Afflictions Have a Purpose!

Afflictions: hardships and trials

All Christians have afflictions -- if you think about it, either you have had afflictions; you are in the midst of an affliction; or just keep living -- you will most certainly face affliction. The good news is that all of our afflictions have a specific purpose behind them. Psalms 34:19 tells us, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." Not only does He deliver us out of those trials, but He also comforts us throughout. This allows us to comfort others who are facing affliction AND allows Him to reshape us into His image and to take us to the next level.

The Lord occasionally uses affliction to bring us back to Him. David said "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word." David also said "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statues." After experiencing  some trials and hardships, David later said, "The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver." Like David, we are all guilty of putting God on the back burner every now and again, but the Lord knows just how to bring us back to Him. So Praise God for the afflictions that bring us closer to him!

The Lord also uses afflictions to test us. You may be familiar with the story of Job and how the Lord allowed him to be afflicted... a few times! Job complained mighty, saying, "God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. I was at ease, but He hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by the neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark" (Job 16:11-12). What's important is that Job's suffering was not random or without purpose. The Lord was reshaping Job by getting those things out of his heart that was not like Him. But I'm pleased to report that the end results were awesome! Job eventually passed the Lord's test(s) and he came out on the other side with twice as much!

Remember my friends, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17). God is not trying to kill us; He only wants to perfect us because He loves us!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... and AMEN!                      

How To Get The Peace Of God In Your Life!

Peace: Not quarrelsome; free from disturbance; calm

Even in today's world - full of torment, unrest, disturbance, and in the midst of trouble on every hand - we can still have peace. The peace that I'm talking about begins within, where we know that God is with us every step of the way; where we realize that God is the head over all things. Once we really understand that on the inside, it will be reflected on the outside. The word tells us in Isaiah 26:3, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." In other words, when our mind is stayed on Him, we are free from disturbance and  we will have calmness in him.

You might be asking yourself, "Self, how can I get this calmness?" Well fortunately, Paul gives us some answers in Philippians 4:4-7:

Step 1 (verse 4): "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, rejoice." We must rejoice because it is written that the joy of the Lord is our strength. My aunt often talks about how the Lord will give you peace in the midst of your storm. For her, these are not just words - when she lost her only child, it was then that she truly realized that God was her peace. 

Step 2 (verse 5): "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." In other words, let every one see your calmness, show that you are unselfish, and be very considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon! 

Step 3 (verse 6): "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." As that old song says, don't worry about a thing; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what your needs are and don't forget to thank Him for His answer.

After we complete these three steps, verse 7 finishes it off for us: "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

By following these steps, you will experience God's peace, in an abundant way - which is more wonderful than the human mind can understand or even imagine. His peace will keep your thoughts and your heart quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.

Remember the Lord said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I into you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let is be afraid" (John 14:27).

With all that said, let the Church say Amen and... AMEN!

Rest In The Lord!

Rest: to stop work, peace of mind or spirit, free from anxieties

There is nothing like being one of His - just a sheep in the pasture where we don't have to worry about providing the way. We don't have to worry about providing the pasture (food), or providing the stream (water), or anything else. When we learn that we are just a sheep in His pasture, we are free to feel rested and secure. That's the way it should be - we don't have to worry about what's going to happen today or what's going to happen tomorrow. All of that is in God's hands. Now, if we were the boss, we would have to worry. I'm so glad that I can turn it all over to the Lord and just rest as I walk along with Him. We should be enjoying our journey, not trying to control it.

God promised to give us rest - we don't have to buy or borrow it - we just receive it as a gift. Matthew 11:28-30 tells us, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

We can't burn the candle at both ends - either we are going to rest in God or we are going to try to fix things ourselves. The Lord will let us wear ourselves out to the point of total exhaustion on the inside until we finally see the light and give that situation to Him. Once we do that, He will give us rest and He will refresh and comfort us.

When our children are doing things that we know they shouldn't be, we have to give it to the Lord and rest in what He has said in His word. If it's our spouse, our job, or anything else, we must learn to cease from our actions. God said in His word that He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Isn't that awesome?!

I don't know about you, but if I could fix things on my own - I would start with myself! But I can't fix me or anyone else. I'm not in control and it's not my responsibility. It's imperative that we learn to trust God to fix things and that we learn to rest in Him.

Our responsibility is to sit still, in quietness and in confidence, and believe that He can help, save, and deliver in our most urgent need. Remember - we are not the boss, nor are we in control. Psalms 37:7 says, "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him." If we don't see our prayers answered today or even tomorrow, that doesn't mean it's never going to happen. Again my friends, I say wait on the Lord and rest in Him!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... and AMEN!

Our Responsibilities As Christians!

Responsibility: Accountability for one’s action; Obligation

We all have responsibilities - in the home, in the workplace, or maybe even in the Church - regardless of where we are, we typically have some sort of responsibility in some shape or form. However, our first and greatest responsibility is found in Mark 12:30, where the word says; “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”

So we know that loving the Lord our God is our #1 responsibility. Did you know that it's also our responsibility to be thankful? And not just in the good times. The word also reminds us “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Another obligation for us as a Christian can be found in 1 Corinthians 15:58. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast (firm), unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. We must not be tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine. We should always stand firm on the word; not on what we think or feel, but on what the Lord says.

We also have a responsibility to manage our money, time, our energy and our talents. How can the Lord bless us exceeding, abundantly if we aren't able to manage the small things He put us in charge of? Also, we have a responsibility to attend Church, have a prayer and study life, to be soul winners. After all, it would be pretty hard to share God's word if we don't know it, right?

So, as a recap:
1) Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart
2) Give Thanks
3) Be Steadfast abounding in the work of the Lord
4) Manage our Resources appropriately
5) Maintain a personal relationship with the Lord and to bring others to Him

Often times people focus on what others are doing or what they are not doing, but keep in mind that we can't make choices for other people and besides, what they do (or don't do) simply isn't our responsibility. Let's stick with God's plan for our lives and take the high road, because to the low road is WAYY too crowded!

Let's keep our heads up, our focus up, and be very attentive to the responsibilities God requires of us.

With all that said, let the Church say Amen… and AMEN!