BENEFICIAL LOSSES

READ: MATTHEW 5:29-30

Are you married to Jesus? Keep that relationship intact. I thank God for doctors. Before I was born again, I would have been a dead man if not for them. However, since I got married to Jesus, they have not seen me in their hospitals. And they never will. The reason is that you cannot be a wife of the Greatest Physician and lack medical care. The best possible treatment on earth and in heaven will be at your beck and call. When you are married to the right man, all your burdens, assets and liabilities will become His. That is why Philippians 4:19 says, “But God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. By your marriage to Him, you have become His responsibility.
The enjoyment and glory awaiting all who will finally make it to heaven is so great that the average human heart finds it difficult to comprehend. In Matthew 5:29-30, Jesus gives an idea. He said if your right hand will hinder you from entering heaven, cut it off. As a new born babe in Christ, something I kept asking the Lord was: If you really love me, why would you ask me to cut off my right hand? In answer, the Lord showed me a vision. I saw a multitude of Christians joyfully singing and strolling towards heaven. All of a sudden, I saw a man coming from the rear. He was in a mad rush and pushed just anyone who will hinder him. In my mind, I was wondering if the man was a Christian when Matthew 11:12 was impressed on my heart.
While meditating on this verse, I saw why the man was running unlike those who were strolling. The gates of Heaven -one huge sliding door- was closing. He rushed further and by the time he got there the gap left could only take him entering sideways. As he entered, the gate finally shut and his right hand was still outside. Then the angel inside told him, “Sir, it has been decided that nothing more can come in but something can still go out. To enable me shut this gate properly, sir, you will either have to go out or we would have to cut off your right hand”. If you were the man, which will you choose? To lose a hand and remain in heaven or to be whole but outside heaven? Not all born again Christians will make it to heaven. If you must enter heaven you need to run in your commitment, obedience and in your present level of walking with God. Take a look at your life. What are those things that will hinder you from entering? Cut them off today. No matter how close or valuable: cut them off now. They are beneficial losses.

MEMORIZE: HEBREWS 11:16 –But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared for them a city.

ATTRACTING YOUR HELPERS

READ: PROVERBS 18:20-24

John 12:24 says until a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. What does it mean to be alone? It is dangerous to be alone, humanly speaking. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says two are better than one. Also, if one stumbles over a problem, his partner will lift him. When blessing comes, your partner will also share the joy with you, which is why people organize parties.
It is terrible thing not to have somebody share your joy with you. The mother of a wealthy man who hails from my town died sometime ago. Since he could afford it, he prepared plenty of food and drinks and invited the whole town, but not a single person went. It is even worse not to have someone share your burden with.
At Gethsemane, Jesus had Peter, James and John to share the agony of the cross with. You must have a prayer partner. Matthew 18:19 says if you and your partner can agree on anything it shall be established. Some believers do not have friends, even ministers. Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.” Some complain they do not have friends. Are you friendly yourself? The helpers God has prepared to assist many in fulfilling their ministries or destinies have been rebuffed by our unfriendly attitudes. Whatever you tell him by morning somebody else will it to your face by evening of the same day.
Those with loose tongues and lousy characters cannot have true friends except those like themselves whom Satan has sent to seal up their eternal destiny in hell. Some pastors create room for gossip. They enjoy having people gossip about others to them. Some even plant spies to bring rumors to them on a regular basis. Apart from you heading to hell, your ‘rumor mates’ are going there with you also. By such acts, you are partaking in sowing seeds of discord among the brethren. No wonder those who have experienced you prefer to keep you at a distance. To receive the partners that God has for you, drop your bad habits, break off from rumor mills and become friendly.

MEMORIZE: PROVERBS 18:24 –A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.  

FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE?

READ: 2 KINGS 2:19-22

Another benefit of divine favour is that it transforms a useless or powerless vessel into a vessel of honour. There are different kinds of stars. Some are useful others are not. You will not be useless star in Jesus name. When the Almighty God heard the groaning of His suffering children, He decided to send Moses as His vessel of honour. In other words, Moses became the solution to their problem, the answer to their request for deliverance. God is not going to single you out for favour for the fun of it, but so that you can become an answer to people’s problems. How many of such challenges have you taken care of? Or are you using God’s blessings, promotion and wealth just to take care of yourself and your family?
You are anointed for a purpose. It is not for decoration but for hard work. Elijah was anointed so that he could, by signs and wonders, such as bringing down fire from heaven, win back backslidden Israelite to God. In 2 Kings 2:19-22, Elisha entered a cursed city and before he left, it became a blessed city. For years many left Jericho in droves. It was almost becoming a ghost city. But after the curse was broken, a ghost city was repopulated again. He had restored the lost glory of Jericho.
You are blessed for a purpose. You are empowered for a purpose. You are endowed and talented for a purpose. The simple reason is that you should become a vessel unto honour. To take away sorrow from people and give them joy. To improve quality of life. If your presence in that parish as a pastor or leader is not increasing God’s kingdom, drawing sinners to Christ, and establishing believers, you have not yet identified why you are there. If you predecessors did a particular evil, or placed the people under bondage, you are there to uproot the evil and break the bondage. You are in government office for a reason. You occupy that position to serve a divine purpose. You are financially blessed to meet the needs of the poor. Are you fulfilling the purpose for which God placed you? Remember, He could have put some other person in your shoes. If you do not fulfil God’s purpose, you defeat God’s plan and grieve His Spirit. You can earn a name in heaven by positively affecting lives on earth!

MEMORIZE: 2 TIMOTHY 2:21 –If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel to honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared to every good work.