đAs you wake up this morning to a beautiful day that the Lord has created, remember that before any word Is spoken from your mouth or any action is carried out by your soul (heart,mind), you (as the creation of God) have a choice to choose the âdoctrineâ or âmode of conductâ or âpurposeâ of how and why, you (as a physical being) want to live or operate in this world today. These choices determines and establishes a âset of preceptsâ, âa mode of conductâ and âa reason (motive)â in your heart and mind that distinctly produces a set of preplanned actions (fruits) and responses in your life. Many will choose to invest in material things by laboring tirelessly today to accumulate endless material wealth. Many today will also choose to invest in sensual appetites and forbidden desires, readily engaging and indulging in them in every way, form and shape, achieving immense pleasure and gratification. Many will also choose today to invest in themselves, building self-egos, self-importance and complete confidence in themselves (their will power & fallen nature of sin). While others however will choose to invest in their spiritual faith and in knowing who their God is-the creator and sustainer of all things. These enlightened souls will delightfully enjoy Godâs presence and glory every moment of their lives, knowing that God is always close to them, protecting and caring for them on all sides. Beloved, God truly desires for all of us to enjoy this physical life on this earth to the fullest through the power of His Holy Spirit who enriches us and strengthens us in all things.
đBeloved will you learn to start your day by surrendering your life to the plans and purposes of God who planted you here on this earth? Will you willingly surrender yourselves to the creatorâs divine love and leading today? For this is the day that the Lord God has made for you (despite its challenges or obstacles) so be glad, be enlightened (in his life and purposes) and rejoice in it.
đIsaiah 43:21 declares These are the people I (God Almighty) made and created for myself, and they, at all times, all circumstances and all situations will always sing my praises forevermore đ.
đLuke 13:24-28 & Matthew 7:13 declares Strive with earnestness in this physical life to enter in through the narrow door that leads to heaven; For many, I say to you, will seek to enter in and will not be able to. When the master of the house has risen up, and has shut the door, and you begin to stand outside, and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door to heaven for us!’ then he will answer and tell you, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Depart from me you workers of iniquity (For you indulged in everything else in your physical life but in knowing me as your God and creator);For broad and easy is the way to eternal hell, destruction and damnation and many will enter through it.
đIsaiah 55:1-2 declares Why spend money đ° on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me (God Almighty) and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you. Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
đEphesians 3:17-19 declares So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been deeply rooted and securely grounded in love, be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints the width and length and height and depth of His love fully experiencing that amazing, endless love and that you may come to know practically, through personal experience the love of Christ which far surpasses mere knowledge without experience, that you may be filled up throughout your being to all the fullness of God so that you may have the richest experience of Godâs presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself.
Matthew 7:15 declares Beware of the false prophets, false teachers, false pastors (Shepherds), fake acquaintances or even fake friends who come to you dressed as sheep appearing gentle and innocent, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
What does the above scripture mean?
It means that there will be people in this world or in your church that will refuse the life (holiness & attributes of God) of Jesus and reject the gospel of salvation (the gospel or message that brings repentance, inner change and peace with God) and will superficially hold on to the outside form of religion using deceitful words and actions to pretend to be the sheep or followers of God. But they are really wolves on the inside, holding on to their old nature, their selfishness, their evil, dishonorable desires, their pride and their rebellious nature towards God and his ways.
What is the nature of a wolf?
đWolves attack: It is their inborn or innate nature to attack. Spiritually this nature is symbolic of people who constantly fight, backbite and stir up trouble with each other using lies, manipulations and untrue senarios. They canât or wonât live in peace;For it is their nature to always fight, stir up trouble with one another. It is their innate nature to attack, to find fault, to compete , to accuse, to instigate, to compare and to destroy the peace in others and in themselves. We must learn to stay away from such people who thrive in drama and love drama.
đWolves devour: It is their innate nature to devour flesh and blood in order to satisfy their cravings, appetites and hunger. Spiritually this nature is symbolic of people living in this world who have a need to devour only to satisfy their own evil and selfish desires. They live only to feed on their forbidden desires and flesh. They are not spiritual or moral in nature but carnal and sensual in every way. They donât care about serving God nor do they care about others. They live only for themselves-serving their evil, selfish appetites and egos alone and surrounding themselves with family and friends who will feed and cater to their evil appetites and lifestyles.
Romans 8:8 declares And those who live and operate in the flesh-living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses cannot please God.
đWolves are wild creatures (animals): Wolves cannot be tamed or taught to be gentle in nature. Spiritually this is symbolic of people who cannot be rehabilitated or taught reason. They reject correction and godly counsel and wonât find a reason to improve or better their lives. They refuse to change their uncultivated fallen state. They resist God in every way and wonât allow Him to transform or change them into his sheep;For the sheep of God diligently follow and hear the shepherds voice only. These people remain stubborn, rebellious and vicious in nature till the very end of their lives producing no fruit of righteousness or productivity at all.
Psalms 92:5-6 declares How great are Your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep beyond manâs understanding. A senseless man in his crude and uncultivated state knows nothing, Nor does a self-righteous fool understand this.
đWolves bites are deadly: Wolves have a bite force of around 1200 PSI. They can bite through a moose femur in two or three bites (crushing bones in seconds). Spiritually this is symbolic of people who gossip and say mean words to attack, hurt and discriminate others in order to build their own personal egos and superiority. Their words aim at crushing ,breaking and hurting others bones rather than promoting healing to the bones. Bones over here are symbolic of oneâs validity and strength.
Proverbs 16:24 declares Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweet and delightful to the soul and healing to the body.
Proverbs 3:8 also declares This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
đWolves hunt:This is symbolic of people who constantly roam and wander into peopleâs homes, churches and lives looking for opportunities to harm, to use, to confuse, to seduce, to control and to destroy. They seek only to satisfy their evil, lustful and wicked unnatural cravings. Rapists, molesters, stalkers, muderers are included or fall in this category.
2 Timothy 3:2-4,6-7 declares For people will be lovers of self in the last days [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, and they will be unloving devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control intemperate, immoral, brutal, haters of good,traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of sensual pleasure rather than lovers of God, For among them are those who worm their way into homes and captivate morally weak and spiritually-dwarfed women weighed down by the burden of their sins, easily swayed by various impulses, always learning and listening to anybody who will teach them, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Allow the Holy Spirit God to change you today into the image and nature of Jesus Christ our Lord. Turn your eyes away from the riches and perishable things of this world and turn your eyes also away from your self-your selfishness, your dishonorable desires, your fleshy/unrealistic dreams and forbidden pleasures present in your body and shaped after the ways and passions of this world. Look up to Jesus-his kingdom and his way of life. Only then you will truly be able to see the sovereignty and presence of God in your lives.
Colossians 3:2 declares Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above the heavenly things, not on things that are on the earth which have only temporal value.
Acts 7:55 declares But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
Letâs now examine the nature of a sheep. The Bible repeatedly refers us or the church (body of believers) to sheep. There is a reason why God chose to compare us (believers or chosen) to sheep and not to any other animal in the Bible. The reason for this comparison is for us to grasp the innate nature of this animal and learn from its obedience and willingness to follow its shepherd (Jesus Christ) always. Letâs meditate on a few verses that shows us the nature of a sheep:
đFirst sheep have the ability to hear, discern and know the voice of God (their true shepherd and creator) among the multitude of voices present in this world. Because of this attribute or nature, God speaks to us daily and calls us by name and leads us into pastures (Pastures symbolic of spiritual food that gives spiritual and eternal life)
John 10:3 declares The doorkeeper opens [the gate] for this man, and the sheep hear his voice and pay attention to it. And knowing that they listen he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out to pasture.
đSecond sheep have the natural urge and instinct to be led by a shepherd and to follow a shepherd. God who is our shepherd leads us with a pillar of fire at night, a cloud of glory by day and with a rod of wrath/correction. He uses the rod of correction (Chastising) to correct our paths or gently tap/nudge us in the right direction. He also uses the rod of wrath as a weapon against wolves or Satan trying to snatch us away from him. Jesus Christ leads us away from darkness, the desires of our flesh, the deceit present in this world and from Satanâs hold into a kingdom of light and righteousness
John 10:4 declares When he has brought all his own sheep outside, he walks on ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice and recognize his call.
đThird when the sheep donât follow the voice of the shepherd or strays away from his care and voice, they have a tendency to get lost easily (confused, bewildered, helpless and easily misled or deceived)
Psalms 119:176 declares I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments.
When sheep get lost and break away from the flock and care (commandments) of God, wolves and demons move in for the kill.
Psalms 44:11 declares You have made us like sheep to be eaten [as mutton]. And have scattered us in exile among the nations.
How do the sheep scatter ?
They scatter away from the good shepherd through their sins, the imaginations and assumptions of their own wicked heart, their disobedience to the shepherd and through false doctrines taught by false prophets or shepherds.
Jeremiah 23:1 declares âWoe to the shepherds (civil leaders, rulers) who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!â says the Lord.
John 10:12 also declares But the hired man (pastor, prophet, teacher etc who merely serves for wages but does not have the heart of a shepherd or the call of God ], who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf (demon/destruction/hard times/judgment) coming, deserts the flock and runs away; and the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them.
This is why Jesus Christ declares in the gospel of John 10:11
I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His own life for the sheep.
Jesus is the good shepherd and seeks after the lost sheep, bringing them back to his fold through the gospel of peace, repentance and true righteousness.
Ezekiel 34:12 declares As a shepherd cares for his sheep on the day that he is among his scattered flock, so I will care for My sheep; and I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.
Jeremiah 3:15 also declares Then in the final time I will give you spiritual shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and true understanding.
Dearly beloved, If you have not yet heard the call (voice) of God in your life, pray today, spend time at Godâs feet and discern and search for his voice, so that you may return to Godâs holiness, green pastors (true spiritual food) and eternal security.
John 10:26-29 AMP declares But you do not believe Me [so you do not trust and follow Me] because you are not My sheep. The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they will never, ever by any means perish; and no one will ever snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Fatherâs hand.
His mandate to us is to reflect His words and works at all times and to follow his way and vision of doing ministry on this earth.
Luke 6:40 AMP declares A student (us) is not superior to his teacher (Jesus Christ);but everyone, after he has been completely trained, will be like his teacher (Jesus Christ).
What do we learn from the words, commandments and works (ministry) of Jesus Christ our teacher and Lord?
Matthew 9:35 AMP declares Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages in Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (gospel) of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness [His words and His works reflecting His Messiahship].
Matthew 28:18-20 AMP also declares Jesus came up and said to them, âAll authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, remaining with you perpetually, regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion, even to the end of the age.â
We learn from the above scriptures the following mandates:
đJesus taught the word of God (achieving itâs requirements through the power of the Holy Spirit not through the power of the flesh).
đJesus proclaimed the gospel of peace (repentance and complete trust and dependence on him as the messiah and way to the father in heaven).
đJesus proclaimed and taught about the kingdom of God and its everlasting rewards (an imperishable and eternal kingdom with riches that do not rot or spoil-Matthew 16:19-21).
đJesus preached healing and restoration to the physical, spiritual, emotional and mental state of fallen man (hurt and oppressed by Satan and from the consequences of sin-1 John 3:8)
đJesus displayed both words and works of God who saves and loves us all.
đJesus commanded us to go and conquer this dark world with the light (God) present in us. For the light of God will always triumph over darkness. Jesus made us lights to this world (Matthew 5:14-16).
đJesus commanded us to baptize all (those who believe and are willing to repent and give up their sinful & fleshy lifestyle) in water and make true disciples (followers of God who are committed and willing to carry their cross and follow the lifestyle of Jesus Christ) of all nations (all races and cultures).
If you are willing to follow the above mentioned mandate of God with all of your heart mind and soul, God calls you today and needs you to join his armyâď¸
2 Timothy 2:1-4 AMP declares So you, my son, be strong (constantly strengthened) and empowered in the grace that is to be found only in Christ Jesus. The things (the doctrine, the precepts, the admonitions, the sum of my ministry) which you have heard me teach in the presence of many witnesses, entrust as a treasure to reliable and faithful men who will also be capable and qualified to teach others. Take with me your share of hardship, passing through the difficulties which you are called to endure, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service gets entangled in the ordinary business & affairs of civilian life. He avoids them so that he may please the one who enlisted him to serve (Jesus Christ).
To love God means to love him with all of your heart, mind and soul:
Matthew 22:37 AMP declares And Jesus replied to him, ââYou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.â
To love God means to love him first, placing him prominence over every other thing/person in your lives:
Revelation 2:4-5 AMP declares But I have this charge against you, that you have left your first love you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me. So remember the heights from which you have fallen, and repent [change your inner selfâyour old way of thinking, your sinful behaviorâseek Godâs will] and do the works you did at first when you first knew Me]; otherwise, I will visit you and remove your lampstand the church, its impact from its placeâunless you repent.
To love God means to seek Him and His kingdom diligently:
Zephaniah 2:3 AMP declares Seek the Lord search diligently for Him and regard Him as the foremost necessity of your life, All you humble of the land Who have practiced His ordinances and have kept His commandments;Seek righteousness, seek humility regard them as vital. Perhaps you will be hidden [and pardoned and rescued]. In the day of the Lordâs anger.
Matthew 6:33 AMP also declares But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being rightâthe attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.
To Love God means to keep (obey/follow) His words/teachings at all times:
John 14:23-24 AMP declares Jesus answered, âIf anyone really loves Me, he will keep My word (teaching);and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling place with him.One who does not really love Me does not keep My words. And the word (teaching) which you hear is not Mine, but is the Fatherâs who sent Me.
To Love God means to grow spiritually into His image-producing the ripe fruit of righteousness:
Philippians 1:9-11 AMP declares And this I pray, that your love for God may abound more and more and you are filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God so that His glory may be both revealed and recognized.
To love God means to love others unselfishly (seeking the best for others):
1 John 4:16,19-21 AMP declares God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides continually in him. We love, because He first loved us. If anyone says, âI love God,â and hates works against his Christian brother he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should also unselfishly love his brother and seek the best for him.
To love God means to gain and apply real knowledge and practical insight (of God and his ways) in your daily living:
Philippians 1:9-10 AMP declares And this I pray, that your love may abound more and more in your love for God (displaying itself in greater depth) in real knowledge and in practical insight, so that you may learn to recognize and treasure what is excellent, identifying the best, and distinguishing moral differences, and that you may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ (actually living lives that lead others away from sin)
Seek God with all of your heart only then, he will be found (Jeremiah 29:13). God cannot be found or dwell in you, if it is not your desire (to seek and want him with all your heart & mind) to fellowship with him always. God is not a âthingâ that you can âuseâ or âthink ofâ temporarily, only to discard him later and return to him when you are in need. God is a divine living being, a deity-the omnipotent one, the creator of all things and the sustainer of all things. You must diligently learn to walk with him and commune with him always. You must learn to let him fill you with his ways (found in his Word); For He cannot lead you or bless you or become real to you, if you only seek him for what he can do for you but not for who and what he is. He has requirements, He has personality, He has a heart and a mind that we must all strive to seek and understand, so that we can always learn to be submissive to his plans and purposes for our lives and for the entire creation itself. Trust him today, seek after him as a friend and a father and allow his ways (his word, his plans) to govern you and lead you. Only those who have developed this âlifestyleâ or ârelationshipâ that is dependent on God as their all, with no need of dependence or allegiance to their own flesh or to their own ways/plans, belong truly to God (Romans Chapter 8 AMP)
God will be real to you, only if your true treasure and central focus is on Him and not on mammon (money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord). In Greek the word mammon is âmammĹnĂĄs which means âtreasure a person trusts in”. Thatâs why in the amplified version of the Bible, it reads mammon-money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord.
Matthew 6:24 AMP declares No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].
If you havenât found God today (the true living divine being and are guided, protected and counseled by His living Spirit) in his purest form of love, power, wisdom and life, then what you have within you is religion, a mimicry of what is true and real. You have clothed yourself in religion and convinced yourself that you are in God but in all reality & truth, your God is your own belly (your worldly appetite, your sensuality, your vanity)
Philippians 3:19 AMP declares Whose fate is destruction, whose god is their belly [their worldly appetite, their sensuality, their vanity], and whose glory is in their shameâwho focus their mind on earthly and temporal things.
The word belly over here means worldly appetites, sensuality and vanity. You become living beings that serve yourselves only, rather than God when you reject true fellowship with God. Your plans, desires, appetites and lusts become priority above everyone and everything else including God and his ways. Satan in-fact revealed this lifestyle to Eve in the garden of Eden and told her that she will no longer serve God but will start to serve herself (being god herself) once she rebelled against God.
Genesis 3:4-5 AMP declares But the serpent said to the woman, âYou certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened [that is, you will have greater awareness], and you will be like God, knowing [the difference between] good and evil.â
Being a God to your belly, you will oppose everyone who does not serve your appetites, your will or your desires and will persecute those who preach or teach otherwise. You will redefine what right and wrong is and be only led by your own desires and lusts. You will live and believe doctrines that only suits and compliments your sinful/selfish lifestyles. You will reject Godâs opinions or established precepts and definition of what right and wrong is. You will look for a church that highlights these false doctrines and teaching (of the self) promoted by Satan and wonât fit in a true church that promotes the true plans and purposes of God.
Friend return to God today, humble yourselves before Him and resist the plans and false doctrines of rebellion (against God) that Satan offers. Be a true child of God, fellowshipping with the true living Holy Spirit and supporting the right anointed church and spiritual authority (leader) that God has put over you.
Hebrews 13:17 AMP declares Obey your spiritual leaders and submit to them [recognizing their authority over you], for they are keeping watch over your souls and continually guarding your spiritual welfare as those who will give an account [of their stewardship of you]. Let them do this with joy and not with grief and groans, for this would be of no benefit to you.
Test and evaluate yourselves to see whether you are in the true faith and living your lives as committed believers (commited to believing and practicing daily the ways of righteousness, truth, justice and peace from your heart). Examine yourselves (through the Holy word of God & the testimony/voice of the Holy Spirit). Or do you not recognize this about yourselves by an ongoing personal experience that Jesus Christ is in you?-unless indeed you fail the test and self-evaluation and are rejected as counterfeit/fake believers deceived by Satan and the dishonorable desires present in your body-2 Corinthians 13:5 AMP
Donât give up yet because of Covid-19, fear, uncertainty, unemployment, injustice, pain, persecution, sorrow, depression, hopelessness, loneliness, sicknesses and suffering.
Jesus Christ didnât leave us here (in this world) to suffer, perish or waste away in this craziness. He is Coming soon and at His coming:
đJustice will be restored!
đTranquility & Peace will be ours!
đSin & Death will be vanquished!
đSatan & his followers will be destroyed!
đEvil will no longer triumph!
And
đRighteousness, Life, Truth & Love will reign
forevermore!
Then we who are alive and remain on the earth will simultaneously be caught up (raptured) together with them (the resurrected ones) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and then we will always be with the Lord-1 Thessalonians 4:17
Psalms 62:6 declares God alone is my rock and my salvation, My defense and my strong tower; I will not be shaken or disheartened.
We are often shaken and disheartened in this world because we loose sight (focus) of Godâs plans and purposes for mankind and for our lives (individually). Satan (the destroyer, the tempter, the thief, the deceiver and the accuser of the brethren-Godâs people) often misleads us through lies and through dishonorable/forbidden/hedonistic desires that is present in our bodies.
1 Peter 2:11 declares Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers in this world to abstain from the sensual urges [those dishonorable desires] that wage war against the soul.
James 4:1 also declares What leads to the unending quarrels and conflicts among you? Do they not come from your hedonistic desires that wage war in your bodily members [fighting for control over you]?
When we engage in these desires, we loose sight of Godâs plans and purposes and focus on our evil desires and on our own way of selfishness, godlessness, lusts, pride and evil. These dishonorable desires cause harm and hurt to ourselves and to others (even though we donât intent to cause harm or hurt to others). Through the blindness of attaining what we want (evil desires and lusts or pride-which is focused on excessive dependence on possessions, worldly accomplishments and false sense of self importance), we become instruments of evil promoting injustice, violence, pain, suffering and often also persecuting those that advice us to return to a godly lifestyle. We become children and followers of Satan as he is the author and promoter of such lifestyles that is focused on selfishness, lies, deception and evil.
Friend yield not to such hedonistic desires today. Resist Satan and all of his doctrines including lifestyles of error and evil desires and he will flee from you. Stand strong grounded in your faith that you were taught by your anointed Pastor/Prophet (the doctrine of truth, righteousness and justice) and make the words of Jesus written below as yours too:
John 14:30 declares For the ruler of the world Satan is coming and he has no claim on Me, no power over Me (through dishonorable desires present in my body or through the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life present in the world) nor anything that he can use against Me
James 4:7 also declares Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Ephesians 4:14 also declares So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth like ships on a stormy sea and carried about by every wind of shifting doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of unscrupulous men (influenced by Satan) by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything for personal profit who promote a lifestyle of evil and engaging in dishonorable desires of the body.
The Lord is our rock today. We will not be shaken in the doctrine of our faith, the doctrine and lifestyle of righteousness and the doctrine of Justice and peace that promotes the ways and example of Jesus Christ alone.
The Hebrew word for fruitful is âParahâ which means:
To be productive for God
To show positive evidence/result/fruit of our faith and union with God
To be a blessing to God and to others
To bear fruit
To cause increase
To be blessed
To replenish
To be complete and full
In order for us to be fruitful, we must learn to always take and follow the path leading to spiritual prosperity or fruitfulness ordained by God and revealed to us by the scriptures:
First, we must separate ourselves from the ungodly and the wicked. We must not walk in the counsel and advice of the wicked in accordance to the following scripture:
Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked following their advice and example, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit down to rest in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers). And he will be like a tree firmly planted and fed by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season; Its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers and comes to maturity-Psalms 1:1,3
Who are the wicked?
The Hebrew word for wicked is âRashaâ which means criminal, guilty before God, ungodly, offender and evil man.
Do not be deceived âBad company always corrupts good morals.â-1 Corinthians 15:33
Satan often uses these wicked people as his messengers and instruments to corrupt, stain, negatively impact and destroy the righteous (children of God). The godless counsels, ideas, mode of conduct, doctrine of the wicked often corrupt our ways and our faith in God. This suffocates our walk with God and causes us to not bear proper fruit. These counsels of the wicked also mislead us and encourages us to sin and engage ourselves in the works the flesh. This puts us in hostility with God and prevents us (the righteous-children of God) from being fruitful and productive. The seed (pure word of God) that was sown in us (by his anointed servants) wonât be able to take root and cause us to grow before God. This prevents us from fulfilling our predestined destiny (plan of God) that God has for our lives.
Second, We must consistently learn to overcome the thorns sent by Satan and this world, aimed at suffocating our faith and zeal for God.
What are these thorns? The Bible lists these thorns in the following scripture:
Worries of this world
Distractions of this world
Deceitfulness of this world
Superficial pleasures and delight of riches
Pressure and persecutions that arise against our faith from Satan and this world
When pressure or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles and falls away abandoning the One who is the source of salvation. And the one on whom seed was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the worries and distractions of the world and the deceitfulness the superficial pleasures and delight of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit-Matthew 20:20-23
How do we overcome these thorns?
i) By firmly allowing the seed of God (word of God) to be rooted in our lives. Please read my previous post âWord of Godâ posted on my Facebook page to better understand this subject.
The one on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and at once welcomes it with joy; yet he has no substantial root in himself, but is only temporary, and when pressure or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles and falls away abandoning the One who is the source of salvation-Matthew 13:20-21
ii) By continually leaning on the Power of God;Not leaning on our flesh or intellect but on the leading, wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit God.
So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty-Zechariah 4:6
Third, We must remain united in Jesus Christ
What does it mean to be in or remain united in Jesus Christ?
To be in Jesus Christ means to be in full agreement with his ways and word (commandments) and to walk daily in his ways and word through the power of the Holy Spirit. It also means to maintain an unbroken relationship with Jesus Christ fulfilling and following his will, plans and purposes  only. Please read my previous post on â Remaining in Jesus Christâ on my Facebook page to better understand this subject.
Remain in me ( Jesus Christ) and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you [bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith] unless you remain in me-John 15:4
Fourth, we must always sow, plant and invest in productive seeds (seeds that can produce abundant, enduring fruit-which are godly/eternal/heavenly things). We must also sow in the Holy Spirit.
A godly woman considers a field before she buys or accepts it [expanding her business prudently]; With her profits she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard-Proverbs 31:16
To sow in the Holy Spirit means to not sow, plant or invest in our sinful capacity, our worldliness and in our evil desires and impulses. This investment (destructive seeds) always leads to emptiness, destruction, regret and death. As godly believers, we must learn to sow in the word of God (eternal things of God-seeds that are capable of producing or can guarantee a good fruit and harvest) and in the leading and guidance of Godâs Holy Spirit.
For the one who sows to his flesh [his sinful capacity, his worldliness, his disgraceful impulses] will reap from the flesh ruin and destruction, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life-Galatians 6:8
Fifth, we must not be self-conceited or prideful;For this leads us all to destruction and fall.
But what is self- conceitedness and pride?
Self conceitedness and pride is being egotistical, and swollen-headed with the wrong things. Itâs being vain, possessing a feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth (measuring yourself in your own biased fleshy eyes and scales). Self-conceitedness is also pride-possessing an exaggerated sense of self-importance and self righteousness.
But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, âGod is opposed to the proud and haughty, but continually gives the gift of grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].â-James 4:6
This fall and consequences of pride causes us all to be unfruitful (even though God made us fruitful once, when we were barren, broken and desperate for a blessing)
We have heard of the pride of Moab, an excessive prideâEven of his arrogance, his conceit, his rage, His untruthful boasting.Therefore Moab will wail for Moab; everyone will wail.You will mourn for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth,As those who are utterly stricken and discouraged. For the fields of Heshbon have languished and withered, and the vines of Sibmah as well; The lords of the nations have trampled down Moabâs choice vine branches, Which reached as far as Jazer and wandered into the wilderness;Its tendrils stretched out, they passed over the shores of the Dead Sea.Gladness and joy are taken away from the fruitful field;In the vineyards there will be no singing or joyful sound;No treader treads out wine in the presses,For I (God) put an end to the joyful shouting-Isaiah 16:6-10
Sixth, we must take the necessary (initiation) steps to be healthy in all aspects of our lives including being healthy in our physical, spiritual, emotional and mental states of our life. This helps us to be positively motivated in Christ Jesus, focused on the right things that produces growth and life;Not on things that harm, afflict, destroy or tear down, or cause death. We must be energized in the Holy Spirit, well balanced -driven to accomplish Godâs purposes and plans without working against or contradicting the work of the Godâs Holy Spirit living and working in us.
Even so, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the unhealthy tree bears bad fruit-Matthew 7:17
For it is not your strength, but it is God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose for His good pleasure-Philippines 2:13
Seventh, we must delight in the word of God and in the Holy Spirit, feeding daily on the strength and guidance of these elements that provides nourishment and life (for us) to grow and bear abundant fruit for God.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And on His law His precepts and teachings he habitually meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted and fed by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season;Its leaf does not wither;And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity]-Psalms 1:2-3
But Jesus replied, âIt is written and forever remains written, âMan shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.â-Matthew 4:4
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh conveys no benefit [it is of no account]. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life providing eternal life. But still there are some of you who do not believe and have faith.â For Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe, and who would betray Him-John 6:63-64
Beloved when God blesses us today and makes us fruitful, we must not use our fruits or blessings to serve our sinful nature, our selfishness, our worldliness and our idols (anything that replaces God being first and prominent in our lives)
Israel is a luxuriant and prolific vine; He produces fruit for himself.The more his fruit,The more altars he made to Baal; The richer his land, The better he made the idolatrous pillars-Hosea 10:1
Beloved also remember today that God is always the one that causes us to be fruitful. He does this so that we can be content, happy and joyful in this world and bring glory to his name as his creation. God does not want us to always remain fruitless and barren but to be fruitful and driven with a purpose and plan on this earth. This is evident to us in the following scriptures:
And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, âBe fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.â-Genesis 1:28
He named the second son Ephraim (fruitfulness), for âGod has caused me to be fruitful and and very successful in the land of my suffering.â-Genesis 41:52
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire-Matthew 7:19
Beloved, God longs for us to be fruitful today bearing fruits in all areas of our lives especially the fruits that must be predominantly seen and evident in our spiritual lives (our union or relationship with God which comes first above all other things)
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He repeatedly prunes, so that it will bear more fruit even richer and finer fruit-John 15:2
But the fruit of the Spirit the result of His presence within us is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, inner peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law-Galatians 5:22
Finally, God makes us fruitful or causes us to bear fruit because he wants us to be living testimonials or memorials to declare that God is good, upright and faithful to this dying, dark world. These promises and plans of God for us to be prosperous and fruitful will surely be fulfilled in our lives- at its appointed time and way.
The righteous will flourish like the date palm [long-lived, upright and useful];They will grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic and stable].Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God.(Growing in grace)they will still thrive and bear fruit and prosper in old age; They will flourish and be vital and fresh rich in trust and love and contentment; They are living memorials to declare that the Lord is upright and faithful [to His promises]; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him-Psalms 91:12-15
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Romans 1:5-6 declares
It is through Him that we have received grace and our apostleship to promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for His nameâs sake among all the Gentiles, and you also are among those who are called of Jesus Christ to belong to Him.
Many in todayâs world claim that they belong to God yet their actions, lifestyles, passions, goals and their fruits do not show such allegiance to God. The Bible teaches us that in this age and time (last days), we must all be careful and discern who truly belong to God and who truly belong to Satan and this fallen world. Apostle John and Jesus Christ (himself) teaches us in the following scriptures to not only listen to the words that people speak (because people can skillfully lie and manipulate) but to also discern their spirits and examine their fruits (actions).
1 John 4:1 declares
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God or not for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Mathew 7:15-18 also declares
Beware of false prophets and fake Christians and friends, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
But who truly belongs to Jesus Christ in this day and age? How do we recognize such children of God? Let us carefully examine the scriptures to learn how and what to look for. Those that truly belong to Jesus Christ will show the following traits in their lives:
Those that have denied and died to their sinful nature (acquired) belong to God. These children of God consistently and daily walk in the Holy Spirit and do not fulfill or give heed to the evil desires of their body.
Galatians 5:24 declares
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites.
Galatians 5:16 also declares
But I say walk habitually in the Holy Spirit, seek Him and be responsive to His guidance, and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts.
Those who continually abide and remain in Jesus Christ maintaining an unbroken fellowship with Him belong to God (Please read my previous post or message on Facebook titled âRemaining in Jesus Christâ to gain a better understanding on this topic)
Galatians 3:29 declares
And if you belong to Christ -if you truly are in Him, then you are Abrahamâs descendants, and spiritual heirs according to Godâs promise.
Those that have overcome all the lies and deceit in doctrine & in the message of the gospel introduced by Satan belong to God. They have held on to the true gospel that preaches and promotes Jesus Christ crucified and the denial and death of the sinful nature. They have resisted the doctrine of being âgodsâ themselves (which promotes independence rather then dependence on the one true God). This false doctrine enables those that are trapped in it to redefine what right and wrong is, serving the self and the god of this world through deceit, profit and gain introduced by Satan in the garden of eden (Genesis 3:4-6)
1 John 4:4 declares
Little children (believers, dear ones), you are of God and you belong to Him and have already overcome them the agents of the antichrist;because He who is in you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world of sinful mankind.
Those that have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit (fullness of God) belong to God.
Romans 8:9-10 declares
However, you are not living in the flesh controlled by the sinful nature but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God lives in you directing and guiding you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him and is not a child of God.
Those that have surrendered their bodies to God, offering it as a living sacrifice to Him (where He eternally dwells) belong to God. These people have emptied their vessels and have rid from their body, mind and souls every foolish false doctrine, man-made rules, false knowledge, humanistic wisdom that glorifies the self/man but not God. They are transformed by the power of God to be the Holy habitation of God forever (This is the absolute truth and the true gospel/message/purpose for us designed and willed by our creator in heaven)
1 Corinthians 3:16-23 declares
Do you not know and understand that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells permanently in you collectively and individually? If anyone destroys the temple of God corrupting it with false doctrine], God will destroy the destroyer; for the temple of God is holy and sacred, and that is what you are. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool [discarding his worldly pretensions and acknowledging his lack of wisdom], so that he may become truly] wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness (absurdity, stupidity) before God; for it is written in Scripture. âHe is The one who catches the wise and clever in their craftiness;â and again, âThe Lord knows the thoughts of the humanly]p wise, that they are useless.âSo let no one boast in men [about their wisdom, or of having this or that one as a leader]. For all things are yours,whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas (Peter) or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things are yours,and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.
Romans 12:1 also declares
Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship
Ephesians 2:22 also declares
In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Those that have received the words and teachings of Jesus Christ and have written them in their hearts and minds and walk daily in them through the power of the Holy Spirit belong to God.
John 17:6-10 declares
âI have manifested Your name and revealed Your very self, Your real self to the people whom You have given Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept and obeyed Your word. Now at last they know with confident assurance that all You have given Me is from You [it is really and truly Yours]. For the words which You gave Me I have given them; and they received and accepted them and truly understood with confident assurance that I came from You from Your presence, and they believed without any doubt that You sent Me.I pray for them; I do not pray for the world, but for those You have given Me, because they belong to You; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and [all things that are] Yours are Mine; and I am glorified in them.
Those that are the children of the day/light (righteousness) producing godly fruits;not fruits of darkness or flesh belong to God. They are awake to the plans and purposes of God, wise, calm, self-controlled, sober, spiritually alert;Not spiritually indifferent, spiritually blind, spiritually asleep, spiritually lazy, children that do not grow but backslide often and are tossed to and fro by Satan and the world.
1 Thessalonians 5:4-8 declares
But you, believers, [all you who believe in Christ as Savior and acknowledge Him as Godâs Son are not in spiritual darkness nor held by its power, that the day [of judgment] would overtake you by surprise like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We do not belong to the night nor to darkness.So then let us not sleep in spiritual indifference as the rest of the world does, but let us keep wide awake alert and cautious and let us be sober self-controlled, calm, and wise. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night.But since we believers belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope and confident assurance of salvation.
Godly fruits/ fruits of the day include and reflect the image and nature of God (Psalms 89:14, Galatians 5:22):
But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love-unselfish concern for others, joy, inner peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, self-control, righteousness, truth, justice.
Fruits of darkness or sinful nature that reflect the nature of Satan and this fallen world include (Galatians 5:17-21):
Now the practices/Fruits/results or evidence of sin in you or of the sinful nature are clearly evident: they are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control),idolatry, sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies],envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and other things like these. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 4:14-15 also declares
Let us grow spiritually (properly attaining the stature of Jesus Christ) So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth like ships on a stormy sea and carried about by every wind of shifting doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of unscrupulous men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything for personal profit.But speaking the truth in love in all thingsâboth our speech and our lives expressing His truth], let us grow up in all things into Him following His example who is the HeadâChrist.
