"Jesus Predicts His Death"

   ""Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, 'Father, save me from this hour'? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name."

 Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, "I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again." When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while other declared an angel had spoken to him. 

 Then Jesus told them, "The voice was for your benefit, not mine. The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." He said this to indicate how he was going to die. 

 The crowd responded, "We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?" 

 Jesus replied, "My light will shine for you just a little while longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light." 

 After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them." (John 12:27-36 NLT) 

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when his glory is revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." (1 Peter 4:12-13 KJV)

 And then we need to stop and evaluate where we have placed our trust, as if the trial we are currently in has the desire to harm us, or is there to strengthen us, drawing us closer to God! Yesterday I was able to listen to a very interesting message about how God delivers us in our trials and tribulations.

 First of all, none of us should be fearful of anything that might threaten us regarding the things of this world; yet it seems as though many of us have a hard time dealing with things that can come against us, especially when it comes to the comforts and pleasures that we have become accustomed to. 

 Basically, we all are sensitive to change; whether it is something that we are led to do, or something we are forced to do, changing the way that we are accustomed to living, is not easily stepped into. That said, the message I heard yesterday was about the way we should view the process in which we are in any particular trial or tribulation.

 The first example was that of Paul, who used the word, "through," as in to say, "God saved me through my trial." This is to say that the trial was not something that was meant to harm, but was meant to be experienced, whether it was for his benefit, or for the benefit of others, it was meant for the good. 

 The next example was Daniel in the lion's den, as God did not save Daniel from the lion's den; but instead, God allowed Daniel to be thrown into the lion's den, that he could protected and secured among the lions, even though the lions were hungry! The glory of God was revealed more by Daniel's protection while with the lions, then it ever would have been, had he been saved from going into the lion's den, in the first place.

 The third example was that of the fiery furnace, as those three Jewish men were not saved from going into the furnace, but they were saved while they were in the fiery furnace, where God received far more glory than He would, had they not been thrown in, at all. What a major difference there is between the act of God saving us from the trial or tribulation, verses Him using us in, while, or through any sort of circumstance we might be in!  

 This is where we currently are; not personally, although it seems as though it might be so; but as a church and body of believers. We might not even realize that it is going on; this is a fact for many of those who have spoken to, as they haven't experienced the direct result of all that is being done.

 Regardless of what you might experience, there is only one thing that God has guaranteed He will deliver us from, and that is death! Not mortal death, because that doesn't count; but the power of death that prevents us from experiencing eternal life with Him...

 "For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better." (Philippians 1:20-21 NLT)