
If you're confused or you need more clarifications let us know after reading this.
Actually this is one of the gravest posts that I've ever written, and as I write I can imagine my hands quaving and my heart thumping.
They may not seem striking to you, perhaps I couldn't pick my wordings well enough to carry the 'feeling' it had and still has on me.
I'll not dwell much on any of the points. Let the Holy Spirit shed more light on any issue as you read. Don't read this post with divided attention and please don't ever think "well, this is not for me", for that's the mindset that almost every believer has. When God's word comes forth, we always think its meant for the person next to us, but we are quick on the other hand to claim blessings, while we push over instructions. It's a pity what the church has become.
These are the points the Holy Spirit gave me as I observed my daily retrospection.
The following things will make you miss heaven:
1. When You Don't Observe Sincere RetrospectionsWhen you don't occassionally ask yourself this same question: "What would make me miss heaven?"
Actually this is the title for my retrospection today. Yes, when you don't occassionally sit and ask yourself "what could make me miss heaven", you deny the Holy Spirit the time He would have used to point out hidden sins you've committed during the day.
If you're waiting for your quiet time the next morning before you "examine yourself", what if the trumpet sounds before you wake up?
2. When You Think You've Overgrown Saying "Lord, I'm Sorry".
You see, this attitude is predominantly found among pastors. They almost never see any reason why they should confess sins. They spend too much time preparing for sermons and programmes and they have no time to think about themselves.
They just look at themselves and smile, having without doubt to themselves that all is well, when all might just be unwell. It will take a very sincer and 'childlike' pastor to fall on his knees and say "Lord I'm sorry". Please pastors constantly say this prayer, it doesn't make you less spiritual, rather it makes you more dearer to God and hence more spiritual.
3. When You Stop (Or Don't) Judging Yourself
You see friends, this is one of the most vital part of sonship in the Kingdom. This scene comes to mind as I write.
I and a friend were once caught in this web of unfaithfulness to God. We would go to service late. We seldom share God's word, and infact our zeal for dropped.
On a faithful night on our way to a Bible Study, we were late this time also, and Oh, we felt so bad.
We remembered where the Bible talked about judging oneself and we actually did just that from our very hearts. We confessed that we have not done well. We compared our zeal for God back at home to now in school, how we've degenerated to be 'strolling' to service when we were quite very late.
We dismissed all supposed excuses no matter how viable they seemed, and like babies we verbally promised God that we would change. We judged our actions, lives, zeal for God.
You see if you never judge yourself, you will never see the ill in what you're doing and that ill might just be what would block your ears from hearing the trumpet blast.
4. Besetting Sins
I really did have to struggle with that at certain times. Yes I did, and I'm not ashamed to say it, because I've overcomed it, how would I be ashamed to testify my victory over evil?
Ministers, pastors, old believers, young, old, rich and poor, besetting sins cuts across all levels. You don't have to be a pastor inorder not to be overcomed with besetting sins, and that you fall to your besetting sin doesn't mean you're doomed excpet of course if the rapture catch up with you while you're at it.
I don't want to go into how to stop besetting sins, but I'll say something the Holy Spirit ministered to me. While I struggled with mine, again and again I saw how flat I fell. I was sad, very sad. I prayed, I fasted, I wept within, I took several decisions, yet ...
Until as I sat one day meditating, the Holy Spirit said: "What can you really do by your strength?". For once I realised that all the decisions, determination, and resolutions I've been making towards this monster was not with the consciousness that I had to hand over to God. I thought besetting sins was what I would fight with my strength and by myself. Since I handed it over to God, I've been having victory.
Could that be your problem too? Of course you now know what to do.
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