As we follow the pattern set by Jesus Christ, we will suffer as God prepares us for roles of great glory as members of His Family.

If we are merely seeking a crown of glory, hoping to skirt by Christ's suffering, we must ask ourselves whether we really accept the Passover cup.

Even suffering that may not be as a direct result of our faith is part of the trials of this age. It will bear positive fruit if it is approached in faith.

Desiderius Erasmus noted, 'War is delightful to those who have had no experience of it.' Many view war like a sports program—with no concern for suffering.

Our response to God's call has not removed all of our suffering. However, responding to God changes the reason for suffering and what it can accomplish.

Being God's Son was not enough to automatically qualify Him to be our High Priest. He was made complete and fully ready to be High Priest through sufferings.

Trials provide an opportunity to inspect our attitudes and actions, prompting us to make adjustments, avoiding further, harsher correction from the Almighty.

As soon as The Father and Son created man with the ability to choose right or wrong, They exposed Themselves to the certainty that humanity would rebel.

God has called us to become His children and live as He does. But with this gift comes a few things that are less enjoyable but necessary for the process.

As God has designed the physical healing process, God has also designed spiritual healing, requiring that faith, suffering, and healing be part of the same process.

The hard things God wants us to do are preferable to the harsh bondage to sin. The hardness makes us hardy enough to be included in the first harvest.

What does the Bible mean when it says we should count it all joy when you fall into various trials? What is this joy we must experience, and how do we come by it?

When you're up to your neck in trials, it's easy to forget you are in training to be a member of the God family.

Christ urges God's elect to endure to the end. What is that end? He desires that we persevere through our struggles in faith, building godly character.

Why did God allow this tragedy? Why do the good suffer and the evil prosper? We want answers to these questions, but Jesus points us in another direction.

Spiritual maturity does not come about without difficulty, and suffering is one of God's tools to perfect us. Suffering refines endurance and character.

The sufferings we go through are minuscule compared to the glory which we will receive, completely eclipsing the glory of Adam and Eve before their fall.

Affliction is a necessary aspect of life, yielding strength of character, while ease and comfort weaken us. Christ was perfected as High Priest through suffering.

Every previous event and decision in our lives has shaped our resultant character, including the bad decisions that led us down a wrong path.

Acts 27 teaches that we must distinguish among several types of suffering. Regardless of the type of suffering, we must remember that God will deliver us.

In God's hands, trials and afflictions are tools to produce refined character and joy, and to move us away from worldly choices and back to His purpose.

Christ endured many more than three temptations; rather, He was tested continuously, and perhaps the intensity increased as He neared the end of His life.

Paul encourages the Thessalonians to thank God for their salvation, surrender without complaint, ask God for wisdom, and look for opportunities to serve.

Life seems to be one trial after another. However, God has revealed an astounding facet of God's love that should give us the faith to soldier on.

Even the accuser of the brethren made no accusations against Job, the first of several curious absences—things left unsaid—in the book of Job.

Some have a warped idea of godliness, not pursuing it with a desire to resemble God, but believing that if they are righteous, God will materially bless.

Christ's suffering was not confined to crucifixion, but also consisted of rejection, humiliation, and the duress of persecution. Glory follows suffering.

Only John records Jesus' healing of the man born blind, which shows Christ calling a people for Himself despite the efforts of the Jewish leaders to deter Him.

Calamities, trials, anxiety, evil, and calamities, as well as blessings, happen to Christians in order to become fashioned and molded into God's image.

A good soldier must exemplify honesty and self-control, qualities God desires in us. Uriah demonstrated this high standard by refusing to violate his code of honor.

Ecclesiastes teaches us to rejoice when times are good and to reflect soberly when times are bad. Adversity is a tool God uses to create something beautiful.

Hard trials are not punishments from God for unrighteousness but tests of faith in which He is intimately involved to prepare us for the world to come.

Paul conveyed to the Philippians his optimism that his imprisonment was actually a blessing, enabling him to magnify his effectiveness and bear more fruit.

We share in Christ's suffering, realizing that glory follows suffering. It may involve enduring hardship, deprivation, duress, and outright boredom.

God does not delay because of indifference, but wants to provide maximum opportunity for repenting, overcoming, and building character.

The prospect of death makes one more mature and self-aware, illuminating the meaning of Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 that it is better to go to the house of mourning.

Jesus Christ was true to His Father's will even during the most agonizing night of His life, drinking the cup He had been given.

The conversion process resembles a battle, requiring that we must put on armor, expecting continuous skirmishes to enter God's Kingdom victoriously.

As we approach the coming self-examination prior to Passover, we can apply six significant lessons taught to ancient Israel through the book of Lamentations.

The book of Hebrews provides reasons to recapture flagging zeal, focusing on the reason for our hope and faith, establishing Christ's credentials.

As we prepare for the Feast of Tabernacles, chances are that there will be things that test our patience and even a few more will crop up when we get there.

Persecution is a fact of life for a Christian. Jesus Christ says we are blessed if we are persecuted for righteousness' sake — here's why.

Many people live in a state of discontent. Tragically, what they set their hearts upon often displaces the love for family and a relationship with God.

Hebrews is addressed to a people living at the end of an era, who were drifting away, had lost their devotion, and were no longer motivated by zeal.

Among Christ's greatest miracles is the resurrection of Lazarus. John 11 details Jesus' approach to and way of expressing the concept of death, giving hope.

Despite God's many blessings, real Christianity more resembles a running battle against persistent forces than a leisurely stroll down the path of life.

Christ's sacrifice was not merely substitutionary, but representative, with Christ giving us a pattern for life - mortifying our flesh and putting out sin.

While it is good to acknowledge God's will in our prayers and know that His decisions will stand, we must also remember that God's mind can be changed.

Lessons learned from COVID, as well as possible reasons God allowed or caused the pandemic to sweep through the church and wreak havoc on Feast observance.

Greek and Roman myths have shaped the world view of Western culture, including our attitude toward hope, a concept which is often abused and distorted.

An atheist rationalizes his belief in no God by stating that suffering could no longer be blamed on an omniscient deity, allowing him to live without guilt.

When we mortify the flesh, refusing to feed the hungry beast of our carnal nature, we suffer. Suffering for righteousness' sake helps us to know Christ.

Job's three 'friends,' exemplars of all men, made critical assumptions and judgments about Job on the basis of biased religious and cultural tradition.

Four distinct Old Testament Messianic prophecies were fulfilled by Christ's death and cited by the Apostle John.

Even loyal servants of God have had to contend with depression and discouragement. Antidotes include rest, refocus, right expectations, and obedient actions.

Love for this world will inevitably bring disillusionment. Because the world is passing away, our priorities should be to fear God and keep his commandments.