Pastor Prince

One person goes through a terrible experience and emerges from it stronger, more mature, and more loving.  Another goes through a similar experience and emerges from it weaker, less mature, and bitter.   What's the difference? I think it has to do with what's in the person's heart.  It has to do with his or her faith and perspective of life.   In Romans 8:35-39, the apostle Paul asked, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?''  Is there any person or place or experience that can remove us from Christ's loving presence?  Trouble? Hardship? Danger?  Sword? Paul could answer this question because he experienced all the above and more.  He said, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."  We conquer all these things through Christ's love for us. To be sure, we can have times when Christ's love seems far away from us. In the depths of suffering in times like these, we can won...

What meaning can we find in our suffering?  Especially in suffering related to our current pandemic.  We wonder what God is up to in our world and our lives! In Romans 5:1ff, Paul gives us help.  If he hadn't suffered much, we could minimize his words.  But he suffered far more than any of us ever will!  He says that through our faith in God, we stand in God's grace.  That's a great place to stand.  We have peace with him though Christ, and his grace surrounds us and is in us. He says we can boast in our sufferings.  Not about what we do.  But in what God does in us through them.   Suffering produces perseverance.  Perseverance is the ability to keep going despite the obstacles.  Like the marathon runner. Perseverance produces character.  The word he used for "character" refers to something proven.  Perseverance through suffering proves us, grows us, makes us stronger. Character produces h...