YIC: D 27 of 30 The God Of All Comfort

A cancer survivor has an amazing ability to speak encouraging words to someone going through the same battle that she once did. Have you ever been encouraged by someone who has gone through the same thing you have? Have you ever been the encourager?

When we are afflicted and experience a difficult time, we are given an opportunity to comfort others with the same comfort we have received from God. This is one of the many reasons we experience affliction in our life: to comfort others.

God will take care of you in your time of need, and his comfort for you is intended to be passed on to others. In the words of the apostle Paul, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2).

Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Why does God comfort us in our affliction?

Is there anyone in your life who is experiencing an affliction similar to one you have experienced? How can you comfort that person?

Prayer

Thank God for the grace you've experienced in suffering. Ask for His help in leading you to comfort those experiencing similar affliction.

II Corinthians 1:3-7 NKJV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
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.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.
6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

Got a little behind and internet problems

I am sorry for getting behind in a few posts.. and then the last day or two I've also had problems getting online. So at least the scheduled part of blogger has at least posted my posts for me for once.. I will get back on today if the internet will let me so that I can comment my posts..

God Bless you all and thanks for reading my blog...
~B~

YIC: D 26 of 30

When was the last time you were discouraged? Was it when you performed poorly on an exam and got a bad grade? Did you make a mistake in a game that caused your team to lose?

All of us are discouraged at some point. There will be a time in your life that you will be discouraged, in school, sports, hobbies, and even your friendships. When it comes, you'll be tempted to give up and quit caring.

You'll even be discouraged in your pursuit of Jesus. There will be a time when you'¢ll be tempted to quit caring about living for Him.

When this happens, you'll feel guilty and ashamed, as if you're the only one who ever felt that way. You're not. Even Jesus Christ was tempted to give up.

Before enduring horrendous pain and suffering, Jesus was discouraged. He was tempted to not go through the agony of the cross. Thankfully Jesus didn't give up. He had you and me in mind. He knew that he had come to save his people from their sins (Matt. 1:21).

Even though following Jesus Christ doesn't mean that your life will be easy and pain free, trusting in Jesus, who suffered for you, will empower you to endure any level of suffering you experience.

Jesus didn't give up on you. He endured suffering to the point of losing His life for you. Since Jesus persevered and kept pushing through, in Christ we, too, can persevere and continue our pursuit of Jesus when we suffer.

Read Ephesians 3:1-13

How do Paul-s words to the Ephesians take on new meaning when you realize that Paul was most likely lying on a cold floor in the dark with an aching body from repeated beatings in prison? What do you believe is the secret to avoiding discouragement, bitterness, unbelief, and anger while suffering?

Prayer

Ask for God's grace to help you and your family to not lose heart in the middle of any suffering or affliction.

Ephesians 3:1-13 NKJV

1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—
2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,
3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already,
4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),
5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:
6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

Purpose of the Mystery

8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;
10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,
11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.
13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

YIC: D 25 of 30 You Are Not Of This World

Being a Christian isn't easy. If you are a Christian, there will be times in your life that are hard. People will make fun of you, think less of you, or even verbally and physically assault you, just because you're a Christian. As a Christian, you should expect to experience some level of suffering in your life.

We worship a God who came to earth and was afflicted. Jesus experienced a great deal of suffering. He was wrongfully arrested, beaten, verbally assaulted, tortured, and made to carry the very wooden cross to which He would be nailed, to die for you and me.

Not only has Jesus suffered - so, too, have those who have faithfully served him throughout history. Even today, thousands of people around the world will die martyrs' deaths for their faith in Jesus Christ.

In spite of the pain and suffering these martyrs endured, they lived for Jesus, because Jesus lives.

Read John 15:18-21

Did the world love or hate Jesus?

Should we expect the world to love our beliefs and us?

Have you ever experienced any negative reactions from others because you identified yourself as a Christian? How did you respond?

Prayer

Thank Jesus that He suffered and died for your sin. Ask for God's grace to help you face affliction in your life for your faith in Jesus.

John 15:18-21 NKJV

18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

YIC: D 24 of 30 A Slave Trader Who Found New Hope

'I once was lost but now am found.' These are the words John Newton penned for "Amazing Grace."

During the earlier years of his life, Newton spent time in the slave trade. But one day, Newton realized that he was lost, without a savior and without hope.

God was gracious and merciful to him. Despite his deep sin, God saved Newton and gave him a new hope in life. It was a hope not based on how much money or stuff he had, but rather a hope found in Jesus - one that will never fade away.

Like Newton, apart from faith in Christ we have "no hope and [are] without God in the world" (Eph. 2:12).

Apart from Christ, you are farther from God than you feared. In Christ, you are nearer to God than you hoped. Through faith in the truth about who God is and who h\He's made you to be, you're reconciled to God in Christ.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

What did God do for us through Jesus?

What ministry did God give us? How do we fulfill this ministry?

How are you and your family doing with the ministry of reconciliation?

Are you not reconciled with anybody? If you are, pray about what a way to reconciliation would look like and ask the Holy Spirit what He'd have for you in those relationships.

Prayer

Thank God that He has reconciled you to Him. Ask for His help and power in fulfilling the ministry of reconciliation (see Acts 1:8).

II Corinthians 5:18-21 NKJV

18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Ephesians 2:12 NKJV

12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Acts 1:8 NKJV

8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

YIC: D 23 of 30 A Clique Is The Opposite Of Unity

Preppies. Punks. Jocks. Geeks. These are just some of the groups, or cliques, with whom we identify or in which we place others.
Cliques are groups we look to for friendship, comfort, or even popularity. We believe that if we can make it into or even be accepted by a particular crowd, then life will be perfect. The problem is that cliques are made up of imperfect people. Inevitably, your clique will let you down.
The other problem with cliques is that once we're in one, we tend to look down on those outside of our group. One day, however, this will all change.
In heaven, there won't be cliques from which you're excluded. There won't even be separate groups to be a part of. The false hope of cliques will be destroyed. Everyone will be unified in Christ. While we can't live this out perfectly today, we should do our best to live in unity with those who are in Christ, whether they're like us or not.

Read Revelation 7:9-10

How many people will be in heaven?

Where will all the people in heaven come from?

What will unity look like?

Prayer:
Thank God that He has reconciled you and countless others to Himself. Ask for His help in seeing His work in your community and around the world among all people.

Revelation 7:9-10 NKJV
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

YIC : D 22 of 30 Oneness In Christ

Have you ever been in a large group but still felt lonely? People tend to hang out with people they know and who are like them. Even in large groups this is true, as we tend to hang out with our friends and avoid strangers.

If you've been in this situation and tried to talk with someone from another group, you probably experienced a feeling that you were breaking through an invisible barrier.

Not only will you experience these invisible walls with people; you'll also see physical walls built to separate people. In other parts of the world, people have built high walls, chain-link fences, and concrete structures to separate themselves from others.

One day these invisible and physical walls will be destroyed. Everyone God has reconciled to himself through Jesus Christ will live with one another in peace and harmony.

Read Galatians 3:23-39

Through faith in Christ, we are considered what? (We are considered children of God. To be a child of God is much more than having a family relationship. Being God's children means we are "…heirs" of God and enjoy all the benefits of his family.)

Is there any difference between people in Christ? (No. The invisible barriers that separate us are done away with and destroyed. We are all one in Christ Jesus.)

How should your oneness in Christ change the way you interact with others?

Prayer

Thank God that through faith in Christ you are considered His child, an heir of His promises. Ask for His help in living out your oneness in Christ with others.

Galatians 3:23-39 NKJV

23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

Sons and Heirs

26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.