Christly Living
SECRETS TO LONGEVITY I
Memorise:
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; .. Ecclesiastes 3:7
Read:
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Message
I am 84 years old, I have been born again for 53 years, and by God's grace, I have been the General Overseer of RCCG for 45 years. To the glory of God, I am still working tirelessly for my Daddy even at my age. I have remained a strong Christian, and the church has continued to grow by God's grace. Over the next few days, I will share some secrets about longevity with you and tell you how to remain on God's path for your life without going astray.
The first secret to longevity is knowing when to hide, when to fight, and when to run. Many Christians think that because they are in Christ, they never have to hide; after all, the One with all power is backing them up. This is why many believers have not stayed on the path that God has set before them and have ended their race prematurely. In 1 Kings 17:1, after Elijah told the king that there would be no rain until he commands it, it was God Himself who told him to go and hide. There will always be a time to hide if you are going to last long. Elijah had proclaimed himself as the only one who could bring the rain back, so naturally, I believe that there would have been a lot of pressure on him to command the rain to return. Therefore, rather than facing that pressure, he had to go into hiding.
Whenever you notice that there will be pressure on you to say certain things or take some actions prematurely or without specific instruction from God, you should go into hiding. For instance, no matter how pressured I feel to speak before elections in Nigeria or when something significant happens, I always keep silent if God has not yet spoken. This is why people still want to hear what I have to say after all these years, because they know that it will be from God.
Another time to hide is when brethren try to fight you. God never supports Christians fighting each other; rather, we are to love one another, which is what differentiates us from unbelievers (John 13:34-35). Therefore, to ensure that you do not get into fights with brethren who are trying to pick fights with you, don't respond to them; rather, go into hiding. May God give you the wisdom to hide yourself when required so that you can stay the course and fulfil His perfect will for your life.
Bible In One Year:
1 Chronicles 17-19
Hymn:
Rock Of Ages, Cleft For Me
Prayer Point:
Father, please give me the wisdom to know when to hide.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me