The Multi-Dimensional You! (3)

(Family Matters)
 
It's a new day. Welcome to your season of grace. The Lord will perfect all that concerns you in Jesus name. I started the series of Multi-dimensional You! by laying the foundation of your position in God's creation. Also, you did not just drop from heaven to earth but God channelled your coming through your earthly parents, to whom you are obliged to respect and honour.

This week, I will be teaching You As Husband / Wife. If you are yet to be married, one day, you shall be and this truth will set you free from every marital crisis.

In this dimension, you are a wife to your husband and a husband to your wife.  At your marriage, your husband/wife relationship is established. I want to encourage us to ensure that you maintain a healthy husband/wife relationship. The success of this dimension of your life has a lot to do with you, and not with the priest, the pastor or minister that joined you together.

Gods' Word in Matthew 19: 4-6 says: ...that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,'  and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate (NIV).

The issue of leaving and uniting with your husband / wife is not just on the physical or following each other about. But let trust and good communication be in place, this will establish your marriage and success in your home.

Most times, due to your Adamic nature, you tend to look up to your spouse seeking for what you can grab and what you can get. Not necessarily in terms of physical or material things, but you seek for attention at all times. Instead of seeking for what appeals to your selfish nature, seek on a continuous basis what you can contribute to your spouse's life. 

What can you contribute?  One question I often ask myself which I think will be helpful to you is, "What can I do today to add to my husband's life?"  I don't have to meet him physically and ask "What can I do to add to your life today?" You don't necessarily have to do that, but there is nothing wrong, if occasion arises, and you ask what you can do for him.  Ask yourself what you can do as a plus before today runs out. 

 As you call on the Spirit of God inside you, He will guide you and show you a particular thing.  It may look seemingly little, but as you do it, you may find out that that thing you are doing is actually making the husband/wife relationship between you stronger by the day. 

The Bible says: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again(Luke 6:38). This scripture is not just applicable to giving offering in the church or for welfare services, it can be applied in your day-to-day husband and wife relationship.

As a wife, if it means getting hot water for him in the bath, you are adding something to him physically. Whether he thanks you or not, the day you are not there, he will remember, "Oh! If my wife were here now, this water would have been here before I get to the bathroom".  So, he is remembering you for good.

As a husband, when last did you tell your wife her that hair is looking nice? As little as this could sound, you are adding to her up-keep and she goes out thinking of your compliment all day.

Spiritually, pray for your spouse and you will realize that you will enjoy this dimension of your life which many dread so much. Marriage is to be enjoyed and not to be endured. Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor (Eccl 4:9 NIV).

The first step to take, in order to receive grace to effectively be a good spouse as expected by God, is to give your life to Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Do you want to be born again? Why not say this prayer in faith and you shall be born again! "Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You today as a sinner.  I believe You died for my sins and rose on the third day.  Forgive me my sins.  I accept You as my Lord and Saviour.  Make me a child of God today".

Congratulations! You are now a child of God!

Growing Children Of Destiny! (3)

(Family Success)

 

Welcome to a fruitful time in the presence of God. Last time, I shed light on The Rod Of Discipline. Let me make it clear that undisciplined parents cannot discipline their children effectively. You must be careful to practise what you preach.  Remember, an ounce of example is worth a ton of preaching, and children have more need of models than critics.

If you tolerate a flaw in a child, it will remain.  A child, unlike an adult, does not see far enough to produce his own self-control. Therefore, this week I will be discussing: The Rod Of Discipline (2) and I will be looking at the Types of Rods of Discipline.

The Spiritual Rod: The spiritual rod is the Word of God. It is the strongest rod you can use in disciplining your child. The Word has the in-built capability to change and transform life. The Word of God can reach into the soul and spirit of a man, penetrating deep into places where a physical rod cannot go.

 The Bible says: For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Heb 4:12 NIV). What a great tool for discipline!

How can the Word of God be effectively used for discipline?

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  (2Timothy 3:16-17)

If your child misbehaves, rather than beating, locate an appropriate scripture and sit him down. Show him from the Word of God why his deed or attitude is wrong and why he must change. Trust the Holy Spirit to give you the right words and appropriate illustrations.  This is essential, because the child needs to understand that his negative action is displeasing to God and that there is need for him to repent and ask God for forgiveness. 

Give the child room to accept his fault, all the while trusting the Holy Spirit to convict him. If you do that, even when you are absent physically, the Spirit of God will keep working on his conscience.I want to challenge you to use more of the spiritual rod than the physical; it has a more lasting effect.

The Physical Rod: The physical rod is the cane. There's an adage that says, "Spare the rod and spoil the child." The Bible also supports the use of cane. Prov 23:13-14 says: Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

Please note, never form a habit of always beating your child with a cane. But spanking a child should be very occasional, or else the child becomes hardened. You must never beat your child out of anger; otherwise it would be just to placate your anger. If you have to beat your child at all, make sure you explain to him the reason for your actions.  Make sure he knows love is behind it. At all times, the spiritual rod (the Word of God) should be applied first before you ever think of applying the physical rod (the cane).

It takes being a child of God to truly comprehend how to grow your children into destiny. If you are not yet born again and you would like to, please pray this simple prayer: Dear Jesus, I come to You today acknowledging that I am a sinner needing Your forgiveness. I believe You died for me and rose again on the third day. Forgive me my sins, wash me with Your Blood and write my name in Your Book of Life. Thank You Lord for saving me.

Congratulations!  You are now born again and a child of God.

Wanted: Authenticity

"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless."

— Matthew 5:13

 

There is a difference between a believer who is seeking to live a godly life, but struggling, and the person who claims to be a believer, but blatantly disregards what the Bible says and chooses to live a lifestyle out of God's plan. My request of those in the latter category is to please do us all a favor and be quiet. It sounds surprising to hear an evangelist ask someone to not tell others about Christ. But the key text of the Sermon on the Mount is Matthew 6:8, when Jesus said, "Don't be like them. . . ." Essentially, Jesus was saying, "Don't be like this world. Be different. Don't be like them."

So what are we to be? We are to be salt. Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless." In Jesus' day, salt was a bigger deal than it is now. The Romans believed that except for the sun, nothing was more valuable than salt. It actually was used as a form of currency, and Roman soldiers would sometimes be paid in salt. Hence the expression, "He is not worth his salt."

We are all going to have moments of hypocrisy. If I said I have never been a hypocrite, then I would be hypocritical for saying that. Believers have not always practiced what they preached. That is called humanity. Every Christian will fall short.

But if you are a Christian and are living a lifestyle that is contrary to what the gospel teaches and what the Bible says, then please don't talk about Jesus. Because the world needs authenticity today.

A Preserving Factor

 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

— Ephesians 5:15–16

 

In the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth . . . " His listeners would have immediately understood what He was saying: "You are a preserving factor in the culture today."

Salt not only was a valuable commodity in the first century, but it also was used as a preservative. In the absence of refrigeration or ice machines, salt would be rubbed into meat to keep it from the process of putrefaction. Also, meat would be sliced into slender strips, dipped into a saline solution, and thereby preserved until a later date.

In the same way, Christians can act as a preservative in the culture. As a representative of Jesus, you, as a believer, can change the dynamic of a room. That very tension says that you are a representative of Jesus Christ, and people know it. Your presence makes a difference.

But we can't sting the world's conscience if we go against our own. We cannot be an influence for purity in the world if we are compromised in our purity. We cannot be used by God to stop the corruption of sin in others if it has corrupted us. Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men" (Matthew 5:13).

It is the Christians who stand up for what is right. It is the Christians who speak out against what is wrong. It is the Christians who are always at the front line of every effort around the world to help people who are hurting, regardless of whether they have faith. That is what Christians do. We are the salt of the earth.

Shine Your Light

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."

— Matthew 5:14

 

When you are living for Jesus Christ, your very presence will sometimes bother others. And the more godly a person is, the more obviously this will take place. Few things are more difficult to put up with than a good example. And when you live this way, it really gets the attention of people.

Light reveals things. We have all heard the well-worn excuses as to why people don't believe in Jesus. But the real reason people don't believe is they don't want their sin exposed. They don't want to acknowledge their shortcomings. The Bible says, "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed" (John 3:19–20).

Light not only exposes what is hidden in the darkness, but light shows the way out. In the same way, the light that shines from Christians shows people not only their shortcomings and their sins, but it shows them the way out, the way to Jesus Christ.

What kind of general opinion do you think people would have of Christianity if you were its sole representative? What if every Christian lived exactly like you? How many would be attracted to or turned off by the gospel? Jesus said, "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). You may be the only representative of Jesus Christ that your friends, your family, your coworkers, and your neighbors may ever meet. And they will evaluate the whole idea of Christianity on the basis of what they see in you. They will form an opinion about what they think about God based on you. So let your light shine.

"Father, Forgive Them. . . ."

Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."

— Luke 23:34

 

Can you think of someone right now whom you cannot imagine ever being a follower of Jesus Christ? I would challenge you to start praying for that person by name. No one is beyond the reach of God's hand. Jesus prayed for the very people who crucified Him. Can you pray for someone who has wronged you?

In one Gospel account, we read that both criminals being crucified with Jesus joined in the mockery from the onlookers. The King James Version calls them thieves, but the word that was used to describe the kind of criminals they were is far more severe. These men probably were insurrectionists or murderers, engaged in trying to overthrow Rome. That is why they were being dealt with in such a harsh way. The Romans wanted to make an example out of anyone who dared to defy their power.

These two hardened criminals had heard it all, seen it all, and probably had done it all. But then Jesus made His first statement from the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34). And right there on the spot, one of those hardened criminals believed. He had never seen anything like this before. Think of all that he had been exposed to during his life that brought him to the place where he was now, where he was dying for his sins and crimes. Yet to hear someone who had been treated even worse than him, who had been whipped and scourged and beaten—in addition to being crucified—actually pray for His enemies caused this man to believe. He turned to Jesus and said, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom" (Luke 23:42).

No one is beyond the reach of prayer. Who needs your prayers today?

Beware of Snakes

Have you ever seen a baby rattlesnake? They are actually kind of cute. Everything is miniaturized. They get that menacing look on their face, bare their fangs, and shake that rattler, warning you of impending doom.

You might look at it and think, "What harm could a little snake like this do?" The answer: plenty!

Did you know that the venom of a baby rattlesnake is more toxic than that of an adult rattlesnake? The best thing to do if you see a baby rattler is either kill it yourself or find someone who can.

I know they play their part in the balance of nature, etc. But they also play their part in biting people—sometimes with very unpleasant results.

The Bible compares Satan to a snake:

"Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said, "You shall not eat of every tree of the garden"?'" (Genesis 3:1).

Satan often gets us with the "smaller sins" that turn into larger ones. In other words, "little" compromises lead to big consequences.

He knows what he is doing, and has honed his craft of temptation for many years. He knows that if he can just get you to "think about it," then he has a foot—or a fang—in the door!

When Satan wanted to lead the first man and woman into sin, he started by attacking the mind (in this case, the mind of Eve). Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:3, "I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ" (NASB).

Why? Because it is here, in "command central," that we reason, contemplate, and fantasize. Your mind can reach into the past through memories, and into the future through imagination.

This is why the Bible says, "For the weapons of our warfare are not physical but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ!" (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Satan, the Deceiver, wants to get you to "just think about it," and to say, "What if . . . ? I mean I would never do this, but if I did, what would it be like?"

To accomplish his purposes, though, Satan needs help. Many times, we say, "The devil made me do it." But the fact of the matter is the tempter needs cooperation from the tempted.

Scripture tells us that every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed, and baited by his own evil desire (or lust or passions). (See James 1:13–14).

Remember, it's not the bait that constitutes sin; it's the bite!

God's Deliberate Plan

Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

— Acts 2:23–24

 

If you have ever lost anyone suddenly, unexpectedly, you know exactly how devastating it is. It tears you up inside. You don't even know if you will be able to survive it. It can seem like a fate worse than death.

This is how the followers of Jesus felt when He was taken from them and murdered in cold blood before their very eyes. We have the advantage of knowing the whole story of the death and resurrection of Jesus. But these first-century followers of Jesus were living it in real time. It was their hope that Jesus would establish His kingdom on earth, and they would rule and reign with Him. He was their Lord. He was their Master. He was their everything. And then suddenly, unexpectedly, without understanding why, He was betrayed by one of their own. And when Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished!" that is how they felt. It was finished. The dream was over. The end had come. But really it was just the beginning.

Everything was going according to plan—God's plan. The incarnation was for the purpose of the atonement. Jesus was born to die that we might live. When the wise men came and brought their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the child Jesus, each one of those gifts had significance. They brought gold because He was a King. They brought frankincense, or incense, because He would be our high priest, representing us to God. And finally, myrrh was an element used in embalming, because Jesus was coming to die for the sins of the world.

Much has been said about who was responsible for the death of Jesus Christ. But it was the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God for Jesus to die—and to rise again.