Last week, we looked at the importance of being constantly reminded of God’s Word. The Psalmist said ‘Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word’ (Psalms 119:67). Consider also Psalms 119:11.
In Lamentations, I love the attitude of the prophet when he said in Lamentations 3:21 – 24 ‘This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him’. (Emphasis mine).
However if there is anything we should crave to forget or rid ourselves of, it is ‘filthiness’ and ‘superfluity of naughtiness’.
Other translations render it as ‘uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness (Amplified)’ or ‘moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent (NIV)’.
I desire we consider this from the angle that the Christian ought to lay aside regularly. Christianity isn’t just about amassing some religious form of knowledge. Need we remind ourselves again that ours is a culture borne out of the life we have received in Christ Jesus? In simple words – It is a lifestyle.
Yorubas (A tribe in Nigeria) have a saying that, ‘It is the inability of the mad man to take his eyes off things that causes his luggage to become unduly plenty.’
The Christian ought to realise the Word is not just some other information. It is life. It is our very existence. It defines who and what I live for. In line with this, other irrelevant thoughts, actions, motive ought to give way to the manifestation of God’s word in our lives.
James goes further in chapter three of his glorious epistle to admonish us of the effect of the outpouring of this life in us which should birth a radical change in our speech. Notice the order.
The change is not for the congregation. It is not for the pulpit. But it is a change resonating with the frequency we have been called to in Christ Jesus.
As Christians…
- Darkness ought to give way to light.
- Wickedness ought to give way to righteousness.
- My lust and curiosity for evil ought to be replaced by a continual longing for righteousness.
Back in school I felt I could just switch between lives … Like Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hyde. But a constant look into God’s word leaves me with no other contemplation than we have been called into a single fellowship. 1st Corinthians 1:9; 1st John 1:3. To this, I ought to devote all.
Lastly, Paul again is more graphic when he says that we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Laying aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness is a constant and continuous activity for the believer hinged upon the dawning of God’s word in our lives. Consider 1st Thess 1:9;
To be continued…
Cheers!
-Dr. Bolaji Akanni
| DISPENSATIONS | PERIOD | MAN’S RESPONSIBILITY | MAN’S FAILURE | CONSEQUENCES | DIVINE MERCY |
| The Dispensation of Promise | From the call of Abraham to the Exodus. Gen. 12:1 to Ex 12:37
(430 years) |
Gen. 26 :2. To live in the promised land.
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Gen. 47:1. Jacob’s house went down into Egypt. | Exo 1:8-14. Slavery in Egypt. | Deliverance from Egypt and preservation of Israel.
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| The Dispensation of the Law | From Sinai to Calvary. | Exo 19:5. Israel was to keep the law with all social and civil requirements. (Rom 2:12; 9:4) | II Kings 17: 7-17. Acts 2:22-23. Man failed to keep the law and crucified the only one who did.
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II Kings 17:6. 25: 1-11. Israel was sent into Assyrian and Babylonian captivity. | Judgment on Israel was delayed for 40 years after crucifixion. Elimination of animal sacrifice after Christ’s death.
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| The Dispensation of Grace | From the descent of the Holy Spirit to the descent of Christ. | To believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:36; Acts 16:31; Eph 2:8-9. Man is saved through faith alone. | II Tim 3:1-7. Man becomes lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.
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God gives them up to their unbelief. I Tim 4: 1-3: II Tim 4: 3-4. | The death of Christ on the cross.
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-Gabriel Ajibade
In ministry, all we need is to be faithful in whatever God has entrusted to us. Heaven will demand an account from us for what He assigned to us. However knowing that my brother’s ministry is also assigned from heaven would require:
That John the Baptist did not deceive himself nor kept anyone in doubt about his person or the nature of his ministry even if his disciples thought to exalt him to a position he did not attain or merit is a lesson for us to learn. He did not give a second thought when the disciples told him about Jesus and the crowd he was pulling. He quickly deflected the attention back to Christ. He earlier told people who he was not and who he was. Of himself he said:
In comparison with Christ, John the Baptist didn’t think himself anything. Yet this same man was the very one our Lord told the crowd “…of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist” (Matt 11:11). Just as John the Baptist had a right view of his person and ministry he also had a proper understanding of the person and ministry of Christ both in their global context and in relation to his own life and ministry. He might as well have told his disciples, that man you saw baptising and people trooping to him is the very reason I exist and minister. ‘You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ but I am sent ahead of him’ He exalted Jesus in the following words:
The purpose for which John was sent was to reveal Jesus to Israel. He was contented with that and sought no more. He was satisfied being a mere helper of Christ. When it came to comparing him with Christ he had only one desire, “He must increase, but I must decrease”(John 3:30). P.S. Watch out for the concluding part. -Namani J Nharrel |
God’s word as a mirror seeks not to reveal defects rather it seeks to let us know what we have attained to in Christ Jesus. It is imperative for us as believers to look into the word not with the constant feeling of unworthiness to out more reasons why we are not worthy of being called by the master. Rather we should search the word with the true aim of wanting to know what God has accomplished for us in Christ Jesus. To understand the features of the glorious estate to which God has now elevated us to in Christ Jesus.
The word is meant to display who we have been made and what we have now attained to. To the believer who finds it difficult to live in agreement with the word of God, James offers a very simple logic not commonly ascribed to these days. It is not as spectacular or mysterious as considering the fact that the devil might just have held us captive again and led us into sin. He says instead that it is a very simple matter of forgetfulness. Forgetting the very essence of our being thus causing us to walk adrift and miss the point by a very wide margin.
The man who looks into the mirror of God’s word intently; and not casually, and sees all that Christ has made him to be but immediately makes a u – turn to start living the exact opposite should be reminded again of who he is. James 1:21 – 25. It is no wonder then that the ministry of reminding the believer of his glorious heritage is one the Apostles did not find tiring or time bound as long as they were still here on earth. 2nd Tim. 1:6, 2nd Pet. 1:12, 1stTim. 4:6
John says ‘And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him’. 1st John 3:19. Assurance speaks of reminding ourselves. Paul puts us in timely perspective by saying ‘only let us live up to that that we have already attained’ Phil 3:16.
The issue of forgetfulness is not new. Countless times in the Old Testament; especially in the reign of judges and kings, God was not tired of reminding the children of Israel of the miracles that was done in the past which ought to be an assurance of God’s unfailing love.
To us the matter of forgetfulness is something which we must realise still lies paramount in God’s heart as it is tantamount to unbelief. I know the word says the ‘times of ignorance has been overlooked’. You and I would not be excused for failing to take advantage of all that Christ has freely given unto us through His Holy Spirit.
Have you forgotten for instance that God is your Father and that through Christ we have been given access to Him?
Have you forgotten that through Christ He has blessed you with much more than your thoughts can possibly comprehend?
Have you forgotten that through Christ you are the healed of God and ought to dispense this healing to all?
Have you forgotten that through Christ He has endued you with power similar to the one He used to raise Christ Jesus from the dead?
Have you forgotten…?
Let us seek not just to pore over scriptures but to remind ourselves of God’s glorious work i.e. THE NEW CREATURE. This is who you are and what you have been made.
Again let us live up to what we have already attained.
Cheers!
-Dr. Bolaji Akanni
Great and successful families don’t just happen. I believe we all can live the best of life possible if we can receive and apply the divine wisdom we need every day. Even if we grew up in dysfunctional families, I strongly believe God wants us to change the story. We don’t have to perpetuate dysfunctional ways of living and then die without fulfilling our potentials. A great family is a great possibility.
There’s a reason for every family. And every couple needs to discover the divine purpose for their family. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” It’s really unwise to start a family (or any enterprise for that matter) without a vision of what it will look like. Whether you’re single or married, I encourage you to capture the vision of God for your family. Without a vision, a man will abuse his wife. Without a vision, a woman will dishonor her husband. A lot of people get married for various reasons. When couples get married for all the wrong reasons, they’re simply asking for disaster! Relationships are generally difficult. How much more the romantic type?
When I was a single man, I came to a point where I really wished I was married. One day, I purposed to fast and pray for three days to seek guidance from the Lord. During the first day of fasting, I picked up the Bible for my daily devotion. Then I came to Proverbs 24:27. It says, “Prepare your outside work, make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house.” From this verse, the Holy Spirit let me know that I still needed more preparation to do prior to getting married.
I didn’t bother to continue the fast. I thanked the Lord for His guidance and went about making every necessary preparation I knew to make. I studied the Bible and prayed. I read extensively. I had books and tapes all over my bedroom. I attended several seminars designed for singles. I studied the lives of married couples around me. One day, the Lord spoke to me through Matthew 22:8. “The wedding is ready…” That was when I knew I was ready to be married. It was then I got a clear indication of who I was going to marry.
As you read the Bible, pay close attention to every family related issue. Highlight specific verses and meditate on them. Find out why some families are blesses and why some aren’t so blessed. For example, Priscilla and Aquila were mentioned by the Apostle Paul in Romans 16:3-5. He wrote, “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house.” Do a study on couples like this.
Please devote yourself to prayers. Capturing God’s vision for your marriage or family isn’t enough. In fact, it’s a responsibility. You need the help of God to implement what he has shown you. Prayers connect us to God. Prayers enable us to draw power from God to handle our daily affairs. Prayers enable us to move through the challenges of relationships. Prayer will help you find your spouse. Prayer will help you love your spouse and children. While in courtship with then wife-to-be, we invested many hours into fasting and prayers. As a result, God assured me that we’re going to have a great marriage. I began to confess that on a regular basis. Even when all the circumstances were contrary, I always said, “We shall have a great marriage.” That declaration was based on faith in God and what the Word can do in a relationship.
I believe God wants us to build such families that bring Him glory, honour and praise. He will give you a vision for your marriage. He will help strengthen you for all He wants you to do as a father or mother. Study the Word and keep growing as Christ’s follower. All is well in Jesus’ name.
-Pastor Victor Adeola King
As a young boy, I heard many preachers talk about the importance of giving the best of our resources to God e.g. our time, energy, money, etc. I have worked as a consultant with several organizations around the globe and I have observed, to my chagrin, that many Christians rarely give their intellect to God. Whenever I attempt to compare some believers’ attitudes in their workplaces with that they exhibit in the ministry, I realize it is long overdue for us to discuss or emphasize the need for us to give our intellect to God.
Many believers possess great brains which they use primarily to enrich their employers. Some work 8am to 8pm using their creativity and intellect to maximum capacity for ‘peanuts’ but the same measure of intellect is not reflected in the work they do for God. I see many believers spend much money to develop their intellect for use at their work or business; they attend all kinds of courses and write numerous professional exams for certifications, but little effort is given to renewing the mind with the Word, and developing our intellect for the Master’s use.
I know a guy who works at the IT helpdesk of his company. He receives users’ complaints via phone calls and provides first level of support as much as possible. His monthly reports to management show elaborate root cause analyses for all logged calls. The same brother is responsible for handling church calls/ enquiries to a mobile phone but he doesn’t even have a register to log the church calls. What a shame!
Similarly, some believers go all out to prepare “world class” visual presentations at work but do dismally in their weekly Sunday school presentations.
Recently, a pastor saw our magazine – Today’s Lifeline and said – “this magazine is so rich in content and quality, but it’s unfortunate that it will not last because Christian magazines don’t last in Nigeria. More so, the quality is even higher than magazines we have seen before, so I don’t see how you guys can sustain it”. Can you imagine that? If he had seen such quality from a secular magazine, he would not have made such a comment. Where did we pick up the mentality that we don’t give the best of the best for the things of God?
Perhaps we should read Matthew 22:37 (MSG) again. Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.” Some other versions say we should love God with “all our minds”. The mind is the seat of our intellect and you cannot claim to love God, if there is no visible proof that you have given him your intellect.
If many believers were to put in the same level of intelligence they use for the work of God at their workplaces, they would be without a job or client today. We need to start acting differently. Some people ask how I am able to give so much time and creativity working in the ministry despite my full time vocation. One of the reasons is that I hate giving to God less than I would ordinarily do to my work. Beloved, you are God’s handiwork, created for His good works. He needs those brains performing at ‘full bars’ at all times. When will this generation start to see evidence that you are giving God all your intellect on a daily basis?
– Tope S. Aladenusi
-WALK AWAY: I once read a book written by Randy Alcorn, ‘The Purity Principle’. He shared a story of a man whose occupation required lodging in hotel rooms because he moved from place to place. He was a devoted man of God. The man said whenever he was in the hotel room, all what they used to show on TV were immoral movies. He said ‘after so many trials i.e. getting filled with the immoral movies, I finally made decision to do something. Whenever I check into a hotel room, I ask them to remove the TV from my room. Invariably, they look at me like I’m crazy’. ‘But sir, you don’t have to turn it on’, but I used to insist. This is how I overcame that temptation’. This man was filled with a particular wisdom. That was ‘It’s always easier to avoid temptation than to resist it’. ‘Flee the evil desire of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith…. of a pure heart’. 2 Timothy 2:22. Walk away now!
-OPTIMISM: God never pushes us beyond our current limit of endurance. The word ‘able’ in 1 Corinthians 10:3 exist so as to know our ability. The word ‘ability’ explains the difference between the phrase ‘I can’ and the phrase ‘I may’. The confidence in the latter phrase experiences staggering but the former phrase experiences confidence. Now, God has let us realise that overcoming the gluey temptation is what we are able to do. This is not a matter of ‘I may’ but a matter of ‘I can’. According to 1 Corinthians 10:3, therefore, the temptation is prescribed by the ingredient that our strength reveals because God says ‘I will not permit you to be tempted above which ye are able…’. In other words, the altitude of our strength is gauged before the synthesis of temptation by the devil. Did you get my point?
-GET YOUR MIND BUSY WITH PURITY: ‘An idle hand is the workshop of the devil’. Devil keeps on looking for a space-hearted man so as to fill up the space with wrong thoughts. So when there is no vacancy in your heart, devil turns back and goes farther to a space-hearted man. Loneliness is also the root of evil. When you are lonely, get your mind busy with purity. When devil sees that your mind is too pure for him to stay, he goes away. So let your heart flaunts no vacant board when the devil comes with the aim of filling your heart with wrong thoughts.
-AFFIRMATION: ‘…and take the helmet of salvation the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God’ Ephesians 6:17 Jesus Christ overcame his first temptation through the word of his father (GOD). A soldier can never go to war front with bible likewise Christians are not expected to go to war front with ammunition. The word of God is our sword, when we fling it, devil flees from our vicinity.
Meditate on the word of God.
-SCREEN YOUR FRIENDS: ‘as iron sharpens iron, so as one man sharpens another’ Proverbs 27:17. Friends are like soil, wherever you go, you see them, but farmers never hesitate on which soil to plant. They know it’s loamy soil that brings out the glory of their seeds’ Author William says ‘A true friend knows your weakness but shows you your strength. Feels your fear but fortifies your faith. Sees your anxiety but frees your spirit. Recognises your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities.’
You don’t keep friends for company’s sake. You walk with people who bring the best in you in the way of God. Choose God’s favorite people as your mentor and friends.
FINALLY: ‘Therefore let him who thinks he stands well take heed lest he fall.’ (1 Cor. 10:12).
You are blessed!
A.O.D. Oluwafemi
| DISPENSATIONS | PERIOD | MAN’S RESPONSIBILITY | MAN’S FAILURE | CONSEQUENCIES | DIVINE MERCY |
| The Dispensation of Innocence | From the creation to the fall of man. Gen. 1:26 to 2:23. | Gen. 2: 16- 17. Man had only one commandment to obey.
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Gen. 3:6. Man chose to believe Satan rather than God | Gen. 3:14 — 19. | Gen. 3:15. God promised a Redeemer who would come and restore man’s dominion.
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| The Dispensation of Innocence | From the fall of man to flood – 1656 years:
Gen 3:27 to 8:14. |
Gen. 4:7 He is to choose between doing good and doing evil | Gen. 6:5, 11- 12. Man is exceedingly wicked: “God saw that the wickedness of man was great.”
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Gen. 7. Judgment through the flood. | Gen. 7:1. Eight people are saved out the flood to begin the new dispensation.
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| The Dispensation of Human Government | 427years. From the flood to the confusion of tongues
Gen. 8:1-11:9, |
Gen.9: 1,6 “Whosoever sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God made the man.
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Gen. 11:14.
Noah’s downfall – Gen. 9:20-23 Building of Tower of Babel. An organized political and religious rebellion against God. Idolatry and apostasy.
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Gen. 11:5-9; Confusion of tongues and the dispersion of the people. Division of the earth to continents and islands. Gen 10:25; I Cor. 1:19. | God was merciful to them in their idolatry and sought another man who would follow Him.
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One day, Mr. Olugu hired a sleek-looking 2011 Mercedes E –Class. Without a proper check-up on some essentials, he rode the car to attend an august event – he assumed all was in order; after all, the car was sleek and new. Just as he rode, he got caught up in the dreaded Lagos Island traffic. Lo, Mr. Olugu’s hired acquisition began to overheat because water dried up in the radiator and simultaneously the car ran out on fuel. He decided to push the car to the service lane so the car temperature could normalize and subsequently try to get a nearby filling station to get some fuel in a gallon he found in the trunk.
Naturally, he was miffed and flustered by the turn of events. As he tried to get himself composed, he got drenched by his sweat in his new, white and lavishly- embroidered kaftan. Worst of all, he got swooped on by marauding street urchins who stripped him of all the cash he had. The day that started out so bright ended up so gloomy.
The above scenario is typical of what a number of Christians pass through today in their faith. They are quick to embrace philosophies, doctrines and patterns that totally contradict the principles and dictates of Christ. Although these might look so sleek and appealing at the first instance, only a proper scrutiny of the essentials by the word of Christ reveals the shortcomings. Ironically, some of these shortcomings are heralded by the church, which should be the ground and the pillar of truth (1Tim.3:15). Many Christians are left with thoughts and intents bruised and mangled with false teachings. They are worse today than when they first started.
To this end, scripture admonishes us to be schooled in Him personally, by diligently knowing our full rights in Christ so we don’t make a shipwreck of our faith (2Tim.2:15-18).
“My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well-constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.
Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that’s not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything. ” (Col.2:6-10 The Message)
-Emeka Ofia
| An eagle traversed the land hovering over hills and valleys and finally landed at a river bank with a sound of triumph that seemed to say, ‘I have found at last…’. Then a voice says, “It is all about you”. That was in an advert of a Nigerian mobile telephone company. The message: The Company values its customers to undertake all the pains to reach them.
There is a philosophy almost a religion that says life is all about man. Adherents believe all endeavours should have the pleasures of man as the ultimate goal. This belief system has its adverse moral and social consequences. People get into trouble because they want life to revolve around them for the pleasures they desire through possessions, positions, or powers they think they ought to have. Check it- All the hearts aches, the infighting in families and communities and even wars are forms of protests about real or perceived injustices, denials and deprivations of some rights and benefits. James says it all. “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn’t it the whole army of evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous for what others have, and you can’t possess it, so you fight and quarrel to take it away from them. And yet the reason you don’t have what you want is that you don’t ask God for it. And even when you do ask, you don’t get it because your whole motive is wrong — you want only what will give you pleasure”. Man-centered doctrine unfortunately has come and become the irritation in the church of Christ today. Its teachings portray God existing for man’s pleasure instead of man existing for God’s pleasure. John the Baptist was a man who understood that it is rather man existing for the pleasure of the Divine. His disciples saw Jesus baptising. Apparently they were not comfortable about that development. They reported it to John the Baptist. There were two concerns in their report.
They implied therefore that:
John’s response was instructive as it was very humbling. He did not feel jittery if Jesus was taking over his ministry nor bothered if Jesus was becoming more popular than him. He told them, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said,’ I am not the Christ,’ but,’ I have been sent before Him.’ (John 3:27-28). He not only affirmed the ministry of Jesus, but reaffirmed the person of Jesus and made clear his own person and the role he came to play in the ministry of Jesus. “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven,” says,
John the Baptist was therefore saying both Jesus’ ministry and his were given by God. He did in essence remind them too that his own life and ministry were about Jesus succeeding in His ministry. He had testified and drawn attention to Jesus when He came on the scene. -Namani J. Nharrel |