ALL NATIONS EVANGELISTIC WORLD OUTREACH (ANEW) (a.k.a.End – Time Global Soul Winners) Motto: Holiness The law Of His House – Ezekiel 43:12 BIBLE STUDIES; TOPIC: WALKING IN CHRISTIAN CONSECRATION MEMORY VERSE: “ But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the masters use, and prepared unto every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:20-21 TEXT: 2 Timothy 2:19-22 FOUNDATION SCRIPTURES: Isaiah 52:11; Romans 12:1-3; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Peter 2:9 COMMENTARY;EZEKIEL 43;1-27 DEFINITION ; In Biblical context consecration means being set apart for God’s purposes-normally for effective Christian ministry/service. It means total submission or dedication in Holiness(purity) to allow God’s will and purpose to be effectively carried out. It involves separating or reserving certain persons or object or places of worship in holiness for God’s useful purposes. The Christian believers represent the spiritual temple (house) of God and therefore should be kept or set apart, in purity and complete obedience, for God’s use in Christian stewardship (ministry). Consecration is a compulsory christian experience and any christian believer who does not want to go through this spiritual experience can not enter a holy heaven to see and worship a holy God. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Isaiah 52:11; 2 Timothy 2:19-22; 2 Corinthians 8:5; Romans 12:1 Our Lord Jesus Christ placed great importance on consecration all through His earthly ministry; He taught that all we own and every aspect of our lives must be dedicated or submitted to God, His Heavenly father. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Luke 18:18-27 As Christian believers, we should not allow the wealth or material things (treasures) of this wicked world to take God’s number one position in our hearts (lives). God is the sole owner of all things and have committed them into our care. We should therefore, consecrate them to Him, so He can give us the wisdom to appropriate them judiciously (correctly). SCRIPTURE REFERENCES : Matthew 6:24; Luke 14:18-19; Matthew 10:37; Luke 14:20; Luke 9:57-62; Matthew 16:24-26; Mark 8:34-36 Our lives as true disciples or followers of Christ has been completely consecrated /dedicated to God to fulfill His divine purposes both for our lives and His divine will. The life we live now as believers is a divinely programmed one, directed and sustained by the Holy Spirit of God which dwells in us. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Philippians 1:20-30; Acts 11:23; Romans 8:28; 2 Timothy 3:10; Romans 15:15-16; 1 Peter 2:5,9 Brethren, God wants to consecrate us as spiritual temples in Holiness, purity of life and complete obedience to offer Him renewed and lasting worship. Remember God created man for fellowship and the first man lost that sweet ,uninterrupted fellowship with God at garden of Eden through the sin of disobedience and unfaithfulness. Through the complete obedience of Jesus,God restored that fellowship with man. Brethren our God is a relational being who loves to fellowship with His redeemed children. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Romans 6:1;1 Thessalonians 4;3-7 As dedicated Priests of the Most High God, faithfulness and accountability is demanded of us by God. The perfect sacrifice Jesus performed on our behalf on the cross of Calvary, over two thousand years ago, which subsequently brought us salvation, has made us consecrated priests and servants of His divine stewardship. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Revelation 1:6; Revelation 5:10; Revelation 20:6;1 Thessalonians 5;23 Consecration increases the degree/level of Holiness in our lives- therefore the higher the consecration in the life of a Christian believer, the greater the level of Holiness or purity of life in his/her life. This automatically beautifies and cements our fellowship (relationship) with a Holy,embracing and loving God. Brethren, as Christian believers, God has separated (set apart) us to serve, honour and glorify Him all the days of our lives here on earth and in eternity in Heaven, if we qualify to enter. “Seven days shalt thou prepare every day a goat for a sin offering: they shall also prepare a young bullock, and a ram out of the flock, without blemish. Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves.And when these days are expired, it shall be, that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 43;25-27 The unclean vessels or persons can not serve God in a state of uncleanness (impurity) and so must be willing to be cleansed and empowered for divine service/worship. Ezekiel 44:9 “Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.” SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Isaiah 52:11; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 2 Timothy 2:19-22,Zechariah 14;20-21 The main goal or purpose of Christian consecration is to be spiritually qualified to serve and honor God. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: 2 Timothy 2:21-22 Brethren, as Christian believers we must be reminded that our consecration (total submission to God’s purpose/will) must include all aspects of our personality/life-body,spirit and soul( mind and heart) , will and purpose (actions). We must be warned that, as we await the soon second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our consecration must mean a total renewal of our life styles, in Holiness, righteousness and true knowledge of God that conforms to the image of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. This involves our internal and external conducts that includes our code of dressing,communication and our relationships with the world of sin. Remember we all shall, as victorious Christian believers, look like Him when he returns in glory. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: 1 John 3:1-3,9-10; Romans 8:28-30; 1 Thessalonians 4:3,7; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Romans 15:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Corinthians 1:2,30; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18,Deuteronomy 22;5,2 Corinthians 7;1 SOURCES OF CONSECRATION 1. The Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is the main agent or source of consecration. Submitting to the divine will of God’s Spirit, helps the Christian believers grow in Holiness and the desire to live, serve and honor God in every aspect of our christian lives . Consecration is a divine process which only the Holy Spirit of God initiates,directs and sustains. We must ,therefore, unreservedly need the help and ministry of the Holy Spirit to grow in Christian consecration,obedience and perfection . This is principally because, it is the Holy Spirit that consecrates and transforms us into the full blown image or nature of Jesus prior to the rapture. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: 1 Thessalonians 4:3,7; 1 Peter 1:2. The Holy Spirit uses the word of God ( the sword of the Spirit), in the divine process of consecrating the Christian believers to God and that makes for why we must not grieve or offend the Holy Spirit through a life of Sin. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Ephesians 4:23,30; John 17:17; 1 Timothy 4:5 THE WORD OF GOD Another agent of consecration is the anointed and the trans-formative word of God. The presence of the word of God in the life of a christian believer separates him from the world of sin and thus consecrates (dedicates) him to the divine presence of God. Jesus came to the world to consecrate His followers (disciples) to His father by feeding them with the word of His father the Holy scriptures. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: John 17:6-8, 14, 16-17, 20 It is highly instructive to note that all the messengers (servants) God had sent on divine assignments, both in the old and the New Testament dispensations (periods) were separated from the large world and consecrated to the ministries He gave them through the ministry of the word: He commanded Joshua not to allow His words to depart out of his mouth. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Joshua 1;8 Ezekiel was commanded to eat the scroll (the word of God); Jeremiah was equally enjoined to feed tirelessly on the word. “But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak,Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. Jeremiah 1;7,9 David had to hide the word of God in his heart to avoid sin against God and thus consecrated himself to God of his fathers SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Psalm 119:9,11, Psalm 1:1-3, Psalm 81:10, Hebrews 4:12, Ezekiel 2:7,9-10, Ezekiel 3:1-5 The word of God is a powerful agent of consecration, and thus increases the level/degree of Holiness in the lives of Christian believers; The higher the volume of the word of God-the greater the level of consecration and Holiness in the life of the church of Christ on earth. I strongly believe that the level of Holiness in the church has dramatically reduced or extinct in some of our churches, the world over, because the ministry of the word (teaching) has been grossly (massively) neglected or completely extinguished. Melodramatic shows, worldliness and human wisdom has taken over the strategic positions of God’s word. I earnestly pray that the church of the living God should make a detour and return to the ministry of the word and prayer like the first apostolic church (brethren) did and experienced genuine open doors and supernatural increase and approval. “And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.” Acts 6;1-7 BLOOD OF JESUS Brethren, the glorious and sin-free blood of our Lord Jesus Christ shed (poured out) on our behalf on the cross of Calvary has saved, separated us from the world of sin and thus has consecrated us to the ever abiding presence/kingdom of God. It has made us Holy and lively spiritual temples where God, through the ministry of His Holy Spirit, desires to live and fellowship forever: It has therefore made us a Holy community of priests and messengers. “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1;6 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. 1 Peter 2;9-11 We must therefore strive at all cost to maintain these temples in absolute Holiness and purity of lives-not assumed or self-righteousness. SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES: REVELATION 5:10, REVELATION 20:6, HEBREW 9:13-15,26-28, Hebrew 10:10,19-20 EFFECTS OF TRUE CHRISTIAN CONSECRATION. When true consecration occurs in the life of a disciple of Christ, certain noticeable effects Show in his Christian walk with the Lord, Jesus Christ. The first observable character is the image or nature of Christ in the life of that Christian believer. We should be reminded that God is consecrating and transforming us to conform to the image of Jesus before He returns to earth. What this suggests, therefore, is that Jesus is coming to rapture or take home only those Christ-like Christian believers. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3;1-3 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” Romans 8;28-30 I pray that we will all make ourselves available for this trans-formative work of the Holy Spirit: what a glorious and everlasting fellowship we shall have with our Lord Jesus in Heaven if we eventually make Heaven: May He enable us all in Jesus precious name, Amen.The following are the other divine attributes (characters) that follow a true christian consecration: 1. HOLINESS. SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES: 2 Corinthians 7:1, Matthew 5:48, Matthew 5:8, 12 1 Corinthians 1:30 2. HUMILITY (BROKENNESS). SCRIPTURAL REFERENCE: PHILIPPIANS 4:5, PHILIPPIANS 2:5, GALATIANS 5:22-24, MATTHEW 5:3,5, 1 PETER 4:5-63. 3. DIVINE POWER (ANOINTING) . SCRIPTURAL REFERENCE: 1 JOHN 2:20,27, LUKE 10:194. 4. CONSISTENT FLOW OF DIVINE REVELATION. SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:JOHN 16:13-15, EPHESIANS 1:17-195. 5. DIVINE GRACE. SCRIPTURAL REFERENCE: HEBREWS 4:16 6. INCREASE IN GOD’S WISDOM. SCRIPTURAL REFERENCE:EPHESIANS 1:17, PROVERBS 4:1, ECCLESIASTES 2:26 7. EFFECTIVE FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD; GOD HAS CHOSEN US TO BE CONSECRATED FOR HIS DIVINE SERVICE/MINISTRY. 8. FAITHFULNESS. SCRIPTURAL REFERENCE: HEBREWS 11:6, JOHN 15:4-5 9. READINESS (AVAILABILITY) . SCRIPTURAL REFERENCE: ISAIAH 6:8-13, GENESIS 1:26, ISAIAH 1:19, DEUTERONOMY 28:1 10. COMPLETE OBEDIENCE. SCRIPTURAL REFERENCE: LUKE 6:46, JOHN 14:15, ECCLESIASTES, MARK 16:20, JOHN 14:21, JOB 36:11 11. TEACH-ABILITY. some of our prophets and messengers of God has refused to learn from other true servants of God,forgetting to realize that Gods revelation comes in layers and given to various people and not only one or few individuals. These people are ignorant of the fact that we all know and prophesy in little graphic details.True christian discipleship/ministry is only possible when we are all willing to climb down from our high horses to learn from one another in truth and righteousness of the Gods word. For we know in parts,and we prophesy in part.1 Corinthians 13;9 SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES: LUKE 10:39,42 12. DIVINE LOVE AND COMPASSION. SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES: JOHN 14:21-24 Divine love is a true mark of complete consecration which separates a disciple from the world of sin/evil. 13. BOLDNESS. SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES: 1 Timothy 1:7, Daniel 11:2, proverbs 28:1 BENEFITS OF CONSECRATION Brethren our heavenly father, being a good and mindful pay master, rewards true christian consecration. Consecration builds and sustains our divine bond (union) with God, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. This unquestionably increases the grace and power of God in our Christian lives. It increases the divine energy we need in running this Heavenly race set before us. The other benefits include the following: 1. Removes sins. Scriptural reference: 1 John 3:5-9, john 15:2, Ezekiel 36:25-26, 2 timothy 2:19,21, 1 peter 1:18-19, 22-23, Ephesians 5:26-27 2. Produces true Holiness/righteousness. Scriptural references: Hebrews 1:9 3. Divine approval/acceptability. Scriptural reference: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, 1 John 2:28 4. Abundant grace made available. Scriptural references: Hebrews 4:16, 12:2, Matthew 11:28-30 Brethren we need God’s grace to remain effective and finish this race of eternal life: we must therefore not frustrate this grace God is willing to release, through a life of sin. 5. Divine power. Scripture reference: 1 John 2:14, 20, 27, John 1:12, Luke 10:19 6. Divine provisions. Scriptural reference: John 15:7, John 14:13-14, Philippians 4:19, John 16:23-24, Deuteronomy 28:1-14 Brethren, God is calling us, the church, to a higher level of consecration: He wants us to return to our first consecration- the very first time our love and zeal for Him and His kingdom work became our top-most priority: He is rebuilding the fallen foundations (walls) of the tabernacle of David- the church of Christ on earth-which He founded and built upon the once and for all perfect sacrifice of the blood of His precious son, Jesus on the cross of Calvary: He is calling and enlisting His end-time army/laborers to finish this divine task. And I know without any Iota of doubt that His mighty power and infinite wisdom would enable him perfect this work. “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old.” Amos 9;11 Friends,let us rise from our spiritual slumber/idleness to actively participate in this great work of the end-time Harvests which is already going on. Scriptural reference: Isaiah 52:1-3, Joel 2:1-11 May He enable us as we heed the voice of His Holy Spirit which is calling the church to return to its first consecration, In Jesus mighty name. God bless all – Be encouraged always in the Lord. Prayer of Faith; Heavenly Father, I realize I have been a sinner; I committed these sins in ignorance, but now I have heard your word, I believe your word of deliverance and life. Today, I confess my sins and promise never to go back to them. Come into my heart (life), save me and grant me eternal life. Take absolute control of my life and glorify your name in me. I confess Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. Wash me with the Blood of Jesus, set me free and transfer my name from the book of death into the book of Life; with my little heart I believe in your righteousness, and with my mouth I confess that I am saved by the blood of my Lord Jesus. Thank you for saving me in Jesus Mighty name- Amen. God bless as you study and meditate on the revelation of God’s word. I wish you heaven at last. Pastor martins Okonkwo HYMN Take my life and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in endless praise. Take my hands and let them move At the impulse of Thy love. Take my feet and let them be Swift and beautiful for Thee. Take my voice and let me sing ,Always,only for my king, Take my lips and let them be, Filled with messages from Thee. Take my silver and my gold, Not a mite would I withhold. Take my intellect and use Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose. Take my will and make it Thine, It shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is Thine own, It shall be Thy royal throne. Take my love, my Lord, I pour At Thy feet its treasure store. Take myself and I will be Ever, only, all for Thee.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 18:55:46 +0000
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