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There is great joy and celebration in Heaven over one sinner that repents and accepts Jesus (Luke 15:7,10). There is no one that is too sinful to be saved. God sent His Son for all and He wants all to come to Him.
The day I made a personal decision to accept Jesus, there was great jubilation in Heaven. The day that person who was once an armed robber decided to accept Jesus, there was great jubilation. The day the fraudster, or the drunkard, or the womanizer decided to accept Jesus, there was great jubilation in Heaven. Why? Because that was God's desire when He came down to earth. That is what He wanted. That is a display of the fulfilment of His plans.
Prior to the coming of Christ, all of man's best efforts to attain the level of righteousness that God originally intended for us, were just temporary measures having temporary effects. All the animals slain—lambs, goats, sheep, birds, bulls and all others, could never have been enough to restore man. The sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden had repercussions of great magnitude for by them all of mankind, unborn generations, were automatically placed under sin. This is why a child born into the world need not even do anything wrong per se before being rendered a sinner. The Bible says for all have sinned (Romans 3:23). There was no distinction, it wasn’t “all adults have sinned” or “all above the age of 5 have sinned”. All have sinned, all of mankind have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God because of that singular act of disobedience by Adam.
Sin is accompanied by everything bad, culminating eventually in death. But for they that are in Christ, we have a way out for though we die, yet shall we live again (John 11:25). The first death for us will merely be a way of shedding our mortal bodies, getting rid of the dust. Our souls the main content will be transmitted to eternal life. We will not be subjected to the second death which is the ultimate end of sin. The Bible says the soul that sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:20a) and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). So a person who doesn’t have Christ will end in eternal damnation if he/she continues that way. The person need not commit obvious sins such as murder or lying or stealing. The mere fact that he/she doesn’t believe in Jesus and hasn’t accepted Him into his/her life, has qualified the person for the second death.
Imagine how sad and unfortunate it is that all of mankind by default, is subject to sin and by extension, death. No one had a say in it before Adam gave us all up. Now, if the sinful act of a man had such grave consequences on all humanity, you can imagine the great and glorious benefits which the righteous act of God Himself has brought to us.
When Christ came, He healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, cast out demons and even raised people from the dead but all these wonderful things weren’t the main purpose of His coming. They were reflections or will I say evidences of His main purpose. He came to correct the error of Adam’s act. He came to take away the consequences of Adam’s act. This time around, there were no limitations unlike the sacrifices of animals. The sacrifices of animals were limited to one sin alone. That is to say if Mr. A steals and Mr. Z also steals, the sacrifice of Mr. A will not atone for the sin of Mr. Z. Further, if after making sacrifices to atone for that act of stealing, Mr. A steals again or maybe this time around, he commits a different sin, the sacrifices he earlier made will not atone for his subsequent sin. Another sacrifice has to be made, and so on. That was how limited sacrifices were before Christ came.
But when Christ came, He took all the sins of mankind away. By getting crucified on the cross, He atoned for the sins of both those who were in existence at the time and those yet to be born for as long as the earth remains till He returns the second time. He is the ultimate sacrifice, the last sacrifice. Through Him, all the sins of Mr. A, Mr. Z and everyone else have been atoned for. However, much as He has done this for us, each person has the task of either accepting it or refusing it. Take an example of a person who was unwillingly locked in a room—Adam by his disobedience, locked all humanity in sin. And a rescuer brings the key to the room and gives it to the person—Christ came to rescue us and the key is believing in Him. The person has two options to select from, he either uses the key—believing in Jesus and leaving sin. Or he refuses to use the key—doesn’t believe in Jesus and remains locked in sin.
But it isn’t the will of God that any man should perish this is why He brought the key to us (2 Peter 3:9). And He is patiently waiting and hoping that more and more people will choose to use the key to unlock the door and be freed from sin. And every time a person unlocks the door and leaves the room, God is overjoyed, the heavens are overjoyed, His whole kingdom is overjoyed, it is like welcoming a prince who was missing for long but has now returned to the kingdom.
For anyone who is yet to believe in Jesus, use the key this moment and unlock the door. Leave sin. Simply say a simple prayer. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess to God, believe that Christ is Lord and He came to save you. Ask Him to be your Lord and accept Him into your life. God is waiting to welcome you into eternal life.
Unless otherwise stated, all scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
2 Samuel 1:26
“ I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.” (KJV).
In 1 Thessalonians 4, the apostle revealed the will of God to the believers. He told them the purpose of God for them was to be sanctified. That is, to abstain from every form of immorality, be it spiritual or physical. They were not to defile themselves with any idol or have fellowship with demons. They were also not to be involved in sexual immorality or lust after each other. But they were to be fully consecrated unto God. And in verse 4, he said,
“That each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor.”
Man’s vessel is his soul, comprising his will, emotions and mind. This vessel should be sanctified, that is, given to express God and His intentions alone. It should also be owned in honour, that is, kept morally upright. However, the possibility of the latter is dependent on the former. For the soul cannot be kept morally upright if it is not sanctified for God’s expression alone. Separated from God and left on its own, the soul will express itself carnally and quickly run into corruption. Even Adam in the beginning could not keep his innocence because he was drawn away from God and got enticed with sin. Also, when men were later left to themselves by God to see if they could restore themselves after the fall, they instead ran headlong into utter depravity. Then the Lord said in Genesis 6:3, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh.” Man had completely degenerated to flesh.
Therefore, to keep the soul upright, it must be consecrated unto God for His glory and expression. The mind should be cleansed and renewed by the word of God. The emotions should be refined to only express God’s feelings. Then the will should be sacrificed for God’s will. By this, the soul will be virtuous.
Now, the apostle, immediately after this exhortation, says in verse 9,
“But as touching BROTHERLY LOVE ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.” (Emphasis added, KJV).
Brotherly love is the love of God that finds expression among the people whom God has called out of different places and are gathered together in the Name of Jesus. This love is different and stronger than that which is found among ordinary friends or among family members. It is the love of God. And since God is love, it is the expression of God Himself, specifically in an affectionate manner, through the believers towards themselves. It is by the expression of this special love among the believers that they are known to be followers of Jesus. Jesus Christ says in John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
So before talking about this affectionate feeling, the apostle first laid a foundation that the believers should shun fornication. Knowing fully well that the enemy, the devil, will want to corrupt the love of God among them. Consequently, instead of possessing their vessel in sanctification and honour, they will have it in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God. (1 Thessalonians 4:5).
Meanwhile, one of the reasons the Lord lets His love to flow through the believers is that they might be united. So that by being united the world may believe in Him. (John 17:21). However, the devil’s plan is to frustrate this purpose. He therefore tries to corrupt the true love of God among the believers so he can eventually bring disunity among them. If he becomes successful, the world, instead of believing in Jesus Christ, will blaspheme the Name of God because of the believers.
But in Philippians 4:1, we see how apostle Paul was expressing his love for the saints at Philippi. He said,
“Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.”
There was a deep love among the saints, the relationship that existed between them was stronger than the one that exists even among blood relations. We also see Jesus Christ demonstrating this love while on the cross about to die to leave the earth. He did not hand over His mother to His siblings. He handed her over to one of His disciples because the disciple was closer to Him than His siblings. John 19:26-27 says,
“When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.”
Mary, the mother of Jesus, did not return home but immediately joined herself to the disciple. And in Acts 1:14 we see her continuing with the disciples as they devoted themselves to prayer.
Believers should learn how to be intimately one with one another by the love of God while they still keep their souls clean, sanctified and morally upright. Such was the love that existed between David and Jonathan. It surpassed the love that a man has for a woman. It was the pure love of God. If such love exists among believers, they will be intimately one without any lustful passion. And if it is established, when believers enter into courtship, they will also be able to keep themselves pure while they still display affection towards one another. Then after they are joined, “the marriage will be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed will be undefiled” (Hebrews 13:4).
Luke 15:1-32 gives three parables to give us an idea of how important a single soul is to God. The first parable which is the parable of the lost sheep narrates how a shepherd who owns a 100 sheep leaves the rest behind to search for any single sheep that goes missing. Even if it is just one sheep that goes missing, the shepherd leaves the 99 to go in search for the 1 and when he finds it, he gathers his neighbours to rejoice with him. And Jesus said in verse 7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over 99 just persons, which need no repentance.
The second parable is that of the lost coin. It goes thus, that if a woman who owns 10 pieces of silver loses one of the coins, she lights a candle and sweeps the whole house, carefully searching for the one coin that went missing. When she finally finds it, she calls her friends and neighbours to rejoice with her. And Jesus repeated, likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
The third parable is a popular one. The parable of the prodigal son who collected all his inheritance from his father and went out from his father’s presence to squander it on senseless living after which, he was finally reduced to eating food meant for pigs. When he finally came to his senses and went back home to his father, even before he near the house his father ran out to him and hugged and kissed him. He dressed him in his best robes and threw a huge party in his honour to celebrate his return, for he said, this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found.
Yet these parables are but a mere shadow of how much the heavens rejoice over a single soul that is won to the kingdom of God. A God that loved us so much that He sent His only Son to reduce Himself to flesh just so we can be saved. Not only did He become a human being, He was born into a humble home, not the home of a king or ruler or even a rich man but the home of a carpenter. Even at birth, He was born in very humble surroundings.
And even those He was sent to didn’t welcome Him. Some didn’t believe Him, He was persecuted, beaten, pierced, humiliated and crucified. He bore all this in silence just to ensure that we are saved. 2 Peter 3:9 KJV says The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. That is what God wants, that none of us should be lost to destruction but that we all should repent and be saved. This was why He sent Jesus, that all of humanity will have a chance at returning to Him.
And guess what? God is still waiting for you. The Bible describes Him as long-suffering. This is why despite the number of years you have spent outside of Him, living your life your own way, He is still waiting for you, ready to welcome you and rejoice over you just as the father welcomed his prodigal son with open arms.
Not only will God welcome you with open arms, but your past life of sin will be remembered no more. The day you receive Jesus and return to God, you will stand washed and purified before Him because Hebrews 8:12 says, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” The day you surrender your life to Jesus, you begin afresh with God, He gives you a clean slate, He writes off your sins and you start a new life in Him, free from all encumbrances. In place of your filthy garment, a garment whiter than snow will be placed on you.
And do you know what? The rejoicing when you give your life to Christ isn’t restricted to heaven alone. Even you yourself will rejoice. Acts 8:5-8 KJV says, “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city” (Emphasis added).
And there was great joy in that city! Because they had been taken out of darkness into God's marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9b). Because they had been liberated from sicknesses and diseases (Isaiah 53:5). Because they were no longer at the mercy of demons, demons had been subdued (Mark 16:17). Because they were no longer doomed to an eternity of sorrow and gnashing of teeth. Because that void in their lives which they didn’t even realize existed, had been filled. Because they had been introduced to the love of God (John 3:16).
Oh what great joy will there be among the hosts of heaven when you turn away from the path of destruction. Oh what great joy will there be within you when you come into God’s kingdom, when you make up your mind that you don’t want to live in sin anymore, that you don’t want to live your life chasing things that don’t have eternal value. Oh what great joy will there be within you when you realize that you are now on the path of life. Just like the thief that accepted Jesus even at the point of death and his fate was immediately turned around for the better. Luke 23:43 says “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Jesus is waiting expectantly for you. Open your heart to Him today.
Not even death can limit God from showing His power and might. Right from the fall of Adam when God reduced man's lifespan, death has been believed to be the final bus stop for man, at least here on earth. But even that does not and can not stop God.
There are various instances in the Bible where the seemingly impossible situation of death, was turned around by God. In 1 Kings 17:17-21, the son of the widow who fed Elijah in the time of famine, took ill suddenly and died. Elijah carried the boy into his room and he cried out to the Lord asking Him to restore life to the boy. Verse 22 says “And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.”
Next, let’s take a look at 2 Kings 4:18-34. The Shunnamite woman who regularly entertained Prophet Elisha suddenly lost her son to the jaws of death. She carried her son’s body to Elisha and when Elisha prayed and laid upon the boy twice, verse 35b said, “and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.”
2 Kings 13:21 is an interesting account. A dead man who was about to be buried was thrown on the bones of Elisha. Immediately his body touched the bones of Elisha, life was restored to him.
Let us journey to the New Testament. In Mark 5:21-34, Jesus was on His way to heal Jairus' daughter who was sick at the time. But in verse 35, He was told not to bother with the girl anymore because she had died. When Jesus arrived at the house, He told the people who were already mourning that the girl was merely asleep. He followed this up by taking her hand in verse 41 and telling her to rise. Verse 42a says, “And straightway the damsel arose, and walked.” In Luke 7:11-15, Jesus intercepted a burial procession. A widow was going to bury her only son but Jesus encountered her. He told her son to arise. Verse 15 says, “And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak...”
John 11 contains the popular story of Lazarus. What distinguishes this from others is that not only was Lazarus dead, his body had already started decomposing and yet, God could not be stopped. Not only was he brought back to life, the process of decomposition was instantly reversed and he was made whole.
Moving on to the Acts of the Apostles after Jesus had ascended into Heaven. Acts 9:36-42 tells the story of a certain disciple called Tabitha (Dorcas) who was known for her good deeds. She fell sick and died. The apostle Peter was sent for and he knelt down and prayed for her after which he spoke to the body and said “arise” and she opened her eyes and sat up, life restored.
In Acts 20:7-12, a young man named Eutychus fell asleep and fell down from a third floor window. Death was instantaneous. The apostle Paul was unperturbed. He fell on him and hugged him then got up to eat and preach. After Paul left, it was recorded that the young man was alive.
Matthew 28:1-18, Mark 16:1-14, Luke 24:1-36 and John 20:1-20, all give the glorious account of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. His resurrection greatly displayed the power of God Almighty. There was no need for anyone to pray for Him to be resurrected, there was no laying of hands or fasting. Christ died like He said and He arose on the third day like He said. Death couldn’t withstand Him of course. The grave couldn’t hold Him in. No principality or power could stop Him from coming back to life.
Interestingly, Matthew 28:50-53 recorded that at the point Christ gave up His spirit on the cross, the tombs were opened and many of the saints who had died came back to life. They came out of their tombs and went into the holy city.
Personally, I have also experienced this wondrous power of God. A patient of mine who was certified dead and already wrapped up for burial, had life restored to him by God when I touched him. The man who was supposed to be buried is now alive, healthy and a happy family man. What a great God!
Going a step further from life here on earth, the more wondrous fact is that Christ's death brought eternal life to humanity. For by Adam we were all dead in sin. By Adam, mortality was the end for us but through Christ we were made alive. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, to come as the final and ultimate sacrifice that by His blood, man would be fully reconciled to God. That the breach that was created by Adam would be closed permanently. That man would be reversed from his downward spiral to death. Whosoever believeth in Christ will not perish but have eternal life. We who were once dead can now have life.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 KJV “For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” (Emphasis added). For all who have accepted Christ as their Lord and who diligently serve Him, death on earth isn’t something to be feared because it is but a means to an end. Eternal life, glory, great reward, joy, crowns, and so much more that we are yet to know, beyond our imaginations. Those whose names are found written in the Book of Life will be called unto eternal life.
For those who refuse to accept Christ, death on earth should be feared, not because it is an end in itself but because it will usher them into a much worse fate. None should even contemplate this.
I enjoin each and everyone to make the decision to live today. If you want to be among those who will not perish but live eternally with Christ, there is only one way. Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life...” The way to Heaven is Jesus Christ. If you want to enjoy life eternal, choose Christ because He is life.
The Lord’s Prayer is contained in two books of the Gospel. The guide for prayer which our Lord Jesus Christ gave unto us in Matthew, laid more emphasis on how the prayer of a Christian ought to be. Matthew 6:5 KJV “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.” Firstly, a prayer should be done with the right motive. God is more concerned with the state of our hearts, therefore for every seemingly good act done, if the motive behind it is wrong then the act does not count before God. I the LORD search the heart (Jeremiah 17:10a KJV). For the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7b KJV). If our actions towards men are examined by God, how much more when we come to Him in prayer. Christ described those who come with the wrong motive as hypocrites. Praying with the wrong motive is almost the same as not praying at all because it isn’t acceptable to God. Remember Cain and Abel in the book of Genesis, who brought sacrifices before God. Outwardly, both should have been accepted by God but God looked beyond that and accepted only that which was brought with the right motive.
Matthew 6:6 KJV “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Another important point to extract is that prayer ought to be a reflection of a genuine and personal relationship with God. Praying in your closet where no one can see you, where no one knows what you are doing, shows how invested you are in God. You are concerned about having a one-on-one encounter with Him, free of distractions or external pressures. It may be easier to appear to be godly in public when there are people watching or people who will hold you accountable. But when you are all alone, are you still concerned about God? Do you take out time for Him?
Matthew 6:7-8 KJV “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.” These verses are anchored on the two preceding verses. For it is when you come with the right motive to prayer and when you establish a personal relationship with God that He will be more inclined to your needs. When you come with the right motive, you already know that God is not after the length of your prayer or the number or quality of words used. And as God is all-knowing, when you have a good relationship with Him, He will supply all your needs.
Matthew 6:9 KJV “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven...” When the proper foundation has been laid for prayer, all you need to do is to come to the place of prayer with confidence. This confidence is fuelled by faith. Christ directing us to address God as our Father is to show that we truly believe and recognise that we are His children. In fact, we may say that at that point, Christ was confirming what He came on earth to do—which was to reconcile us to God and restore us to the level of sonship which was lost in the Garden of Eden.
There is a certain level of confidence in a father-child relationship. A child is expected to feel comfortable when approaching the father and in addition, the child comes with the confidence that the discussion will have a fruitful outcome. “Our Father” means I know that God exists, I am a child of God, I am talking to my Father, I believe in Him, I know He loves me, I know He is always there for me and I can approach Him at any time, I am meant to rely on Him for all things, I am to maintain a constant relationship with Him, I believe that my prayer will be heard, I believe that I will get a response, I believe that God is capable of handling whatever I am coming to Him for, I know that He has my best interests at heart because He is my Father, I know that even if the outcome isn’t what I want or expected, it will be what is best for me.
On the other hand, the implications of the opening words of that prayer are the main emphasis of the account in the book of Luke. Luke 11:1 KJV “And it came to pass, that as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” The disciple asked Jesus to teach them to pray. Jesus venturing into that prayer therefore, serves to teach us that prayer is constant communication with God just like the constant communication we maintain with our earthly fathers.
Prayer is one of the most important aspects of the life of a Christian. Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation (Matthew 26:41a). Continue in prayer (Colossians 4:2a). Within the span of time Jesus walked on earth, He was known to be a man of prayer. The Scriptures record different instances where Christ prayed. If Christ Himself acknowledged how important prayer is, how much more we, who are mere mortals. If we profess that we are true followers of Christ then we must pray. Men ought always to pray, and not to faint (Luke 18:1b).
Genesis 2:16-17 KJV “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 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.”
Genesis 3:6 KJV “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 so sin and consequently, death were introduced into the world. The years will see a continuous deduction in man's number of years on earth because of sin.
The devil thought that he had thwarted God's plan but the God who knows the end even from the beginning can never be caught unawares, He can never be stranded. We bless the Lord God Almighty because He is a God that gives multiple chances. Psalm 86:15 KJV says “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” Although Adam's performance in the garden was disappointing, God wasn’t finished with mankind and indeed till date, He isn’t finished with us.
The expectation would have been that after the sin of Adam, God would give up totally on man but we see God consistently trying to salvage man, trying to set man right with Him. It started with the time of Seth, the son of Adam, when it was recorded that men began to call upon the name of the Lord (Genesis 4:26). Even when wickedness increased on the face of the earth, God didn’t give up on us, He proceeded to preserve Noah and his offspring so that mankind won’t be completely wiped out. From Noah came Abraham who God called out from his brethren to walk before Him. From Abraham came the people of Israel. Their journey with God consisted of series of rising and falling. God even described them as stiff-necked yet His mercy still remained. Despite the presence of the law of Moses and prophets to guide them, the Israelites continually struggled with consistency with God. Time and time again, they would go astray. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy (Micah 7:18 KJV). For from the people of Israel, the ultimate gift from God to man, was to come.
After so many years of man’s failure, God came down Himself in the person of His Son, to carry out the final work of salvation. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16 KJV). Despite fumbling through so many chances which God gave us, He still came down on earth to save us.
He stooped so low just to get us back on track. Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people (Hebrews 2:17 KJV). And even when He walked on earth, He was still rejected by many. Those whom He came to save persecuted Him. God didn’t abort the mission, He took our sins to the cross that we may have another chance at life. Ephesians 2:4-5 KJV “But God who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ...”
And do you know what? God is still giving us chances today. Because despite all He has done, man still struggles to accept the gift of salvation. We have constantly failed Him but He is still waiting patiently for us to repent, for us to make things right. Lamentations 3:22a KJV says “It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed.” And Psalm 145:8 says “The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger and full of great mercy.”
Let us stop taking His mercy for granted. He has made things easy for us, all that is needed from us is to believe in Jesus Christ, and live a life of total obedience to Him. If we do this, we will not perish.
If you have been living life on your terms. If you do not believe in Jesus Christ. If you once believed in Him but you now find yourself having doubts. If you believe in Jesus but you don’t obey Him. If you are afraid to believe in Jesus Christ. If you believe in Him but you find your love for Him waxing cold. If you have been inconsistent with Him. If you have been rising and falling. If you find yourself only serving Him when times are good but once the going gets tough, you turn away. I bring you good news!
Today is the day of salvation. This is yet another chance that our merciful God is giving you. For it isn’t His will that any man should perish. He is telling you to come unto Him so that you may live. It doesn’t matter how far you think you have fallen or the number of terrible things you have done, 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 (Isaiah 1:18 KJV). The moment you accept Christ, it will be a new beginning for you.
Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. Open up your heart to Him. All it takes is for you to believe and your journey to eternal life begins. There is no restriction as to who can be saved—whosoever believes in Christ, will not perish.
Unless otherwise stated, all scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
1 Kings 8:46 says “there is no man who does not sin.” The apostle also says in 1 John 1:8, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” Because there is sin in everyone, believers inclusive, there is a possibility of falling and committing some sin. Due to this contingency, Jesus Christ became not only our Saviour but also our Advocate. 1 John 2:1 says;
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
Jesus Christ stands before the Father for us, to appease Him. When the Father is therefore appeased, we can now receive forgiveness.
However, Jesus Christ will not be able to do His work of advocacy if you do not confess your sin. By confessing your sin, you are acknowledging you have sinned, and believing God for forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 says;
“If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
So, when a sinner confesses his sin, the sinner receives forgiveness.
But how can God be both faithful and righteous in justifying a sinner when the law says, “The person who sins will die?” (Ezekiel 18:20). Will He not be breaking the law and thus become unrighteous? “Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” (Genesis 18:25). Far be it from God to act unjustly. He will rather declare His righteousness in making true judgments. It is in declaring His righteousness that He manifests His glory to all the peoples and show Himself to all as the Judge. (Psalms 97:6; 50:6).
He must therefore righteously execute His judgment on the sinner to reveal Himself as the true Judge and also to reveal His glory to the world.
It should be known that God will not just pass over your sins because you confess them. For that will make Him an unrighteous Judge. But for Him to be able to justify you and pass over your sin and still remain just, He must provide a ransom on which He will execute your judgment. Romans 3:25-26 therefore says,
“Whom (Jesus) God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
God has set forth Jesus Christ as a Ransom for everyone. Whoever believes in Him can now be forgiven and justified. Jesus Christ therefore is not only our Saviour and Advocate but also the Propitiation for our sins. He takes the place of the sinner who confesses his sin and believes in Him as his Substitute and Ransom. Upon Jesus Christ then does God execute the sinner’s judgment while He justifies the sinner. And this God did to demonstrate and show how righteous He is in His judgments.
So, the forgiveness received by the sinner is a result of the demonstration and declaration of God’s righteousness. And Paul, talking about the gospel that says Jesus has become our Propitiation, says in Romans 1:17 “For in it (that is, the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed.”
Believing in Jesus, the Propitiation God has set forth, also declares His righteousness for Him to be known as the Judge and to display His glory.
Now, there are some who find it difficult to forgive themselves. They suppose that if they sin, there is no remedy. In despair, they condemn themselves forever. They are always sorrowful. It is good to be sorrowful and remorseful when one discovers his sin, but such sorrow should lead to repentance and not a state to indwell forever. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says;
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” (KJV).
Any regret that does not produce repentance that will lead to salvation is demonic. Although God wants you to be sorrowful for your sins, He does not want you to remain in sorrow forever.
Ordinarily, if you sin, you cannot forgive yourself. So do not first of all try to forgive yourself. This is because if you sin, you do not primarily sin against yourself but against God. You transgress His commandments. You cannot transgress the laws of God and then go ahead to forgive yourself. He is the Judge and the verdict must issue from Him. And according to the law, you must die. But having provided a Substitute for you, God who is the Judge, can now faithfully and righteously forgive you. Then, you can now apply the forgiveness He has shown you to forgive yourself.
Therefore if you sin, acknowledge it and confess your sin to God, repent and plead the blood of Jesus to show you believe Him as your Substitute while asking God for forgiveness. With the intercession of the Advocate, you will receive the forgiveness of God. This forgiveness of God you have received is the premise on which you can now forgive yourself. Since His forgiveness is a result of His righteous act, you will be cleansed from all unrighteousness and be justified when you apply His forgiveness on your heart. When you forgive yourself on this basis, you also affirm that God is the true Judge and that you have also seen His glory.
However, the devil may want to bring up some accusations to condemn you. Your conscience will then be protesting. The answer to this is still the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus is the same with Jesus. By pleading the blood you show the devil Jesus Christ has been sacrificed for you and he therefore has no ground to bring any accusation against you. As long as Jesus satisfies the Father by offering Himself on your behalf, you are justified. If the Judge has then justified you, the devil has lost all grounds. If God be for you, who can be against you? No longer can anyone bring a charge against you, not even yourself. (Romans 8:31,33). Also, when you plead the blood of Jesus, it will purge your conscience so as to be free from all guilt. (Hebrews 9:14). So by pleading the blood of Jesus, you satisfy God and receive forgiveness, you silence and overcome the devil’s accusations and you also get rid of all guilt by having your conscience purged.
Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, the Holy Spirit reveals to us the whole plan of God for us. It says;
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you ENTIRELY; and may your SPIRIT and SOUL and BODY be preserved COMPLETE, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Emphasis added).
At the moment of receiving Jesus Christ into your life, your spirit becomes regenerated and made habitable and conducive to occupy the Spirit of God. It is immediately sanctified and consecrated only for the habitation of the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit does not intend to remain and dwell only in your spirit. He also wants to move into your soul and occupy it and finally own your body as well. Therefore, God wants you entirely sanctified that you may be the temple worthy for the Holy Spirit to dwell. By entirely, He means all the parts of man; spirit, soul and body, not leaving any part out. And by complete, He means each part to be completely sanctified, not leaving some particular areas left out. This is the full salvation. By this process, the Holy Spirit is joined to the believer; spirit, soul and body.
This is the joining of the Bride to the Bridegroom through the Holy Spirit which will be consummated at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb after rapture. Whoever then frustrates this process of transformation by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit will be unfit for rapture. Consequently, such a believer will be left behind to taste the great tribulation.
Among many sins that be, fornication is the sin that easily frustrates this precious work of the Holy Spirit. We may not be able to rate one sin above another, but when it comes to our sanctification, fornication is our greatest enemy. Since the plan of God is to join us with Jesus Christ, fornication is then the tearing apart of that joining. It stands directly against our joining, that is, our sanctification. So the apostle asked in 1 Corinthians 6:16;
“Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, ‘The two shall become one flesh.’”
By involving in fornication, you separate yourself from Jesus Christ and give yourself to your desires.
The word fornication in the Bible, especially in the King James Version does not only mean sexual intercourse outside marriage. It is rather a broad term used for all forms of illicit sexual intercourse--adultery, incest, homosexuality, bestiality, masturbation and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.
And in 1 Corinthians 6:18, the Bible explicitly says, “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” (KJV).
Although all unrighteousness is sin (1 John 5:17), and no unrighteous one will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9), no sin directly and presently destroys the body like fornication. This is because it hinders the work of the Holy Spirit that is necessary to not only preserve the body but also transform it. It quickly brings sicknesses and eventually death. Only the Lord can fully sustain the body. 1 Corinthians 6:13 clearly states this. It says;
“Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.”
Some say sex is needed to sustain the body. This may be true for some and for such, they should use the permitted way which is marriage. (2 Corinthians 7:9). Fornication is not the ordained way for providing such sustenance. It is like stealing to sustain yourself because you are hungry. Although you are permitted to eat food when you are hungry, stealing is not the ordained way of getting the food to satisfy your hunger. So even when sex is needed for the sustenance of the body, having it outside marriage is against the will of God.
Seeing that fornication is so harmful and destructive, how then can you escape it?
Firstly, fornication can come as an internal attack. Matthew 15:19 says, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.” You deal with the fornication that arises from the heart by constantly reading the Bible for the transformation of your mind and the cleansing of your heart. Having spent quite a lot of time in the flesh before getting saved, dealing with the heart may not be very easy. The work of transformation may also go on for awhile before the heart gets properly aligned with the ways of God. However, By unceasing prayers and constant reading of the word, the heart will be cleansed nonetheless.
In addition, it can be addressed by rebuking any thought of fornication in the Name of Jesus anytime it arises.
Secondly, it can also be an external attack. Although you are to pray not to fall into temptations, in this case, you do not pray about it or rebuke it, but flee immediately it is suspected. You pray before the temptation comes. But if it comes, you run away so as to escape it. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 says, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (KJV). This external attack may not come directly from the opposite sex, but through other means that may suggest fornication like books, movies, places, etc. Such should be avoided.
Thirdly, avoid evil company. 1 Corinthians 15:33 clearly says, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’” Sometimes, it may seem companying with the ungodly will have little or no effect on the believer. This is not so, more often than not, the believer gets corrupted. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul made a very powerful statement. He told the Corinthian believers not to company with even a believer who was a fornicator – not even to eat with such a person. This he said to prevent the spread of corruption.
Lastly, as you flee from fornication, pursue the things of God with those who are genuine, lest you find yourself drawn back to it. 2 Timothy 2:22 says, “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” This is very important so as to keep you engaged. For idleness easily gives room for the tempter.
Unless otherwise stated, all scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
Both night and day for over three years, the disciples were taught and trained by the Lord. The teaching and exercise He took them through were to prepare them for the work He would fully commit into their hands. In their presence He taught and preached to the people, cast out demons, healed the sick, delivered the oppressed, etc.
The whole world had been under the sway of the wicked one before the Lord came to the earth. Everywhere seemed to be under the influence of the devil and his kingdom was covering the whole earth. But the Lord came introducing a new and a superior kingdom and was urging everyone to come into it. He demonstrated the authority and power of his kingdom over the enemy’s by setting the captives free and preaching to them the things concerning the kingdom. Because of the great need to establish God’s kingdom and deliver the people from the oppressor, Jesus was so engrossed that He hardly had time for Himself.
In Mark 3:20-21, the Bible says;
“And He (Jesus) came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, ‘He has lost His senses.’”
Just before this time, Jesus, having been preaching, withdrew Himself with His disciples from the people to the sea. But when the multitudes saw it, they followed Him. People from different cities came to Him, and securing a small ship, Jesus stayed inside it to preach lest the people throng Him. He was healing the people while they were also trying to touch Him that they might be healed of their plagues. Eventually, He departed from them. Straightaway went He to the mountain. And according to the record of Luke, “He spent the whole night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12). When the day came, He called unto Him His disciples and ordained from them the twelve that they should be with Him for the purpose of preaching. Then came the multitudes again to Him just as He was about to eat. And not being able to eat, He went out to preach to them. At the sight of this, His friends went out to pull Him in. They knew He had not had any sleep all through the night and He was therefore fatigued that morning. Yet, He was not considering it detrimental to His health but went out to preach nonetheless. He was doing nothing else, except preaching the gospel.
It is obvious that Jesus was living only for the gospel. Whatever He did and wherever He went was for the purpose of preaching. Having spent the whole of thirty years preparing for this work, at the appointed time He showed up and spent His remaining years living it out.
By the time He was leaving the earth, He committed the same work into the hands of His disciples. He instructed them to continue what they had always seen Him do. He even expected them to do greater works! The Lord did not give His disciples any tangible inheritance. Even their hope of the restoration of their land was dashed. The Lord actually gave them nothing but the promise of the Father, which was the Holy Ghost. He then told them that the main reason for the fulfillment of this promise in their lives was to make them preach the gospel. And in Acts 1:8 He said to the disciples;
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be MY WITNESSES both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Emphasis added).
The Lord did not just say that they shall witness but that they shall be His witnesses having become partakers of the power of God. That is, their entire life will be His witness. So when they were summoned and strictly charged not to preach and teach in the Name of Jesus by the council, Peter and John replied, “for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). They could not but speak to the people about Jesus. The threats and persecutions of the elders could not stop them. And after Stephen was apprehended and stoned to death we read about the rest in Acts 11:19;
“So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, SPEAKING THE WORD to no one except to Jews alone.” (Emphasis added).
While they were trying to escape for their lives, they were still found preaching the gospel which was the reason for their displacement in the first place.
But such is not the case presently. The work of evangelism has almost been totally forgotten. Even in the areas where there is no persecution, believers find it difficult, or rather, unnecessary to preach. It has now been abandoned for a few people to do. This aberration is becoming the norm because of the change in emphasis. Believers now need to be dragged for them to involve themselves in evangelism. Evangelism is part of the primary work of the believers, and immediately they receive Jesus Christ, they should be introduced to it. It should be practised always, for in doing so your interest in it can grow.
The act of evangelizing will be totally lost if not practised. This actually is the reason for the present condition of believers. The way to restore this act is simply to begin with a soul, and from there you will spontaneously receive the hunger and passion for many souls and also be able to encourage other believers to be partakers of it.
Ah Lord GOD! Behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee” Jeremiah 32:17 KJV
Without even being told, we should know that there is nothing too hard for God. We popularly describe God as the Creator of heaven and earth but we fail to keep to mind what that phrase implies. Genesis records that in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. He didn’t construct them out of sand or blocks or iron rods or any material. After creating the earth Genesis further records that it was without form and void. What was the next point of action for God? And God said...
From that simple act of God, so many things were created out of nothing. Light, the seas, the plants, the heavenly bodies to mark the times and seasons, all the sea creatures, the flying birds and land animals, and man. God was able to bring forth all these from a formless and void place.
Consider a house, it is made up of different building materials that have to be made from something. Consider a car, it is made up of different parts that have to be assembled. Those parts themselves are made from materials. Basically everything that is created has to be created from something tangible. Nothing can be created out of nothing.
The story of creation just gives a taste of how unlimited God is. Jeremiah 32:27 KJV says “Behold I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?” Luke 1:37 KJV says “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Nothing shall be impossible not only means that all things are possible, it also means that all things are done with ease. That is the God that we serve. A God who enabled a woman of 90 to conceive and bring forth a child naturally. AA God who made Solomon the wealthiest man at the time and that record still remains unmatched till date. Awho stopped the fire from consuming Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. A God who closed the mouth of the lion when Daniel was thrown into the lions den. A God who made it possible for a virgin to conceive. There is nothing too hard for Him.
A God who can reveal things that are to happen even in the furthest future today. Unto Abraham, He revealed that His people will spend a number of years in a strange land—the Israelites spent 430 years in Egypt. Unto Abraham, He revealed that His descendants shall be like the sands and stars—today, not only the Israelites descend from Abraham but all Christians are the seed of Abraham. Unto Joseph He revealed that His kindred will bow down before him—his brothers bowed down before him in Egypt many years later. Unto Isaiah, He revealed His plan to come to earth and this eventually came to pass so many years later, long after the lifetime of Isaiah. He is also the revealer of secrets—to Joseph, He revealed the meaning of Pharaoh’s dream and to Daniel, he revealed both the king's dream and its interpretation. There is nothing too hard for God.
Even when He walked on earth, He was still in the business of doing the “impossible”. I place impossible in quote because they were only considered impossible to men. He healed the sick, He fed multitudes by multiplying little provisions, He opened blind eyes, He cast out demons, He salvaged all of creation, He raised the dead, in fact, He didn’t just raise the dead, He also raised the decomposing. Even the touch of His garment was able to put a stop to a prevailing sickness. There is nothing too hard for God.
What more? With His departure from earth, He still sent down His Spirit to come upon all the disciples. Not only that, to also come upon anyone who believes and is ready to accept Him.
Even when He isn’t physically present on earth, He isn’t limited. This is because He is omnipresent. He is everywhere at the same time. Space and time can’t limit His power. Millions of people call upon Him second by second and He is able to hear us all. He is able to answer millions of prayers. There is nothing too hard for God.
Medically, my wife possessed all features to strongly suggest that she would find it difficult to conceive. But because with God all things are possible, not only did she conceive without any difficulty, all her labours went ridiculously easy.
God is the same yesterday, today and forever. There was nothing impossible for Him yesterday, there is nothing impossible for Him today and nothing shall ever be impossible for Him. That situation you think there is no way out of, that burden you have been carrying, that sin you have been struggling with, that problem you have been battling with. Why don’t you take them all to God? There is nothing too hard for Him.
You have tried many options, you have tried to figure it out on your own and so far, you haven’t achieved much. Don’t you think it’s time to let go and allow God? A part of a popular hymn goes thus “Let Your Holy Spirit come and take control of every situation that has troubled my life. All my cares and burdens unto You, I roll...” Why don’t you roll all the things you have been struggling with over the past years, or months or days. Roll them over to God. 1 Peter 5:7 KJV says “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.” God is telling you this moment that He can change your situation and He can turn your life around. He is God indeed and there is nothing too hard for Him.
Often times we arrive at a place of dissatisfaction and discomfort. We look at certain aspects of our lives and are unhappy at the state they're in.
There is both a wrong and right way to channel this dissatisfaction.
You can either direct dissatisfaction outward into the world and be resentful for the rest of your life, or you can channel it inward and transmute it into motivation to become a better, more successful, and happier person.
And the starting point of channelling your discomfort towards improvement is by making changes.
Here's how you go about creating change:
1 Identify where improvement is needed: At any point in time, everyone of us has aspects of our lives, businesses and operations that could be improved. Identifying what particular aspects need improvement is the first step to creating change.
2. Recognize that improvement requires change: The reason why you haven't been having optimal results in certain areas may be due to the way you've been going about things. If you're going to improve, then you should understand that you are going to have to change your approaches, attitudes, actions, etc.
3 Recognize that the responsibility to make changes that bring improvement is yours: Once you identify where improvement is needed and you recognize that you have to make changes to do so, your next step is to assume full responsibility. Doing so empowers you to take action.
Your pastor, parents, government, spouse or friend won't give you the improvements you're after no matter how much you want them to. By relying on any of these, you are extremely unlikely to succeed in actually improving your own life, and you will likely waste a lot of your time.
But if you shift your focus and efforts inwards, accept responsibility for the improvements you're after, while this will still take a few years of work, it will take far less time to achieve real results, and the likelihood of actually achieving these results is extremely high.
External factors may help a little, but it’s mainly up to you. No one cares more about your success than you do.
4. Be aware of comfort zones and general reluctance to embrace change: Even though, deep down, you know that change is needed if you're going to improve, you should understand that humans generally are reluctant to change.
This is both due to security in our comfort zones, however bad that is and the fear of the unknown that change brings.
To overcome this, you must be aware of it.
5 Identify the actions that need to be changed or taken towards improvement: You should next identify everything that should be done or changed to get the improvement you're after.
This should be sorted out in a precise and logical manner that guarantees gradual progress in the direction you want.
6 Understand that creating change that leads to improvement is a gradual process: It is a basic of human psychology that we all want instant gratification. We want results and improvements right now. As such, many of us are unwilling to put in the steady efforts that are needed for long term improvement.
While some changes can lead to big improvements in a short period, others take a little longer, like a few weeks, months or years. Whatever it is, don’t delude yourself into thinking you can achieve improvements faster than you actually can.
Change often takes time. Be proactive but also be realistic. Being unrealistic now will cause discouragement later.
7 Get your mindset straight: In order to make any change in your life, you need to have the right mindset. Your mindset will likely be the determining factor as to if you can have the discipline to handle the initial discomforts that making changes cause.
One of the easiest ways to get your subconscious on your side is by visualizing how much better you will be after the improvements achieved through change are made.
If you need health related improvements and have started exercising regularly, you can visualise how much healthier, fitter, and stronger you will be after a year of consistent exercise.
If you've started your business to improve finances, you can visualise the freedom, happiness and peace you will have a few years down the road when your businesses are fully up and running.
Creating change is sometimes a really stressful process, so you’re going to need the right mindset and motivation to make it work.
8 Take action: Get to work on your action plan. In doing this, understand that it can be overwhelming to tackle so many things at once. So the key is to take a bite sized approach.
Try to do something every day, seven days a week, even if it’s something little you do for a few minutes at a time.
Any time you feel stressed, upset, defeated, or lazy, go back to step 8. Keep going. Don’t stop.
9 Anticipate and take setbacks in stride: Creating change that leads to improvement is mostly a gradual process.
As such you’re likely going to encounter setbacks along the way. Understand that this is fine as long as you keep moving forward. Don’t get discouraged. Always keep going.
At the end of the day, regular and consistent action is what creates change. By taking action, you put the law of motion to work for you.
Taking that first step no matter how small, or making an easy change that has a result is the key to success, because these little actions and changes pile up fast into big changes that are sustainable.
It is all about building momentum and that's what taking action does. One small change in one area spreads and influences others.
You have a decision to make. You can cross your arms and frown at the world about how unfair everything is, or you can put in the work, make the necessary changes to better your condition and be happy.
I hope you make the right decision.
Unless otherwise stated, all scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
Jesus said to the Pharisees who came testing Him, that He which made at the beginning made them male and female. So, for this reason shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife and the two of them shall become one flesh. Hence, they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore the Lord has joined together, let no man put asunder.
And truly, turning to the book of the genealogy of Adam, Genesis 5, we have the full understanding of what Jesus was saying. Genesis 5:2 says;
“Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called THEIR NAME ADAM, IN THE DAY WHEN THEY WERE CREATED.” (Emphasis added, KJV).
We gather from this account in Genesis that, although Eve was later fashioned out of Adam to exist physically, she had been created the day God created Adam to exist but, perhaps, only as a spiritual entity. Thus, Adam was created as a male and also a female. That is, in him was his wife before she was eventually built out of him to be presented to him. Note the response of the man when the Lord God brought her unto him:
“This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman (literally, also wife), because she was taken out of Man (literally, also husband).” (Genesis 2:23).
But it is true that Adam did not know if the Lord God had removed anything from him to build another person; for he was deeply asleep. However, when he woke up and saw Eve, he knew she was only an extension and enlargement of himself, no difference. He therefore called her “wife” that was taken from him, the “husband.”
A husband is therefore a man, who has seen his extension and enlargement in a woman and he is therefore joined to her. Accordingly, the woman also becomes his wife.
And Genesis 2:24-25 says;
“FOR THIS REASON a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” (Emphasis added).
Thus, the basis on which the man should leave his parents to be joined to his wife so they can be one flesh is seeing an extension of himself. Also, importantly, this forms the basis on which the man can be an excellent husband.
So, first off, an excellent husband is the man who is excellently one with his wife. He is a man who is joined to his wife and they are therefore no longer two but one. If, however, a man is joined to whoever is not his extension and enlargement, they cannot be one. Consequently, he cannot be an excellent husband because he will not be excellently one with his “wife.” The “wife” will be a separate person from him. They can only become one if the woman is an extension and enlargement of the man. For she will still be “Adam” but only an expression of him so they are one. And even if they are both naked – or have whatever should cause one to be ashamed – they will not be ashamed because they are just one person. As no one is ashamed of his nakedness being seen by only himself.
If the man fails to be excellent in the aspect of oneness, he may not be able to show himself excellent in the other areas.
Second, an excellent husband is a loving husband. Now, love does not just mean an expression of emotion. Love is sacrificing, even sacrificing one’s life. Clearly do we read in John 3:16 that, “For God so LOVED the world, that He GAVE His ONLY begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (Emphasis added). We all know He gave His only Son not just to come to the world, but also to die for the world. This was the expression of His love. Therefore, love is not a mere expression of some sort of emotion but a sacrifice, even of one’s life. Furthermore, the apostle also recommended a template for all husbands and he said in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, JUST AS Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Emphasis added). Just as Jesus loved the church, His Bride; so should the husband love his wife. It is also seen that “loved” and “gave” go together here as in John 3:16. The husband should give himself up for his wife. But this can only be possible if the husband is excellently one with his wife, for He would actually be dying for himself. (Ephesians 5:28).
Third, an excellent husband provides for his wife. Because of his love for his wife, he sacrificially provides whatever is needed to make her presentable. Ephesians 5:25-27 says;
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, SO THAT He might…PRESENT to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”
An excellent husband ensures, by way of sacrifice, his wife has everything that will fully make her express all her beauty and glory in all areas. Be it physical provisions in terms of security, finance and every other necessary material possession. Or spiritual provisions like proper headship and guidance.
To become an excellent husband, the man must begin properly. Because if the foundation be destroyed, even if the he intends to be excellent it will be highly frustrating. It should begin with being excellently one with his wife and then he would be able, by the strength of God, to show himself excellent in every other required area.
Matthew 5:14 KJV “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”
The moment you accept Jesus into your life, it is expected that it is a permanent decision to portray Him throughout your lifetime. This is because you become His representative here on earth.
Consider the origin of the name “Christian”. Jesus Christ didn’t name His followers Christians, His followers didn’t give themselves that name. It was other people, outsiders who ascribed that name to the followers of Christ. They did this after they had watched them and observed their lives. The name was actually given as a description of the lifestyle of the followers of Christ. Acts 11:26 KJV says, “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” Antioch was even a Gentile city so it would have been very easy for the followers of Christ to just lay low or align themselves with the life of the Gentiles but they didn’t. They chose instead to continue steadfastly in the life that they had been called to, not hiding or adapting to the foreign life. They kept proclaiming Christ.
Such should be the approach of every Christian. Wherever you find yourself let it be obvious that you are a Christian, from the way you act, the words you speak, your reaction to things and people. Let your whole lifestyle actively proclaim Christ. Let there be a marked difference between when you were yet to accept Christ and now that you have. This is because these are very opposite lifestyles. Colossians 3:8-10 KJV says, “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him.” The old man is a life without Christ, where anything and everything was acceptable. The new man is a life with Christ where the only things that are acceptable are the things acceptable to Christ. And so whatever does not glorify Christ, whatever doesn’t please Him, whatever doesn’t show Him to others, becomes immediately unacceptable.
Believe it or not, people watch you. They may not tell you or it may not be obvious to you but it will surprise you the amount of influence your life can have on a person. It can either draw the person to Christ or deter the person from coming to Him. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 KJV says, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's” Therefore from the day you gave your life to Christ, you placed God at the steering wheel of your life, you ought not to carry on as you please.
The fact that Christ dwells in you means that when people talk to you, it should be like they are talking to Christ, when people touch you it should be like they are touching Christ. Whoever meets you should feel like he/she has met Christ. Anyone who observes you should be able to easily make the connection that you are a Christian without having to be told. When you describe yourself as a Christian to people, they shouldn’t find it hard to believe. In all your endeavours express He that is in you. By doing that, you constantly glorify Him.
Wherever you go let Jesus be praised. Whether you are alone or in the marketplace or in the office or even within your neighbourhood. Are your friends, colleagues, neighbours and even casual acquaintances, contacting Jesus through you? A part of a song goes thus, “If they’re looking for You Jesus, let them find You in me.” That should be the guiding principle of our lives as Christians. At every time we should be Christ to all that come in contact with us. Our lives should be enough to bring the unsaved to Him, it should be enough to even serve as an encouragement to other Christians. Let all who see us have reason to praise God because our lives testify of Him.
Paul said to the Colossian Christians, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” (Colossians 2:13 KJV. Emphasis added). Christ was the emphasis, Christ was the yardstick, the guiding force, the reason why they should live like that. He even added in verse 17, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” If I do this, will God be praised? If I say this, will He be glorified? Do these thoughts glorify God?
There is this question that people now take jokingly, “What will Jesus do?” However, constantly asking ourselves that question as Christians, will go a long way in reminding us of who we actually are—carriers of Christ, and what is expected of us—what God expects of us. Because if we take stock of our lives so far, I’m sure that many of us have led disappointing lives, we only act as Christians in church, before our pastors and in similar settings but outside those settings we become something else, no one would be able to distinguish us from those who are unsaved. It’s like we have different personalities to match each occasion—when in church, act like a Christian; outside church, forget about Christianity.
Decide that from this day, you wouldn’t just be a Christian simply because you identify as one. You would become a Christian because your life and everything about you portrays Christ.
The books of the Old Testament give detailed directions for sacrifices to be offered to God. There was the Burnt offering (Leviticus 1), the Grain offering (Leviticus 2), the Peace offering (Leviticus 3), the Sin offering(Leviticus 4) and the Guilt offering (Leviticus 5). These had to be carried out with specific animals, on certain days, for certain acts, among others. In addition, the sacrifices were usually not performed personally, the Levitical priests held the special post of offering the special sacrifices to God.
The Burnt offering was for atonement. It was to be either a bull without blemish or a ram/he-goat without blemish (male animals from cattle, sheep or goats) or select birds from the turtledoves or young pigeons. Whoever is bringing the offering would have to lay his hand on the head of the offering so it can be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him (Leviticus 1:4). The Sin offering had to be given in the event of a person committing a sin unintentionally. If it was a priest who sinned or the entire Israel, an unblemished young bull was to be offered. If it was one of the leaders who sinned, then he was to bring an unblemished he-goat. If it was any of the common people, an unblemished she-goat or lamb was to be brought. In the case of intentional sins, the guilty person was to first confess his sin and then bring a female lamb or she-goat or two turtledoves/ young pigeons, or a certain measurement of fine flour, depending on which of these options he could afford. The Levitical priests would then perform the sacrifices in order that the sins may be forgiven.
All these sacrifices had to be performed constantly because God detests iniquity. It was very important that the people of Israel remained pure and without sin at all times. Each point in time when iniquity was found among them, they were punished. Remember when the Israelites made a golden calf and bowed to it, the Lord ordered that the Levites kill those who bowed to the image and in addition, He inflicted the people with plagues (Exodus 32). And when Achan coveted and took what God had condemned, the Israelites suffered defeat at Ai (Joshua 7). The book of Judges gives account of multiple times the Israelites sinned and were subjected to oppression under their enemies or other punishment. Deliverance from their enemies only came after each repentance.
Another important point to note is that there was a need for a go-between, someone to stand before God on behalf of the people. Firstly, there were the Levitical priests who offered the various sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. Next, in the time of the judges, the judges were sent by God to save the people from their enemies. So it was like a continuous bid to bring salvation to the people. But this salvation was only temporary as various judges had to rise up at different periods to save the people over and over again. Usually, this lasted throughout the lifespan of a certain judge. At his death, the people would sin, punishment would follow and another judge would be needed.
Othniel was the first judge who had to deliver the people from Mesopotamia after they had been in bondage for eight years, afterwards Israel had rest for 40 years (Judges 3:7-11). After his death, Israel sinned and they had to serve Moab for eighteen years, Ehud was the next judge to deliver them from Moab (Judges 3:12-30). Next came Shamgar who had to deliver Israel from the Philistines (Judges 3:31). Next came Barak who with the help of Deborah and Jael, delivered Israel from Sisera the captain of the Canaanite army (Judges 4). Then came Gideon to deliver Israel from Midian after Israel had served them for seven years (Judges 6-8). Next came Tola who judged Israel for twenty-three years, and Jair who judged for twenty-two years (Judges 10:1-3). After him, Israel went back to servitude under the Philistines and the Ammonites because of sin and Jephthah had to arise to save them (Judges 10:6-Judges 11-12). Ibzan, Elon and Abdon were the next judges at different times (Judges 12:8-15). And Samson who came after Israel had been under the Philistines for forty years (Judges 13-16).
Next came the era of the prophets who were the messengers of God, trying to keep the people from sinning and maintaining the communication lines between God and the people, such as the likes of Prophets Samuel, Elijah and Elisha. But with all these, there was no permanency as these were only mere mortals struggling to save fellow mortals.
After so many centuries of man's struggle with sin, God came down Himself. Out of the love He had and still has for mankind, He decided to send His only begotten Son to put an end to the era of sin. Because the actual slave master wasn’t the Philistines or the Ammonites or Canaanites or Moabites, the actual slave master was sin. For it was only when the people sinned that the sin and guilt offerings were needed. It was only when the people sinned that they were opened up to oppression from other nations. Where sin's hold can be permanently broken then everything else that accompanies it would come to an end.
And so Christ came to put an end to sin. In putting an end to sin, there was no more need for animal sacrifices, no need for Levitical priests to stand before God on behalf of the people. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke record that before Jesus died, the veil in the temple was divided into two. The curtain had previously separated the inner court where previously only the priests had access to in order to approach God, from the outer court. The Gospel of John records that Jesus' last words on the cross were “It is finished”. Because Christ is the final priest, the final judge and Redeemer. And whoever believes in Him will be saved.
Unless otherwise indicated, scripture quotations are from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.
Genesis 4:1
“And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.”
According to spiritual arrangements, in terms of relationship, after the sacred relationship between God and His people comes the intimate relationship between the man and his wife. As a matter of fact, to show the closeness, many times God likened His relationship with the Israelites to the type of relationship between the husband and his wife. Speaking to the Israelites in Jeremiah 3:20, the Lord declared;
“Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel.”
Another passage directly tells us the Lord was even married to them, although they later broke the covenant of marriage.
Jeremiah 31:31-32;
“‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ declares the Lord.”(NASB).
Just as Jesus Christ, Who is God in human flesh, came to the earth to deliver men from the domain of darkness, so as to constitute them as His Bride, so did the Lord deliver the Israelites from the land of Egypt, the house of bondage, so as to be their husband. And even though the Israelites have broken the covenant of marriage that the Lord made with them, He is not relenting. He has spoken that He will at the end make a fresh covenant with them.
And in Isaiah 54:5 the prophet boldly declared to the Israelites;
“For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.”
Thus, the relationship between the husband and his wife is the next, after the relationship between God and His people.
Furthermore, clearly do we see this in the arrangement of the events in the Bible. It was after the relationship between God and Adam with his wife (Eve), was established in Genesis 2 and 3 that the Bible went ahead to talk about the relationship between the man and the woman in Genesis 4:1-- and Adam KNEW his wife. While the relationship between their two children, Cain and Abel, followed subsequently.
So it was with Cain. Genesis 4:16-17 says after defining his relationship with God, that of course he was no longer interested in Him, he departed from the presence of the Lord to dwell in the land of Nod and then KNEW his wife.
But we might have misinterpreted and misunderstood the word “knew” if the words “conceived” and “bare” had not immediately followed, both in the case of Adam and Eve, and in the case of Cain and his wife. Hence, the word “knew” in those contexts means to have sexual intercourse. Adam had sexual intercourse with his wife and she conceived and bore children, likewise their son, Cain. That is therefore the meaning of the word whenever it is used in such contexts in the Bible.
Now, the word of the Lord deliberately uses the word “know” to denote what exactly sex is. Paul, an apostle of the Lord, who by the mercy of God had received great insights about the mystical relationship between the Lord and His Bride, the church, says in 1 Corinthians 13:12,
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
Talking about when he would be with the Lord, not in a relative sense, but absolutely, said; then shall he know even as he has been known.
The fact that God wants us to know Him is littered across the pages of the Bible. To this end has He given us His Holy Spirit – to teach and to guide us into all the reality of God – that by knowing Him, we might be one with Him in the spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17); just as the man and his wife should know each other to be one in the flesh. Even His life was given to us that we might know Him. John 17:3 says, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ…”
But the way God has designed that the husband should know his wife is not through the life and the Spirit of God, but practically through sex. Sex is designed by God for the husband and his wife to have a deep knowledge of each other by transmitting themselves to each other. And just as the life and the Spirit of God mix with the believer who has received the mercy and grace to know God, so the lives of the man and his wife mix together, that they may be truly one in the flesh. Sex is therefore meant to perfect, or rather, consummate their oneness. Consequently, the first act of sexual intercourse following marriage is called consummation.
In essence, sex is not for the unmarried. It goes beyond the physical act into the exchange of lives between the parties involved. It is out of order and confusing to practise sex when not married because it is like an “exchange of the natural function for that which is unnatural,” that is, it is against the natural ordination of God (Romans 1:26). It will even be more detestable and abominable to have this act with different people. The Bible says those that practise this are worthy of death (Romans 1:32). Sex is a mysterious act God has ordained only to make one the two who have entered into the covenant of marriage. It is not meant for the unmarried, since they have not entered into the covenant of marriage. It is also not meant for one man and many wives or one woman and many husbands. For the two, (not three or four), shall be one.
The importance of having an excellent formal education can't be underestimated.
There’s nothing wrong with learning sciences, history, languages, the arts and so on.
The problem though is that our educational system as it is, is woefully inadequate in teaching personal finance and wealth building principles.
The result is that a lot of us go through the process and come out of the classroom with our degrees and book knowledge, but with little to no idea on how we can actually strategize for healthy wealth accumulation in real life.
In fact, we end up finding out that going from classroom to wealth may require that we actually go against some of the things we were taught in the classroom.
While it may seem like those who have gone on to achieve success at the highest levels did so by chance or simply because of their given talents, everything they've accomplished is usually the result of dedication and perseverance - and a similar approach and effort in these areas from you will yield you similar results.
Most people will not be able to achieve the highest levels of success of course, but anyone who sets their mind to it can go from the classroom to wealth in a few short years by sticking to certain principles and putting in the necessary time and effort.
Below are some of the timeless principles involved in going from the classroom to wealth:-
1 Keep learning and investing in yourself: A lot of people think their learning ends when they've graduated from the classroom.
They couldn't be more wrong.
Your brain is your greatest asset in your bid to go from the classroom to wealth. A strong knowledge base is the most valuable thing you have, so keep expanding your knowledge — even after the classroom. Thanks to the internet, you can now learn almost anything for free.
Your learning should include and exceed your particular disciplines. No knowledge is a waste and the more you know, the more money you can make.
2 Get a Mentor:- By getting someone who has already achieved what you want to achieve to mentor you, you can accelerate your journey towards success.
By leveraging your mentor's experience and insights, you will avoid mistakes and pitfalls you would otherwise have made or fallen into had you gone out on your own.
3 Quit with the excuses: Going from classroom to wealth entails that you let go of procrastination, excuses and accept responsibility for how your life turns out.
A lot of people who are fresh off the classroom believe that there's always enough time for everything. They see strategising for wealth building as something that comes later in life, and are more preoccupied with the pleasures of the moment.
Unfortunately, this is naive at best. Building wealth is a gradual process and the earlier you start working towards doing so, the better placed you will be to achieve success.
And the longer you make excuses or wait, the fewer advantages you have.
4 Avoid the shiny object syndrome: Young people who are fresh off the classroom, in their bid to "strike quickly" are often susceptible to all the communications they receive promising guaranteed and magical wealth.
The truth though is that there is no such thing. The fundamental principles behind accumulating wealth are based on working smart even as you work hard, putting your money to work for you and being shrewd with your spending.
5 Be an entrepreneur: Even though you will want to get a job immediately after school to start earning and grow your income, it is a fact that you can't accumulate great wealth by working for someone else.
Being an entrepreneur who creates values, products, services and businesses is without a doubt one of the fastest and most effective ways to earn spectacular wealth at a young age. This is how most of the world's wealthiest young people made their money.
So you want to start your side hustle as soon as possible.
6 Take calculated risks: As a young person who's just out of the classroom and intends to accumulate wealth, you have to get used to taking calculated risks.
You statistically have a lot of years ahead of you and so now is the time to take risks. Carefully research and invest in higher-risk, higher-payoff opportunities, start your business, jump on new ventures and new opportunities. If things don't work out as well, you'll have plenty of time to rectify.
Most who have accumulated wealth will tell you one of the greatest keys to success is taking calculated risks.
While your peers are averse to risk and comfortable being average, you are going to have to take a different path if you're to achieve wealth.
7 Understand the concept of redundancy: This simply means diversity or giving yourself options. Don't have or rely on just one skill set, have several. Don't rely on one income stream, have several. Don't rely on one opportunity or connection, have several.
By having multiple sources of everything, you hedge and protect yourself from paralysing setbacks should any negative event affect any particular source.
8 Build your connections: To go from classroom to wealth, you've got to build as many connections as possible. In this day and age, just being hardworking isn't enough. You need to be connected to the right people whose influence you can call upon to advance your interests.
The more connected you are, the more opportunities you will be informed of and exposed to and the faster your progress will be.
By applying these eight principles, you'll be able to start accumulating wealth no matter where you are in life. It may not necessarily be easy and you'll have to make sacrifices -but if you get on the path early and stick to it, you'll set yourself up for massive financial success.
Implement these principles in your life and watch as you healthily accumulate wealth regardless of the fact that it's not that long ago you left the classroom.
Not for the first time did Dave wobble into the gym, overweight and feeling sorry for himself.
He had hit rock bottom. With every slight movement, he could feel the fat and grogginess coursing through his body.
He would start panting furiously after a short walk or after climbing a small flight of stairs and even get chest pains sometimes. Several times previously, he had promised himself he would change his habits to achieve a healthier and better lifestyle but yet was unable to stick to his resolutions.
But this time around, he was determined, stuck to his exercise routine, and lost a huge chunk of weight. Never in his life had he felt better, with his strength and concentration levels improving considerably.
Peter remembers when he was 18 years old, living on his own, standing by the road side, hoping beyond hope that someone, anyone would buy the game he had spent the whole day hunting to kill so he could eat that night. It was not fun. Yet, he remembers how happy he was back then because he lived in the future and knew someday, he would soon be living a life of maximum freedom, happiness and peace even though he wasn’t really sure how he was going to do it.
Sometimes, when we're trying to improve, make changes or develop healthier habits, we have motivation issues. We keep trying but we never feel the pull, never gain traction. At this point, we may think that perhaps we're not trying hard enough so we try to push on.
Eventually though, we just grow tired, restless, impatient and quit altogether, reverting to the status quo because that's so much easier. We can’t see the results, any results, from our efforts so we presume we would never get the results we want regardless of how hard we try.
We take the pattern we think we observe and project it forward into the future, jeopardising and further demoralising ourselves in the process.
This was the case with Dave prior to achieving his breakthrough.
But Dave eventually succeeded at adopting a healthier lifestyle because he came to realise that by projecting his vision of his current unhealthy and overweight self far into the future, it became a self fulfilling prophecy.
When he instead positively started to see himself on a long enough timeline and visualized how he wanted to look and feel a few years down the line, how fit, energetic, stronger and confident he would be, he was now able to get his subconscious working for him rather than against him.
Living in the present and enjoying the moment is important. But like in Peter's case, sometimes our present isn't so wonderful and we seldom find joy in our current realities. It is in these instances that visualisation of a better future helps immensely. This is because humans have the capacity to be happy and motivated when we have an exciting future to which we can look forward even though our present isn't good enough.
Maintaining a positive future outlook and visualisation can only take you so far of course so you have to be actively putting in the work, and being true to yourself to achieve improvements. These results might not manifest themselves in a day, week or even months, but if you continue to give your 100 per cent to it, you will eventually get there.
There will inevitably be times when you would want to give up, or be discouraged but a strong vision of a much improved future you will have if you stick it out will enable you get through this.
In this fast paced society, where so much emphasis is placed on the now and instant gratification, where everyone is only interested in a quick dash to results, being able to live in the future is key to seeing out the gradual process that improvement usually is.
One should also note that just as it can be immensely powerful to have a positive future view, it can also be dangerous to have a negative future view. If you ever assume a negative outcome in a major area of your own life, doing this can be detrimental to getting the results you are after. You need to come to a complete stop and re-orient your thinking.
Living in the future ensures we remain motivated in the present while we go through the changes required to achieve whatever success we are after.
This success is all about creating success-creating habits. The better we are at creating habits that stick, the more successful we will be in all areas of life.
But habits of any nature take time to create. We often just start at a state of discomfort, just enough to want to change. Then we make a change to better our condition.
When we first start into the change, it may get very painful and our motivation levels suffer as a result. However, if we stick with it, we start to see results, and our life starts to improve.
Soon, when the habit or system becomes second nature and the new results become part of who we are, we are now at a new level of happiness, higher than when we started.
While we are undergoing the perhaps painful process of creating these positive habits, we can do with all the motivation and encouragement we can get.
Look beyond your present inadequacies, shortcomings and situations. Project yourself into the future. Create a clear mental image of what you want to achieve. This can be related to money, career, fitness, etc. Whatever the mind conceives, it can achieve. You can mould the reality that you want, truly manifest anything you desire but you need to live in the future. Do not be discouraged by the present reality. Rather, keep pushing on, and working hard towards the excellent future you have visualized for yourself.
Because in the end, the future is really what matters.
