OVERCOME TRIBULATION

FROM ANDREW WOMMACK MINISTRIES

John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

JOHN 16:33

Jesus said we would have tribulation. He did not say that He was the one bringing the tribulation or what the tribulation would be, but He said it would come. Then He made the amazing statement that in the midst of tribulation we were to be of good cheer.

Tribulations exist because there is a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the devil. When we operate in faith, God is able to grant us such victory that we are actually better off because of the battle. It's just like when a army goes to war. If they win, they gain spoils. But if they embrace their enemy because of the spoils they were expecting to receive, they will be killed instead of blessed. First, you have to fight and win the war and then, and only then, will the spoils be available. The enemy doesn't come to be a blessing, but a blessing can be obtained from the enemy if we are victorious.

Likewise, tribulations and adversities are not blessings from God. They are attacks from the enemy intended to steal the Word of God out of our lives. No man should say that the temptation came from God, for God is not the one who tempts any man (Jas. 1:13).

If problems were what perfected us, then most Christians would have been perfected long ago and those who experienced the greatest problems would be the greatest Christians. However, that's not the way it is. God's Word is given to us to make us perfect, and thoroughly furnished unto every good work (2 Tim. 3:17). God's Word does not need to be supplemented with problems to accomplish its work.

Comment

You need to be a member of Indie Gospel Artists to add comments!

Join Indie Gospel Artists

Comment by DAVID A. MCMILLEN on October 31, 2012 at 8:10am: GOOD MORNING KEN,

THANKS SO MUCH AND YOUR MESSAGE ON "NATURAL REVELATION OR SCRIPTURE ALONE?" AND I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAY. FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD AND WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD.

WHEN I LAY MY HANDS ON SOMEONE WHO IS SICK AND PRAY FOR THEM, I HAVE FAITH THAT THEY WILL GET WELL. THE BIBLE SAYS TO LAY HANDS ON THE SICK AND THEY WILL RECOVER AND I KNOW THIS IS TRUE. HOWEVER, IT NOT ONLY TAKES MY FAITH TO HEAL THEM (JESUS TOLD US TO "HEAL" THE SICK AND I KNOW IT IS JESUS DOING THE HEALING) BUT ALSO THE FAITH OF THE ONE I AM PRAYING FOR. IF THEY DON'T HAVE FAITH TO BE HEALED, IT WON'T WORK. LIKEWISE, WHEN I GET SICK OR SOMETHING BAD GOES ON IN MY LIFE, I KNOW I HAVE THE FAITH NOT TO GIVE UP AND TO STAND. SOMETIMES IT IS DONE RIGHT AWAY BUT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT TAKES A WHILE AND I HAVE TO STAND IN FAITH AND ENDURE WHATEVER COMES ALONG. I HAVE FAITH THAT JESUS WILL DO IT AND DO IT IN HIS TIME, WHICH IS ALWAYS THE BEST.

I SAID ALL OF THAT JUST TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT I BELIEVE AND WHERE I STAND. I KNOW IT TAKES KNOWLEDGE AND ACTION AND WITHOUT KNOWING THE "WORD" WE WOULD NOT KNOW WHAT TO ACT ON.

THANKS AGAIN AND HAVE A GREAT DAY.

DAVID

Creator Comment by Ken Rich on October 30, 2012 at 11:59pm: Hi David,

I have more fully developed my last response into another article - lol. My more "polished" train of thought is called Natural Revelation or Scripture Alone?

Yes, please do continue to post his material. Most of the time I find it "spot on" and take no issue with it. Often I don't have time to read it anyway but have an admin assigned to screen blogs. Also, I have a policy posted HERE I will reproduce it below:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this network, liberty of conscience and freedom of expression, are respected and defended. Diversity of thought is welcome, and healthy debate is encouraged.

If you blog, engage in group discussions, or especially if you make forum posts, you must accept the fact that not everyone will necessarily agree with your point of view. All members have the right to be heard, to raise objections, to challenge posts, to contend for what they believe to be truth.

Posts and comments must stay in the bounds of good taste and decency. Profanity, pornography, character assassination, etc., should be blocked, and reported to an admin.

Controversial posts may be deleted - if comments espousing opposing views are not being approved. You cannot make yourself infallible, by blocking comments which are damaging, or fatal, to your stated position.

Our mission statement is posted HERE. The admins of this site are interested in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ - Jude 1:3 ...once for all delivered to the Saints. Much freedom and leeway are given for opinions, and debate, but the admins reserve the right to ban those who are being disruptive, or who are promoting obvious heresies which they can't defend by Scripture and reason. The Word of God, is considered the final authority - Sola Scriptura.

The truth is not fragile, and has nothing to fear from examination or debate - only darkness fears the withering light of scrutiny.

Comment by DAVID A. MCMILLEN on October 30, 2012 at 5:48pm: HI KEN, I AGREE THAT WE ALL HAVE ROOM TO GROW AND I AM THANKFUL FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND JAMES THAT STUDY THE BIBLE AND HELP WHOM EVER YOU CAN.

THANKS AGAIN AND, IF IT IS OK, I WILL CONTINUE POSTING ANDREW'S MESSAGES IN THE MORNINGS.

HAVE A WONDERFUL EVENING.

DAVID

Creator Comment by Ken Rich on October 30, 2012 at 3:58pm: Hi David, I'm not sure at this point who or what you are agreeing with, since so much has passed under the bridge here with James and myself commenting

My point in all this is, I disagree with Andrew's contention that scripture alone without discipline, natural revelation, the striving of God's Spirit, etc., can perfect us. It is Christ who perfects us, and he uses all of those avenues, not just scripture.

At any rate, I pray the eyes of our understanding will open more and more... For we all have room to grow...

Comment by DAVID A. MCMILLEN on October 30, 2012 at 3:10pm: I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Comment by James Banfield's Top 20 Songs on October 30, 2012 at 3:05pm: Neither did I... I copied and pasted from the King James ... hereis tht verse again from the King James And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

²And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

³Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

⁴I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

⁶When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

⁷And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

The obny thinbg I did was bold a few words to bring them out. so dont be so trival the point is, the man did not sin to be blind and his parents did not either it was because of God's Glory ( that the works of God should be made manifest in him.) The same with Job. What did he do wrong? and yet God allowed him to be struck with sickness by the devil, the devil just couldnt kill him. and what was it for? For God's Glory... We will pray for all of us for none of us are what I call Professors of the Word we all need the Holy Spirit to guide us in understanding the scriptures.. Amen

Comment by DAVID A. MCMILLEN on October 30, 2012 at 2:37pm: JAMES,

IN THIS SCRIPTURE YOU HAVE CAPITAL LETTERS AND PUNCTUATION WHICH IS NOT IN THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS. THE WORDS WERE INSPIRED BY GOD BUT THE PUNCTUATION AND CHAPTER AND VERSES WERE PUT IN BY THE TRANSLATORS.

I WILL PUT IN THE PUNCTUATION THE WAY I READ IT. "MASTER, WHO DID SIN, THIS MAN, OR HIS PARENTS, THAT HE WAS BORN BLIND. JESUS ANSWERED, NEITHER HATH THIS MAN SINNED, NOR HIS PARENTS. (HE ANSWERED THE QUESTION) (NEW SENTENCE) BUT, THAT THE WORKS OF GOD SHOULD BE MADE MANIFEST IN HIM, I MUST WORK THE WORKS OF HIM THAT SENT ME, WHILE IT IS DAY; THE NIGHT COMETH, WHEN NO MAN CAN WORK."

I DID NOT CHANGE A WORD OF THE SCRIPTURE.

I THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO PRAY FOR ME AND I WILL FOR YOU. GOD BLESS YOU BOTH.

DAVID

Creator Comment by Ken Rich on October 30, 2012 at 1:51pm: David, context is everything, and taking the totality of scripture into consideration, so that it harmonizes.

I don't know if you read or watch TV, but there is plenty of death and sickness going on right now (even among Christians) and has been since the time of Jesus.

You acknowledge that God bought sickness and death in the Old Testament but say he won't do it now since Jesus came. Has God changed?

Malachi 3:6 I am the LORD, and I do not change
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever

Are you suggesting that the Old Testament God is different than Jesus? Did you know it was the pre-incarnate Jesus who led Israel through the wilderness?

1 Corinthians 10:4 ...and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did...So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!

In the book of revelation, does Jesus not say he is going to unleash his angels to sound their trumpets and pour out bowls of wrath? Unimaginable death, sickness, destruction. This is not Satan and his angels, these angels come from the temple of God.

Rev. 8:2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.

Rev. 9:15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.

Rev. 16:1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth...

Here again Jude confirms God still deals with sin the same way he always has:

Jude 1:5-7 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe... In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah ...serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

Granted you will say this is for sinners, and I agree, so I will repeat Paul's warning be careful that you don’t fall.

I will also repeat his entreaty to not despise God's discipline. For God will purify your faith through discipline (not just the word) to keep you from the destruction to come.

Hebrews 12:7-11 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? ...God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Can't you see that God does not use the word alone, but will allow harsh, painful, and unpleasant discipline to produce righteousness in you, out of LOVE.

He is trying to save you from something worse! Eventually, he will destroy sin and sinners and you don't want to be on that train. If necessary, he will give you "spanking" after "spanking" to turn you from that fate. He loves you, it's for your own good.

Comment by James Banfield's Top 20 Songs on October 30, 2012 at 1:08pm: David at the risk of making you a bit uncomfortable, I would say to you you are in error with this statement, "THE REASON YOU WILL GO TO HELL IS NOT ACCEPTING JESUS. " SIN is the issue for how can you truly turn from your wicked ways unless you first repent from your sins?... Here look at 2Chron 7:14 "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, Pray, seek my face, and Turn from their wicked ways, THEN will I HEAR from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.".. inorder for Jesus to "Wash your sins away, YOU must first repent from your sins and turn from your wicked ways. Then he will hear and do what HE promised he would do. You are correct in saying the phrase "THE REASON YOU WILL GO TO HELL IS NOT ACCEPTING JESUS" but the actual fact is, don't get caught Circumnavigating the Name of Jesus in what you do. for to do that is to "ByPass" His Name which is actually trying to circumnavigate his Authority. "and the Father told me this and The Father told me that is circumnaviogating the Authority of Jesus for it is not the Father that is speaking but the Son.. for the son is the voice of prophecy. The Holy Spirit is the part of the Son that was broken for you so that and HE (The Son) are a part of each other as the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son. So to The Son is in us as We are in the Son. do you see this? So to Circumnavigate the Son is to deny his Diety and that is the objective of the devil and always has been. So the true answer to what you said is, The Reason you would go to hell is because you didnt acknowledge or gave honor to the Deity of the Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth who is the Son of God. So don't get in th habit of by passing the Name of Jesus thinking you are going direct to the Father and skip the Deity of the Son. Amen

Comment by James Banfield's Top 20 Songs on October 30, 2012 at 12:52pm: In the case of the new testament there is the case of the man at the gate ... John 9:1-7 here is the scripture ... And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 4I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 6When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.