We are originals here "Born of GOD"
You know what, these "so called preachers, ministers, and pastors" have taught me one thing which you don't have - less attitude, more gratitude. There's no complaint from a true saint. I feel your grievances, I share your disappoint, but I'll take what I can get in this spiritual desert I'm living in.
Well said, it's problematic when an old man is bitter and censorious, or growing old, bitter.
- “SUFFERINGS”
STRENGTHENS
UNLOCKS HIDDEN GIFTS
FRUITBEARING
FOCUSSES YOUR THOUGHTS
EXPOSES PRIORITIES AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
REALIZATION OF SIN AND INACCURACY
INCULCATES DIVINE DEPENDANCE
NURTURES INTIMACY
GLORIFIES GOD
SHAPES THE INDIVIDUAL
AMPLIFICATION
S - STRENGTHENS
2 Cor 12:9-10
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made
perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in
persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I
strong.
Rom 4:20
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in
faith, giving glory to God;
Heb 11:33-34
33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained
promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of
weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies
of the aliens.
David's interaction with the lion and the bear strengthened him to deal with
Goliath. His trials strengthened him to rule as king.
Adversity develops your adversity quotient. Review “ADVERSE”.
In times of drought the root goes deeper.
U - UNLOCKS HIDDEN GIFTS
x Gideon’s valour exposed by Medianite oppression.
x Jephthah’s valour exposed by rejection.
x Joseph the dreamer becomes the economist in Egypt in adversity.
x Innovation
EXAMPLES:
1. JOSEPH’S ONE FIFTH TAXATION SOLUTION TO THE FAMINE.
Gen 41:24-44
vs.34
34"Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect
one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years.
2. JACOB’S “GENETIC ENGINEERING”
Gen 30:37-43
37 And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut
tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in
the rods.
38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in
the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive
when they came to drink.
39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle
ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
40 And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward
the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own
flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle.
41 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that
Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might
conceive among the rods.
42 But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were
Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.
43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and
maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.
F - FRUITBEARING
John 12:24
24. "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground
and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. (NKJ)
John 15:2
2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every
branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. (NKJ)
EXAMPLES:
1. FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Heb 12:10-11
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.
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.
2. FRUIT OF PATIENCE
James 1:2-3
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
3. PERSEVERANCE, CHARACTER AND HOPE
Rom 5:3-4
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation
worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
F - FOCUSES YOUR THOUHGTS
x JESUS IN ADVERSITY FOCUSES ON THE WILL OF GOD.
Luke 22:41-42
Luke 22:41-42
41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down,
and prayed,
42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless
not my will, but thine, be done.
x DANIEL IN ADVERSITY FOCUSES ON GOD
Dan 6:10-11
10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house;
and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled
upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his
God, as he did aforetime.
11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making
supplication before his God.
x Paul and Silas praise God in prison
x Esther – nation focuses on God in fasting
x Jehoshaphat – nation positions itself in praise
E - EXPOSES PRIORITIES/ATTRIBUTES OF GOD AND GENUINESS
x EXPOSES PRIORITIES
Ps 119:67
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.
x EXPOSES THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
James 5:10-11
10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord,
for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience
of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of
tender mercy.
Job suffered immensely. In the end he experienced the compassion and mercy
of God when God restored him.
Job 42:12
12 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he
had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke
of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
x EXPOSES GENUINESS
1 Pet 1:6-7
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have
been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being
much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be
found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, (NKJ)
Trials test the genuineness of one's faith.
Deut 8:2
2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these
forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what
was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
Gen 22:1-2
1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said
unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and
get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon
one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
David faced a multitude of trials and tribulations. This drew him closer to God.
When Ziglag was burned down, his family kidnapped and his men took stones
to stone him, he strengthened himself in God
1 Sam 30:6
6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him,
because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for
his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
By contrast, Saul went further away from God: -
1. When Samuel delayed, Saul violated his call.
1 Sam 13:8-14
8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had
appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from
him.
9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And
he offered the burnt offering.
10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the
burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he
might salute him.
11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that
the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days
appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;
12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and
I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and
offered a burnt offering.
13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the
commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now
would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man
after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his
people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
2. The progress and success of David was a challenge that Saul could not
handle. Instead of nurturing David as a son he hounded him - even to the
extent of killing 85 innocent priests for providing refuge for David.
1 Sam 22:18
18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg
the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day
fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.
3. When God did not answer Saul, he consulted a familiar spirit. (1Sam.28:6-
12)
1 Sam 28:6-7
6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither
by dreams nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar
spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him,
Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
4. When surrounded by Philistines, Saul attempted suicide. (1Sam.31:1-4)
1 Sam 31:1-4
Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from
before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the
Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul's sons.
3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was
sore wounded of the archers.
4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me
through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and
abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore
Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
R - REALIZATION OF SIN AND INACCURACY
Provokes self-examination.
1. PRODIGAL CAME TO HIS SENSES IN THE PIG-STY.
Luke 15:16-18
16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat:
and no man gave unto him.
17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my
father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned
against heaven, and before thee,
2. DANIEL IN BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY.
Dan 9:5
5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and
have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:
3. NEHEMIAH
Neh 9:31-33
31 Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume
them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.
32 Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who
keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that
hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on
our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the
kings of Assyria unto this day.
33 Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right,
but we have done wickedly:
4. JONAH
Jonah 2:1-4
Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly, 2 And said, I
cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the
belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods
compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy
temple.
5. JOB
Job 42:1; 6
1 Then Job answered the LORD, and said, 6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and
repent in dust and ashes.
I - INCULCATES DIVINE DEPENDANCE
True believers draw close to God when facing a trial / tribulation in recognition
of His power to deliver.
Hosea 5:15
15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and
seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.
Hosea 6:1
1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us;
he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
Ps 142:4-5
4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would
know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
5 I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the
land of the living.
2 Chr 20:12
12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this
great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our
eyes are upon thee.
2 Cor 12:9-10
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made
perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in
persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I
strong.
Ps 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
When everything failed - his hometown burned, his family kidnapped and his
own men turned to stone him, David strengthened himself in the LORD his
God.
1 Sam 30:6
6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him,
because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for
his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
....when the "heat is on" better to encourage ourselves in the Lord Christ Jesus and remain teachable, full of grace and mercy, for freely we have received, freely we give.
Matthew 25 my continual reminder and we are not here to boast in anything.
Shalom brother, should you find fault with my "teachings" please feel free to correct, accountability, trust and love.
Johann