ALSO VISIT: http://creationdesign2013.blogspot.com/ CONTACT: trsii2004@msn.com * ALL ARTICLES ARE FROM OTHER AUTHORS*
Search This Blog
Friday, June 17, 2022
Where’s the Bed of Roses
Where’s the Bed of Roses - Nathele Graham - twotug@embarqmail.comssa
Life can often become very disheartening. We see people around us prospering and enjoying excellent health. Or so it seems. We never know what lies behind the smiles. We don’tsee that the apparent prosperity has come with a pile of credit card bills. We don’t see that the excellent health isn’t all that excellent. Troubles and trials affect everybody, but too often Christians think we should be exempt from all the hardships inthis life. That just isn’t the way it works. You can search the Scriptures for years and never find that God promised a smooth and easy life once we give our life to Him. When Adam sinned, Paradise was lost and life in this world has been a struggle ever since.Of course, God told Adam what would happen if he ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He chose to eat the fruit and death became a reality. Still, God loves His creation and gave us the only solution to eternal death caused by sin. “For God soloved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believethon him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to be sure your sin is forgiven and that you spend eternityin the presence of God. That’s where real peace is to be found, not on earth. In this life we make many choices, and often those choices cause us pain and suffering. If you choice is to follow Christ in spite of the temptations of this world, you still willface difficult situations, but serving Christ with a joyful heart eases the pain.
From Adam on, life has been a struggle. Disease, rebellion to God, and death, have plagued humanity for thousands of years since Adam’s disobedience. He knew the consequencesof his actions, but ate the forbidden fruit anyway. We choose to sin, too, knowing full well the consequences. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23. Much of the unhappiness and diseasein our life is caused by our own choices. Is diabetes an issue in your life? Have you followed a healthy diet, or do you live on junk food? That’s a bad choice. Do you have lung disease? Do you smoke? Smoking isn’t a wise choice. Do you have a socially transmitteddisease? Do you disobey God’s rule about sexual activity only being within a one man/one woman marriage? If so, then you’ve made your own choice. God will forgive the sin if you repent and turn away from it, but the consequences He may not heal. Scripturereveals that we are to make wise choices. Jesus chose to enter His creation knowing He would shed His blood for our salvation. In Mark chapter 8, we see Jesus explaining this to His disciples. “And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer manythings, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.” Mark 8:31. Jesus chose obedience and submission to God the Father. His human side knew the pain He would face, but the God side ofHim knew it was the only way to redeem mankind. Peter rebuked Him; Peter didn’t understand. Can you imagine rebuking God? I’m sure Peter had all the best intentions, but rebuking God is a bit arrogant. Jesus was stern with him. “But when he had turned aboutand looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not, the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.” Mark 8:33. I think we can understand Peter’s thinking at the time. He had no idea why Jesushad to die and Peter was very comfortable being a rebel to the Jewish leaders, as long as Jesus was there with him. It would make sense by human understanding that Jesus should have an easy life because He was God and shouldn’t have to suffer. Peter forgotto read prophecy and he forgot to trust Jesus. “But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. And when he hadcalled the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake andthe gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:34-37. Jesus didn’t describe a bed of roses for His followers. Takingup a cross was a very graphic picture of death and everyone listening knew what it meant. Today, Jesus might have said “Stand before a firing squad” or “Sit in the electric chair”. Still, there was more submission involved in taking up a cross. Jesus did itby choice, and we need to choose to surrender our favorite sins and nail them to the cross in order to honor Christ.
I’m sure there must have been a few of those first Christians who didn’t seem to suffer in order to follow Jesus. Barnabas comes to mind. “And Joses, who by the apostles wassurnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus.” Acts 4:36. He must have been an interesting man. He was a Christian, and for a Levite that was a big step. What did he give up to become a Christian?Because he was a Levite, he was to attend to the Temple, a very honorable Jewish profession. We also know that he was a man who had property in Cyprus, which he cheerfully sold in order to aid fellow Christians in need. “Having land, sold it, and brought themoney, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” Acts 4:37. Many Christians were in great need because they had chosen to forfeit everything in order to follow Christ. Most no longer had jobs, family had rejected them, and there was a great need. Christians aresupposed to help fellow Christians, and Barnabas is an example of giving with joy. He sold what he had in order to serve Christ while serving others. It was also Barnabas who first befriended Paul, then accompanied him in the mission field. Yes, Barnabas musthave been a very happy man, in spite of hardship. What all he did, he did to glorify Christ.
Speaking of Paul, was there ever a more faithful servant of our Lord than Paul? He certainly didn’t have an easy life after he met Jesus. Paul surrendered his entire selfto Christ. He walked away from his high standing in the Jewish community, any wealth that had been his was forfeited as he served Christ. He travelled the mission field, not lodging at five-star hotels, but quite often sleeping in jail cells. He was beaten,dragged out of town to die, he was shipwrecked, snake bit, and generally suffered much loss and discomfort. In spite of it all, he spread the Gospel with joy. He loved the people he brought to salvation, and he collected money to help Christians during timesof drought and trouble. Paul didn’t really enjoy the pain he endured in serving Christ, but accepted God’s will. “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messengerof Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness Most gladly thereforewill I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-9. Maybe you’re missing the bed of roses because you only see the thorns.
Jesus told us how to ease the thorns in life by showing love to others even if we are mistreated. “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do goodto them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.” Matthew 5: 44-45. Sun and rain make roses grow in spite of the thorns. If we choose to respond with anger to everyone who offends us, we end up with a bed of thorns instead of roses, and a life that doesn’t reflect Christ. Roses have thorns, so if we happento have an easy life, it’s because we choose to see the roses, not the thorns.
In life we make choices. We can choose to see the roses or see the thorns. We will see more roses if we choose to cheerfully submit our life to Christ, and glorify Him inall we do,
God bless you all,
Nathele Graham
twotug@embarqmail.comssa
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com
Recommended prophecy sites:
www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
MY OTHER SITES: CREATION DESIGN: God through Creation
DEBATE VIDEOS and more......
- creationist verses evolutionist
- Home
- DEBATE BETWEEN RABBI AND PASTOR
- The Creation: The Earth is a Witness
- Jesus's claim of Divinity
- Why should I accept Christianity?
- ERRORS IN THE QUR'AN
- 108 year old Rabbi declares just before he died that Jesus is Messiah
- CREATION
- CREATION II
- DOES CREATION MAKE SENSE?
- VERY END TIME VIDEO......
- BIRTH AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST VIDEO
- PROOF OF JESUS RELATIONSHIP TO GOD
- ENDTIMES VIDEO
- EVIDENCE FOR GOD
- EVIDENCE FOR GOD PT.2
- EVIDENCE FOR GOD PT.3
- EVIDENCE FOR GOD PT.4
- EVIDENCE FOR GOD PT.5
- RABBI HAS VISION THAT SAYS JESUS IS THE MESSIAH
- HEAVEN
- DOES GOD EXIST? PART 1
- DOES GOD EXIST? PART 2
- DOES GOD EXIST? PART 3
- DOES GOD EXIST? PART 4
- DOES GOD EXIST? PART 5
- FEMA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
- Existence of God
- JESUS IS GOD Whether You Believe It Or Not
- BEST BIBLE QUESTIONES ANSWERED
- Jewish man turns to Jesus and explains why in a way you never heard before!
- JEWISH MAN TURNS TO JESUS
- RELAXING SOUNDS WITH BIBLE STORY
- JESUS CHANGED THE WORLD
- THE UNTOLD REASON WHY JEWISH PEOPLE DO NOT BELIEVE JESUS IS THE MESSIAH!
- WHY MESSIAH MUST BE GOD!
- THE TALMUD (RABBINIC TRADITION) VS. THE NEW TESTAMENT
- WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT GOD HAS A "SON"? ISN'T THAT A PAGAN CONCEPT?
- MESSIANIC PROPHECIES - WHAT ARE THEY?
- CAN WE AS JEWS TRULY TRUST THE NEW TESTAMENT?
- ZECHARIAH 12 PROPHECY ON THE PIERCING OF THE MESSIAH
- ISIAH 53 - THE FORBIDDEN CHAPTER!
- "IF JESUS IS REALLY THE MESSIAH - HOW COME THERE NO WORLD PEACE?"
- REFUTING THE RABBINIC FABLE ABOUT JESUS IN THE TALMUD!
- DO JEWS NEED JESUS?
- THE 3 REASONS WHY JEWS DON'T BELIEVE IN JESUS & ISRAEL EVANGELISM REPORT
- ARABIC OUTREACH FILM - THE SON OF GOD
- WOW! THIS JEWISH MAN TURNS TO JESUS AND EXPLAINS WHY IN A WAY YOU NEVER HEARD BEFORE!
- DR. EREZ SOREF - THE MESSIAH IS THE PURPOSE OF THE TORAH
- FALSE TEACHINGS ABOUT HEAVEN ENCOUNTERS
- The Resurrection. Amazing video.....
- WHAT WILL HEAVEN BE LIKE?
- WHAT WILL HELL BE LIKE?
- COVID19. WORSE THEN YOU THOUGHT!!!!
- ARE WE LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS? JEWS FOR JESUS
- Rapture video
PROOF OF JESUS FOR THOSE WHO QUESTION JESUS'S DIVINITY
- Home
- Jesus Abolished the Law?
- The End of the Law?
- Tongues in Acts
- Tongues in 1 Corinthians
- Observe Sunday?
- Body, Soul, and Spirit
- Torment in Hell
- God is Not a Trinity....DON'T PANIC, THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF THE TRINITY WITHOUT ACTUALLY USING THE WORD.
- Paul: Not Anti-Jewish/Torah
- Truth About the Rapture
- Jesus is Not Literally God
- Clarifying Tithing
- The Church and Israel
- The Future is Unsettled
- Christians and Heaven
- The Sacred Name
- Jesus is the Way
- What is a Christian?
- Origin of Easter/Communion
- Christians and Torah
- Christians Better Than Jews?
- Torah a Mere Shadow?
- Paul a Hypocrite?
- Basic Grammar Refutes the Trinity | An Argument for Biblical Unitarianism
- Why Jewish People Do Not Believe In Jesus
- DOES GOD EXIST? PART 4
- The Case for the real Jesus
- How do we know Jesus is the Messiah
- A pivotal sign we're living in the last days
- Jesus is coming!!! We are the Generation!!!!
- The rapture trigger that leads to Daniel 9:27 Covenant
- Is Jesus the Jewish Messiah Debate...
- JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD
- EARTH.....WONDERFUL CREATION
VIDEOS AND MUSIC IN ADDITION TO MY OTHER WEBSITES:
- Home
- CREATION DESIGN: MY OTHER WEBSITE
- PROPHECY WATCHER: MY OTHER SITE DEALS WITH PROPHECY ONLY.
- Very Good Acapella (Little Drummer boy) worth seeing....
- 4 HOURS OF UPLIFTING CHRISTIAN MUSIC
- 100 HOURS OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP MUSIC
- Jews who believe that Jesus is Messiah
- THE CASE FOR CHRIST
- Beautiful video and song. MARY, DID YOU KNOW.... A must see....
- GRAPHIC VIDEO ON THE CONDITION OF THE WORLD
- Gadol Adonai...Lovely Hebrew Christian Song(Subtitles)
- Adonai Machesenu The Lord is Our Refuge/Haruach Vehakala
- El Avoteinu - God of Our Fathers
- Praise to Our God 5 Concert - Ashuv Eleicha (Coming Back to You)
- Thais Schucman 05 Worthy
- Praise to Our God 5 Concert - Lechu Nerannena LeAdonai (Let us sing to the Lord
- Praise to Our God 5 Concert - Gadol Adonai (Great is the Lord)
- Beautiful! Israelis Worshiping Jesus in Hebrew in Jerusalem!
- "Kol Haneshama" (Everything that has Breath) Music Video
- Beautiful Hallelujah Song
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.