TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

This morning’s reading from the Lord.

Colossians 3:4 

When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

When we have been saved and then sanctified (trials and tribulations are part of this) and we have truly died to ourselves then Christ will appear as we become one in Him. And we will appear in His glory.

This is where we need to be now. It doesn’t have to be when we go to heaven. It is for now.

Let me shine in your glory.

 

It has been a few weeks since I have written one of these messages which is the longest time for me. It has been a time of tremendous pressures and trial.

When I asked the Lord about this time and what was going on his words were that “this is a perfect storm” which you find yourself in. “It is a time that enables you to search deep in yourself to find what you really stand on.”

It brought back to me a word a couple of years He gave me where He said “will you stand in the times ahead?”

Now He knows the answer to this question but at the time it shocked me because I couldn’t imagine anything but standing in Him.

But as you really find yourself deep in the trials at new levels, you are really tested as to your standing.  It is in these places He has said to me that He can see that you can stand.  He knows what we will do but do you know what you can stand in?

He won’t move us forward into bigger territory until He knows we can stand. He is a loving God and He won’t put us in harms way.

Some of the words He said to me this week through a friend were strengthening to me at this time.  He said “there is a large cost with what I ask my children to bear when they are about my business. But with this comes great reward.”  He went onto say that this reward doesn’t necessarily get experienced here on earth and we also know that Paul has told us we push to the reward.

He also said to us this week that it is a free will choice as to whether you step into the challenge and the cost.  He said if someone doesn’t step in then grace needs to apply to that person His grace and our grace.  The question was asked of the Lord if a person didn’t step into the calling and challenge so as to avoid the cost did it effect their reward?  The answer from Him was a very simple “yes”.

So I approach the cost of what I find myself in with a very new attitude having this knowledge.

 

This week the Lord in my bible time took me to different places with two areas really speaking to me in the word about what I was getting out of this time in my walk.

Put the Lord first

Genesis 29:31

When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

32 So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “The LORD has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.”

33 Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.

34 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.

35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

 

It wasn’t until the fourth son that Leah said “Now I will praise the Lord.” Up until then she had been looking for Jacob to love her as to a reason for bearing sons.

Then she finally got to a place where it was about her relationship with the Lord first. She praised Him in the tough times.

I believe something changed for her at this point. It was the point where sons could be born to other wombs because Leah could accept it. Leah had a relationship with the Lord first. The Lord loved Leah and had to bring her to this point.

God has used this period in my life through trials and tribulations to really ask me have I put the Lord first. Why has He asked me this at a really deep level? Because as I move forward and the promises happen and things speed up will I remember that He is first?  The answer for me is yes and I pray the Lord holds me in that position.

 

A position of peace

Philippians 4:12

I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

We know these verses we speak them out and we want to live by them.  But it is only in the depths of trials and tribulations that we truly understand whether we can stand in the abounding and the abased position.  It is not something that we say but something that is just in our being.  We are one with Him and we stand in these times.

So what are some of the reasons for Trial and Tribulations?

 

GODS CORRECTION – Ouch

Hebrews 12:6-7

My son do not despise the chastening of The Lord Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom The Lord loves He chastens And scourges every son whom he receives.

If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons, for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?

He will bring us back into line as he wishes to see us walk in all we are meant to.

 

HE WANTS US TO WALK IN A NEW POSITION OF KINGDOM

29 Revelation 7:13-17

13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”

14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.

16 “They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat;

17 “for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

We came through great tribulation and are in the white robes. We are serving the Lord now.

There is no “the” in the New King James. It is great tribulation (part of sanctification).

These verses are in the middle of the end tribulations and these people are already there walking in white robes. We are walking there now. We are in the throne room in power and glory.
At the time I got the words around these verses my wife sent me Amos 5 woe unto you who desire the day of the Lord.

People who are sitting there waiting to go home. They will be gnashing teeth.  Why?  Because their reward won’t be the reward Paul told us to push towards.  They will be saved that is not in question.  What is in question is the reward.

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling Philippians 2:12

Trials and Tribulation bring us to a point where we can walk in the white robes in kingdom power as Jesus did “on earth as in heaven”.

Acts 14:22 

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.”

 

HE WANTS US TO SHINE LIKE HIM IN ALL HIS POWER AND HE USES THE FIRE

Job 23: 10-12

But he knows the way I take;

When he has created me, I shall come forth as Gold.

My foot has held fast to His steps;

I have kept his way and not turned aside.

I have not departed from the commandment of His lips;

I have treasured the words of his mouth

More than my necessary food

 

We are taken through trials for a reason.  Will we stand in His words? Will we step in His footsteps?  Will we trust Him?

How do we know this of ourselves if we haven’t been through the fire?

 

Lamentations 3:31

For the Lord will not cast off forever.

32 Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies.

33 For He does not afflict willingly, Nor grieve the children of men.

1 Peter 5:10

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

 

Pretty consistent message being given us here.  How can we move on to all of Him without the Trials and Tribulations?  How do we grow in Him?

 

Romans 8:18

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

The glory is Him. We suffer so that our souls are restored to the light. We then become one with Him and His glory shines from us and it is revealed.

Not one bit of our glory in the earthly sense but all His glory.

Let you shine from me Father and only you.

 

TO TEST WHETHER WE WILL STAND

2 Samuel 16:5

Now when King David came to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came.

6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David. And all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.

7 Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: “Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue!

8 “The LORD has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!”

 

So the enemy was using Shimei to kick David when he was down by bringing up the past to hit David personally. The enemy doesn’t care what state you are in.

Now this is a lie and we are to stand firm in our Lord knowing we have been washed by the blood of Jesus. Our past is washed by the blood of Jesus.

Will you stand strong in The Lord at these times? Repent and be washed.

In this case The Lord was using Shimei. David goes on in these chapters to say this and recognise what was going on.

 

Joshua 7:7

And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!

8 “O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies?

9 “For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”

So here was a strong man of God who hit a trial and doubt hit him, he questioned God. Even after he had seen all God had done.

Has this ever happened to you?

What do we learn from it?

1) Joshua went straight down on his knees and gave it to The Lord. A good tactic

2) Romans 8:28 all things, 1 Peter 5:10 – settled, Jeremiah 1:12 – His word will stand over you

He is control he knows the end from the beginning. We are to be at a peace but we are to be about doing it James 2 v22. But he will do it in the end he wants our faith.

How did Joshua End?

Joshua 21:45

Not a word failed of any good thing the Lord has spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass

What a statement to stand on in our walk.  Not a word failed.

 

TO MOLD US AND TEACH US TO OBEY

Lamentations 3:31

For the Lord will not cast off forever.

32 Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies.

33 For He does not afflict willingly, Nor grieve the children of men.

He doesn’t afflict willingly. We make choices, he allows the consequences for our good when it is needed. He uses circumstances for our good our moulding.

 

Psalm 118:18

The LORD has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death.

I have died to myself but I love in Him.  He knows exactly where we are and what trial and tribulation we are facing.

 

Hebrews 5:8 

Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
This is Christ learning this and it is a blessing from trials.

This is what He wanted them to learn in the wilderness so they could go to the promised land.

 

 

SUMMARY

2 Thessalonians 1:4

so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,

5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;

1 Peter 5:10

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

 

An interesting parallel here.

To enter the kingdom of God we need some cleaning up and this is through tribulation (as we are slow learners sometimes).

We have all been through this but if we focus on the reward of the kingdom now that is a prize to aim for.

Thank you Lord for perfecting, establishing, strengthening and settling me. Trials have been part of this process.  I enter the Kingdom.

 

Job 23:10

But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.