Thoughts on Persecutions

Okay, so it’s 2:12 am and I’m awake. Can’t sleep so I thought I’d see if any of my friends are online. Hah! not really

I just finished  watching Death Race, and I don’t know why but Daniel came to my head. Daniel? Daniel who?? Then it struck me. Daniel from the Bible. I don’t know why Joseph didn’t pop up because he would have fit the scenario that Jason Statham faced. But Daniel came to my mind. Speaking about Daniel, I’m reminded of when I was yet in Youth Group and when we did a series on the life and on the book of Daniel. That was a really good study. He was captured and tried and tested and with God’s help he triumphed for God’s glory through His strength. Then I started thinking about why I’m thinking about Daniel and then the three young men, Shadrak, Mishak and Abednego came to my mind. They stood for what was right and man tried to conform them to their own standards and when they wouldn’t they tried to kill God’s men. And even that didn’t work because Jesus saved them. Then, my mind ventured to Daniel in the lions’ den. Wow! Imagine that! Being captured because you pray to the one true God and being thrown in a den full of hungry lions! That’s not fun; I’m pretty sure they lions weren’t friendly and that you wouldn’t think they’re cute and would let you touch their maine if you try to be nice. But miraculously, nothing happened to Daniel because God protected him. Now, Joseph comes to my mind. How he was sold into slavery by his brothers, and how because of his faithfulness to God that he became a great man in Egypt. And that even after running away from Pharaoh’s wife who tried to seduce him, he got put in prison for something he didn’t do. And how God brought him out of there and made him second in command in Egypt because of his faithfulness to God.

And then… then my mind goes to Jesus… My Lord, my God, my Savior, my Friend… The one who died for my sins… He did NOTHING wrong!!! and yet, they crucified Him… he let them crucify Him so that I could live!!! Me! an ungrateful, sinful man can live because of Him taking my place and punishment. 

All of these men had one thing in common: they did nothing wrong. Everything they did pleased God, I’m sure, but yet they were persecuted. Makes you wonder why sometimes… why would God allow that. Why do we let our kids certain mistakes, so that when we fail we learn from it… and we learn by the consequences of that mistake. I’m sure these men were not doing anything wrong, but God wanted to show his glory to them and to everyone around them. He wanted to show them the truth. He wanted them to learn from the lives of others. He wanted them to see that He is God and He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) I love that verse because its saying that everything that you go through or that anyone goes through is not new; someone or the other has been through it before. So, God won’t allow you to go through something that you can’t handle with His strength. He also says in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”. Therefore, if we can do all things through Christ, and if He won’t let us go through something we can’t handle, we can handle anything as long as it’s by His strength. And once we do, and once we overcome that situation, we will see and learn that He is able and that He is real and that He cares…. And not only us, but others will see, too, that He is God!

So don’t complain when you’re persecuted; don’t whine because you’re having a rough time.

 

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Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you

Will you be willing to endure… for His glory and His sake…

Will you be willing to trust Him and let Him be victorious over your persecution….

Will you take the final stand…. for Him

He is Amazing

Wow! it’s time to pay rent, and I was waiting for my paycheck to arrive so I could pay my rent. I wast certain whether my paycheck would be sufficient though. But I prayed that it would atleast be enough together with the money in my bank.

Amazingly, I got more money in my paycheck than would cover my rent. I wasn’t expecting it, but I’m so thankful to God for his grace and his protection.

No one can tell me that God doesn’t exist or that He doesn’t care because He does. Time and again He has shown my His grace, and His love, and His faithfulness..

Nothing can take away my trust from Him

There is power in prayer- The God of all creation hears you and listens when you believe

Thoughts on Surrender

Surrender-to yield (something) to the possession or power of another; deliver up possession of on demand or under duress( http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=surrender )

Hah! I guess anyone who reads that wouldn’t be too thrilled with surrendering. I mean why give up your life and control to someone else? I mean, for crying out loud, I don’t even know if God exists… like I can’t see Him, or hear Him… It’s just foolishness to give up everything of yours to some un-seen being…

Ever tried it though? yeah, I mean, ever dont that? ever give full control and give up everything to God- the same God who gave up everything for you… He, the King of all Creation, gave up everything to come to this earth as a man to die for you- a cruel, cruel death- just so that you can live and be with Him forever in Heaven so He could spend eternity with you.

All He asks is that you trust Him with your life and accept His gift to you. I mean, He’s God and he knows the past, the present, and the future.. why wouldn’t you want to trust someone who can see down your future so that He can show you what path to take and what to do so that your life will be fruitful? He loves you so much, that’s why He’s asking you and not forcing His will on you… He gave us a choice because of love; we’re not robots. We have a free will…

People think that it’s weak to surrender… that you lose once you surrender… That’s not true in this case… coz even in surrender you have freedom- that’s the wonder of Christ. You ask how’s that possible; it’s like this: your friend knows something that you don’t but he asks you to trust him so that you can make the right choices… and you do coz he’s your friend and you know your friend loves you and wouldnt do anything to hurt you. So you have a peace about it in the situation. it’s kinda like that. There’s freedom in that peace… freedom to do what you want in the boundaries of doing the right thing and trusting God with your life. It’s hard to explain till you experience it for yourself.. till you see and taste that peace that He offers to you.

Living a life of surrender is not easy though. You need to give up your will to God to have His will become yours… because in the end.. this life is not about ourselves… it’s for God first, and then others….

For God because of the fact that He gave up everything for you and died for you, so the least we can do is live for him and do what he has for our lives… 

For others because that’s what this life is about…. others… you wonder why you don’t feel fulfilled in life- well maybe because of the fact that the only person you’re thinking about is yourself… start thinking about others and living for other people and you will notice the amount of satisfaction and sense of purpose that you’ll have in your life….

But you can only do this when you surrender your life to Christ, the One Who loves you and died for you so that you may live because when He rose from the grave he defeated sin so that we don’t have to be slaves to sin anymore… if we trust in Him….

Living a life of surrender is the only way in this life… the only way to know where to go in life.

God is always where He is…. waiting for you… So if you come to where he is, seeking, you will find Him