The simple way to please God is to walk in the Spirit and the simple way to walk in the Spirit is to know the Word. To please God, we must abstain from fornication:
God wants you to be holy. He wants you to stay away from sexual sins. God wants each one of you to learn to control your own body. Use your body in a way that is holy and that gives honor to God. Don’t let your sexual desires control you like the people who don’t know God. Never wrong any of your fellow believers or cheat them in this way. The Lord will punish those who do that. We have already told you this and warned you about it. God chose us to be holy. He does not want us to live in sin. So anyone who refuses to obey this teaching is refusing to obey God, not us. And God is the one who gives you his Holy Spirit (ERV, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-10).
Secondly, God wants us to avoid evil company. Contrary to the divine injunction, the Israelites were unequally yoked together with the heathens and God was angry with them. Today, God still feels the same way when His children team up or associate with evil companies.
There is a need for us to avoid evil company. Some believers have bad friends who corrupt their good manners. There's a time to review any relationship. There are relationships we can't "Keep in View" (KIV) but must be put away (PA). We must be heavenly-minded people not earthly-minded people. Earthly-minded people are enemies of the cross.
Again, we must learn to bring our body to control (1 Thessalonians 4:4). We must discriminate the things we hear because they will affect us. Our lives must be different from that of the unbelievers. Believers must avoid areas of temptation. The devil wants to rob God of His pleasure from our lives. Therefore, we must never give him a chance. I want to encourage you to allow God to enjoy your life. Remember that when God is enjoying a man's life His eyes will never be away from him.
A case study of a man who walked to please God is Joseph (Genesis 39). Joseph's brothers thought they had Joseph in their hands but not knowing that Joseph was in the hand of God. They sold him into what they thought was slavery in Egypt but Joseph's life was following a divine chart.
Arguably, there must have been something in Joseph that drew God to him. The secret was his sanctification. Joseph had what Samson lacked. Joseph suffered in Potiphar's house for God but his manner was different. Joseph was an upright and diligent man. Joseph was tested and trustworthy—he was a man of integrity.
Joseph was not ruled by the flesh. Joseph was on his way to a true enjoyment but the devil brought him a momentary pleasure. He did not take advantage of Potiphar's wife to make progress. So, to please God, don't try to take advantage of people around you to make progress. God has His own way of taking you to the top.
Prophetic Word: "Sometimes we listen to the devil rather than the Holy Spirit."
*This message was preached by Pastor Toni Ogobegwu on October 30 and November 6, 2005.
There is a need for us to avoid evil company. Some believers have bad friends who corrupt their good manners. There's a time to review any relationship. There are relationships we can't "Keep in View" (KIV) but must be put away (PA). We must be heavenly-minded people not earthly-minded people. Earthly-minded people are enemies of the cross.
Again, we must learn to bring our body to control (1 Thessalonians 4:4). We must discriminate the things we hear because they will affect us. Our lives must be different from that of the unbelievers. Believers must avoid areas of temptation. The devil wants to rob God of His pleasure from our lives. Therefore, we must never give him a chance. I want to encourage you to allow God to enjoy your life. Remember that when God is enjoying a man's life His eyes will never be away from him.
A case study of a man who walked to please God is Joseph (Genesis 39). Joseph's brothers thought they had Joseph in their hands but not knowing that Joseph was in the hand of God. They sold him into what they thought was slavery in Egypt but Joseph's life was following a divine chart.
Arguably, there must have been something in Joseph that drew God to him. The secret was his sanctification. Joseph had what Samson lacked. Joseph suffered in Potiphar's house for God but his manner was different. Joseph was an upright and diligent man. Joseph was tested and trustworthy—he was a man of integrity.
Joseph was not ruled by the flesh. Joseph was on his way to a true enjoyment but the devil brought him a momentary pleasure. He did not take advantage of Potiphar's wife to make progress. So, to please God, don't try to take advantage of people around you to make progress. God has His own way of taking you to the top.
Prophetic Word: "Sometimes we listen to the devil rather than the Holy Spirit."
*This message was preached by Pastor Toni Ogobegwu on October 30 and November 6, 2005.
