God's Way!

God's Way!

1 Peter 5:6 AMPC

[6] Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you,

As is the custom, we consider the identity of the writer of this letter, and the audience to whom it is written. Peter introduced himself as an apostle, a special messenger of Jesus Christ. We know how he started: a simple fisherman who became the spokesman of the apostles and a bold witness to the saving and healing power of Jesus. He was a timid man whose name was Simon, and the early part of his life shows that he was a timid man, easily blown about by the wind, but following a proper encounter with Jesus, he was renamed as Peter, which means 'a rock'. The events that followed his life gave him the confidence to introduce himself this way. 

A personal encounter with Jesus is the basic and non-negotiable minimum requirement to be able to speak confidently about the principles of the kingdom you claim to be a part of. How can I encourage other people in the path I have not walked, unless God gives me the right words? How does my life provide comfort to others, if I have not first submitted to the dealings of God. The audience of the letter by Peter were described as elect exiles of the dispersion who were scattered abroad in different regions. They were going through difficult times, but there was a comfort in knowing that they had been chosen and foreknown by God the Father and consecrated by the Spirit. 

It is these dealings of God that empower a man to stand in the face of tough times and to keep himself under God's mighty hand. I must always remember that no one is able to come to Jesus unless the Father draws such a person. Where then is the place of pride or a sense of self-sufficiency? How does a man ever think that he has all he needs for life and Godliness all by himself? As we are human beings first and foremost, we learn to be daily dependent on the grace of God that helps a man keep himself humble under God's mighty hand. What does a man have that was not first given to him by God? Which of us can by manipulation or sheer force of will add a cubit to our height? 

The verse above also reminds me that there are things that God will not do for me. He has given sufficient grace for me to know Him and His standards. He will not force His will on me but I must be sure that if I surrender to Him, there is no limit to what He can do in and through me. It is my job to humble myself; it is in God's time to decide to exalt me. In fact, God will not extensively use a man who is unable to humble himself. Mine is to see myself in God's light, and it is left to God to decide what He will do with me. After all, if I am His, then I must live for His glory. Anything else is a waste of time. God's time of favour is here. 

Truth!

Truth!

John 8:32 AMPC

[32] And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.

How do you know the Truth? One way to look at this is to first consider how it is defined, which will help us to know what it looks or sounds like, and what it does not look or sound like. One definition of truth' is 'the quality of being true'. A definition of 'true' itself is: something 'matching facts and reality instead of being false'. It would appear that you cannot really understand truth without knowing what is true and what is false. Truth from the definitions above will be something that is absolute, and not capable of multiple meanings or diverse interpretations. If something is only true in certain contexts or situations, then it will be hard to argue that that thing is true at all times. 

This is why it is also important to consider the foundation to the verse above. This was at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, a season of thanksgiving for the harvest, as well as the remembrance of God's protection during the Israelites' journey through the wilderness. Jesus had spent time teaching the crowd about the principles of the kingdom He had come to establish, and had laid down some truths that were absolute and beyond argument or contention. One of these truths is the clarity of God's instructions when it comes to sin. He does not leave us in any doubt as to what He calls sin. Covetousness or adultery are a few of the actions of man that are clearly laid out as sin by God. 

Another truth from the background to the verse above is the truth of man's fallen nature. The best of us at one time were sinners who were headed to eternal damnation, but the truth of God's mercy, revealed in His plan of redemption for all of mankind, shows us a path back to God. Another truth that is made clear in the background to this verse is the truth of eternal judgment for all who still reject all the other truths that have been laid out above. If Jesus has done all He can to save, redeem, restore and secure eternal life for us, how can we turn around and blame Him for the eternal consequences of the decision we made to reject His free gift of salvation? 

The truths above are all absolute. You cannot argue against any of them. There is now this final truth that binds them all together, and that is the Truth introduced to us in the verse above. There is a Person that makes all these truths real, and it is only in and by Him that we receive grace to accept all the other truths, and align our lives with His demands. This is where the truth of personal choice comes in; having heard all these truths, how do I respond? Like the Jews who believed in Him in those days, so do we need to make a decision today. Only by a personal encounter with this Truth can I receive grace to live daily in line with these other truths. He is all we need for the times we are in. Do you know Him? God's time of favour is here. 

Fruit!

Fruit!

Galatians 5:22 - 23 AMPC

[22] But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].

In simple terms, you can define 'fruit' as the seed-bearing structure of a plant, often sweet and edible. It means that the fruit would always reflect the plant from which it is taken, or what you may call the seed. The fruit does not exist in isolation of the seed or plant and cannot be celebrated outside of the influence of the seed. Think of it this way: the one who plants the seed knows what s/he wants to get at the end of the process. The best seed is then cultivated and planted in the ground; it is carefully nurtured and kept from the influence of weeds or adverse weather, so that it can have the best environment to bloom and thrive. 

At the end of the process, the seed matures and bears visible and edible fruit, which many will partake of and enjoy. Even the person who planted the seed may not be able to consume all the fruit. People who pass by and had no idea how or when the seed was planted and nurtured will also partake in the fruit. This is just a reflection of the message in the verse above. The verse above presents all the qualities listed as the fruit of the Spirit. It does not refer to them in plural, but in singular form, which tells me that this is not an auction where I get to choose the ones that are convenient, and reject the others that may be hard to attain. 

This is a package deal, where I get all for the price of total surrender to the One who is able to plant the seed in me, nurture it, so that it produces the fruiit listed above. As the verse above makes clear, this fruit is the work His presence within me is able to accomplish. It has nothing to do with circle of influence or my bank account balance, or any networth value. It is all God from start to finish, and it is done in a life that allows Him work. It is not what I can get by labour, striving or pushing hard; if it were by effort alone, then grace is of no effect. It is also not enough to hear or read about Him; He has to live inside me. Too many times, we are content with hearsay or other people's opinions. It is time we sought for, found God, and then followed Him for ourselves. 

After all, it is first and foremost a personal encounter. There is no group or teams call for this one. Check out all the dimensions to this fruit, and you will find that all of them are first internal convictions before they become external manifestations. There is no market for joy, but you cannot deny its presence in the life of a man who has it. You cannot buy peace in the market but when you meet a man who is ruled by the Prince of Peace, you cannot doubt his encounter. It is also instructive to note that no government can make a law to make any of these dimensions unlawful. What a wonderful and wise God, who calls us into this unique and special relationship, by which He can make Himself known to the world. He has given us His all; would we also give Him our all? God's time of favour is here. 

My Rock!

My Rock!

Psalm 18:2 AMPC

[2] The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower.

Pause for a moment and reflect on the clear message at the top of the chapter from where the verse above is taken. It reads: 'A psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul'. This is the man who had been taken from total obscurity as a shepherd boy, and made the king over Israel. He had been anointed in secret, but before long, the whole nation had known about it. He is referred to as the servant of the Lord, and of course, we know that God called this same servant a man after His own heart. 

Who says being backed up by God will keep you away from trials or tough times? Who says that being a child of God insures you from rough waves and strong winds? God too does not promise such anywhere in His Word; what is guaranteed is a life filled with His power and presence. What is guaranteed is that whatever He allows to come our way is carefully calculated and calibrated to bring out His best in us. Like the pharmacist that He is, amongst many other things, He will not bring on us more than we can bear, and He will also make a way of escape for us, so we can be standing at the end of it all. That is what we have access to. 

As the verse above makes clear, you do not make claims without having a personal encounter with the One who can supply that which you need. You cannot speak quite confidently about an encounter you do not have. When David refers to God as his rock, fortress, deliverer, his God, his strength, these are things that are best understood from personal experience. You do not use such personal words for someone you only have a passing acquaintance with. These words are also from a place of struggle and victory, a place of warring and overcoming, and a place of pain turned into strength. Do you know or have anything to do with this God?

How else would I appreciate the value of a rock or fortress if I never had to run from trouble into a safe place? The value of who I know and what I have will best be appreciated when trouble comes. It is not a matter of IF but WHEN. Being a child of God is the best relationship I could ever have. He is the One who can preserve from all evil. He is the One who gives me a safe place to rest, before I have to face the world again. He is the One who saves me, and even when I am weary and broken, He picks me, cleans me up, and still sets me on the path to relevance and impact. Who else can do what God does? Again I ask: do you know and have Him? God's time of favour is here. 

No Worries!

No Worries!

Matthew 6:34 AMPC

[34] So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

It is the natural human reaction to fret and worry about things you cannot influence or control. Man usually loves to have a sense of control, as he is able to direct the narrative, but when you are already limited by time, resources and nature, you just cannot win the battle of control. As was mentioned above, it is a natural human reaction to worry, even for those who know God, and that is why the message in the verse above is instructive for us. The verse above is taken from the first Sermon of Jesus on the mountain, as He sat down with His disciples. We have always maintained that though the crowd was there, the crowd was not Jesus' main audience. 

You do not place a demand for commitment on an uncommitted majority. You do not make a demand for faith from a generation that has been brought up on fear and rumours, unless you have first changed the inner point of control and influence. This is what Jesus was trying to do here. I note that He did not rebuke His disciples for worrying; He gave them a reason to stop worrying, but also provided an alternative focus. This is also important: too many times, we tell people what to stop doing but we do not provide a viable alternative focus or activity. The natural mind is prone to activity - mental, psychological, emotional. He just cannot sit still; he needs an answer to all of life's questions.

He is unable to see beyond this immediate second, yet he wants to have in place a ten-year plan. Whilst there is absolutely nothing wrong with planning, it has to be done with the right mentality, attitude and focus. As the same chapter from where the verse above is taken makes clear, no one can add a single cubit to his height or a single day to his span of life by worrying? The birds of the air do not hunt, and they have no savings account, yet it is hard to find any of them falling to the ground dead due to hunger. The lilies of the field have no tailors yet they are always beautifully adorned. Not even Solomon with His riches had such beauty. 

If God can take care of these creatures which are not promised eternal life with God, how much more will God take care of us in whom He has deposited a part of Himself? As it has been pointed out, rather than worry, put all your trust in God alone. Why worry about a tomorrow you have not seen, when you have a God who holds tomorrow in His hands? Each day has its own troubles, but this God also promises mercies on a daily basis. His mercies have not failed yet and He will not start today. He does not sleep or slumber, and He does not get tired. The One who made us in His own image is also invested in our success and advancement. Trust Him with your life. God's time of favour is here. 

All I Need!

All I Need!

2 Peter 1:3 AMPC

[3] For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).

There is power in personal encounters. The man who wrote this letter would know this. We know how and where he started: he was an ordinary fisherman, busy at his place of work when Jesus borrowed his ship to teach and preach, and then blessed him with a boat full of fish. That encounter was enough to change the direction of Peter's life. We also know he was not always the best version of himself at the start; he was given to fear and emotional responses. In fact, his name was Simon the reed. It was his encounter with Jesus, as well as the inspiration he got from the Spirit, that led to the name Peter being added to his name. 

It is even more special to consider that this was the same man who walked with Jesus for more than three years, yet at the first sight of arrest, he denied ever knowing Jesus. Before we blame Simon, remember that another disciple named Judas Iscariot actually took money to betray the same Jesus. It is clear that the grace of God is not something we earn by any good thing we could have done, but it is simply a function of God's goodness and mercy. By human standards, men like Simon, Judas Iscariot and even Thomas  may not have been qualified to be called disciples, but this is where grace does not always follow logic. Who says it must always make sense? 

This same Peter now writes to those who have obtained the same precious faith that he, along with other apostles, also obtained. This is the work of faith, not just works. This is the righteousness of God that all who come in faith to the Saviour Jesus Christ receive. If men like Peter could speak of grace this way, it means that there is nobody who is beyond the grace of God. It does not matter how dirty my past is; it does not matter what the weight of the past is. All that really matters is that I respond to the offer of God that has been made available. His power, presence and presents are available for all men, particularly for those who submit their lives to Him. 

He does not only sort out the eternal; He is also invested in the earthly. He wants me to be a blessing down here, and in preparation for eternity. God wants me to be His eyes, ears, hands, feet and heart, so that men are attracted to His light in me. The best way I can do these is to reflect His glory and power by the things I do, the way I look, the words I speak. I am His ambassador; the earthly and visible representative of an invisible God. As the verse above makes clear, He has given us all that we need for life and Godliness. The One who calls is the One who also equips. He does not do half-measures. Do you know this God? God's time of favour is here.

New Life!

New Life!

Colossians 3:1 AMPC

[1] IF THEN you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Paul was writing this letter to the church in Colosse, and it is instructive that this letter was co-written by Timothy, someone who had been mentored in the faith by Paul. Timothy was not one you would have reckoned with by Jewish standards, because his father was Greek, but we now know that the past does not always determine the present or the future. That Timothy became the vessel he became is a testament to the power of God to save and to use. There is no one who is so far gone that s/he is beyond the grace of God. He is the One who takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary. It really matters in whose hands that life is. 

It is also instructive to note the audience to which this letter is addressed: the saints (the consecrated people of God) and believing and faithful brethren in Christ. This also matters. As we have always maintained, the audience defines the demand. You do not place a demand for commitment from a majority which has no idea of what is required by God. How can you commit to a God who you do not know or whose authority you do not submit to? The other danger is that this majority is of course in large numbers, and can be quite loud and visible. The crowd can make noise, but it does not always mean that God is backing up that noise. 

For those who have made that commitment, the message in the verse above is clear: we have been raised with Christ into a new life. When Christ died on the cross, He took away the power of sin and death, giving us access into the new life that only Christ can give. We now share the same life; we share the power of resurrection, because this new life does not end. This is both humbling and instructive; it is a life that is only available in Christ, and it places a demand for new pursuits and priorities from all who seek it. What worked in the old life no longer applies in this new life. What was permitted under the old order no longer works in this new order. 

For people who share this new life, the verse above lays out this requirement: aim at and seek the rich, eternal treasures that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. It does not mean that I forget how to be a blessing down here on earth, but the values of the earth must not hold my heart. I cannot afford to focus only on what I can get here, but the desire for eternal life with God must be of utmost priority.  The treasures in Christ beat whatever the earth can give you; the earth can even give you, but it cannot guarantee that you will enjoy it. Focus on God, even as you make impact for Him down here. Eternity will be glad you did. God's time of favour is here.