Tag: suffering

Posted in Evangelism, Leadership, Life Inspiration, Purpose

If We Believe it, Why is there no action on it ?

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It was the topic of conversation at a family dinner yesterday that drew me to these verses. It was a morning of mourning that parked me here in search of answers. What am I mourning? The death of desire. Oh there’s plenty of desire for the things of the flesh. We can all likely identify with that, but what about our desire for Jesus? What about that?

Does Anyone Believe the Child of God?

Isaiah 53:1-12 KJVS
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

Why is it that the weight of the the words of a child of God carry so little weight with the world? It used to be that nobody but nobody made light of the word of God. They may not have believed it, but they didn’t mock it. And if they had, – – someone would have likely ran them out of town on a rail; and everyone else, saved or not, would have said Amen. But now the mockery of all things holy, is insane. And that is why the weight of a Christian’s words are as light as a feather.

Does Anyone Believe in the Hope of God?

[2] For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

Just as newly formed plant comes up out of the ground, tender and without the appearance of purpose, so is a newly converted child of God. That is why God calls them babe’s in Christ. He also calls those “babe’s in Christ” who haven’t bothered to grow up. He said in 1 Corinthians 3:1 – And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.”

If you have Christians who don’t walk in the faith of Jesus, don’t share with the world around them the struggles they’ve had in Christ, who would ever know that God was their source of strength? I’m not real good about sharing struggles because I don’t want people to worry about me. But that’s wrong. How will they ever know what God’s brought me through if they don’t see me in the struggle? I especially don’t like to share Spiritual struggles because I fear I’ll bring shame up on the name of Christ. Is that not a lie out of the pits of Hell? How many people do you suppose are struggling spiritually and would love to know that someone can identify with them? How can they have Hope in Christ during their spiritual struggles if they never see that battle fought and won?

Does Anyone Believe in the Sufferings of God?

[3] He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. [4] Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Everyone likes the images of Christ that show Him in His Victorious Resurrected state, but few people want to identify with the daily struggles He went through while He walked the earth. There is likely nothing that anyone of us have been through that He too did not face and to the far extreme of ours. Certainly the variances of the struggle differed, but what about

  • Rejection, yes and from His own people
  • Disbelief, yes from His own people
  • Physical Pain, Yes, from no fault of His own
  • A messed up Church, for certain both as He walked the earth and now
  • Friends that broke His heart, then and now
  • The death of people He loved
  • Crimes against Him to the extreme
  • You name your poison in life and God faced it too

But we forget that. It’s so easy to focus on our struggles and forget that the One who will give us the opportunity to live a life without struggle and in the perfection eternity. It’s coming. But for now, we struggle. Just like Him. Life’s not perfect. People are far, far, far from perfect. There is no perfect church. I have to keep telling myself that. If there was I’d mess it up.

Understanding this wisdom did not make it easier. Today I struggle with people I love. Today I didn’t go to church because 1. I don’t feel well. 2: I don’t feel well, because people have me upset. I’m pretty sure this is why scripture speaks of bowels of mercy, bowels of compassion, bowels of trouble. Evidently an upset tummy comes with the territory. If you are a disgruntled church member or ex-member who wants to rag on the church and people, that’s not where I’m at, nor do I want to hear it. I don’t believe in it. I made my issue known, and I’m doing my best to leave it in God’s hands, knowing that he’s fixed worse.

If you’re a child of God you likely answered yes to all those questions above. But my last question is….

If we Believe it, why is there not Action on it?

  • Why is there no burden for souls?
  • Why are there so few testimonies?
  • Why is there no praising God?
  • Why is there no joy in churches?
  • Why is there no conviction to serve?
  • Why is there no desire?

The world has captivated us with self concern. It’s what I think, what I believe , what I desire. If you disagree you are wrong and unworthy of our time. The biggest issue in the churches across America is mans opinions. It’s high time we better consider God’s opinion. We better be defending the Word of God, not the words of man.

I’ve not expressed my brokenness because I do not ever want to hurt peoples feelings. It goes against my nature. But between running the news, standing on the truth, printing the hard stories and getting yelled at, fighting religion till I’m puke sick, I just want to know what God alone wants. He alone matters. If the world could get ahold of that message! I’m not playing church.

Posted in Life Inspiration

That’s What Makes You Strong

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CHICK STRONG

James 1:1-4 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Not once have I ever said to a friend going through trouble, “Wow, your life is a mess and this is a reason to party! We should break out the pop and chips because today is a celebration day. You’re in trouble!” Not one time have I said it, it’s absurd is it not?

But James is telling his friends who are facing trials, tribulations and persecutions the likes of which we have never known to celebrate the day. He doesn’t stop there, he at least tells them why; because that’s what makes you strong. There’s a Claire Lynch song that I’ll post below that I love it because the words are powerful

If you love somebody, Then that means you need somebody
And if you need somebody, that’s what makes you weak
But if you know you’re weak, And you know you need someone
O it’s a funny thing, That’s what makes you strong

That’s what makes you strong, That’s what gives you power
That’s what lets the meek come sit beside the King
That’s what lets us smile, In our final hour
That’s what moves our souls, And that’s what makes us sing

That’s what makes us sing! Nobody likes trials, but man alive I love the other side of them. Because it’s there that we discover the provision, the power and the plan of God. It’s there that we’re made stronger through the exercising of our faith muscles. If we never had to depend on God, if we never needed Him, we’d never appreciate Him. The truth of the matter is, in this wicked world, we’re lion bate. Satan is just waiting to devour us. But God’s swoops in, in His supernatural ways and delivers us out of the mouth of the lion and stands us back on safe ground.

Trials prove the Power of God

Who but God could prove to Satan that trials only draw us closer to the Creator, not further away. Satan heaps trouble upon us in hopes of us being angry at our lot in life, but to those of us who know Christ it just causes us to cleave tighter to the Lord knowing that it is He alone that will bring us through.

Trials prove the Plan of God

It is often times through the trials that our course in life changes. Putting us on a path of greatness that we never imagined. Sounds almost like a Hallmark Card, but it’s truth. Often times we’d never even look in a direction for another way out if God hadn’t blocked off the way we were traveling.

Trials prove the Provision of God

The wanting of nothing. When you’ve made it through a real hardship, the illness or death of someone we love, our own health or financial struggles, whatever it is… once you’ve made it through you realize that God truly provides everything we need. And it’s not possible for any person to provide it. He alone is the Giver and Maker of life.

I hope you’ll listen to this Claire Lynch song… she’s a dandy!

Posted in Life Inspiration

Idiots are everywhere… Can I get an amen?

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on Idiots are everywhere… Can I get an amen?

I have several friends who suffer from chronic pain. There are days when my heart physically aches because of their days of fatigue and frustration, yesterday was one such day. I hadn’t heard from one of my friends for a few days and I began to be concerned… so I did what any self-respecting media junkie would do I ~ creeped on his Facebook status’ to see what had been going on. He had posted just a few minutes before and I was relieved that his energy level had at least allowed that. That statement is written in all seriousness because I know there are days he doesn’t feel like hitting the keys. It’s a rather odd friendship his and mine. It was fostered through another social media friendship; two men whom I’ve never met but are as close to me as any church member in my own congregation because the Holy Spirit knows no bounds. It is we who put the limitations on Him.

Today was a moderate pain day for me.  My mostly self-inflicted aches and pains have come upon me because of poor diet, lack of exercise and age… in my heart I know this to be true.  But I’m grateful for the pain. Because of it I know I’m alive and that mine is like a speck of dust on the earth compared to what many others suffer through. If you don’t believe me go on a few prayer sites. It won’t take you long to realize how blessed you are.

But for my chronic pain friends I wanted to give you a word of encouragement.

I don’t pretend that I understand your suffering. And when I hear some “idiot”, especially in the medical field, rail on a person with chronic pain as if they’ve made it their choice to be miserable, I want to show them what pain is and tell them to suck it up and get over it because it’s obviously all in their head. You can click to read more about it. I recently heard an associate say that a doctor had complained about having to treat all the “imaginary pain and illnesses.” And this is an educated person…

The word idiot originates from the Greek word idiotes, which refers to a person disinterested in participating in democracy and public life.  These people were viewed as selfish, contemptable and stupid as they were more concerned with their daily personal affairs than they were of the good of the society.  Later in the Middle Ages the word took on additional connotations associated with being stupid.

How appropriate for today’s blog. I’ll stop ranting about medical professionals and put us back on the spiritual track. We Christians are just as guilty of judgment when seeing that “constant complainer” coming down the street. I speak from experience. And I still have issues with the negative nellies who suck the life out of me. I’m often more concerned about where I’m going and what I’m doing to take the time to find out what’s behind their poor spirit.

Praise God He is not as fickle as us.

Psalm 28:6-9

He Hears “my” supplications.  It’s personal.

6 Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.

He has “my” back. It’s praiseworthy

7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

He increases “my” endurance. It’s powerful.

8 The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.

He’ll take me through…It’s a part of the plan!

9 Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.

If you’re the one in pain, I hope God’s word encourages your heart. If you’re not, I hope you’ll put aside your plans for the day and pick up the Lord’s.

Listen… Hallelujah God does!