Machaira With Apostle Bennie

Tag: Humility

  • EPISODE 615 – THE DEVIL DESIRES TO SIFT YOU 2

    EPISODE 615 – THE DEVIL DESIRES TO SIFT YOU 2

    CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY

    The Love-Life Agency

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    Beloved, this is a fruitful week for you. Step out with that conviction and bear fruits unto Christ. Shalom Aleichem!
    Apostle Bennie
    Author
    Sunday 29th September, 2024
     

    THE DEVIL DESIRES TO SIFT YOU 2

    “And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.”

    Luke 22:31 (NKJV)

    Beloved, as you can see in the opening verse, what the Lord Jesus said to Peter wasn’t some hoax or a mock alert.

    Now since it wasn’t the interest of the Lord not to divulge such information from Peter, then you should know it was going to happen. But the good news is that the Lord showed us how He intercepted.

    If not for the Lord’s interception, the devil would have achieved his intention. You will later find out how within some few hours after these words of the Lord, Peter denied being a disciple of Jesus.

    “Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.” Luke 22:54-62 (ESV)

    Peter denied his association with Jesus in front of a servant girl. Just in case you don’t know, it was this same Peter who when Jesus was being arrested by the men from the high priest, drew his sword and cut off the ear of Malchus (a servant of the high priest).

    Peter was actually trying to prove his loyalty to Jesus. When Jesus told Peter how the adversary had plotted to sift him, he thought it would take the strength of the flesh to withstand against the devil.

    Even when Jesus had said he had prayed for him, Peter still thought it would take his self-generated ability to stand in the Lord. His confidence was in himself and not the Lord.

    This was what Peter told the Lord:

    “Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.” Luke 22:33-34 (ESV)

    Peter’s confidence failed. He denied the Lord three times and after He realized the words of Jesus, he felt disappointed and wept bitterly.

    Nevertheless in the resurrection, Jesus sent a message to the disciples specifically to Peter, for him to know that He the Lord wasn’t disappointed in him but still took interest in him.

    “And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.” Mark 16:7 (KJV).

    You can tell the joy that will be on Peter’s face hearing those lovely words.

    You don’t have to assume that the adversary wouldn’t attempt to sift you. And you don’t have to think you can remain strong in the Lord by the efforts of the flesh.

    James in his epistles gave a secret to the brethren:

    “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 (KJV).

    Until you humble yourself before the Lord, you will not be able to take advantage of His supply to prevail.

    And when you humble yourself you will be prayerful at all times. It takes humility to be prayerful (2 Chronicles 7:14).

    Jesus knew it would take the strength of God received through prayer to resist the plotting of the devil. So He prayed for Peter.

    Beloved, the adversary desires to sift you, however, you must yield to prayer and not your self-confidence.

    Selah!

    DIG DEEPER
    (Matthew 13:19; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Ephesians 6:11; James 4:7; Ephesians 4:27)
     
    WE PRAY
    We pray that we shall remain deeply rooted and established in the Lord to the end and fulfilment of God’s purpose.
     
    BIBLE READING IN THE YEAR 2024
    Matthew  27 – 28
    Mark 1
     
    DECLARE THESE WORDS:
    – I am given to prayer.
     
    – I have absolute confidence in the Lord who is able to keep me from falling.
     
    – I remain strong in the sufficient ability of God.
     
    – I will not fall.
     
    – None of my steps will slide.
     
    – I remain submitted to the Lord.
     
    Thank you Lord Jesus!

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  • EPISODE 609 – BE TENDER-HEARTED

    EPISODE 609 – BE TENDER-HEARTED

    CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY

    The Love-Life Agency

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    Beloved, this is a fruitful week for you. Step out with that conviction and bear fruits unto Christ. Shalom Aleichem!
    Apostle Bennie
    Author
    Monday, 23rd September, 2024
     

    BE TENDER-HEARTED

    “Beloved, let us [unselfishly] love and seek the best for one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves [others] is born of God and knows God [through personal experience]”

    1 John 4:7 (Amplified Bible)

    Love is to be practiced. You don’t love only by utterance, you love by action.
    Demonstrating love towards one another establishes our oneness. The division is the fruit of selfishness. Wherever there is oneness there is love.

    To walk in love is according to the supply of God’s love in us.

    Even our Lord Jesus demonstrated His love according to how the Father loves him.

    “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love” John 15:9 (KJV).

    You continue or remain in His love by enjoying His love in a personal way and expressing that love to others.

    Until you understand how love works, you cannot practice this love. We work out God’s love exactly as He has worked His love into us.

    In 1 Corinthians 16, we see about fifteen (15) workings of God’s love.

    “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails….” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NKJV)

    Paul the apostle, wasn’t trying to define love in these verses; he was laying bare the application of love. He was not speaking of romantic or sentimental relationships.

    These things Paul listed are more radical and not mere squishy feelings. 

    Love is how we live out our empowered relationship with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit.

    The love we speak of here is the Greek word “agape”. It is different from “Eros” romantic or intimate love. It is deeper than the romantic love partners profess to each other. Neither is it, “Phileo” the strong love towards a relative.

    Agape is the highest dimension of the love of God demonstrated through Christ.

    He listed the things which love does and things love doesn’t do. These are not mere emotional depictions of love.

    Beloved, without the life of Christ in you, 1 Corinthians 13 is meaningless and inapplicable.

    Let’s take a close look at the first two items Paul the apostle mentioned:

    1. Love suffers long
    This is not suggesting that you are in endless trouble. This is basically a matter of patience. To say love is patient means love is persistent and purposeful. Patience is the foundational expression of love. It endures without quitting no matter the frustration. This is essentially rooted in the eternal patience of Christ’s love, which He demonstrated towards us.

    2. Love is kind
    This is to imitate the kindness of the love of Christ, towards others.
    This is to act benevolently or to show oneself useful or helpful to others. To be kind is to be gentle or courteous and polite. This is seen in your benevolent deeds and in how you speak. It is not acting and speaking harshly, sharply, bitterly and disagreeably.

    To be kind is to be mild and tender towards others.

    Look at what Paul the apostle said to the brethren in Ephesus:

    “Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 (Amplified Bible)

    You must lay aside bitter words, temper tantrums, revenge, profanity, and insults towards the saints and others. Be an example of Christ’s loveliness to your world.

    Let humility describe who you are as you dearly love one another.

    Beloved, this is the truth about you, because the love of God is poured out into you. Don’t function contrary.

    Reach out to a brother or a sister today and demonstrate these acts of patience and kindness.

    This is the real you. Go and right the wrongs. Love tenderly!

    Have a blessed day.

    DIG DEEPER
    (Nehemiah 9:17; Galatians 5:22; Colossians 3:12; 2 Corinthians 6:6; Proverbs 19:22)
     
    WE PRAY
    That we shall exercise the wisdom of God in demonstrating His love which is in us, through patience and kindness towards one another.
     
    BIBLE READING IN THE YEAR 2024
    Matthew 9 – 11
     
    DECLARE THESE WORDS:
    – The Love of God is at work in me. I walk in patience.
     
    – I demonstrate love persistently and purposefully.
     
    – I am benevolently useful to others.
     
    Hallelujah!!!

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  • EPISODE 594 – GOD RESISTS THE PROUD

    EPISODE 594 – GOD RESISTS THE PROUD

    CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY

    The Love-Life Agency

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    DIG DEEPER
    (Micah 6:8; Isaiah 3:16-26; Colossians 3:12; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Luke 14:11; Proverbs 3:34)
     
    WE PRAY
    We pray that we shall be helped by the Holy Spirit to consciously walk in the humility of heart at all times and in all things.
     
    BIBLE READING IN THE YEAR 2024
     Micah 3 – 5 
     
    DECLARE THESE WORDS:
    – I submit my will, emotions, thoughts and body to the Lord.
     
    – The word of God directs my life.
     
    – There’s no place for pride in my heart.
     

    – By the help of the Holy Spirit, I walk in humble at all times in all things.

    Oh thank you Lord Jesus!

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  • EPISODE 526 – WALK IN HONOR

    EPISODE 526 – WALK IN HONOR

    CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY

    The Love-Life Agency

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    DIG DEEPER
    (Revelation 5:13; Psalm 22:23; John 5:23; 1 Peter 1:22)
     
    WE PRAY
    That we shall take hold of the counsel of the word of the Lord and walk in honor towards God and men according to the wisdom of God.
     
    In the glorious name of Jesus.
     
    BIBLE READING IN THE YEAR 2024
     Proverbs 25 – 28
     
    DECLARE THESE WORDS:
    – I walk in honor and humility.
     
    – I walk in honor towards God and all men according to the wisdom of God.
     
    – I  don’t dishonor the authorities set over me.
     
    – I honor the Lord with my body.
     
    – I honor the Lord with my treasure, time and finances.
     
    – I demonstrate honor in all things.
     
    Oh Hallelujah!! Glory to God!

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  • EPISODE 510 – JESUS OUR PATTERN

    EPISODE 510 – JESUS OUR PATTERN

    CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY

    The Love-Life Agency

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    Sunday 16th June, 2024
     

    JESUS OUR PATTERN

     

    “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

     John 13:34-35

     
    About 13 times in the New Testament, we see the phrase “love one another”.
     
    And that reveals the importance of this commandment. How we love one another makes others know we are disciples of Jesus. (John 13:35)
     
    The newness of this commandment of Jesus is Himself. Jesus didn’t just give us His command to love one another. He made Himself the pattern and supply of that commandment.

    We are not to love one another by how we love ourselves. We love one another according to the portrait of Jesus.

     “This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you” John 15:12 (ISV)
     
    What is the extent of Jesus’s love for us? How has he loved us?
     
    Love is not just an utterance, love is a walk.
     
    “Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” 1 John 3:18 (NLT)
     
     Love is a life lived or an action. Love is not suppositious or conjectured. Love is demonstrated and experienced.

    Understand that love is more than a feeling. To love is to serve.

     Today let us begin to look at some practical ways Jesus demonstrated His love of service for us:
     
    Before Jesus gave the new commandment in John 13:34, look at what happened in the earlier verses:
     
    “Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end… Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
    He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
    After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded…
    So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
    Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
    If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
     For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
    Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”
    (John 13:1,3-5;12-17)
     
    From these verses, we realize, there is no room to guess what Jesus meant by “as I have loved you” in John 13:34.
     
    He has shown us a clear example of what we should do in verse 15; 
     
     For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
     
    What did Jesus really do?
     
    He served His disciples by washing their feet.
     
    Feet washing is an art of hospitality among the Israelites.
     
    Most oriental people, including the Israelites, wore sandals instead of shoes in the past, and as they usually went barefoot in the house, frequent washing of the feet was a necessity. Hence among the Israelites, it was the first duty of the host to give his guest water to wash his feet. To omit this was a mark of unfriendliness. This was done either by the wife or the servants.
     
    Mostly, it’s done before meals. 
    (See Genesis 18:4; Genesis 19:2, Genesis 24:32; Genesis 43:24).
     
    This is a symbol of honour, service and humility for one another.

    We love one another by serving one another with that which God has given us. And that was what Jesus showed His disciples.

     “Just as each one of you has received a special gift [a spiritual talent, an ability graciously given by God], employ it in serving one another as [is appropriate for] good stewards of God’s multi-faceted grace [faithfully using the diverse, varied gifts and abilities granted to Christians by God’s unmerited favor]” 1 Peter 4:10 (Amplified Bible).
     
    Beloved, are you in pursuit of your own interest?
    Or are you in pursuit of serving the brethren?  
     
    As Christ has loved you, serve one another.
     
    Shalom!
    DIG DEEPER
    (1 John 4:20; 1 Peter 4:10-11; Romans 12:10; Philippians 2:1-11)
     
    WE PRAY
    That we enjoy the abundance of grace to relentlessly love the saints by serving them in humility and honour.
     
    BIBLE READING IN THE YEAR 2024
     Psalms 111 – 113
     
    DECLARE THESE WORDS:
    – I serve the saints in love.
     
    – I am an example of the love of Christ to others.
     
    – I love with ease because Christ is the supply of my love.
     
    – I refuse to be selfish.
     
    – I am committed to serving others in humility.
     
    Hallelujah!!!

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  • EPISODE 483 – THERE’S AN EXPECTED END THE LORD HAS FOR YOU

    EPISODE 483 – THERE’S AN EXPECTED END THE LORD HAS FOR YOU

    CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY

    The Love-Life Agency

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    DIG DEEPER
    (Proverbs 24:14; Psalm 37:37; Jeremiah 29:11; James 4:10; Job 36:22)
     
    WE PRAY
    Thanking the Lord for the wisdom to stay humble under the mighty hand of the Lord and for this glorious new season of exaltation.
     
    In the name of Jesus.
     
    BIBLE READING IN THE YEAR 2024
    Job 32 – 34
     
    DECLARE THESE WORDS:
    – This is my time of exaltation and I don’t permit any distraction from the adversary.
     
    – I refuse to doubt God, I hold on strongly to what God has said.
     
    – No challenge is big enough to move me away from God.
     
    – I don’t permit any voice to distract me from the sure word of God.
     
    – I imbue focus to maintain absolute confidence in God.
     
    – Through prayer and the study of the word I build more absolute confidence in God.
     
    – I don’t give my mind to the negative situations around me, I make the word of God my focus.
     
    Oh Hallelujah, Gloreeeey!!!

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