No Pain No Gain

No Pain, No Gain Hurts When you lose something it feels like death. When you lose something with no obvious way of getting it back it feels like death. When things get out of control it feels like death. When your dreams begin to shiver and shake and drift into the realm of definitely unachievable it feels like death. When the one you love says they do not love you in that way it feels like death. When your pain just won't go away it feels like death. When your pain returns again and again and the doctor can't even fix it feels like death. When your "friend" assassinates your character behind your back or breaks yet another commitment it feels like death. It feels like death It feels like death but it isn't. It's life. Jesus said in this life you will have troubles but to the one who overcomes I will give the right to sit on my throne with me as my father gave me the right to sit on His throne with Him... Pain feels like death and to some extent one might say it is the death of an old you. But it is not death. Life Goes on. Life with Christ goes on for an eternity. Life without Christ becomes seperation from God and lasts for an eternity as well. Hell I know it's not the most politically correct of topics but what if these things that feel like death, they are just a little hint of what it will be like in eternity without God. Maybe the reason these things feel like death now for those who don't have a right relationship with God, is because they highlight or make us realize our state of seperation. Christian endurance It is certainly true that some have endured amazingly based simply on their profession of faith and their intention to live for Christ despite horiffic circumstance. In acts four when Peter and John are beaten and released after being told not to talk about Jesus anymore, they do not show signs of mourning their beating as if it felt like death. Rather, they praised God that they were considered worthy of suffering like and with Jesus. Indeed, later when Paul is accosted by resurrected Jesus on road to Damascus, Jesus says, "Paul why do you persecute me?" In this way, He equated His suffering with the suffering of His followers. James says, "Consider it pure joy mmy brothers when you face all manner of trials..." as if to say that we should actually be grateful for the persecutions and the tempations of this life. Dispelling the Lie So, these things feel like death but they are not. so, why do we mourn them almost as much as death. I love a line from Robin Hood with Kevin Costner when Robin's Arab friend says, "You are alive. Quit your whining." I get it. I mean, it hurts. Jesus gets it. Man does He ever know what "hurts" means. The question is what are we going to do about it? I'd say, based on Scriptural precedent, when you're hit in such a way that it really hurts, get up, dust yourself off, and do what Christ would have you do. Pray for their forgiveness, tell them and everyone who will listen about Christ, serve, love, deny yourself, take up your cross again, and Follow Him. Overcoming the enemy The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy but Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Consider being affected in a negative way, in a pulling away from God or getting ticked off way a victory for the enemy. Consider remaining faithful, praising the Lord, continuing in His service despite the attacks, a victory for the Lord. So, the pain is real but the feelings that accompany it, the feeling of death, is not. Where death is not, at least as far as people are concerned, life is! And, life overcomes. That's what life does. So, overcome and work another day toward sitting with Jesus. If you trust Him and call upon His name you will never be put to shame. No pain, no gain. Daniel Stevenson, Pastor New Heights Fellowship Director Life station newheightsfellowshipchurch.org facebook.com/newheightstoledo facebook.com/lifestationtoledo Continue the discussion. Buy Think Again in paperback here or on your Kindle.

Cheerleading flying vs. lifting

Contrary to popular opinion, I think it is actually more prone to injury to be a lifter than to be a flier. This is because lifters are in the way when fliers start to fall and the good ones do what they can to cushion the blow. When people you are supporting start to fall they can take you down with them and the more committed you are to protecting them the more likely you are to get hurt. Also, the less you are paying attention the more likely both are to get hurt.

Wait for it...Wait for it...

Life is just like that (There it is.) People should be lifting each other up. We should be dependant on one another. When one starts to fall it should be a dangerous moment for all involved. You should care enough to lift and you should know that you are taking a chance in doing so.

This is love that a man lay down his life for his friend.

Fliers can't fly without lifters and lifters wouldn't be what they are without someone to lift. They are interdependent. Now some people develop unhealthy relationships with people because the other person can not stand on their own and they want to feel good about having to help that person on the time. This is called codependency and this is not what I am talking about. We should lift each other up because it is the right thing to do. Considering the concerns of others more than our own....

However, it is somewhat assumed that fliers can stand up on their own and that lifters who lift them would be foolish to hold them high in the air if their abilities did not warrant it. It's better for some folks to keep their feet on the ground. These folks should lift as often as they can.

What's that you say? What if a person isn't a cheerleader? What if they didn't enlist to be a lifter or a flier.

Well, sorry. You were born into the human race and that means you are (or at least you should be) a cheerleader for someone. if you are not, you had better start developing some relationships before you waist too many days. There is no place for selfishness.

Moral of the story: Lift someone today. Don't hold them higher than they want to go. Lift them correctly. Be alert. Be caring. Be ready. If someone you are lifting starts to "fall" be aware you might get hurt.

Understand, that's the way it's supposed to be.

Pastor Dan
www.newheightsfellowshipchurch.org