Week 44: October 29, 2017

Topic: Love God and not the world –Part 1

Bible Reading: 1 John 2: 12-17

Introduction

Hear this all peoples, listen carefully all the inhabitants of the world. Every nation and tribe of this terrestrial ball called the earth, listen to what I have to say, everyone in the world pay attention to this word of the Lord. Listen both great and small, rich and poor together. People of every kind, rich and poor alike pay attention to this message Psalm 49: 1-2. God sent this message “Love Me and not the world” purposely because He loves you, so it is your duty to love the Lord your God with all your heart. Since the Lord corrects everyone He loves just as parents correct their favourite child Proverbs 3: 12.

The best thing you can render to the Lord for all His benefits and goodness in your life is to love Him unconditionally. The only way to repay Him for His precious blessings is to shun evil and never love the world Psalm 116: 12. Therefore, you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength Deuteronomy 6: 5. Remember that whosoever does not love God will love the world or Satan and such people do not have any portion in the Lord. Be wise, so do not love the world or the things in the world, but love God who loved you and made you His prime Creation. Reciprocate the divine love of Almighty God that preserve you till this moment. Do not misapply your love by loving the world and its lusts, but love Him (God) who created you in His glory for His glory Isaiah 43: 7.

People of this age love the world rather than God. They will always show seriousness about carnal things, but they usually handle the Lord’s work with levity. They pay attention to corruptible things, but joke with the divine things of God.

The Devil makes it look like it is inevitable for them to love the lusts and the pleasures of this world. They crave for every worldly and ungodly thing in order to provoke the Lord instead of loving Him. They continue to acquire wealth and possessions as if they will live forever in this world.

O you sons of men, how long will you put the honour and the glory of the Lord to shame? How long will you love worthless and vanities of this world? How long will you seek deception and lies? It is time that people stop ruining the reputation of the Lord. The time has come for humans to halt their groundless accusations and their preference for falsehood. Now is the time that mankind must return to God and love Him dearly before it is too late Psalm 4: 2. Let today be a turning point in your life, the day that you will stop loving the world/Satan and its lusts/pleasures because everything that is in the world are the following:

· The lust and sensual craving of the flesh.

· The lust and longing of the eyes together with greedy longings of the mind.

· The boastful pride of life because of pretentious confidence/assurance in your resources or in the stability of your earthly possessions. (Pride in your achievements and possessions)

All these conducts are not from your heavenly Father, but traits that you love the world rather than God 1 John 2: 16. Therefore, abstain from every form of lusts, cravings and pride. Beloved, I implore you as sojourners and pilgrims in this world to abstain from dishonourable desires and sensual urges that wages war against the soul. Brethren, I warn you as temporary residents and foreigners in this world, keep away from worldly desires and passions of the flesh that wage war against your souls 1 Peter 2: 11. You must not spend the rest of your natural life living by/for human appetites and desires, but for the will and purpose of God 1 Peter 4: 2. Beware do not spend the rest of your life in the flesh for the lust of men chasing your own desires but be anxious to do the will of God and love Him.

Human beings must realize that we brought nothing into this world and obviously we cannot take anything out of the world 1 Timothy 6: 7. Since we cannot take anything with us when we leave this world why not forsake the vanity of this world and love God so that we will be admitted into the Glorious Home. It is for this reason that the Scripture stated that “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the world and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16: 26. The choice is yours; it is either you will love God and be admitted into the heavenly Kingdom of God or you will love the world (wealth, fame and success) in manners that can make you spend your eternity in hell fire. It is evident that “The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness. The world and those who dwell therein” Psalm 24: 1. Since the world and everything in it belongs to God, why not Love Him wholeheartedly so that He can give you all your good heart desires without difficulties or the risk of hell fire. Though we are children of God but the world we are residing is under the control of the Devil. This world is under the influence of Satan and he uses the glitterings and lusts of this world to make the novice to fall into love with him, thereby putting them in bondage 1 John 5: 19. Do not be among the gullible people that Satan will deceive to love the world rather than God or be among his casualties.

There is a saying that “If you love someone, set them free. If they come back, it means they love you”. Almighty God really loved us and He has set mankind free from our sins and iniquity because Jesus Christ paid the price on the Cross. It is now time for us to reciprocate His good gesture by turning to our Creator and love Him with all our beings. One thing we must not forget is that the Lord will never forsake His people, for His great namesake, because it has pleased the Lord to make the Christians/believers His people 1 Samuel 12: 22. Since you have the assurance that the Lord will not abandon you in your unsatisfactory situation/condition, do not hesitate to show appreciation by loving Him.

You have been forewarned so that you may have peace in Jesus Christ your Saviour. In the world you will have tribulation, many trials and sorrows, but cheer up because He has overcome the world John 16: 33. Whatever distress, suffering and frustration that you are passing through, be courageous and confident that your Redeemer will see you through because He has overcome the world. Do not give Satan the opportunity to use your condition to make you to hate God and love the world. Whatever the circumstance, do not be among the group of people that will hear the Word of God but the worries and the distractions of the world together with the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word and it yields no fruit Matthew 13: 22. Make sure the Word of God that you hear today is engraved in your memory by loving the Lord your God throughout your existence. It is important that the message of today produces fruits in your life by not allowing the pleasure, glamour and delight of this world together with the lure of wealth to suffocate the WORD.

Brethren, do not learn the way of the Gentiles who are in the darkness by loving the world and its lusts. You are a child of light and people must be able to differentiate between the gentiles and the believers Jeremiah 10: 2. Even if everyone around you does not love God, you must be an exceptional case according to the Bible passage which stated that “You must not follow a crowd of people to do what is evil” Exodus 23: 2. Always remember that you cannot “eat your cake and still have it”. Friendship with the world is enmity with God, therefore anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God James 4: 4. You must neither love the world nor be its friend so that you will not make yourself an enemy of God but His friend. If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede? Therefore do not love the world so that you will not sin against the Lord but love God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength. Then it shall be well with you in the land of the living 1 Samuel 2: 25.

Week 45: November 5, 2017

Topic: Love God and not the World –Part 2

Bible Reading: 1 John 2: 12-17

We shall continue by discussing the love that Almighty God has for mankind since the existence of this world.

God’s Love for mankind

Do not be deceived, the worldly things are vanities that start and end in this world. They are of no use in heaven where you intend to spend your eternity; so do not love the world or the things in it which will only bring condemnation from your heavenly Father. Do not love the glitterings, pleasures and the lustful things of this world because they have no reward in the presence of God, instead they attract judgment in the world to come.

Humans were created in God’s image: God loves human beings so much that He created us in His own image. He made us His main/best creation among all His creations. It is written that God created mankind in His likeness because of the Love He had for us Genesis 1: 27. The only way to please the Lord is to love Him with all your heart, soul and strength. Therefore, do not love the world but Almighty God that can give wealth as an inheritance to those who love Him and fill their treasuries without sorrow. You need to love the Supreme Being who will endow your life with fortunes and fill your treasuries with good things. God is the only living being who can provide for your needs and give great riches to everyone who loves Him Proverbs 8: 21. Do not deny Him your love, but reciprocate His endless love.

God love us with everlasting love: Either we believe or not, God loved His people that love Him with an everlasting love. With unfailing love and loving kindness He had drawn them to Himself Jeremiah 31: 3. If you want God to love you with a love that lasts forever and continue His faithfulness to you, do not love the world. It is for this reason that the Scripture stated that “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” 1 John 4: 10. If our God and Creator can send His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins because He loved us, then we ought to love Him rather than the world.

God reserve mercy, covenant and grace: Almighty God usually and always extend mercy and grace typically to His loyal followers. It is the custom of the Lord to show mercy, favour and grace to those who love Him and His name Psalm 119: 132. If you want God to be glorious to you, you must love Him because that was His pledge (practice) to those who love His name. God also keeps covenant and loving kindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments Nehemiah 1: 5. You must love God, for Him to keep His promises and be gracious to you. Never love the world if you want God to keep His covenant and mercy for you.

Always remember that God love you, because you love Him and not the world; anyone who seek the Lord diligently by loving Him will surely find Him Proverbs 8: 17.

The Demonstration of God’s Love

The demonstration of the divine love which God has for mankind is everywhere around us. How much do we pay for the air we breathe? Who do we pay for the rain and the sun that make our seeds to germinate? It is written that “the eyes of all look expectantly to you, and you give them their food in due season” because You love them. “You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing” Psalm 145: 15-16. God caters for the needs of every living creature and satisfies their desires because He loves them.

Dominion of the Earth: It is evident that God loves humans so much to the extent that He blessed us by saying “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” Genesis 1: 28. Had it been that God does not love mankind, He will not make us to rule over all other creatures on earth and govern or control them. Many Christians who lack wisdom usually says, “if God love us, why are we in this situation?” You are in your present condition because you have to be tested and you must bear your own cross. “I have loved you” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘how and in what way have You loved us?’ Forgetting that everything in this world belongs to God but it pleases Him to choose you (Christians) as His special inheritance” Malachi 1: 2. The Bible stated that we are the chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that we may proclaim/declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light 1 Peter 2: 9. God demonstrated His love for us by calling us out of darkness into His wonderful light.

Jesus Christ died for sinners: The scripture stated that “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” John 3: 16. God displayed His divine love for mankind by sending His Son Jesus Christ to save the world. He shows and clearly proves His love for humans by the fact that while we were still sinners, Jesus Christ the Messiah died for us. The Book of Romans stated that “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5: 8. God exhibited His love for mankind by making Jesus Christ the Anointed One to die for us, the unworthy sinners. By this, the love of God was revealed in us, in that God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him 1 John 4: 9. God indicated how much He loved us by sending His Son Jesus Christ into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him.

No greater love than this: Let us examine critically and see the great love that our Heavenly Father has for us, that we are granted the grace to be called His children. But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are children of God because they don’t know Him. Father has bestowed on us that we should be permitted to be named and counted as children of God! And that is what we really are! The reason that the world does not recognize us is that it does not know Him (God) 1 John 3: 1. Therefore, know that no one has greater love and no one has shown stronger commitment/affection than to lay down His own life for His friends as demonstrated by Jesus Christ our Lord John 15: 13. The greatest love God exhibited is giving the life of His Son Jesus Christ for us the sinners.

How to love God

There are several ways mentioned in the Bible that you can use to show that you love Almighty God Your Creator and we shall discuss them in detail.

Obey/keep His commandments: You can show that you love God by keeping His commandments, laws, statutes and judgment faithfully as it is written that you must keep the commandments of the Lord. You must conform your life and conducts to My statutes says the Lord Leviticus 22: 31. Henceforth, you must obey the commandments of the Lord, follow and perform them.

Let me remind us that “whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” Matthew 5: 19. Therefore, do not ignore any commandments of the Lord. You must neither set aside one of the least of the commandments nor be selective in the commandment that you will obey. Never teach or encourage people to break the commandments of the Lord. The summary of the commandments is, you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind. You must also love your neighbor as yourself Luke 10: 27.

Fear the Lord and shun evil: Anyone who loves the Lord must hate evil, else such a person is deceiving himself/herself according to the Bible passage “You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked” Psalm 97: 10. Those of you who love the Lord must desert Satan and his works. You must not love the world so that God can rescue you from the power of the wicked. Therefore, fear the Lord and walk in His ways without straying so that you will be blessed Psalm 128: 1. Do not forget that the fear of the Lord is hatred of evil, so hate pride, arrogance and evil way. You must also hate perverted and twisted speech Proverbs 8: 13. Anyone who intends to love God must hate evil, lies, the sinful ways and corruption.

Walk with God in faith: Without faith it is impossible to walk with God and please Him because those who come to God must believe that He exists and He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him Hebrews 11: 6. You must have faith to please and love God, according to the scripture which says, “Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And he was called the friend of God” James 2: 23. If you want to prove that you love God and are His friend, walk with Him in faith.

Week 46: November 12, 2017

Topic: Love God and Not the World – Part 3

Bible Reading: 1 John 2: 12-17

We shall continue the study by mentioning the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ that were stated in the Bible concerning loving God.

The Teachings of Jesus Christ

Many people in the world today have shut their eyes spiritually to the truth and open their eyes to the vanities of this world together with its lustful things.

Love God and your neighbor: Jesus Christ knew that loving God and your neighbor is the only way that can make anyone to inherit the Kingdom of God. So He reminded the apostle to love one another as He has loved them and also love God. It is written that “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” John 13: 34. Make sure that you love one another and God, as laid down by Christ. Your heavenly Father really loves you simply because you love His Son Jesus Christ, you believe in Him and obeys His commandments John 16: 27. Therefore, do not deviate from the righteous path, but hold on tightly to your faith.

Do your best and continue to endure: Whatever you are passing through continue to love God and put in your best, make sure you do whatever it takes to promote and propagate the work of the Lord. Jesus Christ our Lord was loved by His Father purposely because He put in His best to the extent that He sacrificed His life to save mankind. The Scripture says “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again” John 10: 17.

What God needs from you is your best and nothing less according to the Bible passage which stated that “Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood” Jeremiah 48: 10. Therefore, do not do the Lord’s work negligently or carelessly so that you will not become accursed. If you want blessings from the Lord, don’t do His work with slackness, but put in your best.

You must put in your best and endure till the end, knowing that “he who endures till the end shall be saved” Matthew 24: 13. Remember that if you suffer with Christ or for Christ’s sake by doing what is right and loving God, then you will be glorified with Him in His heavenly kingdom. So do not consider the present sufferings and difficulties that are plaguing your life because they cannot be compared to the glory that Almighty God will reveal in you Romans 8: 17-18.

For this reason fear nothing that you are suffering presently or the ones that you are about to suffer. Be aware that the Devil is putting people in bondage so that their faith may be tested, proved and appraised, but be faithful unto death, then you will be given the crown of life Revelation 2: 10. Dismiss your dread, and fear none of the ordeal that you are facing because you will be rewarded with the crown of life, but you must be faithful to the point of death.

You will be rewarded: One of the rewards that will accrue to anyone who love Jesus Christ our Lord and follow His teachings is that such person will be referred to as a disciple of Christ. It is written that “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” John 13: 35. Your love for one another is the best way to prove to the world that you are a true disciple of Jesus Christ. So if you want to be rewarded with discipleship love Jesus Christ and follow His teachings.

If you love Me, keep My commandments says the Lord. It is then that He will ask His Father to reward you by giving you another Helper that will abide with you forever John 14: 15-16. If you want God to give you Counselor/Comforter, do not stray from the teachings of Christ. For your life to be endowed with the gifts of Holy Spirit, you must love Jesus Christ and His Father. If God is your Father, you will love and respect/honour Christ because He came from God. He did not come on His own initiative or authority or His own accord as self appointed but Heavenly Father sent Him John 8: 42. Love Jesus Christ, give Him due recognition and gladly welcome Him into your life to prove that God is your Father and you are a child of Almighty God.

Anyone who loves Jesus Christ will be loved by His Father; Christ Himself will love such people and reveal Himself through wonders/miracles in their lives. But it is those people who have His commandments and keep them that really love Jesus Christ John 14: 21. If you want our Heavenly Father to love you, love His Son. If you want Christ to manifest Himself in your life through spiritual gifts, obey His commandments.

Your duties: It is the responsibility of everyone who loves Jesus Christ our Lord to perform the following obligations:

· Do you love Jesus Christ more than wealth, fame and the lustful things of this world? If you do “feed His lambs” and provide for them.

· Do you love Jesus Christ? If you do “Tend His sheep” and shepherd or take care of them.

· Do you really love Jesus Christ? If you do “feed His sheep” and cater for their needs John 21: 15-17. Anyone that really loves Jesus Christ our Lord must fulfill the aforementioned conditionalities.

Multitudes of people in the world do not love God, but love the pleasures and the glitterings of this world. It is for this reason, the scripture stated that “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” The verdict is based on the fact that God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, because their actions were evil John 3: 19. If you don’t want to be judged with the world or perish with the world, do not love the world but love God. Do not love the darkness which will bring the judgment of God upon you but love the light that will give you justification.

People must reflect about the Bible passage which stated that “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” Psalm 90: 12. You must realize the brevity of life. You must understand that you have limited time in this world. Start counting your days in the land of the living, so that you will grow in wisdom and become wise. Therefore, do not use the remainder of your lifetime to love the world and its lustful things.

Abide in God’s Love

Anyone who abide in the love of God shall abide forever, such people will rule and reign with our Creator eternally.

People who abide will survive: Humans must realize that “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” Matthew 6: 24. You have read from the scripture that you cannot serve God and mammon which means you cannot love God and at the same time love money or wealth or fame or status. You can never love God and be enslaved to worldly things. However, continue to abide in the tabernacle forever, trust Him and take refuge in the shelter of the wings of the Lord in order for you to be protected and for your problems to be solved Psalm 61: 4. Persistently abide in the love of God and His Sanctuary, so that you will abide forever and reign eternally with Him according to the Bible passage “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever” Psalm 125: 1. It is your choice, it is either you will love God and abide forever or you will love the world and abide temporarily. We pray that you will make the right choice.

Consider that just as the Heavenly Father loved Jesus Christ, so also He has loved us, therefore, we must abide in His love. There is no excuse for us not to abide in His love which will prompt the Lord to reward us in this world and the world to come John 15: 9. Therefore, let us abide forever in the love of our Lord because of the greatness of divine love he has for us.

Do not be deceived: Since human beings lack knowledge, most of us neither know the importancy of love nor the necessity of loving God. Based on the richness of wisdom and knowledge of God, He understands how essential is love to human existence Romans 11: 33. It is for this reason we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. We must also acknowledge that God is love and anyone who abides in love abides in God and God lives in such person 1 John 4: 16. It is evident that you must understand, appreciate, trust and rely on the love that God cherishes on us. You must continue to love God because God is love and abide in His love eternally.

Furthermore, you must abstain from sins and iniquities because no one who abides in the Lord will deliberately fall into sin or continue with sinful lifestyles. People who practices/commits sin and make corruption a way of life does not know the Lord 1 John 3: 6. If you want to prove that you abide in the love of God and understand Him, then you need to refrain from misconducts and sins. You need to act fast because whether you want or not, either you believe or not this world will pass away, so the limited time that you have in the land of the living, you must make amendments. It is written that “The world is passing away and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever 1 John 2: 17. Since this world will face away with its desires, passions and forbidden cravings, it is time for you to love and do the will of God so that you will abide forever.

Abide in the Light: Jesus Christ is the light of the world and anyone who abide and follow Him will not walk in darkness, but he/she will have light of life John 8: 12. If you don’t want the darkness to overcome you, abide in the Light that leads to life because Jesus Christ came as a light to shine in this dark world, so that whoever believes and adhere to Him will not abide in darkness, but have eternal light John 12: 46. If you don’t want to remain in darkness, love God and your brother as yourself according to the passage “He who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling for Him” 1 John 2: 10. If you don’t want to stumble and lead other people into sin or astray, love God and your neighbor as yourself.

You must emulate Jesus Christ in conducts and deeds because whoever says he abides in Jesus Christ ought to walk and conduct himself in the same way in which He walked and conducted Himself 1 John 2: 6. Do not love the darkness but love and abide in the light to show that you abide in Christ.

It is your duty to keep the commandments of Jesus Christ; it is then that you will abide in His love just as He had kept His Father’s commandments and abide in His love John 15: 10. Do not forget that no disobedient person will enter the kingdom of God, so love Him and keep is commandments.

Week 47: November 19, 2017

Topic: Love God and Not the World – Part 4

Bible Reading: 1 John 2: 12-17

The study continues with the commandments of the Lord mentioned in the Bible concerning loving the Lord our God.

Commandments of the Lord

There are several commandments of the Lord written in the Bible, but the irony of thing is that you can only love God when you are still alive. So do not tarry; make amendments while you have the opportunity before it is too late.

The first and great commandment: Jesus said “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 22: 37-40. If Jesus Christ our Lord confirmed that these two commandments sum up others and on them depend the Law and the Prophets, then it is important that you must not ignore the idea of loving the Lord your God, but embrace it. It is for this reason that Jesus Christ gave us this commandment that those who love God must also love their fellow believers 1 John 4: 21. To prove that you love God, you must also love your brethren in the Lord; by doing so, people will know that you love the children of God because you love God and keep His commandments 1 John 5: 2. One of the ways to verify that you love God and keep His commandments is to love your neighbor as yourself. “Therefore take careful heed to yourself, that you love the Lord your God” Joshua 23: 11. You must be very careful and watchful to make sure that you love the Lord your God.

Keep and walk according to the Lord’s commandments: It is your obligation to love the Lord your God and always keep His instructions, His regulations, His precepts and His commands. It is written that “Therefore you shall love the Lord Your God to keep His charge, His statutes, His judgements and His commandments always” Deuteronomy 11: 1. So, love God and keep His commandments. We must know that love means doing what God has commanded us, just as we have heard from the beginning. So walk in accordance with the commandments of the Lord; be guided continually by His precepts and teachings. Make sure your lifestyle is in conformity with His Laws 2 John 1: 6. Since love means that we must do what God tells us, let us love one another as he has commanded us from the beginning.

Do not forget that loving God means keeping His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome. Make sure that you form the habit of keeping the commandments and teachings of God because they are not oppressive 1 John 5: 3. You must remain focused on the precepts of the Lord, keep His ordinances and be mindful of His Word since they are not difficult to obey.

Never love or place humans above God: In this age, many people love their children/spouse/parents/family more than God. Several people place their job/career above God, while others prefer carnal activities like get-together/party and sporting events to religious gatherings. Jesus Christ said “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” Matthew 10: 37. So you must neither love any living or non-living things more than the Lord your God nor place any living or non-living things above your God (higher than your God).

Love God unconditionally: All believers must love God unconditionally so that He will protect and preserve them, and when He is judging the arrogant people, they will not share in their punishment Psalm 31: 23. Faithfully love the Lord your God so that your life will be preserved in this world, and your loyalty will be rewarded in the world to come.

Consequences of not loving God

People who do not love God shall face several consequences that were written in the Bible and we will discuss them in details.

Peril of the End-time: You have been forewarned in the Bible that at the end-time there will be so much evil in the world which will make the love of most believers to grow cold. We are now at the end-time, iniquity continues to multiply, lawlessness is on the rise on daily basis and disobedience expands exponentially in manners that cannot be contained. Are you among those whose love have wax cold? If the answer is yes, you need to re-energize and put on the power of God Matthew 24: 12. End-time is not an excuse for you to stop loving God or stop showing love to one another. In fact it should act as a motivational factor because you have limited time in this world. Your love must not abate due to the situation of the world, so continue to love God and your neighbor without relenting.

Nowadays, humans love the praises of men more than the praise of God like the Biblical Pharisees. Several people care about their approval rating of men rather than the approval rating of God. Countless people are seeking the glory that comes from men instead of the glory that comes from God John 12: 43. Do not be like the hypocrites, love God and value your credit with God more than your credit with men.

The world may dislike you: The darkness knew that believers are sojourners and pilgrims in this world and our citizenships are in heaven. They know that we don’t belong to this world, had it been we belong to this world, the world would treat us with affection and love us as its own. The world hates us because we are not of this world since Jesus Christ had chosen us out of the world John 15: 19. Why must you love the world that hates you? Therefore, do not love the world that detests you, but love God with all your strength.

Do not love your life but love God: The scripture says “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” Anyone who loves his life will eventually lose it through death, but whoever has no love or concern or regard for his/her life on earth due to keeping the commandments of the Lord shall keep his/her life forever John 12: 25. Do not love the world if you don’t want to perish with the world, and do not love your life, but love God if you don’t want to lose your life.

It will be good if believers can behave like the overcomers who will rejoice in heaven; those who conquered the Devil by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony because they did not love their lives to the point of death Revelation 12: 10-11. If you want to defeat Satan through the Blood of the Lamb and your testimony, do not love your life, but love God and never be afraid to die for the propagation/promotion of the Lord’s work.

Curses and death awaits anyone who does not love Christ: Eternal curses await any soul that does not love and obey Jesus Christ. Anyone who does not respect and believe in Jesus Christ together with His message shall be cursed forever 1 Corinthians 16: 22. If you don’t want to be accursed, love Jesus Christ and not the world.

Anyone who hates the Lord loves death, such people are courting death and whoever sins against Him wrongs his/her soul Proverbs 8: 36. If you do not want to harm/injure yourself, do not sin against God, but seek Him earnestly.

Learn from these occurrences

It is better when you learn from other peoples’ experiences or mistakes because if the event happens to you, the outcome might be severe or have irreversible impact on your life.

Nothing is too big/great to be sacrificed: You must bear in mind that there is nothing in this world that is too big or great to be sacrificed for God. Be prepared to sacrifice everything that you have when it comes to the Lord’s work, loving Him and following His commandments. Our forefather Abraham intended to sacrifice his son Isaac according to the directive of the Lord. Though Isaac’s life was spared; Abraham laid the example just because he loved and feared the Lord God Genesis 22: 1-3. Since everything that you possess is from God, neither deny Him His request nor disobey His commandments, but sacrifice your wealth, energy, skill and time according to His request to prove that you love Him.

Do not value worldly things: Many people place high value on worldly things that will perish, but we want you to be wise so that you will not belong to this category of people. King Solomon placed high value on foreign woman in his old age, instead of loving and placing higher value on God who had been merciful to him. This conduct led to his downfall in the presence of God 1 Kings 11: 1-2. If you don’t want the carnal things to enslave you, do not love or place high value on them.

Apply wisdom to your journey: Jesus Christ our Lord applied wisdom to His journey and He overcame the temptations of the Devil. If Jesus Christ can be tempted, then no one is immune from temptation. So be ready to pass your trial whenever it arises. Matthew 4: 8-10, Luke 4: 5-8. Love God and apply wisdom to your journey so that the present temptations of your life will be defeated.

Make a resolution today

Be determined to have good conducts before humans and in the presence of God. Remember that loving God and keeping His commandments must be your priority until you die.

You have a reason to praise the Lord: Resolve to praise the Lord for all His goodness and mercies in your life. You must also make a firmly decision to love the Lord because He continues to hear your voice and supplications Psalm 116: 1. Do not stop loving God, but be steadfast in this righteous conduct. It is because you love Him that prompted Him to hear your cry for help and answered your prayers.

Love God and His Holy Places: You must be determined to love the habitation of His house and the place where His glory resides. Make a resolution to always provide for the sanctuary of the Lord according to the blessings He has bestowed upon you. Firmly decide to cater for the needs of His Holy Mountains and Churches where His glorious presence dwells Psalm 26: 8. Whatever possession that you have must be rendered for the service of the Holy habitation of the Lord, else you do not love God. Emulate King Solomon who determined to build temple for the name of the Lord 2 Chronicle 2: 1. You must participate, contribute and donate for building the House of the Lord.

Love God and your neighbour: Ruth made a good resolution and she was rewarded bountifully because she loved God and her mother-in-law. She did not depart from her mother-in-law after the demise of her husband. When Orpah departed, she refused to leave Naomi her mother-in-law even when she was discouraged by her mother-in-law, she remained with her. Her determination made her to uttered this statement “Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God” Ruth 1: 1-18. Do you have such determination to love the Lord your God and other people like yourself? Will you be steadfast when the going gets tough and your situation seems hopeless?

Nothing must separate you from Christ’s Love: Do not allow anything to separate you from the love of Jesus Christ our Lord. Never allow calamity or hunger or danger or destitution or suffering to make you to deny the Lord’s love. As it is written “who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?” Romans 8: 35. None of the fore mentioned things or any other things or anybody must make you to betray the Christ’s love. It is inevitable that living things or non-living things must not separate you from the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Week 48: November 26, 2017

Topic: Love God and Not the World – Part 5

Bible Reading: 1 John 2: 12-17

We shall continue the study by mentioning the warnings of the Lord written in the Bible so that believers will be cautious in this world.

Warnings

We want you to know that before God brings punishment/judgement, He would have send many warnings. Therefore, harken to these warnings and be cautions in all your dealings. Make sure you do not love the world, but love God wholeheartedly.

In the last days: As previously mentioned that we are at the end time, and the Bible testified that in the last days perilous and difficult times will come. People will be self-centered and lovers of themselves. They will be lovers of money, and aroused by inordinate greed or desire for wealth. They will be proud, arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive and blasphemous. They will be disobedient, ungrateful, unholy and godless/profane 2 Timothy 3: 1-2. Heed the warning of the Lord: Do not be self-focused or love money. You must not be selfish, greedy, boastful or proud. You must neither scoff at God nor disobey your parents. Never be ungrateful to God, but always consider His sacred things.

Separate yourself from the world and never forsake the love of God: people must be able to differentiate that you are not among the people who love the world and its lust, 2 Timothy 4: 10. Do not be like Demas who deserted Paul because of the love of this present world, but let the love of God take priority in your life. Therefore, let it be known to you that if you cannot give up everything you own, you can never be a disciple of Christ, says the scripture Luke 14: 33. Surrender your life and earthly possessions to the Lord; give up your old lifestyle and renounce Satan and his works, then you will be counted worthy by the Lord as a disciple.

God’s love cannot abide in misconducts: Love of God does not abide in anyone who neither assist nor comfort other people. Anyone who has material possessions and sees fellow believer in need but has no compassion for him/her, do not know God and His love is neither living nor remain in such person. It is written “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” 1 John 3:17. Use your earthly possessions to serve the Lord and take care of others so that people will know that the love of God abides in your life. Be careful so that you will not belong to the category of the wrongdoers who rebel against the light because they do not know its ways or stay in its paths Job 24:13. The antidote for you not to be a rebel in the sight of the Lord is for you to love God and your neighbour as yourself.

You cannot deceived God: In the world today, many people show much love and express loving devotion with their mouths, but their hearts pursue dishonest profit and greed. Countless people speak of their longing for God, but they act out of their own interest and selfish gain. God warned Ezekiel about this group of people who think they can deceive God Ezekiel 33: 31. It is easy to deceive humans, but you can never deceive God because He knows the thoughts of your heart. It is for this reason that Jesus Christ said “But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you” John 5: 42. Do not deceive yourself thinking that you are deceiving God, but straighten out today before it is too late.

Benefits of loving God

There are uncountable benefits that will accrue to anyone who loves God. We shall itemize some of these benefits that were written in the Bible:

· God will be merciful and gracious to you Exodus 20:6.

· God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your ancestors. He will love you and bless you together with your descendants. He will multiply you in every aspect of your life and give you many children; He will give fertility to your land and your animals; you will have large harvests of grain, new wine, olive oil, sheep, goats and great herds of cattle. You will be blessed above all peoples; none of the men or women in your household will be barren/childless and all your livestock will bear young ones. God will protect you from all sickness and keep you free from every disease. He will not let you suffer from the terrible disease that was used to afflict the Biblical Egyptians; He will inflict them on all your enemies Deuteronomy 7: 12-15.

· God will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain that you may gather in your grain, your new wine and your oil. He will provide grass in the fields for your livestock, so that you will eat and be satisfied Deuteronomy 11: 13-15.

· God will drive out all your enemies before you and you will dispossess adversaries that are mightier and stronger that you. Every place where you set your foot will be yours and you will have a large territory. No one will be able to stand against you. God will cause the people to fear and dread you wherever you go throughout the world Deuteronomy 11: 22-25.

· God will keep, protect and preserve you Psalm 145: 20.

· God will give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life Isaiah 43: 4.

· Heavenly Father will love you dearly; Christ and His Father will come to you and make their home/abode with you John 14: 23.

· God will love you, you will be glorified and made perfect: you will be with Jesus Christ to rule and reign with Him eternally John 17: 22-24.

· All things will work together for your good Romans 8: 28.

· God has prepared for you unique things that no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no mind has imagined 1 Corinthians 2: 9.

· God knows and recognize you 1 Corinthians 8: 3.

· God will bless you and give you the crown of life that He has promised James 1: 12.

· God has chosen you to be rich in faith and become heir of His eternal kingdom James 2: 5.

· God will perfect His love in you so that you will have boldness and confidence in the day of judgement 1 John 4: 17.

Finally, do not love or cherish this sinful world that opposes God and His precepts; do not love the things that are in the world or the things the world offers to you because if anyone loves the world, the love of heavenly Father is not in him/her 1 John 2: 15. If you do not love the world, but you love God, then He will heal your backsliding and faithlessness. He will love you freely and His love for you will know no bounds. He will turn His anger away from you and it will be gone forever Hosea 14: 4. If you want God to heal your disloyalty and waywardness, do not love this sinful world. If you want God to love you without limit, love Your Creator wholeheartedly.

The Seal: 1 John 3: 18:

My little children, let us not love in word or tongue, but in deed and in truth.