Monday, July 25th

What a day!! So many things going on, I start a new class tomorrow, my wife and son are sick, and my mother-in-law is in the hospital. I could be boggled down with life's problems, but I truly believe things will work for the greater good. What that may be, I don't know, and really, is it my job to predict the future? Is it my job to decide what is best for God and his ways? Anyway, I digress. My quiet time was good. Here is a scripture I looked at:

Hebrews 2:9-10
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Continuing on from my previous post, salvation is made perfect in suffering. What a thought. God is love. "God is good. God is great. Thank you for our food. Amen." God seems to be a lot of things. But in Hebrews, it says salvation is perfect through suffering. Which made me think of a scripture to follow up to this thought.

Hebrews 12:1-11
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Is discipline a form of suffering? Maybe for some. When David committed adultery with Bathsheba and she became pregnant, David went through a form of discipline when God brought down judgment on him and took away the child. Did David suffer? I would think so. I mean, he ended up fasting for days on end when the child was sick. When the child finally passed away, David decided that God's decision would not be overturned and he returned back to his life an usual. Well, very good. That's all I have for now. Let me know your thoughts.

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Sunday, July 24th

Hey All, How are you? My quiet time today, again out of "Cry of the Soul," was pretty good. I study the scriptures out more now, just to make sure I agree with what I am taking in, and if I do not, well, I will voice that as well along with my reasons. Anyway, here is what I studied today.

John 11:17-44
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.

Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied.

Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"

But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Matthew 26:36-38
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."

Luke 22:39-44
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

Psalm 22:14,16,18
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.

Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.

They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

In the subject of despair, these scriptures really bring it home. First, Jesus crys over Lazarus' death. What is the big deal about that, when Lazarus was dead and Jesus could just zippity him back to life? Well, Jesus wouldn't be with him forever. Think of it this way, Lazarus is one of those lucky few who get to go through physical death twice. How lucky is he? I am not sure if I want to face physical death twice myself. Wouldn't once be enough? Jesus knew he would bring him back, but how long will God let him live? It's not like he is going to live forever. And then he again would be seperated by the ones who love him in the world. Going through the pain of death yet a second time.

Jesus then rides into Jerusalem for his last time, being greated by those who say they love him, but then put him to death. And when I think of this, I think that I am one of those people. I chear for him as my king, but then forsake him just like everyone else. That makes me sad to think about it. Even those closest to him at the garden desert him. Sleeping on the job. Don't we all do that? Is it just me? "I can't keep watch forever" would be the thought. But that would be the job. Am I supposed to be a christian 24 hours a day? Fairweather fan maybe? Just be a christian when things are going well, and when things get bad, desert my God, my friends, my family. Such has been the temptation. I have seen friends of mine do it.

The last three scriptures are about how God deserted his own son. HIS OWN SON. Sometimes my thoughts are this: if God deserted his only son, what chance do I have? I mean, God did love me to sacrifice his son, but really, what is the commitment for God? And my answer comes to this: God sacrificed. I have to sacrifice. It isn't a one-way street where I just take and take and take. I have to give up something, just as God did for me. And what I have to give up is a life of sin. I won't live my life with the attitude of Jesus suffering on the cross for my sin and let it be for not. I have a love for God and that love has to take action. Anyway, that's what I got out of it today.

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