“He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”
1 John 2:6 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/1jn.2.6.KJV
“And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?”
Luke 2:46-49 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/luk.2.46-49.KJV
12 years old and already laser focused on his mission!
“though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;”
Hebrews 5:8 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/heb.5.8.KJV
He learned obedience through the things he suffered.
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
Hebrews 4:15 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/heb.4.15.KJV
We have a high priest that was tempted n every way as we are, yet without sin.
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, Lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”
Matthew 4:1-11 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.4.1-11.KJV
“And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judæa, and from beyond Jordan.”
Matthew 4:24-25 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.4.24-25.KJV
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
1 John 2:16 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/1jn.2.16.KJV
Tempted by Satan.
Defeated Satan and left in power!
“And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.”
Luke 5:16 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/luk.5.16.KJV
He spent many hours in prayer. He had many an all night prayer meeting. Do you really think he started his prayer life at 30?
How many times was he praying when his siblings were playing? How many times was he fasting while his family was eating?
How many times did his family and friends and religious teachers tell him he needed to lighten up? He needed to stop being so serious and have a little fun?
How did he feel when his religious teachers didn’t recommend him for further religious education? (They often used his lack of formal religious education to try and minimize and ridicule his ministry later on).
His parents and family and friends didn’t understand him!
Yet he never once lashed out at them. He never once rebelled. He stayed within the confines of the law. He didn’t get tattoos, body piercings, wear outlandish or dark clothes, go on drinking binges, have long hair- as many of us do!
He created everything yet he submitted to his earthly father teaching him how to work with wood.
He gave Moses the law, yet he submitted to his teachers.
At 12 years old he was already blowing the minds of the religious leaders in Jerusalem!
Yet he waited 18 more years in obedience to the spirit and the law to start his public ministry!
He turned water into wine. I’ll bet the devil told him he could start a business with that power and become wealthy!
Don’t you know that the enemy showed him how easy it would’ve been to take advantage of the woman caught in adultery?
There’s no record that Mary and Martha were married while Jesus was among them. How many times was Jesus tempted to strike up a conversation with one of them that would have went down roads he wasn’t supposed to travel?
Even if he had remained chaste and legally married one of them, he’d have stepped out of his Heavenly Fathers plan.
He had huge crowds following him that wanted to make him king. Can’t you hear the enemy tempting him to give in?
Why was he so serious? Why did he say no to so much that life “has to offer? Why was he So focused?
He was at war!
There’s no time for frivolity when you’re at war. No time for hobbies. No time for relaxation. You don’t get to be picky about your meals, you’re thankful just to get a meal.
You’ve got to be on your guard. The enemy could attack from anywhere and from any side! On top of this, You’ve got to be putting the war plan in place!
Every step he took was an attack on the enemy to free the captives!
And when he wasn’t in active public ministry, he was training the next generation of leaders!
When he had down time, he spent it in prayer (not relaxing). He was being restored and strengthened by the spirit of God. He was getting his marching orders for the next days battles.
That’s how he knew he “must needs go through Samaria “ to meet the woman at the well. The spirit told him in prayer before the day began.
He prayed. Was refreshed, renewed, and instructed. Then he moved into action.
He had souls to save! He had a bride to form! He had children in the birth canal!
He had a 2 spiritual nuclear weapons to deliver!
His crucifixion truly was his last temptation. Several of his followers watching. Many he had healed watching. His enemies mocking and deriding him.
His father had given him the authority to call down 12 legions of angels.
“And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?”
Matthew 26:51-54 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.26.51-54.KJV
He had a choice!
He could’ve said no!
God had given him a choice. And he had the authority.
But he was committed to his Father’s battle plan! It didn’t matter what it costed him personally. It didn’t matter the personal outcome. “Father not my will but thine be done!”
That’s what our attitude is supposed to be.
The heroes of old military battles laid their lives on the line for the cause they believed in. They were hurting and bruised. Tired and dirty. There was a high probability that they would not survive the effort. But they arose to the occasion to save the day and win the battle because they believed the cause was just and worthy!
This is what our Lord did! He believed in the cause and stepped up to see it through!
When his enemies screamed “if he be Christ let him come down and save himself and we will follow” I’m sure he had the thought to do just what they said. He had the ability to do so.
But if he had done it, then the required sacrifice for the sins of the world would not have been made.
If he’d chosen to do what they said, he would've came off that cross with nothing but judgement. Mercy and grace would’ve been tied up and unable to be used.
So he chose to stay on the cross, in fulfillment of another prophetic statement, “I will have mercy and not sacrifice.”
He chose mercy and rejected the law’s sacrificial system which allowed men to sin and without repentance sacrifice animals to push back their sins another year.
But Calvary was the first atomic bomb!
It shook the ground, it blotted out the sun, it tore the temple vail in half!
It broke open the gates of hell for whosoever will!
But the devils kingdom breathed a sigh of relief when he departed the earth. They’d survived the onslaught of heavens kingdom.
They thought.
But Pentecost was the second nuclear bomb!
It unleashed heaven’s army to do as Jesus had done! All of a sudden his kingdom lost 3,120 souls in one day! Then 5000 men (plus women and children) Then more and more!
The war had started with Jesus and his apostles carried it on! One of their critics complained that they “turned the world upside down!”
And it continues today!
It’s time to declare war! It’s time to storm hells gates in prayer and break out the prisoners!
It’s time to get serious and stop flirting with the enemy. Stop coddling our flesh!
“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
2 Timothy 2:3-4 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/2ti.2.3-4.KJV
We’re supposed to seek first the kingdom and his righteousness.
His priorities and goals- not ours. He decides what we do and when and how we do it.
In other words, it’s time for us to actually commit to God’s battle plans and how we fit into them. Stop playing patty-cake with social media and be about our Father’s business!
It’s time to storm the gates of hell and let God bring revival here!
But we have to be submitted, committed, and obedient.
We’ve got to let go of our petty grievances, our pet agendas, and lay out before God and let him have control and give specific directions on what he wants done, when he wants it done and how he wants it done.
What happens if the soldiers in the same unit (whatever size), squabble over who’s got the best battle plan and who’s going to get their way?
They get wiped out by the enemy because they’re not committed to the same battle plans nor will they have each other’s backs if they disagree!
Look at the tabernacle. Where was the glory cloud? Where was the power?
It wasn’t over the gates, the altar, the laver, the table of shewbread, the candles.
All of these were part of Gods plan and necessary. But the glory cloud wasn’t on these.
It was squarely on the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant!
If we want God’s power and authority to bring revival, we’ve got to covenant with him to do things his way and follow his orders!
We’ve got to pray and repent of our own iniquity! Then pray for each other! Then bind the demons who rule this area! pray for the blinders to be removed from the people in these communities who are blinded by the God of this world. Then follow Gods battle plan and storm hells gates and see the captives free!
It’s time to go to war and that war starts and ends on our knees.
It’s time to pray!
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