Jesus was sorrowful and deeply distressed, knowing what He was about to face, and Scripture tells us, that, “He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” But fully aware of what He was asking, He again fell down and prayed a second time, “Oh my Father, if this cup cannot pass from me unless I drink it, Your will be done. Matthew 26
My brothers and sisters in Christ, you may have found yourself in a situation that you wished was not your cross to bear, and you may have asked God to take this burden away from you, and you may have not received the answer you expected to your prayer. But understand this, some crosses are ours to bear, so that His will may be done on earth. So today, know that what you and I are going through did not come to stay, but it came to pass, so that God’s will for your life and mine may be done. To God be the glory!
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
“Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told. For in this hope we were saved, for the hope that is seen is no hope at all. Therefore we do not hope for what we can already see, we do not fix our eyes on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. So, let us walk by faith, not by sight, and if we hope for what we do not yet see, we should wait for it patiently.”
My brothers and sisters in Christ, how big is your faith? “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” Psalm 24:10
And Jesus said unto them,`“You have so little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20
“O God of every nation, of every race and land, redeem the whole creation with your almighty hand; where hate and fear divide us, and bitter threats are hurled, in love and mercy guide us, and heal our strife-torn world.” In Jesus’ name, we pray, and let all the peoples say, ‘Amen!’
“Lord, keep bright in us the vision of days when war shall cease; when hatred and division give way to love and peace; till dawns the morning glorious, when truth and justice reign, and Christ shall rule victorious, over all the world’s domain.” Amen!
“Jesus is all the world to me, my life, my joy, my all, He is my strength from day to day, without Him I would fall, when I am sad to Him I go, no other one can cheer me so, when I am sad, He makes me glad, He’s my friend.”
“Jesus is all the world to me, and true to Him I’ll be, Oh, how could I this friend deny when he’s so true to me? Following Him I know I’m right, he watches o’er me day and night, following Him, by day and night, He’s my friend.” Thank you, Lord, for being my best friend. I go to You for blessings and you give me o’er and o’er, thank you!
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. Proverbs 11:30
“My brothers and sisters in Christ, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, consider this, whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and cover over a multitude of sins.” All of us possess the ability to win souls for God. We must never miss out on the opportunity to do so. Wherever we are, no matter the position we find ourselves in, we should use the gifts that God has given us, to win souls for God.
You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. Matthew 12:34
“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. You will know them by their fruits.”
Blind Pharisee! First, clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be cleaned. Matthew 23:26. My brothers and sisters in Christ, do not be misled; “Smooth lips with an evil heart are like the glaze on an earthen vessel.”
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside, you appear to people as righteous, but on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness, greed, and self-indulgence. Blind guides! You strain your water, so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel! “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? You must first clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” My brothers and sisters in Christ, we must be careful of who shepherds our flock, for “If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
Many are invited, but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14
Why would some of us be called by God, but not chosen? You may have pondered this verse from Matthew chapter twenty-two, and it may be confusing to you. You may wonder why God would call you, yet not choose you for his Kingdom. But know that God is constantly sending out the invitation to us, to draw near to him, to serve him; to believe in him, to trust in him; but many of us refuse or reject his calling. Those who have accepted the invitation are chosen for good works, that will bring honor and glory to God and inherit eternal life. Many are called, but few are chosen for the Kingdom of God!