1st Peter 1:6-9, "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."
Pastor Jack Hyles said: "Unshakable faith comes from having your faith shaken." Faith is like film, it develops in the dark. Suffering, loss, afflictions, misery and pain increase our faith.
Even Jesus learned obedience through suffering. Hebrews 5:8, "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;" There is no teacher like pain! The Bible teaches in Deuteronomy 8:1-4 that God intentionally led the Hebrews out of bondage in Egypt, into the brutal hardships of the desert (no water, no food, there were snakes and scorpions, poison water, scorching sun). God tested their faith, to see if they would obey Him. The Hebrews became bitter, complaining that at least they had garlic, leeks and a better life in Egypt.
I was humbled the other day when I watched this YouTube video of a homeless man in Los Angeles, who quoted the Scripture in praise of God, that the Lord is meeting his needs by giving him food from a dumpster to eat. Many people would complain that God hasn't been good to them, because they have to eat out of a dumpster; but this humble man thanks and praises God for feeding him out of the garbage. I realized when I saw this video that everything boils down to a person's global view of life (that is, our overall view of reality). Why is it that one man appreciates even the smallest blessings, but another complains while having great blessings?
For example: For the past 7 years I have lived in an apartment that I rent. I lost my home from an unwanted divorced in 2006. My apartment floods when it rains. I have a 5 gallon bucket catching rain in the bathroom. My backdoors are frozen shut from rust. I cannot open them. I could complain that God hasn't been good to me. But I choose to praise God with a thankful heart that the roof doesn't leak over my bed. I thank God that I have a bucket to catch the rain. I thank God that I am free and can go out the front doors. Prison doors have no handles, because you cannot leave! I praise God for the place I have to live, not being homeless! So we see how our attitude affects and determines whether or not we think God has blessed us!
God lets us suffer sometimes to break us, so that we will appreciate what we have. Job's friends condemned him, berating him at the lowest point in his life, falsely accusing him and his children of sinning to cause their own calamity. I can understand why Job might have hated them. In Job 16:2 Job called his friends "miserable comforters." Yet, look when God turned away Job's hardships... Job 42:10, "And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before." Job took the high road and prayed for his rotten friends, and that is when God made everything right again in Job's life! Job's attitude caused God to bless him.
We see the same thing with Jonah. Jonah 2:9-10, "But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land." When Jonah became thankful, and decided to obey God, his captivity ended. So often I think God lets us suffer to teach us (to conform us into Christ's image - Romans 8:29), and when our attitude pleases the Lord, then He blesses us. James 4:6 says God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble. Without faith we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6). Having our faith shaken gives us unshakable faith. Psalms 119:67 and 71, "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. ... It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes." The Bible says our suffering, losses and hardships are more valuable than gold (1st Peter 1:7-9). How many believers esteem their suffering as being worth more than having $10,000,000?
I heard an amazing sermon last year by Pastor Ralph "Yankee" Arnold titled: "THE CALL TO SUFFER." I think you'd find it a blessing, as I did. This is a rare sermon, which few preachers would ever preach, because they don't understand this truth. Suffering is as much a part of the Christian life as our faith. Jesus Christ also suffered, and as his disciples we are partakers of His suffering. 2nd Corinthians 1:7, "And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation."
Also, dietary fasting increases our faith, because it is a form of self induced suffering. Oftentimes saints with the most faith suffer from some crippling disease, or are victims of a horrible accident or birth defect. When we ask God to increase our faith, we are asking for all Hades to happen in our life, because that is how our faith increases. Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The Word of God increases our faith, but often people won't listen to the Word of God until they suffer. Many people sin and end up in prison, and only then do they listen to God's Word. Listening to the Holy Bible will increase one's faith. That is why the Devil removed and banned the Holy Bible from all public schools. That is why this generation has no faith!
The best way to increase one's faith is to get into the Word of God, and nothing else. Just read, study and listen to the Bible. Here is Alexander Scourby reading the Gospel of John.
People who are all messed up and confused on the Bible and salvation, have been listening to preachers, usually internet or TV preachers. I encourage people to look only at the King James Bible as their only and final authority. Jesus said in John 5:39 to "Search the Scriptures." He didn't tell us to listen to man's teachings. As we live and suffer, the indwelling Holy Spirit will teach us the real meaning of the Bible, which oftentimes people cannot grasp until they've suffered through it personally. God wrote the Bible in such a way that different people, at different points in life's journey, will benefit from different portions of Scripture. We all see something different when we read the Bible. That is, different passages will impact us more than others, and vise versa. That is truly amazing!
I was humbled the other day when I watched this YouTube video of a homeless man in Los Angeles, who quoted the Scripture in praise of God, that the Lord is meeting his needs by giving him food from a dumpster to eat. Many people would complain that God hasn't been good to them, because they have to eat out of a dumpster; but this humble man thanks and praises God for feeding him out of the garbage. I realized when I saw this video that everything boils down to a person's global view of life (that is, our overall view of reality). Why is it that one man appreciates even the smallest blessings, but another complains while having great blessings?
For example: For the past 7 years I have lived in an apartment that I rent. I lost my home from an unwanted divorced in 2006. My apartment floods when it rains. I have a 5 gallon bucket catching rain in the bathroom. My backdoors are frozen shut from rust. I cannot open them. I could complain that God hasn't been good to me. But I choose to praise God with a thankful heart that the roof doesn't leak over my bed. I thank God that I have a bucket to catch the rain. I thank God that I am free and can go out the front doors. Prison doors have no handles, because you cannot leave! I praise God for the place I have to live, not being homeless! So we see how our attitude affects and determines whether or not we think God has blessed us!
God lets us suffer sometimes to break us, so that we will appreciate what we have. Job's friends condemned him, berating him at the lowest point in his life, falsely accusing him and his children of sinning to cause their own calamity. I can understand why Job might have hated them. In Job 16:2 Job called his friends "miserable comforters." Yet, look when God turned away Job's hardships... Job 42:10, "And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before." Job took the high road and prayed for his rotten friends, and that is when God made everything right again in Job's life! Job's attitude caused God to bless him.
We see the same thing with Jonah. Jonah 2:9-10, "But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land." When Jonah became thankful, and decided to obey God, his captivity ended. So often I think God lets us suffer to teach us (to conform us into Christ's image - Romans 8:29), and when our attitude pleases the Lord, then He blesses us. James 4:6 says God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble. Without faith we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6). Having our faith shaken gives us unshakable faith. Psalms 119:67 and 71, "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. ... It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes." The Bible says our suffering, losses and hardships are more valuable than gold (1st Peter 1:7-9). How many believers esteem their suffering as being worth more than having $10,000,000?
I heard an amazing sermon last year by Pastor Ralph "Yankee" Arnold titled: "THE CALL TO SUFFER." I think you'd find it a blessing, as I did. This is a rare sermon, which few preachers would ever preach, because they don't understand this truth. Suffering is as much a part of the Christian life as our faith. Jesus Christ also suffered, and as his disciples we are partakers of His suffering. 2nd Corinthians 1:7, "And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation."
Also, dietary fasting increases our faith, because it is a form of self induced suffering. Oftentimes saints with the most faith suffer from some crippling disease, or are victims of a horrible accident or birth defect. When we ask God to increase our faith, we are asking for all Hades to happen in our life, because that is how our faith increases. Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The Word of God increases our faith, but often people won't listen to the Word of God until they suffer. Many people sin and end up in prison, and only then do they listen to God's Word. Listening to the Holy Bible will increase one's faith. That is why the Devil removed and banned the Holy Bible from all public schools. That is why this generation has no faith!
The best way to increase one's faith is to get into the Word of God, and nothing else. Just read, study and listen to the Bible. Here is Alexander Scourby reading the Gospel of John.
People who are all messed up and confused on the Bible and salvation, have been listening to preachers, usually internet or TV preachers. I encourage people to look only at the King James Bible as their only and final authority. Jesus said in John 5:39 to "Search the Scriptures." He didn't tell us to listen to man's teachings. As we live and suffer, the indwelling Holy Spirit will teach us the real meaning of the Bible, which oftentimes people cannot grasp until they've suffered through it personally. God wrote the Bible in such a way that different people, at different points in life's journey, will benefit from different portions of Scripture. We all see something different when we read the Bible. That is, different passages will impact us more than others, and vise versa. That is truly amazing!
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