Righteousness That Comes from God These days, we are meditating on the Gospel of Matthew, especially the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus teaches His disciples the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven. After teaching them to let their light shine before others so that people may see their good works and glorify their Father in heaven, Jesus explains the true meaning of righteousness and obedience to God’s Law. Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). He came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill its purpose and reveal its deepest meaning. The heart of God’s Law is love: love for God and love for others. Jesus confronted the religious leaders of His time because the scribes and Pharisees often emphasized outward religious practices while neglecting the condition of the heart. They had developed human traditions that sometimes replaced God’s commandments. Jesus asked, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Matthew 15:3). The Law is holy because God is holy. The Ten Commandments reveal God’s character and help us understand what sin is. However, the Law cannot save us. Instead, it reveals our sin and shows us our need for a Savior. It leads us to recognize our need for God’s mercy, forgiveness, and salvation through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 says, “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” The scribes and Pharisees practiced righteousness outwardly, often seeking recognition and honor from people. Jesus warned, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them” (Matthew 6:1). Their righteousness was based on self-righteousness rather than a transformed heart. Therefore, Jesus declared, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). True righteousness is not merely outward behavior; it comes from a heart transformed by God through faith in Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus calls us to be poor in spirit—to recognize our spiritual need and humbly come to Him. May our righteousness never be hypocritical or self-made, but may it be the righteousness God gives through Jesus Christ. Let us love God, love people, walk humbly, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts. May God bless you.

✨ Like Lazarus, you are a cherished friend of Jesus. He calls you from darkness into His light. 🗣️🕊️ Come as you are, bound, broken, unsure, and let His voice be the power that brings you into freedom. #LazarusComeForth #JesusCommands #Miracle #FaithResponse #John11 #BibleTruth #ResurrectionPower #ScriptureStudy #GodsWord #YouAreCalled #FreedomInChrist #BrokenToRestored #FaithOverFear #YouAreLoved

A Life That Reveals God Has a Greater Impact Than Lips That Merely Speak About Him! The Christian life is not merely about speaking about God; it is also about revealing through our lives that God lives within us. It is not only important how beautifully we speak about the name of God. What truly matters is whether people can see God through our conduct, words, decisions, relationships, forgiveness, integrity, and love. Jesus said: > “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) Notice this the purpose of our good works is not for people to glorify us, but for them to glorify our Heavenly Father. Our lives must become a living testimony. If we speak about love, that love must be revealed in the way we forgive even those who hurt us. If we speak about faith, it must be revealed by trusting God even when circumstances are against us. If we speak about holiness, it must be revealed by living a holy life even when no one is watching. If we speak about God's grace, it must be revealed by showing grace even to those who have wronged us. Our lives should never contradict the message our lips proclaim. Joseph did not spend his time in Egypt merely preaching about God. Yet through his integrity, purity, wisdom, and fear of God, those around him recognized that the hand of God was upon his life. Daniel was the same. He did not simply say that he trusted God; even under pressure, he refused to compromise his prayer life. His life became the evidence of his faith. The world often sees our lives before it listens to our preaching. Therefore, every day we must ask ourselves: When someone looks at my life, do they see me or do they see Christ living within me? Glorifying God is not something we do only during Sunday worship. It must happen at home, at work, in our relationships, in solitude, in trials, and in times of success everywhere and at all times. More powerful than what you say is the way you live; your life is the strongest testimony of your faith. Let us proclaim God with our words and glorify Him through our lives. Hepsi Sam ✍️

Monday Encouragement — Now Let Us Live What We Believe Blessings, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Yesterday we had the wonderful privilege of gathering with God’s people on the Lord’s Day. We worshiped our sovereign God, heard His precious Word proclaimed, prayed together, and were reminded once again of the saving grace that is ours through our Lord Jesus Christ. But now Monday has arrived. The worship service has ended, but our worship has not. Today we return to our homes, workplaces, ministries, communities, responsibilities, and challenges. And this is where the truth we heard yesterday must become visible in the way we live today. It is easy to proclaim our trust in God while surrounded by fellow believers on Sunday. The greater challenge comes on Monday when difficulties return, unexpected problems arise, and the noise of this world begins competing for our attention. Yet the God we worshiped yesterday is the same God who walks with us today. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” — Hebrews 13:8 Whatever this week brings, let us resist the temptation to immediately depend upon our own understanding and strength. Before making decisions, pray. When difficulties arise, pray. When opportunities appear, pray. When someone needs encouragement, ask God to give you the words to speak. And wherever the Lord places us this week, let us remember that we carry something this world desperately needs—the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are not called merely to observe the darkness around us. We have been commanded to carry the Light into it. There may be someone God places before you this week who needs to hear that there is hope. Someone may need to experience Christian compassion. Someone may simply need to see through your life that Jesus Christ truly makes a difference. Let us therefore begin this week asking one simple question: “Lord, how can You use me today for Your glory?” “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” — Colossians 3:23 May the Lord guide our steps, guard our hearts, strengthen our faith, and give us courage to faithfully proclaim Christ wherever He sends us. Yesterday we gathered to worship. Today we go forth to serve. Serving Christ Together for His Glory Alone. Soli Deo Gloria.

Conflict and Courage. Habakkuk Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4. At the time Josiah began to rule, and for many years before, the truehearted in Judah were questioning whether God's promises to ancient Israel could ever be fulfilled.... These anxious questionings were voiced by the prophet Habakkuk. Viewing the situation of the faithful in his day, he expressed the burden of his heart in the inquiry: “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!” ... And then, his faith reaching out beyond the forbidding prospect of the immediate future, and laying fast hold on the precious promises that reveal God's love for His trusting children, the prophet added, “We shall not die.” With this declaration of faith he rested his case, and that of every believing Israelite, in the hands of a compassionate God.... The faith that strengthened Habakkuk and all the holy and the just in those days of deep trial was the same faith that sustains God's people today. In the darkest hours, under circumstances the most forbidding, the Christian believer may keep his soul stayed upon the source of all light and power. Day by day, through faith in God, his hope and courage may be renewed. “The just shall live by his faith.” ... We must cherish and cultivate the faith of which prophets and apostles have testified—the faith that lays hold on the promises of God and waits for deliverance in His appointed time and way. The sure word of prophecy will meet its final fulfillment in the glorious advent of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as King of kings and Lord of lords.... With the prophet who endeavored to encourage Judah in a time of unparalleled apostasy, let us confidently declare, “The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.” Let us ever hold in remembrance the cheering message, “The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come.” 36Prophets and Kings, 384-388.

The Kitchen Newsletter Good day, Welcome to The Kitchen, where we explore, prepare and serve the contents in the Body of the Word as the delicacies of God—to create the form of the Father on the earth, to make the earth in His likeness, and to take charge of the economic destinies of nations for God. Relax, and let's journey through the scriptures to see the Body of the Word. What does God look like? It is a simple question, but Scripture gives us an answer that is far more concrete than we often realise. The Bible calls God invisible. Yet Scripture also tells us that the invisible God has made Himself known—not merely through ideas, doctrines, or written sentences, but through a Person. John, on the island of Patmos, saw Him. “I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me…” And what John saw was astonishing: a figure with a head and hair, eyes, feet, a voice, hands, a face and a mouth. John was describing the appearance of Jesus Christ—the living Word of God. Revelation 1:12–17 This is why Scripture says: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” Hebrews 1:3 And again: “Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:4 So we can say: The Body of the Word is the image of the invisible God. The Scriptures Reveal a Person This changes the way we should read Scripture. We are accustomed to reading the Bible primarily as a collection of words, teachings, commandments, promises and historical accounts. But Scripture itself tells us that the Scriptures testify about a Person. Jesus said: “These are the Scriptures that testify about me.” John 5:39 The Scriptures are therefore not merely information about God. They testify about Jesus Christ, the living Word. Consider one example. John saw the eyes of Christ and wrote: “His eyes were like blazing fire.” Revelation 1:14 That is a detailed description of the Body of the Word. But Scripture also says: “Our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:29 The description of the Body therefore becomes a revelation about God Himself. The same principle runs through the Scriptures: the details of the Body of the Word testify about the Person of the Word and reveal the invisible Father. Paul writes: “God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 The “face of Christ” becomes a point of revelation—the Body of the Word revealing the invisible God. Scripture Must Be Unfolded This is where something particularly provocative begins to emerge. What if the Scriptures are not simply information about God, but the Father's script for revealing Himself? Psalm 119:130 says: “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” Psalm 119:130 The Word must be unfolded. We can read a Scripture without necessarily seeing the revelation contained within it. We can know the sentence without knowing the Person whom the sentence reveals. That is the difference between merely reading Scripture and receiving revelation. The detailed descriptions of the Body of the Word are therefore not decorative language. They are scriptural descriptions that can be unfolded to reveal the Father. Paul describes this revelation as: “the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 So the purpose of the unfolding is not simply to give us more biblical information. It is to give us the revelation knowledge of the Father. The Body of the Word: White Like Wool and Snow Consider the description John gives: “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow.” Revelation 1:14 This is a detailed description of the Body of the Word. But John is not alone in seeing this. Daniel saw the Ancient of Days and wrote: “His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool.” Daniel 7:9 Then Song of Solomon gives another description: “His appearance is like Lebanon.” Song of Solomon 5:15 Lebanon was associated with its mountainous, snow-covered appearance. The Scriptures are therefore giving us a repeated picture. The Body of the Word is white like wool, as white as snow. And because Christ is: “the exact representation of his being” Hebrews 1:3 the description of Christ also becomes a revelation concerning the invisible God. This is why the details matter. The head matters. The hair matters. The eyes matter. The face matters. The hands matter. The feet matter. The mouth matters. The voice matters. The entire Body becomes a vocabulary through which Scripture speaks about the Person of the Word. The Body Is More Than a Description Every detailed description of the Body of the Word is also a Scripture because it testifies about the Person of the Word. Jesus said: “These are the Scriptures that testify about me.” John 5:39 Therefore, the description of His whiteness is not simply a physical observation. It is a testimony. It is a Scripture. It is a figure of speech. It is a revelation waiting to be unfolded. And Scripture gives us a principle for understanding this: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” Matthew 13:35 God uses visible and natural things to communicate invisible and spiritual realities. The Body of the Word is therefore not merely something we look at. It is something Scripture teaches us to understand. The Father Is Speaking Through the Body Isaiah gives us another remarkable statement: “The hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants.” Isaiah 66:14 Why the hand? Because the hand is part of the body. The hand becomes a doorway into understanding the Body of the Word. And the Body becomes a doorway into understanding the Person of the Word. And the Person of the Word reveals the invisible Father. Body → Person → Father. This is why I believe Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, is addressing His Church through the detailed descriptions of His Body. He is continually making the Father known. Jesus said: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” John 14:9 And the Holy Spirit does not speak independently of Christ. Jesus said: “He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.” John 16:14 The Spirit takes what belongs to Christ and makes it known. And Paul tells us: “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:10 So there are depths in God that the Holy Spirit searches and reveals. Scripture Is God's Script for His Work There is another dimension to this revelation. The Scriptures are not merely records of what God has done. They are also the script through which His purposes are fulfilled. Again and again, Jesus said: “It is written…” Matthew 4:4, 7, 10 And concerning His ministry: “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:21 The Scriptures therefore have a relationship with God's performance on Earth. When the Father has an intention, He opens Scripture according to that intention. When He is doing a work, He brings particular Scriptures into revelation. When the Spirit speaks to the churches, He speaks through what is being revealed: “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 2:7 This makes the present question very important: What is the Spirit saying to the Church through the Scriptures He is opening? And if Christ is presently revealing Himself through the detailed descriptions of His Body, then these revelations deserve our attention. The Body of the Word Is Our Inheritance The Father has not given us Christ merely so that we can know facts about Him. He has given us Christ so that we can know Him. The Body of the Word is therefore not something we should approach casually. It is an inheritance. It is a revelation. It is an invitation to know the Person of the Word in greater detail. The Scriptures testify about Him. The Holy Spirit reveals Him. The Father is seen in Him. And the more the Scriptures are unfolded, the more light we receive concerning the Person of Christ and the glory of the invisible Father. So perhaps the question is no longer simply: “Do you read the Bible?” The deeper question is: “Do you recognise the Person whom the Scriptures are revealing?” Because the Bible is testifying. The Spirit is speaking. The Scriptures are being unfolded. And behind the revelation stands a Person: Jesus Christ, the living Word of God—the image of the invisible God. Listen to The Kitchen Podcast Continue this exploration of The Body of the Word on The Kitchen Podcast by Omodolapo Ogunye, available on Audible, Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music and Apple Podcasts. Please share and spread the Revelation Knowledge of the Body of the Word. celebrating the Body of the Word #foodmoneyshow #bodyoftheword #marketplace #worldwide #moneymindset

SPEAKING HIS MIND...... A Wake-Up Call to Every Believer By Apostle Jeremiah Nyamvura Scripture Reading: Revelation 3:14-22 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." — Revelation 3:22 DEVOTION: WHEN GOD SPEAKS, THE CHURCH MUST LISTEN There are moments in history when God does not only want to comfort His people; He wants to correct, awaken, and redirect them. We are living in days where many voices are competing for the attention of believers — the voice of culture, the voice of human wisdom, the voice of materialism, and the voice of personal desires. Yet above all these voices, there is still a voice that must be heard: the voice of God. God is speaking His mind in these days. He is calling His people back to prayer. He is calling His people back to holiness. He is calling His people back to truth. He is calling His people back to a genuine relationship with Him. The greatest danger facing believers today is not only persecution from outside the church, but spiritual blindness within the church. A person can be surrounded by spiritual activities and still lose sensitivity to the voice of God. Jesus warned the church of Laodicea that they had become lukewarm. They thought they were rich, successful, and in need of nothing, but spiritually they were poor, blind, and naked. This is a powerful warning for our generation: we must never measure spiritual health by outward appearance, popularity, wealth, or human approval. God is looking for hearts that are surrendered. A CALL TO WAKE UP Romans 13:11 says: "It is time to wake up from your sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." This is a divine alarm ringing over the body of Christ. Many believers have become comfortable when they should be watchful. Many have become distracted when they should be focused. Many have become silent when they should be declaring the truth of God. The enemy does not always destroy faith through open attacks; sometimes he destroys faith through gradual compromise. Little by little, prayer becomes less important. The Word of God becomes less valued. Sin becomes acceptable. The fear of God becomes forgotten. But today, God is calling His people to arise. GOD IS RESTORING TRUE WORSHIP The days we are living in require believers who do not only speak about God but walk with God. God is not impressed by religious performance without obedience. He is not looking for crowds without commitment. He is not looking for people who only seek His blessings but refuse His correction. True worship begins when our hearts are completely surrendered to Him. Jesus said in John 4:23: "The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth." The world needs believers who carry the presence of God. Families need believers who demonstrate Christ-like character. Communities need believers who are examples of righteousness and love. DO NOT LOSE YOUR SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT In Matthew 24:24, Jesus warned that deception would increase in the last days. This means every believer must grow in spiritual maturity and discernment. Not everything that looks spiritual is from God. Not every voice that mentions God represents God. Not every opportunity is a divine opportunity. We must return to the Word of God, because the Word gives us direction, correction, and protection. A MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH TODAY Beloved believer, this is the hour to examine your heart. Ask yourself: - Am I still passionate about the things of God? - Has my love for Christ grown stronger or weaker? - Am I seeking God or only seeking what God can give me? - Am I living as a light in a dark world? God is not calling us to fear the days ahead; He is calling us to prepare for them. A prepared believer will not be shaken by confusion. A praying believer will not be overcome by fear. A believer rooted in Christ will stand when everything else is changing. PRAYER Father, open our spiritual ears so that we may hear Your voice clearly. Remove every distraction that has taken our attention away from You. Restore our hunger for Your Word, our passion for prayer, and our desire for holiness. Help us to be faithful witnesses in these last days. Let our lives reflect Christ wherever we go. Wake up Your church and prepare us for the coming of Your Kingdom. In Jesus Christ's name, Amen. "The greatest need of this generation is not more noise; it is a people who can hear the voice of God." — Apostle Jeremiah Nyamvura- Voice in the Wilderness @ Pointing you to Jesus Christ. +263 772 808 580

Lifeline Today Monday August 24 Track Your Purpose I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. John 12:46 If there is anything you must keep on the front burner of your heart, it is your purpose or life assignment. You need to track it by rehearsing, re-appraising, revising, re-focusing and announcing it constantly as the Lord Jesus did. Keeping your purpose in view powers you to easily predict the outcome of some steps you intend to take. Rehearsing it announces you easily among many. The Lord Jesus never stopped making all and sundry know His purpose for coming. Even Paul, who starts every of his epistles with what God has called him to do. Purpose stays in people’s memory more than personality. Purpose attracts preference. It was recognition of purpose that distinguished Daniel among his contemporaries. Purpose will power your life for outstanding performance. This is your day. Wisdom Fountain: "People with purpose walk with an air of distinction, as if they have a why in every step" Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for creating me with intention and a unique design. Lord, I ask that you sharpen my spiritual vision and clear away the noise in my life. Help me to track the path You have laid out for me before time began. Give me the wisdom to recognize my gifts, the courage to step out in faith, and the patience to trust Your perfect timing. Order my steps and let my life bring glory to Your name in Jesus' name.

❤️WHY DO THE RIGHTEOUS SUFFER? Part 1 of 2. I would like to address one of the most puzzling and perplexing problems confronting the Christian today and that is why do the righteous suffer? In order to deal with this adequately, we're going to be looking at the book of Job. We read in Job Chapter 1:1f There was a man in the Land of Oz whose name is Job and that man was perfect and upright and one that feared God and turned away from evil. We continue to read in the book of Job how he lost everything, his family, his property, his possessions, and then lost his health with a loathsome disease. The universal problem of whether or not suffering is a sign of divine displeasure, and thus presupposes sin on the part of the sufferer, is the theme of the book of Job. The central problem of the book of Job is the central problem of humanity. Why do men suffer the way they do, and especially, why do the righteous suffer? Why are not godly, righteous, faithful obedient men and women always blessed? Why does it seem many of the ungodly prosper and are never in trouble? A Christian wonders why must I suffer this or that, or why must I go through this trial, or why do I have to experience all of this pain and adversity? I'm a Christian, I study the Bible, I love the Lord. I feel that I'm obedient, so why do I go through such long trials, hardships, and personal attacks? To make things even worse, many times there is no immediate answer and it's a real test of your faith as with Job. Is all adversity and suffering the direct result of sin? What is the basis upon which prosperity and adversity, blessing and misfortune, affliction and health happen to people? What is the basis upon which these things are distributed to men in this life? The principal aim of the book of Job is to disprove the popular theory that was held by many of the Jews and it's still popular today, that all suffering is a sign of God's displeasure and presupposes sin on the part of the sufferer. Inseparably related to the problem of suffering is the greater problem of evil and to consider one necessitates the consideration of the other. The problem of evil results from the clear fact that within the world that God created good according to Genesis 1, it was created very good! Within this world that God created good there is much that is now imperfect. It has become a world of suffering, sin, hate, warfare, oppression, evil and death. Now even a superficial observer will note that these two facts present somewhat of a dilemma. On the one hand Genesis 1 shows that God created all things good and he hates evil. On the other hand, we've seen the widespread evil and suffering that's in this world of imperfection. Now how can we explain this: what has happened? Some suggest that either God cannot remove evil nor could he have prevented its entrance into his world. Others say God does not will to prevent it and did not will to prevent its entrance into the Garden of Eden. Now the first conclusion will be rejected by all who believe in the Sovereign God of the Bible but neither is the second alternative any help in solving the apparent dilemma. It doesn't give us a satisfactory solution and so believers and Christians have always sought a third alternative to explain the problem of evil in a good universe. Now the book of Job is in reality the source material for a study of some of the most profound theological questions of the Bible- the problem of the righteous suffering adversity and the meaning of the presence of evil in a world God created good. It gives us the source of sickness and adversity. It's not God as some think and is often implied today. It's Satan who is behind the scenes doing this. No book in the Bible gives more insight into the problem of why the righteous suffer and the meaning and purpose of evil in the world. Now we will examine that question. There are three basic solutions that have been given to the problem of evil. First there's a denial of its existence. We're told all evil is only an illusion. This is fundamentally the doctrinal position of the Christian Scientists. All evil experienced, meaning sin, suffering, pain, and the like are purely subjective, existing only in the mind of the observer. They have no objective reality. Christian science teaches that since God is good, he could not permit evil to exist and therefore evil is not real. Suffering, evil, sin, and Satan and death are the imagination of man's finite mind. They're only an illusion. They have no reality and would disappear if man would by faith and self-discipline deny their existence. Of course, the objections to this hypothesis are almost self-evident. Even if this hypothesis were accepted as valid, which it isn't, one is still faced with the question of how the appearance of evil and suffering is to be explained. I mean what's the origin and meaning of the illusion of pain and suffering and death? The illusion of pain and suffering is as real to the sufferer as real pain and suffering. A world in which the majority of its inhabitants are deceived with respect to the presence of suffering needs as much explaining as one in which evil is a genuine reality. It doesn't solve the problem, it only changes the terminology from reality to illusion. The suffering and the evil remain. It is quite obvious that this view is unbiblical and is out of harmony with the facts of experience. I mean Christian Scientists yell just as loudly as anyone else when they mashed their finger with a hammer. They go right on dying like the rest of humanity. Another suggested solution is the error is finitism. We're told God's power is limited. The doctrine of the finite God is the solution that we must choose, we are told. The fact that God is not completely good and that he is not omnipotent is an unscriptural attempt to explain the presence of moral and natural evil. The limitation doctrine argues that God made the best kind of world that he could but that even God could not prevent the presence of evil. Finitism, we are told, preserves the goodness of God and recognizes that God is not the source of all things. He is the source of all that is good and He is an opposition to all that is evil. Finitism seems to be a solution to some people. But again, this theory is unbiblical. The doctrine of a finite God cannot stand in view of the testimony of Scripture. See Daniel 4:35 Jeremiah 32:17, Matthew 19:26, Romans 9, Job 1 and 2. We're told that God is in control of all events and governments in heaven and earth. Nothing is too hard for God and with God nothing is impossible. As we read Job chapters 1 & 2 we see that Satan had to get God's permission to afflict Job. The concept of an eternal principle of evil against which God is engaged in some cosmic struggle and the outcome of which is by no means certain is platonic dualism pure and simple. It's not Biblical. The doctrine of finitism is no solution at all to the problem but simply a sophisticated shortcut to avoid what appears to be a dilemma. It results from the fallacy that one must either give up the goodness of God or His omnipotence and power since there appears to be an alleged conflict. The only solution seems to be to sacrifice his omnipotence according to this unscriptural view. Now a third solution which we believe to be the biblical one, is that a moral world involves the possibility of evil. In a moral universe of free creatures, the possibility of moral development involves the possibility of the entrance of moral evil and its consequences into the world. For example, we see in the narratives of Genesis that God did not intend to compel moral obedience, but that a holy moral character could only be developed by voluntary free choice on Adam's part. Hence, a world without the possibility of disobeying God would not present the necessary means of developing moral character. Adam was not born with a holy moral character, but he was innocent. He was pure, but you're not born with character. This must develop and grow as you respond to the experiences of life. Trials, adversities, and so forth are designed to shape one's character. Someone has pointed out that these sufferings sometimes crush the person who experiences it. There are times when the final result is more glorious than would be conceivable in any other kind of universe. Therefore, this view does give us a workable solution to the problem of evil and helps explain the purpose of suffering. It is the suffering of the righteous and the allowance of the entrance of sin into the world. This view involves a possibility of the entrance of evil and also helps explain God's self-imposed limitations. Now those terms are important. We see God is presented in Scripture as omnipotent and all-powerful. But it is also true that, at the moment He created something outside himself, man who is a free moral creature, who could have the power at least temporarily to say no to God, that there was to some degree a self-imposed limitation which God placed upon Himself. This does not mean that God has limited His sovereignty, power, or His rule by creating a being in his own image who had the power to rebel against him. But it does mean that God chose to exercise his sovereignty in a universe filled with creatures who could temporarily rebel against that sovereignty. Notice it's only temporary, and so we see a moral world involves the possibility of the entrance and presence of moral evil. This brings us to the basic question that we're going to discuss. The perplexing problem of why the righteous suffer and biblical solutions. It's not unusual that trials and sufferings of the child of God may involve several purposes. We shall explore these next. Part 2.) First, we see that trials and sufferings have an educational purpose. We will see from this study that the righteous suffering trial and affliction is not always evidence that they have sinned or evidence that God is displeased with them. There may be some deeper purpose in God allowing it and that is to bring them into conformity to the image of Jesus Christ. Examining these purposes is necessary because the Christian goes through trials and sufferings of many kinds. Therefore, they need to know whether or not these are chastisements, are things to be resisted as from the devil, or if these things are from the hand of God! This way we will not be resisting when we should be submitting so we will benefit from our trials and testings. We mentioned that trials and sufferings have an educational purpose. We see Job's misfortunes and sufferings at first of all as a teaching and educational purpose. We see spiritual wisdom and discernment do not automatically come to the believer but they are gained through the times of hardship and suffering and of trial and testing. Job learned the meaning of an abiding faith in God. He received an education along the line of an abiding and steadfast faith. See chapter 13 in verses 15-18. Job said though he slay me yet will I trust him. He came to know what genuine faith was and he was willing to trust God in spite of circumstances and appearances. He came to know in a more meaningful way God as his Redeemer in chapter 19. He has come through a great valley of testing and trial and affliction and there's one thing he says. I don't understand all of this, but I do know my redeemer lives and then he became confident in his future of vindication. We see that in chapter 9 verses 32-35, chapter 16 verse 19, chapter 13 verse 18. He said I know that I will be justified and this suffering of mine is not the result of sin, but I will be vindicated. Almost beside himself from grief and suffering, he came into a deeper assurance of a future life beyond the grave and this present world of inequality, injustice, and affliction. He came into a deeper understanding of the sovereignty of God. In chapters 38 to 41 where the Lord addresses him in two discourses of speeches, Job said, I've heard of You in the hearing of the ear and now my eye has seen You. I abhor myself and I repent in dust and in ashes. He said, I lay my hand over my mouth and I'll not speak again. I've spoken once, I've spoken twice but now, he says I'll not speak again. God revealed to him his sovereignty. God doesn't answer job's perplexities or questions. He just reminds him that He is God and that whatever he does is righteous. So, the educational purpose and significance of suffering is evident throughout the Bible especially in the book of Job as Job progressively moves from one valley of doubt and mystery to another. Each time climbing to a mountain peak of faith as he conquers his fears and his doubts and he comes to a new understanding and appreciation of the promises of God. The meaning of suffering is first and foremost of all for the express purpose of developing within the heart of the saint the assurance and understanding of his trust in God. In psalm 119 verses 65-72. The psalmist said there that he praises the Lord for afflicting him because then he came to know how to obey the Lord as he should. He said I thank You for the correction of my affliction because now I've come to understand better how to obey your precepts and your law. Our trials and tests, persecutions and the like have an educational purpose. When Jesus saves you, he sends you to His school. That is the school of the trial of your faith. Sadly, most Christians have not been taught this. They do not profit from their lessons so they keep taking the same course over and over. This is because they're flunking the tests. They've not been taught to submit to the trials but instead resist them. They think trials are something to be avoided at all costs. The Bible says we are to rejoice in our trials, James 1, because it is working in us the steadfast endurance we need to mature. Jesus told us that trials are to be a cause of rejoicing in Matthew 5, because when we're persecuted he said, rejoice because great is your reward in heaven. We are not to resist these things. Again, in Acts 14:22, for we must by much tribulation enter the kingdom of God. If you're trying to get off the pathway of trial and if you're trying to get out of that school, then you are on the wrong path. Realize you will not be able to graduate because you're flunking the course or you become a spiritual dropout from the school of the trial of your faith. Trials and sufferings are designed by God because He loves you and desires to educate you in an abiding faith in knowing that He is able to deliver and protect you keeping you to the end. You come to trust Him in spite of circumstances as Job. You come to the place where you can say though He slay me yet will I trust Him. That doesn't make any sense to your head or your intellect, but if you stay in God's school and learn your lessons as you should, it will make sense to your spirit and to your heart. Trials and sufferings of the believer for righteousness' sake have an educational purpose. Stay in God's school long enough for him to teach you something and you'll find you'll be blessed for it with a mature faith and trust in the plans and purposes of God in your life! Part 3.) Next, we see that sometimes sufferings and trials have a punitive purpose. This is the solution, by the way, to the problem suggested by Job's friends. You'll notice this as you read the book and although it is by no means the whole answer, yet it does have its place in the total picture. This is the law of sowing and reaping Galatians 6:7 - for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. There are natural consequences of sin and so sometimes trials and sufferings have a punitive purpose. Punitive means punishment. Some of these things we endure and suffer are because we've not heeded the law of sowing and reaping Galatians 6:7. We see this throughout the Bible that this works for the saint as well as the sinner. We have to obey this law. If we don't sow to the Spirit and sow to the flesh, we're going to reap the consequences. We see this in the case of David. He had to reap what he sowed in his sin with Bathsheba. We read the sword never departed from his house, although he did receive forgiveness. We also see this in the New Testament in 1st Corinthians 5 and 1st Corinthians 11. Some of the Christians were not partaking of the communion the Lord's Supper as they should. Therefore, Paul says you don't discern the Lord's body, you're not eating this supper worthily, and therefore some of you are sick and some of you are dying prematurely. This is the law of sowing and reaping. For example, if a Christian girl allows herself to get into trouble and becomes pregnant, she may repent of that sin and be forgiven but she'll still suffer the stigma of bearing an illegitimate child. She's still going to suffer the consequences of what she sowed, for whatsoever you sow you reap. Galatians 6:7. So there's no way to get around the fact that you're going to reap what you sow. This is why sometimes we suffer trials and afflictions. We should examine our lives to see whether or not God is judging us because of something we have disobeyed him about or not getting our lives corrected about some matter. Now what's the significance of Job's suffering in relation to the punitive purpose? Remember this is the suggested solution of Job's three friends. The principle upon which all suffering is based they said is this- that suffering is a direct result of sin and a just recompense for it. Job's sufferings, they insisted, were a sign of divine displeasure and presupposed sin on his part. Now of course the Bible does set forth this principle. It's the law of sowing and reaping where righteousness will bring prosperity and blessing, disobedience and wickedness will bring adversity. This is a principle set forth throughout the Bible as Deuteronomy 28 which is a good example of that. Psalm 1 is another example. But what of the righteous individual who often is the victim of misfortune and suffering, and why so often do the ungodly seem to prosper? What's the explanation for the suffering of the innocent and the prosperity of the wicked? Was the popular notion that the innocent do not suffer and the wicked are always afflicted contrary to the facts, even as Bildad and Zophar dogmatically insisted it was true? They insisted the principle was immutable and that Job, though outwardly righteous, nevertheless must be guilty of some heinous secret sins. Their philosophy was this, that all sin causes suffering. Job is suffering. The conclusion, Job must be a sinner! Job's sufferings, they argue, convict him implicitly of some grave sin and they plead with him to acknowledge it and repent. Job protests his innocence throughout the book and so we still are faced with the perplexing question. Why then is Job suffering? Remember he didn't have chapters 1 and 2 which give us the explanation. He had to endure this experience before the answer came. What then is the explanation for those instances which seemed by the Scriptures, show the moral principle of cause and effect, sowing and reaping, that they could not always be forced into a neat logical system? The laws governing society did not guarantee that in some individual cases the innocent might not suffer and that wickedness might not elude temporary judgment. No, throughout the scriptures we see that suffering is not necessarily the direct result of prior sins. This is proven in many passages as Jeremiah 19, Ezekiel 21, Amos chapter 2, In John 9, the case of the blind man, Jesus said this man was not blind because of his parent's sin or his own sin but that God might be glorified in his healing. So, also, in the case of Job, we see he suffered innocently. What the Scriptures do teach is this - that in the light of eternity it is the righteous who will be blessed and the wicked who will suffer. We should not judge too soon. The conclusion is this, suffering and adversity may sometimes be the result of sin and therefore the purpose is punitive, but this is not always the case. Don't follow Job's friends' rigid thinking in condemning someone when you do not have all the facts. Part 4.) Sometimes trials and suffering have a disciplinary purpose. There are times afflictions are the chastisements of a loving Father. This is in harmony with Hebrews 12, 1st Corinthians 5, 1st Corinthians 11 and proverbs 3 verses 11-12. Who the Lord loves He chastens. The Scriptures tell us in Job chapter 33, that God speaks to man and the purpose for that is he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man. He keeps back his soul from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword. He is chastened also with pain upon his bed and the multitude of his bones with strong pain. God chastens his children because he doesn't want His children going on a path of destruction from disobedience to His Word and will for their lives. We read in Hebrews 12 that who the Lord loves He chastens and He scourges every son He receives. Job 33 speaks of one form of chastisement being sickness. In Hebrews 12 it doesn't say anything about sickness being a form of chastisement. God has many ways to chasten His children. Sometimes he just withholds his blessings. Testing has a way of humbling man's pride. You see, many of Job's utterances under the weight of his afflictions gave indication that his trials had not yet fully accomplished their purpose. You will see this as you read the book of Job. Job sometimes questions God's purposes and in his questioning of God's purpose and his control of human affairs, it implied that Job knew more than God. Sometimes Christians, under the weight of their trials and afflictions, will cry out to God in such a way and try to use their logic and reason to such an extent that they even question God's wisdom in allowing them the trials and afflictions. To be Continued. Edited. Shared. ❤️ God willing, more will be posted soon. All glory to Jesus alone.

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