HAVE YE RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST SINCE YE BELIEVED?

THIS WAS PAUL’S QUESTION to the 12 disciples of John the Baptist when he found them in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-2). These men were believers and only knew the teachings of John.     What was the teaching of John? We read in Matthew 3:1-2,

“IN those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

JOHN’S MESSAGE was that of repentance, to believe in the coming Saviour Jesus Christ and for people to turn away from their sins. He also urged the believers who for baptism and confessed their sins to

“BRING forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:”

~Matthew 3:8

JOHN ALSO made them to know that although he baptized them with water, there was One coming that would baptize them with the Holy Ghost and with Fire (Verse 11). So John was the one who first, in this gospel time, introduced us to the dispensation of the Holy Ghost.

ALTHOUGH WE HAD the promise in prophecy as we read in Joel 2:28 and 29, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit,” the disciples of Jesus also received the promise from the Master Himself.

HE TOLD them,

“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high,”

~Luke 24:49

NOTICE HOW Jesus termed it, “the promise of the Father,” “Power from on high.”

ALTHOUGH THESE DISCIPLES who encountered John were saved, just as the disciples of Jesus were at the time they received the promise, they had no knowledge nor experience of the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of Power.

NOTE AGAIN that Jesus connects the Spirit and Power when he said in Acts 1:8,

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

IT IS THEREFORE CLEAR that the presence of the Holy Ghost in the heart is what makes a difference between two believers. Watch Paul filled with the Holy Ghost and the weak disciples of John without Him. Consider the fearful apostles of Christ before Jesus went to the cross and the same apostles after the Pentecost. I am sure you will see much difference as the apostles worked the works of God, healed the sick, withstood the fiery persecutions, preached the gospel in every city in the face of intimidation, raised the dead, discerned and cast out evil spirits and spoke in various languages they never learned and through it made known the truth in all lands.

YOU WILL NOTICE that Paul did not ask these simple folks if they spoke in tongues since they believed, rather he asked them if they had received the Holy Ghost. Some people today are bent on speaking in tongues rather than receiving the spirit. Instead of seeking to be filled by the Spirit, they seek a kind of tongues. No wonder we see all kinds of spirits today manifesting in strange languages called tongues. Thank God such evil machinations of Satan have been exposed. God is not the author of confusion, the evidence that you are filled with the Spirit is not that you can speak in tongues, the evidences are those graces which the spirit of God bestow on you as recorded in Galatians 5:22,23. We will treat the tongues question another day.

HOWEVER, the Spirit of God changes the state of the heart and sanctifies it for God’s use. We see that as they humbled themselves in prayers they received it and began to speak with tongues and prophesied. They indeed were filled and became more useful and empowered.

A SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE is a consecrated life in Christ Jesus. While many are satisfied with a shallow Christian experience, God has made available to us a deeper Christian experience through the presence of the Holy Ghost. No wonder, the shallow Christian is falling and rising everyday. He will always rely on the prayers of others to sustain his weak faith. No, don’t continue in this way, there is a higher level of power for you.

THE HOLY GHOST is the Christian’s power to preach and live out the gospel around the community and the larger society. It is the church’s power to propagate the doctrines of Christ in the face of compromise and opposition.

THE SPIRIT IS the Christian’s power to be holy. The Holy Spirit makes holy. The world of religion without the Holy Ghost cannot preach or live holiness. It is futile and empty talk for the church to preach holiness and not have the Holy Ghost. It is an empty talk for a Christian to talk about holy living without the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

AGAIN, IT IS a theological somersault for preachers to claim to have the Holy Spirit (speak in tongues and conduct deliverance) and proclaim that they cannot live holy. What then is the work of the Holy Ghost in their lives?

HAVE YE RECEIVED the Holy Ghost since ye believed? It is good that you have believed, now that you have received Jesus and have sworn to walk with Him and obey His commandments, but is it not time to seek his power, which is not for a few but a promise for all who believe?

HEAR WHAT Peter said on that day when the Holy Ghost first came upon man,

“FOR the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call,”

~Acts 2: 39

EVEN AS MANY as the Lord our God shall call. Has the Lord called you? If yes, then the promise of the Spirit is for you.

YOU MAY ASK, how do I receive the Holy Ghost? I have attended a church service where I was asked to receive the Holy Ghost and what the preacher was waiting to hear is that I should begin to mutter some shimma-shabba. Brother, if that is what you are seeking for, then be sure you may receive a spirit – but you will not receive the power of the Holy Ghost. It is by faith, not by signs or sight. Yes when you have received the power, you will begin to see its manifestation in your life. In your devotion and consecration; yes, in your ability and input in the spiritual work of God; yes, in your dispensation of the gift of God in you and most especially, your life will be adorned with His rich graces, the same Paul referred to as fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22 and 23.

LET ME EMPHASISE that the baptism of the Holy Ghost is not the manifestation of some gift or the just the speaking of tongues – it is the entrance of the Spirit in the heart of a man. Jesus said,

“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you,”

~John 14:17

NOTE THAT JESUS said He shall be IN YOU. It is not just an influence or a feeling. It is a real experience of change and a new level of relationship between man and God through the Spirit.

I ASK AGAIN, have you received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? This is your chance of giving your Christian experience a facelift and your walk with God a fun. May the Lord grant your desires as you seek his sanctifying power and a deeper experience in the Holy Ghost. Amen.

PERILOUS TIMES HAVE COME

 

FROM 2 TIMOTHY 3:1, we read,

“THIS know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.”

PERILOUS TIMES refer to a period of extreme difficulty and hazards. The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English defines perilous as “very dangerous.” Perilous times therefore are very dangerous times. In what sense are the times dangerous?

IN THE RELIGIOUS CIRCLES, perilous times are described as times yet in the future when a man called antichrist would torment the people of the earth, starving them with food and liberty and forcing them to accept his mark (mark of the beast) or starve them to death.

I THINK THAT the tale of the antichrist as described above does not fall within the timing of the period Paul the Apostle, speaks of here in this verse. For he said “in the last days.” We are certainly in the last days. Do you believe it? If you don’t, consider some of the marks of the last days.

“FOR men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

~2 Timothy 3:2-5.

THE PICTURE SHOWN us in this scripture indicates that the last days would witness a period of wickedness and godlessness. There shall be a famine, not of food or money, but of truth and righteousness.

IT SHALL BE A PERIOD where to be good would be strange and all those who want to be good would be scared for reprisals from the ungodly people.

PERILOUS TIMES, according to the Bible, would witness a show of covetousness and greed. Just as people would flourish in the material things, so they would be greedy and fierce in their desire for them. They would kill and maim for riches, because they have lost all natural feelings and affections.

BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED competition for materialism, there would be so much pride in the land. Men would be selfish and would rather seek their own at the expense of the general good of others –“lovers of them selves.” There would be a craze for pleasure of all sorts, behold the avalanche entertainments- sports, music, dances, drinking. “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.”

THE BIBLE DID NOT say that perilous times would witness a cessation of religion and godly proclamations. In fact during the perilous times, many would profess Christ and claim to be His servants. There shall be many churches and many preachers. There would be people who would say that they are Christ. But the difference would be that their religion would be a mere form, because while they make much talk about Christ, it is only in their lips; the power to be a true Christian disciple, they would refuse. So the Scripture says, “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.”

IF THESE CHARACTERISTICS underline the last days and the perilous times, then here we are already. Don’t be confused by false doctrines making the rounds; this scripture was written for Christians to be vigilant; to beware of the times, so that they are not caught unawares. The perilous times are here and we are seeing the wickedness increasing on a daily basis. But we are to turn away from all this.

ALL WE NEED TO DO as saints of God is to draw closer to God in prayers and be valiant for the Lord. Satan is working hard to diminish the radiance of our faith, let us keep it up, for some are already waxed cold according to the prediction of Jesus,

“AND because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold,”

~Matthew 24:12.

THE TIMES ARE HERE; let us rise to the occasion, for only he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

IF I REGARD INIQUITY IN MY HEART

READING THE BOOK of psalms chapter 66 and verse 18, we find the words,

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”

This lines reveal very important matters relating to our relationship with our God and Maker.

FIRST WE FIND INIQUITY in the heart. Iniquity is anything evil or wicked. All unrighteousness is sin, the Bible states. So iniquity in the heart brings us into disfavor with God to the extent that our prayers, cries and yearnings made toward God will not be attended to.

INIQUITY IN THE HEART is a state of defilement where it becomes impossible to appear before the Throne of Grace. God said of the people living in the days of Noah,

“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,” Genesis 5:5.

The result was the destruction by flood.

THE HEART OF MAN is the place for constant battle between righteousness and unrighteousness. The one is contrary to the other. If righteousness reigns, darkness and every evil work or iniquity will be vanquished, yet when iniquity reigns, righteousness will be subdued.

YET THE PSALMIST said, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

SOME PROFESSING CHRISTIANS are reveling in sin, yet make many prayers to the Lord. They make sure that they attend all the church programmes and pay all the church levies that are due to them, but they are deluded that the Lord will receive their sacrifices.

BE NOT DECEIVED, God is not mocked; whatever you sow you shall reap. God is not a man that He should lie. He told the children of Israel,

“TO what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.”

YOUR new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood,” Isaiah 1:11-15.

WHEN ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

GOD DOES NOT hear the prayers of sinners. Although some believe that although they sin, God still hear their prayers. They are confused and deluded, God heareth not sinners, John 9:31.

SOME WOULD SAY, “If God is not hearing me, why is God blessing me?” Such confuse material success with God’s divine favour. There is nothing to show for that. Even the ungodly who do not know God prosper in material things. In fact, they appear to have more access to the wealth of the world, but they do not have access to the divine grace of God. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

THERE ARE MANY people today suffering under the bondage of Satan, calling on God for help. They travel from one church to another seeking deliverance; God said he does not hear sinners and the workers of iniquity He cannot attend to.

“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear,”

~Isaiah 59:1-2.

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation”

~Psalms 24:3-5.

FOR THOSE WHO would curse, swear and grudge, the Bible says your prayers will not be heard. And that is the reason Jesus Christ gave the instruction that if you come before the Lord to offer a sacrifice, and you realize that you have a quarrel with somebody, you have to first lay aside your gift and first be reconciled with the person, then you can return to offer your gift. This is because if you regard iniquity in your heart, the Lord will not accept that gift from the Lord.

SAUL WAS REJECTED because he sinned against the Lord, although he sought to offer sacrifice to the Lord from the spoil of the war, but God would not receive a defiled sacrifice, and Samuel said “to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams,” I Samuel 15:22

HIS HYPOCRISY to still continue to offer sacrifice before the Lord after he was rejected further worsened his situation when he tore the garments of Samuel as he tried to force him to worship God with him. God had rent the kingdom from Saul and given it to David.

HOW CAN WE HOPE to worship God in our sinful state? Although we may come to God as we are, we cannot worship Him that way. He has plans for you and I when we come. As He said through Isaiah,

“WASH you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

“IF ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”

Isaiah 1:16, 18-20

IF THE HEART is defiled, the Lord cannot work, except it be purged. There is one purging fountain, and that is the blood of Jesus Christ. If you present your heart to the Lord he will purge it.

IT IS GOD’S WILL that His people be holy in heart and life. Although some do not believe that they can be holy and teach that men should not bother to be holy, yet in an unholy state we have no place in God. The Psalmist says

“I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.”

In Psalms 119:2-3 we read,

“Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.”

TO BE HOLY is to do no iniquity. These are the people who are blessed, they do no iniquity.

GOD IS LOOKING for hearts that are willing to submit. He will not only forgive sins, He will cleanse from all unrighteousness ( 1 John 1:9). God in the heart makes anew. If any man be in Christ (or if Christ be in any man) he will be made anew.

REMEMBER – THE LORD said, if ye rebel ye shall be devoured, that is to say you will face the wrath of God, but if ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. You will find peace and joy and your prayers shall ascend to the Lord as a sweet incense. Oh what joy it is that we can commune with the Lord!

FOR THE BIBLE SAYS the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open to their cry (Psalm 34:15). To be righteous is to be free from sin, only such can appear before God and have their cries and prayers answered.

AGAIN WE ARE TOLD that although God heareth not sinners, he would hear the penitent and repentant cry of the sinners. For he said a broken and a contrite heart he will not despise (Psalms 51:17), again it is written,

“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit,

~Psalm 34:18

MAKE YOUR DECISION now to be free from all sins and receive God’s admittance into his presence, for in His presence there is deliverance.

THE BODY OF CHRIST AND OTHER BODIES

THERE IS A MISTAKEN idea that the conglomeration of fallen denominational groups represents the body of Christ. This erroneous idea is why people often make statements such as “there is problem in the body of Christ,” “There is evil in the church,” when they examine the corruption that has enveloped Christendom today. These assertions have shown that many do not know what the Church of God, the body of Christ is.

IN CONSIDERING THE STATE of organized religion, you would find that there is a great drift from what is called truth and purity into the dept of deceit, hypocrisy and devilish workings. Men have undertaken to establish church organizations to suit their carnal ambitions and operated them like their personal business enterprises.

WOULD YOU CALL all this the body of Christ? Jesus said,

“I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,”

~Matthew 16:18.

THE MAJOR DIFFERENCE between the body of Christ and other bodies is that while Christ is the builder and founder of His church, men build and found their churches, named them after their purposes and aspirations and ran them like their conquered empires.

EPHESIANS 5:25-27 says,

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

THE ABOVE SCRIPTURES show that there is a very close relationship between the church and Jesus Christ, a relationship better described by the matrimonial order. Christ loved the church with such love as to be exemplified in the relationship between husband and wife. He gave himself for her to wash her clean and pure.

THE BODY OF CHRIST was purchased and sanctified by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood,” Acts 20:28.

THIS IMPLIES that members of the body of Christ have been washed and sprinkled from committed sins. They are born again and made to “sit in heavenly places with Christ Jesus.”

IT IS NOT A GATHERING of fornicators and liars, but a gathering of the redeemed. The body of Christ would be presented glorious. “…a glorious church,” without spot of wrinkle.

THE BODY OF CHRIST is “holy” and “without blemish.” Many denominations have denied that they cannot live holy lives and as such it is impossible to live a holy life. They automatically declare themselves not part of the body, because the Bible says the body is “holy” and “without blemish.”

THE BIBLE TEACHES that Christ is the head of the body. Colossians 1:18. The body of Christ does not have any human head, neither any archbishop nor pope heads the church of God. Christ alone is Lord.

PEOPLE BECOME MEMBERS of the body of Christ through the new birth. John 3:3. Today’s churches are joined by any means possible. It is a matter of choice and if you can fulfill certain laid down conditions, you are a member. But not so with the family of God, which is the body of Christ. Only through the new birth are you recognized in heaven.

THE BODY OF CHRIST is the ground and pillar of the truth, where judgment is constantly meted out for the perfection of the saints. 1Timothy 3:15; 1Peter 4:17, this is in contrast to men’s organizations that not dare to preach the sound doctrine lest they lose their members who are often not ready to receive the word as it is. Since this is the case, they are not saved and the congregations become a breeding place for sinful acts and hardened sinners.

THE CALAMITY OF DIVISIONS and the multiplicity of biblical interpretations as witnessed in the factionalised denominational world have defaced the beautiful design of God’s holy family. This is a fallen state and not the true body. For we found recorded in the Bible that the true body endeavors to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; Ephesians 4:3. Verse 4 says, “There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling.” There is ONE body indeed.  Paul admonished that “There should be no schism in the body” 1Cor. 12:25 and indeed there is no schism. Christ is not divided and the body is united.

WHILE GOD’S CHILDREN are working to unite, some self-centered preachers are by the influence of Satan, creating pens to further divide the people of God and blind them from knowing the truth.

THE BODY OF CHRIST is ruled by the pure standards of the Bible, not by church creeds, constitution or by-laws. The church is holding to the old time religion and not the watered down, wishy-washy and mixed gospel of our day. The gospel of the church packs the power to save souls, but the denominational world is bedeviled by worldly entertainment which sedates sinners into further slumber and eventually kills them spiritually. Their hearts are no longer sensitive to the pricking touch of the word of God. They have itching ears and their hearts are wax gross so that they cannot be healed. Oh what a state these worldly churches has placed their followers! It is the broad road that leads to destruction.

IT IS TIME to deliver yourself and ask for the old paths and walk therein, else you may be holding a faith so mutilated and you will find on the last day that you have been deceived, deceived into a devil’s hell.

MAKE SURE YOU ARE not a member of falsified church of God; the true church embraces those who are willing and are washed in the blood of Christ. Then you will know how to worship God in the Truth and in Spirit, then your heart will be enlightened with the truth and then you will be assured of eternal life in glory,  because only those whose names are written in the book of life are candidates for eternal bliss.

WHERE ARE THE RUTHS OF OUR DAY?

WITH

Simon Okhime

RUTH WAS A FOREIGNER (a Moabitess) to the commonwealth of Israel, a status that should have denied her a place among the people of God. She also had the obstacle of being from a nation that had been precluded from interaction with Israel because Moab refused to provide the children with support when they were traveling through the wilderness to Canaan, Deuteronomy 23:3-4.

BUT AGAINST these two odds, Ruth redefined her destiny and chose to become a shining star in a darkened sky.

RUTH WAS THE WIFE of Mahlon (Ruth 4), one of the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi, Ephratites of Bethlehem-Judah. Orpah was the wife of Chilion, their second son. In the process of time, Elimelech their father died. His two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, died afterwards, leaving Naomi, their mother, and their two wives behind. When it was reported that situations in Judah had improved, Naomi decided to return to her people. Ruth, one of her daughters-in-law, chose to go with her. In spite of her plea for her to return to Moab, Ruth insisted that she would follow Naomi. But Orpah had returned.

RUTH SAID,

“…thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” Ruth 1:16

THIS HAS BECOME an inspirational byword today. This declaration of Ruth cuts her away from the affiliation and relationship with her idolatrous land and people.

WE READ THAT she took good care of her mother-in-law in her old age, displaying a rare virtue. She bestowed much love on Naomi and was patient. If our young women would have such a mind as this, the ever raging quarrels between mothers-in-law and their daughters-in-law would be minimized.

NO WONDER God rewarded her eventually with a good and a rich husband, Boaz. God rewarded her again with the offer of being the great-grandmother of David, through whose lineage we have Jesus Christ our Lord.

LESSONS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

RUTH WAS A MOABITESS who was not worthy of being a part of Israel, but her decision to follow Naomi and to worship her God changed her destiny and offered her an entry into the family of God

OUR DECISIONS can be of great help to us. Our decision to have a change of heart – from the devil’s service to God’s way, will transform us from our old nature of sin into God’s divine.

YOUNG WOMEN (as Ruth was) need the true Bible conversion which must be devoid of hypocrisy and insincerity. The hypocritical behavior of our young people, as well as their lack of interest in the things of God stem from not having a true experience of conversion.

TO BE BORN AGAIN means to be regenerated and your sins forgiven and a new nature given to you. This is when you become a member of God’s church as seen in 1Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19-20. At the time of our being born again and being filled with the Spirit of God, we lose our identity as ordinary man and take up the identity of Jesus Christ and His church. It means we lose our taste, ambition and aspirations for the world and get our whole hearts on where God wants us to be. When we are crucified with Christ we have no life of our own to live, but Christ now lives in us.

• PEER GROUP PRESSURE

MOST YOUNG PEOPLE in the church today find themselves in situations they least expect as a result of peer pressure. But Ruth never allowed Orpah’s decision to leave to discourage her. Serving God is a personal issue. Don’t allow your peers or friends to dictate your choice in life. Always allow God, your father, and the church, your mother, to dictate your taste. Prov. 1:10 admonishes us to always refuse pressure from your school mate that is against God’s standard for His people.

• A DISCIPLINED LIFE

DO YOU SEE in Ruth a disciplined life?

Ruth 3:10 -

“…inasmuch as thou followest not young men, whether poor or rich.”

SHE LIVED a life and had a goal. As a young Christian sister you need to have a goal in life that gives a clear reflection of Christ in you to the world.

• THE CHURCH, YOUR MOTHER

NAOMI SERVED as a mother to Ruth, although initially as mother-in-law. You will enjoy your life, your marriage and spiritual life if you listen to your mother, the church- Gal. 4:26. In Gal. 6:7-8 we are told that we should not deceive ourselves, because we reap what we sow.

HOW WE LIVE our lives now matters a great deal, for we shall be rewarded. Ruth lived and was victorious; you can also do the same and receive a blessing from the Lord.

~SIMON OKHIME

YOUTH’S SPECIAL – LETTING OUR LIGHT SHINE

LETTING OUR LIGHT SHINE

YOUTH’S SPECIAL

WITH

RUTH MOSIMABALE

LIGHT HAS AN illuminating effect in an environment where it exists; such an environment becomes bright and radiant. Light is truly beautiful, glorious and useful. Light is the direct opposite of darkness, which blinds men and make them to stumble.

CHRIST TEACHES US that Christians are the light of the world, (Mathew 5:14). This implies that Christians are those who possess the light of God in them and by that show the world the true pattern of good living.

THE CHRISTIAN’S LIFE has the power to illuminate our surroundings so that people around us would see the glory and power of God in us.

VERSE 16 OF Matthew 5 instructs us that we should let our light so shine before men. This is signifying that the light in us should glow with such intensity as would make immediate impact on our neighbors.

IN CONTRAST, a dim light would not provide the needed light for people to find their way. A dim light creates unnecessary shades and shadows that create more confusion than solutions.

LIGHT IN US therefore means having the gospel of truth lived out in our lives daily. Paul in his letter to the church in Colosse, said,

“Let the words of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.” (Col. 3:16).

NOW – LIVING OUT these words of our Lord in our daily lives, is what makes us the light. It is clear that our actions, conduct and disposition reflect the power of the life of Christ in us to the effect that somebody’s life would be bettered. As the Master said,

“Let you light so shine before men that may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

ONCE THE CHRISTIAN exposes himself to the transforming effect of the word of God, they not only enrich him as a person, but would reach out to those needing comfort and consolidation. The impartation of the power of the Holy Ghost enables us to live holy lives before God and the world.

AS CHRISTIAN YOUTHS, the kind of influences we have among our friends should be a thing of concern to us. Our fruits should enable people to recognize Christ as their Lord and Savior. Really have to be careful that we do not put to shame those whose confidence had been built over time in us.

DEAR READER, you are encouraged and invited to have a closer walk with God so that His light can be seen in your daily life.

~RUTH MOSIMABALE

LESSONS FROM GENESIS – PART III

Lesson 3- The Consequences of Sin

By Oluwole Josiah

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.”

~Genesis 3:6-7

SIN IS THE transgression of the law of God. It is the breaking of God’s commandment or living contrary to the will of God. Whichever way you define it, sin is evil and remains the single most destructive force in the life of man.

AS ALREADY OBSERVED in Genesis 3 man made a very costly choice when he chose to disobey God’s command. In the earlier chapter, God placed man in the Garden of Eden and commanded him to keep and dress it. He was also to eat of every tree in the garden, (including the fruit of the tree of life which was also in the garden.)

GOD’S COMMANDMENT went thus (Gen. 2:16-17):

“…Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

THE INSTRUCTION was simple; they were to eat of all but one. To eat of the evil tree would bring death as the ultimate penalty. But the devil came tempting, as always the case. Satan tempts us to sin; he tempted Jesus and sought to take advantage of his fleshly form. He is still in the tempting business, and whoever allows him would fall into sin and be condemned.

SO SATAN FIRST came to Eve, the woman, and lured her into reviewing God’s law, (as many are wont to do today) he lied to her and got her to eat of the fruit of the tree that they were forbidden to eat. Then she got her husband, Adam, to do the same.

LIKE A VIRUS the sin of disobedience spread from Eve to Adam and when they ate, they were both immediately condemned.

TODAY, SATAN is making light of sin and selling it as “freedom” to people, nay, professors of the faith of Jesus Christ. He would tell you it does not matter, and as he told Eve:

“…ye shall not surely die, for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5.

SIN HAS BECOME the source of pride to many today, thinking that they are wise, they make themselves the children of hell. God meant every of His word, when you break it, you die. “The soul that sinneth it shall die,” and again the Bible said “the wages of sin is death.” Death is the penalty of sin and no amount of Satan’s sweet talk and deceit through his false preachers going around today or through the deceit of the mind can change the fact of it

SATAN’S WAY always appears easier and faster, offering some specks of pleasure: for Eve observed that the tree appeared to be “good for food,” “pleasant to the eyes,” “to be desired to make one wise.” These were Satan’s offers for breaking God’s law.

IF EVE HAD CONSIDERED the consequences, or weighed the momentary pleasure of the pleasant fruit and worldly wisdom to be derived or still the feeding of the belly against the gravity of God’s law, she might have had a good defense.

THIS IS STILL the moving force behind many sinners of our day – the devaluation of eternal things for an elevation of the fleshly. “What shall we eat and drink and wherewithal shall we be clothed,” but no one considers that these will come to an end, but the word of God will last forever.

IT IS SHORTSIGHTED to run after sinful pleasures only to damn your souls. Jesus Christ had asked what a man would give in exchange for his soul.

ADAM AND HIS WIFE paid for this misplacement and suffered terribly. First they lost their fellowship with their God, for verse 8 records that for fear Adam and Eve hid themselves from the presence of God, who hitherto came down to fellowship them.

SIN BREAKS our relationship with God, for He is too holy to behold sin.

Psalm 24:5 -

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who shall stand in holy place: he that hath clean hands and a pure heart…”

EVERY TIME we break God’s commandment, we grieve His heart and are drawn farther away from Him. Remember what he said to the Children of Israel?

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:1-2.

AGAIN, THE SEPARATION brought fear to their hearts, for Adam said, “I was afraid.” The Bible tells us that the wicked man runneth when no pursues him, but the righteous is bold as a lion. Sin drove him to hide himself from the face of God.

THEY ALSO KNEW that they were naked, they were clothed with God’s righteousness and holiness so that they did not need clothes, but sin entered, they became naked. By this they lost their innocence and so they do not only have the knowledge of evil, but the knowledge to do evil.

ADAM’S FALL brought sin to the generation of mankind. If they knew that one singular action would result to a sinning world, perhaps they would have put up some rebuke against Satan. But now the consequences are with us.

TOO OFTEN, men would not see what the outcome their actions would be, so they plunge into sin, only to regret at last. How many young ladies have died and lost their womb in attempts of abortion? How many men and women have been infected with HIV/AIDS and other kinds of diseases just on exploration of the world of pleasure? How many homes have been broken and children rendered homeless as a result of adultery?

WE CAN’T COUNT them all, but the consequences remain and many more are driving themselves on the path of sin, the end of cause brings regret and shame.

DEAR ONES, don’t be deceived by sin; its pleasures are so temporary, but its consequences are long lasting and could end us in an eternal damnation. Be wise and reject the life of sin now. Breath that prayer to the Lord and renounce all the works of sin and God will receive you now, He is waiting. God bless you as you make up your mind.

LESSONS FROM GENESIS – PART II

Lesson 2 – Bone of My Bones and Flesh of My Flesh

By Oluwole Josiah

“And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

~Genesis 2:23

GOD CREATED the heaven and the earth. He set them up so that nature came into existence. He made the trees and all animals. He made the seas and the fishes therein. And after all, we were told that all that the Lord made was good.

AFTERWARD, He thought of making something that bears His image and man came into existence. He took of the dust of the ground and made man; then He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life following which man became “a living soul.”

MAN TOOK CONTROL of God’s creation. He had with him all animals for company and trees for food. Man had some form of company in those things that God had created. But there seems to be something lacking in him. In the wisdom of God, man was incomplete. He then decided to fill that void in man.

GOD HAD SAID it was not good for man to be alone. This is still the standard for all men today. God’s will is that the man finds a wife and gets married.

AS PAUL puts it in 1 Corinthians 7:2,

“Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.”

THE PRIME COMMANDMENT is that it is not good for a man to be alone. God cannot be wrong on this subject and this is the foundation of marriage. No matter what people teach and no matter the false doctrines regarding celibacy, God’s word is “It is not good for man to be alone.”

GOD FOUND A WAY around this and caused Adam to sleep – it was a deep sleep. Then a surgical operation went on. The Bible tells us that a rib was taken from Adam’s side and from it God fashioned the woman.

WHEN ADAM woke up, he was presented with something that looked like him and fitted into him. He was happy and declared. “…This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.” Adam named her woman, because she issued out of man.

THE BIBLE further declares in Genesis 2:24,

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

BONE OF MY BONES and flesh of my flesh suggests that both have become one flesh- one person, no longer two, but one.

IN PRACTICE, the husband and the wife are made to be in unity in perpetuity so that they must live together as if they were actually one person. This idea does not deny the fact that they have different backgrounds. They may even have haled from different cultures, but God’s plan is that both would be cemented together by love and work to achieve unified goals and purpose for the prosperity of the home.

THE BIBLE CLEARLY STATES how this unity can be achieved; he leaves his father and mother. Marriage is not a place where fathers or mothers of the couples would be unnecessarily interfering in the affairs of the home. They would do well to leave the couple alone for proper matrimonial development. However, the wisdom of elders may be required when necessary.

THE MAN AND THE WOMAN must see themselves as a new creation from their separate persons before marriage. They owe each other loyalty, respect, faithfulness and love. By love they would support each other, provide for each other’s needs no matter the nature of that need; they would also be sensitive to what happens to either of them in whatever circumstances.

BONE OF MY BONES… It is strange to keep secrets in a marriage that met the standard declared by Adam. To be truly blended together is to have one mind. It is simple, what happens to my wife has happened to me and I cannot run away from it. The bond of love is so strong that I can call her my sister, my friend, my mother and my wife. She holds all for you and she is the beginning and the end of a woman in your life.

THE SAME WOULD GO for the woman who adores and worships her husband. As Sarah did, calling her husband lord. She is in complete submissiveness and reverence of her husband. And to her the beginning and the end of what she thinks of a man.

WITH GOD coming to the fellowship and His Spirit giving life to the Christian marriage, there will be a re-creation of the Garden of Eden, and the true meaning of marriage will comes to light.

YOU MAY ASK: can this be truly achieved? Is it not just a lofty dream? With what we are seeing today in many homes, the question is pertinent. Many homes are in disarray because the man and the woman are not truly one. While one of the couple is driving towards one direction, the other is pushing towards another. There is a “domestic war” on a daily basis and they are only together for other reasons of convenience.

AND YOU FIND out that when children are born to the union, the children are aligned along the division that existed between the husband and the wife.

SAD TALES OF DIVORCE are now in the increase. Divorce is only a final evidence of a severely fractured marriage. Before then, hearts are miles apart and have failed to melt into each other. If you are in a marriage and you are not properly blended together, it will not be long before the thought of divorce will come to your mind.

GOD’S CHILDREN are commanded not to divorce their wives or husbands. But it is not much about teaching against divorce, it is more of staying away from the various factors that lead to divorce. There are many who are already divorced in their hearts, but may still be living together.

ARE YOU A WIFE, what is your feeling toward your husband? Examine your heart and be sure. It might be that you are not truly blended. If you habour grudge and ill-feelings; if you like to cheat on him or divert his funds for other selfish ventures without letting him know; if you love someone else more than him or think more about yourself than you think of him, then watch it, because as a bone of his bones, you may well be pulling yourself out of the joints. This test might well be repeated by the man and if the result is positive then you may be working in the spirit to deny her of her place at your side.

FLESH OF MY FLESH…God has commanded that the man love his wife, as Christ loves the church. How did Christ love the Church? He loved her to the extent that He gave his life for her. How many men would give their all and even their lives for their wives? In a world where men are selfish, only the man with Christ in the heart can truly give his all.    Today you hear of something called “woman wrapper” a derisive name for men who love and listen to their wives and help them with their chores.

Ephesians 5:28-29 -

“So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:”

THIS IS CLEAR ENOUGH.

OUR DESIRE is to have happy homes and happy marriages, but we have a devil in the world, and he will do everything to make this divine purpose of God fail. So we must play our own part in ensuring that we keep our hearts open to God and pure towards our spouses, because we are meant to be one not twain.

LESSONS FROM GENESIS – PART I

Lesson 1 – God Made the World

By Oluwole Josiah

IN THE OPENING of the Book of Beginnings – Genesis, we read:

“In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth,” Gen. 1:1.

THIS IS THE GRANDEST revelation ever known to mankind. It       laid to rest all his puzzles and erased long standing fables on how the world came to be. Although many still fail to believe the Biblical account of creation, there is no doubt that it is the most believable and reasonable account that is available to man.

THE WORLD was created! It did not occur through the “big bang.” God made the world. He designed and created it without the help of any man.

TO BELIEVE this account, you must first believe in the existence of a Supreme Being and that He is Omnipotent (All Powerful). Those who do not believe in creation often do not believe in the existence of God, Oh what blindness! There is God, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”

PSALM 24:1 tells us that:

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”

WE ARE TOLD that “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep,” Verse 2. So after the world came about, it needed further development for a better outlook and beauty. So we read, “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” We were not told how long it took the Spirit to move upon the face of the waters, neither were we told how far he had to travel through the length and breadth of the earth. But He moved and something happened. God said there should be light, and the light came. Light was the first feature of the creation of the world. As soon as light came, darkness disappeared. The nature of things became visible and further work could now continue.

AGAIN, IT IS also made clear that at the command of God, the light came to be. For we read in John 1:1-3,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

ALTHOUGH THE BEAUTIFUL created by God thousands and thousands of years ago has been corrupted by man, the Lord has promised to make anew all things, this time around not in the physical world, but in the souls of men. For He said, “Behold, I make all things new,” Rev. 21:5.

IT MUST BE STATED here that a life without God is like an existence “without form and void.” Although God has made you and created you into this world, you will live a life of emptiness if you live without Him.

WHEN A SOUL HEARS the word of God and comes under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, who persuades him to repent of his sins and turn to God; if the soul yields, the Light, that Great Light would stream through his heart and he would be enlightened and further spiritual development would commence in his life.

THE BIBLE TELLS US that to walk in sin is to walk in darkness. That is why sinful works are termed the works of darkness. Therefore the soul in sin is a soul in darkness. The light of God is Christ which shines upon the whole world.

IN JOHN 1:4-5 we see that

“In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

ALTHOUGH THE LIGHT is available to all, many are still groping in the dark, not knowing where they are going. It is not because God is not willing to bring them to light, but because they have rejected the light. Jesus Christ said, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil,” John 3:19.

WITH CHRIST in your life, there is light and life, there is joy and love. For the Bible says,

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new,” 2 Corinthians 5:17.

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL WORLD with Christ; it is a world made anew and eternal life guaranteed. Not as in the old world which is corruptible, but in the Spirit ever rejoicing in the Lord.

IN THE SAME vein, a life without Christ is light out, darkness, misery and woes and at the end eternal damnation.

IT IS THE TRUTH, God made the world, and we can see down through the chapter how by His command He created all things, each having its uniqueness and a touch of great artistry and architecture. Then He made man, and indeed all flesh.

BECAUSE HE IS the God of the whole earth and its owner, he will someday bring it to an end in judgment. So friend you are living in God’s world and everyman will give account of his life here on earth at the end of time.

DELIVERANCE TO THE CAPTIVES

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

~Luke 4:18-19

THE ABOVE SCRIPTURE recorded by Luke is a summary of the entire mission of Jesus Christ in His first advent in the earth. This gives a clear idea of the state of man and mankind in this sinful world.

DELIVERANCE MEANS a state of been saved from harm or danger. It has another word in salvation. To say you are delivered is to say that you are free or saved from the oppression of something or somebody.

SATAN FIRST CAUSED man to sin, and bound him with the fetters of rebellion against God. So man was in perpetual enmity against God not able to do righteousness, which is the character of God and His sons.

SECONDLY, as a result of sin, all kinds of sufferings and diseases came to be the lot of mankind. Without hope all became victims of this attack. Sometimes these ailments were beyond biological causes, as many were possessed with evil spirits inflicted by Satan, manifesting in a range of infirmity.

BUT WHEN JESUS CAME, he said “…because he hath anointed me …to preach deliverance to the captives…” There is no greater gospel or greater good news than this that those who sat in darkness now behold a great light from above.

YES! HE WENT ABOUT doing good. He proved that His power of deliverance cuts across all phases of the life of man. He delivers from sin. He delivers from sickness and from the captivity of evil spirits. He delivers from spiritual and physical blindness and He brings comfort to those who are brokenhearted. This is Christ’s mission on the earth.

THE SAME JESUS CHRIST is still here with us in the power of the Holy Ghost, working through His true servants to reach the needy with this gospel. Yes, Jesus the same yesterday and today and forever! Amen.

• DELIVERANCE FROM SIN AND SICKNESS
  

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;” Psalms 103:2-3.

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed,” Isaiah 53:5

THESE VERSES are clear on the double cure of cleansing from sin and diseases.

MAN WAS FIRST BROUGHT UP under the power of sin when he fell to the devil’s temptation in the Garden of Eden. Today men are brought under all manner of sinful habits from which they cannot deliver themselves. We see the workings of alcohol and tobacco in the lives of men and women. They have been so bound that they waste their earnings and risk their health for alcohol and smoking. Although many are dying daily from these habits, more and more, especially younger people are growing into the practices creating even more problems for future generations. There is even now a graduation into hard drugs.

THIS IS INDEED killing faster and wiping out the young generation so easily. The war against drugs by several governments of the world is impressive, but it is far able to help the situation, because they do not have the cure for the real problem which is the corruption of the nature of man by sin. What about sexual immorality; what about lying and anger and murder and hatred and all forms of iniquity which have now laid men under sundry bondages for which the world is suffering today?

THERE IS GOOD NEWS, I recall my ordeal with sin. I had suffered from the pains of sin and wondered if I could ever come out of my habits; praise God, He delivered me when I came to Him broken in heart and submitted to His will. Today, my life has changed and I can now experience a renewal of my soul. Jesus Christ delivers from the captivity of sin and its guilt through his one supreme shedding of His blood 2000 years ago. The Bible says today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. There your deliverance lies. His power will break every yoke and you shall be washed by water and by the Spirit.

• SICKNESS

ALTHOUGH MANY HAVE SAID that there is no healing today and that it ended with the apostles, the power of God is from ages to ages and to His people He is available to grant their hearts desires.

AS WE READ in Isaiah 53, Christ died for our healing and if he died for our healing, it means our healing has been purchased by his blood. Therefore, He is still a healer today.

JESUS CAME with the gospel of deliverance from sin and diseases. He did not only preach it, He demonstrated it by healing all sick folks that believed in Him. Whatever the manner of disease you may be suffering from, there is one who is compassionate and feels the pain of your suffering, Christ the Lord, He is willing to touch you and make you every wit whole. Remember the leper who met Jesus believing that he would be healed if Jesus would touch him, and in Matthew  8:3, we read,

“And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”

ARE YOU DOUBTING whether Jesus will heal your disease? I tell you assuredly, that He will. Believe as that leper did, and you will receive the power of His healing, NOW. If you believe it shall be according to your faith.

THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE in the healing power of God today have shut themselves out of the healing stream now flowing for the God’s people. Like Naaman the Syrian, take your deep and you shall be healed. Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. This is the Lord’s invitation, are you coming right now; did I hear you say I am coming?

• FROM DEMONIC POSSESSIONS
  

THE DEVIL IS INFESTING the world with all forms of spiritisms and cults through which men and women have been initiated into some kinds of covenants. In this process evil spirits called demons take charge of the human being and use him for his purpose. Men’s drive for all forms of evil powers has further compounded their problems and they dabble into one form of demonism or the other.

JESUS MET SEVERAL of them possessed with a devil and he delivered them. In Mark 5, we read of a man possessed with unclean spirits which drove him into the graveyard and he tore himself with stones. He was often bound with fetters, but nothing could hold him, until Jesus met him, and cast out the demons out of him. We are told that afterward he was in his right mind and sat down clothed and the Master asked him to return to his family.

ANOTHER ONE was recorded in Matthew 15, when the Canaanite woman came to Jesus and said that her daughter was vexed with a devil, and with the word of mouth, the child was made whole.

PAUL AND HIS COLLEAGUES met with a woman possessed with the evil spirit of divination, whose masters made gains of her (Acts 16:16-18). She was used to oppose the preaching of the gospel, although subtly, but Paul discerned her cunnings and rebuked the evil spirit and it came out of her.

TODAY, THE CHURCH OF GOD has power to cast out demons. Jesus said if we will have faith, we will see the glory of God. It is still His business to listen to the voice of His saints and every cry of faith on behalf of the one under captivity. If you are possessed with a devil, you will receive your deliverance if you will meet Jesus Christ. He waits for you and He is willing to touch you, only believe.

• FALSE DELIVERANCE
  

THERE ARE MANY TODAY who are going about organizing deliverance services and in the process infecting people with evil spirits. Such scenes records acts of falling and rolling on the floor and all manner of obscenities. These they call deliverance.

WITHOUT FEAR of equivocation, many of these are false and deceitful and those who patronize such gatherings to seek deliverance must take warning and beware for while they promise to help, they make you many times the child of hell.

EXORCISTS DO NOT ONLY EXIST in Christendom, they are also plenty in our local traditions and among native doctors. It is a case of a demon placating a demon. And anyone who is conversant with our African form of exorcism will not find it difficult to see what is happening in the churches of our day. The warning is beware of them.

WE FOUND IN SCRIPTURES that those possessed with demons are thrown up and down and broken by their tormentors, but are made quiet by God’s deliverance. Today the reverse is the evidence of the so called miracles. Christ would raise those who are brought low.

• CONCLUSION

SIN IS THE MAJOR CAUSE of so many situations today, once the seeker comes to Christ and has his faith looking up to Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith, he is not only forgiven, his body is taken over by the Holy Spirit, and every evil spirit must take its leave by the power of anointing.

THERE IS NO TRUCE between light and darkness and God would not have His children come under such bondage and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. That liberty is what Jesus Christ has brought down to you and me. We must believe to receive and be free; Yes! we must be free to be His.