Post by Les Brewer on Jun 16, 2012 19:11:08 GMT
Being Made Ready
for the Ages to Come
Born-again Christians who suffer many things in this world and hold faithful and obedient to God in and through their suffering, will receive far greater eternal rewards than the Christian Materialists and their leaders who acquire for themselves worldly riches and possessions by their prosperity teachings and the willingness of their followers to pour money... into their coffers.
Christ was forever the perfect Son of God and yet was perfected in His humanity through and by the things He suffered (Hebrews 2:10, 5:7-9), and the servant is not greater than the Master (John 15:20).
If in His humanity it required suffering to teach Jesus obedience and perfect Him in his faith-dependence upon His Father, then how much more it requires the same for us, His servants. Our problem is that rather than seeing the work of God teaching and perfecting us through our sufferings, and holding fast in faith while giving glory to God (Romans 4:20-21), we wallow in self-pity and whine and complain. And far too often we look upon the Christian Materialists and wonder, to ourselves if not out loud, why God is seemingly blessing them more than us.
By so doing, we become less fit for that which God has for us to do in the ages to come, and must be either put through increased trials and tribulations (training, if you will), or laid aside from that which God had intended for us in His eternal heaven.
The choice is ours.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22)
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong—[that is, I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency. Amplified Bible]. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 + Amp)
for the Ages to Come
Born-again Christians who suffer many things in this world and hold faithful and obedient to God in and through their suffering, will receive far greater eternal rewards than the Christian Materialists and their leaders who acquire for themselves worldly riches and possessions by their prosperity teachings and the willingness of their followers to pour money... into their coffers.
Christ was forever the perfect Son of God and yet was perfected in His humanity through and by the things He suffered (Hebrews 2:10, 5:7-9), and the servant is not greater than the Master (John 15:20).
If in His humanity it required suffering to teach Jesus obedience and perfect Him in his faith-dependence upon His Father, then how much more it requires the same for us, His servants. Our problem is that rather than seeing the work of God teaching and perfecting us through our sufferings, and holding fast in faith while giving glory to God (Romans 4:20-21), we wallow in self-pity and whine and complain. And far too often we look upon the Christian Materialists and wonder, to ourselves if not out loud, why God is seemingly blessing them more than us.
By so doing, we become less fit for that which God has for us to do in the ages to come, and must be either put through increased trials and tribulations (training, if you will), or laid aside from that which God had intended for us in His eternal heaven.
The choice is ours.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22)
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong—[that is, I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency. Amplified Bible]. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 + Amp)
