WHAT CHOICES?

MEMORISE: In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. Psalm 15: 4.

READ: JOSHUA 24: 14 – 20.

14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve theLord.

16 And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods;

17 For the Lord our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:

18 And the Lord drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the Lord; for he is our God.

19 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

20 If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 CHRONICLES 24 – 26.

During the course of life, a time comes when you must decide who to serve. It is a time of choice. At such times you have to decide for yourself who would be your God. Have you faced such scenario? What was your choice? In Joshua 24 : 15, the children of Israel stood face to face with that decision. The midwives of Exodus 1 : 15 – 21 equally faced such challenge – to obey God or the king, and they chose the former. No wonder it is on record that they feared God. Your decisions in life indicate how much fear of God you have. Every divine midwife must be able to take the right decision even when it hurts. In Psalm 15 : 1 – 5, among the qualities listed that are required to enter God’s holy hill, is the ability to swear to one’s hurt without looking back. Can you take a decision to serve God and stand by it without looking back? The midwives refused to obey their king for fear of the highest King.

When it comes to the most crucial areas of your life, may you never make the wrong choice. Many times, we allow the choices of others to influence ours to a great extent: we want to do something only when our spouse or friends agrees to do the same. To be born-again is a very personal and crucial decision. Certain sacrificial decisions are equally personal. Take for instance, when God instructed Abraham to go and sacrifice Isaac, if he had told Sarah, would she have allowed him? He simply kept it from her because he wanted to obey. Today, some believers receive ‘hard’ instructions from the Lord, and because they do not want to obey, they share it with their spouse whom they know would disagree; and finally they tell God that the reason they disobeyed was because they could not agree with their spouse. Remember God knows every secret thought of the heart. Why do you keep looking for excuses not to do what should be done? A divine midwife will always look up to God and obey God’s instructions in spite of contrary circumstances. What are your choices in life? Have you chosen to serve God, to follow the way of holiness and adopt a life of prayer as well as of the study of His word?

KEY POINT:

While the Hebrew midwives manufactured excuses for obeying God, those who claim to love and serve God today are giving reasons for disobeying God.

GOD OF KNOWLEDGE

MEMORISE: Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. 1 Samuel 2 : 3.

READ: 1 SAMUEL 2 : 2 – 3.

2 There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 CHRONICLES 14 – 16.

“Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.” Exodus 3 : 6

In the scripture quoted above, God introduced Himself to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is one of His titles and you can be sure that none of His names or titles is just for fun. The first thing to note about God here is that God is not a talkative. He speaks once in a while but in Exodus 3, He introduced Himself three times. Somebody once said if God speaks two times, it is grace, when He speaks three times, it is amazing grace. While God was introducing Himself to the vessel he would use, the children of Israel were going through the worst suffering, slavery and denial in Egypt even though they prayed. This shows that if you have been praying but have not seen the answer coming, do not be discouraged because He is preparing an answer for you.

Who is this God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? He is a saviour and he sees. He is not blind like some gods. Psalm 94:9 asks: Will the one who formed the eyes not see? He does not only see but He also reacts to what he sees. He saw the Israelites crying to Him in distress and He got them a saviour. Long before the manifestation of danger, God would have seen it and taken steps to prevent it from harming you. He sees and knows all you do and as a result, there is no hiding place from Him. Psalm 139 : 7 – 12 says you cannot hide from God. You may hide certain things from your leaders but not from God. A pastor of a certain Gospel church took interest in a member of the choir and took her to a far away location to avoid prying eyes. When they got to the hotel, they carefully looked around to be sure there was nobody who knows either of them. They were about to fulfil their carnal desires when suddenly the sister had a conviction and said, ‘We forgot to look up. I think He is looking at us’. With that realisation, they called it quits. There is no secret before God. There is no hiding place. Whatever is hidden will one day be made public. Keep away from sin, particularly secret sins. He sees you.

PRAYER POINT:

Ask for God’s peace to reign in every crisis zone of the world.

DON’T BE SATAN’S FOOTBALL.

MEMORISE: For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. Romans 8 : 19.

READ: 2 KINGS 6: 1 – 7.

1 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.

2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.

3 And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.

4 So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.

5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.

6 And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.

7 Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 CHRONICLES 10 – 13.

The word supernatural is a combination of two words – superior and natural. The supernatural is something superior to the natural, which can compel the natural to obey it. The supernatural can cause things to happen contrary to the laws of nature. While the natural sees dry bones as dead and dry, the supernatural on the other hand can make dry bones to live and reverse the irreversible. It is my prayer for you that from today, the supernatural by the Holy Spirit will prevail over every situation you find yourself. In 2 Kings 6 : 1 – 7, when the borrowed axe head fell into the river, the man of God took a piece of wood and threw it into the river. On contact with the anointing on the man of God, the wood sank and what was meant to be at the bottom of the river came to the surface and began to float. In the name of Jesus, all impossibility in your life will contact the power of God and they will become possibilities.

Why does the church need the supernatural? It is needful because the average human being loves something supernatural, which can either be from God or Satan. We know that we are more than just flesh and blood. Every man or woman comprises spirit, soul and body and the spirit inside everyone longs for the supernatural. Unfortunately, those who are yet to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour end up falling into Satan’s net by joining the occult and practicing witchcraft. Some do so for prosperity, security, healing, good luck, etc. However, they do not know that, they have consequently given the devil a foothold over their lives. Spiritual forces control the physical and this is why people want to be players in the realm of the supernatural. Know this: the divine supernatural far supersedes the negative satanic supernatural. In your life, do you see the operations of the supernatural? Is it positive or negative? Your quest should be to have the positive supernatural and not the negative one which can put you in bondage and turn you into Satan’s football.

KEY POINT:

The world is waiting for your manifestation according to Rom. 8 : 19. When will you manifest God’s power and glory?

DELIVERANCE

MEMORISE : He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. Psalm 18 : 17.

READ : PSALM 18 : 16 – 18.

16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.

18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 CHRONICLES 7 – 9.

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8 : 36

Within Christian circles, people often see deliverance only as casting out demons from someone. This is true for unbelievers but when you talk of believers in Christ, it is impossible for Jesus to be sharing His throne in the hearts of a believer with the devil. He is the light and in Him is no iota of darkness. John 1 : 5 says when light comes, it cannot be overpowered by darkness. It is my strong belief that when Christ come into the life of a sinner, at the point of salvation, His light shines in and repels all forms of darkness, except if the salvation is not genuine. However, looking at the example of King Saul, we know that it is possible for someone who used to be a born-again Christian to backslide and end up being possessed of demons. When the Spirit of God left Saul, an evil spirit took over him. That could happen because the spirit of God had stepped out.

For a believer what is deliverance? It is rescuing someone from the battle that he or she cannot win without being assisted. You need deliverance if you are fighting a battle that is beyond you in many respects. Psalm 18 : 17 says, “He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.”

When enemies you can easily handle face you, God will fold His hands and ask you to deal with them while He watches. If a mountain stands in your way, He will ask you to command it to move. But when you are suddenly surrounded by enemies that are too strong for you, He will send deliverance. This was what happened when they threw Daniel into the den of hungry lions. God knew that battle was way beyond the physical ability of Daniel, so he sent His angel to rescue him from the lions. Are you fighting enemies that are stronger than you in power, wisdom, might? The Lord will arise on your behalf and bring you deliverance today. He will hit the enemy at his weakest point and deliver him into your hands.

PRAYER POINT :

Father, in all the battles that are greater than me, deliver me today.

HE EMPOWERS WORDS

MEMORISE: And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. 1 Samuel 3 : 19.

READ: 1 SAMUEL 3: 19 – 21.

19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.

21 And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EZEKIEL 4 – 7.

When you become a divine champion, God will support, promote, strengthen, and make you wise; He will love you, sponsor and sustain you. May He do all these to you from today. In addition, a divine champion fights in the name of the Almighty God. When David was in the ring with Goliath, he told him, you have come to fight me with physical weapons but I have come to fight you with the name of the Lord ( 1 Samuel 17 : 45 ). A divine champion is an ambassador of the Lord. When he speaks, God backs up his words. Concerning one divine champion, 1 Samuel 3 : 19 has this to say:

“And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.”

This is so reassuring and powerful! That a man will decree a thing and God will take up the responsibility of effecting it. In other words, God’s champion gives God tasks to do and He obeys. That also means that God is as committed to His champion as much as His champion is committed to Him.

In 2 Kings 1 : 9 – 12, when some bands of soldiers came to arrest Elijah, they said to him, ‘Man of God, the king wants to see you’. He replied, ‘If I am a man of God, let fire descend from heaven and roast you’: and it was so. God sent fire from Heaven which reduced the soldiers to ashes. At another time, the same Elijah told King Ahab, ‘As God remains on the throne and I remain His servant, the windows of heaven are shut from giving rain for some years until I reverse this decree’ ( 1 Kings 17 : 1 ): and it was so. For the next three and half years, the nation went through its worst drought because God backed up the words of His champion. Are you a divine champion? How many of your decrees have received divine backing? Yet, this is achievable! If God will let none of the words of Samuel fall to the ground, He can equally uphold yours. The question is: what have you done to provoke divine backing? How obedient are you to divine instructions? How much of His Word do you listen to, study, memorise and meditate upon? Do you honour God above everything else? Do you win souls?

KEY POINT:

Which do you belong to of these two categories of God’s servants – those that God upholds and establish their words or those that lack divine backing and their words fail?

WITNESS OF HIS JOY

MEMORISE: Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16 : 11.

READ: LUKE 2: 8 – 10.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EZEKIEL 1 – 3.

We are saved to bear witness of God’s goodness in our lives, particularly His power to heal and ability to give peace. God also wants us to be witnesses of His joy. Psalm 16:11 says joy is always available where God is present. But for this truth, how could Paul and Silas be singing in prison ( Acts 16 : 25 – 26 )? In 1975, I went to Kirikiri prisons (Lagos, Nigeria) for the first time together with an elder. There was a young man who was playing the organ and dancing with so much joy that I could not ignore him. “Is he about to be released?” I asked. The elder told me that the boy bagged a life sentence: he had a quarrel with his friend, gave him a slap and the friend fell down and died. He was charged accordingly and sentenced to death but appealed and his sentence was commuted to life. In prison, he met the Lord and discovered that one could be in prison and yet be spiritually free.

Recently, I visited the prison and a man was introduced to me who has been there for 28 years on death row. When every other inmate is sleeping, those on death row will be half awake – listening for the footsteps of the executioners – until 5 a.m. before they can be sure they will still be alive for that day. Imagine living like this for 28 years! While conducting a service for them, he was singing, shouting and clapping that at least God had given him another day. If somebody whose life is filled with lots of suspense can praise God for each day, why should we not praise God more with a full life ahead of us? It is sad that some believers would have to be pushed or virtually compelled to praise God. Are you a proof producer of His joy? We are not expected to be in sorrow like those who don’t know the Lord because we have the joy that they don’t have. The only time some believers will know a measure of happiness is when a good thing happens to them – say they buy a car, receive a promotion, or have a financial breakthrough. But our joy is not dependent on these fading earthly things. A believer who has no dime in his pocket should be like he owns the world and yes he does, as a joint heir with Jesus!

ACTION POINT:

A popular anecdote says, I was complaining I had no shoes until I met a man who had no legs. If you have legs but no shoes, thank God for your legs.

MEEKNESS

MEMORISE: Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. Luke 23 : 34.

READ: ACTS 7 : 54 – 60.

54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.

59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: PSALM 55 – 57.

One of the outstanding qualities of the midwives in Exodus 1 : 15 – 21 is meekness. Many people usually misconstrue meekness for weakness but this is not so. To be meek is to be capable of doing a lot of damage but to refuse to use such powers for evil. Those midwives had the power to kill new born babies but they refused to use it. Matthew 5 : 5 says, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” This tells us that if you are meek, you will attract material possessions in ways you cannot explain. That also means that if you usually use the power at your disposal to do evil and not show mercy, you will be repelling material things in ways that you cannot understand. No wonder the meekness of the midwives gave them households! In addition, meekness causes things on the earth to cooperate with the one who has it. Meekness is a show of mercy. The merciful obtains mercy and the way of the meek is clear. When the way to progress or prosperity is blocked for some people, they will begin to look for some external enemies, not knowing that it is their vengeful, highly retaliatory and unforgiving disposition that is causing it. 

Every believer is a potential divine midwife and as such should be meek. When somebody is doing everything to pull you down, and you have information about the fellow that can bring him or her down, don’t use it. Those who say: ‘Before you bring me down I will clear you out of the way’, are lacking in meekness. Is your senior pastor persecuting you? Are you seeking ways to get back at him or even to get him sacked? If you are, where is your meekness? A meek fellow does not have the terms: vengeance, unforgiving spirit, impatience with offenders, etc., in his or her dictionary. The meek fellow makes excuses for his or her offenders. Moses was the meekest of men in his days. Also when Stephen was being stoned to death, what did he say? He told the Lord not to record the event leading to his death because they did not know what they were doing. That was also what our Lord Jesus Christ did. That is meekness.

KEY POINT:

If you will not be meek because of the sacrifice it entails, be meek because of the rewards it attracts.

A CHAMPION BY OBEDIENCE

MEMORISE: 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.

READ: 1 KINGS 18 : 30 – 36.

30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.

31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:

32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.

33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.

34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.

35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 TIMOTHY 1 – 3.

A divine champion is someone loved by God. He or she is God’s beloved and as a result, the fellow becomes greater than a conquering general according to Romans 8 : 37. A divine champion is also someone who is sponsored by God. He does everything according to the instructions he receives from God. He never runs ahead of God at anytime. He would rather not move than go anywhere outside of God’s will. When Elijah was praying on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18:36, he said he has done everything according to God’s instructions. The fellow who is truly smart is the one who carries out God’s instruction without relaxing any detail. He or she is totally obedient. He waits on God. Do you hear God’s voice? How obedient are you to His commands? Do you obey His commands selectively – taking what is convenient but leaving what is deemed too sacrificial? If you want to be a divine champion, then you must search out every pending divine instruction and carry it out to the letter. If you still select what to obey and what to disobey from what God has commanded you, you can never be a divine champion.

Moreover, a divine champion is the fellow who is sustained by God. God used the ravens to feed Elijah and afterwards He used the widow in 1 Kings 17 : 2 – 16. Do you know that Elijah did not question God on the method He chose to feed him by? He received all with thanksgiving. Today, when some of us are praying for provision, we also dictate to God how the provision should come. Do you know that some believers refuse a provision that God has given simply because they disagree with the source through which the blessing is coming? After God has answered the prayers of some of His children, He will begin to face their queries: Why did you provide this money through this fellow and not through me? Do you want to take me through some more reproach? Beloved, you can ask God for anything but God is free to answer your request in any way that pleases Him.

KEY POINT:

If Elijah had rejected God’s provision because it came through ravens, he would have starved. If God gives you something, just accept it with thanksgiving.

PROOF PROVIDER

MEMORISE: And ye are witnesses of these things. Luke 24 : 48.

READ: LUKE 24: 45 – 48.

45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

48 And ye are witnesses of these things.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ZECHARIAH 11 – 14.

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”Acts 1 : 8

Our Lord Jesus after His resurrection said in the above scripture that by the power of the Holy Spirit we can become His witnesses. Who is a witness? A witness is someone who saw something happening and rehearsed it to others. Another word for a witness is ‘proof provider’. The Lord is saying here that wherever you go, you should be able to produce proof of His healing power according to the provisions in Exodus 15:26 and Psalm 107:20. To what extent has your life testified of the healing power in the blood of Jesus? How many people have received their healing through your prayers? Some believers are afraid to pray for the sick because they keep asking themselves: ‘What if the sick is not healed?’ But the other question they should ask themselves is: ‘What if God had wanted to heal the sick through them but they refused to make themselves available?’ Never allow the fear of the unknown to hinder what Christ can do through you! In every miracle that could take place in the life of a sick fellow, you have your part and God has His. Just play your role and God will play His.

Besides providing proof of His healing power, you have been called to provide proof of His peace. Isaiah 9 : 6 says Jesus – the one living in you is the Prince of Peace. He freely offers you His peace in John 14 : 27. If you have experienced His peace, you should be able to tell people of it so that they too can access it. Most people are in dire need of His peace. The peace that the world offers is so unreliable, it can disappoint at anytime. In the face of so much fear, threats, terrorism, kidnapping etc., the peace of the world is almost completely eroded. It takes the peace from the Prince of Peace Himself to guarantee true peace, stability, and rest. Is your life exuding the peace that passes all understanding? Be a proof producer of His healing power and peace from today.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, from today, let people see the evidence of Your power in my life and ministry.

TRUE SACRIFICE

MEMORISE: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans. 12 : 1. 

READ: ROMANS 12: 1 – 2.

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ZECHARIAH 7 – 10.

Another laudable virtue in the midwives of Exodus 1 : 15 – 21 was that they were ready to die for what they believed was right. That was great sacrifice! These midwives got to the ultimate in sacrifice – to the point of death! Romans 12 : 1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” For you to follow the Lord at all, you must be ready to sacrifice for the Kingdom. The extent of the sacrifice is what you have to determine. Some people can sacrifice their intellect but not their time. Some can sacrifice their time but not their money. How many times have you sacrificed very interesting television programmes just to be in God’s presence, worshipping or winning a soul to Him? Some people can sacrifice their old or used clothes to be given for missions but cannot buy brand new clothes for the same purpose. Some people can give hundreds and some thousands of naira, dollars or euro but cannot give hundreds of thousands or millions of the same currency even when they can afford it. What level of sacrifice are you presently on?

What is the ultimate sacrifice? This is a point of sacrifice where you can give anything or any amount for the Kingdom. Here, you can give your all – house, car, money, time and even life for the Kingdom of God to be established on earth. You do not mind being killed for your faith in Christ. This is the ultimate sacrifice! When you love God to this point, you begin a new life where everything is totally different. At this point, nothing is anything. Nothing can stand between you and God. Here, obedience is total. This is the place of true sacrifice. Once you get to this point, God can do just about anything through you. He can entrust His riches into your hands and He will carry you delicately like an egg. This is the place where real life starts. May the Lord take you to this point!

KEY POINT:

True living starts from the point of total surrender.

CARNALITY

MEMORY VERSE: For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 1 Corinthians 3 : 3.

READ : 1 CORINTHIANS 3 : 1 – 5.

1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 & 3 JOHN, JUDE.

Besides pride, another evidence of not being broken is carnality and worldliness.

“For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” 1 Corinthians 3 : 3

If you love the world and the things of the world, you are not broken. If you are envious of what God has given to others, you are not yet broken. If your local assembly is operating camps along economic or tribal lines, those taking part in such divisive groups are carnal. Are you so strife-prone? Any little thing you are cursing, swearing or ready to exchange blows? It shows you are yet to be broken. James 4 : 1 – 5 talks of believers who do anything to achieve their aim. They do not mind mudslinging, backbiting and character assassination as long as it gives them what they want. It is an unbroken Christian that will offer bribe for spiritual elevation or ordination. It is an unbroken fellow that will join in or even spearhead a revolt against the church authority. How broken are you?

Moreover, if you find it difficult to mature in faith to the point of leaving milk for meat or bones of God’s Word, it is because you are not broken. This was the state of the church in Corinth. Paul was disappointed at them because as at the time they should be taking the harder stuff they were still inclined to milk. Those who are unbroken select what they receive from God. They choose the Bible passages they like to read and they have some others they will not go near. They choose what to obey and what to disobey from God’s commands. If you love to read the blessings of Deuteronomy 28 : 1 – 13 but ignore reading Malachi 3, it shows you are still not broken. Can you look at yourself and say you are broken? An unbroken believer is one who finds it difficult to forgive. As you carry out an examination of your conduct, attitude and desires, fish out every sign of carnality and go yield completely to the Lord.

KEY POINT:

Your spiritual maturity can be measured by how much love, peace and unity your presence brings wherever you are