Bible In One Year-Day 28 (Tuesday, January 28, 2014)

A spinster who used to go out with friends to parties and other recreational activities got married. The way of life will undoubtedly change after wedding. She started living for her new family. The life style changed, even the more, as soon as she started having babies. Her mouth, legs, hands, heart and other activities would be for her family. This is a simple way of telling what consecration is. It is putting your entire life (spirit, soul and body) on the altar of God. You live for Him. That hymn says it all; Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. The hymn talks about what to be taken for God’s use; life, moment, hands, feet, voice, lips, silver, intellect, will, heart, love and myself. All must be consecrated to God, i.e. you no longer live for yourself but for God. In God’s public address to the Israelites, He gave them commandments which if they live by, they would be a special treasure to Him on earth. For example, “Thou shall not covet …” simply means that your eyes should be for the Lord. “Thou shall not commit adultery” you should know what to guide against. If God delivered us from the world (Egypt), the next thing is consecration. Paul, 2Cor11:2, explained it as “betrothed”, i.e. married to.

2 Corinthians 11:2 “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused (betrothed) you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”

A consecrated life is a victorious life because, it no more lives for itself but for Christ, just as Paul wrote in 2Cor5:14-17 “… old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” If years after you became a born again Christian, you are still struggling with deceptive lips and heart, lying tongue, jealousy, rivalry, fornication, adultery, contentions, outbursts, selfish ambitions, impatience, lack of love, inconsistency in the word of God and the like, you are not yet living that victorious life expected in Christ Jesus. The Israelites were brought out of bondage; they had to live for God. We have been redeemed by Jesus, we have to live for Him. God’s commandments in Ex20 established the relationship between man and Himself, while Ex21-22 establishes the relationship between man to man. When you put these together, you realize that the CROSS has been established. Living the life of the cross means you are crucified with Jesus, Gal2:20.

Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

God is a righteous and Holy God, Ex23:7, 13. Ex23:1-19 is for your own good, in which God spoke specifically about FIRSTFRUITS offering. And any Christian who wants to be a victor in this present economic breakdown should be serious with this first fruits offering. By this you have put your treasure in the hand of God Almighty and broken the backbone of poverty. Many Christians are not too sure about this aspect of our Christian fulfillment; there are different books on this topic. But I have been blessed by one titled “The Mystery of Firstfruit offering” by Dr. D. K. Olukoya. Anyone who lives a consecrated life will ever have God to be his/her guide. Ex23:20-33 is deep and the lesson we could learn from it is that for every stage in God’s assignment, specific Angel is sent to make sure His faithfulness is sustained. The Angel in Ex14:19 was for that stage of their journey. The one in Ex23:20-23 is another one carrying the name of God and God gave specific warning concerning this Angel. Because of the inhabitants of the Promised Land and the difficulties they would come across in getting to the Promised Land, this Angel, who takes no nonsense was appointed by God (Is59:19/45:2-3). This Angel was the standard of what they would meet on their way. The ministry of angels is part of God’s faithfulness, Psalm91:11-13/104:4. In our journey through life, there is another camp of God’s Angels that goes with us to handle each stage. Many have provoked or grieved their assigned angels. Jacob’s eyes were opened to God’s camp of angels, Gen32:1-2, but fear made him not to ask for angelic assistance. And the purpose of God opening his eyes was for him to be confident in His faithfulness. Many have grieved their spiritual leaders who God has sent as an angel. To live a victorious life is to stand in Christ and for Christ. It is a life that hates sin with perfect hatred. It is a life that recognizes grace and uses that grace to run from sin and not continue in it. Ex23:32 says “You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods”. To defeat demonic attacks, you must be consecrated to God Almighty. Prayer: O God, let not Your camp of angels depart from me this year, in the name of Jesus. Next mile in the trip is Ex24-26. Keep the fire burning and alive and tell somebody about Jesus today!!!