The Agents of Crucifixion
The Agents of Crucifixion is the METHOD of Multiplication
“ Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” John 12:24
I have been thinking lately of the things that we so often face. We face difficulty, tragedy, hardship, criticism, and rejection from those that we think should accept us. To put it in a word, or two, “It stinks!” I have myself many times prayed for the Lord to smooth things out, perform a miracle, help others to understand, and to find favor in the eyes of others in these times.
I have scratched my head and wondered, “ What am I doing wrong? I am only trying to do the will of God, and THE DEVIL is fighting me.” But lately I have seen things in a different light. I am of the opinion, and to quote Paul, “and I think I have the spirit of God”, that many times we short circuit the purpose of God when we beg God to change things, when he is the one that has been orchestrating it. We pray, “Lord have your will in my life. Use me Lord. Let me be a light. Whatever it takes, make me what you want me to be.” And when he begins to work in our lives, we shout, “STOP”.
We blame it on the devil, when it is God answering our prayers. Character is not strengthened but in hardship, and faith is not purified but in the fire.
Imagine with me in your mind.
We are in the Garden of Gethsemane and we see Jesus having a good prayer meeting. We hear him pray, “Lord not my will, but thine be done.” Imagine if at in point in the process of events he did not UNDERSTAND what was happening. When they came to him with swords and staves. All of his followers scattered from him. When they falsely accused him. When the stripped him. When they mocked him. When they hit him, pulled his beard from his face. When they took a whip and beat him to a bloody pulp. When they led him and he heard those that he loved scream, “CRUCIFY Him!” When he saw his most fervent disciple deny him three times. When they led him through the streets as the crowds gawked at this bleeding creature that was said to be Jesus.
When they drove nails through his hands. When they stood that cross up and dropped it in a whole. When he asked for water and they gave him vinegar. When he felt that he was forsaken. When he saw his mother and his closest friend weeping and witnessing his death.
What would have happened if he had called it all to a Halt?
What if he thought that it was the devils plans being fulfilled?
What if he thought he was a victim, instead of the fact that he was about to be a victor?
“ who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross..” Heb 12:2-3
He realized a purpose was at work, and each hardship he endured was going to turn into a great spiritual victory.
What would happen if we realized that many of the things that we face are God trying to help us be crucified so that his power can be seen?
“ For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Rom 8:18
There comes a time when we have carried our cross, we have denied ourselves and we have followed him to a hill called Golgotha. We feel as though we have jumped from the frying pan into the fire. God is not going to strap us on the cross, sedate us as he beats us. If we will not lay down our lives, he is not going to take it from us. So when we find ourselves reaching that BREAKING point, we quit submitting to his will and begin to fight it, and we flee our OWN GOLGOTHA, and never see the power of the resurrection, because we never really die out.
There comes a time of Crucifixion. We will all walk that road of shame, carry our cross of hardship, but it is not leading to the power of resurrection until there is a death on a cross.
“ That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” Phil 3:10
We
read this and think Paul may have got it wrong. But he
outlines it in the order of his desire. The first thing he
wants is the resurrection, and the last thing he wants is the death.
I think Paul and I have that in common.
“ I am crucified with Christ: ” Gal 2:20-21
Many times we pray against the ROMAN SOLDIERS that beat us. We bind those that DENY US. We despise those that BETRAY us. We look in disdain at those that GAWK at us. We rebuke those that give us VINEGAR.
We walk the road God has prepared for us, completely oblivious and ignorant of the PURPOSE of it. We fast ourselves out of the will of God. We pray all night to stop the hand of God. I speak in condemnation of myself. I have done this recently. I have been oblivious to the fact that to see the POWER of the RESURRECTION, I have to be CRUCIFIED.
These things that I cursed as the Agents of the Devil to my destruction, have been the AGENTS of crucifixion to fulfill the PURPOSE that God has for me.
“ Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” I Jn 3:16
“ He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” Isa 53:7
Many times we succumb to the temptation of the Devil.
“ For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Luke 4:10-11
And we take hold of scriptures and quote them, claim them, stretch them for our salvation, circumventing the purpose of God in our lives.
Some people never achieve the Power of God in their lives because they refuse to submit to the Crucifixion of their carnal natures.
When we submit ourselves to the purposes of God even when it is the place of GREAT hardship. And we pray, “LORD, have your will.”
When we do this we loose a chain reaction that is greater than that which takes place in a nuclear reactor. We let lose the purpose of God to BRING RESURRECTION POWER.
And there is a Multiplication process that begins to take place. That corn of wheat has died. It is placed in the ground. It’s dead. NO PURPOSE. NO LIFE. NO HOPE.
BUT GOD……
And God’s power is loosed. As long as our wills and carnality lives, God’s hands are tied to do his purpose in OUR WORLD.
There is a rumbling that takes place, that death takes on life, that weakness takes on strength, that humanity takes on divinity..
“ So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Cor 15:54-56
When we put off ourselves, then he will put himself on us.
“ Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” Heb 11:34
And from this we have a Method of Multiplication.
“ Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)” Eph 4:8-10
When
Christ ascended a powerful spiritual transaction took place.
Christ ascended and you know what the Gifts were? Look in
your Bible to verify what happened… He gave the ministry. He
multiplied himself in ascension, and that is why we have the ministry.
What would happen if the as a unit the ministry and the church followed his example? And they allowed the agent of crucifixion to work the method of multiplication in their lives? (INCLUDING ME!)
Would we have more “DAYS of PENTECOST?”
I am not real excited about this. I honestly wish I could just delete this file, and forget what I am feeling. But since I know that I have to deal with this, I thought it would not be fair for me to suffer all by myself. Spread the misery is a popular method I will duplicate. If I got to die, I want someone to die with me…
Please someone send me a note disproving my assertion. PLEASE show me where I am wrong. I don’t want to die. Praying the Garden is fine. Restoring a cutoff ear is cool. Standing in places of Power with important people is great. I can handle a little ridicule and punishment…
BUT THE CROSS… NOT THE CROSS>>>… Don’t let me be betrayed…. Don’t let someone I love deny me… OH GOD…. MY GOD…… NOT THE CROSS…… And as we struggle in the Garden between our wills and Gods, this time as we experience the AGENTS of Crucifixion, we will know, this is God’s purpose. We will know the purpose of the beating, the ridicule, the vinegar, the betrayal, the denial, even the nails……..
They all are agents of crucifixion, and you will not enter into your place of promise, until you have died.
In Him, By Him, Through Him,
Scott Phillips