The Fellowship Nobody Wants to Be Part Of.

One of my devos last night brought me to this amazing phrase of apostle Paul once again. It's not easy to read much less contemplate.

I've noticed that depending on the title I choose for my One Minute With Kaiz videos or titles of my blog posts more or fewer readers access 'em. If the title seems negative, less, if positive, more. I get it. We're stressed enough in this crazy world and who wants to think about pain and suffering?!!

Jesus DID say "In the world you shall have tribulation" and we want to camp out on the second part of His statement: "but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world"!

Well if you study the Book of Revelation you'll eventually notice the terms "overcome", "overcomers" and "overcoming" which in context refers to Jesus motivating and then carrying us beyond the power of the devil, demons, the fallen world around the saints on earth and even our own inclinations to yield to temptation. Wow! And ALLELUIA!

Paul, in writing to the Christ-followers in Philippi: "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." -Phil. 3.10,11

Sign us all up for knowing Jesus, the power of His resurrection and attaining our own resurrection from the dead of course! But hey, accepting anything akin to His sufferings or being conformed to His death... ahhhh... don't we all wish to take a pass on this?

Believe me, I'm no fan of "bring on the pain!" myself -but to relate to Jesus, the "man of sorrows and well-acquainted with grief", the suffering Servant Himself told His disciples and all who would follow Him that this is part of a genuine disciple of Christ's walk with Him. We live in a broken, self-centered, self-gratifying world and when any sort of self-denial is on our menu we tend to shrink away from the call of God. How very clear is all this throughout the Word of God (Bible)? VERY. This is, in part, why the Good News can seem like bad news to those who chase others (or their own tail) rather than seek after and walk in daily relationship with the truth and the only God Who is and ever shall be.

Fact is, if you are a genuine Christian you will have to wrestle with these truths and come to the Lord and His people for help in the moments you'd rather just yield to the ways of a world that has an end. When He decides it's time all suffering for those who loved and obeyed Jesus will also end!

The true, real, eternal kingdom is coming.

As always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn