Good Plans!

Good Plans!

For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 AMP

As you read the verse above, remember the context. Jeremiah had sent a letter to the rest of the elders in exile and to the priests, the prophets and all the people whom the king of Babaylon, Nebuchadnezzar had taken into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. Judah was God's own people, yet when the nation rebelled against God's express commands, He punished them in line with His Word, and after several warnings. God in His mercy does not just destroy; He will plead and warn, and then punishment will come. As I consider all these, are there warnings from God I need to heed today? Are there decisions I need to take today to avert trouble?

Consider also that both the king and queen mother, as well as the eunuchs, the princes, the court officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the smiths, were not spared from the trouble that rebellion against God's instructions had brought upon Judah. I recall that Daniel, a man who knew His God and was ready to defend his faith, was not spared from exile. The three Hebrew boys were also not spared, and they had to defend their faith in a land of bondage. Before you think that you are smart about sin, please remember that the patience of God does not mean acquiescence or acceptance of sin. Be careful of what you consider acceptable. 

God will not lower His standards for anyone, no matter who it is. If He did not spare His own people from the consequences of their rebellion, be sure that He will punish every unrepented sin. What makes this even more poignant is that God does not leave us without guidance on who He is and what He expects. Even creation testifies to the power of God. Now that I have been made aware of His standards, I have no excuse for sin. To make matters even more interesting, in the midst of the pain, we read the verse above. How could a God who dealt harshly with His people's sin still be this nice? How does this message of hope sit within the context of punishment? 

This is why God is not man. His Omniscience makes it impossible for man to deceive God, and He is able to foresee all that is coming and plan appropriately for it. The place of man's first sin was also the place where God's plan of salvation for all mankind was made manifest. His mercy transcends generations and dispensations. Even though many generations were going into exile, God did not forget or abandon them. He sent this word of encouragement and hope to the exiles: I have plans of peace and well-being for you. Your future is secure. It is still the same God; as long as I do not toy with sin, and I am His, my present reality does not look in any way like my eternal reality. Even when I do wrong, His mercy is there to restore me, if I truly repent. What an awesome God. Do you know Him? Have you met Him? God's time of favour is here. 

Sustained!

Sustained!

Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail) Psalm 55:22 AMPC

We read from another psalm of David, a man God testified to as a man after His own heart. We do not immediately know what was going on with David at this time, but as you read the entire chapter from where the verse above is taken, you find him struggling with the noise of the enemy, the oppression and threats of the wicked, and their persecution. You may ask why a man after God's heart should have such nasty experiences, but I am yet to find a place in the bible where God promises His own a life free of trials and tough times. As we read in the verse above, these were words of a man loved by God, yet there were burdens that needed to be dealt with. How does God want me to deal with these burdens?

The verse above charges me to CAST my burden upon the Lord. There is this brief addition to the verse, where it says I should release the weight of it to God. It is like telling me to let go of the weight and allow God deal with the heavy parts. I note quite carefully that it does not say that the burden is totally removed from me; I now have the Most High God helping me with the weight of it. How do you explain the bit about God sustaining me, if the burden is already taken away? Why does God promise me comfort in all my tribulations if there were no hard times to deal with? He does not say He will immediately remove the burden, but that He will hold my hand whilst I carry the burden. 

Could it be that God is more interested in building my capacity and character, rather than my earthly comfort? Could it be that this is His own way of preparing me the right way for the prize that is ahead? His Omniscience makes it clear that He holds and knows the future, and He also knows the right steps that will bring me to the place He has prepared for me. If there was no pressure, how would I value the pleasure at the end? If there was no cross for Jesus, there would have been no crown of life for us who hold on to the end. I must also keep at the back of my mind that some burdens may be temporary; every experience is a lesson God seeks to use to teach me dependence on Him.

Paul had a thorn in His flesh, but the grace of God sustained him through it all. The thorn remained in place, but grace sustained Paul. As the verse above also makes clear, God is able to hold the righteous up in His hand, so that they are not moved. Life's experiences have a way they can lead to compromise or giving up. Picture Job at the depths of despair and depression, losing all he had. However, he knew that God was with him, even in the pits, and we see how his life ended. Even when you do not see physical signs, let the joy of having God on your side keep your heart stable. God is able to preserve to the end all who hold on to Him to the end. Would you? God's time of favour is here. 

Live Right!

Live Right!

“Rescue any who need to be saved, as you would rescue someone from a fire. Then with fear in your own hearts, have mercy on everyone who needs it. But hate even the clothes of those who have been made dirty by their filthy deeds.” Jude 1:23 CEVUK

Depending on which source you read, Jude or Judas here was one of the earthly half-brothers of Jesus, but he understood the message. He introduces himself as a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James too. It did not matter what had happened in the past or what had brought them to this point; the critical bit was the assignment of missions that God had committed into the hands of Jude. Do I know who I am, who has called me and what I have been called to, or am I still stuck of family genealogies and history? Am I distracted by a desire for phyiscal influence at the expense of spiritual impact? Am I content to be seen as a servant, or am I invested in recognition and respect?

Jude knew his call, and he wrote this letter to those who are called and chosen, dearly loved by God the Father, and separated and kept for Jesus Christ. Reflect on this: the love of God brought salvation to all mankind, but it is only those who commit their lives to Jesus who are truly kept safe. God offers Himself to all, but He will not force Himself on all. As the bible also says: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God”. As many as would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus, they have access to help and resources that will keep them on the right path. Before I start to claim, do I belong to the category of people covered by the insurance that Jesus' death and resurrection provide?

For those who have come to Jesus, there is a call to be different; to stand out; to fight for the standards of the faith; to enforce the rules and practices of the kingdom to which we belong. When Jude was writing to this letter, he referenced this when he said: "contend for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints". We have been given a precious and free gift: salvation. It comes with its own demands, and it will ask for commitment and discipline. When it comes to this contention, there is no fence to sit on. You are either all in or all out. In the times we live in today, there are mockers and those who walk after their own ungodly lusts, yet God is counting on me to uphold the principles and practices of His kingdom here on earth. 

How do I do these things without help? How do I discern without His guidance? There are people to help from afar; there are people you need to get down and help up. As the verse above makes clear, we are to rescue any who needs to be saved, as one would rescue someone from a fire. That is how pressing the need for salvation is. We are to also have and show mercy to all who need it, but keeping fear in our own hearts, as we deal with the world we have been placed in. As the verse above also makes clear, helping others nust not come at the expense of eternal security. Avoid anything that polutes; God will not lower His standards for anyone, no matter how good the intentions were. May God help us to live right. God's time of favour is here. 

Right Heart!

Right Heart!

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 AMPC

This is a psalm of David, which lays out quite clearly the circumstances that led to the words of the verse above. Recall that this was a man that God Himself referred to as a man after His own heart. God had chosen the boy David from among many 'qualifed' men, even above the sons of the king Saul. There was not much of anything of physical or financial value that would have qualified David to be king. Even the three older brothers of David were serving in the army of the king. If you were seeking human qualities in men skilled in war and capable of leading men into battle, there was no documented experience that men could count on for the benefit of David. 

All David had were victories over the lion and the bear in private, away from the public and the crowd. These experiences helped prepare David for the kingship. Long before the public acclamation, God was preparing the man David in private. Like David, God is still using this process to prepare men for public impact and relevance. Too many times, we want the public eye on us, and we are easily distracted by public applause. Sometimes, we start well by fully depending on God, and when we think we have built some measure of expertise and experience, we think we can make it on our own the rest of the way. What could have made David so careless that he commited adultery and murder? 

We see the man loved by God make grevious mistakes. Who says being backed up by God automatically keeps you away from trials and temptations? A child of God is to be very deliberate about avoiding situations that tempt you to do evil. Without pointing fingers at David, his life is a warning about constant dependence on the help of the Holy Spirit for daily living. David could not have imagined that a simple walk on the roof of his palace would lead him down the road to adultery and murder. Be careful how and where you walk. Be careful who you also walk and work with.  The damage was done; the consequences of his actions outlived David. Thank God he repented. 

The verse above is a study in what God expects from all who seek to follow Him. The state of my heart is fundamental to how far God can use me. As God has made clear all through His Word, He does not extensively use vessels He has not first tested and worked on. No matter how dirty my past is, He asks me to bring it all to Him. He is able to do a work IN me that will bring glory to Him through me. As David prayed here, my own desire must also be a clean heart. God has the nature of holiness, and that is what He demands from all of us. He is also able to renew my spirit, as I constantly seek His help for my walk of faith. Would you surrender all to Him? God's time of favour is here. 

Loved!

Loved!

“ We love Him, because He first loved us.”

1 John 4:19 AMPC

The foundation to the verse above is laid out very clearly in a few verses just before the one above. The verse says: “In this the love of God was made manifest (displayed) where we are concerned: in that God sent His Son, the only begotten or unique [Son], into the world so that we might live through Him.” Reflect on this for a moment: if you need to understand the definition, scope, spread , reach, height, aim, and depth of love from God's personal perspective, look no further than what He did to prove Himself. He made a claim that He loves us, and then He backed up that claim by giving someone very precious to Him as a sacrifice for our sin. 

What makes it even more precious is the fact that this sacrifice was made at a time when there was no guarantee that the targets of this love would even respond the right way. None of us alive on earth today was there when Christ died on the cross; it was not like Christ was sure we would all embrace the free gift we have been offered. Even if it was for the sake of one person only who would accept this free gift, Jesus considered His sacrifice on the cross as worth it. To make matters even more interesting, the very first and last time that it was recorded that God in heaven seemingly turned His back on His son was when the son was carrying the sin of the world upon Himself. 

God the Holy One could not look at His son at the time. If this was God's perspective on sin, can we afford to have a different perspective? If God hates sin this much, and He had to go all out this way to pay the price for it, that is love that is not subject to my acceptance or rejection. My response to God's love does not in any way change who He is and what He has done for me. I have been shown a love that did not wait for me to be worthy; it came to make me worthy to stand before the One who loved me in spite of my baggage. By the death of Jesus on the cross, I have no reason to fear death again. By His resurrection, I have also been raised to a new life in and through Him.

That is how the verse above is to be seen and experienced. The fallen human nature is not able to align with the requirements of the new nature that Christ brings. In my own power and strength, I am unable to fully live out the demands of the new life. Thank God He does not leave us to our own devises. Thank God He has not left us alone to go on ourselves with no help. He knows that we need Him if we are to align with the requirements and demands of His kingdom. Indeed, by His life and love in me, I am able to show off His life and love to other people around me. I can, simply because He died and now lives forever. You can, simply because He loves you. Would you trust Him? Would I? God's time of favour is here. 

Emmanuel!

Emmanuel!

“ And the Lord said, My Presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14 AMPC

Let us pause for a moment and reflect on what brought us to this point. God was with Moses on the mountain, whilst the people were waiting for him at the foot of the mountain. It appeared he was delaying and the people convinced Aaron, a man who had seen God at work, to make for them gods that would lead them into the promised land. These were the same people who had seen what God did to the land of Egypt and all its firstborns; they had witnessed the walls of the Red Sea; they had seen amazing provisions of their needs, and up to this day, they had been a regular supply of manna. How did these people forget so easily how they got here?

As we know, God is a God of holiness, and He will not lower His standards for anyone, no matter who it is or what you have done for Him in the past. Israel had sinned, and up to Aaron, punishment was applied. You then find God telling Moses to continue to lead the people into the land of promise, and that He will send an angel to go before them. The promise of God was still going to be achieved: Israel will get into the land, but God would not go with them. God said that He did not want to destroy them on the way. Moses knew the danger of God not going with the people into the land and he had to intercede for the people. Can God count on me for such times like these?

Moses went to God to plead for mercy, but I must note that God spoke to Moses based on his request. We see Moses asking God to show him His ways, so that he may really know Him. Reflect on this: Moses, a man who God was already speaking to, still sought to know the way of God, whilst the people he was leading were content with making small gods. This always teaches me the value and power of a personal walk with God. God still seeks men who will seek Him in the midst of a crowd. God listened to Moses and the words of this verse were given to the man Moses, not to the people of Israel. This is the value of a life of prayer. 

God is the One who seeks fellowship with man. He is Omnipotent, yet it is considered a privilege for God to seek fellowship with mortal man. The promise here is a word of comfort to all who seek God on a personal level. He will be found; that is a promise that has remained true through changing times,  generations and dispensations. Forget the crowd for a moment; Moses eventually sought and obtained mercy for Israel, but at the end of this chapter, we see God showing Moses His back parts: but not His face. That is a man like us, getting God to do what had never been done up to this point. Would I also seek God this way? Know God for yourself. It will sustain you through life's experiences. 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.

We start with a definition of truth. The word "true" means matching facts and reality instead of being false. The challenge with the definition above is that the world is able to define what it qualifies as true, and it will hold on to that position, no matter how silly its view is, or what God's word says. We live in a world that celebrates 'alternative facts" and claims these facts to be true, even when everyone else can see it to be false. This is also why it cannot be the world that defines what is true, but that which has been proven to be consistent and absolute in its constant consistency. God is the only One who has remained true through changing generations.

We encounter this truth when Jesus spoke to the crowd which always gathered anytime He was speaking. I note that in that crowd were Jews, as well as Pharisees and the teachers of the law. Some came sincerely to hear Him speak, but some also came to find ways to trip Him up, so they could have cause to accuse and arrest Him. As it was in those days, so is it today. Many come to Jesus with ulterior and sincere motives, but the warning here is: we deal with a God of absolute knowledge. Nothing catches Him by surprise; there are no secrets with Him; you cannot deceive Him. How can that which is created outwit He who is the Creator?

He cannot be mocked; whatever the motive for coming to Him may be, know that you will get the result that matches that motive. Think about the verse above; this was Jesus' words to the Jews who had come to believe in Him. In the same crowd where the Pharisees were looking for ways to trip Him, there were Jews that were receiving and responding to the Word of God. Who says God cannot move in the midst of the most oppressive regime? Who says God is limited by men's resistance to His Word? As it was then, so is it today. The Word still works wonders. The power of the Word of God is still active today. Is my heart receptive to the Word of God today?

These Jews who believed were introduced to the Truth: the person that gives true freedom. No knowledge of man is ever complete in man; no one can say he has known all there is to know of a body of knowledge. In the same way, if a man knows God, He is now exposed to a God who has no limits, and who can preserve all who hold on to Him to eternity. This is the truth of the person of Christ: He does not just give life. He is Life. He does not just show the way; He is the Way. He is not one of many options; He is the One who makes the Father known. He will not force Himself on anyone, but knowing Him is true freedom that preserves all the way to eternal life. Do you know Him? God's time of favour is here.