Trials and Pain: Easter Without Good Friday

For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.—Philippians 1:29

...God will crucify without pity those whom He desires to raise without measure!...

God wants to crucify us from head to foot-making our own powers ridiculous and useless—in the desire to raise us without measure for His glory and for our eternal good....

Willingness to suffer for Jesus' sake—this is what we have lost from the Christian church. We want our Easter to come without the necessity of a Good Friday. We forget that before the Redeemer could rise and sing among His brethren He must first bow His head and suffer among His brethren!

We forget so easily that in the spiritual life there must be the darkness of the night before there can be the radiance of the dawn. Before the life of resurrection can be known, there must be the death that ends the dominion of self. It is a serious but a blessed decision, this willingness to say, "I will follow Him no matter what the cost. I will take the cross no matter how it comes" I Talk Back to the Devil, 96-99.

"Lord, this morning I come before You on my knees to say, 'I will follow Him no matter what the cost. I will take the cross no matter how it comes!' Amen."