Warriors Arise: March 30, 2024
Matthew you 8:18-22 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Why didn't Jesus stay where He was? Ministry was going so well. Lots of people were coming. He was healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind, and th blame were walking. He was casting out demons and delivering God's message of love. The people were actually listening and hanging on His every word. So, why did He leave?
The problem is that He needed followers who would leave everything and follow Him. How may of you know when you serving the Lord with all your heart, with all your ming and with all your strength, it, your service, replaces something else. Matthew stopped being a tax collector. Peter and Andrew, as well as James and John left their father's fishing business. Some of Jesus' followers had been following John the Baptist. Some left good jobs, others the family business and others their mentor. They sacrificed those things to follow Jesus. He is the Christ, the Messiah, the son of David, the Son of God.
It is easy to follow someone when there is no cost to you. When it gets challenged because circumstances change, we can identify how sincere we are, how connected we are, and whether this was a fad or something we were an apart of because it was easy.
Jesus only did what He saw His Father doing. God was going to the other side. He couldn't allow His Son to get stuck or caught up in the hoopla of all the miracles when people were receiving what Jesus could do but not receive the message Jesus brought. They were not willing to make a lifestyle change to follow God. They were not willing to give up everything like the twelve disciples.
This act of going to the other side could have been to protect Jesus. It kept Him from getting caught up in continuing to do the ministry without any heart commitment on the part of the people. They received all of His good works; the healings and the deliverances, but they didn't make a commitment to follow God. They didn't even follow Jesus. You would think if you had receive a healing or deliverance that you would dedicate your life to following Jesus. However, most didn't.
What has Jesus done for you?
Have you been healed?
Have you been delivered?
Have you experience financial deliverance?
Have you seen God's divine protection?
If so, are you a follower of Jesus Christ? Are you following Him? Of have you received your blessing and gone back to living your life your way, without truly following Jesus. To follow Jesus, there is a sacrifice. Something in your schedule, calendar, finances, availability, etc has to have changed to be following Jesus.
My Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I pray my heart would be loyal to You. I have experienced Your healing in my body. I have been delivered from the lion's den. I have seen Your protection in my life. You have gotten me out of some very dangerous situations. Even in the midst of very dramatic times, You brought me through. I will follow You. I will honor You. I will not set a limit on You, Your service, or Your people. I will follow You in Jesus' Name, amen.
A Warrior in the Lord’s Army,
Veridee Joy Hand
Join together as Believers in Jesus Christ to pray and to push back the enemy as we release God’s power here on earth. If you have any questions please feel free to make a comment or private message me. If you would like this to come to your email directly please go to verideehand.com and subscribe.
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