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
Tel: (+234)-8036121781; (+234)-08051109976)
15.1 GOD’S GLORY CARRIER.
"I told you that I am he, Jesus said, And since I am the one you want, let others go”- John18:8.
Apostle Paul gave an account of himself in II Corinthians Chapter 11&12. He spoke of
the suffering (the cup) that was meant for him and not for everyone else. His own Ark that
he must carry on his shoulders and not by instruments, or other means. The burden of the
Lord must be carried with all our strength on our lives.
God’s glory carrier must zero down him/ herself in the arms of Christ. For 40 days no
Israelites could confront Goliath because non was ready to loose his life for God’s battle.
Goliath only asked for a man to stand for Israel. Our generation has been kept in bondage
for long, but God is looking for men who will deliver the nations from bondage; but we are
looking for someone else who will go for us. Somebody who will make the sacrifice for God’s
glory to shine. David did not know that a battle lies ahead as he went to visit his brothers.
He was spiritually prepared and was not baffled at the face of the battle. He made the
sacrifice: “If I perish I perish”. He preferred to loose his life as to save his nations. People
who will be glory carriers must be passionate for God and not for worldly titles. God uses
ordinary men. Men that sees themselves as ordinary. Men that depends on God’s strength
and not on physical abilities. Goliath came in the arm of flesh but David in the strength of
God. His brethren did not support him. We may not get support from brethren, but God is
with us. Despite the curriculum vitae of Goliath given to David, he drew strength from the
Lord: that God, who gave him strength against the toughest animal in the bush, will give
him strength against the giant. He was dressed but he rejected it. We must be careful about
what is happening in the ministry today: accumulation of tittles, luxuries fame etc. What
others are putting on may not be beneficial to you. David took his sling and stones: he took
hold of weapons through which the Lord has given him victories – the way of his dealings
with God. He did not change style even in the presence of the multitudes watching him.
Let us go back to take hold of the weapons God had put upon us. We need not put on
Modern day weapons. It was that single battle that brought David into fame. There is a battle before us to fight, unless we win that battle, we will no be qualified to carry God’s glory.
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15.2 WHO COULD HEAVEN TRUST?
The story of the harlot in the book of I King 3:16-28 that depicts the wise judgments
of king Solomon is story of whom could Heaven trust? Out of God’s mercy he gave those harlots children. With carelessness one overlaid her baby. The other overslept and her baby was exchanged. None deserve the baby we may conclude. God is looking for the survival of the baby. The original owner shows a desire to preserve God’s heritage. She assured her self: whenever he grows up and become somebody in life, I am satisfied. Heaven knows that I am the vessel used to bring him forth.
Is any one leaving your church assembly for another, do not do not fret. As long as he / she stands in Christ, that settles the matter. Heaven has the role you play on such a one on record. Would the life of people coming in to your church be better than when they were in the world? If the old preacher before us have missed it, God is asking: who will be the replacement? Who could heaven trust for this work? A replacement of the old ones that proves not serious. But how do we want to convince God that we are good replacements? We are the ones to take over but where is the record of our integrity?
Until a man is tested and proved by God there can not be perfection. God
told Abraham at age 99: “walk before me and be perfect” – Gen. 17:1. If our relationship
does not exceed that of the Pharisees, that of the world system, we are going nowhere. We
must not give excuses as people of the world gives. We must not waste God’s opportunity to
serve. Our services must be done in time.
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15.3 THE MEN OF GOD & THE KINGS / CHIEVES
Three kings (the king of Israel, Judah and Edom) gathered their armies to fight against Moab ( I King 3: 5-9). They traveled for seven days and had no water to drink. The king of Judah (Jehoshaphat) suggested of
The man of God was consulted when men got into trouble and there was solution.
Is that still happening nowadays? Do our men of God have access to God to liaise with God for men to know his mind? Elisha rebuked the King of Israel for his paganism and acted for the sake of the King of Judah who was godly. Do our men of God rebuke the chief people in our society and the Kings? Can they actually rebuke to tell them the mind of God as against their corrupt practices? If righteousness is the priority of our men of God, God will act in line with whatsoever His servants demands.
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15.4 HUMAN ATTEMPT
The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the free born wife was born as God’s fulfillment of His promise” –Genesis 4:23.
to answer prayers is always a failure at the end. If it works at all, that attempt will breed error that may not be corrected for generations. Sara’s human reason to have a son by the hand of her maid (which was the human custom at that time) did not go well with God even though it yielded fruit. God was not pleased; it was only God’s permissive will. It was an error that is affecting the world up till now.
“And you dear brothers and sisters are children of the promise, just like Isaac. But
you are now been persecuted…just as Ishmael, the children born by human effort,
persecuted Isaac”- Gal. 4: 28-29.
God who makes a promise is able to fulfill His promise at His own time. He never forgets.
Man need be patience: “Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing”- James 1:4. God can work out His plan for your life without your effort. Only relax in his hands and let him do it perfectly in His own time.
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15:5 BUYING AND SELLING IN THE CHURCH
Jesus entered the temple and began to drive all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “The scriptures declare, my temple will be a
Jesus is always in our temples but we behaves as if we know it not. It is true that
many in the church today do not recognize that Jesus is always present where his children are gathered. They know in theory but they refused to recon with His presence so they go for buying and selling in the Church:
As long as you put your telephone on silent in the Church during a service,
expecting a call while at the same you want to serve God, you are buying and selling. You can not be completely attentive to God as long as you are expecting a call during fellowship with the brethren in the presence of God or while you are having a time with God in your closet. You planed to pray and your phone is placed in silence mode – it was people like you that Jesus drove out of the temple in those days.
If the purpose of putting up a programme in the Church is to expect financial gain
and not salvation of souls, you are buying and selling. When ministries become money
making ventures, the spirit of mammon is reigning and the world will not see the glory of
God in your doings.
If committee meetings is just to plan for the physical things (structures, choir
robes, etc) and not about soul winning into the kingdom of God, it is buying and selling and Jesus will not be happy. When the rich members become decision makers in the Church of God because of the gifts they offer the pastors, it is nothing more than buying and selling. The pastor will not be able to caution such people again when they are wrong. The focus of the gospel will be shifted to mundane things. Such pastors are not fit again for the Temple work and so Christ drove them out in his own time. Such a temple worker will not be fit to carry the glory of God and so, has to be expelled.
There is no more consciousness that Jesus is in the temple. Only few ones that
know their state of affairs genuinely call on Jesus: “The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them”. Matt. 21:14. People that are not properly seeing in the ministry; they that don’t see what they expected in the ministry; people that knows their insufficiency in life and in the ministry; those that saw themselves as incomplete: these are the ones that came to Jesus while others were busy buying and selling.
A woman, “bent double for eight years and was unable to stand upstraight”
came to Jesus in the synagogue during the master’s days. She comes to the congregation every Sabbath day and went home the same. But that day she met with Jesus and was straightened. (Luke 13: 10-13). If you realize your incompleteness in your family relationship, do not ignore it away from His presence: stop buying and selling and going back home the same from His presence. Get issues straighten up before you leave.
The chief priest and the leaders of the law were displeased when the children
were shouting and declaring the word of life (Matt. 21:15-16). The children are vision catcher: those with child-like heart to see what God intends to do in the temple always receive God’s approval. Those that are neglected in the church (as the children are always) are the ones that see into the realms of God. But the chief priests, the “big” ones that sit in prostitution of authority including some Pastors, are fire extinguishers. They see nothing in the God’s given vision of the genuine ones in the church; rather they stand to prevent such actions for the sake of their selfish goals. In Jesus days, such people reported the deeds of the serious ones to Jesus: “They asked Jesus, do you hear what these children are saying”, - Matt. 21:16. Jesus left them in their ignorance and attended to heal the lame and the blind. The chief priests were neglected by Jesus as they rejected him.
Today, this different group of people still occupies the temple where Jesus is
always the Lord and Savior. In what group are you? Buying and selling, the chief, vision catcher or the humbled one who will not go back unhealed?
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15.6 GOD’S COVENANT FOR YOU.
“The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive”- Deut. 5:3.
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MINISTRY:
THE GOAL OF MINISTRY S TO BE LIKE JESUS AND NOT LIKE ANOTHER
MINISTRY.
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15:7 SALT AND ITS FLAVOUR
“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trample underfoot as worthless” - Mathew 5:13.
As long as a man of God could not live in line with what he writes, preaches or teaches, he is thrown away by men. If our lives are contrary to the truths of God’s word, we loose the flavor (the splendor of Christ’s glory) in our lives. When a dent is noticed in the live of a man of God, it disrupts the work of God. The mistake of a doctor or an engineer does not nullify his past achievements; but the mistake of a Pastor nullifies his 10-20 years of labor. No time is save for a man of God (yea a Christian) to misbehave or else the flavor is lost. If followers in the ministry could follow a negative action in the life of a man of God, they will turn aside from the way of truth. We should all say and hold unto the word of our master: “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world”- John 9:5.
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15:8 THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT
“And it is true that the children of this world are more shrew in dealing with the world around them than the children of the light”- Luke 16:8.
The wisdom of the worldly people in the concern of their world is to be imitated by us (the children of light) in concern of our souls. It is their principle to imploy opportunity to do that first which is most needful. O that we are also wise in our spiritual affairs to do those things first that are spiritually needful to us.
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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.
•••
15:9 TAKE OFF YOUR SANDALS.
As Moses was tending Jethro’s flock, his father-in-law, he saw a bush burning on Mount Sinai; there was flame of fire, but the bush did not get burnt up. This attracted Moses to move more closer to the incidence from where God
We do enter into a new year with bright hope and vision to walk with God so that he will lead us with benefits of the year; there always lies condition for us to fulfill: “Take off your sandals”. This was spoken first to Moses when he was 80 years old. God was preparing him for a greater work than he was involved in before then. God told him to take off his sandals because he was to enter a new level of experience and relationship with Him. It was at that point of his removal of sandals that he became famous. His last 40 years of life after the removal of the sandals superceded his previous 80 years in his old sandals. If he died at age 80 he would only have to be celebrated in a normal way known to man; but his death at age 120 with those old sandals (carnal characters) removed was more glorious: for God himself buried him.
Sandals depicts habit of several years that prevents proper relationship with God and man. Your/secret dealings with other people (man/woman) that is undisclosed to your spouse becomes a sandal that you need to remove so that you will be ushered into a new level of relationship with God and your spouse higher than those of the previous years.
As a minister of the gospel, your private/ selfish arrangement of fund raising is a sandal that must be removed as to enter a proper financial level of relationship with God. Those former selfish arrangement can take you nowhere. It is God that makes man rich without struggle. Moses did not protest with God despite his use of the old sandals for several years. You need not to protest at this God’s instruction as you pray to entered into a new level of relationship with God. Moses could not stand before pharaoh with his old “sandals” but he was able to challenged him with God’s message after he put of his old sandals: after he had had an encounter with God.
“Then the angel showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. The accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Joshua” - Zech. 3:1.
Joshua was resisted before God by the Devil with the use of his old sandals of filthy garments. The filthy garments that prevents God’s mercies showering on his children must be removed. There must be no room for the devil to accuse us before God. Every deceit, every ungodly scheming must be put aside. God will not deal with any of His children wearing old sandals his benevolence.
Non removal of sandals have consequences that do not fall on the man/woman wearing it alone, but on other people in the family, Church and society. Remember Achan. The disobedience of a wife/husband or child can bring calamity on the family. A man/woman’s secret sins does havoc to many other people. Since God was against Jonah, the people could not help but suffered along with him. Even if the president of a nation gives an approval to help a person who refuses to put off a kind of ungodly sandals, such a one may not be helped; he/she may end up on fake promises.
“Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: by this good shall come to thee” - Job 22:21. Renew your acquaintance with God with prayer and repentance from various forms of ungodliness (sandals removal), and true humbleness under His hand, and your compliance with his commands. By this good shall come to you.
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” – Acts 3:19.
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15:10 FOLLOWING CHRIST.
A song in Yoruba language can be literally interpreted as saying, if there be fire or rain, I will keep following Jesus. This does not implies the physical Fire or Rain. No one will stand when these natural elements are ragging. The fire and the rain are used to indicate situations that may resemble ragging of adversities.
As a member of the Church, what will be your choice when work/ business collides with the Church programmes? Most of us give excuses to the pastor about why so and so prevented us from attending church weekly, revival and even Sunday services and yet we say come fire or rain, I will follow Jesus. The fire and rain are events that put you in a fix between two opinions: to serve the Lord or serve yourself in any diverse ways.
Jesus said, “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it”- Matt. 16:25.
The losing of our lives for the sake of Christ is when we choose the things of God above our selfish longing or demands no matter how crucial it may seem to be. But when we are faced with different challenges of this world and we are not able to choose the path of Christ, we also shall not be reckoned with by Christ at the last day.
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15:11 BUT HE WAS A LEPER
“Now Naaman, captain of the host of the King of Syria, was a great man with the master, and honorable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria; he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper”- 2 King 5:1.
Leper may not only be of the physical, it may be of character as well. Whatever that mare the character of an individual rendering such a one unacceptable to God and man at any point in time, whether in the public or private, is leprosy. God want us all to be presentable to Him “as a glorious church without spot or wrinkle or any other blemish… holy and without fault”- Eph. 5:27.
Let everyone enquire from the children/wife or husband at home: what is my leprosy? We would be surprised if the baby or housemaid of house tells the leprosy that is militating against the individual.
Changes are not easily made. Naaman was annoyed at the very simple step he was directed by the man of God to take. It is always a simple action we need to take and to get rid of whatever leprosy of our lives. But we do underestimate the simplicity of such steps or we do not want to give recognition to whoever that give the instruction since such a one may not be in position of a boss or of honor. But victory always lies beneath simple action/ instruction taken in a humble way.
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15:12 BEARING STEADFAST FRUITS
“A good tree can not produce bad fruit and a bad tree can not produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit… A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, an evil person produces evil things fromthe treasury of an evil heart…”-Luke 6: 43 - 45(NLT).
The kind of fruit you produce physically is a product of whom you are inwardly. Your
physical manifestations in speech, dressing and behavior towards other people are
products of the life you live within i.e the manifestations of your heart. As believers, our
master calls us to bear fruit that will abide the test of time and keep on bearing abiding
fruits: “you didn’t choose me, I choose you. I appointed you to go and produce
lasting fruits….”- John 15:16. The fruit (disciple or converts) that we bear can not be
better than us. If our disciples are not steadfast in faith and in the things of God, that
means we are not steadfast. Converts in 1970s / 80s are more steadfast in the things of
God than today’s generation of coverts. In the 70 / 80s repentance of sins came along with
tears; but today the mere raising up of hands to accept Christ is the standard of repentance
that the men of God looks for. Converts of today’s revival service are eager to be blessed
and to prosper rather than seeking lost souls and to bear fruits. That implies that their
disciplers or mentors are also conscious of physical prosperity rather than seeking lost
souls and to have abiding disciples.
The product of a minister is the replica of what life the man of God lives. The fruit
tells about the tree. The health / behavior of the fruit tells the health / behavior of the tree.
The Lord will help us at this end time to be steadfast in the things of God so that we would
be able to produce and disciple steadfast disciples that will bear the gospel to the next
generations. Remember the questions put forward by our Master: “... But when the son of
man returns, how many will he find on earth who have faith? - Luke 18:8.
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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.
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15:13 THE TEST OF MINISTRY
The test of a minister’s work is not how well he preaches but what life do the members lived between Monday to Saturday in their various places of work. Christianity is not to be put aside at any point in time, but to be carried along every where. Let us consider Vasti and Ester: each of them was pastored differently. At a point, Vasti was required to show forth her splendor but she turned down the request of the King. Vasti represent Christians who refused to stand for God in various challenges of life. That is why God is looking for Esters. The pastor that brought up Vasti could not be traced. Pastors that bring up Christians like Vasti always has no traceable beginning: no mentor. This is evident in their products.
What kind of Christians are you? How is your pastors? To you Pastors, who is your mentor? Remember, like pastors, like members.
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15:14 DISPOSABLE OR DURABLE VESSEL?
The Lord said to Elijah, ‘Go to the east and hide by Kerith brook… Later on, in the third year of the draught, the Lord said to Elijah, ‘Go and present yourself to the King Ahab’…” - 1 Kings 17:2 and 18:1.
Two different command by the same Lord at different circumstances. As children of God or a minister, we need to understand the move of God at any point in time. Remember, the instruction given to Moses at one time was to strike the rock, and at another time to speak to the rock. Elijah was to hide first before showing himself forth to the King. He was in the hidden for three years.
Before we show forth our worth in the ministry, we must first go into the closet with God or else one will become a disposable vessel. Disposable are useful for a short period of time and are thrown off into the trash without the user looking back at it or the manufacturer trying to recover it for recycling. Going in haste or doing God’s work without proper tutoring makes some one to be spent out fast and be rejected by men. But God wants durable vessels: vessels that have been worked upon and tested in the closet to be sent on errands. Vessels that will last in the hands of the user and which the manufacturer recycles to bring forth a new product. This is only possible if we are well connected to our maker in the closet. He said, “… those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone one who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned” – John 15:5-6.
What kind of vessel are you in the hand of God and of man – Durable or Disposable?
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15:15 UNDERSTANDING THE TIME
At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named simeon. He was religious and devout and was eagerly waiting for messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s messiah” - Luke 2:25-26.
Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel: God’s visitation on Israel. He got the
tapping by the Holy Spirit that what he had been waiting for has come. The day was not different from other days and the carrying of the baby was not a different type but he had a nudge by the Holy Spirit that this baby is his expectation. People around could not see anything different but Simeon knew that the time has come.
Except a man understands the moves of God, one will take events as common. It was
easy for Simeon to take the carrying of the special baby as a usual thing but he has God’s nudge. Simeon did not despise the urge even though the messiah was in his infancy. Since he has arrived, attitudes must change: whether in the embryonic or infancy stage.
God is already on the move towards the close of this generation, but it takes God’s grace for
us to know the new order of God’s event so that we will not go with the old order. When
season changes, all other thing, including the songs we sing must change. Always
remember that the time for “our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed” –
Rom. 13:11.
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15:16 FOREIGNERS AND NOMADS
“All these people died still believing what God has promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”- Heb.11: 13-16 NLT.
Remember Jesus gave us a promise: “in my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me; that you also may be where I am”- John 14:2-3. Foreigners know that their present location is not their homes, and nomads will not settle in a place for life; they are passers by. This is the true picture of our stay on this earth. Knowing these facts as our resident status will keep us from holding tenaciously to things of this world as a do or die affair.
“But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows”- I Tim. 6:9-10. This world is not your home; you are a foreigner (stranger) and a nomad. Watch how you hold to the mundane things of this world. This earth is not your permanent abode. Strive to lay hold on eternal things and refuse to let anything take away your heart from the heavenly abode reserved by Christ.
“Dear friend, I warn you as temporary residents and foreigners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very soul”- I Pet. 2:11. Numerous worldly desires get into our hearts on daily basis; God will grant us grace to say NO to as many desires that would, at the end wage war against our souls, amen.
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15: 17 RADINACE OF FACE
“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. So when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him…When Moses finished speaking with them, he covered his face with a veil. But whenever he went into the Tent of meeting to speak with the LORD, he would remove the veil until he came out again. Then he would give the people whatever instructions the LORD had given him”- Exodus 34:29-34.
Going unto the mount to hear from God may not necessarily be our going to stay for a period of time on a physical mountain; but it speaks of our having a quality time with God over time away from our normal, daily or weekly schedules. It may be going on retreats which could be personal or along with other ministers, colleagues, or senior ones. At such a time, we would need to put aside our attributes, anointing or ego so that God would be able to deal with us and we also will be able to receive the grace of spiritual renewal. Moses put off the veil at any time he returns to speak with the LORD. God demands our humility at such a time we go up to him on the ‘mount’. The radiance of God’s glory will show in our messages / instructions to the people even outside the Christian fold. People will accept God’s messages from us with ease and it would be a blessing to them. But we have to seek time with God with our veils (egocentrism) removed.
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15:18 THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD
“… For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth”- Exodus 33:16b.
Moses knew these facts and requested from God in the wilderness: “if you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place”- Exodus 33:15. How do you make your journey in life: Without God’s presence? No one will admit that. But as long as you did not commit your heart unto him completely for direction on any particular issue or step to be taken, trusting on a man, available money or materials to use, you are going without God’s presence. He is not moving with you at that time. The psalmist says: “commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you”- Psalm 37:5.
The unrepentant people will claim they have God’s presence even as they trust something else. But the children of God who trust in God’s presence shall triumph over life’s situation at the test of time. There will be a great difference. Not that the children of God shall be free from life’s ragging calamities, but God’s presence with them shall see them through unhurt while the people of the world are affected in one way or the other.
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15:19 SECURITY FOR THE CHILDREN OF GOD
“Before they left, the men told her, ‘we will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions. When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members… must be here inside the house. If they go out into the street and are killed, it will not be our fault. But if any one lays a hand on people inside this house, we will accept responsibility for their death’”
There is always an edge of protection for any child of God who stays within the enclosure of Christ- “in the shadow of the Almighty” (Ps. 91). The spies sent to Jericho told Rahab to keep herself and her family members within, with the scarlet rope hanging on the window through which they escaped. They were to stay within the enclosure of Christ’s blood. Anyone outside this fence opens his / her life to destruction. Salvation by then was by work: stay within the enclosure. Rahab herself was not qualified by her trade of harlotry but because of her faith in the God of Israel to deliver her from impending doom, she became an Evangelist to her people by the blood of Jesus depicted by the scarlet rope.
To be saved from calamities of this world, you must of a necessity stay within the enclosure provided by the death and resurrection of Christ. He bought this security and salvation for us by his own blood. Straying outside this enclosure opens you to attack from any direction. You are to stay in tune from day to day. The Israelites were told by God through Moses to look at the brazen serpent in the wilderness when bitten by fiery serpent. It was not once or twice they are to keep eyes on the replica of Jesus hung on the tree, but as many times there is the need for it - the biting of the serpent. That biting still continues till the world will end. Whosoever that keep eyes on Christ and stay within the enclosure shall always be delivered.
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15:20 EFFECTIVE WITNESS
Jesus declared: “But I have a greater witness than John - my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me”- John 5: 36.
“So the word (Christ) became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only son”- John 1:14. We have to be ‘Jesus’ everywhere we find ourselves as believers or else the world would only see us as noise makers. We are getting to the time that no one will respect us despite tittles. We are to stand in the place of Jesus in human form in this adulterous generation. The commission on every believer is more that “to be like Jesus” but to be Jesus wherever God has planted us. What Jesus is saying by the phrase “… And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere …” is be ME everywhere you are. To be an effective witness for Christ, there must be a transfer of life from Christ to an individual. The life of Christ must be seen in us: we are not just to teach, preach or speak about the life of Christ, we must have a prospective knowledge of Christ to be his true representatives. We must know him and not just know about him. There must be individual encounter and personal knowledge of him. You will need also to experience Christ in divers ways: provision, marriage, health, etc. we must be able to say to people what Apostle Paul said; “Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me – everything you heard from me and saw me doing”- Phil. 4:9. Standing in the position of Christ will shine forth the glory of God in our lives. This will attract God’s benevolence on us.
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TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
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