“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

Paul’s Sufferings and Warning to Us

“For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. 11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; 12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. 14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.” 1 Corinthians 4:9-14

Paul warned the body of Christ that as he suffered, so we would suffer for Christ.

Like Paul, on this earth, in this life, we shall not awake to the absence of temptation or evil lurking in our own hearts or this world. No, evil shall not be vanquished until Jesus returns to put down all evil and secure us unto Himself. For now, may God bless each of us, His children, to be dead and buried with Christ as He raises us upward in His divine grace unto complete victory (1 Corinthians 15:57; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12, etc.). Reading Revelation 21-22 today is glorious. The final 2 chapters in our LORD’s Word. Heaven’s KING is coming!

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

His Enemies Put Under His Feet

“Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up t he kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” 1 Corinthians 15:24-28

Learning to Count it All Joy!

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing… 12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” James 1:2-4, 12

Even though men shall forsake you, God is going to be with you, “even unto the end of the world  (Matthew 28:18-20).

“At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. 17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” 2 Timothy 4:16-18

Worshipping God in and through our times of testing, the trials, temptations and struggles provides the Christlikeness, the maturity our regenerated inner man desperately desires (Romans 8:28-29; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 5:10). God’s goal is much greater than just snapping His holy finger and delivering you out of the temporary trial. He’s after much more. He has to break down and strip us before He can re-furnish us, making us “a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (Jeremiah 1:10; 2 Timothy 2:21). Remember Paul’s thorn? Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel. unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:21

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12 that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”  Hebrews 6:10-12

Is the LORD doing a deeper work in you, preparing you for greater fruitfulness?

“Did a bit of a study on testing yesterday, …take note Genesis 22:1 … ‘God tested Abraham,’ even Jesus after His baptism was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil ….even Jesus was tested …how can we expect anything less, we will be tested, …will we be found faithful, one who perseveres, one who endures till the end of our life here on earth?” Sharon

“I’ve learned that ‘the LORD may get me out of this’ trial, but I will have missed the joy and reward of going through whatever ‘this’ is with Him – and what He intended to accomplish in me. Closer intimacy often comes through great conflict in which the foundations of hope, trust, and faith are built. I love you, Jesus!” Jon Crane

“While you’re praying: ‘Get me OUT of this, Lord!’ don’t forget to add: ‘Be with me IN this, Lord!’ Wait ON and WITH the Lord.” Michael Beck

God’s plan for your life….here it is:

“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.” Galatians 2:20

Declare this and/or perhaps Colossians 3:3 each morning. Declare it as you sentence yourself to death that the Savior might reign!

“But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:” 2 Corinthians 1:9

Have you fallen, stumbled? JUST get up saint….

Cry out to the LORD. Psalm 51; Philippians 3:13-14.

“For a just man FALLETH (death, burial) seven times, and RISETH up again (resurrection): but the wicked (unrepentant) shall fall into mischief.” Proverbs 24:16

The dishonest, the unrepentant will go downward, stay downward, and perish down in the bowels of eternal damnation.

This is a war. We’ve lost some battles and yet, as we learn to live a life of true and humble repentance, as did beloved David, we shall be preserved unto everlasting glory with the soon coming KING! (Psalm 32; 51; Matthew 24:13; Hebrews 3:6, 12-14; 10:26-39; Revelation 2-3, etc.

God is going to greatly use those who truly know Him, who are known of Him, who have been submitting to His process (1 Peter 1:7; 5:10, etc.), His chastening, purging, instruction….. who’ve been trusting Him through the fires….

“And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. 33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. 34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. 35 And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.”  Daniel 11:32-35

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2-4 

WHEN we witness the bless-ed, needed change the LORD does in us as we trust and seek Him in seasons of testing, we begin to “count it all joy” to “fall into divers (various) temptations (trials)“ (James 1:2-4).

Liza Young writes:

“When we say yes to GOD as HIS Spirit reveals HIS will to us through HIS Word, the bitter circumstances of our lives become sweet. We must not grumble against what the LORD permits, instead, we must do all that HE asks us to do.”

Saints, in Psalms we see the psalmist in many dire scenarios, forced and blessed to cry out to the LORD in desperation of spirit. We need, we must have trials. We shall never truly understand and more deeply know God until we are forced to cry out in utter desperation to Him. Recently, I saw a man interviewed who’d been lost in the wilderness for five days. Put yourself in his place. Five whole days, lost. He said he prayed. Now, do we think his prayers were lame, lukewarm? Was he yawning? No, we know he was crying out from the depths of his being to the LORD. What a gift! What a blessed place to be made “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3). Are you desperate for Jesus today?

Maureen Lundie writes:

“At the end of my time on earth I want to look back and say that I’ve trusted Jesus during every stage of my life. There were many wasted years that I did not serve God, but the years that I have left, I only want to spend it serving God.”

“Beware of False Prophets”

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Matthew 7:15

When you are rooted and grounded in Christ via His own Word, you aren’t looking for any other word from any mere man or woman. Pour over, study Colossians.

EVER hear one of the many false prophets among us declare that “This is your time!” or “This is your year!”. etc.? False prophet. No sinful man decides that it’s their own year or anyone else’s. Typical bait used by wolves. Anyone who can read hear this bait line and not shut it off, discern it as false, needs their eyes opened. THIS IS GOD’S YEAR, NOT YOURS! And EVERY year is God’s year, not yours selfish one! Read Hosea 10:12. – “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets (false leaders) that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth (written Word) of the LORD.” Jeremiah 23:16

“I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;” Jeremiah 23:25-26 

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