The Discipline of Trials

[samkadya]

Christ did not take the Devil’s easy way, and neither did His followers. When they brought Paul out of prison in Rome, and led him out to the place of execution, the crowd was there to see how the old man would react. What would he do now that he was facing the axe? Paul had just written to the young preacher Timothy, “I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith. Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the Righteous Judge will give me on that day.” I don’t want you to miss that. People sometimes see you trying to serve the Lord and they want to become your judge. They’ll judge you as crazy or silly or old-fashioned or something. They’ll go against you every time. But Paul said, “These folks judge me and after looking at all I’ve done they’ve decided in their judgment the only thing I’m good for is to have my head cut off. But,” he said, “I want you to know, there is another Judge, the Lord our Righteous Judge, and He is going to give me a crown of righteousness on that day.” And then he got to thinking about you and me and he said, “And not to me only, but to all those who love His appearing.” Would you say Amen?

 

Willing to suffer trials for Christ’s sake; but I want you to listen to me now. While God allows trials to come our way, He is not the author of suffering. The Bible says that God is the giver of every good and perfect gift. God made a perfect world. It was the Devil who turned it into a place of sickness and disaster and death. And yet, every time the Devil messes you up he whispers in your ear, Blame God, blame God. And people walk around saying, “Why did God do this?” A man goes out and gets drunk, gets into a fight and gets his throat cut. Why did God do it? The fool did it to himself. Jump into a car and go racing down the road at ninety miles per hour and hit a tree; the tree isn’t going to move. Then he wants to know why God did it. Blaming God for what the Devil does. Friends, God does not cause suffering; the Devil does.

Read more: http://www.christiansermonsandmusicvideos.com/2015/07/why-do-good-people-suffer-discipline-of.html