Wednesday, August 1, 2018

ALMIGHTY GOD AND HIS USE OF "SORROW" IN OUR LIVES

SORROW -  "A DEEP DISTRESS/SADNESS OR REGRET; A CAUSE OF GRIEF"*

SADLY, SORROW/GRIEF IS A REALITY. THERE ISN'T A PERSON ALIVE WHO HAS NOT SUFFERED SORROW/GRIEF OF ONE DEGREE OR ANOTHER FROM TIME TO TIME. 

IS IT POSSIBLE THE TRIUNE GOD (GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT) IS ABLE TO USE SORROW/GRIEF IN OUR
LIVES FOR OUR WELL BEING - SPIRIT, SOUL, AND BODY ULTIMATELY LEADING US TO VICTORIOUS LIVING?   PLEASE KEEP IN MIND AS WE WALK THROUGH SUCH DIFFICULT/CHALLENGING TIMES, THE COMFORTING PRAISE SONG...."HE MAKES ALL THINGS BEAUTIFUL IN HIS TIME, IN HIS TIME...."!  I ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU AS A START, TO CONSIDER THE POWERFUL SCRIPTURAL STRATEGIES IN 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-19...

              "REJOICE ALWAYS, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, IN EVERYTHING (ITALICS MINE) GIVE
               THANKS, FOR THIS (CORRECTLY TRANSLATED "THAT WHICH I AM GOING THRU") IS THE 
               WILL OF GOD FOR YOU IN CHRIST JESUS". DO NOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT."

ALWAYS REMEMBER, THERE ARE NO OOPS IN GOD'S KINGDOM, FOR HE ALLOWS, (NOT CAUSING) "THIS" IN OUR LIVES,  ".....ACCORDING TO THE GOOD PLEASURE OF HIS WILL" IN OUR LIVES (EPH. 1:5) AND THAT "NOTHING TOUCHES US THAT HASN'T TOUCHED HIM FIRST"! "BLESSED ASSURANCE, JESUS IS MINE...." AS THE HYMN DECLARES!

THUS, NO MATTER WHAT IS "SWIRLING AROUND OUR HEADS", HE HAS IT ALL UNDER CONTROL....THAT IS, IF WE LET HIM...AND JUST HOW CRUCIAL IS "LETTING HIM HAVE HIS WAY IN OUR LIVES" FOR HE WILL NEVER FORCE US, THUS OUR FREE WILL TOO OFTEN PLAYS AN INCREDIBLE GOOD OR BAD PLACE IN OUR LIVES!

HOW IS IT THAT THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY ALLOWS SORROW/GRIEF IN OUR LIVES AND THEN USES SORROW FOR OUR OWN GOOD?  HOW CAN SUCH A STATEMENT BE MADE, YOU ASK? I CAN HEAR READERS NOW EXCLAIMING "BUT...BUT....BUT... WHY WOULD A LOVING GOD ALLOW SUCH PAIN IN OUR LIVES....WHY?"

A CRUCIAL QUESTION UPON WHICH TO DWELL..."WHERE IN THE MIDST OF SORROW/GRIEF IN OUR LIVES IS OUR HOPE, COMFORT, PEACE, JOY AND VICTORY?" 
CONSIDER GALATIANS 5:22 "BUT THE FRUIT OF THE (HOLY) SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONG SUFFERING, KINDNESS,GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS,, SELF CONTROL." MAY I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ AS WELL, VERSES 23-25.        

THIS COULD WELL BE THE TIME TO CONSIDER SORROWS/GRIEFS OF THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE, AND ASK, "WHERE AM I CONCERNING THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND THOSE OF THE FUTURE?" 

THE SORROWS THAT ARE OF THE PAST, ARE JUST THAT, OF THE PAST - NO LONGER! HOWEVER, IF WE LINGER/FOCUS ON THOSE OF THE PAST, AND AS WELL,THE SORROWS/GRIEFS OF THE FUTURE, FOR WE ARE TOLD "TAKE NO THOUGHT FOR THE MORROW". (MATTHEW 6:34) LET ALONE FOCUS ON THE "WHAT IF" TRAP, FOR WE CERTAINLY WILL PAY A HEAVY PRICE IN THAT WE QUICKLY LOSE OUR ASSURANCE AND SOLACE OF FAITH, HOPE, PEACE, OUR JOY AND AS WELL, WE ARE UNABLE TO "BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD." (PSALM 46:10) AND IN ADDITION, HEARING THAT STILL SMALL VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT "DECLARING "THIS IS THE WAY, WALK IN IT" AS THE SCRIPTURES TELL US (ISAIAH 30:21) ... INSTEAD, OUR "BATTER" INGREDIENTS OF WORRY, FRET, DISCOURAGEMENT, DREAD, AND DEPRESSION IN OUR LIVES MAKE UP THE PAST/PRESENT/FUTURE RECIPES IN OUR LIVES... THAT LEAVES US WITH SORROWS/GRIEFS OF THE PRESENT. 

CRITICAL QUESTION  - IS SORROW/GRIEF HOLDING YOU CAPTIVE AND TO WHAT EXTENT?

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES AS TO ACTIONS I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU  TO TAKE NOWIF YOU ARE INDEED BEING HELD CAPTIVE BY SORROW/GRIEF AND WANT TO BE SET FREE FROM SUCH BONDAGES:

                 1.  THE BATTLE BEGINS IN THE MIND WHICH IS FLESH AND NOT BORN AGAIN, 
                          FOR WE READ IN  ROMANS 12:2 "AND NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD, 
                          BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, (ITALICS MINE) THAT YOU                                      MAY PROVE WHAT IS THAT GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT WILL OF GOD". 
                          (THIS WILL BE DISCUSSED FURTHER IN THE NEXT SORROW/GRIEF BLOG.)

                     2.   APPROPRIATE FOCUS - "YOU WILL KEEP HIM  IN PERFECT PEACE,WHOSE MIND
                           IS STAYED ON YOU, BECAUSE HE TRUSTS IN YOU. TRUST IN THE LORD FOREVER,
                           FOR IN YAH, THE LORD, IS EVERLASTING STRENGTH".(ISAIAH 26:3,4)

                      3.  "AND BE RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF THE MIND..." (EPHESIANS 4:23)
             
                      4.  "LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU WHICH WAS IN CHRIST JESUS..." (PHILIPPIANS 2:5)

                      5.  "FOR THOUGH WE WALK IN THE FLESH, WE DO NOT WAR ACCORDING TO THE 
                            FLESH.  FOR THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT CARNAL BUT MIGHTY
                            IN GOD FOR PULLING DOWN STRONGHOLDS, CASTING DOWN ARGUMENTS
                            AND EVERY HIGH THING THAT EXALTS ITSELF AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE 
                            OF GOD, BRINGING EVERY THOUGHT  (ITALICS MINE) INTO CAPTIVITY TO THE OBEDIENCE 
                            OF CHRIST." (2 CORINTHIANS 10:3-5...)

THE QUESTION MUST BE ADDRESSED - "HOW DO I KNOW THAT MY MIND IS INDEED
KEEPING ME IN BONDAGE, AND JUST WHO/WHAT IN MY MIND, IS KEEPING ME IN SUCH BONDAGE...THE WORLD, MY FLESH, SATAN OR THE CHURCH (THE SMALL C WHICH IS THE CHURCH UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF MAN, NOT THE TRIUNE GOD)?" THESE 4 POSSIBLE AGENTS WILL BE THE TOPIC OF ANOTHER BLOG. IN THE MEANTIME, IT IS CRUCIAL THAT YOU SEEK THE GIFT OF DISCERNMENT AND INCLUDE IT AMONG THE OTHER GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT INTO ACTION, AS FOUND IN 1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-11.

IF THERE ARE THOSE OF YOU CHRISTIANS READING THIS BLOG WHO HAVE NEVER ASKED THE HOLY SPIRIT TO "FILL/BAPTIZE" YOU, PLEASE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRAY THE FOLLOWING: "GRACIOUS TRIUNE GOD, AS I READ IN MATTHEW 4:16,17 WHERE JESUS WAS BAPTIZED IN WATER BY JOHN THE BAPTIST AND BY THE HOLY SPIRIT IN ORDER FOR HIM TO BE EMPOWERED FOR BEGINNING HIS MINISTRY, I COME TO YOU NOW, HOLY SPIRIT AND ASK THAT YOU FILL/BAPTIZE ME WITH YOUR SPIRIT SO THAT I TOO WILL BE EMPOWERED TO BE THAT MAN OR WOMAN OF GOD THAT YOU SO DESIRE ALL YOUR SAINTS TO BE. I SO DESIRE TO BE "GIFTED" AS OFFERED IN 1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-11 AND IN ADDITION TO HAVE THE "FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT" IN GALATIANS 5:22-25 OPERATING IN MY LIFE.  I THANK YOU, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, THAT I AM WELCOME TO ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT INTO MY LIFE FROM THIS DAY FORTH! IT IS IN THAT NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES, JESUS THE CHRIST, THAT I BRING THIS PRAYER BEFORE YOU. AMEN AND AMEN."

IN ADDITION, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU SPEND TIME READING ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT IN ACTION AS REVEALED IN THE BOOK OF ACTS WHICH WAS THE
BEGINNING OF THE TRIUNE GOD'S CHURCH WHICH TRAGICALLY DID NOT TAKE LONG TO BECOME MAN'S CHURCH BEING CONTAMINATED BY THE DESTROYER SATAN!

I WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR HIS WISDOM CONCERNING WHO/WHAT IS HOLDING YOU IN BONDAGE, FOR IT IS WRITTEN:

                          -  "IF ANY OF YOU LACK WISDOM, LET HIM ASK OF GOD, WHO GIVES TO
                                     ALL LIBERALLY AND WITHOUT REPROACH, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO 
                                     HIM. (JAMES 1:5)
                                     " ....YET YOU HAVE NOT HAVE BECAUSE YOU DO NOT ASK." (JAMES 4:2)
                          -  "AND WHATEVER THINGS YOU ASK FOR IN PRAYER; BELIEVING, YOU
                                     WILL RECIEVE. (MATTHEW 21:22)
                               -    "SO I SAY UNTO YOU, ASK, AND IT WILL  BE GIVEN TO YOU, SEEK AND
                                     YOU WILL FIND, KNOCK AND IT WILL BE OPENED TO YOU." (LUKE 11:9)

"THE PURPOSE OF THIS BLOG IS TO REVEAL THE INCREDIBLE COMPLICATIONS OF THE FLESH - INDUCED (I.E. ALLOWING THE FLESH TO CONTROL OUR THINKING AND OUR ACTIONS) WHICH OFTEN ARE THE TORMENTING WORKS OF SATAN AND HIS MINIONS! -WE MUST ALWAYS FOCUS ON THE PROMISE OF THE LORD, "THERE IS ALWAYS FAITH/HOPE/COMFORT", THANKFULLY, AND THE WAY OUT, AS WE ARE PROMISED IN HEBREWS 13:5 "I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU."  IT IS PROCLAIMED IN ROMANS 8 BELOW..IF WE KEEP OUR FOCUS UPON THE TRIUNE GOD...…

               ROMANS 8:34,37  "WHO (CHRIST) IS EVEN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, WHO MAKES
               INTERCESSION FOR US." VS. 37: "YET IN ALL THESE THINGS, WE ARE MORE THAN  
                                             CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM WHO LOVED US."

                OBVIOUSLY, THERE ARE VARYING DEGREES OF SORROW/GRIEF:

                                               TEMPORARY OR LONG LASTING  

IT IS THE LONG LASTING SORROW WE MUST CONFRONT, FOR SURELY THE LORD WILL GIVE US GRACE TO WITHSTAND THE TEMPORARY SORROW - NOT THAT HE DOESN'T GIVE US GRACE AT ALL TIMES! HOWEVER, LONG LASTING SORROWS/GRIEFS ARE SO MUCH MORE COMPLICATED AND SO DESTRUCTIVE, BUT THANKFULLY, WE ARE OVER COMERS AS PROMISED IN ROMANS 8:38 AND ELSEWHERE IN THE SCRIPTURES. HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE THE CHOICE TO CARRY THE HEAVY BURDENS OF OUR SORROWS/GRIEFS AND REAP THE CONSEQUENCESAGAIN, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING PROMISES CONCERNING THE ABOVE STATEMENT....

                        "CAST YOUR BURDEN ON THE LORD, AND HE WILL SUSTAIN YOU; HE 
                          SHALL NEVER PERMIT THE RIGHTEOUS TO BE MOVED" ( PS. 55:22)

                              "COME UNTO ME, ALL YOU WHO LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND
                               I WILL GIVE YOU REST. TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU AND LEARN FROM ME,
                               FOR I AM GENTLE AND LOWLY IN HEART, AND YOU WILL FIND REST
                               FOR YOUR SOULS. FOR MY YOKE IS EASY AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT."                                                                                                            (MATTHEW 11: 28-30)

 I WILL CONCLUDE THIS BLOG WITH THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:

"COULD IT BE THAT SORROW/GRIEF ACTUALLY BEGAN WHEN WE WERE BORN?"   HOW SO, YOU MIGHT WELL ASK......?

                                                        TO BE CONTINUED........

                                          BE GLORIFIED, O LORD, BE GLORIFIED

DISCLOSURE - THE REASON ALL CAPS ARE USED IS BECAUSE IT ENHANCES THE ABILITY TO READ THE BLOG WITHOUT STRAIN.

SCRIPTURES IN THIS BLOG ARE FROM THE NEW SPIRIT-FILLED BIBLE NKJV - JACK HAYFORD, EDITOR

* MERRIAM WEBSTER DESK DICTIONARY




                                  






                                  ....



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