@vickyo,
Alwaystrue more like Always the Word study, that is why it will not be easy to be deceived as the bible says even the very elect may be deceived. It is perilirous times so if you study 2 Tim. 3, you get some idea of what men who will become lovers of themselves will be exibit, as very evidently displayed in the world today.
I enjoin you to like David, hide the word in your heart. If you read Psalms, you will understand why David was truly a man after God's own heart.
Thanks I am honoured.



@Gombs,
When we keep looking into the mirror of the word, we tend to see where we need to clean up in our lives. Thanks for that.
Hmmmmn on the teacher, even if I did not know it, people are beginning to say so.
Let's keep studying to show ourselves approved of God.

'I Am Not Ashamed' (1)

Sunday, 01 December 2013

'They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.' Psalm 34:5

The Psalmist wrote, 'They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.' As a follower of Christ, that should be your testimony. Because you have placed your trust in Him you are able to say, 'I am not ashamed' of:
(1) His birth. Mary was His mother, but God was His Father. So He was tainted with neither inherited sin nor practised sin, hence He meets all of God's requirements to be our Saviour.

(2) His miracles. He never demanded money in exchange for a miracle. Not one supernatural act was performed for selfish or ostentatious purposes, but only to meet people's needs.

(3) His preaching. Even His enemies had to admit, '...No man ever spoke like this Man!' (John 7:46) Other men's words inform us; His words transform us.

(4) His claims. He said, '...He who has seen Me has seen the Father...' (John 14:9) You see the fullness of God expressed in the person of Jesus Christ.

(5) His death. He bore your shame. You were morally and spiritually bankrupt. But He satisfied all of God's claims against you at the cross, writing 'Paid in full' across your account.

(6) His resurrection. 'Lifted up was He to die, it is finished was His cry. Now in heaven exalted high, Hallelujah, what a Saviour.' And His promise is, '...Because I live, you will live also.' (John 14:19)

(7) His mediator-ship. Picture this: when you fail, He stands before God on your behalf, offering His blood as atonement for your sin. If you saw Him now you would say, 'I am not ashamed of Jesus.'


SoulFood: Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-44, John 12:1-3

This is The Word for Today





Happy new month everyone, as we have entered the month of the celebration to commemorate the birth of the Saviour, may we remember the love, joy, peace and goodwill that was bestowed on us by God's giving to us.

@vickyO, I am glad you are inspired by the Holy Spirit and the word. Thank God for His love...It is unfathomable. We need to yield ourselves to Him in response to His love. Let us work out our salvation with fear and trembling indeed.

No, I am neither an ordained pastor or a teacher in my church....not yet anyway...though from time to time I take the Word in our womens fellowship which is on a rotational basis. I love to study the word of God for in it is wisdom to live abundant life continually.

Bidam: I don't think alwaystrue has malice with you,maybe she is trying to avoid heated arguments with you that can easily lead to strife and contentions.She still loves you as a brother as much as i do.

Looooooolz,
Just seeing this. Thanks, you got part of it. I have learnt to avoid those who cannot bridle their 'tongues'.
This is someone who says such discusions are suited for men yet wonders why I do not discuss with him. I am not even discussing some rational 'theology', I discuss the Word of God in its spirituality.
It is a thing of inner peace and maturity that make people know when to refrain from discussing on an issue that is an obsession for some.

@Drummaboy, no malice, OK? Wonder why you want to discuss with someone who you have told to 'leave certain discussions for men'.
I stay away from having to call people names or label people. It is funny to say some biblical discussions are best suited for a certain gender (whatever that means) and to think this is a faceless forum. That is why Christ tore whatever dividing wall (for both male and female are one in Christ) and this give avenues for people (irrespective of race, gender) to discuss issues respectfully, something that is an area you need serious improvement on. No wonder you have been called to order more than once. Candid advice, learn how to talk to people and to talk about people. No hard feelings.

holamiday: Hi everyone. God bless you for clicking here. I'm a lover of Christ, i understand the importance & significance of grace, i believe & hope absolutely in Jesus.

Continual fall into a particular sin has left my spirit burned out. I've repented & got back to this sin very many times. There was a time i cried seriously on the altar of my church & even told God to destroy my life if i go back to it, & guess what, i still went back to it. I learnt that promising God cannot help me.

My life has been so battered by sin that i feel so unworthy before God. I understand that no sin is too dirty for Jesus, but my spirit is so weighed down that i don't feel like going to Jesus for repentance anymore. I feel highly unworthy. It's like i'm tired of myself. I keep doing the opposite of what i want to do. I've been robbed of my peace. When i go to church i feel so sad.

I know i'm gradually wasting away. Please what can i do to beam with peace, joy & hope once again? How do i put my life back in track with Jesus my saviour? I really need help from you. Thank you. Yours in Christ. Olamide.

Note: No muslims & atheists commenting please.

@Olamide, first and foremost...you are honest enough to admit you have the problem. You are humble and contrite enough to know due to the tuggings within that you have to keep up to the standard of Christ. You are true to yourself on this.
What I will tell you in a few words is this:
1. Hide the word of God in your heart so you will not sin against Him. You need to study to build your most holy faith.
2. Accept that you have been made righteous with Christ so you need to align your will to His will as such while praying for mercy, ask for help and be WILLING to make the effort to flee EVERY appearance of evil. Don't wait to test your strength yet for it is small o. Till you put on the whole armour of God fully per Eph 6., such challenges will be daunting.
3. Realise you have authority in Christ and you should not be brought under anything not of God. You have the power, so BELIEVE it and ACT it.
4. Check your thoughts, once they are tending towards wrong, start encouraging yourself in the Lord, pray and change the channel to pure thoughts.

5. Don't beat up yourself when you fall but rise up, dust yourself and move on. Never stay down! Once you have started the 'sin' and you realise it, dont think its too late to stop. Stop that instant. When a person is taking something and realises it is poison after a sip, he doesn't now finish the whole cup of it claiming afterall he is a deadman anyway since he took the sip.

6. You have gone round this mountain long enough, look up to Jesus and know that since He could do it, you can do it and much more.

Bidam: Yeah as we behold the word of God like a mirror day by day, we are changed and become perfect even as He is perfect. There is always room for improvement.That is why we should be confident in approaching God as a Father,even if we make mistakes,He correct us and chastises us.

Yes, this is so true. The word of God is our mirror as Christians.
We have been given garments of righteousness as Christians, even when we have spots on it, we go to Him to forgive us for the staining and help us to maintain and keep it clean and unspotted by aligning our will with His will.
Deciding to leave the stain in unbelief, defiance or 'don't care' is dangerous.
I often feel Judas would still have been saved if he came back to repent of the betrayal like Peter did of the denial. His comitting suicide was a clear sign of unbelief that he could even still be saved.

Bidam: Hmnnnn..these things you listed are even prevalent amongst us believers.May God have mercy.

Amen. We all need the help of God, it is not about a certain set of people but for all to examine our ways if we are still in the faith.
Walking in Christ, exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, faithfulness, selfcontrol and others is key in examining ourselves and repenting where we fall short.

Revelation 19:9
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Yes o! Day 30 of the challenge is here. Thanks God for His faithfulness.
Our scripture today tells us that blessed are they who will receive IV to the marriage supper of the Lamb. All of us wey too like food, oya make you go purge yourself of all uncleanliness, put on your garment of righteousness in Jesus, live a fasted life and with rejoicing await this precious promise of a feast. Amen.


@Dreams, Amen dear. Thanks for putting a spark in our kitchens. We await kiddieskitchen with Zikora and Zulu as your test script while we cook out healthy meals for our children.
Greetings all and congrsts. Who will give us certificate of completion o.

Bidam: But i quite and fully agree with what sister alwaystrue has said concerning being comfortable with sin which may result to someone losing his/her salvation.It actually deadens your conscience so that you are no more pricked and hence giving rise to unbelief.

@Bidam, I am actually coming from a much more deeper angle than what is often termed 'departing from the faith' to become atheist.
Do you realise that people give excuse for sin? Examples?
1. Falsifying records or stealing with the pen (termed embezzlement) is often seen as taking one's share of the national cake in ministries
2. Oh there is nothing wrong in sleeping with a boyfriend or girlfriend, Afterall they plan to marry.
3. There is nothing wrong in marrying someone as a contract arrangement to get some citizenship status then divorce
4. It is not an issue to falsify birth records to get a job
5. 'Nothing wrong in porn, Afterall its not like I am sleeping with them'.
6. The levels people go to get certain desires met.
7. Oh that is the way we do things around here

All I mentioned above (a tip of the iceberg) are physical acts but borne out of unbelief...usually the first time one wants to try it, the tug will be serious by the spirit but as time goes on they lose the conscience and the heart gets hardened.
What I need us to understand is that unbelief is not just atheism. It has started in the heart of the Christian way before then until the heart is finally deadened.

I see unbelief as going against the word of God, or trying to walk around it with excuses and defiance in other cases. It is beyond sinning, knowing one has sinned, being convicted and repenting...it is more advanced and that is the deceitfulness of sin.

This has been quite an interesting discourse. Thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ who saved us from sin, made us brand new and justified us. Let us work worthy of our calling and remain humble in Him. I have often studied the book of Revelation and seen Jesus loves us so much and has called us to abide in Him, it is left for us to be humble and obedient for even Jesus learnt obedience by the things He suffered. We all have a choice to remain with Christ and overcome using the authority, grace and space to repent that He has given us.
Jesus has power to blot names out of the book of life, of those who defile their garments. The Spirit will always speak, warn, admonish and the sheep will hear, the goats will remain stubborn.

Revelation 3:4-6
4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

@ichuka,
May Christ help us and may we also be willing to receive his help for the transformation to His glorious body.
As students in the school of Christ, and runners in the race of life, we should always avoid distractions as well as we press on to the mark.

Do Good

Saturday, 30 November 2013

'...As we have opportunity, let us do good to all...' Galatians 6:10

Your Bible says, 'Do not forget to do good and to share...' (Hebrews 13:16) 'To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.' (James 4:17) '...Those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.' (Titus 3:8.) It's important never to confuse your life with your work. What you are can never compare with what you . There will be many others in your line of work, doing what you want to do, maybe even doing it better. Anna Quindlen wrote: 'You will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life...your mind and...your heart. It's easier to write a réumé than craft a spirit or build a character. And a réumé is cold comfort when you're sad, broke, or lonely, or when you've got back the test results and they're not so good... I no longer consider myself the centre of the universe. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh... I have tried to make my marriage vows mean what they say. I pray. I'm good to my friends...without them I'd be a cardboard cutout. Get a life...not a manic pursuit of the next promotion or bigger pay-cheque or larger house. Do you really think you'd care about these things if you had an aneurysm or found a lump in your breast? Get a life in which you are generous... All of [us] want to do well, but if you don't do good, doing will never be enough.'


SoulFood: Gen 25:19-27:46, John 14:26-15:4, Ps 146, Pr 31:18-21

This is The Word for Today

@eazee Congrats on your pregnancy. May the Lord keep you and baby for this nine month course. Praise the Lord.
@Honeypie, weldone and thanks for all the health tips. May the Lord remember your labours.


Job 42:10
After Job prayed for his friends, the LORD restored Job’s prosperity and gave him twice as much as he had before.
In preparation for our prayers and fasting tomorrow, I enjoin us all to search our hearts and weed out any root of bitterness, malice, hatred, anger and any bile against anyone who may have scorned, mocked or reproached us. God expects our hearts to overflow with love, so it is necessary for us to humble ourselves before we even pray like Job was able to humble himself and pray for hs friends. Then the bible says the Lord restored twice what Job had lost. God gives double for our trouble.

Tomorrow it will be nice to let us rise up with authority and declare the word of God concerning our lives for the whole earth to see the new things spring forth. So all those verses you hold unto are needed here.

@Bidam, yes we all need study.
My position remains that I do not believe in 'Once saved, Always saved' but the clause I did not put earlier was 'if people depart or lose hold of the faith'.

We are eternally saved in Christ if, as long as, because we remain, abide, walk, trust and believe Him. If anyone pulls back, God does not have pleasure in him but because of GRACE we have HELP so we can make good use of the OTHER CHANCES we get because of Grace. What now happens if the person dies in the sin despite the chances to use the help of God through grace to overcome? How many people are willing to remain an overcomer through grace?

When Jesus gave us the pattern to pray, he said 'forgive us now our trespasses' (Eph. 4:32) ) for we may err but a contrite and humble heart has the tug of the Spirit to tell him to repent and repentance is to be immediate
'while it is still today'. That is why scriptures say do we go on sinning for grave to abound? God forbid? Many have seared their conscience and keep sinning under false security. That is where those who claim one once saved always saved even with continual sin should have a rethink.

And that is why I asked you to define what part of man enters heaven, spirit or soul as we as we have scriptures that talk about SAVING of our souls.

In the line with our current discussion, something came to mind:

Genesis 3:11-14
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:


I seperated each verse so we can bear in mind the weight of each. The questions are:

1. If Adam had admitted wrong (instead of indirectly blaming God), since he went against God's command, would we have had a different response from God?

2. God asked Adam why he went against His command, asked Eve why she did what she did, but never asked the serpent. Hmmmmm...why?

This questions are more rhetoric than direct.

@frosbel, the answer to your question shows we all need greater understanding.

David acknowledged his sin and repented in sackcloth (David also always inquired of God before making moves), God told Abraham in the very next chapter of the Hagar saga to walk before him and be blameless and told Abraham that it was Sarah that will give him the son because before then God had promised Abraham a son and Abaraham did not believe it would be Sarah that will bear the child.
It was after God affirmed it was Sarah that will bring forth. Genesis 17:15-18.

It is not about falling into sin but continuing in sin even when the truth is known. Imagine an adulterer who says all His righteosnes is Christ's so his works don't matter. We even have Christians who sin now and say they will ask for forgiveness and that is all and yet do the same and still claim all they need is to be forgiven. That is how perveted the world is now.

Every Christian is to live in humble sumbission to God's will and do God's will. Sin is so decietful it keeps people at ease:

Hebrews 3:12-14
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be
hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, IF WE HOLD the beginning of our confidence stedfast UNTO THE END;

Hebrews 4:1
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

Hebrews 10:38-39
38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

The gospel of the kingdom is balanced, it exhorts, admonishes, comforts, warns and rebukes so we remain aligned to God. When we fall, we run to the throne of grace for MERCY and HELP.

Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
This is the more reason why I said that grace has a dual role, many who stop at just mercy and think they are enjoying what grace is, have not even scratched the surface of what grace is.

ayoku777: We will get there

We sure will. Amen.
On your last post, the message of grace is actually in two parts, it brings salvation and then teaches us to remain saved and righteous. (Titus 2:11-14); that is why Jude was wary of the certain men that crept in to church perverting grace as an avenue to lawlessness. Paul also aked us to examine ourselves. Hebrews 6 tells us about moving to perfection which is using the enabling grace of God to live right nd doing what pleases God. So grace is a deep messsge on its own.

On your quest to know more of God and His word, possibly take a retreat. I enjoyed a great time recently with the word when I took time out and away to fellowship alone. So many things were opened. You will not come back the same, definitely.

ayoku777: We need to stop reading the bible too fast, it makes us miss important details.

Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity, I never knew you DOESN'T MEAN go to hell. And gnashing your teeth in outer darkness as the foolish virgins would, doesn't also mean they would go to hell.

There are christians who will experience the first resurrection and will not experience the second death (lake of fire) yet they will be shut out of the city of God for a thousand years. Those are the christians in the 'camp of the saint'. In the millenial reign, there will be three groups; those in the beloved city, those in the camp of the saint and those in the nations (Gog and Magog).

Rev 20v7-8 -And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison. And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth GOG AND MAGOG, to gather them together to battle .....And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed THE CAMP OF THE SAINTS about, and THE BELOVED CITY. And fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

I never knew you is not a literal term, Jesus knows everyone. In hebrew it is an intimate word, like Adam knew his wife. It means to consummate or go all the way with your partner. There are christians who belong to Christ but never got intimate with him. They will be shut out of the beloved city for a thousand years and they will gnash their teeth in the camp of the saints. But they still have overcome the second death. And they will not be part of the dead that will be jugded in v12-15

Will stop here. Said too much already. But I repeat, let's stop reading the bible too fast

Thanks for this great advice of not reading the bible too fast. How you term those that Christ called workers of iniquity and lawlessness as Christians still is really really worrisome. Depart means Christ does not want anything to do with them, a clear example below:

Matthew 25:41
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Revelation 22:12-15
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have RIGHT to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie .

We need Jesus to endure to the end and remain FAITHFUL.
If your idea 'depart from me' and 'outer darkness' where there is gnashing of teeth is some cool place, I really think you have said too much.


What many fail to realise is that it is people who DEPART from the faith themselves when they give heed to seducing spirits (Seducing spirits come in like all is well preaching 'feel good', 'you can never do wrong' Christianity) forgetting we have to be up and active and lay hold on what Christ has already got for us.
It is left to us to HOLD ON to the faith!


Hear Paul:
2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you--unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected?
These are to Christians!

It is one thing to fall into sin, have godly sorrow and repent and another to continue in sin and feel all is well and one is still in Christ.

Hebrews 10:26
For if we go on deliberately and willingly sinning after once acquiring the knowledge of the Truth, there is no longer any sacrifice left to atone for [our] sins [no further offering to which to look forward].
27  [There is nothing left for us then] but a kind of awful and fearful prospect and expectation of divine judgment and the fury of burning wrath and indignation which will consume those who put themselves in opposition [to God]

The above verse was talking to supposed Christians.
If the grace and salvation we claim to have cannot make us repent and help us to live righteously in Christ, zealous for good works (Titus 2:11-14)...then examine if you truly are in the faith.

Luke 22:15-19
15 Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins.
16 For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”
17 Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves.
18 For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”
19 He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”
In continuation of our scripture yesterday, we see what is coined as the last supper in the above scripture where Christ gave the significance of His body and blood as he sipped with his disciples and they with Him.
Jesus was showing the true meaning of the manna and drink that the Israelites took in the wilderness but in this case the reality of it:

I Corinthians 10:3-4
3 All of them ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ.

So just as the body and blood of Christ is the spiritual meal needed for the growth and development of our inner man, let us 'eat' the word of God remebering Christ.
Jesus is the Living Word of God.

God of the Top and of the Bottom

Friday, 29 November 2013

'...Underneath are the everlasting arms....' Deuteronomy 33:27

Addressing the nation of Israel for the last time, Moses told them, 'There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the Heavens to help you...The eternal God is your refuge, and His everlasting arms are under you...' (Deuteronomy 33:26-27 ) As you read the Bible you discover God did a lot of spectacular things for His people on mountaintops. On Mount Moriah, He met with Abraham and Isaac, revealing Himself as 'Jehovah Jireh', which basically means 'the Lord will provide.' On Mount Horeb, He spoke to Moses through a burning bush and changed the nation of Israel's destiny. On Mount Sinai, He gave the Ten Commandments. On Mount Carmel, He sent down fire from heaven, consuming the prophets of Baal and turning the hearts of His people back to Him. But suddenly Moses made a shift in the middle of telling about this great God of high places. It is as though he was thinking, 'I can't leave these people with the thought that God is only on top; that He's with us only when everything is going right.' So he continued, 'The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.' The Hebrew word for 'underneath' means 'bottom'. So it could be translated, 'God's arms are underneath you when you're on the bottom.' No matter how deep the valley you have to walk, God's presence is deeper. It may feel like you are down today, but you cannot go so low that He is not there. Underneath you are His everlasting arms. The truth is: He's not just the God of the top; He's also the God of the bottom.

SoulFood: Gen 24:1-25:18, John 14:15-25, Ps 118:19-29, Pr 31:14-17

This is the Word for Today






@Odunharry,
Thank you. I am very fine. And your side is well too?

^^^^^^^^
Reminds me of the school of grace as seen in the
Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
In the school of Christ, it starts and ends with salvation. Grace comes as the favour we need to return back to the father and old things are passed away and all become new but to maintain the new we are to remain taught by grace and abide in Christ. This relates to where you said we should be occupied in the things of Christ. John 15:4-8.

For true repentance and salvation brings a change in how we do things from the point of newness. Being taught or hearing involves doing as taught:

Luke 11:28
But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it

Where you spoke on liberty, I see the liberty as being free from the shackles holding us back from maintaining constant and continuing fellowship with the Father and revelling in the grace we have to live in Christ and do His will with the right heart as we have been given all required to live in dominion.


James 1:25
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

May we remain faithful students in the school of Christ to hear and do His will by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Ecclesiastis 2:26
For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

This is a very thought-provoking scripture.
For those who God sees as good, they receive wisdom, knowledge and joy from the Lord that keeps them at peace and rejoicing irrespective of situation while to the sinner, he gives hard labour to be working and packing for the good people.

Ahitophel worked for Mordecai's success unknowingly; Joseph's brothers also worked for Joseph's. Consider your ways today to ensure they please God and start enjoying the supply God gives sweatlessly.

Bidam: Hmmmn! verry interesting points you have raised.I will reply accordingly in due time.thanks.

I look forward to that. Thanks. And just to add, do add the scripture below which is also very key:

Galatians 6:7-8 AMP
7  Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap.
8  For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Like you rightly said, salvation is instant and progressive. A person who keeps sowing to the flesh is bound to reap destruction but he who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life for God cannot be mocked.

@Bidam, thanks. Indeed more study is required but to ask some questions, please explain the difference between 'enter' and 'inherit'? Which part of man enjoys the kingdom at the end? Is it the spirit or the soul and possibly give biblical references?
Jesus spoke about the 10 virgins, 5 of which entered and five that were locked out, please explain noting that they were all prepared to meet Jesus? He said those who endure to the end will be saved. Jesus also said some will call Him 'Lord, Lord..' And He will tell them to depart from him for they work iniquity. Remember the parable of the seed sower?
Remember many received the word but how many allowed it to grow and make them fruit?

How many people truly have that Godly sorrow that makes them repent and believe with the heart? For many being born again is just a certificate to get and file away.

Refer also to Jude 5 and the Revelation chapters. Jesus also said NARROW is the way that leads to life...how many are actually in it?
The bible is rife with the meaning of BELIEF and BELIEVING with the heart. Even saying many of the Israelites did not believe though they professed with the mouth, yet their heart was far from God. Jesus often rebuke because unbelief. What about the scriptures below:
Revelation 2:5; 2 Peter 2:21; Hebrew 10:26-29; 1 Tim. 1:19; Heb. 6:4-8; 1 Tim 5:15; 1 Tim. 4:1
2 Peter 2:20; Rev. 3:2; 2 Tim 2:12;


There is a lot to study in the word for I know 'BELIEF' is a stronger thing of the heart than many claim to know.
The Holy Spirit is always there to warn us when we err, it gets to a stage some start following satan and deceitful spirits to which they fall away and turn back for we have been given what pertains to life and godliness, the ball is in our court to be humble and contrite to hear the Spirit. I do not believe in once saved always saved. We have enough examples as shown by the Judge Himself that many draw back or fall, refuse to endure.

ayoku777:

Partly agree with you sha. But I believe that the heart is the store house of our spirits, while our mind is the store house of our soul. At the new birth we are given a new spirit and a new heart and we are also given the Holy spirit. And flesh is both the lust that originates in the soul and the sin it becomes in the body

Then I also believe our spirit is a person just as the Holy Spirit is a breath and a person. The Holy spirit is breath (John 20v22) but he's also a person, he sees, he talks, he feels and he acts. Our spirit is also like that, it is a person. Our spirit can pray (1Cor 14v14) it can bear witness (Rom 8v16) and it is conscious and aware (1Cor 2v11) and rigtheous (Rom 8v10). When you study this passages, you will see how the human spirit is a person just like the Holy spirit. Infact our spirit is the new creation that is born again, not the soul or body, it is the one the Holy spirit bears witness with as being the child of God not our soul. The soul gets reformed and the body gets redeemed progressively

This is revealing and it gets more revealing as we study more. It is progressive. Thank you.

The spirit is the place of God-consciousness, the soul is self-conscious and the body is sense-conscious.

The soul is linked to the spiritual by the spirit and that is how we communicate with God and worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. The spirit sight is faith. The body links us to the physical and is the abode of the senses where we walk by sight.
The soul seems to be inbetween and seems to be the main personality of a man.

Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me.
How overwhelmingly joyous is it to have dinner with the saviour of our soul, Jesus Christ. Jesus is knocking at the door to our heart, if we hear and open it, he will come in to eat with us and we will eat with Him. Anybody that eats with Jesus is sure made for Jesus never comes empty, He is the bread from heaven and we will not hunger anymore; He gives living water and we will not thirst anymore.
Open the door of your heart today to Jesus and let Him come in and daze you with heaven's finest.

Hello @Odunharry,
Yes I did. Thanks for today's word. May we learn to look up to Jesus and stop worrying.

ayoku777:

Thanks, but I'm not really even into the plants animal stuff. Its actually a distraction. The issue that led into all this is about salvation (instant and/or progressive). Asin, which part of us is a new creation in Christ now? Are we saved in part (spirit, then soul and body) or no one is even saved yet. It is whoever 'makes it' to the end?

These are the issues. And I think I'm getting it gradually. Thanks

One thing is certain, we learn new things daily.
I see the heart as the dwelling place of the Spirit; the mind houses the soul and the body camps the flesh.
We are given new hearts/spirits when we believe Ezekiel 36:26-27; Jer. 24:7; Romans 10:10. Our hearts gets renewed and it is the heart that holds the emotions, sorrow, pain, hope, joy, love, the fruit of the spirit. The bible says guard your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life. The spirit is what gives life and the Holy Spirit bears witness in our spirit that we are children of God.

The mind is the great battle field where the intellect, memories, knowledge, thoughts are. That is why Paul says we should think on good things per Philipians and bring every thought to the obedience of Christ for the mind feeds the heart. The mind can be fed by the flesh, what we see, hear, taste, feel, smell (Ephesians 2:3) or we allow our clean heart where the Spirit of God resides to feed it.

Th flesh is so hard to put under subjection but we can do that with a strong spirit and soul till the body's messages to the soul and spirit are processed in line with the word of God.

This is where working out salvation comes in. Since we have a new heart and spirit through being in Christ I Cor. 5:17; do we leave it or guard it so that the flesh does not overcome it. Our heart holds the issues of life, since we have been quickened with Jesus, we need to ensure it remains so by letting the same mind of Christ be in us and letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly Phil. 2:5-6; Col. 3:16. This is what will ensure the heart is well guarded and the body carries out actions correctly due to the right heart and mind.

ayoku777:

But if the spirit is the breath, then animals have spirits too? Coz they have breath

And then which part will go to hell. Coz that is frosbel's seeming error, that all spirits return to God.

That is why I often qualified spirit, breadth and life. God breathed into man, or breathed His spirit into man is proof we are created in God's image. So the breathe plants and animals have isn't the same breathe (spirit), God breathed into man to make him living indeed. Our spirit is created in God's image as well. Animals are not created like that.

We may all be saying the same thing but differently:

@Ayoku777, the bible shows the spirit as the breadth o not the soul. Did you read the scriptures I posted especially Ezekiel 37:10,14; the Job and the Ecclesiatis @frosbel posted above? I do not have any conclusion yet (I just picked this out) but Genesis 1:27 stands out for me. God created man and spoke to him...it is that part of man created that is to be clarified and why the bible is so concerned about the soul. Man became a Living soul when breathed....note LIVING not soul.


@frosbel, we are saying the same thing in a way. All breathe returns to God at death. Is it this same breathe (spirit) injected for the resurrection of all for judgement either to life or to damnation? Does it mean the spirit will still be tied to the soul that will be judged...for all will have a spiritual body? That was what I was trying to bring out.

frosbel:

but how can man be a spirit , when the bible says man is flesh and God is spirit ?

Jeremiah 32:27
Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

Why did God not say the God of all spirits in the above verse ?

Na wah ooo

And it is of that spirit that God breathed into man that made him LIVING. Was man just a soul before the breadth since the breadth made him to live as Ezekiel 37:10;14 shows. That is why scripture says at death, the breath depicting the spirit returns to God...as @Ayoku said, it may be sketchy but we will get there.

@Ayoku777,
Thanks for this. It is to air my view and see what others have in mind. I know man is spirit. I am just looking and the scriptures and praying for more insight.
In Genesis 1:27, God created man in His image and do you remember he spoke to man? He told him to have dominion, to multiply and told him what to use as food. What part of man was God speaking to?

God also spoke to the animals to animals to be fruitful in that state. We know that it is the soul that has capacity to handle such instructions and it is where the knowledge, will and intellect resides.

Afterwards, God formed....note the word formed man and animals depicting he gave them physical bodies. But it was only man, the bible bares record, that he breathed into which is seems as the spirit and life. Other scriptures I posted in Job and Eclesaistis show the Spirit is seen as the life. It was when God breathed in man he became a LIVING soul, was the soul dead before? Where was the soul?
Eve was made from complete man...
This is just a study based on my findings and nothing more for now. That is why I pasted it to hear @Bidam's view.

Thanks again.