He Never Said It Was Going To Be Easy...
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 2:28 pmHello Christianity Oasis!
Greetings with peace from God the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and from the Spirit of the Lord who always works mightily to lead, teach, comfort, and guide us into all the will of God in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.
Blessings!
Our Lord never said it was going to be easy...taking up our cross and following Him that is...I wrote my son Isaac an email Saturday telling him I had passed up two St. Louis Cardinals baseball tickets and two Cardinal Jerseys, (which were being given away that day). Since I had two tickets I could pass through the turnstile twice, once with each ticket, and collect the two jerseys. I didn't have anyone to go with me is the reason for that. I told him I passed up the tickets and jerseys in order to write a post the Lord showed me He wanted me to do. I always write my son Isaac about the things the Lord has me do, training him in the Lord, so he not depart from the Lord, and so that he will also teach his sons and daughters as I have taught him in the Lord.
His reply was to write back and say he wouldn't have expected anything less out of me, that he knew I always preferred doing the Lord's will over other things. The following sobering paragraph is what I wrote back to him.
No...the Lord didn't tell us that being faithful to Him was going to be easy...in fact He said, "In the world you shall have tribulation." I realize those of us that are on C.O. are at different levels in our walk with God, and some may not have been made ready yet to eat the meat in this post, but the Lord was quite insistent that I not let this teaching slip.
However, if you don't have the faith yet to be so minded...determine to allow the Lord to grow you up so you arrive where He wills to do His will when He wills. Submit yourself to Him and pray that He lead you and guide you into all wisdom and understanding in the knowledge of Him in His timing for His life in you as He wills. Then....learn patience...as when we are young in the faith often our expectations and desires are far ahead of where we are in our walk with Him. That being said, I will also add the following advice.
When our expectations of the Lord do not meet the reality of where we are in the Lord, it is time to make our expectations our hope. I say hope because Christian hope is that which stands up and stretches out to see what lies down the road for us if we don't quit. If we desire to see far off, the Lord will open our eyes so we can do so. Such leads to the growth of the next important fruit of the Spirit in us, perseverance. If we persevere we receive experience that extablishes all that our Lord and His Apostles have said to us are indeed the Truth of God, and our firm foundation and straight path forward. Jesus is our way. Jesus is our Truth. Jesus is our life. Therefore, if we desire to move forward in our faith, we must let our Lord lead us in His way, not our way. Christ within is our hope of glory...at the time appointed the Daystar will arise in our hearts and we will know the Lord even as we are known.
Blessing!
Love, In Christ Jesus, Saint701.
Greetings with peace from God the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and from the Spirit of the Lord who always works mightily to lead, teach, comfort, and guide us into all the will of God in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.
Blessings!
Our Lord never said it was going to be easy...taking up our cross and following Him that is...I wrote my son Isaac an email Saturday telling him I had passed up two St. Louis Cardinals baseball tickets and two Cardinal Jerseys, (which were being given away that day). Since I had two tickets I could pass through the turnstile twice, once with each ticket, and collect the two jerseys. I didn't have anyone to go with me is the reason for that. I told him I passed up the tickets and jerseys in order to write a post the Lord showed me He wanted me to do. I always write my son Isaac about the things the Lord has me do, training him in the Lord, so he not depart from the Lord, and so that he will also teach his sons and daughters as I have taught him in the Lord.
His reply was to write back and say he wouldn't have expected anything less out of me, that he knew I always preferred doing the Lord's will over other things. The following sobering paragraph is what I wrote back to him.
As for prefering to do the Lord's will verses other choices I have. I'm not perfect in that quite yet. Sometimes, like this morning, and writing you this email, I have to fight to put the Lord first. This morning the Lord wanted me to read Colossians before writing you this. It was a test to see if I would put the Lord's will for me to do over my will to do for my family. Passing that kind of test when required is necessary as should the mark of the beast be offered to all of our loved ones and any cave as did Eve...we can't be as Adam and love him or her more than our Lord and doing the will of God. One's family needs to be warned periodically that should one take the mark of the beast no other works in this life will matter and the consequences will be to be tormented in the presence our Lord and his angels forever. As it is written, "He that is faithful in little will also be faithful in much.
No...the Lord didn't tell us that being faithful to Him was going to be easy...in fact He said, "In the world you shall have tribulation." I realize those of us that are on C.O. are at different levels in our walk with God, and some may not have been made ready yet to eat the meat in this post, but the Lord was quite insistent that I not let this teaching slip.
However, if you don't have the faith yet to be so minded...determine to allow the Lord to grow you up so you arrive where He wills to do His will when He wills. Submit yourself to Him and pray that He lead you and guide you into all wisdom and understanding in the knowledge of Him in His timing for His life in you as He wills. Then....learn patience...as when we are young in the faith often our expectations and desires are far ahead of where we are in our walk with Him. That being said, I will also add the following advice.
When our expectations of the Lord do not meet the reality of where we are in the Lord, it is time to make our expectations our hope. I say hope because Christian hope is that which stands up and stretches out to see what lies down the road for us if we don't quit. If we desire to see far off, the Lord will open our eyes so we can do so. Such leads to the growth of the next important fruit of the Spirit in us, perseverance. If we persevere we receive experience that extablishes all that our Lord and His Apostles have said to us are indeed the Truth of God, and our firm foundation and straight path forward. Jesus is our way. Jesus is our Truth. Jesus is our life. Therefore, if we desire to move forward in our faith, we must let our Lord lead us in His way, not our way. Christ within is our hope of glory...at the time appointed the Daystar will arise in our hearts and we will know the Lord even as we are known.
Blessing!
Love, In Christ Jesus, Saint701.
