Word of God From the Living Bible

2 Timothy 8-13

Don’t ever forget the wonderful fact that Jesus Christ was a man born into King David’s family: and that he was God, as shown by the fact that he rose again from the dead. It is because I have preached these great truths that I am in trouble here and have been put in jail like a criminal. But the Word of God is not chained, even though I am. I am more than willing to suffer if that will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God had chosen.

I am comforted by this truth, that when we suffer and die for Christ it only means that we will begin living with him in heaven.

And if we think that our present service for him is hard, just remember that some day we are going to sit with him and rule with him. But if we give up when we suffer, and turn against Christ, then he must turn against us. Even when we are too weak to have any faith left, he remains faithful to us and will help us, for he cannot disown us who are part of himself, and he will always carry out his promises to us.

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I can not think of anyone greater in the suffering of living for God than Job. Here is a man that had it all by the world’s standard. The difference was he was a faithful man of God. He did not understand the deal made between Satan and God. He was not part of that conversation. Satan’s fury was released on Job for one reason…To prove to God that anyone can be taken from the hand of God. God proved this differently as Job took his stand for the Word. In the face of losing EVERYTHING…Job’s faith remained.

At a Casting Crowns Concert, the Lead singer Mark Hall, challenged us all to think about how we would respond if everything we have around us was taken..I mean EVERYTHING…and all we were left with is our faith and JESUS. Would that be enough?

This is a very difficult question for those of us who live in all the comforts of America. We have SOOO much that each day we are comforted by. Our homes, our cars, our money, our sports, our entertainment, our families, our food and soooo much more.

I was amazed when watching the unfolding of the great earthquake that took Port Au Prince to the ground and the people were “Left with nothing”…No food, no water, no shelter (the 3 basics that we always seem to have here in the US), that these faithful people paraded around the streets praising and singing to God. This happened within a few days of this tragedy. How could these people be singing and praising God. They had lost their homes, their families and everything that they had, which for most of these people was so far below poverty compared to “poverty” here in the United States.

There is only one Answer…They have something most of us don’t…Comfort by this truth…They belong to the LORD and walk in faith not by sight. All the sights pointed towards devastation, destruction and and end to the impoverished life they were already living.

AMAZING..

Paul comes as a close 2nd in my eyes to Job. In 2nd Timothy in the above scripture we see Paul writing and encouraging Timothy who was a young man that was chasing after the heart of God.

The big difference between those who have given their hearts to Christ and those whom have not is our understanding of where this is all going. As the world spins on, and seemingly darkness increases all around us, we know the message that Christ has brought to us. For “he cannot disown us who are part of himself” and “I am comforted by this truth that when we suffer and die for Christ it only means that we will begin living with him in heaven”

This is the comfort we can always rest in that the World cannot. When tragedy and difficulties consume us, we have somewhere to turn to be comforted.

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