Dear preacher, don’t rush to get some information from the Bible just to preach to people. Take your time to study the Word. Teach yourself as you teach others. Instill self-discipline in your walk with God. Beat your body so you don’t become a castaway of the very things you preach to others.
Do not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, including you and me. If the Gospel has helped you and changed your life for good, then don’t be afraid to stand for and defend it.
Your time spent in church is never enough to let the sound doctrine you hear from the pulpit settle in your spirit. You must read and study the Bible, revise your notes, listen to sermon podcasts, pray, fast and do all other spiritual exercises in Christ with intentionality. That is how to force God’s Word to settle in your spirit.
When David asked God to teach us to number our days, he was referring to God helping us to note how prophetic our daily activities contribute to fulfilling the divine prophecies written in God’s mind concerning our lives. So, there should not be any ordinary day in your life where you cannot trace any good particular thing you did to ensure God’s prophecies are in manifestation.
Dear married one, speak the truth in love to your spouse to save your marriage. Dear employee going through tough times because your boss isn’t treating you or others well, speak the truth in love to him without being afraid. If you have the power, speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. There are many people suffering without having a voice. Use your position of influence to help them.
Paul is entreating us in Ephesians 4:3 that, as believers, we can dwell together in spiritual harmony by fostering peace among ourselves. But why did he say that? Because he knew that relationships are one of the most complex areas of life in this world.
When I read Ephesians 3:8, I felt a great depth of humility in Paul’s statement. He didn’t say, “I was the least of all the saints.” No. He said, “…who am less than the least of all the saints …”. That means despite all the exploits he has wrought on the face of this Earth for the sake of Christ, he still counted himself as the least of the saints. What a statement of humility. Can you, as a preacher, say this about yourself?
By reason of Jesus’ atonement for the sin of the world, He has taken away that which separated man from God, paving an accessible way for anybody to come closer to God without guilt or condemnation. That was even signalled when the veil in the Jewish temple between the holies and the most holy place was torn into two (see Matthew 27:51).
Salvation, the most precious gift God will ever give to anybody who is an unbeliever, cost Jesus’ life. Though it is a free gift from God, it isn’t cheap because the Son of man died for us when we were unworthy. No believer, including you and I, is ever qualified to get salvation from God. That is why the Bible says it is by grace we have been saved. Think about that!
When the Bible says you were dead in your trespasses and sins, guess what it means? It meant that while you didn’t know God, the consciousness even to convict yourself that the actions you are doing are sinful isn’t even part of your thoughts. That explains why evil is constantly going on in this generation without mercy. Hmm!
In Ephesians 1:13-14, Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, revealed unto us that after we heard the word of truth and got saved, God sealed us with the Holy Spirit of promise. You may ask, but why? It’s because there is an inheritance for us in Christ as servants of God – both on earth and in heaven (see 1 Peter 1:3-4, Matthew 19:29-30). And it is through the Spirit we are assured that that inheritance is ours and nobody can tamper with it.
Please be careful to speak nicely to people you meet, especially for the first time. Remember that the Bible encourages us to be hospitable to strangers because we don’t know whether we may encounter angels unawares (see Hebrews 13:2). People are valuable; don’t treat them as trash cans.
