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| Volume 22 Number 4 April 2020 | Page 10 |
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| Volume 22 Number 4 April 2020 | Page 10 |
Mark McWhorter
Some preachers and teachers tell listeners that being a Christian is very easy. They make it sound like once a person is a Christian, that person will never have troubles. While being a Christian makes it easier to live with life’s problems, being a Christian will not make your life trouble free. God tells us we must have endurance. This means that problems will arise; troubles or situations will still be in our lives. What does God say we need to endure?
Hardness – “Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3).
Affliction – “Endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5).
Chastening – “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons” (Hebrews 12:7).
Grief – “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief” (1 Peter 2:19).
Contradiction – “Consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself” (Hebrews 12:3).
Temptation – “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation” (James 1:12).
All Things – “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sake” (2 Timothy 2:10).
I am glad we have a God who cares for us. If we lean on Him, He will help us get through the difficult times. This makes it easier to deal with them. We always know that no matter how bad things are on earth for us, things will be so much better for us in Heaven (Romans 8:18). Study your Bible. Learn what is necessary to live for Christ. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.
A Few Great
Blessings in Christ Jesus
Donald R. Fox
Great Faith, Hope and Love: “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (1 Corinthians 13:13 KJV). “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us” (Ephesians 2:4).
Great Mystery of Godliness in Christ: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1 Timothy 3:16).
Great Salvation in Christ Jesus: “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him” (Hebrews 2:3).
Greatness of Power: “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power” (Ephesians 1:19).
Great Precious Promises in Christ: “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4).