Suffering

    For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me (the apostle Paul) and now hear is in me. Philippians 1:29,30

    There are many types of suffering that people endure in life and it is inevitable that we will all suffer in some form or fashion such as grief, pain, sickness, sin, persecution or relationships. But the question always arises, why?

    In our men's group we talked about this subject, and everyone agreed that they had indeed suffered, and commented how they were able to endure it. Suffering comes todestroy our fleshly man so that the spiritual man can be free to follow the will of God for his life.

    As the Potter made a beautiful earthen vessel, He admired it and then smashed it and so it is with us, God desires us to be as He is, perfect, complete and useful for His purposes!

    For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. II Corinthians 4:11

NOT MY WILL BUT YOURS

    For Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit. I Peter 3:18

    As Jesus Christ was and is, we are also being put to death in the flesh so we can be alive in the Spirit! In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus was presented His fate to suffer for all of mankind by dying on the cross and being tortured by the Romans. His flesh didn't want to suffer but in agony He confessed to His Father, not My will but Yours.

    It is the expressed will of God that we suffer for His sake, suffering produces death to our flesh allowing the spiritual man to grow and mature. Suffering also produces endurance and endurance, patience to continue to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh. It seems to be enough that we have to endure Satan's attacks, but our flesh can be an even greater enemy!

    Jesus was so distraught in the garden that He sweat blood being tempted to give up His Divine mission to save mankind, but He withstood and received God's will for His death, burial and resurrection that would deliver man from the eternal damnation we deserved!

    I say then walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things you wish. Galatians 5:16,17

COUNT IT ALL JOY

    My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4

    It is a fact that God tests and tries everyone He creates and also disciplines us for our good when necessary. If He didn't, He wouldn't be a good Father being concerned for the spiritual development of His children.

    To count one's trial joy comes from the experience of going through one. I have endured many in my forty-three-year journey with Jesus and can tell you that being joyful about them is hard, that is until it is completed, then joy comes as a reward for our suffering. God knows what is best for us and said that He would not put more on us than what we could endure!

    If you are experiencing a trial and you are suffering, call out to the One who loves you and knows your needs. He cares for us and is with us through our times of trial and testing even though at times we don't feel His presence! PRAISE GOD FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER!

    Therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are not seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. II Corinthians 4:16-18

Your servant in Christ, Timothy Laughlin
   Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ