If you want the rainbow you gotta put up with the rain.
1 Thessalonians 4:14 (KJV) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
Do you remember the last few words in verse 13? “others which have no hope” Now that word “hope” is not a word meaning maybe or not sure of. Oh no it carries a very positive meaning of expectation and confidence. The Apostle Paul is saying I don’t want you to be unlearned neither do I want you to be uncomfortable about your loved one or yourselves. Then Paul starts off the next verse with “For if we believe” I know we all know what the word “believe” means but I always like to refresh my mind so I look up those words that I know. Here is what Webster says: “To have a firm persuasion of any thing” Jesus told His disciples this
John 14:1 (KJV) Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. Could unbelief bring on a heart that is troubled? I think so. If all I had was this life to look forward to it would be easy to become missable and depressed. Now don’t get me wrong I love living this life with all of its heartbreaks. Because I can’t forget the joy it has brought me. Now my belief in the God that I serve must or has to go further than this life. If I based Christianity on my Church life and the way others have treated me I would have a poor respect of Christianity. This I had to learn, I can not base God’s character on those who say they are God’s children. Neither can I follow or believe everything I hear. That's why I love my Bible and why I want to know what it teaches for myself.
1 Corinthians 15:19 (KJV) If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. Yes, our confidence has to go way beyond this life. Paul says don’t be ignorant for if we have confidence that Jesus died and rose again. The question is do we have that kind of confidence? Do we have confidence in Jesus? Do we have confidence that there is a real place called heaven? Do we believe? Do we have confidence? Oh if I were to write of the way I have been treated, just at Church you might say something to me like this “why even go.” My answer would be two fold
#1~If I let hurt people hurt me then I’m being hurt when there are many other good people who are all around me.
#2~Am I going because of the people? No! I’m going because this is the place I will learn more about Jesus. Confused soldiers are in great danger of the enemy overtaking them.
If you and I let hurt people hurt us then we might get confused. John 14:1 (KJV) Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. That means you are going to have to work at it. Never forget you have an enemy.
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