Emmanuel Okoro (aka MrLift)

Restraint and regulated  "Everyone who commits (practices) sin is guilty of lawlessness; for [that is what] sin is, lawlessness (the breaking, violating of God 's law by transgression or neglect - being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will)." (1John.3.4 1AMP) Sin is a lawlessness, unrestrained or unregulated, boundary-less lifestyle. The wise writer of the book of Hebrews in one instance stated that we have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin "You have not yet struggled and fought agonizingly against sin, nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring out your [own] blood. (Heb.12.4 AMP) So you see that when we indulge it is because we want to, especially if you are a believer. The Bible in Roman tells us that sin has no dominion over us.  "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Rom.6.14)  James, the Apostle says if we are tempted it is only because we lust. Tha...

Everyone who has this hope "And everyone who has this hope [resting] on Him cleanses (purifies) himself just as He is pure (chaste, undefiled, guiltless)." (1John.3.3 AMP) Hope is a beautiful thing. Without it, many a life are lost and forgotten. With it, the darkest nights are braced and the saddest days overcome. Without hope your faith won't work because faith needs hope to bring into reality. Faith gives hope substance. And everyone who has the hope of manifesting sonship purifies himself or herself.  How do you purify yourself?  "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word," (Eph.5.26)  By the washing of the water of the word of God. Keep taking in God's word and practicing God's word.  "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (John.17.17)  The word of God has consecrating properties. And the more of it you practice, the more consecrated you become. It is the consecrating truth  "Make them ...

When we see Him we shall be like him  "Beloved, we are [even here and] now God 's children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God 's children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is." (1John.1.2 AMP) When we see Him we shall be like Him. If being like Him is premised on seeing Him, then seeing Him should be our number one objective. How we see and what we see in life matters a lot. What are you seeing?  "GOD's Message came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?" I said, "A walking stick--that's all."  And GOD said, "Good eyes! I'm sticking with you. I'll make every word I give you come true." (Jer.1.11 - 12 MSB) When God saw what Jeremiah saw, He stuck with him. The reason some people do not see God manifested in their lives is that they are not seeing as God is seeing. Do you have good eyes? Good...

We're surnamed God  "See what [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him. (1John.3.1AMP) I have called you by thy name, you are mine is the way the Prophet Isaiah communicated this truth. John tells us that because of the incredible quality of love the Father has shown us, we are permitted to be named as children of God. If we are children of God, then we are surnamed God.  "But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine." (Isa.43.1)  You are surnamed God. John tells us that we are the children of God. And as children of God, we are called after the name of our Father. We are adopted into t...

The Holy Spirit your teacher " I've written to warn you about those who are trying to deceive you. But they're no match for what is embedded deeply within you--Christ's anointing, no less! You don't need any of their so-called teaching. Christ's anointing teaches you the truth on everything you need to know about yourself and him, uncontaminated by a single lie. Live deeply in what you were taught. (1John.2.26 - 27 MSB) It appears that the Apostle John contrasts the false teachers and the Holy Spirit in our text. He says I have written to you to warn you about those who are out to deceive you. Another translation uses the word seduce in place of deceive as seen in our text.  That tells you that the devil through his agents will try to miseducate you. To do this, he will always want you to question what God has told you. Don't fall for his tricks.  As capable a deceiver as he is, our text says he is no match for what is embedded deeply within you, that is ou...

How to live forever "And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever. (1John.2.17 NLT) Nothing they say lasts forever but the Bible shows us how to live forever.  Our text tells us that this world is fading away along with everything it craves. It paints a picture of the systems of men, the sensual gratification and greedy longings of the mind, and the assurance in one's own resources or the stability of earthly things.  "For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one's own resources or in the stability of earthly things] - these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself]. (1John.2.16 AMP) Contrast this verse with what the Lord does. The Bible says whatever the Lord does shall be forever.  "I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for eve...

Love not the world  "Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world--wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important--has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him." (1John.2.15-16 MSB) Every person has a culture, a way that people carry out and relate to themselves and the world around them. This is also true for the early believers. Little wonder they were called Christians - people whose way of doing was as those of the Master Jesus Christ himself The world around us, the world in which we live has its ways and means of doing things. This world's way of doing things is contradictory to those people who have made Christ Jesus their Lord and Saviour. So the Bible instructs us to not love the world - that is, to not love the way the world does things. Our text says love for the world squeezes...

knowing God  "Here's how we can be sure that we know God in the right way: Keep his commandments. (1John.2.3 MSB) Knowing God has become much easier compared to before. And by before I mean before the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Why is this?  When Jesus died the curtain that separated us from the very presence of God was torn from the top to the bottom. Top to bottom signifying no man could have done it.  Jesus told us in John's gospel that any man who loves the Father will keep the Father's commandment.  "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." (John.14.21)  And this is what our text reaffirms. It says that the way you know you know God is by keeping His commandments. And this commandment that He speaks of is found in John:13:34.  "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved y...

Jesus is the answer to the sin problem  "When he served as a sacrifice for our sins, he solved the sin problem for good--not only ours, but the whole world's". (1John.1.2 MSB) When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, the sin passed through them to all men. And so the Bible recorded that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Rom.5.12)  But that was just the beginning of the story. Sin entered the world, and death came as a result of sin. It appears that mankind was doomed.  But Jesus came and served the punishment for sin and in so doing, He solved the sin problem for good. Now mankind has access once again to the Father. Now everything the Father has for us is at our disposal. Now we can reign by Jesus Christ and receive the abundance that God has for us.  "For if by one man's offence death reigned b...

The way to see and hear "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." (1 John.1.3)  The way to see and hear is to fellowship and the way to fellowship is to see and hear the Father and the Son Jesus Christ. Many a time, most people do not know what it means to fellowship with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ. John the Beloved showed us in this passage.  He says it is to see and hear the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. How do we see and hear them? By staying in fellowship - that is studying the word of God, praying, and worshipping both in private and with the brethren. When you study the word of God, that is God speaking to you. God will never tell you anything that His written word- the Bible cannot confirm. Jesus teaches us that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word is established.  For example, we see in  Psa:103 th...

Let the word shape your life "The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. (1John.1.2 MSB) The word of God is a living, breathing, and powerful entity. We know this because Hebrews 4:12 tells us. And this word of God interacted with everyone it came in contact with. For those who dared to believe the word as truly the word of God, that word worked effectually for them.  "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." (1Thess.2.13)  In other words, the word changed their lives. The word fleshed out the skinny bones, straightened out the crooked ways of men, tamed the loosed lips of others, and brought healt...

God's not slack concerning his promise  "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2Pet.3.9)  God is ever faithful and as our text says He is never slack concerning his promises. If God says it, be rest assured that He will make it good.  A lot is dependent on the church of God regarding the return of the Lord. Remember he said that it is only after this gospel of the kingdom has been preached to all nations, then only will the end of all things comes. So God is waiting for you and I to do our part of propagating the gospel of the kingdom.  Why?  Because He is not willing that any should perish. He is long-suffering toward us. He is giving one more chance to everyone who has not either heard the gospel or hasn't responded to it. So this is not on God. If anything, He is counting on you.  God wants all to come to repe...

Stir up your pure mind "This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance" (2Pet.3.1)  Your mind is a powerful tool. What you feed your mind determines what it reproduces back to you but most especially what you allow your mind to dwell on will determine the trajectory of your life.  Your mind is like a storage where good, bad, and ugly thoughts go through when they go in through the different gates - the eye gate, the ear gate, etc. But what you allow to remain in your mind will determine how you will act. Little wonder the Apostle Paul says to "renew our mind".  In our text, the Apostle Peter says his assignment in his second epistle is to stir up your pure mind. For a pure mind to be stirred up it must first have existed. You have the mind of Christ the Bible tells us so. You are not going to get it, you already have it.  "For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we...

Surviving dark times "We couldn't be more sure of what we saw and heard--God's glory, God's voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You'll do well to keep focusing on it. It's the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. (2Pet.1.19 MSB) The Psalmist tells us that God's word is a lamp to our feet and light to our path.  "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Ps.119.105)  So even when the times we are in seem to get darker and darker, the one sure pointer to seeing the glory of God and hearing the voice of God is to keep focusing on the prophetic Word of God.  Our text says the way to surviving dark times is to stay constantly focused on the prophetic Word of God. It says the word of God is the light that lights your path in dark times. Do not see your pain, do not see your situation, do not see your debilitating circumstances...see the Word.  Light is...

Constant reminder "Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance" (2Pet.1.12-13)  There is what the Apostle Peter referred to as "the present truth". John the Beloved talked about this in the book of Revelation and referred to it as "What the Spirit is saying". As against what the spirit has said.  One must be established in the present truth. This will only happen when one is in constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit. One will be constantly updated with what the Spirit is saying. If Abraham had lived based on what God had said and not what God was saying he would have sacrificed his son Isaac instead of the ram caught in the ticket (see Grn:22) This Present truth is not some new 'rev' in that sense. We know this because Peter says his audience al...

Move from called to chosen "So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Doing this, you will never stumble or fall away." (2Pet.1.10 NLT) Jesus told us that many are called but few are chosen.  "For many are called (invited and summoned), but few are chosen." (Matt.22.14 AMP)  Indeed, everyone who has received Jesus Christ as Lord and saviour in one sense has a call upon their lives. If nothing, we are all called to the ministry of reconciliation.  "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation" (2Cor.5.18)  But here in our text, the Apostle Peter speaking to "brothers and sisters" says to them, "Work hard to prove that you are really called and chosen".  This further strengthens the argument that we are all called but the chosen are therefore those who have worked hard and proven their cal...

Keep the grass from growing under your feet "With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus." (2Pet.1.8 MSB) A lot of people have allowed grass to grow under their feet. They have become idle, inactive, and as the Prophet Amos would say it, have become at ease in Zion.  "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!" (Amos.6.1)  One thing that leads to mastery is the constant use of one's gift. When "you don't use it you lose it" is one lesson we can take away from the parable of talent. The servant who was given one talent refused to use it. And in the end, he lost it.  So our text says we should not allow grass to grow under our feet, in other words, be active using your gifts and talents. Do not stay idle, be activ...

For this reason, grow...  "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; (2Pet.1.5 NIV) Take advantage of every opportunity to grow. Life will not always be a smooth ride, sometime it will throw you a curve ball. That is one more reason to grow. David said it this way:" Is there not a cause" "And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?" (1Sam.17.29)  Our text says... "For this very reason". Whatever the reason is. Yes, this very reason is reason enough to grow. Never a wrong reason to grow, never a bad reason to grow. As long as it leads to growth please embrace it with your "full chest' as we say in local parlance.  And then it says," Make every effort to add to... When you add to it, it means growth is taking place. So do not just have faith... Add goodness to your faith. And to goodness, it says to add knowledge.  When all of these are taking place, growth is taking ...

Great and precious promises "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2Pet.1.4 KJV) God called Abraham and gave him promises and told him that his children would go into slavery for 400 years. After which they will come out with great substance "And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance." (Gen.15.13 - 14) Imagine a promise that requires one going through slavery to get to its fulfilment. But God is not unwise.  God also gave us great and precious promises. And that by these great and precious promises, we might be partakers of God's divine nature. Just as Abraham's desc...

He has given us everything "As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness!" (2Pet.1.3 NLT) It appears as though the text is saying that the more or the better we know Jesus, then will his divine give us everything we need. But what it is saying is that the better we know Jesus the more we experience all His divine power has provided for us. His death, burial, and resurrection have secured for us everything we will need to live godly lives. But the more of Him we know, the more of Him we will experience.  John. 3.3 tells us that if a man is born again he will see the kingdom of God. The word see implies experience. So if one is born again, one will experience the kingdom of God.  "Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of ...

Multiplied peace through knowledge "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord," (2Pet.1.2)  Multiplication is fundamental to learning maths. You will learn quickly that multiplication is an advanced form of addition. If two plus two makes four and two times two also makes four, you would think that addition and multiplication are the same until you go further. Two plus three makes five but two times three equals six and the further you go the more obvious it becomes.  Our text says grace - the unmerited favour of God - and peace - the quietness and tranquility during the storm multiplied through knowledge. Just like on the surface addition and multiplication looks alike but the deeper you go in God, the more of God's grace and peace you will experience through the knowledge of Him.  When you know God more, it is not that situations will be any different for you but that your disposition to issues will not be based on the si...

A servant and an Apostle "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:" (2Pet.1.1)  It is interesting how Peter introduced himself. He says he is first a servant of Jesus Christ before he is an apostle of Jesus Christ. And this is instructive. For starters, it tells us where his heart is.  It shows us that he is not an apostle to lord it over others. He recognizes his servanthood.  It shows us that his apostleship is an office that he as a servant of Jesus Christ occupies. It shows us his disposition to leadership, a servant-leader. And this is what our Master advocates. He says if you want to be first, then be the servant of all.  "Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave" (Matt.20.26-27 NIV) Most people seek and crave titles to secure certain p...