Who is sitting beside who?

Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

I have been laying low on writing for a couple weeks after enduring multiple attacks, and one vicious frontal assault on me from my enemy from someone close to me. Satan comes in many forms, and his words sting most when he comes through those closest to us; lest you not think you are above reproach, remember he stood at Jesus’ feet and spoke through Peter. Mark 8:33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” You must remember you are at war with the “Prince of the power of the air,” and this war is fought on a realm you cannot even see most of the time, every once in a while it become visible, and it gets even scarier.

This world that Satan rules with limited power, power that God allows in a complexity of free-will, sovereignty, and working Satan’s evil for good that only God understands. God allows even the hardest, harshest, toughest things in life to draw you closer to eternal paradise for those called according to his purpose. God allows you to go down roads of suffering that you would never travel by your own accord, but when you are at your weakest point, you see his greatest power, and you are likely changed forever and given the heart to draw glory to Him as a result of it. You are given the ability to comfort those who need comfort in similar situations. 2 Corinthians 1:4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. At some point in these trials of life you may be granted a glimpse of the understanding of God’s sovereignty, a minuscule portion that strengthens your faith immeasurably, allowing you to proclaim your faith to all that will hear.

This type of faith comes with a cost many times. God calls you to difficult ministries, calls you out farther from the world and the world becomes smaller to you. God will begin to lay difficult tasks at your feet because of the gift he has bestowed upon you. Your life becomes a walk of obedience to what the Holy Spirit lays on your heart, and much that he will lay on your heart is difficult tasks of duty, to call out sin, and to endure the pain of his higher calling. No gift from God, not even the gift of Salvation does not come with a cost; even his free gift of his Son, he calls you to become his disciple and to live your life with Jesus as your Lord. Many people live with a false security because they uttered some sentence and never changed, never produced heavenly fruit, never called Jesus Lord, never experienced true repentance, never opened their Bibles again, but just checked Jesus off their religious dutiful task list of life. Do not fool yourself; you will sit beside many people at church who will not go to heaven; hopefully they are not sitting beside that person. You know when you are saved, and you will spend the rest of your life rejoicing in it, sharing it to all that He has prepared to hear. Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height–19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. I am with Paul……that is all that matters to me in life.