We All Face Struggles

[Alive]

We who are in Christ sojourn on this earth and are subject to many things both in the world and within our own flesh and minds. I offer two analogies that have been helpful to myself during my walk and I hope and pray may be of help to others of my family in Christ.

I think in terms of two analogies, neither of which are perfect, but have been of some help to me over the years.

1. A tree

2. The land

When God made us Alive 'In Christ' the source of our life changed from the earthly to the heavenly. He essentially and in a very real way severed us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into His Kingdom. We being like a tree have been uprooted and turned upside down with our roots now in the heavens where we draw all of our strength and blessings.  However, the branches are still in this earthly realm and subject to much of what this realm exudes. Our branches are always catching flying things that wish to land there and affect our thinking and yank on our flesh. We have this Treasure in earthen vessels. Through His word (scriptures) rhema and our brethren, we learn to shew away those birds. God will touch something in us and we respond with a "yes Lord", thus agreeing with Him and through this ongoing process are 'changed into His likeness'.

2Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, just as from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

This is all the Lord's doing. It is only because of 'New Life' that we are able to say 'Yes Lord'.

The other is the 'Land' and I will attempt to connect this aspect of our ongoing sanctification.

When the Israelites were entering the Land as the Lord had ordained and commanded the inhabitants were driven out or not, the Lord was establishing His Kingdom on earth. A place set aside for His purpose and for our learning. I see the Land as a metaphor for our ongoing sanctification.

When He touches something in us that is not of Him, and we say 'yes Lord' and thus give our loyalty to Him rather than the flesh and the earth, He reigns there. His Kingdom is in a very real way established in us.

Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

It is needful and healthy to remember that it is all His Working in us.

Jesus said, "you can do nothing without me". "No thing". Not some things, or things of a category or another!

No thing.

This is the sense and realization as He works in us; to know deep within our being that we need Him to walk, talk, breathe and think.

Thus we grow toward that place where He is Lord. We decrease as He increases.

Our roots are 'In Him'.

 

[Sower]

We All Face Struggles..

That's so true, Alive.
Most everyone we meet is fighting battles we know nothing about.

Jesus, the Root of Jesse, is the true Vine, and we are his branches.
If we abide as a branch we bare His fruit, and God receives the glory.

Quote.."We being like a tree have been uprooted and turned upside down with our roots now in the heavens"

Rooted in Christ we are seated in heaven...
 

Thanks Alive
 

[Alive]

9 hours ago, Sower said:

We All Face Struggles..

That's so true, Alive.
Most everyone we meet is fighting battles we know nothing about.

Jesus, the Root of Jesse, is the true Vine, and we are his branches.
If we abide as a branch we bare His fruit, and God receives the glory.

Quote.."We being like a tree have been uprooted and turned upside down with our roots now in the heavens"

Rooted in Christ we are seated in heaven...
 

Thanks Alive
 

We often forget such fundamental truths in the hectic nature of day to day lives. Relative of course. But even when we are not focused on these truths each of us are sustained…we are kept safe in Christ. Even those seasons when it seems He is far away.

I have been thinking a lot lately about the Reality of the Great Shepherd. Psalm 23 is an oldie but oh so relevant. Praise His Name.

[Alive]

I am prompted to add a word for all, but especially to new Christians. It is so important that you read your Bible each day.

It think it’s a good idea to read the psalms, the gospel of John and the letter to the Romans as well as Ephesians. Read prayerfully while asking the Lord’s Help to understand. Our Lord will honor this. When you have questions and you will, please ask someone you trust as well as folks here at Worthy. For a private discussion that only you and ministry can see go here…and start a conversation.

https://www.worthychristianforums.com/forum/308-worthy-discussions/

[Marilyn C]

And the struggles like the chick struggling to get out of the egg, is very necessary for it (if we respond) brings us closer to rely on the Lord. 

In the struggle we get stronger in our trust in the Lord.

[grumix8]

We all face struggles, we are tested everyday with God and he lets us pass his test in the end of our lives, the middle, or even in the beggining. Depends on the situation but always remember it could of being worst. Really we were going in the wrong direction with Joe Biden ! We are still suffering from his adminstration and things will change God will help.

 

The reality people we deserve the sentence that God was gonna give to humanity a long time ago, we deserve the judgement and his justice. How many times people humanity has been saved ? Since world war 2, since the plague, and biblical times God has save humanity ? Many times and till this day. God has a purpose for you, he has a plan ! And he saved us in the end !

 

God is good and were alive we should be thankful but society isn't.

 

We should be thankful, all of us ! Being thankful people isn't after your saved by all the promblems you have. Go back and steal from thy neighbor, kill people you judge, or be racist or prejudice. Is that we are thankful we don't go do evil to our nieghbor. We thank God for what he gave us and realize to be happy and humble for his blessings. It's not easy, we all struggle but he will deliver us and he will help us. If we look for the plan of God and want to know what he wanted you to do in this times ? It's simple that you be thankful and stop your evil and sinful things spying, going and stealin or doing other things you know shouldn't. And doing good and solution is that thanking him and denying yourself and be his will and not your own. God will tell ya and let you pass the test.

 

This are hard times and God does want you to do things but go do things his way and people don't realize. Pray for you to do his will and do his plan and what God wanted you to do now, you can do it. For some of us we know already and pray and ask other to pray for that to happen. Some will not know what i'm talking about but other christians will and realize to do things and gentiles won't they pray and pray to find it. God will give to you. To the rest we struggle but God will give you what you want and find that reason you struggle and deliver you from your promblem. Pray because things will get harder and if you don't have God helping you it's gonna get worst.

Edited June 5 by grumix8

[timf]

Here a blog post from christianpioneer.com that describes how struggles can be beneficial.

Beneficial Adversity

There was an image circulated via email a few days ago with four pictures. The first showed the men on Iwo Jima raising the US flag in WWII. It was titled, “Hard times make strong men”. The next image was of a man working on his car in the 1950s. It was titled, “Strong men make good times”. The third image was of people partying in the 1980s. It was titled, “Good times make weak men”. The last picture was of abandoned houses in Detroit that looked like a demilitarized zone. It was titled, “Weak men make hard times”.

I once worked with a man (a non-custodial parent) who said one of the saddest things I have ever heard, he said, “The laziest person I have ever seen is my son. He never gets up from a video game except to go to the refrigerator.” It is not uncommon for the older generation to comment on the flaws they see in the younger generation. However, this does not automatically mean that these observations are invalid.

By creating a social environment for our children of unending entertainment, subsidized indolence, unrestrained consumerism, offense at every slight (real or imagined), and the cultivation of a critical spirit to contend with that of a movie, restaurant or theater critic, we may have produced a generation of perpetual adolescents with weak character. This may have been done with good intentions, but the result indicates that it might be legitimately called child abuse.

A generation or two ago a wayward child could have been sent to the military where exposure to an adverse environment might have helped him develop the strength of character he was missing. Unfortunately, the military environment has been modified as to not inflict such character improving difficulty. In addition, the military no longer desires to accept those in need of correction.

The bible tells us that the Lord “chastens” those he loves.

Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, wrestling against sin. And ye have quite forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives. Hebrews 12:4-6

There is a saying that the best education in the world comes from the school of hard knocks, the problem is that the tuition is so high. For Christians, we have the option to surrender ourselves to the Lord’s leading in humility and sincerity so that we might avoid the more harsh chastening the Lord might use to get our attention such as getting laid off, finding ourselves in the midst of divorce, or struggling with addiction when we should have already been seeking his leading.

Satan is almost finished using Christians to advance the plan of global collectivism he has been advancing for centuries. As a result, Christians should expect to face increasing hostility and persecution. In addition to finally getting Christians to curtail their love affair with the world, we might find that increasing hostility improves our character by seeking after and clinging to Jesus. This might result in a more clear testimony as Peter tells those about to undergo persecution;

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 1 Peter 3:15