Courage In Trials

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (NIV)

Many Christians have the mistaken idea that once they make a commitment to Jesus Christ, life will be smooth sailing from that day forward. This certainly not the case. While it is true that walking with Christ will help us avoid many of the problems we used to face, we are still going to experience what the bible calls “trials.”

Trials may come in the form of a crisis, a sudden illness, the loss of loved one, or some drastic change in your life. You may go through a difficult time when you don’t feel God’s presence, WHEN CHURCH MAY NOT EXCITING AS IT ONCE WAS FOR YOU, or your prayers seem to go no higher than the ceiling. This make cause you to wonder if you have angered God or if He has left you. But God allows these difficulties into our lives to help us grow spiritually – to learn to live by faith not by feelings.

1. Trials Sharpen Our Faith. Hardships develop our character and purify our faith.

1 Peter 1:3-7

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (NIV)

God has selected you for a choice work. But before he can use you, he must toughen the grain of your life. He does this by allowing you to go through difficulties so that your faith can be tested and purified. 

We need to remember…

a. Remember Who You Are. You are God’s child

1 Peter 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (NIV)

b. Remember What God has Promised You. God promise the priceless gift of eternal life.

1 Peter 1:4

And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, (NIV)

c. Remember Who Will See You Through. God will protect you until you reach your final destination.

1 Peter 1:5-6

Who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. (NIV)

d. Remember Why God Lets You Go Through Trials. God Wants to test the genuineness of your faith so that your life will result in praise and glory when Jesus returns.

1 Peter 1:7

These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (NIV)

2. Trials Help Us Comfort Others. Experiencing suffering deepens our compassion for others who suffer. 

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God(una-una lang yan, best foot forward sabi nga ng iba, our experience hopefully will be a great blessing and learning to others). For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. (NIV)

3. Trials are Survivable. We must keep our eternal perspective through the tough times. Its proven, our daily existence is a living proof that trials can be a thing in the past as long as we have the drive to wake, to rise and to continue. Parang laro lang yan, kapag nag GAMEOVER you still have the option to continue. So, ikaw yun… TRABAHO MO AT RESPONSIBLIDAD NATIN.

4. Trials Test Our Foundation. When we ground our lives in Christ, we can survive any storm.

Luke 6:47-49

I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."(NIV)

5. Jesus is With Us in Life’s Storm. We are never outside of God’s watchful eye and his abiding presence

a. Jesus is aware of your situation.

b. Jesus will answer your call for help.

c. You can make it through.

6. God Gives Hope to Our Troubled Hearts. We can have peace of mind in the middle of our greatest trials.

John 14:1-7

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."(NIV)

a. We can take God at his word.

b. Jesus is coming back to us (hope)

more verses:

Isaiah 64:8

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.(NIV)

James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.(NIV)

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.(NIV)

A higher calling

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.(NIV)

Malachi 3:3

He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,(NIV)

//danlopez11

Live Life With A Purpose

Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Philippians 2:3 NCV

When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves.

Philippians 2:1‭-‬4 MSG

If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care —then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Philippians 2:12-13 NLT

Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

// Though we need to look up for ourselves(self-confidence) we should not push our way up thru our sugar-coated talks. Instead help others get ahead, not for your self-advantage, always ready to lend a hand. Just like what Jesus did for us though He is God Himself, He offered His life for our benefits, He humbly done and demonstrate it on the cross.

// Be always ready, obedient at all times, readily to prove the salvation He gave to you, because God himself is willing and working to make you able to obey His will for His purpose.  As we live in a corrupt and sinful world, be the source of light, hope, a message of life that Jesus can only give... be the testimony of God's goodness.

// LIVE LIFE WITH A PURPOSE

// Our life is a cycle of blessings and battles, it is important that we know who to approach when trials comes. Thanking Him even during BLESSINGS and TRIALS in our lives.

// Noah before the flood, he followed God and yet he experienced a lot of trials and even people judgement, still he chooses to do God's will.

// As for Jesus right after He was recognized by God (during Jesus baptism),  right after the Holy Spirit came to Him, He was tempted by Satan. Same mostly of the believers after they had their encounter with the Holy Spirit, trials comes. But this is the assurance, God will never leave you, He will send someone to the rescue.

//danlopez11

Jesus LEADS

John 1:1-9

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.(NIV)

1. Light Destroys Darkness

Darkness is like a sin. Just like darkness makes us unable to see, sin causes us to be unable to understands the things in God’s kingdom and it hides the truth from us. When we are born again, we begin to realize just how blind we have been to the truth of God’s love and the wonderful things God wants to bring into our lives. Jesus died so that sin could no longer keep us in the dark. Because of Jesus we can see the truth!

2. Light is Life-giving

Jesus brings life. He brings new life to those who accept Him. Without Him everyone would be disconnected from God and would pay the ultimate price for sin – spiritual death. But because of Jesus, we have new, eternal life.

3. Light Brings Health

Jesus brings into our lives the ability to live strong, healthy Christian lives. He helps us remain spiritually healthy by being connected to God and living lives according to God’s plan for us. Before we are born again, we are weak and sickened by the effects of sin and death.

Jesus came as man so he could teach us about God’s kingdom. He died so we can be reconnected to God and don’t have to pay the penalty of sin.

Because Jesus is the light of the world, he helps us understand what God wants us to learn. Bit by bit as we live our life with Jesus and seek to please God, we will find ourselves becoming new, better and better. God wants only the best for us. He will keep changing us and perfecting us until as we are able to be the person we dreamed for. Because Jesus is light of the world, we are to be like him, we are supposed to be light for those around us; especially the ones who don’t know Jesus. We can be light to them by helping them to see more clearly all that Jesus is and all he has done for them.

@danlopez11
 

Shine Your Light

Matthew 5:16 NIV

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

// You are here to be light, bringing out the God's glory in the world... God is not a secret to be kept... A God's light bearer is always seen by others... God purposely put you in a place, situation to be seen, to shine.. be generous of God's light that is entrusted to you by opening up your lives to others, prompting people to give up  and  trust their lives to God...

// As the song goes... "shine your light, and let the whole world see..." for our God is mighty to save…

Psalms 1:1‭-‬3 NLT

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

// God promised fruitfulness, vitality and prosperity as long we dwell into His presence… though we may be tempted to do sins, as we see other prosper even they do what is wrong but their joy will not last… because the true lasting prosperity and fruitfulness is only can be found in having relationship with God. and we are assured that we are being watch by Him. 

God Disciplined Those Who are His

 

Hebrews 12:6 NCV

The Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as his child.”

// As our earthly parents disciplined us for our own good, same as our Father in heaven, God also want the best for us. most of the time discipline is not fun and and seems not favorable to us, later we will be able to see and grasps what is behind it. We are being trained how to handle every situation and make us mature in our relationship with the Lord..

Hebrews 12:11 HCSB

No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:14 HCSB

Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness — without it no one will see the Lord.

Hebrews 11:4 NLT

It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

Hebrews 13:7 NIV

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

God's Eyes On You

 

James 1:2‭-‬3 NIV

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

James 1:17 NIV

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 2:1 NABRE

My brothers, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.

// Trials, trials, trials... nanung atin? it('s) (maybe) (a) part of our lives and no one is exempted... it is just how you see and handle it... make it your motivation to do and give your best.. Gods promises are there, we just need to see it coming and claim it... God's blessing comes in different shapes and colors... need lang natin i-appreciate and recognized that it comes from HIM... 

Be Glad as James said, God shows no favoritism. He constantly looking after you (us). We need to learn (how) to wait of His timing.

Is Your Faith Can Be Trusted?

 

Proverbs 28:5 MSG

Justice makes no sense to the evilminded; those who seek God know it inside and out.

#BibleVerseOfTheDay 

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A faith that has not been tested, cannot be trusted.

-#AdrianRogers

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Need Help???

“Do you need help today? Lift up your hands to the Lord in supplication and in expectation, and soon you will lift up your hands in jubilation and celebration.”

—WARREN W. WIERSBE

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Psalm 3:5

Psalm 3:5

"I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me."

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Hopeful

Romans 15:13 ESV

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

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Trust God and Do Good

Psalms 37:3‭-‬4 NCV

Trust the Lord and do good. Live in the land and feed on truth. Enjoy serving the Lord , and he will give you what you want.

Psalms 37:3‭-‬4 TPT

Keep trusting in the Lord and do what is right in his eyes. Fix your heart on the promises of God and you will be secure, feasting on his faithfulness. Make God the utmost delight and pleasure of your life, and he will provide for you what you desire the most.

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Colossians 3:15‭-‬17 NIV

Colossians 3:15‭-‬17 NIV

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

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Love For God...

let your LOVE FOR GOD change the world, but never let the world change your LOVE FOR GOD

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV

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Prayer

#Prayer at its best employs four statements: thank you; I'm sorry; teach me; go with me.

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Danger! Danger! Danger!

The most dangerous of all false doctrines  are those seasoned with a little truth.

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