Lives of Tribulation.

If I were to ask you to undertake a top secret, obviously extremely important mission you would laugh at me, wouldn't you? I know I'd most likely laugh at anyone I knew who asked me to do such a thing. Why would I laugh, or expect you to laugh? Because I am a person of little influence, as are most of my acquaintances. I lack the authority, the power to be involved in much that could ever be construed as being top secret, or a mission of any consequence. However, if an FBI agent, or CIA agent, or one of those 'men in black' came to you and convinced you of their authority then asked you to undertake a top secret mission then how would you feel? What do you imagine your thoughts would be? You might be frightened, apprehensive, worried, as well as excited and thrilled to be a part of something deemed important.

Where am I going with all this? Well, the most supreme authority in existence has asked us to be a part of His organization, a part of His plan, He wants us to undertake the most important mission (albeit not top secret) that we will ever be asked to undertake in our lifetime. Are you scoffing right now? Are you sitting there shaking your head as if what I'm saying is a letdown, that it is nothing new and not overall very important. Maybe you already know where this is going and are going to stop reading about now, or you have already and that's fine, you can. It's not like I have you tied to a chair, with your eyes taped open forcing you to read what I put in front of you, no, no and yet another, no. That would be considered torture and manipulation, force that the Highest Authority would never ever consent to being used.

Seriously, God would have us be PARTAKERS of HIS HOLINESS.

Partakers of HIS HOLINESS. GOD WANTS US! And not only does God want us, He wants us to partake of HIS HOLINESS.

When becoming a secret agent, or perhaps joining an organization such as a fraternity, or lodge, or other such club- often as a part of ritual you are subjected to certain traditions called hazing or more acceptably- tests. And yes, some are truly tests of skill to prove your capabilities, while others are simply pranks passed down to intimidate and assert power and authority over others, doing to others what was done to you, making others go through what you had to endure- a rite of passage.

Government agents I like to believe are truly tested, not hazed, and in their testing they are subjected to a lot of situations that are unpleasant, dangerous and possibly deadly.  Why are they tested? We know the answer to that, they have to be prepared for the jobs they are going to undertake, the missions they are called to go on. They are often tested to their breaking point, and part of that breaking is part of the teaching experience. They are broken and then put back together piece by piece if they are deemed worthy to continue on with their training. 

People who join the army might not realize what they signed up for until they are in the rigorous basic training. The realization of what it really is can be a bit daunting for some because it is set up to break down individuality and build up team mentality. It is geared towards stripping a person of individual thought and teaching them to listen to authority, to obey authority even against their own seemingly better judgement. They learn a chain of command and their place in that chain of command under hard training, and yes, a lot of ridicule. Those movies about basic training aren't all lies by any means.

We are asked to join God's army. We are asked to take on the supreme mission of eternal life. We are told that God wants us to be partakers of HIS holiness. God wants us to be a part of HIM. The importance of all God wants of us cannot be stressed enough! This isn't some past time in our lives meant to give us social status among those who believe like we do. More often than not in the Bible those who were called of God weren't called for stagnation, but for action. To spread the good news, or help those called to spread the good news. Spreading the good news was very necessary. And the gathering together was to strengthen one another during the spiritual warfare each person is called to endure once they return to their everyday life. The gathering together wasn't a social event, it was a spiritual event to uplift one another through the guidance of God's chosen to lead others in the truth.

Spiritual strengthening, this is why God told those who choose to follow Him that they are to not forsake getting together. We strengthen each other spiritually by sharing the truth that we are called by God to be partakers of His holiness. We are called to a life most treacherous, most dangerous, more so than any FBI, CIA, Black Ops, etc. agents are called to because their calling may endanger their physical lives, but our calling endangers our spiritual lives.

The recognition that our spiritual life is eternally important is something God allows by His mercy and grace, by His will, because He wants us to be partakers of His holiness in eternity, not a member of a clandestine organization for thirty, forty, fifty years.

We need to remember something very important. People go through a lot of hardship when they are in training, and some training never ends. If I'm to believe some of the shows I watch on television, then training for S.W.A.T., for Navy Seals, for many of those types of jobs- never truly ends. They are constantly striving to stay in shape and on top of things, never allowed to grow soft, or forget their hard training because to do so would mean they would be less efficient at their jobs. They have to work hard constantly, not get to a place where they can kick back and relax because they attained the status, the position they were aiming to attain.

As God's soldiers we are called to such a position. Our training will never end. Our need to be up to date in all our spiritual skills is paramount and if I understand correctly, those skills will be forever honed- never reaching a place of complacency- at least not until the entire battle is over in all its aspects.

You are being called to enlist in a lifelong mission of the greatest importance, yet how many take it that seriously?

We are told we will be spiritually chastened and scourged- and often the spiritual lessons we are being taught through the chastening and scourging are those found in our physical, mental, emotional world that feeds into our spiritual existence.

You may face innumerable challenges all geared to ultimately guide you to a spiritual existence that will culminate in partaking fully in God's holiness as a son or daughter of God's.

When we stop recognizing, or fail to even begin to recognize that our life is such that it is a training ground meant to keep us trained for God's service we fail to live spiritually.

The trials and tribulations we face which can be overwhelming are allowed to exist because we are being called to a spiritual strong hold, called to recognize our nothingness and God's everything.

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 

Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 

Heb 12:8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 

Heb 12:9  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? 

Heb 12:10  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. 

Heb 12:11  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. 

This is truth!

Joh_16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

We live our lives now in constant tribulation. There is NO sugarcoating going on here. Constant spiritual tribulation that stems from the countless number of worldly tribulations that exist all around us in our lives. One tribulation after another, one chastening after another, one scourging after another and NOT to destroy us but to have us recognize that there is an eternity which is the ultimate goal in overcoming as our Savior overcame. NO MATTER what we go through here and now, or have gone through in our past, or may be called to go through in our future- what awaits us in eternity with God, partakers of His Holiness, all through our world overcoming Savior, Jesus Christ, will make it worth clinging to the hope found only in Him. IN HIM ALONE WE HAVE PEACE. Any peace we find elsewhere is meaningless without HIS PEACE.

God please, help us believe! Make our spiritual lives reality far beyond the reality of the tangible temporary training ground we live in now.

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever!!!!!!!

Amen!