From The Crucible (by Pastor Linda Pugsley)

Don’t be fooled…being a Christian is not just checking off the box of your “religious preference”. If that’s all it is to you, I doubt if you are one! No, Christianity is not a religion; it is a way of life following Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Now, if you’re still reading here and haven’t jumped ship yet, I also want to remind you that the Christian life is not some “free ride” to heaven! It’s not a deliverance from adversity, but actually deliverance in adversity.

God boldly tells us in John 16:33, “…In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage (be of good cheer), I have overcome the world”. The parentheses are mine, but it shows us the boldness of His message. He is telling us to consider it all joy when you encounter various trials! That is not a nutty statement, even though to some it may seem so. His message is this, “Trust Me, dear one, trust Me to show you how and to help you through any and all adversity”.

It’s sort of like God knows you will be strengthened in being “strained”. Like a personal trainer who helps you in lifting weights; he would assist you in going through a controlled and measured amount of strain in order to build up more muscle with the goal being more strength. No strain; no strength—no pain no gain! You get the picture. So, try really hard not to face your adversities and challenges armed only with common sense. The magnitude of your circumstances may block your ability to even understand the numerous remedial possibilities. But God thinks wa-a-a-a-y outside the box. So when it seems impossible to you, check your “up-line”…go to God…for He can do what you cannot; all He needs is your permission. Endure the fire...it's producing pure gold!

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