GOD'S DISCIPLINE AND THE REASONS FOR IT 2

5 WITH my great strength and powerful arm I made the earth and all its people and every animal. I CAN GIVE THESE THINGS OF MINE TO ANYONE I CHOOSE.
6 Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control."
Jeremiah 27:5,6 (NLT)

• When God said put your neck under the yoke of someone or something, He has a plan of changing or transforming your life through the process.

• God must have seen that the path you are toeing would lead you no where, and it would be contrary to His plans for your life, before giving such an instruction.
• Your mistake or foolish act would be seen or discovered when you obeyed such an instruction of putting your neck under a particular yoke.
• In most cases, God might not tell a believer what or where he or she has gone wrong but only give the person a yoke to put his or her neck under.
  WHEN such a thing is done by God, asking you to put your neck under a yoke, It means you had missed it somewhere. He may not tell you that you had missed it, but asking you to put your neck under a particular yoke means you had missed it—He is not happy or agree with some things you are doing.
• There are two sides or ways to It:
  a. If you submissively obeyed, put your neck under the said yoke, He would cause your eyes to be opened to see where you had missed it; and guide you how to right your wrong.
  b. If you disagreed to put your neck under the yoke, that is when you would see the other side of Him; His annoyance and severe punishment—as it did happen to the Israelites.

• A genuine believer who had a good relationship with God would not be left rotten, to himself or herself, to live according to the dictates of the flesh.

• God wants a person or people that would be a model, or a pattern, or a sample to the whole world; on how He wanted those who are His to be:
  2 YOU ARE OUR EPISTLE WRITTEN IN OUR HEARTS, KNOWN AND READ BY ALL MEN; 3 CLEARLY YOU ARE AN EPISTLE OF CHRIST, MINISTERED BY US, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, NOT ON TABLETS OF STONE BUT [written] ON TABLETS OF FLESH, that is, OF THE HEART" (2 Corinthians 3:2,3 NKJV).
• If someone had given his or her life to Christ Jesus, God wanted such to live according to the principles of the Kingdom—the Bible.
  IT means a believer's life is a written epistle through which the people of the world could learn about God.
• As God adopted the Israelites as His people (Romans 9:4), He likewise has adopted everyone who comes to Him through Jesus Christ as His (Romans 8:23; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5).
• God is preparing us, the believers, for a place (John 14:2,3); New Jerusalem, a future Kingdom of His, where Jesus Christ would rule and reign (1 Corinthians 15:27,28; Philippians 3:20,21; Revelation 21:1-4).
• If you would want to reign with God in His eternal Kingdom, you have to abide by the principles given through His Word, the Bible—the principles which those who are His are to live by whilst on the earth.
• The future Kingdom being talked about is for those who's names are written or found in the Book of life:
  "NOTHING EVIL WILL BE ALLOWED TO ENTER [the new Jerusalem], NOR ANYONE WHO PRACTICES SHAMEFUL IDOLATRY AND DISHONESTY—BUT ONLY THOSE WHOSE NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN THE LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE" (Revelation 21:27 NKJV).
• There is a place for those who accepted Jesus as their Saviour and Lord and live their lives on earth according to His Word (John 14:2,3; 15:14; 17:24).
• You cannot afford to live like the people of the world If you claimed that you belong to Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 1 Peter 2:11).
• You should always remember that you, as a believer, are a sojourner, a resident alien, on the earth; thus, abstain from the evil system and practices of the world:
  11 BELOVED, I BEG YOU AS SOJOURNERS AND PILGRIMS, ABSTAIN FROM FLESHLY LUSTS WHICH WAR AGAINST THE SOUL, 12 HAVING YOUR CONDUCT HONOURABLE AMONG THE GENTILES, that when they speak against you as evildoers, THEY MAY, BY YOUR GOOD WORKS WHICH THEY OBSERVE, GLORIFY GOD IN THE DAY OF VISITATION" (1 Peter 2:11,12 NKJV).
• If you forgot who you are, that you are a candidate of the heavenly Kingdom, the Eternal Kingdom of God; you would begin to soil your garment with Sins.

• Let heaven be your focus. Cooperate with God and let Him work on you to be the person He wanted you to be (Colossians 3:1,2).

• Let God discipline and correct you, and do whatever the needful in your life to be a good representative of His Kingdom on Earth:
  1 IF THEN YOU WERE RAISED WITH CHRIST, SEEK THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE, where Christ is, SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. 2 SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON THINGS ON THE EARTH. 3 FOR YOU DIED, AND YOUR LIFE IS HIDDEN WITH CHRIST IN GOD. 4 WHEN CHRIST WHO IS OUR LIFE APPEARS, THEN YOU ALSO WILL APPEAR WITH HIM IN GLORY" (Colossians 3:1-4 (NKJV)

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.

• Should there be any ailment in your body, I declare your healing now in Jesus' name.
• Whatever in your body, working against your health and wellness, such is rebuked and rooted up in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
  Peace!

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. Ask that He will write your name in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

• If you took the steps As highlighted above, 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!