And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan andpurpose. ROMANS 8:28 Amplified Bible
This verse should be the greatest comforter, encourager and strengthener in every Christian life when going through trials and tribulations, sorrow and snare.
“How can you say that?” you may ask.
Think about it.
When we are going through a job loss and we do not know where the money is going to come in to pay the bills and it seems as if God is no where to be seen. That is a good thing. It may not seem like it at the time but through this process you will: A: learn to pray sincerely and deeply like you never have before. In this process you draw closer to Jehovah, which is His purpose. And that is a good thing.
B: it will teach you to depend upon Him instead of yourself or your company or anything else that will fail you. And that is a good thing.
C: this will teach you to love, respect and adore our heavenly Father. And that is a good thing.
The same thing will occur in every avenue of your life if you are a Christian.
Through your hard times you will learn to depend upon Jehovahs unending resources, appreciate Him more and draw every deeper into a Divine loving relationship with Him.
And that is a good thing.
Prayer: Thank you Jehovah-Jireh (God is our Provider) for providing me with Your divine wisdom, providence and assurance in every aspect of my life. The best part of this blessing is in developing an amazing loving relationship with you. I exalt You in the name of He whose sacrifice on the cross and resurrection made this all possible Jesus Christ. Amen.
May the sunshine of Jesus’ sweet love bless you today and every day.
“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 ) King James Version
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). King James Version
I don’t know about you, but my worst tribulations came from those who were close to me before coming to Christ. They were the ones that constantly inflicted the most anguish and pain on me. So much so I had to move thousands of miles away from them. The pain I bore was almost unbearable and intense.
About a year later again someone close to me that was an unbeliever caused a lot of grief and tribulation in my life. That time it was not as severe though as I had the knowledge from the previous one and knew Jesus was with me every step of the way.
The closer you get to God, the more the attacks are going to be on you and the more severe they will be. Satan knows your weak points and that is where he will unmercifully attack you to destroy you.
Do not be afraid though. For we have the greatest champion in our corner who makes the devil scurry away like a freighted rat when a light is shone on them. His mighty name is JESUS CHRIST. He defeated satan on the cross and will defeat Him every time he attempts to destroy you.
Oh for sure you will suffer. But, in the end that will make you stronger so you can withstand the vile wicked one when the next attack comes.
Do not get cocky though and believe you can take the devil on yourself. That is the sure fire way to humiliating defeat.
Instead know that when you are tortured or tempted to the breaking point that is when Jesus comes charging in like a raging fierce warrior to your rescue.
These attacks will occur throughout your entire life until you are called to your magnificent home in Heaven. Then you will realize all those battles were worth it.
Prayer: Jehovah Shammah (The Lord is present) thank you for coming to my rescue during the intense battles between satan and me. I know he is smarter than me and stronger. But, you are the smartest and strongest. You have promised to save me in my hour of need and I believe you always keep your word. In the name of our
great protector Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
May the sweet sunshine of Jesus’ love bless you today and every day.
This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life. Psalms 119:50 New King James Version
Remember that phrase from a popular movie :”Where ya gonna go?”
Well, where do you go when your heart is pierced like a knife?
The only logical answer is the Bible.
The Christian has peace because he knows he is loved and cared for the by the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christs sacrifice by the grace of Jehovah . Joseph- Anthony: Green
Read of those whose hearts where pierced by sadness and grief and see how Jehovah gently healed them.
Do you have no job and your money is running out? Turn to your Bible and read about those that suffered the same fate and see how Jehovah delivered them. Now do not expect something like the widow and the oil like with Elijah but take comfort and have reassurance that Jehovah will deliver you.
Are you suffering from some incurable disease and are slowly ebbing into your final days and are afraid of what death is like? Read your Bible and see how many of the patriarchs faced their final days.
Are you facing a death in your family, read your Bible and take comfort and strength in how they handled the situation?
Any and all tragic events in our life has been recorded in the Bible in the lives of others to comfort and strengthen us. Pray for Jehovah to guide you to the proper place in the Bible and to open your hearts and minds to what is occurring and how it relates to your present circumstance.
I do not need psychiatrists; I need the Bible to solve my problems. Joseph- Anthony: Green
And, if you read your Bible you will see that Jesus has experienced everything we have and so much more. So of course when we come to Him He understands. He has been there, done that.
Prayer: Thank you Jehovah-‘Uzam (The Lord is our Strength in Trouble) for blessing me with Your awesome strength that has carried me through so many trials and tribulations, sorrows and snares. Thank you for Your Devine Book of wisdom to encourage and strengthen us, the Holy Bible through the valleys in our lives. I exalt You in the name of He who taught this to any and all who were willing to listen and obey Jesus Christ. Amen.
May the sunshine of Jesus’ sweet love bless you today and every day.
When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. John 16:13 New King James Version
There are two types of guilt.
One comes from the conviction from the Holy Spirit when we have done wrong.
The other comes from Satan which gives you a wrong impression that your sins are not forgiven when you repent.
One is healthy, the other destructive.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 New King James Version Many times the Holy Spirit has convicted me when I have been mean spirited (said or done nasty things to others). He will not leave me alone until I repent. This is good for our relational life, spiritual life with Jehovah and physical health.
Whenever Satan tries to bring up this past sin to lay an unwarranted guilt conscience on me I just remind him of Christ’s forgiveness. If we listen to Satan we will constantly be worried if we have been forgiven (some people will bring up past wrongs to try to manipulate me which is how Satan uses them. I wisely, meekly and humbly remind them of my repentance and that it is they who are committing the sin now not me by trying to enslave me to past wrongs so they can get something from me they do not deserve) and constantly trying to seek forgiveness where there is none to be sought.
Satan will work in other areas of your life as well i.e. you are fat, you do not spend enough time with family, your grades are not good enough, you do not make enough money.
Can you list any others?
Listening to him will destroy our spiritual life, our physical and mental health.
When Satan tries to lay a guilt conscience on me I just remind him that because I have repented I am forgiven. Then I ask him if he has repented to Jesus for all the wrong he has done to Jehovahs children. Joseph- Anthony: Green
That is when it is best to go to Jehovah in prayer and He will guide you to the truth and destroy Satans wicked schemes.
Prayer: Thank you Jehovah-Hashopet (The Lord is my Judge) for acquitting me of my filthy sin when I honestly repent unto You, the Supreme Judge. Thank you for teaching not to fall for the wicked filthy ones lies when he tries to lay a guilt conscience on me. I sing halleluiah to You in the name of He whose blood has washed me clean as fresh morning snow Jesus Christ. Amen.
May the sunshine of Jesus’ sweet love bless you today and every day.
“But if you refuse to listen to the Lord your God and do not obey all the commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you:Your towns and your fields will be cursed. Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be cursed.
Your children and your crops will be cursed. The offspring of your herds and flocks
will be cursed. Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be cursed. “The Lord himself will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in everything you do, until at last you are completely destroyed for doing evil and abandoning me. The Lord will afflict you with diseases until none of you are left in the land you are about to enter and occupy. The Lord will strike you with wasting diseases, fever, and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, and with blight and mildew. These disasters will pursue you until you die. Deuteronomy 28:15-22 New International Version
There are six killers that destroy society today.
One: Electronic entertainment.
Now I am not saying there is anything wrong with TV, the internet or mobile phones.
What is wrong is that people spend too much time in front of the idiot box, on the internet and texting each other instead of personal contact with each other.
Instead of spending time doing things together as a family, most people are zombies with their electronics.
Have you ever seen people sitting at a table with each other and spending time texting instead of talking with each other.
I always inform people that if they want to spend time with me, they must turn off their mobiles first.
Religion.
It is not important whether it is Christianity, Judaism, Muslims, or Buddhism they all have the same core values. People need that in order to have the proper values in their lives.
Family.
How many people are spending so much time working that they are neglecting their marriages and children?
Who is better to raise your children: a mother and father or the internet or TV or texting? Instead of sitting around the supper table and talking about each others day, how many families are zoned out watching the idiot box?
I was at an acquaintances house for dinner one time. Everyone was glued to watching a rerun that they knew what it was about after the first scene. When I tried to start a conversation I was hushed.
As well how many people spend one day a week doing thing together as a family? How many people are strangers living in the same house?
Political correctness
There is no absolute right or wrong in society.
Everybody wins a prize. There is no failure permitted.
Consequently there are educated idiots graduating from schools today that are lucky if they know how to tie their shoes.
How many of the great people first suffered failure before they experience success?
Read about Thomas Edison and see how many times he failed before he invented the light bulb.
We need to understand that just as in the past when everybody did as they pleased it lead to the destruction of their society and ultimately to their country.
Look what happened in France in the seventeen hundreds as an example.
Commercialism.
Everywhere we go whether it is on the idiot box, on the mobile, on the bus, on the internet we are bombarded with buy, buy, buy.
How many countries are in debt up to their eyeballs and the people suffer because of greed?
How many people are maxed out on their credit cards because they foolishly though buying the newest toy would bring them happiness and are now slaves paying off their debt?
And of course the number one reason for the doom of any society is when they turn their backs on God.
How can you expect Gods blessings if you do not have an loving obedient relationship with Him?
Prayer: Jehovah Yahweh (God of His people) please turn the hearts of the people back to You in order to prevent the doom and destruction of their personal lives, their family lives and their society lives. I humble request this in the name of the King of the most exhaled society, Heaven, Jesus Christ. Amen.
May you be blessed with Gods divine love, peace and joy.
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope”Romans 15:4 New King James Version
The more I read and understand the Bible the more amazed I am at how reverent it is in my life.
For example since learning in the book of Titus to warn a troublemaker twice, if they refuse to listen have nothing to do with them I have a lot less stupid arguments. I come to understand that they are their happiest when causing trouble.
When reading about Joshua and how he endured forty years in the desert because of the disobedient Israelites he ended up enjoying the gifts of a fruitful life in the promised land.
Whenever I get discouraged and read the Bible the Holy Spirit always leads me to encouraging verses or to situations where people in the Bible endured hardships and prospered.
For example I learned that when the disciples were in the storm and called out to Jesus He rescued them. He allowed them to encounter the storm to teach them to depend more upon Him. That is a great lesson for me.
Truly, the more I read the Bible the more amazed I am how much I see myself in its pages.
Prayer: Thank you Jehovah Chanan (God is gracious) for the amazing blessing of Your incredible book of knowledge, the Bible. Thank you for being so gracious as to open my mind and heart to the wisdom therein and to understand the experiences of those who have gone before me. I give thanks in the name of he who taught so much by quoting and explaining the scriptures Jesus Christ. Amen.
May the sunshine of Jesus’ sweet love bless you today and every day.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you James 1:2-5 New International Version
Jehovah allows us to endure trials and tribulations for a good reason. We do not know nor understand it at the time. We may even feel we are being unfairly punished.
God is the creator and we are the creation.
Sometimes He has to put us through the furnace to burn off that which bad for us whether it be in our personality or in relationships or in attitudes.
Most times we are not even aware of those bad traits or attitudes.
Speaking from personal experience it was only after my greatest trials and tribulation that I understood what he was wisely doing in my life. I am eternally grateful for that and that he did not listen to my cries during the tribulation to stop it. Every single trial and tribulation was for a specific reason.
Jehovah loves you and enjoys it even less than you do to watch you suffer.
So, even though you may not (and you usually do not) understand what is happening or why if you are going through tribulation have faith that the Master Potter is working you into a beautiful creation that is fit for heaven.
Even though you do not see the light at the end of the tunnel have faith that Jehovah only has you in the furnace as long as is necessary and not one minute more.
Prayer: Thank you Jehovah Hosanna (God our maker) for the trials and tribulations brought into my life. Even though they have been difficult I now know they were for my own good.
I give thanks for these in the name of he who endured the tribulation of the cross for me Jesus Christ. Amen.
May the sunshine of Jesus’ sweet love bless you today and every day.
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalms 103:8 New International Version
Think of earthly families okay.
Whether you like to admit it or not, we do inherit undesirable traits from our parents like alcoholism, short temperedness, and of course stubbornness.
Now, the more we submit to Christ, the more we become like Christ.
This is how someone who was cold hearted becomes compassionate, more patient and loving.
This is the only way to conquer our undesirable personality trait.
I used to be very spiteful and hold a grudge for a long time.
Now, when someone wrongs me, I sincerely take it to Jesus and leave it there.
As a consequence my life is filled with more peace and joy.
Only Christ can conquer our undesirable traits.
Then why does He give them to us in the first place you may ask?
It is because we see it is only by His grace and love that these undesirables are conquered and that leads us to exuberant joyful praise to Him. And of course this oozes out of our daily life.
This is, by the way, why it is my personal opinion, psychiatry miserably fails miserably. Their limited reasoning and dope pushing (prescribing drugs like candy) does not and cannot solve the problem.
IMPORATANT There are cases where drugs are necessary like if you have schizophrenia or some other serious mental disability you will have to take medication for the rest of your life. I have seen too many who thought they were better and stopped taking their medication that led to disastrous results. I see those who stay on their medication lead productive lives and when participating in Christian Bible studies become very calm, joyful and peaceful
Prayer: Thank you Jehovah Ropeka (God our healer) for freeing me from the destructive chains of __________ (name any addictions or destructive behavior traits you had that Jehovah has freed you from). I thank you in the name of He whose power cast out the demons in so many when he walked amongst us Jesus Christ. Amen.
. Editors note: it was only when I admitted to Jehovah that the demons of alcoholism were to strong for me to conquer and please rescue me that those horrible chains were smashed and it has been many years since I have touched a drink
Prayer: Please Jehovah Ropeka (God our healer) release me from the prison of ________ (write down your any destructive addictions or behavior traits you need to be freed from). I in deepest need request this in the name of He who has promised to set all the prisoners free Jesus Christ. Amen.
May the sunshine of Jesus’ sweet love bless you today and every day.
He is near who justifies Me; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is My adversary? Let him come near Me. Surely the Lord God will help Me; Who is he who will condemn Me? Indeed they will all grow old like a garment; The moth will eat them up. Isaiah 50: 8:9 New King James Version
Whenever anyone challenges you whether it be from family, friends, coworkers, or people on the street as to what makes you think you have your calling that is the time to pray and depend upon God to vindicate you.
For me He has shown verses in the Bible and their meaning to me. They are written down and carried with me so that when challenged they are brought out and used in my defense.
Now one of two things will happen.
One: people will be open to what is being said and you will enjoy a good opportunity to witness.
Two: the people are not interested in what you have to say, they are more interested in being judgmental and condemning and will refuse to listen. They will walk away in a huff. They will stay away from me which means there is less strife and anxiety in my life.
These are the only two responses I get.
How about you? Is there any way you successfully handle these situations in a Christ like manner?
Prayer: Please Jehovah KalEl (voice of God) bless me with the wisdom, grace and meekness to present the case of Your holy existence to any and all who are receptive to Your word and to be respectful to those who are unwilling to accept it. I respectfully ask this in the name of He who gave us the best example to follow Jesus Christ. Amen.
May the sunshine of Jesus’ sweet love bless you today and every day