Patience!!

Patience!

James 1:2-3 KJV

[2] My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; [3] knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

James introduced himself as a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. This introduction is central to the message of this letter that was addressed to the twelve tribes who were now scattered abroad. These must have been tough times for these people, as they did not expect that there would be any upheavals due to their newfound faith. As we now know, being a follower of Jesus opens you up to a whole world of experiences. There is really no way to prepare you the right way for whatever is coming, except to know that Jesus foretold these experiences and also promised us His presence as we live through these experiences. At the time Jesus was leaving the earth, He made it clear that His followers would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the world. It would start with the familiar and then move on to the unfamiliar. This was the stage where the audience for this letter now found themselves. 

It must be laid out that if there were no scatterings abroad, maybe some people would not have heard of the love of Jesus at the time they did. It is in the scattering abroad that the world gets to hear of a love that is amazing and eternal. However, it must be noted that this love will not keep us from tough times. As mentioned above, it is love that draws us to Jesus, and it is His love that will uphold and sustain us through whatever may come, but this love will definitely be tested in various ways. If everything went well at all times and there were no rough patches to sort out, how would you know if what you held is the genuine thing? That is the message of the verses above: as long as I am in Christ, whatever comes must lead to joy. I have joy because I know how it ends. I have joy because no matter what comes my way down here on earth, it is timed and limited, and must expire when its purpose is done. What I must have left is that which is eternal, and no man can kill or take away by force. 

The message about joy in the midst of trials is not for everyone, but for those who totally surrender their lives to Jesus. He is the Source and Spring of Joy; there is no other way to have joy, which is one of the manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit, and can only be accessed by those who allow Him in. God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill. Reflect on the purpose of these trials: that I can learn patience, which is another manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit. There is no wastage in God; there is nothing He cannot use to teach me how to be like Him, and there is no experience He cannot design and implement that will bring Him glory in and through my life. I will not get there overnight, but if I allow Him work, there is no end to the amazing blessings that are ahead. As it was in the days of James, so is it in our days now. Can I look ahead to tough times, sure and certain that they will work out God's perfect will for me? God's time of favour is here. 

True Strength!

True Strength!

2 Corinthians 12:10 AMP

[10] So I am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am strong [truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God’s strength].

Context will help us understand the relevance and importance of Paul's attitude to tough and unpleasant situations. At the start of the chapter, he speaks of himself in the third person, identifying a man who was caught up to the third heaven, or as he also mentioned, the place called Paradise. While he was there, he heard things that were too sacred to tell. Of course, were it to be any other person, the amazing experience could lead to pride, or to a sense of spiritual superiority. It is the way of the natural man to ascribe special attention to unique experiences that are not common to other people. Could it be this is the reason why some people never get to see into the realm of the supernatural? God is Omniscient and knows us more than we could ever know ourselves, and because He is invested in our eternity, He will bring our way only that which will do us good. Can God trust me with deep revelations of what is ahead? 

As Paul also said, the God who knew him had to also help him by keeping him from pride and eternal destruction. As we know, pride of any kind will deprive a man from entering into eternity with God. To help Paul, it was recorded that a thorn in his flesh was given to him, in order to keep him from thinking of himself as important. What insight! What a God!. What love for man is this? Man may not even be able to see what is right in front of him; how much more would he be able to see what has eternal implications for him. God had to help Paul by keeping him in check. It is still the same God who is watching out for me today. He wants to show Himself strong in my life, but I have to surrender total control to Him. I cannot insist on my own way, and still insist that God deals with me in His own way. It must have been quite inconvenient, maybe painful, for Paul, because he asked God three times to take away that thorn in his flesh. 

God's response drives the focus of the verse above. Instead of taking away the thorn, God gave grace that was very sufficient for every inconvenience that the thorn would bring. The grace of God gives enablement that nothing and no one else can secure. As we consider the life and impact of Paul, we know more of the workings of grace in his life, than the limits that the thorn could have brought. Paul could say he was pleased with weaknesses, insults, distresses, persecutions and difficulties, all for the sake of Christ. This position does not come from a place of human strength; it is the product of a life that God has worked on, and is in total control of. A man does not speak like this unless he has tasted of the grace of God that enables a man run faster than a chariot, and do exploits that clearly could not have been done by virtue of only money, influence, connections or position. When I am weak by human standard, I lean on the grace of God that gives strength. He wants to help, but He will not force Himself on me, or go against the exercise of my freewill. Would I let Him work in me that which will secure eternal life for me? God's time of favour is here.

Critical!

Critical!

1 Timothy 4:8 AMP

[8] For physical training is of some value, but godliness (spiritual training) is of value in everything and in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.

Paul was speaking to Timothy, his son in the faith, and a young man he was mentoring. Are there lives that God can commit into my hands for nurturing and safeguarding? In the last days that we are in and where many are turning away from the faith and paying great attention to false, deceitful and seductive spirits and doctrines of demons, I am always reminded that I cannot afford to be careless about the foundation and pillars of the faith that I profess. The devil knows the value, having lost his place due to pride, and he will seek to drag as many people as he can into eternal damnation with him. The good thing here is that long before things go wrong, the Omniscient God tells us what is ahead and how to prepare the right way. The verse above is one of such ways that God wants us to be ready for whatever is ahead. 

As an athlete or anyone preparing for a race, a fight or any competition, you know there is an end in view. You know what lies at the end of the cycle, and what exactly you need to put in in order to win the reward. You do not prepare like a boxer in order to run a 400m race. You cannot afford to spend all your time on speed only, if you are engaged in a marathon. The nature of the encounter is what will define the terms of engagement. The people of the world understand this perfectly, and they will invest time and resources to prepare the right way. Imagine the time, effort and preparation that go into winning a 100m race that lasts maybe all of 10 seconds, but the global and economic realities that surround success make the investments worthwhile. If this can be true of the human experience, reflect on the implications in the spiritual. 

If men can sometimes cheat in order to win an advantage in races or fights, imagine what the eternal implications of getting it right will be. If physical exercise is of value, as seen in the lives of people who have attained global acclaim by success in their chosen field, it is also important to consider how I can apply the same principles to my spiritual walk. The spiritual training of Godliness is fundamental to my earthly and eternal realities. Phyiscal exercise profits for a season; Godliness profits for eternity. Both physical and spiritual exercises must be maintained to keep the relevant body in tune, but physical exercise is only for a season. A day comes when it is no longer sustainable in intensity. However, for spiritual exercise, you never outgrow the need for it. I am encouraged to focus on that which is of eternal value. My eternity will be glad I did. God's time of favour is here. 

Run Well!

Run Well!

Hebrews 12:1 KJV

[1] Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us

The verse above starts with a direct message to specific people. It follows on from the list of heroes of faith who walked with God. They didn't see the fullness of the plan of God made manifest in their time, but we have been given the grace to experience Jesus in His power as Saviour and Lord. We have tasted of the gift of the Holy Spirit, and been given a foretaste of what joys are ahead of us if we hold on to the end. The verse above is solely addressed to those people who identify with Christ, have taken Him up on His offer of life eternal, and are focused on pleasing God in every way. It is important to define who I am in the light of the description above. Anyone can make claims to anything, as talk is cheap. However, you can only access that which you are entitled to by new birth. Do I qualify to be one of the WE referred to in the verse above? Does my life reflect a connection to the One who is Life?

WE are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, both alive on earth and witnesses from heaven. We cannot afford to live as we please, because the new life we have does not permit carelessness. WE have lives to impact; WE have souls in need of direction and care. Men are on the lookout for those who know God and can point Him out by their actions. It is not this seasonal catch up, where I get to act as a Christian when it is easy or convenient, but a lifetime of focus and dedication to the things that please God and make Him known. This is what is called a race that is set before us. Why a race? WE are on a journey to a definite destination. We do not know when we will get there, but we are sure of the place. We have been made aware of what we need to have to get into the place, and we will do well to avoid any distraction that may take our eyes off the goal. 

That is why we must lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us. The world has its worries and cares, and some are legitimate. We must take care of our families and play our part in the society. There are people who look up to us for some of life's decisions. In all, we must not forget that God calls us to represent Him wherever we go, and in all we do. WE cannot afford to toy with sin; WE cannot use life's challenges as excuses for sin. Challenges will come to all of us at different stages of our lives, but we have the support, encouragement, and examples of all those who had gone ahead of us, whose lives teach us that total dependence on God pays. A race has been set before us; it is not one race for everyone on earth, but a personal race that will lead to personal reward at the end. I must run my own race, dependent on the One who sets out the rules. I must run in line with the rules, so that I may take hold of the rewards. May my life not be a waste. God's time of favour is here.

This Heart!

This Heart!

Jeremiah 17:9-10 KJV

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

The world has promoted this false idea that we can do evil and get away with it. The world has pushed out the idea that we personally own our lives, and we can choose how we want to live. One of the cardinal results of Adam's sin was that he chose human wisdom and intellect over and above that which God had already offered. Recall what God himself said about man in Genesis 3:22: And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” if God could talk about man's rejection of true wisdom as far back as Adam, I wonder what His view will be about this present generation. Just reflecting on the verses above make it clear that time has not changed the tendency of the natural man. Man's heart was evil after the fall in the Garden of Eden, and it has not changed since then. 

Man has found new and novel ways of doing and perpetuating evil: we have found a silly substitute for Godly marriages; we call them trial marriages, cohabitation or friends with benefits. We call adultery mutual attraction or intercourse with 2 consenting adults. We refer to fraud and corruption as 'cooking the books' or being sharp, smart and savvy. We seem to have lost all fear of sin and its consequences. Homosexuality, inordinate desires and other vices that God clearly called wrong, have now been made to look better than they really are; the world is teaching us that these things are acceptable, with the claim that, after all, we are humans and perfection is not possible.

Unfortunately, the ultimate decision on what is right and wrong lies with God alone, and not man. We do not own the standard; God is the standard. We do not dictate life's terms and conditions; God does. 

We cannot cleanse our hearts by ourselves; only God can. He is the One who knows our hearts and can make us pure without and within. He is the creator of our hearts, and He alone has what it takes to give us what we really need, so we can be all that God intends for us to be, and at the end of our lives, be where God ordained for us to be. As Galatians 6:7 clearly states, do not be deceived, because God cannot be mocked. A man always reaps what he sows. There is yet no scientific breakthrough that can change the output of a seed into a different fruit. Let us take stock today and ask God for His help so you can live life according to His terms. All the people we seek to impress today will be gone tomorrow. The people we want to copy or emulate will also receive their own judgement. The things we thought were okay by the world's standards will face the judgment fire of God- the true and only Judge.

God knows our deepest motives and intentions, and whilst we can deceive the entire world, we cannot deceive the One who made us. He owns, holds and knows the manual for our lives. It will do me good if I found out what this God wants and pursue that with my whole heart. At the end of our lives, a reckoning will be done and a reward or punishment will be given. Which will I get? What I have done in the past can remain in the past if I choose a new start with God. Whatever it is I am doing presently will define how I end up. I must make sure it is what God approves. What will be found with me when Jesus returns? The prayer is that God will help me live in the light of His commands and instructions. May my life seek after His pleasure, so that I may enter into eternal life with Him at the end of my life. God's time of favour is here.

Where am I?

Where am I?

Psalm 1:1-2 KJV

[1] Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. [2] But his delight is in the law of the LORD; And in his law doth he meditate day and night. 

The book of Psalms starts with the counsel and admonitions in the verses highlighted above. It is clear that where you walk defines what you get. Where I am at this moment in time is also a strong determinant of what I stand to gain or lose. In my walk on earth, there is nothing that is said in vain or done in futility; my life right now is a function of the aggregate of my daily walk and the choices I make. I have also been placed in the midst of people, which means that I cannot live in isolation. I will interact with people, and they will also impact my life one way or the other. I must be deliberate about what I allow to pass through the gates of my ears, eyes, feet and heart. I must know that the system of the world will be promoted by those under its influence and control. There is counsel that the ungodly have and give, because that is all they are exposed to. If all I am used to are the ungodly and the unholy, would it be a surprise if my life then produces in line with that exposure? 

It is the ungodly that will tell you that "It does not matter; 'you can do whatever you like, after all, God is a God of love who cannot destroy his creation in hell'. It is the ungodly who will tell you that 'it does not pay to serve God alone'; and that you must add something else to the faith you have received. There is a way a sinner walks that speaks to his inspiration and backing. The devil makes the way of the sinner appear smooth and without hassles. Everything a sinner touches seems to turn to gold. There is a place scoffers sit to mock God and his ways. As a result of their ways, they are close-minded and cannot perceive anywhere that God is at work. Do you belong to any of the groups already discussed? For those who have identified with Christ, do we still struggle for clarity in our walk with and work for God? It has to be noted that I cannot play both sides; I cannot serve God and also pay obeisance to the devil at the same time. There is no middle ground, no de-militarized zone. 

There is no fence of indecision to sit on. I do not associate with the ungodly, and if I keep away from sinners and avoid the scoffers, then it means that I am busy at the other option- delighting in the law of the Lord and meditating day and night on it. You cannot avoid both or get engaged with both at the same time. God does not make room for hypocrites. In my walking, standing or sitting, God expects my life to speak of him to other people. I can only make impact when I am filled with the right stuff, and I am busy seeking to know more about God. I am careful to avoid being caught up with activities that hold no value, no matter how inspired. God leads my life, guides my thoughts and directs my actions. So the questions still remain: where and with whom do I stand at the moment? Where am I walking and who am I walking with at the moment? Where and who are my companions where I am sitting at the moment? What I am engaged in at the moment? The fruits of my life will be determined by the answers to those questions. God's time of favour is here.

Guard!

Guard!

Proverbs 4:23 AMPC

[23] Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

(Pro) 4:23 CJB Complete Jewish Bible

[23] Above everything else, guard your heart;for it is the source of life’s consequences.

Proverbs 4:23 NIV

[23] Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Let us consider two main words in the verse above: HEART: The heart works as a powerful, four-chambered pump, controlled by its own electrical system, that circulates blood through two loops: sending oxygen-poor blood to the lungs to get oxygen, and then pumping that fresh, oxygen-rich blood out to the entire body, repeating this cycle continuously. This happens with coordinated contractions (systole) and relaxations (diastole) of the atria and ventricles, directed by one-way valves, ensuring blood flows in the right direction. All of the medical grammar noted above underscores the importance of the heart and the work it does all through a man's life. Just imagine how much a heart has worked to keep a man alive for 90 years. This is the amazing thing about God: it is the little things that drive big impact. It is the hidden parts of life that does the work no one sees, yet would lead to death if they do not work well. 

The other word is GUARD, which is to 'watch over in order to protect or control'. This simply means to be aware of what is going on around you; intentional about what you allow in, and deliberate about what you keep out. I cannot do one without the other. I cannot claim to be only focused on what my life produces on the outside; it is that which goes in that will eventually determine what comes in. Why do I need to guard anything at all? Why is the heart very important in this lfe conversation? Why am I required to guard that which sustains life? It is because of the consequences of carelessness. There is nothing like a lack of accountability; God does not do anything without a reason. If He creates a heart that can receive, process and apply information, then it is equally important to ensure that I lay the right foundation with that which I allow to make an impression on my heart. 

Let us apply both definitions to our lives. We have been given a processing centre; one that is able to absorb anything. The capacity of the human mind is beyond understanding; it keeps working until it does not. We may call the work it does boring, but in that 'boring routine' is safety. In that almost unnoticed cycle is human life sustained. However, in that routine also lies the danger of assumption. Is it because we do not physically see the work the heart does, that we put pressure on other parts of our bodies? Am I careless with what I allow in? Be sure that no matter how minute the inflow is, it will definely leave a mark. If I get careless with what comes in, it may lead to studen or untimely death. That is what happens when blood becomes contaminated; it affects the entire body. My guard must kick in at the point of inception, not firefight when the damage is already done. Just as my human heart needs diet and exercise, so does my spiritual heart need nurturing, through faith, prayer, or meditation, in order to stay "healthy" and be receptive to divine leading. God does not force Himself on anyone, but be sure He will display His power in me if I let Him. Would you? God's time of favour is here..