As young adult prepares for college, soon discovers the time of saying I will be leaving soon begins preparing the parents for the hour of departure, yet it still maybe months away. As gifts and boxes for college are prepared, the hour of departure still has yet to come. Then finally the day of moving comes and the vehicle loaded and the grown child leaves.The awaited event becomes a reality. Point is the hour of departure is often not known until maybe a week or two ahead of the actual date. With all the preparation for the journey we find little left behind for the student to have to buy once there, beyond little odds and ends. This maybe a joyous event but it also the time of empty nesting syndrome for the parents. A syndrome of sadness that their baby is now taking flight and they must find new things to fill their day, and lonely hours of not having their child around with them. This knowledge there child may not be returning necessarily home to live on a permanent bases is a reality. The worse case scenario they will have a stranger living in their house they raised after returning from college and they have already turn the bedroom into a office for their work at home or hobby. Life changes and we must learn to go along with changes. There is no preparation for somethings. And other things if you understand the event to come still leaves a person with a since of change not always being welcomed or embraced.

Jesus began preparing his disciples for the day of crucifixion, he also began to prepare them for the time he would go into his kingdom. He would teach them that the Son of Man had to suffer many things by the elders, the chief priest, and scribes, even to be killed but in three days he would rise again. These words maybe even seem hollow to the disciples at first, but would take on new meaning when it came to pass. He prophesied his death to prepare his people. It was not a simple day of begining a new life, but harsh and even bitter departure that should of come from those that persecuted him. Yet Jesus was never seem to cry other them, he had to leave behind, he never harden his heart to those who persecuted him or even denied him three times. Why because the hour of preparation Jesus knew his fate and his cross in which he must carry for the whole world out of love. Death in itself to a leader would not of been unusual, though most that were killed that rose up were not ones of peace, love, faith, hope and joy. That is what makes Jesus' cross different, because he would die because God so loved the world that he gave them a sign of his reality by sending his Son.

Jesus taught he would suffer and what did this really mean to the disciples upon hearing? Were the disciples so harden by their faith at this moment that the idea of Jesus experience death unimageable, probably not, for John Baptist had been beheaded by no religious leader, but political leader. Maybe the truth is they had never consider the religious leaders as enemies, because even Jesus took them to the temple, though many times Jesus had escaped the religious leaders. I think in reality they understood Jesus would possibly die, but in reality they understood not why he would suffer and die or the fact religious leaders would begin the persecution.

Jesus would talk about his cross as a prelude to his talking about his kingdom, when he goes to his heavenly Father, he would either deny or remember them before God his Father. His kingdom being in heaven with his Father. If one was willing to bear their cross even unto death he would not deny him before his Father. Those unwilling to bear their own cross even unto death he would deny them. Why because to take up one cross and followed meant to obey his word, obeying his word meant to do the will of the Father despite the persecution.

Former Donald Trump has a heavy burden to carry for those that used his words to carry their own agenda. This trial if not dismissed can leave Former Donal Trump with heavy fine, as well as imprisonment for ten years maximum. It has never happened in American history before, since the civil war or even revolutionary war. Some believing President Trump to be right for inciting the riot and others feeling it should never had happened. Yet the issue begins with death and destruction of property it caused. Is this only birthing pains of how America feels. Would racism be the only focal point for the disrupt the initial reason for a small demonstration or march. We looking only at the radicals and not the full intent of the march. These things must come out in the trial. I knew something by news clips, and President Trumps speaking that something was happening. Most of us paying close enough attention probably knew or realized it after the event of the uprising at the House of Representatives.

There is point Jesus spoke his departure to his disciples, yet they understood not what it all meant or would mean to them personally. How many during the time of revolution understood what war meant. How many in Europe understood what the rise of Hilter and Nazism meant until the final call to end of the masacre finally ended. Yesterday was International Rememberance Day for the Remembrance of the Holocaust and the survivors of concentration camps overseas. As the world learned over time through pictures, and news articles of events overseas, America held off joining the war for a time, but to many friends and families lived abroad to keep the government from hearing the horrors coming to the American people from Europe that our nation finally joined the war. Nothing prepared our soldiers beyond their training what they would see or witness.

Preparation can be looking through a darkened glass/mirror, but when full pic is seen the reality of events are seen. Jesus death on the cross was told and yet disciples though had witness the knowledge and story told of John the Baptist death, it did not encourage them to leave his side at this time. Instead, they continued to follow Jesus.

How many Christians are prepared for the doubters, the atheist of our time, or those in need of a Savior? The first time a fire fighter goes into a burning building he learns if he going to stay in their til it out or his captain tells him to come out. The truth is no one knows if they will stand the heat or not. However believers in Christ have one weapon that keeps them on the journey of their own cross that they must carry and that is to do the will of God and follow in faith and word of Christ. That weapons has a name and is not a thing but a Spirit/and person it called the Holy Spirit, who upon salvation we are sealed with the marked of his Spirit and we are called a child of God. The Holy Spirit begins to teach us his ways through his word and by His Spirit.

Day of preparation for the work God has for you begins on the day of salvation. He calls you to be saved, He calls to the journey of faith, and He calls you to obey his word and follow his Spirit. Now that journey we only know the end and seldom do we know what the will of God beyond simple faith, will entail. Yet we know to keep our eyes on Jesus til we go to be with Him. Is that enough to wait to enter his kingdom, is that knowledge enough to hold us to the road we are traveling in. Jesus was crucified, his disciples were mayrter and some lived the life of luxury and others in poverty. Yet we all have a pathway to heaven. Despite the road he called us to He provides with the best gift to carry us through and that is His Spirit, who will strength and comfort us in the days ahead in our journey.

Are you willing live by faith and not by sight. Are you glad to look through unclear window until the full picture can be seen. Are you willing to obey the Spirit even when common sense tells you to do it your way or someone else way? Most of us deal with our own enter soul when following Christ, but when we learn to follow, we soon learn his Spirit and way are best. Do it God's way, and not the way of the world, the way of the human mind and the devil. Follow after Christ despite the pain, because the pain only brings others to Jesus and knowledge of his cross and ours. That is God's preparation for our life, will you follow Him?

Dear Heavenly Father, help us in our journey of faith, to realize you prepared first our hearts for salvation and then the journey that leads to the kingdom of heaven to be with you and Christ. Help us to keep our eyes on Jesus as we try to live out your will for our life. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 KJV
1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.