CARRY THE CROSS TO CONQUER THE CROWN!

Pain is part and parcel of life! How about suffering?

Human experience is not an exclusive of painless life and suffering. Especially when it comes to the life of a believer it is no exception. People are so often perplexed concerning the Christian suffering and the general suffering in the world. A natural man can endure pain but cannot endure suffering. Suffering in other hand is a gift for a spiritual Christian.Only a matured Christian can be willing to suffer it is impossible for a natural man to endure suffering as a Christian suffers. That’s what the spiritual Christian is spiritually blessed during the times of suffering. 

Is your cross unbearable day by day?

Once a young woman approaches a Spiritual counselor and says “My cross is unbearable day by day” because of my
husband .Before marriage   was a great lover but suddenly all that romance and love has been faded away with in short span of time all the bad has been ruining his life he doesn’t love me anymore and my children disobedience causing me...... she says “My cross, my cross, and my cross!”

Then the counselor says stop focusing on your cross and start focusing on the cross of Christ!

Good Friday & Easter is the great spiritual festivals celebrated by Christians with a heart of gratitude around the world focusing on Christ cross and subsequent resurrection!

The cross was the gruesome torture of punishment of death given to the hardcore criminals since the time of Alexander the great down to the reign of Emperor Constantine until 4^th century A.D. However Constantine banned the crucifixion as modus operandi of punishing the criminals.

Apostle Paul in the epistle to Corinthians boldly proclaims that “We are preaching the Christ crucified an obstacle for Jews and foolishness to Greeks” (I Cor 1:23).

The cross was foolishness to Greeks

There  is a strong Historical Background when Paul said it with the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit.The cross is a foolishness to Greeks! Why it is foolishness to Greeks?

The Greek culture & philosophy had great historicity in regard to worship God. The Greek culture has been blessed with people like Aristotle, Plato, Alexander the great, Agammemnon, Achilles,Socrates.they have the mythology of goddess like Zeus, Poseidon, Hestia, Hermes, Hephaestus, Artemis, Persius etc.

The history of the mythology of Greek goddess

Persius on Pegasus fighting the Tartarus

According to Greek philosophy talking about suffering God is a mere foolishness because God never suffers, God is all powerful and Omniscient. "The wrath of Titans" by Warner Brothers is a movie based on Greek mythology about Greek god Zeus arrest by his own brother Hades at Tartarus (Hell) because Zeus banished his own brother Hades into the underworld of Tartarus.Zeus forgives his banished brother in return his brother Hades forgives Zeus and save Zeus from the Tartarus and join hands with Zeus to fight against their long banished father Kronos (Taratarus). 

Demolished Palace of greek godess

The story is all about these gods Zeus, his banished and reconciled brother Hades, Persius and the two winged horse Pegasus performance delivering the people of earth from the goddess of revived hell (Tartarus).Tartarus was vividly, excellently portrayed  in the movie “The wrath of titans” based on the Greek philosophy. The goddess Zeus, demi god son of zeus-Persius and Pegasus fights with their power with the power of hell and exterminating a villain  brother of Persius and godly son of Zeus called "Ares" who makes secret dealing with kronos to capture Zeus and handing over him to kronos (Tartarus). 

Iam all about to explain that the Greek philosophy mocks at the suffering of God so as many religions around the world mock at the suffering of Jesus on the cross. Even before my regeneration I mocked at the suffering of Christ saying if Jesus is God why he is suffering .Why can’t he save himself and these Christians are all foolish people worshiping a suffering helpless God. The natural man cannot comprehend the things of God as the Bible states. The Greeks believed God is up there in heaven but reveals as half God and man but never suffers. But the Bible says God became God-Man as Jesus in the Hypostatic union giving a greater significance the way of Christ suffered. 

He saved others but can't save himself?  Matt 27

 Pain and suffering are the synonymous words used commonly to distinguish the state of affliction. When distinguishing this two words “Pain” and “suffering” they have lot of difference in meaning. Pain is a physical sensation of being hurt while suffering is the mental consciousness of the pain. Animals feel pain but they do not suffer the mental anguish because they cannot reflect upon their mental trauma and bring meaning from their painful experiences. But Man feels pain (physically) and suffer (mental trauma) and our actions reflect worlds of meaning to the suffering.

Jesus endured the pain ( A portray from "The Passion of Christ)

To more clearly distinguishing between pain and suffering we need to focus on Jesus Christ the the God-Man endured both pain and suffering for us .On the Friday which we celebrate as Good Friday worldwide he experienced the pain of being brutally beaten with the roman whip, Crowned with thorns, stripped naked, received fist of blows, spat on his face, forced to carry the cross, nailed to hands and feet, spear was plucked into his stomach, the back was whipped with roman hunter. All this was a gruesome physical pain he endured for us.

Besides this he endured the suffering in the form of humiliation, false witnessing, betrayal, denial and complete abandonment from God the Father.When Jesus Christ carried the sins of the world on him as the lamb of God he said:

Jesus was abandoned for us Matt 27:45-46.

"Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying,  'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' that is,  'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?' " (Matthew 27:45-46).

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During the life and ministry of Jesus Christ He strictly instructed His Disciples “Take up your cross” (Mark8:34) saying: 

“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it”(Mark 8:34-35).

Suffering with the Love of God

Carrying cross has a great spiritual implication to the Christian.As Rick warren said: “Everyone wants to become leaders, few wants to become servants, God is not looking for servants leaders, He is looking for servants!”.If anyone wants to gain something precious or spiritual blessed then one must pay a price. Jesus explains that grains of wheat die to produce golden harvests and that remaining in true and perfect love of God embraces the readiness to suffer and to the extent of sacrifice oneself and to the self of “Aim” ,Even to die for our beloved ones.

Everyone suffers in this world and we cannot expect a pain free life. To expect a life without pain and suffering is a delusion of euphoria constructed of a building in a day dream which quickly falls soon. Then what  we can purposefully do as the pain and suffering is inevitable in this world is to stand against the pain by joining hands with the  Spiritual movements, missions and ministries of the Kingdom of God fulfilling the great commission  which rightfully  fights the injustice ,forces of destruction and death. When we rightfully take stand and do the right things in a right manner we will surely face physical pain of persecution and mental suffering of opposition, humiliation, betrayal, denial, Ostracism, may even face death from evil forces but the love of God never failed.Jesus bravely carried the cross, before God conferred on him the “Golden crown of life” 

Jesus Christ conquered death and Crowned

"I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one "like a son of man" with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand".(Rev 14:14).

"I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest"(Rev 6:2).

Good Friday is incomplete without Easter Sunday the day of resurrection of Jesus Christmas Jesus was crowned after resurrection carrying  His cross in our life it reduces our rain and lightens our suffering.Millions around the world including Jews,Christians,Muslims,Hindus,Buddhists,Atheists follow Jesus & His teachings, believe Him as the savior of the world and worship Him day and night not because of the supreme powers  Jesus have but because Jesus chose to endure pain & suffering on the Calvary cross for the redemption of mankind from the slave market of sin.

Since Jesus chose the path of suffering God bestowed Him the Name above all names in the universe.

Jesus the Name above all names! Phil 2:9

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil 2:5-11). 

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy and my burden is light"(Matt 11:28).

May we confidently carry our day to day crosses as filled with the hope of being crowned like Christ.

"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him" ( Phil 1:29).

"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever"( I Cor 9:25).

Jesus Christ is resurrected from the power of Tartarus and is Crowned above all names.

                                Therefore Carry the  CROSS to conquer the CROWN!      

Wish you all the Happy Good Friday and Resurrection day Of Jesus 2012