Friday, 14 March 2014

WALKING WITH AND IN THE LORD



PSALMS 1:1-6

“You don’t really know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.”
 
Psa 1:1  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Psa 1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Psa 1:3  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Psa 1:4  The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Psa 1:5  Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
Psa 1:6  For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

The bible speaks of men and women who walked with God, Genesis 5:24
Lev 26:28  Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.
Pro 13:20  He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed
Every one loves to be blessed and to be associated with blessing.

BLESSED defined:
To be straight
To be level
Right
Happy
To go forward
Honest prosper
Go or Guide or Lead.

Christianity teaches that, contra fatalism, suffering is overwhelming; contra Buddhism, suffering is real; contra karma, suffering is often unfair; but contra secularism, suffering is meaningful. There is a purpose to it, and if faced rightly, it can drive us like a nail deep into the love of God and into more stability and spiritual power than you can imagine.” 
 
SINNER defined:

Those whom wickedness is habitual Psalm 1:5
●Your association will dictate and determine the direction your life takes. Psa 119:1  Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
Psa 119:2  Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
Psa 119:3  They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

What you hear will determine what you do
●Your friends influence a big percentage of who you are with or without your knowledge. 1Co 15:33  Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

●Want to tell me who you are, then just show me who your friends are

●Your actions are the true reflection of your fellowship. Psa 1:1  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
SCORNFUL/MOCKERS Defined:- [no object, with infinitive] Refuse to do something because one is too proud: at her lowest ebb, she would have scorned to stoop to such tactics
In Swahili that name is “MIZAHA” Mouthful of no seriousness. 

While Christianity was able to agree with pagan writers that inordinate attachment to earthly goods can lead to unnecessary pain and grief, it also taught that the answer to this was not to love things less but to love God more than anything else. Only when our greatest love is God, a love that we cannot lose even in death, can we face all things with peace. Grief was not to be eliminated but seasoned and buoyed up with love and hope.” 

This is what a man called Nathaniel approached Jesus with a lot of jokes. John 1:46

New International Version (NIV)
46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
WALK WITH THE LORD
Alert ears, Spirit inclined to God and Actions that demonstrated who orders your steps.
The steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord.

CHARACTERISTICS OF WALKING WITH & IN THE LORD.

“Christianity offers not merely a consolation but a restoration — not just of the life we had but of the life we always wanted but never achieved. And because the joy will be even greater for all that evil, this means the final defeat of all those forces that would have destroyed the purpose of God in creation, namely, to live with his people in glory and delight forever.” 

1.       Delights (Excited, happy and looks forward) to the law of the Lord: church service, activites, programmes.
Desires and looks forward to be take  part actively
2.      Meditates (Examine, to experience and to evaluate) meditating on the laws of God leads to wise counsel which in turn yields :-
a)Stability Vs.3
b) Inward nourishment and refreshment Vs.3
c) Fruitfulness and productivity Vs.3
d) Strength and durability Vs.3 and
e) Success.

Dwelling in God day and night is a lifestyle. 

 Joshua 1:8 (New International Version)

Joshua 1:8

New International Version (NIV)
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
3.     Equated to  a tree planted by streams of water
This tree is healthy, productive and a shelter.
Birds will find fruit and build nests on it
Man will find shed and fresh air as well as water source and a meeting place under her shed.
Because the tree is well grounded it will be able to withstand the buffeting of winds
The tree in this case refers to you and I. You have to be a blessing to people.

A Tree and Its Fruit
43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 

4.      Whatever he does prospers

To prosper is to push forward, grow, increase, come mightily, go over, be good, be profitable.
What you lay your hands on shall produce an increase.
This is what the bible calls blessing.
The dying things will receive life when you touch them.
Ever wondered something is hard or difficult to comb through but when you appear on the sight and lay your hands on it things start moving and not only move but progressively look up. There is mellow and joy in your presence. Not because you have some magic touch but simply because you are connected to the source of light. He that courses increase even when our naked eyes cannot see what is happening.

5.      The Lord watches over the way of the righteous. Psalm 121:3,5
To watch is to keep awake, be vigilant
He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber; The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
I will Lift Up My Eyes to the Hills
3He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep. 5The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. Psalm 121:4
Jesus quoted extensively on the import of watchfulness an equivalent of walking with the Lord.

Mathew 24:42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

Mathew 25:13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Be alert ready and therefore be warned and hence take the necessary precautions”.

Mathew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Joshua as a man destined to walk into the steps of Moses had to adhere to the Spirit and voice of God. And this was not once or twice but had to come with several reminders. You are therefore no exception.

Joshua 1:8 his book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
And having followed after the will and desire of God Joshua cafford to challenge his constituents with he challenge I entrust to us today
 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. KJV

Joshua 24:15 (New International Version)

New International Version (NIV)

15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Choose either way to walk in the way of the lord or to pursue the path of the wicked.
What you have to reconcile yourself with are the consequences.
Believe it, Act it and Live
The lord bless us all, Amen!

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