Suffering Like Christ

Check out Lloyds testimony that he shared in middle of October! and then read below.

What did ya think? wow I was so encouraged even to watch and listen to his testimony again, a month later. Did you notice that in Lloyds life, he had to suffer through quite a bit, yet because he did, God had kept His promise to restore him. This reminded me of something me and my friend, Frank (one of the spanish guys who comes to Solomons Porch) talked about this saturday in scripture. The promise and wisdom God shares with us through His scripture concerning suffering. In 1 peter 5:10, (paraphrased) Peter says "Like Christ, you will have to suffer, and if you suffer for a little while, then He will then perfect, establish and settle you." No matter the situation or hard thing we may go through, Christ has already suffered through it. He suffered for a long while (to the point of death) yet because He did, the Father came to His rescue and ressurected Him from the grave. The physical and spiritual suffering of Christ was not eternal, it was temporary that reaped eternal benefits to humanity. And as the bible tells us, at any moment He could have gave up, yet was steadfast to make sure that His Father would get glory. We too then, must suffer for a little while and if we do, then the Father promises to come to our rescue and ressurect us. A well example is trials. When the trial comes, our mind often says to give up and turn the responsiblity of the trial on ourselves (which is more than we can bear alone). However if we turn it to God, and hold our faith in His promise to deliver us and wait through the period of suffering, then He will bring it around to work for our good (which is His glory). This also applies to temptations, tribulations, sicknesses, stresses, confusion, worries, etc. In my own life over the past couple of weeks, i see that sometimes i wait for a big spiritual moment to rescue me from sin. Yet i must phyically choose not to sin, to suffer for a time, and then Gods promise to "provide a way of escape" is sure to follow. It is truly something that will take experience and perhaps a few "scars" to learn and sometimes through the hardest of situations. YET is Gods grace because i find that in life, after the bad things happen to us, God has out attention in those moments, and can then provide a way of escape and growth in Him. Does He provide for a disaster to hit his children? Certainly not, but if disaser does hit us, we look to Him and He then will turn it for good somehow. In Franks life, distractions and lack of commitment have been weighing him down and causing Him to be fustrated. Yet he learned that if he will not wait around, yet fight to make things on time, and get to the mercy seat on sundays and take care of himself, then pretty soon, God will give Him strength and energy to keep it going. All it takes is patience and faith. How much? "As small as a mustard seed." SO persist! Persist through the times that are hard and suffer like Christ for a while, and on His timing He will reward you faithfulness and establish, settle and perfect you. And remember in every way He has already related to our suffering. In trials, longsuffering, temptations... all was upon Him for he lived the life of man, yet never once did He quit. Like the Father rewarded Him on His timing, He will reward you. HE has in Lloyd, me, Frank and will in you! -michaelScott