Many are the afflictions of the righteous

The grapes must be crushed to bring forth the wine. The wheat is first ground, and then the bread must be broken.

Here are some things the bible says about the wine and the bread:

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you…   1 Cor 11:23-24

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.  But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. Matt 26:26-29

For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.   John 6:33-35

This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.            John 6:50-51

Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:    Col 1:24

Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.    1 Cor 5:7-8

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?  For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.   1 Cor 10:16-17

 

Jesus said of Himself and those that come to Him:

And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.    Matt 21:44

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.           Psalms 34:19

 

A “prosperity gospel” is like building our house on the sand, it is like relying on a fortress built with bad cement, or trying to war with weapons that don’t work.

Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the Lord’S.    Jer 5:10

For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.  Jer 8:11

 

So what does God do?

So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.  Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it;  To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD.      Ezek 13:14-16

 

This prophecy about Jesus was about refining~

But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.     Malachi 3:2-4

 

Jesus tears down our walls built of untruth and He sanctifies us so that we may stand in the day of trouble, and be able to stand before Him.

And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord.  And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord.  For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.  And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.     Isaiah 66:20-23

Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;  Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.         Heb 10:8-10

Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. Phil 2:17

 

The Lord told Jeremiah He would be with him to deliver him. He didn’t say he would keep him from tribulation and trials (Jer 1:8) Jeremiah got thrown into a dungeon, but God delivered him, He didn’t keep him from all adversity, but was always there to deliver. (Jer. 38:6-10)

 

Paul attested that the Lord delivered him- not that he never had troubles.
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever.   Amen. 2 Tim 4:18

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.    John 16:33

 

and He is not only there to deliver us, but Jesus promised to never leave us nor forsake us, He goes through our troubles with us, if we let Him, and He comforts us. He knows the tribulation we are going to soon be facing and is willing to walk through it with us, not always taking every obstacle out of our path, but always holding out His hand to help.

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.  2 Cor 1:3-5

And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.    2 Cor 1:7

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. John 14:18

For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.   Isaiah 51:3

And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:  Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.  And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.   Acts 16:23-25

Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.   Isaiah 35:6

I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.   Isaiah 41:18

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.  Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.   Isaiah 49:15-16

They pierced His hands, what an engraving. Oh the depth of that love.

 

And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.   Gal 5:11

 

As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.  But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.    Gal 6:12-14

 

But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.  Gal 4:29

 

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.   Psalms 27:13-14

 

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.            Matt 5:11-12

 

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.   Romans 8:17-18