Are you ready? The foolish virigns dis-armed

HI saints, I want to talk about the great battle we find ourselves in. You might ask ” what battle?” There is a battle going on for the hearts and souls of professing Christians around the world and believe me, it is fierce. Now, we can look at countries like China and North Korea and so on and know that our brothers and sisters in those countries are engaged in a great battle, an ancient battle, a very familiar battle that saints down through the ages have engaged in. The martyrs from all of the previous centuries would look at these countries and recognize what is going on there, it would be very familiar to them. Yet the battle that I am talking about is the disarming of the saints in the west. 1 Peter 4:1-2 states……….

“Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.”

Now there is wide application in this verse and it certainly applies to each and every one of us wherever we live and whether we experience persecution or not. Yet, no matter where we live or under what conditions we live in, we are all called to ” arm,” ourselves with the fruits of suffering. Now this flies in the face of modern doctrines and teachings. Can you imagine prosperity preachers or word of faith preachers encouraging their followers to find spiritual strength through suffering? Yet this is exactly what the Scriptures teach. And so a vital part of readying ourselves for the coming of the Lord is to know how to react to suffering and persecution. This is why the modern doctrines I have already mentioned, and I will include here ” hyper grace,” are actually part of the great last time deception of the Church, designed not to arm but to dis-arm Gods servants. Now brothers and sisters, no one falls asleep in the midst of persecution, yet the church in the west has fallen into a great slumber, lulled to sleep by various doctrines that appeal to the very flesh we are here in the Scriptures called to deny, to resist.

Now what does it mean to ” be ready?” Can I suggest that God Himself is preparing His Bride? There is a living Word that God has laid on the hearts of His servants and that Word is the very thing that is preparing His people. He has laid this word on the hearts of His servants and has made it a fire in their bones, woe to them if they do not proclaim what the Lord is showing them, even if they lose everything in the process. It takes strength to walk headlong into hurricane winds. These winds are the corrupted culture and the false doctrines of our day. Saints with eyes to see what the Spirit is showing them are greatly dismayed at the disarming of the people. They can see the great storm of persecution that is coming and we as Gods people, must be fully armed, putting on the full armor of God if we are to stand in that evil day. And when they see the false doctrines of self and how to live your best life now and the particularly heinous doctrine that claims we have no need to humble ourselves before the living God and that a broken and a contrite spirit is no longer applicable, they weep. They tear their clothes so to speak because they know that this is part of the great end time deception of the enemy to dis-arm Gods people prior to the time when he will walk into human history and pour out a fury such as has never been seen before.

Now this Living word that God has put on the hearts of His saints is the Word of God itself. Firstly He tells us in Matt 25:10 that ” those who were ready went in with Him to the marriage and the door was shut.” You see saints, those who were ready, those who had heard the word, those who had armed themselves or in this case has filled their vessels with oil. Now we see in Rev 19:7 this same marriage and it tells us that the ” marriage of the Lamb is come and His wife has made herself ready.” So we know from Scriptures that there was five wise virgins and five foolish virgins. The foolish virgins are the virgins that were deceived, corrupted by the culture and the false doctrines that has dis-armed them, taken the oil out of their vessels so to speak.

How were they fooled? Well Satan, through the culture and through false doctrines merely appealed to the weakness of their flesh, a flesh that hates suffering and despises any denial of what it wants. The flesh wants to be indulged, and yet in the spirit, we as children of God, have been called to deny the flesh. Mat 16:24 ‘Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.’ Now remember, our strength lies in the Spirit of God who has instructed us not to walk in the flesh , or the indulgence thereof, but to deny the flesh and to take up our cross and walk in the Spirit. Now think of all the instructions by the living word we have been given and then look at that in the light of what these modern-day heresies teach.

Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Now hyper grace teaching would deny our need to cleanse our hands or humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord. And why, because Satan is disarming a people as we speak. He knows that God resists the proud and the presumptuous. When there is such a great disaster unfolding throughout Christendom and a time is needed to weep rather than laugh, then the enemy has brought in ” holy laughter,” through charismania. Why? To dis-arm the people because if the people repented and turned to God then God would lift them up. Now Satan knows this so he teaches, through false doctrine, that if you are a professing Christian then there is no need to repent. Now is that Scriptural? Lets see what Jesus is saying to the churches just about 50 years after He was crucified Rev 3:19 ” As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.’ And so brothers and sisters, the promises are made to those who , according to Jesus, overcome. Part of overcoming is to receive the rebuke and the chastening and in this way we arm ourselves.

Heb 12:5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons, “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and He scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons, for what son is he whom the father does not chasten? But if you are without chastisement, of which all are partakers, then you are bastards and not sons.

The modern heresies cannot handle these Scriptures, for it is in direct contradiction of a demanding flesh, yet the Scriptures clearly say that we are called to endure hardships and sufferings, just as our Lord did and it also clearly states that if we do not, then we are disarmed, without oil, and are not sons. Brothers and sisters, please see the battle, pray that the Lord will give you eyes to see the great deception, the great disarming of the professing church in our day. We must be armed so that we can stand in that day. God arms, Satan disarms.

1Petr 4:12 Beloved, do not be astonished at the fiery trial which is to try you, as though a strange thing happened to you, but rejoice according as you are partakers of Christ’s suffering, so that when His glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of God and of glory rests on you. Truly according to them, He is blasphemed, but according to you He is glorified.

God is raising up, making ready a people on whom the ” Spirit of God and of glory rests,” on. This is a people who have learned to rejoice that they too were counted worthy to be ” partakers of Christ’s sufferings.” Oh how this flies in the face of today’s heresies. And the purpose of it all? That God might be glorified on the earth. Do you want the Spirit of glory to rest upon you? Do you want to ready yourselves brothers and sisters? Then reject all self-serving religion. Reject every voice that would tell you that there is no need to ready yourself, no need to humble yourself, no need to repent and ask for forgiveness. Reject every voice that would encourage you to live your best life now, who would encourage you that God wants to enrich you with the treasures of this world, that you do not have to suffer, reject them all for in doing so you will counter the enemy who is disarming the people. You will stand strong in the armor of the Lord so that you may stand in that evil day. God is arraying His people for battle, He is calling and He is equipping. The time is drawing close brothers and sisters, be vigilant and do not be deceived.

The living word………………….

Joh 17:21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. And I have given them the glory which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are one. ( He is calling His children out, He is calling and preparing them and He desires one-ness and unity)

Eph 4:13 And this until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.( He is coming to saints who have the Spirit of glory on them, whose lives are dedicated to glorifying God)

Mal 3:1 Behold, I will send My messenger, and He will clear the way before Me. And Jehovah, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Angel of the Covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He comes, says Jehovah of Hosts. But who can endure the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap. And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. And He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may be offerers of a food offering in righteousness to Jehovah. ( He is building a temple, not by human hands, we, His called out children are that temple, who can endure the day of His coming? Those whom He has readied)

"God has spoken to me through this" ......Amen! ...bro Frank

Frank wrote

The foolish virgins are the virgins that were deceived, corrupted by the culture and the false doctrines that has dis-armed them, taken the oil out of their vessels so to speak.

The difference between the foolish and the wise virgins, was not that they were not prepared. On the contrary, they were well prepared, in fact too prepared. They had carried out all of the preparations of the wise ones, they brought their lamps, as they would not be allowed outside in the dark, once the bridegroom had arrived, to lead them to the banqueting hall, they waited but fell asleep, just like the wise virgins. They had calculated the time of waiting and filled their lamps with enough to last. But by making that calculation, they had shown their error - they depended on their own understanding or the flesh. No deception, corruption or false doctrine. They did what all men do naturally. They worked it out for themselves but they calculated wrongly. They were excluded because they got the timing wrong.

The wise virgins did not do this. They were not in the flesh, they were in the Spirit. They were unable to prepare further than to make sure that they had plenty of oil because they had crucified the flesh so they no longer were led by their own understanding. They did not try to guess when the bridegroom would come so they covered their options by bringing spare oil.

The parable shows the difference between those who walk in their own understanding, and those who walk by the Spirit, it has nothing to do with persecution

1 Peter 4:1-2 “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.”

Living our lives in the flesh to the lusts of men (all desire not only sexual) can include even the way we obey the commandments. If we obey through our own understanding, then it is the flesh and the door to the banquet will be closed.

To be entirely led by the Spirit, flesh must be crucified, not denied.Those who have crucified the flesh will suffer persecution They do not have to wait until it comes. It happens immediately man enters into the life of the Spirit, when all hell breaks out on him from the enemy.

So the message is for foolish, must be, the persecution is ready to come in today, if you stop walking in the flesh. It is either persecution or a closed door. Decide today for you do not know when the bridegroom will arrive for YOU.

With Frank's message, there is the danger of delay. If we think that we have time to prepare, we will be deceived. It is natural for the mind of man to think that he has time and that he can look out for signs that some future happenings and act once he spots the signs of impending doom.

But that is depending again on our own understanding. The message of scripture is TODAY. If we are not led by the Spirit in all things, and walking in holiness and purity of heart, NOW, we are in danger. Sleepers awake!

My sister writes........

"The difference between the foolish and the wise virgins, was not that they were not prepared."

The actul quote sister was about people either being ready and we are commended by Scripture to be ready.

"Mat_24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Mat_25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

Luk_12:40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

Rev_19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

Dear sister, I am going to have to stick with Scripture and not the opinions or doctrines of men. Some men have pre-concieved notions as to what the Scriptures say, and put a grid over it and attempt to make the Scriptures fall in line with their particular doctrine, this is a great mistake. The simple reading is that some were ready and some were not. Some went in and some did not. This should be a challenge to us,especially in this day of cheap grace.

Mar_8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

The Scriptures never contradict themselves. Here Jesus plainly tells His followers that they who would desire to follow after Him must deny themsleves and take up their crosses. This is plain enough language...........bro Frank

bro Frank

They were not in a position to leave with the bridegroom, that is true, but the point was why they were not ready. If we miss that point we have missed the warning and the way to be prepared. They were using their own understanding and that was the reason why they were not ready. The reason for the unreadiness was the difference between them - flesh v spirit.

deny himself

Self is not flesh.

That he could find a way to insert persecution into that parable was bizarre to say the least.

In fact the inversion is epic.

IT is the foolish that are locked out INTO PERSECUTION

I rather thought that Frank was speaking about believers in all places and in all times having a mind to suffer. The reference to the persecuted churches at the beginning of the article was by way of introduction and concluded with the reality which comes from persecution, namely suffering in the flesh takes away the desire to sin.

Then Frank said

“Now there is wide application in this verse and it certainly applies to each and every one of us wherever we live and whether we experience persecution or not. Yet, no matter where we live or under what conditions we live in, we are all called to ” arm,” ourselves with the fruits of suffering.”

I agree with what Frank has said here simply because the Scripture is itself very clear on this point. We can be certain of this by simply looking at what the difference was between the wise and the foolish virgins. Whatever “slept” means and whatever “lamp” means and “oil” as well as all the other components in this parable the only difference between these virgins is the quantity of oil. I take it that Krautfrau reads this to mean that the five foolish were not perfect and sinless as she teaches we must be to be even called a christian (see foot note quotation), and by deduction the five wise were wise because they were perfect in their lives and so are “worthy” of salvation. Now we have another twist by another who says that this parable has to do with an event preceding the great tribulation and that being foolish means precisely to suffer persecution. Of course I realise that it is a simple matter to ridicule my points but I know what you have meant to say, it is implicit in your words.

Words are very important we should be especially nervous of changing the simple meaning of Scripture. Alas a little leaven leavens the whole bread and even the little children can be led astray.

Frank did not say that a believer must be persecuted in order to become “wise” he simply said that all believers everywhere and in all places must follow the simple and clear Scriptural admonition by the Apostle to arm ourselves with a mind to suffer. The context given is a battle ground and the battle is fuelled by what Frank calls cheap grace and the combatants are believers in the WEst especially. Thus the danger being that believers in the West are by reason of taking the grace of God lightly thereby neglecting their service to Christ being more concerned with their own interests due chiefly to this attitude of not having a mind to suffer. Mind to suffer does not necessarily equate to persecution in this article, it is presented as a wise thing to do in the sense of the wise virgins. Whatever comes from this attitude is not precisely mentioned it is a presentation in the spirit with a view to allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts.

So to list the quote from Krautfrau as cited above……here we are then.

.............his failing was in not having entered into the fullness of the way of holiness which is in fact the start of the Christian life, and before then, like the early disciples, we have a measure of knowledge of Christ, and are believers indeed, but in fact not yet Christians ie little Christ`s. No matter how much we reassure ourselves with Bible verses, without the witness that we have the divine nature in its fullness then like many in the Holiness movement , we are preaching half a gospel whereas the full gospel for every man and not for a chosen few or those who only have a small measure is Christ within you the hope of glory - glorified today, otherwise as scripture clearly says that any man who sins is of the devil...........Posted on 05/02/2010 in another place at 4:27am.

I suppose that it is easy to see why Krautfrau sees the wise virgins as saved and the foolish as lost in this doctrine of devils.. In this quotation they are the only ones who are really saved and none other because “not having entered into the fullness of the way of holiness which is in fact the start of the Christian life, and before then, like the early disciples, we have a measure of knowledge of Christ, and are believers indeed, but in fact not yet Christians ie little Christ`s.” Being a “little Christ” must be very comforting.

I believe that brother Andrew understands very well where I am coming from and did a rather good job of explaining it. My dear sister sees everything from her doctrinal stance, and there is danger in that, the danger of the doctrinal grid placed over Scripture to make it say what we want it to say. Of course Psalm 1 has a clear doctrinal stance that is exposed by his statement, but again, if your doctrinal perspective is wrong and you have used your grid to interpret all Scripture to fit it, then you build error upon error. The simple plain expression of Scripture is always the best way to go. For example, if we are told to do something, then we should do it. If we are admonished to be ready, then we should ready ourselves. If we are told to arm oursleves with the frutiful results of suffering in the flesh for the sake of Christ, then that is waht we should do. If Christ tells believers in Reevelation to repent, then we should repent if it is applicable to us.

Just for clarity, I do not believe in a pre-trib rapture. I do believe that genuine believers will suffer greatly in the tribulation period and the run up to it, and this can be called persecution. So, there are degrees of suffering, and all genuine Christians will and have suffered to one degree or another. Yet, praise God, He never leaves us nor forsakes us and when the enemy comes in like a flood, He raises up a standard, He gives us the grace that we need when we need it. He is glorified in all of this and there is a spirit of glory that comes from the faithful witness of genuine saints............bro Frank

Brother, we cannot avoid viewing the scriptures through our own lenses and the most significant way of interpreting is through experiencing an encounter with the living Christ which opens up the truth to us or gives us light. With each profound encounter, the scriptures are opened up to us in deeper levels. At one time we read "Thou shalt not commit adultery" and then later, we see that it means spiritual adultery too, that is, the worship of idols, and then even later, that it means even our thoughts. The more we know Christ, the more integrated our understanding of the scriptures will be, because of this spiritual understanding rather than intellectual grasp alone and the more obedient we will be, as we see His beauty and magnificence.

So there is no simple level for everyone. "Prepare your selves" and "arm yourself" are too vague unless it has been revealed to us exactly what is required. Some will understand preparation as merely having knowledge yet others will see that they need a complete makeover. Even "repent" is not clearly understood as some think it just means feeling regretful rather than a total turn around against sin.

Each of us are merely stating our individual interpretation of scripture and a man will show how much he knows Christ by his behaviour towards others. Does he insult other believers or does he show respect to all? The first man will have a very shallow understanding of the deeper spiritual meanings of scripture. Many believers at a less mature level will insist that theirs is the true interpretation without seeing that other meanings are possible at more mature levels and show their immaturity by their ungracious ferocity in disputes.

He gives us the grace that we need when we need it.

Sometimes He leaves us to suffer without any grace to help us. This is the true dark night. But if we persist, then we will eventually be blessed by His presence. It is wrong however, to say that we will always receive grace when we need it and can be the fall of some when they are led to expect it.

HI dear sister.

I am certainly not against seeing the Scriptures through our own lenses in light of our walk and the revelation of Christ and the illumination of His Holy Spirit to us, in fact I would commend that to all. No, what I clearly said was that people bring pre-conceived notions to the Scriptures, a grid, which they place over the Scriptures then make them say what they want them to say.

Say for instance you were sold out to a doctrine of sinless perfection, then you would make the whole Scriptures fit in with that perception and the clear and simple interpretation of many of the Scriptures would be lost as you tried to make it fit into your own personal opinion of an overall doctrine. The same could be said for Calvinism and its counterpart. Or again could be said for the pre-tribbers and so on and they come up with what they call " problem," Scriptures, meaning Scriptures that do not fit into their overall view or doctrine.

Imagine that you are a Calvinist and you read a Scripture that says God would have that none would be lost but that all would come to a saving knowledge of God? Does that change their minds about their doctrine? No, not at all, they would simply ignore that Scripture or come up with some outlandish explanation as to why it did not mean what it clearly said. ( this is definately not an invitation to debate Calvinism or sinless perfection)

As for grace sister, you missed what I said and spoke past me, perhaps in a rush to say that I was wrong, when in fact we are both saying the same thing. " He gives us the grace that we need when we need it." The key part of what I said was " when we need it." If we need a dark night of the soul, a wilderness experience and so on, then the Lord knows. If you think the best of me, if that is your knee jerk reaction, then perhaps you would see that. Do not be too quick to say that I was wrong, for in this you may still be operating in the flesh. I know this sister because I have been there a thousand times in the past. In my anxiousness to prove another wrong, I often missed the fact that we were both in agreement, but that was not my main priority, my main priority at those times was proving to others that I was right. God bless you sister and may the Lord be glorified in these days.............bro Frank

Dear brother

I have never been the sort of person who is more concerned about keeping their 'system' intact rather than cast themselves adrift into confusion, in search of truth. I have never felt more concerned about being a part of the 'crowd' than accepting the loss of people who would not accept a 'traitor' in their midst.

During my early years in a Reformed church, I accepted what I was taught but later found many verses that did not add up to the system I was being presented with, and I could not let them go or accept the convoluted explanations around them.For example, why would the writers of scripture say 'the world' if they had a different meaning to the plain and simple one?

Leaving Calvinism behind was a scary thing especially as it was before internet times. I looked at other theological systems and attended a Dispensational church for a while, and got lost in Revelation. I always remembered however that I was taken in with Calvinism and determined at that point to research myself, everything that was presented to me as truth and not just accept it because learned men said so.

During this time I read the writings of holiness teacher Oswald Chambers, and found the right direction. It was a path I had never heard of previously. Things started to add up. Then when I heard that the way to become righteous, which was the the longing in my heart, was by faith in what Christ did in taking us to the cross with Him, it was Eureka!

Since then I have searched the scriptures and have been more than happy to test out what I felt that had been revealed to me directly from Christ which was against all that I had previously been taught in my many readings of opposing theologies. The Lord deemed it necessary to keep me separate from the church during this time so there was no pressure to conform. I read widely from past writings in the new direction I found myself in.

At times I have spent many weeks and months sometimes studying apparent inconsistencies, such as the beginning of Corinthians where Paul calls them sanctified, but which to me was not in line with Keswick theology. At the same time I was experiencing the things I read about.

I arrived at a point where the scriptures were amalgamated enough for me to feel confident in the truth I felt had been revealed, and I found then other writers who were on the same page as it were, but I have never stopped searching the scriptures.

The way to tell if we are on the right track is that our understanding of God's word will line up with what goes on in our heart and lives.I read that those of Christ will suffer in the flesh and will be persecuted, but the power of God will allow one to be an overcomer and enable one to resist all temptation and that is what I was finding in my life.

I only have to look around me at the believers I know to be sure beyond doubt that they are on the wrong track as they fall at the first instance in failing to support and love a fellow believer who is too sick to attend any service and then leave them to rot (in case anyone starts accusations, it is even when they do not know what my beliefs are). Many other believers are like me and too chronically sick to be in church and they are left alone too with no compassion or support.

The theology of the mass, is seriously wrong and it shows in their actions.

" He gives us the grace that we need when we need it." The key part of what I said was " when we need it." If we need a dark night of the soul, a wilderness experience and so on, then the Lord knows.

Brother that is not clear from your words if you have to add something and especially for younger believers who will take the words you uttered at face value. For many years I believed when I was told that God will not put anything on you that is too much to bear but I found that untrue and it caused me great sufferings. I do see your meaning though.

Dear sister, you wrote.........

"Brother that is not clear from your words if you have to add something and especially for younger believers who will take the words you uttered at face value. For many years I believed when I was told that God will not put anything on you that is too much to bear but I found that untrue and it caused me great sufferings. I do see your meaning though."

I could definately add something to clarify, no doubt sister. I was glad to read that we agree on not being sold on systems. I would like to make a point about your last sentence of the quote above. The Lord says in His word that we would never be tempted more than we were able. By His word and by my experience, I have found it to be true, despite death and disease and all the troubles of life which the Lord has allowed me to walk through, I have found Him to be faithful thereby not making it too much to bear. Hundreds of thousands, indeed millions down through the last two thousand years have found that to be true also sister. So many of those were brothers and sisters who had lost everything, were tortured and imprisoned and then horribly killed, but their testimony of the grace and yes, even joy that they found in the deepest of dungeons, lives on and lives out the Word. I would like to add one of my favorite testimonies from a martyr from 1557, his name being Algerius. Now Algerius was imprisoned for his faith, horribly tortured not over days or months, but over years, and then a few weeks before his equally horrible death, he pens this letter to those on the outside...............

To my beloved brethren and fellow servants of Jesus Christ, who have gone out of Babylon unto mount Zion, whose names I do not omit without cause, grace, peace and mercy from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen. In order somewhat to sweeten or take away the pain which you suffer on my account, I would communicate to you the sweetness which I experience, that you may rejoice with me, and shout for joy with thanksgiving in the presence of the Lord.

I will tell to the world an incredible thing, namely, that I have found infinite sweetness in the bowels of the lion. And who will in any wise believe what I am going to relate here? Who can believe it?

In a dark hole I have found pleasure; in a place of bitterness and death, rest and hope of salvation; in the abyss or depths of hell, joy; where others weep, I have laughed; where others fear, I have found strength; who will believe this? In a state of misery I have had very great delight; in a lonely corner I have had most glorious company, and in the severest bond, great rest. All these things, my fellow brethren in Jesus Christ, the gracious hand of God has given me.

Behold, He that at first was far from me, is now with me, and Him whom I knew but a little, I now see clearly; to whom I once looked from afar, Him I now behold as present; He for whom I longed, now offers me His hand; He comforts me; He fills me with joy; He drives from me bitterness, and renews within me strength and sweetness; He makes me well; He sustains me; He helps me up; He strengthens me. Oh, how good is the Lord, who does not suffer His servants to be tempted above that they are able I Oh, how easy, pleasant and sweet is His yoke.

Is there any like God the Most High, who sustains and refreshes those that are tempted? He heals them that are bruised and wounded, and restores them altogether. Isa. 41; 43:20. None is like Him. Learn, most beloved brethren, how sweet the Lord is, how faithful and merciful; who visits His servants in trial (Isa. 43:2); who humbles Himself and condescends to be with us in our huts and humble abodes. He gives us a cheerful mind and peaceful heart.

The Lord says in His word that we would never be tempted more than we were able. By His word and by my experience, I have found it to be true, despite death and disease and all the troubles of life which the Lord has allowed me to walk through, I have found Him to be faithful thereby not making it too much to bear.

Brother, that verse is regarding temptation to sin and I have found indeed that the Lord always provides a way to escape it, in order to enable us to 'walk as He walked in this world' and to keep us blameless before Him. He does not however promise that trials will always be bearable though I have known His grace on many occasions, to enable me to bear them in sweet repose.

If we look at scripture we can see occasions when things got too much for Jesus and men too. There comes a time for many who are following the way of the cross to cry out 'My God my God why have you forsaken me' and we read of Paul recounting that at one point he despaired even of life. Job too went through the dark night where the heavens seemed as brass with no sense of the help or presence of God just when you need Him most.

I too believed in the oft repeated assurance that things would never be too much and it nearly caused a crisis of faith for me when I found it to be untrue. I learned that it is not a punishment but a means of sharing in the sufferings of Christ, being willing to forsake ones own life in order to have His, manifest in us. To walk that walk does require our consent however, so in a way it is true, that if we are unwilling for it then we will never be required to share in His sufferings.

HI sister, let me first address the point about 1 Cor 10:12-15

So let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
No temptation has taken you but what is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but with the temptation also will make a way to escape, so that you may be able to bear it.
Therefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
1Co 10:15 I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say.

Matthew Henry says of those verses...........

"III. But to this word of caution he adds a word of comfort, 1Co_10:13. Though it is displeasing to God for us to presume, it is not pleasing to him for us to despair. If the former be a great sin, the latter is far from being innocent. Though we must fear and take heed lest we fall, yet should we not be terrified and amazed; for either our trials will be proportioned to our strength, or strength will be supplied in proportion to our temptations."

So sister, I think we may be talking past each other again for it seems that we may just actually agree. Certainly there were times of despairing for Paul, as with all believers I believe. Yet, and here is the most vital part, it was not their state, it was not their walk, it was indeed a snapshot in time and space. Now that snapshot may be an hour, a day a month or a year, but a snapshot none the less which is why Paul can later say that he had learned to be content no matter what situation he found himself in.

And so sister, you and I agree that in order to reach the highest peaks of the mountaintop, one must first be familiar with the lowest depths of the valleys. Yet, if you take these Scriptures and use them as an excuse to wallow in the lowest depths of the valley and never achieve victory, never come to that place of overcoming ( and I know saints like this) one would be pandering to the flesh and not overcoming and and persevering. The promises are made to the over-comers sister and we know that we will have troubles in this life but we have also been to be of " good cheer for I have overcome the world," and its in this overcoming lies the victory, victory in Jesus, our Saviour forever.

Let us praise God that He never leaves us nor forsakes us, even in the darkest moments of our lives when we feel abandoned and lost we can look to the Scriptures and past our feelings and know that His Word never lies. We can know even the Lord Himself when He cried out to God in heaven above " My God , My God, why has thou forsaken me," that indeed He was not forsaken, God was still His Father and He was still His Son and that the plan of God would be fulfilled.

And so I would say to any brother or sister reading this, if you feel abandoned or forsaken, if you are despairing of life itself, that yes indeed others have felt that way, in that you are not alone, and that you have a God who has promised you that He has not forsaken you. The Word of God is true and never changes, not like the world or our circumstances or our feelings, and we can stand on the solid rock of the Word of God and His promise, all other ground is sinking sand and will swallow you whole. The promise itself is life, and when we choose to believe God in the midst of our circumstances, life will flow from that when it is ready to flow. God know, let us trust God in everything.............bro Frank

Brother indeed I agree with you that the Lord never forsakes us as He has made promises which cannot be broken. However, there are times, in the deepest pits in the valley, when one can have the full force of hell released in the same manner of Job, and to be in utter confusion, as to why God does not appear when one is in the deepest repentance and longing to have the Lord return after knowing such sweet communion, but instead there is a greater pouring forth of the seeming wrath of God. At those rare times when strength is gone and the waters pour over our heads, there is no strength supplied and all we can do is lay at His feet and refuse to surrender to our human reasoning as to why we must suffer so. The despair at those times, is not self pity but a great fear that we have somehow wandered off of the pathway and no matter how much assurance is given, the afflicted one will not find peace for they fear that they have offended God in some way that they cannot fathom.

The suffering is made worse by others who spout on about victory available if only they would trust, and for them to stop wallowing in the valley. Instead they should thank God that they have not been called to share in the sufferings of Christ and show compassion over a matter they do not understand nor have experienced such as Matthew Henry who could mistakenly write "for either our trials will be proportioned to our strength, or strength will be supplied in proportion to our temptations.".

Again, the verse is regarding temptation to sin and not an escape after sinning.

blessings to you.