KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 20:31 (KJV). “And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.”

IT seems certain people normally do not like others to be blessed, promoted or privileged. There is an attempt by certain individuals to prevent those who wish to succeed in life. When David talked to his brothers about fighting Goliath, they tried to talk him out of it.  Joseph’s brothers, tried to kill him, when he shared his dream with them, that he would be a ruler over them. When the two blind men in our story cried onto the master to heal them, the multitude tried to shut them down.

Dear brother or sister don’t consider it strange when friends, neighbours or colleagues try to prevent your effort to excel in life. You must be strong to insist on what you want. It may be a short coming with you, decide you would not allow it to stop you. Good does not happen to wishers but actors. Don’t bow to fate, but vow to rate, If the scriptures agree with what you are requesting, then don’t allow anything to rob you, of it. Tell yourself, if the word agrees with my position, then I will have it.

HOW do you possess what is yours? As the two blind men did, they cried out to the master for mercy. They would not allow the threat of the multitude to make them keep quiet. Cry out unto the lord for mercy according to Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” — Mark 11:24 (KJV). The scripture says when you pray believe that you have it. Start thanking God that you have it. Do not allow any contrary situation to make you change your conviction. Say to yourself, if God says it, I believe it, and so i have it. You would surely have it.

PRAYER

GOD my father, has exalted His word above all His names. I thank you Lord that you have blessed me with my request. Thank you, Lord, for answering me in Jesus’ name.

FURTHER STUDIES

3 John 1:2 (KJV). “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV). “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Psalms 23:1 (KJV). The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 20:26 (KJV). But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister(servant);”

The Lord explained that to be a leader in the concept of the secular world, one has to be a boss over his subjects. He rules over them and they serve him in every way possible. The Lord said this should not be so among the people of God. Every godly leader is a servant.

Who is a servant? A servant thinks of himself as a lowly one that must render Service. He serves with this attitude “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.” — John 13:14 (KJV)Serving is helping.

Helping is a state of placing great value on the person or people you are serving. True service demands selflessness and humility. Every leader is graced with abilities and unique gifts for the benefit of the people. “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:” — Acts 13:36 (KJV) . Every leader must acknowledge he or she is specifically blessed, not for himself, but to help his people with that blessing. The people must not give you money before ministering healing to them, although they may likewise willingly give to spark up their faith to receive.

Leadership is honourable yet, dispensing leadership is simply sacrificial. Every Christian community, like a church, must understand how spiritual leadership functions. The pastor bears an attitude of giving to the brethren through service, whiles the brethren must honour and highly esteem him, so they could benefit from the spiritual abilities God has deposited in him. The leader must not take advantage of the people. He rather lays his life as a sacrifice for the people. (John 15:13). The leader has a duty to bring the people into their inheritance (Joshua 1:2) Every leader’s highest commitment is not first to the people, but to God, who helps him to be able to rightly help his people. The failure of leadership is neglecting God and His principles. (Joshua 1:8)

THOUGHT: True leadership is about doing God’s will for His people.

FURTHER STUDIES

Joshua 1:2 (KJV). “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.”

John 13:4-5 (KJV). He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.  After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 20:24 (KJV). “And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.”

A PUPPET is a toy with strings attached to it joints. It moves as those strings are pulled. It is controlled by another. Many people are puppet of others. It is what others say and do that determine how they would behave. When the rest of the Lord’s Jesus disciples heard that the mother of the sons of Zebedee requested that her sons be allowed to sit at the two sides of the Lord in heaven, they were moved with indignation. The rest of the twelve became puppets of the wishes of the other two disciples. I believe that they started accusing them, by saying, why   should they allow their mother to make the request on their behalf.

There are a number of people who are very unhappy about life because someone said something nasty to them. Dear brother or sister you do not determine how another person should think or talk, but you can always choose how you respond to them. Note that iin this life, you are always accountable for your own actions and not what somebody said. Scripture enjoins us to live according to the word of God and not according to the words and actions of others.

Some wives decided to have a boy friend because their husband had a girl friend. Dear sister would you go to hell because your husband has decided to go there? There is someone living with depression because another individual told him, he looked ugly. Refuse to be a puppet of another individual but to live only by the word of God.

The answer to free yourself from people’s actions, opinion or words, is to always walk in love. . Love gives you a cool head towards others and makes you act favourably towards them always. As a child of God, love is your nature. Refuse to allow any wrong attitudes to control you.

CONFESSION

I am born of love, and so it is my nature to love. I do not bear wrong, nor do I act out of

 hatred towards others! I have joy and peace for it is only God’s word that controls me.

FURTHER STUDIES

1 Corinthians 13:5-7 (BBE).  Love’s ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil; It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true; Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 20:21 (KJV). “And he said unto her, What wilt thou?  She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.”

The mother of Zebedee’s children came to the Lord, with an expression of desiring something from the master. The Lord asked, what do you want? Do not go into prayer not knowing what you want. The mother of those disciples knew exactly what she wanted. She requested that each of the sons would be permitted by the Lord to sit on His left and right side in the kingdom of heaven. The Lord said among other things that as for sitting on his left or right side in the kingdom, it was not His right to give that. This prayer was not granted, because she asked amiss according to James 4:3. “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” – James 4:3 (KJV)

In the book of James 4:1-4, the Holy Ghost speaking through apostle James reveals one major cause of unanswered prayer.

HE reveals that the major cause of unanswered prayer is lust in the hearts of people moving them to require or demand certain things. Scripture reveals also that, the number one cause of unanswered prayer is unbelief (James 1:6-8). We would focus on the place of lust influencing our answers for this study.

Let’s consider one event. A married lady realizes she can’t give birth. She gets desperate, worried, moody and what have you?  She prays and prays and nothing is happening. She asks why is God treating her this way.? The major cause of her frustration is that all her friends have their babies and why is she not having hers (Offence). Please note that every one of her frustrations is focused on herself and not on what God has said in His word. She is not seeking the child basically on the grounds of God’s word or for God’s glory. Her problem is all about herself. This lady is struggling with what people think about her and not what God says about that condition. Hannah in 1st Samuel was in a similar situation, the day she said God give me this child and I will give him to you, she had her breakthrough. She stopped focusing on herself but rather to honour.

 God with the answer. Stop seeking the answer to proof a point for yourself.

THOUGHT: Desiring an answer on the basis of what God has said, builds faith, and your request cannot be denied.

FURTHER STUDIES

James 4 (KJV). ¹ From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? ² Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. ³ Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 20:18 (KJV). “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,”

WHEN the Lord had come to the tail end of his ministry, he knew he had to suffer at the hands of sinners. He was indeed very ready to go through that path. He said what satisfies me is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish it. John 4:34.

It is those who have come to the understanding that true living is all about doing that which pleases the Lord Jesus. It is a real misery to act against the will of God. How could suffering and dying be the best for Jesus, if that was the will of God?

God is the beginning and end of everything. Your life is a manifestation of the wisdom of God, if only you act in consonance with what he says. In God there is no death. He is the God of the living. He is perfect love and excellent wisdom. He is the completion of power and might. In the story of the kings of Judah and Israel, any time a king walked in the will of God, the whole state lived in peace. If the king forsook God’s word to worship idols, the whole land will run into trouble. There is prosperity and fulfillment in doing the will of GOD.

Our Lord Jesus has seen the rejoicing of His heart, because He died for humanity. (Isaiah 53:11), Dear reader for a victorious life choose to do only that which pleases God. When Jonah attempted to be wise in his own ways, acting against divine counsel, he ended up in the belly of a whale. The following is the counsel of the scripture. “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”— Proverbs 3:7 (KJV)Beloved, choose to do what God says. No one has ever failed who kept doing what God says. Your case would not be an exemption. As Jesus set His face to go to Jerusalem to suffer and be killed, to bring to pass, God’s will for his life, so must you decide against all odds to do what pleases God.

THOUGHT: LIFE HAS ONLY TWO ENDS CHOOSING TO PLEASE GOD TO SUCCEED OR DISOBEYING HIM TO FAIL.

FURTHER STUDIES

Deuteronomy 30:15-16 (KJV). See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

Deuteronomy 30:17-18 (KJV). But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 20:16 (KJV). “So, the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.”

  The Lord said, that, those who are first, shall be the last, and rather the last shall become the first. This is a statement that has baffled the understanding of many. I believe the explanation can be found within the context of the story the Lord narrated.

In the Lord’s story some groups of men were employed by an entrepreneur, at various times in the day. At the end of the day, he paid all of them the SAME amount. Those who came earlier got offended about what this man had done. It is this act of getting offended that disqualified them. Although they were first, they had fallen out of favour with the entrepreneur. It is one’s attitude of thinking that by virtue of some qualifications, they should have been preferred, and so they get offended about God’s choices. Many people are also offended about how He has handled certain people.

A typical example, is the case of the prodigal son and his elder brother. The younger son erred by taking away his share of the Father’s inheritance and wasted everything on riotous living. He came back and the father threw a party to his honour. The elder brother who was in the good books of the father, got so offended that he would not come to the party. He felt it was his right to be honoured and celebrated that way. Beloved brethren, if he had held on to his offence, he would have totally lost his place in the father’s acknowledgement (Luke 15:11-32). He was first, yet because of offence he would have become the last. The last one, that is the prodigal son, would have become the first. Many are called, yet offence disqualifies them, so a few are chosen.

Dear brother is there any wrong feelings in your heart about another person, who seem to have been favoured or privileged more than you? You may be thinking you should have been honoured because you are older, or you came into the ministry first. A very pretty unmarried lady may be feeling, God has not treated her well, by allowing the less pretty ones to be married. Any such ill feeling in your heart places you out of the choice of God.

THOUGHT:IT IS YOUR GOOD OR BAD HEART THAT DETERMINES WHETHER YOU ARE FIRST OR LAST

FURTHER STUDIES

 Hebrews 12:15 (KJV). “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”

Genesis 4:6-7 (KJV). And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 20:15 (KJV).  “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?”

Please read Matt 20:1-15

In this passage the Lord Jesus gave a parable about an employer who went about employing various persons at certain times of the day. Each time he came across some individuals standing idle, he would engage them into his business and agree with them the amount to pay them at the end of the day. By the close of the day, he kept employing to the last but one hour. He decided to pay those who came lately first. Meanwhile He had agreed with each group to pay them the same amount. Those who came earlier felt cheated because, they had started from the very first hour, yet they received the same amount with those who came later.

THIS parable reveals how God our Father deals with those He engages in His service. He determines how he honors his children. He does not reward His servants on their terms, but His terms. He appoints certain gifts and abilities to certain individuals according to His own choice. “So, then it is not of him that willeth, nor of the him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” — Romans 9:16 (KJV)

Dear child of God, never feel cheated or even envious about the blessings on any child of God. God is the one who determines how He uses each person to His glory. You must rejoice greatly over divine appointments. God is sovereign and we His servants must agree with Him on whatever He chooses to do with any of His servants. Please understand your part in whatever he has put in your hands. It is your role to serve Him diligently, lovingly and sacrificially.

The payments the employer made in our passage were all the earthly benefits. The heavenly rewards are based on your faithfulness or truthfulness to whatever He gave to you to be done. Always serve Him with all your heart.

THOUGHT: ON THIS EARTH GOD DETERMINES. HOW HE USES AND BLESSES HIS SERVANTS, IN HEAVEN YOUR Faithfulness ON THIS EARTH DETERMINES YOUR REWARDS.

FURTHER STUDIES

 2 Corinthians 5:10 (KJV).  “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

 Luke 19:17 (KJV). “And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 19:29 (KJV). “And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.”

People would always want to know the rewards for the efforts or sacrifices they make in particular Peter also asked the master what would their reward be, since they had left everything to follow him. The Lord stated both heavenly rewards as well as earthly benefits.

The heavenly rewards according to the Lord was a special case for only the disciples. They would sit on the twelve thrones of glory judging the twelve tribes of Israel. There are heavenly crowns for all other believers depending on how faithful you served the Lord.

A crown of rejoicing (1 Thess 2:19)

A crown of righteousness for all those who love His appearing (2 Tim 4:8)

A crown of life for all those who loved the Lord and all who endured various persecutions of Christians. (James 1:12)

These crowns are symbols of honour and authority giving one the right to rule certain people in the heavenly kingdom. There would be some with no crowns. “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”— 1 Corinthians 3:15 (KJV)

With the heavenly blessings in view there would be earthly blessings depending on your love and sacrifice for the Lord as well as the will of God for certain individuals. In Mark 10:29-30, the Lord said, there is no one who has left mother, father, siblings, lands and others for the gospel’s sake who shall not receive a hundred-fold now in this life, houses and brethren, and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecution. and in the world to come eternal life. God is a faithful employer and does not leave his servants unrewarded, both here in this life and the world to come.

THOUGHT: SERVE GOD IN ALL SINCERITY

FURTHER STUDIES

 1Corinthians 15:58 (KJV). “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

  Hebrews 6:10 (KJV). “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 19:26 (KJV). “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

Please read Matt 19:16-26

In this passage a rich young man came to the Lord Jesus and enquired, “what good thing must I do to enter into life.?” The Lord asked him to go and do the commandments and he would be saved. The man answered, he has been obeying these laws since, childhood. The Lord said to him, Go and sell all that you have and come and follow me and you would be saved. At this instant he was very sad, because he had a lot of riches and was not prepared to leave it. The Lord added how difficult it is for the rich to be saved.

The disciples knowing the implication of this, then commented, who then can be saved? Let’s consider the Lord’s answer. “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”— Matthew 19:26 (KJV)The Lord said rightly that salvation of a man does not lie in the ability of man, but a provision of God. It is impossible on the ability of a man to save himself by his efforts at obeying the laws of God.

The Lord Jesus speaking to Nicodemus in John chapter three revealed God’s solution to the salvation question. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”— John 3:16 (KJV).  In this verse that which the Lord Jesus said was impossible to the disciples in the book of Matthew is made known in the gospel of John. In the book of Ephesians, it reveals in Ephesians 2 that:

⁸” For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Salvation is by believing in Jesus to be saved

In the encounter of the Lord with the rich young man, he came with the idea of doing good works to be saved, and the Lord seeking to correct that wrong concept, took him through certain instructions that would bring him to a place of seeing that, it was impossible on the part of a man to save himself by good works. We are not saved by our good works but by believing in our Lord Jesus.

CONFESSION

Thank you, heavenly Father, for your provision for our salvation. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and savour. He lives in me, making me live a victorious life to His glory.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 1:11 (KJV).”He came unto his own, and his own received him not.  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

  John 3:3 (KJV). “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 19:14 (ASV). “But Jesus said, Suffer the little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for to such belongeth the kingdom of heaven.”

AS the Lord taught the people, some of the adults brought their children to Jesus so He would bless them. The disciples of Jesus attempted to stop them. The Lord quickly asked them not to hinder the little ones from coming to him. He added that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like children.

The above statement means if you could have the heart of a little child, you would have access into the kingdom of heaven. What makes children candidates for HEAVEN?

1.Children believe without asking questions. According to the scriptures, man by wisdom cannot know God. 1 Corinth 1:21. The man who believes, God’s word, without asking questions is highly rated before God.

2. As children accepts their parents, the man who will have access into the kingdom, must, repent of his or her sins and believe on Jesus as his Lord and savour.

3. Children would not go to the one they do not know. The man or woman who would have access into heaven would not accept any other way, but the way of holiness.

4.Children keep no offence. People who are candidates of heaven, do not keep hurts and offences in their hearts. They quickly forgive, even before the offender requests for forgiveness.

5.Children never love to leave the presence of their parents. The child of God who would be a candidate of heaven is an addict of the presence of God. He is addicted to seeking God’s face in prayer and the word, as well as joining other believers to worship and listen to the Lord speak through His servants.

6 Every little child believes his father and mother are the best and are ready to tell his friends about the achievement of his parents. The man for heaven tells a lot about the saving power of the lord. He witnesses to God’s ability to save men

IF you would repent and be as a little child, then you have a big access to heaven.

CONFESSION

Heavenly Father I accept every revelation about yourself and our Lord Jesus. I repent from every sinful way, and surrender my life to the Lordship of Jesus.

FURTHER STUDIES

  Matthew 11:25. “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”

  Matthew 18:3 (KJV) “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”