<html><head></head><body><div><div><div>Romans 8;18<div><br></div><div><b>18. &nbsp;I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><i>“I consider,” </i>Paul has used this word <i>“consider”</i>&nbsp;before in his exhortation to us in Romans 6 saying,</div><div><i>“So you also must ‘consider’ yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” </i>(v.11)<u></u></div><div><br></div><div>In Greek the word is: ‘logizomai,’ meaning to ‘mentally conclude,’ KJV: ‘reckon’.</div><div><br></div><div>So much of leaning how to live in Christ, has to do with how we think, especially about ourselves.</div><div><br></div><div>In today’s verse, Paul wants us to partake of the&nbsp;divine&nbsp;perspective toward earthly sufferings.</div><div>He desires we see them as insignificant compared to the joy of being in Christ now. &nbsp;They are&nbsp;of very little account compared to the glory of God yet to be revealed to us and in us as we are in Christ.</div><div><br></div><div>Paul desires that we trash our own carnal thoughts and&nbsp;feelings&nbsp;entirely. &nbsp;Our emotions and perspective toward our sufferings are being examined ‘too closely.’ &nbsp;We focus too much on our troubles and feelings. &nbsp;We need heaven’s eternal&nbsp;perspective, as if we were orbiting around the earth in a satellite.</div><div><br></div><div>Remember, we are to <i>“consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God.” &nbsp;“For you have died, and your life is now hid&nbsp;in Christ in God.” &nbsp;</i>(Colossians 3;3)</div><div><br></div><div>A burning torch held against our face, right in our eyes, would tend to fill and terrify&nbsp;the&nbsp;thoughts and emotions of ‘fleshly’&nbsp;carnal Christians. &nbsp;But, from outer space that torch&nbsp;would be at most&nbsp;a&nbsp;tiny&nbsp;speck of light.</div><div><br></div><div><i>“Beloved, we are God’s&nbsp;children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” &nbsp;</i>(1 John 3;2)</div><div><i>For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. &nbsp;</i>(2 Corinthians 4;17&amp;18)</div><div><br></div><div>Certainly, God cares for us and the pains we suffer in this life, both physical and emotional.</div><div>He has promised to be with us in our sorrows, just as He walked with the disciples on the road to Emmaus.</div><div>When their sorrow became understood in light of the Truth,&nbsp;(Jesus was again living and indeed was right there with them),&nbsp;as He opened the Scriptures to them, their sadness and doubt disappeared. &nbsp;Knowing the Truth, really does set us free.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>So also, our sufferings take on their proper meaning and importance, as we by God’s grace increase in our understanding of the Scriptures and the great reality of Easter. &nbsp;We&nbsp;rejoice in Christ’s victory over sin, death, and the grave, we realize&nbsp;that our sufferings and sorrows are mere&nbsp;pebbles in the paths of Righteousness and Life, we are walking&nbsp;in and with Jesus.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, bless us to rightly <i>“consider” </i>(reckon)&nbsp;our sufferings from heaven’s perspective, living in our baptismal death with and in Jesus. &nbsp;In absolutely&nbsp;everything, You are working good for us. &nbsp;Bless us to use the faith and Truth&nbsp;You have given us to rest in the Peace of Jesus, even in the midsts of the flames. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we, broken-hearted, contrite, forgiven, believing child<span>ren, are His.”&nbsp;</span></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><i>&nbsp;</i></div><div><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>

Romans 8;18
18.  I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
“I consider,” Paul has used this word “consider” before in his exhortation to us in Romans 6 saying,“So you also must ‘consider’ yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (v.11)
In Greek the word is: ‘logizomai,’ meaning to ‘mentally conclude,’ KJV: ‘reckon’.
So much of leaning how to live in Christ, has to do with how we think, especially about ourselves.
In today’s verse, Paul wants us to partake of the divine perspective toward earthly sufferings.He desires we see them as insignificant compared to the joy of being in Christ now.  They are of very little account compared to the glory of God yet to be revealed to us and in us as we are in Christ.
Paul desires that we trash our own carnal thoughts and feelings entirely.  Our emotions and perspective toward our sufferings are being examined ‘too closely.’  We focus too much on our troubles and feelings.  We need heaven’s eternal perspective, as if we were orbiting around the earth in a satellite.
Remember, we are to “consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God.”  “For you have died, and your life is now hid in Christ in God.”  (Colossians 3;3)
A burning torch held against our face, right in our eyes, would tend to fill and terrify the thoughts and emotions of ‘fleshly’ carnal Christians.  But, from outer space that torch would be at most a tiny speck of light.
“Beloved, we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”  (1 John 3;2)For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.  (2 Corinthians 4;17&18)
Certainly, God cares for us and the pains we suffer in this life, both physical and emotional.He has promised to be with us in our sorrows, just as He walked with the disciples on the road to Emmaus.When their sorrow became understood in light of the Truth, (Jesus was again living and indeed was right there with them), as He opened the Scriptures to them, their sadness and doubt disappeared.  Knowing the Truth, really does set us free. 
So also, our sufferings take on their proper meaning and importance, as we by God’s grace increase in our understanding of the Scriptures and the great reality of Easter.  We rejoice in Christ’s victory over sin, death, and the grave, we realize that our sufferings and sorrows are mere pebbles in the paths of Righteousness and Life, we are walking in and with Jesus.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, bless us to rightly “consider” (reckon) our sufferings from heaven’s perspective, living in our baptismal death with and in Jesus.  In absolutely everything, You are working good for us.  Bless us to use the faith and Truth You have given us to rest in the Peace of Jesus, even in the midsts of the flames.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we, broken-hearted, contrite, forgiven, believing children, are His.” 


  

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