Milk & Meat:#3_THE HOLY SPIRIT: A New Nature.

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Good morning and welcome to another lovely Friday where we get to share the word of God.

I am really excited to have you with us again today, because our topic for today would open your eyes to something you might not have noticed before, let us get started.

We would be talking about # A NEW NATURE, and our text would be taken from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, chapter five and verse seventeen

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

I marvel at times at the absolute terms Paul and the early Apostles use when making reference to a man who is found in Christ. Here, Paul didn’t say “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new,… under the condition that you live a righteous life and not stain your garments”

NO!!!
The reason many believers have lived a defeated life is because of the things that they have come to believe over time. This is my heart desire, anyone who follows these teachings would not only be liberated completely, but also be a liberation to others. It is a simple gospel;
JESUS SAVES, I would just teach us how to apply and appropriate that NEW LIFE in our daily living.

Let us get into the teaching now

You would notice that the bible used two words “FLESH” and “SPIRIT” as the different natures a man can have. Let me say this now that the way a man behaves does not explain the nature he carries.

Someone can be very wicked in actions and be very disobedient too but carry the new nature, whereas another individual would give to the poor and be very loving but still have the old nature. So the nature of a person is completely independent on the characters they portray.

Please stick with me, I am going somewhere:

So what distinguishes one nature from the other? Remember our text “therefore if any man BE IN CHRIST”

Exactly! A man who is IN CHRIST is “SPIRIT” the one who is not in Christ is “FLESH”. It is that simple.

Now how does someone BE IN CHRIST?

John 3:16

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.

It is just by BELIEVING, then Ephesians 2:8-9 says this:

8 for by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 not of works, lest any man should boast

NO MAN IS SAVED BY WORKS, NO MAN IS CONDEMNED BY WORKS EITHER

It is Faith in Jesus that saves or condemns a person. If you have accepted Christ you need not be afraid of where your end would be, YOUR SALVATION IS SURE.

A knowledge of this would make you know how to approach God, not basing on your own righteousness, it would be impossible for pride to creep in if you know that nothing happens because of you, but because of God.

WE ARE NEW CREATURES, A NEW NATURE HAS COME TO STAY IN US.

Let us now study a portion of the bible briefly and I would close this teaching.

John 4:23

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father is spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

This particular verse has been quoted out of context (remember our teaching on contextual reading?   , if you don’t, go back to the first teaching on milk and meat and you would find it). This place have been taken to mean that you search your heart and your mind when coming to God in worship so He accepts your song, then we have misconstrued a true worshiper to be those who lead songs in church and wonders happen, or the brother that is always crying at the mention of Jesus NO!!!, That is not worshiping in spirit and truth.

Notice what Christ was talking about here, it was a topic on PLACES OF WORSHIP and not MODE OF WORSHIPPING, He said that a time is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem shall men worship God. Ask yourself, why do men go to those places to worship God?

The answer is simple, that is where God used to dwell, that is where His presence is.

So Jesus spoke that the PLACE OF WORSHIP would no longer be at Jerusalem, but IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH. So till you understand this place where SPIRIT AND TRUTH WORSHIP, you might be lost in the issue of quality worship. Because Jesus also said that the Father SEEKETH SUCH to worship Him, it doesn’t mean that He is going around looking for the single people that are doing it well, it means that a GENERATION is coming who is SOUGHT by God, and that generation is the Spirit and truth worshippers.

Let’s go back to the book of Genesis and see a prophesy

Genesis 49:10

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Now who is Shiloh? It is THE MESSIAH. JESUS CHRIST. Amplified put it like this

……..until Shiloh [the messiah, the peaceful one] comes

So the prophesy said that ‘THE PEOPLE’ would gather unto SHILOH. Hold that thought

Remember that when people gather to worship God, it was because they wanted to see His glory. Picture this; they go to where God dwells, offer sacrifices, and worship, then God’s glory fills the house. But another prophesy came by prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:9

The glory of THIS LATTER HOUSE shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and IN THIS PLACE WILL I GIVE MY PEACE, saith the Lord of hosts.

There is a LATTER HOUSE been spoken of here, where the peace of God would be given and that house shall have a glory much more that what was experienced in temples (the former house).

Hope we are still together?

While teaching the disciples to pray, Jesus made some prophesies that I would like us to look at

Matthew 6:13….. The last part

……. For THINE is the KINGDOM, and the POWER, and the GLORY, for ever. Amen.

There is a people who would inherit a Kingdom, they would possess the power of that kingdom, and it would be glorious.

So GOD’S GLORY MOVED FROM BUILDINGS (MOUNTAINS AND JERUSALEM) TO A PEOPLE (SPIRIT AND TRUTH)

Those that have accepted Christ has a NEW NATURE, let us see how the apostle Paul put it

Philippians 3:3

For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Did you see that? Paul didn’t have to even come to the church in Philippi and ask them to come and sing so that he would know good worshipers, NO. He was writing to the TRUE WORSHIPPERS. So a believer who doesn’t sing a single tune in their life time is as much a true worshipper as Pastor Donnie Mc Clurkin, or Don Moen, anyways you get the idea.

An understanding of this makes you know how to give God glory, which I would talk about particularly in subsequent studies. But it has nothing to do with songs coming out.

See the distinction here; songs can be used to glorify God, but not to bring God glory.

Songs majorly excite us and not God. That is why we have our favourite songs and artists which differ and these songs brings different reactions in us, does that mean that God is different? NO!!! We are the different ones.

I hope you now know your new nature, a people that worship God in spirit and truth, a generation that brings God glory.

I would end with these verses of the scriptures to show how we became spirit, remember that this change took place when Christ died and resurrected, because this NEW PEOPLE shall only gather unto SHILOH.

Let’s see how we became spirits and not flesh

1Cor 6:17

But he that is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit.

When you accept Christ, you become joined to God, and have the same spirit with Him.

So when the bible makes such statement as ‘the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God’ in Romans 8:16, it doesn’t mean that the Sweet Holy Spirit of God would come and be talking with your own spirit, I am sure that hasn’t happened to most people; and then the devil would come with condemning thoughts like “are you sure you are really saved?”

Give him the YES YES YES answer, because you are saved.

It means that your spirit with the Spirit of God, together, are now bearing witness. It shows a joint relationship and not a news flash from God’s Spirit to yours.

Take a time to re-read this particular chapter of the bible (ROMANS 8) with this understanding, and see how the light of God’s word and love would shine into your heart, you might even pray in tongues for those who have been hindered by fear for a long time now.

YOU ARE SET FREE, YOU ARE A GENERATION THAT CAN TRULY WORSHIP GOD, because it takes God to worship God. And HE lives in YOU.

YOUR SALVATION IS SURE

We would meet again next week, if you can, download this song “no longer slaves” by Bethel music.

I love you all, stay in Grace, let us hear your comments and testimonies.

Once again, I love you.

 

The Funny Fellow

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Once knew a girl who would never cling, always she would seat calmily, her eyes ever-wandering yet lips never questioning. Her demeanor never shallow, she would cower in solitude leaving conversations destitute. Her goals were never swallowed up in the band-wagon’s shadow but would give a glimpse of humor when complexities arose. Her time was precious, her mannerism hallowed yet nothing seemed perfectly right with this funny fellow . The back seat in class was always attended by her religiously, to catch every philosophical order although the latter seemed to prove better as logic severed any unanswered rhema. 

She wore intelligence on her sleeves, her persistence strong in skin and in the futility of the fellow kin in making her do their will. As relaxed as a humming bee, she would peck through insecurities not necessarily giving antidoctes but prescribing detectable maladies.

This lady I’d often see, alone even in the midst of noisy friends; lost in her quizzical thoughts of things many fail to check. A genius mind, a child-like heart; a personality of quivering interest locked up in an attitude of a feminist mind.

In this lady I’d often sense, a certainty of the present, a non-chalance for the past and bubbling portfolios of the possible future. She was never all-gleeful neither did she drink up the contents of sorrow’s cup. The faults in her spheres were evident due to her ignorant or rather divergent views on how to care. There were no tutorials as to keeping so she reigned in all intuition of how to skillfully play big.

This lady I’d often watch from a scene, never try to get entangled within until she took from me that which was untouchable. The world seemed to stop as she walked towards me, I could hear hear silence as loud as a resounding gun when she stopped by me.

This lady, to whom I owed no thoughts slipped a paper through my hand and left me staring after her in shock. The force was with me that day as the lecturer was absent in state. Anticipation clenched my guts in suspense as I opened the paper to feed my curiosity.

Sometimes , I sit in the bench and wonder on the outcome of my funny fellow, the words still imprinted in my mind. I remain as abashed by the action now as of then. I sought the reason for the maligned plot. To me, I was the lucky one yet she seemed always chosen having bought a right slot at the king’s table. Years turn and I hold my little one, teaching him about crossroads until I hear a voice deviant and familiar in tune…….. I look up to see my funny fellow smiling with a mischevious glint in her eyes while disbelief washes away all doubts. I keep smiling until the doctor says…
“Mr. Aliso stop zoning out, I hope you have been taking your pills. You should be careful about this disease, I wouldn’t have you telling people about unreal persons or things. I stare back at him suddenly remembering the doctor’s office but also wondering if the lady was all a fragment of my funny fantasy.

EVERYDAY JESUS.

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John 3:16.
 “For God had such love for the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever has faith in him may not come to destruction but have eternal life.”

Good morning friends and a great welcome, once again, to EVERYDAY JESUS. Yea, I got started,somehow; so kindly read me out. Thanks.

The bible said something; I also want to say something, not different.

“GREATER LOVE WILL HAVE NO OTHER MAN BESIDES THIS,-A MAN LAYING DOWN HIS LIFE FOR ANOTHER.”

Then,I saw this somewhere, yesterday and couldn’t help but copy it;

“When someone else’s happiness is your happiness;  That is True Love.”

Finally, God knew HIS satisfaction lay in our satisfaction and rest from all our cares,worries and seemingly endless soul search and wondering. Our possession of the bliss, -eternal life, couldn’t make Him more happier. He, so much, desired our happiness that He Gave HIS only son… This wasn’t a fanfare for Him. This was the pouring out of His life for our sake… It cost him a  dear life; blood was split.

Hebrews 2:10
“It makes good sense that the God who got ev­ery­thing started and keeps ev­ery­thing go­ing now completes the work by making the Salvation Pio­neer per­fect through suffering as he leads all these people to glo­ry.”

Our glorification was HIS priority
Somewhere in Jeremiah HE swore;

“I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.”(Jeremiah 30:19).

So, we have a lot to learn from our father, friends. Everyday of our lives unveils deeper mysteries into HIS awesome personality.

As we steady our gaze and learning slates on Jesus; our faces shine brighter and brighter, as we are transformed to his likeness.
It’s EVERYDAY JESUS!!!

God bless y’all.

Copyrights, Mimi Okwara.

WHERE WE COLLIDE

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Love
Its the weirdest thing man never fully knows, very slyly insults
The big wide need of the universe, counterfeited too much to simply see
But I thought we shared in it while we sat under the tree, together
The age blew gusts of ascending feelings, launched us up above gravity
The thing tingling in me with your eyes’ gaze nailed on mine
Our lives so drawn into us, we said we’ll never end, we’ll never age, fade
Heaven must be love infinite, God’s eternity the unimaginable bettering of this thing spectacular
Pictures flew easily in and out, about our circular lock, hands held, to stay
I was so happy

Today, the grasses stand in the sun, slitting its rays to million bits
Taller than me, as I sit and stare into the distance, the riviera of my dreams
I’m longing, just wishing and waiting and wanting, along these lines, blades
Where I am is an afternoon time of jammed lines, gibberish signs, mines
Dead traffic and obstacles, an infinite distance
I’m too far away from you, and its hard to take
I’m so near you, but my sight has failed enough to obscure your figure
I try to fight my way through to you, but with every step, the miles grow longer
With every breath, I sense the end of life is near
Why should I be far away from you, my dearest love?
Pain spasms rip through my heart, my cry roars across the plains, spans
A melancholy wail raises the dust, rides on as winds carry through
You can be found, surely you can, my lost love, my love lost!
My heart is bleeding, dying slowly, scares me to death
come running, I’m fallen, barely breathing now, fast losing hope!

There’s nothing like the thundering of the earth, the shaking underneath feet
Not the grand display I fancied would fit your return, my coming home
But its fine, all’s right, you’re finally here again
Love has not died, the cosmos’s still held together, the authentic has won
I cannot now be ecstatically wild, play high emotion for the unveiling of you
But I smile humbly, give up the chase, the run away, obscuring struggle
Landing into you, happy to forget I’m grown
I’m a child, its great, I’ve found truth
We have clashed, I’ve lost, you’ve won me over.

#CHOSEN 03: IT IS NOT IN THE POPULARITY

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Text: 1 Sam. 16:1-13.

If I have a job opening for just one person, and I ask you to give me someone for that job, who will you give me? I can bet that the first person that will come to your mind is someone that you know either from your family or your circle of friends. If I was in your shoes, I will do same too. So do not take it out on Jesse for doing what he did.

Jesse fielded his sons that where close to his heart. The ones he believed were familiar to him. The ones he felt were the best.

As I was studying that passage, I observed that Jesse did not call David by name while telling Samuel about him (David). He was not as popular as his brothers as he was always in the field attending to his father’s sheep. But God by-passed the popular sons of Jesse and chose the unpopular one.

Read this: your face might not be on the billboards around the city, nor your name popular, but do not conclude on yourself yet. There is something God has put in you that will make you popular and renowned. Just keep at what you are doing and when the time is right, God will make you known.

Notice that David’s name was only mentioned after he was anointed. Up until now, it looks like no one knows you are existing in your family, workplace or even church. You try to do the best you can and yet, when it is time to be recommended, no one remembers you. Do not be dismayed my friend, you are the next to be located. There is an anointing that brings about announcement, and I pray God to release it on you today, in Jesus name. Amen!    

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Stay blessed.      
  
©TRANSFORMING WORDS SERIES
(Transforming the World through the Word)