post ministry oppression/harassment overwhelmed me this am. spending time with God to work thru it = faith, in other words, I'm not strong/ wise enough - no do i want too. been there- done that!

Dear God, as a new week begins, I come before You with a heart full of gratitude. Your word in Psalm 61:2 says, “From the end of the earth, I call to You. When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” God, I’m asking for Your guidance and wisdom this week, the kind that helps me prioritize what truly matters and focus on what aligns with Your purpose for my life. Give me the strength to overcome every challenge I face and walk in Your ways. May Your Holy Spirit lead me on the path of righteousness and help me make decisions that honor You. I surrender this entire week into Your hands. In Jesus’ name, Amen. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you. -Psalm 32:8

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AGAINST NEGATIVE THOUGHTS, HOPELESNESS, AND ATTACKS ON THE MIND: Heavenly Father, I come to You today and ask You to guard my mind, my thoughts, and my emotions. Your Word tells me that You have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. So today, I choose to stand on that truth. God, every thought that tells me there is no hope, I reject it. Every thought that tells me things will never get better, I reject it. Every voice of fear, dread, worthlessness, confusion, condemnation, or despair that does not line up with Your Word, I refuse to agree with it. You said we can “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10, 5). So Jesus, help me do exactly that. I surrender my mind to You. Where my thoughts have become overwhelmed, bring peace. Where I have been expecting the worst, restore hope. Where my mind has been replaying painful memories, accusations, fears, or imagined disasters, speak truth into me. I pray in the powerful Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Blessed and praised be Our Lord Jesus Christ! 🙏

TODAY'S KINGDOM INSIGHTS: SERMON TOPIC: THERE IS A TIME FOR EVERYONE. Never Humiliate Someone Because of Their Present Condition. TEXTS: Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV) > “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Supporting Scriptures: 1. Psalm 75:6–7 (KJV) > “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” 2. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (KJV) > “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time.” 3. Galatians 6:9 (KJV) > “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” 4. 1 Peter 5:6 (KJV) > “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” 🌟 Key Message Your season may not have come yet, but that does not mean God has forgotten you. Someone may be celebrated today while you are waiting. Someone may be ahead of you today while you are struggling. Do not despise yourself, and do not despise others. God has a time for everyone. Your responsibility is to remain faithful, humble, patient, and prepared until your season comes. > “There is a time for you, and there is a time for another person. When your time comes, no one can stop what God has ordained.” TRUE LIFE STORY:- There was once a very wealthy man in a village named Mr. Okon. He was the only very rich man in the community and lived in the state headquarters, and he owned a magnificent and beautifully furnished house in his Village. Whenever Mr. Okon visited the village, people gathered to welcome him. Men, women, and young people would come to pay their respects. One day, during one of his visits, a ten-year-old boy named Godwin came with some of the villagers to greet him. Mr. Okon welcomed the visitors and asked the men and women to sit on his chairs. However, when he saw Godwin, he told him to sit on the floor. According to Mr. Okon, the boy was not clean enough to sit on his expensive chair. Godwin was deeply humiliated. But rather than argue or insult the rich man, he quietly sat on the floor. Years passed. Godwin grew up, went to the university, graduated successfully, and eventually became the Governor of the State. Meanwhile, Mr. Okon had grown very old. With age, he had forgotten many things that had happened in the past. Godwin eventually built a befitting house in the village. Whenever he visited, he arrived with his convoy and was welcomed by the people. One day, Mr. Okon went to visit Governor Godwin along with others. To his greatest surprise, Godwin recognized him immediately. After the greetings, Godwin respectfully approached the elderly man and asked: "Sir, do you recognize me?" Mr. Okon looked at him carefully but could not remember. Godwin smiled and said: "I am Godwin—the little boy you once asked to sit on the floor because you considered me unworthy of sitting on your chair." Suddenly, Mr. Okon's memory returned. He remembered the little boy he had humiliated many years earlier. He was overwhelmed with emotion. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he realized how dramatically life had changed. The boy he considered insignificant had become the Governor, while he had become an elderly man seeking his attention. Godwin could have humiliated him in return. He could have ordered him to sit on the floor. But he chose something greater: He showed him respect. And Mr. Okon learned a lesson he would never forget. MORAL LESSONS 1. Never Look Down on People Because of Their Present Condition You may be looking at someone's beginning, not their destination. Godwin was only a ten-year-old boy when Mr. Okon judged him. He could not see the future that God had prepared for him. Never despise someone because they are poor, young, uneducated, unemployed, struggling, or unknown today. Today's condition is not necessarily tomorrow's position. 2. Treat Everyone With Dignity The way you treat people reveals your character. Wealth, position, education, beauty, influence, and power are temporary. But the dignity you give to another human being reflects the quality of your heart. Jesus taught: «"And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." — Luke 6:31» Treat the cleaner with respect. Treat the child with respect. Treat the poor with respect. Treat the stranger with respect. Treat the person who cannot help you with respect. 3. Life Has Different Seasons There is a season when one person is ahead and another is behind. There is a season when someone is celebrated while another person is struggling. But seasons change. Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that there is a time and season for everything. Therefore, never allow your present success to make you arrogant. The person you are ignoring today may occupy an important position tomorrow. 4. Don't Use Your Position to Humiliate Others Mr. Okon had wealth, and he used his position to make a little boy feel inferior. Having power does not give us permission to make others feel worthless. True greatness is demonstrated by how we treat those who have nothing to offer us. 5. Don't Revenge When God Elevates You This is one of the most powerful lessons in the story. Godwin had every opportunity to embarrass Mr. Okon. Instead, he treated him respectfully. That is maturity. Your elevation should not make you become what once hurt you. When God lifts you, don't use your new position to punish everyone who looked down on you. Let your success speak for itself. 6. Never Forget Where You Came From Success can make people forget the days when they needed help. Never forget the people, places, and experiences that shaped your journey. Stay humble. Remember your beginning. Remember those who helped you. And remember that everything you have today can change tomorrow. A MESSAGE FOR EVERYONE Perhaps you are currently sitting on the "floor" of life. People may not recognize you. People may underestimate you. People may laugh at your dreams. People may look at your present circumstances and conclude that you will never amount to anything. Don't give up. Your present position is not the final chapter of your story. And if you are currently sitting on the "chair" of success, don't become proud. Remember: the chair is temporary. One day, someone else may sit there. So while you are rising, lift others. While you are succeeding, encourage others. While you are influential, protect others. And while you are respected, respect others. FINAL REFLECTION You may be ahead of someone today, but you don't know what tomorrow holds for either of you. Therefore: Be humble when you are up. Be patient when you are down. Be kind when you have power. Be respectful when you have influence. And never humiliate someone because of where they are today. There is a time for you. There is a time for another person. And ultimately, there is a time when God changes the story. Prayer Lord, give me a humble heart. Help me never to despise anyone because of their present condition. Teach me to respect every person, regardless of their status. When You lift me, help me remember where I came from and use my position to bless others. And when I am in a difficult season, give me faith to believe that my story is not over. In Jesus' name, Amen. Give your life to Jesus. Locate a Bible believing Church near you. You can get inspirational ebooks from my selar/Amazon shops below https://selar.com/m/umoh-edem1 https://selar.com/m/umoedem https://www.amazon.com/author/umohedembooks https://afrikdp.com/author/umohedem-9128 CONTACT - Whatsapp +2349024173027, +2349024173027

Faithfulness in Difficult Seasons Scripture Ruth 1:16 (NKJV) But Ruth said: Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Choosing Faithfulness When Life Falls Apart The book of Ruth begins during the days of the judges, a time when Israel was marked by spiritual instability and moral decline. Against this dark backdrop, God begins to unfold a beautiful story of redemption through the lives of ordinary people who choose faithfulness. A famine forced Elimelech, Naomi, and their two sons to leave Bethlehem and settle in the land of Moab. What began as a search for survival soon turned into years of heartbreak. Elimelech died, and later both of Naomi's sons also died, leaving Naomi and her two daughters-in-law as widows. Overwhelmed by grief, Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem after hearing that the Lord had once again provided food for His people. She urged Ruth and Orpah to remain in Moab and rebuild their lives. Orpah sorrowfully returned home, but Ruth made a remarkable decision. Ruth chose faithfulness over comfort. She left her homeland, her family, and her familiar way of life to follow Naomi and to trust in the God of Israel. Her famous declaration was more than loyalty to Naomi—it was a confession of faith. Ruth embraced the Lord as her God and willingly stepped into an uncertain future because she trusted Him. Naomi believed her life had become empty and bitter, yet she could not see that God was already preparing His plan of restoration. What appeared to be the end of hope was actually the beginning of God's redeeming work. Through Ruth's faithfulness, God would ultimately bring about the family line through which King David—and later Jesus Christ—would come into the world. Ruth 1 reminds us that God's providence is often at work even when life seems filled with loss. We may not understand every trial, but we can trust the God who is directing every step. Faithfulness during difficult seasons often becomes the foundation for God's greater purposes. Reflection Questions 1. Am I remaining faithful to God even when life does not make sense? 2. Have I allowed disappointment to cloud my ability to see God's work? 3. What step of faith is God asking me to take today? Prayer Heavenly Father, thank You for remaining faithful even when I walk through seasons of loss and uncertainty. Help me to trust You when I cannot see what You are doing. Give me a heart like Ruth that chooses faithfulness over comfort and obedience over fear. Strengthen my faith and remind me that Your plans are always good, even when I cannot yet understand them. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Prayer Against Negative Thoughts, Hopelessness & Attacks on the Mind‼️ Heavenly Father, I come to You today and ask You to guard my mind, my thoughts, and my emotions. Your Word tells me that You have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. So today, I choose to stand on that truth. Lord, every thought that tells me there is no hope, I reject it. Every thought that tells me things will never get better, I reject it. Every voice of fear, dread, worthlessness, confusion, condemnation, or despair that does not line up with Your Word, I refuse to agree with it. Your Word says we can “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). So Jesus, help me do exactly that. I surrender my mind to You. Where my thoughts have become overwhelmed, bring peace. Where I have been expecting the worst, restore hope. Where my mind has been replaying painful memories, accusations, fears, or imagined disasters, speak truth into me. Amen.

ARE YOU EVER DISTURBED? — “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you.” — John 14:27 Sometimes we have peace simply because we do not yet understand what is happening. But when trouble comes and we see the reality of life, we discover that true peace can only come from Jesus. Jesus does not merely talk about peace—He gives peace. His peace is not dependent on circumstances; it comes from trusting Him. Are you disturbed right now? Are you overwhelmed by problems, uncertainty, disappointment, or sorrow? Perhaps you have prayed but still cannot find peace. Look to Jesus. Jesus Himself was not controlled by the storms around Him. When we look to Him, His calmness begins to influence our hearts. One sign that we are right with God is that we can still turn our attention toward Him even in difficult circumstances. But when we are not walking closely with Him, we become consumed with ourselves, our problems, and our fears. Ask yourself: Am I looking at my problem more than I am looking at Jesus? When we try to solve everything through worry, we lose sight of Christ. But when we bring the matter before Him, our perplexity begins to disappear because Jesus is never confused or overwhelmed. Whatever you are facing today—difficulty, loss, disappointment, uncertainty, or sorrow—bring it to Jesus. “Let not your heart be troubled.” Your circumstances may not change immediately, but Jesus can give you His peace in the middle of them.

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❤️WHY DO THE RIGHTEOUS SUFFER? Part 2 of 2. Continued. So suddenly, out of the whirlwind, you'll notice that God speaks and His speeches seemed designed for the sole purpose, not of answering Job's problems, his questions, his perplexities, but of reducing Job to a state of godly humility and of humbling his pride. In the two addresses of the Lord, first we see that in chapters 38 through chapter 40, a series of questions each of which admits to but a single humiliating reply. God causes to pass before Job a panorama of his creation exemplifying all the wonders of his creation to such an extent that Job is overwhelmed by it and he says," I put my hand over my mouth I'll not say another thing before the Lord". Then in God's second address, it is designed to convince him of his error and charging God with injustice in His sovereign rule of the world and especially in his treatment of Job. Job had questioned the principles of God's rule so he has been ironically invited to assume the divine attributes and rule the world for himself and as the test of his capabilities. Then formidable creatures which God has created are paraded before Job and he's asked to subdue one of them to prove that he's able and capable to rule the world. You should read chapters 38 through 42 and you will see this. Job's ignorance of God's providence in the natural order God says disqualifies him from passing judgment upon His rule in the moral order. Job is challenged to show his knowledge concerning the creation of the world, God's control of the sea, the command of the light, the formation and direction of many things such as light and darkness, snow and hail, rain and floods, lightning and thunder, dew and frost. He's challenged to show his knowledge concerning the government of the celestial world, the creation, endowment with instincts and direction of the animal world. Job at the conclusion of that address and that panorama of creation just says, "I put my hand over my mouth. I've uttered things too hastily". Then in the second discourse Job is invited to assume the divine attributes and rule the world if he can, but first let Job as a test of his capabilities, subdue one or two of God's formidable creations the rhinoceros and the crocodile. Job repents as God's challenges were too overwhelming for him. He was awed into silence and driven to his knees whereupon he cried out behold what shall I answer! I lay my hand upon my mouth. Chapter 40 verse 4 he humbly repents, in 42 verses 5 to 6 he says I've heard of you by the hearing of the ear but now my eye sees You. I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. So, trials are the remedy for man's pride. God allows them sometimes to humble our pride. God's children are permitted the experience of trials and of suffering that then they might come to see themselves as God sees them and see God as he really is. Such a revelation will humble the true child of God and can only come many times through the humbling experiences of suffering when man comes to realize that he's but flesh and that God's ways are often beyond his finite wisdom and comprehension. The psalmist had insight into this virtue of maintaining the proper attitude toward God with respect to humility and God's purposes, for he cried, "Lord make me to know mine end and the measure of my days what it is and let me know how frail I am" Psalm 39:4. So, we see sometimes trials and sufferings are for the purpose of humbling our pride. God is not always going to give us a reason or an answer for why we're going through that particular trial or tribulation. You see, we're just going to have to trust Him as His righteousness and wisdom are perfect. You will notice God did not give Job any reasons for going through those trials, He just paraded His wisdom before Job and Job was expected to trust him. Part 5.) Another purpose in our suffering trials is for the purpose of developing patience and endurance and godly contentment. Afflictions and sufferings often beset the righteous and they experience many kinds of trials. For example, their plans and purposes sometimes are upset or postponed, their intentions are interrupted, their well-laid projects and plans are obstructed and sometimes interfered, all for the purpose of developing in the children of God a patient endurance and submission to the will and purpose of God. Such trials and delays and interruptions will often teach the one who experiences it the virtue of submitting humbly to God and waiting upon Him. We read in James chapter 5 verses 7-11, Be patient therefore brethren unto the coming of the Lord, behold the husbandman, the farmer, waits for the precious fruit of the earth being patient over it until he receives the early and latter rain, be you also patient establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Take brethren, for an example of suffering and his patient endurance, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold we call them blessed that endure. You have heard of the endurance of Job, he endured and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is full of pity and mercy. So trials often offer the purpose of developing in the child of God patient endurance and godly contentment. You see, patient endurance will produce contentment in the midst of trials and tests and delays. Paul in writing to the Philippians in chapter 4 says not that I speak in respect of want for I've learned whatever state I am in therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Paul informs us he's learned contentment in the midst of whatever he experiences. Have you learned such contentment? Your trials are often designed to produce in you godly contentment and patient endurance. Now we should point out that some people try to justify their own lack of faith by quoting this passage. They try to justify why they never have anything or why they're always in need and why they always want this or that and are not satisfied. That is missing the meaning of Paul's purpose in writing these things plus it misses the context. In verse 19 we read, my God will supply all of your needs according to his riches and glory. We have all the promises, such as Matthew 6:33, if you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness God will supply all of your material needs. So we can't use this passage out of its context to try to justify why we don't have faith or we do not have anything. Paul wasn't always hungry simply because he said he knew how to be full or hungry. He was not starving to death but saying that when he suffered needs at times in his ministry that he learned to be content. There are many times that we have to wait to see the answer to our prayers. You don't always get the answer seen immediately and that's to teach you godly contentment as you wait for God to bring to pass whatever you've prayed about. Hebrews 10:23, let us hold fast to our confession of faith without doubting for God is faithful who made the promise. We are to submit to that trial and learn patient endurance which will result in godly contentment. Keep in mind God is not going to contradict Himself for he says, my God will supply all of your needs according to his riches and glory. David said I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 6:33, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and I'll supply all of your material needs. These promises do not mean on the other hand that we will not suffer sometimes temporary lacks and needs but we are to be content in those times. We can believe the promises of God but the answers are not always seen immediately. We are to learn godly contentment and patient endurance as we wait upon God to supply that need and overcome that problem and deliver us eventually out of that trial. God will do it if you will hold fast to your confession of faith. Part 6.) Suffering and trials are for the purpose of teaching us obedience. We read of Christ in Hebrews 5:8 that though he were the Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which he suffered. Now this does not mean that He did not know already how to obey or that he did not know what obedience meant. This passage does not mean that he was not willing to obey the Father without trials but it means that in his humanity he learned from practical experience what obedience was. He proved Himself through the experiences of trials and sufferings that he was obedient. He became personally acquainted with the experience of obedience to God in the midst of trial and testing. It is not something you can learn out of a book or from a teacher. You can only learn these things through experience and you can only learn obedience through the experience of having your obedience or allegiance to God tested. Now this is one of the objects of our trials and sufferings so that we may be like Jesus. He learned what it means to obey under the pressure of trials. Without trials and tests you would be tempted many times to become self-confident and careless and through trials God teaches us how to become submissive and obedient. It's like training a dog. Trials are God's method of obedience training. Hebrews 5:8 is an important principle concerning the meaning of our trials. It means that trials are one of the best ways to get us to translate words into deeds. How many people do you know who have failed to make their deeds match their words in time of testing? They say one thing but in time of testing they do something else. While Jesus already covered this situation in the parable of the sower when He said the one that received the seed into stony places is the same as he that heareth the word and anon with joy receives it yet he has no root in himself and he endures for a while. Then when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word he falls away. So trials, testings, and tribulation are for the purpose of teaching us obedience. There are just some things that cannot be learned any other way except through trials, testing and the tribulation. Part 7.) Next we see sufferings for the purpose of the development of godly character. We read in James 1:2-4, Count it all joy my brethren when you fall into manifold trials knowing that the proving of your faith works steadfastness and let steadfastness have its perfect work that you may be perfect and entire lacking in nothing. Now the perfection referred to here is that of spiritual maturity which is attained through the patient endurance of trials and afflictions for righteousness sake. The endurance of testing and trial forms the habit of perseverance of steadfastness. Testing properly endured develops the moral character and strengthens the spiritual life. So the crosses Christ sends you as His child are for the purpose of maturing you, perfecting you. Your spiritual life is strengthened through the sanctifying power of suffering. Peter tells us in 1st Peter 5:10 and the God of all Grace who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ after that you've suffered a little while will Himself perfect, establish, and strengthen you. That is the purpose of your trials- to perfect you and your character. The person who has never been tested may be innocent but not necessarily trustworthy. We see this in the case of Adam. It's only through trials, affliction, and testing that a holy, godly, and trustworthy Christian character can be developed. The trials and testings develop godly character James informs us in Chapter 1- to count it all joy when we fall into divers trials because this is perfecting us and bringing us into godly perfection. Also, suffering trial and tribulation for the Gospels sake is often the doorway to inner spiritual strength. The meaning of suffering and affliction is often misunderstood by many Christians. We must see that the immediate removal of your trials and afflictions would be against your best spiritual interest. Many times, the sufficiency of the grace of God in the power of Christ cannot always be demonstrated, except through the experience of suffering trials and tribulation. When you must rely completely on God's grace to endure the affliction and triumph over your trials, divine strength becomes perfected in the sufferer as he learns it is sufficient. That is, God's grace is sufficient without the added favor of the immediate removal of the trial. There are times, as the Apostle shows, when glorying in one's weaknesses and trials, is far more profitable than the constant praying for their immediate removal. Paul said when I'm weak then I'm strong. The trials and severe testing at times reduce us to a place where we trust and rest in God's grace alone. There are higher purposes in our trials and afflictions than just the immediate removal of them. It's glorious when you come to the place that you can say, God's grace is all I need. God's grace is sufficient for me in this time of testing and trial. Praise God for His grace, He is all I need and His grace is sufficient. Have you been through a trial that brought you to the place where you could say "I know the sufficiency of God's grace in my severe weakness?" Part 8.) Another purpose in our suffering trial and tribulation for righteousness sake is suffering for the purpose of sharing in the afflictions of Christ. First Peter 4:13; but rejoice inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings when His glory is revealed you may be glad with exceeding joy! Few understand the significance that we are called to partake of Christ's own sufferings and we are to rejoice in them. In all their afflictions, Christians are viewed as having fellowship with Christ and His sufferings. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians that he was glad to count all things lost for Christ so that he might know Him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings. The significance of sharing in Christ's sufferings is that they are endured in the same cause in which His sufferings were endured. God's glorious purposes in our sufferings, whether they be mental, physical, or spiritual are inflicted upon the disciples of Jesus because they're like Him. They now stand in His place so that His reproaches might now fall upon them and His sufferings might be continued and fulfilled in his disciples. It's really Christ's sufferings which fall upon the Christian declared by the Apostle Paul when he said "now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake because I fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh" Colossians 1:24. If His disciples are close enough to Christ to share in His life he is saying they will be close enough to share in His sufferings. For all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2nd Timothy 3:12. This is a promise for you as a disciple and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus, that they shall suffer persecution. 1 Peter 2:21 says for unto this were you called, because Christ also suffered for you leaving you an example that you should follow in His steps. Thus the Christian partakes of the sufferings of Christ, not in a way of supplementing Jesus' suffering, but by becoming sharers in those sufferings in the communion of affliction with Jesus Christ. This is our calling, to have a fellowship of suffering with Jesus Christ in our trials and persecution. Hebrews 13;12,13 We are told "wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us therefore go forth unto him without the camp bearing his reproach". See also Philippians 1:29. As a Christian it has been granted in behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him but also to suffer on His behalf. We are called to suffer and be partakers of Christ's sufferings. We fill up in our lives that which is lacking in the sufferings of Christ. What Paul means is that if Christ were still here He would still suffer persecution, rejection, and even crucifixion. Since He is not here in the world, they cannot touch Him. False religion cannot reproach and revile Him since they see Him no more. But all of this hate and reviling, reproach and persecution by the world and organized religion will come upon the true disciples of Jesus Christ since they see Jesus in you! This is a promise, that if you follow in His steps, you will suffer persecution. So suffering trial and tribulation, affliction and persecution is for the glorious purpose of sharing in Christ's sufferings and afflictions. Nothing brings spiritual maturity and favor with God faster than enduring these persecutions which are given to those faithful disciples strong enough to receive them. Part 9.) Now another purpose in suffering is to prepare the Christian for his citizenship in the kingdom of God. Paul addresses the Thessalonians saying we ourselves glory in you and the churches of God for your patience and faith in your persecutions and your afflictions which you endure. He says this is to prepare you and to make you counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which you suffer. 2nd Thessalonians 1:4 and 5. Through their subjection to suffering, God thus prepares His people for future glory in His kingdom. They prove by their consistency and endurance their right to their inheritance. Thus the glories of the heavenly kingdom are held up as a reward for faithful endurance from the obedient Christian. So Christ, we are told, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross despising the shame and sat down on the right hand of God. In 2nd Timothy 2:12 we are told if we endure, we shall also reign with Him. Matthew 24:13 we find “he that endureth to the end the same shall be saved.” The close relationship between the endurance of suffering and entrance into the kingdom is set forth in Acts 14:22. We must by much tribulation enter the kingdom of God. The patient endurance of tribulation and suffering is the only assurance you have that you are an heir to the kingdom of God. So one's endurance becomes a token of his divine citizenship. The parable of the sower taught by Christ shows this truth. Some do not endure during the tribulation and persecution because of the word and they fall away. Christ said blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of God. Suffering is to make us ready to enter the kingdom of God. Part 10.) Now we have another purpose in our trials. We see the Bible shows suffering strengthens and purifies the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The church benefits spiritually in times of persecution. Persecution purges the Church of its chaff and unites the true disciples in an inseparable bond of love and faith. Their witness becomes bold and effective and the Lord is glorified in a way that can never be realized in those periods of material prosperity and peaceful harmony with the world. It was only after the terrible persecution the Church of Jerusalem suffered at the hands of Saul before his conversion that the gospel was effectively spread throughout the world. We read this in Acts chapter 8 and it was during the early period of threats, beatings, and reproaches by the religious leaders that the church received divine power to proclaim its message. We read they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the Word of God with boldness and with great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. See Acts chapter 4. It is an acknowledged fact, that only in those areas of the world in those periods of history when the church has been suffering persecution and affliction, that Christianity was really alive and vigorous and spiritually effective. This is still true today. It was to the persecuted Church of Smyrna that Christ said "I know your tribulation and your poverty but you are rich" Revelation 2:9. Many Christians who do not understand the purpose of God in suffering and the scriptural exhortation for the Christian to rejoice in time of trial and suffering, this is somewhat of a mystery. James declared, count it all joy my brethren when you fall into manifold trials James 1:2. Christ said to his disciples that in times of tribulation and persecution they should rejoice and be exceedingly glad. Matthew 5:12. Instead, many Christians complain and say in time of trial and testing, oh why does this have to happen to me? How long is this going to last? I don't understand why this is happening. I try to live right and do what is right. To rejoice in trials and afflictions is the opposite to the ways and thinking of the world. The Apostle Peter confirms and encourages the persecuted Christians by saying if he be reproached for the name of Christ blessed are you because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God rests on you! First Peter 4:14. The reason the Christian should rejoice in the time of suffering is because of their blessedness in God's sight. Jesus had this in mind when He said blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10. Such affliction is viewed not only as a special privilege granted to the believer, but it's an unmistakable token of God's acceptance of this individual, a token that he is to share in Christ's exaltation and glory at the second coming. The Scriptures tell us that if we suffer with Him we will reign with Him. We read in Romans 8:16 and 17 that the Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God and if children then heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with Him. We are not to despise suffering and tribulation and avoid trials at all costs. No man shall enter the kingdom of God who has not suffered with Christ or who has not suffered for righteousness sake. We might as well face it, the New Testament promises persecution to the righteous. Jesus said in John 15 if they persecuted me they will persecute you. He that lives godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. It is evidence that you're on the right road, for we must by much tribulation enter the kingdom of God. May God richly bless this word to your heart and give grace to overcome in all things to the glory of God and advancement of His kingdom on earth. Amen. Edited. Shared. ❤️ God willing, more will be posted soon. All glory to Jesus alone.