Staying on the lord's side

[Benevolent]

How does a fellow believer ensures that they stay on the Lord's side despite the hardships they face?

[Jotham Rodriguez]

When I think about this is hard a lot of the time to stay strong and be fighting for the Lord when the world makes it seem easier to be against him and almost sometimes rewarded for it. What helps me is to keep in mind that the Lord (Jesus) is also fighting for us. 

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10. 

We may endure trial and sometimes it seems too much to bear but we literally need God to love and it is my belief that this is to strengthen us not to harm us along with the reward of treasures in heaven. He promises that we will never be tempted more than we can bear. If we turn from the Lord it realistically makes it harder to get back on the right track and even harder to succeed and enjoy life even though the world promises pleasure by temptation the Lord warns us to avoid sin for our own good anyway as Proverbs 2 states 

7He holds success in store for the upright,

he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

8for he guards the course of the just

and protects the way of his faithful ones.

[FresnoJoe]

Then Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my Father takes care of the vineyard. He removes every one of my branches that doesn't produce fruit. He also prunes every branch that does produce fruit to make it produce more fruit.

"You are already clean because of what I have told you.

Live in me, and I will live in you. A branch cannot produce any fruit by itself. It has to stay attached to the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me. "I am the vine. You are the branches. Those who live in me while I live in them will produce a lot of fruit. But you can't produce anything without me.

Whoever doesn't live in me is thrown away like a branch and dries up. Branches like this are gathered, thrown into a fire, and burned.

If you live in me and what I say lives in you, then ask for anything you want, and it will be yours. You give glory to my Father when you produce a lot of fruit and therefore show that you are my disciples.

"I have loved you the same way the Father has loved me. So live in my love. If you obey my commandments, you will live in my love. I have obeyed my Father's commandments, and in that way I live in his love. I have told you this so that you will be as joyful as I am, and your joy will be complete.

Love each other as I have loved you. This is what I'm commanding you to do.  John 15:1-12 (GOD'S WORD® Translation)

[FresnoJoe]

On ‎8‎/‎28‎/‎2017 at 2:37 PM, Benevolent said:

How does a fellow believer ensures that they stay on the Lord's side despite the hardships they face?

Eat

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. 1 Corinthians 10:21 (New International Version)

At The Right Table

When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God of Heaven's Armies. Jeremiah 15;16 (New Living Translation)

 

[Igor Evgen]

Hi Benevolent,

Good question, thanks. The above answers of the Church - full of Faith - are also all right.

Yet, it depends. On what? Probably, on how we manage to use the abovenamed Scriptures in our actual circumstances and conditions. For, as one Pastor rightly said, the devil was likened to a fisherman which had a proper bait for every fish - a temptation for each of us. Common sense, compromise, mammon, fear, pride, lust - you pick it for yourself. Add to that the well-known war-rule "don't underestimate your enemy."

Sounds pessimistic? Doesn't matter. My point is, stay vigilant. May 1John 5:18 teaches us to be one step ahead of the evil one. 

GOD bless you.

Igor

  

[ABAYO]

There is one question I need to ask here, the creation of man and devil, is it the will of God? And if Yes... ?

[Laura W]

A huge topic which might be better addressed  under ‘theology’. However if you really want a scholarly response I would suggest the works of Norman Geisler and RC Sproul. They represent the heavy hitters of the Calvinist and Armenian persuasions.

[Retrobyter]

On 8/28/2017 at 3:37 PM, Benevolent said:

How does a fellow believer ensures that they stay on the Lord's side despite the hardships they face?

Shabbat shalom, Benevolent.

Realize that it's not about "us" but about YHWH our God! What are "hardships" in this life compared to the wonders we will experience in the New Earth?

Even if we lived to be 100 years old with physical problems and pain the whole time, what is that compared to 100,000,000 years of joy and contentment, no more pain, or death, or crying? And, even after 100 MILLION years, that time is not even a drop in a bucket compared to eternity!

One should look THROUGH any pain one might be experiencing and see our Lord Yeshua`s suffering for us! He ENDURED the cross, DESPISING the shame, focusing on the future glory He would have!

If one's troubles are financial, what is that compared to YHWH who owns the cattle on every grazing hill?! (Some read "on a thousand hills," but the word for a "thousand," "alef" [the first letter of the Hebrew alefbet] means "bull," and the passage could actually mean, "on every hill for grazing cattle!") He CREATED every atom of gold, silver, and platinum on this earth! He CREATED the carbon in every crystal of diamond He formed in this earth!

I like the story of the guy who thought he could buy his way into the Kingdom. He took all he owned and converted it to gold. Then, he melted down all the gold into bricks and packed it all for his journey. When he got to the pearly gate, he presented his bricks as payment for entry. The angel at the gate scratched his head and said, "What do we need pavement for?"

Revelation 21:21 (KJV)

21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

When we pray, we shouldn't just be asking for things or wealth or wellness or healing; we should be talking to our God! He doesn't want your things; He wants YOU! He wants YOUR TIME! He wants YOUR LOVE!

I really like what James Dobson said about children: 'Children spell "love" "T-I-M-E!"' Children don't crave the things you can buy them at Christmas as much as they crave the TIME you can spend with them!

Guess who instilled that need in children? God is the SAME WAY! He doesn't want your things; He wants YOU!

Micah 6:7-8 (KJV)

7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but (1) to do justly, and (2) to love mercy, and (3) to walk humbly with thy God?

This passage reminds me of Chanowkh, Adam's great, great, great, great grandson:

Genesis 5:21-24 (KJV)

21 And Enoch (Chanowkh) lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: 22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

To "stay on the LORD'S side," draw closer to HIM! 

James 4:7-10 (KJV)

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

[Guest In Him]

I am on the Lord's side when I agree with Him against myself. Oh, to be an overcomer like Job, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."

A brother commented, "Will I hold to His hand even when it appears He is my enemy? Do I love Him for what I can get, or for Who He is"?

Edited October 23, 2018 by In Him