HOW IS YOUR CONNECTION WITH GOD
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment”(Mark 12:30). When we love someone totally, we want always to be very close to that person, hearing what they say and enjoying all they do to us and for us. We adore the one we love and cherish him, wanting always to please and give him all he needs from us. Is this how we love God? He has given us all things and has placed all the creation, including our own bodies, in our hands.
“Moreover, it is required of stewards, that man be found faithful” (1Cor.4:2). After new birth, we have a responsibility to live as God’s children. This means that we have to be the family of God, the one that He planned to establish long before creation and established at creation. Since then, God has worked through the ages to bring up His family and will continue till the end of time.
When God’s Word has been accepted and is abiding in the believer, the believer’s life is no longer his own. He takes himself as the property of God who owns him from the time He bought him with the blood of His son. Always, the believer testifies that: “The life that I live is not mine but the Lord’s who lives in me”. The life is given by God to the believer just as God gave His life to Adam. The Holy Ghost enlivens the word of God in the believer so that God’s life is instilled and grown in the soul by the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:8; Luke 24:49). This is according to the words of Jesus: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Jesus said, “I am the Life”, so the Word of God takes life and is seen at work in, and through, the believer (John 15:7; Col. 3:16; 1John 2:14; Psa. 119:11; Jer. 20:9).
The believer, abiding in God’s Word has this testimony: “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me”. The believer with this ability has been enabled by the Holy Ghost to die to self and live only through the Word of God. In every aspect of the believer’s life, only the word of God is seen, proving that we are living epistles (John 8:31; 2 Tim. 3:14; 2Tim. 2:15; Psa. 1:2-3; 119:97). If we are such, we have a responsibility towards our Lord God. We must live up to this responsibility by doing- (living)- the things we hear from God through the bible daily. We must not deteriorate to the mediocre person Jesus detests: “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:16). Jesus goes on to say: “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Math.15:8). And He calls such people “hypocrites” (Math.15:7). Dear One, are you grafted to Jesus or you are one of those He has spud out? Jesus Himself says: “Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up” (Mt 15:13). What is your foundation, dearly beloved One?
Be saved:
“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17: 30).
″As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Rev. 3:19).
The person who is not walking in a manner worthy of Jesus Christ is in need of repentance, which is a genuine change of mind to love God, becoming His child through Jesus Christ, and detest sin. This brings about a change of heart and way of life. This person needs to repent of sins and completely turn away from them. This is why God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten son to die for every one so all should come to God through Him. He came to deliver man from sin which keeps us in the bondage of satan and our enemies (Luke 1:74-75). Jesus is the only one to link man and God. So the first sin man commits is to refuse to accept Jesus when one becomes of accountable age.
Sorrow to repentance:
“Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” 2Cor.7:9).
God reveals Himself to man and shows him His love, peace, glory, the heavenly splendor, majesty, joy and all that He is and comes from Him. All that He has created reveals who God is (Rom. 1:19-21). True, He has not left Himself without witness to any man (Acts 14:17). Once man realizes who God is, awe, that deep respect and adoration grips his soul and the man ardently longs and seeks after God, feeling sorry that He has lived all that time of the past without God. It is God, through His love for man, who draws near the sinner, and through the Holy Spirit, convicts the seeking man of his sins. Once man has repented and given himself over to Jesus, God adopts him in His family through Jesus Christ (John 1:12-13). From this time on, God no longer holds the sinner as guilty for the sinner is justified in the eyes of God.
God commands all sinners to repent (Rev. 2:5; Acts 17:30) and refusal to repent keeps the soul of the sinner in the grip of death and bondage of sin (John 8:34).
Once we have repented, we must never want to go back to sin again: “Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” (John 5:14).
” She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11).
Here, in these two scriptures, Jesus commands that the sinner should never go back to sin again. But the devil tries to change the command and cheat men that they can go on sinning and repenting repeatedly. Not so. Anyone who teaches this doctrine is a minister of Satan (2Cor. 11:13-15). A false minister is sent by the devil to mislead the people from God’s will and truth so that they can live in service to Him and finally be condemned to hell. Let us be aware.
Live without sinning
Sin is defined in various ways in the bible. It is defined as transgression against the law of God (1John 3:4). Also, it is defined as doing anything that is not based on faith in God (Rom.14:23). It is also said to be refusal to do good when you know it should be done (James 1:17). Also, it is defined as having an evil heart of unbelief in departing from God (Heb.3:12). From whatever perspective we view sin, we must remember that all unrighteousness is sin before God (1John 5:17).
There are the sins which a backslider commits, but desiring to get back to God, he repents of them and desires to get back to God. Such sins may be forgiven by God if God sees a sincere heart in the backslider who wants to stop sinning and return to Him for forever. A compromiser, one who refrains from living according to the word of God because of whatever reason, too may be forgiven by God if he too wills to get back to God and stay faithful.
There are those sins which are committed in ignorance of God’s law (1John 5:16a; James 5:14; Lev. 5:15-17). They are still sins and must be atoned for once they are known.
There are sins committed simply by mistakes. For example, in arithmetical additions, one may make a mistake and give a wrong sum. Such sins must be repented of and rectified when noticed. One might step on another’s toe unawares and injure the other. Again, this needs to be rectified by apology and asking for forgiveness. Mistakes need be made good after they are noticed.
There are sins also committed unwillingly as one transits from the youngest stage of salvation to maturity in Christ Jesus (Eph. 4:11-16). Such are described as faults: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed” (James 5:16a).
There are those sins committed by a person not really deliberately, or by devise, but just because of a habit formed earlier, in sin, that a person has not overcome. Such sins may be repented of and one given the power by God to overcome them, if one really desires to be delivered from such habits. One who refuses to get so delivered is rejected by God. Such sins usually are committed by newly saved people who have not yet learnt to place themselves on the altar, on Jesus Christ, as required (Rom. 12:1-2). For example, a person might have been given to swearing, or other evils, when in deep sin. After being newly born, the person might catch himself swearing, or doing another evil thing, but later goes on to repent bitterly. As such people grow into maturity through the holy Spirit’s help, they rise far above such sins. Hence God says, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1Pet. 2:2). Also He says: “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2Peter 3:18a). Many times, lack of knowledge makes one behave in such a way as to do things that may be against the will of God.
Then there are sins which are committed deliberately by those who know the law of God and decide to act against it (1John 3:4; Heb. 10:26). A person who has deliberately apostatized and has been rejected by God might never be forgiven (2Thes. 2:10-12; 2Cor.4:3). Such are rejected by God (1Sam.15:23, 26). Such are the people who rejoice when they do evil (Rom. 1:24-32; Jer. 11:15; Prov. 2:13-14).
“For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” (Heb. 10: 26 -29).
Let us be aware of this fact. To sin willfully, knowing that we are committing sin and deciding to go on to commit it, we are being derogatory to the Holy Spirit. There is no forgiveness to those who are despiteful to the Holy Spirit.
“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame” (Heb. 6: 4-6).
Sinning deliberately is said to be crucifying the Lord Jesus again and putting Him to open shame (Heb. 6:6). Do we want to do this to the One we love so much? No, no, please. God gives us the power to live without committing sin when we love Him entirely and intend to glorify Him at all times.
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1: 8).
“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).
What we need to do after we have confessed and have been forgiven our sins by God while He is in heaven, is to give ourselves and our all to God (Rom.12:1-2). We do this because we yearn for Him and desire to be always connected to Him (Psa. 42:1). When this is the sole desire of the heart, then ask Him to fill you with Himself (Luke 11:13). We must tarry at the throne of mercy praying, asking God to give us His Spirit who would empower us to live a submissive life to Jesus. This tarrying should go on until God moves and fills us with His Spirit of glory and power to keep away from sin. When He is come in to indwell us, we shall never be mistaken. He will not wrestle us to the floor and make us jibber-jabber with unknown jargon of tongues. No, No. It is a deceiving spirit from satan that does that. But He will fill us with such a heavenly glory and powerful joy and peace that we will not mistake His presence within us. Our hatred for sin to always love and stay close to God, will always make us want to live for His glory even if we have to die. So whenever the enemy shows his ugly face to cause us to sin, we quickly turn to the one we love. This takes a firm stand in Jesus Christ by faith; it is the stage when miracles happen as we cry to Him for help. Jesus stands ready to fulfil His promise to those who live in Him (John 14:14). Our love for God and all that pertains to Godliness will grow to great heights as we exercise this trust in Jesus. As we grow in this we shall see the manifestations of Jesus Christ (John 14:21) , which will make us always want to be close to God.
Dear One, have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? Do you have power to say no to sin, even if it means death to you or your loved one? If not so, you need to submit to God and pray Him to fill you with Himself. You know your need and you are the only one who can get the supplies you need from God (Luke 11:9, 13).
Love and magnify God with all you have (1Pet. 1:8).
Having given ourselves to Christ, we have become His bride. As such, we want to be totally confident that He will carry us through at all times. “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death” (Phil. 1:20).
Conversion prompts God to instill His love into the converted soul (Rom.5:5). This gift of love from God makes us have a goal in our life. This goal is to serve God out of love. Therefore, the saint’s ambition is to please the One he loves, Our Lord and Our God. Everything we will do will be for His glory always. We THEREFORE AIM TO GLORIFY HIM IN EVERYTHING WE DO because we love Him to the uttermost:
Here is the saint’s maxim: ‘Now that I am saved, “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death”. Because of my love for Him, I give Him all my body to use as He wills at all times. I want Him to glorify Himself through me’.
The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. May those who love His salvation say continually, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST BE MAGNIFIED! (Luke 1:46; John 3:30; Romans 1:21; 1 Cor. 6:20).
Worship God always
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24).
How much do I value and appreciate God for who He is? Matthew 2:11 “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh”. These wise men adored Jesus so much that they fell down to worship Him and give Him presents. Do we truly esteem Jesus that much? When we come to the church meetings, what is our attitude? Is it like the wise men had? Jesus said wherever two or three gather in His name, He is there with them (Math.18:20).
“Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Math.4:10). Many times, the devil comes to us and tempts us to worship Him by doing the things He wants us to do for his glory. If we do those things the devil suggests we do, we will be glorifying him (the devil). He may tempt us to do adultery, tell a lie, steal, kill, swindle, etc, etc. If we do what he puts in our minds, we are serving and worshiping the devil. Let us always tell Him what God wills for us and that God’s will is what we will do. That will get us the victory we need. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
“And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy”( Luke 24: 50-52).
Many times, Jesus manifests Himself to us. He might visit us at night in a dream and hold a wonderful discussion with us. He might visit us as we pray in our quiet room and time and show us many things that we need to do for His glory. He might visit us when we are in real need and deliver us as we cry to Him. Yes, He is the Lord and is with us all the way (Math. 28:20). … Do we set time apart to worship Him and let Him manifest Himself to us (John 14:21) ?. He might visit us while we are studying the bible and reveal wonderful truths to us, expounding some secrets we never knew before. Do we really take time to worship Him and thank Him? He might come to us in sickness and give us a healing touch. He might come to us and give us the power to heal a sick person. We need to worship Him at all times. He promised He would manifest Himself to us and if we believe this, he will. Let us take time to worship God, not just for doing good things for us, but at all times. He is the only one worthy of our worship. (Please, take time to read the following scriptures for further instructions from God on this subject: John 9:31; Phil. 3:3; Rev. 7:11; 11:16-17; 14:7; 15:4; 19:4; 19:10. (20:4) 22:9).
Praise God always (Acts 2:46-47).
With your lips I tell how great and glorious God is and by your life show that you really believe God is everything He said He is. I want to that always and when all of us do this, God will be magnified and revealed to the world around us. That is the role of the church on earth.
“And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them” (Luke 2:20). Whenever we are told about God and His works, do we take time to praise Him? When we are given by God what we have asked Him for, do we take time to praise Him?
“And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God” (Luke 18:42-43). It is rare these days to see people praising God for the wonderful deed He does to man. He is our healer, our provider, our keeper, our protector. Yet we never take time to praise Him. We need to repent of this negligence.
Serve God always
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1Cor. 10:31). Let our ambition be always to bring glory to God in all things. “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him (Col 3:17). If we let the life of Jesus thrive in us, He will always work through us to the glory of God. “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (1Pet. 4:11).
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl.12:13).
“And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (Deut. 10:12).
It should be within us to love God, Honor Him , Bless Him, Thank Him, Serve Him, Obey Him, Please Him, Confess Him, Shine for Him, Fear Him, Trust Him, Follow Him, Fellowship Him, Rejoice in Him, Rest in Him, Live for Him and Do all for His glory. How is your walk with God, dear One?
=======================================
The Seal of God
John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (See Eph.3:9; Col 1:16; Psa. 33:6; Heb.1:2; Heb.11:3; 2Pet.3:5
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
1. Receiving Jesus:
John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name”
Repentance and conversion makes you just before God. God will justify you while He is in heaven. Then You must allow Jesus to rule your life. You can only do this by letting the Word of God be planted in you. This is what God describes as the Seed of God (1John 3:9). When the Seed of God is planted in your soul, you are born again (1Pet. 1:23). From then, you must willingly, out of your free will, let this seed of God grow into a tree of righteousness. How big this tree grows depends on how much you feed on this word of God. Feeding means reading, believing and doing what God says in His written Word. When you do this, Jesus, the Word, rules all the aspects of your life in:
(a) The way you speak
Eph. 4:29 “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers”
1Pet. 4:11 “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen”
(b) The way you think:
Psa. 1: 1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Psa. 77:12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
(c) The way you do all that you do:
Col.3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
1Cor.10: 31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
2. The justified State.
When you reach this stage, you are truly a child of God. You have been delivered from the bondage of satan into the Kingdom of God’s Dear Son (Col.1:13). God, the Word, has been merciful to you and created you a new, justifying and regenerating you. But He is in heaven and not in you. But by His power, you are able to live a sinless life. Through this power of the Word, you are now in a position to taste and see that the Lord is good (Psa. 34:8). So you are able to go on, through this power given through faith in His word, and taste the sweetness of His forgiveness and freedom from sin. You can, through Him, enjoy the freedom and peace from God. But all this time, it is only through faith in Him that you are able to go on. You are now living like the Disciples of Jesus before they received the Holy Spirit in them. Jesus walked with them on the road to Emmaus, and their hearts burned in them, but they did not have Him living in them (Luke 24:32).
God is living in heaven but has not come to indwell you. He has only created you again. You need His personal presence in you and with you. He is now with you, but not in you. When you have tasted and found that the Lord is good, (1Pet. 2:3), you will desire to have Him living in you. You will want to live in this glory of His presence in you and to continue rising even higher and higher.
But remember that when you were in bondage, you had no power of yourself to give yourself to God freely, out of love. You could not love Him and the devil at the same time. But He had mercy on you and out of His own grace, He delivered you when you cried to Him for deliverance. Then out of love, when you believed His written word as preached to you, He justified you while He is in heaven and led you on and protected you and enabled you to live a happy live free from sin. But now you have reached a stage whereby you are free to yield yourself to God freely, out of love and give yourself totally to Him, so that He gives you the power to stand and rise higher in this grace. So what remains now is for you to yield yourself to Him willingly, out of love for Him, and let Him fully take control of your everything (Rom. 12:1-2). As a child of God, you must go on and live as His Father lives in His family.
3. The sanctified state:
Living as God lives is only possible when He comes to indwell you as God. God desires of us to live this way (1Peter 1:15-16; Luke 1:74-75; 2Cor.7:1; Heb. 12:14). When He indwells you, He writes His law in your heart. He makes the written word alive in you (Ezekiel 36:27; Heb. 8:10).
Remember God is a Spirit. So by His Spirit, God desires to indwell you so that you can have the power to worship Him is truth and Spirit (John 4:23-24). So you must go on and receive the Spirit of God and let Him indwell you so that He works in you and through you. Jesus told His disciples not to leave Jerusalem until they had received the Holy Spirit. After we have been forgiven of our sins, we too need to go on and pray, waiting until we have the Spirit of God within us. Yes, Dear One. You must go on and pray until you have received the Holy Spirit. Pray and pray and yield yourself to God. Fast if you need to until you know for sure you have received the Holy Spirit from God. Do not be deceived by the false prophets of this day who teach that speaking in strange tongues -(and dancing or foaming on the lips, barking and roaring, or falling and rolling on the floor), is the sign that you have received the Holy Spirit. The only sign God gives is Himself in us (Emmanuel: Math. 1:23). The only way this is known by those who have received Him is by the power to live holy just as God is holy, as they have the power to walk after the Spirit of God and not after the flesh (Rom. 8:1-2; Rom. 8:16). Only those who have received the Holy Spirit can know Him personally. The other empty ones can only see the beautiful life lived by those who are indwelt by Him (and desire to have Him, or they can go on and persecute the saints).
When you reach this stage, of living as God desires in His word, out of love and freely from the power from God within you, you know for sure you have the Holy Spirit in you. At this stage, God is dwelling in you as He said (2 Cor. 6:16). That is the sanctified life. You have set yourself apart, lovingly, willingly, and given yourself to God too use you as He wills for His glory; and God has accepted you and sent the fire from heaven to burn the sacrifice of your body completely. Your life from then onwards is a sweet smell to God in heaven and on earth.
In this state of living, you must walk always after the Spirit (Romans 8:5-9; Gal. 5:16-17). This is the lack today. So many people say they are saved and have received the Spirit of God. But we do not see them displaying the life of the spirit of God. We must see the fruit of the Spirit in your life to be able to accept you as being filled with the Spirit of God (Gal. 5:22-25; Col. 3:12-17). The fruit of the spirit is seen in all you do. Those whom you come into contact with daily, every minute, the fruit of the spirit must touch through your good acts of love, words of testimony and all expressions of Godliness. Those who are far away, those you reach by phone, by letter or email, the fruit of the spirit must pervade like the sweet smell from the burning sacrifice. People are not getting saved today because of this lack in those who profess to be saints of God. We must wake up and shake ourselves loose from this lackadaisical state of life.
4. Baptized into the body of Christ.
There is a truth people have rejected to day: “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Cor.12:13). This is a truth lived by very few people who call themselves Christians to day, including many of those who go by the name “church of God”. Please, note: it is the Spirit of God who puts us into the body. It is not by our own act or choice. God Himself places us into the body. Therefore we have no right to choose what church to belong to or what group of churches or movement to join when we are born again. We are directly born into the church of God, just as a child is born directly into the family of the father of the homestead. When we are born of the Spirit, we are directly inducted into the church of God by the Spirit Himself. Once born through the blood of Jesus Christ, we are given the power to become the children of God, and the children are His family (Eph. 3:14-15).
“But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him” (1Cor.12:18). Dear One, God Himself puts each one of us in the Body of Christ, which is the church of God. “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another (Rom.12:4-5). So once we have been saved and given the spirit of God, we know for sure we are in one body by the way we live, say and think. This one spirit of God directs our lives in such a way that we all live like the children of God. Once we see the life of Christ in whoever we come across, we know that we are in the same family and all we need do is to give each other the right hand of fellowship. Dear One, there is no sense in these divisions of Christians today, let alone the church of God people. God has only one church (Eph. 4:4-6;5:25-27). If any of us who claim to be saved and full of the Holy Spirit cannot walk after the only One Spirit of God, into His only one family, the church, then we certainly are not part of His church, the one built by Jesus Christ Himself. We ought to forget all the divisive elements of our lives and erroneous doctrines and all follow the Spirit of God into the only One family of God.
5. Sealed into Jesus Christ.
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30).
Once you have received the Holy Spirit, you know you have the seal of God. “And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads” (Rev. 7:2-3). The protective hand of Jesus keeps all the justified souls safe, if they will listen to Him and obey, until they are able to receive the Holy Spirit. Once they are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, then they can live to worship and serve God aright.
“Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Rev. 7:15-17). If Jesus is given His rightful place in the hearts of His people, the right to rule every soul, then the powers of Bishops and Popes and the archbishops and Reverends here on earth will be done away with. No one has a right to usurp the power of Jesus in our lives. If we let this happen, we are lost for ever. But when we allow the Spirit of God to rule our lives, then we are sealed in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus where we only seek the heavenly things. We are dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory (Col. 3:3-4).
Dear Ones, have we reached that state whereby we are assured that we are stable in our faith and can make it to eternal life if God calls us home today? We, each one of us had better be sure.
May the Lord bless each one of you, Dearly Beloved of God.
=====================
Some Scriptures for Daily Practice
(From the book: “HOW TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE”, By Charles E, Orr).
If we seek God earnestly in the prayer of faith to help us in our daily practice of the following Scriptural texts and then put forth our best efforts, we shall find life daily growing more holy and beautiful. The beauty and enjoyment of a holy life is that it can always be improved upon. We can live in all the light that shines upon us from these texts today, but tomorrow we find them shining a little brighter and fuller light, so that we shall have to live a little more holy than we are living today. Thus all along our Christian way we shall find that we are growing and becoming holier in life, and more of the transcendent beauty of Jesus will be seen upon us.
“And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Eph. 4:32. Let this law of kindness get into your life as its very essence. It is not enough to affect kindness; we must be kind. A tender heart is the groundwork of kindness. Out of such a soil the beautiful flowers of gentleness, kindness, and tenderness grow. These perfume the life and make it cheering to others. Can you be more kind in your daily life? Is your heart so tender that it feels the suffering of the child or the pain of the dumb animal to the extent that you find pleasure in giving relief even at the expense of self ease?
“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Col. 3:2. Guard your heart. “Keep it with all diligence.” See that all of its affections are on things above. Some of the earthly things that God has given into your keeping will want some of your affection. The beautiful home, the farm, the bank account, the domestic animals, and even some things almost worthless will want a little of your heart’s love. Your own talents and personal appearance may desire some of your affection, just enough to set you approving them for your own sake. Practise daily the above text.
“In everything give thanks.” 1 Thess. 5:18. “Giving thanks always for all things.” Eph. 5:20. Thankfulness is a grace easily improved and developed if cultivated. Likewise, it will very soon degenerate if neglected. In order to keep a deep sense of thankfulness in our hearts we must be mindful of the gracious dealings of God. It is well to take time as often as circumstances will permit to meditate in some quiet place upon the goodness of God to you. We should have such thankful hearts that ofttimes tears of gratitude will flow at the remembrance of God’s goodness.
“Rejoice evermore.” 1 Thess. 5:16. “As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing.” 2 Cor. 6:10. ”Rejoice alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” Phil. 4:4. “Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.” James 1:2. This is the power of the Christian life. We can always rejoice. We can be contented and happy, whatever our circumstances in life. God’s grace will sustain us. Every day can be, and should be, a day of rejoicing. God is pleased to have us happy, but He would have our rejoicing to be in Him and not in His blessings. To rejoice in the midst of trial is health to the soul.
“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thess. 5:17. “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” Col. 4 :2. “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” Eph. 6:18. If you value peace and prosperity of soul, you will not neglect to pray. It is prayer that keeps us up above the clouds and brings heaven down. He who does not pray at all is not a Christian, and he who does not pray much is not much of a Christian. It is not those who have plenty of time to pray that do the most praying, but those who take the time. Let there be some prayer every day.
“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves.” Phil. 2:3. This should be the experience of your heart every day. When we are lowly, we see our own faults and imperfections and our brother’s virtues; therefore we look upon him as better than ourselves. It seems to us that others are more humble than we are, and have more faith and love God more than we do.
“Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” Phil. 2:4. We should be as much concerned in others’ welfare as in our own. He who is looking out for himself and neglecting others has not advanced very far in the Christian life. The Christian lives for others. He will overlook his own needs and see his brother’s needs.
“See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good both among yourselves, and to all men.” 1 Thess. 5:15. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Gal. 6:9,10. To go about doing good out of a heart full of love is the way to spend life. Heaven is going to reward us according to our works. The Bible tells us so. Never a day should go by without our having done some good thing purposely out of love to God and man. The Lord does not overlook small deeds when done in love. A coral is very small, but many of them make an island: a little good deed done every day will in a life time amount to enough to build a splendid mansion in heaven.
“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Gal. 6:2. To lift a load from off the shoulders of another is noble service. To remove a burden from another’s heart is truly Christlike. He who goes through life bearing the burdens of others has found the easiest road; he who goes through life refusing to aid others travels a road of hardest toil.
“Abhor that which is evil.” Rom. 12:9. God is holy; consequently He hates that which is evil. When we admire the holiness of God, we loathe sin; if sin has no horror to our soul, holiness has no beauty. To the extent we love holiness, to that extent we hate sin. A good man of long ago said, “If I could see the shame of sin on the one hand and the pain of hell on the other, and must of necessity choose one, I would rather be thrust into hell without sin than go to heaven with sin.” Sin is a hideous monster. Draw near to God if you would see sin’s awful hideousness. Unlike most other things, the farther you are away from sin the more clearly you can see it as it really is.
“Cleave to that which is good.” Rom. 12:9. To cleave is to adhere tightly to; cling. We cleave to that which is good by ever doing good. When we hate sin as we should and see its awful shame, and love the good and see its wondrous beauty, we would rather go to hell doing good than to heaven committing sin.
“Draw nigh to God.” Jas. 4:8. The close of every day should find us a little nearer God than the evening before. We should hide a little more secretly in His pavilion. We should nestle a little more closely under His wing; His feathers should cover us a little more fully. Be the storms what they may, we can daily live very close to God, and what we can do it is our duty to do.
“Open thy mouth wide.” Psa. 81:10. We should daily live with wide open mouth. If we will, the promise is that God will fill it. For God to be all to us, we must expect all from him. God can impart to us only what our hearts are open to receive. If we would live with God in our own soul, we must have all our soul open to receive Him. Many fail to see the beauty of a life hid with God because they are looking too much earthward. Opening the mouth wide implies an abandonment of ourselves to God with a readiness to receive all that God has to give, together with an expectation to receive nothing that does not come from Him. Then God will fill us daily with Himself. There will be a constant inflowing from God of strength and ability to perform every duty of life, and of grace and peace to make life an emblem of heaven.
“The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldst know his will.” Acts 22:14. “Not with eye service, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.” Eph. 6:6. “I delight to do thy will, O my God.” Psa. 40:8. It is our privilege to daily know the will of God. It is our duty to daily do it. It is a blessing to love to do it. Here is the sum of all Christian living: 1. Knowing the will of God; 2. Doing the will of God; 3. Doing the will of God in love.
“I asked the New year for some motto sweet, Some rule of life with which to guide my feet; I asked, and paused; he answered soft and low, ‘God’s will to know.’ “‘Will knowledge then suffice, New year?’ I cried, And e’en the question into silence died: The answer came, ‘Nay, but remember, too, God’s will to do.’
“Once more I asked: ‘Is there no more to tell?’ And once again the answer sweetly fell, ‘Yes, this one thing all other things above: God’s will to love.'”
“Do all things without murmurings and disputings.” Phil. 2:14. Let thy life be free from all frettings and worryings. Let it be like the calm flowing of the river. God is a strong and high tower, a refuge, a shield. With our life hidden in Him, worries and frettings can not reach us. We may be treated unjustly by a bosom friend, but we commit it to God, and instead of feeling the wound the friend gives, we feel the balm our Father gives.
“Be content with such things as ye have.” Heb. 13:5. “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Phil. 4:11. He who has gained contentment has gained more than he who has gained the wealth of a world, if it be contentment with godliness. A discontented life is a dark spot on the page of human history. An even, contented life is as a lighthouse shedding its peaceful beams over the turbulent waters where voyagers come and go.
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Phil. 4:13. “I am mighty enough for all things through Christ who empowers me.”—Rotheham. There is no excuse for your not living a perefectly victorious life today. You can be a conqueror. Temptations will assail you, trials will come, but you can ignore them in such a way as to show their author your contempt for both him and his temptations. I read just this morning this good suggestion: “Do not dwell upon your temptations. They are like little dogs that bark after a man that passes by; if he stops to drive them away, they bark more fiercely than before.” You can do all things through Christ, but you must do them in His way. Ofttimes He would have you ignore temptations instead of fighting them. It is well ofttimes not even to ask, “Who is there,” when temptations come knocking at your door.
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” Col. 3:12, 13. Such a life is a heavenly life. Think these words over and make them your experience today. Have bowels of mercies—that yearning, longing, compassionate feeling that would gladly bring every offender to Jesus for forgiveness. Be kind. Oh, the power of kindness! It can not be resisted; it conquers wherever it goes. This cold world knows no music so sweet as kindness; it charms and delights the ears of all. If you would be kind in word and act, be kind in thought. Be humble in mind. Think well of others and not so well of yourself. Life will flow on peacefully and easily if we are humble; nothing can disturb. Be meek, sweet, and mild tempered. Bear long with the failings and weaknesses of others, carefully considering your own and keeping in mind how you would like to have others bear with you.
“And above all these things put on charity; which is the bond of perfectness.” Col. 3:14. Throw the mantle of love over every act and thought in life. Love purely, love sincerely, love fervently. Nothing is so great as love. All the graces have their seat in love; you can not be compassionate, kind, humble, meek, or forbearing without love.
“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” Col. 4:15. Let the peace of God act as umpire, deciding every case. Let it have the ruling power in your heart and life today and every day. Whatever matters may arise, let the peace of God take it in hand and dispose of it. If it shows any resistance, then let the peace of God cast it out.
“Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Col. 4:6. “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Eph. 4:29. Have a pure speech, made mighty by the grace of God. Be sober without gloom, be serious with cheerfulness. Have such a conversation as is suited to lift hearts to a higher plane. Your words should be such as to make better those you talk with and make them feel that there is something higher for them.
“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Eph. 5:16. Time is more than money; it is life. Do not waste it. Improve its golden moments today. Be economical in its use. Many complain of not having time for devotional reading and for prayer, while if they would examine carefully, they would find that they trifle away as much time as would be needed for prayer each day.
“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” Eph. 5:21. This is beautiful. Submissiveness is a desirable grace and one that will strew your pathway with peace. How blessed it is to be always ready to give up our way! It is the easy way. We shall find life’s way a hard road to travel if we are always wanting our way.
“Be careful for nothing.” Phil. 4:6. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Pet. 5:7. “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.” Matt. 6:25. The Christian life is one of freedom from anxiety. Jesus will bear all our burdens and cares, if we will but cast them on him. There is no need to worry nor to bear a load of care. A certain brother was much troubled about not having bread for the next meal. But while he was troubling himself and bearing his load, a man drove up and unloaded a barrel of flour at the door. All the time the brother was troubled, the barrel of flour was on the way. Take no anxiety for future things.
“Commune with your heart upon your bed, and be still.” Psa. 4:4. Each evening in some quiet place and with interior stillness talk with your heart and let your heart talk to you. Take a distinctive view of your inward life. You need to be very careful lest you outwardly appear to be a little more than you really are inwardly.
“I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” Gal. 2:20. Is it true? Does Jesus live in you? If you are smitten upon the right cheek does Jesus then live in you? If you are evil spoken of, misrepresented, misunderstood, neglected, despised, and forsaken, does Jesus live in you then ? If you see your brother in need; if you have two coats and he has none, does Jesus live in you then? There are some in prison near you; there are those who are sick; there are those who are thirsty and hungry; in foreign lands there are heathen that know not God,—are you sure Jesus lives in you?
“Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I can not perceive him: on the left hand, where he doth work, but I can not behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him.” Job 23:8-9. This may be your experience some days. In fact, if you are making progress and at all approaching maturity, you will have such experiences. Some dear conscientious Christians become much troubled because they are not more conscious of God’s presence. They do not feel Him, and thus they conclude they must be very formal. I have always believed and taught that we should have a consciousness of God’s presence with us; I still believe and teach it; but I must admit that the most spiritual ofttimes can not perceive God on either hand. They may fear that they are lifeless, because there is not a fresh and sweet spontaneous feeling in their souls. It seems to them that the y merely go thru the form of worshiping God instead of being in the Spirit. They pray, but their prayers seem to have no depth of heart. In consequence they may be troubled. They need not be. We are not necessarily lukewarm because we do not feel God. The most humble men are those who are least conscious of their humility. The greatest of men are those who take no note of their greatness. The Christian has life; but when we get in the habit of living, we are not so conscious of life.
Let me illustrate the point this way: Suppose your weakness to be selfishness. You struggle hard against that selfish principle; you notice that you are becoming more unselfish; you are conscious of it because you have had to put forth such effort to attain it; but after you have gained the victory and have become habituated to living an unselfish life, you will be less conscious of your unselfishness. The musician is not so conscious of his skill after he has mastered the art as he is while learning it. Those who are the meekest and have the most intimate converse with heaven, diffusing a fragrance round about them from their holy lives and seeming to be visitants from some world where there is no sin—these are least conscious of their high spiritual attainments.
Live a holy life, obey the commandments of God, have a will to serve God, and if sometimes you do not feel Him nor perceive Him, do not be troubled, but consider that He knows the way you take and that when He has tried you, you shall come forth as gold.
“Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love.” Rom. 12:10. Brotherly love is precious in the sight of angels. It is the most convincing proof of the Christian religion. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” But in addition to brotherly love there should be kind affection. This is love felt and expressed. There are those who really love, yet whose nature is such that they do not feel much love. Kind affection, like every other grace, is capable of cultivation.
“In honor preferring one another; not slothful in business; fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer.” Rom. 12 :10 12. These words contain depth of experience, but only by prayer and deep meditation can we descend to their depth.
But we must close by referring you to the whole of the Bible. It is a holy book, yea, the holiest of books. A life in harmony with its precepts is the holiest life. Such a life will grace the earth and shine as a star forever in heaven. Cleave to the Bible, study its pages, appropriate its truths to your own heart by faith. By living upon the Word of God, we become more like God. Heavenly words taken into the heart form a heavenly life.
Let your soul be fed each day from the blessed Book of God. Take the time. Drink deep into its pure, crystal stream, and the beauty of the Lord will grow upon you. Watch the little things in every-day life—the thought, the word, the act, until you bring the whole of your life into the habit of acting godly. Be as kind as you can be today, and you can be kinder tomorrow. This is for the Christian. We do not become Christians by growth, but we must grow after we become Christians. We can be more patient tomorrow by being as patient as we can be today. We can be better men tomorrow by being our best today. We grow as we live. If we live the right way, we shall grow that way, and the longer we grow that way, the more natural and easy the way.
Therefore let your whole life flow out in a trend with the Bible, until it wears a channel in holiness and Christian character. Gather food daily for your soul from the sacred page; live in the most intimate communion with God that is possible; meditate in His law day and night; let the love of your heart grow warmer; let life be the holiest possible. Do this, and you will be one of the jewels God will gather to bedeck the temple of the skies.
A tender blue is in the sky
As sets the golden sun;
Another day is passing by,
And thus the moments run:
The song bird’s note is soft and low,
Flying to leafy nest;
In evening’s peaceful twilight glow
All nature sinks to rest;
The fields are wrapped in somber shroud
As fades the light of day;
A tender flush is on the cloud
Beside the milky way;
A hush is on this world of ours;
Day, dying, drops a tear;
Angels’ hands unveil the stars,
Which one by one appear;
Now Pleiades grow sparkling bright
In deepening blue above:
O mild, serene autumn night!
Thy voice is full of love.
Such sacred awe my soul cloth fir!
Such quietness cloth reign!
The Voice that uttered, “Peace, be still,”
Has whispered once again.
The silver bars that streak the West
Are short’ning one by one;
Another day has gone to rest,
And thus the moments run.
I’ve one day less to watch and wait,
My Saviour’s face to see,
Some day, and ope will be the gate.
Sweet heaven, I come to thee.
Oh, may it be when sets the sun
So peacefully and calm!
Oh, may I hear the sweet, “Well done,”
When evening sings her psalm!
It is a pleasant autumn eve;
The blue is in the sky;
My task is done; I take my leave.
Good by, dear friend, good-by!
Dear reader, live alone for God; Walk blameless in his blessed Word. We may not meet each other here, But let us dive in Heaven’s fear, So when our work on earth is done, We’ll meet each other round God’s throne. Just one request I make of thee: Until we meet, pray oft for me.
—————————————————
UNITY
IN CHRIST IS THE WILL OF GOD.
Rev. 2: 4 “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love”.
God is love (1 John 4:16). If we are filled with God (2Cor.6:16; 1Cor. 3: 26-17; 1Cor. 6:19; Eph. 2:18-22) we must be effulgent with love. It is in this state we have God as the pilot of our life. Good actions which are not motivated by the love of God, for His glory, will not do. Love (God) will shape all our relationships here on earth. “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away” (1Cor.13:4-8).
Love for God will give us the ambition to always glorify Him in everything about us (1Cor. 10:31). Without this ambition, our life on earth is centered on self and is wasted in the eyes of God. The ambition to glorify God is shown by our commitment to obey every word of God (John 14:23). It is by our unconditional obedience to God that we remove all shades of doubts in our mind and heart that we love God (1 John 3:18-22).
Love for God, and all that is His, will always goad us to submit to Him so that He will mould us into what He wants us to be (1Cor.1:30). When filled with Christ, we will always live for God and not for ourselves. And this is where most people have failed as they live for themselves, (and for who, and for what, is theirs), but not for God. Yes, Dear One. Most people live for their church group, denomination, for their wives, for their children, for their country, for their parents, etc, etc, BUT NOT FOR GOD. We need to examine ourselves and make sure that we are alive in Christ Jesus to live for
God’s glory (2 Cor. 13:5). When God is not given the place He needs to occupy in someone’s thoughts, actions and in whatever is to be said, then the person does not do whatever he or she does for the glory of God. There is need to repent of this lack.
Need of repentance
Rev. 2: 5 “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent”.
“Thou art fallen, …. repent”.
Yes, fallen from that fervent love you had for God when you first got saved (Mark 12:30; John 14:23). Remember the hours you used to spend reading your bible, letting God talk to you, and talking with God in prayer? Every step you took on your walk, you talked with Jesus. Whenever you saw a person, you prayed and wished them a place in the Kingdom of God. Whenever you talked, it was with the single desire to glorify the King. Whatever you did, it was all meant to glorify the Lord….. What happened so that you do not have those moments with God now? You do not have time for directing a soul to God these days. Your mind is filled with all else but God…..Yes, repent please, won’t you? God loves you so much that He does not want you lost. He is calling you back to that wonderful relationship.
Remember the fervor you had to testify, both in words and actions, about the love of God to everyone you met when you first got saved (Mark 12:31)? How you told everyone how God loved them and that He wanted to be with them always for their joy, comfort, safety and general welfare. Remember how you told everyone that it is only in God we have life and that without God, we are hopeless. But now you don’t. You just live like a part of the world around you.….? What happened? Repent, please, God loves you and wants to walk with you. Get rebaptized with the fire of the Holy Ghost again (Math. 3:11). This is your promise and you need to claim it, have it fulfilled in your life, and stay on fire for God. Remember that God wants to be in you and with you always so that you may enjoy the heavenly bliss that goes with fellowshipping God (2 Cor.6:16-18; Phil.2:13). He wants you to taste the victory that goes with Godly valor in battles and He wants you to finally sit with Him in eternal glory.
Oh, yes, that church party where we talk nothing of God but only the worldly things. Instead, we need to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Col. 3:16-17). Oh, Yes, that church choir or activity where God is not central. We need to repent from this lukewarmness.
Get back to the heavenly places in Christ Jesus and stay there (Eph 2:5-6; Col. 3:1-4). God wants to be your God as He has promised “I will be his God, and he shall be my son” (Rev. 21:7). This means that God wants to make His abode with you as He has pledged in John 14:23: “….If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him”. Oh, how wonderful it is to be so favored as to have God with me daily ! It is such a blessing to see God do His wonders using His vessel, our body (1Cor.6:19-20).
Amen. How much have we been changed to be like God ?…….Each one of us needs to examine themselves and not just go on in life like nothing is wrong. We cannot just ignore this plea and go on in life, and even mix up in church assemblies, as if nothing is wrong, and continue as if everything was normal. No. Not at this time when God tells us to repent of this indifference. Jesus very clearly exhorts us: “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares” (Luke 21:34).
Yes, Dear One. We live in a day when most people only care for themselves, for their pleasures, their fame, their comfort, etc, and do not care about the things of God and other people. Indifference has killed the spirit of love for God and the neighbor. It has its part in precipitating the existing lukewarmness. There is need for repentance.
Repent of your lack of concern:
What lack of concern……? Of division of the children of God and its inherent sins of lack of love as shown in hatred, pride, selfishness, segregation, etc. No one truly born from heaven has a right to divide from other children of God because we are all born into one family of heaven (John 1:12-13; 1 Pet. 1:22-23; 1 John 3:9; Eph. 3:14-15). There is need for everyone to believe and obey the truth that all who are truly born of God are one family—the family of God (Eph. 3:14-15; Eph. 2:19; 2Cor.6:18). This belief must lead us into doing all in our power to live as the One family of God. The children of God have allowed themselves to be divided over many things which God has not ordained for us. As a result of this, they have formed movements, groups, etc, etc, which govern the lives of their members. As a result, we have multiples of what people call “Christian churches” and in a single city, town and market place. We even have many calling themselves “church of God(s)” in a single small place !! It should not be so. Division of the children of God is sin, whatever the excuse. God casts the one who sins away because sin deprives one of the life of God (Rom. 6:23; James 1:15). Sin will cut the sinner away from God and His people (Isaiah 59:2; 1 John 3:10). Therefore, when any one commits the sin of division, that one cuts himself or herself away from God. Any group that results from division is also divided from God because it is formed as a result of the sin of division…….. “Repent”, says the Lord.
The love of God should lead us all to obey His command and take every truly born again person as a child of God, as our brother or sister and then from there on, live in unity. Personal convictions, group convictions and traditions, should not lead us to divide from others and go on to campaign for followers and then form different groups and movements of Christianity. All this division is born out of selfishness, pride and lack of love for God and your neighbor.
Repent, please, won’t you? Reach out for your brother and sister in the Lord and do all you are commanded of the Lord to live in the only One family of God .This is the will of God as we read in Ephesians 4:15-16 “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love”.
Repent of the love of preeminence (3 John 1:9).
This is a great sin today among many preachers in the religious world and even in many now calling themselves “church of God”. In the quest for power, glory, wealth, joy, comfort, and other things, they love to bind men to themselves by their ideologies, self made doctrines, traditions and customs, wealth, etc, etc. They form Ministerial Bodies, Committees, Elderships, Puppets and other dictating tools just to keep men religiously bound to them and to the movements they head or are making. This is wrong. Our love for Jesus must be so complete that we will in all humility let Him rule the lives of all He has saved. After all He did not save them for us to rule. Yes, even a pastor is not to usurp the place of Christ in the life of the saint in the congregation. Each saint is to get orders from heaven and follow them. The pastor is only an example in obedience to the orders from heaven and needs to teach others by such example (1Peter 5:2-3). This is what our objective should have been initially when we were led by Him to help a soul.
Oh yes, God said that He made the pastors “Overseers” (Acts 20:28). But this does not make the pastor a dictator or a task Master. God clarifies this by precisely directing the pastors to “ Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock” (1Peter 5:2-3)..
Repent of the love for money
1Tim. 6:10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows”. Love of money has led to a lot of connivance, lying, mudslinging, destruction of life and character, devising tricks to make more money, etc, etc, among many people. It has caused such hatred among people working in the name of the church that some will not even speak to each other. The Lord wants this evil cleaned out. If people cannot be honest and repent of this evil, there certainly cannot be unity among those that are holy and those that are sinful, just like hell and heaven cannot be one. You are either of the devil or of God ( 1John 3:10). But all God’s children are one family and they are not defiled by the love of money.
There are other evils that must be repented of and forsaken in order to allow the life of Christ to flow freely in all the body, His church—the church of God.
God says: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1John 2:15-17). “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares” (Luke 21:34).
People have allowed very many worldly things to creep in their lives, slowly killing their zealous service and love for God, and therefore polluting the church. Since the individuals make up the church, the church cannot be a holy church when individual lives are corrupt. The love of pornography destroys a Christian’s life insomuch that an honest prayer life is impossible, chastity (both in the mind and action), is impossible, faithfulness to the spouse is also impossible especially in the aspect of coveting another person. It destroys the stand against immodest dress which causes others to sin or desire to sin. It severs connection between God and the lover of pornography insomuch that his prayers go unanswered. And it is not just pornography that cuts people off from God. Anything that one loves more than God cuts one away from God, be it work, food, entertainment, family, self, or anything else. If we cannot put God first in our life, we are a castaway (John 15:2). And if we are not “in God” as we go to fellowship, we are not in unity with those that are in God. Hence there cannot be holly fellowship if God is out. This brings the congregation down as a whole if all are not in God or it divides the congregation as those that love the world cannot be one with those that love God.
“….do the first works”
Repentance is being sorry for sins against God and all His creation. It results in the turning away from sin of any nature and living a holy life from then onwards. Saintly unity does not mean ignoring sin in another’s life and continuing to interact in spiritual fellowship. No, sin and holiness do not combine or mix up (2Cor.6:14-16; 1 John 1:6).
Settling a matter on “one-on-one” basis
In Math. 18:15-20, the Lord teaches us one of the first principles of maintaining unity and safeguarding brotherhood among us. We need to go to the one who has wronged us and talk this over with a desire to settle the matter and forgive each other. In the same tone, the one who has wronged the other needs to go to the one wronged and apologize, seeking forgiveness. The Lord works from both ends and He must be obeyed. This same principle should be operating in the congregation of the church as well. If a person sees another commit sin, this person needs to do the very best to recover the sinner (Gal. 6:1; James 5:19; 2Th. 3:15). Yet, whoever commits sin against God sins against His church. The one who sins has to make things right in the church by making a public confession and if need be, making restitution. It should not be made a gossip subject or a character assassinating mission where people go destroying the name and influence of the one who they think is wrong.
This needs to be done with sincerity, fearing the Lord on both sides. Dishonesty, where one side wants to deceive the other that all is well when actually it is not, is deplorable in the eyes of God. This is one of the most ignored law of Christian life today. Many prefer to ignore the Lord and go “preaching” about the one they think is wrong and the evil the other has done as if it would edify the hearer or lead a soul to salvation. There is need of repenting of this devilish habit that has torn many congregations and destroyed many lives in many places.
Hypocrisy and character assassination has destroyed unity among many congregations and individuals. This has to be rectified for the church to be the church of God.
Another aspect that has been ignored in groups called the “church of God(s)” today is to love the one we think is a sinner insomuch as to reach out for him and restore him back to God. It is God’s requirement and example. When Adam and Eve fell, God did not just throw them out. He reached down for them. God had known of this fall long before it happened and even had made a plan to restore them back again. We need to have enough love to try to restore others back to God, if God is in us. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Gal. 6:1). “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (2Tim.2:24-26). Instead of allowing God to work and bring saints together in love, so many have cut others away judging them to be sinners. This “cut off” spirit comes from the devil and is not conducive to holiness in the church of God.
Forgiving one another
In Luke 17:4, the Lord says:” And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him”. Let us stress the greatest lack today: “…. and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent…..” We do not see much of the humility that causes people to go apologizing to those they have wronged. It is a necessity if one has to be a Christian. The Lord commands it and you cannot be a Christian if you do not obey the Lord.
On the other hand, there is a lot of talking “behind others back”, with the motive of destroying others’ reputation, influence and if possible, getting others to hate and discriminate or segregate them. The first thing that needs to be done is to approach the one you feel or think has done the wrong. Let the wrong be pointed out to the individual and if it is acknowledged and repented of, then the matter is cleared (Math.18:15-17). Questions like “How am I expected to listen to an unrepentant preacher that has lied about me, and worse, falsely, unjustly?” have been asked. Well, this shows why preachers cause division by wickedly, foolishly, and falsely, accusing others of sins behind their backs. Each one should be openly faced, first in privacy, and if this will not be heeded, before two or three witnesses, and if this will not work, before the church.
The following is a testimony of a saint that fell victim of a preacher’s loose tongue: “Yes, in my heart, I have forgiven him and I want to humble myself and let God be glorified. I have even gone a step further to tell the preacher how he has wronged me and that I want the matter cleared between us. But the preacher would not take heed of this. He goes ahead to accuse me falsely to others and will not let us talk face to face and let my side of the story be heard. You tell me what else I need to do and I will do it for God’s glory”. Well, what do you think of such a preacher who will not give the one he accuses a chance to be heard? He needs to get cleaned up. It is not permitted by God to allow this corruption seep into you from his pulpit. Pride will not let him so humble himself. So the wedge lives on. Oh, Dear Brethren, there is need of true repentance, a true sense of humility and cleaning out to be holy.
Letting the Holy Spirit teach us uniformly
A lot of disunity and confusion has set in the church of God to-day because of the variations of doctrine. What needs to come up first is whether the individual has been truly born of God. This is not conditioned by any preacher on earth. Spiritual birth is a heavenly blessing and only imparted from heaven to a soul that is hungry of uniting with the heavenly Father (John 1:12-13). Conviction of sin, and of being lost, come from heaven (2 Cor.7:10). If we do not let a sinner see this, we persuade them of ourselves and leave God out. As a result, the sinner will not get born of God, but will just conform because of our persuasions and pleadings. This applies to every doctrine of God. We have to let God be the one to show the person the truth and convince them that it is the truth. We cannot use the truth as a club to beat people into submission. Neither should we be the ones to use the truth we know as the knife to cut off those who do not know it. Those who hate to be clubbed to submission will go away and those who love to club people into submission will go another way. We need to let God be the one to persuade people about a certain truth. There should be no fighting, or friction, or debates at all on any truth. Prayer and sincere seeking of God’s leadership and will must be allowed to work out any differences. We should therefore be patient and give the Holy Spirit all the time He wants to have in any matter that is not commonly seen and accepted among us. That way, divisions will not occur. The current divisions in the church of God need be handled in that manner. The saints of God need to come together, seeking God’s leadership in all Humility and love until God has taken over everything in the church. Christ must have the supreme authority over all His saints and the church must exercise its right to freely worship God without the man rule that has set in today (Rev. 11:15-17).
“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1Cor.1:10).
Rev. 2: 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Non compromise
F.G. Smith says that Christ finds one fact worthy of commendation in the church congregation of Ephesus— “their abhorrence of the deeds of the Nicolaitans. The infamous practices attributed to this party are promiscuous sexual intercourse and the eating of things sacrificed to idols” (“THE REVELATION EXPLAINED”, page 44). Christ commends the congregation of Ephesus for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans and goes on to say that He hated the deeds too.
Evil does not exist in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus and cannot get there. If we have truly got delivered from sin and from its grip, we should live as holy as Jesus is. The Lord says: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (2 Cor. 6:14-16). We cannot live as the pagans live and at the same time, be Christians. Christ’s life cannot be in a soul that has devil’s life. God certifies this: “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother” (1 John 3:9-10).
One of the techniques the Religious world employs to get membership is to incorporate the pagans in their religions. This is achieved by letting the pagans live their evil life while still members of the religion. Once the pagan practices are brought into the church, then the pagans could claim to be members of that church. And the church then boasts of a large membership with its benefits.This method is employed all over the religious world through the “sin-you must-doctrine” whereby any one is welcome to commit any evil and confess it afterwards. This practice has polluted the religious world insomuch that it is hard to find a true saint in the worldly religions.
Sin does not combine with holiness at all. God’s will for us is “either be holy or never”. God declares: “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1John 3:9). Amen. When God’s life has been given to a soul, that life thrives if the soul will hold on to it. The soul can hold to the life of God only through holiness which is acquired only through eating the word of God (Math. 4:4;Deut.8:3). This eating of the word of God is explained by Jesus in this way: “…. My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34). And this is the principle of a holy life, to do the will of our heavenly Father at all times of our life here on earth. Further, in His teachings, Jesus said: “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever (John 6:56-58). So, how is the souls fed with the flesh of Jesus? The answer is: “By doing the will of Jesus”. In other words, eating the flesh of Jesus is to obey Him.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me (John 14:23-24). Once a soul has received Jesus to be his or her Lord, Jesus takes control of that soul. But the soul will not lose his or her freedom of choice. At every stage of spiritual growth, a choice of obedience or disobedience to the Lord is offered and the soul must exercise the freedom to choose. This is where the devil plays his role. He will come in to offer suggestions that lead away from the Lord and one must choose either to follow the Lord or the devil. The choice to obey the Lord must be out of sheer love for Him. Once the Lord is chosen and is obeyed, He will do His part is blessing the soul and strengthening us to live in obedience to Him. Here is an example to drive this point home.
Three men, each one professing to be saved, met casually. One of them had a problem with his teeth and he was in deep pain. He told the other two that he had a terrible toothache. Both told the man to go and buy some medicine and the tooth would stop aching. The man went his way talking with Jesus about the pain and wondering why Jesus would allow His vessel to so suffer. When he asked Jesus what to do, he was impressed to buy fruits and milk and go home. So he bought some oranges and milk and walked back the same way he had come. He found the other two men still where he had left them. They were keen to know if he bought the medicine they had insisted he buys but the man said he had instead bought oranges and milk. Asked why he preferred fruits and milk to medicine, the man said: “My body belongs to Jesus. He told me to buy the food I needed. If Jesus is defeated in healing my tooth, then He will tell me what else to do. I will give Him time to do His bit with His vessel”. He left the men and went back to his home. From then onwards, the pain has stopped and has not come back. Jesus healed the punctured tooth. Praise the Lord. The living Jesus talked with the sick man from inside the heart. If allowed to so live and guide us, He will do it from within and we will always be blessed. He has affirmed this in His word: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). So, if He is allowed to live and rule in our life individually, He will guide us always into the right actions for His glory.
We must, out of love and free choice, allow Jesus to be our life. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, [the faith] which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20). The principle of God’s life in a saint is expressed in the words: “it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me”. If we all could die to ourselves that far, then we would live through Jesus Christ. That way, there would be no sin in our lives because the living Jesus overcomes sin in our lives. “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1John 3:9)..
God hates sin of any nature. “Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it” (Isaiah 1:10-20).. He will not mix with sinners or fellowship them. He requires that His true saints live separated from the sinner’s way of life to enjoy His fellowship.
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2Cor. 6:14-18) . “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Math.18:20).
We cannot compromise the truth we know from heaven for any untruth and expect that God would walk amongst us or that God would approve of us. He approved of Job, a man that feared God and eschewed evil, and paid tribute to him in front of satan. “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” (Job 1:8). It is a wonderful thing for us to be commended by God for our holiness. This is what will happen to the true holy saints at the end. God will commend them for their holy lives and usher them into eternal bliss: “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Math.25:34).
==================
CHURCH OF GOD IN KENYA . 
You must be logged in to post a comment.