The Apostle Paul is telling Timothy that spiritual fitness is much more profitable for all things, because we have the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. The goal of spiritual fitness, according to scripture, must be godliness. Let’s start with biblical fundamentals. You must begin with a new birth. Admitting that you are a sinner, turning to Jesus by faith alone, believing that He paid the price for your sin in full, and accept the free gift of salvation, which will make you a New Creation. We still retain our old nature, but no longer are we under its control.
Jewell, Iowa
COMMITTED to train men and women
to have minds for the Lord Jesus,
hearts for the truth, and
hands that are skilled to the task.
to have minds for the Lord Jesus,
hearts for the truth, and
hands that are skilled to the task.
Sermons on Christian Life (Page 15)
Jacob’s sons had a past that needed to be addressed by the Lord because their conscience constantly condemned them for what they had done. And as God’s chosen people, they have to confront this issue head on. Because GODLY CHARACTER IS A PREREQUISITE TO RULERSHIP. God will spare no pain in bringing us back to where we belong. Jacob’s sons are about to enter into God’s recovery program. There is no recovery from guilt and sin without facing them. The fruit of a grapevine is always on the new growth. This is the reason for pruning the vine. Without new growth there is little or no fruit.
God is always reminding his children that they have a higher calling than just making a living down here on earth. He is training them for ruler ship and insecurity is something that needs to be dealt with. Receiving God’s grace always brings us to a position of conviction of our sins. The gift of grace should always bring us to the place of repentance, a place that reminds us of our higher calling. Living for God and bringing Him glory.
The sovereignty of God. But what does that mean. It means that God has a very specific plan and purpose for all of us. It is always perfect in it’s wisdom and perfect in it’s timing.
HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE RULED BY SOMEONE WHO KEEPS ALL THE BLESSINGS FOR HIMSELF AND TREATS HIS SUBJECTS WITH CONTENT?
Joseph said to Pharaoh, listen, I am not the one who has the wisdom and knowledge to interpret dreams. Such wisdom belongs to God. He is the one who will give Pharaoh the answer, not me. He probably will use me to do it, but it does not come from me. Apart from Him, I am nothing. Joseph did not receive such honor to absorb it for his own good and to bake in the Egyptian sun of power and prestige. God wanted Joseph to be an outlet of His blessings. He now had all the power to provide and protect for all the people under his care.
Studying the attitudes of Joseph and his two fellow prisoners will teach us a great lesson of God’s way of preparing us for ruler ship. Nothing will dim the light of God in and through us faster than murmuring and complaining. The Bible reveals to us that such attitudes will hinder the Holy Spirit to work through us, and without Him we cannot shine the light of God into this dark world. How did Joseph manage not to be a dimmer switch, not to turn the spiritual light down, but to shine brightly in a dark prison, surrounded by complaining people? Joseph was God’s servant who refused to become a dimmer-switch. Spiritual maturity is not something which we receive when we finally give up our selfish life and surrender it to Jesus Christ.
As born again believers, we become candidates for spiritual maturity, but it is God who designs which classes we have to take and what circumstances we have to face. PROBLEMS ARE GOD’S GIFTS TO US TO MAKE US STRONGER. PROBLEMS ARE THE BLESSINGS TO MAKE US MATURE. Your circumstances do not make you the way you are. Negative situations do not make us, they simply reveal who we are. Believing and embracing what God has promised to us will make us loving Him more and through this love He will manifest himself through us to the world.
In 1963, an Anglican bishop by the name of John Robinson, published a book entitled, HONEST TO GOD, in which he coined the term: NEW MORALITY. Three years later, in 1966, Robinson was joined by Joseph Fletcher, the former dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Cincinnati. Both, Robinson and Fletcher suggested that the new morality allowed a person to choose a loving response for any situation. In other words, the New Morality took authority from the hands of God and placed it in the hands of men, allowing selfish permissiveness that suggested, “If no one gets hurt, anything goes!”
As we are being prepared to rule and reign with Christ on day, studying Joseph’s life will give us insight what kind of schooling we need and WHAT KIND OF TESTING WE WILL HAVE TO FACE. Prosperity and success is not a matter of CIRCUMSTANCES, but a matter of CHARACTER. When a man begins to develop a sense of satisfaction in his accomplishments, he opens himself up to temptation. And as we learn from Joseph, it takes a man of character to defeat that sort of temptation.
Joseph overcame because he had a conviction and he was loyal.
How can we say that we believe that one day we shall rule and reign with the Lord on the earth? In order to get the Biblical answer to this question, we will study the life of Joseph, because God used him as an example to show us His WAYS AND METHODS to train us for ruler ship. GOD HAS PROVIDED EVERYTHING NECESSARY TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PLAN. When you become born again, you will receive a special gift with a special meaning. The Holy Spirit will be given to you as a deposit, a guarantee that we are heirs of God, children of God, and we will rule and reign with him.
When we come to Christ, we may be pure, but certainly not mature. Maturity comes only through years of suffering. And genuine love is only attained through such suffering. And without such love, there is no ruler ship. Even when it may see that dark clouds hover over our lives, the Lord is at work, superintending the details. Like we see in Joseph’s life, God is always working on our behalf.
Revival is when the Body of Believers are revived to that which they already have.
The Question who demands an answers. Are you right with God?
The story about Abraham’s servant going to look for a bride for Isaac, Abraham’s only son, is not just history, IT IS THEOLOGY. The PERFECT WILL of the Heavenly Father. Abraham was 140 years old and would live another 35 years after this. He knew the perfect will of the heavenly Father. The covenant promises to bless Abraham with many descendants. To give his descendants the land of Canaan as an eternal possession.
Genuine Faith also results in genuine obedience to God’s Word. God’s Word must give us the direction, because God’s word is the revealed perfect will of the Father for His children. It was God who brought Rebekah to the well at the right time. It was God who directed Abraham’s servant to that same well. But it was Abraham’s servant who had the right attitude towards the God of Abraham. The entire story makes it clear that God had chosen Rebekah for Isaac, for His providential leading is seen each step of the way. Yet, Rebekah had to make her choice of Isaac.
Philippians 3:12-21 Pursuit requires: ACCURATE AWARENESS AND MAXIMUM EFFORT Philippians 3:12 2 Peter 3:14-18 1 Corinthians 15:10 Pursuit requires: FOCUSED ATTENTION Philippians 3:13 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Romans 8:28 Pursuit requires: APPROPRIATE MOTIVATION Philippians 3:14 Ephesians 2:8-9 1 John 2:28 Pursuit requires: PROPER MATURITY Philippians 3:15-16 Psalm 32:1-11 Philippians 3:17-21 1 Corinthians 10 Philippians 1:6
“..that the Christ might finally settle down and feel completely at home in your hearts through your faith”. (Kenneth Wuest)
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. (Proverb 27:1)