After enduring religious persecution in their native England and for twelve years in Holland, the pilgrims sailed for America. They were modest men and women with a great hope and inward zeal. They rested in the providence of God that He was leading them to a land of religious freedom to advance the gospel of the kingdom of Christ.

The voyage of the Mayflower took twice as long as Christopher Columbus' voyage, enduring several wintry storms. After arriving in their new land, they faced disease, famine, bitter cold and many dangers. However, when the Mayflower made its return voyage, none of the pilgrims returned with it.

Their first harvest occurred in the autumn of 1621. Their own seed had barely grown, but the Indians had shown them how to plant corn which yielded a huge harvest. On the first Thanksgiving, they celebrated God's goodness to them with a party of ninety Indians. Their Thanksgiving feast lasted three days and included a festival of sports.

Thanksgiving Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln

"Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do hereby appoint and set apart the last Thursday in November next as a day which I desire to be observed by all my fellow-citizens, wherever they may be then, as a day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, the beneficent Creator and Ruler of the Universe. And I do further recommend to my fellow-citizens aforesaid, that on the occasion they do reverently humble themselves in the dust, and from thence offer up penitent and fervent prayers and supplications to the great Disposer of events for a return of the inestimable blessings of peace, union, and harmony throughout the land which it has pleased Him to assign as a dwelling-place for ourselves and for our posterity throughout all generations."

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving... be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. Psalm 100:4

I hope and Pray the following Testimony of how God has healed my wife Samantha will be a Blessing and encouragement to someone here, God is NO respecter of persons, what He has done for us He will also do for You and sooo much more... He Loves us soooooooooo much and we are the apple of His eye!

When I met Samantha first she was having really bad nightmares due to her physical and sexual abuse by both parents, from a few months old to age 16. She was so tired from not sleeping at nights through fear, that she would often sit down and fall asleep within a few minutes, it was that bad.

I felt so helpless, I wanted to take the pain away. She would scream sometimes and wake herself up, shaking and panicking. One day I had enough of this, and said to God, "I need You to do something about this, I can't deal with seeing Samantha in this pain any longer".

I Prayed and felt God put instructions in my head, I didn't know everything just a part.

Firstly, I told Samantha God wanted us to go out in the car - didn't know where or anything else, I just knew we had to be obedient and trust Him. We got in the car and drove to the end of our road, I stopped and Prayed, God said turn left, I did - at this point I still had no idea about anything else. I drove about 2 miles to a small fishing harbor via God's instruction, this was in the summer of 1992. I stopped the car overlooking the small harbour, many boats and yahts were there. I Prayed again, and felt God wanted us to get out and sit on the quay. .... I looked in front of us and there was in the bay directly where we had stopped, a yaht with it's sails in the shape of a cross, ok I thought, nothing special really untill I looked all around us and that was the only one with this perfect cross shape, there were about 40 boats at that time in the summer.

We knew this was of God, no doubts about it. Next the Father told me to explain to Samantha that she was to get some paper, [thankfully we had some in the car], and for her to write all the bad things that happened in these nightmares - at first she didn't want to do it, because she was told by her father that if she EVER told anyone of the things that went on, he would kill her! .... She was frightened. I said you will not be telling me, you will be writing them down, I won't need to see them.

She did this with many tears, we were both in the presence of God. Then God said this is the last of the nightmares, and Samantha was to throw the list in the sea in front of us. But God said she was to leave them in the sea to drown, NEVER to bring those thoughts and memories back again, this was a physical enactment of a spiritual cleansing, Praise God!

That night, Samantha had the best sleep of her life, she NEVER had another nightmare! .... We still Praise the Father to this day for His Faithfulness to us!!

There are more stories like this, when time permits, I'll tell you more, I Pray this will be an encouragement to you that God is Faithful, He will NEVER give us more than we can bear, He will always show us a way out .... if we trust, obey and listen to His voice AMEN!!!!

Part 2:

Due to Samantha's abusive childhood she was told in her teens by Drs she would not physically be able to have children, due to the internal damage done to her.

Before we were married Samantha was concerned that I might not want to marry her because it was impossible for her to have children, I told her that if God didn't bring us children then we could adopt or foster when the time came, I loved Samantha for who she was not because we could or couldn't have children. So when we were married we said we would try to have a baby early on as it might take awhile, we Prayed for a boy and 3 months on Samantha was pregnant with Daniel much to our surprise - we saw the scan pictures and he was perfect, he was born using forceps 2 wks overdue, and with dissabilities although it took us 4 yrs to get the Cerebral Palsy recognised - 16 yrs to diagnose the Autism and Tourettes.

Before we were married we thought we would like 4 children, so we Prayed for our second to be a girl, Samantha was then pregnant with Lydia a year later. She was born 1 month early with a hole in her heart, the Drs gave Lydia 3 months to heal or they would have to operate to repair the heart. We went each fortnight to have her heart checked , we Prayed like never before and our Father healed Lydia's heart completely within the 3 months, Praise You Jesus!

By this time we thought that 2 children were plenty, especially with Daniel's difficulties. Samantha was taking a contraceptive pill because she had had difficult births and it had been a strain on her. I woke up one day with a terrible bad back [which I had also with the other 2 pregnancy's and lasted about 4 weeks], I told Samantha she was pregnant, she said 'don't be daft I'm on the pill', I said 'YOU ARE!'. She went and had a test, guess what ? she was pregnant. .... God had other plans for us, we said 2 He said 3!

As the pregnancy went on we felt this was a bit different to the other's. ....

One night .... Samantha had her waters break, except this was 3 months early!

I took her to hospital after being checked, we thought this was a false alarm and things would be fine. After getting back home later I had a call from the hospital to say that Samantha was in labour, and they had to send her to another hospital by ambulance because they were not able to deal with baby's so young.

We were living quite away from the hospital 3 hr drive, after Samantha got there I had a call around 10 pm to say 'I'd better get there as quick as possible, Samantha was very ill and they were unsure if she and the baby would make it.'

The weather was stormy, my Dad drove me there as I was too shaken up to drive all that way. We were led to a room and told to wait and a Dr would be there soon. The Dr said Samantha was struggling and they would have to do a Ceasarian to have any chance of saving the baby.

The Dr returned to say baby [Tamar]was fine and in an incubator, Samantha was not so good but I could go be with her. I was shocked how ill she appeared, I talked and prayed with her, tried to reassure her that all would be well - I didn't tell her how ill she was, I couldn't.

Samantha stopped breathing as I sat there talking, I Prayed for God's intervention and told her to breath - she did and after awhile she stopped breathing again, this happened a couple of times and our Father breathed Life into her again - there were NO Drs or nurses around at this time, don't know why but I believe that it was meant to be a very special moment with just the three of us! ....  ....

Samantha was healing daily although slowly, Tamar had lots of tubes, one was to help her breath as her lungs were not full size, she was soo tiny, [Samantha's wedding ring fitted on her wrist!]her skin was see through. Samantha was unable to see Tamar for a few days due to her health, we could not touch Tamar for a couple of days, they said she would be in hospital until her due date probably - Tamar was released 3 weeks later fit and well!!!!! God is soo good!!

Samantha had to stay in another 5 days, so here I was with Daniel 3 yrs, Lydia 1 yr and Tamar still a minus! less than her due date. I had a handful, and no extra help either. Tamar we had to treat her carefully due to her small size and weight, turning her in her cot every hour around the clock!

Samantha finally came home and we were a family again.

Through this trial we had our Faith and Trust in God, He stood by us when all around us was in chaos, He is soo Faithful and Loves us soo much - did I have doubts ? yes at the time, but I clung on to the Rock. ....

"Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you. do not look around you in terror AND be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen AND harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you. yes, I will hold you up AND retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness AND justice." ....  ....Isaiah 41: 10 ....  .... Amen!!

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path" (Psalm 119:105 NIV)

You have to decide what's going to be your ultimate authority in life. It really boils down to two choices: God's Word or the world. Are you going to base your decisions on what God says or what other people say?

If you base your life on popular opinion, you're always going to be out of date, because it changes every day. What was "in" yesterday will not be "in" today and what's "in" today will not be "in" tomorrow. If you base your life on popular culture, political correctness, or opinion polls, you do not have principles to live by. That's called a shifting foundation!

On the other hand, if you base your life on God's Word, the truth never changes. Truth is always true. So if God says something was wrong 10,000 years ago, it was also wrong 500 years ago, it's wrong today, and it will be wrong 1,000 years from today. I don't care what opinion polls or political correctness or the media says. If God says it's wrong, it's wrong. It always has been, and it always will be. If God says it's right, it will always be right. That is a solid foundation!

God has set up the universe with certain laws-physical, moral, and spiritual. God built the universe around these laws not because he's capricious but because they're all for your benefit. When you cooperate with the principles in this universe, you succeed. If you reject, rebel, disobey, and ignore God's principles, you're the one who gets hurt. You don't ever break God's laws. They break you! If I go up on top of a building and jump off, I don't break the law of gravity. It breaks me. The same is true with moral laws and spiritual laws. You cannot just thumb your nose at God and get away with it. There's inevitably a reckoning. Any time you violate God's principles, you're asking for trouble. ...

With all this in mind, you can be confident in your decision. If God says it's OK, then you do it. If God says "no",then you don't do it.

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path". (Psalm 119:105 NIV).

No one enjoys suffering, but suffering is a necessary, normal part of the Christian life. In fact, the Scripture says we can expect hardships and suffering to increase (2 Tim. 2:3. 3:1-4, 13), so we must be prepared.

We learn from the book of 2 Timothy that we may experience suffering as a result of our testimony, our godly living, or our stand for truth (2 Tim. 1:8. 2:8-9, 17-18. 3:6-8, 12). We may also experience suffering when we are rejected or left alone (2 Tim. 1:15. 4:9-11. 4:16), or as a natural consequence to our fleshly, worldly desires (2 Tim. 2:22).

Suffering will indeed come, but God can give us grace and power to overcome every trial and to fulfill our purpose and mission in His kingdom. In his second epistle to Timothy, the Apostle Paul shares some important truths about how we can endure suffering.

Ten Principles for Enduring Suffering

1. Don't forget why you are suffering. Remember your purpose and Whom you serve! The Apostle Paul said he was willing to suffer for the proclamation of the Gospel, for the sake of the elect, and for the glory of God. Our suffering, big or little, can be used to bring about the same purposes. (2 Tim. 2:8-9)

2. Remember that you are a prisoner of Christ, not of your circumstances or other people. (2 Tim. 1:8)

3. Keep going back to the things you know to be true from God's Word. Don't doubt in the dark what you have seen in the light. Remember what you received as a result of your salvation in Christ (2 Tim. 1:5). Remember your calling and the grace of God (2 Tim. 1:1, 9-13).

4. Keep doing whatever God has called you to do. Persevere, stay the course, and be faithful, regardless of any opposition or hardship. (2 Tim. 4:1-5)

5. Trust God to deal with those who oppose the truth. Don't take matters into your own hands or become bitter and argumentative. (2 Tim. 2:23-26)

6. Remember times in the past when the Lord delivered or rescued you. Be quick to praise Him and testify to others (2 Tim. 3:11. 4:16-17).

7. Rely on the resources God has given you:

The grace of God (2 Tim. 1:2, 9. 2:1. 4:22).

The gift of God-your God-given ability to serve Him (2 Tim. 1:6-7).

The power of God (rather than your own strength) (2 Tim. 1:8. Phil. 2:13. Eph. 6:10).

The indwelling Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 1:14).

The Word of God, which will keep you grounded and give you perspective (2 Tim. 2:7, 9. 3:12-17. 4:1-2).

8. Remember that you are not alone in your suffering.

You already have:

The presence of Christ (Matt. 28:20)

The prayers of other believers (2 Tim. 1:3)

The "fellowship of suffering"-other believers who are facing hardships for the sake of Christ (2 Tim. 1:8. Heb. 13:3. Col. 1:24).

Cultivate these to help you endure:

Godly helpers - Find and cultivate a group of like-minded believers whose faithfulness and prayers can inspire and strengthen you (2 Tim. 1:2, 4-5. 4:9-13, 19-21).

Godly heroes - Read the biographies of missionaries and other faithful believers so God can cultivate faith and wisdom in your heart (Heb. 13:7. 2 Tim. 3:10, 14).

Godly heritage - As you learn about those who've gone before, you will be able to instill faith and courage in the next generation. Pass the baton to others. (2 Tim. 2:2)

9. No matter how difficult things are today, you can face the future with hope. Trust the truth of Scripture.

The Truth is:

All wrongs will one day be righted (2 Tim. 3:8-9. 4:14).

The Lord will deliver you from all evil-in His time and way (2 Tim. 4:17-18). In the meantime, counsel your heart according to the truth and promises of God (Psalm 27).

All your suffering, efforts, labors, and faithfulness will be rewarded in "that Day" when believers stand before the Lord (2 Tim. 1:12, 18. 2:12. 4:8. Phil. 1:6, 10. 2:16. James 1:12).

You will give an account, so guard the "deposit" entrusted to you (2 Tim. 1:12, 14. 1 Tim. 6:20).

10. In all your suffering, remember Jesus Christ.

Remember:

His life and His suffering and sacrifice for you (2 Tim. 2:3)

His triumph over Satan, sin, and death (2 Tim. 2:8)

His power, promises, and presence (Matt. 28:18-20)

What He is doing for you in heaven (John 14:2-3. Rom. 8:34).

Expect suffering-it is inevitable-but don't forget the powerful resource that you have in Christ. Entrust your life to His ever-present care and control. He loves you, and He will help you endure.

God's Word brings us a comforting promise, along with an insightful command as we face a new year: "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me" (Hebrews 13:5-6).

We can live this coming year without fear if we apply these four incredibly wonderful truths to our lives and root them deep into our hearts.

Contentment is not getting what you want, but it is wanting what you already have. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 says, "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us therewith be content." If you know Jesus Christ, you have contentment. If you've got clothes on your back, something to eat, and Jesus Christ in your heart, you're rich!

Do you know why we have fear? Because we think our needs or the needs of someone we love are not going to be met. Or we fear that the things we think are meeting our needs are going to be taken away from us. The deepest need of your heart can only be met in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I don't know what I'm going to face next year. But there's one thing I know, He will never leave me. Are you a child of God? He will never leave you either. Isn't that wonderful!

What's another reason we may fear in the coming year? Because we're afraid we're going to have to face something we don't understand, and we're going to have to face it alone.

When God's Word promises that God will never forsake you, it literally means that He will never abandon you. He will not give up on you. We need to practice the presence of the Lord this coming year. When the devil comes and knocks at you heart's door, you can simply say, "Jesus, please go answer the door."

We're going to zero in on a little phrase in our verses in Hebrews, "He hath said." A promise is no better than the one who makes it. Who says, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee"? It is the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God. This is the confidence of His promise.

In the coming year, when you say, "God, I just don't have the strength." The omnipotent God will answer, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." When you say, "God, I'm afraid of what is going to happen." The omnipresent God says, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." And when you say, "God, I don't know what to do." The omniscient God will respond, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." He himself hath said it.

Hebrews 13:6 promises, "So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Now, put that with verse 5, which says, "He hath said."

Like I said earlier, I don't know what you're going to go through this coming year. But I know you can boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, so I will not fear what man shall do to me." When you find your contentment, companionship, and confidence in Jesus. Then, you'll find your comfort and courage in Jesus.

The Dawning of Light: Luke 1:78-79

Christmas is so full of wonder, meaning and tradition. But, where did all these things that we now call Christmas -- come from? Let's just briefly sketch the origin and development of what we now celebrate as Christ's Birth.

The Fullness of Time: Galatians 4:4-5

The Mystery of Incarnation: I Timothy 3:16

was the Saturnalia Festival of emancipation, gift giving and the triumph of light after the longest night. The Christian sees the truth implicit in this pagan tradition that reflects: Christ the Light of the world, His triumph over the night of sin in Luke 1:78-79

were the symbol of eternal life. Martin Luther introduced them to the Reformation Church as a picture of our endless life in Christ, by bringing in a tree to his family on Christmas Eve lit with candles. Isaiah 6-:13

are a picture that Christ is the Light of the world John 8

speaks of the thorns in His crown Matthew 27:29

is a color of Christmas that speaks of Christ’s blood and death.

are a reminder of the gifts of the Magi to baby Jesus. Each of them speaks to a component of His incarnation: Majesty in life, Bitterest Agony in Death and He as Gods Perfect gift to us. Matthew 2.

was an ancient symbol from the Roman times. It was under Mistletoe that old enmities and broken friendship were restored. So Christ was the One who took away the enmity and gave us Peace with God. Romans 5:1; 8:1.

are associated with ringing out news. Christ is the good news, the best news of all.

is a time when we remember that Christ came in the darkest night of Earth’s need to be the Light of the World.

who were watching lambs for use as sacrifices in the Temple, were the first to hear the great news that the Lamb to end all sacrifices had appeared.

is an old tradition that uses a Mince pie with various spices to remember the spices of the Magi. For centuries it was made in a manger shape.

Clement Moore wrote a poem for children that has never been forgotten. It was entitled, "Twas the Night before Christmas..."!

is a Dutch word that is actually Sinter Claus, Saint Nicholas in English.

was the supposed early Bishop of a church in Asia Minor [the modern country of Turkey]. He became aware of some desperate needs in his congregation, and a family having to sell their children into slavery, so one night he came and left money on their doorstep. It was gold in a stocking.

started in 1844. An English artist named William Dobson, drew up some pictures in England for use at this season. They found local use there and soon spread to America. In 1846 Cole and Horsley saw the commercial potential of this growing tradition and started the production of what is now over a $1,000,000,000.00 industry that sees 4 billion cards sent each year in America alone.

Don't lose the Spiritual Depth of Christmas because of its Pagan association.

Don’t miss the Spiritual Delight of Christmas because of the Commercial association.

Don’t forget the Spiritual Despair of the World because of Christmas and its wonders.

Some challenges:

Give a gift to Jesus.

Like Christ, give to those who can’t repay you.

Pause to sense the darkness outside at night, and then thank God for sending the light.

Read the Scriptures to your family.

Start some traditions that point to Christ.

Enjoy this wonderful time of the year, don’t lose the season for the rush.

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations. Romans 5:3

Tribulation is something that comes against us as God’s children. It is not a result of doing something wrong, but of doing something right. Tribulation happens in our lives as a result of following Him.

All…who live a devoted and godly life in Christ Jesus will meet with persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12 AMP

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33 NKJV

When we experience tribulations of various kinds, our adversary, the devil, will try to discourage or condemn us through false accusations. One of his greatest accusations is to tell us that we deserve what we are going through because we have done something wrong. We cannot rejoice and glory in tribulations (as God desires us to) if we walk around with a cloud of condemnation hanging over our heads that has blown in upon the wind of the enemy’s lies.

Good can come out of the suffering we experience through tribulation. “Diamonds were formed within the earth as a result of the “suffering” of carbon. This “suffering” was caused by great heat and pressure coming against carbon…without it, the precious stones that we call diamonds would not exist.”*

We can be assured that God is using the heat and pressure of our suffering in this world to produce something precious within us that will bring an eternal reward.

Let the following truths of Scripture be an encouragement to you whenever you are facing times of tribulation. May they help to lighten your load, lift your spirit, and place a strong song of praise in your heart.

Tribulation is not a result of doing something wrong, but of doing something right. 2 Timothy 3:12

Realize that you are in good company when you are counted among those who have had the honor to suffer for His sake. Acts 5:41

You are walking as Jesus walked. John 15:18-20

Tribulation is the world’s way of letting you know you are not a part of that system. John 16:33

Deliverance is certain. 2 Timothy 4:18

God will bring you through…victoriously. Romans 8:35-37

You are blessed with Kingdom blessings. Matthew 5:10

It may be difficult now, but it will be worth it in the end. Matthew 24:13

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:1-5 NKJV

Dear Friend,

I just had to send a note to tell you how much I love you and care about you. I saw you yesterday as you were walking with your friends. I waited all day hoping you would want to talk with me also. As evening drew near, I gave you a sunset to close your day and a cool breeze to rest you. And I waited. But you never came. It hurt me, but I still love you because I am your friend.

I saw you fall asleep last night and I longed to touch your brow. So, I spilled moonlight on your pillow and your face. Again I waited, wanting to rush down so I could talk. I have so many gifts for you. But you awakened late the next day and rushed off to work. My tears were in the rain.

Today you looked so sad, so all alone. It makes my heart ache because I understand. My friends let me down and hurt me so many times, too. But I love you. Oh, if you would only listen to me. I really love you. I try to tell you in the blue sky and in the quiet green grass. I try to wisper it in the leaves on the trees and breathe it in the colours of the flowers. I shout it to you in the mountain streams and give the birds love songs to sing. I clothe you with warm sunshine and perfume the air with nature's scents. My love for you is deeper than the oceans and bigger than the biggest want or need in your heart.

If you only knew how much I want to help you. I want you to meet my Father. He wants to help you, too. My Father is that way, you know. Just call me, ask me, talk with me. Please, please, don't forget me. I have so much to share with you. But, I won't hassle you any further. You are free to call me. It`s up to you. I'll wait because I love you.

Your friend,

　Jesus Christ, Son of God.

Jesus warned that, in the last days, the world would face unfolding trauma. There would be wars, earthquakes and many other disasters. Yet, to His disciples, He said, "Do not be terrified" (Luke 21:9). He also said that, because of world conditions, men's hearts would fail "from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth"(Luke 21:26 NKJV). Not only would actual events generate worldwide fear, but the expectation of difficulties would cause men's hearts to fail.

Today, heart failure is the number one cause of death in North America. Approximately every thirty-four seconds a heart stops beating and another person dies, usually suddenly. There may be many contributors to heart failure, but one major source is the inability to handle stress.

There are times when stress is unavoidable - the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, moving to a new home, severe illness, or going through a divorce - all take a toll. But most of the time accepting anxiety should not be so readily accommodated. The problem is that, just as death entered the world through Adam's sin (see Rom. 5), so the substance of death enters our personal world through our sins as well. Indeed, when we carry anxiety-related stress, we are carrying in our soul a container of death that, without fail, takes an ever increasing toll upon our lives.

Consider our world: War and terror attacks can occur at any time and anywhere. Our stock market and economy continues to bolt up and down, like a wild roller coaster. We have many unanswered questions about the future that are multiplied stress factors.

We also have personal situations. We worry about aging and our health. We have stress at our jobs and stress with a lack of jobs. Our homes should be a harbor of peace, yet they often are a place of strife and anxiety, especially as our children become teens. Someone once said, "A mother is only as happy as her saddest child." It is true for fathers also. We all carry people in our hearts, and as we love them their battles become ours, further adding to the burden of anxiety we carry.

If you want to know how stressed you are, look at your disposition when you drive. If you are always exceeding the speed limit, it reveals the lack of rest in your soul. That extra push on the accelerator is continually occurring on your heart throughout the day, not only when you are driving. Driving simply makes apparent the level of anxiety we have learned to live with.

Paul wrote, "Be anxious for nothing" (Phil. 4:6). Yet we seem to be anxious for everything. In fact, stress-related anxiety is so much a part of our lives that, somehow, it has escaped being identified as being sinful. We medicate it, but do not change the habits of fear that caused it in the first place. But anxiety is sin. At its core, it is a stubborn refusal to trust the goodness of God or rest in His power. Anxiety is a by-product of unbelief. It is a spiritual "terror attack" from hell that is silently killing tens of thousands every day.

God Is With Us

Certainly, I am not suggesting we become passive. However, I am saying we ought to abandon our fears and the stressful anxieties that come from not trusting in God. Our Messiah is "Immanuel," which means "God with us." Jesus promised to be with us, "even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:20). At some point we must accept the wonder and power of Christ's promise. Those who believe enter His rest (Heb. 3). He is with us always! To mistrust this promise is to reject the very character of God's nature. This is not a minor issue.

Yet, even now Jesus says,

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30).

Let us come to Him. Let us cast our burdens upon Him, for truly He cares for us. Let us break our addictions to stress. We don't have to be tied up in knots inside. The God of peace will crush Satan beneath our feet shortly (see Rom. 16:20). Anxiety is sin. Let us break the bondage of this sin and walk as sons and daughters of God, who are anxious for nothing.

Tribulation is something that comes against us as God’s children. It is not a result of doing something wrong, but of doing something right. Tribulation happens in our lives as a result of following Him.

All…who live a devoted and godly life in Christ Jesus will meet with persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12 AMP

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33 NKJV

When we experience tribulations of various kinds, our adversary, the devil, will try to discourage or condemn us through false accusations. One of his greatest accusations is to tell us that we deserve what we are going through because we have done something wrong. We cannot rejoice and glory in tribulations (as God desires us to) if we walk around with a cloud of condemnation hanging over our heads that has blown in upon the wind of the enemy’s lies.

Good can come out of the suffering we experience through tribulation. "Diamonds were formed within the earth as a result of the "suffering" of carbon. This "suffering" was caused by great heat and pressure coming against carbon…without it, the precious stones that we call diamonds would not exist."*

We can be assured that God is using the heat and pressure of our suffering in this world to produce something precious within us that will bring an eternal reward.

Let the following truths of Scripture be an encouragement to you whenever you are facing times of tribulation. May they help to lighten your load, lift your spirit, and place a strong song of praise in your heart.

Tribulation is not a result of doing something wrong, but of doing something right. 2 Timothy 3:12

Realize that you are in good company when you are counted among those who have had the honor to suffer for His sake. Acts 5:41

You are walking as Jesus walked. John 15:18-20

Tribulation is the world’s way of letting you know you are not a part of that system. John 16:33

Deliverance is certain. 2 Timothy 4:18

God will bring you through…victoriously. Romans 8:35-37

You are blessed with Kingdom blessings. Matthew 5:10

It may be difficult now, but it will be worth it in the end. Matthew 24:13

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:1-5 NKJV