There is a lack of passion for Christ's Passion in the Protestant Churches these days. With the exception of the Lutheran and Anglican Churches, most churches are focused on Ressurection Sunday, what is now called Easter (a pagan name, Eastre is pagan goddess of spring). The Ressurection is important, and should be celebrated, but so should the Passion, for without it there is no Ressurection! But I want to delve into the Passion in a different vien, pardon the pun. The Passion of Christ is more than the physical Crucifixion and labor, it is the path to eternal life, it is where Christ poured out his blood as the all sufficient sacrifice, and that we are washed clean. Why is this not then celebrated? Shoud we not be rejoicing on Good Friday and Ressurection Sunday?
Contained in the Passion is also an important lesson for the Christian walk. We are suppose to bear a cross, we are suppose to incur loss, and toss aside any "lofty thing that raises itself against the knowledge of God." (). We are called to be cross bearers, "Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me," (Matthew 16:24), "Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me," (Matthew 10:38), and "And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:27). Christ informs us that we must take up and carry our cross or we are not worthy of him and cannot be his disciple! And yet this is not preached from pulpit, instead prosperity and a pampered life is taught if you tithe and attend church regularly. We are meant to share in Christ's passion, not to save ourselves, but to find in suffering a closeness with Christ that cannot be achieved in satisfying our desire for luxary, decadence, and pleasure. It is carrying the cross that makes this world lost () and draws us closer to our Savior.
The Apostle Pau leads us to mediate and practice the Passion of Christ, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world," (Galatians 6:14), and "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:8). St. Paul explores this concept of being crucified in other parts of Scripture, particularly, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20). Paul is clearly leading us to mystery of Christ's Passion, that contain therewithen is message of Gospel, and model for the kind of life a Christian must live! So often churches only focus on the Passion to talk about Salvation, which is good, but they fail to see the Pilgrim's Path, the road of Christian is paved in the Passion of Christ! Paul supports this vividly when he says, "From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus." (Galtians 6:17). The Apostles actually rejoiced to share in a small meause the Passion of Christ, "The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus." (Acts 5:41). What a polar opposite attitude of the church today. Most beleivers in America, I exclude the Asia, Middle East, and other countries which embrace suffering, think suffering means you are in disfavor with Christ. What?! After all scriptures I just shared indicating it means favor?! The Church of today has Constantinian viel, they view Emperor Constantine's end of the persecution of Christians as God's favor, when actually the martyrs for four hundred year persecution (90-331 A.D.) saw suffering as sure sign of serving Christ, and with good reason, the Apostles affirm it as so, even St. Peter says, "If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you," (1 Peter 4:14) and "However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name." (1 Peter 4:16). There again is that blessing of suffering for Name of Christ mentioned in Acts! The Apostle Paul even says, "Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus." (2 timothy 2:3). You wonder why in Middle Ages people invented suffering like in Monasticism, and even went on harsh pilgrimages, did harsh pennaces, and even bankrupted themselves for Crusades? The answer is that they saw the model of suffering in the Passion of Christ and for those who could read, the passages of Scripture. Pastor Geoff Holmes said, "Monasticism and asceticism which have Christians choosing suffering and imposing pain on themselves came out of fear that because the persecution ended with Constantine, that Christians would grow soft, and no longer be close to Savior, they would in effect not suffer for His Name anymore." Perhaps this changes your view that these Monks, Nuns, and hermits were harsh nutcases, and that really they had concern for what is written in Holy Scripture.
We are urged towards Christ's passion. The words of Paul are striking, "So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God," (2 Timothy 1:8), "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned," (2 Timothy 2:8-9), and "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory," (2 Timothy 1:10). Paul does not mind the chains of Passion, for Christ wore them too, "So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him, and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year." (John 18:12-13). Those who are in prision be comforted, for you are following in footsteps of Christ and St. Paul! The Passion of Christ is our passion! We are to follow our Lord into whatever suffering lies before us, and how does the Church in West shirk from this! They teach instead to seek prosperity, "name it and claim it" and the "storehouses of heaven will pour out." (). They obiously are not reading the rest of Bible, for Jesus promises us suffering, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first," (John 15:18), "You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved," (Matthew 10:22), "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me," (Matthew 24:9), and "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." (John 15:19). And yet this is not the standard preaching or teaching in churches in America and any churches infected by the prosperity gospel (doctrine) and social gospel. Many pastors and preachers do harm by preaching that to follow the Prince of Peace means prosperity in finances, health, and life; for actually the prosperity is one of the spirit, soul, and inner life (sometimes finances too, but that's not the main goal), "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it," (Matthew 16;25) and "Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:39).
I have written extensively on suffering, because this is the Age of Suffering. For those lost in world it is the Age of Insatiability, but for us, Christ's followers it is suffering, because the world around us has its crosshairs on us who bear the cross. Watch how easily those promised no tribulation, suffering, and hardships or losses fall away, casting their crosses aside (I have heard of many of them, and witnessed many in person). Jesus spoke of this, "At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other," (Matthew 24:10), "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons," (1 Timothy 4:1), and "But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith." (Luke 18:8, NLT). Great harm has been done by preachers preaching aganinst the Passion, disregarding the cross, and even covering it all up with promises of paradise on earth before the Prince of Peace even returns! Suffering is a promise, Jesus told us we would suffer for His sake, and because this is not preached and crosses are hidden from view in Evangelical Churches, Charismatic Churches, Pentecostal Churches, and more; the notion has entered people's heads that they will not experience any hardships or cross bearing, and so when something happens like they lose a loved one, a child even, or their crash their car, or tornado takes away all they own, their response is, "Why God why?" He already told you why! He said you would suffer, be persecuted, and that if you try to "Save your life, you will lose it." He also urged you not to store up treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19-21), but that in addition to the Passion and Cross most in West pay not heed (ugh).
The Church in the United States and any countries infected with the false gospels of Prosperity and Social Action are going to be shaken radically when the persecution hits at full furnace levels! They will be crying, "Pastor Joe said it was going to be jubilation and joy, but this is painful!" The shaking is happening already as Scripture fortold, "And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN." This expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain." (Hebrews 12:26-27). Those who have their faith and passion in created doctrines of prosperity, earthly treasures, and the decadent life will be shaken, but those who pick up their cross and prepare for the loss standing on the Rock of Christ will not be shaken or destroyed by the storm that is coming. So get with it Church! The Passion is the plan, the blueprint laid out for how we are to respond. We are to follow our Savior's blood stained footsteps to our calvary, and let Christ show us what must be crucified and counted as lost in our lives so that we may Gain Christ. (Phillipains 3:8, 1 Corinthians 15:31).
I have written extensively on suffering, because this is the Age of Suffering. For those lost in world it is the Age of Insatiability, but for us, Christ's followers it is suffering, because the world around us has its crosshairs on us who bear the cross. Watch how easily those promised no tribulation, suffering, and hardships or losses fall away, casting their crosses aside (I have heard of many of them, and witnessed many in person). Jesus spoke of this, "At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other," (Matthew 24:10), "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons," (1 Timothy 4:1), and "But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith." (Luke 18:8, NLT). Great harm has been done by preachers preaching aganinst the Passion, disregarding the cross, and even covering it all up with promises of paradise on earth before the Prince of Peace even returns! Suffering is a promise, Jesus told us we would suffer for His sake, and because this is not preached and crosses are hidden from view in Evangelical Churches, Charismatic Churches, Pentecostal Churches, and more; the notion has entered people's heads that they will not experience any hardships or cross bearing, and so when something happens like they lose a loved one, a child even, or their crash their car, or tornado takes away all they own, their response is, "Why God why?" He already told you why! He said you would suffer, be persecuted, and that if you try to "Save your life, you will lose it." He also urged you not to store up treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19-21), but that in addition to the Passion and Cross most in West pay not heed (ugh).
The Church in the United States and any countries infected with the false gospels of Prosperity and Social Action are going to be shaken radically when the persecution hits at full furnace levels! They will be crying, "Pastor Joe said it was going to be jubilation and joy, but this is painful!" The shaking is happening already as Scripture fortold, "And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN." This expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain." (Hebrews 12:26-27). Those who have their faith and passion in created doctrines of prosperity, earthly treasures, and the decadent life will be shaken, but those who pick up their cross and prepare for the loss standing on the Rock of Christ will not be shaken or destroyed by the storm that is coming. So get with it Church! The Passion is the plan, the blueprint laid out for how we are to respond. We are to follow our Savior's blood stained footsteps to our calvary, and let Christ show us what must be crucified and counted as lost in our lives so that we may Gain Christ. (Phillipains 3:8, 1 Corinthians 15:31).
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