Word for the day "Count it all as Joy"

James 1:2 (NKJV) My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.I have discovered in my experience both outright and privately that many people, who follow Jesus, think they shouldn’t struggle. We think God will give us lives of ease and comfort once we decide to follow Christ. The idea is: If we are good Christians, we will have it all together. If we have enough faith, our conflicts and problems would resolve them¬selves. How do you feel about this?When you come to Christ, does your problem disappear? In fact, many churches will communicate that very message week in and week out. As a result, those who attend those churches hide their struggles, because they mistakenly equate struggles with a lack of faith. Have you heard this before?But our walk with Jesus was never meant to be a stroll through the park people of God. Following Jesus won’t remove struggles from your life; in fact it often adds to the struggle. (If I was in the pulpit, I'd ask you to say Amen) Some of the most committed people of God have lived some of the most difficult lives. I know this is right today because some of you reading this message right now are living witnesses of this truth!The Bible goes so far as to tell us to expect trials and difficulties, and to be joyful when we face them. With Christ, you can do that. On your own, you are destined to fail.Quote Brennan Manning: “Suffering, failure, loneliness, sorrow, discouragement, and death will be part of your journey, but the Kingdom of God will conquer all these horrors. No evil can resist grace forever”.All in His Love,Pastor James BakerDon't forget this weekend is the debut of our stage play "The Dwelling Place" and you can still get tickets on line until thursday! go to www.tpgeneration.com. Can't wait to see you there!!!