StandPoint117

One of the sore points in many denominations I have observed is the inability to handle moral failings of fellow believers and even ministers. Many have applied the wrong judgment call. The Corinthian brother. If sin was the issue Paul ought to have excommunicated the entire church. 1 Corinthians 3:3 KJV [3] For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? The entire church was riddled in sin. Strife and envy are terrible sins. James 3:14-16 KJV [14] But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15] This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16] For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. James calls it satanic. They had more contending matters in Corinth. 1 Corinthians 8:12 KJV [12] But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. They we...

What to do when a brother or sister is rebuked in your local assembly. Oftentimes we don't know what to do when we see or hear a brother has been found in a wrong and openly rebuked.  We oftentimes go to one extreme or the other,  At Times we avoid the person, which isn't wrong if it's rebellion against authority or if we are so instructed for example 1 Corinthians 5:13, Romans 16:17-18, 2 Thessalonians 3:14. However, another extreme is to show pity! A brother or sister under discipline needs everything but our emotional disposition or sentiment. What He / she needs is supply of the Spirit of Christ This is effective in prayer: Ephesians 6:18 is a clear instruction for all saints. We can NEVER be wrong praying for wisdom and insight into the Word for such a believer. Don't get things mixed up even if the brother is a friend, sibling or spouse and if the sister is too taking sides will ruin the person, no side comments or gist, Just do the Word Don't gossip!!! J...

Meditate On Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:35, 37 More Than Conquerors Through Jesus’ Love Jesus said, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20). I find this statement so beautiful. Let me tell you why. In the original Greek text, the word for “lay” is a very unique word,  klino . The only other place it is used in terms of Jesus resting His head is at the cross. When Jesus hung on the cross and cried, “It is finished!” the Bible says, “And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (John 19:30). The word “bowing” here is the same Greek word,  klino . Beloved, it was only at the cross that the Son of Man finally found a place to rest His head. Jesus found His rest in redeeming us, in loving us. We, ...

Meditate On Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. Psalm 34:3 Magnify The Lord When we give thanks to the Lord—when we praise and worship Him—we are magnifying Him (Psalm 34:3). Why is this important? It’s because often, when we are beset by challenges, we tend to dwell on them so much until they grow into huge, hairy monsters in our minds! We give them so much weight that we forget that the Lord is far bigger than all the problems in the universe put together. That’s why we need to magnify the Lord (make Him big in our consciousness) instead. As we give weight to His presence and His love for us, our mountains become small. As we give weight to His power to dissolve problems and obstacles in our lives, what those problems and obstacles can do to us become insignificant in the light of what the Lord can and will do for us! So beloved, if you have a sickness, magnify the Lord your healer. If you are suffering financial lack, magnify the...

Meditate On And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16 Blessings Of The Lord’s Beloved Jesus loves ME. Three simple words that can make a big difference in your life when you believe them. For some time, a precious lady in the Netherlands had been believing God for a financial provision. Then, she watched one of my television broadcasts and caught a revelation of how much the Lord loves her. For the first time, she prayed for her financial need with the revelation that Jesus loves her. “That very day,” she said, “two new clients called me. The following week, I asked God again for His provision, simply trusting and resting in His love for me. Guess what? Three new clients called! Now, I know it’s because Jesus loves me that He blesses me. It’s not because of what I’ve done or not done. Getting a revelation of this truth has made such a difference that I am sharing it with...

Meditate On As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. John 15:9 You Are The Disciple Whom Jesus Loves I used to think that of all the disciples Jesus loved, John was most loved by the Lord because the Bible calls him “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Then one day, I discovered that the phrase, “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” only appears in John’s Gospel. In other words, it was John who called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved! Was John being arrogant? Did Jesus love him more than the rest? No, Jesus loved all 12 disciples the same, but John knew it and he personalized and practiced Jesus’ love for him. My friend, that’s what you ought to do too. Don’t just say, “Yes, yes, Jesus loves everybody.” Say, “Jesus loves ME!” Say, “ I  am the student whom Jesus loves,” or “ I  am the mom whom Jesus loves!” Every day, personalize, practice and rest in Jesus’ love for you. Expect good things to happen to you when you believe that Jesus loves...

Meditate On …to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness… Daniel 9:24 Once Righteous, Always Righteous You may have seen high-speed video footages of a caterpillar turning into a colorful butterfly. But have you ever seen a butterfly changing back into a caterpillar? Of course not! Why? Because it’s impossible! It’s the same with your salvation. Once you are saved, you are saved forever. The righteousness that you have in Christ is an  everlasting  one—you cannot become unrighteous again. Once you are born again as a child of God, it is impossible for you to become “unborn.” Once you are a saint washed by the blood of Jesus, in God’s eyes, you cannot revert to your old, unsaved sinner state. Even if you fall into sin, you are still the righteousness of God in Christ because your justification is not by works, but by faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:16). Let’s come back to ...

Meditate On Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22–23 Live In The Now Live in the  now . Don’t live in the future by asking, “What if…” and don’t live in the past by saying, “If only…” Don’t waste your present moments. If you’re spending time with a loved one, enjoy the moment. Don’t worry about that project deadline. “Pastor Prince, if I don’t worry, then I’m not being responsible.” Well, let’s look at your idea of “responsibility.” If you’re worried now about next week’s responsibility as you spend time with your loved one, your loved one will not get the best of you because you are there physically but mentally, you are miles away! Secondly, when next week comes, your worrying won’t put you in a good state of mind to handle that responsibility well. Beloved, to believe that by worrying you are being responsible is to believe a lie from the enemy...

Meditate On You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3 Busy Outwardly, Peaceful Inwardly The world can give you a certain amount of peace. You can go to a spa and get a comforting massage as soft music plays in the background. You can look at a beautiful sunset and sense a measure of peace as the sun dips beyond the horizon, spreading its golden rays on the sea and coloring the darkening sky with various hues of orange. But alas, the music stops and the sun sets! Peace from these sources is fragile, temporary and dependent on the environment. But Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you;  not as the world gives  do I give to you…” (John 14:27). The peace that Jesus gives is different—it’s robust, it’s lasting and it doesn’t depend on your environment. You can be busy handling a crisis and still be at peace  inwardly ! Beloved, meditate on scriptures on peace throughout the day, ...

Meditate On Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8 What’s On Your Mind? It takes a positive thought to replace a negative one. You cannot eradicate negative thoughts just by using your willpower. God’s Word tells us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7). If you read on, it also says, “…whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything pr...

Meditate On …[because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord… 2 Corinthians 3:18, AMP Behold Jesus And Be Transformed Up in the branches of the sycamore tree, Zacchaeus had a good look at Jesus. “So this is the One everyone has been talking about,” he said to himself. And right on cue, Jesus looked up and saw the tax collector. “Zacchaeus,” Jesus called out, “make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house” (Luke 19:5). Jesus extended grace to Zacchaeus, a man considered a cheat and a sinner by the crowd. And Zacchaeus’ response to the Lord’s goodness was, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold” (Luke 19:8). Zacchaeus was transformed from a cheat to a generous man by b...

Meditate On …God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 God’s Nature Is To Heal Of all the miracles that Jesus performed, 35 of them were recorded for our benefit in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Now, out of these 35 miracles, 26 are miracles of healing, including casting out demons and raising the dead. In other words, the majority of Jesus’ miracles have to do with healing and setting free those oppressed by the devil. Jesus is the Father’s will in action and His compassionate heart would not permit any who came to Him for healing to remain sick and bound in their physical bodies. My friend, can you see that it is God’s nature to heal? He wants you healthy and strong—spirit, soul and body. That’s why His Word says, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2)...

Meditate On As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 5:6 A Priesthood Of Blessings God said this about Jesus after He rose from the dead: “You are a priest forever according to the order of  Melchizedek .” Notice that the priesthood of Jesus isn’t according to the order of Aaron, but Melchizedek. The old Aaronic priesthood of Israel was under the law. And because it was under the law, it meant that you got blessed only when you obeyed God’s laws. If you disobeyed God’s laws, then curses would come upon you. In contrast, the Melchizedek priesthood of Jesus doesn’t dispense both blessings and curses. It only dispenses blessings. When Melchizedek first appeared to Abraham in the book of Genesis,  only blessings  proceeded from his mouth: “ Blessed  be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; and  blessed  be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your ...

Meditate On …the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve… Mark 10:45 Draw on God God wants to do wonders and perform miracles in your life. He loves doing good to His people. He loves to use His power to love His people. That’s why He wants you to draw on and “use” His goodness. Faith is nothing more than—and I say this reverently—seeing and using God’s goodness. He loves to be utilized because He “did not come to be served, but to serve.” Just look at how Jesus ministered to people. When the woman with the issue of blood used His power, it pleased Him. He didn’t want to leave until He got to speak with this woman who had touched Him (Mark 5:25–34). When He was weary and tired at Jacob’s well, a Samaritan woman came to draw water and ended up drawing from Him—at His invitation. He was even strengthened and rejuvenated as He ministered to her and gave her the water of life (John 4:5–34). Beloved, God’s love waits on you to be used. God wants to be your bread o...

Meditate On …I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:15 Walk And Talk With Jesus Where you find a healthy friendship, you’ll find open communication. And that’s what the Lord wants with you. He wants you to come and talk to Him whether or not you are in the “right” mood. Jesus will always listen. When you are happy, talk to Him. When you are angry, you can talk to Him too. In fact, it’s better that you talk to Him when you’re angry so that you won’t fly into a rage and do something you’ll regret. Let His peace swallow up your anger. Even when you are struggling with a temptation, you can talk to Jesus about it. My friend, He is God and He knows what you are thinking. And when you are open and transparent about it with Him, you allow His grace and wisdom to fill you. This will empower you to overcome the temptation. You’ll begin to see the situation through His eyes and walk in His wisdom. Beloved, talk to ...

Meditate On …your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. Matthew 6:8 Let Prayer Be A Flow God wants you to have a real relationship with Him. He wants you to talk freely with Him without obligation or a time limit. When you meet someone you love at a café for a chat, do you put a clock in front of him or her and say, “I’ll give you an hour. Your time starts now”? Of course not! You don’t rigidly follow some regimen when you talk to someone you truly have a relationship with. My friend, that’s what your prayer times with God ought to be—a flow, not a regimental routine you carry out legalistically. For example, you might be troubled about something and when you talk to God about it, time just passes so quickly. Before you know it, an hour has passed. At other times, it may just be a short prayer like, “Father, please get me out of this traffic jam.” Then, there are times you just want to close your door and get on your knees to pray. Today, remember...

Meditate On It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63 Commune With Jesus Through His Word Every day, when you open your Bible, ask Jesus to speak to you through His Spirit in you. Don’t read the Bible just to accumulate knowledge. Don’t just go through the motion so that you feel you’ve done your quiet time. Open the Bible and really have communion with Jesus. Jesus said, “…The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” So feed on and nourish yourself with His words of life. When you go to the Word really wanting to have communion with Him, He will speak to you. And when you close the Bible, you will, as the prophet says in Isaiah 55, go out with joy and be led forth in peace. Everywhere you go, instead of thorn bushes and briers, evergreen and fruitful cypress and myrtle trees will grow (Isaiah 55:12–13). In other words, areas of barrenness and evidences of the cu...

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57 Fight From Victory Are you fighting  for  victory, or are you fighting  from  victory? The moment you fight  for  victory, you are in unbelief and you are defeated even before the battle begins. You see, when you try to get what God has already given you in Christ, you are effectively saying that you don’t have it. So you can, for instance, take the Holy Communion  trying  to be healed, or you can take it proclaiming the Lord’s death and the healing that you already have through His finished work. “But, Pastor Prince, how can I say that I’m healed when my body is in pain?” My friend, God is a God who “calls those things which do not exist as though they did” (Romans 4:17). God looked at Abraham and said, “I  have made  you a father of many nations,” when Abraham didn’t even have a single child from Sarah! The Lord loves to ac...

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 1 John 5:13 Right Believing Produces Right Living Everyone who came to Jesus for healing was healed. Yet, there were those who were right in His presence that didn’t get healed. Who were they? They were the religious folk who focused on right living outwardly, but didn’t have right believing inwardly—they didn’t believe in Jesus. They had a form of self-righteousness and didn’t see their need for the Savior. I am talking about the Pharisees. There is no record of any one of them getting healed in the Gospels. The ones who got healed and received miracles of provision, restoration and transformation from Him were people who simply believed in Jesus and His goodness. They weren’t perfect in their behavior, but they had right believing. My friend, right believing is at the root of righ...