42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.”The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:42-45 (NKJV)
Many grapple and are puzzled with the resurrection idea. It is simple. When a grain is sown/buried in the ground, it is forgotten, but soon a new plant emerges, a tree comes forth and multiple fruits with seed of its kind comes forth too. That the Lord Jesus Christ died and rose again is the greatest, best, and incomparable hope package in this life and the life to come. It confirms that death isn't the end of the story, neither is it the end of discussion. As many as may be experiencing dormancy, death even in the living physical body, potentials, careers, emotions, health, etc, the Life-giving spirit that's embedded inside of every child of God remains available.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
Access to the embedded Life-giving spirit and willingness to access it remains the critical issue for all mortal beings. Experience His resurrection power that is made available by the price paid for in FULL by Jesus Christ.
Be encouraged,
Afolabi
Showing posts with label Spirit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spirit. Show all posts
Monday, April 9, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Seek His Hand, not hand-outs
18 Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you;
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.
19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem;You shall weep no more.
He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry;
When He hears it, He will answer you.
Isaiah 30:18-19 (NKJV)
The Lord covets and desires our relationship. When we come to Him, we must not come just because of the hands-outs, but we must seek His hand in fellowship. Nothing angers the Lord more than when we cast Him aside to seek help from other gods.
1 “Woe to the rebellious children,” says the LORD,
“Who take counsel, but not of Me,
And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit,
That they may add sin to sin;
2 Who walk to go down to Egypt, And have not asked My advice,
To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh,
And to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
3 Therefore the strength of Pharaoh
Shall be your shame, And trust in the shadow of Egypt
Shall be your humiliation.
Isaiah 30:1-3 (NKJV)
Our hope and trust must be on Him, who never shame, humiliate nor confuse those that trust and believe in Him. We ought to wait on the Lord for blessed are all those who wait for Him.
Be encouraged,
Afolabi
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.
19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem;You shall weep no more.
He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry;
When He hears it, He will answer you.
Isaiah 30:18-19 (NKJV)
The Lord covets and desires our relationship. When we come to Him, we must not come just because of the hands-outs, but we must seek His hand in fellowship. Nothing angers the Lord more than when we cast Him aside to seek help from other gods.
1 “Woe to the rebellious children,” says the LORD,
“Who take counsel, but not of Me,
And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit,
That they may add sin to sin;
2 Who walk to go down to Egypt, And have not asked My advice,
To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh,
And to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
3 Therefore the strength of Pharaoh
Shall be your shame, And trust in the shadow of Egypt
Shall be your humiliation.
Isaiah 30:1-3 (NKJV)
Our hope and trust must be on Him, who never shame, humiliate nor confuse those that trust and believe in Him. We ought to wait on the Lord for blessed are all those who wait for Him.
Be encouraged,
Afolabi
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
The spirit sustains
14 The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit?
Proverbs 18:14 (NKJV)
The breath of life is in the spirit embedded in us. The spirit sustains the body and gives us life to function as humans. A vibrant and healthy spirit will ignite and enliven a broken body, but a broken spirit who can bear?
Keep your spirit aligned with the Creator and Giver of life, for even in sickness, and when the body is fragile and vulnerable, the spirit sustains and keeps the body.
Be encouraged,
Afolabi
Proverbs 18:14 (NKJV)
The breath of life is in the spirit embedded in us. The spirit sustains the body and gives us life to function as humans. A vibrant and healthy spirit will ignite and enliven a broken body, but a broken spirit who can bear?
Keep your spirit aligned with the Creator and Giver of life, for even in sickness, and when the body is fragile and vulnerable, the spirit sustains and keeps the body.
Be encouraged,
Afolabi
Friday, July 9, 2010
Losing religion
Friends,
Are you caught up in the routine and ritual of a religious life? Do you seek the comfort of fancy robes, fancy clothes, and predictable format for worship? Are the traditions of some institution never challenged? Do titles and credentials of certain men impress you?
But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.
Hebrews 9:11, NKJV
Sisters and brothers, Christ's actions at Calvary ended all of the sacrifices and rituals described in the Torah. They were meant as reminders for God's people that they had not been perfectly holy - as God is holy; that the wages of sin is death - and those wages must be paid; and that God always provides for His people - as He has from the days of Abraham through the present day.
But we no longer need the reminder. We have no requirement for something that represents what God will do. For the LORD has actually done it. So those traditions should have passed away ... along with the fancy "tabernacles," the fancy robes, the fancy clothes and formulaic and mechanical worship.
We should not demand those things from ourselves. Pastors and other leaders should absolutely not demand them from the congregations.
The perfect time, place and way of worship is simple.
It is now.
It is where you are.
It is in spirit and truth.
Be encouraged, Jose
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Battle for the Soul
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death
James 1:14-15 (NKJV)
The battle is fierce and relentless. The battle for the control of our soul is a raging one and our Spirit and Flesh slug it out for the total control of our soul daily. The Spirit must be fed and nurtured just like our Flesh is fed with food and drinks. The Spirit must be well versed, grounded and predicated on the living word of God. Likewise we ought to mortify and put to death the inordinate and carnal affections that feed our flesh. Apostle Paul described this clearly below...
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
Romans 7:18-20 (NKJV)
This sin as Paul put it is what we must mortify and kill lest it grows stronger and eventually claim our soul. The Spirit will gain ground when we feed it and fellowship on the word. To shrink on this is to cede more ground to the flesh which is capable of overrunning our soul to destruction. The battle for our soul is daily and the Spirit must be fed daily for it to compete effectively with our flesh. Have you fed your Spirit today?
Be encouraged,
Afolabi
James 1:14-15 (NKJV)
The battle is fierce and relentless. The battle for the control of our soul is a raging one and our Spirit and Flesh slug it out for the total control of our soul daily. The Spirit must be fed and nurtured just like our Flesh is fed with food and drinks. The Spirit must be well versed, grounded and predicated on the living word of God. Likewise we ought to mortify and put to death the inordinate and carnal affections that feed our flesh. Apostle Paul described this clearly below...
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
Romans 7:18-20 (NKJV)
This sin as Paul put it is what we must mortify and kill lest it grows stronger and eventually claim our soul. The Spirit will gain ground when we feed it and fellowship on the word. To shrink on this is to cede more ground to the flesh which is capable of overrunning our soul to destruction. The battle for our soul is daily and the Spirit must be fed daily for it to compete effectively with our flesh. Have you fed your Spirit today?
Be encouraged,
Afolabi
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