HIS SERVANTS' MINISTRY

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What Does GOD Have to Say?
Suffering, Chapter 12

To undergo or endure something painfulor unpleasant, such as injury, grief, sorrow, distress. Suffering can also be great unhappiness, worry, troubles, anxiety, mental anguish.

Suffering can help us when we turn to God for comfort, strength, endurance and deliverance.
He sends others to aid us in our time of distress. It prepares us to comfort others in similar circumstances. It helps us be ‘teachable’.It makes us realize (just a little) of what Jesus went through for us. It makes us realize too, of all the suffering that goes on around us.

Suffering can hurt us when we turn against God, and become hardened. It can make us selfish and self-centered, making us withdraw from well-meaning folk who could help us. We can become so cold and refuse to believe that good may come out of our ‘disaster’. It can hurt us when we accuse God of not being a God of love, of being unfair and unjust, of picking on us, and leading others away from Him.

See Mat.5:10-12 in the Beatitudes.

2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
This verse has brought me through many trials, tribulations and major surgeries. I simply claim this Promise! His grace IS sufficient . . . in ANY situation! Trust Him! See this verse in our commentary. http://www.godcannotlie.org/2_cor_ch.12.html

Romans 5:3-4 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4  And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
We can rejoice when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us. They help us learn to hang in there. When we endure, it builds strength of character in us, and that increases our confident expectation of salvation. This is just one of the reasons that suffering is good for us, it produces patience and endurance.

Romans 8:28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
If you “love God”, the end result of suffering will be for your good, although at the time you may not think so. It makes us stronger, humble, more patient, compassionate; more like Jesus!

Psalm 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.
Before God disciplines you, you stray from Him; but afterward, you closely follow His Word.

God does NOT send SUFFERING our way, but He does allow it.

WHY does He allow it? Below are some of the reasons:
#1. Because of our own stupidity and our own sin (1 Pet.2:20).
#2. We suffer is for taking a stand for truth and righteousness (1 Pet.3:14). Many people take a stand for Jesus, and they have suffered for it.
#3. We suffer for sin in our lives. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged (1 Cor.11:31). IF we are God's children and refuse repent, God will deal with it. He will judge us.
#4. We suffer for our past sins. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Gal.6:7).
#5. God's children suffer for some purpose known only to God, maybe He is testing us like He did Job.
#6. Christians suffer for their faith, as we saw in Hebrews chapter 11.
#7. God's children suffer for discipline. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth (Heb.12:6).

Deut. 8:5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.
Just as a good parent disciplines a child, God disciplines you for your own good.
 
2 Samuel 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
God, is a Father to His children. When God’s child does wrong, God will punish him, just as a good earthly father punishes his son. There is NOT enough discipline in today’s homes.

Job 5:17-18 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: 18  For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
We should consider it a joy to be corrected by God! We should never despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin. He may allow the suffering, but His Hand also heals.

Psalm 89:32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
If you disregard His instructions and disobey, He will punish you for your sins. He I will make you suffer for your wrongs.

Psalm 94:12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;
How happy are those You chastise, those to whom You teach your law.

Proverbs 3:11-12 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: 12  For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
The LORD corrects those He loves, just as parents correct a child of whom they are proud.

1 Cor. 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
God’s TRUE children are judged and punished by the Lord, so that we shall not be condemned to Hell with the world. God’s chastising us is GOOD! Be glad when He corrects you!

Hebrews 12:5-11 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
IF you are God’s child by belief in His only begotten Son, Jesus (John 1:12-13; 3:16), God will chastise you every time you step out of line. This chastisement is a great privilege!
http://www.godcannotlie.org/privileges_book_h_s.htm 

Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
The suffering you sent was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your Principles. God (in love) will chastise His children for wandering away from Him and His Word.

1Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
Any time you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. We should not be afraid should not worry. There will be times that we will suffer for doing what is right (in God’s eyes).

Job 2:10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
Job was a wise man. He asks his wife, “Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" Faith in God and His Son, Jesus, will NOT protect you from troubles. What that faith WILL do is help you through your difficult times, because He will grant you grace to bear it (2 Co.12:9). Job, in all his terrible sufferings, scolded his wife in this verse. God does give us good times, yes, which we willingly accept. But, He also allows suffering to come our way. When those times come, you will either be drawn closer to God, or driven further away from Him. How do you react to suffering?

Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
The righteous (God’s obedient children) face many troubles, but the Lord rescues them from each and every one, and He does it SO well!

Lamentations 3:32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
Although He allows grief to come our way, He shows compassion because of the greatness of His dependable and unfailing love.

John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
See our commentary on John. http://www.godcannotlie.org/john_commentary_ch15.html

Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
See our commentary on Revelation. http://www.godcannotlie.org/rev_ch3.htm

Can we be happy in suffering? 1 Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; (also Mat.5:10-12)
Can we not be afraid of man? (1 Pet.3:14; Mat.10:28)
Can we not be troubled by trouble? (1 Pet.3:14)
Can we hold God sacred in your heart in times of trouble? 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Can we be ready to give an account of your life, conduct, and hope? (1 Pet.3:15)
Can we have a good conscience by good behavior? 1 Peter 3:16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

What Does GOD Have to Say?

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Living With Eternity In Mind

Judgment in the Great Tribulation

Judgment IS Coming

What Does GOD Have to Say?

The Wrath of God

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