“If we Suffer, we shall also Reign with Him” [podcast]
Suffering is Required
Suffering with the Savior – Suffering the death of our own will in order for God’s will to be done. Following Jesus.
“And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” Luke 22:41-42
Dead, Buried, and Raised Up with/by Christ!
Is He worth it?
Paul says:
“IF we Suffer, we shall also Reign with Him”
When the Holy Spirit led Paul to pen these words, what did He mean? What is the biblical context? How does this truth apply to me, to my personal life and responsibility to my LORD Jesus?
“It is a faithful saying: For IF we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 IF we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:11-13
If I am unwilling to “suffer” I shall not “reign with him.” This would clearly prove that I do not love Christ supremely, which He requires (Matthew 22:37-40; Luke 14:26; Revelation 2:4-5).
ARE YOU taking Jesus at His own Word? OR, are you listening to wolves who water it down?
“If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26-27
If you don’t take Jesus at HIS OWN WORD, you are going to hell—no matter how strongly you vainly believe you are going Heaven. If you want to be with the Father, Son, the saints, and heavenly hosts, you are going to have to offer you whole being as a living sacrifice unto God, to truly repent, lay down your life in this fallen world, and truly follow Jesus—on His stated terms. Fast and pray (Isaiah 58).
Suffering the Death of Self so Christ is Reigning in You
“God saved us so that we would reflect his glory (the gospel) to those around us that are in darkness. How shall we then, continue in sin? God forbid. He gave us the cross and the Holy Spirit to overcome the evil of sin which dwelleth in our flesh (Rom. 6-8). Only they who hear him, who endure to the end, shall be with him in eternity. (John 8:47; 10:27; Matt 24:13; Rev. 2-3)” Jon Crane
Someone says “But brother, I doubt I will ever be thrown into a lion’s den or in prison or have to suffer like God’s people in the Word. So how should I view suffering? What should be my perspective? What should I do today?”
Suffering the death of self is the suffering God calls His people to—and all other sufferings are thereafter, and we are powered through them victorious via that resurrection power of Christ who raises us up reciprocally are we dead and buried—as we choose to sacrifice self on the altar, at His holy feet. That’s when the great exchange happens—His power taking over as you are vanquished down deep into His death (Romans 6). It’s only through the cross life that we can be raised upward in His resurrection power which propels us through any and all things He allows us to be brought through.
“Dear Jesus. I give you all of me to be totally surrendered to you. I thank you for all the pain I have had to go through because You used it. It has gotten me to the place to be willing to nail myself at the cross of Christ. And to be resurrected and made new! The old self is dying and You are making me more into Your likeness everyday. I owe it all to You Jesus!” Karen Cochran
God is teaching His true remnant that you cannot dabble with the cross message but you must become immersed in it and camp out on it.
“Downward… Upward”
GOD’S KINGDOM FUNCTIONS ON A CROSS ECONOMY
It’s in dying “DOWNward” that Christ raises up “UPward.”
“And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root DOWNward, and bear fruit UPWARD.” Isaiah 37:31
Read that verse again, slowly.
The “remnant” of Christ has come out of the professing church (Judah) and is following Jesus by way of the cross, the crucified life—as they “take root downward (death and burial), and bear fruit upward (resurrection).”
Anyone living in any sin, is the servant of sin and not the Savior. Read also 1 John 3.
“Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” John 8:34
“Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;” 1 Peter 4:1
Who “hath ceased from sin”? Only those who suffer the death of the flesh.
“Arm yourselves likewise with the same mind.” Those camping on Christ’s cross message alone are armed, are equipped and therefore not shocked when they suffer, when they are allowed to go through seasons of fiery trials. God will raise them up through those fiery trials.
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30
Are you becoming addicted to Christ, to experiencing His resurrection power and you choose daily the cross, the going down with Him in death and burial?
“We absorb the blows! Not return them. Didn’t Jesus absorb the blows? As scripture says ‘He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth;’ (Isaiah 53:7). This is only possible through the cross! Where you die! And you no longer need to retaliate because you are able to love people with the love of Jesus! You absorb the blows.” Karen Cochran
“WITH Christ”
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried WITH HIM by baptism (immersion, burial) into death (cross): THAT like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.” Romans 6:3-7
Sin and Satan cannot conquer or control those who live the cross because as they surrender daily in the crucified life, they are being daily raised up by the resurrection power of Christ the LORD! Nothing could stop His resurrection and nothing shall ever stop His resurrection power in the lives of His beloved saints—the “remnant” who are known by their dying downward and “bearing fruit UPward.”
Let’s make certain we are grasping this cross truth illustrated in Isaiah 37:31: Christ’s “remnant” defined:
“And THE REMNANT that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again TAKE ROOT DOWNWARD (death and burial), and BEAR FRUIT UPWARD:” Isaiah 37:31
If today I am not crying out to the LORD and learning to die downward—to be dead and buried “with Christ”—I am not truly following Him, no matter what other professed religious “form of godliness” I have going on (2 Timothy 3:5).
- Going to church doesn’t replace the necessity of the cross.
- Putting out social media truth about Jesus doesn’t replace the necessity of the cross.
- Wearing a Christian tee shirt or cross around my neck doesn’t replace the necessity of the cross.
- Reading God’s Word and praying doesn’t replace the necessity of the cross, because the cross is obedience to God to what He mandated in His Word.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
Memorize Galatians 2:20 above and Colossians 3:3 below:
“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3
Being “hid with Christ in God” is how the LORD powers us through, past the many afflictions to be suffered by Christ’s saints.
“There is a beauty in being rejected, misunderstood, unseen, and unsupported by people. It teaches you to rely on God for everything.” unknown
Shall you be free from the sin that has brought death to your life?
“For he that is dead is freed from sin.” Romans 6:7
Submitting yourself to God is submitting to death and burial and resurrection with Christ.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
It doesn’t matter that we nearly never ever, even hear the message of the cross on social media or from the pulpits of the apostate modern church. God has not and will not change. You must choose to die and be buried as He commanded in order to be raised up in His holy power! Read Romans 6 each morning this week prayerfully.
You, I, cannot walk with Jesus other than obeying Him—obeying His cross He mandated (John 14:15).
The crucified life is the only answer for overcoming any and all sin. Jesus and His holy apostles prescribed, commanded it, and we must take it up “daily” to follow our LORD or we are not truly following Him (Luke 9:23-24).
Memorize Galatians 2:20 and read Romans 6 prayerful each morning. KJB
“All of these ads for porn addiction really raises a red flag for profiting off of someone else’s infirmity (sin).” Fred
Fred is correct. These companies never give the Bible answer—the only solution God gave—the cross, the crucified life. This begins upon true repentance and placing all trust in the LORD Jesus (Acts 20:21, etc.).
If we don’t literally apply the cross principle daily, it clearly proves our love for this world over Christ. Such people have made their choice, regardless of their mere verbal profession.
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” 1 John 2:15-17
The cross-less, “the enemies of the cross of Christ” prove they do not love Jesus supremely, that He is not their “first love” (Philippians 3:18-19; Revelation 2:4-5).
DEAR ETERNAL SECURITY HERETIC: You are actually teaching the first lie of Satan in the Garden, which led to the fall of mankind into sin. See what God said then see what Satan said and what his false teachers say – Genesis 2:17; 3:4. Case closed. Repent now before it’s too late. EVERY false teacher is going to hell – will have “damnation.” (2 Peter 2:1-3)

Eternal Security is the First Doctrine of the Devil
Memorize Romans 6:7 today. KJB
YOUR PRAYER: Holy Father, please take me down deep into the death of Christ – that this life You gave might be raised up in Your divine power! Have all of me dear LORD Jesus. I am all Yours and I know You are all mine. Into Your holy hands I now commend, submit my spirit. In Jesus’ name.
Support | STORE | Podcasts | Jail/Prison Ministry | Mexico Mission here | All Ministry Updates | Because You Care Page | Bible/Word of God | Gifts | Prophetic or Pathetic? | Christology | Final Divine Authority | The Cross Life | Knowing God



Abiding
Fruitfulness is Found in Abiding in Christ [podcast]
“A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.” Proverbs 28:20
Jesus is the True Vine
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” John 15:1-7
“The understanding is, if I am truly abiding in Christ (the Vine, my first love) then the fruit will come from Him, and not from me—of my own making—but through me. Again, it’s relationship with Christ that is the root of the matter, and not just outwardly keeping a list of rules (living under the law).
‘Abiding fruitfulness’—so loaded with meaning!
-
- for your own state of abiding in Christ
- for the fruit that is brought forth because you are abiding in Christ (the Vine) Who gives life to and bears the fruit
- that the fruit itself (fruit of the Spirit, souls of men and all good works that are born of the Spirit) will abide (remain) and flourish in God’s kingdom on earth and in eternity.” Debbie L.
IF JESUS is purging you, rejoice—because that means He’s born good fruit in your life and wants to bring forth more! Boom.
“Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” John 15:2
*Read that again.
IF you are not a DOER of God’s Word, it proves you are not saved and are a lukewarm hell bound rebel. Repent now and bring forth fruit to prove it (Matthew 3:7-10; 7:21; Titus 1:16; 1 John 2:4; Revelation 2:26, etc.).
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” James 1:22
HOW DID JESUS tell us to know/discern ourselves and others?
The FRUIT of our lives (Matthew 7:16,20).
The root determines the fruit.
Are you rooted in Christ?
Our works are the good fruit born out of Christ’s salvation and present work in our lives. Those good works do not save us but are a mere outworking of His great salvation in us.
FRUIT vs GIFTS
There are lots of people bragging about their GIFTS which alone tells you they are not in Christ who taught that the greatest among us will be the SERVANT of all—the FRUIT of God’s love in the true remnant disciple (Matthew 20:24-28; 23:8-12).
Gospel Hint: God is interested in a real relationship with those who choose Him. That relationship will always bear good fruit. FRUIT is the crop of an abiding relationship with Jesus which is the stated reason that God the Father sent His only begotten Son (John 15:1-16; 17:3). Anyone can operate in or even fake gifts. Gifts are glitter. Fruit is foundation! The root determines the fruit. What fruit is being born, produced in your life? Are you asking God to make you one with Him? Read John 17.
In the divine economy, FRUIT is much more important than GIFT because good FRUIT can only come out of relationship.
GOD is interested in FRUIT that only comes from a ROOTED abiding relationship! See Matthew 3:7-10; John 15, etc. Jesus foretold that on Judgment Day “MANY” will call out to Him with “Lord, Lord” as they boast of the GIFTS they operated in. “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:19-23).
Taking up the cross, suffering the death of self, is not earning us salvation… it’s simply rendering worship-filled “obedience to the faith” (Romans 1:5) – faith in the ONE who bled on that cross to earn salvation for us, all by Himself!
Support | STORE | Podcasts | Jail/Prison Ministry | Mexico Mission here | Prayer | Manhood | The Conquering Cross of Christ [podcast] | The Cross Victory | Sin – Man’s Core Problem




Articles
The Only Way Up is Down [podcast]
Chapter 8 from the book Raised Up (narration)
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18
The Down and Up Principle of God’s Kingdom
“And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root DOWNWARD, and bear fruit UPWARD.” Isaiah 37:31
The Scriptures follow a pattern of death and resurrection, a downward death and upward life. See if you can observe such a truth in the following verses:
“The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth UP all those that be bowed DOWN.” Psalms 145:14
Do you possess the blessed desire to be raised up by the Almighty? According to His divine wisdom given us in His precious Precepts, in order to be “raised up” we must first be “bowed down.” The LORD will not raise up any person who is still alive in his own power – He only raises up “those that be bowed down” in sincere humility before His majesty (Ps. 145:14; Jn. 12:23-25; Rom. 8:11).
“Those that be bowed down” will “take root downward” and be raised up in blessed fruitfulness (Isa. 37:31).
In order to “bear fruit upward,” one must first be planted in the house (kingdom) of the LORD and “take root downward” in the rich soil of His truth. The resurrection life of Jesus and ample fruitfulness will be the result.
Going deeper in God necessitates going down deeper into death and burial with Christ! Read Romans 6. There are no shortcuts (Galatians 5:24). Christ’s kingdom is a cross economy – one of utter humility and death to self that He might reign (John 12:23-25; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3, etc.).
“And whosoever shall exalt himself (upward) shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23:12
“He must INCREASE, but I must DECREASE.” John 3:30
“And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat FALL INTO THE GROUND (downward) and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit (upward). He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life (downward) in this world shall keep it unto life eternal (upward).” John 12:23-25
“Humble yourselves (downward heart posture) in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:10
The life of Christ will raise a man upward and this is after that man bows down his life or humbles himself under the mighty hand of God – first at initial salvation then in the consecrated life that brings God glory. Blessed resurrection life is the upward result of the life planted downward and this is the place from which ministry springs. Look at what the apostle Paul wrote in this regard:
“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:10-12
Jesus declared to us that He came to make captives free from sin and Satan – “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (Lk. 4:18; Jn. 8:31-32, 36).There is chain-shattering, freeing power (liberty) in the redeeming blood of Christ and by the power of the Holy Ghost (Lk. 4:18; Jn. 8:36; Acts 26:18; Col. 1:12-14; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rev. 12:11). The divine promise is that when one bows down before the LORD, every yoke shall be broken by Him who is above all (Isa. 58). No stronghold or bond of Satan has power when Christ’s blood is applied in sincere repentance and by the power of the Holy Ghost! The saint who is raised up after being bowed down, will glorify God in rich fruitfulness being “changed into the same image (Christ’s) from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
It is the divine Person of the Holy Ghost who raised up the LORD who was bowed down before His Father in death in order to purchase His Church with His own sinless blood (Acts 20:28). In like manner, it is the Holy Spirit with His resurrection power who raises up those who be bowed down before His throne of grace.
“And he (Jesus) was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God… And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.” Luke 13:10-13, 16-17
There can be no resurrection until there is first a death. A seed is dead or dormant then is planted and then germinates and brings forth bud, then a stalk and ultimately fruit – but first it must be buried downward in order to bear life-giving fruit upward. The life buried with Christ will be lifted up by divine power and bear much fruit to God’s glory (Jn. 15:8).
“But if the Spirit of him that raised UP Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised UP Christ from the dead shall also quicken (make alive upward) your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Romans 8:11
Our LORD had to first die and be buried “downward” in order to be raised “upward” by the Father in resurrection life to raise up and justify all those who would call upon Him in repentance (Rom. 1:4; 8:11; 10:13). In order for fruit to be borne “upward,” the disciple must first be planted “downward” in “the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Isa. 37:31; Phil. 3:10).
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” Romans 6:3-5
“Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” Colossians 2:12
He created man with a choice (Josh. 24:15). In the end there will be “the resurrection of life” and also “the resurrection of damnation” (Jn. 5:28-29). Each of us will be in one of these resurrections – either everlasting life or eternal death (conscience separation from God in hell). The entrance into Heaven or termination into hell will hinge upon whom we served – God or self (Rom. 6:16).
Real promotion comes only from the Giver and Sustainer of all life – from the north (Heaven).
“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Psalms 75:6-7
That person who freely chooses to believe God, taking Christ at His Word, bowing under His infinite Majestic glory, will be raised up both now and forever and eternally glorified with the Alpha and Omega (Phil. 2:5-11; 2 Thess. 2:13-14).
“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.” Psalms 92:12-14
PRAYER: Please draw me deeper into You LORD Jesus. Father in Heaven, You sent Your only begotten Son to die for me in order that I might be raised up in new life in this brief life and eternally. I love You Jesus and ask You to lead me to that crucified life that you lived when here on earth and as You gave Your life blood on the cross to save Your people. Please quicken me by Your Holy Spirit and fill me afresh O LORD, that this life You gave might be fully one with You and fruitful and pleasing to Thee. Lord, I am watching and praying in light of Your soon return. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
If you truly desire to know more about how to really know the LORD, go here okay: Born Again: What is It?
Sign up for free email devotional HERE… The Moments with My Master email devotional is sent out for the edification of the body of Christ.
Feedback:
“Awesome message. Thank you for sharing it. I would like to encourage everyone to read this and to look at the scriptures in their own Bibles! Wonderful message.” Linda C.
Support | STORE | Podcasts | Jail/Prison Ministry | Mexico Mission here | All Ministry Updates | Prayer | Manhood | The Conquering Cross of Christ [podcast] | The Cross Victory | Sin – Man’s Core Problem





Articles
Mother Sings to her Baby [video]
Dare you to try to stop this from playing continually….
If we’ve given our children everything in this world and not JESUS, we’ve failed miserable and clearly prove to be lost souls ourselves.
Support | STORE | Podcasts | Jail/Prison Ministry | Mexico Mission here | All Ministry Updates | Because You Care Page | Bible/Word of God | Gifts | Prophetic or Pathetic? | Christology | Final Divine Authority | At His Feet | Prepared to be Used of God | Grace and Truth Bible School [modules] | 7 Study Guides to a Greater Foundation in Christ | Knowing God | The Cross Life |

-
America11 months agoThe Drugging of America: The Pharmakeia Sorcery Deception [podcast]
-
Articles2 years agoChildren being Rescued in Tunnels: Happening Now – UPDATE!
-
Articles8 years agoSelf-Examination in Preparation for the Lord’s Return
-
Apostasy2 years agoSHOCKING List of False Prophets Most Believe are True




