WHY THE TROUBLES!
All our flowery words about Jesus are not enough. Our actions must match our words in order for it to become Truth.
* “Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
Matthew 23:28
2 Corinthians 1:4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.
* Whether we are suffering by the hands of another or simply as a consequence to our own bad choices – if we turn to the Lord for comfort and view our sufferings as loving discipline from the master potter who is simply using the circumstances of our life to soften our heart so that HE can mold our character- then we will learn how to praise him even in the storms of life and attain the peace of God that surpasses all worldly understanding.
Thus with this peace and joy in our hearts we will then be used by God to come alongside of others who are experiencing hardship and share with them our testimony and point them home to Jesus so that they too can experience the comfort we have received from God.
*Anxieties keep us from hearing God …like a wall between his voice and our ears.
The word of God is all you need for every circumstance in your life, you need to listen to it and take Action.
Man (Mankind, Man or woman) shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
In the passage Mark 4:1-20 you will find what happens when a Christian hears the word of God.
* You will see who bears fruit (who applies the word of God in every situation and wins), and who does not bear fruit (who just reads and forgets about whose word he/she is reading and forgets that it is powerful to guide that person through anything).
*Don’t be like the person who just looks at the mirror and forgets what the mirror has shown him/her. Be a person who studies the word of God (2 Timothy2:15).
*If you seek God diligently He will help you produce thirty, sixty, or one hundred fold. Let us have a form of relationship with God that actually produces testimony so that others can see that our God is actually involved with our daily lives and praise God.
*Let us Not deny the power and authority of the word of God. God’s word is the lamp unto our feet and a light to our paths.
Seeking God diligently everyday, staying silent in His presence, singing to Him, studying His word and praying the word back to God is a great way to build a relationship with God and actually get results.
Many Christians don’t get results or don’t understand God because they don’t spend enough TIME with Him and His word (Mark 4:1-20). God welcomes you. Test and see that the Lord is Good!
Today. Millions of church people are trying to live holy lives, but they do not have a true faith in Jesus as their Savior.
If they were to stand before God and He was to ask them – “what they had done to deserve salvation”, they would immediately start recounting all their acts of holiness such as church attendance, giving receipts, etc.
Regardless of how good our actions are compared to others, they always come short of the perfect standard of God.
The only response to this kind of question that would grant us entrance to heaven is to say, “my only claim to salvation is faith in Jesus as my Savior.”
Let JESUS be the object of your faith today. He is all you need
All too often, as Christians endure the trials of life, this is the message
they believe. They see no hope beyond their difficult situation. All they can see is a stone permanently rolled into place separating them from hope.
* Yet they are seeing things from this side of the stone. If only they knew what God is doing for them on the other side of the stone.
Maybe life has presented you with a hard, impassable situation. As you read this do you wonder, “Is God at work in my circumstance? Is Jesus really triumphant — in me? Can He really save me from this situation? I just don’t see a way forward.”
I tell you, God is on the move in your life at this very moment. The stone isbeing rolled away. Light is breaking forth and your Hope stands there in thedoorway: Jesus! He has triumphed over all the powers of darkness and Hisvictory is yours by faith.
Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
*Refuse to give up. Your walk in the Spirit will prepare and cause
you to overcome the flesh, the world, and the devil.
* Let us keep sharing our burdens and keep encouraging and lifting others up–giving all praise and Glory to our Heavenly Father!
Lord, show me today if I have had convictions for things that are meaningless and not important. And help me to make convictions for things that matter most and give You the Glory! Help me share your perfect Love with others. In Jesus Name, Amen.