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For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11 My Father Knows Best For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning. - Psalm 30:5 The Lord's anger is but for a moment compared to His favor, which lasts a lifetime. Even when He disciplines His children, whether to correct us in our sin or train us deeper in our faith, He is always patient, kind, and compassionate. The Lord's discipline may bring sorrow to the believer for a little while, but once we are trained by it, sorrow departs, and joy fills the heart. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. Sometimes, God uses struggles and difficulties to correct me and guide me away from sin. (Heb 6:7-8). Other times, He allows for trials of various kinds to come into my life so that I may grow in my faith, "training" me to develop a deeper trust, love, and obedience to Jesus (James 1:2-4). This is likened to a relationship between a parent and child, where the dad and mom disciplines their son or daughter to teach them the right way to live. In hindsight (even if it's decades later), the child is able to see the unpleasant discipline for what it really was and loves and respects their Mom and Dad even more for it. (I hated not having cable tv when I was little. I was embarrassed that I was one of the only kids in my class who didn't have it. That was painful haha! But now I am so thankful to my amazing parents. They knew best, and they protected me from all that garbage that I would've definitely snooped into). I love you Mom and Dad. Thank you. I know my Heavenly Father allows all His children to experience trouble in this short life (John 16:33), and I trust that He has a transformative purpose in them. Whatever dark valleys I may go through, I know my Heavenly Father will transform all my hardship and struggles to contribute toward my good (Rom 8:28). I am to accept it as spiritual discipline from a Heavenly Father who loves me. My Father knows best. Three Things Trials & Discipline Do: Proves My Salvation Produces Peace & Righteousness Prepares Me for Eternity Proves My Salvation No one enjoys being disciplined. It's no fun, that’s for sure! Trial periods are challenging times that test my faith and love for Jesus. Adversity often reveals what I truly believe and desire in my heart and brings to light the idols I need to turn from. The apostle Peter states that going through trials serve an important purpose...to prove the genuineness of my faith in Jesus, which he states is far more precious than mere gold. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 8 You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9 The end reward of trusting Jesus through all my trials and spiritual discipline is the salvation of my soul. Now, that's worth it! When my faith has been tested to be proven true, it gives me assurance of my salvation, which is a GINORMOUS blessing in and of itself. To know I am truly saved and belong to the Kingdom of God is a joy unparalleled to anything else! That amazing reality really keeps things in perspective for me and strengthens me in the midst of my trials. The joy of the Lord and my salvation gives me supernatural strength when I'm feeling weak. Produces Peace & Righteousness No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. -  Hebrews 12:11 The Lord's discipline, although is often times highly uncomfortable for a while, resembles an athlete's training. During the exercise, the athlete finds it "painful rather than pleasant." However, later on, the athlete sees his own growth and progress due to those vigorous training sessions. Similarly, my faith in Jesus grows and strengthens as I experience the Lord's discipline, resulting in me producing the " peaceful fruit of righteousness." Spiritual discipline produces peace. When I have been trained to live right by following Jesus, a clear conscience and a peaceful soul is the result. "Earth has no words to convey the holy calm of a soul leaning on Jesus." CH Spurgeon During hard times, my focus tends to be on my uncomfortable circumstances. But through them, God is training me to focus on Jesus instead, and I can trust Him that my suffering is not in vain. God's Word teaches me to accept and submit to discipline as spiritual training (Heb 12:9), trusting that my Father knows best. It's only when the trial has passed that I often recognize how God used it to grow me in my faith and strengthen my relationship with Jesus. With a peaceful heart, I can look back and observe my maturing process, guided by the Lord's unpleasant discipline. I can see more clearly His gentle and loving Hand through it all, and trust and obey Him even more for it. Prepares Me for Eternity Most of us are familiar with the famous Romans 8:28 verse: God works all things together for good for those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 But what we often forget is its context and what is at the heart of this verse, which is “to conform us to the image of His Son” (Rom 8:29). The ultimate goal of every Christian here on earth is to prepare us for eternity by conforming us to the image of Christ. Becoming more like Jesus carries along with it right living and the peace that surpasses all understanding. So, all my trials and all my unpleasant and painful training in the Christian life are simply accomplishing the most important goal of the Christian life: making me more like Jesus, and preparing me for eternity, all so that I may glorify God and enjoy Him forever (the sole reason for my very existence). What I do here on earth, how I spend my time, how I endure suffering, and how I trust, love, and obey Jesus through both the good times and the "bad," will ring in the halls of Heaven forever. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning, and that shout of joy will be for an eternity! Encouraging Scriptures for You & Me For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us . Romans 8:18 • Let us always remember that those who have put their total trust in Jesus for salvation, will experience only temporary suffering here on Earth (Rom 8:18-25). He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:4 • Jesus' sheep are guaranteed that all their earthly sorrow, pain, and tears will eventually come to an end, while eternal joy will be theirs in Christ Jesus forever and ever.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. Hebrews 12:2-3 And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 • When going through trails, We should look to Jesus as our Prime Example. We are to keep our eyes on Him and not give up. There is an eternity of joy awaiting all those who believe in Jesus. • Jus' keep on keepin’ on ;) Jesus will help you. Wait patiently for Him, trust Him, and He will act (Psalm 37). Our Father knows best.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 Edward Herbeck • "Twas the Night" • 72" x 30" Acrylic on Canvas • Herbeckart.com Hallelujah! Jesus Loves Me. Jesus loves me. Jesus died for me. Jesus rose from the dead. By grace, I believe in Jesus. Jesus is Lord of Heaven & Earth. Jesus is my Savior. With Jesus, I have nothing to fear. Jesus paid for all my sins on the cross. Jesus gifted me with eternal life. Jesus is my hope, my peace, my joy, my confidence. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. John 11:25   I love Jesus only because He first loved me. 1 John 4:19 Hallelujah!   Dear Heavenly Father, Father, I praise You for planning my salvation and choosing me before the foundation of the world to be set apart and saved (Eph 1:4-5,11). I praise You for Your magnificent plan of redemption through Your Son, Jesus (Eph 1:9-10). Jesus, I praise You for purchasing my salvation. I have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of my trespasses (Eph 1:7). And s ince I have been united with Him in His death, I know I will also be raised to life as He is (Rom 6:5), the First One to be resurrected (1 Cor 15:20). In Jesus, I am blessed with eternal life and every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Eph 1:3, 4,7). Holy Spirit, I praise You for protecting my salvation. When I first believed in Jesus, He officially sealed me (Ephesians 1:13). Once God poured His love into my heart through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5), sanctification began, and the Holy Spirit became the guarantee of my salvation (Eph 1:14). Once saved, always saved. I am eternally secure, and I will never perish. No one can snatch me away from Jesus or my Heavenly Father (John 10:28-30). I am so thankful to have been given the gift to hear Jesus' voice and believe in Him, to follow Jesus and learn from Him, to love Jesus and obey Him, to have peace in Jesus and rejoice in Him, to praise Jesus and worship Him, and to give Jesus all the glory and tell others about Him. What amazing grace! He is risen! I serve The Living Christ, and one day I will live and reign with Jesus forever in His Heavenly kingdom with all who believe in Him too. The best is always yet to come because Jesus loves me, and He loves you too. Hallelujah! Jesus loves me. All glory belongs to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This I pray all in Jesus' name, amen. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10 Difference Between Knowledge & Wisdom The terms knowledge and wisdom are closely related but aren't the same thing. Knowledge  is defined as “information gained through reasoning, experience, or association." In contrast, wisdom  is defined as “the ability to discern or judge what is good, right, and true.” It's possible and also quite common to have knowledge without wisdom, but not vice versa. A person can be highly knowledgeable about something while still lacking much wisdom. Knowledge is knowing how to operate a car; wisdom is understanding when and where to drive it. Knowledge identifies the busy street; wisdom waits patiently until it's clear to cross. It Begins with Knowledge It begins with knowledge. God desires us to know of Him and His expectations of us, so He has graciously given us His Word. To be able to trust, love, and obey God, we must first know what He commands. As believers, we know that God's supreme command in all of Scripture is to repent and trust in Christ alone for our salvation, which is the most important thing we could ever possibly know. We can't obey that command until we know that knowledge even exists. Thankfully, it’s given to us all throughout Scripture and also sent to us through Christians witnessing and preaching the gospel. So faith comes by hearing and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17) As important as that knowledge is, wisdom is just as important. Wisdom goes beyond just knowing facts about God, the Bible, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Wisdom is a gift from Above, given along with the gift of faith in Jesus. Wisdom is also generously given to us whenever we ask for it (James 1:5). The Lord grants us wisdom so we may glorify Him through applying the knowledge He’s given us. And what a benefit it is to us to walk in His wisdom! Jesus is Wisdom The Book of Proverbs is one of the most well-known books on wisdom. Proverbs 1:7 talks about both knowledge and wisdom: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 9:10 says,   The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. To fear the LORD means to reverence Him, which begins us on the path to knowledge and wisdom. Furthermore, wisdom is personified in Proverbs 1 and described as someone who we can “get to know” (Proverbs 1:20-33). Scripture says that Jesus Christ is “wisdom from God” (1 Corinth 1:30). Wisdom comes from knowing Jesus (The Holy One), as He is described as wisdom itself. Only when we come to know Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior can we begin to have true understanding and good judgment in this life, bringing about eternal life, by grace through faith. It's By His Doing The world’s way of getting wisdom is different from God’s way. The "wise of the world" gain knowledge in order to solve human problems, create human philosophies, and "get ahead" in life through human reasoning, which is all finite and holds no eternal value. But God's wisdom is not like the wisdom of this world. His knowledge and wisdom are infinite and eternal. In 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, it says the “wisdom of the wise” is frustrated by God, who grants wisdom to the “weak” or to “little children” by way of a relationship with Jesus Christ through faith. That way, “no human being can boast in the presence of God” (Corinth 1:29). We learn to be truly wise by knowing Jesus Christ, and it's all a gift; It’s by His doing.  Scripture says, “ It is by His doing that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinth 1:30). Eternal Life is a Gift Knowledge is gained over time through the diligent study of Scripture and meditating on what we gather. Wisdom acts on the knowledge we gain. Wisdom is how we apply that knowledge to our everyday lives, relationships, and circumstances. Knowledge memorizes passages of Scripture; wisdom obeys them. Knowledge learns about who Jesus is and what Jesus did for us; wisdom loves Him, obeys Him, and goes on to tell others about Him. Wisdom wants others to have wisdom. Wisdom delights in telling others the Good News it has read in the Bible about Jesus Christ: Jesus is Lord of all and Savior to all who believe in Him. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and suffered and died on the cross for our sins. In three days, He rose again from the grave, ultimately triumphing over sin, Satan, and death so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life, joy, and peace instead. Because Scripture says so, we know we can do nothing to earn or keep our salvation. We know it's only according to His mercy (Titus 3:5-7). We know that Jesus paid our debt in full. We know that He did all the work for us. We know that eternal life is a free gift (Romans 6:23). How could knowing all that not make us want to walk in wisdom? Especially when we have been given the Holy Spirit, who is our Teacher, Helper, and Guide. There is no amount of human wisdom or effort that could ever obtain our salvation, otherwise we'd really have something to boast about! We could say, "Wow, look at how wise I was to choose eternal life by my own intellect and logical reasoning. What smart choices I make!" Or, "Look at how good and righteous I was to earn my way to Heaven." No. As believers, we know that Scripture says, For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9. May the knowledge we are given from God's Word not make us conceited but make us wise and loving so that we become more like Jesus. As believers, we know that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and eternal life is a gift. What amazing knowledge the Lord has given to us so that we may trust, love, and obey Jesus, all to His glory and all by His grace. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, 5  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved Ephesians 2:4-5 He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6  He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7  Because of His grace He made us right in His sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. Titus 3:5-7 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. James 1:17 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5 Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. 1 Corinthians 8:1

< Back Tim Conway I'll Be Honest Ministries illbehonest.com I'll Be Honest | Christian Videos | illbehonest.com I'll be honest about what the Bible teaches, will you? Christian Video Sermons of Tim Conway, Paul Washer, and other Biblical preachers. My Favorite Sermons & Biblical Teaching • Repent and Believe the Gospel or Perish • On What Basis Will We Judged on Judgment Day? • The Truth Sets You Free From Sexual Lust • The Necessity of Daily Prayer & Bible Reading • How Do I Repent? • Live Pure: Free From Porn and Lustful Thoughts • A Warning Against Lazy Praying • Beware of False Prophets • What Hebrews 10:26 Does Not Mean Part 1 • What Hebrews 10:26 Does Mean Part 2 • Only a Few Find It - Matthew 7:13-14 • Afraid I Committed the Unpardonable Sin • Enslaved by the Desires of the Flesh • Is Your House Built on Christ's Words? • Ugly Pride - Wanting to Be Recognized by People • Covetousness • What is the Object of Your Faith? • Am I Saved? 10 Tests of Assurance • Voice of Christ • I am Repenting, but it's Not Working • There Will Be Many Surprises on Judgment Day • Sermon on the Mount • Seek First the Kingdom of God • Is God Enough for You? • Let Go of Your Sin or Perish • The Sins You Won't Give Up • Can I Lose My Faith? • The Futility of the Mind • I Tried to Be Saved but Didn't Work • The Presence of God or Mysticism?

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