WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE WHILE REDEEMING THE TIME?
Today, by the grace given us by the Lord, let us apply our hearts to understanding what God wants us to know. It’s in God’s own doing that you have come across this message ;because he has a purpose for the time he’s allotted each one of us.The Bible instructs us to live wisely ,making the most of the time we have.
Ephesians 5:15 ” See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”
Let’s look at what it means to redeem the time in accordance with the Scriptures. Many people know the phrase “redeeming the time” simply as “using the time well.” For instance,in school, teachers except the students to utilize every passing moment in constructive work. Looking at little time the students still have with several topics uncovered, they are supposed to make the most of their time. Spending time in mischievous talks and engaging in activities that are likely to steal and waste it, usually disappoint teachers and parents as well.
Likewise, the Bible teaches us to redeem the time. Why? Because the days are evil.What then are we to do to redeem the time?. The Bible tells us that the only way to live wisely is by knowing what the will of the Lord is.We therefore need to think through our plans and make sure they align with God’s will.
We live in a world plagued by tribulations, with distractions so prevalent, but the Bible warns us to be careful in how we live, not as fools but as wise.We need to conscious of how fleeting our days are. The Bible describes our earthly as flowers of the field which have no long life (Psalms 103:15).
In James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”.
It does not matter how long we shall live here on earth.What matters is how we live while here. God has given us a short little life and expects that, of all the great things we could do,we will Identify and pursue the few that matter most. He has given us the gift of time in trust with expectation that we’ll use it wisely and diligently commit it to the highest of purposes. When we get to our eternal home, all that will count is what we did or did not do to redeem the time. Our money,jobs,education and possessions will amount to nothing. All that will remain of our lives on earth is that which was invested in eternity. Becoming conscious of what will matter most enables us to live wisely.
Our Lord Jesus knew what it meant to redeem the time.Though he was God in the flesh,Jesus knew that a time would come,which he referred to as the night (DEATH),when no man could do any works.He taught his disciples the necessity of redeeming the time.Look at what he told them:
John 9:4 “I must work the works of him that sent me,while it is day:the night cometh,when no man can work.”
Jesus was diligent about keeping to his mission. Distractions were as prevalent as they are now,but he let none of them deter him from preaching and teaching God’s Word.Though he spent only 33 years on this earth,Jesus changed the world forever because he redeemed the time. How can we redeem the time we have? We can learn to redeem the time by asking God to help us.We should start every morning by committing our day to the Lord and asking him to help us do something that day that has eternal significance.Now is the time to make things anew with God ,before that day comes.
Rather than spending your time chatting in whatsapp groups ,or reading misleading material on social media platforms, redeem the time by doing what leaves a lasting imprint. Seize every opportunity and use it for God’s glory. You may use that time in studying God’s Word, listening to sermons,reading Christian literature, or praising as well as worshipping in song. All are ways we can redeem time. In our places of work,we can also redeem the time by asking God to help us find time to tell our workmates about Jesus.We can use the little time we have witnessing to them about God’s saving grace and share with them the good news of God’s Kingdom. In so doing,we shall be redeeming the time,and our day will have an eternal significance.
During leisure, we can spend our free time in prayer even when there are no needs at the moment. We can pray for our families,friends, neighbours,relations and the Church of Christ. By so doing,we will be redeeming the time.Not only that but through prayer we are delivered from temptations. Today,let’s seek and gain wisdom to help us live in constant awareness of that ticking clock and make the most of the time we have (Psalms 90:12).
We can learn to redeem the time by becoming conscious of the fact that we may not have another day.Let’s live like we were dying and pursue all God has given us to do. While we have time.
God bless you.
Other Topics:
DO NOT OVER-THINK.
THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL
THE BOOK OF LIFE.
Jesus was sent to Israel alone or to all the nations?
Is it sin to read the Bible on the phone or tablet?
Jesus was sent to Israel alone or to all the nations?
QUESTION: Do! The Lord Jesus was sent to Israel alone or to all the nations.. For he himself said in Matthew 10:5, that they should not preach to the Gentiles.
Answer: Let’s read..
Matthew 10:5 ′′ These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”.
It is true that the Lord commanded his disciples not to go to preach the Gospel to the nations when he exists.
And they, but let the Jews go first. Now why should they prevent them from preaching to the Gentiles?
The answer is simple: It’s because when the Gentiles went to preach the gospel you had not yet arrived.
We can learn in a normal example of Life. When you make your new product and want to take it to the market, you don’t start with a big market, instead you will tell your distributors, Don’t go far first, make sure first here in our neighborhood or in our region and our society our products have arrived.
In that sentence, it doesn’t mean that.. your product doesn’t have a plan to cross the borders days in the future…
But you have done that is because you want a job to be finished here first, then it goes. Maybe… the needs of here are enough that people have accepted or refused so you will kill me, and going to announce it elsewhere far away.. that’s wisdom and mind.
This is what the Lord said to his disciples, that at that time began the Gospel to Israel
First, and then others will follow, not fly to maybe, time to go there yet.. so that
Let us understand more well, let’s read again what the famous story we know of the woman you have.
who was not an Israelite.
Matthew 15 ′′ 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. “.
Now let’s end there, and then let’s go again and return this story in the Gospel of Mark, so that we can get to Understand More…
Mark 7:24 ′′ And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.
25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children FIRST BE FILLED: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs. “.
If you read there carefully that verse 27?… you will see the Lord Jesus telling that woman
Who is not an Israeli, tells them to let the children be FILLED FIRST… now if you understand
English very well, you will also understand what the meaning of the word ′′ FIRST “… the word first means, “This starts, then follow another one”.
That’s what the Lord meant there, that they should let the Israelites first to (i.e. receive blessings, These spiritual blessing first), then you nations will follow later.. That’s why at the end
of his Gospel, that day after his resurrection, he gave his disciples permission now to go all over the world to preach the gospel, because the time of the nations has come…
Luke 24:46 “And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47 and that ALL NATIONS shall be preached in his name concerning the repentance and remission of sins, STARTING FROM JERUSALEM.
48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
49 And behold, I bring unto you the promise of my Father; but stay in the city until you have been clothed from above ”
Verse 47, concludes the answer to our question.. So the Gospel is for all people and nations,
Started from Jerusalem (i.e. to Israel).. and now it is preached to all nations.. and it has reached every
The nation on earth, until the nations that are hard to reach, but has already passed… waiting for the last sheep to enter into grace, and the end comes, as he said..
Mark 13:10 “And the gospel must first be published among all nations” and
Matthew 24:14 “And again, The good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; that’s it when the end comes ”
Have you repented of your sins and accepted Christ? If you are still waiting..Where is the gospel today not preached? .. what do you think we are living in these days? … The world is ending and Most of all the devil is at work with great power in these last days, to deceive the people, and to convince them that there is no God,
and at the end of the world, give your life today to Christ if you haven’t done it yet, and be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost, that you may be saved.
May the Lord bless you
Other Topics:
What is the difference between the Greeks, the Pharisees and the Sadducees?
DON’T GET TIRED OF WAITING, AND DON’T BE DISAPPOINTED.
Blessed be the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I invite you to meditate on the words of God.
Today we will take a brief look at the story of two people.
The first is a man named Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, and the second is a woman who has been bleeding for a long time but later came to be healed by the Lord Jesus by just touching the hem of his garment.
Now there is one exciting thing I want you to see for these two people that each was in his head. Let’s read a little;
Luke 8:40 “And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.
41 And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:
42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. And as he was going along the crowd came to him.
43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,
44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. and immediately his flow of blood stopped ”.
Now if you look there, you’ll see this Jairus, he had his troubled daughter at the age of twelve (12), and at the same time there was that woman that was bleeding for twelve (12) years. There is a reason why the Bible mentions the age of the child and the time of the woman’s bleeding. For example, the Bible tells us that this Jairus had no other child but the daughter, probably brought up in a miserable and pitiable state, hoping that this one would be his greatest honor, perhaps he saw the good in his daughter, as Jochebed (Moses’ mother) saw the beauty of Moses from a young age, he decided to hide him where indeed later we see he became the star of Israel the savior of Israel,
In the same way, Jairus also saw his beautiful daughter as a godly woman like Hannah, or Sarah, and brought her honor, so he probably tried to raise her morally from birth until she was 11, but when she was 12 years old, Suddenly she began to notice a change in her baby’s health, the first few months, the situation is getting worse until the middle of the middle months the baby is completely dead, .. in such a situation how does he think her baby is going to die?
Does he let his vision die at the age of 12, considering he is the only daughter he has? or what should he do?. But as we read in the story, he did not allow this to happen, he did not allow his long-lost dreams to be extinguished by the devil in his 12th year of his son’s life, and he began the journey to find Jesus. But on the other side, there was a woman who had been bleeding for a long time, whose search for healing also began from the time the girl was born, from the first year, and continued until the year 2, 3 4, unsuccessfully until the 11th year, (the Bible says she had lost a lot of money to doctors without success) and by the time she was 12 she still had not found what she was looking for, but one day she heard that Jesus was in the city … said I will not accept my healing all these 12 years, today I am going to meet Jesus.
So they both began their own journey, and as we read the Gospel Christ healed them all, and they found what they were worried about, and waited for it.
Even today, we must learn that there is a time to compete for the vision of serving God that we have begun to do in the past, no matter how great an obstacle stands in front of you, we must compete… By handing Jesus over to those problems without allowing them to disappear completely.
There are ministers who have begun to serve God, and have made some progress but have probably gone through certain devil threats and stopped preaching, or serving. Brethren, do not let your troubles be in vain. Remember there are others who have been asking God to get just what you have for a long time, maybe since you started serving, but they still haven’t got it, and they haven’t given up on asking Jesus, and He will give it to you, why do you allow yourself to give up?
The 12th year of Jairus’ daughter is not the same as the 12 years that the woman was waiting for her healing. So you, too, should not let your transition problem hinder you in your God-given ministry. To win, we must compete, So move forward!. And not just in doing God’s work, but in all other things that you look for in God, you should not give up at all.
May the Lord bless you!!
Shalom.
Other Topics:
LEARN GOD’S COMMITMENT AND HOSPITALITY.
Shalom,
Welcome to bible study, the Word of God, which is the light of our path and the lamp that guides our feet (Psalm 104:119).
Today let us remind ourselves of the importance of being hospitable, and of giving ourselves to do God’s work. For a long time I have been in contact with a girl on Facebook, who lives with her parents, who is actually a girl who loves God and is devoted to God even though she is young. She has been sending us a number of questions and answering them.. if you are a follower of the lessons here you will have read the question we answered asking… “He is blocking now even when he is removed! Who is this? ” and another “How can I distinguish between the voice of an Angel and that of the Holy Spirit? ”..
These two questions were asked by this girl. And there are others she asked whose answers we sent to her without publishing them. The girl is Tanzanian but lives in Zambia, near the Tanzanian border. Even though she is a little girl, she has been asking us questions about the last days and also questions about how to go and tell others about Jesus on the street.
In her youth we encouraged her not to stop witnessing to others the gospel with all his might, no matter what her circumstances, and many other things we advised her, she went to do the work we advised her ..and after a while she brought us feedback that she had gone out to witness some and lead them in a prayer of repentance (as usual that is good news for us Christians), besides that, she is also a girl who is going through a lot of challenges, and even when she is at home her family are not such very religious people, even those she witnesses and saved, she is afraid to welcome the people she evangelized home because of the battle at home…. ,but she is ready to go helping people wherever they are with spirit regardless of the environment.
Now a few days ago, she met a stranger like Abraham whom he met on his way out to strike Chedorlaomer (Genesis 14: 8-18).
This is what she said…
“Yesterday morning I woke up and I was washing the dishes and I went to pour the dirty water out and I took the keys and went through to open the big outside gate, when I was there, I heard a voice calling my name in a loud voice, I heard but I knew maybe it’s just my thoughts, it called again, and when I wanted to go inside, I decided to lift up my head at the gate and see if there is someone,..Surprisingly I saw a stranger knocking on the door and I opened it, as I opened it and greeted him with the most polite and respectful manner as usual.
He asked me what do you need?.. I told him no Papa, I need nothing!, while I continued to listen to him closely, he told me to take this money, he gave me food then gave me some money. Now after receiving money and thanks, I told him JESUS loves you sir! and said yes he loves you too! I said thank you!
Now when I put things down to ask him farther questions about salvation, and to ask about his name?, when I got up, I did not see the man again ”.
**End of quotation**.
Now after asking the girl what else did he give you other than the money?… She told me, A man gave him a BIBLE, SPIRITUAL HYMN BOOK, DIARY and PEN then I knew it was an angel visited her…
And fortunately this girl knows the scriptures very well, therefore she knew it was an angelic visitation…
Hebrews 13: 2 “Do not forget hospitality; for in this way some have entertained angels without knowing it ”.
So after the incident she knew she was an angel of the Lord, and a wonderful peace came into her.
Brethren, these things are not myths, they are very real things… Because even I myself have experienced it twice in an almost identical environment like this girl. Millions of angels of God roam the earth ever hour..and don’t expect them to come dressed in white and with wings… No!. Those who visited Lot did not have white robes, those who followed Abraham under the oaks of Mamre did not have white robes, they come as just ordinary people ..
That is why Paul says “some of you welcome angels without knowing it”. This girl was given a few gifts to encourage her to read and study the Word (That is why she was given a bible and a diary) as well as to witness to others, and the Lord has done this to show her that He loves her and is with Him to serve her needs even food so don’t be afraid! and moreover he gave him a lot of money.. that’s why he sent his Angel to comfort her.
And that is just a small manifestation of what is going on in the spirit, in the spirit she is surrounded by that army of so many angels. Wherever she goes, they are with her, protecting and caring for her.
Ask yourself, if she was not a caring and devoted person for the souls of others how could an angel of the Lord be sent to her?
Hebrews 1:14 “What? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? ”
Now how could he be sent to serve her if she were not a kid of girl who do the work of God? ..an angel of God would have been sent to bring her a gift of consolation, if she had been a winning girl just wandering the streets or talking gossip or walking around with boys on the street? ..
You see? and one thing that is not known to many is that Angels have a job to take our good things that we do before God. Whatever good you do angels present It before God.
I believe the testimony of this sister is enough for us! .The little space you get, if it’s at school, at home, at work, on the internet, don’t make too many excuses.. that I can’t because of this or that.. because I’m busy.. I can’t do God’s work, Brethren many still need to be saved. The angels in heaven rejoice when only one man repents!
The Lord bless us and the Lord help us.
If you are not saved! ..Salvation begins here on earth!… therefore repent and accept Jesus Christ, and after that, find the living church, located near where you are, make sure you are baptized there in the proper baptism, in the name of Jesus and by immersion of the whole body (Acts 2:38). And after that the Holy Spirit will lead you to do the rest. The rapture is near and these are the last days … any day! Things will change suddenly, the rapture will pass, the saints will be taken away to heaven, and the wicked will be destroyed.
Maran atha!
Other Topics:
What is the difference between the Greeks, the Pharisees and the Sadducees?
WHY DO WE HAVE TO DIE FOR ABOUT SIN?
We must die to sin because that act is an act that forces our LIFE to be moved from where it was first to another place.
As we always know the only thing that can move a person’s life is Death. If you die today, your life goes on. And that leads people to not know where you are going, no matter how much they look for you, they will never know where you are except God alone. and so it is when a person dies about sin, by being born again, his Life is transferred and goes into hiding by God Himself, away from the devil or anything else, so that even the devil will seek you in the spirit will never find you…
The Bible says.
Colossians 3: 3 “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God”.
You see, when we die that’s when our life is hidden. If we say we are saved, but we are still living the same old life, let us be sure that God does not even care about our lives ..if we are not ready to give up our adultery, fornication, disco, fashion, insults, drunkenness, which we do from time to time etc.
let us know that the devil still has great power over our lives. he has the power to use us as he pleases, he has the power to subdue our decisions, he has the power to bring about extraordinary trials, including untimely deaths, he has the power to thwart our prayers, he has the power to mislead us. and most of all, he is able to invade our lives to a great extent by using the forces of his demons. and that’s when you’ll see, somebody says I can’t overcome some sin, I can’t stop living a certain life of sin, I can’t stop abstaining, It’s because He didn’t agree to die first so that his life could be taken and hid in God’s heart. a man whose life is hidden, the devil does not understand whatever God has planned for him, what the devil is doing is just guessing, maybe his tomorrow will be this or that, but he does not understand anything his life remains in God’s heart forever, hidden there, waiting for the time special re-disclosure ..because something that is hidden must one day be revealed. And when will it be revealed? The Bible goes on to say.
Colossians 3: 3 “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory ”.
There is a day when all of God’s people will know what God’s real purpose for creation is.it is an unparalleled day, We must not miss any of us. And that’s why the Bible keeps telling us in proverbs..
Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the sources of life ”.
but if you will just read this message or any other example like this, for daily customs and practices, just to fulfill your schedule, and while you do not want to make any changes in yourself, your precious life is still in the hands of the devil, knowing that everything you hear the devil he calculates and write it down, so that the day you find yourself in his dangerous traps to finish you off, he will have enough arguments to tell God why you should not be given help.
The Lord bless you.
Other Topics:
What kind of ballot was used by the people who travelled with Jonah?
What is the difference between commandment, law and judgement
Question: What is the difference between commandment, law (statutes) and judgement?
Answer: If we read in the book of Deutoronomy 7:11 the Bible says….
“Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgements which I command you this day, to do them.
12 wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgements, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:”
If you read carefully you will find that there are three different things but they are very interdependent.
Starting with the Commandment:
commandment means an order imposed by the authorities to be enforced unconditionally… The command has no choice but to obey or not to obey… If an order is issued, everyone must obey it and anyone who not do so will be guilty.
In Old Testament, God gave the ten commandments which we will read in the book of Exodus 20 and the book of Deutoronomy 5:3-21 you can read for yourself, Law But also we’re there…they were still incomplete for example, there is one Commandment that says do not commit adultery…. That commandment is true but what?.. if he commit adultery with an animal what will happen? What action shout be taken?… How will he be judged? What will his judgement be?
Now such questions you see completely the command alone is not enough there is need for laws as well as judgments on those orders That’s why you see in the Bible there are so many laws that all support the command to commit adultery and some of those rules as follows
Leviticus 18:23 “Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down there to: it is confusion”
The other is these
Leviticus 18:6 ” None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to uncover their nakedness: I am the Lord.
7″ The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
8″ The nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness.
9″ The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born at abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.
10″ The nakedness of thy son’s daughter, or of thy daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thing own nakedness.
11″ The nakedness of thy father’s wife’s daughter, begotten on thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.”
(that’s biblical language) Judgement Those rules apply to the nail adultery order, but in the same laws, if a man transgresses, how shall he be judged? and there is also a need for judgement on the law and order, an example of such judgement is as follows.
Exodus 22:19 “Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death”
Leviticus 20:10-13 “And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
11 And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
12 And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.
13 If am man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”
You have seen all the 9 commandments, the rest have it’s own rules and judgements so the decree is not complete without law and judgments that is the difference between precepts, laws and judgements. So when God told the Israelites to keep his judgement he also meant to carry out the judgements of all the Commandments without leaving any of them, who deserves to give something to be paid, who deserves to be excommunicated and he that is worthy of death let him die e.t.c In the new testament how were commandments, laws and judgements executed? But in the New testament where we are now the God’s commandments are written in our hearts and so do the laws of judgement (read the book of Jeremiah 31:31-34)….
When the Holy Spirit comes into us we do not need laws to keep God’s commandments… We do not need to be told that adultery with an animal is a sin, already the Spirit that is in us tells us this is not right…
The laws are written deep down in our hearts, we do not need to be told to have sex with someone of the same sex is a sin, already the law is written in our hearts we do not need to be told to wear shorts skirts or half- naked clothes is a sin , already in our hearts the Holy Spirit testifies to us that this is not right, even before we are told, we do not need to be given a rule that we should respect our parents, already the law is in our hearts we fulfill it.
We fulfill it without a doubt…. That’s why the Bible says we do not live by law but by Faith. The people of the Old Testament did not have the privilege given to us by the gift of the Holy Spirit who would help them keep the law without documents but we have been given that gift of the Spirit is a wonderful grace…..
That’s why it is important to have the Holy Spirit and having a Holy Spirit for you will not be difficult to carry out all the precepts contained in the scriptures.
Have you received the Holy Spirit?… remember the Bible says all those who do not have the Holy Spirit are not his! ( Read the book of Romans 8:9) so if you find it still difficult to live a life of holiness then you do not have the Holy Spirit, you need it…and that one gets into you if you will completely decide in your heart to deny the world and to turn to him….by repenting of your sin today! And humility in front of him…and after the most sincere repentance without delay and find the right baptism, be baptized if you have not been baptized..
Remember the proper baptism is by immersion in much water ( John 3:23) and in the Name of Jesus Christ ( Act 2:38) and the Holy Spirit will seal you up forever, there and keeping God’s laws for you will not be slavery but they will spring up in your heart without even being moved and preached and preached.
May the Lord God bless you!.
Other Topics:
What is the difference between the Greeks, the Pharisees and the Sadducees?
HAVE YOU BECOME A DISCIPLE OF THE LORD?
Denying yourself is one of the essential requirements for becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately, many believers are either ignorant of this and some of them would not even want to hear it. They start as disciples without counting the cost. One still claim to be a disciple of Jesus, yet if they are not willing to deny themselves, they are still bound in sin.
Following Christ means to “deny your self” and to lay aside our own will, opinions and our human reactions. It implies a choice and a commitment by forsaking oneself, that is, our will, needs, pleasures or comfort in order to God’s will. We deny our self-will, only doing that which we do not like or going where we don’t want. We see Jesus’ purposes and his desires as vastly more important than our own.
If we run away from this truth, our lives will remain unfruitful. Our relationship with family members should not be a reason to deter us from being what Jesus wants you to be. As disciples of Jesus, we are not bound by human advice, reasoning, opinions, and influence. No human relationship should be more intimate, no human bond more inseparable than that between us and our Master. Our love for God must have precedence over any other. To be a disciple of Jesus demands that he become the most important thing in our life:
Likewise, not only denying your own will, but also the will of your Father, or your mother, or your son…Your father does not want you to be saved then you have to reject his advice and follow the biblical advice, your mother wants you to go to the doctor then you have to reject those ideas and follow the biblical. Your child makes you no longer seek God as you once did, you love Him so much that you are willing to bribe just to give him money to go to sports… you are ready to steal and cheat or do anything that displeases God just to give your son something that will please him.
Matthew 10:37 “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that lovethson or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38 And he taketh not his cross,and followeth after me,is not worthy of me.
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it:and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.”
Without denying our own sin and self-will, our lives will remain the same and the life of Christ cannot come forth in us. We will not be transformed nor be formed into our Master’s image.
We can still claim to be disciples, attend church, do charity work and call Jesus “Lord”. But in the long run this form of godliness can’t cover the sin that we are still bound in. if we can’t be Jesus’ disciples. He says that all who come after him must” hate” his family members, lest they be cast at away. They who love anything else more than Jesus are not of him.
And he does not need them. Taking our cross involves the daily putting to death our selfish desires and ambitions of the old self, our lower nature. Unless one is willing to forsake their sinful nature and be transformed, they have not been born again. Sadly, Jesus says he does not need them. And he that does not carry his cross daily and follow him is not worthy of him. He has no share with him. Jesus only works with and reveals himself to them that are willing to do his will. If one still holds onto his will and desires, Christ says he knows them not. Discipleship demands a devotion to the Lord that surpasses the instinct to preserve our own life. One must value following Jesus above life itself. If choose to love our relations more than Jesus, we are not worthy of him. Following Jesus comes with a price to be paid.
We will face reproach, conflict and separation from those who do not have the same mind. But we must be willing to bear it all for Jesus’ sake. The Bible tells us that whoever is ashamed of Jesus and of his words,of him shall the Lord be ashamed on the day of his second coming. If we are ashamed of Jesus because of our loved ones, we will miss him. He will forsake us. Christ must be the object of our supreme affection.
You don’t want to decide to give up alcohol, to stop living with a woman / man you have never married… he has rejected you, you have no fellowship with him… you say you are saved but fornication to you is like food, no matter how much you pay tithes, or how much you attend worship, or sing in choir, or be a prayer leader… His Word is right there… SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T TAKE HIS CROSS FOLLOW ME, IS NOT WORTH OF ME
You say you are saved but you are engaged in a sex groups, you engage in group of jokes and insults, you say you are saved you are still doing masturbation in secret, you are still dressed like a prostitute, who sell themselves on streets. Then you have not denied yourself.. So he doesn’t know you .. according to his own words… you have your will and he has his will. If he one not denied himself HE DOESN’T KNOW.
Pleasing him must be the highest most compelling motive of our lives.
Luke 9:23 ” And he said to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily ,and follow me.
24 For whosoever shall save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose it for my sake, the same shall save it.
25 For what is man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
26.For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.”
If you did not deny yourself and you thought you had Jesus in your heart.. Repent again today! .
Stop alcohol, stop corruption, stop immorality, stop masturbating, stop bad company companies..Many say they have tried to stop committing adultery and abstinence have failed so they need prayer… There is no request for this behavior.
It’s up to you to decide!
To become a disciple of Jesus, repent of your sins and decide to leave all you used to do. Turn your back on your past. Choose to follow Christ wholeheartedly and do not turn back. God will then send forth his Spirit to help you overcome sin and to guide you in the way of truth in its wholeness. Remember to be baptized into the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins. Take up your cross daily and follow Jesus.
God bless you.
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THE WILL OF THE LORD JESUS TO HIS DISCIPLES.
No one is unaware that as a wise parent nears the end of his days, he often invites his children to give them a short will and to bless them. and a loving Parent is the one who tells his children or grandchildren the truth of life, and who gives them attention and gives them comfort and hope. so also did our Lord Jesus Christ, before his departure. He spent hours talking to them about a number of things. And his will is divided into five parts:
THE FIRST SECTION: Which is the whole of chapter 13, you will see the Lord warning his disciples about humility, you will see him practically teaching them how to be humble, (by showing himself, by taking water and washing their feet) and telling them who would be greater than him. all must be the youngest.and if the one who calls on the Lord has taken hold of their feet, how shall it be with him? .
THE SECOND SECTION: Which is chapter 14 all you will see the Lord comfort his disciples, that they should not be afraid or discouraged when he leaves them … for he is going to prepare a place for them. And he tells them he will not leave them orphans, but will bring them a helper who is the Holy Spirit, and their joy will be restored. and they shall see that they are not left.
THE THIRD SECTION: Which is the whole of chapter 15, You will see the Lord warn and remind them to bear fruit after His departure, and remind them to love one another.
THE FOURTH SECTION: Which is the whole of chapter 16, You will see the Lord warn them of the things that will happen to them after He leaves, and tell them, the tribulation they will go through and the suffering, but do not be afraid because He will be with them.
John 16: 1 “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
2 They will put you out of the synagogues; Yes, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.
3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4
But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you ”.
FIFTH AND FINAL SECTION: This is the 17th chapter, which is a feature of Jesus Himself concluding by praying for His disciples. now even when a father gives a will to his children before his death, in the end when he prays for blessings and blessings, he cannot pray for the people on the street, or the people at work for him, he must pray for them and bless those he commanded with their children, because that is his inheritance. that’s what the Lord did here, in this section after telling them the things that would happen to them and their responsibilities, after his departure then he prays for them. And what is he praying for? We get the answer a little further.
John 17: 9 “I pray for you. I do not pray for the world; but these thou hast given to me, for they are thine;
10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, IN THE NAME OF YOUR OWN RULE, let them be as one, as we are.
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; and not one of them is lost, but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled.
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them; for they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world; JUST BE AWAY FROM THE EVIL ONE.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 PLEASE HELP THEM OUTSIDE THE WORLD; YOUR WORD IS TRUE.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 AND NOT ONLY THOSE WHO PRAY FOR YOU; BUT THOSE WHO WANT TO SEE IT BECAUSE OF THEIR WORD.
21 Let them all be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. may they also be in us; that the world may believe that you sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; that the world may know that thou didst send me, and lovedst them, even as thou lovedst me.
24 FATHER, THEN I WANT YOU TO BE WITH ME EVERYWHERE, THAT THEY MAY SEE AND SEE MY GLORY; for you loved me before the foundation of the world.
25 Righteous Father, the world has not known you; but I have come to know you, and these have come to know that you sent me forth.
26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it; that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them ”
This will applies to us too, as we have become disciples of Christ we must love one another, humble ourselves, be united and do His work. if we keep the will then we will be very successful in this world. Similarly, these prayers are not only for the apostles..but they are for us too … because in verse 20 he says “I DO NOT JUST PRAY FOR THEM; BUT FOR THOSE WHO WILL BELIEVE IT BECAUSE OF THEIR WORD. ” It is our right to claim our glory and our blessings, and we do not claim it in words, but by doing His will, when we do His will in the spirit world it is our right to receive blessings and blessings and health. may the Lord bless us to be more united and loving and humble…
And more importantly let us do His work. And finally let us receive His blessings that He blessed us 2,000 years ago.
Maran tha!
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What is the difference between the Greeks, the Pharisees and the Sadducees?
What is the difference between the Greeks, the Pharisees and the Sadducees?
ANSWER: The Pharisees and the Sadducees have their roots in one religion based on the Law of Moses.
The Pharisees believe in the resurrection of the dead (ie life after death, they believe everything written in the law, even the hope of the coming of the Messiah on earth) but the Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection, they believe that when a person dies, there is nothing after that, nor is there any angels or the spirit world or heaven.If you read Matthew 22: 24-34 you will see that the Lord Jesus answered the Pharisees about their poor view of the Scriptures and told them that God would not say He is the God of Abraham, and Isaiah and Jacob if those people are dead now.
Because God is not always the God of them but of the living ..so that Word proves that the resurrection exists. If you read Acts 23 again you will see the Apostle Paul uniting the two sects.
Acts 23: 6 “But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am judged for the hope of the resurrection of the dead.
7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.
8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess all of these.
9 There was a lot of noise. And some of the scribes of the Pharisees part stood up, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: and what if a spirit hath spoken to him, or an angel? but if a spirit or an angel has spoken, what is it?
10 And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.
So with these texts you will get to understand where the difference between these people is GREEK: It is not a religion , but a people of the Greek world, now Greece. Greeks but originally are Jews, for example those people who wanted to see the Lord in the past were Jews but not native to Israel. we read:.
John 12:20 “Now there were certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast.
21 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
See? so also the people who were in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, (Acts 2) marveling at the great works of God, the Bible says they were the Parthians and the Medes and the Elamites, etc. all these were not Gentiles (i.e. non-Jews) no but were Jews who came from the nations mentioned there,
And the second kind: is the Greeks of Greek descent, the Gentiles.
For example, we can see that the woman mentioned here is Greek but has no Judaism in her:
Mark 7:24 “And from thence he arose, and went away into the borders of Tire and Sidon. And he entered into a house, and would have no man know it; but he could not be hidden.
25 But straightway a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet.
26 And the woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
27 And he said unto her, Let the children first be filled; for it is not right to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs
28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.
29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
30 And she went away unto her house, and found the child laid upon the bed, and the demon gone out.
We also see other servants of God like Titus, a disciple of Paul (Galatians 2: 3). And Timothy (Acts 16: 1) all of these the Bible refers to as Greeks, not Jews.
Be blessed.
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WHAT IS INCREASE IN REBELLION INSURANCE?
Blessed be the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a grace that the Lord has given us to see the sun again today, almost meditating on the Scriptures together. as we know we are living in the last days, and with each passing minute the closer we get to the end…
So just today we have already reduced one more day, out of the few that remain before us, to reach that end. However, the Bible warns us that one of the signs of Christ’s second coming is the increase in REBELLION and KNOWLEDGE. Today we will not talk much about the increase in knowledge, if you would like to know about it then you will send us an inbox message to send us a lesson. but today we will look at the rise of REBELLION, (Matthew 24:12) where we will learn something very important.
And I also advise you before reading this lesson, take a moment to review the previous lesson before this one that says “Don’t say, Why are the old days gone by these days? for is it not wisdom that thou hast asked? because it has so much to do with what we are going to learn today.
If you think about today’s life you can say, it is better and yesterday and yesterday than today as the rebellion is increasing… The love of many is growing, murder is increasing, hatred is growing, hatred, selfishness, theft, immorality and all kinds of filth, is increasing… All of this is a sign of Christ’s second coming, but the question is, why should the sign of evil be a sign of Jesus’ return, and not a sign of good, that is, why the Lord Jesus would not say before His return?.
The answer is that at the time of Christ’s return, (shortly before the appearance of the clouds), the level of holiness of the saints will be very high. Brother, when you see that the sins are too much, know that in some cases the good is too much… Then he will be doing good on a large scale. many do not see this thinking that because there is so much sin in this age then there are absolutely no people who please God.
Don’t forget that all the time (Evil being high is a sign of holiness also being high). if you see that there is a great revolt in a certain city the sun on the other side in the same city there are perfect or perfect of a very large scale. when God was displeased with the revolt of Sodom and Gomorrah, at the same time God was very pleased with a man named Abraham, whom we now call the Father of Faith.
If you see the world getting more and more corrupt now, the sun is a sign that there are saints in some places who are increasingly purifying themselves. If you see right now there are a lot of women walking half-naked on the street, and even going to church like that… don’t think they’re all there… celestial standards.When you see there is a wave of false prophets..it is a matter of fear and not of laughter and contempt, because that is a sign that there are true servants of God. the bible says in the last days all the tares and wheat will be ripe. Even ordinary life teaches us
Although in recent years people in the world seem to be weaker, and diseases increase and capacity decreases… but if you follow the record, you will find that they are still broken every year. the fastest man lives in our age where people eat poorly, people have a lot of diseases . but in the middle of a generation where people are weak will there be people who are the Mightiest in history? and in Faith it is so…
In the midst of the extreme wickedness of the world, the Lord has His faithful people, in the time of King Ahab where his wife Jezebel made Israel so magical that all the prophets were killed, but somewhere was Elijah the Tishbite, and so on. that It is not enough that there were also 7,000 other prophets who did not bow down to Baal in the city, which the Lord had set up, so this brother is not the time to say aaah! the world is all ruined, so I have to be evil… or aaah these days there are no saints so there is no need for me to also purify myself..everywhere and for Everybody.
Remember this word.
Ecclesiastes 7:10 “Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? For it is not wise to ask that word ”.
May the Lord help us to open our eyes … and to purify ourselves. As long as that day is approaching
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