Maintaining Your Glow - Pastor Ekpenyong

Matthew 5:14 TLB “You are the world's light-a city on a hill, glowing in the night for all to see.”

Something most remarkable happened at your new birth. You became one spirit with Christ Jesus and became the physical expression of the manifest Christ.

You who were once darkness in Christ have become light. You are now to shine as light.

Ephesians 5:8 AMP “For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [lead the lives of those native-born to the Light].”

It is very important that those who are light in a dark and dying world lead lives becoming as children of light.

Romans 12:11 RSV “Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord.”

Maintaining your glow requires that you are deliberate in your actions.

Ephesians 5:9 NLT “For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.”

The primary activity that ensures your glow is maintained is retaining your consciousness of your union in Him. For it is in Him we live, move and have our being.

Romans 13:14 Weymouth “On the contrary, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and ma.ke no provision for gratifying your earthly cravings.”

Being filled with the Spirit or being fervent in spirit is recognizable.

Ephesians 5:18-21 AMP 

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit. 

19 Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments] and making melody with all your heart to the Lord, 

20 At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. 

21 Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

We are to maintain a constant state and experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit. It’s a continual, ongoing action, not something that occurred once in the past.

If you're going to maintain the glow and stay filled with the Spirit, learn the importance of speaking to yourself in psalms and spiritual songs and of consecrating and dedicating your life to the Lord. When you do, it will be easy to maintain the glow and live a Spirit-filled life.

To maintain your glow consider these:

 1. Your love walk: Let your conduct be controlled by love.

Romans 13:10 TLB “Love does no wrong to anyone. That's why it fully satisfies all of God's requirements. It is the only law you need.”

Your love walk affects a great deal your glow as a Christian. What happens a lot of times is that believers get taken up with natural things, and that's where they dwell. Therefore, they don't take advantage of what already belongs to them as they should.

They don't take time to be nourished by their union in Christ by communing with the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. That's why we need to put spiritual things first.

All you need to do to grow in love is abide in Him and let Him abide in you through prayer and the Word and communion with Him. Then exercise the love that you have on the inside.

Romans 5:5 “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

Charity (Love in action)

Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven."

The love message is the power of the Gospel. It’s so simple: Love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself.

We often think we need someone to love us, but what we really need is someone to love. And the world is desperate for real love, so it isn’t hard to find someone who needs to be loved.

In John 13:34-35, Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves]”.

2. Humility:

1 Peter 5:5-6 AMP 

5 Likewise, you who are younger and of lesser rank, be subject to the elders (the ministers and spiritual guides of the church) — [giving them due respect and yielding to their counsel]. Clothe (apron) yourselves, all of you, with humility [as the garb of a servant, so that its covering cannot possibly be stripped from you, with freedom from pride and arrogance] toward one another. For God sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful) — [and He opposes, frustrates, and defeats them], but gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble. 

6 Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you.

The beauty of God is seen in those who functionally walk in humility.

We don’t fully realize how dangerous a haughty spirit is and how powerful humility is.

Pride is natural to us. It is insidious and yet hidden from our sight. 

People that have a problem with pride hardly ever admit that they have a problem with pride.

Pride is behind all lack of love and unforgiveness; all indifference to the needs of others, their feelings and their weaknesses.

The humble man feels no jealousy or envy. He can praise God when others are preferred and blessed before him.

He can bear to hear others praised and himself forgotten.

The humble person has learnt to acknowledge the workings of God and give Him glory for every accolade and trophy.

1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God [which was] with me.

Notice we are told to prefer one another. Instead of responding to the Lord and preferring one another, many Christians are in competition with one another.

3. Praying in the Holy Ghost:

Jude 20 AMP “But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit.”

Praying in other tongues is a great way to stay aglow because you’re building up yourself and keeping yourself edified and charged up as you would your phone battery.

4. Count it all joy in the  

James 1:2 AMP Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.”

Rejoice in faith and see the victory you have because the word is true.

Refuse to let anything tamper with your joy because it is your strength and vessel to access and fetch from the well of salvation.

You can thank God in the midst of any and all circumstances. That's how you count it all joy. It's easy to dance in church, but what about in the midst of a test or trial when no one else is around?

Get alone by yourself and dance for joy. 

You know when people are happy and full of joy, they dance and jump. We're not shouting and jumping to be seen of men, but to praise the Lord. That's counting the trial an occasion for joy

Isaiah 54:1-4 

1 "Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband," says the Lord. 

2 "Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense! 

3 For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities. 

4 "Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don't be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood.

You are to maintain this glow everyday. Doing the things we've shed light on daily will keep you aglow in spite of your feelings and situation.

It’s what you alone can do for yourself and by yourself.

You're no longer a victim subject to the dictates of your environment.

Get yourself so intoxicated as would a drunkard that every obstacle and mountain before you becomes a mole hill.

Stir up yourself right now. 

Make melody in your heart unto the LORD

When you get so intoxicated, you will not consider the clouds because the ditches will be filled with water.

Zechariah 4:7 ' Who [are] you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel [you shall become] a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"'"

Zechariah 4:9 " The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish [it.] Then you will know That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.

Zechariah 4:6 So he answered and said to me:  "This [is] the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ' Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts.

The key to overcoming the coming difficult days is to maintain your glow.

You're loved, BLESSED and celebrated!

I speak GRACE GRACE to your heart in Jesus name. Amen.

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