Dress appropriately for where you are heading: Ever noticed how people on holiday go dressed for where they are heading? It may be snowing in Manchester but they have shorts and t-shirts on because they know where they are going. Some of them already have a glass of champagne - they are celebrating already! Shouldnt we be able to dress for where we are heading? Cast of sickness and depression and focus on Him! “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. (Isaiah 60:1-5 NIV) The same word in Hebrew means glory and wealth. Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. (Genesis 13:2 NIV) Genesis 31 - Jacob had become very wealthy. Look at the lineage of Christ, how many kings were there? How much wealth did David and Solomon have? Our God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, He is no mans debtor. “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. (Haggai 2:6 NIV) God is going to shake the nations, all ethnic groups and will fill this temple with glory - by the temple it means us! The same root word for glory and riches also means honour. Do we really honour people, our partners, our mother and fathers, the people in authority over us. Do we honour our senior pastors? The Bible says that they are worthy of double honour! We should honour each other - if we promise to help out we should stick to our word! Dont let people down because something else has come up! Lets be people of excellence and integrity! Peter Daniels, an Australian businessman taught me a great lesson - that we should always under promise and over deliver. Lets be a people who are known for these qualities. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV) Does this mean we have to be perfect? No! We are all works in progress but we should be improving day by day! If we are not righteousness aware, then we will not hear God and be salt and light in our community. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV) He did it all for us! He was made to be sin so that we could be made to be righteous! His excellence, His integrity is mine even when I dont act like it. Why? Because it was already completed for us at the cross. Dont get drawn into performing for forgiveness, just look to Jesus and the cross and become what you are, more than a conqueror! In the Old Testament it said in Isaiah, by his stripes you are healed. Notice the difference in the following scripture: “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24 NIV) It has already been done! And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV) They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. (John 17:16-19 NIV) Every time I study the word, I become more sanctified and more like Him. His word is truth and therefore the more in it, the more truth is in you. What are you looking at? To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 NIV) If you want to be set free, you need to know the word. But head knowledge isnt enough - you need to have a working knowledge of the Bible. Study and apply the word and you will become more like Him!
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 11:09:20 +0000
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