TODAY’S DEVOTION (TUESDAY 2nd APRIL 2024)
Then Jesus, full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led in [by] the [Holy] Spirit
For (during) forty days in the wilderness (desert), where He was tempted (tried, tested exceedingly) by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they were completed, He was hungry. Luke 4:1-2 AMPC
WELCOME TO THE 93RD DAY OF OUR YEAR OF IMPACT.
A song writer once said, “the steadfastness of the LORD, never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new Every morning, new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness, oh LORD, great is thy faithfulness.”
If you know the song, I urge you to use it in connecting your spirit to the presence of the LORD as you begin your day! The world is in motion; everything and everyone seems to be moving.
Sadly, while it is in motion, majority in its system do not realize that they are moving towards one direction; the direction of the great white throne Judgment, where everyone in its dark system will give account of how they lived their lives on this side of eternity.
It might interest you to know that the great white Throne Judgment, is not a judgment seat where it will be determined either someone will go to heaven or not. Everyone who will appear there will be going to hell. It is a Judgment seat where the degree of eternal punishment of each damned soul will be determined because God is a just God.
Yes, God is a just God. The Bible says, He gives to everyone according to the quality of their evil deeds, not below or beyond. I remember sharing these things in one of our schools of Bible Prophecy. I think the Church ought to be teaching Bible prophecy every now and then, because many are ignorant.
From Bible Prophecy, we understand that there will be another Judgment Seat called the Bema seat. This one will be set immediately after the Rapture. It is called the Judgment Seat of Christ.
All who lived their lives according to the will, ways, and routes of God for them while alive, will appear here. The seat will determine the degree of rewards for all their labor for the LORD.
THIS IS THE SEAT YOU WILL BE APPEARING IF YOU ARE ONE OF CHRIST’S ON EARTH.
The Bible says,
“And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:24 NKJV
Meaning, if you have not crucified your flesh, its passions and desires, you might have recited the sinner’s prayer; you might have been certified born again by a preacher; you might even be an apostle, prophet, hardworking Church member or whatever, you do not belong to Christ, and will not be appearing before His judgment seat.
Sadly, you will appear before the great white Throne Judgment. Jesus made this clear in Matthew chapter 7.
The Judgment seat of Christ is for those who are His; people who lived their days crucifying their flesh, its affection, and lust. They were saved, sanctified, and glorified by the LORD while alive, hence coming to the Judgment seat of Christ to receive the reward for all their labors.
In simple terms, the world is in motion to bring all in its system to the Great White Throne Judgement. People who are in friendship or in love with it, either in the Church system or outside the church system, will also be part of the judgment. That is why the early Church never maintained friendship with it.
The Bible made it clear that friendship with it is dangerous eternally because it is a sign that one is an enemy of GOD.
Sadly, our generation is different. We seem to love the world much more than even God. We maintain friendship with it because of the treasures in it.
We fall in love with its system and even adopt it in running our lives, our Christianity, families, ministries, and churches. That is why we either suffer what they suffer, or enjoy the prosperity of hell that it offers. Consequently, marching in the same eternal direction (of the Great White Throne Judgment) with it.
WE FORGET WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT FRIENDSHIP WITH IT, AND NO CUTTING-EDGE PREACHER WILL EVEN PREACH IT.
Many so love the world that, they are even giving up their eternal life for it. The Bible said emphatically;
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17 NKJV
This scripture made it clear that the world is passing away. Day in day out, it is passing away. Its days are numbered, and the appointed season for its existence have been pre-determined. And all who are trapped in its system, feeding by it, becoming successful and prosperous by it, will pass away along with it.
It might interest you to know that the prophetic name of the world system is Babylon, and all who are in its system are called Babylonians.
A Christians who is feeding, becoming successful, or prosperous by its power and principles is call a Babylon Christian. A preacher who is becoming successful or prosperous by its power and principles is called a Babylon preacher.
A Church that is practicing, teaching, living by, succeeding, and living prosperously by its power and principles, is called a Babylon Church. When you plant yourself in such a Church, the desire for money, the pleasures, and cares of this world will become your driving force.
You will never hear a message on crucifying the flesh, not loving the world, and related teachings of the Cross if you are in a Babylon Church or under a Babylon preacher.
To this end, we have Babylon apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers littered in the Church today, promoting its ideas and principles among the saints, depleting the oil of the five foolish virgins and making all in its system not ready for the coming of the LORD.
YOU MUST BE AWARE OF ALL THESE AND SIT UP.
A Babylon apostle, prophet, or Church, will use their prophecies, practices and preaching, to make you mindful of the things of men and not the things of God. The system will seek to use the glory and influence of its preachers and churches to deplete your faith, holiness, righteousness, zeal for truth, and intimacy with the LORD.
It will seek to replace all that with love for whatever is exalted among men. And do not forget, the Bible says, whatever is exalted among men, is an abomination in the sight of God.
Sadly, because the things of men are presented in the language of God by the Babylon system in Church today, most Christians who are in that system, do not know that they are living their days running after what is abominable in the sight of God; things exalted among men.
They do not see the thin line that exist, neither do they recognize the deception. That is why they are passing away with the world. The Bible says the world is passing away.
The Only people that will be saved from its corrupt system are those who decide to walk away from it, embrace the cross, and spend their days doing the will of God. The word says, “those who do the will of God will abide forever.” We must become part of them, and continue being part of them, else we will be eternally damned.
As we bring this to a close, understand that, the first will of God for your life is that you lead a Christian life that Crucify the flesh, its affection and lust after coming to the LORD.
That is what the Holy Spirit will lead us to do, as soon as we embrace Christ.
YOU SEE THAT IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST, WHEN HE WAS DRIVEN TO THE WILDERNESS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
The vision was for Him to crucify His flesh, its affection and lust through abstinence from food and all forms of spiritual pollutions. He was led to do the first will of God before the other will He was born to do.
Our devotional text says;
Then Jesus, full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led in [by] the [Holy] Spirit.
For (during) forty days in the wilderness (desert), where He was tempted (tried, tested exceedingly) by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they were completed, He was hungry. Luke 4:1-2 AMPC
The purpose of this process was for His flesh to be crucified.
He was led to a 40 day fast just for Him to be enabled to put His flesh under subjection. That was the first will of God for Him, and it remains the first will of God for everyone who will come to Him.
Friend, as we can see in the life of Christ, the true Holy Spirit will first lead you to Crucify your flesh, its affection and lust, before leading or preparing you for any assignment you were born to do. This is what many in church today are not aware of.
The Crucifixion of our flesh remains the first will of God for all in the faith.
Therefore, if we are passionate to do God’s will, we do not need to go on a long fast or meet a prophet to find out what His will is for our life, the LORD God has just shown us this morning what to do.
We are to focus on crucifying our flesh, and then we will see the Holy Ghost launching us into other things God wants to do with our lives. That is the message!!
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY!
Furthermore, brethren, we beg and admonish you in [virtue of our union with] the Lord Jesus, that [you follow the instructions which] you learned from us about how you ought to walk so as to please and gratify God, as indeed you are doing, [and] that you do so even more and more abundantly [attaining yet greater perfection in living this life].
For you know what charges and precepts we gave you [on the authority and by the inspiration of] the Lord Jesus.
For this is the will of God, that you should be consecrated (separated and set apart for pure and holy living): that you should abstain and shrink from all sexual vice,
That each one of you should know how to possess (control, manage) his own body in consecration (purity, separated from things profane) and honor, Not [to be used] in the passion of lust like the heathen, who are ignorant of the true God and have no knowledge of His will, That no man transgress and overreach his brother and defraud him in this matter or defraud his brother in business. For the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we have already warned you solemnly and told you plainly.
For God has not called us to impurity but to consecration [to dedicate ourselves to the most thorough purity].
Therefore whoever disregards (sets aside and rejects this) disregards not man but God, Whose [very] Spirit [Whom] He gives to you is holy (chaste, pure). 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 AMPC