Archive for the ‘Life’s Struggles’ Tag

“Refined by Fire: Holding Firm and Finding Strength in God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”

“The way to strengthen faith is to endure great trials. I have learned my faith by standing firm amid severe testings.” — George Müller “You will never know the fullness of Christ until you know the emptiness of everything else.” — Charles Spurgeon

Are you experiencing a season that is grueling? Is the enemy relentless, attacking from every direction?

For those who are truly all in for Christ, the battle is intense. The enemy doesn’t waste time on those who are lukewarm—he goes after those who are stepping fully into their calling, those who are surrendering completely to Jesus. When that happens, the resistance is stronger, the attacks are fiercer, and the struggles feel overwhelming. But that’s also when faith is refined, strengthened, and made unshakable.

Even in the fire, victory is already secured. God  [Father—Son—Holy—Spirit] is the One holding His people through, strengthening trust, deepening faith, and renewing hearts. The obstacles may not disappear, but there is fresh endurance to face them. It’s like being made new—new strength, new resilience, new clarity of mind. When eyes stay fixed on Christ, fear fades, and tears dry up because confidence is rooted in Him.

The enemy’s goal has always been to distort identity in Christ—to shift focus away from the truth of the Gospel and toward fear, doubt, and condemnation. But Scripture is clear: “The Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3). When trials come, the response must be to stand firm, knowing that “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). The real battle is in the mind, and staying rooted in truth is what brings victory.

Yes, the enemy is persistent, but he is already defeated! Those who stand firm in Jesus will not be moved. No matter how painful, no matter how fierce the battle, the foundation remains unshaken. 

As Christians, we live in the “Already but Not Yet”—experiencing the blessings of new life in Christ, like forgiveness and salvation, while still awaiting the full realization of that life, including the resurrection of our bodies when Christ returns. We have a glimpse of heaven now, but the fullness is yet to come.

We can be assured that God [Father—Son—Holy—Spirit] NEVER leaves us where He finds us. He is good, His presence is real, His power is real, His Gospel is real and He can be trusted with all. No matter what comes, hold tight to Him—because He is already holding tight to you!

A Gospel Story: From Dogmatism and Fear, to Freedom and Love!

John MacMurray headshotcloseup-300x300

 

Audio – Part 1a: 30 min

https://trinityandhumanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/19.2.17-from-dogmatism-and-fear-to-freedom-and-love-part-1a-tah-guest-macmurray.mp3”

Audio – Part 1b: 30 min

https://trinityandhumanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/19.2.17-from-dogmatism-and-fear-to-freedom-and-love-part-1b-tah-guest-macmurray.mp3.mp3”

Audio – Full Message:

https://trinityandhumanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/19.2.17-from-dogmatism-and-fear-to-freedom-and-love-tah-guest-macmurray.mp3”

 

Guest Teacher: John MacMurray

Whether in a sanctuary or a bar, a classroom or a living room; John  loves to communicate that God is better than we imagine! A lifetime of teaching led John to start and direct the Northwest School of Theology and the Open Table Conferences, which feature Paul Young, author of “The Shack” book and movie, and Dr. Baxter Kruger, author of “The Parable of The Dancing God” and many other Gospel books. John is also an award-winning landscape nature photographer. His images have appeared in Sierra Club, National Geographic, Audubon, and several other prestigious nature publications.

You can learn more about him at: http://johnmacmurray.com/about/

He has written a book entitled “A Spiritual Evolution”, a story about his “journey from dogmatism and fear to freedom and love.”

Picture courtesy of http://johnmacmurray.com