The Suffering Saint - 1 Cheshvan 5786

Here and Now:

I have been feeling stressed, sad, broken, defiled, taken for granted, violated, and all the negative things that a person feels because of the evil in this world. I felt anxious, scared, insecure and unloved by the environment that was supposed to be a safe space for me. Since last night I have been crying out to GOD to help me, help me to survive and overcome this evil world. But then GOD's word comforts me today that is why I write what I have been receiving from GOD.

SOAP

Scriptures

Amos 6
English Standard Version
Woe to Those at Ease in Zion
1 “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria,
the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes!

2 Timothy 2
English Standard Version
A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus
1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men,[a] who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.

Observation

The WORD in Amos 6 speaks to me in which it says: “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria.... I believe it applies to all who are living at ease in this world because they are depending their security on mountains of the world, the mountain of wealth, the mountain of power, the mountain of money. Even though I live in a mountain that ought to make me feel secure and at ease but I am very insecure in it because the mountain I live troubles my soul. And so this word is parallel to the WORD in 2 Timothy 2:3 To share in the suffering of CHRIST because as long as we are in this world, the Saints of GOD suffer all kinds of tribulation and affliction in their souls because this world defies GOD and we who are one in GOD feel troubled in this world who defies the GOD we love. 

Application

It is okay to be troubled, it is okay to not feel comfortable, to feel afflicted and to feel uneasy because as a child of GOD we should be carrying the heart of GOD, and not feel comfortable in a place that defies GOD. This WORD encourages me, because it explains all that I am feeling. It explains all the pain, and affliction and suffering of my heart. Just as the soul of Lot (nephew of Abraham) was troubled everyday by what he was experiencing in Sodom and Gomorrah, emphasized in 2 Peter 2:8 (KJV), "For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds." As a child and follower of GOD, I ought to share the same suffering, and therefore I should rejoice even though I am troubled and vexed in this world, just as the WORD commands us in James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers,[b] when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If you are an obedient child of GOD then you are a Saint, and Saints always suffer persecution because the darkness in this world, hates the light in you. 

Prayers

Dear FATHER, 

Make me strong, steadfast and immovable in this evil world. Help me to accept that suffering is normal for true followers of JESUS and enable me to overcome the tribulations of this world by YOUR grace and HOLY SPIRIT within me that empowers me and makes me who YOU have called me to be - a winner, an overcomer, victorious warrior more than a conqueror! 

In the Name of YESHUA, JESUS the KING, AMEN!

The Mystery of GOD - May 5, 2014

Scripture: Matthew 11-134 Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— 5 the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. 6 And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.' - Matthew 11
48 Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”49 Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. 50 Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!” - Matthew 12
16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it. - Matthew 13

Message:
The great mystery of GOD.

Observation/Promise:The greatness of GOD and His goodness remains constant despite of the situation we are in. Whatever we may go through in life, GOD is good and great and He remains the same yesterday today and forever. John who was suffering in prison began to doubt Jesus if He truly was the Messiah. Wonderful things were happening to other people except him, but he wasn't prepared to suffer for Christ just as much as the disciples of Jesus suffered after Jesus' resurrection. If our faith is not full and we allow doubts to come through us, then we cannot stand firm in our faith to the point of enduring suffering for His name sake.

Application/Command:

We need to have sure and complete faith. We cannot doubt a little here and there for doubt will cause you to be stumble and fall. Be sure in the ground of which you are standing. Our faith has to be full. We cannot compare ourselves with others for GOD is doing a great work in each and every one of us. Suffering can also be part of GOD's will for us but we have to be sure that we are truly walking in His will. And being sure of knowing His will also leads us to understand and see why we have to endure suffering. We don't complain or doubt GOD when suffering comes to us, we endure and hold on to GOD. We may not be able to understand everything because GOD is a great mystery, but our faith will allow us to trust Him in spite of everything. 

Faithful GOD - April 3, 2014

Scripture: Job 1-2
6 Adonai said to the Adversary, “Here! He is in your hands, except that you are to spare his life.”
7 Then the Adversary went out from the presence of Adonai and struck Iyov down with horrible infected sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 He took a piece of a broken pot to scratch himself and sat down in the pile of ashes. 9 His wife asked him, “Why do you still hold on to your integrity? Curse God, and die!” 10 But he answered her, “You’re talking like a low-class woman! Are we to receive the good at God’s hands but reject the bad?” In all this Iyov did not say one sinful word.
13 Then they sat down with him on the ground. For seven days and seven nights, no one spoke a word to him; because they saw how much he was suffering.
Message:
HE is GOD and He is a faithful GOD through the good and the bad times.

Obeservation/Promise:
All of GOD's children are in GOD's hands, He protects us from harm and everything that is not good for us. The only time GOD gives us up from His hands is when He is going to test us and so we go through trials, and great sufferings, but this is all with GOD's consent. But the great about Iyov or Job was that he knew GOD and was faithful to him in both the good times and the bad times. The devil thought that he was just like any other man on earth, that will curse GOD when horrible things happen to him, but he was none like the others and GOD was proud of him the Lord even boasted about his servant to the devil and He was right about Job.

Application/Command:
Be faithful to GOD in the good times where we are not troubled by trials and everything to GOD but most especially in the bad times when we are suffering and going through such misery. GOD is always in Control, even when we see that everything is out of control. GOD has a purpose and plan for everything, therefore trust HIM and stay faithful to Him. No matter how hard difficult life is, all the more cling and hold on to GOD. In the end, GOD will prove Himself faithful and true to us and we His servants will end in praise and rejoicing because He is good!!! 

Trust and Faith in GOD - March 30, 2014

Scripture: Ephesians 1-3
7 By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.12 Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. 13 So please don’t lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
- Ephesians 3
Message:
Trusting GOD will somehow require some suffering. We cannot endure suffering for GOD unless He has empowered us to do so.

Observation/Promise:
Christ will make His home in our hearts when we chose to rely and depend on GOD for strength and refuge and not on worldly and humanly ways. It gives Him great honor when our trust is completely upon Him. It's very hard to trust GOD especially when all we can hold on and cling to is His word, His promises, when we are used to relying on earthly things that assure us that everything will be alright. We can only live the fullness of life when we have complete trust and faith in GOD more than anything in this world.

Application/Command:
Put your faith and trust in GOD.Do not rely on other things, let your soul and heart find rest in the word of GOD alone. Treasure His promise to you like gold and silver, cling to it as if it were jewelry in your heart. He is able to do far more than we could ever ask or imagine, just believe that HE only has what is best in store for you. Seek and find refuge in His strength, in His loving arms, and be at rest in His word.

Resolve to Follow GOD - March 8, 2014

Scripture: Acts 21-2212 When we heard this, both we and the people there begged him not to go up to Yerushalayim; 13 but Sha’ul answered, “What are you doing, crying and trying to weaken my resolve? I am prepared not only to be tied up, but even to die in Yerushalayim for the name of the Lord Yeshua.” 14 And when he would not be convinced, we said, “May the Lord’s will be done,” and kept quiet.

Message:

Resolved to do the will of GOD, resolve to follow God.

Observation/Promise:

When our hearts are one with GOD, we have the mind of Christ, and the heart of GOD. We begin to do things that are not logical to the human mind, but these things only GOD can explain why. Just as Paul wanting to go to Yerushalayim where everyone knows will put his life in danger. The believers tried to stop him, but they couldn't convince him from walking straight into his death. Paul knew the dangers and what kind of suffering he had to go through, prophets were telling him but he would not budge. As a reader, I wanted him to live longer. Didn't GOD want him to live longer? It broke my heart reading how the believers loved him and wanted him to stay with them but time and time they kept saying goodbye to him because he was only meant to stay for a time. Didn't he deserve a life with family at least to retire from his hard work teaching and preaching? His life had to end like those of the martyrs, and its tragic on earth. But GOD's purpose can explain everything. In Heaven martyrdom is one of the greatest accomplishment a follower could do for Yeshua.

Command/Application:
Many people may not understand or be one in heart with what GOD wants you to do. But stay in GOD and listen to His voice. Be one in heart with GOD and be filled with His Spirit. Only you can know what GOD wants you to do, and sometimes you are the only one who believe what GOD wants you to do. Many times we have to walk our faith alone, but GOD will never fail to strengthen you and give you everything you need to accomplish His will and plan for you. Just like Paul resolve to follow GOD with all your heart. Do not let anyone or anything change your mind, do not let anything or anyone move you except the will of GOD and the heart of GOD for your Life.

Press On!

Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore, I have set my face like a stone,
determined to do his will.
And I know that I will not be put to shame.
8 He who gives me justice is near.
Who will dare to bring charges against me now? - Isaiah 50

“At just the right time, I will respond to you.
On the day of salvation I will help you.
I will protect you and give you to the people
as my covenant with them. - Isaiah 49

Faith, unwavering faith is what we need to go about through all the storms in life. Not faith in ourselves because we are frail fallible beings. But faith in the LORD GOD who calls Himself faithful and who has proven Himself has promised great things to those who completely rely on HIM. To those who are willing to risk their lives and are determined to obey what HE says and trust Him will not be put to shame. It takes a lot of courage to obey GOD because the things HE usually says to us are radical and surprising things that we don't usually hear or do on our own.

But the GOD of Justice will reveal Himself to the poor and oppressed, to the weak and helpless in His perfect time. Even though it seems like forever we are stuck in a certain place and never moving forward, as long as we are depending on GOD and holding on to what HE says, we can be sure that what HE has promised will come to pass. It might take time but the GOD of Justice is near. At the perfect time, all your prayers will be answered, those prayers that come from a right heart and motive. That day will be like the day of salvation from the long wait and suffering. So do not give up praying, press on!

Victorious in the End

1 “My spirit is crushed, and my life is nearly snuffed out.
The grave is ready to receive me.
2 I am surrounded by mockers.
I watch how bitterly they taunt me.
6 “God has made a mockery of me among the people;
they spit in my face.
7 My eyes are swollen with weeping,
and I am but a shadow of my former self.
8 The virtuous are horrified when they see me.
The innocent rise up against the ungodly.
9 The righteous keep moving forward,
and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger.
- Job 17


These tormenting times in life is very hard to deal with: depression, anxiety, troublesome, without peace and restlessness are one of the few things men encounter on earth. We cannot avoid times when the waves of life come crashing down on us. People seem to be hostile around us, without kindness, envious, hateful and just indifferent. It is not GOD's fault when we go through such difficult times but yest He allows these trying times in our lives when all we have to do is weep and cry because we have lost ourselves, our hopes, our dreams who we were.

But GOD is still faithful especially during these times because His word has promised that He will not give us a trial beyond what we can bear. When we come before the Father and rely on Jesus His Son and truly depend on Him to save us from all our sorrows, we are  righteous in GOD's eyes. In the life of Job, it is evident that the rigtheous still undergo suffering but He promised that even while the righteous still suffer, the trials that shake them, the troubles that bend them will only make them stronger, flexible, resilient and faithful to GOD coming out victorious after it. Those who trust in HIM will surely be victorious in the end. It is proven in Job's life that those who rely on GOD will not regret anything.

Remembrance

“In honor of the Lord your God, celebrate the Passover each year in the early spring, in the month of Abib, for that was the month in which the Lordyour God brought you out of Egypt by night. 2 Your Passover sacrifice may be from either the flock or the herd, and it must be sacrificed to the Lord your God at the designated place of worship—the place he chooses for his name to be honored. 3 Eat it with bread made without yeast. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, as when you escaped from Egypt in such a hurry. Eat this bread—the bread of suffering—so that as long as you live you will remember the day you departed from Egypt.

- Deuteronomy 16:1-4

Why does GOD want us to celebrate a certain feast in a year? The Jews Celebrate the Passover while the Christians remember the death and celebrate the ressurection of Jesus. Why is it important to remember all the things that happened during this certain time of the year? The reason being is so we do not forget. Human weakness tend to be so forgetful especially when the events that happened are not favorable or pleasant, we just want to forget about these things. But GOD doesn't want us to forget our sufferings or the hardships that we have gone through. In fact, GOD wants us to remember the sufferings experienced in the past by commanding the Israelites to eat unleavened bread for one week. Unleavened bread is bread without yeast. It is flat, hard and untasty. Everytime they eat this bread and celebrate the Passover, they remind themselves what happened during the time GOD took them out of Egypt. They are reminded that their freedom now is because of GOD. Eating the bread of suffering will remind them that they owe it all to GOD and that they should never foget what GOD has done for them, so that they will be faithful to HIM, following HIS ways as long as they live.

It is easy to forget our blessings in life. We complain when things are rough, but before you even utter a word of complaint, try to remember the hardships you have gone through in life that GOD has carried you through. With every victory that GOD has given you, do you have a remembrance of that certain event and time? Everytime GOD lifts us up from our trials and sufferings, we should make it a point to create a milestone, a remembrance of how we suffered and how GOD has rescued us from such suffering. It is easy to forget many things that happend in our lives for the days that we live pass by like a mist. We have to remember that where we are now is because of where we have been in the past. So as not to let our heads get puffed up and swell in pride, but to always walk humbly before our GOD, let us remember all our blessings, sufferings and breakthroughs. Let us remember what GOD has done for us.

Eager to Follow

So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.

- 1 Peter 4:1-3

Pain is most likely to happen to everyone. In this world we have hard times and happy times. We face all kinds of problems or troubles. This is what life is, it's an imperfect world. But pain is even more imminent for every follower of Jesus the Messiah. In fact 1 Peter clearly states that since we follow Jesus as our Master, then we should be ready to live the kind of life He lived, ready to suffer and persistent to persevere. GOD has a reason for pain and suffering. Pain and suffering purges us from sin. It keeps us in the right path where GOD wants us to take. Because of pain, it's most likely that we will not have time to even think about pleasing ourselves because all we can do is grieve for the pain or find ways to get out of pain. Somehow pain is needed for every human being, to discipline and correct us, aligning us to the will of GOD.

When sin is purged out of us because we have suffered, learning from our mistakes we strive hard not to be in a position where we should have to suffer again. That is why the Bible says we will be anxious to do the will of GOD, because if we are not in His will, we will again have to go through suffering when HE allows us to go through the fires of fiery trials. We will never know the gravity or weight of our sin unless we have suffered the consequences of it or punished by it. When we have gone through the refining fire of these trials, we are cleansed of sin and we realize that we can make life better by following GOD's will. In fact, we will be anxious to know and do His will because we understand that GOD is real and HE is always actively involved in our lives whether we actively involve Him in our lives or not. HE is involved with every activity under the sun. He is alive and is concerned with us. When we understand GOD's great love and the plans He has to bless us, we will be more than willing to do what GOD wants us to do. We want to coordinate with HIS plans for us, we trust the GOD who loves us and has the best in store for us. We won't even think about going back to our old life of sin and or look back on how our lives used to be. We will be grateful for the salvation we received in Jesus and we will move forward with GOD's Spirit at work within us. We are eager to follow HIS leading because we understand we are nothing without HIM.