KEY SCRIPTURE: John 19:30 KJV “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

The Lord successfully came to the end of His ministry on earth because He made up His to finish His task. He said from the beginning of His ministry that He was sent by the Father to do all that pleases Him, and to finish it. A man who has decided on what he or she wants, finds his energies focused on getting that particular thing done. Prov 13:19 KJV” The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil.” It was a desire for the Lord to finish what He started, and so He eventually had His soul satisfied. Isaiah 53:11a says” He shall see the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied…” In Proverbs 13:19 b, the scripture says, it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil.” As the wise focus on their task, the fool does not, rather he does not depart from his uncommitted life. At the end of the day, he has achieved nothing because he did not depart from his clueless life.

Some make great plans to get certain tasks done yet, at the end of the stipulated time, nothing is done, why? The Lord Jesus did not just desire to finish. He was passionate about finishing it. His constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit through His moments of prayer and meditation stirred up this resolve to stay on course. This is the way Apostle Paul explains his sustaining abilities. Philippians 3:13. I don’t depend on my strength to accomplish this; however, I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead.” He says further,” I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory prize through the anointing of Jesus.”

Apostle Paul says he sees before him, a heavenly call, or a task given by God, and therefore, it demands the highest attention. Alongside the task from above, there is also a prize or reward for the one who finishes that heavenly call. In light of this, He presses hard to fulfill the call as well as win the prize. Apostle Paul also came to the end of His mission and said the following 2Tim 4:7 KJV” I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” He said, that because of this he would be crowned with the crown of righteousness. Dear one, what are you committed to? Do you have the prized glory before your eyes?

THOUGHT: THERE ARE ALWAYS TWO THINGS IN SIGHT: TO COMPLETE THE TASK AND TO WIN THE PRIZE

 FURTHER STUDIES

1Corinth 9:24 KJV “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”

Philippians: 3:14″ I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus.  Holy Bible (TPT) The Passion Translation

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 19:30 KJV” When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

There is a special joy that always comes along when a task is well executed. The bible said, He considered the joy that was set before Him and so went through all the pain. (Heb 12:2) He persisted through all the pain, shame, and every other thing that He had to endure. The Lord got His hands on the plough and would not look back as early as age twelve. Luke 2:49 KJV” And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” In John 4:34 He said,” My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

What made Him stay through such a task? We can get the answers from several statements He made.

1. He said His yoke was easy, and His burden was light because He was meek and lowly in heart. Matt 11:28. This means He chose to put down His egos and placed the Father’s will first. The Lord humbly submitted himself to the Father’s will.

2. He decided to please the Father who had sent Him. John 8:29″ And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”

3. In Luke 9:62, “He said the following “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” This statement was a guiding order that kept Him continually looking forward. It would have applied to Him, also, if He had looked back.

4 The Lord also made the following statement in Luke 14:26 as follows: “if any man would come after me, and does not hate His mother, father, sisters and brothers, wife or husband, children, and His very life he cannot be His disciple”. Once again, such words were guiding principles that controlled His actions.

5 Above all was His love for all men, who needed to be free from Satan’s bondage. It was this love that made Him bear the sins, shame, and sufferings of all men. John 3:16.

We can also learn the following from the master to keep us focused on any task that is given to us. We must love the Lord above ourselves and be ready to lay our lives for Him. May we learn this word of wisdom? Death is certain for most men. It is far better to choose to die honourably for Him than to die any other way, that would give no eternal reward for it.

The Lord kept making positive statements that impacted His actions so much. We must also make positive statements that show allegiance and submission to God.

God almighty is the ultimate and final judge of all our actions, and we will do so much good to and for ourselves to always please Him

THOUGHT: LIFE IS ONLY MEANINGFUL IF LIVED OUT FOR THE MANUFACTURER’S PURPOSE

FURTHER STUDIES

Luke 9:62 KJV:  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Heb 12:2 KJV” Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 19:30 KJV “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

Our victory is already accomplished. Jesus declared it is finished. The life and experiences of every Christian are an expression of the life of our Lord Jesus. I once heard a preacher man preach vehemently as he declared, that the Christian life is very difficult. Well, it is only difficult if you are trying to work it out by your abilities. It is the Lord Jesus expressing His victory through us. Ephesians: 2:6 &7 He raised us with Christ the exalted One, and we ascended with him into the glorious perfection and authority of the heavenly realm, for we are now co-seated as one with Christ

 Throughout the coming ages, we will be the visible display of the infinite, limitless riches of his grace and kindness, which was showered upon us in Jesus Christ.”

Holy Bible (TPT) The Passion Translation:

 The Lord finished the work and now has taken His abode in us to display that victory in us. We express that victory by always acknowledging that we have Christ’s victory, Christ’s authority, Christ’s health, Christ’s sinlessness, Christ’s power, and Christ’s wealth. We do not attempt to become any of these, but we accept and acknowledge that that is who we are. Now Satan is not our problem. Sin is not our problem, The difficulty of the people in this world is not our problem. Our part is to insist and stand on the fact that we are exalted above all. the challenge in this world.

The scripture tells us to stand and never accept any state lower than who we are. Who are we? We are one with Jesus and have His victory. We are never defeated no matter how hard we seem to be hit. It changes nothing. We are only defeated when we acknowledge that the Lord’s victory no longer works in us. Well, this is also not possible. This is the reason any child of God who claims defeat is deceived. This is the special tool of Satan. In our prayers, we do not pray as defeated ones trying to gain victory, but as victorious ones who would not accept the lies of Satan. You as a child of God are not the sick seeking healing. You are the healed refusing to accept the sickness of Satan. You are not the poor seeking to be rich, you are the rich refusing to accept the lies of Satan that you are poor.

This is an understanding every child of God must get by renewing his or her mind.

 Say always I am one with Christ, His victory is my victory, I am never the sick seeking healing, l am the healed refusing to be sick. I am never cursed seeking blessings. I am forever blessed to reveal the glory of God. Maintain these confessions daily and every deception of Satan would vanish into thin air.

THOUGHT: IN CHRIST, WE HAVE MOVED FROM SEEKING TO RESTING

 FURTHER STUDIES

Hebrews:4 [3] “For those of us who believe, faith activates the promise and we experience the realm of confident rest! For he has said, “I was grieved with them and made a solemn oath, ‘They will never enter into the calming rest of my Spirit.’ ” God’s works have all been completed from the foundation of the world,”

Philemon: 1:6. I” pray for you that the faith we share may effectively deepen your understanding of every good thing that belongs to you in  Christ”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 19:30 KJV “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

In John 4:34, the Lord Jesus said His meat is to do the will of Him that sent Him and to finish it. The Lord after all the shame, rejection, and pain, announced that He had finished doing the will of God. What was that will of God?  It was to bring liberation to all men from Satan’s hold.

The following are some of the areas in which his death brought us freedom.

Man was His reason for coming. Everything He went through was for man’s liberation from Satan’s dominion.

1. He finished the task of taking away the sins of the world. John 1:29, 2nd Corinth 5:21. Man’s sin brought spiritual death and separation from God. His death gave us access by faith to be united to God and for the Spirit of God to live in all who believe in Him.

2. His death brought many sons into Glory or to bring men into His very status. Heb 2:10. God’s intention was not to have followers but to raise sons, who are just like His Son Jesus. We are born from above just like our Lord Jesus.

3. Jesus finished the task of carrying away all sicknesses of humanity. Matt 8:17 ISV “This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “It was he who took our illnesses away   and removed our diseases.”

4. He finished the task of disarming Satan and his cohorts of their power, leaving them with nothing. The devil uses deception and lies to take men captive. Col 2:15 ISV” And when he had disarmed the rulers and the authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in the cross.”

5. Man’s sin gave Satan access to reign over Him, therefore robbing men of every blessing of riches. The Lord on the cross had want of all things. He became extremely poor so that we might be rich.2Corinth 8:9 ISV “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah. Although he was rich, for your sakes he became poor, so that you, through his poverty, might become rich”.  In Christ, we are made rich.

How can men benefit from all these blessings? Believe the good news and these are yours. Isa 53:1 ISV “Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? The arm of the Lord is His power or salvation

THOUGHT: HE SUFFERED THAT WE MIGHT GO FREE

FURTHER STUDIES

Rom 1:16 ISV “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for the salvation of everyone who believes, of the Jew first and of the Greek as well.”

Gal 1:4 ISV” He gave himself for our sins in order to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 19:26 KJV “When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!”

The commandments given to Moses, in Exodus 20:12 state that “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” The Lord made sure he handed the care and upkeep of His mother into the hands of John. This scripture shows that, although the scriptures said nothing much about the Lord’s relation to the mother, this event showed that He did not neglect His responsibility as a son to the mother. The Bible says, from that day John took Mary to his house

In recent times many young men and women have migrated into cities or even into other countries to work or seek greener pastures. In their pursuit of a better life, they fail to keep in touch with their parents living in the village or their home country. Some forget to remit monies to their aging parents because they have married. Dear one, as a child of God, you are supposed to honour your parents. Another way to honour your parents is to obey and act wisely towards them. Pro 13:1 KJV “A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.” Remember, honouring your parents brings a blessing of long life, and things going well with you, according to the word of God.

Do not neglect your parents in old age. Some countries have special rehabilitation centers for the elderly. Many children choose to send their aging parents there instead of staying with them and expressing that love for them. Well, if you have to send them there, make sure you are very much in touch to show your love to them. Remember John took Mary, Jesus’ mother to his home. Old age comes with certain challenges. Be prepared to love them at that time. Honour your parents at their old and weak moments of their lives. Some leave the care of their aged parents to only one of their siblings. This is not right if you do not make any special inputs to the upkeep of such parents.

THOUGHTS: GOD BLESSES ALL WHO HONOUR THEIR PARENTS

FURTHER STUDIES

Prov 15:20 KJV “A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.”

Prov 17:2 KJV” A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 19:25 KJV “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.”

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, women played a very special role. These women were great partners to the Lord’s ministry, as they gave off their substance. Luke 8:3 KJV “And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance. “These were very faithful women. They kept their faithfulness even at a time when the whole community called for His crucifixion.

This act of faithfulness on the part of these women was against a big show of rejection by almost all of Jesus’ disciples except John who the bible said, stood with the Lord’s mother, Mary, at the time Jesus was hanged on the cross. What was the secret of such faithfulness? Luke 7:47 may give us a clue. Luk 7:47 KJV” Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”  The Lord described Mary Magdalene as being forgiven many sins and so she loved much. It is also a deep appreciation, of what Christ has done, that raises one’s sense of value for what Christ did for us. This influences our love for the Lord.

Gratitude always produces faithfulness. Women are more relational and attach their emotions to whatever they do. Men are more analytical and less emotional. Strong emotions mean strong attachments. Men’s analysis of issues if properly done brings one to an unchanging resolution. This is what also makes men stay faithful. Dear child of God, it is your greatest responsibility to remain faithful. In the light of all these, the Spirit of God in us is full of faithfulness. That makes us faithful by nature. Gal 5:22,23. Decide to keep faithful to the end.

THOUGHT: STAY FAITHFUL, AND YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR CROWN.

FURTHER STUDIES

Rev. 2:11 KJV He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Rev 3:5 KJV He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 19:24 KJV “They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture, they did cast lots. These things, therefore, the soldiers did.”

Jesus’ passion and crucifixion were a stream of fulfilled prophecies. Jesus was not an ordinary man and every aspect of His life must come with divine significance. Events from His birth throughout His life were spoken of by the prophets of old. Just consider this: Mic 5:2 KJV But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Jesus’ birth occurred exactly in Bethlehem as the prophet said.

The prophecy about in our key scripture is from Ps 22:18. KJV “They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture.” His garment was indeed parted and the overcoat was not divided, yet they cast lots for it. All these events were playing out perfectly as has been said many years before He was born. Now what matters to you concerning His death is anything that directly talks about you.

The following scripture says our sins were laid on Him. Isaiah 53:6 KJV” All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Jesus was wounded because of our transgression and iniquity so that you and I would be free from every power of sin. Are you free from sin? According to the prophet Isaiah again He took our sicknesses and bore our diseases so that no sickness should have power over your body, if you would believe the gospel. Rom 1:16 KJV “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Dear one, if you would believe this good news about your health, your sins, and all the blessings of Jesus’ death, it would become your experience today.

THOUGHT: BELIEVE THE GOSPEL AND EXPERIENCE ITS POWER

FURTHER STUDIES

Rom 1:16 KJV “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

1Co 1:18 KJV “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 19:21 KJV “Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.”

These Jewish religious leaders insisted Jesus had to be handed over to be crucified. Pilate did that but wrote a title on His cross that read, JESUS OF NAZARETH KING OF THE JEWS. These people would also not accept that. They asked Pilate to change that and write’ He said He is the King of the Jews. What was happening to these people? Their ego was just at its peak. Pride makes men act petty and unreasonable. What did that title have to do with their main pursuit, which was to get Jesus crucified, which had been given to them?

Pride has often driven men into lots of foolish acts. Many married couples are not enjoying each other because they are just not satisfied with each other. Lots of hurt and unforgiveness which have ruined marriages proceed from pride. Pride is a tool of Satan and places a man in Satan’s palms.

Dear child of God salvation means freedom from the senses.  Salvation means a man is translated from the flesh into the Spirit. The Bible says he has escaped by flight from the corruption of the flesh or lust to be partakers of the divine nature.2 Peter 1:4.

The Christian should never be dominated by pride. The Christian is a supernatural being who is one with the Spirit of Jesus 1 Corinth 6:17. Pride is focusing on yourself, but now your focus is on magnifying the nature and image of Christ. This is the reason the scripture says sin shall not have dominion over you because you are not under the law, or you do not live by the ability of the flesh, but under grace, that is you are living by a higher ability or power. Now it is the spirit that rules you. You have no bitterness in the Spirit, no unforgiveness in the Spirit, and no offense is too huge to be forgiven. Say these things to yourself always. Say I have escaped the dominance of the flesh, and I am in the Spirit and so I have no pride in me. It can’t just function in me. I am full of meekness.

THOUGHT: NO CHILD OF GOD SHOULD FIND IT DIFFICULT TO WALK IN HUMILITY BECAUSE THAT IS WHO YOU ARE.

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.”

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition 2 Peter 1:4 “By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 19:19 KJV “And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

Governor Pilate had the rare opportunity to meet with the king of Kings and Lord of Lords. He heard from the lips of the Lord that His kingdom is not of this world and that He had angels who could fight for Him. He also told Pilate that he had no power to condemn Him, If His Father who is in heaven did not give him that right or authority. These statements reveal clearly that Jesus is the Son of God, and secondly, He is a king. Pilate deduced a truth out of all these, yet He did not acknowledge him as His Lord That would have given him grounds to be saved. He failed to acknowledge that and rather wrote Jesus’ king of the Jews.

Dear one, do not miss the opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. He says harden, not your heart if you hear His word today. Jesus imparts His life to you. You become His representative in this life.1Jn 4:17 KJV” Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.”  Do not miss this amazing appeal to welcome Him into your life.

The Lord told Peter and the other fishermen who had no special education, that they should follow Him, and He would make them fishers of men. After a period of living with the master, they became the leaders of their society. He made them fishers or leaders of other men. He says follow me. You do not need any special qualities. All you need is to follow Him. Today do not let this opportunity slip by. Make that decision to follow Him.

Evangelist Akwasi Amoako, of blessed memory, would be described as a social misfit before he found Jesus. He was a swindler, pickpocket, a brawler, and a threat to other members of the community. He heard God’s word and after some moments of struggling with the word, he yielded to the call. He decided to ardently follow Jesus. God used him so powerfully in Ghana and outside Ghana as well. He became so influential that, he challenged certain anti-Christian policies of the government.  No matter your current state, all that the Lord requires from you is to decide to follow Him. If you want a higher power and influence in your life, then decide to follow Him.

THOUGHT: FOLLOW JESUS, AND MEN WILL FOLLOW YOU.

FURTHER STUDIES

Matt 4:19 KJV “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”.

2Corinth 6:2 KJV” (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 19:18 ISV” There they crucified him, along with two others, one on each side of him with Jesus in the middle.”

Our Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross. This is a very important event that leads to the redemption of mankind. Without His crucifixion, He would not have resurrected to seal our redemption. The crucifixion of our Lord Jesus is a vital part of the good news.  By dying on the cross he became the lamb of God, who took away our sins. John the Baptist made the following remarks about Him when the Lord got to the river Jordan, where he baptised the people. John 1:29 ISV” The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” For one to be saved, you have to believe Jesus died for your sins.

It is written in another religious book (the Quran: Surah 157) that It was a conjecture. The advanced learners’ dictionary defines a conjecture as a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing, usually with little hard evidence. Please note that John, the recorder of these things says,  he was a witness to these things. John 19:26 KJV” When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!” John is the very one who wrote these things. When the Lord was resurrected from the dead, Thomas who was not present at Jesus’ first appearance said, He would not believe Jesus is resurrected until he sees the nail print in his hands and his side that was pierced. The following ensued when Jesus appeared the next time to His disciples. John 20:27 KJV “Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.”

The crucifixion of Jesus is so significant because, in God’s set principle to save men, there is no remission of sin without the shedding of blood, Heb 9:22. This is the reason we must pray for the salvation of all those who do not believe Jesus died on the cross. According to the bible, such people are lost in their sins. Dear one, do you believe Jesus died for your sins? Do you also believe he was resurrected from the dead? If you do, then confess Him today as the Lord of your life. If you did so , then you are saved according to Rom 10:9, 10.

THOUGHT: JESUS’ DEATH IS A FACT OF HISTORY AND A VITAL TRUTH FOR THE SALVATION OF MEN.

FURTHER STUDIES

1Corinth 15:3,4 KJV For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Rom 10:9 KJV “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart, man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.”