THE WORLD IS WATCHING
The first thing to watch is the way we speak before those who don’t know Christ. And then we must watch how we behave.This message is important at this time when insecurity is becoming a very present force in many places. We must recognize, acknowledge, appreciate and appropriate the ministry of angels.
2Corinthians 6:3 NET
We do not give anyone an occasion for taking an offense in anything, so that no fault may be found with our ministry.
Dear Believer,
There are those who think ministry is about offending people. They use the truth to browbeat people and bully them. When they manage to speak the truth, they don’t do it in love.
There are also professing Believers who don’t care about how the world sees them. Although this can be a good thing when one is sold out to Christ and doesn’t care for the mockery from the world, there’s another side to it.
Those I am concerned with, however, are professing Believers who do not mind to misbehave and give the people of the world genuine reasons to badmouth our faith. These are the ones who lay stumbling blocks on the path of those who could come to Christ. They repel people from the Kingdom instead of attracting them.
Paul rebuked some legalists whose actions kept people away from God:
Romans 2:24 KJV
For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you…
If the unbelievers must speak evil of the Lord, don’t let it be because you live an ungodly life before them. A lifestyle that does not glorify God makes potential entrants into the Kingdom think coming in isn’t worth it, since those inside already are living just like them, or even worse.
The first thing to watch is the way we speak before those who don’t know Christ. And then we must watch how we behave.
Colossians 4:5-6 WMTH
Behave wisely in relation to the outside world, buying up your opportunities. Let your language be always seasoned with the salt of grace, so that you may know how to give every man a fitting answer.
Some Believers get into fruitless arguments with unbelievers and about things that don’t matter at all. They get all worked up and speak anyhow, using sinful languages to explain themselves.
There are those who even fight physically or get unnecessarily litigious with those outside the faith. They don’t show the love of Christ to co-workers and neighbors.
Now, the most painful are Believers who stray and go on to sin with unbelievers. There have been Believers and ministers who had dalliances with prostitutes or other unbelievers; Believers who team up with unbelievers to cheat and embezzle funds. This has effectively driven many potential entrants into the Kingdom away.
Believers are ambassadors (or representatives) of Christ in the world charged with the work of reconciling people to God.
2Corinthians 5:20 KJV
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Seeing yourself this way helps you conduct yourself the right way before people everywhere.
You are the light of this world; shine brightly now!
Have a lovely day.
Amen.
Your friend,
Deon.
Luke 13:22 KJV
And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
Dear Believer,
Jesus died on a hill in Jerusalem on the outskirts of that city. He was buried there. He resurrected there. He ascended there. That’s how pivotal Jerusalem was to His earthly destiny.
He knew Jerusalem had everything to do with His death and resurrection. So at some point in His ministry, He began to move towards Jerusalem.
Luke 9:51 KJV
And it came to pass, when the time came that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.
He knew within His Spirit that His time to die, resurrect and be taken up to heaven was getting near. He knew this would take place in Jerusalem, so He began to move towards the place as He preached, taught and healed. Jerusalem here represents the fulfilment of what He came to do on earth.
Jesus had a sharp and urgent sense of destiny.
He didn’t waste His time moving towards India, or Samaria, or Egypt, or Africa. The Gospel would eventually reach those places, but now He must go to Jerusalem.
One important way to fulfil your destiny is to know when and how to begin to move towards the direction and location of its fulfilment. The focus scripture of today says as Jesus went through the cities and taught, He made sure He was doing it in such a way that His journeys took Him towards Jerusalem. (Luke 13:22).
Many Believers get themselves into unnecessary problems in life by making choices that move them away from the direction and location of the fulfilment of their destiny. They choose spouses that don’t believe in their vision, profession or ministry. They move with friends that speak against what God is telling them to do. They live in places that make it impossible or difficult for them to do God’s will for their lives.
Long ago as a prayerful young man looking forward into the future, God’s Spirit showed me how some skills would be useful in some of the things I would have to do in the future. I immediately set out to acquire those skills even when it gave me much discomfort to do so.
It didn’t make sense then to many people, but I knew I was moving towards my Jerusalem, a place of destiny fulfilment. Those skills turned out to be the reason I wasn’t stranded when challenges came.
Avoid distractions. Ask God to show you the direction of your destiny and then begin to move towards it. This is what will make you pray the right prayer, live in the right place, have the right friends, marry the right person, study the right courses and generally make relevant decisions.
This will help you avoid wasting precious time on things that have no bearing to your life and destiny. Your precious energy would be used to do precious things.
You can’t attain relevance by doing irrelevant things. You can’t attain distinction by moving in the wrong direction.
Destiny is about destination. Everyone moving gets somewhere eventually; only those who move in the right direction get to the right location.
Be sure to pray about this!
The Lord help you to move towards your Jerusalem in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Have a beautiful day.
Your friend,
Deon.
Luke 13:22 KJV
And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
Dear Believer,
Jesus died on a hill in Jerusalem on the outskirts of that city. He was buried there. He resurrected there. He ascended there. That’s how pivotal Jerusalem was to His earthly destiny.
He knew Jerusalem had everything to do with His death and resurrection. So at some point in His ministry, He began to move towards Jerusalem.
Luke 9:51 KJV
And it came to pass, when the time came that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.
He knew within His Spirit that His time to die, resurrect and be taken up to heaven was getting near. He knew this would take place in Jerusalem, so He began to move towards the place as He preached, taught and healed. Jerusalem here represents the fulfilment of what He came to do on earth.
Jesus had a sharp and urgent sense of destiny.
He didn’t waste His time moving towards India, or Samaria, or Egypt, or Africa. The Gospel would eventually reach those places, but now He must go to Jerusalem.
One important way to fulfil your destiny is to know when and how to begin to move towards the direction and location of its fulfilment. The focus scripture of today says as Jesus went through the cities and taught, He made sure He was doing it in such a way that His journeys took Him towards Jerusalem. (Luke 13:22).
Many Believers get themselves into unnecessary problems in life by making choices that move them away from the direction and location of the fulfilment of their destiny. They choose spouses that don’t believe in their vision, profession or ministry. They move with friends that speak against what God is telling them to do. They live in places that make it impossible or difficult for them to do God’s will for their lives.
Long ago as a prayerful young man looking forward into the future, God’s Spirit showed me how some skills would be useful in some of the things I would have to do in the future. I immediately set out to acquire those skills even when it gave me much discomfort to do so.
It didn’t make sense then to many people, but I knew I was moving towards my Jerusalem, a place of destiny fulfilment. Those skills turned out to be the reason I wasn’t stranded when challenges came.
Avoid distractions. Ask God to show you the direction of your destiny and then begin to move towards it. This is what will make you pray the right prayer, live in the right place, have the right friends, marry the right person, study the right courses and generally make relevant decisions.
This will help you avoid wasting precious time on things that have no bearing to your life and destiny. Your precious energy would be used to do precious things.
You can’t attain relevance by doing irrelevant things. You can’t attain distinction by moving in the wrong direction.
Destiny is about destination. Everyone moving gets somewhere eventually; only those who move in the right direction get to the right location.
Be sure to pray about this!
The Lord help you to move towards your Jerusalem in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Have a beautiful day.
Your friend,
Deon.
Luke 13:22 KJV
And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
Dear Believer,
Jesus died on a hill in Jerusalem on the outskirts of that city. He was buried there. He resurrected there. He ascended there. That’s how pivotal Jerusalem was to His earthly destiny.
He knew Jerusalem had everything to do with His death and resurrection. So at some point in His ministry, He began to move towards Jerusalem.
Luke 9:51 KJV
And it came to pass, when the time came that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.
He knew within His Spirit that His time to die, resurrect and be taken up to heaven was getting near. He knew this would take place in Jerusalem, so He began to move towards the place as He preached, taught and healed. Jerusalem here represents the fulfilment of what He came to do on earth.
Jesus had a sharp and urgent sense of destiny.
He didn’t waste His time moving towards India, or Samaria, or Egypt, or Africa. The Gospel would eventually reach those places, but now He must go to Jerusalem.
One important way to fulfil your destiny is to know when and how to begin to move towards the direction and location of its fulfilment. The focus scripture of today says as Jesus went through the cities and taught, He made sure He was doing it in such a way that His journeys took Him towards Jerusalem. (Luke 13:22).
Many Believers get themselves into unnecessary problems in life by making choices that move them away from the direction and location of the fulfilment of their destiny. They choose spouses that don’t believe in their vision, profession or ministry. They move with friends that speak against what God is telling them to do. They live in places that make it impossible or difficult for them to do God’s will for their lives.
Long ago as a prayerful young man looking forward into the future, God’s Spirit showed me how some skills would be useful in some of the things I would have to do in the future. I immediately set out to acquire those skills even when it gave me much discomfort to do so.
It didn’t make sense then to many people, but I knew I was moving towards my Jerusalem, a place of destiny fulfilment. Those skills turned out to be the reason I wasn’t stranded when challenges came.
Avoid distractions. Ask God to show you the direction of your destiny and then begin to move towards it. This is what will make you pray the right prayer, live in the right place, have the right friends, marry the right person, study the right courses and generally make relevant decisions.
This will help you avoid wasting precious time on things that have no bearing to your life and destiny. Your precious energy would be used to do precious things.
You can’t attain relevance by doing irrelevant things. You can’t attain distinction by moving in the wrong direction.
Destiny is about destination. Everyone moving gets somewhere eventually; only those who move in the right direction get to the right location.
Be sure to pray about this!
The Lord help you to move towards your Jerusalem in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Have a beautiful day.
Your friend,
Deon.
Deon Akintomide is a Pastor, author and publisher. He teaches the Word of God and ministers healing to the body and the mind. He is the founding minister of the LifeHouse Global Missions and the Pastor of The LifeHouse Kingdom Centre in Lagos. Deon is married to Tola Akintomide.
