(Dick please check the grammar. also, I put that you asked people to write to Jonathan. did you do that yet? if not you can take that out or give people the address to write him. thanks)
HERE’S JONATHAN’S ADDRESS:
Jonathan Grenon #73681-018
P.O. Box 5000
Yazoo City, Mississippi 39194-5000
Encouraging in punishment, Hills and valleys
Hello everyone, due to circumstances Jonathan won’t be able to email for the immediate future. He is in good spirits and I ask if you can pray for him during this time. And as Dick Green mentioned, maybe send him a letter to encourage him, He is always pouring into others so I know it would be a blessing to hear from you!
God bless
There are so many verses on persecution and suffering in the Bible. I wanted to put a few verses together to remind us there is a reason and a plan when it happens.
Lets look at them:
1st Peter 4:12-13 Fiery trials
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you. As though some strange thing happened to you.
but rejoice, in as much as ye are part takers of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”
Job 1:21 God gives and takes away
and job said” naked came I out of my mother’s womb and naked I shall return thither: the LORD gave and the LORD hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
Matthew 10:28 Do not fear who can kill the body
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
First, I wanted to say I very stronger disapprove and dislike when people take a verse in the Bible and make their own ideas and interpretations. There is much division and many denominations started this way.
Please correct me if I am wrong, I am simply trying to find a truth in the Word and share it with you. The Bible is very cohesive from beginning to end, if in reading the Bible you feel I am missing the mark with my message please point it out. Especially if it does not reflect the character of Jesus.
In the short book Screwtape letters by C.S. Lewis in chapter 8 the writer is speaking on hills and valleys, he calls it mountains and troughs.
He speaks how certain religions have people to become one with their god or being. But the God of the Bible is a paradox, He doesn’t want to absorb people into His will, He wants to guide us to have our wills change to align with His. So we never lose our individuality, but choose to be more like Him.
In the book he says the only forced change God does to us is when we are saved He makes us alive from death.
When we first become believers God feels near and we see Him always working. As we grow it feels harder, why is that?
Think of an infant, we must hold, be near, feed and watch over. Feed him milk and baby him. As he grows he needs to walk, God needs to let go of our hands so we can walk on our own. As he gets older and grows he will have growing pains, his own thoughts and personality. Being an individual in Christ. The natural reflects the spiritual.
Why is that relevant to our study? God wants men in the faith so He is honest with us on what is to come. He strengthens us He doesn’t baby us any longer. Be strong in the Lord brothers and sisters.
In Peter
He is speaking to believers so let us put this message for Christians/believers.
Jesus promises we will be persecuted for believing and peaching His name.
These fiery trials (If persecution) are meant for us to grow in the faith and be more like Christ. That is something to rejoice about! And we will be even more glad when He returns!
If it is not persecution but us failing and falling into sin these trials can help burn and purify us to turn us back to God and fight our sinful flesh/nature. When everything is going fine, we don’t need to question our choices. If we are in a trial we seek the Truth and why we are here, (whether good or bad reasons).
In Job
In one day Job losses everything. Family, Money, possessions. He is probably in shock but his default reaction is to trust God. That shows Job didn’t sin or charge God foolishly in this chapter.
But we later read he does charge God and God gets upset and questions Job.
I believe that reflects that a good foundation can withstand an initial blow when most couldn’t, but then the character is tested harder and harder. Immense pain and suffering instantly is no joke but you look forward to the future, so you feel hope. Long lasting pain, suffering and doubt can work on and challenge your mind that it drives people crazy.
Job is physically upset but dealing with it, then his friends come and judge him and call him unrighteous. I imagine he just wanted to be left alone. Long story short God had to remind Job of who He is to take his eyes off himself and focus on God. God gives and takes away. We deserve nothing good from God but as a loving Father He give anyway!
In Matthew
Jesus is telling His disciples that the world will persecute them but whatever the world does don’t let it discourage you, you don’t have to fear man who can only kill the body. Instead fear God who can destroy both body and soul in hell. The unsaved in the end of time will be cast into the lake of fire, what does that mean for the soul? I don’t know but men (all men) should be more afraid to disappoint or reject God than to please man.
I am not anything special but I remember a judge telling me she could give me 2 life sentences (for helping people) and that was scary but God holds my eternity and I chose to trust that God would turn everything out for Good. I tried to preach and stand on God’s Word in all the court hearings and still today through every temptation to doubt God.
I pray this message speaks to you in some way, seek God with all your heart!
God bless
Jordan, A son of God almighty.
Thank you Jordan for your words of encouragement. I spent so much time. writing you and suddenly the internet just shut down and all I wrote disappeared. Don’t know what is going on except to say, that I feel that everything and everyone is being watched, listened to and shadow banned if what you say is something that the one who is listening, does not like what you say. I was writing something about the KIRK ASSASSINATION and the internet went down. Anyway, that’s neither here or there. I’m happy that God is giving you endurance and strength and that he continues to be by your side while you are going thru this imprisonment. I continue to pray for both you and Jonathan and will DECLARE and DECREE that you will be released soon, AMEN