Part Two: You Can Forgive, God's Answer To Resentment
Continuation of Part One.
The fifth word, slander, means to make false accusations against someone or to attack them through vague insinuations. We can slander with our words, with a lifted eyebrow, with an unfinished sentence, or by quoting others but taking their words and twist
who came to create a race of forgiving men and women. If you want to know what love is like, go to Golgotha and fix your eyes on the man hanging from the center cross. Study what he did, and you will know true love.
Then go and do for others what God has done for you.
But you say, “I can’t do that. You don’t know what they did to me.” What if God treated you as you treat others? What if God were as unkind and unmerciful as you are? What if he kept a record of your sins? You’d never get within a million miles of heaven.
“I’m going to trash him like he trashed me.” What if God said that about you?
Whatever God tells you to do, do it. Stop making the Holy Spirit weep because of your unkind words and your inner ugliness. Cry out to God for his help. Pray for a fresh vision of Jesus dying for you.
You can forgive because you have been forgiven. This is the Word of the Lord.
Father, some of us desperately need this message right now. We’re all going to need it soon because we live in a broken world.
Deliver us from anger.
Baptize our lips.
Cleanse us from resentment.
Free us from malice.
May the river of grace wash away every trace of bitterness. Lord Jesus, make us agents of forgiveness and missionaries of your grace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Do have a blessed week. Shalom
ing them into something sinister.
Slander was one of the sins of those who crucified Jesus. They mocked him and lied about him and falsely accused him. When you slander someone, you join with those who crucified our Lord.
Malice, the final word, describes an underlying attitude of ill will. We could call it congealed hatred. A malicious person can’t get along with anyone. What starts in the heart ends up on the lips. We think, we feel, and then we speak. What starts as a grievance becomes an outburst of wrath that hardens into anger that leads to clamor and slander. Malice marks such a person through and through. Stop it early and you won’t have to stop it later. That’s why Proverbs 4:23 reminds us to “guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
The Bible tells us to get rid of all these wrong attitudes:
No root of bitterness.
No symptoms of wrath.
No trace of anger.
No echo of clamor.
No slime of slander.
No dregs of malice.
When we harbor these things, the Holy Spirit weeps inside us.
The Cure
We must replace those rotten attitudes with something much better.
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephesians 4:32).
Kindness speaks of gentleness in the face of provocation. It reaches out to the unworthy and withholds punishment even when it is deserved. It is “the oil that lubricates the machinery of life.” Compassion says, “I will care for you, and I will not shut you out.”
Forgiveness starts with God, comes down to us, and then goes out to other people. We forgive as God has forgiven us. We are to extend grace to others as God has extended grace to us. We, the undeserving, having been showered with God’s grace in Christ, give to other undeserving sinners (who have sinned against us) the same outpouring of grace.
From God to us to others.
Grace to us, grace to others.
We do for others what God has done for us.
He has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west.
He has put our sins behind his back.
He throws them into the depth of the ocean.
He remembers them no more.
He blots them out.
He cancels the debt we owe.
He declares us not guilty.
We have “the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). He forgave us freely, instantly, totally. Can we not do the same for those who have hurt us so deeply?
The message is simple and clear: Go and do for others what Christ has done for you. This is the Big Promise for today. Forgiven people forgive people.
But it is not always easy.
Pastor Demitri
Richard Wurmbrand told a story which was published in the December 1998 issue of Voice of the Martyrs.
It was the story of a man named Demitri who was in prison in Romania. He was beaten with a hammer, paralyzing him, making him a quadriplegic. The other prisoners cared for him as best they could without access to running water or good facilities, but they were on work duties all day long. Demitri lay in his own filth, in pain and alone until the evening. Eventually he was freed from prison and returned home to his family.
One day someone knocked at his door. It was the Communist who had crippled him. He said, “Sir, don’t believe that I have come to ask forgiveness from you. For what I have done, there is no forgiveness, not on earth or in heaven. You are not the only one I have tortured like this. You cannot forgive me; nobody can forgive me. Not even God. My crime is much too great. I have come only to tell you that I am sorry about what I have done. From you I go to hang myself. That is all.” He turned to leave.
The paralyzed brother Demitri said to him, “Sir, in all these years I have not been so sorry as I am now, that I cannot move my arms. I would like to stretch them out to you and embrace you. For years I have prayed for you every day. I love you with all my heart. You are forgiven.”
At some point, our faith will be put to the test. We must then ask the question, “How much do we want to be like Jesus?” He was a forgiving man.
Hope this message blesses you.
Part One: You Can Forgive, God’s Answer to Resentment
Read & be blessed good people of God
Text: Ephesians 4:29-32
They called him “Daddy King.”
When Martin Luther King Sr. died in 1984, one black leader said, “If we started our own country, he would be our George Washington.” In his eighty-four years he endured more than his share of suffering and hatred. During his childhood in Georgia, he witnessed lynchings. When he tried to register to vote in Atlanta, he discovered that the registrar’s office was on the second floor of city hall—but the elevator was marked Whites Only, the stairwell was closed, and the elevator for blacks was out of order.
He is mostly remembered for the accomplishments of his son, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—leader of the nonviolent civil rights movement, cut down by an assassin’s bullet in 1968. But that was not the end of his pain. During a church service in 1974, as his wife played “The Lord’s Prayer,” a young man rose in the congregation and began shooting. Mrs. King collapsed in a hail of gunfire while Daddy King watched in horror from the pulpit.
Near the end of his life, he spoke about the policy of nonviolence he had come to embrace. “There are two men I am supposed to hate. One is a white man, the other is black, and both are serving time for having committed murder. I don’t hate either one. There is no time for that, and no reason either. Nothing that a man does takes him lower than when he allows himself to fall so low as to hate anyone.”
But how can a man not hate when his wife and oldest son have been murdered? It seems natural and even proper to hate killers, doesn’t it? The answer comes back, “There is no time for that.”
To hate is to live in the past, to dwell on deeds already done. Hatred is the most damaging emotion, for it gives the person you hate a double victory—once in the past, once in the present. No time to hate? Not if you have learned how to forgive. Forgiving does not mean whitewashing the past, but it does mean refusing to live there. Forgiveness breaks the chain of bitterness and the insidious desire for revenge. As costly as it is to forgive, unforgiveness costs far more.
The Command
You can Forgive: God’s Answer to Resentment. Let’s begin with these words from the Apostle Paul:
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Ephesians. 4:29).
What the NIV translates as “unwholesome talk,” the King James translates as “corrupt communication.” The underlying Greek word means “rotten.” It was used for decaying flesh or rotten fish. The meaning is, “Don’t let any putrid words come out of your mouth.” We might say in street lingo, “No trash talk!”
What qualifies as rotten speech? Here are a few examples:
Vulgarity, obscenity, indecent language.
Racial or ethnic insults.
Abrasive humor.
Harsh words.
Mean-spirited comments.
Gossip, rumors, false accusations.
Public criticism of your spouse or children.
Yelling and screaming.
Exaggerating the faults of others.
Excusing unkind words by saying, “I was only joking.”
Why is this so important? Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death.” Every time you open your mouth, either life or death comes out. The Bible speaks of the throat as an “open grave” (Romans 3:13). When there is death on the inside, it will eventually show up in your words.
Ephesians 4:29 offers a Christian alternative: First, we are to speak good words that build up instead of tearing down. Second, we are to speak words that minister grace to those who hear them. Here is the teaching of this verse put very simply:
Every word . . . all good . . . all grace . . . all the time.
Sometimes we need a friend to remind us to watch what we say. Gordon MacDonald tells the story of a trip to Japan he took as a young man. One day, while walking the streets of Yokohama with an older pastor, he made a sarcastic comment about a mutual friend. The older pastor stopped, looked him in the face, and
said, “A man who truly loves God would not talk about a friend like that.” Gordon MacDonald said it was as if a knife had been plunged between his ribs. The pain was so great he didn’t know how to respond. Reflecting on that experience twenty years later, he remarked that the memory of those searing words had helped him ten thousand times when he was tempted to make a critical comment about a family member, a friend, a colleague, or someone he knew casually.
We all have our excuses for what we say, don’t we? We’re tired or we’re provoked or we weren’t thinking or we didn’t mean it or it’s true so we said it. On and on we go, justifying our verbal diarrhea. But our excuses don’t excuse us at all.
What is God saying to us? No more stinking speech!
The Consequence
Paul mentions the sad consequence of our unkind words in Ephesians 4:30:
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Did you know you can grieve the Holy Spirit who lives within you? You can only grieve a close friend or a loved one. You can’t grieve a stranger you meet on the street. You can irritate a stranger and you can offend a casual acquaintance, but you can only grieve someone close to you. Paul’s advice is both practical and profound. We tend to talk a lot about interpersonal problems, as if the greatest issue in life is how we relate to other people. But verse 30 reminds us that our primary relationship is always with God. You can make the Spirit weep because of your thoughtless words.
Here’s the reason: The Holy Spirit not only lives in you. He also lives in the Christian brother or sister you just slandered. Evil speech destroys Christian unity. D. L. Moody said he had never known God to bless a church where the Lord’s people were divided. This is a word we need to hear today. We tolerate and sometimes even encourage thoughtless attitudes in the way we speak to each other.
This does not mean we will never say anything hard or difficult for others to hear. Proverbs 27:6 reminds us, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (KJV). Sometimes friends “wound” each other to bring healing. Just as a doctor must sometimes cut us surgically to remove what is killing us, friends sometimes say things that aren’t easy to hear. But in those cases, friends first remove the telephone pole from their own eye before they remove the speck of sawdust from someone else’s eye.
The Cause
We grieve the Spirit first by rotten speech (Ephesians 4:29) and second by evil attitudes (v. 31). But these two things are not separate. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Whatever is in the heart must eventually come out in the words we say. “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice” (v. 31 NASB). These wrong attitudes corrode the soul from the inside out. The corrosion starts with bitterness, a word meaning “pointed” or “sharp,” referring to the pain we feel when someone mistreats us. It speaks to a deep emotional reaction that keeps us from thinking clearly. If we dwell in bitterness long enough, it produces a wounded spirit.
Bitterness leads to wrath, a word that originally meant “to snort.” It has the idea of the nostrils being flared in anger. We use the same image when we speak of someone being all steamed up, with smoke coming out of their ears.
Anger, the third word, speaks of a settled condition of the heart. Some people get up angry, shower angry, eat breakfast angry, go to work angry, come home angry, watch TV angry, and go to bed angry. Nothing pleases a person like that. Anger leads to jealousy, harsh words, and it can even lead to murder. Angry people usually express themselves in clamor, the fourth word, which means raising your voice and shouting.
CONTINUE IN PART TWO!
The Lord, Our Redeemer
Text:Psalm 72:14
"He will redeem their lives from oppression and violence; And precious shall be their blood in His sight".
God is indeed our Redeemer. When the Israelites cried under the burden of their oppressors in Egypt, He heard them and brought them out of Egypt by many signs and wonders. One thing evident about God's deliverance is that it is total and complete. When He arose to save the Israelites, he did it once and for all such that the Egyptians that had tormented them for years were totally destroyed just one day.
David was a man who knew what it was to be oppressed. An innocent boy through whom God displayed His awesome power and might, he suddenly became Saul's target for destruction. Each time he looked back from where he was to where God had taken him to, he was certain of God's awesome power to bring justice to the poor and break in pieces the oppressor.(Psalm 72:4).
It doesn't matter how long you've had to run from pillar to post trying to be secure from harm. Be rest assured that God has seen your plight and like He did for the Israelites, He will make a complete end of both oppressors and oppression in your life and family. He will reign as the Prince of peace and 'and make you far from oppression'(Isaiah 54:14).
Shalom
Take Charge
Greetings guys!! Are you in charge??
Read & get insights
Text: Proverbs 25:28
"Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls."
"Desperate times, they say, call for desperate measures". But some situations are not as desperate as they appear to be. Some situations only need time to be resolved. Drastic measures taken to arrest situations may lead to greater problems.
In Genesis chapter 26 verse 29-34, we are told the story of how Esau sold his birthright to Jacob. He came back from hunting one day very tired and hungry and upon asking Jacob for some food, Jacob asked him to renounce his position as the first son. In their tradition, the first son would be the leader of his family when his father died and also get two parts of the things that belonged to his father. Even though Esau knew this, he acted on impulse, that is, he didn't stop to think about the consequences of his action. Out of his desperate need for food, he succumbed to Jacob's idea. He felt he needed to satisfy that need urgently and that there was no other option for him than to sell his birthright. The question is, Would Esau have died if he didn't eat at that very moment? The answer is no!
In 1st Corinthians chapter 6 verse 12, we see that we must not allow our desires to control us instead, we must always be in control. This will help us to see things better. Instant gratification most times have consequences that come with it. With self-control, we can protect ourselves by taking charge of our impulses, emotions and desires. This will help us to avoid losing blessings from God or walking into errors that could last a lifetime.
Shalom
Love: A Pathway to Divine Revelation
Happy Sunday to you all. Hope we listened to sermon today.
Well if you didn't, you can read this & learn God's word
Let's Go!
Text: John 14:21
"He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by my Father and will love him and manifest myself to him."
For many of us, we came to Christ not because we love Him but because of the fear of the eternal destruction awaiting those who refuse to come to Him. But as time goes on in our walk with God, all these should change. Unfortunately, many Christians remain in this phase and make no attempt to begin to walk in the love of God. To walk in His love is to live in obedience to God's word. We come to fully understand God's love for us and love Him through the help of the Holy Spirit as He pours the love of God in our hearts (Rom 5:5).
As we see in 1st John chapter 3:18, and in John 14:15, we should not just say that we love God, we should prove that we love Him by obeying His word. Through this, Jesus says our love for Him is proven. Also, it is not enough to know the commandments of God but obeying them is most essential. And the result? He says He will reveal Himself to us.
Have you been seeking for revelations from God and it's not forthcoming? Ever wondered how Paul got the revelations he spoke about in (2Cor 12:1-4)? Soak yourself in the Word. Next is to live by the word. Let it guide your thoughts, words and behaviour and you will be amazed at how God will reveal Himself to you!
Shalom
Lasting Peace
Good morning my good people of God. Hope we all slept well? I believe we did and we thank God for his sustenance upon our lives.
Today we'll be discussing about lasting peace. So get your pen & bible and listen to gain more insights into God's word
Let's Go!
Text: John14: 27
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
In a world filled with ups and downs,uncertainties and unrest of different degrees, Jesus promises to give us peace. Many people have sought for peace in certain things or activities but lasting peace comes only through Jesus because He is the Prince of Peace. He had His own share of tribulations to the point of death even though He was a good man. The bible records that He went about doing good. He knows how it feels to be homeless, hungry, worn out, to be accused wrongly and to be hated for no good reason so He knows exactly how you feel. That is why he says that you should not be afraid or let your heart be troubled.
In John 16:33, Jesus gives us an instruction on how to live our lives despite troubles. He said we should be happy. Why? Because He has overcome the world. This means that He has power to bring calmness into our lives despite the troubles in the world. This is why believers are the most privileged and unique people on the face of the earth. Remember that God does not make a promise and renege on it. He is not man. Also,take note of what He says in that scripture, "These things have I spoken unto you that in me you may have peace..." .This means that we must always look through God's word and believe His promises to give us peace. Whatever the case may be, believe God to bring calmness into that situation and may the God of all comfort give you an answer of peace today.
Shalom
Giver of Good Gifts
Hello guys, read & be enlightened in God's word.
Text: Matthew 7:11
"If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father which is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?"
Our God is a good God. It is out of His goodness that He lavishes us with good gifts. This attribute also stems from the fact that He is righteous. Remember Jesus' illustration on the good and bad tree. Whatever we do or say is always a reflection of what is on the inside of us. Therefore, God gives good gifts because He is good.
The bible says that He gives us freely all things to enjoy (1Tim 6:17). Be it good health, money, houses, jobs, every good and perfect gift comes from God(James 1:17).
God's ultimate gift to us is the gift of His dear Son, Jesus Christ to save us from our sins. It's indeed a rare and precious gift. Also, in Romans chapter 8 verse 32 a very important question is asked: "He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all-- how will He not also along with Him graciously give us all things?"
Today, let us come to God with fresh and eager expectations. Jesus said if man who is naturally evil knows how to give good gifts to his children, how much more will He give to children through the Holy Spirit? With this, we can confess everyday like the Psalmist: "Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever!"(Ps 23:6)
Shalom
Waiting On God
Text: "For since the beginning of the world, men have not heard nor perceived by the ear nor has the eyes seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him".
Our God is Omniscient and Omnipotent. He knows our needs and is able to answer our prayers even beyond our expectations. But God sometimes requires that we wait for Him till He accomplishes all for us. He does this sometimes to test our faith and obedience in Him.
The period of waiting should not be a period of idleness, relaxation or anxiety. Neither is it a period of seeking alternatives outside God. It is a period of intense prayers, study and meditation of God's word, fasting and every other spiritual exercise. All these will help to build our faith and confidence in God. It also gives us unusual strength and grace(Isa 40:31). With the strength and grace, we will be in the right frame of mind and be able to wait patiently till God acts. King Saul stepped out of the line because he lacked all that it takes to wait. This brought him grave consequences (1Sam 13:8-14).
You must not throw away your confidence in God because it has great reward(Heb 10:35). Keep trusting Him for that seemingly impossible situation. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had great confidence in Him so they were not afraid of the fire. They waited for God's salvation and God came for them. Do not be discouraged or tired because "The Lord is good to those who who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him" (Lam 3:25).
Shalom
Move On
Good morning guys. Hope you enjoyed the previous posts. Do well to read this & subscribe too.
Let's Go!
Text: Phil 3:13
'Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before'
There are times when we wish we could turn back the hands of time so that we could do the things we failed to do or to make better decisions. Certain decisions make us leave the path God has ordained for us to walk and this brings with it the burden of regrets.
On the flip side, it could be that you have been able to make outstanding achievements in your life whether in business, career, marriage and so on and you have stopped looking or thinking of ways to improve. At this point, filled with excitement and satisfaction, God is saying to you today: Move on. Why? Because there at more grounds to be covered.
Judas Iscariot was one of the disciples of Jesus who allowed his past to destroy him. Having betrayed Jesus, he thought that that was the end of the road for him and committed suicide. If only he knew that Jesus had to die to save mankind from sin and that he too could seek and get forgiveness for the sin he committed, he wouldn't have allowed his past action to destroy him.
Apostle Paul who was a Pharisee had a past he was not proud of. But he came to a point where he realized that all that he thought he was doing for God was unacceptable. By the mercies of God, he found the new and right way of acceptable service and even when he had done so much for God, he still talked about moving forward.
To be at a point whether for great achievements or unpleasant mistakes of the past is dangerous. It also has a way of pulling us backwards. What we have is now and whatever we make of the time we have now determines our future. God has given us today so that we will make conscious efforts to avoid yesterday's mistakes. We also have today and now so that we can be better than yesterday. Whatever the case may be, we need to move on and trust in the power of God to make today better and greater than yesterday for us.
Shalom
Covenant Keeping God
Text: Deut 7:9
'Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keeps His commandments to a thousand generations'
Long before Abraham had a son, God made a covenant with him. God told him that He would give his descendants the land in which Abraham dwelt as a stranger then. He also told Abraham that all that would happen after His descendants have been slaves in a foreign land. Abraham believed God and God saw it as an act of righteousness. The faithfulness of God is seen in the fact that God gave Abraham a son and even after Abraham died, He gave Canaan to Abraham's descendants as He promised. Because He made Abraham an everlasting covenant, it didn't matter whether Abraham was still alive or not. God brought to pass every single promise He made to him.
We must understand that God is not a man that makes a promise and reneges on the promise. Like Abraham, we must keep our own side of the covenant by keeping His commandments (obeying Him to show that we love Him) then we keep believing in Him to fulfill His promise because '...he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man think that he will receive anything of the Lord' (Jam 1:6,7).
God Of Wonders
Text: Psalm 77:14
'You are the God who does wonders; you have declared your strength among the people.'
Yes, God is a God of great and awesome wonders beyond human comprehension. David in Psalm 77 looked up to God for answers to his prayers and as he did that, he began to remember the wonders God had performed for him in the past. Because David knew that God is the same yesterday, today and forever, he knew that the change he needed at that time was on the way.
We too, like David can adopt this attitude of recounting the wonderful things that God has done for us. These things will serve as an evidence that God is powerful indeed and when the devil comes to taunt us with the things we are yet to receive from God, we can stylishly and joyously flash in the devil's face, those good things God has done for us.
Shalom
Are You Satisfied?
Text: Proverbs 1:32
'For the turning away of fools will slay them and the complacency of fools will destroy them.'
Complacency is a feeling of being satisfied with yourself or with a situation so that you do not think that any change is necessary. Sometimes in our walk with God, we may be tempted to believe that we have seen it all, heard it all or known it all. I remember an experience I had years back with a friend. We were supposed to be at a service but we couldn't make it to the the service. When we talked about our inability to make it to the service , he asked me, 'What does the pastor have to say that we've not heard before?' Unfortunately, this is the mindset of some believers towards the things of God. Nevertheless, God always has something new for His children to make them better or to give them better understanding of things.
Have you ever found yourself on that path where you think you do not need to move further in your walk with God because of many years with Him? The scripture says you are not wise. 'The turning away' from constant reading of God's word, praying or living in obedience to Him or from living holy lives is a foolish thing to do. We are wise children of God when we make conscious efforts to be in God's presence to receive fresh instructions from Him and to follow them. As long as we remain on earth, we will have new encounters that will require God's direction. But once we begin to feel that we've prayed enough or that we've had enough of God's word to see us through, we lose what God wants to say or show to us per time. This is why we need to develop hunger and thirst for God such that we are never satisfied with whatever height we may have attained in God. Believe it, there are heights and depths yet unknown that you can attain in God and only your hunger and thirst for this can get you there. Remember Peter's experience in Luke chapter 5 verse 1-7. He thought he had done all to get fish but after hosting Jesus on his boat, at Jesus' instruction, he launched into the deep and he was surprised at the result he got. Did he go to another river? Or did he use a different net or new tactics? No, he didn't. Peter's experience is an example of the benefits of constant fellowship with God to receive fresh instructions from God and to live by it.
Shalom
Follow His Steps
Whose footsteps are you following?
Text: 1Pet 2:21
'For to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow His steps'
The Bible gives a record of how Jesus lived when He was on earth. He understood His mission on earth and accomplished it. When He came close to finishing His mission, the burden was so heavy but he carried on to the end. His lifestyle is indeed an example for us believers to follow.
We have a command to follow His example because unlike the Pharisees, He lived a life worthy of emulation. Jesus provided the example of servant-leadership, obedience, love, compassion and patience. Therefore, whatever Jesus would not do must not be found in us so that we too can be examples to others.
They are times that some people have been disappointed at the lifestyle of some Christians who have refused to patterns their lives after Christ, whereas, the Bible says we should follow in His steps. We should live constantly in a way that is worthy of our calling so that others can see Christ through us and be attracted to Him not the other way round. As epistles that men read, we must make conscious efforts to be like Jesus in word, thought and deed. This will result into a greater harvest of souls into God's kingdom.
Shalom
Be Contented
Prayer Theme: Be Contented
Text:1Tim 6:6,7
'Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out.'
To be contented means to show satisfaction with one's possessions, status or situation. God commands us to be contented with the things He has blessed us with. This means that while we hope to have a better tomorrow, we should be happy and satisfied about the things we have now. This is because the feeling of discontent comes from lust which is an uncontrolled desire for something. And once we begin to lust for something, we focus your entire attention on that thing until the thing is got. At this stage, it becomes idolatry. It becomes idolatry because our minds and attention would have been drawn away from God, with that subject of interest occupying the center of our hearts which should be God's position.
In all you do, be contented with what you have because the feeling of discontent robs you of today's joy. It opens the door to all manner of sin and destruction. Because the life of a person is worth more than the things he has, we should guard against being discontent as it helps us from falling into all manner of temptations.
Shalom
The Believer's Reward
Do you think there's a reward for service? For believers? Do not be deceived by anybody that there is no reward for you being a believer and worshipper of God Most High.
Read through and gain insights!
Let's Go!
Prayer Theme:Believers’ Reward
Text:Mark 10:29,30
Some people believe that the Christian life is a boring life that strips one of all they have and for these reasons, they refuse to turn to God. Contrary to this, the text above shows that those have decided to give all of themselves to God will receive their rewards here on earth and in eternity. This shows that the reward of believers are not reserved only in eternity but in this life also.
However, persecution is one of the things Jesus mentioned as part of the things a believer will get. The persecution here refers to great trouble. This, of course could make one discouraged. But Apostle Paul, having received his own share of troubles, asked in Romans 8:35, 'Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?
Perhaps, the troubles of life has made you to leave the narrow path that leads to eternal life. Thank God you are still alive! He wants you to come back to Him. Do so today as tomorrow may be late.
The Fear Of God
Today, we'll be looking at the fear of God. Get your pen ready and listen to gain more insights in God's word.
Let's Go!
Prayer Theme: The Fear of God
Text: Proverbs 8:13
'The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way. And the perverse mouth I hate.'
The fear of God is a deep and sincere reverence for God. To be able to fear God, one must be aware of the nature and power of God. In other words, one must know for instance, that God is everywhere,sees all things, knows all things and that He doesn't accept any reason for sin.
The fear of God in a man is what makes Him not to sin against God even when he has the opportunity to do so and no one will see him. It is what makes a man to choose to lose something rather than to sin against God. It is guides one in the path of righteousness and keeps one from sinning through one's thoughts, since we know that God knows what we think. It is the force that helps a believer to desire to please God, even when it is not convenient. It also makes a believer to choose to do what is right even when other believers think otherwise.
Ananias and Saphira were members of the early church. They sold a piece of land and decided to keep back part of the money they realised from the sale of the land and lie to the apostles that they brought all. This shows that it wasn't really their desire to sell the land but because they wanted the praise of people, they did it anyway. Having lied that the money they brought to the apostles was all they got from the land, they died instantly. This may not always be the case today because God's judgment for sin may be delayed. But one thing is sure, the more you choose not to fear God in your dealings, the more the gap between you and God widens. It gets to a point where God gives up such an individual, leading to spiritual death – separation from God– with the punishment of sin waiting for the person.
God is a consuming fire and a holy God who cannot behold sin. We must endeavour to walk with God in fear as the fear of God keeps us on the right path and ensures that we are not condemned at the end of our journey here on earth.
Goodness All The Way
Text: Genesis 1:31a
"Then God saw everything that He had made and indeed, it was very good."
God made the heavens, the earth and every beautiful thing we see in it. But the devil came with the aim of polluting all that God had made so that they do not remain as God made them to be. He came to Eve, deceived her and nothing remained the same since then. The original intention of God towards man was altered due to the wickedness of the devil.
Through the work of Jesus on the cross, God is able to turn whatever the devil has done to thwart God's plan for our lives. To walk in the newness and restoration that God has promised us, we need to be watchful so that we do not fall into the tricks of the devil to believe his lies like Eve did. This means that as long as we do not listen or believe in lies like, "Time is gone already", "God has abandoned you, or "You are not destined to be great", it is certain that we will see the goodness of God here on earth( Psalm 27:13). Remember that that was how the devil deceived Eve by making her believe that God was hiding somethings from them and that only if they stepped out of God's instructions, they wouldn't experience life to the fullest. God will stop at nothing to make your life and family to showcase His goodness to the world.
Shalom
Have You Prayed Today?
Good day guys, I still remain danbrilliant. I know you missed me yesterday buh I'm back again.
Now, we'll talk about prayer. Have you prayed today?
Let's Go!
Text: Matt 7:7,8
The text above is an open invitation from Jesus to us to come with our requests to God. It is also an assurance that God is always available to hear us whenever we come to Him. As long as we are deliberate in our asking and we do not not ask for the wrong reasons, our Father will hear us.
Apostle Paul also admonishes us in Philippians 4:6 on what our attitude should be when we seek God's face. We should not be anxious, rather, we should go to God praying and thanking Him.
You can't give up now when your breakthrough is just some distance away. Therefore, you need to determine to "strengthen the hands which hang down and the feeble knees" today. (Hebrews 12:12).
Diligence Is Key
Text: 1Tim 4:15
'Be diligent in these matters, give yourself wholly to them so that everyone may see your progress'
The quest for better life, success in business, career and in life generally is fast taking the place of God in the hearts of believers. They have dreams, aspirations and visions of how they can be great and they do everything possible to attain enviable heights in these areas with little or no attention to their spiritual lives. This is one of the reasons Jesus asked in Mark chapter 8 verse 36, 'What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul in hell?' Therefore, it is important that we pay more attention to our spiritual lives.
Apostle Paul knew that being in the world with other life engagements demanding our attention warrants conscious efforts and determination from us to invest more into our spiritual lives because that is what really matters. Every pursuit for success in other endeavours ends here but the efforts we make to become better in our spiritual lives will help to secure us a place with God in eternity.
It is one thing to be in Christ and another to live or abide in Him. It takes diligence , that is, hard work to live by the word, pray, bring souls to God and to make impact for God in this world. Yes, you must endeavour to make impact, not just in career or business but in building yourself as you walk daily with God.
Being A Faithful Steward
Are you a faithful steward?
Text: 1Corinthians 4:2
'Moreover, it is required in stewards that one be found faithful'
A faithful steward is one who is sincere, honest and can be trusted. Jesus came into the world, showed us an example of what it means to be faithful and committed the work of the kingdom into our hands while He went to prepare a place for us. Running the race sincerely, bringing souls into God's kingdom, equipping, edifying or building up God's people amidst other kingdom assignments have been committed into our hands. Like the servants in Matthew 25:14-30, believers have been called to manage God's business here on earth.
A productive Christian life is a sign of faithfulness to God. We have been called into God's kingdom not just to enjoy benefits but to labour for God. Unfortunately, many have their eyes only on the benefits and not on service. Faithfulness will guarantee that we are rewarded at the end of our journey here on earth.
The unfaithful servant didn't get any reward and was punished because he was not actively engaged in the work committed into his hand. He was just okay to be recognised as the servant of a great man but did nothing to contribute to the success of the man's enterprise. To be rewarded, we need to understand that we have been called to manage the affairs of God's kingdom and to produce tangible results that God will reward.
The Lord, Our Stronghold
Is God your stronghold?
Text: Nahum 1:7
'The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble and He knows those who trust in Him.'
A stronghold is a defensive structure, a place that is strongly built and difficult to attack. It is a very high and impressive place that is inaccessible. In First Samuel chapter 22 verse 1-5, we see David in the cave of Adullam as he continued to run away from King Saul. Also, his parents as well as those that had different forms of challenges came to seek refuge and protection there with him and they were safe.
As long as we are in the world, there will always be dangers and threats of dangers around us. From the text above, we see that God provides safety for all those who trust in Him. Prophet Zachariah describes Him as a wall of fire around His people (Zach 2:5). This means that we are constantly covered and that whatever tries to harm us faces destruction. In Him, no evil can overcome us.
In the face of different attacks, threats from the enemy and the rising number of those affected by the pandemic, let us not forget who we have come to believe. He is our defense from every form of attack. He is able to keep all( our lives, career, business, marriage, finances, health, etc.) that we have committed into His hands to the end. May He continually be for us a refuge from every storm and a shade from the heat of this world.
Resounding Victory
Text: Psalm 118:15
'Sounds of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous:The Lord's right hand has done mighty things.'
In the pursuit for success in life's endeavours, we could choose to rely on our strength, wisdom, influence, help from friends or on God to succeed. In our desperation sometimes, we make the wrong choice because we think it will ensure quick results. The Psalmist in Psalms chapter 20 verse 7, after considering the range of alternatives that life presented him, concluded that it is better to trust in God's name for victory. That explains why he couldn't stand in battle with Saul's armour when he decided to fight the Philistine giant. So, if you want the type of victory that becomes the talk of the town, fills everywhere and everyone with wonder, then, you have to look in the direction of God. That is the kind of victory that made the women to sing, 'Saul has killed his thousands and David his ten thousands'(1Sam18:7).
The word of God assures us of resounding victory– victory that will swallow every form of defeat, announce us to the world and bring us up to speed. Today,God's right hand is raised to secure resounding joy and victory for us on all sides if only we depend on Him. May He fill your life and your house with great joy and victory now and always.
You are a winner!
Raised From Reproach
Guys, past 24hrs, I didn't post any article due to my busy schedule.. But you can be blessed with this post.
Let's Go!
Text: Psalm 34:5
'They looked to Him and were radiant and their faces were not ashamed.'
Having left his father's house for fear of his brother's wrath, Jacob went to his uncle, Laban and worked for twenty years. Within those years, he was given the wrong person as wife (Leah instead of Rachael), called a thief and cheated of his wages ten times. Even though he worked wholeheartedly and tirelessly for Laban in the sun and in the cold, day and night, Laban didn't deem it fit to settle Jacob of his wages.
Earlier on his way to to Padan Aram, he met with God at Bethel. God promised to be with him and bless him but with what Laban was doing to him, it seemed like there was no way out for him. Even when Laban agreed to give him speckled flock as his wage, he went ahead and took all the speckled flock, gave them to his sons and sent them far away from Jacob(Gen 30:36).
Because Jacob relied on the wisdom and direction of God, God blessed him as he said. Jacob would have returned to his father's house without anything to show for the labour of many years. If this story has any resemblance with yours, you can look unto God. Like He did for Jacob, he will ensure that you come out of that shame and reproach that the enemy is bringing your way and clothe you with glory and honour. Only trust in Him, keep your gaze on Him and guard your heart from sin.
Christian Growth (1)
As Christians, we need to grow.
Read & Grow In Grace
Text: Ephesians 3:14
'That we no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting'
It is expected that everyone born into a family experiences growth from infancy to childhood, adolescence and adulthood. So also, having been born into God's family, God expects that we grow steadily into maturity because:
1. It makes us stable in the faith and to be productive (Eph 4:14; John 15:5).
2. It gives us better and deeper understanding of the word of God (Heb 5:12).
3. Ensures revelation of the knowledge of Christ (2 Pet 1:8).
4. Brings about unity in the body of Christ and ensures that we be like Christ (Eph 4:13).
The parable of the sower in Matthew chapter 13 verse 3-8,18-23 teaches us a number of things in this regard. The understanding of God's word ensures that we remain in Christ no matter what we face; grow and become successful in our walk with Him. A child of God who is still a babe in the faith will want to quit serving God whenever something bad happens to him but with maturity, the person would have learnt patience and endurance. The growth of believers also ensures that we bear fruit which is an evidence that we are alive and well connected to Christ. Lack of understanding will open the door to the enemy to steal the word from a child of God and make him stagnant even to the point of death. Any child of God that doesn't grow will lose his place because he is not productive. It also opens the door to falling into all manner of deception, tricks, lies, retention of the sinful nature and blindness. Yes, it makes a child of God ignorant of many things, thereby keeping him in the dark.
There is so much that Jesus wants to reveal to us about Himself but until we make conscious efforts and move out of our comfort zone and become better daily, we may not be able to gain access to these things.
Shalom
Christian Growth (2)
Text: Proverbs 4:18
'But the path of the just is like the shinning sun that shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day'
Certain things are expected of children of God after our salvation experience. We have to realise first that having been called out of darkness into God's light, old things, that is, the former ways of life must come to an end then we embrace fully, the new life that we have been called to live. Then we aim to become better everyday till we see God face to face.
God gives us the capacity to live godly lives when we come to know Him. The second letter of Peter chapter 1 verse 5 to 7, gives practical steps by which we can become better. Through diligence, a child of God must add moral excellence, knowledge of God, self control, perseverance, godliness, love for believers and other people to faith. All these are important to make us established in Christ.
Furthermore, constant fellowship with God and desire for God's word (1Pet 2:2, 1John 1:3) will help to make us grow. This will also ensure that we know God, receive strength for godliness and to grow into the full stature of Christ. Yes, we can be like Christ if we so desire and work daily towards it.
Shalom
Breaking Limits
Text:Philippians 4:13
'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.'
Limitation means restriction. It is anything that stops someone or something from going or increasing beyond a particular level or amount. A lot of things are out to limit us in life, yet the Bible tells us that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms(Eph 1:3).The devil knows this so he tries to make us believe that we cannot move beyond where we are and stop us from fulfilling those wonderful plans that God has for us. When the Israelites listed what they felt were limitations to their possessing the land God promised them, Caleb quietened them and said, 'Let us go up at once and take possession for we are well able to posses it (Num13:30). Again, Paul said, 'For a great and effective door has been opened before me and there are many adversaries' (1Cor 16:9). Did Paul pay attention to the adversaries and sit back instead of pressing on? No, he didn't. Notice the use of the word, 'and'. If he had considered the adversaries for what they are, he would have chosen a conjunction that connotes discouragement, 'but'. But he knew that the adversaries were there to prevent him from the opportunity God has presented him and that he could rely on God's power to overcome them.
You have all that it takes to stop whatever tries to stop you from being who God has made you to be or to attain great heights in life. Goliath also stood as a limitation to the rest and freedom of the Israelites and they were discouraged and afraid. It took the man, David, who knew the grace he had to do all things to bring that obstacle down. You need to move into that realm of God's power believing that nothing can stop you from breaking new grounds spiritually, academically, maritally, etc. Indeed, no power of hell or scheme of men can stop you!
Shalom
Vengeance is God's
Hello guys, its danbrilliant again. Read & learn
Text: Isaiah 63:4
'For the day of vengeance is in My heart and the year of my redeemed has come.'
God fulfilled His promise of bringing the Israelites into the promised land. He warned them not to copy the nations around them to worship idols. They paid deaf ears and followed after the worship of those gods. To punish them, God made the Assyrians and Babylonians to take Israel and Judah into captivity. Even though their captivity was as a result of their sins, God still promised to punish those who brought so much suffering to them(Jer 30:16). He said He would devour them, send them into captivity, plunder them and prey on all those that preyed on them. This is a clear indication that God will leave no stone unturned in the day He sets out to avenge His people. Therefore, we can trust Him to avenge us.
Vengeance is complete, perfect and carried out effectively when it is done by God. God has all that it takes to avenge us well but we don't. That is why He says, '...do not avenge yourselves but rather, give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord' (Rom 12:19). Ours is to maintain godliness and to refuse to be overcome by evil. Again, when He is set to punish, He also comes to recompense, that is, to compensate His children for all that they have suffered in the hands of those who have hurt them(Isaiah 34:8). If we therefore go out for revenge, we lose the recompense that God promises.
God knows how much you are hurting because He shares in that same hurt (Isa 63:9). He also knows about your pain and all that you have lost. Give heed to His word and allow Him to avenge you. Release the reins to Him today because He has made up His mind on His judgement and the time is already set.
Shalom
Your Thought, Your Life
Text: Philippians 4:8
'Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy– meditate on these things.'
One thing we must not take for granted is our thoughts. It determines the things we do, our worldview and how we see ourselves. If for some reasons, a believer thinks and sees himself as a failure, he will not have confidence and self esteem but the opposite is the case for a believer who sees himself through the eyes of God, that is, as God sees him. We are what we think we are! Our hearts are like doors. If we guard it well, we will determine what enters into it and what should not. Sometimes, negative thoughts come casually without prior notice but it takes discipline to ward it off the heart. It takes root in the heart if allowed to stay and results into negative and ungodly behaviour.
When the Pharisees confronted Jesus about His disciples on being defiled and unacceptable to God because they didn't wash their hands before eating, Jesus told them that it is the thoughts of the heart that makes one unclean and unacceptable to God. (Matt 15:18-20). Whatever sin is committed begins with what is in the heart of a man. This means that the things we do or say is a reflection of the things in our hearts.
To ensure that the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts are acceptable to God, we need to guard the loins of our minds (1Pet 1:13) through discipline.Yes, it is something that takes a lot of hardwork to achieve but it is not impossible. Let us fill our hearts with true, noble, just, pure, lovely and virtuous things. All these can be got from God's word, therefore, meditation of God's word is highly important. All these will make our hearts free and ready to hear God speak directly to us. Break the habit of feeding on negative or unrighteous materials as they defile a man and feed on God's word. Refuse to be like whitewashed tombs as Jesus described the Pharisees who seemed clean outside but dirty inside with hypocrisy, pride, malice, envy and so on(Matt 23:25-28) and let purity flow from the inside of you to everyone around you.
Shalom
Contend For The Faith
Guys its danbrilliant again, let's learn from this too
Text: Jude 3
'Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.'
To contend means to strive in contest or rivalry or difficulty. Contending for the faith involves making efforts to stay in the faith, to ensure that the gospel spreads, that our faith in Christ and that of others are intact. The devil is fighting tooth and nail to steal our faith and that of our brethren and to water down the faith through false doctrines and many other evil activities. Therefore, our contention is not 'against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly realms.' (Eph 6:12). A further look at verses 13 to 19 of the same chapter reveals the weapons needed in the fight for the faith. They include truth, righteousness, the spread of the gospel, faith,salvation,the word of God and prayers. We are sure to be successful in the fight of faith if we are not lacking in any of these weapons.
Jesus said that 'from the days of John the Baptist till now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent takes it by force' (Matt 11:12). Carefree and careless attitudes on the part of Christians will cost them their faith. As the devil is busy working against our faith, it will be an error to sit back as if nothing is at stake. But if this faith of ours is precious to us, we must strive to protect and maintain its validity in this world.
Dealing With Oppositions
Text: Luke 13:10-17
The text above recounts the event when Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on a Sabbath Day. There, He saw a woman bent over and could not stand straight for 18 years. He laid His hands on the woman and immediately, she became straight. The ruler of the synagogue, angry and surprised by what Jesus did turned to the people and asked them not to come for healing on a Sabbath Day. He said that there were six other days for them to be healed and apart from those days, they must not come to the synagogue for healing. He said this even though he had no business with the healing of people so we may want to ask, Why was this Pharisee angry?
Oppositions come to us because God has placed us high above the corruption of this life and so we become the envy of all. The presence of Christ in the life of every believer makes the difference in their lives and so because we do not belong and mingle with the world, we face oppositions. Jesus said the world would hate us because though we are in this world we are not of world(John 15:21,22). So as long as we are light in this world, we face oppositions. The good news, however is that Jesus will always be there to defend us giving us the wisdom to answer those who oppose us to their shame.
Amen & Amen
*Prayer Points*
Pray to him and ask him whatever you need.
@Danbrilliant
