10 But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. 11 You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it. 12 Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived.
14 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Jesus not only paid the price for all our wrongdoings on the Cross
He then went to conquer death.
For those whose faith is in Christ,
Death is not just a doorway from the land of the dying to the land of the living.
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross The emblem of suffering and shame And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best For a world of lost sinners was slain
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross Till my trophies at last I lay down I will cling to the old rugged cross And exchange it someday for a crown
. Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world Has a wondrous attraction for me For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above To bear it to dark Calvary
. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine A wondrous beauty I see For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died To pardon and sanctify me
. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true Its shame and reproach gladly bear Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away Where His glory forever I’ll share
Matthew 2:16-18 New International Version 16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
The events known as the massacre of the innocents following Jesus’ birth, remind us that the world Jesus entered was marred with darkness and suffering. Herod’s cruel actions brought immense pain and sorrow to many families in Bethlehem. In the midst of the joy of Christmas, this passage reminds us of the brokenness of humanity and the need for the Saviour’s redemptive work.
We are called to bring light & hope to a world that is often filled with darkness and pain. Our actions and decisions can impact the lives of those we lead, either positively or negatively. The Christmas season is an opportunity to extend compassion and support to those who are hurting, embodying the love and comfort of Christ.
Prayer
Father, we pray for those who are suffering and in pain, especially during this season of Christmas. Help us to be agents of comfort & hope, extending your love eto those around us. May we lead with justice & compassion, and the commitment to protect the vunerable. Amen.
21From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.25For whoever wants to save their life26.will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.26What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
28“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
General’s Gowans and Larsson wrote many a fine tunes for their musicals I’ll not turn back is one of my many favourite devotional songs my wife also chose it when she became a member of our Church The focus of the song being on the Chorus,
I’ll not turn back, whatever it may cost,I’m called to live, to love and save the lost,
I’ll not turn back, whatever it may cost,.
I’m called to live, to love and save the lost.
In the second verse we are reminded that when one door closes another will open and tells us how the word of God will never be contained, we are told that narrow minds and prison bars will not frustrate his love.
The final verse speaks for itself as it it talks about suffering just because we want bear our masters name.
15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.
16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).18 There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”
22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
24 “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,
“They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.”[a]
So this is what the soldiers did.
25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,[b] here is your son,”27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross The emblem of suffering and shame; And I love that old cross where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross Till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross And exchange it some day for a crown
O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world Has a wondrous attraction for me; For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above To bear it to dark Calvary
In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine A wondrous beauty I see For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died To pardon and sanctify me
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true; Its shame and reproach gladly bear; Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away Where His glory forever I’ll share
24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,”[f] but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Mark 8
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
As I listen to this song by Stuart Townend I can’t begin to imagine the pain and suffering Christ went through for us at Calvary. Being whipped (that to me is painful enough) then having a crown of thorns placed on your head and then huge nails driven through your hands . He did all this to save you and me from our sins.
The amazing thing was three days after they put him in the tomb they found it his mother and Mary Magdalene found the tomb empty
12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And,
“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”[a]
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.
I originally fist heard this video a couple of years ago sung by a girls choir on you tube and fell in love with it, and now guess what!, it’s become that popular that everyone’s singing it.
The words to the song are so meaningful and true. As I look at the verses below It’s a song that tells us in times of doubt ,fear etc we are to Trust in our heavenly Father.
There is a third verse in the video which unfortunately is not listed.
There are moments on our journey following the Lord Where God illumines ev’ry step we take. There are times when circumstances make perfect sense to us, As we try to understand each move He makes. When the path grows dim and our questions have no answers, turn to Him. Bow the knee; Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see. Bow the knee; Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity. And when you don’t understand the purpose of His plan, In the presence of the King, bow the knee. There are days when clouds surround us, and the rain begins to fall, The cold and lonely winds won’t cease to blow. And there seems to be no reason for the suffering we feel; We are tempted to believe God does not know. When the storms arise, don’t forget we live by faith and not by sight.
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