There is a part of a certain verse that I would like to quote. It’s simply this: “We must through much tribulation, enter the Kingdom of God.” May we ask, who said this, and what was the event that had just occurred at the time? The apostles, had been preaching the gospel in certain places. There had been many signs and wonders done because of this, and a lot of people had come to believe their message. But not everyone liked it. Preaching the gospel, can call forth, some mean spirits.

As the apostles continued on to another city, and even more were being converted, those who didn’t like what they were doing also came there, and stirred up the people against them. They stoned Paul, drug him out of the city, and left him for dead. He must have looked dead. We can only imagine what that kind of punishment, can do to the human body. The rest of the disciples came and they gathered around him as he lay there. Suddenly, he just got up. And he walked with them, back into the city that had done this.

These men of God, left for another city the next day, and just continued preaching the same message. They returned back through the places they had evangelized, and encouraged those who had come to believe. Here, was when they told them about what it would take, to enter the Kingdom of God. Years back, most of us knew about that. It was not popular to be filled with the Spirit. They called us shakers, and holy-rollers; many of our ministers were actually pelted with rotten tomatoes and rotten eggs. Your families were often against you; you were shunned and put down.

Lets define the word “tribulation.” It’s great misery or distress, as in oppression; deep sorrow. It’s something that causes suffering; an affliction; a trial. The root word, means to thrash, or to beat. If we recall, many of us wanted patience; even prayed for it. Not totally remembering, that it took tribulation, to get there. And many of us found out first hand, the tribulation you would have to endure, if you spoke out about something people did not want to hear. I’m not so sure, that many who claim to be prophets today, realize and fully understand, what that may cost them, if they are truly called.

I’m not one to use someone else’s post, for my own platform. But I heard someone here say something that had been spoken to them by the Spirit. God said, he was going to turn those, who had hearts of stone. My first thought was, how do you melt a stony heart. I have labored with this; because I believe this is true. The answer I feel I was given, is that it will be done, through tribulation. Could it be, that the very same thing that caused the church to grow and become stronger, will be the same thing that causes us to get back on track. An elder minister, recently prophesied something the Spirit had given him.

It just said, “We will not escape tribulation.”

~ Robert Blackburn

Robert Blackburn