1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
If the righteous SCARCELY be saved.
We don't like to think about that do we? We are brought up to believe that we are ALL saved, end of story. We all go to heaven. We all have that tiny bit of goodness in us that God must forgive us of our horrific wrongs. Even those who we believe must be suffering in hell (because so many believe this way though it's not Biblical at all), even those people we believe have to be the worst of the worst of the worst still have a chance, right? Maybe the worst of the worst don't but surely most of us will be saved because we aren't among the worst of the worst.
Yet here we hear these words-
'If the righteous SCARCELY be saved- where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?'
Scarcely means scarcely- there is NO changing the meaning of that word.
If the righteous scarcely be saved.
We have to believe this! We cannot shy away from this fact. We cannot believe that everyone will be saved, that everyone will go to heaven. ONLY by the GRACE of GOD can we be saved, that we can have HOPE in HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, because we have none!
Read the rest of this --
1Pe 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
Commit the keeping of our souls to God in WELL DOING- as UNTO a FAITHFUL CREATOR!
Our God will keep us with HIM, but we have to do our part in living as God would have us live. When we fall short of that and we WILL fall short, we have to ask for forgiveness from our Lord and Savior! He will forgive us, He will.
We must fight the flesh urge inside us that wants us to live selfishly and not even care about well doing. We have to fight the part inside of us that tells us that if we do good that we are trying to work our way into heaven. We have to fight ALL that would keep us from living as our Savior wants us to! We have to ask the Holy Spirit to silence those parts of us that would keep us from living in the spirit.
Please Lord, please help us!
We are so unworthy.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Suffering as a Christian
1Pe 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
1Pe 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
1Pe 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
Suffering as a Christian.
In our world today there are MANY Christian's suffering in ways we don't want to imagine. Each week we read more and more how Christians are being persecuted. Even in our own country- the US. People try to claim that we have freedom of religion here and then in the next breath tell us we are not allowed to pray, that we are not allowed to say Jesus' name, that we have to keep our religion private and not allow others to witness it.
Christianity isn't contagious- no religion is. We can view all religions and in the US we are supposed to be able to do that, yet persecution persists. They say if we take ALL religion out of our secular lives then it's fair, and yet they hold their own unbelief as their religious view.
Atheists want the right to be free of ALL religious connotations in their life and yet that very stance screams religious repression. To have the freedom to worship, to live your choice of religion you have to be allowed to do so as it dictates to you. If your religion tells you that you must pray before you eat a meal- then NO ONE should be allowed to stop you- You are hurting NO ONE. The people in your vicinity can close their eyes, they can turn away from you, they even have the freedom to denounce what you've done but they aren't allowed to stop you.
Suffer as a Christian.
Yes, those who choose to follow Christ as He desires them to follow will face trials- it's impossible for them not too because living the life of a Christ follower calls for us to be opposed to the world around us. We are opposed to the teachings of this world, we are opposed to living for this world, we are against the evil that fills this world - controlling it in so many ways.
Suffering as a Christian.
Yes, we are to suffer as being a Christian- but we are NOT to be murderers, thieves, evildoers, busybodies in the business of other people. People have made their living off these very things, and we applaud a lot of them- we do.
To be different from the world is to set yourself up as a target for the world to abuse and we are to understand that our suffering is expected and yes, even welcomed because if we simply conform to the world so we do not stand out as Christians we are denying our Lord, our Savior, our amazing God.
1Pe 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
We are NOT to be ashamed.
We are to GLORIFY GOD on His behalf.
In our suffering we are to glorify God.
Can we do this? Only by the grace of our LORD.
In HIS LOVE!
1Pe 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
1Pe 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
Suffering as a Christian.
In our world today there are MANY Christian's suffering in ways we don't want to imagine. Each week we read more and more how Christians are being persecuted. Even in our own country- the US. People try to claim that we have freedom of religion here and then in the next breath tell us we are not allowed to pray, that we are not allowed to say Jesus' name, that we have to keep our religion private and not allow others to witness it.
Christianity isn't contagious- no religion is. We can view all religions and in the US we are supposed to be able to do that, yet persecution persists. They say if we take ALL religion out of our secular lives then it's fair, and yet they hold their own unbelief as their religious view.
Atheists want the right to be free of ALL religious connotations in their life and yet that very stance screams religious repression. To have the freedom to worship, to live your choice of religion you have to be allowed to do so as it dictates to you. If your religion tells you that you must pray before you eat a meal- then NO ONE should be allowed to stop you- You are hurting NO ONE. The people in your vicinity can close their eyes, they can turn away from you, they even have the freedom to denounce what you've done but they aren't allowed to stop you.
Suffer as a Christian.
Yes, those who choose to follow Christ as He desires them to follow will face trials- it's impossible for them not too because living the life of a Christ follower calls for us to be opposed to the world around us. We are opposed to the teachings of this world, we are opposed to living for this world, we are against the evil that fills this world - controlling it in so many ways.
Suffering as a Christian.
Yes, we are to suffer as being a Christian- but we are NOT to be murderers, thieves, evildoers, busybodies in the business of other people. People have made their living off these very things, and we applaud a lot of them- we do.
To be different from the world is to set yourself up as a target for the world to abuse and we are to understand that our suffering is expected and yes, even welcomed because if we simply conform to the world so we do not stand out as Christians we are denying our Lord, our Savior, our amazing God.
1Pe 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
We are NOT to be ashamed.
We are to GLORIFY GOD on His behalf.
In our suffering we are to glorify God.
Can we do this? Only by the grace of our LORD.
In HIS LOVE!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Fiery trials- not strange
1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you
Why are we shocked when fall on exceedingly hard times?
We are, aren't we?
We quickly begin to bemoan our situation, a knee jerk reaction we make when we are placed under a lot of stress, a reaction we've learned from our youth.
If we think of our pioneer days here in the U.S. can you imagine people moaning about things as much as we do today? Seriously? We have life so easy compared to years ago but our problems are relevant to our life today right? Years ago they didn't have to worry about gas for a car, but feed for a horse.
Each successive generation seems to have the prior generation complaining about their lack of gratitude , their lack of knowledge of 'real' hard work, of a hard life. Every generation's parents seems to have their own tale about walking through the snow five miles to school uphill.
We ALL face fiery trials, every single one of us.
When we are being tried we tend to call it strange because we don't want to be tried, we want our lives to go easy, to have smooth sailing with as few problems as possible. It's normal to want to live problem free- just not realistic.
We are told NOT to think it is strange when we are in fiery trials…trials that will TRY us, try our faith, because it won't be strange to go through them.
It's NOT strange to have our faith tried but it is painful, very, very painful. No one can deny the pain, the horrible emotional pain that we are called to endure. Even the physical pain we experience it induces a lot of emotional, a lot of mental anguish in us. WE suffer, we really do suffer but then again- we are CALLED to suffer living in a world that is over run by sin as we fight to live for a God who abhors all things sinful.
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
We suffer- and from that suffering we must rejoice knowing Christ suffered as well. The glory will be revealed one day and then we will have joy unimaginable for us today.
Please Lord, please help us to endure the trying of our faith that must come to all of us. Help us Lord, help us because in our suffering we become so tempted to lose faith. Keep us in You Lord, keep us strong in faith in YOU, in Your love always!
Thank you Lord, thank you!
All glory, all praise, all honor to You!
Amen.
Why are we shocked when fall on exceedingly hard times?
We are, aren't we?
We quickly begin to bemoan our situation, a knee jerk reaction we make when we are placed under a lot of stress, a reaction we've learned from our youth.
If we think of our pioneer days here in the U.S. can you imagine people moaning about things as much as we do today? Seriously? We have life so easy compared to years ago but our problems are relevant to our life today right? Years ago they didn't have to worry about gas for a car, but feed for a horse.
Each successive generation seems to have the prior generation complaining about their lack of gratitude , their lack of knowledge of 'real' hard work, of a hard life. Every generation's parents seems to have their own tale about walking through the snow five miles to school uphill.
We ALL face fiery trials, every single one of us.
When we are being tried we tend to call it strange because we don't want to be tried, we want our lives to go easy, to have smooth sailing with as few problems as possible. It's normal to want to live problem free- just not realistic.
We are told NOT to think it is strange when we are in fiery trials…trials that will TRY us, try our faith, because it won't be strange to go through them.
It's NOT strange to have our faith tried but it is painful, very, very painful. No one can deny the pain, the horrible emotional pain that we are called to endure. Even the physical pain we experience it induces a lot of emotional, a lot of mental anguish in us. WE suffer, we really do suffer but then again- we are CALLED to suffer living in a world that is over run by sin as we fight to live for a God who abhors all things sinful.
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
We suffer- and from that suffering we must rejoice knowing Christ suffered as well. The glory will be revealed one day and then we will have joy unimaginable for us today.
Please Lord, please help us to endure the trying of our faith that must come to all of us. Help us Lord, help us because in our suffering we become so tempted to lose faith. Keep us in You Lord, keep us strong in faith in YOU, in Your love always!
Thank you Lord, thank you!
All glory, all praise, all honor to You!
Amen.
Monday, February 20, 2012
God in all things may be glorified
1Pe 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
1Pe 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
That God in ALL things may be glorified.
Is God glorified in all we do? Seriously. Stop what you're doing and rethink your entire day. Was God glorified throughout the day by you? Do you think He should be?
We work so many different jobs and in all of them can we glorify God? Driving a refuse truck? As a fireman? An office worker? A shelf stocker? A Cashier? A truck driver? On and on we could list numerous professions and we know that while the job itself may NOT be a religious job- they are not evangelizing, some might have no one to witness to- not everyone works with other people, they are not in a position of preaching. The thing is God is glorified when we USE the abilities HE gives to us and the opportunities we are afforded.
We don't have to be preachers, teachers, evangelists, etc, we just have to use the gifts God gave us and use them to GLORIFY HIM!
All glory to God that we are able to perform even the most mundane of jobs, the most menial of tasks, the drudge work that we might be called to do.
If we do speak- we must speak of GOD because God is our life, we LIVE for God, not ourselves!
Do others know this? Or are we keeping it a secret of sorts?
Please Lord we would be your ministers, we would speak of You to others as You would have us do. Please Lord help us to give as we receive.
Please Lord by Your grace may we glorify Your in ALL things, help us! We are so thankless, we are so quick to believe we deserve what we are given and that we don't need to thank anyone for anything. We don't need to give the glory to anyone because we believe we are the authors of our own good deeds. We fail to realize You give us life, You give us the ability to do any good that we might think to do. YOU are all things, YOU are everything!
Bless us Lord, please, we are so far beneath Your worth.
Give us the ability to glorify You in all things, please Lord, please.
Teach us, help us, guide us.
We are so sinful, so prone to sinning, keep us from evil Lord, please keep us from evil.
All in YOUR love by YOUR grace and mercy!
Please.
1Pe 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
That God in ALL things may be glorified.
Is God glorified in all we do? Seriously. Stop what you're doing and rethink your entire day. Was God glorified throughout the day by you? Do you think He should be?
We work so many different jobs and in all of them can we glorify God? Driving a refuse truck? As a fireman? An office worker? A shelf stocker? A Cashier? A truck driver? On and on we could list numerous professions and we know that while the job itself may NOT be a religious job- they are not evangelizing, some might have no one to witness to- not everyone works with other people, they are not in a position of preaching. The thing is God is glorified when we USE the abilities HE gives to us and the opportunities we are afforded.
We don't have to be preachers, teachers, evangelists, etc, we just have to use the gifts God gave us and use them to GLORIFY HIM!
All glory to God that we are able to perform even the most mundane of jobs, the most menial of tasks, the drudge work that we might be called to do.
If we do speak- we must speak of GOD because God is our life, we LIVE for God, not ourselves!
Do others know this? Or are we keeping it a secret of sorts?
Please Lord we would be your ministers, we would speak of You to others as You would have us do. Please Lord help us to give as we receive.
Please Lord by Your grace may we glorify Your in ALL things, help us! We are so thankless, we are so quick to believe we deserve what we are given and that we don't need to thank anyone for anything. We don't need to give the glory to anyone because we believe we are the authors of our own good deeds. We fail to realize You give us life, You give us the ability to do any good that we might think to do. YOU are all things, YOU are everything!
Bless us Lord, please, we are so far beneath Your worth.
Give us the ability to glorify You in all things, please Lord, please.
Teach us, help us, guide us.
We are so sinful, so prone to sinning, keep us from evil Lord, please keep us from evil.
All in YOUR love by YOUR grace and mercy!
Please.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Fervent Love
1Pe 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
1Pe 4:9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
Love.
Fervent love.
Not just have love above all things, but FERVENT love. This is an amazing love and it's something we NEED.
We need our sins covered by the blood of the Lamb and our Savior will do this for us purely out of LOVE for us. There is NO other motivator for our God. There is no hidden reward for Him, there is no subterfuge going on. God does NOT get a prize for saving us. God will save us only out of LOVE. Love is so incredibly important and as the end grows closer and closer, love will grow colder and colder. People are losing the ability to love, and to love truly, to love fervently. Is it any wonder there will be few saved when our Lord returns? There will be very little love left in the world. Before anyone says that's impossible there is a lot of love in the world, think about it, really, really think. True love is rare, not common. Fervent love is so hard to find. A SELFLESS love is the love we need. A selfless love will cover a multitude of sins. It is love that saves, it is love that made salvation possible.
We are to have FERVENT love.
We are to have HOSPITALITY one to another- WITHOUT grudging. Did you read that… WITHOUT GRUDGING. All too often we have hospitality but it's not given without grudging. We resent having to do for others sooooo much! We don't like the imposition. We don't want to be bothered. We don't want to take time and effort from ourselves, from our own pursuits. To give of ourselves without resentment is something we need to do, to pray to God that we can do this. We've become so incredibly self-centered that to give hospitality as we need to will be rare as well, very rare. Love, hospitality- rarities.
Please Lord we need to LOVE, we need to reveal this love in our actions, in our lives!
From Your amazing love, a love we cannot fully fathom, please Lord help us to live, to love as YOU would have us love, please LORD. Only through You are we able to love, only by You are we capable of Loving. All through YOU and ONLY YOU.
Your love makes this all possible.
In YOUR love always.
1Pe 4:9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
Love.
Fervent love.
Not just have love above all things, but FERVENT love. This is an amazing love and it's something we NEED.
We need our sins covered by the blood of the Lamb and our Savior will do this for us purely out of LOVE for us. There is NO other motivator for our God. There is no hidden reward for Him, there is no subterfuge going on. God does NOT get a prize for saving us. God will save us only out of LOVE. Love is so incredibly important and as the end grows closer and closer, love will grow colder and colder. People are losing the ability to love, and to love truly, to love fervently. Is it any wonder there will be few saved when our Lord returns? There will be very little love left in the world. Before anyone says that's impossible there is a lot of love in the world, think about it, really, really think. True love is rare, not common. Fervent love is so hard to find. A SELFLESS love is the love we need. A selfless love will cover a multitude of sins. It is love that saves, it is love that made salvation possible.
We are to have FERVENT love.
We are to have HOSPITALITY one to another- WITHOUT grudging. Did you read that… WITHOUT GRUDGING. All too often we have hospitality but it's not given without grudging. We resent having to do for others sooooo much! We don't like the imposition. We don't want to be bothered. We don't want to take time and effort from ourselves, from our own pursuits. To give of ourselves without resentment is something we need to do, to pray to God that we can do this. We've become so incredibly self-centered that to give hospitality as we need to will be rare as well, very rare. Love, hospitality- rarities.
Please Lord we need to LOVE, we need to reveal this love in our actions, in our lives!
From Your amazing love, a love we cannot fully fathom, please Lord help us to live, to love as YOU would have us love, please LORD. Only through You are we able to love, only by You are we capable of Loving. All through YOU and ONLY YOU.
Your love makes this all possible.
In YOUR love always.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Living to the will of God
1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
Live to the lusts of men.
Live to the will of God.
One or the other, not both.
1Pe 4:3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
1Pe 4:4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you
Lusts of men- lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, abominable idolatries.
Lusts of men- selfish pursuits. Lusts of men- fulfilling desires temporarily. Lusts of men- a constant seeking of self contentment outside of communion with God. Lusts of men- seeking to be happy by their own power, in themselves alone.
The Will of God- to live connected to Him as our source of life. The Will of God- living for Him our Creator as Creatures meant to be connected to Him. The Will of God- accepting the Way of reconciliation to Him. The Will of God- love.
Do people find it strange when you do not run in their circles of pleasure seeking, and self-fulfillment? Those who are caught up in lusts often can't imagine others not wanting to be caught up in them as well. Those pursuits have given them a temporary pleasure that rivals their mundane life outside of them and they just can't imagine that other people do not want a break from their own mundane lives to experience the sensations of fulfilling lustful desires. Seeking a permanent unselfish pleasure is foreign to those who live for self gratification. Seeking a reward that is far off when temporary rewards are plentiful all around, is crazy to self-seekers.
This is truth.
1Pe 4:5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
1Pe 4:6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
1Pe 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
We all have to give an account of our choices to our Savior- who judges the living and the dead. The wonderful gospel is preached to those who are on that path of everlasting death as all men are until they accept the sacrifice of our Savior, and then and only then are we able to live according to God in the Spirit.
Our flesh selves must die.
1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
Living to the will of God- by the grace of God!
Living with God as the center of our lives and not with ourselves as that center. Living as a creature, not as a creator.
All by HIS LOVE!
1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
Live to the lusts of men.
Live to the will of God.
One or the other, not both.
1Pe 4:3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
1Pe 4:4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you
Lusts of men- lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, abominable idolatries.
Lusts of men- selfish pursuits. Lusts of men- fulfilling desires temporarily. Lusts of men- a constant seeking of self contentment outside of communion with God. Lusts of men- seeking to be happy by their own power, in themselves alone.
The Will of God- to live connected to Him as our source of life. The Will of God- living for Him our Creator as Creatures meant to be connected to Him. The Will of God- accepting the Way of reconciliation to Him. The Will of God- love.
Do people find it strange when you do not run in their circles of pleasure seeking, and self-fulfillment? Those who are caught up in lusts often can't imagine others not wanting to be caught up in them as well. Those pursuits have given them a temporary pleasure that rivals their mundane life outside of them and they just can't imagine that other people do not want a break from their own mundane lives to experience the sensations of fulfilling lustful desires. Seeking a permanent unselfish pleasure is foreign to those who live for self gratification. Seeking a reward that is far off when temporary rewards are plentiful all around, is crazy to self-seekers.
This is truth.
1Pe 4:5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
1Pe 4:6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
1Pe 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
We all have to give an account of our choices to our Savior- who judges the living and the dead. The wonderful gospel is preached to those who are on that path of everlasting death as all men are until they accept the sacrifice of our Savior, and then and only then are we able to live according to God in the Spirit.
Our flesh selves must die.
1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
Living to the will of God- by the grace of God!
Living with God as the center of our lives and not with ourselves as that center. Living as a creature, not as a creator.
All by HIS LOVE!
Friday, February 17, 2012
Arm yourselves...with the same mind
1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind…
Christ suffered in the flesh- for us.
Why do believe we shouldn't have to suffer? Seriously?
More and more it seems people love to use the argument that a loving God wouldn't allow such suffering as what exists in our world. They argue that a loving God would only ever make everything wonderful, pain free, suffering free. They don't want to worship a God that allows pain. So they believe if they don't worship God then somehow that makes it like He doesn't exist at all. Then you'll have others who are okay with the idea of a purposeful God who sees the greater picture and has to allow suffering because He's allowed free will. Those same people will quickly change their tune when the suffering hits them and their loved ones. They'll rear up as an indignant bear ready to attack and lash out at God- how dare He allow them to suffer so senselessly when HE could have prevented it and He chose not to. There are many slippery slopes as we seek to truly follow God and Satan will present more of them every day.
I write this now and some people will want to cry out at me that I don't know what I'm talking about, that if I were in their shoes I'd truly understand but because I'm not in the throes of agonizing suffering I can't possible understand. If God stripped me of my livelihood, my loved ones, my health then I'd know and I'd denounce God. This sounds so much like the Book of Job doesn't it?
It's not strange that we need to revisit that book over and over, is it? Talk about a blueprint for life and loving God. Will we all have to face the horrors that Job faced to be counted as God's? Most likely not or at least not in exactly the same manner He was tried and tested. Job isn't our only example- our Savior is our example.
1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind
Arm ourselves with the same mind.
How did Christ suffer? That's an easy one to answer, right? He was brutalized and put to death on the cross, if that's not suffering what is, right? If we dig deeper can we note Christ suffering in any other manner?
Joh 11:35 Jesus wept.
We are usually suffering in some manner when we weep, aren't we?
Oh yes, there are happy tears but this wasn’t one of those occasions for our Savior.
Joh 11:32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
Joh 11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
Joh 11:34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
Suffering.
Why? Why if He knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead? Why was He groaning in spirit and troubled? Why did He cry?
We can theorize as many have but the bottom line is that HE SUFFERED- for whatever reason- He was suffering.
Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Suffering.
Mat 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Mat 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Suffering.
Mat 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
Mat 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Suffering.
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Suffering.
1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind...
Christ suffered in the flesh. Christ was tempted in the flesh.
Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
He Himself suffered - being tempted.
We suffer- being tempted.
We have to arm ourselves as Christ armed Himself, with the same mind as Christ. His mind was on the Father's will being done in ALL things and it was the Father's will that He preach repentance and forgiveness- Salvation found in Jesus Christ alone.
Arm ourselves as Christ- with the same mind.
We aren't to arm ourselves with our own mind, yet all too often we try to live on our own without Christ. All too often we live for our own lofty ideas of how things should be. We get caught up in our own thoughts and forget there is a mind we are to arm ourselves with- Christ's mind. When we count on our own mind we aren't armed at all but very, very vulnerable.
Christ lived wanting God's will to be done.
We must live wanting God's will to be done.
When we live wanting God's will then we set aside self, don't we?
Christ suffered life in the flesh- He who lived as God without flesh- took on flesh for us.
1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
And in that flesh He suffered.
We too must suffer and as Jesus knew that this world and all its sin was NOT His home, we too must know it's not our home either- we are strangers here, pilgrims. And we suffer as those who long for their home. We suffer in the flesh.
May God bless us and help us to be armed as our Savior was armed, with the same mind.
All through His mercy, His love, His grace!
Christ suffered in the flesh- for us.
Why do believe we shouldn't have to suffer? Seriously?
More and more it seems people love to use the argument that a loving God wouldn't allow such suffering as what exists in our world. They argue that a loving God would only ever make everything wonderful, pain free, suffering free. They don't want to worship a God that allows pain. So they believe if they don't worship God then somehow that makes it like He doesn't exist at all. Then you'll have others who are okay with the idea of a purposeful God who sees the greater picture and has to allow suffering because He's allowed free will. Those same people will quickly change their tune when the suffering hits them and their loved ones. They'll rear up as an indignant bear ready to attack and lash out at God- how dare He allow them to suffer so senselessly when HE could have prevented it and He chose not to. There are many slippery slopes as we seek to truly follow God and Satan will present more of them every day.
I write this now and some people will want to cry out at me that I don't know what I'm talking about, that if I were in their shoes I'd truly understand but because I'm not in the throes of agonizing suffering I can't possible understand. If God stripped me of my livelihood, my loved ones, my health then I'd know and I'd denounce God. This sounds so much like the Book of Job doesn't it?
It's not strange that we need to revisit that book over and over, is it? Talk about a blueprint for life and loving God. Will we all have to face the horrors that Job faced to be counted as God's? Most likely not or at least not in exactly the same manner He was tried and tested. Job isn't our only example- our Savior is our example.
1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind
Arm ourselves with the same mind.
How did Christ suffer? That's an easy one to answer, right? He was brutalized and put to death on the cross, if that's not suffering what is, right? If we dig deeper can we note Christ suffering in any other manner?
Joh 11:35 Jesus wept.
We are usually suffering in some manner when we weep, aren't we?
Oh yes, there are happy tears but this wasn’t one of those occasions for our Savior.
Joh 11:32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
Joh 11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
Joh 11:34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
Suffering.
Why? Why if He knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead? Why was He groaning in spirit and troubled? Why did He cry?
We can theorize as many have but the bottom line is that HE SUFFERED- for whatever reason- He was suffering.
Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Suffering.
Mat 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Mat 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Suffering.
Mat 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
Mat 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Suffering.
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Suffering.
1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind...
Christ suffered in the flesh. Christ was tempted in the flesh.
Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
He Himself suffered - being tempted.
We suffer- being tempted.
We have to arm ourselves as Christ armed Himself, with the same mind as Christ. His mind was on the Father's will being done in ALL things and it was the Father's will that He preach repentance and forgiveness- Salvation found in Jesus Christ alone.
Arm ourselves as Christ- with the same mind.
We aren't to arm ourselves with our own mind, yet all too often we try to live on our own without Christ. All too often we live for our own lofty ideas of how things should be. We get caught up in our own thoughts and forget there is a mind we are to arm ourselves with- Christ's mind. When we count on our own mind we aren't armed at all but very, very vulnerable.
Christ lived wanting God's will to be done.
We must live wanting God's will to be done.
When we live wanting God's will then we set aside self, don't we?
Christ suffered life in the flesh- He who lived as God without flesh- took on flesh for us.
1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
And in that flesh He suffered.
We too must suffer and as Jesus knew that this world and all its sin was NOT His home, we too must know it's not our home either- we are strangers here, pilgrims. And we suffer as those who long for their home. We suffer in the flesh.
May God bless us and help us to be armed as our Savior was armed, with the same mind.
All through His mercy, His love, His grace!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)