FLOURISH LIKE A PALM TREE 1

"BUT THE GODLY WILL FLOURISH LIKE PALM TREES And GROW STRONG LIKE THE CEDARS OF LEBANON."
Psalm 92:12 (NLT)

• Godliness leads to flourishing or blossoming.

• Someone who lives a godly life is compared to the palm trees. Palm trees do not wither or dry up or shrivel through every season of the year. It flourishes throughout the year.
• The Scripture says: "AND WITHOUT CONTROVERSY GREAT IS THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS" (1 Timothy 3:16 NKJV).
• The Greek word translated godliness in the Bible verse is "eusebeia", meaning; piety, or godliness, or holiness.
• Godliness or holiness should be a major characteristic of a Believer in Christ Jesus—for whoever would flourish or blossom.

• Godliness is one of the basic character elements which Apostle Peter says a believer in Christ Jesus should add to their faith: "BUT ALSO FOR THIS VERY REASON, GIVING ALL DILIGENCE, ADD TO YOUR FAITH VIRTUE, TO VIRTUE KNOWLEDGE, 6 . . . TO PERSEVERANCE GODLINESS, 7 to GODLINESS BROTHERLY KINDNESS . . . " (2 Peter 1:5-7 NKJV).

• If the basic character elements mentioned in the above Bible passage were found in your life, you would flourish: "FOR IF THESE THINGS ARE YOURS AND ABOUND, YOU WILL BE NEITHER BARREN NOR UNFRUITFUL IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST" (2 Peter 1:8 NKJV).
• However, a Believer who lacks the basic character elements mentioned in the Bible passage: "FOR HE WHO LACKS THESE THINGS IS SHORTSIGHTED, EVEN TO BLINDNESS, AND HAS FORGOTTEN THAT HE WAS CLEANSED FROM HIS OLD SINS" (2 Peter 1:9 NKJV).
• The person who compromises his or her stand in God, who put their hands in sins, are shortsighted—myopic.

• We are at the time in the church of Christ Jesus when loose living, immorality, and other vices, are considered the Norm (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

• It is a time that people, those who professed to be of Christ Jesus are: "HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS BUT DENYING ITS POWER. AND FROM SUCH TURN AWAY" (1 Timothy 3:5 NKJV).
• In other words, In the church today, you would see the people who looked like a Believer in Christ Jesus, a godly person, but the power of it, the evidences or proofs of being transformed, are not found in the their lives.
• The person professes to know God, but in works of righteousness and holiness, they denied Him: "SUCH PEOPLE CLAIM THEY KNOW GOD, BUT THEY DENY HIM BY THE WAY THEY LIVE. THEY ARE DETESTABLE AND DISOBEDIENT, WORTHLESS FOR DOING ANYTHING GOOD" (Titus 1:16 NLT).

• Are you godly?

• If you claimed to be a Believer in Christ Jesus and you still live in secret sin, you are undoing yourself.
• God honours the godly ones. Being godly means living your life in line with the principles of God found in the Bible.
  Being a doer of the Word of God, making the practice of the Word your priority (James 1:22-25).
• Godliness also means being Christlike in character—be like God in character (Ephesians 4:24; 5:1; 1 Peter 1:15,16).

• Living a godly life requires the paying of the price: "YES, AND EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO LIVE A GODLY LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS WILL SUFFER PERSECUTION" (2 Timothy 3:12 NLT).

• Although Godliness with contentment have a great gain, but persecutions would precede the gain (1 Timothy 3:12; 6:6).
• A believer who lives a godly life might have challenges or pressures but such would overcome.
  a. Joseph would not agree to defile himself through the seduction of Potiphar's wife, though he was jailed for the offence he did not commit, but it pays off (Genesis 39:7-20). He was rewarded, God brought to the fulfilment the dreams he had had over the years (Genesis 41:38-44).
  HE suffered but God honoured him for his integrity (1 Peter 4:12-14,19).
  b. Daniel and his friends also refused to compromised their faith in the heathen land, but he and his friends were caused to excel and be ten times better than all the Babylonians who were their contemporaries (Daniel 1:8,20).
• Living for God, in holiness, has a great gain (1 Timothy 6:6; 1 Peter 1:15,16). However, It takes determination to be different in the midst of the perverse generation—people.
• The world is perverse, and Sin has been made cheap, but no matter what, you can still keep yourself for God (Romans 11:4).
• The price of godliness is to subdue the flesh and not grant or satisfy whatever the flesh might be desiring or demanding for: "BUT PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND MAKE NO PROVISION FOR THE FLESH, TO FULFILL ITS LUSTS" (Romans 13:14 NKJV).
  READ: 2 Corinthians 7:1; Galatians 5:16

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.

• If you are sick in your body as you read this piece, I declare your healing now in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
• And whatever is not of God in your body that is working against your health is cursed and completely uprooted in Jesus' mighty name.
  Peace!
  TO BE CONTINUED

STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. As you took the steps A and B your name is written in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

• If you took the steps As highlighted above, congratulations, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!

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