Ears to Hear

Good Morning,

     If you are like me, you have faced numerous tests and trials this past year.  Your faith has been tried, hopefully, gold was brought forth from these fires of testings.  If not, God is a finisher.  In other words you will get to take the test over again.  He wants us to succeed in all that we put our hands to do.  Therefore you can be sure that he will complete the work He has started in you.  Remember, Psalms 138:8; "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord endures forever, forsake not the works of Your own hands."  That is the precision work that is going on in us now, and it is becoming more intense.  Our spiritual training has  been turned up a notch.  "Train yourself toward godliness (piety), [keeping yourself spiritually fit].  For physical training is of some value (useful for a little), but godliness (spiritual training) is useful and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is to come." (I Timothy 4:7-8)  Those things that have tried to take us under have been turned around to bring forth a stronger more disciplined and spiritually trained god-like child of God.  "For the time being (while you are going through) no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterward it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness — in conformity to God's will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God]" (Heb. 12:11) Training is to instruct or drill in habits of thoughts and actions; to shape or develop character by discipline or precepts; to exercise or teach; to direct in attaining a skill.  Exercise is regular repeated use of a faculty, exertion for the sake of developing and maintaining fitness; something performed or practiced in order to develop, improve or display a specific skill; a maneuver, operation, or drill carried out for training and discipline.  Discipline is training that corrects, molds or perfects the mental faculties or moral character; self control.

     We are being matured for our ultimate responsibility, reigning with our King.  That is why these things are fading, but we are eternal beings.  The training we are enduring is preparing us for an exceeding, eternal weight of glory, that is beyond this world.  "For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!]"  (II Corin. 4:17)  Our Father is preparing us and most are unaware of the great discipline that is going on.  It has been a hidden wisdom.  "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Hidden is concealed or kept away from human understanding.  This hidden wisdom has not been kept from us but for us, but it is still hidden from those who do not love our Father.  Yet God has revealed it to us.

Love,

Pastor D.