From Rabbi Jack...
James {1:2} "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,".
When we read that Believers are supposed to be joyful in all circumstances it can be misleading and even troublesome because there are many circumstances in life that are not joyful. Everyone goes through times of sadness and disappointment. So, if and when we experience such times and misunderstand what the Lord means by joy, we can judge ourselves, judge others and be judged by others. However, God knows that there are going to be times of sadness and disappointment, so He cannot be talking to us about rejoicing when we are in trouble or when we are going through an extreme trial because then we would be sadists.
There is a reason we should be joyful in extreme circumstances because they are a test of our faith and when our faith is tried, patience is perfected. James explains it to us in 1:4 when he says. "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." Basically, we are being told that we have to grow up in the things of God. For that to happen we have to be tested. If we are never tested in areas of our lives that bring sadness or disappointment, we will never develop patience, and if we never develop patience we will be lacking in maturity; trials are the way God develops our faith. If we want to mature in the things of God we have to go through some sadness and disappointment producing tests. So, God is not saying that we have to be joyful when we are sick or when we lost our job or when we broke a bone or when we are in pain, or when a loved one died, but He does want us to be joyful in the fact that these things, and the many others we will we encounter in life, have the ability to strengthen our faith and perfect our patience. Godly joy is an attitude we choose, impatience and complaining is an attitude we should lose!
2 Corinthians {6:10} "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."
From Ellen...
Hi Ellen here…Cancer! A word that brings fear, disbelief and uncertainty. I have a friend who has survived it and does not even like to say the word. I can relate and do not blame them at all. So many are afflicted with this insipid disease. My husband who has survived stage 4 cancer and thrived is now at the tail end of experiencing a secondary attack…so where does it end? I am writing to you concerning this subject to apologize. Firstly, because sometimes this is the only thing I speak about and honestly think about, but this is not who I am. I am a daughter of the most High God and He is bigger than all disease.
We continue here to experience this pandemic of Covid but everyone is ignoring it. No, my friends, it has not left yet and continues to infect and kill people. Am I concerned? Yes! When I go out, I continue to mask up and honestly sometimes I am the only one wearing one. If I get infected and bring Covid home, my husband could get infected and it could be very serious for him. But this is not who I am. I am a daughter of the King! What am I getting at here? I am not very sure exactly but I know we are all still flesh and fall so short of the glory of God. Oh yes back to my apology…not to you but to Abba in heaven because He has told me He will never leave nor forsake me and He has equipped us to handle all these things as we await His return. I am sorry to lay all this on you but we all fall so short of His glory. I guess these blurbs do not have to be uplifting all of the time…so I apologize.
Yours in Messiah Yeshua; our Lord, our God, our soon coming King.
Rabbi Jack & Ellen
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