Take Up His Cross Daily
"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross *DAILY,* and follow me. For whosoever will save his life
shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For
what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast
away?" (Luke 9:23-25)
Soldier of Jesus Christ
"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good *soldier* of Jesus Christ.
No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please
him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." (2 Timothy 2:3-4)
Wounds from Friends
"But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye
speak. And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus
said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, *thou shalt DENY ME thrice.* And when he
thought thereon, he wept." (Mark 14:71-72)
Abandonment
"At my first answer no man stood with me, but *all men forsook me:* I
pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me,
and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the
Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion."(2 Tim
4:16-17)
In Afflictions
"But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much
patience, *in afflictions,* in necessities, in distresses, (2 Cor 6:4 KJV) In
stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings..." (2
Cor 6:5 KJV)
Troubled on Every Side
"Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am
filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. For, when we were come
into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were* troubled on every side; without
were fightings, within were fears.* Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are
cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus..." ( 2 Corinthians 7:4-6)
Paul's Thorn in the Flesh (Aggravations)
"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the
revelations, there was given to me a *thorn in the flesh,* the messenger of Satan
to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord
thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for
thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather
glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take
pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for
Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthinas 12:7-10)
Shall Suffer Persecution
"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer *persecution.*"
( 2 Timothy 3:12)
Being Persecuted...
"And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; *being
persecuted,* we suffer it:" (1 Cor 4:12 KJV)
False Brethren
"And that because of *false brethren* unawares brought in, who came in
privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us
into bondage:" (Gal 2:4)
In Perils
"Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered
shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils
of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the
heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in
perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in
hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are
without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches." Who is weak,
and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of
the things which concern mine infirmities." (2 Cor 11:25-30)
Bearing Crosses
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is
faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the
temptation also make a way to escape, *that ye may be able to bear it.* (1 Cor
10:13)
Disciplines (Chastening)
For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest
ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving
against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto
children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art
rebuked of him: *For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom
he receiveth.* If ye endure *chastening,* God dealeth with you as with sons;
for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without *chastisement,*
whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had
fathers of our flesh which *corrected us,* and we gave them reverence: shall we not
much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a
few days *chastened* us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we
might be partakers of his holiness. Now no *chastening* for the present seemeth to
be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of
righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which
hang down, and the feeble knees; (Heb 12:3-12)
He Purgeth It (Prunes)
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that
beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, *He purgeth it,
that it may bring forth more fruit.* Now ye are clean through the word which I have
spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (John 15:1-4)
The Testings of God
Hast Thou Not Put a Hedge About Him?
And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and
said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD
said unto Satan, *Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in
the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?*
Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou
made an HEDGE about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?
Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But
put forth thine hand now, and *touch all that he hath,* and he will
curse Thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy
power; ONLY UPON HIMSELF PUT NOT forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence
of the LORD. (Job 1:2-12)
But Touch His Bone and Flesh, and he will...
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is
none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and
escheweth evil? *and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me
against him, to destroy him without cause.* And Satan answered the LORD, and said,
Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. *But put forth thine
hand now, and TOUCH HIS BONE AND HIS FLESH, and he will curse thee to thy face.* And
the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. So went Satan
forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his
foot unto his crown. (Job 2:3-7)
When He Hath Tried Me...
On the left hand, where He doth work, but I cannot behold him: He hideth himself on
the right hand, that I cannot see Him: But he knoweth the way that I take: *when He
hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.* (Job 23:9-10)
Abraham's Test of Faith
And it came to pass after these things, that *God did tempt (test) Abraham,*
and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son,
thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer
him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. (Gen
22:1-2)
Accounting That God Was Able To Raise Him Up...
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the
promises offered up his only begotten son.
Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
*Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead;* from whence
also he received him in a figure. (Heb 11:17-19)
To Sift You As Wheat
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, *Satan hath desired to have you, that
he may sift you as wheat:*
But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted,
strengthen thy brethren.
And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou
shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. (Luke 22:31-34)