A PRODUCTIVE AND FRUITFUL CHRISTIAN II

In Philippians 2, we have a checklist of a different sort—qualities of a productive Christian servant. The first several verses of this chapter describe a servant leader as they reveal the mind of Christ and His humility. But then Paul turns a corner and gives a series of personal admonishments. In these verses, we see five characteristics of a Christian servant: 

1. CONSISTENT

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.—Philippians 2:12

As spiritual leaders, isn’t this the verse that we pray for our children, Sunday school classes, church families—those we lead in any area? We desire that their Christian walk would be consistent at all times.

Our own walk should also be consistent! There shouldn’t be a duplicity in who we are “on the job” compared to who we are when we are with our families or alone with our thoughts.

There should be unquestionable, predictable constants in our lives that include integrity, graciousness, humility, and faithfulness.

2. YIELDED

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.—Philippians 2:13

We tend to put a great deal of emphasis on what we do, but this verse reminds us that it starts in what we will. To be who God wants us to be, we must surrender our wills to Him and allow Him to shape our desires.

3. RIGHT SPIRIT

Do all things without murmurings and disputings:—Philippians 2:14

When we find ourselves murmuring about everything and disputing with everyone, we can be sure that our circumstances and our co-laborers are not the problem. It is our heart that needs to be adjusted. Generally, a riled spirit is a sign of an unyielded heart. When I find my spirit is agitated, I do well to remember Philippians 2:13 and yield to the Lord to make me willing for a changed heart.

4. GODLY TESTIMONY

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;—Philippians 2:15

Do we not live in a crooked and perverse nation? Then we have all the more reason to shine with untainted lights.

Blameless is an interesting and important word. It means unsubstantiated.People can say anything they want to tarnish our character and cast aspiration on our motives—and they do! But it is our responsibility to see that none of it is true.

5. WITNESS FOR CHRIST

Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.—Philippians 2:16

Paul’s epistles are rich in athletic metaphors. The picture in this verse is of a runner extending his lit torch while finishing his race. We can’t control the darkness around us, but we can keep holding forth the word of life—we can continue to preach the gospel and invest our lives in eternity.

I look forward to “the day of Christ,” and it is my heart’s desire that I will have run faithfully and laboured fruitfully until that day.

These verses from Philippians 2 challenge me to look past my to do lists and run with a quality of heart that brings honour to the Lord.

A PRODUCTIVE AND FRUITFUL CHRISTIAN

Fruit can be either good or bad (Matthew 7:18; Luke 6:43). Romans 7:5 says, “For when we were in the realm of the flesh . . . we bore fruit for death.” A fruitful Christian will produce better results: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life” (Proverbs 11:30). Fruit is the direct result of whatever controls our hearts (Matthew 15:19). The fruit of a life not surrendered to Jesus includes “sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage,” and many more evil acts (Galatians 5:19–20). In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit of God is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23).

If we are going to be productive and fruitful Christians, then we need to live by the same principles that Jesus taught his disciples. What are the principles that will enable each of us to live a productive life?

God the Father is the gardener (John 15:1), and He desires us to be fruitful. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). As branches cling to the vine, we cling to Christ, drawing our very life from Him. The goal is “much fruit,” as Christ uses us to bring about blessed, celestial results in a broken, fallen world.

When we have committed ourselves to Christ and live to please Him, the natural result is behavioural choices that look like His. He was clear that true followers of Christ will be recognizable by their fruit: “Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:16–20).

There are many ways Christians can be fruitful. True fruitfulness begins in the heart with the fruit of the Spirit. That inner fruit affects outward actions; our words and our activities will glorify the Lord, and God’s will is accomplished. God’s desire is to transform us into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29) and make us as fruitful as He was. In our allegiance to Him, we want to be characterized by good works (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:7;Colossians 1:10), humility (Ephesians 4:2; Titus 3:2), and forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13). We want to always be ready to “give an account for the hope that is within you” (1 Peter 3:15). We desire to be the “good soil” Jesus spoke of in the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:3–9. The result of spiritual fruitfulness is that God is glorified, we grow, and others come to know Christ—this is the ultimate fruitfulness for a child of God (Matthew 5:16; Acts 20:26–27; Mark 16:15).

ENLARGE THY TENT -PART 2

“Enlarge the place of your tent” means “widen your heart.” God does not want his people to sit around feeling sorry for themselves. He does not want us to be selfish. Sometimes we feel sorry for ourselves for good reasons: we have health problems, marriage problems, financial problems, relationship problems. We find ourselves thinking about ourselves and worrying a lot. Jesus summed up God’s commands by saying, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbour as yourself.” God’s people cannot be self-centred or even family-centred. We must open our hearts to the people around us who need Jesus

Stretch your tent curtains wide. This means, “See God’s vision. A near-sighted person wears thick lenses in his glasses. He can only see what is right in front of his nose. He only looks for things that are for his own benefit. He asks, “What’s in it for me? But God is not near-sighted. He has a vision for the whole world. A barren woman has no need for a bigger tent. But God’s command is to „Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide.“ This tells her that she does need a bigger tent. God’s command–„Enlarge the place of your tent; stretch your tent curtains wide“–tells this sorrowful woman, Israel, to have God’s vision.

Lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. If one makes the place of his tent larger, he must have longer tent ropes and he must hammer the tent stakes deeper into the ground. Firstly, we can lengthen our cords by believing the promises of God and acting on those promises. Abraham began his life of faith when he believed God’s promise, „I will make your name great; I will make you into a great nation; I will bless you and you will be a blessing. “ Abraham caught God’s vision. He believed God’s promise and obeyed God’s word. He left his home country and his family and friends and went to the land God showed him. He lengthened his cords. This was the first step in becoming a father of many nations–the first step in becoming a man with God’s vision. Secondly, we must strengthen our stakes by deep Bible study and much prayer. We cannot do God’s work with human zeal. Even if we catch a glimpse of God’s vision for the world, we cannot do anything unless we learn to depend on God in prayer and learn to listen to and obey his word. God’s word has life giving power and life-changing power. God gave us his word and taught us its power. We have received this legacy. We pray that we may be used to share the word of God, the word of truth with a confused and hungry world.

Prayer lengthens our cords and strengthens our stakes. During the study of Acts, I was moved by Peter’s dependence on the Bible. He based every message on the word of God. In Luke 24:45, Jesus opened the minds of his disciples to understand the Scriptures. Jesus was a Bible teacher. He wants his disciples to also be Bible teachers. When we seek to obey Jesus’ world mission command, God blesses us. Isaiah 54: 3 says, For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.“ This reminds us of God’s promise to Abraham, „…Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed.“ (Genesis 22:17-18) To be conquered by men is a curse, but to be conquered by God is the way of blessing. Also, God’s people were empty, fruitless and without hope. But God had hope for them and for the world. So they must take hold of God’s hope and not give up. God had and still has hope to evangelize the whole world through his people. Isaiah 54: 5 says, for your Maker is your Husband–the Lord Almighty is his name–the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.” We are weak and helpless. But our God is great. He loves us like a husband loves his defenceless wife. Israel was once unfaithful to God, he punished them by sending them into Babylonian captivity. But he didn’t stop loving them. He would bring them back. “With everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you, says the Lord your Redeemer.” Our God is the Father of the Prodigal Son. He longs for his people to return to him.

We love God because he first loved us. But sometimes we sin. We love ourselves and the world more, so we are unfaithful to our Husband, God. God is very sorry. We suffer for our sins, but God does not abandon us. He welcomes us. He doesn’t stop loving us. Our lives can be fruitful only by the grace of our true Husband and Redeemer, God. When we are united with him through a vine and branch relationship with Jesus, our lives can bear fruit to God. His Holy Spirit indwells us. When his word is in us and we are in the word, we bear fruit. Let us renew our love relationship with Jesus. Let us rejoice in our true Husband, the almighty redeemer and Lord of all the earth. Let us enlarge the place of our tents and stretch our tent curtains wide. Let us strengthen our stakes and lengthen our cords and be a blessing to the world.

ENLARGE THY TENT

“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back;lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes" Isaiah 54:2

Prophet Isaiah was addressing the people of Israel who had been taken into Babylonian captivity because of their unfaithfulness to God. They had become like a desolate woman. It is amazing that God gave this command and vision to his people Israel at a time when they were at their lowest point. God spoke through his servant Isaiah to plant God’s hope in the hearts of hopeless and despairing people. God is a God of mercy and forgiveness. Furthermore, God still had a purpose and a plan for his people, even though their situation seemed hopeless. His purpose would take a surprising turn. So in verse 1, Isaiah says to this barren, desolate woman, “Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labour because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.” God had a plan to make this desolate people fruitful. He had a plan to save them and bless them and use them to be a blessing to the world.

The people had broken their relationship with God their Creator and true Husband. Before the relationship could be restored, he had to deal with the sin problem. In Isaiah 53, God gave them the promise of the Messiah. “Isaiah 53:4-8 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, … he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed…and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” God’s plan to save his people and the world starts with the promised Messiah who would take all of our sins on himself and give us healing and peace and a right relationship with our God. Jesus would be the great and real fulfilment of this prophesy.

In Isaiah 54, he describes the sorrowful and hopeless situation of the returning exiles. The good news is that he loves them. He would heal their wounds and take away their sins. So, even the sinful people have hope. God’s grace is free to sinners who receive it, but it is costly to God. In Isaiah 54, God plants hope in their hearts, he confesses his love for them and promises to redeem them. So he says, „Sing, burst into to song, shout for joy, because the children of the desolate woman are more than those of her who has a husband, says the LORD. He acknowledges that they are without hope and with joy or meaning in life, then he challenges this despairing woman to do something that seems impossible for her to do. He says, “burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labour;” He promises her that she will not end her life as a desolate woman. He gives her hope and vision. He says, “Enlarge the place of your tent.”

Our broken relationship with our God must be healed. We need to claim God’s promised Messiah as our Saviour, Lord and King. We accept his forgiveness and healing. We accept his love. He is our true Husband. Verse 5 says, “your Maker is your Husband–the Lord Almighty is his Name. He alone gives us freedom. He prayed, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Our hope is in the Risen Jesus who will come again in power and glory to establish his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. This is our ultimate hope. God’s word gives vision and hope.

Isaiah acknowledges the hopeless situation of God’s people. He says that they were like a barren woman. But in spite of their situation God has vision and hope for them.” He is the one who will make them fruitful. He challenges them to sing for joy, and to enlarge the place of their tent. He challenges them to reach out to draw the whole world into the tent of God. When the promises of God come into our hearts, fear, despair, grudges and bitterness go out. May God’s promises and God’s hope come into our hearts. May he help us to enlarge the place of our tents and stretch our curtains wide. May he help us widen our hearts and minds. May he help us embrace the sorrowful and sin-sick people of our world with his love. How can we do this? How can we enlarge the place of our tent and stretch our curtains wide?

DON'T BE DISCOURAGED

“Moses went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens.”
Exodus 2:11

Moses saw the oppression of his people and felt certain that he was the one to deliver them, and in the righteous indignation of his own spirit he started to right their wrongs. After the first strike for God and for the right, God allowed Moses to be driven into blank discouragement, He sent him into the desert to feed sheep for forty years. At the end of that time, God appeared and told Moses to go and bring forth His people, and Moses said – “Who am I, that I should go?” In the beginning Moses realized that he was the man to deliver the people, but he had to be trained and disciplined by God first. He was right in the individual aspect, but he was not the man for the work until he had learned communion with God.

We may have the vision of God and a very clear understanding of what God wants, and we start to do the thing, then comes something equivalent to the forty years in the wilderness, as if God had ignored the whole thing, and when we are thoroughly discouraged God comes back and revives the call, and we get the quaver in and say – “Oh, who am I?” We have to learn the first great stride of God – “I AM THAT I AM hath sent thee.” We have to learn that our individual effort for God is an impertinence; our individuality is to be rendered incandescent by a personal relationship to God (see Matthew). We fix on the individual aspect of things; we have the vision – “This is what God wants me to do;” but we have not got into God’s stride. If you are going through a time of discouragement, there is a big personal enlargement ahead.

POTTER'S HOUSE EXPERIENCE

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord:  “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.”  So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Jeremiah 18:1-4

Jeremiah was facing difficult times and the Lord wanted to teach him a special lesson, so that He could understand why such hard times were coming upon the nation of Israel. So He sent Jeremiah to the house of the potter where Jeremiah started to understand God’s truths. Jeremiah saw the skill and wisdom of the potter as he formed and fashioned a pot on his turning wheel – and as he fired and baked the pot in the furnace of fire. Through all the twists and turns of the rotating wheel as well as the heat of baking kiln, the artistry and skill of the potter was used to shape and mould and form and complete whatever vessel the potter in his wisdom chose to make. And if the clay in the hands of the potter was ruined in process – he would set to, to refashion it into another vessel – a good vessel – a vessel that seems right to him

We are like that clay that has been taken up by our heavenly Potter to be fashioned and formed as He thinks best. The daily round of life and the common tasks we face seem to go round in circles – and the fires of affliction and pressures of life at times seem hard to bear. But we are His children. We are the clay in the hands of our Father, Who is shaping, molding, forming and completing us into the person He wants us to be – a vessel fit for His use. Sometimes we think we should be up and doing for the Lord, if we are to become a useful vessel for Him. But the picture of the potter demonstrates that the vessel that stays patiently in the hands of our heavenly Potter, as He carries out His best purpose in our lives, is the one that will be formed and fashioned as is best for us.

Let us trust ourselves into the hands of our heavenly Potters hands for they were wounded for us. He will shape us and mold us and fashion us and form us into the vessel that is best pleasing to Him. But sometimes, as He turns us on the rotating wheel of life – we become dissatisfied with His training. Sometime as He squeezes us into the shape of His choice, it can become so uncomfortable. Sometimes as we are being baked in the fiery kiln of life – the pressures we face become unbearable – When this happens just remember that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

 

Stay Blessed

TRUST IN THE LORD AND DO GOOD

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture - Psalm 37:3

 

Have you noticed how often the Word of God calls us to trust in the Lord, to believe what He says in Scripture – to have faith in Him and in all that He says? He knows that trusting in the Lord is the only secure place we have in a world that lies in the evil one. He knows that if we acknowledge Him in all our ways and trust Him in all the ups and downs of life, He will direct our goings out and our comings in and He will govern our lives in a way that is best for us, and those around us.

We are to trust Him in the temporal as well as the spiritual, to trust Him for things of the body as well as the soul; to trust Him in time and into eternity; to trust Him in all the ages and stages of our lives; to trust Him in the insignificant menial tasks of the day as well the grander decisions that face us in life, and to trust Him in every aspect of His great plan of salvation – for He knows the plans He has for us, but He wants us to trust in Him, to believe His word, to have faith in Him – even when we don’t understand.

Have you noticed how often that we are called upon to do good, to love mercy, to forgive and consider others as better than ourselves – to follow His paths and listen to His guidance? There is none good, no not one and the only good that we can perform is when we are in Christ – when we are in union with Christ through faith in Him and when we live and move and have our being in submission to the Spirit, and when we are in sweet communion with the Father. All good flows from the Lord and the only good of which we are capable is that which is done in His power and strength – and God has prepared all these good works in advance for us to do – but remember that all that we do should be to His praise and His glory.

It is through faith in the Lord and submission to the Spirit that we can feed on His Word by faith with thanksgiving; be nourished with the gospel of His great salvation and rest in His love. And we are to do this in the knowledge that He is with us in the insignificant menial tasks of the day as well as being our guide in the grander decisions of life that face us. No matter what happens in life, our times are in His hands and we are called-on to trust all into His hands – for this is good and honouring to Him. We are to do the good things that He has prepared for us to do in His strength and power, knowing that He is a faithful God and His faithfulness is new every morning – and He will feed us like a shepherd and guide us through all the valleys of life. Great is His faithfulness.

 

Stay Blessed

JESUS WORD, OUR STRENGHT

These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. John 16: 1

The gracious words of the Lord Jesus are light and life; they are health and wholeness, they are truth and love and they are words of great comfort for all His children. The words of Jesus bring peace and hope and His words keep us from stumbling – would that we pay attention to The Word made flesh – who is the only One that will guide us into all through truth – through His written Word of truth by means of His Spirit of truth.. 

 

The cross was drawing ever closer and the disciples were agitated in their hearts and in this passage the Lord is seeking to reassure them and give them a glimpse into things that were to come. Christ had made many references to the crucifixion and His rising from the dead after three days but He also wanted to prepare them for things yet to come – things that would take place after He had left them – things would become so much clearer in the future from the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit of Truth would be sent , to the mysteries that would be unveiled to them through the ministry of the apostle Paul. 

 

So many of the Lord’s words to the disciples were spoken to move them from the fraught emotional thinking, that ravaged their anxious hearts to the calm influence of the gospel truth that would set their hearts free and keep them from stumbling. 

 

The gracious words of the Lord Jesus are light and life; they are health and wholeness, they are truth and love, they are peace and comfort – and these words are spoken to you that you may be kept from stumbling.

Stay Blessed

COMPLETE IN JESUS

For in Christ all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form and in Him you have been made complete.-Colossians 2:9

The syncretism and traditions of men do not have Christ as the focal point and Paul was warning the Colossian believers not adopted these basic, world philosophies of men or their legalistic laws, because they cloud the true concept of Christ and distort the biblical truth of the Lord Jesus in the mind of the believer – they rob the Christian of a proper understanding of the wonderful sufficiency and amazing adequacy of Christ in the life of ALL believers. Such unwholesome thinking prevents us from having the correct biblical view of Christ which is that within Him dwells ALL the fullness of the Godhead bodily – ALL the essence of the Deity inhabits the Lord Jesus in bodily form – the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily within CHRIST – in the Lord Jesus all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form : and IN HIM YOU HAVE BEEN MADE COMPLETE. 

The legalistic traditions of men, foolish philosophies of the world and false teachings in many churches prevent believers from coming to a true understanding of who that are in Christ, because these teachings reduce the sufficiency of Christ in the mind of the believer – (i.e. they rob him of the true perspective of all that Christ in in the Christian life), and IN HIM YOU HAVE BEEN MADE COMPLETE. 

These philosophies add heavy burdens to believers by teaching that you have to add something more to the  full, final and finished work of Christ – BUT the truth is laid out in the Scriptures and when you accept the truth  from the Word of God – that ALL the essential essence of Deity inhabits the Lord Jesus in His bodily form and that you have been made complete in Christ as fact, then  you have the most wonderful security in God, which allows you to rest in the Lord Jesus – for you know that in Christ ALL the total fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form : and IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD, YOU HAVE BEEN MADE COMPLETE.

Stay Blessed

GET RID OF ALL BITTERNESS

One of the most pervasive sins which too often feeds our fleshly attitudes and appetite is bitterness. Bitterness is often the root of many emotional outbursts and is too often birthed by a smothering resentment against the injustice or unfairness of another or due to problematic circumstances – some of which may be real while others may be perceived – some of which may have been avoidable and others unavoidable.

Bitterness is seen in this passage as a root that can morph into a number of other sinful attitudes and ungodly practices. It can smolder into deep-seated wrath or mushroom into explosive anger. It can be exhibited in slanderous speech, malicious gossip, or clamorous complaining.

But when bitterness is allowed to take root in our heart it can grow into a poisonous volcano that spews its toxic venom over all who pass by. Bitterness is also like a tree, which can branch into every area of our life and cause devastation, distress and destruction – to ourselves and to others.

But we are instructed to get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. We are exhorted to be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.

Kindness, compassion, forgiveness and grace were shown to us at the cross of Christ and they are the spiritual fruit that Paul tells us can halt and reverse the growth of bitterness in our heart.

The main component to annihilate bitterness in our heart and its ungodly sisters seems to be forgiveness. When genuine forgiveness is married to kindness, compassion and grace it deactivates bitterness and all its ruinous counterparts. When kindness, compassion, forgiveness and grace is sprinkled over the root of bitterness it will shrivel away and allow us to love in the same way that Christ loved us and gave Himself for us.

- See more at: http://www.knowing-jesus.com/ephesians-4-31/#sthash.57UxAXMB.dpuf

One of the most pervasive sins which too often feeds our fleshly attitudes and appetite is bitterness. Bitterness is often the root of many emotional outbursts and is too often birthed by a smothering resentment against the injustice or unfairness of another or due to problematic circumstances – some of which may be real while others may be perceived – some of which may have been avoidable and others unavoidable.

Bitterness is seen in this passage as a root that can morph into a number of other sinful attitudes and ungodly practices. It can smolder into deep-seated wrath or mushroom into explosive anger. It can be exhibited in slanderous speech, malicious gossip, or clamorous complaining.

But when bitterness is allowed to take root in our heart it can grow into a poisonous volcano that spews its toxic venom over all who pass by. Bitterness is also like a tree, which can branch into every area of our life and cause devastation, distress and destruction – to ourselves and to others.

But we are instructed to get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. We are exhorted to be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.

Kindness, compassion, forgiveness and grace were shown to us at the cross of Christ and they are the spiritual fruit that Paul tells us can halt and reverse the growth of bitterness in our heart.

The main component to annihilate bitterness in our heart and its ungodly sisters seems to be forgiveness. When genuine forgiveness is married to kindness, compassion and grace it deactivates bitterness and all its ruinous counterparts. When kindness, compassion, forgiveness and grace is sprinkled over the root of bitterness it will shrivel away and allow us to love in the same way that Christ loved us and gave Himself for us.

- See more at: http://www.knowing-jesus.com/ephesians-4-31/#sthash.57UxAXMB.dpuf

One of the most pervasive sins which too often feeds our fleshly attitudes and appetite is bitterness. Bitterness is often the root of many emotional outbursts and is too often birthed by a smothering resentment against the injustice or unfairness of another or due to problematic circumstances – some of which may be real while others may be perceived – some of which may have been avoidable and others unavoidable.

Bitterness is seen in this passage as a root that can morph into a number of other sinful attitudes and ungodly practices. It can smolder into deep-seated wrath or mushroom into explosive anger. It can be exhibited in slanderous speech, malicious gossip, or clamorous complaining.

But when bitterness is allowed to take root in our heart it can grow into a poisonous volcano that spews its toxic venom over all who pass by. Bitterness is also like a tree, which can branch into every area of our life and cause devastation, distress and destruction – to ourselves and to others.

But we are instructed to get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. We are exhorted to be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.

Kindness, compassion, forgiveness and grace were shown to us at the cross of Christ and they are the spiritual fruit that Paul tells us can halt and reverse the growth of bitterness in our heart.

The main component to annihilate bitterness in our heart and its ungodly sisters seems to be forgiveness. When genuine forgiveness is married to kindness, compassion and grace it deactivates bitterness and all its ruinous counterparts. When kindness, compassion, forgiveness and grace is sprinkled over the root of bitterness it will shrivel away and allow us to love in the same way that Christ loved us and gave Himself for us.

- See more at: http://www.knowing-jesus.com/ephesians-4-31/#sthash.57UxAXMB.dpuf

One of the most pervasive sins which too often feeds our fleshly attitudes and appetite is bitterness. Bitterness is often the root of many emotional outbursts and is too often birthed by a smothering resentment against the injustice or unfairness of another or due to problematic circumstances – some of which may be real while others may be perceived – some of which may have been avoidable and others unavoidable.

Bitterness is seen in this passage as a root that can morph into a number of other sinful attitudes and ungodly practices. It can smolder into deep-seated wrath or mushroom into explosive anger. It can be exhibited in slanderous speech, malicious gossip, or clamorous complaining. But when bitterness is allowed to take root in our heart it can grow into a poisonous volcano that spews its toxic venom over all who pass by. Bitterness is also like a tree, which can branch into every area of our life and cause devastation, distress and destruction – to ourselves and to others. 

 

 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice - See more at: http://www.knowing-jesus.com/ephesians-4-31/#sthash.57UxAXMB.dpuf

Read; " Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all "- Ephesians 4: 31

But we are instructed to get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. We are exhorted to be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.

 

Kindness, compassion, forgiveness and grace were shown to us at the cross of Christ and they are the spiritual fruit that Paul tells us can halt and reverse the growth of bitterness in our heart. 

The main component to annihilate bitterness in our heart and its ungodly sisters seems to be forgiveness. When genuine forgiveness is married to kindness, compassion and grace it deactivates bitterness and all its ruinous counterparts. When kindness, compassion, forgiveness and grace is sprinkled over the root of bitterness it will shrivel away and allow us to love in the same way that Christ loved us and gave Himself for us.

 

Stay Bless

One of the most pervasive sins which too often feeds our fleshly attitudes and appetite is bitterness. Bitterness is often the root of many emotional outbursts and is too often birthed by a smothering resentment against the injustice or unfairness of another or due to problematic circumstances – some of which may be real while others may be perceived – some of which may have been avoidable and others unavoidable.

Bitterness is seen in this passage as a root that can morph into a number of other sinful attitudes and ungodly practices. It can smolder into deep-seated wrath or mushroom into explosive anger. It can be exhibited in slanderous speech, malicious gossip, or clamorous complaining.

But when bitterness is allowed to take root in our heart it can grow into a poisonous volcano that spews its toxic venom over all who pass by. Bitterness is also like a tree, which can branch into every area of our life and cause devastation, distress and destruction – to ourselves and to others.

But we are instructed to get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. We are exhorted to be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.

Kindness, compassion, forgiveness and grace were shown to us at the cross of Christ and they are the spiritual fruit that Paul tells us can halt and reverse the growth of bitterness in our heart.

The main component to annihilate bitterness in our heart and its ungodly sisters seems to be forgiveness. When genuine forgiveness is married to kindness, compassion and grace it deactivates bitterness and all its ruinous counterparts. When kindness, compassion, forgiveness and grace is sprinkled over the root of bitterness it will shrivel away and allow us to love in the same way that Christ loved us and gave Himself for us.

- See more at: http://www.knowing-jesus.com/ephesians-4-31/#sthash.57UxAXMB.dpuf

UNDERSTANDING OF GOD THROUGH HIM

And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5: 20

Throughout His gospel and his letters, the apostle John points to the Lord Jesus Christ as God incarnate – the Word made flesh, Who dwelt among us.. full of grace and truth. From beginning to end John points to Christ as the only way to God, the only truth from God and the only life of God – in Whom alone is abundant life.. eternal life and the forgiveness of sins.

The Spirit of truth is witness to the Word of truth and so John is able to proclaim that we know that the eternal Son of God has come to earth.. to live and to die as the perfect, sinless Son of Man – and that He has given us understanding in Him – for He is the visible image of the invisible God, full of grace and truth. And He alone has made the Father known to all who will trust in His name.

Love of the Lord Jesus and obedience to His command is the focal points of John’s writing.. so that all who believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God would know, without question that they have eternal life in Him.

It is this confidence in Christ that enabled John to write that we know that the Son of God has come. We know that Christ has made the Father known to us and we know that in Him we have been given spiritual understanding and godly wisdom.

God in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth to reconcile man to the Father through the Son.. and to give spiritual understanding and godly wisdom to all who would trust in His name – Who is the only way to God, the only truth from God and the only life of God.

Stay Blessed

OUR HOPE IS IN HIM

Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; II Corinthians 1:10

In Paul writings to the church at Corinth, there are many issues that Paul wanted to emphasis for their learning and many behaviours that needed correction. But Paul also wanted to comfort, encourage and edify these believers – and so often we find that this is done by calling to remembrance all the wonderful things that God has done for us – and anticipating all the wonderful things that God has in store for the future.

 

Paul reminded them that they were called to be holy and enriched by the grace of God – and he also reminds us that our God is a God of comfort, especially in those times of trials and difficulty – for God is always in control and His grace is always sufficient .. no matter what trials or tribulations we may be called upon to face. God has promised to deliver us – and His promises never fail.

We all remember this popular hymn from our hymn book-"My hope is built on nothing less"

My hope is built on nothing less                When darkness veils His lovely face,

Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;        I rest on His unchanging grace;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,            In every high and stormy gale,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.                My anchor holds within the veil. 

       Chorus: On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

                     All other ground is sinking sand,

                                             All other ground is sinking sand.         

His oath, His covenant, His blood,           When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Support me in the whelming flood;           Oh, may I then in Him be found;

When all around my soul gives way,          In Him, my righteousness, alone,

He then is all my hope and stay.                Faultless to stand before the throne.

 

God is faithful – and not only has he already delivered us from the consequences of sin and eternal separation from Himself, by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on Calvary’s cross.. but He has also promised to deliver us from the evils of this world, as we travel through this earthly life – our hope is in Him, knowing that He Who has already delivered us.. will deliver us again.

 

God’s hand of deliverance has been evident in the past and it is equally certain in the future. God has not only promised to deliver us FROM our trials and distresses but He has promised to save us IN our trials and tribulations. His deliverance is as sure and His Word is true.. and we are to live by faith in His Word. We are to live by trusting His Word – in the sure knowledge that having been delivered from such a terrible death.. God will deliver us again. We have put our hope in Him, knowing that His Word is true.. and that His promise to deliver us again rests upon His Word of truth – for God has placed His Word above His holy name.

 

Our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Stay Blessed 

UNDERSTANDING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFT

God gives every Christian spiritual gifts that that are essential for building up the Church. When you understand your role in the Body of Christ, the unchangeable features in your life can take on new meaning and bring you to a deeper level of self-acceptance.

Physical scars, difficulties, and infirmities are like the underside of a tapestry. They may appear to make little or no sense in themselves. However, God’s design in giving spiritual gifts is like the top side of the tapestry. His purposes give meaning to everything on the underside.

Gifts at Work in the Body of Christ

The analogy of the physical body helps us picture the vital role of each gift within the Church. A body has many members. Each one carries out specific functions that are needed in order for the entire body to thrive. In the same way, the Body of Christ is made up of many individuals. Each one has an essential contribution to make.

There are seven motivational spiritual gifts listed in Romans 12:6–8. Each Christian has one of these gifts, which shapes his frame of reference. Therefore, seven Christians could have seven different perspectives on any given situation. Each one will have unique insights into how to effectively meet needs and tackle projects. Each perspective brings balance to the operation of the whole.

Instead of becoming frustrated with those who have different perspectives, Christians must communicate and cooperate with each other. When they work together and develop a balanced perspective, their unity and productivity deepen. As Christians learn to value the gifts God gives each believer and to recognize their need for other members of the Body, they will be able to effectively fulfill the assignments God gives to them.

Each Gift Is Essential

All the members of the Church are interdependent. None is inferior. None is superior. God uses all the members to make the Body function as it should. Equal care should be given to each member, because all are needed and necessary for the Body of Christ to experience the abundant life that God has prepared for them. Each member is valuable, regardless of unchangeable features in his design. (See I Corinthians 12:12–31.)

“If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?” (I Corinthians 12:15–16).

“The eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you” (I Corinthians 12:21).

Only as all the members of the Body of Christ work together will they be equipped to do what God wants them to do. As you accept God's design for your life and recognize your spiritual gift, you’ll be ready to take on your role in the Church. You will experience the joy and fulfillment of being a vital part of the Body of Christ.

PRAYERS FOR THE SEVENTH MONTH

Praise the LORD.

Let us mark our 7th month, with loud blasts of prophetic prayers.

 

These prayers will help you leapfrog above every competition, no matter how far they’ve gone ahead of you. This month, you are in the circle of testimonies

 

II Chronicles 5: 13-14 Start your prayers with thanksgiving. Acknowledge the things God has done. 

Now to the prayers

1. Every problem following me from my place of birth be roasted in the name of Jesus.

2. Powers that renew bondage, hear the Word of the Lord, die die die in the name of Jesus.

3. I prophesy that this second half of the year shall favor me, whether the enemy likes it or not, in Jesus name.

4. O LORD, send the sword, the famine and pestilence into the camp of my stubborn pursuers this month in Jesus name.

5. Evil prophecies that have gone forth against my destiny, be cancelled by the blood of Jesus in the name of Jesus.

 

6. O LORD reveal to me the abundance of peace and truth this month in Jesus name.

 

7. O LORD release your tongue of fire upon my life and burn away all spiritual filthiness present within me in Jesus name

Don’t let the enemy fool you. Be reminded of God’s Word in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “16Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”; and Ephesians 6:13 “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

God bless you






 

TO PASTORS AND MINISTERS: 9 PRACTICES TO AVOID IN MINISTRY

This is a share thought from Pastor Thom Rainer, President, Lifeway Christian Resources tagged “9 Stupid things I did as a Pastor” 

If you want to read the tale of a Pastor who really did some dumb things, keep reading. 

I served as Pastor of four churches. It was only by the grace of God and the graciousness of the congregations that I was called and allowed to stay at those churches. I absolutely love the members of those four congregations, and I will forever be grateful to them and for them.

Frankly, I’m not sure I would give myself a passing grade as a pastor. I messed up quite a bit. I would do several things differently today. And as a point of full disclosure, my list of nine is not close to being exhaustive. 

1.       I neglected my prayer life and time in the Word too often. It sounds absolutely insane as I write it, but I got too busy for God. As a consequence, I operated out of my own insufficient power too many times.

2.       I neglected my family too often. Paul wrote these words to Pastor Timothy: “If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?” (1 Timothy 3:5, HCSB). Ouch. So many times I communicated through my actions to my family that they were not as important as other church members.

3.       I let the crisis of the moment overwhelm me. In doing so I did not trust in God to see me through the situation. And I did not have a longer-term perspective to understand that difficulties are only for a season.

4.       I perceived most of my critics as my adversaries. Some of my critics actually had constructive input. Others were going through their own struggles, and I was a convenient target. I took criticisms personally instead of responding pastorally.

5.       I competed with other churches. Shame on me. Too often I wanted my church to have a greater attendance than other churches in the area. I should have been praying for and working with those other church leaders more.

6.       I neglected praying with my staff. My prayer time with my church staff was haphazard at best. The one thing we needed to do the most, we were doing the least. I was a terrible leader on that front.

7.       I often worried about what others thought about me. My sole concern should have been how Christ-like I was. Too often I sought the approval of others rather than the blessings of God.

8.       I often yielded to unreasonable requests and demands. Instead of spending my time doing those things that really mattered, I gave in too often to the “squeaky wheel.” I sacrificed the great in order to do the good.

9.       I gave up too often. Due to frustration, exhaustion or, more often, lack of faith, I gave up on challenges too quickly. I am convinced I missed out on many victories when they were just around the corner. 

Those are but a few of the stupid things I did as a pastor. Most of you can breathe a sigh of relief that I never served as a pastor. So why I am writing these self-critical comments at this stage of my life? I pray that some of you may see something in your own lives and leadership that you can correct before it’s too late. God is able. God is willing.

Although far to many pastors, missionaries, youth leaders, and individual Christians serving God have repeated each one of these, he have been able to articulate them in a way that bring an individual to a place where they can evaluate their own actions and move forward if they choose to in their own life. 

Share your comments.