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there's a kind of temptation that i had never given much thought before. it came to my mind this passage when Peter , wanting to spare Jesus of suffering tempts him:
"From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"
Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
everyone has their own burden to carry , their way to go with Jesus and i know we should expect difficulties, trials, harships, insults, persecution , because our confidence that we are following Jesus is there, that we are living like He did. but along the way we are given some "offers" that promise to make the way easier for us, and by giving in to them and wanting to avoid difficult situations (in my own experience) i can see now time wasted, and failure too , because instead of boasting in dificulties , rejoicing , making that an opportunity for Jesus' power to rest on me , letting His Spirit truly dwell in me, i put myself first , my "comfort" and needless to say it all went wrong in the end. at first it may look as pride to others but we are to share in Christ sufferings , i don't see another way for our character to be shaped by God , our love , forgiveness , patience for others to abound more and more.
　
"And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. "
i watched this cute cartoon , i don't know if it was made by a Christian but the main character totally is one.... she was being mistreated , living in a stall and when a friend of her knows about it he offers to take her from there and give her a better place to live but she declines the offer saying if she does that her weaknesses will win , the cartoon is "Lovely Sara", if you have an opportunity to watch it or to let your children watch, it's really cute.
i believe we all know when something that comes to us IS from God and when it isn't - when we usually feel restless and in doubt. i read once a story of a great preacher that came from India to the US and before it happened he was offered to apparently do the work God had for him somewhere else and he felt tempted because after all it had to do with Christianity , so , he describes this event as a temptation, as something that tried to divert him from the way God had prepared for him, as an individual. fortunately he prayed and prayed and was able to discern that that wasn't what God had in mind for Him.
　
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts. "
　
　
　
so guys, no matter the situation you are in , believe that God's grace suffices to get you through this, because it's all you need and there's no safest place to be than knowing it's truly His will you are doing, prompted by faith.
"From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"
Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
everyone has their own burden to carry , their way to go with Jesus and i know we should expect difficulties, trials, harships, insults, persecution , because our confidence that we are following Jesus is there, that we are living like He did. but along the way we are given some "offers" that promise to make the way easier for us, and by giving in to them and wanting to avoid difficult situations (in my own experience) i can see now time wasted, and failure too , because instead of boasting in dificulties , rejoicing , making that an opportunity for Jesus' power to rest on me , letting His Spirit truly dwell in me, i put myself first , my "comfort" and needless to say it all went wrong in the end. at first it may look as pride to others but we are to share in Christ sufferings , i don't see another way for our character to be shaped by God , our love , forgiveness , patience for others to abound more and more.
　
"And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. "
i watched this cute cartoon , i don't know if it was made by a Christian but the main character totally is one.... she was being mistreated , living in a stall and when a friend of her knows about it he offers to take her from there and give her a better place to live but she declines the offer saying if she does that her weaknesses will win , the cartoon is "Lovely Sara", if you have an opportunity to watch it or to let your children watch, it's really cute.
i believe we all know when something that comes to us IS from God and when it isn't - when we usually feel restless and in doubt. i read once a story of a great preacher that came from India to the US and before it happened he was offered to apparently do the work God had for him somewhere else and he felt tempted because after all it had to do with Christianity , so , he describes this event as a temptation, as something that tried to divert him from the way God had prepared for him, as an individual. fortunately he prayed and prayed and was able to discern that that wasn't what God had in mind for Him.
　
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts. "
　
　
　
so guys, no matter the situation you are in , believe that God's grace suffices to get you through this, because it's all you need and there's no safest place to be than knowing it's truly His will you are doing, prompted by faith.