Suffering

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soul man

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You understand that a lack of suffering is not spirituality. When I dabbled around in what was called the faith ministries getting rid of all your suffering was the main push, and getting rich of coarse. The only ones that got rich that I know of were the ones making the claim if you give to them and trust the lord you would be financially secure. I have a very simple answer "why don't they trust the Lord to keep them going just like they want you too."

Suffering is just part of creation, you can say it is built in. You will not need a devil to plague you or anyone else, there is plenty already to go around. Suffering can be viewed two ways! as your enemy or as your ally You cannot get away from it, and there are plenty of scriptures on suffering such as; Romans 8:18,

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

What is the glory revealed in us? Christ, and knowing the plan and purpose of God in creation. In most places in scripture you see the word glory it is going to referr to the plan of God before the foundation of the world.

1 Peter 5:10,

10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

You cannot write it any plainer than Peter has; your suffering will in time bring about a perfect new creature (your maturity), and settle you (establish you).

Study Romans 16:25 as well,

25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

You can no longer play with Ostrich religion, like sticking your head in the sand when the storms of life rage, you get your tail feathers beat off if you do. You face life as a Christ person, a Christian, your life is in order before the storms hit. You are established and strengthened already, you don't wait until it hits, your a perfect saint by your maturity and understanding that it is no longer you doing the doing it is Christ alive doing the living through you, Galations. 1:15-16,

15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,

16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

Galatians 2:20,

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Ok so it all sounds good how do I get it! You give a mind to it, you read and study these scriptures and fellowship around this revelation of Christ in you. The HolySpirit is the only one that can teach you, all man can do is confirm to you that a revelation of the indwelling Christ even exists. That is all Paul did was confirm these things. What did he say in Romans first chapter "I long to be with you that I might impart some spiritual gift."

What was Paul's gift he would talk about and confirm to the saints "revelation." Look at all his Epistles, fourteen to be exact, and everyone is full of revelation to be read and understood by the believer, Ephesians 3:3-5

3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
 

stunnedbygrace

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1 Peter 5:10 was a verse I clung hard to when I was in a very great struggle of trust.

We will have these testings and siftings as the world pulls tremendously on us in a bid to get us back away from trust in all He has said and back to trusting in it and it's wisdom.

But after we have struggled with it for a while, yes, He will establish us and make us stand firm. We need only to stand firm where we are able, with the measure of trust He has given us, and to ask for where we see we lack. ( Lord, I DO believe, please help my unbelief!)
 

farouk

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You understand that a lack of suffering is not spirituality. When I dabbled around in what was called the faith ministries getting rid of all your suffering was the main push, and getting rich of coarse. The only ones that got rich that I know of were the ones making the claim if you give to them and trust the lord you would be financially secure. I have a very simple answer "why don't they trust the Lord to keep them going just like they want you too."

Suffering is just part of creation, you can say it is built in. You will not need a devil to plague you or anyone else, there is plenty already to go around. Suffering can be viewed two ways! as your enemy or as your ally You cannot get away from it, and there are plenty of scriptures on suffering such as; Romans 8:18,

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

What is the glory revealed in us? Christ, and knowing the plan and purpose of God in creation. In most places in scripture you see the word glory it is going to referr to the plan of God before the foundation of the world.

1 Peter 5:10,

10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

You cannot write it any plainer than Peter has; your suffering will in time bring about a perfect new creature (your maturity), and settle you (establish you).

Study Romans 16:25 as well,

25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

You can no longer play with Ostrich religion, like sticking your head in the sand when the storms of life rage, you get your tail feathers beat off if you do. You face life as a Christ person, a Christian, your life is in order before the storms hit. You are established and strengthened already, you don't wait until it hits, your a perfect saint by your maturity and understanding that it is no longer you doing the doing it is Christ alive doing the living through you, Galations. 1:15-16,

15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,

16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

Galatians 2:20,

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Ok so it all sounds good how do I get it! You give a mind to it, you read and study these scriptures and fellowship around this revelation of Christ in you. The HolySpirit is the only one that can teach you, all man can do is confirm to you that a revelation of the indwelling Christ even exists. That is all Paul did was confirm these things. What did he say in Romans first chapter "I long to be with you that I might impart some spiritual gift."

What was Paul's gift he would talk about and confirm to the saints "revelation." Look at all his Epistles, fourteen to be exact, and everyone is full of revelation to be read and understood by the believer, Ephesians 3:3-5

3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
The Lord Jesus Himself said: "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16.33).
 

soul man

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1 Peter 5:10 was a verse I clung hard to when I was in a very great struggle of trust.

We will have these testings and siftings as the world pulls tremendously on us in a bid to get us back away from trust in all He has said and back to trusting in it and it's wisdom.

But after we have struggled with it for a while, yes, He will establish us and make us stand firm. We need only to stand firm where we are able, with the measure of trust He has given us, and to ask for where we see we lack. ( Lord, I DO believe, please help my unbelief!)

Yes very powerful when you are in the heat of the battle. I think most of us have held on to that scripture. I used to look at Job, and preached from tgere when I talked about suffering. Not so much anymore, Job suffered but he had a different message, he did not have Christ in him. His relationship with God was different, not a birthed child relationship.
 
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farouk

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Yes very powerful when you are in the heat of the battle. I think most of us have held on to that scripture. I used to look at Job, and preached from tgere when I talked about suffering. Not so much anymore, Job suffered but he had a different message, he did not have Christ in him. His relationship with God was different, not a birthed child relationship.
Job 13.15 is very striking: "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him".
 

stunnedbygrace

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I have found Job to be helpful too. In the end, he was able to say, before, I had only heard about God, but now, I have seen Him!

When we come through trials of our trust, that sifting off of chaff, that burning off of our dross, gives us an enlarged capacity for God. He has many more things to tell us and He tells them to us as we are ready for them.
 
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stunnedbygrace

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Satan was sifting Job. God permitted it for Jobs very own good.
 

Willie T

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And, the adverse: Many, many Christians swear suffering is a sign of righteous, wearing it like a badge of Holy honor. One good example posts right here on this forum.
 

GodsGrace

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Job 13.15 is very striking: "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him".
Hi F,
Yes,,,this reminds me of

John 6:67-68 Some discples were abandoning Jesus because of difficult teaching.
67So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?”
68Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. "
 

GodsGrace

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And, the adverse: Many, many Christians swear suffering is a sign of righteous, wearing it like a badge of Holy honor. One good example posts right here on this forum.
Suffering is from satan.
It's a sign that he exists.
We don't know why God permits it...
but eventually we will find out.
For now....God is our strength.
 

GodsGrace

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We learn the obedience of trust through the things we suffer.
Amen to that.
Instead it can be the cause of one falling from their faith.
Jesus spoke to this.
Luke 8:13

I can also say that as we go thru some experience, we cannot see it properly.
Years after we may see that it helped us in some way.
And so we learn to trust God...even when we don't like what He allows to be sent to us.
 

stunnedbygrace

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Amen to that.
Instead it can be the cause of one falling from their faith.
Jesus spoke to this.
Luke 8:13

I can also say that as we go thru some experience, we cannot see it properly.
Years after we may see that it helped us in some way.
And so we learn to trust God...even when we don't like what He allows to be sent to us.

WORD!
 

marks

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We don't know why God permits it...
Suffering shows us realities we may not see otherwise.

Suffering for Christ's sake shows the "emotional convert" that theirs is not a true faith as they turn back.

Suffering shows the true believer that they are in fact true when they do not turn away from faith, but continue to obey.

Mankind suffers as a result of God having subjected the world to futility, for that suffering to show nothing meaningful in this world, only in God.

Much love!
 
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GodsGrace

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Suffering shows us realities we may not see otherwise.

Suffering for Christ's sake shows the "emotional convert" that theirs is not a true faith as they turn back.

Suffering shows the true believer that they are in fact true when they do not turn away from faith, but continue to obey.

Mankind suffers as a result of God having subjected the world to futility, for that suffering to show nothing meaningful in this world, only in God.

Much love!
I gave you a like because we each need to come to grips with suffering in our own way.

I do believe that we don't know why God has put us in satan's territory.
We'll have to wait to find out.
 

GodsGrace

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For our salvation.

Acts 17
What does Acts 17 say?

God couldn't put us on a nice new planet with no satan?
Or do we need the bad to see the good?
So do you beat up your dog every now and then so he could
appreciate when you don't?

There's no answer M.
 
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Nancy

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The test of our faith can be measured by how we react to suffering. Not an easy thing when in the midst of it, yet that is totally when we are to call upon His name. Even through the storms, we are to be grateful and joyful even. Oh it's a growth thing, for sure...IMHO.
 
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