Add and Add

Tuesday 3 November
READ: II Pet. 1:1-9
MORE LESSON: Mk. 9:23-24

It is challenging to hear Apostle Peter urge fellow believers (pastors and congregations) to live a dynamic and ever growing Christian life. The apostle said that as believers the knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ has already been given to us; …all things that pertain unto life and godliness….: II Pet. 1:3 plus …exceeding great and precious promises….: II Pet. 1:4. However, we still need some other things to add in order to be able to stand solid so that we cannot fail or fall. He outlined such things as follows: …add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity: II Pet. 1:5-7.

Three things are the challenge in this scripture passage. First, I thought we are complete if we have already been obtained with the precious faith through Jesus Christ our Saviour. This means we are already born again and on top of it, we have been given, …all things that pertain unto life and godliness and have been … called us to glory and virtue II Pet. 1:3. Therefore, there is nothing to add. Second, the things the apostle asked us to add other things to are things that look sufficient in themselves: faith, virtue, temperance, patience, knowledge, godliness, kindness, charity. In any case, the apostle did not say we do not have some of these things already, but that we must add to them. Third, all the increases have already …escaped the corruption that is in the world II Pet. 1:4.

So, what then is the lesson? It is that whatever be your height in the Christian faith, you cannot afford to stop adding. The secret of increase and growth is addition; no matter how small, just keep adding consistently and permanently. When you stop adding, you stop growing and start reducing. Even stagnancy is a reduction. May you increase more and more. This year you will not decrease; the Lord shall be your increase.

Prayer/Action
*Ask God to reveal all the small areas of your life to you and add to them.
*Pray that you will never stop increasing.
*Ask the Lord to increase every area of strength and deal with every deficiency in your life.
--Take a definite decision on what you can begin to do to increase your faith. For instance, how many books to read per week, how many hours of prayer to add each week, how many souls to harvest each day and how to intercede for them daily.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
This month, I shall be saved from all my enemies and they that hate me, in the name of Jesus.