Revelation of the Word
Revelation of the Word 15/06/2018 Admin
THEME: CORRUPTION
Acts 13:36-38
”For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;”
INSIGHT
-King David served his own generation in doing the will of God & led the people in many wars & gained many victories. God blessed him & his descendants directly through his son Solomon who also became a great king & his reign was filled with peace. But King David in human nature died in the decrees of God & his body in corruption was reduced to dust. Through the root of David; God raised His own Son who never saw corruption & through Him we will be put on incorruption & immortality through eternal life in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 15:53-54).
SUMMARY
-Corruption in Hebrew is written as mishchath & it means decadence, degradation, decay, perversion, bribery, fraud & manipulation. Corruption is often referred to as embezzlement of public funds by a person(s) in authority or bribery for personal gain & general moral decadence according to the the word of God. Corruption can be sighted for the first time in Genesis 6 where all the people were violent & immoral except Noah & his family (Gen 6:11-12). God had initially looked at the earth & saw that everything was good & Noah lived a separated life given that he was a just man & walked with God. God then instructed Noah to build an ark which represented His divine protection & having one door, it was a symbol of salvation; through Christ who is the only Door to the Father/ eternal life. Noah is among those mentioned in Hebrews 11; for He had great faith in God having been divinely warned by God about destruction & obeyed by building the ark disregarding the cost & time duration it would take, thus considered righteous just like Abraham. Since righteousness is justification through faith in Christ Jesus, we are called to have firm faith in God our Protector, Provider, Deliverer & Savior that we may walk with Him in good works according to His will. King Saul & Achan were corrupt & never followed the will of God. King Saul was instructed by God through Samuel to attack the Amalekites & destroy everything but he spared king Agag & the best of their flock (1 Sam 15:9). He was entrusted by God & the people, holding the highest public office in Israel, he displayed a sense of corruption & was rejected as king. David was thereafter anointed king of Israel after his death. Likewise Achan coveted the beautiful Babylonian garments, silver & gold, took them for himself & buried them close to his tent, after the destruction of the wall of Jericho & Israelites conquest. This angered the Lord & in judgement Joshua led the people in his execution by stoning him & all he had at the valley of Achor (Jos 7:18-25). Achan & Saul were therefore judged in condemnation; facing death as the consequence of their sin & Rahab received grace which is a gift from God in eternal life through His Son Christ Jesus (Rom 6:23). Jesus Himself is a model of how to conquer temptation when He was tempted three times & overcame (Mat 4:1-11). Jesus stood firm by the scripture in perfect knowledge of the will of the Father & His assignment to save the world from sin & such corruption. Most often we are faced by such temptations which revolve around riches, lust, pleasure, authority & power; which bring about idolatry & corruption of the world into our hearts & societies. We are reminded that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses & ought to lay aside every weight & sin that easily ensnares us & look unto Jesus the author & finisher of our faith so that we may have the strength to preserve & finish the race (Rom 12:1). Apostle Paul warns that evil company corrupts good morals thus calls us to be righteous & not to sin for some people we relate with do not know have the knowledge of God &may thus lead us astray (1 Cor 15:33-34). It is therefore a call to surround ourselves with people who exhibit good moral conduct, those with the capacity to make proper decisions without compromise, those who have a high sense of integrity & would rather say no than take or give bribes, those who encourage us everyday giving us hope to achieve the best of our abilities & most importantly those who keep watch not to defile themselves with sin. Peer influence has been sighted as one of the most common causes of social vices in all age groups. Corrupt peers therefore have the ability to completely change ones moral character given time in mental processing & moral conviction for an accrued benefit. Corruption has blinded our eyes as a society & most men seek opportunities to get wealth without considering the well-being of the future generations & most importantly; the will of the Father in our lives & nation. God calls us to a new life of healing & reconciliation individually & as a nation saying, “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chr 7:14).
PRAYER
Father God You are the Alpha & Omega the Beginning & the End the First & the Last. We praise You Father of all creation & thank You for calling us to be Your people. Our nation is bleeding in corruption, save us Oh Lord. We humbly ask You to guide & direct our leaders so that they may be responsible for the wealth of the nation & utilise our resources properly; for the good of all. Father God there is corruption in our religious beliefs, churches, societies & homes; help us. Corruption in our hearts; cleanse us Father & purify us with Your precious blood Jesus. In a special way we thank You for the peace & tranquility we continue to enjoy in our country, all glory & praise belongs to You Lord. Amen
Blessed Weekend
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