Thursday, 20 July 2017

DISCIPLINE AND SELF DENIAL

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2




I believe all men have this in common: that they want to be happy. They do not agree on what brings the greatest happiness, but they do all long to have it. And this longing is not bad. It is good. Some actually tried to find happiness in ways that displeased and dishonour God. It is important to find happiness in the ways that pleases and honour God. The only way that would be is when we move closer to Him, our joy will be full. God has established this world in such a way that doing well through faith in Christ always leads to greater happiness eventually. We do not live in a world where we must choose between our eternal happiness and God's glory! Our ultimate goal in this world is to please God and please Him only. We must understand why God has created us into this world. The Bible says we were created for His pleasure. God has created this world.


The Bible says we were created for His pleasure. God has created this world and it's moral laws in such a way that the more we choose to glorify God, The happier we will be. God made Us to be Eternally Happy, of course this does not mean that there is no discipline, no self denial. "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it and
whoever loses is life for my sake and the gospel's will save it  Mark 8:34, 35. But it is clear from Jesus words that self- denial is a means to saving our lives.

AM I STILL SAVE

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our, and to cleanse us from all unrigteousness. 1 John 1:19




The Christian walk is a "faith walk" . This means that you don't depend on. Physical evidence when dealing with spiritual matters. Is not, "If you see but " if you believ"

THE POWER IN HIM

The secret things belongs unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the works of this law. Deuteronomy 29:29



There is nothing more beautiful than walking according to the Lord's directives in all areas of your life, you will be living a life of heaven on earth. Your life will be an extension of His kingdom on earth. Moses saw God and knew Him intimately, he became God's friend and God spoke to him face to face. The Bible say. " God has made known His ways unto Moses. The people that "knows  their God shall be strong and do exploits" Daniel 11:32. Beloved, before you can embark on doing exploits, you must be strong in your walk with God. Your ways should be like His ways. Pauls says in the book of the Philippians 3:10 "That I should be like His ways. Pauls says in the book of the Philippians 3:10 "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection". You can only know Him when you study His words. When you changed from your normal self to an extra ordinary human being for God. When you seek and knock and ask. When you make op your mind to stop the devil from deceiving you. When you cultivate a habit of a Christian. When you acquired the fruits of the Spirit. As you inquired more of Him, He will make His way plain before you and give you wisdom, knowledge and understanding you need to sustain it. You will be clothed with the garment of grace and love.

DON'T LOSE HOPE

When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, there is lifting up and He shall save the humble person. Job 22:29





Are you going through crisis at this moment? Do you have weeping anointing? Have you wondered why things appear not be going the way you anticipated? It is wrong to cry when it appears that you are knocked down. Look up to God and He will change your situation. Do you know that God can open His own door when all other doors appear closed against you? God can start a new programme with you when everybody around you had concluded that all hope is lost. When God starts a lifting up of every knocked down experience, no matter how cast down you are, there is a lifting up. Do not give up when you are knocked down. What you need is not pity or human sympathy. Always remember God's heroes experienced long waiting periods. Those years of silence were a time of discipline not of displesure. Waiting periods give us an opportunity to grow in our faith, you need to get up and move ahead.

DON'T BE A HYPOCRITE

In the meantime, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Luke 12:1




This is the biblical definition of a hypocrite, "someone whose words and heart  (actions) do not agree. "A hypocrite may act the part of a Christian or talk like Christ, but he or she will not do both. Hypocrisy is often said to be doing something even though you do not want to or feel like doing it. It is true that God demands that our motives and reasons for doing things must be right, but this does not mean that we always want you to or delighted in doing it. To do what God wants you to do, or to do unto others what you. Would want. Them to do unto you, is not hypocrisy Matthew 7:12. Even if you do not feel like doing it.
It is hypocrisy only when your motive for doing it is wrong and you are genuinely seeking the welfare and benefit of others. Remeber, Jesus did not feel like going to the cross, but He went anyway to seek the welfare and benefit of the world.



Agape love is described as the, love that can be known only from the actions it prompts. This is not the love of complacency or affection, that is' it was not drawn out by any excellency in its obects Roman 5:8. Christian love agape, whwther exercised towards the brethern or
towards others generally, is not an impulse from feelings. It does not always run with the natural inclinations. It Agape seeks the welfare of all Romans 15:2 and works no ill to any Romans 13:8-10. Agape seeks opportunity to do good ao all men....Let God's love flow through us today.



Beloved God is waiting for you to enjoy what is rightfully yours. Your possession given to you by the Heavenly Father. There is power in the God you serve. Rest assured that He is waiting for you to change to Him.



PUT YOUR WORD IN ME

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Isreal after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God and they shall be my people. Jeremiah 31:33



God is not interested only in
making us hear and read the pages of the scriptures, but He has equally promised to write these words on the table of our hearts. God desires these as a covenant with us His people considering the fact that He is a covenant keeping God. But this covenant can only be effective when we the children keep the other part of it, that is, our readiness to yield the table of our heart for Him to write His words.



For us have a complete knowledge of our Maker God, implies that our hearts should be open to His word therein we can understand the concept of His will and covenant to us His people, for He has promised that He will be our God and we His people, for He has promised that He will be our God and we His people. Therefore, let's strive to be  continually in this covenat with Him.

ARE YOU AFRAID?

And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Matthew 18:20


People get disorganised and destabilized by a number of things. Sometime some people feel people feel a wave of uncertainty and insecurity envelop them. If you listen to the news or read the papers, you would think there is no hope for the world. The latest terminology, "economic meltdown", and job loss is sending shivers down the spine of many. But God has something different and heartwarming to say His people. Psalm 34:10 says the young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but that those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Do you seek the Lord and what He alone can do? Or do you seek the favour of those in high positions in the land? If it is the latter then get ready for a shocker because you will be disappointed. But if you seek the Lord, be it. Known to you that in the Lord lies all the help you need. Both here and hereafter. The psalmist said in Psalm 56:3, " what time I am afraid, I will trust in thee". Are you afraid because of Terrorism? That is another problem of this age with bomb explosions everywhere. Trust in the Lord and He will take care of those things and situations that rob you of your peace of mind.