CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS VIEWS IN IUO
ABOUT THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE GOSPEL OF TRUTH.. DAILY MEDITATION
DAILY MANNA FRIDAY 4TH NOVEMBER, 2022
-
DAILY MANNA FRIDAY 4TH NOVEMBER, 2022
It is advisable that you prayerfully and meditatively read the text first
GREATER THAN EARTHLY TIES
TEXT: MATTHEW 12:46-50
READING
MATTHEW 12:46-50
[46]While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
[47]Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
[48]But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
[49]And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
[50]For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
KEY VERSE: “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother” (MATTHEW 12:50).
Once, the American evangelist, Dwight Lyman Moody, went on a preaching tour to a prison called The Tombs. Moody spoke with some of the convicts in their cells, asking, “What brought you here?” He got answers that exonerated them: “I don’t deserve to be here.” “I was framed.” “I was falsely accused.” “I was not given a fair trial.” None admitted guilt. Finally, D. L. Moody found an inmate weeping with his hands covering his face. “What’s wrong, my friend?”, the evangelist asked. The prisoner responded: “My sins are more than I can bear.” Moody was comforted that there was at least one person who acknowledged his need to be forgiven his misdeeds. He exclaimed, “Thank God for that!” He then led the prisoner to become a member of the blessed spiritual family the Lord speaks of in our text. He was released from the chains of sin.
While Christ was uttering the solemn truth to the multitudes that were gathered around Him, His mother and brethren stood outside, desiring to speak with Him, when they should have been standing within, desiring to hear Him. We must not suppose that our Lord meant to put any slight on His relatives when He said, “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother”. He only took this opportunity to express His affection for His obedient disciples in a peculiarly endearing manner, and thereby, showed that one’s spiritual relationship with the redeemed is greater than earthly ties.
This must excite the believer as he recognises that being born again releases him or her automatically into a larger and more beneficial spiritual orbit. He is connected to an extended family of believers, who are eagerly expecting the rapture.
We should commit ourselves more to obeying and steadfastly abiding by the laws and principles that bind us to this heavenly family than to the worldly one.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Being related to Christ is the greatest honour.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 KINGS 8
MEDITATION
How to know you are in the will of God
1. The proudly attitude
a. Obviously His siblings had not believed in Jesus and got converted at this time, v46, John 7:5.
b. They felt the messages of Jesus was not for them: over familiarity with the word of God and the preacher, v46.
c. They wanted to make an open show to the people that they were special relations to the preaching Saviour, v47.
d. They expected Jesus to stop preaching His eternal words to the dying souls and attend to them, v47. They make themselves masters to the Master.
e. They almost distracted Jesus from the ministry God assigned Him to do, v47.
f. They felt the word of God from the familiar relation was not meant for them and should not be taken seriously.
g. No wonder, Jesus sent them a word of gentle rebuke without and ignored until He finished His sermon.
Questions
a. What other proud mindset can you deduce from their actions?
b. Can a true child of God fall into this error?
c. What can you learn from this as to your attitude to the word of God and His familiar messengers?
2. The humble example
The answer of Jesus imply the following:
a. All the converted natural mothers are at the same level and status with Mary before God. “Behold my mother and my brethren”, vv48,49.
b. All converted persons are spiritual brethren of Jesus with none as “super saints” with special relationship with Jesus above others, vv48,49.
c. Before Jesus, there are no holy fathers, holy mothers, specially reverend persons etc. We are all simply brethren. True conversion is a leveller before God, vv48,49.
d. If Jesus our Lord can humbly condescend Himself to calling us brethren, nobody in the family of God has the right to see or call themselves special above
others.
e. The distinguishing mark of true brethren in the kingdom is humble respect for the word of God regardless of the relationship to the messenger and submission to His will at all times?
Question
Are you a child of God? Are you still retaining that experience?
We shall know the current true children of God by their attitudes to the word of God.
Prayer points
Ask for a converted heart if you are still not part of the family of God
If you are one, ask for more humility to be humbly submissive to the word of God
Ask that all forms of pride and superiority complex will be deleted by the blood of Jesus from your heart and that God will deliver you from familiarity syndrome with the messengers of the word
Pray for divine visitations on mere church goers without real conversion
HYMN At Calvary
-
2 Replies
-
🙏🙏🙏
-
😇😇😇😇
Log in to reply.