July Teaching Series

LIVING WITH A SENSE OF DESTINY
Rev.  Alexander O. Garcia
Director for National Operations
July 7, 2008

(First of two parts)
Text: Romans 8:28-39

28And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord ( Romans 8:28-39 NKJV)

OBJECTIVES

INTRODUCTION:

Reflection questions:

The Holy Spirit is challenging  each  of us to live  our lives according to God’s design and purpose. God wants us to live our lives with  a sense of divine destiny. A kind of life   filled with faith  and  assurance  that it is God who works things together for our good when we love Him, seek Him and  are committed to His purposes.  

 It  is true that without a sense of destiny, life is  boring , aimless and pointless. But life is never pointless when you know that it is God who is the Alpha and Omega  is the One who is  guiding you , protecting you and  favoring you no matter what happens  in life. Some people who don’t understand this truth tend to  develop and embrace  a wrong view of life.

 We need to change the way we view life. Life is precious . It  is not a result of an accident. Thank God, that’s not how  our lives are to be lived out.  God has a destination for us.”(Jeremiah 29:11)
God has a  divine destiny  for us.  And we have to  make right and responsible choices on a daily basis.

With all of God’s goodness and  glorious plans for each life, why is it that not  everybody  ends up good?  I know of people who are very promising, full of potentials but ended  up  their lives  in disaster.

God wants us to live our lives to the fullest (John 10:10). He promised to   cause all things to work together for our good (Romans 8:28). But how can this be? The passage shows four (4) vital  Scriptural truths  on how  we can live  with a sense of destiny:

1. Be  a lover of God ( v 28)

28And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God…”

Things will not automatically work together for good. When you live wickedly, all things will not work together for good. God, in His mercy will provide and give people all the chances to know Him but if they refuse God’s love and mercy, they will perish.

Love God and trust Him.  BELIEVE THAT GOD PREPARED  A  GLORIOUS DESTINY FOR YOU. This is where you start. You need to believe that God prepared a  glorious destiny for  you.  He already arranged everything for you!  If you love God and seek Him, He’ll show you what to do. 

There are unhealthy  and dangerous paradigms  of living that we need to avoid. We need to develop healthy paradigms of living instead.

The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;  God is in none of his thoughts. (Psalm 10:4 NKJV).
But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the Lord, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away. ( Psalm 37:20 NKJV)

Loving and trusting God doesn’t mean being lazy, doing nothing and having no plan at all. No, we need to proactively live our lives responsibly and with confidence that God is working out  everything for our good. Loving God will affect the way you live. You will not get bored in life.

When you love God, you will seek to please Him. You’ll  have  a healthy motivation for living that will affect everything you do- your attitudes,  your perspective, and how you will deal with situations.

To love God  means , “I have to develop my relationship with Him. I need to grow.”

People who don’t love God or seek God think they are the general manager of the universe and that everything should revolve around them. They are the center of the universe! No, you need to realize that no matter how good your plans are, without God, you’ll go nowhere.

Be a lover of God , always making Him first place in your life. He will lead you to the right path

2. Be committed to God’s purpose ( v28)

“…to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

You  will not be able to control all that may happen in the future no matter how you plan (and we should plan as  a part of responsible  living),  but  we   can claim  God’s promise who has power to  deal with our future. The  Bible says, “ He can  make all things work together for good to those who love God and  who are called according to His purpose.”(Romans 8:28). You don’t have to live in fear and worry if you know who holds your future and your destiny!

28And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28 NKJV)

We need to be reminded that we don’t chart the course of our lives. God already charted the course of our lives. But we need to seek God and  His will and  walk in that course  God has set before us. We need to understand that when the Bible says “ to those who are called according to  His purpose”, the word “ purpose”  here is synonymous with “ God’s will and “God’s plan.” Here’s what  Hebrews 12:1-2 says:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish…” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT)

So, the Bible is clear  that we  don’t chart our own course in life. It’s God who already charted or set the course of  our lives on earth. He has set  a race before us. Our destiny is set. What we are to do is to seek God and His purpose for our lives. We will  have a sense of fulfilment only when we are walking into  “ God’s  set course “ for us from start to finish.

How   can this happen?  By keeping our eyes on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith! This means , you can’t do it  without Jesus. You can’t do it on your own. We need  the Lord Jesus, the author and finisher/perfector of our faith.

This tells us something …That the  fulfilment of your life’s destiny   depends  on  the Lord and   will only commence when you  completely entrust  your life to  the Lord Jesus Christ, and that it will only be fulfilled when you  continue to follow Jesus. Make no  mistake.  You need to make this most important decision in your life! That’s what discipleship is all about – being a committed follower of Jesus. When you follow  the Champion, you will be a champion! That is what God is up to. He wants you to become a champion, an overcomer. When you follow the Champion, you will be a champion. When you follow the Overcomer, you will be  an overcomer!

NOTE: Notice the word “ In Christ “ in the Bible. This means that your victory in life – over sin, over the devil, over the temptations  - is all rooted in your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. This means,” Because  you are  now a child of God through our  Lord Jesus Christ,  you will overcome! Everything depends on your relationship with Christ.”
  
Don’t  live as though you hold your future.
To a certain extent you can influence your future. But no one really holds their future in their own hands.  There are those who think they hold their future.  They live in fear and worry. Why?   They  have removed the place of God in their lives and they are building their lives on their own purpose and things that wont really last..  It is just like building a tower of Babel  that  was never finished and blessed by God. Why? God was not in their plan. The are not led by God. They are only led by their  own selfish ambition.  Therefore they are building their lives  on the foundation of sand. ( Genesis 11:1-9 ; Matthew 7:  24-27).    The apostle James said

13Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.(James 4:13-16 NKJV)

It’s good to make  plans . This is very important . But there are those who plan for their lives as though they hold  their future. They don’t depend on God. They want to control   and live their lives according to their own wits and  desires disregarding God and His  words. That is dangerous living!

Without God’s grace, you can never survive! The fact that you are still alive is already a sign of God’s mercy and grace.  If you want God’s grace, there is a key: humility. “6But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6 NKJV)

How can I know God’s purpose for my life?
Read and be committed to God’s word. There is only one book that reveals the purpose of God to mankind – the Bible

Be a lover of God. Be committed to God’s purpose.

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LIVING WITH A SENSE OF DESTINY
Rev.  Alexander O. Garcia
Director for National Operations
July 15, 2008


(Second of two parts)

3. Be willing to be changed. (v29-30)

29For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (v29)

There are changes you must be willing to undergo. This is called discipleship process.  It’s about making the Lord Jesus  our ultimate model in life. 

Is  it that  we need to be  willing to be changed  ?  To  be conformed to the image of Christ.  There is only one image that God  is pleased  with . It’s clear in the Bible . It’s only the image of Christ. “ This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. “ That means all other image do not please God.  If we want to please God, we need to be willing to be changed and conformed to the image of Christ.

We need to understand that  man was created  according to the image and likeness of God ( Genesis 1:26-28). When man sinned , that image was marred and distorted. The Lord Jesus came to restore mankind from a lost, marred, and distorted image  back  into the   holy, righteous, gracious, and loving image of God. According to Colossians 1: 15-17, Christ is the  visible image of the invisible God.

“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. ( Collosians 1:15 NLT)

Image also means character. It is an inner image, an internal thing.

 The greatest change a person needs is not an  outward image change but a character change. So many people are so busy building their outward  image instead of being busy building  their character ( inner image) .

NOTE:  I discovered something:  The  longest and most important journey in life is  the  inward journey, not the outward journeys.

We are  predestined to be conformed to the image and likeness of Jesus our Lord – His character, virtues, His humility, servanthood, His obedience to   the Father, His compassion. This is  developing  Christlikeness.

This is quite opposite of what the world values.   Everything the world values is on the outward.  What kind of car do you  drive? What kind of watch  do you wear?  What kind of apparel do you wear?  These things are not necessarily  wrong but they should never be your measurement  for our Christian success.  There are those who wear nice clothes, utang pala  ( ekspertong mangutang, nahihiyang magbayad ng utang ). 

Change is not defined or confined by time. It’s a process.

Questions:

Why is it important  to be willing to change? What is  its  relevance to my destiny?
Unwillingness to change will  endanger your God-given destiny.
                            
If we want  to fulfill our prophetic destiny from the Lord, we need to  overcome  spiritual immaturities in our lives.  That is why we need to be committed to  the process of discipleship and spiritual growth.

SIGNS OF SPIRITUAL IMMATURITY   : (Ephesians 4: 11-16)

How does God form our character?

 It’s funny and hard, but when God wants to form character in us He usually puts us in an opposite situation.
ILLUS: Love. You’ll be in situations where you  will be with unlovable people, people hard to love. That’s the only way  the character of love will be developed. It’ so easy to love people who are lovable. That’s a no brainer, not  a challenge at all.

          3.  God changes us by His Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV)

18But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. ( 2 Corinthians NKJV)
If you want to fulfil your destiny from God, you’ve got to be willing to change.
          4. By the renewing of our mind through God’s Word (Rom. 12:2).

4. Be assured of God’s love.(v31-39)

“ 5Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (v 35)

God’s love is   the assurance that we will ever need.
As we journey in  life, we are not  exempted from  experiencing  some  momentary seasons  of  hardships, distress, persecutions, at times lack, at times even threats to  our own lives ( peril or sword).
When we experience these things, it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love us anymore. Rather, during such difficult situations, God’s love will  protect us. He will fight for us and give us the strength and victory. He promised to fight our battles.  God knows there will be  battles . The enemy will try to  derail, hinder or even possibly  prevent you from realizing the things God prepared for you.  But you need to be strong in your union with the Lord and be assured of His love. If you do, you will overcome every trial, every problem and every difficulty.

Here is what happens when we  commit ourselves to these life-changing and destiny – settling  Bible truths:

God wants us to travel  in life with a sense of security, not  doubting, and insecure.  Praise God, we can live and journey with all the security we need and there is only one  ultimate source of  security – God’s love.  Even in  times that are hard, you can be assured of God’s love.

In God’s love :

There will be times that you may feel all alone. But that’s not true. You’ve got to remind yourself ,” God is with me. He will fight my battles. I’m not  fighting alone. In this life , God is for me ,not against me.”

We can claim this promise. In all your journey leading to your glorious destinies , up to your final destiny. God promised to preserve you and keep you.

NOTE:  It doesn’t matter where you are now, make  the right decision to follow the Champion of our faith , the Lord Jesus Christ. Ask His forgiveness and  help. You will see tremendous  things. Remember  the prophetic revelation of the Lord : This year, God is going to surprise you with His  goodness! Because God loves you, you can make it in life !
 
How to develop and live with a sense of destiny?

Life –changing  lessons :

CONCLUSION:
Don’t just live. Live with a sense of destiny. You’ll get your excitement and joy back when you do. In one of the Dawnwatches,  I said, “ Life is a journey… but you don’t have to travel alone.” God promised,
”I will be with you till the end of this age.”

9 So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better.
(Colossians 1:9-10 NLT)

David has this to say during  one of his most trying moments:

4Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.  (Psalm 121:4 NKJV)

A little child can’t sleep and doesn’t want to put off the light asked his dad one time, “Dad, does God go to sleep too? Her dad gently replied, “ No sweetheart, God never sleeps. He said that the God of Israel never slumber nor sleep.” Again his daughter asked: “ Does God put His light off ?” “No. sweetheart, God never puts off His light. He never sleeps, never puts His light off, He is awake to watch over us”. Feeling a sense of security, the daughter realized something and said to his father, “ Dad, if God never sleeps and if He doesn’t puts His light off and if He is always awake, watching over us, there is no reason for both of us staying awake. Let’s sleep!

We can experience the same assurance. In God, our life, destiny, and future are secured.

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BLESSING IN SUFFERING

(First of two parts)

Text: I Peter 1 6-7

INTRODUCTION:

There is blessing in suffering.  I believe that as to how a person sees and responds to suffering can either make him or break him, or - as we usually hear - it could either make him   a bitter person or a better person.

During the whole month, we are fellowshipping together in God’s word on the theme “Following the champion.” We have emphasized the importance of having a sense of destiny in life wherein God wants us to live with a sense of destiny and not uncertainty.  Discipleship is the needed life- changing process   so we can enter our “promise land” destinies ordained by God.  How many of you understand that there are no shortcuts in the process?

Do you know that part of the process we can’t skip   are the experiences that   the Bible calls as trials, sufferings, tribulations, and persecutions?   These words are synonymous: trials, sufferings, tribulations, and persecution. We‘re going to look at I Peter 1:1-7 (Key verses are verses6-7)

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7that 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, ( I Peter 1:1-7 NKJV)

 
Why does a good God allow sufferings?  Why do bad things happen to good people?   Is there really a blessing in a suffering? (Others say,” Mine is sufferings, with an‘s’). These are hard questions.

We’re going to look at   what the Bible says about sufferings. And then, we’re going to look at how we, as God’s people,   should respond   when sufferings come our path, and how we can even benefit from it.  In effect,  instead of just looking at suffering the way the  world looks  at it as just something  so dreaded and disheartening,  we will look at  how it can even become a blessing and  allow suffering  to work  for our  good. 
Suffering and trial are words repeated in I peter and 2nd Peter.  The early believers have suffered severe persecution because of their faith in Christ. They were scattered abroad because of persecutions.  Peter calls and addresses these believers as “pilgrims.”
But again, the question that needs some answer is,” Why then does God allow suffering, or trials in life?” What good can it make?
There are even those who experience trials or sufferings who don’t know how to go on in life.  I believe this message will help you find the strength to go on by God’s grace.
When we talk about sufferings, we are not primarily talking about sufferings brought about by evil-doing. Such sufferings are consequences because of wickedness, sins and disobedience.  But then, even suffering brought about as consequences to sin may still become a blessing in that it could result to repentance.
It is untrue that when you receive Jesus as your Lord and Saviour that everything will be calm and peaceful, or that there will not be sufferings anymore.
We suffer because of our faith in Christ. The world which   is influenced by the devil is diametrically opposed to God. The values of the world are anti –God, anti- Bible. Don’t expect the world to be friendly to Christianity.

Through the writings of the apostle Peter,  suffering  can be a  blessing in disguise and  not a burden to despise.

We shall look at two primary truths:

 This is about knowing the PURPOSE OF SUFFERING

1. Christian sufferings  are   part of the Christian life  ( I Peter 4:12 )

12Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. ( I Peter 4:12-13 NKJV)

“ v12Mga minamahal, huwag na kayong magtaka sa mabibigat na pagsubok na inyong dinaranas na para bang ito'y di pangkaraniwan. v13Sa halip, magalak kayo sa inyong pakikibahagi sa mga paghihirap ni Cristo upang maging lubos ang inyong kagalakan kapag nahayag na ang kanyang kadakilaan. v14Mapalad kayo kung kayo'y kinukutya dahil kay Cristo, sapagkat sumasainyo ang Espiritu ng kaluwalhatian, ang Espiritu ng Diyos. v15Huwag nawang mangyaring maparusahan ang sinuman sa inyo dahil siya'y mamamatay-tao, magnanakaw, salarin o pakialamero. v16Ngunit kung kayo'y magdusa dahil sa pagiging Cristiano, huwag ninyong ikahiya ito; sa halip, magpasalamat kayo sa Diyos sapagkat taglay ninyo ang pangalan ni Cristo.” ( I Pedro 1:12-16 MBB)

Don’t be surprised that it happens. It is part of the Christian calling.  A trouble –free life is a misleading perspective.” ...In this world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). We can take comfort with this promise: Sufferings will come. Problems will come, but even if they come be of good cheer, the Lord overcame the world! The Lord is saying here,” You are my child; I’m going to be there for you when problems come and I will give you victory!”
The devil is not in any way happy when you follow Jesus. It’s just a choice whom you want to be happy – God or the devil?   If you think that everybody is against you because of your obedience to the Lord, rejoice! You’re on the winning side. It‘s fearful if God is against you.

The world also has sufferings but it is of different kind. It is a suffering due to consequences of wrong. The Christian suffering is a blessed suffering

Christian sufferings are part of the price to pay in following Jesus (Matthew 16:24)

41So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. (Acts 5:41 NKJV)

When tribulations come, what is your attitude? Do you feel frustrated? Or, do you rejoice?  The apostles rejoiced in that they were counted worthy to suffer for His name.  Today’s Christianity of many Christians is a far cry from biblical Christianity where they receive lashes for preaching the Gospel of Christ.

God wants us to always have the victory  through Christ Jesus our Lord who conquered death, hell, and sin. He won the victory for us His people. Yet, while we are assured of victory, we are not excused  from  encountering  any difficulty.

2. Christian sufferings   purify    faith.

, 7that 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                       (I Peter  1:.7 NKJV)

Christian sufferings is the blessed opportunity to prove the genuineness of your faith in Christ

Faith thrives and shines the brightest not during times of ease but during times that are hard. It’s easy to say your faith is strong during times that are easy.  The real test is during hard times, during times of temptations. Your faith needs to stand in the only sure foundation – God and His word.

Trials will reveal what kind of material your faith is made of!
3 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart. (Proverbs 17:3 NKJV)
Tests reveal your heart. It’s not for God to know because God knows everything. It is for you to know.  So you can depend on God and ask God’s help.  It’s so easy to be bitter and be regretful in trying times, but your reactions will reveal the real condition of your heart and your faith.  You can either trust God or you withdraw. 

Job (a righteous man) who was not exempted, said “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. (Job 23:10 NKJV)

NOTE: Impurities are removed through the refining process of fire. The impurities in our faith need to be removed if we want to grow. Like Job, after your faith is tried, it will be rewarded. We glorify God not just in times of blessing but also in times of testings.  How? By being faithful and steadfast in the faith.

3. Christian sufferings protect us from pride and arrogance.

We are humbled and we begin to feel our need for Christ.
ILLUS: Iloilo tragedy brought about by typhoon Frank as reported on a Philippine national newspaper. The rich and poor alike came to realize how everything that you produced for so many years could be   reduced to nothing or destroyed in minutes. Had it not for the grace of God who sustains our lives and who holds all things by the word of His power, this world could turn into sudden dust.

How easy it is, if we’re not careful, to shift focus on ourselves. But in times of trials, it’s easier to shift focus on God because we know we need God.

4)  Christian sufferings prepare us for promotion

Christian sufferings show that you are a partaker of the glory to be revealed. (I Peter 4:12-13)

4so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, 5which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer ( 2 Thessalonians  1:4-5)

We must prove ourselves worthy of God‘s eternal kingdom by way of enduring trials and tribulations. When you are persecuted for your faith in your office, in your own family, and by your relatives, endure sufferings.

 He who can’t endure and forsakes his precious faith in Christ proves that he is unworthy of God’s eternal kingdom.

So many people want promotion without preparation. All through out the Bible, a trial is the last stage for a supernatural promotion. Ex; Daniel, the three Hebrew children, and Job – received double blessings!

I believe that after Job’s testings, he became a bigger person!

Problems at times are God’s thermometer for movement. At times, if you’re unaware, you can become too comfortable at where you are now that God has to allow a situation to move you to the next stage of growth and promotion. The next time sufferings come, train yourself to think,” God is moving me to a larger place!

5. Christian sufferings  provide   us  with a new perspective to   life

What’s really important?
ILLUS: submerged cars with bumper stickers written “He who has more toys wins. “ Not so.  Rich people and poor people become the same in times of serious calamities.  A family that lost everything was still so glad that there was no loss of life among his family members.

Don’t be too attached to things that are temporal forgetting what is eternal!

A person on a deathbed will not say, “How I wish I could have spent more time in the office” No, no one in his right mind in a deathbed will say such words. Instead, probably he would be saying,” How I wish I could have spent more time with my family, with my wife, with my kids.”  And,” How I wish I could have invested my life in more important things – things that will last and have eternal impact like serving the Lord, winning the lost, and most of all loving, obeying and serving God, the author of my life.”  This is about looking at things with an eternal perspective.
ILLUS: During the Morning Watch   designated for the Men’s Network, I said this,” Is the way I view eternity affecting the way  I live my life now?”

18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  (Romans 8:18 NKJV)

The greatest rewards are not here on earth. They are reserved in heaven.  There are those who receive so much applause here on earth, hungry for the applause of men instead of God’s applause.

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(Second of two parts)

2. Suffering can be a blessing   when   you know how to respond to it.

 (KNOWING WHAT TO DO when suffering comes)

That‘s in the right ordering. First, you need to have the right perspective. Then, we can most probably respond correctly. If you don’t have the right perspective about Christian suffering, most likely, you will respond incorrectly and the problem is not solved but might get worse.
How to face sufferings: (rearrange /adjust perspectives and priorities)    

1.  Realize that sufferings are not forever

Notice the word “for a little while” (I Peter 1:6). We need to realize that sufferings are not forever.  It’s true that typhoon Frank had made some devastation but it only lasted for about 3-4 days not forever.  In times of storms, God is our shelter.    Even if, for instance, you suffer all your life (which is not true if you truly follow the Lord! But just assume),   it’s still a “little while” compared to eternity where you will be eternally comforted like Lazarus in Luke 16.

2.  Redirect you focus.

Don’t   focus on suffering, focus on the purpose of sufferings.  Focus on God.
“2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4 NKJV)

What is the difference why some will benefit form trials while other will not?  Perspective “knowing that…” If you don’t know “that something, you can’t count it all joy” It’s how you see trials and testings. Do you see it by your natural, carnal understanding? Or, do you see it in the light of God’s divine purpose? It’s a choice to make.

 Romans 8:28. God is working something out for our good. Learn .Be teachable to God. Ask, “Lord, what is it that you want me to know. What is it that you are dealing in me?” “Search me O God” is the automatic response of David. Unless you deal issues in your life, things will not automatically work together for good. Redirect your focus.

3.  Rely on the sufficiency of God’s grace.

While suffering, God will give you the grace and the capacity to endure and overcome.
He promised His help and protection.  God said “ I will be with you till the end of the age.” “ I will never leave you, nor forsake you..”
“…God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’  6 Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time (I Peter 5:5-6 NKJV)

There is a wrong response to sufferings and trials; it is called stubbornness and rebellion, an unwillingness to yield.  The Psalmist has this to say: 
Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, “(Psalm 95:8 NKJV)

The writer of the book of Hebrews quoted this passage from the book of Psalms to lovingly warn those who remain stubborn and who don’t respond   with a yielded heart to God.  The writer of Hebrew is showing us that a wrong response to God in times of suffering and trial will disqualify even God’s people from fulfilling their God given destiny:

7Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
8        Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9        Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
10       Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.’
11       So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”
12Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15while it is said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
16For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?
19So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3: 7-19 NKJV)

First, the Scriptures tells us that there is a day of great trial.
Second, that when it comes, we should not harden our heart. In other words, we should respond properly. Further, we see that a wrong response in the day of great trial could disqualify a believer from entering into his appointed rest – his destiny. There are those who hadn’t reached their destination because of unbelief, disobedience. This is the reason why when sufferings come, we need to totally rely on God’s grace. His grace is more than enough for us.

4.  Resist the devil ( I Peter 5: 8-9)

8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (I Peter 5: 8-9 NKJV)

It is in the context of Christian experiencing suffering that these passages were reminded by the Apostle Peter In times of sufferings, the enemy will tempt you to doubt, to give up on your precious faith. He’ll tell you,” God doesn’t care. He has forsaken you...” He will whisper in your soul.  Don’t yield to these lies of the devil. We are to resist the enemy.

5.  Revitalize your faith in Christ ( I Peter 5:10 -11 )

10But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. (I Peter 5:10 NKJV)

God will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle your faith.

Listen to God’s promise:
“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.  (Revelation 3:10 NKJV)

CONCLUSION:

Is there anything good about suffering?  So much than you can imagine. Remember that it was through the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross that mankind was redeemed from sin. So, next time you face sufferings, don’t detest it, don’t be discouraged by it, and don’t be disillusioned in it. But rather, find out what is good about it.  Resist all those temptations of the devil that God forsook you.

Perhaps,  your present suffering, inspite of your faithfulness to God and  inspite that  you have no known sin  that you committed like Job , was meant to prepare  you for  a new level of glory and  promotion  from God, a new level of experience of knowing who God is in your life,. Job said in the midst of his fiery suffering,” Though he has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.”
 Perhaps, that suffering you have was meant to be a wake up call of God to you for things that you allowed in your life, and for you to see how miserable life is when you try to live your life apart from God and His word.  Maybe you’ve tried everything and nothing seems to work because you are operating on your own strength, and you’re frustrated that you’re not getting much result and you feel you’ve failed inspite of your degrees and   success you are achieving.

Perhaps, that suffering  was meant  to awaken you from being too convenient that because of so much convenience  you are beginning to rely no longer on God but on something else – probably your own success . Or, perhaps that suffering   is a wake up call that something is wrong in your life where you disobeyed the Lord and you are crying for help because you don’t know what to do.

The main reason for all human suffering is sin.  After the fall of man, even the most beautiful, most peaceful garden – the garden of Eden was no longer the same.   That was the start of all sufferings.  But it is   an awesome thing to understand God’s love that God never abandoned mankind inspite of man’s rebellion and disobedience. He sent His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to take our place and suffer the penalty of our sin on the cross to redeem us back to glory.  The sufferings we now suffer, the Bible says, are just momentary sufferings that cannot be compared to the glory that will be revealed. What we need is to make sure  that we have right relationship with God and be faithful    to  that new found relationship, and be assured of His promises that He will not forsake you in time of your suffering and hardships, that you can trust God no matter what even when it’s so hard to understand why you are experiencing what you   are experiencing now, knowing  and believing that He holds you in His hands and that He  has your good in His mind and heart, you can still find the strength to go on!

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