Tag Archives: Trials

I Never Liked Tests!!

June 17, 2014Christ's rest, Christian encouragement, Discouraged Christian, Encouragement for Women, Grace, Hope, Jesus Christ, Love of God, Spiritual Encouragement, To Rest in Christ, Trials, TroublesAbba, Christian encouragement, Christian life, encouragement, encouragement in Christ, God's word, inspiration, spiritual encouragement, tests, Trials, who I am in ChristT.W. Allgaier

I Never Liked Tests!

Ok, I admit it…I never liked taking tests in school. And when I think about it, I don’t like them now! I don’t want to pretend that I am “super spiritual” and like them….I don’t!

We all have been through personal trials. And like many of you, tried to learn from them. I am trying to be an encouragement to some loved ones dealing with specific trials right now.

John 6:5-6 “When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.”

The King James Version says: “When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.”

Look at the words test and prove. In these particular scriptures the Greek translation of the word is peirazo. This means “to try, to prove in a good sense.” This is in direct contrast to the Greek word dokimazo which means “proving that one has been evil or to make him evil.” The intent of the first, peirazo is to prove someone good and acceptable.

James 1:13 tells us that God does not “tempt” us. Things that are evil were sent to destroy us. But from my very humble, layman’s understanding, the tests we often endure will refine us and prove who we are in Christ! God is allowing us to be “approved, to be tried as metals by fire and thus purified.” We are becoming more and more like Him! He knows where we are spiritually and how He has equipped us to be worthy and approved. What a good, affirming word for us today!

Think of it this way: A student is tested to see what he/she has learned in a certain subject area. He is given a test and somehow in someway it proves what he/she knows. Now if he fails the test, it looks as though nothing was learned. It could have been a bad day for a test, or he/she may have really not learned anything. If he passes it might be that learning took place, or he had the ability to guess well!

The Father knows where we are and when we are tested and proved. He is trying to show us what we have learned from Him and His word. Do we believe that, do we trust Him? This strengthens our faith and indeed teaches us. He is never tempting us with “evil”. He cannot do that, be He can take what the enemy intended for evil and make it good, if we choose to see the life and love of the Savior.

I do not claim to understand God’s ways…but I do know that we are to filter it all through His tender nail scared hands of love….life it tough, but He will pull us through and teach us along the way.

Be blessed~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

*google image, Strong’s Concordance, NIV/King James Bible

Questions….

June 12, 2014Christ's rest, Christian encouragement, Discouraged Christian, Encouragement for Women, Freedom in Christ, Grace, Hope, Jesus Christ, Love of God, Spiritual Encouragement, Surrender, To Rest in Christ, Trials, TroublesAbba, Christian encouragement, Christian life, encouragement, encouragement in Christ, God's peace, God's word, Grace, Mystery of Christ, spiritual encouragement, Trials, who I am in ChristT.W. Allgaier

Questions…..

We all have them. I am overwhelmed a bit with some at the moment. I am reading a Beth Moore Bible Study, THE BELOVED DISCIPLE. It is a great study on all of the disciples, but of course John is the focus. She presented a statement about what John believed, and I turned around the statements and then asked myself these questions.

1.) Jesus offers a lot of life~do I take Him up on it?

2.) Jesus sheds a lot of light~do I walk in it?

3.) Jesus reveals a lot of glory~do I behold it?

4.) Jesus delivers a lot of truth~do I believe it?

5.) Jesus shed a lot of blood~do I feel covered by it?

6.) Jesus lavished a lot of love~do I receive it?

7.) Jesus is full of everything we could ever need or desire~do I receive it in abundance?

It seems as though when I am experiencing a trial, I experience the abundance. Can I experience it in the everyday? Do my choices in the everyday circumstances allow me to receive what He has for me? Do I choose to believe, even when the simple daily circumstances swirl?

I do believe that the Father hears our hearts. He hears our desire to know Him more…I am so glad that I don’t have to explain myself to Him.

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

How grateful I am that He doesn’t care that I have questions…I might not get answers, but I can always ask….

Be blessed~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

*THE BELOVED DISCIPLE by Beth Moore, NIV Bible, google image*

The Love Letter

May 27, 2014Christian encouragement, Discouraged Christian, Encouragement for Women, Grace, Hope, Jesus Christ, Love of God, Spiritual Encouragement, Surrender, To Rest in Christ, Trials, TroublesAbba, Christ, Christian encouragement, Christian life, encouragement, encouragement in Christ, God's peace, God's word, inspiration, Love letter, Memorial Day, ministry tools, spiritual encouragement, time spent with Jesus, tools for ministry, TrialsT.W. Allgaier

The Love Letter

There was a young couple who met, fell in love and married. As in all good love stories, they adored one another. Joe and Sally had a wonderful marriage. The only problem they faced was the war. They were in the middle of a world war and Joe knew that he soon we be called to serve.

The call came, and Joe accepted the call with honor. He was scheduled to leave in two weeks, and he wanted to make each moment count before he left. The couple had one small child with one on the way. He spent a lot of time with William and was hoping to spend time with the new baby someday.

Joe left. Sally and William heard from him almost daily. Suddenly the letters stopped. Two weeks passed, the four and soon eight weeks had passed without hearing a word from Joe. Sally was obviously concerned. She prayed and honestly assumed the worse.

Joe had indeed become a prisoner of war. He was told that he had the chance to write only one letter during his captivity. He carried a torn up piece of parchment paper with him for weeks, praying about what to write his expectant wife and son. Finally, with tears spilling down his face and hitting the paper, Joe wrote the letter.

Four weeks later, Sally trudged out to the mail box and there it was…a letter from Joe!! She ran into the kitchen, weeping with joy at the arrival of the letter. She ripped it opened as little William and her mother stared.

“Dearest Sally, William and family,

Daddy loves you more than words can adequately describe. I am a prisoner of war and I have one piece of paper to write one letter on. It is the only letter I am allowed to write and the last letter you may ever get from me. So, I have carried the blank paper around for a long time, praying about what to write to all of you. Sally, I love you with all my heart. Words cannot describe the unconditional love I have for you. I need you to love the children with all your heart. As William grows, let him know how much he is loved by his Abba Father. Teach him these things when he gets up in the morning, walks at noon along the creek and does his chores before bed. Our little unborn baby needs to be taught these things as well when she(hope) or he is able to understand. Spend time with them, tell them that I will love them forever. Talk to the banker about the money we have, pay off the bills, tithe weekly, share what eggs you can with the neighbors…..”

The letter went on to tell Sally everything she needed to know about life. As if Joe were right there with her. Sally read the entire letter, wept openly and folded it up, placing it near her heart. The next day, when she went into the bank, she got the letter out and did exactly what it said. When she and the children had questions (it was a girl, Grace) she unfolded the letter to see what Daddy said about the situation. Joe had not missed a thing. He had given her all the love and guidance she needed to go on. Everything had been filtered through love. She almost felt as though he was standing right there beside her as she made each and every decision.

And then the closing said…”I love you all, and will see you again soon. We will all be together someday. Everything I have written, all I have said with all the love I have in my heart for you….my wife, my children, my family, my friends, strangers…until we meet again..love to you…Daddy Joe.

Wow, what a letter of love. Can you imagine receiving this letter? Well beloved, we have gotten a letter like that….it is from our Father, our Abba, our Daddy…He has given us all we need to live out this life here on dart. His advice is given because of His deep love for us. Like the letter from Joe, He is right beside us..guiding us with His Holy Spirit.

Oh yeah, Joe did make it home! And so will Jesus.