Focused!

Focused!

Galatians 6:9 AMPC

[9] And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.

Paul understood the assignment; he knew what he had been saved from, and what he had been called into, and he would not let anything distract him from the work that had to be done. Hie introduced himself as an apostle, a special messenger appointed, commissioned and sent out, not from any body of men, nor by or through any man, but by and through Jesus Christ. That is a clear message that the views or opinions of men do not count when it comes to pleasing God. As long as God is pleased with my life, and I am guided by Him, the offerings of my life will please Him. Of course, the opposite is also equally true. 

Paul was also writing this letter to the brethren who were in the churches of Galatia. These were people who were mainly Gentiles, and were not considered by the Jews of those days as entitled to the message and benefit of salvation. In fact, some Jews were insisting that the Gentiles had to follow the Jewish customs, particularly circumcision, if they were to be accepted by the Jewish community. Paul had to take time to educate the people here that salvation, faith in Christ, and a life of submission to the instructions of Christ, were more important that just merely following rules. This was the focal point of the letter of Paul to his audience here.

That message also includes encouragement in the verse above. Let it be clear that working for God, and being backed up by Him, will still not keep you away from trials and tough times. In fact, my surrender to God makes me a target for the devil. As we know, he does not fight those who are already in his camp, so if he is really attacking you, it means that you are doing something right by God's standards. It will be an error to assume that working for God means that the devil will leave you alone. He does not quit, and he does not give up, as long as this earthly body is in place. This is why I take encouragement from the truth that this earthly phase is not forever. 

One day comes soon when the earthly will give way to the eternal. While I wait, I take comfort from the truth that God is the One who rewards all men for faithful service. I do not lose heart or grow weary; I keep at it because I know who I am working for. He is the One who determines reward, and He is a faithful God who will give to every man the justice that each person deserves. He is the One who provides the comfort, support and encouragement that we need to confront the evil of our day, be able to fight the good fight of faith, and at the end, take hold of the crown of life. As He is with me, I cannot lose. Is He with you? Do you have Him? God's time of favour is here.

Like God!

Like God!

Luke 6:36 AMPC

[36] So be merciful (sympathetic, tender, responsive, and compassionate) even as your Father is [all these].

Let us put the verse above in context. Jesus and His disciples had had several altercations with the Jewish leaders of His time. The issues ranged from eating without washing hands to healing on the Sabbath. These were issues that should not lead to conflict, as they did no evil to anyone else, but trust the Jewish leaders at the time to seek to wield the power that they did not actually have. Jesus made efforts to correct their wrong motives, but as we know, God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill. He will provide the required information for me to make up my mind what I want to do, but He will wait for me to decide who I want to follow. 

The message in the response of Jesus to the Jewish leaders also need some focus. He did not condemn them; He provided them with sufficient information to help them decide to do the right thing. His message was about mercy. How do you define mercy? A source defines it as: 'showing kindness, pity, or forgiveness to someone you have the power to hurt or punish. It is a choice to withhold punishment even when justice says it is deserved'. Reflect on this: the target would have done wrong, and you will be right to apply the just punishment, but there is a decision to withold this punishment for a greater good. 

As it has been said, the target has to embrace the mercy shown; otherwise, a rejection of mercy typically transitions from a state of leniency back to one of strict consequence. As we also read from the chapter from where the verse above is taken, Jesus went up to pray, and thereafter chose His disciples. If it was not mercy, how would a man like Judas Iscariot get access to Jesus, to be able to betray Him? If not for mercy, what chance did Simon Peter have, after denying he ever knew this Jesus? If not for mercy, how would Matthew, a tax collector hated by the public, become one of the disciples of Jesus? This is why mercy does not always make sense. 

It was mercy that spoke the words of the verse above. It is hard to demand mercy from people who have not first understood and then responded to it. If I am to show mercy, it means it is first a settled personal encounter. How can I give what I do not have? When Jesus spoke these words, he was addressing His disciples, not the uncommitted crowd. It is easy to follow the multitude, but dedication to a cause can be lonely. Do not be worried about standing alone; if God is on your side, you are already in the majority. With God, I am able to give what I have already personalised. He is the perfect example; He has given me His all. What would I be willing to give up in return? God's time of favour is here. 

Give!

Give!

Proverbs 11:25 AMPC

[25] The liberal person shall be enriched, and he who waters shall himself be watered. 

2 Corinthians 9:9 AMPC

[9] As it is written, He [the benevolent person] scatters abroad; He gives to the poor; His deeds of justice and goodness and kindness and benevolence will go on and endure forever!

As we have always said, for every instruction God gives, the devil tries to offer a close alternative or a different attractive argument. The one consolation we have is that God has already given us clarity on the identity of the devil: he is a liar and the father of all liars, so nothing the devil offers can be trusted. If God has already laid down a principle by which He is guided and which He has proven to honour, there is no advantage on trusting the lies of the devil. God has staked His own name and reputation on the integrity of His Word, and because His Word is generational, He will always be True, no matter how complex the world becomes. 

It is this clarity and confidence in the word of God that leads us to the focus of the verse above. Right from the days of the wisest man who ever lived, king Solomon, it has been clearly established that giving is a blessing. There are people who have understood this principle, lived by it, and have enjoyed a life of unprecedented wealth. The wise words of Solomon were pronounced at a time before the Holy Spirit became fully expressed in man as it is these days, so you could argue that Solomon was not speaking to Christians. To give liberally is to give generously and freely, without being reluctant or stingy. It is giving what you have without thinking of immediate reward. 

If this principle of giving works for all men who live by it, imagine the multiplier effect for those who know and follow the God who actually commands it. It is only God that can explain how a man gives out of what s/he has, yet always has more to give. The one who hoards and thinks he is smart, may end up with less than the one who gives out. You make room for more when you give. When you have a lot and you hoard what you have, how can there be space for more? That is the precise message of the verse just before the one above: "There are those who [generously] scatter abroad, and yet increase more; there are those who withhold more than is fitting or what is justly due, but it results only in want."

The message is clear: there is wisdom in saving for the rainy day, but there are blessings in giving to causes that God is invested in. Anything that puts a smile on the face of another person, or leads to happiness and a prayer by another person has God's approval. We also have the advantage of knowing and following the example of a God who gave His best for us. What could be bigger or greater than the gift of a life, given freely to secure eternal redemption for all the people of the world, as many as would come to Him? We have this example to follow; we have been shown the way. It is a blessing to obey. May nothing be too hard to give up. God's time of favour is here. 

Ask!

Ask!

Mark 11:24 AMPC

[24] For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].

The events surrounding the verse above relate to the week of passion, when Jeusus had to submit to the will of God through the cross. He had spent time with all sorts of people, from the confrontational Pharisees and Sadducees, to the sly scribes and teachers of the law. Jesus knew who they were, but He took time to relate with them, peradventure, they might come to the saving knowledge of Jesus. As we have always said, there is no life so far gone that s/he is beyond the grace of God. As long as there is a sincere search for the Truth, God is willing and ready to reveal Himself. That is why you will find men like Nicodemus being a disciple of Jesus. 

It really was an eventful week. Jesus had been honoured as he rode into Jerusalem, and He had dealt with people who had turned the temple into a place of trade, rather than prayers, for which God intended it to be. He had also cursed a fig tree that gave the appearance of fruit, and there was an immediate impact, in line with the command of Jesus. The fig tree had withered all the way to the roots. How could a tree that had leaves the day before become completely dead by the next morning? There are a lot of lessons from this story, and a few will suffice. First, the power of a command flows from the nature of its source. Where no authority exists or there is no backing, words are mere words. 

This is why we speak about the efficacy of God’s Word. From available evidence, as well as a lifetime of experience, there is nothing more stable and dependable like the word that proceeds from the mouth of God. He says that He is not a man who lies; in fact, the bible also records where two immutable things by which it is impossible for God to lie are laid side by side: God's Word and His name. From before time began, these two things have existed, and long after this earthly phase as we know it will cease to exist, these two things will still be unchanging. How can I doubt the word of a God who speaks through and to time, and can control time? 

When such a God now tells me to ask Him for anything in prayer, how can I doubt the power that is available for me? It has to be noted that the counsel in the verse above was to the disciples, not the crowd that followed Him everywhere. There are benefits and blessings that acrrue to me based on my walk with Jesus. The verse tells me to ask for anything in prayer, believing, trusting and being confident that I will receive whatever I ask for. This is a promise from a God who stakes His name and reputation on the integrity of His word. If He says it, He will do it. If He says it, His creation has no choice but to align with His command. Trust this God; ask Him for whatever you desire. If it is His will, you have it. That is a guarantee. God's time of favour is here.

Delivered!

Delivered!

Psalm 34:19 AMPC

[19] Many evils confront the [consistently] righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

The world seems to hold the view that faith in Christ keeps you away from trouble. I have not been able to find a verse of the Bible that supports this position. What God promises is actually a life filled with challenges. When the Christian experience is likened to 'the good fight of faith', or we are advised to 'take on the whole armour of God', or when Paul counsels Timothy on what to do in order to 'war a good warfare', you get the clear impression that God does not leave us in doubt as to what we are in for. Thinking that I will be kept from trials and tough times is to tamper with the foundations on which the Christian faith is built. That is one definition of false teaching.

What is the truth, then? What God's word says clearly is that in this world, we would have tribulations. It does sound terrible when you consider this alone, but when you add the other bit of the verse, it guarantees you God's presence in all the tribulations the world will throw at you. Consequently, we have two absolute guarantees: the inevitable tough times that will come, and the undeniable presence of God that stays with us every step of the way. We may not have a choice about the time the first one comes to us, but we have the power over the scope and reach of the second. We cannot control tough times, but if God is with us, He makes it worth it. 

God will not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill. Even though He is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient, He will not manifest His power where He has not been given free rein. This is where total surrender matters. How can I ask God to step into a situation that I have not handed over to Him, and I am still very much in control of? How does God take control of a situation over which I do not have any regard for His power and authority? This is where my walk of faith becomes personal; it is not about other people, but about my own walk. It is not about what people say or do, but what the faithful God has promised. 

In the same chapter from where the verse above is taken, we read about this God. He is the One who encamps round about them who fear him. He delivers them from their troubles. How He does this is within His prerogative. He does not need to answer to me, but He will surely work things out for my good. Whoever makes up his mind to trust in God is the one who is truly blessed. No matter what comes my way, whether good or 'evil' in my opinion, God ensures everything works together for my good. In God's hands, I am truly safe, no matter what comes or where I end up. This earthly phase will not last forever, but the life given to God will surely reign with Him in eternity. Let that be an encouragement to hold on to the end. God's time of favour is here. 

Faithful!

Faithful!

Luke 16:10 AMPC

[10] He who is faithful in a very little [thing] is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest and unjust in a very little [thing] is dishonest and unjust also in much.

The background to the verse above is quite instructive. There was this nobleman who had a manager who was quite unfaithful. The stories of this manager's unfaithfulness had reached the master, and he now demanded an accounting from the manager. As it happened then, so are we reminded today that for all of us who have been given an assignment, an accounting will definitely be demanded from us. There is no exception to this rule, and there is no influence or connection that will exempt you from this assignment. Like that manager, we all have been given something to manage. The danger here is to look at another person's assignment, and think his is more important than yours.

There is no assignment that is more important than the other, as long as it is clear that the owner of the estate is the one who gave it. It is the owner of the estate that I must seek to please. If He is glad with the quality of my service, it does not matter what the multitude say. If He is not happy with my service, it still does not matter if everyone else applauds what I have done. It is this clear understanding that has to underpin what I do and how I do it. It is even more interesting to note that Jesus was speaking to His disciples and not the crowd. The message in this verse is for those who seek a life of impact and relevance. 

We want it to be big, but we forget that the big started out as small. We want it now, but we forget that God does not do instant success. We want the world to see it and applaud, but we forget that applause is not always a sign of divine approval. We want to be celebrated by the world, but we forget that the world does not really have an eternal memory. It only gives room to whatever pleases it at the time. The crowd that sang 'Hossana in the Highest' one weekend was the same that shouted 'Crucify Him' to Jesus by the next weekend. To set store by other people's approval is a faulty way to live; it wil not end well. 

Whatever will stand the test of time must be something that remains relevant through time. The only way to do that is to live for the purpose and pleasure of the One who controls times and seasons. He is the One whose view on what is acceptable matters. He is content with small steps taken consistently toward the achievement of His purpose and plan. We are the ones who see it as small or little, but when done in obedience, it ends up massive. We are the ones who want quick fixes; God is the One who rewards service done faithfully. It is a call for me to be committed to whatever God has asked me to do. He will sort out the platform and the impact; all I can do is depend on Him for supply. Would you trust Him? God's time of favour is here.

True Wisdom!

True Wisdom!

James 3:13 AMPC

[13] Who is there among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let him by his noble living show forth his [good] works with the [unobtrusive] humility [which is the proper attribute] of true wisdom. 

For everything that God promotes, be sure that the devil will also promote a cheap but inferior substitute. There is true wisdom that comes from God, which then means that the devil has his own false narrative that he will push out as wisdom. It is very important to define the source, because that will define earthly and eternal implications. The version of wisdom that the devil pushes out is based on human reasoning, experience and self-interest; God's version will always look like the source, and is based on Truth, as defined by God. The devil's version focuses on success, status, power and personal gain, whilst God's version focuses on righteousness, humility, love and obedience. 

Of course, whatever is of the devil will have to change with trends, opinions, and circumstances, because it has to find a way to keep being relevant to the world. It leads to pride and self-importance, but God's version does not need that kind of validation. Even when the whole world thinks it does not make sense, just give it time. God's wisdom will always prove right at the end. This is the distinction that must be made, so that the right decision can be made. This is the basis of the question asked at the start of the verse above: 'Who is there among you who is wise and intelligent'. Do you know who you are? Are you clear on the right pursuits and priorities? 

The answer to the question then defines the actions that must follow. If indeed I am wise and intelligent, as defined by God, then it will show in the quality of my life's choices. The verse above says that a wise and intelligent person will show this content by noble living and good works. There is a whole world of activities that can be defined as good works, and as Ephesians 2:10 says: 'For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them'. We were made for good works, which are the natural output of a life that God lives in. I must note that it is not automatic; no eternal good can come out of a life that God does not own and hold. 

It is also important to note that the good works referred to here are to be done with the right heart, which is with unobtrusive humility. It is the natural human reaction to want to be seen or heard, or to feel important. You want to be recognised, but one must be careful that it does not lead to pride. Pride is laid out as one of the things that God hates, which means that He cannot use a life that is under the influence of pride. No good works, as defined by God, can be produced by a life that He is not in charge of. It is a sign of surrender that God can speak, walk, and feel through me, and that His mark of ownership is evident in my life. Can the same be said of you? God's time of favour is here.