Increase by Association

Transcription

1 Increase by Association There are many things that contribute to increase in a man s life and one of such things is association. Despite being skillful and highly competence in profession, association still plays a very important role in the quest for success. There have been cares of sweat less success which are traceable to association. Uncommon favors have been triggered off by association. Some have great understanding of this and diligently seek out who they associate with and some have suffered great losses because of their careless association. In our days people called it connection, and they seek after it with all they have and by obtaining it they have accomplished great exploits. WHAT IS ASSOCIATION? It is; 1. to connect one thing with another in the mind, 2. to spend time together with somebody, 3. to be involved with somebody in something in a personal or professional capacity 4. To allow yourself to be connected with somebody or something, or voluntarily connect yourself with somebody or something As a noun it means; 1) Partner 2) Connected person 3) Member 4) Holder of degree As an adjective it means; 1) Allied 2) Secondary WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT ASSOCIATION Knowing the impact of association, God gives a lot of insight as to who to associate with and who not to associate with. 1) God instructed the Israelites not to have association that will turn their heart away from Him. 2) In Ps 1 God pronounces blessing on a man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of the sinners nor sit in the seat of the scornful. This means that the blessing is upon the man that does not associate with ungodly people. 1

2 3) The Israelites are not to give their daughters in marriage to the sons of people that are rejected by God nor take the daughters of such people as wives for their sons. They should in no way associate with such people. 4) They are to allow foreigners that are living among them to circumcise and come into the temple provided they accept God and worship Him. They are to associate with such people. 5) They are forbidden to have any other God apart from God, i.e. they should not associate in any way with another God and worshippers of such gods 6) In the New Testament we are instructed not to associate with unbelievers. 2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Where fore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean things and I will receive you and I will be a father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord almighty. Why should we obey God with regards to who we associate with? 1 Cor 15:33 (KJV) BE NOT DECEIVED: EVIL COMMUNICATIONS CORRUPT GOOD MANNERS 1 Cor 15:33 (AMP) Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character. The reason why God wants us to carefully choose our associations is that we should not be corrupt and deprave in our; I. Good manners II. Morals and III. Character Which are essential for success. Also evil association can impair our social standing and rob us of good reference. 2

3 NOTE This scripture qualifies the type of association we should avoid. EVIL COMPANIONSHIP, (COMMUNION, ASSOCIATION). This goes beyond just moving with Christians. If any Christian happens to be evil in association, the wisdom of God is to have nothing to do with such a person. This goes like wise for unbelievers, your colleagues at the office, family members, neighbors, business associates, etc. You should not associate (i.e. fellowship) with anyone who will destroy your association with God. Does it mean that I should not transact or deal with anyone who is an unbeliever? No, you can work in the same office with an unbeliever or do business with an unbeliever. BUT YOU ARE NOT TO ASSOCIATE WITH THEM. DO NOT DWELL OR PARTNER WITH THEM LOOKING AT ISAAC IN GEN 26 (KJV) God in order to fulfill His oath had to instruct Isaac as to where to go during the famine. 1. Isaac is not allowed to go to Egypt because that will be a bad place to dwell in. It will create bad association for Isaac and might jeopardize God s purpose 2. God told him to sojourn in this land referring to where he was. Verse 3 but in verse 2 God said He would tell him the land he was to dwell in. In verse 6 Isaac dwelt in the land which he was to sojourn in. Looking at these verses superficially it might appear that Isaac got it right. But the careful study of the following word reveals deeper things, verse 2 dwell in the land that I shall tell thee, verse 3 sojourn in this land, verse 6 Isaac dwelt in the land. The word dwell in verse 3, in Hebrew it means apparently akin (by transmission) through the idea of lodging, abide, continue, dwell, have habitation. The word dwell in verse 6, in Hebrew it means properly, to sit down (specifically as judge, in ambush, in quiet), by implication, to dwell to remain, causatively, to settle, to marry. The word sojourn in verse 3 in Hebrew it means properly, to turn aside from the road (for lodging or other purpose), i.e. sojourn (as guest); also to shrink, fear (as in strange place); also to gather for hostility (as afraid) What this reveal to us is that Isaac was not to dwell in Gerar as he did in verse 6; he was to sojourn, i.e. to gather for hostility. He was to camp there in preparation to move towards the land God will show him. He dwelt there instead, i.e. he made his habitation in Gerar. He should have passed by Gerar. 3

4 RELATIONSHIPS OF THIS TO ASSOCIATION. When you dwell amongst a people, you are bound to associate with them sooner or later. Gerar is a place of hostility and enmity. When you dwell amongst them, sooner or later you will pick up hostility and enmity, and this will corrupt you. On the long run halt you dead in your destiny to the land which God will show you. Do not ever be at home, i.e. dwell in a land where God told you to sojourn. You should be sober and vigilant, paying attention to God. Being ready to move when God speaks. RESULTS IN THE LIFE OF ISAAC 1) He was attending toward death because he became so comfortable sporting with his wife in pleasure instead of being conscious of his destiny. 2) He cut himself off from God s protection and established his own protection which is based on fear and lies. Following the ungodly steps of his father. 3) As long as he was caught up with this, there was no appreciable progress in his life. It was after he confronted his fear and confessed his lie, thereby rely on God once again that he made progress in his life. He sold and reaped 100 fold returns. NOTE As long as he associated with the Gerar people by dwelling amongst them, there was no success in his life. But immediately he got back into association with God, he started to increase. Increase can only come when we have right associates. FURTHER EXAMPLE 1) Abraham and Lot. As long as Lot associated with Abraham who is of good communication he increased. But when he dissociated from Abraham, and dwelt Sodom and Gomorrah, he lost all he had and even his destiny. 2) Soul and the priest of God. As long as Soul associated with the priest of God he succeeded as a king. In fact he became a king as result of his association with Samuel. But he lost all he got when he dissociated from the priests of God, even killing all of them and would not have anything to do with anointed people. He would rather hunt them down and kill them. But develop association with seers and even promised to make the seer live, this association cost him his life and his destiny was terminated. 3) Judas and Jesus. Judas had dominion in the name of Jesus, cast out devils and healed the sick as long as he was in association with Jesus. But immediately he dissociated from Jesus and associated with the Pharisees, Sadducees, the high priest, he lost all he had and committed suicide. 4

5 You don t associate with people who are wicked, godless and mockers; what they do to other people be sure they will turn around and do to you. I will have to stop here. I pray that God will grant you grace to apply these principles in your life in Jesus name. Stay blessed, relentlessly building the kingdom of God in Jesus name. 5