The in-escapable reality of suffering

In this blog I am going to share with you on something very few people talk about. Along with Biblical truth, I am going to share some personal experiences. Perhaps some of this will be useful to you in the days to come.When Jesus was finishing the Sermon on the mount he ended with some very strong words. At the end of his discourse he talked about the foolish man and the wise man. The foolish man was the person who heard his word and never did what Jesus said. The wise man was the man who heard the word and did it. The people in the story had several things in common, they both heard Jesus' word and a storm came to both of their houses. The house that endured the storm was built on the foundation or the cornerstone of God's word. True biblical faith causes one to obey the word of God. Friends we need to build our house on the man who can sleep in storms. Here is the sobering reality, for those of you who want a prophetic word here it goes. "There is a storm coming to every mans house!" That is a word straight from God to you. That is not an ear tickling word like you will hear at most prophetic conferences, but it is right from the mouth of the Lord.

Jesus said it another and more specific way John 16:33 KJV "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." Here Jesus is not promising anything but peace in tribulation to his most devoted followers. The powerful part of it all is that because Jesus overcame the world we can have peace in it in the midst of tribulation. Paul the Apostle said it like this "all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." This is not a very popular message now a days, but this is a very common theme all through the New Testament. It also is very present when Israel was being ruled by evil Kings. Corruption always gives birth to persecution. Jesus made it simple in John before he died. The truth he revealed was that people will miss treat the disciples because either they don't know the Father or Him. All of of life gets reduced down to the one thing that really matters "do we know the Father who sent Jesus? Do we really now Jesus? Do we trust him? Will we follow him?" If the answer is yes to any of those questions we will suffer for Jesus' name and for righteousness sake.

Sometimes we can do the right thing and get the wrong results. Joseph is my example or a good illustration of this truth. He didn't sleep with Potifer's wife and he got thrown in prison for being innocent? At that moment he could trust God or put him on the stand? Trust is much wiser, we should never put the judge on the stand, that's not a very good idea. However in those moments the Father is forming Jesus in us and preparing us to steward what he desires to entrust us with. In the Kingdom only mature Sons are entrusted. Affliction and hardship is one of the things that causes us to mature in the Spirit and put no confidence in the flesh. 2 Corinthians 4:17 KJV "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;" Here something painful and temporal is producing something eternal and glorious. This eternal weight of glory is Christ in us who is the hope of glory. He is not only the hope of glory but he is the very glory and brightness that radiates from the Father. Christ is formed in us and we mature in him often through suffering and affliction. I am not asking to suffer, and I am not even saying I like to suffer. What the Bible teaches is  that as we live godly we will suffer much resistance, which leads to suffering and persecution even within the church. Look what David wrote about affliction. Psalm 34:19 KJV "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." This truth is something that needs to be taught and here is why. When you only preach half a gospel you will only make half a Christian. Many people are disillusioned with God or the church because they never heard the whole gospel. Many people bought into a false gospel and when trouble arises for the Word they often become discouraged and feel like something is wrong with them just because they are going through hardship. This is the fruit of a generation who did not preach the whole counsel of God. I am a for prosperity. I am not for the prosperity gospel because it produces wimps. The reason many Christians need counselors is because they don't read their Bible and do what it says. My advice is read your Bible, listen for the voice of God and obey him no matter what.

In my travels I have seen human suffering that is injustice personified. It weighs heavy on my heart even when I am not in the developing world. Suffering, sickness, poverty and injustice really affect my heart. America aborting 4,000 babies daily also bothers me if I stop to think about it. I feel more and more tender as I encounter suffering. Of you don't guard your heart suffering can make you angry and even causes people to questions Gods very existence. Often you will hear people say "if there is a God how can he allow this?" However in God's presence our hearts are tenderized. Also being around people who are suffering also can soften your heart if your heart is guarded. Recently in Uganda I was looking into the eyes of a man who was dying of aids and all I could do was weep as he grabbed my arm and neck with the little strength that he had. A grown man was about as helpless as a baby in the womb. It was like I was looking death in the eye. As I was weeping I was telling him that he was going to live in Jesus name. I am not exactly sure what happened to him. However I am sure that if Jesus walked into that hospital room he would have lived, and that is what we are pressing in for. One of the ways the fear of the Lord operates in our life is that we don't accuse God in the midst of human suffering. The fear of Lord calibrates our heart for the unexplainable and allows us to just trust God with the unknown. The fear of the Lord allows me to know and understand it's not ok to not be Christ like especially if he lives in us. Pressing into Jesus and his kingdom involves suffering whether we like it or not. Suffering is an invitation to advancement and acceleration in the Kingdom, for the "Kingdom suffers violence and the violent take it by force." Sometimes the only way forward is through suffering." Recently my wife and I experienced this. In life you can know something, but don't really know it until you experience it. Death is only a word until someone you love dies. Sarah and I lost our first child. The baby stopped growing in the womb. This was incredibly painful for both of us. She didn't have a miscarriage our child died. Inspite of this we fasted, prayed, cried, believed mourned and then kept moving forward with Jesus. At the very same time we were giving birth to a small TV ministry that is being broadcasted in India, US, and the UK. I am not connecting the two I am simply sharing what we have went through so you understand that I am not talking from the place of theory but the place or experience. When we speak from theory there is little authority, when we speak from experience there is more authority because we have lived it. In the Kingdom leadership leads by doing then teaching, not teaching something they themselves haven't done.