31+++And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32+++And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
33+++But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
34+++And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
35+++“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
36+++“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?
37+++“For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
38+++“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
Christ reveals his mind to his people gradually. From that time, when the apostles had made the full confession of Christ, that he was the Son of God, he began to show them of his sufferings.
He spake this to set right the mistakes of his disciples about the outward pomp and power of his kingdom. Those that follow Christ, must not expect great or high things in this world.
Peter would have Christ to dread suffering as much as he did; but we mistake, if we measure Christ's love and patience by our own. We do not read of any thing said or done by any of his disciples, at any time, that Christ resented so much as this. Whoever takes us from that which is good, and would make us fear to do too much for God, speaks Satan's language.
He sees that amiss in what we say and do, of which we ourselves are not aware, and knows what manner of spirit we are of, when we ourselves do not. The wisdom of man is folly, when it pretends to limit the Divine counsels. Peter did not rightly understand the nature of Christ's kingdom.
Frequent notice is taken of the great flocking there was to Christ for help in various cases. All are concerned to know this, if they expect him to heal their souls. They must not indulge the ease of the body.
Because the cross is sharp and afflicting, our Lord animates his followers to bear it by the thought of its great and everlasting rewards. The meaning of the verse is this: he who by trying to shun the cross and to escape self-denial would save his life here, will lose it hereafter. But he who loses his life here for the sake of Christ, either by dying in his cause or by denying and mortifying his lusts out of love for him, he in the life to come shall find his life in the bosom of Christ and in eternal joy.
As the happiness of heaven with Christ, is enough to make up for the loss of life itself for him, so the gain of all the world in sin, will not make up for the ruin of the soul by sin. And there is a day coming, when the cause of Christ will appear as glorious, as some now think it mean and contemptible. May we think of that season, and view every earthly object as we shall do at that great day.
THE LORD'S beautiful, and heartfelt message is that we CAN handle this world, and REMAIN IN HIM, despite the nearly backwards ways we have been raised, and taught by worldly ideals, beliefs, and peoples! HE OVERCAME, for our sake, what intends to take us down, that we have a model to pattern our lives after! Some say that, of course HE was able to overcome, HE IS *GOD*, but don't forget, HE WAS tested, tempted, and tried FAR more than any of us have had to deal with, and while being FULLY *GOD*, HE WAS also, FULLY Man; so that argument doesn't have enough of a foundation to dismiss so easily, HIS NOBLE defeat of what works against us!!!
When we LOVE *GOD* as we should, and as we most certainly, completely can, we find the strength to withstand what this world, it's principalities, and it's twisted ruler use to obscure, delude, confuse, and deceive us with, BECAUSE LOVE, as is learned from CHRIST JESUS, EXISTS in what is right, just, and good, FOR *GOD'S* GLORY, and the greater well-being of others! When we LOVE *GOD* as we ought to, we are NOT so easily distracted by the endless taunting, chiding, and incitements of this world, instead, we are busy within LOVE, and HIS HOLY WILL, as HIS SPIRIT works in us, to Sanctify, and Consecrate us, readying us for what lies ahead, our rightful inheritance!!!
In the mind, and heart of LOVE, as *GOD* COMMANDS of us, we have left the world behind, in spirit, and ARE ON THE HIGH ROAD, THE PATH, which leads to THE KINGDOM, as we, because of LOVE FOR HIM, and THROUGH HIM, have SEEN beyond the false securities, and enchantments of this temporal world, which is slated for destruction! We have CHOSEN HIM, and HIS WILL OVER what is of this rapidly fading world, KNOWING that what lies ahead IS FAR greater than anything possible on this planet, even if we should manage to gather all it's riches into our grasp! HIS WILL BECOMES as our own will, for we have discovered that our will has the potential to destroy the very soul!!!
We look UPWARD, and ahead to HIS GLORY, and fulfillment of HIS PROMISES for the FAITHFUL, as we think, act, and react accordingly, for we have learned by HIS own example, that we ARE enabled, and empowered to BE conquerors OVER what would cause us to suffer, and to bind us to this world eternally! We begin to have MIGHT to resist the aspirations of the enemy, though certainly, we will be tested! We BEAR what we are up against in this plane, as we STRAIN with UPWARD turned motivation, and inspiration to REMAIN IN HIM, HIS WILL, and ON THE PATH of righteousness! LOVE KEEPS, PROTECTS, and TEACHES us as we journey through the valley of the shadow of death! We hear differently, we see differently, and we act differently, because we ARE convinced, innately of our TRUTH!!!
The worst is yet to come as evil increases, and everything, and everyone is shaken by trials, and tribulations; thus, we are to be ready, that we are found standing when all else is loosed!!!
Yes, it is the mind IN LOVE, which distinguishes us, and leads us, and sees us producing in HIS HOLY NAME! PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS, WORSHIP HIS HOLINESS, REJOICE IN HIS LOVE, and CARE for us, HONOUR HIM with the cross daily, hourly, and until HE returns! THANK HIM, and be GRATEFUL FOR HIS PRESENCE, GUIDANCE, GRACE, MERCY, and TIRELESS DELIVERANCE! STAND STRONG, and KNOW that HE IS *GOD*, and that *GOD* IS WORTHY of every improvement necessary!!!
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