Who Are WE To Complain About Suffering?

Thank you so much for tuning in and Welcome everyone – Hope you’re well!  I’m your host, Ben Lively, and you’re listening to “Shaken Awake” – Episode #59!  

 

I want to thank you for tuning in with us today, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing right this very moment.  It means everything to me to share the messages that God’s lays on my heart to share.  

 

And, as always, I promise you another great show – But, more than anything, my HOPE for you today, and always, is that you have an actual encounter with the Lord, not just another podcast episode.   

 

Quick ask – if you’ve found value in these episodes, would you take 30 seconds after the show to go to submit a quick review and star-rating in your app.  This is what potential listeners look for when deciding whether to give a show a listen – which is confirmation from other listeners that it can bring value.  Would you do that for me, IF and only IF you find value in these episodes?  I can’t thank you enough.

 

So, without further delay, let’s get ready to invite God in with us, right here, right now and allow Him to speak directly to your heart and minds.   

 

So, today’s topic is on “Who Are WE To Complain About Suffering?”

This will tie into the next Shaken Awake Episode as it’s a two-part message.  One is about abuse we suffer, and the other is about abuse we should be willing to suffer – all for the name of Christ.

 

When I say suffer, several descriptive words come to mind that I’m sure you’ll relate to – heck, you can probably add to the list!  Some are:  betrayed, falsely accused, rejected, abused, humiliated, right?  In fact, I’m certain that many if not all of you can raise your hand right now and say that you have been in such suffering and/or that you are experiencing that suffering right now.  We all have degrees of suffering – both in our past and our present.  And the longer we live, it’s assured we will continue to suffer, to some degree. 

 

If you haven’t or arent’, ask yourself why?  I had to.  I had to many times – whether it had been from another Christian, or my the conviction of the Holy Spirit in thought and in reading God’s Word.  Some of my darkest days were that of NON-Suffering.  I was “living my best life” as that awful saying goes today.  I was doing not the work of the Father, but the work of the god of this world – satan.  You see, he had me so comfortable and complacent and ‘satisfied’ with everything and everyone around me, that I rejected anything and everyone that I perceived as a possibility of me suffering.  Here’s the transparent comment I need to make – when I look back, Jesus was included in that.  I didn’t want to get too ‘religious’ or have a true relationship with our Lord because I knew I’d have to suffer to some degree and relinquish all I had made for myself with creature comforts and this bubble that protected me from suffering.  Can ANYONE OF YOU relate here??    I don’t believe I consciously made the decision to keep my distance from God, but the god of this world always does a perfect job of putting the blinders on his sons and daughters so they cannot see clearly as God intended.  I was caught in as much as most non-Christians are today, in a cycle of living that was for ME.  It wasn’t to live a life for Christ.  It was to life the best life for ME, and to suffer as little as possible.  Again, because I thought John 3:16 was literal in that because I believed Jesus Christ died on the cross, rose again, and His blood covered all our sins, it was my ‘Admit One’ into Heaven.  That’s where the devil deceived me as he attempted to do with Christ on several occasions, but namely in the desert as he tempted Jesus many times, most of which he attempted to use the very words of God to make his point.  I fell for it.  All of us did at some point in our life, while many still do.

 

Jesus suffered innumerably while He lived His short life here on Earth over 2,000 years ago.  I’d go to say, there isn’t a person alive now, or has ever been, that would’ve been able to endure what Jesus did and still would have continued in the Faith, being perfect, and doing the will of the Father.  Paul is a great example of how to run a strong race and to fight the good fight, and to suffer for the Lord, but Paul was no Jesus.

 

Let me explain.

 

Jesus was BETRAYED.  Not only was he betrayed, but He was betrayed by one of His own Disciples, Judas Iscariot, who will always be known as the betrayer of Jesus.   He literally broke bread and dined with Jesus, ultimately selling his body for 30 silver coins, probably a few thousand dollars in today’s measurement of money, and even delivered his with a kiss to hand him off to those that would try and then kill Him.  Talk about betrayal!!!  Some of you think a FB friend that doesn’t “Like” a photo or two or three is betraying you!  Some of you believe if a friend makes plans with you and then backs off last minute, they’ve betrayed you.  Some of you believe if a partner lies to you, they have betrayed you.  Okay…..have you ever have a loved one, as much as your own son/daughter/family member, sell you off to be killed for no other reason that greed?  I didn’t think so – me either!  So who are we to say we’re truly suffering from betrayal?  

 

Furthermore, does Jesus NOT know betrayal at its worst in order to understand and help you through YOUR betrayal?  Of course, He does.

Jesus was FALSELY ACCUSED.  How may of you were and are?  Isn’t a terrible feeling?  Jesus was accused of blaspheming God which led to His torture and murder – and He WAS GOD!!!!!!!!  Let that sink in!!!!!  We get upset when a co-worker or friend or peer makes an accusation or statement that we know to be untrue, and we flip out or get defensive, do we not?  Isn’t it painful?  Imagine how Jesus felt when he was whipped and beaten and spit on and crucified on a cross for what they felt He did wrong that either a.) He did not do and b.) what He DID do was perfect and justified by God and directed by God Himself.  Jesus says continually in the New Testament, I do what the Father tells me.  If you have seen and heard Me, you have seen and heard the Father.  He was accused of breaking the Sabbath for going about doing good – healing people, allowing His Disciples to eat when they were famished, for words He spoke that were divine, and from Heaven, and for being the Messiah as was already prophesied in the Old Testament, to which they had and were supposed to know by heart.  Yet, they couldn’t see him – they were blinded, so the best they could do was to falsely accuse him.  Even Herod and Pontius Pilot could not find one thing that “This Man,” as they said, did wrong.  They tried to reject declaring Jesus guilty, so instead, they simply gave up and then gave Him up to the crowds because they didn’t want to deal with the blowback.  

 

Furthermore, does Jesus NOT know being falsely accused at its worst in order to understand and help you through YOUR false accusations?  Of course, He does.

 

 

Jesus was REJECTED.  How many of you have been rejected?  I get rejected every week on numerous fronts – how about you?  I’m sure you have also.  But when we get rejected, what is our punishment?  How does it affect our tomorrow?  It typically doesn’t.  Does it hurt our pride?  Yes.  Does it hurt our ego and perhaps confidence?  Sure.  Does it ruin our lives and make us want to give up hope?  Surely not.  Yet Jesus received constant, daily rejection from everyone, including his own Disciple, namely Peter.  Of all the love Jesus had for Peter and Peter for Jesus, Peter rejected him – not once, not twice, but three times in one night.  You say, oh, let the Mark of the Beast and the Anti-Christ come…bring it on!  I’m ready to die for Jesus and be martyred for being Christian.  And I’m going to say right now, that some of you are deceiving yourselves and WILL NOT!!!  How do I know that?  I’ll cover that on the next episode, but what are you doing now to show your commitment to Jesus and get out of your comfort zone to help spread the Good News as He has instructed you and every one of His followers to?  Then ask yourself, why not?  I know this because Peter said the same – that He’d die with Jesus if need-be and would bear the cross for His name’s sake.  And Jesus, knowing better, told Peter not only would he not and that he didn’t realize what he was saying when he said that – but he proved to Peter that he wouldn’t even admit to knowing Jesus – three times in one night.  He rejected the notion that he followed or even knew Jesus!!!!!  Why??? Because HIS life and safety were more important than acknowledging that he knew or followed Jesus!  And he had been with Jesus night and day, seeing the miracles, truly believing that Jesus was the Messiah!!!  And yet he wouldn’t even say he knew Jesus.  THAT is how I know many professing Christians will depart the faith and deny their Master and Savior, Jesus Christ when the Mark of the Beast system comes.  And it’s a very sobering thought, is it not?  Only the true children of God will hand themselves over, as Jesus did, to be executed in a horrible way, for doing nothing more than believing and bowing down to the one, true God.

 

Furthermore, does Jesus NOT know being rejected at its worst in order to understand and help you through YOUR rejection?  Of course, He does.

 

 

Jesus was ABUSED.  We feel abused when we’re taken advantage of, verbally attacked, or physically attacked.  We feel abused if we’re hurt by those we love consistently.  Jesus knew abuse like no other!  Almost every time He did good – raise the dead from the grave, heal the sick and the lepers, restore eyesight, or speech, or hearing, forgave someone – he was attached, mocked, and abused verbally.  On many occasions, the Pharisees sought to stone and kill Jesus before He’d slip away through the crowds.  He was abused by the soldiers that were given the go-ahead to begin beating Jesus and then again while they were on their way to crucifying Him, and WHILE they were crucifying Him at that!!!  Can you image????  You’ve been perfect and going about doing nothing but the best for everyone you encounter, and you’re being beaten and whipped and spit on and mocked and having a crown of 4-6 inch thorns hammered into your scalp and skull, your clothes removed, and a kings robe put on you as they hand you a reed and bow down to you in mockery and blasphemy and continue to kick and hit you and laugh the entire time?  Can you imagine not only making it through that, but having to carry your own torture device to its place, being whipped and spit on and mocked by everyone, your own clothes being gambled for who gets what????  Then a sign hung above your head, mocking you for who you are, yet they STILL don’t believe the truth, and they’re standing many feet below you, looking up as you’re bleeding to death, suffocating, and in the most excruciating torture, to continue verbally and physically abusing you?  No, of course we cannot imagine that – nor could anyone but Jesus endured any of that, let alone all of that – even until death.  And He did it for the Father Love for you and I, NOT for Him.  Nothing anyone has ever endured or will ever endure is worse abuse than that.

 

Furthermore, does Jesus NOT know being abused at its worst in order to understand and help you through YOUR abuse?  Of course, He does.

 

 

Jesus was HUMILIATED.  Can you imagine, after all the abuse and torment, torture, and pending death, that they hang you up naked on the cross before all your best friends, your family, those who love you and those who hate you???  Jesus can and did.  As if all He had endured and was enduring wasn’t horrible enough, after they gambled all His garments away, He was stripped of all the remaining dignity and decency remaining, and was forced to be nailed to a tree, hung naked in front of thousand.  Ever have that dream where you leave the house and you’re in front of people in your underwear or with no clothes on? Embarrassing and humiliating right?  Aren’t you so relieved when you’ve woken up to discover it was only a dream???  Jesus didn’t have that ending.  His was for real.  And at any time, like He said in the garden, He could’ve called down legions of angels to take Him away to complete safety and paradise.  Yet He did this for God’s love for you and I.  

Furthermore, does Jesus NOT know being humiliated at its worst in order to understand and help you through YOUR humiliations?  Of course, He does.

 

I’ve said it a thousand time and I’ll say it again and continue to say it – who are we to complain?  Who are we to say we have it bad?  Who are we to think Jesus doesn’t understand our problems, or that because God didn’t answer our prayers (yet), they’re not important to Him?   He suffered for us, and He did so that His blood would cover our sins forever more, and so that He could identify with us everything and anything we would and will ever experience, so His mercy is justified and true.  He took on that pain and suffering for us, not for Him.  

The question I have for you, which will be part two of this podcast in the next episode, is – how much of your betrayal, being falsely accused, rejection, abuse, and humiliation is for HIM, and NOT YOU?!  His was for you.  Why isn’t ours for Him?   For He said in John 15:18 – ““If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you.”   Question is – does the world hate you or love you?  And if it truly does hate you, is it for Christ’s sake, or your own?

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So, before we end today’s show, I just want to thank you all again for tuning in and I HOPE you were touched by today’s message and scripture.  If you’d like to reach out to me, please call me directly at 4074933208, email me at ben@shaken-awake.com, or check out the show at shaken-awake.com.

 

Next Shaken Awake will be part II of today’s message and I will also provide details on my two, new podcasts coming out in May for the lost and a daily podcast for everyone.  Again, Shaken Awake will continue airing new episodes once/twice a month, so if you’re subscribed, you’ll be notified the moment they are completed and are live.  So, Listen - If you haven’t subscribed yet to this podcast, Shaken Awake, please do so RIGHT NOW – Anchor, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and just about everywhere podcasts are played, including my site – https://shaken-awake.com.  

 

Until next time, take great care of yourself and each other, and God Bless You ALL.