Guard Your Ears

admin Apr 26, 2020 2378 0

Guard Your Ears

Sometimes people come telling you stuff
about a person but because you love that
person you refused to accept whatever it
was they were saying at that moment..
What you did not know was that by opening
your ears to hear those unwholesome things,
a seed was already sown in your heart
against that person..
Even though in that moment, you did not agree
with what you were told, by opening your heart
to listen to those words, in that same moment,
your heart posture shifted...
Gradually your tender heart started becoming cold.
Gradually the way you view the individual began to
be affected...
You began to despise them very subtly...
You began to doubt their personality...
A distance in the heart was created..
It all began from those words you listened to...
You meditated on those words and they remained
somewhere inside sleeping quietly in your heart
As time went on you discovered your heart no
longer connects with that individual like you used to.
You tried to maintain a mechanical outward connection
but you knew deep down that you no longer flow...
You gradually began to believe the things you
were told. ...
The seed is growing jealously guard what crosses
through your ears. Refuse to hear what you don't
want to hear....
Do not say, "nobody can affect my thinking.
Nobody can control how I feel about anyone"...
Only one who has switched into the mind of Christ
can actually escape this snare.
Many are offended not because you wronged
them peesonally but because someone belittled
you before them...
If you open up to the wrong words, it will
colour your view.
Refuse to be told what you know could colour
your perceptions about an innocent individual...
How you guard you heart is by guarding your gates...
Do not allow certain things get in...
What you give your ears to is like food.....
It goes straight into your thoughts.....
Hence that space is very sacred and must be
treated as such...
Guard HOW YOU HEAR
Guard WHAT YOU HEAR
Give no room for the devil

Punishment vs. Chastisement

Question: Does God PUNISH His Children?
Ans: NO.
Question: Does God CHASTISE His Children?
Ans: YES.
Explanation:
Because of Jesus Sacrifice, No believer will be
PUNISHED by God ever again! (Romans 8:1, Heb 10:22)
But Because God is now your Father, you will be
CHASTISED for necessary growth.
In fact, any acclaimed believer that is not chastised
by God, is scripturally referred to as a BASTARD.
'... But if ye be without chastisement,
whereof ALL are partakers, THEN ARE YE BASTARDS,
and not sons...' (Hebrews 12:8).
The only thing now is for us to know the
difference between PUNISHMENT and CHASTISEMENT;
punishment is what a man faces for the OFFENCES
he committed.
Chastisement in Biblical context for believers is
what believers face in order to be fit for the Master's use .
'...If a man therefore PURGE himself from these,
he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and
MEET FOR THE MASTER'S USE, and prepared unto
every good work...' (2Tim 2:21)
Punishment is a Consequence for what you did.
Chastisement is an Exercise you undergo so has
to avoid unpleasant Consequences in your Future.
If you tell your 10year old son to do 20 press-up,
because he broke the plate in the kitchen, that is
Punishment. But if you take your 10year old son
to the gym every morning to do 20 press-ups in
order to keep fit, that is Chastisement.
Can you spot the difference?
The call to the Faith of Christ is not a call to
Laxity and Laziness.
It is not a call to Yielding to the Lust Of The Flesh.
But the Human Body naturally loves to yield to
the 'FLESH'!
This is where CHASTISEMENT comes in.
The Bible admonishes all of us to:
'...EXERCISE thyself rather unto GODLINESS...'
(1 Timothy 4:7)
Just as to keep fit in life requires Exercise
To keep fit in the Spirit too requires Exercise.
Punishment is Stressful, but Chastisement is
Strenuous.
'...no chastening for the present seemeth to
be joyous...' (Heb 12:11)
Punishment comes along with Hardship.
Chastisement comes along with Hardness.
'...Thou therefore ENDURE HARDNESS...'
(2 Tim 2:3)
Punishment takes the form of a condemned
Prisoner , Chastisement takes the form of a
faithful Soldier.
'...Thou therefore endure hardness...as a GOOD
SOLDIER of Jesus Christ...' (2Tim 2:3)
Punishment is out of the ANGER of the PUNISHER.
While CHASTISEMENT is out of the GOODWILL of
the FATHER .
'...For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth...'
(Heb 12:6)
Punishment is so as to make you RIGHTEOUS
Chastisement is so as to bring out the FRUIT of the
RIGHTEOUSNESS you already have.
'...Now no chastening for the present seemeth
to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless
AFTERWARD IT YIELDETH THE PEACEABLE FRUIT
of righteousness unto them which are
EXERCISED thereby...' (Heb 12:11)
Can you now spot the difference?
In Conclusion: No believer in Jesus will
face the PUNISHMENT of God.
'...For God chose to SAVE us through our
Lord Jesus Christ, NOT TO POUR OUT HIS
ANGER ON US...' (1Thess 5:9 NLT)
But ALL true believers will be CHASTISED by God.
If you are not experiencing significant spiritual
growth in your Christian walk, you need to check
yourself if truly you are a BELIEVER!
'...Examine yourselves, WHETHER YE BE IN THE
FAITH, prove your own selves...' (2Corinthians 13:5)
It is either you are IN the FAITH, or you are being
deceived to THINK you are in the faith.
Being in the FAITH is provable, and one such
proofs is in how much you are 'enduring the
chastening of the Father'.
'...If ye ENDURE CHASTENING, God dealeth with
you as with sons; for WHAT SON is he whom the
father chasteneth not?...' (Hebrews 12:7)
Chastisement can include:
-choosing to stop visiting that friend that always
lure you into fornication.
'...abstain from all appearance of evil.
(1 Thessalonians 5:22)
-deciding not to eat in the morning except you
have studied the word and prayed for at least
30 minutes!
'...I have ESTEEMED the words of his mouth
MORE THAN my necessary food...' (Job 23:12)
Choosing to fast (to a time your health can take)
at least once every week in order to suppress
your body and boost your spiritual sensitivity
by the atmosphere of prayer it brings.
Choosing to consciously avoid pornographic
materials.
'...I made a covenant with MINE EYES; why
then should I think upon a maid?' (Job 31:1)
The baseline here is MAKE SURE YOU ARE GROWING
spiritually. Avoid the PUNISHMENT that comes by
earthly consequences to our stupid decisions.
Rather embrace the CHASTISEMENT that produces
the 'peaceable fruit of righteousness'.
Make sure you are saying NO to temptations.
It does not mean you will be perfect, but it sure
means you don't STAY Defeated.
Make sure you are growing.
You must Never think to WORK FOR your salvation.
That is ERROR!
However you MUST ensure you are WORKING OUT
your salvation for men to see and GLORIFY YOUR
ABBA FATHER.
There are rewards to receive as believers:
'...I DISCIPLINE my body like an athlete,
training it to do what it should. Otherwise,
I fear that after preaching to others I myself
might be DISQUALIFIED...' (1cor 9:27)
Rewards are Awards for Stewards. Be a
faithful steward.
You can't lose salvation, but you can lose your
REWARDS .
Therefore do not be a believer that avoids
Chastisement.
As time goes by, you will thank God you yielded
to His Chastisement.
For only a LOVING Father chastises His Sons.