Trials and Tribulations overcome.

[Rev.Anthony Ray Smith]

Isaiah 43:2: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.” For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.

Faith sometimes is hard to find in these troublesome times, for it is by faith we as Christians walk. The days are evil and nations are perplexed, fighting against each other for advantage, power and prominence. There are many that would destroy the Christian and all mention of the name Jesus, even in our own country the name Jesus is hated by many.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. ”
As we all know a little water is helpful, but when water becomes a flood it will kill and destroy any and all that is in its path. Water has weight and can easily be destructive when not managed, but as the weight of this world’s problems increase, as flood waters, the Lords power increases in each and every one that believe upon Him and His Son. For it is by faith that we can withstand the weight of persecution and problems that this world creates. For we are in the world but not of the world.

Rivers over flow, dams break, and levies collapse under the weight of much water, but as we see the Biblical prophecies unfold heralding the second coming of our Saviour, we are reminded that with every temptation the Lord will make a way for our escape. For He is the one that has given the seas of this world its boundaries and He is the one that keeps them within them. Just as the Lord sets the limits to the reach of the oceans, He also sets limits upon the burdens that affect the believers.

Do you believe that the Lord would allow His children to be drawn down by burdens, persecution, trials, troubles and tribulations to the point that they would be consumed by them, or do you believe that no matter how high the waters rise that He will be there to place you upon dry ground. We must always remember that no matter how far down in the valley of the shadow of death we may go we are still upon a solid rock that cannot be moved.

“When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.”
The fires today that the believers face are many. We are bombarded each and every time that someone wants to change the morality of decency to a form of unrighteous acts. Morality is not just a Christian virtue but a virtue that many of the lost today still hold in high regard. Many today want to make Christianity illegal stating that believing in the Bible brings about hatred and discrimination. Many have decided that forcing Christians to become more like the world can make a better environment to live in.

We witness young children who believe in God, persecuted even in schools around the country, when they express their views on, prayer, homosexuality, same sex marriage and other Biblical based subjects. Some state legislators have even called on schools to teach subjects which are in direct conflict with the Christian beliefs and that are contrary to actual history, calling it progress, disregarding even the feelings of many unbelievers who call their efforts unmoral and unjust. These same men are trying to indoctrinate children into the practices and the acceptance of false religions. They refuse to allow any mention of the Bible, or Jesus but are more than willing to teach false religions, doctrines and what they call an alternate lifestyle to children as young as 6.

The Bible states that a Christian cannot accept doctrines that are contrary to the teachings of Christ, for by doing so we would be partakers of their sin, 2Jn 1:10-11; “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”
The Bible states: “When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.” Peace with mankind at any cost is not what the Lord is stating here. He does not desire the believers to accept unrighteousness behavior nor does He expect His children to become partakers or supporters of unrighteousness to make peace with those that are against our faith in Him. For if we are saved from our sins we can no longer live in sin.

We must remember that not all that call themselves Christians are Christ like; many are wolves in sheep’s clothing, and hereticks that bring in false doctrine and teachings that are contrary to sound judgment and are in conflict with the Testament that was delivered unto Gods Children, what God has called to be an abomination is still and abomination.

Christians today face a greater challenge than any other in history, we either hold on to our faith in God, Christ and His word, or we cave into political correctness and abandon our faith. Even the Lord tells us that He would, in the end days, shorten the time so that the very elect would not be deceived. “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.”
Satan knows that his time is short; he will use anyone that will follow him to put pressure on the Christian community to try to cause a division within the family of the Most High.

Satan has his own ministers and churches that have deceived many into believing that all men shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven no matter how they live. We are not fighting against flesh and blood, but we fight against the evil spirits that have consumed and control many multitudes of men. That is the reason that we must pray for our enemies and those that despitefully use us, for it is not the man but the evil spirit that opposes us.
Ars.