Suffering

Suffering is an essential ingredient in the Life and Faith of every believer. It exposes weakness. It emboldens courage and strength. It refines and deepens commitment. And it weeds out shallow, lukewarm, "bless me, gimmee more" false doctrines. It helps identify Godly priorities. It helps shape and reform our immature theology. Reveals the last difference between shallow Carnal Christianity, and true honest and continual keeping Jesus' Commandments Christianity.

Too short videos below tell the story of two women who just lost their husbands and how God use that too turn many back to Christ.

So suffering is an important part of our faith walk in Jesus Christ. Get ready for it, it's going to happen. 

People will devalue you, and speak evil about you, just simply because you follow Jesus. 

They have no other reason, than the fact that they hate you. Why? Most times they don't even know themselves.
But here is: WHY? Because they hate Jesus. WHY?  Because they are listening to,  following, and obeying: a LYING Spirit.

And guess what, that evil lying spirit, literally hates you. Can't stand you. Wants you dead and gone. But he cannot act without Jesus' permission. 

When Charlie Kirk was assassinated. That was the work of a demonic evil spirit. That spirit was invited into the life of an unsuspecting young man, who truly became the home for the demon to dwell, and so that young man became demonized, and did what servants of Satan do. 

John 10:10 (KJV)
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The funny thing is that demon hated the young man he had possessed just as much as the man he was assigned to kill. In the end, God let it all happen. For his purposes and his glory. We have no idea what all God has planned, and how he uses our lives for his glory.

Hatred Kills. And that's a possibility for every single believer. That they would die, in their service to Christ. That is our calling. 

NOTE: People die every day for all the wrong reasons. But when, and if, you or I die for the right reason--Serving Christ, we will have nothing to fear. Nothing to regret. Nothing to be ashamed of. 

When God is watching over us, even our premature death is a cause for celebration. For we will be ushered into the kingdom of God and there will be no regrets. 

If we are serious about joining Team Jesus, and signing up for HIS Mission Impossible, to save the world--we will be persecuted. That's a fact. In fact, Jesus commands us to pick up our cross and follow him. What do you think that means in real life? Please share your thoughts on that.

The truth behind the cross is that it is an excruciatingly painful, death to self. It symbolizes a sacrifice of our comforts, of our privileges, of our pleasures, and our own personal life goals.

Personal note: it's really hard to pursue and achieve all your personal goals, plans, and privileges, as well as comforts, when you are hanging by two nails in your hands, and one nail in your feet, nailed to cross. 

So picking up your cross, and following Jesus is not a sweet, comfy, nature walk in lavender fields with Jesus. It is the symbol of sacrifice and death, so that others can live. 

The Call to serve, Jesus is marked by personal denial, and personal sacrifice. Without these markings, we don't have the faith of Jesus--being activated in our lives. 

We may be following something, but we're not following nor keeping the Commandments of Jesus. We are simply not connected to Him. Which also means: We don't know him. News Flash, that is the case for many church going people. They have heard about the Faith in Jesus, but they are not yet walking by Faith in Jesus, because they are not Keeping Jesus Commandments, and may not even care, or want to do so.

We may have religion in our lives. We may have spirituality in our lives. We may have church in our lives, but without personal denial, personal sacrifice, and taking up our cross to follow in Jesus footsteps--we don't have Christ in our lives. Not according to the Teachings of Christ.

How can we know this? Because Jesus said plainly, if you love me, you will keep my Commandments. 

In fact, when we are truly walking and abiding in Christ,  we won't even try to save our own lives--according to Jesus' Teaching. But, we will do the exact opposite. We will seek to lose our lives. This goes everything counter culture too modern preaching in many modern church settings. (The MAJORITY)

Many preachers draw crowds by telling them that if they would just do what the pastor says, they would become rich, and famous, and blessed. 

I'm sorry to break it to you, but that is nowhere in the message of Jesus Christ. He never said that, nor taught that. In fact, he clearly taught the exact opposite. 

So it is vitally important to know where a message is coming from, and who is actually speaking it. Is it coming from the HEART OF God, being grounded in the WORD OF God, or is it coming from a vivid man's imaginary kingdom?

Below are just two of Jesus Commandments that are genuine, bona fide, nonnegotiable requirements to follow him. 

Matthew 16:24-27 (KJV) 

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples,
If any man will come after me, 

1. let him deny himself, 

2. and  take up his cross, 

3. and  follow me. 

25 For whosoever will save his life

1.  shall lose it: 

2. and whosoever will lose his life 

3. for my sake, shall find it. 

26 For what is a man profited, 

• • if he shall gain the whole world, 

  • and lose his own soul? 

  • or what shall a man give 

  • in exchange for his soul? 

27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then 

1. he shall reward every man 

2. according to his works.

The kingdom of God is all about delayed gratification. 

Jesus calls his children, too, lay down their lives for their brothers and sisters in Christ. He calls them to suffer with him. He knows perfectly well, that he is putting his children in danger. Jesus knows that men will persecute them, mistreat them, and very, possibly torture and kill them.

But if you're following Jesus, for the right reason, and in the right Spirit, seeking to keep the Commandments of Jesus, you absolutely will come out on top. 

Maybe not in this world. But Jesus guarantees that you will not lose your reward, even for simply giving a son of his a cup of water--for that you will be rewarded. 

That simple act of care and giving, will be recorded in the heavenly record books , and you will be repaid, for every good deed done while obeying Jesus Commandments. And as far as I can tell, from a multitude of Scriptures:  you will have to answer for and every time you chose to disobey God, by breaking his Commandments.

Men will try to say this is just legalism. 

It's following rules. But not according to Jesus. 

It's following him. It's following his word. It's honoring his commandments. It's honoring his sacrifice. And for those who get it, it's a great reward. 

It's an opportunity to give back. Just one teeny piece of obedience for a lifetime of disobedience. We have finally come to the place where we can do that which is on the heart of God. Or oppositely we can reject the very heart of God, and go our own way. Which act is Jesus going to favorably reward, and which is going to come under his strict judgment? Which do you think?  

Obedience is what the Kingdom of God is built upon, Starting at the Throne in Heaven, then, extending to the Living Beings, the Cheribim, and the Seraphim, and the archangels, and then the Angels of God in all of the ranks, then, the Leadership of God's Heavenly Holy, and Obedient, and often Suffering Church--(for obeying the commandments of Jesus, not for any wrong doing. That's not the kind of suffering we are called to). All of these walk in perfect obedience to the father and to the SON, why should we be any different?

The kingdom of God is based on keeping Jesus Commandments, because we love him. That's the kingdom of God in a nutshell.

Even if I claim that they are only two Commandments that I am required to keep, 1) love God with all your heart, mind, and strength. And 2) love your neighbor as yourself: it is easy to see that loving God and loving my neighbor can be is costly. Because Jesus shows us by a violent demonstration that, the primary example of loving God and loving our neighbor is the picture of Jesus dying on the cross--for the sins of the world. Question: is that really easier than keeping the rest of Jesus's Commandments?

Genuine, Godly Love, is not a feeling. And yes, it often includes the component of suffering. And personally for me, suffering is not A warm fuzzy sensation. 

I dare to say that: Jesus was not feeling warm and fuzzy thoughts, as his blood bled from his head, back, sides, hands and feet. No. Far from it. 

But we know that: 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

18 "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."     --John 3:16-21 (KJV) 

It was not a warm fuzzy for Jesus, nor for His Father. It was a terrible 

 when you do it the way Jesus commands it to be done. Deny yourself. Pick up your cross. Follow Jesus. Walk as he walked. That's your calling. That simply means that is what you are called to do. But just because you are called to do it, doesn't mean that you will in fact do it. Again that's why many are called, but you are chosen.

Being called by God is a great privilege. But it doesn't come without responsibility. Just like in any family. All children are called to obey their parents, and serve one another in love, honoring one another, growing in their responsibilities and duties to their family.

But what happens when a child simply chooses to go his own way. Is the family forced to keep him against his own will. That's a hard call. Couple of. But if a couple of loving parents to everything, they can to reason with their rebellion son, but he still refuses to abide by his parents, authority, and the rules of the house. And he wants to bring drugs into the house. He wants to bring sexual partners and into his bedroom. And he wants to do many other things that bring shame upon the family and are a direct violation of the families code of honor and ethics, and specially if they are of believing Bible believing Family breaking the laws of Jesus Christ are not an option.

So although the sun was called to be a son in his own family, he was not chosen to remain in the family, because of his own choices he would become he would lose the privileges of being a family member. In essence, he loses his inheritance. That's the same thing that happens when we just qualify ourselves from our calling. For more on the subject click : Disqualified .

That's why men are called, but you are chosen. Because and it comes to Jesus and the kingdom of God, Jesus is looking for us to volunteer. There is a "buy-in" we are expected to participate in. The truth be told, we cannot earn our salvation, but to maintain our relationship with a king of heaven, there is no way around it we are saved unto good works. We are not saved by good works, but we are saved in order to do good works, in order to glorify our father, which is in heaven. That's our calling, if we reject our calling, then how can Jesus choose us?

And please note that it is Jesus who is doing the calling, not the pastor, not the preacher, not the evangelist, not the missionary, not the Sunday school teacher: it is Jesus doing the calling. Although Jesus uses people from all backgrounds, all stripes and colors, all nations and kingdoms--it is he that sent them, to deliver his message. That is, if they are not false teachers, bringing a false water down, candy coated, fake message. 

Jesus that commanded his sheep, to hear his voice, and share his message.

Many Christians say they believe that God's love is unconditional. I would like to quickly tweak that sentence and that concept. 

 When when we share his invitation to come into his kingdom and be forgiven from a lifetime of rebellion against our holy God, that invitation is somewhat unconditional. But there are a number of critical conditions that are required to walk with Jesus, to come into his house, to abide with him and his father, and to become a fruitful labor in his vineyard.

If we say there are no conditions involved, we are straight up lying. Either that or we are straight up ignorant and have no clue about what we're talking about. Because we haven't read our Bibles carefully, and we haven't committed them to memory, and we haven't stored up his word in our heart enough to know exactly what he wants, and what Jesus is asking us. Because there are big conditions in our following of him.

Not to meet those conditions is to set ourselves up for failure. When we teach others, there are no conditions we become the problem, and speak confusion into Jesus's clear and undeniable statements, teachings, directions, sayings, parables, and yes, Commandments.

The very nature of the commandment is that it is mandatory. It is required. It is not optional. The option is to keep the commandment, or to break the Commandment. There is no middle ground to have to keep it and to half break it. To not keep a full Commandment is to break it. It's that simple.

That's why many are called, but you are chosen.

Those who break his Commandments, they are not chosen.

When we share his invitation into his kingdom, we have a commission from Jesus to share it with competence, and not set people up for failure. Which is a very big thing and mass evangelism Crusades.

80% to 90% of all people who come to mass evangelism Crusades, come forward and say the sinner's prayer, next they are baptized, in the name of the father, the son and the Holy Ghost. 

And then they are told that they are saved. That they should go to church, read their Bible, pay their tithes, and be a good Christian. But that is not at all of the message of Jesus.

If they are not told upfront about the sacrifices required to walk with Jesus. It's like they have been lied to. They have been sold box of goods that are simply false. Like a cheap set of sneakers that fall apart the very first day and try to wear them.

God loves you, and God has a wonderful plan for your life.

That sentence is only true if you include: 1) suffering.
2) persecution, 3) self denial, and 4) obeying the Commandments of Jesus, and 5) dying to self while 6) living for Christ, while 7) serving others above yourself, as the very definition of a wonderful plan. 

When you include those seven gospel elements, as well as several others that declare the permanent separation of demonic: addictions, attractions, and evil works, all of which will disqualify a believer from entering into the kingdom of heaven, and disqualify them to receive their inheritance in the kingdom of God--then you have done your duty to preach a righteous gospel message. (see Disqualified ) 

Many false teachers use the bait and switch method used by used car salesman, and in snake oil vendors. They make the gospel message sound like all lollipops and roses. But ... Jesus never did. Paul never did. Peter never did. James never did. John never did. So where did these faults preachers get their material? Not from the word of God, not from Jesus.

Without those 7 vital ingredients in the message, it turns the whole message on its ear. It turns Jesus into a liar. And the church into a fake religion.

That's often not the intention, nor the desire of those who speak that message, but in ignorance, many continue to speak it, and declare it as if it's a gospel message. 

This needs to be exposed. For what it is: heresy. It's a fake salvation message, that appeals to people's feelings and converts people to become shallow soil seedlings. 

They're being set up to fail. Why? Because as soon as they experience the first day of persecution, they will very likely be ready to fall away (just as Jesus said), because nobody told them this was a part of their beautiful healing kingdom experience. For that they will feel cheated and lied to: as in fact they were.