To Suffer or Not to Suffer

Mr. Stu Epperson from the truth.

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This is the Truth Network welcome to mannitol and brought to you by T8 W CM is talking and walking Christian men's ministry where they are devoted to breaking down the walls of race, age, and challenging them to take their God assigned as our hosts will Hardy and Roy Jones Junior a black eye and a white black man you sitting out there right now listener and you might be going through something you are going through something and you don't actually know why you're going through it, but you're feeling you have feelings of anxiety, maybe you have feelings of trouble you have feelings of worry you don't know quite where you fit and why you're going through what you're going to well that's cause suffering we are to suffer for Christ's now there is a suffering that we go through, which is not suffering in any sense is not good, but when we go through it, knowing who is holding our hand knowing who is the one who is keeping us secure in our faith, the one who basically has our back and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. So what we want to talk about is his suffering and what is it what what is suffering, why, why do I have to go through suffering and see suffering we did a word study on on suffering and a lot of the Greek words that talk about suffering in the Scriptures have these meanings to undergo hardship to endure something maybe you have a disease or condition, or you have a feeling pain or distress. So these are the type of of words, definitions of suffering that is found in Scripture. So when you when you asked yourself why am going through what I'm going through. Maybe it's because we haven't talked to God today and we want to do things on our own.

Maybe it's because we start seeing things in a different light. Big than what we saw before because suffering is, it can make you build you up, draw you closer to the Lord Jesus Christ or it can pull you away from the Lord Jesus Christ and all of what we're going through. We have asked us if the question why is it that I'm going through what I'm going through because I believe when we go through things. There's always a reason why we go through what we're going through and we have to search out what that reason is we have to understand that the reason why we're going through it. I don't want to put myself in a position to where I'm going to cause myself to suffer so you can put yourself in in certain positions to it and you can bring about suffering on your own Roy, but there are times to win other people who you might be encountering cause you to suffer and and it might be no fault of your own will.

That's great lead-in for this week about suffering, we often times swollen to be right rather than what is good. Teach me words, God turned temporally for the future and you know we love James because we always took a member can we get several of Scripture. But what is you walking through that will comes to mind is James 12256 consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything if any of you lacks wisdom, should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault will be given to you soon, there is one of the answers right supposed to let perseverance can run its course and tea to mold us and shape us in finding joy in my suffering and CSR think it is. It is not think we got. We confuse joy with happiness, joy is eternal joys that deep down, anchoring that God has us right were happy. We are excited that God has us.

We know that comfort is not an emotional is a conscious state if you will. I like using that example and I've use this with the church members that if I have some I like strawberry ice cream so if I have strawberry ice cream and I'm eating a strawberry ice cream.

I'm happy that I haven't. It's cold. It tastes good going down but then Roy when I finished, ice cream, now it's like I'm sad because the ice cream as long as I had it and I was eating it. It was making me happy. It gave me happiness, but see it. It was only temporary.

Because once it's gone now. I have nothing to be happy about it anymore so but but again it's that joy that joy is an eternal course week we wrote an article on DAW CMM where it talked about what I wrote that it was the convergence of belief and faith toward truth and and it's a really it's it's a thinking article and but when it comes to suffering. Roy we want to know, maybe too soon before we finish going through what God wants to take us through. We want to interrupt. If you will the process and not let God mold us all the way through it like Job yet that's the even nonbelievers know the story Job right that scares everybody and I think that's a great point will think there's a certain fear and all of us that as a follower of Christ. We know there will be suffering. But how difficult hell people that suffering be and I think as followers of Christ.

The 70 foot back that he's never put more is that we can handle right and we know that he still has us undergirded just like you did with Joe.

He knew exactly how storms come in right is why told that was I Job will not fail a new Job. Joe had, he was anchored and he had joy in all that God had blessed him with. He did have happiness you may have had those moments happens, but he knew that his joy was rude and father well and MS in his heart for I think people understand how can I be happy or joyous while I'm suffering, and see in that's that's the big enigma when it comes to understanding why you're going to a particular thing in it. And again, you may not fully understand why you're going through it. But if you let God endure, for example, in first Corinthians 13 and for love, love suffers long and is kind. It does not envy it's it's it's suffers long. In other words, it endures, see that's that's the word endure so so when a person is coming against you in such a way that may cause you to fall or stumble, then you have to remember and revert back to love the person may not understand, and most of the time they don't on why they're saying awful things to you why they are not visiting you.

If they think you should visit them.

You know, so, so they may have this bottled up animosity and you don't even know about it and yet the individual has this you you are suffering these afflictions. As a result of something you may not even be cognizant of and so so in a sense, in a sense you suffering from a far, but then when you encounter the person now your suffering face-to-face because chances are if you asked him what's wrong. You know now, they might just spell it all out. You know that that's the other thing will write and were in the middle of the storms we should be willing to be open with a brother or sister to pray force a menu should be transparent with a brother and women you should be transparent with the sister in Christ that can be praying for you and also pray for your security, and in this process. Just the reaffirming that the Holy Spirit can wash over you to to bring that joy back if you lost it or to read reinstated.

If you will, and to provide comfort that only he can provide exactly say and it goes on to say. Love does not parade itself, is not is not puffed up.

In other words, it doesn't it doesn't say I'm better than you or my love is stronger than your love God loves us all the same he doesn't love anyone anymore then he does the other. So God's love is constant. If you will it's it's it's not it's not partial because you sit in this position you have this much money you know you preached this many people heat it in.

There's no partiality when it comes to God a man so he loves us all the same, because he sees us through his son.

A man invokes a support. Remember, he loves you and really talk about that, but it's a good time to stop and think about things many many people out there in the middle trials right now you know your financial, physical, what it whatever it may be child it's gone off the radar.

Any number of things but God knows all this. He's already been there for you and it's important just to sit back and meditate on him on his word and what it is that he has planned for you and your and your family and think about it from a previous show you heaven is for real. You good in this life or just a very short time in the scheme of attorney, no matter what suffering you're going through and I think about long-suffering heifers it comes to terms marriage process is an idea not to say you make a move on Jesse is just saying that that long suffer because that is the situation with her emotions go up and down. If you made for any length of time.

If you're solely depending on your walk with Christ to be an emotional all the time and you're really going to let down and you just need understand it is that you make a conscious decision to love Christ and follow Christ and slowly and from that will come those emotions go up or down at times, but he's always got you this the beautiful parties always got you in Seattle. I call in first Corinthians 13 for the laundry list of love becomes because a tell you what love is and it tells you what love does and what we should do if we are allowing ourselves to be led by, so when we come back with him to continue talking about sub because we all suffer but don't suffer for unrighteous to suffer for righteousness suffer for doing the right thing in God. All yes you CMM would love to have you join their community of men for breakfast every first and third Friday of every month and Bible discussions and fellowship after the best breakfast in town meeting location is at their voracious poster First Christian Church encouraged 1130 N. Main St. encouraged him a hard start at 7 o'clock on a hard stop at 8 o'clock. First time visitors eat for free. Join your host will Hardy Roy Jones Junior, a black guy in a white guy affordable chiropractic in High Point. As you might tell from their name, affordable chiropractic, even for the cash. Patient Dr. Jeff Ricky has been caring for patients in High Point for 34 years, physical therapy, such as ultrasound and spinal decompression for this condition, such as herniation conference of care for auto accident injury patients with no out-of-pocket expense. Remember, affordable chiropractic on the W. Lexington Ave. in High Point Hall 336-885-1987 about the laundry list of love and suffering suffer secrecy if you if you acting in love, then what it does this suffering is abased in other words, is brought low, because you are letting love dominate your your walk in your life. Love does not behave rudely say so if someone is being rude to you and causing you to get off course or off-track from the walk that God has set you on think about the laundry list of love.

It's not. It doesn't behave rudely, and it does not seek its own.

This is the one I like. It is not provoked, say so is not provoked, so, so if someone comes up to you and say you Jesus freak what you don't talking about believing God and and going on and all the stuff in attempting to provoke what you believe, then the word of God tells me that I'm not condemn based on what they're saying because of Romans eight and one there is therefore no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. So if I'm doing that and I'm operating in love, then it is like talk to the hand.

You know what what they're saying will not have a affect on me spiritually, because see what we see is what we see. I mean, we see individuals provoking us and that's, stir up and maybe call some ill will, feelings of the flesh absent. That's why you gotta be praying like the midst of that going on and do the laundry list exactly because if you praying through that and the snobs was to show love and be loved. Through this process.

It makes it bearable and out also makes it easy makes it bearable.

You're the higher calling. I think that's the key term, like higher calling suffering because of higher calling. Loving heart: sacrificing because of the higher will keep all those things in mind you are answering to a higher calling your calling is from a higher being your falling God for Christ if we think about that will love because I'm answering to her: I'm suffering because of falling are: I'm doing all the since observing because of the heart: ethically miss that sometimes usually to share in the insight that we miss those things is to follow Christ were not. We forget that we're in this world but were not supposed to be of this exact right and your presence should be different. You should look different. If you look just the way everybody else looks as the nonbeliever behaviors the nonbeliever does what is that say to the person who looks at you when you try to witness to exactly don't endure if you don't turn the other cheek if you're not serving all these things that are components of the loving others of the various aspects of what Christ is toast. Do shows how to do were really hurting our walk with so and back to the originals to suffer not to suffer were all going to suffer were all going suffer is not a matter if it's just a matter when you have adjourned so is not optional. Roy words. In other words, you can choose to say today I'm just not going to suffer.

How about that but see you that those are some things you just don't have any control because we don't know what will happen five minutes from our 50 minutes right but we know every time you come with me. You've got taken out for now, let's also but I'm glad to Romans eight and 18 for I consider that the sufferings of this present life can be compared to things which God has prepared for those who love him. Davis another words will scar great reward.

When he gets home hanging out with you and you know you know that's a blessed verse right there that Romans 818 because I think what it shows Roy is that God is blessing through the apostle Paul to say whatever it is you're going through it if if you're going through, for the right reason and not bring it on yourself. But if you going through for the right reason.

What you will get when you leave this life far exceeds the suffering that you've gone through its goodwill and it was your talk about that just comes back about Romans 12 about renewing my will to talk all the time is do you think it's important for the person to renew your mind little suffering. Well if they don't Roy it if they will have a tendency, I believe, to continue to allow the flesh to dominate whenever suffering comes in whatever and by whatever means it comes because you know again we can control the flesh.

If we allow this. The spirit of the living God to rule and reign in our life at that time that were going through our suffering because he went when you suffering is just a natural tendency Roy to focus on whatever it is you're going through and not focusing on the one who is able to rid you of whatever it is you're going through because he can. He can deliver you and take you from a place of where you are and bring you through that thing.

And when you're on the other side is just everlasting joy. We can rest in the face.

Never leave us. Never write in Romans 817, 837 knowing all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I'm convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons knew the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will build to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord, and Satan brought it because because God has already promised. If you do this you will never be separated but if you don't do it then you will be separated and then will default to the flesh now.

Here's a verse in first Peter chapter 4 verses 12 and 13.

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing has happened to you see, so it's not strange when you go through for the sake of Christ is not strange thing and you should look at it as a strange thing you should look at it as this is something that I'm going through and whatever it is I'm going through. Look toward the reward Lord when I go through in your name I'm looking for when I get to heaven.

What you will have for me and my my joy will far exceed my suffering. At that time as old Lord Estes.

The blessing is just a blessing to me Roy because it put things in perspective is like we were talking to a least trouble last week show what a blessed man you wanted to go out and get those books that we will talk about his Ottaway last week a case for having the case for miracles. A case for faith. The case for Christ.

A case for grace and and he's written over close to 40 books and because the way the books are structured Roy. He talks about suffering people who were suffering and he and he mentioned Barbara you know it in a case for miracles, here's a lady who had progressive multiple sclerosis and she I mean she was so deformed in the fetal position in bed had stayed in bed for years and she heard a voice say that he is the miracle. Here's what we can understand she was suffering folks and remember earlier we gave you the definitions of suffering. One of them was to feel pain or distress. When asked what she was going through in her body. She was feeling pain she was feeling distressed.

She was bedbound for six or seven years and she heard a voice and the voice said rise up, my child and walk socially. Roy think about all of the people who were praying for her and see that this is where this is where as as Lee Strobel was talking about the corroboration comes in because what happened is that was all kinds of medical evidence of what was happening to her physically and all of a sudden people were praying for her but yet nothing happened but until she heard the voice until she heard the voice. The voice said my child get up and walk and she said all of a sudden my hands because her her hand, folks were so bent. According to the book. Her hand was so big, her fingers could touch her wrist while hurt. She didn't have any more control of her bowels and and things like this and it was it was so joyous to hear when God healed her not to suffering that she was going through. But when God healed her. All of a sudden she said I rolled out of bed. It's in the book. I rolled out of bed and all of a sudden her joints and muscles begin to function again were restored and here's a here's a here's a lady Roy for years. How can you explain that and see this is why I'm glad least trouble. Roy took the journey you know will. What a great story and just illustration of how got a pulley through the suffering.

It may be healed. While you're here, you may and may be once you once you pass on and and that's back to what we talked about this just a short piece of time to think about atrophy as we talk about awful lot of their she had gone through five or six years and all of a sudden physically it would be impossible to get up and walk without healing just because of the atrophied incident on muscles and we all know what that's like this to the multitude of an injury. If you are an active muscle tissue goes quick, much less five or six years and this is why physical therapy. They want you to get out like a day or two after you had a surgery that things like the area.

Will this is been a great discussion around suffering folks. It's nothing easy about suffering, nothing, nothing, you see it with their children receive the spouse's receipt of the families what's what's what we want to take away from this is part of and makes us stronger makes us faithful close relationship with the father and sometimes will sometimes that's the reason you got so used to being on our own, even though this is I make. If we come back sometimes but allows us folks. We've been blessed to be with you. Thank you for listening week. This will be a special place that will get fixed. Lee Strobel/program so good that join us February 4 and fifth see him live some coed in this Saturday. God bless you all.

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