There Is A Reason Why We Sometimes Suffer

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

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.

How can we comfort someone without knowing what they are going through? God at times will put you in a situation that’s going to be tough and painful and He will allow the enemy to hit you hard like what happened to Jesus in the wilderness…

Matthew 4:1

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.”

Why do we have to learn it this way? To penetrate someone’s heart with the love of Christ, we need to let them know that we understand their pain as we ourselves have gone through the same tribulation. By letting them know that, their hearts would be softened for the conviction of the Holy Spirit to take effect.

Afterward, share with them how Jesus Christ comforted you through your ordeal and rescued you out of it. For the person to know that you went through the same thing and that you got rescued, is like giving a dying man in the desert a glass of cold water and reassuring him that there is no need to worry. It will revive the person’s soul, their eyes will light up, giving them hope.

Don’t get upset with the Lord or anyone else when you are facing a big trial. The Lord is preparing you to comfort someone after you have been comforted by Him. Your troubles will turn out to be for God’s glory.

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Verse By Verse Through Revelation (18:11-15)

11 “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore

Their distress for the city that was destroyed has nothing to do with the souls that perished but for their wallets.

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12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;

The woman/city is very wealthy, and purchases merchandise from all kinds of vendors which in turn makes them prosperous. 

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13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men.

It is interesting to note that the verse reveals not only do they enslave people with false doctrine but also make some physical slaves to carry out their plans. 

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14 The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all.

The merchant’s financial tower (business) will collapse due to the downfall of the false religious system. 

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15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing

 See verse 11

Their god is their money and those who serve that god will perish. 

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The “verse by verse through Revelation” series was made into a book. If you are interested in having a hardcopy or in an ebook format click: Bookstore

What Does It Mean To Be Salt? Matthew 5:13

Matthew 5:13 (NKJV)

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

Salt

2 Kings 2:19-22 (NKJV)

19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren.”

20 And he said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.’ ” 22 So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

Salt brings healing to the person’s soul through faith in Jesus Christ. It is the Eternal Gospel by which it transforms our attitude to that of Christ. 

To have Christ’s attitude

• Ephesians 4:29 (NKJV) Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

• Colossians 4:6 (NKJV) Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Grace: Kindness and blessings. Strong’s# 5485

• Romans 14:19 (NKJV) Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

Peace & Edify: To love your neighbor as yourself and lift their spirits up by giving them hope in Jesus Christ

Light

John 8:12 (NKJV)

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Darkness: Spiritual blindness. Not knowing what is the truth and what is false

The light in us will reveal Jesus to those in the darkness. It also means that we walk and live according to the truth as we longer are blind.

Salt and light are best seen by seasoning our lives and others with God’s Word which will produce good fruits for God’s glory by bringing people into a relationship with Jesus Christ. 

To lose the saltiness one has to deny the inerrancy of Scripture. 

Scripture reveals the truth about Jesus and shows you how to live for Him. God speaks to you through His Word and it strengthens your faith. Without holding firmly to the Word of God, you will be destroyed.

Matthew 7:26-27

26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”