suffering

the most amazing sermon i've ever heard on suffering

In the garden of Gestheme the night before Jesus' cruxifiction:
*"[Jesus] would promise his disciples not the power to avoid trouble, but the power to live the only life WORTH LIVING. He would promise them the same power that was keeping Him on course while His own worst nightmare came true. He new these words would strike a chord, that they would thrill His disciples and fill them with hope. 'Soon you will have that power,' Jesus would say. 'You will be able to remain faithful to Me NO MATTER WHAT happens in your life.'"
*"Perhaps we're meant to learn that the richest hope permits the deepest suffering, which releases the strongest power, which the produces then GREATEST JOY."
-Quotes taken from Shattered Dreams by Larry Crabb

Written after 15 years of torture in a communist prison:
*"I have seen beautiful things! Sometimes the preachers with me were laymen, simple men inspired by the Holy Spirit who often preached beautifuly. ALL OF THEIR HEART was in their words, for to preach under such punitive circumstances was no trifling matter. Then the guards would come and tae the preacher out and beat him half to death."
*"Communists have committed and still commit horros but 'love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave...Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it' (Song of Solomon 8:6,7). As the grave insits on having all--rich and poor, young and old; men of all races, nations, and political convictions; saints and criminals--so love is all-embracing. Christ the Incarnate Love, wants all mean to come to Him, including the Communists."
-Quotes taken from Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand (founder of The Voice of the Marytrs)

"Turn away from evil and DO GOOD;
so shall you dwell forever.
For the Lord loves JUSTICE;
he WILL NOT FORSAKE his saints."
-Psalm 37:27&28

Lord,
Thank you for considering me WORTHY of suffering for the sake of Your name (Acts 5:41). I pray that I would not loose hope or give into trials. Thank you that when I am weakest You are strongest.