Vicki,
The pastor and his wife of the church we attended years ago now are
divorced, she's living with another man and he is teetering mental
stability. They began their marriage similar to David and Bathsheba. I
believe God honored their marriage as they came to Christ after their
marriage and served the Lord sincerely , he was the man who baptized
myself and my family, but the world was allowed to sneak in and stole
their values and began to lose the focus of joy being on the other side
and so reaped what they sowed. Grace and mercy and strength and focus,
knowledge, wisdom and understanding be with us all.
Brad
on 10:28 AM 7/31/2005, Vicki and The Rors said:
Brad,
Good thoughts here. Thanks for sharing. I've been thinking on what
separates us from non-believers, or those who turn from God instead of to
him in the midst of trials. You shed some light on that for me.
Vicki
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brad D" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2005 7:00 AM
Subject: [ECHURCH-USA] Trials, tribulations, Tests
> A thought while reading this morning in James. I love that book
*smile*.
>
> "James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the
twelve
> tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings. Consider it all joy, my
> brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing
of
> your faith produces endurance." --James 1:1-3
>
> I've read this many times, sometimes while in the midst of difficulty
and
> sometimes just to remind me of how ought react when I do run across
> difficult times. I've noticed before that this scripture says to
consider
> trials as joy because we are then strengthened by those trials, I
noticed
> today what this scripture doesn't say however. There are two things it
> doesn't say, one I noticed before but I'll jot it down anyway, and the
> other aspect will follow.
>
> It mentions that "when" we encounter trials, not "if" we encounter
trials.
> Perhaps this seems like a gloomy thought, that we will definitely
> encounter things in life we will suffer and struggle through, and we
will
> not escape rough times, but I am somewhat of a mixture between and
> optimist and a realist. A realist when things are rolling along fine,
and
> an optimist when it is time to batten down the hatches as the storm
> approaches and the winds begin. It would be nice if we, being God's
kids,
> were protected from the affects of the world here, but the point is
"bad
> things happen to good people". Friends and relatives pass on, some
knowing
> Christ, and some not. People steal from us, damage our property, our
> feelings, our will, our relationships. We even drag ourselves through
mud
> if we have a mind to. Fact is, we will experience struggles just like
the
> scripture says when it says "when" you do, not "if" you do. That is a
very
> wise thing to know that a preparation of mind set and faith can keep us
> protected in faith that we do not begin to doubt or waiver.
>
> The second thing I noticed today when reading which is a continuation
of
> the thought of not wavering, was that it said that trials are the
> "testing' of your faith brings endurance, and not the "killing" of your
> faith. How many times have we seen in life, folks we know who seem to
be
> believers yet when a close relative dies or something bad happens,
they
> walk away from faith. What separates us from them? Without entering
> judgement, I can only consider my own faith and consider, pray, and ask
> God that what I have is a genuine faith, given and strengthened by God,
> when such times counter attack it. If it indeed is faith of and in God,
I
> indeed can consider trials as joy because I know that what ever happens
in
> this life, I am in the care of God, that the "killing" of my faith or
> relationship is not an option, and according to God's word, this
> scripture, enduring such trials will only make me stronger. So then
with
> the knowledge that trials bring strength to our faith, ought we then
look
> to enter trials purposefully? No, just as we are forgiven for sin, we
> ought not purposefully enter sin. We then would be testing God. Just as
> the Scripture continues to talk about wisdom, and if you do not have
it,
> ask for it and he'll give it to you. Wisdom keeps us from entering such
> purposefully or ignorantly.
>
> So next we find ourselves in the midst of a trial, a rough time in
life,
> it will indeed strengthen us if we do in fact consider it a joyful
> strengthening of our faith with the full knowledge that God is with us
and
> will see us through it. Albeit might not be as we expect in every or
any
> situation but nonetheless we will come out smiling joyful with God's
hand
> on our life. How much more pleasantly and less stressfully can we
endure
> trials if we consider it a joyful thing even in the midst of it,
rather
> than not. It never said it would be easy, but God knows we are built to
> have need to look towards a safe haven in the future of a situation, or
> feel hopeless, therefore inspired such scripture and indeed the entire
> gospel message of hope for us beyond this physical life.
>
> Brad
>
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