WATCH AND PRAY

Watch and Pray
So that men don't faint and that all men come into a true understanding of who Jesus Christ is.

Jesus was not a prophet.
Jesus was not just some cool dude who walked the earth with a lot of groovy ideas.

When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying
Who do men say that I the Son of man am?
They said, Some say you are John the Baptist: some Isaiah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.

There were many rumors swarming around about who Jesus was then and there still are today.
Let us look at who really knows who Jesus is.

Jesus asked them, But who do you say that I am?

And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ ( The Anointed One, Messiah) the Son of the living God.

And Jesus answered and said unto him,
Blessed are you Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood( no prophet or man) has not revealed this to you, but my Father which is in heaven.

Peter evidently had some sort of relationship of seeking the Father in order to obtain revelation from Him.
You can't find what you don't seek.

Jesus said to Peter:
(I know who you are, you are the man that I am supposed to give this assignment to.)

And I say also to you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock (revelation and understanding of who I am) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you will loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Matthew 16:13-19

FAST FORWARD

Matthew 26:41
Jesus is about to be arrested and tortured to death on a cross for being a king.
He had not committed any crime yet He was hated and rumors and lies swarmed as to who He was.
Jesus represented God's truth in the earth and anyone who is not following the truth of God will want to put a stop to it going forth.

Yet truth had already been established about who Jesus was to the those who had been called of God and to many more through the miracles and teaching of Jesus.
The flesh can be crucified but the truth and the spirit does not die.

In the time before Judas arrived with the armed soldiers and the priests to betray and arrest Him, Jesus prayed.

He asked His disciples, those who followed Him to watch and pray.
But they fell to sleep.
Don't fall to sleep.

Jesus asked these men to watch and pray not so that a miracle could take place and He could escape the death on the cross.

Jesus wanted them to pray so that they wouldn't fall into temptation.
Temptation to retaliate.
To not return evil for evil but to keep a cool head and complete the mission.
Peter got angry and cut off a guards ear when they seized the LORD.

Peter knew what was going to happen because the LORD had already explained to them what had to happen, so why lose your cool when you are believing that He is who He says he is.
You know He coming back.

I understand Peters heart because I almost got into a deep seated argument defending my pastor and the LORD said, hush because the argument was about to crowd out something that the LORD had told me to meditate on and pray about.

This is all the devil wants you to do is get all entangled with some old insignificant task and get off course.
The cares of this world can easily become you trying to clear up lies and misconceptions instead of allowing God to handle it.

The Father says: Are you secure in Me?
So I answer, Yes.
Father says, Then don't worry about the insecurities of deceitful folk.

Traps set by the enemy to stop the truth from going forth and doing its work.
Peter could have been arrested right along with Jesus and nailed to a cross for cutting the ear off of a soldier.

If I was out standing with a wanted man and the State Police came to arrest him and I drew a weapon and took the officers ear off with it, if they didn't kill me on the spot for the mere attempt I would definitely go to jail.

This was not the time for Peter to be locked up or killed because Jesus had said, upon this revelation knowledge that God had given Peter would the church be built.
In the natural Peter would have gone to prison that day, but Jesus in His supernatural power put that mans ear back on his head.

Peter learned from that and he went on to Pentecost and got this thing rolling.
This is not the time to be distracted or operate in haste and be led by our emotions.

Pay attention to the enemies weapons: Affliction, Persecution, Cares of this world, Deceitfulness of riches, The Lust of other things entering in.

All used to get you to retaliate at Satan's will and be thrown into prison, preventing the work from being done and putting you in a place to lose your reward.

Watch and pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ that they know when to strike and when to hold their peace.
Matthew 16:13-19; 26:41

Love.