WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 03, 2018
CAN YOU DRINK THE CUP?
If God raises others, why not you?
If God gives others marriage, why not you?
If God gives others job, why not you?
If God gives others houses, why not you?
If God grants others promotion, why not you?
If God grant others to travel around the world, why not you?
If God gives others children, why not you?
If God gives others money, why not you?
If God allows others to have bank accounts, why not you?
If God gives others prosperity, why not you?
If God gives others cars, why not you?
If God gives others planes, why not you?
If God gives others great business, why not you?
If God gives others success, why not you?
If God grants others degrees, why not you?
If God gives others good clothes, why not you?
If God gives others food, why not you?
If God gives others the good things in this world, why not you?
If God gives others spiritual gifts, why not you?
If God gives others eternal life, why not you?
If God gives others peace, why not you?
If God gives others joy, why not you?
If God gives others the fruit of the Spirit, why not you?
If God grants others victory in spiritual warfare, why not you?
If God grants miracles to others, why not you?
THEY ARE MEN OF THE SAME NATURE AS YOU
All to whom God has done wonders are men of the same nature like you. The blood flowing in their veins is the same flowing in your. What he did for them and for them, he can do it for you too.
In Acts 14:15 Paul says to those who came to worship him,
"Men, what are you doing? We’re human beings like you. We’re spreading the Good News to you to turn you away from these worthless gods to the living God. The living God made the sky, the land, the sea, and everything in them."
Speaking of the prophet Elijah, in James 5:17, the Bible says:
"Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months."
CAN YOU DRINK THE CUP ?
However, the question is this one: are you ready to follow the same path as they followed? Are you ready to pay the price they paid? Are you ready to sacrifice what they were willing to sacrifice? Are you ready to obey as they obeyed?
The Bible tells us of the mother of James and John who came to the Lord with a request:
"Promise that one of my sons will sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."" (Matthew 20:21)
What was the Lord's response to her request? His answer was a question:
"Can you drink the cup that I’m going to drink?" (Matthew 20:22)
In fact, while this woman was focusing on the crown of glory, Jesus was focusing on the crown of thorn. While she had her eyes on the throne, Jesus had his on the cross. While she was motivated by the benefit, Jesus was motivated by the sacrifice. That's the meaning of the cup.
In the journey and the path of every giant there is a bitter cup to drink. The question that is asked to you today is:
"Can you drink the cup that the giants have drunk and continue to drink?"
Let's list some of these cups:
1) The cup of unconditional obedience
Abraham the giant in the faith for example was a man of the same nature like us and had weaknesses like us, but he was a man ever ready to drink the cup of prompt obedience to the Lord's instructions .
When God asks him to leave his country, his family and his father's house, he immediately obeys and leaves without knowing where he is going. ( Hebrews 11: 8 ). What about you?
When God asks him again to be circumcised and to circumcise every male born in his house, without hesitation he took the knife at the same time and circumcise himself. What about you?
When God asks him to offer Isaac his only son, he gets up very early in the morning and sets out on a 3-day walk to Morija Mountain. What about you?
b) The cup of rejection
Joseph was a giant in a foreign country. Before he got there, he had to drink the cup of rejection from his brethren and unjust imprisonment for a sin he had not committed. In the midst of all this bitter cup, he never lost his integrity and never sold his birthright like Esau.What about you?
c) The cup of persecution
David was an impressive giant in the history of all the kings of Israel. Before he could reach that level, he had to drink the cup of persecution from King Saul and the members of the tribe of Benjamin who were fighting him. In the midst of all that, he never lost his loyalty toward Saul. What about you?
d) The cup of hard work
In the book All Winners!, Malcom Gladwell studied the "winners" - that is, the most successful people in the world, including sportsmen, businessmen, musicians and scientists, to understand the factors keys behind their success. He discovered that the common denominator of their success at all was not an extraordinary innate skill as many like to believe. The common denominator is hard work. What about you?
CONCLUSION
There is no giant in any area on this earth (ministry, marriage, business, pastoral, politics etc.) without a cup to drink. You cannot desire one without embracing the other.
While you desire the crown of glory, don't forget that there is also the crown of thorn. As you aspire to the throne, do not lose sight of the cross. When you see the benefit, be also ready for the sacrifice. That is the cup of the giants.
PRAYER = PRAYER = PRAYER =
You need the grace of God to drink this cup. PRAY!PRAY! PRAY!
SO SHALL IT BE!
JESUS IS LORD!
Pastor TD KASUKU KK
The Word Of Life Int'l Church
NAIROBI / KENYA
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