Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him… Is. 53:10
Moses never went through the sufferings that his brethren underwent under Pharaoh’s brutal oppression. But soon enough he would undergo sufferings of his own, probably more severe than the Israelites were going through. Soon he would fall from a position of unlimited power and luxury to become a poor shepherd “boy”. He would know rejection, and loneliness. He would know the simple life like he had never known it in his life. It would be a system shock for him.
When Moses killed the Egyptian in defense of his people, he thought he knew God; but God told him no. In the wilderness, after the liberation of the children of Israel, Moses would know more suffering. He would know opposition. He would know hunger and thirst (40 days he spent in the presence of the Lord without food or water). Moses would pass through much for him to claim to know God.
In other words, in order for Moses to fit in with God’s plan for his life, he had to suffer. This is so important for the church to grasp. If it pleased God to “bruise” Jesus, it can hardly be supposed that we will not be “bruised” in like manner. Yes, we will, and we must be willing and prepared to pass through the same sufferings in the flesh that Christ went through. If we truly desire to be conformed to the image of Christ, we will rejoice at this revelation.
But the charismatic gospel that teaches the good life simply has no idea of this singular fact which confronts every child of God who desires to please God. That is why the bulk of today’s gospel is at fault. It does not recognize that our lives are to be identified with the sufferings and death of Christ on the cross. Nearly everything else is taught in church today, except that. But the sufferings of Christ are the essence of the gospel.
I can comfortably say that the majority of the church today has not grasped the revelation that the Apostle Paul received concerning our identification with Christ in His sufferings and death. But suffering and dying with Christ is the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I have never read of anyone in the Bible who pleased God who did not go through some form of suffering.
“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him…”
The Bible also says, “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted” (Heb. 2:18). Who are tempted? It is we. And how are we tempted? It is through the sufferings that we undergo in the flesh that our faith is tried.
In the clip below I want to show that the comfortable gospel that many of today’s major Pentecostal preachers are preaching something that clearly goes against the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The vein of their doctrine is the good worldly life. No hint of welcome for the sufferings of Christ.
Someone, in trying to defend these preachers, talked of context. But there is no issue of context here. You do not need context to know where these men and women are headed.
The real tragedy here is that these are the kind of churches where the majority of Christians are concentrated. This is where many of God’s people are being comfortably robbed of their spiritual inheritance.
So what should we do? The Bible says “come out from among them” (2 Cor. 6:17). Yes. Come out from these kinds of churches. That’s painful and difficult, but it is the only way.
Way too many of God’s children are sitting comfortably by as worldly preachers whittle away their spiritual inheritance while promising them the temporal things of this world.
[Below: No suffering!]
Cross of Christ 
You already know we are fully on the same side here. Those who serve Jesus will be persecuted, and the ones whom God loves will be tested (disciplined). That I know and live. The growth edge for me is to rejoice in the trouble as the early apostles model.
The sad thing about your movie clip is that information has been public for decades, and people still buy into it and give the frauds honour, obedience and glory. But only Jesus deserves that!! No pastor, no preacher, no religious business system deserves any of what they demand – and brag about getting! Wake up, believers!
Peace
Actually, David, it is a false spirit at work here, and we should be grateful the Lord has opened our spiritual eyes to understand these things. Jesus told His disciples, “Blessed are ye that see and hear these things!” We can only thank God and desire to serve Him in uttermost humility for this undeserved grace that He has given us. Countless believers are bound in spiritual blindness.
Alas, that is the sadness, that people have tasted of the beauty of Christ and have traded it for carnal experiences. And we pray for those who mislead the beloved, for God holds them to account! People forget how clearly Jesus taught, “Where your treasure is there will your heart be.” And yes, we battle deception as well, as you point out. As the New Testament repeatedly warns, “Be alert”!!!!!
Peace
A happy new Year to you, David!
A blessed change of calendar to you, as well, my friend.
Peace
A non suffering Christian is an oxymoron. The closer we get to Christ the more we will suffer. The more we suffer the closer Christ brings us to Him.
Yes we will suffer but it is not God who afflicts us as we can see in the Scriptures below but he does let us reap the evil we sow, that’s His discipline and so we are bruised by our own sin, until like the Prodigal Son we come to our senses. He created us that way so we will have Joy when we do good but there is always an opposite,
Lamentations 3: 33 For God doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
Others hurt us accidents and chance happen and Satan puts us to the test like he did Jesus, Job, Abraham, Peter, Paul etc Yes it’s Satan not God who temps us and puts us to the test, as we see confirmed in the Scriptures below, the same as it is slander to even say that Christians do evil to bring good out of it, God is Love and can do no evil, He knows we will suffer but promises to be with us through it all (see below) and to bring good out of it because when we suffer He gives us more strength and our Faith increases as we endure through Him but those who choose to reject Jesus will suffer eternally, their choice not God’s it’s not His will anyone perishes which means to be eternally seperated from Him in Hell.
James 1:12-14 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
1 Peter 1:6- 7 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:(KJV)
1 Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, in as much as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy
Isaiah 43:1-3 – Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.”
Christian Love in Christ Jesus – Anne.