Faith and Sufferings....................

James 1:2 Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy.

James 1:3 For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

1 Peter 1:7 These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

Romans 5:3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure.

Jesus said in Matthew 13: 18-22 (The Message) "Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn't take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person's heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road. "The seed cast in the gravel--this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. "The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it."

Luke 8:13, Jesus said: "The seeds in the gravel are those who hear with enthusiasm, but the enthusiasm doesn't go very deep. It's only another fad, and the moment there's trouble it's gone."

I have SEEN those who says they are Christians that when TRIALS came into their lives... they BLAME God and fall from faith. God is "weeding" to reveal who have strong faith. Easy life means weak faith. Hard life means strong faith. Faith builders !!!

Romans 5:2-4 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope.