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1 Cor 1: 24, 30 .... Jesus Christ is our Wisdom, Power, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption

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The Sin of Apostasy and Reprobate Mind

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The Sin of Apostasy and the Reprobate Mind

Curled from “Living in God’s Kingdom” by Joseph Agbi [my first book]

Scripture Reading:
28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them [Rom. 1:28-32; see also verses 25-27].

I stumbled on this topic when I tried to memorize the book of Romans. The soul can keep God’s law if it is trained to do so, and this is an antidote to sin. The soul naturally gravitates to the sins mentioned above because of the depraved nature of humanity after the fall of Adam and Eve. The mind determines what a man does; when a person has a reprobate mind (v28), such a person’s spirit is highly suppressed by a mind that becomes alienated from all that is righteous and God’s. That person would not want to hear or discuss intelligently about the one and only true God and about His Son, Jesus Christ. Such a person opposes the cause of the gospel and would not want the gospel to progress. Such were the cases of Hymenaeus and Alexander in 1 Tim 1:20, blasphemers who opposed Paul’s preaching, and Jannes and Jambres, two Egyptian magicians who withstood Moses before Pharaoh in Egypt [2 Tim. 3:8; Exod. 7: 11-22].

One who is reprobate has had his mind tested, but rather than love God, his mind pursues evil in preference to good all the time. Apostates have reprobate minds as they have been condemned. This is because there is no better sacrifice that can be paid for anyone’s sin since the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross of Calvary was the final sacrifice for sin. Therefore, they carry on themselves the badge of condemnation and parade themselves around as such, just as condemned prisoners are tagged.

If a man who was earlier a Christian refuses to return, having exhausted the longsuffering and forbearance of God, such a person has removed himself from the fold of the brethren, as Judas removed himself after being in the midst of the disciples of Jesus when he took the thirty pieces of silver to betray his master [Matt 26:14-16; Matt. 27:3-5]. Like Judas, the reprobate man becomes an agent of evil to perpetuate all the evils in the verses listed earlier.

When a Christian man succumbs to temptation, commits a sin which is contrary to his Faith and he refuses to repent or repents casually, not minding what the Spirit of God says, he is subjecting himself to the spirit of apostasy. This is often the case of the backslider.

Just as God will judge us concerning what we think in the privacy of our hearts, we must be careful how we behave in the open so we do not bring reproach to the name of Christ. Let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Prayer Points
1. I refuse to be manipulated by the enemy. Satan you have no control over my mind, my will, my emotions and my intellect. I refuse to succumb to all your evil suggestions in Jesus name.
2. Holy Spirit, flood my soul with your word. Let your word direct my thoughts and actions in the name of Jesus.
3. I am an overcomer in the name of Jesus. Satan, I overcome all your temptations in the name of Jesus.
4. You stronghold of besetting sin, be broken in the name of Jesus. You have no hold over my life anymore in Jesus name.

THE LOVING HUSBAND

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THE LOVING HUSBAND

Bible Nugget:
7Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered [1 Peter 3 v 7, KJV].

In this scripture, we husbands are counselled to be wise, honour our wives, realizing their physiological makeup as weaker persons. We are also told to realize we are kingdom inheritors together. When a husband does all these, he solidifies his oneness with his wife and his prayers, or better still, their prayers will not be hindered.

Valentine Prayer:
Father Lord, thank you for my wife. Thank you for your love for her and your grace upon her life. Thank you for transforming her heart into the image and character of Christ. Thank you for helping her as the mother of our home. Grant me the grace to lavish her with love and honour her as my own, bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh as you have ordained in marriage. Grant her good health and long life. She shall see her children’s children up to the third and fourth generation in Jesus name. Make her ways prosperous and grant her the desires of her heart as she looks up to you on this Valentine’s Day in Jesus name. Amen.

One Word Only

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One Word Only                                   

  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus….Phil 2: 5-8

 If you were to be described by somebody, which one word would best describe you? This looks like an easy question to answer, but with a good thought, it becomes increasingly difficult to choose. This brings to mind the story of some blind men who went to visit an Elephant. One touched the Elephant by the tail and said it looked like a snake, another touched the trunk and said the Elephant looked like a continuous wall and they went on and on with the description.

 Would our description be, Oh! She is so sweet; or Oh! He is so kind; or would it be arrogant, wicked, generous, humble, bitter, proud, caring, wise, gentle, or should I dare say good………. It will be amazing to know which is yours and mine too!

Two renowned politicians where asked a similar question recently by ‘Readers Digest’, but this time, to paraphrase the question, “Which one word is your favourite? One of them answered immediately without much thought and said ‘Indomitable’, that is unconquerable.  This is a very nice word on its own, and I like it very much myself. The second gave a deep thought, paused for a little while before he gave his own answer. He said his favourite word was ‘grace’. I even liked the second answer better because; it is by grace we can even become indomitable.

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it (1Corinthians 10:26). God owns everything, both you and I, and all that we own. Is that not wonderful! With all these information, where is the place for pride or arrogance?

Back to our passage, Jesus Christ is God Himself. He emptied Himself of His heavenly glory and came to earth in the form of man. We know the story does not end there. He sacrificed His life for all by dying, not the regular death, but the type of death meant for criminals even though He was not one of them. Jesus Christ died on the cross to bring man back to God. It is difficult to describe this by just one word! Is it love, compassion, meekness, gentleness, or was He just being good or showing grace to mankind? No little wonder God has so many names. It depends on where He has met your needs, then that name of His becomes more real and personal to you. It is our prayer that the Lord would reveal Himself to us in our daily walk with Him in Jesus name.

If you are a true follower of Christ, that one word should be an attribute that can be used to describe your Lord and master, Jesus Christ. I sincerely pray that the beauty of God be seen in everyone who professes to be a child of his.

Prayer Point

Oh Lord, make me a reflection of your beauty in Jesus Name. Amen.

Author: Esther Agbi

WHY JESUS’ BIRTH WAS SPECIAL

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WHY JESUS’ BIRTH WAS SPECIAL

Written by: David Agbi

We have seen many births in our time. The joy of a baby entering into the world is satisfying for everyone involved. Although it is exciting, many babies had come and gone by the time Jesus was born and this was a common thing to happen. So what made Jesus’ birth so special?

In Isaiah 7:14-15, Isaiah tells King Ahaz that a virgin will conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel. This prophesy was fulfilled when the angel Gabriel told Mary that she was going to have a son and should call his name JESUS. The prophesy said so long ago was finally fulfilled when Mary, a virgin, married Joseph and called her newborn son JESUS. The Holy Ghost also enveloped her and her son would be called the Son of God [Luke 1:35]. If that was said to you, would you believe? That is the controversy in today’s world.

Another thing that made Jesus’ birth so special was the shepherds along with the wise men. They are both interesting stories. The shepherds, talked about in Luke, were in their fields when an angel came and told them about Jesus being born. After this, they visited Baby JESUS, told others and praised God. In the wise men’s case, talked about by Matthew, coming from the east (Orient) asked King Herod where the King of the Jews was. Herod was furious and told them to find the child, that he may come worship him (so that he could kill him later). They followed the star to where Jesus laid and they worshipped him, and brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. Being warned not to return to Herod, they went their own way; God was protecting Jesus! In both cases, they came to see him and they had exceeding great joy.

The other thing that made Jesus’ birth so special was how he was born. Joseph, who was thinking on putting Mary away privately, had an angel visit him saying not to be afraid of taking Mary as her wife and that which was conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost [Matt. 1:20]. Also, Jesus was born in a manger, for there was no room in the inn. He was born not only in a manger, but he was born where animals would stay. This is very spectacular; the Son of God being inside a small baby and taking on the form of man! Jesus’ job of coming down was to save the people from their sins and this could only be done by someone with no sin (we are all sinners except for Jesus).

There are many other reasons why Jesus’ birth was so special. Imagine how the world and heaven must have rejoiced at the birth of a child! So for all that are wondering why Jesus’ birth was special, look at all the evidence. For the Son of God to come down in the form of a man and growing like a normal person is very dumbfounding for many people. There is a lot of controversy between if Jesus was really God and if his birth was not really spectacular. I for one, think his birth was not only a reality, but also think he is the Saviour. No matter what side you stand, remember what Jesus said “Blessed are they that have not seen, yet have believed”[John 20:29]!

Door Number Two?

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Door Number Two?

 Gen. 13:11

Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.

 It is sometimes very difficult to make choices, probably because nobody wants to make mistakes and be in a situation of ‘Buyer’s remorse’. I am so glad to be living in this part of the world where you can return your merchandise even as long as 3 months after purchase if you don’t like it. Well, I will quickly add, not with all items! When you don’t have the option of returning the purchased goods, you have to think real hard and well to make sure that you actually want the item since the sale is final. Some of the Game Shows on TV would give you an idea of what I am talking about, such as those with prices associated with closed doors. You have been shown the different prizes, but which of the doors can you find exactly what you desire? Is it door no.1 or door no. 2 or even door no. 3?

 Lot was Abram’s nephew. Abram took Lot along when he heard the call of God. That was a very brief introduction of Lot. Abram and Lot both prospered to the extent that their herd’s men were frequently having fights over issues, so Abram wanted to stop the conflict by parting ways with Lot.  

 The Bible passage above tells us that Lot chose all the plain of Jordan. Why, you may ask? The preceding verses tell us that it was well watered and that it was like the garden of the Lord, probably like the Garden of Eden!

 Lot chose what he could see. That would have been what most people would choose; greener pasture for his animals. He did not want any ‘Buyer’s remorse’. Lot’s choice was not a bad one anyway, but was it a godly choice? Lot chose for his immediate benefit which most of us do every now and then. He forgot that he was being blessed by association. Tagging along with Abram brought blessings to him. He forgot to ask his uncle who was older than him to choose first.  He probably did not inquire from God if that was what God wanted for him. That was a very big decision, and he was moved by sight and chose hastily. Are you always moved by sight? Do you make hasty decisions in very important issues or do you inquire from the Lord? To inquire is good, but do you wait for the response? You and I have a lot to learn from King David.

 2 Sam.5:19

King David enquired of the Lord, saying, shall I go up to the Philistines? Will thou deliver them unto my hand? And the Lord said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the philistine into thine hand.

 The Lord will teach us not just to inquire from him but to wait for the response before we set out on things we need to do.

 (To be continued)                                          

 Prayer

Oh Lord, teach me not to make hasty decisions based on my own judgement.

 Oh Lord, grant me the grace to wait and hear from you always in Jesus name.

  Author: Esther Agbi

The Sin of Rebellion [Part II]

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The Sin of Rebellion [Part II]

Numbers 13:1-13

Take Your Present Assignment Seriously
In Num 13 and 14, there is a sad story stated of how some “great men” of God who should have been great by all accounts failed because of unbelief. They refused to fight their way to their breakthrough. They not only refused to fight for their inheritance but discouraged others from doing so. Their sin made God to set a bar on the age limit of those who were going to enter the Promised Land. They polluted the minds of everybody. They sent many people to their early grave. The Bible records their names because they were renowned. They were already rulers among the people (v2).

God may have given you an assignment which looks little but use it as a training ground to develop your faith. If there are no people to do the assignments ahead or God decides that you have been long on your present assignment enough He might chose you for a new task. Woe betides you if you are not ready. God will not put on big shoes on your feet when an assignment is too big for you. You limit yourself by your lack of preparedness on the great tasks God has ahead for you. God recognized them and chose them for a special assignment. Moses acted on the commandment of God and appointed them (Num 13:3). Moses made sure that these were the people God wanted on the trip. There was no bias in their selection. Moses took their names to God and God approved it. They were complete.

Twelve is a very important number in mission work. Jesus had twelve disciples which turned the world around to God. When you are given an assignment, seek to engage 3, seven or twelve people as the Spirit of God directs you. It depends on how “spiritually Herculean” the task is but you must never rely on your strength or power to do the work. You could fail miserably if you try to do it alone or at least suffer from burn out and maybe premature death. Of the twelve only two “survived” or passed the test of the spiritual assignment. Joshua was the leader of the pact. He was appointed and recognized specially by Moses [Num. 13:16].

Did God know they would fail and still sent them? He perhaps did because of His omnipotent power. But that was not His plan for them. God saw them as people who would succeed. The way God saw them is the way God sees us too. He sees that we will succeed. They were programmed to succeed. However, as we see later, the tight knot of faith of their hearts began to unwind gradually by fear and doubt. Moses gave them direction about the assignment; a modus operandi that made their work easy. He told them the way to follow to the land, see and assess who the people that dwelt in those lands were; how fortified their cities were and the fruitfulness of the land. Their assignment lasted for forty days. When you are on a spiritual journey you should be increasing in faith not decreasing. By forty days your heart can either be full of faith or be full of doubt. Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days after which the devil came and challenged Him.

1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. 3 And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel. 4 And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur. 5 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori. 6 Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 7 Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph. 8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun. 9 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu. 10 Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi. 11 Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi. 12 Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli. 13 Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael. 14 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi. 15 Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. 16 These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.

The spies came after forty days and reported what they had seen. There were two reports; a majority report and a minority report. There is no record who gave the majority report. It was not important. They all agreed. Failed people, that is, those who decide to remain failures, refusing to cooperate with God or His word have no place in His kingdom. The ten banded together and chorused their response [Num. 13:26-29]. In such spiritual duties and in the world of Faith what you see and report is what you get. As you said it, so you will receive it. If you see and report a positive thing that is what you get. However, if you see and report negative thing, be ready for the consequence. Unfortunately it is usually the judgement of God or punishment for the result of our failures which we cannot redeem ourselves from. Hence if you are in such situation, cry out to God for mercy through the blood of Jesus.

26 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. 28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.

Prayer Points
1. Oh Lord, fill my heart with faith. I will not doubt your word in the name of Jesus.
2. Oh Lord, strengthen me. Every giant and spiritual bully standing against me in God’s Promised Land in my life, be uprooted, fall down and die like Goliath in Jesus name.