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 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 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 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

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! Let us study the Word of God concerning marriages! Let us repent and be saved!

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 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!

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

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!

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 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”

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (7) – THE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE (2)

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)

DOCTRINE INFLUENCES BEHAVIOR

Why do we preach the Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected? Because the Word of God saves and changes lives! This is a great law in the Kingdom of God: Doctrine influences behavior! What you believe in your heart will manifest in your lifestyle! You cannot hide anything in your heart. All hidden things are exposed “in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel” (Rom 2:16).

If you believe the truth, you will behave well and have a Christian testimony. If you are deceived and you believe false doctrines, you will misbehave! “Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” (1 Cor 15:33). In other words, keeping bad friends, will ruin your reputation and testimony as a Christian! That is a great loss indeed! The reason we preach the doctrine of Biblical submission is to help you repent in case you misunderstood what true submission is. This will benefit all your relationships with people and your marriages in particular! Wisdom is necessary for a successful marriage! Truth sets free! Glory to God!

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! Submission to the human authority is 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 deception and it will fail at last.

SUBMISSION IN THE FEAR OF GOD

Submission between believers is done ‘in the fear of God’. The natural man does not believe in God and does not fear God. The believer learns to fear God. It is an acquired knowledge. Fear is defined as an uncomfortable feeling sensing danger or pain ahead. May believers see fear as an evil spirit. They fight against it. That is good. But the fear of God is healthy and good. You should accept it!

The Word of God teaches us how to fear God and the benefits of it. “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Ps 34:11). There are many believers who do not fear God as they should. They take God for granted. They dis-respect God. We are commanded to fear God, to respect Him. To respect it means to recognize someone’ worth, to understand that he is great and important and must be treated in an appropriate way. To disrespect God, it means to be ignorant of God’s worth and power. You cannot worship God without honoring and fearing Him at the same time. Overfamiliarity with God grieves the Holy Spirit and quenches the anointing to worship God. It results in breaking down of relationships and marriages. May God help us to come back to the Cross and bow our knees to the Lord Jesus Christ! May the fear of God descend like a blanket over the congregation! To Him alone be all the glory!

THE BLESSINGS OF THE HOLY FEAR OF GOD

The holy and healthy fear of God has direct effects upon our Christian life, marriages, relationships, and ministries. The man who fears God will be blessed with wisdom, and the intimate knowledge of God. God will reveal to him His promises and His covenant. He will be favored and honored by God and man. Him and his children will have a long, successful, and prosperous life. God will protect them from evil attacks. God will show him His mercy. God will provide for him, spiritually and materially. He will not be anxious or confused. He will be bold and courageous because the fear of God destroys the fear of man. God will teach him His ways. He will be prudent because God will warn him of danger. Therefore, he will avoid falling into temptation. God will reward him greatly. To worship and to serve God, you need to fear God! To refuse to fear God is a great danger. God will warn you and discipline you, to bring you to the Cross. The fear of God is the greatest motive in sanctification. You manifest your salvation ‘with fear and trembling’. The fear of God leads to ‘long life and prosperity’. Selah!

Read and meditate upon the following scriptures:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you” (PV 9:10,11)

“In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death” (PV 14:26, 27)

“By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life” (PV 22:4)

“The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; he will not be visited with evil” (PV 19:23)

“As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him” (Ps 103:13)

“His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation” (Lk 1:50)

“Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant” (Ps 25:12-14)

“Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him” (Ps 34:9)

“Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name” (Ps 86:11)

“The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward” (Ps 19:9-11)

“Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him” (Ps 2:10-12).

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil 2:12, 13)

JESUS CHRIST OUR GREATEST EXAMPLE OF SUBMISSION

“Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Lk 22:39-44). The greatest example of submission is found in our Lord Jesus Christ. Few hours before His death He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. All His life He has actively obeyed the whole Law of God. Now, according to the Will of the Father, He has to passively obey the law of sin and death on behalf of sinners. The greatest pain for Him was to know that He will become sin and a curse as a Substitute for sinners. This was the Father’s will according to the plan of salvation. Once He becomes sin, He will be separated from God the Father. From eternity, God the Father and God the Son have always been one. Now, for a time, on that Cross, the Father has to forsake and reject His beloved Son. That separation was the greatest pain our Lord had to endure. Love had to die on that Tree! The disciples did not understand His pain. Their sorrow was that their Master said He will soon die. They could see no future in that death. Our Lord warned them (and us) to pray for wisdom and strength to obey God even unto death. Pride will reject submission when submission is painful. To protect ourselves from pain, we may choose our wills and reject God’s will. That is entering into temptation, agreeing with it and committing sin. But Christ refused the easy way. The devil has already promised Him the kingdoms of this world (Mt 4:8-10). That was an offer of success, of a crown but without the Cross. Christ rejected it! Now, face to face with death, our Lord rejects sin and chooses submission to God’s will. Blood is the price paid for our salvation! As Christ submitted totally to God’s will, we should do the same! We worship the Lord! That is why we submit!

HOW DO WE SUBMIT?

Submission is the law of the Kingdom of God. It applies to all relationships, including the Christian marriage. Submission is love! “Through love serve one another…seek the best for one another” (Gal 5:13:NKJ, AMP). Unbelievers know nothing about this. Biblical submission requires the revelation of the Holy Spirit. You cannot submit to one another for the sake of Christ in ignorance or in the flesh. “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”? But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (Jam 4:4-7). Refusal to submit to Christ and to His delegated authority is the same as spiritual adultery. Christ is jealous over His Bride. His Spirit will discipline her if she chooses to make friends with this world. Once she has humbled herself, and submits to Him, He releases Grace upon her. Grace is a sign of Peace and Prosperity! Submission is victory in spiritual warfare! The war is over! Love has won! The devil will run away from one who has submitted himself to God! To God be all the glory!

The only man (woman) who can truly submit to God, to Christ, to the Holy Spirit, and to the human authority placed over him (or her) is a born-again Christian, filled with the Holy Spirit. The natural man is proud, stubborn, and selfish. He rejects all authority. When he submits to older or richer people, he pretends to do so. In his heart, he still resists submission. In the natural, he bows his knee to another but in his heart, he still stands! He has a spirit of rebellion. There is quarrel, and division in his heart. True submission in the Kingdom of God is always of the heart. It is an internal acknowledgment that Christ is your King and Lord! It manifests itself as submission in the Body of Christ to the authority Christ has placed over you. These things are spiritual.

WHAT IS THE MOTIVE FOR CHRISTIAN SUBMISSION

What is the only motivation for this submission? It is ‘the fear of God’ or ‘the reverence for Christ’. In Greek, the word translated ‘God’ here is Christ, the Messiah. Therefore, the correct translation says: we should submit one to another in the fear of Christ! This submission is not because of social standards, or tradition. It is because you recognize Christ as your Lord and you submit to Him, and to all authority in His name! Christ is the Head of the Church. He appoints the leaders as He desires, by His sovereign Grace. This is a warning: To resist your pastor or your leader in the church places you in a dangerous position. If you are not able to honor and submit to your pastors and elders, then it is better to leave the church and find another. Biblical submission brings peace and harmony in the Church, in the marriage, in the family and at the working place. This submission applies to all believers.

WHY SHOULD WE FEAR CHRIST?

What is that ‘fear of Christ’? In the Trinity, God the Son, though equal with the Father, as a Man, submitted to the will of God! God the Holy Spirit submits to both God the Father and God the Son. Submission is not slavery. It is an act of love! It is holy humility. It is to love and serve the other without fear of losing reputation. On earth, Christ submitted not only to God the Father, but He humbled Himself before men, even unto death. For the believer, Christ is not just his Savior, but also His Lord! Before the Cross, Christ washed the feet of the disciples. He showed us true humility and submission. Our supreme desire in life should be that we show our gratitude to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Christian has no will for himself anymore. He loves the Lord and is afraid to grieve the Holy Spirit, to disappoint Him! Have you thought of this? His reputation in this world is in our hands. This is the greatest responsibility! The believer is afraid to betray his Lover! Love is the grandest motive to live at your highest! Love is deep! Love is not politics! “Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering, and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” (Eph 5:1, 2). The love of Christ has a special perfume. It kills sin and death and makes our spirits alive! Love submits! That is why we submit!

Christ is the Head of the Church, who is His body. Christ loves the Church. He is the Bridegroom of the Church, His Bride. Like a husband is protective over his wife, so Christ is jealous over us. If we become infatuated with the world, He will discipline us! This painful work is a sign of love. We are commanded to purify ourselves from all unbelief, doubt, and love for the world. It is our duty to do so! There is no sin in heaven. If we believe that God is our Father, then we should repent from all sin. If we want to go to heaven, we shall repent of all known sin! Because God is holy, we should desire to be holy like Him. The fear of God is the most powerful motivation for sanctification! “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Therefore, “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.” Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor 6:14-18; 7:1). Because we fear God and Christ, we gladly submit! That is why we submit!

Once you are saved by faith in the Gospel, the true foundation is laid in your heart. It is called ‘Christ Crucified’. Immediately, the process of sanctification starts. You obey the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. It is like building the walls on top of the foundation. The ‘blocks’ you use to build are the works of serving God. These works shall be tried with the fire of Christ’ judgment. If you work for selfish reasons, that ‘block’ will be destroyed by fire. If you work for the glory of God, that block is made of gold, silver and precious stones and it will survive the fire of judgment. God judges with fire! The reward is given according to what survives the fire. “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Cor 3:11-15). This judgment fire is enough to make us fear, respect, and honor Christ! That is why we submit!

When the unbelievers will encounter the judgment of God and the wrath of the Lamb, they will be paralyzed with fear wishing for death to come. “The kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Rev 6:15-17).

Serving God in the church is not an easy work. There are peculiar dangers that come with ministry. The more spiritual brethren should help the weaker ones. This is to fulfill the law of Christ! We submit to Christ and for His sake we serve others who have fallen into sin. Restoring a backslider is a delicate work. It is like doing surgery in the brain. Any mistake will make matters worse. This work is done under the direction of the Holy Spirit. There is the danger of becoming proud or angry in the process. As we submit to God and trust His leading, great exploits are done in His name. God will reward you greatly for bringing home His prodigal sons and daughters. You need to carry your load of responsibility and also help another for a time, to carry his. Submission to God is our best protection in ministry. “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load” (Gal 6:1-5)

We are citizens of the eternal Kingdom of God! We are members of the eternal Body of Christ! We need more grace to do God’s work. More grace demands greater humility and submission. Grace releases anointing for ministry! It is the key to success in the Christian life! “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:28, 29). That is why we fear God, we fear Christ! We do not want to grieve the Holy Spirit!

Read the Book of Revelation and see Christ as He is now, in heaven! Apostle John said: “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,” … Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death” (Rev 1:10-18).

The most powerful reason to fear Christ is because He is the Judge of all men! His eyes are like fire! For the Christian, the judgment is not about going to hell. We are saved by the blood of the Lamb. There is now no condemnation for us who are in Christ Jesus! (Rom 8:1). But there is a judgment of works. We believers shall stand before Christ who will judge our works and give us rewards accordingly. “Therefore, we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences” (2 Cor 5:9-11). Imagine that one day you shall stand before Christ in heaven, face to face with Him! You shall see Him on His throne as the King and Judge of all! You shall see on a screen all works you have done on earth, good and bad. Just this imagination should be enough to bring the fear of Christ upon you. That is why we submit! Wives and husbands submit to one another. Humble yourselves! The Lord is our best example. His example is sufficient! If Christ is not enough for you, then nothing will move your heart! Just think of this! One day, we shall see Jesus face to face! We shall be like Him! If you believe this truth, then you will desire to purify yourself from all sin of the Body and of the spirit. “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for WE SHALL SEE HIM AS HE IS! And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1Jn 3:2, 3). Love believes that faith shall become sight! “For now, we see in a mirror, dimly, but then FACE TO FACE! (1 Cor 13:12).

Dear Brethren, we shall all stand before His throne and look at His face. Can you imagine what it will be when we look in His eyes? Peter denied His Lord three times. The Lord turned and looked upon Peter. Immediately, Peter went out and wept bitterly. Oh, the look of Jesus… His eyes… It was a look of sorrow, of disappointment. Peter could have preferred beating or prison than to encounter that grieved look of love! Oh, that look… That is why we submit one to another in the fear and respect of Christ! That is why we submit! There is no other way! Glory! Halleluiah! Worship the Lord!

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (6) – THE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE (1)

During the Sunday service, Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled “The Christian marriage (1)”. 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). “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 5:22-33)

THE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE – INTRODUCTION

From the earliest days of the Christian faith, Christians have honored the institution of marriage, also called ‘holy matrimony’. They regard it as a divinely blessed, lifelong, monogamous union, between a man and a woman. “Christian marriage is a solemn and public covenant between a man and a woman in the presence of God, intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God’s will, for the procreation of children and their nurture” (Episcopal Book of Common Prayer). The Christian marriage is a unique form of marriage. It is different than any other form of marriage. What makes it different? Godly marriage is a covenant done between two believers in Christ, a man and a woman, in the presence of God. They agree to live together as husband and wife, faithful to one another, in sickness and in health, in riches or poverty, until death separates them. They agree to be ruled by the Word of God. They put God in the center of their lives and of their marriage. They promise to train their children in the way of the Lord. Each one has its own role to play, according to the Bible. The husband Leads and Loves. The wife Submits and Helps. All things are done to give glory to God! The Gospel says: Christ died and rose again to marry me! The Christian marriage is ‘a mystery’ (Eph 5:32). It is a dramatic visual parable representing Christ and the Church. The husband represents our Lord, Jesus Christ who loves His Bride, the Church. He dies to redeem His Bride. The wife represents the Church, who submits to her husband, as unto the Lord Jesus Christ. The unbelievers know nothing of this romantic eternal display of love. A goldy marriage preaches the Gospel of Christ. It is a form of evangelism! The word ‘mystery’ means something strange, unknown, difficult the explained, a secret, a truth that can be known only thru the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, the Holy Spirit. The marriage is a mystery as the relationship between Christ and the church is mystery. It is a spiritual ‘puzzle’. Mystery creates wonder. It is the crushing of olives that produces oil. It is the breaking of grapes that produces wine. The world calls it ‘romance’. But it is more than that. A marriage can backslide. The mystery producing wonder is quenched. Money cannot buy mystery. That marriage needs revival. And restoration. That delicate work is found only at the Cross.  Oh, Lord, we need more godly, spiritually mature marriages! May we never lose our wonder…

DANGERS – DIVORCES – WARNINGS  

The marriage institution and the family are under serious attacks. Because of the intimate union between a husband and his wife, marriage can be a little heaven or a little hell on earth. Choose heaven! Choose life! Choose revival! The rate of divorce is increasing. Children are more rebellious. The devil has a plan to destroy marriages and families. We need to be wise and understand the will of God for our families. Wisdom means application of knowledge. We need to know the truth as it is in the Bible. Once the family is destroyed, the society is destroyed. The reason why the devil hates godly marriages is because there is power in agreement when you pray together. This is what our Lord said: “I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Mt 18:19, 29). The married couple, praying in the unity of the Spirit, is the best example of two ‘gathered together in My Name’.

Why so many marriages end in divorce? Most couples are not properly prepared for marriage. The preparation is done by the parents, their families, and the church. It is the duty of the people who desire to get married, to study the institution of marriage and prepare for it. But most people are not patient enough to prepare themselves for marriage. Life now is faster than ever. Things change quickly. Because of that, men tend to throw away ‘old’ things, to buy new ones. This attitude applies to both material things and to relationships. Married people quarrel and soon, they decide to divorce, throwing away their marriage. They assume that they will quickly find new partners. Sex before marriage reduces the chances of a successful marriage. Fornication is a point of contact for the devil who tells the people that sex is just for fun, with no consequences. That is a lie! Fornication damages both the body and the spirit. It makes the people see the other as objects and not as human beings made in the image of God. There is also an infatuation with romantic love as seen in the movies. Falling in love is a wonderful experience but it is not enough to sustain a godly marriage. It creates a deceptive perception. The lovers tend to avoid the truth and live in a world of their own. They create a fantasy space where they dream about their passion. Sexual lust is called ‘love’. But once that ‘love’ gets cooler, the same people hate each other with the same passion. Place your love on the altar of God, to be purified by His fire. The earlier the better!   

Marriage between believers has a spiritual foundation. God invented marriage! The spiritual realm affects the natural realm. If the husband or the wife backslides, it will surely affect their marriage. These are some dangers concerning the marriage of believers: They start to take God for granted. They continue to be religious, but God is not in the center of their lives or their marriage. They think of Jesus only as Their Provider. They forget that He is the Head of the Church, their King and their Lord. They become overfamiliar with God, and they lose the fear of God. They minimize sin. Their joy of salvation and of their marriage is lost. Like in the wedding of Cana, the first round of wine ‘is finished’ (Jn 2:1-10). The sweet wine is now replaced with the water of survival. Life becomes boring. In the marriage, this backsliding manifests as routine without excitement. The wife thinks of her husband only as the one who brings the money. She takes him for granted. She loses her respect for him. Her prayers for him have no depth and no passion. The husband seems distant. He only brings the money, but his heart is far from her. He only loves the children. He sees his wife as the mother of his children and not as his life partner. He becomes secretive and she does not care. This is the sad picture of a marriage that is backsliding. What is the solution? They need to go to the Cross, to see Jesus! He alone can change water into wine! The couple needs to repent, confess their sins against God and one another. God will grant them a new beginning in their spiritual lives and marriage!

The key to success in your Christian life and in your marriage is to be saturated with God’s Word and to be filled with the Holy Spirit! These are twin commands: “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) and “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col 3:16).

The Holy Spirit works with God’s Word! The more you absorb the Word of God, the greater the possibility to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The effect of these ‘fillings’ is seen in your personal lives and in your relationships. Your marriages, your relationship with your children, with your staff and other people, will improve dramatically. The unbelievers cannot have a successful marriage or a peaceful family. Being filled with the Holy Spirit manifests itself as a joyful heart who praises God and encourages others. This man is humble, submitting to others because he fears God. Have you tried to quarrel with a Spirit filled man? You cannot win against him! Why? Because he always gives thanks to God for everything. Submission to one another is the Law of the Kingdom of God. This attitude glorifies Christ, the Humble King! This submission applies not only to the wife towards her husband. Al the members of the family must practice it. It is a practical form of worshipping Christ! This submission expresses the idea of humility. Jesus washes the disciples’ feet. He says we should do the same (Jn 13:12-17). After five years of marriage, quarrels should cease. This victory is possible only if the couple has learned to be humble like their Lord and submit to one another.

1-THE HUSBAND – LEAD AND LOVE LIKE THE LORD!

When God created marriage, it also created specific roles for the husband and the wife. Many Christians are ignorant of their roles to play in marriage. Ignorance of their roles always ends in crisis. This is God’s Word: “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 Christ, we are all saved in the same way, by Grace and by Faith. The scripture above shows our individual worth. As children of God are all equal in Christ. But in the realm of marriage, there are specific roles that the spouses need to fulfill. “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” (Eph 5:23, 24). As you can see, God instituted that the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the Head of the Church! The husband is the head of the wife, her loving leader. He represents Christ to her. A bully is not a leader. He is a tyrant, an oppressor. That is not Biblical. The husband is not only a leader but a loving leader. He is spiritual, wise, firm, and gentle at the same time. Some men try to force their wives into submission using physical force or verbal abuse. They think that submission is obedience to all their wishes. It never works that way. The husband needs to draw strength from the Holy Spirit to love and to lead. The wives are very sensitive to the attitude of their husbands. They submit for the sake of Christ and not for the sake of fear. They know when the husband is ‘in flesh’ and desires submission just because it feels good to be the boss of the home. In that case, the wife may resist to submit. Lesson: dear husbands, the way your wife behaves to you is a mirror of your relationship to God. If you say that she is stubborn, it means that you are stubborn towards the Lord. Remember the principle of ‘first things first’. Repent and reconcile with your Lord and He will change your wife to become the woman of your dreams! There is no greater joy for a wife to know that her husband is drawing closer to God, and he uses the strength of the Holy Spirit to lead and to love her. She immediately submits gladly. Force never works in marriage! The Holy Spirit is the key and the power for both leadership and submission.

HOW AND WHY TO LOVE?

Why is the husband commanded to love his wife as Christ loves the church? One reason is this: emotionally, the women desire love more than the men. As light and water is needed for a plant to grow, so the woman needs love to live. A man endures the absence of love much easier than the woman. He becomes absorbed in his business and compensates the lack of love with making more money. But to his wife, lack of love is like sickness. The love of her children and of her friends, even success in making money, all these are still not enough. Her heart cries silently even if she pretends that she does not care. The Bride in Song of Solomon lost her Bridegroom. Running alone on the streets, in the night, she weeps and tells her friends: “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am lovesick!” (SS 5:8). It is hard for men to understand this pain. But it is a real pain. God knows and God cares. The husband should know, and the husband should care…

How can a man love a woman? Many books are written about this subject. Singers have sung with tears in their eyes. I can only add some things that I gathered as a pastor, as I cancel married people. It is my experience, one of the hidden sources of conflict, is that men do not try enough to understand the weakness of their wives when they desire love. They see this desire for love as childish. They usually know that something is wrong when God blocks their prayers. Then they repent and try to be more sensitive to the emotional needs of their wives. “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered” (1 Pet 3:7). The husband is to ‘give honor’ to the wife because she is ‘the weaker vessel’. The word ‘honor’ means to praise her, to feel proud of her, to admire her, at home and in public. God created her ‘the weaker vessel’. She is not just weaker in the body, but she is more sensitive, delicate like a crystal chandelier. Her beauty is fragile. Her wisdom is deeper. It can be lost ‘underground’ is the husband does not dig for is like for a treasure. The weakness of the wife manifests in her potential to be wonderful. But she needs much help for her to fulfill destiny. It is the privilege of the husband not only ‘to find a wife and receive favor’, but to help her find herself and her voice in this world. There is great reward promised to a godly husband. There is hindrance to prayers if the husband treats his wife only as an object. His prayers will be interrupted, arrested, and detained by the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus, please help us all!   

If you want a good happy marriage, you need to mature in your understating of your wife’s strength and weakness. Ignoring your wife’s needs will always end in conflict. My advice is that the husband opens a file called “My wife – how to love her better”. Study your wife as you studied for exams in school. Success is never an accident. Successful people study and prepare themselves long before the battle. When the opportunity for victory comes, they are ready to take it. Husband, you love a challenge! Make your marriage a success! The gain is greater than the sacrifice! You can do it!   

PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR THE HUSBANDS

Dear brother husband, let me be practical… let me make it as easy for you as I can… Look unto Jesus and imitate Him! Love is the best way! Lead like Jesus! Be like Jesus!

*Be truly spiritual. Lead your family thru your testimony as a man of God. You can deceive others thru a fake spirituality. You cannot deceive your wife and children at home because they now ‘the real you’. Study the Word! Pray! Be faithful with the ‘family altar’. Be active in serving God in your local church! There is no substitute for this! “Be holy because God is holy” (1Pet 1:16). Be like Jesus! God will reward you!

*Be hard working! A lazy man is counted as an unbeliever (1 Tim 5:8). A lazy man does not deserve respect from his wife! Jesus always worked! Be like Him! Our Lord said: “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” (Jn 5:17). Do not worship your work! On Sunday, you rest your body and your mind from the regular work, and you go to church to serve God! ‘Keep the Sabbath holy!’ (Ex 20:8-11)

*Be generous! “The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself” (PV 11:25). “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2Cor 9:6). God is the most generous Person (Jn 3:16; Rom 8:32). Generosity towards your wife will bring the blessings of God! Dear husband, material and spiritual harvest shall be your portion. Your wife will respond happily and become free with you! A stingy husband is a bad husband. The love of money has destroyed many marriages! Most husbands remember to give gifts to their wife only on special occasions (for Christmas, or birthdays…). They wait for their wives ‘to beg’ for money. They do not realize that the wife appreciates little gifts ‘in between’, that come spontaneously. Husband, do you travel for your business? Do not come back without a little gift that tells your wife you did not forget her in the heat of your monetary transactions.

*Touch your wife! Do not be shy! Let your love for her be seen, be felt! The women appreciate unexpected tender touches from their husbands. These are to be done in private, at home, and also in public. These ‘touches’ are seals of love, golden moments that melt the hardest of hearts. Be like Jesus! When our Lord touched others, power left him to heal them. By the touch of the Master’s hands, blind eyes were opened, and the sick were healed! God touched Jeremiah’s mouth and put words in his mouth (Jer 1:9, 10)! Touching your wife releases the supernatural into your marriage and propels her into ministry. She will be your greatest human helper! Husbands, please take notes!

*Sacrifice for your wife! Fear not! Humble yourself! You can never lose loving your wife with agape love! “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). A proof of love is for the husband to sacrifice something for the sake of the wife. Christ loved the Church and died for her. The husband must love the wife sacrificially. For example: if both of you want to watch something on the TV… the husband likes action movies, and the wife likes romantic movies. It is true that she submits to her husband. That is why the action movies are the regular movies in that home. But from time to time, the husband should just watch a romantic movie with his wife. She will appreciate that sacrifice! In the women’s world, that is a sign of love! Trust me!

*Honor your wife always, especially in public! Never embarrass her in public, or among your relatives. Public rebuke wounds deeply!

Be patient with her. Notice her mistakes but never correct her in front of others. Wait until you go home, and both of you are alone. This is extremely important advice. Be careful with your words. They hurt! Control your tongue! Never ‘snap’ at your wife! Never mock her in public, not even jokingly. Listen to this wonderful husband talking about his wife in public: “Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: “Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all” (PV 31:28, 29). There is a true saying: “Treat your wife like a queen and she will behave like a queen”. Mocking your wife for her weight, of for her attitude, in public, is a sign of disrespect and wounds her deeply. Jesus was always gentle with the weak, the children and the women. This was especially in a society where women were discriminated and treated as animals. The power of a husband to make or break his wife is great! Husbands, use your power to make a wonderful wife out of the woman you married! It is your responsibility and privilege from God! Jesus was always gentle and tender with women in public! Be like Him!

*Encourage your wife to be a woman of God! Pray for her! The husband is the leader. He should not be a faultfinder. He should make allowance for her weaknesses and her mistakes. He should gently encourage her to improve. The wife is not a slave. Do not treat her like a slave! Correct her and teach her with firm but gentle words, and always by example. Hypocrisy in marriage is poison. Do not compare your wife with your mother, your sisters, or some movie stars. Your wife is your lost and found ‘rib’. She is part of you! She completes you! She is not an outsider! Be a loving and good listener. Let her talk. Let her express her ideas and dreams. Let her dream freely in your presence. Find ways to encourage her to fulfill her destiny. “Love does not harm his neighbor” (Rom 13:10). Love is patient and kind, never rude. “Love never fails!” (1 Cor 13:8). Love your wife until she sees Christ in your eyes, she feels the touch of the Savior thru your hands, and she hears the sound of many waters thru your voice. Love her until you forget the need for her to submit to you. Let her submission be an overflow of your love for her! Love is creative and never fails! Your love will ignite in her the respect and submission you have desired. I know that successful marriage is a long and hard road… But there is no other. Fast and Pray! Lead and Love! There is always a Cross before a Crown! Dear husbands, I know that you can do it! I trust Christ in you!

OUR TESTIMONY

My husband, Pastor Richmond Sisan Leigh, and I were married for 47 years before he went to heaven. We married as unbelievers. Later, we both got saved. We rededicated our marriage to God. It became a sacrifice of love on the altar of Him who died to save us. The fire of God fell and changed our relationship into a ministry. Many couples have been blessed by our marriage. It became a source of inspiration, wisdom, strength, and joy for both of us and for our children, especially in the last twenty years. I testify that my husband helped me know Christ better. He was a truly spiritual man, with an apostolic prophetic anointing. I gladly submitted to his leadership. He loved God, His people, and to serve God in His House. He was a hardworking man. He was never lazy! He was generous with his time and gifts towards me. He will gently touch my hand or my back, in public, when I least expect it. This is not easy in Nigeria where men are not free to show their affection towards their wives. But he did it! He was never ashamed of me. Even when I put on weight (I used to be slim) or made mistakes ignorant of the culture of Nigeria. He will correct me with love. He will think of me, and he will say so. He will write little notes of love and give them to me. He has never insulted or rebuked in front of others. Not even in front of our children. If we have misunderstandings, we always discussed these things late at night when the children are sleeping. We discussed freely. He tells me what I did wrong. I also tell him my feelings. Our open communication was a blessed gift from God that helped us greatly to have a successful marriage!  Until today, our children or relatives are ignorant of our personal challenges we had as a couple over the years. He encouraged me to fulfill my calling as a pastor. Even when I get discouraged, he will tell me “Lia, be strong and courageous! You are a woman of God! God is with you!” These words brought so much strength and joy! They sank deep into my soul! I can still hear the sound of his voice… That is why I am strong! That is why the worship continues… My husband is in heaven now. But his testimony is still alive…

CHRIST AND THE CHURCH

The home is the best place to show the truth about yourselves. You can pretend to strangers but not to your spouse at home. The husband is to be like Christ in his relationship to the Church. This is the doctrine of the mystical union of the believer and Christ. Christ is the husband of the church! “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). Christ is the Husband to each believer! The Church is the Bride of Christ! He loved us when we were still sinners. Not because we are beautiful, but by His Grace, He wants to make the Church beautiful! His plan is to wash her by His Word, to sanctify her by His Spirit; to be a Bride ‘without spot or wrinkle” (Eph 5:27) fit for Himself. To change a sinner into a saint requires the ultimate price. It was paid with the Blood of the Bridegroom. Jesus gave Himself for His Bride. There was no other way to save her except to die for her. He is concerned about her. He sees her potential with His eyes of love! Christ is proud of His Church. He wants her to be perfect. He is not satisfied until she becomes perfect, a beautiful and glorious church! He wants to bring her to Himself. He wants to show her off to all. Christ will see the travail of His soul and He shall be satisfied! “And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Rev 19:6-8). What a story! What an amazing love! Worship the Lord!!!

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (5) – FAITH ACCOUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

During the Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled “Faith accounted for Righteousness”. Her main text was taken from the Books of Romans, James and Genesis 15. “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) … “What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin” (Rom 4:1-8).  And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God” (James 2:23)

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD APART FROM THE LAW IS REVEALED

The Gospel is God’s Good News. It is totally God’s Word and God’s Work. It is God’s only method to save sinners. Christ is the only Savior. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The Gospel is the power of God! It can never fail! It is certain! It is sure! Faith in Christ Crucified will never be disappointed! This is the assurance of salvation! The Justification by Grace only, by Faith only, in Christ only, is the only method God uses to save sinners. Rejecting the Gospel means eternal condemnation. Justification by faith alone is the proclamation of God the Father, the Creator, and the Eternal Judge, that on behalf of the Merit of the Cross, the sinner who has faith in Christ Crucified, is justified freely. The sinner who has faith in Christ crucified becomes righteous before God and man. Grace comes from above, from God. Faith comes from the sinner, which is also a work of Grace. Once Grace and Faith meet, revelation is born. Salvation is by revelation, the peculiar work of the Holy Spirit. Without revelation, there is no Christianity.

Righteousness is being made right with God, to stand in His presence and have a relationship with Him. God insists on perfect Righteousness. None can obey God’s Law perfectly. Therefore, by the deeds of the law, no man is justified in God’s sight. Christ obeyed the Law perfectly, even unto death. By faith in Christ, believing that He became sin for you, and died as your Substitute, you receive His perfect robe of Righteousness. It is called the imputed Righteousness of Christ. The sinner is covered with the perfect Righteousness of Christ. The sinner believes that declaration. God now freely justifies him and accepts him as His child. So, justification, is by Grace, by faith in Christ alone, thru the Word of God, to the glory of God alone!

GOD JUSTIFIES THE UNGODLY (Rom 4:1-8)

The unbelieving Jews complained that the Gospel nullifies the Old Testament. To prove to them that the Bible is one, that God’s method of salvation is by grace and by faith only, Apostle Paul connects the Gospel with the two greatest heroes of the Jews: Abraham and King David.

They both believed the Gospel. Our Lord confronted the Jewish religious leaders and said to them “your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” (Jn 8:56). God gave Abraham the promise that he will be the father of nations. Abraham believed the promise. Against all hope, being an old man, he had hope that God will fulfill his promise. From afar, he saw the coming of Christ, the Desire of all nations. He saw in Isaac, the promised Messiah, who is the Hope of all glory! This faith God counted it as Righteousness. Like all men born of Adam, Abraham was a sinner, an ungodly man. But because of his faith in the promise of the Spirit, God justified him. God forgave him all his sins, covered him with the imputed Righteousness of Christ and accepted him as his son. This is how he became saved. Like Abraham, we too become saved by Grace and by faith! Praise the Lord!

Faith is always connected with Grace. The Law relates to works. To him who works, a salary is paid. The man who works does not exercise faith that he will receive a salary. The worker does not believe in grace. He knows that if he works, the boss will pay him for his labor. If not, he can sue him to court. The boss is not gracious and kind to pay him his salary. The salary is a debt the boss owes to the worker. This is the principle or law and works. But the realm of Grace is totally different! The key to open the door of the promises of Grace is always by faith. God does not ‘owe’ you any ‘salary’. God gives a promise. He expects you to trust Him, that He who promised is able and faithful to give you what He has promised. Grace expects man to have faith in the faithfulness of God. This faith is counted by God as righteousness. The word ‘Righteousness’ means right standing in God’s presence. It also means spiritual and natural prosperity in Christ!

“To him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (Rom 4:5). This is one of the most important verses in the Bible. It is the strongest statement of the doctrine of justification by grace, by faith only. Who is the man that God justifies? There are two things we are told about him: 1-he does not work, and 2-he is ungodly. This man cannot present a bill because he did not work. He needs faith in the God of all Grace! Abraham was a good man, but he too was a sinner saved by grace.

What is the lesson for us? We are born sinners. We are all ungodly, enemies of God. God justifies the ungodly as they are. God does not make a sinner godly before He justifies him. No! God justifies the ungodly man who has faith in Christ Crucified. After that, God makes him godly. Justification is a declaration of God, the Judge of Mankind.  Thru this legal, court, forensic declaration God forgives His enemy, the sinner, and regards him as righteous. This Justification is based on the death of Christ, the Substitute of sinners. God the Father, the Judge, has accepted the sacrifice of Christ. On behalf of that, He is able to be just and merciful at the same time. Justification by faith is a matter of imputing, of paying to our debts. God imputes our sins on Christ, and He imputes Christ’ perfect righteousness to our account. That is why Christ died. God sees us now in Christ! Not that we are made righteous, but we are regarded as such by God! The words impute; to credit to account, accounted, reckoned, all mean the same thing! These are words used in the banking sector. Somebody pays money in your account. It is said that it was credited to your account.  

Paul says that King David was saved in the same way, by Grace and by Faith. He had the same revelation. He says: ‘Blessed is the man that God does not impute sin to his account!’ That is free forgiveness! Forgiveness is only the first step to full reconciliation with God! It means that my sin has been drowned in the sea of God’s forgetfulness. God will never look again at my sin! God reckons now the righteousness of Christ to my account. This is the doctrine of justification by faith! This has always been God’s method in dealing with sinners. It is always a matter of reckoning and imputation.

This is the Doctrine: God does not reckon our sins to us!!! How does He do that? He has reckoned them to His Beloved Son! “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:19). Christ is our Substitute! God ‘manipulated’ the accounts! Glory to God! The Christian is the man who believes that! He knows he is a sinner. He knows he cannot justify himself. He repents. He believes. No works! Only pure faith! A Christian sees this and rests on this truth! Have you stopped trying to be saved? Salvation is the free gift to the ungodly. Do you believe now that Jesus died for you? If you feel that you need to do something more to be saved (to pray more, to pay tithes etc) you are not yet saved! If you do not see that you can become saved this very moment, by faith in the God of all Grace, you have not yet seen it! Come to Jesus!

FAITH ACCOUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Genesis 15)

THE FAITH OF THE FRIEND OF GOD

Abraham was afraid for his future. God says: Fear Not! God promises that He will protect and provide for Abraham! But he is afraid that God’s promises will fail! He has seen many miracles, but his heart’s desire is not yet fulfilled. He has no child! No son! Like Abraham, everything in your life seems great. But you miss something that your heart desires. Everything God does to men is purely by His Grace. He expects faith as a response from men. Faith honors Grace! Doubt dishonors Grace! Examine your heart! Allow your conscience to speak freely! Do not deceive yourself! Faith must be genuine to be approved by God as righteousness. 

In the Old Testament, God gives promise upon promise. God speaks as Jehovah Adonai, the Master of slaves. He commands Abraham to fear not! He is His Protector and His Provider. God promises total protection to Abraham for as long as he lives. He will make Abraham stronger than all his enemies. He will weaken all his enemies. The victory is sure! Abraham believes! He had Faith in God’s Word, in His promises. God promised that Abraham will have many descendants, shining as the stars in the night. This was a mighty promise especially because Abraham was old and childless at that time. Sarah, his wife was also too old to have children. This is a great promise! Difficult to believe! But we are told that Abraham simply believed the Word of God! “And he (Abraham) believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Gen 15:6). This is one of the greatest verses in the Bible. Paul quotes it five times and James quotes it once! In Hebrew, the word ‘believe’ means strength like a pillar that carries the house. It means to confirm or to be established. Abraham believed the promise of God, His Truth, and he rested on it. He was not worried that the promise will crack and that he will fall. Faith has knowledge of truth, embraces it, and trusts it! Faith Rests in the truth! Faith finds truth and searches no more!!! Saving faith has no other god! It has no ‘plan B’. This faith was counted as righteousness. God accepted it and approved it to become righteousness to Abraham.

God’s Word, the Truth, is ‘the wine’. Faith is not the drink. It is the straw. This is how you drink truth! Faith is powerful because it connects us with the eternal Truth, with the promises of God that can never fail! Have you found the glass of ancient wine? Do you have a straw to drink? Faith was reckoned; it was counted! This is doctrine of justification by faith alone. Abraham was declared righteousness before his circumcision and before his willingness to sacrifice Isaac, which can be counted as works of faith. If you trust in God’s promises, God will accept you! There is no boasting in salvation. Only humility and worship. You do not boast about yourself, but only what you have received freely from God! Many Christians struggle to believe the promises of God! They are distracted by many problems: sickness, old age, poverty… Can you trust God on His Word alone? That is the faith God is looking for!

God promises that Abraham will have many descendants. He also tells Abraham that his descendants will be the owners of the Promised Land. God reveals the future to Abraham. God is telling him that his many descendants will go to another land and stay there for four hundred years. After that, his descendants will come back here, to the Promised Land. They will drive away the present owners and take over their land. This promise is given to an old man who has no child at that time. To confirm the promise, God makes a covenant with Abraham.  It is a covenant of Grace! God is the active party in this covenant. God does a strange ceremony. God tells Abraham to kill some animals. Then he should cut them into two. This is a blood sacrifice. God speaks, God directs, and God gives visible signs. The birds of prey attack the sacrifice. Abraham has faith in the covenant and drives the birds away. This is a good lesson: The devil attacks the faith in the God, the Covenant Maker and Keeper! Do spiritual warfare. Be jealous over your faith in the God of the Covenant!

Then, a deep sleep comes upon Abraham. It is like Adam, who God put to sleep to make Eve from his rib. God says that there is sad news before there is good news. God’s people, Abraham descendants, will be slaves and suffer before they will come and possess the land!  At that time, Abraham has no child! The sin of the Amorites (the Canaanites in general) is not yet complete. As you can see, God judges not only individuals, but He judges nations. He will drive them so that Abraham’s descendants come and possess their land. God waited for four hundred years until the Canaanites’ cup of sin was full. All this time, God’s people will be in Egypt. As you can see, God makes no mistakes. God knows the end from the beginning. Not only that but creates ‘the end’. He is the God we can safely trust! This faith is vital in our relationship with God!

This is the next day. The previous night God showed him the stars. The next day, Abram had to prepare the sacrifice. In the evening, he fell into a supernatural sleep, like Adam’s sleep. A supernatural cloud of anxiety came over him. God was showing him the bigger picture of his future and destiny. Him and Sarah will have a son. But out of that son millions of descendants will be born. Thru this dream Abram saw the sufferings of Christ on the Cross when the cloud of darkness will cover the land. He also saw the glories to come. The Cross is before the Crown! Abram saw the Grace of God providing the Justification by Faith for him, and the price it took to save his soul. He saw that his descendants must go into slavery in Egypt. They will suffer terribly. But thru this suffering, they will multiply and become a nation, inside another nation. They will eventually come out. God has decreed the exodus already. They will come to the Promised Land and occupy it. God seals the Promise and the Covenant with His presence as Fire. This is the promise that can never fail! This faith is fear free! A miracle done by God and accepted by Him! God’s presence shall be with them always. There shall be fruitfulness. There shall be protection and provision. The victory is guaranteed! Jehovah Adonai speaks! Abram believes! Glory!    

A flaming torch passes between the pieces of sacrifice. This is a symbol of God coming as fire. In the past, God came to the children of Israel as the cloud of fire in the night, as fire on top of the mountain, speaking to them. God seals the covenant with Fire! It is the same as on the Day of Pentecost. This is God’s unilateral Covenant of Grace. God does everything. He promises and He performs them! The only thing Abraham needs to do is to have faith in God! God takes full responsibility for the fulfillment of the promises.  Covenant with God is a sober matter. God punishes the breaking of the Covenant. God invokes the curse of death upon Himself if He fails any of the promises given to Abraham. God says: ‘May I be cut into two and killed like these animals if I fail you! Trust Me! I can never fail!’ God stretches His hand to Abraham! The only thing Abraham needs to do is to stretch his hand and hold God’s hand! God is the covenant Keeper. We are the Covenant breaker. Even so, God alone will suffer the consequences for the breaking of the covenant! That is why Jesus became curse and died on the Cross! The life of faith is a life of waiting with God, hand in hand, heart to heart! Hold God’s hand, trust Him, wait, and walk with Him! What a mystery this our faith is!

God wants Abraham to trust him until they become friends. The relationship starts as Master and slave. Over the years, Abraham learns to trust his Master, Jehovah Adonai, until he becomes the friend of God. Humanly speaking a friend is someone close to you. You like his company. Your friend knows you well, your strength and weaknesses. Your friend helps you when you need help. Humanly speaking, two friends are free from sexual manipulations. Also, siblings are natural relations and not counted as friends. The husband and wife need to learn to trust each other for a long time before they can call themselves friends. A friend never betrays the other. God is seeking for friends, not just believers. It took three years for the disciples of Jesus to be called friends by Him. The friends of Jesus obey His commandments. They love and trust Him always. They love and trust one another. The joy of God’s friends is always full. They are fruitful to the glory of God! “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you” (Jn 15:11-15). Do you want to be a friend of God? There is no higher calling to any man in heaven or in earth!

As you can see, the story of Abraham is not just the story of a childness man who later had many children. It is the revelation of the God of Abraham, the God of Grace who loves him. He is the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Blessings of Abraham are not only natural. They are spiritual. In the Faith of Abraham, we see the way we should respond to Grace poured from above. This is a picture of the doctrine of justification by faith alone! The way Abraham believed the promises of God, so we must believe that by faith in the Cross, we are now forgiven and made children of God! Glory to God! Worship the Lord!

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!

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (4) – JESUS, THE FRIEND OF SINNERS – CASE DISMISSED!

During the Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled “JESUS, THE FRIEND OF SINNERS”. Her main text was taken from the Book of John 8:2-12).

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD APART FROM THE LAW IS REVEALED

“The righteousness of God apart from the Law is revealed”. Her main text was taken from the Books of Romans. “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) … “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.  But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:19-24) … “The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (Jn 1:17)

The Gospel is God’s Good News. It is totally God’s Word and God’s Work. It is God’s only method to save sinners. Christ is the only Savior. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The Justification by Grace only, by Faith only, in Christ only, is the only method God uses to save sinners. Rejecting the Gospel means eternal condemnation. Justification by faith alone is the proclamation of God the Father, the Creator, and the Eternal Judge, that on behalf of the Merit of the Cross, the sinner who has faith in Christ Crucified, is justified freely. The sinner who has faith in Christ crucified becomes righteous before God and man. Grace comes from above, from God. Faith comes from the sinner, which is also a work of Grace. Once Grace and Faith meet, revelation is born. Salvation is by revelation, the peculiar work of the Holy Spirit. Without revelation, there is no Christianity.

Righteousness is being made right with God, to stand in His presence and have a relationship with Him. God insists on perfect Righteousness. None can obey God’s Law perfectly. Therefore, by the deeds of the law, no man is justified in God’s sight. Christ obeyed the Law perfectly, even unto death. By faith in Christ, believing that He became sin for you, and died as your Substitute, you receive His perfect robe of Righteousness. It is called the imputed Righteousness of Christ. The sinner is covered with the perfect Righteousness of Christ. God now freely justifies the sinner and accepts him as His child. So, justification, is by Grace, by faith in Christ alone, thru the Word of God, to the glory of God alone!

THE LAW DEFINED

In the dictionary, The Law is defined as a system of rules created and enforced by an authority, through social or governmental institutions, to regulate the people’s behavior. The Law has been variously described as a science or the art of justice.  

In the Bible we see that God has given man His Laws. Apart of the Ten Commandments, God has given many other laws, found especially in the Old Testament. Why did God give man His Laws? Before we answer this question, we must clarify the fact that salvation in Christ does not come by obeying God’s Law. Justification, righteousness, to a sinner comes by Grace alone, by Faith in Christ Crucified alone. It is the free gift of God. This is the revelation of the Holy Spirit, and it is found in the Word of God. This is very important to know: God’s Law was not given to save man!!! God never intended that man should be saved by obeying His Law! God’s Law has a different purpose! Selah! Justification by faith alone applies to both the Old and the New Testament, as the only mode of salvation. Long ago, before the world was made, The Holy Trinity had a counsel, deciding the plan and purpose of salvation of sinners. God that Father decided that sinful men shall be saved thru faith in His only Begotten Son, who will die as their Substitute. From ages past, faith in God has always been the only method of salvation! Faith is the Key to open the door of salvation! There is no other key! Please remember that!  By obeying the Law man cannot become righteous or accepted by God. The righteousness God has provided, is by Grace and by Faith in Christ alone. Salvation is not achieved by obeying God’s Law. Many Christians make mistake here. They think that by obeying some Biblical Laws, by behaving well, or by doing good deeds, they shall be saved. This is an error. Search your heart and examine your faith!

God gave His Laws to men in two ways: to the Jews, God gave the Law thru Moses. It was written on the Stone. It is external. It appears in the Old Testament. Israel is the only nation that had the privilege to hear God’s voice and to receive God’s Laws. The rest people, also called the Gentiles, they received God’s Laws in their hearts, written in their consciences. This was an internal law. The Holy Spirit is a witness to that internal Law. God judges all sinners either by the written law or by the law of their conscience. Rejecting Christ and His Gospel because of unbelief is the greatest sin. The reaction to the Gospel is God’s standard in judging all sinners. There is no partiality with God (Rom 2:1-16).

THE PURPOSE OF GOD’S LAW

1-God gave His Law so that man knows God, His holy and just character. Thru the Law, we understand what God loves and what God hates.

2-God gave His Law so that man knows what sin is. The Law identifies, exposes, and judges sin. “By the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom 3:20).  Without the law, sin hides and deceives man. ‘Sin is lawlessness’ (1Jn 3:4). The Law was given so that we understand God’s hatred, wrath, and judgment on sin. When a Judge in the court condemns a criminal, he quotes the Law that was broken. In the same way, God convicts us of sin, by pointing us to the broken law (Rom 1:18-32). The Doctrine of the Wrath of God: God is Holy! God hates sin! God always fights and destroys sin. If the sinner does not have faith in the Gospel provided by God, that sinner is condemned, and he will perish. Rejecting the Gospel, blocks the way to Grace and Mercy to manifest. There is no hope for such man to be saved. God’s Wrath is not an emotional, erratic reaction as the human anger. It is God’s character to hate and destroy anything that is sin. Holiness is jealous for the glory of God! The first manifestation of God’s wrath was in the Garden of Eden when Adam broke the Law. The curses placed on the serpent, the devil, on Adam and Eve, these are all manifestation of God’s wrath against evil and sin.

3-God’s Law directs the sinner to the Savior. God’s Law is like a strict Teacher, a Tutor, or a Schoolmaster! How does it work? The sinner tries to obey the Law to please God. He is not able to do it. He becomes frustrated. This spiritual frustration is under the control of the Holy Spirit. It will lead to the Savior, to Grace! The sinner finds life, hope and salvation, at the foot of the Cross. The Law does not work with faith. It has no mercy or grace. It expects total obedience. The Law humbles men because they fail to obey it! The Law kills the pride of man. No man can boast of obeying the Law to save himself! The Law punishes all rebellion and directs the student to the only Savior, full of Grace and Truth (Gal 3:19-25).

THE LAW GLORIFIES CHRIST

God the Father, thru God the Son, by the Holy Spirit, is the Author of the Law. God created and enforced the Law. As a Man, Christ was born under the Law, to identify with sinful men, to be able to be their Substitute. “Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Gal 4:1-5). Try to imagine, a Supreme Court Judge, stepping down from his exalted seat, going so low, becoming a criminal willingly. He does it so that he can pay the debt of a wicked man, just because he wants to adopt him as a son. This is just a small picture to understand what our Lord did. This is the greatest humility revealed to men and angels! Appreciate the price paid to save your soul! Jesus died so that you could live. Blood was shed on the Cross that you may have eternal life! Does this revelation move you? Is the depth of your spirit touched by this greatest love of all? Worship the Lord!  

Christ is the only Man who obeyed all God’s Law perfectly! He obeyed it in two ways:

1-Christ obeyed the Law actively, by submitting to all God’s Law and obey it, spiritually, and externally. Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and lived a sinless life, totally obedient to the Law of God, both in His heart, in His words and actions. He is the standard for perfect obedience.

2-Christ obeyed the Law passively, by becoming sin for us. God’s Law says: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20; KJ); “The wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). Christ became sin as our Willing Substitute and obeyed this Law. That is why He died. This was His passive obedience to the Law, like a Lamb led to the slaughter, He did not say a word in His defense. Prophet Isaiah said long ago: “He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities” (Is 53:11).

Listen to what our Lord said: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:17-20). Our Lord says that He came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it. To fulfill it means to satisfy the hopes, promises and expectations of someone. Christ obeyed the Law and fulfilled the promises of the Word of God. He did this by teaching men the Word of God and by obeying it. He is the only perfectly Righteous Man. His perfect Righteousness, coming from His total obedience to the Law of God, is imputed on us who believe in Him. This is the revelation of the Righteousness of Christ, apart from the Law, offered to sinners, so that they can be saved! It is greater than the outward self-righteousness of the religious leaders. The righteousness of the Child of God is not just an act. It is a Living Person. It is Christ Himself. He lives inside you, changing you, not to become religious, but to become like Him! Christ has “became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor 1:30).

Finally, faith is not an enemy to God’s Law. You become saved by Faith in Christ. Once you become born again, by the power of the Holy Spirit you obey God’s Law. “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law” (Rom 3:31). No believer is lawless. We love God’s Law and we are now happy to be able to obey it! Worship the Lord!

THE FRIEND OF SINNERS (John 8:3-11)

CASE DISMISSED!

If you want to know who your true friends are, then make a big mistake. A friend is the one who comes in and stays, even when all others go out. A lover may betray, but never a friend. Ruth was a friend to Naomi. Jonathan was a friend to David. “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother … A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (PV 18:24; 17:17). “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). Jesus is called the “Friend of Sinners” (Mt 11:19). He died so that sinners might live! God is interested in sinners. Those who know that they are sinners, humble themselves and repent! The Pharisees hated that! They hated the God who sent His Son to be the only Friend sinners have. They hated Jesus and His Grace! Even today, the religious legalists still do that!

This is the story: the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus in His words. They brought a woman who they said was caught in the act of adultery. They quoted the Law of Moses saying that the woman should be stoned to death. They asked Jesus, what is His judgment? Remember that they did not care about the Law of God, about justice, or about the woman. They brought her ‘in the midst’ of people carrying stones in their hands, ready to kill her. They had no love for God or mercy for the woman. They tried to use God’s Law only to trap Jesus and convict Him of sin. It was a wicked evil desire to condemn Christ, who is the Author of the Law and the Judge of all men. The Law their quoted about stoning for the sin of adultery appears only once in the Bible. A woman should be stoned to death if she is a virgin pledged to be married and she committed adultery with another man (Deut 22:23, 24). The Pharisees who brought this woman to Jesus did not prove if she was a virgin pledged to marry another man. Her pledged husband was not there as a witness. The man who they said committed adultery with her was also not identified. During the time of Jesus, death for adultery was seldom carried out. In fact, the most common punishment for adultery in Jewish society in Jesus’ day was not death, but divorce and financial compensation for the husband from the adulterer himself. Remember that the Pharisees did all this not for the sake of justice or for the honor of God’s Law. They did it to trap Jesus in His Words. No matter what He said, He will be found guilty. It was a ‘win-win’ case for them. If Jesus said: ‘let her go free’, they will say that Jesus does not care about God’s Law. If Jesus said, ‘stone her to death’, it means He is not loving and merciful to sinners, the way people saw Him. His reputation as a Friend of Sinners will be ruined.    

Amid this crisis, “Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear” (John 8:6). He is calm. He prays. Many speculate what did Jesus write with His finger, on the dust found on the stones at the courtyard of the temple. The answer is that we do not know. What we know is that God who wrote the Ten Commandments on the stones with His finger (Ex 31:18). In that case, Jesus reminded them indirectly that He is God, that He gave them the Law. He is the Judge! It is also possible that Jesus sent a fast ‘Email’ asking the Father if this woman is on His List to be saved. In that case, He has the authority to declare her justified because He has paid the price for her sin.  Moments later, as the tension increased to the maximum, the Lord Jesus stood up.  The Judge of the Living and the dead said: ‘the one without sin, throw the first stone!’ The words ‘without sin’ does mean ‘sinless.’ What the Lord meant is that if there is anyone among the accusers, who has a personal interest in this matter and is not totally fair to do justice and to give glory to God, that one is disqualified from being a judge or a witness in this case. God’s Law said that for a man to be put to death, at least two or three witnesses must testify, saying the truth, and not lie before God. The witnesses must be the first to stone the guilty one. If a witness is found to be a false witness, what he planned to do to another, should be done to him (Deut 19:15-21). What the Lord said is this: if you are false witnesses, if you have an evil plan in accusing this woman so that she will die, then you will die with her. The Lord trusted that the Holy Spirit would convict them of sin in their consciences. He did! One by one, the older ones first, convicted of the sin of wickedness, to trap the Son of God, they dropped their stones and went away. By their action, they proved to be wicked, to be hypocrites!      

Finally, Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. The accusers have left. It is possible that the disciples of Jesus were there all along. The woman, who had been the defendant in a capital case, is now alone in court. Only Jesus, the rabbi who had been asked to settle the case is still present. None of her accusers — and, more important, witnesses against her — are present to testify. The case is thrown out of court for lack of evidence. “Then neither do I condemn you,” says Jesus. According to the Law of Moses, no sentence or condemnation is appropriate without witnesses.  Go and Sin No More, said the Lord!

This is the greatest theological dilemma? How does God balance His Justice with His mercy, His Law and His Grace? How does God punish sin and forgive the sinners? Human wisdom does not have the answer! Jesus wrote on the ground. He is calm. Waits for God to give Him the answer. This is a holy moment; you see the intimacy of the Trinity. The accusers were convicted by the Holy Spirit in their conscience. They were supposed to repent and believe in Jesus. They were to fall at His feet and ask for forgiveness. But they refused. They went away to their perdition. The only person who stayed was the woman. She too was convicted of sin. But she stayed!!! At the feet of Jesus, that is the best place to be! Jesus told her gently to repent. This woman was saved that day. Her body and soul were saved! Why? Because she stayed with Jesus! The religious leaders tried to trap our Lord using the Law of God. But they ended being trapped themselves. To be a Judge is God’s business. Not for sinners to condemn sinners! They judged another man’s servant! They wanted to be God! Jesus knew that He would die on the Cross for her! This is the only way He could forgive and heal somebody. He took their sins and sicknesses. He paid their bills! The sin of the religious rulers was that in the presence of Jesus, hearing the majestic word of Wisdom straight from heaven, they did not fall on their knees to surrender and repent! Convicted by their conscience, they went away hardened, in the darkness of perdition! What a great opportunity they missed! But the woman, sinner she may be, stayed at the feet of the only Friend she had that they! And the Friend did not disappoint her!  Case Dismissed! Worship the Lord!!!!

SUNSET FROM OUR BALCONY

@7PM Warri/ Effurun/ Nigeria

“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised” (Ps 113:3)

Praise the Lord!!!

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (3) – THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD REVEALED  

During the Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled “The righteousness of God revealed”. Her main text was taken from the Books of Romans, Matthew and Mark. “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). “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Mt 5:6).

“Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So, Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So, Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road” (Mk 10:46-52).

*Righteousness defined: Dictionaries define righteousness as “behavior that is morally justifiable or right.” A justifiable behavior means an action, an emotion, or an idea that is acceptable or correct because there is a good reason for it. Justifiable behavior can be defended as reasonable. God is totally Righteous. In the Old Testament the promised Savior was to be called “The Lord Our Righteousness’ (Jehovah Tsidkenu).  “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jehovah Tsidkenu)” (Jer 23:5,6). This promised Branch of Righteousness from the lineage of King David, is our Lord Jesus Christ! The Gospel brings the Good News from Heaven that our Lord died as a Sustitute for sinners who believe in Him. God justifies the sinner by His declaration in the court of heaven, because of the merit of Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is the Substitute and who died for the sinner. The sinner who has faith in the Lod Jesus Christ, becomes justified by God and before God. Justification means three things: forgiveness of sins, a new imputed righteousness of Christ (as a covering robe given to the sinner) and a new standing and relationship before God.  To impute it means to credit another, to charge another for the payment of your debt. Righteousness applies to both character and behavior, especially in relationships with God and man. To be righteous it means to be right with God, and to behave in a way that is acceptable to God. Righteousness is both a standing and a behavior. This righteous behavior manifests towards God and man. God expects perfect righteousness. No sinner can come before God and live. The righteousness that God expects is total obedience to His Law. But no sinner is able to obey the Law. The only Man who ever obeyed God’s Law completely is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is totally Righteous. A sinner becomes justified, righteous before God, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who has fulfilled the law” (Mt 5:17). By faith in the death and resurrection of our Lord, we become saved. We receive a righteousness that is even greater than that of the Pharisees, who were very religious and outwardly, without fault. But their heart, their spirit, was not right with God. The Lord said that: unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:20). This righteousness of Christ imputed on the sinner is the only way to become saved. This is a revelation!

*Righteousness is found in Christ alone. Because of the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, as our Substitute, God the Father declares the sinner justified. This is the doctrine of Justification by Grace alone, by Faith alone. Justification means forgiveness of sins, a new standing before God and a new righteousness given to the sinner, to cover him. This is called ‘the imputed righteousness of Christ’, the free gift of God! It is apart from the law.  God gave man His laws. But man, being a sinner, is not able to obey the laws of God. By the obedience of God’s Law, no man can be righteous. So how can a man stand before God and be accepted by Him? “How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?” (Job 25:4). The answer to this old question is found at the Cross. This is the Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected. “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:20, 21).

*This righteousness of God in Christ is ‘revealed’. In Greek, the word ‘revealed’ means to remove the cover, to bring something to the light, to make a difficult truth to be plain and simple. It is purely the work of the Holy Spirit. It cannot be gained by man’s efforts, intelligence, or science. It does not come by the natural senses. It cannot be ‘borrowed’ from another. Man’s wisdom is expressed thru philosophy. The natural man, the philosophers do not believe in miracles or in revelation. Their ideas are the product of man’s wisdom, who rejects the wisdom of God. Many preachers now are religious philosophers. They do not believe in revelation, in the work of the Holy Spirit. Their sermons are based on human logic. They lack the power to convict of sin, to save the souls of men. The preaching of the Gospel is the power of God because it is the work of the Holy Spirit! Revelation is in another realm. It is spiritual.  It is the direct unique work of the Holy Spirit upon the soul of man. Like a man who sleeps, in the morning, he wakes up… Like a man born blind, he suddenly sees… His life will never be the same again…And best of all, a dead man rises to life again. These are all symbols of what is called ‘revelation’. The things he has experienced cannot be learned from books or from other people. He knows that he was blind, but now, he can see. He knows that he was dead, but now he is alive. The Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected is preached. The Holy Spirit uses the Word to reveal Christ and His righteousness to the soul of man. The instrument for this revelation is faith in God and in Christ crucified. This is how a man becomes saved, born again, by the Spirit of God. He believes that Christ died for him, and God has now justified him by His grace alone. This man can never boast of His faith, or of his own righteousness. He knows it is by the revelation of the Holy Spirit, that God has done a deep work in him. The Word of God becomes alive in him. There is no Christianity apart from this revelation!   

BLESSED RIGHTEOUSNESS

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

How can you know this righteousness? By strongly desiring it! In Greek, the word ‘blessed’ means to be happy, to be congratulated. To be filled it means to be full to overflow, to be satisfied, to have more than enough. The word ‘righteousness’ means to be right with God and man. It is a word that describes moral character and right relationships. The world’s greatest need is for more righteous men and women.  “Righteousness [moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character] exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (PV 14:34; AMP). Righteousness is a spiritual gain to any nation. It is not a political achievement. It rises its level of living, peace, and security. Sin does the opposite. It lowers the level of living, peace, and security. That is why, the preaching of the Gospel of Christ Crucified is the greatest blessing and investment you can contribute to the blessing of any nation. Preaching the Gospel may look like a long, indirect road to bless a person, a family, or a nation. But it is the only sure way approved by God! “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Mt 6:33). The study and the search to know our Lord, His Kingdom and His righteousness, has great benefits. By focusing on this, God will supply all that you need even without you laboring much. This is His promise! Oh, that you believe it!

The first thing we should observe is that as a child of God, you should not seek after blessedness, after happiness. The world seeks after happiness. They think that wealth or entertainment will help them achieve that. But God’s law is that happiness is not what you seek directly. If you do that, you will never find it. That is why all worldly people, as they get older, they get frustrated, bitter, and depressed. They are disappointed at life, at God. The correct way is to desire righteousness, to be right with God. Finding that, you will become happy! This is the Gospel! Apostle Paul sometimes uses the word ‘righteousness’ to mean ‘Justification’. But in this verse, the word ‘righteousness’ means justification and sanctification. It describes the personal righteousness, the testimony of a changed character of a child of God. Many people dream and desire to be beautiful, famous, or wealthy. The child of God should desire to experience and manifest the righteousness of Christ; to be like Jesus in this world. When you study our Lord, you are impressed with His wisdom, patience with difficult people, compassion with the needy, strength to overcome trials, His joy in His fellowship with the Father. Don’t you want to be like Jesus?

To be hungry and thirsty for this righteousness it means that you hate sin, in all its forms. You know that sin separates you from God. You know that sin offends and grieves God. You hate it the way God hates it. The Holy Spirit convicts you of sin. You become more sensitive to sin. You repent quickly. This is a blessed contrite heart that God blesses. Do you want to offer a sacrifice to God that He will not refuse? “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.” (Ps 51:17). Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and quickly repent of any revealed sin, big or small. That makes God happy!

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Ps 42:1, 2). This was King David’s cry. It should be ours too. To hunger and thirst for something, is to desire that thing until the point of desperation, of pain. Hunger for food, or thirst for water is not satisfied with mere words. In the same way, seeking God in Christ, is not easily satisfied with religious empty words. Until you find food to eat and water to drink, you remain restless, and desperate. In the same way, you must desire to be free from sin, to be holy like Jesus! Nothing else will satisfy! This is a deep need, a deep longing, to be free from the guilt, power, and the pollution of sin! Do you hate sin? If you have been in love with somebody, then you know the longing and the power of such a thirst. In seeking Jesus and His righteousness, your heart will become desperate, almost to the point of death. The Holy Spirit leads and monitors this spiritual seeking.

What is the end of this desperate road? The Holy Spirit has promised to come and by His direct revelation, He will fill you with Himself. He will satisfy your soul. Christ will now dwell in your heart. You will be thirsty for the devil poisoned water no more. You will be hungry for the world’s deceptive riches no more. You will be happy, fulfilled, beyond words can say. Filled with God’s righteousness means that you now have new fulfilling relationships with God and man. A righteous man is not only a true worshipper but the best brother and friend.  Imagine a marriage or a relationship where both are filled with the Holy Spirit! That is a taste of heaven on earth! This filling, this experience happens immediately. It is purely by the revelation of God the Holy Spirit. But its impact will continue all your life. The holy seeds of righteousness will bloom and produce fruits in your heart for as long as you live. Your life will be ‘spoiled for the ordinary’. You will never be satisfied with just a little religion. You will forever long for to be in the heavenly places! You are now seated with Jesus, reigning in His name! Glory to God! This is the price to pay for revival! Worship the Lord!

BLIND BARTIMAEUS

This is the story of the miracle Jesus did, to give sight to a blind man called Bartimaeus. His name means ‘Son of Timaeus’. His father’s name, Timaeus means defiled, rejected or blind. He was a blind man; the son of a blind man. He was seated along the road, begging for food or money. He cannot see but he can hear. His hearing compensated for his lack of sight. He is dressed in a special robe given to the members of the ‘association of beggars.’ Every day he listens to men’s voices. Some are rude, many are angry. He knows them all. One day, in the midst of men’s voices, he heard a different sound. It was a voice that came with authority, compassion, and love. He was told that this man is called Jesus! Immediately he heard His name, something started stirring deep in his heart. This was the promised Messiah, the Son of David, The Lord our Righteousness… he thought to himself. He suddenly knew that Jesus alone has the answer to his need. He started shouting His prophetic name: “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Angry men tried to quench his hope, his faith, his voice. But he knew that this may be the opportunity of a lifetime. He shouted even more, above the voices of men. Suddenly, the crowd stopped. He felt the tension of silence. Then the Man Jesus said: Call him! The same man who pushed him aside in the morning, suddenly become kind and said: ‘Be of good cheer! The Teacher is calling you! Get up!’ That is all he needed to hear. He threw his garment of begging, of sin, poverty, and hopelessness. Standing on his feet, naked and vulnerable, Bartimaeus slowly came to his Lord. Jesus asked: What do you want me to do for you? Many ideas started running in his mind… ‘I know that Jesus is able to give me anything. I believe… I can ask for money, then I will never beg again. I will be a blind millionaire… I can ask for a wife and children… that is good, but I will not see them… I know what I will ask… I will ask for something only God can give… No man can give to me…’ Faith rises in his soul… Faith is wise… Faith is power! He said: ‘Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.’ Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” Suddenly, his eyes opened, and he saw Jesus! He saw the people! The miracle of life and sight was granted to him! He started to follow Jesus along the road, praising His holy name! What a story! Whoever believes, and not doubt, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, shall not be disappointed! Oh, blessed holy faith! The power of the Gospel! Worship the Lord!

JOY! JOY! JOY!

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (2)

During the Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled “The Doctrine of Justification by faith only”. Her main text was taken from the Book of Romans. “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” … “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 1:16, 17: 3:19-24).

THE BOOK OF ROMANS – INTRODUCTION

Concerning the major doctrines of salvation, The Book of Romans is the most important Book in the Bible, followed by the Book of Ephesians.  God used the Book of Romans more than any other book to ignite revival all over the world. Great men of God got converted thru the study of Romans. Among them were St. Augustine of Hippo, Martin Luther, John Bunyan, John Wesley, and others. The Book of Romans was written by Apostle Paul. He was one of the most intelligent men who ever live on earth. He was born in Tarsus, one of the three greatest cities at that time (the other two were Athens, Greece and Alexandria, Egypt). His father sent him to Jerusalem to study under the famous Gamaliel. Paul was highly educated. He was a lawyer, a religious pharisee. He was also born a Roman citizen. That gave him many rights and privileges. The letter to the Romans simply starts with his name: ‘Paul’. Many consider this letter to be the greatest piece of human writing.

JESUS PREACHED THE GOSPEL

“After John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mk 1:14, 15). It is called the Gospel (the Good News) of the Kingdom of God. Our Lord is the King of that kingdom. God promised that one day the Messiah, the Savior, the Redeemer will come! He will crush the head of the serpent! The Kingdom came with King Jesus! Sinners are commanded to repent and believe in the Gospel! To repent it means a complete change of mind, of the way of thinking. The sinner must truly repent of his own sin, of pride, of self-righteousness. The sinner must believe that he is an enemy to God and that he needs a Savior. He must believe that King Jesus is the only Savior for men. Faith in Christ Crucified is the key to experience salvation, to have eternal life. A sinner’s life is like a man’s house in ruins, like after war or earthquake. He must remove the fallen walls and clear the ground before God can build a new one! This is the Gospel we preach: Christ Crucified and Resurrected! Stop looking at yourself! You can’t save yourself! Look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith! Salvation is a revelation and a miracle! Repent and believe! Do both!      

JUSTIFICATION BY GRACE AND BY FAITH ALONE

Justification by faith alone is one of the greatest Biblical doctrines. You must study it and try to understand it. It’s power to save comes only by the revelation of the Holy Spirit. This is the power of the Gospel! God shows you how He saved you! The word ‘justification’ is found especially in the New Testament. The general definition is this: based on the merit of the sacrifice of God’s Son on the Cross, God the Father declares the sinner to be a saint! This declaration starts with immediate effect, and it is eternal! Justification is Forgiveness of sins, a new Covering (the imputation of Christ’ righteous upon the sinner) and a new Standing of the sinner before God! The opposite word is ‘condemnation’, the act of finding someone guilty of sin, an enemy of God! Justification as a concept appears even in the Old Testament. “Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked” (Ex 23:7). “If there is a dispute between men, and they come to court, that the judges may judge them, and they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked” (Deut 25:1)“He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord” (PV 17:15)

The doctrine of Justification says that The Sovereign God, The Creator of the universe, The Eternal Judge, declares a sinner righteous, based on the merit of His Son Jesus Christ, who died as a substitute for that sinner. God reckons Faith in Christ Crucified as righteousness. Justification is a legal term, a forensic term. It is a declaration done by the Judge in the court of the universe, that the sinner is guilty no more and free from condemnation. He is now a child of God! He can now come freely, without fear, without shame, before God. A sinner cannot stand before God! Justification is God’s work, done by Grace alone. Once God declares a sinner justified, he is free from the penalty of the law. God sees that one as righteous in His presence because he is now found in Christ! No man can be justified by works, by keeping the law of God. It is only by faith, by Grace alone!

The Catholic Church and other denominations, believe that sanctification comes before justification. They believe that God infuses grace into the sinner, thru the baptism or the Holy Communion. They believe that as man comes to church, he gets holy little by little, and he will finally be justified. That is why many people ‘try to make heaven’ by obeying the law, by their good works. This is a wrong doctrine! Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a Roman Catholic monk. He tried to be free from the guilt of sin by obeying the law. He discovered that it was not possible. He became frustrated. One day, the Holy Spirit opened the eyes of his understanding and he saw that justification is by grace, by faith, thru Christ, Thru the Word of God and for His glory alone! Immediately he became born again! Because of that he was excommunicated from the Catholic Church. He started the Reformation. A great revival started with Luther’s conversion. This is a great part of the History of the Church Universal.  

The truth is that Justification is done by God before sanctification! Based on the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, God the Father declares a sinner justified. God does not justify the righteous man. He justifies the sinner! Justification does not change a sinner internally. Justification is a once and forever act. It is the beginning, the foundation of salvation. After that, comes Sanctification, the work of the Holy Spirit, which is a process that lasts a lifetime. It changes the justified sinner into a mature believer. Justification is an act done outside the sinner. Sanctification is a process done inside the heart of the justified sinner. Justification is more than forgiveness of sins. It is also a spiritual covering. The Justified sinner is now dressed in the imputed righteousness of Christ, having a new standing before God!  

These are some basic points about Justification:

• Justification comes apart from the law; that is, we cannot earn justification through rule-keeping or our own good works.

• Justification is made possible in the sacrificial death of Christ; it is based on the shed blood of Christ.

• Justification is the free Grace gift of God bestowed on those who receive by faith the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

JESUS FORGIVES AND HEALS A PARALYTIC (Lk 5:15-26)

Jesus became famous especially because of His healing the sick. The more famous He became, the more he withdrew to be alone with His Father and pray. His prayer life sustained our Lord all His days on earth. These are great lessons for us! Abiding in the secret place of the Most High God, praying and worshipping God, is the secret of a successful and fruitful ministry!

In Luke chapter 5 we see a wonderful story, how our Lord healed a paralytic. The four men have faith that Jesus can heal their friend. The paralyzed man has faith too. You see the great compassion the friends have. This reflects God’s mercy. The man was paralyzed lying on a mat. This paralysis was the result of an injury to the spine or the last stage of syphilis (an incurable sexually transmitted disease at that time). It is possible that the man still connected his sexual sins with his sickness. They damage the roof so that their friend can come to Jesus, who was teaching the Word of God. We are told that the power to heal sick bodies was present. The sick man had faith that he can be healed. This is the perfect example of a man who needs forgiveness of sins and healing of the body. They wanted healing but Jesus refused their request initially. Jesus gave the man something better. Forgiveness is greater than healing. Jesus saw their faith! Jesus saw inside the sick man’s heart. He knew that he was repentant! Jesus calls him: ‘Man… Friend… Son’ (Mt 9:2). The men’s faith manifested as a desire to come closer to Jesus. Their faith was not easily discouraged by hindrances. They knew that they had to pay for the damaged roof. But faith is stronger than the rebuke from men. Jesus saw ‘their faith’. That includes the sick man’s faith too. He wanted physical healing. Jesus gave him something better. He justified him. He forgave his sins. This is the gift of eternal life, the greatest gift of all. The religious leaders were there like secret police, to investigate Jesus! They grumbled saying: “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Lk 5:21). They were right in saying that only God forgives sins. This is because sin is an offence against God. But they were wrong in their spirits because they did not believe that Jesus is God! This tells us that it is possible to have the right doctrine and still be lost! Examine your heart and not only your mind!

Our Lord knew their secret thoughts of the religious leaders and confronted them saying: “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” (Lk 5:23, 24). Humanly speaking, it is easier to say: “your sins are forgiven”. It is harder to say: “Rise up and walk”. This is because the miracle of healing must be proved for people to see. But the truth is that forgiveness of sins is much harder than physical healing, even for Jesus (I am speaking as a human being)!!! This is because our Lord died on the Cross, for God to be able to justify us, to forgive our sins. Our Lord forgave the man’s sins and healed his body. He paid the price for man to become children of God; the greatest price of all!

Finally, the healed man stands up healed. He carries the mat that carried him. He came thru the roof, now he leaves thru the door. All men praise God for witnessing ‘strange, extraordinary things’ that day! This is another great lesson: there is no sin Jesus cannot forgive! There is no sickness that Jesus cannot heal! May your faith rise and walk! Give glory to the Savior! Worship the Lord!

“Please show me Your glory.” (Ex 33:18)

This evening, the prayer meeting was wonderful. This ‘wonderfulness’ was not because we were smart, spiritual or strong. It was purely because the Wonderful Counselor was in our midst. Initially, we tried to pray some little prayers but ‘the engine oil’ of the anointing was not enough for such a time as this… Wobbling between petty requests, we finally got to the mind of the Spirit. He said: ‘Glory!’ This became was our congregational and individual prayer: “Oh, Lord, Please show me Your glory.” (Ex 33:18). We also prayed: ‘Lord, give me You!’

The religious spirits tried to hinder the flow. They tried to distract us, reminding us about our natural needs. Suddenly, angry voices remembered us that we need to cook for tomorrow; that we need to pay the house rent at the end of the moth and school fees for children… But the Holy Spirit, the Lifter of our heads was pointing to much higher. ‘Where Lord?’…It was a good choice to disengage from looking around, from looking at our circumstances… Nothing new in Nigeria… same old stuff, not worthy to be brought before the throne of grace… but what else should we pray for?…

With the strength that moves the mountains, we looked up on the beautiful face of Jesus… the Author and Finisher of our faith… Without faith no one can pleases the Lord… Faith makes us pleasing to God… it was so refreshing to feel pleasing to our Savior… Then Grace sang a solo song… the song of the unmerited favor money cannot buy… ‘Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me… I once was lost… But now… But now!!! I am found!!! Was blind but now I see! Grace is greater than all our sins… We rejoiced in the grace released at Calvary… Old things passed away before our very eyes… all things changed and became new… It is a newness that lasts forever, the unfading newness of life… Then the heavenlies opened and we were invited in… We steeped in like Moses…Like David… No fear…  we are walking on the clouds of glory… I’m not afraid! ‘Show me Your glory!’

For a second I panicked… I looked around… simple men and women… from Effurun, Nigeria… None was properly dressed… No designer clothes… just some Tee-shirts and jeans… We did not look like much… It flashed thru my mind that if the big men of God knew the release of glory here, they could have come to fill their buckets with it… But none came… It was the glory love of the Father for us… for us… for us… We looked like the servants who filled the jars of water at the wedding in Cana… we were entrusted with the secret of the party when the sadness melted in jars of clay…We kept pouring wine to others…The Bride must be happy tonight… the special wine kept for the last hour… We got drunk in His presence… We ‘managed’ to say ‘Thank You’ to the King of Glory… Shaking, we gratefully piled one crown on top of another, we crowned Him as the King of kings… Fear free and glory gazing we bowed down to worship Him alone… My Lord….

(From my notes, after the prayer meeting called ‘Saturday Class’, 18-10-2018)

TESTIMONY OF REVIVAL

A dear sister from the church sent me this wonderful testimony. After many years of struggling, spiritually and financially, I see the rain drops of mercy and grace on her and her family. I can testify that she is paying the price for spiritual maturity. She attends church activities. She serves God the best way she can. Oh, I am so happy to see that our sheep and lambs are maturing in Christ! Read and be inspired! She will read your comments! To God be all the glory!  

“Dear Malia,

God bless you mother for the great n mighty works He is using you to do, and God bless Tali in heaven for laying a very solid. Concrete foundation in d heart of each of his children that even in his departure the fire is burning even more. His teachings echoes in our hearts even more now. To God be all the glory!

I have so many testimonies to share but let me share these few ones. During resumption of service after the covid, I was finding it difficult to take the 4kids especially to weekly service alone.  Then I had a dream and saw u telling me to be coming to church and you pointed some soldiers and told me that they will help me carry my load that I should come. That was how I resumed. I didn’t get the full message of the dream until like a year later when a lady came to meet me that I am really trying that she was watching me during the Wednesday service that I carried my baby on my back from d beginning to end of service n I told her it’s God immediately that dream scene flashed in my eyes when u said the soldiers will help me carry my load and I was in awe. I said so because I didn’t even realize I was carrying baby in my back sef. It was nothing to me at all n when people say I’m trying in my heart, it’s something I enjoy doing bringing the kids to the house of their father God. I can’t go to church without my kids n even during cleaning, I use to find it difficult but now I enjoy taking them along n they even beg me that they want to clean🤣🤣 To God be all the gloryyyyyy!!!

Again ma, during their promotion exam last term, my kids got all A’s. There was no B in any of their results n during the graduation party. My first daughter was called out for the award of best student in Kg2. I was in awe n I bowed b4 their Father n teacher in Heaven n gave HIM all the glory. The worst part is my mind did not even go there at all because we didn’t do revision with the kids at all n we didn’t even employ lesson teacher n to our greatest surprise I was called out to receive the award. I just knew it was God and I give HIM all the gloryyyyyy!!!

Again ma, during Genesis 3 series the Lord delivered me from the spirit of laziness. when u talked about some people praying to have time to be doing nothing and just sitting, I was actually that type right from time. I go to shop very late n close very early many times n sometimes I don’t even open my shop. Most people don’t even know if there is shop like mine here. I just stay at home relaxing n doing exercise n I’m praying for God to bless my business🤣. It was during d service when u said God blesses hard work. I realized I have been a fool. The next day I followed my husband to do school runs and from there I went to my shop. The worst part is my shop is a stone throw from my house n I just stay home. Now I am asking myself what has been wrong with me. Everyone is surprised n asking me if this is me🤣. My husband has “big big” dreams n like u said, I humbled myself n prayed for God to give me d anointing of “big big”. My home is taking a new shape now. My husband now discusses business matters with me now n told me he will encourage my business more now (when God blesses him) when he started seeing seriousness. God has been faithful in teaching me to handle cooking n d rest. After that single act, I am now seeing peace, love, romance, and tighter friendship. I am a very happy woman now. I have never experienced such level of peace n love in my marriage before n the funniest thing is that there is no much money like that lest we say is because of the money that we have this kind of peace n joy. No wonder u said yesterday that God wants to give us more than money. Indeed, He is doing it already n I no money of necessity will come. I am so so happy mummy n I thank God for everything. He is such a good n loving father n of course, a great master planner. I love you JESUSSSSSSSSSS!!!

Thank u mummy for training us like soldiers n I am happy to be a soldier also training soldiers (my kids) for the Lord. We love u mummy❤️. I pray I impact people in my generation in the way of the Lord. God help me! God bless you Ma!!!”

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (1) – OUR GOD REIGNS!

During the Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached a sermon titled “The Power of the Gospel of Christ (1); “OUR GOD REIGNS!”. Her main text was taken from the Book of Romans, 1 Thessalonians and Isaiah. “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); “Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance” (1Thess 1:5); How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Is 52:7)

THE BOOK OF ROMANS – INTRODUCTION

Concerning the major doctrines of salvation, the Gospel of Christ, The Book of Romans is the most important Book in the Bible, followed by the Book of Ephesians.  God used the Book of Romans more than any other book to ignite revival all over the world. Great men of God got converted thru the study of Romans. Among them were St. Augustine of Hippo, Martin Luther, John Bunyan, John Wesley, and others. The Protestant Reformation and Revival started during the time of Martin Luther. He was a Roman Catholic monk, a professor of theology. By the power of the Holy Spirit, he received the revelation that salvation is by faith in Christ Jesus and not by religious works. God used Romans 1:17 to save his soul. From that time on, Luther insisted that you must be born again to be saved. The Catholic Church insists that you must be a member of the church before you can go to heaven. They believe that salvation is ‘by works’ and not by faith. His conversion led to the split of the Roman Catholic Church. This is how the Protectant denominations started. The Book of Romans was written by Apostle Paul. He was one of the most intelligent men who ever live on earth. He was born in Tarsus, one of the three greatest cities at that time (the other two were Athens, Greece and Alexandria, Egypt). His father sent him to Jerusalem to study under the famous Gamaliel. Paul was highly educated. He was a lawyer, a religious pharisee. He was also born a Roman citizen. That gave him many rights and privileges. The letter to the Romans simply starts with his name: ‘Paul’. Many consider this letter to be the greatest piece of human writing next to the Bible.  

NEVER BE ASHAMED OF CHRIST OR HIS GOSPEL

Here, the Gospel is defined as ‘The Gospel of Christ’. Paul is not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. All men are born sinners. The Jews and the Gentiles have rejected it. Paul was persecuted for preaching it. But Paul is not ashamed. Paul is preaching to the believers in Rome. At that time, Rome was the greatest city. But Paul is not intimidated by the rich and famous to shut up his mouth! says that he is not ashamed to believe and preach the Gospel of Christ. What does he mean by that? Paul says that he is very happy and proud to believe the Gospel of Christ! He is vocal and boasts in believing the Gospel! He is not hiding it. He is not a ‘silent believer’. He is not shy or ashamed to declare that Jesus died and rose again to save his soul! Why was Paul bold? He knew that the Gospel ‘is the power of God unto salvation’. He knows what the Gospel does! It changes hearts and lives! It may look like foolishness, but it is the raw power of the Creator God! The Gospel is always connected to the electricity of heaven! Are you ashamed to preach the Gospel? Do you keep silent when you should speak?   

Apostle Paul uses the word ‘Gospel’ 60 times in his letters. In Greek, the word ‘gospel’ is translated ‘Euangelion’ from where the word ‘evangelism’ comes. Man’s words are ‘bad news’. Only God’s Word is ‘Good news’. The Law given thru Moses is holy and good. But it is not ‘good news’ to sinners, because they can’t keep it and they cannot be saved thru it. The Gospel is the ‘Good news’ from heaven. In a nutshell, the Gospel means this: “Jesus died and rose again for me!”. This is the best Good News to any sinner! If the Gospel, the story of Jesus, does not make you excited, does not make your heart sing for joy, it means that you are not born again! The Preaching of the Gospel comes with the power to change the hearts of men. Nothing else changes a man’s heart and destiny except the Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected! Have you felt the power of the Gospel? The evil spirit of religion has taken over many churches. People go to church, but they are not saved. They do not understand the Gospel. For them, it is like a foreign word. But you should know what you must preach! The power of resurrection works in you, and you preach that power, that Word that changed your life! Preach to all, old and young, religious, or non-religious! It is the same Gospel for all! What a Great Power of salvation!

THE MIRACLE OF HEALING THE CRIPPLE LEADS TO EVANGELISM

All miracles are a manifestation of God’s power! Our Lord walked on the water, He raised Lazarus… The Lord Jesus Christ has the power to save, heal and deliver! “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Ac 10:38). Read this wonderful story in Acts 3! The beggar was born crippled. Men carry him every day to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. He waits for alms. He knows that religious men going to the temple are the best people to pity him and give him some money. Religion is good for giving alms. But it has no power to change the situation. It can only give alms. The man did not expect more than alms. He was surprised that Peter and John offered him the power that comes with the Gospel. He believed! By faith in the name of Jesus, his weak ankles received the power of healing. Instantly, he could stand and praised God! This miracle done by the Lord Jesus Christ thru His disciples, was to attract the crowd. Peter did not explain the miracle. He did not call more people to receive miracles. He stood and preached the Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected. That is the main purpose of miracles. It is to point people to Jesus as their Savior before He is their Healer and Provider! This is true evangelism!  

The authority of Christ Crucified and Resurrected has been entrusted to us! We use it to preach the Gospel, to heal and deliver men!

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Lk 10:19) “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen” (Mt 28:18-20). Worship the Lord!!!

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me” (2 Cor 12:8, 9).

The thorn in the flesh troubles me, weakens me, oppresses me. It is a hidden pain. I prayed that it may be removed. I thought that its removal will be my healing, my deliverance. But the Lord said:

“Leave it there. It is the attack of the enemy but I approve of it. It will dry your doubts, fail your fears and oppose your oppression. Thru it all, your spirit shall become stronger and your faith shall stand. My grace is what you need. My favor on you is the key to healing and ministry. Let the Cross do the deep work in you. The fruit is for My glory and it will surely manifest. Trust Me not only at the beginning of your walk with Me; not only for the destination. Trust Me for the journey. Every step together… The beauty of communion…We are in this together. Enjoy My presence. Relax and follow Me! Talk less and sing more! My grace and My love is all that you need… I love you, child…”

(From my diary, 2018; Malia)

IN THE BEGINNING GOD (11)

During the Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached from the Book of Genesis chapter 3. She said that Genesis chapter 3 is absolutely essential in understanding the Bible and the history of man. Here we see how sin entered humanity. For the first time, we are presented with the Gospel of Christ. If you study the history of man, there is no better explanation of why things happen the way they do, except you believe the doctrine of the fall of man and the doctrine of the original sin.

THE FALL OF MAN also called the fall of Adam, or simply the Fall, is a term used in Christianity to describe the transition of the first man and woman from a state of innocent obedience to God to a state of guilty disobedience. The doctrine of the Fall comes from a biblical interpretation of Genesis, chapters 1-3.

THE ORIGINAL SIN: The fall of man affected all humanity and even the creation. Adam broke God’s law. He sinned! He was our representative on earth. This sin has affected all humanity. All Adam’s descendants are born sinners. This first sin affected the whole man, body, mind, emotions and will. It corrupted man. Thru sin, sickness and death entered humanity. Sin reveals itself in the mind mostly as unbelief; as fear and in as pride! “As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:10, 23).

THE GOSPEL IN GENESIS 3

“And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin and clothed them. Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life” (Gen 3:20-24).

Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. That includes the Book of Genesis! In Genesis chapter 3 we witness the greatest tragedy and the greatest hope of mankind! It is a wonderful chapter! The Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected is introduced here. The Gospel means Good News from heaven! God the Father sent His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to take man’s sin and die on behalf of man! This is the word of pure Grace! The Gospel tells us what God what has done, not what we have done to save ourselves! As Adam and Eve could not cover themselves with leaves, so man cannot cover his sin. The only way to save man is thru faith in Christ Crucified! We are saved by Faith alone, by Grace alone, by the Word of God alone, thru Christ alone, and to the glory of God alone! That is why no man can boast of his salvation! Glory to God!

The chapter starts with sorrow and ends with hope and joy! This is the power of the Gospel!  Many people, even some Christians, reject the story in Genesis 1-3. They say that Adam was not a real man but a symbol. The word ‘Adam’ means ‘man’. It appears 27 times in the Bible. The truth is that Adam and Eve were real people! This is their story! They lived about six thousand years ago. The Word of God says that our Lord Jesus is the direct descendant of Adam, called the son of God! “Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph … the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God” (Lk 3:23, 38).  Job confirms the curse upon Adam! He assumes that Adam sinned in his heart because he wanted to please Eve and was afraid to displease her.  “If I have covered my transgressions as Adam, By hiding my iniquity in my bosom, Because I feared the great multitude, And dreaded the contempt of families, So that I kept silence…  Then let thistles grow instead of wheat, And weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended” (Job 31:33, 34, 40).   

What do we see in Genesis 3? God displays His Love and Grace! He makes a way for man to be saved! God acts and man reacts!!!

*GOD ACTS IMMEDIATELY/ GOD’S LOVE IN ACTION! SALVATION WAS PLANNED AND PREORDAINED!

Immediately the fall happens, God displays His plan of salvation prepared before the foundation of the world. “Known to God from eternity are all His works” (Acts 15:18). This is because God is God of salvation! God is a Redeemer! This is His character! This is the Gospel! This is the proof that salvation was planned by God the Father before the foundation of the world. God knew that satan will temp man and he will fall. Even before the foundation of the world, God the Son has agreed to die for the fallen man. “All who dwell on the earth will worship him (the Dragon and the Beast), whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8). Here you see God’s Love in action! “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). God reveals His hatred against sin and love towards sinners. God demonstrates (proves, manifests, exhibits in public) HIS OWN LOVE towards men. This sacrificial love in Christ conquers death and all curses! “Put me like a seal on your heart, Like a seal on your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe and cruel as Sheol (the place of the dead). Its flashes are flashes of fire, [A most vehement flame] the very flame of the LORD!” (SS 8:6; AMP)

*GOD PROVIDES ATONMENT FOR THE SALVATION OF SINFUL MAN

Salvation requires atonement. This is a basic doctrine in the Christian faith. In Hebrew, the word ‘atonement’ means ‘co cover’. Atonement refers to the needed reconciliation between sinful mankind and the holy God. Sin is separation between an offended God and religious man. This reconciliation is possible only through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Man sinned! Jesus, the innocent Holy Lamb of God dies as a substitution for man’s sin. Justification by faith is possible only because of this atonement provided by the Holy God. Jesus Christ on the cross absorbs the wrath of God. Salvation is a transaction between the Father and the Son. The father pours out his anger towards sin on Christ, and his wrath is satisfied. This is how Christ is our ‘propitiation’. “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness” (Rom 3:21-25). There is need for sacrifice! Blood must be shed! God’s law says: “Without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Heb 9:22).

In the Garden, God manifests His Grace by killing the lamb and covers the guilty pair with bloody skins. The same God who was offended is the One who provides the sacrifice! Initially they were naked but knew no shame. Now they were ashamed. They feel sexual lust and shame now. God covers their guilt and shame of sin with the bloody skins of the sacrificial lamb. God covers them physically and spiritually with the Blood of His Son. God did not use the wool of the Lamb but its skin. It means that the Lamb died. The Lamb is the innocent substitute! God choose the animal, and God killed the animal. God is the Priest and the Sacrifice! God is the first Killer and the First Savior! This is a wonderful picture of our Lord! This is the first death in the world! Abel had faith and did the same. Cain despised this act of God! Noah, Job, Moses etc all offered animals to God! All the sacrifices in the Old Testament start from here. God is angry when His people did not offer Him bloody sacrifice, or they are offered them to idols. God provides the sacrifice to replace Isaac (Gen 22)! Oh, the power of the Gospel!

*GOD PREVENTS MAN TO GO TO HELL! SALVATION IS SURE AND ETERNAL!

Even after the fall, for some time, Adam and Eve lived in the Garden. God restrains them so that they should not be tempted the second time by the devil and eat from the fruit of the Tree of life! God does not want them to eat from the tree of life. Because they will be eternally evil. They will be in hell forever! This is because now they know the reality of death. The carcass of the lamb is there before their eyes. God provides atonement and God protects them from further falling! Cherubim, guards the gate to the Garden. This is the first time we see angels! The driving out of Adam and Eve from the Garden is for their protection and hope. Rejection from the paradise is another manifestation of Grace! The gate is covered by the cherubim with the flaming sword. It was on the East of the Garden. Cherubim guard the throne and the holiness of God! It means that Paradise was to the West. Every sunset was a reminder of a gate shut! They cannot go back to the Garden. Adam and Eve are naked. This nakedness is corrupted. They experience fear, shame, and sexual lust (impurity). This is the price for ‘being like God’. Nobody else saw them. They were embarrassed in front of God. God covered them with the skin. This is an act of mercy! The doctrine of atonement! “We are clothed with Christ!” (Gal 3:27). God expelled them. To protect them from hell. Adam lost peace to find the Prince of Peace! Adam lost joy to find true Joy!  They have hope for heaven!!!! Hope is the anchor for the soul. They are anchored in heaven (Heb 6:19).  There is hope for Adam’s descendants! About our Lord it is said: “You are the most handsome of Adam’s descendants; grace has anointed your lips; therefore, God has blessed you forever” (Ps 45:2; ISV). “Your mercy is so precious, O God, that Adam’s descendants take refuge in the shadow of your wings” (Ps 36:7, God’s Word Translation). “Let them give thanks to the LORD because of his mercy. He performed his miracles for Adam’s descendants” (Ps 107:8; GWT)

*ADAM AND EVE REPENT OF THEIR SIN AND NOW HAVE FAITH IN GOD

Faith is believing the truth, the Word of God! When they were created, Adam and Eve believed what God said to them. Later, Satan came with lies; he said that God is a liar! Eve was deceived and believed the lie. Adam rebelled and believed the lie too. Their faith in God was destroyed.

But now, something happens! After they were sent away from the Garden, their attitude towards God and satan dramatically changed! They now know that satan lied; that he deceived them. Their sufferings forced them to run back to God! They now believe God’s Word. There is pain for the woman, in her relationships with her husband and children. The man has pain in the work of his hands. But God’s Grace is working! Faith comes into their hearts thru the pain of the curse!!!! Adam repents of his rebellion and now he sees that Eve will be the mother of all living! Eve means LIFE! Her seed will one day crush the head of the devil who decided them! This is his faith now! This is his hope! Even Eve now believes! She too has a new living hope! They were looking forward towards the Cross where Christ will die for their sins! This is amazing! All unbelievers are born to believe Satan’s lies. After God send them out from the Garden, they started feeling sick and weak. Immediately they repented. They now trusted God. Adam named her Eve (Life). She accepts her name from her husband. From now on she will be the Mother of all Living! By this act, Adam, now takes back his position of leadership, as her husband and pastor! Adam believes that the promise of fruitfulness and dominion was not destroyed by the fall. Adam knew that Eve will be a mother. They also knew now that her seed will destroy satan! By calling his wife ‘mother of living’ Adam confirmed God’s curse upon satan. He has hope that one day, the paradise lost will be restored. Eve means life! Adam has faith that his wife will be a mother. This is a prophetic statement. At that time Eve had no child. This is a proof that Adam has repented and goes to God’s side! Adam believed the salvation God has promised! I am paraphrasing Adam: “I believe You God! You always speak the truth! I believe that my wife’s son will destroy the devil who has led us into sin! I believe that God always wins!” Adam’s faith becomes his testimony that he is now saved! “Now faith is the substance (assurance) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Heb 11:1-3). God is pleased with and always approved the men who trusted in Him! Adam is the first man of faith, the first man of God! Adam and Eve now hate satan! Their eyes are open to see the height from which they have fallen! As Eve will experience pain in labor, so also Faith is born thru pain! There is fear, sadness, regret, and shame. But against all odds, Faith is born in this sinner’s heart! This is the work of Grace! Adam and Eve choose to believe God now! By faith, they rebel against their new master, satan!

*ADAM HAS HOPE OF SALVATION

God told Adam that if he disobeys, he will die ‘that same day’ (Gen 2:17). You may say that Adam did not die that day! But according to God’s ‘eternal calendar’, “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Pet 3:8). Adam lived 93o years. That means he died ‘that came day’. Never try to understand God using your human mind. God is always right! Adam lived a long and hard life of toil. Eve became a mother of many. For her too, it was hard. She saw her first son killing his brother. Later, their descendants will be killed by the flood. Only 8 were saved. Even so, Adam and Eve lived in hope! Why did God wanted Adam to live in hope? Because Hope is the best detergent to wash away the stain of sin! “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 Jn 3:2, 3). Hope purifies the heart! As you believe in the second coming of Christ, because of hope, you will repent of all sin, to become like Jesus who you will meet one day! Hope changes us and our character. It surely changed Adam and Eve! Their shame was washed away by the ‘soap’ of hope of glory!  “We glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom 5:3-5). The chapter that started with the greatest tragedy in the world, ends with the greatest Grace and Hope! God loves to save sinners! May we never lose our wonder!!!

Come to Jesus! If God saved Adam and Eve, He will save you too!!

*GOD IS OUR ONLY SAVIOR

God, by nature is a Savior. He saves people from sin and from the consequences of sin. There is no other ‘god’ or religion that claims to save sinners by Grace. In Genesis 3 God reveals Himself as God the Savior. He also reveals Himself as a God of mercy and grace!

God the Father announces that He will save the scattered sheep of His Flock! “For thus says the Lord God: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day” (Ez 34:11,12)!!!!! Apostle Paul says: “when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Tit3:4-7).  God the Father planed salvation. God the Son executed the plan! “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Lk 19:10)

*GOD SAVES US FOREVER! GOD IS OUR SAVIOR AND OUR KEEPER!

We are sealed for heaven! The doctrine of the eternal security of the believer! Grace saves you and Grace keeps you! This is the Gospel we believe and preach! God is able to save you and to keep you till you arrive in heaven! “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling (falling), And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen” (Jude 1:24, 25). “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38, 39). To God be all the glory! Worship the Lord!

IN THE BEGINNING GOD (10) GOD’S CURSE UPON THE MAN

During the Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached from the Book of Genesis chapter 3. She said that Genesis chapter 3 is absolutely essential in understanding the Bible and the history of man. Here we see how sin entered humanity. For the first time, we are presented with the Gospel of Christ. If you study the history of man, there is no better explanation of why things happen the way they do, except you believe the doctrine of the fall of man and the doctrine of the original sin.

THE FALL OF MAN also called the fall of Adam, or simply the Fall, is a term used in Christianity to describe the transition of the first man and woman from a state of innocent obedience to God to a state of guilty disobedience. The doctrine of the Fall comes from a biblical interpretation of Genesis, chapters 1-3. God created Adam and Eve perfect. They were innocent concerning sin. But God allowed their free will to manifest. Obedience meant life. Disobedience to God’s command meant death.  God gave Adam a covenant of works. He broke the covenant. God then sent His Son Jesus Christ with a covenant of Grace. We believe Jesus Christ, that He died for us. Grace means unmerited favor. If Adam, as perfect as he was could not keep the covenant of works, God knew that we cannot keep it. That is why Grace is introduced thru Christ. That is why salvation in Christ cannot fail. We are saved by Grace, thru faith in Jesus Christ, in His death on the Cross. Salvation in Christ is eternal!

THE ORIGINAL SIN: The fall of man affected all humanity and even the creation. Adam broke God’s law. He sinned! He was our representative on earth. This sin has affected all humanity. All Adam’s descendants are born sinners. The nature of the first sin: man refused to submit himself to the will of God, to have God decide the course of his life. He wanted to be independent from God. Devil’s pride entered man. Pride means to remove God from the center of man’s heart and replace Him with self. This first sin affected the whole man, body, mind, emotions and will. It corrupted man. Thru sin, sickness and death entered humanity. Sin reveals itself in the mind mostly as unbelief; in the emotions as fear and in his will as pride! “As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:10, 23).

GOD’S CURSE UPON THE MAN

“Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; For dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Gen 3:17-19)

The first thing we mention is that God’s curse upon the serpent (physical and spiritual) is eternal. There is no redemption for the devil. The curse on both the woman and the man is temporary. In Christ, these curses are broken. Amen!

We see that the curse is not directly on Adam. This is because God has already blessed him. The curse is on the ground and on the work of his hands. The ground does not feel pain. But Adam feels the pain because his work is harder now. In the Garden, his work was a pleasure. But now, work is ‘a toil’. The pain is in the man’s relationship with the ground, with his work. His life will not be easy. When man fell, death entered not only into mankind but in the whole creation. Animals, plants, and microbes, all die now. Even the earth itself, and all the planets are dying. Death is the consequence of sin. The curses on the serpent, on the woman and on the man affected the universe. The curse on the woman affected her home. The curse on the man affected the work of his hands. For a man, his business is his world. The earth now brings forth food but with great effort!

The first time to concept of ‘evil’ appears is in chapter 2. God commanded Adam: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen 2:15-17). The word ‘evil’ means something bad, wicked, and ugly; something that hurts and produces pain and sorrow. This command was a warning that in the beautiful Garden, there is some evil. It was Adam’s duty to ask God the meaning of ‘evil’, especially as it relates to death. This is a lesson for all of us: Study the Word of God in detail, with prayer, for the revelation of the Holy Spirit. Study not only the promises that you like. Study the whole Bible, including the painful scriptures, like the curses and warnings! That is wisdom for life!  

The cause of the curse: Because Adam ‘listened’ to the voice of his wife and disobeyed God’s command! This curse is his punishment! Adam was not deceived or confused by satan or by his wife (1 Tim 2:14). Adam listened and chose to obey the voice of Eve instead of the voice of God. They both knew what God has said. Adam chooses to please his wife. He allowed her to take leadership in the family. He gave up his responsibility as the leader and the pastor of the home. That was his sin! The act of eating the fruit is a simple act. They both ate fruits in the garden. Adam’s sin was that he allowed Eve to take the place of God in his life! Adam lived 930 years (Gen 5:5). The curse on the work of Adam’s hands lasted all his life! It was a long and hard life!

Now, man has to ‘toil’ for his daily bread. ‘Toil’ means misery, frustration. The word ‘frustration’ means being angry, impatient, or less confident because you cannot achieve what you want; you cannot control or change your circumstances. Frustration is often accompanied by anxiety or depression, resulting from unfulfilled dreams or unresolved problems.  This toil does not only apply to the work of farmers. All men suffer in their businesses. Man is a slave to his work. Man hates his work, but he must still do it. The more children he has, the harder he must work to provide for them. His work does not bring him satisfaction. Even in the night man worries about his work. Many men dream of a time when they stop working. It is only in Christ that the curse upon man and his work is broken. Outside Christ, work is vanity upon vanity! To rejoice in the work of your hands, in your marriage and children is a miracle. It is a gift from God!

This is a lesson for all of us! No human should draw you into sin! Be careful with ‘little sins.’ They all kill! Sin killed Jesus! Pleasing man is rebellion. You cannot be a servant of Christ if you please man! Apostle Paul said: “Am I now trying to win the favor and approval of men, or of God? Or am I seeking to please someone? If I were still trying to be popular with men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ” (Gal 1:10; AMP).

Our Lord Jesus Christ places hard conditions on discipleship. No family love should compete with the love of God! “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Lk 14:26). To hate it means to love less. A disciple is a student. The Holy Spirit cannot teach you how to love and obey Jesus except He is your priority in life!   

WORK IS VANITY (Ecclesiastics)

King Solomon was one of the wealthiest men who ever lived. He discovered that work is not a pleasure. It is hard to make money. Work is a ‘toil’. This is what he said: “Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind. Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity” (Ecc 2:17-23)

During so much pain and sorrow, the grace of God shines forth. God has promised to bless man with health and wealth. This is the work of Grace alone! If God has blessed you with health and wealth, be grateful to God! “Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God” (Ecc 5:18, 19; NLT).

Man works and works just to eat and take care of his family. He is tired at the end of the day. It is hard to make savings. There is a constant anxiety about providing food on the table. This hard work and anxiety are reminders of the power of sin and the need for a Savior! The earth produces thorns and thistles. Without labor the ground does not produce good fruits. In the Garden were plants and trees but not thorns and thistles. Adam did not need to plant to eat. The vegetation was planted by God. He only needed to take care of them. This is the consequence of the curse: man will eat but he will sweat to put food on the table. In other words, you sweat as you seat at the table! This is man’s life until death. Man cannot retire from this labor. Every day is the same. It is tiresome and boring work. Most people are not sure of their next meal. They do not have time for fashion or vacations. But they must work so that they can eat!

POVERTY IN THE WORLD

This information is found it on the internet! This is the Profit Potential for planting wheat in the US: To rent land for farming: $40/acre. Tillage (preparation of land), Seed and planting, pesticide, fertilizer, harvest and hauling, total $225. Price to sell it is about $255. Therefore, the Net profit is about $30/ per acre.  The Average spending on food: the average American household spent about 10% of its total budget on food. This is the lowest percentage in the world. It is about $550. Other countries expenditure for food: South Africa 20%; Saudi Arabia 25%; India and Russia 30%; Pakistan 40%; Cameroon 45%; Nigeria 56%. High spending on food and malnutrition seem to go hand in hand. Many people starve all over the world. Most people spend all their money on food alone. Out of the eight billion people on the planet, a striking one billion are living in extreme poverty. They live on less than $1.25 a day. They do not have safe drinking water, sanitation, education, shelter.  Small farmers, animal herders, and fishermen produce about 70 percent of the global food supply, yet they are especially vulnerable to food insecurity. Poverty and hunger are most acute among rural populations. Undernourishment causes 45% of all children’s deaths. Each year, 3.1 million children die from hunger-related causes, which include diarrhea and malnutrition. Every 10 seconds a child dies from hunger. As a result of hunger, children experience poor health, low energy levels, and reductions in mental functioning due to hunger. Sub-Saharan Africa is still the region with the highest prevalence of undernourishment, estimated at 22% of the population. This is expected to increase to 30% by 2030. The Caribbean also has a high rate — 16.6% of its population. Compare this to North America and Europe, where less than 2.5% of people are malnourished.  Covid 19 pandemic has worsened poverty. These figures are painful to read. Thank God that you are alive and well! It is the Grace of God!

SPIRITUAL CAUSES OF POVERTY

*Disobedience to God’s Word! (Read Deuteronomy 28)

*Sexual lust! “For by means of a harlot A man is reduced to a crust of bread; And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life” (PV 6:26)

9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman… 11 For that would have been wicked, a sin to be judged. 12 It is a fire that burns to Destruction; it would have uprooted my harvest” (Job 31:9-12; NIV)

*Laziness and Idleness (being a busybody)!

30 I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; 31 And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down. 32 When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction: 33 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest; 34 So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man” (PV 24:30-34)

WE ARE COMMANDED TO AVOID LAZY AND IRRESPONSIBLE PEOPLE (2 Thess 3;6-12; 1 Tim 5:8)

IN CHRIST THE CURSE IS BROKEN! WORK BECOMES MINISTRY

The earth is rich with treasures, but it takes hard work to bring them out. When sin came, sickness, confusion, fear, and death came. The first sin came thru three persons: The serpent, Adam, and Eve. God cursed the three. The curse on the serpent (on the devil is eternal). The curse on the man and a woman is temporary. These curses are removed only thru Christ and in Christ. “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) (Gal 3:13)

*God blessed the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job etc) with spiritual and material blessings! For example: “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” (Gen 26:12-16)

*There is a prophetic blessing upon Joseph. The blessing is upon the ground. It is a blessing of increase and fruitfulness. This is an example of a blessed earth, a type of The Promised Land! “And of Joseph he said: “Blessed of the Lord is his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew, And the deep lying beneath,  With the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months, With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills, With the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph, (Deut 33:13-16)

*In Proverbs 31 we see a family free from the curse on men and women

We find the picture of a godly woman and her redeemed family. She is spiritually mature, a champion and an inspiration to her family. Her husband ‘praises her’. In Hebrew, the word ‘praise’ means ‘to shine a light’. This man knows his wife better than others. He is not intimidated by her strength and success. He encourages her to shine by adding his own ‘shine’ to hers.  ‘Many daughters have done well’. In Hebrew the word ‘done well’ means to bring home wealth and strength. She is seen as the captain of a victorious army who defeats the enemy bringing home the spoils of war. She is excelling as a helpmeet to her husband. Thru faith in the Redeemer, this woman has destroyed the curse of God upon her. She knows that there is a curse upon her husband’s work. She helps him break the curse on his work. She is not lazy. She does not complain about her husband. She is grateful for her husband and encourages him in his business. She helps with the expenses thru her own successful business. She is spiritual and hardworking! She desires that her whole household should be saved! This is a wonderful testimony!

*Aquila andPriscilla were a first century Christian missionary married couple. They were tent makers. They lived, worked, and traveled with the Apostle Paul, who highly commended them. “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house” (Rom 16:3-5) Christianity is radical in the view of women, marriages and work. Priscilla is not seen as Aquila’s property but his co-laborer in ministry and work.  Tradition reports that Aquila and Priscilla were martyred together.   

*Finally, let me add that God instituted the Tithe to break the curse upon man’s labor (Mal 3:8-12)

How do you know that God’s curse upon the work of your hands is broken? You need to be born again and Spirit filled! Pray for freedom from the curse! This blessed freedom is manifested as a blessing in your office, in your business. There shall be a different atmosphere in your business, in your shop. You will not be ashamed to tell people that you are a believer. You do not need to commit sin to make profit. You do not need to bribe or cheat to make profit. The country may suffer from economic downfall, but God will provide for you amid poverty. God will make an exception for you! This is a supernatural blessing. Your relationships with your colleagues and workers will improve. People will come close to you to learn how did you prosper, what is your secret? People will want to work for you free of charge just ‘to tap’ from your anointing. This type of financial blessing is not because you work harder than others or are more educated. It is the Grace of God working in you, as the curse in Christ is broken. Many people get divorced these days. Money is the main source of conflict in marriages. Most people who are too poor or are too wealthy end up in divorce. But the blessings of God on you will bring not only health, wealth but also, peace and joy in your homes! This is the Grace of God! Never underestimate the Grace of God! Grace is King! To the glory of God! Worship the Lord!