ARE YOU IN THE GARDEN?

As I was watering my freshly planted flowers and listening to the song of the birds, I was reminded of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. It seems that many in the Body of Christ are experiencing great mental attacks of anxiety, fear, doubt, and unbelief. The whispering disembodied spirits are sending lies and evil forebodings into our soul. We must remember our instructions to pull down every stronghold and vain imagination. Everything that doesn’t line up with Gods Word, anything that lifts itself up against the true knowledge of God, we are to take captive to the obedience in Christ.( 2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

We must not allow the enemy to play mind games and trick us into thinking that we have done something wrong. The accusing voice of the enemy must be silenced !!! Thoughts of guilt, shame, and condemnation, must not be tolerated . Kingdom decrees and declarations must be spoken out in the boldness and authority of which it was given. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus!! (Romans 8:1)

2 Corinthians 1 gives us some great insight as to why we sometimes will suffer these strategic attacks while reminding us of the great compassion and love the Father has for us. 
We are to go to God and His Word for comfort . 

2 Cor 1:3. Heart felt thanks be to God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ , the Father who is full of compassion and the God who gives all comfort;  :4 Who comforts us in every kind of trouble so that we will be able to comfort and encourage those who are in any kind of trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God; :5 For just as Christ’s  sufferings are ours in abundance (as they overflow to His followers ), so also, our comfort is abundant through Christ (it truly more then enough to endure what we must ).

It seems to me the Word is clearly stating that we often times (like Christ) we suffer in order to be able to help others, and we are to go to God to be our comfort . Isn’t this what Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane. Is this what allowed Jesus to be able to endure? Jesus was betrayed by Judas and He forgave Him. He was abandoned and denied by His disciples who failed to watch and pray and denied Him in times of fear and doubt . Jesus even performed miracles in the Garden when He reattached the ear of the roman soldier. Knowing full well what He was about to endure, Jesus spent the night communing with God, getting comfort and strength to endure the Cross.
( Luke 22:44) And being in agony He prayed more earnestly and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down upon the ground. 

Jesus was under great mental torment, fear, anxiety , and anguish . (HEMATOCHIROSIS) caused by extreme stress or anxiety and your blood mixed with sweat. A very rare medical condition .

Have you picked up your cross? Are you following after Christ at a higher level and therefore experiencing a greater level of attacks against your mind?  We must be diligent to keep our minds stayed on Him, for He will give us perfect peace!! Jesus wasn’t in the Garden to smell the flowers and enjoy their beauty. Jesus was in the Garden, to spend time alone, in Gods presence , to gain His instructions and strength to endure. Jesus prayed to the father saying, “Father, If you are willing, remove this cup from Me, yet not My will, but always, Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42 AMP)

Remember the words of Jesus in John 15:19 "If you belonged to the world, the world would love yours its onward would treat you with affection, But you are not of the world, you no longer belong to, but I have chosen you out of the world. And because of this, the world hates you.” Following Christ comes with a price. 

“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can only do what He sees The Father doing, because whatever The Father does, The Son does also.” John 5:19  Jesus is the example that we must follow.  Gardens are full of life and new growth, and beautiful blooms of beauty all pointing to the God of all creation.  Let your time in the garden be a time to get alone with God, silence the lies of the enemy,  listen to His instructions, focus on His love and compassion , and let Him lead you into your next assignment to help others .

I find it interesting that The Holy Spirit led Jesus into a garden to be arrested . This arrest leads to His death burial and resurrection.  It was a garden where Adam and Eve fell from glory and turned their authority over to satan.

It was a garden tomb where the stone was rolled away and Jesus first appeared to Mary who mistook Jesus for the gardener. 

Luke 12:27 comes to mind as I think about flowers and how we are instructed to “ consider the lillies who do not toil or spin, yet are clothed by God”.   This is encouragement for us to trust in Gods care and to focus on our spiritual needs and His Kingdom.   

Jesus time in the garden is why we can rejoice not only in His resurrection , but His ascending back to His throne , seated at the right hand of the Father. Only He is not seated alone. We are seated in Christ Jesus.