Fruitful Living
Applying God’s promises to your life
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has granted us His very great and precious promises, so that by them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. — 2 Peter 1:3-4
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. – 2 Corinthians 1:20
INTRODUCTION
God’s promises are precious, magnificent, and have extreme value. The author of Hebrews admonishes us with these words:
Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. — Hebrews 10:35-36
Notice that he says: “When you have done the will of God.” Promises are not given without a plan that involves faith and responsibility, though many times we have to wait for them to be revealed. A biblical promise is a declaration of God’s intention to graciously bestow a gift upon an individual or a group of people. For example, Jesus said,
In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. — John 14:2-3
He knows that at times we may feel tempted to wonder if He is really coming back for us, and so He gives us the promise of His sure return and also of His personal care to reassure us and calm our fears.
GRATITUDE
In 1 Kings, we read about Solomon’s progress especially his effusive blessings of the Lord for His faithfulness. Then he makes this statement:
Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant. — 1 Kings 8:56
God did exactly what He had promised to do, and Solomon honoured the Lord by acknowledging it. He had a grateful heart, and he wanted the people to respond in gratitude also.
How many times have you prayed for something, asking God to meet a need that you have and to speak to you through His Word, and as you read the Bible, He provided assurance that He heard your prayers and will answer?
This is a tremendous gift. But instead of turning to Him with a grateful heart, did you pick up the telephone and call three or four people to tell them the news?
So often we forget to thank the One person who provides the resources we need. I believe God’s heart must hurt over our self-centered actions.
We pray and trust Him and then forget to say, “Lord, thank You for answering my prayers. Thank You for being faithful to the promise You gave me in Your Word. Thank You for meeting my needs perfectly and on time.”
Even those who encountered Jesus during His time here on earth neglected to thank Him:
While [Jesus] was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed.
Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine — where are they? — Luke 17:11-17
Nine of these men met the Saviour-Healer (Psalm 103:3), but they never thought to thank God or worship Him for His healing.
PROMISE KEEPING GOD
Hebrews 10:23 reminds us to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” God is not going to give you a promise and then say, “You know, maybe I didn’t mean that.” And when He does answer, He wants us to give Him glory and praise because He truly has worked on our behalf.
By Dr. Joyce Aryee, the author
Fruitful Living
Honeycomb Ministries founder ordained as Priest
Rev. Dansu (third from left) with other officiating ministers at the event
The Dominion College of Bishops, last Saturday commissioned and ordained as Reverend Minister, Ms Cecilia Dansu, the Founder and Lead Facilitator of the Honeycomb Ministries, a non-denominational end-time revival movement, in Accra.
Minister Dansu who undergone an intensive theological training and gazetted by the government was ordained in recognition of her humanitarian outreach and dedication to spreading the word of God to schools and communities.
The colourful service which was officiated by the Deputy Prelate of the Dominion College of Bishops, Bishop Dr Albert Ken Dapatem and Director of Programmes, Bishop Peter Koomson was attended by family and loved ones.
In a short exhortation on the theme: ‘You were chosen for a purpose (John 15,16),’ the Associate Pastor of Change Life Baptist Church, Rev. Samuel Ohemeng Damptey, admonished Christians to avail themselves for the gift of God to operate in them.
According to him, it was not only the clergy that the Lord had called but each and every one for a specific purpose.
“If you cannot preach like Paul, or all the other Bishops, at least there’s something you can do. You can share the word of God with children for the bible says, He has chosen us for a purpose to bear fruit-a fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you,” he added.
Rev. Damptey charged the newly ordained minister to be committed to the cause of God, and use her mantle to save people and expand the ministry, whiles keeping in mind that she was called by God to spread His message.
She was presented with a Holy Bible, pastoral collar and awarded a certificate of recognition.
As part of the consecration, the officers used the opportunity to officially inaugurate her ministry, the Honeycomb Ministries to ascertain the feasibility of the ministry’s vision and action plans.
In addition, two Christian publications authored by her was also launched to shape the Christian youth in their everyday lives with God.
By Vivian Arthur
Fruitful Living
WHAT IS THE LOVE OF GOD? (PART 1)
God is love
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in His love – John 15:9-10
INTRODUCTION
Remain in my love – Jesus calls us to a life of holy intimacy and personal devotion to Him. This is possible because of God’s love for us, which he has poured into our hearts by the holy spirit (Romans 5:5). God demonstrated His great love through Christ’s dying for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). We remain in Jesus’ love by pursuing spiritual intimacy and communication with Him, and by obeying His commands, just as He did with the Father.
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. – 1 John 3:1
CHILDREN OF GOD
The truth that God is our Heavenly Father and we are His children is one of the greatest revelations in the New Testament.
1. Being a child of God, adopted in Christ as His very own (Ephesians 1:5), is a high honour on privilege of our salvation. (Galatians 4:7).
2. Being a child of God is the basis for our faith and trust in God (Matthew 6:25-34) and our hope of glory for the future. As God’s children, we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17; Galatians 4:7).
3. God wants us to be increasingly made aware through the Holy Spirit, the “Spirit of Sonship” (Romans 8:15) that we are His children. The Spirit produces the cry “Abba, Father” in our hearts (Galatians 4:6) and gives us the desire to be “led by the Spirit” (Romans 8:14).
4. Being a child of God is the basis for our discipline by the Father (Hebrews 12:6-7-11) and the reason we live to please God.
God’s ultimate goal in making us His children is to save us forever (John 3:16) and to conform us to the likeness of His Son (Romans 8:29).
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is an activity and behaviour and not just as an inner teaching or motivation. Other aspects of love are characteristics of God Himself who has been revealed by our Lord Jesus Christ.
The love of God is His passion to sustain and uphold and exalt His holiness and His Son for your everlasting enjoyment. If you put yourself at the centre, you’re suicidal because it robs you of the very glory of God and his enjoyment.
1 John 4:8 describes one of God’s primary attributes as love. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” This verse does not define God as love; it describes God’s love as permeating His essence in all He is and all He does. As for today’s headlines tout stories of scandal, tragedy, and war; believers can be confident knowing all they need is God’s love.
I agree with the Theologian A.W. Tozer once stated, “Nothing God ever does, or ever did, or ever will do, is separate from the love of God.” Everything He has ever done has been out of love.
THINGS WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LOVE OF GOD
1. God’s Love Is Incomprehensible. – “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” – Ephesians 3:17-18.
2. God’s Love Is known and Proven – “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”. – John 3:16.
3. We Can Trust In God’s Love.
4. God’s Love is Pure.
5. God’s Love is Perfect.
6. Our Salvation Is An Expression Of God’s Love.
7. Our Ability To Love Is Enabled Through God’s Love.
8. We Can Rest In God’s Love.
9. We Can Have Confidence In God’s Love.
