Tag Archives: Humility

Growing the Atmosphere of Love in the Family – by O. Onuzo

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The holiday season is always an opportunity to bond within the family unit.  We would have to look up to God to understand what love is for it is through this understanding and the obedience we follow through with that an atmosphere for healthy family life is created. The Word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. It helps us understand where we are and it shows us where we are supposed to be going from there.

Here is what it says about love: 1 Corinthians 13:4-81 Corinthians 13:4-8
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, vaunteth...: or, is not rash 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; in the truth: or, with the truth 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. fail: Gr. vanish away  

WP-Bible plugin (NLT) 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!

One of the greatest challenges in life is human relationship. The key to getting it right is to concentrate on ourselves and the sort of person we ought to be. When we strive daily to become like Jesus, we are amazed at what God would do with it in our world. There are some who concentrate on telling others who they should be and what they ought to be doing while neglecting to speak to themselves. If we are able to concentrate on ourselves and aim at being the best Christ-like person we can ever be in this world, we would be surprised to see how God is turning what we are doing into gold in the lives of others particularly our immediate family.

The true Christian is the man or woman who is very conscious of the fact that God is depending on him or her to show forth the life of Christ beginning at home. Let us listen to Romans 8:29-30Romans 8:29-30
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.  

WP-Bible plugin (NRSV) 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

The atmosphere of love will pervade a home when each member of the Christian family is committed to being like Jesus. This triggers the power that binds their hearts in love and showers them with wonderful blessings from God. The result is the manifestation of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit by each one. Someone has said that love is behind every of the virtues of joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness (generosity), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness) and self-control. We use these virtues to express love under different circumstances. The Bible says that a life that neither reveals nor expresses love is a complete waste – a total tragedy.

1 Corinthians 13:1-31 Corinthians 13:1-3
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
13 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.  

WP-Bible plugin (NLT) 1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

Let us remember that goodness and kindness are fraternizing virtues for they are the language of love expressed practically to enrich the lives of others. We use them to create an atmosphere of love in the family. When we are good and kind to those around us, we demonstrate our love in a way they could understand, appreciate and respond to.

Humility or gentleness, which is also translated meekness, is the virtue that enables us to show love at our expense rather than at the expense of others.  Life is about sowing and reaping. Goodness and kindness when revealed with humility enable us to sow love into the lives of members of our family, which yields bountiful harvests in due course. An atmosphere of love is electrifying; it empowers success in all dimensions. Why don’t you focus on showing love to your family today and see what the Lord will do with your seed. Amen.

Dr. Onuzo is an acknowledged conference and seminar speaker in different parts of the world. He continues to be available for the work of the ministry despite his busy clinical work. He is also the Associate Pastor of the National Headquarter’s Church of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria. He is married to Mariam, a medical doctor and they have four children: Dilichi, Chinaza, Dinachi and Chibundu

Okey Onuzo‘

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The Sad Story of A Man Who Lost His Anointing – Zac Poonen

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When we look at the ministry of Saul, we see Saul initially as a humble, young man who had no interest in becoming king. The people of Israel wanted a king. And one day, the Lord told Samuel: “Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be king over My people Israel” (1Samuel 9:15-17l 9:15-17
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
15 And they did so, and made them all sit down. 16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. 17 And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.  

WP-Bible plugin). When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, “Behold, this is the man.” Samuel spoke to Saul and “took a flask of oil, poured it on his head and said, `The Lord has anointed you a ruler over His inheritance’” (1Samuel 10:1l 10:1
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
10 1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.  

WP-Bible plugin). Saul was absolutely surprised, for he did not expect this at all. He was after all, just an ordinary man

But for God to pick him out would indicate that God had seen many good qualities in him. And so Samuel told him, “The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, you will prophesy, and you will be changed into another man” (I Samuel 10:6l 10:6
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.  

WP-Bible plugin). This is indeed a wonderful word that describes what happens to a man when he is filled with the Holy Spirit: He is changed into another man. This is what all of us need to experience continually.

But Saul had to be recognised by the people also as the man whom God had chosen to be their king. So Samuel called all the people together and told them that a king would be selected by God from their midst. Samuel did not name Saul. Instead he cast lots – by tribes first, then by families and then by individual names – believing that the Lord would sovereignly control the lot. The lot finally fell on Saul. When they looked for Saul and they couldn’t find him because he had disappeared. He had hidden himself, because he did not want to become the king.

Notice ten good qualities that Saul had.

1. He was faithful and thorough in his work. In 1 Sam. 9:31 Sam. 9:3
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
3 And the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.  

WP-Bible plugin, we read that his father Kish had lost his donkeys. Kish told Saul to go and search for them. Saul conducted a thorough search in all the hill country of Ephraim and the land of Shalishah. His father had given him a job to do, and he did it thoroughly. He didn’t just go looking for the donkeys for a few minutes and come back saying, “I can’t find them.” God picks up people who are faithful in small matters like looking for lost donkeys!

2. He was wise. When a long time had elapsed and he still hadn’t found any of the donkeys, he told his servant, “Let’s go back because my father will now be more concerned about us than the donkeys.” (1 Samuel 9:51 Samuel 9:5
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
5 And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us.  

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3. He knew how to respect God’s servants. When his servant suggested that they go and meet a servant of God in the city, Saul said, “Let’s take a present for him” (1 Samuel 9:71 Samuel 9:7
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
7 Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we? is spent...: Heb. is gone out of, etc have we: Heb. is with us?  

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4. He had a humble opinion about himself. When Samuel told Saul about God having chosen him, he replied, “Who am I? Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?” (1 Samuel 9:211 Samuel 9:21
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
21 And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me? so...: Heb. according to this word  

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5. He did not boast. When his uncle asked him what Samuel had said, Saul told his uncle that Samuel said his donkeys had been found, but he did not tell his uncle about Samuel anointing him as king (1 Samuel 10:15,161 Samuel 10:15,16
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
15 And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you. 16 And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.  

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6. He stayed in the background. When they selected him to be the king he hid himself in the baggage. He was a man who wanted to be hidden (1 Samuel 10:221 Samuel 10:22
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
22 Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.  

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7. He was longsuffering. When Saul went to his house, certain worthless men said, “How can this man deliver us?” They despised him and did not bring any present. But he kept silent even though he was publicly anointed as king (1 Samuel 10:271 Samuel 10:27
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
27 But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace. held...: or, was as though he had been deaf  

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8. He was zealous to help those in need. When certain people of Israel were attacked by their enemies, they sent messengers to Saul, who immediately gathered people to go and help them (1 Samuel 11:1-71 Samuel 11:1-7
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
11 1 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. 2 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel. 3 And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee. Give...: Heb. Forbear us 4 Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept. 5 And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh. 6 And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly. 7 And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent. with...: Heb. as one man  

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9. He was courageous. Saul went and fought the Ammonite enemies courageously and saved the Israelites (1 Samuel 11:111 Samuel 11:11
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
11 And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.  

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10. He forgave his enemies. When Saul came back victorious from the battle, some people wanted to kill those who had earlier rejected Saul as king. But he would not allow anyone to be killed (1 Samuel 11:12,131 Samuel 11:12,13
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
12 And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death. 13 And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel.  

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This was the man God chose, who had all these wonderful qualities. Yet in a few years he had lost his contact with God, lost the anointing of the Spirit, lost his humility, lost his character, lost his kingdom and lost everything. This is the sad story of many servants of God today too, who started out well.

God help us all to finish well

Bode

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