|
|
Topic: The Sufferings of Christ
|
|
Author
|
|
Kimberly Fowler
Senior Member
Joined: 11/09/2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2917
|
Posted: 10/30/2013 at 1:17pm
|
IP Logged
|
|
|
"Being co-heirs with Christ"...Wow, that usually brings a lot of hearty "halleluiahs"! Our minds tend to gravitate to the positive side of that. Yet, Romans 8:17 says, "...we are co-heirs of Christ, if we indeed share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory." A bit over a year ago I was reading the Bible and that part jumped out at me. We've been hearing about the glory coming, but this verse indicates that to share in His glory is contingent upon sharing equally in the suffering. (Whoa, when did that verse sneak into the Bible?!) I've personally never liked suffering! I'm a happy-go-lucky type of person who likes to find the humor in everything and suffering is not my cup of tea! But I was reading that straight out of the Bible so I prayed a prayer I've probably never before prayed in my life..."Lord, let me know the sufferings of Christ!" (Not that I have never suffered in life; everybody endures suffering to some extent or another throughout the course of his or her life, but to actually pray for it...that was definitely not on my prayer list!!) And you know the scripture, "If you know that He hears you when you pray, then you shall have what you asked of Him" (1 John 5:15), and I know He does hear me when I pray, so therefore...
Well, I started to endure some fires of affliction shortly thereafter, and I am thinking to myself, "I am suffering for Christ". Well, yes and no. As a Christian, you will go through trials and tribulations and some persecution for the name of Christ, and all Christians do have to go through the continuous pruning throughout their Christian walk to bring forth glorious fruit for the kingdom, but that is only a small part of suffering for Christ (although there are people in other countries who truly suffer to the point of physical death for the gospel of Christ!). But for the most part, many of us think if we have to go through any hardship whatsoever in the name of Christ, we are "suffering for Christ", and I am no different.
So I was talking to Jesus the other day about an unhappy incident which affected a few members within the body of Christ, and as I was talking, a brief vision flashed across my mind and I suddenly saw a whip come out of the air and slash across Jesus' back, cutting through His clothing into His skin and leaving a big slash across His back. I was stunned into silence. I could sense that He was in pain and realized that what happened within His body (His bride) happened to Him! I just sat with Him, not sure what to say or to do in that moment...and the moment passed and the picture went away. A day later I was talking to God about the incident again (having forgotten the little scene with Christ), and because I find humor in almost everything, I wryly made a remark to God about the fact that some disturbances in the body of Christ have the distinct, unpleasant feel of a gladiator sport with people vying for ringside seats...and just as I said that, the word "AGONY" was heard in my mind; and I realized that the Spirit of God was feeling agony at what was happening in His body. And when I heard the word "AGONY" and knew God was experiencing it, I thought to myself, "People will not believe that God experiences agony!" And as I thought that, all of a sudden my own spirit felt a part of what God was feeling and I had to fight the tears to keep from crying. And I felt the hurt in God for His body. And the revelation hit me! To share in the sufferings of Christ is not just to suffer for Christ, it is to suffer with Christ, to feel His His heart for His body, to feel His heart for the lost! And I remembered a picture vision I had one day when I was praying. In this brief vision I was standing next to Jesus, standing on a hill I believe, and He was slightly turned away from me looking out over this city in the distance, and I knew He was seeing the world and His face was tortured with grief; and I could see He was in great emotional pain and grief, and there were no words to say to help ease His pain.
Some people think they are sharing His cross and sharing His suffering when they endure poverty or sickness or emotional grief, and there is no denying that there is suffering in that, but we do not have to share the suffering in that. He became poor that we might become rich, He bore our griefs and our sorrows and gives us peace that passes understanding (Phil 4:7) and joy unspeakable and full of glory (1 Pet 1:8) and by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). Yet we do share in His cross and share in His sufferings when we come to know His heart, and His hurt, and His love for the bride, and His longing and love toward the lost! Let us take on His heart and His suffering that we may also be partakers of His glory!
Edited by Kimberly Fowler on 10/30/2013 at 1:29pm
|
Back to Top
|
|
Sherry Mohr
Senior Member
Joined: 01/18/2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1578
|
Posted: 10/30/2013 at 8:22pm
|
IP Logged
|
|
|
Kimberly,
Awesome revelation of the heart of God. This is so important for God's people to understand; everything we speak and do has eternal/spiritual consequences; I pray that we all take heed and seek Jesus/Father's heart in all things; before we speak, before we do; let us seek His heart for all involved. God bless you beloved sister and thank you for posting this word.
In His Unfailing Love for all - sher
|
Back to Top
|
|
Brenda Teal
Senior Member
Joined: 01/08/2010 Location: England
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 429
|
Posted: 10/31/2013 at 8:41am
|
IP Logged
|
|
|
Thank you for this Kimberly.You are a blessing.I am not sure if you noted my post at the end of your testimony post, so I will just update you(in case you missed it)Towards the end of the replies I got the word SCEPTRE.I was so blessed by this.It came so clearly in my spirit.I am so honoured to know you in spirit.You have brought much encouragement to me.I looked up the significance of "sceptre" WOW You are so blessed and highly honored
Love in Jesus
Edited by Brenda Teal on 10/31/2013 at 8:53am
__________________ Brenda Teal
|
Back to Top
|
|
Kimberly Fowler
Senior Member
Joined: 11/09/2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2917
|
Posted: 10/31/2013 at 7:55pm
|
IP Logged
|
|
|
Thank you, Brenda. I actually heard that very same word about a year or two ago, but just the word and nothing with it, so I am not sure of what it entails. But thank you for the encouragement.
|
Back to Top
|
|
Gina Burpee
Full Member
Joined: 09/19/2013 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 34
|
Posted: 11/01/2013 at 5:04am
|
IP Logged
|
|
|
Wow, that is really profound. You are so right, that even
though we share in His sufferings through our trials in
daily life, it pales in comparison to what He endured for
us. Not even Job experienced what Jesus did.
Thanks for posting this Kimberly! xoxo
|
Back to Top
|
|
Rachel Josef
Senior Member
Joined: 07/31/2013
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 58
|
Posted: 11/01/2013 at 5:42am
|
IP Logged
|
|
|
Thanks so much for this! May God allow us to share His heart so that
our intercession may be more effective, our prayers more targeted, our
love for others more genuine, our passion for the lost more urgent, our
compassion for the hurting more tender and our obedience more
radical. Bless you Jesus, You are mighty to save!
|
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
If you wish to post a reply to this topic you must first
login
If you are not already registered you must first
register
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
|