The following post was originally written in May of 2011 on the original Refined4him blog site. It has not been edited from its original format.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30).

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6-7).

I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:12-13).

There was once a man who stood before a storm. He knew the outcome as His eyes were fixed upon the blackened sky. Lightning flashed and He heard the thunder say “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”, and “Crucify Him!” as the spray of human saliva splashes against the face of The Rock. Lightning strikes the flesh again. Spitting, taunting, cursing, and beating. The storm was beginning to take shape.

He was led before the crowd as the jeering thunder continued to roar. Then a new sound was introduced. The sound of whips creating a division in the air around Him. His skin began to split like the air around Him. Again. Over and over. Again. Slice, split, crack. Blood splattered all over the earth beneath Him. All over the guards who enjoyed the punishing mockery. Some in the crowd even felt the crimson droplets. “No!” cried His flesh. “Not again!” it cried out. His flesh competed with the screams of His mother Mary. “No!” They would shout. Louder and louder, as if competing to see who could shout the loudest. “Please make them stop!” His flesh would shout. His back recognized no pure, untouched, unstained skin. His flesh cried “Enough already”. Then he fell on his back. It was over. Or was it?

“No! Father please make them stop!” The flesh would scream as they began tearing apart his chest. The air around would cower and make room for the whips as they cracked upon the ribs and the breast bone. The flesh begged for mercy, but they did not hear. Or maybe they did hear, and just wanted to hear the flesh scream for mercy. The sight of the crimson excited them. “Finally, He is ours. His pain is ours!” Both sides of His body were unrecognizable. No flesh should ever appear this way. Covered in His blood, and the tears of His damaged body. “No more! No more please!” His flesh cried.

“No more! I cannot take this anymore!” His flesh screamed as numerous thorns dug into the skin of his brow. More beating. The precious blood flowed. Exhaustion. The flesh was weakened. “I cannot go on!” His flesh said. “I’m done.”

Arise! Arise my Lord! The time has come to carry your cross. The flesh rolls its eyes into the back of it’s head, trying to muster the strength to go on. “I can’t do this. God, I just cannot do this.” But He knew the will of His Father. He, The Spirit, persuaded the flesh that this prophesy needed to be fulfilled. The world needed this. “Let us be going.” The Son thought to the flesh.

A blood curdling scream can be heard from the flesh. “How can this be?” it thought. “How can I go through this? I cannot possibly have the strength to survive this.” The flesh may have felt deceived by The One who loved Him. “My Father has forsaken me!” the flesh shouted. Shouted so loudly, that it permeated The Savior’s spirit and came from His lips as the nails were driven in. “How much more can I take? How much more will you put me through God? I cannot take this weight anymore! I cannot go on!” His flesh would say. Exit the spirit. It is finished. “I am dead. I am done.” the flesh spoke.

Christian, what is the state of your flesh? Is the weight of fear causing your flesh to crush your spirit? Are you crying out “I cannot take this anymore! Please God make this stop.”?
What is it that is whipping you?

Is it divorce? Is the preceding your judgment? Is the judge your Pontius Pilate? Every accusation another lashing with the whip? Every demand another beating with a reed? Is your head hurting from the thorns? Is the custody battle of the children the nails that hang you up on your cross? “Please God make this stop! I cannot take this anymore!” your flesh cries.

Is it illness? As you stand before the doctor, what judgment will he give your flesh? What will the fate be? Medications, visits, injections, bills…are all your whips. The mental anguish of your illness and the financial blows surrounds your head like a crown of thorns. Has the progress been your nails? Getting worse are you? Have you been condemned to death? “Please God make this stop! I cannot take this anymore!” your flesh cries.

Is it finances? Bills upon bills are coming in. You don’t even want to check your mail anymore. The phone is ringing off the hook. It is them. The accusers. The bill collectors. They hound and insult you. You can almost hear them shouting “Crucify him”. Your flesh cries “Please stop! No more, please!”. But all you hear is the cracks of the whips as your flesh fights a losing battle. Bills come in, but there is no money to match. Then things start disappearing. You feel the pressure of the thorns as they tow away your car. You feel the nails being driven in as your lights go out. Then it is finished…you no longer have a home. “Please God make this stop! I cannot take this anymore!” your flesh cries.

Is it your past mistakes? Or current sins? When you sleep at night, do you sleep lightly? Do you sleep at all? Do you toss and turn, only to look down and see the monsters peering up at you from under your bed? Do the skeletons come out of your closet to play? These beasts, or demons, are they tormenting your every thought and shortening your every breath? Are they whipping you? Alcohol? Drugs? Abortion? Fornication? Adultery? Abuse? Can you not move past regrets and forgive yourself? “Crucify him” they shout. The pressure is mounting as the crown is beat down over your head. As your life shatters, you may feel like you are being crucified. Like the weight of your body is being suspended by only three nails. “Please God make this stop! I cannot take this anymore!” your flesh cries.

I am not even going to inquire about the condition of your spirit. If you feel this way and your flesh is begging for mercy, then your spirit has been grieved. It has been overrun by the pressures of the world, and therefore welcoming the power of the flesh. Christ Himself even said “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). I am sure this cry has left your lips during the time of trial and suffering. But what can you do to turn this around? Your situation? No. Because this trial is not guaranteed to get any better. And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39). This is not according to your will, but The Father’s will. It is up to Him whether or not your trial shall pass. I am talking about turning around your outlook. Getting your spirit to silence the flesh. So what are you to do? As the song says:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
(“Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”, Helen H. Lemmel)

If your whips belong to finances, illness, and trial, understand that some cases may be by God’s hand, some are by our own. But the fire is by His will. To refine and strengthen us in our relationship with Him, as we will learn to rely on Him. If you are saved, but cannot escape your past trespasses, you need to forgive yourself as you have been forgiven. If you are being punished by current sins, then you need to repent and nail them to the cross.

Compare yourself to what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ endured during the last moments of His life. He knew the storm. He knew the outcome. He faced it with the diligence that pushed Him to carry His cross upon His back up the mountain to Calvary, even in the state of weakened flesh. Punishing whipping crashed upon His flesh amidst insults and jeers. To the extent that He inquired as to why God had forsaken Him. But He knew that this was God’s will, and that His Father knew what He was doing. God’s glory was the purpose for this, along with saving the world from sin. You may ask, “What I am going through won’t save anyone from their sins.” My friend, if you hold to God’s promises, you will praise His name when you make it through. This will be a testimony before fallen men and sinners. Your story could very well cause a non-believer who is going through a storm to repent and accept Christ as his savior. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Even though He endured this storm, and His flesh cried out against the lashings of the whips, He managed to utter “It is finished.” (John 19:30). But not as an end all death. Remember my friends, Christ has risen. He came back to life for the glory of God. So it is not over until God gets the glory. There is a reason why you must drink from this cup. He knows the reason, and all you can do is rely on Him and lean on Him. It will soon be finished. Look upon Jesus Christ to strengthen your spirit when the flesh speaks.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7).

Love In Christ!

If your flesh is crying out, and you do not have a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, and would like to know Him, then you are ready for salvation. You must deny yourself and confess your sins, repent of your sins, and ask for forgiveness.

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23).…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13). For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16).