Thread: God does not deal with us in this 'sentimental' way!
Admin
God does not deal with us in this 'sentimental' way!
Posted : 10 Jun, 2011 07:09 AM
God does not deal with us in this 'sentimental' way!
(J. R. Miller, "The SILENT Christ")
"A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to Him, crying out, 'Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession!' Jesus did not answer her a word!" Matthew 15:22
We are apt to forget that the aim of God with us, is . . .
not to flood us with tenderness all the time,
not to keep our path always strewn with flowers,
not to continually give us everything we want,
not to save us from all manner of suffering.
No! God's aim with us, is . . .
to make something of us,
to build up strong and noble character in us,
to mature qualities of grace and beauty in us,
to make us more like Christ!
To do this�He must ofttimes deny us what we ask for, and must seem indifferent to our cries. "Jesus did not answer her a word!"
There are 'sentimental ideas of God' prevalent, which are dishonoring to Him. There are those who imagine that God's love means tenderness that cannot cause pain. They think that He cannot look a moment on suffering, without relieving it; that He must instantly hear and answer every cry for the removal of trouble.
Not such a God�is the God of the Bible! When suffering is the best thing for us�He is not too sympathetic to let us suffer�until the work of suffering is accomplished in us. He is not too kind to be silent to our prayers�when it is better that He should be silent for a time, to allow . . .
faith to grow strong,
self-confidence to be swept away, and
the evil in us�to be burned out in the furnace of pain!
There is a danger with all of us�our tenderness lacks strength. We cannot tolerate to see people suffer, and so we hasten to give relief�before the ministry of suffering is accomplished. We think of our mission to others, as being only 'to make life easier for them'. We are continually lifting away burdens, which it were better to have left resting longer on our friend's shoulder! We are eager to make life easy for our children�when it were better if it had been left hard.
We must learn that God does not deal with us in this 'sentimental' way. He is not too tender to see us suffer�if more suffering is needed to work in us the discipline that will make us like Christ!
Here we have the key of many of the 'mysteries of Providence'. Life is not easy for us�and God does not intend it to be easy!
Suppose for a moment, that God immediately gave us everything we ask for�and immediately removed every little pain, trouble, difficulty, and hardness that we seek to have removed; what would be the result on us? How selfish it would make us! We would become weak, unable to endure suffering, to bear trial, to carry burdens, or to struggle. We would be only children always�and would never rise into manly strength. God's over-kindness to us�would pamper in us all the worst elements of our nature, and would make us only poor driveling creatures!
On the other hand, however, God's wise and firm treatment of us, teaches us the great lessons which make us strong with the strength of Christ Himself.
He teaches us to yield our own will to Him.
He develops in us�patience, faith, love, hope and peace.
He trains us to endure hardness�that we may grow heroic, courageous and strong.
It is well for us to make careful note of this�that in all God's delays when we pray�His aim is some good in us.
Perhaps we are willful, asking only for our own way�and must learn to say, "May Your will be done."
Perhaps we are weak, unable to bear pain or to endure adversity or loss�and we must be trained and disciplined into strength.
Perhaps our desires are only for earthly good, not for heavenly blessings�and we must be taught the transitory character of all worldly things, and led to desire things which are eternal.
Perhaps we are impatient�and must be taught to wait for God. We are like children in our eager restlessness�and need to learn self-restraint.
At the least, we may always know that silence is not refusal�that God hears and cares, and that when our faith has learned its lessons�He will answer in blessing!
"The Lord disciplines the one He loves, and punishes every son whom He receives." Hebrews 12:6
"God disciplines us for our good�that we may share in His holiness." Hebrews 12:10
God does not deal with us in this 'sentimental' way!
Posted : 10 Jun, 2011 07:51 PM
James as if you could bring forth truth.
According to you death and life are in the same house. confusion.
Jn 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly
James you and George do not scare Jesus, if you knew him you would not make such statements.
God does not deal with us in this 'sentimental' way!
Posted : 10 Jun, 2011 08:44 PM
WILL THE COURAGEOUS TRIBULATION SAINTS SUFFER THE WRATH OF GOD??
God has always allowed His people to suffer tribulation and trials because they purify and perfect their faith and will gain countless eternal rewards when Jesus Christ is *REVEALED. There are over 40,000 saints martyred every year and the main culprit is no longer just Islam and the RC Church. Millions of saints were martyred by the Communist atheist countries after 1917 in Russia and after 1948 in China and then in North Korea and Vietnam. Many more millions were killed by Japan 1937-1945 and by the Fascists in Italy and Germany 1922-1945. Romans 8:35-37: �Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?... For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!� I Peter 1:6-8:���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 may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is *REVEALED.��
I Peter 2:20b,21: �But if you suffer for doing good and endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow IN HIS STEPS.� I Peter 4:12,13: �Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But REJOICE that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is *REVEALED!� Rev 2:10: Jesus says, �Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the Crown of Life.� Read other persecution verses: Matthew 5:10-12; Romans 5:3; Heb 13:35-40; 2 Tim 3:12; 2 Cor 1:7-10; I Thess 3:3,4; Phil 1:29; Phil 3:10; Rev 12:11; Rev 13:9,10 & Rev 14:13.
������ The courageous and faithful Tribulation saints will *NOT* be hurt by God�s *WRATH* as shown in Rev 14:9-11; 15:1,7; 16:1,19; or in any of the 7 trumpet or 7 bowl plagues as explained in Rev 9:4,20,21 and Rev 16:2,4-6,9,10,21; or in any of the plagues of God�s 2 witnesses as per Rev 11:6,10; or in *ETERNAL HELL*: Rev 14:9-11: �If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he will drink of the wine of God�s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of *HIS WRATH*.� He will be tormented with burning sulfur and the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever.�
The pre-tribs often confuse the wrath of God with the persecution from the anti-christ. They are not the same thing. The wrath of God is intended for the ungodly and will be poured upon them and them only. The Lord knows His target and He never misses. Jesus warned in Matthew 10:28, �And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.�
In Rev 18:1-24 we read about the plagues that will destroy the headquarters of 666 during the Great Tribulation. This evil city on 7 hills {See Rev 17:9} is called �Babylon� which Peter implied was the nickname for Rome in 2 Peter 5:13. In Rev 18:4 a voice from Heaven will order God's saints to stay away from Babylon {Rome-That great seaport-Rev 18:17-19} so that they will not participate in her sins or be hurt by God's wrath which will completely destroy Rome with many horrific plagues. There are 260 verses from Revelation chapters 6 thru 20 and 128 of these verses or 49% tell of the wrath of God to unbelievers, 666, his False Prophet and Rome. However, not even one of these verses tells of any wrath of God toward His courageous Tribulation saints.
Even pre-tribbers and mid-tribbers reluctantly agree that believers during the Great Tribulation will be exempt from the wrath of God.
