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Page 54 December 2002 The AC Phoenix Inspiration Standing During Times If I have learned anything during my lifetime, It Is that difficult times will come. No matter how you may plan or strategize to avoid It, It Is inevitable that difficult times will come. And for me, there Is never an opportune time to be faced with difficult times. What about you? Well, Proverbs 24:10 says: “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” Without coming right out and saying it, this verse is letting us know that adversity, which constitutes difficult times, will come. And if you faint when it does come, you strength is small. It is also important to note that although we all will face difficulty from time to time, the truth is, it is not anything strange. Neither is it some thing that we really don’t have to be bothered with. In reality, difficult times will always be a part of life. And when you look back over your life in retrospect, you can easily determine that your growth and maturity came as a result of your coming out of difficult times—not just of having good times all the time. Therefore, we should always keep ourselves prepared for times of difficulty because of what it accomplishes. One might ask the question, how can we stand during times of difficulty? Based on my own experience, there first must be a clear understanding of who called you to do what you’re doing. If God called you. He also expects you to fulfill your call and finish your ministry. Also, we need to understand that God doesn’t change his mind just because • Ads must be prepaid Name, address and phone number must be included Inappropriate ads not accepted Let a favorite person in your life know you are thinking about them. You’ll be surprised at the happiness it brings! we are facing difficult times. Therefore, during those times when you feel discouraged, frustrated or like you just can’t go any further, it is then that you become driven by the call knowing that it was God who called you. II Timothy 1:8-9 says: “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” Second, difficult times afford you the opportunity to get closer to God. I have found that the more I learn about God, the more I realize how much I don’t know about Him. And God, in His infinite wisdom, knows that if any of us are to be strong enough to overcome the onslaught of Satan, we are going to have to have a closer relationship with Him. And if we were honest, we all could confess that we really don’t seek God during the good times as we do during the difficult times. Therefore, God uses difficult times to allow us to get closer to Him. Third, we must realize that sometimes the devil sees you coming toward Him and will attempt to stop you before you get to Him. He sees your anointing. He sees your power. He sees that you are walking with Jesus. He recognizes that he is no match for you and your anointing, therefore, he attempts to stop you through discouragement, through disappointment, through pain or through anything he can find to keep you from getting to Him. My friend, now just knowing this motivates me to keep on doing what I’ve been doing, because it is my desire to destroy the works of Satan. If I fall during times of difficulty, I give Satan something to work with, therefore, as for me, I’ll keep standing during times of difficulty. Fourth, we must stay focused on our purpose rather than on our accomplishments. Oftentimes, we feel that we should be further along than we are. As a result, we lose sight of the purpose. We start comparing ourselves with other churches or businesses or people. Arid if we consider ourselves lacking in view of where they are, we become discouraged. However, we must also consider, if we are staying true to our purpose, this is what God requires of us. We are to leave the accom plishments to Him, and they will come. Finally, we must come to know that no matter what comes or what goes, God is faithful. Even though it may seem like God is far from us at times and not listening to us when we cry out to Him, He is faithful and will never leave us alone. Therefore my friend, take heart and heed the word and you too will keep standing during times of difficulty. Elder Kenneth Paden is pastor of the Living Word Church of God in Christ, located at 4640 Beaver Road in Forest Park. He is also Minister of Music of the Georgia Mass Choir. (404-243-9790) PISTOL’S INDOOR YARD SALE A CONSIGNMENT SHOP “We Sell Your Old Treasures” 718 N. Trade Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101 (336) 772-0886
The AC Phoenix News (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Dec. 1, 2002, edition 1
54
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