CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS VIEWS IN IUO
ABOUT THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE GOSPEL OF TRUTH.. DAILY MEDITATION
MEDITATIONS ON HEAVENLY ⓂANNA* MONDAY 2ND JANUARY, 2023
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MEDITATIONS ON HEAVENLY ⓂANNA* MONDAY 2ND JANUARY, 2023
*<div>*FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE*</div><div>
</div><div>*TEXT:* Judges 11:29-40</div><div>
</div><div>29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.</div><div>30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,</div><div>31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.</div><div>32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord delivered them into his hands.</div><div>33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.</div><div>34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.</div><div>35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back.</div><div>36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.</div><div>37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.</div><div>38 And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.</div><div>39 And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,</div><div>40 That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.</div><div>
</div><div>*TIMELESS TRUTH:* _Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay_ Ecclessiates 5:5.</div><div>
</div><div>INTRODUCTION</div><div>We are now in an age where breaking of promises, nonchalant attitude to covenants or agreements, unfaithfulness to business and marital deals, secret undermining of free will agreements and pretensions of all forms are new normals. Even though these godless practices were not absent in other ages, the dimension, the magnitude and the cruel justifications of this immorality are unprecedented in this age. Do I need to make a vow? How does God see it if after making it I discover it is not possible to keep it? Can I reverse a vow? </div><div>The story in our text gives us a light.</div><div>
</div><div>*1. Unnecessary vows*</div><div>a. Vows are solemn promises we make to God and to man. When made to God, it is a form of worship and free-will offering that is bound to be rewarded by God in diverse ways. Saints in the Old Testament were encouraged to vow (Psalm 76:11) but it is not a sin if you don’t (Deuteronomy 23:22).</div><div>b. Some vows are needful while some are not. Marital vow for example is a must by scriptural design as it seals the genuineness of that decision and determination not to back out in line with God’s word. Business partnerships are better built on signed and legal agreements because of the unpredictability of the nature of man.</div><div>c. Jephthah made an unnecessary vow in the text. Already “the Spirit of the Lord” had come upon Jephthah for no other reason but to give him the needed power for victory, v29. His victory was therefore not as a result of his vow but as a result of the Spirit that came on him before the vow.</div><div>d. It was a thoughtless and rash vow. He did not fully count the cost and implications before making it. He regretted it later. Of course God does not accept human sacrifice as burnt offering to be burnt by fire. That was one of the main sins of the Canaanites God cast out. Could it be that he thought through of the implication of being met first by a man? If yes, he should have factored the possibility of His daughter being a victim.</div><div>e. So, before you make any vow to God, agreements or partnership in marriage, business, or ministry, think through and never rush it because some covenants are irreversible.</div><div>
</div><div>*2. Unbreakability of vows*</div><div>a. The vows you make to God cannot be reversed but must be obeyed. Ecclesiastes 5:5,6 reveals that if you renege on your vows to God on the excuse of mistake you will pay heavily for it because it is counted as sin. </div><div>b. God is an Unseen witness to all legally constituted marital vows. If you renege on it, you sin against God and man, and no sinner has a place in heaven. Sure👌</div><div>c. If there is a legal agreement on business, ministry etc., it is binding and can only be changed, modified or abandoned by the same process of mutual agreement that established it. Otherwise it is a sin to renege on it.</div><div>
</div><div>*3. Unfaithfulness forbidden*</div><div>a. Unfaithfulness to vows, covenants and agreements is a trait of the old man. Many things are at the root of this unfaithfulness. These include:</div><div>* Deception in the heart at the first instance of the vow or agreement.</div><div>* Selfishness: Thoughts of personal gains make people renege when their selfish end is not met. Will Jephthah be so dejected if the victim is not his daughter?</div><div>* Lack of strength of character.</div><div>* Ungodliness since the nature of God is faithfulness.</div><div>* Unwillingness to pay the price of honesty.</div><div>* Profane nature.</div><div>b. The Scripture is uncompromising as to the danger of unfaithfulness. </div><div>* Jesus said “Let your yes be yes and no be no. Any alteration is evil” Matthew 5:37</div><div>* It is sin to break vows, and God will not accept any excuse, Ecclesiates 5:5,6. If you have broken your vows to God, marital vows etc, it is better you go back to it after repentance and reconcile. If not, you are in God’s eternal black book no matter who you are.</div><div>* If your brother has ought against you because of your unfaithfulness, God will cease to be on your side. It is so serious. Check Matthew 5:22,23.</div><div>* Covenant breaking is one of the sins mentioned in the NT that will take someone to hell👌Romans 1:31.</div><div>
</div><div>*Questions*</div><div>Are there areas you have broken your vows to God?</div><div>Are there areas you have trampled on agreements and they are still unresolved?</div><div> The time to repent and settle with man and God is NOW. The grace of God is sufficient for you🙏</div><div>
</div><div>*Prayer points*</div><div>Ask God to forgive you of any area you are having friction with any person or God because of broken covenants, vows or partnership with a promise to settle it🙏</div><div>Earnestly pray for grace to always say NO henceforth to all forms of unfaithfulness and dishonesty of any form🙏</div><div>Pray for wisdom, divine guidance and patience that will always think through before going into vows, covenant, deals or agreements 🙏</div><div>Ask God to plant the principle of honesty and christlikeness in the heart of all church members🙏</div><div>
</div><div>*HYMN* *COUNT ME* </div><div>
</div><div>1. When you count up those ones who love the Lord, </div><div>Count me, count me;</div><div>When you count up those who trust His Word, </div><div>Count me, count me. </div><div>
</div><div> Count me with the children of the heav’nly King;</div><div> Count me with the servants who would service bring;</div><div> Count me with the ransomed who His praises sing;</div><div> Count me,… count me…</div><div>
</div><div>2. When you count up those who’re saved by grace, </div><div>Count me, count me;</div><div>Who has found in Christ a hiding place, </div><div>Count me, count me. </div><div>
</div><div>3. When you count up those who do the right, </div><div>Count me, count me;</div><div>Who are walking in the Gospel light, </div><div>Count me, count me </div><div>Count me, count me. </div><div>
</div><div>4. When you count up those who forward press, </div><div>Count me, count me;</div><div>Who shall gain the crown of righteousness, </div><div>Count me, count me.</div><div>
</div><div>*The Bible in One year* Genesis 4 -6.</div> -
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