A PUBLICATION OF CHRISTIAN PUBLISHING INTERNATIONAL
“FOR THE PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS AND THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY OF CHRIST.”
Believers’ Digest contains series of messages that can be copied
and use freely for edification of the body of Christ.
Email:christianpubint@yahoo.com, cpi2009@live.com
Website:www.cpi-cpi.blogspot.com
Tel: (+234)-8036121781; (+234)-08051109976)
14.1 THE DEVIL VS THE CHURCH
And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab King of Samaria. So Ahab spoke to Naboth saying, Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house, and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it or if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money. But Naboth said to Ahab, the Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my father to you – I kings 21:1-3.
The devil is a master strategist, so the church (the believers) must be very careful and be aware that the devil always seeks for the downfall or eradication of the church. He looks for ways of turning the believers into vegetables rather than leaving them as they were made to be - Vineyards.
A vineyard is a garden planted with fruit bearing trees that produces year in year, year out -perennial trees. But vegetable are annual plants that have lifecycle of 3 to 6 month. They have tender stems that can be blown off by wind. Vegetables are usually harvested by picking, the use of hands.
Naboth had proposal from the king who had the money to exchange his father’s inheritance (the vineyard) for a vegetable garden. But Naboth declined the offer and was killed. He laid down his life for that inheritance.
God’s inheritance is the church, the believers. We must understand the inheritance of God and its worth: the death of Christ to give us salvation. We must know the worth of it and refuse the devil to change it over to worthless “vegetables”. We must not be like Esau who do not know the worth of precious things. God’s inheritance in our lives – salvation ministry, family etc – must be held in high esteem and we must refuse the devil turning them around (spiritually powerless) for his purpose.
The devil will not attack directly; he comes with power of negotiation on technical grounds. Remember the Garden of Eden. He came like a friend. He would negotiate your dependence on God away and wants you to be independent. The best is not to listen to his “better one or payment for it” offer. It will still remain a garden but for vegetables. Annual vegetables in place of tree crops that cannot withstand stress. Churches keep springing up but what is the category of men, women being gathered?
Vegetable are weak church member that cannot be left alone on their own by the Pastor. They need daily care. Members that indulges in sin without rebuke from their so-called pastors because of their financial status. Church members that have no spiritual stamina are vegetables in the hand of the devil. Tree crop refers to matured church members that are fruitful in the knowledge and work of the Lord with heavenly focus. The devil doesn’t fight you when you possess houses, cars, etc but when you have heaven as your focus and the gospel becomes your pursuit.
The devil is always raising confederacy against the cross of Christ and it is the church that is being used. Those that rose up against Jesus were Jews and their priests. The devil fights from within. He uses technological advancement to track down the church and makes believers weak (vegetables on spiritual matters). For example the use of GSM has become a tool in the hand of the devil to distract the church even during services. Most members don’t switch off their phone sets; they put them on vibration to alert them of incoming calls. This is a distractive strategy of the devil.
Youths that enjoys the use of extra cool night calls discusses more on love and not on spiritual matters. These are the youths that are supposed to hold up the church for tomorrow. The devil is waiting to use any available gadget. When you are not paying much money to achieve a thing, then you are paying with your life. What of night browsing? Be careful to use every gadget with awareness that the devil is behind it. Suspect any policy that the world is brining up – Co-operatives, Shares, Loans, etc. These and others can tie down believers to their worldly accumulations and make them deaf and blind to the need and cry of the church (God’s inheritance) to inherit more souls. Believers’ money are not readily made available for God’s purpose since such has been tied down in one way or the other like loan repayment, etc. The enemy is turning the Christian to vegetables. We must refuse the offer of the worldly system.
The church appears to be praying but we are not actually interceding. The enemy is making the church to waste time on unnecessary prayer for prosperity and war against the enemies.
“Lord I promise not to negotiate away the vineyard (your inheritance upon my life); I will not be a vegetable in anyway in the hand of the devil; help my life O God, Amen.”
•••
14.2 ONE THING NEEDED
But one thing is needed and Mary has chosen that good part which will not be taken away from her”- Luke 10:42.
All other things can be taken away from man - good health, wealth work / businesses and accumulations including children, wife or husbands - but the word of God learnt from Jesus himself that has become part of the individual, can not be taken away. This is telling us that the one important thing we should give attention to is to learn from the master through his teachings from his word. This will be our succor in life when all other things (accumulations) might have departed from us. His teachings are what will take us to heaven and not our involvement in other matters that takes the heart and time of man.
Hearing from Jesus and keeping his teaching is the only one thing that is needed of us.
•••
14.3 BAD RESPONSE
"And it came to pass also on another Sabbath that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered ….. And looking around upon them all, he said unto the man, stretch forth thy hand. And he did so; and his hand was restored whole as the other. And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus” - Luke 6:6-11.
The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day watched to catch Jesus by all means as to lay charges against him. All his Sabbath day healings were challenged, no matter what kind of healing or deliverance done on their fellow Jews. Their bitterness against Jesus and his teachings (from heaven) blinded their eyes to see any good things coming out of him even healing the paralytic man. It is those-never-seen miracles that embittered them the more instead of their giving glory to God and accepting Jesus’ teachings with gladness.
If that was done to Christ in his days on earth, what else can people of today not do to you after a job well done, a heart-piercing sermon, a good gesture extended to a neighbor friend or relations? Do not be upset if you receive bad responses from people. All men can never praise you for good deeds, set your heart to receive un-called for responses after a well done endeavor. But God (heaven) sees and will give right judgment, commendation and reward. Man cannot give you a reward but rather uncalled for responses.
•••
14.4 WALKING WITH, AND WORKING FOR GOD
"And Enoch walked with God.” - Gen. 5:22. The first man spoken of in the scripture that walked with God was Enoch: seventh generating from Adam. Adam and his succeeding five generations could not walk with God. They lived for so many years were the record against their names. It was in the seventh generation that we read of Enoch who walked with God. After him, two other generations passed before we read about Noah who also “was a just man and perfect in his generation, and Noah walked with God”- Gen. 6:9.
Walking with God is different from working for God. It is easier to work for God even if God has not called you. Many are working for God at least to safe others. And that is why their ministration never yield tangible fruit. They are full of work here and there in the service of God, but are actually doing nothing! No one can actually work for God without first walking with God. Walking with God makes you get acquainted with Him: you know who He is, what He likes and dislikes (His laws). You love and fear Him at the same time and you obey Him whole heatedly. That is the qualification for working for Him.
Paul entreated us in Romans 12:1 to first of all present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God which is our reasonable service. That is, it is unreasonable for you to be full of God’s service without first giving your life to God or first walk with God. The first qualification of Noah was that he was a just man and perfect in his generation, and walked with God. It was this stand he had with God that qualified him to work to save lives. All that were used by God or that worked for God in the scriptures were always found walking with God. They were chosen people due to what God saw in them.
Moses was chosen to work for God in bringing out the Israelites form Egypt because at first, Moses chose “rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season” - Heb. 11:25. He refused to be identified with the Egyptians but with God’s people. If you are in close association with the Egyptians (un-regenerated), doing all that they love to do, you are not walking with God and so you cannot work for Him.
Whatever you do in the service of God without first giving your life to Him, you will only be found working for God and not walking with Him. It is our walking with God that qualifies us for His work and for heaven.
•••
FEED ON GOD’S WORD
Read the word, feed on it. Let it become the living word to you, not just columns of truth and opinions of men. Jesus wants to be known as the living Christ coming out of the pages of the Bible to us.
•••
14.5 JESUS: OUR AGENT OF RECOVERY
“Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag and burnt it to the ground. They had carried off the women and children and every one else but without killing anyone. When David and his men saw the ruins and realize what happened to their families, they wept until they could weep no more ...Then David asked the Lord, should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them? And the Lord said to him, yes, go after them you will surely recover everything that was taken from you”. Along the way they found an Egyptian man in a field and brought him to David. They gave him some bread to eat and water to drink... Before long his strength returned... Will you lead me to this band of raiders? David asked. The young man replied, If you take an oath in God’s name that you will not kill me or give me back to my master, then I will guide you to them’... David got back everything the Amalekites had taken, (1 Sam 30: 1-3, 8, 11-13, 15, 18). It is good if you can read the whole biblical account of 1Sam 30:1-18.
David’s abode, Ziklag, was burnt with fire and every other thing including women and children were carried away as captives at a time when the men were out with the King in battle. There was crying and wailing by the men when they returned to find out what happened. But the King enquired from the Lord and God told him to pursue for he will recover all that were carried away.
Along the way was found an Egyptian who was “despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquitted with grief;” he was despised, and his master and all others hid their faces from him (Isaiah 53:3). He was thrown away and spent three days and night without food and water, and was left desolate. Remember, Jesus was left to suffer and to die while God the father looked away from him. He spent three days and nights in the grave before He resurrected to recover for us, all that the devil had stolen away from man.
By the intervention of the Egyptian man, David recovered all that the Amalekites carried away. Before the man assisted David, he demanded that he should not be handed over to his master, and should not be killed. David pledged with him according to his demands.
Jesus is also asking you if you will not crucify him again and put him to an open shame after He had rescued you from the bondages of sin? (Heb. 6:4). He is our agent of recovery. He will keep recovering for us all that the Devil has stolen as long as we keep obeying and serving him.
As David recovered all, we can also recover ALL through our Lord Jesus Christ.
•••
MINISTRY IS BUILT ON GOD’S IDEAS, NOT GOOD IDEAS.
•••
14.6 STORY TELLER
“...The King was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God. The King had just said, ‘Tell me some stories about the great things Elisha has done.’ And Gehazi was telling the king about the time Elisha had brought a boy back to life”- 2Kings 8:4-5.NLT
Gehazi, a servant of Elisha, who supposed to inherit the double or triple portion of Elisha’s anointing and be used of God, became a story teller after he had received wrongly, gifts from Naaman covetously. He inherited the leprosy of Naaman and was cast out of the race of prophets. He became a story teller, telling stories of what his former master did.
Whose story are you telling other people today? Of one man of God somewhere? Who will tell your own story and how would it go? It is when you abide in the place where God has fixed you and there be contented, that you will have good stories to be told about you. Your running here and there (unsettled which is also a sign of covetousness) will end you up to be a story teller of what God is doing in the lives of other people. You will end up telling testimonies of other people.
•••
14.7 THE KING AND THE PROPHET
“When the King of Israel saw them (the Aramean army brought into Samaria by Elisha) he shouted to Elisha, my father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?”-2 Kings 6:21.
The king in those days calls the men of God ‘My father’. King Joash of Israel also said unto Elisha, “O my father...”- 2kings 13:14. What is the situation now? Are our men of God not calling the earthly Kings, mostly of who knows not the Lord, “our fathers?”
•••
PREACH TO THE RICH
We often overlook the fact that the rich, wealthy and the famous need to be saved too, for without Christ they are poorer than the poorest. Perhaps many neglect witnessing to the rich because what Jesus says has been misunderstood. Jesus says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (see Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, Luke 18:25)—but He does not say it is impossible.
14.8 DOING GOD’S WORK
Not every work, even those that looks religious, is the work of God. How then can one be sure that what he / she is doing is God’s work? Whatever man does and which can not be accepted before God, is not His work.
Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!”- Matt. 7: 23-25
Uzzah and Ohio took care of God’s Ark as they thought best amidst all excellent arrangement of music and dancing, but God was not in it. Uzzah had to die in the process. But Obed-edom did God’s work (of caring for the same Ark by which Uzzah died) in God’s own way and he was blessed.
If the running up and down for perishable food (money) is what is keeping a man active in the programmes of God’s then such is not doing the work of God. The excitement is only about what to get and it is not about the work of God. Such a one is only laboring for the meat that perishes. Some people asked Jesus: “We want to perform God’s work too. What should we do?” – John 6:28. “Jesus told them, this is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent”- John 6:29
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
God’s work is first and foremost your life rather than external activities. Work of God is not done until that work of God is done in your own life first. You must be the first recipient. Churches will grow if Pastors are the first evidence of what they preach.
God’s work is to believe God by His words. God is not seeing many as believers, yet they claim they are doing God’s work. Why will a minister or a choir member keep sin in the garment if such a one believes that the soul that sinneth shall die? They have not taken God’s word as it meant. Immoralities exist and multiply even in the church (not only in the society) when the hearts of minister and members are not yet affected by the words of God.
Pulpit is just an ordinary platform. Our lives are the pulpits to show forth God’s work. People around us are not obedience to God’s word because our own obedience as believers is not complete. We are the work of God to be done first; no work can be done anywhere else except it is first done in us.
WHEN TO DO GOD’S WORK:
“I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work” – John 9:4.
God’s work must be done while it is day for the night will soon come when no work shall be done again. When is the day in which to do this work? We read in Luke 1:80 that “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel”. That was written concerning John the Baptist.
WHEN IT IS DAY: This is not in terms of daily labors, but a segment of time when God decide to put a man on the platform in other to perform. That is, the time allotment for a man to do God’s work. Such a time does not last long (life time) it could be few or several years. No one can determine the length of his / her day; and it is not the same for all men. When a man operates within his day, he will not stumble: “If any man work in the day, he stumbleth not … But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth …” John 11:9-10. No body can kill him who is doing what God said he should do; powers of darkness will not succeed. But if a man has missed the time of his day and enters his night (when his time to operate has expires) there would be stumbling. It is nice for a man to sleep (retire) when he has finished his work in the day. But when a man is not sleeping and has entered his night, and wants to do what he supposes to do in his day, it will be terrible. The glory of God will no more shine, people will no more respond to his call. Such will go about to force themselves on people. No body has two days to operate consecutively. Opportunity comes but once. “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but under -stand what the Lord wants you to do”- Eph. 5:15-17.
•••
14.9 DO GOOD TO YOUR ENEMY
“Therefore if your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirst give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be over come by evil, but overcome evil with good” -Rom12:20-21.
The band of Syria raiders (the enemies of Israel) comes no more into the land of Israel. The good deed done to the enemies of Israel at the instruction of the man of God silenced them for life. “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men” (Romans 12:17) thereby your good deeds will overcome and transform the evil doer.
•••.
14.10 DANGERS ON THE INTERNET: BEWARE
Internet puts the whole world in a global village. It provides electronics means of sending and receiving messages fast and inexpensive throughout the world. It also brings unsolicited messages including adverts of various kinds and pornography to your door step. There are websites that can open you up to unscrupulous individuals and obscene contents. Supplying your email and other personal details to unknown individuals or groups opens you up to predators. You can be duped or introduced to a life of sexual / lustful passions.
INSTANT MESSAGES enjoyed by the youths for hours on daily basis can become a danger by distracting your attention from especially studies and fellowship with God and other believers.
BLOGS (online diaries) opens you up to the public and you can reveal your identity/family carelessly. This opens you up to online gamblers.
A more deadly one is the ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS where web pages are enhance with pictures and videos. It enables people to meet many “friends”. Several predators are prevalent on this network. Your engagement in it, is shopping for them.
WHAT TO DO:
We are in the world that is changing more quickly than we can change it as believers even with our prayers. The changing world is changing us and changing the systems around us. Before you are able to purchase a form or register at an institution of higher learning, you must visit the internet. Results of some examinations are released via internet. Even to get employment or be invited for certain official engagements, the internet would need to be visited.
You need must act with wisdom: “Every prudent man / woman acts with knowledge, but a fool lays open his / her folly”- Proverbs 13:16. Parents need to let their children know how the internet works and instill proper value in them so that they will make wise decision when they are alone.
“A man (woman) who isolates him (her) self seeks his (her) own desire; he (she) rages against all wise judgments”- Proverbs 18:1. Many people visit the websites as private affairs over the night or in their bedrooms. Remember that “One isolating him / her self will seek his / her own selfish longing”.
The internet is good but care need to be taken in order not to fall into the temptations of the flesh via the internet.
•••
14.11 IT IS GOD’S WORD THAT WORKS
“But Naaman became angry and walked away. I thought he would certainly come out to meet me; he said. I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me’...”-2 Kings 5:11
That was the reaction of Naaman the leper to the instruction given by Elisha the man of God through Gehazi his servant: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy”- 2 kings 5:10.
That action of Naaman is the way people believe they will be treated to receive their miracles. ‘Let the man of God lay hand on me, pray aloud if not stamp his feet on the ground, and shake his body as he call on God’. And actually this also has being the action of so many men of God today. They pray long prayers, shake the innocent person and sweat profusely. That is not the way God works. Remember the centurion said to Jesus: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my house, Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed”-Matt 8:8. The man believed that the spoken word of Jesus is powerful to heal without Jesus himself coming to lay hand and to pray. Jesus commended the faith of the man.
All the miracles recorded in the scriptures, even in the Old Testament, there was not an occasion where the prophet or any man of God acted in the way we are acting these days. The man of God will only declare God’s word and miracles took place. We need to believe God and his word. “He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death”-Psalms 107:20.NLT
Only speak the word of God without struggling, and He will back up His word with signs following- Mark 16:20.
•••
MINISTRY IS GOD’S GRACE MANIFESTED IN A LIFE THAT IS DEAD TO THE WORLD.
•••
14.12 A DISCIPLE INDEED
“As the LORD had commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua. And Joshua did as he was told, carefully obeying all the commands that the LORD had given to Moses”-Joshua 11:15.
Joshua succeeded Moses and he carried out the commands given to Moses, his master, by God. He carefully obeyed all. Joshua was a disciple indeed.
Who has God made your master or discipler or leader? Are you obeying their instructions carefully? Joshua came up when Moses died: the absence of death or absence of his master had nothing to do with his obedience. I suppose that your own master or leader is still alive; are you subject and obedience to his / her directives? Because Joshua was obedience to the commands of God through his late master, he won victory over his enemies and his land had rest (Joshua11:23).
•••
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Your comments for possible publication will inspire us to do more. Let us hear from you what the Lord is doing through our efforts.
•••
14.13 DIVINE OPPOURTUNITIES FOR CHANGES
“It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies”- Heb 11: 31.
tagged with her name. She lived in Jericho among the accused people and doing one of the businesses that led to the destruction of the city. She might have helped in the transfer of diseases to her customers’ wives and children or had led to untimely death of some of her customers leading them to hell. But God gave her a divine opportunity to make a change and which she did not miss.
The evil of a man’s life is to see the light coming and refusing it, preferring to be in darkness. God always give opportunities for a man’s life to change for better; it depends on how you handle or use any of the divine opportunities. Lot’s wife missed the opportunity of her deliverance from Sodom even with the escort of two angels. Rahab by faith in God of the Jews hid the two men sent by Joshua. That was what changed her destiny. She believed in God whom she had not yet seen or ever served. She believed that, that God will destroy the city. She believed the coming of the LORD even though they did not tell her the actual date of their coming back. She went out of her harlotry into evangelism persuading her people to come under the red scarlet and be away from destruction.
She made her people to believe and they perish not with them that were destroyed. She believed and hid under the blood of Jesus (the red scarlet) for safety several years before the blood was actually shed. She won many people over and she fed them with her food and kept them waiting. She was fragmented by the circumstances of life that made her to become a harlot, but her grabbing at the divine opportunity she had, made her become a fragrance. She won her father’s household to the Lord and became a converted Israelite dwelling in the company of the redeemed. She married an Israelite (Salmon) and begat Boaz who married Ruth. Rahab brought up Boaz with the fear of God. Boaz was a man of integrity and faithful with the Lord. Rahab became a great grandmother of our Lord Jesus Christ by grabbing at the divine opportunity she had.
14.14 ALTAR FOR THE LORD
“Make me an altar from stones that are uncut and have not been shaped with iron tools” -Joshua 8: 31 b
“If you use stones to build my altar, use only natural uncut stones. Do not shape the stones with a tool, for that would make the altar unfit for holy use”- Exodus 20: 25.
Deuteronomy 27: 5-6 said the same things as quoted above. That was the instruction since the time of Moses on building altars for the Lord.
King Solomon followed this instruction at the time of his building the temple for the Lord.
“The stones used in the construction of the Temple were finished at the quarry, so there was no sound of hammer axe or any other iron tool at the building site” – I Kings 6 : 7.
In his own time he used stones that were worked upon first at the quarry so that sound of hammer or other implements of Iron would not be heard while the Temple was in building.
Building altars for the Lord starts from the heart. The condition of a man’s heart must be in line with the dictates of the Spirit that God breath into man. That was why Christ used the heart of a child to teach us the way to heaven. A heart if offended will easily forgive and forget and not refer back. A heart not corrupted by worldly cares and lust. A heart with a “single eye”.
Only by daily walking with the Lord can a man be qualified. It is in this type of a heart (uncut stone) that correct altar for the Lord can be erected. Are you a youth in your teen age? Care not for the world and the cravings there in “It is good for a man that he bear the yoke (of divine disciplinary dealings) in his youth” - Lam. 3: 27. It is good for a man to yield to divine instructions, training and teachings at an early age when the heart is tender (uncut stone) and not yet polluted with the cravings and affairs of the world.
The worked upon stones at the quarry depicts hearts that are surrendered to God for sharpening after they might have tasted and get polluted with the world. They can still be reshaped for noble purposes. Such hearts need to be circumcised by the Spirit of God. God will not let out anyone; He wants us all to serve Him and be used of Him. He wants to make up living stones (I Pet. 2: 5) that can be used to build His spiritual temple.
God’s standard remains: uncut stones or stones worked upon by God himself in the closet (quarry) are required for divine services.
14.15 COMMUNITY DISCIPLESHIP
When the Israelites lived righteously with God, all who got gathered along with them became spiritual Israelites. The conducts in their community became platform for the faith and spiritual lives of the non-Israeli people to grow. Whatever the state of the community life, radiates in the lives of the incomers. Rahab passed through community discipleship when Joshua was the leader. She held unto the doctrine of the Lord and was able to live up to become a woman of honour. She witnessed the execution of Achan and feared the God of the Israelites.
If Rahab had come in at the time of judges, she might resume her former business of prostitution. Ananiah and Saphira could not make it in the community discipleship forum at the time of the Apostles. They sold all they had but could not take up the cross to follow.
How is your community in which you are being discipled? Is it as that of the early Church where biblical doctrines are held and followed? Or as in these last days when biblical doctrines are put aside and man made doctrines are taught? Your life of faith and where you will end your life’s journey depends on how your community (your denomination, your Church or what you believed in has helped to disciple you.
14.16 PLEASING THE LORD
When people’s lives please the Lord, even their enemies are at peace with them”-Prov. 16:7.
Jehoshaphat became king in Judah and “he was deeply committed to the way of the Lord” He “sent his officials to teach God’s law in all the towns of Judah” … The officials took copies of the book of the law of the Law and traveled around through all the towns of Judah, teaching the people”- 2 Chro. 17: 6-9.
RESULTS: “Then the fear of the Lord fell over all the surrounding kingdoms so that none of them wanted to declare war on Jehosaphat. Some of the philistines brought him gifts and silver as tribute and the Arabs brought 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats. So Jehosaphat became more and more powerful …”- 2 Chr. 17:10-12. As long as you seek the Lord to serve Him and obey His commands, your enemies shall be at peace with you and you shall live in peace and prosper (2Chro. 26:5).
14.17 ALLYING WITH UNBELIEVERS?
King Jehosaphat of Judah (a godly man) joined (allied) himself with the king Ahaziah of Israel (a pagan worshipper) to build a fleet of trading ships that could go to Tashish for trading. But God said to him (Jehosaphat), “Because you have allied yourself with king Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy your work. So the ships met with disaster and never put out to sea”- 2Chr. 20:37.
“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? … For you are the temple of the living God … Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord…”- 2Cor.6:14-17.
14.18 GIDEON AND HIS EPHOD
The Lord wrought victory for Israel by the hand of Gideon and his three hundred men. Out of the abundance they got from their enemies as plunder, Gideon made an Ephod (a god) with the golden earrings his people contributed at his request.
“Gideon made a sacred ephod from the gold and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping it, and it became a trap for Gideon and his family”- Judges 8:27.
Gideon, who met with God and tested God in the issue of flee; who had victory over the enemies of God with three hundred men, yet went off the track of following God at the end of his victory over his enemies using the booty (gain) of the battle. Gideon set up a god out of the blessings he got from the battle.
When a man / woman has been elevated, made to prosper and delivered from the enemies, care must be taken not to make the blessings thereof becomes a god! When a man / woman gets into abundance of wealth, it takes the grace of God for such a one to hold God as number one at heart and not “those things”. God still speaks to individual of us today “Do you love me more than these?”- John 21: 15. More than your accumulations of perishable wealth, position or blessing with good health?
14.19 WHO TAKES THE GLORY?
“I am the Lord; that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven image”- Isaiah 42:8.
God will not take it for granted for any man / woman who ascribe the glory due to God to him or herself. What is that that you achieved or acquired that you consider yourself able by your strength or ability? Are you able to preach so eloquently to the conversion of souls? Jesus taught us to say “…We are unprofitable servant: we have done that which was our duty to do”-(Luke 17: 10) after we have done what we can esteem to be a great achievement.
After the return of the seventy disciples sent out by Christ, they were told by the Master not to rejoice in the testimonies that accompany their outreach, but to only rejoice that their names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:20).
At the time of the Israelites, there were lots of battles that the Lord had to fight for his people so that the Israelites will not have cause to boast in their weapons of war, ability or number. Remember the Gideon’s 300 soldiers. No Israelite or prayer band was there when the gods of the philistines fell facedown before the Ark of God and got broken the second day. It was obvious that God of Israel was in that battle and He alone takes the glory.
When Herod acquired God’s glory to himself, he was eaten by worms. So also, Nebuchadnezzar was driven into the jungle as an animal and could not be helped by any man when he did not give God the glory. If you allow God to undertake for you, his glory shall be revealed in all that you are doing or aspire to do; but if not all you think you are doing shall be a shadow of what God can do. We subject ourselves to pain and struggles by not settling on who takes the glory. The church has being circling and fighting on the platform of who takes the glory on any achievement.
When God saw Abraham glorying over Isaac, He demanded for the boy for sacrifice. Abraham had Isaac for his glory, but he had to surrender him for God as a sacrifice. It was then that God glorified himself in the life of Abraham: He made everlasting covenant with him (Gen 22: 16-18).
In order that Jacob should not boast of his strength over Esau, the hollow of his thigh was touched by God so that he halted upon his thigh (Gen 32:24-31).
Joseph was humbled by his been thrown into prison after he graciously escape the snare of Portipha’s wife. As he was in the prison ruminating on the past scene, he could not boast. He only looked up to God for deliverance.
In order that Moses would not be able to boast at last of bringing the Israelites into the promise land, God used the disobedience of Moses himself at the water of meriba to stop him from continuing the wilderness journey. Yea, he did not enter the land but only saw it afar off.
If David was allowed by God to build the temple, no King could have been greater than him. But God incarcerated his ambition and gave his son the privilege. That son had nothing to boast of, for he lived to enjoy himself to the fullest. Despite God’s endowment upon his life, God could not boast of his righteousness.
As eloquent, powerful evangelist and missionary minded as apostle Paul was, he was not allowed to boast. He himself declared: “for though I will desire to glory...And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, lest I should be exalted above measures”-2 Cor.12 :6-7. He came up last as an apostle and had abundance of revelation and did so many works and suffered greatly yet he was disqualified from boasting. God alone had all the glory over his life.
God alone wants to take the glory over our lives and all we are privileged to do, posses or acquire. John concluded: “I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He must increase but I must decrease”- John 3:28-30. Even though he prepared the way for Christ and was reckoned as the greatest of all the prophets, yet he saw not himself worthy of receiving any glory.
As God takes all the glory over your life, it is then you will be qualified to be his glory carrier.
•••
14.20 SIGNS AND MIRACLES
“And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miracles, signs and wonders”- Acts 14:3b
The book of Mark also confirmed that by putting this forth. “And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs”- Mark 16:20.
The preachers of God’s word need not to fret over miracles happening in his or her ministry. Only what is needed is genuine preaching of God’s word. When God’s word is preached in truth and as apportioned by God, the miracles will follow as a way of the master approving the work. The miracles that follow genuine preaching is a sign that God is in the work. Miracles are not to be sought for by all means; they are not basic reason of preaching the gospel. Miracles are only signs to the on lookers, and benefits to the receiver of God’s word. Miracles can not be forced on people. Any so called ministry or man of God that is giving miracle a priority is not doing the work of the Master. Such a one is looking for benefits that miracles can bring – foods, fame, and any other physical accumulations that can perish. But a genuine messenger of God’s word seeks for salvation and righteousness of God’s people as he preaches. When a miracle happens, he gives God the praise.
•••
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Your comments for possible publication will inspire us to do more. Let us hear from you what the Lord is doing through our efforts.
•••
BE A PART
Be a part of this publication effort in Prayers for God to use these words in the hearts of readers, and in assisting print editions of these messages financially for free distribution. Send us your comments for possible Publication. Inspire us to do more in reaching nations for Christ. Send to us or make a call: Our email: christianpubint@yahoo.com; Phone line: +2348036121781, 08051109976. Mail: P.O. Box 387, JEBBA (241002), KWARA STATE, NIGERIA, WEST AFRICA.
•••
These series of messages are published by the CHRISTIAN PULISHING INTENATIONAL,
JEBBA, NIGERIA. Christianpubint@yahoo.com; cpi2009@live.com
Tel: +2348036121781,+2348051109976.
and used freely for edification of the body of Christ.
••• ••• •••
No comments:
Post a Comment