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Dear Bros in Christ,

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Brothers in Christ, this monthly email is sent and meant to be an encouragement to all and to build up and
edify in the Lord Jesus Christ. Oikodome means "Builder". The Lord has put this on my heart to send out
a monthly Iron Man Oikodome {oy-kod-om-ay'} to build up and encourage the men who love and follow
Jesus Christ in their walk with Him.

Romans 14:19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one
may edify another.
Hebrews 3:13 "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you
may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."

SEPTEMBER 2006

Trials of Everlasting Love and Growth

For mature audiences


Psalm 71:19-20 Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high, You who have done great
things; O God, who is like You?
You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, Shall revive me again, And
bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

As we mature in age or physical nature, are we maturing in our walk with the Lord?
Our bodies are growing more mature. However, are we growing mature in the trials
that God allows us to go through?
How much do we all love a good trial? In fact, I never really hear anyone boasting or
praising the Lord about going through a trial. I think it might sound something like
this though; “Oh man what an awesome trial I have going on in my life, this is the
best one yet, man it is a beauty. I can hardly wait to see what happens next. Last
week I wrecked my new car, I lost my job, I’m three house payments behind, I found
this strange growth on my side, I haven’t been in church or fellowship for the last
three months, and my wife an I have not seen eye to eye on anything lately. You
know this is really getting exciting. Thank you Lord for making my life exciting, you
are awesome Lord. Thank you for making my life a challenge and for making me
grow in new areas. Can you feel the love…? On the other hand, saying I consider it a
privilege or labor of love if the Lord allows me to go through the daily living trials,
things like this.
It is so much fun and such a joy to see myself grow and be stretched like “Stretch
Armstrong”. (Toy action figure that you can stretch as far as your arms can pull in
any direction and he goes back to his original size shape) Just when I feel like I’m
going to snap I spring right back into my original shape”
Sure, we all hear bros talking like this all the time- right…

In fact I believe it is just the opposite for most or all of us when are faced with a
heavy growing pains. We do not love going through trials or anything that pains us
or creates growth in our walk-faith. It is just too hard. We are crying out to God for
mercy and asking Him to help us get out of this so-called mess right now. When in
reality this is right where He wants us right where we need to be to experience and
grow in all areas that God desires. For most of us, it brings us back to our knees
before our Father pleading for Him to rescue us and save us calling on Him day and
night. We ask, Father please take this burden from me, show me what you desire for
me to learn, teach me O’ Lord God… I know one thing when we do go through
growth periods God does not want us to spring back into our original shape like old
“Stretch Armstrong” back the way we were before the growth periods. He is refining
us, praise the Lord He is in control of the refining.
Nevertheless, what about the trials where God is doing something in our hearts. You
know where something is so painful and it is out of our control. In addition, is seems
as though we cry out to God and our prayers are not being received. We cannot
figure out why God is allowing this or not stopping it. It has us crying from our heart
appealing to Him, asking Him to please, let us understand why this has to happen to
us. Moreover, why does it last so long and it hurt so badly? That it feels like part of
our heart is being ripped out with pliers. Heart surgery can be painful bros, but the
healing it brings is beyond words, it is such a joy to see Gods healing powers
through these trials of everlasting love and growth periods.

Oh, wait a minute, now we remember all those times we have been praying, “Lord,
please examine my heart and see if there be any unclean thing in there or anything
or way unpleasing to You. I ask that You remove anything that does not honor or
glorify You Lord and create in me a pure heart for You.” Oh, now I get it- I asked God,
I invited God into my heart to do a work; this is answered prayer- Wow! Wait a
minute I did not know I was getting surgery without pain meds… I need something
to take away the pain though, no that is part of the growth My grace is sufficient the
Lord says in His word.

But wait, Lord you are removing things and causing growth at the same time…
Should have had a scheduled appointment or something so I can plan and prepare
myself for this surgery? Naw, God knows what He is doing and when He is going to
do it. He is the Great Healer and our Creator, He can cause things to grow, He can
remove things and He knows our tolerance level or pain threshold- the turning point
to make the desired change, not that He wants us to suffer- but if it takes that to
bring us closer to Him- then its all gain even with pain… He is the Refiner, to create
in us a pure heart. He hears our cry, He sees our tears, He knows our fears. He
knows our hearts what it will take to bring about His desired growth. He knows our
name and He knows us intimately because we are His sons His creation and His love
is perpetually everlasting for us and towards us…

A sure sign of mature growth is when we can consider it joy like it says in James
1:2-4 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that
the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work,
that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

God loves us and wants us to grow so He sometimes allows us to be stretched and


pulled so we can grow not to go back and be the same as we were before. However,
to go forward in a new everlasting love and new growth new creation for His glory
and honor. He has His way of molding us, shaping us, and most times it is very
painful and hard to realize that there will be much love and growth from this trial
that sands us some more until we are shaped for His use. God knows what it will
take to change us and help us to draw closer to Him. Remember Bros we are in
pursuit… We know how painful it can be to discipline our own children. We all
believe it actually is more painful for us than our child, but they think we enjoy
punishing them… I believe the Lord disciplines us because we are His children and
He loves us and wants us to grow as He teaches us through His tender mercies and
Everlasting Love.

God's Everlasting Love

Romans 8:31-39 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be
against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all,
how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge
against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ
who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who
also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword? 36 As it is written:

"For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the
slaughter."

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor
powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any
other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord.

Bros “Nada can separate us from the everlasting love of God” If He loves you and
you love Him then you are going to grow, what more can we ask for? Grow me show
me; teach me all Your ways and precepts Lord Jesus…

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8

In His everlasting love,


Daniel Wright
Iron Man Oikodome
Proverbs 27:17

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