REDEEMED BY THE LORD

I refer to the Old Testament as the "if and then" era. "If and then" because the blessings of God could only be obtained by meeting certain conditions. If you did this or that, then you were blessed, and if you didn't, then you were cursed. The curse was a result of disobedience to the Law.

Sadly many preachers are still preaching the message of the Old Testament. We must come to understand that today, we do not inherit God's blessings as a result of what we do; in fact, God already blessed us long before we contemplated giving Him our lives! He has already blessed us with all spiritual blessings and given us all that pertain to life and godliness; so which other one are you working for? Do God's word because you love Him and because it is true, not because you want something in return!

Galatians 3:13-14 reveals that Christ HAS redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon us. Hallelujah! We are products of faith, therefore, we are blessed with Abraham.

The door has been opened; the obstacles have been removed; Jesus has suffered for our disobedience, no need to suffer again! You've got to wake up you sleeping believer and demand for what's already yours in Christ! Blessed are you in the city, and blessed are you in the country; blessed are you when you come in and when you go out; anyone who rises against you will be defeated before your face; all you set your hand to do shall be blessed, blessed shall you be in the land which the Lord has given you! Amen.

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THE BLESSING OF A FRESH START

"Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them." Romans 4:8 NIV. Think about it. "Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin." (NLT). Meditate on it. Forgiveness gives us a clean slate, a fresh start; through forgiveness, we are justified and made to be as though we never sinned at all. Wow!

God is so perfect and holy that He cannot behold iniquity; and one would expect that it will be difficult for such a holy Person to accommodate sinners. But we see God in the Scriptures, since man first sinned, always offering forgiveness to man. God is love! As He is perfect in holiness, so is He in love. Hallelujah!

Acts 13:38-39 says, "Understand therefore, brethren, that through this Jesus forgiveness of sins is announced to you; and in Him every believer is absolved from all offences from which you could not be absolved under the Law of Moses." Weymouth New Testament.

I bring to you the good news of your justification today: there's no need to wallow in self pity; self condemnation and guilt; Christ set you free the moment you believed and He is still offering forgiveness today. When you are forgiven, in that instant, you are pronounced blameless, and are no longer guilty or to be held responsible for whatever you did. What a blessing!

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FOREVER IN HIS PRESENCE

Imagine Jonah fleeing from God; I wonder what he was thinking: it is impossible! Jonah must have thought that God was affixed to a spot, or confined to the ark, or that His presence didn't go beyond Jerusalem or the nation of Israel. His understanding of God was obviously shallow.

David had a deeper understanding of God. He said, "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me." Psalm 139:7-10

But God is not just here and there, as though He is apart from us; it's more than being omnipresent, we are actually in Him! That's what was revealed through Paul, "For in Him we live and move and exist." Acts 17:28. Nothing would exist without God - He doesn't just fill up some space; the entire universe - the planets, stars, galaxies, all matter and energy, and the contents of intergalactic space - are all in Him! Hallelujah!

What a mighty God we serve! No, you are never alone! When you pray, He's right there with you; He's aware of everything that has to do with you; and He's never too far away to assist you; He is always near. Fear not! Greater is He that is with you than they which come against you. Whether you are awake or asleep, He is ever present. And in His presence is fullness of joy! Hallelujah!!

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GET A MENTOR

We didn't all start life at the same time; neither did we commence our walk with Christ at the same time. Some began before us, and some through diligence have moved ahead of their contemporaries, and it is expected that they have more knowledge and experience than we do. They are seniors, and there's so much we can learn from them.

I didn't take mentoring seriously for a long time, but looking back, I think I won't have made the many mistakes I made if I had a true guide. And that's what mentoring is about: a mentor is a trusted counsellor or guide. "A mentor is someone who imparts wisdom to and shares knowledge with a less experienced colleague."

Mentoring is Scriptural: Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians: "The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:9. He also said to the Corinthian Believers, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." 1 Corinthians 11:1.

Don't just admire successful people from afar; humble yourself and be tutored by one doing something similar to what you do or want to do. Solomon became wise because his father and mentor said to him, "Get wisdom! Get understanding!" Proverbs 4:5. Get a mentor!

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ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH

If it will be, it will be by faith; not by grace, but by grace through faith. Faith is not works, faith produces the works. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. In other words, faith is what moves God; faith is what completes the equation!

Hebrews 11:1 - Faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see (NET Bible). Faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about and the certainty that what we cannot see exists (ISV). Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see (NLT).

In other words, faith is a vision and a possession of the invisible. If you can see yourself in possession of it, you will have it! If you see yourself doing it, you will do it! If you believe that what you say will happen, it will happen! And if you see God doing it, then He will do it! (Mark 11:22-24).

Jesus said to two blind men, "According to your faith let it be to you." (Matthew 9:29). That was all He said, and their eyes were opened! Dear reader, according to your faith, let it be to you this week and for the rest of the year, in the name of Jesus!

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A LAMP AND A LIGHT

The importance of light cannot be over-emphasised. When God started to create the world, the first thing He created was light because the earth was dark. And even when He separated the night from the day, He made the moon to govern the night so that there would always be light.

Darkness existed before the light; just as you and I were born into this dark world. Isaiah 60:2 says that darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth. So, it doesn't matter how good your country or location is, first world or third world, it is still plagued with darkness.

We all need light! That light refers to wisdom, understanding and knowledge. Psalm 119:104-105 says, "Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:130 says, "The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple."

The Scriptures are full of insights on any and every area of life. You see, not many things are mysterious to the man who's heart has illuminated and enlightened by the word of God. Minimise your mistakes by reading, studying, meditating on, and applying the Scriptures to everything you do. Your world doesn't have to be dark; and if you've been living by inferior lights, it's time to switch!

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