WISDOM OUTSIDE THE BOX
Acts 14: 22 says “strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
A lot of Christians are failing and falling into apostasy because many do not want to entertain even the word ‘suffering’. To be honest, even if you Tithe, sow seed, decree and declare, fast and pray, the Lord will still allow you to go through suffering. Suffering and hardship prepare you for your number one focus – “Heaven No Matter What!”
Suffering brings greater glory and challenges us to renew our minds! Then we have the choice to either Curse or Praise God – which was the choice given to Job.
Let it be clear – God can’t get the glory from our lives unless we go through suffering. Jesus, the Son of God, Himself had to walk the road of suffering throughout His life on earth; and His life culminated with the ultimate experience of suffering – His Crucifixion. Every great man and woman walked a road of suffering of some kind. Check Joseph, Ruth, Esther, Moses! Moses walked away from the palace (Hebrews 11: 25 – 26) because of the injustices he saw the people suffering and he chose to suffer than to live comfortably in the palace while the people endured the suffering.
II Corinthians 4: 8 – 9 Paul outlined the different levels of suffering one would go through, so that a greater glory of God would manifest! He also said that while the outward man is perishing, the inward man is being renewed day by day. In summarizing Paul said, our temporal suffering would bring ‘a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
Because Christians don’t want to suffer they are now even creating teachers to give them messages to feed the flesh which is now causing many to fall into apostasy – walking from church to church believing that the church or the leaders are the problem.
Suffering also brings perseverance which brings character and hope. (Romans 5: 3 – 5) And today, many people need both character and hope.
Stop focusing on money, houses, cars, fame and fortune; and begin to focus on the kingdom – which is more spiritual than material. The material things are already a part of the promise for obedience. (Deuteronomy 28: 1 – 14)
There are many billionaires in hell right now because they exchanged their souls for the things of the world. (Read about Dives)