"EXCELLENCE"

Pathway To Success

Part I

 

February 2010

      “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) In this scripture, the Apostle Paul mentioned the high calling of God. The Lord wants his disciples to excel. There are steps we can take to attain excellence in the kingdom of God. Excellence is defined as: great merit or efficiency. To obtain excellence we must pursue it. “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” (Psalm 42:1) “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6) The expression, hunger and thirst, indicates a strong desire. God gave his best; so we should do no less. Jesus was committed to the plan of redemption. He paid the ultimate price for our salvation. We should respond with faithful and loyal service to our king. “I beseech you therefore, brethern, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)

     There are four topics we need to discuss; that are essential in achieving excellence. They are: association, education, assimilation and application. Association means: to join as a partner or colleague, connect in the mind. We should be selective with our associations. The people we keep company with influence our life. “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” (Proverbs 13:20) Good people have a positive affect on us. Bad company corrupts. The word of God warns against companionship with the world. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”(II Corinthians 6:14-17) As a young believer, I remember asking the Lord about this passage of scripture. I wanted to know what it meant to be unequally yoked. God told me that in any situation, where the unbeliever was guiding the relationship, that that was an unequal yoke. When believers are guiding people to faith in Jesus; that is alright with God.

     The disciples spent 3 1/2 years with Christ. They had personal knowledge of the Son of God. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) (That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”) (I John 1:1-3) The disciple’s fellowship with Jesus prepared them for ministry. Fellowship is based on a commonality of interests. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3) Right associations breeds success. We need to surround ourselves with people of character and strength. “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” (Proverbs 27:17) Godly people enhance us. Christian friends care about our walk with Christ. Years ago, the Lord empathically told me to preach what people need to hear: not what they want to hear. “Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” (Proverbs 27:5&6)

     We should follow the example of spiritural men and women of God. Our greatest example is Jesus. “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” (I John 2:6) I thank God for holy people who have influenced me. “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17) When we watch people of faith dealing with the affairs of life, it’s instructive. Paul said, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (I Corinthians 11:1) Scriptural authority governs the body of Christ. “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.” (Hebrews 13:7) We can avoid Satan’s pitfalls, if we’ll heed scriptural admonition. A lone ranger mentality is a dangerous mindset. “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14) Let’s cultivate relationships that will strengthen our faith. Then we’ll be on the pathway to excellence.

             Evangelist Mike Manuel

 

"The Trouble Maker"

In Christ, Sister Cathy

 

Part I

     Christians need to know who the trouble maker is: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (I Peter 5:8) This verse of scripture should excite us, because there are some people he can’t devour. Devour means: to swallow whole: to eat or eat up hungrily, greedily, or voraciously, to consume or destroy with devastating force, to take in greedily with the eyes, ears, or mind, to absorb completely; engross, to swallow up. That’s why it’s important to wear the armour of God.  “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11) “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”(Ephesians 6:14-17)

     How does the trouble maker operate? “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.” (Genesis 3:1a) Trouble makers are liars. “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44) Here are some wise sayings: If you lie to me once, shame on you, if you lie to me twice, shame on me. Another statement is: If you lie to me one time; everything you say is a lie. You can no longer be trusted. The devil is the instigator of all lies. God has prepared a place for liars. “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8) We don’t want to spend eternity in hell with the devil. “And whoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)

     The trouble maker has a goal. “And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.” (Zechariah 3:1) When Jesus came off a forty day fast, the trouble maker was waiting for him; thinking he might be weak enough to fall for his lies. It didn’t work. Jesus had a close relationship with his Father. All Jesus did was speak the word, and the trouble maker fleed. The devil’s goal is to destroy us. “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” (John 10:10a) Next month we’ll discuss how Jesus dealt with the trouble maker, and how believers should follow his example.
                                            

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