Father in Jesus Name I come to You thankful, but eager. I
know I need You. I know I need to hear from You. Lord, use this moment as a
catalyst for spiritual growth and development. Holy Spirit I pray that I miss
nothing that I need to see. Remove distractions and reveal them to me, help me
to see the spiritual aspects of this moment. God I pray for enlightenment to my
suffering and may I see them as a blessing and not a curse. Holy Spirit fill me
and reveal me in this and show me how to deal with things in a godly way in
school, in my house, in my life. Lord, I look to You now, refresh me
spiritually and supernaturally in Jesus Name! AMEN!
When it comes to suffering, nobody wants that. Of course! However, have you noticed what God
does in it? Is God even in it? Most of the time when we experience bad times we
think God has taken a vacation and some lazy angel can’t see that we are in
trouble. However, God is in
it. But is God the cause of it? We don’t
really understand or know that. A
majority of my Christian life, my greatest trial has been singleness, I mean it’s
not even so bad, but it’s a burden to me, a struggle to me and a great source
of frustration. You see, when it comes
to struggles and trials, we don’t talk too much, but oh Lord, when we get new
car or promotion on the job we can’t stop talking about it, it’s on Facebook,
it’s on YouTube, it’s on Twitter and we took a picture of our new car on
instagram, but let’s be real, we need to see the other side of you.
I believe one reason it was tough during these four years is
because I didn’t understand anything about it.
I looked at God as the source of the trouble and not as the solution of the trouble. I saw God as the instigator, initiator and
the person who sits up there laughing at me, waiting on me to break and
fail. However, is that true and let’s be
honest don’t we all see that sometimes? I’ve realized many things about myself and
God, a few things about satan and well, I still wondered what in the world is
this stuff about? “I mean come on Lord, You are all that and a bag of chips,
man, and you can fix this thing, right? I mean look Lord, I just prayed for
five people and fasted two days, can’t you just hurry up and do this so I can
go-to sleep without worry and fretting?
What’s the deal!?” We feel this way when temporary trials come and we
don’t know how to vocalize or get rid of our toxic emotions.
I’ve realized that when suffering comes, satan tries to make
me blame God, get mad at God and honestly I believe his biggest trap is when I
feel the burning from the fire I begin to lose sight of the full counsel of
God. What I mean by the “full counsel of
God” is the full view of God, though I am so
limited in my view. I begin to see God
as mean and just there, not helping, instead of His true
nature and character as my Father, a person who loves me and died for me, as a
God who is personal and right where I am, a God who strives to help me, desires
to help me and a majority of times helps me even when I don’t realize I need
help or even want help. The truth is, I
see satans biggest trick isn’t the suffering, it’s trying to “x” God out of your life. Jesus said that the Word of God was like a
seed in Luke 8 and began to tell us that persecution and trials come and
sometimes we fall away. Let’s be real, if we accept Christ and a new car and
house just pop up within the week, we are all about God, my God we switch radio
stations, instead of rap it’s Gospel, but when it gets tough, we go back to rap
and forget Gospel. Isn’t that strange?
Maybe the struggles of our life have an Eternal purpose and
aspect to them; maybe they are designed for our good and Gods glory. Tonight I realized something that I don’t
know what in the world is going on. I felt the burning in me and was like “Lord,
why in the world do You let this happen.” I went to read the Bible and was
distraught about “it” I was like “Lord, why would You let this happen when I
wanted to read the Word and now I don’t because of this?” Immediately I put my
head down on the desk and just sat for a moment doing my best to calm my mind,
but God showed up. Somehow in the
process of looking through some scriptures on suffering, God the Holy Spirit
revealed something to me that I never knew, until tonight; suffering isn’t
caused by God, it’s caused by satan. I
mean hello Adam, you’re a Minister and you don’t know that? Are you lost, crazy
or just unsaved? You see these past years I have been focused on God being the
source of this, God was just there, God was doing it, God was making it worse,
God was causing all this to happen and instead of getting more holy, more
humble or stronger in faith I got mad at God.
Trust me, there have been times where I have been ashamed to know God, I’ve
cussed at Him, gotten super upset and done a whole lot of stuff that I wouldn’t
ever want to do again, because you see my view was wrong. I saw only God, but during the day I look for
satans traps and snares, but when it came to suffering all I saw was God. I believe someone said “the greatest trick
satan ever did was convince the world he didn’t exist.” I think he tricked me a
whole lot by getting himself out of the picture and making God the only
person. You see, if it’s just me and
God, I’m IMMEDIATELY going to blame God, I mean come on dude, I’m perfect, I’m
Adam, I make no mistakes right? No, I obviously do, that’s seen tonight in God
showing me something new and fresh, a revelation from Him personally. However, looking at my life I now see that
satan is the cause of all of this, but God is using this to make me more like
Jesus Christ. God isn’t up there
cheering Himself on saying “I am good,” “ha, ha, Adam, you feel that burning
son, that’s My perfect will for your life.”
God isn’t doing that. God at first wanted no problems in life, in the
Garden of Eden God was perfectly fine with no suffering, but satan (the person
who was hiding) came to Eve and tempted her to eat the fruit that God said not
to eat from and then sin entered into the world. With sin entering into the world, God foresaw
all the problems and now that we are experiencing and the problems that He
tried to stop by saying “Adam, don’t eat of this tree.” We experience what
satan has started through the fall with Adam and Eve. God never intended suffering, but God is at
work in it. I believed it was all God
and me, no devil. Satan hid himself from me in the suffering, all I saw
concerning satan was him sending me people and tempting me with sin, but I didn’t
see him as a source and instigator of the suffering.
Biblically, I can look in the lives of EVERY person who experienced
sin and suffering and see satan is the person who started it, not God. Look at the life of Job, who came to God and
said send suffering his way? Satan did, not God! God allowed it because being a
Father, being a lover of our soul, being our helper He foresaw Job becoming
more holy, more mature, more loving and more spiritual in the process of his
problems. You see, that’s what God is
doing in your problems. Some people may see me as absolutely perfect “oh, he’s
a Minister, ohh, he’s so special, he’s so spiritual, he’s a prayer warrior” and
all of this stuff, but you and I are in the same boat, I love you and the truth
of the matter is, I suffer with stuff too, because I am just like YOU! I am no
different than you, you are special to God and I am too, there is no
difference. I know it’s tough
being you and being where you are in life, but please don’t think it’s just God
being mean to you, you see that’s a trick of satan, he wants to hide himself so
you can just get upset and angry at God.
A proper perspective on things can do us so much good. The other
night I was drinking a Gatorade and man it was soooo great, but I looked down
and I saw an expiration date that was 13 days or so past and immediately I went
from loving it to thinking man this sucks, I’m throwing this away. What happened? My perspective on it changed
based on the information provided to me on the bottle, except the information
was already there, I just didn’t see it.
Tonight I see a new perspective on suffering, but it was already there
(in the Bible) I just didn’t see it. I see the value of God in reading the
Bible. Without Him I am nothing. Thankful for the trials that make me like Him
so I can help others.
Father in Jesus Name thank You for my life that is in Your
hands. You are holding me up, not myself, not my mom, not my job, not my
career, not my education, it’s You. I pray that the Holy Spirit will grace me
with a new perspective on life, supernaturally.
Lord, I pray that the power of the Holy Spirit will shift me into a new
level of discernment in my walk with Jesus Christ. Help me Lord to overcome
these areas of my flesh that are literally out of control, my anger, my
outbursts and my self righteousness. Lord, teach me Your ways and help me to
see You as You reveal Yourself to me daily. Speak to my heart and direct my
life, guide my footsteps and keep me safe. Lord, speak to me personally. Do
something in my life that way people will see me and know You are real. Lord,
do something special to me and through me. Lord, let my light shine and let my
life speak the words that I can’t speak to people, far and near. Holy Spirit of
God, fill me and use me all the way, even beyond my life and into the future
generations. Lord, I reach to You because You are my strength; please become
that for me now in Jesus Name! AMEN!
_____________________________________________________________
Have you accepted Jesus Christ as
your personal Lord and Savior?
If not, here’s what you are missing.
You are missing satisfaction in life. You are missing the blessings of
God in and through your life. You are missing the blessing of being able to
know God intimately and know Him for the pardoning of your sins. You are missing the blessing of being able to
serve God and impact your community and the world around you. You are missing the beauty of God revealing
Himself to you and helping you in your daily life. You are missing out on such
great things. God wants the best for you
and His best starts with you admitting you have sinned against Him and that you
need a Savior for your sins, that Savior is Jesus Christ. Like me, will you rebel against God’s plan
and will for your life? Will you submit to Gods will so He can save you and
redirect your life? God can get you off
any drugs, any habit or addiction, nothing can stop God and God will stop at
nothing to stop it from stopping you from reaching your full potential for
Christ. God loves you so much, why wait
and why reject His message. If you want
to be saved for-real, just pray this prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I have sinned, I am a sinner, I have sinned and will sin, but I
have sinned only against You. Lord, I am in need of Your forgiveness. I believe
You died for my sins and You rose from the dead. I believe You are God and that
You have the capability to forgive me of my sins and cleanse me from my
unrighteousness. Lord, please save me and draw me to You by Your grace. Fill me
with Your Spirit. Baptize me in Your power and help me to live a lifestyle that
is pleasing in Your sight. Give me victory over temptation, Lord, strengthen me
to be all who You want me to be please in Jesus Name! AMEN!”
"God loved the world this way:
He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will
have eternal life." ~ John 3:16 (God’s Word Translation)
"That
if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart
that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a
person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting
in salvation. For
the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be [disappointed.” For
there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord
of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the
name of the Lord will be saved.” ~ Romans 10:9-13 (NASB)
These links may help you in your walk with Jesus Christ. I urge you to take a look at some and
remember to draw closer to God through studying His Word and praying daily for
yourself and most importantly, others.
God Bless!
[List of Bible Promises!
http://www.intouch.org/resources/gods-promises?page480=2 ]
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
~ Romans 10:17 (King James Version)
http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/PrayerAndCounseling/index.aspx [Prayer
Request; Have someone online pray for you!]
"The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces
wonderful results." ~ James 5:16 (New Living Translation)
http://www.OurPrayer.org [Prayer Request; People from all over the world can
pray for YOU, simple, fast, free and beneficial.]
http://www.Bible.cc [Great site for searching through the Bible and
comparing each version, also charts, commentaries and dictionaries]
"Don’t get drunk on wine, which leads to wild living. Instead, be
filled with the Spirit." ~ Ephesians 5:18 (Gods Word Translation)
http://www.biblegateway.com [Great site for Bibles of various kinds and
various languages]
"A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the
bones." ~ Proverbs 14:30 (New International Version)
http://www.Christianword.org [Great site for prayers; affirmations,
scripture references etc.]
http://www.e-sword.net [Great site to download Bible software; commentaries,
dictionaries, maps, charts, various Bibles]
"A patient person [shows] great understanding, but a quick-tempered one
promotes foolishness." ~ Proverbs 14:29 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
http://www.twft.org [Pastor Chuck Smith's Through The Bible audio sermons]
http://www.c28.com [Christian Clothing, etc.]
http://www.intouch.org/itrn?utm_source=ITM&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=Home_top_slider
[In Touch Ministries 24/7 Radio Broadcast Online; Free Streaming]
http://www.intouch.org/resources/gods-promises?page480=2 [List of Bible
Promises! (Easy to Print)]
"In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And his children
will have refuge." ~ Proverbs 14:26 (New American Standard Bible)
http://www.wmpress.org [FREE Christian Tracts] [Shipped to your doorstep for
free.] [Pass out, leave somewhere (school, bus stop, grocery store, mall,
shopping center, etc.), send in a Birthday, Holiday or Christmas Card; Simple
ways to plant seeds of faith in people, even without speaking.]
[ORDER FORM for WMPRESS.ORG] http://www.wmpress.org/booklet_order.php [BOOKLETS/STUDY GUIDES/ GOSPEL TRACTS
AVAILABLE TO ORDER FROM WMPRESS.ORG] http://www.wmpress.org/bksavail.shtml
http://www.intouch.org/about/in-touch-messenger/messenger-downloads
[Download 35 POWERFUL sermons from Charles Stanley in less than five minutes,
compressed ZIP FILE.] [3 Languages; Pray for the Ministry of donating, giving
and supplying these handheld devices to spread the Gospel to the remote areas
of the world and throughout the 'known' world.] [Pray!]
"For, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved." ~ Romans 10:13 (American Standard Version)
http://www.thruthebible.org/site/c.irLMKXPGLsF/b.4104233/k.BFE1/MP3_Download_of_5Year_Series.htm
[Dr. J Vernon McGee's Through The Bible 5 Year Series; Free downloads]
[THREE Great Biblical Prayers Ephesians 3:14-21, Ephesians 1:16-20 &
Colossians 1:9-14, pray them for you and others!]
http://www.biblegateway.christianbook.com [Buy Christian Bibles, great
selection of Study Bibles, commentaries, audio sermons, books, clothing, music,
gifts, art; etc.]
http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/today-on-radio [Charles Stanley's daily
radio broadcast; also clicking 'Audio Archives' can allow you to search years
back and download more of his radio broadcasts]
"I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and
peace while you trust in him. Then your hope will overflow by the power of the
Holy Spirit." ~ Romans 15:13 (New Century Version)
http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/this-week-on-tv [Charles Stanleys 'This
Week on TV' site; clicking 'Video Archives' can allow you to search back and
find older Television shows; He also has sermon notes available on each
show/segment]
"And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured
into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." ~
Romans 5:5 (English Standard Version)
http://www.twft.com/?page=C2000 [Pastor Chuck Smiths c2000 Through The Bible
series; free downloads of book by book, verse by verse Bible study/commentary]
"May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your
knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord." ~ 2 Peter 1:2 (New Living
Translation)
http://twft.com/?page=Radio.Main [Pastor Chuck Smiths Radio Broadcast; 25
minutes of study on the Word of God. c3000 edition]
[Study Bibles I suggest looking at; at CBD.com] 'Life in The Spirit Study
Bible' 'Zondervan Study Bible' Nelson KJV Study Bible' and 'ESV Study Bible.'
Christian Books; "Disciplines of The Holy Spirit" by Tan/Gregg;
"How to Listen to God" by Charles Stanley; "Living Waters"
by Pastor Chuck Smith; "Handbook for Christian Living" by Charles
Stanley;
"That I may KNOW Him" ~ Philippians 3:10
Start your day off with a Word from God; Prayer and a Song of Praise/Worship
THE ROYAL PRAYER LINE
Every Wednesday Morning
6:15 a.m. - 6:30 a.m.[EASTERN USA TIME]
Dial-in# (712) 432-1001
Access Code: 491276491#
Just Listen and Be Blessed!!!
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/royal-baptist-sunday-services [PAST SERVICES
OF ROYAL MISSIONARY BAPTIST; SUNDAY SERVICES 8 AND 11 AM; Special Events and
Bible Study as well] Enjoy!
http://royalmbc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=109
[My Churches Live Streaming; Sunday's at 8 AM & 11 AM. Wednesday Worship every Wednesday at 6:45 PM, Thursdays for Bible
Study 7 PM; Enjoy, there IS a Word from The LORD!]
