Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
2 Corinthians 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty [stripes] save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; [In] journeyings often, [in] perils of waters, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils by [mine own] countrymen, [in] perils by the heathen, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
John 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
It is a Friday night in which you and your husband/wife decide to have some time to yourselves in marital bliss. It has been a long time and you both thought this was overdue. So mutually you both agreed to have a sitter watch your only child in which you both labored for after 3 miscarriages; it finally happened "Birth." At the restaurant you and your wife/husband decide to call and check on your baby to see how everything is going. When you call your sitter you ask, "How is the baby doing?" The sitter responds jokingly by saying, "I put the baby in the microwave" You and your mate laugh it off since the sitter sound facetious in her tone and you both take your time coming back from your night out on the town. "What a good time!" you both say since you have dedicated your life to revolve around your son.
When you both arrive at your home you are startled because the sitters car is gone and you are desperately wondering what happened to where the sitter had to leave with your only child. Immediately you call her on your cell and unfortunately no answer. So you call the cops and they are at your house in minutes since you live in the wonderful suburbs of your city. When the cops arrive they ask questions as normal and try to locate the sitters location and expediently searched the house for details. One policeman discovers your child in the microwave roasted to the point of being unrecognizable. The screams and cries from the parents and cops and horrid to say the least.
Fast forward you are in the court room sitting face to face with the schizophrenic sitter in which you both put your trust in. The question is can you and will you forgive? From a Christian perspective we have no choice. Would we not feel justified in seeing the sitter have the death penalty? Of course we would. My question is would not God get more glory in seeing this unregenerate and depraved person come to him. I think yes and we as Christians should have a desire to see this person saved and in the Kingdom of God. How hard does this seem to you? It would be an extreme struggle in my flesh to say the least. I like you would struggle but would ultimately submit to the will of God.
Sounds crazy right but I kid with you not, this is a true story. God has called us to suffer and think not that this could not happen to you.
2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Matt 10 :34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes [shall be] they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Saints, Christ was put on the cross for your(our) sins and suffered the wrath of God for us. Not to mention the horrid Cruxifiction which is nothing compare to the wrath of God but still terrible to say the least!! We should be our brothers in the book of Acts, when they were persecuted and flogged for HIS names sake they thought it to be an honor to be able to join in the suffering of Christ.
Matt 18:23 23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. 29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' 30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
My prayer: Lord chasten us and put eternity on our eyelids so that we do not love this present world more than the world you promised to come. Help us to live this day like it is our last and realizing only what we do for you will last. Help us to detach ourselves from anything in this world that we hold in higher regard than YOU. Christ is all that matters!! Amen
