Where do you Look?

Where Do You Look?

For not from the east nor from the west nor from the south come promotion and lifting up. But God is the Judge! He puts down one and lifts up another. Psalm 75:6‭-‬7 AMPC

It is a season of strange things. Everywhere you turn, you hear and see unusual things. World economies are in turmoil, nations are at the brink of war, industrialized nations are seeking ways out of the recession caused by the  global fall in oil prices, and people are saving up money for a day they are highly uncertain apart. It appears that we have believed the lie that we can determine our own destinies by our actions, plans and intentions. It appears as if the devil wants to shift our focus from God and his power, to ourselves and our innate abilities. We now look inward and around for inspiration, leading, guidance and lifting. We trust in the words of men more than the words of God. We hold on to man's promises and commitment to help us, and we discountenance the help that God alone can give.

Let me disappoint your expectations if they are based on the wrong premise: man can only lift you up to the extent of the length of his arms, and if he has the strength on the day of lifting. Man may have the best of intentions, yet lack the capacity and capability to do as promised on the day of delivery.  God, on the other hand, has everlasting arms, the type that stretches through all generations, the ones that can raise up the poor out of the dust and lift up the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with nobles and inherit the throne of glory. 1 Samuel 2:8 AMPC.

That is the same God that also says that promotion comes from him. When you weigh God's credentials, does he not strike you as someone who is capable to fulfil his promises? What are you looking for? What are you trusting God for? What are you hoping to receive from God? Better look right and look well- no one else can help you if God would not help you. No one can lift you up if God will not lift you up. No one else can promote you if God is keeping you in a place because he wants to teach you eternal lessons.  Look right, look to God, for his time of favour is here.

It never ends with you!

It never ends with you!

But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments! Psalms 103:17‭-‬18 NLT

If you had ever thought that you did not have to render account of your life to anyone, today's extract will make you think again. If you ever thought that you did not owe anyone any explanation for your actions, then read the extract above again. If you have believed the lie that not all actions have eternal consequences, please read the passage above again. It is a settled matter that there is no action without an equal and opposite reaction; everything I do today is a seed sown in eternity with its reward or consequence also steeped in eternity.

For all who fear God, there is an assurance that no amount of riches can buy - you have God's eternal love. Now, you may think it is something valueless, as if cannot be quantified on monetary terms, but think for a moment about Abraham. Can you quantify his blessings? Can you place a value on the benefits we all still receive from him, centuries after he died? David was promised an eternal kingdom, all because he walked with God. He wasn't perfect, but he loved God with everything he had. He wasn't the best of persons, but God was his sole pursuit and love interest. Check out the lives of the children after these two. Does the promise of God in the extract above ring true in their lives?

Solomon wasn't the best of persons too. He started so well, God blessed him. He was the only king of both Israel and Judah who did not fight a single war. I think this was partly because he left his dependence on God and depended on foreign alliances, even with nations that God had warned him about. Yet, something was working for him - his father's life investment of love. The people of Israel were not the ideal people too. They were heady, stubborn, difficult and disobedient. But is there a doubt as to why they were so favoured? Someone had sown a seed that God could not ignore.

Today, watch your seeds, and your life investments. You just may never know which generation after you will reap the rewards/consequences of your actions today. Obey God, it may be the difference between an eternity of regrets or a generational impact. The choice is yours; his time of favour is here.

Merit or Grace?

Merit or Grace?

For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 1:9 NLT

Have you ever wondered why salvation and holiness are fundamental requirements of your walk with God, if you really claim to be a child of God? Have you considered why God does not leave the issue of our walk with him to the whims and caprices of the human heart? Check out the price God paid to get us where we are today - he gave up his one and only son, Jesus, so he could pay the price and penalty for sin that we could not pay. The life was taken, the blood was shed, the penalty was fully discharged, and a new order established. Because we did not have to pay the penalty, we have come into a new realm of possibilities with God. Because we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, we have been brought into a new standing with God. He places a demand on us, asking that we live lives that point out his power, mercy and grace. He asks us to live holy lives, in appreciation of his sacrifice. That has always been his plan - the redemption of man from sin and the sealing of his eternal hope.

One thing is clear-in all of the things said above, there is no where that ability, qualification or capacity is established or emphasized. What could we have done to merit this things that God did in our lives? What could we have given up so we could take hold of what God had given? What could we give back to God that would be adequate compensation for all he has done for us? What he expects is what has been highlighted above - live holy lives. Holiness is a nature of God, and it signifies total dependence on God, total obedience to his Word, being clean within and without, and seeking to please God everyday.

The world has seen all of the ordinary and the usual. It is time for us who claim to know God to show them the extraordinary. The world will notice the difference in focus and pursuits, and seek to know God more. Is my life reflecting these priorities? His time of favour is here.

Inner Calm and Outer Witness

Inner Calm and Outer Witness

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 1 Peter 3:15 KJV

As we go through life, demands will be placed on our time, resources, possessions and person. Challenges will come to us, no matter how "spiritual" we think we are. In fact, the verse before today's extract talks about suffering for righteousness' sake, and that we should be glad when such experiences come. How do you rejoice in the face of trials and difficulties? How do you maintain calm when everything around you is falling to pieces? How do you keep your equilibrium when the world and all its priorities are losing balance? Today's extract seeks to place in proper context how we can survive in the face of all that is happening all around us.

First of all, our inner man must be rightly connected to the right source for nourishment and sustenance. We have to hold God in the highest regard in our lives. If God is not held in high regard, how do you expect others to respect him? If I do not consider God's commands as important, and I do not pay attention to what he says per time, how would I teach others to follow God? If my heart is not sanctified, and God cannot dwell in it, how would my life be a living witness for God? The state of my heart will determine the fullness of the impact that my life will make. No wonder the extract above emphasizes the need to sanctify the Lord God in my heart. Being Lord means he is master and king, he is the determinant of my steps. Being God in my life means his desires, commands and instructions are my highest pursuits and ideals. Can that be said of me? Can that be said of you?

It is when I have nailed the inner that I can manifest the outer. When God takes first place in my heart, the other part of the extract rings true - being able to give an answer to every man that asks the reason for my hope. Is it not when I have hope that I can give you the basis of that hope? Is it not when God is in charge that my life can truly impact? When a man holds God in the highest esteem, he will always have a message. John the Baptist was not attractive by the world's standards, but because he was willing to decrease so that God could increase in his life, people came from all over the country to listen to him. Interestingly, the King of Kings himself came to John for baptism.

Do you think you have a message for the world? Has God given you something that is a solution to a problem in the world? You will not make a difference until God makes the difference in your life. You will not amount to much until God is all in all in you. His time of favour is here.

Physical Evidence of a Spirtual Birth

Physical Evidence of a Spiritual Birth

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 1 Peter 2:9 KJV

When a verse starts with BUT, it is important to pay attention to the words that have gone before. In this case, it is established that we have a choice of which Authority to submit to, with the eternal consequences of our choice made clear. However, an understanding of who you are, what God is making you to become, and the eternal gain to be made by choosing him, will help us make the right decision.

Check out the attributes highlighted above - a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people. If you are found in God, you belong to a special breed of people, who are chosen by him and set apart for his glory. Not just ourselves, but even the generation coming after us will benefit from our decision to follow Christ. We belong to a wonderful combination of kings and priests, with the inherent rights to enjoy the benefits of kings, and the access into God's presence that priests enjoy. We are seen as peculiar by the world, because we do not live as they do or talk as they do or relate as they do or prioritize as they do.

Why do you think God goes to such lengths to do all the above? It is because we are expected to showcase his power and might; we are to be reflectors of his awesome power. Our lives should show forth his grace and mercy, and lead others to praise and seek out the God that we serve. If my life is not pointing out the power if God, there is a problem. If my life is not leading others to praise God, then there is a problem. If my life does not reflect a crossing over from death to life, there is a problem.

Unfortunately, all these benefits may not reflect on the external. The world places so much stock on the outer and the external. The world would have us believe that perception is everything. However, what goes on inside you, is of greater eternal consequence than what goes on outside of you. If I get my ownership right, then I get my life and action right.

Who am I? Who lives inside me? What are my priorities? Am i reflecting God's power, might, grace, favour and life? Can people determine my ownership from the things I say or do? His time of favour is here.

Positioning for Impact

Positioning for Impact

If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. Colossians 3:1‭-‬2 ASV

As we live out our lives here on earth, a lot of questions will have to be answered if we are to make the impact we were created to make. There are about seven billion people on the face of the earth, and a lot are just content with a dreary ordinary existence: they want to go to school, get a good degree and feed their families. There is not much thought given to eternity and its application here on earth. I believe that the extract above speaks to this, and would have us re-order our priorities so we can be positioned to make impact for God.

First of all, you must check your present position: are you raised with Christ? Have you partaken of the life that he offers full and free? The extract above lies on the answer to that question. If Christ has been raised from the dead, and I have identified with his death and life by accepting him as Lord and Saviour, then I can move on to the rest of the extract. If you have not, please don't go further until you have settled your positioning in Christ.

Now that you are sure where you stand, check out your priorities and pursuits. Am I seeking the things of God or the things of self? Can I be in God and still be trying to serve self? Can I be seated with Christ and still be pursuing glory and praise for myself? Can my eyes be fixed on Christ and at the same time, be distracted by the attractions the world offers? A lot of us are like that, thinking we can play both sides very well. We are God's children, yet we have space in our hearts for worldly pursuits. We serve God, yet we keep an eye on how we can keep up with the latest fashions, the latest possessions, and the world's focus. Honestly, after a while, you will have to choose which one is more important. You cannot do both well.

A balance is therefore needed: how do I live in this world and still be eternally conscious? How do I become effective on earth while also being relevant eternally? I believe the answer is keeping your eyes on what is important- what God says is important. It doesn't mater what the world calls important now, after a while, something new will come up.  Keep an eye on what God is doing down here, but keep your heart on what God has promised in eternity. Keep your light ever bright down here, unclouded by worldly distractions such as possessions, position or power. Keep your gaze on Jesus, the one who says he is able to complete whatever he has started. Since he is the source of your life as determined above, then his promise stands. His time of favour is here.

The Purpose behind the Pain

The Purpose behind the Pain

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 1 Peter 5:10 KJV

Today's generation has been fed on the wrong doctrine. We are being taught that God does not allow pain and trouble, because he is a good God. He has taken away all our issues, paid the price for our sins, and guaranteed us a life of ease and peace. Whilst the above is very true, that is not the whole picture.  The legitimate punishment for our sins has been taken up by Christ when he died, so that we do not bear the punishment again. He became a curse for us, so we could enjoy the fullness of the blessings that only God can give. He is our peace, the One who has broken down every wall of hostility and separation between us and God. These are just a few of what we have in Him.

What has not been talked about much is the effect of all that Christ has done. Did he do all that so we could live carelessly and without purpose or direction? Did he do all that so we could simply sit down, watch the world go to pieces, and then take up our rewards at the end of our lives? I am sure, just as the Bible points out, that life is more than eating, drinking, sleeping and dying. What is the proof that what I have received is genuine? How do I prove the worth of my faith if it is not tested? How do I appreciate the value of what I have received if it is never tested? That is the message that the world also needs to hear.

While I wait for redemption, there is a need for trials! While I wait for glory, there is room for gore. While I await the crown, the cross must be borne. While I await this riches of heaven, I must endure the rigours of the earth. Eternal glory is the end of our race, but our race will require trials and tribulations. God does not entrust mighty things into the hands of those he has not tested. How then would you measure your growth, development and experience of God if you have never been tried? How would you appreciate the settling, perfection, establishment and strengthening promised by God if you do not endure his lessons?

God is faithful; his strength is available. His power is made perfect in weakness, and his grace is sufficient. Take hold of him today; he will see you to the end and guarantee that you end well. His time of favour is here.