Blessings or Sufferings?

Galatians 4:16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

I can’t begin to write the truth of this in the first sentences, because you will go no further. I should write of all the goodness that comes to the Christian in the world today. I should come up with quirky memes that are posted all over social media for us to feel good. The world’s excuse to the Christian is we have enough trying to beat us up; give us some good news. I will, if you are willing to hear the truth. If you are willing to suffer as a Christian, you will spend eternity in a heavenly paradise with the Creator of it; you will live in a painless paradise for longer that your mind can imagine; you will live in victory over Satan because you have faith in the understanding that Jesus defeated him, defeated sin and conquered death, and all you must do is have the faith to believe you can’t earn your way into heaven. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Being a Christian in the world today is hard, just like the Bible points to those that suffered for their faith throughout history. Being a Christian, not a fake facade only, but a heart that is seeking to be Jesus’ disciple, means that you have declared war on Satan, and your life here will be declared a war until you rest in victory in heaven with the One who gave you victory. Being a Christian today in this world, in a world where Satan is peaking in his limited power, means you are labeled a threat, and his warriors seek to make your life difficult in every way. Being a Christian today does not mean prosperity, as so many heretical preachers teach; a prosperous life is found in a person that only lives for this life, and will pay for their hearts desires eternally. God has heaven to give you, but nothing in this world compares to heaven, and you should look at this world as preparation for the next, not what pleasure you can get from it.

Satan seeks to destroy you, in every possible way. He uses those closest to you, to do his dirty deeds. I just passed through a season where literally every person, except one, was used unknowingly to speak a torment from Satan to me; it hurt terribly to hear and feel the evidences of the power of Satan in Godly people I love. God allows it to strengthen you when you recognize it; He gives you glimpses of understanding the power of evil, but also the greater power of good. You are reminded of this passage in 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. Right there, again in the Bible, is the evidences in the word of God that you will suffer (twice) as a Christian. Prosperity preachers, in fact, just preachers everywhere that only speak of the blessings of God, and not the suffering, will be held accountable on Judgement Day for what they said, what they didn’t say, and the motives of the heart for it all. There is equal power of God in the conviction of sin and the blessing of salvation. Sin and suffering seem to be fading away in pulpits today.

Are you prepared to suffer? Are you prepared to wage war with your life against the ruler of this world? Are you willing to speak the truth of God, even when it may cost you friendships? Are you willing to lay down your cross (yourself) daily, for the One who died for you? Are you willing to suffer as those in the Bible did? If not…..are you a Christian in God’s eyes?