If You Belong to God, You Will Be Tested For All of God's People Are Tested

[me2lord]

Israel was tested by God through the nations he sent against them (Jud 3:3) to see if they would be obedient to him. We also have or will face similar persecutions as the nation of Islam takes us captive soon to be tried and tested  to see what we are made of. The Lord will rescue us just as He rescued all His Holy People who Believed in Him.

Judges 3:3 These nations are: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.

4 They were for testing Israel, to find out if they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers through Moses.

Not only was Abraham tested,  but every single covenant person the Lord has entered into covenant with. Those who have all died where tested in some form or another before they died by God to see if they were of the faith.  God says HE DOES THIS, SO IT IS TRUE.

2 Tim 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ will be persecuted (tested), while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it.

I Peter 4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.

Rev 2:10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Don't let Satan delude you, for the call of God is with cost, the gifts are free, the crown of life is freely given, but the calling into the covenant carries a requirement to met . To be faithful even unto DEATH.

Our Lord delivers us from fiery trails just like he did Daniel, his three friends and by faith these all pleased the Lord and have a crown laid up for themselves.  Knowing the Lord will bring us through fire, and such trails these things never stopped any of the faithful servants of God because they knew God's could deliver them and did.

Zech 13:8  In the whole land declares the Lord, two-thirds will be struck down and perish, yet one-third will be left in it.  9)  This third I will bring through the  fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.  THEY WILL CALL ON MY NAME AND I WILL ANSWER THEM; I WILL SAY: THEY ARE MY PEOPLE, and they will say, "THE LORD IS OUR GOD".  amen

In Christ's love

[whirlwind]

To your wonderful collection of quotes I add one I often use.....

• Deuteronomy 13:3  Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

He does "proveth us."     Where I disagree with your post is in how it is done.  To me, the persecution (testing) is, as shown above...through those we listen to.  Are we deceived by the false prophets or have we read His letter?  Are we obedient or do we listen to those telling us such things as "the law doesn't matter any more.  We're saved so it doesn't apply to those that love Him."   

I base that on several Scriptures but one is.....

• Luke 21:17 -19 And ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake.  But there shall not an hair of your head perish.  In your patience possess ye your souls.

To me, all the testing, proving, trials and tribulations are deception....great deception we must withstand.  For this battle we put on the gospel armor:

• Ephesians 6:10-13 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

By the way....I love how you teach;  using His Scripture with your analysis as led by the Spirit.  Perhaps I love it as it is how I am led to witness.   

[me2lord]

I enjoy your responses very much, you're always delightful in your replies.  

You're right in the "testing" also called  "Proving" the Lord does with us who he loves.  He tests us through various ways  such as Deuteronomy expresses, which I love you for bringing that verse ..  but also there is the testing through fire by warfare which comes upon us in the Last Days,  this was more of what I pulled out from the bible verses as we are in the times this will come forth for many of us.  

Though, I should have added these others ways also because testing does come in many forms  from our Lord.   Thank you again sooooo much!  

I made the statement that there is a cost we must consider to being a disciple the gifts are free to us, here is where I get that from.

Luke  14:25 26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. (a  cost is shown here)

 27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
 28 “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?

 29 “Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him,
 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

 31 “Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and aconsider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

 32 “Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

 33 “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. (cost again)

 34 “Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned?
 35 “It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

 

In Christ's love
Vickie