At all Times!

At all Times!

1 Peter 5:8 AMP

[8] Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.

Peter had a personal experience of what he was speaking on in the verse above. Here was a man that was given to emotional outbursts, and was seen as someone who was weak, or easily swayed, or malleable. That was his past but this looked nothing like his future. This is where an encounter with Jesus becomes very important. A few years later, this same Simon had betrayed Jesus, had gone back to his old trade of fishing, had been restored, given the name Peter, had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, had been involved in the mission activity of the early church, and was used by God to touch several lives. Indeed, it matters where you have been, and who you have been with. 

That encounter is the start of anything that will make impact. Peter had one, and it made him a blessing to his audience, as well as a blessing to the church of God till today. Check out the introduction to this letter: he called himself an apostle of Jesus Christ, sent to the people referred to as the elect, living as exiles and scattered across the nations at the time. There had to be something of value keeping people focused on Christ. You do not stay in a system that demands sacrifice from you, if there were no benefits and blessings to be earned from that experience. 

Check out the brief insight into what we gain by our encounter with Christ. We are chosen by the foreknowledge of God the Father, and by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with His blood. That is not something to be taken with levity. You would also assume that these special access and endowments should be sufficient to keep us away from nasty or unpalatable experiences. Well, it appears that this is not the usual way God works. I take hold of eternal when I surrendered my life to Jesus, but the devil will also not keep quiet and watch me succeed in my walk of faith. He will do all he can to distract me. This is the word of caution that is the focus of the verse above. The verse above admonishes me to be sober, alert and cautious at all times.

It is not an attempt to stop me from enjoying this life, but to do so with a consciousness of the temporal nature of all that I see today. I keep an eye open on current events, but I also keep an eye shut in prayer as I seek God's direction for reaction and response to all that I see or hear. I cannot afford to ever switch off, as the devil never rests. He is described as a roaring lion, fiercely hungry and seeking available lives to devour. I must also clearly know that I will not defeat the devil by human schemes. Labour and striving will end up going into the wind; only the One who has defeated the devil permanently is able to hold, keep and preserve me in His will, and guarantee a good end.  Have you met this God? God's time of favour is here. 

Take Heed!

Take Heed

Mark 13:33 AMP

[33] “Be on guard and stay constantly alert [and pray]; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.

Just as it was in the days of Jesus, so is it now. The disciples could see the amazing structures, but Jesus made it clear that things were going to change. Things are happening around us that are frightening, and at the same time, inspiring. Everywhere you turn, standards are being lowered or compromised. Yet, in the face of all the uncertainties around us, there is a Word from God that makes it clear that a day of reckoning is coming. We have an assurance from God that things would not always be the same. How do you prepare the right way for an uncertain future? How do you get ready for an event whose timeline you are not sure about? 

This is where the verse above makes sense. It is not possible to get ready the right way for all that is ahead, without the help of the One who has set times and seasons in His own wisdom. He has apportioned times to all the activities and events under heaven, and they will happen at His instruction and direction. He has given us ample information about what these latter days will look like, and He has also provided us the tools and resources that we need to make the best use of these times. No one can claim ignorance of where we are now: the end times. All the events that Christ assured us will be the signs of the end times are already happening. 

So that there is no confusion, some of these events are: false claims by men to be the Messiah, wars and rumours of wars, famines, earthquakes in various places, and severe harassment because of our faith. Nowhere did God say that things wil be rosy; nowhere did God promise a life free of trials and tough times. What He promises is His presence that never leaves us, no matter what we go through. His Omniscience qualifies Him to speak to my present and future, which have already been determined, preserved, signed and sealed,  and will be delivered by His power. Nothing happens without His express permission. Nothing happens by accident. 

That is the comfort behind the words of the verse above. When I know that God has my back, why should I fret or worry? When He has sorted out my future,  why should the present be a burden? I may not know the day or the hour when He will come for me, but I can rest assured that whenever it happens, it will end in glory for me. That is why I must be on guard and stay constantly alert. I note the verse above adds: 'and pray'. It is not to shut my eyes in blissful ignorance, but to be aware and pray with understanding. I do not know when the appointed time will come, but being in God's hands makes the journey worth it. May I be worthy of heaven at the end of this present earthly phase. God's time of favour is here. 

My Light!

My Light!

Matthew 5:16 AMP

[16] Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven.

The verse above is taken from the first Sermon of Jesus on the mountain, after He had chosen His disciples. It is to be noted that there was a crowd of people at the foot of the mountain, but He was addressing only the disciples. You can be in the midst of a crowd, but God is able to single you out with a message that is peculiar and personal to you. This was where the disciples were at this time. They did not have the full picture of who this Jesus was, but they knew enough to seek to follow Him. As it was then, so is it now. The Lord is still seeking men who will follow Him wholeheartedly and live out the life that He wants them to have. 

In one of the verses just before the one above, Jesus called the disciples the light. That is a strong picture: light is such that cannot be defined outside of the work it does, and the channel or means by which it is expressed, promoted or produced. There is always a source or channel, and a purpose for the light. In this instance, Jesus is the Light by which we also become the light. It means that there is no light outside of Him. There is no identity outside of Jesus. It is important that I sort out my identity and allegiance. This determines what I have access to. If Jesus is the Light, and I am in Him, I have access to all that He is and has.

As light, I cannot be hidden or ignored. Light is such that it may be taken for granted, but it will definitely be missed when it is absent. I have to be such a person. Even if I am not conscious of it, my identity in Christ makes it difficult for me to hide. People are watching me very closely; they may not want to live up to the right standard, but be sure that they know the standard and will hold me to it, if I indeed claim affinity with Jesus the Light. Am I indeed in Christ? I also need to point out that it is not enough to know about Him, be able to speak eloquently about Him, or be sitting near Him; I have to be IN Him. Nothing else works. Does this describe me at the moment? 

The benefit of light is in what it does outside of itself. Light brings illumination and dispells darkness. The lives of men would be the best platform for the manifestation of light. As I shine the light by my good deeds and moral excellence, people recognise the hand of God upon me, and they can honour the God that I have made a public declaration about. How can I be the proper reflection of a God that I am not fully submitted to? There can be no doubt that I have had an encounter with the Light. God in heaven is glorified when His children represent Him well. May the Lord be pleased to display His power and splendour in me. God's time of favour is here.

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.