True Gain!

True Gain!

Luke 9:24 AMP

[24] For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake, he is the one who will save it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God]. 

Jesus had spent time with His disciples, making time out to teach them about the principles and practices of His kingdom. The rules of that kingdom are not precisely in line with the standards of the world, and that is why it is not given to everyone to understand and submit to that kingdom. The audience of the verse above is the first place to start:: Jesus would sometimes address the crowd directly, and leave it to figure out a response, but there were times, like the one above, where Jesus spoke plainly to His own disciples. If you really want to follow me, you have a fundamental decision to make, which has both earthly and eternal consequences. 

Why is the crowd not the focus? When it comes to the eternal, the crowd is not able to define the right response. How do you submit to an authority you do not recognise, or a government whose scope and coverage do not extend to you? For those who know what is at stake, they know that to live to Christ is to die to self. It is very important that I know where I belong: part of the crowd, or one of His disciples. You cannot combine both extremes into the same life; both are opposite sides that can never align, no matter how hard you try to pull them together. Both have different masters as well as different eternal destinations

This is why it is not a simple decision to make or a destination you arrive at without careful planning. Yes, I may make plans, but I must keep them fluid enough for God to be able to change them at anytime to align with His will and plan for that particular moment. I must seek to please God in every way, which means that He must be able to catch and hold my attention so He can direct me in the way He wants me to go. The world has its schemes and devices to keep itself relevant, but it cannot sustain life on its own. This is where God comes in; He is the only One who can sustain life the right way. I must submit to Him if I want the kind of life He promises. 

The warning in the verse above is clear: I can do nothing to preserve a life that is not mine in the first place. The One who formed and planned its coverage and impact is the One whose view counts. If I labour to save my own life by my own schemes, I will fail. However, if I hand it over to the original Creator, that is the safest place for it to be. Wherever He may lead, and whatever the experiences may be, I must remember that this life has an eternal destination. What I do now is preparation for that eternity. Surrender it now, so you do not have to suffer eternal damnation. It is all about choices; true gain lies in total and absolute surrender. God's time of favour is here. 

The Right Response!

The Right Response!

Luke 6:28 TPT

[28] When someone curses you, bless that person in return. When others mistreat and harass you, accept it as your mission to pray for them. 

The standard for a follower of Christ is always higher than that of all others. The decision to submit to and follow Christ is one that the world has been set up to fight and oppose. You are taking a position that the world will not accept or understand, because you are in effect telling the world that it no longer has any hold or attraction for you. For the devil who has been in the business of stealing, killing and destroying, as well as distracting, for as long as the earth has been in place, this is his area of experience and expertise, and I cannot defeat him on his own turf. Ask Adam and Eve; they heard God speak, yet the devil made them doubt what they had heard. 

In order to win and defeat the devil, the fight has to be a different kind from the one he is used to winning, and under an authority that he is not able to defeat. This is where the question of salvation must be asked and answered. No matter how long you live on earth, you are atill subject to the nature and power of sin. The moment you give your life to Christ, there is new management in place, and new pursuits and priorities are now the norm. For those who are content to follow the crowd, or live under the standards of the world, the words of Jesus in the chapter from where the verse above is taken are clear: there is only woe and trouble ahead. 

Check out the verses before the one above: those who are rich in this life only, as well as those who are content with themselves and have no room for God are mentioned. There are also those who laugh now, not caring about who hurts around them, and not willing to lend a helping hand to bless others; Jesus says that having received all their happiness in this life only, grief and wailing will come to them. The sorrow and pain awaiting those who are always seeking the praise, applause and honour of men is also mentioned. It then means that the opposite of all the above is true: if I am subject to different laws, there will be different consequences. 

This is why the audience of the verse above is important to consider. Jesus was speaking to men who had left all and followed Him. These instructions are not for the uncommitted crowd of people, but for those willing to make the sacrifices of surrender and followership. 

When the foundation is right, what comes out of me resembles my ownership. If someone curses me, I am unable to respond the same way, except to bless the person in return. If anyone mistreats or wants to harass me, I accept it as my mission to pray for them. I live by higher rules, because I am subject to higher authorities now. My response is a reflection of my relationship. What is yours? God's time of favour is here. 

Forgiven!

Forgiven

1 John 1:9 AMP

[9] If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].

Again, we read from the letter of John, one of the disciples/early apostles, who took the gospel of Jesus as far as grace would let them. It is always important to consider the story or background of these people, so we would understand why they wrote the way they did, or speak the way they did. John was there at the crucifixion of Jesus, and he saw firsthand what love made Jesus sacrifice for us. He is called John the Beloved for a reason which becomes obvious as we consider the introduction to his letter. He wrote from the perspective of someone who had a front row seat to all that Jesus was and did while He was on earth. 

That is the power of a witness who has a firsthand experience of what he is talking about. John made it clear that he was writing about the One who existed from the beginning, and all that he had heard, seen with his eyes, as well as looked at and touched with his hands. What could be greater than this experience? Do I have this personal touch? Does God reckon that I know Him? This is where Jesus wants all of us to be. He wants to reveal Himself to us on an individual basis, but we have to cooperate with Him. He does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill. 

This is what gives me great power, but also with awesome responsibilities that must keep me in constant awareness of the coming seasons of judgment and accountability. As He does not force Himself on anyone, this is a step I have to take in full consciousness of its impact and consequences. To freely admit that I have sinned is to embrace my humanity and weakness, knowing that I cannot save myself from the power of sin. I must also take the step of confession of sin, which is a sign that I know what I have done wrong, and I know that He alone can save me. I can be open and honest with God; after all, what can  I hide from Him in the first place? 

I go to the One who can help me overcome sin permanently; not just for a season. He is a faithful God, and He does not go back on His word. If He says I am forgiven, indeed, I am. If He says all my past guilt is washed away, then I am. If He says He is faithful, just and true to His own nature and promises, and He  will forgive and cleanse me from all wrongdoing and unrighteousness. He is the only One who can make and keep such a promise. It also has a deeper impact: what He promises has eternal consequences too. He will sort out the earthly, and also guarantee the eternal. That is what His work in me leads to. I need Him. He wants to work in and on us. Would you let Him? God's time of favour is here. 

Stand!

Stand!

James 4:7 AMP

[7] So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you. 

The background to the verse above is a warning by James to his audience: be careful about what you set your desires and affections are. There is a power behind focus: whatever it is that is able to catch and hold your attention has the power to run your life and to either ruin it or redeem it. This is why the warning of James in the earlier verses before the one above is instructive for us today: I cannot be a friend of the world and be a friend of God at the same time. It is impossible to seek to please both at the same time, as both have diametrically opposite views, directions, pursuits, purposes, authorities, and destinations. 

No matter how long I travel in the wrong direction, it does not bring me any closer to my intended destination. This is why a personal experience of, and encounter with Jesus, is fundamental to the counsel in the verse above. How can anyone submit to the authority and governance of a God who he has no knowledge of? How can you submit to a God you do not even know He exists? In this age of information and technology, where knowledge of the workings of the world's systems and processes seems to be man's most important asset, it is hard to make a case for the importance of the knowledge of God. 

To submit is to 'accept or yield to a superior force, or to the authority or will of another person'. In the context of the verse above, it is not something you can force down the throat of anyone. Actually, it is just a matter of time, as God is the Authority that all men on earth will one day submit to, either by free will or by compulsion. Whilst I am on earth, I get to choose to submit to Him of my own free will. I get to show that I love Him, and seek His will over my life's choices and decisions. It is important to note, too, that the order is very important: you do not get power to resist the devil until your allegiance to God is settled and sorted. 

The devil has been in the business of stealing, killing, and destroying since the earth was created, but God is before all things and is therefore wiser and stronger than all. The devil can threaten, but he is also subject to the power and authority of God. Remember: though he does not like it, even the devil is forced to submit to God. When I stand in the power of God, then the devil cannot overcome me. It matters in and by whose authority I am standing and speaking. The devil must flee when God backs up the man who is under His command. Be sure where you stand. Be sure who is backing you up. God's time of favour is here. 

Helped!

Helped!

Psalms 34:18 AMP

[18] The Lord is near to the heartbroken And He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sin).

It may be tempting to think that a child of God must not go through tough times, but that would be an error of judgment, and a position that is not in line with God's word. It may also be tempting to take the opposite direction in thinking that trials are proof of sin or rebellion toward God. Truly, one could be punished for sin, but it must not be the default option when things seem not to go according to plan. God has the prerogative to decide how best to train or prepare His children for whatever is ahead. He defines the HOW and WHEN; I do not, and I can only decide if I want to submit to or embrace His dealings. This is the power I have. 

For David, a man God Himself referred to as a man after His own heart, it was not going to be any different. You would have thought that a man with this special relationship with God would breeze through life without any hassle. As we have always said, God cannot use a vessel extensively, which He has not first tested and found to be reliable. The testing will take different forms, and may go through several seasons; iit may seem that there is no break from pressure, but the verse above gives us a word of encouragement, as we pass through all that may lie ahead: God is always there. He does not show up only when it is convenient. 

It may sound simple, or maybe it is just a repetition of what you have always heard, but the truth is God is Omnipresent, Omnipotent, and Omniscient. This is His nature; there really is not much anyone can do to change that. As the God who knows what is ahead and how best to prepare, He is that expert pharmacist who knows what medication, and in what dosage, is best for my situation. He does not seek to destroy or harm me; He wants me to grow in my personal knowledge and experience of Him. Things may go wrong; I may make wrong decisions and find myself in uncomfortable positions, like David did  here, but that undeniable truth of God's presence makes it alright. 

The Lord is near to the heartbroken. When I know I have done wrong, it is the lie of the devil to think that God has abandoned me. God does not do convenient companionship, where He is only there when things are fine. He does not wait for me to get it right; He gets right beside me, and helps me through the bad experiences, so that I can remain on my feet. He saves those who are crushed in spirit, whp are truly contrite in heart, and sorry for their sin. David would know a lot about this: I am loved by God, forgiven by Him, preserved for His glory, gifted for His service and bound for eternal life with Him. That is confidence not based on the physical. Do you have this? God's time of favour is here. 

Sustained!

Sustained!

John 15:2 AMP

[2] Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit].

Jesus, as always, had a message for the ones who had followed Him as disciples. There was a time to speak to the crowd in parables, but there was a time, away from the pressure and distraction of the crowd, where Jesus had to speak directly and in clear language to His followers. The standards for followers are very different to those of the crowd. The crowd can come in and go out as they please; they can choose which instructions to obey and which ones to ignore. Not so for those who made up their minds to follow Jesus. It was not initially a compulsory conscription, but if you do make up your mind to follow, you have got to go all the way. 

One thing that a follower of Christ must settle in his/her heart is that you are no longer an independent contractor. You are no longer free to live, go where, or do as you please. It is now new management and control, and the new management does not give room for confusion and uncertainty. As a follower of Christ, I am presented in the verse above as a branch of a vine. As we know, a branch does not get nourishment or sustenance outside of the supply from the vine. If at any time it thinks it can make it on its own, the branch runs the risk of becoming detached from the right supply, and therefore at risk of death. There is no better way to lay this out.

Staying connected means being conscious of your never-ending need of divine supply. It is a clear understanding that I can never outgrow a need for that which only the vine can supply. What can make a branch stop bearing fruit? For a child of God, it starts from the heart: the things that mattered no longer carries the same urgency; sin no longer has the shock value it used to have in the past; there is no more hunger for the voice, direction and leading of the Holy Spirit. It will not happen overnight; the danger is in the silent, subtle ways this happens. Let it be clear; the vine will never run out of supply and support. It is the branch that must never lose its connection to its host. Am I connected?

The branch that remains fruitful does not have room to become careless; the vine dresser will continue to work on that branch to make it even more fruitful. This is the part that may be difficult to understand: why fix something that is not broken? This is why God is not man; He does not permit carelessness or inactivity. He knows that it is in such moments that mistakes are made. He will prune, take away the dross and extra weight, so I can be all that He has created me to be. The blessing of His work in and on e is that I will continue to bear more fruit. What a joy it is to know that God's hand on me is for my good, never for my destruction. He wants to help me, but only if I let Him. Would you? God's time of favour is here. 

Let it Roll!

Let it Roll!

Amos 5:24 AMP

[24] “But let justice run down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream [flowing abundantly].

We read the words of a man you would not really call a prophet. In fact, in the words of tje man Amos himself, he said he was not a prophet by profession, nor was he a prophet’s son, but he was a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. That was his job and means of livelihood, but that did not stop God from using him to pass a message to the people of Israel at the time. As always, men think they know the qualifications needed to be used by God for mighty things, but as God has proved over the years, availability is more important to Him than eloquence or wealth. He does not need the influential or the connected; He just needs available vessels He can deploy as He pleases. 

Sometimes, God uses the simple to pass on His mind to people. God knows how to find those who the world does not know, to publicly declare His word and will to the world. He is the One who uses the lowly and despised things to nullify the things that think they are special, so that no one can boast before Him. How do I see myself? Do I even imagine that God can find me useful in any way? Never look down on yourself; there is yet no one made in the image and likeness of God that is useless or of no value. If He made and spared me till today, there is a place for me to function. If I can only be available and yielded, there is no end to the amazing ways God can make use of me. 

The messsge given to Amos contains relevant information for us today. A nation may get complacent and relaxed, forgetting the ideals and standards that brought it peace, calm and prosperity. This was where Israel was at the time. The land had relative peace in the days of Jeroboam and Uzziah, kings of Israel and Judah respectively. Maybe quiet made them forget where God had brought them from. Maybe comfort and convenience made them forget the mighty acts of God in their lives. The land was now known for idolatry. Baal and strange gods were now the norm. I must be careful of the choices I make when things seem to be going well. 

One thing is clear from the verse above: God will not lower His standards for anyone. No matter how far Israel had fallen, God was not going to go down to their level to placate them. He would provide the help they needed,  but they had to attain the standard. God is a God of justice, and righteousness is His nature. He cannot lie, and He will not deny Himself. He does not deal in haphazard ways, but He is methodical. He will also not demand from me that which He has not first supplied sufficient grace for. It is His will that I promote His nature. I must know and have Him, if I am to promote Him the right way. Do you know Him? Does He also know you? God's time of favour is here.