Christian suffering Archives - Pastor Marvin McKenzie

Acts 6:9 (KJV) Common Interest Against Christ

Acts 6:9 (KJV)
Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

It is an interesting irony that the men who stirred up the trouble that led to Stephen’s death belonged to the synagogue of the libertines, or “freed men”. These were almost all certainty slaves, whether Jew or Jewish proselytes, who had been set at liberty and had organized a synagogue of their own in Jerusalem.[1] It was slaves set free who could not stand the liberty Stephen had found in Christ.

The world unites itself under many banners:

Common nationality
Common interests
Common experiences and
Etc.

In this case they also united around a common hatred for the doctrines of Christ.

[1] (Some have estimated that there were four hundred or more organized synagogues in Jerusalem at this time.)

To my readers:
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For this and more than 3000 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.

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Acts 6:9 (KJV) Common Interest Against Christ

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1 Samuel 30:5 (KJV) How David Handled Hurt

1 Samuel 30:5 (KJV)
And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

David was in a place in his life he really shouldn’t have been. Fear had driven him to Gath and it was while there that the village where he and his followers dwelt was attacked. I saw a picture of a church sign that said, “Sometimes bad things happen because we do really dumb things.” David had done one of those dumb things.

But David was still a man after God’s own heart and there is much to learn from him here:

He wept and was in distress
Grieving is a healthy and sensible thing to do. David had two loved ones who had been captured. His men had had many more. It was necessary to grieve and it was necessary for David to grieve with them.

He sought counsel
Rather than rashly taking after the culprits he sought counsel from two sources the priest and the Lord. Technically he only sought the priest in order to seek the Lord but that should be true of us as well; we go to the pastor to take us to the Bible.

He pursued
He took action. There was a time for weeping and a time for praying. Then there was a time to correct the situation.

We can do the same when we need:

Grieve when it is right
Pray and get counsel before acting rashly
Take action to correct your life

To my reader:
Have you been hurt? How are you dealing with the pain? I would love to hear from you. Leave comments below.

For this and more than 3000 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.

1 Samuel 30:5 (KJV) How David Handled Hurt

1 Samuel 17:28-30 (KJV) How To Handle Discouraging Words

1 Samuel 17:28-30 (KJV)
And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

Any Christian who has stepped out of our comfort area to attempt some work for God have felt two things:

Little, like we are not equipped for the task
Humiliated, attacked and put down by someone else, very often a brother or sister in Christ

When my wife and I were very new in the faith we had some Christians friends my wife had met through her work as a public school teacher. As we grew in our excitement for Christ we were led of the Lord that Anita should resign her job and volunteer to teach at the Christian school our pastor wanted to start. Anita’s Christian friend, whom we expected to be supportive, was the opposite. It was disheartening but we persisted.

David demonstrates to us here how to deal with those sorts of attacks:

He said he was blameless

He may have evaluated his motives a moment to be sure, but he declared he was without blame.

He focused on his purpose

Which was just and right. Attacks are often intended to pull us away from God’s purpose for our life.

He went about his business

There were others to talk to. He did not let those who spoke badly of him prevent him from speaking highly of the cause.

When attacked in the work of God:

Evaluate and learn
Fix your mind on God’s will and
Keep moving forward

To my reader:
How have you handled discouragements in the past? Does David’s action give you some insight to your own discouragement? Leave a reply below. I would love to hear from you.

For this and more than 3000 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.

1 Samuel 17:28-30 (KJV) How To Handle Discouraging Words

How to Suffer Without Shame

2 Timothy 1:12 KJV

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

There can be no question that the Apostle Paul suffered for the cause of Christ. He describes that

suffering in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 KJV

Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

He was about to suffer the ultimate when he was executed in Rome. But Paul assured Timothy that he was not ashamed of His suffering. He then gives these two reasons:

He knew whom I have believed

The great difference between true Christianity and mere religious Christianity is this knowledge of Christ. The religious Christian simply cannot comprehend the difference between a faith based walk with the Lord and duty driven religious service.

To know Christ is to be willing to suffer for Him.

He was persuaded that He is able

Persuasion, not in his own abilities and skills, but in those of Jesus Christ. Let the world do as it might, Christ is so much greater than the world! Paul’s persuasion

that he was saved,
that his salvation was in Christ and
that heaven would be his eternal home

so filled him with assurance that he could not be ashamed no matter what the world did to him.

For this and more than 3000 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2007.

Christian Suffering, Christian Victory

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