Obedience Is Wise - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) March 15, 2024

Wisdom. It is a crucial element to the believers' walk with the Lord. We are told in Ecclesiastes 7:12 that wisdom can save a person's life.

Thus, it is no surprise that God wants His people to operate in wisdom. The Bible states in Proverbs 3:18 that those who have wisdom are blessed. In Proverbs 8:35, we are encouraged to seek out wisdom because those who have it will also obtain the favor of the Lord.

Keeping in mind that we are to be wise, let us then consider Matthew 7:24 - “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

It is therefore a wise person who will apply the instructions of Christ in their life. Doing so ensures a solid foundation that will not be washed away by the floods of life or swept away by the stormy winds seeking to huff, puff, and tear down.

​Instead, the one who stands upon the solid Rock by observing Christ's instructions will be blessed, receiving the favor and success of God in all they do (Psalm 1:1-3).

And what has Christ called believers to do? The first directive is in Mark 12:30 - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second directive calls the faithful to apply the Royal Law and thereby ‘Love your neighbor as yourself' (Mark 12:31).

Like everything Christians have been commanded to do, they need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to live lives worthy of God. It is the Holy Spirit's job to remind believers of what Christ taught so they put those teachings into effect every day of their lives. And this is why it is so important to desire and receive the Holy Spirit, for Jesus promised to give every believer a deposit of God's Spirit. His job is to get the redeemed to heaven and as long as they submit to His guidance, they make it.

Finally, be aware of 2 Thessalonians 1:8 and its stern warning - those who do not know God and those who do not obey Jesus will be punished. Nobody wants to think about punishment but the reality is that a day of judgment is coming. Now is the time to know God and walk with His Spirit, obeying Jesus. Doing so as each day passes until when our eyes shut to this reality to open to eternal life with the Heavenly Father and the rest of His Holy family.

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Suffering for God's gain? - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) March 12, 2024

Christians have learned that struggles are a part of their journey. Many have experienced challenges that stretched them and caused them to grow in the Lord. As a result, it is well-accepted in the Christian community that challenges can be for their own good.

However, there are times when certain people will face challenges but for God's gain. Apostle Paul is one such example. While detained in Rome, he wrote in Philippians 1:12-13 - Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.

He was imprisoned because he believed in Jesus and that ruffled certain people's feathers. He knew that his time in Rome would lead to death because the Lord had told him and his fellow Christians had prophesied the same. Despite knowing this, he ensured that his period of captivity served God's purpose - that those unfamiliar with Christ would be introduced to Him.

Every believer can learn something from this attitude. Amid troubles, we can ask - how can the Lord gain from my season of suffering? That is not a natural question to ask ourselves but Paul's words challenge us to not squander any opportunity to serve God and achieve His objectives. This can be achieved through the words we speak and even the way we carry ourselves as we interact with others. Regardless of whether we are happy or being treated unfairly as was the case for Paul. During trials, we have to set our anger, disappointment, and pain aside so we don't buckle under the pressure of our suffering.

As our relationship with the Lord develops, we can no longer just focus on what we are meant to learn in our season of suffering even though such knowledge is crucial for our spiritual development. We must also seek out how the Lord's Kingdom can gain as well. And like Paul, we can become the type of Christians who leave the sweet fragrance of Christ wherever they go (2 Corinthians 2:14). This will be one way that we accomplish Christ's instruction to all believers in Mark 16:15 - "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."

The Lord will help us to be so mindful of Him that we seek to achieve His objectives no matter what circumstances we are in. By His grace, we shall show and tell others why they should choose our God, IJMN, Amen.

To learn more, please read:

1. Wear Your Kingdom Identity​

2. Practical Ways To Wear Your Kingdom Identity​

3. For My Own Good?