“If a kingdom is divided against itself that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself that house cannot stand” - Mark 3: 23-24 (NIV).
During the American civil war once the union President Abraham Lincoln from the North gave a famous speech drawing from this verse. After 80 years of existence the young nation was dismembering into North and South republics. President Lincoln urged his countrymen to put down their guns and come together to build a united country. Ultimately the North will win over the South and 80 years later the US was the greatest nation on earth.
The reference to a “divided house” is quite meaningful to believers. There are those believers who hold that God on occasion holds back His own people because of some past misdeeds, including those not of their own, in spite of their salvation in Christ. Here to some it may mean the atonement of Christ for their sins was not sufficient.
But then “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood - to be received by faith” (Romans 3:25) writes the Apostle Paul. “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4: 25).
As believers we have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ for all our past, present and future sins. “Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before in love. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:4-5, ESV).
Satan attacks Christians because he is united to bring them down. For us believers we need to be reminded that God too desires of us to be of one house to bring down Satan’s kingdom. God is not about causing divisions among his people. That is the work of Satan. It is not God holding us down for it is his wish that we should all prosper (Jeremiah 29:11).
Today go out firm in the belief that as a forgiven child of God He wants the best for you. It is the work of the enemy to cause divisions, doubts and confusion. Don’t allow him to do that!
Prayer for today: Lord Father in heaven today I pray in the humble name of Jesus that I know because of your blood I am forgiven to go out united in Christ to do good works.
Related upcoming events
-
06/05/2024 - 07/05/2024 All day“Do not confirm to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2)
Almost all cultivators are aware that if soils are used perpetually without rains but constantly under work they are deprived of all nutrients. So, though once productive, they lose all power to yield fresh crops as before. But so is our Christian life when we do not regularly feed our spirit life with the Word!
In our leading verse, the Apostle Paul is urging believers to “renew” their minds rather than make them stale, lest they end up losing all power to yield fruit. But how is this done? We renew our minds by constantly reading the Word of God, for there are always insights with God speaking to us afresh. Psalm 119:104-5 says, “I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” The Apostle Peter reminds us, “Like newborn babies hungry for milk, you should want the pure teaching that feeds your spirit. With it you can grow and be saved.” It is a beautiful illustration for any who have seen a hungry baby sucking the teats of a mother.
Renewing our minds is also by reading about the lives of people of faith who have walked before us and their created works. The Christian faith started in the first century after Jesus was crucified and resurrected from the dead. Now over two millenniums it has produced giants of faith who have shared their walk with God through inspired teachings that are a treasure to dig into. By scouring the writings of the great saints before us, listening to their recorded sermons, songs and preaching, which these days can be found on virtual medial channels like Yu tube, reading their biographies, our faith is renewed.
And then we also renew our faith through fellowship. When the Apostle Paul urges us, “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” ( Hebrews 10:25), he is reminding us that our faith cannot grow in isolation. During the Covid pandemic lockdown one bitter issue was denying Believers opportunity to meet fellow followers of Christ to share testimonies showing the work of God in their lives.
So today, if your faith is on a low keel, or you want it to flower, one thing you can’t help doing without is “renewing” your mind. The blessings to unfold are endless.
Prayer for today:Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, what a treasure we have of your rich Word to dig into always; books around us of faith to inspire us; and believers to share our faith- may we make use of these, this I pray in Jesus’ name.
