BRIDGING THE GAP

Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to  us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble”. 2 Peter 1:1-10

- We have to be diligent, and make steady efforts to make our calling and election sure. Jesus Himself said it is he that endures to the end that shall be saved. (Matthew 24:13) You do not endure what is pleasant.  In spite of all, we must finish well. We must endure to the end, for there shall be a great falling away as the day draws closer to the end.

- If we will not become unfruitful, fall or fail, we must be diligent, and make steady efforts to grow. To be fruitful requires a deliberate conscious effort. If you do nothing, you will go nowhere.

Often, what we ought to see as a beginning, we see as an end. BEING BORN AGAIN IS THE BEGINNING, NOT AN END.

There's so much more to add. The word ADD means to MINISTER, NOURISH, IMPROVE and BUILD UP. In order to sustain and maintain anything, you have to improve. “Your path needs to keep shinning more and more...” (Proverbs 4:18) To improve, you have to deliberately and consciously make an effort to know the truth. It is the truth you know that can set you free. (John 8:31-32) We can’t know the truth if we don’t continue in His word.

Having information of truth and knowing the truth is not the same. You cannot become a disciple of Jesus if you don’t continue in His word. What brings a change is TRANSFORMATION and REVELATION. We need to BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN INFORMATION AND REVELATION. You don’t really know until what you are experiencing and what you claim to know clinches. True knowledge has fruits.  

This improvement/upgrading takes place from the inside. Until it takes place on the inside, there’s no improvement that will take place on the outside. Having more money will not make your life better, it is more of God you need.

We need to develop the CHARACTER, the STRUCTURAL FORMATION for the VISION, MANDATE, EXPECTATION, CHALLENGE, BLESSING ahead. Thus, we have to prepare for what is coming.

To your faith, add knowledge. This kind of knowledge produces fruits. By their fruits, you shall know them. The knowledge of God is seen in the life of a man who claims to be in fellowship with Him.

Information is not revelation. You have to do something about the information you have for it to become a revelation. Between INFORMATION and REVELATION is TIME. The time to gather the information is nothing comparable to the time needed to receive the revelation. You have to be patient for the revelation to come. To bridge that gap takes TIME. As you are waiting, you engage in praying, meditating, reading and studying.

Jesus knew who He was but He still needed to grow. (Luke 2:40, 52) There’s room for improvement/growth. Take the ‘driving seat’ of your life. There are many things we are informed about that we don’t believe. REVELATION comes when you BELIEVE, and you can only believe what you have information about and have fellowshipped with, and it takes time.

If you believe, you wouldn't compromise; you wouldn't be anxious or afraid. Your CHOICES, DECISIONS and ACTIONS come to show what you really believe. You can only believe with your heart. To do that, you have to ask yourself if the steps I’m taking as it pertains to the information I have, can take me to where I’m going. You have to ask yourself, if the kind of prayer I’m praying is enough for my level or if the kind of reading, studying is enough for my level,. The higher your position, the more you need to upgrade.

To see the power of God, you must believe the report of the Lord, to believe the report of the Lord; you must find it in the word and fellowship with it.

“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death”. (Phil. 3:10)

Paul did not assume that because he’s been in active ministry for more than three decades, that he automatically knew the Lord. His desire was to know more of Him. The more you know God, the more you want to know Him. True knowledge of God humbles you and births a hunger in you to know Him more and more. In order to know Him, you must set your affection above, seeking to know Him.

It’s very dangerous to walk on assumption. This happens when you feel you know based on the information you have.

Let’s stop taking the things of eternal value for granted. Let’s remind ourselves that we are not doing God or anybody a favour by serving Him but ourselves.

Let’s start taking the personal initiative to improve our walk with God because that’s what our life is all about. Let’s make a sincere and genuine assessment: “Is what I’m taking in from God enough”? In 1 Kings 19:7, Elijah was told to eat because the journey was great.

Let’s stop living like cursed men and women and start living like blessed people indeed. We have to take the responsibility to know God. We must seek to learn of Him. For some of us, coming to church is not a problem, but family and personal altars are in shambles.

Since we are talking about knowledge, it’s also about learning.

There are three types of LEARNING

1. Cognitive
2. Affective
3. Psychomotor

Let’s see the aspects of COGNITIVE LEARNING;

- Recall knowledge: We should be able to remember what we learn from God’s word. In order to recall, you must put a system in place to be able to do that

Comprehension: To understand or appreciate what you’ve learnt. To comprehend;

1. Privately study what you’ve learnt.
2. Ask the teacher questions.
3. Discussions among yourselves on what you are taught. The call of God is to come and learn of Him and not to solve our problems. We want our problems solved but don’t want to learn of Him. Many times, we want things to change, but don’t want to give ourselves to learning. Learning is some work and it must be deliberate.

- Application to real-life situations and different scenarios

- Analysis of the knowledge: Breaking it to bits for better understanding and communication

- Synthesis: Rearranging the bits to form a pattern

- Evaluation: Using the knowledge you have to make sound judgments and decisions and your life expresses it.

We can see the scriptural proof of cognitive learning in 1 John 1:1, 3. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life… that which we have seen and heard,  we declare to you ...”

Parents, if you are really interested in your children knowing, then you must be diligent to know. You can’t communicate what you do not know. We have crisis because many times, we simply communicate what we have information on and not what we know. You can only effectively communicate what you know and not what you don’t know.

Like Paul, we must desire to know Him.

 

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

SIMON PETER, a servant and apostle (special messenger) of Jesus Christ, to those who have received (obtained an equal privilege of) like precious faith with ourselves in and through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ…For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence), And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety), And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love. For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)… 2 Peter 1:1-10 (AMP)

Being saved is the beginning of the journey and not the end. Thus once saved is not forever saved.

The only constant in the life of a believer is CHANGE and that change is towards becoming more like JESUS. The change is a change of LIFESTYLE.

There has to be a deliberate addition to your life. If these additions are not taking place, it will bring about unfruitfulness. There is nothing in scriptures that was written by accident.

You cannot add knowledge until virtue is added. There is a follow-up upon each other of these qualities. The more you grow in God, the lesser men need to supervise and correct you. We have on our inside a ‘regulator’ that allows us to know what to do, change, etc. The more of the word we know, the more light comes. Your discovery in God brings you to a place of excellence. In exercising your faith, you develop virtue. If there is no deliberate, calculated effort to change, you’ll not make progress in your walk with God.

A contentious life will not take you anywhere. There’s no way you will make progress if you are contentious.

HOW TO RESOLVE ISSUES

What water is to fish is what relationship is to man. 

“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector…”  Matt. 18:15-20

If you have an issue with someone, go and tell the person first and if you cannot tell him, forget it. You are first and foremost a Christian before anything else.

ORDER IN RESOLVING ISSUES

As seen in the above scripture,

- Tell it to the person first. If this doesn't work,
- Go to the person with one or two persons. If this fails, 
- Tell it to the church (authority in charge)

Where there is nobody that can talk to you or call you to order, your life/time on earth is limited.

Verse 18-20 is simply showing the authority the church has in resolving issues. As a Christian, you are only permitted to go by the rule of the word of God.

The church is God’s government on the earth. And as a true Christian, you have to learn to honour every man and give every man their respect.

“Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine… Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses”. 1Tim. 5:17-21.

We have to learn to honour those who labour in the word and prayer such as your Pastor, also your parents, church leaders/authorities, etc. Doing these is part of what will accelerate your progress. There are certain openings in your life that are tied to it.

- One way to honour your Pastor is by living your life by the word of God he preaches.
- Mind how you receive words against an elder and what you hear against an elder.
- God is a God of principles and the word must remain what governs us and remain our guide at all times.

“Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?...I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers! Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?” 1 Cor.6:1-7

Scripture calls it a shame for a brother to take his brother to the court of law. Paul is asking if there was no wise person/believer in the church who can preside over the matter. Let your stand in every matter be the stand of the word of God. We must allow God to be God in our lives, this way, we can be sure that we’ll always have His backing.

Everybody you have seen going up or make progress has been cheated, hurt, deceived, etc. at one time or the other. Don’t live your life in a way that those who can speak into your life are unable to do so.

The strongest of men are the easiest to go down

Anybody you make God outside of God in your life, God will remove such persons from your life

Whatever you put your confidence in that’s not God, will eventually become your downfall

- Don’t enter into what you cannot handle, that’s usually the takeoff point.
- Do good, we should feel free to interact and connect and if there are issues, let it be dealt with by the rules of the word of God.

Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. Heb. 13:17

We should be submissive to those who are placed as leaders over us because our actions or inactions can cause grief in their hearts and that will not be profitable to us.

- Don’t sow the seed of discord. Parents also are to be wary of sowing the seed of discord among their children.

HOW TO MEASURE/KNOW THOSE WHO ARE RULING WELL

- Are you being fed with the knowledge of God? Jer. 3:15, 1 Sam.12:3
- Is it the good and right way that’s being taught? 1 Sam. 12:23.
Where there is no love there is no life, and no life, no God.
- Is Christ being revealed? Is He being taught? Eph.4:11, 1 Cor. 11:1, Acts 1:1
- Is there an ample supply of the word of God, or are you been starved? Acts 20:28, John 6:68

Summarily,

- The greatest tool in the hand of the enemy to stop us is our emotions, so let’s not give in to our emotions and sentiments.
- Let us be governed by the principles of God’s word
- Let’s stop sowing the seed of discord especially among brethren.
- Live free from offenses, bitterness... etc, so you can be free

Where there’s no love, there’s no power
Make sure your lifestyle does not cripple anybody’s faith.

THE POTENCY OF THE WORD

(John 1:1, Proverbs 4:20-21, Col. 3:16, John 17:17, John 8:32, Deut. 32:45:49, 1 Tim. 2:15, Joshua 1:8, Luke 10:42, Phil. 4:8)

“In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God”. The Hebrew term for “word” is “dabar” and it is mentioned 394 times in the Old Testament to mean communication as regards to the “word of God” or the “word of the Lord”. This also implies the expression of His being by which He makes Himself known to us or reveal Himself to us. For example in 1 Samuel 3:21 “And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord”. We can also say the Lord revealed Himself through the bible, therefore it is up to us to see Him in the bible (Genesis-Revelation).

In Proverbs 4:20, we are admonished to give attention (pay attention) to God’s word. When we pay attention to God’s word and it becomes a part of our lives, it will have an effect in every area of our lives. When we carefully pay attention to God’s word, the issues of life we are battling with will not be an issue at all. When we refuse to give attention to God’s word it is to our detriment, God does not need the word, we do.

The word of God is our manual for living (John 6:63). Studying and obeying the bible teaches us how to live and access the blessings of God. There is nothing life demands that is not obtainable in the word, every situation, challenges in life we are faced with have a word solution to it, but it will require giving the word attention.

The issue is this, rather than giving the word attention, we are busy attending to other matters and other matters cannot give us the satisfaction or solution we need (Note: it is not that we should not attend to other matters, but the word should guide us on how to attend to other matters)

Jesus warned Martha in Luke 10:42, you care a lot about other things but Mary sat down at the feet of the master to listen to what He has to say, and that one thing cannot be taken away from her. We must come to a point where the Bible should be our guide in handling the issues of life. Let’s stop living as if God just threw us into the world to “take care” of ourselves. He gave us a guide “the bible”. Our responsibility is to open it and use it accordingly.

The word of God still has its potency and integrity, all through scriptures, there is a strong emphasis on the power of God’s word. (Hebrew 1:3, 11:3) The word “uphold” in Hebrews 1 implies to sustain/maintain, so the word can sustain and maintain your life. There is much power in the word when it’s declared in faith, remember faith is a product of the word. Even in prayer, the word is relevant. If you are empty of the word, your prayer will be limited.

The word can also be used as a weapon of warfare (Ephesians 6:17). It is described as the sword of the Spirit, not just a sword but a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12); this authenticates the word as a weapon of war. Don’t die in silence; you have in the word what it takes to defeat satan, that is what Jesus used to displace him. Take time to stay with the word, give it attention if you want it to work for you.

HOW TO ASSESS THE POWER IN THE WORD
1.    Reading the Bible alone is an instruction (1 Timothy 4:13) and when you read it, there is a blessing attached to it. Revelation 1:3. Reading the scriptures gives us hope. It nourishes our souls. What physical food is to the body, the scriptures is to the soul.

2.    Study: studying scriptures is going beyond reading. You want to learn more, acquire more knowledge when you are studying scriptures. In studying, you dig deeper; there are some things you cannot assess just by reading. The Berean Christians took time to study scriptures to be sure what they heard was the truth.

3.    Meditation: it means to think carefully about something, to ponder on something continuously especially things read/studied from scriptures. We must know that meditation remains God’s method in meeting the cravings of our hearts. If what we read or study would be profitable to us, then we must learn how to meditate.

4.    Putting the word to work (practicing the word). This is the only way the word can work for us. You do not just hear but do what the word says. (James 1:22, 1 Timothy 4:15-16) The value of the word is seen in the application. When you don’t apply the word, you will not experience the power in it.

Conclusion: Where we are now, demands we give the word attention; it has the ability to solve all our problems and bring us closer to God. Let’s go back to the major (the word) so that the minor we are majoring in will not be an issue. That is why Paul said, “I commend you to God and to the word of His grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified”. Acts 20:32.

MAIDUGURI PROGRAMS

Join Pastor Courage Ode in MAIDUGURI for a  5 Day power-packed program @ Love Revival Ministries INT. (aka Love Family Assembly)

Links for the Live Broadcast will be available soon

Pray, Plan and Prepare to attend

MAKING YOUR CALLING AND ELECTION SURE

 “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers”.  3 John 1:2. True prosperity begins from the soul (Inside).

So, your prosperity is dependent on the prospering of your soul. If your soul is not prospering, you won’t prosper. Prospering is not something that is static. There has to be a daily and regular upgrade of your soul. As your soul prospers, you stay in health and you prosper all round.

“But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day”. (Prov. 4:18) The brightness is progressive, it is not static.

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. (John 8:31-32)

 It is not enough to be born-again, you are Jesus’ disciples indeed if you continue in His word. And you can only know the truth if you abide in His word, continue in His word; then and only then will you be free. Needless to say, our freedom, therefore, comes only when we know the truth. We cannot have the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ except we abide and continue in the word. If we call Him Lord, Lord, then we must do the things He says. He must be the one in charge and control of our lives.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser…I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing”. John 15:1-5. Jesus clearly states in this scripture that without Him we can do nothing but with Him we can do all things as Paul confirms in Phil. 4:13.  If we abide, stay more with Jesus, we can do all things. If you are struggling in any area of your life, you should check if you are really following and having a walk with Him.

We must embark on progressive growth and development till we become like Jesus.  It is very possible that you are growing in age, but are not developing as you ought. God is a God of principle and process. You must subject yourself to process. Your faith will be tested, so your convictions must be strong.

There is no vacuum in life and you must not be static. The brightness of your light should be on the increase. You do not outgrow spiritual exercises, reading and studying the scriptures, fasting and praying, etc. There’s no room for retirement, we need to keep refiring.

“Therefore He says: when He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…”  Eph. 4:8-16. The ministry gifts are for the perfecting of the saints...till we all come...unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

The way to show you are growing is to know how much of Christ you are revealing, that’s a part of the reason we come to church, and fellowship. Our perfection or imperfection is measured using Jesus as the measuring rule.  2 Peter 1:1-10, makes it clear that:

1)  It is possible to stumble, fall and fail as a believer. We need to echo this truth because there are all kinds of doctrines trying to negate this truth.

2) It is also possible to be barren and unfruitful

We must be diligent, make deliberate conscious effort to develop our character and conduct, spiritual sensitivity, fellowship with God etc, and we must be consistent in doing it.  You cannot develop anything whether spiritual or physical if you are not consistent in it. You have the responsibility to make your calling and election sure.

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition…”  (2 Thess. 2:1-3)

We must not be ignorant of the fact that we are in times of high level of deception, so if you do not want to be swept away, you must choose not to be among those who are or will be deceived as some will be, before the coming of Jesus. If you are not focused on the truth you will be deceived.

3)  There is what to add, or what you must not lack if you will not fall, fail or stumble. This plays out with how we spend or use our time. We must be deliberate in giving our time to God. There's a common adage that says "Time will tell", it's not time that will tell, but what you do with time, that will tell

4) Ahead of us, there's light and darkness, plenty and scarcity; however, if you will not lose your place in the coming days, you must develop the CHARACTER, the STRUCTURAL FORMATION for the VISION, for the MANDATE, for the EXPECTATION, the CHALLENGES and the BLESSINGS ahead.

Joseph had a dream, but if he had not developed the character and structural formation, the dream wouldn't have been fulfilled.

Jesus grew and developed before He started ministry.

There is no promotion without a test. There is always room for growth for all of us in order to get better.

Let’s prepare and equip ourselves for the days ahead

One of the greatest evil in the present day church, is embracing a gospel that does not place personal responsibility on the believer.

We must become very deliberate in growing and developing. We must make up our minds to be partakers of Jesus’ divine nature. And that divine nature is perfected in love, and Christ is love.

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”. 2nd Peter 1:5-8

As you continually exercise your faith, it is producing something. God cannot commit to you beyond the extent to which you have grown. Your real collateral is your life, your character. Build it.  As you are building good character, you should also be seeking for spiritual understanding and this comes as you read and study the word, fellowship with the Holy Ghost, read books that will enhance your overall spiritual growth and development as you mature in Christ.

If you are becoming more like Jesus, you will love everything about God.

God didn’t call you to mind your business but to mind His business

You don’t outgrow what you need to grow in. We must be deliberate in growing in these qualities- 2nd Peter 1:5-8.

It is the word of God that should define your lifestyle, not your environment. Keep pushing, make progress, rise up.

 

SEEK KNOWLEDGE

 “night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?” 1 Thess. 3:10

Remember we walk by faith and not by sight. Without faith it is impossible to please God and we certainly cannot receive from the Lord without faith. The truth is, whatever is lacking in our lives has the ability to produce all kinds of limitations.

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord”. 2 Pet. 1:1-2

Grace and peace is multiplied through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ. 

Virtually all of our struggles are rooted in the absence of grace and peace that comes through the knowledge of God.  Peace is not just the absence of trouble but is a state of well-being all round.

Grace and peace doesn’t come automatically. We must make a deliberate effort to seek the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ in order to grow in grace and peace.

 Life is motion, the more we move on in life, the more difficulties and challenges we have to deal with. We need the grace and the peace of God to overcome the challenges of life. We’ve got to become very deliberate; things do not just happen in life. We have to be deliberate about seeking the knowledge of God to have the grace and the peace of God.

“As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue”. 2 Pet. 1:3

The call of God is a call to life and godliness, but for us to have access to the things God has given us; it has to come through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ.

Whenever we get stuck, we ought to go back to our example-Jesus. But many times, we don’t go back to the example to see how to navigate these times. We do not have it all; there are things that may be lacking in our lives and whatever is lacking is in Jesus and we must seek to know it in order to add it.

In order to upgrade our lives spiritually and otherwise, it has to be through the knowledge of Him. Upgrading your life doesn’t happen by accident. It is in Jesus Christ that our strength and life lies.

It is through knowledge that we shall be delivered. (Prov.11:9) You are not wasting your time when you pick up your bible to read. We are meant to be living and functioning like Jesus through the knowledge of Him.

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins”. 2 Pet. 1:5-9.

If we are not deliberating adding to our lives and growing, we’ll be dying. Being born-again is the beginning of the journey and not an end. We are wired to grow and develop. We are at our best when we are growing. Diligently add to your faith/life.

If these qualities are not growing in you, your life will be a misrepresentation of Jesus.

Let’s stop playing church. Let’s be diligent in growing and not just stay at the level of being born-again.

“Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble”. 2 Pet. 1:10.

Don’t become complacent as a believer. You may be getting older in age but not growing. Jesus said you are my disciples indeed if you continue in my word. John 8:32

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing”. John 15:4-5

Once you start functioning out of the vine, out of purpose, out of where God has placed you, you start dying.

Your communion with the brethren must not take the place of your communion with the Lord, and vice versa. Each has its place.

 There’s more to assess. You must not come to a plateau. Your path should be shinning more and more.....

If your walk with God is deliberate and functional, you will not need anyone to supervise you.

Let us continue in the things that will make us disciples indeed; such as reading and studying our bibles, praying, meditating on the scriptures etc. these are habits that you must constantly be growing in.

There is what to add to make your calling and election sure. Rise up, and refuse to be complacent.  Don't be lost in the pool of survival. 

Christ is the greatest motivation you need. When you find Christ, you’ll find everything in Him. Never compromise the prosperity of your soul. Your priority should be from the inside out.                                                                                                 

A CALL TO REPENTANCE

Many times, we pray that there shall be no peace for the wicked and that those who delight in war be scattered. These are word-based prayers that God will answer. But we have to ask ourselves certain questions lest we are also victims when God answers our prayers.

Who is the wicked?
Is God sleeping?
Why would He allow the angel of death to be moving about the earth?
 Am I wicked?

“Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered”. Heb.5:8. Jesus is our perfect example and we are to follow in His steps.
 
In the light of the present happenings, what have we learned, and what are we learning?  This question is important because how soon the present circumstances we are experiencing in this nation will end is tied to this.
 
It is what we have learned or not, that will determine our placement and ultimate destination. Jesus was able to learn obedience so he was given a name above all else. Jesus humbled Himself. Though He was a son that had never known shame or reproach, he went through these in humility.  If we do not humble ourselves, we will be disgraced
 
“With my soul I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early; For when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness”. Is.26:9.
 What are you learning? -Righteousness or Unrighteousness? Telling the truth or telling lies? The same circumstances that will make some learn righteousness, will make others learn unrighteousness. IT IS A CHOICE.
“But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved”. Act 2:16-21.
 
There is a re-ordering, a scattering. In these last days, God will do some things through willing vessels that will bring about a re-ordering and scattering and it is to the intent that God will get the undivided attention of men. Men will be forced to look to God, to turn to God. We need to ask however if we, His people understand what God is up to. Anyone that does not know that all these happenings should bring one closer to God now, is a fool.  All of these shaking, is to the intent that men be saved.
 
“…Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? And Jesus answered and said to them: Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows”. Matt.24:1-8
 
Distractions and deception will be on the increase in these times and if all these do not drive us to the place of prayer, then we have not learned our lesson or are not learning our lessons. This is a wake-up call. There will be birth pangs, and it should drive us to a place of travail. It should birth a hunger, a yearning for God, a desire to seek Him. When a woman is in labour, it will be clear to all.  Does our present attitude as the church show we are experiencing birth pangs? These are not the days one needs to be begged or coerced to follow God and serve Him. There's suffering that prevents further suffering. There's a sorrow that prevents further sorrow.  You either humble yourself, or you are humbled.
 
God is actively preparing people for the coming of Jesus.  The devil is also actively preparing men for the coming of the anti-Christ.  Which are you participating in? It is by your lifestyle and choices this is determined.
 
In Hag. 2:1-9, God is saying, I am going to cause a shaking to the intent that all eyes will see me, that His glory will fill the earth, etc. Thus, your words, actions must align with His. If we will not be shaken off, we must take a stand with Him.
 
There’s a shaking going on. He wants to take all the glory. He does not want to share the stage with anyone. Anything and anyone that refuse to align with Him will be shaken off. Everything that man puts confidence in will fade away. Right now, nothing is reliable. It is only God that will not fade away, for He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. JESUS IS THE ONLY CONSTANT. Your confidence should be in nothing else, but Him.   If you do not want to lose relevance, stay with God.
 
“When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land”. 2 Chron. 7:13-14.
 
There’s no restoration until there’s forgiveness and there’s no forgiveness until there's repentance
 
Without repentance there’s no forgiveness and restoration. The healing and restoration of the land are tied to God’s people. Repentance is more than just saying I am sorry, it means a turning away and a stand never to do it again. How long this season will last is determined by how fast and willing we are able to learn our lessons in order for Him to do His part. Our present attitude, choices, conviction, and lifestyle as the church do not show we are sorry.  God wants to be sure we are truly repentant.  He wants to see the fruits of repentance.
 In Acts 3:19, there's no conversion until there's repentance. There is no refreshing till sins are blotted out. There is a presence we will not enjoy until there is repentance.
 
Every time you hear God's word, new light comes and this should lead to “repentance ", a turning. God's word empowers you to move from where you are, to where you ought to be.
 
 We should be reminded that God is a righteous judge.  It is a bridge of divine ordinance if we do not repent and we are praying for forgiveness, peace, and mercy.
 
Prayers
- Lord we ask that you grant us a heart of repentance, humility, and obedience.
 
- Lord, melt our hearts. We surrender totally to you, individually and collectively.
 
- Isaiah 26:3. Lord my trust is in you.  My mind is stayed on you.
 
- Isaiah 26:4-9 Lord with all my heart I seek you.
 
- Hebrews 12: 27-28. Lord, I receive grace to serve you acceptably with reverence and godly fear.