Would You Like A Clearer Understanding Of Suffering?

Acts 3:18 - "But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all   the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.
 
Acts 17:2-3 - And according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ."
 
Acts 26:22-23 - "So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying   both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; that the Christ was to suffer… 

• Suffering's Definition

 The definition for "suffering" is to undergo pain or distress. Many of the Israelites were taught erroneously that if you suffered it was because God was punishing you for some sin you had committed.
 
This can be seen very clearly in John 9:1-2 - "As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?"
 
All you have to do to discover that teaching is false is read the first few chapters of the book of Job. If that doesn't convince you then reread the scriptures I used to start this Pump Up from the book of Acts.
 
They all mention Jesus Christ would suffer, had to suffer and was to suffer and we know He was sinless. Therefore, suffering doesn't always come about because of some sin we have committed. 

• What I Am Not Saying. 

I am not saying a person can sin and they will not suffer. What I am saying is that all suffering doesn't come about because of sin. The perfect example of this is Jesus. Here is what Luke said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day." 
 
As a minister people have come to me for counseling and on numerous occasions they would say to me, I just can't figure out what sin I have committed that God is allowing me to suffer this way.
 
I would ask them, "What makes you think you are suffering because of some sin you have committed?" They would generally give me some type of answer that equated to this "suffering is the result of some sin you have committed". 

• Suffering Comes From Satan 

Luke 13:16 - "And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?"
 
You can start to read from Luke 13:10 and you will discover Jesus healed this lady in the synagogue and the official was upset Jesus healed her on the Sabbath. You will notice Jesus says this woman had been suffering because Satan bound her for the last 18 years.
 
Why does Satan want humans to suffer? He knows God is the one people are going to blame not him.
 
When I look at all the suffering in the world I see the works of the evil one more than I see the Hand of God. The apostle Paul said it this way: 1 Corin.14:33 - "…for God is not a God of confusion but of peace,…"
 
Suffering brings a lot of confusion with it. I say if you are a Christian the majority of your suffering has come upon you from the evil one. He wants you to blame God. The devil is the culprit and he knows it.
 
Don't be fooled by the evil one.
 
Think About This:
 
We learn some things from prosperity, but we learn many things from adversity.
 
Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

​Minister of God's Word
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