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PowerPoint - June 11, 2007

June 11, 2007

 

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

 

--Hebrews 12:11

 

When you face adversity, you have two choices. You can choose bitterness or you can choose happiness. But you can’t choose both.

 

You can choose to allow the trails in your live by God’s grace to make you better…or to make you bitter.

 

In Psalm 105:18, the Darby Translation says of Joseph, “They afflicted his feet with fetters; his soul came into irons.” I love that! Joseph was being developed as God was putting iron in his soul.

 

God knew difficult days would lie ahead for Egypt, and that it would require Joseph to have a durable and doable faith. There in prison, God taught Joseph wisdom and courage and character and perseverance and endurance as his fetters produced faith and his chains produced character!

 

God steeled Joseph’s soul without Joseph hardening his heart. And as a result, he became a veritable velvet covered brick—soft on the outside, but strong on the inside.

 

And you know, God is looking for some strong and steely saints today…believers with iron in their souls! I know there are some who teach that life is a dream if you’re a Christian. That all you need to do is name it and claim it and you’ll be healthy, happy, and all the rest.

 

But that kind of teaching isn’t biblical teaching. And it produces wimps instead of warriors for God.

 

And in these uncertain days, we need Christians who have steel and iron in their souls! But be prepared, as God uses adversity to bring about that kind of maturity.

 

As today’s verse says, you are trained into righteousness…and problems and pressure and adversities and trails are God’s gifts to you to make you stronger…to make you better in your faith and your walk with Him!

 

god is looking for some strong and steely saints today.

Will you respond to his call?