Daily Rhema: THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS

Mark 14:34 NIV
“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”

We are called to partake of the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings as prerequisite to reigning with Him. However, what are we to suffer? Why should we suffer and how do we suffer? We will begin to examine the scriptural answers to these questions in this article.

What do we suffer?

In Philippians 3:10 the Apostle Paul earnestly desired to know God more by the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings:

Philippians 3:10 (KJV)
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

This scripture reveals to us that it is the power of His resurrection that enables us to partake of His sufferings. It is obvious therefore that we can experience that power of His resurrection in this life, as there will be no more sufferings in the life to come, both during the millennium and in the eternal Kingdom of God.

Furthermore, we can deduce from this that by the power of His resurrection, we can and should be victorious in whatever suffering we partake of. This is because the power of His resurrection is more than enough to overcome any force or problem.

In the light of this, we can now begin to see what we are called to suffer. We are called to suffer Satanic affliction and persecution which arises because we are committed to doing the Word of God (Mark 4:17).

Affliction is bodily or circumstantial harm, or trouble. Persecution is criticism and rejection that could also degenerate to physical violence against you. Serious Christians who are committed to doing the Word of God will suffer these things.

In fact, the more committed you are the greater the intensity of your afflictions and persecutions (2Cor. 11:23-30).

2 Timothy 3:12 (KJV)
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

This is because Satan wants to discourage Christians from being serious with the Word of God (1Thes. 3:3-6).

He does not mind them getting material and physical blessings, so long as they do not grow spiritually into the measure of the stature and fullness of Christ, and so do not fulfil the destiny of preaching and demonstrating the gospel of the Kingdom to all nations.

Like the children of Israel in the wilderness, they can get daily manna, remain physically healthy, enjoy the presence of the cloud of glory during the day and pillar of fire at night, but continue to roam around in the wilderness and perish there without ever getting to the Promised Land: the perfection and fullness of Christ.

It is vital to see that while we will suffer the attacks of affliction and persecution, we are to be victorious over them! We are not to suffer defeat from sickness, poverty or death, since we have been redeemed from the curse of the Law. In fact, the Lord Jesus suffered these things for us, so that we would not have to suffer them (John 16:33).

2Timothy 4:18 (KJV)
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 34:19 (KJV)
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

So we are to suffer Satanic attacks of affliction and persecution, but we are not to be defeated by the attacks. So we are not to suffer sickness, poverty or premature physical death, but rather we are to overcome the attacks that want to bring these things into our lives.

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