TODAY’S DEVOTION (THURSDAY 30TH MARCH 2023)
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.
For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,
how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? Hebrews 2:1-4 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 89TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF SIGNS AND WONDERS!
We thank God for giving us another day to be alive and well. Day in day out, He has been steadfast.
We thank Him for the laws He has set in motion to guarantee our wellness irrespective of how we are or live. Indeed, He has been a loving, kind, patient, faithful and true God to us. We give Him all the glory for that, and owe Him a lot of repentance from sins and all forms of wickedness.
Today is the second to the last day of the month. It has been a month of hearing the word of the LORD on this platform on matters of His precious word in our lives. He has spoken to us strongly on matters that are germane in His kingdom that we all belong to, if we are saved. Things we must not neglect else we perish.
A part of our devotional text today says;
“how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,” Hebrews 2:3 NKJV
Indeed, what came to us this month was a great salvation to many of us. It only requires a more earnest heed and nothing less. Else we miss the salvation the LORD sent the word to deliver to us.
The word of the LORD is a delivery van of great salvation from the Throne of God. That is why God responds by sending a word to us when we pray. In that word is all the deliverance we need. I believe what we heard this month is a sent word to us because of what many of us have prayed or being praying to God about. If we neglect the word, we have neglected God’s great salvation. The Bible says;
“Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, And they drew near to the gates of death.
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.” Psalm 107:17-20 NKJV
This scripture made it clear that the word of the LORD is the delivery vehicle of all forms of salvation we need from Him. That is why we must not neglect His word; neglecting His word is neglecting our salvation or deliverance from all forms of destruction; yes, all forms of destruction, not some forms.
I want to submit to us that there are classes of scriptural revelations that are the one answer to the many questions or adversities of life. What came to us this month, is in that class. I believe it is God’s response to the many cries of our heart that have been heard in His throne room from our prayer knees.
So, I want to say, as we come to the close of this month, it will be important that we go back to some of the things we learned, so we can refresh our minds.
There were so many devotionals that sounded eternal; truths that require a double attention. I believe you took note of some of them; things that will help us not to drift away. I call them “anchor truths!” Our devotional text says in part, “we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.”
Actually, there was no devotional that came this month that was not an anchor truth – none that do not require that we give a more earnest heed to, least we drift away from them. I want to bring two to our attention. We will take one today and another tomorrow.
It is my prayer that you find a fresh word, that will sink eternally into your heart from it, in Jesus precious name. Amen!!
THIS WAS PUBLISHED ON THE 2ND MARCH 2023 – THE DEVOTIONAL TEXT!
“Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency,
Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies),
Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21 AMPC
A WORD ON TAKING FAITH POSITIONS INSTEAD OF FLESH POSITIONS!
I want us to understand that, the value of a Child of God is not defined by the certificate he acquires, as good as it is to go to school. The value of a child of God is not defined by the family he or she is born into. The value of a child of God is not defined by who his or her earthly father is, or is not.
The value of a Child of God on earth, is defined by the precious word he or she carries as a prisoner of prophecy, and how much of that word is being fulfilled in His life.
That is why in Christ, you do not need to go to school, earn a degree, or come from a great or rich family, to make it in life. You only need to understand the precious word you carry as a prisoner of prophecy, and how to allow it to come to pass in your life, or how to allow it to speak in your life.
That is why the discourse we are considering this month is important.
Yesterday, we said you will need to take FAITH positions to allow the word you carry to come to pass in your life, not FLESH positions. We said, Flesh positions are dangerous. They are what the Bible calls “the works of the flesh.” They will ruin us by hindering the precious word we carry from working in our lives. We saw how the nation of Israel took flesh positions, bringing the word of the LORD for their life to nothing.
All three million people and above that left Egypt, had a glorious destiny and a very bright future, but only two got to the promised land of their future; only them fulfilled their destiny. The rest were those who were born to replace them.
Why did that happen despite divine backing? Why did the word they carried not come to pass in their lives?
THE REASON IS BECAUSE, THEY TOOK FLESH POSITIONS.
The nation of Israel took flesh positions while carrying great prophecies in their lives. That was why only two of the millions who left Egypt, got to the promise land. No matter how glorious your destiny is in Christ, no matter how beautiful the prophetic promises of the LORD are upon your life, if you take FLESH positions instead of FAITH positions in life, you will ruin everything.
You could be enjoying the greatest miracles, backings of God, or moves of the Spirit in your life, if you move from FAITH positions to FLESH positions in your relationship with God, you will lose everything.
Talking about the flesh positions we should never take when walking with the LORD as prisoners of precious prophecies, our devotional text says;
“Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency,
Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies),
Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21 AMPC
The flesh positions mentioned in this scripture, and their meanings, should be studied by everyone of us carefully, especially in our days of Eagle hood Trips with the LORD; because it is very easy to grow weary and begin to take them, without realizing their negative impact on our destiny, as precious word carriers.
Yes, it is very easy to become lustful, and begin to desire sex with someone you are not married to, leading to fornication or adultery or even masturbation.
THE WORD MAY SAY THAT IT IS OKAY, BUT GOD SAYS IT WILL RUIN OUR LIVES.
It is very easy to become an idol worshiper, by worshiping men of God, or allowing money, material acquisition, or any of our needs to take the place of God in our lives. It is very easy to allow earthly desires to steal our worship of the One and Only True God, thereby becoming Idolatrous.
The scripture made it clear that flesh positions like, Envy, drunkenness, carousing, immorality, impurity, indecency, Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger or ill temper, will ruin the potency of GOD’s word that we carry. Yes, it is very easy for selfishness, divisions or dissensions, party spirit or factions of sects with peculiar opinions, or the heresies we hear today being taught in many local churches, to ruin the potency of the word of God we carry.
It is very possible for any of this flesh positions, to neutralize the precious words we carry in our lives, and stall the fulfilment of GOD’s glorious future for us.
Like I said, it will be important that we all take each of the FLESH positions mentioned in our devotional text seriously, and study them deeply so that we can have the revelation knowledge to survive, when the flesh begin to drive us to take them.
Do not forget, sin is living in every one of us, even when we are not living in sin. Caution is therefore required. The Bible says;
“If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude and lead ourselves astray, and the Truth [which the Gospel presents] is not in us [does not dwell in our hearts].” 1 John 1:8 AMPC
You are in delusion if you live carelessly, and begin to act as if you are beyond falling into sin. Every one of us can easily fall into sin and even live in it. Its just a matter of becoming forgetful of the fact that sin lives in you, and that you need to be careful.
WHAT MAKES IT EASY TO SLIP INTO FLESH POSITION, LIES ON OUR INSIDE. IT IS NOT IN HELL OR ANYWHERE ELSE.
That is why we must not become deluded when it comes to the sin question. We must know that our fall is right inside us, and that if we are exposed to the wrong people, pressure, sight, sound, or any sinful thing that twinkles our fancy, it will trigger it.
And before we know it, we will begin to take flesh positions and make God’s word in our lives of no effect. It is because of these things that the Bible says;
“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”
Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:1-12 NKJV
The last line in this beautiful passage of the scripture calls for concern.
It says, “let he that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” I have learned by experience, that the moment you start thinking that you stand, you will begin to become careless and lose all your spiritual guards, and compromise all the faith positions you have taken.
ONCE YOU BECOME COMPROMISED, YOU WILL BEGIN TO TAKE FLESH POSITIONS, AND RENDER THE PRECIOUS WORD OF THE LORD YOU CARRY INEFFECTIVE IN YOUR LIFE.
That is when you will be repeating some or all of what the Jews did, that are stated in the scripture above. The Bible says God was not well pleased with them, because of the flesh positions they took, and consequently, their bodies were scattered in the wilderness, instead of the word of the LORD coming to pass in their lives.
Now, you may not just do what they did when it comes to taking flesh positions, but what others did in the Bible. For instance, if you are a Samson, you will find yourself in the laps of a Delilah, and eventually in the grinding machine of your enemies with all your God given purity visions gone.
If you are a David, that will be when you will be practicing pornography on the roof top of your phones, or casting your eyes lustfully on the opposite sex. If you are a Levi or a Simeon, you will be moving in anger out of control, using instrument of cruelty to do things that will become a ruin to you or others.
If you are a Sarai, you will be foolishly exposing your husband to your house help, thinking sin no longer live in him. You could also become careless, and begin to do things that expose him to other women outside; foolish things that will make it impossible for him to be coming home early from work, or staying at home with you.
We have heard and seen so much happening in the lives of believers that would not have happened, if there were no flesh positions taken.
There is so much about this subject of FLESH POSITIONS. But enough have been shared for the day. It is my prayer that the LORD will use these truths to help us do the right thing, as carriers of His precious word, in Jesus precious name. Amen!!
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY!
“But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness,
Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].
And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires.
If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]
Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another. Galatians 5:22-26 AMPC