by Philip Thompson

Difficulty is a fact of life here. Christian, I wish to encourage you with some things that won’t follow us to heaven!

1. tears, death, sorrow, crying, pain

This is a list which is in Revelation 2:4, these are listed as “the former things”, obviously that is a future time, right now these things are unfortunately “the present things”!

1. Tears and sorrow and crying

There are many examples in the Bible of sorrow, tears, and crying

1. Adam was told of his sorrow in his work, just as we get weary in our work to provide for those who God has entrusted to us

Genesis 3:17  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 

• Eve was told of sorrow in childbearing, even now there is great pain for many in childbearing beyond the physical

Genesis 3:16  Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

• Jacob spoke of the sorrow of loss, just as everyone will endure loss as we have since the curse

Genesis 42:38  And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

• “Rachel”, the land of Israel went through crying and loss as their children were slaughtered

Matthew 2:16  Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. 

Matthew 2:17  Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 

Matthew 2:18  In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. 

• God spoke of sorrow for the punishment of disobedience, just as we should have sorrow for our disobedience

Leviticus 26:16  I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. 

• Nehemiah endured sorrow of heart due to Jerusalem’s desolation just as we today have sorrow due to the brokenness of God’s house and many homes

Nehemiah 1:1  The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, 

Nehemiah 1:2  That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 

Nehemiah 1:3  And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. 

Nehemiah 2:2  Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,

There is great sorrow, many tears, and bitter crying on earth!

• Death

Hebrews 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 

Hebrews 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. 

Who enjoys death? No one should, and if they do it is certainly sin before God.

Death brings awful feelings of loss, we lost Pr. Ceregihn, that brought pain! Ive not gone through great loss, but “ as it is appointed unto men once to die” I know Ill endure it in my life. I don’t look forward to it! I’m happy knowing that PR Ceregihn is now with The Lord, but even then its not easy.

And then there are the ones who we don’t see being saved, they die too, and its very disturbing, should be disturbing to us that Hell is being fed!

We must try to pull people out of the fire actively!

• Pain

Job 2:7  So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. 

Job 5:7  Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. 

Romans 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 

Romans 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 

Romans 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 

We have pain Paul said “we know”, in one way its not a very profound truth, all have pain!

It’s not hidden, it’s not mysterious, we have pain, in one way pain is a blessing, there are some people who have genetic disorders who don’t have the receptors needed! But that is a curse in itself because if they put there hand on the hot stove their hand is going to get messed up badly, whereas someone who can feel pain will pull their hand off!

But we groan as Paul said for the “redemption of our body.” When we will be glorified and there will be no more pain!

Romans 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 

There will be a day when we are changed!

1st Corinthians 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 

1st Corinthians 15:54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 

1st Corinthians 15:55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 

1st John 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 

1st John 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 

So keep on the right path, no matter how hard it gets!

We have a great God, And one day He Himself will wipe away all tears from our eyes, and the “present things” will finally be “The Former Things!”

Revelation 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.