KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 26:53 KJV “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?”

When the Lord was arrested, he had myriads of angels at His disposal yet He did not call on them to come and assist Him. He said that I could pray and ask the Father to send twelve legions of angels. Note: From this statement, we learn that, anytime we need the assistance of angel, we do not command them to come, but rather, we pray to the father to release them to help us.  A legion is about two thousand to six thousand in number. Please understand that, only one angel could have handled all those people who came to arrest Jesus. He did not ask the Father to send the angels because, it was the father’s will for Him to suffer for all mankind. His shame was for our fame. His pain was for our gain. His curse was our blessing. This was to the glory of God.

As children of God there are times that we may not have to exercise our spiritual rights. These are situations   that we  have to humble ourselves and put aside all that we are. Apostle Paul reminds us to let the kind of mind which was in the Lord Jesus to be in us. He said, He was in the form of God yet He did not choose to be in that state, but took upon Him the form of a servant, and became obedient unto death. The Lord’s choice not to call on the angels was an act of humility. Humility begins with a state of the mind and heart to accept the will of God, no matter the demand God places on us.

What is humility? I define humility as a willingness to accept the will of God even, if it opposes our will. Anytime your will comes directly against what God expects of you, then you need to be humble. Every act of true humility must be in reference to God, even as it relates to man. As we relate with men, there would always be occasions that we have to humble ourselves in dealing with various persons. Every act of humility should always be motivated by our submission to God. Dear one any condition that does not honour God, for example when Satan oppresses the bodies of men with sicknesses, then refuse the lie of the devil and claim your healing.

THOUGHT: SUBMISSION TO GOD IS A REAL LIBERATION OF THE SOUL

FURTHER STUDIES

James 4:6 ,7 KJV “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”.

Philippians 2:5 -7 KJV “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Mat 26:52 NHEB” Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take the sword will die by the sword.”

We continue with our walk with Jesus through the gospels. The Lord instructs the child of God, not to be violent. Matthew; 5:39 NHEB ‘But I tell you, do not set yourself against the one who is evil. But whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.” In this scripture the Lord gave a proverbial statement, implying that, the child of God should not be violent. He did not mean you must in practice turn the other cheek for a second slap. You always reap what you sow. The Lord says, those who lift up swords will die by the sword. Those who give slaps, will receive the same.

 You always receive what you sow, but in a bigger measure, pressed down shakened together, running over, shall men give to you. (Luke 6;38)

In our Lord’s encounter with the mob who came to arrest Him, he maintained His calmness and even restored the ear that was chopped off. Luke 22:51 KJV “And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.” These were people who had come to arrest and maltreat the Him, yet He healed the man whose ear was cut off. Jesus was indeed on top of the situation. How was He able to keep calm under such a provocative situation? The Lord knew He had a mission to accomplish. He came to save and not to destroy. That was what He had been sent to do, and nothing will take Him from that course.

Dear one, are you living your life according to what people do and say to you?  Many people would miss their ultimate destination and reward before the Lord, because they led their lives after how others treated them. Are you becoming vengeful because somebody mistreated and mishandled you? That posture of anger and fury would destroy you. Your anger and violent reactions may lead you to hell, if you don’t repent. The Lord at the end of the day, would not say, you acted angrily against others because of what Mr A or B did to you. YOU must under all conditions act in respect to the word of God. Don’t accept the saying that, I am a man and have feelings. As children of God, we are in the Spirit. (Rom 8:9,10). We must be led by the word and not our feelings.

CONFESSION

I am born of the Spirit and live in the Spirit. I walk by the influence and power of the Spirit.  I have control over my flesh and feelings. I demonstrate the life in the Spirit, bringing glory to God my father.

FURTHER STUDIES

Rom 8:9 KJV” But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

Gal 6:7 KJV “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 26:50. “And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands-on Jesus, and took him.”

Judas a disciple of Jesus led the high priest and the Pharisees to take Jesus to be crucified. Judas had been mentored by the Lord. He was the treasurer (John 12:6). Judas had been stealing the contributions that others gave to the group. I believe the Lord knew that he was stealing from the group’s money, yet He aloud him to keep the money bag. Why did the Lord allow him to keep their monies although he was a thief? I believe the Lord was granting him the opportunity to repent. It could also be that, the Lord kept him in that role till he finally betrays Him, since he was a son of perdition. (John 17:12).

Judas was a friend yet a false one. He loved money more than the Lord. When Mary Magdalene made a sacrifice of the costly ointment on Jesus, he commented that, the ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor. (John 12:4-6) The Bible said he said so because when the money is brought, he would be stealing some. What kind of friend are you? Do not love a person because of what you can get from him or her. Prov. 18:24 KJV” A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother”. The word says if you are a friend then your friendship should be based on genuine love for the friend, and not any remote benefit.

 To use friendship as a decoy because of something else makes you a potential betrayer. Such a person would one day become an enemy.

There are a lot of people whose friendship is flawed with some remote advantages. Dear brothers and sisters walking in truth is freedom. The essence of living is being a blessing. The scripture says, it is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35). Please take a lesson from nature. A mango tree lives to provide mango fruits and may be, leaves for the healing of certain ailments. The sun gives its sunshine freely without asking for anything in return. These elements of nature are well sustained because they play their respective roles to perfection. We as humans will be continually blessed if we make up our minds to be a blessing to whoever we relate with. Be always reminded that God is the judge. He weighs each one’s actions and will reward or punish according to how you act in honour of his word.

THOUGHT: LIVING IN TRUTH IS REAL FREDOM

FURTHER STUDIES

Proverbs 18:24. A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Psalms 75:7. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Luke 22:44 KJV” And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

The Lord was faced with a very tough issue. He had to go through the cross and suffer all that had been set up by divine justice for the total liberation of mankind. His punishment were designed to free humanity in every area that Satan had the claim over man.

He had to be rejected for men to be accepted (Isaiah53:3)

His body had to be beaten and torn, that we might be healed (Isaiah 53:5)

He had to be hanged on the cross to take away our curse. (Gai 3;13)

He had to die that we might live (John 10;10)

He had to be made poor that we might be made rich 2 Cor 8:9).

For humanity to be free, Jesus had to under go every one of the judgements stated above. What He needed to help Him go through all these was God’s grace. He prayed earnestly to receive the grace, to go through.

He received an angel to strengthen Him to pray. Luke 22:43 KJV” And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him”. Dear brother, what He needed at that moment, was a breakthrough in prayer. The bible reveals that He prayed till His sweat became like drops of blood. This revealed the intense agony He went through. Luke 22:44 KJV “”And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground”.

Dear one is there any situation that threatens you, and takes away your peace? If you can overcome on your knees, then you would overcome in reality. In such moments we need the help of the Holy Spirit. The word says He helps us in our weaknesses. He makes intercessions for us with groaning that cannot be uttered. (Rom 8:26). In such times your ability to pray through is what matters. Praying through means persisting in prayer till you have a note of victory and God’s assurance that it is over. The Lord Jesus had that assurance of victory and so, He came to the disciples and said, they should rise up, and go.

THOUGHT: THERE IS NO VICTORY FOR SATAN, SO PERSIST IN PRAYER TILL YOU WIN.

FURTHER STUDIES

Romans 8:26. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”.

Colossians 4:12. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matt 26:40 KJV” And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?”

The Lord returned from prayer to see the disciples sleeping. The Lord asked, could you not watch with me for an hour? There is a time to rest, and a time to pray. These men were supposed to pray yet they were sleeping. At least the Lord had said to them that, they would all forsake Him that very night. This should have pushed them into prayer, yet they were sleeping. They did not consider what the Lord said. What has God said about you, that you are refusing to act upon? Dear one refusing to be aggressive about prayer will cause you great loses.

The Lord said to them, watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation. These men were unfortunately sleeping. Sleeping has a lot of spiritual significances. To sleep, is spiritually a work of darkness. The night is a time of darkness, and it is the time sleep takes place. Practically the works of darkness is anything sinful. Rom 13:12 KJV “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”

 Any form of sinful lifestyle can be referred to a moment of sleeping.

You have to wake up from that slumber, less you are overwhelmed with Satan’s power, that would ultimately destroy you.

The Lord says we must watch and pray. From our discussions above sleeping is likened to a sinful life. To watch is to keep yourself from every sin and turn unto the Lord in prayer. You can’t pray effectively when you are living in any life of sin. Wake up by forsaking sin so you can pray with impact. The Lord says if you turn away from every sleepy or sinful life and would pray, no condition of the devil will get you down. What is temptation? Temptation is not just a trying moment, but a condition that controls you to do what you may not want to do. Temptations would lead you out of the way of God, and get you into Satan’s rule, yet praying makes God’s strength available to overcome.

THOUGHT: PUT AWAY SIN THAT YOU MAY BE AWAKE TO PRAY

FURTHER STUDIES

Ephesians 5:14 KJV “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

Luke 18:1 KJV “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint”;

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 26:37 WEB “He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and severely troubled”.

It is said that success without a successor is failure in disguise. The Lord Jesus made sure He took the three gentlemen, Peter, James and John along to a lot of places He went. He was training them through His life and experiences so they could rightly continue His work after He’s left. He could have left them in the company of the other eight, yet He asked them to accompany Him to His place of prayer. That was a moment of agony and pain. Peter and the other two needed to see and learn from His example.

In discipling younger ones in the faith, they must be taught theoretically and then practically as well. In Luke’s second letter to Theophilus, which was about the acts of the APOSTLES he wrote, Act 1:1 KJV The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. The Lord trained them by the things He began to do and teach.

The best training any leader can give his followers, team or group is a good example. Action really speaks louder than words. Apostle Paul said to Timothy in 2Timothy 3:10 that “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, “How could Timothy had known all these things about Paul? Paul continuously drew him to himself. Timothy learnt by experience. Timothy was also ready to learn.

Dear brothers, understudying a father in the faith, please humble yourself and learn. You may be corrected, rebuked or instructed in ways that may not be so pleasant, just take it and move on.

It is rather unfortunate that most Christians do not realise they have a duty to pass on their knowledge and experiences to the next generation. One place that mentoring goes on every moment is the family. Parents, you have a very high calling to train your children in the way of Christ, and pass on the button of faith to them, for the next generation 6:4 KJV “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord”. Give them the best of the Christlike life.This is the greatest inheritance you can offer your children.

THOUGHT: A CHRISTLIKE LIFE IS THE PRICELESS GIFT YOU CAN GIVE TO YOUR CHILDREN

FURTHER STUDIES

John 17:19 KJV” And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth”.

2 Timothy 3:10 KJV” But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matt 26:36.”Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.”

 Joseph M Scriven who penned the poem, “What a friend we have in Jesus”., which was meant to encourage his mother, and later became a hymn, has a lot to say to us. One of the lines reads. “O what peace we often forfeit, O! what needless pains we have to bear. All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer” The Lord Jesus had to go through, a moment of disgrace, pain, rejection, and finally death on the cross. He needed strength from the father to overcome. Humanly speaking it was impossible, for Him to carry away the sin and sickness of all humanity. He was to be separated from the father for the first time.

 Prayer is our only means of participating in the strength of the Father.

Prayer is a fellowship with the divine. If we would learn to pray, a lot of our sorrows and difficulties would be overcome. The Lord did not go to ask the father to stop the trouble, although His human, nature seeing the vast magnitude of the challenge, asked that the father takes away that bitter cup of suffering, yet He said, not my will but the will of the Father be done. Apostle James wrote in, James 5:13 that

“Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. ……..”

The Lord says, if you are in any trouble, pray, because He intends to answer you.

Dear brother or sister, do not allow your life to be enveloped in anxiety and depression, because of an anticipated trouble., pray about it. Philippians 4:6 says “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” The challenge of some is that they pray, yet they would not let go the worry and burden into God’s hands. Just consider another assurance from God Peter 5:7. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” Note; It is one thing praying, and another thing casting the burden into God’s hands.

THOUGHT: PRAYER IS NOT AN ESCAPIST APPROACH, BUT A SURE WAY OF BRINGING, GOD’S INTERVENTION

FURTHER STUDIES

Matthew 7:7-8. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

1 John 5:14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 26:33.”Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.”

The Lord told his disciples that, they would all forsake Him. Peter immediately replied him and said, even if all men would forsake Him, he would not. Such an act is a direct challenge of the potency of the word of God. God’s word is an expression of truth and divine power. (Heb 1:3). The word controls and makes all things work according to its dictates. John 10:35 KJV” If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;”. Men must humble themselves to receive the word of God always. Peter actually denied that he knew Jesus.

How do we react to a word of prophecy? There are two main kinds of prophecies. There are prophecies, whose fulfillment depends on certain conditions being met. There are also other prophecies that have no condition, but have been determined by the predetermined counsel of God. Those ones cannot be changed in anyway except one pleads on the mercy of God. Answering such a request, is dependent on God’s sovereign will. What the Lord told the disciples was a predetermined one, which no man could change.

In 2 Kings 20:1-11, the Lord sent the prophet Isaiah to King Hezekiah who was sick. The Lord said to him, that he would not live but die. This had no condition to it. Hezekiah turned to the Lord, and cried unto the Lord. His prayer was a plea for mercy. The Lord had mercy on him, and asked Isaiah to go back and show him what to do. God’s words cannot be broken, yet a humble plea for mercy, may bring a change in what He has said.

THOUGHT:   WHEN YOU ARE AT YOUR WITS END, SEEK FOR GOD’S MERCY.

Psalms 119:89 KJV LAMED. “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.”

Psalms 100:5 KJV “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations”.

KEY SCRIPTURE; Matthew 26:31. “Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad”.

During the discussions the Lord had with His disciples before his passion, he made it clear to them that, they would be offended in Him. They would all forsake Him to be arrested and killed ultimately. Just after saying this, He said afterwards, that He would meet them in Galilee after His resurrection. Matthew 26:32.”But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee”. It is always a very painful thing to have your close associates forsake you in trying moments. In Jesus case, He said they would forsake Him to His fate, yet He did not show any sense of anger, disappointment or worry. He rather added that, I will go ahead of you to Galilee. This meant what was to happen had no ill effect on Him. Why was this so? He had forgiven them in advance. I believe the Lord had forgiven Judas in advance. Judas did not know and he gave way to guilt and self condemnation to lead him to commit suicide. Dear one no matter what you’ve done, it is never beyond His ability to forgive you. Forgive yourself.

How could we also forgive our offenders in advance? The Lord Jesus had committed Himself to the will of God and so knew that no one had the power to change whatever God has said or planned about Him. Secondly, he knew that men were prone to error, and so was not surprised or to be worried when they expressed what was normal with them. Dear brother or sister, your friend as a man has a tendency to make mistakes, so please arm yourself with this thought, so you would not be devastated when he or she fails. Forgive him or her in advance. Husband be ready to forgive your spouse before she errs. The same goes for the wife. Some people get so shattered about the error of their neighbours.

The third reason why the Lord Jesus had to forgive His disciples, even before they committed the offence, was that, He needed them to continue with the task He had for them to do. I mean their relationship was so dear that, the offence should not divide them.

Beloved learn to forgive your neighbours even before they sin against you. Don’t allow temporal errors to create permanent separations and divisions. Your relationship has very important and lots of benefits to both of you. Jesus told Peter to forgive indefinitely. Forgiveness always makes you a stronger individual. Forgiveness liberates your heart from certain invisible prisons. Stay blessed. Amen.

THOUGHT; FORGIVENESS IS TO LET GO OF THE PAIN OF THE HURT IN YOUR HEART

FURTHER STUDIES

Matthew 18:21-22. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and forgive him? till seven times?  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Ephesians 4:32 KJV And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 26:29. “But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom”.

After the Lord Jesus had eaten the Passover meal with His disciples, He said He would not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the day, when He drinks with them new in the father’s kingdom. What was the Lord talking about? In 2 Thessalonians 2:1 the bible says we would be gathered unto the Lord at the rapture of the church. There would be a marriage feast of the saints with the Lord. Let’s consider how the bible talks about it in Revelation 19:9. “And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God”.

The above verse ended by saying, “…blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb”. This clearly reveals that there would definitely be some who would not be qualified, and so would not be among those who would be admitted to the marriage supper. The parable of the ten virgins, where five were fools and five were wise. The foolish ones were not accepted into the marriage supper, whiles the five wise virgins were admitted. These scriptural emphases establish the fact that this is real and would definitely come to pass.

Dear brother, are you going to be accepted into the great marriage supper which the Lord talked about in Matt 26? There are two important steps and actions that would surely give you perfect access into His marriage supper.

1. Love the Lord God with all your soul and your heart and your might. Mark 12:30

2. Love thy neighbour as thyself. Mark 12:31

The Lord says upon these two commandments hang the law and the prophets. Do everything for the Lord out of love for Him. Serve the Lord diligently. Anything done for personal glory has missed the mark. No matter who your neighbour is, he or she is in the very image of God, and whatever you do to that person, you have done it unto the Lord. Never hate or mistreat any human being. If you would do these then a great door would be opened to you in the father’s kingdom.

THOUGHT:  GOD ACCEPTS ONLY THOSE WHO SERVE HIM OUT OF LOVE.

FURTHER STUDIES

1 Corinthians 8:2-3. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of him.

Philippians 2:12. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.