Jesus warned His disciples that they would fall away because of him because it is written, strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter.
Even today the devil knows that if he can get the shepherd of the church, He would get the members as well and that is why He fights the leadership of a church with all His strength because if a person who is in authority backslides, they never backslide alone; many others whose foundation was faulty; whose were on them, would backslide along with them. Our eyes always ought to be looking unto Jesus, and Jesus should be our primary focus and example; though we have few who can say with Paul, join in following my example. Phil 3:17
You are a blessed person if you have someone who can be your example: never take such people for granted. Learn to appreciate them.
Peter was self-confident and declared that though all forsake Christ, he would not. Jesus answered telling him that He would deny Him thrice. The self-confident Peter said He was even willing to die with Christ if necessary. Other disciples also said so.
Jesus took them to Gethsemane to go and pray. He acknowledged His distress and His grieves to his imperfect disciples and told them to keep watch and pray with them.
Jesus never pretended that all was well; but acknowledged His struggles to persons weaker than Him. What a lesson. Do you share your struggles with other weaker persons than you who are disciples of Christ? Do you acknowledge your need for others weaker than you to watch and pray with you? Are you better or wiser than Jesus?
We need each other; if Jesus could not fulfill His purpose on earth without the prayers of His disciples, neither shall we.
The self-confident Peter backslid and denied Jesus thrice. He never knew the weakness of His flesh. He didn't realise that His flesh profits nothing and that only the Spirit could give life. He didn't realise that nothing good dwells in His flesh. John 6:63, Rom 7:18.
Do you realise that no good thing dwells in your flesh? You are so weak that you can fall anytime. Any sin that anyone in the world commits, you can commit.
That is why Jesus told His disciples to keep watching and praying. For the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Yeah, in every child of God, there is a desire to please God and do His will; but the flesh, which is our self-will is against it that is why we must always be watchful not to go places where we can be tempted, and always be praying that God will help us overcome every temptation.
Paul prayed that believers should be strengthened in the inner man. Eph 3:16
He also said that our self-will is against the Spirit and the two are against each other. But if through the Spirit you put to death the desires of the flesh you will live. Gal 5:16-18, Rom 8:13-14.
We must always beware of the weakness of our flesh; don't be overconfident; there is no height from which you cannot fall; you can backside in any point in your Christian life; be watching and praying '...lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil...' Pray to overcome.
Watch and pray that you may not fall into temptation. We realised here two things;
1. Temptations to sin will always come.
2. We fall in sin only because we don't combine watching and praying, but if we humble ourselves acknowledging we are weak, thus being watchful and always asking for grace to overcome, we will always overcome every temptation.
Do you now understand why you fall often in temptations? It's God's will that you overcome and there is a way out of every temptation if we humble ourselves and pray and be watchful. See Heb 4:15-16, 1Cor 10:12-13
You are blessed to be a blessing
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@ _Blessed Mshindi Mambo_
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