As each day has two seasons, the daytime and the night, so also life offers man two seasons, the season of happiness and that of trials. In times of trials, many people console themselves by applying the words of Jesus wrongly — " Christ said we should carry our cross and follow him". They make this statement with the understanding, that the Cross Jesus talked about was the cross of suffering. In other words, as though Jesus intended those who follow him to suffer always. This is far from being the truth.

The Word says, Jesus came that we may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10). Abundant life on earth is a life of peace, good health, prosperity, etc. It is a life of happiness, not suffering. Abundant life beyond this realm, is an eternal life. Again the plans of the Almighty for man are plans of good, not evil ( Jeremiah 29:11). Therefore the Cross Jesus referred to, when he made the statement, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23), cannot be the cross of suffering as many do believe. It is not the cross of Golgotha which denotes Christ suffering. Notice in the foregoing scripture, that Jesus said this Cross should be carried daily. If this Cross should be that of suffering, the Lord who is Love, would not want men to carry it daily.

What is the Cross? The Cross is an earthly symbol of the truth contained in the message of Christ. To take up the Cross therefore means, to absorb the message of Christ and to endeavor daily to do what it says, no matter how difficult it may seem. So the Cross Jesus referred to is not the cross of suffering. It is the Cross of redemption. It is when we take in knowledge of the truth, and live by it daily, that we can earn eternal life.

The number one truth you need to take up daily is the fact, that when you strive to live according to the message of Christ, you consistently carry the Light within and around you. The Light denotes the presence of the Almighty. In the presence of the Almighty uncommon things happen. Darkness melts in His presence. Your protection is secured and your needs are met. The Psalmist said he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1). You have to understand that the secret place of the Most High is the place of obedience to God's will. The shadow of the Almighty in the above scripture, is the overwhelming presence of God that brings uncommon blessings. So when you swing daily in line with the will of God, everything naturally and gradually falls into place.

Another truth to be absorbed and used daily is the fact that every action we take against the will of God has a repercussion which is meant for correction and redemption. The burden of trials we are permitted to carry are the repercussions of our disobedience. They are the echoes if our willful wrong actions after gaining knowledge of the truth. That means, they set in as a result of our refusal to take up the truth daily and live by it.

A final Word! When you are always surrounded with trials or unpleasant situations, know of a truth, that something is out of place. God is still in the business of blessing his people. Don't get stirred and comfortable in the understanding that you are carrying the cross of Christ. Look into your life to see if you are still in the business of obeying God. That is, if you are still living by the message of Christ. If you realize you have made mistakes, repent and amend your ways, and watch everything fall back into place gradually. There is no short cut to this. That is the purpose of your trials. ( Refer to my post on Falsified Teachings of Christ- Judgment).

You cannot ascend to Luminous Heights if you are not willing to take up your Cross daily and follow Christ. Jesus said, " I am the resurrection and the life! No man comes to the Father but by me" (John 11:25). But by me means, by my word, or by my message. You cannot enjoy eternal bliss without living according to the message of Christ. Your time to act is now. Every hour of your earth life is now more important than ever!

I would say the Cross is the task of loving your neighbours and your enemies moreso, because on this one cross do all laws hang.

It's a very heavy cross too, as one can tell by the many who fail to bear it.

Wakeupchristian:
As each day has two seasons, the daytime and the night, so also life offers man two seasons, the season of happiness and that of trials. In times of trials, many people console themselves by applying the words of Jesus wrongly — " Christ said we should carry our cross and follow him". They make this statement with the understanding, that the Cross Jesus talked about was the cross of suffering. In other words, as though Jesus intended those who follow him to suffer always. This is far from being the truth.

The Word says, Jesus came that we may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10). Abundant life on earth is a life of peace, good health, prosperity, etc. It is a life of happiness, not suffering. Abundant life beyond this realm, is an eternal life. Again the plans of the Almighty for man are plans of good, not evil ( Jeremiah 29:11). Therefore the Cross Jesus referred to, when he made the statement, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23), cannot be the cross of suffering as many do believe. It is not the cross of Golgotha which denotes Christ suffering. Notice in the foregoing scripture, that Jesus said this Cross should be carried daily. If this Cross should be that of suffering, the Lord who is Love, would not want men to carry it daily.

What is the Cross? The Cross is an earthly symbol of the truth contained in the message of Christ. To take up the Cross therefore means, to absorb the message of Christ and to endeavor daily to do what it says, no matter how difficult it may seem. So the Cross Jesus referred to is not the cross of suffering. It is the Cross of redemption. It is when we take in knowledge of the truth, and live by it daily, that we can earn eternal life.

The number one truth you need to take up daily is the fact, that when you strive to live according to the message of Christ, you consistently carry the Light within and around you. The Light denotes the presence of the Almighty. In the presence of the Almighty uncommon things happen. Darkness melts in His presence. Your protection is secured and your needs are met. The Psalmist said he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1). You have to understand that the secret place of the Most High is the place of obedience to God's will. The shadow of the Almighty in the above scripture, is the overwhelming presence of God that brings uncommon blessings. So when you swing daily in line with the will of God, everything naturally and gradually falls into place.

Another truth to be absorbed and used daily is the fact that every action we take against the will of God has a repercussion which is meant for correction and redemption. The burden of trials we are permitted to carry are the repercussions of our disobedience. They are the echoes if our willful wrong actions after gaining knowledge of the truth. That means, they set in as a result of our refusal to take up the truth daily and live by it.

A final Word! When you are always surrounded with trials or unpleasant situations, know of a truth, that something is out of place. God is still in the business of blessing his people. Don't get stirred and comfortable in the understanding that you are carrying the cross of Christ. Look into your life to see if you are still in the business of obeying God. That is, if you are still living by the message of Christ. If you realize you have made mistakes, repent and amend your ways, and watch everything fall back into place gradually. There is no short cut to this. That is the purpose of your trials. ( Refer to my post on Falsified Teachings of Christ- Judgment).

You cannot ascend to Luminous Heights if you are not willing to take up your Cross daily and follow Christ. Jesus said, " I am the resurrection and the life! No man comes to the Father but by me" (John 11:25). But by me means, by my word, or by my message. You cannot enjoy eternal bliss without living according to the message of Christ. Your time to act is now. Every hour of your earth life is now more important than ever!

What is meant in all the following scriptures?
‌James5:10-11, 1Pet4:1,12-19, Rom8:17-18, 35-37, Col1:24, Heb12:1-13. Please read with an open heart and display the meekness of Christ by correcting this thread. You should rather say that suffering is our God-given cross except under demonic economy but if under God's government, it must end in glory and greater empowerment of the Spirit. I assure you there are heights you can never get to in His glory and power until you share in His sufferings.

budaatum:
I would say the Cross is the task of loving your neighbours and your enemies moreso, because on this one cross do all laws hang.

It's a very heavy cross too, as one can tell by the many who fail to bear it.

Thank you for your cintributiin. As I said, the Cross is the truth contained in the word of God. Everything in the scriptures is the truth, provided we can understand them in the right perspective. Loving others as we love ourselves, and loving the Almighty with the whole of our Being, is one of the truth in the Word. Our only duty is to truly absorb the whole truth contained in the Word and take them up daily to follow Christ. In other words, all we have to do is to live out the truth daily.

Finallydead:

What is meant in all the following scriptures?
‌James5:10-11, 1Pet4:1,12-19, Rom8:17-18, 35-37, Col1:24, Heb12:1-13. Please read with an open heart and display the meekness of Christ by correcting this thread. You should rather say that suffering is our God-given cross except under demonic economy but if under God's government, it must end in glory and greater empowerment of the Spirit. I assure you there are heights you can never get to in His glory and power until you share in His sufferings.

Thanks for your comments.
I am well aware of the fact, that he who misleads others in the course of his teaching carries great responsibity, and can never be liberated until the Souls he misled come to recognition of the truth. I will not be relieved of personal responsibility, if I post what you think is right. Wakeupchristian is not on this site to blend with the misconceptions that have run through Christianity for ages, but to correct, and help awaken those Christians who still carry a spark of Light within them. In strength of this, I would say concerning your advice, that there is nothing to correct on this thread.

Every word of the scriptures is true, provided we allow the Spirit of truth to guide us into the right understanding. Now to the scriptures you mentioned. 1Peter 1:12-19, does not in any way talk about suffering. Rather a portion of it admonishes men to be holy. Holiness is not suffering. Hebrews 12:1-13, does not talk about suffering either. It talks about resisting and striving against sin (verse4). The remaining part of this scripture deals with the chastening and discipline from the Lord. Make no mistake about this. This chastening has nothing to do with Christ suffering. It is an existing judgment which sets in as a result of disobedience. Paul said this chastening, or discipline is allowed on us to correct us, so that we don't get finally condemned with the world

Romans 8:17, talks about suffering with Christ. The question now is, how do you share in Christ suffering? This is where many Christians get it wrong. You sure cannot carry the Cross to Golgotha to be nailed ad Christ did. Sharing in Christ suffering is not the same as going through the repercussions of your wrong choices. When you go through the repercussions of your wrong choices, you are going through chastening from the Lord, not Christ suffering. You share in Christ suffering when you appreciate the Holy Word He brought to you with so great a sacrifice. Sharing in Christ suffering means striving to live by the message He suffered to bring to mankind, irrespective of what it will cost you.

If for example you lost your job because you refused to compromise by telling a lie, that is part of sharing in Christ suffering. That is also a way of taking up your Cross to follow Christ. You can be sure another way will open for you. On this note I would sincerely encourage you to carefully harness the scriptures and get a skillful understanding of it.

Wakeupchristian:


Thanks for your comments.
I am well aware of the fact, that he who misleads others in the course of his teaching carries great responsibity, and can never be liberated until the Souls he misled come to recognition of the truth. I will not be relieved of personal responsibility, if I post what you think is right. Wakeupchristian is not on this site to blend with the misconceptions that have run through Christianity for ages, but to correct, and help awaken those Christians who still carry a spark of Light within them. In strength of this, I would say concerning your advice, that there is nothing to correct on this thread.

Every word of the scriptures is true, provided we allow the Spirit of truth to guide us into the right understanding. Now to the scriptures you mentioned. 1Peter 1:12-19, does not in any way talk about suffering. Rather a portion of it admonishes men to be holy. Holiness is not suffering. Hebrews 12:1-13, does not talk about suffering either. It talks about resisting and striving against sin (verse4). The remaining part of this scripture deals with the chastening and discipline from the Lord. Make no mistake about this. This chastening has nothing to do with Christ suffering. It is an existing judgment which sets in as a result of disobedience. Paul said this chastening, or discipline is allowed on us to correct us, so that we don't get finally condemned with the world

Romans 8:17, talks about suffering with Christ. The question now is, how do you share in Christ suffering? This is where many Christians get it wrong. You sure cannot carry the Cross to Golgotha to be nailed ad Christ did. Sharing in Christ suffering is not the same as going through the repercussions of your wrong choices. When you go through the repercussions of your wrong choices, you are going through chastening from the Lord, not Christ suffering. You share in Christ suffering when you appreciate the Holy Word He brought to you with so great a sacrifice. Sharing in Christ suffering means striving to live by the message He suffered to bring to mankind, irrespective of what it will cost you.

If for example you lost your job because you refused to compromise by telling a lie, that is part of sharing in Christ suffering. That is also a way of taking up your Cross to follow Christ. You can be sure another way will open for you. On this note I would sincerely encourage you to carefully harness the scriptures and get a skillful understanding of it.

‌You actually don't have to correct anything if you don't believe the correction. If God has called you to do what you're doing, He's the only One you answer to. I am not going to try to convince you out of your convictions either. Time and the coming Reformation/Revolution will teach us the fact.
First, I wonder who in this world has ever taught that we should carry literal crosses and be literally crucified. Suffering with Christ includes persecution(including your example and more), trials/afflictions by Satan under God's government not for mistakes or powerlessness(as in witchcraft/demonic attacks) but simply to share in Christ's glory(Php3:10-11).
But you seem to have misquoted the scripture I gave you. 1Pet 4:1 and v12-19 is what I gave you.
Also, Heb12 should not be loosely taken out of its context. We become unskilful in the scriptures when we take them out of their context.
The whole book was written for the simple purpose of encouraging believers to endure persecution from their Hebrew neighbors. The persecution involved killings, jailings and all sorts of marginalisations. This suffering, peculiar to them was part of their discipline/chastening as sons/beloved Paul mentioned, which is why he pointed them to the Lord who had endured such and overcame.(Heb12:3,5, Heb5:8 ). This, which is the strife against sin implies putting up with the unjust evil of sinners. It is not for any mistakes or sins of theirs.
‌While we may not all have to be jailed or killed for Christ, you can be rest assured that those who will walk closely and righteously with God will endure sufferings(2Tim3:12), peculiarly meted to each, which no matter what they may be are only a light thing in comparison to the glory they will reveal in us. Suffering is, in fact, part of the mark of true sons(Heb5:8, Gal6:14,17) and the only suffering in the life of a believer that may not pay is that as a result of sins and mistakes.

‌When you talk about misconceptions, what I see is that ministers today seek approval of their ministries in glamour and celebrity statuses(this explains the lack of/very minute real supernatural power and glory like the apostles) but while the Lord has no difficulty giving us the good things of this life(Solomon), it is well established in scripture that ministers only approved of their ministries according to their sufferings for God. Paul advised Timothy to prove his ministry in afflictions endured(2Tim4:5, 2Tim2:3, 1Tim6:10-11). He further said if we suffer with Christ, we will reign with him but if we deny him, we will be denied this reigning.(2Tim2:12).
‌Paul himself always approved his ministry in his sufferings (2Cor6:4-6, 2Cor4:7-18, 2Cor11:23-28 ). Such sufferings do not have to do with one's sins and mistakes but actually because one is loved and brought into fellowship with his Master, similar to Joseph.
This in fact is the distinction Peter made in (1Pet4:13-16) if you had understood it. Paul definitely didn't suffer all for his sins but for Christ's name.(Acts9:16). He in fact suffered more for the greatness of impact His revelations would bring to mankind and gloried in it(2Cor12:7-10). Job also suffered because He was blameless in the law. The greater the impact of your ministry on Satan's territory, the more you'll suffer for Christ, Christ Himself being the chief Sufferer.
‌Please understand that suffering does not earn us a place in heaven, only faith does but suffering is the only path to sharing in Christ's abiding/resting/dwelling glory(1Pet4:14, Rom8:17-18,35-37) and for any who do not want to go that narrow path, as long as they keep their faith, they have a sure ticket to heaven but let them never expect to have the abiding glory of the Lord in this life or any rewards in heaven. The Lord, the perfect Gentleman, will only go as far with us as we are subjected to Him.

‌As I said before I'm not trying to convince you, this is more for the benefit of readers and I think you're set in what you already believe as I also am, so you don't even have to reply. We can just shake hands here and encourage each other forward in the work of God. God bless you.