Praise the LORD!!!
Thanks for stopping in and I pray GOD is richly blessing you this day!!! This is something that a large number of Christians have been led to believe, that it doesn't exist for us. This has come about from false teachings within the churches today. Let's take a look at it.
Acts 14:22
“We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,”
Here the author is leading us to see that we as Christians, will face hardships within our walks with the LORD! It couldn't of been stated any clearer either. "We must," is very clear in it's intents to convey the fact that as Christians we will face times of troubles within our live.
To many have grown up believing that as Christians their lives are going to trouble free. Walking with CHRIST on a straight and level path without any obstacles or hindrances in their way. Where this idea truly came from is a mystery, for I've found it no where within scripture, no where! What has been promised, is that in no matter what kind of troubles we find ourselves, the LORD will be there with us, to help shoulder our problems(Matt. 11:28-30). Not, that we're not going to have problems, but that HE will help us to face them and carry us through them in a way that HE deems fit. In my fifteen years of being a Christian I've faced, shall we say, a few problems, and never once have they just miraculously gone away. Even though my heart problems were healed, they didn't just disappear. Five major heart problems just don't vanish into thin air. Though I was miraculously healed, there were things that I did within my life that brought about the positioning for GOD to receive the glory and hence the miracle was brought into reality.
These things that I did, were truly just my listening to the LORD's leadership and guidance, nothing of my own powers, except that I spoke them. I was led to the verse that says GOD has given me a new heart(Ezekiel. 36:26) and stood strongly upon this as a fact. In other words I claimed it as fact and not just something written in the Bible. I then was led to proclaim this to all that told me other wise, doctors, inmates(this was when I was in prison), and even staff members. No matter what anyone said, no matter what proof they showed me, I continued to stand firmly grasping this as fact. This was in early 97 and I've yet even had one negative sign that GOD hasn't completely given me a new heart. Praise the LORD!!!
Many of us are going through some very rough times right now, due to the conditions of the world's economies. Many are facing lose of house and homes, great financial burdens of other sorts, health problems which run the gambit from minor to major. I'm telling you that somewhere within the pages of scripture, there are verses that will cover your burden. You must seek them out, study them, cross reference them( doing so prayerfully, thus allowing the LORD to guide you) and then lay a hold of them with all your might. As usual, there will be those that say this is a false teaching. Well let me tell you something, if you had personally had a miracle take place through a practice such as this, would not you believe with all your heart that it is the truth? One of these days when I have the money, I'm going to get all the documentation from the BOP(Bureau of Prisons) and will be able to have physical proof of what happened. For there are records of over a half million dollars worth of test and procedures that were done and all that the doctors had written, all held in the BOP records of my incarceration. Then no one will be able to refute the facts!!! Sorry I got a little side track here and I hope you can see why!
We are told in scripture, that we face nothing that is uncommon to man(1 Cor. 10:13) within our lives. We're also told that nothing that we face daily, hasn't been faced by CHRIST HIMSELF. You may say that HE didn't have many of today's luxuries to worry about losing. Which is true, but HE did have the basics for all of them within HIS life. For we humans have only so many needs to survive, though many may disagree because they cover themselves in things not needed, and JESUS witnessed to all of these in HIS life. Lack of food, clothing, shelter, loneliness, depression, yes JESUS, suffered all of these. You may be wondering, when did JESUS suffer depression. What do you think HE was feeling when HE stated this, “Eloi, Eloi,a lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”b(Matt. 27:46)NIV)? JESUS was here feeling the likeness of depression, HE felt alone and without any means of rescue from HIS distress, thus depression. So those that are feeling depressed, there is a means of receiving a cure through the Bible, and you need to seek it.
I only write these devotionals, because I'm led by the LORD to do so. I receive nothing from them except the time to reflect upon that which HE has led me to write. These are as much a personal learning tool as they are something for others to learn from. Because I'm far from any "super saint." My walk is far from perfect. But it is, that I'm doing that which the LORD has led me too and that alone brings joy into my life. I'm suffering day to day like most people. I'm having financial problems like most, along with health problems as well. One thing is certain though, I know that the LORD didn't promise me a "rose garden" here on earth, that I'll be facing trials and tribulations daily, but only until that day that I join HIM in the sky. This is a day that I truly look forward to and I do my best to listen to HIS leading and lay aside all that is of this world, to continue daily to seek HIM and serve HIM to the best of my ability. I pray that all that are reading these post, will one day also be able to make this same claim!!!
Other verses to reference: Heb. 2:18; 2 Cor. 1:3-6; Phil.3:10; 1 Peter 4:12-19, 5:7-11, 3:13-17; Gal. 3:4,5; 1 John 5:1-5
Use these verses, but don't stop with them, cross reference and seek out GOD from within HIS WORD!!!
Prayer request can be sent to: prayers@vineofchrist.org
GOD bless and good day,
Rev. Marshall Barth
Vine of CHRIST Ministries
Vine Ministerial Network International
Monday, March 8, 2010
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