ASSERTING YOUR PECULIARITY: Self-isolate

Anchor Scripture: 1 Peter 2:9  
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:"

Focus Scripture: "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: . . . ." - Daniel 1:8 

Admonition 
Greetings from the Throne of Grace.

Dr. Myles Munroe of blessed memory, once said, "when the use of something is not known, abuse sets in." This wise saying describes exactly what is happening to many Christians today in that they don't know who they are in Christ, even when someone tells them, it is either they don't believe or they don't know how to bring themselves into the reality of what they were told. However, knowing oneself is the beginning of the journey into one's freedom.

"knowing oneself is the beginning of the journey into one's freedom."

In our Anchor Scripture for this week, God gives us some wonderful titles: a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation. All these were summed up into A PECULIAR PEOPLE. In actual fact, to be peculiar means to be strange or to be extraordinary. And following God's reasoning, before anyone could be chosen, they must have some outstanding qualities on display. We as children of God are imbued with many outstanding qualities which were built into us when we became born-again. That's why the Bible says ". . . all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5: 17). The book of Ephesians 1: 3 establishes the reason we are peculiar by saying that God ". . . hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:"

"We as children of God are imbued with many outstanding qualities which were built into us when we became born-again."

Now, I reckon that it is not being called "peculiar" or being blessed that matters, but manifesting it. Our Focus Scripture this morning opened with "But Daniel purposed in his heart . . ." Daniel and his three friends, Azariah, Hananiah and Mishael purposed in their hearts to be different. That Scripture made it clear that these four were among the children of Judah brought captive to Babylon; there are others. But these four decided to be different by excusing themselves from the King's delicacies which is what most so-called Christians crave today, and have thus shipwrecked their faith. But Daniel and his friends chose God's principle (1 Corinthians 1: 27 - 28) to eat the ordinary things, and with those ordinary things, God made them extraordinary. They became PECULIAR.

"it is not being called "peculiar" or being blessed that matters, but manifesting it"

Beloved brethren, one of the problems Christianity is facing today is that the church has blended with the world, and it's such a calamity. That is the reason one can hardly differentiate between a Christian and a rock star, especially when it comes to dressing and dancing steps. Some so-called churches, because of their musical instruments and how they use them, are not better than club houses. That is why "praise and worship" services are like disco parties, the kind of many I attended in the past before I was found, out of His gracious love, by Christ.

"the church has blended with the world, and it's such a calamity."

Many Christians today are not willing to be different from the world because they are afraid of what and what they would lose. They are forgetting that it's only the person on who has Christ that has everything. And Jeaus Christ has forewarned that if we deny him before men here on earth, He too will deny us before His Father in heaven. But to become the peculiar people God calls us, we, like Daniel and his friends, have to purpose in our hearts to be different from others. We must realize that no one follows the crowd to be outstanding. As long as we remain in the crowd, we can't be peculiar, and without being peculiar, we can't FINISH STRONG with God.

"to become the peculiar people God calls us, we, like Daniel and his friends, have to purpose in our hearts to be different from others."

As we round off this morning, let us know that the need to be separate or different is an express command of God (2 Corinthians 6: 14 - 18). From this Scripture, it becomes clear that as long as we remain in the crowd, we can't be acceptable unto God and He won't be our Father nor we His children. That's the reason the Holy Spirit always tells me that there are many bastards in the house of God. Likewise, the need to get out of the crowd of Babylon is also an express command of God (Revelation 18: 1 - 21) lest we are destroyed with her. I pray the needed grace be released upon us from above in Jesus Christ's mighty name. Amen.

"as long as we remain in the crowd, we can't be acceptable unto God and He won't be our Father nor we His children"

Finally, our self-isolation from the world is crucial to our FINISHING STRONG. we are all aware of the explouts done for God in Babylonia by Daniel and his friends. They FINISHED STRONG because they dared to self-isolate and be different from the others. May this be our teatimonies too in Jesus' name. Amen.

N. B. Please, pray that God will help you to assert your peculiarity in all ways and places in Jesus Christ's mighty name. Amen. 

Till tomorrow when we shall meet again on this beautiful journey of FINISHING STRONG together, please, keep keeping on in Him!

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