By His Spirit

1Cor.12:1-11; Is.11:1-5; Lk.4:18-21; Acts.4:31-34

Attention to this message will bring God's children to a remarkable height in the Spiritual realm, which transcends to the physical, material and financial. It is so because the righteous and faithful God will always answer the prayers of His people and granted them their heart’s desire for wholly walking with Him, making them His choice inheritance. The LORD will also be adding to their blessings, to get them fully revived, nourished, refreshed and strengthened for the great task ahead.

  

The Gifts By His Spirit (Is.11:1-5; Lk. 4:18-21):

They include such things given willingly by His Spirit without payment (Mt.4:24; Rom.6:23; Acts.12:7-11; etc); Supernatural talents, abilities (l Cor.12:1-11; Is.11:1-5; Judges 16:5; Dan.1:17, 19; 1 Kgs.3:12-14; etc.); Divine favours (Acts.4:31-34; Gen.39:1-6, 21-23; etc.).

Be Enriched By His Spirit (Mt.7:6-12; lCor.12:3-7; Acts.1:8; Lk.4:18-19):

Every gift by God’s Spirit is good and must be seen, regarded, appreciated, sought and treated as such for one to receive and retain it. The gifts of God are given to profit not only self but others through testimonies, ministrations, services and witnessing. They are meant to provoke us to love the LORD, the things of the LORD, His people and get committed to Him; hallow Him and His servants and render Him worthy services. 

Anyone of this disposition should go straight and earnestly ask God to enrich him in any way he desires and he will become another King Solomon in getting more than he asked (1Kgs.3:3-14). The LORD is ever looking for those who will go for Him, witness Him, engage in His Business with their talents to empower. Change your attitude towards Him and His gifts, and experience the riches of heaven rain on you until you become very wet and soaked with them at a measure everybody will notice.

Speak Life And Live!

Acts 4:31; 6: 1-8; 8:5-8; JAMES 5: 17-18

Today's exhortation is both challenging and motivational. It is designed to challenge and motivate us to arise and step out from the position or status of ordinary men and women to men and women of renown or consequence, spiritually speaking. It is

intended to arouse us to arise and step put from being ordinary, normal or peripheral believers/Christians to becoming "extra-ordinary", super believers/Christians and mighty vessels or instruments in God's hands, which thing is His earnest will, desire and expectation.

The following shall be our guides: (i) Step Out And Seek Life; (ii) Speak Life And Live (iii) God’s Counsel To Us.

i). Step Out And Seek Life (Joshua 24:15; Proverbs 1:29)

Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live”.

The primary problem of man is how to live. Real living is beyond eating, drinking and fulfilling desires. Because, many did not know how to live, they passed through the world in sorrow. Some people though physically alive, are dead spiritually. And to be physically alive and be spiritually dead is not real living.

When Adam and Eve were created, they were physically and spiritually alive. But, when they disobeyed the commandment of God, they sinned. Immediately they died spiritually. God gave them everything in the Garden to serve as food to them except one, "But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt SURELY die" (Genesis 2:17). They broke this command of God by eating the fruit of the tree, "And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat". And the eyes of then both were opened and they knew that they are naked and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons" (Genesis 3:6-7).

Before they died spiritually, it was the glory of God that clothed them. They were not conscious of their nakedness. They could see God face to face and have fellowship with Him. But when they sinned they are separated totally from God.

Since Adam was the origin of man; then every man that is born is automatically dead spiritually. Unfortunately, spiritual death (Fallen Nature) is characterized by, natural inclination to sin, and all manners of wickedness. Genesis 6:5: "And God saw that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually". But, the consequences of sin are: Sorrow, Sickness, Fear, Insecurity, Hardship, Anxiety, Worry and Final Judgment. Ezekiel 18:4 says, "Behold all souls are mine: as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: The soul that sinneth it shall die”. Also, Psalm 9:17 says, "The wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the nations that forget God".

For any man to have a real life, he must be alive spiritually. This can only be possible, if the man is able to pay the penalty for his sin - that is death. Then if every man should die, no man will be left on earth. That was the reason why God had compassion upon the whole world, by sending His only begotten son to pay the penalty for every man. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. Also II Corinthians 5:21 says, "For He (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (Jesus)”.

Since Jesus had paid the price, every man is then given the equal opportunity to turn from death to life. Jesus said in John 6:47-48, "Verily, Verily I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life”. This is the sure life. Anyone that has it will have RIGHT STANDING (Righteousness) before God, and it is a life that is characterized by Joy, Happiness, Peace, Hope, Blissful Future, Divine Protection, Ability to live Holy and Eternal Life with God in Paradise.

Jesus is urging you at the moment to turn from death to life. He says in Revelation 3:20, "Behold I stand at the door (your heart) and knock, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come to him and will sup with him and he with me”.

Anyone that dies in his sins will end up in Hell. This is characterized with everlasting sorrow. Today is the day of salvation tomorrow may be too late. And my brothers and sisters, Jesus is calling you and at the same time urging you to seek life and live. He wants you to confess your sins to the Lord Jesus and He will forgive you.

After this, we are reminded in passage we read about the early Church or disciples of Jesus, where seven (7} believers, ordinary members of the Church, not "apostles", were chosen and appointed as deacons or ushers to help or assist in the day-to-day distribution of  food and other things among the people. They were to assist in arrangement of things of, and people, minor administrative or organizational works in the Church. These ordinary believers or members of the Church included Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, etc (Acts 6:3, 5).

To start with, there were many ordinary members in that Church then, apart from the apostles. But these seven (7) distinguished themselves by going deeper and higher to acquire some virtues or qualifications that gave them some edge over other ordinary members or believers and made them to be appointed into the office or position of  deacons or ushers (Acts 6:3, 5). These seven did not remain ordinary believers or members of the Church with the ordinary, normal or peripheral virtues and, experiences. They made some personal efforts to dig deeper and press higher to some "extra-ordinary" spiritual virtues, qualities and experiences (Acts 6:3, 5).

Others made do with being ordinary, normal believers/Christians with ordinary, normal or peripheral measure of grace or repentance from sins and salvation of their souls. They did not bother about going deeper and higher spiritually for higher virtues and experiences and did not bother about working for the Lord or being used mightily by Him. Another striking thing to note is what later happened among the seven (7) deacons or ushers. While others, five (5) in the team appeared to become satisfied with appointment or position of ordinary deacons or ushers, two, Stephen and Philip decided to step out from remaining and ending up as ordinary deacons or ushers into "extra-ordinary" and "super" believers or disciples, and became mighty evangelists, teachers and miracle workers in the hand of God (Acts 6:8-10; 8:5-8, 26-40; 21:8). They did not want to end up as "ordinary believers" or ordinary ushers or deacons.

While serving as deacons or ushers, they decided to dig deeper and press higher for more knowledge of the Lord and His ways; more spirituality; more faith; more knowledge of the Word of God; and power of God. They also desired to be of greater use in the hand of God for the work of the kingdom. And the Lord, seeing their desires and personal efforts, energized them and made mighty use of them, while others remained there as ordinary believers, members of the Church and deacons/ushers. It is observed that nothing was heard or read about the rest of the deacons/ushers after their appointment, but great things are said and recorded about Stephen and Philip in the history of the early Church or believers. They stepped into "extra-ordinary" or super disciples, believers, Christians and mighty vessels/instruments in God's hand. Time will fail us to talk of Elijah, "a man subject to like passion" like other ordinary/normal men, yet he stepped out from the ordinary into an extra-ordinary man who shut up heavens and there was no drop of rain on the earth for three and a half (3^1/2) years, until he prayed again (James 5:17-18). What of Daniel and three other Hebrew children who refused to remain ordinary captives in Babylon and worked themselves into "extra-ordinary captives"? They became greater and popular than even the sons of the soil.

It is unfortunate that many in the Church today, rather than taking the challenge that Stephen and others left for us and following their foot steps, they choose to adopt the mediocritic example of the others in the early Church.

Very many people in Church today appear to make do with the status of "ordinary" believer, Christian or member of the Church. They do not want to get committed and consecrated to become useful in the hand of God. They do not want to dig deeper or go higher for more spiritual knowledge and maturity; for more virtues and experiences; for more measure of faith, wisdom, Spirit and power of God; for deeper knowledge or understanding of God's Word to be able to teach or preach to others without being gainsaid. They choose to remain coming and going without commitment. Some who make little efforts to get some qualifications that make them to be appointed into some positions appear to be satisfied with such and wanting to end up in same.

They do not bother about stepping into extra-ordinary or super believers or Christians, believers of consequence or renown, like Stephen and Philip. They want to end up unknown or unheard of in the Church history .They do not know that if one is not working with and for God the devil will find some work for such in the Church. The one can be doing the work of causing discouragement to the Pastor, the "apostles" or the few that endeavour to step out of the ordinary in the Church (see Acts 6:1-2). They may constitute themselves into faultfinders and complainers, as in the early Church. It is always the case when people fail to get higher or develop and become spiritually busy. They become "devil's workshop".

How to Survive Infidelity

The question I am most frequently asked by visitors to this web site is "how can I survive my spouse's affair?" After having counseled thousands of couples with hundreds of marital conflicts, I am completely convinced that a spouse's unfaithfulness is the most painful experience that can be inflicted in marriage. Those I've counseled who have Infidelity Video Click to watch had the tragic misfortune of having experienced rape, physical abuse, sexual abuse of their children, and infidelity have consistently reported to me that their spouse's unfaithfulness was their very worst experience. To be convinced of the devastating impact of infidelity, you only need to go through it once. And yet, more than 50% of all spouses are victims of infidelity, which means that one spouse in most marriages will suffer the greatest marital pain possible at some time during their lifetimes. It's no wonder that I receive so many letters from these victims of unfaithfulness. Coping with Infidelity, Part 1: How Do Affairs Begin? Affairs usually begin with an attraction to someone you know fairly well, someone you spend time with each week -- your friends or co-workers. To illustrate how affairs develop, I post letters from two women, one who is tempted to have an affair with her husband's best friend, and another whose best friend had an affair with her husband. Coping with Infidelity, Part 2: How Should Affairs End? There are three parts to the way affairs should end. The first part is revealing the affair to one's spouse, the second part is never seeing or communicating with the lover again, and the third part is getting through the symptoms of withdrawal after a permanent separation takes place. I post two letters to illustrate these three parts to how an affair should end. Coping with Infidelity, Part 3: Restoring the Marital Relationship. Since an affair does not usually end the way it should, with complete separation from the lover, you may not find this column entirely relevant to you. In your case, your spouse's lover may still be a factor, and you will want to know how to restore your marital relationship with your spouse's lover standing in the wings. If you are in that position, I have addressed that topic in two other columns that I review below: "What to Do with an Unfaithful Husband" and "What to Do with an Unfaithful Wife." In short, it's hard enough to restore a martial relationship when a lover is finally out of the picture. But it's impossible when the lover is still hanging around. Coping with Infidelity, Part 4: Overcoming Resentment. You might think that after a husband and wife rebuild their love for each other after an affair, all would be forgiven. Well, all might be forgiven, but all's not forgotten. In fact, many couples find that the memory of the affair haunts them decades after it happened. I post three letters to illustrate what a problem resentment is for many people, and I explain how to handle it so that it doesn't ruin a successful recovery. Four Rules to Guide Marital Recovery After an Affair. After the lover is finally gone and you are ready to restore love to your marriage, where should you begin? This column explains the rules I suggest for couples recovering from an affair. Technically, they are the very rules that I recommend in any marriage, because they guarantee mutual love when they are followed. What to Do with an Unfaithful Husband. Altogether, this column contains five letters and my responses to them, written by women who have recently discovered their husband's unfaithfulness. There is some redundancy in the questions and answers, but if you have suffered from your husband's infidelity, you will want to gain from the experience of as many other people as possible. What to Do with an Unfaithful Wife. As with the unfaithful husband column, five letters from husbands, and my responses to them, are posted. Escaping the Jaws of Infidelity: How to Avoid an Affair. There are many of you who are having an affair, but want to know how to get out of it in one piece. And then there are even more of you who want to know how to avoid it in the first place. In this column I post letters from two women who are having affairs and want out of the mess they've created. I also address the issue of avoiding the mess in the first place by protecting your spouse from your unfaithful predisposition. We all have it, you know -- a predisposition to be unfaithful. Given certain conditions, we can all have affairs, destroying the happiness of our spouse, our children, our extended families, our lover, and ourselves. Those conditions should be avoided at all costs, don't you think? The Lover's Perspective on Infidelity. The spouses of those who have affairs are not the only victims of infidelity. The lovers can also be victims. This column addresses the anguish experienced by women who present the lover's perspective. How Can I recover My Sexual Desire for My Husband After My Affair? A column somewhat related to the lover's perspective, this column treats the issue of sexual recovery for the one who had the affair, but now wants to restore passion to her marriage. Infidelity on the Internet. I receive an alarming number of letters each week by those whose spouses have fallen in love with someone on the internet. This form of infidelity is particularly common among those who have become addicted to internet communication. You know who you are. If your spouse wants you to leave the computer and come to bed, and you say, "just a minute," you're one of them. Can't We Just Forgive and Forget? Infidelity is a devastating experience. And yet, most couples who go though it recover. How do they overcome the horrible memories of an affair after reconciliation? In this column, I explain my controversial position that "just compensation" is more reasonable than forgiveness when it comes to infidelity. What to Do When You (or Your Spouse) Become Pregnant with a Lover's Child. Infidelity has tragic consequences. Not only does unfaithfulness itself cause untold emotional suffering for a victimized spouse, but affairs create a host of other problems, too. One example of these problems is venereal disease -- when an unfaithful spouse is infected, which is often the case, the disease is usually passed on to the unsuspecting marriage partner. Another example is the topic of this Q&A column -- pregnancy with a lover's child. This column considers the choices these women face, and what I recommend. Their husbands also have hard choices to make, and my advice is for them, too.

Most Popular Links • The Marriage Builders� Discussion Forum • How to Survive Infidelity • The Most Important Emotional Needs • Dr. Harley's Basic Concepts • Coping with Infidelity: Part 1 - How Do Affairs Begin? • A Summary of Dr. Harley's Basic Concepts • Love Busters • The Emotional Needs Questionnaire • Q&A Columns