April 25
Song
Worthy, Worthy is the Lamb x3
That was slain.
Praise Him Alleluia x3
Praise the Lord.
Father, we are grateful unto You for this wonderful privileged to part take in the misery of the death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ. We are most grateful unto You Alone Who is worthy to be praise.
Another Friday is here and what can we but say thank You Father for a fulfilled and wonderful week in the life of Your children. Thank You for opening us up to Your kingdom’s secrets through the unfolding miseries in death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
For if our trust in God is only here on earth, we are most miserable but thanks be to Jesus Who through the Spirit that raised Christ from death we are assured of our own resurrection after we cross the river (1 Cor 15:12-19;).
Christ won victory for us through the cross as was predestined for Him from the beginning and He was exalted by His father. He told His disciples that if they must follow Him, they should be prepared to drink from the same cup. Thank God we are the disciples of this time and we must also be prepared to drink from the same cup. (Hard sermon and this generation does not want it so hard, living at a time when everything happens so fast and automated).
Be not be deceived, anything in your life that is short of the living Word of God is not the biblical standard of living for a Christian based life. There is an accepted way and that “Code of Conduct” must not be compromised if you want to please God and be heaven bound.
Even Christ upheld this standard and it was credited to Him as being obedient unto death and was honoured by His Father. He did not give up or give in to compromise (Matt 4:3-11; 26: 38-39). Don’t forget that is normal to be tempted but it unscriptural to be defected. Therefore beloved, come and learn from thy Master- Jesus
“Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered.” Hebrews 5:8
We are told that the Captain of our salvation was made perfect through suffering, therefore we who are sinful, and who are far from being perfect, must not wonder if we are called to pass through suffering too. Shall the head be crowned with thorns, and shall the other members of the body be rocked upon the dainty lap of ease?
Must Christ pass through seas of His own blood to win the crown, and are we to walk to heaven dryshod in silver slippers? No, our Master’s experience teaches us that suffering is necessary, and the true-born child of God must not, would not, escape it if he might. But there is one very comforting thought in the fact of Christ’s “being made perfect through suffering”—it is, that He can have complete sympathy with us. “He is not an high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.”
In this sympathy of Christ we find a sustaining power. One of the early martyrs said, “I can bear it all, for Jesus suffered, and He suffers in me now; He sympathizes with me, and this makes me strong.” Believer, lay hold of this thought in all times of agony. Let the thought of Jesus strengthen you as you follow in His steps. Find a sweet support in His sympathy; and remember that, to suffer is an honourable thing—to suffer for Christ is glory.
The apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to do this. Just so far as the Lord shall give us grace to suffer for Christ, to suffer with Christ, just so far does He honour us. The jewels of a Christian are his afflictions. The regalia of the kings whom God hath anointed are their troubles, their sorrows, and their griefs.
Let us not, therefore, shun being honoured. Let us not turn aside from being exalted. Griefs exalt us, and troubles lift us up. “If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him.”. Let us not be like the disciples who sworn to be beheaded for Christ but took to their heels when occasion aroused:
“Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.” Matthew 26:56
He never deserted them, but they in cowardly fear of their lives, fled from Him in the very beginning of His sufferings. This is but one instructive instance of the frailty of all believers if left to themselves; they are but sheep at the best, and they flee when the wolf cometh. They had all been warned of the danger, and had promised to die rather than leave their Master; and yet they were seized with sudden panic, and took to their heels.
It may be, that I, at the opening of this day, have braced up my mind to bear a trial for the Lord’s sake, and I imagine myself to be certain to exhibit perfect fidelity; but let me be very jealous of myself, lest having the same evil heart of unbelief, I should depart from my Lord as the apostles did. It is one thing to promise, and quite another to perform. It would have been to their eternal honour to have stood at Jesus’ side right manfully; they fled from honour; may I be kept from imitating them!
Where else could they have been so safe as near their Master, who could presently call for twelve legions of angels? They fled from their true safety. O God, let me not play the fool also. Divine grace can make the coward brave. The smoking flax can flame forth like fire on the altar when the Lord wills it. These very apostles who were timid as hares, grew to be bold as lions after the Spirit had descended upon them, and even so the Holy Spirit can make my recreant spirit brave to confess my Lord and witness for His truth.
What anguish must have filled the Saviour as He saw His friends so faithless! This was one bitter ingredient in His cup; but that cup is drained dry; let me not put another drop in it. If I forsake my Lord, I shall crucify Him afresh, and put Him to an open shame. Help us to seek the ancient path and walk therein (Jer 6:16)
Keep me, O blessed Spirit, from an end so shameful in Jesus Name. Amen!
Remain blessed in the Lord.
Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu
