Hi Laurence
I hope we can continue to discuss the role or maybe the result of suffering in this fallen world. I’m grappling with understanding the perfection of God’s Kingdom here and now and the evil that we fight against coming against us in opposition to the gospel. I see this opposition or persecution bringing about suffering. Being obedient and fighting the good fight will be rewarded with glory, honor and heavenly rewards. Suffering comes as a result of opposition from this world and Satan. This is my understanding of suffering. However I want to be open for correction as we walk this out. Let’s continue to discuss and learn from each other.
Words from a friend
Romans 12:1-2 offering your bodies as a living sacrifice…
With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.
Romans 12:1-2 J B Phillips
He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
Worship: To depress, To prostrate…
Genesis 22:5
Worship is obedience… they loved not their lives so much as to shrink from death.
They triumphed over him
Revelation 12:11 NIV
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
Luke 9:23-25 NIV
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.
1 Peter 4:1-3 NIV
Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on a wound, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
Proverbs 25:20
Running Down Vimy 