Helped!

Helped!

Isaiah 53:6 KJV

[6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Yesterday, we considered the love of God and what He gave up as a function of that love. We know that it was a huge price to pay, as it was the first and last time that God had to look away from His Son as He hung on the cross. In order to fully grasp the impact of the sacrifice made, Galatians 3:13 KJV says that 'Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree'. That is the weight that Jesus had to carry for my sake, so that I could walk away from the consequences of my actions. I get to walk away, but into what? What is expected of me, now that I have come to a knowledge of who Jesus is and what He has done?

Let it be clear from the verse above that all men, born of women, inherit the sinful nature. There is no cultivation, refinement or natural cleansing that can deal with the stain of sin. Romans 3:23 KJV says: 'for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God'. ALL. That is the start point of the verse above: all of us have strayed away like sheep. It is part of our human nature to choose the path of least resistance. It does not take much effort to steal, to lie, to deceive and to make false claims. That is our human nature. By and of ourselves, we cannot save ourselves. We walked away, but God would not let go. We consistently rejected Him, but He would not let go. How else can you define love? 

I thank God that the story did not end at my walking away. I thank God that He did not leave me to my own devices. I thank God He did not give up on me so easily. Right at the place of man's first sin was the place where the plan of redemption for man was also laid out. This plan was not an afterthought; the fact that a prophet like Isaiah, who lived about 600 years before Christ, could speak quite clearly about this plan, means that God meant it, and He would bring it to pass. I am grateful to God that He did not give up on me. I am very grateful that I have been called by Him into a new relationship with Christ, leading to eternal life with God, and an inheritance with Christ.

Now that I know what I have received, what are the decisions I need to take in response? When I fully consider the price paid and the prize at stake, what are the options? It has to be clear now that with all that God has done and given, there is no excuse if I reject His gift to the end of my natural life. God laid the iniquity of the world on Hiim so He could deal with it permanently. What, then, is the point of holding on to something that has been dealt with? Why let that which Christ has defeated then defeat you, and prevent you from taking hold of all that Christ has secured? I do not have to die again for something the Life of God has dealt with. How do you respond? God's time of favour is here.

This Love!

This Love!

John 3:16 KJV

[16] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The world has its own version of events. It has its definitions of concepts and ideas. It preents love as an action, and it manifests in many ways. A few of these manifestations are actually selfish lusts, inordinate desires, and outright sin, but because it is widespread and also in line with our fallen human nature, it has become the default setting for many people. The fact that something is popular does not, by itself, make it right with God. The fact that films, books and culture say a thing is acceptable does not make it any less a sin. It must also be noted that the world's view is always about what it can get; never about what it can give.

God also has His own definitions. The focus of the view from heaven is what is presented to us in the verse above. The first thing that is made clear is that God's definition of love is about what He gave, leading to what He would then get. He did not wait for the targets of His love to first be worthy; He knew they needed help, so He reached out His hand to draw them to Himself. He did not just give anything that was easy to forgo; He gave up His own Son. He did not also give up His Son grudgingly; He gave Him up willingly. Reflect on this: part of the price of love was that the Father would look away from the Son as the Son hung on the cross. 

What makes this even more important is that the Omniscient God knew that some would reject this gift to the end of their earthly lives, yet He gave up His Son anyway. There were no guarantees from my side that I would accept the gift, but He offered it anyway, and for as long as this earthly phase remains, this gift will not expire. Reflect on the fact that long before I was born, the gift was already offered. However, it must be emphasized that physical death is the end of the gift for all of mankind; it is appointed unto man once to die, and after death comes judgement. If the Lord tarries, the gift remains in place, effective and efficient as it was when it was first offered. 

Why was such a high price paid? As it has been mentioned above, God's love did not wait for me to earn it; He showed me love at a time that I did not even know that I needed it. He also waits for me to step into that which He has given. The benefits that are tied to God's love also make it worthwhile: there is eternal life at the end, but there is a lifetime of impact while I wait. The fact that I am not taken to heaven as soon as I am saved means that there are benefits down here on earth to prepare me for the fullness that heaven gives. Rejecting this gift has eternal consequences. Do not reject the gift of love that the God of love has given; He waits for you and I. God's  time of favour is here. 

Owned!

Owned!

1 Corinthians 3:16 AMP

[16] Do you not know and understand that you [the church] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells [permanently] in you [collectively and individually]?

It has to be noted that Paul was writing to people who had come to a personal knowledge of Jesus. Yes, they had heard about Him, and they had given their lives to Him, but as we know, it is not a one-off or one-time experience; it is a lifelong learning experience. You do not get in and then fold your hands and watch; you need to walk out that salvation with fear and trembling. This is clear from the first verse of the chapter from where the verse above is taken. Paul referred to his audience as brothers and sisters, but he also added that he was addressing them as worldly people, and infants in the new life in Christ. What could have led Paul here? 

It must also be noted that this was a church with many spiritual gifts, and Paul used this church to teach about the value of these gifts and how they help the church, but it was this same church that had a man sleeping with his brother's wife, as it was also the church with no regard for the ordinance of the Lord's supper. It appeared that the church did not yet know who they were, what they had been called out of and into, and what the rules of engagement were. This walk of faith cannot align with the life I once had before I met Christ. It is a call to a different standard: a different lifestyle. Can I say, with total conviction, that I have met this Christ?

The consequence of that understanding of who I am, whose I am, and what I have been called into, is what is laid out in the verse above. Paul was asking the church: 'do you not know who/what you are? Please note that the verse is not speaking to all who just come into church, but those whom the Christ of the church lives in. Being in the physical space of church is not what counts, but who lives in you. I am called the temple of God; the picture is one that reflects a place of holiness, purity and sacrifice. A temple is not a place where people joke or play in; it is a place we treat with reverence. If I know this, why do I allow just anything to pass through or settle in my temple? 

It is really amazing how this works: I am seen as the church, because the Christ of the church lives in me. His presence in me is not a seasonal wonder; His plan is that He comes in and stays in. It is not a weekly, monthly or annual sacrifice; it is a daily devotion and focus on the things that matter. The Spirit of God dwells in all who belong to Christ, and I must be conscious of this reality on a regular basis. I am no longer under the control or influence of the world system; I am under new ownership. If I get it right and you get it right, picture the amazing experiences that await us when we come together in fellowship. Christ has paid the price; does He really own me? God's time of favour is here. 

He is Near!

He is Near!

Psalms 145:18 AMP

[18] The Lord is near to all who call on Him, To all who call on Him in truth (without guile).

This is a psalm of David, the man referred to by God as a man after His own heart. One of the peculiar things about David was his ability to see God in every situation he was in, even in the ones he caused by his own greed and selfishness. Even when he committed the sins of adultery and murder, and God levied punishment, he penned down a song of mercy and grace. That is the impact of a life that knows that God's help is non-negotiable. If I ever get to a point where I think I can make it on my own or do not need God anymore, that is a dangerous place to be. Like David, I must seek God in all that goes on around me. I must give Him room to be who He is. 

That is the message of the verse above. David always found reasons to praise God, and I must do the same. If I really think deep, I will find several reasons to praise God. Do alarms really wake you up in the morning, or is it a good digestive system that ensures that food does not choke me to death? What could I have done to guarantee that my heart keeps pumping blood to vital areas of my body, or that I am able to process information in order to make decisions? Was it that I just walked into faith and salvation of my own accord, without help from anyone? Is there anything I could have done by myself, by reason of my own wisdom or labour? 

What all the above points prove is that God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill, but He will show Himself strong in the lives of all who are fully committed and submitted to Him. God does not change; all through the changing times, seasons, dispensations and generations of this earthly phase, God has remained the eternal, never-changing One. He is not like unpredictable shifting shadows, but He is called the Ancient of Days for a reason. Time does nothing to reduce His power, and my acceptance or rejection of Him does nothing to limt or reduce His power. He is not man in anyway, shape or form, so He is not distracted by the cares and worries of tnis earthly phase. 

He has been there through all the ages, and as the Omnipotent and Omnipresent God, He is approachable. He does not turn His back on anyone who truly approaches in total trust and submission. He is eternal, so the issues if time and space do not limit Him in any way. The entire earth is His footstool, so He is able to address any issue that may arise from anywhere. One of the terms in the verse above is to 'call on Him in truth'. We deal with a God who cannot be deceived. Men may applaud the physical; God sees the heart and its motive. If the heart is wrong, it does not matter what the earth applauds. Let there be no guile or deceit. God is near and He loves to help. Let go and let God work. God's time of favour is here. 

No One Else!

No One Else!

Acts 4:12 AMP

[12] And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].”

One may ask: "What is in a name"? Actually, quite a lot. There were instances in the Bible where God specifically named a child to be born, because there was an assignment that child was to carry out. Samson was one of such children, and even Solomon was given a name by God, because God loved that child. Of course, Jesus the son of God was also named by God long before He was born in the flesh. His name Jesus signifies His mission, goal and assignment on earth, and means "Yahweh saves," "Yahweh is salvation," or "Jehovah is helper". If you have experienced this name, you will know that indeed, names are important. 

The verse above also lays emphasis on the name Jesus. There was a lame man at the gate of the temple, who had been in that position since birth. It was an encounter with the name of Jesus through the ministry of Peter and John that the lame man walked. In fact, Peter was careful to note the name by which the miracle was done: “Silver and gold I do not have; but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, begin now to walk and go on walking!”. The name of Jesus was pronounced over a situation that had persisted for a long time, and in an instant, that situation changed. That is the power in a name that is backed up by God. 

It must be noted that the miracle of healing was given to a man who had no prior record of salvation. This tells me that the name of Jesus can change a man's life, even without being saved, but there can be no lasting or eternal impact without salvation. Jesus is strong enough by Himself, because He is God. He can do all things as the Omnipotent God, but He will not force Himself on anyone, or go against the exercise of my freewill. This is the part where I get to decide by myself what I will do with the name Jesus. I must note that God does not need me to be God; long before I was born, He has been God, and long after this version of earth has ceased to exist, He  will continue to be God. 

The standard has been laid, and there must be no confusion. People bear several variants of the name Jesus, but there is no other name other than the original Jesus, by which God has promised, purchased, provided and sealed salvation for all mankind. No human being has the power to do what only Jesus can do. God has laid down the law: Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no one can come to the Father except through the Son. Men can scheme their way through any earthly experience, but you cannot argue your way into eternal life by any earthly scheme. I have to come by the blood. There is no other alternative. Come to Jesus today. He waits for all, and He can save all. God's time of favour is here. 

Faith!

Faith!

Romans 10:17 AMP

[17] So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ.

The popular chapter 11 of Hebrews gives us an insight into what God would present as faith. Tne Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as 'a strong, often unquestioning belief or complete trust in a person, idea, or entity (such as God), frequently maintained despite a lack of empirical proof'. Reflect in this: even the world system knows that there is a place for empirical evidence, but there is also a realm where what you hold on to is not backed up by anything the world can see, but what you are convinced and convicted about. If what I need has already been physically provided, what am I trusting God for? If I do not yet have it, I have room for faith, hope and trust that God is able to keep His promises. 

That is the background to the verse above. Paul was writing to the church in Rome, and he was making reference to people who, not knowing about God’s righteousness which is based on faith, they sought to establish their own [righteousness based on works. They rejected God’s righteousness, seeking to please God by labour and striving. Of course, when you need access to a king, you do not choose your own ways and means. You come by the channel the king has laid down for access. If the King has made it clear that alll appointments are only valid when processed through His Son, it is a waste of time to think that you can go around or above the Son. How am I seeking God today? How do you seek Him? 

In seeking God, we have established that we come by faith. You need a conviction for faith, and it comes from the word of God. The message of faith cannot be fully understood or applied outside the clear word of God. It is His word that comforts us in all our afflictions and trials. It is His Word that helps us keep going, even when we do not understand the WHY behind the WHAT around us. It is His word that helps me understand who Christ is,  what He has done and what I stand to gain and lose by His death and resurrection. He does not hold back vital information: there will be gains and losses on this journey of faith, and because I do not have the full picture, I need to trust that God knows what He is doing. 

This is why i must take advantage of every opportunity to hear God's Word. The world is both loud and confrontational; it seeks to drown out every other voice except its own. I cannot allow the world to speak to me; I must make room for God to speak. He will not force Himself on me, or go against the exercise of my freewill, but be sure that His help is fully available and accessible if I seek Him with my whole heart. The world has a right to speak; I also have a right to ignore what the world says. Faith comes by hearing; fear also comes by hearing, but the source defines the fruit. Be careful what you allow to settle on your heart, because what you hear leads to what you believe, and who you believe defines your eternal destiny. God's time of favour is here.

Real Life!

Real Life!

John 5:24 AMP

[24] “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the person who hears My word [the one who heeds My message], and believes and trusts in Him who sent Me, has (possesses now) eternal life [that is, eternal life actually begins—the believer is transformed], and does not come into judgment and condemnation, but has passed [over] from death into life.

Jesus had healed a man who was ill for thirty eight years. The Jewish leaders at the time did not like the fact that the healing had taken place on the Sabbath day. It was even made worse by the fact that the man who was healed went on to declare to them that it was Jesus who healed him, and Jesus too was calling God His own Father, which means He was making Himself equal with God. As much as we know that this angered the Jews at the time, we also know that all of the claims of Jesus were true. Indeed, He is the Son of God and the One who saves us from all our sin. By and through Him, we receive life, peace and merxy to live right and please Him. 

The audience at the time included the Jewish leaders, a lot of people, the man who had been healed, and His disciples. Jesus took the opportunity to teach the audience about the principles and practices of His kingdom, and how the people could relate to and enjoy the benefits and blessings of the kingdom. It must be made clear that though God invites us all to be a part of His kingdom, He has rules of engagement that those who want to come in must adhere to. That is why the verse above starts with 'any person'. It does not matter what my past looks like; it matters what I do from here onwards. Anyone can come in; it is he who does what is right that stays in.

The invitation also means that we will all hear. We will all have access to the Truth, and we have the power of the choice of response. Not all who come have an interest in hesring; some just come because it is the popular movement at the time. Not all who hear also heed and obey; some do not want anything to challenge their comfort and convenience. They would rather blend in and stay quiet. There are others that the Word will touch and lead to change, leading to believing and trusting in God. This is the ultimate desire of God for all who come in contact with Him. He is the Light that gives Life to all who come to Him. Have I truly believed, and am I trusting in God?

The end game is eternal life with God. As the verse above makes clear, this is the Life that actually begins at the point where the person is transformed. Such a person has already taken hold of eternal life, and had passed on from death to Life. Such a person does not come into judgment and condemnation. The curse of sin is broken; the spring of life is well and truly open, and the Light and Life of God are made manifest in such a life. What an awesome privilege, but also a sobering awareness of what is expected of me. When you consider all that Jesus has secured for all of us, it is important to note that an account will be demanded from all of us. What would yours look like? What would mine? God's time of favour is here.