Day 40 The Holy Spirit

Day 40

The Holy Spirit

“Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight.  We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.”

(2 Corinthians 5:5-9)

The Holy Spirit is the 5^th Treasure

     The Holy Spirit is the 5^th treasure that you must guard with your life!

My dear beloved, God our Father has given us His Holy Spirit as a guarantee that we indeed have eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. For though we are still on this earth, the Spirit is our comfort and our hope that we will be delivered from this cruel world on that Great Day of the LORD!

God has given us His Holy Spirit to lead us unto eternity so that we should no longer be tossed to and fro by the wicked one and all the trickery of men, but rather that we should look above from where our help comes; that we should no longer be earthly-minded, but heavenly-minded, by following the Spirit as the Spirit leads us; that indeed we may be the children of God.  For if we are not led by the Spirit of God, we are not the children of God, as obedience to the Holy Spirit is the mark that we are the sons and daughters of God:

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”  (Romans 8:14-17)

                                                                                                                     

Therefore, let us make it our aim to be well-pleasing to God by allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us, for if we do not have the Spirit of Christ leading us, we do not have the Spirit of Christ in us.  And if we do not have the Holy Spirit, though we may be called Christians, we do not actually belong to Christ:

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”  (Romans 8:9)

My dear beloved, let us treasure the Holy Spirit, which is our guarantee that indeed we are saved, by casting away all the works of darkness.  For if the Spirit indeed abides in our hearts, let us, therefore, cleanse our hearts by casting away all our evil ways.

Let us also not rebel and grieve the Holy Spirit with our stubbornness by continuing in sin, refusing the Holy Spirit’s reproof, and rejecting the Holy Spirit’s help to guide us out of sin:

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

                                                                                                                 

For if we rebel and grieve the Spirit of the living God, we establish ourselves as enemies of God.  Now do we really want God as our enemy?  Certainly not!

“But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit;
      so He turned Himself against them as an enemy,
      and He fought against them.”   (Isaiah 63:10)

Let us, therefore, put away this casual attitude toward God which is so prevalent in this current generation.   Let us fear God from our hearts, not merely with our lips, for if we fear God only with our lips we shall die.

“Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?”   (Hebrews 10:28-29)

My dear beloved, let us repent, not with lips, but from the heart, cutting ties with all works of darkness.  Let us fully surrender unto the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit leads us unto salvation by the grace of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen!

Let us also not resist the Spirit of God anymore, as others did:

“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.”  (Acts 7:51)

Nor let us lie to the Holy Spirit, as others have:

“But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself.’”  (Acts 5:3)

Let us, therefore, serve God with godly fear and reverence, doing the will of God from the heart, allowing His Spirit to lead us--not the flesh, not men, and not the devil.  We must be led by His Spirit, which God has given us to establish us in His grace, as a guarantee that we are His children. We will live in this cruel world for a little while, but Christ, who is coming, will come and He will not delay!

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

Understanding the ministry of the Holy Spirit

A)  The Abiding Presence:

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever. the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”   (John 14:16-17)

B)  The Teacher and Reminder:

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”   (John 14:26)

C)  The Testifier:

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”  (John 15:26)

D)  The Convicter:

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”   (John 16:7-8)

E)   The Guide, the Voice of God, the Prophet:

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”   (John 16:13)

F)   The Glorifier of Jesus Christ our Lord:

“He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:14)

G)  The One who reveals Jesus Christ our Lord:

“All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”   (John 16:15)

H)  The Source of Power:

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  (Acts 1:8)

I)    The Witness to Sonship:

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”   (Romans 8:16)

J)    The Helper in Prayer:

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”    (Romans 8:26)

K)  The Inviter:

“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”  (Revelation 22:17)

As you can see, my dear beloved, it is impossible to be a Christian without the Holy Spirit.  It is impossible to work for and with God without His Holy Spirit!

                                                                                                                

Finally, my dear beloved, just as no one knows what is in the heart and the mind of a man, but his spirit, even so God has given us His Spirit to guide us that we may know what the perfect will of God is.  For the Spirit searches all things, yes, even the deep things of God, and makes intercession for us.  God reveals them to us through His Holy Spirit.  Hallelujah!

“But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”  (1 Corinthians 2:10-12)

Let us, therefore, be submissive to the Holy Spirit!  And if you are not certain that you have received the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus commands us to ask:

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”   (Luke 11:9-13)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,

 and the love of God our Father,

and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you,

 now and forever more.

Amen.

Meditation:  God has sealed us by His Holy Spirit and has given us the Holy Spirit into our hearts as a guarantee that we are saved!

Prayer points:  Lead me, oh Holy Spirit, teach me, correct me, empower me, and help me to do the will of God!  I pray in Jesus’ name.   Amen!

Commitment:  I submit myself unto You, Spirit of the Living God.  Please lead me unto salvation through Jesus Christ my Lord.  Amen!

Day 39 The Ministry

Day 39

The Ministry

“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” (John 15:8)

Your ministry is the 4^th Treasure

      Your Ministry is the 4^th treasure that you must guard with your life!

My dear beloved, unlike the popular belief, your biggest ministry is not to preach to crowds, to run crusades, to form churches, or to bring thousands or even millions to Christ.  In fact, you can do all these and yet fail to fulfill your ministry.  In truth I tell you, the biggest ministry of your life is yourself, to conquer self in you, to bring your flesh to the cross and crucify it with Christ that you may no longer walk in the flesh, but in the Spirit.  You must make a conscious decision to crucify the flesh with Christ; to put self aside; to do no longer things according to your will; to surrender your will into total submission to Christ; in order that His will may be done and not yours!  Until you make this decision, you are not ready to serve God!  Oh, you can serve churches, you can serve organizations, you can serve men and women, and you can even serve yourself, but God is not there, my dear beloved.  God’s ways are not our ways.  Therefore, God must work in us before He can work through us.  He first must deal with the self in us, for the flesh is in perpetual enmity with God.  They cannot work together! 

You are the vessel that God desires to use for His eternal purpose; however, the flesh also wants to control you so that you may do the works of the flesh!  Now, to whomever you surrender your will, will lead you to bear certain fruit.  If you surrender your will to the flesh, you will produce the works of the flesh.  If you surrender your will to God, you will produce the fruit of the Spirit!

 

 “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I

also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  (Galatians 5:19-21)

If you are doing the above, you have submitted your will to the flesh.

Please check out selfish ambitions which is the weapon that the devil has been employing lately to entice us to do the will of the flesh.

Now, this does not mean that you cannot preach!  You can preach a powerful sermon, but perhaps there is a woman in the congregation just waiting for you to finish preaching so that the two of you may commit adultery.  Again, you can preach powerful sermons, yet you cannot stand the brother next to you.  Therefore, your preaching does not impress God, for even the devil can quote Scriptures.  Some preach out of envy; selfish ambition; out of self or pride; for honor, recognition, riches, money; or to be called pastor, prophet, reverend, bishop, or apostle.  We find that, especially in our current generation where titles are so important, often if you call a man of God by his name alone without his title, he will not answer!  Are we therefore not carnal?  That is why preaching is not included in the fruit of the Spirit, because we can use the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for our own selfish ambitions!

“Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains.”  (Philippians 1:15-16)

My dear beloved:

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” (Galatians 6:7-8)

                                                                                                                        

For the Lord Jesus knows all those who are His:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”  (Matthew 7:21-23)

My dear beloved, let us therefore not be of those to whom the Lord will say “I never knew you!”  Rather, with fear and trembling, let us handle the Word of God in spirit and truth, doing the will of God from our hearts.

The Lord Jesus said:

“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”  (John 15:8)

It is clear then, that God is glorified when we bear much fruit, but often we mistakenly “bear fruit” such as preaching; leading big crusades; evangelizing; baptizing  people as a result of our preaching; bringing others to church; praying for others; and casting out demons.  And yes, these things we are commanded to do!  However we thank God for His Word that reveals to us what His true fruit is!  Amen!

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”  (John 15:1-2)

Here, the Lord Jesus tells us that we do not bear fruit of ourselves; the fruit is rather a result of God’s work in our lives.  Now we know that God works in us through the Holy Spirit.  If a person does not have the Holy Spirit dwelling within him, that person cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit, for it is God who works in us through the Holy Spirit for us both to will and to do His good pleasure, or in other words, to bear fruit.

“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”  (Philippians 2:13)

Because we bear fruit as a result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the Bible calls it the fruit of the Spirit:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”  (Galatians 5:22-23)

There are nine varieties of fruit, and not one of the varieties is preaching.

So then, God is glorified when:

·        We love Him with all our hearts, and we love others as we love ourselves!

·        We are joyful in the midst of problems and uncertainties because by giving us the Holy Spirit, He has given as a guarantee of eternal life.

·        We have peace in the midst of trials and tribulations because we trust Him!

·         We are longsuffering, extremely patient with others and ourselves and most of all with God, trusting that God knows what is best for us.

·        We are kind.

·        We are good.

·        We have faith in Him, believing that He is able to supply all our needs.  And we are faithful with what He has entrusted us with, including ourselves.

·        We are gentle.

·        We exercise self-control.

“For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.” (Ephesians 5:9)

AMBASSADORS OF CHRIST

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”  (2 Corinthians 5:20)

My dear beloved, our ministry is to reconcile people to God; however, before this happens, we must be reconciled to God ourselves so that we may be true ambassadors for Christ!

HOW TO BE A TRUE AMBASSADOR OF CHRIST:

 A) With the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is an inlet that comes through faith, a gift from God!  So we must learn to listen, surrender, and submit ourselves to God through the Holy Spirit, so that God may use us as He wishes, according to His purposes; so that His work may be done in us and through us; and finally, so that His Word may be spoken through us.

B) Through Your Life

Do not tell people that you are a Christian; they must see it for themselves, through your lifestyle, your behavior, your conduct.  And most of all, they must see it through your character, which is the best sermon you can ever preach.  Then, because of your life, many people will turn to God.  When you live an effective Christian life, God will work through your life to bring His lost children to His Heavenly kingdom, that they may have life also.

C) By Your Love

Do not talk love: give love and show love. This was one of the most powerful tools our Lord Jesus used during His ministry on earth.  He did not choose whom to love, He loved everyone unconditionally, and the result is that many people felt welcomed and comfortable around Him, especially sinners. So if we are our Master’s disciples, we must copy the unconditional love exhibited in our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Genuine love is the greatest weapon into any one’s heart.”  (Ramos Talaya)

D) With Your Words

Please choose your words very carefully because what you say can make or break your ministry.  Always stick to the truth, the Word of God, rather than your own interpretation of the Word of God.  And make sure that your words are always, always, in one accord with your lifestyle.  As they say: “PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH!”

E) With Your Service

We must develop a servant’s attitude.  We are here to serve, not to be served.  This is one of the biggest lessons Christ taught His disciples.  It does not matter what your profession is; your status; your level of education; or your position, race, gender, tribe, or country.  In the kingdom of God, everyone is a servant and the greatest of all is the one who serves.  Once you have developed this attitude of a servant, you will realize that there is more pleasure in serving than in being served in the kingdom of God.

F) With Your Money

This probably is the most potent when it is used wisely.  Money is power!  No doubt about it!  So your money is important in the kingdom of God.  When you give your money for the kingdom of God, a lot of things can be achieved.  We must give because it costs money to build a temple; it costs money to feed the poor; to clothe the naked; to shelter the homeless; to send a missionary; or to pay a preacher or an evangelist to go preach the gospel.  All this costs money.  So, we must be faithful to God with our money.  After all, everything we have comes from His hand--even all our money belongs to God.   As you give, so shall you receive.

G) By Your Prayer

This is the most important one: we must develop a steadfast prayer life, a two way communication with God.  Because even though we can share the gospel with someone, only God can convict a person through the Holy Spirit, and only God can change that person’s heart.  Therefore, we ought to spend a lot of time in prayer for all our brothers and sisters, for all our ministries and projects.  The good thing about prayer is that prayer is universal; you can pray for anyone, from anywhere in the world, at anytime, and God will hear and answer all your prayers.  How wonderful is that. Thank You, LORD, for prayer and for faith.  Amen!    

Please remember when you pray that prayer is a two way communication. When you pray, therefore, you must allow God to answer while you pray. Pray and be still and allow God to reply, similar to a conversation with your earthly father.   May the God of peace bless your heart, in Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Finally, my dear beloved, to bear much fruit is to surrender our will to God, which is a very difficult thing for us to do.  This is a constant fight between the flesh and the Spirit, for they are contrary to one another.  And it is my sincere prayer that our flesh lose the fight and that God’s will be done in all our lives!

Therefore, my dear beloved, surrender all to God, those secret things that you hold close to your heart, the ones you enjoy the most.  Surrender all to Jesus our Lord.  Make God first in your life.  It means that you must let go of  everything in conflict with the will of God.  Shun all forms of evil, especially the secret ones with which you can get away, the ones no one will ever know about!  When you are presented with an opportunity to do evil, and you choose rather to do good for Christ’s sake, you bring much glory to God.  For we are God’s epistles, written with love for good works.  Amen!

“Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”  (Philippians 1:11)

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.  Amen!

Meditation:  By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit.  So you will be My disciples.

Prayer points:  Help me, oh LORD, to do Your will, oh my God!  I pray in Jesus’ name.   Amen!

Commitment:  I surrender all unto You, oh Lord Jesus.  Let Your will be done and not mine.  Amen!

Day 38 The Heart

Day 38

The Heart

“Keep your heart with all diligence,

For out of it spring the issues of life.”

(Proverbs 4:23)

Your Heart is the 3^rd Treasure

     Your Heart is the 3^rd treasure that you must guard with your life!

My dear beloved, the heart is the center of life; therefore, it must be carefully guarded!  Everything we think, speak, and do comes straight from our hearts.  Now, what you think, speak, and do forms your character, and your character is the sum of who you really are.  If you think evil, speak evil, do evil, you are evil!  But if you think good, speak good, and do good, you are good!

The heart is the most important organ of our physical bodies.  We can live without a finger, an arm, a hand, a leg, or an eye; but we cannot live without a heart!  The Word of God says that the life is in the blood.  Now, the heart is responsible of distributing blood throughout our entire body. In other words, the heart distributes life to the whole body.  If your heart stops, you are pronounced dead!  The signal we have that we are still alive and that the breath of life is still in us, is our heart beat.  If our heart stops, we are undeniably in trouble.  Therefore, we can safely say that the heart is the container of life.  The heart is so important, that it will, in fact, determine your eternal destiny!

For if physically, your heart pumps blood (life) to the rest of the body in order to keep it functioning, even so it is in the spiritual realm.  Your heart must continue to bring forth good to keep you alive spiritually, for when your heart stops bringing forth good and starts bringing forth evil, you will slowly cease to be spiritually alive, and the result will be spiritual death!

My dear beloved, if faith is the ticket to heaven, and the Word of God is the currency we use to acquire it, the heart is the container where we keep the ticket until the Day of the trip arrives.

                                                                                                                                 

“Let your heart retain my words; keep my commands, and live.”  (Proverbs 4:4)

HOW DO WE GUARD OUR HEARTS WITH ALL DILIGENCE?

“My son, give attention to my words;
      Incline your ear to my sayings.
       Do not let them depart from your eyes;
      Keep them in the midst of your heart;
      for they are life to those who find them,
      And health to all their flesh.”  (Proverbs 4:20-22)

Here God tells us how to keep our hearts safe:

A)   Incline your ear to my sayings:

This means that you must pay attention to what God is saying in His Word concerning you and the world.  It means that you must hear God talking to you daily through His Word.

B)    Do not let them depart from your eyes:

This means that you must fix your eyes on Jesus who is the Word of God.  You cannot let a day pass without reading the Bible.  The Bible MUST NOT depart from your eyes.  If it helps, get three Bibles: one for the house, one for the car, and one for the office.  These days we are so blessed.  We can even have e-Bibles: one on your pc or laptop, and even better, one on your cell phone.

Why is this important?  Because the Word of God is your spiritual sword.  It is the only weapon you can defend yourself with against the devil and his evil spirits:

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  (Ephesians 6:17)

My dear beloved, without the Word of God in your heart and mouth, you are powerless before the devil and all his demons.  Take the example of Jesus Christ our Lord, how He defeated the devil with the Word of God by simply quoting Scriptures against each temptation the devil brought before Him.  Now, these things are written for our learning, that through the Scriptures we may have comfort and hope!  Amen!

My dear beloved, our eyes and our ears are highways that lead straight to our hearts.  For us to guard our hearts, we need to guard what our eyes see and what our ears hear!  For if by beholding we become, then by hearing we speak!

HOW TO GUARD YOUR EYES:

1)    TV, cinemas and internet: Please carefully select what you watch on TV, cinemas and internet.  Ask yourself concerning the program you are about to watch, if the Lord Jesus could be seated next to you.  Would you be comfortable?  I tell you the truth, if you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior; He dwells in your heart through the Holy Spirit which dwells in you.  Now should we then take the Holy Spirit, which is with us all the time, to watch the following:

Adultery, nudity, fornication, pornography, blasphemers of Christ, haters of God, violence, cursing, worldly lusts, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, evil spirits, sorcerers , contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders,  drunkenness, revelries, and the like.

My dear beloved, those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  Let us, therefore, not be partakers of their sins.  If by beholding we become, the more you watch of the above, the more you will be and do likewise.  No wonder children are so violent these days.  It is because of what they watch on TV.  If all they watch is fighting and cursing, they will do likewise.  And no wonder so many Christians are struggling with adultery, fornication, pornography—it is because of TV, cinemas, and the internet.

My dear beloved, some TV shows and movies are not meant for Christians, so please stay away from them.  They will not only corrupt your mind, but they will also take you away from God.  And some websites are not meant for Christians, for the name of our Lord Jesus is blasphemed in them.  My dear beloved, it is your God-given responsibility to protect your eyes and the eyes of your family and the eyes of those around you who are under your care!

                                                                                                                                

2)    Magazines, books, novels, newspapers and pamphlets:

Reading, my dear beloved, is like watching.  As you read, your eyes capture the words and they go straight into your mind and your heart. Therefore, what you see affects your behavior.  Your mind is stimulated by what you read--romantic novels, erotic stories, nude pictures—and these can easily lead you to commit adultery and fornication!

Please do examine this for yourself.

People who behave weirdly are mostly people that are constantly reading and watching weird contents.  Some even become serial killers because of the books they read. Some become vain because of the garbage they read. Some are unable to think as their opinions are merely repetitions of what they read.  Some become gossipers as a result of reading a lot of gossip.

In other words, we become what we feed our minds with.

My dear beloved, I repeat, it is your God-given responsibility to protect your eyes and the eyes of your family and the eyes of those around you who are under your care!

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR EARS:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”  (1 Peter 5:8)

My dear beloved, the devil is using music to corrupt our minds with his evil agenda.  Music that is full of cursing, violence, sexuality, hate speech, racial tensions, racial attacks, tribal attacks, classicism and the like are not for Christians.  For if we give heed to the evil spirits on this kind of music, we will bring it into the church, and we will divide the church.  Even now there are some divisions that the devil has managed to sneak into some churches.

Now, if there are racial divisions and social status divisions, are we not still living carnally? 

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

My dear beloved, we are one in the LORD.  There is neither European, nor African, nor South or North American, nor Indian, nor Asian, nor Arab, nor Jew; but we are all one in Christ Jesus our Lord!  And this is a testimony to the world, that God is indeed love, and His love is above all things.  The devil hates this love and he wants to destroy the unity of the Body of Christ, but we are not ignorant of his devices.  He will not be successful.  There will always be a group in every generation that will bear witness of the love of God in us and us in Him, until Christ Jesus our Lord returns.  Amen!

My dear beloved, would you love to be part of this group?  I plead with you in Christ’s name; turn that evil music off, music that is full of cursing, violence, sexual lyrics, hate speech, racial tensions, racial attacks, tribal attacks, classicism and the like.  This type of music is not for Christians.  Throw away the CDs and DVDs, delete this music from your computer, laptop, iPod, USB, cell phone.  Please get rid of it, that you may have a clean and sound mind for discerning good from evil.

YOUNG PEOPLE

Please turn that music and those video games off.  They are full of cursing, violence, sexual lyrics, hate speech, racial tension, racial attacks, tribal attacks, classicism and the like.  Please turn it off.

“Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,
      And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;
      Walk in the ways of your heart,
      And in the sight of your eyes;
      But know that for all these
      God will bring you into judgment.
       Therefore remove sorrow from your heart,
      And put away evil from your flesh,
      For childhood and youth are vanity.”  (Ecclesiastes 11:9-10)

And again:

“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
      Before the difficult days come,
      And the years draw near when you say,
      “I have no pleasure in them.”   (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

Most of all, watch out for deceiving spirits who take on themselves a form of Christianity and who teach God’s people false doctrines.  Watch out my dear beloved!  Watch out!

WHY IS GOD COMMANDING US TO GUARD OUR HEARTS WITH ALL DILIGENCE?

A)    It determines your character:   This will determine your eternal future.

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”  (Proverbs 23:7a)

B)    It is a source of defilement:  What comes out of our hearts causes us to sin against God.

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies.”   (Matthew 15:18-19)

C)    It controls speech:  The content of your heart will determine what your mouth speaks.

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”  (Luke 6:45)

D)   It is the source of faith:  It is with your heart that you believe in Christ Jesus our Lord unto righteousness by faith, and it is the faith in your heart that prompts your mouth to make confession unto salvation.

“For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”  (Romans 10:10)

My dear beloved, it is your God-given responsibility to protect your ears and the ears of your family and the ears of all those under your care.

Let us, therefore, give our hearts to God that we may be found worthy on that great and dreadful Day of the LORD.  Who can stand it?  Let us give our hearts to Jesus Christ our Lord, in whom our heart is forever safe!  Amen!

 “My sons, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.” (Proverbs 23:26)

Finally, my dear beloved, protect yourself and those under your care, for the devil knows how effective the power of suggestion is.  He did not make Eve eat the fruit, he only suggested it, and Eve did the rest.  The mistake Eve made was to give him attention!   And even so now, the devil is suggesting things to us using advertising on TV, movies, music, music videos, video games, magazines, books, newspapers, pamphlets, websites, tracts, and all other forms of media!

What is the devil suggesting to all of us?

The devil wants us to disobey God.  The devil knows that God and sin do not mix, and the best way for the devil to separate us from God is to cause us to sin.  So, every time you yield to the devil’s suggestions, you are allowing the devil to separate you from God.  Let us, therefore, not make the same mistake as Eve made, for the Bible is written for our learning.  Let us not give the devil any attention, but rather let us focus our ears on what God is saying to us by His Word.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, whose name is the Word of God.  Amen!   

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”  (Philippians 4:8)

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.  Amen!

Meditation:  For as I think in my heart, so I am!

Prayer points:  Help me, oh LORD, to guard my heart.  Please give me discernment concerning what I should watch, read, and listen.  Please show me the way in which I should walk and help me to walk in it.  Take my heart and let Your will be done in it, for I trust You, oh my God.  I pray in Jesus’ name.   Amen!

Commitment:  I give You my heart, oh God!  I commit myself from today onward, by Your grace, to stop watching, reading, and listening to whatever is not profitable for my soul, and I commit myself to meditate on Your Word day and night; to watch, read, and listen to that which is good for my heart.   I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Amen!