TOPIC: MCY:PRIDE.
MEMORISE:
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith , God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
James 4: 6
READ: Proverbs 16:18
18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
MESSAGE:
Today, we will be considering the element 'P' in the " Mathematics of Christ in You" - MC:' (If you do not understand, kindly refer to the devotional of January 11 ).The element 'P' in the equation for Resistance stands for Pride. Pride will resist the free flow of Christ in you. Today’s memory verse says God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. This means that it is only when pride disappears that the grace of Christ would begin to now flow fully in you.1 Peter 5:6 says:
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Almost as soon as I got born again, I began to hear the voice of the Lord. It was a sweet experience. I was also the interpreter for the then General Superintendent, and so, out of respect for him, other pastors would not ask that I interpret for them. One day, I felt insulted when a Junior Pastor asked me to interpret for him. I said to myself "I am the interpreter for the big man, how can this Pastor ask me to interpret for him?" I reluctantly accepted because of the culture of discipline in The Redeemed Christian Church of God.
As I finished interpreting for him and was going to my car, God asked me "So you are now too big to interpret for my servant?" From that moment, He went silent. Believe me, it is a terrible experience to stop hearing from God. It didn't take long for the devil to exploit this gap and torment me. I wept bitterly as I prayed "Father, forgive me, I will interpret for anyone". At last, God forgave me, and I began to hear from Him again.
Many years later, after I had become the General Overseer and I travelled to the town of Iesha, Nigeria. On getting there, I decided to attend the Bible Study at a nearby RCCG Parish. I wanted to Just sit back and enjoy the service, but I was dragged up to the pulpit to teach. I insisted that since the fellow who was to teach had already opened his Bible, he should go ahead, and I would interpret. He said he was only a deacon and was quite low in rank to the General Overseer· When the discussion was becoming drawn, I said 'I command you". Since he had no choice, he taught, and I interpreted for him. As a worker I was too proud to interpret for a Pastor, but now as General Overseer I interpreted for a deacon. The measure of Christ I have in me has increased because I have destroyed pride in my life by His grace. Do you stiII harbor pride? It will hinder Christ from dwelling in your life. Pride must go; it has to die! Deal with it today and see how much Christ will begin to operate in you.
KEY POINT:
Remove every resistance to God's will if you want Christ to dwell in you richly.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 17-20
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 2: AMAZING GRACE! HOW SWEET THE SOUND.
1. Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
2. ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
3. Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
4. The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.
5. Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
6. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
7. When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.
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