Today's Passage - Luke 23:26-32

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 23:26-32   As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.  A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.  Jesus turned and said to them, 'Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.  For the time will come when you will say, "Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!"  Then they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"  For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?'  Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.   The man who was forced to carry the cross for Jesus, who's named Simon, later became a Christian, and he even became a good coworker of Paul.  In Matthew chapter 15, we found out that he had a son named Rufus; in Roman chapter 16, we saw that Rufus became a good coworker of Paul, and their family because close friend of Paul.   To us, carrying the cross doesn't look like a good job, but it became the turning point of the life of Simon, most likely because the example left behind by the savior who suffered.  Simon saw how much Jesus was persecuted but didn't complain or curse.  When Jesus was on the cross, He even asked Father God to forgive those who persecuted Him because they didn't know what they were doing.  Simon saw that when Jesus died, the weather changed instantaneously and even the curtain in the4 temple was torn in two halves.  He realized who Jesus really was and came to know Jesus with a reverent heart, so his whole family ultimately became believers.   Jesus not only cast out demon when He was preaching and testified for God with mightiness, He also witnessed for God's beauty while He was suffering.  When He was suffering, the testimony that He demonstrated was even greater than His testimony at normal times.  God doesn't just want us to testify for the Lord when times are good, but He also wants us to testify for Him when the times are tough.  Are you still like a Christian when you are suffering?  Many Christians don't look that devout when they go through hard times; they start to complain and their heart drifts away from God, and they always claim it's not their fault.  The believers behind the Iron Curtain of the past, however, suffered tremendously for their faith and some were even imprisoned, but they also demonstrated the sacrificial love of Christ, and the testimony of such love brought forth tremendous impact.   In our daily, we have many opportunities to testify for the Lord.  Jesus was able to testify for Father God when He was suffering, so we ask the Lord to help us to live like Christ during any circumstance.    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, may your Holy Spirit sir up our heart, let the kind of power Jesus had when He testified while suffering also fill our life.  No matter what the circumstance is, let us live diligently for the Lord.  I thank you and I pray for the victorious name of Jesus, amen!