MayJewel

THE WEEK’S NUGGET

Yesterday, during our Bible Study, a question stirred up quite a discussion:

👉🏽 Does God favour believers more than unbelievers?

At first, the answer may seem obvious: “Of course! We are God’s children.”

But then, Scripture makes us pause.

Jesus said that God “makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” — Matthew 5:45

So, if an unbeliever is prosperous, healthy, successful, or enjoying certain privileges, while a believer is struggling, does that mean God favours the unbeliever?

Or perhaps we have misunderstood what “God’s favour” really means.

🤔 Is God’s favour measured by what we have, what happens to us, or by our relationship with Him?

Let’s discuss.

Does God favour believers more than unbelievers? Why do you think so?

Please, let Discuss this.

Once Saved, Forever Saved?

Let's examine one of the key Scriptures often discussed.

The Bible says:

For those whom He foreknew He also predestined... (Romans 8:29)

If God foreknew and predestined those who belong to Him, can those whom He truly knows ultimately be lost?

This brings to mind the words of Jesus:

Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness. (Matthew 7:23)

Notice that Jesus did not say, "I knew you once." He said, "I never knew you."

The people He was speaking to were not atheists or idol worshippers. They were people within the religious community who prophesied, cast out demons, and performed mighty works in His name. Yet their lives were marked by lawlessness, and their works were not done in genuine submission to Christ.

This passage reminds us that outward religious activities...even miracles...are not proof of a saving relationship with Jesus. What matters is being truly known by Him.

This is an important text to consider whenever we discuss the question, "Once saved, forever saved?

Now, My question is, can those who He Knew be lost?

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THE WEEK'S NUGGET:

CAN YOU TRULY ASCEND THE HILL OF THE LORD?

"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity (an idol), nor sworn deceitfully. Psalm 24:3–4

This is one question that every believer must answer....not for someone else, but for himself.
Can I truly ascend the hill of the Lord?
In our generation, we are quick to examine our outward appearance, but slow to examine our inward condition. We measure spirituality by church attendance, titles, gifts, eloquence, influence, and miracles. God measures the heart.
A man may stand behind a pulpit and still not have a pure heart.
A woman may sing beautifully in the choir and still not have a pure heart.
A person may know the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation and still not have a pure heart.
One may pray for hours, fast for days, cast out demons, and yet have a heart polluted by bitterness, pride, envy, greed, deceit, or unforgiveness.
God is not impressed by what men applaud. He looks beyond our activities and searches the secrets of the heart.

The Psalmist also asks whether we have lifted our souls to an idol.
Many immediately think of carved images, shrines, or statues. But an idol is anything that occupies the place that belongs to God in our hearts, nything that makes us compromise truth, righteousness, and love.

An idol may not be made of wood or stone.
It may be pride.
It may be greed.
It may be envy.
It may be hatred.
It may be bitterness.
It may be unforgiveness.
It may be deceit.
It may be sycophancy.
It may be tribalism.
It may be partiality and injustice.
It may be the love of money.
It may be the desire for fame.
It may even be loyalty to men above loyalty to Christ.

Whenever we sacrifice truth to protect our favourite personalities, our tribe, our denomination, or our personal interests, we have lifted our hearts to an idol.
If we see what is true but deny it because of prejudice or personal bias, calling black white and white black, are we walking in truth?
If we secretly rejoice when another believer falls, or work against another person's progress because we dislike them, are our hands really clean?
If we preach love but harbour malice, what does our Christianity become?
If we confess one Lord but are divided by hatred, jealousy, competition, and selfish ambition, are we reflecting the Christ we claim to follow?

As I look around today, I find myself asking again:
Who truly will ascend the hill of the Lord?
We live in a time when the Church must continually test every doctrine by the Word of God. Whenever we exchange God's truth for human ideas, or elevate tradition above Scripture, we drift from the purity God desires.
Whenever our loyalty to personalities becomes greater than our loyalty to Christ, our hearts need examination.

The greatest danger to the Church has never been persecution from outside. It has always been corruption from within the heart.
Jesus gave one of the most sobering warnings in Scripture:
"Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven..." (Matthew 7:21–23)
Those Jesus spoke of called Him "Lord." They prophesied. They cast out demons. They performed mighty works in His name. They appeared successful in ministry and were convinced they belonged to Him.
Yet Jesus declared,
"I never knew you."
Their problem was not a lack of religious activity.
Their problem was that while their hands were busy with ministry, their hearts remained far from God.

Christianity is not merely attending church.
It is not merely quoting Scripture.
It is not merely performing miracles.
It is not merely bearing a ministerial title.
It is Christ being formed in us.
Before we examine the hearts of others, let us first bring our own hearts before God.
Before we expose another person's sin, let us ask God to expose ours.

Before we condemn another ministry, let us allow the Holy Spirit to search our motives.
David did not pray, "Lord, search my neighbour."
He prayed,
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23–24)
The hill of the Lord is not climbed by religious performance.
It is entered by those whose hearts have been surrendered to Christ and are being transformed daily by His Spirit.
So today, the question is not whether you belong to a denomination...
Not whether you preach...
Not whether you perform miracles...
Not whether people call you "man of God" or "woman of God"...
The question is this:
Can you truly ascend the hill of the Lord?

May our prayer always be:
"Lord, give me clean hands, a pure heart, and unwavering loyalty to Your truth. Remove every hidden idol from within me, and make me a worshipper who honours You not only with my lips but also with my life. Amen.

Have a beautiful week

Happy New Month! 😊

Just imagine...
Adam and Eve had no parenting books, no Google, no grandparents to call, no WhatsApp group for parents. 😂
Now imagine Cain, their first child, at about six years old...
One day, his tooth suddenly falls out! 😳
I wonder what Adam and Eve must have thought.
"Is this boy okay?" "Did we do something wrong?" "Is this how children are supposed to grow?" 🤣🤣
Unlike us today, they had no previous experience to reassure them that another tooth would grow.

That thought reminds me of my little niece.
One day, at about five years old, one of her teeth fell out while she was in my house during their holidays. She screamed and ran to me in panic:
"Small Big Mummy! My tooth pulled out!" 😭
She looked straight into my eyes, trying to read my reaction.
I smiled, held her close and called her by her pet name:
"Tahmei... don't worry. It will grow again."
She looked at me in disbelief.
"Really? It will grow again?"
"Yes," I replied. "Just make sure you eat your Quaker Oats whenever I serve it to you. That will help it grow faster." 🤣🤣
Truth be told, she didn't like Quaker Oats, so I quickly seized the opportunity! 😂

Looking back, I'm grateful for the experiences of those who came before us. Many things that would have frightened us are now normal because someone else has already walked that path.

That's Tahmei in the picture, she's now a big girl, ❤️ before long she' ll also be reassuring her little sister or certainly someday her own children...by saying with confidence, "don't worry, it will grow again"

As we step into this new Month, may we never take for granted, the wisdom, knowledge, and experience God has made availabe to us through those who have gobe ahead.🥰😍🙏