[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”no” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=””][fusion_imageframe image_id=”18353″ max_width=”” style_type=”none” stylecolor=”” hover_type=”none” bordersize=”15″ bordercolor=”” borderradius=”10px” align=”right” lightbox=”yes” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”http://highcity.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/8-Things-that-will-Make-Anybody-Fruitful-and-Productive.jpg” alt=”” link=”” linktarget=”_self” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””]http://highcity.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/8-Things-that-will-Make-Anybody-Fruitful-and-Productive-300×300.jpg[/fusion_imageframe][fusion_text][2 Peter 1:1-9 KJV] “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: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 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. And beside this, giving all diligence, 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. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins”.
I have done an exposition on this text before but I believe the Lord wants me to do it again. In this week, you must overcome barrenness and fruitlessness. We are called to bear fruits and we must be fruitful.
When we come to believe, four things take place;
- We obtain precious faith through the righteousness of God and Jesus Christ.
- His divine power gives us all things that pertain to life and godliness: we have it.
- We receive exceeding great and precious promises by which we can partake of the divine if we have escaped the corruption in the world through lust.
But many of us still remain unfruitful and will remain unprodutive because we have not added the eight (8) things that will make us fruitful and productive. You can have precious faith; you can have all things that pertains to life and godliness; you can know and have all the precious promises but as long as you refuse to crave and add these eight (8) things, you will remain unfruitful and barren.
These 8 things are the essential nutrients and oils for a healthy productive and fruitful life. These are the things we need if we truely want to be fruitful and productive in our knowledge;
- Faith
- Virtue
- Knowledge
- Temperance
- Patience
- Godliness
- Brotherly kindness
- Charity
The Scriptures is clear on this. We know that if these things be in us and abound we will not be fruitless nor barren. If you lack any of these things, you will not have victory over barrenness.
[Hebrews 6:12 KJV] “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises”.
We know that it takes virtue, faith and patience to inherit the exceeding and great promises. These are the productivity vitamins. These are the things that will help us to be fruitful and productive in our knowledge of Christ.
Faith:
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. You must spend time soaking in the messages of your pastor and shepherd. God in His infinite wisdom gave some apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors and teachers. There is a gift given you, and you must receive and honour that gift. Faith is not for casual browsers but deep soakers. My pastors and missionaries around the world who don’t listen to my podcasts often don’t get much results. We are one flock, one shepherd, hence the need to listen to the voice from HighCity.
Virtue:
Virtue is thinking and doing what is right; avoiding wrong. Showing a high quality moral excellence.
Knowledge
Knowledge is the awareness, understanding, or information that has been obtained by experience or study, and that is either in a person’s mind or possessed by people generally. Isaiah 33:6 states that “wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of the times”.
Temperance:
In English, temperance was used to render the Latin word continentia or abstinentia, specifically in reference to drinking alcohol and eating. Hence by early 1800s it came to mean “abstinence from alcoholic drink.” Temperance means sobriety and voluntary self control.
Patience
Patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious. Indeed, “be anxious for nothing; in all things by prayer and supplication and thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God”.
Godliness
Godliness is that quality of obeying God. Godliness is no static word, it is active, continual obedience that springs from a reverent awe of God.
Brotherly kindness
Brotherly kindness is the showing of mercy and compassion towards one because you can relate or empathise. A supreme example of brotherly kindness is in the story of the Samaritan and the wounded man. The wounded man may not be needy but was in need at that time.
Charity
Charity is generosity and helpfulness especially toward the needy or suffering. Also generosity and helpfulness especially toward the needy or suffering.
The difference between charity and brotherly kindness is that in charity you do it for the needy but in brotherly kindness, you do it for a brother.
Stay blessed; I love you!
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Further Reading;
- The Art of Following – Part 2 – [Audio]
- 3 Things That will Help You to Possess the Precious Promises of God.
- Grace Grows as You Grow in Your Knowledge of God
- Maximising the grace to Double!
- 3 Steps to be Saved and Empowered for Productive Living
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