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Some time back while studying Hebrews 2, a thought occurred to me: Suffering made Jesus what he is today. Now, we know that Jesus knew all things from the point of view of scientific knowledge. But he did not know all things experientially ("...yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered"). That stayed with me. Below are several of my musings on the topic. Perhaps they will at some point be part of a more formal writing.
(Note: this has not been editted much; it's mostly as I originally wrote it, so it's somewhat raw)

The word "suffer" seems akin to permit or endure (Matthew 3:15, "...suffer it to be so...", 1 Timothy 2:12, "...I suffer not a woman to teach..."). Carries the distinct connotation of "going through" something. The latin root meaning (transliterated) "to bear under." That latin root, ferre, may be akin to the word ferry. It cannot be separated from endure, actually.

By its definition, it implies discomfort, whether physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, or other. We do not "suffer" things that please us - we enjoy them. We do not endure comfort, we welcome it. We may endure something which is not painful, but whatever we endure is almost always uncomfortable. That is how we define these things in our mind. Comfort and discomfort do not co-exist, and by the same token, then, neither do enjoyment and enduring, or pleasure and suffering (at least, not to the carnal man).

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Do you set wicked things before your eyes?

In our age of never-ending entertainment, it seems there is always something to keep our minds occupied. By far the thing that is best at keeping our attention must be the television.

While Momma is busy cleaning house, the children can sit in front of the TV and leave her with little worry about whether they are getting into trouble. Dad can watch his favorite sports teams on Saturday afternoon. Mom can keep up with her "stories" every weekday afternoon. And, after a good supper, the entire family can catch the local and world news. Then they can all sit back and enjoy a good movie on one of the Big Three networks. Or they may even be able to see their favorite stars in their latest theater release, available on video only months after it was at the local cinema.

It all seems so harmless, doesn't it? But is it really? Or is the devil using the television to put things in our minds that we would not normally allow him to put there ? Let's examine four reasons that a Christian should exercise extreme caution with regard to television, including the rental of videos.

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Ephesians 6:1-4
Colossians 3:21

It seems that there are so many children today who have no respect for their parents, which many parents blindly believe is a fulfillment of 2 Tim 3:2 (...disobedient to parents ...). And although many children are rebellious against parents who train them up right, and children are accountable for their actions, many are provoked to such behavior by parents who obviously do not obey the scriptures themselves, especially the text scriptures from Ephesians & Colossians. So, having that in mind, and knowing from experience and observation the widespread nature of this problem, I would like to show you seven ways you can lose your children by "provoking them to wrath."

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Surely one of the most troublesome topics for Christians today is the issue of smoking. Is it a sin, or just a matter of preference for each individual? Does it really matter whether or not someone smokes? Can someone who smokes be right with the Lord? Much has been said both for and against smoking by saved and lost people alike. But, as with any issue, we can find the truth about the matter from God's Word and can know of a certainty whether smoking is something that should be found in the life of a Christian.

If you get your feelings hurt easily, maybe you should learn to love God's Word before you read any more of this. Psalm 119:165, "Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them." Or if you have made up your mind that, whatever the Word of God says, you are going to continue smoking, then please put this tract down because you are just wasting God's time and yours. Moreover, according to Proverbs 29:1, God may be tired of dealing with you already. "He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." But if you have an open heart, and want to know what God says, then please read on. What you are about to read may change your life forever.

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