Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. [1Peter 4:12-13]


"...fiery trial...strange thing..."

A fiery trial is NOT a strange thing. For those who belong to Christ, who have tasted the beauty of Christ, the heat of the fiery trial is so insignificant compared to the heat of their love for God. What the world experiences and they cringe and succumb, is a little thing before those who have experienced Jesus.


"But rejoice..."

Isn't this unheard of? How can a man possibly rejoice when he is undergoing the fiercest of fiery trial, when he is being denied of rights for Christ's sake? It takes a definite experience of Jesus to be able to take wrongs, persecutions, calamities, or denials, with joy.
The Christianity of today is so opposed to the one the Bible teaches. No Christian today wants to suffer anymore, nobody wants to take wrongs, lacks or sufferings. Losses and persecutions for the sake of Christ today is a misnomer before the eyes of modern believers, they don't rejoice anymore because they suffer lack for Christ's sake, they are quick to begin binding and losing demons that don't exist, they are swift in questioning God for allowing them to suffer, they don't count it all joy, they are NOT looking at the heavenly rewards, all their hearts and hopes are placed in this world, they only joy in worldly provision that will soon perish, they don't have eyes for eternity.

In the early days of Christianity, our comforting words to suffering saints were “cheer up, it will soon be o’er, the world and all its evils will soon pass away and you will eternally, blissfully be with the Lord…”, but today, we organize prayers and fasting to call fire down on all the enemies. Then, in days gone by, when because we wouldn’t live like the world, when we possessed none of the world’s goods, and the world cast aspersions on us, it didn’t change our prayer points then to begin to claim all the world’s goods “so that they will know that my God is not poor”, it didn’t cause us tears to begin to question God, it was our joy to possess Jesus and heaven alone, even the possessions and riches we had, we were content with them, and willingly gave all to the poor. But the opposite we see today, is a clear picture that our hope and desires are no more in heaven, they are now tied down here below.


… you were actually joyful when all you owned was taken from you, knowing that better things were awaiting you in heaven, things that would be yours forever.(Hebrews 10:34 TLB)

… you were cheerful when your own goods were confiscated, for you knew that you had a much more solid and lasting treasure in Heaven (Hebrews 10:34 PHILLIPS)

… For ye… took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance(Hebrews 10:34 KJV)


When we counted it all joy to suffer for Christ’s sake, when with Paul, we wanted to fellowship in Christ’s sufferings, we took joyfully the spoiling of our goods, our eyes were in heaven only, and the world with all its glories had no attractions before our eyes. Our reason for this "unearthly" behaviour was because we knew in ourselves that by juxtaposing heavenly glories with earthly glories, the difference was unimaginable, earthly glories became insignificant.


“… inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings…”

For as long as heaven is no more the goal, the longing, the aspirations, the yearning and the hunger of a believer, then such believer is in danger, For as long as the believers' heart is now SETTLED here below, and he is NO MORE ITCHING for the return of Jesus, rather, the things of the world (ANYTHING in the world for that matter) are now the source of his joy, his testimonies now are about worldly goods, goods and gadgets have filled his heart, his praises, worships, joys, happiness and prayers to Jesus now are closely related to the material things he has and all the worldly blessings he has amassed like the promotion, the additions and the breakthroughs, ha!!!, such a believer has missed it.

My daily joys and songs should be about my home – heaven. My heart cry should be how to love Jesus and know Him more, I should be longing for how to catch a glimpse of that eternal glory, I should be expecting and gunning for the trumpet sound, my cry should be 'when will I see my Jesus, whom I love so much', I must get increasingly tired of this sinful and dirty world, the increase or decrease of worldly goods don't change my mood because I'm finished with the world, it has nothing to offer me anymore. When I see the rottenness and godlessness that daily increase in the world, my heart gets tired and I'm asking Jesus, 'come Lord Jesus', whatever I go through for the Lord's sake is a joy in my heart because I know it translates to eternal blessings and treasures for me, my pains and sufferings here don't change my prayer points to 'O Lord, change my condition', no, I'm not interested in competing anymore with the world, what the world prides in has no more attractions for me... TO ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST, TO DIE IS GAIN


"...glory..."

If you have never shared in the sufferings of Christ - with joy and relish, you can NEVER PARTAKE of His glory… Selah