Saturday, June 4, 2011

Things that Cannot Separate Us from the Love of God - TRIBULATION

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39
One of the most insidious tricks of the devil is to convince people that they can be separated from the love of God. God IS love and He is always with us. God was IN Christ reconciling the WORLD unto Himself and we have Christ IN us which is the Hope of Glory.

There is a lot of talk and speculation about the coming “tribulation” or GREAT TRIBULATION if you will. It’s like this scary boogieman that is coming to get us AT ANY MOMENT! Everyone is wondering – are we IN the great tribulation? Is it coming soon? What is going to happen in the great tribulation? Should we be buying guns and gold? Should we be stocking up on food and water? How will we survive this coming great tribulation?

The Word repeatedly tells us that tribulation is a part of our walk with the Lord. In fact as it states in the book of Acts – it is a requirement to have tribulation in order to enter the Kingdom of God.
Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. ACTS 14:22
The word tribulation was first used in the King James Version in the book of Deuteronomy. But when God said it – He said WHEN you have tribulation – not IF. “When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the LORD thy God a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. Deuteronomy 4:31-32

Tribulation has a purpose in our lives and our spiritual walk. It reminds us how much we NEED the Father and His love and mercy in our lives. Like any really good parent, he wants us to obey His voice because He is trying to keep us from the consequences and hurt that sin brings into our lives. It is out of His extreme love for us that He tells us these things – that He will not destroy us, nor forsake us.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:1-5
Tribulation works patience which then works experience and then hope. Without tribulation there is no patience (which is a fruit of the Spirit), there is no experience and ultimately there is no hope! Tribulation is part of the process of manifesting your sonship and Christ being revealed IN YOU. It is a work of the Holy Spirit that causes the love of God to be shed abroad in our hearts! We are to glory in our tribulations because ultimately it brings in the peaceful fruits of righteousness.

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Romans 12:12

Another purpose for Tribulation is so that we can also in turn be comforted! “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” 2 Cor 1:3-5

We should welcome tribulations and trials because they are what eventually brings us into the Kingdom of God. We who come out of great tribulation will have washed our robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. Rev 7:14. Tribulation is never something that separates us from God’s Love – but will actually be instrumental in bringing us closer to Him!

Blessings in Christ
Linda

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nothing! Amen to that!

Everyday I learn more and more about what the Grace of God is and how we are truly covered by it.

It is also these tribulations working for us something so GREAT! People do act as if 'tribulation' is the worst thing, when in fact we have always endured it anyway. It is good that we are afflicted so that we might learn the WAYS of God. There is just absolutely no other way to enter the Kingdom.

We all are experiencing the Baptism of Fire one way or another.

Oh yeah sis, you are preaching!

Alicia

wendyworn said...

Actually Alicia, I have to Thank you for posting the link to Jacobs Ladder website. I have really gotten alot out of it, although I almost let the fact that he thinks demons are words and not physical enemies, stop me. I thought, maybe I just don't know enough yet. I am beginning to understand that I am now at the point where I know the things I once believed actually prevented me from knowing the TRUTH about Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father. I am only now (knowing nothing!) at the place where I can learn the truth. I am so excited about the journey to come!

Thanks for commenting!
Blessings in Christ
Linda

Anonymous said...

Oh, You are very much Welcome Sis. When I feel the Lord leading me to post certain things, I just have to do it.

The Lord told me to post his website and I have to obey.

There were a few things I did not 'understand' from him when I first started reading from him either. Maybe one or two things, nothing much but I had a feeling God would show me. After a while God made it crystal clear, and just like a onion the layers come off one by one.

Yes, it is amazing what we think we know about the Lord only to discover we are just beginning to TAP INTO the depths of God.

The day the Lord told me to leave everything, move and do not work I knew he was about to take me deeper. He has been doing just that every since and that was back in 2006.

I am telling you God is not what we have been taught he is at all.

This is one reason he has to strip us of everything and even sometimes everybody we know ( most of them anyway ) begin a journey with him and him alone in this wilderness.

I see what he means by demons being words, that is one aspect of a demon. How does the enemy get to us?

Usually through our minds, the mind is the center and that is why we are called to have our minds 'renewed'. Satanic words are what are planted in us that shape our world views and how we see God and everything else. So, I see his point on that.

Yet, demons are spirits of course. Satan decieves us through his words. He is the father of lies(words)...and it goes on from there...

We learn who God truly is in the wilderness Sis.

It is when we lose our lives we find life. That is why he has called us to totally lose our lives in this wilderness so that he may teach and show us the WAY.

Blessing to you too!

We all are growing and learning one day at a time.

Literally from Glory to Glory we go..

wendyworn said...

Wow. I am speechless.

Everything you have said is true.

I am in AWE of my Heavenly Father - whose great love for us is beyond my human comprehension. Yet - I am excited at the treasures that we will find and are finding!

take care sis!
Linda

Kim said...

What is the Jacob's Ladder website, Linda?

Kim

Anonymous said...

Amen Sis! His Love is so beyond our knowing. He ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours.

I have always loved the saying, "Love Conquers All". I remember hearing that song by Lionel Richie then called "Love Conquers All" when I was a very young girl and it always just in my head.

I use to walk around saying, "Love Conquers All" and having no real cluse what it even meant as a young girl. Yet ,I remember that was something so deeply planted in me that I could never shake it. I grew up loving to say it as well, still not understanding the depths of what I was saying.

Then one day the Lord showed me cleary that Love truly does conquer ALL, literally!!

It is amazing isn't it. God really started opening my eyes to who he is back in 2007 and it has gotten better every since, literally from Glory To Glory.

He had to show me then FIRST before he began anything else really that these lies about what Hell is were not true.

From there, What a wonderful journey sis!

TTYL,

Alicia

wendyworn said...

Jacob's Ladder website is here:

http://jacobisrael71.wordpress.com/

On his website I absolutely say - Eat the meat and spit out the bones. I do not agree with everything he says and believe he has some pretty huge blindspots. Other than that - wow - some of his writings will absolutely blow your mind. Read the "It's beneath you" post. WOW

take care!
LInda