TODAY’S DEVOTION (WEDNESDAY 17TH May 2023)**
“Therefore, be imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father].
And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.
But immorality (sexual vice) and all impurity [of lustful, rich, wasteful living] or greediness must not even be named among you, as is fitting and proper among saints (God’s consecrated people).
Let there be no filthiness (obscenity, indecency) nor foolish and sinful (silly and corrupt) talk, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting or becoming; but instead voice your thankfulness [to God].
For be sure of this: that no person practicing sexual vice or impurity in thought or in life, or one who is covetous [who has lustful desire for the property of others and is greedy for gain]—for he [in effect] is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Let no one delude and deceive you with empty excuses and groundless arguments [for these sins], for through these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of rebellion and disobedience.
So do not associate or be sharers with them.” Ephesians 5:1-7 AMPC
WELCOME TO THE 137TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF SIGNS & WONDERS!
If there is anything that occupies the center stage of Heaven’s attention on earth now, that thing is the sanctification of the Church by the word; to make her holy and without blemish; so that she can be presented to the Bridegroom who is already on His way. That is the driving force of the faith, purity and patience of the saints. The Bible says;
“…..Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word,
That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless].” Ephesians 5:25-27 AMPC
It is important that we reiterate again that what the Spirit of God is doing globally in the now, is called the execution of the sanctification mandate. God is using the water of His sanctifying words of grace and truth, through a network of mercy and truth, to purge, wash and cleanse His Church. The vision is to present her to Himself in glorious splendor without spot or wrinkle, that we the individual members of the body might be holy and faultless.
Sadly, not many preachers or Church goers are aware of this move of the Spirit, because if they are, they will walk away from any preacher, preaching, teaching or church with no sanctifying truths. They will not hang on to prophetic or deliverance ministries with no sanctifying truths to present them holy and faultless before the LORD!
Sometimes I wonder why many believers are not making these things that heaven is doing in the now their focus. Then I realized that Jesus spoke about the wheat and the tares.
WHEN GOD IS DOING SOMETHING AMONG THE TARES, THE WHEAT WILL BE AWARE BECAUSE HE USES THE WHEAT TO DO IT.
But when He is doing something among the wheat, especially when He is sanctifying us, the tares are not always aware. In fact, they even call us names and brand us very discouraging things so that we can quit on GOD.
Ordinarily, we were all supposed to be wheat, but many of us have the characteristics of tares, hence are not wheat. I mean, many in the Church – both the clergy *(pastors, bishops, apostles, prophets, evangelist, reverend fathers, cardinals, arch-bishops and etc.) *and the laity (church members). That is why Not many know what the LORD is doing.
They rather argue, display biblical illiteracy, or further twist the few scriptures they read or heard someone twist, instead of humbling themselves to listen. Friend, you will never know what God is doing among His wheat if you are part of the tares; especially the ones that have been appointed to be uprooted at an appointed time.
One thing you must know is this, God is executing a sanctification mandate as we speak, and it is happening fast and quick, that is why the wheat Christians are separating themselves unto the LORD today as never before. They are perfecting their ways, cleaning up their secrecy and making sure they are in sync with whatever agrees with divine will.
If you are not a wheat Christian, none of this will make sense.
In fact, like the people who were part of the rebellion of Korah, you will say “all the LORD’s people have been sanctified by the blood of Jesus. There is no other sanctification that is needed.” You will never agree with the Bible and what it says. You will not agree that the sanctification of the washing of water by the word is needed.
Friend, understand that, we are saved, we are being saved, and we shall be saved. Ephesians 5 made it clear that if we are saved, and we are not being saved, through the sanctification of the washing of water by the word, we will not be saved on the final day. Sanctification is therefore a necessity. That is the Bible truth.
AGAIN, TARES WILL NEVER AGREE WITH THIS. ONLY THE WHEAT WILL.
We have been looking at the saving, salvation, or sanctification of the soul, as part of the activities of the faith, purity, and patience of the saints. By way of reminder, it is important to note that the sanctification of the soul is what you press into, after experiencing the sanctification of the spirit. The Bible says;
“But our way is not that of those who draw back to eternal misery (perdition) and are utterly destroyed, but we are of those who believe [who cleave to and trust in and rely on God through Jesus Christ, the Messiah] and by faith preserve the soul.” Hebrew 10:39 AMPC
The soul is preserved for eternal rest with Christ through sanctification of its five units. We have seen Bible Truths on the sanctification of the unit of the soul called imagination, another called the memory, and another called the intelligence. Today, we will be rounding out bible truths on the sanctification of the unit called emotions. We have been on it for a while now!
We have defined what this unit is and how it helps us live right or make us live wrong. How it helps us lead holy lives, and how it makes us lead sinful and desecrated lives.
We have to understand significant truths about this unit of the soul, especially as it has to do with sexual sins. For those who are caught in persistent sexual sins, I believe God has opened the eyes and hearts of some to see secrets that will be of help if applied, so that they can be lifted from the decadence of immoral living.
Actually, emotional attachments have been responsible for persistent sins, especially sexual sins. Once we become emotionally attached to anyone we are in sin with, it becomes a persistent sin, leading to destruction.
I remember stories I was told by those who cannot relate with their wives and husbands again because they slept with some women or men out there. They developed strong emotional attachments to those ladies and men that broke their attachments with their wives or husbands.
Some have become so emotionally attached to their smart phones that they have destroyed their marriages. So, this kind of destructive attachment is not just through sexual activities. Some have become attached to the mundane that they disconnect from the spiritual.
There are so many married men and women who have lost interest in their spouses because of illegal emotional attachments to people they are not married to, or to the mundane. You may even be one reading this. However, the solution to all these lies in Christ. I have seen Him restore back the emotional attachment men and women once had for their wives and husbands.
HE CAN DO THE SAME FOR YOU IF YOU ARE IN THIS SNARE.
That is why, no matter what happens between you and your wife or husband, so long as it is not life threatening, sleep on the same bed with your spouse and make sure your bodies touch each other while asleep. Even if it is your backs.
Protect the emotional bond that should exist between you and your wife or husband, because once that is out, your marriage will soon become a statistic or a mirage. Do not overreact to pressure and break the bond. If you do, a time will come when you will regret every of your action.
In fact, you will be sorry at the consequences, which can be eternal sometimes.
Blessed are you if you have a smaller bed, or room. That will limit the space you can create for each other, and force you to be together no matter what happens.
The import of all these is, just make sure you protect the emotional bond that should exist between you two. Lie together on same bed, and do not let the enemy use your disagreement to tamper with the emotional attachment that should exits between the two of you.
If we keep our emotions sanctified, we will not harbor any defilement in them that will allow sin to breed in our lives. We could fall into sin in the process, but will always get up and return to righteous ways.
The Holy Spirit is the kingdom tool for sanctifying our emotions. He uses a Church or Preacher, who teaches Bible based truths and sound doctrine, and walks with our will to help us keep our emotions under check.
THAT BRINGS US TO THE NEXT FACULTY OR UNIT OF THE SOUL THAT MUST BE SANCTIFIED; THE WILL.
Our devotional text today is a long one. Please read it carefully and go through it over and over again. Let God speak to you. It is better than any prophecy from anyone or from anywhere. It says;
“Therefore, be imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father].
And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.
But immorality (sexual vice) and all impurity [of lustful, rich, wasteful living] or greediness must not even be named among you, as is fitting and proper among saints (God’s consecrated people).
Let there be no filthiness (obscenity, indecency) nor foolish and sinful (silly and corrupt) talk, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting or becoming; but instead voice your thankfulness [to God].
For be sure of this: that no person practicing sexual vice or impurity in thought or in life, or one who is covetous [who has lustful desire for the property of others and is greedy for gain]—for he [in effect] is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Let no one delude and deceive you with empty excuses and groundless arguments [for these sins], for through these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of rebellion and disobedience. So do not associate or be sharers with them.” Ephesians 5:1-7 AMPC
WHAT DID YOU SEE IN THIS GREAT SCRIPTURE, BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED IN CONTEMPORARY RENDERING AND EXPRESSION?
This devotional text is full of instructions that are a calling upon us to lead consecrated lives. I want you to take time and write out on a separate sheet of paper how many of them you can find. Find out instructions that are calling us to a life of righteousness, purity and holiness.
The early Christians walked with the very instructions you will find in this scripture, in their quest to make Heaven. As you read through and take them down, you will discover that the Christianity we have today is a million miles apart from the Christianity they had in their time.
You will also discover that the Christianity that most of us preachers lead, and most times ask people to follow, is a million miles apart form the one this devotional text commands. What do you think is happening in our age? The anti-Christ spirit is happening in our age, and we seem unprepared to neutralize the spirit.
The spirit could not prevent Christ from coming to die for us, though it fought against it; but it is now preventing us from being ready for His coming to take us home. You must understand this plan and braze yourself to obey everything you may write down, then rise up to fight the good fight of faith, using the grace of God upon your life.
The good fight of faith is fought with a sanctified will, that is strong enough to resist sin, iniquity and trespass. It is fought with a sanctified will that says no to what God says no to, and yes to what God says yes to; especially what agrees with His written word, knowing well that the true God will never speak contrary to the written word.
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY!
“Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward.
For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.
For still a little while (a very little while), and the Coming One will come and He will not delay.
But the just shall live by faith [My righteous servant shall live by his conviction respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, and holy fervor born of faith and conjoined with it]; and if he draws back and shrinks in fear, My soul has no delight or pleasure in him.” Hebrews 10:35-38 AMPC