Increase
2 Thessalonians 1:3”….. your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever increasing…”
Increase that Apostle Paul is talking about here is not increase in money, promotion or property but ‘increase in love’, isn’t this awesome? The more we get closer to God, the more we grow in faith, the more we should also love one another – there should be no room for enmity, animosity hostility or hatred, we got to strive hard to live peacefully with all. Romans 12:18”If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Easier said than done, I do know the complexity that goes with it; however, we should understand that when God says ‘love one another’, then He will also supply the necessary ‘love’ to do this. John 15:5, “…apart from Jesus we can do nothing.” Anybody listening to me?
I preached about ‘change and love’ this morning in our school assembly, because there are lot of kids hurting out there because of alcoholic fathers, poverty and a lot more. I could see deep hurt in the eyes of some kids as I was preaching. One particular muslim boy was doing very bad in his exams and also not doing his homework, since I knew about his abusive father and the violence that is happening in his home, I was dealing softly with him. One day when I lovingly questioned him, he broke down and cried and was willing even to join my hostel; however, I was speaking about him moving forward in life without holding a grudge against anyone. The book of Ephesians is an awesome book to read for people who need deliverance from pain and hurts, Ephesians 1:7 says, “in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”
I was carrying a gigantic baggage full of hurts, pain and bitterness for several years in my life as I was the eldest daughter of my family, I was carrying huge responsibilities on my shoulders too. I was far away from God , trying to make it in life with my muscle power and God did allow me to succeed for a while; however, in the year 1999 He came into my life while I was bedridden with serious complications in my health. He set me free with His love! (Click weblink:
https://worshipjesusministriestrust.org/aboutus.php
to read my testimony)
Peter talks about INCREASE in other areas as well, read:
2 Peter 1:5 “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The above scriptures are a MUST for all of us this new year, are you listening? Read it, before you continue with the message, we should increase in faith, morality, knowledge , self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. When we gradually grow in the above qualities then we would never fall. Say Amen. I am talking to people who desire increase in their walk with God. During my initial days of salvation, on my birthday, the pastor asked me what should he pray for, I asked him with tears in my eyes , “I want to spend the entire night in prayer”, I was weak in that area but subsequently I started spending one whole night with Jesus on a monthly basis.
People are absolutely content with where they are spiritually and who they are as a person but the greed for money and materialistic desire is sky high; as we scroll down and read verse 9, we read a warning, “For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.”
Friend, compare your Bible reading with last year and make every effort to increase in this area, check out your fasting schedule too, only through fasting and prayer can we get the strength to grow spiritually.
