DISCIPLINE: A MEANS OF SHAPING

"PRIDE GOES BEFORE DESTRUCTION, AND A HAUGHTY SPIRIT BEFORE A FALL."
Proverbs 16:18 (NKJV)

"LIKEWISE you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, FOR “GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”
1 Peter 5:5 (NKJV)

• To rise in life and ministry, pride had to be dealt with. It has to give way for humility in the life of whoever would be used of God.

• A person cannot rise with pride in his or her life. The moment God sees any element of pride in the person, He withdraws or retracts from the person.
• God detested pride and resisted
  whoever pride is found or discovered in their lives: "BUT HE GIVES MORE GRACE. Therefore He says: “GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE” (James 4:6 NKJV).
• The devil became God's enemy through pride. He was called Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12), the morning star, an archangel, and an anointed cherubim (Ezekiel 28:14,15).
• The iniquity found in him was pride and that led to his downfall (Ezekiel 28:15,17).

12 “HOW YOU ARE FALLEN FROM HEAVEN, O LUCIFER, SON OF THE MORNING! HOW YOU ARE CUT DOWN TO THE GROUND, You who weakened the nations!
13 FOR YOU HAVE SAID IN YOUR HEART: ‘I WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN, I WILL EXALT MY THRONE ABOVE THE STARS OF GOD; I WILL ALSO SIT ON THE MOUNT OF THE CONGREGATION ON THE FARTHEST SIDES OF THE NORTH;
14 I WILL ASCEND ABOVE THE HEIGHTS OF THE THE CLOUDS, I WILL BE LIKE THE MOST HIGH.’
15 YET YOU SHALL BE BROUGHT DOWN TO SHEOL, TO THE LOWEST DEPTHS OF THE PIT."
Isaiah 14:12-15 (NKJV)

• The devil was good until iniquity was found in him: "YOU WERE PERFECT IN YOUR WAYS FROM THE DAY YOU WERE CREATED, TILL INIQUITY WAS FOUND IN YOU" (Ezekiel 28:15 NKJV).

• Beware of pride, It destroys. It is good to be God's friend, but to be His enemy is devastating. The Scripture says:
  "AND HE [Paul] SAID, WHO ARE YOU, LORD? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute. IT IS HARD FOR YOU TO KICK AGAINST THE PRICK. AND HE, BOTH TREMBLING AND ASTONISHED, SAID, LORD, WHAT WILL YOU HAVE ME TO DO? And the Lord said to him" (Acts Acts 9:5 New Matthew Bible).
• Whoever pride is found in his or her life would usually pass through situations that would serve as discipline to break their egos.

• Humility cannot be pretended, If it was not in your life, It would show. Thus, the only way to get rid of pride is through the discipline or the subjection of the person to challenges or difficult situations that would humble him or her.

• God will keep dealing with you If pride is found in your life, until you are totally broken. He would want you to get to the point of not trusting in the self; your ability, cleverness, or whatever. The point where you would not be able to do anything without asking God. Where you would no longer trust in your judgement!
• If you would not want to be in the situation of being chastised or disciplined for a long time, you would have to cooperate with God through the Holy Spirit on the inside of you, yielding to the discipline or correction of the defects found in your life—known as pride.
• God would always resist whoever is arguing with His counsel or wisdom (Job 38:2). Thus, If you are fond of doing things in your own way, and you are rigid about it, you may always have issues with God.
• Getting your crave or desire met would always be a big issue, or an uphill task, because God would always not approve whatever is born of the flesh or arrogance: "AND HE GIVES GRACE GENEROUSLY. As the Scriptures say, “GOD OPPOSES THE PROUD BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE" (James 4:6 (NLT).

• God's only means of dealing with pride is discipline. And this could go on and on in a believer's life for a long time—depending on his or her yieldableness.

• A proud person would usually not agree or acknowledge that he or she has pride, until such is severely dealt with, through many blows; challenges and difficult situations, that would make them humble.
• Consequently, If you are currently being dealt with by God, and It seems the dealings had been for a long time and severe, It could be that you are rigid, yet to be tempered enough for His useful purpose (2 Timothy 2:21).

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.

• Whatever is working against your health and wellness is cursed and completely uprooted in Jesus' name.
• Since you had been made whole by the stripes of Jesus Christ, thus, there is no place for sicknesses in your life in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
  Peace!

STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. Ask that He will write your name in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

• If you took the steps As highlighted above, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!