Joy in the midst of pain.
Posted by appolus on October 30, 2020
(Jas 1:2-4) My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into many kinds of temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith produces patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Trials and tribulations will ultimately bring out the best in genuine Christians and the worse in the religious man. The harder the circumstances get for the genuine Christian, the more he is forced to his knees and driven deeper into the heart of the Father. He is humbled and contrite as he understands how weak he is and how much flesh he still has. Ultimately the results of this is more love, more peace, more forgiveness and more understanding.
The harder the circumstances become for the religious man, the more bitter he becomes. He has no joy or peace. He will not forgive his enemies and his hatred for those he perceives to have caused his sufferings increases dramatically. So, the trial and the deep valley is death to one and life to another. The flesh dies and the spirit rises.
The genuine saint faces the same danger as the one who has never known Jesus if he reacts in the same manner as that one. The difference will be their love for the word of God and their love for God Himself. A saint is motivated by His love for God and his passion for the truth that is written, not only in the Word but upon his heart. It is the driving force of his life. It is his very heartbeat, the essence of who he is.
Nothing else matters when sin disturbs this, it has to be put right for the alternative is distance between him and the one that he loves. When you find yourself in the midst of troubles of any kind dear brother and sister, resist the flesh’s desire to run into a dark corner and react as the world reacts. Do the opposite of what the flesh demands of you, draw near to God and He will draw near to you and you will grow in the Lord and in the power of His might.
A Call To The Remnant 
Kimberly Mcbride said
Brother Frank, thank you for this word. I just lost my 31 year old daughter (tuesday) from probable accidental OD. We had lost my first daughter in 2009. I did want to share was to have GOD HIMSELF. He is our all and all !! Often we don’t discover that until we go through it and end up shaking our fists foolishly towards the sky and our true state is exposed (my experience) And if you don’t mind I would like to share a video made from a clip of a sermon from John Piper, that I have loved and it is a bedrock of our lives GOD IS ENOUGH !!!
appolus said
Kimberly, dear sister. I cannot even begin to imagine or put into words this great tragedy that has befallen you. To lose one child is a great tragedy, to lose two children is to come into the realms of Job himself. Your witness for Jesus in the midst of this great darkness that you find yourself in is inspiring to me. It, in a very real way, encapsulates much of what I have been trying to convey to saints over many years. I am no stranger to tragedy and have lost a child but sister. my heart is with you and your family in this, my heart and my prayers. My brother, a heroin addict, twice tried to OD. I lost my sister a few years ago after she lived a very tragic life, but came to Jesus very near the end. In the end of all of this pain and loss I join with you sister and stand upon the solid Rock of Jesus, our only strength, our only source of sanity. He is our very sanity. We would surely crumble and die if it were not for Him holding us up. My prayers are with you this night sister. It is a hard narrow road you have been called to walk down, but I will see you at the end. Despite the madness and the gross darkness, it is well with your soul for it rest in the hand of our Saviour Jesus……………….bro Frank
Kimberly Mcbride said
Frank I know this was about prosperity gospel, but my point being we in the west have this sneaky little cloud that the majority of “saints” I know look at you, when you go through suffering. “Well… your just not living in faith” etc…
We get to be outside the camp and bear the shame of our Lord, He was numbered with the transgressors, His ways are past finding out. But the secret of the Lord is with him that fears Him. Love to you and all the lovers of Jesus
Lynn Saunders said
Really needed this … thank you!
On Fri, Oct 30, 2020, 10:40 AM A Call To The Remnant wrote:
> appolus posted: “(Jas 1:2-4) My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall > into many kinds of temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith > produces patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be > perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Trials ” >
appolus said
God bless you sister……………………bro Frank