What do you do when you seem to make so many mistakes and find you are unable to get it right? The feeling of letting the Lord down again by falling for the same snare over and over again. Well the Holy Spirit gave me an answer from the word for you to focus on which should change your viewpoint completely and give you a new story in life of victory and triumph. Romans.8:28.

This answer began to form in my heart when the Holy Spirit asked me to study the different Apostles and what characterized each of their individual lives. I went through the gospels, the Acts and the epistles which relay all the information on each apostle’s life. I studied through each of them and found some astounding things that you won’t see unless you look in the direction the Holy Spirit guides you.

We will look today at John and see how he found grace in the sight of Jesus to escape judgment pronounced by Jesus and come out smelling like a rose without spot or blemish. Mark.10:25-30. He was completely exonerated of his past mistake that could easily have cost him his destiny which his brother suffered.

First of all there are some things we never ought to ask of Jesus, but I am thankful that even when we ask for nonsense He still gives us an opportunity to come out of the mess. Acts.12:1-3.

The brothers James and John came to Jesus and said bid us sit at your right hand in your glory in your Kingdom. They wanted the preeminent position and asked for it. Jesus had always taught the way to be greatest in the Kingdom was through service to Him, being as a child.

Jesus never taught or insinuated positions of grandeur to His followers as in the world through throwing around your position as a weapon. Jesus always taught them to be as a child desiring more of the Father, not the greatest position by which to rule or control people.

However on this occasion they proceeded to ask this question and Jesus answered it for them by saying it is not in my power to decide that. Jesus informed them that it was a prerogative of the Father which had been allocated to others so the position was not available.

However they were moved by their desire and pushed for it regardless of the question mark about its availability. Jesus again proceeds to ask them another question to nudge them to rethink the matter but they seemed oblivious to the cost this situation would have on them.

“This is always the way things end up when we want our own way rather than listening to the voice of correction which is seeking to help us escape the dire consequences of our error.”

My prayer for us is Lord Help us not to miss the way out for us by being stubborn and hard hearted. Jesus said to them, “Are you able to drink the cup which I will drink?” I think they thought how grand His cup was and a privilege they were being offered to drink from His cup and went on to answer that they were able. Jesus was left with no option and said to them you will drink the cup but will still not get the position at my right hand and the matter ended there it seemed.

I have come to realize that when Jesus speaks a word to you it does happen just as when he said to Peter in John.13:37 & 38 tonight before the cock crows you will deny me three times. It looked impossible but Jesus said it so expect it to happen as He spoke which it did.

Now we are told that John was present at the cross and witnessed the whole proceedings John.19:25-37 and heard the things Jesus spoke during His passion and the Holy Spirit pointed out to me that he heard Jesus say Father forgive them for they know not what they do. John obviously remembered all Jesus spoke about forgiveness and confession of sin.

He got to see Jesus as the lamb of God take away our sin and become the atonement for our souls and I noticed from that time on in scripture he never vied for the preeminent position in the kingdom as he did before.

He from that point on just wanted to humbly serve and support Peter and the other disciples in doing the will of Jesus. The spirit of competing left him and humble service became his goal. That is the place we should seek to walk in before the Lord.

Well years on Herod has a hankering to kill, murder and takes off the head of James without notice and it happens though the word says no weapon formed against us will prosper and every tongue that rises against us we should condemn for this is our heritage as servants of the Lord. Isaiah.54:17.

Well James had told the Master he could drink the cup of suffering His Master did and now that weapon could prosper because he had permitted it. He had not repented and come out of agreement in that situation.

So his life was on the warrant for untimely death. Herod went on to go after Peter but it did not succeed but Herod ended up dying not Peter. This was because Peter had not agreed to drink the cup of death so Herod could not just take out Peter prematurely.

The Holy Spirit pointed out to me that John did not have the same result because he repented of that pride as he saw the price Jesus paid for his sin and realized no one but Jesus could pay it and drink that cup.

It is clear the Holy Spirit pointed out to me in 1 John.1:8-10 John understood the power of repentance and the forgiveness of sins and the cleansing it brought from unrighteousness, which indicates you can come back to righteousness.

You can always come back to a place of authority and standing with the Lord which John went on to experience and outlived all the other Apostles. The Lord used his revelation to conclude the bible with a fresh revelation of Jesus in glory on the Isle of Patmos.

The Holy Spirit showed me through this situation with John that we humans do things that are stirred by satan and make requests that can kill us on presumption of not looking at the future results of such actions or thoughts which can kill us and ruin our lives.

However the Lord is there if we can repent, see our wrong and make the necessary change. Then find ourselves back on the path of Life He intended for us. This is because Jesus came to save us from ourselves and rescue us from our perverted hearts that love deception and lies which satan readily supplies us as bait which we unfortunately run to.

I pray today as you have received these words you will receive the grace within them to make change and find back life. You will then live your life going forward on these truths and never forget them or let them go as they are your way to life. Always lay hold of repentance when you miss the mark and invite Jesus to mediate on your behalf.

This is because as John pointed out we will sin unknowingly by default because our hearts are prone to deception. We need to be smart enough to come to Jesus the way out from sin who will save us and free us of the death cycle.

In 1John John does not say we should be continually sinning as a practice as this indicates we are of the devil. However when we do sin, or err which we will do we should repent quickly. Receive forgiveness and cleansing from all unrighteousness.

James was not as Judas who never came back to serve Jesus, He was a faithful man but an error of pride cost him his destiny because he did not go on to correct that mistake. These lessons are written to help us navigate life free of these types of errors.

We need to be more open to the correction of the Holy Spirit and be quick to turn and change course when we miss it. This is so we don’t lose out because of our foolish pride and refusal to drop it and go on to recover life in Jesus.

May you walk humbly before your God as John went on to do and have a life loaded with all God has for you happening for you daily and you go on to fulfill completely His assignment for your life in Jesus’ name. Amen.