Welcome to the leap year of 2012. It is our year of harvest. As we LEAP into this year, kindly consider the points below to enjoy a successfully 2012:
1)Love God, align yourself with Him and worship Him: God travels the Highway of Holiness (Isaiah 35:8). Anything or anyone that will break your fellowship with God is an enemy. Run from them. Strive towards holiness by grace (Romans 6:14). Note that holiness or unrighteous living starts from the mind. Watch your mind this year (Proverbs 4:23). Jesus can return in 2012, we will not be left behind at the Rapture in Jesus name. The scriptures says we should worship God in spirit and in truth because God is a Spirit (John 4:23-24). This means our spirit man must be alive in Christ, we must be born again, and be sincere in our hearts when we worship God. Extolling and exalting God’s attributes regularly in worship is therapeutic and health to the soul. God’s desire is genuine worship and nothing else. Anyone who commits to meeting this desire of His will be tremendously blessed as a result.
2. Exit from the past: God is more interested in our future than in our past. The past is the past and it is gone forever. 2011 is gone forever. Learn your lessons and move on. Many are stuck in past failures, victories, successes, etc and this de-motivates them to reach for the future. In a time of hopelessness and captivity, God told the Israelites to forget the past as He is set to do a new thing in their lives (Isaiah 43:18-19). Apostle Paul’s main and constant goal was to keep forgetting the past and keep pressing towards the good future God had for him (Philippians 3:12-14).
3) Aspire to written down Goals: Regardless of whether you achieved all, some or none of your written down goals last year, set new ones again this year. Prayerfully set spiritual goals, financial goals, educational goals, family goals, career goals, etc. The NLT Bible in Proverbs 16:9 says, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps”. Many Christians in the guise that their future is in the hand of God never plan and set goals. It is easier to steer a moving vehicle than a stationary one. Those who jumpstart the journey of life by goal setting are easily guided and directed to God’s will and ways. Someone once said that not all good ideas are God’s ideas, but all God’s ideas are good ideas. In 2012, you will have to unlearn, learn and relearn to accomplish new levels because of the rate at which knowledge is growing in the 21st century. However, good ideas will yield some good results and are therefore desirable. Much more desirable is God’s idea; just one idea from Heaven is enough to set us on a successful path forever. This year, seek good ideas but much more seek to know the mind of God.
4) Personal responsibility: Don’t play the blame game this year. Desist from pointing fingers at others for your failings and failure. Desist from passing the buck and complaining about who helps you and who doesn’t. The only constant Help you need is the Almighty God. Adopt this maxim this year, “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me”. Do your best and trust God to give you all the help you need. The Bible says whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for there is no work or device or knowledge in the grave where you are going (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Give 2012 and your destiny the best you can deliver. Diligence, according to Proverbs 12:27 in the NKJV version is defined as man’s precious possession. In other words, being able to persevere on a task and assignment and bring it to an accomplished end is a better asset than gold.
CONCLUSION: Apostle Paul became the great apostle by the machinery of the grace of God (1 Corinthians 15:10). The grace of God is the lubricant of the Christian journey. This year, do not waste His grace but exploit it maximally to effect the necessary changes in your personal life and also to do the aforementioned. Have a blessed new year!
Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
http://gboyegae.blogspot.com
www.rccgpittsburgh.net
Sunday, January 1, 2012
From Glory To Glory (December 2011)
“There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies, but the glory of the celestial is one and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory” (1 Corinthians 15:40-41).
The word glory in the greek is the word “doxa” and this means dignity, honor, beauty, majesty, magnificence, opulence. The above scriptures tell us about the glory of the sun, the moon and the different stars. Also, glory also refers to shining beauty as of a star. When something is operating at its fullest potential, it can be said to be displaying it’s glory for example the sun shining brightest at noon can be said to be in its full glory. Also, anyone optimizing his / her potential and achieving continued success can be said to be displaying glory. Below are some vital truths about glory:
1) Mankind is the zenith of the glory of God: Creation talks about the glory of God (Psalm 19:1-2). The above scripture refers to the glory of celestial and terrestrial bodies. Despite the magnificence of God’s creation, the pinnacle or apex of the glory of God is displayed through man. David echoes this clearly in Psalm 8:5-6, “For you have made him a little lower than the angels and you have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of your hands. You have put all things under his feet”. This also means every man carries some glory that God bestowed.
2) We are partakers of the glory of God: When Jesus was entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He rode on a donkey that was made available to Him. As He entered Jerusalem, people came from all over and threw their clothes and palm trees on the road. The donkey was stepping on human clothes and was dignified because Jesus was riding on it. Everyone who truly submits to Jesus will surely become honorable with the honor of God, dignified with the dignity of Christ, and beautified with the beauty of Christ. Christ living in us is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).
3) We are reflectors of the glory of God: The glory the moon manifest is sourced from the sun. The moon does not generate energy on its own but the sun shines on it and its beauty is manifest. As the sun shines on the moon, the moon reflects that glory and it shines back on earth. In like manner, as we gaze on God’s glory with unveiled minds and walk in the light of His Word, His Holy Spirit shines on us and we reflect that beauty to the world around us. Scripture reference: 2 Corinthians 3:18. We are His conductors reflecting light from the Source.
4) God is glorified as we shine: When one looks up to the sky on a glorious night and see stars shining in their brilliance and also singly against a dark background, the beauty and splendor talks about the wisdom, creativity and greatness of God. The Christian in a dark and depraved world is the star that is to shine the wisdom, love, patience, creativity, power, mercy and knowledge of God to a dark and ignorant world. As we shine, God is tremendously glorified (Matthew 5:16).
CONCLUSION: As the year gradually comes to a close, the one desire in the heart of God is that His children will shine. The more we shine, the more we bring glory to God. The songwriter says, "When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way". Walking with the Lord in genuine worship of His person,submission to His will and confidence in His word will cause our paths to shine more and more(Proverbs 4:18). Glory is in varying degrees and cadre as the scripture above portends, as we team up with the King of glory, we manifest more of His glory.
Happy blessed December in Jesus name.
Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
http://gboyegae.blogspot.com
www.rccgpittsburgh.net
The word glory in the greek is the word “doxa” and this means dignity, honor, beauty, majesty, magnificence, opulence. The above scriptures tell us about the glory of the sun, the moon and the different stars. Also, glory also refers to shining beauty as of a star. When something is operating at its fullest potential, it can be said to be displaying it’s glory for example the sun shining brightest at noon can be said to be in its full glory. Also, anyone optimizing his / her potential and achieving continued success can be said to be displaying glory. Below are some vital truths about glory:
1) Mankind is the zenith of the glory of God: Creation talks about the glory of God (Psalm 19:1-2). The above scripture refers to the glory of celestial and terrestrial bodies. Despite the magnificence of God’s creation, the pinnacle or apex of the glory of God is displayed through man. David echoes this clearly in Psalm 8:5-6, “For you have made him a little lower than the angels and you have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of your hands. You have put all things under his feet”. This also means every man carries some glory that God bestowed.
2) We are partakers of the glory of God: When Jesus was entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He rode on a donkey that was made available to Him. As He entered Jerusalem, people came from all over and threw their clothes and palm trees on the road. The donkey was stepping on human clothes and was dignified because Jesus was riding on it. Everyone who truly submits to Jesus will surely become honorable with the honor of God, dignified with the dignity of Christ, and beautified with the beauty of Christ. Christ living in us is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).
3) We are reflectors of the glory of God: The glory the moon manifest is sourced from the sun. The moon does not generate energy on its own but the sun shines on it and its beauty is manifest. As the sun shines on the moon, the moon reflects that glory and it shines back on earth. In like manner, as we gaze on God’s glory with unveiled minds and walk in the light of His Word, His Holy Spirit shines on us and we reflect that beauty to the world around us. Scripture reference: 2 Corinthians 3:18. We are His conductors reflecting light from the Source.
4) God is glorified as we shine: When one looks up to the sky on a glorious night and see stars shining in their brilliance and also singly against a dark background, the beauty and splendor talks about the wisdom, creativity and greatness of God. The Christian in a dark and depraved world is the star that is to shine the wisdom, love, patience, creativity, power, mercy and knowledge of God to a dark and ignorant world. As we shine, God is tremendously glorified (Matthew 5:16).
CONCLUSION: As the year gradually comes to a close, the one desire in the heart of God is that His children will shine. The more we shine, the more we bring glory to God. The songwriter says, "When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way". Walking with the Lord in genuine worship of His person,submission to His will and confidence in His word will cause our paths to shine more and more(Proverbs 4:18). Glory is in varying degrees and cadre as the scripture above portends, as we team up with the King of glory, we manifest more of His glory.
Happy blessed December in Jesus name.
Ade(Gboyega) ESAN
http://gboyegae.blogspot.com
www.rccgpittsburgh.net
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)