Count It All Joy: You Will Pass Your Test!

By Pastor Pattie Reeves
Co-Adminstrator, Covenant Home Care

In the post, "Who Said You Had To Deserve What God Gives You", Rick Renner spoke of the assignments that God gives us that sometimes we don't feel worthy of or that we feel we are failing.

What test is assigned to you? Is it an illness, a financial collapse or marriage collapse that you are having to deal with? 

Whatever is assigned to you: Be Strong, don't give up! And above all, do not charge God foolishly!

Tests sometimes come and they make you strong. Tests give you an opportunity to rest, collect your thoughts and find out in what areas you need to forgive and repent. 

We all will be tested. Just as in the natural, you have to study and know the material to pass a test, in the spiritual, you must know God's Word and what promises you have in the Word to pass the test!

As James so perfectly and purely stated in his testing, "Brethern, I count it all joy!"

The "joy of the Lord is my strength." What's yours?

Who Said You Had To Deserve What God Gives You?

By Rick Renner

Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus

--2 Timothy 2: 1

Timothy was the pastor of the world's largest church of that time – the church of Ephesus. It was also the most famous church in the world. Started by Paul, this illustrious congregation included the apostle John as a church member. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was also a member of the church in her old age. It was a church like none other before or after it.

What a privilege it was for Timothy to become the pastor of this well-known and powerful congregation! After working side by side with the apostle Paul for many years, he had finally become the leaders of his own work. It was a huge assignment for a young man, but after working with Paul all those years, Timothy was ready to step into his own pulpit as the senior pastor of the cherished Ephesian church. As far as we know, it was the first time in his life he served in such a position.

By the time Paul wrote the book of Second Timothy, however, things weren't going so well in the city of Ephesus. Nero was persecuting the church, and, as a result, church members were deserting the Lord in order to save their lives. Leaders in the church were waging war with each other over doctrinal issues; others didn't like Timothy and consequently rebelled against his leadership. This young pastor must have felt like he had a mess on his hands! After receiving the honor of becoming senior pastor of the world's largest church, he may have felt like he was failing at the job.

Live by Love!

By Pastor Sarah Marie Gardner

My Beloved,

The law was given to the people of Israel. It was not given to be a burden, but to make them wise and to distinguish them from other people:

Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people."~Deuteronomy 4:5-6 

This law was like a code of conduct for the people of Israel. If they would abide by it, they would be wise and understanding people. 

When Jesus Christ came to earth, He taught us how to live by love, which is a higher way of living. If we abide in His loved, we will be wise and understanding people.

But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:30 

As believers, our code of conduct is love. 

By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. ~John 13:35

Love distinguishes us from the world. My desire is that we would be wise and full of love; in this way, the Kingdom of God will be seen through us. 

Sarah Marie Gardner is President and Founding Pastor of Life Christian Church in Troy, MI. She currently pastors Life Christian Church in Naples, FL.