"It shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey."

When we first hear the word of the Kingdom it is a time of rejoicing. The revelation of it is sweet in our mouthùfun to preach about.

But the word of the Kingdom works death in us. A sword pierces our soul. Adam thinks he is going to live in a mansion in Paradise but he discovers he is not to be saved but to be crucified.

The horse went to a horse church and listened to a horse preacher tell him about fields of clover in the sky and all the mash he could eat. Then he found out he was to be killed and a new kind of horse brought forthùa very superior horse that would be able to enjoy many things besides clover and mash.

Your adamic nature does not have it in him to contain the joy God is holding in trust for those who love Him. A new creation is required if the inheritance is to be received. Think of it as an operation that is inconvenient for a season but will lead to what you desire.

Arm yourself with a mind to suffer in the flesh, Peter exhorts us, because that is the way God gets the worldliness, lust, and self-will out of us. No cross no crown.

We must be proven worthy of the Kingdom, according to Paul, and our worthiness is proven as we continue patiently in tribulation. In fact our suffering now is the means God uses to save us from the judgment that will come at a later time upon the ungodly. Our present suffering and our obedient response to God's chastening will serve to prove God's righteousness in the day when the wicked are judged. In the Day of Judgment, when people are pointing fingers at each other, God then will be shown to be no respecter of persons. He has not played favorites with the believers. Jerusalem has received double for her sins.

I read somewhere that pain is God yelling at you. Don't you love it?

We have believers today who have been taught God doesn't want them to suffer. That teaching is not coming from God. Adam must be crucified if we ever are to enjoy the new resurrection life God has for us.

Frankly, Adam is a pain in the neck. The sooner he is out of here the better. He is a whining, self- centered, miserable, treacherous coward. If Adam has his way we will gorge ourselves with the things of the flesh until we are a problem to ourselves and those around us.

It is the new man who is the Kingdom. It is the new man who is at home in the Presence of God and can receive eternal love, peace, and joy.

The word of the Kingdom is sweet in our mouth but it gets down into our belly and removes the darkness and death from us. This is not always a pleasurable experience while it is taking place but it sure is worth it. Then we get the peace and joy we always hoped would come from being saved.

You are going to be crucified in this life in any case so you might as well make it count for something.

Your pain will turn into gain when you take up your cross and follow Jesus.