Have you ever felt lonely? Have you ever felt as though your friends and family had abandoned you? Have you ever felt like you were misunderstood? Have you ever had a hard time understanding or submitting to the will of God for your life? If so, then you have an idea of what the Lord Jesus went through as He agonized at Gethsemane.

Hebrews tells us, "This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it" (4:15-16 NLT).

Consider the fact that Jesus, who was God, was omniscient. He was all-knowing. Therefore, He was fully aware of the horrors of the crucifixion that awaited Him. He knew His disciples would abandon him. He knew Judas Iscariot would betray Him. He knew that Simon Peter would deny Him. He knew they would rip His back open, press a crown of thorns into His head, beat Him, spit in His face, and crucify Him. Worst of all, He knew that all the sins of the world would be placed upon Him.

The Bible tells us that Jesus was "a Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3). But the sorrow He experienced in Gethsemane on the night before His crucifixion seemed to be the culmination of all the sorrow He had ever known and would accelerate to a climax the following day. The ultimate triumph that was to take place at Calvary was first accomplished beneath the gnarled old olive trees of Gethsemane.

Jesus told Peter, James, and John, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch" (Mark 14:34). Jesus' sorrow and anguish was so powerful, it threatened His very life. In the face of this dreadful prospect of bearing God's full fury against sin, Jesus knelt to the ground and began to pray. This was not a quiet whisper of a prayer. Hebrews 5:7 tells us, "While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could deliver him out of death. And God heard his prayers because of his reverence for God" (NLT). It is interesting that the very word Gethsemane means "olive press." Olives were pressed there to make oil, and truly, Jesus was being pressed from all sides that He might bring life to us. I don't think we can even begin to fathom what He was going through.

Maybe you are at a crisis point in your life right now, a personal Gethsemane, if you will. You have your will; you know what you want. Yet you can sense that God's will is different. Would you let the Lord choose for you? Would you be willing to say, "Lord, I am submitting my will to Yours. Not my will, but yours be done?" You will not regret making that decision.

Sometimes we are afraid to do this, because we have a false concept that God's will for us is not good. You might be thinking, "How about His plan for Jesus? That didn't seem very good." No question, it was very difficult for Jesus, to say the least. No question, He faced the full wrath of God against all sin. But look at what it accomplished. It brought about your salvation and mine. Because of what Jesus went through at Gethsemane, and ultimately at the cross, we can call upon His name. Though it was an unfathomably painful, horrific transition, it was necessary for the ultimate goal of what was accomplished.

Maybe you are going through a difficult time. Ultimately, it will be so much better if you allow the Lord to choose His plan for you. One day, you will be able to look back and say, "Lord, thank you for making that choice." God's plans for you are good. As Jeremiah tells us, the thoughts that God thinks toward you are "thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope" (29:11 NKJV).

In our moments of uncertainty, in those times when we think that everyone has let us down, remember that Jesus has been there and is there for us. God's plans for you are so much better than the plans you have for yourself. Will you let Him choose?

Your heart tends to run from God and rebel against Him. The Bible calls this "sin." Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Yet God loves you and wants to save you from sin, to offer you a new life of hope. John 10:10 says, "I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance."

To give you this gift of salvation, God made a way through His Son, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8 says, "But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." You receive this gift by faith alone. Ephesians 2:8 says, "For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift—not from works, so that no one can boast."

Faith is a decision of your heart demonstrated by the actions of your life. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." If you trust that Jesus died for your sins and to receive new life through Him, pray a prayer similar to this to express your repentance and faith in Him:

"Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died to forgive me of my sins. I now accept Your offer of eternal life. Thank You for forgiving me of all my sin. Thank You for my new life. From this day forward, I will choose to follow You."

If you have trusted Jesus for salvation, share your decision with a Christian friend or pastor. If you are not already attending church, find one in which you can worship and grow in your faith. Following Christ's example, ask to be baptized by immersion as a public expression of your faith

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist-- he denies the Father and the Son. o one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 1John 2: 20-27

What is it? In the old Testament many priests and prophets were anointed by pouring oil over them, we understand it as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The oil of the Holy Spirit that is poured out over his servant, this enables a pastor to be a good pastor, this is what transforms music into worship. Holy Ghost anointing turns intellectual discourse into preaching. Academic discussion into motivational teaching. His anointing on the preaching on the word makes the disciples hearts burning. Changes burden into passion. Changes study of the word from an obligation into pleasure.

You have been anointed!

David was still a teenager when he was anointed. Jesse was asked to line up his sons. When Samuel saw the first born he thought; surely the Lords anointed. The first one must have looked exactly how a king should have looked like. But when he wanted to empty the oil and to proclaim him king of Israel, then the Lord spoke to him not to look on the outside appearance. The Lord looks on the heart. Holy spirit anointing has nothing to do with world accomplishments, or human stature, achievement, not academic powers, material prosperity. We are so often like Samuel. You can see the sons of Jesse passing by. Samuel goes from one to the other. The Lord has not chosen this one. If God would have allowed to anoint a king after human features, we would have never heard of David, he was not introduced to the prophet, Samuel didn’t even know that he existed, but God knew. He asks, are all your sons here. David was brought. The spirit came mightily on David from that day on. It has changed David the shepherd into David the king. Otherwise he would have remained the same person ever. Do you see any David’s, they might not be the ones you think deserve to be chosen, they may not be very bright, they might not be special in any way at all. They might be only keeping the sheep. The most lowly occupation that you could have in that time. The Lord looks on the heart. Jesse didn’t consider David to be a candidate for the anointing. I doubt you would have anointed a teenage shepherd boy to be a king. But God anoints many who you would never anoint. Example of Noah to save the earth, who has never seen the see or a boat. You would never tell him to built the arch. If I wanted to found a nation, I would not have anointed a 75 year old man and his sterile 65 year old wife. If I want to deliver people from slavery I would not have anointed the old man Moses. Surely not Judas, Peter, Thomas as my co-workers in my new church. What did Paul write: Not many of you were wise compared to worldly standards.” You will find some David’s in your church, God doesn’t say they are only keeping the sheep. The Lord anoints David’s, because it is not based on who and what we are. But about whom we are going to be by God’s grace. God never anoints the wrong person. He never makes a mistake. But he sometimes makes surprises. When David went with his few sheep to the field this morning, he was not thinking today I am going to be anointed kind over Israel. It was a total surprise today. Samuel was not thinking to be anointed in the one night when the Lord spoke to him. In the fisherman’s boat in Capernaum, would you think that the Lord would speak with you.

The house of Judas must have been a beautiful villa. A young well spoken men entered this house. His fine cloths were a bit dusty. Because just before entering the city he felt from his horse, his eyes were blind, his ears were still ringing from the Lord’s question “Why do you persecute me SAUL, then from the Lord’s command to enter the city.” For three days he has been fasting and praying. Here he has seen Ananias, indeed God has visited him, he told him, rise and go to the street and inquire in the house of Judas, and pray with Saul. He cant believe his ears. He says to God: “I have heard many things about that man, how much evil he has done in Jerusalem. Here he has the power to put people to prison.” He has never met him, but has already a very bad opinion about him. God blows his mind, God: Not only have I anointed him, but I have chosen him to be a preacher, an instrument before the nations.” This changes Saul of Tarsus into Paul the apostle. David from Bethlehem, Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeas.

Holy Ghost anointing transformed Saul the persecutor into Saul the apostle. The same with David the shepherd into the king. Fugitive Moses into one of the greatest Leaders that the world ever had. That same anointing will transform the young inexperienced students into mighty full ministers.

How do we receive this anointing? His first recorded sermon in Nazareth, Jesus proclaimed the spirit of the Lord is one me, the Lord has anointed me to proclaim relieve to the captives, to set into liberty those who are oppressed. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. The Lord anointed him to do good and to help the oppressed, because God was him. This is anointing when God is with us. The same God anoints you and I. YOU have been anointed by the holy one. We are standing here on holy ground. God’s anointing which is described in his blueprint of each individual is upon you today.