Suffering is not a glitch in history. It is the proving ground of the last days. God is forming a bride who will not bend under pressure, will not retreat when opposed and will not betray the King when darkness intensifies. The age is closing, and eternity is drawing near. What believers do with hardship now determines their place in the kingdom to come.
On a recent episode of the John Bevere Podcast, John Bevere confronted the modern assumption that pain signals God’s absence. He began by recounting the brutality Jesus endured before the cross.
“Jesus did nothing wrong. He’s the only innocent man that’s ever walked this earth,” Bevere said. “They blindfolded him. They were slugging him. They were spitting on him. They were mocking him.”
He walked through the escalating violence from Jewish authorities to Roman soldiers, pointing to Isaiah’s prophecy. “Isaiah 50:6 says, ‘I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who plucked out the beard. I did not hide my face from shame and spitting,’” he said. He also cited Isaiah 52:14. “His face was so disfigured. He seemed hardly a man.”
Bevere pressed the central question: Why would a loving God allow suffering for those he loves most?
What is taking place is not merely personal hardship. The surface narrative hides a deeper spiritual reality.
Bevere stated that believers live in a hostile world influenced by demonic resistance to obedience. “We live in a very cruel world that is run by the prince of the power of the air and his legions,” he said. He made clear that God does not author evil, yet uses the resistance of a fallen world to form a faithful bride. “God never authors the trials we go through,” Bevere said. “But God said, ‘I’m going to use that to create a faithful bride.’”
He distinguished between self-inflicted pain and suffering that comes from obeying God. “We’re talking about the pain that comes when you obey God in a fallen world,” he said. The focus is obedience, not pain itself.
Bevere argued that suffering handled rightly forges trust and intimacy. He pointed to shared hardship in marriage and in battle as examples of bonds strengthened through adversity. Then he applied that truth to Christ and His church.
“Our creator willingly embraced excruciating suffering, not only to redeem us, but because he desired the closest possible bond with his beloved, his bride, the church,” Bevere said. “He saw the prophetic vision of a faithful bride.”
He anchored that claim in Scripture. Romans 8:17 connects sharing in Christ’s suffering with sharing in His glory. Philippians 3:10 records Paul’s desire to know Christ and “suffer with him.” Acts 5:41 shows the apostles rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer disgrace for Jesus’ name. Philippians 1:29 declares that suffering for Christ accompanies belief.
The message is clear. Endurance is not optional in the life of a believer. It is part of the calling.
Bevere tied suffering directly to future authority. Quoting 2 Timothy 2:12, he said, “If we endure hardship, we will reign with him.” He referenced Revelation 2:26, where Jesus promises authority to those who obey to the end. “You are not enduring to survive,” Bevere said. “You’re actually enduring to reign.”
He then turned to the issue of trust. Citing John 2:23-24, he noted that while many trusted Jesus, “Jesus didn’t trust them because he knew all about people.” Later, Jesus told His disciples, “You were the ones who continue with me through my trials,” marking a shift from servants to trusted friends.
Bevere applied Proverbs 31:11 to the bride of Christ. “The heart of her husband safely trusts her,” he said. His conclusion was direct. “Jesus isn’t marrying a crowd. He’s marrying a crown-worthy companion who will rule and reign with his heart forever and ever.”
Pressure will increase. Offense will rise. Many will fall away because they were never prepared to endure. Obedience in hardship proves loyalty. The King is coming, and He is searching for a bride He can trust.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
