Introduction: A Forgotten Truth in the Modern Church
The dealings of God is not a popular teaching in this church age. Few acknowledge it, some touch on it, but most lack a revelation or understanding of it. Yet it is a Biblical truth and foundational to what is taught at Narrow Way Ministries International.
I became enlightened to this truth in the early 1990s through difficult and unexpected circumstances as a new Christian. During that time, I entered a season of spiritual darkness unlike anything I had imagined. I did not understand what was happening or why. God had audibly called me into His service in 1989, and I had committed myself to Him and the local church. Why then did such hardship come?
Given the spiritual nature of the battle, I knew I had only two choices: press on in Christ for help—or go the other way.
Walking Through Spiritual Darkness
I had little guidance during that season. A few friends prayed for and encouraged me, but when I approached church leadership, I received rebuff rather than guidance and shied away from engaging clergy thereafter.
Instead, I turned wholeheartedly toward God. I shut down television, radio, and most outside influences, focusing my life on work, church, Bible study, prayer, and limited family interaction with whom I could not share as they would not have understood. Though the spiritual battling did not quickly lift, I discovered something invaluable in the midst of the struggle: God’s presence was there meeting me more and more as I sought Him through prayer, His Word, and worship.
As I sought Him through Scripture and prayer, I experienced His presence in deeper ways. I also received supernatural encouragement through dreams, visitations, books, tapes, and timely confirmations that strengthened me during the trial.
Eventually, God led me to a charismatic teaching church near the capital beltway where I received foundational teaching and personal prophecies that helped me on my way.
Discovering the Teaching on the Dealings of God
One of the greatest influences during this season was Brother Sam Greene. He would visit my church from time to time. His ministry immediately resonated with me because he spoke honestly about adversity in the Christian life.
He taught that hardship does not always come solely from the enemy. Sometimes adversity comes through a fallen world, our own abuses and choices, or through things God allows or uses for our growth. When trouble comes, I learned that we must seek God for discernment to the cause.
Brother Sam’s teachings on the dealings of God brought balance and clarity to my understanding of Scripture. Passages concerning the goodness and severity of God, the chastening of the Lord, and the purpose of suffering suddenly came alive to me.
I learned that trials, afflictions, and difficulties are not anomalies in the Christian life—they are part of God’s process of growth, maturation, and transformation.
Key Scriptures That Brought Understanding
- Romans 11:22 — “the goodness and severity of God”
- Hebrews 12:1–14 — the chastening of the Lord
- 1 Peter 4:12–13 — “think it not strange concerning the fiery trial”
- John 16:33 — “in this world ye shall have tribulation”
- Romans 8:18 — “the sufferings of this present time”
- 2 Corinthians 4:17 — “our light affliction”
- Psalm 66:11–12 — God bringing us through fire and water into a wealthy place
These truths gave me hope. No one likes them, but they are needful to bring about changed. I gained clarity on God’s sovereign hand in all I go through and fell deeper in love with Him as the trouble made me seek Him more. I realized that my suffering had purpose. Little by little, God brought me through these seasons in my life. They didn’t last forever.
Growth Through the Trial
Bolstered and encouraged, I deepened my embrace of the disciplines of Bible study, prayer and worship. As this happened, I began to recognize that God was not only sanctifying my soul through adversity—He was also blessing and developing me in ways I never expected.
I grew in both work and ministry. My character and outlook changed as I adopted His principles of faithfulness, stewardship, purity, etc. and developed fruits of the Spirit. I discovered spiritual gifts for singing, teaching, intercession, and leadership, and God supernaturally opened doors for me to use them. Most importantly, I came to know God more intimately. He gave me “songs in the night” as I deepened my worship of Him (Job 35:9-11).
As I cried out to Jesus, He answered me so clearly as to why He allowed and did not immediately stop the darkness. Tenderly, almost weepingly, the Spirit of the Lord said to me:
“Otherwise, you would not have come to know Me as you do.”
And that settled the issue for me.
When God Changes the Direction
I soon, however, learned a second major lesson about God’s process for maturing and transforming us into His image. That is, it is not always a straight journey—there will be setbacks and changes in direction along the way. Mine came after church leadership set me on a course of promotion and acclaim, but God obviously had other plans. Betrayed and wounded, I ended up leaving the church and found myself in a different sort of wilderness of lesser roles and different experiences that lasted for years but still wrought growth and change in my life. When the pandemic hit in 2020, both church and work as I knew it came to a halt and ushered in a period of aloneness, coupled with physical limitations that kept me homebound. But as “I sat alone because of His hand,” (Jer 15:17), I found my way back to Brother Sam’s teachings and Narrow Way Ministries where I am now a member and minister. Though remote from my new church family, I continue to study, pray, worship, and grow in the dealings and seasons of God.
The Danger of Shallow Christianity
In this church age, many spout opinions and paradigms, or give canned and legalistic responses to the adversities, disappointments, and challenges we encounter in our Christian walk. As a result, believers get misled or wounded. Our answer is having a strong foundation in Scripture. Searching the Scriptures and reliance on Biblical example and truth—in particular the sound doctrines of Jesus Christ (Heb 6:1-3)—is the rock of our foundation. I encourage any who are going through adversity to find for yourself the balanced understanding of our sovereign God and how He patiently, lovingly, sits as the potter at the wheel in dealing with His children (Jer 18). It will not only help you; it will also help you truthfully respond to and comfort others (2 Cor 1:3-4) who find themselves in straightened circumstances.
God’s Ultimate Purpose
Get Brother Sam’s manual and listen to the course on the dealings of God. Better yet, delve into the full curriculum of instruction on the doctrines of Christ and the related teachings. Learn to focus on and love God, even in the midst of any disappointment, adversity, affliction, trial, persecution, suffering, etc. you go through as you follow Him. And find out ultimately what God is after in your life—not a bless-me club, not a surface Christianity, not religious fame and fortune, but sanctification and transformation as He seeks to bring many sons into His Glory (Heb 2:10) and the image of His Son.
Jesus said in Matthew 10:25, “The servant shall be as His Master.” Jesus Himself “learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8) and so shall we. It should no longer be surprising as we follow in His footsteps.
