Curtis
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 4,377
Shared Trials
A couple days ago when I was reading the Bible I saw something that I never noticed before. It is very interesting that the Lord has this ability to answer questions we might have had, but never asked him about, but he does know when we are thinking about them. The scripture is this....
Gal 4:13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first,
Gal 4:14 and though MY CONDITION WAS A TRIAL TO YOU, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. (ESV)
The Apostle Paul had at one time visited the Church in Galatia, and at that time he had some kind of ailment that had to do with his eyes, because he said that they would have gladly given him their eyes!!
Gal 4:15 Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I AM SURE YOU WOULD HAVE TAKEN OUT YOUR OWN EYES AND GIVEN THEM TO ME IF IT HAD BEEN POSSIBLE.
Any kind of sickness or illness to a Christian would be a trial to ones faith, but Paul said HIS TRIAL WAS A TRIAL TO THEM!!! We usually never think that our trials that we might be going through would affect anyone else, but they do!!!
If we are one body (body of Christ) that is made up of many members, then what affects one member, affects all the other members.
1Co 12:26 And whether ONE MEMBER SUFFER, ALL THE MEMBERS SUFFER WITH IT; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
Sometimes we think no one knows what I am going through, and we feel alone, but that is just a lie from the enemy of our faith!! The Lord knows exactly what we are going through, and feeling. He is there with us through it all, and not only that, but we all in the body of Christ suffer together!!
Example:
I had heard about a certain Church whose pastor had died from cancer, and some in the congregation thought that if the pastor was really living right before God this would not have happened, and so many left the Church!! This pastors trial that was in her flesh, which was also a trial to the Church could not be over come by her congregation. Their faith failed in this time of trials.
Would these same people think that if Jesus was living right before his Father that he would not have been crucified on the cross? Or if all the Apostles of the Lamb were living right they would not have been killed for what they preached? This is not smart spiritual thinking!!
Pastor Cheryl, whose daughter has been missing for over a year is a huge trial for her and all her family, but it also a huge trial for the entire Church. Sometimes people will leave a Church because they can not take the trial of what the pastor is going through, and it just seems easier to go somewhere else where they don't have to see or think about it anymore. (running away)
When a Church goes through hard times together, that is when the body of Christ grows up into a holy temple with victory now, and forever more, no matter what they are going through.
A couple days ago when I was reading the Bible I saw something that I never noticed before. It is very interesting that the Lord has this ability to answer questions we might have had, but never asked him about, but he does know when we are thinking about them. The scripture is this....
Gal 4:13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first,
Gal 4:14 and though MY CONDITION WAS A TRIAL TO YOU, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. (ESV)
The Apostle Paul had at one time visited the Church in Galatia, and at that time he had some kind of ailment that had to do with his eyes, because he said that they would have gladly given him their eyes!!
Gal 4:15 Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I AM SURE YOU WOULD HAVE TAKEN OUT YOUR OWN EYES AND GIVEN THEM TO ME IF IT HAD BEEN POSSIBLE.
Any kind of sickness or illness to a Christian would be a trial to ones faith, but Paul said HIS TRIAL WAS A TRIAL TO THEM!!! We usually never think that our trials that we might be going through would affect anyone else, but they do!!!
If we are one body (body of Christ) that is made up of many members, then what affects one member, affects all the other members.
1Co 12:26 And whether ONE MEMBER SUFFER, ALL THE MEMBERS SUFFER WITH IT; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
Sometimes we think no one knows what I am going through, and we feel alone, but that is just a lie from the enemy of our faith!! The Lord knows exactly what we are going through, and feeling. He is there with us through it all, and not only that, but we all in the body of Christ suffer together!!
Example:
I had heard about a certain Church whose pastor had died from cancer, and some in the congregation thought that if the pastor was really living right before God this would not have happened, and so many left the Church!! This pastors trial that was in her flesh, which was also a trial to the Church could not be over come by her congregation. Their faith failed in this time of trials.
Would these same people think that if Jesus was living right before his Father that he would not have been crucified on the cross? Or if all the Apostles of the Lamb were living right they would not have been killed for what they preached? This is not smart spiritual thinking!!
Pastor Cheryl, whose daughter has been missing for over a year is a huge trial for her and all her family, but it also a huge trial for the entire Church. Sometimes people will leave a Church because they can not take the trial of what the pastor is going through, and it just seems easier to go somewhere else where they don't have to see or think about it anymore. (running away)
When a Church goes through hard times together, that is when the body of Christ grows up into a holy temple with victory now, and forever more, no matter what they are going through.
