Thursday, March 12, 2015

Christ Suffered - Christians Will Suffer

Misconception- that Christians are supposed to be upbeat and happy at all times, and if they're not, there is something wrong with them.

How can anyone believe this when our Savior Himself cried and suffered throughout His ministry.

To pipe up and say that He only ever cried for others and suffered for others and not Himself leads us right up to the end chapter of His life here on earth. He asked for the cup to be taken from Him, and then on that cross as the life ebbed from Him, He cried out to God the Father asking Him why He had forsaken Him.

Mat_27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Who says those words, who cries out such words without being in despair, without being in agony of spirit?  Jesus was HUMAN! We humans caught up in this world of sin as we cling to the promises of our Savior as Jesus was clinging to the same promises through His Father, are in a battle that will try us to the utmost! It won't always be pleasant! Sometimes it will be downright awful!

There is a reason our Savior tells us to worry about ONE day at a time.

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Truth.

It's enough to deal with each day's evils as it comes.

We can't sugarcoat things either. It is the evil in our lives that causes our problems. Evil.  It's not something to be taken lightly, but something to be recognized. When we belittle life's problems as being minor inconveniences and not true evil, then we are really giving the devil what he desire-  for us to call evil good.  How much of the little cherished sins in our lives do we call good by excusing them as not being really sin, you know, the big sins?

Ask yourself this question- Can Jesus walk with you throughout your entire day? Is there ANYTHING you'd change if He were your companion in the Flesh? Stop and think about it seriously.  And if you're tempted to say you'd change nothing right off the bat, filling yourself with pride saying He can like me the way I am or not, it's His problem, then maybe, just maybe you need to stop and pray before taking the time to truly review.

I'm not saying we can be totally perfect, but it's NOT up to us to do anything but have a willingness to be perfect for Christ. The willingness must be there!

Mat 5:48  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

We have HOPE of being purified, when we RECOGNIZE our sins we MUST repent and seek forgiveness. Our repenting means striving against the sin.

Luk_13:24  Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able

Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

Striving against sin.

Please, Father help us strive against sin. By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, bless us, keep us, love us, help us!


Amen.

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