gospel

Humble thy self before God

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.

Matthew 18:20–NKJV

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 19:14–NKJV

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 19:23-24–NKJV

Show us Christ

Every Church has at least two Corneileous. Are you one?
Acts chapter 10 talks about an uncircumcised gentile who was living in Caesarea. His name was Cornelius. And he was a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He prayed to God daily and gave generously to those in need.

By all standard, Corneileous was a good man. But something was lacking in his life. He had not heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, and he did not know Christ.

There are many good people in the Church, but being good is not enough to get anybody into heaven.

Encouragement

When your heart is hurting, present your needs to God. Through Christ, you have unlimited access to the Father 24/7

Romans 5:1-4: Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Press on

Twenty-sixteen was a challenging year for many, including myself. But I will not dwell on the past. Instead, my mindset will be like that of the beloved apostle Paul, when he declared. “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

Like Paul, I compare the Christian life to a race; a marathon. You never know what’s coming up next. Some days it’s like a piece of cake, other days the obstacles are more than you can handle. And as long as you continue to press on you will never be comfortable. The enemy is your competitor, and he is much smarter and trickier than you are.

Some Christians will tell you that their troubles ended when they accepted Christ. But that’s so contrary to what Jesus and the apostles taught us. As Christians, we are vulnerable to the schemes of the enemy, and we will fail sometimes, but we must not quit. If anything, we must continue to press on toward the goal to win the prize.

So, my friends, as we usher in the new year, let’s not become complacent, conceited or self-righteous. Rather, let us be humble at heart as the beloved apostle was when he wrote. “Brothers and sisters, I don’t consider that I have taken hold of it yet, (the prize). But here is the one thing I do. I forget what is behind me. I push hard toward what is ahead of me. So, I push myself forward toward the goal to win the prize. God has appointed me to win it. The heavenly prize is Christ Jesus himself.” (Philippians 3:13-14).

Happy New Year!