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On Bad Times
And everyone will hate you because you are mine and are called by my name. But not a hair of you head will perish! For if you stand firm, you will win your souls (Luke 21:17-19).
Jesus talks about:
Watch you aren’t deceived.
Many will come in my name.
Wars.
Luke 21:12-19 “12 But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 This will result in your witness to them. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 All men will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By standing firm you will gain life.
So He is saying that we, as Christians, will be persecuted and attacked for what we believe. But we are to show love and witness even in the hard times. Because we know Jesus and follow Him… we have targets.
Let me tell you a story…. It’s about the first martyr named Stephen.
Stephen preached of his Jesus.
He spoke of how they had acted.
His face was glowing like that of an angel.
He looked upward and proclaimed his love for God.
The mob stormed him and drug him outside.
Still preached.
Man there named Saul on a quest.
Saul looked up.
Men grabbed stones.
Saul held coats.
Rock beat Stephen.
He prayed and continued to pray.
“And God”, He made eye contact with Saul, “Do not hold this sin against them.”
Everyone left and Saul was left there.
Shortly after, Saul saw Jesus and became Paul.
Stephen lived Luke 21:17-19 almost 30 years before it was written.
Q: What are some experiences in which you have been persecuted for what you believe?
But there is also a myth out there….
Myth 1 – God CAUSES bad things and suffering to happen.
And that’s not true… He didn’t cause the stoning…
TRUTH 1 – God ALLOWS bad things and suffering to happen.
He allowed it…. That event shook Saul to his core…. Although he did not become a Christian because of it, it planted a seed in him.
A FEW THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU ASK YOURSELF THE QUESTION:
WHY DOES GOD ALLOW SUFFERING?
1. We make our own CHOICES.
I choose, I make so many choices, to magnify Jesus in hard places, it hurts me every day. I would not choose this if it weren't true!! If I couldn’t expect a resurrection from Jesus….I wouldn’t go this way.-John Piper
2. Suffering shapes our CHARACTER.
When have you gone through a hard time where you struggled…but obviously made it through… and haven’t become a better person because of it? You learn things… you realize things… you go into a different mode of living. It builds you.
3. God MAKES USE of suffering in His plan for our lives.
Mark Drischol says “It is horrible, but God is good. And I tend to air on giving him the opportunity to use what was intended for evil, and use it for good….”
4. God does not expect us to ENJOY suffering.
Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted (Hebrews 2:18 NLT).
We don’t have a God who stood back and watched, He joined us.
Myth 2 - No GOOD can come from facing trials and suffering.
Truth 2 – God BRINGS GOOD in every trial and suffering we face.
Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow (James 1:2-3 NLT).
Moses floatin down the river.
His mother put him in a basket.
It was going to be so much safer to put her son in a basket and send him down the river that she did it! Stress? Struggle? Hard times? yes!!!
WHO PUTS THEIR SON IN A BASKET ON THE RIVER THINKING IT WILL BE SAFER?!?!?!
God took the situation and protected Moses and he grew up to save thousands.
Many major influential people have had days/life’s/periods of times where they thought nothing good could come out of it. God takes our bad days, our suffering, our troubles and works them for good.
2 Corinthians 11:23-28
23-27I've worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death's door time after time. I've been flogged five times with the Jews' thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I've been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I've had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I've been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I've known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather.
28-29And that's not the half of it, when you throw in the daily pressures and anxieties of all the churches. When someone gets to the end of his rope, I feel the desperation in my bones. When someone is duped into sin, an angry fire burns in my gut
Paul…. The same guy who was there when Stephen was martyred. I mean he should have died numerous times….God took his situation and formed him and he is known as one of the most influential men in the Bible.
WHAT GOOD CAN COME FROM OUR SUFFERING?
1. It is an opportunity to GROW.
2. Tough times teach us about PATIENCE and WAITING on God’s timing.
3. We are able to see the HOPE and JOY beyond our suffering.
Thought for the week:
Remember GOD is on your SIDE!
He walks with you and carries you through the hard times. He has got your back and won’t ever leave.
Footprints in the Sand- Poem
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?”
The Lord replied,
“The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you.”
Don’t let the enemy win by giving up when things are hard. God is there.
So the talk went well and I had fun. I really hope kids are gettin stuff out of it. Be prayin for them. Thanks.
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2 comments:
Sounds like a good talk Tyler. G-d does allow suffering that is worse than anything we could ever imagine. The price of free will it would seem.
i kind of stumbled onto your blog, and this post really hit me. so thanks. i've been struggling with some faith issues and this really spoke to me. keep up the encouraging words. :)
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