Why do we go thru Tribulation ?

5 recommendations to handle your tribulations

John 16: 33

33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.

In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Our saviour Jesus Christ suffered and endured the cross so that we could enter into;

the peace, the mercy ,and the joy of his victory on the cross!

He overcame all of it for us! He suffered and died in our place so that we could live in his righteousness.

Isaiah 53:1–6 written 700 hundred years before Jesus was born!

Who hath believed our report?

And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant,

And as a root out of a dry ground:

He hath no form nor comeliness;

And when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

He is despised and rejected of men;

A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:

And we hid as it were our faces from him;

He was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs,

And carried our sorrows:

Yet we did esteem him stricken,

Smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities:

The chastisement of our peace was upon him;

And with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned every one to his own way;

And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

So if Jesus did all of that for us. Then why would he say In this world you will have tribulation.

So what is tribulation?

Trouble, worry, anxiety, burdens to bear, a cross to bear, affliction, ordeals to walk thru, trials, challenges of life.

As a minister of the gospel I know my place within the body of Christ is his out stretched hands and his feet to carry the gospel to the nations. But we know that not all of us are his feet or hands .

Some of us might be his head or his heart or lungs. But what ever your place within the body of christ. You need to know that their was not one part of his body that did not suffer while he was on that Cross!

His whole body was gripped in pain and suffering.

Every nerve was on fire His back was so badly beaten that you could see his lungs move in and out as he took each breath.And I’m sure I don’t do justice to all of the suffering he did.

But this is just the physical pain he suffered !

What about the emotional trauma he suffered!

He felt discouragement and depression when the same crowed who had welcomed him into jerusalem the week before screamed crucify him!

On the cross Jesus cried:

“My God My God why hast thou forsaken me!”

Revealing the torn relationship between him and his father!

Why is it then ? That,

We as the Body of Christ that we think we should never suffer in this life?

As american‘s we have been spoiled with the prosperity preaching.

We thinking as christian‘s we should never have a problem. OR

We should never be sick,

Never Go thru any financial difficulty,

Never have family issues,

Never fight worry or frustration , depression or discouragement!

We have been duped into believing our life should be a bowl of cherries with out all the pits!

But Jesus did not come to Make us perfect in this life he came to seek and to save that that was lost. He saved our soul.

1 Peter 3:18

18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (eternal life G zoopoieo)

We still must deal with our body,our spirit, and life in General.

So How do we get thru times of tribulation.

#1) Give thanks ( Giving thanks feels like the most unnatural thing we can do during turbulent times)

But the word tells us:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

16 Rejoice evermore.

17 Pray without ceasing.

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Psalm 100:4-5

4  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,

And into his courts with praise:

Be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting;

And his truth endureth to all generations.

# 2) Rejoice in the lord

( All though the situation might look hopeless we have a hope in christ Jesus)

This feels like is another unnatural time to praise god, And it is but remember you are not just a natural born being, but a supernatural Being! You have been born again!

#3) Put on the whole armour of God and fight the good fight!

Ephesians 6:11-18

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (wiles attacks)

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,(no physical attack) but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God (repeat), that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand (repeat) therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (not usually done)

Don’t forget to pray for all your bro. and sis. All Saints the word say’s

Which brings me to #4

#4)Cry out to god!

Not just for your situation but for others too!

Remember your not the only one going thru something. people around the world your brothers and sisters are going thru things as well. And many of them are in a much worse situation than you are!

2 Timothy 2:3–4

3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

#5) Remember who you are and to whom you belong

Our hope is not in this world:

Our reward is not in this world:

Our home is not in this world:

Paul wrote;

That he went thru all kinds of suffering but God brought him through it all by the grace of god!

2 Corinthians 11:23–28

23) Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

Romans 8:18 Paul also said

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Why do we suffer tribulation? Here in Romans ch.8 we are told the purpose of it all!

Romans 8:28-32

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

God wants to promote you!

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

I think Paul knew how to handle tribulation and trials

So let us not be weary in well doing! But strive for that perfection that is in Christ Jesus.