemnation without even realizing it.

Those who will not confess live a life of continual need to justify themselves, staving off guilt through blaming others and even denial of their sin. This is a sort of hell on earth they place themselves in without even realizing it is a hell.

It is a tremendous blessing to be allowed by God to confess our sin and become cleansed by Him, never having to remember that sin again.

We can discern those who keep close accounts of their sin and can openly admit to them, they are those who live in freedom with a clear conscience lacking any fear of being discovered. They do not fear God nor do they fear people.

Those who have not been forgiven by God live in a state of fear and condemnation even if they don't realize it. They lack hope and struggle daily to elevate themselves thinking this diminishes the guilt that lives inside of them.

They will say things like "I am basically a good person" only because they are attempting to convince themselves of something they know is not true.

Becoming born again through confession of sinfulness frees the repentant from this life of struggle and guiltiness. Jesus Christ provided this freedom by dying on the cross for our sinful hearts but in order to have it we must believe Him, confess our sinfulness and trust that He will cleanse us from that sin.

When we sin after becoming born again Christ in us teaches us, reminds us of our sin and cleanses us when we confess it to Him desiring that He change our hearts. When our heart is changed our behavior and attitudes also change.

We cannot change ourselves it is only Christ Who can change us from our old sinful nature into a new person.

2 Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

If we slip into sin after being born again our Spirit hates it and eventually will confess to be cleansed.

Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 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. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"

1 John 3:8-10 "…8 The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.…"

May all those who do not practice confession of sin regularly be reminded of the blessing of cleansing and deliverance from sin that comes from Christ Who lives in us.

Walking in Holiness

It is interesting how our modern culture thinks. Often I hear words like "think positively" as though a happy mindset will make everything right.

It has been my experience that facing the demons in our society that cause problems, calling them what they are, and resolving to ask God for cleansing is the real fix. Our hope is to destroy the sin so that it does not return.

Thinking positively is a way of fantasizing about how we wish things were without any resolution to the wrong things within our soul that need expunging. Even worse we hide things so that others will think we are special. Impressing others is always pretense that eventually erodes until the problem is exposed.

Let's take the analogy of "sweeping the dirt under the carpet." The first thing that happens after sweeping the dirt, which is out in the open, under the carpet only hides the dirt is doesn't remove it.

Every time we walk on the carpet a little more of that dirt under it sneaks out and eventually the floor not only has the first pile from under the carpet but it also has the dirt that piles up after other dirt came later. Nothing gets clean but the dirt piles up more under that carpet with every sweeping. Pretty soon the carpet is ruined as the dust seeps up through the fibers and wears out the carpet.

It never works to hide things or pretend fantasies to make ourselves feel better or to impress others. Eventually, we become too weary of constantly pushing the dirt under something to hide it. It will sneak out and destroy whatever it touches.

God is the Author of wisdom, He knows that confession of sin is the only way to scrub the sin from our souls so that it does not return. The more we confess and ask to be cleansed the more we grow in holiness. The pile of sin does not grow into a filthy mountain of dirt because each wrong attitude and each misstep is corrected to make the path clean and swept regularly.

1 John 1:9

"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Romans 6:19

I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification.

Definition of Sanctification: Being set apart for the Father's use. We have been cleansed and continue to be cleansed as we confess our individual sins to walk in holiness.

1 John 1:10

"10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

Those who will not confess sins and believe they are too good to have any, will not grow in holiness nor will they be useful to God.

1 Peter 1:15

"15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,"

Hebrews 12:14

"14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."