The Tenacity of Life's Faith
I saw a picture of a tree growing on a paved road. I discovered that the roots grew along the seams of the bricks, and as a result, the roots covered the bricks, growing into square shapes in the seams. The shape was very peculiar! Those who saw it took a picture and said it was heartbreaking. But the tree was not heartbroken at all. The tree had a tenacious faith! Even in such an environment, an ordinary tree would have given up and died, but this tree was thriving! Yesterday's Typhoon Soudelor couldn't do anything to it! That is life! The arrogance in people's mouths can bring disaster, but the flame of life in a person can burn up all suffering!
- Today's Topic: Flourishing in the Place of Suffering!
Today I will share with you Flourishing in the Place of Suffering.
I saw a picture of a tree growing on a paved road. I discovered that the roots grew along the seams of the bricks, and as a result, the roots covered the bricks, growing into square shapes in the seams. The shape was very peculiar! Those who saw it took a picture and said it was heartbreaking. But the tree was not heartbroken at all. The tree had a tenacious faith! Even in such an environment, an ordinary tree would have given up and died, but this tree was thriving! Yesterday's Typhoon Soudelor couldn't do anything to it! That is life! The arrogance in people's mouths can bring disaster, but the flame of life in a person can burn up all suffering!
President Lincoln's life was one of extraordinary achievement. Seeing what he accomplished, one knows how much suffering he overcame! One knows that he had the fire of life within him! The fire of life can manifest God's glory and accomplish extraordinary things!
Those with dreams will flourish through suffering. Those without dreams will wither, dry up, and become numb through suffering.
This life force comes from positive faith! Those with positive faith, no matter how harsh the environment, how poor the conditions, how bad the situation, still choose to believe in their hearts and remain proactive! Without shrinking back. Although it is hard, that hardship becomes a stepping stone to future prosperity. Although betrayed, offended, and hurt, although there is reason to complain, reason to be bitter, reason to be in pain, they choose to walk the path of faith, believing that the future will be better! Those with passive faith believe when the environment is good, and disbelieve when the environment is bad; they believe when there are conditions, and disbelieve when there are no conditions. Passive faith shrinks back when faced with suffering!
Positive faith enables people to live in the future. To create the future. Positive faith carries action; positive faith is faith that transcends reason! Passive faith causes people to live in past experiences. Passive faith is not faith at all. Passive faith is rational faith. Passive faith does not lead to action! Positive faith can ignite us with the fire of life, and positive faith can enable us to swallow all suffering!
Some of what we encounter are our past choices, and some are not the result of our choices at all, but are beyond our control. But no matter what we encounter, even if it is bad, it cannot determine our destiny! Our destiny lies in our positive faith!
What do we believe in? It is to believe that living out prosperity is God's will for us! Today we will look at another wonderful figure in Genesis: Joseph! Joseph is my favourite character, and one I often like to emulate!
When we read the Bible, let us not say, I am not Joseph, so I cannot! The Bible is written for us to emulate those who are pleasing to God! Do not emulate those who provoke God's wrath.
Let us look at today's scripture. - Today's Scripture: Genesis 41:51-52
Faith and Prosperity in Suffering
Gen 41:51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house. Gen 41:52 The second he named Ephraim and said, God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.
- Prayer
.... In the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen! - Suffering is not God's will, but prosperity is God's will for our lives!
When God created Adam, God said: Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it! That is prosperity! When only Noah's family was left on earth after the flood. God also said this - Gen 9:7 As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply in the earth and increase upon it. God's will has never changed! To this day, our God still wants us to prosper!
There is a misconception: that suffering is God's will. But it is not. People say, How do you know? I say, There is no record in Genesis that God's will is for people to suffer. God's will has never changed - prosperity!
Joseph was a man who understood God's heart very well. If he didn't understand, it would be troublesome. Then he would continue to suffer! Joseph's suffering was not of his own making at all. Don't go looking for opportunities to suffer. (In some places, during Passion Week, some Christians imitate Jesus being crucified, which is useless.)
I met an indigent man. He had no direction and didn't know what he wanted. He wandered around every day. The church he attended only opened its doors for services. At other times, he wandered around outside. Wandering around is not the solution. If he were in our church, I would have him come to church every day to soak, as if it were a job. Pray, study, explore, and figure out his direction. Then put in the effort to find a job. He told me that he had peace within. I thought, what passive faith! A few days ago, I received a seminary recruitment advertisement with a photo of him holding a certificate of theological training. Theology gives people knowledge. But God wants faith! Those with faith are treasures in God's eyes.
Never think that suffering is God's will! Prosperity is.
Manasseh - Forgot the pain
Ephraim - Flourished in the place of suffering
Job - Flourished in the place of suffering
David - Flourished in the place of suffering
Old John - Although imprisoned on the island of Patmos, the letters he wrote still conveyed the message of thriving in all things!
Me too - Flourishing in the place of suffering!
If you cite Jeremiah as an example to show that God's will is not prosperity, I tell you that Jeremiah did not have time to prosper on earth, but he still prospered in heaven! God is an unchanging God, and God's will for us is a good will!
So why did God prepare Joseph for suffering? Because it was part of His miraculous work. Suffering is the beginning of prosperity! Suffering can sift out those with faith from those without! Gather those with faith into the kingdom of God! - Suffering is the Beginning of Prosperity
For those with faith, suffering is the beginning of prosperity!
When suffering, the most resistant to the pain deep in the heart is the belief within!
Joseph, look at the environment, no matter how you look at it, it doesn't look like prosperity! But it is at such times that we need faith the most!
The Power of Faith and the Flame of Life
I prayed for someone – still the same! But I still believe. (Eyes, blurry vision, many times – still the same. But I will not give up. In my belief, I have already received assurance that I will be healed! And I was healed. Later, there was a sister who, to appease me, said she was better, but actually wasn't. Later she told others that she only said it to satisfy the pastor. Thank the Lord, the pain wasn't on me! Many people hearing such feedback would think it's frustrating, but I really don't care! I still continue to do this!
What I mean is, in the midst of setbacks, do we still believe that 神's will is for me to prosper?
What is faith? It is a heart that trusts in 神! Trusts 神 in what? Trusts 神 as the 神 who makes me prosper, the 神 who heals me, the 神 who has good intentions for me! 神's will is never for me to suffer, 神's will is never for me to be sick, 神's will is never for me to decline!
I think such thoughts are very good! Every time I think of these, I am very comforted!
What does the Bible say: By his punishment we have peace. By his wounds we are healed. By his poverty, we become rich. He surely bore our transgressions and carried our pain!
Do you believe 神 is the 神 who makes you prosper?
Once I led a Bible study. A brother told me: Suffering is 神's will, and I told him no!
神 tries people
When suffering, our faith determines whether we will prosper in the future.
When suffering, when in poverty,
Dealing with pain, methods of numbness
Some people suffer and suffer continuously, suffering all their lives.
I don't want people to suffer all their lives.
Pain is a feeling. If a person cannot learn to manage their feelings – it is a tragedy.
How to manage feelings – it is a spiritual matter. It cannot be managed by the flesh.
There is a type of person, who is very bitter inside. Li Ao – interview – his mother had nine children, eight of whom did not want her, and Li Ao himself took her in. Whoever is with her, will suffer together with her. For this type of person, suffering is justified! (During the Cultural Revolution, there was a popular saying: Revolution is justified. For this type of person: Suffering is justified! It has become a slogan.)
Managing our feelings is a lesson. Even when there is reason to suffer, we do not choose to suffer. Even when there is reason to complain, we do not complain.
President Lincoln – facing pressure from family, work, and various aspects, but he did not retreat or suffer. He was a man of great willpower! Willpower is a quality. It needs to be trained.
Willpower is trusting in 神's power!With a heart that trusts in 神, 神 will dissolve people's pain!
Not trusting in 神 – pain will increase
Trusting in 神 – pain will be dissolved.
Seeing through the affairs of the world
What cannot be controlled, entrust it.
Inner victoryWithout a heart that trusts in 神, pain will brew into bitterness, and bitterness will devour life!
Without faith – it is tragic.
Do not be with people who release bitterness.
Do not become a garbage can for bitterness.
Of the flesh, of the spiritFaith can allow the fire of life to devour all the pain and make you prosper!
Enthusiasm infects people!
Laziness causes many diseases.
The faith in Christ Jesus is the faith of life, the faith of the living! 神 is the 神 of the living!
Live out enthusiasm
Devour pain
It is not forgetting the pain, it is prospering in the place of suffering!
Enter into 神's will!
Many waters cannot quench, great waters cannot extinguish!
Become fervent.
I see that those very reserved brothers among us, under my repeated offenses, are beginning to become fervent.Summary: Let the fire of life devour all the suffering in our lives!
Contents
1) Today's topic: Prospering in the place of suffering! 1
The Power of Faith and the Flame of Life
- Today's scripture: Genesis 41:51 1
- Prayer 2
- Suffering is not 神's will, prosperity is 神's will in our lives! 2
- Suffering is the beginning of prosperity 3
- When suffering, our faith determines whether we will prosper in the future. 4
- With a heart that trusts in 神, 神 will dissolve people's pain! 4
- Without a heart that trusts in 神, pain will brew into bitterness, and bitterness will devour life! 4
- Faith can allow the fire of life to devour all the pain and make you prosper! 4
- Summary: Let the fire of life devour all the suffering in our lives! 5