Machaira With Apostle Bennie

Tag: Humility

  • EPISODE 475 – THE FIERY DARTS OF THE WICKED 6 — PUT ON THE SHIELD OF FAITH 10

    EPISODE 475 – THE FIERY DARTS OF THE WICKED 6 — PUT ON THE SHIELD OF FAITH 10

    CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY

    The Love-Life Agency

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    Sunday 12th, May 2024
     

    THE FIERY DARTS OF THE WICKED 6 —

    PUT ON THE SHIELD OF FAITH 10

    “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

    Ephesians 6:16 (KJV)

    We cannot discuss the fiery darts of the enemy, without the mention of pride.

    Pride is one of the strong weapons of the enemy against your faith and fulfilment of purpose.

    The adversary knows that “Pride goes before destruction” (Proverbs 16:18).

    Therefore to destroy any beautiful destiny, he sows and cultivates pride in the hearts of men.

    A proud person is resisted and cannot increase in grace.

    Pride makes a person disrespect, disdain and act arrogantly towards others. It makes one, overly esteem himself above others.

    Pride makes you self-centered and unruly. You would always want things to go your way and give no attention to anyone. Pride makes you do what you feel and despise wise counsel.

    Whenever you esteem your opinions above the wisdom of God’s word, know that pride has taken root in your heart. You cannot resist the devil when you are proud. To resist the devil, you must first humble yourself before the Lord.

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

    As we discussed concerning David yesterday, he didn’t confront Goliath in the might of the flesh or his strength and intelligence but in the name of the Lord.

    Pride will not make you submit your mind, thoughts, and emotions to the Lord.

    The adversary was the first in God’s universe to demonstrate pride. He began to exalt himself above the Lord. That was the cause of his fall.

    God has exalted His word, so when you begin to esteem your opinions above the word of God, you are already on the path of the devil. The end will surely be destruction.

    “for the day is coming when your proud looks will be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted. On that day the Lord Almighty will move against the proud and haughty and bring them to the dust. All the tall cedars of Lebanon and all the mighty oaks of Bashan shall bend low, and all the high mountains and hills, and every high tower and wall, and all the proud ocean ships and trim harbor craft—all shall be crushed before the Lord that day. All the glory of mankind will bow low; the pride of men will lie in the dust, and the Lord alone will be exalted.” Isaiah 2:11-17 (TLB)

    The adversary sets you up for failure and disgrace through pride. Intentionally deal with pride.

    True faith towards God is humble. It takes humility to look away from your challenges and to exercise confidence in what God has said.

    “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1Peter 5:5-7)

    It will take the attitude of humility to take up the shield of faith. Don’t trust in your intelligence above the knowledge of God’s word. 

    Don’t be big-headed, be humble at all times.

    SHIELD UP IN FAITH!

    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
    Job 1 – 3
     
    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 365 – DEPENDENCE ON GOD

    EPISODE 365 – DEPENDENCE ON GOD

    CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY

    The Love-Life Agency

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    Tuesday 23rd January, 2024

    DEPENDENCE ON GOD

    “For I am Yahweh your God, who strongly takes hold of your right hand, Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.”

    Isaiah 41:13 (Legacy Standard Bible)

    One of the greatest signs of maturity is dependence on God.

    In the society we find ourselves today, most people see dependence as weakness and others also see it as immaturity.

    But that is not the situation in God.

    The more you grow in your relationship with God or as you mature in Him, the more you realise you have to depend on Him.
    The immatured ones don’t depend on God.

    Dependence on God is not a sign of weakness. Dependence on God is a quality of wisdom and humility.

    It takes a lot of pride to think you don’t need God.

    Such people don’t pray.

    They do everything with their own strength and understanding.

    The wise in Christ trust in God’s strength. They don’t try to use their own strength. They depend and utilize the strength of God’s resources.

    Just think about it, trying to use your limited resources to accomplish an assignment of the Limitless God?

    A man who has accomplished great things with God and made an impact which has shaped culture, is a man who has absolute dependence on God.

    Like we read yesterday, Paul the apostle showed us the secret to His great accomplishments.

    “…by the grace of God I have laboured more than they all…” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

    The Lord who made you, knows the weight of the assignment He has entrusted to you; therefore He has made abundance of resources and grace available for your benefits. Yours is to take advantage of these resources.

    David said to Goliath,  “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” 1 Samuel 17:45 (NKJV)

    Don’t confront any assignment or task or life situation by your strength.

    Deploy the tools of God.

    Let your confidence be in the Lord. As you spend time in prayer and the meditation of the word, He will show you what to do.

    Where is your strength?

    Just as the Lord spoke through the Prophet Isaiah (as quoted in the opening verse), He is still speaking to you today;

    “For I am Yahweh your God, who strongly takes hold of your right hand,
    Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.”

    Beloved, don’t be afraid. The Lord knows what is at stake. He will not leave you. He is strongly holding your hand and is with you as your helper. Depend on Him at all times.

    Don’t be like the people of the world.

    Let this be your testimony:

    “Some find their strength in their weapons and wisdom, but my miracle deliverance can never be won by men. Our boast is in the Lord our God, who makes us strong and gives us victory!” Psalm 20:7 (TPT)

    Praise the Lord.

    DIG DEEPER
    (Psalm 20:1-9; Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 41:10; Psalm 27:1; 121:1-2; John 15:5)
     
    WE PRAY
    We pray that the Help and supply of divine strength will abound towards us to accomplish great things unto His glory.
     
    BIBLE READING IN THE YEAR 2024
    Exodus 20 – 23
     
    DECLARE THESE WORDS:
    – I have absolute dependence on God.
     
    – My strength is in the Lord.
     
    – I depend on God in all things.
     
    – I don’t confront any assignment or task by my our strength but by the enabling strength of God which is at work in me.
     
    – By the supply of the divine strength of God, I accomplish great things unto His glory.
     
    Oh Hallelujah!

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  • EPISODE 327 – EXPECT DIVINE EXALTATION 2

    EPISODE 327 – EXPECT DIVINE EXALTATION 2

    CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY

    The Love-Life Agency

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    Saturday 16th December, 2023
     

    EXPECT DIVINE EXALTATION 2

     

    “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

     1 Peter 5:6 – 7 (NKJV)

     
    The Lord does not forsake His own. The scriptures are divine scripts which outline your beautiful future. There is nothing about your destiny which is not prophetically illustrated in the scriptures.
    Your life may seem to be a mystery in the natural, but scripturally it is decoded.
    Don’t allow the limitations of your senses and experiences define your life. Sink your thoughts in the word of God.
     
    The more you pay attention to your challenges, the more you distract yourself from what God is doing with you. 
     
    “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV).
     
    There is an expected end the Lord has for you. And you must make that your focus. 
    One of the expectations you must have as you humble yourself to make the Lord your focus, is EXALTATION.
    Don’t spend time feeding your mind with doubts. When the doubts come, cast it off. Learn to doubt your doubts.
     
    If you have questions similar to the ones I listed in the previous post, know that the adversary is sowing in your heart seeds of enmity and pride towards God. Which is a big trap of the devil.
     
    Your humility before the Lord is the secret to enjoy divine exaltation. It is not that God demands your humility before He exalts you. It is because, humility is a principle of faith which produces exaltation.
     
    To humble yourself before the Lord is explained in the opening verse.
     
    “…casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” I Peter 5: 7 (NKJV)
    To humble yourself under the mighty hand of God is basically to cast all your cares upon Him; with the conviction of heart that He cares for you.
    When you don’t humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, you have exalted yourself above the mighty hand of God.
     
    What you are saying is, you don’t need the mighty hand of God to lift you and sustain you. You rather want to trust in your own strength.
     
    You don’t need God’s supernatural help. You trust in your own ability than the ability of God.
     
    It is as simple as that!
     
    But come to think of it, what more can your strength achieve?
     
    Begin to train your heart to exercise absolute confidence in God by acknowledging the glorious things He has done.
     
    “Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders You have done, and the plans You have for us–none can compare to You–if I proclaim and declare them, they are more than I can count.” (Psalm 40:5)
     
    Instead of counting your failures which will make you turn away from God, consider His goodness according to His power. It will cause you to humble yourself patiently under His mighty hand for your exaltation.
     
    Beloved, what are the things troubling your heart?
    Cast all your cares unto the Lord and patiently stay under His mighty hand with humility. For the Lord shall exalt you in due season.
    Do you know the goodnews?
     
    The due season is already here! That is why you are reading today’s Machaira with Apostle Bennie. 
     
    REMAIN EXPECTANT FOR YOUR TESTIMONY
     
    Shalom Aleichem.
     
    Hallelujah!
    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 2023
    Malachi 2
    Revelation 15
     
    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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  • EPISODE 299 – CONCERNING HONOR AND HUMILITY

    EPISODE 299 – CONCERNING HONOR AND HUMILITY

    CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY

    The Love-Life Agency

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    Saturday, 18th November, 2023
     

    CONCERNING HUMILITY AND HONOR

    “Recognize the value of every person and continually show love to every believer. Live your lives with great reverence and in holy awe of God. Honor your rulers.”

    1 Peter 2:17 (TPT)

     
    Day by day as each generation grows deep into “postmodernism“, people become more interested in pleasing themselves and satisfying their ego. 
     
    Men are drifting away from the very concept that helps bridge one generation to the other. Blessings of one generation are distributed through a system of honour and humility.
    There is no generation that can accurately and fully reach its potential without the impartations of the previous generation.
    In the Kingdom of God, to walk in honor and humility is a code of greatness. To honor is to have great value and respect for others and to highly esteem those who have authority over you.
     
    Though the younger generation may seem to gradually lose the true sense of honor, it doesn’t change its authentic essence among the great.
     
    As you saw in the opening verse (1 Peter 2:17):
     
    To honor is to:
     
    1. Recognize the value of every person.
     
    2. Continually show love to every believer. 
     
    3. Live with great reverence and in holy awe of God. 
     
    4. Acknowledge the authority of your rulers.
    Let’s quickly look at those you must honor, according to the counsel of God’s wisdom:
    1. Honor God 
     
    “the twenty-four Elders fell down before him and worshiped him, the Eternal Living One, and cast their crowns before the throne, singing, “O Lord, you are worthy to receive the glory and the honor and the power, for you have created all things. They were created and called into being by your act of will.” Revelation 4:10-11 (TLB)
     
    I have previously explained how you can honor and glorify God. And to add a few thoughts to it:
     
    Understand that you can also honor the Lord with:
     
     a. Your treasure and time. Time is one of the most precious treasures and assets we have.  Invest your time and anything you value into your relationship with God and His vision. 
     
    “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). 
     
    b. Honor God with your body. You were bought with a price by God, therefore honor Him in your body, which is His temple. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
     
    c. Honor God with your finances, wealth, or possessions.
     
    “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase” Proverbs 3:9 (NKJV).
    The Message translation says, “…give Him the first and the best.”
     
    d. With your hands and heart lifted in worship and thanksgiving. (Psalm 34:1-3)
     
    Interestingly as you honor the Lord, you enjoy honor from Him (1 Samuel 2:30). And He also shares secrets with those who revere Him.
     
    “Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him. With them alone, he shares the secrets of his promises” Psalm 25:14 (TLB)
    Beloved, understand that you can fully honor the Lord through Christ Jesus.
    2. Honor Your Leaders in the Church (1 Thessalonians 5:12).
     
    3. Honor your Parents (Ephesians 6:2).
     
    4. Honor Your Spouse (1 Peter 3:7; Ephesians 5:33).
     
    5. Honor the Elderly (Leviticus 19:32).
     
    6. Honor Rulers or Government officials (Romans 13:1-2; 7).
     
    7. Honor Your senior Colleagues at work or employers (1 Peter 2:18).
     
    8. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10). This includes parents also honoring their children. Ephesians 6:4 (nevertheless children must not use that against their parents. Yours is to honor your parents).
     
    I will take time to explain the above points.
    Where there is honor and humility, there is abundance release of grace, and peace. (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5-6).
    When you truly love the Lord you will honor others with the humility and integrity of heart.
     
    Selah.
    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 2023
    Daniel 6 – 9
    Hebrews 1 – 2
     
    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 258 – GOD PUTS YOU UNDER A SHEPHERD

    EPISODE 258 – GOD PUTS YOU UNDER A SHEPHERD

    CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY

    The Love-Life Agency

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    Saturday 7th October, 2023

    GOD PUTS YOU UNDER A SHEPHERD

    “And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.”

    Jeremiah 3:15 (NLT)

    To delve more into the gleanings from Psalm 23, we need to understand these few things.

    Yesterday, we looked into why you must remain in the fold.

    And it was also established that:

    – the Lord’s sheepfold is the Church. (The community of the saints).

    – as the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4); he has also given His sheep trained-gifted men (who are after His heart) to be Shepherds of His fold (1 Peter 5:2).

    There are some within the Church who don’t see their Pastors as the visible shepherds, our Lord Jesus has given them.

    They go like, “THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, therefore I don’t need any man to be my physical shepherd.”

    That is ignorance; total ignorance. Those with such mentality don’t know how the system of God works.

    The Lord God, was the Shepherd of Israel (Genesis 49:24; Psalm 80:1; Psalm 23:1).

    Yet the Lord gave them shepherds.

    “And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.” Jeremiah 3:15 (NLT)

    Through Moses (as Shepherd) the Lord God (who is the chief Shepherd), led Israel out of Egypt (Hosea 12:13).

    The Lord chose David to be a shepherd of Israel.

    “He also chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; From following the ewes that had young He brought him, To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.” Psalm 78:70-72 (NKJV)

    The word Pastor is from the Greek word “Poimēn”, which means shepherd. Our Lord Jesus is the “Chief Shepherd” (from the Greek word “Archipoimēn).

    The Lord Himself gave some to be Pastors (Ephesians 4:11).

    The Lord has put the saints (as flocks) under each shepherd. There is no fellow in Christ who is not entrusted to a shepherd (Pastor).

    “Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you…” 1 Peter 5:2 (NLT)

    He has given to the Church Pastors who are to Shepherd the saints.

    They have the authority and responsibility to:

    – watch over you and to care for you with Christ as their example.

    – feed you and teach you with knowledge and understanding.

    – lead you by their own good example of faith and love.

    – instruct, direct and build you through the word.

    And this is your responsibility:

    “In the same way, you must accept the authority of the leaders set over you. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another. “God opposes the proud
    but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5).

    You are not to be isolated from the fold the Lord has placed you.

    Enjoy the Leadership of the Good Shepherd (through the personal relationship with the Lord Jesus) and submit to the authority the Lord has entrusted you to, as you are nurtured and equipped for the work of the ministry.

    Shalom.

    DIG DEEPER
    (Acts 20:28; Jeremiah 23:4; Ezekiel 34:2,23; 1 Samuel 13:14)
     
    WE PRAY
    We engage the Wisdom of God to rightly submit with humility to the authority of the Shepherds He has set over us. In the name of Jesus.
     
    BIBLE READING IN THE YEAR 2023
    Day 243
    Isaiah 36 – 38
    Romans 7 – 8
     
    DECLARE THESE WORDS:
    – I remain in the fold (Christ Commonwealth – Community) the Lord has placed me.
     
    – I have found my place and I refuse to isolate myself from the fold.
     
    – Through humility, I submit to the authority of my shepherd (Apostle Bennie).
     
    – I take heed to the leadings of my shepherd  (Apostle Bennie).
     
    – I enjoy rest and joy through the guidance of the Spheperd the Lord has given me.
     
    – I don’t wander around like one without a Shepherd.
     
    – I follow diligently to every instruction.
     
    Oh Gloreey! Hallelujah!

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