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. 

Walk Right!

Walk Right!

1 John 2:6 AMP

[6] whoever says he lives in Christ [that is, whoever says he has accepted Him as God and Savior] ought [as a moral obligation] to walk and conduct himself just as He walked and conducted Himself.

John would know what he was talking about in his letter here. Reflect on the introduction to this letter: he was writing about what existed from the beginning, what he had heard, seen with his eyes, looked at and touched with his hands, concerning the Word of Life. That is the personal touch that makes the difference between hearsay and evidential reality. Many have heard, but they do not have a personal encounter with the One who makes the difference. John had seen, he had heard, he knew, and now, he could speak so boldly about the One who is and gives etermal life to all who put their trust in Him and follow Him to the end. 

There is no replacement for this personal encounter. When a man is walking with Christ, that walk reflects in every decision he makes: where he walks, where he works, who he walks with, who he works for, and where he js headed. This walk and work leave no room for any form of carelessness or assumptions. I have got to be precise, exact and intentional about the choices that i make, to align with the demands of this walk and work. As we have always made clear, God will not demand from me that which He has not first supplied sufficient grace for. If He commands it, it is possible. Man's weaknesses have never been able to negatively impact God's ability to help man walk right. 

It is not possible for the fallen human nature to please God, and that is why a change of ownership is the foundation to a life of impact. Anyone can make any claim, but my life's choices, decisions and reactions reflect the state of the contents of my heart. If I say I live in Christ, it must not take forever for men to note the difference in me. Jesus referred to His disciples as the light of the world, and a ciry set on a hill that could not be hidden. A child of God has no hiding place, or a place to become complacent. If I say I have accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour, He cannot be Lord over some areas of my life, and I in charge of other areas. Being Lord means total control. 

For all such people, the charge is for us to walk and conduct ourselves the same way Jesus did. He is the perfect example of all that God loves and desires from all who are His own. He has not left me without clear guidance on what is expected. I must not pay lip service to Christ, and then deny Him with my daily choices and actions. I also note tht the verse above says it is an obligation. Well, like all of God's commands, I do have the power of freewill. I get to choose to obey Him, not out of compulsion, but as a mark of the love He has shown me. I have a duty to show Him off, as a reflection of His own mark of ownership on me. Is this true of me? Is it true of you? God's time of favour is here. 

God's Supply!

God's Supply!

“ And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 AMPC

As it is the practice, context to the verse above is important. Paul and Timothy are the ones credited with writing this letter to all the saints in Christ Jesus who were at Philippi, along with the bishops and deacons in the church. Consider the lives of both men, and you will find out that they were not men who would compromise on the standards of God's word. Paul was the one who mentored Timothy and left him at Ephesus, so he could entrench the principles and practices of God's kingdom in that church. These two then wrote this letter, charging the church to continue to stand by the principles they had been taught. Do you know who and whose you are? 

Do I need to be reminded of the One who calls and sets men apart for Himself? The work of ministry is the work of God carried out by men and not spirits. God is the Almighty, and He can raise stones to praise Him, yet, in His own wisdom, He has given grace to mortal man to carry out His divine assignment. This is the privilege all who are called by God to walk with and work for Him have access to, but as we know, God does not force His principles on anyone. It is a willing surrender to, and an acceptable of His authority, that activates the grace of God which enables a man to run faster, go higher and reach farther than he would ever imagine possible.

That is the basis of the verse above. This was a church built on the back of commited men and women. It was a Roman colony, so not a place that initially welcomed the message of Paul. However, God had prepared Paul for the assignment, and through the experiences of Paul and Silas, and the ministry of the early disciples in that community, a church was planted. Are there obstacles in my way trying to distract me from the work of missions? I must remember that this work is God's first and foremost, and He will definitely raise the required resources for the work that needs to be done. This church, even with its own lack, found a way to minister to the needs of Paul.

It was with such a heart of gratitude that Paul prayed this prayer for the church. His needs had been met, not by those who sought to show off, but by people who offered fragrant odour of an offering and sacrifice which God delighted in. This help came from sincere and willing hearts. When Paul was referring to His God, He was referring to a God who sees the hearts of men and rewards accordingly. When a man does anything with the right motives, God is indeed pleased and His blessings are guaranteed. If I also desire such a blessing, I must also be prepared for such sacrifices. God's supply can meet any demand, but His supply flows in the direction of a sacrificial life. Does this describe me? God's time of favour is here. 

Guard Well!

Guard Well!

Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23 AMP

As we know, Solomon did not become the man or king he became by accident; there was a lot of preparation, planning, prepping, presentation and preservation that led to him becoming king. Let us examine the words of a few verses just before the one above, where he said: “When I [Solomon] was a son with my father [David], tender and the only son in the sight of my mother [Bathsheba], He taught me and said to me, Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments and live. Do you see the benefits of an investment of time and prayerful contributions into the life of a child? Do you see why God burdens the hearts of parents for their children?

David may have been called promiscuous by the standards of today, but he did right by his son Solomon. As we know, it could have been this example of Godly teaching that made this boy offer the sacrifices he made, and made God appear to him and ask him to request for anything at all. In our own generation today, maybe we would be asking for riches and wealth, but this young king asked for wisdom. Of course, God the Author and person of wisdom was more than willing to give him what he asked for, and the benefits and impact of this wisdom are still seen in and around us today. Practically every verse in the book of Proverbs is a message on its own.

From the lives of parents and son, we learn a lot of life lessons. David should have been at war but he was home. Bathsheba maybe should have been aware of prying eyes as she took her bath. Both ended up in adultery; David went a step further and murdered the husband of Bathsheba. The heart of man, as God has said several times, is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. The human degenerated heart without Christ is capable of anything because it is under the control and influence of the devil. David was forgiven but the consequences of what he did affected those who knew nothing of his evil actions. Be careful to submit this heart to the control of the One who formed it.

By myself, I cannot help myself. The heart is tuned to always focus on something every time. It is the focus of the heart that drives its pursuits and priorities. The heart is the origin of thoughts, actions and decisions, and one gets to live or die by the quality of the products of the heart. That is why guarding it is non-negotiable. It is only by understanding the power of Christ that I can keep my heart from evil. I have been given freewill; God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of that freewill. Be sure that if you submit the heart to Him, He will take care of it. He wants to control it, so it can lead to eternal life. Would you give Him yours? God's time of favour is here.

Hear Well!

Hear Well!

“ And He said, He who has ears to hear, let him be hearing [and let him consider, and comprehend].” Mark 4:9 AMPC

We encounter this short verse at the start of the earthly ministry of Jesus. He was one who commanded crowds anywhere He went. He was not one to say what pleased the crowd at the expense of His heavenly Father. As the first verse in the chapter from where the verse above is taken makes clear, a great crowd gathered about Him as He began to teach. It was such a large crowd that He has to get into a ship and sit in the ship on the lake in order to reach out to as many as possible. Maybe in our own day, it will be a good time to whip up the crowd and get them on our side. Not Jesus; He spoke the truths about the kingdom of God to all who would listen.

He used parables or illustrations to teach the truths of the kingdom of God to the crowd. One of the parables was that of the sower. We see a man carrying precious seed to sow, and as he went, the seed fell on four different types of grounds. The first type was along the path. Of course, where there is not much guidance or protection, anything can happen to the seed, so it is not a surprise that birds came and ate the seeds. What guardrails do I put in place to protect the seed I receive? Do I even know the value of the seed in the first place? The devil knows the value of the seed and he will do all he can to distract me from enjoying the full potential and power in the seed.

The second type of ground was the one full of rocks, with not much soil to let the seed develop strong roots down below to support full growth up above. As there not much soil, at the slightest hint of trouble or persecution, they fall away and go back to their familiar past. We also find the third kind of ground which fell among thorns. It would have grown well but because it was competiting with other distractions and cares, the seed stood no chance. As I consider my own life today, is there anything that is competing for attention with the Word of God in my heart? I must always remember that there is nothing wrong with the quality of the seed; the ground defines the output. 

The last type of ground is good (well-adapted) soil. It did not get like that accidentally; it took effort, time and investment. You work on the ground in preparation to receive the seed. The ground allows the power of the seed to be made manifest. The seed is able to grow up and increase, and yield up to thirty times, sixty times, and even a hundred times as much as had been sown. Even the power of adequate preparation is relative; God does the increase progressively, in line with my capacity to fully maximise what He gives. If He knows I can handle it, He will give it to me. How is my hearing, and my capacity for obedience? God has spoken; he who has ears to hear, let him hear. God's time of favour is here.