TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL (Saturday 21ST August 2021)
“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:7-11 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 233RD DAY OF OUR YEAR OF HIGHER HEIGHTS!
This morning I want to begin this devotional by sharing with you a bit about our heritage in Christ Jesus – the heritage of the truly saved and sanctified.
If you are going through anything in life, here this, God has never lost a battle neither has His enemies ever had the last laugh. That is the heritage we share in Christ Jesus.
If you are truly saved and sanctified that is your heritage.
You may be going through a tough time with some people who hate you or others who may not want to see you alive right now. Do not worry, you will never come out defeated, neither will they have the last laugh. The heritage we share in Christ does not allow that to happen to us.
Secondly, great things in God’s kingdom do not start great. They start small then grow great. That also is the heritage we share in Christ Jesus. Your business, income, family or even entire life may be small today do not worry. Just keeping following and serving the LORD! It will not remain small.
Learn to spend time in His presence to discern the small things you must keep doing strongly and consistently to move from smallness to greatness.
If you will do that, your greatness will no longer be a matter of if but a matter of when. Time will just help in turning the small you into one of the great in God’s kingdom.
It is very important to know that we are not just God’s creation, we are His Sons. A father will want his sons to know all about him. That is why “Knowing GOD” is the only subject in the curriculum of the School of His Spirit. There is no other subject.
That was why Bible men like David who understood that, spent their days in His manifest presence beholding His beauty and inquiring in His temple. That also makes “Knowing GOD” the only reason for Church ministry.
Friends, like I have always maintained, Church ministry is not for tithes and offerings. It is not for fooling people. It is not for money making but for making God known to mankind. Sadly, so many preachers today do not know that. They do not know that “Knowing God” is the only subject in His curriculum. Hence no other things should be taught in our Churches.
When we gather in the name of the LORD but teach what is not of the LORD, we are no longer having Church but an assembly of Satan. That is why you must run away from Churches that do not make “Knowing God” the subject of gospel ministry.
FRIEND, TIME HAS COME TO LEAVE PLACES OF WORSHIP WHERE GOD IS NOT REVEALED
Do not stay in a Church that increases the knowledge of the devil, all he has done, all he will do, or all he can do in your life. The agenda is to put you in a panic mode to remain a fearful fool in the hands of the preacher so that more money can be made from you or more worship exhumed form you.
Do not remain in a Church that teaches you to fight all kinds of spirits in the name of spiritual warfare. In true spiritual warfare you rest in Christ while He fights your battles and then lead you to pick the spoils through the execution of proper judicial decrees.
Do not stay in a Church that uses the Bible to teach and practice metaphysical practices like feet washing, oil drinking, praying with sand, salt, water, praying with brooms, coconuts, special keys, padlocks or etc. Do not remain in a Church where people are told to sow seeds and then coins are given to them to break their poverty and lack.
Do not remain in a Church that teaches the doctrine of men – doctrines of money making instead of Heaven making. It will place and confine you in the Broadway that leads to damnation. Knowing God remains the only subject or lesson in God’s Kingdom.
A major line in our devotional text this morning says;
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:11 NKJV
For us today, the knowledge of God is the knowledge of Christ Himself because He is God. Now, if you look closely at this portion of our devotional text you will discover that making Heaven is not possible without making the Knowledge of God your life pursuit.
Someone must make up his mind this morning to synchronize with our apostolic fathers who sort God just to know Christ deeper and deeper. They spent time in His presence, reading His word just to know Him and be filled with all of Him.
THE RESULT WAS AMAZING! THEY FOUND HIM AND MADE THE DARKNESS AROUND THEIR AGE AND TIME TO TREMBLE BEFORE THEM.
We must make up our minds to do the same from this day forward. Enough of the insanity we call Christianity. If what we see today was what was called Christianity in the days of the early Church, there would have been no soul in Heaven. In fact, Christ would have died in vain.
Making the knowledge of God our greatest pursuit in life is the key to an exciting life on earth and glorious life in the hereafter. If your goal is to have a God centered life on this earth and a glorious life in the hereafter, you do not need a preacher that will teach you how to multiply your money by giving him some seeds.
If your goal is to have a God centered life on this earth and a glorious life in the hereafter you do not need a church that will keep washing your brain by washing your feet. You need a Church that will teach you to seek God until you lay hold on Him. You need a Church that will help you achieve the goal of making the knowledge of God your greatest pursuit in life.
If we do not make the knowledge of God our greatest pursuit in life we will never know Him. If we do not know Him, we will never know the fellowship of His sufferings. If we do not know the fellowship of His sufferings, we will never conform to His death. If we do not conform to His death, we will not attain to the resurrection from the dead (the rapture). If we do not attain to the resurrection of the dead, we will be damned forever. That is the secret!
You can now understand why Paul paid every price he could, and lost everything he had just to make the knowledge of Christ is His greatest pursuit in life. We must do the same.
HE WROTE TO THE CHURCH AT PHILIPPI SAYING;
“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ” Philippians 3:7-8
Friend, if it is the very Heaven that Paul went that we want to go, we must take the same faith position he took in our walk and talk with God.
If marriage, money, fame, recognition, attention, carnal ambitions or godless-career or any other earthly thing is our greatest pursuit, we will pierce ourselves with many sorrows. But if the Knowledge of God (the knowledge of Christ) is our greatest pursuit in life, we will get our lives filled with peace, prosperity and great progress in the direction of God’s will for our lives.
I believe God has spoken to someone today. It’s my prayer that we use what we have gathered to improve our faith and move from glory to glory in Jesus precious name. AMEN!
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR YOU TODAY
“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore, let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.” Philippians 3:10-16 NKJV