HOW I DISCOVERED MYSELF

Feb9 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

“So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from His perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life” (Col 3:1-3; TM)

My children,

One of the greatest discoveries I have made is to know myself! Next to knowing God, I discovered who I am. I now have an identity that is found in Christ alone. Before I became saved I only knew that there is a ‘me’. I knew I had a name, parents and a sister; I was a medical doctor; I had a husband and three children; I had wonderful dreams of success in this world… But all these ‘external additions’ were not able to explain to me who I really was. I defined myself thru the opinion of others. For example, as a child, I saw myself thru the eyes of my parents. Both of them were my teachers. They were very proud of me and I tried to make them proud in return. I pushed myself very hard to always be first in the class. It was my way of paying them back for their love. After I got married I saw myself thru the eyes of my husband. If he said that I was beautiful that day I was ‘floating in the air’ with happiness. I was ready to quarrel with anyone who saw me ugly. But when my husband was too busy to compliment me, I felt foolish and ugly. After I had children, if they said: ‘Mummy, you are a good mummy…’ I felt proud that I am a good mother. I was ready to ‘compete’ with other mothers for the title ‘the best mother in the world’. But when any of my children emotionally rejected me and loved ‘another mother’ more than me, I will weep, blame myself and feel so sad. It was the same with all my relationships, with family and friends. I depended totally on their words. I gave them too much power over my soul and they used it or misused it.

This situation could have gone on forever if not for the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ. By the grace of God I became born again in 1986. Since then my greatest passion is to know God and to become like His Son Jesus Christ. Thank God for my husband because he too is a child of God. We encourage each other in this holy race. Like I said, one of the greatest discoveries I have made is to know myself! I study the Word of God and I apply it daily to myself and to my circumstances. I see myself now thru the eyes of God. No opinion matters except that of my Lord. I know that I am a sinner saved by grace. No man or devil can condemned me because by faith, I died with Jesus and rose with Jesus. Whatever negative things you may say about ‘me’, you are talking about a dead woman buried long ago and who feels nothing.

I no longer define myself thru my outward appearance. I do not see myself as a fat, short, ugly, wrinkled and old menopausal woman. That is not me at all! It can never be me! I see myself as a child of God, fearfully and wonderfully made. My body is nothing less than the temple of the Holy Spirit! I believe that! He changes me from inside out! I am holy because God my Father is holy. Even if I am a hundred and twenty years old like Moses, my youth can never become ‘old’ for it is ‘renewed like the eagles’. Because holiness is beautiful I am beautiful! As a wife I am precious in the eyes of God. The Holy Spirit will help my husband to see me as precious. As a mother, I am totally fulfilled. I am not a mother in ‘Warri’ but I am ‘a mother in Zion’ (Jdg 5:7). My children, natural and spiritual, are covenant children, special, unique, gifted and wonderful. If the devil likes it or not, they shall serve the Lord who brought them to me!

After I discovered myself in Christ, I developed a relationship with myself. I love myself so that I can love others. I forgive myself as the Lord has forgiving me! I encourage myself thru the Word of God! I prophesy on myself, what I should be according to the Bible. I pray for myself, that my dreams come true! I delight myself in the Lord. Therefore my heart’s desire shall manifest! It is just a matter of time… I truly enjoy my company. I am surprised at the wonderful things God has done in my life. He has made me spiritually strong. He gives me peace and joy. He puts His Words in my mouth to encourage others. My hearts sings… And His work in me continues… With unashamed face I behold Him who saved my soul! Today, I give thanks to God for my life, for what I have become, eternally safe in the Beloved! It is well with my soul….Glory to God!

Love in Christ alone,

Malia”

(I wrote this letter in 2018. The words are still fresh, and Spirit filled. Read, pray and be blessed! My husband took me this picture on the little bridge over the river where God opened the heart of Lydia (Acts 16). This was in Philippy, Greece in one of our travels. My husband is now in heaven. In all things I give thanks to God!)

PRAY!

Feb8 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

Satan fears your prayers. He knows that one hour talking to Jesus destroys the stronghold he built for many years. Pray! Pray! Pray! In Jesus’ name!

REVIVAL – COME TO THE LIVING WATER (6)

Feb6 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled Revival – Come to the Living water (6). Her main texts were taken from the Books of John and Revelation 4 and Isaiah 55. “A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water… Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (Jn 4:7-10; 21-26)

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (Jn 7:37-39)

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them” (Jn 10:1-6)

We are still studying the great subjects of worship and revival. We connect both with the Living Water offered by the Lord to the Woman at the well. The Samaritan woman is a sinner. She is also religious. She is seeking for truth, for life. Our Lord directs the conversation to the point of revelation. Please notice how He ‘increases’ in her heart. Initially she sees him as a needy man, a stranger, and a Jew. Then she sees him as a Prophet. Lastly, she sees Him as Christ, her Savior, and her Lord! He tells her about the true worship and then, He reveals Himself to her. “I who speak to you am He” (Jn 4:26). This is the exact moment when she believed that Christ is the Messiah. This is the moment when King Grace moved in her spirit, and she became saved. This is when she became born again. This is the moment when she became a true worshipper. This is when she drank the Living Water! We sense the holiness of that moment. There is a wonderful anointing on this encounter. We feel it too as we read the story. Glory to God! Heaven rejoices when a sinner is saved. Our Lord said this: “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Lk 15:7). We join the hosts of heaven and cry: “Worthy is the Lamb!” (Rev 5:12). In our Christian life and ministry, we need to come to this holy moment. When truth is revealed as Love who died for us, that we may live! How do we drink this Living Water? By going straight to Him who offers it! Go to Jesus! Go to the Cross! Mediate on the Person of Jesus, who He is, what He has done, especially His death on the Cross and His resurrection! This long gaze on the Crucified will bring you the Living Water and will enable you to worship Him!

THE THRONE ROOM IN HEAVEN – COME UP HERE! – THE CALL OF CHRIST

Worship in heaven is Christ-centered! Christ is the Creator of the Universe! Christ is Conqueror of all powers! Christ is the Controller of the Church! The Church has only one head! It is not a human head. That Head is Christ! Worship starts with the word “Come!”. The Resurrected Christ calls us to come closer to Him. As believers we believe two opposite things: 1-God is far away from His Creation and 2-God is closer than our breathing. This is a paradox. But it is true! If you lose any of these revelations, your faith will be damaged!!! The devil always attacks our faith! If you only believe that God is far away in heaven, then you lose the intimate fellowship of the Holy Spirit. If you become overfamiliar with God, and you lose the sense of wonder, you cannot worship Him in Spirit and in Truth! We need to be balanced in doctrine! This is a wonderful scripture describing God in heaven and at the same time, intimately close to His children. “For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Is 57:15)

Chapters 4 and 5 of the Book of Revelation are among the most important chapters in the Bible. We should study the way worship goes on in heaven so that we can do it on earth. The voice that sounded like a trumpet calling John to see things in heaven is the voice of the resurrected Christ. He has already talked to John previously. “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last” (Rev 1:9-11). The Lord dictated seven letters to John to send to the seven churches in Asia Minor. John was already in the Spirit. Now, the Lord calls John to a deeper spiritual level and to come to heaven to see things that ‘must take place’. This is a reminder that the Lord Jesus Christ is God. He oversees the universe and deigns the future.

We see that the Lord Jesus Christ initiates the conversation with the woman at the well, drawing her to Him, to the place or revelation and worship. He says: “Give Me a drink!”. It is the same Christ who calls John to a deeper revelation of worship, saying: “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this”. Our Lord calls both the unbelievers and the believers to come to Him to have an intimate relationship with Him. Worshipping God means to obey His call to come to Him! The holy heavenly call is vertical. Our response to come and worship God is also vertical. We bow before God so that our spirit will rise to meet Him up there in heaven!

The Lord calls everyone who is tired of sin and oppression. He promises rest for the soul and easy satisfying labor when working for Him. The Lord calls those who hunger and thirst for knowing God. He promises that they shall be filled with peace and eternal satisfaction. The Gospel is the only Word of Hope and satisfaction in the whole world. The people who refuse the call are the religious unbelievers, the proud, and the hypocrites. They pretend not to be tired, hungry, or thirsty. They claim that this world satisfies them. They deceive themselves and others.

The verb ‘to come’ is defined as moving closer towards the speaker. You leave a place and go to another place, a change of location and status. God the Father facilitates the seeking and finding the Son. You must be willing to come to Jesus!

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Mt 11:28-30)

“And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out… Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day” (Jn 6:35-37; 43,44)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled” (Mt 5:6)

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (Jn 5:39, 40).

I read the biographies of many secular successful people. They all had money and fame. But on their dying bed they confessed that they failed to find rest of mind, peace, satisfaction, and joy! The world is not able to provide these. The Living Water is found in Christ alone!

THE GREAT INVITATION OF KING GRACE (Is 55:1-13)

This is a true story I saw on the internet. Ruby Ibarra was a 15-year-old girl Mexican girl. She wanted to celebrate her birthday party in a village in Mexico. Her parents are not wealthy people, but they love their daughter. To please her, her father made an open invitation on a video clip on Facebook. He said that all people are invited to come to the party. He later said that he intended it to be for the neighbors in his village. But by mistake, he posted it as ‘public’. Immediately, 1,3 million people responded. Thousands promised to come to the party. Ruby became an international ‘star.’ The Mexican airlines made 30% discount for anybody that wants to attend Ruby’s party. People posted fake pictures of fried turkeys and mountain of food and drinks waiting for the visitors. Two live bands came uninvited and raised the stage to play for the people. On that day, their small village was flooded with visitors. 20,000 people came to her party. There was a horse race competition where one man died. Of course, there was no food or entertainment for all. What a story… What a disappointment…

This story is a symbol of what the world promises but cannot satisfy. Men are born with legitimate desires to love and to be loved. That is why they fall in many deceptive traps. Men respond to the empty promises of the world. They go there hungry and thirsty, hoping for fried turkeys, but return home feeling disappointed and cheated. Sin always offers false hopes. Because of these disappointments, men have lost the desire to dream and hope for a better future. All people in the world are restless and depressed. They do not know that true Hope is found in Christ alone. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes (longing fulfilled, a wish come true), it is a tree of life” (PV 13:12). Because of the disappointment of the world’s invitation to pleasure, many have become bitter in their hearts. That is why when they hear the holy call of God, they doubt it and they refuse to obey it.

What is our problem? We do not seek God! Our desires for God are not strong enough. We are too easily satisfied with the temporary pleasures of sin. That is why we do not pay the price to seek the true God and His free offer of Grace. True satisfaction is found only in the Gospel. By Grace and By Faith in Christ, we are saved and satisfied. The word ‘satisfaction’ means the condition of having your desire or need fulfilled. It is the pleasant feeling that you get when you receive something you always wanted, or when you have done something, you always wanted to do. It is also defined as justification, vindication, or compensation for loss or injury. May we hear the call of Jesus and come to Him!

In Isaiah 53 we see Christ as the Lamb to be slain for the sins of the world. In Isaiah 54 we see the benefits of salvation in Christ. In Isaiah 55 we see God’s invitation of Grace towards sinners. Those who mock it, will meet God at the Judgment seat. Those who humble themselves and trust in Jesus Christ come to partake from this wonderful feast. Those who come shall be satisfied. They shall hunger and thirst no more. They shall worship God in spirit and in truth! This is a true invitation and open to all! These are some lessons taken from God’s invitation from Isaiah 55:

GOD COMMANDS ALL SINNERS TO COME TO HIM! THIS IS THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED AND RESURRECTED!

*King Grace’s invites all people to come to Him! The invitation looks too good to be true! The devil is trying to convince you to reject it. This is the truth: Grace is always too beautiful for the sinners. Grace is too Kind and too Generous, ready to welcome all who believe in Jesus. Come!

*This invitation is God’s command! It is not just a fantastic opportunity to ‘enjoy ourselves’. There are 12 commands in the first 7 verses. When God commands a man, he either obeys or he disobeys. Each option has its own consequences. “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Is 1:18-20). After hearing God’s invitation, there are only two ways to respond: repentance or rebellion. The willing and obedient eat the good of the land. The stubborn and rebellious shall be eaten by the land. The words ‘the good of the land’ mean – material prosperity in the land God has given you. This is an invitation for full forgiveness, free feasting, and prosperity! Only a fool will refuse it!

*Come! The word ‘come’ appears 4 Times! Eat! God offers the Living Water, as Milk and Wine ‘Without money and without price”. Why? Because Jesus has paid the price on the Cross! For us to have a free salvation, Jesus had to die for us! Salvation is free but it is not cheap. When King Grace talks, money is deaf and dumb!

*What is the Condition necessary for the application to this party? Spiritual thirst! Thirst is a powerful force, even stronger than hunger. You can live without food for 40 days. You cannot live without water for 7 days. These are some of the symptoms of thirst: dehydration, dry mouth, no tears when crying, fatigue, dizziness, restlessness, and confusion. “If you thirst!” You need to know your need. If you are satisfied by yourself, you cannot desire the living water. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled” (Mt 5:3-6)

*Sin deceives and destroys us. The rich live by their money and the poor, by their labor. These two lifestyles do not satisfy. “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy?” (Is 55:2).

*To be a true worshipper you must live a crucified life. Come to Jesus as you are! At the Cross, you will share in His death and resurrection. You shall find the Living water! You shall worship God in spirit and in truth! “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (Mk 8:34-38). The word ‘profit’ means to satisfy. Gaining the whole world at the expense of your soul, will never satisfy you! You live in a mansion, but your soul is homeless. You dress with designer clothes, but your soul is naked.

*Listen and ‘eat’ the Word of God! Open your ears and your heart! You will find the glorious joy of salvation! “Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance” (Is 55:2). The word ‘abundance’ means ashes of sacrifice and fatness! God has accepted your soul as a living sacrifice! God is now ‘free’ to bless you above your imagination!

*THE SURE MERCIES OF DAVID

God calls sinners to Him! He will receive and bless them as He blessed King David, in the covenant of mercy and grace He made with him. David was the king worshipper of Israel, a man after God’s heart. God wants to give you the best of the best. He does not change His mind. The way God blessed David, He will also bless you! God promised David everlasting blessings and a great name. God said that David and his family will be royalty forever! His descendants will always sit on the throne (2 Sam 7:1-29). These promises are for us, the believers in Christ! What are the sure mercies of David? God dealt with Israel by way of mercy and grace. To make that mercy sure to all God took a man whom He had chosen, a man whom He loved, a man whom He intended to use. God made with a covenant with David that He would set him upon the throne. Because of David, God promised to bless all people that belong to him. These are “the sure mercies of David.” In the matter of our salvation, “the sure mercies of David” mean that God has laid blessings upon his Son, Jesus Christ. Because of Christ, God will bless all those who belong to Christ! “He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the sure mercies of David.’ (Ac 13:34). By the death and resurrection of Christ, these sure mercies are guaranteed to us, sinners saved by Grace! God pledges Himself to defeat all our enemies, to bless us eternally, all for the sake of His Son Jesus Christ! He is our ‘Leader and commander’! He conquered all enemies including death! Christ is forever exalted. And we are one with Him! In Christ, salvation is sure and eternal! For Christ’ sake, our family shall be saved too! Our children are children of covenant! “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Ac 16:31)

We trust God for revival based on the sure mercies of David. King Grace blesses the humble people, and they rise to positions of authority in the church and it the city. This shift creates a new atmosphere for the Gospel and to worship God. “When the righteous triumph, there is great glory and celebration; But when the wicked rise [to prominence], men hide themselves” (PV 28:12; AMP). During revival people become bold and they come out from their hiding places. There is rejoicing and celebration, giving all glory to God!

*The promise of the Gospel is for all the nations. The glory of the Lord Jesus is His authority! There is no other way to go to God but thru Jesus!

*Come, but you must come on God’s terms! You must repent! Repent quickly and completely! God is not always ‘near’. You cannot find Him always. Use the opportunity you have today! No wasting of time! Repentance is more than regret. It is a deep change of heart, mind, will and behavior. It is an unconditional surrender and total submission to Jesus! How will God respond to the true repentant soul? ‘He will have mercy and abundantly pardon!’ (Is 55:7). This is more than forgiveness. It is blessings following the mercy and grace of God!

*King Grace preaches the Gospel. This Gospel is too good to be true. The Gospel also is too good not to be true! Amazing Grace!

King Jesus warns the religious people to come and buy from Him: “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see” (Rev 3:17, 18)

WHY SHOULD WE TRUST GOD’S INVITATION?

*Because of God’s character! He alone is worthy of our trust and worship! Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let the sinner take God’s Way and think God’s thoughts! “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (PV 3:5, 6). Trust God! Listen to His call! Lean on Him! God’s thoughts and ways are higher than our imagination! Humble yourself!

*Because of God’s Word! The rain and the snow change the soil. It produces seed and bread. God is in charge from the beginning to the end, from the Promise to the Performance. ‘My Word goes forth out of My Mouth’ says God! It is not the preacher speaking. It is God using the mouth of the preacher! “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Is 55:11). The word ‘void’ means empty, useless, without result. The word ‘prosper’ means to push forward, to make progress and prosper! His Word that never fails to produce results!

WHAT IS THE RESULT OF COMING TO KING GRACE?

There shall be peace, joy, singing and fruitfulness! There shall be revival! When Adam and Eve sinned, God cursed the ground to produce thorns and thistles. Now, these thorns will become cypress trees. The curse is turned in to blessings! The whole nature rejoices! Bareness becomes fruitfulness! Death dies and life takes over! This change is an everlasting sign that will not be cut off! God does all these things to ‘make a name for Himself’ so that all creation will bow to Him and give Him glory! Worship the Lord!

JUST AS I AM

Just as I am, without one plea,

But that Thy blood was shed for me,

And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee,

O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am, and waiting not

To rid my soul of one dark blot;

To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Just as I am, though tossed about

With many a conflict, many a doubt;

Fightings within, and fears without,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,

Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;

Because Thy promise I believe,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

(By Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871)

MY TESTIMONY

Feb5 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

“Be strong! God is with you! You will not fall! You will not be moved! God will surely help you early this morning!” (Ps 46:5)

The Word of God is faithful and true! God has already helped me in a special way this early morning. Yesterday I had a problem. Last night I did not know what to do. I prayed before I went to sleep. This morning I woke up with a fresh word of wisdom. I obeyed it. Problem solved! Joy and peace overflow! To God be all the glory!

REVIVAL – LIVING WATER (5)

Jan30 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled Revival – Living water (5). Her main text was taken from the Books of John and Revelation.

“A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water… Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (Jn 4:7-10; 21-26)

WOMAN- WELL- WATER- WORSHIP

We continue to study the destiny changing encounter between our Lord and the Samaritan woman at the well. Study the words of Jesus. He is the One waiting at the well to meet this woman. He is the One who initiates the discussion. His first words are these: “Give Me a drink”. She is surprised at His request. Then Jesus says: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water…” The woman is ignorant of who is talking to her and what Jesus can provide. Follow His lead… He is stretching her imagination. Her dreams of life are so small. Her understanding is purely natural. But our Lord is challenging her to think spiritual, to dream big, from ‘bucket human effort drawing water’ to ‘fountain of eternally flowing Living Water’. He is the Greatest Fisherman. She is a fish coming into His net. Eventually the discussion ends in the revelation of the Lord, her salvation and true worship. This is the true pattern of evangelism.

The woman has many needs. She is seeking for truth and desires to worship God. But she is ignorant of the true God. Face to face with Christ, she does not recognize Him. This is the situation with all unbelievers. Even if Jesus will come down from heaven again, they will still not recognize Him, they will still reject and kill Him. Sinners hate truth because it exposes them to the light of God and challenges them to repent! And they do not like that! They prefer to live in darkness, in ignorance, and suffer the consequences than to repent and surrender to Christ! Our Lord did not come to earth as a Man to condemn men. There was no need for that because thru Adam’s fall, all men are born sinners, therefore they are all condemned before God. Our Lord came to earth as a Savior. He came as Man to die for sinners, that they may live. Those who believe in Christ and in His Blood shed for them are forgiven of their sins. The unbelievers continue to remain condemned before God. This is the Gospel: “The Just shall live by faith” (Rom 1:17). We are saved by Grace and thru Faith (Eph 2:8). Faith in Christ is always connected with the Grace of God, with the Light of God and Eternal Life. Unbelief in Christ is sin, spiritual darkness, pride, and eternal death. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 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. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God” (Jn 3:18-21).

The Samaritan woman is a sinner. She is also religious. She is seeking for truth, for life. Our Lord directs the conversation to the point of revelation. Please notice how He gradually increases truth in her heart. Initially she sees him as a man, then a needy man, a stranger, and a Jew. Then she sees him as a Prophet. Lastly, she sees Him as Christ, her Savior, and her Lord! He tells her about the true worship and then, He reveals Himself to her. “I who speak to you am He” (Jn 4:26). This is the exact moment when she believes that Christ is the Messiah. This is the moment when King Grace moves in her spirit, and she became saved. This is when she became born again. This is the moment when she became a true worshipper. This is when she ‘abandoned her bucket and the well’ (Jn 4:28) and she drank the Living Water! We sense the holiness of that moment. There is a wonderful joyful anointing on this encounter. We feel it too as we read the story. Glory to God! Heaven rejoices when a sinner is saved. Our Lord said this: “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Lk 15:7). We join the hosts of heaven and cry: “Worthy is the Lamb!” (Rev 5:12). In our Christian life and ministry, we need to come to this holy moment. When truth is revealed as Love who died for us, that we may live!

WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH

Worshipping God is the deepest and greatest spiritual activity of man before God. We are saved to worship God. Any man who says is a Christian but cannot worship God in spirit and in truth, is not saved. “I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven.” (A.W. Tozer). True worship is the eternal, heavenly, conscious, sacrificial expression of the love of man towards God. It is an equal mixture of Love for God and the Fear of God. It is total surrender before God, in perfect adoration and awe. True worship is not the same as prayer. Worship is more than a humble attitude towards God. During worship the believer does not make any request before God. He does not even give thanks for what God has done for him. He simply bows down and loves God because of who God is as a Person! Worship is always ‘vertical’, God centered. We worship God the Father and God the Son, the Lamb of God who died that we might live! The deepest cry of the worshipper is ‘Worthy is the Lamb!” (Rev 5:12)

The word ‘worship’ comes from an old English word spelled ‘worth-ship’. There is an intimate connection between worship and the worth of God. You see in heaven how the elders worship God declaring that He is Worthy to be worship (Rev 4:10, 11; 5:8-14). The more you see the worth, the greatness of God, the deeper shall be your worship. The meaning of the word ‘worthy’ is this: somebody deserving to be noticed, deserving respect, admiration, or support. To deserve it means to have earned something or be given something because of your actions or excellent moral qualities. Worth means great value, excellent character that deserves recognition. Men desire to honor a worthy person. God alone is worthy of all our love. Because we are born sinners, and enemies to God, we do not deserve salvation, respect, or any good gift. All these are ours just because of God’s Grace. We worship King Grace who alone is worthy as a Person to receive all worship! “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created… Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev 4:11; 5:12).

Worship is God’s command. In Hebrew and in Greek, the word ‘worship’ means to kneel, to bow down or prostrate before God, or another deity. This position of the body reflects the spirit inside the body. There is a humbling, a submission, an acknowledging to the supreme God. All singing and all praying is not always worship. Singing praises should lead to worship. The preaching of the Word should lead to worship. If not, these religious activities are in vain. The word ‘worship’ appears about 200 times in the Bible. Worship is a manifestation of deep love and admiration towards God. It is a point of total surrender and humility before God. In worship, the Fear of God and the Love of God are combined in a perfect mixture. Worship is the atmosphere of heaven. God seats on the throne and all other beings worship Him. Worship is more than a beautiful song. It is a spiritual deep work in the soul of man. As God’s will is done in heaven, so it must be done on earth. We need to understand how God wants us to worship Him.

Biblical worship gives a visible expression to the relationship between God and His child. Worship is different than prayer. The worshipper does not make petitions, does not even give thanks for what God has done. During worship the believer gives himself to God, sacrificially and unconditionally. This is the unique holy pattern of true worship. God is seeking for true worshippers. God is looking for people who love and trust Him enough not to make so many demands. Like a millionaire who wants to marry a girl who loves him for himself and not for his money, God is looking for people who love Him because of who He is. There are few believers who truly worship God like this.

THE THRONE ROOM IN HEAVEN

“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones, I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:1-11)

As believers we know there is a heaven. We also know that our permanent home is in heaven. But we are not given many details about heaven. This is probably because human words are not enough to describe heaven, which is another much higher spiritual realm. In the Book of Revelation chapters 4 and 5, there is a glimpse of what Apostle John saw in heaven. Clearly, in heaven there is true worship. God is seated on the throne and all other beings worship Him. Christ, the Lamb upon the throne is also worshipped. Chapters 4 and 5 of the Book of Revelation are among the most important chapters in the Bible. We should study the way worship goes on in heaven so that we can do it on earth.

John sees ‘a door standing open in heaven’. He is called from above. A loud voice like a trumpet tells him: “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne” It is the Resurrected Christ, who calls John, with the same voice ‘like a trumpet’ (Rev 1:10). He tells John that He will show him ‘things which MUST take place’. The Lord does not tell him that some things will or possibly take place. The things ‘must’ take place. You see the total authority of our Lord over the future. God not only knows the future, but He designs the future. “From the beginning I revealed the end. From long ago I told you things that had not yet happened, saying, “My plan will stand, and I’ll do everything I intended to do” (Is 46:10; GWT). The Book of Revelation was written by Apostle John when he was abandoned on the Island of Patmos to die. But the Lord shows him things of the future and tells him to write letters to the seven churches. That means John will not die on that barren island. Indeed, John was taken back to Ephesus where he continued to be the bishop of that church until he died an old man. The Book of Revelation has given much encouragement to all believers who suffer persecution or pass thru trials in this life. This is because Jesus is the Beginning and the End of all things! Jesus says: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last” (Rev 22:13). Amen!

As soon as John heard the voice of Christ, ‘immediately he was in the Spirit’. Apostle John was already in the Spirit but now, he goes deeper into the Spirit’ realm. His body is still on the island of Patmos, but his spirit rises and sees heaven and the worship there. The first thing he sees is a throne. The word Throne appears 46 times the Book of Revelation. The throne represents the total authority, power, and the justice of God. “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all” (Ps 103:19). This is not the great white throne where God will judge all unbelievers (Rev 20:11-15). This throne is God’s presence in the middle of the Temple, the center of worship. God is sitting on His throne amid the praises of His people. He sits on the throne as a King and Judge! “But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed” (Ps 22:3-5). John sees ‘One’ who sat on the throne. He is Jehovah God. It is interesting that all who saw God on His throne could not describe Him in human words. It is the same with the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel (Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 1). God cannot be seen by human eyes. God, “alone has immortality, is dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen” (1 Tim 6:16). Around the throne there is flashing light and loud worship!

John sees a rainbow around the throne. This is a symbol of God as the Gracious, Merciful and Faithful Covenant and Promise Keeper. God promised Noah that He will not destroy humanity with water again. The rainbow shall be the sign of His Promise. “And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.” (Gen 9:12-17). In heaven, that rainbow is a pledge that God is gracious, and He will save His people from trials and death. The rainbow is the signature and seal of King Grace who is forever faithful!

‘Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones, I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads’. The 24 elders who sat on 24 thrones represent the Body of Christ. These are the 12 patriarchs from the Old Testament and the 12 apostles in the New Testament (Rev 21:12-14). See how close the Body of Christ is to the throne of God! They see God face to face, all the time. They are dressed in white robes, which are the imputed righteousness of Christ. They have crowns of gold which they received from Christ, as a glorious reward, for finishing the race with honor and faithfulness. Apostle Paul had faith that he will finish the race with courage and faithfulness. He said: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim 4:6-8). Our Lord said: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life… Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (Rev 2:10; 3:11). During the worship, the elders cast their crown before God who sits on the throne. Christ gave them the crowns but in the presence of God, as they worship, they humble themselves. If worshipping God does not humble you, that is not true worship!

Worship is ‘noisy’ in heaven because it is powerful. “And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices”. Anyone who hates ‘loud music’ in the church, should think again. The lightnings and the thunderings that proceed from the throne are a sign of Omnipotence and God’s Word. The first people who hear it are the members of the Body of Christ. They respond with ‘voices’ in worship. “The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” These are cherubs who worship God always, day and night. They shout saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created!” The meaning of the word ‘worthy’ is this: somebody deserving to be noticed, deserving respect, admiration, or support. To deserve it means to have earned something or be given something because of your actions or excellent moral qualities. Worth means great value, excellent character that deserves recognition. God is worthy to be worshipped because He is the Creator of all. Creation must bow down and worship its Creator and Sustainer of life. He is also worthy to be worshipped because He is Omnipotent and Holy! Amen!

TRUE TREASURE IS TRUE WORSHIP

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt 6:19-21)

True worship is the only thing that engages and satisfies both the mind and the heart. Idolatry can never do that! The Bible speaks much about wealth, money, and possessions and what should be our attitude to these things. The greatest competitor to the worship of God is Mammon. This is a good test to apply to us the believers: If you store your treasures on earth, you do not worship God in spirit and in truth. If you store your treasures in heaven, you are a true worshipper of God. There is no middle ground. Search your heart. Where is your heart? In heaven or on earth! God blesses us richly with spiritual and material blessings. These are all gifts of Grace. The danger is always to love the gifts more than the Giver. Greed is an enemy to worshipping God. Money itself is not evil. But the love of money is sin! The love of money also called Mammon is a person. It is the devil who hates the true worship of God. What should be our attitude towards money and material wealth?

These are some Biblical principles: God is good and generous. God blesses us with riches, spiritual and physical. “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day” (Deut 8:18). But we are not the owner of this wealth. We are stewards under God. We need to give account to God for the way we make and spend ‘our’ money. We also remember that we live in ‘the world’. The world is not just the physical environment where we live in. The world is a system, a way of thinking. The world is made by all the unbelievers whose ruler is the devil. The worldly people live like God does not exist. Even if they are religious and attend churches, to the worldly people, God is not the center of their lives. They are the center of their lives! Worldly people are all selfish and live for themselves. They do not worship God. But we the believers, live for God, for Jesus! We are worshippers of God! The Word of God rules our lives. The believer is often tempted to backslide and live like the worldly people. Our Lord commands us to consider our attitude to material wealth while we live in this world. If your treasure and your heart are on earth, you shall be full of doubts and anxiety. If your treasure and your heart are in heaven, you shall be full of peace and glorious joy! The difference is clear!

One of the special marks of the believers in the early church was joy. That joy, in spite of trials, was what attracted others to Christ. “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (Ac 13:52). The unbelievers saw how the Christians were thrown to the lions and they died rejoicing that they will soon see Jesus. This pure joy is peculiar to the believers, and it is supremely attractive. It is the best way to do evangelism. It springs from a heart whose treasure is in heaven!

In the scripture above there are two commands: one is negative, and the other is positive. We need to obey both! Each command has an explanation so that we understand why we should obey it. The first command is this: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal” (Mt 6:19). The right translation is this: Do not treasure your treasures on earth! The word treasure means something of great worth or value (such as money, jewels, gold, or silver) that is hidden or kept in a safe place. Treasure is your crown, your credit, the thing that makes you proud and you boast about. In other words, different people have different treasures. For some, it is the amount of cash they have in the bank. To others, it is education, intelligence, gifts, social status, and position is society. Marriage and good family can become a treasure. All these things are good. The danger is to see them as an end of themselves, to forget that these are only temporary. Like the woman at the well, who was coming to draw water daily, the problem with these good things is that they do not satisfy. The pleasure you derive from them is temporary. Like with drugs or alcohol, you need more and more to find happiness in them. God gave them to us to enjoy, but not to find satisfaction in them. With time, they lose their attraction and keep us anxious to find something else. The pleasure of this world, even the gifts God has given to us, do not last and do not satisfy the soul. This is the greatest ‘weakness’ of any natural gift. For example, as beautiful as marriage is, it only lasts ‘until death do us part’. We should know the truth and protect our souls from self-deception! We should enjoy them ‘loosely’ knowing that we are pilgrims in this world. Immediately you forget that this world is not our destination and destiny, and you fall in love with it, you will live an anxious life, filled with doubts and depression.

What is the solution then? It is to obey the positive command of Jesus! “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Mt 6:20). We are commanded to increase our treasures in heaven. How do we do that? First, we remember that heaven is our eternal home. Salvation is free because Jesus paid for it with His Blood. But we are told that in heaven there are different levels of rewards. Some have crowns and some do not. Some people seat on thrones and others stand on their feet. Some are close to the throne and other are far away. They all worship God but there are levels of rewards. The level of reward is not decided in heaven. It is a reflection of our lives on earth. In both the Old and the New Testament, we see that God rewards our works! “Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work” (Ps 62:12). “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (Mt 16:27).

How do we treasure our treasures in heaven? We are commanded to use money and our resources of time and energy to invest in the Kingdom of God. For example, helping the needy, doing good to others, especially to the believers, these deeds are noticed and rewarded by God. He will pay into our ‘heavenly account’. That account is waiting for you to arrive in heaven. Because of your personal heavenly account, heaven will not be a strange place to you anymore. It is home! As your account increases in heaven, so your faith and confidence on earth increases. Your anointing for ministry increases too. On earth banks may close and you may lose your money. But your heavenly account is eternally secure. None can steal from it. It humbles you to know that your life on earth was not in vain. That you have used your temporary ‘treasures’ to gain eternal ones. “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?” (Lk 16:9-12)

Your heart is intimately connected with your treasure. The worldly man’s heart is on earth. Thieves can break it. He is always anxious that he may lose his money. He has not prepared himself for death. He clings to his treasure ignoring the danger of losing it. But the true worshipper of God has found his real treasure. He enjoys his life on earth, and he uses his resources to invest in eternal things. He is a wise man! He has found his joy and satisfaction in God. He can never lose that. This is the secret of his wisdom, power, peace, anointing, and joy! By doing good to God’s people, even to the least of them, your account in heaven is increasing. These are the true riches! “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me” (Mt 25:34-36). These is the story and the testimony of all true worshippers!

Material wealth is to be used as a tool to help the needy. This is an investment in the worship of God. It will keep us humble and faithful. The earthly riches are ‘uncertain’. They can disappear easily. But the true foundation, the true treasure in heaven is eternal. “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Tim 6:17-19)

That is what our Lord was telling the woman at the well. He said: “Give Me to drink!” Like the Samaritan woman, obey His humble command! Draw water from the earthly well and give it to Jesus, or to His people who are thirsty. This action will be rewarded by the Lord! This is a seed that will become a harvest of worship. One of the true marks of a true worshipper is this deep clean soul cleansing all satisfying Joy! It is the sign that he is thirsty no more. Have you experienced this Joy of the Lord? The Living water supplies the treasure in heaven. It never runs dry! It never disappoints! What a mystery! What a holy challenge! Do you understand these things? Do you desire this Living Water? Do you want to worship God in spirit and in truth? Is Jesus Christ your true eternal love and treasure? Then you are blessed indeed! Worship the Lord!

GOD’S TIME IS THE BEST!

Jan28 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

God is God from everlasting to everlasting.

He can’t be early or late!

When God moves and comes to help you, His time is always perfect!

Glory!

THE BATTLE IS GOD’S

Jan28 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

This Sunday service, Pastor Richmond Sisan Leigh preached from the Book of 2 Chronicles. “And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chr 20:15). He said that recent events in Nigeria have stirred old fears that our country will become Islamized by force. The Christians are afraid and confused. Many of the pastors are not helping the matters. Pastor Richmond Leigh said that he sees two evil spirits trying to enter the churches in Nigeria. One is the spirit of material prosperity and the other is a demon of violence. In their sermons these backsliding pastors equate material prosperity with spirituality. They say that if you are not rich in this world’s goods, you are not born again. This is a serious error. Then the evil spirit of violence, of taking arms and fight for our rights, is slowly creeping in too. And many Christians think that this is normal. It is not! This is not a political or tribal fight. This is spiritual warfare and it must be addressed as such.

We need to know the truth. The Word of God is the truth! Jesus is the truth! In the Bible we are told that there are two kingdoms. There is the Kingdom of God, whose King is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Then there is the Kingdom of darkness, also called ‘the World’, whose ruler is the devil. Each has its own strategy and mind set. All human beings belong to one kingdom or the other. As born again believers we belong to the Kingdom of God. We live in this world but we are not of it. The Holy Spirit has separated us from the world’s mentality. We are people of the Holy Spirit. We have the mind of Christ! In this world, men chose their own leaders, thru voting or other violent means. But in the Kingdom of God leaders emerge, because God choses them. The philosophy of this world is ‘survival of the fittest’. But the Kingdom of God there is ‘righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost’ (Rom 14:17). Jesus told us to give respect to all leaders. “And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marveled at Him” (Mk 12:17). But our highest praise and eternal worship belongs to God! God created all things. He allows the world to go on because His process of redemption is still going on.
Read the story of King Jehoshaphat in the book of 2 Chronicles chapter 20. Judah was attacked by three enemy nations, much stronger than them. The king declared a time of fasting and prayer. Then a prophet spoke in the name of the Lord that they should not fear; for this battle is not theirs, but God’s. Then they started praising God with a loud voice and with musical instruments saying: ‘Praise the Lord; for His mercy endures forever!’ Then God caused confusion in the camp of the enemies. They fought themselves and they ‘helped to destroy one another’. The fear of God fell on all people. There was peace and rest after that. The people of Judah became rich from the spoils of war. Praise the Lord! As you can see, fasting, prayers, the word or God, the prophetic anointing of the Holy Spirit… these are the weapons of our warfare. They are not of this world. They are spiritual weapons that can never fail. Never forget! God can never lose any battle!
When a child of God is in trouble, he does not run to men. He runs to God who alone can help him. During the history of mankind, any time the people of God were in trouble and they sought the face of God, God will raise a prophet to encourage them. God has not changed. ‘Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever’ (Heb 13:8). We should not fear wars or rumor of wars (Mt 24:6). Like King Jehoshaphat we should seek God, His strength and His help. When our Lord Jesus Christ came to Israel, the people were interested in a military or a strong political ruler. But Jesus came and died on the Cross of Calvary. He shed His Blood for the forgiveness of sins. The Cross is God’s strategy for victory. ‘The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength’ (1Cor 1:25). On Calvary Hill the battle was spiritual. The victory was spiritual. It is the same now. The victory in the Spirit shall manifest as victory in the natural. Children of God, let us repent for loving the world and let us come back to God. This battle is not ours. It is God’s! And the victory will glorify His holy name! Worship the Lord!

(sermon preached by Pastor Richmond Sisan Leigh in 2018)

REVIVAL – LIVING WATER (4)

Jan23 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

REVIVAL – LIVING WATER (4)

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled Revival – Living water (4). Her main text was taken from the Books of John and Revelation 4 and 5. “Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (Jn 4:21-26)

“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever” (Rev 5:8-14)

TRUE WORSHIP – WORTHY IS THE LAMB!!!

Worship is a command. We are commanded to show respect to people in authority because God put them there. We are to ‘pay’ them this respect, because of their office. It is a matter of ‘paying’ them. We owe them! How much more we are to pay the sacrifice of worship to God? “Pay to all what is due: tax to whom tax is due, customs to whom customs, respect to whom respect, honor to whom honor” (Rom 13:7, AMP).

In Hebrew and in Greek, the word ‘worship’ means to kneel, to bow down or prostrate before God, or another deity. This position of the body reflects the spirit inside the body. There is a humbling, a submission, an acknowledging to the supreme God. All singing and all praying is not always worship. Singing praises should lead to worship. The preaching of the Word should lead to worship. If not, these religious activities are in vain. The word ‘worship’ appears about 200 times in the Bible. Worship is a manifestation of deep love and admiration towards God. It is a point of total surrender and humility before God. In worship, the Fear of God and the Love of God are combined in a perfect mixture. Worship is the atmosphere of heaven. God seats on the throne and all other beings worship Him. Worship is more than a beautiful song. It is a spiritual deep work in the soul of man. As God’s will is done in heaven, so it must be done on earth. We need to understand how God wants us to worship Him. Other words in Hebrew connected with worship are ‘serving the Lord’. For example, God told Moses to tell Pharoah to let the Hebrew people go free from slavery. “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me” (Ex 9:1). The word translated ‘serve’ also means ‘worship’.

The Patriarchs worshipped God by raising altars. At that time there was no formal corporate worship. Later, God called Moses on the mountain and showed him the pattern of the tabernacle, the sacrifices, and the priesthood. This is how the official worship of Jehovah started. The people were given clear instructions how to worship God by bringing animals to the tabernacle to be sacrificed for their sins. They also brought the first fruits and other sacrifices to the tabernacle as a token of appreciation for God blessing the work of their hands. As you can see, worshipping God is a sacrifice. Worship comes from a grateful, humble, and generous heart. No fault finder, proud, or greedy person can worship God acceptably. During the times of judges, the worship of God was low. King Saul did not care about God. King David revived worship in Israel. Many of his psalms reflect his desire to worship God. His son Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem. From that time, the corporate worship became established in Israel. The worship got corrupted by the religious leaders, but it continued until Babylon destroyed the Temple and carried the people into exile. According to the prophecy, seventy years later, God sent Ezra and Nehemiah from Babylon to rebuild the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. From that time, the synagogues appeared. The Jews gathered to study God’s Word and to worship Jehovah. After the Romans destroyed the temple and Jerusalem in 70AD only the synagogues were left for the Jews where they could worship God.

The tabernacle, the sacrifices, and the priesthood, all pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. After the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, there was no need for animal sacrifices. The worship pattern started to change. The Lord Jesus Christ is now the Great High Priest and Intercessor in heaven. There is no need for an earthly priest to help the believer worship God. The Lord did not give a particular pattern how we should worship God. The Holy Spirit leads each believer and each congregation on how to worship God. After Pentecost, the Christians still used the Temple in Jerusalem to worship God. Because of the persecution, they moved to private homes. The animal sacrifices in the temple were replaced by the Holy Communion. The Jewish Sabbath (Saturday) was replaced with the first day of the week (Sunday). The early believers decided to gather every Sunday to worship God. Preaching and teaching the Word of God were extremely important during the services. The believers were hungry for the Word of God. The unity of the Spirit was manifested by the people honoring the Word of God and their weekly gathering to worship God.

The first testing of the church involved worship. The Roman emperors believed that they descended from the gods and therefore, they should be worshipped by the people. This was not so much a religious exercise but a political one. The pagans under the Roman rule had no problem in worshipping Caesar. They worshipped many gods anyway, so one more makes no difference. The only people who refused to worship Caesar were the Christians. They refused to say: ‘Caesar is Lord’. They insisted that ‘Jesus is Lord’. Because of this, many Christians suffered and died for their faith.

This is a great picture of the early church. It is also the pattern for worship and revival. “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Ac 2:41-47). As you can see, the believers ‘continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine’. The Preaching of God’s Word has its foundation ‘in the apostles’ doctrine’. In other words, the only preaching that the Holy Spirit confirms and blesses, is the preaching of the true Gospel, Christ Crucified and Resurrected. The understanding of the true gospel leads to true worship. Worship relates to the teaching of truth. Deception and doctrinal error destroy the true worship of God.

To worship God in the way He desires it is the most important work we can do. The worship must be Biblical. There is an acceptable and an un-acceptable worship. We must study this extremely subject carefully. Worship must be done in the power of the Holy Spirit. He is the Spirit of Truth, and He glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. To worship God in Truth it means to worship God according to the Word of God and not according to the traditions of men. Only the born-again believers can worship God acceptably. God does not accept the worship of the unbelievers.

On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter wanted to ‘retain’ the atmosphere of worship. But he wanted to use natural means, by building three tabernacles. God corrected his wrong understanding of worship and simply commanded Peter to ‘listen to Jesus!’. The preaching of God’s Word in the power of the Holy Spirit must give voice to the Son of God. Here we are reminded of the responsibility and privilege of preaching and listening to the Word of God. True preaching must lead to worshipping God in a deeper way. If not, that ‘preaching’ has failed its purpose. “Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid” (Mt 17:4-6). This is the story on top of the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter suggested to build three tabernacles so that they can worship Our Lord, Moses, and Elijah. God told him to shut up. None is worthy or worship except the Lord Jesus Christ! We are commanded to ‘hear Him!’. Our Lord alone teaches the acceptable way of worship, and He alone is worthy to be worshipped.

Our Lord did not give us a particular pattern on how to worship God. But He attracted our attention to the danger of religious hypocrisy.

“Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ (Mk 7:5-7). The religious spirits lead people to worship God according to the commandments of men. The hypocrites are busy in worshipping God, but their worship is not acceptable to God. The Lord says that this man-made worship is ‘in vain’. It will not reach or touch the heart of God.

EXAMPLES OF TRUE WORSHIP

*Moses

When God revealed His Grace and Glory to Moses, he bowed down and worshipped God. “Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped” (Ex 34:5-8).

*Joshua

Joshua had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. Immediately, he bowed down and worshiped Him. The Commander of the Army of the Lord. “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so” (Josh 5:13-15).

*Job

The devil attacked the righteous man Job. He lost his property and his children. In the midst of his pain, he fell to the ground and… he did not curse God… he did not complain to God… but, he worshipped God! This is a wonderful picture of the sacrifice of worship. “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong” (Job 1:20-22)

*King David

David committed adultery and murder. His baby with Bathsheba died. Repentant, in pain, David did not accuse God, did not go to drink alcohol… but he went to the house of God, and he worshipped. “So, David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate” (2 Sam 12:20). This is another wonderful example how to offer a sacrifice of worship.

WORSHIP IS A COMMAND

In God’s Word we are commanded to worship God, our Maker, and our Shepherd. True worship humbles and softens the heart. Worship is a special act between man and God. During worship God speaks to you. The reaction to God’s word is submission and humility. Rebellion and pride are enemies to true worship. Worship leads to spiritual ‘rest’ and satisfaction. It is the drinking of the Living Water and never thirst again. You praise God for His wonderful acts He has done. You worship God just for who He is! God is good and He helps us in many ways. But God wants us to come before Him and bow down to worship Him just because He is God! If you ‘worship’ God and you are still worried about your life, it means that God has not accepted your worship. Because true worship leads to rest of mind, peace, and total satisfaction.

“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation, And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, And they do not know My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ” (Ps 95:6-11)

GOD IS JEALOUS OVER HIS WORSHIP

God is jealous over His Worship. Idolatry is competing with the true worship of God. In the past, men bowed before sticks and stones, thinking that these are gods. But now, the love of money is one of the greatest idols to many. ‘Greed is idolatry’ (Col 3:5). One of the Ten Commandments is to worship God alone and not any idol. Since the beginning of time, it is on record that God does not bless the idolaters.

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Ex 20:2-6). God commands His people not to worship (not to bow down) to idols. The children of men and women who worship idols, are born with a disadvantage. Only in Christ this curse is removed. Worship is powerful. You become like the object of your worship. You worship God, you become like Jesus! If you worship idols, you become like them: blind, hardened, and foolish (Ps 115:1-8).

Apostle Paul addressed the Greek philosophers confronting their useless idolatry. They trusted and worshipped the wisdom of men. Their poets were worshipped as gods. He said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Ac 17:22-25). The Greeks were great philosophers and worshipped many gods. They even included a god whose name is ‘The Unknown God’. The unbelievers have a faint idea that their gods are not satisfying. That is why they leave a space for ‘an unknown God’. But we, the believers in Christ, know this God and we proclaim His Word: Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected!

THE DEVIL HATES OUR WORSHIP

The devil covets our worship. This is how he tempted our Lord in the wilderness. ‘Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him” (Mt 4:8-11). Taking our Lord as our best example, we need to do spiritual warfare to protect the purity of the worship of God!

REVIVAL – LIVING WATER (3)

Jan16 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

REVIVAL – THE LIVING WATER (3)

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled Revival – The Living Water (3). Her main text was taken from the Book of John. “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ… Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” … On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (Jn 1:16,17; 4:13,14; 7:37-39)

We shall revisit the subject of Revival. We feel led to pray without ceasing for an extraordinary move of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, homes, in our church and for this land (Warri/ Effurun/ Nigeria). This time we shall seek God for the fullness of the Spirit, described as the Fountain of Living Waters. Our Lord teaches the Samaritan woman the meaning of true worship. We shall learn with her how to be filled with the Holy Spirit, how to worship God and how to participate in revival. Too many Christians are too easily satisfied. When they are saved an ‘amount’ of the Holy Spirit is given to them. This is because without the Holy Spirit you cannot be born again. After that, they are supposed to press on closer to God, to receive the fullness of God’s Spirit. Few do that! Revival is like ‘a fountain of Living Waters that springs up to everlasting life’. This fountain produces a peculiar water. It is the all-satisfying living water. The promise is that ‘you will never thirst again’. The word ‘never’ is categorical and definitive. Few believers press on until they arrive to that place of ‘never thirst again’. We should pay the price to experience the manifestation of this wonderful promise! The manifestation of revival is under the sovereign will of King Grace. May we please Him! Jesus Christ came ‘full of Grace and Truth”. Out of His fulness we have received Grace and more Grace. The word ‘fulness’ means a container filled to the brim. There is no empty space. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is a manifestation of His fulness, as the Lord of all. It affects every area of our lives. Both is quality and quantity Grace is eternally creative. We need the Holy Spirit to understand and appreciate the Grace of God. Grace is a King helping His humble servants just because He takes pleasure in helping. Because of this fullness of Grace in Christ, we can never lose our salvation! Christ in us the Hope of Glory! Halleluiah!

Too many believers, after they become saved, live a life of spiritual ‘maintenance’. There is no excitement, no bubbling joy of growth and expanding testimony. They live ‘in past glories.’ Like a honeymoon of long ago, almost forgotten, their best has passed. This is the opposite of the true Christian life. God keeps the best for the last (John 2:10). We are going towards the glory ahead! Selah! “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]” (Jn 10:10; AMP). Eternal Life that comes thru Jesus Christ is not just a lengthy life. It has a special quality. It is a living life! It is powerful. It overflows. It is joyful and satisfying. Life in Christ is like food that is more than we can consume. It is water in greater quantity than we can drink, all our lives. It never ends. You will never see the bottom of the bucket filled with the Living Water of Christ. One thing this Living Water cannot do: It cannot disappoint you! The more you drink, the more it fills the soul. The devil is called ‘the thief’. He wants to kill the sheep and steal their pasture. But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is the opposite. He cares for the sheep. He finds ‘green pastures’ for them. ‘He leads them beside still waters and He restores their soul’. He prepares for them a table of healthy food. No enemy can stop this holy feast. He anoints the sheep’ head with oil of gladness. He adopts the sheep like they are His own children (Psalm 23). This is just a sample of the promised ‘abundant life’. Grace has the same effect. It overflows! “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Rom 5:20). Revival is always connected with Grace. Revival is the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit, blessing many believers at the same time. The unbelievers become attracted by this powerful life working in the Christians. The result is that they become converted. Many people look down on the Church. This is because they do not see much difference in behavior between the worldly people and the so-called believers. Once the Holy Spirit convicts the religious people of sin, true repentance and conversion happens. The believers will manifest the fruits of repentance. The world notices that. The Church has authority over the world only when the children of God pay the price for sanctification and the fulness in Christ. Like butterflies come to the light, so the unbelievers are attracted to truth and love, manifested in their fulness, in the lives of the believers. This is a good question: Since you became saved, do you experience this fullness of life? Are you truly filled with the Holy Spirit? Is the fountain of Living Water springing up in your spirit? Is your spirit ‘bubbling’ life toward others? Is your testimony changing others around you? Have you experienced this Niagara Falls-like ‘Glorious Rich Grace’ (Eph 1:6,7)?

HINDRANCES AGAINST REVIVAL, AGAINST RECEIVING THE FULLNESS OF THE SPIRIT (THE LIVING WATER)

1-PrejudiceApart of the prejudice against people of a different race, gender, social status and religious affiliation, man’s greatest prejudice is against Truth. Man is born a sinner. He is born hating God and God’s Word, which is truth. He sees The Lord Jesus Christ as his enemy and the Bible as foolishness. “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14). Our Lord said this about the Holy Spirit: “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you” (Jn 14:17). The religious unbeliever ‘cannot receive’ the Holy Spirit of Truth. He cannot see Truth and cannot know Truth. He has no option than to lie and deceive continuously. But once a sinner repents, he immediately stops fighting the truth. He now loves God, the name of Jesus, the Bible, prayer, worship, and the fellowship of the brethren. This change is dramatic, and it is a sign of conversion. It is totally the work of the Holy Spirit.

2-The evil spirit of religion The evil spirit of religion is also a great hindrance against revival, or spiritual maturity. There is great difference between an unbeliever and a child of God. There is great difference between a Living Church and a ‘dead’ church. In fact, a ‘dead’ church is an abnormality. What are some of the qualities of a living church? A living local church acknowledges and welcomes the Holy Spirit. The pastor preaches the Word of God, the Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected. Truth has a power no lie can destroy. As the pastor preaches the Truth, in the power and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the congregation is fed with ‘organic spiritual food’. Because of the authority of God’s Word, the congregation remains calm during preaching. Nothing changes the hearts of men except the Word of God that penetrates thru the Holy Spirit! Changes happen in the congregation. These changes lead to revival. The unbelievers repent of sins and eventually become saved. The believers love truth and desire to grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ! But when the pastor and the leaders grieve the Holy Spirit thru unrepentant sin, the atmosphere of the church changes. The Holy Spirit withdraws from the people. They lose that sense of freedom and joy of salvation. An evil spirit replaces the Holy Spirit. It is a counterfeit ‘holy spirit’. It is called the spirit of religion or the spirit of antichrist! The pastor now preaches stories and not the Word of God. The church now loves ceremonies and religious entertainment. The people think worldly. Sin does not look evil to them anymore. From the leaders to the youngest member of the church, they all follow this evil spirit of religion. They are deceived and they deceive others. They now backslide. Many people join the church who become religious but have no desire to be truly saved. The leaders in the church become ‘famous’ and the congregation worships them. This is a tragedy. The Holy Spirit will intervene and discipline the leaders and the people. The church belongs to Jesus Christ! He died and shed His Blood for the church to be born. The Church is the Bride of Christ. The Bridegroom is jealous and will discipline the wayward Bride. This phenomenon has happened again and again in the history of the church. Revival is the answer to backsliding. We need to do spiritual warfare to keep the doctrine and the behavior pure, to please our Lord! Selah!

The influence of the evil spirit of religion upon a religious unbeliever, or upon a congregation manifests itself in many ways:

*Ignorance of God’s Word and lack of interest in prayer From the discussion of our Lord with the woman at the well, you can see that there are two basic conditions in receiving the Living Water: knowing the Lord Jesus and specific prayer. Our Lord said to the woman: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” (Jn 4:10). The woman was ignorant of ‘the Gift of God’ who is our Savior and Lord. Only Him can save a soul. Only Him can give this Living Water called Eternal Life. During the discussion, the woman believed and asked for the Gift. “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw” (Jn 4:15).

What are the lessons? You need to come to Jesus! You need to surrender your life to Jesus, as your Savior and Lord! You need to pray that He will forgive all your sins and fill you with the Holy Spirit! Then you shall indeed know the Gift of God, and His Grace to men! You need to be saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! You need to know and believe the true Gospel. Jesus died and rose again for you! You need to understand the true doctrines of the Bible. Faith in the Word of God is basic to the Christian life. The devil does his best to stop sinners from reading the Bible and praying. When doing evangelism, you need to combine it with spiritual warfare. There is a false Gospel and a false ‘Jesus’. These false doctrines cannot save a sinner. But Truth always prevails!

This is a reminder of the responsibility of the pastor in caring for the flock of Christ. We preach Christ Crucified and Resurrected! This is the only true Gospel who has the power to change men’s hearts! The Gospel reveals to us the need for salvation, the need to be filled with the Holy Spirit! Ignorant of the need, we will not ask for the Living Water! Praise the Lord!

*False brethren The evil spirit of religion produces false brethren. They look and sound like Christians, but they are not saved. They do not produce fruits of repentance. They stand in times of peace and prosperity, but during times of trial, they fall. Their aim in the church is to infiltrate and attack from the inside. They are dangerous because they are hidden among the true believers. False brethren are easily satisfied with a little religion. They do not pay the price for spiritual maturity. They do not offer sacrifices of praise! They are ‘busybodies and spies’ in the church! They are wolves in sheep’ clothes (Mt 7:15). They do not care about Jesus! They only care about themselves. They gossip and create divisions in the church. We are commanded to avoid such people. “We command you, believers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by His authority, that you withdraw and keep away from every brother or sister who leads an undisciplined life and does not live in accordance with the tradition and teaching that you have received from us… Indeed, we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined and inappropriate life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies [meddling in other people’s business]” (2 Thess 3:6;11; AMP). The false brethren infiltrate the church like spies of the devil. They pretend to be Church’ members. They do the things other Christians do and speak the right words. But they are not saved. They do not even desire to be saved. They study the weakness of the church to give information to the devil. They can damage the unity of the Spirit in the Church. They desire positions of leadership in the church. They use manipulation and intimidation so that they take control over the church. They do not submit to the authority in the church, but they compete with the leadership. Apostle Paul recognized them and opposed them. As a Christian, you cannot submit to these agents of darkness. “And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you” (Gal 2:4,5). The solution is to continue to “preach the Word” (2Tim 4:2). Light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot quench the light! Amen!*Lukewarm (backsliding) Christians The disciples of Jesus went to buy food. When they returned, they saw Him talking to a Samaritan woman. They were surprised and possibly upset but no one had the courage to rebuke Him for breaking the social rules (Jn 4:27). Our Lord knew that they too are prejudiced against the Samaritan woman. That is why He allowed them to go and buy food in the town, so that He can be alone with her. The disciples (except for Judas) stand for immature or backslidden believers. Later, the Lord teaches them lessons taken from His conversation with the woman. Humankind is divided into two groups: believers and unbelievers. The believers are also divided into two groups: There are ‘baby Christians’ and there are ‘mature Christian’s. All believers go to heaven when they die. But there is a difference between them, in the way they live their lives on earth. The difference is found in this ‘fullness of Living Waters’. The Baby Christian only drinks the milk of the Word. He is ‘carnal, a mere man’. He is not full of the Holy Spirit. The mature Christian has a different ‘diet’. He eats ‘the strong meat’ of God’s Word and is filled with the Living Waters. Apostle Paul rebuked the Corinthian believers because they were not willing to pay the price for spiritual maturity. “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (1Cor 3:1-3). A Christian who is envious on others, who is a fault finder, a troublemaker and who divides people in the church, is surely a victim of the evil spirit of religion. He may be ignorant of the fact that he serves the devil, but this is the truth. He is a backsliding and lukewarm Christian. He causes a lot of harm in the body of Christ. He is in a dangerous position too (Rev 3:14-16). He walks in the same way with the false brethren. That is why we challenge and encourage people to pay the price for spiritual maturity. Listen to me, please… Humble yourself! Study the Word of God! Fast and pray! This is the royal way of the Cross! It is not easy, but it is the only way. There is no short-cut to maturity! Spiritual laziness, refusal to mature spiritually, is one of the greatest hindrances to revival in the church. Our Lord said: “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad” (Mt 12:30). He who ‘gathers’ the harvest with Jesus, will be filled with His Living Water! It is a terrible thing to come to church for nothing. You do not listen to the Word of God. You are passive, sitting in the congregation. That is a waster of opportunities to grow and Grace. You need to repent!

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Heb 5:12-14). The word ‘unskilled’ means to be ignorant of the basic doctrines of the Gospel. The baby Christian has only a ‘head knowledge’ of the Gospel. He has not learned how to apply it daily in his life. He does not have a personal testimony. He has zeal, sometimes even Bible knowledge, but he lacks wisdom. He is still restless. He is still thirsty. He still needs to draw water daily with the bucket. He is not a teacher yet. “Therefore, with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Is 12:3). A baby Christian has joy, but he labors much to extend his joy to others! A baby Christian who refuses to mature, will surely backslide. He will persecute the mature Christians and ignorantly, will oppose revival in the church! *Religious spirits in the church are witchcraft spirits Apostle Paul said: “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?” (Gal 3:1). False prophets, false doctrines, love of money, and religious witchcraft are part of church ‘entertainment’. The evil spirit of religion is one of the greatest enemies to revival. Spiritual warfare is necessary before the Holy Spirit moves freely in the church. The woman at the well is seeking for truth. But she tries to deflect the discussion towards her advantage. She changes the subject easily. She tries to sound smart, intelligent, spiritual. She tries to impress Jesus. But she fails to distract Him. Look how the Lord directs the conversation towards the revelation of Himself so that the woman can be saved. This is how the sinner tries to run from the conviction of the Holy Spirit. This is how we behaved too. Why did we do that? Why do we avoid the questions of our conscience when convicted of sin? This is because nobody loves painful words. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin because we do not believe in Jesus (Jn 16:8,9). We try to be smart. We are skillful in running away from repentance, trying to silence our conscience. We underestimate the power of the Gospel. We deceive ourselves in thinking that we know all the answers and we do not need salvation. Like the woman at the well, she had her own bucket and water. She thought she needed nothing else. The Lord stirs her interest in ‘a better’ water. Her curiosity is aroused by the free offer of Jesus! All her manipulations fail in the presence of Him who alone can save her soul! Lastly, we want to say that except the Lord Jesus Christ thru the Holy Spirit reveals Himself to you, you cannot see Him! Selah!

THE NEED FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Christianity is not just a teaching. It is a way of life. It is a spiritual phenomenon. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for sinners and to save them. He sent the Holy Spirit that bonded all believers into one body. The devil hates God and hates the believers. He tries to destroy the church, but he will always fail. Our Lord said: “on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18).We are soldiers for Christ! “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled” (2 Cor 10:3-6). Glory to God!

THIS IS THE MINDSET OF A CHAMPION:

The Olympic champions have something in common. They think in the same way.

1-A champion believes in God and in God’s vision for him

2-A champion is a student, loves to learn. Because of this desire, he remains humble and teachable

3-A champion has mastered his mind. He is bold, focused; not easily distracted. He kills his anxiety and doubts. He remembers the prize ahead

4-A champion has mastered his body. He kills his fleshly desires and lusts. He does not give up until he finishes his race.

5-A champion surrounds himself with others who have a similar mindset (mentors, teachers, pastors…) and avoids losers

RUN THAT YOU MAY OBTAIN IT!

One of the greatest weapons against the discouragement of the devil, is to have ‘a champion mentality’. Athletes train their bodies and also their mind. They need to have a vision of victory before they can be champions. How much more we, the true worshippers of the only Living God! We should have the mind of Christ! By the power of the Holy Spirit, we should kill all fleshly ideas, inferiority complexes, fears, and doubts about the victory our Lord gained at the Cross. The devil has lost forever! In Christ, we go from one triumph to another. For His glory! Apostle Paul said that we are like Olympic Champions. We are runners and boxers. The saints who are in heaven, they watch and encourage us to continue to the end. Apostle Paul said: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore, I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Cor 9:24-27).

Paul says:

*I do not run with uncertainty! The word ‘uncertainty’ means doubt, lacking a purpose, hiding from others, obscure, fearful, shy. Paul says: I run with the assurance of my goal! I run to the end! I do not hide! I run in the light! Dear believer, how can you run if you do not know your lane, you do not know the rules of the game and where the finishing line is? As for me and my household, I will run the Christian race until my last breath! I will see Jesus, face to face! I am sure of that! He is my Reward!

*I do not fight as one beating the air! A boxer may exercise by ‘beating the air’ but once he enters the ring, he must punch the enemy and win the battle! In the boxing world, ‘a perfect punch’ is said to be the punch that takes the opponent by surprise and defeats him. The professional boxers say that it is not so much a matter of strength, but that of wisdom. You need to take advantage of all opportunities, including the weakness of the enemy (the devil). You need to be dead to self and alive only to the Holy Spirit. The Cross is the only sure victory ground! Just like David who knocked down Goliath with a single stone, you can ‘punch the devil in his eyes’ and defeat him! We see that we should run for the medal, for the crown, for the reward in heaven! ‘Run in such a way…’. Stay focused! Encourage yourself and others! Christians are not in competition with one another! They help one another as they run together! You do not win the prize by comparing with others. You must focus on the prize promised to you and not to other runners! The Christian race is not a 100metre dash. It is a marathon. It is 42 Kilometers. Life is long! It is a marathon! Your testimony is a marathon! You should think like that! It is not how well you start but how well you finish it!

Every athlete practice self-control in all things: diet, exercise, and sexual abstinence. There is no success without discipline! You need to take dominion over self! To be champion is not easy! It is Self-mastery! The athlete even abstains from good things if these things hinder him to gain the crown. The fruit of the Spirit is self-control (Gal 5:23).

Paul is a spiritual champion and mentor to us! He leads by preaching the Word and by personal example! He said: “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Tim 4:16). Let us follow the example of Apostle Paul! He was a man of ‘one thing I do’. Thru the power of the Holy Spirit he was leaning towards the future. You need the Holy Spirit to remain focused and forget the past, with its failures and successes. You need to be excited about the future, the glory ahead. That is having the mind of Christ, the mind of a heavenly champion! Pressing Toward the Goal “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have [d]apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let us, as many as are mature, have this mind” (Phil 3:12-15).

Paul lived with a holy fear. He was not afraid to lose his salvation. But he was afraid to damage his testimony and lose his reward as a servant of Christ! This is a warning especially for the preachers! As a believer, you cannot lose your salvation. But thru sin, you can be disqualified from ministry and lose your reward from God! May God forbid! Say with Paul: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim 4:7, 8 )Finally, let us run the race like Jesus! He is our Best Example, Mentor and Champion forever! It is a race or faith that ends in joy! “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:1, 2)

“Let the Living Waters flow over my soul! Let the Holy Spirit come and take control!” Worship the Lord!

I AM QUIET AND BEAUTIFUL

Jan15 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

I AM QUIET, GENTLE, PRECIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL

MY TESTIMONY AS A WIFEI shall now boast in the Lord! My husband and I are married for almost 44 years. In Christ and by the grace of God, I declare that I am quiet, gentle, precious and beautiful! The Word of God says so! My husband says so! What others say it does not matter. I have learned over the years to speak less than my husband, especially when we are in public. For example, if he speaks 10 words, I speak maybe 3. If he is not around I can speak 8. You may joke about it, but this is the truth. I mentally count the times I open my mouth. If I do not have something good and godly to say, I am not ashamed to keep quiet. I do not have to prove that I am intelligent, anointed or educated by talking. When I talk, I make sure that I am on my husband’s ‘side’. I do not come from the opposite side. I do not stand against him spiritually speaking. I do not threaten him positionally. I am never on the side of them who argue with him, even if jokingly. If I do not understand something he says I make a mental note to ask him at home. I do not want to ask him any question while others listen to us talking. If it is an ‘emergency’ I ask him in Romanian. Thank God, most people do not understand this language. I do this because I do not want to be seen as his boss, teacher or mentor. I gladly submit to him because of God’s command. I also do not ask other men questions in my husband’s presence. I do not want to be seen as a foolish ignorant wife. That attitude will place the blame on him implying that he did not teach me well at home.You may ask… What is my ‘gain’ in all this? My gain is God’s pleasure over our home! The Holy Spirit is free to move, and work in us from inside out. Both my husband and I are ‘work in progress’ but if I obey God’s Word, the progress is faster. I love that! The devil loves to ask questions causing division, doubts, fears and confusion. I pray before I talk. I choose when to answer or when not to answer a question that is ‘thrown’ at me. My husband is the only one who has the right to ‘demand’ answers from me. No other person has the same right. Over the years, I do not regret talking too little but I regret talking too much. This strategy of keeping quiet as a wife (well… most of the time) is not legalistic or religious. It is the result of the leading of the Holy Spirit who gives me the power to choose silence when silence is the winner. Controlling your tongue is great achievement as a wife! It is not easy. But the effect of peace in the home is great! To God be all the glory!

(in the picture, my beloved husband, Richmond Sisan Leigh and I, during a trip in Italy. I wrote this note in 2016, before my husband went to heaven. The words remain true and can still bless somebody. Glory to God!)

LIKE THE EAGLES

Jan11 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (PV 3:5, 6). I cannot ‘trust in the Lord with all my heart’ in English. I need a heavenly language that is above ‘my own understanding’. When I pray in English, there is still a pocket of anxiety left in me. I still have some inferiority complex that I may not have ‘nailed’ the prayer. But when I pray in tongues, all limitations vanish and I can fly like an eagle. Fearlessly and joyfully! Once up there in the sky, the Lord uses the Wind of His Spirit to direct the path of my wings. Above the clouds, He creates a new imagination in me! I worship Him in Spirit and in Truth! That is why I love Jesus, my Lord! I hope that now you understand…

Love in Christ alone,

Malia!

(Picture taken from the internet)

REVIVAL – THE LIVING WATER (2)

Jan9 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

REVIVAL – THE LIVING WATER (2)

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled Revival – The Living Water (2). Her main text was taken from the Book of John. “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ… Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” … On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (Jn 1:16,17; 4:13,14; 7:37-39)

DESCRIPTION OF THE LVING WATER

How can we describe this Living Water? It is a peculiar water. A life-giving water. It destroys all barrenness, waste, and death. It heals the body, the soul, and the spirit. It is always fresh. Religion is boring. It fades like old clothes. But the Spirit makes everything fresh. Even if we preach the same Bible every day, there is something new in the revelation of God’s Word. Many pastors who are not Spirit filled. They got tired of preaching the Word and have replaced the Bible with books about politics, social studies, breaking news and stories. That is not preaching. Religion looks like a dress. It only covers and changes the outside behavior. Religion never goes into the heart. But the Living Water goes into the heart. “The water that I shall give him will become IN HIM a fountain”. This water goes ‘in him’. This water is all-satisfying. It is not like the water in Jacob’s well. The pleasures of the world may feel good, but they do not last. They do not satisfy. The Living Water goes deep ‘in you’, in your spirit and your soul. It affects the center of your being, your personality. Like a waterfall, the Living Water comes with power, changing everything in its path. It overflows with joy. This is a joyful powerful water. It never ends. Drinking this water, you will be satisfied. You shall search for the meaning of life no more. This Living Water is experiential. You feel when it comes inside you. This Living Water comes directly from Jesus! None can give it except the Lord Jesus Christ! Revival is like ‘a fountain of Living Waters that springs up to everlasting life’. The Lord’s promise is that ‘you will never thirst again’. The word ‘never’ is categorical and definitive. Few believers press on until they arrive to that place of ‘never thirst again’. We should pay the price to experience the manifestation of this wonderful promise! The manifestation of revival is under the sovereign will of King Grace. May we please Him! Let the Living Water flow over my soul…

HINDRANCES AGAINST REVIVAL, AGAINST RECEIVING THE FULLNESS OF THE SPIRIT

1-PREJUDICE

Let us study the conversation between our Lord and this woman at the well. This is a classical lesson on how to do evangelism. The woman was a sinner seeking for the truth. She met Truth. She submitted to Truth. She became saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. Initially, the woman is restless and religious. She talks a lot, going from one subject to another. Our Lord allows her to talk. He is gentle with her. But at the same time, He stays focused, and He is totally in charge of the conversation. He does not push her. He draws her with cords of love that the woman cannot resist. This calling of God creates a thirst for the Living Water that is irresistible. King Grace call cannot be ignored! Glory to God!

The Lord asks her: “Give Me a Drink!” Observe that the Lord initiates the conversation. Grace always starts and Grace finishes the work! Learn to talk like Jesus! Do not get distracted! “Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans” (Jn 4:7, 9). The woman has prejudice based on the social rules of her day. Prejudice is a preconceived judgment about others, not based on complete knowledge. It is rooted in fear, suspicion, and intolerance. Prejudice is a negative opinion about others because of their race, tribe, social status, gender, or religion. Prejudice damages relationships. The Lord was tired and thirsty. He asked her for a cup of water. The woman was surprised that a Jewish Man asks her for water because the Jews and the Samaritans had an historical hatred against each other. The Jews totally discriminated the Samaritans. The radical Jews said that to eat bread from a Samaritan is the same as eating pig’s flesh, and that touching the cup of water will defile a Jew. They said that no Samaritan should be accepted as a convert to Judaism and that no Samaritan will go to heaven. The Samaritans also hated the Jews thinking that they are backsliders of the true faith of Moses! Each nation despised the other. People grew up knowing about this hatred and accepted the division without checking the facts.

Samaria as a city was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. After Israel’s fall, Samaria as a region was in the central area of what used to be the northern kingdom. During the time of Jesus, Samaria was located between Galilee to the north and Judea to the south. Today, Samaria is in what is now the northern West Bank. Several hundred Samaritans still live in Israel and continue to practice their faith. The Samaritans were half Jew, half Gentile. The Assyrian Kingdom conquered the Northern Kingdom in 721 BC. Many Jews were captured and sent to Assyria in exile. Others remained in the land. They intermarried with the Assyrians. They became known as the Samaritans. They had their own system of religion. They read only the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). They rejected the Kings, the Prophets and the Temple built in Jerusalem. They too waited for a Messiah! They had their own form of worship and built a temple on top of Mount Gerizim. The southern Kingdom also called Judah fell to the Babylonians later. The Jews from the Northern Kingdom were absorbed in Assyria and disappeared from the Jewish history. They are called ‘the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel’. But the Jews from Babylon later came back to build the temple and the Jerusalem walls, under the leadership of Nehemiah and Ezra. Nehemiah was strongly opposed by Sanballat the Horonite, who was a Samaritan (Neh 4:2). Nehemiah resisted him. He rejected his help. He told him: “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore, we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” (Neh 2:20). Starting from that time, the Jews rejected all Samaritans. The division between the Jews and the Samaritans never healed! People developed prejudice against one another. Even today, the Jews and the Palestinians discriminate and hate one another. Prejudice is baren and makes all people sad.

The woman at the well was prejudiced against the Jews. Initially she was suspicious when Jesus asked for water. Socially, she was supposed to reject His request. Her people demanded that. She could not afford to be kind to a Jewish man, even if the man was thirsty. But there was something about Jesus that made her forget her prejudice. She was drawn to the Lord Jesus by a power greater than her fears. KING GRACE alone has the power to destroy prejudice! Everywhere He went, Jesus interacted with the poor and outcast. Whether He was healing lepers, eating with tax collectors, or speaking to Samaritans, Jesus constantly demonstrated care for those the world had rejected and showed that He didn’t care what the “religious” people thought of Him. Jesus showed that the Gospel is for everyone. He said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). Samaria suffered discrimination. But in Christ, there is no Jew, no Gentile. You see that in talking to the woman, our Lord avoids talking about things that produce discrimination and prejudice. In doing evangelism, we too should not talk about race, gender, and religious divisions. Talk about Christ only!

The early believers became free of prejudice. This was a miracle! Philip went to the city of Samaria and preached Christ there. He did miracles in their midst in the name of Jesus. Multitudes were saved and healed. The city of Samaria experienced great joy (Acts 8). There was a wizard called Simon who, for a long time, astonished the people of Samaria with his sorceries. He wanted to buy the power of the Holy Spirit with money. Peter rebuked him openly (Ac 8:20-24). We need to do warfare against every form of prejudice and discrimination. Jesus came to destroy the wall of division between Jews and Gentiles. In the same way, there shall be no hatred between people. “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation” (Eph 2:14). If you have prejudice against people, you cannot serve God, you cannot worship Him and you cannot do ministry! For God has created all people! In Christ, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28).

In the past, we have studied the subject of revival in the Book of Genesis 26. The Philistines became jealous on Isaac when God miraculously prospered him a hundredfold. They blocked his father’s wells with dirt. Isaac did not waste time and effort to dig new wells. He wisely opened Abraham’s wells. This is how in a time of crisis they found the water of life. This Living Water at the bottom of the well is a symbol of Revival. That is the Living Water. We need to do warfare and remove the religious lies that block the way to the Living Water. “Then Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. The man began to prosper and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So, the Philistines envied him. Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.” Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there. And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them … It came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water” (Gen 26:12-18; 32). We remove the dirt from our father’s well! WE reject all forms of prejudice and discrimination! By faith, we declare that the blessings of Abraham are ours! Revival is here! Glory to God!

“Let the Living Water flow over my soul. Let the Holy Spirit come and take control. In Every situation that has troubled my mind. All my cares and worries, unto You, I roll… Father… Jesus… Spirit…” Worship the Lord!

WHEN MY HUSBAND CALLS ME, I COME!

Jan8 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

“King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in before him, but she did not come” (Est 1:17)

Please read the Book of Esther, chapter one. King Xerxes is married to Queen Vashti whose name means ‘Beautiful’. The king throws a great banquet to entertain and impress his military leaders, princes and nobles. He later invites all the citizens of Susa to come and enjoy the king’s feast. There is no limit to drinking wine and eating the royal special food. The reason for this party was to give glory to himself. Like Nebuchadnezzar, King Xerxes was a proud foolish man! He loves to drink alcohol. He was also a hot tempered man. Suddenly, becoming tired of the entertainment provided, the drunken king orders his Queen to come to him, dressed in her royal robes. He wanted to boast, before all his guests, of his wife’s beauty. Hating to be embarrassed in front of many drunken men, the Queen refuses to obey his orders. What? Imagine that! The great king is publicly rejected by a woman!!! Suddenly the happy party turns into a mourning gathering. The king is angry mostly because he is embarrassed by his wife’s public rejection. Both husband and wife are angry and embarrassed at each other’s actions. Who will win in this foolish emotional manipulation game? Of course the devil who takes pleasure in division, quarrels and divorce!

King Xerxes asks his wise men what to do. They advise him to divorce and disgrace Vashti. In verse 19 she is no longer called Queen Vashti. She is simply called by her name, like any ordinary woman. The poor queen has no credit of grace with anyone. Vashti is sent away from the palace! She loses her marriage, her reputation and her throne! The wise men advise the king to write a new law saying that each man should be ‘the ruler of his household’! It will be on record that all the wives should submit to their husbands. This is a foolish decree for no law can force the wives to submit or the men to love them. Submission and love are spiritual things of the heart! What are the lessons for us? The first thing I see is that without Christ, fame and riches are useless. Without Christ, there is no peace, no wisdom and no joy! Without Christ, even the best marriages scatter. Without Christ the partying, the happiness of the world will suddenly turn to disgrace and depression. The law cannot change the hearts of men. Only the grace of God found in Christ alone can change hearts and circumstances. Anger, lust, foolishness, pride, rebellion, drinking alcohol, having worldly friends… these are all drops of poison able to kill any relationship. As a married woman, I am sorry for Queen Vashti. In this story she had to go away. She vacated her throne for Queen Esther who is an ambassador for Christ. In this world, nothing is permanent. Only God never changes! ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever’ (Heb 13:8). If you marry an unbeliever, you will suffer. Money and fame cannot help a broken heart. Only God can do it! Another lesson is this: once you are married to ‘a famous’ man, or you hold a position of authority, if you like it or not, you become a role model. Others will imitate you, for better or for worst! Visibility requires responsibility! Remember that!

MY TESTIMONY My husband and I are married for almost 44 years. Both of us work full time to make our marriage happy and strong. It is a sacrifice made because of love. We are not ignorant of the attacks of the devil which is able, if given the chance, to destroy any marriage. This is the wisdom I have learned from the Book of Esther chapter one: Each time my husband calls me I will answer and immediately come to him! I promised myself that I will not be like Queen Vashti! This is my pledge to God and to my conscience: If my husband needs me, if he calls me, I will answer! It can be morning, afternoon, evening or night time. I may know or I may not know the reason for his call. I have made a covenant with my feet not to be tired to walk up and down the stairs when my husband calls me. I cannot even imagine ignoring his call. I take it as serious as the call of God. For me, rejecting my husband’s call is a luxury I cannot afford. I want our marriage to continue. If I was Queen Vashti, knowing that I will be embarrassed in a room full of drunken men, I could have still come to see my husband. I will pray in tongues in my heart that before entering that room, my husband (even if he is drunk) will pity me and let me to go back to my room. I believe that God can change the heart of any king! And even if I have to stand there embarrassed, I will ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen me among those foolish drunkards. In difficult times I pray to be able to use my pain for the glory of God! The shame I will experience will bring me closer to Jesus who also suffered shame on the Cross, dying for me. But no matter how, if my husband calls me, if he needs me, I will come at once! So help me, God! Dear Queen Vashti, I am sorry, but you cannot be my friend! I am with Queen Esther, who is my sister and mentor!

Now I have to go for my husband is calling me… “Come with Me from Lebanon, My bride, come with Me … My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me…. (SS 4:8; Jn 10:27)

(written in 2018)

THE LIVING WATER (1)

Jan2 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

REVIVAL – THE LIVING WATER (1)

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled Revival – The Living Water (1). Her main text was taken from the Book of John. “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ… Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” … On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (Jn 1:16,17; 4:13,14; 7:37-39)

We shall revisit the subject of Revival. This time we shall seek God for the fullness of the Spirit, described as the Fountain of Living Waters. Our Lord teaches the Samaritan woman the meaning of true worship. We shall learn with her how to be filled with the Holy Spirit and how to participate in revival. The problem with many Christians is that they are too easily satisfied. When they are saved an ‘amount’ of the Holy Spirit is given to them. This is because without the Holy Spirit you cannot be born again. After that, they are supposed to press on closer to God, to receive the fullness of God’s Spirit. Our Lord describes that as ‘a fountain of Living Waters that springs up to everlasting life’. This fountain produces a peculiar water. It is the all-satisfying living water. The promise is that ‘you will never thirst again’. The word ‘never’ is categorical and definitive. Few believers press on until they arrive to that place of ‘never thirst again’. We should pay the price to experience the manifestation of this wonderful promise! The manifestation of revival is under the sovereign will of King Grace. May we please Him! “Let the Living Waters flow over my soul! Let the Holy Spirit come and take control!”

Jesus Christ came ‘full of Grace and Truth”. Out of His fulness we have received Grace and more Grace. The word ‘fulness’ means a container filled to the brim. There is no empty space. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is a manifestation of His fulness, as the Lord of all. It affects every area of our lives. Both is quality and quantity Grace is eternally creative. “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet 4:10). This fullness of Grace is described as ‘manifold’. The word describes Grace as the colors of the rainbow, having many gifts and many blessings. There is no problem that the Grace of God cannot solve. Because we are born sinners, it is hard for us to imagine such a wonderful Grace. We are too stingy and too selfish to understand this revelation. We are too lazy to pray for revival. We need the Holy Spirit to understand and appreciate the Grace of God. Grace is a King helping His humble servants just because He takes pleasure in helping. Because of this fullness of Grace in Christ, we can never lose our salvation! Christ in us the Hope of Glory! Halleluiah!

Revival is always connected with Grace. Revival is the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit, blessing many believers at the same time. The unbelievers become attracted by this powerful life working in the Christians. The result is that they become converted. Many people look down on the Church. This is because they do not see much difference in behavior between the worldly people and the so-called believers. Once the Holy Spirit convicts the religious people of sin, true repentance and conversion happens. The believers will manifest the fruits of repentance. The world notices that. The Church has authority over the world only when the children of God pay the price for sanctification and the fulness in Christ. Like butterflies come to the light, so the unbelievers are attracted to truth and love, manifested in their fulness, in the lives of the believers. Lukewarm Christians are a hindrance to revival. This is a good question: Since you became saved, do you experience this fullness of life? Are you truly filled with the Holy Spirit? Is the fountain of Living Water springing up in your spirit? Is your spirit ‘bubbling’ life? Is your testimony changing others around you? Have you experienced this Niagara Falls-like ‘Glorious Rich Grace’ (Eph 1:6,7)? God wants us full of His Spirit so that “He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:7). Grace manifests as Kindness. Do people know you as an extremely kind person? Kindness is a weapon of Grace that never fails!

LESSONS AT THE WELL

Our Lord has a conversation with a Samaritan woman at the well. John chapter 4 is special because it is the longest recorded conversation in the Bible between our Lord and a sinner. There are so many lessons for us to learn. We shall focus on the promised water of life, the Gift of God. We shall seek God for the fullness of the Spirit and revival, in our lives, our families, our church and our Geographical area. You can see that Jesus arrives first at the well. He is waiting for the woman. You see that it is not the woman seeking God, but it is God seeking for worshippers who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.

*The Lord reveals Himself for the first time as the Messiah! Not to His disciples, but to a Gentile sinful woman! “The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (Jn 4:25, 26).

*The Living Water our Lord is talking about is not found in Jacob’s well. No human bucket can locate it. This is the Living Water of the Holy Spirit. It is the fulness of the Holy Spirit in the heart of man. This Living Water, once you drink it, it settles in your spirit and becomes a flowing fountain. The water is under pressure, cleansing everything in its way. It changes you inside and outside. It flows to eternity. It never stops. It is the source of revival. It is for the glory of God and for the blessings of men. The water of the world quenches the thirst only for a short time. But this Living Water kills the thirst, the restlessness of seeking and not finding. This Living Water satisfies your body, soul, and spirit! The Lord Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit is the only source of this fountain of Living Waters. This Water, like Grace too, it is a Gift of God. You must know it and you must ask for it. These are the conditions for receiving it. “Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” (Jn 4:10). The woman was still thinking in the natural but slowly she knew that this Man is a Prophet. She knew something from the promise of the Gift of God He offers to her. Then, she asked for the Water, fulfilling the two conditions: “The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” (Jn 4:15). Later, our Lord directs the discussion towards sin. The woman needs to acknowledge that she is a thirsty needy sinner. She needs to taste the bitter news of sin and death before she can receive and rejoice in the Good News of Grace and Life. Against all odds, she did it! She is the first person truly saved and Spirit filled in the ministry of our Lord. What an amazing Grace!

*The Lord Jesus plans His encounters with His people. Nothing is accidental with the Lord. He never makes mistakes.

We are told that our Lord “left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria” (Jn 4:3, 4). The Jews never passed thru Samaria. They used a longer roundabout road to go to Galilee. They did this because they hated the Samaritans. But Jesus does not discriminate people. He went thru Samaria because He planned to save a Samaritan woman and to anoint her as an evangelist. After a long journey, our Lord was tired and sat by Jacob’s well. His disciples went to look for food. He wanted to be alone with this woman who came to draw water in the heat of the day. Salvation and deliverance are personal. You must expect the Lord to come for you alone. Do not reject your hope of glory! The brethren can pray for you, can help you as much as they can. But they cannot save your soul. They cannot fill you with the Holy Spirit! Wait on God alone and you shall not be disappointed. He who saved the dying thief, will save and help you! Do you see how God is in charge of your circumstances? Salvation is planned and executed by the Lord! He said: “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk 19:10). Jesus knows the location of all His lost sheep. He seeks them, He finds them, and He saves them, one by one. He knows each of His own before the foundation of the world! That is why we are confident in saying that we can never lose our salvation! Can you appreciate The Lord’s constant care and love for you? He feels your pains! He will locate you in your loneliness! He is never too early to save you and never too late to help you! King Grace is always in control! Glory to God!

*God is sovereign in the way He blesses people. The Lord talks to the Samaritan woman. He reveals to her deep revelations about God, about her needs, about the worship of God. What are some lessons here for us? In the previous chapter (John 3), our Lord revealed the way of salvation to Nicodemus, a theologian, and a religious ruler in Jerusalem. He came to see Jesus by night. He was a Jew, a man, a wealthy man, and a religious teacher. You may say that he had all the credentials to be blessed by fresh revelation. But in the next chapter, our Lord saves this woman who socially, is the opposite of Nicodemus. Just imagine the scene… Our Lord does Bible study with a simple illiterate woman, an adulterous woman. Nicodemus is named but this woman is unnamed. She represents us, the Gentiles, who are saved by Grace, thru faith. The Jews reject the Samaritans. This woman has nothing to recommend herself to the Lord. But Jesus wants her, to save her soul. He gently leads her to Himself. King Grace saves her soul, not because she merits anything, but because of God’s eternal plan of salvation. This is how she became saved. Nicodemus was afraid of the public opinion. That is why he came to see Jesus in the night. But this woman talked to Jesus in the light and in the public. Our Lord patiently teaches her one of the greatest doctrines in the Bible, about the true worship of God in Spirit and in Truth. Our Lord reveals Himself as the Messiah to her. She believes Him! Salvation is always by Grace and thru faith! He justifies her and freely gives her the gift of an evangelist. She starts her ministry that day. Our Lord breaks all barriers of race, gender, and social status. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). As you can see, King Grace is in charge!

*The God of all Grace surprises humble people. You can never predict or manipulate King Grace! We should live by expectant faith!

Nicodemus decided to go and meet with Jesus. But this woman did not know that she will have an encounter with King Grace that day. The women in the town draw water in the evening when the weather is cooler. She comes at noontime, alone, to draw water, so that none will see her. She avoids the people because of her life of sin. She is ashamed. That day was an ordinary day. She did not know that her life will change that day. King Grace surprises people with salvation and blessings when they least expect. This woman translates from nothing to fullness! From Zero to Hero! Your past of sin is not a hindrance to the Lord! He died as your Substitute. He paid the penalty for your sins with His Blood. Come to Jesus, as you are right now! You cannot wash yourself. His Blood with wash you and make you clean! You should live in this expectation of an encounter. Be ready to repent easily! Live by faith and not by sight! Expect God! The resurrected Christ passed thru the walls. He still does that up till today. Nothing hinders Him when He comes to visit you. Each time you come to church, expect an encounter with the only Living God. Do not be tired of waiting on God! Let it be your lifestyle. Selah! To God be all the glory!

NOAH FOUND GRACE

Jan2 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen 6:8).

“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Heb 11:7)

The story of Noah is a wonderful story, 4500 years old. All people, including the children, love it. The most important thing said about Noah is that he “found Grace in the eyes of the Lord”. This is the first time in the Bible that the word ‘Grace’ appears. Grace is the unmerited free and full favor of God. It is the first time that Grace has found her voice among men. The word ‘found’ means to meet, to encounter Grace. ‘In the eyes of the Lord’ means in the presence of the Lord. Let us follow the story and see how Grace saves this man and his family.

At that time, the people were extremely wicked, in their thoughts, imaginations and actions. God said that He was ‘grieved’ that He made man. He decided to destroy all people with a flood. This is a type of the last judgment when God shall judge and destroy sin. In the midst of this tragedy only one man found ‘grace’ with God. This man is called ‘Noah’. In Hebrew, his name means ‘rest or comfort’. God told him about the evil in the world and that He will destroy the world with water. Grace takes man into his counsel. God told Noah that only he, his wife, their sons, and their wives, shall be saved. Grace gives hope for the future showing you the door of escape in trials. Noah responds with faith. Grace needs faith to manifest. By faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we and our household shall be saved. God gives Noah the plan of salvation. Noah must build an ark that will float on top of the waters of judgment. The only other place the word ‘ark’ appears is in the Book of Exodus. Moses’ mother made a little ark to save her son’s life (Ex 2:3-5). Both Noah and Moses were types of saviors. They are ambassadors of Christ! Thru Noah, God saved humanity. Thru Moses, God saved Israel.

Noah’s ark had a special design. God gave Noah the revelation in detail. During this time, it is only God who decides and speaks. Noah was to listen, trust and obey God. The ark was extremely big in size. Its length is five hundred feet; its width is seventy-five feet, and its height is thirty feet. To give you a better idea, the ark will be one and a half size of a football stadium. It can accommodate 120,000 sheep. It will be like three stories building floating on water. Until the 19^th century, no man has ever built a ship of this size. The ark will not be a ship for the bottom is flat like a badge. It shall have no steering wheel, no engine, no compass or nautical instruments, and no sails. There shall be no captain. There shall be no port of destination. Grace shall be the captain. Grace shall lead the ark to nowhere (better said to where God wants it to go). The only function of the ark is to rise on top of the waters of judgment. Grace is King! Grace kills and Grace makes alive whom He wishes. Grace is the greatest Lifter when we fall into sin. Noah was to build according to specifications. He will build and he will preach. That is all. Grace gives strength for you to work and to do ministry. Noah will use wood to build the ark. The wood will be made waterproof by smearing ‘pitch’ on it, inside and outside. The word ‘pitch’ is the same as the word ‘atonement’ (Leviticus 16). In other words, Noah will make the ark safe from the judgment by applying the blood of Jesus, inside and outside. Grace is sure salvation! Grace is released to men because Jesus shed His Blood on the Cross of Calvary!

There shall be only one window for light and ventilation at the top of the ark. There shall be only one door. Jesus said: “I am the Door” (Jn 10:9). God told Noah that when he will finish building the ark, He will send animals, male and female. They will willingly come and enter the ark. Noah was to gather food for all of them. At that time, all men and animals were vegetarian. Grace provides all that we need to survive! The animals will survive with Noah and his family. The building of the ark took about 120 years. During this time, Noah built and preached the Gospel (2 Pet 2:5). None of them who heard him believed the Word of God. Noah may have been a frustrated preacher but what matters is that Grace located him and saved him.

Looking at all these details, nobody but God could have this idea of building an ark to float on the waters. After the last nail was set in position, Noah, his family and all the animals entered the ark. And God shut the door. Then the rain started. It flooded the earth. As the waters were rising, the ark was lifted above them. Grace always lifts above sin, above trials and temptations. Grace is the greatest Lifter out of sorrow! The nonstop rain stopped after 40 days. Apart the sea creatures, all living beings, men and animals perished in the flood. After the screaming and pleadings of the desperate dying people, the silence of death came over the land. Noah stayed in the ark for 375 days. He came out and offered animal sacrifice to God for sparing their lives. He recognized that salvation is by Grace alone! God was pleased and promised never to destroy the world by water. Out of that flood, eight people came on earth. It was a new beginning. Grace has the power to give you a new beginning! The promised Seed that will bruise the serpent’s head (Gen 3:15) continued its journey among men. One of the descendants of Noah, Jesus Christ, came to earth as a Man full of Grace and Truth (Jn 1:14). The Ark is a symbol of Christ! There is salvation, safety, and satisfaction in Christ alone! King Grace expects faith and worship as the proper response to His royal help! Noah entered as the owner of the ark. After about one year, he came out as the owner of the world! To God be all the glory! Grace is King! Worship the Lord!

SURPRISED BY KING GRACE

Dec26 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (12) – SURPRISED BY KING GRACE

Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled ‘Surprised by King Grace’. Her main texts were taken from the Books of Romans, John and 2 Samuel. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Rom 1:16, 17). “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (Jn 1:14-17). “Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Sam 9:1)

GRACE DEFINED

The Doctrine of Grace is one of the basic teachings in the Bible. It says that Grace is the blessed help given to us by God because God desires us to have it, not because of anything we have done to earn it. Grace is the free and full, unmerited favor of God. It is the spontaneous gift from God to people, generous, free, totally unexpected and totally undeserved. It takes the form of overwhelming, ‘Niagara falls’ type of divine favor, love, forgiveness of sins and a share in the divine life of God. It manifests especially in the salvation of sinners because Christ died as a substitute for them. Simply said, God saves sinners by His grace and for His glory. Glory is called ‘Mature Grace’. These two realities—God’s grace and glory—are eternally bound together.

The word ‘grace’ appears more than 200 times in the Bible. Grace can also be defined as Love to the unlovely, Peace to the restless and riches to the destitute. Grace has a royal status. As sin and death reign over the kingdom of darkness, so Grace reigns victoriously over the Kingdom of Eternal Life. Grace always flows down like oil! Grace is the gift from the King to his servant, never the other way round. Once you receive the gift of Grace in salvation, you agree and testify that God is forever greater than you. Grace demands gratitude and worship. Somebody called Grace “God’s best idea” on how to love and save sinners. Praise the Lord!

Grace is a Gift but more than a Gift. Grace is a Person. Grace is resident in the Lord Jesus Christ and in nobody else. Christmas is the season of manifested Grace. Grace came as a baby, to become a Man among men. Grace came to die to save sinners. As Truth is a Person so Grace is a Person. As Truth is King so Grace is King! Christ is Truth and Christ is Grace! Grace is ‘Peace on earth and Goodwill towards men’ (Lk 2:14). The gospel is all about God’s grace through Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul testifies “to the gospel of the Grace of God… So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Ac 20:24, 32). The understanding of God’s Grace builds you spiritually. Grace discriminates. That is why the proud unbelievers hate it. Grace locates the humble and bestows more Grace. The proud are left behind. “God gives more grace. Therefore, He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” (Jam 4:6). Grace saves you and leads you to heaven. Our God is called ‘the God of all Grace’! “May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1Pet 5:5, 10,11). Jesus Christ came ‘full of Grace and Truth”. Out of His fulness we have received Grace and more Grace. The word ‘fulness’ means a container filled to the brim. There is no empty space. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is a manifestation of His fulness, as the Lord of all. It affects every area of our lives. Both is quality and quantity Grace is eternally creative. “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet 4:10). This fullness of Grace is described as ‘manifold’. The word describes Grace as the colors of the rainbow, having many gifts and many blessings. There is no problem that the Grace of God cannot solve. Because we are born sinners, it is hard for us to imagine such a wonderful Grace. We are too stingy and too selfish to understand this revelation. We need the Holy Spirit to understand and appreciate the Grace of God. Grace is a King helping his humble servant just because he takes pleasure in helping. Because of this fullness of Grace in Christ, we can never lose our salvation! Halleluiah!

COMMON AND SAVING GRACE

Grace manifests in two forms towards men: The Common Grace and the Saving Grace. Both these forms of Grace manifests among men thru the work of God the Holy Spirit. The common Grace is God’s goodness towards His Creation in general without affecting man’s spiritual status. The saving Grace leads men to repentance from sins and salvation.

Common grace manifests as general natural blessings to men without the spiritual work of salvation. These blessings of nature come from the common Grace. “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Mt 5:45). Men blessed by the common Grace are not saved. They cannot do any spiritual good. They may thank God with their mouths, but their hearts are still ungrateful. God reveals Himself thru His common Grace to all men. This is how men become religious. All men know that God exists. The common Grace oversees all governments, to restrain sin and to keep a general order in the world. It is common Grace that rules the public opinion, for good to win over evil. It is thru His common Grace that God punishes and rewards all men, including the sinners who do not know Him. It is common Grace that gives all men a sense of morality, love for truth and justice. Common Grace oversees all courts of justice. Lawyers and judges all over the world, no matter their religions, are all servants to King Grace! Anytime a wicked man does a good deed, the common Grace manifested thru that deed.

The Saving Grace is the unmerited favor of God that saves men. It calls men from darkness and sin; it justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies the elect. Some call it ‘The Effective, Irresistible Grace’. God calls all people by His common Grace, but He saves only those called by His saving Grace. Many people hate the doctrine of the elect and that of the sovereign Grace. But it is the truth as revealed in the Bible. “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Mt 22:14). Grace rules as a King in the Church. The ‘means of Grace’ in the Church are the preaching of the Word of God, and the sacraments. The preaching of the God’ Word is the most important way Grace is revealed and imparted to the congregation. The sacraments are the Holy Communion and the Water Baptism. These do not save souls, but they strengthen the faith of the believers thru grace.

GRACE IS KING

“Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ). Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 5:14-19)

Everything God does among men is based on Grace alone. God does not owe any one anything. Grace is called ‘a free gift’ to men. Grace is not available to the devil and his demons. Grace is not cheap. It is free! Grace is free because Christ ‘paid’ for it. He died and shed His blood for the salvation of sinners. The Blood of God was shed so that God can freely give His Grace to men. Think about it! Consider the price God paid to bestow His Grace on us! Selah! Grace is always stronger than sin and death. In the Kingdom of sin, death is king! In the Kingdom of Life, Grace is King! Once a sinner believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, with a saving faith, God changes his ‘citizenship’. He is ‘translated’ from the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light. The sinner bows to sin and worships death. The sinner fears death because death is his king. Death kills all his worshippers. But in the Kingdom of Eternal life, Grace is King. He gives to each citizen a heavenly robe, the imputed righteousness of Christ. The sinner is now called a saint. He worships the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for Him. Christ came ‘full of Grace and Truth’. Out of this fullness, Christ gives more Grace and more Truth to His child. God uses Grace alone to choose, call, justify, sanctify, and glorify His children. Salvation is only By Grace and Thru faith in Christ. Grace comes from above like the outstretched hand of God. Faith is the correct response to Grace. Any other way of becoming saved is false. Salvation is only by Grace and thru faith in Christ!

God made a covenant of works with Adam. It failed! Thru Christ, the Last Adam, God makes an eternal covenant of Grace with Man. “The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit” (1 Cor 15:45). By his obedience, Adam could only save himself. Thru his sin, he plunged the whole humanity into sin. But Christ, did not ‘save Himself’. He died in the place of sinners. His eternal life and righteousness are now given to all who believe in Him. “God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:4-10)

Grace is a manifestation of God’s mercy and love. Its royal power is best sin in the salvation of sinners! Grace comes with the power of resurrection, changing the dead sinner into a living soul. Man cannot save himself. Men in sin are proud and they reject the outstretched hand of King Grace. They want to work their way to heaven. But none can be saved ‘by works.’ God does not accept man’s religious works as a payment for heaven. Grace and Grace alone decide who shall be saved. Grace humbles men. Grace leads men to repentance and unto salvation. Grace kills all boasting and pride of life! Grace is the beginning and the end of salvation! Grace is ‘exceedingly’ rich. His gifts to men never end. It is out of the fullness of Christ we receive Grace and more Grace. Grace saves men so that they serve and worship God. God prepares our ministries, how to work for Him. Grace leads us into our ‘good works’. We are saved to work for God. We never work for salvation. Refusing to work for God is taking Grace for granted! May you offer your body as a living sacrifice to do God’s work! Worship the Lord!

MEPHIBOSHETH – SURPRISED BY KING GRACE

“Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?” And he answered, “Here is your servant!” So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.” Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?” (2 Sam 9:6-8)

This is a wonderful story not well known in the Bible. It shows the surprising unmerited kindness of King Grace towards a sinner. During the time of King Saul, David was anointed by the Prophet Samuel to be the next king in Israel. King Saul became afraid of David and tried to kill him. For the next fifteen years David was a fugitive in the wilderness. The Philistines attacked Israel and defeated them. King Saul, his son Jonathan and his other sons were all killed in that battle on mount Gilboa. Initially, King David became king over Judah. The surviving son of King Saul called Ishbosheth took the throne over Israel, but he was killed by his servants. According to the prophesy, David became king over all Israel. David did three things that established his reputation as a godly king. He invested in spiritual things, he did warfare and improved his relationship with people. He brought the Ark of God to Jerusalem so that all people can worship God. He defeated all his enemies around him. He showed Mercy and Grace to others. This is a great lesson for all believers: worship God, do spiritual warfare and improve your relationships with people.

During his days as a fugitive David made a covenant of peace and kindness with his best friend Jonathan, the son of Saul. They promised to each other that if one dies, the other will spare his descendants. Jonathan believed the prophesy that the crown will go from his father to David. He openly said so. This is what Jonathan said: “you (David) shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I may not die; but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the Lord has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth” (1 Sam 20:14,15). David promised that when he becomes king he will not ‘cut off’ Jonathan’s descendants, but he will be kind to them. This was a great promise because at that time, if one becomes king, he needs to kill all opposition.

Now, David has become king. He remembers the covenant he made with Jonathan. David said: “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Sam 9:1). A servant to King Saul called Ziba informed him that a son of Jonathan was still alive. He was called Mephibosheth, meaning ‘the Mouth of Shame’. When King Saul and Jonathan died, he was five years old. His nurse was afraid that they kill the child. She ran with him, possibly on a horse. The child fell, broke his legs and became crippled for life (2 Sam 4:4). All these years he lived far from Jerusalem at a place called Lo Dabor (meaning ‘no pasture’). There he married and had a son. He was a prince, but he lived like a pauper. His infirmity defined him.

Try to imagine the life of Mephibosheth. He is a picture of a sinner that is redeemed by grace. He was born in the royal family. Until he was five, he grew up in the palace. Suddenly, his world crashes. He loses his father, his grandfather, his inheritance, and the use of his feet in one day. His nanny, the closest person to him, could not help him. He fell from her arms. Now, his grandfather’s ‘enemy’ called David is on the throne. His uncle tried to continue Saul’s dynasty, but he was killed. Mephibosheth lives in constant fear. He has no hopes concerning King David. He is a picture of a sinner, an Adam’s descendant. Adam was once in the Garden of Eden. He fell into sin brining down all his descendants. In the same way, Mephibosheth, not by a fault of his own, fell from the horse and was crippled for life. Suddenly, he hears a knock at the door. Afraid, he opens the door expecting bad news. Ziba, his grandfather’s servant, tells him that King David wants to see him. This invitation to the palace to see the king is terrifying to Mephibosheth.

This is a great lesson: Grace makes the first move to bless. Jesus said: “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk 19:10). Salvation is God’s idea and initiative. The sinner is afraid. But Grace is stronger than any sin. Mephibosheth could not imagine that he will hear the best news of his life. Before the throne, Mephibosheth humbles himself and bows down to King David. He calls himself ‘your servant’. He fears that he will be killed. But Grace shines like light in the darkness. The first words Mephibosheth hears from the mouth of the king are these: “Do not fear!” Or, how Grace can surprise a sinner! David tells Mephiboseth that he wants to show him kindness for the sake of his father Jonathan. “David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually” (2 Sam 9:7). David restores Mephibosheth’s inheritance. He gives him back the lands owned by grandfather, King Saul. David orders Ziba to take care of the land for his Master. In this way, Mephibosheth’s son and descendants will be well provide for in the future. Suddenly, Grace is added to Grace! David goes the extra mile. He does more than what he has promised to his friend Jonathan. He adopts Mephibosheth as a son. From this time on he will eat with him at his table in the palace in Jerusalem. He will be under the king’s protection all the days of his life.

This is such a wonderful story for it applies to us, sinners saved by grace. Like Mephiboseth, we too had a difficult life. We lost all things dear to us. We have been crippled by sin and cannot make progress in life. We were living as orphans in this world. We were hiding like Adam behind the trees. We lived a life of fear and failed hopes. And, then you heard his call to you- “Come stand before Me! Come before My throne of Mercy and Grace” You expect the worst, judgment, wrath, death, and hell itself. But no! In the palace of the King, for the first time you heard this wonderful word: “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Rom 5:20). Amazing Grace how sweet thy sound who saved a wretch like me! You are totally surprised by God’s Grace!!! He shows you a cross… a man hanging there – His own Son, suffering for you… dying in your place… And all the wrath of God for your sin falls upon Him. This is the Gospel: Jesus died and rose again for me! God’s Beloved Son dies in your place, that you may live, that you may be adopted by God as his son! King Grace says: “Come! Eat at my table! Become as one of My sons”. You fall at His feet and say: “Why me, Lord? I merit death but You give me Life! I merit hell but you give me Heaven! I will worship You forever!”

The name Mephibosheth means ‘a mouth of shame’. But now, shame was removed by King Grace. His mouth starts to praise God, for His mercy and Grace. Like Mephibosheth, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16). David blessed Mephibosheth, not because there was something good in him but for Jonathan’s sake! In the same way, we are blessed by God for Christ’ sake! That is Grace! David did what he could for Mephibosheth, but he could not heal his legs. But Jesus came to heal the broken hearted and to make the lame walk! Our Lord said to John who was in prison: “The blind see, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” (Mt 11:5, 6). King Grace rules and reigns as He pleases! Grace does not offend us! We worship King Grace! As sin was your king in the kingdom of death, so now Grace is your King in the Kingdom of Christ! “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Rom 6:14). There is no story more wonderful than this. We are justified by Grace alone, thru faith alone, in Christ alone, by the Word of God alone, to the Glory of God alone! Glory to God in the highest! Peace on earth! Goodwill to men! Worship the Lord!

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS

Dec19 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (11) – THE FIRST CHRISTMAS

During the Sunday service, Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled ‘The First Christmas’. The main scriptures were taken from the Book of Isaiah and Luke. “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel… “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Is 7:14; 9:6, 7). “And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. “There were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them” (Lk 2:7-14).

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS – PROPHECY FULFILLED

This is the season we celebrate the Birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There are more than 500 prophesies in the Old Testament that refer to the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Messiah. The Doctrine of Incarnation says that The Eternal Son of God became Man to save man. In Latin, the word ‘incarnation’ means to become flesh. Simply said: “The Word became flesh” (Jn 1:14). The Second Person of the Holy Trinity took to Himself full humanity. Without ceasing to be God, He became Man. He is the only One with Two full complete and perfect Natures, Divine and Human. He did that so that He can die as a Substitute for sinful men, to save them. Jesus clearly may be seen as the eternal Son of God who, in the Incarnation, set aside His privileged position at the Father’s right hand (but not His deity) in order to become a sinless human who rescued us from sin by becoming sin for us on the cross (2 Cor. 5:21). The Doctrine of the Incarnation is unique to Christianity. No other religion describes their ‘god’ as becoming man to die to save men. In other words, only God could have invented Christmas. Therefore, Christmas is a miracle! These days there is much business associated with the Christmas season. People spend money to buy food, drinks. and gifts. But let us not forget: Christmas is about the Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ! Let us thank God for sending the Savior to men!

This is the story of Christmas! Two thousand years ago, the God of this universe came as a man to live among men. The Creator came to live among His creation. It was a night like any other night. But the Baby was not like any other baby. The Lord Jesus Christ was born as a baby to a virgin girl called Mary. He was Man and God at the same time. When the Baby was born, there was no celebration in the world. Few knew about this Baby. Wise men from the East came to worship Him and bring Him gifts. Some Shepherds received the revelation and came to see the baby. But no royal visitors came. The world was ignorant that God came down from heaven. Even so, the world must accept the fact that Baby Jesus is special. He split time into two: BC and AD. Just this fact is enough to make us bow to this Baby! Jesus Christ is the eternal Word of God. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). Baby Jesus was born “full of Grace and Truth”. But men did not know the revelation. And even when they knew that there was something special about this Baby, they ignored Him, or they rejected Him. It was like that then. It is the same now. Christmas is a sharp Sword. It divides men into believers and unbelievers. What are you?

All the Jews knew that one day the Messiah will come and free them from all oppression. Isaiah prophesied that He will be born thru a virgin. Every young unmarried girl in Israel dreamt that one day, she will be the mother of the Messiah. They knew that the Messiah will be born in the lineage of King David. But no one knew when He will come. They did not know the time, but they knew the place. The Savior was to be born in a “Bethlehem’, a little town in Judah. The Prophet Micah lived in the eight century BC. He was a contemporary of The Prophet Isaiah. He said this long ago: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” Therefore, He shall give them up, until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; then the remnant of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel. And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; and they shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; And this One shall be peace” (Micah 5:2-5). This prophesy was given about 700 years before Christ was born. Luke describes how Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Except for a miracle, Jesus could have been born in Nazareth where Joseph and Mary lived. But God arranged all events in such a way that Mary delivered her son in Bethlehem, to fulfill prophecy. Mary and Joseph had to leave Nazareth and go to Bethlehem. Joseph was from the lineage of King David and Bethlehem was his ‘native’ city. The Romans insisted that everybody should go to the city of their ancestry to be registered in a census. Refusal to obey this edict was to be punished. That is why Mary, heavily pregnant, had to go with Joseph to Bethlehem. The distance between Nazareth to Bethlehem is about 80 miles. (To have a better idea, for the people who live in Nigeria, this is about the same distance as between Warri to Okada city, on the road to Lagos). Without any breaks, it will take them 28 hours to walk that distance. They both walked that long journey. Maybe they used a donkey, for part of the road. Finally, they arrived at Bethlehem. But there was ‘no room at the inn’ for them. They went to a stable where animals were kept. In that humble place, assisted by Joseph, Baby Jesus was born. “And she brought forth her firstborn Son…” (Lk 2:7). They were in Bethlehem just for few days. But God was in charge. Jesus had to be born at that place! You can see that God is sovereign among all people, believers, and unbelievers. In Nazareth, Mary had family and friends. It could have been much easier for her to have the baby there. Why then was it necessary for Joseph and Mary to suffer so much? To fulfill prophesy! God has promised that His Son will be born thru a virgin in Bethlehem. God is faithful to all His promises! He can never fail! May we worship this Faithful God, the Covenant Keeping God!

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS – THE ANGELS PRAISE GOD

“Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Lk 2:14). This is a wonderful glimpse of the glory of the First Christmas. It is the story of Grace, God’s unmerited favor towards men. The story is full of joy and wonder, music, and heavenly display. Four hundred years have passed between Malachi and Matthew. The last time God spoke to His people was thru the Prophet Malachi. His last word was the word ‘curse’. The Old Testament ends with a sad note. For four hundred years God kept silent. Suddenly, the veil hiding the heavens was removed and men saw angels praising God. This is a New Beginning. A new Grace is revealed! The Glory of God descended upon some humble shepherds. Suddenly, the heavens opened, and men saw angels. They brought down the greatest Good News to men. The Savior is born! Messiah has come! God has provided Salvation to sinners. There is nothing greater than that! This is the Proclamation of the Gospel. The preachers were the angels. The congregation was made of shepherds, living in the fields. The Good news was not preached first to Herod or to the religious rulers in Jerusalem. No! Grace located the humble shepherds and called them to see, listen, believe, and rejoice with heaven!

The angels praised God! What was their song? “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” They sang about Jesus! They praised God Most High! They preached the Gospel with singing! How the Son of God became the Son of Man. Salvation is of God alone. The Almighty God became a baby. Power became weak. There is no greater power than when power is hidden in weakness. Even now, Christmas is revealed as power in our weakness, as joy in our trials. Listen to Apostle Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:9, 10). In that First Christmas God’s weakness was confusing the strong men. God’s foolishness was destroying men’s wisdom. For no wise man, philosopher or poet could have imagined that God becomes a baby. Only God could have invented Christmas. The man of the world hates humility. He hates it become he fears it. The wise man of the world takes pride in his wisdom. But Christmas destroyed his wisdom. The wise philosopher rejected the Baby in the Manger. He says to himself: “How can a Baby save me, a famous philosopher? What does a baby have to say? What does a baby have to teach me, the great religious leader?” In Nigeria we sing a chorus about this: “Jesus, na Bigi Man-oh! Who no know-am call-am small boy” Funny but true song! At that first Christmas the wise became a fool and the strong became weak. All babies are foolish, so they say. All babies are weak. God laughs at the wise! Let us laugh with Him!

Jesus was born as a baby. A virgin young woman was His mother. She breastfed Him like any other baby. This Baby called Jesus is the Savior! Why can’t they see His glory wrapped in swaddling clothes? Because The Grace was revealed only to other humble ‘babes’, now called ‘the children of God’. Our Lord said later: “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight” (Mt 11:25, 26). Grace revealed but Glory hidden from the wise and the prudent. What a mystery this story of Christmas is! God sent His only Begotten Son to live among men and to die for men. Salvation is totally of God. Salvation is a Family Business. Heaven’s business. “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” (1 Cor 1:27-31). God used this Baby to shame and destroy all the wisdom of men on earth. Can you feel the power of God, lying in a manger? No flesh should boast in the presence of God! We glory only in the Lord! All men should bow down in adoration! Jesus Christ is the Lord of all! “Oh, come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”

What was the angels’ song? “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” There are only three things that concerned the angels that night. Later, the wise men came from the East and brought three gifts to Baby Jesus: Myrrh, gold, and frankincense. But that night, when Christ was born, Grace revealed and released three heavenly gifts: Glory to God, and Peace and Goodwill to men in earth!

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST

The birth of the Savior gives all the glory to God! The angels are heavenly beings. They have seen God at work. They have seen Him create the planets. In their presence God created the earth, planted the Garden of Eden, and made Adam and Eve. All was good. There was peace in the Garden. The angels were happy with God’s work. But they were not amazed as it was during that first Christmas. When Baby Jesus was born, they exploded into praises! They could not keep quiet anymore! Why this joy? It was in their presence that Man fell. God drove Adam and Eve from the Garden. Two of their colleagues, the Cherubs, now blocked the way. Man cannot go back to the Garden. That shut gate to paradise remind everyone, men and angels, that dreams died, and hope was lost. The Angels did not know how God will end the love story with man. But now, something wonderful has happened! Behold! God has not finished with man! The Love story did not fail! God became man!!! The holy romance is revived. The praise continues. The praise is even getting stronger. The glory of God is revealed in every flower and in every sunrise. But in this story, God becoming a man, the glory of God is revealed like never before. The Angels knew that highest praise is expected of them! “When He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” (Heb 1:6). The birth of Baby Jesus shook heaven with praises. It could have been a sad song. For the second Person of the Trinity will miss heaven for thirty-three years. But this sacrifice was necessary for man to be saved. It was the will of God to save man! What a Love! The angels did not lecture men. They sang! With loud voices! They preached the Gospel with singing. Glory to God in the highest! Have you heard of the angels? They are messengers and servants to the elect. They protect the children of God. We are not to worship angels, but we should recognize their ministry and love them for that. Please observe that the angels were not jealous. They saw that God came down to save only men. Jesus did not die to save the fallen angels, their rebellious colleagues of old. Jesus did not come to earth using the glorious body of an angel. He became a man. He wrapped Himself in human flesh. Even then, the angels were not angry. They saw the glory of God in the Baby and praised God for this wonderful Grace given to men!

ON EARTH PEACE

The second revelation was that God sent peace to earth! Since the fall of man, there was no peace, only pain, betrayal, and hatred. Death reigned on earth. Wars killed millions. Just the way Cain killed his brother Abel, many good men died. The earth is soaked with the blood of the innocent. Sinful man on earth knows no peace. Man is troubled and worried. The devil takes pleasure to torment men. But now, this Baby comes with Peace. He is the Prince of Peace. He came as a Man so that one day, He will die on the Cross for sinful men. Thru His death, Christ reconciles man to God. Heaven’s peace has come to earth. The Lord said: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (Jn 14:27). The price for Peace is the Blood of this Baby. Herod tried to kill Him, but he could not. For no man could take His life. He was born to die but His hour did not come. Thru the Cross, man has now peace with God, and peace with other men. Man has peace with himself. His conscience does not terrorize him again. “Peace like a river attended my way… It is well with my soul, it is well…” Man can now sing “On earth, Peace!” Shalom!

GOODWILL TOWARDS MEN

The third gift from heaven was God’s ‘goodwill towards men’. Sin has separated men from God. Men were afraid of God. They ran away from Him. But the angels say: “God is Gracious towards you! Come back! Come Home!” Goodwill means God’s pleasure, satisfaction, and kindness. Goodwill means God’s desire for friendship, for fellowship with men. God wants to help man! That is Goodwill! God’s favor and help has come as a newborn baby, in the little town of Bethlehem. Strong men looked down on the Savior. But humble men, like these shepherds, look up to Him! They believe what the Spirit says. They see the glory hidden. May we join the shepherds in their search for the Savior. They saw the Baby Lying in the Manger. They saw His humble earthly parents, grateful to be a part of God’s story. They saw Grace! They saw and they marveled. They praised God. They preached the story! The Gospel. Let us join the angels and praise God! Let us give all the glory to God for our salvation! Let us honor the Prince of Peace by forgiving others. Let us show goodwill to all men. Let us be kind and helpful to others! This is Christmas!

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS – UNTO US, UNTO US

Isaiah prophesied the coming of the Messiah eight hundred years before it happened. The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem was the fulfillment of many prophesies. This is God’s Word: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given!” (Is 9:6). Our Lord is a Child and a Son! Baby Jesus was a child born of a woman. We are told that this Child was born ‘unto us.’ Not every child born into this world is born ‘unto us.’ But Jesus was a child born ‘unto us.’ What does it mean? Jesus is the Son of God. He was born as a Child. He was born for a particular purpose. To become a substitute and to die for our sins. If you believe this, you are saved. Then, baby Jesus was born ‘unto you’. If you do not believe, He was not born ‘unto you’. If baby Jesus was born ‘unto you’ then you too become a child like Him. God shall become your Father. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn 1:12, 13). Even after our Lord died, He was still called ‘The Holy Child’ (Ac 4:27). This is the good pleasure and purpose of God. It is the manifestation of the Grace of God. In the natural, children grow and become adults. They die as adults. In the realm of Grace, time is reversed. The adults become born again and they become children. Our Lord said that salvation is not by effort, money, or education. It is by faith and by grace. “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3). Because of sin, adults are complicated. They are self-conscious. Adults doubt the Word of God. But children believe without doubting. They rejoice even when they have little in this world. They are not ashamed to sing, dance, or talk about Jesus. Are you a child of God? Are you born again? Then Jesus is ‘a Child born unto you.’ You are a Child of God! Praise the Lord! Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Baby Jesus is ‘a Son given unto us.’ Jesus was born as a Child. But He was also the Son of God. As a Son, He was not ‘born’. He was ‘given’ unto us by God. He came to earth sent by His Father. The Father sent His Son with a special work to do. He was sent to be the Savior of men. He came to live and die for sinners. God the Father sent God the Son. He came for a peculiar work only Him could have done. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16). The Father gave His Son. The Son was given. He was given ‘unto us.’ If you have received Him in your heart, then He was given ‘unto you’. If not, He came but was not given ‘unto you’. If you have received the Son, then you have become a son of God. We the believers in Christ are the brethren of Jesus! We are now family! God Almighty is our God and our Father. Heaven is populated with this new creation. All the citizens of heaven, the redeemed, they all resemble Jesus. We are in that number! Hallelujah!

LESSONS FOR US AT CHRISTMAS

*Humble yourself! Remember the price the Son of God paid to come to the earth and live among sinful men! He did not insist on His ‘status’ as God. He did not say: “Must I go to the earth? Must I suffer in their hands? I am God! My glory is Mine!” He did not say so. He humbled Himself more than any man. God the Father rewarded His Son’s Humility by exalting Him above all others. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Phil 2:5-7). Child of God, be like Jesus! Humble yourself! Stop being so sensitive to the insults of others. Trust God for your promotion in life! God is faithful!

*Repent and change! If the Son was given ‘unto us’, then we must change. We must repent of all know sin! In Christ, we become saved. Grace will work inwardly. We start to hate the worldly things we once loved. We start to love the godly things we once hated. The difference will become clearer with time. Child of God, you will know that your heart has changed. Others will notice the change too.

*Be bold and courageous in Christ! Preach the Gospel and Praise God! Have faith in God! Fear Not! Doubt not! If you do not show the fruit of the Holy Spirit, then your religion is useless. It means that the Son was not given ‘unto you.’ But, if The Holy Child Jesus was born unto you, and the Son of God was sent unto you, then why do you fear? Why do you doubt? In Christ, you have overcome the world. “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 Jn 4:4). Stand and preach the Gospel without fear and without shame! Acknowledge the Grace of God in locating you. Sing to God! Praise Him with songs!

*Be kind to others! This is an attitude of goodwill to men! Be like God! Kindness is a sacrifice God approves and blesses!

*You are a fruitful Branch in the Vine! If I believe God’s Word, then my life can never be barren. I declare that in Christ I shall eat the fruit of my labor! I am a fruitful vine! My children shall surround my table! I will see my grandchildren! I will live and die in peace! (Ps 128).

*Love one another. Be generous and be hospitable! You may invite the Christmas angels one day! (Heb 13:1,2)

*Give God all the glory, for your salvation, your life, your family, for all your gifts, and all the blessings! Many ignore Jesus. But the Grace has opened your eyes to see the truth that set you free. Say it until you believe it! “Jesus Christ was born for me! Jesus Christ was sent unto me!”

Finally, let us remind ourselves that the Christ of Christmas is coming back again! We do not know the say or the hour. But we have His sure promise! And we trust Him! Our Lord came as a baby. He will come as the King of kings! He came in humility, born to a poor family. He will come as the Lord of lords! When He came the first time, men ignored Him! When He comes again, men will admire and worship Him! He was despised and rejected of men. When He comes again, He will come as the Judge of the universe! He will judge angels and men! When He came the first time, men crowned Him with a crown of thorns. When He comes again, He will be crowned with many crowns! If all we have is Christmas, and The Lord Jesus does not come back again, that will be a tragedy. It will be like falling in love and not getting married. It will be like hoping for the best and receiving the worst. But the truth is that Jesus will come again! We should be encouraged! We should look forward to His second coming, when He will make all things right! Christmas is the seed of life and hope! His second coming is the fulfilment of Christmas! The seed has now become the tree of life! God keeps the best for the last! He said: “”Behold, I am coming soon!” Our hearts respond: “Even so, come Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:7, 20). To God be all the glory! Worship the Lord!

THE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE (5)

Dec12 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (10) – THE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE (5)

During the Sunday service, Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled “The Christian marriage (5)”. Her main scriptures are taken from the Books of Romans and the Psalms. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith” (Rom 1:16, 17)… “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing— Life forevermore” (Ps 133:1-3).

God has commanded His blessing on the home that has welcomed Him and has protected the unity of the Spirit! That marriage, that home is ‘good and pleasant’. The anointing of the Holy Spirit is free to flow down, from God the Father to God the Son, to God the Holy Spirit, to the husband, to the wife and to all the children. This is a precious anointing, the seal of God upon that home. That family is blessed with salvation and eternal life. The blessing of God is sure! God has commanded His blessing and it can never fail! This is the ideal marriage and perfect family! This is our desire! God will grant us the desire of our hearts! Amen!

MARRIAGE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Christian marriage is different than any other. It is a marriage ‘made in heaven’. It is a marriage between a man and a woman, who both are believers in Christ. The physical part of the marriage lasts ‘until death do us part’. But the spiritual effects abide forever, to bless the next generation. The marriage has God in the center. They recognize and honor the presence of God the Holy Spirit in their home. Both husband and wife are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. Today, there is much abuse of power and ignorance of true love in the marriages. The devil takes advantage of the ignorance and attacks the marriages. But God desires to bless the Christian marriages. Marriage is designed by God to be a ministry. The Bible has clear marriage guidelines. These commands apply only to the believers. Unbelievers may try to apply the Biblical precepts to make their marriages better, but they are not able to obey God’s Word. For the children of God, the Bible is their Life Manual. God’s Word is written to us, sinners saved by grace.

In the marriage set up, there are two basic rules: Submission and Love! The wives submit to their own husbands (as Christ submitted to God the Father). The husbands love their wives, not in their own way, but ‘as Christ loves the church’. In Christ, the husband and wife are equal before God. Their salvation experience is the same. But in marriage, these simple rules must be obeyed for God to bless them as a couple. Both these actions are basic spiritual attitudes that abide until the end of their lives as a married couple. They both must glorify Christ, our Lord! Submission and love are inspired by the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit gives both the husband and wife the power to obey. Submission to the human authority is always done for Christ’ sake. In the area of marriage, the wife submits to her own husband ‘as unto the Lord and in everything’. Marriage is a great testing ground. The truth may be hidden outside but is revealed at home. No one can pretend when he (or she) is naked. The husband and the wife cannot totally deceive one another. The wife’s submission proves that she honors and loves the Lord Jesus Christ, and that she is saved. By her actions and words, a rebellious proud wife proves that she is not a child of God. The husband who is always selfish and harsh proves that he is not born again. Selah!

BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God” (Eph 5:18-21). “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.

And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecc 4:12)

God commands all His children to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When you get saved, the Holy Spirit comes into you as a ‘sample’, a deposit guaranteeing the fullness later. But once you are filled with the Holy Spirit your life will radically change. Your marriage will change. It will become ‘a threefold cord not quickly broken’. That is the perfect marriage ‘ministry’: husband, wife, and the Holy Spirit. It is a picture of the Holy Trinity! The devil cannot break that marriage. Do you want to be free from the fear of divorce? Then both of you be filled with the Holy Spirit and let your union be in the presence of the Holy Spirit! You will talk and sing about Jesus. You have the confidence to witness about the testimony of the Lord in your life. Despite difficulties, you become full of joy. You become spiritually focused! You become a grateful person, giving thanks to God always. A proud man in the past, you now become humble, joyfully submitting to others. People will notice that. They will be attracted to you. You start to minister grace to them. You become a source of inspiration to many! The born-again believer who is Spirit filled makes an excellent husband and a wonderful wife! This is an ideal marriage! But many believers are too complacent. Once they have received the deposit of the Holy Spirit they do not press unto fullness. They are saved but they lack this authority and power to witness for Christ. Without the fulness of the Spirit, their lives, their ministries, and they marriages remain a struggle. They lack this peculiar glorious confident powerful joy, the source of all godly success. Therefore, child of God, be filled with the Holy Spirit!

MAMA PUT HAS NOW BECOME DOMINO PIZZA

This is another picture to understand the filling with the Holy Spirit. A man starts a little roadside ‘restaurant’ called ‘Mama put’. Let’s say that he makes good pizza. But he struggles with his business. He lacks strength, wisdom, and resources. It is hard to find new customers and to satisfy them all. Then one day, Domino Pizza company tells him to become part of its organization. They will train him and sponsor him. He agrees with them. The little ‘Mama put’ changes signboard and now it becomes a branch of the international chain called Domino Pizza. Immediately his business is better and makes great profit. The customers of this organization come to his restaurant because they trust the name. His little effort to make pizza has been swallowed by a great organization. The man is not passive. He is not lazy. He still bakes pizza but now, the impact, the profit is so much greater! In the same way once the believer is filled with the Holy Spirit, he becomes part of the eternally blessed Work of God. His little vision of success in life and marriage has been absorbed by the greater vision that never fails! Filled with the Spirit he now learns to listen to the voice inside him. He listens and obeys. The world will continue to lie and deceive. But the believer learns how to reject the outside voice and obeys the internal voice. In the same way, you need to become blind to the visible, temporary things of the world. And you need to see the reality of the Spiritual things, invisible to the natural eyes, but so clear and wonderful to the eyes of the Spirit! Our Lord said: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Your life will change! Your ministry will change! Your marriage will change! From Faith to Faith! From Grace to Grace! From Glory to Glory! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!

GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT

“Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:25-32)

In trying to explain what it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we need to consider now one of the greatest hindrances to this holy command. The same God who commands: Be filled with the Spirit is the same who commands: ‘Grieve not the Spirit of God’. We remind ourselves that the Holy Spirit is a Person! He is not a force or an influence. He is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. It is only a Person that can be ‘grieved’. An object or an influence cannot love, therefore it cannot grieve. The word ‘grieve’ is a deep feeling. It is a lover’s word. Only love can grieve. Love grieves when she is betrayed. To grieve it means to experience extreme sadness, sorrow, and mourning, because of the loss of something precious or the death of a loved one. It is an intense mental and emotional suffering described as a ‘spiritual internal bleeding’. Grieving manifests as depression or anger. These are reactions to the loss experienced, a manifestation of the regret of broken dreams. Men grieve…

There are three forms of sinning against the Holy Spirit: ‘resisting, quenching, and grieving’. It is only the unbelievers who can resist the Holy Spirit, by refusing to listen and obey the preaching of God’s Word. Stephen said to the religious unbelievers who were ready to kill him: “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you” (Ac 7:51). To resist it means to fight, to oppose an enemy, to refuse to be changed by another. The believer cannot resist the Holy Spirit who is already inside his heart. But the unbeliever resists the Holy Spirit who is trying to convict him of sin so that he can repent and be saved. If an unbeliever resists the Holy Spirit to the end of his life, that becomes a sin unto death. It is a tragic sin that God cannot forgive (Lk 12:10). Another form of offending the Holy Spirit is to ‘quench’ Him. This is God’s command: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies” (1Thess 5:19, 20). To quench is to extinguish a fire. Without the passion fire of the Holy Spirit, the heart becomes cold and weak. The testimony of the Christian is fading away. Only a believer can quench the Holy Spirit. It applies to ministry. It relates to the sin of jealousy when a believer hinders the zeal of another believer in serving God. It also happens when a believer refuses to believe prophetic words. Often, revival has been quenched because of this sin. Dear child of God, be careful and protect your heart! Serve God for His glory alone! Do not try to impress people. That is when they have an opportunity to hurt you and to quench the Spirit in you. Once the Holy Spirit is ‘quenched’ you become spiritually weak. You lose the zeal to serve God and the passion to please God thru your ministry. Do spiritual warfare! Be wise! Watch and pray! Stay humble and faithful!

What does it mean to ‘grieve the Holy Spirit’? One of the symbols for the Holy Spirit is a Dove. This bird is gentle by nature. It does not fight. It does not defend itself. It is easily scared. If you are rough with it, the dove will leave you and fly away. If you can imagine a scared dove, you will better understand the command: ‘Do not grieve the Holy Spirit!’. In the text above (Eph 4:25-32) you see that the Holy Spirit is grieved by a believer who refuses to repent and be sanctified. Apostle Paul warned us ‘not to receive the Grace of God in vain’ (2 Cor 6:1). The Kindness and the Favor of God comes to us so that we repent of all sin (Rom 2:4). When you refuse to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, to humble yourself and repent, the Grace of God is powerless to help you. It becomes a wasted gift. That grieves the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit leads into all truth. He hates sin. He leads in the process of sanctification. He helps the believer to ‘mortify the flesh’; to die to sin, to Satan, and to the world. As believers we are commanded to speak only words given by the Holy Spirit. In this way, we ‘impart or minister grace’ to one another. “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Eph 4:29). God uses the believers’ kind words to spread the effect of the Grace of God. When the believer refuses to cooperate with the process of sanctification, he grieves the Holy Spirit. Specifically, lying, unforgiveness, bitterness, wickedness, and uncontrolled anger grieve the Holy Spirit. These unrepented sins permit the devil to take ‘a place’ in your heart. That is considered spiritual adultery. The Holy Spirit is a Lover, jealous and grieved. He will discipline the stubborn ‘bride’.

In the area of marriage, communication is extremely important. The husband and the wife should desire to know each other intimately and in all areas of life. They should know each other’s minds, emotions, and plans. No person knows another without communication. Only God knows your heart without talking. Dear wife, please help your husband to understand your pains and your joys. The same applies to the husband. Make specific times for intimate heart to heart fellowship. Talk to one another! This is a common mistake in marriage: to keep silent when you are offended by your spouse. That pain will eventually go deeper and will become bitterness. Watch the borderline! The Holy Spirit can comfort you in your pain but will be grieved by your bitterness. The Holy Spirit’s main purpose is the glorify the Son of God. He wants that Jesus is glorified in your life, thru your actions and words. This holy process is called ‘sanctification’. Once you refuse to cooperate with His plan and purpose, He will be grieved. That will affect your life, your testimony, your marriage, your family, and your ministry. I know that it is not easy to trust another human being. We are afraid of becoming vulnerable. We are selfish and we often break the trust. But marriage is a good school to learn how to open your heart and trust another. Pray for one another. Apply the Word of God daily. This is the only path to a successful godly marriage. It has worked for me. It will work for you!

What are the main ways as a believer, you grieve the Holy Spirit?

*You ignore or you forget the Person of God Holy Spirit! To ignore it means to intentionally not listen or give attention to somebody. The greatest insult to a teacher is to ignore his words. God punishes a believer when he insults or mocks The Holy Spirit of Grace (Heb 10:20). Dear child of God, you should know that your body ‘is the temple of the Holy Spirit’ (1 Cor 6:19). This is how you became born again. The Holy Spirit has sealed you for salvation. If you forget this revelation, if you refuse to listen to the voice of God in your spirit, and you choose to live your life ‘in the flesh’, you will grieve the Holy Spirit! It is good to remind yourself and your spouse daily, that the Holy Spirit dwells in you. He is a Person. When a pregnant woman forgets that she is pregnant, and does things that may harm the baby, that is a sin! How much more the believer who is filled, or ‘pregnant’ with the Holy Spirit! This is our testimony in Father’s House Bible Church: Because of the danger of ignoring the Holy Spirit, we always publicly and openly acknowledge the Person of God the Holy Spirit in our midst, in every service. You too, do so at every family altar in your home!

*You ignore God’s Word and prayer. It is the Holy Spirit who inspired the people to write the Bible. “Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit… All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Pet 1:21; 2 Tim 3:16). The Word and the Spirit are one! Once you neglect the Bible, the Holy Spirit will be grieved. The Holy Spirit is also called as ‘The Spirit of Grace and Supplication’ (Zech 12:10). Supplication means prayer for more Grace. Once you neglect prayer, the Holy Spirit is grieved and Grace is restrained.

*You grieve the Holy Spirit when you love His power, gifts, and blessings more than His Person. In that case, the Holy Spirit will be grieved and angry. He will withdraw some of the blessings. He will ‘block’ your way to progress in life and limit your prosperity so that you can some back to God (for a greater understanding read Ezekiel chapter 16 and Hosea chapter 1).

*You refuse to repent of every known sin. Repentance means a changing of mind and behavior concerning sin. You cannot repent of all sins at the same time. Repentance is not a legalistic religious exercise. The Holy Spirit will lead you step by step, pointing a particular sin. You respond by repenting of that sin. Immediately you do so, the peace of God will be restored your heart. The process of sanctification goes on. If you refuse to repent of that particular sin, even if you ‘repent’ of another, the Holy Spirit, your Heavenly Teacher will be grieved! Your fleshly repentance will not bring peace to your mind. There is a difference between godly sorrow that leads to repentance and to salvation and the worldly sorrow that leads to death (2 Cor 7:10). Sin in general, and doubt in particular, grieve the Holy Spirit. Sin is an offence against God. There are only two options: sin or holiness. Because God’s Spirit is holy, of necessity, He hates and punishes sin. That is why Jesus died! Because of our sins! As a believer, learn to hate sin! Run to Jesus! Go to the Cross! See the price the Son for God paid for your sins! Repent! Be free!

The main reason why the Holy Spirit is grieved is because He loves you. “He said, “Surely they are My people, children who will not lie.” So, He became their Savior. In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity, He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so, He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them” (Is 63:8-10). As you read these words, do you feel His pain? He has been with you all the way. He has helped you to come to Jesus. He has witnessed your salvation. When you fell into sin, He helped you back on your feet. Both of you have a testimony of walking together. To grieve your best Friend is the most terrible sin. He has the right to fight back, to win your heart again. That is why no backslider is happy in the world. God cannot lose His lambs. He will chastise you. He has no other option. Love fights and love wins!

WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?

Always remember that the Holy Spirit is a Person. He has feelings and plans for you! To grieve Him is not a joke! It is a terrible sin! Sin requires repentance! The Holy Spirit is God! He never repents! You are the one who needs to repent! The earlier you do it the better! Once the Holy Spirit is grieved, you sense a deep sadness in your heart. It comes with a feeling of disturbance, loneliness, anxiety, and restlessness. The fear of God will manifest. You know that ‘something is wrong’ between you and God. You lose the appetite to study God’s Word. You lose interest in prayer. You get ‘tired’ to go to church. These are all warning signs! No believer should feel like this. A child of God loves the Bible, prayer, and Church services. This is his normal spiritual healthy environment. Once you feel disturbed like this, stop everything! Run to God! Run to Jesus! Call His name! Fast and pray! Repent of the sin of grieving the Holy Spirit! Do not argue with God! Repent and invite Him back to you! Give yourself no rest until you restore your peace with God! After that, learn your lessons! Remain sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit! Depend on Him for everything! Keep close! Acknowledge Him! Testify about His work in you! Selah!

You must decide to be ruled and led by the Holy Spirit. It is like a man enrolling in the army. From the moment he becomes a soldier, he has no will of his own. He must obey his commanding officer. Rebellion in the army is punished severely. Just accept the fact that the Holy Spirit dwells in you and He leads you to spiritual maturity. You must trust and obey Him! Depend on His Word and power! Abide in the Word of God! Persevere in prayer! To become a mature believer there is a price to pay. Maturity is never by accident! To have a testimony of spiritual success in life and in your marriage, you must sacrifice a lot! Flesh must die! The Spirit will rise! This is the royal way of the Cross! There is no other! To the glory of God! Amen!

IN MARRIAGE AND LIFE, LOVE NEVER FAILS

God is Love! God showed us what love is. It is not just words. It is not a poem or a song. Love is the most practical thing in the universe. If love does not change your life, that is not love. God manifested His Love at the Cross. There you see Family Love! God the Father sent God the Son to die for sinners. That they may live, and they may love! To God, Love is Life! Love is the seed of Life! Love is fruitful! Love is infectious! Love is a Command to be obeyed! Love never fails! Love never dies! (1 Cor 13:8). Love lives and works and changes everything! “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. The love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 Jon 4:7-11). Love does advertise itself, but it is not shy. Love reveals itself and shines in the darkness. Jesus died on the Cross, during the day, in the presence of many people in Jerusalem. Go to Calvary and see love displayed! God reveals Himself thru His Love! Have you felt the power of the Cross? Love is the Engine of Life, and the Heart of Faith! “CHRIST’S LOVE compels (controls, guides) us because we are convinced that One died for all, therefore all died (to sin)” (2Cor5:14). In Christ, the law of spiritual progress is “Faith working thru Love” (Gal 5:6). For a successful marriage, you need to be baptized with the Compelling Love of Christ! You will arrive to the place of perfect Love when you are fear free. Love is bold like a lion! “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love because He first loved us” (1 Jn 4:18, 19). “Above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins” (1 Pet 4:8). In Greek, the word ‘fervent’ means to love intentionally, intensely, constantly, and deeply. This is an ‘expensive’ love. The price was paid with heartache and tears, but the reward is glorious victorious joy!

THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Eph 4:1-6)

The unity of the Spirit is essential to the Body of Christ. This unity is spiritual and not natural. Jesus died for our sins to make us one, to be part of His Body. He sent the promised Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). That is when the Church, the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ, was ‘born’. Before then, they were individual believers living together but they were not members of one Body. The Holy Spirit baptized the many believers into one Body. We are many and have different gifts. But if you are truly saved, you have become part of a bigger vision. You are an organic member of one Body! “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Cor 12:12, 13). This Baptism of many believers into one Body of Christ is called ‘the unity of the Spirit’. No man can create this unity. No religion or denomination can create it. It is purely the work of the Holy Spirit because Jesus died and rose again. The unity of the Spirit proves the power of the Gospel.

It was our Lord’s specific prayer that the believers should be one in Him. In His High Priestly prayer our Lord said to the Father: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me” (Jn 17:20-23). His prayer was not only for His immediate disciples but for all the believers, to the end of time. That includes you and me. The unity of the Body of Christ is the reversal of the curse that God placed on the world when proud men started building the tower of Babel. God recognized the fact that unity produces strength. But that unity was of the flesh, and it was a provocation to God. This is the story: “The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So, the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city” (Gen 11:5-8). Please observe that it was the Trinity that cursed that unity of men. God said: “Let Us go down…” God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are three separate Persons eternally united into one. The unity of the Spirit is always stronger than the unity of the flesh. At that time, God confused the languages of the people to scattered them. Since then, the people of the world are separated by languages, tribes, traditions, and national identities. The word ‘Babel’ means ‘confusion’. Up till today, the people in the world are all confused and divided. The word ‘confusion’ describes a lot of activity and noise when nobody understands what is happening.

Let us apply this revelation to the family set up. A marriage between worldly people is based on confusion. There is lot of talking and activity, but the husband and the wife talk but do not understand each another. They are one body in the flesh, but they are not one Spirit. They do not have one vision of success for the home. That is why they quarrel. Therefore, they cannot cooperate or help one another. The God who decreed the confusion at Babel, to stop men’s rebellious unity of the flesh, is the same God who reversed that curse and blessed men with peace. “God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (1 Cor 14:33). God is the Author of Peace and true unity of the Spirit in Christ alone. This loving unity of peace is unique. It manifests in the living Churches and in the Christian homes. We are commanded to jealously guard and protect this peculiar unity of the Spirit bought with the Blood of the Son of God. In the area of marriage, the couple does not create the unity of the Spirit. But they are to be careful to maintain it. They should be sensitive to the keep ‘the bond of peace’ between them. During arguments, it is better to lose the battle and keep the peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace! Honor Him more than your opinions. Every husband should be able to confidently tell his wife: “My dear wife, ‘Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ (1Cor 11:1)’. To imitate it means to follow closely, to take that person as an example in character, speech, faith, and behavior. This is a spiritual ‘imitation’ and not just an outward behavior. The purpose of this command is to keep the unity of the Spirit. The unity is of the Spirit and not of the flesh. In Nigeria, when going out together, to a celebration, the husband, and his wife dress with the same material so it is easy to identify them as a married couple. This is nice. I like it! But the unity the Bible talks about is of the Spirit, it is internal and not outward. This unity is what the devil attacks most of the time. The devil wants the couple to ignore the unity of the Spirit, and each should become a separate person. They remain married but they are lonely in their marriage. That is a sad home. That is the reason why the married couple should do spiritual warfare. We can never retire from being soldiers for Christ! The couple who has won the victory to maintain the unity of the Spirit is rewarded with supernatural peace and prosperity. Their marriage is not mature, a ministry and an inspiration to many. Have you seen a philharmonic orchestra? They all play their instruments but under the direction of the conductor, there is unity and beauty and power! This is how the Christian marriage should be!

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which, you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful…” (Eph 6:10-18)

Spiritual warfare is necessary for a successful Christian testimony and Christian marriage. Concerning spiritual warfare, most Christians go to extremes. Some ignore it and others are overconcerned about it. Wisdom tells us to stay in the middle. This is the test of maturity in a believer: he comes out victorious from each spiritual battle. Selah!

The Bible reveals that there is an enemy of God called Satan, or the Devil. He hates God with a passion. He hates God’s work and wants to destroy it. He attacks the children of God. The devil cannot destroy their salvation, but he can damage their testimonies. He is involved in all backslidings. He attacks the Christian marriages. Directly or indirectly, the devil is involved in all the cases of divorce.

As the Holy Spirit is a Person, the devil is a Person. The devil has a personality. He thinks and he speaks. He is a thief and a liar. He makes plans how to ‘kill, steal and destroy’ (Jn 10:10). The devil attacks all the believers and the married couples. He wants you to forget God, the Bible, prayer, and fellowship of the brethren in the church. He wants you to lie to one another, to keep secrets. He wants you to be angry and unforgiving. He divides the husband and wife in the area of money, sex, and the pattern of raising their children. The devil is the author of all sins of adultery, pornography, divorce, and violence in the homes. All bullying, insults and verbal abuse have the devil behind. To have the victory you need to expose, confront, and fight these sins. You need to draw closer to God and in His name, fight the devil. This fight is to the finish! Child of God, you should fight for your life, for your marriage, for your family! In Christ, the victory is sure! Halleluiah!

Dear believer, on your own you do not have the wisdom or the strength to defeat the devil. He is a master of deception, division, and manipulation. It is only in Christ that we have the strength to defeat the devil. Because our Lord Jesus Christ died on the Cross, for our sins, the strength to defeat the Devil is found in our union with Christ. The Devil is called ‘the accuser of the brethren’ (Rev 12:10). He was bold enough to accuse the godly man Job before God. He is the one behind all negative words, complains, quarrels, and accusations in the marriage. He is an enemy of your sanctification. The devil knows that sanctification is God’s will for you. He will try to quench your desire to mature spiritually. He will distract you so that you do not study the Bible and you do not pray. Marriage becomes a battlefield. Many people have become skillful in the ‘art’ of quarreling and fighting, thru their marriages. The devil is not an imagination. He is not a joke. He succeeded to deceive and conquer Adam and Eve, the perfect couple created by God. How much more he can hurt us, who are born sinners. Our only Hope is found in Christ alone! That is why we preach the Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected!

What is the solution? Watch, fight, pray, and rejoice! Repent of your ignorance about spiritual warfare and the existence of the devil. Ignorance is a tool of the enemy. For the success of your marriage, you need to watch and pray “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor 2:11). Be careful with the unity of the Spirit in the marriage and in the Church! Unity is strength and maturity! “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace… until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:3, 13; NIV).

Put on ‘the whole armor of God’. Truth is a belt that holds everything together. You need to ‘speak the truth in love’ (Eph 4:15) always. ‘Love rejoices with the truth’ (1 Cor 13:6) and it is grieved by lies! Every lie is a defeat and gives the devil a point of contact into your life and marriage. You need to protect your heart, your emotions with ‘the breastplate of righteousness’. You need to be sure of your salvation, of your imputed righteousness in Christ. If the devil deceives you that you are still a condemned sinner, you will always feel guilty and spiritually weak. You will give up the battle. You need to walk with the shoes called ‘the preparation of the Gospel of peace’. Each time you preach the true Gospel, you walk, and you make progress. With your left hand lift the shield of faith! It is to protect your heart. It quenches the fiery poisonous arrows of the devil: doubt, fear, anxiety, and wicked sinful thoughts. But Faith is stronger than all. All these are defensive weapons designed to protect you during external attacks. The only weapon used to actively attack the devil is called ‘the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God’. With the right hand you lift it and throw it at the enemy. Our Lord defeated the devil in the wilderness with the spoken Word of God. We need to do the same! The Word of God spoken, prayed, prophesied, or preached in the power of the Holy Spirit is the most powerful weapon, able to destroy all strongholds and attacks. Because of the reality of spiritual warfare, all the saints of old prayed without ceasing. This is how they conquered the enemy and set the captives free. This is how they became established as servants of Christ! There is no other way. Pray with faith for yourself, your spouse, your children, your pastors, and for your ministry. Effective prayer is one of the greatest tools of encouragement designed by God. Our God is the Only Living God, and the only prayer answering God! Prayer a gift from King Grace! The more your pray, the greater your courage and boldness shall be! “Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!” (Ps 118:15; NIV). This is a prophetic verse we shall apply to our marriages and homes. The Lord’s right hand, the hand He uses in battle, has defeated the enemies of our marriages and homes. As married couples, as parents and children, we shall rejoice. We shall praise God with singing and dancing. Other people will hear and come to Jesus! This is our faith! This is our testimony! Glory to God! Worship the Lord!

THE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE (4)

Dec9 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (9) – THE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE (4)

During the Sunday service, Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled “The Christian marriage (4)”. Her main scriptures are taken from the Books of Romans and Ephesians. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Rom 1:16, 17). “Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God” (Eph 5:18-21).

MARRIAGE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

A Christian marriage implies that the husband and the wife are both born again, and Spirit filled. An unbeliever cannot obey God’s commands. Religion is useless in a marriage. The Bible commands all believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is a vital requirement in a Christian marriage. It is the will of God. It is wisdom from above. God commands the wives ‘to submit to their husbands as unto the Lord’. But the world tells the wives to be rebellious. God commands the husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the Church, sacrificially. But the world tells the husbands to commit adultery for fun. The world and the Bible have two different contrary voices. The world’s voice may sound as entertainment, but the price is sin and death. The Bible directs us to walk on the narrow road of holiness. It is the royal way of the Cross. It is a difficult, often lonely road. But its destination is sure! It is heaven! That road is eternal life, peace, and joy. A worldly marriage and a Christian marriage may look the same from the outside. But they are opposite in motives and methods. Each has a price to pay and a purpose to achieve.

The Bible commands the believer in Christ to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The effects of being filled with the Holy Spirit manifest in the believer’s life, in his marriage, in his relationships with his children and in his ministry. There is no substitute for being filled with the Holy Spirit. No amount of intelligence, level of education or wealth can replace the filling of the Holy Spirit. We need to study and understand the Person of God the Holy Spirit. All we need is found in the Word of God! Let us go to the basics: What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is God! He is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. The Holy Spirit is a Person! He is not an influence or an idea. Read the Book of John, chapters 14 to 17. There you find the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Before going to the Cross, our Lord told His disciples that He will die soon. But that they should not grieve for their loss. He said it is to their ‘advantage’ that He dies and goes back to heaven. From there, He will send to them the Holy Spirit who is called ‘The Comforter, the Helper or the Advocate’. The Holy Spirit was with them but later, He will be ‘in them’. In Greek, the Word ‘Comforter’ is ‘Paraklete’. It means an intimate friend who walks along the road of life with you, always ready and able to help you. A believer filled with the Holy Spirit is never alone and he never fills like ‘an orphan’. Our Lord did not pray for the world (Jn 17:9). The Holy Spirit never fills an unbeliever, no matter how religious he is. The unbeliever is not able to identify, desire or receive the Holy Spirit. Because we are talking about Christian marriages, this truth is extremely important. We are commanded not to marry unbelievers. This is because they can never be filled with the Holy Spirit! “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” (2 Cor 6:14). A marriage between a believer and an unbeliever has no true fellowship. They are both lonely together. Because there is no unity of the Spirit, that marriage is extremely painful to both. What is the solution? The believer should pray for God to have mercy and the spouse to be saved. Only God can change that marriage! Salvation is of God alone! All believers have the Holy Spirit. Once you become born again, the Holy Spirit becomes part of you. Without the Holy Spirit you cannot be saved. “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Rom 8:9). But the Holy Spirit in a new believer is like ‘a sample’, a deposit for more to come. God desires you to be filled with the Holy Spirit! Selah!

THE WORKS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is God. Nobody knows all the work the Holy Spirit does. But because we are talking about the filling of the Holy Spirit and His work in the marriage, we shall limit ourselves to His two main functions. The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ! The Holy Spirit teaches truth!

*THE HOLY SPIRIT GLORIFIES THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

“He (The Holy Spirit) will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you” (Jn 16:14, 15).

The Holy Spirit is God. He is the Witness of who Christ really is, both God and Man. Our Lord Jesus Christ was Baptized and Filled with the Holy Spirit as a Man of earth. All the words Christ spoke and all the works He did were by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is why the Holy Spirit is the best Witness and Testifier of Christ’s sufferings on earth and eternal glory in heaven! The Lord Jesus is God but when He came to earth as a Man, He did not bring His words, His power, or His glory from heaven. He totally depended on God the Father and God the Holy Spirit for everything. He left His glory as God in heaven. The words He spoke, and all His works were done thru the power and the supply of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. As a Man, Jesus did not speak His own words and did not use His own power to do miracles. He showed us the way to live as children of God. He humbled Himself so much, that men took Him for granted and the devil was bold enough to kill Him on the Cross. But this was the plan of God for the salvation of men. Jesus died as a Substitute for sinners who will believe in Him. Here you see the love and cooperation of the Trinity. God the Father made the plan of salvation. He has the vision. God the Son agreed with it. He willingly agreed to come as a Man on earth and to pay the price for the salvation of men. God the Holy Spirit sustained God the Son. He now reveals the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ, helps us to believe the truth, so that we can be saved. The Holy Spirit has no other desire for men than they should know and worship Christ, the Lord.

By revealing the past sufferings and the present glory of Christ, the Holy Spirit helps people to understand authority and submission. Thru this revelation, the Holy Spirit keeps order and peace. It is especially important in the area of marriage! As Christ died for the Church, so the husband suffers presently in helping his wife become more spiritual. The husband leads even thru pain. Nobody likes pain but God recognizes it and redeems it. The husband’s suffering is like a seed that will become a harvest of joy in the latter days of marriage. In the natural, the ‘honeymoon’ is the most exciting time in a marriage. But in the spiritual realm, God’s law is this: suffering first and rejoicing later. It is the law of ‘delayed satisfaction’. Love is always patient, like a farmer waiting for his harvest. God keeps the best for the last (Jn 2:10). Husband, encourage yourself thru the Word of God! The same Holy Spirit helps the wife to submit to her husband, ‘as unto the Lord’. Without a clear vision of the humility and submission of Christ to the Father, the wife cannot submit herself to her husband. She will struggle and compete with her husband for leadership in the home. She will be afraid to submit to his vision for the marriage. She will cook his meals, wash his clothes, sleep with him, and have his children, but in her heart, she is still proud. That hidden pride creates friction. “God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (1 Cor 14:33). The Holy Spirit reveals Himself in the church as Peace. There is an order, a harmony, and a fellowship that creates beauty. In this environment of the unity of the Spirit, the anointing flows from the head to the feet. Every member of the Body of Christ benefits from this anointing. God has ordered it and God has commanded a blessing upon it (Psalm 133). Without the Holy Spirit, both the church and the marriage will lack peace, order, and beauty.

Because of Christ’ humility necessary in this plan of salvation, we are ignorant of His glory as God. We do not fear God enough! We do not reverence and honor Christ enough! The Holy Spirit comes in His name to reveal to us who Christ is in heaven now! The Holy Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ by revealing to us that He has always been God, the Creator of all things, visible and invisible. We need to see both the shame of the Cross and His glory in heaven! The Holy Spirit helps us to see these marvelous truths. He helps us to go to the Cross, to truly repent of sin and believe in Christ. He helps us to see Christ now, as the King of kings in heaven, so that we can worship Him in Spirit and in Truth!

In the marriage, the Holy Spirit helps the husband to become like Jesus, humble in loving his wife and hopeful for the glory ahead. A Christian husband is patient in mentoring his wife. The hope of glory gives him the courage and strength to see his wife in the future ‘without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing’ (Eph 5:27). For a Christian husband, his wife never gets old and ugly. She becomes more and more beautiful, pure and youthful in his eyes. That keeps the love burning. To the wife, the glory of Jesus revealed by the Holy Spirit is an inspiration for her to easily submit to her husband. Helping he husband to fulfill his destiny is her joy. Thru this joy, she too will find fulfillment. She gets lost in him to find herself, her true self. This is a mystery. Hard to explain but true, nevertheless.

The Lord said that faith in Him, in His Gospel, Christ crucified and resurrected, will produce overflow of life in the believer. “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (Jn 7:37-39). This overpowering eternal life proceeds from the Spirit filled believer and from the Spirit filled marriage. The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ, and the same Holy Spirit produces life giving testimony. Glory! Just the way the wedding day cannot be separated from the marriage, so justification cannot be separated from the process of sanctification. Justification is God’s forensic declaration that this sinner is saved because His Son Jesus Christ died on his behalf. The sinner believes this declaration. The moment he believes, God places on him ‘a wedding gift robe’ called ‘the imputed Righteousness of Christ’. The sinner is not changed internally but God sees him as His child because of Christ. This is what you may call ‘the wedding gift’. Christ has married you. From this moment on, you are no more a sinner, but a sinner saved by Grace. You are the Bride, the Wife of Christ. From now on, the marriage proper starts. This process of changing to become more and more like your husband is called sanctification. Therefore, marriage is basically a process of sanctification. In the marriage, the husband who loves and the wife who submits to his love start to resemble each other more and more. With time, they both will look more and more like Christ. A beautiful mystery marriage is… Always exciting! Glory to God!

*THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE ONLY TEACHER WHO TEACHES TRUTH

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you … The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (Jn 14:15-17, 26).

From these scriptures we see that the Holy Spirit comes into His fulness to the obedient disciples of Christ. He is called the Helper. He is eternal. He comes from heaven. He abides with the believers forever. He is not a visitor but the Creator of the believer. The world (the unbelievers) cannot see or receive the Holy Spirit. For the baby Christian, the Holy Spirit is with him, or around him. After the baptism of the Holy Spirit, He goes inside the heart and fills the believers. The Holy Spirit is sent by God the Father. He comes in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He does not come in His own name, for His own glory. He comes to testify about the Lord Jesus Christ. This is His main work. Without the Holy Spirit we cannot know the Lord Jesus Christ. He makes Christ real to us. The Holy Spirit is the most excellent Teacher of the Word of God. He helps us with our spiritual understanding and memory concerning the Word of God. He is the unfailing library and holy storage of all scriptures and revelations. He teaches us the Bible.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. There is no truth outside the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the Word of Truth. There is no truth outside the Bible. The Holy Spirit alone knows the truth and leads you to the truth. All unbelievers are deceived by appearances. They are slaves of the devil, also called the Liar. Truth is a Person. Truth is living. Our Lord is The Truth! In Christ alone there is Truth. The Holy Spirit leads you to Christ, to the Truth. The Word of God is Truth. The Holy Spirit is the Author of the Bible, and He will give you the desire to study the Word. Thru faith in the Word, by the power of the Holy Spirit, you change. This process of changing from inside out, by faith in the Word of God, which is truth, is called sanctification. God desires you to be sanctified, to be made holy as He is holy.

To survive and mature, the seed of marriage needs to grow in the soil of truth! The wedding day is the seed. The marriage partners should desire to change and become holy. There is a price to pay. Under the power of the Holy Spirit, under the influence of truth, the flesh will die. Selfish ambition, lies, lust, manipulation, selfishness, quarrels, and greed, like weeds under the heat of the sun, all these should dry and die. It is a painful process. It is called sanctification. Christ washes the Church by His Word. In the same way, the husband mentors his wife to become more spiritual. He needs to study the Bible so that he has enough water of the Word to wash his wife. This washing will make the wife clean from anxiety, inferiority complexes, guilt, and foolishness. God holds the husband responsible for the spiritual washing of his wife. The vision for the marriage is given to the husband who is the leader. The wife needs to agree with his vision and help him fulfill it. The husband functions in the capacity of a prophet, and the wife is the pastor who helps in fulfilling his vision. This cooperation, this unity of the Spirit, this agreement is vital in marriage. They cannot live happily as a couple, they cannot ‘walk’ and make progress in life, ‘except they have agreed’ (Am 3:3).

The husband should encourage the wife to cooperate with the process of sanctification. He should help her to run this holy race. The wife should help the husband too. Both should appreciate the deep work of the Holy Spirit in their lives and rejoice in the wonderful future together. Each one should make a vow to God and to one another that they will never lie or deceive each other. This vow must be kept no matter the price. Each lie gives the devil a foothold in the marriage. To lie is always a sin. Lies can be vocal or silent. When you speak an untruth, that is a lie. When you keep quiet and you cover deception, that is also a lie. In both instances the Holy Spirit is grieved. Lying is a common sin in many marriages. Lies are not little sins. Lies are poisonous arrows that try to kill their victims. Flattery is a lying compliment, insincere praise. The flatterer is a romantic criminal. (In Nigeria he is called ‘A Yahoo boy’). Flattering silly lonely women to make money is sin, a crime against true love. “A lying tongue hates those it wounds and crushes, and a flattering mouth works ruin” (PV 26:28; AMP). There are many women too who are skillful in the unholy art of seduction, flattery and lies. The Word of God will “keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a seductress” (PV 6:24). This woman speaks sweet words to inflame your flesh. Do not marry her! Her tongue will burn you to death! Be careful! For as long as you continue to lie, your marriage cannot be blessed by God. Truth is always painful in its first appearance. But Truth is Life, Health, and Freedom, to you, and to your marriage! Amen!

The Holy Spirit gives a desire to know the truth. He directs you to the Bible. He reveals to you the truth about the character of God, and the sinfulness of sin. The flesh hates truth and loves lies. There is a battle within between the Holy Spirit and the flesh. This battle exists only in the child of God. The unbeliever does not experience this tension because the Holy Spirit is not inside his heart. A believer needs to be sensitive to the two forces in his heart: the flesh and the Spirit. He is to deny the flesh so that the Spirit can lead. “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Gal 5:16, 17). This battle manifests in a marriage when only one of the partners is born again or one is backsliding. There is constant tension and division. There is no peace. It takes great love, wisdom, and patience to continue in an unequally yoked marriage. The Holy Spirit is jealous and will punish every act of sin and rebellion. “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? (Jam 4:4, 5). As a husband is jealous over his wife when she makes friends with wicked people, so the Holy Spirit reacts and disciplines any child of God who refuses to submit to Him. When the husband is jealous, he will not make peace until the wife has truly repented. “Jealousy is a husband’s fury; therefore, he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will accept no recompense, nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts” (PV 6:34, 35). This jealousy in marriage is part of its romance. “Close your heart to every love but mine; hold no one in your arms but me. Love is as powerful as death; passion, jealousy, is as strong as death itself. It bursts into flame and burns like a raging fire, the very flame of God” (SS 8:6). This is part of the price, passion, and purity of Christian marriage. Love changes people. Love welds two into one. This is the mystery of marriage, a reflection of Christ and His Bride.

The Holy Spirit is God. He is the best teachers in all things pertaining to life and marriage. He humbles Himself to teach you. Appreciate His ministry. Because He is God, He alone knows everything in every situation. The husband and the wife need to see themselves as students in the classroom where the Holy Spirit is the Teacher. Christian Marriage is a difficult subject. Many have failed that class. They took the ‘easy’ way of getting a divorce. Which is never easy! The Holy Spirit alone knows the secret to a successful and happy marriage. He disciplines and directs. He will not permit foolishness and rebellion. If you listen and obey Him, you will pass the class called ‘Marriage and Life’. You will be rewarded with a wonderful life on earth and in glory in heaven! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!

BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecc 4:12)

BE DRUNK WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Apostle Paul compares being drunk with wine and being filled with the Holy Spirit. There are some similarities. This comparison is to help us understand what being filled with the Holy Spirit is. Alcohol stimulates a man. It makes him relax, losing his anxieties and doubts. Losing his inhibitions, the man feels happy and free. Suddenly, a shy man becomes talkative and friendly. That is why men drink alcohol. That is why they get addicted to it. The negative side of alcohol is that it leads to ‘dissipation’. The happiness and freedom are only temporary. Once the effect of alcohol is gone, the anxiety comes back full force. Depression sets in. Things are getting worse. Alcohol produces ‘dissipation’. This word means loose wild living. It means wasted efforts and failing dreams. The price to pay for the freedom alcohol brings is foolishness, shame, and regret. It also leads to depression and sickness of the body. It is not worth it! At the beginning of time, the earth was without form. There was darkness over it. “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Gen 1:2). Like a dove with mighty wings, the Holy Spirit moved into the darkens and chaos. Suddenly, The Holy Spirit changed the earth. He made it to be round, as a planet! In the same way, once you are filled with the Holy Spirit, the ignorance and confusion in your heart will be transformed into spiritual beauty and peace! Glory!

Most people understand this filling with the Holy Spirit as pouring water into a cup. But this picture is not totally accurate. This is because the cup is passive in receiving the water poured in. A better picture of being filled and led by the Holy Spirit is looking at a sailboat on the sea. The wind blows the sails. It is said that the sails ‘are filled’ with the wind. The Holy Spirit is the Holy Wind (Jn 3:8). Because of the pressure of the wind, the boat moves on. Power is released by the wind blowing on the sails. A believer filled with the Holy Spirit glides fast on the sea of troubles in this world. Another way to describe being filled with the Holy Spirit is to be drunk with wine. We say that a drunkard is a man is under ‘an influence’. Alcohol controls and dominates a drunkard, so that he is not himself again. In the same way, the Holy Spirit fills a believer, controlling his mind, emotions and will. When they someone extremely happy people say that he is ‘full of life’. In the same way, a believer is full of the Holy Spirit. God is influencing him. He thinks like God, speaks like God, and loves like God. He loses all his anxieties and his inferiority complexes. His mind is strong. He remembers the Word of God and he is able to apply it daily. His memory is sharp. His decisions are all based on the Word of God. Therefore, he makes no mistakes. He makes progress daily. People see that progress! It is not hidden! That progress is true success in life! He has no fear of rejection. Therefore, he makes friends easily. He is a blessing to many people. Because of his freedom and boldness, he looks like an acrobat who takes extreme risks, who can fail and fall any time. But he does not fall! That is the wonder! He glides like a champion on the ice, jumping and dancing. His enemies are sure that he will kill himself in the game of life. They are sure he will be disqualified by the judges. But miracle or miracles… he continues to take risks, bold and strong, without falling! A man filled with the Holy Spirit is a wonder to behold! He is balanced mentally and emotionally. His actions reveal great self-control. He is also fearless. He is not an ordinary person. He is supernatural in speech and more than a conqueror in actions! The secret of such a man is that God sustains and empowers him. This is how God wants us to be, as believers, ministers, even as husbands and wives. Selah!

The command to be filled with the Holy Spirit refers to continuous present action. It is not something that happened once, in the past. It is something that happens continuously, in the present. The Holy Spirit pours now on and on. A better translation is this: Go on being filled with the Holy Spirit! It is a continuous command! For example: an empty glass bottle, closed by a cork, floats on top of the ocean. Once you remove the stopper, the bottle sinks in the ocean. The water goes inside and outside. To be filled with the Holy Spirit is like this bottle that has no stopper. The glass bottle has become one with the ocean. Because the bottle is transparent, you cannot see it. In other words, the bottle is lost in the ocean. The bottle’s identity is now found in the mighty ocean of Grace!

The most important lesson about being filled with the Spirit is to remember that the Holy Spirit is a Person. He is not just an influence. Once inside, the Holy Spirit controls that believer. There is a spiritual chemistry going on. The Holy Spirit does not destroy. It strengthens and beautifies! The believer’s personality is not annihilated. It is enhanced. For example, Peter was a fisherman. Paul was a lawyer. After they became saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, they still retained their personalities. You can see the difference reading their letters. An intelligent man filled with the Holy Spirit will still be intelligent. Even more so. The true, often hidden personality with manifest, to the glory of God who created him! The difference is that now, the personality is spiritual, controlled by the Holy Spirit!

THE LORD WAS BAPTIZED AND FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Lord Jesus Christ is our best example on the search to be filled with the Holy Spirit. At the River Jordan, He was baptized, filled, led, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the work of the Father. “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased” … Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted forty days by the devil… Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all” (Lk 3:21, 22; 4:1,2,14, 15). You can see that the Lord did warfare against the devil thru the Holy Spirit. He won the battle thru the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. He did not depend on His own power as God. He was filled with the Holy Spirit to do ministry. This should be our pattern too! As a Man, the Lord Jesus Christ received the Holy Spirit and the words of the Father without measure, without limitation. “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand” (Jn 4:34, 35). The Lord promised that once He goes back to heaven, He will pour out on the believers the same limitless Holy Spirit and the eternal revelation of the Word of God. The promised was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came from heaven on the believers, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They received the power to understand, believe and preach the Word of God. Thru the same power they did many miracles! Every revival in the history of the church is a type of Pentecost. We should pray and desire the filling of the Holy Spirit.

MAMA PUT HAS NOW BECOME DOMINO PIZZA

THE MIRACLE AT THE WEDDING

“On the third day there was a wedding at Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. When the wine was all gone, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no more wine.” Jesus said to her, “[Dear] woman, what is that to you and to Me? My time [to act and to be revealed] has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification (ceremonial washing), containing twenty or thirty gallons each. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. Then He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter [of the banquet].” So they took it to him. And when the headwaiter tasted the water which had turned into wine, not knowing where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew) he called the bridegroom, and said to him, “Everyone else serves his best wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then he serves that which is not so good; but you have kept back the good wine until now.” This, the first of His signs (attesting miracles), Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory [displaying His deity and His great power openly], and His disciples believed [confidently] in Him [as the Messiah—they adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Him]. After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days” (Jn 2:1-12; AMP).

Our Lord performed His first miracle during a wedding at Cana, a small village, six miles from Nazareth, where He grew up. Even today, weddings are the greatest celebrations in the lives of people. Because of the high expectations of success, weddings come with a lot of anxiety. This wedding was not different. The only special thing was the fact that the Son of God was invented as a Guest. His mother and His siblings were all there. The Lord came along with His new disciples. At that time, Jesus was not yet famous. The parents of the newly wedded couple were probably family friends. It was a happy occasion. In those days the wedding celebration lasted up to a week. There was food and wine free for all. At this wedding, it happened that the wine got finished. This was a social emergency. Wine is a symbol of joy. “Wine makes glad the heart of man” (Ps 104:15). For the wine to finish during the weeding feast, it meant that the marriage will not be a happy one. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was told about the situation. She went to Jesus and told Him about the need. He rebuked her mildly. She did not take offense. She ordered the servants to obey Jesus. The Lord commanded the servants to fill the six empty waterpots with water. They did so. Then Jesus told them to take the water to the table and to serve it as if it was wine. Despite their anxieties, they did so. As they poured the liquid into the glasses, it was wine!!! The Headwaiter was surprised and told the bridegroom: “Everyone else serves his best wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then he serves that which is not so good; but you have kept back the good wine until now.” This was the first miracle that Jesus performed and thru it, He revealed His glory.

What are some of the lessons?

*The first lesson is this: Jesus Christ of Nazareth is 100% God and 100% Man. His presence in a family, in a marriage, in a church is the greatest blessing of all. There is no substitute for the presence of God. Invite the Lord into your heart, into your marriage and into your home!

*This miracle happened ‘on the third day’ (Jn 2:1). It is a sign pointing to Christ’ resurrection! This is the Gospel! Wine (Joy) died and rose again!

*Jesus performed this miracle in response to a need. Remember prayer! “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” (Ps 50:15)

*He did the miracle just by the power of His presence. Jesus said: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Mt 19:26)

*The old wine got finished. Despite wealth or fame, a life without Christ is sad. Religion without Christ is joyless. Only Christ brings peace and joy into man’s heart. “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (Jn 6:63).

*When Jesus performed the miracle, the new wine was much better, both its quality and quantity. Jesus supplied 180 gallons of wine to that wedding. That is enough for the whole village! This is a reminder that God’s works are greater than our imagination. “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19).

*Jesus made wine! That should not surprise us. All things, in heaven and on earth, natural and spiritual, were made by Christ and for Christ.

“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (Jn 1:3). “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Col 1:15, 16). In other words, Jesus made the wine at the wedding for Himself. Then He shared it to men.

*The people who benefited most from the miracle are not the guests who drank the wine. It was the servants and the disciples who witnessed the power of Christ! May we humble ourselves! May we desire the revelation of Christ thru God’s Word and prayer! Give Him all the glory!

*It is only Christ that can revive a marriage! That is why we are commanded to be filled, not with wine, but with the Holy Spirit! (Eph 5:18)

*The miracle at Cana is a sign that our Lord honors the institution of marriage! Any wedding celebration on earth is a symbol of the Marriage Feast of the Lord in heaven (Rev 19:17-19). All cultures that dishonor the wedding ceremony in the presence of God do not prosper. Living together without making vows and praying in the presence of God is sin!

*The miracle was a sign to display His glory. Secondly, it was for the happiness of men. This is always the order. When praying for a miracle, remember that the answer is always for the glory of Christ and secondly, for your own good!

*Be drunk with the Holy Spirit! Let the Holy Spirit influence your mind, emotions and will! Be led by Him!

Oh, the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives and marriages! You may have seen a sinner’s den. The husband is a drunkard or an adulterer. The wife is foolish and rebellious. The children suffer in that home. They learn the ways of the devil to practice them when they grow up. Then one day, they hear the Word of God. The Holy Spirit convicts them of sin. One by one they become born again and Spirit filled. What a change in that home! The violent husband becomes like a lamb. The foolish wife becomes a princess with God. The stubborn children become jewels that decorate the table. The quarrels have ceased and now you hear prayers and songs of praise. They now go to church and serve God together. For the first time they know the meaning of ‘family’. The neighbors testify of the change! Only the Holy Spirit can do this miracle! Never be ashamed to preach the Gospel! The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead! He can change any heart and any home! Like rivers flowing in the wilderness, changing it into a garden, this is the revival we are praying for! Glory to God! Worship the Lord!

THE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE (3)

Nov29 by Silvia Lia Leigh, MD

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (8) – THE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE (3)

During the Sunday service, Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled “The Christian marriage (2)”. Her main scriptures are taken from the Books of Romans and Ephesians. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Rom 1:16, 17). “Submitting to one another in the fear of God. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So, husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Eph 5:21-33)

THE DOCTRINE OF BIBLICAL SUBMISSION – DEFINED

“Submitting to one another in the fear of God… Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Eph 5:21; NKJ; NIV)

Biblical submission is the universal Law of the Kingdom of God, applying to all believers, men and women, old or young. It is the crown of success in all Christian relationships, in the marriage, in the family and in the workplace. Humility and love are the foundation of Christian behavior. Simply said, no submission, no success! Because we are born sinners, biblical submission is not a natural behavior. It is an acquired spiritual skill by the power of the Holy Spirit. Biblical submission is the true testimony of grace working in all believers! The word ‘submit’ is a powerful Biblical word. It means to willingly place yourself under another’s authority. To properly understand submission, you must understand what ‘authority’ means. These two words are always connected. Authority is the right to make decisions, give orders, direct, and restrain others and compel their obedience. Authority is defined as the power of a leader, master, expert to influence thought, opinions, and behavior of others. The word dominion means sovereign power and supreme authority. Because He obeyed unto death, God the Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth to His Son Jesus Christ (Mt 28:18; Phil 2:8). This authority was given to Him not as the Son of God but as the Son of Man. In His name, we have received delegated authority, to rule as Kings and Priests in the Kingdom of God and for His glory alone!

Submission is a word often used in the military. It describes the end of the war. There was a fight. One side won and the other lost the battle. The weaker side has to surrender to the victorious side. If the defeated side refuses to surrender, they will be killed. Submission is wisdom: It is better to be a slave than a corpse! Humble submission saves lives! Practically, you stop resisting and fighting another and you surrender to his will. You are a prisoner of war. To submit, it means that (willingly or unwillingly) you do what another wants, because you are not powerful enough to resist him. It means to surrender to the control of the other because you realize that he has a superior force. Spiritually, it means to recognize and honor the human delegated authority in the Body of Christ, stop fighting it and surrender to it, out of reverence and fear of Christ, the Head of the Church, and the Commander of the Armies of Heaven. Submission is a spiritual positioning, spiritually covered and safe. By submitting to the authority of the other, you declare that he is stronger than you and that he has saved your life! To resist the authority in the Body of Christ is foolish and dangerous. It means that you want to fight Christ, the Judge of all who appointed His servants over you! Humble people submit easier than the proud people. Submission releases the Grace of God upon the humble. The proud resist the authority and God resists them. They fight God and God fights them. Be careful because the human authority ‘does not bear the sword in vain’ (Rom 13:4). Nobody wins against Christ! He is the eternal victor over all! “Therefore, stand in awe of God!” (Ecc 5:7; NIV)

WHAT BIBLICAL SUBMISSION IS NOT

Before we describe submission as seen in the Bible let us look at what submission is not. Let us start with the negatives. Submission is not identical with the fear of man, which is slavery. Fearing man kills your faith in God. It tries to replace the healthy fear of God with the counterfeit fear of man. “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe” (PV 29:25). Submission is not passivity or foolishness. Submission is the product of an active intelligent will. This is how it works… in my mind I know that Jesus Christ is my Master.

I accepted the fact that I cannot win against Him. He is stronger than me. I have thought about rebellion, and I concluded that it is sin. I hate sin! I reject pride, and stubbornness! Therefore, it is my desire to submit to Christ and to the spiritual authority He has placed over me. This surrender is not foolishness but wisdom and freedom. Christ is my King!

WIVES SUBMIT

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them” (Col 3:18, 19)

The Bible has clear marriage guidelines. These commands apply only to the believers. Unbelievers may read try to apply Biblical precepts to make their marriages better, but they are not able to obey God’s Word. For the children of God, the Bible is the Life Manual. God’s Word is written to us, sinners saved by grace. In the marriage set up, there are two basic rules: First, the wives submit to their own husbands (as Christ submitted to God the Father). Secondly, the husbands must love their wives, not in their own way, but ‘as Christ loves the church’ (Eph 5:25). In Christ, the husband and wife are equal before God. Their salvation experience is the same. But in marriage, these simple rules must be obeyed for God to bless the couple. Both these actions are basic spiritual attitudes. They both must glorify Christ, our Lord! Submission and love are inspired by Jesus Christ and must give Him alone the glory! The Holy Spirit gives both the husband and wife the power to obey. Submission to the human authority is always done for Christ’ sake. In the area of marriage, the wife submits to her own husband ‘as unto the Lord and in everything’ (Eph 5:22-24). This submission proves that she honors and loves the Lord Jesus Christ, that she is indeed a child of God. Pretending to submit for social reasons is deceptive and it will fail at last.

BITTERNESS, THE ENEMY OF MARRIAGES

In the scripture above, the husbands are commanded to love their wives and ‘do not become bitter towards them’. This is a special warning giving to the married men. Please pray for understanding! It means that the husband must recognize the tendency to become bitter against their loving wives. They must fight the strange temptation to become bitter as husbands at home. This is a warning to all leaders and husbands, in particular! What does this bitterness mean? Bitterness is chronic unrepentant anger. It starts with a wound that is not healed. Humanly speaking, it is a chronic, incurable spiritual disease. It is an emotion extremely difficult to bear. A root of bitterness causes trouble, defiles many and fights against the grace of God in marriage (Heb 12:15). Marital bitterness poisons the whole home and makes everybody miserable. A bitter person is a fault finder, unhappy with himself. He makes others sad or angry. People avoid such a man. He causes division in the home. When you see a man or a woman afraid to marry, it is because they have experienced this bitter taste in a previous relationship. To them, marriage is like drinking poison every day, like having an incurable disease, with no hope of being happy ever again. That is why they prefer staying single. Bitterness causes piercing, sharp emotional pain, like the sting of a wasp. The wounds of bitter words are long lasting and difficult to forgive or forget. A bitter husband is harsh, hot tempered, holds grudges, is mean, greedy, hard hearted, proud, stubborn, and difficult to teach. In Nigeria people say that ‘love has become sour’. As a pastor I counsel women who suffer terribly married to a bitter man who discourages them to be happy. The wives are afraid to say that something makes them happy because their husbands will spoil that good thing. Only God can help!

This tendency to bitterness is more common to husbands but it can be found in all careless relationships. What is the cause of this bitterness found in some husbands? The main cause I see is disappointment with their wives. At the beginning they love their wives. No bitter man wants to marry. To marry, you need to be happy. Love comes before bitterness. But this is the danger: It is possible for a man to truly love his wife at the beginning of the marriage, but later, he becomes bitter against her. It is like a good fruit that becomes rotten with time. Why? What causes this change from good to bad? Thru prayers and the study of the Word I discovered that husbands become bitter towards their wives, when the wives fail to meet up with their husbands’ expectations, with their ever growing spiritual and physical needs. This problem may be hidden when they are young, when they are still busy making money and rising children. But after some time, the husband may desire to draw closer to God, or he desires that they should improve their standard of living. If the wife is ignorant of the source of this ‘midlife crises’ (as some call it), the husband will become disappointed in her. He will resent her ignorance. He will complain against her choices. This bitterness may manifest itself in one area. For example, he says: ‘My wife is a good woman. She works hard. She is a good mother to our children. I love her very much. But… she does not respect me… she talks too much… she spends too much money on nonsense…’ These excuses are not big enough to make a husband so bitter but if the wife does not try to understand his pain, he will begrudge her silently in his heart. He will compare her with other women he starts to admire silently. That is the seed of marital bitterness. In a way, both are guilty. The bitter husband has tried, but failed, to help the wife grow spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. They are still married but he withdraws from her. She is left behind, like the statue of a bride, smiling on her wedding day, but the dress is now thorn and faded, the artificial lashes fallen on her wrinkled cheeks… They still live together but the sweet wine of early romantic love has gone, leaving behind the bitter taste of native medicines in the dry old mouth… This is the sad story of all marriages that have a shell, but no life inside. These marriages need resurrection power! God alone revives marriages!

OUR TESTIMONY

I am a woman. I am a wife. I am a mother and a grandmother. I had to study this subject because I need to fight the demons that will attack my husband. He does his own fight. But I am his helper. I should not be ignorant of this temptation. I must help him fight bitterness and not foolishly add to it. As a wife, I have tried to keep close to my husband, spiritually in particular. It pains me when he quotes a Bible verse or teaches me something new, and I am totally ignorant of that subject. I use that pain to grow! I challenge myself to study the Word of God so that when my husband needs somebody to talk to about the Bible, I am ‘current’ with it. I have learned many things about subjects that I do not like. I know much about politics and current affairs in Nigeria. I am not a politician, but I need to know these things, if they are good or bad. Ignorance has never helped anybody. I need to know my husband’s plans, dreams, and God’s purpose for his life. I need to pray for those. I need to grow as he grows. We need to grow together! This is the safety and the sweetness of a mature marriage that even death cannot destroy! We are not competing against each other. We must complement each other. To be able to complement my husband I need to grow too. As the vision for our lives and ministry develops and increases with time, so we must grow with it. To be left behind spiritually, to be a passive wife, it is sin. If I am lazy or careless with our relationship, if I just walk lazily behind him with nothing new to add to our marriage, that sin is almost like spiritual adultery. My husband will be tempted to be worried, angry, disappointed, and bitter against me, his wife, helper, and friend. As a wife, I should not be found to be too fast and lead my husband. I should also not be found to be too slow and leave him alone. Marriage is two people learning to be one. It has a beginning! It is also a process. Each one of us must grow in grace towards God and towards one another. I should not take his love for granted. I should be watchful for any ‘virus’ of disappointment towards me that I sense in my husband. I must be filled with the Holy Spirit so that I will help him be the man God wants him to be. We both work hard at making our marriage a success. But the hard work is bringing a greater than expected harvest of peace, joy, and ministry to those who call us parents in Christ. I boldly declare that in Christ alone, our marriage is free from the pollution of bitterness! Love has won the battle! Dear children, may these words challenge you! God loves you! God loves your marriages! Glory to God!

THE MOTIVES FOR MARRIAGE

“Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror” (1 Pet 3:1-6). This is God’s command to the wives: they should submit to their husbands, not just occasionally, but as ‘a conduct’. They should live in an attitude of submission. The reason why many wives struggle in the are of submission is because the foundation of the marriage was faulty. Dear wife, you may have to revisit the beginning of your relationship with your husband. Do it thru the leading the Holy Spirit! If the foundation was right, giving glory to God, then thank God! If the foundation was of the flesh, it means it is faulty. You may have to re-surrender your marriage to God, to start afresh on a new foundation. What is the purpose of this submission and love in the marriage? It is to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph 4:3). It is for the glory if God and for the common good!

“The wives should behave with purity of motives and a reverential attitude towards their husbands. when they see your modest and respectful behavior [together with your devotion and appreciation—love your husband, encourage him, and enjoy him as a blessing from God]” (1 Pet 3:2; AMP). Wife, examine your motives. Why did you marry this man? What was your purpose? Did you fall in love with him or with his money? Did you fall in love with him or with your dream of being a bride? The motives for an action are more important to God than the action. This is a spiritual law. Dear wife, ask yourself: why did you marry your husband? What was your purpose in saying ‘yes’ to this particular man? God judges the heart, the motives behind every work and every word. “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts” (PV 21:2). In Hebrew, the word ‘to weigh’ means to measure, to balance, to equalize, or to level. You may think that you are right, but God judges the motives of the heart. This is a warning against self-deception and carelessness. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death (PV 14:12)”. If we apply this proverb to marriage, we can say: ‘you may be happy to marry that man, but the marriage will end in divorce’. God alone knows the future. He alone knows the hearts and destinies. An unbeliever marries led by his flesh, by his sexual lusts or selfish ambition. But a believer should marry only after seeking God, with fasting and praying, to know the will of God in the matter. “The Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Sam 16:7). The word ‘refuse’ means to reject, something that will disappear, and will waste away. Even the prophet Samuel was deceived by the stature and look of David’s older brothers. God corrected his vision. This is a lesson for all of us. We must see everyone thru the eyes of the Holy Spirit who alone knows the quality and the value of each heart. Many have been deceived by outward appearance in making their choice as a marriage partner. Selah!

ADVICE TO SINGLE SISTERS

Single woman, your greatest desire should be to marry a godly man! More than wealth, fame, social status or educational level, the man you marry should be a genuine child of God! He must be serious with God. He must love the Bible and all church activities. Study the man you desire to marry, how he behaves to other females. If he is rude to other women, he will be rude to you too. If he is lazy before marriage, he will still be lazy later. Dear sister, you cannot change the heart of any man. Marriage does not change hearts. Only God does that! If you cannot respect him before the wedding, it will be impossible for you to submit to him as your husband. You need to be sure that the man you choose to marry is God’s will for you. Godly successful marriages are ‘made in heaven’ before they manifest on earth. If you marry just because your parents and friends, put pressure on you, or because you are ‘getting old’, or because you need someone who will pay your bills, or because you want children, all these are not godly reasons for marriage. Also, learn to submit to other women in the church. This is great exercise preparing you to submit to your husband. You need to pray that God will purify your heart in preparation for marriage.

Why it is hard for sisters to submit to other older ones and for wives to submit to their husbands? It is basically because they are not saved. They have an imaginary form of what it means to be a Christian woman or a wife. The Jews had the same problem. They were religious and they thought that they are right with God. That is why they rejected the Lord Jesus Christ who brought His own righteousness. “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God” (Rom 10:3). They were ignorant of what God requires and they invented their own standard of behavior. That is why they refused to submit to God’s Righteousness. In the same way, a wife who is ignorant of God’s Word about marriage, will refuse to submit to God and to her husband. She will submit to her own worldly imagination of what a wife should be. As you can see, spiritual ignorance leads to divorce. Selah!

GOD DESIRES TO BLESS YOUR MARRIAGE

The Christian marriage is different than any other. Both husband and wife need to be born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. People may deceive others outside, but at home, the truth is clearly seen. No one can pretend when he (or she) is naked. Husband and wife cannot totally deceive one another. Today, there is much abuse of power and ignorance of true love. The husband’s love has to be like Christ’ love. This is ‘agape’ love. In the New Testament there are three words translated love. The first is ‘eros’ which describes sexual lust, a selfish love that wants something from the other. The second word is ‘phileo’ that describes friendly relations, like the love between siblings. Lastly, there is ‘agape’ love. This is God’s sacrificial love, ready to serve without any reward. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the child of God (Gal 5:22).

The husband should love his wife combining these types of love. He should love his wife, sacrificially, as his sister and friend, and sexually. Sex is God’s gift to the marriage couple. The husband should not sexually lust after other women. The gift of sexual faithfulness is for his wife alone. This is part of the romance, beauty, and mystery of marriage! God is the witness and the judge of the marriage partners (Malachi 2:14). He disciplines and He rewards! Can you imagine a court room where God is both the Witness and the Judge? He can never lose a case! Faithfulness in marriage is greatly rewarded by God!

A wise man said: “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times but with the same person” (anonymous). The husband is commanded to love his wife with sacrificial agape love. He is to help her mature as a woman of God. She is to submit to his covering and mentorship. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body (Eph 5:23). Christ is the Savior of the Body. This means that Christ takes care of the Church! He does that thru the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. In the same way, the wife is protected, preserved, and shielded by the husband. The wife should know this! She should appreciate the care of the husband. She should say to him: ‘My dear husband, I am touched with your love and your care for me! God bless you!’ Say it often! It helps both of you! In the marriage, the husband is the ‘head’ of the wife. What is the connection between the head and the body? They are one! There is a unity! If one stands, the other will stand! If the ‘head’ falls, the body will fall! The marriage partners do not compete, but they must complement each other. The Christian marriage is like a living Body! Each part does the word God assigned to it! The husband helps the wife, and the wife helps her husband. The Holy Spirit helps both! The body is not just a collection of parts. It is an organic whole. The husband and wife are not separate. They are one! Each one has different duties and functions, but they work for the good of the whole.

The wife is not passive. She should cooperate with the mentorship of her husband. The wife should not be guilty of independent action. The wife should not be too fast or too slow for the husband. She should quench the spirit of her husband. Leadership is a gift from God for the husband. Let him lead! But their actions should be in harmony. The wife submits to the leadership of her husband. That is not slavery of foolishness. It is obeying God’s command. The husband has the authority to lead his wife and he is responsible to God for performing his work. He knows that he is not God to his wife. He cannot control the wife’s conscience. She must make decisions led by the Holy Spirit and according to her conscience. The wife needs to see the value of being a helper to her husband. Without this vision, she cannot submit or help him.

The husband should love his wife ‘as Christ loves the Church’. To love like this, the husband needs to study the Word of God. Why does the Apostle Paul insist about this love? He wants us to know the truth about the love of Christ towards the Church. It is a mystery, it is true! But we can pray for the revelation of this mystery! Every believer should know this. Christ is the Husband to every believer!!! Mediate on this revelation! “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God” (Rom 7:4). The Resurrected Christ is the Husband of each believer! This revelation is the source of love in marriage between a man and a woman. When you think about marriage, do you think about the Cross? When you think about falling in love to marry, do you have Resurrection in mind? This is the Biblical pattern of marriage! Selah!

The Church is the Bride of Christ. Christ loves the sinners He saved by His Grace! He is married to the Church despite her weakness and sins. Christ is not ashamed of our sins and failures. He knows that we need help to love Him too. The Church needs to be washed. He washes her. She was in rags of sin. He covered her with is Righteousness. He loves the Church not because she was beautiful. No! Christ Loved us with an everlasting love from the foundation of the world. He wants to change her His ugly wife to make her a beautiful princess of heaven! Do you believe that? Christ gave Himself for her. He could only save her by dying. And He died for her. He is concerned about her wellbeing. He desires her to be perfect. Christ is passionate about changing the Church from dirty to clean, from sinful to glory! This passion to change His Bride is the product of His Grace! King Grace is never discouraged to love His Bride! This is what you call true, eternal love!

The husband must have this same desire, to change his wife. He must have a vision for her. He must pay the price to make her wonderful. He is thinking of her future. At the wedding of the Lamb, Christ wants to show His Bride to the whole universe! Dear husbands, do you have this passion? You should! The wife is to submit to her husband and to his desire to change her. She too should desire changes, to make the husband proud. This is called the doctrine of sanctification. The submission of the wife manifests as her desire to be holy. She wants to be separated from the world and to go closer to her husband. She does not resist this change. She does not keep worldly friends. She pays the price to become the wife her husband dreams about. The wife submits and she cooperates with her husband’s dream of how his wife should be. If she has another dream of her future, she will resist his dream and refuse to submit. The marriage will not mature. Spiritually, submission equals sanctification. The unity of the Spirit is vital in a marriage so that God will bless it!

This is a beautiful picture of a wife who submits and her husband who loves. It is found in the Word of God. Study and meditate upon it! “Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Sustain me with cakes of raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am lovesick. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me” (Song 2:3-6). The wife seats under the authority of her husband. That is when she is able to see how special and loving he is. Submission to her is ‘great delight’. In this position, she is fed by him, she is led from one level of love to another. The public sees her at the ‘banqueting house’. She is well fed and refreshed. Submission brings revival. She is protected by the arms of her husband. Intimate love is seen by many as strong and growing. Selah!

Dear wife, study the Word to find what please God? As you please God, so you shall please your husband! As you know, God is pleased with faith. So, you must have faith in your husband! God rewards faith and He will bless your marriage (Heb 11:6). This is a reward worth seeking! Be filled and led by the Holy Spirit! “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom 8:8). Dear wife, as you cannot please God in the flesh, you cannot please your husband if fleshly desires control you! Be kind and generous with others. “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Heb 13:16). As God is please with Kindness, your husband will love you more if you practice kindness and generosity to all. If you please God, He will answer your prayers and your husband will love you more. “Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him” (1 Jn 3:22). Find out what pleases God! Be wise and discerning! Have no worldly friends. Expose them as bad influence! As Christ is jealous over you so your husband will be. You need wisdom to please Christ and husband. Reject every form of love for the world. “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Eph 5:8-11). Our Lord always pleased His Father. That is why He was never alone. You too, be like Jesus and the presence of God will constantly with you. “He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him” (Jn 8:29). Your marriage will blossom like the rose even in the desert. This is God’s desire towards you, that you, your husband and your children may prosper in life! Praise the Lord!

MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN

We do not understand marriage except we understand the doctrine of Christ and the church. The unbelievers know nothing about this. Christ loves the Church, and He has paid the ultimate price for it. This love manifests itself in practice. Love is not something theoretical. It is not something to be talked about, a song or a poem. Listen to what our Lord says: ‘If you love Me you obey My commandments’ (Jn 14:15). Based on our standards, we do not think that this love is romantic enough. But the test of a man’s love for his wife is in his doing not in his talking. The romance of marriage is mostly seen in works. This is part of the mystery of marriage. There are many sweet talkers that come your way. But they make bad husbands! Sisters, be careful! Jesus did not come to earth only to talk about His love. He talked but when the hour has come, He paid the price for His Bride to be saved. Even now, Christ does not complain saying: ‘This My Bride is so stubborn and lazy. She does not appreciate all my love for her…’ No! He continues to love His Bride, washing her with His Word, disciplining her with His rod of love! The price Christ paid for love is the ultimate price. Death for love! But He has no regrets! “For love is as strong as death” (SS 8:6). In the battle between sin and Grace, Grace won! Love won! Look at us, sinners saved by such an amazing love! We are so slow to appreciate this love! If we truly desire to honor Christ, there shall be no quarrels between husbands and wives! Study the Love of Christ! In the past, He died for the Church. At present, He washes and takes care of the Church by the Holy Spirit! In the future, this marriage will be consummated in glory! Husbands, may you have the vision of loving your wives, past present and future! Dream about perfection! Invest in greater testimonies! Never be ashamed of your love for Christ and your wife! This is the Gospel! You cannot separate justification and sanctification. It the same way, you should not separate the wedding day from the marriage. The wedding day is special and filled with joy. The rest of your life, your marriage will have challenges. But with Christ, the joy should continue ‘until death do us part’. It is Christ who saves you and sanctifies you by His Word and by His Spirit! This is ‘the washing’! He married a dirty Bride, but He will not let her remain dirty. The same who justifies is the One who sanctifies!!! That is why He died for you! If you refuse to submit willingly, He will discipline you! He will not allow you to remain the same! The decision for sanctification is not yours. It is His! Resist Him at your peril! To sanctify is to separate you from the world and to set you apart for God’s service. It also means to make holy! He moves you from the Kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of light and now He washes you! Christ isolates you! For Himself! We are saved to marry Christ and to praise Him! “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9). Do you understand the doctrine of love? You are no longer free to do what you want. You belong to your Groom! Praise Him! Forever! Do you believe that? Glory!

THE POTTER AND THE CLAY

“The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so, he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make” (Jer 18:1-4)

One of the best pictures of submission to the authority of another is seen at ‘the potter’s house’. God sent the Prophet Jeremiah to have a clear vision about the authority of God on earth and in heaven! This revelation can also apply to the marriage. In other words, as the clay submits to the potter’s hands, so the wives should submit to their husbands. As the potter molds the clay into a vessel of his choice, so the husband should help the wife become his perfect helper.

I wanted to learn about the potter’s work. These are the stages for the humble clay to become an object of art in the Potter’s hands. 1-Finding the clay. 2- Cleaning the clay. 3- Preparing the lump as the baker prepares the dough for bread. 4- The lump goes on the potter’s turning wheel 5-The potter breaks the lump and opens the heart. 5- The lump starts to rise. 6- The Potter beautifies the vessel with his signature on it. 6-The vessel goes inside the fire to be totally purified and made strong! The fire seals the work and the beauty. 7- The vessel is ready! The test: The potter pours water into the vessel and looks inside. He must see the reflection of his face. This is his glory revealed! The humble clay has now become a vessel of honor for the Potter’s use and ready to be displayed to others!

Let us meditate upon this story. The Potter has a dream vessel in his mind. He looks for clay in the swamp. That is the best place to find good clay. Clay is humble mud!!! But the clay in the swamp is mixed with impurities. The potter knows that. He brings the clay home, and he filters out the impurities. The clay becomes now clean, free from the impurities gathered in the swamp of sin. Next, the potter uses his hands to mold the clay into a lump, just the way a baker prepares the dough for bread. The clay needs to become elastic. During this time of preparation, if the clay can talk, he will say: ‘Oh, your hands are too heavy, pressing me down… it is so painful…’ But the Potter goes on and on until the clay becomes flexible. The potter knows his work! He will say to the clay: ‘Dear clay, I love you! I know the plans I have for you. Plans of good and not of evil. To give you a hope and a future. I will change you into something beautiful, more than you are able to dream right now! Trust Me!’ After that, the potter places the lump of clay in the center of the wheel. He turns it on and on. The lump becomes like a ball. Then, the potter places his finger in the middle of the lump, breaking the heart of the clay. He breaks the heart to open it. This work is extremely painful to the clay, but the process goes on. The breaking and opening of the heart is a very intimate time between the potter and the clay. It is a time of searching the heart, the motives of our actions. It is a time of godly sorrow that leads to repentance. Love is painful in the process. But love never fails and it’s suffering ends in glory!

I testify that I am the clay under the potter’s hands. This is my advice to you: ‘Dear clay, this is not the time to give up on the potter or on yourself. Be patient! There is present pain but there is joy ahead!’ Pray like this: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting (Ps 139:23, 24)”. The next stage is the lifting of the clay. The wheel continues to turn. The potter puts pressure on the lump with one hand inside and the other outside. Slowly, the vessel rises under the potter’s gentle but firm hands. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6; NIV). The vessel rises. As the vessel continues to open it up, you can see the changes outside of the vessel. The potter works from inside out to make the vessel beautiful. Religion works from outside in, but God always works from inside out. The clay learns to submit to the potter’s hands working from inside out. This is called ‘sanctification’. Then, the potter beautifies the vessel with some drawings on its body. It is the seal, the signature of the Potter on the vessel. Each vessel is unique. God molds each one of His children with His hands, in a unique shape. The older the clay, the more flexible it becomes. Then, the potter puts the vessel into the fire. This is another painful process. But fear not, God will be with you in the fire! His presence is all you need! This is the testimony of all saints: Against all odds, hope blooms in the furnace. Fire burns impurities and the clay stronger. Now, if you bang the vessel with a nail, the vessel has a voice, a song! “Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes!

I, even I, will sing to the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel” (Jdg 5:3). Sing, Deborah, sing!

If the clay refuses to submit to the potter’s hands, and refuses to drink the water of life, it becomes dry. The potter will take it away from the wheel, breaks it and softens it once more. This is the attitude of the backslider. The potter will not give up on the clay. The process starts all over again. The Potter is persistent and will not throw the clay back to the swamp of the world! Trust Him! Submit to His design! Finally, never forget! Without the Potter, the mud in the swamp will become nothing else. He will stay there, a useless thing without any hope. There shall be no beauty and no usefulness for that mud! So, bless the day when the Potter came looking for you, and found you in that deadly swamp of sin. Bless the Potter’s hands that mold you daily! You are God’s masterpiece, the work of King Grace, and the art of heaven! Angels look in wonder at what you have become! The pains of submission are not to be compared with the glory revealed in you! You must fulfill the Potter’s dream for you! God will use the vessel to pour His Word and Grace into other vessels! Worship the Lord!

“Change my heart, O God,

Make it ever true;

Change my heart, O God,

May I be like you.

You are the Potter,

I am the clay;

Mold me and make me,

This is what I pray”

	Silvia Lia Leigh, MD on MY TESTIMONY
	overcomebyjesus.blog… on MY TESTIMONY
	Silvia Lia Leigh, MD on MY HEART IS AWAKE
	CCrum on MY HEART IS AWAKE

Green Pastures

PS 23:2 ~ He Makes Me To Lie Down In Green Pastures

HOW I DISCOVERED MYSELF

PRAY!

REVIVAL – COME TO THE LIVING WATER (6)

MY TESTIMONY

REVIVAL – LIVING WATER (5)

GOD’S TIME IS THE BEST!

THE BATTLE IS GOD’S

REVIVAL – LIVING WATER (4)

REVIVAL – LIVING WATER (3)

I AM QUIET AND BEAUTIFUL

LIKE THE EAGLES

REVIVAL – THE LIVING WATER (2)

WHEN MY HUSBAND CALLS ME, I COME!

THE LIVING WATER (1)

NOAH FOUND GRACE

SURPRISED BY KING GRACE

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS

THE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE (5)

THE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE (4)

THE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE (3)

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this: