Michael continues, Oswald Chambers’ devotional for November 1 says, “If God’s plan for my life is to break my heart to accomplish his will, then thank him for breaking my heart.” He’ll pick up the threads of our broken hearts and weave them together again according to his plan and his purpose: that we would be vessels fit for the master’s use. Disciples of Christ are disciplined to follow in their master’s footsteps. After his prayer in John 19, Jesus taught by his example three essentials of godly servant-leadership:
1. He stood in the face of danger.
2. He bore up under suffering
3. He sacrificed himself for the good of others.
Jesus stood in the face of danger. When He walked out of Gethsemane, He knew all things that were coming against Him. He said to the Roman cohort of 600 soldiers that came to arrest him, “whom do you seek?” He asked them twice. When they said, “Jesus the Nazarene”, he said, “I am He.” They all fell backwards at His words. Jesus bore up under suffering. While he was being tortured and hanging on the cross, Jesus prayed for the soldiers who drove the nails through his hands and his feet, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Through the pain and suffering Jesus taught us the meaning of Romans 5:3-5, Tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope. And hope makes not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.
A godly leader sacrifices himself for the good of others. Jesus Christ who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we would be made the righteousness of God in him. Purpose in your heart to glorify God through the trial and trough the tribulation. In John 19:26, Jesus had the presence of mind to take care of his own family. He ordained the Apostle John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” to look after his mother. Jesus saw men and women not as they were but as they would be.
1. He stood in the face of danger.
2. He bore up under suffering
3. He sacrificed himself for the good of others.
Jesus stood in the face of danger. When He walked out of Gethsemane, He knew all things that were coming against Him. He said to the Roman cohort of 600 soldiers that came to arrest him, “whom do you seek?” He asked them twice. When they said, “Jesus the Nazarene”, he said, “I am He.” They all fell backwards at His words. Jesus bore up under suffering. While he was being tortured and hanging on the cross, Jesus prayed for the soldiers who drove the nails through his hands and his feet, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Through the pain and suffering Jesus taught us the meaning of Romans 5:3-5, Tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope. And hope makes not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.
A godly leader sacrifices himself for the good of others. Jesus Christ who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we would be made the righteousness of God in him. Purpose in your heart to glorify God through the trial and trough the tribulation. In John 19:26, Jesus had the presence of mind to take care of his own family. He ordained the Apostle John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” to look after his mother. Jesus saw men and women not as they were but as they would be.
Hebrews 12:2 is God’s answer to Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. This is Jesus’s example as the culmination of Hebrews chapter 11, God’s “hall of faith.”
According to Hebrews 12:1-3: “Wheefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses (of the faith of believing believers,) let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 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. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”
Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him. His joy was your redemption from sin’s eternal damnation in Hell and mine. The purpose for which He was called was to become the perfect payment for sin on our behalf that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. His ultimate purpose was to sacrifice His innocent life in exchange for our guilty lives that we could be saved, set free, redeemed, and made righteous. That we would be holy and without blame before Him in love, to the praise of the glory of God’s grace! Yet, we must repent of sin and accept this gift of God’s grace in salvation through Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the Cross for our sins. Joy is not the absence of pain in this life, rather joy is the presence of the Lord.
Therefore rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
According to Hebrews 12:1-3: “Wheefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses (of the faith of believing believers,) let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 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. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”
Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him. His joy was your redemption from sin’s eternal damnation in Hell and mine. The purpose for which He was called was to become the perfect payment for sin on our behalf that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. His ultimate purpose was to sacrifice His innocent life in exchange for our guilty lives that we could be saved, set free, redeemed, and made righteous. That we would be holy and without blame before Him in love, to the praise of the glory of God’s grace! Yet, we must repent of sin and accept this gift of God’s grace in salvation through Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the Cross for our sins. Joy is not the absence of pain in this life, rather joy is the presence of the Lord.
Therefore rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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