Zechariah 4: 6 “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Shalom.
There are things you will use force to achieve but will not accomplish, just as there are things that you will use your potential or someone else’s accomplishments but also will not accomplish or succeed, it will remain a great challenge for you. Once you have reached that stage and / or time it is good to learn another proper and effective way for you to solve your problems. And that’s none other than using the Holy Ghost.
Now to use the Holy Spirit, we do not use Him as we use the name of Jesus. No! We are going to see how we use the Holy Spirit a little before this lesson, but now let’s read this story that will help us better understand the essence of our lesson.
1Kings 19:11 “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
1Kings 19:11 “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
In those Four Steps that Elijah thought he would find the answer to his question, we see that only one way was the answer. We see in the strong wind the Lord was not present, in the great earthquake the Lord was not present, in the Fire the Lord was not present either… but in the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit then God was present and spoke to Elijah, and gave him a solution to his problems.
What we can learn from this is that, the Voice of the Holy Spirit in us is the solution to all things. And not the excitement and the shaking and the tremors.
When the Holy Spirit is in you. It is the answer to all mysteries, with His calm voice solving all problems. That is why When Zerubbabel sees it as a difficult thing to build a house for God in the midst of enemies, he sees it as a very great mountain in front of him… But the Lord spoke to him the words…
Zechariah 4: 6 “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. 7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
Zechariah 4: 6 “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
The great mountain that Zerubbabel saw before him, the Lord says will be a flat land. But not by power or might, but by his Spirit.
Do you have a big mountain in front of you?, so you do not know what to do? . You will not need to use much force to destroy the great mountain in front of you, but it is better to make an effort to find the Holy Spirit, who will enable you to get rid of the problem in front of you easily.
Now how do you receive the Holy Spirit?
The Bible gives us the answer…
Acts 2:37 “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Acts 2:37 “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
When you obey His instructions and repent and be baptized with the true baptism, there is where the Holy Spirit enters in you and seal you. (Ephesians 4:30).
And when you receive the Holy Spirit and obey His instructions in you, then you have use the Holy Spirit. And no mountain can stand before you.
Maran atha!
Related Article:
STRIVE TO BE AT PEACE WITH ALL MEN.
WHAT IS LOVE, HOW MANY KINDS OF LOVE ARE THERE?
OTHER THINGS DO NOT COME OUT EXCEPT FOR FASTING.
ANCHOR OF THE SOUL, BOTH SURE AND STEDFAST.
Home:
Print this post
Shalom. May the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Welcome, let us contemplate on the Word of God.
Luke 13:22-27 ”
22 And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, 24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
22 And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
The words of the Lord Jesus Christ in verse 24 above are one of the startling statements he spoke. Elsewhere in the Scriptures (Matthew 12:31 and 7:22),he also uttered terrifying statements. When carefully dismantled, they cause terror and fright. They cannot be taken so lightly but need to be given special care. whatever the Lord says will always come to pass. On that night, Jesus told Peter that before the cock could crow, he’d disown three times. As surely as he’d prophesied, a few moments later,Peter denied three times that he knew him. immediately, the cock crowed.
In Matthew 7:22, the Lord said that on the Day of Judgment, many people would say to him the very things he’d foretold beforehand. There will appear before him as many preachers on that day,telling him of how they had prophesied, cast out demons and performed many miracles in his name, but he will refuse them. Let us therefore strive and always prayerfully ask God to help us that we may not be among the lot which shall be turned away.
Today,we shall learn and meditate upon the words of Jesus in Luke 13:24.He told us to “make every effort to enter through the narrow door.” Let’s read another scripture to help us get a clear picture of his words.
Matthew 7:13 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it”.
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it”.
In the scripture above, there are two things: door(gate) and road(way).We are told that the road is narrow which leads to life. Along this road, one cannot journey by any means such as a motorcycle or a vehicle. It is impossible for many people to pass while holding hands. Why? Because the road is narrow and only one person can walk along it
Salvation is exclusively personal. All that the Lord requires is that we personally place our trust in him. He/she must deny themselves and decide to follow him. Jesus is the narrow road. When you choose to follow him,you mustn’t come along with your religioun or denomination. You got to let go of it and go to him as you are.
The Lord said that “THE DOOR IS NARROW.” This means that where the narrow road ends is a door.This door is as narrow as the road itself. It’s impossible to to pass along the road while driving or riding on a bicycle, how about at the door? It would mean that one cuts off some of his body parts if they should get through the door; because the body could be too big to let them enter the door.The Lord said;
Matthew 5:30;”And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to lose a part of your body than for your whole body to go to hell.”
Salvation is infinitely costly. it’s not easy. For this reason, Jesus told us to strive! We should try all means to enter through the narrow door.If we willingly commit to follow him, the Lord promises to help us in all things, (Matthew 19:26)
Is your wealth hindering you from seeking God? Lay them aside for a time. First seek the kingdom of God and all these shall be added to you.Are your family members keeping you from turning to God and to do his will? Remember that the road is narrow and it’s impossible to pass along in groups. Lovingly tell your brothers that you are born again and have decided to follow Jesus at all costs.
We need to avoid the things which hinder us from entering into the heavenly kingdom, so we may attain the requirements for us to enter through the narrow door.We have to do quickly because a time will soon come when the door will be shut. Many will long to enter in but shall not be able. The Christian life is filled with struggles, but with the Lord on our side, nothing is impossible. If we let him have his way in our lives and rely on him,we shall be more than conquerors.
God bless you
Join our channel by clicking here>>WHATSAPP. Other teachings
Related articles:
https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2020/12/21/whatever-you-do-for-christ-counts/
https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2020/12/10/theres-power-which-draws-us-to-christ-value-it/
https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2020/11/21/pray-without-ceasing/
https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2020/11/16/jonahs-vine/
Home
Shalom,let us study the Word.
One thing in life we should never forget is the act of giving to God.Every one who is borne of God,whether a teacher,a prophet,a pastor among others,need to embrace the art of giving to God.Though many regard it with little care.Of course we can never give to God something of our own since everything comes from him.Yet our giving has a crucial part in the heart of the One to whom we offer our gifts.It shows a spirit of obedience,care and trust.No matter how small your gift is,he sees it in a much greater way than we couldn’t think.
Suppose your child arrives home from school and brings you a gift,let’s say a pen.Knowing that it is with the money you had given him before that he’s bought the pen will touch your heart.You will be moved by this act.Instead of gladly receiving the gift,you will take it in a different way.As a parent,you will get to know your child more better,to love and trust him.Moreover, you will want to reward him even tenfold whatsoever he’s done for you.
When we will to give to God,be it money or other gifts,he sees that as an act of love.It shows that we honor, love care about him.Have ever thought of what it is like when God feels that you love him?It sounds good and it’s so rewarding.
We do not need to be reminded about giving to God.When we offer our gifts to God,we should do so willingly and with honest intent.For God does not force us to give.It something that springs forth from within the moment one learns about the importance of doing so.
The appropriate place to offer our gifts to God is where is his Word is taught.God does not keep the gifts with him in heaven.They are committed to his servants who then put it to the proper use by the help of the Holy Spirit.However, we are not the cornerstone to his ministry.Let’s not that if we do not give to him then his work will stop.God has numberless ways to make his purpose stand without our help.
Esther 4:10-14
10 Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai; 11 All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or women, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days. 12 And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words. 13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. 14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
10 Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai;
11 All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or women, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.
12 And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words.
13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.
14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Queen Esther thought that if she remained silent,the Jews would be destroyed. But Mordecai answered and told her that even if she did not speak up for her people,God would open a way so that relief and deliverance for the Jews could arise from another place.But she and her father’s family would perish.Yet when she humbled herself,God used her as his instrument for the preservation of her nation.Had Esther remained silent,God would bring salvation unto Israel in another way.
Similarly, when we humble ourselves and be willing to give to God,we become a part of him accomplishing his purpose and are involved in the furtherance of his work.Therefore, God uses us in much greater ways rather using others. Just like Mordecai told Esther,”….And who knows but that you have come to royal position at such a time as this?”On the other hand,if we are unwilling,God will use other people to do his work and bless them.
Our giving should not confine itself to words alone.
May the Lord help us to know this and put it into practice.
Maran Atha!
Other articles:
THERE’S POWER WHICH DRAWS US TO CHRIST, VALUE IT!
DO NOT BE CONCEITED.
JONAH’S VINE.
https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2020/10/08/what-does-it-mean-to-live-while-redeeming-the-time/https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2020/10/08/what-does-it-mean-to-live-while-redeeming-the-time/
Today, there’s a unique power working throughout the world to influence and draw men unto Christ to be saved. It is the power of the Holy Spirit which stirs people and brings them to safety in Christ.This is the same power that drew the Animals to where the Ark was during Noah’s time
Not so long before the floods came over the earth,Noah began to see various animals move closer to where the was being built. One morning he could see a lion and a lioness lying in a thicket just beside the Ark,and they looked quite tame with eagerness to enter a certain place.
Some distance in front of the Ark ,he could also see Elephants suggestively standing in a manner as ones waiting on something.After a day or two,Noah saw many other animals in a pair of two,male and female,anxiously waiting to get into their new house (the Ark).They,like hens and cows gathering at the doorway of the house at dusk,waited eagerly but patiently for the command to enter the Ark.The anxious desire to get inside the Ark overwhelmed them so that they looked gentle and harmless.
Who led and guided the Animals until they came to where the Ark was? Had some people preached to them and warned them to escape from the coming judgment (destructive floods)?No!Certainly not!It was by the power of God’s Spirit that the animals were made to sense the coming of danger and enabled to escape from the judgment. They felt that life would continue thereafter and only way to cross from death to life was to move to where it was safe.
Did you know that even those who forecast weather and occurrence of earthquakes consider the behavior of animals to predict calamity?Whenever they notice unusual behavior among animals,for example, migration of birds from town areas into the mountains or over distant places,it is a sign that a disaster could occur in a certain place.Therefore, they alert the inhabitants of that place to take precautionary measures by moving to where it is safe for them.And surely,after a given period of time,the predicted calamity hits in
If God let this saving power unto animals(Romans 8:19-22),how much more he will give the Holy Spirit to us!Even today,the power is still at work in us.The Spirit testifies to us that we live in the last days, and that soon the end of all things shall come.It also testifies to us that there will be life after the judgment.Do not ignore this voice!
The Lord Jesus Christ is the ‘Noah’ of our times.His Word is the Ark.All that Noah was given came to him.Likewise, all that the Father gave to the Lord Jesus did come and are still coming today:
John 6:37-38;”All that the Father giveth me shall come to me;and him that cometh to me I shall in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven,not to do mine own will,but the will of him that sent me.”
John 6:43;”Jesus therefore answered and said unto them,Murmur not among yourselves, No man can come to me ,except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day.
The days are fleeing so quickly and the end of all things will come someday when the word will be judged. Have you quenched this power or is it still kindled within you?If so,how close are you to the Ark?The answer is with you.Today,take a stand for Christ and enter into safety that is only found in him.For the days are coming when many will long to enter but shall not be able.
Luke 13:23-28
23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, 24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.”
28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.”
The bible says that as it was in the days of Noah,so will it be with the coming of the Son of Man.This is not a reassuring word but a warning to us.We therefore need to look back and learn from what happened in the days of Noah.We ought to bear in mind that not all animals did enter the Ark but a few.Even today,only but a few listen and obey God’s voice calling within them.Let’s strive to be among they which hear and obey that still small voice speaking to us in the depths of our hearts.
Please pass along to others too.
Other topics:
PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
JESUS WILL PASS SOMEDAY AND PEOPLE SHALL NOT KNOW IT.
DO NOT OVER-THINK.
Blessed be the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.Let’s learn and share in the Word of life.
In Romans 12:3,the Bible says; “For I say,through the grace given unto me,to every man that is among you,not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think;but to think soberly,according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”
What does it mean to think of oneself more highly than you ought to think?To get a clear answer,let’s read the next verses:
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
To think of oneself more highly means being proud to the extent they you feel you can have more of or all the spiritual gifts. For instance, one would to be an evangelist,an apostle, a great prophet, a teacher among others. In other words,it’s like all the gifts belong to them.They feel it’s not possible to have just one gift.He or she should either be a pastor and a teacher or a prophet and an evangelist as well,and so on.However, the Bible warns us against such things. We are to think soberly,according to the measure of faith Christ has dealt each person.
When comes pride,God’s presence in a person ceases.For the Lord resists the proud,but delights in those who are lowly.Humility does not flourish in the garden of pride. 1 Peter 5:5;”…..
for God resisteth the proud,and giveth grace to the humble. “
The gifts that are given unto us are not meant for a show-off or comparing ourselves to see those that are better than others.Any gift being used for vain or selfish reasons is a sign that it has been invaded by the devil so that it is working under Satan’s influence. Remember, we are differently but equally gifted for a reason.These gifts have been given to us to equip us for the works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.We have no right to boast or exalt ourselves above others
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Have you invited Christ into your life as your Saviour and Lord?Remember, the days are gone,and we have a very short period of time,and the end will come.The trumpet could at any time and Jesus will come to take with him his church into the eternal glory.The day of the Lord’s coming will be such a doomsday.He will come in vengeance to those living on the face of the earth.Let’s dread it so that we won’t fall in God’s judgment onthat day.Turn from your evil ways and give your life to Jesus today
Heaven is real and hell is also real.it’s upon us to choose between LIFE and DEATH during our stay on earth .When we die,there’s no more chance to make choices.Eternal life or eternal doom(death) will be the consequences of the choices we made while we living in the world.The choices we make will determine where we will spend eternity;whether away from God or with God.Life is short.Make things right with God before your days come to an end.Be wise.Choose life and enter into safety.There’s no place any safer than in Christ.
God bless you!
Maran Atha.
Related topics:
THY KINGDOM COME.
THE WILL OF THE LORD JESUS TO HIS DISCIPLES.
.
The most tragic mistake you could ever make in this life is to reduce the time you spend in prayer. You would rather spend short periods within doing the things that seem more important than cutting short the time you’ve always spent praying. Do not give up praying. If you pray less, you become an easy prey for Satan. He will invade your life and cause a great damage
The Lord Jesus told his disciples the secret of resisting and overcoming temptation. He said, “Watch and pray, that ye not enter into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak,“(Matthew 26:41). The Lord knew that our enemy the devil was and is always hunting us even in small things. This is why he said, “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”Satan has a problem with our hairs and every part of the body. Even the corpse of a human is valuable to him! He seeks to bring harm over us, but our hairs are kept safe so that of won’t be used by the devil.
The Devil would seek that you be killed in accident or be injured by cutting a part of your body. At other times he will either send you a flue/cold so that you uncomfortable or he will cause you to contract a deadly disease like HIV. We therefore need to be alert and pray so that God delivers us from such temptations.
A prayerful person gives the devil a hard time to gain a foothold in an area of their life. But in case one isn’t committed to pray, flood waters of illnesses, abuse, conflicts among others will assail them. For instance, if you are an employee, you may find yourself in conflict with those at your place of work. Whatever plans you had made so that the business runs smoothly fail. You would leave for job while in good health but you return home when you are seriously sick. And the worst of all is when you are tempted to betray or disown your faith. This is a challenge and we must continue steadfastly in prayer because the devil seems to attack at our most vulnerable moments.
A short while before Jesus’ arrest, he told his disciples to keep watch with him and pray so that they could not fall into temptation. But they didn’t pay attention to his words. About three hours later, before cockcrow, they woke up and saw a crowd of soldiers armed with swords and clubs. Some of them ran away and a young man who was following Jesus fled naked, leaving him alone. When the moment of temptation had come, Peter, who was following Jesus, could not resist the devil. Why? Because he had not prayed for strength and deliverance from temptations. He ended up disowning Jesus three times and denied that he knew him.
Unless we become prayerful Christians, the same fate could befall us too. One morning you may wake up to find a message from people demanding that you bribe them if your right should be granted. But for a prayerful person, God will deliver them from such temptation so that you’re granted justice without engaging into bribery
When you see you can no longer pray for a long time, beware that you’re backsliding. Another sign that you’ve backslide is when you can’t spend long periods in reading the Word. Prayer is likened to that event in which the Israelite were fighting against their enemies. During the war, Moses’ lifted his hands and the Israelite struck down their enemies. As soon as he put his hands down, the enemies won. In the same way, when we lift our hearts and hands to God in prayer, he releases his power to strengthen and give us victory over the enemy. And we can fend off the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Don’t cease to pray. Biblically, we are commanded to spend at least one hour in prayer. if you can spend 3-4
hours the better. Remember, praying is not just saying the Lord’s Prayer or the short prayers we make before taking our meals. As an individual, commit to pray and be in touch with God at all times.
Since the devil has a problem with our bodies and is always working day and night to bring us down, let’s be watchful in prayer. Make good use of chance moments. If you had backslide, make things right and let prayer be a priority in your life.
Have you given your life to Christ? If not, accept his forgiveness by confessing your sins to him today.We live in the end times…And he will return soon.
WHAT IS INCREASE IN REBELLION INSURANCE?
What does the bible say about divorce and remarriage?
Is masturbation a sin?
WhatsApp
When God wants to give us a message, he speaks to us through parables or even signs. The parables are meant to help us understand God’s feelings about us or a particular thing. When David sinned against God by taking Uriah’s wife to be his, the Lord did not inflict punishment upon him immediately. He first sent a word to David through Prophet Nathan. And through him God spoke to David through parable. This parable was to help him understand how God was feeling about him for the evil he’d done.
2 Samuel 12:1 “ And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. 2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: 3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. 4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. 5 And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: 6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. 7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 8 And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. 9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 11 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.”
2 Samuel 12:1 “ And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.
4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
5 And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:
6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
8 And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
11 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.”
In both the OT and the NT, there are many places in the Bible where God speaks in parables when he wants to pass a message unto his people. God also uses parables to express his feelings toward us. The moment we repent and turn to God, he is filled with pity and compassion. Many people tend to think that God never forgives sin and that he always remember them. Of course we not fully comprehend God’s grace unto men,but we can be confident that he will forgive us if we confess to him. Take time to ponder the parable of the prodigal son told by Jesus in Luke 15:11-32,and you will learn the scope of his mercies and the compassion he has unto us,when we give up our evil ways.
Luke 15:20-24″
20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry”.
20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry”.
Apart from parables, God also speaks to his people through signs.(Read Ezekiel chapter 4&5,and also Isaiah 20:3).Looking at the sign of Jonah, we gain a deeper understanding of God’s feelings about us when we turn from our evil ways.
Now if you a good reader of the Bible there’s no doubt that you know full well the story of Jonah:how he ran from the Lord and ended up in the belly of a big fish, where he stayed for three days, and later obeyed the word of the Lord to go to Nineveh. When he had proclaimed God’s message to the people, the Bible says that they believed and turned from their evil ways. Therefore, God had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. But Jonah became angry at the Lord’s compassion because he wanted the city destroyed. He was troubled of how he’d suffered inside the big fish and waited to see the Lord God destroy Nineveh. Yet God wasn’t feeling the same,and he relented from sending calamity upon them. The Lord spoke to Jonah a second time through another sign.
As Jonah sat a distance away from the city to see God destroy it,the Lord provided a vine and made it grow over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort. Jonah was so happy about the vine;he went to sit under its shade, so he could eat of its fruit ,and be relieved of his troubles.
The more he sat under the shady vine, his anger subsided and he did not remember Nineveh with its destruction.
At dawn the next morning, Jonah saw that the vine had been chewed by a worm and so it withered. Again, he was angry and became furious about the vine. From the incident, God taught him a lesson. Just like Jonah showed concern for the vine which had provided him shade and helped him ease his discomfort, so did God have compassion on the many Ninevites. At first, these people had done evil in God’s eyes and became angry with them. But the moment they heard God’s message and turned from their evil ways, they were like the shady bid which had sprung forth on God’s head. He eventually forgot their evils and did not bring destruction unto them.
If we want our branches to grow and bear fruit, we must not tolerate the little evils that eat away at the roots of our lives. Let’s daily confess those tiny evils to God and keep from sin.in so doing, God is pleased with us and won’t bring our sins against us. But if persist in sin, we invite disaster into our lives.
Our God is compassionate t abounding in love his people. As we daily confess our sins to him and set our hearts to doing what pleases him, good shall come to us. Remember, our actions affect God’s emotions/feelings in a much greater way. Therefore, when our lives honour God, and bring him pleasure, we are sure yo escape his wrath.
God bless you.
Related Articles:
UNDERSTAND HOW CHRIST HEALS PEOPLE’S SOULS.
FOR THOU,LORD,HAST NOT FORSAKEN THEM THAT SEEK THEE.
What is the difference between the Greeks, the Pharisees and the Sadducees?
THE LOVE OF CHRIST CONSTRAINETH US
WHO IS A TRUE FRIEND?
There’s an incident in the Bible about a boy who was possessed by an evil spirit. The father’s boy had brought him to Jesus’ disciples so they could drive out the evil spirit out of him but they couldn’t. Later, when they saw Jesus coming, the boy’s father ran to meet him. Telling Jesus what had happened, the father asked him to take pity on them and help them.
Jesus told them to bring the boy to him. Immediately he was brought to Jesus, things were completely different and far beyond people’s expectations. Let’s together go through the passage, there’s a new thing we will learn at the end.
Mark 9:17 ”And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; 18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. 19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. 20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. 21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. 22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. 23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. 26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose”.
Mark 9:17 ”And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose”.
In verse 26, we are told that the spirit cried, and convulsed the boy violently. The word “violently” means that the spirit terribly shook and twisted the boy. The suffering the child was undergoing and the noise aroused different feelings among the crowd. On hearing the noise, the people came running to the scene. Looking at was taking place, the child’s father must have suffered great distress. His son’s condition had turned from bad to worse.
Even more worse was when the boy suddenly fell silent, neither shaking nor foaming at the mouth. He was quiet and looked much like a corpse that many said he was DEAD. There must have been among the crowd those who begun to spread the news while others broke into tears.
Meanwhile, Jesus was right there watching God’s healing power work in the boy’s life. Unmoved, Jesus quietly watched to see God come into the situation and accomplishing his work in this young soul. Surely, God was working in the background, behind the scenes. The people were taken by surprised on seeing Jesus take the boy by the hand and lifting him up, so that he arose.
When he got up, the boy looked like one who had awaken up from sleep, strong, calm and conscious; gazing at that sweet smile on Jesus’ face which met his eyes. And from that time henceforth, the boy was well.
The Lord Jesus had to let the boy suffer so much and struggle to life before he could make him well. On many occasions as such, Jesus had cast out evil spirits and healed the sick by simply touching them. Yet, this time he decided to use the kind of healing which many people were not used to. He did this to show that in the same way, many souls receive healing from God without themselves knowing it.
At times one may ask God to bring healing unto their souls, situations, problems, illnesses and so on. Instead of getting better, things get even worse and out of control. Do not be worried nor be upset. There’s good news for you. God has heard you and healed you already.
It might take long for you to recover from that illness, but Christ has heard your prayer and made you well. Your condition may get worse and you feel that nothing is really is happening, do not be afraid. People may say things to discourage you, don’t be alarmed. Let not their words get to you. Remember the boy, who had lost hope of seeing life again and had come to a point where he was thought dead, but he was held and lifted up by Christ, the RESURRECTION and the LIFE!
Likewise, if you have accepted Christ and given your life to him, you can rest assured that whatever is troubling you will not last forever. All you have to do is to believe that Christ has heard your cry and that you’ve been healed.
When you ask God to take you to another level, then you must be ready for what it costs. Do not be scared when your ceases to make sense to the ungodly and people begin to feel that something is wrong with you. You must be ready for a loss if you to gain. Be prepared for a loss if you want to go a step ahead.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE WHILE REDEEMING THE TIME?
Psalms 9:10 “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee:for thou,Lord,hast not forsaken them that seek thee,”
Let us continue to remind ourselves that God loves those whose hearts and souls are fully devoted to seeking him. He takes great delight in them that desire to know him. He who seeks the Lord will never walk through life alone,because he has promised to be with him always.
As for men,they may at some point leave or abandon their fellow men when they fail to help us or when hurt.But this is not so with God. He loves from the word go,and is not manipulated by human ideas. God does not look at one’s past wrongdoings,level of spiritual maturity or weaknesses. When one chooses to turn to God and make a fresh new start,He there and then shows his desire to move along with you.
Meanwhile, the Devil will say to you that God cannot listen or reveal himself to you. He will also remind you of the past and present sin you have committed,and that God cannot forgive you.Don’t listen to his voice.Whenever such thoughts enter your mind,ignore them.The devil is out to discourage and to shatter your desire of seeking God.Yet God’s Word and love is perfect and unchanging. He will never forsake them that seek him.
John 6:37″ All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out”.
God cannot turn away or forsake all who go to him.Those who choose to follow Jesus can be confident that he will gladly receive them.God’s love for us is unconditional, and the door is open for all to enter regardless of one’s religion or denomination. When you seek the Lord,he will be found by you and reveal himself to you as well.He can never change his mind.God keeps his word.
The Enemy,Satan,has caused many to believe that God is not concerned with people like themselves and that they cannot be heard by God.They are like trash in God’s sight.When you hear this,confront it.Say to the devil,”If at all I’m no valuable then God wouldn’t have made me.Yet because he was pleased to create me in his own image and likeness,I am valuable and so precious in his sight!”
Having stood your ground and devoted yourself to seeking God,he will show himself to you.God is bound by his Word.He is not a man that he should lie or change his mind When he gives his word,he keeps it.The Lord has promised that he will in no wise forsake all those who seek him.You can trust him to fulfil his promised.He has no record of failure
The very first confirmatory sign that one is seeking the Lord is when they repent and forsake their sinful life. Secondly,one willingly seeks the right form of baptism and is baptized into the name of Jesus in accordance with the Scripture (Acts 2:38).And the third indication of whether one seeks God is when they study the Word,living it out and daily exercise communion with God through prayer.
As you put this into practice ,we wish you all the best in your daily encounter with God,all your life on earth.For he has promised that he will neither leave nor forsake those who seek him.
PETER ASKED JESUS “LORD WHAT ABOUT HIM?”
When is the true Sabbath?
WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO LEAD CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE.
Blessed be the glorious Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As it is ,we live in the last days and the world in itself is coming to its end.Therefore, it is our duty to continue keenly digging deeper into the Word and learn everything concerning our redemption.
Mark 9:30 “And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it. 31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day”.
Mark 9:30 “And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.
31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day”.
Many times Jesus had been to Galilee teaching, preaching, healing and performing miracles in their presence of large crowds which had always gathered to listen to him. However, at the time while he was passing through the town,he did not want anyone to know about it. Why?The Bible in verses 30-31 says that Jesus did not want people to know where they were because he was teaching his disciples,
From the today’s Scripture, we happen to learn another character about Jesus. Even in our times,there are those whom Jesus will teach openly for all to hear;whereas others he will teach in secret places where no one else can hear.In teaching the crowds,Jesus did so openly. But those whom he had called and later became his disciples,Jesus taught completely different things in secret which he withheld from the crowds
While they were all alone in the barren heights,Jesus told his disciples what would take place after a short while. He told them everything concerning his arrest,crucifixion, resurrection and ascension.Also,Jesus revealed to his disciples God’s plan of bringing redemption to mankind. All the these things he told them beforehand, but the crowds he dared not to tell them.It was the disciples’ daily bread while on the Mount of Olives with the Lord Jesus (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21:5).
Elsewhere in the Bible we see him telling his disciples that whatever he had told them in secret,they were to say it in the open.And the same teachings we read and benefit from are the very things Jesus taught them.
We are not to be like the crowds who followed Jesus for bread,signs and miracles.Instead of wandering here and there marveling at the miracle-filled happenings in our lives,as did the crowds,we need to redeem the little time we still have working to become true disciples of Jesus.We will not know the unknowable (secret about the kingdom of heaven) if we don’t seek to become his disciples. All he requires is that we passionately commit ourselves to him.
Christ is unchanging; he is the same yesterday, today and forever.Let’s think that he cannot hide from us too.We should not leave it to chance and let him pass secretly through our villages,churches and gatherings without us knowing it.Therefore, let us not allow anything to keep us from recognizing his presence among us.For If we live as fools and lazy around, there are those seated in the secret rooms with Jesus Christ revealing to them things about our salvation.
As we commit ourselves to Jesus Christ by daily carrying our cross and shift our passion from worldly desires,we will become his disciples indeed.And he will reveal himself to us and teach us.Look on at how quickly the days flee,we are sure that the end is near.And all the signs have taken place,with prophecies about the end of times fulfilled. The grace we have through Christ is no cheap grace.He is not what we think him to be.Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God,as the bible says in 1 Cor. 1:24.Therefore if we become his disciples truly,we won’t remain the same. Starting today,let’s forsake whatever holds us back and commit ourselves to Christ and we will know the unknowable secret.
JACHIN AND BOAZ
What does it mean “in the abundance of wisdom there is the abundance of sorrows”.
“The Heart of a wise, is at his right hand” What does that mean?
WHY DO WE HAVE TO DIE FOR ABOUT SIN?