GOD HAS A SPECIFIC PURPOSE FOR YOU

 You never came on earth in accident. You had no choice where you were born, your parents, time of your birth and circumstances that you would face. This should not bring fear to us but a boldness because God had planned our lives before He made the world. Yeah, you were in Gods mind before Gen 1:1, and God even planned what you were to accomplish in your life for him in your generation. You alone can fulfil that purpose to which created you to fulfil. Eph 2:10 says that we are Gods masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus, TO DO THE THINGS HE PLANNED FOR US LONG AGO. Eph 1:4 tells us that He CHOSE US BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. Ps 139:16 says that every day of my life was recorded in His book and every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. This is the comfort of our soul, am not here by mistake. God has a plan already laid out for my life and therefore the wisest thing I can do is to seek to know His purpose for my life and fulfil it,

God determined also in which time I would be born. He has a plan for me in this generation of the 21st century. He also determined the continent, country, tribe and the tribe I was to be born into. Acts 17:26 says that He has made from one man EVERY NATION OF MANKIND and determined their APPOINTED TIMES and BOUNDARIES OF THEIR HABITATIONS. You and I can only serve God in our generation, as it is written concerning David in Acts 13:36 says that AFTER HE SERVED THE PURPOSE OF GOD IN HIS OWN GENERATION, he fell asleep. This is the only time we have to serve God.

1Cor 12:14 says that the body has different parts, we are part of the body of Christ, verse 18 says that it is God who decides where every part should be and in verse 11 says that it is the Holy Spirit who decides even the gifts to distribute to each member. We therefore see that Gods purpose for one believer is different another, and consequently, the gifts God gives to one believer are different from another depending on the purpose which God want every individual to fulfil. It is therefore foolish to desire to have a ministry that God has given someone else, or even the gifts or opportunities.

Gods plan for Joseph was that He will be a ruler in Egypt but Moses who was to be the next ruler, Gods plan for him was different. It was God’s plan for David to be a king, but for Elijah, He was to be a prophet. Throughout the whole bible, there are no two individuals who had the same purpose, and that is true even today. That is why the experience of one believer are different from another. Let us learn not to compare our lot with others

The plan God has for you He will not tell it to another, He wants to tell you, but he may confirm through others. Even in a normal home with several children, the parents do not send another child to say to another what they want, instead they call that child himself and tell him what they want. The only time they send another is when the child is away from home. Therefore, if the only time you hear the voice of God is through others, you are far from the house of God. Come back home. Heb 8:11

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BECOMING BLESSABLE

 God desires to bless His children but at the same time, He does not wish that His blessing should take away His children from His house. We all know the parable of the prodigal son whom when his father blessed him immediately left the fathers house. Luke 15:11-32. Just in passing, at the beginning the story the elder son was in the house and the younger son outside the house, and at the end the younger son is in the house and the elder is outside the house.

Jesus gave another parable of the where a king made a feast for a king and invited guests and when everything was ready, he sent his servants to welcome them but they began to make excuses. One said that he had bought a land and must see it, another oxen and he must prove them and another said he just married and therefore could not come. Luke 14:16-20. If we stop for a moment and think, what made these people who were invited to the feast not come, a land, increase in oxen in our days, expansion of business, and marriage. All these are blessings which we desire at one time or another; but my point is that, the blessing became a stumbling block to this people going to the feast the king invited them.

God warned the children of Israel about forgetting about God after eating and being full. Deut 8:10-11. We need this exhortation even today. 

Jesus when he gave the parable of the sower, in Mark 4:18,19 says that the seed that fell among the thorns are those who hear but cares of these world, DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES and lusts of other things enter and choke the word. 

God says in Deut 8:16 says that He humbled the Israelites and tested them so that May bless them at the end. It is still true even today, God seeks first to humble us and test us and make us a blessing to many others.

Psalm 66:9-12 says that our lives are in God’s hands and He keeps us from stumbling. He TESTS us, REFINE us as silver (through fire), brings us a NET (situations which we are unable to come out) lays CRUSHING BURENS on our backs (situation that humbles us), Makes men to ride over our heads (through oppression and persecution and other ways), and through fire and water and finally God brings to a place of abundance, He makes us to be a blessing to many others. Note that in all those situations it is God not the devil who does, in other words, it is God who allows the devil to take us through all through the situation mentioned above and finally the end of it is that God makes us a blessing to many, our cup runs over blessing to many.

Looking at the example of Joseph and David, God called them when they were young and God wanted to make each of them a blessing to many. Joseph faced rejection from his family, plot to kill him, being sold in slavery, sent to the great criminal’s prisons, but all these were just the road God was using to make him a blessing. David on the other hand, was despised by his brothers, ignored by his father, his life threated by the king and was in the wilderness running for his life for many years, but this was the path to be a blessing to many.

it is said about Christ that IT PLEASED GOD TO CRUSH HIM. Is 53:10

Do you think there is a better way for you and I?

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GIVING GOD THE BEST

We live in a generation of Christians which I call the MP generation., that is to say the minimum possible maximum possible generation. It’s a selfish generation which thinks in terms of what is the minimum possible I have to give to God or to man or to do and what is the maximum possible I can get from God and from my fellow brethren. This was not the attitude which God have. He gave us His best and expected nothing in return. In other words, what is the maximum possible I have to do to these human beings and what is the minimum possible I can get for myself. This is the attitude we should seek to have in our earthly lives.

David says in 2Sam 24:24 that he would not offer to God that which costed him nothing. If he was to offer to God, he had to have incurred a cost. There are so many services which we offer to God which costs us nothing but God cannot accept them. Any service which we do just for the sake of doing it will not be accepted by God.

Looking at the example of Cain and Abel, the reason God accepted Abels and rejected Cains offerings is given if we read the verses carefully. Gen 4:3, we see Cain brought ‘’AN OFFERING”. In other words, Gods wants an offering and therefore I must fulfil my duty, and he picked something to give to God. Abel on the other hand, Gen 4:4, gave the best of the firstborn lambs from His flock, in other words, God deserves my best, and I will choose the best and the fattest. The difference in their giving is the reason God accepted one and rejected the other. God has not changed, He deserves our best even today. Something that will cost us.

In Malachi 1:6-8, God is saying to the Israelites that they have not honoured Him as a Father nor feared Him as a Master. This is because they offer polluted bread on the alter and saying that Gods alter deserves no respect. This they do by giving blind animals, crippled or diseased. He asks if they would offer the same to the governor. This ought to awake us to ask ourselves if we have been offering defiled offering to God.

Does your serving God cost you anything? Does it cost you convenience, time? You see for example, a person who is employed and is supposed to report for job at 8:00 am for 1year will hardly go late for job, whereas the same person will rarely go church on time which starts at 10:00a.m. do you do your best in everything except when it concerns God or His people?

Do  not offer to God that which costs you nothing.

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WAYS OF GLORIFYING GOD

We are told that whatever we do, we are to do for the glory of God, 1Cor 10:31. We are also told in Isaiah that God will not give His glory to another, Isaiah 42:8. Therefore since it is something that God expects from us, it is therefore important to know what are some of the ways that we glorify God.

1. Giving Thanks.

We read in Luke 17:12-19, the story of the ten lepers. All were healed but only one came back to give thanks, verse 16, Jesus calls this act as glorifying God. Therefore, we conclude that one way of glorifying God is by giving Him thanks for what He does in our lives. Since we should not touch the glory of God, it is therefore important that we rob God of His glory whenever we fail to give Him thanks and whenever we complain or murmur about anything.

Psalm 50:23a tells us that whoever offers thanksgiving as a sacrifice glorifies God. It cannot be more clear than that.

2Cor 4:15b, says that there will be great thanksgiving and God will receive more and more glory. Let us therefore learn to give thanks to God always, in all things.

2. Finishing the work that God has planned for us.

Jesus said in John 17:4 that He brought glory to God here on earth by completing the work that God had given Him to do. If this is the way that Jesus glorified the Father while on earth, do you suppose there is another way for us? Definitely not. If we are to glorify God here on earth, we have to accomplish the purpose to which God brought us here on earth to fulfill.

Ephesians 2:10 tells us that there are good works that God prepared for us before the foundation of the earth which we are to do. If God took the trouble to prepare a work for us to do for him, and we fail to take the trouble to find out what He prepared, we will disappoint God. Let us seek to find out what He wants us to do in our generation.

Psalm 139:16 tells us that God recorded every day of our life. If we live not interested in finding out what our Maker took trouble to write in a book for our lives, how do you suppose we can glorify Him? It’s impossible.

Living a life where we are not interested in finding out and fulfilling Gods will for our lives is robbing Him of His glory. 

Let us repent and live in a way that will glorify God. Let’s stop complaining and start giving thanks and seeking the will of God in everything and doing it.

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THE BEST GIFT GOD GIVES TO HIS CHILDREN.

 

 

                                                

The best gift that God offers to the world is salvation through His Son Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins. This is what makes us to be His children. This is not the end of what God has for us. God has so many gifts that He wants to give to His children but He has that which is the greatest of them all.

He says in Luke  11:13, He says if our earthly fathers who are evil know how to give good gifts to His children, how much more will our Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.

The reason the Holy Spirit is the greatest gift.

1.        God wants our best and He has determined the destination he wants us to arrive is not heaven but to be conformed to the image of Christ. Rom 8:29. It is the Holy Spirit who communicates this to us by showing us the image of Jesus Christ and then transforms us into that image from glory to glory. 2Cor 3:18. The greatest thing we can achieve is to be like Christ in our character, attitudes, motives, talk, and everything. It is the Holy Spirit who makes us partake of this nature of Christ.

2.       The greatest commandment is to love God with all our hearts, soul, mind and strength and our neighbor as ourselves. Mark 12:29-31. The bible also tells us that it is the Holy Spirit who sheds abroad love in our hearts. Rom 5:5

3.       Jesus says that we shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free. John8:32. The Holy Spirit is God the Spirit of truth and will guide us in all truth. John 16:13. Therefore He brings us to the freedom God bought for us. He is also called the Spirit that brings liberty.2Cor3:17

Jesus before He began His public ministry, prayed to be filled with the Holy Spirit during the baptism. Luke 3:21,22. Remember that Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, Luke 1:35. If Jesus who was born of the Holy Spirit had to be filled with the Holy Spirit, how much more do we need to be?

We need to continuously seek God to be filled with the Holy Spirit and this is not a one-time experience, just like breathing or eating or taking fluids. It’s impossible to take one deep breath that you will not need to breathe again, or eat large amount of food that will take you for weeks. It has to be something done continuously. The literal translation of Eph 5:18 means ‘’be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit.’’ The apostles were filled several times as recorded in the scriptures as we see, Act 2:4, 4:8, 4:31.

Luke 11:13 tells us that God gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him, if we lie passively without asking, we will not be filled with the Holy Spirit. We need to ask God to fill us.

What is the mark of being filled with the Holy Spirit?

The bible is clear on the mark of being filled with the Holy Spirit and that is power be a witness. Acts 1:8. Being a witness is different from bearing witness. Bearing witness is through speech whereas being a witness is primarily through our lives and then speech.

When we receive the Holy Spirit we will be witnesses of Christ, which is to mean that when people look at us, they will see that God has transformed us and they will see something of Christ in our lives.

We have been taught that the mark of being filled with the Holy Spirit is speaking in new tongues but we have to be honest with the scripture. 1Cor 12:4-11 talks about the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit and it says God gives different gifts to different people, including the gift of speaking in tongues. 1Cor 12:29,30 shows the same thing. Paul expresses that he wished that everyone spoke with tongues which shows that in the early church not everyone spoke in tongues. The book of acts is a history book telling us what happened, it does not say that the experiences happened to the early apostles has to happen to us. For example, they broke the bread daily, we do not do that though it happened, Acts 2:42, they had their fellowship daily and had prayers at 3:00p.m Acts 3:1. These things we do it different today.

 

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LORD, GIVE ME LIGHT

If I have not forsaken all

In answer to Thy loving call;

If I've kept something back from Thee,

Lord, give me light, that I might see.

Chorus:

Lord, help me judge myself each day,

To walk this new and living way

I seek Thy grace with all my heart,

To be made pure, just as Thou art.

If anything upon this earth

Attracts me with its sense of worth;

If money has a hold on me,

Lord, give me light, that I might see.

If all my life revolves round me

And thoughts of my own family;

If I am living selfishly,

Lord, give me light, that I might see.

Is there some good I should have done?

Is there some soul I should have won?

Have I hurt someone thoughtlessly?

Lord, give me light, that I might see.

If someone's failure has not wrought

Concern and care within my heart;

If I've judged others inwardly,

Lord, give me light, that I might see.

If I have cared for men's applause

Or sought my own and shunned the cross;

If I have feared man's mockery,

Lord give me light, that I might see.

If I've not sought Thy pow'r in prayer

Because of earthly toils and care;

If I'm not longing after Thee,

Lord give me light, that I might see.

(Written in 1979)

(May be sung to the tune of: I'm pressing on the upward way)

Tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YZFBt_VDw4

THE WAY OF JESUS AND THE WAY OF THE DEVIL.

 

As when look at the scriptures carefully, we realize that the way Jesus went was the exact opposite of the way the devil went. We need to see this in order to judge ourselves and the way we have been walking whether we have been following the devil or whether we have been following Jesus.

1.       Humility and Pride

The way the devil fell was due to his pride, Ezekiel 28:1-6. The devil was proud of his wisdom, knowledge, wealth, beauty, understanding, skills. The pride was in the mind and he thought that he was as wise as god. pride was inward and he didn’t speak it. It’s the same today, if you have high thoughts about yourselves maybe on your accomplishments, skills, knowledge, wisdom, wealth, or anything that makes you think you are better than others because they are not on your level and you despise them or desire to be admired by people, whether you know it or not, you are following the devil.

Jesus on the contrary humbled himself from birth to death.  He was born in a manger, even poorest of women give birth in decent places, and he died the worst death of the most notorious criminals, crucifixion, without clothes only in underwear before children and all men. Phil 2:6-9. Humility is what Jesus told us to learn from him, in Math 11:29 and Paul continues to tell us to have the same mindset and attitude of Christ and to esteem others better than ourselves. Phil 2:3-5

Let us follow Jesus in humility.

2.       Submission to authority.

This is another area we see the difference between Jesus and the devil. Before the fall of satan, there was only person over him and that was God. God was a perfect authority who the devil was to submit to but he rebelled and that was his fall. Isaiah 14:12-15

Jesus on the other side submitted to imperfect authority of Joseph and Mary. Luke 2:51 LSB says that

And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them. Jesus was perfect and did everything imperfect, on the other side, Joseph and Mary were imperfect and they did many mistakes just like our earthly parents even those who fear God, and here we see Jesus submitting to the authority that God had placed over him.

Let us learn from Jesus to submit to imperfect authority which God has placed over us whether at home or at workplace, or the government or in the church. Let us not follow the devil in rebellion to authority.

3.       Discontentment.

 

The devil was the anointed cherub and was in charge of other cherubs in heaven, though he was in a position higher than most of the angels, he was discontent with that position and wanted more than what God had already given him. He wanted to be worshipped like God.

On the other hand, Jesus was perfectly contented with what God gave him and never complained even once to God over anything.

Paul tells us that godliness with contentment is a great gain. 1Tim6:6

Paul also says that he never crossed the limits that god had set for him. 2Cor 10:14

Let us learn contentment and giving thanks in everything.

4.       Selfishness.

Selfishness is being concerned exclusively, for oneself or one's own advantage, pleasure, or welfare, regardless of others. It is simply doing my own will.

In Isaiah 14:13, 14, if you read carefully and slowly, you will find that the devil said “I Will” 5times. Doing my own will is one primary mark of the devil.

On the other side, we see Jesus saying,” not as I I will, but your will be done” and every day he said that he came not to do His own will, but the will of God. John 6:38.

Every day we have many opportunities to do own will or deny our wills and do the will of God, we have followed the devil for long in doing our own will, but let us repent and decide from today, not to do our own will, but the will of God in every area of our lives.

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TAKE HEED THAT NO MAN TAKE YOUR CROWN.

“I am coming soon. Hold on to the faith you have, so that no one can take away your crown is the exhortation that we have in Rev 3:11. We see that for each of us there is a crown that God has in store for us which we are supposed to receive when we finish the work that God has for us earth.  We will not receive it if we continue to live in sin and disobedience to God, and it may reach to a point in our lives if we continue in rebellion that God will give the assignment he had for us to someone else.

I heard of a testimony of one believer who a bible school teacher was telling some people that the work that he was doing of teaching in the bible school was not what God wanted him to do first. Gods wanted him to be a missionary but was unwilling and therefore he was living in Gods second best for him. This is true to many believers also who knew the will of God in a certain area but due to fear or caring what others would say  disobeyed God.

I also read another quote by Gladys Aylward  and this is what she said, ‘’I wasn't God's first choice for what I've done in China...I don't know who it was...it must have been a man...a well-educated man. I don't know what happened. Perhaps he died. Perhaps he wasn't willing...and God looked down...and saw Gladys Aylward...and God said, 'Well, she's willing.'’

This has repeatedly happened in history, perhaps you have read about Reinhard and Richard Ngidi if not you can read it here   PRIDE- Life lessonsReinhard Bonnke and Richard Ngidi!!! – jesus lovers inc (wordpress.com)/

Ngidi worked with Bongke and he was the miracle worker and every time bongke preached , he stepped down for Ngidi for miracles and healing. One day he never appeared thinking himself to be the maker of Bongke, but God did not disappoint, that gift He gave to Bongke and he we never hear of Ngidi from then.

The bible says in Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end and the result from the beginning, And from ancient times the things which have not [yet] been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will do all that pleases Me and fulfills My purpose,’ Notice that it does not say that God will fulfill His purpose with the one he gives the opportunity first. God can use anyone it does not have to be his first choice, he will choose another.

There is an example in the bile also of Saul. We read in when king Saul offered the sacrifice which Saul was supposed to due to impatience, he said 1Sam 13:13
Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, FOR [IF YOU HAD OBEYED] THE LORD WOULD HAVE ESTABLISHED YOUR KINGDOM OVER ISRAEL FOREVER. God had a plan of establishing the kingdom of Saul forever but now He would choose someone else, and that was David.

1Sam 13:1, we read that Saul reigned over Israel for 42 years, and we also read that 2Sam5:4 that David was 30 years old when he begun to reign. Using the little maths that we know, we realize that Saul was a king for 12 years when David was born and by the time he was being rejected, David was maybe around 15 years, and that is to say that God waited for Saul for 27years before giving the ministry he was to fulfill to David. God is very patient with us but his patience has a limit.

David was thinking about building god a house and God said He will give that privilege to his son Solomon in 2Sam7. But then he said that He would establish his kingdom forever in 2Sam 7:16. We see, God has to test us if he has to commit to us a ministry.

 

Remember therefore, that if you continue in rebellion to what you already know in your heart that God wants you to do, He will not strive with you forever, He will give that ministry to someone else and still remain to be God. Be warned

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GOD LOOKS FOR ONE MAN

 Many times whenever God wants to accomplish something on earth, He looks for one man He can use. Just imagine if we removed just one man in the New Testament, that is Paul, what a different story that would be. You see just one man made an impact which thousands combined together would not be able. Imagine if in the Christian history you removed men like Martin Luther, John Wesley, George Whitefield or William Booth, the whole of Christian history would change tremendously.

When D.L Mood heard evangelist Henry Varley  in 1873 say these words “ The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him.”  These words revolutionized Moody and He became the man that he became.

There are very few people in Christianity who fully yields to God and that is why God is not able to accomplish great things through our lives. Very few people have given their whole bodies to God as we are exhorted in the book of Romans. To give our bodies simply means taking each part of our body and giving it to God, that is, Lord I give my eyes to you, from this day, I will never read anything anywhere that will displease you, in books or social media nor will I ever use my eyes to watch anything be it TV programs or movies that i will cannot invite you to watch together with me. Lord I give my hands to you that they will not sign false statements or write things or do anything that you will not approve of. I give my tongue to you that from this day I will never use it to gossip or criticize or speak lies or judge others or say anything that you will not approve but from henceforth I will use my tongue to encourage, appreciate and  share your word… I give you my ears to only listen to what you would listen and never to gossip,…take each piece of your body the same way and give it to God.

1.       In Jeremiah 5:1, God told Jeremiah to run through the whole city to see if he could find an honest man and he would forgive the city and thus it would not be taken to Babylon. Unfortunately there was no one because we know that the Israelites were taken to Babylon. This is the tragedy in our generation. There are many things that God wants to do but in most cases he finds no one to use.

2.       In Isaiah 59:15-16, God saw the injustices that were happening in Israel and was displeased and He saw that there was no man and wondered why there was no intercessor and therefore he brought judgment. Even today, when we look at the injustices happening around us and in our cities and the country, God is displeased and He is still looking for a man or woman who would intercede but unfortunately what He finds is people who criticize, murmur and tell their neighbors the injustices that happen instead of interceding. Let’s not add to that number.

3.       In Ezekiel 22:23-31, we see the wickedness of the leaders both the political leaders and the religious leaders. God even then was looking for a man who would stand in the gap tween the people and God but He found none and therefore he poured out his wrath against all the evil.

God does not love to pour judgment on His people but He loves to show them mercy, but unfortunately He does not even find one person to stand in the gap.

We need to have a cry in our hearts that God help me, that where I am, if want you to do something and you are looking for someone to use, let me always be found available and usable. Let it never be that you sought for a man in the area where I was and you found no one.

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BEWARE OF FLATTERING.

Flattering is to praise someone in order to make them feel attractive or important, in a way that is not sincere:

The bible has a lot to say about flattering and flatterers.

Prov 29:5 says that a man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet. We may take lightly the matter of flattering because we have become used to, but we ought to be aware that it is a net being spread for your feet. Beware lest you become trapped and become like a trapped animal and you lose the freedom that God gave you.

When talking about the antichrist, in Daniel 11:32, it says that he will win many who compromise through flatteries but it is those who know God that who will be able to resist him. The masterpiece of the devil in these last days is deception and many people will be misled by being flattered. Be very careful of preachers who comfort you when you are living in sin…remember he is spreading a net in your feet to trap you and you may end up not fulfilling the purpose to which you are called.

Psal 78:35, 36 talks about the children of Israel remembering how God was their rock and redeemer but they flattered God and spoke lies to Him. This still happens today, many believers when they hear a sermon or a testimony  or go somewhere for prayers and fasting and make many promises to God telling Him what they would do if he gave or did something for them. God is faithful and does many things that were asked but His children forget all the promises they made and go on with life as if everything is well. We need to repent of the many times we have flattered God and do the things we promise to do.

The psalmist is crying for God to help because the godly are fast disappearing in the land and the faithful men are decreasing rapidly. The reason he says is because men are flattering with their lips. Psalm12:1,2. We therefore see that a godly man and a faithful man in Gods eyes have one character among many of cleansing himself from all flattery.

Job says in job 32:21-22 that I will not be partial to anyone, nor will I flatter any man.  For if I were skilled in flattery, my Maker would soon take me away.  This is the reason many believers have died spiritually and become fruitless and barren. God has destroyed them for exercising their tongues to speak flattery. May God save us from falling in this fate.

Solomon warns his son about falling in sexual immorality. He warns about the immoral women who trap undiscerning men through flattery, her beauty, her seductive dress and her eyelids. Immorality destroys a precious life and makes it to the level of a piece of bread. Prov 2:16, 6:24-26, 7:5-21

Let is beware of flattering and flatterers.

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DO NOT FORGET WHERE GOD HAS BROUGHT YOU FROM

 

Everyone has a story from the past of where God has brought them from and the things that they have gone through and seen God delivering them from the trials that we faced. The problem with our human nature is that we tend to forget where God brought us from and we run into doubts whenever we face other problems in the future or we become proud and arrogant and unmerciful towards others who are facing difficulties and start judging them instead of encouraging them.

God told the Israelites to remember all the way that the Lord had led them in Deut 8:2. Just stop for a moment and think of all the way that God has led you since you became a child of God, remember all the trials that God has enabled you overcome, all your failure and yet God never forsook you though you have failed Him many time, the difficult situations in life where there was no way but God came and brought you out of it, the many traps the devil had placed on your way and God opened your eyes and you were able to escape. God has cared for you all these years, will He leave you now? One stanza in a hymn https:// www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/716  says that 

His love, in time past,
  Forbids me to think
He’ll leave me at last
  In trouble to sink:
Each sweet Ebenezer
  I have in review
Confirms His good pleasure
  To help me quite through.

Remembering how God loved us in the past will help us to trust him in the future.

God has called us to seek His kingdom first and His righteousness, Mat 6:33, and there is a an exhortation to such who are seeking Righteousness. Isaiah 51:1 says “Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the quarry from which you were dug.
We are encouraged to look back from where the Lord took us from, the life of sin which we lived and the hopeless cases from which God took us from. 

In Ezekiel 16:4-22, God reminds the children of Israel how he found them with their umbilical cord not cut, were not washed, rejected and thrown away and kicking and covered with blood and no one bothered to help, but God in His mercy took her and fed her and gave everything she needed but when she matured, she forgot all that and became a prostitute and did many wicked things. The reason is well explained in verse 22. I.e. With all the disgusting things that you did and all your acts of prostitution, you didn’t remember the time when you were young. You didn’t remember when you were naked and bare, kicking around in your own blood.

Peter in his letter, tell us that the reasons people reduce their sight spiritually and even become spiritually blind is because they forget the sins which God cleansed them. 2Pet 1:9  the person who lacks these qualities is shortsighted and, in fact, blind, BECAUSE he has forgotten the purification of his former sins.

 

We therefore conclude that forgetting where God has taken us from will be to our loss, and it is the reason many people backslide, become proud, judge others and criticize others when they fail.

Be warned

 

You are blessed to be a blessing

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@blessedmambo

HE GIVETH MORE GRACE

 He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,

He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;

To added affliction He addeth His mercy,

To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,

When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,

When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,

Our Father's full giving is only begun.

His love has no limit, His grace has no measure;

His power no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth and giveth and giveth again.

Annie Johnson Flint

Others | Charles D. Meigs

 

1. Lord, help me live from day to day
   In such a self-forgetful way
   That even when I kneel to pray
   My prayer shall be for others.
   • Refrain:
     Yes, others, Lord, yes, others,
     Let this my motto be;
     Help me to live for others,
     Help me to live for others,
     That I may live like Thee,
     That I may live like Thee.
2. Help me in all the work I do
   To ever be sincere and true,
   And know that all I’d do for You
   Must needs be done for others.
3. Let “Self” be crucified and slain
   And buried deep: and all in vain
   May efforts be to rise again,
   Except to live for others.
4. So when my work on earth is done,
   And my new work in heav’n’s begun,
   I’ll praise You for the crown I’ve won,
   But praise You more for others.

BECOMING MORE USABLE TO GOD

God desires to use us more than He is already using us now but there many things in our lives that hinder him from using us more than He desires. It is the cry or many believers for God to use them, but the cry should be for God to make us more usable to Him.

We read in 2Tim 2:20-24 that in a large house there are vessels of various kinds, wood, clay and gold, some for noble use and others for ignoble use, e.g the garbage bin. It continues to say that if you want Christ to use you for His best or highest purpose and for every good work, there is only one thing we need to do, and that is to cleanse ourselves. It continues to tell us what we are to cleanse ourselves from if we are to be more usable to God.

1.       Youthful lusts.

 The first thing we need to cleanse ourselves from is the youthful desires and anything that stimulates these lusts if we are to be usable to God. Fornications and lustful thoughts are among the first of the youthful lusts. If you want to be more usable, run away from movies, magazines, sites and anything else that stimulate these passions. The desire also to appear great among the peers and we should instead use our time and energy to pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace along with other believers who call the Lord from a pure heart.

2.       Foolish and stupid arguments.

Whenever we involve ourselves in any type of arguments, it will lead to quarrels, break of fellowship and it will only prove who is cleverer among those who were arguing. These will never lead anyone to the truth. We must therefore cleanse ourselves from every form of arguing.

3.       Removing worthless word from our everyday speech and speaking only what is precious.

God told Jeremiah that if he speaks words that are precious and not worthless words, God will make like His mouth. Jer 15:19. This means that the words Jeremiah were to speak would be backed up by Gods authority. Many desire that God would use their tongues on Sunday when they use their tongues to gossip and backbite and criticize and finding fault with other people on Monday and Tuesday and other days. God will never use our tongues if we give it to the devil the rest of our days. He has to have each and every day. Let us therefore cleanse ourselves from every worthless word from our speech. If fact James says what if we say we are Christians or think ourselves to be spiritual yet we cannot control our tongues, our Christianity is worthless and useless. James 1:26 and he also says that if we can control our tongue, we can also control every other part of the body. James 3:2

4.       Faithfulness in money.

Jesus said that if we are not faithful with money, he would not give us the true riches. Luke 16:11

If we are to be more usable to God, he will have to give us the true riches. These true riches are not given to everyone but only to those who are faithful with money. Faithfulness with money includes earning money righteously, repaying our debts and using the money we have careful not wasting it. We need to cleanse ourselves in the areas of our handling or usage of money that God convicts us of.

 

The true riches include but not limited to, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, revelation on God’s word and conformity to the image of Christ in attitudes, motives, speech, character and every way.

5.       Humility

Jesus prayed in Mathew 11:25 thanking God for hiding certain thing from the wise and the cleaver and revealing them unto the babes. The problem was not the wisdom and cleverness because it is God who gives these as gifts, but it is the pride in the wisdom and cleverness. These things are only revealed to babes. The primary characteristics of babes is humility and freedom from hypocrisy, that is, pretending to be something before others which is not true in private. Hypocrisy and pride are the biggest hindrances to us becoming more usable to God.

Let us therefore cleanse ourselves from every form of pride in us and from hypocrisy of every kind if we are to be more usable to God.

You are blessed to be a blessing

Feel free to share

@blessedmambo

 

GENTLENESS

Jesus when on earth told His disciples to learn two things from him; the first is gentleness and humility. Unfortunately these are the things we least think about. These ought to be the very first things we learn in our Christian experience. Mat  11:29.

David in Ps 18:35 say that is was Gods gentleness that made him great. It is the same today, it is because God deals with us gently that we rise to higher levels. The psalmist also asks, if God marked out iniquities, who would stand, Ps 130:3. God is always very patient with us, and therefore we ought to be patient with others.

Col 3:13(NLT) says that we need to make allowance for the faults of others. Let us not be quick to criticize or judge others when they make mistake but be patient with the as God has been to you. Remember how in the past years you have done many foolish things that you honestly wish you never did and you will bear with others.

The servant of God must be gentle to all. 2Tim 2:24

A gentle answer turns away wrath.  Prov 15:1

Restoring others who have fallen should be done in gentleness. Gal 6:1

If anyone asks you a question, you should answer him or her gently not in arrogance. 1Pet 3:15,16

Let us learn to be gentle to everyone.

You are blessed to be a blessing

feel free to share

@blessedmambo

PLEASING GOD-THE HIDDEN LIFE OF JESUS

 

During the baptism of Jesus in Mathew 3:17, God declared that this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. This was before he began his ministry. He was just about to launch in his 3and a 1/2 years ministry when he got this commendation from His Father. He had done no miracle, he had not even had the 40day fast we know in Mathew 4, and therefore it was something He did during the 40 years of ministry that God saw and was pleased. If God can open our eyes to these, we can also follow in His footsteps and God can give the same commendation that He gave to His firstborn, to us His younger brothers and sisters since there is no partiality with God.

1.       He submitted to imperfect authority.

Luke 2:51 tells us that He continued in subjection to them, this teaches us that all the life of Jesus before He was 12years and afterwards, he submitted to his parents and was obedient to them. Remember that Jesus was perfect but Mary and Joseph were imperfect, and yet He was subject to them. In the same way, we also must submit ourselves to the authority God has placed over us if we are to please Him. It maybe at home, that is the parents, or at work, the boss and everyone above you, or at school, the teachers, or at church, the elders, group leaders and the pastor. All authority God places over us are imperfect and have many weaknesses, but always remember that when God allows you to see their weaknesses, He is testing you to see if you will continue to submit to them.

2.       Had a hunger for the word of God.

At the age of twelve we see Jesus in Luke 2:46, 47, asking and listening to the preachers of His day questions concerning the law and they were astonished. Remember that Jesus did not have a bible at home and therefore he must have been very keen whenever He went to the temple every Sabbath to hear whenever that law was read. This hunger continued all His life and that is why even when he was tempted, He had a word appropriate for the temptation He was facing. The reason many believers fall when they are tempted is because their hearts are empty, they have time for everything else except time for reading the word of God. Jesus never had a bible but you have one, what excuse do you have for not reading the word od God.

3.       He was tempted in all ways as we are yet without sin.

Heb 4:15 declares this one fact which is encouraging, that Jesus was tempted the same way we are tempted in every point yet He never sinned. It is therefore important to note that whenever I face any temptation in any area in my life, Jesus in His earthly life was tempted in the same way. This does not mean that He experience the same experiences, but same temptation in the experience you are facing. Fir example, there were no vehicles in His day but you maybe tempted to impatience in the jam or with the conductor or maybe car breakdown when you are urgently needed somewhere; Jesus experienced the same temptations but in different set of  circumstances. Therefore let us go boldly to the throne of grace whenever we are tempted and receive mercy and grace to help us overcome the temptations we face in our daily life. Heb 4:16

4.       He did not please Himself but always sought to please God.

Most of our lives revolves around us, that is, how will this benefit me, or if I take this action, how will it affect in almost whatever we do. Jesus life was different in that He never pleased Himself. Rom 15:3. He also says that he always did what pleased His father in John 8:29 and he did only the will of God, John 6:38 and therefore we ought to change our priorities in whatever we do.

Let us therefore follow our master in the path He trod in His earthly life and we will get the commendation, “I am well pleased’’ from our heavenly Father.

You are blessed to be a blessing

feel free to share.

@blessedmambo

THE CHURCH WALKING WITH THE WORLD

 The Church and the World walked far apart

On the changing shores of time,
The World was singing a giddy song,
And the Church a hymn sublime.

“Come, give me your hand,” said the merry World,
“And walk with me this way!”
But the faithful Church hid her gentle hands
And solemnly answered “Nay!

I will not give you my hand at all,
And I will not walk with you;
Your way is the way that leads to death;
Your words are all untrue.”

“Nay, walk with me but a little space,”
Said the World with a kindly air;
“The road I walk is a pleasant road,
And the sun shines always there.

Your path is thorny and rough and rude,
But mine is broad and plain;
My way is paved with flowers and dews,
And yours with tears and pain.

The sky above me is always blue,
No want, no toil I know;
The sky above you is always dark,
Your lot is a lot of woe.

My path, you see, is a broad, fair one
And my gate is high and wide;
There’s room enough for you and me
To travel side by side.”

Half shyly the Church approached the World
And gave him her hand of snow;
And the old World quick grasped it and walked along,
Saying, in accents low:

“Your dress is too simple to please my taste;
I will give you pearls to wear,
Rich velvets and silks for your graceful form,
And diamonds to deck your hair.”

The Church looked down at her plain white robes,
And then at the dazzling World,
And blushed as she saw his handsome lip
With a smile contemptuous curled.

“I will change my dress for a costlier one,”
Said the Church, with a smile of grace;
Then her pure white garments drifted away,
And the World gave, in their place,

Beautiful satins and shining silks,
Roses and gems and costly pearls;
While over her forehead her bright hair fell
Crisped in a thousand curls.

“Your house is too plain,” said the proud old World,
“I’ll build you one like mine;
With walls of marble and towers of gold,
And furniture ever so fine.”

So he built her a costly and beautiful house;
Most splendid it was to behold;
Her sons and her beautiful daughters dwelt there
Gleaming in purple and gold.

Rich fairs and shows in the halls were held,
And the World and his children were there.
Laughter and music and feasts were heard
In the Place that was meant for Prayer.

There-were cushioned seats for the rich and the gay,
To sit in their pomp and pride;
While the poor folk, who were clad in shabby array,
Sat meekly down outside.

The Angel of Mercy flew over the Church,
And whispered, "I know thy sin":
Then the Church looked back with a sigh and longed
To gather her children in;

But some were off at the midnight ball,
And some were off at the play,
And some were drinking in gay saloons,
So she quietly went her way.

Then the sly World gallantly said to her:
"Your children mean no harm,
Merely indulging in innocent sports";
So she leaned on his proffered arm

And smiled and chatted and gathered flowers
As she walked along with the World;
While millions and millions of sorrowing souls
To eternal death were hurled.

"Your preachers are all too old and plain,"
Said the World to the Church with a sneer.
"They frighten my children with dreadful tales,
Which I like not for them to hear.

They talk of brimstone and fire and pain
And the night of an endless death;
They talk of a place which may only be
Mentioned with bated breath.

I will send you some of the better stamp
Brilliant and gay and fast
Who will tell them that people may live as they choose
And go to heaven at last.

The Father is merciful, great, and good,
Tender and true and kind;
Do you think He would take one child to heaven,
And leave the other behind?"

So he filled her house with gay divines
Gifted and great and learned
And the plain old men that preached the cross
Were out of her pulpits turned.

“You give too much to the poor,” said the World.
“Far more than you ought to do;
If the poor are in need of shelter and food,
Why need it trouble you?

Go, take your money and buy rich robes,
Buy horses and carriages fine;
Buy pearls and jewels and dainty food,
Buy the rarest and costliest wine.

My children, they dote on all these things,
And if you their love would win
You must do as they do, and walk in the ways
That they are walking in.”

Then the Church held tightly the strings of her purse
And gracefully lowered her head,
And whispered, "I've given too much away;
I'll do, sir, as you have said."

So the poor were turned from her door in scorn,
And she heard not the orphan’s cry;
But she drew her beautiful robes aside,
As the widows went weeping by.

Then the sons of the World and the Sons of the Church
Walked closely hand and heart,
And only the Master, who knoweth all,
Could tell the two apart.

Then the Church sat down at her ease, and said,
“I am rich and my goods increase;
I have need of nothing, or aught to do,
But to laugh, and dance, and feast.”

And the sly World heard her, and laughed up his sleeve,
And mockingly said, aside:
“The Church is fallen, the beautiful Church;
And her shame is her boast and her pride.”

The angel drew near to the mercy seat,
And whispered in sighs her name;
And the saints their anthems of rapture hushed,
And covered their heads in shame.

Then a Voice came down through the hush of heaven
From Him who sat on the throne:
"I know thy works, and how thou hast said,
'I am rich,' and hast not known

That thou art naked, poor and blind,
And wretched before my face;’
Therefore from my presence cast I thee out,
And blot thy name from its place.”

A Poem By Matilda C Edwards, 1936