In his book, Seasons under the Son, Tim Wesemann wrote, "The Bible tells us that he [the leper] came back praising Jesus and thanking Him. It doesn't say exactly what the man said to Him, although it seems obvious that he would have given thanks for healing. But let's take it a step further. I wonder if sometime later—days, months, or even years—the healed man realized that if it weren't for the leprosy, he wouldn't have become a believer."

No one would say leprosy is good. It is a terrible disease. But wouldn't we all agree that the man coming to Christ was good, regardless of what motivated Him. God specializes in turning evil into good.

Genesis 50:20 NASB "And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive."

For more information on Seasons Under the Son, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0570052939/fm082-20

When the editors of Biography Magazine asked Caroline Rhea, "What historical figure would you like to be?" She replied, "I've always admired Joan of Arc, so I'd say her—but without the burning at the stake thing."

When I read her statement, I immediately understood what she meant, I mean, who wouldn't like to be a person of conviction characterized by strength and determination like Joan of Arc, and conversely, who wants to be burned at the stake? The only problem with that thinking is that it ignores the fact that people of conviction often have to pay the ultimate price.

Paul was beaten, stoned and left for dead. Daniel had to spend the night with the lions. Church history says that 10 of the 11 remaining apostles died martyr's deaths and everyone knows that Jesus died on the cross for our sins.

Convictions often lead to sufferings. And great people are often called upon to make the ultimate price.

Philip. 3:10 KJV "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;"

When doctors removed the ulcer next to Bob Sorge's vocal chord they permanently damaged his throat, leaving him with a remnant of a voice that hurts if he tries to "whisper" more than an hour a day.

A terrible tragedy for anyone, but the suffering was multiplied for Sorge. Rev. Bob Sorge, that is. How can a preacher preach without a voice? For the years that followed, Sorge learned firsthand about suffering.

"A lot of Christians will say, 'Don't ask why.' I am not in that camp. I am strong in asking why. Jesus asked why. King David asked why. The psalmists asked why. The Bible is full of people who had questions." Sorge said.

Really, "Why?" is a statement of faith not an expression of doubt. It presupposes that God exists, and that He loves us and is in control of our destiny.

"God is to be wrestled with." Sorge continues. "He has unfolded purpose to me. He's transformed the way I think, feel, everything about me. The crucible of suffering causes you to be desperate for God and to press into Him."

Job 5:6-7 NIV "For hardship does not spring from the soil, nor does trouble sprout from the ground. [7] Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.

For more information on Pain, Perplexity & Promotion: A Prophetic Interpretation of the Book of Job, by Bob Sorge, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0962118567/fm082-20

When Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver Terrell Owens asked for more money to play football last season, many sports observers questioned his character. Though Owens is under a seven-year $49 million contract, he recently launched into a tirade about being under appreciated. When reporters questioned his character, Owens compared his sufferings to those of Jesus Christ.

Owens told the Miami herald, "I don't have to worry about what people think of me, whether they hate me or not. People hated on Jesus. They threw stones at him and tried to kill him, so how can I complain or worry about what people think."

After the statement, several writers have questioned the remark. Youth For Christ staff member Byron Emmert emphasized that Jesus' suffering came from obeying God. He said Owens represented the "latest example of a superstar who just doesn't get it." Emmert then proceeded to discuss the actual sufferings of Jesus.

Even the St. Louis Post-Dispatch took the liberty to ask if Owens was out of line comparing himself to Jesus Christ. The Post-Dispatch said "Owens made a remarkable recovery from a broken leg in order to play in the Super bowl; according to scriptures, Jesus was crucified, died and was buried, and then on the third day he rose again." The paper added, "Edge, Jesus"

The Post-Dispatch said the bottom line was "Owens may or may not get more money, but he does not compare favorably with Jesus."

—www.christianpost.com, Ministry teaches Scripture off NFL player's Foul-Up, August 5, 2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

1 Peter 2:20-21 (MSG) "There's no particular virtue in accepting punishment that you well deserve. But if you're treated badly for good behavior and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God. [21] This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step."

While many believers in Lebanon have chosen to leave the country in light of the current hostilities in the Middle East, a few organizations see the conflict as an opportunity to display the love of Christ. One school found itself confronted with massive humanitarian need in the form of former enemies seeking refuge. One worker said, "It's a very difficult situation because taking in as many as 450 extra people is really a taxing situation but they are providing them with something to eat, letting them sleep on the classroom floors, they have some limited medical care and counseling."

The decision to open the doors of the school came when a group of believers asked themselves a hard question, "Are we going to run and hide and try to protect ourselves? or are we going to be Christ's example and be his hands and feet right now and minister to people?" The unnamed worker said that the entire Christian community is responding to the massive need. They added, "As the churches in the area are also taking in refugees, they're coming to prayer meetings every day. The refugees, then, are seeing Christ at work."

—http://mnnonline.org/article/8898. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

2 Corinthians 1:4 (CEV) "He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with others in trouble."

Terry, Maria and Zachary were living lives straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. It wasn’t that life had always been easy for them, it hadn’t. Terry was a cancer survivor who’d flown in and out of dangerous places all over the world, but all of that was in their rear-view mirror. Life was good. In six months they’d move to their final duty station where Terry would ride a desk until his retirement from the Air Force, but before they moved, Maria would deliver their second child—a girl. They’d decided they’d name her Zoe, a Greek name meaning life or energy. In preparation for Zoe’s birth, Maria cleared her calendar, handed over all her outside commitments to others, designed the perfect nursery and stocked up on everything pink. She’d planned everything down to the last detail, accounting for every contingency. Well, almost every one. It was supposed to be the last visit before the delivery date. They were just going to check her weight, blood pressure and of course, listen to the heartbeat. Routine. It was supposed to be a routine visit, one more thing to check off the list—just another errand to run in preparation for the big day.

A few days later, Terry and Maria gathered up the strength to do the impossible—they went to the hospital to deliver their little girl whose heart had stopped beating. How could this be happening?

Just like summer follows spring and Christmas follows Thanksgiving, death follows life. The seasons of life bring order out of chaos and sense to the slow ticking of the clock. The Bible says, “There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. [2] A time to be born and a time to die.” No one wonders why people well into their eighties die. There is a sense of completeness to those deaths. Death makes perfect sense then. Death is just part of life’s rhythm, another season—another tick of the celestial clock. That’s the way it is supposed to happen. People should die after they’ve lived a full and complete life. Zoe’s death made no sense. She died before she ever got to breathe her first breath. It made no sense. It didn’t follow order; it was out of season. Without any sense of equilibrium, Terry & Maria grieved, looked toward heaven and asked “Why?”

Numb from their loss, Terry & Maria stumbled into the hospital seven weeks later for a “cut-look-repeat” procedure on a squamous cell carcinoma patch on Terry’s skin. With Terry’s history, they both had some concern, but neither of them thought it was as serious as the melanoma doctors removed ten years before. It was supposed to take an hour. The clock ticked until time stood still for Maria. After five times of cutting, and looking under the microscope to see if it was all gone, Terry called for Maria. “Promise me you will marry again. Find Zac a Christian Dad,” Terry said. Maria didn’t want to answer. She was still numb from Zoe’s funeral. She couldn’t process this nightmare. Finally, she answered, “I promise.”

Maria collapsed in the waiting room. She lost all feeling, all sense of direction; she was at the point to where she didn’t know if she could depend on anything, not even gravity. “I was spiralling, knowing that I would soon feel cold death on my husband, just as I had on my daughter,” Maria says. I was losing my breath, my movement, my speech.”

On the seventh cut, Terry was in the clear.

Five months later, after they’d already said goodbye to everyone, Maria went to see the doctor who delivered Zoe one more time for him to release her to a new Ob-Gyn at her new duty station. Yes, by the grace of God she was pregnant again, this time she was 20-weeks along. Terry waited with their household goods, which were boxed and stacked on their front lawn, while Maria left for a quick trip to the doctor, and then she’d rejoin Terry, supervise the movers and begin their two-week vacation. She had every detail planned; they were staying near National Parks all the way across the country and would soak in God’s beautiful creation. After what they’d been through, they deserved it. If anybody deserved it, Terry and Maria did.

While Terry was waiting for the movers, Maria called. Luckily, the phone company hadn’t shut off service yet. “Honey, they can’t find a heartbeat, can you come down here?” Maria said through her tears. When Terry arrived, the doctor began searching for the heartbeat again. There was none. Terry collapsed in the chair. Instead of leaving for their vacation, they headed to a larger hospital for a medical procedure. Just when they thought they couldn’t handle anymore grief, it drenched them again.

More than four years have past since Terry and Maria lost Zoe. Terry’s been through one more "cut-look-repeat" cancer operation. Their son Zac had surgery for a life-threatening tumor in his ear. They lost another child during pregnancy, their fourth loss. But by God’s grace, they have three children now, Zachary, Gabe, and Cecilia.

“After Zoe's death I was sure of the definitive existence of God.” Maria says, “He woke me from a sleep that was not restful. He patiently forced air into and out of my lungs, when I did not want to breathe. He moved me out of bed when all I wanted was a quiet coffin of my own to escape the immeasurable grief. He gave me tears to wash the pain from my eyes. And so He began the rest of my life on this planet without Zoe.”

“Sleep is restful.” Maria continues. “I can take a deep breath of air and slowly let it out. I can get myself out of bed every morning. There is taste in food again. The ocean is so beautiful. There are tears of joy more than tears of grief. God is good. And He is not man-made. His serenity is not man-made. His will is not man-made. I could not face this world without Him. Everything in this world, in this life, on this planet is more that I can handle. God constantly lets me know I cannot do it without Him. He is God. The ‘happy ending’ is not that I have other children and my husband lived. The ‘happy ending’ is that I have God's love, peace, and serenity.”

--Soul Shaping: Disciplines that Conform you to the Image of Christ. Chapter 4. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson. For more information on Soul Shaping, go to www.soulshaping.net

1 Corinthians 4:12b (HCSB) (12) “When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;”

A new motion picture depicting the life of a teenage surfer who lost an arm in a shark attack has a powerful message about faith in the face of suffering. The film, ‘Soul Surfer” tells the story of champion Surfer Bethany Hamilton. Hamilton lost her arm at age 13. The film follows her struggle and her Christian faith and optimism that helped her get back on the board afterwards. Film critic Roger Ebert said Hamilton’s optimism was “almost eerie” in the film. Though he found it hard to identify with, producers said they had to downplay the optimism the real Hamilton had after the attack.

She told reporters she never came a point of completely giving up and that she was “smiling and happy” during her time in the hospital. She said she choose to believe in God and maintain her faith. Hamilton told a local newspaper, “I guess how it (faith) got me through is just knowing that God loves me and He has a purpose for my life and He wants good to come out of this. For most people they’re like, ‘Well, why would God allow that to happen? It’s such a horrible thing. But if you look at all the good that’s come out of it, just being able to encourage people and I’m still surfing and living my dream and reaching more people than I ever could of with two arms, it’s just a creative and different life than it could have been or chosen myself.”

‘Soul Surfer’ Breaks Out in Top 5 at Box Office, http://www.christianpost.com/news/soul-surfer-breaks-out-in-top-5-at-box-office-49786; April 11, 2011, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Romans 8:31-32 (CEV) “What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? (32) God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won't he freely give us everything else?”

In The Divine Commodity: Discovering a Faith Beyond Consumer Christianity, Skye Jethani writes, “Suffering was not an abnormality to be avoided, but a facet of God’s grace to be accepted. It was the way transformation occurred and new life entered. To sacrifice one’s immediate desires was how to fulfill one’s ultimate desire.

Philippians 3:7 (CEV) But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless.

After years of interviewing disaster survivors, TIME writer Amanda Ripley said virtually all survivors make this request: learn from what has happened – make it worth something, despite everything. What good came from the sinking of the Titanic, the explosion of the Hindenburg, the Great Chicago Fire, or the tsunami in Japan that unleashed a nuclear calamity?

Good comes when we respond in a way that makes a difference. Inventors come up with better navigational aids, owners emphasize passenger and worker safety, and officials put new regulations into place.

It is a tragedy for anyone to die without a saving knowledge of Jesus. Do nothing about it is a travesty. The Bible is clear about God’s desire for all mankind that none should perish. You are a survivor. Tell your story, despite everything.

-- “Surviving Disaster” Amanda Ripley, page vi, Time magazine Disasters That Shook the World. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Neil L’Hommedieu.

Isaiah 52:7 (HCSB) “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the herald, who proclaims peace, who brings news of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”

When a local church decided to give away free gasoline to their neighbors, they discovered that serving the Lord doesn’t always go as smoothly as planned. The Believer’s Christian fellowship Church made arrangements with a neighborhood gas station to give away free gas one afternoon beginning at 3PM. Word of the giveaway leaked out early, and people began lining up at 9AM for the chance to get free gas. The church decided to follow the police department’s advice and call off the giveaway because the line was a hazard to public safety. To fulfill their desire, the church obtained $17,000 worth of $25 dollar gas cards and gave them away to the people in the neighborhood instead. The purpose of the giveaway was to show the community that while they may not need free gas, they did have other needs that only Jesus could fill. The pastor of the church Joe Cameneti said his favorite verse Romans 8:28 gave him the courage to move forward with the idea despite the problems they encountered. Cameneti said, “It basically says God can take a bad situation and make it good. Adversity is only opportunity with a little help from above.” — Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Church finally gives away free gasoline, by Dan Pompili, http://www.tribtoday.com/page/content.detail/id/577205/Church-finally-gives-away-free-gasoline.html?nav=5021, Accessed September 29, 2012.

Romans 8:28 (HCSB) We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

In Fort Worth, Texas a man drove his car into the church, chased down the pastor and beat him to death with an electric guitar. A maintenance worker who tried to help the pastor was injured and hospitalized. The police used a Taser on the suspect, put him in the back of the patrol car, then was pronounced dead shortly after at a local hospital.

Texas pastor fatally beaten was 'man of integrity', by Angela K. Brown, http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268812/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=fGj7lRPR

Suffering is a part of everyone’s life. The possibility of persecution is a part of every believer’s life. May those who came before us and suffered for the faith encourage us. And may we be comforted and confident in the love of Christ and approach each day willing to offer all parts of our lives up to God.—Jim L. Wilson and Brent Young

Romans 8:35-39 (ESV) (35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? (36) As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” (37) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (38) For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“I can understand Job’s victories and Job’s defeats,” Chinese pastor Samuel Lamb explained. He spent 20 years at hard labor in a Chinese coalmine. The pastor truly believed God used his suffering to prepare him for his ministry. Lamb is quoted as saying, “My dear wife died while I was in prison. I was not allowed to attend her funeral. It was like an arrow of the Almighty until I understood that God allows the pain, the loss, the torture, but we must grow through it.”
Lamb is a pastor who learned to share the fellowship of the suffering of his Savior. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Philippians 3:10 (CEV) All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did,

A New Jersey man discovered that he may be losing his government benefits after he found $850 on a sidewalk and turned it in to police. James Brady was homeless when he found the money on the sidewalk. He gave the cash to authorities, but was allowed to keep it when no one claimed it after six months. Brady did not know he was required to report the cash as income until the Human Services Department denied his benefits because he did not report the money. He had found housing and was beginning to get his life back together when he learned that his benefits were cut off. Brady said he did not know if he would be able to afford continuing care without the benefits. A local charity organization has set up an account to help Brady because they felt Brady did the right thing by turning in the money when he found it. The head of the charity, Tom Toronto, says he is aware that helping Brady further may impact his assistance in the future, but added, ”Here’s fellow who behaved admirably, who clearly could have used the money himself, but he showed a tremendous amount of pride and honesty.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Former homeless man loses benefits for failing to report $850 found on sidewalk, http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/11/10/former-homeless-man-loses-benefits-for-failing-to-report-850-found-on-sidewalk/?intcmp=latestnews, Accessed November 10, 2013.

1 Peter 3:17 (NKJV) For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

A British paintball company says they were surprised by the number of applicants for a job post they put up. The company is looking for a ‘bullet tester’ with a ‘relatively high pain threshold’ and has received about 10,000 applicants. They are looking for a person willing to be shot at to ensure that each new batch of paint bullets the company produces meets all of their safety checks before they are released to the general public. Justin Toohig, owner of the company says the applicants include a man who said he would make a perfect target due to his large size as well as a former magician’s assistant who said he was almost shot for real when an illusion went wrong. Toohig added,’ we couldn’t have predicted that so many people in the U.K. and beyond would want to get shot for a living. It’s going to be a real struggle attempting to whittle down the thousands of applicants to just one.’—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Thousands apply to be paintball 'bullet tester', By Ben Hooper, http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2015/01/05/Thousands-apply-to-be-paintball-bullet-tester/2641420485748/?spt=sec&or=on, Accessed January 5, 2015.

Romans 5:3-5 (HCSB) “And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, (4) endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. (5) This hope will not disappoint ?us?, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Recently, the Guinness World Records organization gave 112-year-old Israel Kristal a certificate as the world’s oldest living man. Kristal was born in Poland in 1903, and survived both World Wars and a Nazi Concentration camp. His first wife and two children died in the camp, but Kristal survived and moved to Israel with his second wife in 1950. Kristal says he does not know the secret of a long life, but he added, “I believe that everything is determined from above and we shall never know the reasons why.”—Jim L. Wilson & Jim Sandell

Psalm 34:17 (HCSB) “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them from all their troubles.”

In THANKS! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier, Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D. writes, “Thankfulness to God often occurs not only within the shadow of suffering, but also, paradoxically, is made possible through it.” —Jim L. Wilson

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (HCSB)“Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

As a child, Josh Sundquist lost a leg to cancer. While this would leave most people depressed, Sundquist uses his misfortune to bring joy to many others. His Halloween costumes bring laughs and inspiration to many. Some of Sundquist’s examples have included an iHop sign, a half-eaten gingerbread man, and the leg lamp from A Christmas Story.

Many individuals tragically fall victim to debilitating accidents or diseases. Although this inevitably produces suffering, we can delight in the fact that our bodies are only temporary and that the joy of the Lord is eternal. —Jim L. Wilson and Benjamin Fox

Revelation 21:4 (CSB)“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.”

On November 7, 2018 around 11:20pm, Ian David Long entered Borderline Bar & Grill, a popular local country bar in Thousand Oaks, California. Armed with smoke bombs and a handgun, he killed 12 people, and then later killed himself. Ian suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Thousand Oaks, California is located about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles. In 2013 it was considered the fourth safest city in America. Los Angeles County Sheriff Geoff Dean shares, “It doesn’t matter how safe your community is, it doesn’t matter how low your crime rate is — there are people who just don’t think properly everywhere, I don’t care where you are, and they commit horrific acts like this. There’s no way to process...There’s no way to make sense out of the senseless.” Erika Sigman a resident of Thousand Oaks shared, “This is a safe place. My parents let me go here. This is a trusted place. ... To know that this happened in my safe place is a very, very scary thing.” –Jim L. Wilson & Steven Cabrillos

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-thousand-oaks-20181107-story.html (accessed 11/8/18).

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (CSB) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. ⁴ He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Paul David Tripp’s life changed big time in 2014. He went into a hospital for a checkup but ended up hospitalized with kidney failure. Over the next few months, he endured six surgeries and lived with excruciating pain and perpetual fatigue. Out of the experienced he shared his experience and offers Biblical hope for sufferers.

There are traps Christians can fall into, including fear, envy, and doubt. There are also comforts we can count on as well, including grace and hope. The complete lists are in Tripp’s book, Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense.

Like what happened to Paul Tripp, unforeseen events can change our situations in the blink of an eye. Knowing the traps of the world and the comforts of grace and hope can help keep us strong. –Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

1 Peter 5:10 (CSB)“The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while.”

Run the Race is a new movie produced and presented by Tim Tebow, former NFL quarterback and now a professional baseball player. The drama is a realistic presentation of the difficulties of two brothers and their responses to it. The message is simple, “there are only two ways to run—to God or from God.” “When we run to God, we discover that long beforehand He ran to meet us.” –Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Luke 15:20 (CSB) “So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.”

There is an interesting new sport in Russia—a slapping contest. Face slappers must stand opposite each other, separated only by a tall box, and slap each other in turn until one either faints or concedes. Unlike in boxing, competitors are not allowed to try to dodge the blow. Vasily Kamotsky, a 28-year-old farmer, known as the Dumpling, defeated all comers at the first contest in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. He won a 30,000 ruble ($460) prize. –Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Romans 5:3–5 (CSB) And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Soviet dissident who suffered in a gulag before fleeing to the United States knew that some pain—whether physical, mental, or emotional—can be severe and chronic. Christians know that avoiding suffering is impossible in a sinful world. We are reminded that it was the sufferings of Christ, who endured the cross to accomplish redemption for our deepest needs, which are ultimately spiritual.

In a 1978 address at Harvard, Solzhenitsyn called out the problems in the West. In the speech Solzhenitsyn noted that for all the freedoms enjoyed, the West was fraying in ways that could prove destructive: “We have placed too much hope in political and social reforms, only to find out that we were being deprived of our most precious possession: our spiritual life.”

Solzhenitsyn survived the gulag because of his spiritual life. He warned the west about turning our hope to things other than the spiritual life. We need to heed his warnings. He seems more and more prescient with each passing year. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.

When people watch an episode of America’s Funniest Home Videos, in general they have some idea of what to expect. There will certainly be lots of falling, people doing things ridiculous things, and many cute animal videos. Some of the segments will spark laughter, and others will elicit groans of mental anguish.

In 2020, however, there are obviously some “minor changes.” Discussing the reality of hosting his show during the pandemic in a virtual format “using big screens,” host Alfonso Riberiro notes, "I'm actually really proud of ABC for being able to figure out a way to make AFV still feel like the show it's always been.”

Since most of the action in this show involves things that are already pre-recorded, it somewhat seamlessly adapts to social-distancing easier than many other studio productions. Expectations do not have to be modified greatly, even given the current global situation. When tuning in, everyone knows when that the populist-generated physical comedy will continue despite the virus.

In previous episodes of Christianity, such as in ancient Macedonia and in ancient Palestine, Christians faced the difficulties and suffering associated with persecution for their faith. Christians today in the West should not expect anything different. Given the cultural changes occurring, the church needs to adjust its expectations to be more in alignment with the reality of church history. Our question should not be if we will face suffering, but rather will we suffer, like many other Christians through the centuries, in a way which brings glory to Jesus.

Somehow, many modern Christians, have developed the expectation that being a Jesus-follower should be easy and convenient. The pattern in the Scriptures and in church history, however, shows something quite different. —Jim L. Wilson and Jon R. Pennington

For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, since you have also suffered the same things from people of your own country, just as they did from the Jews