Set!

Set!

Colossians 3:2 AMP

[2] Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value]. 

Paul and Timothy are credited with writing this letter to the church in Colosse. Paul described himself as an apostle, who is a special messenger and a personally chosen representative of Christ Himself. Timothy is also described as a brother, and we know how this young man started. It was not the best of starts, but in the hands of God, the start never looks anything like the ending. Paul too did not have the ideal start, but he had the special privilege of a close relationship with Christ at some point in his life, and this turned his life around. Like Paul and Timothy, this special encounter with Jesus is fundamental to what God has planned for us. 

For anyone who seeks to be used by God for mighty things, and not just a one-off experience, you need to have that clarity of understanding who Jesus is, what He is, and what He demands of all who choose to follow and submit to Christ. As the verse before the one above makes clear, I am raised with Christ into a new life. I identify with His death on the cross, because there was my past dealt with permanently. The cross was a place of shame for all who carried it and were put to death on it, but the One who bore it was not moved by the shame. He kept His eye on the people who would come to know Him, and would propagate the good news about Him.

This is what is expected of those who have come to know and follow Christ: they keep their hearts fixed on the eternal, but without losing sight of the earthly. They understand that they have been saved from sin and preserved on earth to provide living examples of how Christ can change a life, and still make him relevant down here on earth. Too many times, we find men and women who are saved, but think that the polluted world is beneath them. They do not want to associate in any way with the fallen world, so they cut off all connections with the world. How can you impact a place whose issues you have not taken time to understand? 

We have been raised with Christ to a new life, and we are the partakers of the power of His resurrection. We have been set apart for His glory, and we are the visible, audible and human expressions and instruments to make God known to the world around us. We keep His nature; we are bound for eternal and permanent dwellings, but whilst we wait for the manifestation, we do not forget to make Him known here on earth. What is the use of a life that Christ has impacted but is not able to make God known? How do I attract men to the love and light I have received, if I cut myself off from the place where men need to see Him in and through me? May He be made known. May He be real in me. God's time of favour is here.

The Kingdom!

The Kingdom!

Matthew 6:33 AMP

[33] But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.

This is yet another verse taken from the first Sermon of Jesus on the mountain. This was His first engagement with the disciples He had chosen, and He needed to lay down the standards and expectations of His kingdom. It was not like all other kingdoms that had come and gone before His time; there was a time Egypt was the reigning dynasty. There were various times over the centuries that the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Grecian, Roman, British, Chinese, Mongol and many others ruled the world. However, as we know, none of these dynasties or empires has remained in place. This proves that nothing set up by man was made to last forever. 

It has to be emphasized also that Jesus was speaking to a specific audience: His disciples, who were men who had made a decision to leave all and follow Him. They had a choice to make, and I am sure that there were some people who wanted to be part of His inner circle but were not chosen. But for all who were chosen then, and all who decide to come into this new relationship with Christ, we have to know that we are called into a kingdom. A definition of kingdom that fits our reflection today is: "anything conceived as constituting a realm or sphere of independent action or control". It is an independent entity; not under the control or influence of anything else.

The charge is for those who have made the decision to submit to and follow Christ. It will be a mismatch to claim allegiance to Christ, yet claim independence from Him at the same time. You cannot be a Christian and be a free agent at the same time. If I am indeed a child of God, I am to seek after, pursue, promote and preserve the interests, principles and practices of the kingdom of God. The verse above charges us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Righteousness is the nature of God, which means that I am to seek to be like God in all I do. Whenever men see me, they must see His imprint on my life. Can this be said to be true about me?

Once the foundation is secure, and my heart is set on the right focus, then the other bits can find their rightful place. If nothing else can replace God at the centre of my heart, then it means that I can focus on other things that the world may need. I can make and spend money; I can be hospitable; i can do acts of charity; I can invest in people. Once God knows that nothing can take His place in my heat, He knows He can give me anything else. He wants to bless in abundance, but He also wants to secure etermal life for me. May nothing be more important to me than that which glorifies, promotes, and honours God, making Him known to the world around me. God's time of favour is here. 

This God!

This God!

Micah 6:8 AMPC

[8] He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God? 

We have consistently established that God hates and will punish sin, no matter in whom it is found. This has been true for all of life as we know it, from creation till today. When man sinned in the Garden of Eden, a pattern was set. Man would always inherit that sinful nature, and he would struggle with pleasing God. This was where the land of Judah was at this time. Here were a people chosen by God to be His special possession. He set them apart for His pleasure, and made sure that the nations around them knew these were His own people. However, as we also know, a knowledge of God alone does not keep you from sin; only a personal and sustained relationship with Christ will do. 

This was the message of the prophet Micah, who prophesied in Judah in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.  In the days of these three kings, the land of Judah went from being led the right way, to rebelling against God's instructions. Jotham largely knew God, but his son Ahaz did evil. Hezekiah tried his best, yet the people were noted as persistently rebellious. It is not a wonder, then, that punishment was applied by God, after several warnings. This is the way with God; He does not seek to destroy, but to save, heal and deliver. However, as we also know,  God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill.

That is why He would warn and remind us of the standards, before He applies them. He does not lie, and He will not show favouritism. He will not demand from me that which He has not first supplied sufficient grace for. He is a God of mercy and judgment, and the personal knowledge of Him keeps us grounded and humble. He has shown us what is good, and, from the verse above, shown us three things which He requires of all who bear faithful and true allegiance to Him: to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble oneself and walk humbly with God. What would these three things mean in practical terms? How do I correctly apply the three to every day life? 

It is a healthy awe of God that lays the right foundation for all three. If i do not know or recognise God as Lord, how would I subject myself to an unknown God? If I do not accept His authority over me, how could I allow His love and life flow in and through me? If He does not possess me in every way, how can His presence be made manifest in my life? Thank God He is not like fickle, unpredictable man, and thank God that man cannot also play God, otherwise, many of us would be dead. He provides the strength and help I need to align with all three. He has shown us all; have you seen what He wants, and would  you submit to His authority? God's time of favour is here. 

Love 4!

Love 4!

1 Corinthians 13:4 AMP

[4] Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. 

Paul was writing to the church in Corinth on different topics. The chapter before the one from where the verse above is taken was speaking on the use of spiritual gift. The main emphasis was on using these spiritual gifts for the growth of the church, the deepening of the Christian experience, and of course, to the glory of God. If there is one major lesson that this Christian experience has taught me, it is that these gifts of the spirit can sometimes be an avenue for pride and self-importance. How can something you could not invent or manufacture fill you with a sense of your own importance? This is why the message in the verse above is timely and relevant today. 

As I consider who I am and what I have, how do I deliver on my assignments? Am I really conscious of what God demands, and am I careful to point men in His direction as I seek to impact the lives of men? This has to be the daily walk for me: it must not just be about chasing clout, seeking applause or approval from men, self-glory or adulation, but that God is visible in and through me. It means that for me to effectively and efficiently carry out my responsibilities, I need the character of the One who owns the gifts, the platform for the gifts to be exercised, and the lives that are to be impacted by the gifts. If He is not glorified by my use of His gifts, what is the point? 

As I serve in my office, the how is as critical as the why. Men may see the effort, but effort alone does not always equate to impact. As the verses before the one above makes clear, I could speak many languages eloquently, or exercise the gift of prophecy with ease, or as an extreme, even give everything I own, to the point of offering my body to be burnt, yet, if the motive is not aligned with God's nature, which is love, it ends up as a waste of time and effort. Men may love what you do, because all they see is the physical, but the God who sees beyond the physical is the One whose view matters, and who I must please in all I do. Who do I please: God, or man? 

The verse above makes clear what the right standard is. Love, God's version, endures with patience and serenity. It does not give up on anyone easily. Love, God's version, is kind and thoughtful. It puts itself in the shoes of other people, seeking their good. Love, God's version, is not jealous or envious. It does not see itself as better than other people, but it finds joy and fulfilment in pouring into others. Love, God's version, does not brag, and is not proud or arrogant. All the above represent what God desires from all who claim personal knowledge of Him. It is in the fruit of my life that its foundations are known. If He is in, love is the norm. If He is not, this is one you cannot fake. God's time of favour is here. 

Love 3!

Love 3!

John 15:12 AMPC

[12] This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you.

Again, I note that Jesus was alone with His disciples, as He took time to lay out the principles, practices and standards of His kingdom. These teachings were the last set of instructions He gave, just before He went to the cross. It has to be noted that there is always a message for the crowd, and a separate message for the disciple. The standard for the crowd is different from the standard for the disciple. There are some things that the crowd can get away with, but the disciple cannot. This is where it becomes critical for me to define who I am: one of the crowd, or a disciple? My response defines the rest of this devotion. 

The disciple has a master; he has an example to follow. He has been given a sample to work with, a template on which to pattern his own life after. He has not been left on his own, and he has not been told to just do anything. We have someone whose personal life presents us with the confidence we need to know that we can make a success of our own walk of faith, just as He did. The crowd does not have such limits as anything and everything is permissible. It is hard to define standards when there are no examples to look up to. Again, which one am I? My answer can be anything, but when the test comes, would I be able to stand? 

One of the standards the disciple is expected to uphold is that of love. The reason why it is a standard is the nature of the God who commands the standard. He has shown what the standard looks, feels and lives like. As we have always said, God will not demand from me that which He has not first supplied sufficient grace for. If He says I should do it, it is because He knows I am His, and He has already laid down the perfect example of what He desires from me. As the verse above makes clear, a commandment does not give you wiggle room; you are either disobedient or compliant. There is no middle ground or room for complacency. 

Love is a command. Love is an example. Love is Godly, and is possible. That is what Jesus has shown us. A command means that it is binding on all who are under the authority of the One who gave it. Jesus has also shown us how it is done: He gave up His life so that we  could have life. I may not literally give up my life, but am I willing to lay down and allow other people 'walk over' me? Am I fixated on proving I am right, at the expense of my relationships with people? Do I insist on what I want, to the detriment of the welfare of other people? Remember: love is who God is and does. All who are His are empowered to be and do like God. Am I one? God's time of favour is here.

Love 2!

Love 2!

1 Peter 4:8 AMP

[8] Above all, have fervent and unfailing love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins [it overlooks unkindness and unselfishly seeks the best for others].

As always, the audience defines the impact and effect of the message. Peter, one of the disciples of Jesus, had a front-row seat to the amazing things that Jesus did, the messages Hs peached, as well as the exanples He laid down. He introduced himself as an apostle, a special messenger of Jesus Christ, and he was writing to the elect exiles who were now  scattered abroad in different places. It was not their choice to be where they were, but the decision to follow Christ came with its impact and consequences. Let it be clear that God did not promise anywhere that the decision to follow Him would be easy or convenient; what He guarantees is His ever- abiding presence.

This has to be what motivates us to remain true to His call upon our lives. The audiience were people chosen and foreknown by God the Father, consecrated by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ, and to be sprinkled with His blood. That should have made them untouchable, but as we know, walking with God does not prevent life from happening to me. They had a choice to be bitter, angry or resistant to the message of Peter, but they made a choice to open up their hearts to the message. As it was then, so is it today. The world will not accept that which it does not understand and cannot control. I have a choice to make: blend in or stand out. 

My daily choices and responses to what the world offers me will reflect who I am and what I have. The prayer of Peter at the start of his letter is also instructive: that the peace of God in the hearts of these people will free them from fear. Once fear ia dealt with, what else remains? Only hearts that are free to flow with the love of God. That is the message in the verse above: there are a a lot of things that the Christian experience will demand from you, but there is something that sits above them all, and that is love. Yesterday's devotion focused on what love is, and today's focus also reminds us what God's standards are. God will not lower His standards for anyone. 

Remember: God will also not demand from us that which He has not first supplied sufficient grace for. He wants me to have fervent and unfailing love for other people. It is not love that demands that they first deserve it, but love that reaches out, no matter what the other person does. Love is special, in that it helps me see with God's eyes, not mine. Left to me, it will be hard to love if there was no reciprocal feeling, but we come to a place where love is given freely, without conditions, and with grace that overlooks offence. That is what God has given, and it is what He demands from all who are His. Am I His? Are you? God's time of favour is here.

Love 1!

Love 1!

Psalms 103:13 AMP

[13] Just as a father loves his children, So the Lord loves those who fear and worship Him [with awe-filled respect and deepest reverence].

The entire chapter from where the verse above is taken is a tribute to God's love and care for His own. It is a psalm of David, one who God called a man after His own heart. The chapter starts with those immortal words: "Bless the Lord, O my soul". David took account of all that God had done for and to him up to that point, and his only response was to break down in gratitude to God for His dealings with him. Like David, I have to know that God has not changed or moved away from His nature: faithful and consistent. He does not need me to be God, yet my life is the loudest testimony to His faithful dealings. Do i know this God of love? 

The same chapter reminds us of the mercy and grace of our Lord, who is slow to anger, yet abounding in lovingkindness and compassion. He is a God who hates sin yet loves the sinner unconditionally. He will punish sin, no matter in whom it is found, yet He will strive to save the soul of the sinner from eternal damnation. Even though we can be stubborn, He does not deal with us after our sins, or reward us with punishment according to our wickedness. That is a love that defies human understanding. This is a love I could not earn, merit or deserve. This is a love that will do all it can to preserve me from evil. That is God's love in application. 

Then the note of caution: God's love is quite amazing, but He does not force it on us. God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill. This is where my heart must choose to submit and surrender to Christ, of my own freewill. Earthly fathers, no matter how good, cannot force their will on a child that can now decide on things. You may counsel, advice or seek to mentor, but the decision or response is left for that child to take. There are only two possible options, and God has made clear what the end of these two options are: life or death. There is no middle ground; no other safe zone. I am either all in or all out.

The power of my choice is now reflected in the verse above. God the Father made us all for His pleasure, but there is a greater glory when the created acknowledges the power and wisdom of the Creator, and give glory, honour and praise back to Him. The Father loves all His creation, but there is a special care for those who fear and worship Him out of a clear sense of understanding of who He is, what He has done, and what He is able to do. Like any imperfect earthly father, we tend to gravitate towards a child who listens. In the same way, God is close to those who choose to obey and honour Him. You desire this close relationship? Seek to honour and obey Him. God's time of favour is here.