¤ WHAT IS SUFFERING?
• It is "to undergo, be subjected to, or endure (pain, distress, injury, loss, or anything unpleasant)" - Dictionary.com

¤ ARE YOU SUFFERING?
• I know that most of us do. If not yet be ready because your day shall come, every dog has it's own day!
• Jesus never promised that the Church will be a gravy train...
- He warned us that we'll Suffer in this world but we must be Strong, Courageous and Faithful because He has conquered all the evil forces for us (John 16:33).
- Everyone who does the Will of God will be Persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12).

SUFFERING IS IN TWO-FOLD
¤ Firstly, this is what I call Negative Suffering.
• Here people suffer because they find themselves on the wrong side of the law, whether God's law or of the land.
• They steal, murder, meddle, rebel against the rulers and end up being thrown into custody for long time.
• This kind of suffering is condemned by God - 1 Peter 4:15.
¤ Secondly, this is what I call Positive Suffering.
• Only Christians undergo this kind of Suffering (1 Peter 4: 12-14,16).
- We must always anticipate sufferings in our Christian journey - Verse 12.
- When we suffer, we must Rejoice because Christ will turn that situation into eternal joy - Verse 13.
- If we are insulted because of the name of Christ we're blessed, if we suffer because of persecution, loss of our loved ones, temptations, crime, hatred etc. WE ARE BLESSED because the Spirit of Glory and of God rests on us - Verse 14.
- If we suffer because we are Christians we must not be ASHAMED but praise God that we bear that name (Verse 16 cf Matthew 10:32), if we are ashamed of Christ He will also be ashamed of us and disown us before God - Matthew 10:33

BUT, WHY DO WE SUFFER?
¤ Sufferings refine us so that we could qualify to be heavenly materials.

... "We MUST GO through MANY HARDSHIPS TO ENTER THE KINGDOM of God,"... Acts 14:22
• Therefore, let us Strengthen and Encourage each other to Remain Faithful Forever - Revelations 2:10
• We must Continue in Faith, Stand Firm, Immovable in our Hope Cemented in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ - Colossians 1:23.

OUR SUFFERINGS ARE ONLY TEMPORAL
¤ Yes our Sufferings might seem huge and discouraging but they'll not last long.
• "I consider that our PRESENT SUFFERINGS are NOT WORTH COMPARING with the GLORY THAT WILL BE REVEALED in us." - Romans 8:18
- In heaven there'll be no more sufferings but we'll be glorified to be in God's likeness.
- God will wipe away our Tears - Revelation 21:4.

WHAT SHOULD WE DO IF WE SUFFER?
¤ We need to Pray in order to get Strength to overcome - James 5:13.
¤ Pray for one another.

BECAUSE:

"19 The RIGHTEOUS PERSON MAY HAVE MANY TROUBLES, but the LORD DELIVERS him from them ALL" - Psalm 34:19.

Where there are righteous people who do the Will of God there'll be sufferings too.
¤ They (Sufferings) serve as litmus test to test the depth, height, length and width of our faith. ¤ Sufferings only happen in this world but when we get to heaven God will glorify us and wipe away our tears.
¤ Brother, sister Be strong and be courageous and remain faithful until Christ comes again to take us to heaven above where there will be no more sufferings inflicted in us.

Remember, your current testing situation is only temporal.