KEY SCRIPTURE: John 19:17 ISV” Carrying the cross all by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of a Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.”

The Lord said to His disciples during His days of ministry that, if anyone would come after Him, or if anyway would be His disciple, and does not first take up His cross and follow Him, He is not His disciple. This is the very first condition that guarantees one following Him. The Lord demonstrated this very instruction by carrying His cross to be crucified. The idea of one carrying His cross is to accept that you do not live for yourself any longer. It also means you are dead to yourself and that it is the will of God that matters to you. ‘Carrying the cross suggests condemned to death.

No one can effectively serve God until he is dead to himself. God cannot also use a man who is alive to himself. The Lord only works with sacrificed vessels. The Lord said in Luke 9:62 KJV that….” No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God”. Serving or following Jesus for that matter must be done under His terms. Dear brother, if you have not renewed your thinking to align with this approach, then you are still far from knowing Him or being His disciple in the first place.

Christianity is a supernatural life. It is God acting through a man. Apostle Paul declared “I am crucified with Jesus, although I live, yet not I. The life I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me “Gal 2:20. Our call to take up the cross is simply to let the Spirit of Christ take charge and live through us. Weakness in the church of God is when the flesh takes charge. Dear one, you cannot reign in this life, when your natural senses are your master. The senses are servants of the devil if they lead. Keep the senses dead and let the spirit lead. Gal 5:16 KJV “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

I have heard in recent times a call for men to marry more than one, as they argue about the needs of their flesh. Any child of God who submits to this view is allowing his flesh to take charge of him and will be defeated in the life of the Spirit. Jesus said, if you look lustfully at a woman, you have committed adultery with her in your heart. Matt 5:28. The Lord was teaching about maintaining your holiness by keeping to your wife, so you would maintain the one flesh, through that union.

THOUGHT: KEEP THE FLESH DEAD, SO GOD CAN BE STRONG IN YOU, TO REVEAL HIS GLORY IN YOU.

FURTHER STUDIES

Rom 8:13 ISV” For if you live according to human nature, you are going to die, but if by the Spirit you continuously put to death the activities of the body, you will live”.

Gal 5:19-21 ISV” Now the actions of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of anger, quarrels, conflicts, factions, envy, murder, drunkenness, wild partying, and things like that. I am telling you now, as I have told you in the past, that people who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. “

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 19:16 KJV” Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led him away.”

After Pilate had strived with the people to set Jesus free. Pilate finally submitted to the pressure of the people, and so He gave Jesus up to the scribes and Pharisees to do with Him. Pilate submitted to their cries for Jesus’s crucifixion. Many people are under invisible pressure to be pleased. Moses, that great servant of God, filled with amazing signs and wonders, could not get to the promised land because of the pressure of the people. Numbers 12:3 said the following about Moses:(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth). He is said to be the meekest of all men, yet the actions, complaints, and murmurings of the people got so much on him that he could not control his temper. He said to them at that moment God instructed him to speak to the rock to give out water. He said, must I fetch water from the rock, then out of anger, he hit the rock. God said because of this act, he would not set foot on the promised land.

Many women without children are suffering and sorrow because of the pressure of the society. They would have lived normally if it had not been the pressure of the people. Some single ladies are pestered by the people about when they would be getting married. Dear one, men can be unusually burdensome. Most people would not mind their own business.

A young husband died of hypertension caused by an extremely nagging wife. This wife complains about almost everything and also keeps herself from the man in bed. This kind of treatment kept him stressed up most of the time. He had to confide in a few friends about the treatment the wife gave him. Some husbands are also extremely demanding and aggressive as well. They are very jealous and would easily beat up the wife at the least provocation. Some easily lose their temper and shout at their wives as if they were their children. These are all pressures that people place on others.

Does any of these pictures look like you? You are killing your neighbour silently. Repent and stop it.

THOUGHT: BE MINDFUL OF THE IMPACT OF YOUR ACTIONS ON THE EMOTIONS OF THE OTHER PARTY.

FURTHER STUDIES

James 1:19,20 KJV” Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”

1Co 13:4 ISV” Love is always patient;   love is always kind;   love is never envious or arrogant with pride.   Nor is she conceited,”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 19:14 KJV” And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!”

The Passover was a feast instituted by God for the Jews to remember the great deliverance from the bondage of 430 years in Egypt. The day of preparation was for them to provide all the necessary food items for that special sabbath day since no work was to be done on the Sabbath. Although the Jews were preparing for that day, God was also preparing His Son to be the eternal Passover sacrifice for all mankind. To recap the event of the first Passover, God through Moses asked the Israelites to kill an unblemished sheep, whose blood was to be smeared on the side post and lentil of every Jewish home. The angel of death was to pass through the land that night, and every house that had no blood had their first son dying, irrespective of the fact he was a Jew or not. Ex 12:22-24.

In the same way, our Lord Jesus was offered as the preparatory sacrifice of God for all mankind. Any man, who would accept the death of Jesus as God’s token for the pardon and forgiveness of that person becomes a child of God. Such a one is exempted from spiritual death and all its related consequences, which include living in sin, sicknesses, demonic dominance, and an ultimate destination in hell. This is how the bible shows the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus to save mankind. Heb 9:12 KJV “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” 

Dear one, the blood on each door, irrespective of the fact that He was a Jew or an Egyptian, the blood symbolised the death of the firstborn. Where there was no blood then the angel of death which was passing through the land went for the firstborn and slew him. Today, you can have your Passover lamb speaking for you against every wicked power that seeks the destruction of men. When a man turns his life to Jesus, he receives the same effect of the Passover blood as it happened, during the days of the Jews in Egypt.

THOUGHT: RECEIVE GOD’S PASSOVER SACRIFICE TO ESCAPE FROM ETERNAL DAMNATION

FURTHER STUDIES

Heb 2:9 KJV But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

John 3:16 KJV” 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.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 19:12 KJV “And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.”

In our key scripture, Pilate had wanted to release Jesus, yet the Jews cried at him that if he did that then he is not a friend of Caesar. He chose the latter.

Many men sadly forsake God to choose human association instead. Apostle Paul says, Gal 1:16 KJV “To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:” Paul did not allow any human association to becloud the calling of God upon his life. Many men of God failed in their ministries because they never understood that, the call of God is primarily unto Himself. It is a call to know Him, and also what He wants you to do for Him. Even, whatever we do for the people is done under His instruction and in His honour. God is the reason for our existence, and our lives are only meaningful if it is focused on pleasing Him.

These Pharisees said to Pilate that if he freed Jesus, then he was not a friend of Caesar. Pilate was taken aback because of this. He loved his human association with Caesar more than he being truthful to God. He finally gave in and handed Jesus over to them to go and crucify Him. Pilate missed a great opportunity to know the Son of God and the giver of life. He also missed that rare opportunity to encounter supernatural power that makes a man rule over wicked demonic powers.

Dear one, never choose human relationships over relating to our Lord Jesus. Some people know they are in sinful relationships, yet they are not ready to break that association. What does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, only to lose his soul in hell? Dear one, it is time to break up every ungodly relationship to choose Jesus. He is consistently knocking on the door of your heart waiting for your permission to welcome Him in. Rev 3:20. Today is that moment. Choose Him right now.

THOUGHT: NO HUMAN BEING SHOULD COME IN BETWEEN YOU AND GOD.

FURTHER STUDIES

Gal 1:10 KJV” For do I now persuade men or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”

Rev 3:20 KJV” Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 19:12 KJV And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.”

After Jesus said to Pilate, you can’t have power over me unless it is given to you from above, He was expressing His faith in God. This word from the lips of Jesus, made Pilate give a great respect unto the master. He wanted to release Him. The Lord’s statement was an expression of His faith in the Father. Faith in God always dominates over various circumstances. The Bible says faith stops every onslaught of the enemy against us. Your faith brings you into the same realm as God. It says all things are possible to him that believes.

Our faith is fundamentally expressed through the words we say. Rom 10:10 KJV” For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.” This scripture is the main principle that our faith is expressed and it also works. The heart believes God and the mouth forcefully says it. This is God’s prescribed way to change supposedly impossible situations in our lives. What on earth would have made Governor Pilate have such high regard for Jesus, to the point of seeking His release, even after he had given him over to be scourged, ready to be crucified?

A lady was diagnosed with hepatitis B at a rather advanced stage. Her legs had started swelling, her stomach was enlarging, and her appetite for food was gone. I taught her to believe the word of healing according to 1 Peter 2:24. I told her to keep declaring to her body that every virus in her system was dead. She religiously observed that. After a time, every symptom was reversed and she was made free from that ravaging infirmity. Your faith would surely put you over. Say with me today, I believe that by the stripes of Jesus, I was healed of every infirmity, and I declare that my body is free of every infirmity, weakness, or deformity. In Jesus’ mighty name, no disease inhabits my body right now. I am free. Keep declaring this over your body, if there is any condition contrary to your normal health. Be bold with it and that condition would leave you.

THOUGHT: FAITH IN YOUR HEART AND A CORRESPONDING CONFESSION OF YOUR LIPS WOULD PUT YOU OVER.

FURTHER STUDIES

Mark 11:23 KJV “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”

2Co 4:13 KJV “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 19:11 KJV “Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”

Pilate asked the Lord Jesus why is he not answering him. He added, “Do you not know that I have the authority to set you free or to authorise your crucifixion? The Lord did not lose sight of the truth. The truth is that only God has the final word over our lives. It is God who gives the right to men to exercise authority over other men’s lives. The outcome of whatever happens to us depends on how we respond to God’s word in our lives. God and His word are one God that can be predicted based on what his word says.

The Lord Jesus was not moved by the status of Pilate. He was only acting in response to the word of God. Since He knew what the Father had said to Him, whatever was happening did not change His mood or make Him act on impulse. The word says Forever O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven, and thy faithfulness is unto all generations. PS 119:89,90.

Whenever we respond to situations out of fear, we lose ourselves from God’s authority and turn our lives to be manipulated by other factors or forces. Fear also means we do not have trust in God, and that gives anything at all the authority to determine what should happen to us. Jesus was never afraid of Pilate and what he could do to him. He therefore addressed Pilate rightly. He said you cannot do anything to me until the authority is given to you by my father. How did He address him rightly? He addressed him in the light of the word of God. This kept Him in the will of God. The safest place on the earth is to remain in the will of God.

One man who allowed the situation to play against him was Job. Job had challenges that came to Him because he was always living in fear. Job 3:25, 26 KJV’ For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet, yet trouble came.’ Job’s life was seriously troubled when the things he feared came on Him. Although God permitted Satan to test him, his fears made things go in such a way that, God could do nothing about it, but to allow Satan to tempt him. He kept saying I was not safe. How should we live?  Put your trust in the Lord and declare your confidence in Him.

THOUGHT: STAY FAITHFUL TO GOD’S WORD, TO KEEP YOU IN HIS PERFECT WILL.

FURTHER STUDIES

Psalms 17:4 KJV” Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.”

Psalms 119:67 KJV” Before I was afflicted, I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 19:7 KJV” The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law, he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of GOD”

On what charges was the Lord Jesus convicted to be crucified? The Lord was sent to Pilate on the charges of sedition according to Luk 23:2 KJV” And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King”. On this charge, Pilate could not find any convincing grounds to call for His crucifixion.

In our key scripture, the religious leaders changed their earlier charge against Jesus from sedition to blasphemy. This law was in Leviticus 24:16.What did Jesus blaspheme about? He said He and the Father are one. This claim is understood by the Jews that, He as a man makes himself God. John 10:33 KJV” The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God”. It was on this grounds that the Lord Jesus was crucified. He said He is the Son of God, and according to the Jews, it meant He is God.

Some have contended that where in the New Testament did Jesus say that He is God? Well, John 10:30 says so vividly and clearly. John 10:30 KJV “I and my Father are one.” The Jews also understood it clearly with no ambiguity. Jesus received worship from Thomas, Joh 20:28 KJV ” And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God”. The Lord did not refuse him but accepted the worship, because He is God. The Lord says at different times in the book of Revelations that He is the Alpha and Omega. Rev 1:8,1:11,21:6,22:13

Jesus is not just a good man, a prophet, or just a Saviour. He is God the first and the last.

THOUGHT: BECAUSE JESUS IS GOD, HE IS A WORTHY SAVIOUR

FURTHER STUDIES

Revelations 21:6 KJV” And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.”

John 10:30 KJV” I and my Father are one.”

KEY SCRIPTURE; John 19:6 KJV” When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.”

Pilate found no justification to kill Jesus, yet he gave Him over to be killed. He did so because of these people. insisted Jesus should be crucified. Pilate was the governor of Israel. He had the full complement of the Roman army in his region. If he decided to declare Jesus would not be crucified, these screaming Jews could do nothing to him. He had a sovereign will like every one of us have, but he surrendered his will to the demands of the people.

According to the bible, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Who are you yielding to? Are you yielding to the flesh or the Spirit? Why did Pilate subject his will to the desires of the people? Pilate chose his reputation over the truth. The flesh has a voice that speaks and cries to be obeyed. When the voice of the flesh dominates the mind, you will yield ultimately to it.

In the story of Samson and Delilah, she kept pestering him to tell him, where his secret strength was. Samson never decided to say no,’ I will not tell you’. What will stop the cries of the flesh is your decision, backed by your action. If Pilate had made them all to keep quiet and said loudly to them, I am the governor and I have decided not to crucify Him. They would have murmured, but they could not have shouted any longer. The voice for sin would keep screaming until you silence it, with your decision. Remember a decided mind cannot be tempted.

Some are addicted to a certain lifestyle, substances like alcohol, etc. Please do like the prodigal son. Think through your actions and ask yourself questions Lk 15:17. By answering himself he decided never to stay in that condition. Dear one, arise out of that addiction today a never go back. Say, I have stopped this habit, and I am not going back again.

THOUGHT:  YOUR WILL IS SOVEREIGN, NO WRONG THING, SHOULD CONTROL IT.

FURTHER STUDIES

Luk 4:4 KJV And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

Luke 4:8 KJV “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 19:4 KJV” Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.”

Pilate reluctantly gave the Lord Jesus over to be scourged. After the scourging, he had still not changed his perception about Him. He held to the fact that Jesus had done nothing deserving of death. On the flip side, the religious leaders were filled with anger and rage, demanding the Lord’s death. Why such divergent views? The religious leaders held a corrupted mind about Jesus. They had viewed Him as one who attracted the populace and held the spotlight. This attitude bred envy and also led to seeking his elimination. Anytime one allows envy to become hatred, hatred becomes pain. Pain makes the presence of the individual torment you. The next reaction is to eliminate that person from your life. These people were calling for Jesus’ death because psychologically his death meant that the pain that His presence gave them had also been taken away.

Is there anyone whose presence, or thought about Him gives you pain because of something he or she might have done? Are you feeling and even wishing that fellow was out of your life or domain? You can correct that feeling. Just consider Pilate, he did not develop any wrong feelings toward Jesus over time. He was not prejudiced about Jesus in any way, so he could fairly approach Him, and be properly exposed to Him. The following are some of the bases for bad feelings towards others. They are

1.  When one has offended you,

2.  When you might have heard a lot of negative things about an individual,

3. When you are envious of that individual.

 All these are strengthened by the fact that you do not let these wrong thoughts depart from you. The word to describe letting the wrongs or wrong thoughts leave you is called forgiveness.

There are some very good friends, married couples, or associates who do not want to see each other because the sight of the other spells pain, which cries to be released. This pain claims it will only go if that person goes away from your life. This is what results in divorce in marriages, as well as very good relationships that break up. Do not keep wrongs, release them. There are some individuals that you have to decide to forgive them even before they offend you. Pride often prevents many from freely forgiving their offenders. Kill every pride in you by asking the Lord to forgive you for being proud. When pride is exposed, it easily leaves its victim. When pride is gone you can easily forgive and not hold bitterness that leads to pain and other wrong reactions.

THOUGHT: NEGATIVE THOUGHTS ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBOUR WOULD END IN SEPARATION,SO STOP THAT NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

FURTHER STUDIES

Col 3:12 KJV “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;”

Col 3:13 KJV” Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 19:2 ISV “The soldiers twisted some thorns into a victor’s crown, put it on his head, and threw a purple robe on him.”

After all the flogging and its pain and shame, these soldiers made Victor’s crown of thorns and pushed it into His skull. Please note, that this was not God doing these acts against His Son, but as Jesus said, this was the hour of evil, and Satan was the one stirring these men to inflict such pain and untold agony on the Son of God. Satan did all these with the hatred to inflict the worst pain on Him, but in the mind of God, it was you and I who were going through all that agony. Isaiah 53:1 asks, who has believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

What report was Isaiah talking about? Isaiah wrote about a thousand years before the coming of the Lord Jesus was prophesying about Jesus, who would painfully bear the punishment of all humanity. He did this so Satan, who had deceived man to sin against God, and as a result of that had the full rights over men. Through His suffering, men could claim exemption from every attack of Satan. Rev 12:11 KJV “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” To overcome Satan by the blood means to count on the suffering Jesus went through as your very sufferings and so, you are free from any further claims of torment from Satan.

The scripture says affliction shall not arise a second time. Nahum 1:9. We suffered in Christ when Jesus physically bore our shame, pain, and disgrace. You can now align your prayers in such a way that Satan can’t continue His activities in your life any longer. Pray this way; Thank you Father for allowing Jesus my Lord to suffer for me. Satan your activities in my life expired when Jesus bore them and died for mankind. Today, I fully accept what the Lord Jesus did for me, and I command you, devils, to leave my life, right now in Jesus’ mighty name. I am now free from your harassment in Jesus’ mighty name. From now keep saying, ‘You Satan, and your demons are banned from my life in Jesus’ name.’ Start celebrating your victory over him.

THOUGHT: JESUS’ VICTORY WOULD BE OURS IF WE INSISTED ON IT AND DECLARED IT IS SO IN OUR LIVES.

FURTHER STUDIES

Heb 2:14 KJV” Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;”

Rev 12:11 KJV” And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”