WHY JESUS?

JESUS is God – the Son, who died to save us from the bondage of SIN and eternal doom. Man was created in the righteous image of God but through SIN man lost that image (Gen 1:27; Rom 3:23; 5:12). God in His mercy, do not want man to perish forever send JESUS in the form of man to take away our SINS (Jn 3:16; Jn 1:29). With a singular demand that we turn away from our SINS in true repentance (Acts 3:26) for the forgiveness of our SINS (Acts 5:31; 1Jn 1:9) and believe in the death and resurrection of JESUS for the redemption and Justification of our souls (Rom 10:9,10; 5:1). Without Him there is no hope for lost humanity (Acts 4:12; Jn 4:6).

As we all know, death is inevitable and there is life after death because the soul of man is eternal (Heb 9:27; Gen 2:7). Therefore it is our individual responsibility to ensure the salvation of our never-dying soul – (Luke 13:3,5; Heb 2:3). It is not enough to belong to a Christian Fellowship, serve God in any capacity or give all you have for the cause of heaven. Nicodemus, The Ethiopian Eunuch, Paul the Apostle, Cornelius the Centurion were all religious to the highest degree of human recognition but without JESUS, their righteousness was not accepted in the sight of God. In His mercy, God saw their sincerity, sent His servants to preach JESUS to them all.

Don’t be deceived, God do not want us to continue in SIN: 

- He has no pleasure in the death of a sinner (John 3:16-18; 1Tim 2:4; Ezek 18:23; 2Peter 3:9;)

- He will punish SIN (Ezek 18:4, 20; Psa 7:11; 9:17; Rev 21:8)

How to be saved from SIN and its consequences:

- Accepts that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself (Psa 51:5; Jer 3:13; 14:20; Isa 64:6)

- Believe that JESUS died on the cross for your SINS (Mat 1:21; John 1:29)

- Confess and forsake your SINS and ask God for forgiveness (Prov 28:13; Isa 55:7)

- Declare that you are saved (Rom 8:16; John 8:36)

After receiving JESUS as LORD and SAVIOUR, you are to:

- Join a Bible-believing Church (like the Deeper Life Bible Church) where you can receive help to grow in your new-found faith (Heb 10:25; 1Peter 2:2)

- Read and meditate on the Word of God (the Holy Bible) daily to grow in the knowledge of Christ (2Peter 3:18; Jos 1:8; 2Tim 2:15)

- Talk to God in prayer – prayer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, His ability and willingness to hold intercourse with us, His personal control of all things and all His creatures and all their actions (Luke 18:1; Phil 4:6; Eph 6:18; Rom 12:12; Col 4:2; 1Thess 5:17) 

- Confess Christ to others at the earliest opportunity and engage in soul winning (Mark 5:19, 16:15-16; Matt 28:18-19)

- Press on to the next experience of grace, sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Ghost (Heb 6:1; Acts 1:8)

Your spiritual welfare is our concern

Refreshing Worship Service – Sunday – 09:30

Systematic Bible Study – Monday – 19:30

Dynamic Revival Service – Thursday – 19:30

For further help:

Deeper Christian Life Ministry

Koningin Beatrixschool, Hoefkade,

Saenredamstraat 4, 2525 TN Den Haag;

Email: dclm-thehague@me.com;

Website: www.dclm.org;

Blog: www.blog.dclmhq.org;

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/DCLMHQ

THE POSSIBILITY AND POWER OF SAINTLY LIVING

Text: 1 Peter 1:14; Hebrews 12:14; Psalm 16:3; Ephesians 5:3

 

The word ‘Saint’ is used to describe someone that is living a holy consecrated and totally surrendered life. Such person having repented and be forgiven of all sins and washed by the blood of Jesus Christ lives his life in absolute reverence to God. The teaching of certain religious groups, who tell them that ‘Saints’ are, holy men/women who have lived and died long ago, sometimes misleads some youths. Such groups make them to believe that it is not possible to live a saintly life, while one is still living. This may be the reason why many youths have come to the conclusion that it is not possible for anyone to be a saint in this world. However, references from the bible will serve to correct such erroneous teaching (Psalm 16:3, Acts 9:32, Romans 1:7, Ephesians 5:3).

 

1. The Portrait of Saintly Life

Psalm 1:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:24-31

 

A portrait is a photograph with a vivid description of its image. The true photograph of saints is as presented by God through His word- the bible. A saint is a converted, renewed, holy and righteous person that lives according to God’s word. Such life makes the individual to be freed from lying, stealing, evil speaking, fornication, bitterness, wrath, anger, malice, examination malpractice, youthful lust, fighting, rebellion etc. Heaven becomes the goal and affection of such individual. Those things that excite worldly youths no longer excite him. His entire life is focused on heaven only anywhere he is; whether in the school, at home or in the church. His main pre-occupation is how to please the Lord only.

 

2. The Possibility of Saintly Living

Psalm 33:8; John 1: 29; 3:16-17; 4:42; 10: Hebrews 10: 13-20; Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1:14; John 8:31

 

God being a loving and merciful father will not give anyone any assignment that He knows will be unattainable. Hence, in Matthew 5:48, God commanded that man must be perfect as He is. In 1 Peter 1:14 the same demand for holiness is made by God. Examples of believers who have lived in this contemporary times as well as men of old as presented in the bible prove to us that living a saintly life is still possible today as ever. Indeed, we live at a time where we have a lot of privileges that the saints of old did not have. For example,

(i) We have anointed men of God preaching and organising programmes for us so that we can live the life that God wants.  Neither Joseph nor Daniel had this opportunity.

(ii) We have the mind of God documented for us in the bible but there was no bible at the time of Joseph or Daniel to study and have a coherent knowledge of God’s mind as we do today.

(iii) We have numerous Christian messages on the internet, literatures, discs and MP3 etc. which was not the case with Enoch, Elijah and Elisha or Daniel, Shedrach, Meshach and Abednago yet they lived holily and saintly in their respective generations.

(iv) Many of those people lived in idolatrous societies with a high level of fanaticism in their idol worship, yet they served the Lord. If you make up your mind today, saintly life is possible for you.

 

3.  The Power of Saintly Living

Proverbs 11:8; 14:34; 6:26; Luke 10:19; 1 John 5: 18

 

The reality of life and scriptural provisions has shown that righteousness empowers a man while sin and any form of wickedness weaken, limit and destroy its victim. Sin brings reproach but righteousness exalts (Proverbs 14:34). Righteousness empowers you for greatness (Genesis 39:2-4), it makes you bold and courageous (Daniel 3:16-18; Acts 4:29).

Indeed saintly living, righteousness or holy living have the following benefits:

(i) It brings you into great honour (Proverbs 22:21; Genesis 39:2-4)

(ii) It gives you protection and security (Psalm 15:2; Proverbs 13:6)

(iii) It gives you peace and quietness of life (Isaiah 32:17)

(iv) It delivers you from shame and ridicule (Romans 10:11)

(v) It delivers you from death and destruction (Proverbs 10:2) but sin brings you into danger and destruction (Proverbs 11:5;Numbers 21:6; 25:9)

(vi) It brings you success and prosperity (Isaiah 33:15-16)

(vii) It makes your prayers to be answered (Proverbs 15:29)

(viii) It gives you real freedom (Romans 8:2)

(ix) It gives you the power to overcome the world, sin and Satan (1 John 4:4; 5:4,18)

(x) It delivers you from the impending eternal damnation in hell fire and prepares you for eternity in heaven (Revelation 21:8; John 3:18).

Wisdom therefore demands that you make the right decision now before it is too late. Remember you have only one life.

PERSONAL SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT FOR A VIBRANT LIFESTYLE

II Timothy 1:6; Isaiah 54:2

We have studied several aspects of soul-winning. To enable you fulfil your life as a vibrant believer and effective soul-winner, you need to take care of your inner life. Given the natural talents and divine resources Christians are endowed with, our potential for growth is infinite. There is however the need to ‘stir up’ ourselves and call forth the latent talents in us. It is our responsibility to claim the resources of grace and avail ourselves of the unsearchable riches in Christ. Our usefulness for God depends on the level of our spiritual development. It is helpful to be fed and motivated by others for growth but spiritual growth is often faster when there is personal consciousness and diligent commitment to it. It is a great day for a little child when he learns to feed himself; so it becomes a new era in a believer’s life when he forms the habit of going daily to the original source of spiritual truth for personal feeding.

HINDRANCES TO PERSONAL SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT

Want of talents or spiritual gifts is not always the cause of spiritual mediocrity but want of purpose for spiritual progress. Lack of vision makes a person to have no sense of mission. The main barrier to spiritual development is within the person. Lack of persuasion of the Christian faith leads to an unstable Christian life (Genesis 49:4; Revelation 3:15), while self-indulgence and loose habits are the bedrock of spiritual decay. Ungodly ambition (Exodus 32:6), complacency, want of determination (I Kings 18:21), worldly attachments (Hosea 7:8), laziness (Proverbs 6:611) and loose time control (Ephesians 5:16) are hindrances to personal spiritual development. Just as little leaks sink the ship, any of these hindrances will make a potential spiritual giant to become a slave. There is then the necessity for self-examination (II Corinthians 13:5) to remove any of these growth-deterrents.

HELPS FOR PERSONAL SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT

Divine resources are more than sufficient for our spiritual growth if we are ready to exploit them. Some of the helps we have for our personal spiritual development are:

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STUDY OF THE BIBLE (II Timothy 2:15; Joshua 1:8; Psalm 119:97; John 5:39)

No one can pretend to be a Christian without a competent acquaintance with the Scripture. Ignorance of scriptural injunctionsmakes a believer easily deceived. The Bible is a volume of inspiration of full fountain, ever flowing. A diligent study of the Bible fills the mind with the most splendid of heavenly truth, soothes the heart with an inexpressible sweetness, satisfies the sacred hunger and thirst for knowledge of God and imprints thedivine testimony firmly upon the mind, that believing souls rest upon it securely. Bible study aids, concordance, commentary, bible atlas and a complete Bible with references (KJV) are essentials for a systematic and profitable study of the Scripture.

GENERAL STUDY (I Timothy 4:13; II Timothy 4:13; I Peter3:15; Acts 7:22)

Every Christian needs to study to develop, whatever be his disposition. The aim of study is not to gather mere knowledge but to be aware of our environment, to understand God’s creation, to be relevant to our fellowmen as we minister to them and to be current with important events. Our studies of other books – Christian literatures, science and art – should draw us to the Bible and our goal should also be to draw our studies to the Bible. In our reading or study of books, we have to be selective. The books we read are an outward expression of our inner hungers and expression. Our reading should be regulated largely by what we are and what we do or intend to be. For a profitable study, we must think or reflect on what we have read. Invest in Christian literature, which includes (auto)biographies of notable believers, evangelism, spiritual growth, consecration, etc.

PRAYER AND DEVOTION (Luke 6:12; 18:1; Mark 1:35; Psalm 146: 1,2; 149:1; I Thessalonians 5:17)

Prayer should be natural to Christians as water is to fish. It is the Christian trade. Prayer is the appropriate channel of heavenly communications. It is not only circumstances that are changed through prayer but also the person. Prayer paves the way for transfiguration. A spirit of continual prayer, mixed with reading, is fuel for spiritual exploits. We need prayer for additional supplies of heavenly influence. Much prayer and little study advance the work of God more than abundance of study without prayer. Devotion is largely praise worship – prayer of praise and singing. It takes us away from the world of cares to our Father’s throne. It is a sweet moment of blessed communion with God.

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PERSONAL RETREAT (Psalm 46:10; Mark 6:31)

For spiritual growth, we often need distraction-free environment where we can have still times with God. Solitude is essential for rest, reflection, evaluation and meditation. We need to ‘come apart’in order not to ‘fall apart’. Personal retreat is essential for a personal revival. We need personal retreat when spiritually dry, dead, weakor overwhelmed with spiritual responsibilities. In a personal retreat, you set time aside (a whole day, a whole week or weekend) to pray, meditate on God’s word and reflect on your life. Time for personal retreat can be partly or wholly devoted to fasting. It is a time to order or reorder your life and make necessary adjustments. It is at such times that God communicates to you the next step in His will for your life (Acts 13:1-3). It is important also to meditate deeply in the scriptures, spend time to sing spiritual songs and listen to anointed messages from our ministers. Invest on these resources!

If you can cultivate the inner life, you are bound to flourish spiritually. There is no excuse to remain a spiritual pauper when you ought to be a giant. Why not rise up and stir up the gifts that are in you?