Wilson Ramos

July 25, 2014

The suffering and trails of the saints of God has been pressing on my mind and
moreover the desire to understand why our Father allows us to experience these
sufferings.
During this journey the Lord allowed me to come across and be blessed by the music an
amazing singer / songwriter named Matthew West. He has one particular song called
Strong Enough. This song has a powerful message and a deep hidden truth that the
church needs. That song inspired this message.
The CROSS
It all starts with the cross. In scripture the commandment to carry our cross daily comes from
none other than the Lord Jesus Christ himself:
Then he (Jesus) said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and
take up their cross daily and follow me.
Luke 9:3
Some believe that the cross in this verse of scripture simply represents sufferings or the
trials of life that we inevitably encounter as we walk with Jesus. But if you only equate
the cross with personal trial or suffering you are missing a deeper hidden truth
regarding the cross.
When Christ commanded us to carry our own cross daily we need to understand that
when he gave this commandment to his disciples it was before he had been crucified so
his disciples did not have the reference point of a crucified Christ which we have today.
So when Christ spoke these words to them he was equating the cross with what the
cross would represent in the very near future which was his death. Christ was saying if
you want to be my disciple you must deny yourself and die every day so that you can
follow me.
Will God give us more than we can bear?
Well the answer to this question is kind of tricky because the answer is yes and no. God
does and will allow you and I to be tested far beyond our human ability to endure a
situation and I can prove it scripturally.
8We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,a about the troubles we
experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our
ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.
2 Corinthians 1:8
This scripture proves that God does allow his children to experience testing far beyond
our human ability to endure. Another example is Christ himself. The ordeal of the
crucifixion was both emotionally and physically overwhelming for the Lord. The bible
says that when Christ prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane and that he was so
emotionally distraught that his sweat was like drops of blood Luke 22:44
Christ was emotionally overwhelmed with anxiety and pleaded with God to remove the
cup from him. Christ came to a place where he would have to choose if he would trust
God despite what he may have been feeling emotionally at that moment. Likewise
physically Christ came to a point of physical exhaustion where he just could no longer
physically carry the weight of his own cross and the Roman centurion had to compel
Simon to carry the cross for him Luke 23:26.
So despite the fact that while Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane he was
emotionally drained he made a powerful choice with the next statement from Luke
22:42.
yet not my will, but yours be done.
Here Christ chooses to yield his emotions to God. He was saying God I trust you no
matter what I may be feeling. Physically Christ also came to a place of surrender while
on the road to Golgotha by simply allowing himself to be crucified. With this act he was
saying I surrender God and will trust you no matter what happens. It must be
understood that at any point during the ordeal of the crucifixion Jesus was in complete
control and had the power to stop the romans from crucifying him. At the time of his
arrest he said to Peter who tried to stop the romans from arresting Him by force:
Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more
than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say
it must happen in this way?
Matthew 26:53-54
Jesus went to the cross willingly. No one killed him. He was Godno one could have
possibly have forced him on to that cross. He choose to give his life for us.
The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my lifeonly to take it up again. No
one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it
down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.
John 10:17-18
I said earlier that the answer was both yes and no to the question will God give us more
than we can bear? That is true it is yes because God will allow you and I to endure
suffering in the life but that suffering is for one purpose and its so that we can come to
the end of our self. It is only when we get to that point when we can look up to God and
cry out to him and say Lord I cant do this anymore it is too much for me and it is at that
place of surrender when God will come in like a flood and empower you and help to
bring you through what you in your own strength were unable to accomplish. When I
shared 2 Corinthians 1:8 earlier I purposely shared just that verse of scripture in
isolation to demonstrate the danger of read scripture out of context. Doing this can
bring much misunderstanding and confusion. Now here are the scripture verses in
context.
8We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,a about the troubles we
experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our
ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9Indeed, we felt we had received
the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on
God, who raises the dead. 10He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will
deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11as
you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious
favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
2 Corinthians 1:8-11
So the bottom line is that God will continue to give you more than you can bear as long
as you continue to try and resolve the problem your way.
Whatever your situation maybe perhaps you are at the end of your rope. You may feel
like you are drowning in hopelessness and trapped in a prison of depression but God has
sent me to you today to encourage you and tell you that you: DO NOT LET GO OF THE
ROPElook up and tell God that you do not have the strength to hold on anymore. Tell
God that you cannot do it and that want his help and Jesus will come into your situation
and bring you through.
If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, God wants you to begin
there. You have tried everything else you have nothing to lose. Allow me to pray with
you.
Pleasepray this prayer with me.
Father God, I surrender. I ask you to forgive me of my sins and I ask you to come into
my heart and into my situation. I make my choice today to trust you. In Jesus name
AMEN
The Apostle Paul made a very powerful point at the end of 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 he said
On him (God) we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us as you help us by
your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us
in answer to the prayers of many.
There is power in prayer and in Christian community. I encourage you if you do not have
a place of worship where you can come together with other likeminded believers to live
out your faith and develop your personal relationship with God and call home a place
where you can be undergirded by the prayers of the saints then I welcome you to
fellowship with us at my home church the Bay Ridge Christian Center in Brooklyn N.Y.
(www.brccny.com )