I heard in our local church the same passage expounded profoundly and wonderfully. Pastor Tony Williams of Paignton ( Living Waters) expounded in such a profound way what God already had spoken to me about. His blog is prtonywilliams.wordpress.com to follow.
Today I want to talk about the JOY God SETS before us. God SETS before us a “table” of destiny and overcoming that we can walk in.
When we read the scripture we see a different mindset to what we have today. We see a acceptance of “suffering” in living out the Gospel. When I say “suffering” I do not mean God sends sickness and poverty. I mean God allows these to come to break an enemy of the soul. The pursuit of comfort
This pursuit is so dangerous. It is a condition which eats away at the soul bringing apathy and brings corruption. God wants us to CONFORM to His Nature so that we can enjoy intimacy with Him which constrains us to works of love to Him.
Our call to ministry is a expression of the work of the cross, when we understand that what has been SET before us has a MOMENTARY cross to bring us into a ETERNAL position. We need the joy of knowing that in the greatest trial there is a joy that surpasses all understanding, and what GOD
SETS before us is the final result of the fruit of the cross applied to our soul.
Without the cross:
1. There is no authority which comes from enduring.
2. There is no honour as we despise the temptation to take the easy option.
3. There is no JOY as we do not see what GOD HAS SET before us.
So what do you see?
What is your Word-view?
What is your view of suffering?
Suffering is a temporary suppression of the temptation to be resigned to a life of flesh, accepting limitations, and accepting mediocrity. Where the spirit is enlighten and uplifted in priorities, to live spiritual disciplines over the need to prioritize comforts and pursuits over that which pertains to the eternal.
You read the articles of revivalists, men and women of faith. They suffered. They overcame.
So what is SET is not focussing on the momentary but the eternal. That way we access a joy and a strength which causes us to overcome.
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